I have forgotten the name of the old lady, who was a customer on my newspaper route. Yet it in my memory that she taught me a lesson in that I shall never forget.

On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were stones onto the roof of the old lady's house near her garden. The was to observe how the stones changed to missiles as they to the roof’s edge and fell into the yard like comets(彗星)falling from the . I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it. The stone was too , however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight for a small . At the sound of broken glass, we knew we were in . We ran faster than any of our stones flew off her roof.

I was too about getting caught that first night to be about the old lady with the broken window in winter. ,a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel for her trouble. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the newspaper, but I was no longer able to act when seeing her.

I decided that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I thought would the cost of her window and sent it to her in an envelope.

The next day, I the old lady her paper. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of biscuits she had made herself. I thanked her and ate the biscuits I continued my route.

After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the . When I opened the envelope, I was . Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that ,“I'm proud of you.”

1.A. fails B. fades C. impresses D. remains

2.A. forgiveness B. value C. honesty D. gratefulness

3.A. collecting B. putting C. throwing D. placing

4.A. subject B. theme C. topic D. object

5.A. shot B. rolled C. got D. dropped

6.A. earth B. ocean C. sky D. universe

7.A. smooth B. square C. heavy D. beautiful

8.A. ceiling B. door C. chimney D. window

9.A. danger B. trouble C. surprise D. comfort

10.A. scared B. excited C. disappointed D. confused

11.A. frightened B. depressed C. puzzled D. concerned

12.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D. Furthermore

13.A. honored B. guilty C. pleased D. pressed

14.A. proud B. active C. comfortable D. energetic

15.A. include B. increase C. cover D. mend

16.A. handed B. turned C. passed D. sent

17.A. because B. where C. since D. as

18.A. paper B. pocket C. bag D. wallet

19.A. annoyed B. surprised C. amused D. delighted

20.A. attached B. said C. told D. wrote

“Wanted: Violin

Can’t pay much

Call … ”

Why did I notice that? I wondered, since I rarely looked at the classified ads. I laid the paper on my lap and closed my eyes, remembering what had during the Great Depression, when my family to make a living on our farm. I, too, had wanted a violin, but we didn‘t have the .

When my older twin sisters began showing an interest in music, Harriet Anne learned to play Grandma‘s upright piano, Suzanne turned to Daddy‘s violin, simple tunes soon became 24 melodies as the twins played more and more. in the rhythm of the music, my baby brother danced around while Daddy hummed(哼唱)and Mother whistled. I just .

When my arms grew enough, I tried to play Suzanne‘s violin, I loved the beautiful sound drawn across the strings. Oh, how I wanted one! But I knew it was the question.

One evening as the twins played in the school orchestra, I closed my eyes tight to capture the picture firmly in my . “Someday, I‘ll sit up there.” I vowed(发誓) .

Unfortunately, it was not a year. At harvest the crops did not bring as much as we had hoped. I, however, couldn‘t any longer to ask, “Daddy, may I have a violin of my own?”

“Can‘t you use Suzanne‘s?”

“I‘d like to be in the orchestra, too, and we can‘t use the same violin at the same time.”

Daddy‘s face looked . That night, and many following nights, I heard him God in our family devotions: “… and Lord, Mary Lou wants her violin.”

One evening we all sat around the table. The twins and I studied. Mother sewed and Daddy wrote a letter to his friend, George Finkle, in Columbus. Mr.Finkle, Daddy said, was a fine violinist.

As he wrote, Daddy read of his letter out loud to Mother. Weeks later I he‘d written one line he didn‘t read aloud: “Would you watch for a for my third daughter? I can‘t 40 much, but she enjoys music. And we‘d like her to have her own instrument.”

1.A. managed B. promised C. struggled D. forced

2.A. luck B. money C. choice D. hope

3.A. while B. since C. after D. before

4.A. soft B. fluent C. gentle D. lovely

5.A. Picked out B. Caught up C. Taken on D. Called for

6.A. shouted B. laughed C. listened D. cried

7.A. long B. tough C. old D. slim

8.A. far from B. next to C. out of D. along with

9.A. dream B. hand C. life D. mind

10.A. faithfully B. silently C. frequently D. patiently

11.A. hopeless B. stable C. good D. difficult

12.A. stand B. help C. wait D. risk

13.A. both B. ever C. either D. still

14.A. angry B. sad C. pale D. weak

15.A. demand B. inform C. commit D. remind

16.A. favourite B. private C. own D. individual

17.A. parts B. lines C. contents D. purposes

18.A. heard B. conveyed C. discovered D. observed

19.A. musician B. favor C. gift D. violin

20.A. owe B. order C. charge D. pay

High school graduation—the bittersweet feelings are as much a part of me now as they were twenty-one years ago.

As graduation day approached, excitement increased. Being out of high school meant I was finally coming of age. Soon I would be on my own, making my own decisions, doing what I wanted without someone looking over my shoulder and it meant going to school with boys—a welcome change coming from an all-girl high school. There was never any question in my mind that I would go to a college away from home. My mother’s idea, on the other hand, was just the opposite. Trying her best not to force her preferences on me, she would subtly ask whether I had considered particular schools—all of which happened to be located in or near my hometown of Chicago. Once it was established that, as long as the expenses would not be too heavy a burden on the family budget, I would be going away anyway, my family’s perspective changed. Their concern shifted from whether I was going away to how far. The schools I was considering on the East Coast suddenly looked much more attractive than those in California. But which college I would attend was just one of what seemed like a never-ending list of unknowns: What would college be like? Would I be unbearably lonely not knowing anyone else who was going to the same school? Would the other students like me? Would I make friends easily? Would I miss my family so much that I wouldn’t be able to stand it? And what about the work—would I be able to keep up? (Being an A student in high school seemed to offer little assurance I would be able to survive college.) What if the college I selected turned out to be a horrible mistake? Would I be able to transfer to another school?

Then panic set in. My feelings took a 180-degree turn. I really didn’t want to leave high school at all, and it was questionable whether I wanted to grow up after all. It had been nice being respected as a senior by the underclass students for the past year; I didn’t enjoy the idea of being on the bottom rung of the ladder again.

Despite months of expectation, nothing could have prepared me for the impact of the actual day. As the familiar melody of “Pomp and Circumstance” echoed in the background, I looked around at the other figures in white caps and gowns as we seriously lined into the hall. Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes, and I was consumed by a rush of sadness. As if in a daze(恍惚), I rose from my seat when I heard my name called and slowly crossed the stage to receive my diploma. As I reached out my hand, I knew that I was reaching not just for a piece of paper but for a brand-new life. Exciting as the future of a new life seemed, it wasn’t easy saying good-bye to the old one—the familiar faces, the familiar routine. I would even miss that chemistry class I wasn’t particularly fond of and the long travel each day between home and school that I hated. Good or bad, it was what I knew.

That September, I was fortunate to attend a wonderful university in Providence, Rhode Island. I needn’t have worried about liking it. My years there turned out to be some of the best years of my life. And as for friends, some of the friendships I formed there I still treasure today. Years later, financial difficulties forced my high school to close its doors for good. Although going back is impossible, it’s comforting to know I can revisit my special memories any time.

1. In this article the author mainly describes ________.

A. the great excitement during the months leading up to the big event—the graduation ceremony

B. her mixed feelings during the months leading towards graduation and on the actual graduation day

C. her happiness to be admitted to a wonderful university

D. her eagerness to go to a wonderful university far away from home

2.The author’s mother ________.

A. did not care very much which college her daughter went to

B. was greatly disappointed at her decision to go to a college on the East Coast

C. willingly allowed her to go to a college of her own choice

D. wished that she would study at a college or university close to home

3.Expectation and excitement suddenly changed into anxiety and fear. Which of the following did the author NOT include as a reason for that change?

A. Growing homesick might seriously affect her academic performance at college.

B. She might make a wrong choice and enter a university she did not like at all.

C. Her being a top student at high school did not mean a successful academic career for her.

D. It might be hard for her to make friends under new circumstances.

4. On the actual graduation day, ________.

A. the familiar tune “Pomp and Circumstance” brought tears to her eyes

B. she went through the whole ceremony in a daze

C. she came to realize that she had a passion for her old school

D. reaching out for diploma, she was aware of a new stage in life ahead of her

5.The author adopts a(n)________ tone in writing this article.

A. matter-of-fact B. serious

C. emotional D. indifferent

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