1 . David was the type of guy who always decided everything that he was supposed to do. One day, something ______ happened to David.

After his 30th birthday, David went to see his ______ for a physical check-up.

A few days later, David ______ the phone call from his doctor. The doctor said. “We have found a cancerous tumor (肿瘤) in the back of your ______. Fortunately, it’s not too big, if we get it out as soon as possible, we don’t think there will be any further complications. However, it is a very dangerous procedure.” With ______ and fear in his voice, David says, “What kind of risks?” “Well, the tumor is very close to your brain stem, so if we make a wrong move, you could experience long-term brain ______, which would impair (损害) many different things, like the way you speak, the way you think, your ______. You may even forget the people who you love in your life.” ______ began falling down David’s face. “Do you want me to book it?” the doctor said. “I guess so,” David said.

It was now time for the surgery. David ______ there on the white medical bed in the operating room, waiting to be put to sleep… Fortunately, the surgery was a ______. He is now physically healthy.

This is how most people live their whole lives. They pick a career that they don’t really like. They ______ a partner that their friends or their family will tell them is a good one. They will choose a value ______ that social media or society tells them is a virtuous (道德高尚的) one.

Most people will be infected with the False Self ______ until the day they die. The only cure for this disease is that you have to ______ listening to other people who tell you how you should live your life. And then, once you do that, you have to become self-aware in order to ______ what type of life you want to live.

1.

A．complex

B．ideal

C．pleasant

D．awful

2.

A．doctor

B．nurse

C．teacher

D．professor

3.

A．recalled

B．received

C．exposed

D．expected

4.

A．stomach

B．hand

C．foot

D．brain

5.

A．shock

B．crisis

C．fantasy

D．shortage

6.

A．adaptation

B．motivation

C．consumption

D．damage

7.

A．memory

B．imagination

C．vision

D．reflection

8.

A．Liquid

B．Water

C．Tears

D．Juice

9.

A．went

B．stood

C．returned

D．lay

10.

A．panic

B．success

C．failure

D．congratulation

11.

A．agreed

B．designed

C．choose

D．analyze

12.

A．principle

B．procedure

C．system

D．structure

13.

A．Disease

B．Problem

C．Cure

D．Patience

14.

A．keep

B．enjoy

C．stop

D．consider

15.

A．make inferences

B．figure out

C．insist on

D．bring about

2 . Once upon a time, a doting (溺爱的) mother asked Albert Einstein what she should read to her son to help him grow up as brilliant and intelligent as the famous scientist.

“Fairy tales,” he said, wisely nodding his head.

Why? Why would Albert Einstein — the Nobel Prizes Winning physicist recommend reading fairy tales? Was he joking? All the evidence suggested he was deadly serious. He also said, “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

Childhood is one of the factors that blur (使变模糊) the distinctions between the self and other objects. Thus fantasy stories appeal to children and appear to make sense to them.

There are several commonly accepted genres (类型) of fantasy, “Animal Fantasy” which centers around the lives of lovable talking animals and “Modern Fantasy” which focuses on adventures in other worlds and magical events. I am inclined to add a third genre “Human and Animal Fantasy”, which mixes human and animal characters. Another genre of fantasy may be “High Fantasy” which features heroes who combat evil and save the world from destruction.

Fantasy feeds a child’s imagination and encourages creativity. The enjoyment that the genre engenders (产生) promotes reading and enhances literacy. Moreover, the fantasy genre may be used for teaching purposes. For example: A story about cruelty to animals would limit appeal to a child; however, a fantasy celebration of closeness between the children and their pets may give an element of excitement as the children are able to save animals from someone with cruel intentions.

Children love the Harry Potter series, and if they only see the movies they will miss a great opportunity to develop their reading skills by spending time with the lovable young wizards and witches (巫婆) of the Hogwarts community.

1. Albert Einstein recommended reading fairy tales because .

A．he was just joking with the mother

B．he contributed his gift of fantasy to reading fairy tales

C．he got some scientific ideas from fairy tales

D．the gift of fantasy equals to the talent for abstract, positive thinking

2. A student who likes reading about heroes will probably read “ ”.

A．Animal Fantasy	B．Modern Fantasy
C．Human and Animal Fantasy	D．High Fantasy

3. Children are advised to read the Harry Potter series because .

A．they are better than the films

B．they can help improve children’s reading ability

C．the films are not true to the original stories

D．children can’t learn much from the films

4. Which of the following best gives the main idea of the sixth paragraph?

A．Fantasy can be educational to children.

B．Fantasy can bring great joy to children.

C．Children should not read stories about animals.

D．Fantasy can teach children to be kind to animals.

3 . Before it was proven that the earth was round, it was a well-known “fact” that it was ______ . This “fact” was so ______ accepted that no one dared test it, because they thought if they did sail out beyond the horizon they would fall off the edge. ______, because they believed it couldn’t be done, it wasn’t done.

That is, until Columbus ______ common knowledge and asked “what if?”, this question literally expanded the ______ of his country, changed history, and altered the ______ reality forever.

In spite of our ______ to think of reality as the undoubted ______ of our experience, the definition of reality changes every time someone ______ the boundary conditions of traditional wisdom. When our view of reality changes, our ______ changes with it, based on ______ is newly considered possible. When Columbus returned from the New World, a revised world map was ______ and this began a new era of exploration and adventure.

Examples of the impossible being made possible can be found throughout history. When Chuck Yeager flew the X-1, he destroyed the myth that there was such a thing as a sound barrier. His training and talent, ______ with the new technology of the day, not only enabled him to go ______ the speed of sound, but strengthened the fact that even so-called technological barriers can be ______ as well.

1.

A．rough

B．smooth

C．hard

D．flat

2.

A．generously

B．entirely

C．widely

D．brilliantly

3.

A．In other words

B．In addition

C．On the whole

D．For instance

4.

A．proved

B．questioned

C．declared

D．demonstrated

5.

A．size

B．capacity

C．foundation

D．boundary

6.

A．obtained

B．accepted

C．adjusted

D．justified

7.

A．attitude

B．strategy

C．tendency

D．insight

8.

A．proof

B．basis

C．origin

D．confirmation

9.

A．pushes

B．pulls

C．prints

D．presses

10.

A．behavior

B．theory

C．experience

D．achievement

11.

A．that

B．which

C．what

D．it

12.

A．let down

B．put down

C．set up

D．drawn up

13.

A．concerned

B．combined

C．covered

D．loaded

14.

A．beyond

B．through

C．over

D．down

15.

A．admitted

B．assured

C．overcome

D．ignored

4 . My phone was an extension of myself. I couldn’t go anywhere _________ it. I scrolled through my friends’ _________ into late night and turned my phone on before my eyes were fully open. I enjoyed having it until that day when I realized that what had started as a useful tool had turned into a(n) _________. So, I made a _________ decision to turn off that smartphone and _________ my old dumb phone out of hiding.

When I was watching TV shows or movies and there was a boring part, I _________ picking up the phone and checking out “what everyone else was doing.” Now I had to pay attention or find a way to _________ myself with my thoughts instead. When I visited New York City, I had to write out _________ and ask people where an intersection (十字路口) was _________ pulling out my phone.

I have welcomed silence into my life with open arms and am enjoying the increased __________ from not constantly having to fight with the __________ to check my phone while I’m trying to get something done. I am allowing my thoughts to speak to me instead of my phone. I am connecting with others in a __________ way that isn’t all about me. Instead of always posting about what’s going on in my __________ perfect life, I am connecting with my friends one-on-one, talking about the reality of our lives and being there for them from a place of __________.

As much as having a smartphone was __________, not having one is freeing on a much bigger level.

1.

A．through

B．without

C．despite

D．upon

2.

A．updates

B．instructions

C．assessments

D．decisions

3.

A．symbol

B．responsibility

C．reality

D．addiction

4.

A．conscious

B．shameful

C．foolish

D．random

5.

A．sell

B．pull

C．throw

D．mind

6.

A．avoided

B．denied

C．missed

D．allowed

7.

A．assist

B．improve

C．associate

D．occupy

8.

A．requests

B．thoughts

C．directions

D．comments

9.

A．instead of

B．regardless of

C．but for

D．apart from

10.

A．creativity

B．productivity

C．knowledge

D．independence

11.

A．routine

B．necessity

C．loneliness

D．temptation

12.

A．genuine

B．grateful

C．direct

D．desperate

13.

A．naturally

B．certainly

C．seemingly

D．gradually

14.

A．wonder

B．imagination

C．interest

D．authenticity

15.

A．depressive

B．comfortable

C．stressful

D．boring

5 . I’m in middle school, and not that good at reading. I am a little behind and hate the books we are made to read. But I want to get better at reading. I don’t like being the weakest reader in the class. I want to change. I know I need help when it comes to reading. I’m hopeful that I can overcome (克服) my weakness if I try to find some ways and work hard.

So I go to the library every weekend. Last Saturday I went straight to the Young Adult section to search. There were hundreds of books to choose from. Finally, I saw a cover that was shiny, and it reflected (反射) the light and caught my eye. I saw that it was blue — I liked blue. So I picked it up and read the back. It sounded interesting, although it was the second book in the series, I got it. I read that book in two days, and found it was so attractive, so I read the whole series in a week.

By judging (判断) a book by its cover, I was not only able to pick up a book that became one of my favourites, but I also didn’t have to pick up hundreds of books that I may not like. If I never judged a book by its cover, I might have never found that book in the first place.

This advice is suitable for other things in life as well, especially when it comes to people. It’s not always exact, but by judging a person by their appearance — the way they dress, talk, and act — you can quickly see if you want to read their general condition by having a conversation with them. If you enjoy them like you enjoy a good book, then you can keep them in your inner circle — the people that you care about and who care about you.

1. Why does the writer visit the library?

A．He is the weakest reader.

B．He begins to like books.

C．He needs to borrow a book.

D．He hopes to improve his reading skills.

2. Which can best describe the writer in the text?

A．Caring and helpful.

B．Positive and hard-working.

C．Adventurous and unique.

D．Outgoing and admirable.

3. What part of the book attracted the writer at first?

A．The back.	B．The pictures.
C．The cover.	D．The introduction.

4. What does the writer probably agree with?

A．What pains us trains us.

B．Judging a book by its cover.

C．Actions speak louder than words.

D．Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

6 . My family has a new toy. At every gathering, a Mata Quest 2 virtual reality headset is now carefully unpacked and passed around. The metaverse (元宇宙) that the headsets access sounds like an appealing place. Create your own form, move between worlds and beyond the limitations of reality — what could be better? Yet the headsets are still massive and the apps cartoonist. Even the game my family loves best shows that perfect interaction with the real world and realistic pictures are still years away. After an hour, not even my nephews want to play anymore.

Yet this observation runs counter to the steady drumbeat of warnings that have emerged about virtual life over the past year. When Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen spoke out against her employer, addiction to the metaverse was one of the things she claims to be most worried about. Immersive environments would encourage users to disconnect from reality altogether, she said.

You can see why product managers like Haugen might worry. Many of us lost the battle against limiting our Internet use long ago. Tech addiction has tricked our brains into habits that ensure our overconsumption of tech products. For instance, our addiction to checking and rechecking our messaging apps. Or looking out for email notifications (通知). On this point, I agree. I’m guilty of both. I turned my own screentime reminders off months ago. Simply knowing how much time I was spending on my phone didn’t seem to be having any effect on my habits.

In lockdowns, spending hours at a time on the Internet became normalized. Yet this does not mean we are all on the edge of spending hours and hours in the metaverse. In the four years I have spent testing out virtual and augmented (强化的) headsets, I have yet to try one that feels comfortable. “Like tying a brick to your forehead,” as one friend put it. It is possible to buy upgraded head bands that attempt to redistribute the weight, but even so the sets still remain heavy.

1. How did the attitude of the author’s family change towards playing VR games?

A．From being absorbed to bored.

B．From being confused to confident.

C．From being curious to excited.

D．From being casual to interested.

2. In paragraph 2, what does the underlined phrase “run counter to” mean?

A．Confirm.

B．Challenge.

C．Repeat.

D．Ignore.

3. What does the underlined word “both” refer to?
① minimizing online use.
② checking messaging apps repeatedly.
③ being addicted to email notifications.
④ silencing the screen-time reminders.

A．①②

B．②③

C．③④

D．①④

4. What might stop people from spending too much time on the metaverse?

A．The addiction to virtual reality.

B．The anxiety caused by lockdowns.

C．The heaviness of virtual reality headsets.

D．The cost involved with buying tech products.

7 . Once there was a little bird that lived in the old times. When a sage (智者) was thrown into a ________ by his enemy, the little bird saw what happened and decided to put it out to ________ the sage. The little bird ________ bringing a few drops of water in his ________ mouth from the nearby river. The larger birds in the tree ________ and laughed at the little bird, saying, “Why are you carrying the ________?”

The little bird said, “To put out the fire around the sage.” The larger birds continued ________, “How could you put out such a huge fire with so little water? It is ________.”

Do you know what the little bird ________? “I don’t know whether I will manage to put out the fire or not but I know what I have ________ is to stop the fire.” Hearing the answer, all the larger birds were ________ .

We often think that our effort is the factor responsible for our ________ . This is a wrong way of ________. If we believe we can succeed, we shall succeed. Our ________ is just a sacrifice (牺牲) that we are willing to make. ________, the little bird knew that with a few drops of water the fire would not be put out but it was his ________ to do whatever he could to achieve this goal.

It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that is ________. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your ________ or may not be in your time, but that doesn’t ________you stop doing the right thing. You may never know ________ results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.

1.

A．room

B．fire

C．river

D．plane

2.

A．remind

B．stop

C．help

D．surprise

3.

A．started

B．allowed

C．suggested

D．imagined

4.

A．long

B．tiny

C．strong

D．beautiful

5.

A．refused

B．understood

C．heard

D．watched

6.

A．cup

B．present

C．water

D．fruit

7.

A．warning

B．laughing

C．teaching

D．complaining

8.

A．unnecessary

B．dangerous

C．useless

D．possible

9.

A．accepted

B．achieved

C．performed

D．replied

10.

A．done

B．finished

C．collected

D．proved

11.

A．afraid

B．silent

C．angry

D．nervous

12.

A．success

B．growth

C．study

D．career

13.

A．planning

B．working

C．explaining

D．thinking

14.

A．progress

B．fortune

C．effort

D．change

15.

A．Similarly

B．Strangely

C．Suddenly

D．Generally

16.

A．turn

B．responsibility

C．promise

D．fault

17.

A．actual

B．easy

C．exact

D．important

18.

A．secret

B．order

C．power

D．memory

19.

A．mean

B．protect

C．report

D．mention

20.

A．when

B．how

C．that

D．what

8 . Life is a journey filled with ups and downs. It’s important to understand that failure is simply a part of that _______, and it’s okay to fall along the way. From the _______ days of childhood to the moment we become _______, we will unavoidably encounter barriers and setbacks. But these moments of _______ offer us a valuable opportunity to learn about ourselves, to _______ our true abilities and recognize our limitations.

Let me share a _______ story with you, one that taught me the value of facing _______ head-on. When I was in school, I _______ with certain subjects and often received poor grades. I was so afraid of _______ my parents that I would sometimes falsify my grades, ________ an F to a B simply to avoid their disappointment.

But this dishonesty didn’t bring me any closer to success. In fact, it only made things worse when I was eventually ________. I realized then that the only way to truly succeed was to ________ my failures and learn from them. And something ________ happened: as I began to tackle my struggles and work harder to improve my grades, that F ________ turned into a B, and then an A.

So remember: failure is not a sign of weakness, but an opportunity for ________. Accept it, learn from it, and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

1.

A．journey

B．lesson

C．process

D．success

2.

A．busiest

B．earliest

C．darkest

D．hottest

3.

A．partners

B．masters

C．adults

D．clerks

4.

A．joy

B．crisis

C．truth

D．difficulty

5.

A．doubt

B．reduce

C．prove

D．discover

6.

A．sad

B．classic

C．personal

D．different

7.

A．death

B．failure

C．trouble

D．competition

8.

A．competed

B．continued

C．struggled

D．dealt

9.

A．convincing

B．cheating

C．disappointing

D．asking

10.

A．adding

B．comparing

C．preferring

D．changing

11.

A．determined

B．convinced

C．hurt

D．caught

12.

A．accept

B．cover

C．share

D．report

13.

A．amazing

B．horrible

C．new

D．special

14.

A．entirely

B．gradually

C．apparently

D．slightly

15.

A．understanding

B．growth

C．dialogue

D．recovery

9 . When I was younger, I faced one obstacle, the divorce (离婚) of my parents. I wanted to know why my mother left and no longer lived in my house, but I was not able to understand exactly what had happened. Puzzles became my escape as I knew that all puzzles have an answer; they had unknowingly become a large part of my childhood as they made sense to me unlike what was going on in my life.

My love for puzzles led me to buying a Rubik’s cube (魔方) after I saw my friend solve his own. In the beginning, I was unable to follow the guide that came with the first Rubik’s cube I bought, but then I searched up a tutorial online and learned by watching. Using my skill of memory, I was able to remember possible patterns that the Rubik’s cube could be after each step.

After I learned how to solve a Rubik’s cube and learned that it could be solved many ways, I never got tired of solving it, because there were so many combinations that every time I mixed it up, there was a different solution.

My outlook of the world changed, as I realized that there is not one concrete solution to everything, but multiple solutions. Being able to see things differently, the ways I solved some problems with multiple solutions were uncommon among my classmates. My 10th grade math teacher had acknowledged this when he wrote a comment on my test, saying he had not thought about solving a problem the way I had solved it. I gained a new perspective in approaching the challenges of life. The obstacles that we encounter throughout our lifetime are preparation in order for us to solve the everlasting mystery of life.

1. What were the puzzles for the author at the beginning?

A．A replacement for friends.	B．A way to understand parents.
C．A solution to the mysteries of life.	D．A distraction from parents’ divorce.

2. Why was the author addicted to solving the Rubik’s cube?

A．For the joy in the process.	B．For the achievements in learning.
C．For the possibility to different solutions.	D．For the praise from teachers and classmates.

3. What did the author learn from solving the Rubik’s cube?

A．Hard work pays off.	B．Rome isn’t built in one day.
C．Failure is the mother of success.	D．There is more than one way to go in life.

4. What does the author think of the obstacles in life?

A．They make life more challenging.	B．They prepare people for life puzzles.
C．They test people’s problem-solving skills.	D．They prevent people from finding solutions.

10 . Rejection doesn’t always hurt. Sometimes rejection may _________ a more certain path to our final goals.

This year football fans have been watching to see how Joe would _________ in the playoffs(季后赛) this season. Joe dreamed to play in the National Football League (NFL), but his journey wasn’t a(n) _________ one. He applied to several colleges, but none _________ him. Later, he got into Ohio State, but he sat on the _________ for three years. Ohio State had a great football program and coaches, who didn’t think Joe had _________. But Joe thought differently. He _________ Nebraska and got rejected once again, but he didn’t quit. Then he applied to Louisiana State University, which accepted him. The rest is history.

Joe became the Heisman Trophy _________ during his senior year, then he was admitted to the NFL, and later, his team participated in the World Championship.

Joe’s story reminds us that there are _________ paths to our final goals and that it __________ strong endurance and determination to reach them. No single __________ is going to prevent you from __________ your long-term goals. Be sure to__________ the pain that comes from disappointment and face it bravely. Try to focus on goals rather than the __________ outcome of being rejected and remember that the hurt of rejection comes from how we __________ it.

1.

A．follow

B．lead

C．create

D．clear

2.

A．study

B．perform

C．train

D．join

3.

A．tough

B．fun

C．attractive

D．easy

4.

A．accepted

B．remembered

C．rejected

D．ignored

5.

A．bench

B．stand

C．team

D．stage

6.

A．chance

B．resource

C．potential

D．enthusiasm

7.

A．signed up for

B．applied to

C．attended to

D．searched for

8.

A．fan

B．adviser

C．learner

D．winner

9.

A．similar

B．smooth

C．multiple

D．flat

10.

A．costs

B．takes

C．makes

D．offers

11.

A．theory

B．training

C．rejection

D．excuse

12.

A．achieving

B．planning

C．announcing

D．explaining

13.

A．affect

B．emphasize

C．estimate

D．acknowledge

14.

A．active

B．negative

C．possible

D．predictable

15.

A．interpret

B．imagine

C．explore

D．escape