The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know a new classmate. I to look around when a gentle hand my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little lady looking up at me with a smile.
She said, “Hi. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed and responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent ?” I asked. “I always having a college education and now I’m getting !” she told me.
Later, we became close friends. Every day we would leave class together and she her wisdom and experience with me. Over the
of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she made friends wherever she went.
At the of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet(宴会). I’ll forget what she taught us. When she was introduced, frustrated and a little embarrassed, she cleared her
and said, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we
old because we stop playing. There are only two secrets to staying
, being happy, and achieving success. You have to and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you your dreams, you die.”
One week after graduation Rose died in her sleep. Many college students attended her funeral in tribute to(悼念)the wonderful woman who taught example that it’s never too to be all you can possibly be.
A．lay down B．stood up C．fell off D．went out
A．touched B．felt C．wounded D．clapped
A．beautiful B．young C．old D．kind-hearted
A．sadly B．coldly C．absently D．enthusiastically
A．age B．speed C．point D．year
A．talked about B．tried out C．looked forward D．dreamed of
A．those B．one C．that D．they
A．learned B．told C．shared D．debated
A．course B．path C．distance D．road
A．easily B．rarely C．unwillingly D．strangely
A．middle B．beginning C．end D．top
A．ever B．never C．still D．already
A．throat B．face C．nose D．eyes
A．grow B．prove C．look D．stay
A．rich B．healthy C．cheerful D．young
A．eat B．cry C．laugh D．shout
A．have B．lose C．get D．keep
A．bitterly B．fortunately C．peacefully D．hopefully
A．to B．for C．in D．by
A．early B．bad C．good D．late
A sufferer of Hansen’s Disease in Fiji, with twisted hands, became an internationally known artist. “My I see as a gift led me to my life’s work,” he said. “If it had not been for it, none of these things would have .”
Some people succeed handicaps（残疾）. Others succeed because of them. The is that our problems help to make us what we are. Those who often learn the value of sympathy. And those who often teach others how to rise again. Our troubles can us in ways a carefree（无忧无虑的）existence cannot.
A is told about an Eastern village that through the centuries was known for its good pottery（陶器）. Especially were its pots, high as tables, wide as chairs; they were around the globe for their strong form and great beauty.
Legend has it that when each pot was seemingly , there was still one final step. The craftsman it---and then put it back together with gold filigree（金银丝）. A(n) pot was then transformed into a priceless work of art. What seemed finished wasn’t until it was broken.
So it is with ! Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedies, they can become and bitter. when mended by a hand of patience and love, the finished will be a work of beauty; a life could reach its wholeness after it was broken.
If you feel broken, that you are a work of art! And you may not actually be complete until the are bonded with gold filigree of love.
A．sickness B．guilt C．danger D．complaint
A．failed B．spread C．happened D．stopped
A．in honour of B．in place of C．in advance of D．in spite of
A．decision B．truth C．excuse D．promise
A．escape B．suffer C．argue D．exist
A．fall down B．calm down C．get up D．turn up
A．scold B．shape C．trap D．disturb
A．story B．dream C．lie D．joke
A．boring B．frightening C．relaxing D．striking
A．saved B．lost C．admired D．stolen
A．counted B．purchased C．received D．finished
A．shared B．collected C．broke D．changed
A．ordinary B．precious C．small D．heavy
A．history B．culture C．people D．space
A．disappointed B．ashamed C．amused D．shy
A．Or B．But C．So D．Because
A．experiment B．building C．passage D．product
A．seldom B．never C．only D．sometimes
A．explain B．deny C．inform D．remember
A．edges B．pieces C．ends D．Facts
In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming for a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed and one with quite a different story to tell.
My grandma, a(n) woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that . But one year after I entered college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to her. This meant that school and my personal dream would have to .
Then I got married with another dream: building my family from a of adopted and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. A year later came our second adopted boy. , the following year, we adopted son number three. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can how totally occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of eight! Our home was a complete zoo－a joyous zoo. Not surprisingly, I never did it back to college full-time. But I never my dream either. I had only one choice: make it work. That meant taking as as one class each term.
The hardest part was feeling about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to . But I knew I should set a(n) for them to follow for the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years, but I got my college degree!
I am not , just single-minded. It always me that from the , challenges look huge, but when you’re in the midst of them, the same ones seem . Not everything you want arrives in your life in one day. It’s a (n) . Remember: little steps can lead to big dreams.
A．judge B．graduate C．housewife D．dreamer
A．sensitive B．desperate C．amazing D．curious
A．plan B．goal C．decision D．record
A．care for B．turn to C．approve of D．stand by
A．grow B．wait C．expect D．keep
A．connection B．relation C．combination D．comparison
A．Therefore B．Then C．Otherwise D．Finally
A．imagine B．state C．observe D．doubt
A．take B．make C．intend D．get
A．build up B．focus on C．refer to D．gave up
A．few B．little C．much D．many
A．satisfied B．inspired C．confused D．guilty
A．head B．leave C．find D．stay
A．break B．continue C．quit D．relax
A．leader B．time C．example D．challenge
A．proud B．special C．responsible D．usual
A．hurt B．failed C．struck D．troubled
A．end B．bottom C．outside D．inside
A．normal B．funny C．unbearable D．strange
A．experiment B．solution C．performance D．process
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
The famous composer（作曲家）, Albert Roussel, didn’t have a good start in this career. However, he achieved a great deal of success as a result of a .
Roussel’s parents died when he was eight and he went to live with his . As a little boy, he fell in love with music and himself about it by reading through the family collection that his mother kept, which there were a lot of related books.
Three years later, Roussel’s grandfather died, and his mother’s sister decided to him. Her husband was a kind man and for young Roussel’s music lessons. One summer vacation at a Belgian seaside added a second to his life—the sea. Then he studied to be a naval cadet（海军学员），but still made time to study .
In the French Navy, he and two friends found the time to a band, playing the works of Beethoven and other . Roussel also began composing. On Christmas day 1892, he had his first chance to as a composer, which turned out to be a success.
That success Roussel to write a wedding march（婚礼进行曲），and one of his navy friends to show it to a famous conductor, Edouard Colonne. When Roussel’s friend with the manuscript（手稿）, he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to his naval career and devote his life to music.
Not long , at the age of 25, Roussel decided to Edouard Colonne’s advice. He gave his heart and soul to his composing and a major force in twentieth century French music. Because of Eduoard Colonne’s inspiring , Roussel devoted his life to music—but Rousssel’s friend later admitted that he had made it up. He said he had never even shown Roussel’s manuscript to the famous conductor.
A．joke B．lie C．guess D．hope
A．neighbor B．aunt C．teacher D．grandfather
A．taught B．chose C．improved D．asked
A．among B．between C．within D．before
A．miss B．catch C．raise D．leave
A．paid B．applied C．looked D．waited
A．page B．love C．wish D．job
A．art B．English C．dance D．music
A．deal with B．make for C．set up D．take away
A．teachers B．professors C．composers D．singers
A．perform B．produce C．study D．publish
A．found B．encouraged C．forbade D．wanted
A．came B．brought C．refused D．offered
A．went B．returned C．left D．ran
A．give up B．keep to C．begin with D．focus on
A．however B．therefore C．afterwards D．then
A．repeat B．change C．correct D．follow
A．became B．replaced C．improved D．grasped
A．will B．request C．order D．advice
A．school B．navy C．music D．work
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
It was half an hour before midnight on December 24th last year. I was a ticket-counter supervisor for a major airline and was looking forward to the ____ of my shift(轮班) at Stapleton International Airport in Denver. My wife was waiting up for me at home so that we could ____ our gifts for Christmas.
Just then，a very ____ gentleman went up to me. He asked how he could get to Cheyenne，Wyoming. He had just arrived from Philadelphia and ____ his connecting flight. I pointed him to the ground transportation area，where he could rent a ____.And then I called my wife to let her know I would be home ____.
About fifteen minutes later，the gentleman ____ and informed me that all the buses were full and there were no cars ____.I told him that he had to stay for a night at the airport. Hearing that，he burst into ____.
I tried to make him calm down. He explained that his name was Tom，and that his only son was ___ ill at home and was not expected to ____ another year. He expected that this would likely be the ____ Christmas with his son.
I told Tom to ___ his luggage and wait for me at the gate. I was driving to Cheyenne. I called my wife Kathy，telling her about it and not to wait up for me. I drove fast ___ and we arrived in Cheyenne around 2∶30 a．m.
Kathy was still ___ me when I got home in the early morning. We traded gifts and then our conversation ____ Tom. For Kathy and me，there was no ___ that driving Tom to Cheyenne was the ____ choice.
A couple of days later，I ____ a Christmas card with a picture of Tom and his family. In it，Tom thanked me for the special ____ he had received that holiday season，but I knew the best gift was mine.
A．end B．turn C．role D．change
A．expect B．get C．exchange D．make
A．kind B．helpless C．sad D．worried
A．mistook B．missed C．caught D．continued
A．bus B．flight C．room D．car
A．soon B．late C．early D．lately
A．left B．moved C．came D．returned
A．reliable B．present C．available D．acceptable
A．laughter B．tears C．anger D．sorrow
A．really B．slightly C．seriously D．unluckily
A．suffer B．live C．share D．grow
A．last B．best C．happiest D．hardest
A．hand B．find C．pack D．collect
A．for a while B．all around C．all the way D．from time to time
A．waiting for B．caring for C．thinking of D．depending on
A．remembered B．recalled C．concerned D．contained
A．idea B．doubt C．point D．problem
A．main B．only C．nice D．great
A．received B．sent C．saved D．discovered
A．drive B．help C．deal D．gift
It’s a tradition for Ann Sutton to seek help for one or two families around Christmas. The Suttons’ dinner conversation often turned to local families . This year, the youngest daughter Kate was that Santa Claus would make a special visit a 22-year-old single mother named Ashley.
One Sunday, the rang. A representative from a local organization was calling to say the Ann had requested for Ashley had fallen through. No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing. Ann saw the cheer from her children’s faces at the news. Without a word, Kate ran into her room. Soon, Kate returned with her piggy bank, her face set with . And now she the coins and dollar bills out, one by one, onto the kitchen table: $3.30. “Mom,” she told Ann, “I know it’s not much. maybe this will buy a present for the baby.” everyone was reaching into pockets and purses. Soon, the money on the kitchen table. The total: $130.
The next morning, Ann told her coworkers about her daughter’s latest project. Throughout the day, more coworkers with contributions. Each time a little money came in, Ann called home. And with each from her mother, Kate would scream into the phone and do a little dance of victory. With the story of Kate’s gift beyond Ann’s office, she received more contributions. By the end of the day, the total was now $500—plenty of a Christmas for Ashley’s family.
That evening, Kate went with her mother to the money. They bought plenty of household necessities. They had enough to buy food for a Christmas dinner. On Christmas Eve, Ann through the pouring rain to where the family lived. When Ashley opened the door, Ann stood under her umbrella and wished the woman a Merry Christmas. Then Ann began to unload the gifts from the car. With so many gifts to take inside, she abandoned the umbrella. Ashley her in the rain. Soon both women were wet through, and the surprise had turned to something deeper, the kind of that brought them close to tears.
A．in charge B．in need C．in return D．in turn
A．excited B．surprised C．ashamed D．disappointed
A．with B．without C．to D．from
A．doorbell B．phone C．alarm D．clock
A．pleasure B．permission C．information D．aid
A．rise B．show C．take D．disappear
A．determination B．peace C．surprise D．puzzle
A．collected B．counted C．chose D．found
A．Or B．And C．But D．So
A．Gradually B．Finally C．Immediately D．Constantly
A．made up B．picked up C．took up D．piled up
A．put up B．came out C．set off D．dropped by
A．greeting B．report C．letter D．gift
A．spreading B．sharing C．starting D．inventing
A．spend B．deliver C．make D．receive
A．even B．always C．already D．yet
A．walked B．drove C．ran D．cycled
A．astonished B．embarrassed C．bored D．frightened
A．took B．held C．joined D．attended
A．sympathy B．sadness C．anxiety D．joy