I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other peopleI think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a
person.
I think mystarted when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my
and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever
to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really
. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So I tried a(n)
. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I
to help. That was really a big
for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of
are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new, however, came when I took a part-time job at Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my
. Every time I came into her room, she was so
because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never
her, so I took her place. She let me
that making others feel good made me feel good, too. When she died, I was
, but I was also very grateful to her.
I think I am a muchperson today than I used to be, and I hope I will not
these experiences. They have
me to care about other people more than about myself. I
who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
A. since B. before C. or D. unless
A. famous B. simple C. different D. skilled
A. education B. career C. tour D. change
A. balance B. homework C. degree D. interest
A. talked B. wrote C. lied D. reported
A. careful B. lonely C. curious D. guilty
A. argument B. game C. experiment D. defence
A. dared B. offered C. hesitated D. happene
A. dream B. problem C. duty D. step
A. us B. which C. them D. whom
A. attitude B. hobby C. hope D. luck
A. friend B. partner C. guide D. guest
A. polite B. happy C. strange D. confident
A. bothered B. answered C. visited D. trusted
A. explain B. guess C. declare D. see
A. homeless B. heartbroken C. bad-tempered D. hopeless
A. quieter B. busier C. better D. richer
A. forget B. face C. improve D. analyze
A. forced B. preferred C. ordered D. taught
A. miss B. like C. wonder D. expect
It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. ____ I was waiting for my drink, I realized there were other people in the place, but I sensed ____. I saw their bodies, but I couldn’t feel their souls ____ their souls belonged to the ____.
I stood up and walked _______the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man _____ in front of it. “I’m Steve,” he ______ answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m ____,” he said. He was chatting online and, ____, he was playing a computer game – a war game. I was ______.
Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried ____ to speak to that computer geek （怪人），____ not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction. I was _____. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, “____!”
I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I raised my head, and saw nobody showed any interest.
, I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more interested in having a relationship with the , particularly Steve. I wouldn’t want to the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines with people.
I was worried and sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even ____ that the coffee was bad, ____ Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.
A．Before B．Since C．Although D．While
A．pain B．loneliness C．sadness D．fear
A．because B．when C．until D．unless
A．home B．world C．net D．café
A．beside B．among C．between D．on
A．sleeping B．laughing C．sitting D．learning
A．finally B．quickly C．patiently D．loudly
A．busy B．thirsty C．tired D．sick
A．first of all B．just then C．at the same time D．by that time
A．surprised B．delighted C．moved D．frightened
A．once B．again C．first D．even
A．but B．so C．if D．or
A．excited B．respected C．afraid D．unhappy
A．Shut up B．Enjoy yourself C．Leave me alone D．Help me out
A．From then on B．At that moment C．In all D．Above all
A．computer B．soul C．shop D．geek
A．tell B．plan C．imagine D．design
A．other than B．instead of C．except for D．as well as
A．pretend B．understand C．insist D．realize
A．as if B．just as C．so that D．even though
When my parents were alive，they were not very rich．Yet they helped their two older time after time．When Daddy passed away，his notebook showed debts from several of his children．I was not among them．I borrowed money and when I did，I set a repayment plan and to it．It was a matter of with me．I couldn’t stand owing my parents-or anyone else-mmoney because I watched them to help out my older sisters when they were in financial difficulties themselves．
These days，after the death of my parents，I am one of those people who can be to for help when they need it．Just as I can’t stand other people money，I can’t stand saying no to whoever needs help．I don’t helping others，but I would be more than glad if they would make a(n) to handle things themselves，perhaps by doing some planning-like planning not to speend money they don’t have!
Being ready to help others is a ，but sometimes the result will be to what you expect．I remember as a child what my father always said， “If at first you don’t succeed，try，try again!” Helping my children too often has them from learning to keep trying．Use your ：who among my children will to walk if I supply the money to buy a car? Helped often，my children lost gradually the ability to problems themselves．
In most ，when people find you can help，they will ask you more and more．That's human，you know．
A．sons B．daughters C．brothers D．sisters
A．absent B．apart C．due D．different
A．always B．seldom C．often D．never
A．stuck B．attached C．agreed D．belonged
A．pleasure B．courage C．pride D．sorrow
A．struggle B．happen C．intend D．move
A．referred B．turned C．seen D．attended
A．cheating B．donating C．1ending D．owing
A．enjoy B．mind C．1ike D．miss
A．comment B．mess C．excuse D．effort
A．financial B．flexible C．typical D．particular
A．deed B．deal C．virtue D．task
A．contrary B．essential C．potential D．necessary
A．can B．may C．shall D．must
A．banned B．protected C．prevented D．freed
A．aHn B．leg C．body D．head
A．wait B．urge C．threat D．choose
A．solve B．assess C．seek D．analyse
A．affairs B．choices C．cases D．events
A．obtain B．attain C．provide D．prefer
There are many taxi drivers in our city．They often like to chat with passengers to time when the taxis are caught in traffic jams．The other day，I went home by taxi．Knowing I was a student，the driver told me that he was once a student twenty years ago． ，his family could not afford the school fees，so he dropped out of school at an early age．He me to work hard and go to a good college．I was moved by his kindness，but what really impressed me next was his ．After arriving home，I soon realized that I had my cell phone in the taxi．Greatly worried，I immediately called my number， the driver would answer．Then came the driver's from tlle other end．He told me he had been my call and that he would gladly return my phone where he dropped me off earlier that day．Thanks to the driver，I got my phone ．I believe honesty is one of the greatest a person should have．Thank you ever so much，Mr．Taxi driver．
A．have B．kill C．spend D．1ive
A．Unfortunately B．Unusually C．Absolutely D．Accurately
A．persuaded B．ordered C．required D．encouraged
A．modesty B．ability C．honesty D．security
A．forgotten B．placed C．left D．dropped
A．begging B．praying C．thinking D．saying
A．whisper B．noise C．sound D．voice
A．making B．expecting C．refusing D．fearing
A．over B．through C．back D．across
A．advantages B．achievements C．qualities D．images
It was Thanksgiving morning. In the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together inside the storm door on the top step.
"Any old papers, lady?" asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say “no” __ __looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin scandals (凉鞋),wet with heavy snow.
“Come in and I'11 you a cup of hot cocoa.”
They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet shoes left on the floor．I __ them cocoa and toast with jam the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget. The silence in the front door __ __me. I looked in. The girl__ the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat ," Lady ．．． are you rich?"
"Am I rich? Mercy, !" I looked at my shabby slipcover(家具套)．The girl put her cup back in its saucer（茶碟） .
“Your cups match your saucers．”
Her voice was ___ __with a need that no amount of food could supply．They left after that, holding their against the wind．They hadn't said thank you．
They didn’t to. They had done more than that. Plain blue china cups and saucers were only worth five pence. But they __ __.
I tasted the potatoes and stirred(搅动)the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a __ over our heads, my man with a good steady job—these things matched, too．
I moved the chairs back from the fire and the living room．The muddy prints of small scandals were still on my floor. “ them be for a while,” I thought. Just I should begin to forget how I am.
A．when B．after C．while D．until
A．make B．provide C．do D．cook
A．signs B．signals C．marks D．symbols
A．showed B．served C．carried D．supplied
A．against B．from C．on D．in
A．beat B．struck C．got D．noticed
A．watched B．lifted C．held D．put
A．word B．method C．state D．voice
A．yes B．sure C．no D．always
A．suddenly B．carefully C．quickly D．anxiously
A．hungry B．satisfied C．pleased D．curious
A．books B．papers C．dishes D．drinks
A．dare B．plan C．want D．need
A．shone B．matched C．broke D．equaled
A．house B．ceiling C．roof D．curtain
A．washed B．rubbed C．wiped D．tidied
A．dry B．gone C．wet D．new
A．Made B．Let C．Got D．Kept
A．in case B．as if C．if only D．only if
A．nice B．free C．busy D．rich
Once, my father and I were waiting to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there only one family _ us and the counter, who made a big on me. There were eight children, all probably under 12. You could they weren’t rich. Their clothes weren’t expensive but . The children were well-behaved., standing in line behind their parents and talking about what they would see that night.
One could they had never been to the circus before. The mother was holding her husband’s hand while the father was smiling in . The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly , “Eight for children and two for adults, please.”
The ticket lady told him the price. The man’s wife let go of hand, her head dropped, and his lip began to tremble. The father leaned a little and asked, “How much did you say?”
The ticket lady the price. The man didn’t have enough money. was he supposed to turn and tell his kids that he didn’t have enough to take them to the circus? Seeing this, my father put his hand in his pocket, a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. Then my father _ down, picked up the bill and said the man, “Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket.”
The man knew what was going on. He wasn’t begging for it but certainly the timely help in such an situation. He took my father’s in both of his, squeezed(紧捏) tightly onto the , and with a rear running down his cheek, he replied, “Thank you, sir. This really _ a lot to me and my family.”
A．before B．between C．behind D．besides
A．difference B．effort C．impression D．suggestion
A．tell B．agree C．believe D．suppose
A．clean B．shabby C．simple D．common
A．disappointedly B．bitterly C．excitedly D．carelessly
A．sense B．expect C．doubt D．Recognize
A．surprise B．turn C．silence D．pride
A．laughed B．announced C．commented D．responded
A．my B．his C．her D．their
A．backwards B．away C．closer D．farther
A．refused B．recited C．reduced D．repeated
A．When B．Where C．How D．Why
A．time B．money C．chance D．courage
A．pulled out B．pulled up C．picked out D．picked up
A．jumped B．lay C．knocked D．reached
A．appreciated B．admired C．rejected D．offered
A．interesting B．embarrassing C．enjoyable D．unbelievable
A．pocket B．wallet C．arm D．hand
A．ticket B．bill C．pound D．paper
A．pays B．costs C．means D．gives