When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled unkindly,  36  nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be  37 , only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so ashamed I burst into  38 . That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my  39 , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I  40  success. I’d sold the first thing I’d  41  written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck that was fine with me.

     During the next two years I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)  42  my published works. I never  43  my writing to my teachers, friends or my family  44  because they were dream killers.

I had four children at the time.  45  the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a  46  and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start  47  another book. Crying Wind, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became  48  reading in native American schools in Canada.

     The  49  year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I  50 , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I use an electric typewriter that I paid a hundred and twenty nine dollars  51  six years ago. I do all the housework and  52  my writing in a few minutes here and there. I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right  53  I’ve succeeded. Writing is  54 , it’s fun and anyone can do it.  55 , a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

My grandmother was an iron－willed woman, the feared head of the family. When I was five years old, she invited some friends to her apartment for a party. __1__ the guests was a neighborhood big shot(大亨). They had a little girl about my age who was __2__ and very much used to getting her own way.

Grandmother spent a lot of time with the big shot and his family. She __3__ them the most important members of her social circle and tried hard to please them. At one point during the party, I __4__ my way to the bathroom and closed the door behind me. A minute or two later, the little girl __5__ the bathroom door and simply walked in. I was still sitting down. “Don't you know that little girls aren't __6__ to come into the bathroom when a little boy is using it！？” I shouted. The __7__ I had piled upon her shocked the little girl. Then she started to cry. She tearfully __8__ to her parents and my grandmother. Grandmother was waiting for me when I left the bathroom. I received the longest, sharpest __9__. After her scolding was over and I had been dismissed, the party __10__.

Twenty minutes later, all that changed. Grandmother walked by the bathroom and noticed a flood of water __11__ out from under the door. She __12__ the bathroom door and saw that the sink and tub were plugged(塞)up and that the taps __13__ at full blast(拧到最大). Everyone knew who did it. The guests quickly formed a __14__ wall around me, but Grandmother was __15__  angry that she almost got to me anyway.

My grandfather took me __16__ to the window. He was a kind and gentleman, full of wisdom and patience. __17__ did he raise his voice to anyone, and never did he __18__ his wife. He looked at me with much curiosity, __19__  angry or upset.

“Tell me，” he asked, “why did you do it？”

“Well, she shouted at me __20__，” I said earnestly. “Now she's got something to shout about.”

Grandfather didn't speak right away. He just sat there, looking at me and smiling. “Eric，” he said at last, “you are my revenge(复仇)．”

1. A. Between  B. Among  C. Around  D. Beside

2. A. spoiled  B. harmed  C. liked   D. concerned

3. A. imagined          B. told           C. evaluated           D. considered

4. A. made              B. found   C. pushed  D. wound

5. A. closed             B. opened   C. beat  D. tapped

6. A. expected        B. asked           C. supposed          D. told

7. A. happiness          B. depression       

C. embarrassment    D. anger

8. A. complained        B. apologized  

C. replied               D. referred

9. A. cry  B. blame  C. comment   D. demand

10. A. picked up         B. broke down      

C. carried on       D. took off

11. A. moving   B. stirring  C. floating  D. streaming

12. A. pushed open         B. pulled down 

C. shut up            D. knocked at

13. A. had gone               B. were going    

C. went                 D. had been going

14. A. productive       B. hard         

C. protective     D. rough

15. A. so       B. too        C. as       D. very

16. A. by his hand   B. by the hand  

C. by surprise      D. with anxiety

17. A. Often   B. Sometimes  C. Always   D. Rarely

18. A. argue with      B. talk with   

C. put up with           D. come to terms with

19. A. other than       B. instead of    

C. rather than      D. more than

20. A. for something   B. for nothing       

C. without doubt   D. with sympathy

Before you decide to leave your job, _______ the effect it will have on your family.

A. consider     B. considering   C. to consider    D. considered

Once upon a time, there was a large mountainside, where an eagle’s nest rested. The eagle’s nest contained four  41  eagle eggs. One day an earthquake rocked the mountain,  42  one of the eggs to roll down the mountain  43  a chicken farm, which was in the valley below. The chickens knew that they must  44  and care for the eagle’s egg, so an old hen   45  to hatch and raise the large egg.

       One day, the egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born.  46  , however, the eagle was raised to be a(n)  47  . Soon, the eagle believed he was  48  more than a chicken. The eagle loved his home and family,  49  his spirit cried out for more. While playing a game on the farm one day, the eagle looked to the skies above and  50  a group of eagles soaring(翱翔) in the skies. “Oh,” the eagle  51  , “I wish I could soar like those birds.” The chickens shouted with 52  , “You cannot soar with those birds. You are a chicken and chickens do not soar.”

       The eagle  53  staring at his real family up above,  54  that he could be with them. Each time the eagle would let his  55  be known, he was told it couldn’t be done. That is  56  the eagle learned to believe. Slowly, the eagle  57  dreaming and continued to live his life like a chicken.  58  , after a long life as a chicken, the eagle  59  .

       You become what you believe you are; so if you ever dream to become an eagle,  60  your dreams, not the words of a chicken.

A. large                     B. curious                     C. small                D. fortunate

A. guiding                B. blowing                   C. causing             D. inviting

A. on                        B. over                         C. past                  D. to

A. introduce              B. punish                 C. protect             D. share

A. offered                B. regretted                  C. managed           D. turned

A. Carefully            B. Gently                         C. Sadly                D. Luckily

A. chicken                B. eagle                        C. hero                  D. fool

A. something              B. everything             C. anything            D. nothing

A. and                   B. but                         C. so                  D. however

A. noticed               B. recognized             C. respected           D. watched

A. cried                   B. smiled                   C. argued                     D. explained

A. excitement       B. anger                       C. laughter            D. surprise

A. approached          B. avoided                    C. continued          D. considered

A. promising           B. proving                    C. believing           D. dreaming

A. suggestion            B. advantage                 C. dream               D. discovery

A. what                   B. why                         C. how              D. when

A. went                   B. enjoyed                    C. began                D. stopped

A. Happily              B. Finally                     C. Quickly          D. Probably

A. gave away            B. broke down                  C. passed away    D. died out

A. steal                   B. follow                   C. have              D. remember

I’ve always had strong opinions of how love should be expressed, but others had their own ways of showing care.

What I   36   most about visiting my boyfriend’s parents is the loud tick of the clock in the dining room as we   37   ate our meal. With so little conversation I was quick to   38   his family as cold. When we got into the   39   to go home, his father suddenly appeared   40   , he began to wash his son’s windscreen. I could feel he is a caring man through the glass.

I learned another lesson about love a few years later. My father often  41   me early in the morning. “Buy Xerox. It’s a good sharp price,” he might say when I answered the phone. No pleasant   42  or inquiry about my life ,just financial instructions. This manner of his   43  me and we often quarreled. But one day, I thought about my father’s success in business and realized that his concern for my financial security lay behind his   44   morning calls. The next time he called and told me to buy a stock, I

  45   him.

When my social style has conflicted with that of my friends, I’ve often felt   46  . For example, I always return phone calls   47   and regularly contact with my friends. I expect the same from them. I had one friend who rarely called, answering my messages with short e-mails. I rushed to the   48   : She wasn’t a good friend! My anger   49    as the holidays approached. But then she came to a gathering I  50   and handed me a beautiful dress I had fallen in love with when we did some window-shopping the previous month. I was  51   at her thoughtfulness, and regretful for how I’d considered her to be  52  . Clearly I needed to change my expectations of friends.

Far too often, I ignored their  53   expressions, eagerly expecting them to do things in my  54   .Over the years, however, I’ve learned to   55    other persons’ love signs.

A. remember       B. enjoy           C. value            D. admire

A. excitedly        B. nervously       C. silently           D. instantly

A. regard          B. treat            C. take             D. think

A. bus            B. train            C. car              D. plane

A. punctually      B. carefully         C. proudly          D. coldly

A. visited         B. interrupted       C. warned           D. telephoned

A. greeting        B. meeting         C. apology           D. explanation

A. interested       B. angered         C. encouraged        D. surprised

A. long           B. short           C. warm             D. polite

A. praised         B. remembered     C. blamed           D. thanked

A. content         B. guilty          C. curious           D. disappointed

A. in order        B. in turn          C. without delay      D. without difficulty

A. feeling         B. suggestion      C. judgment          D. belief

A. disappeared     B. grew           C. helped           D. declined

A. opened         B. refused         C. hosted           D. invited

A. depressed       B. upset          C. fascinated(对…着迷) D. shocked

A. uncaring        B. dishonest       C. unhappy          D. uncooperative

A. unique         B. common        C. pleasant          D. familiar

A. opinion        B. way            C. mind            D. life

A. send          B. read            C. give             D. express