“Kevin, we are getting a divorce,” said my mother. My heart plunged. I was 9 years old and I thought that my life was going to . My brother and I were going to move with my mother to southern California. My dad was to in New Jersey because of work. My family was splitting apart.
Now that my mom is a single parent, I do my own , make dinner and do extra chores around the house. it was hard at first, I now recognize the positive that this responsibility had on me. My mother gave me these chores and duties so that I would learn to become and trustworthy.
I strive to display these in all aspects of my life, and have seen the benefits. When I was only 11 years old, my told me that he was selecting me as soccer team captain because of my determination and ability to get my teammates to themselves. We lost the championship, but I won the play award for keeping my team together.
I am always to be an individual and not participate in anything that I feel is wrong. I am, for example, extremely proud of my decision not to drink alcohol. , I don’t feel the need to drink to have fun, and I stand by my decision even when others try to me.
My mom and dad both found new and happily remarried. I am close to my father, even though he lives 4,800 km away. I thought my parents’ divorce was going to be the worst thing that happened to me. Ironically (讽刺的是), it turned out to be the . I wasn’t willing to let it ruin my life without putting up a fight, and was my family.
At age 9, I struggled with the confusion and of divorce. Today, at age 16, I understand that can bring opportunity and success, and that hard work, determination and self-control can turn your worst time into your best time.
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Even though it was only October，my students were already whispering about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more_36__ waiting for the final school bell. Upon its__37__ everyone would run for their coats and go home，everyone except David.
David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often__38__ what kind of home life David had，and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so__39__for the cold winter months without a coat，boots，or gloves. But something made David__40__.I can still remember he was always__41__a smile and willing to help. He always__42__ after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He__43__ just simply smile and ask what else he could do，then thank me for letting him stay and slowly__44__ home.
Weeks passed and the__45__ over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of__46__ before the holiday break. I smiled in__47__ as the last of them hurried out of the door. Turning around I saw David__48__ standing by my desk.
“I have something for you，”he said and__49__ from behind his back a small box.__50__ it to me，he said anxiously，“Open it.” I took the box from him，thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my__51__ I saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the box and said，“The box is nice，David，but it’s__52__.”
“Oh，no. It isn’t.” said David. “It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”
Tears filled my eyes___53__I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given__54__ to. After that Christmas，David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning__55__the little empty box set on my desk.
A．anxious B．courageous C．serious D．cautious
A．warning B．ringing C．calling D．yelling
A．scolded B．wondered C．realized D．learned
A．modestly B．naturally C．inaccurately D．inappropriately
A．popular B．upset C．special D．funny
A．expressing B．delivering C．wearing D．sharing
A．practised B．wandered C．studied D．stayed
A．would B．should C．might D．could
A．aim at B．turn to C．put off D．head for
A．argument B．excitement C．movement D．judgment
A．school B．year C．education D．program
A．relief B．return C．vain D．control
A．weakly B．sadly C．quietly D．helplessly
A．searched B．found C．raised D．pulled
A．Holding B．Handing C．Sending D．Leaving
A．delight B．expectation C．appreciation D．surprise
A．cheap B．empty C．useless D．improper
A．as B．until C．because D．though
A．advice B．support C．attention D．command
A．from B．behind C．over D．towards
One day, Raul was miles away from the small ranch (牧场)house in a large valley. Everything seemed to be all right, yet he felt strange and somewhat uneasy. The wind had picked up, and angry, dark clouds 31 across the sky. He could smell the rain coming. And it did. 32 , the lightning flashed through the clouds, nearly 33 Raul. The thunder (雷声) was so loud that he buried his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Then he heard it — hoof beats (蹄声). He 34 . There before him stood a tall, white horse. An old man stared down at him from its back.
“Wh-wh-who are y-y-you?” asked Raul. “Oh, my name is Gray Cloud,” the old man answered 35 , “come with me.”
Raul followed on with his horse. A 36 feeling came over him. All 37 them the rain was pouring down, 38 not a drop fell on them. They seemed to be 39 back toward Raul’s home. Raul lost track of time. Then all at once, he found 40 at the ranch gate. The old man turned his horse, waved his hand, and smiled. Lightning flashed again. The old man and his horse were 41 .
Raul’s father ran out across the yard to 42 him. “We have been 43 about you. Are you okay? Hurry. Let’s get in out of the 44 .”
“Wait,” said Raul. “Have you ever heard of an old man called Gray Cloud?”
“Can’t say I … wait. I believe my great-grandfather used to tell stories about a man called Gray Cloud. He died a long time ago. They all say he was 45 by lightning during a terrible thunderstorm. Why do you ask?” At this, Raul was really more shocked than puzzled.
A．dropped B．fell C．rolled D．covered
A．Suddenly B．Strongly C．Quickly D．Hardly
A．beating B．blinding C．burning D．touching
A．looked up B．woke up C．lay down D．sat down
A．lazily B．angrily C．freely D．slowly
A．natural B．common C．strange D．sad
A．around B．beside C．through D．above
A．yet B．for C．so D．or
A．reaching B．leading C．heading D．returning
A．them B．themselves C．him D．himself
A．gone B．left C．followed D．lost
A．see B．meet C．beat D．ask
A．waited B．thought C．worried D．excited
A．yard B．wind C．grass D．rain
A．defeated B．caught C．damaged D．struck
That morning, I stepped into the classroom, ready to share my knowledge and experience with seventy-five students who would be my English Literature class. Having taught in 1 for seventeen years, I had no 2 about my ability to hold their attention and to 3 on them my admiration for the literature of my mother tongue.
I was shocked when the monitor shouted, " 4 !" The entire class rose as I entered the room, and I was somewhat 5 about how to get them to sit down again, but once that awkwardness was over, I quickly 6 my calmness and began what I thought was a fact-packed lecture, sure to gain their respect—perhaps 7 their admiration. I went back to my office with the rosy glow which came from a sense of achievement.
My students 8 diaries. However, as I read them, the rosy glow was gradually 9 by a strong sense of sadness. The first diary said, "Our literature teacher didn’t teach us anything today. 10 her next lecture will be better." Greatly surprised, I read diary after diary, each expressing a 11 theme. "Didn’t I teach them anything? I described the entire philosophical framework of Western thought and laid the historical 12 for all the works we’ll study in class," I complained." How _13 they say I didn’t teach them anything?"
It was a long term, and it 14 became clear that my ideas about education were not the same as_15 of my students. I thought a teacher’s job was to raise 16 questions and provide enough background so that students could 17 their own conclusions. My students thought a teacher’s job was to provide _18_ information as directly and clearly as possible. What a difference!
_19 , I also learned a lot, and my experience with my Chinese students has made me a 20 American teacher, knowing how to teach in a different culture.
A．the UK B．the US C．China D．Australia
A．worry B．idea C．doubt D．experience
A．impress B．put C．leave D．fix
A．Attention B．Look out C．At ease D．Stand up
A．puzzled B．sure C．curious D．worried
A．found B．returned C．regained D．followed
A．more B．even C．yet D．still
A．passed B．borrowed C．read D．kept
A．replaced B．taken C．caught D．moved
A．Naturally B．Perhaps C．Fortunately D．Reasonably
A．different B．strong C．similar D．usual
A．happenings B．characters C．development D．background
A．should B．need C．will D．must
A．immediately B．certainly C．simply D．gradually
A．that B．what C．those D．ones
A．difficult B．interesting C．ordinary D．unusual
A．draw B．look C．search D．offer
A．strange B．standard C．exact D．serious
A．Therefore B．However C．Besides D．Though
A．normal B．happy C．good D．better
I stood there outside of the classroom with the other students，waiting for the supervisor（监考老师）to open the door，and 1 filled the heart.
When we were finally inside the classroom，I realized how 2 it was. The heater hadn't been on and the _3___ were as cold as ice. Alright then, the supervisor started to walk around，____4___everyone's calculator to make sure they were "approved devices"（允许使用的工具）．
At around 8：25，the test started. I was___5____my way through word problems， grammar sections，and reading and 6 sections. The supervisor kept walking around the room,7 each student's extra pencils and 8 sharpening them for us.I turned the___9___when instructed to，___10____it wasn't another math section and it wasn't. It was a reading section —— ___11____！I started reading the excerpt（片段）given and was 12 to discover that it wasn't a boring piece about astrology （星象）or biological science. ____13____，it was an excerpt from a romantic novel. I became little____14____with reading it and at times I wanted to say "Awww！”aloud. My heart was 15 swooning（沉醉）and I think I was 16 . Hopefully I got the questiotions from that section____17__because I actually had fun answering them. Who knew the SAT could actually bring 18 ？
It was about 1 p. m. when the test was over. I got out of the classroom with____19____．As I was walking outside the building，I was thinking that the test was no longer a bitter____20____for the first time in my life.
A． happiness B． nervousness C． calmness D． sadness
A． amazing B． disappointing C． tiring D． freezing
A． seats B． walls C． floors D．hearts
A． seeing B． taking C． checking D．preparing
A． looking B． pacing C． making D． showing
A． comprehension B． thinking C． guessing D． recitation
A． bringing in B． putting down C． picking up D． showing off
A． kindly B． slightly C． directly D． slowly
A． door B． direction C． pencil D． page
A． terrible B． great C． sure D． no
A． frightened B． worried C． shocked D． regretted
A． However B． Therefore C． Also D． Rather
A． carried away B． worn out C． tired D． confused
A． suddenly B． totally C． over D． again
A． reading B． sleeping C． smiling D． whispering
A． right B． ready C． clear D． possible
A． hope B．joy C．interest D． trouble
A．relief B．hunger C．strength D．courage
A．attempt B．fact C．process D．experience
My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. While the other coats drooped(低垂), this one looked as if it were 36 itself up. The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a(an) 37 price of $28, which was popular just then with 38 , but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better, bearing that 39 of classic elegance（优雅）. John tried it on and the fit was perfect.
John 40 the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big smile. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said, 41 folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a 42 came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness (作对) and reasoned discussion replaced fierce 43 . He became more mannerly and 44 , eager to please. He would generously loan his younger brother his tapes and lecture him 45 his behavior.
When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and 46 what caused the changes, she said laughing. “It 47 be his coat!” Another teacher told him she was giving him a good 48 not only because he had earned 49 but because she liked his coat. At the library, we ran into a friend “Could this be John?” he asked surprisingly, 50 John’s new height, assessing the cut of his coat and extending his hand, one gentleman to another.
John and I both know we should never 51a person’s clothes for the real person within them. 52 there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for 53 what is on the inside to what is on the outside.
For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different approaches to 54 as it is to try on a coat. The whole world, the whole future is stretched out ahead, a vast landscape 55 all the doors are open. And he could picture himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.
A．turning B．showing C．holding D．hanging
A．unreasonable B．expected C．acceptable D．unbelievable
A．adults B．teenagers C．women D．strangers
A．color B．style C．price D．size
A．wore B．carried C．lent D．sent
A．carefully B．comfortably C．casually D．quickly
A．happiness B．matter C．smile D．change
A．doubt B．argument C．fight D．war
A．thoughtful B．handsome C．hopeful D．curious
A．of B．with C．on D．at
A．discovered B．confirmed C．concluded D．wondered
A．can B．should C．will D．must
A．present B．mark C．word D．result
A．it B．them C．this D．one
A．taking up B．looking down to C．checking up D．looking up at
A．trust B．exchange C．mistake D．regard
A．Though B．But C．Since D．So
A．matching B．attaching C．relating D．connecting
A．career B．life C．study D．success
A．how B．why C．where D．when