Everyday on the way to work I drive down a street lined with pine trees．One tree in particular   1   my attention．It must have suffered some   2  ．Part of its trunk grew nearly parallel to the ground, and then in an effort to  3   its own course of life, the trunk took a 90 degree turn   4   to stand tall and stretch toward the sun．

       This tree became a   5  for me．Each day as I drove by, I saw this bent but determined tree and I would be   6  ．It was a reminder to me that   7   I may not have had the best start in life, I could change   8   in the parts of my life at any time．

       I was planning to stop one day to get a perfect   9  of my kindred-spirit （志趣相同的） tree．But that week I was   10 ．After that busy week, I still didn’t take any action．Every time I drove by the tree I would   11  myself, “Tomorrow, I’ll stop tomorrow to take one．” Then one day, as I   12   by “my” tree, I glanced over, and much to my   13   found a sawed-off stump （樹樁） where that symbolic tree had stood．Gone．I had   14   my plan until “tomorrow” and tomorrow proved to be too   15  ．

       A picture of a tree is not of great   16  ．But my lesson rang through clearly 17   I found out one of my colleagues had been  18  with stage-four cancer．He may no longer have many   19  ．

       What have you been putting off? What would you do today if you knew you would  20 have the opportunity to do it again? Why not do those things that you have been putting off until tomorrow?

1．A．paid                      B．caught                 C．fixed                   D．escaped

2．A．damage              B．influence             C．experience           D．defeat

3．A．continue             B．design                C．change               D．imagine

4．A．a(chǎn)pplying              B．a(chǎn)ttempting          C．happening            D．learning

5．A．shelter                  B．signal                  C．sign                   D．symbol

6．A．interested             B．satisfied             C．encouraged         D．educated

7．A．even though          B．a(chǎn)s if                C．in case                D．if only

8．A．purpose                B．plan                   C．habit                 D．direction

9．A．glance                   B．view                   C．picture                D．knowledge

10．A．busy                  B．free                C．worried             D．bored

11．A．tell                      B．help                   C．call                  D．see

12．A．wandered           B．drove               C．rode                 D．ran

13．A．surprise              B．pleasure               C．regret                  D．happiness

14．A．taken off             B．cut off                C．put off                D．called off

15．A．cold                    B．far                     C．sunny                 D．late

16．A．value                   B．a(chǎn)chievement         C．fun                     D．disappointment

17．A．when                  B．before               C．because               D．unless

18．A．linked                  B．combined            C．provided              D．diagnosed

19．A．lives                    B．tomorrows          C．lessons                D．opportunities

20．A．surely             B．a(chǎn)lmost           C．ever            D．never

Everyday on the way to work I drive down a street lined with pine trees. One tree in particular1my attention. It must have suffered some2. Part of its trunk grew nearly parallel to the ground, and then in an effort to3its own course of life, the trunk took a 90 degree turn4to stand tall and stretch toward the sun.
This tree became a5for me. Each day as I drove by, I saw this bent but determined tree and I would be6. It was a reminder to me that7I may not have had the best start in life, I could change 8in the parts of my life at any time.
I was planning to stop one day to get a perfect9of my kindred-spirit (志趣相同的) tree. But that week I was10. After that busy week, I still didn’t take any action. Every time I drove by the tree I would11myself, “Tomorrow, I’11 stop tomorrow to take one.” Then one day, as I12by “my” tree, I glanced over, and much to my13found a sawed-off stump (樹樁) where that symbolic tree had stood. Gone. I had14my plan until “tomorrow” and tomorrow proved to be too15.
A picture of a tree is not of great16. But my lesson rang through clearly17I found out one of my colleagues had been18with stage-four cancer. He may no longer have many19.
What have you been putting off? What would you do today if you knew you would20have the opportunity to do it again? Why not do those things that you have been putting off until tomorrow?

1. 1.
   1. A.
      paid
   2. B.
      caught
   3. C.
      fixed
   4. D.
      escaped
2. 2.
   1. A.
      damage
   2. B.
      influence
   3. C.
      experience
   4. D.
      defeat
3. 3.
   1. A.
      follow
   2. B.
      design
   3. C.
      change
   4. D.
      imagine
4. 4.
   1. A.
      applying
   2. B.
      attempting
   3. C.
      happening
   4. D.
      learning
5. 5.
   1. A.
      shelter
   2. B.
      signal
   3. C.
      sign
   4. D.
      symbol
6. 6.
   1. A.
      interested
   2. B.
      satisfied
   3. C.
      encouraged
   4. D.
      educated
7. 7.
   1. A.
      even though
   2. B.
      as if
   3. C.
      in case
   4. D.
      if only
8. 8.
   1. A.
      purpose
   2. B.
      plan
   3. C.
      habit
   4. D.
      direction
9. 9.
   1. A.
      glance
   2. B.
      view
   3. C.
      picture
   4. D.
      knowledge
10. 10.
    1. A.
       busy
    2. B.
       free
    3. C.
       worried
    4. D.
       bored
11. 11.
    1. A.
       tell
    2. B.
       help
    3. C.
       call
    4. D.
       see
12. 12.
    1. A.
       wandered
    2. B.
       drove
    3. C.
       rode
    4. D.
       ran
13. 13.
    1. A.
       surprise
    2. B.
       pleasure
    3. C.
       regret
    4. D.
       happiness
14. 14.
    1. A.
       taken off
    2. B.
       cut off
    3. C.
       put off
    4. D.
       called off
15. 15.
    1. A.
       cold
    2. B.
       far
    3. C.
       sunny
    4. D.
       late
16. 16.
    1. A.
       value
    2. B.
       achievement
    3. C.
       fun
    4. D.
       disappointment
17. 17.
    1. A.
       when
    2. B.
       before
    3. C.
       because
    4. D.
       unless
18. 18.
    1. A.
       linked
    2. B.
       combined
    3. C.
       provided
    4. D.
       diagnosed
19. 19.
    1. A.
       lives
    2. B.
       tomorrows
    3. C.
       lessons
    4. D.
       opportunities
20. 20.
    1. A.
       surely
    2. B.
       almost
    3. C.
       ever
    4. D.
       never