Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
When I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career.
Writing had basically me when I was only 7 years old, since that time, I’d been bombarded by guidance counselors and career planners who all me to have “a back-up plan” in case writing didn’t work out.
I’d never even a different career path, so I was very and worried. After much thought, I decided would be my “back-up plan,” and I signed up for a class through my high school.
This that every morning, I would serve as a teacher’s helper for my favorite 6th grade teacher, Mr. Ralston. Morning after morning, I showed up in Mr. Ralston’s classroom and papers for him.
Sometimes, I even a lesson or two. It was fun, and the students seemed to like me, so I was surprised when it came time for my . Mr. Ralston looked me right in the eyes and asked, “Do you really want to teach?”
“Had I really been that ?” I thought.
“Don’t misunderstand. You’ll do fine in teaching,” he continued. “But, is your really in it?”
“Not really,” I . “I want to write. I want to write news stories and fiction and poetry and so much more…but I’ve been told it’s tough to make it as a writer I thought maybe I would teach and then use my summers to pursue writing.”
As I shared with Mr. Ralston my hopes, dreams and carefully plotted-out back-up plan, he smiled and said, “Why are you preparing to with this back-up plan? If you want to be a writer, go for it! Pursue writing!”
Mr. Ralston’s to follow my dreams was the little nudge I needed to help me push past my of not making it as a writer and simply “Go for it!”
That’s what an encouraging word will do when spoken in love in season. So, let’s try and be like Mr. Ralston and speak that word of encouragement at just the right time and make a difference in someone’s life today.
A．even B．never C．already D．also
A．reminded B．entertained C．accompanied D．chosen
A．or B．and C．for D．but
A．urged B．forced C．taught D．persuaded
A．created B．taken C．considered D．examined
A．embarrassed B．confused C．annoyed D．frightened
A．writing B．teaching C．studying D．compiling
A．meant B．indicated C．suggested D．revealed
A．read B．set C．graded D．composed
A．reviewed B．skipped C．took D．presented
A．application B．evaluation C．instruction D．qualification
A．transparent B．shallow C．superior D．ambitious
A．eye B．mind C．heart D．focus
A．interrupted B．joked C．admitted D．apologized
A．unless B．if C．because D．so
A．up B．apart C．along D．off
A．fail B．follow C．depart D．compete
A．encouragement B．determination C．tendency D．attempt
A．dreams B．fears C．regrets D．mistakes
A．peak B．low C．due D．New
In my professional life I am fortunate to have acquired some skills that I find I am able to use even though I’ve retired．
Last week while at church in the morning，I met a that had just moved to our state. Unfortunately they were robbed shortly after their ．and had the valuable belongings with all their papers stolen．A very kind person in the neighborhood had them in，but the family had very little ，no transportation，and no to enroll(注册)their son in school without the paperwork．
Enrolling that little boy in school to be the highest priority for the family. But the school district was playing hardball with them with no for them．They had gone to the library to how to replace this paperwork，but they found they could not the fees to replace the items quickly．
Because of my background as a(n) administrator and my computer skills，I was able to research for them online how to ．the needed documents at low cost with only a slight delay．I was able to speak with them and positively about the process and explain that waiting the few days would make very little in getting their little guy enrolled and attending school again．They told me they my taking the time to sit down with them and help them see the“forest for the trees”，for they had felt with what initially had seemed the impossibility of their situation．
Taking the time to my skills and “be present’’ with them had truly helped them regain some of the they had come to our city with when they moved— a better 1ife．
A．beggar B．boy C．family D．driver
A．arrival B．return C．flight D．change
A．criminal B．important C．beneficial D．expensive
A．forced B．hidden C．shown D．taken
A．money B．energy C．position D．courage
A．Plan B．aim C．way D．idea
A．happened B．seemed C．intended D．preferred
A．patience B．direction C．confidence D．sympathy
A．practice B．research C．suggest D．realize
A．afford B．support C．manage D．desire
A．politics B．education C．culture D．history
A．invent B．protect C．design D．replace
A．coldly B．shyly C．calmly D．wildly
A．exact B．proper C．extra D．final
A．sense B．difference C．room D．use
A．disliked B．considered C．insisted D．appreciated
A．surprised B．depressed C．excited D．amused
A．use B．pass C．take D．get
A．spirit B．task C．hope D．sense
A．putting in B．making C．taking up D．looking for
“The way we choose to respond when others make mistakes can cause them to feel ashamed or can allow them to remember our kindness and share our stories with future generations．”
——Michelle Sedas
When I read the above quote I couldn’t help but Doris．She had been a science teacher by ，but she also was a very person．All around her room were dolls that she had made．They were the most interesting dolls I’d ever seen；each was very from the other．
By talking to Doris I learned she’d a class in doll making．One day while I was in her room she took one of the dolls out of the case to me．This doll was very with fine artistic work．I was that anyone could do such unique work．
As Doris was the doll carefully in her hand，I could see a slight break in the skirt．I was to know what happened．Doris said that on the way to class she the side of the skirt．She expressed how scared she was and almost didn’t go to at a11．When it came her to show the doll to the teacher，she had to point out the in the skirt．Doris felt for sure that the doll would be because of it．Much to her surprise the teacher told her she was just going to this break and grade the doll on the other good it had．Doris shared that this remark and from the teacher changed her life．
This teacher could have made Doris feel by her mistake．But her willingness to ignore the mistake，Doris was sharing her kindness with the next generation．
A．give up B．call on C．turn down D．think of
A．profession B．accident C．birth D．mistake
A．energetic B．generous C．creative D．conservative
A．far B．safe C．free D．different
A．taken B．quitted C．prepared D．organized
A．flatter B．show C．comfort D．upset
A．common B．cheap C．expensive D．unusual
A．disappointed B．amazed C．terrified D．annoyed
A．turning B．bending C．mending D．shaking
A．sorry B．proud C．curious D．content
A．burned B．bumped C．replaced D．decorated
A．hospital B．church C．class D．work
A．turn B．task C．honor D．choice
A．spot B．patch C．hole D．break
A．destroyed B．appreciated C．rejected D．removed
A．ignore B．value C．notice D．assess
A．talents B．quantities C．varieties D．qualities
A．responsibility B．attitude C．habit D．standard
A．ashamed B．shocked C．puzzled D．overjoyed
A．as for B．because of C．despite of D．apart from
After my brother died in an accident，my mother was very sad．I was only 4 years old at the time，but I still understood the in my mom’s attitude toward safety． ，everything around us was potentially ．
I grew up with a lot of and rules that were meant to me．For example，I was not to walk home from school by myself，even though everyone I knew already did．I couldn’t evening parties or go to summer camp， what if something happened to me?
As I got older，the list of things to got longer．I became a natural ．I was concerned about things like getting cancer，losing my wallet，being caught in car accidents and earthquakes — big and small，real and ．The funny part is that you’d never know it by looking at my life，because I’m constantly myself to do the things that frighten or worry me．In fact，I’ve developed a for myself: If it scares me，then I have to do it once．I’ve done lots of things that would have my mom: I’ve ridden a motorcycle，I’ve traveled alone，and I’ve performed stand-up comedy．
Courage isn’t a natural attribute（品质）of human beings．I believe that we have to practice being courageous．The more I do things that scare me or that make me ，the more I realize that I can do a lot more than I originally thought I could do．
Even though I inherited（经遗传获得）my mother’s cautious ，I’ve also come to believe that fear can be a good thing，if we it．Believing that has made my world a less scary place．
A．hint B．change C．scene D．lesson
A．Slowly B．Logically C．Fortunately D．Suddenly
A．important B．inspiring C．convenient D．dangerous
A．restrictions B．considerations C．judgments D．comparisons
A．limit B．help C．protect D．train
A．allowed B．encouraged C．reminded D．advised
A．arrange B．attend C．decorate D．support
A．but B．though C．or D．because
A．hope B．fear C．count D．bear
A．worrier B．dreamer C．adult D．thinker
A．ideas B．affairs C．actions D．disasters
A．special B．common C．imaginary D．practical
A．expecting B．warning C．forcing D．promising
A．rule B．form C．case D．hobby
A．in all B．at most C．after all D．at least
A．threatened B．shocked C．confused D．entertained
A．rarely B．quickly C．often D．fairly
A．confident B．uncomfortable C．happy D．generous
A．nature B．duty C．work D．task
A．know B．get C．avoid D．face
The family had just moved to Rhode Island, and the young woman was feeling a little depressed on that Sunday in May. After all, it was Mother's Day—and 800 miles her from her parents in Ohio.
She had called them that morning, to wish her a happy Mother's Day and her mother had how colorful their backyard was spring had arrived. Later, she told her husband how she those lilacs 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．kept C．separated D．made
A．learned B．mentioned C．imagined D．realized
A．as if B．so that C．now that D．even if
A．grew B．missed C．watered D．showed
A．cars B．kids C．clothes D．lilacs
A．yard B．hill C．bush D．door
A．bought B．picked C．set D．raised
A．break B．holiday C．trip D．dinner
A．friends B．memory C．honor D．flowers
A．responded B．pointed C．drove D．hurried
A．elderly B．loving C．serious D．sensitive
A．hesitated B．waited C．chatted D．sat
A．family B．mother C．path D．home
A．nodded B．left C．waved D．continued
A．sadly B．politely C．quickly D．tightly
A．why B．when C．how D．where
A．lonely B．confused C．alone D．patient
A．calmed B．persuaded C．disappointed D．cheered
A．arranged B．planted C．dried D．hid
A．find B．gather C．receive D．sell
Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all pilled up in a basket, dirty and With dust. to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They agreed.
As I carefully opened each letter, all of them delicate with age, I discovered a new page unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents’ lives.
My father used to in the army. So his letters were full of frontline of the things about the war. Each of my mother’s letters was marked her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was to these letters like a magnet (磁铁).
Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very . and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the . He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had to him when he had been so far from home.
It so happened that the next day would he February 14. From the letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father’s bedside.
At his bedside, I joked with him, saying , “Today is Valentine’s Day, don’t you want to send Mother a present?” He became more when I handed him the old . He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he it, his eyes were filled with tears.
My father, in a voice tight with read the loving he’d sent to my mother fifty-six years earlier. And this time, he could read it to her .
A．came B．hit C．drew D．fell
A．hidden B．covered C．buried D．filled
A．Pretending B．Suggesting C．Preferring D．Deciding
A．recently B．occasionally C．previously D．usually
A．work B．study C．serve D．report
A．accounts B．documents C．introductions D．occupations
A．with B．for C．of D．as
A．devoted B．abandoned C．thrown D．drawn
A．depressed B．dead C．dangerous D．ill
A．typical B．traditional C．different D．familiar
A．wars B．illnesses C．letters D．prescriptions
A．meant B．intended C．planned D．said
A．divided B．sorted C．separated D．updated
A．sadly B．angrily C．softly D．loudly
A．curious B．enthusiastic C．fantastic D．positive
A．Christmas card B．envelope C．basket D．lipstick
A．found B．wrote C．recognized D．missed
A．astonishment B．sorrow C．sickness D．emotion
A．story B．message C．speech D．motto
A．in brief B．in private C．in danger D．in person