For a long time I saw happiness as a huge banner (旗帜) across the finish line of a long race. I felt that only when I____ certain things could I finally be happy in my life. Most of the time I felt like a tortoise believing that being slow and____ __would win the race. At other times I would______ _like a rabbit trying different side roads at a dangerous ____ __hoping to reach that banner a little faster._ ____ _，I began to see that no matter how long I raced towards it，the banner was never any______ _. I finally decided to_____ __and take a break. It was then that I saw my_____ _sitting beside me.
It had been with me as I_____ _hard to support my family, as I played with my children and heard their______ and even when I was _____ with my wife at my side looking after me. It had been with me as I raced towards that stupid banner. I just didn’t have the______ _to see it.
There is an old Chinese proverb that says，“Tension is who you think you should be. _____ __is who you are.” Perhaps we all should stop our race towards the______ life we think we should have and ______ __the life we have now. Happiness will never be found under some banner far away. It will be found_____ _your own heart，soul and mind. It will be found when you_____ _that others love you just as you do.
Don’t be a tortoise or a rabbit when it comes to your happiness. Be a playful puppy and carry your stick of______ __with you everywhere you go. ______ _yourself out of the race and realize that when it comes to love and happiness, you are____ _there.
1.A. forgot B. missed C. overcame D. accomplished
2.A. safe B. steady C. calm D. quiet
3.A. act B. run C. jump D. walk
4.A. place B. height C. speed D. time
5.A. Generally B. Gradually C. Fortunately D. Firstly
6.A. clearer B. lower C. closer D. smaller
7.A. settle in B. start off C. stop by D. sit down
8.A. happiness B. goal C. success D. friendship
9.A. studied B. fought C. exercised D. worked
10.A. laughter B. complaints C. stories D. breathing
11.A. lonely B. tired C. sick D. hungry
12.A. courage B. chance C. wisdom D. strength
13.A. Stress B. Relaxation C. Failure D. Pain
14.A. real B. perfect C. common D. ordinary
15.A. enjoy B. change C. improve D. create
16.A. from B. on C. over D. in
17.A. realize B. believe C. hope D. admit
18.A. sorrow B. responsibility C. fortune D. joy
19.A. Carry B. Make C. Push D. Take
20.A. never B. still C. already D. ever
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
No matter how old you are, your mom will always remain as one of the most important people in your life. Maybe you don't know how to express your appreciation and love to her on an ordinary day. 1. Here are several things we can do this Mother's Day to show how much we appreciate and care for our mothers.
Give her flowers. 2. You can show your love to your mom by giving her flowers that match her personality. Or, if you do not know your mom's favorite, carnations(康乃馨) could be your best choice.
Cook for her. Mothers usually are the ones who cook for us. Your mom will absolutely love it if you surprise her by taking over the kitchen and cooking something for her. Just make sure you clean up afterwards.
3. You can just do so describing how much your mother means to you. It can be very effective that your mom will keep them and always be reminded of how important she is to your lives as a family member.
Travel with her. Mothers work hard, so traveling can help her to relax and forget her problems. She will treasure the moment --- wherever you go, just your presence. 4.
Take her to a spa. Massages or spas（按摩保健） are for moms of all ages, and she will enjoy breaking the boredom of staying indoors the whole day. 5. .
Mother's Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she's special to you.
A. Write her a letter.
B. Remember her wedding anniversary.
C. A lot of us forget that the best gift to give her is ourselves.
D. Almost every girl appreciates flowers and so does your mother.
E. She remains the center of attention and respect for a child for a long time.
F. And this will offer your mom comfort and an increased sense of well-being.
G. However, Mother's Day is the special time when you can let her know how important she is to you.
The Best of Alaska
Nothing evokes(唤起)Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river. Combine these images with high mountains, brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day excursion(远足)to the last frontier!
Highlights(集锦)：
JUNEAU: Juneau, the state capital, is rich in culture and scenic beauty. It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES: Haines is a small community located along the fjords（峡湾）. The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS: Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes. We spend a few hours learning carving, native beading(玻璃珠)and culture from these master artists.
SKAGWAY: Skagway is a lively town, which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colorful shops. In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor’s Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS: Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. We’ll stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights. This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise(巡游) in Glacier Bay.
DATES/PRICES:
2014: May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15.
7 days—$3,500, including lodging, all meals, excursions, guides, park fees, sales taxes, and transportation between Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Gustavus. Not included: Alcohol, personal items, airfare to and from Juneau.
Contact:
Email: info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 18007663396
Write: Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School
P.O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827
1.You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at ________.
A. Glacier Bay National Park
B. the Klondike Gold Rush National Park
C. the White Pass Yukon
D. the fjords
2. According to the advertisement, the participants of the excursion ________.
A. will spend one day experiencing the local culture at Alaska Indian Arts
B. can contact Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School by email or fax
C. are able to experience some adventurous activities in Haines
D. can get lots of traditional native artwork free of charge
3. Which of the following requires a participant to pay additional fees?
A. Going from Gustavus to Juneau by train.
B. A full day cruise in Glacier Bay.
C. Having the last supper at Juneau.
D. Flying from Juneau to his hometown.
4.It is known from the advertisement that________.
A. the native culture of the Northwest Native Tribes is dying out
B. Juneau, as the state capital, is much more beautiful than Haines
C. Skagway was the richest town of Alaska in the past
D. Alaska is famous for its culture, history and natural beauty
Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting. But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 to 15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day — which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way — by copying letters over and over again. Today’ s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility, which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency — writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.
1.From Paragraph 1 we can learn ________.
A. teaching handwriting is a basic requirement in teaching job
B. most teachers prefer to teach handwriting
C. teachers spend little time in teaching handwriting
D. a keyboard has taken the place of the handwriting entirely
2.The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A. being easy to read B. being complex
C. being unexpected D. being unreadable
3.The best title for the passage is ________.
A. How to improve handwriting in school
B. Right or wrong: the death of handwriting
C. Handwriting involves two skills
D. Handwriting lessons are on the way out
4. The author’ s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is________.
A. negative B. objective
C. critical D. optimistic
“Do you like doing things for people?” I asked a friend.
“Yes, most of the time,” she replied.
“Most of the time?”
“Well, I love to do things that are unexpected. I like to do little things most people wouldn't think about doing,” she said.
“But why did you say most of the time?”
“Well, sometimes after doing those little things people take advantage of you. I mean, they expect you to do it again. They ask you to do it. That’s when I don’t like it.”
It was odd that I had this conversation. This just happened to me. I love to do little things. I will pay for a meal card for the people in the office every time we have a meeting there. Not a big thing. It’s a little thing. $5.30 will pay for almost five lunches. Hey, big spender!
I also bought a bag of animal crackers for a friend at work. She was having a tough day and not very happy at all. I drove down to the Wal-Mart and picked up a huge bag for under $2.00. Her smile was worth it.
But one week she said, “Bob, we ran out of crackers. We love them so much.” I didn't want to do it. I smiled and she persisted. I finally admitted, “It’s different when I do it because I want to, but now you are trying to make me go to get them. It’s not the same.” But I bought it for her.
Unfortunately, a big fire in my family took away all the possessions we had. I didn’t know what to do and how to do it. What happened to me then surprised me most. I once had my bike repaired, but the repairman said “no charge” on hearing my sufferings. A stranger called James Kennedy read some pieces I’d written about our sufferings for Slate, the online magazine, and wanted to give us a new house across the lake from New Orleans. I refused but I felt moved. Another poet at the University of Florida also wanted to let his house to me free of charge while he was on holiday. My mates gave us more money for us to rebuild my home. When you do something kind for others, do you always get rewarded? Yes, but not in the way you might expect.
1.What’s the main purpose of the first paragraph?
A. To tell the background of the story.
B. To attract the attention of the readers.
C. To get the readers to know main idea directly.
D. To explain the reasons why he wrote the passage.
2.What do we know about James Kennedy?
A. He was a writer of an online magazine.
B. He was also a poet at the University of Florida.
C. He offered the author a new house free of charge.
D. He learned about the author’s sufferings online.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Misfortune of blessing on happiness.
B. Never too late to learn.
C. Helping others means helping yourself.
D. Many hands make the work lighter.
