1 . I started cooking when I was thirteen. Both of my parents worked, so I was usually _______ after school. One day, my parents forgot to _______ dinner before they went to work. As we were short of money, eating out was beyond _______. So I decided to be the _______ of the day.

A few moments later, I _______ to cook fried rice, the best option out of _______ resources, including my cooking knowledge. After _______ a pan on the stove and turning on the heat, it soon began to sizzle. I was so hungry that I _______ and threw everything into the pan all together. In went rice, pieces of meat and vegetables. Little did I know that the _______ of ingredients (原料) was crucial in cooking. I ________ waited for the meat to be thoroughly cooked, but other ingredients were ________. At first, I mistook it as steam from cooking, but I soon ________ something went horribly wrong when smoke ________ to fill the kitchen.

Later that day, my mother told me, “You cannot rush yourself when cooking.” Rather, I should take steps, turning to the basics, such as learning about the ingredients and ________ the recipe.

I’ve learned that the first ________ seems hard but we should just start and let the journey teach us.

1.

A．alone

B．energetic

C．anxious

D．excited

2.

A．enjoy

B．prepare

C．serve

D．take

3.

A．expectation

B．control

C．description

D．budget

4.

A．owner

B．ruler

C．chef

D．researcher

5.

A．agreed

B．decided

C．failed

D．switched

6.

A．various

B．delicious

C．pricey

D．limited

7.

A．placing

B．covering

C．washing

D．breaking

8.

A．quit

B．slept

C．rushed

D．collapsed

9.

A．standard

B．order

C．quality

D．amount

10.

A．proudly

B．unconsciously

C．fearfully

D．eagerly

11.

A．burning

B．exploding

C．disappearing

D．mixing

12.

A．insisted

B．declared

C．grasped

D．explained

13.

A．stopped

B．reduced

C．existed

D．emerged

14.

A．working on

B．fixing on

C．referring to

D．contributing to

15.

A．race

B．try

C．route

D．ride

2 . I’ve been working as a United Nations (U.N.) Peacekeeper in the Central African Republic for the past two years. Before this, I was a pilot and I ______ my work. However, I felt it was my duty to help innocent people who are caught in trouble, so I ______ the United Nations.

The Central African Republic is a relatively small country. Since it got ______ from France in the 1960s, there have been many violent conflicts between the government and rebels (反叛者). In 2012, a civil war began, due to which, over one million people were forced to _____ their homes and there were many deaths and injuries. ______, the United Nations established a peacekeeping _____ in the country.

We peacekeepers _____ cities and villages to _____ that no conflict is occurring and help bring supplies of food and medicine. We are a _____ that can keep people in conflict apart.

As a woman, I am particularly ______ as I can act as a role model for many women and girls in the country. When they see how others respect me, they feel that they also ______ to be respected and treated ______.

My life is not ______ in any way! It’s long hours in a very tough environment. I have basic ______ with just a bed in a shared room. Of course, being away from my family and friends is also very hard at times. However, I know that the Central African Republic is safer because of the U. N. Peacekeepers, and that makes it all _______.

1.

A．hated

B．enjoyed

C．guarded

D．changed

2.

A．led up to

B．looked up to

C．kept up with

D．signed up with

3.

A．treatment

B．technology

C．independence

D．inspiration

4.

A．flee

B．return

C．sweep

D．tend

5.

A．In turn

B．In surprise

C．In response

D．In addition

6.

A．measure

B．reputation

C．business

D．mission

7.

A．follow

B．expand

C．monitor

D．block

8.

A．insure

B．prove

C．report

D．predict

9.

A．bridge

B．barrier

C．castle

D．shelter

10.

A．protected

B．trusted

C．valued

D．doubted

11.

A．deserve

B．prefer

C．plan

D．fail

12.

A．gently

B．equally

C．seriously

D．honestly

13.

A．boring

B．rewarding

C．difficult

D．fancy

14.

A．association

B．accommodation

C．administration

D．adaptation

15.

A．available

B．ambitious

C．worthwhile

D．educational

3 . In a recent email to an old friend, I mentioned that our family planned on taking our four-week road trip in our motor home. My friend emailed back and said he thought I was very “brave” to set out on such an adventure with two young children (aged two and five). I laughed when I read his email and wondered if he knew how much he was missing out on by giving up the idea of such a fun RV (旅行房车) trip with one5s family.

My husband and I have been “RVing” for over ten years. When we first started traveling, we certainly had some troubles that were not so funny at the time but seem to be funny now. We forgot our pillows and failed to cook dinner on an outdoor grill for lack of a flashlight. Then we decided to make our dinner in the motor home but could not get the oven lit! So we went to bed a little hungrier than we had planned!

However, that’s nothing compared with the amazing natural wonders we experienced during our RV trips. In addition, we have discovered a new world of family fun and family bonding. We saw the Grand Canyon when our son was only six months old. We play games inside and : out, walk together, talk together, read, solve puzzles, and enjoy music and movies. We have got used to doing things with one another. Our kids love to pick out good, old-fashioned postcards to send off via snail mail to different family members on every trip.

As our world gets more and more overloaded with cell phones, texting, emails and video games, our family sticks more and more tightly to the wonderfully simple idea of unplugging electronic devices for a while and jumping into the seat to take a trip in our motor home. Then we come home with fun pictures of our wandering, and we’re able to build special memories for our kids. Now we want to spread the word and tell families of all kinds what enjoyment can be had from packing up for a trip in the RV.

1. What did the author’s old friend think of her travel plan?

A．A family trip should not last for too long.

B．A family RV trip might bring unexpected troubles.

C．It was wise of her to let children experience RV trips.

D．It was a good opportunity to teach children to be brave.

2. What can we learn about the first author’s family?

A．It was a pleasant experience.	B．It was ruined by bad weather.
C．They didn’t prepare well for it.	D．They lost many things during it.

3. How did the authors family benefit from RV trips according to Paragraph 3?

A．They learnt how to solve problems.	B．They built a closer family relationship.
C．They developed a great love for nature.	D．They fell in love with adventure travels.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To show how to make RV trips interesting.

B．To encourage kids to take part in RV trips.

C．To advise families to take RV trips together.

D．To share an unforgettable traveling experience.

4 . 语法填空

Charles Darwin, a young man just out of university in 1831,    1    (offer) a job on a ship on a voyage of discovery around the world. Life on board was tough. Darwin was    2    (terrible) seasick and was only happy when he was ashore collecting plant samples and observing animals. It was to be the most important journey in his life. It    3    (last) for five years. 

Darwin studied nature in South America and in a group of small islands in the South Pacific. On each island there were birds. They were very similar,    4     the shape of their beaks, and even their eating habits varied. Darwin wondered why they were different. Then he realized that over millions of years, all plants and animals have gradually changed into the forms we see today.    5     we call “the survival of the fittest” he named “natural selection”. He also called this slow process of change “evolution”. 

By 1846,he had published an article describing his voyage. Darwin spent the years    6     followed developing his theories and making them perfect. In 1859, he published them in The Origin of Species. It caused a huge    7    (argue). His The Descent of Man, 1871, pointed out that mankind    8    (come) from the same ancestor. Other scientists agreed with his ideas and took up    9    (he) cause. The church prohibited the    10    (teach) of The Theory of Evolution in some countries. However, today most people believe that Darwin is right.

8 . When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog. Her body was numb. She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours. Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.

On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense that she could hardly see her support boats. Against the freezing cold water, she struggled on-hour after hour-while millions watched on national television.

In one of the boats alongside Florence, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn’t much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. However, with only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.

Still warming her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I had seen land, I might have made it.” It was not tiredness or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.

Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith intact and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, overshadowing the men’s record by two hours!

1. What can we learn about that fourth of July morning in 1952?

A．The thick fog cleared by mid-morning.

B．Chadwick managed to swim the Catalina Channel.

C．The support boats accompanied Chadwick all the way.

D．A live broadcast of Chadwick’s swim was watched on TV.

2. What did Florence Chadwick think was the reason for her failure?

A．Sharks threatened her life.

B．She was completely worn out.

C．The chilly water made her body numb.

D．The destination was out of sight due to the fog.

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “intact” in Paragraph 5?

A．Changed.

B．Undamaged.

C．Weakened.

D．Unexplored.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain why Chadwick failed in the first attempt.

B．To stress the importance of picturing a clear goal in the mind.

C．To introduce the process of Chadwick’s swimming the Catalina Channel.

D．To report Chadwick was the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel.