A strange thing happened to me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day ________ I drove to go for a look in the country.
On the way back home, my ________ stopped. It was out of gas on a ________ road far from a town! I decided to walk until I found someone ________ could sell some gas. I had walked almost a mile ________ I finally found a house near the ________. I was glad to see it because it was getting dark.
I knocked at the door and a little old lady with long white hair ________. She said, “I’ve been ________ for you here for a long time. Come in. ________ is almost ready.”
“But I only came for some gas,” I answered. I couldn’t ________ what she was talking about.
“Oh, Alfred! Gas? You ________ tea,” said she.
I quickly ________ that my car was out of ________ , but she didn’t seem to listen to me. She just kept ________ me Alfred and talking about how long it had been ________ she had seen me. She was acting very strangely and I was anxious to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I ________ .
_________, there was another house down the road and I was able to buy the gas I needed. When I told the man about my ________ , he said, “Oh, that’s Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She’s strange, but she wouldn’t ________ anybody. She is still waiting for the man she was going to marry thirty years ago. The day before their wedding he left home and ________ came back because of the war.”
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A LESSON FROM A FROG TALE
A group of frogs were jumping through the woods when two of them fell into a deep hole. All of the other frogs______ around the hole to see what could be done to help their ______. When they saw how deep the hole was, the rest of the group ______ that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the hole that they should prepare themselves for their fate（命运）, because they were as good as ______.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all their ______. Some of the frogs shouted into the hole that it was ______, and that the two frogs wouldn’t be in that ______ if they had been more careful.
The other frogs continued ______ shouting that they two should save their ______ and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs ______ jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of hopeless ______ they were quite tired.
Finally, one of the two frogs followed the calls of his fellows. Disheartened, he lay down at the ______ of the hole, and died as the others looked on in helpless sorrow. The other frog continued to jump with every bit of energy he had, ______ he was completely worn out.
His companions began a new shouting to him to accept his fate, stop the pain and ______ die. The frog jumped harder and harder and, wonder of wonders, finally jumped so ______ that he sprang from the hole. ______ , the other frogs celebrated his unbelievable freedom and then gathering around him and asked, “Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?” ______ their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were ______ him on. What he had got as ______ inspired him to try harder and finally succeeded.
This simple story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouraging words can ______ someone up and help him or her make it through the day.
A．jumped B．hung C．rushed D．gathered
A．relatives B．companions C．neighbors D．families
A．agreed B．added C．quarreled D．doubted
A．alive B．dead C．awake D．calm
A．mind B．skill C．strength D．courage
A．harmless B．endless C．careless D．hopeless
A．action B．situation C．direction D．competition
A．sorrowfully B．painfully C．carefully D．helpfully
A．time B．resource C．energy D．supply
A．stopped B．continued C．avoided D．started
A．climb B．wait C．fight D．effort
A．top B．edge C．bottom D．side
A．while B．however C．therefore D．although
A．worn B．tired C．cried D．torn
A．great B．well C．far D．high
A．Please B．Satisfied C．Amazed D．Amused
A．Looking B．Reading C．Seeing D．Checking
A．cheering B．praising C．persuading D．supporting
A．treatment B．entertainment C．achievement D．encouragement
A．hold B．lift C．bring D．build
Sheri Straily never knew how far life’s highway could take her ______ her dream for her children helped her find out...
Growing up, Sheri ____ thought for a moment that she’d ______ it to college. Instead, she took a job driving a tractor trailer. ______ years passed, Sheri fell in love，married and had three children. ______ she wanted to be close to home，she ______ to a desk job at the trucking company.
But one day after work, while Sheri was ______ her kids playing, she began to think, “I want them to achieve so much，but how can I afford to give them the ______ they’ll need, like college?”
Then it came to her：she was the one who needed ______ first.
“______ for it，”her husband encouraged her. So Sheri enrolled at the University of Denver’s Women’s College, ______ let her take all of her classes on weekends，so she ______ still work.
Though Sheri loved her ______, she missed home. Sheri would stay at home on weekends. ______ make the two-hour trip to school. “I wish I were home with Steve and the ______,”she’d think. But Eric，eight，Ryan，seven，and Kristin, five, ______ their mom all the way.“______ do your best,” they said.
Sheri did，getting straight A’s as she entered a ______ in business administration. Now she is attending the University of Denver Law School on a merit scholarship.
“It hasn’t been ______,”wrote Sheri, “but it’s ______ for me and my family.”
A．after B．before C．until D．once
A．never B．just C．ever D．even
A．hit B．make C．admit D．have
A．Since B．With C．While D．As
A．Because B．For C．Therefore D．Thus
A．asked B．returned C．switched D．sought
A．finding B．noticing C．seeing D．watching
A．opportunities B．money C．jobs D．career
A．school B．college C．help D．assistance
A．Go B．Search C．Get D．Come
A．that B．where C．which D．as
A．could B．must C．should D．may
A．teachers B．studies C．classmates D．job
A．rather than B．other than C．as well as D．less than
A．kids B．relatives C．husband D．parents
A．opposed B．backed C．agreed D．liked
A．Rarely B．Just C．Still D．Never
A．degree B．work C．job D．interview
A．difficult B．unusual C．ordinary D．easy
A．rewarding B．interesting C．moving D．demanding
It was one of the happiest times of my life. I was 29 and had just received my bachelor’s degree, graduating with honors ______ working two jobs and being a wife and mother. My ______ and five-year-old son were in the audience when I walked onto the stage at Ashland University to get my diploma. I was so excited and ______ to be starting a teaching career and contributing more to my family’s well-being.
But when I got back home that evening, there was a ______ from my husband. It basically said he’d come to get his clothes and wouldn’t be ______. We’d been having trouble, but the finality of that note still came as a shock. He had ______ our bank account. We were horribly in debt. I had ______ my previous jobs in expectation of interviewing for a teaching position. ______, I was eight months pregnant.
Most young women have an______ picture of the happy-go-lucky life they’re going to live. But no one ever sits you down and says that’s not ______ and sometimes life is just extremely ugly. It all caved in for me that night. I was embarrassed, scared, and angry and felt I had ______ .
But I had my son, and I was about to bring a new life into the world, so despite my deep______ , I had to go on. The next morning, I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took a deep breath, prepared breakfast, and basically did ______ I always did. I used my ______ to keep me moving. After being in the military for six years, I guess you can say I fell back on my training, like all good ______ do in tough situations.
And in the past seven years, I’ve continued moving ______. I got a job as a kindergarten teacher, earned a master’s degree in education, and ______ my babies grow to twelve and seven. I certainly would never have chosen to ______ them through this, but in review, I’m glad it happened to me when it did. It helped me to ______ my voice and myself a lot sooner. It helped me ______ independent, and confident — things I’m hopefully implanting(灌输) now in my children.
A．through B．for C．by D．despite
A．parents B．daughter C．husband D．family
A．pleasant B．proud C．surprised D．worried
A．letter B．message C．note D．mail
A．out B．off C．back D．away
A．emptied B．stolen C．opened D．erased
A．obtained B．quitted C．offered D．found
A．Thus B．Therefore C．Nevertheless D．Moreover
A．impressive B．ideal C．exciting D．intelligent
A．reality B．practice C．possibility D．fact
A．died B．declined C．failed D．finished
A．sympathy B．feeling C．love D．sadness
A．something B．anything C．nothing D．everything
A．routine B．rule C．mind D．story
A．workers B．soldiers C．teachers D．mothers
A．backward B．downward C．forward D．outward
A．saw B．watched C．noticed D．found
A．look B．let C．break D．put
A．find B．lose C．lower D．raise
A．stay B．grow C．remain D．keep
Sometimes a step-parent has to take a step back. When I was thirty-five, I met my husband and came to ______ his kids, aged 10 and 7. We ______ playing basketball and shopping for cartoon books and became great friends. Then I got ______.
In most ______ ,stepkids live with their mom and stepdad. This makes our case quite ______ . Four years into our marriage, after going between their mom’s place and ours, the boys______ in with us full-time.
I was ______ a part-time friend, so everything changed. For example, ______ the kids to help didn’t appear an important thing before, but now they became unwilling. Once, after I’d asked my elder stepson to set the table, he ______ said, “You’re not my mother; I don’t have to ______ you.”
It was ______ but I realized it was about keeping ______ clear in our new family life. I told him he was right—I wasn’t his mom; I was another person in his life who ______ him, and we needed to get things done ______ .
______ in a life-in situation, a step-parent isn’t the parent. You help with everything and ______ lots of hugs and laughs. But you also have to learn to stand in the ______ . For example, when there were only enough ______ for Mom and Dad to sit up front, I sat in back. It was hurtful, but I realized it wasn’t personal.
Today, my stepsons know where to find me, whether it’s for long chats or a(n) ______ e-mail to say hi. And I know where to find them. The caring is surely there, even if the ______ isn’t.
A．know B．teach C．understand D．instruct
A．passed time B．agreed on C．had fun D．set about
A．convinced B．separated C．changed D．married
A．places B．ways C．cases D．families
A．unusual B．similar C．positive D．difficult
A．came B．moved C．got D．ran
A．as well B．just now C．once again D．no longer
A．allowing B．getting C．advising D．inviting
A．quietly B．suddenly C．simply D．immediately
A．work for B．listen to C．stay with D．focus on
A．selfish B．impolite C．reasonable D．painful
A．roles B．duties C．quarrels D．records
A．supported B．envied C．loved D．bothered
A．properly B．together C．already D．easily
A．Still B．Even C．Also D．Then
A．have B．expect C．avoid D．share
A．shadows B．positions C．shelters D．sufferings
A．spots B．beds C．chairs D．tickets
A．special B．extra C．quick D．private
A．bloodline B．influence C．comfort D．respect
It was a cold and windy fall day. I, a fourth-grade pupil, jumped out of the car. “Bye Mom! ” I yelled as she ______ away. I ran in the front doors and saw my friends waiting for me. We started to walk down the ______ to our classroom. The hallway was so loud as usual and you could ______ hear yourself think. My friend Casey said to me “Erin, your shoelace is ______. ” “I will tie it when we get in the classroom, thanks though. ” I replied. Well, I was ______.
We were still walking to our class and my friend Jenny was telling us ______. As we were walking and laughing I stepped on my shoelace and ______ on my face. ”Are you okay Erin? ” my friends asked me. Well, I wasn’t because I had a bloody nose and blood ______ on my uniform. I looked up from the floor and I saw everyone was staring at me. I ______ and tied my shoelace, put my backpack back on my back, and ran to my classroom. I didn’t ______ anything to my friends. I put my stuff at my desk when I got in the classroom, got a ______ for my nose, and went up to the teacher and asked for a nurse’s pass to get my nose ______ up. When I left the teacher, I saw my friends. I walked ______ by because I didn’t say anything to them. They were laughing and I thought they were laughing at me so I didn’t talk to them for the rest of the ______.
During lunch they came up to me and asked “So how is your ______? ” “Fine! ” I yelled, “I saw you laughing at me when I was on my way to the ______. ” “We weren’t laughing at you. Jenny told another joke. ” My friends said. “Well, I was ______ at you because I thought you were laughing at me. I’m sorry, do you guys ______ me? ” “Yes, we forgive you. But next time you should ask us ______ you assume something. ” My friends said. “OK guys, want to play soccer? ” I asked, “Sure! ” they said and then we went outside to ______ the soccer ball happily.
A．drove B．walked C．flew D．went
A．road B．hallway C．front door D．path
A．properly B．relatively C．ridiculously D．barely
A．unfitted B．unbearable C．untied D．uncomfortable
A．wrong B．upset C．vain D．sure
A．stories B．jokes C．lies D．facts
A．lay B．slided C．fell D．stood
A．attached B．stuck C．flashed D．got
A．got up B．turned up C．showed up D．took up
A．demand B．tell C．say D．do
A．backpack B．shoelace C．uniform D．tissue
A．bandaged B．cleaned C．washed D．wounded
A．directly B．brilliantly C．elegantly D．cautiously
A．day B．morning C．afternoon D．fall
A．face B．pass C．nose D．foot
A．teacher B．nurse C．classroom D．office
A．mad B．exhausted C．dissatisfied D．rude
A．swear B．punish C．evaluate D．forgive
A．until B．before C．if D．unless
A．squeeze B．seize C．kick D．play