There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest （寻求）, , to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to what they had seen. The first son said that the tree wasugly, bent, and . The second son contradicted—it was covered with green buds and full of . The third son , saying it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing he had seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then to his sonsthat they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are—the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life—can only be at the end, when all the seasons are up.
If you give up when it’s winter, you will the hope of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall. Don’t let the of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge a life by one season.
A．determine B．judge C．analyze D．explore
A．by chance B．as usual C．in turn D．for sure
A．describe B．classify C．compare D．review
A．twisted B．wounded C．woodened D．deserted
A．delight B．pride C．faith D．promise
A．agreed B．approved C．argued D．announced
A．never B．ever C．once D．later
A．falling B．slipping C．going D．hanging
A．excused B．sighed C．explained D．instructed
A．measured B．considered C．affected D．committed
A．change B．develop C．miss D．taste
A．comfort B．pleasure C．regret D．pain
A．difficult B．magic C．lonely D．light
Ever since I was little, my favorite season was winter. I loved to play in the snow and enjoy the hot chocolate.
____36_____, winter never gave me the special gift of snow on my birthday. I would ask my grandmother ____37____ it didn’t snow on my birthday. She would laugh and tell me I asked too many questions. ___38____one day, she promised that she would make it snow on my next birthday.
That year, ____39____ my birthday, my grandmother died. I was sad but angry because she had promised to make it snow. The day of my sixth birthday, I woke up and ran to the window, hoping to see just one snowflake. But there was no snow. I felt mad at my grandmother. She had broken a promise.
But my sixteenth birthday, I had lost all hope of getting my snow, even though I still wished for ___40____. During my party, I stayed with my friends and family and was truly happy. I ___41___ the best time ever! Then I saw the white snow ____42___down all around. I was so excited that I ran around screaming and laughing. My friends all laughed ____43___me, but I didn’t care.
When I ___44____home, my grandpa said he had a gift for me. I was ___45___ because he had given me a gift. It was a small white box, which looked old. I opened it. There was a crystal snowflake(水晶雪花) with a card that said, “Happy Birthday.”
How could this be? My grandpa said it was my grandmother’s final ___46____ on my “sweet sixteenth”. I cried.
I was ___47_____ that my smiling grandmother angel was and had been watching over me.
A．Certainly B．Unfortunately C．Importantly D．Luckily
A．when B．how C．whether D．why
A．But B．Or C．Then D．So
A．on B．after C．before D．in
A．it B．her C．him D．me
A．had B．was C．played D．feared
A．fell B．to fall C．fallen D．falling
A．with B．at C．from D．off
A．arrived at B．remained C．got D．entered
A．excited B．confused C．pleased D．frustrated
A．order B．mistake C．wish D．decision
A．certain B．angry C．sad D．anxious
When we read books we seem to enter a new world. This new world can be similar to the one we are living in, or it can be very 31 .Some stories are told32 they were true. Real people who live in a33 world do real things; in other words, the stories are about people just like us doing what we do. Other stories, such as the Harry Potter books, are not 34 . They are characters and creatures that are very different from us and do things that would be35 for us.
But there is more to books and writing than this. If we think about it, even realistic writing is only 36 . How can we tell the difference between what is real and what is not real? For example, when we read about Harry Potter ,we 37 seem to learn something about the real world. And when Harry studies magic at Hogwarts, he also learns more about his real life than 38 . Reading, like writing, is an action. It is a way of 39 . When we read or write something ,we do much more than simple look at words on a page. We use our40--which is real—and our imagination—which is real in a different way --- to make the words come to life in our minds.
Both realism and fantasy(幻想) 41 the imagination and the “magic” of reading and writing to make us think. When we read42 realistic, we have to imagine that the people we are reading about are just like us, even though we 43 that we are real and they are 44 . It sounds45 ,but it works. When we read, we fill in missing information and 46 about the causes and effects of what a character does. We help the writer by 47 that what we read is like real life. In a way, we are writing the book, too.
Most of us probably don’t think about what is going on in our48 when we are reading. We pick up a book and lose 49 in a good story, eager to find out what will happen next. Knowing how we feel 50 we read can help us become better readers, and it will help us discover more about the real magic of books.
A．possible B．easy C．new D．different
A．that B．what C．whether D．as if
A．usual B．normal C．certain D．common
A．realistic B．reasonable C．moral D．instructive
A．difficult B．impossible C．important D．necessary
A．thinkable B．designed C．imagined D．planned
A．do B．make C．have D．are
A．lessons B．dreams C．experience D．magic
A．working B．thinking C．living D．understanding
A．knowledge B．skill C．words D．grammar
A．make B．get C．use D．have
A．a newspaper B．something C．everything D．a story
A．find B．learn C．know D．hope
A．too B．not C．all D．so
A．dangerous B．serious C．strange D．terrible
A．talk B．learn C．read D．think
A．telling B．pretending C．promising D．guessing
A．mind B．life C．world D．society
A．heart B．time C．money D．ourselves
A．what B．how C．when D．why
The Florida sun baked my shoulders as I worked along the I-595 freeway near Fort Lauderdale, picking up rubbish. I paused to 36 the sweat off my forehead and look up at the cloudless blue sky.“ 37 can’t it rain?” I thought. That would38 things down.
I thought about my 39 , who were probably sitting in an air-conditioned 40 right now. I’d had some problems in school, 41 my parents decided to let me 42 full-time with my dad, We both worked for my uncle, who had taken 43 of a maintenance（道路养护）company. It was up to us to keep the roads 44 of rubbish. The job was45 and dirty, especially on hot days 46 this. I wondered why I ever agreed to do it.
We continued our 47 route along the I-595,48 for the overpass bridge. Then I noticed an area where some 49 were broken on the ground. It wasn’t like that before.
“Dad! Pull over! I want to 50 something out.”
I jumped off the truck and rushed to the bridge. Something was telling me to 51 …there wasn’t much time. 52 I saw a Toyota that53 upside down in the tree. Maybe it was a stolen car that somebody 54 there, I thought. Then, just at that55 , I noticed something moving. It was a bloody leg poking out of the driver’s side window!
“Help!” a lady moaned.
A．wipe B．cut C．put D．send
A．When B．How C．Why D．Where
A．turn B．keep C．make D．cool
A．parents B．school-times C．friends D．school yards
A．office B．classroom C．restaurant D．living room
A．but B．or C．for D．so
A．work B．study C．stay D．spend
A．business B．possession C．position D．place
A．away B．from C．far D．clear
A．easy B．lonely C．smelly D．noisy
A．for B．like C．after D．as
A．regular B．common C．unusual D．normal
A．reaching B．going C．looking D．heading
A．cars B．bottles C．branches D．glasses
A．check B．help C．take D．bring
A．decide B．hurry C．consider D．stop
A．Above B．Behind C．Ahead D．Below
A．hung B．trapped C．caught D．fell
A．stored B．deserted C．lost D．hid
A．bridge B．tree C．moment D．way
When I was in college twenty-five years ago, I spent four summers working in 36 at a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago. 37 , I was a maid.
I did not enter the world of housekeeping enthusiastically. My friends had 38 jobs such as making ice cream, selling goods at the mall, or life guarding at the outdoor pool. I had been hoping to get a job as an office lady for a famous company: 39 pay, air-conditioned office, the gold standard for summer jobs, as most of us dreamed of. When that 40 , the only option left was to take a train ride downtown each morning to work as a maid.
It was tiring work, cleaning up to eighteen rooms a day. My 41 attitude reflected my disdain(鄙视) for cleaning toilets, 42 bed sheets, dusting, eight hours a day for the comfort of total strangers who 43 left a tip. I thought it was beneathme. My maid work was average 44 the day I was assigned to the eighteenth floor.
That was Lorena’s regular floor. The only time another maid set foot on it was on Lorena’s day off. If you left any water 45 on the mirror, or a hair on the bed, Lorena would hunt you down when she 46 , as I found out firsthand. She’d ended her lecture to me with “ 47 some pride in your work.”
She did. And so did Rosalie, Helen, Annette, and all the other experienced maids. Their devotion to doing a good job and their belief that their work was a 48 of their character stuck with me throughout my 49 career after graduation. I learned a lot from them during those four summers.
Not a week would go without one of them 50 some firm but friendly advice: “Where’s your commode brush? You don’t have one? How do you expect to get that bowl clean?”
Their pride in a job well done was reflected in how they treated 51 . They left the building at the end of the day in nice dresses and 52 makeup. They looked like they could have been attending an afternoon tea. And, 53 often, they were smiling and laughing, cheerfully greeting their co-workers a good evening. When you work with happiness and 54 , a job will be well done. I believe there is 55 in any job if you work hard and try your best.
A．cleaning B．housekeeping C．serving D．managing
A．In short B．In brief C．In other words D．On the other hand
A．winter B．summer C．awful D．permanent
A．extra B．poor C．average D．good
A．fell over B．fell through C．fell down D．fell off
A．negative B．right C．excellent D．casual
A．making B．spreading C．changing D．doing
A．frequently B．rarely C．occasionally D．willingly
A．when B．after C．until D．before
A．drops B．signs C．tracks D．marks
A．visited B．arrived C．left D．returned
A．take B．obtain C．reject D．make
A．reflection B．truth C．gratitude D．award
A．special B．general C．different D．professional
A．taking B．following C．offering D．refusing
A．others B．themselves C．customers D．co-workers
A．expensive B．cautious C．cheap D．careful
A．more B．least C．most D．less
A．frustration B．regret C．prejudice D．satisfaction
A．respect B．aspect C．challenge D．failure
Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.
Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my ___36___ was more manageable, I ___37___ ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. ___38___ that was years ago and times have changed. ___39___ I live with my mother on a country farm.
Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to ___40___ my disability pension(残疾抚恤金). ___41___ I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my ___42___. I decided that I would consider ___43___ to singing in restaurants.
My family are all musicians, so I was ___44___ when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of ___45___ to get started. And ___46___ you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can ___47___ use.
When I told the owner of the shop about my ___48___, he gave me a long, thoughtful ___49___. “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he said. “Come with me.”
He led me ___50___ the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand ___51___ on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your ___52___ and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”
I ___53___. Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose ___54___ that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.
His ___55___ still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.
A．sadness B．tiredness C．sickness D．loneliness
A．enjoyed B．kept C．shared D．set
A．Eventually B．Unfortunately C．Surprisingly D．Gladly
A．Then B．Sometime C．Meanwhile D．Now
A．make up for B．get rid of C．take advantage of D．add up to
A．As B．Though C．Before D．If
A．condition B．choices C．positions D．movement
A．living up B．getting on C．going back D．reaching out
A．interviewed B．found C．invited D．recognized
A．time B．energy C．knowledge D．money
A．once B．seldom C．often D．thus
A．hardly B．nearly C．formerly D．actually
A．family B．idea C．offer D．job
A．view B．look C．sight D．face
A．along B．towards C．through D．over
A．lovingly B．pitifully C．gratefully D．unhappily
A．turn B．role C．step D．pick
A．ought to cry B．should have cried C．could have cried D．had to cry
A．the ones B．few C．the rest D．more
A．devotion B．kindness C．trust D．courage