Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought . It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).
This farmhouse had been too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.
Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he into the room where grain was stored and was quite as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat , and without thinking he started to run and luckily the cat’s paws (爪子).
The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.
Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!
The house came the next few days. Zigfried every single hour of them. , the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a smile at the door of his home, he heard the of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”
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Elizabeth Clay decided to go home and spend the holiday with her parents.The next day she drove her old car home along the road. 36 she found she got a flat.The 22-year-old student 37 to stop her car by the side of the road in the winter night and opened the trunk.No 38 tyre (轮胎).
At this time, a car 39 .Paul and Diane told Clay to 40 them to a service station near their 41 .They arrived to see that it had no suitable tyres to 42 with her car.“Follow us home,” said Paul.
The couple called around to find a tyre.No 43 .They decided to let her use their own car.“Here,” Paul said, handing Clay a 44 of keys, “Take our car.We 45 be using it over the holiday.”
Clay was 46 .“But I’m going all the way to South Carolina, and I’ll be gone for two weeks,” she 47 them.
“We know,” Paul said.“We’ll be 48 when you get back, so it’s easy for you to find us.Here’s our 49 if you need to get in touch with us.”
Unable to believe her eyes, Clay watched as the 50 put her luggage into their car and then sent her off.Two weeks later she 51 to find her old car cleaned inside and out with three new tyres and the radio 52 .
“Thank you so much,” she said.“How much do I 53 you?” “Oh, no,” Paul said, “we don’t want any money.It’s our 54 .” Clay realized that 55 it might have been their pleasure, it was now her duty to pass on their “do unto others” spirit.
A.Suddenly B.Finally C.Immediately D.Fortunately
A.afforded B.wanted C.allowed D.managed
A.spare B.free C.full D.empty
A.passed B.stopped C.paused D.started
A.help B.push C.take D.follow
A.garage B.house C.shop D.hotel
A.compare B.match C.go D.deal
A.way B.message C.money D.luck
A.set B.number C.pair D.chain
A.can’t B.shouldn’t C.mustn’t D.won’t
A.satisfied B.worried C.astonished D.disturbed
A.persuaded B.advised C.reminded D.promised
A.happy B.here C.away D.busy
A.number B.name C.notice D.visa
A.repairmen B.cleaners C.friends D.couple
A.shocked B.happened C.returned D.came
A.produced B.fixed C.tied D.rebuilt
A.owe B.lend C.give D.offer
A.wish B.job C.duty D.pleasure
A.until B.unless C.since D.while
There was a boy who was sent by his parents to a boarding school (寄宿学校). 36 being sent away, this boy was the 37 student in his class. He was at the top in every 38 always with high marks.
But the boy changed after 39 home and attending the boarding school. His grades started 40 . He hated being in a 41 . He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he 42 committing suicide (自杀). All of this was because he felt 43 and no one loved him.
His parents started 44 about the boy. But they even did not know what was 45with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and 46 him.
They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him some casual questions about his classes, teachers and 47 . After some time his dad said, “Do you know, son, why I am here today?”
The boy answered back, “To 48 my grades?”
“No, no,” his dad replied. “I am here to tell you that you are the most 49 person for me. I want to see you 50 . I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”
These words 51 the boy’s eyes to be filled with tears. He 52 his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.
Now the boy had 53 he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He 54 the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him 55 !
A.After B.Before C.When D.While
A.hardest B.naughtiest C.brightest D.dullest
A.exam B.activity C.game D.class
A.coming B.returning C.leaving D.reaching
A.rising B.increasing C.reducing D.dropping
A.group B.term C.company D.party
A.led to B.felt like C.thought back D.looked for
A.worthless B.careless C.concerned D.annoyed
A.caring B.turning C.worrying D.speaking
A.crazy B.true C.possible D.wrong
A.talk with B.listen to C.tell to D.care about
A.family B.friends C.study D.grades
A.realize B.analyze C.check D.test
A.outstanding B.important C.famous D.familiar
A.happy B.excellent C.interested D.satisfied
A.caused B.wanted C.encouraged D.forced
A.answered B.ignored C.hated D.hugged
A.nothing B.something C.everything D.anything
A.showed B.meant C.intended D.expressed
A.sad B.angry C.pleasant D.joyful
Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives. Not long ago, I had one that I would like to __16__.
I was going to Marblehead with my sailboat team. The team was racing down the highway at 85 mph __17_ we realized we were __18_. Luckily, we saw a rest area ahead. I had a brand-new $20 bill. I was so __19_ because I had never had that kind of cash before. But spending it on __20__ seemed like throwing it away. We all rushed into the pizza line. __21__ I got a pizza and a drink, and walked to my table. About halfway through the meal, I __22_ I had not actually handed any money to the cashier. I had just __23__ out, and nobody had noticed. I felt terrible.
My conscience (良心) opened its mouth and swallowed me in one big bite. I couldn’t __24__ over it. I just couldn’t go back to the cashier and __25__ for my stolen pizza. I was so upset that I __26__ to give myself the pleasure of an ice cream for __27__ that someone would say, “Hey, Jeff, why not you use the change __28__ the pizza instead of that nice, new $20 bill?” I was not so __29__ of my cash now. For the next two years, whenever I was __30__ of the “pizza incident”, I would say to myself, “Don’t think about it…”
I have learned two things from this __31__. Maybe I was a fool for __32__ in to my conscience, and being too stupid to appreciate a __33__ pizza. But the real lesson is that even if you get away with what you have done, your conscience will __34__ up with you.
This reflects the saying, “Coward (懦夫) dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies one.” I was a coward and have felt terrible about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a “__35__” and gone back to pay for the pizza, I would have felt a little uncomfortable about it only one, or maybe twice.
A.say B.talk C.share D.explain
A.as B.while C.then D.when
A.lost B.tired C.hungry D.angry
A.excited B.eager C.glad D.anxious
A.rest B.food C.travel D.drink
A.Luckily B.Finally C.Immediately D.Actually
A.thought B.recognized C.noticed D.realized
A.walked B.left C.worked D.found
A.look B.get C.turn D.think
A.ask B.pay C.apologize D.send
A.refused B.wanted C.hoped D.meant
A.hope B.surprise C.anger D.fear
A.into B.with C.for D.from
A.sure B.upset C.proud D.pleased
A.warned B.reminded C.thought D.told
A.experience B.experiment C.story D.talking
A.turning B.talking C.handing D.giving
A.free B.cheap C.plain D.delicious
A.make B.wake C.catch D.put
A.coward B.fool C.loser D.hero
Last weekend, I was walking across the village green(草坪) when I saw an elderly gentleman on the bench, justoverlooking the duck pond.I thought he looked a bit forlorn(被遗弃的) so I went over and sat next to him.
After a few 36 about how nice the weather was and how there were a lot of ducks in the pond today, he told me how he used to come with his wife and watch the children feed the ducks with their mums.They didn't have any 37 of their own..So they cherished being together even more.
He explained he had been married for 54 years 38 his wife died and how much he missed 39 all the little things with her, likea beautiful sunset. He now lives in a care home.I remarked at how wonderful it must've been to have been married for so long and to have so many happy memories.He took out a large 40 and wiped his eyes and saidhe had one regret that in all that time he 41 told her how much he really loved her.
He showed me a photograph of them when they were young.The photo was taken more than 50 years ago.He couldn't believe how the time had 42 . I tried to comfort him by explaining that his wife would be still 43 over him and he could talk to her 44 he wants and that she knows how much he loved her because she can see into his heart.
The old man tried to 45 for blurting out his life story but I hushed him and said how privileged I felt he could talk to me and how much it meant to me.
The 46 I learned from this chance encounter is that we must tell the ones close to us how much we love and care for them and not take them for granted.
Don't 47 your kind acts until tomorrow; do them today because time flies.
A.discussion B.comments C.quarrels D.communication
A.children B.ducks C.pond D.home
A.before B.when C.after D.unless
A.doing B.carrying C.sharing D.buying
A.paper B.rubber C.brush D.handkerchief
A.never B.often C.sometimes D.constantly
A.passed on B.passed away C.passed by D.passed off
A.watching B.looking C.seeing D.observing
A.every time B.any time C.some time D.the time
A.blame B.cry C.regret D.apologize
A.thing B.class C.lesson D.knowledge
A.put up B.put down C.put away D.put off
When I was walking down the street the other day, I happened to 36 a small brown leather purse lying on the sidewalk. I 37 it up and opened it to see if I could38 the owner’s name. There was nothing inside it 39 some change and an old photo — a picture of a woman and a young girl of about twelve years old, who looked 40 the woman’s daughter. I put the photo back and 41 the purse to the police station, where I42 it to the desk sergeant (警官). 43 I left, the sergeant took down my name and address 44 the owner might want to write and thank me.
That evening I went to have dinner with my aunt and uncle. They 45 a young woman 46 there would be four people 47 the table. Her face was familiar. I was48 sure that we had not met before, but I could not remember where I had seen her. In the course of conversation, 49 , the young woman happened to mention that she had lost her purse that afternoon. 50 I realized where I had seen her. She was the young girl in the photo, although she was now 51 . She was very surprised, of course, 52 I was able to describe her purse to her. Then I explained that I had 53 her from the photo I had found in the purse. My uncle 54 to the police station immediately to claim the purse. As the police sergeant handed it over, he said that it was an 55 coincidence that I had not only found the purse, but also the person who had lost it.
A.watch B.notice C.discover D.find out
A.chose B.selected C.picked D.took
A.find out B.learn C.discover D.work out
A.to be B.as if C.as D.like
A.took B.brought C.fetched D.sent
A.offered B.passed C.handed D.returned
A.Before B.When C.While D.As
A.lest B.in case C.for fear D.so that
A.have also invited B.also had invited C.also invited D.had also invited
A.so B.that C.so that D.in order that
A.in B.on C.by D.at
A.completely B.quiet C.quite D.very
A.however B.therefore C.nevertheless D.whereupon
A.All at once B.At once C.Immediately D.All suddenly
A.more old B.very old C.much older D.even older
A.when B.as C.since D.for
A.known B.realized C.identified D.recognized
A.insisted to go B.insisted going C.insisted on going D.insisted to going
A.amazed B.amazing C.amazingly D.amazedly