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

Farmers, as we all know, have been having a hard time of it lately, and have turned to new ways of earning income from their land. This involves not only planting new kinds of crops, but some    1    ways of making money, the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing. Yes, you heard me    2   ! A farmer now holds sheep races on a regular basis, and during the past year over 100 000 people have    3    to watch the race. “I was passing the farm on my way to the sea for a holiday,” one punter (赛马经纪人) told me, “and I thought I'd have a look. I didn't believe it was serious, to tell you the truth.” According to a regular visitor, betting on sheep is more interesting than betting on horses. “At proper horse races everyone has already studied the form of the horse    4   , and there are clear favorites.    5    nobody has heard anything about these    6   ! Most people find it difficult to tell one from another in any case.” I stayed to watch the races, and I must admit that I found it quite    7   . In a usual sheep race, half a dozen sheep race down hill over a course of about half a mile. Food is waiting for them at the other end of the    8    just to give them some encouragement. I ought to add! The sheep run surprisingly fast,    9    they have probably not eaten for a while. Anyway, the crowd around me were obviously enjoying their day out at the races,    10    by their happy faces and the sense of excitement.

    1．

A. common　　　　　　  B. strange

C. swift　　　　　　  D. illegal

    2．

A. honestly　　　　　　  B. surprisingly

C. completely　　　　　　  D. correctly

    3．

A. showed off　　　　　　  B. brought up

C. turned up　　　　　　  D. looked forward

    4．

A. behind time　　　　　　  B. in progress

C. in advance　　　　　　  D. in time

    5．

A. But　　　　　　  B. Therefore

C. Moreover　　　　　　  D. Otherwise

    6．

A. horses　　　　　　  B. sheep

C. races　　　　　　  D. stories

    7．

A. exciting　　　　　　  B. dangerous

C. boring　　　　　　  D. peculiar

    8．

A. race　　　　　　  B. hill

C. track　　　　　　  D. field

    9．

A. if　　　　　　  B. so

C. yet　　　　　　  D. although

    10．

A.　　  observing

B judging

C. considering

    D. inferring

 

Farmers, as we all know, have been having a hard time of it lately, and have turned to new ways of earning income from their land. This involves not only planting new kinds of crops, but some    1    ways of making money, the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing. Yes, you heard me    2   ! A farmer now holds sheep races on a regular basis, and during the past year over 100 000 people have    3    to watch the race. “I was passing the farm on my way to the sea for a holiday,” one punter (赛马经纪人) told me, “and I thought I'd have a look. I didn't believe it was serious, to tell you the truth.” According to a regular visitor, betting on sheep is more interesting than betting on horses. “At proper horse races everyone has already studied the form of the horse    4   , and there are clear favorites.    5    nobody has heard anything about these    6   ! Most people find it difficult to tell one from another in any case.” I stayed to watch the races, and I must admit that I found it quite    7   . In a usual sheep race, half a dozen sheep race down hill over a course of about half a mile. Food is waiting for them at the other end of the    8    just to give them some encouragement. I ought to add! The sheep run surprisingly fast,    9    they have probably not eaten for a while. Anyway, the crowd around me were obviously enjoying their day out at the races,    10    by their happy faces and the sense of excitement.

    1．

A. common　　　　　　  B. strange

C. swift　　　　　　  D. illegal

    2．

A. honestly　　　　　　  B. surprisingly

C. completely　　　　　　  D. correctly

    3．

A. showed off　　　　　　  B. brought up

C. turned up　　　　　　  D. looked forward

    4．

A. behind time　　　　　　  B. in progress

C. in advance　　　　　　  D. in time

    5．

A. But　　　　　　  B. Therefore

C. Moreover　　　　　　  D. Otherwise

    6．

A. horses　　　　　　  B. sheep

C. races　　　　　　  D. stories

    7．

A. exciting　　　　　　  B. dangerous

C. boring　　　　　　  D. peculiar

    8．

A. race　　　　　　  B. hill

C. track　　　　　　  D. field

    9．

A. if　　　　　　  B. so

C. yet　　　　　　  D. although

    10．

A.　　  observing

B judging

C. considering

    D. inferring

 

Besides rockets, students _______ robots, model cars and other machines they had made at the Beijing Aviation Museum.

　A. showed off 　 B. speeded up 　　　　　 C. brought in 　　　　 D. gave out

 

A lesson in caring

It was a cold evening. My daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora    36    . She wasn’t even four, but she   37    at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, can we take him home?”

    I don’t remember my   38    . But I do remember a sudden   39    feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her   40     , whether it was     41    flying or children playing. But now she was noticing   42    and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and   43     it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I signed us up. Nora was   44    about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how   45    our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to    46    myself to leave the house to fetch the food package. On my way to the school, I fought an urge (强烈愿望) to turn    47    . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting for me at home. Why do this?   48    , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She   49    us right over.

    The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.   50     inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged. I walked home    51    .

Professionals call such a(n)   52    “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities and I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something    53     that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and   54     clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve    55     her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has benefited more?

A. did             B. was                           C. has              D. had

A. pulled　   B. replaced                C. waved   D. aimed

A. debate        B. reply                         C. explanation D. expression

A. general　　B. funny                          C. heavy           D. magical

A. web　　　 B. dream　　　　　       C. castle           D. world

A. insects        B. animals　　　　 C. plants　　　D. birds

A. coldness   B. illness 　　　           C. suffering　　D. appearance

A. sent  　　   B. returned　　　       C. devoted　　D. posted

A. concerned  B. sorry　　　　            C. worried      　D. excited

A. creative　　B. valuable　　　         C. shocking　　D. simple

A. warn　　　 B. stop　　　　  　      C. allow 　　　D. push

A. back 　　　B. away　　　　            C. up　　　　　D. out

A. Therefore　 B. But       　　          C. Anyhow　　　D. Also

A. requested   B. promised　　　        C. invited 　　 D. helped

A. Although    B. Once　　　　　       C. Because 　　D. Though

A. in tears       B. in surprise                  C. in reality       D.in disappointment

A. stay            B. visit 　　　　           C. reception　　D. challenge

A. fair            B. famous　　　　        C. difficult　　 D. enjoyable

A. collect        B. make　　　　  　    C. order 　　　 D. design

A. let              B. made　　　　  　    C. watched 　　    D. affected