1 . I believe honesty is one of the greatest gifts. I know they call it a lot of fancy names these days, like_________ or straightforward. And it’s still what_________ a man a good citizen. This is my secret, and I try to live by.

I’ve been in the taxi business for thirty-five years, _________ there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxi drivers have to be rough and tumble(乱作一团) fellows to be able to take it in New York. You’ve got to be _________ to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day.

Because taxi drivers are tough, people get the_________ impression that they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will act as_________ fellows. You read in the papers almost every week_________ a taxi driver turns in money or jewels or like that people leave in their_________. If they weren’t honest, you wouldn’t be reading those stories in the papers. One time, I found an emerald(翡翠的) ring in my car. I remembered helping a lady with a lot of suitcases that day, so I went back to where I had_________. It took me almost two days to wait for her in order to return her____________ to her. I didn’t get as much as “thank you.” ____________, I felt good because I had done what was right. I think I felt better than she____________.

I was born and raised in Ireland until I was nineteen years old. I came to this country in 1913 where I____________ several jobs to earn a few dollars before joining the army in World War Ι. After being discharged(退伍), I bought my own car and have owned one ever since. It hasn’t been too easy____________, but my wife takes care of our money and we have a good bit____________ for a rainy day(一时之需). In all my years of driving a taxi, I have never had____________ with the public，not even with drunks. Even if they get a little headstrong(顽固的) once in a while, I just agree with them and then they behave themselves.

People ask me about tips. As far as I know, ____________ everyone will give me something, because most Americans are____________ generous. I always try to be nice to everyone, whether they____________ or not. I believe in God and try to be a good member of my parish（教区). I try to act toward others like I think God wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time, and the____________ I try, the easier it gets.

1.

A．dishonor

B．dishonesty

C．faithful

D．outspoken

2.

A．take

B．make

C．become

D．have

3.

A．knowing

B．known

C．knew

D．know

4.

A．generous

B．mild

C．tough

D．warm-hearted

5.

A．right

B．proper

C．wrong

D．bad

6.

A．bad

B．rude

C．good

D．tough

7.

A．when

B．where

C．which

D．what

8.

A．houses

B．cars

C．pockets

D．rooms

9.

A．dropped her off

B．picked her up

C．dropped her down

D．pull her down

10.

A．emerald

B．suitcase

C．car

D．ring

11.

A．So

B．However

C．Still

D．Though

12.

A．was

B．is

C．has

D．did

13.

A．made

B．put

C．held

D．took

14.

A．at times

B．some time

C．in no time

D．at one time

15.

A．made

B．saved

C．got

D．paid

16.

A．difficult

B．trouble

C．word

D．anything

17.

A．especially

B．specially

C．particularly

D．actually

18.

A．never

B．seldom

C．fairly

D．poorly

19.

A．tip

B．advise

C．suggest

D．ask

20.

A．better

B．harder

C．longer

D．shorter

2 . Social media brings endless concerns for parents, with worries that it weakens their children’s confidence and attention spans. But others counter that it could also be broadening their horizons.

The latest round of worry was sparked by a study of the impact of social media use on 8-12-year-olds published by Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England. The report focused on 132 children, who described pressures from constant contact, online comments that weaken their self-esteem, and the need to shape offline activities to make them shareable.

“You see your friends going ice skating, partying or talking about how much revision they have done, and it can make you feel inadequate,” says Bea, a junior school student from Bristol, UK. “It’s just so hard to get away from it.”

Children have to take risks on their journeys to adulthood, and desires to fit in and be popular existed before Mark Zuckerberg came along with Facebook. However, in previous generations these pressures came largely from people they knew, and they mostly stayed outside the home. Now the pressures could come from any one of the nearly 3 billion people online, and follow them from school to home, and can even continue through the night.

The pressures do get on parents’ nerves, among which the utmost concern is how their children can be protected from harm, given that social media is a necessary way of interaction for many young people. According to Longfield’s study, children should be taught about online safety from an early age, better before secondary school. There is growing evidence that efforts need to be extended to provide earlier guidance on less extreme but more common risks, including over-sharing, low self-esteem, addiction and insomnia. The evidence suggests she is right. However, approaches that focus merely on the potential negatives are unlikely to work.

“My school has tried to do a lot, but it often involves trying to drill into us how bad social media can be,” says Bea. “People of my age really like social media, so I think a better approach would be if they said ‘Although it is good, here are some negatives’.”

1. What does the underlined word “concerns” mean________.

A．worries

B．thoughts

C．ideas

D．difficulties

2. We can learn from Paragraph 4 that________.

A．Facebook gives children the chance to fit in

B．children used to face more dangers than today

C．parents give their children much pressure at home

D．children’s pressures may come from strangers nowadays

3. According to the passage, parents’ latest concern for children is________.

A．their addiction to social media	B．possible harm brought by social media
C．negative comments from online friends	D．social media’s damage to their concentration

4. We can infer from Bea’s words that________.

A．teenagers believe social media has no negatives

B．the approaches adopted by the school are effective

C．adults overemphasize the bad effects of social media

D．it is easy for teenagers to get addicted to social media

3 . I was about 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the South Bronx’s Engine Co.82. It was a restful Sunday and between alarms I rushed to the office to read a copy of the New York Times. I read an article on the Book Review section which openly stated what I took to be a calumny (诽谤) -- that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor. Yeats had lived his life and written his poetry through the very essence of his Irish sensibility. It was offensive to think Irishness was something to be transcended (超越). I don’t know why I felt it my duty to safeguard the reputation of the world’s greatest poet. I just knew that I had to write that letter.

After my letter got published, I received a letter from The New Yorker asking for an interview. When my article Fireman Smith appeared in that magazine, the editor of a large publishing firm called me, asking if I was interested in writing a book about my life. I had little confidence to write a whole book, though the subject was worthy. I wrote Report From Engine Co.82 in six months, and it sold really well. In the years that followed, I wrote three more best-sellers.

Being a writer had been far from my expectations. How had it happened? I often found myself thinking about it, and my thoughts always came back to that letter to the New York Times. For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion I felt and the subjects represented the great values burning within me as I wrote.

Your education and your experience will guide you toward making a right decision, but your passion will enable you to make a difference in whatever you do. That’s what I learned the day I stood up for Ireland’s greatest poet.

1. Why did the author write to the New York Times?

A．To present his love for literature.

B．To spread Irish culture to the world.

C．To protect the reputation of an Irish poet.

D．To express his expectation of being a writer.

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 imply?

A．I felt awkward when I read the article.

B．I felt angry at the statement in the article.

C．I became excited when I read about Yeats.

D．I was very proud of Yeats being a universal author.

3. According to the author,what is the key to his success in writing?

A．His skills in arguing.	B．His educational background.
C．His passion for writing.	D．His experience as a firefighter.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My Journey to Be a Writer.	B．A Letter that Changed My Life.
C．How to Become a Great Author.	D．My Defense of Ireland’s Greatest Poet.

5 . The 90-minute long game involves two goals, black and white checkered (格子) balls, goalkeeper, and no hand use. This sport, of course, is soccer or football, as the majority of the rest of the world says. It’s confusing that some countries call this sport “football” while Americans and Canadians say “soccer”, but apparently the British are mostly to blame.

The name confusion is actually thanks to British universities in the early 1800s who tried standardizing various sports games that had different rules and regulations to differentiate between them.

Rugby, formerly known as “rugby football” or “rugger”, is a translation of “football” where you can use your hands. Soccer, originally “association football” or “asoccer”, is the traditional translation of “football” where people don’t use their hands. People in England started shortening the names by dropping the “association” part of the phrase as well as the “a” in “asoccer”. If your head hurts from thinking about this, prepare to have your mind blown by these things you probably never thought about — until just now.

Now comes the complexity: in 1869, Rutgers and Princeton colleges held the first traditional, recorded, football game using a unique combination of rules from both rugby and soccer, creating what we know as “American football” and what other countries refer to as “gridiron”. Thanks to the popularity of American football, soccer players in America keep to “soccer” to help differentiate themselves, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

If the name “soccer” stuck in Britain, and if Americans came up with a better one for American football, there would be much less confusion. So why did the “football” short kind of “association football” become more popular than “soccer” in England anyway? Originally, American influence on Britain during World War II made “soccer” the popular term in England before the 1980s, The Atlantic reports. Once the sport became more popular in the United States around that time, the British stopped using “soccer”.

1. What caused the name confusion in the early 1800s?

A．Sports rules.	B．Game time.
C．Ball popularity.	D．News organizations.

2. In which of the following do the two belong to the same one?

A．“Rugby” and “Soccer”.	B．“Rugger” and “American football”.
C．“American football” and “Gridiron”.	D．“Gridiron” and “Association football”.

3. What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?

A．The names make it more difficult for people to understand.

B．You cannot use your hands while playing games.

C．The name confusion is becoming stronger.

D．Making the best of the head in the sports is extremely vital.

4. What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A．The name confusion would become less.

B．History and culture had a great effect on the name.

C．The British disliked soccer during World War II.

D．American soccer was more popular than English football.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

On our way to the house, it was raining    1     hard that we couldn't help wondering how long it would take    2    (get) there. It was in the middle of Pearl City.

We were first greeted with the barking by a pack    3    dogs, seven to be exact. They were well trained by their masters    4    had great experience with caring for these animals. Our hosts shared many of their experiences and    5    (suggest) wonderful places to eat, shop, and visit. For breakfast, we were able to eat papaya (木瓜) and other fruits from their trees in the backyard.

When they were free from work, they invited us to local events and let us know of an interesting    6    (compete) to watch, together with the story behind it. They also shared with us many    7    (tradition) stories about Hawaii that were    8    (huge) popular with tourists. On the last day of our week-long stay, we    9    (invite) to attend a private concert on a be    10    (listen) to musicians and meeting interesting locals.

7 . There are things which I am thinking about, son: I had been hard on you. I called out_______ when you threw your things on the floor. At breakfast, I found fault, too. You _______ things. You put your elbows on the table. You_________butter too thick on your bread.

Do you remember that evening when I was_________in my bedroom, how you came in timidly (羞怯地) with a sort of_________look in your eyes? When I _______ up over my paper, impatient at the     _______, you hesitated at the door. “What is it you want?” I asked. You said nothing, but _______ and threw your arms around my neck and kissed me, and your small arms_______me with an affection. And then you went back to your________.

Well, son, it was shortly afterwards that my________slipped from my hands and a terrible fear came over me. What has habit been doing to me? The habit of finding ________. It was not that I did not love you; it was that I ________ too much from you. I have come to your bedside in the darkness, ________.

Tomorrow I will be a__________daddy! I will suffer when you suffer and laugh when you laugh. I will bite my tongue when ________words come. I have always been looking at you as a man. ________ as I see you now, son, lying asleep on your bed, one little ________ under your cheek, you are still a   ________. Yesterday you were in your mother’s arms, your head on her shoulder. I have ________ too much, too much.

1.

A．properly

B．angrily

C．willingly

D．carelessly

2.

A．cooked

B．shared

C．poured

D．praised

3.

A．spread

B．dropped

C．stuck

D．turned

4.

A．sleeping

B．waiting

C．drinking

D．reading

5.

A．excited

B．hurt

C．hateful

D．confident

6.

A．looked

B．took

C．stood

D．cheered

7.

A．competition

B．interruption

C．experiment

D．entertainment

8.

A．turned around

B．pulled over

C．ran across

D．gave in

9.

A．waved

B．hugged

C．shook

D．bent

10.

A．home

B．school

C．desk

D．room

11.

A．paper

B．cup

C．watch

D．door

12.

A．luck

B．fault

C．answers

D．reasons

13.

A．borrowed

B．hid

C．expected

D．stole

14.

A．surprised

B．amazed

C．delighted

D．ashamed

15.

A．strict

B．real

C．busy

D．poor

16.

A．loving

B．encouraging

C．impatient

D．humorous

17.

A．If

B．Nor

C．Or

D．Yet

18.

A．face

B．neck

C．knee

D．hand

19.

A．genius

B．friend

C．baby

D．student

20.

A．given

B．asked

C．taught

D．paid

8 . It seems that society has placed so much value on the word“humility(谦逊)”. Sometimes we're told to lower ourselves in order to be recognized as a more modest student or employee. The true humility, however, is more about the way you relate to yourself and your surroundings,     1    , according to a US-based business magazine. Here are three ways to start developing a more modest personality.

Stop questioning your worth

Being mild-mannered does not contradict recognizing your worth, because you'll become at peace with your inner self when you accept your own strengths. Humility will then come as a natural consequence.     2    . Worth shouldn't be measured by what you compete on in society. Rather, it's your gifts, talents and hard work that prove who you are.

    3    

Be willing to get coffee for a colleague, sweep the floors of your dormitory, or move to a smaller office at work.     4    . In addition, it may potentially inspire ideas for growth beyond your original vision. Accepting more flexibility in your everyday life will also help you move back and forth in the path, without having to worry about “losing yourself” in any difficulty you may come across. You'll gradually realize that either a step forward or backward won't affect your value.

Accept uncertainty

    5    . Try to appreciate the unknown and regard it as a fresh learning opportunity rather than a nightmare. Just as band Maroon 5 says, “Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies. It's compromise that moves us along.” This may never be easy. But you can meet uncertainty with a sense of curiosity to learn what can be created from it. Furthermore, appreciating the unknown instead of fearing it is also a way to reduce stress.

A．Be determined and hard-working

B．rather than how society looks at you

C．Remember that you are valuable regardless of outside variables

D．Uncertainty is a double-edged sword in many cases

E．Develop a healthier relationship with uncertainty

F．This can allow you to interact with the people around you in new ways

G．Be eager and flexible

9 . Any actor would admit that it's tricky to play roles based on real people. They need to do mountains of research to make sure they're staying as true to life as possible. Besides, they try to add their own touches to the performance so that their work can be called their own.

American actor Andrew Garfield, 33, faced that dilemma when playing Desmond Doss in the film Hacksaw Ridge. Doss was a US army doctor during World War II who refused to carry a gun because of his beliefs, but saved 75 lives without firing a single shot. His actions made him the first conscientious objector —a person who objects to serving in the armed forces for moral or conscience reasons (基于道德或良心等原因)—to be presented with the Medal of Honor, the US's highest honor awarded for personal acts of bravery.

Garfield's first stage of research was to study as many documentaries of Doss he could get his hands on. But Garfield soon realized that he needed to learn not only the Doss' outer characteristics, but also “the deepest part of himself", he said. He traveled to Doss' hometown. The actor wanted to walk where Doss walked and handle the tools Doss handled, while all the time keeping in mind how the research would affect his performance.

"I don't think I could have gone too far in terms of getting to know who Doss was," Garfield said. "But it can't be an impression of him. That doesn't interest me. Garfield explains that it's like the difference between slipping into someone's clothes and stepping into their skin. Until he goes deep inside a role based on a real person, he doesn't feel he's done the work perfectly. And it's not until he fully understands the character that Garfield feels confident he can do the things asked of the role in the script (脚木)without hesitation or thought.

1. What makes it difficult for actors to play roles based on real people?

A．Copying the roles in appearance.	B．Masses of close touches with the roles.
C．Acting without their own feelings.	D．Lifelike performances with personal styles.

2. Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined word “dilemma” in Para 2?

A．victory	B．failure
C．difficulty	D．celebration

3. Why was the Medal of Honor awarded to Desmond Doss?

A．To recognize his brave actions.	B．To attract people to join the army.
C．To admit the value of conscience.	D．To encourage doctors to follow his       suit.

4. What did Garfield hope to do in Doss' hometown?

A．To meet Doss in person.	B．To do research on Doss early life.
C．To find out the insides of Doss.	D．To know about Doss' living conditions.

10 . Whether you are crazy about cycling or not, when it comes to purchasing a bike, the choice is endless, making it tough to know what to go for. Here are the best buys on the market right now.

Boardman CX Comp

This is a cross country bike, and it’s so multi-functional that you can handle any terrain(地势) on it, making it a great choice for those wanting to try various cycling subjects. If you leave on the thick tires it comes with, it can ride on various paths and can even handle some less demanding mountain bike routes. Alternatively, put on thin, smooth tires and treat it as a road bike. It has a basket and conics with Shimano Sora gears(变速器), which are outstanding for its price.(£650, IIalfords)

Planet XRT-58 V2

Planet X is based in Yorkshire, which means you’d probably have to buy this bike without seeing it. But it’s worth it, because this is an excellent machine at a lower price. Planet X is a highly rated manufacturer and this model comes with Shimano Sora gearing.(£585, Planet X)

Specialized Allez E5

Specialized is one of the biggest and most popular brands in cycling, and this is its hugely popular primary road bike. It comes with solid components from front to back and you'll look great out on the road.(£ 75, Evans Cycles)

Boardman Road Team Carbon

If you can push your budget(预算) further still, this bike is worth the extra investment. The frame(框架) is made entirely from carbon, which is lighter, faster and more comfortable than the composition metal(复合金属) models above and gives you an all-round and more enjoyable ride. It also means that if you get really serious about cycling, you don’t have to upgrade as quickly as you would with a cheaper bike. Besides, it also comes with Shimano Sora gearing.(£800, Halfords)

1. What is special about Boardman CX Comp?

A．Its light frame.	B．Its firm tires.
C．Its various functions.	D．Its reasonable price.

2. All of the following come with Shimano Sora gears Except________.

A．Planet XRT-58 V2.	B．Specialized Allez E5.
C．Boardman CX Comp.	D．Boardman Road Team Carbon.

3. What can we learn about the bikes mentioned in the text?

A．Planet X RT-58 V2 has been sold out so far

B．Boardman CX Comp is just a mountain bike.

C．Specialized Allez E5 is designed for senior cyclists.

D．Boardman Road Team Carbon is made by a special material.

4. In which part does the text probably appear in the newspaper?

A．Travel.	B．Advertisement.
C．Health.	D．Culture.