A Simple Christmas Card

Abbie, shy and quiet, started tenth grade in a new school. It never occurred to her that she would be   1  . But soon she found herself dreaming of her old   2  . It had been small and friendly. This new school was much too  3 and unfriendly. Her new friend Tammy took advantage of her   4   by cheating her. She used her to do homework by pretending to need help, but left Abbie out of the fun she had.

Her parents were worried about her.   5  they were divorced(离婚), they thought she needed a friend badly.

Things   6  over the summer. Abbie often cried herself to sleep, believing that no one would ever love her enough to be her   7  . Abbie was thinking of   8  her life.

She started the eleventh grade and joined a Youth Group, hoping to make friends. People there seemed to   9  her, but on the inside they wished she’d stay out of their group. This only   10  Abbie closer to edge.

By Christmastime Abbie was so   11  that she was taking sleeping pills to help her sleep. On Christmas Eve, she   12  that she would jump off the local bridge. As she left her warm house, she decided to   13  her parents a note in the mailbox. When she pulled down the door to the mailbox, she saw a letter to her. She tore it open. A(n)   14  dropped out.

Dear Abbie,

I want to   15  for not talking with you sooner, but my parents are in the middle of a divorce, so I didn’t have a chance to talk with anyone. I was hoping you could help me with the   16  I have with divorced kids. I think we could become friends. See you at Youth Group on Sunday!

Merry Christmas!

Sincerely yours,

Wesley Hill

She   17  at the card for a while, reading it over and over again. “Become friends,” she smiled, realizing that someone   18 about her and wanted plain, quiet Abbie Knight as a friend. She felt so   19 .

She rushed back to her house and   20  Wesley.

1．A．angry                    B．stupid                  C．lonely                  D．nervous

2．A．class                     B．classroom            C．teachers              D．moments

3．A．dull                       B．cold                    C．strange                D．noisy

4．A．honesty                 B．kindness              C．knowledge           D．patience

5．A．Although               B．Since                  C．Before                 D．Unless

6．A．settled                   B．remained             C．worsened            D．developed

7．A．friend                   B．classmate            C．sister                  D．partner

8．A．living                    B．ending                 C．continuing           D．saving

9．A．recognize              B．believe                 C．excuse                D．welcome

10．A．sent                    B．pulled                  C．pushed                D．helped

11．A．weak                   B．tired                    C．upset                  D．noisy

12．A．decided               B．supposed             C．considered           D．hoped

13．A．mail                    B．send                    C．leave                   D．make

14．A．note                    B．card                    C．letter                   D．invitation

15．A．argue                  B．write                   C．call                     D．apologize

16．A．challenges           B．problems             C．suggestions         D．experiences

17．A．laughed               B．glanced               C．shouted               D．stared

18．A．worried               B．thought               C．talked                  D．cared

19．A．surprised             B．curious                C．special                D．confused

20．A．met             B．invited           C．visited            D．called

Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought  31 . It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).
This farmhouse had been  32  too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s  33  made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a  34  from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.
Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse  35  the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried  36  when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 37  into the room where grain was stored and was quite  38  as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he  39  a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat  40  , and without thinking he started to run and luckily  41  the cat’s paws (爪子).
The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a  42  family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to  43 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came  44  the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.
Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!
The house came  45  the next few days. Zigfried  46  every single hour of them.  47 , the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a  48  smile at the door of his home, he heard the  49 of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The  50  froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought  31 . It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

This farmhouse had been  32  too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s  33  made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a  34  from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.

Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse  35  the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried  36  when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 37  into the room where grain was stored and was quite  38  as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he  39  a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat  40  , and without thinking he started to run and luckily  41  the cat’s paws (爪子).

The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a  42  family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to  43 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came  44  the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!

The house came  45  the next few days. Zigfried  46  every single hour of them.  47 , the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a  48  smile at the door of his home, he heard the  49 of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The  50  froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

1.                A．carefully        B．excitedly        C．hopefully D．proudly

2.                A．shabby         B．noisy           C．messy    D．empty

3.                A．mouth          B．nose           C．stomach D．throat

4.                A．bag            B．stick           C．bowl     D．coat

5.                A．although        B．until           C．whereas D．unless

6.                A．leapt           B．sniffed         C．trembled D．withdrew

7.                A．broke          B．marched        C．paced    D．stole

8.                A．curious         B．nervous         C．pitiful    D．sensible

9.                A．took           B．released        C．felt D．drew

10.               A．strongly        B．irregularly       C．slowly     D．wildly

11.               A．escaped        B．seized          C．rubbed    D．scratched

12.               A．close          B．happy          C．new D．young

13.               A．celebrate       B．communicate    C．compete  D．compromise

14.               A．across          B．from           C．off   D．up

15.               A．alive           B．loose          C．open D．still

16.               A．counted        B．enjoyed        C．missed    D．wasted

17.               A．However       B．Instead         C．Moreover D．Therefore

18.               A．bitter          B．forced         C．polite     D．satisfied

19.               A．introduction     B．discussion       C．comment D．debate

20.               A．blood          B．smile           C．tear D．sweat

　　A football coach in a high school had an idea and made a contract with his wife that he would take care of their children and do all the housework during the summertime．Would he be able to complete the task ?

　　It was all his own idea, says Pat, the wife of California high school football coach Bob Peters．Bob had 　1　 made a motherhood contract (合同) declaring that for 70 days this summer he would 　2　 the care of their four children and all the housework．　3　 he didn't even know how to make coffee when he sighed, he was very confident．

　　After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to 　4　．I was beaten down, admits Bob．Not only is motherhood a 　5　 task, it is an impossible job for any normal human being．

　　Bob and Pat were married in 1991．After the marriage, Pat 　6　 a secretary to help put him through university．　7　 Bob has been the football coach while Pat raised the kids．　8　 two years ago Pat went back to work．I had been 　9　 children so much, she 　10　 , I couldn't talk to a grown-up．She continued to run the household, 　11　 until Bob sighed the contract．

　　Bob tried hard to learn cooking, but the meals he prepared were 　12　 ．For the last three weeks, the family 　13　 a lot ?sometimes having MacDonald's hamburgers for lunch and dinner．

　　　14　 housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean 15 the bed is made．I found 16 I shut the doors, he says．Soon the kids were wearing their shirts inside out．When we went to 　17　 Pat at work, I made them wear their shirts 　18　 side out so they would look clean．

　　Now that Bob has publicly 　19　 he was wrong, he is 　20　 the child-raising and household tasks with Pat．

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Mitchell once had a very serious car accident．More than 65 percent of his _1__ was burnt．He was unable to __2__ a knife at dinner, or go to the bathroom without _3__．But Mitchell never believed he was  __4__．“I am in charge of my own spaceship,” he said．“It's my up or my down．I could __5___ to see this situation as a defeat __6__ a starting point．” Six months later Mitchell bought himself a plane and he was piloting it __7__．

       Later he _8__ with two friends and founded a food company that __9_ to be Vermont's second largest food company．Then four years __10__ the car accident, the plane Mitchell was piloting crashed．The accident made Mitchell unable to walk anymore．“I __11__ what was happening to me．What did I do to get this?”

       Mitchell worked __12__ day and night to regain as much independence as possible．He was elected Mayor of Crested Butte, Colorado．He __13__ the town from mineral mining that would __14__ its beauty and environment．

       Although he had __15__looks and physical difficulties, Mitchell __16__ flying and speaking in public．“Before I __17__ walk, there were 10,000 things I could do,” Mitchell says, “Now there are 9,000．I can __18__ cry for the 1,000 I lost or focus on the 9,000 I have．I tell people that I have had two big bad lucks in my life．__19__ you think you also have bad lucks, you can step back, take a __20__ view and have a chance to say, ‘Maybe that isn't such a big deal after all．’ It's not what happens to you; it's what you do about it,”

1．A．car                       B．hand                   C．head                       D．body

2．A．put up                   B．take up                C．pick up                   D．set up

3．A．help                      B．strength               C．spirit                      D．pain

4．A．burnt                    B．defeated              C．touched                  D．hurt

5．A．choose                  B．learn                   C．come                      D．manage

6．A．and                       B．but                      C．or                          D．so

7．A．yet                       B．again                   C．ever                       D．too

8．A．appeared               B．cheered up           C．practiced                D．teamed up

9．A．seemed                 B．grew                   C．happened                D．hoped

10．A．after                   B．before                 C．till                          D．from

11．A．understand           B．asked                  C．wondered               D．realized

12．A．sadly                   B．bravely                C．proudly                   D．kindly

13．A．took                    B．accepted              C．changed                  D．saved

14．A．ruin                    B．produce               C．attract                    D．serve

15．A．amusing             B．charming             C．shocking                 D．moving

16．A．stopped               B．continued            C．began                     D．tried

17．A．could                  B．couldn't              C．must                      D．mustn't

18．A．only                    B．still                     C．thus                       D．either

19．A．Though               B．Unless                 C．When                     D．Since

20．A．bigger             B．wider            C．louder                  D．deeper