Two weeks before Christmas，Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday.Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town.They had no electricity or running water and__1__what I considered the “good things” in life.They__2__made no plans for Christmas.When Christmas Eve arrived，Mom told me in her “I-mean-it” voice to__3__all the decorations(装饰物)from our tree.She packed those up，__4__all the trimmings(配料)for a __5__turkey dinner.

Christmas morning__6__perfectly，with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow.__7__I sulked(生气)silently in the backseat of the car as we made our__8__to grandma's.This was going to be the __9__Christmas ever!

Grandma was__10__to see us as we walked up to her door.“What on earth are you doing here？”she stammered.“We weren't expecting__11__.It's Christmas，and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you.”“I knew__12__.”Mom said as we set boxes of goodies on the kitchen table.“That's__13__we brought one with us.”“We__14__have a tree，”Mom insisted.“__15__，what will we do with all these decorations？”

Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit.He called me to join him，and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods.Soon the house __16__fresh and piney as we decorated the tree，and the day__17__a festive air.The turkey dinner was very good，too.I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!

Dessert was forgotten__18__Mom came out with the final surprise—a flaming(燃烧的)pudding! “Merry Christmas，Mother，”Mom said.“Dear me！” Grandma gasped.“I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married.”Tears of__19__filled her eyes.

I could not keep the tears__20__my eyes，either.I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever—she had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.

1．A.prepared 　 B．lacked C．refused D．desired

2．A.also 　 B．still C．never 　 D．hardly

3．A.replace 　　 B．collect C．remove D．show

4．A.instead of B．by the side of C．along with 　 D．in spite of

5．A.normal 　　 B．complete C．fresh 　　 D．separate

6．A.dawned 　　 B．passed C．broke 　 D．happened

7．A.But 　 B．So C．And 　　 D．Then

8．A.decision 　　 B．way C．wish 　　 D．plan

9．A.last 　 B．busiest C．best 　　 D．worst

10．A.expected B．eager C．surprised 　　 D．ready

11．A.anyone 　　 B．others C．someone 　　 D．no one

12．A.you B．it C．that 　　　 D．this

13．A.how B．why C．where 　 D．when

14．A.may B．will C．can 　　　 D．must

15．A.Meanwhile 　　 B．ThereforeC．However 　　 D．Otherwise

16．A.improved B．smelled C．became D．changed

17．A.showed up 　　 B．carried on

18．A.until B．after C．because D．unless

19．A.sadness 　 B．joy C．regret 　 D．worry

20．A.inside 　　 B．back C．into 　　　 D．from

________I accept that he is not perfect，I do actually like the person.

A．While	B．Since
C．Before	D．Unless

 

Down-to-earth means someone or something that is honest, practical and easy to deal with. It is 1 to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to and 2 other people as equals. A down-to-earth person is just the 3 of someone who acts important and prouD．

　 Down-to-earth persons 4 be important members of society. 5 they don’t let their importance “go to their heads”. They do not 6 themselves to be better persons than others of less importance. Someone who is filled with his own importance and pride, often without cause, is 7 to have “his nose in the air”. There is 8 way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.

　　Americans 9 another expression that means almost the same as down-to-earth. The expression is “both-feet-on-the-ground”. Someone with both-feet-on-the-ground is a person with a good 10 of reality. He 11 what is called “common sense”. He may have 12 , but he does not allow them to 13 his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of 14 is one who has hid “head-in-the-clouds”. A man with his head-in-the-clouds is a dreamer whose 15 is not in the real world．

　　16 , such a dreamer can be brought back to reality. 17 words from a teacher can usually get a day-dreaming student to put both feet back on the grounD．Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very 18 to have both feet on the ground．19 we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are down-to-earth, and we act honestly and openly 20 others. Our lives are like the ground below us, said and strong.

1．A．pleasant     B．sad             C．common D．surprising

2．A．meets       B．welcomes        C．receives   D．accepts

3．A．case       B．kind            C．opposite   D．example

4．A．must        B．may            C．should     D．will

5．A．But        B．So            C．For       D．And

6．A．wish         B．expect          C．desire      D．consider

7．A．said         B．told            C．asked       D．made

8．A．some        B．a              C．no         D．every

9．A．discover    B．find            C．make       D．use

10．A．understanding B．wish        C．reason      D．expectation

11．A．demands B．lacks            C．has       D．likes

12．A．fortunes   B．dreams         C．achievements   D．disadvantages

13．A．block       B．protect         C．Own      D．gain

14．A．idea       B．people         C．attitude    D．person

15．A．mind       B．life            C．body        D．head

16．A．Always    B．Therefore        C．However D．Sometimes

17．A．Sharp      B．All           C．No       D．Bad

18．A．possible   B．probable       C．likely       D．able

19．A．Though    B．Since           C．When      D．Unless

20．A．towards   B．for            C．over      D．Onto

Adults are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practised in the meantime. A man who has not had an opportunity to go swimming for years can  1    swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after several decades and still   2    away. A mother who has not   3   the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or recite the story of Cinderella or Snow White.

　　One explanation is the law of over learning, which can be stated as following:   4 we have learned something, additional learning increases the   5    of time we will remember it.

　　In childhood, we usually continue to practise such skills as swimming, bicycle riding long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and   6    ourselves of poems such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella or Snow White. We not only learn but __7   .

　　The law of over learning explains why cramming (突击学习) for an examination,   8    it may result in a passing grade, is not a   9    way to learn a school course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little over learning,   10   , is usually a good investment toward the future.

1.                A．only           B．still            C．hardly    D．even

 

2.                A．move          B．ride            C．travel    D．drive

 

3.                A．showed up      B．cared for        C．thought about  D．brought up

 

4.                A．Once          B．Before         C．Until D．Unless

 

5.A. accuracy      B. unit           C length.          D. limit 

6.                A．warm          B．inform          C．remind   D．recall

 

7.                A．recite          B．research        C．overlearn D．improve

 

8.                A．so             B．though         C．if    D．after

 

9.                A．satisfactory      B．demanding      C．convenient    D．swift

 

10.               A．at most         B．on the other hand     C．by the way D．in the end