Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett’s jeans and shirt full of burn holes.
Tired and defeated, I _______ to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had_______ . He often got almost everything in the house out of _______ . Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking _______ to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional _______ Brett had done to our once quiet home.
Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. During the next few years I had dealt with Brett as _______as possible, but inside I was shouting. “I don’t want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can’t _______ him!” Having wiped my tears, I continued _______ him as before.
When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall（少管所）. After that, my husband and I had to send Brett to a boarding school for helping _______teens.
At the ________ ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had ________ the most to him or her.
Brett spoke __________ to his parents and then spoke to me, “You did so much. You were always there, no matter __________ . My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you, ________ troubled enough by me, always ____________ me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it.”
________, I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me__________.
At that moment, tears__________ in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for________. Although I had struggled with silent __________toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions. Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives, but we can love them.
1.A. sat B. sank C. bent D. dropped
2.A. ruined B. lost C. torn D. broken
3.A. danger B. place C. trouble D. order
4.A. off B. in C. up D. away
5.A. pain B. injury C. damage D. wound
6.A. patiently B. willingly C. strictly D. rudely
7.A. forgive B. educate C. stand D. control
8.A. parenting B. pardoning C. comforting D. feeding
9.A. lazy B. troublesome C. disappointing D. careless
10.A. opening B. official C. victory D. graduation
11.A. afforded B. meant C. supplied D. owed
12.A. lovingly B. sadly C. proudly D. nervously
13.A. where B. how C. what D. who
14.A. unless B. although C. because D. when
15.A. cost B. lent C. taught D. showed
16.A. Astonished B. Puzzled C. Encouraged D. Interested
17.A. surely B. roughly C. tightly D. fiercely
18.A. fell B. flowed C. moved D. gathered
19.A. pity B. happiness C. luck D. success
20.A. love B. anxiety C. anger D. care
Your children are watching you. 1. According to the Health Program, developing healthy habits is an important part for your children. And when it comes to developing healthy habits, parents influence their children more than anyone else.
2. What happens during those early years can influence children for the rest of their lives. This includes some eating and exercise habits. Children are very careful, even at a young age. Children watch what others do carefully and imitate the behaviors of those closest to them. As parents, you should do the following: 3. If you do that, your children are more likely to be enthusiastic about developing theirs.
Let your children see you taking care of your own physical health by eating fruit and vegetables. Talk to them about healthy habits in appropriate terms and at a proper time. 4.
5. Computers , televisions and other forms of technology are a major part of life in the 21st century. Unfortunately, as the use of technology in the home increases, so does the time spent watching TV or playing on the computer. So as parents, you should also arrange the time for your children wisely.
A. Don’t get rid of technology, but use it wisely.
B. Take part in physical activities and exercise regularly.
C. Be enthusiastic about developing healthy habits of your own.
D. Your actions are speaking to them louder than your words will.
E. Children prefer to imitate their parents rather than listen to them.
F. This can be helpful to teach your children to form good eating habits.
G. It’s easy for the children to form their healthy habits when they are young.
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting -- 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, attractive smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. “I'm Lieutenant（中尉）John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?”
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. “I don't know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. “Tell me whom you love,” Houssaye wrote, “And I will tell you who you are.”
1.How did John Blanchard get to know Miss Hollis Maynell?
A. They lived in the same city. B. They were both interested in literature.
C. John came across Hollis in a Florida library. D. John knew Hollis's name from a library book.
2.Hollis refused to send Blanchard a photo because _____.
A. she thought true love is beyond appearance B. she wasn't confident about her appearance
C. she was only a middle-aged woman D. she had never taken any photo before they knew
3.When Blanchard went over to greet the woman, he was _____.
A. disappointed but well-behaved B. satisfied and confident
C. annoyed and bad-mannered D. shocked but inspired
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Don't Judge a Book by its Cover B. The Symbol of Rose
C. Love is blind D. A Test of Love
“Have a nice day!”may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!”This version of expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone(腔调)with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase the business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression serves us when we don’t know what to say.“Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1.How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
A. Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.
B. Maxie really wishes the author a good day.
C. Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.
D. Maxie really worries about the author’s security.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. The salesgirl is polite. B. The salesgirl is bored.
C. The salesgirl cares about me. D. The salesgirl says the words as a routine.
3.By saying “Have a nice day,” a stranger may ______.
A. try to be polite to you B. express respect to you
C. give his blessing to you D. share his pleasure with you
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom
B. Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture
C. Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting
D. Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation
Anyone who has ever volunteered for any cause can tell you that in the end, they felt that they gained more from the experience than they gave. This is true for most examples of reaching out to help others. We find that we gain new understanding about not only those we help, but ourselves as well. Stressing the importance of helping others in martial arts students will benefit them both inside and outside of the class.
Helping others strengthens families. Families that practice the belief of working together and helping each other prepare their children for the concept of teamwork outside of the home environment. By learning to help around the house through activities such as household jobs, baby-sitting and keeping a tidy bedroom, children learn valuable lessons that they carry with them to their future relationships.
By helping others outside of the home environment, valuable friendships can be developed. When we learn to reach out to others and give off our time and talents we find that our friendships grow, which in turn is a benefit to our lives. Martial arts training supports this by exposing students to people of various backgrounds and beliefs that gather for a common goal and to help each other. Any time a group of people are working toward a common goal, team spirit surely forms. When we help each other in the martial arts setting and in every area of our lives, a friendship is formed that promotes teamwork.
The most important thing to realize is that it does not take a lot to make a lot happen. Little things can make a big difference in the area of helping others. Simple gestures of kindness and support given frequently can build a strong base for the growth and development of each individual which leads to the success of all.
1.Any volunteer will benefit from the experience because _______.
A. they will be admitted to a martial arts class for free
B. they can also have a better understanding of themselves
C. they can understand the importance of martial arts better
D. they will be paid back by those who are helped sooner or later
2.According to the author, martial arts training is valuable in that it _______.
A. promotes students’ team spirit B. develops students’ talents
C. benefits students’ lives D. exposes students’ background
3.Which of the following proverbs can be used to summarize the last paragraph?
A. Many drops make a shower. B. Strike the iron (铁) while it is hot.
C. Actions speak louder than words. D. God helps those who help themselves.
Argument for awards
It’s always exciting every year in October when the Nobel Prizes are announced. We get to witness the acknowledgement (表彰) of some of humankind’s greatest minds in six fields – literature (文学), medicine, physics, chemistry, economics and activism for peace.
This year, however, part of the excitement will be taken away, since there won’t be a Nobel Prize in literature due to the fact that the Swedish Academy – the institution (机构) that awards the prize – was involved in a sexual harassment scandal.
People worry that a scandal like this will affect the reputation of the Nobel Prizes. But at the same time, we have to ask ourselves whether we really need these awards after all.
According to Jana Gallus, an economist from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, one of the reasons that people give out awards is to establish a legacy (遗产). In the case of the Nobel Prizes, they encourage people to achieve more by acknowledging the hard work of top figures in different fields.
Awards may also help establish standards of what’s considered high quality. For example, if you’re having a hard time deciding which movie to watch, one of them having an Oscar under its belt will probably help you to make your mind up. And by reading the books that have won The Man Booker Prize or listening to songs that have been awarded a Grammy, you get an idea about what “great” literature and music look and sound like – at least in the eyes of judging panels (评审团).
Sure, awards can backfire. There was the OscarsSoWhite movement in 2015 and 2016, when it turned out that all 20 actors nominated (提名) for two years in a row were white. There was also the GrammysSoMale movement in January, when Alessia Cara was the only woman to win a solo Grammy this year. But still, it was these incidents that brought the problems of racism (种族歧视) and gender (性别) inequality into the public eye once more. And with influential voices – like that of black actor Will Smith, who refused to attend the Oscars ceremony – the problems became more likely to be noticed and dealt with instead of being buried silently, again.
Maybe these awards do matter, and we do need them – just not while they are under the shadow of a sexual harassment scandal.
So when it comes to this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature, I’m going to have to say: “No, thanks.”
BY CHEN XUE, 21ST CENTURY TEENS STAFF
1.What does Jana Gallus think is one purpose of giving out awards?
A. To honor important figures in history.
B. To pass down a long-established tradition.
C. To draw attention to social problems.
D. To encourage people to make achievements.
2.Some famous awards are mentioned in Paragraph 5 to ______.
A. give advice on how to choose movies, books and songs
B. show how something with an award can be a sign of quality
C. show how awards are related to people’s daily life
D. point out that judging panels are sometimes wrong
3.The underlined word “backfire” in Paragraph 6 probably means ______.
A. go to the wrong person B. fail to be given out
C. have an unwanted result D. receive wide recognition
4.What’s the author’s attitude toward the canceling of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature?
A. Supportive. B. Doubtful.
C. Disappointed. D. Unconcerned.
