1 . A hero sheep dog became the guiding light of hope for three trapped sheep as it swam across dangerous flooded fields to _________ them to safety.

Llyr Derwydd, a 44-year-old farmer coming from the area of Ruthin, _________ himself in a dangerous situation on a Friday afternoon. While _________ his sheep in Flints hire as usual, he realized a sad fact — three sheep were helplessly trapped on a small piece of land within the field, cut off by the _________ .

Considering the dangerous conditions that the flood caused, the _________ required a special hero. In this serious moment, _________ that hero was none other than the quick-thinking sheep dog, Patsy.

Mr. Derwydd talked about the sad experience, stating, “We realized we needed to act _________to ensure the safety of the trapped sheep. The piece of land they were on was _________ very fast, and the great danger was increasing.”

In order to rescue the sheep, he made a _________. With a sense of urgency (紧急) in the air, he wondered whether Patsy, his clever sheep dog, would deal with the problem. A silent __________was made, and Patsy, with strong determination, took a brave try.

It was a moment filled with __________ , as the true depth of the water remained unknown. Yet, Patsy’s born swimming __________ and strong determination pushed her forward. Without hesitation (犹豫), she braved the dangerous waters to __________ the trapped sheep.

Mr. Derwydd shared his __________ , saying, “I knew she was a good swimmer, or I wouldn’t take the __________. However, I was quite surprised by her courage and skill.”

1.

A．force

B．carry

C．guide

D．attract

2.

A．hid

B．found

C．imagined

D．reminded

3.

A．checking

B．describing

C．comparing

D．selling

4.

A．snow

B．water

C．fire

D．smoke

5.

A．lecture

B．recovery

C．rescue

D．experiment

6.

A．equally

B．suddenly

C．luckily

D．obviously

7.

A．in return

B．in time

C．in person

D．in secret

8.

A．reducing

B．improving

C．rising

D．sliding

9.

A．call

B．promise

C．decision

D．comment

10.

A．wish

B．order

C．warning

D．suggestion

11.

A．danger

B．regret

C．hope

D．fun

12.

A．goals

B．curiosity

C．ways

D．ability

13.

A．catch

B．feed

C．reach

D．stop

14.

A．responsibility

B．amazement

C．confidence

D．awkwardness

15.

A．risk

B．time

C．lead

D．place

6 . As we all know, swimming is great fun. But it often comes with _________. Drowning (溺水)is a real possibility even for the most _________ swimmers. However, this dangerous situation can be changed with watchful eyes. This summer in Florida, two young men helped to _________ one drowning death.

Griffin Emerson, a 6-year-old child, swam in an apartment block’s pool. He enjoyed the pool’s _________ area. But he began to _________ toward the deeper part slowly, struggling to keep his head above water.

All that came about as no one else, including his mother, seemed to _________ him. Griffin’s frightening _________ in the water happened over the course of a full minute, ending up with the child going down to the _________ of the pool.

However, one young man, Noah, did find Griffin in the pool. He told his friend Weston to call 911 at once. And Noah _________ to jump into the pool to ____________ the 6-year-old.

Noah made it to Griffin, caught him and ____________ him to the surface and then to the side of the pool. Before the emergency services’ arrival, Noah and Weston tried their best to ____________ life-saving steps. ____________, a few minutes later, Griffin recovered his breath.

Griffin’s mother was ____________ to Noah and Weston for their heroic actions. But the two young men thought it was no big deal and hoped that this act of kindness would be ____________.

1.

A．difference

B．attention

C．danger

D．limitation

2.

A．curious

B．ordinary

C．relaxed

D．experienced

3.

A．prevent

B．identify

C．watch

D．suffer

4.

A．quiet

B．common

C．shallow

D．separate

5.

A．run

B．move

C．jump

D．climb

6.

A．recognize

B．notice

C．consider

D．persuade

7.

A．struggle

B．complaint

C．speed

D．escape

8.

A．side

B．center

C．bottom

D．corner

9.

A．hurried

B．regretted

C．continued

D．waited

10.

A．catch up with

B．keep track of

C．drive away

D．check on

11.

A．tied

B．directed

C．dropped

D．pulled

12.

A．recall

B．describe

C．perform

D．explain

13.

A．Sadly

B．Luckily

C．Obviously

D．Surprisingly

14.

A．familiar

B．patient

C．generous

D．grateful

15.

A．paid forward

B．brought in

C．taken over

D．looked into

7 . As the saying goes, life is sweet. But while we may wish for consistently sweet moments, life often serves us other _________.

Recently, we celebrated my mom’s birthday. In her nineties now, as she _________ the closing stages of a long and remarkable life, she struggles with dementia (痴呆), leading to her mind and body not _________ the way she would want.

The day before the celebration, we _________ to bake cookies with her great grand kids. Not just any cookies, but 60 _________ sugar cookies cut in different shapes, covered with lots of sprinkles (糖屑). Though the kids worked as carefully as they could, they made the kitchen a total mess, _________almost as many sprinkles on the floor as on the cookies. They went on for hours, rolling dough, baking, cutting shapes, and _________ with four kinds of sprinkles.

The next day, the birthday _________ was a success. We took many pictures, and the beautiful cookies were shared. In an _________ way, those sweet sprinkles have not only stuck in my mind but remained almost everywhere in our home for the past few days. In every __________, I continue to find them, in all the colors of the rainbow, four shapes and sizes, sweet, and after I __________ step on them, not so sweet.

Truly, these are bittersweet moments, filled with __________ emotions. From such moments, we unwillingly learn that much in life is __________ our control: the separations and losses, the __________ of life, the passage of time. Life serves up many flavors. __________, we can choose our attitudes on the journey.

1.

A．memories

B．flavors

C．experiences

D．smells

2.

A．forgets

B．realizes

C．nears

D．questions

3.

A．functioning

B．changing

C．failing

D．growing

4.

A．decided

B．asked

C．managed

D．continued

5.

A．new-born

B．snow-covered

C．hard-won

D．home-made

6.

A．working on

B．preparing for

C．cutting off

D．resulting in

7.

A．checking

B．decorating

C．struggling

D．volunteering

8.

A．cake

B．wish

C．gift

D．party

9.

A．unexpected

B．unknown

C．undoubted

D．unlimited

10.

A．picture

B．cookie

C．room

D．house

11.

A．dangerously

B．successfully

C．emotionally

D．accidentally

12.

A．new

B．strong

C．mixed

D．negative

13.

A．within

B．through

C．beyond

D．toward

14.

A．shortness

B．meaning

C．record

D．style

15.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Meanwhile

D．Therefore

8 . Les Brown was a city sanitation worker (环卫工人). But he had a ________ of being a disc jockey (电台的音乐节目主持人). He ________ an imaginary radio station in his tiny room. A hairbrush served as his microphone as he ________ his patter (说辞), introducing records to his ________ listeners.

One day Les went to the local radio station, and told the station manager he wanted to be a disc jockey.

The manager asked, “Do you have any ________ in broadcasting?”

Les replied, “No, sir, I don’t.”

“Well, I’m afraid we don’t have a job for you.” Les thanked him politely and left.

The station manager ________ the depth of Les Brown’s commitment to his goal. Les had a higher ________ than simply wanting to be a disc jockey. He wanted to buy a nicer house for his mother. The disc jockey job was only a(n) ________ toward his goal. He felt sure that he would get a jab at that radio station despite what the manager had ________ .

From then on, Les ________ every day for a week. Finally the manager ________ and took him on as an errand boy (跑腿男孩). Les did whatever was asked of him but he learned ________ how to work the controls in the studio.

One day, a jockey named Rock suddenly didn’t feel well. Les was the only other person at the station. Because of his ________ , Les was ready. He ________ the audience, and his manager. From that decisive ________ , Les went on to a successful career in broadcasting, public speaking and television.

1.

A．role

B．reputation

C．chance

D．dream

2.

A．refused

B．created

C．discovered

D．shared

3.

A．practiced

B．translated

C．taught

D．simplified

4.

A．curious

B．previous

C．imaginary

D．fashionable

5.

A．interest

B．memory

C．doubt

D．background

6.

A．measured

B．forgot

C．underestimated

D．mistook

7.

A．education

B．purpose

C．praise

D．income

8.

A．step

B．excuse

C．risk

D．test

9.

A．found

B．dropped

C．said

D．achieved

10.

A．adjusted

B．returned

C．spread

D．relaxed

11.

A．stayed up

B．set off

C．showed off

D．gave in

12.

A．poorly

B．secretly

C．safely

D．normally

13.

A．preparation

B．explanation

C．contribution

D．appreciation

14.

A．ignored

B．comforted

C．recalled

D．surprised

15.

A．adaptation

B．introduction

C．beginning

D．requirement

9 . “Is this all? Where arc the rest of the presents? ”asked my twelve-year-old daughter, Allison, and Blake, one year older than his sister.

       Money was ________. There was a time when my husband was alive and my children could receive almost everything on their wish lists, but that was not the ________ now.
       “Next year we will celebrate Christmas in a whole new way!” I announced, ________ to teach them a lesson.
       ________ went by quickly. My kids thought I would forget all about their actions on last Christmas. In fact, I ________ agencies and found a family that desperately needed help. There were four children aged three to eight. The father had lost his job and remained ________ since.
       As Christmas ________closer, there were still no presents under the tree. Blake and Allison were ________, and then told the gifts would be given to who truly needed them. The kids weren’t satisfied with the situation, but still prepared things for the family to ________ the winter.
       On Christmas Eve, we reached the house of the family and were welcomed with smiles and homemade bread. We accepted the ________, asking for the recipe, which seemingly delighted the mother.
       The parents let their children put the ________ under a small Christmas tree, where they shook boxes and guessed what was inside. ________, Allison and Blake began joining the children and laughing together. Blake was even rolling a ball with the youngest kid. We all enjoyed the day.
       When saying goodbye to the family, I could tell our visit had ________ Blake and Allison, whose eyes were full of tears that they didn’t let fall.
       The way home was quiet. On arriving, Allison and Blake turned to me, “Thanks, Mom.”
       ________ accomplished. The gifts ________ in my closet could now go under the tree, I thought.1.

A．tight

B．loose

C．enough

D．available

2.

A．case

B．view

C．reason

D．problem

3.

A．moved

B．delighted

C．embarrassed

D．determined

4.

A．Months

B．Years

C．Ages

D．Decades

5.

A．referred

B．arranged

C．promoted

D．contacted

6.

A．addicted

B．separated

C．forgotten

D．unemployed

7.

A．set

B．drew

C．mounted

D．scheduled

8.

A．amazed

B．excited

C．confused

D．frightened

9.

A．last

B．escape

C．survive

D．congratulate

10.

A．treat

B．effort

C．request

D．accommodation

11.

A．toys

B．lists

C．snacks

D．packages

12.

A．Strangely

B．Gradually

C．Generally

D．Extremely

13.

A．struck

B．unified

C．shocked

D．identified

14.

A．Event

B．Point

C．Mission

D．Challenge

15.

A．lost

B．buried

C．trapped

D．hidden

10 . Bill Sumiel was having a tough Friday. It was October 2020, and the 71-year-old, who was dealing with kidney (肾) failure, found himself at a medical center 30 miles from home.

Sumiel was no stranger to the ________ of kidney disease. He’d suffered from diabetes (糖尿病) more than 20 years before, which ________ his kidney problems. He was on the transplant ________, but no matches had yet appeared. So he continued with his treatments and took a taxi to and from his ________.

Timothy Letts, 31, was driving north to visit a friend when his phone rang with the ________ for Sumiel’s ride home. The trip was out of Letts’s way. ________, he took the order.

When Sumiel got into the car, the pair got to ________. Sumiel ________ that he was searching for a kidney donor. Letts joked that he’d be a good donor (捐赠者), ________ that he didn’t drink or smoke. Sumiel ________, though he didn’t think much of it as they kept driving. Letts, however, couldn’t stop thinking about it. About a quarter-mile away from Sumiel’s house, Letts said, “I’d like to see if I could be a ________ to give you a kidney.”

Sumiel was touched by Letts’s ________, though he wondered if it had just been a(n) ________ moment. But Letts was ________ to his word. He got in touch with Sumiel just a few hours later, and by the next week, Letts had ________ the kidney transplant program. After a long screening process, the results were in: Letts was an ideal donor, and he and Sumiel were a perfect match.

1.

A．origins

B．struggles

C．warnings

D．symbols

2.

A．adapted to

B．arose from

C．led to

D．took over

3.

A．list

B．category

C．class

D．group

4.

A．department

B．company

C．arrangement

D．appointment

5.

A．application

B．question

C．request

D．intention

6.

A．Still

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．Meanwhile

7.

A．debating

B．remarking

C．arguing

D．chatting

8.

A．instructed

B．revealed

C．wondered

D．announced

9.

A．supposed

B．assumed

C．given

D．convinced

10.

A．agreed

B．claimed

C．doubted

D．suggested

11.

A．sponsor

B．match

C．surgeon

D．model

12.

A．demand

B．advice

C．offer

D．mission

13.

A．magical

B．joyful

C．anxious

D．emotional

14.

A．equal

B．kind

C．true

D．sensitive

15.

A．contacted

B．informed

C．persuaded

D．urged