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When we moved from California to Colorado, 1,200 miles away from our parents, my husband and I decided that we did not want to travel a long way with our four______for Christmas. However, one late October day, I had a phone conversation with my mother-in-law.
“When are you ____?” she asked.
I did not know how to ______，and changed the subject. When she asked again later in the ____一 “ When are you coming?” 一I knew that we would ____our plan and not stay in our own home for Christmas.
The thought of not being in our own home caused me to be____. What would Christmas away from home look like? Would we be ____ the magic of Christmas by not being in our own home? It would be the first time our children would spend __ away from our own home. “How would you like to give ___the best Christmas present ever? We can do that____giving them the gift of our presence,” we told our kids. They all agreed we should go and so the trip to California was __.
My husband's large family always kept Christmas very ___. They only attached great importance____the special meal together. My in-laws' faces____with joy when our family arrived. Christmas Eve was filled with ____, as played games and sang our favorite songs.
Sadly, my mother-in-law's dementia(老年痴呆）became worse. I was ___that we had made an except
on and ___that Christmas together. I didn’t know it at that time，____it was the last Christmas with my mother-in-law.
The gift of being ___with her that year was the best gift I have ever ___and received.
1.A. friends B. children C. neighbors D. relatives
2.A. coming B. driving C. planning D. phoning
3.A. begin B. stop C. respond D. repeat
4.A. apartment B. letter C. conversation D. situation
5.A. swap B. change C. rescue D. show
6.A. anxious B. excited C. tired D. sensitive
7.A. giving up B. setting up C. picking up D. turning up
8.A. Thanks-giving B. Mother’s Day C. New Year D. Christmas
9.A. uncles B. grandparents C. cousins D. parents
10.A. after B. before C. by D. with
11.A. finished B. removed C. appreciated D. set
12.A. grateful B. official C. simple D. legal
13.A. on B. in C. to D. for
14.A. watched over B. lit up C. burst out D. gave in
15.A. power B. noise C. laughter D. merry
16.A. amazed B. mean C. frightened D. glad
17.A. spent B. missed C. packed D. ignored
18.A. but B. because C. unless D. so
19.A. calm B. present C. generous D. honest
20.A. got B. seen C. given D. heard
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We had moved from Cairo to Mt. Vernon, Illinois, away from my grandmother when I was eight years old. I missed her 36 . I was told I was her favorite grandchild; she was my favorite granny. Mother must have sensed my 37 , for she would take my little brother and me back to visit my Granny on occasions.
She didn’t live in a big house or have expensive things, but I never 38 it; I just knew she loved me and I loved her back.
We had lived, for a time, next door to her 39 my father was away during World War II.
Granny had never had very much in the way of 40 or material things. But it was the little things she gave me that had always 41 . Things like letting me dip my fingers in the sugar bowl or the coffee she let me drink from her 42_. She allowed me to sit on top of her kitchen table to enjoy those privileges.
She also had a vinegar bottle that sat high on a shelf that was 43 , in my eyes; I asked if I could have it someday. It was given to me in a box after her 44 . She remembered in her last days; love is like that.
She didn’t have much; 45 did we. But she did something for my brother and me. I will always remember she 46 her pennies in a glass jar. I am sure Granny could have used those pennies herself 47 she saved them to give us when we came to 48 her.
I don’t remember how much we 49 on our visits, nor was the 50 important. It was the idea that she remembered us, and cared about us, when we were away from her.
Those 51 , of when I was a child, still give me 52 feelings now. I often wonder, after all those years, when I am lucky enough to find a 53 lying on the ground 54 , if it could possibly be Granny tossing me pennies from 55 .
1. A．suddenly B．unfortunately C．terribly D．properly
2. A．longing B．tasting C．dissatisfying D．worrying
3. A．found B．saw C．remarked D．minded
4. A．while B．if C．unless D．though
5. A．house B．car C．money D．possession
6. A．gone B．mattered C．saved D．respected
7. A．jar B．glass C．bottle D．cup
8. A．beautiful B．expensive C．heavy D．big
9. A．birthday B．death C．accident D．change
10. A．so B．and C．neither D．however
11. A．hid B．discovered C．saved D．liked
12. A．since B．or C．because D．but
13. A．visit B．invite C．help D．comfort
14. A．spent B．wasted C．collected D．counted
15. A．penny B．time C．money D．amount
16. A．memories B．adventures C．friendships D．achievements
17. A．bright B．warm C．sad D．interesting
18. A．bottle B．jar C．table D．penny
19. A．anywhere B．nowhere C．somewhere D．everywhere
20. A．hell B．heaven C．God D．sky
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We had moved from Cairo to Illinois, away from my grandmother when I was eight years old. I her terribly. I was told I was her favorite ; she was my favorite “Granny.”
My heart for a long time after we went away. Mother must have noticed I wanted to see her, she would take my and me back to visit my Granny sometimes. I know Granny loved us. it was something you could feel with your . She didn’t live in a fancy(豪华的) house or have things, but I never cared.
Although she didn’t have much, did we, she did something for my brother Tommie and me. I will always remember she saved her in a glass jar, which had her since she was married. I am sure Granny could have those pennies herself but she saved them to us when we came to visit. Because I was the older, I was dividing(分) the pennies between my brother and me.
“One for you, one for me,” I would the words until the jar was empty. I don’t remember how much we collected on our and the amount(数量) wasn’t important at all. It was the idea that she remembered us and cared about us moved me. Those of my childhood still give me warm feelings when I’m sad. I often wonder if I found a penny on the ground somewhere, could it possibly be Granny tossing(扔) me pennies from heaven?
1.A. preferred B. missed C. wondered D. remembered
2.A. relative B. neighbor C. partner D. grandchild
3.A. touched B. felt C. ached D. flew
4.A. so B. but C. still D. and
5.A. aunt B. cousin C. sister D. brother
6.A. Totally B. Extremely C. Actually D. Sincerely
7.A. thoughts B. eyes C. mind D. heart
8.A. powerful B. expensive C. familiar D. large
9.A. either B. none C. nor D. so
10.A. pennies B. candies C. jewels D. sweets
11.A. added to B. belonged to C. stood for D. come up to
12.A. protected B. saved C. used D. collected
13.A. help B. give C. attract D. comfort
14.A. in charge of B. in danger of C. in search of D. in favor of
15.A. legally B. logically C. informally D. equally
16.A. ignore B. appreciate C. request D. repeat
17.A. visits B. holidays C. weekends D. youth
18.A. which B. that C. where D. what
19.A. performances B. sights C. memories D. accidents
20.A. lying B. burying C. shining D. signaling
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Well, if Father’s job means that we have to move away from our house and the sliding banister and my three best friends for life, then I think Father should ___________ about his job, don’t you?
A. have big things in mind B. let the matters drop
C. stretch out D. think twice
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A middle-aged couple from California got to the Pacific Ocean after a 4,900- mile-cross-country walk, becoming the first to backpack the American Discovery Trail by walking．
Marcia and Ken started the travel across 13 states, through 14 national parks and 16 national forests from Delaware and finally reached their destination a day nearly eight months later.
“We are sad that a great adventure is over. Now we just go home and do housework” said the couple, who went through cities, desert, mountains and farmland before reaching the Pacific alone.
They overcame deep snow in the East, a quicksand in Utah, close lightning strikes in the Mid- west and strong desert sandstorms in the West while averaging 22 miles a day and taking only four days off．But they enjoyed the French history of St.Louis and the beauty of the Colorado Rockies. They particularly remember kindness of strangers they met along the way.
“Americans are truly warm-hearted and wonderful. We got to meet people that we would never meet in our daily living at home. It' s an amazing country.” Marcia said．
1.Which of the following is the most suitable title?
A．The first couple to backpack the Pacific Ocean alone
B．The first couple to cover a 4,900 mile cross-country walk
C．A husband-and-wife team suffered a lot during an adventure
D．A husband-and-wife team got much help during an adventure
2.Which of the statements is TRUE?
A．The couple travelled across 16 states.
B．Their walk lasted nearly half a year.
C．They prefer housework to adventure
D．They took four days off during the travel
3.We know that during the walk, the couple_________.
A．were worried about their housework
B．once covered 22 miles within four days
C．were treated warm-heartedly by strangers
D．met strong desert sandstorms in the East
4.Which place do you suppose can replace the underlined word “destination”?
A．Delaware
B．Colorado Rockies
C．California
D．Pacific Ocean
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When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect(尊敬) elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
By Jack
1.Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______.
A．the manager asked him to do so
B．he respected the elderly
C．the couple wanted him to do so
D．he wanted more pay
2.When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______.
A．nervous B．satisfied C．unhappy D．excited
3. In Jack’s hometown, _______.
A．people dislike being called “old”
B．people are proud of being old
C．many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
D．the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants
4. Which of the following is TRUE?
A．The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.
B．Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.
C．The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.
D．From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.
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When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect(尊敬) elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
1.Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______.
A. the manager asked him to do so
B. he respected the elderly
C. the couple wanted him to do so
D. he wanted more pay
2.When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______.
A. nervous B. satisfied C. unhappy D. excited
3.In Jack’s hometown, _______.
A. people dislike being called “old”
B. people are proud of being old
C. many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
D. the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants
4.After this experience, Jack _______.
A. lost his job in the restaurant
B. made friends with the couple
C. no longer respected the elderly
D. changed his way with older people
5.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.
B. Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.
C. The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.
D. From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.
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When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
By Jack
1.Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______.
A. the manager asked him to do so
B. he respected the elderly
C. the couple wanted him to do so
D. he wanted more pay
2.When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______.
A. nervous B. satisfied C. Unhappy D. excited
3.In Jack’s hometown, _______.
A. people dislike being called “old”
B. people are proud of being old
C. many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
D. the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants
4.After this experience, Jack _______.
A. lost his job in the restaurant
B. made friends with the couple
C. no longer respected the elderly
D. changed his way with older people
5.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.
B. Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.
C. The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.
D. From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.
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Mary felt ________from her friends when we moved to a quiet new neighborhood.
A．cut down B．cut up C．cut off D．cut out
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Many years ago, when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children. We thought we would find a motel（汽车旅馆）on the way and had not made a booking. As it was getting late, we started looking for a motel, only to find that all were booked.
Finally, around 9 p.m., we stopped at a gas station to fill up on gas. My husband asked for a phone book and told the woman at the counter that we were trying to find a motel. He tried for 15 minutes. When he was unsuccessful, the woman, Linda, said she and her family lived nearby and would be happy if we spent the night at her home.
My husband was stunned at her offer. She called her son to direct us, since she had to stay at the gas station till midnight.
When we reached their home, her husband greeted us. He took out two sleeping bags for the children. He invited us to have coffee and chat while we waited for his wife. When she came back, we asked if we could slip away in the morning so as not to disturb them. They said we were now guests and we would have to have breakfast with them.
We woke up to a table set for breakfast. They’d made a mountain of pancakes and bacon. We ate breakfast, and when we were leaving, my husband asked if he could offer some payment.
They insisted we were their guests. We left moved by their spirit of hospitality(好客). We were amazed that they would take in a family of total strangers from a different country. We kept in touch for many years. Over the years, we lost touch, but have never forgotten their kindness.
1.What made the author upset at first?
A. They ran out of gas. B. They had nowhere to stay.
C. They were late for dinner. D. They got lost in Canada.
2.What does the underlined word “stunned” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Troubled. B. Disappointed.
C. Confused. D. Surprised.
3.What did the author’s family do the next morning?
A. They paid for their breakfast. B. They met some strangers.
C. They had a big breakfast. D. They slipped away.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Unexpected kindness B. Be Kind to Strangers
C. Looking for a Motel D. A Kind Woman
on and ___that Christmas together. I didn’t know it at that time，____it was the last Christmas with my mother-in-law.