Alone in the light at the dining room table, surrounded by a nearly dark house, I sat in tears.
Finally, I  36  in getting both kids to bed. As a new single  37 , I had to be both Mommy and Daddy to my two little children.
With full rights of my children, I  38  to give them a normal and comfortable home life. I  39  a happy face for them.
I rose slowly, trying not to  40  even the least sound which might start them up  41 . I tiptoed(蹑手蹑脚地走) out of their room,  42  the door part way, and went downstairs.
And loneliness(孤独). I  43  as thought I were at the bottom(底部) of a great sea of loneliness. It all  44  together and I was at once lost. I sat there,  45  crying.
Just then, a pair of little  46  went around my middle and a little face looked up at me. I looked down into my five-year-old son’s  47  face.
I was shy to be  48  crying by my son. “I’m sorry. Ethan, I didn’t know you were still awake.” I don’t know why, but so many people  49  when they cry and I was no exception. “I didn’t  50  to cry. I’m just a little  51  tonight.”
“It’s ok, Daddy. It’s okay to cry; you’re just  52 .”
I couldn’t express(表达) how happy he made me, this little boy, who was simple, gave me  53  to cry. He seemed to be saying that I didn’t have to always be  54 , and that sometimes it was possible to allow myself to feel weak and let out my  55 .

Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my blackberry — it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer，as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices（设备）and truly communicate with others.
On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule — no laptop, iPads, phones ,etc .When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.
Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students assume that I am anti-technology. There’s no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course the material and the class discussion.
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.
【小题1】Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with _______.

Twenty years ago I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I­­­­­­­­­­­­   21  -，I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor    22 
I walked to the door and knocked “Just a minute” answered a weak elderly      23
After a long pause the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood    24    me by her side was a small suitcase. I took the suitcase to the car and then  25to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked   26 toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing” I told her. “I just try to   27  my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.” “Oh you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi she gave me an address and then asked“Could you drive   28 downtown”
“It’s not the shortest way” I answered quickly.
“Oh I’m   29 ” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice临终医院. I don’t have any   30  left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and   31  the meter计价器.
For the next two hours we drove through the city. She   32  me the building where she had once worked the neighborhood where she had lived and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone  33  as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a   34 building and would sit staring into the darkness saying nothing.
At  35  she suddenly said” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the   36 she had given me. “How much do I   37 you” she asked. “Nothing.” I said. “You have to make a living” she answered. “Oh there are other   38 ” I answered. Almost without thinking I   39  and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
I walked into the  40 morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

完形填空（共15小题，每题1分，满分15分）
When I was a young child, my parents often told me that it was time that taught a man everything. I didn’t understand and wondered why _31_ had such a big influence _32_ a person. I thought I could grow up quickly to find it out as an adult. But now, _33_ I come to knock at the door of adulthood, I feel _34_ to express my own opinion on this saying. I know that I am just a high school student with very few experiences. There are still many things waiting for me in the future, yet I would like to express myself in a childish voice.
I once read this sentence, “To make this world a happy place in which to live, you had better _35_ yourself and your heart, instead of the whole world.” I was shocked. It made me think about _36_ itself. There are so many things around us that _37_ our will. We can’t force life to follow our wishes. The earth won’t stop turning no matter whether we _38_ it or not . What we can do is just to make  _39_ suit the world. I think we should learn to accept _40_ life gives us, no matter whether it’s the spring sunlight or the winter snowfall, and try to be happy.
The pop song Grandmother by Jay Chou is my favorite. I’m deeply moved by this beautiful song. I always try to _41_ every pleasant thing in my life, but now I see that I don’t catch most of the pleasant moments. It is more likely that they slip by（流逝）and leave you _42_ regretful. I realize that I’m not just living for myself and that there are others I should _43_ such as my parents, friends, and so on. They all pay attention to my growing up, _44_ it’s just a little progress.
Everyone has his or her own _45_ towards life, positive or negative. It doesn’t  matter, I think. There is one rule that should be obeyed and that’s to make this world better.

I have to admit: I don’t flush(冲) the toilet every time I go to the bathroom. In fact, I firmly believe “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I work at home. Alone (well, except for the cats and dog). All day. And I drink a lot of water, which makes for many trips to the bathroom.
Another thing I have to admit: I also try to use very little toilet paper. I wash my hands after, though. Every time. (So maybe the water I don’t use flushing makes up for the water used to wash my hands?)
Ironically, my husband, who only uses toilet paper when necessary, always flushes. But he doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t flush every time. Or, at least not enough to file for divorce. Yet.
Posted by Juliet Farmer
Jun 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Comments (2)                                                     
When I’m at home alone I do not flush every time I pee(小便).  My husband hates that, though, so when he’s home, I flush a little more often.  I grew up doing that because I had a family that lived with huge tanks and you have to do it that way because it’s easier on the system, so it doesn’t bother me.  I do flush when I’m out in public, at people’s houses that don’t have big tanks and when we have company!
CherBearCM, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Not always. But I have 4 children who are always hanging from the door knob（球形捏手） while I pee anyway. So I’m lucky I have time to wash my hands after. The average toilet uses 8 gallons of water per flush! Much less than what it takes to wash my hands after. (just saying)
luvbnmomnwife, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM
【小题1】 CherBearCM doesn’t flush the toilet every time she pees ________.