I moved into a new house in July. Since then I have met a few of my neighbors who are very nice people. For Christmas, I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors I know. There were nine neighbors whom I knew by name or spoke with often when I was out in my yard. I knew which houses they lived in.
I decided to add one more to my list. This lady I decided to add lives down the street from me. I meet her every morning walking to work as I drive down the street. She always smiles to me. But I had no idea who she was and which house she lived in.
I planned to make small fruit baskets and leave them on my neighbor’s front porches(门廊) on Christmas Eve. I signed the cards: "Happy Holidays from 5104 Northumberland Road."
I saved the last for the friendly lady. I finally decided on a house where I met her each morning and guessed that it was hers.
My neighbors really appreciated the baskets and would tell me as they saw me in the yard or they would call, and a couple even came by to thank me.
This morning I found a small note in the mailbox. It was addressed simply: Resident, 5104 Northumberland Road.
The Thank You card really caught me by surprise. I opened it and read the message, "Thank you for the lovely fruit basket you left on our porch. It was very thoughtful. Richard Kelly passed away last week. He talked a lot about how nice it was that someone remembered him in his time of illness. He really appreciated it."
I had no idea who Richard Kelly was and that he had been seriously ill. I had left that nice lady’s basket on his porch by mistake. I wanted to say sorry, but that would be wrong. I believe that Mr. Kelly was meant to have that basket because he was dying. I hate that the nice lady did not get to receive a fruit basket on Christmas, but I believe if she knew what had happened, she would be happy. I feel pleased to have helped Richard Kelly’s last days be more cheerful.
【小题1】How many Christmas gifts did the author intend to send?

A.Nine.B.Eight.C.Ten.D.Eleven.
【小题2】Where did the friendly lady live?
A.She lived at the end of Northumberland Road.
B.Her address was 5104 Northumberland Road.
C.She was thought to share a house with Mr. Kelly.
D.The author was not sure about her address at all.
【小题3】How did the author’s neighbors respond to his gifts?
A.They liked the gifts very much and were thankful.
B.They were thankful that they wanted to be friends.
C.They all made phone calls to say “Thank You”.
D.They all visited him by person to show gratitude.
【小题4】What does the author mean in the last paragraph?
A.He was regretful that the nice lady didn’t receive his gift.
B.He was glad to have made Mr. Kelly’s life more pleasant.
C.He thought Richard Kelly deserved to receive that basket.
D.The old lady was happy to sacrifice to make Kelly happy.

I received a call today asking if I would be willing to bring food to a family in need. The mother was having a major operation and would be lying down for several weeks. Of course, I responded with an immediate “Yes!”. As I planned the meal in my head, I reflected on how many times over the years I had been asked to prepare food. I have done so countless times with a very open heart.

But the truly amazing thing is that I have received double over the course of my life. When my mother passed away, our house was filled with fresh dinners for weeks. A woman from the church of our community stopped by each evening with some food. The gift of food was her small way of trying to ease our pain.

Later in my life, when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with twins, women of the church again stepped in to help. They arranged babysitting for my two­year­old daughter, and brought lovely dinners to our house. Even when I was put in the hospital, my husband would bring cooked meals to my hospital room. How we relied on these dinners to feed my tired husband and young daughter.

Food is all about comfort. It feeds our bodies, but it can also feed our souls. When you hear people talking about their favourite holidays, it usually includes their feelings connected with sharing food. I know that I will have many more opportunities in my lifetime to prepare food for others. It is truly a gift I want to prepare and deliver to someone in need.

1.The author has given lots of food to others because________.

A. she is poor at cooking

B.she is a church member

C.she is friendly to others

D.she has received others' food

2.We can learn from the first paragraph that the author________.

A. had to stay in bed for several weeks

B.knew the family in need very well

C.was glad to be able to lend a hand

D.was tired of preparing food

3.Which of the following is TRUE about the author?

A. Her mother died when she was in hospital.

B. She didn't get enough food during her pregnancy.

C.She received food as well as comfort in her hard times.

D.She thinks offering food is the best way to show love.

4.What do we know about the author's family?

A. Her family is too poor to buy enough food.

B. Her family lives not far from a church.

C. Her husband is not good at cooking.

D.She has a babysitter taking care of her twins.

5.According to the passage, which of the following conclusions can we get?

A. A good beginning makes a good ending.

B.One good turn deserves another.

C.Actions speak louder than words.

D.Every man has his faults.

 

This Christmas, maybe different from previous years, a strong desire drives me to make my own Christmas gifts. Honestly speaking, I’ve promised myself this more than once. As a crafter (工匠), I’ve frequently thought I am supposed to turn it into action. However, this year I really plan to stick to it. It’s partly because I run short of money. More importantly, I’ve recently returned from an inspiring trip around Britain, collecting some information about crafting for BBC’s Newsnight.

    Actually I planned the trip couples of months ago. The idea of traveling the country — making things as I went, meeting artists and craftspeople — sounded perfect to spend the summer. I’d pack a tent and a sewing machine and I’d set off. But by the time I determined my plans and hit the road, leaves made a sighing sound under foot. It seemed crazy to camp with winter on the way; Luckily, Newsnight viewers offered me accommodations in return for help with a craft task.

My tasks ranged from sewing worn-out clothes to making trousers. Textile students in Harpenden offered to pay for my petrol in return for a talk about hats. In Derby, Amy needed help to change an old pair of curtains.

I was really struck by people’s increasing enthusiasm for making things. When I asked some people if they could sew, only a few raised their hands. But when I asked who wanted to learn, nearly everyone responded positively, hoping to learn something practical.

Craft is definitely popular at the moment. But besides fashion, we’re learning to appreciate effort and quality again. Perhaps once people rediscover the pleasure to be gained from making something unique, it may stick.

Sue is director of quilts at the V&A, where next spring she’ll be putting on the museum’s first major quilting exhibition. Sue believes the return to crafting is related to how we rethink ourselves. “People, especially women, are beginning to think about the way they live their lives. It’s 40 years since the first women’s liberation(解放) conference was held in Oxford. Since then we’ve been in the workplace, and we’ve had the opportunity of choice. Now we’re carefully choosing to go back into the home.”

Whether you agree with that or not, there’s something about Christmas that brings out the artistic flavor(气息) in everyone. Whether it’s baking bread or pies or decorating the halls or rooms, we’re all prepared to have a try at any time. So if you fancy having a different and joyful party or holiday and making a few presents, try these really simple ideas, each inspired by my recent journey there. They make small and interesting gifts, and take no longer than 30 minutes each. Enjoy Christmas songs and settle down with a cup of hot cocoa, and the cold is gone. You’ll save yourself a small quantity of money and spread a little bit of love, too!

1.Why did the author promise to make herself a Christmas gift this year?

A. She wanted to enjoy a different Christmas.

B. She wanted to make more money.

C. She was inspired by her trip for a BBC TV program.

D. She hoped to present herself with a surprise.

2.The author had her plans carried out and set out for Britain in ______.

A. spring                      B. summer                            C. fall                            D. winter

3.What happened during the author’s trip to Britain?

A. She met many artists and craftspeople on her way to Britain.

B. She spent a whole summer in Britain making crafts.

C. She was asked to sew clothes, and curtains and made much money.

D. Many people showed great interest in making things themselves.

4.According to the passage, people learn to ______ through crafting.

A. be grateful to what they have gained

B. keep up with fashion

C. stick to something interesting

D. know more information about craft

5.What is the author’s opinion on homemade Christmas presents?

A. Making Christmas presents can only convey a bit of your love.

B. People can find their artistic talent in making Christmas presents.

C. A cup of hot cocoa can inspire you to make a creative present.

D. It would take a long time to prepare a homemade Christmas present.

 

One day I came home from school, changed my clothes and got ready for work. I work at a local restaurant in town as a cashier and waiter.

I went to work feeling   36  . And to make matters worse, I was busy that evening. It' s the same thing over and over again.  37 with customers who complain about their food andwhere they are  38 is too big or too small. Little things like that tend to  39 a lot of us  40 but we manage to deal with it.

Three elderly ladies walked in and sat by the windows. It happened to be the very   41  near where I keep the dirty   42 in the boxes. Trying to keep up with all the dirty tables, customers leaving and coming in and   43 running all over the house, it was crazy.  44  these elderly women were watching   45  I was working to make sure every table was clean and ready for the next customers.

When they   46  their meals, I took their plates back to the kitchen. They talked to me for a while about school, how I was doing, what   47  I was in and what I planned to do in the future.

 48 they were leaving, they walked past me and one of them said to me in a  49  and gentle voice, “You are going places.(你前途无量) And that was it.” They left the  50 and I had tears in my eyes, because they gave me  51 to believe in myself.They   52  my spirit from being down and gave me a   53 to keep on working hard.

People used to tell me that I couldn’t have a career in    54  until I had a degree. I'm now a co-anchor (联合主持人) of a student-produced television  55 . And the best thing is: I'm only 17 years old and I am a senior in high school.

1.

A.tired

B.excited

C.down

D.up

 

2.

A.Helping

B.Dealing

C.Talking

D.Meeting

 

3.

A.seated

B. sat

C.laid

D.seating

 

4.

A.attract

B.avoid

C.annoy

D. adjust

 

5.

A.customers

B.employees

C.boss

D.employers

 

6.

A.table

B.box

C.kitchen

D. spot

 

7.

A.rooms

B.dishes

C.clothes

D.chairs

 

8.

A.men

B.women

C.people

D.servers

 

9.

A.And

B.Otherwise

C.But

D.So

 

10.

A.how

B.what

C.where

D.why

 

11.

A.completed

B.finished

C.ordered

D.got

 

12.

A.grade

B.place

C.mark

D.position

 

13.

A.Before

B.While

C.After

D.As

 

14.

A.confident

B.loud

C.low

D.pleasant

 

15.

A.house

B.kitchen

C.table

D.restaurant

 

16.

A.courage

B.ability

C.imagination

D.time

 

17.

A.put down

B.picked up

C.took over

D.pointed out

 

18.

A.reason

B.cause

C.present

D.permission

 

19.

A.government

B.television

C.school

D.restaurant

 

20.

A.company

B.factory

C.advertisement

D.show

 

You Are Going Places

       One day I came home from school, changed my clothes and got ready for work.I work at a local restaurant in town as a cashier, seater and waiter.

       I went to work feeling  31   . And to make matters worse, I was busy that evening.It' s the same thing over and over again. 32  with customers who complain about their food and where they are  33  is too big or too small.Little things like that tend to  34  a lot of us  35  but we manage to deal with it.

       Three elderly ladies walked in and sat by the windows.It happened to be the very  36  near where I keep the dirty  37  in the boxes.Trying to keep up with all the dirty tables, customers leaving and coming in and  38  running all over the house, it was crazy. 39  these elderly women were watching  40  I was working to make sure every table was clean and ready for the next customers.

       When they  41  their meals, I took their plates back to the kitchen.They talked to me for a while about school, how I was doing, what  42  I was in and what I planned to do in the future.

       43  they were leaving, they walked past me and one of them said to me in a  44  and gentle voice, "You are going places.And that was it.They left the  45  and I had tears in my eyes, because they gave me  46 to believe in myself.They  47  my spirit from being down and gave me a  48  to keep on working hard.

       People used to tell me that I could not have a career in  49  until I had a degree.I'm now a co-anchor (联合主持人)of a student-produced television  50  . And the best thing is: I'm only 17 years old and I am a senior in high school.

1.A.tired                           B.excited             C.up                          D.down

2.A.Dealing                      B.Helping            C.Talking                   D.Meeting

3.A.sat                              B.seated              C.laid                        D.seating

4.A.attract                        B.avoid               C.adjust                     D.annoy

5.A.employees B.customers                         C.boss                       D.employers

6.A.table                          B.box                  C.spot                        D.kitchen

7.A.dishes                        B.rooms               C.clothes                   D.chairs

8.A.men                           B.women             C.servers                   D.people

9.A.And                         B.Otherwise          C.But                        D.So

10.A.what                      B.how                   C.where                     D.why

11.A.finished  B.completed                       C.ordered                  D.got

12.A.place                      B.grade                 C.mark                      D.position

13.A.Before                   B.While                 C.As                          D.After

14.A.confident               B.loud                   C.low                        D.pleasant

15.A.kitchen                  B.house                 C.restaurant               D.table

16.A.ability                    B.courage              C.imagination            D.time

17.A.put down               B.picked up           C.took over               D.pointed out

18.A.cause                     B.reason                C.present                   D.permission

19.A.television               B.government       C.school                    D.restaurant

20.A.company                B.station                C.show            D.advertisement

 

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