When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad’s office.

“What are you doing at home?” I asked casually.

“Andrew, I was    31    today,” he answered quietly.

I was sure he was joking. “No, you weren’t. Why are you    32    at home?”

Then I noticed his    33    and realized he was telling me the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career.    34    our family has been his joy, and I guess I have    35    his work for granted.

My father’s unemployment    36    many changes in our lives. For starters, he was at home all the time, which meant my bed had to be    37   , my room cleaned up, and my     38     done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer     39     jobs. I began to notice how    40    he seemed, and how losing his job affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be    41   . For the first time, I    42    my dad as vulnerable (易受伤的). He asked my brother and me to    43    less. I gave up my pocket money,    44    it wasn’t much. I felt I was doing the right. I also found a part-time job.

After several difficult months of searching, my dad    45    to go in a totally different direction. He    46    that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him    47    it, and I admired how much time and     48     he expended. I    49    knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really affected me.

Although this was one of the    50    experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity (逆境), and will be my foundations for success.

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath the long branches of an old willow tree.   31   at life, I have a good reason to frown, for the world was intent on   32   me down.

And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath   33  me, all tired from play. He stood   34   in front of me with his head tilted down and said with great excitement, "Look what I found!" In his hand was a   35  . What a pitiful sight, its petals were all worn - not enough rain, or too little light. Wanting him to take his dead flower away and go off to play, I   36   a small smile and then looked away.

But instead of   37   , he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and   38   loudly with certainty, "It sure smells pretty and it must be beautiful, too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you." The weed before me was dying or dead, not vibrant of   39  , orange, yellow or red. But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I  40  for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need." Again,  41   placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan. It was then  42  I noticed for the very first time that the boy could not see: he was  43 .

I heard my voice trembling. Tears shone like the sun as I thanked him for picking the very best one. "You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play, not realizing the  44  he'd had on my day. I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a  45   woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he 46  my self-indulged plight(困境)? Perhaps he'd been  47  with true sight from his heart by God.

Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see, the problem was not with the world; the problem was me. For all of those times I myself had been blind. I decided to see beauty, and  48  every second that belongs to mine.  49  I held that dead flower up to my nose and breathed in the  50  of a beautiful rose , I smiled as that young boy. Another flower in his hand was about to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.

When I come across a good article in reading newspapers, I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so, I find the article on the   26    side is much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to   27    in good health, or   28    about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to   29    damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text   30   the title. Therefore, the scissors would   31   before they start,   32    halfway done when I find out the   33    result.

Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth your   34   . You can only take up one of them; the other has to wait or be   35    up. But you know the future is unpredictable-the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left   36   . Thus you are   37    in a difficult position and feel sad. How   38    that nice chances and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life   39    greatly on your preference of one choice to the other.

In fact that is what   40    is like: we are often   41    with the two opposite sides of the thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only   42    we get into another. The   43    may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I   44    remember a philosopher’s remarks: “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual   45    may not be a had one.

26.  A. front           B. same         C. either           D. opposite

27.  A. get         B. keep         C. lead         D. bring

28.  A. advice      B. news         C. a theory     D. a report

29.  A. suffer          B. reduce           C. prevent      D. cause

30.  A. on          B. for          C. without      D. off

31.  A. use         B. handle           C. prepare      D. stay

32.  A. or          B. but          C. so           D. for

33.  A. satisfying      B. regretful        C. surprising       D. impossible

34.  A. courage     B. strength     C. attention        D. patience

35.  A. given           B. held         C. made         D. picked

36.  A. near            B. alone            C. about            D. behind

37.  A. filled          B. attracted        C. caught           D. struck[来源:学

38.  A. dares           B. comes            C. does         D. dare

39.  A. improves        B. changes      C. progresses       D. goes

40.  A. study           B. society          C. nature           D. life

41.  A. faced           B. supplied     C. connected        D. fixed

42.  A. before      B. after            C. until            D. as

43.  A. following       B. next         C. above            D. former

A. still            B. also         C. once         D. almost

45.  A. treatment       B. action           C. choice           D. remark

When Jane Austen (1775--1817) wrote her novels in England, she was writing about a   21  that most of us would not recognize.

But today Austen’s books are in great   22   than ever. In the last ten years, five or six novels have been   23   into Hollywood films, while her books continue to be bestsellers. So why is Austen still   24  ?

Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English at Oxford University argued that her novels still  25  people because they  26  the same issues today as they were when she wrote them.

Her novels are about women   27  to find a perfect husband, but also  28  issues surrounding marriages, friendships and the family. “The plots are fairly timeless about human interaction   29  are familiar to us,” Jenkyns says.

The most famous book Austen wrote is Pride and Prejudice, a   30   story between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. At first the two   31  do not get on. They   32   fall in love, but still have to   33   opposition to their relationship from their families.

All of Austen’s books are   34   to read, making them popular with children and adults,

  35  they work on different levels so people can take  36  they need from them, author Kate Henry says.

“You can choose to see the politics and feminism(男女平等思想) in them,  37  you don’t want to take on those issues you can turn a blind eye to it,” she says.

  38  is often hailed(赞扬) as the greatest romance writer in the English language, so it is surprising she remained  39  . “Maybe she was too much of a romantic, waiting for a    40

man,” Henry says.

The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond， California， USA. “Police station？ A train for Santa FE collide(碰撞)with a(n)　31　at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please go there at once， with an ambulance too. A man is badly injured，” said a(n)　32　voice of a young woman.

“Just a minute， we’ll come　33　. Please stay there and wait，” answered the policeman.

Within a minute， a police car and an ambulance　34　. Soon they got to the　35　， but only to　36　everything was fine. No collision， no　37　man.

“What a dirty trick！” said the policeman　38　. “We must find out that mischievous(恶作剧的)　39　and. . . ”

They had not been able to say anything about a punishment　40　they heard the whistle of a train： the train was nearing them quickly. All　41　a sudden， a truck appeared. It came fast towards them， too. 　42　it was passing the crossing， it suddenly refused to move on. Right then and there， before the eyes of all the people present， the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it　43　meters away.

When Randolph Bruce， the driver was　44　out of the damaged truck， he was　45　hurt just　46　the young woman had foretold on the phone. As he was taken to the　47　in time， he was saved at last.

Later the policemen did　48　they could to find the woman who had telephoned them， but　49　.

It is　50　that a prophecy(预言)should coincide(巧合)with the fact so exactly.

31. A. ambulance　　　　B. truck　　　　C. car　　　　　D. bus

32. A. anxious         B. sweet             C. gentle            D. low

33. A. fast            B. ahead             C. soon              D. later

34. A. went by        B. set off             C. got there           D. came on

35. A. telephone       B. street             C. station             D. crossing

36. A. feel            B. find              C. have              D. tell

37. A. injured         B. trapped            C. frightened         D. killed

38. A. happily         B. excitedly          C. angrily            D. disappointedly

39. A. man           B. policeman          C. woman           D. boy

40. A. until           B. since              C. while             D. when

41. A. at             B. of                C. by                D. for

42. A. When          B. Where            C. That              D. Which

43. A. dozen          B. dozens            C. dozen of           D. dozens of

44. A. raised          B. helped            C. pushed            D. forced

45. A. slightly         B. clearly            C. hardly            D. badly

46. A. as             B. so                C. before            D. for

47. A. police station    B. market            C. hospital           D. sidewalk

48. A. that            B. which             C. however          D. whatever

49. A. delayed         B. worked           C. stopped            D. failed

50. A. surprised        B. surprising         C. satisfied           D. satisfying