I was ten when my father first sent me flowers. I had been taking ballet lessons for four months, and the school was giving its yearly performance. As a member of the beginners’ chorus group, I was surprised to hear my name called out at the end of the show along with the leading dancers and to find my arms full of red roses. I can still feel myself standing on that stage, seeing my father’s big smiles.
Those roses were the first of many bunches accompanying all the milestones in my life. Getting all those roses was wonderful, but they brought a sense of embarrassment. I enjoyed them, but I also felt they were too much for my small achievements.
Not for my father. He did everything in a big way. Once, when mother told him I needed a new party dress, he brought home a dozen. His behavior often left us without money for other more important things. Sometimes I would be angry with him.
Then came my 16th birthday. It was not a happy occasion. I was fat and had no boyfriend. And my well-meaning father furthered my suffering by giving me a party. As I entered the dining room, there on the table next to my cake was a huge bunch of flowers, bigger than any before.
I wanted to hide. Now everyone would think my father had sent flowers because I had no boyfriend to do it. Sweet 16, and I felt like crying. But my best friend, Jenny, whispered, “Boy, you’re lucky to have a father like that.”
As the years passed, other occasions—birthdays, awards, graduations—were marked with Dad’s flowers. Those flowers symbolized his pride, and my success. As my fortunes grew, my father’s health became worse, but his gifts of flowers continued until he died. I covered his coffin with the largest, reddest roses I could find.
Often during the dozen years since, I felt an urge to buy a big bunch to fill the living room, but I never did. I knew it would not be the same.
Then one birthday, the doorbell rang. I was feeling blue because I was alone. My husband and my two daughters were away. My 10-year-old son, Tommy, had run out earlier with a “see you later”. So I was surprised to see Tommy at the door. “Forgot my key,” he said. “Forgot your birthday too.” He pulled a bunch of roses from behind his back.
“Oh, Tommy,” I cried. “I love flowers!”
1.The writer felt embarrassed getting her first roses because .
A.she wasn’t a member of leading dancers.
B.she thought her success wasn’t big enough.
C.she regarded the flowers as a milestone in her life.
D.she found herself standing on the center of the stage.
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.The father made the writer happy by giving her a party.
B.The father was proud of the writer in her growth stages.
C.The father didn’t leave the family money for important things.
D.The father bought the writer flowers when she got angry with him.
3.Tommy came back again, mainly to .
A.take back his keys. B.show his love for flowers.
C.encourage his mother. D.bring his mother birthday gift.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Love in Bloom. B.Father and Me.
C.Pleasure and Embarrassment. D.Father’s Flowers.
The world always makes way for the dreamer
When I was nine years old, I lived in a small town. I found an ad for selling greeting cards in the back of a children’s magazine. I thought to myself I could do this, so I begged my mother to let me send for the kit (卡片盒). Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I took the cards and ran out of the house. Three hours later, I returned home with no ______ and a pocket full of money. A ______ was born.
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to ______ Zig Ziegler. I remember listening to Mr. Ziegler who raised everyone’s ______ up to the ceiling. I left there feeling like I could do anything. I wanted to be a speaker just like Mr. Ziegler. Then a ______ was born. Recently, I began pursuing my dream of ______ others.
After working for many years in the company, I decided to ______ my secure position after attending a sales meeting. The vice-president of our company made a speech that ____ my life. He asked us, “______ an angel could realize your three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a moment to ______ the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need an angel?” I would ______ forget the encouragement it gave me at that moment. I ____ that I didn’t need an angel’s help to become a great speaker.
Having made that decision, I was immediately ______. My husband was laid off from his job just one week after I ______ my job. We had recently bought a new house and needed both ____ to pay the monthly mortgage (按揭贷款). I even planned to turn back to my ____ company, knowing they wanted me to stay but I was ______ that if I went back, I would never leave. I decided I still wanted to ______ forward rather than end up with a mouth full of “if onlys” later on. A motivational speaker was born.
When I firmly ______ my dream, the miracles really began to happen. In a short period my husband found a better job. And I was able to get a lot of _______ engagements. I discovered the unbelievable power of dreams.
1.A.cover B.tool C.card D.magazine
2.A.salesperson B.advertiser C.designer D.collector
3.A.help B.see C.hug D.encourage
4.A.height B.senses C.Voice D.spirits
5.A.concept B.memory C.dream D.chance
6.A.controlling B.entertaining C.challenging D.motivating
7.A.leave B.gain C.pursue D.question
8.A.prevented B.ruined C.changed D.studied
9.A.If B.Although C.Unless D.Before
10.A.give up B.look into C.carry out D.write down
11.A.never B.seldom C.always D.sometimes
12.A.argued B.realized C.expected D.imagined
13.A.improved B.criticized C.tested D.accepted
14.A.knew B.quit C.offered D.created
15.A.ideas B.confidence C.energy D.incomes
16.A.ideal B.former C.official D.secure
17.A.optimistic B.certain C.sensitive D.generous
18.A.touch B.sit C.manage D.move
19.A.stuck to B.adjusted to C.returned to D.objected to
20.A.selling B.operating C.speaking D.publishing
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
China is well known as the Kingdom of Bamboo. Bamboo culture has already been rooted 1. Chinese minds through the long history. To the Chinese people, bamboo is the symbol of virtue, 2. (reflect) people’s soul and emotion. Bamboo has the title of “the gentleman of plants”. 3. (it) deep root symbolizes determination and its straight and hollow pole represents straightness and modesty. Bamboo culture always 4. (play) a positive role in encouraging Chinese people to hold on when facing tough situations.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
The earth, the planet on 1. we are living, is the third planet from the sun. It came from the shrinking (收缩) of a vast cloud of dust and gas in outer space. Many scientist believe that the earth, as well as the sun and the other planets in our solar system, 2. (form) at least five billion years ago. The earth is slightly flattened at the North and South Poles, 3. it would look like a perfect ball if you were far out in space.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Yesterday, I was walking down the street 1. I saw four separate dimes (角) on the ground shining in the sunlight. I bent down, picked them up and entered the post office. Inside a lady 2. (dig) through her purse at the counter anxiously looking for change to mail a package. Believe it or not, she was exactly forty cents short. How amazing it was! I placed my dimes on the counter. The smile I got in return was worth a thousand 3. (dollar).
假如你叫李津，在报纸上看到一幅成语漫画，很有感触。请给你的英国笔友写一封邮件，描述这幅漫画并谈谈自己的感想。
注意：1. 词数不少于100，开头已给出，不计入总词数。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Tony,
I saw an interesting carton in a newspaper.
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Yours
Li Jin
