When I was eight, I wrote my first poem. My mother read and cried, “Buddy, you didn't really write this beautiful poem!” Shyly, but1, I said yes. She poured out her 2.“It was nothing short of talent!”“What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could 3 wait to show my work to him. I spent quite some time 4 for his arrival. I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish(花体字), drew a fancy border around it and 5 I placed it right on my father's plate on the dining table. My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer. I was sure he would be able to 6 my poem.

    At almost 7 o'clock my father burst in. He seemed 7. He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees. 8 he paused and glared at his plate. “What is this?” He's reaching for my poem. “Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!” my mother began. “And it's beautiful, absolutely amaze...” “If you don't mind, I'd like to decide for myself.” Father said. I 9 my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours. Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of 10. “I think it's terrible,” he said. I couldn't look up. My eyes were getting 11.

    “Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he's ever written,” my mother was saying. “He needs encouragement.” “I don't know why.” My father held his ground. “Isn't there enough 12 poetry in the world already?” I couldn't 13it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I 14 myself on the bed and cried the worst of the disappointment out of me.

    That may have been the end of the story, but not of its 15 for me. I realized how 16 I had been. I had a mother who said, “I think it's wonderful!” and a father who drove me to hear with “I think it's awful.” Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all creation flows; and yet the mother force alone is 17. It needs the balance of the force that 18, “Watch. Listen. Review. Improve.”

    Those 19 voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me. 20 the two poles of confirmation and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course.

    Before you put on a frown (皱眉)，make absolutely sure there are no smiles available.

—Jim Beggs

    The last time my eighty-three-year-old mother visited, I asked how she was feeling. It's a valid question. She has,1, had two knee replacements, a metal rod placed in her femur, and arthritis (关节) is settling into her bones so 2 she can no longer roll the dough (生面团) to make her famous cinnamon crisps. She moves 3 and with precision (准确) to avoid another 4.

    But she hasn't5moving. In fact, she and my father attended their first Jimmy Buffet concert this summer, where they sat on the lawn. Here's the thing about my parents: They6say no to an invitation or a new 7. If they can make it work, they're willing to8 just about anything. When we need them to come stay with the kids, we have to get on their9 far in advance.

    They10 us daily.

When asked how she was feeling, my mother responded without an ounce (盎司) of11: "Well, almost everything hurts every day. Some days are better than others. But you know what I've discovered? It doesn't12 a bit to smile. So that's what I've decided to do...13at everyone I see. I may not be able to do all the things I used to do, but I can at least14 someone's day."

    It is such simple wisdom, and such a profound shift.

    Moving the15from what we don't have, from what we've lost, from how we've been burdened to what we can16others is the difference between living in the dark and giving off17. And illumination (光亮), of course, makes traveling so much easier for us and for others.

    In chaos theory (混沌理论), the butterfly effect maintains that the18 breeze from a butterfly's wing can19the path of a hurricane halfway across the world.

    Imagine, then, the possibilities that exist20 a single smile.

    I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people 1 I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a2person:

    I think my3started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my4, and be left alone. I thought I was smarter everyone else, so I hardly ever5to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really,6. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n)7. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I8to help. That was really a big9for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of 10are still my best friends today.

    A bigger cause of my new11, however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer s disease became my12. Every time I came into her room, she was so13because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never14her, so I took her place. She let me15. That making others feel good make me feel good, too. When she died, I was 16, but I was very grateful to her.

    I think I am a much 17, person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not18these experiences. They have19e to care about other people more than about myself.20who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.

    When we saw a programme on TV about a Christmas trip to Lapland, we knew our four children would love it. 1 them on any holiday is costly, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime 2 for our family.

    In October, we got the children to write Christmas 3 to Santa. They thought it was a bit soon but were 4 just how many letters Santa receives, so getting in early would make sure that he would read them.

    Our departure day arrived in mid-December. There was an explosion of excitement as we parked and 5 our suitcases onto a trolley (手推车) and the children realized we were 6going on a plane. The excitement built as we 7.

    It was all worth it. The look on their faces as we 8 in Rovaniemi, Finland, was 9. Four days of total magic followed. We took sleigh rides, 10 snow mobiles (雪地摩托) and patted reindeer. On our fourth day we finally ‘found' Santa, who had a genuine, thick white 11. His home was 12 from floor to ceiling with Christmas parcels, which was every child's dream.

    If that wasn't 13, he held four hand-written letters that our children immediately 14. Santa said, "So, you must be Thomas, Lucy, Alice and Philip and you've come all the way from England just to see me!" He turned to one of the towers of wrapped presents, 15 up and carefully withdrew four parcels. Each of them received a personally addressed 16 signed 'With love from Father Christmas' and inside was 17 what they'd asked for in their letters.

    Those four days in Lapland will 18 forever the most memorable of our lives. Our four children, now aged between 32 and 38, still talk about that 19 as the most wonderful Christmas ever where childhood magic came to 20.

Over the past 38 years, Mr. Wang has pretended to be someone else many times, and has even learn ed to 1 different dialects (方言), leading to him being described as an "Oscar-winning actor".

The 60-year-old is not an actor, but a 2 However, he is more devoted to his "3 " than any real actor. In the 1990s, a group of thieves often sold stolen goods with the help of some beggars. To look into the 4 , Wang disguised (伪装) himself and 5 the beggars.

Dirty clothes and old shoes gave him the 6 of a real beggar and his convincing dialect soon won him the 7 of the beggars. "I often 8 them to drink alcohol. Once they were 9 they began to talk a lot," Wang said. "I'd then 10 myself to use the toilet, 11 what the beggars said, and send the 12 to my teammates."

Wang, who is often in 13 situations, is also a judo (柔道) master. "As long as I get close enough, no criminal(罪犯)can 14 from me," he said. Wang's 15 won him several honors including a National May Day Labor Medal and 11 Citations of Merit. Paris. 

(2023陕西西安高一练习)

Donald opened the door of his pet parrot's cage and slid in his index finger(食指).Donald's parrot,Sunshine,jumped excitedly onto the finger."How are you doing today,Sunshine?" {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sunshine munched(用力咀嚼)happily on the grass while Donald put the bird on his shoulder and walked across the room to his desk.

"I need to earn some money,Sunshine," Donald said to the bird,which was now placed atop Donald's head."But who will hire someone of my age,and what am I good at?"

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} "I'm responsible," he said to Sunshine as he wrote,"and I like people and animals,but,on the other hand,I'm too young to drive,and I don't have much experience in performing most jobs."

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} After a couple of rings,the phone quieted,so Donald knew his mother had answered the phone.He heard an unclear conversation from the room as he continued his job musings(沉思).

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} She laughed when she saw Sunshine stay happily on Donald's head."That was Mrs.Johannson on the telephone," she reported.She wants to know if you would be willing to take care of their two parrots while the Johannsons are out of town next week.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Donald grinned(咧嘴笑) from ear to ear.

A.She's even willing to pay a little.

B.You might be too busy to take the job.

C.Donald was worried about his future job.

D.Donald asked as he held out a leaf of grass to the bird.

E.A few minutes later,Donald's mother walked into his room.

F.Donald was thinking about his options when he heard the telephone ring in another room.

G.Donald tore a sheet of paper out of a notebook and began writing down the things he was good at.