1 . I have a degree in business. But it was my father’s ________ for me to seek a business major. He thought that having a business major would ________ me more available choices and make me more competitive in entering a global labor market. I ________ his advice. However, even though my college experiences were ________, I had no interest in any ________ of commerce, let alone having a long-term career as a businesswoman.

After I graduated, I worked as a marketing planner at a computer company. My ________ and working environment were great; yet I ________ didn’t feel happy doing something that held little appeal for me. After two months of working there, I made up my mind to ________ and decided to do what I love, namely (也就是) ________ history. I have now been doing this job for over twenty years. I am fond of being with my students.

If you are in a ________ where you don’t love what you are learning or doing, please ask yourself what you are really ________ about, and what you truly want for your life. Don’t ________ to get yourself a quick answer. Take some time to think about what career could bring ________ to you.

I like this motto “Success is not the key to happiness.________, happiness is the key to success.” Happiness ________ the inside of you, not from the outside. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

1.

A．ambition

B．commitment

C．decision

D．response

2.

A．guarantee

B．save

C．leave

D．pass

3.

A．ignored

B．valued

C．took

D．opposed

4.

A．fantastic

B．awkward

C．painful

D．plain

5.

A．paper

B．field

C．college

D．job

6.

A．future

B．dream

C．scholarship

D．pay

7.

A．only

B．also

C．still

D．even

8.

A．quit

B．continue

C．consider

D．wait

9.

A．promoting

B．teaching

C．writing

D．studying

10.

A．firm

B．game

C．story

D．place

11.

A．anxious

B．optimistic

C．enthusiastic

D．nervous

12.

A．rush

B．hesitate

C．intend

D．stop

13.

A．love

B．joy

C．confidence

D．knowledge

14.

A．As a result

B．On the whole

C．In a word

D．On the contrary

15.

A．applies to

B．arises from

C．differs from

D．spreads to

2 . Students and Technology in the Classroom

I love my blackberry (黑莓手机) — it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer, as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices (设备) and truly communicate with others.

On one occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule-no laptops, IPads, phones, etc. When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.

Most students think that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students think that I am anti-technology. There’s no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.

The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration (专心) and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course material and the class discussion.

I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.

I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a rally good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.

1. Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with ______.

A．the course material	B．others’ misuse of technology
C．discussion topics	D．the author’s class rules

2. The underlined word “engage” in para.4 probably means ______.

A．explore

B．accept

C．change

D．refuse

3. According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may ______.

A．keep students from doing independent thinking

B．encourage students to have deep conversations

C．help students to better understand difficult themes

D．affect students’ concentration on the teacher’s ideas

4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ______.

A．is quite stubborn in teaching	B．will give up teaching history
C．will change his teaching plan soon	D．values technology-free dialogues in his class

4 . Years ago I began to learn to drive in a driving training center which was a few miles away from where I lived. I had to take a bus to get to the center and the _______ had to be in small change for there was no _______ on it.

One day I was in a hurry before I _______ to the bus stop. When I stepped on the bus, I began to _______ my pockets to find some change at the fee collector. I _______ everywhere but it seemed that there was none , and I began to feel _______. At the same time, the bus door was already closed and it was _______.

I _______ to the driver, saying I would get off at the next stop _______ I should get to the training center. Just at this time, a ________ lady beside me told the driver that she would pay for me. But before I started to express my ________ , the driver said, "In that case, just let it go. If you meet someone who ________ to bring bus fee with them, just pay for it and pay it forward ."

The time has long gone because I have my own ________for travelling. But I sometimes prefer to ride a bus to ________ if there is anyone who needs any small change. And I hold the belief that a small ________ action can make a difference to our life.

1.

A．charge

B．fee

C．cost

D．order

2.

A．manager

B．driver

C．cashier

D．conductor

3.

A．got

B．rode

C．drove

D．turned

4.

A．pick

B．feel

C．watch

D．repair

5.

A．explored

B．examined

C．searched

D．collected

6.

A．confused

B．annoyed

C．frightened

D．embarrassed

7.

A．moving

B．arriving

C．passing

D．stopping

8.

A．complained

B．apologized

C．shouted

D．introduced

9.

A．until

B．because

C．though

D．unless

10.

A．strange

B．strict

C．curious

D．nervous

11.

A．gratitude

B．regret

C．anxiety

D．generosity

12.

A．expects

B．forgets

C．decides

D．happens

13.

A．house

B．car

C．bus

D．company

14.

A．see

B．wonder

C．prove

D．doubt

15.

A．rude

B．brave

C．polite

D．kind

5 . Recently I invited a homeless man to have lunch so that he could eat as much as he wanted to fill his stomach. I _______ him over the phone by accident when I was supposed to call Father Benno’s, a soup kitchen. He muttered in a weak voice, “I am starving, sir!” before I said sorry and hung up. Something _______ me stirred to invite him to lunch.

_______ he did not have a car, I offered to pick him up. We had a(an) _______ four—hour lunch. I learned a lot about his struggles but more importantly, I left lunch feeling more _______ for a roof over my head, warm shower, comfortable bed, and food on the table, all of which we may not _______ twice about. He, too, _______ the connection, his lunch, and a rest from spending his afternoon on the streets.

I learned long ago that one person alone cannot _______ the homeless problem in California or the U. S. ; however, each person can make an effort to humanize the homeless in their own way. Did you know that 40% of the U. S. population lives paycheck to paycheck? Should _______ emergencies occur, any one of those 40% can __________ homeless on the streets.

For this holiday season, perhaps you may want to try something __________ . Buy a meal for the person asking for money instead of giving him spare __________ . If you can make the time and find courage, __________ them to share a meal with you. Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on anybody unless you are __________ them out,” and Rumi reminds us, “When we practice __________ and compassion, we are making the world a better place.”

1.

A．paid

B．cheated

C．met

D．scared

2.

A．besides

B．within

C．behind

D．outside

3.

A．If

B．When

C．Though

D．Since

4.

A．wonderful

B．terrible

C．endless

D．different

5.

A．grateful

B．excited

C．curious

D．ashamed

6.

A．talk

B．argue

C．care

D．think

7.

A．ignored

B．expected

C．enjoyed

D．needed

8.

A．control

B．avoid

C．have

D．solve

9.

A．national

B．electrical

C．fire

D．financial

10.

A．come up

B．end up

C．run out

D．turn out

11.

A．surprising

B．hard

C．new

D．interesting

12.

A．time

B．change

C．room

D．food

13.

A．invite

B．direct

C．call

D．allow

14.

A．filling

B．pulling

C．waking

D．helping

15.

A．kindness

B．difficulty

C．weakness

D．limitation

6 . “I just don’t know what my mission in life is!” a friend told me. Her word _______ an old memory in me.

As a young dad, I was _______ just to get by. I was getting a few days’ work as a _______ teacher. Then near the end of the school year I got worried about the summer to _______ and the lack of work it would bring. The class had a bad _______ of summer break fever too. Students were _______ their seats, talking in class and not paying attention to anything I said. _______, it was time for a break and I was as happy as they were to get outside the hot classroom. I watched them run and play and _______ it would wear them out so the afternoon wouldn’t be as _______ as the morning had been on me. It was then, however, that a little girl ran up to me. She had a handful of freshly ________ wild flowers. She reached a daisy out to me and said, “This is for you, Mr. Mazzella.” In that second I felt a(n) ________ I hadn’t felt all day. I smiled and thanked her for her gift as she ________ happily away.

You see, in that ________ that little girl had completed a moment of her mission here on Earth. Every single thing we ________ is a part of our mission. It is a lifelong ________ too, so stop worrying about your mission.

1.

A．broke

B．implied

C．got

D．awakened

2.

A．moving

B．praying

C．struggling

D．working

3.

A．substitute

B．practice

C．senior

D．family

4.

A．relieve

B．come

C．focus

D．end

5.

A．case

B．mistake

C．memory

D．way

6.

A．packing up

B．bouncing off

C．sitting on

D．putting back

7.

A．Guiltily

B．Actually

C．Casually

D．Finally

8.

A．knew

B．decided

C．hoped

D．guaranteed

9.

A．tough

B．fixed

C．dependent

D．easy

10.

A．bought

B．picked

C．decorated

D．delivered

11.

A．urge

B．need

C．interest

D．joy

12.

A．slipped

B．passed

C．skipped

D．turned

13.

A．regard

B．spot

C．silence

D．instant

14.

A．explore

B．need

C．do

D．learn

15.

A．process

B．devotion

C．respect

D．love

7 . Recently I invited a homeless man to have lunch so that he could eat as much as he wanted to fill his stomach. I _______ him over the phone by accident when I was supposed to call Father Benno’s, a soup kitchen. He muttered in a weak voice, “I am starving, sir!” before I said sorry and hung up. Something _______ me stirred to invite him to lunch.

_______ he did not have a car, I offered to pick him up. We had a(an) _______ four-hour lunch. I learned a lot about his struggles but more importantly, I let lunch feeling a greater _______ for a roof over my head, warm shower, comfortable bed, and food on the table, all of which we may not _______ twice about. He, too, _______ the connection, his lunch, and a rest from spending his afternoon on the streets.

I learned long ago that one person alone cannot _______ the homeless epidemic(流行病)in California or the US: however, each person can make an effort to humanize the homeless in their own way. Did you know that 40% of the US population lives paycheck to paycheck? Should _______ emergencies occur, any one of those 40% can ________ homeless on the streets.

For this holiday season, perhaps you may want to try something ________ . Buy a meal for the person asking for money instead of giving him spare ________ . If you can make the time and find courage, ________ them to share a meal with you. Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on anybody unless you are ________ them out,” and Rumi reminds us, “When we practice ________ and love, we are making the world a better place.”

1.

A．paid

B．cheated

C．met

D．scared

2.

A．besides

B．within

C．behind

D．outside

3.

A．If

B．When

C．Though

D．Since

4.

A．wonderful

B．terrible

C．endless

D．different

5.

A．gratitude

B．sympathy

C．curiosity

D．preference

6.

A．talk

B．argue

C．care

D．think

7.

A．ignored

B．expected

C．enjoyed

D．needed

8.

A．control

B．avoid

C．have

D．tackle

9.

A．national

B．electrical

C．fire

D．financial

10.

A．come up

B．end up

C．run out

D．turn out

11.

A．surprising

B．hard

C．new

D．interesting

12.

A．time

B．change

C．room

D．food

13.

A．invite

B．direct

C．call

D．allow

14.

A．filing

B．pulling

C．waking

D．helping

15.

A．sympathy

B．passion

C．confidence

D．courage

10 . As summer approaches, many kids and teenagers may find that they have more time in hand. One great way to make use of the extra time is to go on an adventure and travel. Clearly, I am not a naturally adventurous person, but I have found that taking the risk and challenging myself to explore and travel to unfamiliar places can be a very rewarding experience.

Because I am usually quite busy during the school year, most of my travels take place during the summer. Over the past few summers, I have hiked in the Grand Canyon, explored Niagara Falls, and camped out in upstate New York. Although these experiences are varied, they are similar in that they instill (灌输) a sense of appreciation for nature and a more balanced view on life. When I hiked in the Grand Canyon, for example, I was in awe(敬畏) of the geological influences that shaped the canyon.

Adventures, of course, are not limited to hiking. There are many other choices, such as camping, volunteering in a foreign environment and travelling to different countries. In my opinion, adventures are more enjoyable with family or a few friends. There is a sense of bonding that one only gets through spending time together in outdoor adventures. For example, when I was in Boy Scouts, I often went on weekend camping trips with my friends. When I came back from a Boy Scouts camping trip, I often was eager to go outside more and explore the parks and nature around me.

Next fall, I will attend college. In the meantime though, I hope to make the most of my summer to explore and travel. Now, I am planning on hiking and camping out in Maine.

When I visited Maine last fall, I was amazed by how beautiful it was and the tall trees and coasts that exist, and I really hope to enjoy the beauty of nature there this summer.

1. We can learn from the first paragraph about the author?

A．He is an adventurous person by nature

B．He likes challenging himself by travelling

C．He enjoys travelling with other adventurers

D．He needs others’ help when going on an adventure

2. Which of the following can make people’s adventure more enjoyable according to the author？

A．Going to different countries.	B．Going to unfamiliar places.
C．Travelling with their family or friends.	D．Travelling to distant places by themselves.

3. What will the author do this summer？

A．Explore Niagara Falls.	B．Hike in the Grand Canyons.
C．Camp out in upstate New York.	D．Hike and camp out in Maine.

4. Who is probably the author?

A．A high school student.	B．A college student.
C．A friendly guide.	D．A warm-hearted teacher.