1 . I’m an 18-year-old pre-medical student, tall and good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays to my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that the attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.

Born and raised in Africa，I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I ,a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying “I’m so different!”

What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering (口吃), which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I’d taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.

Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! “Wow,” I whispered to myself, “this isn’t a genetic(遗传的) disorder after all. It’s perfectly normal.” Days later, my life took an-other twist(转折). Searching the internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I’m smart, I shouldn’t allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.

Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host and writer—she’s black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I’m practically filled with shame.

Today, I’ve grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there’s always something fantastic about us, and what we need to do is learn to appreciate it.

1. What affected the author’s adjustment to her school life in Norway？

A．Her appearance

B．Social discrimination.

C．Her changing emotions.

D．The climate in Norway.

2. What did the author’s occasional stuttering bring about according on Paragraph 3?

A．Her lack of self-confidence.

B．Her loss of interest in school.

C．Her unwillingness to greet her classmates.

D．Her desire for chances to improve herself.

3. How did the author feel on noticing the similarity between her and the girl on the bus?

A．Blessed and proud.

B．Confused and afraid.

C．Amazed and relieved.

D．Shocked and ashamed.

4. What lesson did the author learn from the cases of Newton and Churchill?

A．Great minds speak alike.

B．Stuttering is no barrier to success.

C．Wisdom counts more than hard work.

D．Famous people can’t live with their weaknesses.

5. What can best summarize the message contained in the passage?

A．Pride comes before a fall.

B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

C．Self-acceptance is based on the love for oneself.

D．Self-love is key to the attainment of self-pride.

2 . —I worked on your car the whole night. How is it running?
— It is running great! _____________. You were such a big help!

A．It’s a pity	B．I couldn’t agree more
C．Forget it	D．I can hardly thank you enough

3 . Currently, almost 50 percent of   jobs, including journalism, ________ with technology that can operate automatically.

A．has been replacing	B．is being replaced
C．have been replacing	D．are being replaced

4 . When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.

Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.

As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm's reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.

Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.

What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if ifs the only way.

1. What motivated the author to start her writing career?

A．Her strong wish to share.

B．Her keen interest in writing.

C．Her urgent need to make a living.

D．Her passionate desire for fame.

2. What problem did the author face when she decided to begin her writing?

A．She was too exhausted to write after a busy day.

B．She had trouble in deciding on her writing style.

C．She had to take time to discipline her daughter.

D．She was unsure about her writing skills.

3. Why did the author place an alarm clock in the hallway?

A．In case the clock in her room broke down.

B．In case she failed to hear the ringing.

C．To force herself out of bed.

D．To wake up her family.

4. How did the author manage to finish her novel?

A．By sticking to writing every morning.

B．By writing when her mind was most active.

C．By drawing inspirations from classic novels.

D．By reducing her teaching hours at school.

5. What can we learn from the author's success in her writing career?

A．It is never too late to change your job.

B．Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time.

C．A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action.

D．Daily life provides ideas for creative writing.

5 . Such a simple experiment can effectively ________ people’s doubts about the new technology, so they are willing to embrace the innovation.

A．bring forth

B．go over

C．put away

D．wipe out

6 . The police searched the area for several days. ________, they found the piece of evidence they were looking for.

A．Generally	B．Originally
C．Eventually	D．Unfortunately

7 . One person’s happiness causes a chain reaction that benefits not only their friends, but their friends’ friends, and their friends’ friends’ friends. The effect lasts for up to one year. The opposite, interestingly, is not the case: Sadness does not spread through social networks as strongly as happiness. Happiness appears to love company more so than misery.

Focusing on 4,739 individuals, Christakis and Fowler, who co-authored this study, observed more than 50,000 social and family ties and analyzed the spread of happiness throughout this group. The researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, a friend living within a mile experiences a 25 percent increased chance of becoming happy. A co-resident spouse (配偶) experiences an 8 percent increased chance, siblings (兄弟姐妹) living within one mile have a 14 percent increased chance, and for next-door neighbors, 34 percent. But the real surprise came with indirect relationships. Again, while an individual becoming happy increases his friend’s chances, a friend of that friend experiences a nearly 10 percent chance of increased happiness, and a friend of that friend has a 5.6 percent increased chance.

The researchers also found that, contrary to what your parents taught you, popularity does lead to happiness. People in the center of their network groups are the most likely people to become happy, and then there are chances that increase to the extent that the people surrounding them also have lots of friends. However, becoming happy does not help migrate a person from the network fringe (外围) to the center. Happiness spreads through the network without changing its structure.

“Imagine a bird’s eye view of a backyard party,” Fowler explains. “You’ll see people in groups at the center, and others on the fringe. The happiest people tend to be the ones in the center. But someone on the fringe who suddenly becomes happy, say through a particular exchange, doesn’t suddenly move into the center of the group. He simply stays where he is—only now he has a far more satisfying sense of well-being.”

Next time, if you’re happy and you know it, thank your friends—and their friends. And while you’re at it, their friends’ friends. But if you’re sad, hold the blame.

1. Who will be more likely to become happy as a man is happy according to the research?

A．His wife.	B．His next-door neighbors.
C．His brothers and sisters.	D．A friend of his friend.

2. Why does Fowler mention a backyard party in Paragraph 4?

A．To explain a rule.	B．To clarify a concept.
C．To describe a fact.	D．To make a prediction.

3. What does the research aim to tell us?

A．Happiness changes social structures.

B．A social network is a double-edged sword.

C．Happiness goes hand in hand with sadness.

D．Happiness spreads through social networks.

4. What do we know from the last two paragraphs?

A．Friends’ friends may bring you happiness.

B．Your friends are to blame for your sadness.

C．Your friends decide whether you are happy.

D．The happiest friends at party are on the fringe.

8 . The most important life lesson I’ve learned from running is to run at my own pace. This lesson has guided me in many ways. _________, it made me challenge the fixed expectations of retirement and aging.

Running is a metaphor for life. I realized this while _________ for a marathon to celebrate my 60th birthday. All the other runners being faster than me made me _________. But my coach shared some valuable advice: run at your own best pace. Setting a goal or target time could be a _________. He was right. _________, I ran more easily and faster. I also enjoyed the experience much more.

I have _________ this principle to other areas of my life. Finding a rhythm is not about _________ or how many things I can get done in a day. It has more to do with what I decide to do at this stage in my life.

Running carries its own set of expectations, including what it meant to be a strong runner. But expectations also _________ to other areas of life, including what people at certain life stages should be doing or not doing. Expectations at my age can _________ how leisure time is spent, decisions about employment and even the role of a ____________.

I used to think it was young people who bore the brunt (冲击) of ____________, but older adults can experience it too. This is ____________, because often later in life is a time when we are less inclined to care about the opinions of others.

That is the message my running coach was trying to convey. ____________ what others are doing.

Their pace is not ____________ the pace you should run at. Run in your own way. It’s not better or worse -only ____________.

1.

A．In turn

B．In particular

C．In advance

D．In depth

2.

A．training

B．struggling

C．competing

D．searching

3.

A．pitiful

B．grateful

C．impressed

D．embarrassed

4.

A．resolution

B．practice

C．limitation

D．motivation

5.

A．Against time

B．Ahead of time

C．Of all time

D．Over time

6.

A．exposed

B．compared

C．applied

D．suggested

7.

A．music

B．business

C．requirement

D．efficiency

8.

A．subscribe

B．extend

C．contribute

D．refer

9.

A．center on

B．hope for

C．decide on

D．call for

10.

A．boss

B．grandparent

C．athlete

D．citizen

11.

A．peer pressure

B．separation anxiety

C．sleeping disorder

D．age discrimination

12.

A．natural

B．unacceptable

C．ironic

D．significant

13.

A．Mind

B．Expect

C．Forget

D．Abandon

14.

A．basically

B．gradually

C．alternatively

D．necessarily

15.

A．different

B．amazing

C．common

D．fair

9 . When I went back to my hometown years later, I saw a beautiful park, ______ had been a wasteland for many years.

A．that

B．who

C．when

D．which

10 . In the school gym, where the opening ceremony________, some teachers and students were making preparations.

A．is being held

B．will be held

C．has been held

D．was to be held