An Act of Kindness

I had nothing for breakfast that morning. I was so _____ that I could hear my stomach growling（咕咕叫）when Mr. Katter was lecturing on Asia history. So when the bell rang, I rushed to the dining hall at once. Minutes later, I stood in front of the counter（收银台）, holding a tray(托盘) full of food.

“Three dollars,” the lunch lady told me. I reached my hand into my _____ and felt nothing. The schoolbag was empty. I searched again. Still nothing. I was almost certain I put three bills in it last night. I put the schoolbag on the floor to search for the money again. As I finally _____ the money wasn’t there, I could feel the worry and fear washing over me.

Feeling quite _____, I didn’t notice that another person had stepped up to the counter. When I finally looked up to tell the lunch lady my _____, I saw, in the corner of my eye, a boy walk quickly past. I paid no attention to him, and I opened my mouth to speak.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have any money with me.”

“Honey, he paid for your lunch. You’re good.” the lunch lady said as she pointed to the direction the boy had gone.

I looked in the direction she pointed to, yet I could not find the boy. I missed the chance to _____ him. He was nameless to me. He didn’t even know me. But he paid for my lunch. Although it was only three dollars, I couldn’t remember anyone doing something so nice for me.

A month later, on my way home, I saw an elderly woman struggling(费力) with heavy bags. I suddenly thought of the nameless boy who _____ me lunch.

“Excuse me, ma’am, do you need help?”

I’ll never forget her _____ as I rushed forward to give her a hand. It’s the very prize for my act of kindness.

1.A. worried B. hungry C. quiet D. tired

2.A. overcoat B. hat C. gloves D. schoolbag

3.A. realized B. described C. heard D. imagined

4.A. lonely B. nervous C. bored D. weak

5.A. situation B. joke C. promise D. suggestion

6.A. visit B. interview C. thank D. question

7.A. made B. handed C. ordered D. bought

8.A. silence B. offer C. smile D. pride

When I started working, I couldn’t understand why some people seemed to succeed in everything they tried. However, others just couldn’t manage to achieve anything. After a while, I found the biggest _____ lies in setting and reviewing goals regularly. A study shows those who have written goals and reviewed them regularly are among the highest achievers.

What do you do with your desires (渴望) in life?You could pay no attention to them and leave them to _____ in your mind, or start taking action to get what you want. You need to set goals. A goal starts with a simple desire.

Do you use any _____ for not setting goals?Whatever it is, I am sure your excuse is limiting you. If you’re _____ about what you want, you might end up at a certain age with things that you didn’t want.

Setting goals and reviewing them regularly can increase your chances of succeeding. It can give you the right direction and _____ you move closer to what you want. You will achieve more in months than many people do in years.

If you have a strong desire for something, you will have two _____:wishful thinking, or taking action. You can wish for a miracle(奇迹), but do nothing. Or, you can get clear on the steps and take them, _____, one by one until you reach success.

Setting goals is the most important and necessary step to achieve success in any area. It begins with a desire, and then a written goal, _____ by the right attitude and action. Keep reviewing your goals and watch how your wish miraculously turns into your reality.

1.A. difference B. surprise C. hope D. sale

2.A. sing B. dance C. light D. disappear

3.A. tools B. excuses C. stories D. examples

4.A. excited B. unclear C. sure D. unhappy

5.A. imagine B. feel C. stop D. help

6.A. steps B. decisions C. choices D. wishes

7.A. slowly B. suddenly C. luckily D. sadly

8.A. decided B. corrected C. followed D. built

As the teacher called my name, I knew what lay ahead. She looked at me directly and made me to the whiteboard to perform a division (除法) problem. Division was my weakest subject. I repeatedly put the numbers in the _____ places, or forgot to add in the zeros.

I worriedly _____ myself out of my seat. With every slow step I took, I grew more nervous. My stomach ached, and my whole body shook with _____.

The teacher read the problem aloud. Unsure of myself, I looked at the girl beside me, and tried to _____ what she was writing, but she went faster than I could understand, writing down what seemed to be foreign symbols.

My eyes fixed on the chicken scratch I had tried. Impossible to understand. Why me? Why couldn’t I work out the problem that seemed easy to all other kids? These questions filled my head.

As the other girl finished and danced back to her seat, I wrote some random(胡乱的) numbers on the board, and _____ back to mine. The teacher read over our work.

“Now, class, Susie did this problem absolutely correctly.”

“As for Tara,” the teacher said jokingly, “I don’t even know what she did.”

The class burst into laughs, and I felt my face turn red as I tried to sink as low as possible into my seat, hoping to prevent them from _____ me at all.

But this memory is one I remember, surprisingly, in a positive way. It made me _____, and gave me persistence. When I get a poor grade in school, or am put down by somebody, I think of that moment and every single one of those _____ that I asked myself. The terrible ache in my stomach comes back and gives me the motivation to answer all of those whys and try hard until perfection, or as close as I can get.

1.A. proper B. incorrect C. special D. unimportant

2.A. lifted B. dropped C. repaired D. knocked

3.A. tiredness B. excitement C. shyness D. fear

4.A. accept B. explain C. copy D. describe

5.A. rushed B. looked C. talked D. thought

6.A. changing B. inviting C. seeing D. teaching

7.A. healthier B. stronger C. cleverer D. happier

8.A. ways B. words C. hows D. whys

The Train Story

I was travelling by train one morning. Quietly reading, I found myself suddenly listening to the announcements(广播). When the trainman makes an announcement, it’s often quite boring. But this one was ________.

As I looked up from my paper, I ________ others also listening. Not only that, they smiled!

Why was so much attention being paid to this message?

As best I can remember, the trainman said, “Good morning. Ladies, Gentlemen and _______. It’s 7:35 a.m. and you'll be glad to know that we are right on time. What a lovely morning it is in Sydney today. The sun is shining, the temperature is about 21 degrees, birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. Thanks for ________ my train and I hope to see you again. Have a great day!”

Wow! Have you ever heard an announcement like that? I certainly hadn’t. As well as getting everyone smiling, there were quite a few people who started talking to one another about how good the message had made everyone feel.

The moment I got off the train, I ran into the young trainman and started to ________ him. He seemed a bit ________ at first. Continuously I said, “Well, I just wanted to thank you for your brilliant message on the way. It got everyone's attention and smile. Thank you so much for giving us such a good ________ to the day.”

That day I got two messages. The first is that people’s happiness at work shows in what they do and say. Also, the story tells me what you can get from thanking people for something they’ve done, ________ when it's not expected. Can you imagine the conversation that trainman would have when he got home, “Guess what happened to me today—a passenger thanked me!”

1.A. different B. famous C. bad D. easy

2.A. heard B. noticed C. got D. kept

3.A. Guides B. Teachers C. Parents D. Children

4.A. buying B. taking C. visiting D. passing

5.A. thank B. miss C. trust D. meet

6.A. mad B. tired C. surprised D. proud

7.A. lesson B. idea C. trade D. start

8.A. finally B. properly C. especially D. clearly

It all began when my parents told that we were going to Vermont as our big Christmas present. Although I did not ski, I was _____. The days in school seemed like years, but finally it was Christmas.

The car trip was _____. After eight hours, we arrived at the camp. After renting(租) skis, I was ready to deal with the hill with kids in my group, but Cindy, our teacher, had other ideas. She decided we would take a few runs on the middle trails（小径）, which I showed I could deal with, as long as she went slowly. I was too shy to say anything, for fear the other kids would _____ me, but I was scared.

Cindy told us to stay together. I was the last in our group. On the way down, we hit some moguls（雪丘）, which I had never skied. I did fine at first, but then I lost it. I hit one hard and my left ski fell off. My face immediately went into the _____ and I slid（滑） many feet on my stomach.

When I got up. I could see the group below. I shouted out to them to _____, but they could not hear me. I got my ski on and started to race after them. When I noticed the wind blowing, I realized I had _____ my goggles（防护眼镜）. I climbed back up but I couldn’t find them anywhere. I started to dig and finally found them, and headed back down the mountain.

I finally went down safely, and found my group in front of the camp. I learned a valuable ______that day. I learned to speak up when I’m not comfortable with a situation, and to give my _____ without fearing how others might think of it.

1.A. excited B. sad C. worried D. bored

2.A. short B. easy C. difficult D. long

3.A. worry about B. laugh at C. fall behind D. wait for

4.A. rain B. wind C. snow D. cloud

5.A. run B. stop C. walk D. sit

6.A. thrown B. brought C. lost D. broken

7.A. lesson B. rule C. tip D. way

8.A. plan B. hand C. support D. Opinion

I used to have little passion (激情) in my life. But what happened the other day changed my mind. It was then that I learned how______it is to have a passion in life.

That day 1 went home in Mom’s car. When Mom ____ at a red light, someone on the side of the road caught my eye. It was a man dressed in rags (破旧衣服). He was homeless. That didn’t interest me, because I had seen many like him before. Those people usually looked unhappy and hopeless.

But this man was different in some way. He was not sitting down with a sad expression. Instead, he had a _____in his hand and was dancing happily to the music. The radio seemed to be the most precious (珍贵的) thing he had.

“Mom, why does that man _____a radio though he’s homeless?” I asked.

“He bought it.” She replied.

“But why doesn’t he use the money to buy food or clothes? He______for something that he didn’t need.”

“Well, Sarah, sometimes food and clothes aren’t the most important.”

That man must care so much about ______ for that he bought a radio instead of food or clothes. I soon realized that______is the key to life.

Since then I am always thinking of what is truly important in life. A home, a meal, clothes—these things are not_____ parts of the life. What we often forget is that we all need a joy, a light in a dark day. We all need a passion which gives a person the happiness they need to keep going.

1.A. strange B. dangerous C. important D. difficult

2.A. walked B. stopped C. stood D. exercised

3.A. radio B. phone C. scarf D. hat

4.A. have B. use C. care D. like

5.A. asked B. waited C. paid D. looked

6.A. stories B. music C. news D. languages

7.A. happiness B. friendship C. knowledge D. health

8.A. only B. also C. all D. never

A Birthday Gift

On the night of my birthday, I went to the nearest drug store to buy vitamins（维生素）. Although it was my birthday, I was feeling ______ and a bit lonely. Maybe I missed my dad who died four years ago. I just wanted him to be beside me that day.

On my way to the drug store, I was ____. When I arrived there, I cleaned my cheeks（面颊）up from the tears and tried to smile when I ordered the vitamin that my mum wanted to buy. While I was waiting, I looked around the building and I_____sight of a beggar( 乞丐) next to the door. She was with her kid, a cute little boy. They were sitting on the street. It was winter at the moment and I still felt cold with my coat, but I noticed that the boy was just wearing an old T-shirt. I felt sorry for them. When I paid for my vitamins, I glanced (瞥)at them and started to have an idea. “Why don't I donate( 捐赠) some of my_____? It's my birthday. ” I thought to myself. I had to share something with another that day. Yeah, I decided I had to do that. I went home in a hurry. I was very ____to look for some of my smaller clothes.

At home. I told my mum my_____and told her my idea. My mum agreed with me and helped me look for some clothes. I went back to the drug store in a hurry. There, I didn't hand the clothing over myself. I wanted to send it to that kid_____. So I asked someone else to hand

the clothes over, then I left that place. But just as I went, I heard someone saying"thank you and I hoped it was for me.

On the road, my heart was full of_____and warmth. I felt glad that I could share something on my birthday and that was a big gift for me.

1.A. scared B. sad C. tired D. strange

2.A. smiling B. singing C. running D. crying

3.A. put B. caught C. kept D. held

4.A. toys B. books C. bags D. clothes

5.A. excited B. tired C. angry D. sorry

6.A. experience B. practice C. experiment D. discovery

7.A. proudly B. slowly C. secretly D. cheerfully

8.A. sadness B. coldness C. happiness D. worry

It was a hot day. At noon I stepped at the traffic lights and saw a homeless man walking up and down in the street.

“This will make me smile, ” I thought, and I turned my car towards a frozen yogurt shop. I grabbed a ____and filled it with a couple of flavors and came to the counter to weigh it. I wanted to add some toppings but my_____was not enough for that, so I asked the lady if she would have change for a ＄100 bill. She said she wasn't allowed to accept a bill that large. “All right.” I thought and _____ for the yogurt.

As I was about to leave, she said, “Madam, don't_____your children. Please add their favourite things.” I turned to her and said, "Thanks for your_____but this is not for my children. It's for the homeless man in the street.” She smiled with surprise and said, “Oh! that's really sweet of you. God bless you.” She thought for a moment, and then she said, “I think we can do_____ than that.”

She took a bigger cup, filled it nicely and covered it with colorful toppings. Then she_____ it to me and said, “This is from me. Please give it to the homeless man. Let's treat him nicely.” Now it was my turn to be_____. I said, “Thanks a lot.” And I left with a big smile on my face. On the way I said to myself, “Angels are real, aren't they? I believe them because I saw them one day!”

1.A. glass B. box C. cup D. bottle

2.A. money B. change C. note D. coin

3.A. looked B. asked C. left D. paid

4.A. encourage B. trouble C. criticize D. disappoint

5.A. offer B. help C. attitude D. advice

6.A. well B. best C. better D. much

7.A. handed B. showed C. lent D. threw

8.A. sad B. happy C. surprised D. interested

After thirty years in the classroom, I have come to realize that teacher’s behavior can _____a world of difference for a child. This is one such _______.

While I was attending(参加) a party being held at a high school one evening, I looked around and noticed a young girl who looked _____. I thought she had been a student of mine. I tried to remember her name, but I couldn’t. I felt so frustrated(沮丧的), as I have always been able to remember former(以前的) students.

Her eyes_____mine and she threw her arms around me and said,“Mrs. Smith, it’s me, Sarah, and I’m still writing!” The memories came back. You see, Sarah was_____a student in my classroom. Sarah’s mother and father had left her. She was sent to live with her grandparents the year I met her. Sarah was_____, often in trouble and often in the office.

It was during one of those office visits that I first met her. She was writing. I introduced myself to her and asked her what she was writing. Sarah shared her story with me. I knew it was healing(康复) for her to put her thoughts on_____. Every morning before school she would come into my classroom and we would work on her writing skills.

Our conversation that evening was filled with_____. She expected to go to college. Driving home, I could not help but realize the impact(影响) for both good and bad that teachers have upon their students. Taking the time to connect with a child has the power to change that child’s life. That’s why I teach .

1.A. let B. make C. build D. invent

2.A. child B. lesson C. history D. story

3.A. beautiful B. familiar C. strange D. different

4.A. met B. looked C. touched D. communicated

5.A. ever B. just C. never D. still

6.A. careful B. happy C. angry D. comfortable

7.A. paper B. book C. newspaper D. dictionary

8.A. fun B. hope C. fear D. darkness

Christmas Gifts

On last Christmas Day, our parents’ home was full of joys of a close family relationship but this year things are different. Our father had gone on November 26, and this was our first Christmas without him. Mother was doing her best to be good, but I could tell this was especially_______for her. I’m not sure if I should give her my planned Christmas gift.

A few months earlier I had painted two pictures of my parents. I’d planned to give them as ______gifts.

While painting one day, I was surprised by the doorbell ringing. I opened the______ My father came. I showed him the paintings. Finally, with tears running down his face, he said, “I don’t believe it. Look, how beautiful your mother is. Will you let me decorate them with frames(相框)?” I _____ offered to send them to the frame shop the next day.

Several ______had passed after my dad died. It seemed all happiness was taken away from my mother and me. I finally remembered to call about the paintings and was glad that my father had got a chance to see the pictures before he died. I was surprised when the shopkeeper told me my father had visited the shop,_____ the frames and had them wrapped(包起来).

As I _____my mother’s sad eyes and unsmiling face, I ____to give her Daddy’s and my gift.

After looking at the paintings and the card, with tear-filled eyes and a wide smile, she said, “I knew Daddy would be with us on Christmas Day!”

I looked at the gift card with my father’s handwriting. “Mother: Our daughter reminded me why I am so lucky. I’ll be looking at you always. Daddy.”

1.A. interesting B. hard C. easy D. proud

2.A. Mother’s Day B. birthday C. New Year D. Christmas

3.A. door B. window C. box D. present

4.A. happily B. sadly C. quickly D. strangely

5.A. minutes B. hours C. weeks D. years

6.A. heard of B. paid for C. shouted at D. gave up

7.A. looked at B. looked after C. looked for D. looked out

8.A. happened B. forgo C. promised D. decided