题目内容
My wife and I moved into our home nine years ago. We 1 a lot of time and 2 in the yard to get it looking the way it does today. We live on a corner, and the entire side of the yard is surrounded by a professionally built rock wall.
We did the best to cultivate(耕种) it and called this area our rock garden. 3 We had found flowers and plants, Denise or I will plant them, just to bring some 4 to the area.
Last summer I found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately 5 . I was sure that we didn’t plant it. We decided to let it 6 to grow until we could 7 what it was.
Weeks passed, and as I made my way back to the 8 plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I 9 to nurture(培育) it and weed around it. As I picked up rocks from the area to get to the 10 , I noticed something 11 . The sunflower had not started to grow from where I first saw the stalks(茎)appear. 12 it had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to 13 the sun.
That's when I realized that if a tiny little sunflower wouldn't let a big rock stand in its way when growing up, then we have the 14 to do the same. 15 we believe in ourselves, like that little sunflower, we can 16 the type of nourishment(营养)and growth. We need to believe in 17 , knowing that we have the ability to 18 our desires. If you stand all like the sunflower and are 19 of who and what you are, then the environment will begin to 20 you. You will find a way to go under or around your obstacles( 障碍)in order to reach your goals.
1. A. took B. spent C. cost D. pay
2. A. strength B. energy C. power D. force
3. A. However B. When C. Whenever D. Whatever
4. A. weed B. color C. water D. soil
5. A. classify B. accept C. clarify D. identify
6. A. remain B. prevent C. continue D. leave
7. A. figure out B. hold out C. stand out D. try out
8. A. endangered B. convenient C. mysterious D. enormous
9. A. refused B. decided C. adapted D. proposed
10. A. seeds B. stalks C. rocks D. weeds
11. A. unusual B. common C. fantastic D. unnatural
12. A. Casually B. Basically C. Actually D. Strangely
13. A. enlarge B. expand C. reach D. spread
14. A. chance B. choice C. power D. ability
15. A. What if B. As far as C. Only if D. As long as
16. A. inspire B. attain C. lose D. refuse
17. A. ourselves B. yourselves C. themselves D. myself
18. A. preserve B. comfort C. achieve D. suggest
19. A. ashamed B. pride C. proud D. ambitious
20. A. ensure B. support C. satisfy D. protect
BBCBD CACBD ACCDD BACCB
I cry easily. I cried when a boy in the film suffered from an incurable disease. I cried when an athlete broke a world record.
One night my wife and I were going to dinner at a friend ' s.As we went towards the house, I noticed a car pulling out from the sidewalk.Just ahead, another car was waiting to back into the parking space.But before he could do so a yellow car came up from behind and sneaked into the space.
While my wife went ahead into our friend' s house, I stepped into the street.
“Hey,” I said, “this parking space belongs to that guy.” I gestured towards the man ahead, who was looking back angrily.At that moment I was feeling pretty manly.
“ Mind your own business!” the driver told me.
“No,” I said.“You don' t understand.That fellow was waiting to back into this space.”
Things quickly heated up, until finally he jumped out of the car.My God, he was extremely large.He grabbed me and shook his rock of a fist at me.I tasted blood.I was terrified.
Almost in a panic, I ran to my friend ' s front door.As a former Marine (海军) , as a man, I felt absolutely embarrassed as my wife and friends asked me what had happened.All I could say was that I had had an argument about a parking space.They were sensitive and let it go at that.
Perhaps half an hour later, the doorbell rang.For some reason I was sure that the huge man had returned for me.My blood ran cold.My hostess got up to answer it, but I stopped her.I knew I had to face up to my fear.
I opened the door.There he stood.“I came back to apologize,” he said in a low voice.“I am ashamed of myself.The Brooklyn Navy Yard where I've worked for ten years is closing.Today I got laid off.I' m not myself.I hope you’ ll accept my apology.”
I remembered that after I closed the door, I stood there for a few minutes alone with tears in my eyes.
【小题1】What did the author do when a yellow car drove into the parking space?
A.He beat the driver. |
B.He blamed the driver. |
C.He asked the driver to apologize. |
D.He ran to his friend' s house for help. |
A.He was rude and liked fighting. |
B.He was famous for his bad temper. |
C.He lost his job and felt terrible that day. |
D.He tried to get the author' s parking space. |
A.I became quite calm. |
B.I felt extremely frightened. |
C.I couldn't move with cold. |
D.I was too angry to say anything. |
A.Direct and serious. | B.Humorous and open - minded. |
C.Honest and ambitious. | D.Warm - hearted and understanding |
The CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs’ story about death
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Remembering that I’ ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ ve ever encountered(遇到)to help me make the big choice in life.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors’code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another biopsy(活组织检查)and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’ m fine now.
This was the closest I’ ve been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn’ t waste it repeating someone else’ s life. Don’ t be trapped by dogma(教条)—which is living with the results of other people’ s thinking. Don’ t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
【小题1】The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because_________.
A.he had to rest at home |
B.his disease was not serious at all |
C.his disease couldn’ t be cured |
D.he had to wait for the result of the test |
A.Angry | B.Excited | C.Optimistic | D.Hopeless |
A.He thinks it is nothing to be scared of. |
B.He thinks it is not the end of life. |
C.He thinks it is impossible to avoid. |
D.He thinks it is the beginning of a new life |
A.follow others’ advice |
B.take no notice of diseases |
C.take exercise and keep healthy |
D.have the courage to follow our heart |