It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods．We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cell phone and a credit card sitting on the road．We took them home．We always find amazing things on the street and she looks upon them as a movable feast-a chicken wing here or a barbecue rib （肋骨）there．
I found another cell phone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book．I explained the situation to the guy who answered．He said it was his sister’s and that he’d come to pick it up, which he did．
And that was that．No verbal thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here’s a box of chocolates” thank-you．
I didn’t have time to call anyone on my latest found cell phone．I was pouring myself coffee when it started to shake and dance across the kitchen counter．
“Who’s this?” someone asked when I picked up．
“Who’s this?” I countered（反問）．“Sarah?”
She was surprised at my knowing her name until she realized her name was on the credit card．“Could you send them to me?” she asked．
She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house．
“Hmm, no, ”I replied, adding that I thought she could come to get them, and that if I wasn’t at home, they would be in my mailbox．
A day later, when I was out for a run, someone got them back．There wasn’t even a piece of paper put in the mailbox with “Thanks” on it．In this age of e-mail and cell phone, there’s really no excuse．Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street：a driver’s license．I saw  that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up．He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door．
“I guess I could, ”I replied．
And that was that．
小題1:What is the relationship between Maggie and the writer?

A．Wife and husband	B．Daughter and father
C．Teacher and student	D．Master and pet dog

小題2:．How many experiences are mentioned by the writer to return things to the losers?

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

小題3:How did the writer know Sarah’s telephone number?

A．From her telephone’s phone book	B．From her credit card
C．From her e-mail	D．From her driver’s license

小題4:The writer wants to tell us through the unusual stories,

A．we should return the things we picked to the losers

B．people don’t know how to appreciate others in the age of e-mail and cell phone

C．people would learn to appreciate persons who provide help for you

D．the advance of society makes people lose some virtues

After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌萎縮癥). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
小題1:The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that_______.

A．the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease

B．the boy never complained about not being able to go to school

C．the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before

D．the boy never complained about not gettig a medal

小題2:From the passage we learn that ________.

A．Matthew was an athlete

B．Matthew was an optimistic and determined boy

C．The author used to have the same disease as Matthew had

D．Matthew became a champion before he died

小題3:Matthew didn’t accepted the author’s medal because           .

A．he thought it was too expensive

B．he was sure that he could win one in the future

C．he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon

D．he would not be pitied by others

小題4: What would be the best title for this passage?

A．A sick boy.	B．A special friend.
C．A real champion.	D．A famous athlete.

完型填空。（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從下列各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng).
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to ___31___ a passager at 2:30 a.m. When I arrived to ___32___ the passager, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the___33___ and knocked,“Just a minute,”answered a weak ,elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman ___34___ her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car,and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness.“It’s __35____,”I told her,“I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother __36____.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man,”she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me a/an ___37___,and then asked,“could you drive ___38___ downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,”I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,”she said,“I’m on my way to a hospice(臨終醫(yī)院).I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I ___39____ reached over and__40____ the meter(計(jì)價(jià)器)
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the buildings, __41____ the manufactory where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived , and the furniture shop __42____had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to solw down in front of a __43____ building and would sit staring into the darkness, say nothing.
__44____, she suddenly said,“I’m tired, Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“___45___ do I owe you?”she asked.
“Nothing,”I said.
“You ___46___ make a living,”she answered. “Oh, there are other ___47_____.”I answered.
Almost without thinking. I __48____ and gave her a hug. She __49____ me. Our hug ended with her remark,“You gave an old woman a little moment of __50____.”

小題1:	A．call in B．show around C．pick up D．bring back

小題2:	A．discover B．collect C．send D．offer

小題3:	A．window B．room C．taxi D．door

小題4:	A．in B．of C．a(chǎn)bout D．on

小題5:	A．nothing B．worthless C．unimportant D．useless

小題6:	A．treated B．had C．received D．commanded

小題7:	A．hand B．hug C．a(chǎn)ddress D．map

小題8:	A．for B．a(chǎn)cross C．from D．through

小題9:	A．quickly B．calmly C．nervously D．quietly

小題10:

A．shut off B．take out C．put down D．break down

小題11:

A．including B．concerning C．containing D．regarding

小題12:

A．where B．what C．that D．there

小題13:

A．beautiful B．normal C．unusual D．particular

小題14:

A．At dawn B．At night C．At noon D．At dusk

小題15:

A．How many B．Why C．How much D．Which

小題16:

A．should B．must C．have to D．would

小題17:

A．people B．travellers C．customers D．passengers

小題18:

A．bent B．rose C．stood D．turned

小題19:

A．cared about B．hold onto C．gave in to D．kept away from

小題20:

A．pity B．fun C．joy D．freedom

A
The choice to adopt and hold gratefulness is the one that is different from those who suffer misfortune and those who enjoy a full life.
My mother died when I was 24. It was a very difficult time in my life — everything seemed to fall apart. I lost my job, and then my utilities were turned off. I had to take cold showers for six months. A neighbor who knew about my situation came to my house and made me an offer. I took care of her children as a job, and I no longer went hungry. I was surprised that someone would trust me — a young woman with her children. And it was with the very confidence that before long I began taking care of other people’s children, too. I have since moved 300 miles from Boise, Idaho. For more than 23 years I have made every effort to reach out to all the kind-hearted people who helped me when I was down and out. Without their trust, I don’t know what I would have done. I am very involved in my community and volunteer at the local food bank, and I help out whenever I can. I’d like to owe what I am to whoever has offered me generosity.
If you are grateful for what you already have, the world will work together to give you more to be grateful for. Otherwise, the world will give you more to complain about.
Moreover, the true master learns to be grateful, in advance, for the things that are desired, because, being grateful in advance for some attainment or accomplishment does two very important things: one…it tricks your subconscious into believing that the goal is certain and two…it convinces other people, with whom you must interact to achieve your desires, that you know what you are about, that you are a winner, not a whiner (哀訴者).
小題1:The underlined word “utilities” refers to __________ in the passage.

A．water and gas supplies	B．gas and electricity supplies
C．shower equipment and water supply	D．heating and TV signals

小題2: The writer was grateful mainly for ___________.

A．his neighbor’s donation	B．his community
C．having got the job	D．others’ trust

小題3: The writer’s personal story in the second paragraph tells us that __________.

A．to be grateful will get you nowhere but away from home

B．a(chǎn) grateful person is most likely to be successful

C．we need to be grateful to be helpful and useful

D．the fragrance (芳香) stays in the hand that gives the rose

小題4:The best title for the passage would be ____________.

A．A Thank-You Note to Trusting Neighbor

B．You Are a Winner, Not a Whiner

C．Be Grateful to Life in Advance

D．Gratefulness Brings a Great Fullness to Life

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding that many guys were chasing after her, while he was so ordinary. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him. She was surprised but due to being being polite, she promised.
They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, too. Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him. It was so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why do you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, my hometown, and my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. Then she also started to speak, speaking about her faraway hometown, her childhood, and her family.
That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their love. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands. He had tolerance, kind-hearted, warm and careful. Thanks to his salty coffee! They married. And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that was the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive my whole life’s lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I didn’t like the salty coffee then, what a strange bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life, for it was prepared by you.”
小題1: The man was nervous at the coffee shop, because _______.

A．everybody stared at him at that time

B．many guys chased after the woman

C．he didn’t feel himself a match for the woman

D．he had the strange habit of drinking salty coffee

小題2: From this passage, we can infer that ________.

A．the man’s lie won the woman’s love

B．the man’s parents onced lived near the sea

C．the woman talked with the man, for they had the same experience

D．the woman realised what salty coffee had to do with a good man

小題3: What can be concluded about the man?

A．He had intended to give his wife a surprise at his death

B．He unwillingly developed a taste for salty coffee after marriage

C．He was so stubborn as to drink for a life what he didn’t like

D．He enjoyed his lifelong bitter salty coffee out of love

小題4: Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?

A．A Foolish Lie	B．Salty Coffee
C．A Sad Love Story	D．Love in a Coffee Shop

完型填空（共20小題；每小題1分，滿分20分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
"Hey, Tahlia! How's the model?"
I had just taken a bite of my hot dog __21__ I heard a familiar voice yelling at me from across the crowded school yard. I saw a group of popular girls who were all __22__.
"What kind of __23_ are you going to do? An ad for a Frankenstein movie?" More laughter. My stomach twisted into a tight knot. How could they humiliate (羞辱) me like this, __24__ the entire school? As I walked into the cafeteria, I __25__ the dark scars on my right hand.
At 9 months old, I knocked over a tea pot and dumped boiling water allover my hands and stomach. My parents __26__ me to the hospital, but I had to have skin graft (移植) operation. I was in so much pain! But what __27__ me most were the cruel things people said about how I looked, __28__ that day at lunch.
The girls were being supermean to me because they'd heard I was considering doing some modeling. A close friend had suggested that I shouldn't let my scars limit me and that I might __29__ a good model.
But after that __30__ at school, I was sure I'd made a huge mistake. Upon arriving home, I covered the mirror with a blanket, fell on my bed and sobbed.
The next day, I __31__ myself to go to school. At lunch my best friend Jesse tried to encourage me: "You can't __32_ forever, Tahlia. So what if you have a few scars? Just go outside and show them that you're just as good as they are." Although I knew he was right, I couldn’t __33__ standing up for myself like that.
However, that night as I sat on the bed, my friend's words replayed in my mind. I'm __34__ hiding from myself, I thought. How stupid! Slowly, I stood up, walked over to the __35__, and tossed the blanket aside. There, in the mirror I saw a slim, dark-haired, blue-eyed girl, looking just fine, __36__ with a few scars.
The next day I wore a comfortable T-shirt to school. What's more, I had lunch outside the cafeteria, __37__ beside those mean girls. They were shocked that I should dare to walk into their territory. I felt __38_ too—free and happy.
Sometimes people still look at me strangely. They __39_ and stare, but I don't let it get to me. I have applied to several modeling companies, and at least one company is considering me for jobs. Maybe I'll never __40_ posing on the runway, but I do know one thing: I'm done.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)s B．when C．while D．before

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)pplauding B．cheering C．laughing D．quarreling

小題3:	A．modeling B．writing C．drilling D．a(chǎn)cting

小題4:	A．in spite of B．in view of C．in terms of D．in front of

小題5:	A．looked into B．searched for C．wondered about D．glanced at

小題6:	A．presented B．sent C．rushed D．handed

小題7:	A．hurt B．beat C．disappointed D．puzzled

小題8:	A．for B．like C．on D．a(chǎn)fter

小題9:	A．impress B．make C．consult D．defeat

小題10:

A．effect B．phenomenon C．challenge D．scene

小題11:

A．forced B．expected C．reminded D．preferred

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)pologize B．beg C．hide D．complain

小題13:

A．consider B．imagine C．a(chǎn)ppreciate D．resist

小題14:

A．hardly B．ever C．even D．gradually

小題15:

A．blanket B．bed C．chair D．mirror

小題16:

A．while B．though C．but D．because

小題17:

A．right B．still C．therefore D．a(chǎn)nyhow

小題18:

A．sensitive B．uncomfortable C．different D．tense

小題19:

A．compare B．a(chǎn)ssociate C．wave D．whisper

小題20:

A．give up B．end up C．put up D．set up

Walking around the corner and into the hall at three in the morning, lost in thought and dragging a mop bucket, I raised my eyes to the front counter in indifference. A man, looking to be in his mid 40’s, stood in a pink dress. A wide-edged hat stuck out over his massive frame resembling an umbrella that was a little too shabby and worn-out, making him look like a woman. The shock at seeing such a strong proud man in a cheap disgusting dress broke my heart, as well as frightened me.
Dropping my mop on the floor in surprise and picking up my face that had temporarily fallen off, I confidently walked over to the desk.
“I’m sorry,” I began to say but was confused on whether sir or madam was appropriate. “Can I help you?”
“I need a room,” he said in a gruff (粗啞的) powerful voice.
“Sure thing,” I said bringing up the registry. “Can I get your last name?”
“Hurgan,” he said briefly.
“And your first name?”
“Amanda.”
Suddenly I had to direct all of my concentration on holding back a smile. A ten second pause of silence passed while I tried to stay calm.
“Okay,” I said getting back to the job, “can I get your phone number, Amanda?”
All of the information was acquired and stored and Amanda received her room key for the night. All was well as I returned to the neglected mop bucket. Suddenly a low throaty cough drew me out of my temporary mental disorder. Looking over at the desk where Amanda stood touching her thick biceps (二頭肌) I once again dropped the mop in shock.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said coming around to the desk. Amanda stared with unease twisting her sleeve with her right index finger.
“I have a cat,” she said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry you what?” I asked leaning in closer. She drew back a bit as if I was some kind of threat.
“I have a cat.”
Looking up into her tall frame, I replied, “That’s fine. We just need to add an extra $10 fee.” She handed me her credit card once again. I swiped it, returned it, and grabbed the printing receipt.
“You just need to sign here,” I said handing over the pen. She hesitantly grabbed it from my hand and signed. As she began to return it, my hand came a bit too close to connecting with hers. Scared and possibly a little disgusted she dropped the pen, causing it to bounce off the counter and onto the floor.
“Sorry,” she said, looking down. “I have to go get my cat.”
While Amanda was getting her cat, an unpleasant thought was circling around my head. Here I was just doing my job and this, this WO-MAN was acting as if I was the monster! He was wearing a pink dress! And I was the monster? Was he even still a man? The sliding doors opened and in came Amanda passing the front desk without even giving me a polite nod. 
小題1: The story most probably happened at a ________.

A．pub

B．hotel

C．hospital

D．shop

小題2:We can conclude that the author’s attitude towards the man is _______.

A．objective

B．indifferent

C．critical

D．considerate

小題3: Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The author was on the edge of smiling when he heard the man’s first name.

B．When the man checked in, he tipped the author $10.

C．After signing, the man grasped the author’s hand and thanked him.

D．The man gave the author a friendly nod while going toward his room.

小題4: What might be the best title of this passage?

A．A disgusting cat	B．A considerate waiter
C．A fierce monster	D．A strange-looking WO-MAN

完形填空(共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分)閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從36-55各小題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)A、B、C和D中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。
Life is not always smooth. There was a man who had    36   numerous failures in his life. But he said, "One success is    37   for me!"
When he was five years old, his father died of illness without leaving him any    38    . Since then, his mother worked outside  39  he had to stay at home and take care of his siblings, He learnt cooking since then.
When he was fourteen, he dropped  40  and began his life of roving.
When he was eighteen, he married a girl, who,   41  , sold out all his properties and went back to her home several months after their marriage.
When he was twenty, he    42  his job from electrician to ferry staff to railway worker. All his jobs were   43  for him.
When he was thirty-five, misfortune again   44  on him. When he was driving across a huge bridge, the steel ropes along the edge of the bridge were broken and he fell into the river with his car. He suffered such severe injuries that he could no longer continue his   45  .
When he was    46   , he opened a gas station in a town. However, he   47 dispute(爭端)because he beat his competitors    48  the billboard hanging problems.
When he was forty-seven, he   49 his second wife, which had    50   stricken his three children.
When he was sixty-six, he made a living by   51  his chicken-frying techniques to various restaurants in different places.
When he was seventy-five, he felt  52 to maintain his company, so he transferred his brand and patent to others. The new owner suggested giving him ten thousand stock shares as part of the purchasing price. But he   53  the suggestion. Later the price of the stocks of the company soared and he lost the chance of being a billionaire.
When he was eighty-eight, he achieved great success and became well-known to the whole world.
He was exactly the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Ha Lunde Sandoz. He often said, "People always complain about the bad  54  . Actually it is not bad at all. As long as you are   55 and confident all the time, you will have a good weather every day."

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)chieved B．undergone C．tried D．undertook

小題2:	A．great B．important C．valuable D．enough

小題3:	A．words B．money C．property D．families

小題4:	A．while B．but C．when D．so

小題5:	A．in B．out C．down D．up

小題6:	A．meanwhile B．moreover C．however D．therefore

小題7:	A．started B．took C．lost D．changed

小題8:	A．fit B．tough C．unusual D．a(chǎn)dequate

小題9:	A．fell B．hit C．put D．rested

小題10:

A．life B．major C．job D．education

小題11:

A．forty B．thirty-five C．fifty-three D．seventy

小題12:.

A．went through

B．came into

C．came about

D．went against

小題13:

A．contributing to B．judging from C．owing to D．leading to

小題14:

A．changed B．married C．missed D．divorced

小題15:

A．deeply B．highly C．generally D．thickly

小題16:

A．learning B．promoting C．developing D．teaching

小題17:

A．powerless B．depressed C．disappointed D．hopeless

小題18:.

A．turned up

B．turned to

C．turned down

D．turned in

小題19:.

A．difficulties

B．misfortune

C．life

D．weather

小題20:.

A．hard-working

B．brave

C．cautious

D．optimistic

One day in my class，Maria shared her feelings about money，“Money worries me.I think I want to live without money because I hate it.I HATE MONEY.”We were all touched by Maria's words as they reminded us of the spiritual burdens that money managing can bring to us.After class I offered to help Maria deal with her financial problems.She hesitated to accept my offer，and I could see from the expression on her face that she was afraid of what it might involve.I quickly promised her that I wouldn't make her do more than she was able to.I told her frankly that I didn't enjoy managing my money any more than she did hers and wouldn't burden her with guilt，judgments，or impossible tasks.All I would ask her to do was to let me help her look at her fears and try to make some sense of them.
Maria still resisted my offer，and I can remember the excuses she gave me as they were the repeated complaints I had heard from so many people.“I'll never understand money，”she said.“My facts are meaningless.”“I don't deserve to have money.”“I never have enough.”“I have too little to manage.”“My financial position isn't worth looking at.”and the most devastating one of all，“I just can't do it.”
Going home that day，I couldn't get Maria out of my mind：her attitude conveyed the same negativity and  fear that I believed annoyed many people.I was sure it was this attitude that prevented people from managing their money effectively.My counseling(咨詢)has taught me that these anxieties are inseparably connected to our self­doubts and fear for survival.Many of us are terrified of handling our money because we don't believe we can do it well，and to do it wrong would put our very existence at risk.
On a deeper level we know that money is not the source of life，but sense of worth drives us to act as if it were.It locks us up in self­doubts and prevents us from tapping into the true source of our management power，our spirit.
小題1:The underlined word“devastating”in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．convincing

B．interesting

C．shocking

D．valuable

小題2:Maria's words moved the author and others because they were ________.

A．in the same financial trouble	B．in the same financial condition
C．of the same family background	D．of the same feeling over the issue

小題3:As for money managing，the author intended to tell Maria how to ________.

A．overcome her fears	B．make wise decisions
C．a(chǎn)void making mistakes	D．learn the necessary skills

小題4:Maria wouldn't take the author's offer of help for fear of________.

A．being forced to share her money with others

B．having to do something beyond her reach

C．being found guilty of making impossible errors

D．showing her judgment about money

小題5:According to the author，people's anxieties about managing money result from their understanding of money as the only source of ________.

A．life

B．values

C．spirit

D．power

As I was thinking about language learning the other day, the image of baking bread came into my mind. I compared some of the exercises and drills that we put ourselves through in order to learn a language to the various ingredients (原料) that go into baking a loaf of fresh bread.
Real language learning takes place in human relationships. No one sits down and eats a cup of flour, even if he is hungry and in a hurry. You don' t become bilingual (雙語的) by learning lists of vocabulary. You don' t become a speaker of a language by memorizing grammatical rules. You become bilingual by entering a community that uses that other language as its basic means of communication.
I am not suggesting that we can make bread without ingredients. Flour is necessary, as are yeast (酵母), salt, water and other ingredients. Vocabulary is part of any language and will have to be learned. Grammatical rules exist in every language and cannot be ignored. But merely combining the appropriate ingredients in the recommended proportions does not result in bread. At best, you only end up with a ball of dough (面團(tuán)).
In order to get bread, you have to apply heat to the dough. And in language learning, that heat comes from the community. Anyone who has learned a second language has experienced that heat. It creeps up your neck when you ask the babysitter, “Have you already been eaten?” when you meant to say, ‘‘Have you already eaten?” When you try to say something quite innocent and the whole room bursts into laughter, you are experiencing the heat that turns raw dough into good bread.
Remember the old saying, “If you can’ t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen". This is where language learning often breaks down because we find the heat uncomfortable and we stop the baking process. In other words, we can' t stand the heat, so we get out of the kitchen.
However, the language learner who stays in the kitchen—in the heat—until the combined
ingredients are thoroughly transformed will enjoy the richness of a quality loaf of bread. He is glad that he did not "get out of the kitchen” at the important moment when the oven seemed too hot.
Now the baker enjoys good bread, seated at the table with family members and guests. However, he does not focus on "bread" but rather on enjoying the whole feast: fine salads, pastas, fresh vegetables, rich desserts and so on. And the language learner has arrived when he no longer needs to focus on language. Language merely becomes one element in the "feast" of membership in his chosen community.