Inspiration
“Mama, when I grow up, I’m going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training. As I grew older and was to more, my interests in the world of dance varied but that little girl’s dream of someday becoming a in the company never left me. In the summer of 2005 when I was 18, I received the phone call which made that dream a : I became a member of the company back to 1925.
As I look back on that day now, it surely any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief I was half way through rehearsals(排练) on my first day. I never actually to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely . I remember shaking with excitement.
Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of . through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme to detail(细节) and stress on practice that set us . To then follow those high-energy rehearsals a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new of the words “hard work”. What I thought were my physical were pushed much further than I thought . I learned to make each performance better than the last.
Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great
of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a （20） that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow—and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.
A．hobby B．plan C．dream D．word
A．connected B．expanded C．exposed D．extended
A．rarely B．certainly C．probably D．consistently
A．director B．trainer C．leader D．dancer
A．symbol B．memory C．truth D．reality
A．bouncing B．dating C．turning D．tracking
A．lacks B．adds C．makes D．brings
A．while B．since C．until D．when
A．cared B．expected C．asked D．decided
A．motivated B．relaxed C．convinced D．astonished
A．challenges B．profits C．advantages D．adventures
A．put B．mix C．build D．pick
A．attention B．association C．attraction D．adaptation
A．apart B．aside C．off D．back
A．over B．by C．with D．beyond
A．function B．meaning C．expression D．usage
A．boundaries B．problems C．barriers D．efforts
A．necessary B．perfect C．proper D．possible
A．talent B．honour C．potential D．responsibility
A．victory B．trend C．tradition D．desire
A friend of mine was sitting in the living room one day when his cat dragged in a little “gift” in its mouth—a dead animal of some sort. Taking a closer look, he was surprised to 36 it as the bunny(小兔子) that 37 Mary, the young daughter of the family next door. My friend felt 38 , believing his cat had killed Mary’s bunny.
My quick-thinking friend came up with a plan. 39 from the cat’s mouth the dead animal, which by now was a 40 mess, he put it in the kitchen sink. With a little warm water and some shampoo, he tried to 41 the dead bunny as best he could. Then he took a hair dryer and blowdried the bunny 42 it looked pretty good.
Finally, under the cover of darkness, he crept into the next-door garden and placed it 43 in the cage. He managed to make the bunny look very 44 there in his little box.
The next morning, my friend looked out of the window and noticed a crowd of people 45 around the rabbit hutch(笼). Everyone seemed to be talking and pointing. My friend 46 to go over and act like any normal 47 neighbor and find out what was going on.
When he got there, Mary’s mother said to my friend, “You won’t believe this! It’s a(n) 48 thing! Mary’s bunny 49 a few days ago, and we buried that little bunny right over there…”
Have you ever tried to cover up one wrongdoing with another? Covering up only makes matters 50 .
When we get caught doing something 51 , for example, we may 52 to cover it up with a lie. But just like Mary’s bunny, the result is 53 what we expected. We 54 looking foolish. We would have been better off admitting we were wrong and accepting the 55 . What do you think of it?
A．treat B．catch C．appreciate D．recognize
A．looked for B．got along C．belonged to D．resulted from
A．pleased B．terrible C．confused D．excited
A．Looking B．Removing C．Preventing D．Hearing
A．dirty B．lovely C．gifted D．strange
A．dress up B．bring up C．clean up D．make up
A．whenever B．though C．before D．until
A．carefully B．strangely C．especially D．wonderfully
A．serious B．accurate C．balanced D．natural
A．cheered B．gathered C．ran D．looked
A．wished B．decided C．hesitated D．meant
A．anxious B．discouraged C．wise D．curious
A．strange B．difficult C．committed D．annoying
A．passed away B．ran away C．set out D．went up
A．more B．worse C．better D．faster
A．exciting B．perfect C．strange D．wrong
A．refuse B．attempt C．promise D．pretend
A．often B．just C．always D．never
A．get down B．end up C．go through D．set out
A．consequences B．opportunities C．expectations D．choices
My first memories of acts of kindness are from when I was about 12 years old．I always 21 people as soon as possible with whatever they needed．
At that time, I noticed that many 22 people had difficulty going to the grocery store 23 a snowstorm．I would spend part of a 24 Saturday knocking on my elderly neighbor’s apartment doors to ask if they 25 anything from the store．The 26 was down a hill and I would bring back a couple of bags of goods for them．I liked it and it made them so 27 , too．
My friends asked me 28 I was doing and after some time some of them 29 in and it became a 30 as time went by．I 31 asked for money for what I did, but sometimes the old ladies would 32 the change in my pocket secretly．The next time I would buy some flowers or cards for them．
When I went to college, many of these people would 33 my mother about me, 34 my mother didn’t always know who they were．It was through those 35 between my mother and these people that she 36 what I used to do for them — I had never told her．
I 37 helping others when I was 12 and it 38 until today．Now, I’m a teacher and teaching my students the art of true 39 ．At first I wrote this for my diary, but my mother said why not 40 it with everyone．I hope this inspires younger people and the old alike．
A．helped B．gave C．cared D．offered
A．lazy B．tired C．kind D．old
A．after B．before C．until D．since
A．fine B．snowy C．funny D．busy
A．got B．fetched C．needed D．took
A．store B．factory C．hospital D．college
A．sad B．happy C．strange D．young
A．whether B．when C．why D．what
A．turned B．looked C．gave D．joined
A．rule B．habit C．tradition D．custom
A．never B．usually C．always D．sometimes
A．put B．choose C．save D．keep
A．think B．ask C．guess D．find
A．but B．and C．so D．or
A．conversations B．discussion C．statements D．speeches
A．knew from B．thought over C．learned about D．talked about
A．finished B．started C．stopped D．lasted
A．pauses B．remains C．continues D．follows
A．love B．kindness C．friendship D．honesty
A．show B．divide C．deliver D．share
Growing trees in the concrete jungle of Los Angels brings neighbors benefits beyond beauty.
As the 36 of TreePeople, a nonprofit organization he founded in 1973, Andy, now 54, has inspired hundreds of thousands of volunteers to 37 plant more than two million trees throughout Southern California.
Tree People 38 tools, blueprints, planting demonstrations, and tree-care supervisors free to all the participants, 39 me. “You will need their support,” Andy said, referring to my neighbors. “ 40
the community behind you, the trees you plant will die in five years.” So I started knocking on doors, hoping to share 41 I’d learnt in Tree People’s seminar(培训班) about the critical role of trees in removing smog from the 42 , cooling our homes and preventing water runoff.
Strange 43 it may seem, some people are afraid of trees. “The roots destroy sidewalks,” one neighbor said, “ 44 will ruin my pipes. And I don’t want leaves.”45 told me.
When I called Andy about the 46 I was getting from my neighbors, he encouraged me to keep trying. So my son and my wife delivered cookies while I went door to door. It 47 us half a year to sign permission forms from 16 neighbors for 21 trees.
When the big day arrived, I was excited and 48 . What if I threw a planting tree and 49 else came? But as I set out shovels(铁铲), my son and wife made cakes and doughnuts, 50 started to gather. Friends brought friends. Neighbors came with cousins and grandchildren. A local middle school even 51 with half the seventh grade. More than 300 people joined us.
Then Andy led us in a 52 : welcoming each tree into the world and 53 it name. After the ceremony, as I shook hands with volunteers and my neighbors, I 54 help but feel we’d accomplished 55 great. After all, trees need people, and people need trees.
A．friend B．interviewer C．president D．volunteer
A．bravely B．actively C．anxiously D．generously
A．supports B．affords C．shows D．provides
A．including B．considering C．containing D．reminding
A．For B．Without C．With D．Except
A．what B．which C．that D．how
A．cloud B．wind C．sky D．air
A．while B．if C．however D．as
A．You B．I C．They D．It
A．The other B．Another C．Other D．Others
A．resistance B．acceptance C．agreement D．praise
A．spent B．paid C．took D．covered
A．moved B．disappointed C．surprised D．nervous
A．everybody B．nobody C．somebody D．anybody
A．volunteers B．journalists C．friends D．neighbors
A．made up B．took up C．showed up D．cheered up
A．ceremony B．march C．activity D．celebration
A．calling B．leaving C．making D．giving
A．wouldn’t B．shouldn’t C．couldn’t D．needn’t
A．anything B．something C．nothing D．everything
In my whole childhood I focused on training to play professional soccer. Through the mid 90’s I 36 through Olympic training and on June 13,1997 I was 37 with a minor league team, when a 16-year-old boy ran a stop sign(闯红灯).That night 38 my life. I was on my motorcycle and got 39 by a car, partly disabling me six months. I lost most of my memory, 40 coma (昏迷)symptom and had to learn to 41 all over. During the coming 24 months of physical treatment I changed my 42 of life.
I began making 43 as if each day was my last day 44. Before the 45 , I was studying at a university. I was taught that the 46 of life was to study career skills and pursue financial 47. After returning from near death I went 48 searching. I traveled through the native reservation of the northern USA and witnessed the most extreme 49. I slowly realized there was so much more to 50 than just doing things for myself. I started listening to the people I met and 51 to help them any way possible.
Everywhere I stayed I met 52 people telling me stories about 53 the earth and making better use of nature’s energy. In 2005 my father quickly died from cancer and I 54 the desire to do much of anything for myself. I started looking for well-off people to aid those 55. I’ve ac
cumulated a list of people nearing life threatening situations or those trying to make a major effect on the world and now I try to help them full time.
A．advanced B．fought C．looked D．won
A．playing B．working C．competing D．coming
A．corrected B．influenced C．destroyed D．changed
A．run B．hit C．knocked D．stuck
A．spread B．caught C．showed D．suffered
A．walk B．talk C．eat D．drive
A．duty B．view C．course D．dream
A．decisions B．discoveries C．promises D．studies
A．possible B．available C．present D．alive
A．event B．experience C．difficulty D．disaster
A．reality B．value C．purpose D．content
A．balance B．situation C．stability D．expense
B．spirit C．heart D．soul
A．poverty B．anxiety C．anger D．simplicity
A．nature B．society C．life D．happiness
A．refused B．volunteered C．tended D．learned
A．wonderful B．famous C．wealthy D．cautious
A．developing B．exploring C．respecting D．understanding
A．realized B．controlled C．gained D．lost
A．in despair B．in need C．in touch D．in season
I ran across an old photo of him the other day, thinking of some old things. He’s been dead for 25 years. His name was Rex.
36 was his favorite recreation(娱乐). He had so much 37 in the water as any person I have known. You didn’t have to throw a stick in the water to 38 him to go in. Of course, he would bring back a stick to you if you 39 throw one in.
That 40 me of that night, 41 he brought back a small box that he found somewhere--- how 42 nobody ever knew. Since it was Rex, it 43 easily have been half a race. The box wasn’t a good one. It was just a 44 old piece that somebody 45. Still it was something he wanted, probably 46 there was some difficulty in transportation（运输）. And that he thought could test his courage. We first knew about his achievement when, deep in the night, we 47 him trying to get the box up onto the porch(门厅). It sounded 48 two or three people were trying to tear the house 49 . We came downstairs and turned on the 50 light. Rex was on the top step trying to pull the thing up, but it had 51somehow. And he was just holding his own(坚持着). I suppose he would have held his own 52 dawn if we hadn’t helped him. The next day we carried the box miles away and threw it out. If we had thrown it out in a 53 place, he would have brought it home again, as a small token(象征)of his strength in such matters. 54, he had been taught to carry heavy wooden objects about and he was 55 of his skill.