We all, at one time or another, have pretended to be a rock star, singing and dancing along to our favorite song. Most of us have done this in the privacy of our own room when we were kids and as adults, in the privacy of our homes. Me? I love to do that when I drive! I turn on the radio, find a song that I can sing along too and pretty soon my arms are in the air and I am moving along to the rhythm. Most of the time, I do this on my way to work.

　　Yes, that is true. I will be in my nice work clothes, jamming while driving or stopped at a traffic light. I get weird looks from some people and others laugh. Personally, I love to get lost in the rhythm of a song which leads me to share with you the importance of being silly!

　　The definition for the word silly, according to the dictionary is: stupid, foolish and nonsensical. I know many people do not want to look foolish. So they walk around all serious, which in all honesty, is foolish!

　　No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect. I don’t care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how simple, how frugal, how rich, and so on… No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something you are not?

Life is so short… You never know when this beautiful journey will be over, so why waste a single second on being so full of rigidity(呆板)? Here is a quote by Souza, that I think says it all and is a great recipe for life:

　　"Dance as though no one is watching you,

　　Love as though you have never been hurt before,

　　Sing as though no one can hear you,

　　Live as though heaven is on earth."

　　When we were kids, we had no idea of what limitations were and we had no care in the world so we could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others. However, as we grew up, we lost that childlike innocence.

　　So don’t lose the child that still lives within you. The next time you feel down, go turn on your favorite song, and sing and dance along like there is no tomorrow. Or watch something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine to whatever ails you and nothing is better than laughing so hard that your tummy hurts. Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn’t want to feel good?

1. According to the passage, what does the writer usually do?

2.What do other people think of the writer?

3. What is the writer’s opinion about the people who look very serious?

4. The writer quotes Souza to show that _______.

5.The underlined part “the child” in the last paragraph probably refers to _______.

The other day as I talked with a friend I 　 1　 a story that I heard this summer.”A{n} 2 person, seeing a butterfly struggling to free itself from its cocoon, and wanting to help, very 　3 loosed the filaments (细丝) to form a(n) 4 . The butterfly was freed, got out of the 　5 , and moved its wings about 　6 could not fly. What the sympathetic person did not know was that only through the 　7 struggle can the wings grow strong enough for flight. Its shortened life was spent 　8 ; it never knew freedom, 　9 really lived.”

I call it learning to love with an open hand. It is a 　10 which has come slowly to me and has been wrought (锤炼) in the fires of pain and in the waters of patience. I am learning that I must 　11 the one I love, for if I hold firmly and try to control , I shall lose what I try to control 　 12 .

As I learn and practice more and more, I can say to the one I love, “I love you, I value you, I respect you and I trust that you have the 　13 to become all that it is possible for you to become — if I don’t 　14 your way. I love you so much that I can set you free to walk beside me in 　15 and in sadness. I will 　16 your tears but I will not ask you not to cry. I will care and 　17 you, but I will not hold you up when you can walk alone. I will try to listen to your meaning 　18 your word, but I shall not always agree. I can not 　19 be with you or hear what you say for there are times 　20 I must listen to myself and care for myself.”

1. A. created　 　 B. recalled　　　 C. wrote　　 　 D. repeated

2. A. sympathetic　 　 B. curious　 C. apologetic 　 D. angry

3. A. kindly　　 　　　 B. carefully　　 C. cautiously　　 D. gently

4. A. closing　 　 B. opening　 C. admission　　 D. permission

5. A. filaments　　　　 B. wings　　　　 C. cocoon　　　　 D. shell

6. A. and　　　　　 B. or　　　　 C. but　　　　　 D. while

7. A. faith　　　　　　 B. birth　　　　 C. death　　　　 D. worth

8. A. on the ground B. in the air　　 C. in the water　　 D. in the trees

9. A. ever　　　　　　 B. always　　 C. constantly　　 D. never

10. A. practicing　　　 B. learning　　　 C. struggling　　 D. teaching

11. A. free　　　　　　 B. praise　　 C. value　　　　 D. open

12. A. win　　　　　 B. love　　　　　 C. earn　　　　　　 D. hold

13. A. confidence　 B. will　　　　　 C. strength　　　　 D. courage

14. A. get in　　　　　 B. get out of　　 C. get away from D. get off

15. A. disappointment　 B. wonder　　 C. fun　　　　　 D. joy

16. A. enjoy　　　　　　 B. sympathize C. share　　　　　　 D. criticize

17. A. attend　　　 B. comfort　 C. trust　　　　　　 D. believe

18. A. as long as　　　 B. as far as 　 C. as well as　　　 D. as much as

19. A. quickly　　　　　 B. immediately　 C. always　　　　 D. simply

20. A. where　　　　　　 B. when　　　　　 C. why　　　　　 D. which

Since then I 　　　 a member of the family and never 　　　 from them.

A. have be come; will I separate 　　　B. have be come; I will separate

C. have been; will I be separated　　 D. have been; I was separated

Since then I        a member of the family and never        from them.

A. have be come; will I separate　　 B. have be come; I will separate

C. have been; will be separated　　　 D. have been; I was separated

It was two days after the seventh Harry Potter book came out. I was halfway through 　　36　 it, and I certainly didn’t want to be 　　37　 .But the phone kept ringing, so I 　 38　 　it.

　　　　 Patty from my church said, “Rachel, we are 　 39　 　at the soup kitchen (施粥所) at the Methodist church this afternoon and need 　　40　 　right now. Are you 　 41　　 ?”

　　　 I wanted to have an entire day to read the book, 　 42　 my mouth answered, “Sue, I will be there at 5:15.”

　　　 When I 　 43　　 , other volunteers were already at work. I glanced through the door and saw people already lining up outside.

　　　 At 5:30, the 　 44 　 　began to move. A family with two kids in wheelchairs came through first. The mother and father each carried two plates and 　　45 a wheelchair.

　　　　 Then two older men came over. “No watermelon,” one said.

　　　　 “Are you kidding?” I asked 　 46 　. “You don’t want watermelon?”

　　　　 He grinned (咧着嘴笑). “I am kidding. Give me one of those.”

　　　　 A family of five came through the line. The son 　　47　 　his plate for watermelon and bread. “Is that all you want?” I asked. He nodded. “I’m not 　48　 .”

　　　　 Five minutes later, he was back. “Can I have some more? I’m only hungry for watermelon.” I 　 49 　and served him another slice (片).

　　 One 　 50　 came through holding hands and smiling at each other. “We have been married 49 years, and I love her like I did when we just got married!” the man told me 　　51　 .

　　　　 Although the people 　　　52　　 　food, they gave me more than I gave them. They told me about their 　 53　 —how one’s daughter was getting married, and another’s son was learning to read.

　　　　 I kept watching them eating, happy or sad, talking excitedly with friends or eating 　 54 　　 in the corner, each with a story to tell.

　　　　 Although I love to read Harry Potter, I’m still 　 55　 I went to the soup kitchen that afternoon.

36. A. writing　　 　　　　　　 B. reading　　 　　　　　 C. publishing　 　　　　 D. buying

37. A. fired　 　　　　　 B. hurt　　 　　　　 C. disturbed　 　　　　　 D. protected

38. A. used　 　　　　　 B. ignored　 　　　　　　 C. answered　　 　　　　 D. replaced

39. A. helping　 　　　　 B. relaxing　 　　　　　　 C. watching　 　　　　　 D. playing

40. A. cooks　 　　　　 B. fans　　 　　　 C. friends　 　　　　　　 D. volunteers

41. A. busy　 　　　　　 B. sure　 　　　　　 C. free　　 　　　　 D. awake

42. A. and　 　　　 B. so　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. though　 　　　　　　 D. but

43. A. returned　 　　　 B. left　 　　　　　　 C. stopped　 　　　　　　 D. arrived

44. A. group　　 　　　　 B. line　　 　　　　　 C. car　 　　　　　　　　　 D. wheelchair

45. A. pushed　 　　　　 B. roe　 　　　　　　 C. brought　 　　　　　　 D. took

46. A. angrily　 　　　　 B. doubtfully　 　　　　 C. excitedly　　 　　　　 D. anxiously

47. A. gave up 　　　　 B. broke up　 　　　　　 C. covered up　 　　　 D. held up

48. A. fine　 　　　　　　 B. hot　　 　　　　 C. sick　 　　　　　　 D. hungry　　

49. A. apologized　 　 B. shouted　 　　　　　　 C. laughed　 　　　　　　 D. sighed

50. A. man　 　　　　　　 B. child　 　　　　 C. couple　 　　　 D. team

51. A. eagerly　 　　　　 B. happily 　　　　　　　 C. bravely　 　　　　　　 D. calmly

52. A. sold　 　　　　　　 B. accepted　　 　　　　 C. borrowed　　 　　　 D. saved

53. A. families　 B. jobs　　 　　　　 C. dreams　 　　　　　　 D. plans

54. A. lightly　　 　　　 B. freely　　 　　　　　　 C. alone　　 　　　 D. well

55. A. worried　 　　　 B. ashamed　　 　　　　 C. tired　　 　　　　 D. glad