When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was totally deaf. After consulting with many doctors, they made a 　21 that would forever change my future. 　22 sending me to a private school for the deaf, they decided to “mainstream” me. All of my schoolmates and teachers would have 　23 hearing.

I experienced great 　24 throughout primary school because, besides the efforts of “ 25 ” with the other students, I also 　26 with most of my schoolwork. But, Mrs. Jordan, my 5th grade teacher, changed all of that with a 　27 three-word phrase.

One morning, she asked the class a question. I 　28 her lips and immediately raised my hand. Although I feared, I felt unusually 　29 because I was sure I had the right answer. I took a deep breath and 　30 answered Mrs. Jordan’s question.

Her response 　31 all of us. Mrs. Jordan enthusiastically 　32 her right foot on the floor and waved her right finger in a full circle 　33 it pointed directly at me. With shining eyes she cried, “THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!”

For the first time in my young life, I was an instant star. My heart burst with 　34 and I sat a little 　35 in my chair and puffed out my chest. My confidence 　36 like never before. I decided right then and there that I would make a 　37 for myself in this world. The very three-word phrase had totally 　38 my young life.

From that day forward, my 　39 improved fantastically. My view on life 　40 a complete turnabout. And it all started with Mrs. Jordan. “THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!”

21. A. plan B. choice　　　　　　　　　　 C. promise　　　　　　　　　 D. decision

22. A. Instead of B. Apart from　　　　　　　 C. Regardless of　　　　　 D. Far from

23. A. weak B. sharp　　　　　　　　　　　 C. normal　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. different

24. A. anxiety B. honour　　　　　　　　　　 C. sympathy　　　　　　　　 D. excitement

25. A. getting away B. putting up　　　　　　　　 C. fitting in　　　　　　　　　 D. coming up

26. A. handled B. struggled　　　　　　　　 C. disagreed　　　　　　　　 D. engaged

27. A. regular B. polite　　　　　　　　　　　 C. simple　　　　　　　　　　 D. formal

28. A. found B. understood　　　　　　　 C. saw　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. read

29. A. embarrassed B. frightened　　　　　　　　 C. confident　　　　　　　　 D. jealous

30. A. gently B. luckily　　　　　　　　　　 C. nervously　　　　　　　　 D. carelessly

31. A. enjoyed B. surprised　　　　　　　　 C. delighted　　　　　　　　 D. fooled

32. A. stamped B. placed　　　　　　　　　　 C. stepped　　　　　　　　　 D. knocked

33. A. if B. unless　　　　　　　　　　 C. since　　　　　　　　　　　 D. until

34. A. pride B. regret　　　　　　　　　　　 C. courage　　　　　　　　　 D. envy

35. A. taller B. shorter　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. longer　　　　　　　　　　 D. wider

36. A. declined B. sank　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. returned　　　　　　　　　 D. acted

37. A. home B. fortune 　　　　　　　　　 C. place　　　　　　　　　　　 D. name

38. A. devoted B. surrounded　　　　　　　 C. occupied　　　　　　　　 D. transformed

39. A. grades B. health　　　　　　　　　　　 C. characters　　　　　　　 D. growth

40. A. set B. made　　　　　　　　　　　 C. turned　　　　　　　　　　 D. got

My husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of ___36___, but the commercial aspects (方面) of it. Knowing he felt this ____37__, I decided one year to__38__the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so on. I reached for something __39_just for Mike. The idea came in an unusual way.

　　 Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was____40__at the junior level at the school he attended and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match___41____a team sponsored（资助） by a church.

　　 These youngsters from the church, dressed in shoes so____42___that shoestrings(鞋带) seemed to be the only thing holding them together,___43_____our son’s team were in their beautiful new wrestling shoes.

　　 As the match began, I was___44___to see that the other team was wrestling without a helmet(头盔) designed to___45____a wrestler’s head. They clearly could not____46___ them. Well, our son’s team ended up defeating them and took every weight class. But as the other team ____47__up from the mat(垫子), they walked around with a sense of pride that couldn’t admit___48____.

　　 Mike, seated beside me, shook his head___49___, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential(潜力), but___50___like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved__51____and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball. That’s when the __52____for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and ___53____some wrestling helmets and shoes and sent them to the church.

　　 On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his____54___from me. His smile was the____55___ thing about Christmas that year.

　　36. A. the gift       B. an envelope    C. the wrestling    D. Christmas

　　37. A. way         B. joy           C. music          D. fear

　　38. A. buy         B. avoid 　      C. wear           D. give

　　39. A. beautiful     B. expensive  　  C. special         D. new

　　40. A. wrestling    B. weightlifting 　 C. shooting        D. boxing

　　41. A. at          B. against 　　    C. for            D. on

　　42. A. big         B. small 　       C. worn          D. cheap

　　43. A. because     B. if 　          C. so             D. while

　　44. A. frightened   B. disappointed 　 C. pleased         D. surprised

　　45. A. cover      B. surround　  　 C. protect         D. hide

　　46. A. carry      B. afford 　       C. design         D. expect

　　47. A. got        B. dressed 　  　 C. turned         D. cheered

　　48. A. defeat      B. evidence  　　 C. charge         D. mistake

　　49. A. gently      B. sadly       　 C. nervously      D. gladly

　　50. A. running     B. winning 　　   C. losing         D. shaking

　　51. A. workmates   B. parents 　  　 C. friends        D. kids

　　52. A. invitation    B. idea 　　      C. care          D. money

　　53. A. return       B. sold 　　      C. bought        D. left

　　54. A. gift         B. warning 　  　 C. praise         D. love

　　55. A. brightest     B. funniest   　   C. ugliest        D. darkest

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Eric in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Eric screamed with 36 and said, “Hi there.” His fat baby hands hit the high chair tray, and his eyes were wide with excitement.

I looked around and saw the 37 of his enjoyment. It was an old man with a worn and oily coat. And his hair was uncombed and unwashed. I was sure he 　38 . His hand waved. “Hi there, baby; I see ya,” the man said to Eric.

My husband and I 39 　looks. Eric continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed this. My husband and I were embarrassed.

We finally got through the meal and 　40 　 the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat between me and the door. “Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Eric,” I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be 41 . As I did so, Eric leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's “pick-me-up” position. Before I could stop him, he had 　42 himself to the man's arms．Eric, in an act of total 43 , and love, laid his tiny head upon the man's torn shoulder.

His 　44 　hands full of dirt, pain and hard labor gently, so gently, cradled my baby's waist and patted his back. I stood amazed. After a while, he pushed Eric from his chest 45 as though he were in pain, saying “God bless you, ma'am. You've given me the best Christmas gift.”

I had just witnessed a genuine (pure or true) love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no 46 . The ragged old man, unknowingly, had reminded me that a genuine love is one in which the true meaning of love is 47 .

36. A. surprise　　　 B. delight　　　 C. anger　　　　 　　 D. nerve

37. A. source　　　　 　　　 B. reason　　　 C. effect　　　　　 　 D. resource

38. A. smiled　　　 　 B. mopped　　 C. smelled　　　　　 D. wiped

39. A. consulted　　 B. exchanged　 C. separated　　　　 D. replaced

40. A. ran for　　　 B. headed for　 　 C. sent for　　　　 D. accounted for

41. A. breathing　　 B. fighting　　 　 C. creating　　　　 D. holding

42. A. thrown　　　 　 B. devoted　　 　 C. driven　　　　　 　 D. jumped

43. A. independence 　　 B. desire　　　 C. trust　　　　　　 D. dignity

44. A. allergic　　　 B. strong　　　 　 C. smart　　　　　 　D. aged

45. A. eagerly　　　 B. violently　　 C. gladly　　　　 　　　 D. unwillingly

46. A. judgment　　 　 B. decision　　 C. conclusion　　　 　 D. choice

47. A. sharpened　　 　 B refreshed　　 　 C. realized　　　　 　　 D. learned

A young Scottish lady, like a lot of teens today, got tired of home. The daughter objected to her family’s 　1.　lifestyle and said, “I don’t want your God. I am leaving!” She left home. Before long, she was disappointed and unable to find a job, so she took to the streets to do everything she could to 　2.　. Many years passed by, her father died, her mother grew 　3.　, and the daughter became more and more stubborn in her way of life.

No  4. was made between mother and daughter during these years. The mother, having 　 heard of her daughter’s whereabouts, went to the poor part of the city in 　5.　of her daughter. She stopped at 　6.　of the rescue missions(收容所) with a simple speech. “Would you allow me to 　7.　this picture?” It was a picture of the smiling, gray-haired mother with a handwritten 　8.　at the bottom: “I love you still … come home!”

One day the daughter wandered into a rescue mission for a hot meal. She sat 　9.　listening to the service, all the while letting her 　10.　wander over to the bulletin board. There she saw the picture and thought, could that be my mother?

She couldn’t 　11.　until the service was over. She stood and went to look. It was her mother, and there were those words, “I love you still … come home!”　12.　she stood in front of the picture, she wept. It was too 　13.　to be true.

It was night, but she was so 　14.　by the message that she started walking home.　15.　the time she arrived it was early in the morning. She was afraid and 　16.　her way timidly. As she knocked, the door 　17.　open on its own. She thought someone must broken into the house. Concerned for her mother’s 　18.　, the young girl ran to the bedroom and shook her mother awake and said, “It’s me! It’s me! I’m home!”

The mother couldn’t believe her eyes. They fell into each other’s 　19.　. The daughter said, “I was so worried and thought someone had broken in.” The mother replied gently, “No, dear. From the day you left, that door has never been 　20.　.”

When I was young, I really doubted whether there was love between my parents. Every day they were busy earning money so that they could   41  the high tuition my brother and I needed. They didn’t   42  in the romantic ways that I read in books or saw on TV.
One day, Mom was sewing a quilt（被子）. I  43 sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a  44  here,” I said after a while. “Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very　45 voice.
Mom stopped her work and raised her head with   46  in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. She bent her head and continued to sew the quilt. I was   47  if I had hurt her. I was in great embarrassment and I was at a loss what to do. But at last she said, very   48  , “Susan, look at this   49 . Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and lasting. If   50  is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there.   51  is inside.”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until years later.
One day, Dad accidentally got　  52  while on duty. Ever since then he could no longer　  53　properly. Every morning and dusk Mom would help Dad walk slowly on the country road. Along the country road, there were beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The leaves were gently glistening（发光）   54  the sun shining upon them. All of these made up the most beautiful   55  in the world.
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day. “Susan, don’t worry about me,” he said gently. “I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Looking into his eyes, I  56　what they meant.
The doctor had said Dad would   57 in two months. But that day never came. He   58 away in peace.
59 I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this   60 , I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, which makes life strong and warm…