本文作者： 21ST
1

The first day of school we were challenged to get to know a new classmate. I 1 around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I found a little 2 lady with a warm smile.

She said, "Hi! I'm Rose. I'm 87 years old. Can I give you a hug (拥抱)?" I laughed and heartily 3 , "Of course!"

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She 4 replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have children, and then travel around."

"No 5 ," I asked. I was curious why she 6 this challenge at this age.

"I always 7 having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. We became instant friends.

8 , Rose became a campus (校园) icon (偶像) and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she enjoyed the 9 from the other students.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she 10 us.

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old 11 we stop playing. Here are the secrets to staying 12 . You have to laugh and find 13 every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. 14 we have many people like this walking around!" she said.

"There is a huge 15 between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't 16 any talent or ability," she added. "But growing up requires 17 the opportunity in change. Have no 18 . The elderly usually don't regret what they did, but rather things they did not do."

One week after graduation that year, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. She taught us 19 that it's never too 20 to be all you can possibly be.

1. A. stopped B. showed C. asked D. looked

2. A. old B. exciting C. strange D. nervous

3. A. added B. claimed C. responded D. offered

4. A. slowly B. jokingly C. funnily D. simply

5. A. seriously B. wisely C. really D. secretly

6. A. took up B. put up C. took on D. put on

7. A. dreamed to B. looked forward to

C. looked up to D. dreamed of

8. A. Over the year B. All of a sudden

C. Once again D. As usual

9. A. jokes B. questions C. attention D. followers

10. A. inspired B. taught C. requested D. lectured

11. A. when B. because C. so D. although

12. A. young B. healthy C. growing D. developing

13. A. goals B. humor C. meaning D. inspirations

14. A. Unfortunately B. Naturally C. Generally D. Fairly

15. A. division B. change C. cross D. difference

16. A. use B. take C. compare D. prefer

17. A. winning B. improving C. meeting D. finding

18. A. doubts B. fear C. regrets D. worry

19. A. at last B. by herself C. by example D. in practice

20. A. late B. old C. early D. young

2

From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch, I 1 a note. Often written on a napkin (餐巾), it might be a thank-you for a 2 moment, a reminder of something we were happily expecting, or a bit of 3 for the coming test or sporting event.

In early grade school they 4 their notes. But as children grow older they becomes self-conscious (有自我意识的), and 5 he reached high school, my older son, Marc, informed me he no longer 6 my daily notes. Telling him that he no longer needed to 7 them but I still needed to write them, I 8 until the day he graduated.

Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could move 9 for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, graduating from college, 10 two internship (实习) in Washington, D.C., and 11 , becoming a technical assistant in Sacramento. 12 short vacation visits, however, he had lived away from home. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was 13 happy to have Marc back. Since I was 14 making lunch for his younger brother, I 15 one for Marc, too. Imagine my 16 when I got a call from my 24-year-old son, 17 his lunch.

"Did I do something 18 ? Don't you love me 19 , Mom?" were just a few of the questions he threw at me as I 20 asked him what was wrong.

"My note, Mom," he answered. "Where's my note?"

1. A. carried B. found C. included D. held

2. A. difficult B. special C. comfortable D. separate

3. A. congratulation B. improvement

C. explanation D. encouragement

4. A. loved B. answered C. wrote D. examined

5. A. lately B. by the way C. by the time D. gradually

6. A. received B. understood C. enjoyed D. collected

7. A. copy B. read C. take D. send

8. A. held up B. gave up C. followed D. continued

9. A. out B. home C. to college D. to Sacramento

10. A. organizing B. planning C. comparing D. completing

11. A. hopefully B. finally C. particularly D. certainly

12. A. Because of B. Instead of C. Except for D. As for

13. A. especially B. immediately C. equally D. generally

14. A. once B. again C. still D. even

15. A. packed B. fetched C. bought D. filled

16. A. fear B. surprise

C. anger D. disappointment

17. A. waiting for B. worrying about

C. caring for D. asking about

18. A. wrong B. funny C. strange D. smart

19. A. any more B. enough C. once more D. better

20. A. interestingly B. bitterly C. politely D. laughingly