阅读下面的短文，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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“They’re going to kick me out of my own home,” said Karl Berger, 86 years old. Karl is a widower with no living children. When Karl’s wife died a couple of years ago, he told the Social Security Administration to stop monthly checks to his wife. But the agency to send the checks. Karl called again; a clerk said not to 33 . He told Karl to mail a follow-up that included his wife's of death. But the checks continued to come. Karl needed the money, he cashed his wife’s checks.
When SSA realized its mistake, it sent Karl a letter saying that he SSA $5,900 plus interest. Karl receives only $12,000 a year, which is slightly poverty level. The only that he ever had--$5,000--was on his wife’s funeral. He fought on Iwo Jima, site of one of the most furious battles of World War II. The battle left him in one ear and almost blind in one eye.
His small house used to be in a good neighborhood. He takes the bus once a week to visit his wife's . The rest of his time is spent at home, where he carves military figures that he donates to a local charity. The charity the carvings and uses the money to help feed the homeless.
SSA gave Karl six months to pay the debt in . Otherwise, the SSA letter said, the agency would seize his home. Karl wrote back, asking if it would be okay to $30 a month. That was all he could .
“That’s insufficient,” said William Shatner, an SSA agent. “We know that he is a war veteran, but that doesn’t entitle him to . He knew that his wife was dead, yet he cashed her monthly . That is fraud, pure and simple.”
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“Kevin, we are getting a divorce,” said my mother．My heart plunged．I was 9 years old and I thought that my life was going to ．My brother and I were going to move with my mother to southern California．My dad was to in New Jersey because of work．My family was splitting apart．
Now that my mom is a single parent, I do my own , make dinner and do extra chores around the house． it was hard at first, I now recognize the positive that this responsibility had on me．My mother gave me these chores and duties so that I would learn to become and trustworthy．
I strive to display these in all aspects of my life, and have seen the benefits．When I was only 11 years old, my told me that he was selecting me as soccer team captain because of my determination and ability to get my teammates to themselves．We lost the championship, but I won the play award for keeping my team together．
I am always to be an individual and not participate in anything that I feel is wrong．I am, for example, extremely proud of my decision not to drink alcohol． , I don’t feel the need to drink to have fun, and I stand by my decision even when others try to me．
My mom and dad both found new and happily remarried．I am close to my father, even though he lives 4,800 km away．I thought my parents’ divorce was going to be the worst thing that happened to me．Ironically （讽刺的是）, it turned out to be the ．I wasn’t willing to let it ruin my life without putting up a fight, and was my family．
At age 9, I struggled with the confusion and of divorce．Today, at age 16, I understand that can bring opportunity and success, and that hard work, determination and self-control can turn your worst time into your best time．
A．fall apart B．give away C．pick up D．take off
A．drop B．remain C．call D．break
A．housework B．farming C．cooking D．laundry
A．Although B．Because C．If D．Since
A．attitude B．experience C．effect D．situation
A．self-centered B．self-absorbed C．self-disciplined D．self-concerned
A．skills B．difficulties C．emotions D．qualities
A．father B．headmaster C．coach D．brother
A．enjoy B．teach C．prove D．push
A．fierce B．fair C．close D．decisive
A．determined B．reminded C．relieved D．amazed
A．Fortunately B．Surprisingly C．Personally D．Consequently
A．cheat B．pressure C．please D．delight
A．families B．jobs C．kids D．partners
A．still B．not C．rarely D．less
A．never B．ever C．even D．almost
A．best B．worst C．busiest D．first
A．so B．such C．as D．neither
A．significance B．memory C．pain D．emergency
A．families B．barriers C．parents D．routines
The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her．She was really small for her age of 12．The boy in my class often about her and laughed their heads off．She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page．
All I knew was that she was an orphan （孤儿） from Africa．She had just been adopted by a family in town who that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids．I looked down at this girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her．
But how could I help her in with us? There had to be a ．
One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a（n） copy．
I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming show．So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had ．“why, it’s wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted the talent show．“I need more of these, but I just don’t have enough ．Could you help me, Suzy?”
On the day of the talent show, Suzy’s were everywhere ---- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different．
“And finally,” said Mr. Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a （n） award．I’m sure you’ve all noticed the wonderful posters．” Everyone nodded．“One of our own students them．”
I could hear everyone whispering．“Who in our school could draw well?”
Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a ,too．Our mystery（神秘） artist is our new student ---- Suzy Khan!”
Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist’s set．“Thank you,” she cried．
I , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she’d probably never anything in her whole life．
Everyone started to their hands．Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was deafening．I knew then Suzy was going to be all right．
A．joked B．cared C．forgot D．worried
A．reported B．decided C．complained D．questioned
A．rich B．proud C．tiny D．popular
A．come B．fall C．fit D．tie
A．manner B．pattern C．choice D．way
A．read B．taken C．opened D．put
A．free B．perfect C．final D．extra
A．art B．talk C．quiz D．talent
A．colored B．written C．carved D．drawn
A．at B．after C．for D．around
A．room B．time C．paper D．interest
A．gifts B．books C．photos D．posters
A．special B．academic C．national D．royal
A．painted B．found C．printed D．collected
A．very B．that C．quite D．too
A．If B．Though C．Unless D．Since
A．prize B．rank C．rest D．place
A．replied B．realized C．remembered D．regretted
A．offered B．valued C．owned D．controlled
A．clap B．wave C．raise D．shake
One Friday, a businessman decided to ask his boss for a salary raise．Before going to , he told his wife about it．All day long he felt and uneasy．Finally, in the late afternoon, he gathered the courage to approach his employer．To his , the boss agreed to give him a raise．
That evening, the husband arrived home and was surprised to see a beautiful table set with their best china and candles．Smelling the aroma （香味）of the wonderful meal, he that someone from the office had called his wife and tipped her off （透露消息）．
Finding her in the kitchen, he eagerly the details of his good news．When they sat down to the meal, next to his plate he found a note that read: ''Congratulations, darling．I knew you'd get the ．This dinner is to show you how much I love you．''
After dinner, on his way to the to help his wife serve dessert, he noticed a second card had slipped out of his wife's pocket．Picking it up, he read: ''Don't worry about not getting the raise．You it anyway．This dinner is to show how much I love you．"
A．school B．work C．home D．dinner
A．nervous B．relaxed C．curious D．dangerous
A．anger B．disappointment C．sorrow D．delight
A．careful B．cheerful C．helpful D．wonderful
A．deserted B．burned C．lighted D．used
A．heard B．found C．guessed D．forgot
A．shared B．told C．knew D．talked
A．position B．note C．raise D．news
A．office B．living-room C．kitchen D．study
A．donate B．devote C．demand D．deserve
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 he ．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
I truly feel that my mother led me here, to Morzaine, and to my future as a happy wife and businesswoman. When Mum in October 2007, I was a cook. In December that year, while I was working for a wedding, a pearl necklace Mum had left me . I was distraught（忧心如焚的）. Some days later, I was that a guy who was working with us that day, “could probably have made a fortune the necklace he found.” , he returned it. Hearing how I’d Mum for six months before her death, he said, “Christmas is going to be —why not go out to the Alps for a couple of weeks?”
I came to Morzaine, a small, friendly village in the Alps and fell in love with it. What was to be a stopgap (权宜之计) trip turned into a new life. I kept traveling between London and here and felt than I had in months. In December 2008, I was as a hotel manager and moved here full time.
A month later, I met Paul, who was traveling here. We fell in love. In the beginning, I didn’t want to discuss , because the sadness of losing Mum felt great. Paul understood that and never me. But, by summer, we got married. A year later, we used his saving, and the money from the sale of Mom’s house, to build our own .
We want to give our guests a feel, so each room is themed (以……为题) around memories from our lives. There are also styles to remind me of Mom—a tiny chair which be in her bedroom is set in one room.
We are having a wonderful life and Mum naturally part of it, there’s no way we would be here if it wasn’t for the she gave me. I know she’s here in spirit, keeping an eye on us.
A．died B．came C．returned D．visited
A．burned B．disappeared C．broke D．dropped
A．shown B．comforted C．persuaded D．told
A．hiding B．stealing C．selling D．wearing
A．Luckily B．Naturally C．Surely D．Hopefully
A．nursed B．cured C．missed D．guarded
A．long B．hard C．merry D．free
A．suddenly B．finally C．nearly D．immediately
A．said B．proved C．supposed D．judged
A．smarter B．higher C．firmer D．lighter
A．honored B．hired C．regarded D．trained
A．travel B．business C．children D．marriage
A．recently B．once C．still D．first
A．left B．pushed C．surprised D．interrupted
A．hotel B．restaurant C．home D．shop
A．homely B．lively C．motherly D．friendly
A．ought to B．used to C．might D．could
A．takes B．keeps C．looks D．feels
A．unless B．while C．because D．though
A．money B．chair C．house D．necklace