Everyday on the way to work I drive down a street lined with pine trees. One tree in particular 36 my attention. It must have suffered some 37 . Part of its trunk grew nearly parallel to the ground, and then in an effort to 38 its own course of life, the trunk took a 90 degree turn 39 to stand tall and stretch toward the sun.
This tree became a 40 for me. Each day as I drove by, I saw this bent but determined tree and I would be 41 . It was a reminder to me that 42 I may not have had the best start in life, I could change 43 in the parts of my life at any time.
I was planning to stop one day to get a perfect 44 of my kindred-spirit (志趣相同的) tree. But that week I was 45 . After that busy week, I still didn’t take any action. Every time I drove by the tree I would 46 myself, “Tomorrow, I’ll stop tomorrow to take one.” Then one day, as I 47 by “my” tree, I glanced over, and much to my 48 found a sawed-off stump (树桩) where that symbolic tree had stood. Gone. I had 49 my plan until “tomorrow” and tomorrow proved to be too 50 .
A picture of a tree is not of great 51 . But my lesson rang through clearly 52 I found out one of my colleagues had been 53 with stage-four cancer. He may no longer have many 54 .
What have you been putting off? What would you do today if you knew you would 55 have the opportunity to do it again? Why not do those things that you have been putting off until tomorrow?
A.paid B.caught C.fixed D.escaped
A.damage B.influence C.experience D.defeat
A.follow B.design C.change D.imagine
A.applying B.attempting C.happening D.learning
A.shelter B.signal C.sign D.symbol
A.interested B.satisfied C.encouraged D.educated
A.even though B.as if C.in case D.if only
A.purpose B.plan C.habit D.direction
A.glance B.view C.picture D.knowledge
A.busy B.free C.worried D.bored
A.tell B.help C.call D.see
A.wandered B.drove C.rode D.ran
A.surprise B.pleasure C.regret D.happiness
A.taken off B.cut off C.put off D.called off
A.cold B.far C.sunny D.late
A.value B.achievement C.fun D.disappointment
A.when B.before C.because D.unless
A.linked B.combined C.provided D.diagnosed
A.lives B.tomorrows C.lessons D.opportunities
A.surely B.almost C.ever D.never