Those days life was so hard that I finally wished that I could just be “left alone”.
The thought of going somewhere by myself would give me so much  1 . but then I’d remember when I was alone. Not that  2 _ left me. I was alone by myself in crowded places. It was the   3  that I built around me that would not  4  the outside in or the inside out.
When I was a child, I would play this silly   5 . It was always   6 _ because a place in a corner or under a table would do. My favorite place was simply to pull a blanket over my head. I would lie there and   7 , “Right now no one in the world knows where I am!” That thought was so   8 .
If you knew me well enough this wouldn’t   9  you…I still do it at 60. It drives my dogs crazy, because they find me and start digging at the blanket until they find a way in. All three of them  10  me. That thought is so satisfying, too.
I want you to know that at times we all wish that we could be left _11  . The fact that you can be alone with yourself and enjoy it shows clearly who you are. Imagine for a  12  being locked in a room with someone you  13 . It would be torture. So, if you find peace with being with yourself, that is good. However, if you are trying to build a wall so no one can ever  14 , it can’t happen.
The light of love can find a  15  through the tiniest cracks. You can pull the covers over your head and love will find you.

【小题1】

A．trouble B．experience C．pleasure D．worry

【小题15】

A．way B．help C． love D．hope

    I entered high school having read hundreds of books. But I was not a good reader. Merely bookish, I lacked a point of view when I read. Rather, I read in order to get a point of view. I searched books for good expressions and sayings，pieces of information，ideas，themes—anything to enrich my thought and make me feel educated. When one of my teachers suggested to his sleepy tenth-grade English class that a person could not have a “complicated（复杂的）idea” until he had read at least two thought books，I heard the words without recognizing either its irenic(嘲讽)or its very complicated truth. I merely determined to make a list of all the looks I had ever read. Strict with myself，I in chided only once a title I might have read several times.(How，after all. could one read a book more than once?) And I included only those books over a hundred pages in length. (Could anything shorter be a book ?)

    There was yet another high school list I made. One day I came across a newspaper article about an English professor at a nearby state college. The article had a list of the “hundred most important books of Western Civilization.” “More than anything else in my life,” the professor told the reporter with finality, “these books have made me all that I am.” That was the kind of words I couldn’t ignore(忽视).I kept the list for the several months it took me to read all of the titles. Most books, of course , I hardly understood. While reading Plato’s The Republic, for example, I needed to keep booking at the introduction of the book to remind myself what the text was about. However, with the special patience and superstition(迷信) of a schoolboy ,I looked at every word of the text. And by the time I reached the last word. pleased. I persuaded myself that I had read The Republic, and seriously crossed Plato off my list.

71.On hearing the teacher’s suggestion of reading, the writer thought___________.

A. one must read as many books as possible

B. a student should not have a complicated idea

C. it was impossible for one to read two thousand books

D. students ought to make a list of the books they had read

72. While at high school, the writer ______________.

A. had plans for reading                                           B. learned to educate himself

C. only read book over 100 pages                             D. read only one book several times

73.The underlined please “with finality ”probably means “__________”.

A. firmly                     B. clearly                           C. proudly               D. pleasantly

74.The writer’s purpose in mentioning The Republic is to _____________.

A. explain why it was included in the list            B. describe why he seriously crossed it off the list

C. show that he read the books blindly though they were hard to understand

D. prove that he understand most of it because he had looked at every word

75. The writer provides two book lists to _______________.

A. show how be developed his point of view      B. tell his reading experience at high school

C. introduce the two persons’ reading methods    D. explain that he read many books at high school

I entered high school having read hundreds of books.But I was not a good reader.Merely bookish,I lacked a point of view when I read.Rather,I read in order to get a point of view.I searched books for good expressions and sayings,pieces of information,ideas,themes—anything to enrich my thought and make me feel educated.When one of my teachers suggested to his sleepy tenth-grade English class that a person could not have a “complicated(复杂的) idea” until he had read at least two thousand books,I heard the words without recognizing either its irony(嘲讽) or its very complicated truth.I merely determined to make a list of all the books I had ever read.Strict with myself,I included only once a title I might have read several times.(How,after all,could one read a book more than once?)And I included only those books over a hundred pages in length.(Could anything shorter be a book?)

There was yet another high school list I made.One day I came across a newspaper article about an English professor at a nearby state college.The article had a list of the “hundred most important books of Western Civilization.”“More than anything else in my life,”the professor told the reporter with finality,“these books have made me all that I am.”That was the kind of words I couldn’t ignore(忽视).I kept the list for the several months it took me to read all of the titles.Most books,of course,I hardly understood.While reading Plato’s The Republic,for example,I needed to keep looking at the introduction of the book to remind myself what the text was about.However,with the special patience and superstition(迷信) of a schoolboy,I looked at every word of the text.And by me time I reached the last word,pleased,I persuaded myself that I had read The Republic,and seriously crossed Plato off my list.

On heating the teacher’s suggestion of reading,the writer thought ______.

A.one must read as many books as possible

B.a student should not have a complicated idea

C.it was impossible for one to read two thousand books

D.students ought to make a list of the books they had read

While at high school,the writer ______.

A.had plans for reading

B.learned to educate himself

C.only read books over 100 pages

D.read only one book several times

The underlined phrase “with finality” probably means ______.

A.firmly                                                                 B.clearly

C.proudly                                                               D.pleasantly

The writer’s purpose in mentioning The Republic is to ______.

A.explain why it was included in the list

B.describe why he seriously crossed it off the list

C.show that he read the books blindly though they were hard to understand

D.prove that he understood most of it because he had looked at every word

The writer provides two book lists to ______.

A.show how he developed his point of view

B.tell his reading experience at high school

C.introduce the two persons’ reading methods

D.explain that he read many books at high school

Early this morning, I got up to make a batch of Rice Krispie treats（大米花糖） for my neighbor across the hall. She   21  greets me when we see each other, and her little boy, who’s now 4, won’t talk to me either.
Last Monday, she called the firefighters when a pan I’d forgotten on the stove caused my flat to     22  . I had gone for a walk, but when I came home the street in front of our apartment was   23   by a police car, a fire truck and an ambulance!   24   I saw them, I remembered the pan!
I felt safe knowing that    25  we don’t get along, my neighbor had done the right thing and didn’t blame me. Hence, the Rice Krispie treats.
Last Christmas, my neighbor revealed that she had been a little angry about me because of a(n) __26___ four years ago. I had apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to ___27___ our relationship, but she would not accept my     28  .
Her direct refusal really    29   me. After that, I decided I’d just leave her be—a relationship     30   two to work.
So, you see, I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again,    31    me standing on her     32   holding my plate of treats. Then, I reminded myself of how good I had felt the day before when I’d done some random acts of ___33___ after telling myself: “ Feel the fear, and do it    34   !”
After placing the Rice Krispie treats on a beautiful plate, I opened my apartment door and met her in the hall way. I said：“I just wanted to tell you how    35   I am that you were paying attention on Monday.” I held the plate    36  her, explaining these were very sweet American treats and that she    37  try to see whether she and her family liked them. She took the plate and we talked a bit about   38   she’d become aware of the smoke in my flat before parting ways.
Back at home I    39   a “ happy dance”, because I had been kind even though I wasn’t sure it would be appreciated. I want to be able to be kind without expecting people to    40  in a certain way.

Early this morning, I got up to make a batch of Rice Krispie Treats for my neighbor across the hall. She barely greets me when we see each other, and her sweet little boy, who's now four,  has picked up her mother's manner and will not talk to me, either．
Last Monday, she had called the firefighters when a pan I'd forgotten on the stove caused my flat to fog up while I was out taking a walk. When I came home, the street in front of our apartment house was blocked by a police car, a fire truck and an ambulance! The instant I saw them, I remembered the pan! Luckily, nothing serious had happened, and all my neighbors agreed with the firefighter who said, "It could have happened to anyone．" When I thanked the neighbor who had called the firefighters-let's call her Ivy-and apologized for causing the trouble, she just asked if my cats were all right．When I said they were fine, she said, "Well, that's ok then," and turned into her flat．l felt strangely safe, knowing that even though we don't get along, she'd done the right thing and didn't blame me．So, the Rice Krispie Treats．
Last Christmas, my neighbor carelessly let it out that she was holding a grudge （怨恨） towards me because of an incident we'd had four years ago．I had particularly apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to improve our relationship. She would not accept my apology．
It had taken me a lot of courage to apologize and ask that question instead of insisting that we both shared responsibility for what had happened．Her flat-out refusal to make amends（补偿） really shocked and saddened me．After that, I decided I'd just leave her be-a relationship takes two to work．So, you see, I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again, leaving me standing on her doorstep, facing the closed door and holding my plate of treats． I know some people have a hard time understanding how the possibility of rejection can make an adult so afraid, but that's just the way I felt．
Then, I reminded myself of how loving and good I had felt yesterday when I'd done some random acts of kindness （thanks to helpothers．org）, after telling myself: Feet the fear,  and do it anyway! So I put the squares of Rice Krispie Treats on a beautiful plate, opened my apartment  door-and there she was, standing in the hallway．I smiled and said, "Hi," but when she saw me, she turned on her heels and went back inside, even though she seemed to have just stepped out．I went after her, regardless, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I've got something for you ! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were paying attention on Monday．" When she heard me speaking, she turned around． As I held the plate towards her, explaining these were very sweet American treats, and that she could just try and see whether she and her family would like them, her eyebrows winged up-and she took the plate．l was so happy and excited．We then talked a bit about how she'd become aware of the smoke in my flat, and parted ways．
Back in my place, I did a "happy dance", because I had dared to be kind even though I hadn't been sure at all my kindness would be welcome．I do hope that our relationship will slowly get better; I know I was and still am biased（存有偏见）towards her at times, but even if we don't make amends, I want to be able to be kind without depending on other people's behaviors and reactions .
【小题1】The neighbor held a grudge towards the writer most probably because_____．