My aunt Edith was a widow of 50, working as a secretary, when doctors discovered she had got what was then thought to be a very serious heart illness.
Aunt Edith didn’t accept defeat easily. She began studying medical reports in library and found an article in a magazine about a well-known heart doctor, Dr. Michael Debakey, of Houston, Texas. He had saved the life of someone with the same illness. The article said Dr. Debakey’s fees were very high; Aunt Edith couldn’t possibly pay them. But could he tell her of someone whose fee she could pay?
So Aunt Edith wrote to him. She simply listed her reasons for wanting to live: her three children, who would be on their own in three or four years and among them a little girl who always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world. There wasn’t a word of self-pity -- only warmth and humor and the joy of living. She mailed the letter, not really expecting an answer.
A few days later, my doorbell rang. Aunt Edith didn’t wait to come in; she stood in the hall and read aloud:
Your beautiful letter moved me very deeply. If you can come to Houston, there will be no charge for either the hospital or the operation.
Signed：Michael Debakey
That was seven years ago. Since then, Aunt Edith has been around the world. Her three children are happily married. For her age, she is one of the youngest, most alive people I know.
1.“Aunt Edith didn’t accept defeat easily” means that .
A. she was very beautiful B. she was very strong
C. she was very brave D. she was very warm hearted
2.Why did Aunt Edith write to Dr. Debakey? Because .
A. she had no time to visit him
B. she didn’t know the way to Houston
C. she didn’t believe in him
D. she wanted to get some help from him
3. In fact，Aunt Edith’s letter to Dr. Debakey was full of .
A. courage B. illness
C. pity D. sadness
4.After reading Dr. Debakey’s letter，Aunt Edith felt .
A. discouraged B. frightened
C. disappointed D. Encouraged
I am a mother of three and have recently completed my college degree. My teacher’s last _ of the term was called “ Smile”. I am a very friendly person and always _ at everyone. So I thought this would be very __ .
Soon after we were given the project, my _ went out to McDonald’s. We were waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to move away, and even my husband did. There standing behind me were two homeless men_ .
As I looked down at the short gentleman with _ eyes, he said, “Good day.” The second man stood behind his friend. I _ the second man was mentally challenged (智障) and the blue-eyed gentleman was his helper.
The young __ at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, “Coffee is all, Miss.” Because that was all they could _ .I smiled and asked the young lady to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray (托盘). I then said to the men, “ I did not do this for you. God is here whispering me to give you hope.” When I joined my husband, he smiled at me, saying, “That is __ God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.”
I returned to _ with this story in hand. I_ “my project” and the teacher read it. Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I _ this with the class?”
I slowly _ and she began to read and that was when I knew that we, as human beings, share this to help people and to be helped. In my own way I had _ the people at McDonald’s, my husband, sons, teacher, and every person that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
1.A. question B. project C. class D. expression
2.A. smile B. laugh C. look D. stare
3.A. difficult B. funny C. important D. easy
4.A. teacher B. classmates C. family D. children
5.A. in surprise B. in silence C. in rags D. in fear
6.A. tearful B. blue C. closed D. black
7.A. realized B. accepted C. permitted D. admitted
8.A. helper B. gentleman C. lady D. friend
9.A. drink B. want C. take D. afford
10.A. how B. when C. where D. why
11.A. college B. home C. church D. McDonald’s
12.A. put up B. handed out C. handed in D. put away
13.A. publish B. share C. copy D. keep
14.A. turned B. left C. shook D. nodded
15.A. touched B. knew C. forgot D. Recognized
—Jane, which color do you prefer, red or blue?
—______. I prefer to buy a green one.
A. Either will be OK
B. Both will be OK
C. To be honest, neither
D. Generally, I’m not sure
I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean to keep you waiting here for a long time. Can you______ me?
A. forgive B. satisfy
C. apologize D. Affect
They may start as a group of high-school students, ____ practising their music in someone’s house is the first step to fame.
A. for whom B. to them
C. for which D. from them
If George keeps on working so hard, he’ll ______ sooner or later.
A. break down B. break up
C. break out D. break off
