Just several days ago, a violent storm hit our community. I looked out of the window and witnessed a tree being ____ by the fierce winds. The branches bent, and swayed back and forth, thanks to their ____ to avoid breaking. The leaves desperately stuck to the branches because their life ____ the tree. The powerful trunk that ____ the tree upright bent slightly backwards from the force in a battle to ____ its position.
After the storm had passed, the tree gracefully returned to its ____ position standing tall among the chaos. It managed to ____ the storm. It didn’t look the same as leaves had shed from its branches and the soil had loosened a bit, but what ____ is that the tree won the fight for its life.
For a long time I couldn’t understand why this tree ____ my attention the way it did. As time passed, it became ____ that it wasn’t just about the tree but about the roots, which, although unseen, dig deep into the soil providing ____ and nutrition. The roots allow the tree to be able to take a ____ because they are there to support them.
I couldn’t but ask myself how deep the roots are in my life. ____, the next time you catch your kids ___, when the job is driving you crazy, when you are underpaid and the ____ is tight, and when the storms of life are raging, go back to your roots. Life is full of ____. They will make you sway, make you ___, make you lose some leaves but the deeper your roots the stronger you stand.
Faced with ____ you might bend but don’t break. No matter how hard the wind blows don’t let life ___ you into an uncomfortable position. Your ____ lies in your roots.
1.A. crushed B. abused C. broken D. removed
2.A. height B. thickness C. flexibility D. outline
3.A. answered for B. depended on C. catered for D. touched on
4.A. held B. tied C. pulled D. raised
5.A. achieve B. reach C. establish D. maintain
6.A. current B. final C. original D. comfortable
7.A. explore B. avoid C. chase D. survive
8.A. counts B. differs C. concerns D. reveals
9.A. fixed B. transferred C. escaped D. caught
10.A. strange B. obvious C. possible D. reasonable
11.A. surroundings B. resources C. probability D. stability
12.A. beating B. stand C. chance D. turning
13.A. However B. Therefore C. Nevertheless D. Besides
14.A. misbehaving B. struggling C. withdrawing D. misunderstanding
15.A. security B. deadline C. money D. community
16.A. surprises B. choices C. storms D. changes
17.A. smile B. bend C. hesitate D. advance
18.A. opportunities B. challenges C. tasks D. differences
19.A. trick B. argue C. force D. admit
20.A. courage B. ambition C. value D. strength
— Mummy, look at my gloves. I need a new pair.
— ________. I bought them for you only a week ago!
A. You bet B. You said it
C. You don’t say D. You name it
That Americans have no history while Chinese have no future sounds ________; it has raised a thought provoking question, though.
A. artificial B. arbitrary C. allergic D. reluctant
_______ you consider that the airline handled 80 million passengers last year, the accident figures are really very small.
A. Unless B. When
C. Before D. Though
— Can you do me a favour, Mr. Smith? My car ______ start.
— No problem. You can count on it.
A. won’t B. mustn’t
C. needn’t D. shouldn’t
It was the natural disaster, rather than human errors, that ________ for the death of so many innocent people.
A. are blamed B. was to blame C. was blamed D. were to blame