Grandfather’s Clock

In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a(n) 　36 grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were 　37 for four generations to become one. And always that grandfather clock stood like a trusted family friend, watching over the laughter and story 　38

and gentle kidding that were a part of our lives. Year after year, the clock 　39 , a part of my memories, a part of my heart. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather’s 　40 . He wound that clock with a special key each day. That key was magic to me. It kept our family’s magnificent clock ticking and chiming. I remember watching as my grand-father took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the massive clock. He inserted the key and

41 　　 not too much, never overwind, he’d tell me seriously, nor too 　42 . He never let that clock wind down and stop. When we grandkids got a little older, he showed us how to open the door and let us each take a turn 　43 the key. I remember the first time I did, I

44 , to be part of this family routine was sacred. After my 　45 grandfather died, it was several days after the funeral 　46 I remembered the clock! The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood lonely as quiet as the 　47 had been, hushed. The clock even seemed smaller. Not quite as magnificent without my grandfather’s special 48 . I couldn’t 　49 to look at it. Sometime later, years later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key. The old house was quiet. The hands on the clock were 50 , a reminder of time

slipping away, stopped at the 　51 moment when my grandfather had stopped winding it. I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and 　52　 blue eyes. He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock’s magic, at the key that held so much power. I stood,

53 in the moment for a long time. Then slowly, I inserted the key. It 　54 to life. Tick-tock, tick-tock, life and chimes were 　55 into the dining room, into the house and into my heart. In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather lived again.

36.　 A. used　　　　　　　　 B. traditional　　　　　　　　 C. massive　　　　　　　　　 D. ancient

37.　 A. a time　　　　　　　 B. one time　　　　　　　　　 C. instant　　　　　　　 　 D. time

38.　 A. swapping　　　　 B. telling　　　　　　　　　　　 C. developing　　　　　　　 D. spreading

39.　 A. stroke　　　　　　　 B. sounded　　　　　　　　　 C. chimed　　　　　　　　　　 D. echoed

40.　 A. ceremony　　　　 B. routine C. movement　　　　　　　 D. instruction

41.　 A. moved B. wound　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. motivated D. powered

42.　 A. little　　　　　　　　 B. loose　　　　　　　　　　　 C. tight　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. much

43.　 A. using　　　　　　　 B. inserting　　　　　　　　　 C. spinning　　　　　　　　　 D. winding

44. A. nerved　　　　　　　　　　 B. excited　　　　　　　　　　 C. trembled　　　　　　　　　 D. shook

45.　 A. beloved　　　　　　 B. lovely　　　　　　　　　　　 C. respectful　　　　　　　　 D. respective

46.　 A. when　　　　　　　 B. before　　　　　　　　　　 C. until　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. till

47.　 A. function　　　　　 B. ceremony　　　　　　　　 C. funeral　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. meeting

48.　 A. reach　　　　　　　 B. attention　　　　　　　　　 C. fixing　　　　　　　 　 D. touch

49.　 A. bear　　　　　　　　 B. continue　　　　　　　　　 C. allow　　　　　　　　　　　 D. forbid

50.　 A. dotted　　　　　　　 B. stopped　　　　　　　　　 C. frozen　　　　　　　　　　 D. paused

51.　 A. precise　　　　　　 B. perspective　　　　　　　 C. previous　　　　　　　　　 D. primary

52.　 A. staring　　 　　 B. twinkling　　　　　 　 C. shining　　 　　　　　 D. glaring

53.　 A. thought　　　　　　 B. imagined　　　　　　　　　 C. recalled　　　　　　　　　 D. lost

54.　 A. renewed　　　　　 B. sprang　　　　　　　　　　 C. survived　　　　　　　　　 D. awoke

55.　 A. poured　　　　　　　　　　 B. crowded　　　　　　　　　 C. filled　　　　　　　　　　　 D. breathed

I break off a piece of candy and take pleasure in its sweet outside and the bitter, dark chocolate inside, thinking of my own life. Being raised by a single parent was a bitter-sweet 36 , which gave me motivation and ambition.

There were several years that have left a(n)  37   bitter taste in my mouth —those when my mother married a man and moved my sister, Emily, and me several states away from our hometown. The first few months were  38  : baseball games, family trips to the mall, dinners and movies together. Then things changed. Baseball became too expensive, and trips to the mall were  39  by days Emily and I spent isolated (孤立的) in our rooms under our stepfather’s    40   . Moreover, screaming matches between him and our mother always  41  dinner. We spent five years living in a family that had  42  a war zone. Emily and I almost grew used to this situation . Then one evening, after another argument had erupted , we left home. I was 14, my sister 11, and we were  43  .A friend of my mother let us stay with her.

Instead of focusing on our economic instability, my mother selflessly pushed me to struggle for success. She wanted me to lead a more  44  life than hers. She worked long hours every night to pay her bills.  45   , she would find time to read and play with Emily and me. Mom taught me the  46  of perseverance (坚持不懈) and education. We finally settled in Texas. And now, writing this essay with my favorite candy close at hand, I realize my family and I are at the best points of our lives. I haven’t let the trying times stop me from making  47   , both academically and personally. I know that a bitter environment can provide good learning experiences, and that success, even more than candy, is the sweetest treat of all.

1.A. behavior                B. habit                    C. activity                  D. experience

2.A. hardly                        B. extremely      C. potentially           D. Gently

3.A. sweet                    B. bitter                     C. boring                  D. terrible

4.A. concerned           B. associated    C. accompanied       D. replaced

5.A. sympathy              B. reminder    C. orders                  D. requests

6.A. separated             B. interrupted           C. harmed                 D. Adjusted

7.A. turned into           B. turned up     C. turned down        D. turned on

8.A. homeless             B. lucky                      C. educated              D. wealthy

9.A. interesting      B. comfortable    C. simple                  D. typical

10.A. Instead              B. Otherwise      C. Meanwhile          D. Therefore

11.A. value                 B. cost                C. price                               D. theme

12.A. emotions                    B. expectations           C. fortunes                        D. achievements

 

I break off a piece of candy and take pleasure in its sweet outside and the bitter, dark chocolate inside, thinking of my own life. Being raised by a single parent was a bitter-sweet 36 , which gave me motivation and ambition.

There were several years that have left a(n)  37   bitter taste in my mouth —those when my mother married a man and moved my sister, Emily, and me several states away from our hometown. The first few months were  38  : baseball games, family trips to the mall, dinners and movies together. Then things changed. Baseball became too expensive, and trips to the mall were  39  by days Emily and I spent isolated (孤立的) in our rooms under our stepfather’s    40   . Moreover, screaming matches between him and our mother always  41  dinner. We spent five years living in a family that had  42  a war zone. Emily and I almost grew used to this situation . Then one evening, after another argument had erupted , we left home. I was 14, my sister 11, and we were  43  .A friend of my mother let us stay with her.

Instead of focusing on our economic instability, my mother selflessly pushed me to struggle for success. She wanted me to lead a more  44  life than hers. She worked long hours every night to pay her bills.  45   , she would find time to read and play with Emily and me. Mom taught me the  46  of perseverance (坚持不懈) and education. We finally settled in Texas. And now, writing this essay with my favorite candy close at hand, I realize my family and I are at the best points of our lives. I haven’t let the trying times stop me from making  47   , both academically and personally. I know that a bitter environment can provide good learning experiences, and that success, even more than candy, is the sweetest treat of all.

36. A. behavior                 B. habit              C. activity            D. experience

37. A. hardly                B. extremely          C. potentially        D. Gently

38. A. sweet            B. bitter                C. boring             D. terrible

39. A. concerned     B. associated         C. accompanied           D. replaced

40 A. sympathy               B. reminder          C. orders             D. requests

41. A. separated              B. interrupted        C. harmed            D. Adjusted

42. A. turned into     B. turned up          C. turned down     D. turned on

43. A. homeless              B. lucky               C. educated                 D. wealthy

44. A. interesting         B. comfortable       C. simple             D. typical

45. A. Instead                B. Otherwise    C. Meanwhile       D. Therefore

46. A. value            B. cost            C. price                       D. theme

47. A. emotions             B. expectations        C. fortunes                 D. achievements

Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Once  36  , such opportunities are like valuable diamonds hidden in the sand.

Several years ago, I spoke at a school about how we were surrounded by “__37  ” if we could only recognize them. A man stopped by to see me, and I  38   him as somebody who had suffered through a(n)  39  divorce (离婚) and was examining what was most important to him. He took a small  40  out of his pocket. Here is what he said to me that day.

“I  41  on this stone when I was leaving church last Sunday. You had spoken about  42  opportunities—diamonds. I put the stone in my  43  to remind me to look for those diamonds that I need. I have been trying to sell my  44  . On Monday morning, a man who seemed interested in  45  some of my stock (股票) stopped by. I thought, ‘Here’s my diamond—don’t let it  46  !’ I sold the entire stock to him by noon. Now my next diamond is to find a new 47  !”

Not long afterward, he did find a new and better job. From then on, he  48  to keep his stone with him all the time as a   49  to look for “diamonds” as he digs through the  50  of life.

Richard DeVos is right when he  51  . “This is an exciting world. It is filled with opportunities.  52  moments wait around every corner.” Those moments are diamonds that,   53  left unrecognized, will be forever lost.

Are you looking for “diamonds” every day? If not, you may  54  pass them by! Perhaps there is a diamond of opportunity hidden in the difficulty you’re  55  now.

36.A.given                   B.discovered                 C.sent                   D.made

37.A.opportunities         B.dangers                     C.diamonds           D.chances

38.A.considered            B.treated                      C.remembered              D.saw

39.A.painful                 B.stupid                       C.normal               D.original

40.A.ball                      B.stone                         C.paper                 D.flower

41.A.stepped                 B.depended                   C.fought                D.based

42.A.stealing                B.accepting                   C.recognizing        D.realizing

43.A.purse                    B.pocket                       C.bag                    D.house

44.A.stone                    B.position                     C.career                D.business

45.A.selling                  B.buying                      C.hunting                     D.casting

46.A.go off                  B.give in                      C.stay up              D.watch out

47.A.buyer             B.job                 C.stock           D.rock

48.A.hoped             B.decided              C.refused         D.hated

49.A.scene                    B.prize                         C.reminder            D.power

50.A.difficulties            B.hopes                        C.characters           D.cases

51.A.takes over             B.leaves out                       C.points out           D.calls for

52.A.Actural                 B.Great                        C.Dangerous          D.Necessary

53.A.unless                   B.though                      C.for                     D.if

54.A.happily                 B.easily                        C.luckily               D.dangerously

55.A.expressing            B.satisfying                  C.breaking             D.experiencing

完形(15%)

 Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Once __41 __, such opportunities are like valuable diamonds hidden in the sand.

Several years ago, I spoke at a school about how we were surrounded by “___42___  ” if we could only recognize them. A man stopped by to see me, and I remembered him as somebody who had suffered through a(n) ___43___ divorce (离婚) and was examining what was most important to him. He took a small ___44___ out of his pocket. Here is what he said to me that day.

“I ___45___ on this stone when I was leaving church last Sunday. You had spoken about  ___46___ opportunities—diamonds. I put the stone in my ___47___ to remind me to look for those “diamonds” that I need. I have been trying to sell my business . On Monday morning, a man who seemed interested in ___48___ some of my stock (股票) stopped by. I thought, ‘Here’s my diamond—don’t let it ___49___!’ I sold the entire stock to him by noon. Now my next diamond is to find a new ___50___  !”

Not long afterward, he did find a new and better job. From then on, he decided to keep his stone with him all the time as a ___51___ to look for “diamonds” as he dug through the ___52___ of life.

Richard DeVos is right when he points out. “This is an exciting world. It is filled with opportunities. Great moments wait around every corner.” Those moments are diamonds that,   ___53___ left unrecognized, will be forever lost.

Are you looking for “diamonds” every day? If not, you may ___54___ pass them by! Perhaps there is a diamond of opportunity hidden in the difficulty you’re ___55___ now.

A.given            B.discovered            C.sent          D.made

A.opportunities        B.dangers           C.diamonds      D.chances

A.painful          B.stupid                C.normal            D.original

A.ball             B.stone             C.paper         D.flower

A.stepped          B.depended          C.fought            D.based

A.stealing         B.accepting         C.recognizing       D.realizing

A.purse            B.pocket                C.bag           D.house

A.selling          B.buying                C.hunting           D.casting

A.go off           B.give in               C.stay up       D.watch out

A.buyer            B.job              C.stock             D.rock

A.scene            B.prize             C.reminder      D.power

A.difficulties     B.hopes             C.characters        D.cases

A.unless           B.though                C.for           D.if

A.happily          B.easily                C.luckily           D.dangerously

A.expressing       B.satisfying            C.breaking      D.experiencing