I have always loved to work with machinery．The feel of a piece of steel, the magic of putting parts and wire together   1   me．In my thirties a little shop of my own was   2   set up．

After the automobile was invented, I soon learned to take it   3   and put it together, part by part．Except for the horn．Quite often I just couldn’t make it work, so I wanted to   4   one that would never fail to blow．This led to the invention of a new   5   and the   6   of a company to produce it．I started the company on $1,500 I had   7  ．

Then the day came when I decided to   8   my business．A big investment firm offered me $10 million．I was   9   by this amount．True, my company was bringing in a large  10  , but it was all

__11__ patents which were soon to come to an end．  12  , I figured the business was not worth $10 million．If I sold it at this price, many little stockholders （股东） in the investment firm might __13__ their money．

Over the years I have come to realize that   14   we earn, none of the things we accumulate, belongs to us．Actually we are   15  stewards （管家） for God’s resources on earth．Our job is to __16__ these resources as wisely as possible and to use the money we have for the   17   of the greatest number．So I finally sold the company, but for $4 million   18   10, which I thought was a __19__ price．

Then I held a party for my friends who had worked years for charities．At the party I   20 to these wonderful people the $4 million God had entrusted （委托） to me．

You can imagine I actually felt a little selfish having as much fun as I did that night．It was the best party I ever had．

1．A．fascinated             B．puzzled                C．trapped               D．guided

2．A．accidentally           B．eventually           C．certainly              D．possibly

3．A．in                         B．over                   C．apart                   D．back

4．A．invent                   B．borrow                C．buy                    D．change

5．A．part                      B．horn                    C．machine              D．wire

6．A．search                  B．offer                  C．design               D．founding

7．A．taken out               B．asked for            C．saved up             D．lived on

8．A．sell                       B．run                     C．start                   D．expand

9．A．appealed                B．satisfied               C．shocked              D．rewarded

10．A．income                B．trouble                C．responsibility       D．debt

11．A．based on              B．controlled by        C．resulted in           D．devoted to

12．A．Obviously            B．Therefore            C．Unfortunately      D．Lately

13．A．invest                 B．make                   C．lose                    D．collect

14．A．something           B．everything           C．anything              D．nothing

15．A．ever                    B．still                     C．even                   D．only

16．A．explore                B．waste                  C．handle                 D．provide

17．A．equality               B．success               C．good                   D．safety

18．A．other than            B．instead of            C．at the price of      D．regardless of

19．A．low                     B．fair                     C．good                   D．attractive

20．A．gave up               B．set aside             C．threw away         D．gave away

Tick，tock，tick，tock. I’m sitting here，watching the movements of my existence pass slowly away. My house has been 1 for such a long time，and I’m lonely and forgotten. Sitting here, by myself, all that I can do is 　2 and think about my past. I could tell you stories that only 3 would know. But walls can’t speak.

I came to this place many years ago，along with an old man…. 4 , he was with me for on1y three short years before he passed on….

For a time，I was left alone，while people came and 5 the house…. Then，one day a nice couple moved in with a young son. 6 , their son Danny liked to stay with me，and I was completely 7 with him. He always looked as if he loved the stories I told，most of which began with. ‘‘Back in my day…” and ‘‘When I was 8 .…” I sometimes had the kind of idea that he didn’t really understand what I was saying，but it felt good to be 9 ． When Danny went off to college, my heart broke. Soon afterward, 10 sold the house.…

New owners came and 11 . Then，One day it so happened that I was in when a new family was moving into the house. You can’t even imagine my 12 when，unexpectedly, Danny walked through the front door. He had a 13 and kids now. I was so overjoyed when I saw him that I put all my 14 into my daily activities. ... I spent the next twenty years watching his kids grow up, with a mixture of pride and 15 about what would happen next.

The kids finally became 16 and Danny sold the house. That was about five years ago…. Some of the local kids have started the rumor that the house is haunted (闹鬼的)--- and，in a way，it is. It is haunted by 17 of all the people who have lived in it. Every second has 18 me so much. I have been 19 them down and they are almost up for me.... I hope that someday somebody will 20 me, and drop in on me again. Maybe then I’ll get a new home and an opportunity for a whole new set of memories.

1. A. crowded 　　　　　　 B. empty 　　　　　　　　　 C. painted　　　　　　　　　　 D. sold

2. A. look back B. enjoy food C. have a dream D. chat with friends

3. A. friends　 　　　　　 B. learners　 　　　　　　 C. neighbors　 　　　　　 D. walls

4. A. Luckily　 　　　　　 B. Happily　 　　　　　　 C. Sadly　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. Surprisingly

5. A. looked at 　　　　　 B. settled in　 　　　　　　 C. bought in　 　　　　　 D. sold out

6. A. At last B. At one time C. In the end D. From the beginning

7. A. tired　　 　　　　　 B. friendly　 　　　　　　 C. taken　 　　　　　　　 D. fond

8. A. older　　 　　　　　 B. healthier　　　　　　　　　 C. better　　　　　　　　　　　 D. younger

9. A. loved　 　　　　　　　 B. told　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. disliked　　　　　　　　　 D. believed

10. A .Danny　 　　　　 B. I　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. his parents　　　　　　　 D. the old man

11. A. settled　 　　　　 B. went　　　　　　　　　　　 C. lived　　　　　　　　　　　 D. greeted

12. A. pity　　 　　　　 B. pride　　　　　　　　　　　 C. surprise　　　　　　　　　 D. sadness

13. A. friend　 　　　　 B. daughter　　　　　　　　　 C. son　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. wife

14. A. energy　 　　　　　 B. time　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. life　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. ideas

15. A. happiness B. dream C. anxiety D. disappointment

16. A. old　　 　　　　　 B. impatient　　　　　　　　 C. adults　　　　　　　　　　　 D. tired

17. A. families 　　　　　 B . furniture 　　　　　　　 C. houses　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. memories

18. A. impressed 　　　　 B. surprised 　　　　　　　 C. encouraged　　　　　　　 D. inspired

19. A. putting 　　　　　 B. copying　　　　　　　　　 C. counting　　　　　　　　　 D. taking

20. A. call　　 　　　　　 B. remember　　　　　　　　 C. visit　 　　　　　　　　 D. attend

Tick，tock，tick，tock. I’m sitting here，watching the movements of my existence pass slowly away. My house has been  1 for such a long time，and I’m lonely and forgotten. Sitting here, by myself, all that I can do is   2  and think about my past. I could tell you stories that only  3  would know. But walls can’t speak.

     I came to this place many years ago，along with an old man….  4 , he was with me for on1y three short years before he passed on….

For a time，I was left alone，while people came and  5  the house…. Then，one day a nice couple moved in with a young son.  6 , their son Danny liked to stay with me，and I was completely  7  with him. He always looked as if he loved the stories I told，most of which began with. ‘‘Back in my day…” and ‘‘When I was  8  .…” I sometimes had the kind of idea that he didn’t really understand what I was saying，but it felt good to be  9 ． When Danny went off to college, my heart broke. Soon afterward,  10  sold the house.…

    New owners came and  11 . Then，One day it so happened that I was in when a new family was moving into the house. You can’t even imagine my  12  when，unexpectedly, Danny walked through the front door. He had a  13  and kids now. I was so overjoyed when I saw him that I put all my  14  into my daily activities. ... I spent the next twenty years watching his kids grow up, with a mixture of pride and  15  about what would happen next.

The kids finally became  16  and Danny sold the house. That was about five years ago…. Some of the local kids have started the rumor that the house is haunted (闹鬼的)--- and，in a way，it is. It is haunted by  17  of all the people who have lived in it. Every second has  18  me so much. I have been  19  them down and they are almost up for me.... I hope that someday somebody will  20  me, and drop in on me again. Maybe then I’ll get a new home and an opportunity for a whole new set of memories.

1. A. crowded       B. empty            C. painted          D. sold

2. A. look back         B. enjoy food       C. have a dream         D. chat with friends

3. A. friends           B. learners         C. neighbors        D. walls

4. A. Luckily           B. Happily          C. Sadly                D. Surprisingly

5. A. looked at         B. settled in           C. bought in        D. sold out

6. A. At last           B. At one time          C. In the end           D. From the beginning

7. A. tired             B. friendly         C. taken                D. fond

8. A. older             B. healthier            C. better               D. younger

9. A. loved             B. told             C. disliked         D. believed

10. A .Danny            B. I                    C. his parents          D. the old man

11. A. settled          B. went             C. lived                D. greeted

12. A. pity             B. pride                C. surprise         D. sadness

13. A. friend           B. daughter         C. son              D. wife

14. A. energy           B. time             C. life             D. ideas

15. A. happiness        B. dream                C. anxiety          D. disappointment

16. A. old              B. impatient            C. adults               D. tired

17. A. families         B . furniture           C. houses               D. memories

18. A. impressed        B. surprised            C. encouraged           D. inspired

19. A. putting          B. copying          C. counting         D. taking

20. A. call             B. remember         C. visit                D. attend

As soon as I saw the cat in our yard, I knew he was a stray (流浪儿). He looked  36 —a wounded warrior with a badly scarred body.
I started putting out food for him each day, but he wouldn’t come near me if other people were  37 . Winter came, and he still wouldn’t  38  us. Then, one day, a car hit him so we took him to the vet’s.
After a week, we were eager to bring him home to  39  our family. But when we went to take the cat home, the vet told us we should put him to  40  immediately because the cat was so fierce and mean that he would  41  become tame , let alone a pet.
But I have always had  42  in love’s power to  43  even the wildest beasts. I told the vet, “I want to take him home.” We  44  him Paws.
Three days went by, and we only knew Paws was  45  the bed because when we walked past it we heard deep growling.
I wanted to somehow let him know he was  46  and loved. So I put on a hard hat and a pair of welding gloves. I  47  under the bed toward Paws, with my face to the  48  and only the top of my head facing him. I  49  out to stroke (抚摩) him gently over and over again.
He growled and tried to  50  and bite me. It was scary—but I knew he couldn’t  51  me, so I just kept going. Slowly, he began to  52 . Then I slid out from under the bed and left the room.
Several hours later, I noticed a cat on the bed. It was Paws—all  53  on the pillows! I couldn’t believe it.
That dear cat became the  54  of our household. Although Paws finally died of cancer, his legacy(遗赠)—my  55  and firm belief in the power of love — lives on.