"What's it like to have a gap between your teeth?" a girl asked me one day.
Nobody had ever before. My hand unconsciously rose to cover my mouth. But, as she looked at me, sincerely waiting for
, 1 realized she was not trying to be rude. "I never think about it," I truthfully replied. She nodded and turned away. I was left wondering if people _
me and saw only gappy teeth.
Later that day at home, I began to ___ my teeth again. I felt upset. I thought my life would be somehow better if my teeth were not gappy. How I wanted the perfect teeth that everyone else seemed to have!
Of course, Mom everything. She has lived her entire life with gappy teeth, and tried to convince me that there was nothing to __
. When I refused to listen, she told me I could get the surgery to close the gap if it was that important. "Let's be
.though," she said. "If everyone got surgeries to become pretty, everyone would be exactly the same. There is beauty in differences."
Her __ made me consider my teeth seriously. The thought of losing my gap was more terrible than the reality that people were going to notice it. I realized how important it was to me. It is part of my
.
Nowadays many people do ridiculous things to realize their dream of "perfection." The is that no one is perfect. When all potential for ugliness is removed, so is all of the
potential for
So if that girl ever asked about my teeth I would truthfully answer. "You know? It's really cute."
A. faced B. guessed C. asked D. imagined
A. an offer B. an answer C. a suggestion D. a result
A heard of B. thought of C. talked about D. looked at
A. consider B. brush C. cover D. appreciate
A. admitted B. noticed C. controlled D. changed
A. worry about B. put off C. give up D. wipe out
A. friendly B. lovely C. honest D. helpful
A. words B. jokes C. dreams D. acts
A. ability B. decision C. goal D. identity
A. possibility B. purpose C. truth D. choice
A. courage B. wisdom C. kindness D. beauty
A. once B. again C. too D. instead
A person may have an idea about himself that will prevent him from doing good work. He may have the________ that he is not capable of it. A child may think he is stupid because he does not understand how to make the ________ of his mental faculties(官能). Older people may be mistaken that they are incapable of _________ anything new because of their age.
A person who believes that he is incapable will not make a real _________ , because he feels that it _________ be useless, he won’t go at a job with the confidence necessary for success, and he won’t work his hardest, even though he may_________ he is doing so. He is _________ likely to fail, and the failure will ________ belief in his incompetence(无能). Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had a (an) _________ like this. When he was a small boy, he had a poor ________ in maths. His teacher told his _________ he had no ability in maths in order that they would not ________ too much of him._________he too accepted _________ mistaken thinking of his ability, and he felt that it was useless to ________, and was very poor at maths, ________ as they expected.
One day he worked out a problem which _________ of the other students had been able to solve. Adler succeeded in solving the problem. This gave him confidence. He now ________ with interest, determination and purpose, and he soon became especially good at ________. He not only proved that he could learn maths well, but luckily he learned early in his life from his own experience that if a person goes at a job with determination and purpose, he may _________ himself as well as others by his ability.
A．belief B．way C．fact D．condition
A．biggest B．most C．highest D．deepest
A．teaching B．learning C．accepting D．using
A．decision B．success C．effort D．trouble
A．would B．should C．must D．could
A．forget B．think C．guess D．understand
A．nevertheless B．moreover C．however D．therefore
A．lead to B．add to C．take to D．contribute to
A．experience B．example C．thought D．story
A．state B．mind C．start D．ending
A．classmates B．friends C．neighbors D．parents
A．blame B．expect C．get D．win
A．Virtually B．Totally C．Fortunately D．Especially
A．it B．her C．its D．their
A．manage B．succeed C．try D．act
A．only B．almost C．just D．nearly
A．none B．all C．many D．most
A．lived B．worked C．played D．graduated
A．1essons B．medicine C．subjects D．maths
A．encourage B．love C．astonish D．disappoint
The family had just moved．The young woman was feeling a little ．It was Mother's Day—and 800 miles separated her from her parents．
She had called them that morning，and her mother had how colorful their backyard was spring had arrived． Later，she told her husband how she those lilacs(丁香)in her parents’yard．“I know where we can find some，”he said．“Get the and come on．”So off they went．
Some time later，they stopped at a hill and there were lilacs all round．The young woman rushed up to the nearest and buried her face in the flowers．Carefully，she some．Finally，they returned to their car for the home．The woman sat smiling，surrounded by her ．
When they were near home，she shouted“stop”，got off quickly and to a nearby nursing home．She went to the end of the porch(门廊)，where a(n) patient was sitting in her wheelchair，and put the flowers into her lap．The two ，bursting into laughter now and then．Later the young woman turned and ran back to her ．As the car pulled away，the woman in the wheelchair with a smile，and held the lilacs ．
“Mom，”the kids asked，“ did you give her our flowers?”“It is Mother's Day，and she seems so while I have all of you．And anyone would be by flowers．”
This satisfied the kids，but not the husband．The next day he some young lilacs around their yard．
I was the husband．Now，every May，our yard is full of lilacs．Every Mother’s Day our kids purple lilacs．And every year I remember that smile of the lonely old woman．
A．moved B．worried C．angry D．depressed
A．1earned B．imagined C．mentioned D．realized
A．now that B．so that C．as if D．even if
A．missed B．grew C．watered D．showed
A．cars B．kids C．clothes D．1ilacs．
A．bush B．hill C．yard D．door
A．bought B．picked C．set D．raised
A．break B．holiday C．trip D．dinner
A．friends B．memory C．flowers D．honor
A．responded B．pointed C．drove D．hurried
A．1oving B．elderly C．serious D．sensitive
A．hesitated B．waited C．sat D．chatted
A．family B．mother C．path D．home
A．nodded B．waved C．1eft D．continued
A．sadly B．politely C．quickly D．tightly
A．why B．when C．how D．where
A．quiet B．confused C．alone D．patient
A．calmed B．persuaded C．disappointed D．cheered
A．arranged B．dried C．planted D．hid
A．find B．gather C．receive D．buy
A man was bitterly envious of his neighbour．He spent long hours in prayer，wanting to be to his neighbour in every aspect of life．
One night，God appeared before him in a dream and said，“I am pleased with your ．Ask for a gift your neighbour will get the same gift in double amount．”
He was glad but sad that his enemy would get a greater gift．He requested，“God， the sight in one of my eyes．”
With his single eye，he peeped at his neighbour but was to see his neighbour's sight was not lost! Confused，he to God，“Why don’t you keep your word?”
God said，“Son，I always keep my word． is not a gift，but a curse．You have the gift of sight in only one eye now，as asked by you．But your neighbour has sight in both of his eyes．I the gift．”
He suddenly from his dream and was sure that it was a message from God．Englightened by the dream，he went to his neighbour and begged his pardon for thinking and acting him．They embraced each other and were good friends thereafter．
A．cleverer B．previous C．stronger D．superior
A．prayer B．envy C．sorrow D．pity
A．Otherwise B．But C．Therefore D．Besides
A．finish B．cut C．move D．destroy
A．delighted B．terrified C．surprised D．worried
A．blamed B．complained C．yelled D．hurried
A．Blindness B．Envy C．Disability D．Promise
A．relieved B．awarded C．kept D．doubled
A．awoke B．burst C．cried D．frightened
A．towards B．for C．against D．on
“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 memory 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 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. It 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. When I went to pick up my phone one day, an incredible wave of memories hit me and I realized that had it not been for Virginia DeView, I would not be sitting at that desk.
I was all the time: “How did you pick journalism?”
“Well, you see, there was this teacher …” I always start out. I just wish I could thank her.
A．good B．mad C．careless D．curious
A．universities B．families C．professions D．lives
A．interview B．please C．admire D．respect
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．called B．recognized C．remembered D．visited
A．answer B．promise C．stop D．persuade
A．how B．whether C．why D．when
A．breaking in B．getting down C．falling off D．going on
A．making B．retelling C．covering D．writing
A．certainly B．finally C．doubtfully D．completely
A．hurt B．excited C．disappointed D．asked
America is built on the idea of freedom, and there is no exception for Muslim women. I the freedom of religion and speech. But mostly, I believe it’s OK to be , and to stand up for who and what you are. So I believe in wearing the hijab.
The hijab is a religious head covering, like a scarf. I am Muslim, and keeping my head covered is a of maturity and respect toward my and to Allah’s will. , I also like to wear it to be different. I don’t usually like to do what everyone else is doing. I want to be a(n) , not just part of the crowd. But when I first wore it, I was also afraid of the that I’d get at school.
I on my own that sixth grade was the I should start wearing the hijab. I was about what the kids would say or even do to me. I thought they might make fun of me, or be scared of me and my head-scarf. Kids at that age usually like to be all the same, and there’s little or no of differences.
On the first day of school, I put all those thoughts behind my back and walked in with my head held high. I was holding my breath a little, but I was also proud to be a Muslim, proud to be wearing the hijab, proud to be different.
I was about everything I thought the kids would say or even do to me. I actually met a lot of people because of wearing my head covering. Most of the kids would come and ask me questions — — about the hijab and why I wore it.
I did hear some kids were making fun of me, there was one girl — she wasn’t even in my class, we never really talked much — and she spoke me, and I wasn’t even there! I made a lot of new friends that year, friends that I still have until this very day, five years later.
Yes, I’m different, but everyone is different here, in one way or another. This is the beauty of America, which lies in its .
A．believe in B．stick to C．believe D．insist
A．independent B．free C．sensitive D．different
A．signal B．sign C．reminder D．symbol
A．religion B．country C．parents D．status
A．In a word B．In general C．To be exact D．To be honest
A．princess B．heroine C．individual D．adult
A．praise B．punishment C．reaction D．reflection
A．hoped B．expected C．realized D．decided
A．time B．chance C．case D．occasion
A．disappointed B．scared C．enthusiastic D．angry
A．still B．already C．even D．ever
A．show off B．pull off C．pick up D．put up
A．rejection B．ignorance C．awareness D．acceptance
A．negative B．optimistic C．serious D．strange
A．often B．inside C．only D．outside
A．concerned B．particular C．wrong D．convinced
A．respectfully B．cautiously C．suspiciously D．critically
A．and B．so C．but D．or
A．in terms of B．in front of C．in charge of D．in favor of
A．significance B．diversity C．value D．power