完形填空

　　Cecile and I have been friends since college, for more than thirty years．Our friendship has 　　1　　 constant．We have seen each other through all the times when we really need a friend．In 　　2　　 of our friendship, Cecile and I took our first 　　3　　 trip together．

　　The first day of our trip ended in Santa Fe, New Mexico．　　4　　 from the long drive, we decided to go to the restaurant for dinner．We sat down and 　　5　　 our meal．As we talked, I noticed a(n)　　6　　 couple sitting a short distance away from us．The look of 　　7　　 on the woman’s face attracted me．She stared into the face of the man as he talked, 　　8　　 me of a teenager in love!

　　I called Cecile’s 　　9　　 to the couple．As we watched, the man reached 　　10　　 to place a gentle kiss on the woman’s cheek．She 　　11　　．“Now that’s what I call real love! I imagine they’ve been married for a long time．” I said．“　　12　　 maybe,” remarked Cecile, “they haven’t been together long．” “Well, whatever the case, it’s 　　13　　 they care much for each other,” I said．

　　Cecile and I watched and listened 　　14　　 to their conversation．She smiled and 　　15　　 whatever he said．We were touched by the warm scene we were witnessing(見(jiàn)證)．Then the 　　16　　 changed．The woman’s wrinkled but beautiful face was suddenly covered with a 　　17　　 look．She asked the man in a sweet voice, “Do I know you? What is this place?” “You know me．I’m Ralph, your husband．We’re in Santa Fe,” the man said．“Oh, I 　　18　　 to have forgotten．I’m not sure,” she said．

　　“That’s okay, sweetheart．You’ll be all right,” he 　　19　　 her, kissing her cheek again．Tears rolled down our cheeks as Cecile and I looked at each other．“We were right,” she said 　　20　�。�“It is the real thing．That is love．”

閱讀理解

　　Aaron Carter isn't like other teenagers．He doesn't go to school, and he's already got a job．He is a big pop star．A few years ago he started his singing with Crazy Little Party Girl, which became a hit at once．Now he goes around the world and his songs are in the tops．

　　Because he's traveling around all the time, Aaron doesn't have to go to school, but don't envy him too much－h(huán)e still has to do lessons and homework．And he is good at learning．

　　“I have to fit my schoolwork around my singing,”he explains．“But I'm lucky because I have a private tutor who travels with me．I sometimes have to have lessons on a plane．That's really interesting!”

　　Aaron's favorite subject is math but he hates history．He knows clearly that having a good singing career doesn't mean he can go without schoolwork．

　　“It would be easy to think that I don't need to do well in exams, but that would be crazy,”he says．“It's important to get my qualifications(資格)so that I have something to fall back on．Besides, it's interesting to learn about other people and cultures．”

　　Aaron's favorite type of music is rock‘n’roll．“The best thing about being a singer”, he says,“is that you get to travel all around the world．But the worst thing is that you're away from home so much that you don't get to see your friends or family．”

完形填空

　　Our thoughts, words, and actions often cause harm to others and to us．Without reconciliation(和解), we cannot deepen our understanding and only cause more suffering．"Beginning Anew" isa(n)　　1　　 of reconciliation．It involves three steps－sharing appreciation, expressing 　　2　　, and expressing hurt and difficulties．

　　In the first step, we share appreciation．We acknowledge the 　　3　　 qualities of the other person．The second step－expressing regret, is to 　　4　　 with the other person our regrets for the things we have done or said that might have caused him or her 　　5　�。�This requires humility(謙遜), and the 　　6　　 to let go of our own pride．In the third step, we 　　7　　 our own hurt with mindful and loving 　　8　　 without blaming or criticizing．We speak in such a way that the other person can listen and 　　9　　 our words．If we 　　10　　 the other person, his heart will 　　11　　 and he will not be able to hear us．We ask the other person to help us to understand 　　12　　 he has spoken and acted as he has, causing us so much pain．Perhaps, later, he can share his feelings 　　13　　 we can understand him more deeply．If a strong 　　14　　 arises in us while we are expressing our suffering, we should simply 　　15　　 and come back to our breathing until the emotion becomes 　　16　�。�The other person can 　　17　　 us by following his breathing until we are ready to continue．We can enjoy practicing "Beginning Anew" with our partner, our family, or our friends 　　18　�。�By doing this, we will 　　19　　 misunderstandings from accumulating．Rather, we will take care of them as they arise, 　　20　　 we take care of our children．