A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor．They talked about the topic-happiness．But soon their conversation turned into complaints about in work and life．
To offer his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and with a large pot of coffee and a variety of ---plastic, glass, metal, porcelain （陶瓷）, some plain-looking , some very ．The professor told his students to help themselves to hot coffee．
When all the students had a cup of coffee in ．the professor said"lf you have noticed, all the nice-looking cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones．While it is for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the of your problems and stress．The professor continued," Believe that the cup itself adds no to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even what we drink．What all of you wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went the best cups．Now this life is coffee, the jobs, money, and in society are the cups which are just tools to hold and life, and the different types of cups we have don't decide, nor the quality of life．lf we concentrate only on the cups, we will to enjoy the coffee in it．So don't let the cups you．．．enjoy the coffee instead．"
At these words, the graduates looked at each other in embarrassment．
A．hot B．sensitive C．famous D．easy
A．pay B．joy C．experience D．stress
A．cooked B．took C．returned D．met
A．cups B．gifts C．plates D．drinks
A．common B．special C．rare D．delicate
A．order B．time C．hand D．place
A．pretty B．different C．colorful D．expensive
A．necessary B．normal C．good D．possible
A．situation B．answer C．result D．source
A．quality B．energy C．weight D．color
A．makes B．gives C．hides D．includes
A．finally B．really C．especially D．nearly
A．for B．with C．off D．to
A．forget B．discuss C．consider D．try
A．position B．relation C．workmates D．friends
A．create B．support C．contain D．own
A．damage B．determine C．change D．increase
A．come B．stop C．have D．fail
A．drive B．hold C．take D．control
A．quiet B．speechless C．amazing D．Reasonable
You have probably heard of homing pigeons, which usually appeared in wars. From 3000 B. C. to the present, homing pigeons have as postmen. They have been especially useful for carrying messages
wars. The telegraph is not
to carry about. Sometimes only the little pigeon can take a message where it ought to go.
In 1870，when the Prussians surrounded the city of Paris, the city was cut off from all the means of communication. The people
many different ways of sending news. One way was to let go small balloons carrying mail.
of course, they only drifted (漂）
the wind carried them. Often they landed inside the enemy's lines. Even balloons large enough to carry a pilot could hardly be
controlled.
It was pigeons that in the end solved the . Homing pigeons were brought into the city. Soon they were carrying letters far and wide. The enemy brought
to catch pigeons, but the little postmen could fly faster than their
Strangely enough, pigeons played an important
during the war.
During the First World War every army unit had a group of pigeons . Many of them were
. Among them was an American pigeon with a French name Cher A mi, which meant " dear friend". A group of US soldiers were surrounded by the enemy. They had no food and no bullets. They nearly died of
. There was little hope for them. Cher Ami made his way
the bullets and succeeded. At once planes
to drop food and ammunition(军火）to them. With their strength
，the soldiers fought back to their own army and eot saved.
can pigeons carry the message? There were various methods. Usually the message is put into a little glass tube. The tube is tied to the leg or hidden under
or hung around the neck.
A. considered B. served C. regarded D. made
A. in favour of B. in need of C. during D. in time of
A. easy B. difficult C. necessary D. important
A. present B. past C. usual D. ordinary
A. used B. did C. tried D. managed
A. And B. Though C. Since D. But
A. which B. that C. to which D. where
A. well B. rather C. only D. just
A. questions B. situation C. problem D. thing
A. dogs B. soldiers C. planes D. hawks
A. enemies B. postmen C. balloons D. bullets
A. action B. part C. ball D. game
A. trained B. taught C. bought D. fed
A. killed B. sold C. honoured D. sent
A. the enemy B. hunger C. anger D. war
A. for B. to C. in D. through
A. landed B. found out C. set out D. set about
A. recovered B. arrived C. lost D. missing
A. Why B. How C. When D. Where
A. the head B. the body C. the foot D. a wing
Once there was a very brilliant, creative and educated man. He gained much while traveling throughout the world. Unfortunately he lost his legs and left arm in a tragic accident, leaving only a finger and thumb on his right hand. He became so
that he was afraid he would spend his life
and would no longer be able to use his life in a(n)
way.
One day, he remembered how he had always loved getting He realized that he still had partial
of his right hand and could write with
. Then, he had an idea，"Why not write to other people who need encouragement?"
He where he could find those who could be encouraged if they read his letters. He thought of people in
. Many of them had hope of regaining their
Others would keep feeling depressed and remain putting away for the rest of their lives. He decided that he must try to
them. So he wrote to a prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied that writing to the prisoners would be
. However, it would be against prison rules for the prisoners to write back.
with the intention, the man began sending
messages of God's love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the
. He poured his heart and soul into his words，
his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.
It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of any . Frequently, he felt discouraged, wondering if anyone
read his letters. However, this was his
chance, so he determined to continue.
At last, he received a letter from the prison officer, which said，“ Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell (小牢房)to cell until they almost fall to ！”We all have unique experiences, abilities and talents. We can discover ways to reach others in need of encouragement and strength.
A, wealth B. faith C. experience D. confidence
A. depressed B. embarrassed C. ashamed D. thrilled
A. writing B. suffering C. weeping D. wandering
A. abnormal B. regular C. comfortable D. meaningful
A. presents B. e-mails C. letters D. prizes
A. sense B. strength C. shape D. function
A. affection B. caution C. difficulty D. confidence
A. estimated B. doubted C, assumed D. wondered
A. hospitals B. churches C. prisons D. charities
A. families B. letters C. freedom D. conscience
A. release B. reach C. defend D. know
A. acceptable B. reasonable C. prohibited D. considerate
A. Faced B. Filled C. Satisfied D. Impressed
A. holy B. daily C. one-way D. round-way
A. point B. worst C. degree D. limit
A. sharing B, learning C. gaining D. enriching
A. success B. reply C. help D. progress
A. curiously B. patiently C. carefully D. actually
A. only B. better C. extra D. lost
A. ruin B. pieces C. the ground D. the bottom
My wife and I had just finished the 150-mile trip home from our daughter's college. It was the first time in our lives that we would for any length of time. We wondered how other people had it.
Later in bed, I the time I started college. My father had driven me, too. My mother had to stay home to keep the from getting into the crops, I，the fourth in a line of brothers, was the first to college.
The truck was slow, and I was glad. I didn't want to get to the city I shook hands with my father in the truck and he didn't say a word. But I knew he was going to make a little . He finally said，“ I never went to college and of your brothers did. I can't say don't do this or that, because everything is （9） and I don't know what is going to come up, but I think things will . When you get a job, be sure to be honest and work hard". I knew that soon I would be （11） in the big town and I would be the life home.
Then my father the Bible that he had read so often. I knew that he would miss it but I must it. He just said，" This can help you you will let it. "
When I finished school I took the Bible to my father. But he said he wanted me to it.
Now, too late, I remember, it would have been so to give it to my daughter when she got out of the car. But I didn't. My father could give me only a Bible, but I don't really believe now that I gave her half as as my father gave me. So the next morning I up the book and sent it to her. I wrote a note. "This can help you，" I said，" if you will let it，"
A．worry B．separate C．stay D．travel
A．left B．stood C．enjoyed D．tried
A．wasted B．spent C．remembered D．killed
A．policemen B．workers C．cattle D．them
A．graduate from B．go away to C．be dismissed from D．set up
A．very late B．far away C．too soon D．once again
A．speech B．living C．promise D．progress
A．some B．one C．none D．all
A．impossible B．different C．difficult D．favorite
A．work out B．die out C．hold out D．break out
A．happy B．alone C．free D．lost
A．losing B．spending C．missing D．living
A．brought about B．brought out C．brought up D．brought down
A．refuse B．mark C．follow D．take
A．if B．unless C．but D．though
A．down B．up C．back D．away
A．much B．many C．far D．good
A．set B．turned C．gave D．wrapped
While on a family canoe trip on the Fox River a few years ago, Grant and Colton Shepard were disturbed by what they saw in the water. " We were there to enjoy the ，" says Grant，11，"
—we saw a lot of litter (垃圾）. "
The brothers, who live in Riverside, Illinois, went home and took action. They the Illinois Department of Natural Re-sources，
to monitor local rivers and streams carefully. They
training workshops to become familiar with the organisms(微生物）that are found in local
.
Ever since, the two boys have been taking weekly from two rivers. They study them to make certain that the underwater ecosystem is
. Sometimes they find strange things. "We
discovered a big picnic table that had
underwater ！ " says Grant.
It's not just rivers that these kid volunteers . They have devoted themselves to keeping their environment
12 balanced. "In the future, we're going to need more resources.
we protect them now, they won't be there for us. "says Colton，14.
Every year， their campaign for a cleaner world, the brothers
at least 100 days without using a car. Their purpose is to cut down on the
gases that cars give off into the air. The brothers have also been active in helping
Illinois' precious grassland. For the past two years, they have spent
one Saturday a month clearing away non-native plants from a100-acre rare oak (橡木)grassland. " The plants and bushes
our heritage because they prevent the old oaks from growing
，" says Grant.
A. garden B. grass C. beauty D. trip
A. because B. so C. though D. but
A. contacted B. reminded C. informed D. interviewed
A. preparing B. offering C. advising D. agreeing
A. produced B. provided C. attended D. held
A. forests B, lakes C. waters D. schools
A. wastes B. samples C. polluters D. liquids
A. in order B. in place C. in danger D. in balance
A. never B. often C. once D. seldom
A. put B. deserted C. sunk D. left
A. pick out B. care about C. look out D. take over
A. slightly B. regularly C. totally D. finally
A. Even if B. As long as C. Before D. Unless
A. for the purpose of B. as a result of
C. as part of D. as well as
A. walk B. run C. choose D. go
A. extra B. harmful C. useless D. various
A. decorate B. plough C. design D. restore
A. at least B. in turn C. as usual D. at most
A. destroy B. threaten C. change D. replace
A. rightly B. nicely C. properly D. separately
My father was in the navy, which meant that my mother was married to both my father and the sea. As was often the case, we had to pack our belongings into boxes and those we had grown to love. We would arrive at our new home and find ourselves once again
at the pier (码头）waving good-bye to my father as his
pulled him away from us. My mother would turn my brother and I around before the ship was out of
，wipe our tears, and take us back home to start the process of
in the new environment again.
Throughout the years of changing ，schools and friends, there remained one constant in my childhood-my mother. For both my
and I, she was the cook, maid and teacher. She played these roles while
some type of part-time job. Leaving a promising career is just one of the
which my mother made for my family as we moved around the world with our father every three years or so.
she had to deal with only a small budget, my mother，
，managed to make each house to be the veiy home that is safe and
.
This probably sounds like a depressing way to live， with two small children："single" parenthood, short-term friendships, and the inability (无能）to
a career or establish a home. But it was not for my mother. She turned this
into adventure for us all! Each relocation (变换位置)was a chance to
another part of the world. My mother greeted each new culture, climate and neighborhood. Each new house was a
to rearrange furniture, make curtains and
pictures. Every part-time job was an opportunity to learn something new and work with interesting people. No matter how difficult the life was, she was always having a
attitude. She always had strength in the face of struggle and change. My mother was so
all those years during my child-hood—she was my island in a sea of change. She is my hero.
A. leave behind B. leave out C. leave off D. leave for
A. living B. staring C. standing D. going
A. car B. ship C. train D. plane
A. range B. shape C. sight D. control
A. adapting B. suiting C. matching D. fitting
A. names B. jobs C. addresses D. directions
A. father B. classmates C. brother D. relatives
A. performing B. seeking C. waiting D. applying
A. programs B. sacrifices C. contribution D. cooperation
A. Once B. While C. When D. Unless
A. somewhere B. somewhat C. sometime D. somehow
A. romantic B. comfortable C. mysterious D. wealthy
A. generally B. actually C. especially D. unfairly
A. desert B. develop C. affect D. limit
A. lifestyle B. value C. journey D. opportunity
A. acquire B. explore C. occupy D. realize
A. load B. sadness C. result D. challenge
A. hang B. draw C. take D. sell
A. changeable B. cautious C. positive D. negative
A. experienced B. brave C. ordinary D, annoyed
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