A few weeks ago, I followed a friend into an art supply store．I found him picking out tubes of water-color paint, which __36__ me because he's not an artist.

"I   37   up for a water-color class, and it starts next week," he said．"I really don't have  38_ for it, but it was on my list of 50 things to do before I die, so I _39__ it．Every few months I look at the list and decide what to focus on next． 40   I had the list, I complained a lot about what I was  41  _ in my life．Now I just bury myself in doing these things．Write your own list．and you'll   42   what I mean．"

So that night．I did just that, and he was right．The list revealed （显露出） a whole lot about what was __43__ to me．It also revealed how _44___ behind I am at getting to the things I really want．

    I filled up the first twenty __45__ quickly, but then began to think carefully．

Eventually I __46_ items I've thought about for years, and __47__ I've carried with me since I was young．When I  48  the list later, some entries surprised me．

First, I want to _ 49_ much more, particularly now that my children are   50_ and can go with me to see the world．I would like to take them to bike through Denmark and camp in the Canadian Rockies．

I'm also surprised to _51_ some things on the list that need to be done soon．If I'm going to learn to roller-blade （轮滑）, __52_, I'd better start before I turn 50．

Like my friend, I now have an alternative to __53__．When I'm bored with life, I take out my list．

My friend told me the _54_ was preparing the ground so that life could work in mysterious ways．"If you want your ship to come in, you must build a dock （码头）," he said．

Thanks to my _55__, I'm working on some big docks．

1.A．surprised  B．moved    C．pleased D．excited

2.A．made       B．took      C．signed  D．gave

3.A．interest   B．concern  C．time        D．emotion

4.A．went for   B．called for   C．accounted for D．cared for

5.A．Because    B．After         C．Before  D．Although

6.A．doing  B．missing  C．pushed  D．engaged

7.A．admire B．abolish  C．spot        D．see

8.A．important  B．strange  C．beneficial D．special

9.A．slightly   B．slowly   C．possibly    D．hopelessly

10.A．thoughts  B．lists         C．ideas   D．blanks

11.A．studied   B．added    C．dropped D．obtained

12.A．burdens   B．challenges   C．dreams  D．responsibilities

13.A．reviewed  B．discovered   C．wrote   D．appreciated

14.A．play      B．relax         C．travel   D．hike．

15.A．wealthier B．cleverer C．healthier   D．older

16.A．write     B．put       C．find        D．leave

17.A．such as   B．for instanceC．in fact   D．in particular

18.A．complaining   B．relaxing     C．objecting    D．adjusting

19.A．problem       B．key          C．answer   D．question

20.A．hobbies       B．optimism     C．list     D．wishes

I'm fat, I'm too skinny．I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs．
Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you' re not alone．As a teen, you're going through many changes in your body．And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself．Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem （自尊） ．
If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are．This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of growing up, such as developing good friendships, growing more independent from your parents, and challenging yourself physically and mentally．Developing these parts of yourself can help boost （提升） yourself-esteem．
A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle （such as exercising and eating right） are a great combination for building good self-esteem．
Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves． But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself．
The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size or color it comes in．If you are very worried about your weight or size, check with your doctor to verify （核实） that things are OK．But it is no one's business but your own what your body is like—ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself．
Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can't．Everyone has things about themselves that they can't change and need to accept—like their height, for example, or their shoe size．
When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop．Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself three good things every day．By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself．
The most important thing is to get help if you feel like your body image and self-esteem are affecting your life．
【小题1】If we have a positive body image, we will_____．

A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a   16 , I had decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it   17  from my hand and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles,   18  everywhere. I tried to use a broom,   19  with each swipe they just rolled across the kitchen．
For the next week, every time I was in the   20 , I found a pea---in a corner, or behind a table leg. They kept   21 . Eight months later I pulled out the refrigerator to clean behind it, and   22  12 frozen peas hidden underneath．
At the time I found those few remaining   23 , I was in a new relationship with a wonderful   24  I’d met in a support group. After we married, I was reminded 25  those peas under the refrigerator, and realized that my   26  had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had shattered（破碎. My wife had died; I was in a new city with a busy job, and with a son having trouble   27  his new surroundings and the  28  of his mother. I was a bag of spilled frozen peas; my life had come apart and scattered．
When life gets you   29 , when everything you know comes apart, and when you think you’ll never  30 , remember that it’s just a bag of scattered frozen peas. The peas can be  31 , and life will move on. You’ll find all the peas   32 , including the ones that are hardest to find. And when you’ve got them   33  you’ll start to feel whole again．
The life you know can break apart at any time. But you’ll have to   34 , and how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom,  35  will you pick them up one by one and put your life back together?

The clothes you wear. The food you eat. The color of your bedroom walls. Where you go and how you get there. The people you hang around with. What time you go to bed. What do these things have in common, you’re asking? They’re just a few examples of the many hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child.
As a kid, you didn’t have a say in everything; your parents made decisions about everything from the cereal you ate in the morning to the pajamas you wore at night. And it’s a good thing, too—kids need this kind of protection on their own.
But finally, kids grow up and become teens. And part of being a teen is developing your own identity—one that is separate from your parents’. But as you change and grow into this new person who makes his own decisions, your parents have a difficult time adjusting(调整).
In many families, it is this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents. And issues like the type of friends you have or your attitudes to partying can cause bigger arguments, because your parents still always want to protect you and keep you safe, no matter how old you are.
The good news about fighting with your parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teen has a right to certain opinions. It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles, though. In the meantime, focus on communicating with your parents.
Sometimes this can feel impossible—like they just don’t see your point of view and never will. But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents.
Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases, they can relate to what you’re going through.
【小题1】In the first two paragraphs, the writer________.

--- Why were you late for the class, Jenny?
--- Oh, my clock must be running slow, and it needs ____.