Farmers,as we all know,have been having a hard time of it lately,and have turned
to new ways of earning income from their land.This involves not only planting new kinds of crops,but some__55 ways of making money,the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing.Yes,you heard me__56 !A farmer now holds sheep races on a regular basis,and during the past year over 100,000 people have __57 to watch the race.“I was passing the farm on my way to the sea for a holiday,"one punter (赛马经纪人)told me,“and I thought I'd have a look.I didn't believe it was serious to tell you the truth."According to a regular visitor,betting on sheep is more interesting than betting on horses.“At proper horse races everyone has already studied the form of the horse __58 ,and there are clear favourites. __59 nobody has heard anything about these _60 !Most people find it difficult to tell one from another in any
case."I stayed to watch the races,and I must admit that I found it quite__61 . In
a usual sheep race,half a dozen sheep race down hill over a course of about half a mile.Food is waiting for them at the other end of the__62 just to give them so
me encouragement,I ought to add!The sheep run surprisingly fast，__63 they have probably not eaten for a while.Anyway,the crowd around me were obviously enjoying
heir day out at the races, __64 by their happy faces and the sense of excitement.
55.A. common B. strange C. swift D. illegal
56.A. honestly B. surprisingly C. completely D. correctly
57.A. showed off B. brought up C. turned up D. looked forward
58.A. behind time B. in progress C. in advance D. in time
59.A. But B. Therefore C. Moreover D. Otherwise
60.A.horses B. sheep C. races D. stories
61.A.exciting B. dangerous C. boring D. peculiar
62.A.race B. hill C. track D. field
63.A.if B. so C. yet D. although
64.A.observing B. judging C. considering D. inferring
A few weeks ago，our dog，which we had kept for more than ten years，had to be put down.First，a tumor on her stomach got worse，and she was very ____.Then，the pain in her back got so bad that sometimes she ___ lie down in the middle of a walk and couldn't take another ____.
When I first found out，I was very sad and cried a lot.She was more like a sister to me than a ___.But I was also angry at my stepfather，Steve，who told us the ___ a week after it happened.He ____ because he didn't want to worry us，and he didn't want me to get depressed (抑郁的)and fail my exams.I just thought she was ____ at the animals' hospital.
I think you know all the ____ that went through my head：She was my dog！Why didn't he tell us earlier？I didn't even get to say goodbye.
People in my family have a ____ of keeping things from me to protect me，such as only telling me that my aunt had cancer ____ she had already improved.All I could think was：Not again!
I ____ to my mum，and she said，“I know.I'm ____，too.”I opened my mouth to shout.And then she added，“I'm so angry with Steve that he had to ____ through all this on his own.”Hearing my mum's words，I shut up my mouth.I had been so ____ on myself.I hadn't thought about ____ Steve was going through.That dog was his baby.He'd had her for longer than he'd had us—and he had to make the decision to ____ her life，and then kept in silence for an entire ____.All my anger melted away，and all I felt was ____.
It makes me realize that we focus so much on ourselves that we ____ the pain of others.At that moment，my mum's words were an incredible ____ that I'll never forget.
A．lazy B．lonely C．painful D．shameful
A．would B．should C．might D．could
A．walk B．step C．foot D．breath
A．tool B．toy C．baby D．pet
A．plan B．accident C．anecdote D．truth
A．lied B．waited C．reflected D．hesitated
A．still B．once C．even D．never
A．facts B．opinions C．thoughts D．doubts
A．story B．secret C．habit D．hobby
A．until B．before C．while D．after
A．adjusted B．turned C．contributed D．related
A．angry B．shocked C．guilty D．abused
A．break B．go C．look D．push
A．focused B．hooked C．dependent D．hard
A．that B．where C．what D．which
A．save B．expand C．make D．end
A．year B．month C．week D．day
A．regret B．blame C．sorrow D．sympathy
A．shared B．ignored C．reminded D．rid
A．comfort B．compromise C．gift D．suggestion
An acrobatic(杂技的) master performed a tightrope(绷紧的钢丝) walk between two mountains, which attracted thousands of people.
When the ____ started, he went to one end of the tightrope, ____ straight at the goal ahead, with open arms, walking slowly step by step to the opposite side of the mountain. Immediately, the audience ____ loud applause.
“If my hands dare tied, do you believe I can ____？” he asked the audience.
____， some people didn't believe, but in order to know the ___， they said, “We believe you！”
Then, he had his hands tied with a rope and walked past ____.
He looked around and said, “If I'm blindfolded(蒙着眼睛的) with my hands tied, do you ____ believe I can go past？”
This time, the people said without ____， “We believe you！”
In this way, his eyes were ____ with a black cloth. He moved slowly to the tightrope and walked along it inch by inch. This time, he went past once again. The audience burst into ____.
Then, he ____ a child and asked all the people, “If I put him on my shoulders ___ I'm blindfolded with my hands tied as well, do you still believe I can make it？”
All the people replied before ____， “We believe you！”
“I ask you again. Do you really believe me？”
“Yes, we believe you completely！”
Then, he said, “Well then, since you believe me, ____ my child with yours. Who will？”
All of a sudden, the audience fell ____. The silence lasted for nearly ten minutes.
After ten minutes, the acrobatic master said nothing, just put the child on his shoulders and walked past along the tightrope. Sure enough, this time he ____ once more.
Faced with things far from their own ____， people can often make judgments easily and quickly, but once involved in(牵涉) it, most of people “cannot ____ it clearly”. Only those who are really confident, like the master in the tightrope walk, can stay ____ at any time.
A．talent B．play C．program D．show
A．stepping B．staring C．wandering D．pointing
A．broke into B．came into C．gave off D．sent off
A．get through B．walk down C．go across D．pass around
A．Finally B．Actually C．Hopefully D．Especially
A．result B．experience C．challenge D．trick
A．slightly B．luckily C．smoothly D．nervously
A．even B．just C．always D．still
A．difficulty B．hesitation C．concern D．mercy
A．blocked B．hidden C．covered D．equipped
A．cheers B．joy C．tears D．laughter
A．chose B．supported C．pushed D．held
A．till B．before C．while D．since
A．arguing B．thinking C．refusing D．wondering
A．exchange B．compare C．take D．treat
A．silent B．noisy C．doubtful D．anxious
A．won B．walked C．acted D．succeeded
A．children B．fears C．interests D．performances
A．sense B．see C．understand D．realize
A．awake B．encouraged C．patient D．focused
Annie, a neighbor's daughter, was away for her first semester at college this school year. She is a very sweet girl but just a bit shy. When her birthday came around, I found out she was feeling a bit ___.
Her family is quite poor and ____ are tight, so there wouldn't be any birthday visitors. I wanted to ____ her a card and maybe a small gift to ____ her day a bit. I got her school ____ from her mom and planned to pick something up. Then I got a(n) ____！
I ____ perhaps a bit more birthday cheer was needed here. I bought some balloons, birthday hats, and ____ novelties(新颖小巧而价廉的物品) at a store. I took a small ____ and asked three other people in my area at work to ____ “Happy Birthday” and send some birthday wishes to her. It was such fun making the recording! Other people ____ what we were doing and ___ their voices, so it really sounded like we had a party going on!
Then I bought her a small present and a card as ____ planned. The real fun was packing them to be sent. I ____ everything so it was like opening a mini birthday party! At the last minute I added a pack of cupcakes and a box of birthday candles ___ sending them off. I got a call a few days later. Annie said her roommates and one of their neighbors in the ____ got together with her and held a party for her the moment they arrived. She sounded so ____ and I was so glad that she had some friends to ____ her special day with.
It was such an easy and ____ thing to do. The people who helped me make the tape still laugh and talk about it. And Annie ____ me it was the most fun birthday she would remember!
A．lonely B．nervous C．alone D．worried
A．thoughts B．finances C．measures D．times
A．provide B．sell C．send D．draw
A．attract B．remember C．describe D．brighten
A．number B．campus C．address D．report
A．idea B．surprise C．chance D．message
A．decided B．thought C．wished D．concluded
A．another B．others C．other D．one
A．radio B．camera C．recorder D．phone
A．say B．sing C．repeat D．make
A．took out B．set out C．gave out D．found out
A．added B．devoted C．cleared D．lifted
A．suddenly B．originally C．finally D．carefully
A．collected B．paid C．arranged D．expected
A．until B．after C．unless D．before
A．dormitory B．home C．classroom D．office
A．familiar B．happy C．wonderful D．upset
A．help B．compare C．share D．witness
A．funny B．challenging C．fun D．timeconsuming
A．warned B．convinced C．advised D．told
Jobs and work do much more than most of us realize to provide happiness and contentment.We're all used to thinking that work provides the material things of life—the goods and services that make our modern civilization possible.But we are much less conscious of the degree to which work provides the more important psychological wellbeing that can make the difference between a full and an empty life.
Historically，work has been associated with slavery and sin (罪恶)and punishment.And in our own day we are used to bearing traditional complaints.Against this background，it may well come as a surprise to learn that not only psychologists but other behavioral scientists have come to accept the positive contribution of work to the individual's happiness and sense of personal achievement.Work is more than a necessity for most human beings；it is the focus of their lives，the source of their identity and creativity.
Rather than a punishment of a burden，work is the opportunity to realize one's potential.And the opposite is true，too.For large numbers of people，the absence of work is harmful to their health.Retirement often brings many problems surrounding the “What do I do with myself？”question，even though there may be no financial cares.Large numbers of people regularly get headaches and other illnesses on weekends when they don't have their jobs to go to，and must take care of themselves.It has been observed that unemployment，quite apart from financial pressures，brings enormous psychological troubles and that many individuals'conditions become worse rapidly when jobless.
But why？Why should work be such a significant source of human satisfaction？A good share of the answer rests in the kind of pride that is stimulated by the job，by the activity of accomplishing.
Which of the following statements can NOT be learned from the passage?
A．People feel happier and more content than they realize when working. B．Work is likely to provide you with the chance of achieving your potential. C．Happiness can only be gained through working. D．A lot of people will suffer physically and psychologically without work.
A．work is related to negative aspects B．happiness has nothing to do with work C．identity and creativity depend on work D．work is not only a necessity for humans but the focus of their lives
A．What the proper way to balance work and life is. B．How work brings people pride in accomplishment. C．Which is more important：the material things of life or psychological wellbeing. D．How people overcome the problems arising from retirement.
A．Doubtful. B．Concerned. C．Approving. D．Neutral.
When I entered Berkeley College, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a straight A student, I believed I could ____ tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he ____ in class.
When I took the first exam, I was ____ to find a 77, Cplus, on my test paper, ____ English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained ____.
I decided to try harder, although I didn't know what that ____ because study had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I ____ with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn't change his ____.
One more test before the final exam. One more ___ to improve my grades. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time, ____ the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my ____ did no good and everything ____ as before.
The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what ____ I got, it wouldn't cancel Cpluses. I might as well kiss the ___ goodbye.
I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even ___ myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once not to ____ much about the result of the test.
A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into Professor Jayne's office. He ____ to be expecting me. “If I had given you the Apluses you ____， you wouldn't have continued to work as hard.”
I stared at him, ____ that his analysis and strategy(策略) were correct. I had worked my head ____， as I had never done before.
I was speechless when my course grade arrived：Aplus. It was the only Aplus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I've always remembered Professor Jayne's lesson：you alone must set your own standard of excellence.
A．take B．discuss C．cover D．get
A．sought B．presented C．exchanged D．obtained
A．shocked B．worried C．scared D．anxious
A．but B．so C．for D．or
A．unchanged B．unpleasant C．unfriendly D．unmoved
A．reflected B．meant C．improved D．affected
A．quarreled B．reasoned C．bargained D．concerned
A．attitude B．mind C．plan D．view
A．choice B．step C．chance D．measure
A．memorized B．considered C．accepted D．learned
A．ambition B．confidence C．efforts D．methods
A．stayed B．went C．worked D．changed
A．grade B．answer C．lesson D．comment
A．scholarship B．course C．degree D．subject
A．helped B．favored C．treated D．relaxed
A．care B．ask C．cheat D．produce
A．happened B．proved C．pretended D．seemed
A．valued B．imagined C．expected D．welcomed
A．remembering B．guessing C．supposing D．realizing
A．out B．over C．on D．off
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