That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me.

“Is it finished?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. It is ready,” she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket.

“It is beautiful, so skillfully woven(编织),” I said to my mother. “But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?”

“I will tell you later,” my mother said, “but first I will take you to the Navajo village.”

We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing.

It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman’s words.

“Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?” my mother asked.

“What should I have noticed?” I looked at her and asked.

“Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch(一针)missing.”

I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing!

“But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?” I asked.

“They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close.”

1.The blanket the author received_____ .

A. was poorly woven.

B. made her think a lot.

C. cost her a lot of money.

D. was finished, but not ready.

2.Why was the author shown around the village?

A. To buy more things made by the Navajo.

B. To make friends with some of the Navajo.

C. To have a deeper understanding of the Navajo.

D. To look for the woman who sold her the blanket.

3.Which of the following may the Navajo believe?

A. A stitch in time is very important.

B. Life only becomes perfect when you die.

C. He who makes no mistake is a perfect man.

D. You must always try to make your life complete.

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A. The Navajo are good at making things.

B. The Navajo are brave and hard-working.

C. A blanket tells a lot about the Navajo culture.

D. Skills are needed to do business with the Navajo.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

The family has the responsibility for keeping young children safe, providing love and helping all their children to learn to get along with people. The most important beginning is the development of trust. The infant (婴儿的) needs to know that there is someone who cares and provides for his or her needs. 1.

2. Each person also has the responsibility to show love and affection to other people in the family. The way you show love can be different for different people. What one child feels is loving might be felt as disturbing by a different child. Each person’s needs should be respected. It is your responsibility to be an understanding person.

There are different ways to show young children affection and love. It is easy to tell when it is direct, a hug or kiss, or the words“I love you.” 3. Young children respond better to demonstrating love. Use words to describe love with action. In this way the feelings are clear and not misunderstood.

Showing love also means guiding the actions of young children. As young children grow more independent, the people responsible need to understand these growing skills. But as important as it is to allow children the freedom to explore and be themselves, it is important to set limits for children. 4.

5. Respect is the most important part of family relationships and harmony. Maintain control of yourself and your feelings.

A. A hug is a physical need.

B. Respect the child’s self-esteem.

C. Remember how important your child is to you.

D. Many families don’t stop to think about their values.

E. Another way a person might show love is through actions.

F. Each person in the family has a need for love and affection.

G. Clearly express to your child what is acceptable behavior in all sorts of daily situations.

A famous doctor once received a little child who was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, his young patient got well and was soon able to get up and run about again.

The child's mother was very much obliged(感谢的) to the doctor, and she called on him to thank him for what he had done for her child. "Doctor," she said, "you have saved my little son. I don't know how to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay(回报) you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it." The doctor stood up and said coldly, "Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to be paid properly for what he has done." The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, "Perhaps you will tell me how much your fee is?"

"Fifty pounds", he answered.

The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She handed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying good bye to the doctor, went out of the room.

1. The lady was thankful to the doctor because ________.

A. he had saved her life

B. he had saved her son's life

C. he had lent her some money

D. he often called on her

2. The doctor refused the lady's purse because he thought ______.

A. the purse should be given between friends

B. the purse was too small

C. the lady was not kind to him

D. the lady just gave him that purse and wouldn't give him the medical fee

3.The money in the purse _______.

A. was only 150 pounds

B. was less than 200 pounds

C. was much more than the medical fee

D. was not enough for the medical fee

I may not be the wisest person on this planet.but I will tell you a little secret to happiness:Help other,,and live life.It is that simple.Just help a friend study for a test,or volunteer at a nursing home .I learned this after a long,hard search.

I was feeling really down because my long4ime friend had died.Then I started a six-week volunteering at a nursing home all day every Saturday.My routine was to serve the meal and clean up.After that,I would wait for the head nurse to tell me what to do.

One day I was told to go to Room 117 to make sure the patient was all right.In the room I found a boy of eight sitting in his bed watching a movie.I was shocked to see a child in this seemingly forgotten nursing home for the old.He was so small and weak that you had to look closely to find him.He motioned for me to sit down.I grabbed his medical chart from which later I found out he had a terminal illness.

We started to talk,and I found out that his family rarely visited,and all he did ever7 day was watch TV.I wanted to cry for him,and for my lost friend.As we talked,he had a smile on his face,and I asked him why.

"The entire two hours I've been here you've never lost that smile.With this horrible disease,how do you still manage to stay happy?"

He thought for a moment,and then said that too many people are dead even before they die.

They walk around feeling that God has cursed (诅咒) them and that they have nothing to live for.

The boy said that he would not be like that.He wakes every morning thankful to see another sunrise.He keeps his window open so that he can smell the flowers and feel the heat of the sun.He also said that he has hope.

"Too many people haven't seen much of that around here," he said," Life is full of hope and we need to live life before it is gone."

I don’t know what happened to him.I assume he passed away,but his lesson lives on.I now wake up and live each day to the fullest.The key to life is not money or fame,but the lessons we learn from it.

1.The nursing home in the passage is mainly for_______

A. the elderly B. the homeless

C. the disabled D. the abandoned

2.The boy stayed happy mainly due to_______.

A. wonderful TV programs

B. his positive attitude

C. good medical condition

D. others' encouragement

3.The writer participated in the volunteering job in order to_______.

A. find out the secret

B. search for help

C. enrich experiences

D. get out of sadness

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. A Lesson in Hope

B. The Life of a Sick Boy

C. A Voluntary Job

D. The Meaning of Life

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