James’s New Bicycle
James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully __1__ the coins that lay on the bed.
$24.52 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! __2__ on earth was he going to get the __3__ of the money?
He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was __4__ to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. There was no __5__ asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to __6__.
There was only one way to get the money, and that was to __7__ it. He would have to find a job. __8__ who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had __9__ on most things.
“Well, you can start right here,” said Mr. Clay. “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.”
That was the __10__ of James’s odd-job business. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the __11__ of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the __12__ of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the __13__ increased and he knew that he would soon have __14__ for the bicycle he longed for.
The day __15__ came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He __16__ no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode __17__ home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard __18__ for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more __19__ he had bought it with his own money. He had __20__ what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even than the bicycle.
A．cleaned B．covered C．counted D．checked
A．How B．Why C．Who D．What
A．amount B．part C．sum D．rest
A．brave B．hard C．smart D．unfair
A．point B．reason C．result D．right
A．split B．spend C．spare D．save
A．borrow B．earn C．raise D．collect
A．Or B．So C．For D．But
A．decisions B．experience C．opinions D．knowledge
A．beginning B．introduction C．requirement D．opening
A．similarity B．quality C．suitability D．variety
A．brand B．number C．size D．type
A．effort B．pressure C．money D．trouble
A．all B．enough C．much D．some
A．finally B．instantly C．normally D．regularly
A．gave B．left C．took D．wasted
A．patiently B．proudly C．silently D．tiredly
A．applying B．asking C．looking D．working
A．since B．if C．than D．though
A．deserved B．benefited C．achieved D．learned
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. The airline had announced her and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, “I love you. I wish you enough.” She said, “Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad.” They kissed and she left.
He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to . I tried not to interrupt him, but he me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?”
“Yes, I have,” I replied. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?” “I am and she lives much too far away. I have ahead, and the reality is, the next trip back will be for my funeral” he said.
“When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough’. May I ask what that means?”
He began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been for many generations within my family. My parents say it to everyone.”
He paused for a moment, looking up as if trying to remember it , and then he smiled and the following:
“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much .
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough ‘Hellos’ to get you enough the final ‘Good-byes’.”
Then he walked away, leaving me lost in thought.
A．arrival B．regret C．departure D．joy
A．in general B．in public C．in particular D．in turn
A．cry B．rest C．sit down D．talk
A．showed B．led C．took D．welcomed
A．ill B．strong C．old D．brave
A．stories B．challenges C．trips D．jobs
A．handed over B．handed down C．handed in D．handed out
A．ought to B．had to C．used to D．were able to
A．in detail B．in heart C．in memory D．in general
A．talked B．shared C．cried D．declared
A．bigger B．worse C．sweeter D．better
A．success B．gain C．sorrow D．loss
This was my grandmother's first Christmas without grandfather, and before he passed away we had promised grandfather that we would make this her best Christmas ever. When my parents and I at her house, we found she had waited up all night for us. The house did seem a little without grandfather.
Grandfather had always said that the Christmas was the most important decoration of all. So we immediately set to work on the beautiful artificial tree that was stored in grandfather's closet (壁橱). Through our efforts, we finally stepped back to our handiwork. It looked beautiful. something was missing.
"Where' s your star?" I asked.
The star was my grandmother' s favorite part of the tree.
"Why, it be here somewhere," she said, starting to sort through the boxes again. "Your grandfather always everything so carefully when he took the tree down."
As we emptied the boxes and no star, my grandmother's eyes filled with tears. Grandfather had given it to grandmother some fifty years ago on their first Christmas together. It brought them great happiness. Now, on her first Christmas without him, the star was , too.
"Don' t worry, Grandmother," I her. "We'll find it for you."
My mother and I formed a search . "Let' s start in on the closet where the ornaments (装饰品) were," Mother said. "Maybe the star just fell out of the box. "
That sounded , so I began to search the closet. I thought I tried every , but no star. I could see grandmother was , although she tried not to show it.
"What's in this wrapped box?" Mother suddenly called out. "It was at the bottom of father's closet. "
Grandmother took the box in and opened it. Her face when she unfolded the paper and pulled out a golden star. There was a(n) attached.
Don' t be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while packing the decorations, and I couldn't to tell you. Thought it was time for a new one. I hope it brings you as much as the first one. Merry Christmas!
Love,
Bryant
So grandmother's tree had a star after all, a star that expressed their everlasting love for one another. And we were glad we were able to make this Christmas for her.
A．arrived B．looked C．stayed D．worked
A．noisy B．empty C．safe D．clean
A．flower B．bell C．stocking D．tree
A．admire B．repair C．paint D．design
A．Or B．So C．But D．And
A．might B．must C．need D．will
A．packed B．decided C．covered D．searched
A．made B．left C．found D．felt
A．gone B．hidden C．broken D．forgotten
A．warned B．persuaded C．reminded D．comforted
A．game B．class C．company D．party
A．challenging B．reasonable C．pleasant D．difficult
A．suggestion B．direction C．possibility D．method
A．ashamed B．annoyed C．disappointed D．frightened
A．fear B．relief C．anger D．surprise
A．cleared B．brightened C．darkened D．tightened
A．article B．note C．receipt D．poem
A．bear B．afford C．wait D．agree
A．peace B．change C．luck D．joy
A．special B．funny C．relaxing D．favorite
Jay Wilson was my English teacher at Lake Forest High School. It was him realized my potential in writing, and his made me a writer eventually.
He was kind to me, but I had no that he took particular notice of me. There were other kids in the class, and soon I fell back into my usual and thought that I was just a little over average in most things. Near the end of the term, we began to read the play--Macbeth. Believe me, this is not an easy play for high school students to understand, I spent a lot of time reading it. After working till the night before it was due, I wrote a paper about the — the first paper I typed on a typewriter — and turned it the next day.
I got a good on it, and below the grade Mr. Wilson wrote, “Sure you become a writer.” That was it. Those six words were written in his clear and neat handwriting. It was the first time he or anyone had in any way that writing was a option for me. We’d never had any writers in our family line, and we didn’t know any writers personally, even , so writing for a living didn’t seem something to me. But then, just like that, Jay Wilson tapped my hidden and let me see a wider world.
Over the next 10 years, I often about Mr. Wilson’s six words. Whenever I felt discouraged, it was those six words that came back to me and gave me . When a few instructors in college gently and not-so-gently tried to tell me I had no talent, I held Mr. Wilson’s before me to protect myself. I didn’t what anyone else thought. Mr. Wilson, head of the whole English department at Lake Forest High, I could be a writer. So I put my head down and struggled forward. 396
A．when B．who C．how D．where
A．knowledge B．confidence C．influence D．assignment
A．intention B．concern C．doubt D．sense
A．older B．smarter C．richer D．luckier
A．location B．position C．motivation D．qualification
A．so B．but C．or D．for
A．work B．term C．class D．play
A．on B．off C．in D．up
A．grade B．praise C．idea D．start
A．wonder B．hope C．make D．help
A．arranged B．persuaded C．announced D．indicated
A．career B．study C．hobby D．method
A．distantly B．frequently C．actually D．obviously
A．necessary B．precious C．different D．available
A．talent B．memory C．secret D．opinion
A．worried B．thought C．heard D．wrote
A．impression B．improvement C．imagination D．strength
A．actions B．wisdom C．words D．duty
A．care B．predict C．ignore D．learn
A．proved B．said C．promised D．answered
Once, long ago, there was a man who traveled from Persia to India on foot. He had been to India before. When he arrived at a village, he happened upon a fruit stand. In that village, fruit was quite because of the lack of water. The man was looking around at the fruits when he a big basket of some very red, very long fruit. It was the cheapest fruit in the shop, not expensive at all.
the man walked up to the counter (柜台) and asked: “How per kilo?” And the shopkeeper said: “Two rupees.” Two rupees in India is . The man thought to himself: “What a !” So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and began to it. But after he tried a few pieces, he screamed: “Oh, my God!” His eyes watered, his mouth burned, and his face turned . He coughed and choked and gasped for breath.
But despite his , he continued to stuff the fruits into his mouth! Onlookers their heads and laughed. One man yelled: “You’re , man! Those are chilies! People use them as a condiment (佐料). You don’t just eat them by the handful like that; they’re not fruit!” But the man replied: “No, I can’t ! I paid money for them, and now I’ll eat them. It’s my money!”
You probably think this man was pretty , right? Nevertheless, I bet you or someone you know makes the same on a daily basis. People invest money, time and effort into a relationship, business or job. Even when experience tells them that it’s not , and they know there’s little hope of improvement, they still because they don’t want to waste the previous investment. But this is . It is no different than being the man who continued eating chilies because he didn’t want to waste the money he’d paid for them.
Losing something is difficult, but it is important to the loss and move on. you’ll just keep burning your mouth on hot chilies.
A．often B．never C．sometimes D．seldom
A．common B．small C．expensive D．tasteless
A．noticed B．watched C．recognized D．selected
A．Yet B．So C．Still D．Besides
A．large B．long C．many D．much
A．something B．nothing C．anything D．everything
A．bargain B．trade C．business D．regret
A．throw B．cut C．eat D．cook
A．pale B．red C．purple D．yellow
A．fear B．warning C．confusion D．pain
A．shook B．raised C．lowered D．nodded
A．amazing B．hungry C．crazy D．different
A．believe B．stop C．agree D．confuse
A．impolite B．humorous C．awkward D．stupid
A．mistake B．agreement C．impression D．explanation
A．changing B．working C．leaving D．helping
A．refuse B．worry C．ignore D．continue
A．illogical B．unusual C．unnatural D．incredible
A．remember B．improve C．recognize D．protect
A．Also B．However C．Thus D．Otherwise
Two weeks before Christmas, Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday. Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town They had no electricity or running water and _ what I considered the "good things" in life. They made no plans for Christmas When Christmas Eve arrived, Mom told me in her best "I-mean-it" voice to _ all the decorations from our tree. She packed those up all the materials for a _ turkey dinner.
Christmas morning perfectly with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow. _ I was angry silently in the backseat of the car as we made our _ to grandma's. This was going to be the _ Christmas ever! Grandma was _ to see us as we walked up to her door. "What on earth are you doing here?" she said." We weren't expecting . It's Christmas, and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you." "I knew ." Mom said as we set boxes of goodies(好吃的) on the kitchen table. "That's _ we brought all with us." "We _ have a tree" Mom insisted. " what will we do with all these decorations?" Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit. He called me to join him, and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods. Soon the house _ fresh and piney as we decorated the pine tree, and the day a festive air . The turkey dinner was very good, too. I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!
Dessert was almost forgotten _ Mom came out with the final surprise-a flaming (色彩鲜明的)pudding! "Merry Christmas, mother," Mom said. "Dear me!" Grandma said with her mouth wide open. "I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married." Tears of filled her eyes. I could not keep the tears . my eyes, either. I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever.
She had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.
A．wanted B． lacked C．refused D． prepared
A．also B．still C．never D．hardly
A．replace B．collect C．remove D．cover
A．instead of B．by the side of C．along with D．in spite of
A．normal B．complete C．fresh D．separate
A．dawned B．passed C．broke D．happened
A．But B．So C．And D．Then
A．decision B．Way C．wish D．plan
A．last B．busiest C．best D．worst
A．expected B．crazy C．surprised D．ready
A．anyone B．others C．someone D．no one
A．you B．it C．that D．this
A．how B．why C．where D．what
A．may B．will C．can D．must
A．In short B．Therefore C．However D． Or rather
A．improved B．smelled C．became D．changed
A．went on B．put on C．took on D．tried on
A．until B．after C．because D．unless
A．sadness B．joy C．regret D．worry
A．outside B．back C．away D．from
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