Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett’s jeans and full of burn holes.
Tired and defeated, I 31 to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had 32 . He often got almost everything in the house out of 33 . Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking 34 to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional 35 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 a 36 as possible, but inside I was shouting. “I don’t want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can’t 37 him!” Having wiped my tears, I continued 38 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 39 teens.
At the 40 ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had 41 the most to him or her. Brett spoke 42 to his parents and then spoke to me, “You did so much. You were always there, no matter 43 . My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you, 44 troubled enough by me, always 45 me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it.”
46 , I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me 47 .
At that moment, tears 48 in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for 49 . Although I had struggled with silent 50 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. harm
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. car
Women’s earnings are well below men’s ______ educational differences that are decreasing between the two sexes.
A. in spite of B. in favor of C. in case of D. in terms of
—What attracted you to our university?
—You have a great basketball team and I can ______ for it.
A. work out B. look out C. carry out D. try out
With the car breaking down halfway on the road, we had to abandon it and ______ our training camp in the snow.
A. apply for B. send for C. make for D. allow for
A terrible accident occurred in that coal mine last year, which left some miners ______disabled. They couldn’t work for the rest of their life.
A. extraordinary B. permanently C. narrowly D. previously
The survey results concerning family and social environments were announced in November, 2010 and last month ______.
A. accidentally B. unconsciously C. cautiously D. respectively
