The phone ID flashed “Emergency Vet”. “Oh no” I whispered. I could not lose Merlin now.
Ron and I had tried to have children for a long time with depressing results. I threw myself into my work. Any maternal feelings I had were spent on Merlin.
I couldn’t wait to get home from work each night. I wanted to pick up that warm bundle of loving fur and nestle him. I wanted to sing “Rock-a-bye Merlin” as I did every night as he would put his paws around my neck.
Merlin was my comfort especially at times when I wondered if God was listening. But last night something had changed. Not only did I sing “Rock-a-Bye Merlin” but I asked “What will I do after you’re gone?”
Although Merlin was 19 years old a senior in the age of a cat he didn’t look or act that way. I didn’t want to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his lifetime. My job at the law firm was so demanding and stressful that I couldn’t imagine getting through the day without Merlin waiting to greet me at home.
I dialed the vet’s number. I asked for my husband but he already left. Then I took a breath and asked the question that no one wants to ask “Is my Merlin still alive?” The nurse said “yes.”
Ron came home and said that Merlin had almost no red blood cells left. White blood cells were replacing them. Merlin would need expensive transfusions most likely on a monthly basis. We both knew Merlin was running out of time. I asked Ron to drive me to the vet so I could say goodbye to my little boy cat but he was beat tired and it was late. Ron said if Merlin was still alive the next morning then he would take me to the vet.
The next morning I called the vet. Merlin had survived the night.
After driving to the vet I went into the examining room. The nurse brought Merlin and placed him on an examining table on his side. His eyes were tightly shut. I thought he died already. I carefully edged my hand to reach his body. His body felt warm but when I spoke his name there was no response. No response to his name or that I was there and that I loved him. I was extremely sad.
In that examining room I felt helpless. I wondered how many people in an examining room felt as helpless as I did.
Feeling driven to prayer I yelled “God this isn’t good enough. I need to see my Merlin the way I remember him I need a miracle and I need it now!”
At that moment God granted a miracle. Merlin’s favorite compliment entered my mind. I said “Merlin You are Beautiful and You are Gorgeous do you hear me?” One eye opened.
I said “Gotcha”. I kept repeating those words.
Merlin opened the other eye and one limb at a time got up. He was waiting for that phrase. He wanted to hear that he was beautiful and gorgeous again.
Then I experienced another miracle.
There was no sound in that examining room until Merlin started walking to me. From out of nowhere or maybe from heaven I clearly heard a song we sung in church often: “It Is Well With My Soul.” I remembered thinking “Yes it is well with my Soul. I got to see my little boy cat one more time.”
Merlin walked to me. He put his face in mine which he had never done before. He rubbed a circle around my face twice. Merlin said goodbye with his face and marked me for life.
Ron appeared shocked that Merlin was up and had walked to me. I said to Merlin “Tell God you are a good boy and how much we love you” and then handed him back to the nurse.
Tears of gratitude poured forth in memory of a miracle. You see for nineteen years God spoke to me through a special cat named “Merlin.” On Merlin’s last day God proved he heard me when he granted a miracle. That miracle gave me time to say goodbye.
1.Ron’s wife couldn’t lose Merlin because ______.
A. Merlin could supply her with comfort and warmth
B. Merlin was her adopted child for nineteen years
C. she failed to give birth to her own biological child
D. she would sing her usual song to no one later in life
2.What did Ron’s wife think of Merlin?
①comfortable
②demanding
③long life
④full of devotion
⑤lovely
⑥religious
A. ①②⑥ B. ①②③
C. ③④⑤ D. ④⑤⑥
3.What does “The next morning I called the vet.” in Paragraph 8 imply?
A. The writer turned to the vet because Merlin was in desperate condition.
B. Ron would accompany her wife to the vet to live up to his promise.
C. The writer was so hopeless as to ask a favor of the vet.
D. Ron did not care about Merlin so that the writer called the vet.
4.When Merlin reached the examining room ______ .
A. his body felt warm because the writer rubbed him hard
B. the writer chanted prayers to him trying to wake him up
C. he shut his eyes tightly and was obviously dead
D. the writer felt helpless to have no timely surgical operation
5.We can infer from the passage that _______ .
A. we have to have faith in the church to get miracles in future life
B. doctors may not always be reliable when our loved ones need their help
C. couples should have a child or something to fill in their free time
D. God will not disappoint us if we are devoted to our loved ones
Teenagers enter their adolescent years with a mixture of optimism, excitement and anxiety. Adolescence is a time when boys and girls begin to show greater independence from their parents. It is also a time when young people begin to develop the sense of individuality that will help shape their future identity as adults. In fact, showing independence and forming a unique identity are two of the most important developmental tasks that adolescents must finish in preparation for satisfying and productive adult lives.
It is not easy for parents or teenagers to go smoothly through this period. Adolescents want to be independent of their parents and make their own decisions. They often do not recognize their need for adults’ guidance and support.
However, some parents find it easy to keep the lines of communication open with an adolescent child. These parents are often noticed by the child as stable sources of positive influence, and the teen feels supported in his or her growing independence. Communication in such families characterized by mutual(互 相的) respect and the ability to freely exchange feelings and ideas. Parents who understand their teenager’s need for a reasonable measure of independence and individuality encourage their child's growth and achievements. This positive interest strengthens parent-child relationships. When adolescents receive parental approval and believe that parents really value their accomplishments, it creates a willingness to share other information about themselves.
Many parents find it difficult to have open communication with their child during the adolescent years. Some parents have difficulty understanding the changes their teenager is experiencing and pay little attention to his or her need to pull away from the family and make independent decisions. At the same time, some teenagers are so self-focused that they do not appreciate or accept their parents’ concern, and they are against all parental authority. In this case, frequent arguments may develop, and family life may become difficult. Parents and teenagers may separate from one another to avoid arguments, but this is usually a short-term solution that does not clear up the main problems.
A major long-term method is to help them develop more effective communication. This enables the family members to end their conflicts( 矛 盾 ) and to establish more harmonious and more satisfying relationships.
1.What’s the importance of adolescents’ independence from their parents?
A. It means they have a different identity from that in childhood.
B. It shows they can make decisions on their own.
C. It helps them to develop unique characters.
D. It prepares them for successful adult lives.
2.According to Paragraph 3, which of the following is the least influential in good adolescent parent-child relationships?
A. Parents approval for their children.
B. Teenagers’ need for parents’ guidance.
C. The possibility of talking about feeling freely.
D. Mutual respect between parents and children.
3.What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?
A. The reasons for the arguments between parents and adolescents.
B. Why some teenagers don’ t show respect for their parents.
C. What children wish for during their adolescent years.
D. The arguments parents and adolescents may have.
10 years after my parents got married, my dad went to work in the oil fields, and soon accepted a job working overseas. The money was great, but the fact that we only saw him every other month disappointed me. My mom stayed home with her five children, raising us alone. We had a place in the country with horses, dogs, chickens and a few head of cattle. Mom was very busy, but always made time for us. Of course, lots of mothers did things like that. But Mom’s greatest achievement was yet to come.
When the oil business declined(衰退) in the 1980s, my dad and most of his friends lost their jobs. The wives were at a loss to know how to manage without large monthly paychecks. But my mom was different. She helped out by working part-time jobs and she learned to drive a semi-truck, so she could help my dad make more miles at his new job. But with three teenagers at home, she couldn't spend time on the road with him. so he decided to find a different kind of job.
Mom found an ad for the International Air Academy in Vancouver, Washington. She had always dreamed of working as a flight attendant but had chosen a family over a career. She was fascinated by the idea that she might be able to work in the travel field after all. Having no idea how she would pay for the schooling, or even if she’d get a job, she took a leap of faith(冒险一试) and dialed the number.
It wasn’t easy, but she passed the entrance exam and was admitted to the three-month training course. That was only half the battle, though, as she still needed the tuition. She finally got a loan( 借款) to cover some of the expenses, and the president of the school gave her a personal loan to cover the rest.
As she read her welcome packet, she realized there was a strict dress code( 着装要求), requiring professional dress each day. This was not something she had. And she also needed to see an eye doctor. Her older brother sent her enough money to buy the clothes she needed and test her eyes. And then she took her two youngest － daughters my sister and me to Vancouver, where there was an apartment waiting for her in the family housing section.
In the first day of class, she was so nervous. I can remember her taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself before leaving. She was forty-five years old, and that made it a little intimidating to walk into a classroom full of twenty-year-olds and try to hold her own. But she stood by her commitment and graduated at the top of her class.
Her first job as a travel agent was with a large agency in Aurora, Colorado. She felt great about her achievement and proud of the beautiful high-rise building she worked in. I was so proud of what she had done. She’d found a way to rise above the curveball( 弧线球) life had thrown at her. Instead of quitting as many of her friends had, she charged ahead and created a brand new career.
1.Why did the author’s mother decide not to drive the semi-truck any more?
A. Because the payment was not high enough.
B. Because she was too tired to help the author's father.
C. Because she needed to look after the children.
D. Because she wanted to work full-time is a flight attendant.
2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. The author’s mother was good at playing baseball.
B. The author’s mother got her dream job through hard-work.
C. The author’s mother was no longer concerned about the future of the family.
D. The author’s mother managed to overcome the difficulties in life.
Next week, strangers with a truck will ______ everything we own, except the clothes on our backs, the car we will drive, and as much stuff as we can pack into it.
It’s called ______ . Some people do it often. For others, like me, it's a rare experience. In all my adult years, I've moved only ___ .
My first husband and I moved into our first house with a bed, our clothes and a few gifts. That was ____ ago. Over the years, I filled that house with three children, a few dogs and enough stuff to reach the ceiling(天花板).
Then the kids grew up, I lost my ___ to cancer, and I began to learn about ___ .
First, I let go of the idea of being ______. Life isn’t about being in charge of what happens; it's about being in charge of what we do with it.
Next, I let go of _______ the things I care most about. I began to put important things first like keeping in touch with the people that mean the most to me.
I let go of the people whose lives are about anger or hatred( 憎恨), and tried instead to __________ myself with those who shine with ____ .
Finally, I let go of being ___ － I remarried.
I eventually moved to a new city with my new husband, and after that move, I promised I’d stop collecting meaningless things. But 12 years later, here I am, still learning about letting go. Yesterday while cleaning out a dresser, I found a box filled with old keepsakes(纪念品). Nothing in that box may mean much to anyone, except me. They are treasures for me which _______ me of the _______ they preserve. We finally decided to hold onto to them and never let them go.
We’ll all move someday from this world to the next, but we won’t need a truck to do it. We’ll take nothing with us and but ________ a memory of the life we lived, the mistakes we made, and all the love and kindness we tried to show That memory might not be a treasure, but ______ , someone will keep it and hold it close and never let it go.
1.A. pick up B. take away C. drop off D. bring in
2.A. travelling B. conveying C. loading D. moving
3.A. once B. twice C. three times D. four times
4.A. a lifetime B. a decade C. five years D. a century
5.A. daughter B. son C. grandfather D. husband
6.A. holding on B. letting go C. going ahead D. giving in
7.A. in control B. in preparation C. in need D. in store
8.A. putting off B. splitting up C. speeding up D. going after
9.A. provide B. equip C. surround D. compare
10.A. optimism B. ambition C. generosity D. kindness
11.A. considerate B. independent C. alone D. narrow-minded
12.A. inform B. remind C. occur to D. recall
13.A. childhood B. sources C. details D. memories
14.A. bring about B. leave behind C. get rid of D. put away
15.A. hopefully B. eventually C. gradually D. unbelievably
--- Jim lost his job. Then somebody stole his car.
--- . We should lend him a hand.
A. The grass is always greener on the other side B. A miss is as good as a mile
C. It never rains but pours D. Every dog has its day
The Chinese women’s volleyball team won the gold medal at the Rio Olympics, which is the third time the team Olympic gold.
A. claimed B. has claimed
C. has been claiming D. had claimed
