As Christmas is coming, there are presents to be bought, cards to be sent, rooms to be cleaned. Parents are  with difficult jobs of hiding presents from curious young children. If the gifts are large, this is sometimes a real . On Christmas Eve, young children find the  almost unbearable（难以忍受的）. They are  between the wish to go to bed early so that Father Christmas will bring their presents quickly and the wish to  up late so that they will not  the fun. The wish for gifts usually proves stronger. But though children go to bed early, they often lie  for a long time, hoping to get a short look at Father Christmas.

　　Last Christmas, my wife and I  managed to hide a few large presents in the storeroom. I feared the moment when my son, Jimmy, would  me where that new bike had come from, but  he did not see it.

　　On Christmas Eve, it took the children hours to go to sleep. It must have been nearly  when my wife and I went quietly into their room and began  stockings. Then I pushed in the  I bought for Jimmy and left it beside the Christmas tree. We knew we would not get  sleep that night, for the children were  to get up early. At about five o'clock the next morning, we were woken by loud sounds coming from the children's room － they were shouting excitedly!  I had time to get out of bed, young Jimmy came  into the room on his new bike, and his sister, Mary,  close behind pushing her new baby carriage. Even the baby arrived, he moved  the hands and knees into the room dragging a large balloon behind him. Suddenly it burst. That woke  up completely. The day had really begun with a bang（巨响）.

1.A. faced　　　　 B. met　　　　　 C. filled　　　D. pleased

2.A. question　　　B. matter　　　　C. problem　　　D. business

3.A. joy   　　　B. excitement      C. presents     D. parents

4.A. pulled　　　B. divided　　　C. separated　　  D. torn

5.A. get　　　　 　B. stay　　　　　C. stand　　　 D. wake

    6.A. lose　　　　　B. break　　　　 C. miss　　　　 D. leave

7.A. awake　　　　B. wake　　　　　C. asleep　　　　D. sleep

8.A. hopefully　　B. busily      C. gladly　　D. successfully

9.A. answer　　　 B. tell　　　　　  C. ask　　　　　 D. search

10.A. sadly　　　　B. unluckily   C. possibly　　D. fortunately

11.A. morning　　　B. midnight    C. evening　　　D. daybreak

12.A. filling　　　　B. sewing　　C. mending　　D. preparing

13.A. present　　　 B. stocking　　　 C. bike　　　　　 D. tree

14.A. 1ittle　　　　 B. some　　　　　C. enough　　　 D. much

15.A. sorry　　　　 B. sure　　　　　C. glad　　　　　 D. eager

16.A. Before　　　　B. After　　　　 C. Until　　　　　D. Since

17.A. running　　　 B. laughing　　　 C. shouting　　　 D. riding

18.A. walked　　　　B. moved　　　　C. followed　　　D. jumped

19.A. with　　　　　B. on　　　　　　C. over　　　　 D. by

20.A. him　　　　　B. her　　　　C. me　　　　　　　D. us

Two weeks before Christmas，Mother told me we were going to my grandmother's house for the holiday.Grandma and Uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town.They had no electricity or running water and__1__what I considered the “good things” in life.They__2__made no plans for Christmas.When Christmas Eve arrived，Mom told me in her “I-mean-it” voice to__3__all the decorations(装饰物)from our tree.She packed those up，__4__all the trimmings(配料)for a __5__turkey dinner.

Christmas morning__6__perfectly，with the sun shining brightly across a fresh blanket of snow.__7__I sulked(生气)silently in the backseat of the car as we made our__8__to grandma's.This was going to be the __9__Christmas ever!

Grandma was__10__to see us as we walked up to her door.“What on earth are you doing here？”she stammered.“We weren't expecting__11__.It's Christmas，and I don't even have a turkey to cook for you.”“I knew__12__.”Mom said as we set boxes of goodies on the kitchen table.“That's__13__we brought one with us.”“We__14__have a tree，”Mom insisted.“__15__，what will we do with all these decorations？”

Uncle Henry quickly caught Mom's spirit.He called me to join him，and we found a perfect Christmas tree in the woods.Soon the house __16__fresh and piney as we decorated the tree，and the day__17__a festive air.The turkey dinner was very good，too.I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas day!

Dessert was forgotten__18__Mom came out with the final surprise—a flaming(燃烧的)pudding! “Merry Christmas，Mother，”Mom said.“Dear me！” Grandma gasped.“I haven't seen a flaming pudding since I left England before I was married.”Tears of__19__filled her eyes.

I could not keep the tears__20__my eyes，either.I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever—she had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give.

1．A.prepared 　 B．lacked C．refused D．desired

2．A.also 　 B．still C．never 　 D．hardly

3．A.replace 　　 B．collect C．remove D．show

4．A.instead of B．by the side of C．along with 　 D．in spite of

5．A.normal 　　 B．complete C．fresh 　　 D．separate

6．A.dawned 　　 B．passed C．broke 　 D．happened

7．A.But 　 B．So C．And 　　 D．Then

8．A.decision 　　 B．way C．wish 　　 D．plan

9．A.last 　 B．busiest C．best 　　 D．worst

10．A.expected B．eager C．surprised 　　 D．ready

11．A.anyone 　　 B．others C．someone 　　 D．no one

12．A.you B．it C．that 　　　 D．this

13．A.how B．why C．where 　 D．when

14．A.may B．will C．can 　　　 D．must

15．A.Meanwhile 　　 B．ThereforeC．However 　　 D．Otherwise

16．A.improved B．smelled C．became D．changed

17．A.showed up 　　 B．carried on

18．A.until B．after C．because D．unless

19．A.sadness 　 B．joy C．regret 　 D．worry

20．A.inside 　　 B．back C．into 　　　 D．from

My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the 1 or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2 Christmas after all.

__3__, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.

There was a 4 on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to 5 us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a 6 on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had 7 a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.

The 8 feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas 9 from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 10 us to dig out.

Then, we received an invitation to 11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their 12 — a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.

Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our 13 . Our Christmas morning 14 was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so 15 for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 16 and work schedules just made things too difficult. 17 that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were 18 in the holidays.

Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19 notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest 20 gesture can make a world of difference.

1. A. chance　　　　　　 B. time　　　　　　 C. anxiety　　　　 D. ability

2. A. merry　　　　　　 B. free　　　　　　 C. lonely　　　　　 D. usual

3. A. Therefore　　　　　 B. Meanwhile　　　 C. Somehow　　　 D. However

4. A. card 　　　　　　 B. sign　　　　　　 C. knock　　　　　 D. note

5. A. welcome　　　　　 B. invite　　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　 D. send

6. A. tree　　　　　　　 B. package　　　　　 C. mail　　　　　　 D. flower

7. A. forgot　　　　　　 B. arranged　　　　 　C. received　　　　 D. missed

8. A. deep　　　　　　 B. true　　　　　　　 C. warm　　　　　 D. mixed

9. A. snow　　　　　　 B. rubbish　　　　　 C. dust　　　　　 D. leaves

10. A. teach　　　　　　 B. help　　　　　　　 C. urge　　　　　 D. forbid

11. A. share　　　　　　 B. prepare　　　　　 C. taste　　　　　 D. exchange

12. A. aunt　　　　　　 B. guest　　　　　　 C. maid　　　　　 D. partner

13. A. folks　　　　　　 B. relatives　　　　　 C. colleagues　　 D. neighbors

14. A. call　　　　 　　B. greeting　　　　　 C. breakfast　　　 D. meeting

15. A. sorry　　　　　　 B. eager　　　　　　 C. ready　　　　　 D. grateful

16. A. distance　　　　 B. expense　　　　　 C. season　　　　　 D. situation

17. A. Studying　　　　 B. Showing　　 　　C. Knowing　　　　 D. Discovering

18. A. alone　　　　　 B. busy　　　　　　 C. happy　　　　　 D. active

19. A. always　　　　　 B. seldom　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　 D. usually

20. A. careful　　　　　 B. patient　　　　　　 C. vague　　　　 　D. kind

"How did you do it, Dad? How have you managed not to take a drink for almost 20 years?" It took me almost 20 years to have the　　1　　to even ask my father this very personal question. When Dad first 　 2　 drinking, the whole family was on　　3　 and needles every time he got into a 　 4　 that, in the past, would have 　 5　 him drinking again. For a few years we were 　 6　 to bring it up 　 7　 that the drinking would begin again.

"I had this little poem that I would recite to myself at least four to five times a day." That was Dad's　　8　 to my 18-year-old unasked question. "The words were a constant (经常的)　 9　 to me that things were　　10　 so hard that I could not deal with them," Dad said. Then he 　 11　 the poem with me. The poem's 　 12　 , yet profound(深刻的)words immediately became 　 13　 of my daily routine(日常事务) as well.

About a month after this talk with my father, I received a gift in the mail from a friend of mine. It was a book of daily sayings of wisdom with one 　 14　 for each day of the year.

It has been my experience that when you get something with days of the year on it, you naturally turn to the page that lists your own 　 15　 .

I 　 16　 opened the book to November 10 to see 　 17　 words of wisdom this book had in store for me. The moment I glanced at the page, tears of　　18　 and appreciation　　19　 down my face. There, on my birthday, was the exact same poem that had 　 20　 my father for all these years! It is called the Serenity (平静) Prayer:God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

1. A. chance B. courage C. ability D. right

2. A. gave up B. took up C. started D. continued

3. A. thread B. duty C. fire D. pins

4. A. situation B. habit C. condition D. house

5. A. stopped B. made C. started D. asked

6. A. sure B. uncertain C. afraid D. eager

7. A. on condition B. for fear C. in case D. providing

8. A. reply B. words C. excuse D. explanation

9. A. fear B. imagination C. thought D. reminder

10. A. never B. seldom C. always D. ever

11. A. discussed B. shared C. offered D. talked

12. A. simple B. long C. wonderful D. boring

13. A. all B. that C. any D. part

14. A. listed B. included C. read D. said

15. A. character B. birthday C. qualities D. favorites

16. A. doubtfully B. carefully C. happily D. hurriedly

17. A. where B. whether C. what D. how

18. A. disbelief B. anger C. sorrow D. regret

19. A. hung B. pulled C. rolled D. pushed

20. A. troubled B. disturbed C. pleased D. helped