Many years ago my student asked me the question, “Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?” Without taking time to reflect, I answered ,“Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone’s life.” Even though I was sincere, that wasn’t a very good answer and my student didn’t let it slide.
“Let me get this straight,” he said, “You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?” He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused. I’m one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach:
It’s in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6^th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输)in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples(波纹) go on and on until they reach the shore. You can’t have ripples without a “stone.” Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that’s what I strive to do.
I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they’ll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too. Teaching isn’t for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.
【小题1】 Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?

I didn’t have a job at the time and I was getting help from the government. One day, I was walking to a  36 to get some food when I noticed a little man     37  on a bench beside the store. I walked past him but could not 38     thinking about him.  So I 39 around and went up to him and asked him if he was  40 . He said no. He said he hadn’t  41 for two days. I told him, “Don’t     42 . I’ll be right back.” Before leaving, I  43  him what he would like to eat. He said it didn’t 44 . Then I asked him to tell me what he hadn’t had for a long     45 . He said “a Pepsi”. I went into the store and got him some bread, lunch meat, chips, cookies —  46 food for a few days. The store didn’t have Pepsi,  47     I had to go to another one. I used the 48  of what I had to get him a Pepsi from a store far 49 .

After a long time, when I brought him the 50 and the Pepsi, he cried. With     51  in his eyes, he said, “You are my angel.” When he  52 to hug me, I had a strange  53 — he was my angel, too. I couldn’t even  54  the feeling clearly. Maybe because he gave me a / an 55  to help him, which helped me to understand that I also had abilities to help others.

A. store                B. company       C. restaurant                D. hotel    

A. working    B. sitting             C. standing            D. drinking 

A. wait          B. begin              C. forget               D. stop

A. looked       B. faced              C. turned              D. played

A. lonely       B. hungry            C. tired                     D. okay

A. eaten         B. rested              C. slept                 D. walked

A. move        B. worry             C. refuse               D. lie

A. told           B. wondered        C. asked                D. advised 

A. care         B. know               C. concern           D. matter

A. way          B. path                    C. time                     D. season

A. enough     B. many               C. few               D. little

A. for            B. but               C. as                     D. so

A. next          B. last               C. first               D. large

A. over          B. away              C. off                   D. near

A. lunch        B. dish              C. food                 D. supper

A. anger        B. excitement       C. smiles               D. tears

A. sat down    B. passed on         C. stood up                 D. picked up

A. way          B. opinion            C. attitude            D. feeling

A. explain      B. introduce                C. repeat                     D. remember

A. incident     B. opportunity      C. choice              D. method

Dear Ralf,
I have received your letter from school and am glad to know that you are becoming responsible(有责任的)enough to decide on your career.
You are now in the final year of college and are about to start more independent life in society. You know that a generation divides us, and the conditions of social life were different in my days. However, all I can say as advice is that you must select a career wisely. The first consideration is your interest. You can only succeed and feel happy when you do something you enjoy. Your job must be both gainful and satisfying. Then, you must read up on the latest books on the field you are aiming at. Also, you should get familiar with the men and women in the profession of that field. When mind and heart function together, success is inevitable(必然的).
No career is more or less important than any other career. It takes different people to operate the machine of life. I think your interest may lie in the field of making TV programs. Your great communication skills, your active participation(参与) in school plays and the prizes you have won in speech competitions all point in that direction. So a career in Mass Communication and TV film production proves suitable for you. If you succeed and make it in that field, fame and treasure will both follow.
Think a thousand times before making any final decision regarding your career. Anyhow, I want you to be a man of success.
I know that you are mature(成熟的) enough to think for yourself.
With all the best wishes!
Your loving father
56. We can infer that Ralf wrote a letter to ask for advice on how to ________.
A. prepare for a competition.                         B. communicate with others
C. choose a career                                         D. get good marks
57. What can we know about Ralf?
A. He has graduated from college.               B. He gets on badly with his father.
C. He has taken part in school plays.           D. He won prizes in the field of making films.
58. Ralf’s father thinks that ________.
A. fame is more important than treasure
B. every career is of the same importance
C. Ralf is too young to make a decision himself
D. there is no real understanding between parents and children
59. The father suggests that his son should ____________.
A. consider his interest first when choosing a career.
B. make friends with successful people.
C. be never proud when making progress
D. be active in school activities.

I didn’t have a job at the time and I was getting help from the government. One day, I was walking to a  36 to get some food when I noticed a little man     37  on a bench beside the store. I walked past him but could not 38     thinking about him.  So I 39 around and went up to him and asked him if he was  40 . He said no. He said he hadn’t  41 for two days. I told him, “Don’t     42 . I’ll be right back.” Before leaving, I  43  him what he would like to eat. He said it didn’t 44 . Then I asked him to tell me what he hadn’t had for a long     45 . He said “a Pepsi”. I went into the store and got him some bread, lunch meat, chips, cookies —  46 food for a few days. The store didn’t have Pepsi,  47     I had to go to another one. I used the 48  of what I had to get him a Pepsi from a store far 49 .

After a long time, when I brought him the 50 and the Pepsi, he cried. With     51  in his eyes, he said, “You are my angel.” When he  52 to hug me, I had a strange  53 — he was my angel, too. I couldn’t even  54  the feeling clearly. Maybe because he gave me a / an 55  to help him, which helped me to understand that I also had abilities to help others.

A. store                B. company       C. restaurant                D. hotel    

A. working    B. sitting             C. standing            D. drinking 

A. wait          B. begin              C. forget               D. stop

A. looked       B. faced              C. turned              D. played

A. lonely       B. hungry            C. tired                     D. okay

A. eaten         B. rested              C. slept                 D. walked

A. move        B. worry             C. refuse               D. lie

A. told           B. wondered        C. asked                D. advised 

A. care         B. know               C. concern           D. matter

A. way          B. path                    C. time                     D. season

A. enough     B. many               C. few               D. little

A. for            B. but               C. as                     D. so

A. next          B. last               C. first               D. large

A. over          B. away              C. off                   D. near

A. lunch        B. dish              C. food                 D. supper

A. anger        B. excitement       C. smiles               D. tears

A. sat down    B. passed on         C. stood up                 D. picked up

A. way          B. opinion            C. attitude            D. feeling

A. explain      B. introduce                C. repeat                     D. remember

A. incident     B. opportunity      C. choice              D. method

Once upon a time there lived an old man in a nice cottage with a large garden. The old man was seen   41  his flowers all the time. They were so well-tended that every passer-by could not but   42  for a glance.

One day a young man went by the garden. He gazed at the splendid garden, lost in admiration at the beauty of the scenery. Then, suddenly he   43  the old gardener was blind.   44  , the young man asked, “Why are you busy tending these flowers every day which you can’t  45  in fact?” The old man smiled and answered that “ I can tell you 46  reasons. First I was a   47  when I was young, and I really like this job. Second, although I can’t see these flowers, yet I can  48 them. Third，I can smell sweetness of them. As to the last one, that’s   49 .

“Me? But you don’t know me,” responded the young man   50  .

“Yeah, it’s   51  that I don’t know you. But I know everyone knows flowers and would never turn them down. I know the beauty of my garden will get many people into a good mood(心情). In the meantime, it also   52  a chance to me to have a word with you here and to enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”

The old man’s  53  astonished me. The blind man grows flowers and serves them as a link of minds so as to make everybody enjoy the sunshine in spring. Isn’t it one kind of happiness？

I believe every flower has   54  with which they can see the kindness of the man’s heart. The blind man grows flowers in his heart. Though   55 to see the beauty of blossoming, he surely can hear the voice of it, I suppose.

1.                A．loving          B．watering        C．tending   D．planting

2.                A．stop           B．stay            C．live  D．run

3.                A．realized        B．noticed         C．felt  D．thought

4.                A．Excited         B．Frightened      C．Shocked  D．Satisfied

5.                A．feel           B．see            C．hear D．eat

6.                A．one           B．two            C．three D．four

7.                A．gardener       B．teacher         C．farmer   D．painter

8.                A．taste           B．plant           C．touch    D．appreciate

9.                A．it             B．me            C．them D．you

10.               A．with pleasure    B．in surprise      C．with hope  D．in anger

11.               A．true           B．possible        C．a pity D．a shame

12.               A．introduces      B．offers          C．stands D．leaves

13.               A．words          B．behavior        C．story D．attitudes

14.               A．ears           B．soul           C．eyes  D．heart

15.               A．refusing        B．trying          C．pretending D．failing