1 . After the movers had taken the furniture and boxes, once the house was empty of everything but dust and echoes, I took from my pocket a(n)
The idea is to take a stone that you like and walk through the house and gardens, projecting your
I stared downstairs. It was a beautiful day and the light was shining through the windows. At first, the memories didn't come
But after just a few minutes, that
One moment I found myself
It's been several months since I walked out of the house for the last time. I don't know
| A．watch | B．purse | C．stone | D．coin |
| A．enjoyed | B．suggested | C．admitted | D．considered |
| A．memories | B．feelings | C．energies | D．thoughts |
| A．keep | B．break | C．try | D．carry |
| A．cheered | B．amazed | C．bored | D．scared |
| A．them | B．it | C．one | D．that |
| A．secretly | B．easily | C．constantly | D．gradually |
| A．something | B．everything | C．anything | D．nothing |
| A．shadows | B．reflections | C．images | D．views |
| A．happened | B．changed | C．developed | D．settled |
| A．list | B．effort | C．wish | D．feast |
| A．safety | B．peace | C．relief | D．delight |
| A．mirror | B．window | C．house | D．bed |
| A．late | B．soon | C．early | D．just |
| A．annoy | B．wake | C．disappoint | D．interrupt |
| A．work out | B．come out | C．find out | D．turn out |
| A．complaining | B．weeping | C．dreaming | D．smiling |
| A．complex | B．unforgettable | C．peaceful | D．satisfying |
| A．how | B．that | C．why | D．whether |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Moreover | D．Otherwise |
2 . It’s 2035. You have a job, a family and you're about 40 years old! Welcome to your future life.
Getting ready for work, you pause in front of the mirror.
“Turn red,” you say. Your shirt changes from sky blue to deep red. Tiny preprogrammed electronics( 智能电子元件)are rear-ranged in your shirt to change its color. Looking into the mirror you find it hard to believe you’re 40. You look much younger.
With amazing advances in medicine, people in your generation may live to be 150 years old. You’re not even middle-aged! As you go into the kitchen and prepare to pour your breakfast cereal into a bowl, you hear, “To lose weight, you shouldn’t eat that.” from your shoes. They read the tiny electronic code( 电子源码)on the cereal box to find out the nutrition details. You decide to listen to your shoes. “Kitchen, what can I have for breakfast?” A list of possible foods appears on the counter as the kitchen checks its food supplies.
“Ready for your trip to space?” you ask your son and daughter. In 2005 only specially trained astronauts went into space and very few of them. Today anyone can go to space for day trips or longer vacations. Your best friend even works in space. Handing your children three strawberries each, you add, “The doctor said you need these for space travel. “ Thanks to medical advances, vaccination shots(防疫针)are a thing of the past. Ordinary foods contain specific vaccines. With the berries in their mouths, the kids head for the front door.
It’s time for you to go to work. Your car checks your fingerprints and unlocks the doors. “My office. Autopilot! “ you command. Your car drives itself down the road and moves smoothly into traffic on the highway. You sit back and unroll your e-newspaper. The latest news downloads and fills the viewer. Looking through the pages, you watch the news as video films rather than read it.
1. What changes the color of your shirt?| A．The mirror | B．The medicine | C．The counter | D．The shirt itself |
| A．By pouring the breakfast into a bowl |
| B．By checking the nutrition details of the food |
| C．By testing the food supplies in the kitchen |
| D．By listening to the doctor's advice |
| A．vaccines | B．lunch | C．breakfast | D．nutrition |
| A．In order of preference |
| B．In order of appearance |
| C．In order of time |
| D．In order of importance |
3 . I was having a great morning until I sat down in front of my office computer. “Your password has expired(过期),” a message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it.
Coming up with a new code doesn’t seem like a big deal, unless you work at my company, where we have to change it monthly, using at least one uppercase character, one lowercase character, one symbol, and one numeral. Oh, and the whole damn thing can’t be fewer than eight characters. And I can’t use any of the same passwords I’ve used in the past three months.
Suddenly I was furious. What didn’t make it any better was that I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. Disbelief over what she had done to me was all I thought about every day.
My anger didn’t mean anything to the empty input field with a pulsating cursor(闪动的光标), waiting for me to type a password that I’d have to re-enter — many times — for the next 30 days. I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss. He’d said, “I’m going to use a password to change my life.”
I couldn’t focus on getting things done in my current mood. There were clear indicators of what I needed to do to regain control of my life, but I couldn’t notice them.
My password became the indicator. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.
I made my password Forgive@h3r. I had to type this statement several times a day. Each time my computer would lock. Each time my screen saver with her photo would appear. Each time I would come back from eating lunch alone. In my mind, I wrote Forgive her every day.
The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife. That constant reminder of reconciliation led me to accept the way things had happened at the end of my marriage and embrace a new way of dealing with my depression. As the month wore on, I felt a slow healing begin to take place. By the time my server prompted me to reset my password the following month, I felt free.
One month later, when asked yet again to reset my password. I thought about the next thing that I had to get done. My password became Quit@smoking4ever.
I quit smoking overnight. This password was a painful one to type during that month, but doing it helped me to yell at myself in my mind as I typed that statement. It motivated me to follow my monthly goal.
One month later, my password became Save4trip@thailand.
Guess where I went three months later: Thailand.
Seeing how these reminders helped to materialize my goals kept me motivated and excited. While it’s sometimes difficult to come up with your next goal, keeping at it brings great results.
Here is a simplified extract(摘录) of what some of my passwords have been in the past two years, so you get an idea of how my life has changed, thanks to this method:
Forgive@h3r To my ex-wife, who started it all.
Quit@smoking4ever It worked.
Save4trip@thailand It worked.
Sleep@before12 It worked.
Ask@her4date It worked. I fell in love again.
No@drinking2months It worked. I feel better.
Get@c4t! It worked. I have a beautiful cat.
Facetime2mom@sunday It worked. I talk with Mom every week.
And the one for last month: Save4@ring Yep. Life is gonna change again soon.
1. The underlined word “furious” in the third paragraph is closest in the meaning to ________.| A．depressed | B．doubtful |
| C．nervous | D．angry |
| A．Because he decided to forgive his wife. |
| B．Because he hoped his wife would forgive him. |
| C．Because he hoped it would remind him to be strong. |
| D．Because his former boss told him to use it to change his life. |
| A．He will call his mother every week. |
| B．He will soon ask his girl friend to marry him. |
| C．His password will help him save money. |
| D．He will be reminded to save his password. |
| A．How a Password Changed My Life | B．Why I Changed My Password |
| C．How a Slow Healing Took Place | D．How I Followed My Monthly Goal |
4 . Hearing the Sweetest Songs
My parents said I lost my hearing as a baby, but I knew I hadn't lost anything. None of my parts had dropped off. Nothing had changed： I could hear music that was close enough to me. I could also hear my mom when she was in the same room. I could even hear my cat purr if I put my good ear on top of him.
I wasn't aware of any hearing loss until I began to wear a hearing aid when I started living alone. I noticed it ruined my peace of mind: pencils tapping, phones ringing, and refrigerators humming. Then, I began to discover many things I couldn't do. I couldn't tell where sounds came from, nor could I tell fire alarms from burglar alarms. I once missed a job interview because I misheard the address on the phone. For the first time, I had to admit that I had lost something.
Unlike a wheelchair, my disability doesn't announce itself. When I got jobs, I chose to keep it as a secret. One day a business friend said, "Nicolette, sometimes in meetings you answer the wrong questions. People don't know you can't hear, so they think you're strange, stupid﹣or just plain rude. It would be better to just tell them." But I knew if I told, people might see only my disability, and they might forget that I was also a writer, a painter, and a good gardener. I felt disabled and helpless.
This bothered me till I met my husband. One morning at the shore I was listening to the sounds of the sea when my husband said, "Hear the bird?" "What bird?" I listened hard until I heard a tiny sound. If he hadn't mentioned it I would never have noticed it. As I listened, slowly I began to hear﹣or perhaps imagine﹣a distant song. Did I really hear it? Or just heard in my heart what he shared with me? I realized that songs imagined were as sweet as songs heard and songs shared were sweeter still.
This sharing is what both the disabled and non-disabled want. Every one of us, if we live long enough, will become disabled in some way. Let's share. Now, just let me see your lips when you speak. And ask what you want to know. These are conversations we all should have, and it's not that hard to begin.
1. When the author wore the hearing aid, she_____.| A．felt better prepared for the job interviews |
| B．was able to enjoy different sounds |
| C．experienced a sense of loss |
| D．was teased by others |
| A．people might focus on her hearing loss |
| B．she could get the work done as abled |
| C．people might be curious about it |
| D．she wanted to do more jobs |
| A．To draw people's attention to the hearing problem． |
| B．To tell people not to treat the disabled differently． |
| C．To remember the challenges she faced． |
| D．To show how much she missed before． |
5 . Tips on How to Survive the Exam Season
When it comes to the exam season, a lot of you may feel stressed, depressed or even want to escape. Here we have pieces of advice to help you get it through.
During the semester, going to lectures and taking a lot of notes are the first steps in the learning process. Now, at the end of the week, gather all the notes you took during the week and run through your notes quickly,
Switch between different types of revision.
Make the facts more relatable.
There are many different ways to do so. I'm going to give you two examples and the first one is to create vivid images, which can be really helpful for studying history.
Teach and learn outside of the classroom.
In my experience, teaching is the most efficient way of studying. By explaining the materials to yourself or to someone else, you'll remember them a lot better.
Test yourself with past papers.
At the end of the whole study process, you should prepare yourself to do past papers properly. Time yourself, don't cheat, and mark it as if it were your real exam. Pay attention to the mistakes and revise the part you didn't do well on until you can't get it wrong any more.
| A．Prepare yourself in advance. |
| B．Make sure to be tough on yourself. |
| C．Even if you are motivated to study, everyone gets bored after a couple of hours of studying. |
| D．While doing this, constantly ask yourself, "Do I understand what I am reading？" |
| E．Ask your parents or other family members to act as students and listen to your explanation. |
| F．Try to imagine how the events took place and this allows you to remember certain details more accurately. |
| G．Look for a study buddy or small study group, and discuss everything you have studied before the exam. |
6 . I’d like to share a little with you about something that happened when I was four. I remember it clearly. Our loving family dog was nearing the end of his life. My father picked him up and put him in a little bed we had made for him. Our dog, my companion, whom we had cared for, bit my father when he attempted to help him. How could he? Why? I couldn’t understand it. I didn’t like him anymore.
I hadn’t thought that story for a long time but something that happened last brought it back to me. I went to speak with a friend. When I knocked on the door, I met in an instant an angry look and a few harsh (尖刻的) words. When the door was slammed (砰地关上) in my face, I stood there shocked, and in rush, I was reminded of my dog bit my father 20 years ago or so. What brought that story back was that same feeling of betrayal.
Both stories taught me something the next day. You see, when I got up in the morning and was told my dog had died, it became clear to me that he must have been in great pain. For him to have bitten a family member, he could not have been himself. Much the same for the other story when I learned that my friend’s wife had just left him.
We are all begins of our environments, our opinions and feelings. And all of those things can cause you to say and do things that can’t be understood by those who are not in the same situation with you.
If you meet someone either behaving out of character or acting in a way that doesn’t seem to fit the situation, put our your hand and be patient when you think it is least possible for him to do so. You may turn around a story that has a sad ending simply by your actions.
1. What is the influence of the incident mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．It hurt his father’s feeling deeply. | B．It has puzzled the author ever since. |
| C．It left a deep impression on the author. | D．It made the author dislike dogs. |
| A．He was ill-tempered. |
| B．He was suffering the pain of losing his wife. |
| C．He was bothered by an unexpected visit. |
| D．They once quarreled and he couldn’t forgive the author. |
| A．Help those in need. | B．Look before you leap. |
| C．Respect of others is a kind of virtue. | D．Learn to put yourself in others’ shoes. |
7 . A core human need is validation (认可) that experience of feeling seen and understood. We long for it. We don't feel safety, belonging or mattering without it. According to Oprah Winfrey, who has interviewed thousands upon thousands of people from ordinary folks to world leaders and highly successful business people, they all ask her the same question after the interview: "Did I do OK?"
In seeking validation many people talk without listening first. We are eager to make our next point and be validated. So we don't listen. While the other person is speaking, we are arranging our next piece of brilliance and persuasion in our minds. When we're told we need to be more "present" or even told to talk less, we start out with the best intentions, but soon find ourselves competing for airtime.
As leaders, part of our job is to find our validation elsewhere and give the gift of listening to our team.
Here's how you can help yourself become a more successful listener: ask more questions. Ask questions and actually listen for the answer and keep your mouth closed until it's time to ask the next question. Try keeping the ratio of questions to you offering your opinion at 80% questions to 20% your opinion.
In a team, especially if you are learning to collaborate better, try a few meetings using a device like a talking stick (only the person holding the stick can talk) to ensure that everyone gets equal airtime. The "talking stick" concept comes from Native American traditions but can be any object that is culturally appropriate for your team﹣even a pen will do.
In the age of organizations as living organisms, listening is the skill that will help your team soar—and give them the emotional experience they long for.
1. Why did people ask "Did I do OK?" after the interview?| A．They are not confident about themselves. |
| B．They want to show off before the host. |
| C．They all long to be validated. |
| D．They seldom have the chance to be interviewed. |
| A．how to seek validation |
| B．why we don't listen |
| C．when to make our next point |
| D．what is the best intention |
| A．Find validation in your team. |
| B．Keep your mouth closed. |
| C．Ask 80 questions and offer 20 opinions. |
| D．Raise more questions. |
| A．To follow Native American traditions |
| B．To help the team rise in spirits |
| C．To check that everyone gets the same airtime |
| D．To strengthen the importance of a meeting |
8 . As Christmas approaches, towns and cities around the UK are preparing for a very British celebration.
The switching on of a town’ s Christmas lights has become an increasingly competitive event over the years, with some councils (会议) spending lots of money to attract A-list famous persons to do the honors.
The American singer Mariah Carey flew to London in November to switch on the lights at one of the city’s biggest shopping centers, while Jim Carrey lighted Oxford Street and promoted his new film at the same time.
Traffic in the historic English city of Bath was brought to a halt as thousands of fans crowded to see the Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage conducted the switching-on ceremony.
Some celebrations do not go according to the plan, as was seen in Birmingham when dozens of people were injured as the famous British boy band JLS took the stage.
Not all towns can afford to bring in an internationally-known star, so many switchon ceremonies are handled by ex-TV talent show competitors.
Pantomime (圣诞童话剧) stars are also much in demand at this time of year, as they aim to promote their Christmas shows.
But if your council hasn’t got the budget to bring in a famous face, what are the cheaper alternatives?
A town in the west of England chose to let the public decide by giving their suggestions online. The result: a 21-year-old DIY store worker was given the honor.
“I was amazed and delighted to be asked,” said Scott Parker, “it’s just a special gift and not something I’d, ever thought about before.”
1. According to the passage, what kind of special celebration can you see at Christmas in UK?| A．People meeting their favorite stars and getting special gifts. |
| B．Well-known persons invited to make a performance in public. |
| C．A-list persons lighting Oxford Street and promoting their films. |
| D．Switching-on ceremonies that are conducted by honored persons. |
| A．start | B．stop | C．ban | D．run |
| A．Mariah Carey is invited to Bath to switch on the lights. |
| B．Pantomime stars rarely appear at events like this. |
| C．Not all those who switch on the Christmas lights can make lots of money. |
| D．Average persons can not get a chance to switch on the Christmas lights. |
| A．Scott Parker | B．Mariah Carey | C．Nicolas Cage | D．Jim Carrey |
9 . The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes (假货) after “Shenzhen Cellphones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years.
Besides “Shanzhai” has electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve.
“Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, symbolizing anything that imitates something famous.
The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat.
In southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, a “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the “Shanzhai” version “Water Cube” is popular with tourists too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing.
Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the “Shanzhai” version appears naturally to attract people.
“In spite of its poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” Xie said.
Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that “Shanzhai” culture never copies classic things, only trendy products. In that sense, it’s like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning.
Though controversial, “Shanzhai” culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon.
To the mainstream culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge as well as a motivation, said Xie.
Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose.
1. The Chinese Word“Shanzhai”may have its origin in _________.| A．fake cellphones | B．electronic products |
| C．Spring Festival Gala | D．Olympics buildings |
| A．steals | B．copies | C．advertises | D．cheats |
| A．The action that a person imitates famous people |
| B．anything that imitates something famous |
| C．those similar names to famous brand |
| D．products with poor techniques and quality |
| A．Will be held back by “Shanzhai” culture |
| B．will sooner or later be replaced by “Shanzhai”culture |
| C．may develop faster because of the challenging of “Shanzhai”culture |
| D．thinks nothing of the challenge of “Shanzhai”culture |
| A．“Shanzhai”culture will definitely fade out |
| B．“Shanzhai”culture –the mountain village culture |
| C．“Shanzhai”culture – the mainstream culture |
| D．“Shanzhai”culture takes on life of its own |
10 . Listen carefully; we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free! It’s ‘no’. What do you ask? We’ll say it again. ‘No’. Sweet and simple ‘no’.
Say ‘no’ at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears. “Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself,” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say ‘yes’ need to say ‘no’ without guilt （内疚）or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated （强制的）‘yes’”, she said.
Susie Watson says she feels ‘no’ obligation to give an explanation when she says ‘no’ either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all,” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middle-bury. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’. My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”
Watson said ‘no’ is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time. Other people are happy to use up your time,” Watson said. Time saving appears to be ‘no’s’ greatest friend. ‘No’ can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. ‘No’ may even take you further in the business world than “yes”. ‘No’ is power and strength. ‘No’ now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a ‘no’ project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.
But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”
1. The underlined part in the second paragraph means ______.| A．you can have more time to play with others |
| B．you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy |
| C．you are selfish and treat others rudely |
| D．you can deal with your business as you have planned |
| A．secret way | B．polite way | C．proud way | D．guilty way |
| A．they say ‘no’ at a suitable time | B．they say ‘no’ as much as possible |
| C．they are afraid of saying ‘no’ | D．they make others angry at them |
| A．enjoys a wonderful life | B．makes a lot of money |
| C．faces difficulty in life | D．forgets to say ‘yes’ in the end |
