The Pecan Thief
When I was six years old, I was visiting my grandfather's farm in Kansas. Grandpa had sent me into the 36 to gather pecans for us to enjoy later.
Pecan picking was really 37 work and my little basket was only half full. I wasn't about to 38 Grandpa down. Just then something caught my 39 . A large brown squirrel was a few feet away. I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree and 40 in a large hole in the trunk. A moment later the squirrel 41 out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place.
Not so 42 anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was 43 with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my 44 . Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my basket. Now it was full! I was so 45 of myself. I couldn't wait to show Grandpa all the pecans. 46 , I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the basket and said, “Well, well, how did you find so many ? ” I told him how I'd 47 the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.
Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I'd been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that 48 me. He handed the basket back to me and put his arm gently 49 my shoulders.
“That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter 50 of food, ” he said. “Now that all of his pecans are gone, don't you think that little squirrel will 51 the cold winter? ”
“I didn't think about that,” I said.
“I know, ” Grandpa said. “But a good man should never take 52 of someone else's hard work.”
Suddenly I felt a bit 53 . The image of the starving squirrel wouldn't 54 my mind. There was only one thing I could do. I carried the basket back to the tree and poured all the nuts into the hole.
I didn't eat any pecans that night, but I had something much more filling—the 55 of knowing I had done just the right thing.
A．woods B．rooms C．holes D．roads
A．dirty B．hard C．light D．easy
A．settle B．let C．have D．keep
A．sweater B．basket C．hand D．eye
A．joined B．lived C．disappeared D．discovered
A．held B．jumped C．stood D．found
A．secret B．strange C．anxious D．patient
A．filled B．covered C．rebuilt D．decorated
A．time B．choice C．achievement D．chance
A．afraid B．ashamed C．proud D．careful
A．Otherwise B．However C．Therefore D．Besides
A．followed B．driven C．protected D．caught
A．annoyed B．satisfied C．delighted D．surprised
A．off B．beside C．around D．over
A．cost B．supply C．support D．preparation
A．escape B．spend C．flee D．survive
A．place B．notice C．charge D．advantage
A．unconfident B．guilty C．embarrassed D．nervous
A．leave B．open C．cross D．occupy
A．inspiration B．expectation C．satisfaction D．impression
“Imagine you are walking along the road. Suddenly you fall over and all the passers-by burst into laughter. You feel very 1 and think the world is laughing at you . But in fact, five minutes later, they have 2 it ever happened.” The other day when I came across these words in an article, I didn’t agree with the 3 .
The author thinks the best thing to do in this kind of 4 is to pretend nothing has happened, and so avoid 5 trouble.
I admit that we should keep 6 because “Your tears will only remind others of what happened, while your 7 can let them forget it.” But this is far from satisfactory. We should do 8 to make things better.
I used to be a(n) 9 girl and not very good at maths. Our new maths teacher asked me a question and I still remember how I hung my head in 10 when I couldn’t answer it.
“If you don’t know the answer, just tell me.” the teacher said, “If you don’t how can I know 11 you know the answer or not?” All of my classmates burst into laughter. My face turned red but the teacher 12 me to go to the blackboard and 13 what I knew. If I had 14 the words in the article, I would have given up. But I tried my best. And to everyone’s 15 , I succeeded! The teacher smiled and said, “Well done! I 16 you could do it!”
Since then, I have become active in maths as 17 as in other subjects. I used to think doing maths exercises was a waste of time. But now, I know 18 I do can make things better. Everyone is the 19 of his own fate.
If we make mistakes, we should take on an active 20 . Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep(哭泣), and you weep alone.
A．nervous B．excited C．afraid D．embarrassed
A．realized B．recognized C．forgotten D．remembered
A．speaker B．reader C．author D．announcer
A．environment B．surrounding C．condition D．situation
A．ordinary B．extra C．common D．usual
A．confident B．smart C．calm D．strong
A．smile B．worry C．courage D．satisfaction
A．anything B．something C．nothing D．everything
A．shy B．energetic C．happy D．clever
A．joy B．pride C．shame D．surprise
A．what B．that C．when D．whether
A．forced B．invited C．asked D．pushed
A．bring up B．put down C．think about D．show off
A．obeyed B．doubted C．refused D．understood
A．expectation B．disappointment C．surprise D．delight
A．hoped B．knew C．doubted D．regretted
A．long B．far C．soon D．well
A．whoever B．whenever C．wherever D．whatever
A．architect B．owner C．host D．controller
A．position B．attitude C．value D．response
Seven loyal readers came to the Teens’ office two weeks ago. They had a wonderful day learning how to make a newspaper. But what 36 made them excited was that they had their say（发表意见）.
“What most impressed me was 37 I was saying something, I found all eyes were 38 me,” said Tang Shining, one of the students. Her friend, Li Chunbei agreed, and felt very glad that when she was talking, the editors nodded and even 39 notes.
Students were happy to see the editors listen to their 40 . You may often 41 about being neglected (忽略) by teachers and parents. 42 before complaining, please 43 that you have already spoken about your thoughts.
It’s common in China that teachers at school and parents were 44 the ones to tell teenagers what they should and shouldn’t do. The young are 45 to doing what they are told, rather than thinking by themselves. But then their ideas would be locked in their brains and not be 46 .
A girl wrote to Teens about her family 47 . She used to be very sad because her father seldom talked and played with her. After years of consideration, she 48 decided to write her father a letter, telling him about her sadness. To her 49 , the father 50 , saying that he didn’t realize his mistakes. From then on, he really 51 .
Sometimes, we need to let our 52 be heard, so others can understand our thoughts and feelings. Don’t be afraid of being 53 for what you have done. You know it is your 54 to speak your mind. 55 your ideas are denied (否定), at least you have tried your best. You will not be left with any regret.
A．directly B．really C．completely D．immediately
A．when B．how C．where D．what
A．at B．for C．in D．on
A．read B．saw C．took D．copied
A．speeches B．opinions C．songs D．articles
A．complain B．talk C．write D．speak
A．And B．So C．Instead D．But
A．make good B．make of C．make sure D．make up
A．seldom B．never C．hardly D．always
A．reduced B．used C．advised D．told
A．remembered B．used C．heard D．touched
A．history B．story C．event D．report
A．sadly B．suddenly C．finally D．angrily
A．sorrow B．disappointment C．joy. D．surprise
A．smiled. B．apologized C．laughed D．shouted
A．changed B．exchanged C．talked D．played
A．decisions B．voices C．suggestions D．secrets
A．blamed(责备) B．punished C．beaten D．fined（罚款）
A．duty B．task（任务） C．pleasure D．right （权利）
A．Because B．Even if C．Instead D．Not until
We all know something about Thomas Edison. He was a great American 21 .He was in school for only a short time. 22 , he had to leave the school and 23 himself at home and learned a lot. When Edison grew up, he had his own lab. He worked hard and hardly 24 to have a rest.
One day a friend of his brought a young man into his lab. He 25 the young man to Edison. He said the young man had studied in a famous university in Germany and had a lot of 26 of physics and maths. Edison was glad to work with a man like him and 27 him as a helper. A few weeks later, the young 28 about Edison’s past. He began to look down on him. Edison 29 about it, but he said 30 .
Once the young man came into the lab while Edison 31 an important experiment. He stood near the table 32 he didn’t help him. Edison stopped 33 out a bottle and said, “Go to calculate (计算)its volume(容积)and tell me the 34 in two hours.”
At first the young man thought it easy to do it. Soon he 35 it difficult. Two hours later Edison went into his office and saw a lot of paper and books on his desk. Of course he couldn’t compute the volume in the time 36 .
“Why not pour some 37 into the bottle?” said Edison. “Then you’ll 38 calculate its volume!” Having heard this, the young man’s 39 turned red, and he knew Edison was really 40 than him!
A．doctor B．player C．writer D．inventor
A．Soon B．After C．Later on D．Soon after
A．teach B．play with C．study D．enjoy
A．forgot B．remembered C．finished D．observed
A．showed B．pushed C．introduced D．threw
A．news B．books C．knowledge D．dictionaries
A．employed B．asked C．made D．watched
A．beard B．learned C．read D．told
A．told B．was told C．said D．was said
A．something B．everything C．nothing D．all
A．did B．had C．was doing D．was having
A．but B．and C．as D．while
A．bringing B．to bring C．taking D．to take
A．result B．way C．idea D．opinion
A．knew B．saw C．learned D．found
A．given B．followed C．said D．taken
A．oil B．salt C．water D．food
A．carefully B．slowly C．easily D．quietly
A．head B．face C．eyes D．ears
A．more polite B．stricter C．more kind-hearted D．cleverer
When Glen Kruger picked a small cat from an animal shelter, he did not expect much. Yet right from the start, eight years ago, there was an uncommon connection between him and the small black cat. He1her Inky.
" I grew up on a hundred-acre farm and had only cats2playmates ," Kruger,
The seventy-year-old man , says. "My hearing was damaged by the3of farm equipment , so I learned to connect with4. They react to what they see and what you do. "
Inky was a gentle cat,5the house with five other cats. But on a January night in 2009, Inky did6that would set her apart from7cats forever.
Kruger had gone down to the basement to8the wood stove for the night. When he was finished, he9to the top of the stairs and reached to turn off the lights. In doing so , he slipped and10his back against an old shelf. The heavy shelf came crashing down and sent Kruger down the stairs.
11in a pool of blood on the basement floor, Kruger felt12going into shock（休克）. He shouted for help ,13his wife, Brenda , was asleep in their bedroom at the opposite end of the house.14Kruger noticed Inky watching from the top of the stairs.
"Go get Brenda, " Kruger said to Inky.
Inky15to the bedroom door and scratched16until Brenda opened it. Then Inky led her to the17Brenda found her husband18the stairs and called 911. Kruger was rushed to the hospital. "I spent six months19therd," Says Kruger . "Although I became lame , I was blessed. " Since the accident, Inky has20
Left Kruger's side.
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"What's it like to have a gap between your teeth?" a girl asked me one day.
Nobody had ever _. 36 _ before. My hand unconsciously rose to cover my mouth. But, as she looked at me, sincerely waiting for__ 37__, 1 realized she was not trying to be rude. "I never think about it," I truthfully replied. She nodded and turned away. I was left wondering if people _38__ me and saw only gappy teeth.
Later that day at home, I began to __39 __ my teeth again. I felt upset. I thought my life would be somehow better if my teeth were not gappy. How I wanted the perfect teeth that everyone else seemed to have!
Of course, Mom 40 everything . She has lived her entire life with gappy teeth, and tried to convince me that there was nothing to __41__. When I refused to listen, she told me I could get the surgery to close the gap if it was that important. "Let's be 42__, though," she said. "If everyone got surgeries to become pretty, everyone would be exactly the same. There is beauty in differences."
Her __43__ made me consider my teeth seriously. The thought of losing my gap was more terrible than the reality that people were going to notice it. I realized how important it was to me. It is part of my 44 _.
Nowadays many people do ridiculous things to realize their dream of "perfection." The__45_ is that no one is perfect. When all potential for ugliness is removed, so is all of the potential for 46__.
So if that girl ever asked about my teeth 47___, I would truthfully answer. "You know? It's really cute."
A．faced B．guessed C．asked D．imagined
A．an offer B．an answer C．a suggestion D．a result
A．heard of B．thought of C．talked about D．looked at
A．consider B．brush C．cover D．appreciate
A．admitted B．noticed C．controlled D．changed
A．worry about B．put off C．give up D．wipe out
A．friendly B．lovely C．honest D．helpful
A．words B．jokes C．dreams D．acts
A．ability B．decision C．goal D．identity
A．possibility B．purpose C．truth D．choice
A．courage B．wisdom C．kindness D．beauty
A．once B．again C．too D．instead
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