Christmas is a time when everyone is expected to be joyful. Most pe
ople try to put on their best smiles to give the impression that they are really happy, when they have little children who believe in the magic of Christmas. They believe that Santa will come down the chimney with gifts for them.
But Christmas or not, life goes on. Good things happen not-so-good ones. It on Christmas of 2009. I woke up early and gathered my children and husband to sit down by the Christmas tree to open the gifts. The kids were .
After the ceremony, I decided to my emails to see if I had mail from my overseas. The only email I had was from my sister, but I was not for the news I was about to receive. She said that she had been diagnosed with a terminal and that she had little time to live. I tried to speak, but 
failed me. I was terribly.
My husband realized something was wrong. After to find the right words, I said to him: “How do you deal with grief on Christmas morning?” The in my heart was so great, and the memory of that Christmas morning remains in my mind. And five months later she .
After that, every Christmas morning me of her death. In the following years I didn’t want to Christmas because it reminded me that I couldn’t call her to her a merry Christmas. Now, I hav
e tried to turn Christmas morning into a memorial of the good we had together, and every Christmas morning I set aside a moment to honor her.
A．especially B．frequently C．fortunately D．finally
A．familiar B．funny C．generous D．boring
A．as well as B．other than C．instead of D．except for
A．applied B．meant C．continued D．happened
A．disappointed B．excited C．angry D．frightened
A．check B．change C．receive D．cover
A．class B．community C．school D．family
A．grateful B．prepared C．celebrated D．eager
A．trouble B．fear C．burden D．disease
A．words B．messages C．expressions D．ideas
A．falling B．shaking C．standing D．striking
A．whispering B．struggling C．battling D．requiring
A．confidently B．honestly C．politely D．softly
A．pain B．shame C．emotion D．doubt
A．cautious B．limited C．vivid D．cruel
A．passed away B．gave away C．turned away D．carried away
A．informed B．convinced C．reminded D．accused
A．report B．celebrate C．describe D．imagine
A．bother B．demand C．wish D．declare
A．lessons B．discussions C．manners D．times
The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady came in and asked, “You don’t 31 the house any more?” He kept silent and she 32 shook her head.
The landlady began 33 the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have 34 my house? The walls are full of nails! How could I rent it to others?”
She began looking around her 35 room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply 36 to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for 37 you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”
This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other 38 . At that time, she threw all her stuff such as her bag and umbrella on the 39 once she entered the room, staring at the whole 40 and feeling terribly upset. Then he began 41 more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which 42 his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to 43 their wedding photo frame.
The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were 44 , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were 45 nonstop through these holes.
She 46 to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house 47 we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.
She 48 realized that marriage was like a wall and that all 49 and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall. 50 , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.
A．like B．clean C．rent D．keep
A．simply B．barely C．coldly D．proudly
A．observing B．examining C．watching D．spotting
A．shared B．ruined C．kept D．decorated
A．familiar B．dirty C．empty D．bright
A．devoted B．attached C．optimistic D．guilty
A．leaving B．having C．asking D．getting
A．clothes B．pictures C．umbrellas D．hats
A．floor B．wall C．ceiling D．door
A．trouble B．mess C．confusion D．order
A．putting B．striking C．driving D．beating
A．hung B．fastened C．dropped D．swung
A．connect B．fix C．hang D．put
A．replaced B．separated C．unfastened D．removed
A．crying B．aching C．bleeding D．disturbing
A．jumped B．held C．stuck D．got
A．if B．unless C．as D．until
A．especially B．eventually C．fortunately D．sadly
A．chaos B．troubles C．quarrels D．challenges
A．Therefore B．Besides C．Thus D．However
Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new ___36____. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.
During the hours when you labour through your work, you __37___ say that you’re “hot”. That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is ___38____. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered __39___ this is so , but it leads to such familiar monologues （自言自语）__40___ “Get up , John ! You’ll be late for work again!” The ___41___ explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature—and —energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ___42___ when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
You can’t change your ___43___, but you can make your life ___44___ it better. Habit can help. Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late ___45___. Counteract （打乱）your cycle to some extent by ___46___ staying up later than you want to . If your energy is ___47___ in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, ___48___ before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam(打起精神) and work better ___49___.
Get off to a slow start ___50___ saves your energy. Get up with a yawn （呵欠）and ___51___ . Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before ___52____ on the floor. Avoid the ___53___ search for clean clothes by laying them out ___54___. Whenever possible , do routine （常规的）work in the afternoon and save tasks ___55____ more energy for your sharper hours .
A．impression B．explanation C．exploration D．translation
A．must B．should C．can D．may
A．at its bottom B．at its beginning C．at its end D．at its peak
A．why B．that C．whether D．whatever
A．as B．such as C．which D．like
A．steady B．occasional C．surprised D．possible
A．starts B．comes back C．ends D．turns around
A．life attitude B．energy cycle C．time table D．alarm o’clock
A．to do B．change C．fit D．to renew
A．anywhere B．no way C．anyway D．somewhere
A．sensitively B．especially C．carefully D．habitually
A．low B．high C．old D．new
A．go up B．rise C．lift D．raise
A．in your high spirit B．at the right time C．at your low point D．in the same way
A．which B．whichever C．what D．whatever
A．express B．attend C．open D．stretch
A．putting your feet B．setting your foot C．laying down your foot D．lying your feet
A．tired B．troublesome C．immediate D．dangerous
A．yesterday B．last night C．the night ago D．the night before
A．suggesting B．demanding C．requiring D．persuading
Years ago, if a teenager had some problems in her life, she might go home and write in her diary. Now, a teenager with 36 problems might go onto the Internet and write about his problems in a blog. In many ways a diary and a blog are very 37 . So, what makes blogging different from writing in 38 diary?
The biggest difference is that blogging is much more 39 than a diary. Usually, a teenager treats his diary like a book full of 40 that she does not want to 41 .
It’s interesting that someone who writes in a blog 42 a diary will probably write nearly the same information.
I have a little sister, and sometimes I go online to read her 43 . She writes about things like waking up early for swimming practice and not studying enough for her chemistry test. 44 I was her age, I wrote about the same things, but 45in my diary. Then, after I had finished writing, I would hide my diary in a secret place because I was 46 that my sister might read it!
The biggest 47 with blogging is that anyone can read what you write. If I was angry with a friend during high school and wrote something 48 about her in my diary, she would never know! 49 , if my sister ever wrote something bad about a friend, that friend 50 read her blog and get a “cry”.
There are also 51 to blogging, of course. If I felt sad one day and wrote in my diary:“Nobody cares about me.”52 would know about it. However, if my sister wrote the same sentence in her blog, her best friends would 53 respond and tell her how much they 54 her. Blogs help people 55in touch with their friends and know what the people around them are doing.
A．the same B．troublesome C．difficult D．daily
A．familiar B．different C．similar D．special
A．a common B．an ordinary C．a personal D．a traditional
A．attractive B．convenient C．public D．quick
A．thoughts B．secrets C．mysteries D．puzzles
A．tell B．publish C．share D．solve
A．in spite of B．as well as C．in favor of D．instead of
A．web B．diary C．report D．blog
A．Since B．Although C．When D．Because
A．still B．already C．only D．never
A．worried B．concerned C．glad D．angry
A．problem B．trouble C．doubt D．mistake
A．boring B．wrong C．unpleasant D．funny
A．Therefore B．However C．Beside D．Then
A．will B．should C．must D．might
A．reasons B．shortcomings C．disadvantages D．advantages
A．no one B．everyone C．anyone D．someone
A．happily B．suddenly C．especially D．quickly
A．miss B．like C．need D．help
A．lose B．get C．stay D．find
Anna lived on the side of a valley. One winter, there was a very big flood, and a lot of houses 36 Anna's were washed away. Anna's house was high enough to escape the flood, so when the water had disappeared and the other houses were __37 there with no roof and no walls and all covered with __38 , her house was 39 quite all right.
Her house was quite small, her husband was dead, and she had four children , 40 Anna took in one of the families that had lost 41 in the flood and she 42 her home with them until it was 43 for them to rebuild their houses.
Anna's friends were 44 when they saw Anna do this. They could not understand why Anna wanted to give 45 so much more work and trouble when she already had quite a few children to 46 .
"Well," Anna 47 her friends, "at the end of the First World War, a woman in the town where I 48 lived found herself very poor, because her husband 49 in the war and she had a lot of children, 50 I have now. The day before Christams, this woman said to her children, ‘We won’t be able to have much for 51 this year, so I’m going to 52 only one present for all of us. Now I’ll go and get it.’ She came back 53 a girl who was even poorer than they, and who had no parents. ‘Here’s our present, ’ she said to her children. The children were 54 to get such a present. They welcomed the little girl, and she grew up as their sister. 55 was that Christmas present.
A．down below B．just around C．next to D．above
A．rising B．appearing C．falling D．standing
A．water B．trees C．dust D．mud
A．just B．already C．yet D．still
A．so B．but C．for D．since
A．nothing B．everything C．anything D．something
A．made B．found C．shared D．built
A．possible B．necessary C．important D．valuable
A．worried B．disappointed C．puzzled D．impressed
A．them B．herself C．them all D．her
A．support B．supply C．grow D．keep
A．explained to B．asked for C．talked with D．spoke as
A．actually B．then C．before D．later
A．had killed B．might be killed C．had been killed D．killed
A．for B．as C．like D．that
A．you B．us C．Christmas D．your birthday
A．get B．send C．buy D．make
A．for B．from C．like D．with
A．sad B．happy C．worried D．sorry
A．It B．She C．Such D．I
“This Friday we’ll have the yearly Egg Drop Challenge,” said our science teacher, Mr. Baker. “You can work alone or with a partner.”
My friend, Cassie, and I smiled at each other. We always worked on projects 36 .
The 37 of the challenge was simple—to build a protective container to keep an egg from breaking when 38 the stadium wall.
I made my sandwich that afternoon while waiting for Cassie. 39 the butter-cream gave me an idea.
“I have a brilliant design for our 40 container!” I said when Cassie arrived. “We can 41 the egg with some butter-cream.”
“Why not put the egg in a basket with a parachute42 ?” Cassie rolled her eyes. “The parachute is better than that stupid idea.”
I couldn’t believe it. Of course we’d had our little 43 in the past, but she’d never called any of my ideas “ 44 ” before.
“Then I’ll build mine and you build yours!”
45 words had been out, our friendship was challenged.
When Friday finally arrived, I had to 46 Cassie’s Egg Force One looked pretty good. 47, my Egg-cellent Egg Cream didn’t look quite scientific. We kids carried our containers up three stadium steps and dropped them over the side wall. Those whose eggs broke were out; those whose eggs survived 48 three more steps and dropped them again. This would go on till the last egg broke.
After four rounds, only Cassie and I were 49 . I let go of my box. I heard someone say “ew” after seconds. Had my egg broken? I raced down the 50 . The sidewalk was dotted with egg shells(蛋壳) from those51 drops. Finally I found my little Egg-cellent Egg Cream.
“That looks like egg drop soup, Laura,” Cassie said. She was holding her Egg Force One. My 52 raced. Had she won? I looked at her basket.53 .
“My egg bounced (弹起) 54 ,” she explained, pointing to a broken shell.
“A tie（平局）,” Mr. Baker said.
Cassie looked at me, and her glare（瞪眼）55 . I laughed. She smiled…
A．patiently B．silently C．together D．alone
A．function B．goal C．reason D．result
A．rolled down B．pushed against C．thrown at D．dropped over
A．Spreading B．Boiling C．Baking D．Holding
A．butter B．sandwich C．cream D．egg
A．protect B．replace C．carry D．mix
A．followed B．covered C．attached D．supported
A．ideas B．fights C．worries D．challenges
A．wrong B．stupid C．brilliant D．scientific
A．Since B．While C．But D．And
A．explain B．deny C．admit D．prove
A．Therefore B．Anyway C．Otherwise D．Besides
A．paced down B．turned around C．walked up D．went back
A．left B．wanted C．chosen D．discovered
A．steps B．way C．wall D．sidewalk
A．intended B．unexpected C．failed D．desired
A．eyes B．hands C．feel D．heart
A．Lost B．Dirty C．Broken D．Empty
A．around B．out C．in D．down
A．returned B．remained C．increased D．softened