In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated (毕业) from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to give up college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopted (收养) and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic — and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 8. Our home was a complete zoo — a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream, either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember: Little steps add up to big dreams.
1. Why did the author give up her education when she was young?(no more than 10 words)2. What prevented her going back to college full time?(no more than 10 words)
3. For what reason did the author insist on having a college education?(no more than 10 words)
4. The underlined word “occupied” in Paragraph 4 probably means ______.(no more than 5 words)
5. According to this passage, how would you deal with a challenge if you were faced with one?(no more than 10 words)
2 . Henry found work in a bookstore after he finished middle school. He wouldn’t do anything but wanted to get rich. Mr King thought he was too lazy and was going to send him away. Henry was afraid and had to work hard.
It was a cold morning. It was snowing and there was thin ice on the streets. Few people went to buy the books and the young man had nothing to do. He hated to read, so he watched the traffic. Suddenly he saw a bag fall off a truck and it landed by the other side of the street.
“It must be full of expensive things,” Henry said to himself. “I have to get it, or others will take it away.”
He went out of the shop and ran across the street. A driver saw him and began to whistle (鸣笛), but he didn’t hear it and went on running. The man drove aside, hit a big tree and was hurt in the accident. Two weeks later Henry was taken to court (法庭). A judge asked if he heard the whistle when he was running across the street. He said that something was wrong with his ears and he could hear nothing.
“But you’ve heard me this time.” said the judge.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Now I can hear with one ear.”
“Cover the ear with your hand and listen to me with your deaf (聋的) one. Well, can you hear me?”
“No, I can’t, sir.”
1. What was Mr King?A.A driver. | B.A doctor. | C.A policeman. | D.A shopkeeper. |
A.Because Henry was too lazy. | B.Because Henry hoped to be rich. |
C.Because Henry finished middle school. | D.Because Henry sold few books. |
A.hit Henry | B.hurt himself | C.fall behind | D.lose the bag |
A.裁判 | B.律师 | C.法官 | D.原告 |
A.He wanted to have a joke with the judge. | B.He wanted to get the judge’s help. |
C.He wanted to find another piece of work. | D.He didn’t want to pay for the accident. |
3 . I learned how to accept life as it is from my father.
My father was
I was also
Sometimes I
A.However | B.Therefore | C.Afterwards | D.Meanwhile |
A.tired | B.slow | C.poor | D.weak |
A.already | B.once | C.only | D.still |
A.sent | B.threw | C.took | D.put |
A.impossible | B.hopeless | C.stressful | D.difficult |
A.worrying | B.caring | C.talking | D.asking |
A.decisions | B.beliefs | C.strengths | D.imaginations |
A.before | B.since | C.as | D.till |
A.suggests | B.seems | C.promises | D.requires |
A.opened | B.turned | C.broken | D.spoke |
A.something | B.anything | C.everything | D.nothing |
A.Naturally | B.Surprisingly | C.Truly | D.Certainly |
A.had | B.accepted | C.enjoyed | D.gained |
A.defended | B.astonished | C.touched | D.warned |
A.would | B.could | C.should | D.might |
A.quiet | B.relaxed | C.calm | D.happy |
A.able | B.likely | C.free | D.ready |
A.case | B.way | C.method | D.form |
A.doubt | B.guess | C.know | D.wonder |
A.award | B.theme | C.gift | D.word |
4 . It was the golden season. I could see the
“Autumn is a lonely season and life is uninteresting. The days in this season always get me
Lost in the music, I did not
Autumn was
“You
“Yes, you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.
Suddenly, a(n)
“I came here just to have a rest because I
“In fact, it was your playing that gave me a
She smiled and I smiled in that beautiful autumn.
1.A.yellow | B.green | C.new | D.empty |
A.annoyed | B.annoying | C.bored | D.boring |
A.going | B.waiting | C.preparing | D.caring |
A.across | B.out | C.away | D.down |
A.mainly | B.specially | C.mostly | D.especially |
A.understand | B.remember | C.realize | D.consider |
A.performer | B.artist | C.reporter | D.volunteer |
A.boring | B.interesting | C.sad | D.dull |
A.nearly | B.hardly | C.already | D.just |
A.may | B.would | C.can | D.must |
A.excited | B.angry | C.sad | D.worried |
A.failed | B.sent | C.broke | D.took |
A.moved | B.encouraged | C.wondered | D.saved |
A.short | B.meaningful | C.relaxing | D.successful |
A.space | B.gift | C.chance | D.luck |
5 . Mom wanted only one thing for her birthday."Can you find me another copy of this song?"she asked,and handed me a worn-out cassette tape. I know exactly what was recorded on it-"My Redeemer (救世主)."I heard the song played at least a thousand times while growing up. After 37years,the cassette tape was too worn-out to be used. I promised her I would find a replacement.
"My Redeemer"had become Mom's favorite song after my younger brother Tim was killed by a drunk driver in 1973. The only thing that helped her calm down was the soulful sound of"My Redeemer"from the local radio station.We recorded it on a cassette tape so she would listen to it any time she wanted,but none of us knew who the singer was. These days, I figured it would be easy to find out. I went home and searched the Internet. Several songs with that title came out,but none of them were the one Mom loved. I got depressed.
Mom's birthday drew near and then one day, I was driving home, listening to our local radio station.I heard a familiar song, "My Redeemer!"As soon as I could, I phoned the station. I found out the singer was Alan Parks.I typed his name into Google and found his home number in South Carolina. Minutes later, I was telling him how much his recording meant to Mom. He offered to post two CDs to me personally. I gave him my address.
"Red Lion, Pennsylvania?"he said."Do you know the Logans?""They're our neighbours!""I've been friends with them for 25years,"Alan said. "They'll be at my concert at Your Gospel Chapel on April 17th. Would you and your mom come, too?"We sure would. Mom was excited to hear Alan sing"My Redeemer", on the evening of her 87th birthday.
1. The author promised her mother she would ________ .A.help her mother go to the concert |
B.buy her mother a new cassette tape |
C.record a new popular song for her mother |
D.find another cassette tape of"My Redeemer" |
A.It was first sung by her. |
B.It was the memory of her mother's youth. |
C.It helped her calm down after her younger son died. |
D.It was such a fantastic song that she couldn't forget forever. |
A.She searched for it on Google. |
B.She called the station and got it. |
C.She heard it from the radio station. |
D.She got it from Alan's neighbour. |
A.He lives in Red Lion,Pennsylvania. |
B.He'll sing for the author's mom at the station. |
C.He offered to give the author two cassette tapes. |
D.He has been friends with the Logans for many years. |
6 . A beautiful girl was shopping with her mother in Blue-sky Market. It was
The girl’s
“What?” Mom asked.
“Let’s run through the rain!”
“No, Honey. We’ll
The child waited about another
“We’ll get
“No, we won’t , Mom.That’s not what you said this
“This morning?
“Don’t you
A.blowing | B.snowing | C.raining | D.shining |
A.sound | B.voice | C.noise | D.language |
A.leave | B.go | C.run | D.wait |
A.second | B.minute | C.month | D.day |
A.wet | B.hurt | C.lost | D.bad |
A.morning | B.afternoon | C.evening | D.night |
A.When | B.What | C.Why | D.How |
A.say | B.stop | C.ask | D.remember |
A.with | B.for | C.about | D.of |
A.something | B.anything | C.other | D.another |
7 . Some young girls spend nearly two hours in getting ready for school in the morning. But it is indeed funny when you consider what Flossy Biss does every morning
Up until a few years ago, the
Since then, the schoolgirl has helped her mother on the farm, which must make
What do her schoolmates think of her busy life? “I think they’re
It appears that Flossy sees farming as a long-term career choice. “My mum thinks I should
A.after | B.before | C.while | D.once |
A.obvious | B.special | C.regular | D.small |
A.buying | B.killing | C.feeding | D.driving |
A.school | B.house | C.toilet | D.bed |
A.female | B.farmer | C.professor | D.teenager |
A.reason | B.secret | C.dream | D.hobby |
A.survived | B.changed | C.remained | D.ended |
A.took over | B.took off | C.took out | D.took back |
A.cut | B.hid | C.worked | D.stepped |
A.forced | B.joked | C.persuaded | D.admired |
A.free | B.crazy | C.normal | D.fresh |
A.easy | B.tight | C.comfortable | D.hard |
A.yet | B.indeed | C.already | D.somehow |
A.crazy | B.curious | C.serious | D.upset |
A.surprised | B.excited | C.sympathetic | D.painful |
A.extremely | B.nearly | C.generally | D.rarely |
A.decides | B.hesitates | C.manages | D.refuses |
A.turning | B.making | C.coming | D.going |
A.get | B.aim | C.jump | D.rise |
A.imagine | B.expect | C.laugh | D.prefer |
8 . When I was young,my father and I used to climb the mountains near my house. South Korea has more
Without such mountaineering
One time we climbed one of the highest mountains in Korea. It was so
At that time,I was too
A.rivers | B.1akes | C.seas | D.mountains |
A.Walking | B.Working | C.Studying | D.Running |
A.stories | B.conversations | C.lessons | D.interests |
A.rebuilt | B.destroyed | C.influenced | D.improved |
A.training | B.opportunities | C.period | D.memories |
A.strict | B.free | C.busy | D.special |
A.beneficial | B.hopeful | C.difficult | D.serious |
A.power | B.concern | C.courage | D.patience |
A.putting up with | B.coming up with | C.getting away from | D.getting close to |
A.temporary | B.challenging | C.disappointing | D.acceptable |
A.During | B.After | C.Between | D.Before |
A.arms | B.ears | C.legs | D.eyes |
A.Winter | B.Autumn | C.Summer | D.Spring |
A.standing | B.struggling | C.watching | D.finishing |
A.never | B.always | C.seldom | D.sometimes |
A.what | B.when | C.that | D.where |
A.stream | B.shade | C.top | D.bottom |
A.work | B.life | C.news | D.tradition |
A.foolish | B.happy | C.proud | D.young |
A.Finally | B.Mostly | C.Actually | D.Immediately |
9 . Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
They talked for hours
The window overlooked a
As the man by the window described all this in delicate
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the nurse arrived,
The other man asked to be
He slowly turned to look out of the window. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have
Shared grief is half the sorrow,
A.The one | B.This | C.Another | D.One |
A.entrance | B.window | C.passage | D.exit |
A.at ease | B.in vain | C.on end | D.after all |
A.might | B.should | C.would | D.could |
A.broadened | B.deepened | C.shortened | D.sharpened |
A.courtyard | B.park | C.village | D.market |
A.sailed | B.designed | C.flew | D.carried |
A.process | B.way | C.distance | D.course |
A.detail | B.particular | C.effect | D.relief |
A.expose | B.spot | C.realize | D.imagine |
A.away | B.out | C.down | D.by |
A.concert | B.band | C.news | D.voice |
A.sensitive | B.productive | C.descriptive | D.active |
A.lately | B.only | C.surely | D.probably |
A.switched | B.offered | C.substituted | D.organized |
A.Willingly | B.Occasionally | C.Generously | D.Finally |
A.motivated | B.referred | C.sacrificed | D.intended |
A.requested | B.respected | C.responded | D.resisted |
A.recover | B.encourage | C.observe | D.defend |
A.or | B.and | C.so | D.but |
10 . When my dad finally finished the triathlon (铁人三项)in Montauk, the crowd cheered. It showed me how his hard work paid off and it excited my
Training with my clad turned out to be very
When someone fired the gun. I was off,
For me, the real competition began during the run, because now I could see each competitor as a target. No matter my
“Shut up, legs”, one of my favorite sayings, kept me from thinking about the
Looking back, I remember the small boy on that day in Montauk who doubted whether he could
A.pride | B.congratulations | C.concern | D.curiosity |
A.learn | B.deserve | C.achieve | D.organize |
A.saying | B.figuring | C.acting | D.leaving |
A.admired | B.encouraged | C.pushed | D.convinced |
A.unbearable | B.exciting | C.enjoyable | D.challenging |
A.learnt from | B.suffered from | C.signed up for | D.dropped out of |
A.signal | B.announcement | C.result | D.permission |
A.riding | B.walking | C.swimming | D.dashing |
A.bike | B.horse | C.destination | D.coat |
A.take off | B.get on | C.knock out | D.put away |
A.running | B.traveling | C.cycling | D.swimming |
A.kicked off | B.switched to | C.prepared for | D.polished |
A.arms | B.clothes | C.shoes | D.legs |
A.size | B.position | C.age | D.career |
A.or | B.and | C.but | D.so |
A.breathlessness | B.thirst | C.stress | D.pain |
A.winning | B.nervous | C.burning | D.proud |
A.suggestion | B.celebration | C.impression | D.organization |
A.accomplishment | B.guilt | C.sorrow | D.participation |
A.join | B.move | C.prove | D.make |