Mom was a teacher most of her life. When she wasn’t in the classroom, she was educating her children or grandchildren: correcting our grammar; starting us on collections of butterflies, flowers or rocks; or inspiring a discussion on her most recent “Book of the Month Club” topic. Mom made learning fun.
It was sad for my three brothers and me to see her ailing in her later years. At eighty-five, she suffered a stroke and she went steadily downhill after that.
Two days before she died, my brothers and I met at her nursing home and took her for a short ride in a wheelchair. While we waited for the staff to lift her limp body back into bed, Mom fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, we moved to the far end of the room and spoke softly.
After several minutes our conversation was interrupted by a muffled sound coming from across the room. We stopped talking and looked at Mom. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly trying to communicate with us. We went to her side.
“Whirr,” she said weakly.
“Where?” I asked. “Mom, is there something you want?” “Whirr,” she repeated a bit stronger. My brothers and I looked at each other and shook our heads sadly.
Mom opened her eyes, sighed, and with all the energy she could muster said, “Not was, say were!”
It suddenly occurred to us that Mom was correcting brother Jim’s last sentence. “If it was up to me…”
Jim leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom,” he whispered. We smiled at each other and once again shook our heads…this time in awe of a remarkable teacher.
1.When Mom said, “Whirr”, what did she really want to do?
A.She wanted to tell her sons her will.
B.She wanted to have something to eat before she died.
C.She wanted to correct the mistakes Jim made while talking.
D.She wanted to teach her sons more because she was dying.
2.Which of the following statements is NOT right?
A.Mom was a good teacher and never wanted to stop her teaching.
B.Mom was always making her teaching fun.
C.Mom didn’t forget her teaching until she died.
D.Mom was no longer a teacher when she was at home.
3.What does the writer think of his mother?
A.He loved her but was tired of his mother’s teaching at home.
B.His mother should forget her teaching and enjoyed the rest of her life.
C.His mother was great because she devoted herself to teaching.
D.His mother was an excellent teacher before she was retired.
4.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A. Once a teacher, always B. Mom’s will
C. A teacher’s life D. A teacher’s devotion
I remember one Thanksgiving when our family had no money and no food, and someone came knocking on our door. A man was ___36____ there with a huge box of food, a giant turkey and even some ___37____ to cook it in. I couldn’t ___38___ it. My dad demanded, “Who are you? Where are you from?”
The stranger announced, “I’m here because a friend of yours knows you’re in need and that you wouldn’t accept __39__ help, so I’ve brought this for you. Have a great Thanksgiving.”
My father said, “No, no, we ___40___ accept this.” The stranger replied “You don’t have __41____.”, closed the door and left.
Obviously that experience had a profound impact (深刻影响) on my life. I ___42___ myself that someday I would do well enough financially _43__ I could do the same thing for other people. By the time I was eighteen I had created my Thanksgiving ritual (习惯). I would go out ____44___ and buy enough food for one or two ___45____. Then I would dress like a delivery boy, go to the __46____ neighbourhood and just knock on a ___47____. I always __48____ a note that explained my Thanksgiving experience __49____ a kid. The note said, “All that I ask ___50___ is that you take good enough care of ___51____ so that someday you can do the same thing for someone else.” I have received more from this annual ritual than I have from any amount of __52____ I’ve ever earned.
Years ago I was in New York City with my new wife during Thanksgiving. She was sad because we were not with our family. ___53____ she would be home decorating the house for Christmas, but we were __54_____ in a hotel room. When I told her what I always do on Thanksgiving, she got excited.
We packed enough food for seven families for thirty days and went to buildings where half a dozen people lived in one room with no electricity and no heat in winter surrounded by rats, cockroaches(蟑螂) and the smell of urine(尿). It was both an ___55____ realization that people lived this way and a truly fulfilling experience to make even a small difference.
1.A．speaking B．standing C．looking D．shouting
2.A．meat B．vegetables C．pans D．firewood
3.A．believe B．accept C．help D．refuse
4.A．direct B．some C．our D．any
5.A．may not B．needn’t C．can’t D．daren’t
6.A．any money B．a choice C．food D．a turkey
7.A．permitted B．promised C．asked D．said
8.A．when B．so that C．even if D．as if
9.A．driving B．playing C．offering D．shopping
10.A．people B．children C．families D．days
11.A．nearest B．farthest C．largest D．poorest
12.A．house B．door C．window D．gate
13.A．concluded B．included C．wrote D．took
14.A．like B．with C．as D．to
15.A．in return B．later C．in future D．for
16.A．others B．yourself C．your family D．the presents
17.A．warmth B．thanks C．money D．encouragement
18.A．Unfortunately B．Obviously C．Normally D．Gradually
19.A．stuck B．excited C．free D．delighted
20.A．exciting B．astonishing C．encouraging D．outstanding
The teacher went up to the sleeping student and patted him on the head, _______.
A. waking him up B. to wake him away
C. woke him up D. waken him away
________ a mobile phone can you ring ______ you want to talk with anyway.
A. Using; whoever B. Only on; whomever
C. By; whatever D. With; anyone
Pop music is such an important part of society______ it has even influenced our language.
A. as B. that C. which D. where
What he has told us about the situation in Iraq simply doesn’t make any________.
A. use B. reason C. value D. sense
