Unit3WarmingUp&ReadingⅠ.完形填空Ihavealwaysbelievedthesaying,“Anymancanbeafather,butit1somethingspecialtobeadad.”Thisistrue.Sincethe2ofmyson,Joshua,thingshavechangedalotinmylife,butthe3havebeengood!MywifeandIhavegonethroughmany4momentswhichhavemadebothofusstronger.Mysonwasbornwithaseriousbreathingproblemandhecouldn’tkeephis5down.Hewasputonseveraldifferentmedications,6hedidnotgetanybetter.MywifeandIwerebothtoldmanytimesbypeoplethatJoshua7hewasbornearly;hehadnot8muchweightsincehewasborn.Astimeprogressedhisregulardoctor9mywifeandmetovisitDrEid,aspecialistinLouisville.Hewas10bymyson’sconditionandsoweweresenttoLouisville’sChildren’sHospitalwhereJoshua11manydifferentcheckups.The12spenttherewasverydemandingformywifeandme.Butwedidmakeit13.OursonJoshuawasdiagnosed(诊断)withasthma(哮喘),andwithacidrefluxsyndrome(胃酸回流综合征).Afterthetreatment,his14begantoimproveslowly.Joshuais1yearand1montholdnowandhisprogresshasbeen15—heisupto27poundsnow.Ikeeptellingmywifethatifhekeeps16likethishemightbecomeafootball17someday.Thereisasayingthathas18megetthroughthesetroublesomedays,“Problemswilleither19youorbreakyou.”Whenyouthinkthe20hoursareuponyou,rememberthedawnisjustinsight.1.A.takesB.asksC.tellsD.brings2.A.returnB.illnessC.birthD.death3.A.doctorsB.friendsC.causesD.changes4.A.boringB.challengingC.excitingD.puzzling5.A.foodB.waterC.airD.medicine6.A.soB.butC.sinceD.until7.A.lookedaboutB.lookedforC.lookedlikeD.lookedat8.A.gainedB.lostC.keptD.raised9.A.followedB.orderedC.invitedD.advised10.A.excitedB.shockedC.disappointedD.scared11.A.wentintoB.putintoC.wentthroughD.brokethrough12.A.timeB.moneyC.hourD.holiday13.A.outB.downC.offD.through14.A.dietB.studyC.healthD.weight15.A.goodB.slowC.littleD.enough16.A.walkingB.runningC.trainingD.growing17.A.supporterB.playerC.coachD.fan18.A.leftB.movedC.helpedD.watched19.A.cheatB.makeC.beatD.find20.A.easiestB.latestC.brightestD.darkestⅡ.阅读理解ADisease,poverty,hate,love—CharlesDickens’storiesopenedhisreaders’eyestothemostimportantthemesofhisage.Twohundredyearson,hisstoriesstillspeakvolumesacrosstheworld,provingthatDickens’legacy(遗产)wasfargreaterthanjust“great-literature”.February7marksthe200thanniversaryofthewriter’sbirthday.Tomarkthisdate,BBCwriterAlexHudsonlistedsixthingsDickensgavethemodernworld.Let’stakealookattwoofthem.AWhiteChristmasDickensisdescribedas“themanwhoinventedChristmas”—notthereligiousfestival,buttheculturalaspectsthatweassociatewiththefestiveseasontoday.Intheearly19thcentury,Christmaswasbarelyworthmentioning,accordingtocriticandwriterLeighHunt.ThecommitteewhichrantheConservativePartyevenheldordinarybusinessmeetingsonChristmasDay—unthinkableintheWestnowadays,wheneveryonebutthemostnecessaryworkerstakesatleastthreedaysoff.ManypeoplebelievethatDickens’populardescriptionsofthefestiveperiodbecameablueprintforgenerationstocome.Inhisclassicnovel,AChristmasCarol,henotonlyputforwardtheideaofsnowatChristmas,butalsopaintedapictureofglowingwarmth—“homeenjoyments,affectionsandhopes”.InhisbiographyofDickens,PeterAckroydwrote:“Dickenscanbesaidtohavealmostsingle-handedlycreatedthemodernideaofChristmas.”“Dickensian”povertyDickenswasoneofthefirsttotakeanhonestlookattheunderclassandthepoorofVictorianLondon.Hehelpedpopularizetheterm“redtape”todescribesituationswherepeopleinpoweruseneedlessamountsofbureaucracy(官僚作风)inawaytha...
