An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to __1__ the house－building business to live a more __2__ life with his wife and __3__ his extended family. He would miss the paycheck(工资) each week, but he wanted to retire. They could __4__. 

The employer was __5__ to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, __6__ over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He used bad workmanship and __7__ materials. It was an unfortunate way to __8__ a dedicated(献身的)career.

When the carpenter finished  his work, his employer came to __9__ the house. Then he handed the front－door __10__ to the carpenter and said, “This is your house... my __11__ to you.”

The carpenter was shocked!

What a __12__！ If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

__13__  it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting __14__ than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we __15__ we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.

But, you cannot __16__. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Someone __17__ said, “Life is a do－it－yourself project.” Your __18__，  and the choices you __19__ today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, build __20__！

1. A. continue　　　  B. start　　　C. leave　　　D. find

2. A. leisurely       B. lonely     C. orderly    D. friendly                 

3. A support        B. share      C. enjoy     D. care                  

4. A. go off             B. get by

C. pass on            D. work away

5. A. polite         B. nervous   C. proud     D. sorry                   

6. A. but           B. while     C. which       D. before         

7. A. perfect        B. inferior   C. superior    D. tough                  

8. A. satisfy      B. improve     C. meet      D. end                      

9. A. buy        B. repair       C. inspect    D. sell                  

10. A. roof      B. window      C. key      D. design                   

11. A. gift       B. promise      C. salary    D. words

12. A. disappointment      B. shame         

C. pleasure             D. success        

13. A. So       B. Yet          C. As       D. Such                    

14. A. worse     B. more        C. rather     D. less                     

15. A. realize    B. explain       C. think      D. admit                   

16. A. step forward         B. go back

C. come out            D. look around

17. A. never     B. again        C. once     D. nearly            

18. A. attitude   B. experience    C. skill      D. advantage       

19. A. learn       B. take       C. see        D. make                   

20. A. badly  B. wisely      C. early         D. confidently             

When three of my grandchildren acquired a half－grown dog I agreed to help them build a dog house. As we began the __1__， I knew that keeping them involved was going to be a __2__. Much of my energy was spent calling them back to the job and finding __3__ of the project that could be handled by small children. I held to my initial(最初的) determination that building this dog house was to be a (n) __4__  project.

Early in the project I had __5__ the grandkids that we would roast wieners(香肠) in the back yard __6__ we finished painting the dog house.__7__ three of the largest house－painting brushes I could find, I supervised (管理) the __8__ of our homemade structure. Kids and paint. How could I have __9__ the potential (潜在的) harm that such a combination can create?

After cleaning up the paint __10__－kids, brushes, carport(车棚)－I __11__ that we would probably eat earlier if we just asked Grandma to heat the wieners in water on the gas range. A pain of __12__ came over me as I realized I was trying to weasel(躲避) out of a(n)__13__ promise.

As Jamie, Jeffrey and Kimberley looked on, I built a first－class fire in our back yard pit, cut some roasting sticks, and prepared for the __14__ cooking event. When we __15__ eating I leaned back on the cool grass and __16__ the last remnants(残余) of our fire. Six－year－old Jeffrey was leaning back against my chest, and I began to think about what it meant to be a Grandpa.

The __17__ was broken when Jeffrey quietly reflected, “Know what Grandpa？” And without breaking his __18__ at the dying embers(灰烬) he continued, “This is the best day of my whole life.”

After a few moments of __19__ silence he glanced up and said, “Are you crying, Grandpa? You've got a __20__ on your cheek.”

Clearing my throat I explained that it must be from the smoke.

1. A. plan　　　B. question　  　C. project　　D. problem

2. A. challenge  B. design        C. duty         D. job

3. A. all        B. parts         C. none         D. most

4. A. part－time  B. group         C. interesting  D. difficult

5. A. demanded   B. required      C. informed     D. promised

6. A. so long as   B. in order that  C. as soon as   D. even if

7. A. Selecting  B. Bringing      C. Washing      D. Arranging

8. A. building   B. moving        C. painting     D. cleaning

9. A. remembered        B. forgotten

C. regretted          D. prevented

10. A. colour      B. drops         C. mess         D. dirt

11. A. suggested   B. ordered       C. told         D. thought

12. A. wound      B. body         C. head         D. guilt

13. A. longer     B. bigger        C. better       D. earlier

14. A. indoor     B. outdoor       C. field        D. kitchen

15. A. began      B. finished      C. continued    D. liked

16. A. watched    B. made          C. raised       D. kept

17. A. fire       B. glass         C. silence        D. night

18. A. words      B. gaze          C. mind         D. attention

19. A. fixed      B. broken        C. mixed        D. continued

20. A. tear       B. grain         C. dirt           D. leaf

完形填空

　　When Nancy Lublin got $ 5000 from her great grandfather, she never once considered taking a vacation or paying off student loans（借款）. ____1____ the 24-year-old New York University law student began thinking about the clothing ____2____ faced by most of today's low-income women: “If she goes for a job interview ____3_____ dressed, she won't get the job,”Lublin says.“But without a job, she can't ____4____ proper clothing.”

　　A few weeks later, Lublin ____5___ Dress for Success and began searching for clothing and volunteers（志愿者）. She asked women to give away ____6____ business clothes that were ____7____ in good condition. She asked the members of diet centers to give away clothes that no longer fit. At first Lublin ____8____ the clothes in her one-bed-room apartment, but finally she found ___9___ in Greenwich Village church basement, which now ___10___ as the organization's main office.

　　Today, when women arrive at the office for help with job-hunting, they ____11___ a dress, shoes, a bag, stockings and jewelry, and self-confidence as well. Some are trying to enter the work __12___ after being on welfare（福利）for years.

　　__13____Dress for Success fitted its first per son who got help a year ago, more than 1 000 women have received dresses and many have won ___14___. Yarit Polanco was recently __15___ as a law-firm office manager. “Thanks to Dress for Success, I made a good impression（印象）and was accepted.”she says.

　　Donations（捐赠）are now __16___ in, including jewelry and 6 000 pairs of trousers and $ 40 000 worth of handbags. Broadcast journalists have given suits. And Lublin is opening Dress for Success ____17____ in other cities. “Many women have clothes ____18___ around that they'll never wear again,” says a volunteer.“Nancy's ___19___ is simple and practical and the ___20___ has proved so important to those women who are in great need of it.”

Water costs money．In some places water is hard  16 ．What 17 when a town

has these problems？A small town in California found a happy 18 ．

　　Very 19 rain ever fell there．The town had no water 20 ．The water it used was 21 from a river 300 miles away．As more people  22  live in the town  23   water was needed．Now water 24  to be brought in from 600 miles away．All these cost 25  money．

　　The town 26 a plan．It found 27  to clean its “dirty” water．Once the cleaned water was reused  28  many ways．Five 29  lakes were built．Here people could swim and fish and go 30  ．They 31  have picnics in their new parks．Farmers had more water  32  their crops．New factories can be built，now that they have the promise of 33 ．

　　In most places，water is used and thrown 34 ．The town that saved 35 water has saved the town！

Water costs money．In some places water is hard  36 ．What  37 when a town has these problems？A small town in California found a happy   38 ．

　　Very 39 rain ever fell there．The town had no water  40 ．The water it used was  41  from a river 300 miles away．As more people  42  live in the town，   43   water was needed．Now water  44  to be brought in from 600 miles away．All these cost  45  money．

　　The town 46 a plan．It found 47   to clean its “dirty” water．Once the cleaned water was reused  48  many ways．Five 49  lakes were built．Here people could swim and fish and go 50 ．They  51  have picnics in their new parks．Farmers had more water  52  their crops．New factories can be built，now that they have the promise of  53 ．

　　In most places，water is used and thrown 54 ．The town that saved  55  water

has saved the town！