Tick, tock, tick, tock. I’m sitting here, watching the movements of my existence pass slowly away. My house has been  36 for such a long time，and I’m lonely and forgotten. Sitting here, by myself, all that I can do is   37   and think about my past. I could tell you stories that only  38  would know. But walls can’t speak.
I came to this place many years ago，along with an old man….  39  , he was with me for on1y three short years before he passed on….
For a time, I was left alone, while people came and  40  the house….  Then, one day a nice couple moved in with a young son.   41 , their son Danny liked to stay with me, and I was completely  42  with him. He always looked as if he loved the stories I told, most of which began with. ‘‘Back in my day…” and ‘‘When I was  43  .…” I sometimes had the kind of idea that he didn’t really understand what I was saying, but it felt good to be  44 .  When Danny went off to college，my heart broke. Soon afterward,   45  sold the house.…
New owners came and  46 . Then, One day it so happened that I was in when a new family was moving into the house. You can’t even imagine my  47  when, unexpectedly, Danny walked through the front door. He had a  48  and kids now. I was so overjoyed when I saw him that I put all my  49  into my daily activities. ... I spent the next twenty years watching his kids grow up, with a mixture of pride and  50  about what would happen next.
The kids finally became  51   and Danny sold the house. That was about five years ago…. Some of the local kids have started the rumor that the house is haunted（闹鬼的）--- and, in a way, it is. It is haunted by   52 of all the people who have lived in it. Every second has  53  me so much. I have been   54 them all day and they are almost up for me.... I hope that someday somebody will  55  me, and drop in on me again. Maybe then I’ll get a new home and an opportunity for a whole new set of memories.

Dear Aunty,
After years of her crying. I finally gave in and allowed my daughter to have a cat. I now regret my decision. As someone needs to have a clean, tidy house, I no longer feel relaxed in my own home. If I tell her, “sorry, the cat has to go.” She will be heartbroken. What can I do?
-Feline Phobic
Dear Phobic,
I’m an animal lover and on your kid’s and cat’s side. Tell your daughter your problem. Ask her to help you come up with a plan. Perhaps you can agree to allow the cat only in certain areas of the house. This is a chance for your daughter to develop the sense of responsibility owning a pet requires.
Dear Aunty,
I got the highest grade on a biology test. Now the popular kids think I’m brainy, and want me in their lab group. I knew I was being used. Now, they want my homework. What should I do?
-Lily
Dear Lily.
Popularity can come at a price, but it’s no excuse to cheat. Offer to help new friends with their homework, but don’t give them yours.
Dear Aunty,
I’m one of six assistants in a dental(牙科的) office. But I’m new-there just four months. I’ve tried to join conversations, but they just ignore me. They go shopping together. No one invites me. How can I break into the circle?
-Crystal
Dear Crystal,
Humans run in packs like dogs. When a new dog enters the pack, a lot of discovery goes on. So bring cookies for everyone! Then try making friends with one co-worker. Invite her to lunch. When you get familiar with each other, tell her how hard you’re finding the situation at work. chances are, she’ll take you under her wing.
【小题1】Aunty thinks that Phobic should        .

Last weekends, my kids along with few other kids from the neighborhood volunteered to help me wash my car. My 10-year-old daughter came up with the idea of   31  other people’s cars as well. It was pretty   32  outside and I had no plans to   33  to be in the bright sun. She   34  wanted to give lemonade（柠檬汽水）to passersby for free. I had seen little kids  35  and sell fresh lemonade for a small cost but not free. Although I felt   36  , I decided to help her.  37 she asked me, “What if we   38  this a smile car wash?” I couldn’t hold back my tears and   39  her and the other kids to go outside the house and come up with   40  ideas. While I kept myself busy in drying the car, the gang walked up to me with a(n)   41  with beautiful images of smiles. They had “Free Car Wash” written on it and the   42 of their exercise was “smile”. It was pretty neat to see a team of kids ranging 5－11 years with the   43  to do something for others.
All that seemed   44  and came right from their heart. Nothing seemed to   45  to them: their playtime, the heat outside—they just wanted to   46  others and do something nice in the community!
I helped them make some fresh lemonade and brought out some additional   47  to help clean cars. The passersby were   48  and one even shouted back to them saying “God Bless You, my kids…” One of them even tried giving them 5 dollars, which they refused. A pretty heartwarming   49 ! I feel blessed by being   50  by such wonderful and loving souls.

Bill White’s father is a lawyer. In his 36 time, he likes to get out in the country and take some 37 of animals.
For a long time, Bill had wanted to go with his father on one of his 38. But his father didn’t take Bill along with him 39 he was fifteen.
He and Bill drove to the farm which 40 to his uncle in the afternoon. They 41 the night there, so that they could 42 out early the next morning. Uncle Steve and his son Larry, who was sixteen, were going to go out with them.
It was still dark when Bill heard the alarm 43 the next morning. He wondered why it was running so early. He couldn’t remember 44 he was. He turned over 45 and looked at the clock. It was 5 o’clock. Then he 46 that he was at the 47 and that he was going out to take pictures with his father. He jumped out of bed and got 48 quickly.
He ran downstairs. The others were already in the 49. Uncle Steve was cooking bacon and eggs. There was a pot of coffee on the stove. It 50 good.
They ate breakfast quickly. They didn’t talk 51, because they didn’t want to 52 up the other people in the house. They filled a thermos bottle 53 hot coffee and took some sandwiches 54 Aunt Grace, Uncle Steve’s wife, had made for them. They gathered their camera 55 and started out.

完形填空 (共10小题; 每小题2分, 满分20分)
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21-30各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项, 并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。 
Children find meanings in their old family tales.   
When Stephen Guyer’s three children were growing up, he told them stories about how his grandfather, a banker,    21   all in the 1930s, but did not lose sight of what he valued most. In one of the darkest times when his strong-minded grandfather was nearly   22    , he loaded his family into the car and   23    them to see family members in Canada with a   24   ,“There are more important things in life than money. ”  
The  25   took on a new meaning recently when Mr. Guyer downsized to a   26    house from a more expensive and comfortable one. He was   27   that his children, a daughter, 15, and twins, 22, would be upset. To his surprise, they weren’t. Instead, their reaction echoed（共鸣）their great-grandfather’s. What they   28    was how warm the people were in the house.K   Many parents are finding family stories have surprising power to help children through hard times. Storytelling experts say the phenomenon reflects a growing  29     in telling tales, evidenced by a rise in a storytelling events and festivals.  
A university   30    of 65 families with children aged from 14 to 16 found kids’ ability to retell parents’ stories was linked to a lower rate of anger and anxiety.  
21. A. missed       B. lost           C. forgot        D. ignored
22. A. friendless           B. worthless          C. penniless  D. homeless
23. A. fetched      B. allowed   C. expected  D. took
24. A. hope           B. promise   C. suggestion        D. belief
25. A. tale            B. agreement      C. arrangement            D. report
26. A. large           B. small        C. new          D. grand
27. A. surprised    B. annoyed   C. disappointed    D. worried
28. A. talked about      B. cared about      C. wrote about     D. heard about
29. A. argument   B. skill           C. interest    D. anxiety
30. A. study          B. design      C. committee     D. staff