A mother and daughter living in my neighborhood were the most unfriendly people I had ever come across in my life. They mixed with   1  . As they drove past neighbors they made no sign of acknowledgement. They   2   went to the local police station to report music played too   3  , dogs barking more than once a day and any other   4   things.

On moving into this   5  , I was warned about them but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a （n）   6  to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and   7 . however, I always answered politely and made sure I  8  as they went past my place and made an effort now and then to make a   9   remark about their garden or pets.

Time passed and I   10   the 29 – Day Giving Challenge （奉献挑战）. In October, as part of the kindness rock give （送爱心石头活动）, I decided to place a kindness rock on their property （房子）. Their   11   remained unchanged, however, and I continued to be as   12   as possible. During the Easter  13  give （复活节礼物奉送） to senior citizens, I decided to add these two days later they stopped at my  14  and jokingly said they were   15  hanging their Christmas stocking on their gate. I said I would try that too. I didn’t want them to   16   I had placed the kindness rock. The bigger  17   was that they brought me a bunch of flowers!

So, do not   18   your random （普普通通的） gifts of kindness! You may never know just what this   19   to others, nor how many broken or hard hearted people you may just   20   with a simple act of kindness.

1．A．everybody             B．nobody                C．somebody           D．anybody

2．A．nearly                   B．ever                    C．never                  D．often

3．A．sweetly                 B．slow                   C．loud                    D．impressively

4．A．little                      B．fantastic              C．good                   D．difficult

5．A．neighborhood        B．relationship          C．station                 D．family

6．A．agreement             B．challenge             C．favor                  D．trade

7．A．chat                      B．explain                C．complain             D．apologize

8．A．concluded             B．insisted                C．argued                D．waved

9．A．casual                   B．personal              C．kind                    D．bad

10．A．discovered           B．joined                  C．organized            D．fought

11．A．wealth                 B．attitude                C．location               D．status

12．A．friendly               B．cold                    C．calm                   D．selfish

13．A．enemies               B．relatives               C．friends                D．ladies

14．A．table                   B．floor                   C．gate                    D．roof

15．A．considering          B．avoiding              C．regretting            D．practicing

16．A．know                  B．remember            C．mention               D．forget

17．A．celebration           B．surprise               C．problem              D．difference

18．A．add up                B．hold on                C．hand out              D．give up

19．A．occurs                B．introduces           C．means                 D．advises

20．A．decorate              B．judge                   C．feed                    D．change

A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer’s hair. The golden red sun was  1  . She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery ball. She could hear nothing but the waves and the  2  flying up in the sky.

The   3  relaxed her. After all she had been through, this is what she needed.

She wondered how her parents would  4  , when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking,  5  herself to bungalow 163, where she spent every summer holiday. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been  6  in her house.

It was really getting dark now, the sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting  7  too. She imagined having her favorite  8  on; it kept her really warm. This thought  9  when she finally saw her front door.  10  had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was  11  ; her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now… It all seemed  12  . She couldn’t understand what was  13  on.

She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a（n）  14  written by her father. Reading “Dear Ellen, there is some coffee ready, I went looking.” Ellen was her mother but where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents  15  . She went in. Then she

saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, sleeping. Her face looked so tired,   16  she hadn’t slept for days. Jenny would have wanted to wake her up, but she didn’t  17  her tired mother. So Jenny just fell asleep  18  her. When Jennifer woke up something was different…she wasn’t in her mother’s room. She was in her cozy bed in her pajamas.

    It   19  so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, “Are you feeling better now, dear? You know you got us very, very  20  .”

1．A．rising                    B．setting                 C．shining                D．landing

2．A．seagulls                 B．angels                 C．parrots                D．rainbows

3．A．condition               B．style                    C．atmosphere          D．weather

4．A．resist                    B．reflect                 C．reject                  D．react

5．A．directing               B．assisting              C．allowing              D．commanding

6．A．tired                     B．thrilled                 C．safe                    D．anxious

7．A．hot                       B．warm                  C．cloudy                D．cold

8．A．cap                       B．sweater               C．slippers               D．jewelry

9．A．aroused                 B．ripened                C．disappeared         D．formed

10．A．Nobody               B．Somebody           C．Everybody           D．Anybody

11．A．  terrified              B．shocked              C．excited                D．disturbed

12．A．declined              B．destroyed            C．designed              D．deserted

13．A．going                  B．marching             C．coming               D．taking

14．A．e-mail                 B．composition         C．letter                   D．note

15．A．study                  B．bed                     C．room                  D．balcony

16．A．in that                 B．as if                    C．now that             D．even if

17．A．force                  B．comfort               C．interrupt              D．blame

18．A．around                B．beneath               C．beside                 D．over

19．A．sounded              B．looked                 C．seemed               D．felt

20．A．annoyed              B．scared                 C．confused             D．embarrassed

______ can do a job patiently and attentively for many years unless he loves it.

A. Anybody                          B. Nobody                   C. Everybody                                 D. Somebody

 

There was a man who played the piano in a small bar. There were not too many 36  , but because he was a good piano player, some people 37  came in every night just to hear him play. But one night, a patron (老主顾) told him he didn’t want to hear him play but to sing a song.

The man said, “I have never 38  that before in public. I think I’m 39  at playing the piano.”

But the customer 40 . He told the waiter, “I’m 41  listening to the piano day after day. I want to hear something new and I want that guy to sing.”

The waiter 42  across the room, “Hey, buddy! If you want to get 43  , sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!”

  44  in order to bring some money home that night, the piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And 45  had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung before  46   that night by Nat King Cole, and it surprised all, including the 47  himself!

He had talent he was 48  on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he 49  to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and 50  . You may not feel as if your “talent” is particularly 51  , but it may be better than you think! And with persistence (坚持), most skills can be 52  . Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you 53 ! The 54  is not “What ability do I have that is useful?” It is 55 “How will I use whatever ability I have?”.

Just think a minute…

1.                A．waiters         B．customers       C．singers   D．players

 

2.                A．never          B．still            C．ever     D．only

 

3.                A．practiced       B．shown          C．dreamed  D．done

 

4.                A．better          B．richer          C．easier    D．sooner

 

5.                A．agreed         B．confused        C．insisted   D．charged

 

6.                A．familiar with     B．fond of         C．used to   D．tired of

 

7.                A．served         B．explained       C．shouted  D．complained

 

8.                A．changed        B．broadcast       C．paid D．drunk

 

9.                A．So             B．And            C．Because  D．But

 

10.               A．nobody        B．anybody        C．somebody D．everybody

 

11.               A．until           B．after           C．since D．when

 

12.               A．waiter          B．singer          C．patron    D．owner

 

13.               A．sitting          B．waiting         C．depending     D．playing

 

14.               A．went up        B．went on        C．went off   D．went away

 

15.               A．advantages      B．character       C．principle  D．abilities

 

16.               A．unique         B．surprising       C．famous    D．great

 

17.               A．recognized      B．wasted         C．improved D．impressed

 

18.               A．imagine        B．possess         C．expect    D．develop

 

19.               A．decision        B．answer         C．question   D．solution

 

20.               A．even           B．rather          C．pretty D．fairly

 

 

Terry was a middle-aged businessman. He was 36 in career and often complained that he had been fooled (欺骗) by others. One day he told his wife he was 37 disappointed with the city that he had to 38.

So his family moved to another city. It was Saturday 39. When Terry and his wife were busily putting their things in their new home, the lights suddenly 40 and they were forced to stop work. Terry was sorry to have 41 to bring along some candles. Just then he heard light 42 on his door.

“Who is it?” he wondered. Terry knew 43 else in the new city, and this was the moment he especially hated to be 44. He opened the door impatiently (不耐烦地). At the door was a little 45, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have 46? I’m your neighbor.” “No,” answered Terry angrily. He shut the door 47.

After a while the door was knocked again. He opened it and 48 the same little girl outside. But this time she was 49 two candles radiating (放光) red light. She said, “My grandma told me the 50 neighbor downstairs might need candles. She sent me here to51 you these.”

At that moment Terry suddenly realized what 52 his failure in life. It was his indifference (冷漠) and 53 to other people. The person who had fooled him in life was actually nobody else 54 himself,  for his eyes had been covered by his 55 mind.

1.	A．experienced B．unsuccessful C．interested D．unlucky

 

2.	A．very B．so C．such D．rather

 

3.	A．leave B．travel C．stay D．choose

 

4.	A．morning B．afternoon C．noon D．evening

 

5.	A．went down B．went out C．went by D．went on

 

6.	A．wanted B．decided C．forgotten D．remembered

 

7.	A．knocks B．calls C．strikes D．sounds

 

8.	A．everybody B．anybody C．somebody D．nobody

 

9.	A．troubled B．followed C．liked D．learned

 

10.	A．boy B．girl C．postman D．shopper

 

11.	A．candies B．toys C．lights D．candles

 

12.	A．easily B．worriedly C．happily D．heavily

 

13.	A．found B．met C．touched D．knew

 

14.	A．bringing B．seeing C．holding D．drawing

 

15.	A．poor B．kind C．new D．young

 

16.	A．buy B．give C．borrow D．sell

 

17.	A．made B．caused C．developed D．stopped

 

18.	A．laziness B．sadness C．unkindness D．unhappiness

 

19.	A．besides B．except C．but D．than

 

20.	A．open B．right C．warm D．cold