I was a publishing director and was looking forward to embracing a new day of work, as always，that morning．
I would always turn to the crossword, but that day it didn't 31 I'd been doing it for 30 odd years, but trying to read this one was like treading through syrup（糖浆）: 32 slow and hard． I thought I must be tired． I said to my assistant． The 33 colleague contacted my wife, Beth, and she drove me straight to hospital． There, confirmation came that I'd had a stroke in the part of my brain that 34 communication． I was now in a condition that means it's difficult or 35 to receive and produce language． It was the only time I 36 ．
I was back at home a week later, and my goal was to get better and 37 Work in a couple of months． The way to 38 my language ability was rough． I'd look at simple pictures and try to describe them as my mind 39 round and round in the darkness, looking for words．
As the months passed it became 40 that I wasn't going to be able to go back to my old job． For 25 years, I had 41 myself as a publisher． I was used to a busy day of meetings． I enjoyed colleagues and the 42 I'd had． I didn’t feel ready to say goodbye to my old self． There were times when I felt incredibly 43 ．
In the darkest months, I devoted myself to 44 ． I couldn't manage novels or newspapers, 45 I tried reading poetry, and found the shorter lines less overwhelming． My speech came back, and I learned how to read again, though much more slowly． I also learned the 46 to keep up． I allowed myself to slow down, and started to enjoy it．
47 , I rid of my old skin． I grieved the past, its passing and its absence, and started to 48 it． Now, 10 years later, I look after my grandson a day a week, and my relationship with my family is deeper than ever． If you'd asked me 15 years ago to 49 the importance of the things in my life I might have said work, but now I'm no longer a high-achieving publisher． I'm a 50 man．
A．wear off B．make any sense C．count up D．pay off
A．temporarily B．scarcely C．incredibly D．savagely
A．curious B．reserved C．rigid D．concerned
A．calls for B．deals with C．suffers from D．responds to
A．practical B．absurd C．impossible D．innocent
A．prayed B．cried C．failed D．withdrew
A．contribute to B．agree to C．return to D．appeal to
A．obtaining B．rebuilding C．revealing D．improving
A．slipped B．doubted C．wandered D．reckoned
A．messy B．flexible C．straightforward D．self-evident
A．informed B．estimated C．reflected D．defined
A．extinction B．reward C．agenda D．status
A．angry B．acute C．prejudiced D．merciless
A．speaking B．trying C．writing D．managing
A．since B．until C．SO D．as
A．favor B．patience C．coincidence D．comfort
A．Gradually B．Hopefully C．Narrowly D．Annually
A．keep up with B．come to terms with C．get around to D．live up to
A．arrange B．compare C．rank D．declare
A．genius B．community C．dignity D．family
The Town of Pressure and the Town of Pleasure were neighbors but had nothing in common. People built walls to influence from the other town.
In Pressure, tried to be the very best. When women gave birth, they would compete（竞争） to have the baby with the cry. There was competition in every side of life. Because was the index (指数) of success, people were busy making money, with for relaxation. Some young people couldn’t stand it and resorted to drink or drugs to escape.
, over in Pleasure, the motto was “As long as you like it, do it.” People grew up without and do anything they liked. Children played computer games day and night. At school, teachers didn’t whether students appear or not. Workers might sit around the office drinking coffee and doing nothing. rules, nobody worried about losing their jobs. It was that is of great importance. No one had the thought of moving , either for themselves or for the town. The computers they used were models from Pressure.
Some of the young take drugs because of the of their lives. Then, people in the two towns began asking themselves, “What is for?” But, just before life in the two towns completely , there came a saint – Mr. Reason. He went from door to door, talking with people and giving advice. People in Pressure learnt to be with what they had, while people in Pleasure began to make plans. They the walls between them and built a road to connect the two. The towns’ people came to realize the truth—there is no distant space between Pressure and Pleasure if they don’t go to extremes(极端).
A．connect B．keep C．keep out D．protect
A．everyone B．anyone C．nobody D．somebody
A．saddest B．easiest C．loudest D．poorest
A．health B．joy C．children D．wealth
A．rarely B．always C．hardly D．sometimes
A．much time B．no reason C．many reasons D．no time
A．Meanwhile B．Otherwise C．Unfortunately D．Similarly
A．pleasure B．pressure C．work D．happiness
A．must B．need C．could D．should
A．know B．find C．recognize D．care
A．in the morning B．in the evening C．all day long D．in the afternoon
A．Without B．With C．Referring to D．According to
A．money B．time C．pleasure D．pressure
A．backward B．forward C．about D．away
A．the old B．the new C．the best D．the same
A．anxiousness B．homelessness C．happiness D．meaninglessness
A．pressure B．life C．pleasure D．money
A．improved B．failed C．succeeded D．lived
A．satisfied B．surprised C．patient D．angry
A．put up B．put down C．pulled down D．set up
I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was and ill.
My father was once a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is . One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started talking about life, and I told them about one of my . I said that we must very often give things up we grow — our youth, our beauty, and our friends — but it always that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn't think of anything to say. , he answered his own question: “I gained the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.
I was also by his words. After that，when I began to feel irritated（愤怒的）at someone, I remember his words and become calm. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be to give up my small irritations. In this way, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.
Sometimes I what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one .
A．Afterwards B．Therefore C．However D．Besides
A．tired B．poor C．weak D．slow
A．took B．threw C．sent D．put
A．impossible B．difficult C．hopeful D．hopeless
A．decisions B．experiences C．suggestions D．beliefs
A．as B．since C．before D．till
A．seems B．promises C．suggests D．requires
A．cheered B．turned C．spoke D．opened
A．something B．everything C．nothing D．anything
A．Surprisingly B．Immediately C．Naturally D．Certainly
A．moved B．amazed C．attracted D．warned
A．should B．could C．would D．might
A．ready B．able C．free D．likely
A．doubt B．wonder C．know D．guess
A．prize B．word C．experience D．gift
Each spring brings a new blossom（开花） of wildflowers in the ditches (路沟) along the highway I travel daily to work.
There is one blue flower that has always my eye. I’ve noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours, and the afternoon sun is too warm it. Every day for approximately two weeks, I see those beautiful .
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look out of the window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look in that bed alongside wildflowers.
Everyday I drove the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them.” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes ...” Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband gave me a folding shovel(铁锹) one year to be used for that purpose.
One day on my way home from work, I was to see that the highway department had moved the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, “Way to go, you too long. You it when you first saw them blooming this spring.”
A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor(脑瘤晚期). She is 20 years older than my husband and , because of age and distance, we haven’t been as as we all would have liked.
I had to see the between the pretty blue flowers and the between my husband’s sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some valuable that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet (打赌）I'll stop and them to my wildflower garden
A．sweet B．interesting C．different D．particular
A．fascinated B．struck C．caught D．charm
A．for B． to C．with D．on
A．plants B．flowers C．ones D．wilds
A．open B．main hall C．front D．kitchen
A．great B．well C．horrible D．ugly
A．many B．various C．other D．colorful
A．passed B．past C．pass D．pasted
A．damaged B．ready C．dirty D．smelly
A．Ever B．once C．Never D．even
A．obvious B．temporary C．unfinished D．last
A．annoying B．saddened C．interested D．helpless
A．wasted B．ignored C．thought D．waited
A．would have done B．need have done C．should have done D．muse have done
A．unconsciously B．fortunately C．unfortunately D．consciously
A．close B．closely C．closed D．near
A．connection B．difference C．meaning D．significance
A．friendship B．relationship C．support D．relative
A．trees B．memories C．species D．roses
A．dig B．rescue C．transmit D．transplant(移植）
Charlie came from a poor village. His parents had __ _ money to send him to school when he was young. The boy was very sad. Mr. King lived next to him. He found the boy ___ _and had pity on him and lent some money to him. So the boy could go to school. He studied hard and ____ _ all his lessons. When he finished middle school, the man introduced him to his friend in the town. And he began to work.
Once Mr. King was seriously hurt in an accident. Dying, he asked Charlie to take care of his daughter, Sharon. The young man ___ _ and several years later he married the girl. He loved her very much and tried his best to make her happy. He often bought beautiful clothes and delicious food for her. He was good at cooking and he cooked ___ _ for her. So she became very fat and she felt it difficult to walk. And one day she found there was something wrong with her heart. Her husband wasn’t at home and she had to go to ___ _ at once. The doctors looked her over and told her __ _ eat meat, sugar, chocolate and things like these. She was afraid ____ _ the doctor’s words and wrote all the names of the food on the paper. When she got home, she put the list on the table and ___ _. When she returned home that afternoon, she found many kinds of food: meat, sugar and chocolate in the kitchen. Charlie was busy ____ _ there. As soon as he saw her, he said happily, “I’ve bought all the food you like, dear!”
A．no B．some C．much D．enough
A．lazy B．clever C．careful D．hard
A．did well in B．was poor at C．was working D．was good for
A．was angry B．thought hard C．agreed D．said “No.”
A．a little B．a few C．many D．a lot
A．rest B．sleep C．hospital D．work
A．should B．would C．to D．not to
A．to remember B．to forget C．to catch D．to teach
A．slept B．went out C．cooked D．ate
A．reading B．seeing C．cooking D．writing
It was the first morning of the New Year and the weather was very cold. I have always been an early bird and my morning walks have been the for the last 7 years, so I put on my shoes to for my first walk of the New Year.
There was complete outside. Litter could be seen everywhere. It seemed that everyone had an all-night . It was too cold to anyone to be awake to clear all the walkways at 5 in the morning. I was to walk on the dirty walkways and decided to go back home.
I was about to leave I saw Sam cleaning the garden. He is an employee of our society association and is to take care of the walkways and the garden. I walked up to Sam as it was a（n） to see him there cleaning at this time. He saw me and politely me, "Happy New Year!" "How come you are here and doing all this on the very first day of a new year?" I asked. Sam answered , "It is the first day of the year. I do not want people to walk on walkways. It is the first day of the year so they should feel good and special. For me, today is like any other day and my job starts with the ."
It was good to see someone so at heart. Like other staff members, Sam could have taken a day , but he woke up early and came for all of us. I suddenly realized life does not when the clock strikes twelve at midnight and a New Year begins. We all night, drinking and feeding ourselves. Then we leave the place in high spirits, leaving the surroundings dirty. Life goes on and others need to up early and clear the garbage. Isn't the very next morning a new day of a New Year for all those who clear our garbage? Why can't we also keep our clean so that everyone can have a New Year the very next day? It is true that small things can make a big in our lives.
A．manner B．approach C．routine D．access
A．look B．head C．long D．send
A．waste B．freedom C．silence D．absence
A．conclusion B．tradition C．celebration D．pollution
A．order B．expect C．trust D．catch
A．tired B．scared C．puzzled D．bothered
A．because B．though C．unless D．when
A．advised B．designed C．supposed D．determined
A．pleasure B．success C．surprise D．honor
A．advised B．wished C．asked D．congratulated
A．coldly B．hopefully C．partially D．quietly
A．dirty B．narrow C．busy D．cold
A．beginning B．same C．special D．new
A．devoted B．curious C．honest D．polite
A．over B．out C．up . D．off
A．change B．improve C．return D．happen
A．sleep B．party C．work D．clean
A．put B．stay C．wake D．pick
A．surroundings B．conditions C．background D．location
A．decision B．difference C．promise D．suggestion
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