Even though it was only October，my students were already whispering about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more__36__ waiting for the final school bell. Upon its__37__  everyone would run for their coats and go home，everyone except David.
David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often__38__ what kind of home life David had，and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so__39__for the cold winter months without a coat，boots，or gloves. But something made David__40__.I can still remember he was always__41__a smile and willing to help. He always__42__ after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much.He__43__ just simply smile and ask what else he could do，then thank me for letting him stay and slowly__44__ home.
Weeks passed and the__45__ over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of__46__ before the holiday break. I smiled in__47__ as the last of them hurried out of the door. Turning around I saw David__48__ standing by my desk.
“I have something for you，”he said and__49__from behind his back a small box.__50__  it to me，he said anxiously，“Open it.” I took the box from him，thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my__51__ I saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the box and said，“The box is nice，David，but it’s__52__.”
“Oh，no. It isn’t.” said David.” It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”
Tears filled my eyes___53__  I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given__54__ to. After that Christmas，David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning__55__the little empty box set on my desk..

Two years ago ,Shirley, wife, mother and doctor, found herself worn out. She got up earlier, and went to bed later, just to meet everyday 36 _____ , but lacked 37 _____ for the things that mattered most She and her husband, a lawyer, began searching for ways to 38 _____ their lives. ^“We had to decide what was really 39 _____” says Shirley. They knew they wanted more time to 40 _____ with their three- year -old son, to exercise and eat right, and to develop friendship.
So the couple chose to live more simply，shopping with care for necessities and enjoying inexpensive 41 _____ such as reading, cooking and going to the park.
Then Shirley 42 _____ her job and began working part time. She printed business cards that 43 _____
“At your service, buy 44 _____ a little time” and helped clients (客户）with personal tasks like shopping, paying bills and 45 parties. “I still work hard, but being able to control my hours makes a 46 _____，” she says，“ I can spare time to take my son to the 47 _____ or play basketball with him. My stress and headaches are 48  _____ ’’
Shirley and her husband are 49 _____ alone in wanting to 50 _____ and live a satisfying Life. A survey found that 54 percent of parents say they have little time with their children, and 47 percent of married couples 51  _____that they lack time together. 52  _____does the time go?
For most people， 53 _____ and commuting (通勤)take up most of the day. Simplifying means becoming 54 _____ of the ways we use money, time and energy, and finding ways to make things easier. Then we have to gain 55 _____ over Life and have time for the pleasures.

The parents were in search _______ their son who was lost when the two countries were ______ war.

I am a single mom and have a child. Knowing that I could not __21__ to get him anything at all for his birthday, I felt broken-hearted. __22__ I decided to post a(n) __23__ on “Wish Upon A Hero” website for people to __24__ my son birthday cards. I knew he loved to __25__ the mailbox and always asked if there was anything for him. I __26__ that if he could get a few cards, it would make him smile and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be so __27__ that I wasn't able to get him anything. The cards just started __28__ in and my little sweetie was __29__ excited! Every day more and more cards came and this went__30__ for about three weeks. The smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes brought me to __31__. At the end of November, he started thinking about Christmas and he __32__ knew that there would not be much under the tree for him due to my __33__，but it didn't seem to __34__ to him. All he talked about was how much he wanted to make other children __35__. He decided that what he wanted to do was earn money to buy Christmas cards and send them to other children from __36__ families. My son went out daily to make money. Not only did he make the money to buy the cards, but he also made enough money to buy all the stamps and lollipops (棒棒糖) to put in the __37__. He sent out about 100 cards. Doing this __38__ him the same smile and sparkle in his eyes as the birthday cards that he had received did. I was and am so __39__ of him. My son and “Wish Upon A Hero” have given me renewed __40__ that there are still people in this world that care about others.

完形填空(共15小题；每小题2分．满分30分)
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意．然后从1—15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Returning from a trip overseas, I sensed that something was wrong between Keith, one of my two sons, and me. So I asked him, “Keith, have I done anything that really _  1__ your feeling?”
Immediately, he said, “Yes. Last Christmas you promised us a special    2    that I really wanted but you never gave it to me.”
The    3  was that I’d completely forgotten about it. I   4    , “Is there anything else I’ve done wrong, but didn’t apologized for?”
Again, his   5   was immediate, “Remember last Christmas when Mom said you had to go to the    6  because Stephen was going to be born? You left us at home and  7   in a hurry. Remember?” 
“Well, you left and forgot the suitcase.” I couldn’t believe he   8    all the details! “After you came back from the hospital you were   9   . When you got home, the suitcase had been opened and everythinghad been thrown all over the place and you 10  me.”
“And you didn’t do it?” I asked.
“No, I didn’t . I was just searching for my gift.”
My heart sank. I felt  11   . I hugged Keith and asked him to  12    me. His Honesty made me think of our other son, Kevin. Maybe I’d hurt his feelings, too. I went to ask him the same question. Kevin’s answer was as immediate as his  13   , “Last Christmas you promised us a special toy, but you forgot about it.”
Though Christmas had passed, I took my two sons to the store that day and bought them what I had promised. The  14   thing wasn’t the toy. The problem was I’d made a promise too  15    and didn’t keep it as their father.
1．A．showed        B．hurt          C．attended        D．expressed  
2．A．candy         B．book          C．picture         D．toy  
3．A．challenge     B．message       C．idea          D．fact  
4．A．complained    B．apologized                      C．continued     D．explained 
5．A．suggestion     B．answer         C．memory         D．blame
6．A．hospital        B．church       C．school        D．garden
7．A．settled down                    B．went on       C．set off       D．got up
8．A．knew          B．imagined      C．discovered    D．remembered
9．A．angry          B．worried       C．happy         D．satisfied
10．A．praised       B．punished      C．helped        D．educated
11．A．terrible      B．hopeless      C．inspired      D．encouraged
12．A．support       B．criticize                       C．suspect       D．forgive
13．A．mother        B．brother       C．sister        D．father
14．A．strange       B．interesting   C．important     D．difficult
15．A．lightly        B．rudely         C．equally        D．truly