Four years ago, I felt lucky after escaping one of those terrible 2-mile runs. I hated running; it was just something that   1  came easily to me. At that time, if you had told me that I would one day run a marathon, I’ d have told you honestly that I had a better   2  of winning the lottery（彩票）.

The turning   3  came when I met Mrs. Green. She was fifty years old, going through chemotherapy（化学疗法）for her cancer, and still managed to run 30 miles a week. I thought that if Mrs. Green could run 6 miles at a time, I could run at least two. In February, in cold weather, I started a 2-mile   4  around my neighborhood. Two months later, I   5  the running for the first time. I felt very tired, but I felt happy.

Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few   6  minutes, slowly building my endurance（耐力）. I didn’t need to  7  against other runners, for my most important competitor was myself.

After continuing to   8  myself, I knew it was time to step my training up. I   9  I would train for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon.

The race day   10  came, and I was filled with excitement and worry. It was final time to see what I was made of. The   11  ended up surprisingly. I did   12  through the last few miles, but after my running, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d finished. As I   13  the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of   14  and happiness I had ever had in my life. I am now a marathoner.

As John Bingham once said, “The miracle（奇迹）isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the   15  to start.”

1.                A．never          B．always          C．usually   D．often

2.                A．belief          B．suggestion       C．chance   D．hope

3.                A．situation        B．stage           C．case D．point

4.                A．race           B．walk           C．hike D．ride

5.                A．closed         B．changed        C．finished  D．considered

6.                A．perfect         B．extra           C．actual    D．basic

7.                A．compete        B．go             C．speak    D．argue

8.                A．treat           B．interest         C．challenge D．enjoy

9.                A．forced         B．decided        C．doubted  D．seemed

10.               A．certainly        B．immediately     C．frequently D．finally

11.               A．experience     B．moment        C．walk  D．reward

12.               A．look           B．live            C．travel D．struggle

13.               A．toured         B．moved         C．crossed   D．stopped

14.               A．touch          B．pride          C．humor    D．belonging

15.               A．courage        B．ability          C．choice    D．thought

Much to my _______, most of the people ______ to the party were old friends.

   A. astonishing; inviting               B. astonished; invitied

   C. astonishment; inviting             D. astonishment; invited

I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us   36  chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell   37 . I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I   38  the countryside for some place I could rent for the   39  possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road   40  the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was   41 , full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and   42  a corner to camp in.
The locals knew nothing about me,   43  slowly, they started teaching me the   44  of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began   45  around to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a   46  American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of   47 .
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were   48  for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place.   49  on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my   50  with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into   51 . I saw many people were having a really hard time,   52  their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to   53  a handful of people. There are four of us now in the house, but over time I’ve had nine people come in and move on to other places. We’d all be in   54  if we hadn’t banded together.
The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about   55  we can all get by together.

It’s easy to see how to help some people, but what about those whose needs are not so clear? This story may have happened not long ago--- but it was a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.

It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my parents at a shelter for the needy. We served hot food to whoever came in. Most of our dinners looked like they had been having hard times; their clothes were worn out and dirty. Then, a man came in, who looked anything but needy. He was well dressed. I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw (下巴) dropped in amazement when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station , the more I muttered (小声抱怨). What was this man doing? Surely he wasn’t going to take food which was meant for those who were really in need!

Then my mother quietly took me to one side. She said, “You have thought that the needs of the people who come here must be purely physical, hunger, etc. And this gentleman doesn’t seem to have any of those problems. But what if his needs are emotional（情感的）? What if he needs comfort, friends, or just to be among other human beings? Her words hit me like a ton of bricks! I felt like I should apologize to the man--- but I didn’t.

About a week later the shelter received a large donation from an anonymous source. I can’t help but wonder if it came from that man.

Now, whenever I meet someone I remember my mother’s lesson and try to send kindness their way, no matter how they look. Needs aren’t always seen. But kindness always makes a difference.

1.How did the author feel as the well-dressed man joined the line for food?

2.The author’s mother mainly wanted to tell the author that we ______.

3.What does the underlined word “anonymous” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

4.From the last paragraph, we learn that ______.

5.What would be the best title for the text?

Writer Jean Stafford scoffed, “Happy  people don't need to have fun,” but studies show that the absence of feeling bad isn’t enough to make you feel good；you must try hard to find sources of feeling good. Research shows that regularly having fun is a key factor in having a happy life；people who have fun are 20 times more likely to feel happy.

    Recently, I noticed a pattern among activities that people find fun：Have a mission. There’s something about having a playful purpose，of trying to achieve something that makes an activity more fun.

    For example a friend told that she loved visiting flea markets（旧货市场）and antique stores to look for old globes-not fancy ones，but cheap ones. She has a rule that she'll never pay more than＄20. She’s the kind of person who loves wandering around in those kinds of shops in any case，but having a mission makes it more fun, less aimless.

   For that matter，having a collection of any sort is a very popular way to have a mission. You get satisfaction whenever you find another piece of blue sea glass on the beach or another out-of-print book by Charlotte Yonge in an old bookstore.

   Taking photos is a common way to incorporate(使并入) a mission into traveling. Not only does this help keep memories vivid, it also makes you more attuned（协调一致）to your environment while traveling. For example，during my most recent visit to New Haven，I had a lot more fun wandering around once I set myself the mission of taking tourist photos of my own romance.

    Why is this true? The First Splendid Truth holds that to be happier，you have to think about feeling good and feeling right，in an atmosphere of growth. The more I’ve thought about happiness，the more surprised I’ve been at the importance of the “atmosphere of growth.” I think this is a huge engine of happiness, and when you have a mission, you create an atmosphere of growth whenever you pursue that mission.

    Have you found a way to have a mission? What is it and does it boost your happiness?

1.. According to the author, happy people____

A. don't need to have fun

B. don't have to be occupied with work

C. can have 20 times more fun than others

D. are always finding sources of feeling good

2.. What does the underlined phrase “Having a mission" mean in paragraph 2？

A. Have fun.                                          B. Join in an activity.

C. Find something interesting to do.                D: Hunting for a job.

3. The author explains the key factor in having a happy life by____.

A. making a comparison                         B. presenting numbers

C. stating common sense                      D. using examples

4.. What will be probably the best title?

A. How to live happily

B. Where to look for fun

C. The importance of feeling good

D. Having a mission can make you happier