1 . I always dreamed of becoming a full time writer. After two years as a salesman, I _________ my job and made up my mind to realize my _________. No one could tell me whether I would succeed or not. I rented a basement and _________ to write. I had so many things to write because the enthusiasm (热情) was _________ in my heart.

After a year or so, _________, I began to doubt myself. I found it _______ to earn my living by writing. None of my novels were _________ that year. But I _________ to follow my dream, even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of _________. I believed anyone with a dream must learn to struggle for the __________.

During the hardest period of my life, a friend came to see me and tried to __________ me, “Come to our company, __________ we will pay you 2,000 dollars a month.” 2,000 dollars was really a big fortune at that time. It would enable me to live a __________ life. As the money was dancing in my __________, something cleared my senses. Hadn’t I dreamed of being a writer, a full-time writer? “Thanks, but no,” I said __________, “I’m going to stick to writing.”

Again and again, I said to myself, “I will be __________. People will love my novels.”

__________ my first novel was published in 1991. I had the kind of success that few writers ever __________.

Twenty years have passed, but the effect it had on my life has __________. Now I often __________ the time working in that cold basement. I will say, “Anyone with a dream and persistence will be successful.”

1.

A．took up

B．gave up

C．applied for

D．prepared for

2.

A．mistake

B．glory

C．weakness

D．dream

3.

A．settled down

B．turned down

C．bent down

D．looked down

4.

A．decreasing

B．failing

C．burning

D．exploding

5.

A．however

B．though

C．therefore

D．thus

6.

A．enjoyable

B．difficult

C．changeable

D．normal

7.

A．translated

B．attacked

C．accepted

D．ignored

8.

A．pretended

B．determined

C．waited

D．agreed

9.

A．anxiety

B．danger

C．judgement

D．failure

10.

A．intelligence

B．reality

C．money

D．goal

11.

A．persuade

B．calm

C．warn

D．comfort

12.

A．or

B．but

C．and

D．so

13.

A．healthier

B．poorer

C．better

D．simpler

14.

A．head

B．life

C．future

D．ambition

15.

A．doubtfully

B．eagerly

C．willingly

D．firmly

16.

A．successful

B．faithful

C．sincere

D．generous

17.

A．Gradually

B．Suddenly

C．Actually

D．Finally

18.

A．admitted

B．experienced

C．designed

D．proved

19.

A．ended

B．lasted

C．changed

D．weakened

20.

A．dream of

B．complain of

C．hear of

D．think of

2 . When I was a child, my mother didn’t force me to eat everything in my dish. She said I had to ____ every food three times. Her ____ was the first time to try it, the second time to get over the fact that you had just tried it, and the third to ____ that you don’t like it. After that, if I still ____ the taste, she would ____ make me eat it again. Her reasonable approach worked almost every time- except with bananas, which I still don’ t eat now. As I grew older, I brought that simple ____ into my life. I had been ____ the diving board at the pool, but I had ____ to make the first jump off the board. When I breathed in water, my mother jumped in to ____ me. Before she could even reach me, I was up and out of the pool, heading back to that diving board. I jumped off ____. More coughing followed, but I was determined to get over this fear. When I got out of the pool the second time, my mom tried to cover me with a towel. Instead, I threw off the towel and ____ trying. The third time there was no ____ and no water in my nose. In fact there were ____ from the others at the pool. At that point, I fell in love with the pool. In my mid-thirties, I left a successful job that didn’t satisfy me in order to achieve my dream of being a writer. Having been ____ twice, I tried for a third time. I have been happily living the life of a writer ever since. We are all afraid of something unknown. But how can we be sure that something won’t be ____ unless we give it a try?

1.

A．smell

B．cook

C．try

D．share

2.

A．reason

B．decision

C．dream

D．order

3.

A．point out

B．make sure

C．agree with

D．glare at

4.

A．remembered

B．required

C．missed

D．hated

5.

A．even

B．never

C．still

D．ever

6.

A．answer

B．plan

C．game

D．rule

7.

A．excited about

B．afraid of

C．bored with

D．proud of

8.

A．hoped

B．waited

C．managed

D．continued

9.

A．help

B．watch

C．warn

D．praise

10.

A．as usual

B．by chance

C．just now

D．once again

11.

A．began

B．regretted

C．avoided

D．kept

12.

A．fear

B．sadness

C．surprise

D．anger

13.

A．invitations

B．cheers

C．replies

D．thanks

14.

A．forgotten

B．punished

C．refused

D．caught

15.

A．important

B．special

C．enjoyable

D．similar

3 . I was travelling on an overnight bus from Kolhapur to Aurangabad. The ordinary bus was more than ________; all 55 seats were taken and there were some 20 people ________. The hot day added to the discomfort of the rough, 10-hour journey. I didn’t get a seat, so I had to stand quite ________.

After around two very long hours, I was ________ and bored. I kept trying to ________ myself, changing my body weight from one leg to the other. I suddenly sensed a soft hand ________ my elbow (肘), asking for attention. Turning around, I ________ a middle-aged man with a smile looking up at me. He stood up and said I could take his ________ for a while. I pleasantly ________ it with a sigh of ________ , and the man seemed happy too. After about 20 minutes, I ________ him to take back his space. A man who was sitting by the window had observed our ________.

Just then, something magical happened. Our observer stood up and ________ his seat to another standing man. Unexpectedly, we had caused a series of reactions: This game of seat-sharing ________ through the bus like wildfire and, before long, almost all the standees got a chance to be seated. People even started ________ each other while exchanging positions, and soon began ________ jokes and singing. I could say, the rest of the journey was quite ________.

The bus reached its destination (目的地) the next morning. The groups quickly said goodbye and went their ________. But this extraordinary ________ has stayed with me even after all these years. It showed me an important fact that we can all share what we ________ and help our co-passengers on this journey called life.

1.

A．crowded

B．odd

C．noisy

D．dirty

2.

A．travelling

B．standing

C．running

D．reading

3.

A．uncertainly

B．unusually

C．uncomfortably

D．unsuccessfully

4.

A．confused

B．worried

C．surprised

D．tired

5.

A．blame

B．remind

C．balance

D．introduce

6.

A．kicking

B．beating

C．touching

D．holding

7.

A．appreciated

B．recognized

C．felt

D．saw

8.

A．hand

B．advice

C．chance

D．seat

9.

A．accepted

B．forgot

C．remembered

D．refused

10.

A．relief

B．regret

C．concern

D．pain

11.

A．followed

B．signaled

C．begged

D．taught

12.

A．difference

B．connection

C．business

D．behavior

13.

A．returned

B．offered

C．ordered

D．kept

14.

A．competed

B．spread

C．developed

D．pulled

15.

A．quarreling with

B．talking about

C．chatting with

D．complaining about

16.

A．replacing

B．sharing

C．advertising

D．collecting

17.

A．enjoyable

B．suitable

C．important

D．admirable

18.

A．ways

B．fields

C．aims

D．routines

19.

A．dream

B．present

C．experience

D．arrangement

20.

A．know

B．make

C．discover

D．have

7 . A few years ago, I stood underneath a red overhanging cliff near my hometown, Carbondale, Colorado. The scenery was _______. Elk chewed on the brown grasses by the river below. A hawk rode the wind.

I was tied in, ready to climb. I was _______ to do a tough route for the first time. “Onsight”, (首次攀登) as we call it, means I didn’t know where I was climbing to. It would be a hard onsight for me to onsight a difficult route. You need focus. No _______.

Just as I was about to climb, _______ in my body, which I hadn’t felt yet, said hello. That was not good for any athlete. _______, I painted a coat of confidence on my inner walls of doubt to ease my tension. I _______ myself at the top, celebrating. “You can do this,” I firmly told myself. “If you believe, success is _______.”

It didn’t work. I fell near the top. Defeated, I _______ myself to the ground and realized powerfully that the too strong desire to climb the route had _______ me from doing it.

My self-worth was closely ________ at that unnatural moment with my success or failure, and that ________ a chain of reaction: unnatural desire, pressure, performance anxiety. I had just climbed with a mind fascinated with the top but a ________ struggling below with irregular and unnatural movement.

I told myself that on my next attempt, success or failure didn’t ________. “Make one move at a time. That’s all.” I gave myself a ________ from whatever would happen. Case closed, it ________. I floated to the top with grace, clarity and contentment.

That moment got me thinking, and then researching. At some point, I framed this experience ________ simple arithmetic: When I added (determination, self-confidence, desire), I ________; when I took away (the desire for success); my body moved with greater ________ and I improved. I enjoyed it more as well, which, as an athlete of 30 years, I didn’t think was ________. I discovered the ________ of subtraction.1.

A．fulfilling

B．gloomy

C．breath-taking

D．powerful

2.

A．attempting

B．making

C．managing

D．promising

3.

A．hesitation

B．distraction

C．equipment

D．engagement

4.

A．desire

B．motivation

C．passion

D．nerves

5.

A．Determined

B．Inspired

C．Desperate

D．Amused

6.

A．pictured

B．realized

C．supposed

D．dreamed

7.

A．in charge

B．in doubt

C．at length

D．for sure

8.

A．dropped

B．lowered

C．handed

D．threw

9.

A．sheltered

B．rescued

C．discouraged

D．avoided

10.

A．combined

B．connected

C．contrasted

D．contacted

11.

A．brought about

B．gave out

C．held back

D．set out

12.

A．body

B．thought

C．spirit

D．heart

13.

A．identify

B．mind

C．matter

D．happen

14.

A．pass

B．license

C．certificate

D．document

15.

A．hit

B．worked

C．admitted

D．interrupted

16.

A．in terms of

B．in view of

C．regardless of

D．apart from

17.

A．changed

B．failed

C．envied

D．evaluated

18.

A．flow

B．rigidity

C．strength

D．naturalness

19.

A．vital

B．crucial

C．possible

D．identical

20.

A．motive

B．energy

C．force

D．power

8 . I never see myself as a miracle. I was just an ________ person with realistic goals and big dreams. I was a 19-year-old student at the university of Texas and well on my way to fulfilling my big dream of becoming a surgeon.

On February 17, 1981, a ________ car accident happened to me and after the four hours of operation, I ________. I still could not talk, my entire right side was paralyzed (不能动的) but ________ I was stable. After two weeks I improved enough to be ________ to a rehabilitation (康复) hospital.

It took me a lot of hard work but I ________ returned to the university of Texas in 1983—a year and a half after almost ________. The next few years were very ________ for me, but I truly believe that in order to see ________ in life you have to experience something bad. Maybe I have experienced too much, but I believe in living each day to the fullest, and doing the very ________ I can. And each new day was ________ and very full, for   ________ attending classes at the university I ________ therapy (理疗) three to five days each week at Brackenridge hospital.

Early, during my therapy, my father ________ repeating to me one of his favorite sayings. I have repeated it almost every day after being hurt: “Mile by mile it’s a (n) ________; yard by yard it’s hard; but inch by inch it’s a cinch (易事).”

I thought of those ________, and I thought of my family who ________ believed in me as I climbed the steps to receive my ________ from the dean of Liberal Arts at the university of Texas on the graduation ceremony in June of 1986. Excitement and ________ filled my heart as I heard the dear announce that I graduated with “highest honors”, and was chosen as one of the most outstanding ________ in the college of Liberal Arts.

1.

A．excellent

B．outstanding

C．ordinary

D．outgoing

2.

A．terrible

B．small

C．expected

D．mild

3.

A．agreed

B．breathed

C．prayed

D．survived

4.

A．at least

B．at first

C．in public

D．in time

5.

A．possessed

B．abandoned

C．transferred

D．encounter

6.

A．finally

B．gradually

C．slowly

D．quickly

7.

A．missing

B．dying

C．hurting

D．injuring

8.

A．smooth

B．easy

C．rough

D．relaxing

9.

A．interest

B．fact

C．truth

D．beauty

10.

A．much

B．best

C．worst

D．first

11.

A．boring

B．busy

C．dull

D．empty

12.

A．besides

B．but

C．except

D．except for

13.

A．practiced

B．conducted

C．received

D．improved

14.

A．stopped

B．kept

C．avoided

D．practised

15.

A．prospect

B．origin

C．liberty

D．trial

16.

A．complaints

B．comments

C．lectures

D．words

17.

A．honestly

B．strongly

C．differently

D．calmly

18.

A．diploma

B．praise

C．advice

D．money

19.

A．admiration

B．envy

C．pride

D．sorrow

20.

A．assistants

B．teachers

C．scholars

D．graduates

9 . A famous philosopher said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Travelling can provide different experience and ______ our horizons.

Last year, I enrolled in a summer vocal(唱歌) institute at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in New Jersey, US. There I truly experienced the kindness and warmth of people all over the world ______ their skin color, language or nationality.

As a ______ who knew little about the place, I worried and was extremely cautious about everything. I didn’t dare to talk with anyone. ______, with the help of others I got over my embarrassment. I remembered that when I first ______ the classroom, the students gave me a warm welcome. I began to ______.

Later, they even held a party for me, which also showed their _____. They talked about various topics ______China, such as the Great Wall, kungfu, the giant panda and Chinese cuisine. I was surprised to find that they had great ______ about Chinese culture. The more we ______, the more relaxed and confident I became. I felt at home with the ______ topics.

Maybe it was the great atmosphere or the fact that I wanted them to know more about China that ______ me to sing Chinese songs for them. With their applause, I realized that it was a ______ beginning of my time in a foreign country.

Apart from their warmth, their ______ music impressed me a lot: Whenever you went to the studio, you would find someone playing a musical instrument or singing. It was like entering a world of music. Music was a(n)______ theme for them. They loved it and ______ every chance to play it. In such a purely musical ______ , my own attachment to music became even ______. I played music more often and exchanged ideas with everyone who was interested in. I fell completely in love with music.

Time flew. ______ I knew it, the visit was over. But it was an extraordinary experience. It taught me to be more open-minded and more ______ about my culture. In the future, I will explore and embrace this world bravely as well as enjoy the further study in music.

1.

A．provide

B．get

C．broaden

D．enhance

2.

A．in need of

B．by means of

C．in terms of

D．regardless of

3.

A．reader

B．newcomer

C．loser

D．traveler

4.

A．However

B．Besides

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

5.

A．left

B．saw

C．entered

D．found

6.

A．laugh

B．relax

C．cry

D．complain

7.

A．tiredness

B．happiness

C．loneliness

D．kindness

8.

A．related to

B．addicted to

C．opposed to

D．given to

9.

A．curiosity

B．bravery

C．indifference

D．anxiety

10.

A．learned

B．talked

C．collected

D．answered

11.

A．serious

B．famous

C．significant

D．familiar

12.

A．asked

B．forced

C．inspired

D．extended

13.

A．forgetful

B．wonderful

C．powerful

D．useful

14.

A．performance of

B．passion for

C．talent in

D．contribution to

15.

A．long-lasting

B．ordinary

C．original

D．experimental

16.

A．sent

B．treasured

C．praised

D．threw

17.

A．environment

B．holiday

C．game

D．journey

18.

A．faster

B．cleverer

C．stronger

D．louder

19.

A．Unless

B．If

C．Before

D．Since

20.

A．particular

B．careful

C．anxious

D．confident

10 . Decades ago, I traveled alone for the first time in my life. The trip to Colorado was not for business or family reasons, but just to travel and ________.

As I prepared for it, I felt excited and ________ at the same time. Would it be fun? Would I be bored? Would I stay in bed all day or would I jump with excitement to do the next thing? I wasn’t ________. Little did I know that it was going to be so ________ a journey of self-discovery.

As a good wife and mom, for me, travel is always about the ________: Always thinking of who would ________ what. Because it’s about family time. But when travel ________, who would I connect with? What would I do? Well, I found that I got to do anything I ________!

While traveling, I met locals and also other ________. Honestly, I had conversations ________—on planes, while hiking, in restaurants.

It was quite a(n) ________ experience to meet a mom of 18 kids and hundreds of adopted kids, a cookie baker, and an internationally ranked marathon runner. The inspiring stories I discovered were ________ and nothing was like my wonderful and ________ life at home. I got to go rock climbing by myself, go hiking solo, and eat ________. And it was all ________, going smoothly. Actually, I felt surprisingly ________.

It was just me, my SUV and my backpack for a week. ________, it was a breath of fresh air that I didn’t ________ existed. It’s wonderful to be back home and know that possibilities are ________ and there is so much more out there to ________ and discover!

1.

A．exchange

B．succeed

C．research

D．discover

2.

A．tired

B．nervous

C．proud

D．lucky

3.

A．sure

B．ready

C．confused

D．worried

4.

A．disappointing

B．ordinary

C．memorable

D．difficult

5.

A．fun

B．family

C．scenery

D．rest

6.

A．enjoy

B．miss

C．see

D．arrange

7.

A．helplessly

B．shortly

C．independently

D．confidently

8.

A．remembered

B．wanted

C．doubted

D．promised

9.

A．travelers

B．wives

C．moms

D．drivers

10.

A．regularly

B．carefully

C．everywhere

D．elsewhere

11.

A．challenging

B．depressing

C．eye-opening

D．strange

12.

A．common

B．classic

C．annoying

D．incredible

13.

A．dull

B．safe

C．healthy

D．exciting

14.

A．all alone

B．in group

C．far away

D．very well

15.

A．wrong

B．uncertain

C．special

D．fine

16.

A．lonely

B．messy

C．empty

D．normal

17.

A．Or rather

B．At last

C．Above all

D．In addition

18.

A．wish

B．admit

C．prove

D．know

19.

A．endless

B．enough

C．far

D．necessary

20.

A．imagine

B．explore

C．improve

D．learn