I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always . Not knowing we were poor, my kids(孩子们) just thought I was . I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big for the kids was the fun of Christmas .
They planned weeks ahead of time, asking what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for to share by all five of us.
The big arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies— fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, to be angry again. This is what she told me：
“I was looking thinking of what to buy, and I to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees’.One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so as I did that day.
A．roof B．hat C．sky D．star
A．little B．less C．enough D．more
A．busy B．serious C．strict D．kind
A．effort B．room C．time D．money
A．improvement B．problem C．surprise D．excitement
A．shopping B．travelling C．parties D．greetings
A．the other B．each other C．one by one D．every other one
A．toys B．clothes C．presents D．bills
A．day B．chance C．cheque D．tree
A．forced B．reminded C．invited D．begged
A．draw B．stay C．move D．meet
A．including B．besides C．except D．regarding
A．quiet B．excited C．happy D．ashamed
A．since B．after C．while D．until
A．waiting B．ready C．hoping D．afraid
A．out B．over C．forward D．around
A．forgot B．stopped C．failed D．hated
A．wanted B．did C．got D．played
A．made B．searched C．bought D．fetched
A．angry B．rich C．patient D．bitter
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Once there was a poor little girl living near a forest. She had no family and no one to love her. So she often sad and lonely.
One day, when she was walking in the forest, she found that a small was trapped unluckily in a bush. The butterfly tried to fly away failed. The kind little girl saved the butterfly with great care. Instead of flying away, the butterfly turned into a beautiful fairy (仙女). The little girl was very .
“Thank you for me. You are so kind. I will make any of your dreams come true.” said the fairy.
The little girl thought for a moment and then said, “I want to be !”
The fairy said, “Very well. I will help you.” And she said something in the little girl’s ear. Then the fairy disappeared.
As the kind little girl grew up, she was always ready to help people in need and was popular among the villagers. No one in the village was as happy as she was. Everyone asked her the of ther happiness. She always smiled and answered, “The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a kind when I was a little girl.”
When the kind girl became a very old woman and was dying, the neighbours in the village all gathered (聚拢) around her bed because they were that her secret of happiness would die with her. They asked, “Please tell us what the kind fairy said.”
The lovely old woman still and said, “She told me that everyone needed me, no matter how safe they seemed, no matter how rich or poor, no matter how old or young She said that helping others would make me happy all my life.”
A．thought B．found C．sounded D．felt
A．butterfly B．bird C．snake D．squirrel
A．so B．or C．but D．as
A．surprised B．tired C．mad D．angry
A．catching B．beating C．killing D．saving
A．active B．happy C．energetic D．humorous
A．success B．secret C．power D．lesson
A．witch B．fairy C．ghost D．princess
A．excited B．pleased C．glad D．afraid
A．shouted B．cried C．smiled D．Jumped
As a young social worker in a New York City psychiatric clinic, I was asked to see Roz, a 20-year-old woman who had been referred to us from another psychiatric clinic. It was an referral in that no information was received her first appointment. I was told to “play it by ear”, and to what her problems were and what she needed.
an examination to go on, I saw Roz as an unhappy, misunderstood young woman who hadn’t been listened to in her earlier treatment. Her family situation was unpleasant. I didn’t see her as disturbed, rather as lonely and misunderstood. She responded so to being heard. I encouraged her to start a life worth living — to find a job, a satisfying place to live and new relationships. We hit it off well, and she making important changes in her life.
The records from the previous psychiatric clinic arrived a month after Roz and I began our successful work together. To my complete surprise, her records were several inches thick, a long period of psychiastric hospitalization. Her diagnosis was “paranoid schizophrenic(妄想型精神分裂症)”, with a that she was “hopeless”.
That had not been my experience with Roz at all so I decided to forget those pieces of paper. I never treated her as if she had that “hopeless” treatment. I did find out about the horrors for Roz of the hospitalization, of being drugged, separated and abused. I also learned a lot from her about such deeply and unforgettably shocking circumstances.
First Roz found a job, then a place to live away from her difficult . After several months of working together, she introduced me to her husband-to-be, a successful businessman who adored her.
When we our treatment, Roz gave me the gift of a silver bookmark and a note that said, “Thank you for believing and encouraging me.”
A．uncertain B．unfortunate C．unconscious D．unusual
A．apart from B．away from C．ahead of D．out of
A．figure out B．clear up C．turn out D．bring up
A．On B．Without C．From D．In
A．then B．but C．still D．and
A．slowly B．briefly C．effectively D．positively
A．delayed B．resisted C．started D．avoided
A．requiring B．describing C．repeating D．reporting
A．comment B．suggestion C．note D．decision
A．surviving B．improving C．mastering D．explaining
A．clinic B．house C．job D．family
A．shared B．conducted C．completed D．received
A man was driving at 70 miles in a 40-mile zone, when a came behind him. Right away the man started thinking of to give.
As the policeman came to him, he said, “Hi, officer, I guess you me a little bit over the speed limit. I was in a rush to get , to be with my wife and kids. You know my younger son wasn’t feeling too when I left home this morning. I’m afraid he’s ill.”
The policeman said, “Well, I guess so,” and started something in his notebook. As minutes went by, he could see from the side view mirror, the policeman was writing. When the man was wondering why he hadn’t asked for his driving so far, the policeman came to his window, him a piece of paper, and returned to his car without saying a single word. The man wondered: how much was this going to be? However, the man was it was not a ticket at all and he began to :
“I had a daughter who was by a speeding car at the age of six by a speeding driver. He got a fine, a few months in , and then was free, free to hug his two daughters. I only had one, and now I have to until I get to heaven before I can hug her again. I have tried to that man a thousand times, and I thought I had. Maybe I really did forgive him. So pray for me, and be when you drive again. My son is all I have been left with.”
The man was completely and could not move for the next few minutes. When finally he did, he drove , even a few miles the speed limit, praying for forgiveness.
A．truck B．police car C．mail car D．taxi
A．information B．advice C．views D．excuses
A．remembered B．recognized C．mistook D．caught
A．home B．to school C．out D．to hospital
A．happy B．well C．free D．healthy
A．writing B．looking for C．listing D．looking up
A．even B．really C．never D．still
A．insurance B．journal C．license D．route
A．handed B．sent C．rewarded D．pushed
A．paper B．ticket C．note D．notice
A．excited B．upset C．angry D．surprised
A．read B．laugh C．smile D．think
A．hit B．knocked C．killed D．trapped
A．fear B．prison C．trouble D．danger
A．stay B．wait C．remain D．escape
A．forgive B．attack C．educate D．support
A．honest B．thankful C．careful D．patient
A．disappointed B．nervous C．shocked D．frightened
A．quickly B．fortunately C．rapidly D．slowly
A．under B．over C．to D．with
On Sundays my father always wore that gray apron(围裙)—the one with the race cars all over it. The ritual (老规矩) began. breakfast when Dad always announced, “Go ahead everyone. I’ll the dishes!” For the next hour Dad did the dishes, singing ballads (歌谣) like “I Had a Hat When I Came in.” and “Who Put the Chow in Mrs. Marphy’s Chowder?”
I suppose it was for a boy’s father to wear an apron—even one with race cars— I never thought much of it until the day that Dad broke with tradition. It was the last Sunday in August. As we home slowly from church together, my father seemed very . “Tommy,” he said letting my name roll off his . “There comes a time in every boy’s when he must take on responsibilities. It’s time you a greater role in the family. From now on, I want you to the dishes on Sunday morning, so your mother and I can work the crossword puzzle (纵横字谜) together.”
“The dishes!?” I in surprise.
“Anything wrong with taking over the dishes, son?” father said.
I started to say something about a man’s or woman’s work, but I knew immediately that my protests (抗议) would be .
I didn’t taste a bit of that morning. Dad seemed joyful as he described an American game.[]
At the end of the meal, my father , “Let’s go to read the paper, honey.” “Aren’t you doing the dishes?” my 51 asked surprisedly. Father smiled and said, “your oldest son has to fill the position.”
“I want you to have this apron on, Tommy. It’ll keep your clothes from getting .” And before I could go against it, he had put the thing on me. “Thanks, Son. Your mother and I this.”
With that he disappeared into the Sunday paper. I looked at the dishes. I could see my dad reaching for the dishes. He was always happy to help the family. My anger soon flew off and I began to sing.
A．Until B．During C．Before D．After
A．keep up B．take care of C．look for D．turn over
A．important B．natural C．strange D．exciting
A．but B．so C．because D．when
A．rushed B．hurried C．walked D．danced
A．happy B．angry C．sad D．mad
A．eyes B．tongue C．ears D．hands
A．death B．school C．work D．life
A．made B．played C．did D．carried
A．do B．buy C．break D．set
A．smiled B．laughed C．whispered D．screamed
A．game B．joy C．job D．feeling
A．turned down B．turned to C．turned up D．turned off
A．breakfast B．lunch C．supper D．juice
A．ordered B．announced C．demanded D．chatted
A．brother B．sister C．mother D．friend
A．started B．gone C．managed D．offered
A．cold B．warm C．dry D．wet
A．hate B．scold C．appreciate D．require
A．up B．down C．out D．on
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 in 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 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．stuck
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