During the war, my husband was stationed at an army camp in a desert in California. I went to live there in order to be _______ him. I hated the place. I had never _______ been so unhappy. My husband was ordered out on a long-term duty, and I was left in a tiny shack(棚屋) alone. The heat was _______ — almost 125°F even in the shade of a cactus(仙人掌). _______ a soul to talk to. The wind blew non-stop, and all the food I ate, and the very air I breathed, were _______ with sand, sand, sand!
I was so sorry for myself that I wrote to my parents. I told them I was _______ and coming back home. I said I couldn’t stand it one minute longer. I _______ be in prison! My father answered my _______ with just two lines — two lines that will always sing in my _______— two lines that completely changed my life:
Two men looked out from prison bars,
One saw the mud, the other saw the stars.
I read those two lines ________. I was ashamed of myself. I made up my mind I would find out what was good in my present ________; I would look for the stars.
I made friends with the natives, and their ________ amazed me. They gave me presents of their favorite artworks which they had ________ to sell to tourists. I studied the delightful forms of the cactus. I watched for the desert sunsets, and ________ for seashells that had been left there millions of years ago when the sands of the desert had been an ocean ________.
What brought about this ________ change in me? The desert hadn’t changed, ________ I had. I had changed my ________. And by doing so, I changed an unhappy experience into the most amazing ________ of my life. I was excited by this new world that I had discovered. I had looked out of my self-created prison and ________ the stars.
1.A.off B.behind C.near D.beyond
2.A.before B.already C.then D.still
3.A.inflexible B.incomprehensible C.uncontrollable D.unbearable
4.A.Only B.No C.Many D.Such
5.A.covered B.filled C.buried D.charged
6.A.catching up B.keeping up C.giving up D.getting up
7.A.ought to B.might well C.would rather D.had better
8.A.request B.call C.question D.letter
9.A.comparison B.imagination C.consideration D.memory
10.A.over and over B.by and by C.up and down D.now and then
11.A.company B.occupation C.situation D.relationship
12.A.movement B.reaction C.guidance D.purpose
13.A.refused B.failed C.managed D.happened
14.A.asked B.hunted C.waited D.headed
15.A.floor B.surface C.rock D.level
16.A.shocking B.challenging C.puzzling D.astonishing
17.A.as B.but C.for D.or
18.A.attitude B.principle C.identity D.standard
19.A.vacation B.operation C.affair D.adventure
20.A.sought B.counted C.found D.reached
Lainey finished third grade. She had good grades and could read ______ grade level, but she did not like to read. On a family car trip, her Aunt Dede pulled out a copy of Harry Potter, as a surprise for her ______. But Lainey took one look at it, ______ her eyes, and said, “Borrrring！”
Aunt Dede, a teacher, had read the book to her students, and they loved it. ______ the youngest children in the class were ______ by the story. They ______ with great interest, and then ______ joined in grand conversations about Harry's adventures.
“How can you say it's ______？Have you read it？” asked Aunt Dede.
“No, it's too long and it doesn't have any ______，” complained Lainey.
“Oh, that's where you are ______； there are lots of pictures. Every page is full of pictures; you just have to read the words to ______ them. It's like magic.”
“Nice try, Aunt Dede，” Lainey replied ______ from the back seat.
Another ______ was in order. “Well, if you don't want to read it, give it ______. Maybe your mum would ______ hearing the story.” The book sailed through the air to Aunt Dede and she began to read it aloud. By the end of the first chapter，______ were coming from the back seat: “Please read a little ______．”
Lainey is an example of an ______ reader. As shown here, Lainey can become ______ about reading when ______ with literature on topics that interest her, and when the people around her model involvement in the reading process.
1.A. within B. on C. to D. above
2.A. daughter B. niece C. student D. friend
3.A. opened B. dried C. rolled D. shaded
4.A. Even B. Still C. Just D. Yet
5.A. surprised B. annoyed C. puzzled D. attracted
6.A. read B. told C. listened D. wrote
7.A. suspectedly B. anxiously C. calmly D. enthusiastically
8.A. amazing B. boring C. ridiculous D. humorous
9.A. pictures B. stories C. adventures D. conversations
10.A. crazy B. foolish C. wrong D. different
11.A. see B. match C. show D. recognize
12.A. sourly B. patiently C. eagerly D. shyly
13.A. idea B. try C. belief D. behaviour
14.A. away B. out C. in D. back
15.A. enjoy B. admit C. mind D. finish
16.A. decisions B. requests C. comments D. promises
17.A. more clearly B. longer C. louder D. more carefully
18.A. unpleasant B. innocent C. unwilling D. independent
19.A. astonished B. worried C. confused D. excited
20.A. presented B. concerned C. disturbed D. replaced
The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.
Cathy suffered some terrible _______ in her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she _______ became healthy.
Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer, she wanted to _______ our local swim team. She practiced hard and finally _______ it. The team practice, _______ was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly _______ her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to _______ her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swimsuit _______ to go! I told her she shouldn’t swim after a whole night’s coughing, but she refused to _______ and insisted she go.
From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn’t ________ a single practice. She had a ________ intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten-year-old was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this ________ human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of ________ of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn’t a ________—ever. But that didn’t stop her from trying.
Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn’t expect any award but was still there to ________ her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach ________, “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her ________ and enthusiasm. ________ skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset(财富) one can hold is the heart.”
It was the greatest ________ of my daughter’s life. With all she had been ________ in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph(成功).
1.A.failure B.pressure C.loss D.illness
2.A.usually B.finally C.firstly D.frequently
3.A.improve B.train C.join D.contact
4.A.increased B.found C.created D.made
5.A.however B.therefore C.otherwise D.instead
6.A.use B.survive C.save D.waste
7.A.pull B.tell C.hide D.fire
8.A.afraid B.nervous C.ready D.free
9.A.take off B.set off C.give up D.show up
10.A.attend B.miss C.ban D.start
11.A.rich B.weak C.firm D.kind
12.A.trusted B.determined C.experienced D.embarrassed
13.A.frustration B.delight C.excitement D.surprise
14.A.beginner B.learner C.partner D.winner
15.A.cheer on B.compete with C.respond to D.run after
16.A.admitting B.explaining C.announcing D.whispering
17.A.humor B.will C.honesty D.wisdom
18.A.Although B.Since C.Once D.Because
19.A.discovery B.choice C.influence D.moment
20.A.through B.under C.across D.around
A Race Against Death
It was a cold January in 1925 in Nome, Alaska. The town was cut off from the rest of the world due to heavy snow.
On the 20th of that month, Dr. Welch _______a sick boy, Billy, and knew he had diphtheria, a deadly infectious(传染的) disease mainly affecting children. The children of Nome would be _______if it struck the town. Dr. Welch needed medicine as soon as possible to stop other kids from getting sick. _______, the closest supply was over 1,000 miles away, in Anchorage.
How could the medicine get to Nome? The town’s _______was already full of ice, so it couldn’t come by ship. Cars and horses couldn’t travel on the _______roads. Jet airplanes and big trucks didn’t exist yet.
_______January 26, Billy and three other children had died. Twenty more were _______. Nome’s town officials came up with a(n)_______. They would have the medicine sent by _______from Anchorage to Nenana. From there, dogsled(狗拉雪橇) drivers — known as ＂mushers＂ — would __________it to Nome in a relay(接力).
The race began on January 27. The first musher, Shannon, picked up the medicine from the train at Nenana and rode all night. __________he handed the medicine to the next musher, Shannon’s face was black from the extreme cold.
On January 31, a musher named Seppala had to __________a frozen body of water called Norton Sound. It was the most __________part of the journey. Norton Sound was covered with ice, which could sometimes break up without warning. If that happened, Seppala might fall into the icy water below. He would __________, and so would the sick children of Nome. But Seppala made it across.
A huge snowstorm hit on February 1. A musher named Kaasen had to brave this storm. At one point, huge piles of snow blocked his__________. He had to leave the trail(雪橇痕迹) to get around them. Conditions were so bad that it was impossible for him to __________the trail again. The only hope was Balto, Kaasen’s lead dog. Balto put his nose to the ground, __________to find the smell of other dogs that had traveled on the trail. If Balto failed, it would mean disaster for Nome. The minutes passed by. Suddenly, Balto began to __________. He had found the trail.
At 5:30 am on February 2, Kaasen and his dogs __________in Nome. Within minutes, Dr. Welch had the medicine. He quickly gave it to the sick children. All of them recovered.
Nome had been __________.
1.A.examined B.warned C.interviewed D.cured
2.A.harmless B.helpless C.fearless D.careless
3.A.Moreover B.Therefore C.Otherwise D.However
4.A.airport B.station C.harbor D.border
5.A.narrow B.snowy C.busy D.dirty
6.A.From B.On C.By D.After
7.A.tired B.upset C.pale D.sick
8.A.plan B.excuse C.message D.topic
9.A.air B.rail C.sea D.road
10.A.carry B.return C.mail D.give
11.A.Though B.Since C.When D.If
12.A.enter B.move C.visit D.cross
13.A.shameful B.boring C.dangerous D.foolish
14.A.escape B.bleed C.swim D.die
15.A.memory B.exit C.way D.destination
16.A.find B.fix C.pass D.change
17.A.pretending B.trying C.asking D.learning
18.A.run B.leave C.bite D.play
19.A.gathered B.stayed C.camped D.arrived
20.A.controlled B.saved C.founded D.developed
When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant _______ Miller King, who was the best _______ at our school.
Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for _______.
Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from _______. He looked very _______, but he didn’t cry.
That season, I _______ all of Miller’s records while he _______ the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player,_______ I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s _______.
One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller __________ going over a fence—which wasn’t __________ to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept __________ from. But even that challenge he accepted. I __________ him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally __________ on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did __________ .Thank you for filling in for __________.”
His words freed me from my bad __________. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was __________ ahead of me. I was right to have __________ him. From that day on, I grew __________ and a little more real.
1.A.cheering for B.beating out C.relying on D.staying with
2.A.coach B.student C.teacher D.player
3.A.practice B.show C.comfort D.pleasure
4.A.school B.vacation C.hospital D.training
5.A.pale B.calm C.relaxed D.ashamed
6.A.held B.broke C.set D.tried
7.A.reported B.judged C.organized D.watched
8.A.and B.then C.but D.thus
9.A.decision B.mistake C.accident D.sacrifice
10.A.stuck B.hurt C.tired D.lost
11.A.steady B.hard C.fun D.fit
12.A.praise B.advice C.assistance D.apology
13.A.let B.helped C.had D.noticed
14.A.dropped B.ready C.trapped D.safe
15.A.fine B.wrong C.quickly D.normally
16.A.us B.yourself C.me D.them
17.A.memories B.ideas C.attitudes D.dreams
18.A.still B.also C.yet D.just
19.A.challenged B.cured C.invited D.admired
20.A.healthier B.bigger C.cleverer D.cooler
A Heroic Driver
Larry works with Transport Drivers, Inc. One morning in 2009, Larry was ______along 165 north after delivering to one of his _______. Suddenly, he saw a car with its bright lights on. _______ he got closer, he found ____ vehicle upside down on the road. One more look and he noticed _______ shooting out from under the _______ vehicle. Larry pulled over, set the brake and _______the fire extinguisher (灭火器). Two good bursts from the extinguisher and the fire was put out.
The man who had his bright lights on _______ and told Larry he had _______ an emergency call. They ________ heard a woman’s voice coming from the wrecked (毁坏的) vehicle. ________the vehicle, they saw that a woman was trying to get out of the broken window. They told her to stay ________ until the emergency personnel arrived, ________ she thought the car was going to ________. Larry told her that he had already put out the fire and she should not move ________ she injured her neck.
Once fire and emergency people arrived, Larry and the other man ________ and let them go to work. Then, Larry asked the ________ if he was needed or ________ to go. They let him and the other man go.
One thing is ________—Larry went above and beyond the call of duty by getting so close to the burning vehicle! His ________ most likely saved the woman’s life.
1.A. walking B. touring C. traveling D. rushing
2.A. passengers B. colleagues C. employers D. customers
3.A. Since B. Although C. As D. If
4.A. each B. another C. that D. his
5.A. flames B. smoke C. water D. steam
6.A. used B. disabled C. removed D. abandoned
7.A. got hold of B. prepared C. took charge of D. controlled
8.A. came down B. came through C. came in D. came over
9.A. returned B. received C. made D. confirmed
10.A. then B. again C. finally D. even
11.A. Starting B. Parking C. Passing D. Approaching
12.A. quiet B. still C. away D. calm
13.A. for B. so C. and D. but
14.A. explode B. slip away C. fall apart D. crash
15.A. as if B. unless C. in case D. after
16.A. stepped forward B. backed off C. moved on D. set out
17.A. woman B. police C. man D. driver
18.A. forbidden B. ready C. asked D. free
19.A. for certain B. for consideration C. reported D. checked
20.A. patience B. skills C. efforts D. promise
