A few years ago when my youngest son Matt was eight years old, we were getting things together to take to the Salvation Army (救世军) at Christmas time. The boys would go through their old 36  and give away what they didn’t 37 . I made cookies and got together blankets and clothes. After that Matt and I 38 the Christmas package to our local Salvation Army. We unloaded 39 and headed home.

40 we took the corner out of the parking lot, Matt 41 that a baseball glove he had put in the bag had 42 . He said, “Mom, we forgot my glove.” Just then he saw a little boy and his mom sitting on a bench on the side of a building 43 a small playground was. He said, “Mom, can we 44 so that I can give the glove to him?” I said, “ 45 .” And we drove to the side of the 46 and went through the gate.

Matt handed the boy the glove and said, “Here, Santa 47 me to give it to you.” He was so 48 to get it! His mom 49 and gave Matt a huge hug. Her eyes were full of tears. “It is the best 50 he could get,” she looked at us and said, “because the 51 thing I could get him this year was a baseball.”

When we got back in the car, Matt said to me, “Mom, God must have made me 52 the baseball glove inside so the little boy could have it — it was 53 to be!” That moment proved my 54 that everything happens for a 55 and I have tried my best to get people to see that ever since!

36. A. friends    B. ideas        C. toys             D. days

37. A. buy        B. eat          C. ensure          D. need

38. A. threw      B. delivered    C. posted          D. offered

39. A. everything  B. anything    C. something      D. nothing

40. A. When      B. Though     C. Until            D. Since

41. A. added      B. noticed      C. announced      D. remembered

42. A. found out  B. pointed out   C. missed out      D. fallen out

43. A. that        B. which        C. where          D. what

44. A. look over   B. climb over   C. pull over       D. roll over

45. A. Thanks     B. That’s right   C. You’re welcome  D. Sure

46. A. boy         B. road         C. bench           D. park

47. A. wanted     B. persuaded    C. allowed         D. forced

48. A. angry       B. nervous      C. happy          D. disappointed

49. A. sat down     B. stood up     C. went out      D. left behind

50. A. property    B. gift           C. material        D. information

51. A. first          B. worst       C. only            D. cheapest

52. A. leave        B. get           C. find            D. take

53. A. intended    B. planned      C. decided         D. meant

54. A. suggestion  B. chance        C. belief          D. thought

55. A. cause        B. reason        C. time           D. person

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. While creating roads in the soft sand, he   36  a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.
The boy   37  around the rock, managing to move it out from the dirt. With much   38 , he tried to push the rock out of the sandbox. When the boy got the rock to the edge(边缘) of the sandbox,   39 , he found that he couldn’t   40  it up and over the little wall. The rock was too   41  for his small body.
As he   42  to accept his failure, the little boy dug, pushed, and pried(撬动), but every time he thought he had made some   43 , the rock rolled and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy   44  again and again, but the only   45  was to have the rock roll back.
  46 , he burst into tears. All this time the boy’s father   47  him from his living room. The moment the tears fell, a   48  voice rose above the boy’s head. It was his father.  49 , but firmly(坚定地) he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the   50  that you had? The boy replied with tears, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I   51  all that I had!” “No, son, you didn’t,”  52  the father kindly. “You didn’t   53  me to help you.” With that the father picked up the rock and   54  it out of the sandbox.
Are you discovering that you don’t have the strength to move your “rocks” away? There is ONE who is always willing to   55  you with the strength you need. We also need that strength, especially in our daily life.

A few years ago, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, where I was employed. purchased Norand Corporation. Pioneer's sales representatives in the field used Norand hand-held terminals to upload daily sales information and download new price and sales incentive information. Pioneer bought so many of these hand-held-terminals, the economies made the purchase of Norand look interesting. Owning Norand also allowed Pioneer to explore high-technology markets outside agriculture.
But after a few years, the emerging laptop PC technology made the hand-held units obsolete (已废弃的). Pioneer sold Norand at a loss. Pioneer always took a given percent of the annual profits to divide equally among all employees, so our profit-sharing checks were lower than if Pioneer had not purchased Norand. Additionally, my Pioneer stock was lower than it had been before the purchase of Norand. I was not pleased.
The CEO of Pioneer, Tom Urban, made annual formal visits to each of the Pioneer divisions to talk about the state of the business and to listen to employees' concerns. When he walked into the meeting room for his first visit after the sale of Norand, he acknowledged the group, remove his jacket, and neatly folded it across the back of the chair. He loosened his tie, undid his collar and rolled up his sleeves.The next thing he said was the last thing I ever expected to hear a CEO say.
He said, "I made a mistake buying Norand and I am sorry. I am sorry your profit-sharing was lower because of the purchase, and I am sorry your stock was hurt by the purchase. I will continue to take risks, but I am a bit smarter now, and I will work harder for you."
A great man and leader stood before us that day. As I sat listening to him, I knew I could trust him, and that he deserved every bit of loyalty I could give to him and to Pioneer. I also knew I could take risks in my own job.
In the brief moment of silence before the questions started, I recall thinking that follow him into any battle.
【小题1】All of the following are the results brought by Pioneer's purchase of Norand except     .

A very little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him a plastic pail (桶) and a shiny, red plastic shovel (铲). In the  1  of creating roads and tunnels in the sand, he   2  a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.
The boy dug around the rock,  3  to move it off the dirt. At first, he wanted to carry it out of the sandbox with his hands; however, it was too heavy. Later, with much   4 , he pushed the rock across the sandbox by   5  his hands. When the boy got the rock to the   6  of the sandbox, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and   7  the little wall.   8 , the little boy pushed, but every time he thought he had made some   9 , the rock tipped (翻滚) and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy pushed and pushed, but his only   10  was to have the rock roll back.
Finally he  11  tears. All this time the boy’s father watched from his living room window   12  the drama was unfolded. The moment the tears fell, a large   13  appeared across the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but   14 , he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had?”
Defeated, the boy   15  back, “I did! I did! I used all the strength that I had!”
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t ask me for help.” The father   16  down, picked up the rock and dropped it off the sandbox.
Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be   17 ? Are you discovering that you don’t have   18  it takes to lift them? There is someone who is willing to give us the  19  we need. Maybe, it’s sometimes a good idea to ask others for   20  when we meet difficulties we can’t overcome.

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. While creating roads in the soft sand, he   36  a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.

The boy   37  around the rock, managing to move it out from the dirt. With much   38 , he tried to push the rock out of the sandbox. When the boy got the rock to the edge(边缘) of the sandbox,   39 , he found that he couldn’t   40  it up and over the little wall. The rock was too   41  for his small body.

As he   42  to accept his failure, the little boy dug, pushed, and pried(撬动), but every time he thought he had made some   43 , the rock rolled and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy   44  again and again, but the only   45  was to have the rock roll back.

  46 , he burst into tears. All this time the boy’s father   47  him from his living room. The moment the tears fell, a   48  voice rose above the boy’s head. It was his father.  49 , but firmly(坚定地) he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the   50  that you had? The boy replied with tears, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I   51  all that I had!” “No, son, you didn’t,”  52  the father kindly. “You didn’t   53  me to help you.” With that the father picked up the rock and   54  it out of the sandbox.

Are you discovering that you don’t have the strength to move your “rocks” away? There is ONE who is always willing to   55  you with the strength you need. We also need that strength, especially in our daily life.

1.                A．hid            B．left            C．put  D．discovered

2.                A．walked         B．jumped         C．traveled  D．dug

3.                A．courage        B．pride           C．effort    D．pleasure

4.                A．however        B．still            C．thus D．even

5.                A．put            B．raise           C．take D．break

6.                A．large           B．difficult         C．hard D．much

7.                A．decided        B．refused         C．agreed   D．planned

8.                A．inventions      B．progress        C．mistakes D．changes

9.                A．tried           B．failed          C．thought   D．started

10.               A．success        B．goal           C．result D．wish

11.               A．Gradually       B．lately          C．Properly   D．Finally

12.               A．watched        B．helped         C．followed   D．taught

13.               A．loud           B．happy          C．sweet D．strict

14.               A．Angrily         B．Movingly       C．Suddenly  D．Gently

15.               A．knowledge      B．strength        C．tools  D．ability

16.               A．wasted         B．brought        C．used  D．carried

17.               A．replied         B．corrected       C．shouted   D．praised

18.               A．advise         B．force          C．ask   D．want

19.               A．collected       B．threw          C．chose D．broke

20.               A．provide        B．lend           C．show D．pass