A. Warning the woman against walking at night.
B. Offering to walk back with the
woman.
C. Saying goodbye to the
woman.
D. Telling the woman to be on
guard.
2.
A. He stole a mobile phone.
B. He lost his purse.
C. He had his mobile phone stolen.
D. He is an annoying man.
3.
A. She hopes to get back her laptop (笔记本电脑).
B. She hopes to catch the thief.
C. She hopes Steve will get over his rage.
D. She hopes Steve will get some compensation.
4.
A. None.
B. One.
C. Two
D. Three.
5.
A. Her bike was locked by the police.
B. Her bike was damaged.
C. Her bike and lock were stolen.
D. Her bike pump was stolen.
6.
A. The man is for harsh punishments while the woman is
against them.
B. The woman is for harsh punishments while the man is
against them.
C. They are both in favor of harsh punishments.
D. They are both against harsh punishments.
7.
A. He is fed up with the slow legal procedure.
B. He thinks the slow legal procedure cannot be avoided.
C. He thinks only dangerous criminals should be punished
quickly.
D. He thinks the courts make too many checks.
8.
A. To spend less than 300 pounds on her credit card.
B. To make a new copy of her card.
C. To cancel her card and get a new one.
D. To cancel her card and use a check instead.
9.
A. The growing number of students.
B. The greater pressures.
C. The better communication facilities.
D. The lighter punishment.
1.What was Clive doing?
A. He was going out.
B. He was coming home.
C. He was presenting a report at a meeting.
D. He was sleeping.
2.What did the police officer see at the crime scene?
A. A young businessman lay in a pool of blood.
B. Clive's key was in the lock of the door.
C. Clive was dead.
D. All of the above.
3.What did the taxi driver NOT say?
A. He was just one block away from the scene.
B. He heard a loud noise.
C. He had the car window down.
D. He saw a parcel delivery truck nearby.
4.What did the delivery man say?
A. He guessed someone must have waited outside for Clive to
come out.
B. He guessed someone must have followed Clive home.
C. He heard something like a car backfiring.
D. He saw the taxi driving fast away from the crime scene.
5.What strange thing did the delivery man say that caused the
officer's suspicion?
A. He played the radio loud.
B. He did not hear anything.
C. He knew Clive was coming back home early in the
morning.
D. He knew Clive was going to work early in the morning.
1.What was Clive doing?
A. He was going out.
B. He was coming home.
C. He was presenting a report at a meeting.
D. He was sleeping.
2.What did the police officer see at the crime scene?
A. A young businessman lay in a pool of blood.
B. Clive's key was in the lock of the door.
C. Clive was dead.
D. All of the above.
3.What did the taxi driver NOT say?
A. He was just one block away from the scene.
B. He heard a loud noise.
C. He had the car window down.
D. He saw a parcel delivery truck nearby.
4.What did the delivery man say?
A. He guessed someone must have waited outside for Clive to
come out.
B. He guessed someone must have followed Clive home.
C. He heard something like a car backfiring.
D. He saw the taxi driving fast away from the crime scene.
5.What strange thing did the delivery man say that caused the
officer's suspicion?
A. He played the radio loud.
B. He did not hear anything.
C. He knew Clive was coming back home early in the
morning.
D. He knew Clive was going to work early in the morning.
1.The trial is concerned with a burglar case.
T
F
2.The judge announced the verdict (判决) himself.
T
F
3.The verdict found the defendant (被告) innocent.
T
F
4.The relatives of the defendant were delighted.
T
F
5.The defendant was innocent in reality.
T
F
1.What is the dialog mainly about?
A. The man tells the woman about the mugging he
experienced.
B. The woman tells the man about the mugging she
experienced.
C. The woman tells the man about the mugging her friend
experienced.
D. The woman advises the man not to commit mugging.
2.What did the woman lose in the mugging?
A. Her trust in men and week's pay.
B. MasterCard, Visa card and sixty-six dollars.
C. Her ID, Visa card and sixty dollars.
D. Her sense of humor and fear of the dark.
3.When was the woman robbed?
A. Just before dawn in a dark alley.
B. At sunset on the sunny side of the street.
C. In broad daylight in a parking lot.
D. In the park during the day.
4.What can we learn from the woman's description of the
mugger?
A. He is about 170cms tall and unusually fat.
B. He is a teenager with pale-blue eyes.
C. He is a tall, strong young man.
D. He is short, with brown eyes.
5.What does Jackie hope will happen to the mugger?
A. He spends the remaining years of his life in prison.
B. He reforms and becomes a useful citizen.
C. He apologizes to her next time they meet in the park.
D. He locks up his apartment at night.
1.I was walking home from work when this woman ______ me
right ____ my feet.
A. knocked ... away
B. knocked ... off
C. hit ... away
D. struck ... of
2.I'll just take off my left shoe _________ I walk through the
park.
A. every time
B. every time when
C. in every time
D. in every time when
3.Many months had ______ and the border guard met the
young man again.
A. gone off
B. gone away
C. gone by
D. gone through
4.The border guard asked the young man, "Just ____________,
what were you smuggling?"
A. between me and you
B. between you and me
C. to tell me
D. from you to me
5.Blake wiped his hands ______ his clean jeans before shaking
hands.
A. in
B. at
C. on
D. through
6.He told the police that Pete lived _____ away.
A. two doors
B. in two doors
C. at two doors
D. for two doors
7.The captain could see that Kenny's yard _____ the victim's.
A. commanded
B. commanded over
C. looked over
D. overlooked
8.The 91-year-old man was accused of _______ the bank.
A. robbing
B. robbing from
C. robbing in
D. robbing with
9.In 1999 the old man ____ a three-year sentence for bank
robbery in Florida.
A. served for
B. served
C. serviced for
D. serviced
Test for Unit 8 （时间：120分钟，满分：120分） 听力部分（25分） Ⅰ.听句子，选择恰当的应答语。(每小题1分，共5分) ( )1.A.One cup. B.Two. C.Three bananas. ( )2.A.Yes, I do. B.Yes, I did. C.No, thanks.I’m full. ( )3.A.Yes, I could. B.Sure. C.Yes, please. ( )4.A.Thank you. B.That’s right. C.Good idea. ( )5.A.Only a little. B.Only a few. C.Few. Ⅱ.听短对话，选择正确的图片。(每小题1分，共5分) ( )6.What does the man like best? ( )7.What will they eat? ( )8.What does Helen usually eat for breakfast every day? ( )9.What don’t they have? ( )10.What did Frank eat just now? Ⅲ.听长对话，选择正确答案。(每小题1分，共5分) 听第一段对话，回答第11、12小题。 ( )11.What does the woman want to learn to make? A.Bread. B.Tomato salad. C.Turkey sandwiches. ( )12.What does the woman do at last? A.Add some tomato slices. B.Put another slice of bread on top. C.Add a teaspoon of relish. 听第二段对话，回答第13—15小题。 ( )13.What are they talking about? A.How to make a milk shake. B.How to make sandwiches. C.How to make fruit salad.
Unit 8 Section A Animals or children?—A scientist's choice 动物还是孩子？——一位科学家的选择 1 I am the enemy! I am one of those cursed, cruel physician scientists involved in animal research. These rumors sting, for I have never thought of myself as an evil person. I became a children's doctor because of my love for children and my supreme desire to keep them healthy. During medical school and residency, I saw many children die of cancer and bloodshed from injury — circumstances against which medicine has made great progress but still has a long way to go. More importantly, I also saw children healthy thanks to advances in medical science such as infant breathing support, powerful new medicines and surgical techniques and the entire field of organ transplantation. My desire to tip the scales in favor of healthy, happy children drew me to medical research. 1 我就是那个敌人！我就是那些被人诅咒的、残忍的、搞动物实验的医生科学家之一。这些谣言刺痛了我，因为我从来没想到自己是一个邪恶的人。我成为一位儿科医生，因为我爱孩子，也因为我的最大愿望是让他们保持健康。在医学院学习和住院医生实习时，我看到了许多儿童死于癌症和受伤流血——虽然对此医学正取得很大进步，但远非完善。更重要的是，我还看到孩子们能保持健康得益于医学的进步，如婴儿呼吸支持器，功效强大的新药物和外科手术技术及整个器官移植领域的发展。我希望孩子们健康快乐，这促使我从事医学研究。 2 My accusers have twisted the truth into a fable and cast me as the devil. They claim that I have no moral compass, that I torture innocent animals for the sole purpose of career advancement, and that my experiments have no relevance to medicine. Meanwhile, an uncaring public barely watches, convinced that the issue has no significance, and publicity-conscious senators and politicians increasingly give way to the lobbying of animal rights activists. 2 控诉我的人把真相歪曲成一则神话，并把我描写成恶魔。他们声称我没有道德界限，我折磨那些无辜动物的唯一目的就是为了自己的职业升迁，而我的实验根本与医药毫不相关。与此同时，无动于衷的公众几乎不闻不问，相信这个议题毫无意义，而具有宣传意识的参议员和政治家们却对动物权利活动家的游说不断作出让步。 3We,in medical research,have also been unbelievably uncaring.We have allowed the most extr eme animal rights protesters to creep in and frame the issue as one of"animal fraud"and hatred. We have persisted in our belief that a knowledgeable public would consent to the importance of animal research for public health.Perhaps we have been mistaken in not responding to the emoti onal tone of the argument.Perhaps we should have responded to those sad slogans and posters of animals by waving equally sad posters of children dying of cancer or external wounds. 3我们这些从事医学研究的人也显得令人难以置信的冷漠。我们允许最极端的动物权利活动家渐渐侵入，任凭他们把此类研究诬陷为“动物欺诈”和对动物的仇恨。我们一直坚信，有知识的公众会赞同动物研究对公众健康的重要性。也许我们的错误是没有对这场争论的感性基调作出反应。也许我们早应该挥动着儿童死于癌症或外伤的同样令人伤心的海报，来回应那些关于动物受害的伤感标语及海报。 4In the animal rights forum,much is made of the volume of pain these animals experience in the name of medical science.Activists deny that we are trying to help and say it is evidence of our ev il and cruel nature.A more reasonable argument,however,can be advanced in our defense.Life i
Unit8单元测试题 班级_________ 姓名____________ 得分_____________ 一、单项选择(50分) （）1. Tom is in good health, because he often exercises and eats a lot of healthy. A. food B. water C. pear D. carrot （）2. —There some bread on the plate. You can eat it for breakfast. —OK, I will. A. are B. is C. was D. were （）3. —do you make fruit salad? —First, cut up the apples, bananas and pears. And then. . . A. When B. Where C. Why D. How （）4. “exercise every day, my son. It’s good for your health. ”Dad often said to him. A. Takes B. Taking C. Take D. To take （）5. —butter do we need for a sandwich? —Two teaspoons should be enough. A. How many B. How much C. How long D. How far （）6. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November. A. in B. on C. at D. for （）7. Paul made a nice cage the little sick bird till it could fly. A. keep B. Kept C. keeping D. to keep （）8. Don’t forget to the light when you leave the room. A. turn on B. turn off C. turn up D. turn down （）9. —Tom, supper is ready. —I don’t want to eat, Mum. I’m not feeling well. A. everything B. nothing C. something D. anything （）10. —Let’s make tomato and beef noodles. —. A. Sounds good B. You’re welcome C. That’s right D. Don’t worry ( ) 1 1.If you want to eat a banana, you must ____it first. A.peel B.sell C.put D.peeling ( ) 12.______the yogurt into the blender . A.To pour B.Pour C.Pouring D.Pours ( ) 13.I can’t hear the TV. Please____ it____. A. turn…off B. turn…up C.turn…down D.turn…on - 1 -
全新版第二版第一册u n i t8课文翻译
A fable for tomorrow (Rachel Carson) There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of color that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines. Then foxes barked in the hills and deer silently crossed the fields, half hidden in the mists of the fall mornings. 从前在美国中心有一个小镇，那里的万物看上去都与其四周的环境融洽相处。小镇的四周是像棋盘交错的生意盎然的农庄，还有一块块的田地和一座座遍布山坡的果园。春天来了，白色的鲜花云彩般地漂浮在田野上；秋天到了，橡树、枫树和桦树色彩斑斓，在一片松树林间火焰般地燃烧与跳跃。小山上狐狸吠叫，田野间小鹿静静地跃过，所有的一切都在秋天清晨的薄雾中半隐半现。 Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wildflowers delighted the traveler's eye through much of the year. Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries and on the seed heads of the dried weeds rising above the snow. The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life, and when the flood of migrants was pouring through in spring and fall people traveled from great distances to observe them. Others came to fish the streams, which flowed clear and cold out of the hills and contained shady pools where trout lay. So it had been from the days many years ago when the first settlers raised their houses, sank their wells, and built their barns. 在路的两旁，一年中许多时候，月桂树、荚莲、桤木、蕨类植物和各样的野花都能让过往的行人赏心悦目。即使是冬天，路边的景色依旧是美不胜收，那里无数的小鸟来觅取浆果莓和露在雪地上的枯枝上的种子。事实上，这乡村正是由于鸟类的数量和种类之繁多而出名的。在候鸟群潮涌而来的春秋季节，人们从大老远的地方慕名前来欣赏。还有的人来这里的小溪垂钓。清冽的溪水从山中流出，溪水中有许多鳟鱼藏身的背阴的水潭。所以，从许多年前开始，第一批居住者就在这里盖房挖井，搭起了自己的谷仓。 Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours. 后来，一种奇怪的摧毁力悄然袭击了这个地区，所有的一切都开始变了。某种邪恶的符咒笼罩了这个社区：神秘的疾病攻击了鸡群，牛、羊也纷纷病死，到处都有一层死亡的阴影。农夫们谈论
Unit 8单元测试卷 一根据句意及首字母提示完成单词 1.He can’t wait to o_____ the box to see what present it is. 2.He usually d _____to work, but sometimes he takes a bus. 3.We didn’t go swimming yesterday. I____,we went hiking. 4.She s____an English song for us at the party last Sunday. 5.He didn’t m_____what happened to him in the letter. 6.I want to give a _____（特殊的）gift to my father for his birthday. 7.The computer is the best gift Tony has ever _____(收到) 8.Whom shall we _________(挑选) as our team leader? 9.More than twenty singers ________(参加) in the contest. 10.The program _______(建议) ways for students to communicate with their parents. 11. Mr Li told his little son to answer teachers' questions __________(有礼貌). 12. It's ________________(危险) to swim alone in the river. 13. --I want to report a traffic ___________(事故). --Yes，go ahead. 14. --I thought I'd buy James a new bike for his birthday. --That's a _____________(精彩) idea. 15. Harbin is in the ______________(东北) of China. 二单项选择.( ) 1. _______ should I get Mary for her birthday? A. How B. When C. Where D. What ( ) 2. How about ______ to a concert tonight? A. go B. to go C. going D. to going ( )3. I got the gift _____ my ______ birthday. A. on, ten B. on, tenth C. at, ten D. by, tenth ( ) 4. She lives ______ but she doesn’t feel _______. A. alone, lonely B. alone, alone B. C. lonely, alone D. lonely, lonely ( ) 5. They have ____ eight-year-old child _____Ted. A. an, names B. an, named C. a, name D. a, named ( ) 6. Xiaoli doesn’t work ____ Maomao. A. as harder as B. as hard as C. so harder as D. so hardly as ( ) 7. Our English teacher was ill. So Mr Wang gave us a lesson _____ her. A. instead B. instead of C. beside D. except ( ) 8. I think the story is too hard for the boy________. A. read B. to be read C. to read D. reading ( ) 9. ______ working as a doctor, he also writes novels in his spare time. A. Beside B. Except C. Expect D. Besides ( ) 10. “What about seeing movies?”“_____. I’m tired of staying at home.”
人教版八年级英语下册unit8 单元测试题 一、用括号内所给词的适当形式填空。 1.I _____ already ______(see) the film. I _______ (see) it last week. 2.--____ he _______(finish) his work today?--Not yet. 3.My father _____ just ______(come) back from work. He is tired now. 4.So far I _________(make)quite a few friends here. 5.I _____ just _________(finish) my homework. 6. ______ you ________(find)your science book yet? 7.I’ve lost my pen. _____ you ______(see)it anywhere? 8.At the end of the day, we felt happy the bus (bring)us back to our school. 9.Mount Huang is one of the most (beauty)mountains in the world. 10.I joined the book club last month and I (read) five books already. 11.There used to be (million) of birds singing in the trees in the forest. 12.He saw the newspaper on the table this morning, but he (have) any time to read it yet. 13 .Judy has already ____________ (finish) reading Little Women. 14. Tom and Mike have already ____________ (decide) to learn Chinese on Internet. 15. Have you _____________ (read) Alice in Wonderland yet? 16.Robinson _____________ (have) already built a house on the island. 17. It often _____________ (snow) in North China in winter. 18.-Where is Miss Wu? -She ______(go)to English on business. 19.They ______(not come)back yet? 20.Many people didn't know the ________(important) of health until they got seriously ill. 二、单项选择。 （）1.My shoe is here,but where is ____________? A. the others B. the other C. another one D. other ( ) 2. Do you have _______to say? A. anything other B. something else C. else anything D. anything else ( ) 3.How long have you _______here?
A fable for tomorrow (Rachel Carson) There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of color that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines. Then foxes barked in the hills and deer silently crossed the fields, half hidden in the mists of the fall mornings. 从前在美国中心有一个小镇，那里的万物看上去都与其四周的环境融洽相处。小镇的四周是像棋盘交错的生意盎然的农庄，还有一块块的田地和一座座遍布山坡的果园。春天来了，白色的鲜花云彩般地漂浮在田野上；秋天到了，橡树、枫树和桦树色彩斑斓，在一片松树林间火焰般地燃烧与跳跃。小山上狐狸吠叫，田野间小鹿静静地跃过，所有的一切都在秋天清晨的薄雾中半隐半现。 Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wildflowers delighted the traveler's eye through much of the year. Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries and on the seed heads of the dried weeds rising above the snow. The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life, and when the flood of migrants was pouring through in spring and fall people traveled from great distances to observe them. Others came to fish the streams, which flowed clear and cold out of the hills and contained shady pools where trout lay. So it had been from the days many years ago when the first settlers raised their houses, sank their wells, and built their barns. 在路的两旁，一年中许多时候，月桂树、荚莲、桤木、蕨类植物和各样的野花都能让过往的行人赏心悦目。即使是冬天，路边的景色依旧是美不胜收，那里无数的小鸟来觅取浆果莓和露在雪地上的枯枝上的种子。事实上，这乡村正是由于鸟类的数量和种类之繁多而出名的。在候鸟群潮涌而来的春秋季节，人们从大老远的地方慕名前来欣赏。还有的人来这里的小溪垂钓。清冽的溪水从山中流出，溪水中有许多鳟鱼藏身的背阴的水潭。所以，从许多年前开始，第一批居住者就在这里盖房挖井，搭起了自己的谷仓。 Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours. 后来，一种奇怪的摧毁力悄然袭击了这个地区，所有的一切都开始变了。某种邪恶的符咒笼罩了这个社区：神秘的疾病攻击了鸡群，牛、羊也纷纷病死，到处都有一层死亡的阴影。农夫们谈论着家中的许多疾病；镇上的医生也越来越因病人中出现的新的病症而感到迷惑。在成人和孩子中发生了好几起突发的不明其由的死亡，那些孩子在玩耍中突然病倒，几小时后就死去了。 There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example - where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh 这里是一派奇怪的寂静。就说鸟儿们吧---它们都去哪儿了？许多人说起鸟儿的时候都充满了迷惑与不安。他们后院的饲养站已经没有鸟儿光顾了。随处能见到的几只鸟都奄奄一息。他们猛烈地颤抖，却飞不起来。这是一个无声的春天。曾经是震动着画眉鸟、猫鸟、鸽子、樫鸟、欧鹪和许多鸟儿的黎明合唱声的清晨如今却寂然无声。田野间、树林中和沼泽地里也是一片寂静。 On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs - the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. 在农庄，母鸡下蛋却孵不出小鸡。农夫们抱怨无法养猪，因为刚生下的猪崽太小了，小猪也只能活几天的功夫。苹果树开花了，可是没有蜜蜂在花丛中嗡嗡地采蜜，没有蜜蜂的授粉，也就没有任何果子。 The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These, too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them,
八年级上册英语Unit8 单元测试卷 一、单项选择（共25小题；共25分） ( )1. the medical help first, then make her comfortable and call her parents. A. Getting B. Get C. To get ( )2. oranges do you want and orange would you like? A. How many; how many B. How much; how much C. How many; how much D. How much; how many ( )3. I t is sunny. What weather! A. a good B. an awful C. great D. bad ( )4. T here are two and six in the zoo. A. kangaroos; wolfs B. kangaroos; wolves C. kangarooes; wolves D. kangarooes; wolfs ( )5. S ome visited our school last Wednesday. A. German B. Germen C. Germans D. Germens ( )6. S wimming is in summer. A. a great fun B. great fun C. great funs D. great a fun ( )7. --- What can I do for you? --- I want to buy for my daughter. A. a clothing B. a piece clothing C. a piece of clothing D. the piece of clothing ( )8. I want to buy . A. two bottles of milks B. two bottles of milk C. two bottle of milk D. two bottle milks ( )9. T he room was dark, so she asked me to the lights. A. turn up B. turn down C. turn off D. turn on ( )10. —butter do we need for a sandwich? —Two teaspoons should be enough. A. How many B. How much C. How long D. How far ( )11. --- Maria, the dog, will you? --- Why ask me? Tom is playing there. A. to feed B. feed C. feeding ( )12. “exercise every day, my son. It’s good for your health. ”Dad often said to him. A. Takes B. Taking C. Take D. To take ( )13. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November. A. in B. on C. at D. for ( )14.—The banana is too big. —You can _______ first. A. cut up them B. cut them up C. cut it up D. cut up it ( )15. Don’t forget to the light when you leave the room. A. turn on B. turn off C. turn up D. turn down ( )16. Don’t _______ the milk into the cup. It’s full (满了). A. peel B. pour C. leave D. drink ( )17. Tom, please add some salt _______ the noodles. A. on B. in C. to D. at ( )18. I had _______ for breakfast yesterday.
Unit 8 My Forever Valentine The traditional holidays in our house when I was a child were spent timing elaborate meals around football games. My father tried to make pleasant chitchat and eat as much as he could during half time. At Christmas he found time to have a cup or two of holiday beer and do his holly shaped bow tie. But he didn't truly shine until Valentine's Day. I don't know whether it was because work at the office slowed during February or because the football season was over. But Valentine's Day was the time my father chose to show his love for the special people in his life. Over the years I fondly thought of him as my "Valentine Man." My first recollection of the magic he could bring to Valentine's Day came when I was six. For several days I had been cutting out valentines for my classmates. Each of us was to decorate a "mailbox" and put it on our desk for others to give us cards. That box and its contents ushered in a succession of bittersweet memories of my entrance into a world of popularity contests marked by the number of cards received, the teasing about boyfriends/girlfriends and the tender care I gave to the card from the cutest boy in class. That morning at the breakfast table I found a card and a gift-wrapped package at my chair. The card was signed "Love, Dad," and the gift was a ring with a small piece of red glass to represent my birthstone, a ruby. There is little difference between red glass and rubies to a child of six, and I remember wearing that ring with a pride that all the cards in the world could not surpass. As I grew older, the gifts gave way to heart shaped boxes filled with my favorite chocolates and always included a special card signed "Love, Dad." In those years my thank-yous became more of a perfunctory response. The cards seemed less important, and I took for granted the valentine that would always be there. Long past the days of having a "mailbox" on my desk, I had placed my hopes and dreams in receiving cards and gifts from "significant others," and "Love, Dad" just didn't seem quite enough. If my father knew then that he had been replaced, he never let it show. If he sensed any disappointment over valentines that didn't arrive for me, he just tried that much harder to create a positive atmosphere, giving me an extra hug and doing what he could to make my day a little brighter. My mailbox eventually had a rural address, and the job of hand delivering candy and cards was relegated to the . Postal Service. Never in ten years was my father's package late nor was it on the Valentine's Day eight years ago when I reached into the mailbox to find a card addressed to me in my mother's handwriting.