【推荐1】Gift giving requires no special talent, nor large amounts of money.     It is________of the heart and head acting together to achieve the perfect means of expressing our feelings. For,________ Emerson explains, “The only gift is a portion( 一 部 分 ) of yourself.”

A little girl gave her mother several small boxes _______ with bright ribbons.     Inside each were pieces of paper on which the child had printed _______such as, “Good for two flower-bedweedings,” “Good for two floor-scrubbings.”       

She had never _______ Emerson, but she put a large part of her small self into her gift_______.

A young bride received a _______present from an older woman.     With it _______a note, “Do not open _______you and your husband have your first _______.” When there finally came a day of misunderstanding the bride remembered the _______.     In it she found a card box filled with her friend’s favorite recipes--and a note, “You will catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.”     It was a wise woman _______who gave her experience with her gift.

Family gifts should be the most _______ because we know each member’s wish. Yet _______we make the boring offerings--ties, candy, or household wares.     One man I know is planning an(a) _______ present for his wife.     When I saw him coming out of a dancing studio, he explained:     “I got tired of hearing my wife _______about my dancing.     It’s going to be a lasting birthday present for her--my dancing well.”

All gifts that contain a portion of self _______that someone has been really thinking of us. _______ for heroic giving are rare, yet every day there are opportunities to give a part of yourself to someone who needs it.     It may be _______ a kind word or a letter written at the right time.   The important thing about any gift is the _______ of yourself you put into it.

1.

A．combining

B．connecting

C．confirming

D．comparing

2.

A．what

B．like

C．as

D．that

3.

A．covered

B．tied

C．filled

D．wrapped

4.

A．advice

B．information

C．pictures

D．messages

5.

A．read

B．known

C．met

D．seen

6.

A．willingly

B．deliberately

C．unconsciously

D．briefly

7.

A．birthday

B．Christmas

C．retirement

D．wedding

8.

A．wrote

B．went

C．attached

D．lay

9.

A．until

B．before

C．when

D．after

10.

A．trip

B．quarrel

C．anniversary

D．departure

11.

A．note

B．friend

C．words

D．package

12.

A．probably

B．exactly

C．actually

D．indeed

13.

A．expensive

B．satisfying

C．generous

D．significant

14.

A．how often

B．how soon

C．how long

D．how much

15.

A．valuable

B．worthless

C．unusual

D．incredible

16.

A．argue

B．care

C．complain

D．praise

17.

A．indicate

B．involve

C．insist

D．inform

18.

A．Choices

B．Chances

C．Demands

D．Reasons

19.

A．more than

B．less than

C．no more than

D．not more than

20.

A．count

B．weight

C．amount

D．quality

【推荐2】       Recently, I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive, the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight ________ before setting down. High desert winds had_________ the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be ________the city for a few minutes waiting to__________. We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened _________ there might be a few bumps (颠簸). Well, that few minutes turned into about forty-five minutes, including a ride that would make a roller coaster (过山车) _________by comparison.
       The movement was so fierce that several passengers felt__________ and had to use airsickness bags. As you might guess, that’s not good thing to have happen in a(n) _________space because it only__________to increase the discomfort of the situation.
       About twenty minutes into the adventure, the entire airplane became very___________ .
       There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be___________noticed. Every passenger simply held on for dear life …except one. A___________was having a good time! With each bump of the__________, he would let out a giggle (咯咯的笑) of delight. As I observed this, I __________ that he didn’t know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his__________He neither thought about the past nor about the future Those are what we grown-ups have learned from___________.He was_________the ride because had not yet been taught to fear it. Having   understood this, I took a deep breath and__________ back into my seat, pretending I was__________ on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even___________to giggle once or twice ,much to the chagrin (随恼) of the man sitting next to me holding the airsickness bag.1.

A．mistake

B．delay

C．change

D．wind

2.

A．forced

B．warned

C．swept

D．reminded

3.

A．watching

B．visiting

C．circling

D．crossing

4.

A．arrive

B．enter

C．stop

D．land

5.

A．if

B．though

C．because

D．while

6.

A．light

B．pale

C．easy

D．quick

7.

A．sick

B．nervous

C．angry

D．afraid

8.

A．empty

B．narrow

C．secret

D．open

9.

A．happens

B．continues

C．fails

D．serves

10.

A．quiet

B．hot

C．dirty

D．crowded

11.

A．partly

B．gradually

C．shortly

D．clearly

12.

A．pilot

B．baby

C．guard

D．man

13.

A．seats

B．passengers

C．flight

D．airplane

14.

A．realized

B．hoped

C．agreed

D．insisted

15.

A．health

B．safety

C．joy

D．future

16.

A．teachers

B．books

C．experience

D．practice

17.

A．learning

B．taking

C．missing

D．enjoying

18.

A．sat

B．lay

C．went

D．rode

19.

A．nearly

B．finally

C．really

D．suddenly

20.

A．attempted

B．managed

C．wanted

D．decided

【推荐3】While I was riding the bike, I noticed a man in front of me, about half a mile far. I noticed he was traveling at a speed __ than me. So, I decided to overtake him. I had about a mile to ___on the road before turning off.

So I started __ faster and faster. And every block, I was___ on him just a little bit but just within minutes I was about 50 meters behind him. So I gathered all my ___and tried hard to overtake him, and finally, I __ him and passed him by. Within, I felt like a winner, “I won”, __ he seemed unaware that we were in a race.

After I passed him, I realized that I had been so focused on competing against him that I had missed my __ had gone nearly six blocks past it and had to turn around and go all back.

Isn't that what happens in __? We spend most of our time____with neighbors, friends, family, trying to __ better than them, or trying to be in front of them while we are __ in the race with them.

We use most of our time and ___in competitions, where we miss out on our own paths leading to our destination. So stop doing that! Just feel ___for what life has offered you, the height, weight and personality. Stay concentrated on your ___, run your own race and wish others well!

1.

A．higher

B．lower

C．crazier

D．steadier

2.

A．go

B．walk

C．run

D．drive

3.

A．jogging

B．dashing

C．marching

D．cycling

4.

A．gaining

B．focusing

C．counting

D．waiting

5.

A．power

B．courage

C．strength

D．confidence

6.

A．fell behind

B．looked up to

C．caught up with

D．ran into

7.

A．when

B．as

C．because

D．while

8.

A．turn

B．block

C．appointment

D．target

9.

A．life

B．work

C．study

D．race

10.

A．dealing

B．toying

C．cooperating

D．competing

11.

A．ride

B．perform

C．respond

D．think

12.

A．never

B．ever

C．always

D．sometimes

13.

A．space

B．tide

C．energy

D．money

14.

A．acceptable

B．guilty

C．ashamed

D．grateful

15.

A．advantage

B．competitor

C．difficulty

D．challenge

【推荐1】I was the only new kid in the karate (空手道) class. Everyone else knew a lot of the moves and had yellow or orange _________, standing for their levels.

I had a total beginner’s white belt and felt extremely _______ the whole way through the class. I tried my hardest to _______ along, but everything was much _________ than I thought it would be. _________, as I was putting on my shoes, I was thinking, “There is no way I am ever coming back to karate!” And that’s when I _________ Elizabeth.

“You did great!” I said. “I was so stupid!”

“That’s how I _________ at first, too,” she said. “If you want, I can help you _________.”

I agreed and since then we’ve been amazing friends.

Not very long ago, Elizabeth had to _________. I felt very sad after I heard about the terrible ________. Elizabeth and I had to come up with a _________. We were actually pretty _________ with our solution. Here’s what we did.

First, we asked my mom to take a(n) __________ of us together and help us print it out regular size and tiny size. We put the regular photos in special frames (框架) that we __________ with “Friends Forever”. Then, we ________ the tiny picture of us in half and put the half with the other’s face in our own locket necklace (小盒式项链).

So __________ Elizabeth lives miles away and I only get to see her __________, our Friends Forever picture frames and locket necklaces really do ________ with the “missing-you” part.

Being __________ from your friend doesn’t have to be as bad as it seems right now. Photos, __________, phone calls, e-mails, and great memories can really and truly make a friend seem closer than he or she is.

1.

A．cloths

B．shoes

C．belts

D．trousers

2.

A．nervous

B．calm

C．excited

D．comfortable

3.

A．run

B．keep

C．arrive

D．follow

4.

A．harder

B．smoother

C．more

D．prettier

5.

A．However

B．Afterward

C．Still

D．Furthermore

6.

A．remembered

B．missed

C．met

D．called

7.

A．gained

B．disagreed

C．felt

D．requested

8.

A．fight

B．practice

C．struggle

D．win

9.

A．graduate

B．escape

C．hide

D．move

10.

A．news

B．event

C．information

D．notice

11.

A．difference

B．choice

C．plan

D．promise

12.

A．worried

B．pleased

C．disappointed

D．strict

13.

A．group

B．association

C．picture

D．drawing

14.

A．credited

B．begun

C．copied

D．decorated

15.

A．knocked

B．folded

C．cut

D．carved

16.

A．as if

B．even if

C．in case

D．now that

17.

A．occasionally

B．accidently

C．finally

D．shortly

18.

A．sense

B．reward

C．help

D．appear

19.

A．separated

B．differed

C．protected

D．sent

20.

A．cities

B．films

C．letters

D．newspapers

【推荐2】A woman professor was giving a lesson to her students on stress management. As she _________ a glass of water, everyone in the class _________ they would be asked the “half-empty or half-full” question. _________, that was not the case. With a smile on her face, she asked the students, “How much do you think this glass of water weighs?”

Answers called out _________ from eight to twenty ounces(盎司).

She quieted the students down and then responded, “The absolute weight doesn’t _________. But it counts how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is OK. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my _________. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb. In each case, the _________ of the glass of water doesn’t change, but the _________ I hold it, the heavier it becomes. Why?”

Lost in _________, all the students kept silent and listened to the professor carefully. “Our stresses and ____________ in life are like that glass of water. If we ____________ our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will feel exhausted, even unable to ____________.”

____________ you have to do is put all your burdens down, as ____________ in the evening as possible. Don’t carry them through the evening into the night; by doing this, we can get ____________ next morning and are ____________ to move forward.

More often than not, life gets terrible when we ____________ too much. And the moment you ____________ your burdens, you’ll find yourself feeling so much more relaxed.

So rather than being upset and feeling ____________ for yourself, start doing something about it. After all, life is too short to ____________ yourself to anything that is not making you happy.

1.

A．raised

B．indicated

C．pulled

D．stressed

2.

A．wondered

B．agreed

C．expected

D．argued

3.

A．Meanwhile

B．However

C．Anyhow

D．Therefore

4.

A．read

B．ranged

C．replied

D．seized

5.

A．fade

B．exist

C．increase

D．matter

6.

A．stomach

B．toe

C．fingernail

D．arm

7.

A．shape

B．weight

C．position

D．size

8.

A．longer

B．deeper

C．fewer

D．further

9.

A．thought

B．fantasies

C．dreams

D．discussion

10.

A．doubts

B．joys

C．surprises

D．worries

11.

A．cover

B．hide

C．carry

D．show

12.

A．pick up

B．carry on

C．work out

D．take in

13.

A．Anything

B．Nothing

C．All

D．Something

14.

A．early

B．eagerly

C．quickly

D．naturally

15.

A．depressed

B．entertained

C．refreshed

D．amazed

16.

A．able

B．anxious

C．passive

D．thankful

17.

A．rest

B．fear

C．get

D．think

18.

A．put up with

B．catch up with

C．look down on

D．let go of

19.

A．greedy

B．confused

C．sorry

D．happy

20.

A．treat

B．abandon

C．drive

D．help

【推荐3】I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. ________ , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was weak and ill.

My father was ________ a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness took all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is difficult. One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started talking about life, and I told them about one of my ________. I said that we must very often give things up as we grow — our youth, our beauty, our friends — but it always________ that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father ________ up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up ________! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. Surprisingly, he answered his own question: “I ________ the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

I was also touched by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated (愤怒的) at someone, I would remember his words and become ________. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be able to give up my small irritations. In this way, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

Sometimes I ________ what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one ________.

1.

A．Afterwards

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Meanwhile

2.

A．already

B．still

C．only

D．once

3.

A．decisions

B．experiences

C．ambitions

D．beliefs

4.

A．suggests

B．promises

C．seems

D．requires

5.

A．spoke

B．turned

C．summed

D．opened

6.

A．something

B．anything

C．nothing

D．everything

7.

A．had

B．accepted

C．gained

D．enjoyed

8.

A．quiet

B．calm

C．relaxed

D．happy

9.

A．doubt

B．wonder

C．know

D．guess

10.

A．award

B．gift

C．lesson

D．word