【推荐1】I don’t know why I came to the decision to become a loser, but I know I made the ____ at a young age. Sometime in the middle of the fourth grade, I ____ trying. By the time I was in the seventh grade, I was lazy, difficult, ____.

It wasn’t long after that I dropped out of school. Hard physical labor was the ____ for the choices I made as an adolescent. At the age of 21, I was ____ lost, and using drugs as a way to ____ the fact that I had no education and was ____ in a dead-end job carrying heavy construction materials up a ladder all day. ____, now I believe in do-overs, in the chance to do it all again. And I believe that do-overs can be made at any ____ in your life, if you have the right ____. Mine came from a surprising source.

It was September 21, 2002, when my son Blake was born. It’s funny that after a life of ___ responsibility, now I was in charge of something so ____. Over the years, as I grew into the ____ of Dad, I began to learn something about myself. ____, Blake and I were both learning to walk, talk, work and play for the first time. I began my do-over.

It took me almost three years to learn how to read. I started with my son’s books.Over and over, I practised reading books to him until I remembered all the words in every one of them. I began to wonder if it was possible for me to go back to school. I knew I wanted to be a good role ____, so after a-year-and-a-half and a lot of hard work, I ____ my GED test on my son’s fourth birthday. This may not sound like much, and I’m surely not trying to get ____ for doing something that should have been done in the first place , but all things considered it was one of the best days in my life. Today, I’m a full-time college student, ____ to become sociologist.

It’s funny, growing up I always heard these great ____ stories of triumph(胜利) over shortcomings. But I never thought they ____ to me. Now I believe it’s a choice anyone can make: to do it all over again.

1.

A．determination

B．wish

C．choice

D．dream

2.

A．started

B．stopped

C．considered

D．fancied

3.

A．skeptical

B．defensive

C．sensitive

D．disrespectful

4.

A．consequence

B．compromise

C．compensation

D．competence

5.

A．fundamentally

B．hopelessly

C．blindly

D．casually

6.

A．deal with

B．go with

C．conflict with

D．meet with

7.

A．led

B．stuck

C．absorbed

D．taken

8.

A．However

B．Meanwhile

C．Furthermore

D．Therefore

9.

A．cost

B．corner

C．term

D．point

10.

A．motto

B．technique

C．conscience

D．motivation

11.

A．avoiding

B．preventing

C．undertaking

D．overcoming

12.

A．flexible

B．enterprising

C．authentic

D．fragile

13.

A．part

B．status

C．title

D．cause

14.

A．In a way

B．On the contrary

C．In addition

D．What’s worse

15.

A．model

B．leader

C．scholar

D．tutor

16.

A．received

B．adopted

C．attended

D．passed

17.

A．flame

B．praise

C．award

D．courage

18.

A．studying

B．waiting

C．beginning

D．demanding

19.

A．turn-around

B．take-off

C．pull-out

D．turn-off

20.

A．appealed

B．applied

C．attached

D．adapted

【推荐2】Last fall I hung outside my window a bird feeder(喂鸟的食槽)．Knowing ______about wild birds，I ____that_______ I hung this bird feeder outside，numbers of beautiful birds would be swooping(飞扑)to my new addition. However，days，weeks，and months______，NO BIRDS.

I asked so many people，“What to do？______ was I doing wrong？”“Nothing，”most of them replied，“just______！”So I waited and waited and waited，trying everything______to attract these birds. I cleaned off the deck(平台)，______the feed，and washed the feeder. I_____ made the cat go out the other door！But nothing seemed to_______．So I waited with patience and_______．

Two months later，on a Saturday afternoon，I _____ ！What came to my eyes was the most beautiful bird I have ever seen in my life！All of a______ ，hundreds of birds were_____ from everywhere!

What a beautiful_______I learned from this little creature！Patience and hope will______ the beautiful things in life. Yet I had never_______how much patience I really do have and how much I do rely on hope to ______ the questions in my heart.

So I ______hoping and waiting，waiting and hoping. I will try to use this“little lesson”with so many other things in my life. I guess patience is a _____ after all.

1.

A．something

B．nothing

C．anything

D．everything

2.

A．assumed

B．denied

C．required

D．stated

3.

A．once

B．since

C．until

D．before

4.

A．run out

B．got through

C．went by

D．passed on

5.

A．When

B．Why

C．How

D．What

6.

A．wait

B．seek

C．try

D．watch

7.

A．reliable

B．movable

C．possible

D．incredible

8.

A．cleared

B．picked

C．selected

D．changed

9.

A．still

B．even

C．just

D．too

10.

A．run

B．work

C．do

D．go

11.

A．courage

B．hope

C．attention

D．desire

12.

A．failed

B．sighed

C．calmed

D．froze

13.

A．sort

B．jump

C．sweat

D．sudden

14.

A．climbing

B．spreading

C．gathering

D．disappearing

15.

A．lesson

B．class

C．drill

D．training

16.

A．attach

B．connect

C．attract

D．contain

17.

A．admitted

B．recognized

C．realized

D．neglected

18.

A．adjust to

B．focus on

C．deal with

D．make up

19.

A．keep

B．avoid

C．hate

D．allow

20.

A．gift

B．virtue(美德)

C．pleasure

D．belief

【推荐3】I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people _________ I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a _________ person.

I think my _______ started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my _______ and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever _______ to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester (学期), I was really _______ . It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So I tried a(n) _______. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble, I _______ to help. That was really a big _______ for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of __________ are still my best friends today.

A bigger cause of my new _______ , however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my ________ . Every time I came into her room, she was so __________ because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never____________ her, so I took her place. She let me __________ that making others feel good make me feel good, too. When she died, I was _______, but I was very grateful to her.

I think I am a much ______ person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not ______these experiences. They have ________ me to care about other people more than about myself. I ________ who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.

1.

A．or

B．since

C．before

D．unless

2.

A．famous

B．simple

C．skilled

D．different

3.

A．education

B．career

C．tour

D．change

4.

A．interest

B．degree

C．friendship

D．homework

5.

A．talked

B．wrote

C．lied

D．reported

6.

A．careful

B．happy

C．lonely

D．curious

7.

A．game

B．defence

C．argument

D．experiment

8.

A．dared

B．offered

C．argued

D．happened

9.

A．duty

B．step

C．dream

D．problem

10.

A．us

B．which

C．them

D．whom

11.

A．luck

B．hobby

C．hope

D．attitude

12.

A．friend

B．partner

C．guide

D．guest

13.

A．happy

B．polite

C．strange

D．confident

14.

A．limited

B．answered

C．visited

D．trusted

15.

A．see

B．guess

C．look

D．explain

16.

A．useless

B．hopeless

C．homeless

D．heartbroken

17.

A．quieter

B．busier

C．better

D．richer

18.

A．face

B．forget

C．improve

D．remember

19.

A．forced

B．taught

C．ordered

D．preferred

20.

A．like

B．miss

C．wonder

D．expect

【推荐1】The View from the Slow Lane

As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed that something seemed different about my mom. She was ______ away from me, her shoulders dropped and her hands relaxed. I parked the car and she turned toward me.

“Okay, we’re home,” I said, ______ that now was her time to get out and let me be on my own. She sniffled and brushed her hair behind her ears to reveal her bloodshot eyes and moist cheeks. She had been crying.

“Mom!” I whined (嘀咕着说), surprised by the tears running down her face. “Why are you crying?” I asked, ______ I already knew the answer.

I had just got my ______, which I’d been looking forward to for months. I was free — able to drive myself where I needed to go. But now that I had it in my pocket, I suddenly felt ______. I had been so quick to grow up, completely ignoring the emotions that my mom must be experiencing with her firstborn ______ adulthood.

“My baby boy is growing up too fast,” she ______ to say between deep breaths.

My heart ached. I hated to see my mom cry, and I hated more that I had been so ignorant toward her ______. I had been counting down the days, ______ waiting to enter the next stage of my life, ______ she counted down with fear and headache. The ______ and freedom I had previously felt were gone, replaced by an odd sense of mourning.

We hugged. Then she looked me in the eye and told me to drive carefully. “Of course I will,” I reassured her. She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out. I waved goodbye and pulled out of the driveway.

I had been so ______ to start speeding and skirting around corners that I’d ______ just how beautiful the ride is. Now I cruised (漫游) down the peaceful two -lane road, ______ the sights, sounds, and smells of the nature that surrounds me. At that moment I made a promise to myself, a promise to take things   ______ and to never, ever, catch myself speeding again.

Life had passed me by while I lived my days in fast ______, ignorantly wishing for tomorrow and ______ to notice all the beautiful things along the way. Friendships, victories, heartbreaks — have sped by me because I was too busy looking toward the ______. It seems life also has its own ______, and if you find yourself going too fast, you risk ______   the moments that make it so special.

Moments like this.

1.

A．facing

B．running

C．escaping

D．breaking

2.

A．fearing

B．implying

C．remembering

D．considering

3.

A．in case

B．now that

C．as though

D．even though

4.

A．car

B．offer

C．license

D．scholarship

5.

A．guilty

B．anxious

C．annoyed

D．disappointed

6.

A．crossing

B．spending

C．nearing

D．delaying

7.

A．tried

B．managed

C．intended

D．hesitated

8.

A．feelings

B．greetings

C．warning

D．waiting

9.

A．unwillingly

B．impatiently

C．nervously

D．thankfully

10.

A．so

B．and

C．for

D．while

11.

A．luck

B．honor

C．delight

D．gratitude

12.

A．afraid

B．confident

C．surprised

D．excited

13.

A．denied

B．realized

C．discovered

D．forgotten

14.

A．enjoying

B．following

C．imagining

D．recognizing

15.

A．easy

B．slow

C．wrong

D．personal

16.

A．upward

B．downward

C．forward

D．backward

17.

A．trying

B．failing

C．refusing

D．pretending

18.

A．fortune

B．scenery

C．past

D．future

19.

A．speed limit

B．fast track

C．comfort zone

D．daily routine

20.

A．wasting

B．losing

C．missing

D．deleting

【推荐2】My four-year-old son, Tommy, was digging the sand to build a castle (城堡). Although I warned him it’d be _________, he went on building it in the _________ of every single wave that would _________ on the shore.

I sighed (叹气), figuring the only way to make him _________ was to do as he liked and let him see what would happen. I only hoped he wouldn’t be too _________ when that first wave destroyed his _________.

But when the water came and washed away his castle, he jumped up and down and clapped his hands. “That’s _________! Let’s do it again!” I didn’t know how he could _________ seeing his fruit of labor ruined.

“Is it really fun when the waves wash away the _________?”

“Yes,” he said.

Looking at him, I thought about my __________ at home. Nothing I did there ever seemed to __________. I prepared dinners, which were __________ finished ten minutes after I placed them on the table. I cleaned floors only to see someone __________ them on their first trip in from the back yard. My life was just one never-ending to-do __________.

Just like the sand castles Tommy built, all my __________ were washed away by a big wave called Family Life. Nothing I did lasted beyond the moment.

Because of this, I often struggled feeling __________. I wondered if the things I did __________. And if nothing I did mattered, that meant that I didn’t matter.

But as I watched my child __________ in the sand happily, I realized that I’m building something __________, something that will last forever. I’m __________ a family.

1.

A．dug out

B．taken apart

C．cleared up

D．washed away

2.

A．front

B．charge

C．path

D．form

3.

A．float

B．dance

C．crash

D．appear

4.

A．regret

B．understand

C．refuse

D．struggle

5.

A．upset

B．frightened

C．surprised

D．tired

6.

A．future

B．world

C．creation

D．gift

7.

A．difficult

B．great

C．simple

D．impossible

8.

A．stand

B．imagine

C．avoid

D．risk

9.

A．castles

B．clothes

C．shoes

D．tools

10.

A．pet

B．view

C．plan

D．life

11.

A．happen

B．last

C．help

D．exist

12.

A．finally

B．suddenly

C．completely

D．personally

13.

A．dirty

B．empty

C．narrow

D．dry

14.

A．experiment

B．research

C．problem

D．list

15.

A．tears

B．efforts

C．feelings

D．worries

16.

A．competitive

B．amazed

C．confused

D．unfair

17.

A．were easy

B．were direct

C．changed

D．counted

18.

A．digging

B．lying

C．rolling

D．sleeping

19.

A．actual

B．important

C．slight

D．formal

20.

A．protecting

B．designing

C．organizing

D．building

【推荐3】According to a Chinese saying，“One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a hero. ”Growing up in Beijing，I _________ its historical sites and natural attractions perfectly well. However，I’d _________ climbed the Great Wall before until recently. I，along with my friends， _________ for the top. We soon discovered that the hike was much more _________ than we had imagined. But we didn’t _________ . It took us about two hours to finally _________ where we had wanted to get to.

As _________ at the top of the Great Wall，I looked back at the waves of _________ walking to the top. At that moment，I saw an amazing _________ that would forever change my opinion on humans’ limits. I saw a young couple carrying their children，walking __________ but surely towards the top. They would stop once in a while to take a __________ under the hot sun.

As I stood there，I began to __________ words that can describe us humans. If one would like to describe giraffes（长颈鹿），he/she would use words such as __________ and long-necked. But what about us？I took another look down below and my __________ began to gather，persevering（坚忍不拔的），determined，and

__________. As these words came into my mind，I __________ that it was not appearance or physical characteristics that should define（定义）us humans，but the __________ that we share.

I don’t know if I have become a __________ man after returning from this __________ according to the Chinese saying， __________ I surely returned as a more thoughtful person.

1.

A．show

B．know

C．imagine

D．accept

2.

A．still

B．also

C．never

D．already

3.

A．waited

B．allowed

C．searched

D．aimed

4.

A．expensive

B．interesting

C．difficult

D．important

5.

A．wake up

B．give up

C．keep up

D．look up

6.

A．reach

B．understand

C．clean

D．head

7.

A．shook

B．stood

C．walked

D．lay

8.

A．children

B．strangers

C．people

D．foreigners

9.

A．book

B．photo

C．future

D．scene

10.

A．dangerously

B．slowly

C．worriedly

D．naturally

11.

A．break

B．tip

C．step

D．note

12.

A．care about

B．make up

C．tell about

D．think of

13.

A．healthy

B．tall

C．fat

D．scary

14.

A．thoughts

B．emotions

C．rules

D．plans

15.

A．tired

B．normal

C．strong

D．lazy

16.

A．expected

B．argued

C．included

D．realized

17.

A．dreams

B．qualities

C．concerns

D．experiences

18.

A．boring

B．humorous

C．great

D．serious

19.

A．trip

B．country

C．adventure

D．experiment

20.

A．but

B．as

C．unless

D．so