I believe that families are not only blood relatives, but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will.
In May 1977, I was living in a Howard Johnson’s motel off Interstate 10 in Houston. My dad and I a room with two double beds and a bathroom was too for a 15-year-old girl and her father. Dad’s second marriage was and my stepmother had us both out of the house the previous week. Dad had no _ what to do with me. And that’s when my other family .
Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home their only daughter, Su, my best friend, asked them to. I with them for the next seven years.
Barbara washed my skirts the same as Su’s. She I had lunch money, doctors’ appointments, help with homework and nightly hugs. Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders. I could tell, for the Beaches there was no between Su and me; I was their daughter, too.
When Su and I college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school. Recently, Barb presented me with an insurance policy they bought when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23 years.
The Beaches knew about me when they took me in – they had heard the whole story from Su. When I was seven, my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to _ his kids. Before I went to live with the Beaches I had believed that life was entirely __ and that love was shaky and untrustworthy. I had believed that the only person who would take care of me was me.
the Beaches, I would have bee a bitter, cynical (愤世嫉俗的) woman. They gave me a(n) that allowed me to grow and change. They kept me from being paralyzed(使麻痹，瘫痪) by my _ , and they gave me the confidence to open my heart.
I family. For me, it wasn’t the family that was there on the day I was , but the one that was there for me when I was living in a Howard Johnson’s on Interstate 10.
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This morning, I arrived at my office earlier to catch up on some emails. On the way to ____, I couldn’t ____ it when I saw some beautiful flowers at the grocery store. I picked some up, ____ a few chocolate bars.
With the office so empty, I decided to take the ____ to put the chocolate bars on some desks. I started heading towards areas ____ no one had come yet.
I ____ one and a smile card on the CEO’s desk. And then I went to his ___ desk and placed one there, and quickly put a third one on the desk of a quiet gentleman. Later, I entered the kitchen, ____ two cups of water and walked into the ____. I took out the flowers from my bag and ____ them in two bunches, one in each cup.
With a little sigh of ____, I stepped out of the rest room and looked around. The office was still ____ empty and the people closest to me were ____ with a Monday morning “How was your weekend?” ____ . I ____ and went back to my desk.
It struck me that my housemate who had packed my lunch for me so ____ today snuck (偷偷地给) a chocolate bar in there, so I ____ place it on the desk of our receptionist to complete the circle as I headed out of the office this evening. Our receptionist is always the first person in the office, and she always ____ me with a smile when I come in. Maybe tomorrow morning, this ____ can greet her.
I have no ____ how they feel when receiving their gifts, but they will surely smile!
A．work B．job C．company D．business
A．stop B．help C．get D．afford
A．regardless of B．along with C．except for D．instead of
A．adventure B．authority C．possibility D．opportunity
A．when B．because C．though D．where
A．chose B．placed C．delivered D．carried
A．wife’s B．manager’s C．assistant’s D．director’s
A．discovered B．ordered C．filled D．emptied
A．rest room B．meeting room C．smoking area D．office room
A．applied B．adjusted C．arranged D．attached
A．regret B．concern C．relief D．excitement
A．especially B．thoroughly C．totally D．pretty
A．concerned B．accustomed C．limited D．occupied
A．conversation B．congratulation C．consideration D．condition
A．amazed B．smiled C．delighted D．celebrated
A．sweetly B．obviously C．wildly D．fortunately
A．need B．could C．must D．should
A．waves B．nods C．greets D．meets
A．gift B．performance C．flower D．method
A．opinion B．point C．view D．idea
Years ago, I worked at the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. One day, as I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, ______ by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front legs. It was ______ that they could, at any time, break free, ____ strangely enough, they didn’t .I asked a trainer the ______for this.
He said, “When they were very young, we used the _______ size rope, and it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they believe the rope can _______ hold them, so they never try.”
Like the elephants, how many of you believe you cannot do a thing, simply because you _____ once before? Do you often tell ______“I cannot dance” or “I’m not good at math”?
These are ______ of self limiting beliefs. You must realize you’re ______ for them. A limiting belief that says you’re poor at math may have ______ as a reaction to the embarrassing experiences related to math, or the remarks made by someone important to you which ______ you. The cool thing is that because you create the _____ you can choose to change it! Here is how:
First, _ it with “I am good at math”. Once you change your _ , your subconsciousness will make this ______ by driving you to act. That might be to take a math course or to go online ______ help, etc. Gradually you’ll really see your math skills are ______.
This is such a simple process that you can ______ it today. Don’t be like the poor elephant and make your life ______ in a place because of a limiting belief you developed years ago.
A．excited B．confused C．discouraged D．worried
A．impossible B．doubtful C．uncertain D．obvious
A．but B．or C．and D．so
A．case B．result C．reason D．choice
A．same B．bigger C．smaller D．different
A．narrowly B．almost C．still D．hardly
A．did B．failed C．tried D．succeeded
A．yourself B．others C．your teacher D．your partner
A．causes B．stories C．results D．examples
A．conscious B．honest C．responsible D．depended
A．stopped B．referred C．changed D．originated
A．interested B．disappointed C．bored D．inspired
A．belief B．experience C．embarrassment D．remark
A．represent B．compare C．mix D．replace
A．action B．thought C．aim D．plan
A．come true B．run out C．on guard D．keep cool
A．at B．by C．for D．in
A．improved B．judged C．realized D．recognized
A．finish B．continue C．keep D．begin
A．involved B．stuck C．unfinished D．changed
It’s not the goodbye that hurts．but the flashbacks that follow．My mother suffered with Alzheimer’s disease(老年痴呆症)during her last fifteen years．Until then she had been a bright， woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her．I would go home to visit her in Virginia and she would look at me in a(an) way and ask，”Who are you?”I would answer,”I'm your son．“Where do you live?”She would ask．”In California,”I would tell her．”Isn’t that interesting，”she would say,”I have a son in California．”My name had my mother completely．
She seemed forgetful and confused at the beginning of the disease，but later on she would periods of sharp anxiety．She would through the house she had lived in most of her life，crying uneasily that she wanted to go home，or she would leave home and wander away if she was not for a short time．
Hoping to please her and put her mind ，I would take her for a drive，Visiting sites where she had lived as a ．In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and ，the view of the old oaks and long green lawn．I could my mother there as a little girl Playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of．I looked to her for some ，but She just shook her head and said，“I want to go home．”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a ，but a time．I suspect it was a time when she was much ，when her children were still underfoot， when her husband was still energetic and considerate．
Watching my mother’s suffering set me to 55 what I would have in mindif someday I could n’t find and wanted to go there．In this family we tend to be long lived and we grow fuzzy(模糊的)minded as the years go by．At eighty I have already noticed some symptoms．My doctor says the forgetfulness is only and that it comes with age．Still the of Alzheimer is haunting(萦绕)in my mind．Someday if and when I become even cloudier minded than I am now, unable to drive and tell you where“home”is，my dear son，I expect I will a ask you to take me home．I know you Will do your best to find the place I need to be．I leave these notes for your ．
A．caring B．cheerful C．hopeful D．considerate
A．excited B．frightened C．puzzled D．amazed
A．forgotten B．reminded C．escaped D．slid
A．greatly B．hardly C．totally D．simply
A．go through B．break trough C．1ook through D．put through
A．hunt B．pace C．search D．1ook
A．settled B．attended C．concerned D．inspired
A．in place B．under control C．in order D．at ease
A．1ady B．student C．child D．mother
A．inspected B．admired C．appreciated D．respected
A．tell B．picture C．suspect D．doubt
A．response B．smile C．reasons D．answers
A．name B．dream C．symbol D．place
A．prettier B．younger C．happier D．healthier
A．feeling B．wondering C．doubting D．believing
A．memory B．passion C．home D．way
A．deadly B．alarming C．poisonous D．allergic
A．natural B．special C．rare D．unique
A．intention B．fear C．expectation D．hate
A．appreciation B．admiration C．guidance D．assistance
America’s Beauty Is in Its Diversity
America is built on the idea of freedom, and there is no exception for Muslim women. I the freedom of religion and speech. But mostly, I believe it’s OK to be , and to stand up for who and what you are. So I believe in wearing the hijab.
The hijab is a religious head covering, like a scarf. I am Muslim, and keeping my head covered is a of maturity（成熟）and respect toward my and to Allah’s will. , I also like to wear it to be different. I don’t usually like to do what everyone else is doing. I want to be a(n) , not just part of the crowd. But when I first wore it, I was also afraid of the that I’d get at school.
I on my own that sixth grade was the I should start wearing the hijab. I was about what the kids would say or even do to me. I thought they might make fun of me, or be scared of me and my headscarf. Kids at that age usually like to be all the same, and there’s little or no of differences.
On the first day of school, I put all those thoughts behind my back and walked in with my head held high. I was holding my breath a little, but I was also proud to be a Muslim, proud to be wearing the hijab, proud to be different.
I was about everything I had thought the kids would say or even do to me. I actually met a lot of people because of wearing my head covering. Most of the kids would come and ask me questions — — about the hijab and why I wore it.
I did hear some kids were making fun of me, there was one girl----she wasn’t even in my class, and we never really talked much---and she spoke me, and I wasn’t even there! I made a lot of new friends that year, friends that I still have until this very day, five years later.
Yes, I’m different, but everyone is different here, in one way or another. This is the of America.
A．believe in B．stick to C．carry out D．push for
A．dependent B．free C．different D．sensitive
A．signal B．sign C．reminder D．cause
A．religion B．country C．parents D．status
A．In a word B．In general C．To be brief D．To be honest
A．princess B．heroine C．individual D．adult
A．praise B．punishment C．reflection D．reaction
A．hoped B．expected C．realized D．decided
A．time B．chance C．case D．occasion
A．disappointed B．scared C．enthusiastic D．angry
A．still B．already C．even D．ever
A．show off B．pull off C．pick up D．put up
A．rejection B．ignorance C．knowledge D．acceptance
A．negative B．optimistic C．serious D．strange
A．often B．inside C．only D．outside
A．concerned B．particular C．wrong D．convinced
A．respectfully B．cautiously C．suspiciously D．critically
A．and B．so C．but D．or
A．in terms of B．in front of C．in charge of D．in favor of
A．significance B．beauty C．value D．power
She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle (雀斑)-faced image of innocence. It was outside, the kind of rain that spilt over the top of gutters (檐槽), so much in a hurry to the Earth.
We all there inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We all waited, some patient, others , because nature messed up their hurried day. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running and splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome from the worries of my day.
Her voice was so sweet as it the depressing atmosphere. “Mom,let’s run through the rain,”she said.
“What?”Mom asked.
“Let’s run through the rain!”She repeated.
“No, honey. We’ll wait until it down a bit.”Mom replied.
The young child waited another minute and repeated: “Mom, let’s run through the rain.”
“We’ll get wet through if we do.”Mom said.“No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning.” The young girl said as she at her Mom’s arm, “Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, if God can get us through this, he can get us through !”
The entire crowd stopped dead .No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom and thought for a while about what she would say.
Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation (肯定) in a young child’s life,a time when trust could be nurtured (培育) so that it would bloom into .“Honey, you are right.Let’s run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we just need washing.”Mom said. Then off they ran.We all stood watching, smiling as they ran past the cars. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. Soon they were by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
or people can take away your material possessions, your money, your health or sometimes your happiness. But no one can ever take away your memories. So don’t forget to take the opportunities to memories every day!
To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I do hope you will the time to run through the rain.
A．howling B．freezing C．pouring D．cheering
A．hit B．mix C．slip D．bear
A．lay B．rested C．sat D．stood
A．excited B．relaxed C．annoyed D．astonished
A．running B．washing C．driving D．turning
A．reward B．relief C．remark D．refund
A．broke B．disturbed C．awoke D．extended
A．calms B．slows C．settles D．passes
A．pointed B．dragged C．stared D．pulled
A．anything B．something C．anybody D．everybody
A．silent B．content C．touched D．inspired
A．reasoned B．mourned C．paused D．converted
A．definite B．concrete C．apparent D．innocent
A．ambition B．faith C．assumption D．truth
A．absolutely B．loosely C．actually D．considerably
A．assessed B．reserved C．followed D．advocated
A．Procedures B．Circumstances C．Chances D．Occasions
A．private B．proper C．precious D．particular
A．build B．promote C．refresh D．make
A．take B．value C．occupy D．arrange