When I was a small boy my family was very poor. My father always used his savings to       my mother to visit her parents who lived far away. There was just my younger brother and myself in the house. One evening Dad came home from       and there was no food in the house, not       a piece of bread. Although we were       , my brother and I went to bed without eating anything.

My father had no money, but I knew from the         on his face that he could not let us have an empty stomach. He         the house and about two hours later returned and quickly       us up. He had in his hand two small potato pies, which he gave us to eat. I don't know where he got the       but somehow he       to get us something to eat.

My father had not eaten and had worked all day       he sat there with great satisfaction watching us eat. This has       stayed in my mind and left more of an impression than any amount of       he may ever have given me.

At that moment, I felt happy knowing that he was there and would not let us      .

I guess the       I am trying to make is that in difficult times it is       not to show weakness but strength and character. If a       is the cement (粘合剂) that holds a family together, then the father is       that strengthens that cement.

 It is his values and       and memories that have carried me forward and helped me to      my own problems in life. In my own       I have learned that it is the valuable time you spend with your children and the values you give to them that will remain with them always.

1.A. force                       B. encourage                      C. send              D. teach            

2.A. hospital              B. work             C. school                D. shop

3.A. quite                B. just                      C. only                  D. even

4.A. nervous                    B. hungry               C. sleepy                D. busy

5.A. worry                       B. pleasure                        C. disappointment          D. surprise

6.A. cleaned         B. observed                     C. left                   D. searched

7.A. brought                    B. put                             C. called                 D. woke

8.A. chance                      B. food              C. support                     D. recipe

9.A. managed                   B. decided                         C. agreed                          D. waited

10.A. so              B. or                    C. but                   D. and

11.A. normally                  B. always                C. shortly                D. softly

12.A. cost            B. time                  C. salary                 D. money

13.A. suffer                    B. know                 C. leave                 D. cry

14.A. decision                  B. promise                         C. point                  D. apology

15.A. strange            B. important                C. difficult               D. common

16.A. father                   B. brother                       C. sister                 D. mother

17.A. something                B. anything               C. everything                     D. nothing

18.A. words             B. records                 C. actions               D. failures

19.A. work out                 B. carry out              C. run into               D. look into

20.A. opinion        B. home                         C. order                         D. turn

Learning to Accept

I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. However, he did not teach me acceptance(接受) when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was   1   and ill.

   My father was once a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness   2   all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is   3   One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started talking about life, and I told them about one of my   4  . I said that we must very often give things up as we grow—our youth, our beauty, our friends—but it always   5   that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father   6   up. He said, “But, Peter. I gave up   7  ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I could not think of anything to say.  8   , he answered his own question.

“I   9   the love of my family.” I looked at my sisters, and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness. I was also   10   by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated(激动的) at someone, I would remember his words and become   11   . He could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be   12   to give up my small irritations. In this   13   , I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

Sometimes I   14   what other things I cold learn from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful（感谢的）for this    15  .

A. tired              B. weak          C. poor                 D. slow

A. took              B. threw          C. sent                 D. put

A. impossible       B. difficult        C. helpless               D. hopeless

A. decisions           B. experience      C. dreams               D. beliefs

A. suggests            B. promises       C. seems                D. requires

A. spoke              B. turned         C. got                  D. opened

A. something          B. anything       C. nothing                      D. everything

A, Surprisingly        B. Immediately    C. Naturally             D. Certainly

A. had                B. accepted       C. gained                       D. enjoyed

A. touched           B. surprised      C. attracted                D. warned

A. quiet              B. calm          C. relaxed               D. happy

A. ready             B. likely         C. free                  D. able

A. case              B. form          C. method                      D. way

A. doubt             B. wonder        C. know                 D. guess

A. award             B. lesson         C. gift                   D. word

   It was a cool October evening. Excitement and family members （36） the hall. I was only a 7-year-old girl, but I was the center of  (37) . Finally, after weeks of preparation, I would  (38)  all my hard work in a dance of performance. Everything would be (39) —so I thought. I waited backstage all  (40 )  in my black tights with a golden belt. In a loud and clear voice, the master of ceremonies (41) that my class was next.
My dance class was doing a routine on wooden boxes two feet by two feet, facing the (42). All I had to do in the next move was to put one foot on the box next to mine and keep my other foot on my box. It really was an  (43) move. I was concentrating so much  (44) the huge smile on my face and holding my head up that I did not look  (45) I was going. I missed my partner’s box altogether and  (46) .There I was standing on the stage floor when my classmates were on top of their boxes. I could hear giggles(咯咯笑) coming from the audience, and I felt the  (47) rush to my face. I remembered my dance teacher had told us, “If you make a mistake, keep smiling so the audience will not (48) .I did my best to follow her  (49) as I continued with the routine.
When the curtain dropped, so did my  (50) for the evening. I (51) bitterly, tasting the salt from the tears that streamed down my face. I ran backstage, but no one could  (52) me down.
Recently I realized I had been a  (53) that night. I was  (54) but I fought the urge to run off the stage. (55) I finished the routine with a smile on my face. Now when friends and family laugh about the time I slipped during a dance performance, I can laugh too.

Learning to Accept
I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. 21_,he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy,but rather when he was 22  and ill.
My father was 23 a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness 24 all that away.Now he can no longer walk and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is  25 . One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started 26  about life,and I told them about one of my  27 . I said that we must very often give things up 28 we grow—our youth, our beauty, our friends---but it always 29  that after we give something up,we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father  30 up. He said, “But, Peter,I gave up 31 ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I could not think of anything to say.  32 , he answered his own question: “I 33 the love of my family.” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes,along with hope and thankfulness.
I was also  34 by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated(恼怒的)at someone, I  35 remember his words and become 36 . If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be  37 to give up my small irritations. In this  38  ,I learned the power of acceptance from my father.
Sometimes I 39 what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one 40 .

I was working on my usual Sunday afternoon shift at the bakery. The flow of   36  rushed to finish weekend shopping in order to return home   37  to prepare supper or watch the football game. I   38  on my job of stamping hundreds of bags for the coming holiday  weekend   39  I heard a weak voice, “Excuse me, miss.” I   40   up to see an elderly man standing before me. He  41   asked if he could have a tart (果陷饼). I went to fetch the tart and placed it in a box.
“Three dollars, please.” I told him. The man looked   42  and began shaking his head. This is one of the most awkward   43  , because you want to give the dessert away, but cannot. He apologized, saying he would not   44    more than expected on a tart.
  45___ I felt upset, I waited on (照顾) the customer behind him, a woman who asked for various breads and desserts   46  a dinner party she was hosting. After finishing her_ 47  , she asked if I would   48  adding a tart to her bill and placing it in a  49  box. My curiosity grew as I handed it to her. She paid, _ 50  me and walked away.
I   51  to stamping bags, but I couldn’t concentrate. I could not stop thinking about the little old man who could not, or _ 52   not, spend three dollars on a dessert. Just then, I saw the woman giving the man   53 _ much-desired tart. His face   54  , brilliant and appreciative.        ___55   her kindness, he reached into his pocket and gave her the only thing he had: a piece of candy.