【推荐1】In 1948，my family drove to the Singer Sewing Center and bought a brand-new electric Singer. Then Ruby, my mother-in-law,____sewing. After supper, Ruby would bend over the machine, ___clothes for her children and neighbors. Thousands of dresses. The Singer raised its needle millions of times.

In 1987，Ruby __ us on the phone, ___.After thirty-nine years, her Singer didn’t work. No repairman could fix it because parts were not __.

I went to a sewing machine store to buy one. Her old one was____.The new machines are plastic and have computers. They give classes on how to __ them. In the display window was a 1948 metal Singer blackhead.

“Does that one __ ? ” I asked the man.

“I don’t know，” he said. He plugged it in. It___ to work.

“It’s not for sale，” he said. It’s a(an)___ . There aren’t lots of old Singer blackheads around anyone•”

I __ him about Ruby — how she lives by herself and sews to keep busy, how she ___only six dollars to make a dress __the people she sews for are poor.

He __ the machine to me for twenty-five dollars.

The next weekend we took it to Ruby’s. She stood by the car as we opened the trunk. As she looked down at the __, a smile creased (弄皱）her face.

“It’s just like my __one，”she laughed.

It’s still going strong. Ruby ___charges six dollars a dress.

On several occasions, my wife and I found 1948 Singer blackheads in antique stores. We __ them and gave them to Ruby. She’s got a lot of___ ahead, and we don’t want her to run out of sewing machines __ she runs out of things to sew.

1.

A．took out

B．gave up

C．set about

D．put off

2.

A．drying

B．making

C．washing

D．folding

3.

A．called

B．advised

C．changed

D．ordered

4.

A．puzzled

B．excited

C．frightened

D．discouraged

5.

A．available

B．practical

C．simple

D．helpful

6.

A．plastic

B．metal

C．noiseless

D．man-made

7.

A．fix

B．link

C．use

D．get

8.

A．work

B．stay

C．matter

D．stop

9.

A．failed

B．began

C．continued

D．meant

10.

A．invention

B．artwork

C．bargain

D．display

11.

A．asked

B．warned

C．told

D．reminded

12.

A．spends

B．charges

C．saves

D．earns

13.

A．while

B．until

C．though

D．because

14.

A．sold

B．lent

C．delivered

D．donated

15.

A．car

B．clothes

C．machine

D．computer

16.

A．new

B．old

C．small

D．large

17.

A．still

B．once

C．already

D．never

18.

A．booked

B．bought

C．copied

D．borrowed

19.

A．travelling

B．learning

C．cooking

D．sewing

20.

A．so

B．if

C．before

D．when

【推荐2】In my professional life I am fortunate to have acquired some skills that I find I am able to use even though   I’ve retired．
Last week while at church in the morning，I met a ____ that had just moved to our state. Unfortunately they were robbed shortly after their ____．and had the valuable belongings with all their ____papers stolen．A very kind person in the neighborhood had ____them in，but the family had very little ____，no transportation，and no ____ to enroll(注册)their son in school without the paperwork．
Enrolling that little boy in school ____to be the highest priority for the family. But the school district was playing hardball with them with no _____for them．They had gone to the library to ____ how to replace this paperwork，but they found they could not ____the fees to replace the items quickly．
Because of my background as a(n) _____administrator and my computer skills，I was able to research for them online how to ____．the needed documents at low cost with only a slight delay．I was able to speak with them____and positively about the process and explain that waiting the few ____ days would make very little _____ in getting their little guy enrolled and attending school again．They told me they ____ my taking the time to sit down with them and help them see the“forest for the trees”，for they had felt _____with what initially had seemed the impossibility of their situation．
Taking the time to ____my skills and “be present’’ with them had truly helped them regain some of the____ they had come to our city with when they moved—____ a better 1ife．1.

A．beggar

B．boy

C．family

D．driver

2.

A．arrival

B．return

C．flight

D．change

3.

A．criminal

B．important

C．beneficial

D．expensive

4.

A．forced

B．hidden

C．shown

D．taken

5.

A．money

B．energy

C．position

D．courage

6.

A．Plan

B．aim

C．way

D．idea

7.

A．happened

B．seemed

C．intended

D．preferred

8.

A．patience

B．direction

C．confidence

D．sympathy

9.

A．practice

B．research

C．suggest

D．realize

10.

A．afford

B．support

C．manage

D．desire

11.

A．politics

B．education

C．culture

D．history

12.

A．invent

B．protect

C．design

D．replace

13.

A．coldly

B．shyly

C．calmly

D．wildly

14.

A．exact

B．proper

C．extra

D．final

15.

A．sense

B．difference

C．room

D．use

16.

A．disliked

B．considered

C．insisted

D．appreciated

17.

A．surprised

B．depressed

C．excited

D．amused

18.

A．use

B．pass

C．take

D．get

19.

A．spirit

B．task

C．hope

D．sense

20.

A．putting in

B．making

C．taking up

D．looking for

【推荐3】Detective Ashley Jones works at a police department in England. He has recently made a significant_______- -loneliness is a serious social problem that can contribute to depression and even crimes, but it can be_______in a clever way. The_______? Chat benches.

Jones got the idea after he had talked with an elderly lady who had been cheated of her_______. The lady would get a call from a stranger every morning who _______made her believe that he was her friend, and then she lent him about “f 31,000 . Jones was_______ when she said that she didn’t actually_______ being cheated. “Otherwise, 1would never speak to another person for weeks on end,” she said.

This led Jones to the conclusion that there are too many extremely _______ people in his community, who are easy targets of cheating. So he_______ to do something about it. He__________ the police department to allow him to __________   a couple of “chat benches” in two of their local parks. Then he hung a colorful sign on each of the benches that__________:”HAPPY TO CHAT. “Just a few days after the signs went up, he found people sitting there and engaging in active and__________ conversations.

The idea is catching on__________There are now over 40 chat benches throughout England. More new chat benches have sprung up across the UK and beyond. All who participated have gained a(n)__________ outcome from getting involved. Jones’ idea has been fully __________-the “HAPPY TO CHAT” benches help__________ the invisible social barrier that keeps people from saying hello.

This effort is not just a(n) __________ at being community minded- -it’s also a __________ measure. It prevents people who are cut off from society falling victim to cheaters.

The Chat Bench is a fantastic new project that__________ those of all ages to interact and get to know each other in the future.

1.

A．choice

B．discovery

C．visit

D．promise

2.

A．experienced

B．suffered

C．prevented

D．felt

3.

A．solution

B．puzzle

C．excuse

D．intention

4.

A．pleasure

B．prize

C．credit

D．money

5.

A．eventually

B．frequently

C．previously

D．occasionally

6.

A．ashamed

B．shocked

C．excited

D．amused

7.

A．mind

B．forgive

C．risk

D．enjoy

8.

A．active

B．lonely

C．cautious

D．stubborn

9.

A．learned

B．refused

C．pretended

D．decided

10.

A．forced

B．ordered

C．convinced

D．taught

11.

A．put away

B．make out

C．tear apart

D．set up

12.

A．read

B．claimed

C．meant

D．implied

13.

A．formal

B．joyful

C．awkward

D．crazy

14.

A．randomly

B．slowly

C．quickly

D．purposefully

15.

A．positive

B．disappointing

C．correct

D．embarrassing

16.

A．realized

B．examined

C．discussed

D．formed

17.

A．break down

B．put up

C．keep off

D．take out

18.

A．glance

B．attempt

C．knock

D．attack

19.

A．heart-breaking

B．risk-taking

C．face-saving

D．crime-cutting

20.

A．forbids

B．appoints

C．encourages

D．troubles

【推荐1】Chinese netizens(网民）, who had to _______ indoors for days to combat（与......搏斗） the ongoing _______ of the novel coronavirus（新冠病毒）related pneumonia, began to _______ their wish lists of things they would do immediately after the epidemic（流行病）_______.

Among the 24,000 participants from all over the country, nearly half said they would love to meet their loved ones, and_______10,000 said they would go out shopping or go to a movie theater and eat hotpot, according to a popular online surveys under the topic "what you want to do most after the epidemic"_______ on Chinese Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo on Sunday.

"I really need to hit the gym. I have spent days at home doing _______ but eating and watching TV shows on the couch between sleeps," some vowed online. _______ also showed that many wanted simply to resume (重新开始) their old _______ ."I would love to go back to my university to work on my dissertation(专题论文）, to make sure I can ________ on time," wrote one. "I want to work and make money, so I can buy myself a house," wrote another.

The epidemic outbreak had ________ 304 lives as of Sunday morning. Under similar discussion ________ , many netizens made more profound reflections on life and   ________ in the aftermath（创伤）of the outbreak. "If we can ________ the disaster, let's remember not to devour（狼吞虎咽地吃）wild ________ . And if medical workers can save us from the disease, let's learn to respect their lives and to treat them with________," one netizen wrote. "Even after the disease, we should develop habits of washing hands properly and________, and of wearing masks in crowded________places," another________.

Some also said they would love to reschedule（重新安排）their family gathering for the Chinese New Year, as many who were fighting________ the epidemic in frontline areas had been unable to make it this year.

1.

A．adopt

B．sit

C．stay

D．sleep

2.

A．outbreak

B．appearance

C．evidence

D．experiment

3.

A．paint

B．replace

C．recognise

D．share

4.

A．dies away

B．goes away

C．turns away

D．gives away

5.

A．other

B．another

C．the other

D．others

6.

A．mixed

B．forbade

C．guided

D．launched

7.

A．anything

B．something

C．nothing

D．everything

8.

A．Aspects

B．Treatments

C．Applications

D．Comments

9.

A．masterpieces

B．routines

C．expressions

D．sections

10.

A．contact

B．argue

C．graduate

D．influence

11.

A．killed

B．observed

C．imitated

D．produced

12.

A．channels

B．conclusions

C．topics

D．purposes

13.

A．society

B．character

C．education

D．audience

14.

A．realise

B．destroy

C．survive

D．found

15.

A．sharks

B．plants

C．participants

D．animals

16.

A．selflessness

B．atmosphere

C．congratulations

D．kindness

17.

A．illegally

B．occasionally

C．frequently

D．anxiously

18.

A．normal

B．public

C．complex

D．contemporary

19.

A．reduced

B．quarreled

C．affected

D．suggested

20.

A．with

B．for

C．against

D．over

【推荐2】When I read a post about taking someone to the movies, I remembered something that happened a couple of years ago.

I used to drink Coca-Cola and they had a contest where there was a ___________ inside the bottle cap. You went to a website and entered the code and maybe you _________ something. I won some ___________ Cokes. But then, I won the Grand Prize！I was surprised and ___________.

The Grand Prize was free movies for a year. What that ___________ to be was that the company sent me 52 admission tickets for a local movie theatre — they _________ one movie a week was what free movies for a year _______. All of the tickets had expiration dates（失效期）later than a year from the day I _________ them. I used quite a few taking friends to see _________.

But the best thing I did with them was that I ____________ twenty-two tickets that I had left by that time, to the local Women’s Transition House. It is a place where women and their ____________ could go when they’re ______________ domestic violence or just a bad situation in general and get help to make a ______________ start.

My work team had decided we would be a charity through which we ______________ donations for that particular Christmas. I knew that the Women’s Transition House ______________ some childcare for the women ______________ they could go for job interviews and things like that.

I put those tickets in a(n) ______________ and wrote a note on the outside, asking the Women's Transition House staff to give the movie tickets to women there ____________ the holidays to have something ____________ to do, with or without their children. It made me ____________ happy to do this.

1.

A．website

B．sign

C．code

D．note

2.

A．bought

B．won

C．downloaded

D．sought

3.

A．expensive

B．cheap

C．delicious

D．free

4.

A．skeptical

B．delighted

C．numb

D．jealous

5.

A．turned over

B．turned up

C．turned out

D．turned down

6.

A．figured

B．tolerated

C．foresaw

D．identified

7.

A．occurred

B．mattered

C．meant

D．underlined

8.

A．refused

B．received

C．presented

D．lost

9.

A．plays

B．movies

C．performances

D．matches

10.

A．sold

B．abandoned

C．distributed

D．donated

11.

A．children

B．partner

C．family

D．parents

12.

A．handling

B．opposing

C．fleeing

D．defeating

13.

A．steady

B．fresh

C．complete

D．perfect

14.

A．purchased

B．managed

C．controlled

D．collected

15.

A．provided

B．accepted

C．supported

D．postponed

16.

A．but

B．so

C．otherwise

D．or

17.

A．mailbox

B．timetable

C．pocket

D．envelope

18.

A．to

B．before

C．over

D．with

19.

A．controversial

B．compulsory

C．entertaining

D．systematic

20.

A．really

B．nearly

C．generally

D．simply

【推荐3】I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And unless otherwise ________ a seat by the teacher, I always chose to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this________ after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I ________ the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy ________ because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the ability to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “________ for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the half of it! When I first started ________the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much worse what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get ________and take a shot at the wrong direction, which made me feel really stupid. ________ I wasn’t the only one "new” at the game, so I decided to focus on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t ________ “just yet”.

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the rules and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive________ in me was winning over my lack of   ________.

With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the process-friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much ________!

With my improved self-confidence comes more ________ from teachers and classmates. I have-gone from “________” in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, to raising my hand-even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent   _________ I had the rightanswer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

1.

A．assigned

B．occupied

C．possessed

D．established

2.

A．continued

B．changed

C．settled

D．started

3.

A．reach out for

B．try out for

C．come up with

D．make up for

4.

A．idea

B．plan

C．belief

D．saying

5.

A．going

B．looking

C．cheering

D．applying

6.

A．enjoying

B．preparing

C．attending

D．watching

7.

A．committed

B．motivated

C．embarrassed

D．confused

8.

A．Interestingly

B．Fortunately

C．Obviously

D．Hopefully

9.

A．want

B．do

C．support

D．know

10.

A．roles

B．part

C．mind

D．value

11.

A．satisfaction

B．determination

C．confidence

D．devotion

12.

A．concern

B．fright

C．sorrow

D．fun

13.

A．praise

B．blame

C．comfort

D．envy

14.

A．dreaming

B．playing

C．relaxing

D．hiding

15.

A．lucky

B．happy

C．sure

D．satisfied