“Wanted: Violin
Can’t pay much
Call … ”
Why did I notice that? I wondered, since I rarely looked at the classified ads. I laid the paper on my lap and closed my eyes, remembering what had during the Great Depression, when my family to make aliving on our farm. I, too, had wanted a violin, but we didn‘t have the .
When my older twin sisters began showing an interest in music, Harriet Anne learned to play Grandma’s upright piano, Suzanne turned to Daddy‘s violin, simple tunes soon became melodies as the twins played more and more. in the rhythm of the music, my baby brother danced around while Daddy hummed（哼唱）and Mother whistled. I just .
When my arms grew enough, I tried to play Suzanne‘s violin, I loved the beautiful sound drawnacross the strings. Oh, how I wanted one! But I knew it was the question．
One evening as the twins played in the school orchestra, I closed my eyes tight to capture the picture firmly in my . “Someday, I‘ll sit up there．” I vowed（发誓） .
Unfortunately, it was not a year. At harvest the crops did not bring as much as we had hoped. I, however, couldn‘t any longer to ask, “Daddy, may I have a violin of my own?”
“Can’t you use Suzanne’s?”
“I’d like to be in the orchestra, too, and we can’t use the same violin at the same time.”
Daddy’s face looked . That night, and many following nights, I heard him God in our family devotions: “… and Lord, Mary Lou wants her violin．”
One evening we all sat around the table. The twins and I studied. Mother sewed and Daddy wrote a letter to his friend, George Finkle, in Columbus. Mr．Finkle, Daddy said, was a fine violinist．
As he wrote, Daddy read of his letter out loud to Mother. Weeks later I he’d written one line he didn‘t read aloud: “Would you watch for a for my third daughter? I can’t 40 much, but she enjoys music. And we’d like her to have her own instrument.”
A．managed B．promised C．struggled D．forced
A．luck B．money C．choice D．hope
A．while B．since C．after D．before
A．soft B．fluent C．gentle D．lovely
A．Picked out B．Caught up C．Taken on D．Called for
A．shouted B．laughed C．listened D．cried
A．long B．tough C．old D．slim
A．far from B．next to C．out of D．along with
A．dream B．hand C．life D．mind
A．faithfully B．silently C．frequently D．patiently
A．hopeless B．stable C．good D．difficult
A．stand B．help C．wait D．risk
A．both B．ever C．either D．still
A．angry B．sad C．pale D．weak
A．demand B．inform C．commit D．remind
A．favourite B．private C．own D．individual
A．parts B．lines C．contents D．purposes
A．heard B．conveyed C．discovered D．observed
A．musician B．favor C．gift D．violin
A．owe B．order C．charge D．pay
Jay Wilson was my English teacher at Lake Forest High School. It was him realized my potential in writing, and his made me a writer eventually.
He was kind to me, but I had no that he took particular notice of me. There were other kids in the class, and soon I fell back into my usual and thought that I was just a little over average in most things. Near the end of the term, we began to read the play--Macbeth. Believe me, this is not an easy play for high school students to understand, I spent a lot of time reading it. After working till the night before it was due, I wrote a paper about the — the first paper I typed on a typewriter — and turned it the next day.
I got a good on it, and below the grade Mr. Wilson wrote, “Sure you become a writer.” That was it. Those six words were written in his clear and neat handwriting. It was the first time he or anyone had in any way that writing was a option for me. We’d never had any writers in our family line, and we didn’t know any writers personally, even , so writing for a living didn’t seem something to me. But then, just like that, Jay Wilson tapped my hidden and let me see a wider world.
Over the next 10 years, I often about Mr. Wilson’s six words. Whenever I felt discouraged, it was those six words that came back to me and gave me . When a few instructors in college gently and not-so-gently tried to tell me I had no talent, I held Mr. Wilson’s before me to protect myself. I didn’t what anyone else thought. Mr. Wilson, head of the whole English department at Lake Forest High, I could be a writer. So I put my head down and struggled forward. 396
A．when B．who C．how D．where
A．knowledge B．confidence C．influence D．assignment
A．intention B．concern C．doubt D．sense
A．older B．smarter C．richer D．luckier
A．location B．position C．motivation D．qualification
A．so B．but C．or D．for
A．work B．term C．class D．play
A．on B．off C．in D．up
A．grade B．praise C．idea D．start
A．wonder B．hope C．make D．help
A．arranged B．persuaded C．announced D．indicated
A．career B．study C．hobby D．method
A．distantly B．frequently C．actually D．obviously
A．necessary B．precious C．different D．available
A．talent B．memory C．secret D．opinion
A．worried B．thought C．heard D．wrote
A．impression B．improvement C．imagination D．strength
A．actions B．wisdom C．words D．duty
A．care B．predict C．ignore D．learn
A．proved B．said C．promised D．answered
Once, long ago, there was a man who traveled from Persia to India on foot. He had been to India before. When he arrived at a village, he happened upon a fruit stand. In that village, fruit was quite because of the lack of water. The man was looking around at the fruits when he a big basket of some very red, very long fruit. It was the cheapest fruit in the shop, not expensive at all.
the man walked up to the counter (柜台) and asked: “How per kilo?” And the shopkeeper said: “Two rupees.” Two rupees in India is . The man thought to himself: “What a !” So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and began to it. But after he tried a few pieces, he screamed: “Oh, my God!” His eyes watered, his mouth burned, and his face turned . He coughed and choked and gasped for breath.
But despite his , he continued to stuff the fruits into his mouth! Onlookers their heads and laughed. One man yelled: “You’re , man! Those are chilies! People use them as a condiment (佐料). You don’t just eat them by the handful like that; they’re not fruit!” But the man replied: “No, I can’t ! I paid money for them, and now I’ll eat them. It’s my money!”
You probably think this man was pretty , right? Nevertheless, I bet you or someone you know makes the same on a daily basis. People invest money, time and effort into a relationship, business or job. Even when experience tells them that it’s not , and they know there’s little hope of improvement, they still because they don’t want to waste the previous investment. But this is . It is no different than being the man who continued eating chilies because he didn’t want to waste the money he’d paid for them.
Losing something is difficult, but it is important to the loss and move on. you’ll just keep burning your mouth on hot chilies.
A．often B．never C．sometimes D．seldom
A．common B．small C．expensive D．tasteless
A．noticed B．watched C．recognized D．selected
A．Yet B．So C．Still D．Besides
A．large B．long C．many D．much
A．something B．nothing C．anything D．everything
A．bargain B．trade C．business D．regret
A．throw B．cut C．eat D．cook
A．pale B．red C．purple D．yellow
A．fear B．warning C．confusion D．pain
A．shook B．raised C．lowered D．nodded
A．amazing B．hungry C．crazy D．different
A．believe B．stop C．agree D．confuse
A．impolite B．humorous C．awkward D．stupid
A．mistake B．agreement C．impression D．explanation
A．changing B．working C．leaving D．helping
A．refuse B．worry C．ignore D．continue
A．illogical B．unusual C．unnatural D．incredible
A．remember B．improve C．recognize D．protect
A．Also B．However C．Thus D．Otherwise
Two weeks before Christmas, Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday. Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town They had no electricity or running water and _ what I considered the "good things" in life. They made no plans for Christmas When Christmas Eve arrived, Mom told me in her best "I-mean-it" voice to _ all the decorations from our tree. She packed those up all the materials for a _ turkey dinner.
Christmas morning perfectly with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow. _ I was angry silently in the backseat of the car as we made our _ to grandma's. This was going to be the _ Christmas ever! Grandma was _ to see us as we walked up to her door. "What on earth are you doing here?" she said." We weren't expecting . It's Christmas, and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you." "I knew." Mom said as we set boxes of goodies(好吃的) on the kitchen table. "That's _ we brought all with us." "We _ have a tree" Mom insisted. " what will we do with all these decorations?" Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit. He called me to join him, and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods. Soon the house _ fresh and piney as we decorated the pine tree, and the day a festive air . The turkey dinner was very good, too. I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!
Dessert was almost forgotten _ Mom came out with the final surprise-a flaming (色彩鲜明的)pudding! "Merry Christmas, mother," Mom said. "Dear me!" Grandma said with her mouth wide open. "I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married." Tears of filled her eyes. I could not keep the tears . my eyes, either. I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever.
She had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.
A．wanted B． lacked C．refused D． prepared
A．also B．still C．never D．hardly
A．replace B．collect C．remove D．cover
A．instead of B．by the side of C．along with D．in spite of
A．normal B．complete C．fresh D．separate
A．dawned B．passed C．broke D．happened
A．But B．So C．And D．Then
A．decision B．Way C．wish D．plan
A．last B．busiest C．best D．worst
A．expected B．crazy C．surprised D．ready
A．anyone B．others C．someone D．no one
A．you B．it C．that D．this
A．how B．why C．where D．what
A．may B．will C．can D．must
A．In short B．Therefore C．However D． Or rather
A．improved B．smelled C．became D．changed
A．went on B．put on C．took on D．tried on
A．until B．after C．because D．unless
A．sadness B．joy C．regret D．worry
A．outside B．back C．away D．from
When Mr. Smith was walking one evening, he met four of his old friends. To be polite, he invited them to come home with him to . He hoped that they would say no, but , they quickly agreed and home with him.
Mr. Smith was a man. There was never in his house. He knew that there very little for supper that night, he did not know how to break away from his guests without being impolite, so he let them come with him to house. But when they came his front door, he suddenly rushed forward, opened the door, went in, closed in again and then locked it. He found in the kitchen and quickly told her had happened.
Mr. Smith’s guests were at first . Then they thought he had perhaps gone ahead to get ready for the . When nothing had yet happened for a few minutes, they began to and to knock heavily at the door. After this had gone for some time, Mr. Smith sent his wife to a window to talk to . She told them that Mr. Smith .
“What do you mean, woman?” shouted one of the men. “We came here a few minutes ago and we saw him go into the house.”
Mr. Smith was now afraid that the noise his friends were making would bring his neighbours around and that he would be , so he put his head out of the window and said to his friends, “This house has a door, too. Perhaps Mr. Smith came in through the front door and went out through the other.”
A．breakfast B．lunch C．supper D．play
A．happily for him B．luckily for him C．to his joy D．to his surprise
A．go B．went C．going D．will go
A．poor B．rich C．strong D．honest
A．much water B．much food C．many clothes D．many vegetables
A．will be B．would have C．would be D．is going to be
A．so B．but C．that D．if
A．their B．a C．his D．her
A．nearly B．near C．close D．out
A．his wife B．a man C．his son D．his father
A．that B．it C．what D．this
A．angry B．interested C．hungry D．surprised
A．water B．room C．bed D．food
A．laugh B．get angry C．get sad D．get surprised
A．herself B．himself C．his friends D．his neighbours
A．was in B．wasn’t in C．at home D．was here
A．alone B．along C．with him D．with you
A．that B．of which C．what D．who
A．praised B．found C．laughed at D．hit
A．front B．back C．big D．next
The purpose of a letter of application is to help you to “sell” yourself. It should state __ __ the job you want, and should tell what your abilities are and what you have . It should be simple, human, personal and brief without out any necessary facts.
In writing a letter of application, keep in that things a possible employer is most to want to know about are your qualification, your achievements and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part. the first few sentences fail to the readers’ attention, the rest of the letter may not be at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer, not your own needs or desires. For example, instead of beginning with “I saw your in today’s newspaper”. You might say , “I have made a careful of your advertising during the past six months” or “ I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives your product and why they like it”.
Try to generalities (笼统) . Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now ___ . College graduates looking for their first positions often ask “What can I ?” in a letter. Employers want experience---which, naturally, no has. The answer is that everything you have ever done is .
It is important to write a good strong closing remark for your letter. a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. An excellent _ is to enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it for a possible employer to get in touch with you.
A．clearly B．carefully C．obviously D．easily
A．found B．done C．known D．heard
A．sending B．taking C．leaving D．picking
A．brain B．sight C．order D．mind
A．probable B．possible C．likely D．able
A．While B．Although C．As D．If
A．pay B．win C．show D．fix
A．kept B．continued C．written D．read
A．to B．for C．into D．from
A．advertisement B．report C．article D．introduction
A．watch B．search C．study D．discussion
A．change B．make C．sell D．use
A．avoid B．remember C．protect D．gain
A．losing B．applying C．preparing D．fitting
A．offer B．supply C．mean D．provide
A．worker B．beginner C．owner D．manager
A．success B．development C．practice D．experience
A．Make B．Ask C．State D．Get
A．result B．decision C．promise D．idea
A．happier B．easier C．cheaper D．safer