Her frozen fingers touched the flame trying to feel alive. She could feel the warmth but it was a cold heat, as if the candle was rejecting her.

Her arms turned red because of the cold, her short sleeved shirt not giving her enough warmth. The winter air grabbed(抓住) at her arms, causing her pain, but she didn’t mind. She knew she should put her jacket on, it was winter in Connecticut, but that would be giving up. Up here, in this tree she felt safe.

She looked at the candle, surrounded by hardening wax(蜡). She placed her fingers gently on the warm green wax. This candle was a reminder of her life inside that house, a life she would have to return to eventually.

As a child, she had gotten this candle. She spent all she had on it. The beautiful crystal box (水晶盒)had caught her eye. Five whole nickels(五分币) had brought her that candle.

She gave it to her mother for Mother’s Day. Her mother had managed a smile and put it on a shelf. “It’s very pretty, honey! I will put it right here.” Since then that candle had never been moved, never been lighted, sitting dusty on a cluttered shelf that no one could see. Later on, her parents got divorced.

By now the candle was colder than the air and the darkness was complete. The snow on the ground made the night lighter and less satisfying than it had been before the first snowfall. She liked the darkness because she felt safe in it. From the glances of her friends who liked the girl she used to be. From the boys who could never figure out who she was. From her guidance counselor(顾问) whose endless worried looks never made her feel any better.

No one was outside at this time of night. She was alone in the world, just how she liked it. Just as she was about to lean back against the branch, she heard a sound.

She heard footsteps breaking the ice in the snow, heading toward her. He was making his way toward the white fence at the edge of the building, right against the road. Normally she would have ignored this person and stayed on her branch faraway from human contact, but this figure had something with him. He trudged(吃力地走) toward the white fence carrying a case. The figure reached the fence, opened the case and took out a shiny object.

She took her eyes off this figure only long enough to climb down the tree to get a better view of him. She reached the bottom and saw that the person had turned to face the street, sitting on the white fence that she and her friends once sat on. She stepped carefully on the ice, making her way toward him.

And then a beautiful sound of music came from the shiny object. She stopped and listened to it. She started walking towards the guy again. Just as she was about to step onto the snow banks, she slipped on the ice crashing to the ground. The figure turned around in surprise and a sudden recognition fell upon them both.

1.The girl was hiding in the tree at deep night to ______.

A.keep herself from the cold                B.wait for the boy to come

C.want to be left alone                     D.seek safety from any hurt

2.From the story, we can learn that ______.

A.the girl suffered a lot in her life

B.the girl’s parents divorced because of her

C.teachers and friends treated the girl badly

D.the girl used to stay in the tree when feeling sad

3.The underlined word “it” in the story refers to ______.

A.leaning back against the branch            B.being alone in the world

C.not being disturbed at night               D.it being dark with snow around

4.From the end of the story, it can be known that the girl _______.

A.knew the person                        B.knew what the object was

C.realized her wishes                      D.would never feel alone any more

 

The last time I saw my mother, she didn’t know who I was. Although having   36  from dementia(老年痴呆症) for many years, mother was never   37 . All our family came to the hospital to spend time with her. She didn’t   38  them either, but we wanted to be there with her.

I have just flown back from Texas. Mother   39  looked at me, or past me, and said “Yeah”. That’s   40  she responded to   41  around her. In spite of this, I held her hand and talked to her.

I told her about the big old house in Highland where I   42  . When we first   43  there from Mascoutah when I was 5 years old, I was   44  of that house. The yard was full of   45 and the house was falling apart. But my father and mother were intelligent and   46  and we eight kids helped to turn it into a home. All of a sudden, I wasn’t frightened any more.

I told her she must have been very   47  when I decided to go to college to study journalism   48  being a priest(牧师), which she thought was the highest   49  for a family. But she didn’t show it. She just saw me   50  with my favorite chocolate chip cookies.

When I told her all about Texas,   51  she and father had been to visit me, mother seemed   52   by that Texas beach on which they had taken a   53  . She   54  the trip and kept the picture in the living room all the time.

We had too many stories to tell. It was time for me to say   55  to mother and I told her I’d see her again. “Yeah,” she answered. But I wasn’t able to.

1.

A.recovered

B.suffered

C.damaged

D.lived

 

2.

A.healthy

B.awake

C.unconscious

D.alone

 

3.

A.see

B.understand

C.recognize

D.like

 

4.

A.never

B.just

C.excitedly

D.seldom

 

5.

A.because

B.when

C.how

D.what

 

6.

A.somewhere

B.everywhere

C.something

D.everything

 

7.

A.experienced

B.grew up

C.brought up

D.worked

 

8.

A.moved

B.visited

C.left

D.withdrew

 

9.

A.fond

B.afraid

C.curious

D.tired

 

10.

A.weeds

B.flowers

C.trees

D.waste

 

11.

A.fortunate

B.easy-going

C.hospitable

D.hard-working

 

12.

A.disappointed

B.excited

C.surprised

D.anxious

 

13.

A.as well as

B.instead of

C.except for

D.in spite of

 

14.

A.praise

B.prize

C.honor

D.encouragement

 

15.

A.away

B.out

C.about

D.off

 

16.

A.which

B.that

C.where

D.when

 

17.

A.delight

B.interested

C.happy

D.impressed

 

18.

A.note

B.boat

C.picture

D.bath

 

19.

A.enjoyed

B.hated

C.remembered

D.accounted

 

20.

A.thanks

B.goodbye

C.sorry

D.hello

 

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