One Christmas my husband and I travelled to visit family. Our first stop was to visit my parents in Oregon. My gave me a plastic piggy bank as the Christmas gift. Then we continued north into Washington to visit his parents, but on the way we had some problems. It was late, so we went to the nearest house to ask for to sleep there until auto repair shop opened.
The woman who the door was very kind, allowing us to stay. We had to a few things from the truck, including the bank, still in its long box. The next morning my husband headed off towards town, but was soon offered a from the nice lady, and we were back on the road afterwards.
It wasn’t until we reached our destination that we realized we had the piggy bank in the drive way. It sure was and there was no chance of going back for .
One day over a year later, when we were back in Oregon my mother came out of her house to us with the same bank in her hand. I couldn’t believe my ! We had never told her we had lost it, there it was!
It turns out that the nice lady found the box and read the on the slipping label to get my mother’s name. She then my mother and handed it to her, who held on to it for quite some time until we saw her next.
So the very special lady, I was given the Christmas gift twice. It was truly to me, and now every time that bank gets filled up, I’ll my money to a local charity to “pass on” my fortunate good luck!
A．brother B．husband C．sister D．mother
A．technical B．emotional C．mechanical D．important
A．passport B．permission C．password D．permit
A．answered B．cheered C．argued D．questioned
A．move B．store C．abandon D．unload.
A．by bus B．on foot C．by bike D．by car
A．meal B．job C．lift D．wait
A．tearfully B．safely C．slowly D．shortly
A．located B．forgot C．went D．left
A．broken B．stolen C．gone D．hidden
A．them B．it C．one D．some
A．blame B．greet C．recognize D．telephone
A．eyes B．thoughts C．imagination D．expectation
A．although B．because C．yet D．when
A．evidence B．statement C．explanation D．information
A．contacted B．attracted C．accepted D．searched
A．according to B．instead of C．because of D．but for
A．same B．different C．extra D．expensive
A．annoying B．amusing C．amazing D．promising
A．earn B．donate C．raise D．pay
I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they can it, they will certainly send them to the best universities. But they need not feel if they can’t. If the children really want to go, they’ll find a . There are plenty of loans and scholarships for the bright and ones who can’t afford to pay.
When children grow up and want to , their parents do not owe them a down payment on a house. They do not have the to baby-sit their grandchildren. If they want to do it, it must be considered a not an obligation (责任，义务).
Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.
One of their obligations is to give their children a personal . A child who is constantly made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly to brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so , so afraid of failing that he (or she) won’t try at all. Of course they should be corrected when they do wrong, but it’s often better to let children learn their mistakes by themselves . All our parents should do is to trust them, respect them, tolerate (宽容) them and give them chances to try and fail. They must learn to stand . When criticisms (批评) are really needed, they should be with praises, with a smile and a kiss. That is the way children learn.
Parents owe their children a set of solid values around to build their lives. This means teaching them to the rights and opinions of others; it means being respectful to elders, to teachers, and to the law. The best way to teach such values is by deed and ________. A child who is lied to will . A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have difficulty laughing and loving.
No child asks to be . If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child .
A．find B．afford C．get D．accept
A．disappointed B．unhappy C．guilty D．dissatisfied
A．supply B．hope C．way D．hand
A．healthy B．honest C．eager D．wealthy
A．get a job B．get married C．go abroad D．live alone
A．time B．duty C．right D．energy
A．service B．pleasure C．habit D．favor
A．affair B．value C．belief D．ability
A．compared B．brought C．forced D．taken
A．unusual B．unsure C．unknown D．unfair
A．gently B．properly C．nearly D．possibly
A．in time B．now and then C．at once D．right now
A．honor B．failure C．progress D．test
A．mixed B．included C．balanced D．shared
A．it B．which C．whom D．what
A．consider B．refuse C．follow D．respect
A．blame B．experience C．example D．lesson
A．lie B．win C．lose D．cry
A．praised B．born C．alone D．poor
A．everything B．nothing C．anything D．something
Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
When I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career.
Writing had basically me when I was only 7 years old, since that time, I’d been bombarded by guidance counselors and career planners who all me to have “a back-up plan” in case writing didn’t work out.
I’d never even a different career path, so I was very and worried. After much thought, I decided would be my “back-up plan,” and I signed up for a class through my high school.
This that every morning, I would serve as a teacher’s helper for my favorite 6th grade teacher, Mr. Ralston. Morning after morning, I showed up in Mr. Ralston’s classroom and papers for him.
Sometimes, I even a lesson or two. It was fun, and the students seemed to like me, so I was surprised when it came time for my . Mr. Ralston looked me right in the eyes and asked, “Do you really want to teach?”
“Had I really been that ?” I thought.
“Don’t misunderstand. You’ll do fine in teaching,” he continued. “But, is your really in it?”
“Not really,” I . “I want to write. I want to write news stories and fiction and poetry and so much more…but I’ve been told it’s tough to make it as a writer I thought maybe I would teach and then use my summers to pursue writing.”
As I shared with Mr. Ralston my hopes, dreams and carefully plotted-out back-up plan, he smiled and said, “Why are you preparing to with this back-up plan? If you want to be a writer, go for it! Pursue writing!”
Mr. Ralston’s to follow my dreams was the little nudge I needed to help me push past my of not making it as a writer and simply “Go for it!”
That’s what an encouraging word will do when spoken in love in season. So, let’s try and be like Mr. Ralston and speak that word of encouragement at just the right time and make a difference in someone’s life today.
A．even B．never C．already D．also
A．reminded B．entertained C．accompanied D．chosen
A．or B．and C．for D．but
A．urged B．forced C．taught D．persuaded
A．created B．taken C．considered D．examined
A．embarrassed B．confused C．annoyed D．frightened
A．writing B．teaching C．studying D．compiling
A．meant B．indicated C．suggested D．revealed
A．read B．set C．graded D．composed
A．reviewed B．skipped C．took D．presented
A．application B．evaluation C．instruction D．qualification
A．transparent B．shallow C．superior D．ambitious
A．eye B．mind C．heart D．focus
A．interrupted B．joked C．admitted D．apologized
A．unless B．if C．because D．so
A．up B．apart C．along D．off
A．fail B．follow C．depart D．compete
A．encouragement B．determination C．tendency D．attempt
A．dreams B．fears C．regrets D．mistakes
A．peak B．low C．due D．New
It was a terribly cold Christmas Eve with heavy snow outside. I stayed in bed, feeling upset because there wasn’t enough money to buy me the that I’d wanted that year.
Mum came back with some snow in her hair. “Come on, Matt!” she said. “Dress ! It’s freezing cold out tonight.”
, I went out in the cold with Mum and climbed up the sled beside her. She pulled it around the house and then stopped in front of the woodshed(柴房). She went in and with an armload of wood.
“I rode by Jensen’s today,” said Mum, “Little Jakey was out digging around in the snow. They’re out of wood, Matt.”
Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband died 3 months ago, three children, Jakey being only 8 years old.
We loaded the sled high with . Then we went to the store and my mother took down some meat, a sack of flour and a smaller sack of shoes.
We rode the two miles to Jensen’s in . All the way I wondered why Mum bought them some shoes and candy as we didn’t have much money. Jensen had closer neighbors than us. It shouldn’t have been our .
We got to Jensen’s house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible. Then we took the meat, flour and shoes to the door.
We . Jensen opened the door and let us in. “We brought you a few things, Jensen,” Mum said, the sack of flour and the meat on the table. Then Mum handed her the sack of shoes. Jensen bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, tears welling out and down her cheeks.
“We also a load of wood, Jensen,” Mum added. She turned to me and said: “Matt, go and bring some in.”
I wasn’t the same person when I went back out to get the wood. Just then the scarf didn’t seem . The look on Jensen’s face and the smiles of her three children was the best Christmas gift of my life.
A．scarf B．overcoat C．shoes D．handbag
A．fashionably B．casually C．comfortably D．warmly
A．Unsteadily B．Unhurriedly C．Unwillingly D．Uncomplainingly
A．stepped away B．came out C．broke down D．fell over
A．adopting B．taking C．overlooking D．leaving
A．wood B．meat C．flour D．grass
A．surprise B．danger C．silence D．harmony
A．custom B．concern C．comment D．courage
A．signed B．chased C．knocked D．hesitated
A．taking away B．getting back C．giving out D．putting down
A．prepared B．bought C．borrowed D．required
A．expensive B．important C．ordinary D．available
As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, with a wife and two fine sons. One night, his older son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some common intestinal（肠的）disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very . But the boy suddenly that night.
Knowing the death could have been avoided if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, he always felt he was . To make matters worse, his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could , and he turned to alcohol for help. In time Al became a(n) .
As the alcoholism progressed, AL began to everything he possessed — his land, house, etc. Finally Al died alone in a small bar. Hearing of Al's death, I thought, "What a totally life! What a complete failure! "
As time went by, I began to my earlier rough judgment. I knew Al's now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I saw the love between Ernie and his children, thinking that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.
I hadn’t heard Ernie talk much about his . One day, I worked up my to ask him what on earth his father had done so that he became such a special person. Ernie said quietly, “As a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘love you, son.’”
Tears came to my eyes as I realized that I had been a to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and his best love.
A．angrily B．seriously C．easily D．happily
A．recovered B．laughed C．died D．cried
A．guilty B．happy C．experienced D．curious
A．expect B．see C．hear D．stand
A．beggar B．smoker C．worker D．alcoholic
A．lose B．donate C．spend D．save
A．successful B．limited C．satisfactory D．wasted
A．reuse B．revalue C．repeat D．recognize
A．mother B．brother C．father D．son
A．laughter B．courage C．shyness D．belief
A．fool B．winner C．wiser D．angel
A．left out B．take away C．left behind D．take out
The moment I stepped off the plane after a writer’s conference, my youngest son Jeremy greeted me and cried out, “Poster paper, Mama! I need poster paper. We’re having a at school.”
Being a housewife and writer, I felt like no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep up with the needs of my . Back at home, Jeremy kept reminding me of the poster paper, but I just couldn’t a minute for it. Gradually though, he began to speak more , almost he were talking to himself. Maybe he’ll just forget it, I thought hopefully. So I put Jeremy’s request at the of my long list of things to do.
My third day home I managed to take fifteen minutes to type an article when a small fell across my paper. I knew who it would be before I . Jeremy stood quietly watching me. Oh, Lord, please don’t let him say it again. I knew what he wanted but I needed to . I smiled at Jeremy and kept typing. He for a few more minutes, then turned and walked away. I almost didn’t hear his . “Competition is over tomorrow, anyway.” The small figure walking out of my room, a silent voice spoke urgently to my heart, “Get him that paper-now!”
“Let’s go to get the paper, Jeremy.” He stopped, and looked at me in “You’re going to the store just for me?” I . Suddenly, a look of shot across his face, erasing the disbelief. I don’t think I’ll ever that moment. Later that day, he worked silently on the all afternoon. And a few weeks later, a large yellow envelope came. Inside it was the Certificate of Award. So was I that I didn’t turned away from his to get him some poster paper.
A．race B．class C．ceremony D．competition
A．colleagues B．family C．neighbors D．relatives
A．spare B．wait C．spend D．lose
A．slowly B．softly C．confidently D．loudly
A．as soon as B．as long as C．as though D．even if
A．bottom B．top C．beginning D．corner
A．letter B．foot C．image D．shadow
A．woke up B．stood up C．got up D．looked up
A．rest B．type C．learn D．exercise
A．widely B．happily C．weakly D．politely
A．watched B．searched C．hesitated D．complained
A．comment B．footsteps C．warning D．advice
A．fell over B．sat down C．turned around D．walked away
A．peace B．astonishment C．relief D．silence
A．doubted B．argued C．apologized D．nodded
A．surprise B．sadness C．disappointment D．excitement
A．enjoy B．remember C．forget D．value
A．story B．question C．poster D．composition
A．grateful B．generous C．forgetful D．selfless
A．opinion B．request C．promise D．gift