1 . My adult son walked to the table this morning for breakfast and opened his arms to me. I opened my arms too and gave him a big hug just like I do every morning. And this time when I did, a beautiful memory came back to me. It is
My Italian Granny had been a big hugger when I was a boy, but my mom had grown up in a more
When I was sixteen, I left on a trip with a group to
What use are arms, after all, if we can’t use them to hug each other. What use are lips if we can’t say “I Love You!” God gives us
A.incredible | B.enjoyable | C.believable | D.impossible |
A.persuade | B.instruct | C.transform | D.understand |
A.enlightened | B.reserved | C.energetic | D.silent |
A.tour | B.attend | C.present | D.quit |
A.laughed | B.beaten | C.waved | D.greeted |
A.booming | B.frightening | C.pleasant | D.horrible |
A.reached | B.turned | C.gave | D.stepped |
A.shock | B.satisfaction | C.delight | D.memories |
A.intended | B.determined | C.hesitated | D.happened |
A.practical | B.polite | C.countless | D.different |
2 . It was 4:30 pm. As I was packing up, I noticed my colleague had left his laptop bag in the office. So I decided to bring it to him. It took me about 15 minutes to get to his house, where I
Suddenly a snowstorm came and within minutes I was in a whiteout. I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field, or worse. I kept the car
Those seconds after the call were
I texted my colleague, joking about my good deed ending in
Waiting in the car, I doubted whether
At 8 pm, I saw a tall figure in a yellow raincoat striding toward me in the dark, carrying a flashlight. I’d never been more
He turned around and started to trudge through the snow, sure of the direction. I drove behind him, feeling my heart begin to beat more
The experience has been a game changer for me. I now
A.dropped off | B.filled up | C.set aside | D.put away |
A.locked | B.parked | C.signaling | D.running |
A.painful | B.critical | C.disappointing | D.impressive |
A.failure | B.smoke | C.disaster | D.mystery |
A.route | B.location | C.direction | D.destination |
A.news | B.help | C.hope | D.faith |
A.satisfied | B.surprised | C.relieved | D.worried |
A.slowly | B.excitedly | C.nervously | D.strongly |
A.recognition | B.admiration | C.satisfaction | D.appreciation |
A.identify | B.present | C.approach | D.anticipate |
3 . When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant
Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for
Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from hospital. He looked very pale, but he didn’t cry.
That season, I
One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller
His words freed me from my bad
A.cheering for | B.beating out | C.relying on | D.staying with |
A.practice | B.show | C.comfort | D.pleasure |
A.held | B.broke | C.set | D.tried |
A.stuck | B.hurt | C.tried | D.lost |
A.praise | B.advice | C.assistance | D.apology |
A.dropped | B.ready | C.trapped | D.safe |
A.fine | B.right | C.quickly | D.normally |
A.memories | B.ideas | C.attitudes | D.dreams |
A.challenged | B.cured | C.invited | D.admired |
A.healthier | B.bigger | C.cleverer | D.cooler |
4 . While I was in hospital for a heart surgery, something affected me and made me do something meaningful. Before my surgery, my doctor showed me a video, in which there were patients like me and they each had a heart pillow, so I decided I would get one.
Right after my
I did all my
A.operation | B.experiment | C.search | D.checkup |
A.examined | B.purchased | C.allowed | D.observed |
A.satisfied | B.upset | C.scared | D.grateful |
A.hoping | B.complaining | C.stating | D.promising |
A.secretly | B.suddenly | C.currently | D.totally |
A.washed | B.abandoned | C.repaired | D.packed |
A.essay | B.homework | C.practice | D.magic |
A.grab | B.trace | C.present | D.return |
A.depending on | B.carrying on | C.insisting on | D.working on |
A.happier | B.calmer | C.wiser | D.luckier |
5 . On the morning of my first marathon, I woke up before my alarm and ate a classic runner’s breakfast. I had slept eight hours. My unreliable left knee wasn’t bothering me. I was
Then my girlfriend, Louisa, knocked on the door, asking whether I had checked my email. Race officials sent an email at 5 a. m. announcing The Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis and St. Paul had been
While I understood why the race organizers didn’t want to put runners at
I went to the starting line and saw many runners despite the cancellation. I joined a group of local runners who knew the route. While running, I was overfilled with
The last one mile of the route was downhill. By that point in the race, my legs felt like jelly. But from the top of the hill, I could see dozens of supporters cheering runners home, which
My first marathon was canceled, but I ran 26.2 miles
A.ready | B.stuck | C.unfortunate | D.surprised |
A.put off | B.called off | C.wiped out | D.carried out |
A.rest | B.will | C.risk | D.ease |
A.jam | B.heat | C.mood | D.drought |
A.joy | B.tension | C.fear | D.peace |
A.picking | B.clearing | C.pointing | D.handing |
A.regular | B.advanced | C.entire | D.competitive |
A.forced | B.expected | C.required | D.encouraged |
A.speech | B.boost | C.solution | D.message |
A.late | B.soon | C.anyway | D.somewhat |
6 . Yes Day
My friends and I were having breakfast at a Mexican holiday resort (旅游胜地) while enjoying the cool sea breeze. It promised to be another
We were looking over the list of the resort’s activities. After we
I hate
My friend Katie, who didn’t want to do karaoke, also had to face her
We still talk about our magical Yes Day! When we see the photos from that magical time, we are so happy. In fact, we may miss so much if we only
A.interesting | B.relaxing | C.inspiring | D.rewarding |
A.failed | B.agreed | C.managed | D.decided |
A.help | B.relieve | C.challenge | D.appreciate |
A.sports | B.changes | C.surprises | D.heights |
A.did | B.had | C.got | D.won |
A.pride | B.pain | C.anxiety | D.excitement |
A.shame | B.fear | C.regret | D.loneliness |
A.even | B.just | C.almost | D.still |
A.put off | B.give up | C.stick to | D.turn to |
A.want | B.need | C.enjoy | D.remember |
7 . One Bite at a Time
Stephen was on campus to register when I first met him.
One summer day when I was heading for the administration building, I heard someone call my name. I
Then I remembered a bit of classical dialog:
Question: “How do you eat an elephant?”
Answer: “One bite at a time.”
I told him to
As time went on, I learned more of Stephen’s story. He had
Stephen didn’t become an “A” student. He didn’t make any honor rolls. Still, he managed to pass most of his courses by being in class every day, turning in all of his assignment on time and breaking down his studying into
Every time I saw him on campus, he would brighten up and say, “One bite at a time.” Whenever he introduced me to his friends, he would tell them that he was
A.turned | B.sat | C.moved | D.went |
A.innocent | B.angry | C.inspired | D.pained |
A.sensed | B.imagined | C.heard | D.admitted |
A.change | B.adjust | C.cover | D.produce |
A.avoid | B.continue | C.present | D.approach |
A.fitted | B.hesitated | C.struggled | D.progressed |
A.experience | B.information | C.potential | D.honor |
A.full-sized | B.bite-sized | C.pocket-sized | D.medium-sized |
A.changing | B.recovering | C.concentrating | D.succeeding |
A.spreading | B.considering | C.practicing | D.expressing |
8 . On a sunny afternoon, Anthony Perry stepped off the train at Chicago’s 69th Street station. The 20-year-old, who worked nights in a grocery store, was on his way to see his
On the platform, something unthinkable happened: a man fell over the edge and onto the electrified train tracks! As Perry and other horrified passengers watched, he shook uncontrollably as the
“Help him!” someone cried. “Please, someone!”
Perry couldn’t just stand there and
Perry soon reached down and grasped the victim’s wrist.
“Give him chest compressions!” yelled an old lady on the platform.
Perry was no expert, but for a few moments he worked on the man’s heart until the victim regained
The evening news reported the incident,
A.manager | B.client | C.grandfather | D.aunt |
A.current | B.oxygen | C.wave | D.blood |
A.imagine | B.watch | C.shout | D.record |
A.Hoping | B.Assuming | C.Complaining | D.Recalling |
A.Instantly | B.Slightly | C.Normally | D.Surprisingly |
A.train | B.crowds | C.platform | D.rails |
A.strength | B.balance | C.consciousness | D.control |
A.look ahead | B.take over | C.get around | D.keep away |
A.providing | B.engaging | C.assisting | D.crediting |
A.generous | B.grateful | C.courageous | D.faithful |
9 . Sachin invested everything he had and borrowed some money from friends to start his textile business. Despite his best efforts to maintain top
The farmer then took Sachin to see a mango tree and a bamboo tree.
“Both the trees were planted at the same time,
Sachin realized that the same principle
A.ranking | B.balance | C.quality | D.appearance |
A.cover | B.cut | C.manage | D.increase |
A.opportunities | B.returns | C.concerns | D.expenses |
A.hardly | B.equally | C.finally | D.hurriedly |
A.bearing | B.changing | C.preserving | D.gathering |
A.signs | B.clues | C.patterns | D.responses |
A.solid | B.steady | C.visual | D.noticeable |
A.made up | B.turned into | C.resulted from | D.applied to |
A.regular | B.ordinary | C.massive | D.familiar |
A.raised | B.settled | C.invested | D.consumed |
10 . Sleepy-eyed, I arrived in Jordan just before midnight: Picking up the rental car, the agent mumbled (咕哝) something about a gas station. Trying to stay
The next morning, I headed the desert castle excitedly. While driving, I noticed that there wasn’t a fuel gauge (指示器) on the dashboard. That was
After passing numerous gas stations, I was finally in the open desert. Complete
What? In the middle of nowhere, I stared at the engine with no idea what to do.
Within 10 minutes, a Jordanian
The man
When I pulled out my wallet to pay him, he refused. My thanks, a smile, and one photo together were all he wanted. Before we fully
Today, whenever I think of Jordan, this memory
A.humble | B.awake | C.silent | D.calm |
A.unlucky | B.unsafe | C.odd | D.foolish |
A.isolation | B.damage | C.chaos | D.darkness |
A.Anger | B.Curiosity | C.Fascination | D.Panic |
A.turned over | B.pulled over | C.passed over | D.took over |
A.examining | B.repairing | C.stopping | D.moving |
A.required | B.encouraged | C.prepared | D.signaled |
A.talked | B.parted | C.engaged | D.understood |
A.hesitantly | B.gradually | C.instantly | D.randomly |
A.gratefulness | B.cautiousness | C.kindness | D.positiveness |