My father was a self-taught mandolin（曼陀林琴）player. He could not read, but if he heard a tune several times, he could play it. Occasionally, he ______ play for the local radio station.
Dad loved playing the mandolin for his family. He knew we enjoyed his playing. If he could give _____ to others, he would, especially for his family. He was always _____ his time and efforts to making sure his family had enough in their life.
Later, I matured into a man and had my own children. Whenever coming home, I would ask Dad to play the mandolin, for nobody played the mandolin like him. He could _____ your soul with tunes coming out of that old mandolin. He seemed to ______ when playing, taking pride in his ability to play so well.
Unfortunately, in 1977. Dad was _____ in an accident, leaving his third finger of his left hand wounded seriously. _____ he didn’t lose enough of the finger where it would stop him picking up anything, it did affect his ______ to play the mandolin. After the accident, he was ______ to play and felt unable to play as well as before. Every time we asked him to play, he would make excuses. _____, we could persuade him and he would say “Okay. But I can’t hold down on the strings and play as well as before.” For the family it made no ______. When he played the old mandolin, it would carry us back to a cheerful, happier time.
In August 1993, Dad was ______ with serious disease. He chose not to receive any chemotherapy（化疗）treatments ______ he could live out his rest life in dignity(尊严). A week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for his family. First he made the usual ______ again but later said “Okay.”, ______ it was likely to be the last chance for us to hear him playing. He tuned up the old mandolin and played. ______, I found everyone in the family ______. We saw before us a quiet humble man with an inner ______ that lives with him in his life.
Dad would never play the mandolin for us again, but we still _____ the most valuable gift we gained from him, ____ he had done all his life, giving.
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Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Who buy the presents? How much should we spend? Questions about money like these ___50___ during the holidays, and they can turn this wonderful season into the most ___51___ time of the year.
The ___52___ cause of holiday stress is money issues, according to a recent poll by the American Psychological Association (APA). The survey found that 61 percent of Americans ___53___ lack of money as the top cause of family tensions, holiday blues and depression.
“People believe that they can go out and buy gifts because it’s the holidays, ___54___they can’t afford to do so,” says Dorothy Cantor, a noted psychologist and former APA president. “Not only is it stressful to feel that you have to buy everyone an expensive gift, but you will also be stressed for the rest of the year trying to pay your ___55___. You can show love and caring by giving something that you know is meaningful and ___56___ that doesn’t have to cost a lot.”
While managing money issues during the holiday season can be a ___57___, financial experts agree that you can ___58___ pressure by planning ahead, exhibiting patience and managing expectations to make the holiday season enjoyable and worry-free.
For starters, make an agreement with family members to discuss holiday spending and finances before you make any ___59___. The goal here is to learn one another’s thoughts and feelings about priorities and wishes. Be realistic, decide together on a budget and only use cash, rather than using credit cards. Avoid getting ___60___ unreasonable expectations. It makes no ___61___ to buy gifts you can not afford and put additional financial and emotional stress on yourself and your family that will cause problems long after the holidays are over.
Other ways to ___62___ the burden of money-related holiday blues include an understanding that everyone faces money problems at one time or another. It’s important to keep your ___63___ situation in perspective, to learn from experience and then to proceed with your life.
And lastly, make focusing on financial solutions a part of your New Year’s resolution. It’s the perfect time to take a __64___ approach by doing some soul-searching, forgiving yourself, letting go of the past and dealing with your financial problems in a businesslike manner each day.
A．break up B．pop up C．put out D．wipe out
A．ridiculous B．inconvenient C．stressful D．mysterious
A．immediate B．social C．hidden D．leading
A．listed B．felt C．resisted D．charged
A．as if B．even if C．as long as D．if only
A．price B．life C．rates D．bills
A．success B．reminder C．pleasure D．challenge
A．polish B．postpone C．minimize D．preserve
A．excuses B．purchases C．statements D．inquiries
A．caught up in B．ended up with C．put up in D．made up for
A．efforts B．revenge C．desire D．sense
A．ease B．resign C．launch D．transfer
A．inadequate B．financial C．internal D．private
A．reverse B．tender C．grand D．positive
One day my math teacher asked me to help him save back-up copies of his work in the computer. I then realized I was able to 36 the grades for all of his classes. I showed him how to copy files from one disk to another and he 37 me.
A few days later be asked me to help him again, because he 38 how to do it. when I began to show this to him, some students in my class 39 and began to talk among themselves 40 . Later that day, at lunch time, I was 41 by several of them.
“Hey, could you help us change our grades in math? We’ll 42 you…”
I could not believe what I was hearing．I could get paid for something very 43 ．" All right．I'll do it．" The next day my math teacher 44 me to help him out．When he was not paying attention, I began to change their grades from F's to A's．
I soon became very 45 among my friends．They began to treat me like a god with a magical 46 ．I began to change the grades of students．Word 47 quickly and I became very rich．
Everything was going fine 48 I was called into the headmaster's office．When I got there, my teacher was mad, and the headmaster had an angry 49in his eyes． "I have known you for three years now．I don't want to 50 what your teacher said, but I'm afraid that I must．He has too much51 , " he said．" Do you have anything to say 52 yourself?" he asked．
"No．" I said finally．I did not realize how serious my actions had been．I had violated the53 of my teacher, and the headmaster．And there was no way 54 ．I was forced to leave my school．
That was a good 55 for me．
A．access B．assess C．change D．mark
A．guided B．supported C．thanked D．accepted
A．doubted B．remembered C．reminded D．forgot
A．hid B．noticed C．complained D．agreed
A．disappointedly B．quietly C．freely D．angrily
A．appointed B．approved C．approached D．appreciated
A．pay B．praise C．follow D．inspire
A．familiar B．simple C．interesting D．pleasant
A．forced B．advised C．encouraged D．got
A．optimistic B．popular C．sensitive D．grateful
A．energy B．strength C．right D．power
A．escaped B．slipped C．spread D．fled
A．until B．since C．as D．after
A．sight B．look C．light D．feeling
A．believe B．ignore C．oppose D．influence
A．experience B．pressure C．confidence D．evidence
A．to B．by C．for D．of
A．intention B．honor C．promise D．trust
A．on B．in C．back D．down
A．lesson B．skill C．story D．example
Instroduction to Letters to Sam
Dear Reader，
Please allow me to tell you something before you read this book. When my 36 ,Sam, was born, my heart was filled with joy. I had been sitting in a wheelchair for 20 years before then,and I have been 37 ill many times.So I wonderfuled if would have the 38 to tell Sam what I had 39 .
For years I have been hosting a program on the 40 and writing articles for a magazine.Being 41 to move freely,I have learned to sit still and keep my heart 42 , exchanging thoughts with thousands of listeners and 43 . So when Sam was born ,I 44 to tell him about school and friendship,Romance and work,Love and everything else. That’s how I started to write these 45 . I hoped that Sam would 46 them sooner or later.
However,that expedition 47 when Sam showed signs of autism(自闭症)at the age of two.He had actually stopped talking before the discovery of the signs.He 48 to communicate with others,even the family members.That was 49 for me but didn’t stop me writing on.I realized that I had even 50 now to tell him.I wanted him to 51 what it means to be “different ”from others,and learn how to fight against the misfortune he’ll 52 as I myself,his grandfather,did. I just 53 if I could write all that I wanted to say in the rest of my life.
Now, 54 the book has been published,I have been given the chance.Every chapter in the book is a letter to Sam:some about my life,and all about what it means to be a 55 .
Daniel GOttliebe
A．son B．Nephew C．brother D．grandson
A．seriously B．mentally C．slightly D．quietly
A．ability B．Time C．courage D．responsibility
A．written B．suffered C．observed D．lost
A．Radio B．Television C．stage D．bed
A．ready B．unable C．anxious D．eager
A．warm B．broken C．closed D．open
A．hosts B．visitors C．readers D．reporters
A．Began B．stopped C．forgot D．decided
A．Letters B．emails C．books D．diaries
A．find B．read C．collect D．keep
A．developed B．disappeared C．changed D．arrived
A．tried B．refused C．regretted D．hoped
A．exciting B．acceptable C．strange D．heartbreaking
A．less B．everything C．more D．nothing
A．understand B．explain C．believe D．question
A．fear B．face C．know D．cause
A．felt B．guessed C．saw D．doubled
A．as B．once C．though D．if
A．teacher B．child C．man D．writer
A friend of mine was sitting in the living room one day when his cat dragged in a little “gift” in its mouth—a dead animal of some sort. Taking a closer look, he was surprised to 36 it as the bunny(小兔子) that 37 Mary, the young daughter of the family next door. My friend felt 38 , believing his cat had killed Mary’s bunny.
My quick-thinking friend came up with a plan. 39 from the cat’s mouth the dead animal, which by now was a 40 mess, he put it in the kitchen sink. With a little warm water and some shampoo, he tried to 41 the dead bunny as best he could. Then he took a hair dryer and blowdried the bunny 42 it looked pretty good.
Finally, under the cover of darkness, he crept into the next-door garden and placed it 43 in the cage. He managed to make the bunny look very 44 there in his little box.
The next morning, my friend looked out of the window and noticed a crowd of people 45 around the rabbit hutch(笼). Everyone seemed to be talking and pointing. My friend 46 to go over and act like any normal 47 neighbor and find out what was going on.
When he got there, Mary’s mother said to my friend, “You won’t believe this! It’s a(n) 48 thing! Mary’s bunny 49 a few days ago, and we buried that little bunny right over there…”
Have you ever tried to cover up one wrongdoing with another? Covering up only makes matters 50 .
When we get caught doing something 51 , for example, we may 52 to cover it up with a lie. But just like Mary’s bunny, the result is 53 what we expected. We 54 looking foolish. We would have been better off admitting we were wrong and accepting the 55 . What do you think of it?
A．treat B．catch C．appreciate D．recognize
A．looked for B．got along C．belonged to D．resulted from
A．pleased B．terrible C．confused D．excited
A．Looking B．Removing C．Preventing D．Hearing
A．dirty B．lovely C．gifted D．strange
A．dress up B．bring up C．clean up D．make up
A．whenever B．though C．before D．until
A．carefully B．strangely C．espe cially D．wonderfully
A．serious B．accurate C．balanced D．natural
A．cheered B．gathered C．ran D．looked
A．wished B．decided C．hesitated D．meant
A．anxious B．discouraged C．wise D．curious
A．strange B．difficult C．committed D．annoying
A．passed away B．ran away C．set out D．went up
A．more B．worse C．better D．faster
A．exciting B．perfect C．strange D．wrong
A．refuse B．attempt C．promise D．pretend
A．often B．just C．always D．never
A．get down B．end up C．go through D．set out
A．consequences B．opportunities C．expectations D．choices
Driving to a store after a busy day at work, I saw a man standing near the store holding a sign that said, “Will work for food.” I knew at that moment that I was going into the store and 36 him something to eat.
As I 37 the car park, I saw in my car mirror a lady come out from a hairdresser’s and 38 the man. I thought she must be going to give him some 39 or something to help him out. In the store I was 40 to get the things I needed and also the chicken dinner and a soda that I wanted to give the man outside. I hurried out to my car and 41 that I was going to be able to hopefully help this man.
When I drove out of the car park, I couldn’t see the 42 . As I turned the corner I saw the man sitting in a 43 area away from the hairdresser’s and still 44 up the sign. I immediately 45 over and gave the man the dinner and soda and said, “ 46 this will get you through today.” He looked at me and said, “Thank you so much!”
As I got back into my car, I looked in the 47 and saw the man swallowing the dinner as if he hadn’t eaten for days.
I was so 48 that I was able to help him and at the same time I was so sad that the woman from the hairdresser’s, 49 , had asked the man to 50 from her shop. It’s sad to say that 51 I live in a small city where homeless is not as 52 as in larger cities, people are uncomfortable with these people in 53 . All they need to do is lend a helping hand 54 and it could make a huge 55in their lives.
A．cook B．buy C．pay D．serve
A．turned into B．got over C．called at D．pointed out
A．interview B．comfort C．blame D．approach
A．example B．space C．money D．comfort
A．preparing B．hurrying C．hesitating D．planning
A．explained B．wondered C．agreed D．felt
A．man B．food C．lady D．sign
A．different B．strange C．famous D．comfortable
A．making B．holding C．taking D．building
A．turned B．thought C．pulled D．looked
A．Hopefully B．Finally C．Luckily D．Naturally
A．store B．mirror C．square D．crowd
A．popular B．anxious C．pleased D．patient
A．immediately B．obviously C．carefully D．nervously
A．stop B．suffer C．move D．change
A．whether B．because C．though D．unless
A．poor B．visible C．selfish D．happy
A．danger B．action C．need D．moment
A．at times B．at the time C．at one time D．at a time
A．difference B．mistake C．decision D．living