In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a giant grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one. The table was always spread with food containing love as the main ingredient. And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the laughter that was a part of our lives.
As a child, the old clock fascinated me. I watched and listened to it during meals. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's routine. He wound (上发条) that clock with a special key carefully each day. That key was magic to me. It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming. I remember watching as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock. He inserted the key and wound — not too much, nor too little. He never let that clock wind down and stop. He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take turns winding the key. I remember the first time I did it I was so excited to be part of this family routine.
After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral before I remembered the clock!
"Mama! The clock! We've let it wind down."
The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood there quiet. It even seemed smaller without my grandfather's special touch.
Some time later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key. The old house was quiet. No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the clock — all was still. I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes. He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power.
I stood, lost in the moment for a long time. Then slowly and carefully I inserted the key and wound the clock. It came back to life. Tick-tock, tick-tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my heart. In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather lived again.
1.Why does the writer say the table was always spreading with food containing love as the main ingredient?
A. The food was delicious and tasty.
B. The meal was made by his dear grandparents
C. The whole family talked about the love of each other over meals.
D. Four generations lived joyfully and harmoniously to become one.
2.By describing Grandfather’s routine in detail in the 2nd paragraph, the writer expresses .
A. It’s troublesome to make the clock work.
B. It’s a fantastic thing to play with the clock.
C. He greatly misses his late grandfather
D. His grandfather had a preference for the clock.
3.What kinds of mood are shown in the essay?
A. Sad and hopeful B. desperate and hopeful
C. Heart-broken and hopeless D. cheerful and hopeful
阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Monty Roberts, owner of a horse ranch (牧场) in San Ysidro, once told us a story. “When a young man was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to 1and do when he grew up. In his seven-page paper he described his 2of someday owning a horse ranch. He drew a 3floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would 4on a 200-acre dream ranch. Two days later he received his 5back. On the front page was a 6red F. The teacher said, ‘This is an 7dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money.’ Then the teacher 8, ‘If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your 9.’ The boy asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own 10on this. However, I think it is a very 11decision for you.’ 12, after a week, the boy 13the same paper, making no 14at all. He stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my 15.’ Monty then turned to us and said, “I tell you this story 16you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed (装框) over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the 17is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was 18of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. 19you had enough determination not to give up on yours.”
Don’t let anyone 20your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.
1.A. be B. find C. learn D. see
2.A. reason B. goal C. purpose D. way
3.A. rough B. new C. secret D. detailed
4.A. live B. locate C. sit D. run
5.A. mark B. paper C. plan D. idea
6.A. large B. tiny C. beautiful D. long
7.A. old B. imaginative C. impractical D. interesting
8.A. shouted B. smiled C. replied D. added
9.A. grade B. need C. honesty D. ability
10.A. time B. energy C. mind D. money
11.A. urgent B. quick C. important D. good
12.A. Actually B. Finally C. Gradually D. Usually
13.A. turned down B. turned around C. turned to D. turned in
14.A. comments B. changes C. judgment D. answer
15.A. dream B. courage C. interest D. spirit
16.A. though B. because C. until D. if
17.A. incident B. event C. story D. lesson
18.A. anything B. nothing C. everything D. something
19.A. Fortunately B. Strangely C. Curiously D. Probably
20.A. forget B. steal C. know D. realize
—Shall I lock the lab now before I go home?
--- . I’ll check it myself later.
A.Go ahead B.No problem C.No hurry D.Don’t bother
Steven’s exam results put him _________ the top ten students in his grade.
A.among B.between C.in D.at
I need to call my friend David _________ coat I walked off by mistake yesterday.
A.in whose B.in that C.with which D.with her
—I did very well in the English exam last week.
—I did _________ . I got a full mark.
A.no better B.not better C.no worse D.even worse