The Worst Part
Mom is usually home on Sunday but this week she was going to a big golf game and I was all alone in the house. I was mad at Mom for divorcing Dad.
I kept looking at the telephone until I couldn’t stand it any longer. I picked up the receiver and dialed Dad’s number over in Bakersfield. I even remembered to dial I first because it was long distance. “You promised to phone me this week but you didn’t,” I said, feeling I had to talk to him.
“Take it easy, kid,” he said. “I just didn’t get around to it. I was going to call this evening. The week isn’t over yet.”
I thought about that.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
“I hoped you would call, so I waited and waited.” Then I was sorry I said it.
“There was heavy snow in the morning,” he said, “I had to chain up on highway 80 and lost time.”
I know putting chains on eight big wheels in the snow is no fun. I felt a little better, as long as we were talking. “How is Bandit?” I asked.
There was a funny silence. For a minute I thought the line was dead. Then I knew something must have happened to my dog.
“Well, kid—”, he began. “My name is Leigh!” I almost yelled. “I’m not just some kid you met on the street!”
“Keep your shirt on, Leigh,” he said. “When I had to stop along with some other truckers to put on chains, I left Bandit out of the cab, I thought he would get back … I have sent out a call to CB radio, but I didn’t get an answer yet.” I was about to say I understood when there came the bad part, the really bad part. I heard a boy’s voice say, “Hey, Bill, Mom wants to know when we’re going out to get the pizza?”
1.From the story we know that _______.
A. Leigh’s dad never had a rest on Sundays B. Leigh was a deserted boy
C. Leigh’s dad lived in another city D. Leigh’s mother often went to golf games
2.What happened to Bandit?
A. It was frozen to death. B. It was let out of the cab and got lost
C. It was killed by a truck. D. It ran off Highway 80 and into the mountain.
3.The underlined sentence “Keep your shirt on” probably means “_______”.
A. Listen to reason B. Stop talking C. Calm down D. Keep warm
4.In Leigh’s eye, “the worst part” may be that ________.
A. his dad got remarried B. his parents got divorced
C. his dad didn’t love him D. his mom didn’t take him to pizza
Wings of Angel
I used to hate myself because I wasn’t “normal”. Everyone else could play on the monkey bars and ride on a bicycle, but not 21 . I had a severe spinal cord disorder (脊髓病) and I knew I would always be much 22 than others.
I hated going to school and I hated people 23 at me. I hated seeing others smiling broadly and standing 24 and tall. And most of all, I hated looking in the 25 and seeing an ugly hunchback (驼背).
My friends found me 26 because I didn’t let others get close to me. I thought I was going to go on like this for the rest of my life 27 Angela appeared.
That afternoon, I was sitting by myself in a corner of the school — a spot where no one would 28 me. That’s when I first heard her voice.
“Hi. Can I sit down?”
I raised my head and there she was, with an irresistible smile on her round face.
“What are you looking at?” she asked.
“Ants.”
“What are they doing?”
“No 29 .”
“I bet they’re playing games and making friends. Don’t you think so?”
That was how our 30 started and it didn’t stop. We talked about everything under the sun—the ants, the clouds, my little niche (处境) — until it was sunset.
Then suddenly, she saw my 31 . She just stared.
My heart 32 . What I feared most had happened and I knew for sure she would 33 me now.
She stood up, pointed at my back and said, “I know 34 your back is hunched.”
I closed my eyes like a criminal waiting to be 35 . I begged in my heart for her to 36 , but she just kept on going. “I know what you’ve got in there. Do you?”
“No,” I answered 37 .
She bent and whispered in my ears.
“Your back is hunched because you’ve got a pair of wings from the angels.”
I was 38 . I looked into her eyes and her 39 touched my heart. From that day on, I started to learn to 40 myself because I have the wings of an angel and a kind-hearted friend.
1.A. them B. it C. me D. her
2.A. sadder B. shorter C. weaker D. slower
3.A. looking B. smiling C. aiming D. glaring
4.A. still B. alone C. straight D. together
5.A. street B. sun C. corner D. mirror
6.A. distant B. disappointed C. hopeless D. unlucky
7.A. after B. while C. since D. until
8.A. disturb B. seek C. comfort D. ignore
9.A. wonder B. idea C. way D. problem
10.A. games B. performance C. conversation D. competition
11.A. face B. back C. eyes D. wings
12.A. sank B. beat C. broke D. ached
13.A. look up to B. catch up with C. look down upon D. put up with
14.A. that B. how C. whether D. why
15.A. tied B. arrested C. punished D. sentenced
16.A. relax B. leave C. stop D. forbid
17.A. shyly B. weakly C. proudly D. firmly
18.A. astonished B. ashamed C. annoyed D. upset
19.A. wisdom B. beauty C. honesty D. kindness
20.A. control B. like C. forgive D. forget
As I remember someone saying, a red sky in the evening often _____ fine weather the next day.
A. obtains B. occur C. indicates D. impresses
My parents often tell me that to work honestly will ________ in the long run.
A. pay off B. break off C. put off D. take off
—Do you think attending training courses is a great help when you look for a new job?
—Well, it all depends. ________, it gives me more of a chance to try.
A. Somehow B. Besides C. Anyway D. Therefore
He’s not got another job yet and it’s not ________ that he will for some time.
A. likely B. easily C. nearly D. lonely
