My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a Christmas after all.
, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.
There was a on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.
The feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.
As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to us to dig out.
Then, we received an invitation to a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their —a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.
Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our . Our Christmas morning was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.
This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The and work schedules just made things too difficult. that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were in the holidays.
Lonely people are all around us, but most of us notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest gesture can make a world of difference.
A．chance B．anxiety C．time D．ability
A．lonely B．free C．merry D．usual
A．Therefore B．However C．Somehow D．Meanwhile
A．sign B．knock C．card D．note
A．invite B．welcome C．drive D．send
A．tree B．flower C．mail D．package
A．forgot B．missed C．arranged D．received
A．warm B．deep C．true D．mixed
A．rubbish B．snow C．dust D．leaves
A．teach B．urge C．help D．forbid
A．prepare B．share C．taste D．exchange
A．guest B．aunt C．maid D．partner
A．folks B．relatives C．neighbors D．colleagues
A．call B．greeting C．meeting D．breakfast
A．sorry B．eager C．grateful D．ready
A．season B．expense C．distance D．situation
A．Knowing B．Showing C．Studying D．Discovering
A．happy B．busy C．alone D．active
A．always B．usually C．finally D．seldom
A．careful B．kind C．pretty D．patient
Several years ago, a farmer owned some land along the sea. He advertised for workers, but no one wanted to work for him. Most people didn’t want to work there 31 they didn’t like the bad storms. Finally, a 
32 man, who looked weak and more than fifty years old, came to see the farmer. “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.
“Well, I 33 sleep well when the wind blows.” answered the little man.
Although the answer was strange, the farmer let the man stay to work. The little man worked 34 around the farm, busy from morning till evening. The farmer felt very pleased with his work.
Then one night the wind began to blow strongly. Jumping out of the bed, the farmer 35 into the little man’s room. He shook the little man and cried, “Get up! A 36 is coming!”
The little man said slowly, “No sir, I told you----I can 37 well when the wind blows.”
The farmer was very angry, but he had to hurry outside to get ready for the storm. To his 38 , everything was ready outside. 39 could be blown away.
The farmer 40 what the man meant, so he returned to his bed to sleep while the wind was still blowing.
A．so B．but C．because D．although
A．big B．little C．young D．strong
A．can B．must C．need D．should
A．well B．badly C．loudly D．clearly
A．walked B．rushed C．moved D．drove
A．man B．dog C．ship D．storm
A．work B．play C．sleep D．listen
A．anger B．pride C．surprise D．confidence
A．Everything B．Something C．Anything D．Nothing
A．understood B．preferred C．heard D．did
Nine 1700yearold brick tombs have been discovered in northwest China’s Xinjiang. Experts say that they can 1 valuable clues for the research of exchanges(交换；交流) between the central Chinese government at that time and ___2 Western Regions.
It is the 3 time ancient tombs with typical characteristics of China's
main Han nationality have been found in the Uygur ethnic region(自治区)．
4 from Beijing，Shanxi and Xinjiang concluded that the tombs were ___5___ between the middle and late third century and fourth century.
The tombs were unearthed during the 6 of a road earlier this year in Kuqa county,740 km from Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and part of the 7 Qiuci State. Qiuci State，which 8 between the second century BC and 860 AD，was one of the 36 states in the Western Regions.
The tombs would help archaeologists with research into the political，economic and cultural 9 between the Central Plains government and states in the west，and on the cultural 10 of the Central Plains on the Western Regions.
Archaeologists from the Xinjiang institute have dug nine tombs since August 22，___11 bodies of more than 30 people，some ancient 12 and more than 60 pottery(陶器)jars. It is thought there are another three tombs to be 13 .
The people buried in the tombs were 14 either people from the western regions deeply influenced by the Han culture or the Han residents(居民)in the ___15 .
Those days life was so hard that I finally wished that I could just be “left alone”.
The thought of going somewhere by myself would give me so much 1 . but then I’d remember when I was alone. Not that 2 _ left me. I was alone by myself in crowded places. It was the 3 that I built around me that would not 4 the outside in or the inside out.
When I was a child, I would play this silly 5 . It was always 6 _ because a place in a corner or under a table would do. My favorite place was simply to pull a blanket over my head. I would lie there and 7 , “Right now no one in the world knows where I am!” That thought was so 8 .
If you knew me well enough this wouldn’t 9 you…I still do it at 60. It drives my dogs crazy, because they find me and start digging at the blanket until they find a way in. All three of them 10 me. That thought is so satisfying, too.
I want you to know that at times we all wish that we could be left _11 . The fact that you can be alone with yourself and enjoy it shows clearly who you are. Imagine for a 12 being locked in a room with someone you 13 . It would be torture. So, if you find peace with being with yourself, that is good. However, if you are trying to build a wall so no one can ever 14 , it can’t happen.
The light of love can find a 15 through the tiniest cracks. You can pull the covers over your head and love will find you.
A．trouble C．pleasure D．worry
A．anybody B．everyone C．nobody D．someone
A．idea B．place C．house D．wall
A．permit B．stop C．find D．turn
A．match B．program C．competition D．game
A．interesting B．disappointing C．easy D．different
A．shout B．think C．cry D．dream
A．satisfying B．shocking C．important D．strange
A．fear B．meet C．surprise D．excite
A．bite B．join C．watch D．excite
A．quiet B．calm C．alone D．silent
A．change B．moment C．rest D．chance
A．respect B．admire C．notice D．dislike
A．go out B．come to C．get in D．leave for
A．way B．help D．hope
As I got up today, I smelt fresh coffee. I woke up to 36 a cup of it with some biscuits on my bedside table. This reminded me of 37 , the old school and college days, when mom used to wake me up by serving a 38 cup of coffee. The taste is still so 39 in my memories.
A 40 thought hit me, “I was in bed, so who prepared this coffee for me? Is it a dream?”
I pinched（掐）myself, ouch… that hurt, which meant I was not 41 . I walked out of the room with the cup of coffee, 42 my roommate. I asked him whether he prepared that for me, and the answer was YES.
I was relaxed 43 somehow my heart wanted him to say NO, because I wanted to be in a 44 that my mom prepared it for me. The whole 45 reminded me of mom and I 46 her at that moment.
On my way to my office, I was thinking about those days when mom used to cook my 47 meal. I could not 48 any single day when I slept without food. But now, I no longer 49 the food mom cooked.
This very thought 50 tears to my eyes and I decided to call up mom. I reached the office and gave her a call.
The first thing she asked was, “Is everything all right?” I was 51 . And I thought, “How the time has 52 ”.
When I was with her, I used to call her after every hour when I was out with my friends. In those days she 53 asked me what was wrong, as she knew that it was my habit. My call at this point of the day to her meant that I was in 54 .
Time has changed, she is still the same, and it is 55 who have changed.
A．find B．drink C．prepare D．cook
A．kitchen B．comfort C．warmth D．home
A．smelling B．cooking C．steaming D．pouring
A．deep B．fresh C．heavy D．recent
A．funny B．possible C．realistic D．sudden
A．thinking B．working C．dreaming D．reacting
A．in search of B．in favor of C．in place of D．in case of
A．and B．but C．or D．so
A．sense B．relief C．belief D．state
A．scene B．incident C．care D．matter
A．hated B．expected C．missed D．questioned
A．last B．every C．tasty D．complete
A．check B．count C．remember D．cover
A．pack B．finish C．imagine D．enjoy
A．brought B．caused C．pushed D．raised
A．careless B．speechless C．rootless D．homeless
A．influenced B．passed C．flied D．changed
A．never B．still C．often D．almost
A．peace B．surprise C．trouble D．progress
A．my roommate B．she C．the situation D．I
One night I went to Himeji, a city not far from Kobe. As I walked with my family along the river I saw a __20__. It was a young man who looked just like me. He was wearing a cap and smiling. Around his neck was a leather strap （皮带）and in his hands was a saxophone. He was __21___ the saxophone to his __22__ and just about to play. My family walked on up the river towards the castle __23__ I stayed there by the statue, __24__ of playing a saxophone on TV.
Two weeks later it was my birthday. Imagine my __25___ when I opened my present from my parents and found that it was a __26__! I put it to my lips to play, but it wouldn’t make a sound. Then Dad told me to read the __27___ book to find out what to do. After about 15 minutes the saxophone was ready to play. I __28__hard but I couldn’t get the saxophone to play. I was almost __29___ when suddenly the saxophone made the most beautiful sound – loud and clear like I __30__ the music of the man by the river in Kobe.
A．car B．bus C．train D．motorcycle
A．bank B．castle C．mountain D．river
A．closed B．open D．clear
A．low B．lonely C．loud D．deep
A．man B．statue C．photo D．picture
A．playing B．picking C．lifting D．rising
A．hands B．ears C．eyes D．lips
A．though B．but C．so D．or
A．dreaming B．pretending C．admiring D．observing
A．anger B．regret C．sickness D．joy
A．guitar B．drum C．saxophone D．violin
A．music B．exercise C．instruction D．note
A．blew B．flew C．shook D．beat
A．reading B．crying C．talking D．asking
A．made B．heard C．played D．imagined
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