In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming for a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed and one with quite a different story to tell.
My grandma, a(n) woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that . But one year after I entered college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to her. This meant that school and my personal dream would have to .
Then I got married with another dream: building my family from a of adopted and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. A year later came our second adopted boy. , the following year, we adopted son number three. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can how totally occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of eight! Our home was a complete zoo－a joyous zoo. Not surprisingly, I never did it back to college full-time. But I never my dream either. I had only one choice: make it work. That meant taking as as one class each term.
The hardest part was feeling about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to . But I knew I should set a(n) for them to follow for the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years, but I got my college degree!
I am not , just single-minded. It always me that from the , challenges look huge, but when you’re in the midst of them, the same ones seem . Not everything you want arrives in your life in one day. It’s a (n) . Remember: little steps can lead to big dreams.
A．judge B．graduate C．housewife D．dreamer
A．sensitive B．desperate C．amazing D．curious
A．plan B．goal C．decision D．record
A．care for B．turn to C．approve of D．stand by
A．grow B．wait C．expect D．keep
A．connection B．relation C．combination D．comparison
A．Therefore B．Then C．Otherwise D．Finally
A．imagine B．state C．observe D．doubt
A．take B．make C．intend D．get
A．build up B．focus on C．refer to D．gave up
A．few B．little C．much D．many
A．satisfied B．inspired C．confused D．guilty
A．head B．leave C．find D．stay
A．break B．continue C．quit D．relax
A．leader B．time C．example D．challenge
A．proud B．special C．responsible D．usual
A．hurt B．failed C．struck D．troubled
A．end B．bottom C．outside D．inside
A．normal B．funny C．unbearable D．strange
A．experiment B．solution C．performance D．process
Born in America, I spoke English, not Chinese, the language of my ancestors. When I was three, my parents flashed cards with Chinese __21__ at my face, but I pushed them __22__. My mom believed I would learn __23__ I was ready. But the __24__ never came.
On a Chinese New Year’s Eve, my uncle spoke to me in Chinese, but all I could do was __25__ at him, confused, scratching my head. “Still can’t speak Chinese?” He __26__ me, “You can’t even buy a fish in Chinatown.”
“Hey, this is America, not China. I’ll get some __27__ with or without Chinese.” I replied and turned to my mom for __28__.
“Remember to ask for fresh fish, Xin Xian Yu,” she said, handing over a $20 bill. I __29__ the words, running down straight into the streets of Chinatown.
I found the fish __30__ surrounded in a sea of customers. “I’d like to buy some fresh fish,” I shouted to the fishman. But he __31__ my English words and turned to serve the next customer. The laugh of the people behind increased __32__ their impatience. With every __33__, the breath of the dragons on my back grew stronger－my blood boiling－ __34__ me to cry out, “Xian Sheng Yu, please.” “Very Xian Sheng,” I repeated. The crowd erupted into laughter. My face turned __35__ and I ran back home __36__, except for the $20 bill I held tightly in my pocket.
Should I laugh or cry? They’re Chinese. I’m Chinese. I should feel right at __37__. Instead, I was the joke, a disgrace to the language.
Sometimes, I laugh at my fish __38__, but, in the end, the joke is on __39__. Every laugh is a culture __40__; every laugh is my heritage fading away. .
| A．custom | B．games | C．characters | D．language |
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| A．ahead | B．around | C．along | D．aside |
.
| A．when | B．before | C．unless | D．until |
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| A．success | B．study | C．time | D．attempt |
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| A．aim | B．joke | C．nod | D．stare |
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| A．cared about | B．laughed at | C．argued with | D．asked after |
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| A．right now | B．from now | C．at times | D．in time |
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| A．decision | B．permission | C．Information | D．Preparation |
.
| A．repeated | B．reviewed | C．spelled | D．kept |
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| A．farm | B．stand | C．pond | D．market |
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| A．guessed | B．forgot | C．doubted | D．ignored |
.
| A．by | B．as | C．with | D．from |
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| A．second | B．effort | C．desire | D．movement |
.
| A．forcing | B．allowing | C．persuading | D．leading |
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| A．bright | B．blank | C．pale | D．red |
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| A．open-mouthed | B．tongue-tied | C．empty-handed | D．broken-hearted |
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| A．service | B．home | C．risk | D．root |
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| A．trade | B．deed | C．challenge | D．incident |
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| A．it | B．us | C．me | D．reflected |
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| A．thrown | B．lost | C．divided | D．reflected |
We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects （缺陷） that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 36 !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe 37 .
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 38 for years—often from 39 childhood. These stories may have no 40 in fact. But they can set low expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical （操作机械的） skills, and you will never have any mechanical ski
lls for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations 41 my development? I was never 42 to work on cars or be around 43 . When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!
Six years later, 44 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree. One of my professors, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do. On the positive side, I 45 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the 46 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”
Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life 47 and told him about my 48 performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “ 49 is it that you can solve 50 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 51 from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 52 . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 53 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true. 54 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 55 we choose.
A．away B．down C．up D．off
A．yourself B．myself C．them D．others
A．said B．repeated C．spread D．spoken
A．as long as B．as much as C．as well as D．as far back as
A．cause B．plot C．basis D．meaning
A．affect B．improve C．lead D．change
A．means B．hammers C．facilities D．tools
A．therefore B．however C．instead D．somehow
A．took B．turned C．settled D．got
A．negative B．active D．subjective
A．roads B．trips D．paths
A．unexpected B．average C．excellent D．poor
A．When B．Why C．How D．What
A．common B．advanced C．complex D．primary
A．suffer B．separate C．arise D．come
A．adopt B．suspect C．believe D．receive
A．weakening B．accepting C．abandoning D．strengthening
A．As a result B．On the contrary C．In addition D．At the same time
A．nothing B．something C．anything D．all
I am a mother of three and have recently completed my college degree. My teacher’s last 36 of the term was called “ Smile”. I am a very friendly person and always 37 at everyone. So I thought this would be very 38 .
Soon after we were given the project, my 39 went out to McDonald’s. We were waiting to be 40 , when all of a sudden everyone around us began to 41 , and even my husband did. There standing behind me were two homeless men 42 .
As I looked down at the short gentleman with 43 eyes, he said, “Good day.” The second man stood behind his friend. I 44 the second man was mentally challenged(智障) and the blue-eyed gentleman was his helper.
The young 45 at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, “Coffee is all, Miss.” Because that was all they could 46 .
I smiled and asked the young lady to give me two more breakfast meals on a 47 tray(托盘). I then said to the men, “ I did not do this for you. God is here 48 through me to give you hope.”
When I joined my husband, he smiled at me, saying, “That is 49 God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.”
I returned to 50 with this story in hand. I 51 “my project” and the teacher read it. Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I 52 this with the class?”
I slowly 53 and she began to read and that was when I knew that we, as human beings, share this to help people and to be 54 .
In my own way I had 55 the people at McDonald’s, my husband, sons, teacher, and every person that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
A．question B．project C．class D．expression
A．smile B．laugh C．look D．stare
A．difficult B．funny C．important D．easy
A．teacher B．classmates C．family D．children
A．ordered B．served C．paid D．called
A．run away B．crowd in C．shout out D．move away
A．in surprise B．in silence C．in rags D．in fear
A．tearful B．blue C．closed D．black
A．realized B．accepted C．permitted D．admitted
A．helper B．gentleman C．lady D．friend
A．drink B．want C．take D．afford
A．big B．separate C．flat D．round
A．working B．going C．getting D．carrying
A．how B．when C．where D．why
A．college B．home C．church D．McDonald’s
A．put up B．handed out C．handed in D．put away
A．publish B．share C．copy D．keep
A．turned B．left C．shook D．nodded
A．forgiven B．thanked C．helped D．remembered
A．touched B．knew C．forgot D．recognized
The Jordans had the best raspberries in the neighborhood, and that their bushes were always heavy with fruit.So, that summer Friday night, we snuck(潜行) into the Jordans’ backyard and 21 ourselves carefully around the bushes and started 22 their sweet, juicy berry. And we were enjoying every bite of ill-gotten berry 23 all of a sudden the Jordans’ backyard lights were turned on.
“What you boys doing out here?” Mr Jordan shouted. In all 24 ran off my friends, une aten raspberries 25 everywhere.
He made an attempt to grab one or two, but they were too quick. Speed was never my 26 . So I could just stand there and 27 whatever punishment from the Jordans and my parents. I took the scolding that Mr Jordan gave me until we reached my house, where my mother 28 . My friends said they could hear every 29 word from the darkness of our backyard, where they had gathered to celebrate their 30 .
They 31 me about it for days afterwards, while all I could do was complain about how 32 it was that I had to pay the full 33 for doing the exact same thing all of them had done without any 34 consequences. After about a week, I complained it to my father.
“You took raspberries without asking, and you got exactly the punishment you 35 ,”Dad said.
“But what about the other guys?” I asked.
“That’s not my 36 , nor should it be yours,” Dad said. “You can’t control what happens to other people. You can 37 deal with what happens to you.”
Back then I thought Dad just didn’t 38 it. But through the years I come to realize that, 39 , he knew what he was talking about. We didn’t come to earth with a(an) 40 that life would treat us fairly. The only thing we can actually deal with is what happens to us.
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A．allowed B．protected C．positioned D．helped
A．harvesting B．digging C．throwing D．hunting
A．and B．when C．before D．as
A．senses B．ways C．directions D．efforts
A．growing B．running C．flying D．hiding
A．power B．disadvantage C．strength D．attempt
A．accepted B．rejected C．risked D．enjoyed
A．paid for B．took over C．turned away D．picked out
A．encouraging B．swear C．cool D．kind
A．stealing B．experience C．escape D．behavior
A．explained B．teased C．scolded D．praised
A．unfair B．funny C．strange D．equal
A．number B．accident C．price D．task
A．same B．reliable C．noticeable D．safe
A．deserted B．received C．refused D．deserved
A．concern B．purpose C．request D．answer
A．sometimes B．only C．mostly D．almost
A．care B．value C．get D．handle
A．as well B．above all C．as usual D．or else
A．promise B．guarantee C．situation D．opinion
Twelve years ago yesterday, my mother gave birth to the most beautiful girl. 31 , we were later given the 32 that this little girl, who was three and a half months old, would only have 14 days on the earth. It’s hard to understand what kind of 33 you have when you find out that you’re 34 something that you don’t even know.
As time went on, the number of days kept growing, which gave us 35 . When the doctors said that we could take her home, that was 36 reality hit. We had no 37 .
I am from a small town with 38 hospitals, but when you don’t have money, you just don’t have it. My mother tried for days to get the money, but nothing 39 each time. A caseworker(社会工作者) was even doing her best. It’s 40 that it almost felt as if we had to 41 a baby from the hospital.
One day the caseworker walked into her boss’s office to 42 again. As she walked out, 43 down yet again, out of nowhere a man walked up to her. He 44 her a handful of money and said, “Please give this to the lady in 45 , so she can take her daughter home.” She looked down at her hand with tears in her eyes. As she looked back up to thank him, he was 46 . They searched all over that hospital and he was no where to be 47 .
Thanks to the guy that I will 48 know, we could take home that 49 baby girl that was only given 14 days to live, and celebrated her 12th birthday yesterday. I am grateful to this man and feel that his act of 50 should be shared with everyone.
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A．Besides B．Otherwise C．However D．Therefore
A．idea B．news C．order D．point
A．character B．friendship C．habit D．feeling
A．losing B．wasting C．explaining D．gaining
A．hope B．freedom C．trouble D．information
A．how B．where C．when D．whether
A．car B．knowledge C．shelter D．money
A．modern B．small C．large D．good
A．came up B．set up C．made up D．gave up
A．interesting B．necessary C．impossible D．sad
A．save B．buy C．visit D．protect
A．apologize B．research C．try D．interview
A．let B．moved C．knelt D．fell
A．took B．paid C．handed D．lent
A．danger B．need C．reward D．advance
A．gone B．shy C．disppointed D．proud
A．avoided B．found C．persuaded D．stopped
A．even B．still C．almost D．never
A．beautiful B．naughty C．nervous D．dangerous
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