When I returned from a trip abroad, I felt that something was wrong between Keith (one of our twin sons) and me. So I asked him, “Keith, have I done anything that really your feelings?”
Instantly, he said, “Yes. Last Christmas you promised me a special that I really wanted and you gave it to me.”
The is that I’d completely forgotten about it. I , “Is there anything else I’ve done wrong, but I have never asked for your forgiveness?”
Again, his was immediate, “Remember when Mom said you had to go to the because Stephen was going to be born? You left us at home and hurriedly. Remember?” I did.
“Well, you left in a hurry and the suitcase with all the things.” I couldn’t believe all the he remembered! “After you left Mom at the hospital, you came back and you were . When you got here, the suitcase had been opened and was thrown all over the place. And you me.”
“And you didn’t do it?” I asked.
“No.”
My heart . I felt terrible. I hugged Keith and asked him to me. His honesty made me think of our other twin son, Kevin. Perhaps I’d hurt him, too. I went to ask him the question. Kevin’s answer was as immediate as his had been, “Last Christmas you us a special toy and you never bought it for us.”
the Christmas was past, I still took my two sons to the store that day and bought them what I had promised. The thing wasn’t the toy. The problem was I’d made a promise all too lightly and didn’t keep it as their father.
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You can arrive in Guangzhou on time for the fashion show ____ you don’t mind taking the night train.
A．provided B．unless C．though D．until
Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist (打击乐器独奏演员) in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the 36 of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began 37 piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion (酷爱) for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my 38 . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the39and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never 40 me.
“My 41was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I42 to hear music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can43 the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动). I feel through my body and through my44 . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 45 that I have.
“I was 46 to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had47 this before and some teachers 48 my admission. Based on my performance, I was 49 admitted and went to 50 with the academy’s highest honours.
“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I51 and arranged a lot of musical compositions since 52 had been written specially for solo percussionists.
“I have been a soloist for over ten years. 53 the doctor thought a was totally deaf, it didn’t 54 that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be 55 by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart, they will lead you to to the place you want to go.”
36. A. conditions B. opinions C. actions D. recommendations
37. A. enjoying B. choosing C. taking D. giving
38. A. sight B. hearing C. touch D. taste
39. A. evidence B. result C. excuse D. cause
40. A. left B. excited C. accompanied D. disappointed
41. A. purpose B. decision C. promise D. goal
42. A. turned B. learned C. used D. ought
43. A. tell B. see C. hear D. smell
44. A. carefulness B. movement C. imagination D. experience
45. A. sense B. effort C. feeling D. idea
46. A. dissatisfied B. astonished C. determined D. discouraged
47. A. done B. accepted C. advised D. admitted
48. A. supported B. followed C. required D. opposed
49. A. usually B. finally C. possibly D. hopefully
50. A. study B. research C. graduate D. progress
51. A. wrote B. translated C. copied D. read
52. A. enough B. some C. many D. few
53. A. However B. Although C. When D. Since
54. A. mean B. seem C. conclude D. say
55. A. directed B. guided C. taught D. limited
Carolyn Stradley is the founder of C&S Paving Ine.(铺路公司)in Atlanta,USA.In the following account,she recalls the job that challenged her 36and skill but left her flying high.
“When the Atlanta Airport was under37 in 1979,we were a new company struggling to make it.National Car Rental wanted to have 2500 square meters of dirt paved38the cars could be on site 39the airport opened,and the official opening was only ten days away!40 other local paving company wanted to do the job,41it couldn’t be done in such a short time.”
“Because we were new and really needed the work,we were 42to try harder.We gave National Car Rental our offer and43 our best effort to get the job finished within ten days.We also 44them that if we failed,they would be no worse off, 45 they had plenty to gain if we succeeded.”
“We got the job and immediately went into46.Working at night needed lights,so I rented a machine to produce electricity for the site.Our47challenge was to keep the rock mixture48enough.All the available water wagons(洒水车)were rented out for the airport construction,and we certainly couldn’t afford to buy a new one.49,I got a special 50 to rent fire engine hoses(消防水龙带)and connect them to nearby hydrants(消防);then I51 held one of those hoses to52down the rock.”
“Those ten days were filled with challenges that53one creative idea after another.Nine days later,the night before the airport opened,National Car Rental was the 54 company that had cars on the parking lot.”
“The key to our success was having the 55 to take on any job and then being creative in our approach to getting it done.”
36.A.kindness B.patience C.imagination D.experience
37.A.construction B.repair C.control D.development
38.A.after B.as C.for D.so
39.A.while B.since C.where D.when
40.A.Some B.Any C.No D.Every
41.A.stating B.reporting C.telling D.warning
42.A.able B.nervous C.afraid D.willing
43.A.supported B.promised C.continued D.improved
44.A.asked B.surprised C.reminded D.demanded
45.A.though B.but C.as D.unless
46.A.discussion B.action C.practice D.production
47.A.next B.first C.past D.previous
48.A.cold B.wet C.loose D.clean
49.A.Naturally B.Obviously C.Meanwhile D.Instead
50.A.excuse B.order C.permit D.reason
51.A.exactly B.personally C.angrily D.hardly
52.A.pull B.knock C.hit D.water
53.A.required B.mixed C.followed D.formed
54.A.best B.last C.second D.only
55.A.courage B.interest C.hope D.chance
Our airplane was just beside the airport building. It did not look too strong to me, but I decided not to think about such things. We saw the baggage going out ___1___ it on trolleys and being loaded from ___2___ the aircraft. Next, three men and three girls, all in uniform, went over to the plane and ___3___ it. Over the loudspeakers we were ___4___ the plane was ready to leave and were asked to walk ___5___ to it. Everybody moved quickly in order to ___6___ the seats they wanted. I was ___7___ to get a seat near the tail, but the plane looked ___8___ inside than it had from outside. I fastened my seat belt ___9___ we took off and tried to ___10___ my nervousness.
After an hour’s flying I ___11___ black clouds ahead through my window. An electric sign flashed ___12___: “Fasten your seat belts, please,” one of the hostesses made a ___13___ request over the loudspeakers. She told us we were about to fly into a storm but ___14___ cheerfully there was nothing to worry ___15___. Suddenly, the plane ___16___ all over, dropped about twenty feet and seemed to hang on one ___17___. Then it rose twenty feet and there was a great flash of lightning. The three girls did their best to ___18___ pills for airsickness and ___19___ the passengers. Soon the sky became light again. The pilot had __20___ to get above the storm.
1. A. at B. over C. to D. above
2. A. inside B. beside C. behind D. under
3. A. arrived B. entered C. climbed D. flew
4. A. asked B. noticed C. announced D. told
5. A. out B. inside C. in D. by
6. A. fetch B. hold C. keep D. get
7. A. impossible B. possible C. unable D. unsuitable
8. A. prettier B. stronger C. smaller D. heavier
9. A. before B. after C. until D. when
10. A. smooth B. forget C. correct D. drive
11. A. noticed B. looked C. watched D. realized
12. A. on B. up C. out D. in
13. A. general B. similar C. common D. sharp
14. A. smiled B. spoke C. added D. acted
15. A. at B. about C. on D. with
16. A. shake B. shaken C. shook D. shocked
17. A. edge B. line C. side D. wing
18. A. give out B. give off C. give up D. give back
19. A. save B. cool C. persuade D. comfort
20. A. succeeded B. flown C. planned D. managed
I know I should have told the headmaster at the time. That was my real 36 .
He had gone out of the study for some 37 , leaving me alone. In his absence I looked to see 38 was on his desk. In the 39 was a small piece of paper on which were written the 40 “English Writing Prize 1949. History Is a Serious of Biographies (人物传记)”.
A(n)41boy would have avoided looking at the title as soon as he saw the 42 . I did not. The subject of the English Writing Prize was kept a 43 until the start of the exam so I could not44reading it.
When the headmaster 45 , I was looking out of the window.
I should have told him what had 46then. It would have been so 47 to say: “I’m sorry, but I48 the title for the English Writing Prize on your desk. You’ll have to 49 it.”
The chance passed and I did not 50it. I sat the exam the next day and I won. I didn’t 51 to cheat, but it was still cheating anyhow.
That was thirty-eight years 52when I was fifteen. I have never told anyone about it before,53 have I tried to explain to myself why not.
The obvious explanation is that I could not admit I had seen the title54 admitting that I had been looking at the things on his desk. 55 there must have been more behind it. Whatever it was, it has become a good example of how a little mistake can trap (使陷入) you in a more serious moral corner (道德困境).
36. A. plan B. fault C. grade D. luck
37. A. reason B. course C. example D. vacation
38. A. this B. which C. that D. what
39. A. drawer B. corner C. middle D. box
40. A. names B. words C. ideas D. messages
41. A. honest B. handsome C. friendly D. active
42. A. desk B. paper C. book D. drawer
43. A. question B. key C. note D. secret
44. A. help B. consider C. practise D. forget
45. A. disappeared B. stayed C. returned D. went
46. A. existed B. remained C. happened D. continued
47. A. tiring B. easy C. important D. difficult
48. A. saw B. gave C. set D. made
49. A. repeat B. defend C. correct D. change
50. A. take B. have C. lose D. find
51. A. remember B. learn C. mean D. pretend
52. A. past B. ago C. then D. before
53. A. either B. never C. nor D. so
54. A. by B. besides C. through D. without
55. A. But B. Though C. Otherwise D. Therefore