Each day I took the same route to work and passed by a security guard (保安）.  1  greeted everyone walking by and made small talk with many of the passers-by and wishing them well. His simple “hello” made people feel   2 . His cheerful smile became a part of my day. When he was absent, many people noticed it, and I felt a little bit empty.

The first few times, I didn’t say hello back to him when he greeted me. I was   3  in my own world. On Monday the security guard asked me:“How was your weekend?” I told him about my visit to California, to see my mother, who had colon cancer. I  4 how I visited her each month. “The time with my mother is so precious(珍貴的),   5  I know that each time may be the last.”

He listened like a close friend I’d known for years. He felt my   6 and my love. He shared how he had lost his father to cancer two years before. He said, “I understand what you are going through. My father passed away while I was serving in Germany. Because of some reasons I was unable to fly back in time. I was unable to say goodbye to him. I wish I could have been with him, given him a hug, and told him I loved him. You are really lucky to have the gift of   7 .”

As I walked away, I realized I did not even know his name. The following day, on my way to work, I said: “After we spent all that time   8 yesterday, I still don’t know your name.” He answered, “Gary.” I responded back, “I’m Deborah.”

After that, we talked and shared stories about our weekends, dreams and families.

Later, Gary got   9  a new job and moved away. It’s been several years since I last spoke to him, yet the memory feels like yesterday. Gary reached out to me,   10  me and made my morning the best part of the day. I experienced the beauty of friendship and love.

In the business of life, we often forget to wish a stranger hello although how easy it is, and how great and lasting a   11  it can make. When you say hello to a stranger you become like a pebble(鵝卵石) thrown into a pond. With each ripple (波紋）you create, you spread love that continues to   12 . Make a point of saying hello to a stranger today. You will give the gift that keeps on giving.

1.                A．She            B．They           C．He  D．I

 

2.                A．nervous        B．funny          C．special   D．surprised

 

3.                A．lost            B．left            C．missed   D．dropped

 

4.                A．wondered      B．shared         C．realized  D．found

 

5.                A．because        B．so             C．a(chǎn)nd  D．but

 

6.                A．weakness       B．illness          C．sorriness  D．sadness

 

7.                A．god            B．time           C．nature   D．friendship

 

8.                A．thinking        B．calling          C．crying    D．talking

 

9.                A．offered         B．a(chǎn)fforded        C．invited   D．chosen

 

10.               A．moved         B．touched        C．told  D． helped

 

11.               A．progress        B．sense          C．trouble    D．difference

 

12.               A．receive        B．send           C．give  D．create

 

 

My father died when I was a few months old． After his death, my mother moved back to Louisville, Kentucky, where __1__ had grown up． We lived in a small house with her older sister, Marion, and their mother． This was a time when being a single __2___ was still considered unusual．

When I was small, there was a children’s book called The Happy Family, and it was a real piece of work． Dad worked all day log at the office, Mom cooked in the kitchen, and brother and sister always had friends sleeping over． The image of the family in this book was typical （典型的） of the time． It looked __3___ like my family, but luckily that wasn’t the way I heard it． The way my Aunt Marion read it to me made the story really __4__．

Kind-hearted and open-minded, my aunt was the one who played baseball with me, who took me horseback riding, who took me to the father-son dinners and who gave me lessons on how to drive． Believing that anything __5__ was probably good for, she __6__ to get a loan （貸款） so that I could go to Africa to work as a volunteer, which was my most important experience．

As a young girl, Aunt Marion always planned to have a large number of children of her own, but she never got married．This __7__ that she was free to spend all her time taking care of me．Many people say we have a lot in common．She always __8__ me to do my best． She never __9__ to make me believe that I could do anything with my life that I wanted, if I only tried hard enough．

For more than sixty years, Aunt Marion didn’t and still don’t think of herself． __10__ she is forced to come up to the front, my aunt will stand in the back in family photos, and she doesn’t think that her efforts have made much __11___．I honor my aunt, who taught me the things my __12___ couldn’t．So every June for the past 40 years, in growing thankfulness to my Aunt Marion, I’ve sent her a Father’s Day card．

1． A． I                        B． she                     C． he                      D． we

2． A． man                   B． family                  C． parent                 D． child

3． A． nothing               B． anything              C． everything           D． something

4． A． surprising            B． boring                 C． sad                     D． funny

5． A． interesting         B． pleasant               C． impossible   D． unusual

6． A． decided               B． afforded              C． offered               D． prepared

7． A． said                    B． meant                 C． proved                D． showed

8． A． allowed               B． afforded              C． offered               D． forced

9． A． hoped                 B． agreed                C． stopped              D． tailed

10． A． Unless              B． Although             C． Since                  D． Before

11． A． difference          B． progress             C． trouble                       D． sense

12． A． Teachers            B． mother                       C． father                        D． friends