"How did you do it, Dad? How have you to not take a drink for almost 20 years?" It took me almost 20 years to have the to even ask my father this very personal question. When Dad first drinking, the whole family was on pins and needles every time he a situation that, in the past, would have him drinking again. For a few years we were afraid to bring it up the drinking would begin again.
"I had this little poem that I recite to myself at least four to five times a day," was Dad's reply to my 18-year-old question. "The words were an instant relief and constant to me that things were never so that I could not handle them," Dad said. And then he the poem with me. The poem's simple, yet profound words immediately became part of my daily as well.
About a month after this talk with my father, I a gift in the mail from a friend of mine. It was a book of daily affirmations （誓词）with one affirmation for each day of the year.
It has been my experience that when you get with days of the year on it, you automatically turn to the that lists your own birthday.
I opened the book to November 10 to what words of wisdom this book had in store for me. I did a double-take and tears of and appreciation rolled down my face. There, on my birthday, was the same poem that had helped my father for all these years! It is called the Serenity （安详）Prayer:
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference.
A．prepared B．promised C．managed D．performed
A．courage B．opportunity C．inspiration D．reason
A．began B．avoided C．permitted D．quit
A．got away with B．got into C．got down to D．got through
A．forbade B．started C．attracted D．caused
A．for fear B．for sure C．so that D．otherwise
A．should B．might C．would D．had to
A．unanswered B．unasked C．unexpected D．unwelcome
A．prayer B．performer C．inspector D．reminder
A．rough B．severe C．tough D．urgent
A．created B．explained C．spared D．shared
A．schedule B．routine C．habits D．customs
A．mistook B．posted C．accepted D．received
A．copied B．presented C．listed D．printed
A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing
A．date B．page C．matters D．problems
A．doubtedly B．eventually C．patiently D．hurriedly
A．see B．recite C．repeat D．forecast
A．sadness B．loneliness C．disbelief D．belief
A．exact B．correct C．almost D．much
Every day as I drove through town, I saw a one-legged man going through the dustbins next to McDonalds looking for food. It was only a month Christmas, starting to get cold and I could not help him.
So I bought a brush, loads of bread, cans of fish, and added a blanket and sweatshirts. I made a box up like a present and went this man. I saw him hobbling (蹒跚) away from the dustbins. I pulled over, took the box and to him. I said, “I would like to give you a Christmas present, and there are some food here and some things you might be able to use.”
He sidestepped around me and said, “No, thank you, I just had lunch. I don’t need .”Then he hobbled on down the sidewalk, me standing there in tears. I took the box down to a little shop that gave things out to the and homeless and told them what had happened and asked that they should give the to someone who could use it. The person there told me not to be and they thought my feelings were hurt as I was crying. I told her I was not crying for me but for him because what I had done his dignity(尊严) by treating him like a person in need. I was so .
A few years later I was able to in St. Anthony’s Dining Room in San Francisco. These people had to stand in for up to 6 hours to receive the food they could get. We took one tray of food at a time, and treated them they were in a restaurant ordering a meal they were paying for and when we took our , we would sit down with one of them and talk and our food with someone if we had too much.
From my own experience, I have learned a great lesson. help is sometimes harder than giving it.
A．when B．until C．before D．since
A．thinking about B．sending for C．talking about D．calling for
A．in honor of B．in need of C．in case of D．in search of
A．went up B．called off C．went out D．called down
A．things B．items C．events D．presents
A．something B．nothing C．anything D．everything
A．making B．finding C．keeping D．leaving
A．poor B．rich C．good D．bad
A．box B．shirt C．food D．blanket
A．angry B．upset C．worried D．surprised
A．still B．even C．just D．ever
A．put away B．took away C．put out D．took out
A．ashamed B．desperate C．scared D．disappointed
A．visit B．volunteer C．sponsor D．donate
A．line B．group C．team D．crowd
A．rest B．little C．only D．other
A．even if B．as if C．only if D．if only
A．break B．time C．order D．money
A．share B．exchange C．supply D．enjoy
A．Receiving B．Offering C．Expecting D．Accepting
My dad was a very busy man. After he retired, every morning he’d get up, take a shower, prepare a breakfast, and then draw up his to-do ______ for the day.
In the summer he planted and ______ the garden. In the winter he made sure the pile of logs for the wood-burning stove never got too small. ______ at daylight saving time, he’d make sure to ______ every clock in the house, from the digital one to the old clock he’d ______ Mom on their 15th anniversary. Dad never let a task slip from his ______. Dad took care of everything around our house. If it was on his schedule, it got ______.
Dad passed away in mid-November, 2006. What would we do then? I ______ the clock. It was an hour ahead. Dad never had the ______ to change the time from then on. Both Mom and I ______ to fix every clock except for one — that anniversary clock. It was a ______ — the chimes (钟声) needed to______ perfectly with the numbers on the face of the clock. If not, it would ring out the ______ number of chimes on the hour. We were about to begin our attempt ______ we heard a loud pop and all the lights went out.
My God! I thought. This ______ was already falling apart without Dad. It took the electric company about 40 minutes to come and ______ the lights. We were in no ______ to work on the clock. “Let’s just wait until tomorrow and try again,” I said to Mom.
The next morning the power went out again.______, the electric company responded in half the time it had taken them the night before. With the lights back on we started getting ready for the day. A loud, musical sound ______ the silence. The anniversary chime now has been set to just the right time.
Dad may not be here anymore, I thought, but I should make a ______ for every day.
A．contract B．list C．address D．letter
A．tended B．defended C．visited D．admired
A．Moreover B．Yet C．Even D．Still
A．remove B．paint C．clean D．reset
A．promised B．bought C．told D．reminded
A．idea B．decision C．mind D．feeling
A．done B．known C．hidden D．taken
A．threwaway B．showedoff C．lookedat D．forgotabout
A．hope B．ability C．courage D．chance
A．advised B．hated C．managed D．permitted
A．chall enge B．try C．lesson D．skill
A．run B．match C．prepare D．move
A．right B．same C．wrong D．opposite
A．because B．though C．so D．when
A．place B．country C．world D．time
A．buy B．produce C．repair D．study
A．doubt B．mood C．money D．sense
A．Curiously B．Particularly C．Strangely D．Thankfully
A．opened B．ended C．broke D．mixed
A．noise B．plan C．bid D．choice
In 1982，Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He got into a life boat，but his supplies were ______.His chances of surviving were small. ______ when three fishermen found him 76 days later，he was alive—much ______ than he was when he started，but alive.
His ______ of how he survived is fascinating. His cleverness—how he ______ to catch fish，how he evaporated （蒸发） sea water to ______ fresh water—is very interesting.
But the thing that ______ my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost，and there seemed no ______ in continuing the struggle. He was starved and ______ worn-out. Giving up would have seemed the only possible choice.
When people ______ these kinds of circumstances （境遇），they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in ______ desperate circumstances ______ in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the courage to carry on ______ difficulties.
“I tell myself I can ______ it，” wrote Callahan in his book.“Compared to what others have been through，I’m fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over，______ up courage...”
I wrote that down after I read it. It ______ me as something important. And I’ve told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed ______ off or when my problems seemed too terrible. And every time I’ve said it，I have always come back to my ______.
The truth is，our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. But others have been through the much worse，that is，in comparison with ______ others have been through，you’re fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over again，and it will help you ______ the rough situations with a little more courage.
A．little B．rich C．few D．enough
A．And B．Yet C．Still D．Thus
A．thinner B．stronger C．worse D．healthier
A．attitude B．assumption C．instruction D．account
A．assisted B．tended C．managed D．intended
A．make B．absorb C．select D．replace
A．attacked B．attracted C．caught D．drew
A．need B．taste C．message D．point
A．firmly B．completely C．hardly D．generally
A．deal B．defend C．survive D．observe
A．similarly B．differently C．gradually D．commonly
A．pull B．take C．break D．give
A．for the lack of B．in the face of C．in exchange for D．as a result of
A．handle B．carry C．follow D．inspect
A．rolling B．using C．building D．making
A．defeated B．recommended C．introduced D．struck
A．far B．long C．ever D．even
A．supplies B．senses C．ideas D．influences
A．how B．that C．which D．what
A．get round B．get over C．get through D．get off
My dad was a very busy man. After he retired, every morning he’d get up, take a shower, prepare a breakfast, and then draw up his to-do ______ for the day.
In the summer he planted and ______ the garden. In the winter he made sure the pile of logs for the wood-burning stove never got too small. ______ at daylight saving time, he’d make sure to ______ every clock in the house, from the digital one to the old clock he’d ______ Mom on their 15th anniversary. Dad never let a task slip from his ______. Dad took care of everything around our house. If it was on his schedule, it got ______.
Dad passed away in mid-November, 2006. What would we do then? I ______ the clock. It was an hour ahead. Dad never had the ______ to change the time from then on. Both Mom and I ______ to fix every clock except for one — that anniversary clock. It was a ______ — the chimes (钟声) needed to ______ perfectly with the numbers on the face of the clock. If not, it would ring out the ______ number of chimes on the hour. We were about to begin our attempt ______ we heard a loud pop and all the lights went out.
My God! I thought. This ______ was already falling apart without Dad. It took the electric company about 40 minutes to come and ______ the lights. We were in no ______ to work on the clock. “Let’s just wait until tomorrow and try again,” I said to Mom.
The next morning the power went out again. ______, the electric company responded in half the time it had taken them the night before. With the lights back on we started getting ready for the day. A loud, musical sound ______ the silence. The anniversary chime now has been set to just the right time.
Dad may not be here anymore, I thought, but I should make a ______ for every day.
A．contract B．list C．address D．letter
A．tended B．defended C．visited D．admired
A．Moreover B．Yet C．Even D．Still
A．remove B．paint C．clean D．reset
A．promised B．bought C．told D．reminded
A．idea B．decision C．mind D．feeling
A．done B．known C．hidden D．taken
A．threw away B．showed off C．looked at D．forgot about
A．hope B．ability C．courage D．chance
A．advised B．hated C．managed D．permitted
A．challenge B．try C．lesson D．skill
A．run B．match C．prepare D．move
A．right B．same C．wrong D．opposite
A．because B．though C．so D．when
A．place B．country C．world D．time
A．buy B．produce C．repair D．study
A．doubt B．mood C．money D．sense
A．Curiously B．Particularly C．Strangely D．Thankfully
A．opened B．ended C．broke D．mixed
A．noise B．plan C．bid D．choice
Bobby had tried to climb to the top of the snowy mountain for at least thirty times. But he had always ______. At first, he climbed very well, but as he went on, he became weak and often looked at his worn-out shoes ______ looking up. Finally, when the clouds gathered around him, he understood he wouldn’t be able to ______ the top that day. He would sit down to rest and then ______.
One day, he went up the mountain ______ by old Peeper, the town optician (配镜师). Halfway to the top, Peeper gave him a pair of ______ sunglasses. “If it starts clouding over, put these glasses on. They’ll ______ you,” said Peeper before he went back. Bobby accepted the ______.
Just as nearly always seemed to happen, bad luck ______ in the form of cloud cover. Bobby remembered Peeper’s ______ and put on the glasses. He could ______ see the clouds with the glasses on, but they seemed so light that he could see the top of the mountain ______ the clouds. And so Bobby kept climbing, leaving the clouds behind, and ______ arrived at the top of the mountain. He felt great. But as he took off the glasses, he was ______ — the mountain below was surrounded by a sea of clouds. Bobby didn’t remember the clouds being as ______ as that, so he looked more closely at the sunglasses, and ______ everything.
Peeper had made a light picture on the glasses, in the ______ of the snow-covered mountain top. It was made in such a way that Bobby could only ______ it if he looked upwards.
Bobby ______ that the only obstacle (障碍) to getting to the top of the mountain had been his own discouragement. He thanked Peeper for using that little ______ to help him understand that his aim was not impossible.
A．waited B．failed C．finished D．rested
A．along with B．because of C．except for D．instead of
A．reach B．find C．miss D．measure
A．look up B．go on C．give up D．run away
A．attracted B．protected C．controlled D．accompanied
A．special B．beautiful C．big D．expensive
A．save B．help C．follow D．test
A．material B．pity C．design D．gift
A．stood B．changed C．returned D．disappeared
A．plans B．words C．thoughts D．points
A．still B．never C．only D．ever
A．beside B．under C．before D．through
A．personally B．finally C．necessarily D．nearly
A．frightened B．angry C．surprised D．disappointed
A．thick B．pretty C．white D．small
A．proved B．explained C．remembered D．understood
A．middle B．form C．way D．place
A．feel B．copy C．see D．touch
A．realized B．agreed C．imagined D．told
A．experiment B．chance C．shock D．trick
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