3 . The best way I can think of to describe this situation: We finally have time to stop and smell the dandelions (蒲公英).

Technically dandelions are weeds, so they don’t often ____ in any kind of decorations. When I pass dandelions in my lawn, my reaction typically is not to ____ them at all, or think we really need to get rid of the weeds. But for the past couple of days, my kids have been ____ by these little yellow weeds. They have filled my pockets with them, and we have even smelled them. We can be bothered by the weed and ____ by the weeding. But we are still giving it our time and looking at it for a glimmer of (一丝) good.

While before we may have been too ____ to smell the dandelion, now, with the spread of COVID-19, we are forced to stay at home and slow down and appreciate it. In fact, I’ve ____ a great deal about dandelions in the past several days. Like that they’re one of the first food sources for bees in the spring, and are ______ to eat, even nutritious. These little weeds are surprisingly useful, but I had ____ stopped to think about it before.

I’m longing for the days when we can ____ our friends and family again, and honestly even a handshake with a stranger sounds nice. I can’t wait for a time when we can go outside without ____ and send our health-care workers out into the world safely. Yet, right now we have the time to smell the weed. It’s a forced ____ to consider all the things we could or should have been doing all along ____ rushing off to the next big important thing.

As I dig a dandelion out of my pocket and let out a sneeze (喷嚏)，I realise this isn’t fun, but there are pockets of ____ . Dandelions don’t smell like roses, but they are ____ when you really look at them and important when you really think about them.

When this is all over, I hope I will still ____ to stop and smell the weeds.

1.

A．take off

B．run out

C．show up

D．come up

2.

A．replace

B．miss

C．hurt

D．notice

3.

A．confused

B．attracted

C．frightened

D．surprised

4.

A．excited

B．impressed

C．inspired

D．exhausted

5.

A．lazy

B．rushed

C．proud

D．focused

6.

A．learned

B．talked

C．proved

D．experienced

7.

A．dangerous

B．easy

C．possible

D．safe

8.

A．just

B．also

C．never

D．once

9.

A．help

B．thank

C．hug

D．accept

10.

A．fear

B．apology

C．reason

D．hope

11.

A．stop

B．decision

C．excuse

D．cancellation

12.

A．because of

B．except for

C．as for

D．instead of

13.

A．success

B．pleasure

C．honour

D．benefit

14.

A．fresh

B．ordinary

C．appealing

D．peaceful

15.

A．pretend

B．remember

C．afford

D．promise

4 . The way students spend their weekends can vary. Once you get to college, students see the weekend to forget about everything. Most of the time it is going out with friends, but when you decide to turn that down, you are looked at to be lame. What's up with this?

In college, going out can seem like the main thing that happens during the weekend. But not everyone is into that —some students study or stay in with friends, and others simply just don’t go out because it is not their type of thing. If you are one of those people who decides to stay in, you probably know the feeling of being the “lame friend”.

When students feel this way, they can also feel pressured into doing something that they originally did not want to do. Just because a person does not want to go out and party and drink does not mean that they are lame—they just have a different idea of a fun weekend.

I don’t think we should assume that everyone needs to go out during the weekend in order to have fun, and the social pressure to do so can feel broken. I will speak from my own experience: When the weekend comes around, I overthink and start to get a rush of anxiety. Why? Because I might be judged for not going out, or I might miss something if I don’t go to this specific party that everyone is going to. I’m sure there are others that feel the same way and have had similar experiences, and they don’t deserve to feel the way I do either.

We should keep in mind that individuals are going through their own personal situations, and everyone has their own reasons for not going out. Staying in and watching a movie by yourself or with friends is not a bad thing, and people should normalize that not going out on the weekends is really not the worst thing.

1. Why does the author raise a question in paragraph 1?

A．To doubt students’behaviour.	B．To correct schools’ management.
C．To blame friends’ rejection.	D．To deny others’ judgement.

2. What is the lame friend probably like according to the text?

A．The one without friends.	B．The one with serious anxiety.
C．The one with less outside activities.	D．The one with the deadly leg disability.

3. What does the author suggest students do in the text?

A．How to spend weekends is up to you.

B．Study should be put first in college.

C．Going to the party everyone is going to is a must.

D．What to do at weekends is well worth considering.

4. What can we conclude from the text?

A．A good friend is my nearest relation.	B．Be the chess player, not the chess piece.
C．A man cannot be judged by his appearance.	D．Interest is the seed, the action are the fruits.

5 . Occasionally, life can be impossibly difficult, and it can be hard to keep going. But you always have a choice.

In 2012, I got a call from my family saying that my father’s cancer had fiercely progressed. He died only six months later. My father was a complete inspiration to me. He was always so strong that I honestly thought he would come back to life. I couldn’t believe I would never again hug him.

Shortly after that, my oldest sister complained of a backache. The doctors discovered that she had highly advanced cancer in her bones and that there was nothing they could do. She died a month later. She was my favorite person in the whole world. I never thought I would have to live without her. I was overcome by the shock and extreme heartbreak. Then, something was wrong with my knees and I ended up in the hospital myself.

I remember lying in the hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling and seeing my sister’s beautiful face. I realized that night that I had a choice. I could end my life or I could live it. I looked in my sister’s eyes and decided not to go with her just yet. I decided to stay and complete my journey here. I also decided that I would live the life that I absolutely longed for.

I now live in an adorable cottage with an amazing boyfriend. I spend quality time with the rest of my precious family and cherish every moment I have with them. I connect with my heart often to ensure that I am following my joy. I love myself more deeply every day. Not a day goes by when I don’t miss my father’s huge character or my beloved sister’s gentle eyes, but I know that I will be with them one day. What I have now is so precious that I must grasp the joy in every moment I can.

You choose life every day. But do you choose the life that you love every day?

1. What did the author once suffer from?

A．A heart attack.	B．A backache.
C．A knee problem.	D．A bone cancer.

2. How should the joy in your life be determined according to the passage?

A．By your career.	B．By your attitude.
C．By your health.	D．By your family.

3. Which of the following can be used to describe the author?

A．Lonely but ambitious.	B．Miserable but easy-going.
C．Hopeless but humorous.	D．Unlucky but positive.

4. Which can be the best title of the passage?

A．Escape the Fate	B．Love Your Life
C．Make a Living	D．Remember Every Moment

6 . I usually start my day with a coffee from TODAY. Every morning a smiling young man stands at the cashier’s area, with his colorful and funny-looking ________. It seems that he works happily every day.

It was rainy last Monday. When I rushed to the store, I was wet all over, which made me ________. Just then, the young man greeted me with a big smile and ________ me, which drove away my depression (沮丧). What ________ me was that he always seems happy. At first I thought he was just pretending to smile, making the best of a ________ situation. ________, he couldn’t possibly enjoy working at a store, right?

Later I recognized from our conversation that I had ________ the most important part of his words originally: He does enjoy his job, and that is why he seems so happy. My life doesn’t always look ________ like what I want it to be. I spend weekends ________ alone in my living room when I’d rather work in a beachside office with my friends. I drive an old Toyota when I’d ________ something that doesn’t have cracked windows. But the world doesn’t make any ________ if I have more money, a different space, a better job, or a nicer car. The wrapping paper is different, but the gift inside is ________. The way I feel about myself, how often I choose to smile ________ because it feels good—neither of these things depends on my living situation as a writer. This guy shows me that you can be who you want to be, no matter ________ your situation looks like. Happiness is about how you treat the present situation, and how willing you are to enjoy simple ________, even if things aren’t perfect.

1.

A．skin

B．sheet

C．uniform

D．image

2.

A．upset

B．concerned

C．creative

D．scared

3.

A．kept an eye for

B．made fun of

C．fell in love with

D．chatted with

4.

A．alarmed

B．approached

C．confused

D．confirmed

5.

A．complex

B．embarrassing

C．favorable

D．tough

6.

A．At all

B．After all

C．Above all

D．In all

7.

A．left out

B．sorted out

C．made out

D．focused on

8.

A．gradually

B．particularly

C．exactly

D．obviously

9.

A．writing

B．studying

C．working

D．sleeping

10.

A．attract

B．prefer

C．preserve

D．reserve

11.

A．progress

B．change

C．proposal

D．contribution

12.

A．special

B．precious

C．effective

D．similar

13.

A．still

B．never

C．simply

D．hardly

14.

A．how

B．what

C．when

D．where

15.

A．pleasures

B．achievements

C．adventures

D．traditions

7 . It was June a few years ago right around the Summer Solstice(夏至). The first fireflies (萤火虫)had appeared, _________ on and off in the woods around my house. What a (n) _________ it was to see them again! How amazing was the natural life! Their small light made me smile, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful to _________.

As the daylight _________, I saw some children trying to _________ the fireflies in the dark .A girl went inside and came back with a clear glass bottle. After several _________ attempts, she went to run after another one _________. Anyway, she was very happy.

All the other children including me were very _________. We gathered around, desiring to watch the fireflies’ light inside the bottle. Soon the girl’s mom walked to us and told us it was time to set the fireflies _________. One of the children didn’t __________. But the girl’s mom __________ that the fireflies would die if left in the __________. Then she said something that still stays in my __________ to this day, “Let them go so they can share their __________ with the rest of the world!” Finally, we knew the meaning of life.

I __________ in our childhood, we used to sing the song, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!” But as adults we find it __________ to do so. We often forget to share.

Don’t __________ your “light”. Don’t keep it in a “bottle”. Share your “light”, no matter how __________ it may be. Let __________ light up your heart and then give it to the whole world. Let the “light” within you __________ the darkness away. Learn from the lightening fireflies. Be loving and willing to share!

1.

A．burning

B．showing

C．flashing

D．getting

2.

A．scare

B．joy

C．idea

D．honour

3.

A．nature

B．warmth

C．adults

D．children

4.

A．came up

B．got around

C．broke out

D．faded away

5.

A．touch

B．catch

C．desert

D．observe

6.

A．smooth

B．simple

C．unsuccessful

D．inactive

7.

A．initially

B．angrily

C．often

D．instead

8.

A．afraid

B．doubtful

C．curious

D．calm

9.

A．loose

B．close

C．alone

D．still

10.

A．wave

B．agree

C．stand

D．bend

11.

A．complained

B．joked

C．admitted

D．explained

12.

A．bottle

B．house

C．air

D．sky

13.

A．book

B．yard

C．mind

D．hand

14.

A．light

B．sound

C．power

D．energy

15.

A．supported

B．considered

C．regretted

D．remembered

16.

A．useless

B．hard

C．necessary

D．good

17.

A．pass

B．absorb

C．hide

D．share

18.

A．colorful

B．fast

C．long

D．weak

19.

A．love

B．attention

C．honesty

D．modesty

20.

A．take

B．drive

C．give

D．put

8 . I lost my sight when I was four. I can hardly_________the brightness of sunshine.

It_________to me that I might not have loved life so if I hadn’t been blind. I don’t mean I would prefer to go without eyes. I_________mean the loss of them made me more appreciate what I had.

Life asks a continuous series of_________to reality. The hardest lesson was to_________myself. When I say belief in myself, I am not only talking about the kind of self-confidence that helps me down an unfamiliar staircase alone. But I mean something_________than that: an assurance that I am,_________ imperfections, a real and positive person. It took me years to discover and_________this assurance.

Once a man gave me a baseball. I thought he was kidding me. I was_________and refused.

“Take it with you,” he__________me, “and roll it around.”

The words__________in my head. By rolling the ball, I could listen where it went. This inspired me to achieve a goal I had thought__________: playing baseball.

All my life, I have set different goals and tried to reach them. I had to learn my__________. It was no good trying for something wildly out of reach, because that only invited the bitterness of__________. I would fail sometimes but on the average I made__________

1.

A．describe

B．remember

C．assess

D．bear

2.

A．mattered

B．happened

C．occurred

D．brought

3.

A．barely

B．specially

C．simply

D．extremely

4.

A．adjustments

B．commitments

C．appointments

D．assignments

5.

A．apply to

B．rely on

C．believe in

D．disapprove of

6.

A．faster

B．bigger

C．easier

D．better

7.

A．in spite of

B．in addition to

C．out of

D．for the sake of

8.

A．change

B．strengthen

C．create

D．decrease

9.

A．thrilled

B．shocked

C．amused

D．hurt

10.

A．persuaded

B．urged

C．questioned

D．begged

11.

A．stuck

B．passed

C．followed

D．buried

12.

A．useless

B．fantastic

C．discouraging

D．impossible

13.

A．faults

B．scores

C．advantages

D．limitations

14.

A．failure

B．burden

C．ignorance

D．trouble

15.

A．profit

B．fame

C．progress

D．success

9 . As a college student in Boston. I formed the habit of buying used books. I enjoy the hunt, the good price and the unrecognized treasures. I find old textbooks, ex-bestsellers, and books on subjects I’ve never heard of and now must learn all about. I don’t search for rare books or first editions but books that are worth reading.

Rereading, for me, is a pleasure during retirement. The theater and the concert hall become less appealing to me, along with crowds. Staying alone and reading books have become extremely important to me. Different books offer me insights (见解) and ways of expressing that stuck in my mind as the sand in an oyster (牡蛎) now shine like pearls. My taste in books improves with age.

While packing for a move, which occurs at intervals (间隔) of five to seven years, I clear my shelves and pick my books. I abandon a few, later regret my decisions, and look for them again. Several years ago, I got rid of books related to my job-architecture (建筑设计). Some were design guides, reference books and things that went out of date. Some were historical or centered on a period or an architect. These had given me many hours of pleasure. Will I ever open their covers again? Certainly.

This time, I threw out rolls and rolls of paper, and old drawings of projects completed long ago, some of which had even been damaged. I stay in a cottage that suits my status and I’ve moved on in spirit. No doubt I will acquire more used books and throw away more books as passions grow and fade, like feathers changing with seasons.

1. What does the author consider most important when choosing used books?

A．Their attractive covers.	B．Their reasonable prices.
C．Their excellent contents.	D．Their collection value.

2. What does the author realize as he grows older?

A．He has a small circle of friends.	B．His attitude towards work changes.
C．His communication skills improve.	D．He has a deeper understanding of life and books.

3. Why does the author mention books on architecture?

A．To explain his love for architecture.

B．To suggest we avoid making poor decisions.

C．To recommend some more architecture books.

D．To show some books are worth reading repeatedly.

4. What can we learn about the author from the last paragraph?

A．He will stop throwing away used books.

B．He likes updating his collection of used books.

C．He is bad at using advanced drafting equipment.

D．He enjoys leading an active life in the countryside.