If you want your life to stand for peace and kindness, it’s helpful to do kind, peaceful things. One of my  16 ways to do this is by developing my own 17 actions. These little acts of kindness are  18  to be of service and reminders of how good it feels to be  19  and helpful.

We live in a rural area of the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of what we see is beauty and 20  .One of the exceptions to the beauty is the  21 that some people throw out of their windows as they are  22 on the rural roads. One of the few drawbacks to  23  the mountainous area is that public services, such as litter collection, are less  24  than those are closer to the city.

　  A helping action that I practice  25  with my two children is picking up litter in our surrounding area. We' ve become so  26  to doing this that my daughters will often say to me in exciting  27 , "There' s some litter, Daddy, stop the  28  !" And if we have time, we will often pull over and pick it up. It may seem  29  , but we actually enjoy it. We pick up litter in parks, on sidewalks, practically  30 . Once I even saw a complete stranger picking up litter close to  31  we live. He smiled at me and said, "I saw you doing it, and it seemed like a good       32 ."

Picking up litter is only one of an  33  supply of possible helping actions. You might like holding a door open for people,  34  lonely elderly people in nursing homes, or removing snow off someone else' s driveway. Perhaps you might  35  something that seems effortless yet helpful. It' s fun, personally rewarding, and setting a good example. Everyone wins.

1.                A．favorite        B．familiar         C．difficult   D．different

2.                A．taking          B．placing         C．passing   D．helping

3.                A．customs        B．ceremonies      C．opportunities  D．occasions

4.                A．cruel          B．kind           C．proud    D．brave

5.                A．science         B．weather        C．universe  D．nature

6.                A．list            B．guidebook       C．litter D．check

7.                A．driving         B．directing        C．floating   D．flying

8.                A．search for       B．live in          C．look at   D．march into

9.                A．acceptable      B．available        C．horrible  D．honorable

10.               A．regularly       B．completely      C．calmly D．roughly

11.               A．opposed        B．reduced        C．devoted   D．accustomed

12.               A．lungs          B．voices          C．sounds    D．noises

13.               A．horse          B．carriage        C．bike  D．car

14.               A．strange         B．sensitive        C．imaginable D．necessary

15.               A．nowhere       B．anywhere       C．somewhere    D．everywhere

16.               A．why           B．when          C．which D．where

17.               A．idea           B．plan           C．excuse    D．feel

18.               A．empty         B．endless         C．immediate D．attractive

19.               A．describing      B．developing      C．visiting    D．valuing

20.               A．ask for         B．look into        C．carry out  D．think of

Love Is Just a Thread

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the  ?　36　? tuition for my brother and me. They don't ?　37　? in the romantic ways that I read in books or  I see on TV. My father has a bad temper; it's easy for him to lose his temper.?

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I ?　38　? sat down beside her and looked at her.

“Is there any ?　39　? between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice.

My mother stopped her work and raised her head with ?　40　? in her eyes. She didn't answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.

?　41　? at last I heard my mother say the following words:?

“Susan,” she said ?　42　?.“Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable(耐用的).If life is a

?　43　?,then love should be a thread. It can ?　44　? be seen anywhere or ?anytime, but it's really there. Love is ?　45　?.”?

I listened carefully but I couldn't understand her until the next ?　46　?.At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. After they were ?　47　?,every day in the morning and dusk(黄昏),my mother helped my father walk ?　48　? on the country road. My father had never been so ?　49　?.Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The sun gently shone through the leaves. All of these ?　50　? the most beautiful picture in the world. The doctor had said my father would ?　51　? in two months. But after two months he still couldn't walk alone. We were all worried.?

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.?

“Susan,”he said gently.“To tell you the truth, I just like ?　52　? with your mom. I like this kind of life.” ?　53　? from his eyes, I knew he loved my mother deeply.

Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this ?　54　?,I understand that love is just a ?　55　? in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

36. A. expensive    B. low     C. cheap  D. high

37. A. play     B. talk     C. act      D. perform

38. A. silently B. carefully    C. certainly     D. happily

39. A. money  B. love    C. time    D. distance

40. A. surprise       B. pride   C. disappointment  D. satisfaction

41. A. So       B. But     C. And    D. For

42. A. sadly    B. excitedly    C. regretfully  D. thoughtfully

43. A. trouble B. pleasure     C. quilt   D. cloth

44. A. hardly  B. often   C. always       D. ever?

45. A. valuable      B. inside  C. true    D. priceless

46. A. winter  B. autumn      C. summer      D. spring

47. A. free      B. back   C. fine    D. ready?

48. A. continuously       B. worriedly   C. constantly   D. slowly?

49. A. gently  B. perfect       C. pleased       D. thankful

50. A. put up  B. took up      C. made up     D. set up?

51. A. run      B. recover      C. Stand  D. work

52. A. walking       B. living  C. sitting D. chatting?

53. A. Examining   B. Seeing       C. Noticing     D. Reading

54. A. practice       B. observation C. experience  D. activity?

55. A. thread  B. thing   C. jewel  D. light

It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas, but I had to stay to tidy the office. The only thing that __36__ my day was the beautifully decorated _37__ in our waiting room and a　__38__ sent to me by a fellow I was dating—a dozen long-stemmed red roses.
　 Suddenly, our receptionist came and said there was a lady outside that urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young __39__woman with a baby in her arms standing there. __40__, she explained that her husband—a prisoner in a nearby prison—was my next patient. She told me she wasn’t _41_to visit her husband in prison and _42_he had never seen his son. So she _43_ me to let her wait here ahead of time. I agreed. _44_, it was Christmas Eve.
　 A short time later, her husband arrived—with chains on his feet, cuffs on his hands, and two armed guards __45__ him. The woman’s tired face __46__when her husband took a seat beside her. I watched them laugh, cry, and share their__47__. He seemed like a gentle and honest man.
　 At the end of the __48__, the man had to go back and I__49__him a Merry Christmas. He smiled and thanked me and said he felt saddened by the __50__that he hadn’t been able to get his wife __51__for Christmas. On hearing this, I was __52__with a wonderful idea.
　 I’ll never forget the __53__on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed red roses. I’m not sure who __54__the most joy—the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this __55__moment.

36　 A.　 enjoyed　　　　　　　　　 B　 presented　　　　　 C　 relaxed D　 brightened

37　 A　 office　　　　　　　　　　 B　 Christmas Father C Christmas tree　　 D furniture

38　 A　 gift　　　　　　　　　　　　 B　 regards　　　　　　 C　 message　　　　　　　 D　 package

39　 A ordinary-looking B good-looking C tired-looking　　　　 D frightened-looking

40　 A　 Happily　　　　　　　　　 B　 Quietly　　　　　　 C　 Excitedly　　　　　　 D　 Nervously

41　 A　 going　　　　　　　　　　 B　 determined　　　　 C　 expected　　　　　　　 D　 allowed

42　 A　 why　　　　　　　　　　　 B　 how　　　　　　　　 C　 that　　　　　　　　　　 D　 when

43　 A　 persuaded　　　　　　　 B　 demanded　　　　 C　 begged　　　　　　　　 D　 pleased

44　 A　 Above all　　　　　　　　 B　 In all　　　　　　　　 C　 All in　all　　　　　　 D　 After all

45　 A　 near　　　　　　　　　　　 B　 around　　　　　　 C　 behind　　　　　　　　 D　 before

46　 A　 turned pale B　 went red　　　　　 C　 lit up D　 turned away

47　 A　 child　　　　　　　　　　　 B　 tears　　　　　　　　 C　 joy　　　　　　　　　　　 D　 sorrows

48　 A　 meeting B　 appointment　　　 C　 discussion D　 conversation

49　 A　 said　　　　　　　　　　　　 B　 showed　　　　　　 C　 wished　　　　　　　　 D　 hoped

50　 A　 fact　　　　　　　　　　　　 B　 words　　　　　　　 C　 idea　　　　　　　　　　 D　 scene

51　 A　 something B　 nothing　　　　　　 C　 anything D　 everything

52　 A　 encouraged　　　　　　 B　 struck　　　　　　　 C　 provided　　　　　　　 D　 inspired

53　 A　 sadness　　　　　　　　　 B　 happiness　　　　 C　 look　　　　　　　　　　 D　 smiles

54　 A　 experienced　　　　　　 B　 received　　　　　 C　 gave　　　　　　　　　　 D　 accepted

55　 A sad B　　 unforgettable　　　C happy　　　　D　　　　 special

A young man stole into a room through an open window. He 1 through all the room, but he didn’t find any money 　2 a bankbook（存折）. He thought, “If I have some credentials （证件）of the 　3 , I’ll be able to get the money in the bank. ” Suddenly to his 4 , he caught sight of an identity card（身份证）on the 　5 of the desk just before him. So he snatched it quickly and rushed to the bank with 　6 .

7 the bankbook and the identity card, the woman clerk in the bank was so 　8 that her face suddenly turned 　9 and she sat there dumbfounded（发呆）for a minute. But she tried the best to hide her 　10 , and then in a 　11 voice said to the uncommon man, “Excuse me, can you tell me what is the 　12 between you and the owner of the bankbook?” Being so 　13 ,the young man who was waiting turned red：“He…he…oh, sorry, I 　14 she…she is my wife…” “Now I see,”said the woman clerk, and almost at the time, she gave a quick 15 on a button. Immediately an aged policeman came out of a side room.

“Come along with me, young man! ” said the policeman.

　 “What’s the matter?” the man 　16 back in a cold voice.

　 “Look at this!”it was a woman’s angry voice.

　 The man couldn’t 17 looking up and to his surprise he found 18 was the woman clerk who was holding the identity card 19 her face. Also, the photo on it suggested she happened to be the 20 owner of the bankbook.

1．A．searched　　 B．got　　　　 C．walked　　　 D．examined

2．A．for　　　　　 B．of　　　　　 C．or　　　　　 D．but

3．A．house　　　　 B．room　　　　 C．bank　　　　 D．owner

4．A．surprise　　 B．joy　　　　 C．sorrow　　　 D．interest

5．A．bottom　　　 B．back　　　　 C．surface　　 D．side

6．A．pleasure　　 B．excitement　 C．satisfaction D．difficulty

7．A．Handing over B．Taking over C．Handing in　 D．Taking out

8．A．frightened　 B．disappointed C．excited　　 D．surprised

9．A．cold　　　　 B．pale　　　　 C．red　　　　 D．bright

10．A．bankbook　　 B．card　　　　 C．expression　 D．money

11．A．loud　　　　 B．calm　　　　　 C．soft　　　 D．low

12．A．difference　 B．trouble　　 C．matter　　　 D．relation

13．A．doubted　　 B．asked　　　 C．looked at　 D．shouted at

14．A．think　　　 B．suppose　　 C．mean　　　　 D．believe

15．A．knock　　　 B．beat　　　　 C．touch　　　 D．strike

16．A．looked　　　 B．talked　　　 C．fought　　　 D．quarreled

17．A．stop　　　　 B．keep　　　　 C．mind　　　　 D．help

18．A．that　　　　 B．she　　　　 C．which　　　 D．it

19．A．over　　　　 B．upward　　　 C．beside　　　 D．behind

20．A．only　　　　 B．very　　　　 C．just　　　　 D．best