Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought . It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).
This farmhouse had been ____too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), took a from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.
Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried trembled he thought of it. He looked around carefully as he into the room where grain was stored and was quite as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat , and without thinking, he started to run and luckily the cat’s paws (爪子).
The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.
Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!
The house came the next few days. Zigfried every single hour of them. , the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a smile at the door of his home, he heard the of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”
A．carefully B．excitedly C．hopefully D．proudly
A．cathy B．noisy C．messy D．empty
A．mouth B．nose C．stomach D．throat
A．bag B．stick C．bowl D．coat
A．although B．until C．after D．unless
A．if B．because C．when D．unless
A．broke B．marched C．paced D．stole
A．curious B．nervous C．pitiful D．illegal
A．took B．held C．felt D．drew
A．strongly B．likely C．slowly D．wildly
A．escaped B．seized C．rubbed D．caught
A．close B．happy C．new D．young
A．celebrate B．communicate C．compete D．control
A．across B．from C．off D．up
A．alive B．loose C．open D．still
A．counted B．enjoyed C．missed D．wasted
A．However B．Instead C．Moreover D．Therefore
A．embarrassed B．forced C．disappointed D．satisfied
A．introduction B．discussion C．revision D．reduction
A．blood B．smile C．tears D．sweat
Growing roots
When l was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd 36 known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't 37 lives, he was planting trees.
The good doctor had some interesting theories 38 planting trees. He believed in "No pains，no gains". He never 39 his new trees，which was 40 many people. Once I 41 why. He answered that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will grow 42 . So you have to make things 43 for them. He talked about how watering trees 44 shallow roots，and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in 45 of water. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be 46 . I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of devotion has 47 trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they 48 and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs'. The lack of water seemed to 49 them in ways comfort and ease never 50 .
I used to pray for my sons that their lives will be 51 . But lately I've been thinking that it's time to change my 52 . I know my children are going to meet 53 ，and I'm praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is 54 met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots，so when the winds blow, we won't be 55 away.
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At the age of seven, I went to see my grandma in Warwick and spent the summer with her. One day I went to a general store with a 34 full of what Grandma needed.
“Excuse me, I need to 35 these,” I said .
“So ? I’m not your 36 ! You should get yourself a basket and start filling,” Miss Bee, the owner of the store, said 37 without smiling. “If you’re 38 you’ll be home by sunset.” Sunset was five hours away. 39 , the store was a puzzle, and I wasn’t sure if I would make it.
I visited Miss Bee several times a week that 40 . One afternoon when I watched her adding 35 cents instead of 29 for a can of beans, I 41 her immediately. Though being caught overcharging , she didn’t seem 42 , and she just fixed the price.
All summer long I was always tricked by Miss Bee. No sooner had I memorized the soda’s location on the shelf than she rearranged the shelves and made me 43 it all over again. But by summer’s end the 44 trip that had once taken me an hour was done in 15 minutes.
The morning I was to return to Brooklyn, I stepped in to get a bottle of water.
“What did you 45 this summer?” she said.
“That you’re so mean!” I whispered.
To my 46 , Miss Bee laughed. “When you get older, you’ll be glad our paths crossed!”
Glad I met Miss Bee ? No!
Until one day my daughter came to me with homework 47 . “It’s too hard,” she said. “Could you finish it for me?”
“If I do it for you, how will you ever learn to do it yourself?” Suddenly, I was 48 at that general store where Miss Bee had really taught me something all those years ago.
A．bag B．bottle C．list D．can
A．buy B．read C．borrow D．sell
A．daughter B．servant C．master D．teacher
A．honestly B．quietly C．coldly D．quietly
A．busy B．stupid C．lucky D．popular
A．However B．Besides C．Therefore D．Also
A．year B．summer C．autumn D．term
A．supported B．attracted C．corrected D．remembered
A．excited B．unfriendly C．moved D．uncomfortable
A．hunt for B．step onto C．learn about D．care for
A．school B．shopping C．business D．sightseeing
A．eat B．earn C．forget D．learn
A．shame B．delight C．surprise D．regret
A．signs B．troubles C．scores D．rules
A．out B．ahead C．around D．back
Beware of those who use the truth to deceive. When someone tells you something that is 36 , but leaves out important information that should be 37 , he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say, “I just 38 a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and 39 it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner, 40 ? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred 41 , and only one was a winner. He’s really a big 42 !
He didn’t say anything that was 43 , but he deliberately left out some important 44 . That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically 45 , but they are just as not 46 .
Untrustworthy candidates in 47 campaigns often use this tactic（策略，手段）. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and 48 three million jobs. Then she 49 another term. One of her opponents runs an ad 50 , “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. 51 , an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of 52 million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s 53 the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the 54 . An ad might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples.” It 55 to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
A．false B．true C．interesting D．boring
A．included B．contained C．involved D．referred
A．lost B．found C．donated D．won
A．changed B．took C．turned D．made
A．right B．well C．really D．though
A．books B．papers C．tickets D．balls
A．winner B．loser C．fighter D．thinker
A．true B．real C．doubtful D．false
A．details B．information C．mistakes D．errors
A．stories B．truth C．facts D．lies
A．pleasant B．exciting C．honest D．clever
A．political B．commercial C．personal D．public
A．stopped B．found C．avoided D．gained
A．seeks B．gets C．achieves D．searches
A．writing B．reading C．saying D．speaking
A．Otherwise B．However C．In fact D．This way
A．one B．two C．three D．four
A．for B．to C．against D．in
A．words B．facts C．data D．truth
A．fails B．tries C．manages D．plans
Two years ago ,Shirley, wife, mother and doctor, found herself worn out. She got up earlier, and went to bed later, just to meet everyday 36 _____ , but lacked 37 _____ for the things that mattered most She and her husband, a lawyer, began searching for ways to 38 _____ their lives. “We had to decide what was really 39 _____” says Shirley. They knew they wanted more time to 40 _____ with their three- year -old son, to exercise and eat right, and to develop friendship.
So the couple chose to live more simply，shopping with care for necessities and enjoying inexpensive 41 _____ such as reading, cooking and going to the park.
Then Shirley 42 _____ her job and began working part time. She printed business cards that 43 _____
“At your service, buy 44 _____ a little time” and helped clients (客户）with personal tasks like shopping, paying bills and 45 parties. “I still work hard, but being able to control my hours makes a 46 _____，” she says，“ I can spare time to take my son to the 47 _____ or play basketball with him. My stress and headaches are 48 _____ ’’
Shirley and her husband are 49 _____ alone in wanting to 50 _____ and live a satisfying Life. A survey found that 54 percent of parents say they have little time with their children, and 47 percent of married couples 51 _____that they lack time together. 52 _____does the time go?
For most people， 53 _____ and commuting (通勤)take up most of the day. Simplifying means becoming 54 _____ of the ways we use money, time and energy, and finding ways to make things easier. Then we have to gain 55 _____ over Life and have time for the pleasures.
A．activities B．services C．demands D．exercises
A．lead B．simplify C．adapt D．consider
A．study B．help C．meet D．play
A．pleasures B．places C．tasks D．goods
A．found B．received C．took D．quit
A．read B．wrote C．showed D．told
A．life B．result C．balance D．difference
A．office B．hospital C．park D．school
A．gone B．better C．strong D．obvious
A．a bit B．far from C．much too D．more than
A．keep pace B．settle down C．take off D．slow down
A．How B．When C．Where D．Why
A．aware B．afraid C．proud D．sure
A．value B．control C．success D．experience
When I was a little girl, I found love in a box all because of a class assignment. On a Friday night I 36 at the dinner table, “My teacher said we have to bring a box, a special box, for our valentines on Monday”.
Mother said, “We’ll see,” and she continued eating.
What did “We’ll see” mean? I had to have that box, 37 my second grade Valentine’s Day would be a disaster. Maybe they didn’t love me enough to help me with my 38 .
All Saturday I waited 39 and with Sunday arriving, my concern increased. However, I 40 that an enquiry about the box would 41 anger or loud voices, for in my house children only asked once. More than that 42 trouble.
Late Sunday afternoon, my father called me into the kitchen. The table was covered with different kinds of colorful 43 . A (n) 44 shoebox rested on top of it. 45 flooded through me when Daddy said, “Let’s get started 46 your project.”
In the next hour my father 47 the shoebox into an impressive valentine box. Colorful paper covered the ugly cardboard with red hearts 48 to what I considered all the right places. He sang while he worked. When he finished, he was so delighted that a 49 smile spread across his face. “What do you think of that?” he asked.
I answered him with a hug.
But inside, 50 danced all the way to my heart. It was the first time that my father had devoted so much 51 to me, for his world consisted only of work.
The holiday party arrived, and my classmates put cards and presents into the valentine boxes. Laughter filled our classroom until dismissal time 52 .
On the way home, I held out my valentine box for the world to 53 . The love that filled it meant more to me than all the valentines inside.
The valentine box became a symbol of his love that 54 through decades of other Valentine’s Days. My father gave me other gifts through the years, but none 55 compared with the love I felt within the limits of the old, empty shoebox.
A．announced B．appeared C．served D．sat
A．and B．but C．or D．so
A．design B．plan C．idea D．project
A．sadly B．anxiously C．disappointedly D．patiently
A．found B．realized C．knew D．imagined
A．start B．cause C．mark D．produce
A．invited B．took C．saved D．had
A．boxes B．gifts C．paper D．food
A．new B．big C．attractive D．empty
A．Relaxation B．Relief C．Cheer D．Calm
A．by B．at C．in D．on
A．folded B．packed C．changed D．pressed
A．joined B．attached C．linked D．connected
A．slight B．brief C．broad D．confident
A．joy B．fun C．interest D．amusement
A．money B．time C．support D．hope
A．reached B．set C．spent D．came
A．accept B．respect C．admire D．recognize
A．carried B．kept C．spread D．lasted
A．ever B．even C．yet D．still
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