"What's the meaning of life？" This is a question we all ask（1） at one point or another． The best answer that I came across was written by the great psychologist， Viktor Frankl． He wrote that "The meaning of life is to give life meaning"．
When I was a young boy， I gave my life meaning by（2） playing， running， jumping， swimming， laughing and riding my bike．
When I went to school， I gave my life meaning by learning， studying hard， getting good grades and trying to make my mom and dad （3） ．
When I was a teenager， I found meaning in playing sports， （4） out with my friends and trying to impress girls．
In college， I found my life meaning by deciding what I wanted to study and what career（职业） I would （5） for．
When I was working as a teacher， I found meaning in helping to open young minds to new （6） and old wisdom．
When I married and had kids， I found meaning in protecting and watching over those I loved． When I found out （7） of my sons were mentally handicapped（智障）， I found meaning in loving them， （8） them and learning so much from them about life， love， patience， faith and joy．
（9） I grew older， I began to understand meaning isn't something that comes and goes． We can give meaning to every moment of our life． We can bring meaning to the thoughts we have． We can bring meaning to the things we do． We can bring meaning to the hearts we （10） ． All we have to do is to love．
It is love that makes life worth living． It is love that gives life meaning．
（1）A． ourselves |
B． ours |
C． us |
（2）A． exactly |
B． simply |
C． widely |
（3）A． wise |
B． serious |
C． proud |
（4）A． hanging |
B． bringing |
C． giving |
（5）A． provide |
B． prepare |
C． cheer |
（6）A． ideas |
B． advice |
C． promises |
（7）A． neither |
B． either |
C． both |
（8）A． growing up |
B． caring for |
C． taking after |
（9）A． As |
B． Unless |
C． Since |
（10）A． feel |
B． touch |
C． beat |
One afternoon a few months after Tom and I were married． Max walked into the dining room， where I was looking through my old photos．
These months I was learning to let Max come （1） on his own． If I moved too quickly， he ran away． If I was（2） ， we often ended up playing， laughing， and recently， even sitting together on the sofa with a book．
"Who' s that？" he pointed to one photo．
"My mom． I suppose she is your（3） Sylvia．"
"Cool． Who is that to me？"
"That was my grandfather． He died a few months ago．"
"Hmm． Too bad he had to die．"
Death is always a painful（4） ，especially for a seven﹣year﹣old child who'd lost his mother only two years before． I secretly put away the pictures of（5） relatives．
He began to finger through the photos． "Who is that to me？
Under his finger I could see my own face． I should have known the answer to his（6） question． But I said， "I'm your（7） mom． I' m sorry that your first mom died．"
"What should I call you？" he asked．
Mom， I wanted to cry． I held back．
"You can call me Mom or Betsy． （8） feels OK for you．"
I waited， expecting a pronouncement of my new（9） ．
"Sweet，" he said， walking out of the room．
For a couple of days afterward， Max （10） a new title for me． "Can we go bowling？" "Can I watch TV？" he'd ask， and then（11） the questions by mouthing the word Mom． Mom was always（12） ．
One weekend， he suddenly said， "I notice I don't call you Mom．"
"I noticed that too．"
"（13） I say Betsy， I mean Mom． Moms die， you know． I think it's maybe（14） if you' re just Betsy．"
Tears（眼泪） were filling my eyes．
"Hey， Betsy？"
"Yeah，" I said， taking pleasure in the new （15） of my old name．
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（1）A． down |
B． near |
C． close |
D． back |
|
（2）A． kind |
B． patient |
C． helpful |
D． confident |
|
（3）A． grandmother |
B． mother |
C． aunt |
D． cousin |
|
（4）A． subject |
B． speech |
C． message |
D． sign |
|
（5）A． dead |
B． boring |
C． unknown |
D． strict |
|
（6）A． simple |
B． proper |
C． stupid |
D． funny |
|
（7）A． natural |
B． past |
C． only |
D． second |
|
（8）A． Whoever |
B． Whatever |
C． That |
D． Anybody |
|
（9）A． position |
B． name |
C． title |
D． call |
|
（10）A． worked out |
B． turned out |
C． carried out |
D． tried out |
|
（11）A． answer |
B． follow |
C． confirm |
D． raise |
|
（12）A． alive |
B． wise |
C． silent |
D． lost |
|
（13）A． Until |
B． Before |
C． When |
D． Unless |
|
（14）A． politer |
B． safer |
C． sadder |
D． riskier |
|
（15）A． pronunciation |
B． announcement |
C． voice |
D． sound |
Over 2，000 years ago， in China，there lived a boy called Confucius． When he was o（1） three， his father died． His mother was very poor． In those days people had to pay to go to school and his mother did not have enough m（2） to send him．
As Confucius grew up he wanted to learn things． So he d（3） to teach himself．Unfortunately he was a strange﹣looking boy． The other children pointed and made fun of him． They called him names and laughed at him． Confucius got very upset， but he was a kind gentle boy and did not fight b（4） ．
Confucius did not play with other children． He went off to talk to holy men in the temple and learned from them． He t（5） to artists and musicians and learned from them． If he tried to do something difficult， he kept trying over and over again u（6） he learned how to do it． In this way the boy taught himself to read and w（7） and learned lots of interesting things． Confucius grew up to be a very c（8） man．
When he was a man， Confucius became the ruler of the city of Changtu． People were very h（9） when he was their leader． He used his abilities and skills in a w（10） way．
People sometimes call him the greatest man who ever lived． We still remember many of his sayings today．
I first met 8﹣year﹣old Katy on a rainy afternoon． I was a（1） at a hospital． The clerk at the desk told me about Katy． She was there because she felt a lot of（2） ． The doctors found a problem at the base of her brain． I knew she was（3） ，even before she got better．
When I entered Katy's room， she was not in her bed．（4） Katy did not feel well， she was playing with Tommy， a little boy． It took a lot of（5） for her just to sit in the chair． But she played with Tommy because it made him（6） ．
Katy was always smiling and never appeared to be in pain． She（7） to just lie in bed． One day I found her painting a picture． Later， she gave it to one of the older patients． Another day she went outside to（8） flowers for another sick little girl． Katy made（9） smile．
The doctors（10） to solve the problem in Katy's brain， The operation was successful! The doctors informed the hospital staff of the good news． Katy was fine． She soon felt（11） ． Then she was able to（12） the hospital a month later．
I have had a long career as a nurse． I have met many patients．（13） ， I have never met another girl like Katy． Even after she got well， she still came to the hospital． She played various games with the young patients． She read many books to the（14） patients． Katy's kind heart helped her get better so（15） ． She is a hero to me and everyone else at the hospital．
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（1）A． nurse |
B． waiter |
C． doctor |
D． patient |
|
（2）A． fun |
B． need |
C． pain |
D． pity |
|
（3）A． silly |
B． shy |
C． sorry |
D． special |
|
（4）A． Because |
B． Until |
C． Though |
D． After |
|
（5）A． courses |
B． effort |
C． place |
D． notes |
|
（6）A．proud |
B．lonely |
C．mad |
D．happy |
|
（7）A． agreed |
B． refused |
C． decided |
D． failed |
|
（8）A． sell |
B． smell |
C． get |
D． grow |
|
（9）A． everyone |
B． nobody |
C． someone |
D． none |
|
（10）A． afforded |
B． hated |
C． regretted |
D． hurried |
|
（11）A． better |
B． worse |
C． quieter |
D． sadder |
|
（12）A． find |
B． leave |
C． reach |
D． forget |
|
（13）A． Instead |
B． Besides |
C． Therefore |
D． However |
|
（14）A． nice |
B． old |
C． smart |
D． crazy |
|
（15）A． slowly |
B． widely |
C． quickly |
D． lately |
You may think that English dictionaries have been used for many， many centuries． The spelling of English has always been a problem， but it was more of a problem in the days before a dictionary． In those days people spelt words in different ways which you might find interesting． But it made reading English much more difficult． So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same． In fact， an English dictionary like the kind you use today wasn't made until the time of the Qing Dynasty．
The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary， or OED for short． The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857． Twenty﹣two years later， Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary．
Murray had not been to college． At the age of fourteen， he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank． Later he became a great teacher． After Oxford gave him the job， Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work． Part of it was one metre underground． In winter he had to wear a heavy coat and put his feet in a box to keep warm． Every morning， Murray got out of bed at five o'clock and worked several hours before breakfast． Often he would work by candle light into the evening．
Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years． But after five years， he was still adding words for the letter A! Then others went to work with Murray， and his two daughters were among them． He worked on the dictionary until he was very old． Forty﹣four years later， in 1928， other editors finished it． It had more than 15，000words in twelve books． And you thought your English dictionary was big!
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Notes on James Murray's life |
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Murray's early life |
Born in Scotland． He left school at 14and became a（1） worker， later a great teacher． |
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Murray's work on OED |
He became the editor of OED in the year（2） ． His working（3） were bad： ﹣he worked in a part﹣underground place in the garden（4） his house ﹣in winter it was terribly cold there ﹣he often worked by candle light into the evening The time he spent on OED was much（5） than expected． Later others and his two daughters（6） him． |
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Other information． |
OED was finished in the year 1928． It had over 15，000（7） in twelve books． It is the（8） dictionary in the world． Thanks to it， people can （9） in the same way． For Murray， working on a dictionary wasn't only a （10） ； it was a wonderful journey． |
Donnie Darko is a fantastic film． It's a dark comedy， which is sometimes funny and sometimes frightening．
The film（1） （set） in an American town． One night， Donnie Darko， who is a teenager， meets a frightening man（2） （dress） as a rabbit． When a plane crashes into Donnie's house， the man saves his life and then tells him that his enemies plan（3） （end） the world in 26days． The film is about the next 26days． It's a teenage love story， a thriller， a science fiction film， and a comedy， all in one film．
Donnie Darko was written and directed by Richard Kelly， who（4） （be） only 25when he made it． It（5） （win） plenty of film awards so far， but no Oscars． The music is really good， and it（6） （include） 1980s pop songs． Watch this film now and see what you think of it．