1 . Sometime in the early 1960s, a significant thing happened in Sydney, Australia. The city discovered its harbor. Then, one after another, Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there — broad parks, superb beaches, and a culturally diverse population. But it is the harbor that makes the city.

Andrew Reynolds, a cheerful fellow in his early 30s, pilots Sydney ferryboats for a living. I spent the whole morning shuttling back and forth across the harbor. After our third run Andrew shut down the engine, and we went our separate ways — he for a lunch break, I to explore the city.

“I’ll miss these old boats,” he said as we parted.

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“Oh, they’re replacing them with catamarans. Catamarans are faster, but they’re not so elegant, and they’re not fun to pilot. But that’s progress, I guess.”

Everywhere in Sydney these days, change and progress are the watchwords (口号), and traditions are increasingly rare. Shirley Fitzgerald, the city’s official historian, told me that in its rush to modernity in the 1970s, Sydney swept aside much of its past, including many of its finest buildings. “Sydney is confused about itself,” she said. “We can’t seem to make up our minds whether we want a modern city or a traditional one. It’s a conflict that we aren’t getting any better at resolving (解决).”

On the other hand, being young and old at the same time has its attractions. I considered this when I met a thoughtful young businessman named Anthony. “Many people say that we lack culture in this country,” he told me. “What people forget is that the Italians, when they came to Australia, brought 2000 years of their culture, the Greeks some 3000 years, and the Chinese more still. We’ve got a foundation built on ancient cultures but with a drive and dynamism of a young country. It’s a pretty hard combination to beat.”

He is right, but I can’t help wishing they would keep those old ferries.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．Sydney’s striking architecture.	B．The cultural diversity of Sydney.
C．The key to Sydney’s development.	D．Sydney’s tourist attractions in the 1960s.

2. What can we learn about Andrew Reynolds?

A．He goes to work by boat.	B．He looks forward to a new life.
C．He pilots catamarans well.	D．He is attached to the old ferries.

3. What does Shirley Fitzgerald think of Sydney?

A．It is losing its traditions.	B．It should speed up its progress.
C．It should expand its population.	D．It is becoming more international.

4. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

A．A city can be young and old at the same time.

B．A city built on ancient cultures is more dynamic.

C．Modernity is usually achieved at the cost of elegance.

D．Compromise should be made between the local and the foreign.

3 . Since our twins began learning to walk, my wife and I have kept telling them that our sliding glass door is just a window. The _______ is obvious. If we _______ it is a door, they’ll want to go outside _______. It will drive us crazy. The kids apparently know the _______. But our insisting it’s _______ a window has kept them from _______ millions of requests to open the door.

I hate lying to the kids. One day they’ll _______ and discover that everything they’ve always known about windows is a _______.

I wonder if _______ should always tell the truth no matter the ____________. I have a very strong     ____________ that the lie we’re telling is doing ____________ damage to our children. Windows and doors have ____________ metaphorical(比喻) meanings. I’m telling them they can’t open what they absolutely know is a door. What if later in ____________ they come to a metaphorical door, like an opportunity(机会) of some sort, and ____________ opening the door and taking the opportunity, they just ____________ it and wonder, ＂What if it isn’t a door?＂ That is, ＂What if it isn’t a ____________ opportunity?＂

Maybe it’s an unreasonable fear. But the ____________ is that I shouldn’t lie to my kids. I should just ____________ repeatedly having to say, ＂No. We can’t go outside now.＂ Then when they come to other doors in life, whether they are real or metopherical, they won’t ____________ to open them and walk through.

1.

A．relief

B．target

C．reason

D．case

2.

A．admit

B．believe

C．mean

D．realize

3.

A．gradually

B．constantly

C．temporarily

D．casually

4.

A．result

B．danger

C．method

D．truth

5.

A．merely

B．slightly

C．hardly

D．partly

6.

A．reviewing

B．approving

C．receiving

D．attempting

7.

A．win out

B．give up

C．wake up

D．stand out

8.

A．dream

B．lie

C．fantasy

D．fact

9.

A．parents

B．twins

C．colleagues

D．teachers

10.

A．restrictions

B．explanations

C．differences

D．consequences

11.

A．demand

B．fear

C．desire

D．doubt

12.

A．physical

B．biological

C．spiritual

D．behavioral

13.

A．traditional

B．important

C．double

D．original

14.

A．life

B．time

C．reply

D．history

15.

A．by comparison with

B．in addition to

C．regardless of

D．instead of

16.

A．get hold of

B．stare at

C．knock on

D．make use of

17.

A．real

B．typical

C．similar

D．limited

18.

A．safety rule

B．comfort zone

C．bottom line

D．top secret

19.

A．delay

B．regret

C．enjoy

D．accept

20.

A．hurry

B．decide

C．hesitate

D．intend

4 . I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.

My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.

As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.

I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .

Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.

As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.

1. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?

A．Cooperative.

B．Uneasy.

C．Inseparable.

D．Casual.

2. What does the underlined phrase “an added meaning” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Pleasure from working in the library.

B．Joy of reading passed on in the family.

C．Wonderment from acting out the stories.

D．A closer bond developed with the readers.

3. What does the author call on other writers to do?

A．Sponsor book fairs.	B．Write for social media.
C．Support libraries.	D．Purchase her novels.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Reading: A Source of Knowledge

B．My Idea about writing

C．Library: A Haven for the Young

D．My Love of the Library

5 . As a businesswoman, I care deeply about my customers. But like anyone for whom you feel affection, _______ can also drive you mad. They’ll come rushing in, _______their handbag’s been stolen. They’ll _______ that they left it in the changing room, create havoe (混乱) and then _______ it had been in their car all the time. They’ll have out half the _______ in the shop, and want the only style you don’t have left in a _______ colour. I do know how upset the shop staff can get, but I try to persuade them to keep _______.

I remember the first really _______ customer we had at Covent Garden. She was _______ absolutely everything, nothing was right and I was rather ________ that she became a “regular”. After a while, she ________ for the way she behaved at the beginning. She had split up with her husband the week before, was living in a flat ________, and since she’d found it too much to cope with (应对), she’d taken it out on ________ people.

That taught me a valuable ________ and I pass it on to the people who ________ in the market. Don’t take it ________. If a customer is rude or difficult, just think “Maybe she’s had a row with her husband. Maybe her child’s not ________.” Always water it down and don’t let your ego (自我) get ________. If you do, you won’t be able to ________ it and the whole thing develops into an unpleasant scene and that ________ everyone’s day.

1.

A．shopkeepers

B．customers

C．salespersons

D．receptionists

2.

A．saying

B．pretending

C．guessing

D．replying

3.

A．agree

B．promise

C．imagine

D．swear

4.

A．forget

B．decide

C．discover

D．assume

5.

A．foods

B．catalogues

C．belongings

D．goods

6.

A．particular

B．different

C．matching

D．natural

7.

A．fighting

B．smiling

C．waiting

D．changing

8.

A．generous

B．polite

C．careless

D．difficult

9.

A．curious about

B．displeased with

C．patient with

D．uncertain about

10.

A．relaxed

B．delighted

C．surprised

D．embarrassed

11.

A．searched

B．argued

C．prayed

D．apologized

12.

A．by chance

B．by herself

C．on purpose

D．on duty

13.

A．rude

B．such

C．other

D．lonely

14.

A．lesson

B．trick

C．skill

D．trade

15.

A．work

B．shop

C．meet

D．quarrel

16.

A．kindly

B．secretly

C．personally

D．casually

17.

A．ready

B．away

C．up

D．well

18.

A．out of sight

B．in the way

C．behind the scene

D．above the law

19.

A．stress

B．expect

C．handle

D．blame

20.

A．ruins

B．makes

C．starts

D．saves

6 . Last year I decided to do some volunteer work. I began to________on the Internet and discovered Volunteer USA. Three months later I________myself on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona. I was________at the thought of living with loads of new people for three months. However, within fifteen minutes of________, my worries had gone. Everyone was so________and like-minded that it was very________to feel at home.

I was sent to the Coronado National Forest for my first 8-day________. We had to________everything we needed and walk three miles to where we worked. It may not seem like a________way but in 35℃ heat and with a heavy pack, my legs were on fire.

My job was to________a stairway out of rock. This________climbing up and down the side of a mountain inhabited (栖息) by mountain lions, although I should say they were only heard,never________.

Three days later, a beautiful stairway came into being. The________of knowing that my________will be on that mountainside for years to come is massive.

But on the last night we were________in a thunderstorm. I woke up at midnight to find a swimming pool in my tent. The temperature was close to________. I had to spend the rest of the night trembling in the only________part of my tent.

________, I suffered a lot. But I know whatever I have to face in my life I was there and I________. I think I am much________for having taken part in the project.

1.

A．calculate

B．negotiate

C．advertise

D．research

2.

A．imagined

B．introduced

C．enjoyed

D．found

3.

A．annoyed

B．surprised

C．scared

D．excited

4.

A．arriving

B．sleeping

C．thinking

D．walking

5.

A．confident

B．friendly

C．energetic

D．curious

6.

A．funny

B．good

C．lucky

D．easy

7.

A．tour

B．project

C．campaign

D．course

8.

A．drop

B．make

C．carry

D．buy

9.

A．nice

B．safe

C．long

D．quick

10.

A．build

B．test

C．clean

D．guard

11.

A．helped

B．ended

C．allowed

D．meant

12.

A．hunted

B．trained

C．seen

D．fed

13.

A．satisfaction

B．ambition

C．expectation

D．intention

14.

A．work

B．memory

C．record

D．story

15.

A．left

B．caught

C．attacked

D．separated

16.

A．boiling

B．average

C．normal

D．freezing

17.

A．tidy

B．dry

C．new

D．soft

18.

A．By the way

B．Regardless of that

C．Needless to say

D．In either case

19.

A．survived

B．resisted

C．escaped

D．recovered

20.

A．smarter

B．stronger

C．happier

D．busier

7 . About five weeks ago, I noticed the skin of our pet lizard was growing dusty. It worried me. I reported the strange surface on the skin of the lizard to my husband and children the next morning. Seconds later, our lizard emerged from its tank with its old skin flowing behind it.

I didn't think about it much until a morning last week when I knocked my favorite teapot off the table. It burst into hundreds of pieces. As I swept up the mess, I wondered why we had been breaking so many things over the months.

The destruction started three months ago. It was my husband's birthday. He had just lost his job. The uncertainty was starting to wear on us, so I wanted to do something special.

“Let's make a cake for Dad!” I cried.

My kids screamed with joy. We baked, iced and sprinkled for most of the day. Candles on the cake! Balloons on the walls! Flowers on the table!

Two hours before my husband came back home from another job interview, my daughter climbed up to grab a glass vase from a high shelf. It fell and crashed beside the cake. Tiny pieces of glass were everywhere. She sobbed loudly as I threw the cake away. My husband had banana pudding for his birthday.

Three days ago, the light in our living room suddenly went out. After several frustrating hours of unsuccessful attempts to fix it, my husband suggested watching the Michael Jordan documentary series The Last Dance.

The poignancy of Jordan retiring from his beloved basketball to play baseball and what had pushed him to make such a tough decision took me by surprise. As I watched him take off his basketball uniform and replace it with a baseball uniform, I saw him leaving behind the layer that no longer served him, just as our lizard had. Neither of them chose the moment that had transformed them. But they had to live with who they were after everything was different. Just like us. I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind.

Humans do not shed skin as easily as other animals. The beginning of change is upsetting. The process is tiring. Damage changes us before we are ready. I see our lizard, raw and nearly new.

Jordan said that no matter how it ends, it starts with hope. With our tender, hopeful skin, that is where we begin.

1. What can we learn about the pet lizard from Paragraph 1?

A．Its tank grew dirty.	B．Its old skin came off.
C．It got a skin disease.	D．It went missing.

2. Why did the author's husband have banana pudding for his birthday?

A．The birthday cake was ruined.	B．The author made good puddings.
C．Pudding was his favorite dessert.	D．They couldn't afford a birthday cake.

3. Why does the author mention The Last Dance in the passage?

A．To prove a theory.	B．To define a concept.
C．To develop the theme.	D．To provide the background.

4. The underlined part "leaving behind the layer" in Paragraph 8 can be understood as        .

A．letting go of the past	B．looking for a new job
C．getting rid of a bad habit	D．giving up an opportunity

5. What does the author most likely want to tell us?

A．Love of family helps us survive great hardships.	B．It's not the end of the world if we break things.
C．We should move on no matter what happens.	D．Past experiences should be treasured.

9 . Being good at something and having a passion for it are not enough. Success _______ fundamentally on our view of ourselves and of the _________ in our lives.

When twelve-year-old John Wilson walked into his chemistry class on a rainy day in 1931, he had no _______ of knowing that his life was to change _________. The class experiment that day was to _________ how heating a container of water would bring air bubbling (冒泡) to the surface. _________, the container the teacher gave Wilson to heat _________ held something more volatile (易挥发的) than water. When Wilson heated it, the container _______, leaving Wilson blinded in both eyes.

When Wilson returned home from hospital two months later, his parents _________ to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had ____________ their lives. But Wilson did not regard the accident as ____________. He learned braille (盲文) quickly and continued his education at Worcester College for the Blind. There, he not only did well as a student but also became a(n)____________ public speaker.

Later, he worked in Africa, where many people suffered from ____________ for lack of proper treatment. For him, it was one thing to __________ his own fate of being blind and quite another to allow something to continue __________ it could be fixed so easily. This moved him to action. And tens of millions in Africa and Asia can see because of the ____________ Wilson made to preventing the ____________.

Wilson received several international ____________ for his great contributions. He lost his sight but found a __________. He proved that it’s not what happens to us that ____________ our lives-it’s what we make of what happens.

1.

A．depends

B．holds

C．keeps

D．reflects

2.

A．dilemmas

B．accidents

C．events

D．steps

3.

A．way

B．hope

C．plan

D．measure

4.

A．continually

B．gradually

C．gracefully

D．completely

5.

A．direct

B．show

C．advocate

D．declare

6.

A．Anyway

B．Moreover

C．Somehow

D．Thus

7.

A．mistakenly

B．casually

C．amazingly

D．clumsily

8.

A．erupted

B．exploded

C．emptied

D．exposed

9.

A．deserved

B．attempted

C．cared

D．agreed

10.

A．submitted to

B．catered for

C．impressed on

D．happened to

11.

A．fantastic

B．extraordinary

C．impressive

D．catastrophic

12.

A．accomplished

B．crucial

C．specific

D．innocent

13.

A．deafness

B．depression

C．blindness

D．speechlessness

14.

A．decide

B．abandon

C．control

D．accept

15.

A．until

B．when

C．unless

D．before

16.

A．opposition

B．adjustments

C．commitment

D．limitations

17.

A．preventable

B．potential

C．spreadable

D．influential

18.

A．scholarships

B．rewards

C．awards

D．bonuses

19.

A．fortune

B．recipe

C．dream

D．vision

20.

A．distinguishes

B．determines

C．claims

D．limits