北师大版高一英语必修第一册Uni

北师⼤版⾼⼀英语必修第⼀册Uni...

TheGiftofForgiveness–ChristmasStory

TheChristmasof1949wedidn’thaveatree.Mydadhadasmuc

thatwecouldn’t2._________one.

WhenI3.___________it,mymothersaidthatweweren’tgoing

ifwecould–itwasstupidtoclutterupyourhousewithade

（5）Iwantedatree4.___________though,andIthought–inm

better.

AboutthreedaysbeforeChristmas,Iwasoutcollectingform

andverycold.

Iwenttotheapartmentbuildingtotryto5._____________a（10）twomonths–

sheowedmesevendollars.

Muchtomy6.___________,shewashome.Sheinvitedmeinandn

tip!Itwasawindfall(anamountofmoneythatyougetunexpe

Whathappenednextwastotally7.___________.Onthewayhome（15）lotandthe

___________me.

The9.___________wasn’tverygoodbecauseitwassoclose

beenaveryexpensivetreeandnoonehadboughtit;nowitwas

would.

Hewantedtendollarsforit,butwhenI–inmygullibl（20）innocence(ea–to

himIonlyhadeight,hesaidhemightsellitforthat.

Ireallydidn’twanttospendthewholeeightdollarsonthet

I10.___________itallthewayhome–aboutamile,Ithink

（25）Thesnowhelpedtocushion(reducingtheforce)it,anditw

Youcan’timaginehowproudandexcitedIwas.Ipropped(rest

ourfrontporchandwentin.

Myheartwas12.___________asIannouncedthatIhadasurpr

（30）IgotMomandDadtocometothefrontdoorandthenIswi

“Wheredidyougetthattree?”mymotherexclaimed.

Butitwasn’tthekindofexclamationthat13.___________plea

“IboughtituponMainStreet.Isn’titjustthemostperfect

continue)myenthusiasm.

（35）“Wheredidyougetthemoney?”Hertonewasaccusingandit

goingto15.___________outasIhadplanned.

“Frommypaperroute.”Iexplainedaboutthecustomerwhohad

“Andyouspentthewholeeightdollarsonthistree?”sheexcl

Shewentintoatirade(alongangryspeechcriticizings（40）wastomeoneospend

moneyonadumbtreethatwouldbethrownoutandburnedina

ShetoldmehowirresponsibleIwasandhowIwasjustlikemy

belief,oropinion)aboutfairytalesandhappyendingsandthat

___________abouttherealitiesoflifeandhowtotakecare

sillythings.

（45）ShesaidthatIwasgoingtoendupinthepoorhousebecauseIbelieveinstupidthingslikeChristmastrees,things

thatdidn’tamounttoanything.

Ijuststoodthere.MymotherhadnevertalkedtomelikethatbeforeandIcouldn’tbelievewhatIwashearing.

IfeltawfulandIbegantocry.Finally,she17.___________outandsnapped(tobreakwithasudden（50）sharpnoise)off

theporchlight.

“Leaveitthere,”shesaid.“Leavethattreetheretillitrots,soeverytimeweseeit,we’llallbe18.___ofhowstupidthemenin

thisfamilyare.”

Thenshestormedupthestairstoherbedroomandwedidn’tseeheruntilthenextday.

DadandIbroughtthetreeinandwemadeastandforit.

（55）Hegotouttheboxofdecorationsandwedecorateditasbestaswecould;butmenaren’ttoogoodatthingslikethat,

andbesides,itwasn’tthesamewithoutmom.

TherewereafewpresentsunderitbyChristmasday–althoughIcan’trememberasingleoneofthem–butMomwouldn’t

haveanythingtodowithit.

ItwastheworstChristmasIeverhad.

（60）Fastforwardtotoday,JudiandImarriedinAugustof1963,anddaddiedonOctober10ofthatyear.Overthenext

eightyears,welivedinmanyplaces.Momsortof19.___________uptheyear–eitherlivingwithmysisterJaryorwithus.

In1971wewerelivinginWichita,Kansas–Lincolnwasaboutseven,BrendanwasthreeandKristenwasababy.Momwas

stayingwithusduringtheholidays.OnChristmasEveIstayedupverylate.Iwas（65）totallyalonewithmythoughts,

alternating(keepusingonethentheother)betweenjoyandmelancholy,andIgottothinkingaboutmypaperroute,thattree,

whatmymotherhadsaidtomeandhowDadhadtriedtomakethingsbetter.

Iheardanoiseinthekitchenand20.___________thatitwasmom.Shecouldn’tsleepeitherandhadgottenuptomake

herselfacupofhottea–whichwasherremedy(awayofdealingwithaproblem（70）ormakingabadsituationbetter)for

justabouteverything.Asshewaitedforthewatertoboil,shewalkedintothelivingroomanddiscoveredmethere.Shesaw

myopenBibleandaskedmewhatIwasreading.WhenItoldher,sheaskedifIwouldreadittoherandIdid.

Whenthekettlebegantowhistle,shewentandmadehertea.Shecameback,andwestartedtovisit.ItoldherhowhappyI

wasthatshewaswithusforChristmasandhowIwishedthatDadcouldhavelived（75）toseehisgrandchildrenandto

enjoythistimebecausehealwayslovedChristmasso.Itgotvery21.___________foramomentandthenshesaid,“Doyou

rememberthattimeonTwelveMileRoadwhenyouboughtthattreewithyourpaperroutemoney?”

“Yes,”Isaid,“I’vejustbeenthinkingaboutityouknow.”

She22.___________foralongmoment,asthoughshewereontheverge(tobeatthepointwhere（80）somethingis

abouttohappen)ofsomethingthatwas23.___________upsodeeplyinsidehersoulthatitmighttakesurgerytogetitout.

Finally,greattearsstarteddownherfaceandshecried,“Oh,son,pleaseforgiveme.”

“ThattimeandthatChristmashavebeena24.___________onmyheartfortwenty-fiveyears.IwishyourdadwereheresoI

couldtellhimhowsorryIamforwhatIsaid.Yourdadwasagoodmanand（85）ithurtsmetoknowthathewenttohis

gravewithouteverhearingmesaythatIwassorryforthatnight.NothingwillevermakewhatIsaidright,butyouneedto

knowthatyourdadneverdidhaveanymoneysense(whichwasalltootrue).

Wewerefightingallthetime–thoughnotinfrontofyou–weweretwomonthsbehindinourhousepayments,wehadno

moneyforgroceries,yourdadwastalkingaboutgoingbacktoArkansasandthat（90）treewasthelast25.___________.I

tookitalloutonyou.Itdoesn’tmakewhatIdidright,butIhopedthatsomeday,whenyouwereolder,youwouldunderstand.

I’vewantedtosaysomethingforeversolongandI’msogladit’sfinallyout.”

Well,webothcriedalittleandheldeachotherandIforgaveher–itwasn’thard,youknow.

Thenwetalkedforalongtime,andIdidunderstand;IsawwhatIhadneverseenandthebitterness（95）andsadnessthat

hadgatheredupinmeforallthoseyearsgradually26.___________away.

Itwasmarvelouslysimple.

Thegreatgiftsofthisseason–oranyseason–can’tbeputunderthetree;youcan’twearthemoreat