Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so that I decided to write an article about her.
I ___ Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of my mind. I I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.
I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there , taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…” I soon realized that Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The was almost unbearable. I struggled for days draft(草稿) after draft. Finally I put my manuscript (手稿) into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.
It didn’t take long. My manuscript . How stupid of me! I thought. How could I in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.
Five years later, I was moving to California. While my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in _ .
Ms Profit,
Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to your story soon.
Shocked, it took me a long time to . Fear of rejection cost me greatly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of writing. Today, I have become a full – time writer. Looking back on this , I learned a very important lesson: You can’t to doubt yourself.
A．joy B．voice C．speech D．smile
A．proud B．active C．satisfied D．moved
A．visited B．emailed C．phoned D．interviewed
A．agreed B．refused C．hesitated D．paused
A．replied B．discovered C．explained D．knew
A．seriously B．patiently C．nervously D．quietly
A．blaming B．fooling C．inviting D．urging
A．hardship B．failure C．comment D．pressure
A．with B．by C．on D．in
A．disappeared B．returned C．spread D．improved
A．compare B．struggle C．live D．compete
A．ignore B．deliver C．face D．receive
A．decorating B．repairing C．cleaning D．leaving
A．disbelief B．anxiety C．horror D．trouble
A．subjective B．relevant C．private D．reliable
A．broadcast B．create C．publish D．assess
A．recover B．prepare C．escape D．concentrate
A．energetic B．endless C．typical D．enjoyable
A．experience B．success C．benefit D．accident
A．attempt B．afford C．expect D．pretend
It was in my high school science class. I was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on. A came, “Nice shirt,” I smiled from ear to ear. Then another voice said, “That shirt belonged to my dad. Greg’s mother works for my family. We were going to that shirt away, but gave it to her .” I was speechless. I wanted to hide.
I the shirt into the back of the closet and told my mum what had happened. She then dialed her , “I will no longer work for your family,” she told him. That night, Mom told my dad that she couldn’t clean anymore; she knew her life’s was something greater.
The next morning she with the personnel manager at the Board of Education. He told her that without a proper education she could not teach. So Mom decided to a university.
After the first year in college, she went back to the personnel manager. He said, “You are , aren’t you? I think I have a for you as a teacher’s assistant. This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged with little or no chance of .” Mom accepted the opportunity very .
For almost five years, as a teacher’s assistant, she saw teacher after teacher give up on the children and quit, feeling . Then one day, the personnel manager and the principal in her classroom. The principal said, “We have watched how you the children and how they communicate with you and admire your hard-working over the last five years. We are all in agreement that you be the teacher of this class.”
My mom spent more than 20 years there. her career, she was voted Teacher of the Year. All of this came about because of the comment（评论） made in the classroom that day. Mom showed me how to handle situations and never give up.
A．noise B．voice C．sound D．tune
A．get B．take C．carry D．throw
A．otherwise B．anyhow C．instead D．actually
A．settled B．pushed C．stored D．put
A．teacher B．employer C．director D．adviser
A．purpose B．encouragement C．achievement D．victory
A．went B．met C．worked D．stayed
A．visit B．continue C．attend D．prepare
A．serious B．fortunate C．careful D．responsible
A．career B．duty C．position D．part
A．learning B．judging C．obeying D．imagining
A．patiently B．eagerly C．successfully D．skillfully
A．upset B．frightened C．guilty D．ashamed
A．looked up B．went up C．took up D．showed up
A．believe B．protect C．treat D．receive
A．spirit B．intention C．action D．attempt
A．must B．would C．might D．should
A．At B．During C．On D．With
A．worthless B．thoughtless C．hopeless D．helpless
A．challenging B．different C．dangerous D．strange
For several years, we lived at the end of a long Texas country road. Every evening when I was away from home on business, my little boy would ask permission of his mother to take his black and his daddy’s walking stick, to make the half-mile from the house to the fence which the beginning of the dirty driveway.
One day, I was busy with my business and was for about an hour, completely forgetting about the little boy down the road who might be for his daddy.
On my way home, the rain was so thick that I could not ten feet in front of me. All I could was finishing my journey and getting out of the rain. , the downpour began to abate(减弱). It was only a drizzle(细雨) by the time my car turned the last and approached the final street between me and a warm home and nice meal.
, I caught sight of my little boy, who was an umbrella in one hand, a walking stick in the other, and was wearing the biggest and most beautiful smile ever to lighten the of a little boy.
As I stopped the car and the door, he ran into my arms and held me long and hard. He was wet and with cold, but he never the rain, nor the hour-long wait. He simply said, “Daddy, I missed you. I am so glad you are home.”
Last year, we to a wonderful new home provided for a special season in our lives. We no longer have a long country road. , I have never forgotten the rainy day and the little boy and his black dog. Often, perhaps a thousand times, that has occurred in my mind. all events in our lives, it happens once, and must be treasured.
A．bag B．dog C．umbrella D．toy
A．journey B．flight C．effort D．ride
A．discovered B．explained C．marked D．described
A．controlled B．trained C．delayed D．bothered
A．hopeful B．grateful C．careful D．faithful
A．waiting B．sending C．searching D．calling
A．drive B．see C．feel D．hear
A．stick to B．think of C．pick up D．hold on
A．In fact B．In surprise C．At once D．At last
A．moment B．corner C．street D．way
A．All of a sudden B．Believe it or not C．To my pleasure D．For seconds
A．holding B．taking C．folding D．carrying
A．body B．head C．face D．hand
A．closed B．locked C．knocked D．opened
A．worrying B．nervous C．trembling D．anxious
A．noticed B．doubted C．judged D．mentioned
A．moved B．turned C．returned D．traveled
A．Therefore B．Besides C．Otherwise D．However
A．time B．scene C．act D．sight
A．With B．For C．Like D．Among
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel.I didn’t want to too much money with me, so I the desk clerk to put a hundred-dollar bill in the for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said that he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof I had given the man the money. There was clearly left to do but go to the nearest lawyer at once.
The lawyer me to return to the hotel with him and give hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. we did.An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money together with the lawyer. I had the lawyer as an eyewitness (证人) to the hundred-dollar bill,the clerk could not he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second park of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the to ask for the hundred-dollar once again. No matter I said, the clerk who kept my bill that he had given it to me. I said it was not .The lawyer said to him, “I this gentleman give you a hundred-dollar bill. If you don’t hand it in immediately, I will be forced to call the .” Now the clerk felt quite , so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“I don’t know to thank you enough for getting my money back,” I said to the lawyer. And what do you suppose he answered? He said, “Oh, don’t me. That will be one hundred dollars, please.”
A．borrow B．spend C．waste D．carry
A．made B．asked C．allowed D．let
A．safe B．desk C．box D．bag
A．that B．which C．where D．when
A．something B．nothing C．anything D．everything
A．hoped B．agreed C．insisted D．advised
A．the other B．another C．others D．other
A．Such B．All C．So D．Much
A．For B．Though C．Even if D．Because
A．first B．second C．third D．one
A．say B．admit C．permit D．recognize
A．restaurant B．bank C．hotel D．hospital
A．what B．whatever C．which D．how
A．suggested B．insisted C．required D．requested
A．true B．sure C．exact D．nice
A．forced B．made C．allowed D．saw
A．police B．judge C．official D．officer
A．content B．nervous C．angry D．sad
A．when B．what C．where D．how
A．thank B．praise C．leave D．fool
Lang Lang is a world-class young pianist who grew up in Shenyang. He went to a piano school in Beijing when he was just eight. “You need ,” his father said. “But if you don’t work hard, no fortune will come.”
What made him sad was his piano teacher in Beijing didn’t like him. “You have no talent(天赋). You will never be a pianist.” nine-year-old boy Lang Lang was badly. He decided that he didn’t want to be a any more. For the next two weeks he didn’t touch the piano. , his father didn’t push, but waited.
Luckily, the day came when his teacher asked him to some holiday songs. He didn’t want to, but as he placed his fingers on the piano key, he that he could show others that he had talent____.That day he told his father he had been waiting to hear— that he wanted to study with a new teacher. that point on, everything turned around.
He started competitions(比赛). In the 1994 International Young Pianists Competition, when it was that Lang Lang had won, he was too to hold back his tears. Soon was clear that he couldn’t stay in China forever—he had to play on the world’s big . In 1997 Lang Lang again, this time to Philadelphia, U.S. There he spent two years practicing, and by 1999 he had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. After his performance at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, gigs(特邀演出 ) in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall started . Lang Lang finally worked to reach the place where fortune spots(发现) him, and lets him .
A．exercise B．fortune C．knowledge D．wealth
A．whether B．why C．when D．that
A．Like B．With C．To D．As
A．hurt B．weakened C．ruined D．frightened
A．singer B．pianist C．conductor D．player
A．Hopefully B．Patiently C．Wisely D．Painfully
A．play B．sing C．write D．study
A．seemed B．admitted C．noticed D．realized
A．in all B．above all C．after all D．at all
A．that B．what C．which D．when
A．From B．At C．Since D．After
A．receiving B．accepting C．winning D．beating
A．told B．mentioned C．announced D．recognized
A．excited B．encouraged C．shocked D．satisfied
A．this B．it C．that D．what
A．concerts B．tours C．competitions D．stages
A．started B．left C．moved D．performed
A．successful B．cheerful C．respectful D．meaningful
A．pulling B．breaking C．falling D．pouring
A．brighten B．shine C．admire D．develop
One day a few years ago we had an uninvited guest—a sparrow. the little bird had flown into our open garage. Then I the bird before I saw it.
“What’s that?”I asked when I first heard the sound.
“It’s coming from the .”my wife, Anita, said. “Maybe it’s one of the little .”
I looked into the garage. No children at all. But there was that sound again, coming from right up there. And that’s I saw the sparrow. It was flying just inches below the ceiling. It was clearly to get out, but couldn’t see the way out was not up, but and and out through the garage door. So the bird continued flapping its wings and bumping its little head the ceiling.
I tried to terrify it out, but only succeeded in driving it into the open space between the door and the ceiling. Then I tried to show the bird how to fly down a few feet it could get outside, but that only seemed to it more.
“Why don’t we just leave for a few minutes,” Anita .“I’m sure he’ll figure it out eventually.”
We went back into the house, where we to hear the ongoing struggle between the sparrow and the ceiling. Then suddenly, it was and our uninvited guest was gone.
I’ve that little sparrow through the years, and I’ve decided that birds are not different much from people. We think we were to fly ever upward, and we don’t even consider the that something good might happen if we just fly down a little bit. Once we figure out that we can make without banging（碰）our heads against ceilings, we can usually save ourselves much .
A．Still B．Somehow C．Instead D．Perhaps
A．heard B．caught C．searched D．observed
A．house B．backyard C．garage D．basement
A．birds B．guests C．cats D．kids
A．when B．how C．why D．whether
A．quickly B．anxiously C．cautiously D．slowly
A．deciding B．hesitating C．trying D．choosing
A．up B．backward C．forward D．down
A．against B．off C．along D．into
A．free B．small C．wide D．dark
A．in case B．even if C．as though D．so that
A．puzzle B．confuse C．frighten D．disturb
A．suggested B．explained C．insisted D．demanded
A．attempted B．continued C．refused D．failed
A．fierce B．empty C．safe D．silent
A．looked after B．worried about C．thought about D．brought up
A．forced B．determined C．born D．urged
A．idea B．possibility C．challenge D．problem
A．progress B．peace C．decisions D．efforts
A．panic B．pressure C．loss D．trouble