1 . I’ve been into volunteer work since childhood. As a girl, I volunteered at animal shelters, played music at nursing homes, and helped with community cleanup. In college, I volunteered heavily at a large yearly conference, which is where I first met and fell in love with my husband Tom, who was on my team of co-volunteers. Since getting married in 2013, we’ve been living in Beirut, Lebanon. My husband works for a nonprofit organization. I have an online coaching business, so I’ve many opportunities to volunteer for youth education.

Volunteering has been a way of life for me and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it. Most of the time, you do feel that you’re making a difference. Once I led a project that provided food to Syrian families. When it was nearing Ramadan, the biggest holiday season in Islam, I filled the food package with nuts, olive oil, sweets... We took the package unannounced and arrived just as the Syrian family was sitting on their floor for breakfast. They had nothing but some bread and a pot of tea. The mother cried when seeing us, saying she would never forget our kindness.

Another time, some friends and I volunteered to a distant church with only a few elderly residents. The building was old and the churchyard needed attention. We spent the weekend in the home of one of these old ladies so we could clean and repair the church. I’ll never forget the new life in her eyes as she stayed with us. She couldn’t repair broken doors or pull weeds, but she loved us like nothing else. It breaks my heart to remember this old lady beaming with joy for such small efforts we made. Volunteer work is satisfying not because you have done some work, but because your presence has an effect on people around.

Volunteering makes me a better person because it puts my focus on others. It makes me grateful for what I have and gives me a chance to serve people, which gives a deep sense of meaning to my life.

1. When did the author meet her husband for the first time?

A．When she was a child.	B．When she was a college student.
C．When she worked in a company.	D．When she was a senior high school student.

2. Why did the Syrian mother cry when the author arrived?

A．Her children were ill.	B．Her husband was missing.
C．She had no food.	D．She was very moved.

3. How did the old lady feel when seeing the author?

A．Pleasant.

B．Frightened.

C．Impatient.

D．Disappointed.

4. Why does the author think volunteering is pleasing?

A．She can hear many stories.	B．She has done much work.
C．She can help others.	D．She has met many people.

2 . We love letters. Just as John Donne, a poet, _________ it, “Letters, to me and my friends mean _________ greetings; they get souls together. Thanks to letters, friends who are _________ speak.” He wrote these words nearly 400 years ago. Today, in the age of instant text message, social media, and email, they _________ ring truer than ever, because writing or receiving a letter has become such a _________ event.

A UK-wide survey undertaken by Sunday Times suggests that one in four of us has not _________ a letter for at least 10 years. That’s ten years without the bitter-sweet _________ of pacing the floor waiting for the _________; ten years without recognizing the handwriting on the envelope and eagerly _________ the letter to read its content.

We ____________ not get them any more, but we still love handwritten letters. In the same survey, one third of ____________ people interviewed say that they ____________ the content of sentimental (充满情感的) letters. Shouldn’t we make ____________ to give our friends and families what they will treasure forever? Ann Bickley went online in 2013 and offered to handwrite a letter to anyone who ____________ her. Her website received 50,000 ____________ in its first three months. Five years later, she is still the main ____________ behind one-million-lovely-letter.com and has personally written 4,000 letters offering hope and ____________ to strangers.

The thought behind a letter ____________ as much as its contents. “I never tell anyone that ____________ is going to be OK,” Ann Bickley says, “I am letting someone know that there is someone in the world who ____________ them.”

Who wouldn’t love to receive a letter like that? Let’s get writing!

1.

A．made

B．put

C．helped

D．managed

2.

A．rather than

B．less than

C．more than

D．other than

3.

A．absent

B．active

C．amused

D．admirable

4.

A．also

B．yet

C．already

D．still

5.

A．popular

B．common

C．rare

D．simple

6.

A．received

B．sent

C．written

D．rejected

7.

A．success

B．pleasure

C．concern

D．calmness

8.

A．engineer

B．doctor

C．police

D．postman

9.

A．seizing

B．tearing

C．hiding

D．carrying

10.

A．can

B．must

C．may

D．shall

11.

A．American

B．Chinese

C．Australian

D．British

12.

A．forget

B．change

C．remember

D．notice

13.

A．money

B．room

C．history

D．time

14.

A．contacted

B．interviewed

C．consulted

D．admired

15.

A．guests

B．visitors

C．friends

D．partners

16.

A．force

B．strength

C．source

D．energy

17.

A．effort

B．comfort

C．surprise

D．experience

18.

A．educates

B．guides

C．matters

D．rewards

19.

A．nothing

B．anything

C．something

D．everything

20.

A．looks after

B．cares about

C．struggles for

D．agrees with

3 . For several decades, there has been an organized campaign intended to produce distrust in science, funded by those whose interests are threatened by the findings of modern science. In response, scientists have tended to stress the success of science. After all, scientists have been right about most things, from the structure of the universe to the relativity of time and space.

Stressing successes isn’t wrong, but for many people it’s not persuasive. An alternative answer to the question “Why trust science?” is that scientists use the so-called scientific method. But what is called the scientific method isn’t what scientists actually do. Science is dynamic: new methods get invented; old ones get abandoned; and at any particular point, scientists can be found doing many different things. False theories sometimes lead to true results, so even if an experiment works, it doesn’t prove that the theory it was designed to test is true.

If there is no specific scientific method, then what is the basis for trust in science? The answer is the methods by which those claims are evaluated. A scientific claim is never accepted as true until it has gone through a long process of examination by fellow scientists. Scientists draft the initial version of a paper and then send it to colleagues for suggestions. Until this point, scientific feedback is typically fairly friendly. But the next step is different: the revised paper is submitted to a scientific journal, where things get a whole lot tougher. Editors deliberately send scientific papers to people who are not friends or colleagues of the authors, and the job of the reviewer is to find errors or other faults. We call this process “peer review” because the reviewers are scientific peers—experts in the same field—but they act in the role of a superior who has both the right and the responsibility to find fault. It is only after the reviewers and the editor are satisfied that any problems have been fixed that the paper will be printed in the journal and enters the body of “science.”

Some people argue that we should not trust science because scientists are “always changing their minds.” While examples of truly settled science being overturned are far fewer than is sometimes claimed, they do exist. But the beauty of this scientific process is that science produces both creativity and stability. New observations, ideas, explanations and attempts to combine competing claims introduce creativity; transformative questioning leads to collective decisions and the stability of scientific knowledge. Scientists do change their minds in the face of new evidence, but this is a strength of science, not a weakness.

1. Scientists stress the success of science in order to ________.

A．promote basic knowledge of science

B．remind people of scientific achievements

C．remove possible doubts about science

D．show their attitude towards the campaign

2. What can we learn about the so-called scientific method?

A．It’s an easy job to prove its existence.

B．It usually agrees with scientists’ ideas.

C．It hardly gets mixed with false theories.

D．It constantly changes and progresses.

3. What can we learn about “peer” review?

A．It seldom gives negative evaluation of a paper.

B．It is usually conducted by unfriendly experts.

C．It aims to perfect the paper to be published.

D．It happens at the beginning of the evaluation process.

4. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that ________.

A．it is not uncommon for science to be overturned

B．scientists are very strong in changing their minds

C．people lose faith in those changeable scientists

D．changes bring creativity and stability to science

5 . 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。

Did you grow up in one culture, your parents came from another, and you are now living in a     1     (total) different country? If so, then you are a third-culture kid.

The term “third-culture kid”     2     (use) in the 1960s for the first time by Dr. Ruth. She first came across this phenomenon while     3     (research) North American children living in India. In general, third-culture kids benefit     4     their intercultural experience and they often reach excellent academic results.

Yet many     5     (difficulty) may arise from this phenomenon. Third-culture kids may not be able to adapt     6     (they) completely to their new surroundings. Also, they often find it hard     7     (develop) new friendship. Additionally, for a third-culture kid, it is often     8     (easy) to move to a new country than to return to his homeland. For example, after living in Australia for many years, Louis finally returned to the country     9     she was born. She didn’t know anything about current TV shows     10     fashion trends. And she didn’t share the same values as other teens of her age.

6 . Experts say boredom is good for kids. It forces them to be creative, _______ their imaginations, and helps them discover new things. A(n) _______ in point is 13-year-old Luke Thrill from Dubuque, Iowa.

Luke was _______of playing video games and riding his bike, so he decided to build a tiny house in his backyard instead. He made money from cutting lawns(草坪) and _______ exchanged some services, such as gaining the help of an electrical engineer _______ sweeping his garage. Luke also _______ spare materials from his grandmother’s house and other _______ materials from his neighbors for some of the windows and the door.

The 89-square-foot home cost $1, 500 to build and _______ 18 months. Inside there’s a kitchenette, a back sitting room, a table and a mounted(镶嵌的) TV, and an upstairs bedroom can be easily _______ by stairway.

Although Luke did the ________ and learned how to do all the work, he had his father’s ________ throughout the project. Greg Thrill was very happy that his son learned to stay on ________ and deal with grown-ups. ________, he had some simple rules when Luke ________ the house: “You ________ the money. You build it. And you own it.”

Luke is now in love with __________. He has a YouTube channel and hopes to ________ other kids to start building. ________, he wants to build a bigger tiny house to live in, but for now, he ________ in his new home a few nights a week, does homework there, and uses it to take a ________ from his twin brother.

1.

A．changes

B．ignores

C．improves

D．weakens

2.

A．method

B．explanation

C．procedure

D．case

3.

A．tired

B．fond

C．confident

D．guilty

4.

A．thus

B．even

C．still

D．anyhow

5.

A．in exchange for

B．in praise for

C．in support of

D．in place of

6.

A．updated

B．ordered

C．removed

D．used

7.

A．recycled

B．cheap

C．new

D．raw

8.

A．spent

B．took

C．saved

D．wasted

9.

A．supported

B．accessed

C．held

D．landed

10.

A．research

B．housework

C．experiment

D．discovery

11.

A．permission

B．help

C．control

D．order

12.

A．credit

B．business

C．budget

D．duty

13.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．Rather

D．However

14.

A．finished

B．decorated

C．started

D．painted

15.

A．borrow

B．donate

C．raise

D．distribute

16.

A．books

B．videos

C．riding

D．building

17.

A．inspire

B．press

C．command

D．warn

18.

A．Luckily

B．Eventually

C．Frequently

D．Strangely

19.

A．brings out

B．leaves out

C．hangs out

D．puts out

20.

A．ride

B．risk

C．chance

D．break

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

8 .

At Beaver Creek, The Extraordinary Awaits You Are no two snowflakes alike? The snowflakes we see in the winter are most likely completely unique from one other. Beaver Creek is a great place to experience the beauty of the snow, with programs for everyone—from children, teens, and women-only lessons to small groups and private-guided experiences. First Track, from Beaver Creek Reserve, lets you be the first on the mountain, with an adventure that begins at 7:30 a.m. when you are met by ski professionals and taken on a private, guided tour—before the mountain is open to the public. Once you have skied, you are treated to a delicious breakfast at Allie’s Cabin. If you are looking for a higher level of comfort there is the White Carpet Club, from Beaver Creek Reserve. Located in the heart of Beaver Creek Village, it maximizes your time on the mountain by streamlining your access to it. At the club, there are private lockers and boot dryers, along with preferred self-parking and a slope-side ski waiter. A receptionist can assist with lift tickets, pass purchases, dinner reservations, and activity recommendations. Of course, there is more to explore during the winter in Beaver Creek as well. There is ice skating, snowshoeing, shopping, and spas—you name it, Beaver Creek has it. It is the perfect place to take advantage of the snow and be in the moment, in the mountains, together. The extraordinary is a rare combination of one-of-a-kind experiences designed to be shared with service that exceeds expectation. The extraordinary brings you closer to one another and offers a special place to belong together. Belong in The Extraordinary.

1. First Track can offer visitors ________.

A．an early visit	B．an ice skating show
C．a tasty lunch	D．a free skiing lesson

2. What is the White Carpet Club special for?

A．Skillful trainers.	B．Quiet living experience.
C．Thoughtful service.	D．Good views over the mountain.

3. The passage is written to ________.

A．attract visitors	B．compare different programs
C．appeal for sports	D．introduce training courses

10 . As an athlete, I’ve always worked hard to push m myself to my limits. And with that usually come some ________ and pains. So last year when I started to feel some muscle soreness (酸痛) after a________ physical exercise, at first I didn’t think it was a big deal. I was ________ for a marathon at the time, so over the weekend I’d done a 20-kilormete ________. The following Tuesday I hit my favourite gym to do a workout that ________ a lot of upper body weight lifting.My ________ told me to take it easy on my body, but I ________I’d be fine and powered through it. Afterward, my coach noticed a ________ swelling in my arm and said he was worried. I tried to brush him off but he ________ I drink a lot of water and check in with him in a few hours. Sure enough, by that afternoon the swelling had ________ and I headed to the doctor. I still thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but I ________ my coach so I did it.

The doctor took a close look at the swelling and diagnosed me with rhabdomyolysis (横纹肌溶解症), a ________ condition where muscle overuse causes kidney failure. As they gave me some medicine to help ________ the toxins (毒素), my doctor told me that we would have been having this discussion in the emergency room if I’d ________ even another 30 minutes. Things were touch-and-go over the weekend but I made a full ________. Thankfully I had a great coach I could trust-he saved my life!

1.

A．sorrows

B．aches

C．coughs

D．faults

2.

A．tough

B．normal

C．harmful

D．limited

3.

A．working

B．applying

C．searching

D．training

4.

A．walk

B．swim

C．run

D．drive

5.

A．recorded

B．matched

C．arranged

D．involved

6.

A．doctor

B．coach

C．teachers

D．colleagues

7.

A．doubted

B．wondered

C．realized

D．figured

8.

A．deadly

B．frightening

C．slight

D．different

9.

A．insisted

B．begged

C．resolved

D．ordered

10.

A．flattened

B．emerged

C．increased

D．broken

11.

A．trusted

B．refused

C．tricked

D．supported

12.

A．distinguishing

B．mind-destroying

C．embarrassing

D．life-threatening

13.

A．put away

B．clear out

C．give away

D．bring out ;

14.

A．slept

B．wandered

C．waited

D．saved

15.

A．recovery

B．preparation

C．contribution

D．assessment