For John and Amy, birthdays have always been a big deal—a welcome excuse to celebrate life. When their son, Alex, three in 2005, they invited 20 friends to a nearby park. Not long after that the were brainstorming ways to teach Alex about giving to 1 . “We wanted to do something that would have a(n) on our community（社区）, and that our young child could in. We started wondering what fortunate kids do on their birthdays. The next day, we called a local shelter, and learnt that children typically didn’t do to celebrate at all. No cake. No gifts. No party.” The couple said.
Several weeks later, threw a party at the for the children who had birthdays that month. They decorated, served cake, and danced with 50 kids. Alex helped presents.
22 that first party, the couple have turned their simple idea Birthday Blessings, a non-profit that hosts monthly parties at 10 shelters.
To date, Birthday Blessings (birthdayblessings.org.) has thrown more than 500 at different shelters and handed out 22,000 party to nearly 4,000 homeless children in and around their community.
Birthday Blessings is entirely by volunteers. The charity（慈善）will take almost anything — toys, clothing, candy, baby items— it’s not used. “These kids never get anything new.” John said, “It makes a big to them psychologically.”
Being “part of this labor love” is making an impression on their son Alex. On his seventh birthday, his grandparents sent a check. it, the first thing he said was that he wanted to give half to the birthday kids.
A．turned B．grew C．came D．got
A．shelters B．neighbors C．friends D．couple
A．the other B．another C．others D．each other
A．impression B．influence C．permission D．limitation
A．participate B．take C．bring D．move
A．fairly B．less C．rather D．more
A．penniless B．jobless C．homeless D．hopeless
A．nothing B．anything C．everything D．something
A．Alex B．John C．Amy D．the family
A．shelter B．church C．school D．community
A．make out B．pass out C．show out D．leave out
A．Before B．Until C．After D．Since
A．into B．down C．out D．off
A．birthdays B．parties C．presents D．donations
A．cakes B．honors C．favors D．surprises
A．continued B．undertaken C．operated D．performed
A．as far as B．as soon as C．as simple as D．as long as
A．difference B．surprise C．benefit D．advantage
A．never B．always C．hardly D．already
A．Realizing B．Saving C．Opening D．Folding
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When my family moved to Ohio over the summer, I feared attending another new school and knowing no one because I was able to expect what was coming. I had bright red hair and enormous glasses. In addition, I was and not very sociable. Boarding the school bus that first day, I felt like all eyes on me. I could hear the “She’s huge!” Obviously, the kids on the bus had known each other well. I spent that first bus in silence.
The following day was even . I did not notice that a few boys had tied a shoelace across the aisle(走道) and thus fell face first on the bus, everything I was carrying. I was embarrassingly gathering my supplies, I could hear the laughter, and then the “That felt like an earthquake!” Anyway, I to find a seat. Looking out of the window, I the tears welling up in my eyes.
It was then that I sank into myself. I began walking everywhere. I would wander through the woods behind our house. I would also walk to a about two miles down the road, where I would chat silently with God. I began the afternoon school bus , walking home instead. Then, , I started losing weight. And as I became _______ with myself, I began making friends.
One of my newly-found friends also with her weight, wanting to be a “perfect” cheerleader. She lived near my neighborhood so we would meet and together. This became a daily routine with talking and laughing the way — different from the lonely walks I had taken. My friend said that I didn't have to be . I just had to be me, and be happy with myself.
While I would not want to relive that time of loneliness, sadness and embarrassment, I am I made it through. Whenever I am struggling with any other problem in life, I always remember the proverb “This too shall pass.” If you can find a path with no obstacles or challenges, it probably doesn’t anywhere.
A．outgoing B．intelligent C．overweight D．friendly
A．whistles B．whispers C．screams D．laughs
A．ride B．lift C．drive D．travel
A．duller B．longer C．funnier D．worse
A．missing B．losing C．dropping D．leaving
A．While B．Though C．Since D．Because
A．arguments B．comments C．statements D．discussions
A．determined B．attempted C．managed D．pretended
A．kept away B．took back C．put away D．held back
A．garden B．church C．market D．library
A．escaping B．stopping C．delaying D．missing
A．on purpose B．by chance C．in reality D．at ease
A．uninterestedly B．uncertainly C．unexpectedly D．unfortunately
A．concerned B．content C．angry D．disappointed
A．struggled B．competed C．dealt D．lived
A．run B．study C．walk D．play
A．along B．across C．by D．in
A．thin B．perfect C．sociable D．pessimistic
A．excited B．upset C．regretful D．proud
A．lead B．stretch C．exist D．stay
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选取出适合填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“Now,” Mrs. Virginia DeView said, smiling, “we are going to discover our professions.” The class seemed to be greatly surprised. Our professions? We were only 13 and 14 years old! The teacher must be . “Yes, you will all be searching for your future . Each of you will have to someone in your field, plus give an oral report.”
Each day in her class, Virginia DeView reminded us about this. Finally, I picked print journalism. This I had to go to interview a true-blue newspaper reporter. I was extremely nervous. I sat down in front of him able to speak. He looked at me and said, “Did you bring a pencil or pen?”
I shook my head.
“How about some ?”
I shook my head again.
Finally, I thought he realized I was , and I got my first big tip as a . “Never, never go anywhere without a pen and paper. You never know what you’ll run into.” After a few days, I gave my oral report totally from in class. I got an A on the entire project.
Years later, I was in college looking around for a new career, but with no success. Then I Virginia DeView and my desire at 13 to be a journalist. And I called my parents. They didn’t 36 me. They just reminded me how competitive the field was and all my life I had run away from competition. This was true. But journalism did something to me: it was in my blood. gave me the freedom to go up to total strangers and ask what was .
For the past 12 years, I’ve had the most satisfying reporting career, stories from murders to airplane crashes and choosing my strongest area. I went to pick up my phone one day, an incredible wave of memories hit me and I realized that had it not been Virginia DeView, I would not be sitting at that desk.
I get all the time: “How did you pick journalism?”
“Well, you see, there was this teacher …” I always start out. I just wish I could her.
.
A．good B．mad C．careless D．curious
A．university B．family C．professions D．life
A．interview B．find out C．admire D．learn from
A．expressed B．ordered C．expected D．meant
A．hardly B．nearly C．naturally D．eagerly
A．drink B．newspapers C．preparations D．paper
A．satisfied B．comfortable C．terrified D．sorry
A．student B．journalist C．teacher D．writer
A．research B．books C．imagination D．memory
A．called B．recognized C．remembered D．visited
A．answer B．promise C．stop D．persuade
A．how B．whether C．why D．when
A．It B．Virginia DeView C．My parents D．My oral report
A．breaking in B．getting down C．falling off D．going on
A．making up B．listening to C．covering D．writing
A．of course B．finally C．doubtfully D．above all
A．When B．As long as C．Once D．On condition that
A．for B．with C．of D．to
A．hurt B．excited C．disappointed D．asked
A．respect B．support C．thank D．favor
On a cold winter’s morning, an old man sat awkwardly against a wall at Sydney’s Circular Quay station. I glanced his way for a moment but him as a usual beggar and walked on to work .
On my way home that afternoon, I saw the same man in the same place. He was on the ground with two doctors beside him. This time my paused. He wasn’t a at all. He was certainly, but he wore a nice suit and was clean-shaven. Shame rocked me. How painful for that sick, old man to have from the coldness of the entire day! He probably reached out to for help. No one stopped, out of sight, out of .
A different season and I again an old man half lying on the footpath, not far from ______ the Winter Man had been. Caught up in the rush of people going to work, I barely(好容易才) at him. However, the of the old Winter Man came back to me vividly. I walked back to him and down to ask him if he was OK. He told me he was diabetic（糖尿病的）and it might be a good idea to an ambulance, which I did—it was a few minutes away.
In a whisper, he said to me, “Thank you. Nobody .except you.” We looked into each other’s eyes for a moment. was spoken without a word being said. As the ambulance’s alarm bell shows the arrival of help, a number of emotions rushed at me. I felt sad for the Winter Man and ashamed that I had almost walked past another person . However, I was amazed that it had been so easy to be .
A．recognized B．regarded C．appointed D．announced
A．worriedly B．calmly C．hurriedly D．slowly
A．lying B．kneeling C．sleeping D．standing
A．eyes B．heart C．step D．breath
A．doctor B．thief C．beggar D．liar
A．dirty B．rich C．old D．mad
A．escaped B．experienced C．suffered D．learned
A．policemen B．cleaners C．volunteers D．passers-by
A．mind B．control C．reach D．ability
A．went over B．came across C．ran after D．drove over
A．there B．which C．where D．what
A．shouted B．glanced C．pointed D．stared
A．action B．performance C．voice D．memory
A．lay B．sat C．knelt D．pushed
A．call B．rent C．send D．stop
A．watched B．cared C．replied D．believed
A．Little B．Much C．None D．Some
A．leaving B．disappearing C．passing D．approaching
A．at hand B．on purpose C．in need D．at ease
A．shameful B．helpful C．grateful D．joyful
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21~40各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
How far would you walk to learn about something that interested you? When he was young, Jacob Lawrence often walked more than sixty from his home in the Harlem section of New York City to the Metropolitan Museum of Art．Jacob wanted to be a（n） ，and he believed that studying the famous paintings in that museum would help him．
It was 1930,when many people were out of work, money was and people suffered a lot．Still the streets were with energy and color．As he walked through Harlem, Jacob looked hard at the people, the churches, and barbershops and so on．He those images in his mind, along with the images of paintings he saw in the ．
Jacob came from a poor family．His mother believed there was little chance her son could grow up to be a successful painter．She wanted him to aim for something more ．But Jacob's teacher, Alston, in an art program saw that he was talented．Alston him how to use paints to make stage sets．
As time passed, Alston let Jacob rent work space in his own studio．That was an exciting place for a young black man to become an artist．Many creative people there to talk about art, literature and history．From their ,Jacob learned that history books often the accomplishments of African Americans．He decided to paint a series of pictures describing the story of a black hero．He Toussaint, who had helped free his people French ruling．
Many people admired Jacob's pictures, but he needed admiration．To help his family, he often had to work at jobs that him away from painting．Then something encouraging happened．An artist named Augusta got Jacob a job．For eighteen months, Jacob was given a to paint pictures． For the first time, he felt like a artist．
A．steps B．blocks C．buildings D．roads
A．artist B．teacher C．professor D．official
A．swinging B．existing C．hanging D．folding
A．hard B．loose C．difficult D．tight
A．lined B．decorated C．furnished D．filled
A．kept B．received C．created D．remembered
A．museum B．studio C．church D．street学科
A．whether B．which C．that D．when
A．precious B．practical C．standard D．flexible
A．suggested B．reminded C．provided D．showed
A．approving B．struggling C．marching D．joining
A．settled B．wandered C．gathered D．rushed
A．experiences B．performances C．accents D．conversations
A．admitted B．accused C．ignored D．witnessed
A．chose B．accepted C．assessed D．employed
A．against B．from C．for D．with
A．more than B．rather than C．other than D．less than
A．put B．gave C．permitted D．took
A．award B．title C．salary D．prize
A．creative B．popular C．valuable D．professional
I will never forget the year I was about twelve years old. My mother told us that we would not be Christmas gifts because there was not enough money. I felt sad and thought, "What would I say when the other kids asked what I'd ?" Just when I started to that there would not be a Christmas that year, three women at our house with gifts for all of us. For me they brought a doll. I felt such a sense of that I would no longer have to be embarrassed when I returned to school. I wasn't . Somebody had thought of me to bring me a gift.
Years later, when I stood in the kitchen of my new house, thinking how I wanted to make my Christmas there special and memorable, I remembered the women's visit. I decided that I wanted to create that same feeling of for as many children as I could possibly reach.
So I a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help. We gathered about 125 orphans (孤儿) at the Christmas party. For every child, we wrapped colorful packages filled with toys, clothes, and school supplies, with a child's name. We wanted all of them to know they were.. Before I called out their names and handed them their gifts, I them that they couldn't open their presents every child had come forward. Finally the they had been waiting for came as I called out, "One, two, three. Open your presents!" As the children opened their packages, their faces beamed and their bright smiles up the room. The in the room was obvious, and wasn't just about toys. It was a feeling — the feeling I knew that Christmas so long ago when the women came to visit. I wasn't forgotten. Somebody thought of me. I matter.
A．sending B．receiving C．making D．exchanging
A．found B．prepared C．got D．expected
A．doubt B．hope C．suggest D．accept
A．broke in B．settled down C．turned up D．showed off
A．relief B．loss C．achievement D．justice
A．blamed B．loved C．forgotten D．affected
A．highly B．little C．poorly D．enough
A．present B．first C．recent D．previous
A．hardly B．instantly C．regularly D．occasionally
A．strength B．independence C．importance D．safety
A．kept up with B．caught up with C．came up with D．put up with
A．none B．few C．some D．each
A．fine B．special C．helpful D．normal
A．reminded B．guaranteed C．convinced D．promised
A．after B．until C．when。 D．since
A．chance B．gift C．moment D．reward
A．lit B．took C．burned D．cheered
A．atmosphere B．sympathy C．calmness D．joy
A．it B．such C．something D．everybody
A．by B．till C．for D．from