I work as a volunteer（志愿者） for an organization that helps the poor in Haiti. Recently I took my son Barrett there for a week, hoping to him.
Before setting out, I told Barrett this trip would be tiring and . For the first two days, he said almost nothing. I worried the trip was too ________ for a 17-year-old. Then, on day three, as we were ________ over high rocky mountains, he turned to me and grinned（咧嘴笑）, “Pretty hard.”
After that there was no turning back. A five-year-old girl, wearing a dress several sizes ________ large and broken shoes, followed Barrett around, mesmerized （着迷）. He couldn't stop ________ . Later he said________ , “I wish I could speak French.” I was ________—this from a boy who hated and ________ French classes throughout school.
Usually silent, he ________ Gaby, our host, and kept asking questions about the country and its people. He blossomed （活泼起来）.
________ , the moment that really took ________ breath away occurred in a village deep in the mountains. I was ________ a woman villager for an article. 135 centimeters tall, she was small in figure but strong in ________. Through determination, she had learned to read and write, and ________ to become part of the leadership of the ________ .
Learning her story, Barrett was as ________as I by this tiny woman's achievements. His eyes were wet and there was a ________ of love and respect on his face. He had finally understood the importance of my work.
When leaving for home, Barrett even offered to stay ________ as a volunteer. My insides suddenly felt struck. This ________ achieved all I'd expected. Soon he will celebrate his 18th birthday. He'll be a man.
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I grew up poor — living with six brothers, three sisters and my mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and 36 . I was happy and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 37 a dream.
My dream was 38 . By the time I was sixteen, I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour baseball and 39 anything that moved on the field. I was also 40 : my high school coach was John, who not only 41 me, but also taught me how to believe in myself. He 42 me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念). One particular incident with coach John changed my life forever.
A friend 43 me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — money for a new bike, new clothes and the 44 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 45 up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.
When I told John, he was as 46 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said, “Your 47 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head 48 , trying to think of the words that would 49 to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 50 in me.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3.5 an hour the 51 of a dream?”
That simple question made 52 to me the difference between 53 something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself in sports that summer and 54 the year I was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and 55 a $ 20,000 contract（合同）. Later, I bought my mother the house of my dream!
A．attention B．time C．patience D．fashion
A．bring B．continue C．make D．afford
A．athletics B．music C．business D．money
A．kick B．play C．hit D．pass
A．right B．popular C．lucky D．confident
A．believed in B．relied on C．called on D．dealt with
A．gave B．taught C．brought D．asked
A．called B．advised C．applied D．recommended
A．aim B．idea C．start D．purpose
A．keep B．end C．give D．pick
A．happy B．mad C．frightened D．excited
A．living B．working C．playing D．dreaming
A．moving B．hanging C．shaking D．nodding
A．express B．announce C．apologise D．explain
A．belief B．pride C．fear D．disappointment
A．length B．price C．power D．spirit
A．clear B．direct C．straight D．attractive
A．wanting B．changing C．dreaming D．enjoying
A．by B．for C．beyond D．within
A．paid B．found C．offered D．presented
When my twin sons, Chad and Brad, were born, I was concerned about everything． Five years later, our little girl, Becky, 21 our family．I wanted everybody to be healthy and happy．I worked hard to see that they 22 ．
As the kids grew older, I worried about headaches, throat infections and many other 23 childhood illnesses．I didn't like it when the boys spent time "warming the bench （板凳）" during Little League football games．I worried about Becky when she 24 the ball while playing softball．Before long, the teen years were upon us．I stayed 25 late t night waiting for the boys to return home．Many times the26 crossed my mind that I would call the police if they weren't home on time．_27_, they always arrived home safe and sound28 I had to take such measures．
"Please don't ever call the police," one of the boys said when I 29 him after a late arrival．The day the boys moved away to college was a 30 day indeed．I worried about their being able to take care of themselves．Would they starve?
A few months after the boys left college, our 31 rang in the middle of the night． It startled （惊醒）us when we looked at the clock．It was 3 o'clock in the morning．" 32 must be wrong," I shouted to my husband, Roy, as we both jumped up．We ran to the door, opened it, and there33a police officer．
"You need to 34 your sons," he seriously announced．I picked up the telephone, but unfortunately, it was 35．A line outside had been accidentally （偶然） cut．Roy and I jumped into the car and 36 to the nearest telephone．My stomach ached．My husband was 37 so badly that he could hardly dial the number．
On the first38 , Chad answered the telephone．"What's wrong?" Roy shouted into the receiver （听筒）．
"We were worried about you," Chad told him．"We've been trying to call you all night, but you didn't 39 We called the police and asked them to go and check on you．"
For the first time in their lives, the boys were worried about us．And they were the ones who 40 had to call the police．
A．completed B．visited C．tested D．appreciated
A．did B．had C．were D．would
A．serious B．common C．unusual D．incurable
A．hit B．threw C．got D．missed
A．down B．up C．out D．in
A．plan B．advice C．worry D．thought
A．Strangely B．Probably C．Luckily D．Exactly
A．after B．when C．before D．since
A．threatened B．told C．surprised D．reminded
A．nice B．embarrassing C．happy D．sad
A．phone B．clock C．alarm D．doorbell
A．Something B．Anything C．Everything D．Nothing
A．stood B．greeted C．turned D．came
A．call B．email C．see D．educate
A．gone B．useless C．dead D．stolen
A．rushed B．headed C．went D．moved
A．looking B．shaking C．suffering D．seeing
A．night B．arrival C．try D．ring
A．talk B．answer C．wake D．care
A．frequently B．suddenly C．actually D．rarely
A year ago I paid no attention to English idioms, 21 my teacher said again and again that it was important．
One day, I happened to __22 _ an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to __23 ．As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner shook his head, saying, “You don’t say! You don’t say!” I was 24 ___ , I thought, perhaps this is not a __ 25 __ topic．Well, I’d __26 change the topic．So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? _27 _ the way, have you ever __28__ there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will__29__ me if I leave China without seeing__30 ．It was great．” I said, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world． It is a place of31 ．” Soon I was interrupted again by his words, “ __32 !” I couldn’t _33 __ asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t ask you to do__34__ ”, he answered, gently surprised．
I said, “Didn’t you say ‘You don’t say’?”
Hearing this, the Englishman _35__ to tears．He began to __36___ ,“‘You don’t say actually means ‘really?’．It is an _37__ of surprise．Perhaps you don’t pay attention __38___ English idioms．”
Then I knew I had made a fool of __39__ ．Since then I have been more ___50__ with idioms．
A．though B．when C．if D．as
A．look B．meet C．pick up D．find out
A．walk B．talk C．play D．go
A．pleased B．angry C．afraid D．surprised
A．proper B．strange C．safe D．polite
A．to B．better C．not D．like
A．On B．In C．All D．By
A．gone B．visited C．seen D．been
A．look at B．think of C．send for D．laugh at
A．it B．them C．anything D．something
A．interesting B．interest C．interests D．interested
A．Really B．Good C．You don’ t say D．You are right
A．be B．help C．think D．do
A．this B．so C．anything D．me a favor
A．laughed B．cried C．moved D．came
A．explain B．shout C．prove D．say
A．experience B．expression C．explanation D．example
A．for B．to C．at D．in
A．me B．myself C．him D．himself
A．helpful B．popular C．careful D．satisfied
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would 16 the peace and quiet, watch the water rush 17 and listen to the singing of birds and the rustling of 18in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees 19 under pressure from the wind and watch them 20 gracefully to their original position after the wind had 21 .
When I think about the bamboo tree's ability to bounce back to its original position, the word "resilience" comes to mind. When used in 22 to a person this word means the ability to readily 23 from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person's 24 .
Have you ever felt like you are at your 25 point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.
During the 26 you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, 27 exhausted and you most likely stood 28 physical symptoms.
Life is a 29 of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy 30 that take you close to your breaking point, bend, 31 don't break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.
A 32 of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal (考验). With 33 for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to 34 if the final result is worth having.
If life gets 35 and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don't break!
A．see B．hear C．enjoy D．touch
A．downstream B．smoothly C．uphill D．peacefully
A．fruits B．branches C．roots D．leaves
A．move B．bend C．fall D．decline
A．go B．turn C．return D．suffer
A．died down B．died off C．died away D．died out
A．honor of B．reward to C．reference to D．favor of
A．recover B．suffer C．come D．escape
A．thoughts B．mind C．body D．emotions
A．starting B．breaking C．standing D．tiring
A．practice B．experiment C．victory D．experience
A．possibly B．terribly C．mentally D．probably
A．unpleasant B．unreasonable C．exciting D．good
A．result B．change C．wonder D．mixture
A．events B．moments C．adventures D．changes
A．but B．however C．though D．and
A．little B．number C．measure D．little
A．idea B．hope C．imagination D．search
A．deal with B．look into C．depend on D．get stuck
A．acceptable B．wrong C．tough D．cozy
Five steps to take if your child is being bullied
51The worst thing you can do is ignore it. Too often parents feel children and teens need to “work things out” on their own. If the problem is ignored, your child’s self-esteem will become unhealthy, he will be hurt mentally or physically, and he could become a bully himself.
Here are five steps you can take if your child is having problems with a bully:
52This is an important first step and will help your child trust that you are able to help him with his problem. Accept what he has to say at face value by using your active listening skills.
Let your child know that he is not alone. 53Reassure your child that he is not the problem. Nothing he did caused the bully to go after him.
If your child is being threatened in a physical or illegal way at school, report the problem. Your child may not want you to do this, or the school may not take it seriously, but violence cannot be tolerated. 54You will need to model assertive (果断的) behavior by alerting those in charge where the bullying is taking place.
Teach your child assertive behavior and how to ignore routine teasing. Let them know it is okay to say “No.” sometimes even friends bully, so letting your child know they can be true to their own feelings and say “No” can go a long way.
55Giving up possessions or giving in to a bully in anyway encourages the bully to continue. Identify ways for your child to respond to a bully---showing assertive but not aggressive behavior---and role-play them.
A．Believe what your child tells you. B．Encourage your child not to give in to a bully. C．Praise your child for being brave enough to talk about it. D．Bullying is a terrible situation for a child to have to cope with.