【推荐1】In childhood, we often linked fear with imagination, afraid that a monster was hiding behind the door or under the bed, or that an airplane would crash on our houses.

As we grow up. we’re often encouraged to think of ______ as weakness. However, scientists have actually shown that human beings tend to be optimists. So maybe that’s ______ we think of fear, sometimes, as a danger in and of itself. “Don’t worry.” we like to say to one another. “Don’t panic”. In English, fear is something we ______. It’s something we overcome. But what if we looked at fear in a (an)______ way? What if we ______ fear as an amazing act of the imagination?

Maybe it’s no ______ that some of our most creative minds ______ to leave fears behind as adults. The incredible ______ that produced “The Origin of Species”, “Jane Eyre” and “The Remembrance of Things Past”______ intense worries that a fleeted the ______ lives of Charles Darwin, Charlotte Bronte and Marcel Proust. So the question is, what can the rest of us learn about fear from imaginations and young children?

Now, some of us naturally ______ our fears more ______ than others. Recently I read about an essay of study on successful businessmen, and the ______ found that these people ______ a habit that he called “productive paranoia (偏执狂),” which meant that these people, instead of ______ their fears, read them closely, they ______ them, and then they ______ that fear into preparation and action. So that way. if their worst fears came true, their businesses were ______.

And maybe if we all ______ to read our fears, they could offer us something as ______ as our favorite works of literature: a little wisdom, a bit of insight and a version of that most elusive thing —the truth.

1.

A．fear

B．danger

C．imagination

D．childhood

2.

A．why

B．what

C．because

D．where

3.

A．conquer

B．like

C．panic

D．imagine

4.

A．old

B．strange

C．ridiculous

D．fresh

5.

A．dream of

B．rely on

C．thought of

D．count on

6.

A．use

B．way

C．significance

D．coincidence

7.

A．like

B．fail

C．try

D．decide

8.

A．fear

B．determinations

C．preparations

D．imaginations

9.

A．overcame

B．generated

C．relieved

D．criticized

10.

A．famous

B．disastrous

C．adult

D．early

11.

A．looked

B．exposed

C．read

D．hide

12.

A．closely

B．secretly

C．roughly

D．reluctantly

13.

A．businessmen

B．author

C．readers

D．others

14.

A．changed

B．suffered from

C．shared

D．sought

15.

A．understanding

B．reporting

C．dismissing

D．writing

16.

A．hated

B．hid

C．abandoned

D．studied

17.

A．translated

B．transferred

C．transmitted

D．transplanted

18.

A．over

B．ruined

C．declining

D．ready

19.

A．tried

B．hesitated

C．failed

D．allowed

20.

A．delicious

B．precious

C．conscious

D．suspicious

【推荐2】A few days ago, my sister Liz and I talked about Dad, and we decided to get him a little something for Father's Day. We talked about the times when we were _______ up and how Mom and Dad used to play the ‘good cop, bad cop’ thing on us. Dad has been a person of few words since we were _______. He raised us more by _______ than anything else. When he spoke, though we listened, he was always mysterious and difficult to understand. There was always a(n) _______meaning that I never got, but Liz always _______to decipher (破解) him. By the time I got to high school, I had wanted a skateboard and I _______I was too old to ask money from my parents, so I worked at a burger joint (美式汉堡店). One day, I was really angry about annoying burgers. I came home huffing and puffing (气喘吁吁). Dad saw me and asked me what was the_______. I told him that I was fed up with annoying burgers. He said that we all have to start somewhere, that we may not know it now, but the skills we learn even in a burger joint might come in handy_______in life, ‘Who knows, you might end up having to run a _______or even own one when you grow up,’ said Dad. He________me down and I kept what he said in mind, even though I really didn’t agree with it.
A couple of years later, when I got to college, I worked in a restaurant. During one of the really________days that we had, we were short on kitchen staff. Our customers were getting impatient and the________were getting delayed. We were sure any minute something terrible would ________out. I couldn’t stand the ________ any more, so I rolled up my sleeves, got myself a hair net and helped out in the hot kitchen. We caught up with the orders ________. The owner saw what I did and called me over around ________ time. He said that he was very ________ He raised my salary and made me the assistant manager even though I could only go part-time. That was ________ I realized that what my dad said to me all those years before was absolutely true.
I’ve never forgotten what my dad said that day. And whenever I have to do something that requires new skills, no matter how insignificant or ________ it seems, I have a new perspective (看法) that it might really help me later on or even right now and I just don’t know it. Experience is everything and it ________ a lot when you take lessons from it. That’s my life’s philosophy.1.

A．getting

B．going

C．growing

D．coming

2.

A．schoolboys

B．kids

C．adults

D．graduates

3.

A．instruction

B．example

C．order

D．inspiration

4.

A．obvious

B．clear

C．reasonable

D．hidden

5.

A．failed

B．refused

C．tried

D．managed

6.

A．imagined

B．promised

C．believed

D．suggested

7.

A．experience

B．matter

C．event

D．accident

8.

A．later

B．sooner

C．latter

D．late

9.

A．restaurant

B．hospital

C．school

D．plant

10.

A．calmed

B．wrote

C．let

D．put

11.

A．exciting

B．worrying

C．busy

D．happy

12.

A．meetings

B．parties

C．menus

D．orders

13.

A．break

B．show

C．go

D．set

14.

A．quarrel

B．laziness

C．relaxation

D．tension

15.

A．eventually

B．regularly

C．obviously

D．thankfully

16.

A．breakfast

B．lunch

C．opening

D．closing

17.

A．influenced

B．interested

C．inspired

D．impressed

18.

A．when

B．why

C．whether

D．where

19.

A．important

B．impressive

C．interesting

D．small

20.

A．works

B．counts

C．shows

D．studies

【推荐2】For much of our life, my mother and I hated each other. I spent most of my childhood ______ with her – or trying to avoid her, as well as her bitterness, unhappiness and endless smoking. I learned how to defend myself with ______ designed to hurt her. In turn, she vowed(发誓) I would have a ______ who would feel the way about me that I felt about her.

Many years later when my husband and I decided to have a child, I was ______ to have a girl. I couldn’t ______ the thought of a daughter who might not love me – or who would want to ______ me. As soon as I became pregnant, I was convinced I was having a boy. In the delivery room, on my doctor putting my baby into my arms, I couldn’t wait to tell my mother I had a ______, while “he” was a girl. At that moment, I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone but her.

____I couldn’t forget my mother’s teasing(耻笑的) vow, even after she died, I felt a little relived about it.______ my daughter got older, whenever we argued, I worried we were ______ the same awful path that my mother and I had gone down.

Last summer, my daughter ______ 18, the same age when my mother threw me out of her apartment for ______. However, I was with her, planning for her first year at college. When my husband and I dropped her off at her school in New York, I finally ______ to her my biggest fear that we would end up like me and my mother. “That will never happen.” she _______ me, kissing me goodbye. Six weeks later, my husband and I returned to the campus. I ______ myself arguing with my daughter about her messy room, not using the library and her mistake of choosing the room near the bathroom. I couldn’t stop myself. And then ______ came: “You’re just like your mother,” my daughter screamed. “I hate you.” And then she ______.

I finally heard the words I had always dreaded. But maybe that was because I ______ them. I had always worried the bond I shared with my daughter would ______. Later that evening, we picked my daughter up to a restaurant. We ate ______. But when we separated, I hugged her. The next morning, she called telling she loved me. There wasn’t anything to be afraid of anymore. There was just a relationship we should work on with each other.

1.

A．fighting

B．playing

C．sharing

D．communicating

2.

A．weapons

B．activities

C．actions

D．words

3.

A．husband

B．daughter

C．child

D．friend

4.

A．uncertain

B．unlucky

C．afraid

D．willing

5.

A．have

B．afford

C．hold

D．bear

6.

A．love

B．obey

C．escape from

D．keep from

7.

A．daughter

B．son

C．baby

D．life

8.

A．But

B．Furthermore

C．And

D．Or

9.

A．When

B．As

C．While

D．With

10.

A．in

B．on

C．at

D．along

11.

A．became

B．grew

C．turned

D．went

12.

A．all

B．nothing

C．my good

D．good

13.

A．admitted

B．informed

C．presented

D．told

14.

A．reflected

B．referred

C．pardoned

D．promised

15.

A．wanted

B．asked

C．found

D．forced

16.

A．they

B．she

C．it

D．that

17.

A．stormed away

B．gave away

C．looked away

D．walked away

18.

A．deserved

B．demanded

C．equaled

D．appreciated

19.

A．break

B．tear

C．last

D．crash

20.

A．in vain

B．in brief

C．in general

D．in silence

【推荐3】An Unusual Piano Player

I’ve always taught piano lessons in my spare time. Over the years I found that children have ___________ levels of musical ability. Although I’ve taught some gifted students, I’ve also had my share of what I call “musically ___________” pupils. One such student is Robby.

Robby was 11 years old when his mother _____________ him for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students begin at an earlier age. I _____________ it to Robby, but he said it had always been his mother’s _____________ to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student.

_______ Robby tried very hard, he didn’t have the basic sense of music. However, he _____________ and at the end of each lesson he would always say, “My mom’s going to hear me play some day.” But it seemed _____________, and I was disappointed by his slow progress. Then one day Robby didn’t come. He _____________ me and said his mother was sick. I was glad that he stopped coming, since he was really a bad ______________ for my teaching!

Several weeks later I was ____________________ my students for the music show when Robby came and said, “Miss Handorf… I’ve just got to __________________.” I don’t know what led me to __________________ him to do that. Maybe it was his ______________ or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night for the show came. It went off well. Then Robby came up on stage. I was ________ when he announced that he had chosen one of the most difficult pieces of Mozart. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys. They even __________________ on the keys… He played so well that everyone was ______________ excitedly.

In tears I ______________up to stage. “Oh, Robby! How would you do it?” “Well Miss Handorf… I kept on practicing at home. Remember I told you my mom was sick? In fact she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well… she was born ______________, so tonight was the first time she ever heard me. I wanted to make it ______________.”

1.

A．high

B．low

C．local

D．different

2.

A．surprised

B．challenged

C．frightened

D．concerned

3.

A．carried

B．passed

C．took

D．trained

4.

A．examined

B．promised

C．explained

D．responded

5.

A．task

B．plan

C．hobby

D．dream

6.

A．Although

B．Because

C．Until

D．Unless

7.

A．acted

B．continued

C．commanded

D．proved

8.

A．careless

B．hopeless

C．breathless

D．helpless

9.

A．asked

B．invited

C．guided

D．telephoned

10.

A．advertisement

B．treatment

C．argument

D．agreement

11.

A．requesting

B．searching

C．preparing

D．attacking

12.

A．listen

B．sing

C．play

D．learn

13.

A．select

B．allow

C．persuade

D．force

14.

A．determination

B．appearance

C．patience

D．intelligence

15.

A．excited

B．surprised

C．puzzled

D．satisfied

16.

A．danced

B．knocked

C．stepped

D．moved

17.

A．shaking

B．laughing

C．waving

D．clapping

18.

A．followed

B．drove

C．climbed

D．ran

19.

A．blind

B．weak

C．deaf

D．strong

20.

A．special

B．important

C．similar

D．popular

【推荐1】The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond, California , USA.

“Police station? A train for Santa Fe hit a truck at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please ____1____ there at once. With an ambulance, too. A man is badly ____2_____. ” said an anxious voice of a young woman. “ And you know I am the …. ”

“Please wait! Hi! Hi!” the policeman kept on ___3_____ though the line was cut off. Within a minute , a police car and an ambulance car started off. Before long they got to the crossing, but they ___4____everything was fine. No accident, no wounded man.

“What a dirty trick!” said the policeman ___5____. “We must find out that bad___6_____ and …. . ”They were just talking about the ____7____when they heard the whistle of a train which was nearing them quickly. All of a sudden, a truck appeared. It came ____8___towards them, too. When the truck was passing the crossing, it suddenly ___9____ to move on. Right then and there, before the eyes of all the policemen ____10_____, the train hit the truck heavily and ___11____it dozens of meters away.

When Randolph Bruce, the driver, was ____12____ out of the damaged truck, he was seriously wounded just as the young woman had told on the phone. As he was taken to the ___13_____ in time, his life was saved.

Later the police did whatever they could to ___14____the man who had telephoned them. It turned out that the young man was a very excellent police officer working far in the neighboring state, who had got the first-hand ____15___ of this crime as described above.

1.

A．call

B．come

C．go

D．notice

2.

A．beaten

B．treated

C．needed

D．injured

3.

A．talking

B．laughing

C．crying

D．shouting

4.

A．realized

B．found

C．proved

D．wondered

5.

A．nervously

B．disappointedly

C．angrily

D．surprisingly

6.

A．man

B．woman

C．child

D．driver

7.

A．trial

B．warning

C．program

D．punishment

8.

A．passing

B．turning

C．running

D．rolling

9.

A．refused

B．stopped

C．continued

D．began

10.

A．above

B．below

C．alive

D．present

11.

A．struck

B．met

C．caught

D．missed

12.

A．pushed

B．helped

C．let

D．asked

13.

A．company

B．house

C．station

D．hospital

14.

A．meet

B．punish

C．find

D．arrest

15.

A．information

B．result

C．advice

D．news