He lost his arms in an accident that took his father’s life. Since then，he has had to depend on the __31__ of his younger brother.__32__ writing with his toes，he was completely unable to do anything in his life. But when the two brothers grew up，his younger brother __33__ to separate from him，living his own life，as many normal people do. So he was __34__ and didn’t know what to do.

A __35__ disaster befell (降临) a girl，too. One night her mother，who  __36__ from mental illness disappeared. So her father went out looking for her mother，__37__ her alone at home. She tried to prepare meals for her parents，__38__ to overturn the kerosene light (煤油灯) on the stove，__39__ in a fire which took her hands away.

Though her elder sister showed her __40__ to take care of her，she was determined to be completely __41__.At school，she always studied hard. Once she wrote the following in her composition: “I am __42__.Though I lost my arms，I still have legs; I am lucky.__43__ my wings are broken，my heart can still fly.”

One day，the boy and the girl were both invited to __44__ on a television interview program. The boy told the TV host about his uncertain __45__ at being left on his own.__46__，the girl was full of hope for her life. They both were __47__ to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy wrote: My younger brother’s arms are my arms while the girl wrote: Broken wings，__48__ heart.

It is true that __49__ can strike at any time. But if you decide to be strong，the hardship will __50__ to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.

He lost his arms in an accident that took his father’s life. Since then，he has had to depend on the __26__ of his younger brother.__27__ writing with his toes，he was completely unable to do anything in his life. But when the two brothers grew up，his younger brother __28__ to separate from him，living his own life，as many normal people do. So he was __29__ and didn’t know what to do.

A __30__ disaster befell (降临) a girl，too. One night her mother，who  __31__ from mental illness disappeared. So her father went out looking for her mother，__32__ her alone at home. She tried to prepare meals for her parents，__33__ to overturn the kerosene light (煤油灯) on the stove，__34__ in a fire which took her hands away.

Though her elder sister showed her __35__ to take care of her，she was determined to be completely __36__.At school，she always studied hard. Once she wrote the following in her composition: “I am __37__.Though I lost my arms，I still have legs; I am lucky.__38__ my wings are broken，my heart can still fly.”

One day，the boy and the girl were both invited to __39__ on a television interview program. The boy told the TV host about his uncertain __40__ at being left on his own.__41__，the girl was full of hope for her life. They both were __42__ to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy wrote: My younger brother’s arms are my arms while the girl wrote: Broken wings，__43__ heart.       

It is true that __44__ can strike at any time. But if you decide to be strong，the hardship will __45__ to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.

1.                A．eyes　　　     B．arms           C．feet D．ears

2.                A．Because of      B．But for         C．Instead of     D．Except for

3.                A．wanted         B．promised       C．refused   D．failed

4.                A．self-confident    B．open-minded    C．heart-broken  D．cold-hearted

5.                A．painful         B．similar          C．familiar   D．sudden

6.                A．came          B．suffered        C．learned   D．benefited

7.                A．keeping        B．getting         C．causing   D．leaving

8.                A．even           B．only           C．never    D．ever

9.                A．breaking        B．turning         C．resulting  D．taking

10.               A．willingness      B．promise        C．contribution    D．choice

11.               A．dependent      B．convenient      C．free D．independent

12.               A．amazing        B．lucky          C．friendly   D．popular

13.               A．As             B．Until           C．Though    D．Since

14.               A．appear         B．perform        C．speak D．compete

15.               A．future         B．past           C．experience D．condition

16.               A．Otherwise      B．Besides         C．Therefore D．However

17.               A．expected       B．reminded       C．asked D．suggested

18.               A．tearing         B．worrying        C．understanding  D．flying

19.               A．disasters        B．diseases        C．wars  D．interviews

20.               A．bring out       B．hold out        C．turn out   D．set out

If you intend using humor in your talk to make people smile, you must know how to identify shared experiences and problems. Your humor must be relevant to the audience and should help to show them that you are one of them or that you understand their situation and are in sympathy with their point of view. Depending on whom you are addressing, the problems will be different.       

If you are talking to a group of managers, you may refer to the disorganized methods of their secretaries; alternatively if you are addressing secretaries, you may want to comment on their disorganized bosses.

Here is an example, which I heard at a nurses' convention, of a story which works well because the audience all shared the same view of doctors. A man arrives in heaven and is being shown around by St. Peter. He sees wonderful accommodations, beautiful gardens, sunny weather, and so on. Everyone is very peaceful, polite and friendly until, waiting in a line for lunch, the new arrival is suddenly pushed aside by a man in a white coat, who rushes to the head of the line, grabs his food and stomps over to a table by himself. "Who is that?" the new arrival asked St. Peter. "Oh, that's God." came the reply, "but sometimes he thinks he's a doctor."

If you are part of the group which you are addressing, you will be in a position to know the experiences and problems which are common to all of you and it'll be appropriate for you to make a passing remark about the inedible canteen food or the chairman's notorious bad taste in ties. With other audiences you mustn't attempt to cut in with humor as they will resent an outsider making disparaging remarks about their canteen or their chairman. You will be on safer ground if you stick to scapegoats like the Post Office or the telephone system.

If you feel awkward being humorous, you must practice so that it becomes more natural. Include a few casual and apparently off-the-cuff(即兴的)remarks which you can deliver in a relaxed and unforced manner. Often it's the delivery which causes the audience to smile, so speak slowly and remember that a raised eyebrow or an unbelieving look may help to show that you are making a light-hearted remark.

Look for the humor. It often comes from the unexpected. A twist on a familiar quote "If at first you don't succeed, give up" or a play on words or on a situation. Search for exaggeration and understatements. Look at your talk and pick out a few words or sentences which you can turn about and inject with humor.

1.To make your humor work, you should ________.

2. The joke about doctors implies that, in the eyes of nurses, they are ________.

3. It can be inferred from the text that public services ________.

4.To achieve the desired result, humorous stories should be delivered ________.

5. The best title for the text may be ________.

James’s New Bicycle　

James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully __1__ the coins that lay on the bed. $24.52 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! __2__ on earth was he going to get the __3_ of the money?　

He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was __4__ to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. There was no __5__ asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to __6__.　

There was only one way to get money, and that was to __7__ it. He would have to find a job. __8__ who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had __9__ on most things.　

“Well, you can start right here,” said Mr. Clay. “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.”　

That was the _10__ of James’s odd-job（零工） business. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the __11__ of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the __12__ of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the __13__ increased and he knew that he would soon have __14__ for the bicycle he longed for.　

The day __15__ came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He __16__ no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode __17__ home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard __18__ for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more __19__ he had bought it with his own money. He had __20__what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle.　

难易度：难

1. A. cleaned　　　 B. covered　　 C. counted　　　　 D. checked　

2. A. How　 B. Why　 C. Who　 D. What　

3. A. amount　 B. part　 C. sum　 D. rest　

4. A. brave　 B. hard　 C. smart D. unfair　

5. A. point B. reason　 C. result　 D. right　

6. A. split　 B. spend　 C. spare　 D. save　

7. A. borrow B. earn　 C. raise　 D. collect　

8. A. Or　 B. So　 C. For　 D. But　

9 A. decisions B. experience 　C. opinions D. knowledge　

10. A. beginning B. introduction　 C. requirement　 D. opening　

11. A. similarity B. quality　 C. suitability　 D. variety　

12. A. brand　 B. number C. size　 D. type　

13. A. effort　 B. pressure C. money D. trouble　

14. A. all　 B. enough　 C. much　 D. some　

15. A. finally B. instantly C. normally D. regularly　

16. A. gave　 B. left　 C. took　 D. wasted　

17. A. patiently B. proudly　 C. silently　 D. tiredly　

18. A. applying　 B. asking　 C. looking　 D. working　

19. A. since B. if　 C. than　 D. though　

20. A. deserved B. benefited C. achieved D. learned

A lesson in caring

It was a cold evening. My daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora    36    . She wasn’t even four, but she   37    at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, can we take him home?”

    I don’t remember my   38    . But I do remember a sudden   39    feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her   40     , whether it was     41    flying or children playing. But now she was noticing   42    and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and   43     it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I signed us up. Nora was   44    about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how   45    our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to    46    myself to leave the house to fetch the food package. On my way to the school, I fought an urge (强烈愿望) to turn    47    . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting for me at home. Why do this?   48    , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She   49    us right over.

    The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.   50     inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged. I walked home    51    .

Professionals call such a(n)   52    “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities and I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something    53     that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and   54     clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve    55     her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has benefited more?

1.A. did                    B. was                          C. has            D. had

2.A. pulled　　　　    B. replaced                   C. waved        D. aimed

3.A. debate                   B. reply                        C. explanation D. expression

4.A. general　　　　    B. funny                       C. heavy         D. magical

5.A. web　　　　　    B. dream　　　　　    C. castle         D. world

6.A. insects                   B. animals　　　　      C. plants　　　D. birds

7.A. coldness 　　　    B. illness 　　　       C. suffering　　D. appearance

8.A. sent 　　           B. returned　　　      C. devoted　　 D. posted

9.A. concerned              B. sorry　　　　         C. worried      　D. excited

10.A. creative　　　    B. valuable　　　      C. shocking　　D. simple

11.A. warn　　　　　  B. stop　　　　  　    C. allow 　　　D. push

12.A. back 　　　　    B. away　　　　          C. up　　　　 D. out

13.A. Therefore　　　  B. But     　　          C. Anyhow　　D. Also

14.A. requested      　　    B. promised　　　      C. invited 　　 D. helped

15.A. Although                 B. Once　　　　　      C. Because 　　D. Though

16.A. in tears                B. in surprise                C. in reality      D. in disappointment

17.A. stay                         B. visit 　　　　         C. reception　　D. challenge

18.A. fair                         B. famous　　　　       C. difficult　　 D. enjoyable

19.A. collect                 B. make　　　　　      C. order 　　　D. design

20.A. let                       B. made　　　　　      C. watched 　　D. affected