1 . Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they express regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp comers of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid (避免) those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. it’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say, “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality (可能发生的事). And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance (保障) for my emotional well-being.
1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?| A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated. |
| B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working. |
| C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better. |
| D．Move an object out of the way before it trips (绊倒) someone. |
| A．To keep her appointment with the eye doctor. |
| B．To meet her father who was already an old man. |
| C．To join in the holiday celebration of the company. |
| D．To finish her work before the deadline approached. |
| A．given up. | B．Lacked. | C．Avoided. | D．Wasted. |
| A．The Emotional Well-being | B．The Two Saddest Words |
| C．The Most Useful Rule | D．The Peace of Mind |
2 . My name is Alice. Early last year, I was troubled by an anxiety that crippled ( 削弱 ) my ability to do anything. I felt like a storm cloud hung over me. For almost a year I struggled on, constantly staring at this wall that faced me. My perfectionist tendencies were the main root of this: I wanted to be perfect at whatever I did, which obviously in life is not possible, but it consumed me.
One day, I attended a presentation by wildlife conservationist Grant Brown at my high school. His presentation not only awed and inspired me, but also helped emerge an inner desire to make a difference in the world. I joined a pre-presentation dinner with him and that smaller setting allowed me to slowly build up my courage to speak one-on-one with him—an idea that had seemed completely impossible. This first contact was where my story began.
A month later, Brown invited me to attend the World Youth Wildlife Conference. Looking back, I now see that this would be the first in a series of timely opportunities that my old self would have let pass, but that this new and more confident Alice enthusiastically seized. Shortly after I received his invitation, applications to join the Youth for Nature and the Youth for Planet groups were sent around through my high school. I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature. Each of these new steps continued to grow my confidence.
I am writing this just six months since my journey began and I’ve realised that my biggest obstacle ( 障碍 ) this whole time was myself. It was that voice in the back of my head telling me that one phrase that has stopped so many people from reaching their potential: I can’t. They say good things come to those who wait; I say: grab every opportunity with everything you have and be impatient. After all, nature does not require our patience, but our action.
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Patience is a cure of anxiety. |
| C．Action is worry’s worst enemy. | D．Everything comes to those who wait. |
3 . I was lucky enough to test into the best high school in the city. But then came my
I knew I had to work to ground myself. My earliest strategy involved keeping quiet and trying to
Fortunately, my first round of grades turned out to be
I loved any subject that involved writing and labored through math. I had classmates who were always a step or two ahead of me, whose achievements seemed effortless, but I tried not to let that get to me. I was beginning to understand that if I put in extra hours of studying, I could often
| A．excitement | B．satisfaction | C．anger | D．worry |
| A．freed | B．dogged | C．warmed | D．guided |
| A．observe | B．admire | C．support | D．calm |
| A．Or | B．So | C．But | D．For |
| A．guess | B．doubt | C．interest | D．risk |
| A．excellent | B．average | C．different | D．unique |
| A．responsibility | B．friendship | C．confidence | D．teamwork |
| A．suddenly | B．frequently | C．accidentally | D．slowly |
| A．close | B．notice | C．locate | D．create |
| A．expecting | B．trying | C．wondering | D．suffering |
4 . My name is Stella Young. I grew up in a very small country town in Victoria. I had a very normal, low-key kind of upbringing. I went to school; I hung out with my friends; I fought with my younger sisters. It was all very normal. And when I was 15, a member of my local community approached my parents and wanted to submit my name for a community achievement award. My parents said, “Hmm, that’s really nice, but there’s kind of one obvious problem with that. She hasn’t actually achieved anything.” And they were right. You know I went to school, I got good marks, and I had a very low-key after-school job in my mum’s hairdressing salon.
Years later, I was on my second teaching round in a Melbourne high school, and I was about 20 minutes into a year-11 Legal Studies class when a boy put up his hand and said, “Hey Miss, when are you going to start your speech?”
And I said, “What speech?”
And he said, “You know, like, your motivational speaking. You know, when people in wheelchairs come to school, they usually say, like, inspirational stuff. It’s usually in the big hall.”
And that was the moment I realized that this kid had only ever experienced disabled people as objects of inspiration.
For lots of us, disabled people are not our teachers or our doctors. We’re not real people. We are there to inspire. Yeah, we’ve been sold the lie that disability is a bad thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional.
It’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t make you exceptional. And in the past few years, we’ve been able to spread this lie even further through social media.
Life as a disabled person is actually somewhat difficult. We do overcome some things. But they have nothing to do with our bodies. I use the term “disabled people” purposely, because I subscribe to what’s called the social model of disability. This model tells us that we are more disabled by the society that we live in than by our bodies and our diagnoses（诊断）.
I want to live in a world where we don’t have such low expectations of disabled people that we are congratulated for getting out of bed and remembering our own names in the morning. I want to live in a world where we value disabled people’s real achievement. And I want to live in a world where a year-11 kid in a Melbourne high school is not one bit surprised that his new teacher is a wheelchair user.
1. What can we learn from Stella Young in the first paragraph?| A．She couldn’t get along well with her friends and sisters. |
| B．She played a key role at her mum’s hairdressing salon. |
| C．She received an award for a great achievement. |
| D．She lived an ordinary life in a country town. |
| A．The boy didn’t have much life experience. |
| B．People have fixed ideas about the disabled. |
| C．The disabled can’t find decent jobs because they are incapable. |
| D．Stella Young felt uncomfortable because of the boy’s impoliteness. |
| A．social media offends the public by spreading lies about the disabled |
| B．the disabled are less likely to be successful in their careers |
| C．society’s attitude makes disabled people’s life difficult |
| D．people’s expectations of the disabled are too high |
| A．On the journey to becoming exceptional | B．The secret behind my disability |
| C．Show sympathy to the disabled | D．I’m not your inspiration |
5 . As one of the most common students. I pulled myself through every day hoping to stay invisible(隐形的)，yet somehow I wondered why it was impossible for anyone else to
Then one day, a simple
That day, Mr. Curtis, our band director, played a B-flat pitch and asked us to tune(调音) our instrument one by one. As he listened，his serious face and impatient steps showed his
My turn was coming soon, and I was fearful. I had to play all by myself while others sat and listened! I felt
“Maya! It’s your turn. Play!”
“It was only a note.” I closed my eyes, and took my turn. I played my single note quietly, and with all the feelings I had felt that year. I poured my heart into that one moment of music, and the sound echoed softly through the room. I was right on pitch, but I didn’t
He looked at me as if for the first time; his serious face relaxed into a relieved smile. “That is what I have been
Nobody could imagine my
One ray of light came into the shadow of my school life, and a seed started to sprout(发芽). Thanks to Mr. Curtis， I found a place to
| A．see | B．know | C．save | D．ask |
| A．request | B．explanation | C．comment | D．guidance |
| A．dissatisfaction | B．sympathy | C．embarrassment | D．confusion |
| A．tried | B．replied | C．escaped | D．left |
| A．frozen | B．puzzled | C．disappointed | D．ashamed |
| A．receive | B．change | C．disturb | D．expect |
| A．paying for | B．waiting for | C．preparing for | D．applying for |
| A．curiosity | B．anxiety | C．excitement | D．calmness |
| A．purpose | B．potential | C．responsibility | D．challenge |
| A．share | B．hide | C．rest | D．grow |
6 . Up until I was eight years old. I was an only child in my family and life was sweet. Then along came Grant, my little brother, and everything changed.
As Grant got older, he
However,
I wondered if the transition happened because he became less annoying and more of a buddy or because I became more
Today, Grant and I are a team. I know that we will always be close, if not in age or distance, then in the
| A．developed | B．changed | C．maintained | D．broke |
| A．reliable | B．annoying | C．unique | D．disappointing |
| A．angel | B．guide | C．shadow | D．enemy |
| A．besides | B．despite | C．beyond | D．for |
| A．considerate | B．critical | C．envious | D．respectful |
| A．missed | B．suggested | C．stopped | D．enjoyed |
| A．hesitated | B．happened | C．pretended | D．volunteered |
| A．creative | B．ambitious | C．independent | D．patient |
| A．innovation | B．combination | C．limitation | D．expectation |
| A．hope | B．courage | C．love | D．pride |
7 . Many people would be unhappy to see young children sitting next to them on a flight, but a man called Todd took it as an opportunity to give a hand to a helpless mom. Jessica spoke about what Todd had done to make her travels with her children much easier.
She was in a panic when she boarded the plane. Her 4-month-old Alexander was screaming due to a series of unexpected events. Her 3-year-old Caroline, who had been excited before boarding the plane, lost her courage and began screaming too. As Jessica tried to calm them down and help them get settled in, the man sitting next to them stopped in to help.
He reached for the baby and held him while Jessica fastened Caroline’s seatbelt, got her iPad and started her movie. Once Caroline was settled and relatively calm, he also played games with her so that Jessica could feed Alexander. The kids were calm, but he didn't stop there. Throughout the flight, he engaged 3-year-old Caroline’s best friend.
Much to Jessica’s joy, the man was taking the same connecting flight, too. He helped them get off the plane and led them to the next gate, holding Caroline’s hand. As if that wasn't enough, he changed his seat on the next flight so he could sit in their row to help them. He told Jessica his wife had had a similar experience when their two boys were young and that a stranger had done the same thing, which moved him to spread the kindness.
The heartwarming story serves as a reminder to show kindness toward panic parents with young babies. Children don’t yet know how to handle their feelings, so they cry and scream when they are confused or uncomfortable in a new place. By offering a helping hand, we could not only help an overwhelmed parent but also make a child feel a little more comfortable.
1. Jessica got panicked while boarding the plane because ________.| A．she couldn’t find her passport |
| B．she was followed by a stranger |
| C．her children lost control of their emotions |
| D．her children were fighting with each other |
| A．Starting her movie. | B．Feeding her snacks. |
| C．Fastening her seatbelt. | D．Playing games with her. |
| A．Parents are always treated kindly at the airport. |
| B．People should help parents with young children. |
| C．Children cry in order to attract people’s attention. |
| D．Children refuse to learn to manage their emotions. |
| A．honest and funny | B．brave and energetic |
| C．selfless and determined | D．patient and considerate |
8 . During my second year in high school, I got sick and missed a few days. When I
The next day at school, I got a rude awakening: I’d totally forgotten to prepare for the
As it turned out, I didn’t know the majority of the questions. I was just about to give
Finally, I decided to finish the test on my own, without
The next day when I walked into the English room, my great joy of having been an
You can only imagine my
My mom says the victories that
| A．arrived | B．appeared | C．returned | D．finished |
| A．If | B．Although | C．Until | D．Because |
| A．lecture | B．essay | C．play | D．test |
| A．by | B．upon | C．over | D．toward |
| A．missed | B．carried | C．lost | D．dropped |
| A．depend | B．guess | C．agree | D．improve |
| A．in | B．off | C．out | D．away |
| A．wrote | B．settled | C．calmed | D．looked |
| A．boredom | B．worries | C．loneliness | D．tiredness |
| A．persuaded | B．warned | C．whispered | D．chanted |
| A．coldest | B．saddest | C．longest | D．fastest |
| A．suffering | B．cheating | C．checking | D．thinking |
| A．certain | B．regretful | C．annoyed | D．relieved |
| A．open | B．honest | C．optimistic | D．energetic |
| A．wisdom | B．encouragement | C．nerve | D．intention |
| A．anxiety | B．shock | C．fear | D．appreciation |
| A．paper | B．credit | C．grade | D．rate |
| A．take | B．put | C．find | D．gain |
| A．gradually | B．exactly | C．willingly | D．seemingly |
| A．film | B．fact | C．ending | D．love |
9 . In the corner of my desk is a note, slowly yellowing from time. It is a
In it, she praises my abilities as a writer. Each sentence is full of
Every time I read it, I am
Although our eldest daughter
The same was
I’ve noticed that other
What I
The
This is not to say that children don’t need or won’t respond to their parents’
When those expectations are
It’s not
“No more buts!” is a call for
And if I ever forget, I have my mother’s note to remind me.
1.| A．book | B．card | C．diary | D．suggestion |
| A．enrich | B．prepare | C．change | D．ruin |
| A．love | B．doubt | C．interest | D．humor |
| A．besides | B．finally | C．anyway | D．however |
| A．reminded | B．forced | C．attracted | D．requested |
| A．seldom | B．never | C．usually | D．possibly |
| A．forgot | B．talked | C．remembered | D．understood |
| A．Also | B．Therefore | C．Sometimes | D．Instead |
| A．proud | B．upset | C．hopeful | D．surprised |
| A．tired | B．certain | C．true | D．short |
| A．look into | B．clean up | C．put up with | D．make use of |
| A．students | B．children | C．teachers | D．parents |
| A．heard | B．expected | C．learned | D．differed |
| A．After all | B．For example | C．In short | D．In turn |
| A．fact | B．purpose | C．chance | D．challenge |
| A．bad | B．good | C．hard | D．curious |
| A．decisions | B．questions | C．instructions | D．expectations |
| A．interesting | B．low | C．positive | D．high |
| A．enough | B．necessary | C．normal | D．difficult |
| A．help | B．joy | C．attention | D．respect |
10 . Travelling Abroad
Many tourists go and see parks, museums and castle when they visit a new place. There are many things I like about travelling, but waiting in line to buy museum tickets and then having your visit ruined by noisy tour groups is not one of them. The things that make places special are all around the famous buildings, not inside them.
My recent trip to India is a good example of this. By far the most interesting part of it was getting to know people-bicycle-taxi drivers, policemen riding elephants and children trying to earn some money by cleaning shoes. Meeting various people was all so amazing that I didn't need to do any "proper" sightseeing.
I also have fantastic memories of Florence. It was a boiling hot day and people lined up for at least a kilometer long outside the museum. Instead of joining it, I sat in a shady square, ate a delicious pizza and listened to a man singing opera songs to only a few listeners. If I had waited in line, I would have missed this experience.
One of the best things about travelling is creating memories to bring back. When I got back home from a holiday in Malaysia,I made some of the dishes I'd tasted in the food market. Maybe my results weren't as good as the real thing, but they reminded me of the places and the people I'd met-far better than anything from a gift shop.
1. On his trip to India, the author enjoyed ______.| A．riding on an elephant | B．playing with children |
| C．visiting famous buildings | D．meeting different people |
| A．went to a food market | B．talked with local people |
| C．experienced local life | D．lined up for museum tickets |
| A．it brought back memories | B．it was easy to prepare |
| C．he wanted to sell the food | D．he was going to Malaysia |
| A．How to prepare for a trip. | B．What to take when travelling. |
| C．Where to buy gifts in a foreign city. | D．What to look for when travelling. |
