Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life. This time, which took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened.

On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister’s dress and picked out a beautiful skirt. “ Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.” he said．I guess this was the occasion: it was the funeral of my sister, after her unexpected death.

He took the shirt and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral. Then he closed the drawer and turned to me, “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you’re alive is a special occasion.”

I’m thinking about his words, and they’ve changed the way I live my life. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer. “Someday ”and “one of these days ”are losing their importance  on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold back or save anything that would add laughter and color to our lives. Every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, truly is a gift. So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life.

1.Why did Jan buy the beautiful skirt but didn’t wear it?

A．She waited for a special occasion to wear it on.

B．She wanted to keep it for someone else.

C．She saved it till she grew up.

D．She would give it to herself as a gift some day.

2.What does the underlined word “cherish” mean?

A．Treasure.

B．Waste.

C．Own.

D．Save

3.From his experience, the author learns that_______.

A．everybody can have a happy life through efforts

B．every day in our lives is worth cherishing

C．enjoying ourselves is the most important thing in our lives

D．everybody will have some things left to do after his death

4.What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Every Day IS a Gift

B．My Sister Jan

C．What Is the Meaningful Life like

D．The Most Important Time in Your Life

 

 I won’t call you, ________ something unexpected happens.

   A. unless       B. whether         C. because         D. while

 

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的中个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出或以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

My neighbor Peter Gate’s life was shadowed for years by the memory of his part in an outdoor adventure that resulted in the death of one of his classmates. He and his wife 21 after six years of marriage. Then the news about Peter changed. His wife Betty came back; he 22 a fine position in a company.

One day he told me what had changed his 23 : I used to think, ‘Nothing can undo what I have done.’ The thought of my guilt(罪恶感) would 24 me in the middle of a smile or a handshake. It put a wall between my wife and me. Then I had an 25 visit from the person I 26 most to see —the 27 of the college classmate who died. “Years ago”, she said, “I found it in my heart, through prayer(祈祷), to 28 you. Betty forgave you. So did your friends and employers.” She 29, and then said 30, “You are the one person who hasn’t forgiven Peter Gate. Who do you think you are to 31 the people of this town and God ？”  “I 32 her eyes and found there a kind of 33 to be the person I might have been if her son had lived. For the first time in my adult life I felt 34 to love and be loved.”

So, you see, it is only through forgiveness of our 35 that we gain the freedom to learn from experience. But forgiving our shortcomings doesn't mean 36   that they exist. 37 , it means 38 them honestly, realistically. 39 you forgive, you cannot love. And without 40, life has no meaning. Forgiveness is a good quality.

21．A．divided           B. separated                    C. quarrelled         D. left

22.  A．lost                  B. kept                   C. earned                       D. discovered

23.  A．marriage     B. job                     C. family              D. life

24. A．help               B. stop                 C. protect              D. attract

25. A．unexpected   B .unwilling             C. unfriendly          D. unknown

26. A．hoped          B. feared               C. terrified             D. wished

27. A．sister           B. wife                   C. mother          D. teacher

28. A．hate             B. love                 C. forgive             D. forget

29. A．stopped         B. added                 C. continued        D. paused

30. A．seriously        B. sadly                C. cheerfully         D. nervously

31. A．get along with                                      B. stand out against 

C. keep in touch with                                 D. live in harmony with

32. A．looked at       B.  looked for      C. looked into        D. looked after

33. A．permission    B. determination  C. sorrow              D. apology

34. A．worried         B. worthy              C. lonely               D. curious

35. A．adventures      B. friends              C. mistakes         D. classmates

36. A．ignoring           B. admitting           C. remembering    D. finding

37. A．To begin with B. On the other hand C. Above all    D. On the contrary

38   A．facing            B.  recognizing   C. returning            D. forgetting

39. A．Although        B. If                      C. Unless            D. Because

40. A．forgiveness   B. love                     C. freedom                      D. shortcomings

 

单词拼写 (共10小题; 每小题1分,满分10分)

1. When I saw her in the street, I stopped and smiled, but she i___________ me and walked on.

2. Judging from his accent, he is a n_________ of Ningbo.

3. Unexpected difficulties a_________ in the course of their experiment.

4. Many men were b__________ underground when the accident at the mine happened.

5. The hotel guests tried their best to e__________ from the burning building.

6. Of all the museum’s paintings, only one s___________ the fire.

7. The ship s__________ off the coast of Newfoundland during a storm.

8. They worked in their spare time as v_____________. In other words, they worked for free.

9. We decided to a___________ our new product (产品)in the local newspaper.

10. What t_________ of house would you prefer to live in?

 

You should make an ____ plan in case anything unexpected happens.

A. active          B. alternative      C. convenient   D. economic