Uncle Tom gave little Vicki Black a birthday gift one week before her birthday. He told her not to open it until her birthday. She knew her mother wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect to the kind man who helped them out after Vicki’s father passed away; besides, Vicki didn’t want Uncle Tom to get angry. But little Vicky didn’t want to just hold it and guess what was in it. After all, she looked forward to his coming to show her interesting things, like how to turn an old sock into a doll.
All the day, Vicki couldn’t stop thinking about the gift while her teacher was giving a lecture. Vicki sat still in her seat, drawing paper dolls inside the box. When school was done, she raced home. Walking into the room, again, she shook the present, but she heard nothing. Holding her breath, she opened the box and looked inside. Seconds later, she cried. When Mrs. Black saw the box, she said angrily, “Didn’t I tell you to leave it alone?” Vicki sobbed and said, “Mommy, you don’t understand.”
“Don’t cry to me. You have missed everything now, just because you couldn’t wait,” Mrs. Black accused. “What will Uncle Tom think now?”
“Uncle Tom gave me nothing,” Vicki cried and handed the empty box to her mother. “He played a trick on me.”
Mrs. Black said doubtfully, “Uncle Tom is not like that. You must have dropped it.”
Vicki kept crying. Only a rapid knock on the door made the house quiet. It was Uncle Tom. He looked at the empty box. “You have already done it? I told you to wait for your birthday.”
“You didn’t give me a gift.” Fresh tears filled her eyes.
“I try to give you something. I know your birthday is a special day. I tell myself to give you something valuable to last your whole life. I think hard and get the idea to give you an important lesson. If you open it on birthday, I see you learn. Then I will make a big party to celebrate. Maybe next year you listen and then you will understand the gift better.
Vicki’s cheeks flushed（脸红）.
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Christmas is over. And I got my wanted radio-controlled truck. But you would not believe the___36___ and work that went into getting this holy toy.
For over a month I stared at ___37___ magazines I received from my friend until I had made up my ___38___: I wanted a Pumpkin truck. I ___39___ to work immediately, dropping hints to my father about it.
My first job was to tell him about how the steering(操纵杆) on my old car didn’t ___40___, but he just blamed the problems on my bad ___41___.
My next plan would have to be more ___42___. “Look at this, Dad, the truck with controller and battery pack—all for only US$250!” You can’t ___43___ to miss out on this bargain!”
His ___44___ was that he certainly could afford to miss this ___45___ and for US$250 you could buy ___46___ educational like a telescope. “A telescope? To look at the moon? I’ll look at it when I’m 97 years old and living in a ___47___ home! This is my youth! I am supposed to run about.”
I went to my room, ___48___ at how mean(吝啬的) my father was. It was obvious that he didn’t ___49___ that I would die if I did not get the Pumpkin radio-controlled truck.
When I ___50___ on Christmas morning I wasn’t excited. I had been ___51___. I opened all my presents until there was just one big package ___52___. “The telescope,” I thought. I ___53___ the packaging and looked at the top of the box—it was a Pumpkin truck. I had ___54___! I loved my parents! I felt like I could do anything! I could ___55___ get an A+ in English class.
1.A. pain B. attempt C. joy D. shyness
2.A. housing B. fishing C. car D. fashion
3.A. mind B. idea C. opinion D. head
4.A. get B. set C. searched D. went
5.A. operate B. run C. start D. work
6.A. riding B. driving C. thinking D. keeping
7.A. strong B. practical C. ideal D. obvious
8.A. afford B. pay C. allow D. stand
9.A. talk B. expression C. face D. response
10.A. truck B. telescope C. chance D. bargain
11.A. one B. something C. everything D. nothing
12.A. heating B. loving C. nursing D. finding
13.A. pleased B. good C. expert D. angry
14.A. say B. believe C. care D. learn
15.A. went off B. woke up C. rang up D. found out
16.A. worried B. instructed C. warned D. defeated
17.A. opened B. wrapped C. left D. faded
18.A. recovered B. refused C. reopened D. removed
19.A. won B. done C. beaten D. failed
20.A. ever B. already C. still D. even
---What’s wrong with my stomach?
---There is nothing serious; you can __________.
A. take it easy B. take your time C. take it seriously D. take risks
It was the training _____ he had as a young man _____ made him such a good engineer.
A. what; that B. that; what C. that; which D. which; that
It was not until he came back _____ he knew the police were looking for him.
A. which B. since C. that D. before
I hate _____ when the light turns red and the people don’t move until it is about to turn green again.
A. it B. that C. these D. them
