1 . Life is colorful. Sometimes it’s just like potato salad; when it’s shared, it became a picnic. With three young children to bring up, my husband John and I were very _________. “Can we go on a picnic, Mom?” my six-year-old daughter, Becky begged. “Please.” I had said no so many times in _________ months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores could _________. To her _________, I agreed.

I prepared a few sandwiches and _________ a cooler with ice and drinks and called John _________.

My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some _________ time together as a family.

About the time I got the lunch _________ out on the table, John arrived on the _________. That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was full of laughter. We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school responsibilities for so many months. John and the boys threw rocks into the lake, Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly at the picnic table,__________ God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.

That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks. It __________ me what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest __________ could become a picnic when it’s shared with the ones you love. Even though kids have now grown up and __________ from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.

Maybe today would be a good time to __________ potato salad, call all of my __________ kids, feed some hungry ducks and skipped a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let’s make it a picnic.

1.

A．occupied

B．old

C．patient

D．poor

2.

A．coming

B．late

C．following

D．recent

3.

A．wait

B．approach

C．relax

D．last

4.

A．disappointment

B．surprise

C．embarrassment

D．sadness

5.

A．supplied

B．provide

C．filled

D．compared

6.

A．at home

B．off work

C．on business

D．at work

7.

A．unhappy

B．quality

C．quantity

D．unfortunate

8.

A．spread

B．cooked

C．taken

D．made

9.

A．view

B．sight

C．scene

D．scenery

10.

A．trusting

B．praying

C．praising

D．thanking

11.

A．refreshed

B．hit

C．beat

D．questioned

12.

A．lifestyle

B．world

C．time

D．occupation

13.

A．moved away

B．left behind

C．left alone

D．ran away

14.

A．watch

B．appreciate

C．cook

D．plant

15.

A．handsome

B．grown

C．mature

D．young

2 . What if everyone in the world was exactly alike? The world would be extremely ______. I believe it’s important to ______ people for who they are. ______ are important and they should be respected. Many people throughout history, like Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, did great things, but were ______ strange, because they had strong feelings about something. I can ______ to these people, because I’ve been in that situation before.

It all started in elementary school when I ______ that I wasn’t like everyone else. I grew crazy about certain subjects. ______, these subjects didn’t interest other kids and my teachers. ______, my kindergarten teacher said she would scream at me if I ______ snakes or mice one more time, while she was teaching. I would get in trouble for not ______ attention on class, and other kids began to laugh at me.

I might be different, because I have different ______   than other teenagers, but that doesn’t give them the right to be so ______ to me. Some kids make fun of me for liking what I like the most. People also make fun of me for ______ facts about volcanoes, whales, and many other scientific things. My mom says that she has been able to learn many things by just listening to me, and I’ve even been ______for being smart. Sometimes I wish I were like everyone else, but not ______, because I believe people should be respected for being different, and we’re all different in our own ways.

1.

A．complex

B．harmonious

C．fantastic

D．boring

2.

A．trust

B．praise

C．accept

D．compare

3.

A．Abilities

B．Differences

C．Efforts

D．Similarities

4.

A．proved

B．declared

C．found

D．considered

5.

A．relate

B．return

C．apologize

D．respond

6.

A．imagined

B．realized

C．hoped

D．remembered

7.

A．Thankfully

B．Impossibly

C．Apparently

D．Unfortunately

8.

A．By accident

B．In return

C．In fact

D．At most

9.

A．mentioned

B．attacked

C．counted

D．threw

10.

A．attracting

B．focusing

C．escaping

D．controlling

11.

A．aims

B．futures

C．emotions

D．interests

12.

A．mean

B．sensitive

C．attentive

D．blind

13.

A．creating

B．forgetting

C．knowing

D．ignoring

14.

A．mistaken

B．evaluated

C．tested

D．tolerated

15.

A．clearly

B．eagerly

C．seriously

D．really

3 . My 7-year-old daughter always has her nose in a book. She even continued reading in the car on the long drive to summer camp, where she lost the book. This is the first lost _______book in my life. In my childhood, my family had always been expected to be _______, but we were poor, and I didn’t own books. I had to borrow books. My library books lived on a _______shelf while they were mine, and it _______me when I had to return them to the library on the due day.

However, my daughter has more books now than I owned during my whole childhood. So it’s probably my _______that she didn’t cherish the books. “Sorry. I can’t find it.” My daughter said with a shrug, “We just pay $ 20 for the book. What’s the big _______?” The missing library book just met with a cold _______from her, but it met with nail-biting _______from me. I walked into the library in a deep _______as if I had lost the book.

Feeling the need to make her feel responsible for the book, I asked her to do the chores. She agreed to clean up all the pets’ houses _______my paying the library book. I’d meant the chore to be _______!

Surprisingly, she was enjoying herself. I took a picture of her lovely back. So, was I winning or losing at _______? Did I teach her the _______of keeping a library book if the picture I took shows she is working _______?

To my _______, my little girl knew what matters in her life. She could devote herself to the chores as much as books.

1.

A．school

B．reference

C．story

D．library

2.

A．powerful

B．practical

C．academic

D．employed

3.

A．wasted

B．dusty

C．present

D．specific

4.

A．pained

B．accompanied

C．abandoned

D．lost

5.

A．work

B．reason

C．fault

D．duty

6.

A．worry

B．question

C．case

D．deal

7.

A．shoulder

B．power

C．refusal

D．excuse

8.

A．impression

B．effort

C．effect

D．concern

9.

A．respect

B．thought

C．shame

D．shock

10.

A．in need of

B．in trade for

C．in terms of

D．in favor of

11.

A．punishment

B．recovery

C．encouragement

D．promise

12.

A．studying

B．parenting

C．arguing

D．fighting

13.

A．benefit

B．method

C．commitment

D．demand

14.

A．seriously

B．unwillingly

C．professionally

D．constantly

15.

A．disappointment

B．relief

C．regret

D．sorrow

4 . A long time ago, there was an emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he liked, then the emperor would give him the area of land he would have covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much as possible.

Finally, the horseman was exhausted and dying. He asked himself, “Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I need only a very small area to bury myself.”

The story above is similar with the journey of our life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to get power. We don’t pay attention to our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauties and the hobbies we love. One day when we look back, we will realize that we don’t really need that much.

Life is not only about making money, getting power. Life is definitely not only about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauties and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of work and play. Happiness is also the meaning and the purpose of life.

So, take it easy! Do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile and short.

1. What did the emperor promise to the horseman?

A．He could ride his horse.

B．He could get much land.

C．He could ride as fast as he wanted.

D．He could get as much land as he had covered on the horse.

2. What did the horseman get at the end of the story?

A．He got what he wanted.	B．He got a lot of land area.
C．He got nothing.	D．He got a very small area.

3. The passage showed that_______ .

A．We should enjoy life.

B．We only should pay attention to the work.

C．We should not only work hard but also enjoy the life.

D．We should work hard to make much money and get much power.

4. Why should we live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy life?

A．Because work is necessary.

B．Because life is fragile and short.

C．Because we couldn’t get enough power.

D．Because we couldn’t get enough money.

5 . It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth (收费站). “I’m paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me”, she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, “Some lady up ahead already paid your fare.”

It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend’s refrigerator: “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.

Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. “I thought it was beautiful,” she said, explaining why she’d taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, like a message from above. Her husband, Frank liked the phrase so much that he put it upon the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn’t know where it came from of what it really meant. Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days. “Here’s the idea. Anne says.” Anything you think here would be more of, do it randomly. Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says,” Kindness can build on itself as much as violence can.

The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid. Who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act, let it be yours!

1. Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her?

A．She knew the car drivers well.	B．She wanted to show kindness.
C．She hoped to please others.	D．She had seven tickets.

2. Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she          .

A．thought it was beautifully written	B．wanted to know what it really meant
C．decided to write on warehouse wall	D．wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom

3. Which of the following statements is closest in the meaning to the underline sentence above?

A．Kindness and violence can change the world.

B．Kindness and violence can affect one’s behavior.

C．Kindness and violence can reproduce themselves.

D．Kindness and violence can shape one’s character.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．People should practice fandom kindness to those in need.

B．People should practice random kindness to strangers they meet.

C．People who receive kindness are likely to offer it to others.

D．People who receive kindness are likely to pay it back to the giver.

6 . Doctors are known to be terrible pilots. They don’t listen because they already know it all. I was lucky: I became a pilot in 1970, almost ten years before I graduated from medical school. I didn’t realize then, but becoming a pilot makes me a better surgeon. I loved flying. As I flew bigger, faster planes, and in worse weather, I learned about crew resource management (机组资源管理), or CRM, a new idea to make flying safer. It means that crew members should listen and speak up for a good result, regardless of positions.

I first read about CRM in 1980. Not long after that, an attending (主治的) doctor and I were flying in bad weather. The controller had us turn too late to get our landing ready. The attending doctor was flying; I was safety pilot. He was so busy because of the bad turn, he had forgotten to put the landing gear (起落架) down. He was a better pilot —and my boss — so it felt unusual to speak up. But I had to: our lives were in danger. I put aside my uneasiness and said, “We need to put the landing gear down now!” That was my first real lesson in the power of CRM, and I’ve used it in operating room ever since.

CRM requires that the pilot/surgeon encourage others to speak up. It further requires that when opinions are from the opposite, the doctor doesn’t overreact, which might prevent fellow doctor from voicing opinions again. So when I’m in the operating room, I ask for ideas and help from others. Sometimes they’re not willing to speak up. But I hope that if I continue to encourage them, someday someone will keep me from “landing gear up”.

1. The author deepened his understanding of the power of CRM when ________.

A．he saved the plane by speaking up	B．he was in charge of a flying task
C．his boss landed the plane too late	D．his boss operated on a patient

2. In the last paragraph “landing gear up” probably means ________.

A．following flying requirements	B．overreacting to different opinions
C．listening to what fellow doctors say	D．making a mistake that may cost lives

3. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．CRM: A New Way to Make Flying Safe	B．Flying Makes Me a Better Doctor
C．The Making of a Good Pilot	D．A Pilot — Turned Doctor

7 . Trying new things is the only way we can discover hidden talents. I ___________ my career as an editor for a magazine. I didn’t really mind the work, but I wanted something more _________. Then I was offered a management   ___________ of a digital reading company. The job was a seemingly ___________ mix of my skills and interests, so I jumped at it.

However, soon after I joined the company, its model changed to focus on K-12 education, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to take on the ___________ different roles of selling contents to teachers and training people. I felt more than a little outside my comfort zone.

I knew I wanted to grow as a (n) ___________ and make a serious effect on the company. I told myself that everything feels ___________ at first and I should at least try. In a way, I felt like I didn’t have a (n) ___________. I knew jumping out of the ___________ was the right thing for me, even though it felt pretty awful.

I was fortunate to be __________ by very helpful people, both at work and at home. They kept __________ me. I spent hours researching my company’s ____________. I asked lots of questions and spoke to many people in need. I looked for opportunities to put in extra ____________. The more I did, the better I felt.

Over time, I discovered that the job was something I could do and liked doing. It was an amazing ____________ to see the company grow and know that my efforts contributed to its success and that it’s important to take risks and accept new opportunities, ____________ , there’s nothing worse than failing because you refuse to even try.

1.

A．started out

B．moved up

C．turned down

D．focused on

2.

A．steady

B．comfortable

C．flexible

D．challenging

3.

A．account

B．suggestion

C．position

D．course

4.

A．loose

B．perfect

C．mild

D．complex

5.

A．slightly

B．relatively

C．completely

D．strangely

6.

A．individual

B．consumer

C．student

D．adult

7.

A．silly

B．tough

C．fresh

D．easy

8.

A．choice

B．idea

C．dream

D．reason

9.

A．control

B．touch

C．nest

D．method

10.

A．informed

B．surrounded

C．followed

D．impressed

11.

A．convincing

B．reminding

C．accessing

D．encouraging

12.

A．staff

B．income

C．products

D．conditions

13.

A．effort

B．money

C．offer

D．care

14.

A．profit

B．reward

C．platform

D．behavior

15.

A．Surprisingly

B．Additionally

C．Instantly

D．Actually

9 . When I was a young man, I had a big ego (自负) and very little empathy (同理心). I thought I knew everything. I looked forward to fame and success. I can even remember proudly telling one of my friends in college: “If only everyone listened to me, they would all be happy.” I finally left school, ready to take on the world. Little did I know the world was about to take on me.

In the years following college, instead of success, I found struggles. I had trouble finding work. The jobs I did work at were either temporary or back-breaking and none of them paid well. When my wife and I had children, we were shocked to learn that not one but both of our sons had autis (自闭症) and would need to be taken care of for the rest of their lives. I had no idea why this had happened to us and I was very angry with the world.

In time, however, I began to change. My formerly massive ego was shrinking fast and my empathy was beginning to grow. Instead of finding joy in success, I found it in moments of love. Playing and laughing with my sons brought me so much happiness. My boys taught me more about peace, patience, kindness, joy, and unconditional love than I could have ever learned on my own. I began to share the lessons I learned through my writing and my life.

I finally realized that my purpose in this world had nothing to do with fame or success but everything to do with allowing love and light into my life and sharing it with everyone I could.

1. What was the author like when he was young?

A．He was popular.

B．He was a top student.

C．He was overconfident about his abilities.

D．He was warm-hearted to others.

2. After graduating from school, the author ______.

A．found a tiring but well-paid job

B．wanted to live a challenging life

C．didn’t want to have children early

D．suffered many difficulties in life

3. What made the writer change greatly?

A．The time with his family.

B．The books he wrote.

C．The difficulties in his work.

D．The improvement in his life.

4. What does the author intend to tell us with his story?

A．Life can be very hard for some people.

B．Parents need to be patient with their kids.

C．It’s important to learn how to be a father.

D．The purpose of life is to share love.

10 . My son was entering Grade 1. He was a bit nervous because he knew his best friend would not be in his new class. I explained to him that even though his best friend would not be in his class, he would still have some of his old classmates. On the first day of school when the class list was posted, I was shocked! My son had zero former classmates in his class. None. Not one.

How could this happen?

I asked my friend who works with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. She explained, “Many largely populated schools often shuffle(弄混) the kids around each year to encourage new friendships.”

If schools are actively trying to place two best friends in different classes simply to shake things up, think it is a blunder.

I was lucky enough to attend the same primary school all the way through. It was a small class and our group of students moved through each grade together, We felt like brothers and sisters. It was wonderful.

While it may be good to shake things up a bit in the older grades, it seems almost cruel(残忍的) to separate good friends in the younger grades without good cause. One mom named Karen says that her son is always starting a new grade without any close friends. At first, she thought it was a good idea. Then she realized one thing — her son does not have a “best friend,” which makes her pretty worried. In fact, she thinks that he does not have any close friends because his classmates are always changing.

Part of a school’s responsibility is to provide a safe and comfortable space for children to learn and grow. If that environment is always changing — causing terrible results — perhaps it is time to rethink this practice.

1. How did the author bring in the topic?

A．By telling a story.	B．By using other people's words.
C．By making comparisons	D．By showing research findings.

2. What does the underlined word “blunder” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Cheat.

B．Strategy.

C．Mistake.

D．Failure.

3. Why did the author mention her own primary school experience?

A．To prove that smaller classes are better.

B．To discuss the importance of good friends.

C．To explain how friendships are developed at school.

D．To show the advantage of having familiar classmates.

4. What's Karen’s attitude toward the practice of her son's school?

A．She supports it.	B．She is against it.
C．She isn't interested in it.	D．She is uncertain about it.