A Leap（跳跃）to Honor

Leaping on a narrow balance beam（平衡木） is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13-year-old gymnast, is an expert at it.

To perfect her skills, Lola   36   for four hours a day, five days a week. At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.

That’s especially impressive,          37    she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift constantly. She often sees double and can’t _38   how far away things are.

When she was little, her mom   39  that even though she couldn’t see         40   , she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the    41    right away and gymnastics became her favorite.

Though learning gymnastics has been more    42   for her than for some of her tournaments, she has never quit. She doesn’t let her _43  stop her from doing anything that she wants to.

She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest          44_ is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even closes her eyes. “You have to          45_ your mind that it’ll take you where you want to go,” says Lola.

To be a top-level gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most   46  for anyone because it’s four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn’t fall      47  the beam. In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10---- her highest score yet.

Lola doesn’t want to be          48    differently from the other girls on her team. At the competitions, the judges don’t know about her vision _49 _. She doesn’t tell them, because she doesn’t think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her _50          attitude.

Lola never thinks about   51__. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her   52         is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she’s learned to other kids    53  she grew up.

Lola is   54  of all her hard work and success. She says it’s helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics, too. Her   55        for others is “just believe yourself”.

1.                A．runs           B．teaches         C．trains D．dances

2.                A．since           B．unless          C．after D．though

3.                A．tell            B．guess          C．assume   D．predict

4.                A．suspected       B．remembered    C．imagined D．noticed

5.                A．deeply         B．well            C．ahead    D．closely

6.                A．task           B．sport           C．event    D．show

7.                A．boring         B．enjoyable       C．difficult   D．unsatisfactory

8.                A．talent          B．quality          C．nature   D．condition

9.                A．doubt          B．advantage       C．challenge D．program

10.               A．examine        B．express        C．open D．trust

11.               A．fearful         B．harmful        C．unfair D．inconvenient

12.               A．to             B．on            C．off   D．against

13.               A．greeted        B．treated         C．served    D．paid

14.               A．pains          B．stresses        C．injuries    D．problems

15.               A．positive        B．friendly        C．flexible    D．caution

16.               A．defending      B．quitting         C．winning   D．bargaining

17.               A．standard        B．range          C．view  D．goal

18.               A．until           B．as             C．when D．before

19.               A．proud          B．tired           C．ashamed   D．confident

20.               A．plan           B．advice         C．reward    D．Responsibility

Since I moved to Seattle, there’s no farm whose name has come up more than Quillisascut. Quillisascut is a cheese company,  36  what they call “traditional farmstead cheese’’, but it’s also a school.   37  completing a five-day “Introduction to Farming” workshop at Quillisascut, I understand why this farm school is so  38 . I hope that you can one day visit it, too.

At Quillisascut, mornings begin at 5:30 am with  39  and milking the goats. The morning’s  40  is made into cheese in the afternoon. Cheese making requires many steps. The process can take one day to several months,  41  the type of cheese being made.

During our workshop, we were lucky enough to have the farm’s chefs  42  meals of grains and beans from neighboring farms and herbs from the garden. All of the foods used for cooking are either grown there or  43  sourced.

Any  44  from meals is made into compost(堆肥). It is  45  onto the farm’s land, transforming Quillisascut’s soil  46  fertile salad bars for the goats. In addition to sunlight, rain, and compost, the goat farm  47  seeding and reseeding.

When I know where my food came from, who  48  it, and the complex process it took to get to my  49 , food does more than fuel my body. It also heats my  50 . I wonder how different our food and healthcare systems would look like if all people learnt firsthand about the  51  and tears involved in bringing food to the table.

If every food production operation  52  the public onto its ground, it is possible that our country’s food system would look very different; and our country’s connection with food could  53 . But for now, Quillisascut and other educational farms are making a(an)  54 , carrying out the goal “to make the world a more  55  place”.

1.                A．displaying       B．selling          C．advertising    D．designing

2.                A．Until           B．Unless          C．After D．If

3.                A．beloved        B．interested       C．moved   D．excited

4.                A．observing       B．feeding         C．introducing    D．finding

5.                A．goat           B．milk            C．choice    D．meat

6.                A．putting on       B．taking on        C．focusing on    D．depending on

7.                A．describe        B．check          C．cook D．heat

8.                A．regionally       B．comfortably     C．formally  D．positively

9.                A．leftover        B．makeup         C．food     D．drink

10.               A．passed         B．based          C．worked   D．spread

11.               A．with           B．of             C．as    D．into

12.               A．avoids         B．protests        C．requires   D．promotes

13.               A．tasted          B．measured       C．grew D．learnt

14.               A．car            B．wallet          C．wall  D．plate

15.               A．soul           B．face           C．hand D．dream

16.               A．seed           B．sweat          C．money    D．imagination

17.               A．welcomed      B．persuaded      C．demanded     D．suggested

18.               A．break          B．settle          C．begin D．deepen

19.               A．performance    B．difference      C．expression D．impression

20.               A．famous         B．curious         C．beautiful  D．traditional

In a class I teach for adults, I recently did the “unpardonable.” I gave the class homework!

The assignment (任务) was to “go to someone you love 　36 the next week and tell them you love them. It 　37 to be someone you have never 　38 those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.” That doesn’t 　39 like a very tough assignment, 　40 you stop to realize that most of the men were over 35 and were 　41 in the generation of men that were taught that expressing emotions is not “macho (男子汉气概的).” Showing feelings or crying (heaven forbid!) was just not done 　42 this was a very threatening assignment for some.

At the 　43 of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to 　44 what happened when they told someone they loved them. I fully expected one of the 　45 to volunteer, as was usually the 　46 , but on this evening one of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit 　47 . As he unfolded out of his chair, he began by saying, “Dennis. I was quite 　48 with you last week when you gave us the assignment. I didn’t feel that I had 　49 to say those words to and 　50 , who were you to tell me to do something that personal? But as I began driving home my conscience (良知) started talking to me. It was telling me that I 　51 exactly who I needed to say I love you to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a heated 　52 and really never resolved it since that one. We 　53 seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings. But 　54 then, we hardly spoke to each other. So last. Tuesday 　55 I got home, I had convinced myself. I was going to tell my father I loved him.”

36．A．after　　　　　　　　　 B．before　　　　　　　　 C．for　　　　　　　　　　 D．within

37．A．has to　　　　　　　　 B．ought to　　　　　　 C．had better　　　　　 D．can

38．A．told　　　　　　　　　　 B．said　　　　　　　　　　 C．talked　　　　　　　　 D．spoken

39．A．look　　　　　　　　　 B．hear　　　　　　　　　 C．listen　　　　　　　　　 D．sound

40．A．when　　　　　　　　 B．until　　　　　　　　　 C．that　　　　　　　　　　 D．unless

41．A．born　　　　　　　　　 B．grown　　　　　　　　 C．raised　　　　　　　　 D．risen

42．A．And　　　　　　　　　 B．But　　　　　　　　　　 C．So　　　　　　　　　　 D．For

43．A．beginning　　　　　 B．end　　　　　　　　　　 C．middle　　　　　　　　 D．stating

44．A．announce　　　　　 B．share　　　　　　　　　 C．answer　　　　　　　 D．ask

45．A．men　　　　　　　　　 B．adults　　　　　　　　 C．students　　　　　　 D．women

46．A．case　　　　　　　　　 B．thing　　　　　　　　　 C．story　　　　　　　　　 D．experience

47．A．afraid　　　　　　　　 B．shaken　　　　　　　 C．terrible　　　　　　　 D．worried

48．A．happy　　　　　　　　 B．pleased　　　　　　　 C．angry　　　　　　　　 D．satisfied

49．A．everybody　　　　　 B．nobody　　　　　　　 C．someone　　　　　　 D．anyone

50．A．else　　　　　　　　　　 B．except　　　　　　　　 C．beside　　　　　　　　 D．besides

51．A．thought　　　　　　　 B．considered　　　　　 C．knew　　　　　　　　 D．guessed

52．A．disagreement　　　 B．encouragement　　 C．disappointment　　 D．discouragement

53．A．imagined　　　　　　 B．risked　　　　　　　　 C．avoided　　　　　　　 D．escaped

54．A．still　　　　　　　　　　 B．even　　　　　　　　　 C．just　　　　　　　　　　 D．only

55．A．by the time　　　　 B．at the time　　　　　 C．for the time　　　　 D．during the time

　　A football coach in a high school had an idea and made a contract with his wife that he would take care of their children and do all the housework during the summertime．Would he be able to complete the task ?

　　It was all his own idea, says Pat, the wife of California high school football coach Bob Peters．Bob had 　1　 made a motherhood contract (合同) declaring that for 70 days this summer he would 　2　 the care of their four children and all the housework．　3　 he didn't even know how to make coffee when he sighed, he was very confident．

　　After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to 　4　．I was beaten down, admits Bob．Not only is motherhood a 　5　 task, it is an impossible job for any normal human being．

　　Bob and Pat were married in 1991．After the marriage, Pat 　6　 a secretary to help put him through university．　7　 Bob has been the football coach while Pat raised the kids．　8　 two years ago Pat went back to work．I had been 　9　 children so much, she 　10　 , I couldn't talk to a grown-up．She continued to run the household, 　11　 until Bob sighed the contract．

　　Bob tried hard to learn cooking, but the meals he prepared were 　12　 ．For the last three weeks, the family 　13　 a lot ?sometimes having MacDonald's hamburgers for lunch and dinner．

　　　14　 housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean 15 the bed is made．I found 16 I shut the doors, he says．Soon the kids were wearing their shirts inside out．When we went to 　17　 Pat at work, I made them wear their shirts 　18　 side out so they would look clean．

　　Now that Bob has publicly 　19　 he was wrong, he is 　20　 the child-raising and household tasks with Pat．

1．

[　　]

2．

[　　]

3．

[　　]

4．

[　　]

5．

[　　]

6．

[　　]

7．

[　　]

8．

[　　]

9．

[　　]

10．

[　　]

11．

[　　]

12．

[　　]

13．

[　　]

14．

[　　]

15．

[　　]

16．

[　　]

17．

[　　]

18．

[　　]

19．

[　　]

20．

[　　]

On the border, a pack of wild dogs circled the soldiers for food． The leader of the pack was a gray- and-white dog called Nubs． He was   11  and hardly able to stand． Marine major Brian Dennis looked   12  and saw that there was a knife wound in his chest．

Dennis couldn't stand seeing the dog   13_．He and his men immediately treated the wound, and  gave Nubs medicine．Nubs pulled through but was still in   14 ．The next day, the team had to  15  . Ten days later, Dennis' unit was back, and so was Nubs． He was still   16 ，but the men fed him and  played with him．

Before long the unit once again left for the front 70 miles away． Nubs, slowly but 17  , followed them far into the trackless wasteland _ 18  the men lost sight of him．Two days later, beyond Dennis'   19  , he saw Nubs just outside the outpost（前哨）．The dog had  20  him across 70 miles of frozen desert to meet with the friend who had   21 his life．From then on Nubs and the men   22 in the same place, and ran around in the same ruins（废墟）．                          

Until an order came that they were not   23_ to have pets, Dennis decided to make sure the dog would  24 _ to live the good life．So he quickly raised $4,000 from his family and friends to 25 Nubs to America．

A year later, when Dennis and the dog were   26  in California, at first Nubs didn't   27  the guy．But within minutes, the dog jumped into Dennis' arms, jumping   28   again and again to lick his friend's face．

A little love and concern in the middle of   29 will not save a violent world． But small stories, like the story of a soldier and a clog, hold a  30  of a harmonious（和谐的）world．

1.                A．shaking         B．waiting         C．barking   D．resting

2.                A．lower          B．better          C．clearer   D．closer

3.                A．worry          B．suffer          C．fear D．starve

4.                A．surprise        B．control         C．pain D．anger

5.                A．leave          B．drill            C．fight D．walk

6.                A．dirty           B．weak           C．thin  D．tired

7.                A．suddenly       B．happily         C．easily D．determinedly

8.                A．unless          B．since           C．until D．after

9.                A．imagination      B．reach          C．sight     D．ability

10.               A．caught         B．tracked         C．guarded   D．found

11.               A．loved          B．started         C．saved D．taken

12.               A．traveled        B．met           C．grew D．slept

13.               A．allowed        B．expected       C．needed   D．required

14.               A．go             B．like            C．try   D．continue

15.               A．lead           B．fly             C．drive D．show

16.               A．reunited        B．interviewed     C．watched   D．gathered

17.               A．notice          B．believe         C．recognize  D．bother

18.               A．out            B．about          C．around    D．up

19.               A．time           B．danger         C．war   D．space

20.               A．way           B．view           C．concern   D．promise