During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany's mom..
Tiffany's mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn't give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn't get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany's mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. "Every time, my morn would calmly say "Poor Tiffany". I couldn't understand her. "She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Tiffany!" I thought. "She should be feeling sorry for me."
One day, I couldn't help saying to Mom, "Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her? " I burst into tears.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. "Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught. "
I looked up at her. "What are you talking about?"
Mom said with care, "One day she will really want something. Maybe she'll find out that she can't have it. Her mother won't always be around to give her money, and what's more, money can't buy everything. "
She continued, "I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You'll know how to look for bargains and save money, but she won't. You'll understand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won't. When Tiffany is a grown woman, she'll wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you've got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food. "
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom's words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.
1.During the author's elementary school years, she .
A. wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany's
B. went to school with Tiffany every day
C. usually pared her lesson with Tiffany's
D. sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany
2.Why did the author's mom always say "Poor Tiffany"?
A. She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor.
B. She wanted to tell a lie to fort the author.
C. She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother.
D. She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany.
3.What do we learn about the author's mother?
A. She was strict and taught the author to be independent.
B. She cared for other people's children more than her own.
C. She thought that life lessons were as important as money.
D. She was so poor that she couldn't give the author much money.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past.
B. The author's mother felt sorry for Tiffany.
C. Tiffany's mother took the author's mother's advice.
D. The author is thankful to her mother now.
I believe that families are not only blood relatives, but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will.
In May 1977, I was living in a Howard Johnson’s motel off Interstate 10 in Houston. My dad and I a room with two double beds and a bathroom was too for a 15-year-old girl and her father. Dad’s second marriage was and my stepmother had us both out of the house the previous week. Dad had no _ what to do with me. And that’s when my other family .
Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home their only daughter, Su, my best friend, asked them to. I with them for the next seven years.
Barbara washed my skirts the same as Su’s. She I had lunch money, doctors’ appointments, help with homework and nightly hugs. Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders. I could tell, for the Beaches there was no between Su and me; I was their daughter, too.
When Su and I college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school. Recently, Barb presented me with an insurance policy they bought when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23 years.
The Beaches knew about me when they took me in – they had heard the whole story from Su. When I was seven, my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to _ his kids. Before I went to live with the Beaches I had believed that life was entirely __ and that love was shaky and untrustworthy. I had believed that the only person who would take care of me was me.
the Beaches, I would have bee a bitter, cynical (愤世嫉俗的) woman. They gave me a(n) that allowed me to grow and change. They kept me from being paralyzed(使麻痹，瘫痪) by my _ , and they gave me the confidence to open my heart.
I family. For me, it wasn’t the family that was there on the day I was , but the one that was there for me when I was living in a Howard Johnson’s on Interstate 10.
1.A. lived B. shared C. possessed D. bought
2.A. cheap B. noisy C. small D. limited
3.A. in trouble B. in sight C. in place D. in parts
4.A. struck B. removed C. kicked D. knocked
5.A. plan B. choice C. chance D. idea
6.A. looked after B. showed up C. turned over D. came across
7.A. so B. because C. until D. while
8.A. worked B. traveled C. lived D. learned
9.A. worked out B. called up C. watched out D. made sure
10.A. As long as B. As far as C. As soon as D. As many as
11.A. change B. problem C. conflict D. difference
12.A. set off B. left for C. entered into D. admitted into
13.A. all B. little C. something D. nothing
14.A. supply B. teach C. encourage D. raise
15.A. different B. unfair C. easy D. hopeful
16.A. Thanks to B. In spite of C. Except for D. But for
17.A. home B. house C. ability D. lesson
18.A. choice B. failure C. past D. present
19.A. doubt about B. call on C. center on D. believe in
20.A. born B. accepted C. educated D. deserted
the occasional visit, what else does Alan do for his kids?
A．Except B．In spite of
C．Apart from D．Beside
—So you gave her your phone?
— . She said she'd return it to me when she could afford her own.
A．My pleasure B．Not exactly
C．No doubt D．No wonder
____ her leg the last time, Brenda decided not to go on the school skiing trip this year.
A. Breaking B. Broken
C. To break D. Having broken
The good thing about children is that they _______ very easily to new environments.
A. adapt B. appeal C. attach D. apply
