1 . Right now you probably spend most of your time in school. Do you wonder what you are going to do after high school? Will you continue to go to school? Will you learn a trade? Perhaps it is time to think about your choices and to prepare for them. Some day work will be a big part of your life.

What kind of job would be right for you? Think about your interests and your skills. You may like to listen to music, dance, play basketball, or work with computers. You may know how to drive a car or how to get along with people. Knowing both your interests and skills will help make a better plan for your career.

To get an idea of what work you would like to do, make a list of your interests and a list of your skills. Think about what you have done to be successful in your interests. After that, brainstorm a list of career choices that might match your interests and skills. You can later keep your lists with the projects and documents (文件) that can help you achieve the career you want.

They can help you know more clearly about your achievements in school and in the world of work. Roberta Zhan, an art designer, finds her work satisfying because it allows her to use her interests and skills. She enjoyed imagining something in her minds eye while she was in school. She took art, design, and computer lessons, and also learned about taking photos on her own.

Here is what she says about the meaning of work: “If you have a job you like, work means much more than just making money. It means using your talents, making a contribution (贡献), and getting a real sense of satisfaction from doing a job.”

1. The passage is most probably written to________.

A．students

B．teachers

C．parents

D．designers

2. At the beginning, the writer introduces the topic of the passage by________.

A．listing facts	B．giving examples
C．asking questions	D．explaining differences

3. Roberta Zhan might be most interested in when she was at school________.

A．singing songs	B．creating pictures
C．playing basketball	D．playing computer games

4. The passage is mainly about________.

A．the real meaning of work	B．the importance of interests and skills
C．the journey of Roberta’s life	D．the way of preparing for the future

2 . I wanted to buy something today — until I figured out the cost versus the benefit. At that point I knew it was a completely stupid idea.

What I wanted to buy was an older car to have in addition to my four-year-old Smart Car that I absolutely like. So you wonder, why would I want to have another car as well? The reason is ... grandkids. I have several and in the Smart Car I can only have one passenger (It’s a two-seater). Besides, one of my daughters-in-law does not trust the Smart Car as a vehicle for her daughter Lily to ride in, so that’s one little girl I can’t take anywhere at all. My husband also has a car -- and a truck.

So that’s why I had the stupid idea to buy an old Toyota I found on the lot of an honest used car salesman. Thank heavens I came to my senses before I spent $ 8000 to buy it, $ 80 or so to license it and probably $ 500 to insure it for a year. It would be senseless to buy that car.

My grandkids just have to continue to come with me one by one. I can’t take two girls out to lunch or two girls shopping or pick up the brother and sister that live in the same house. As for the little one that’s not allowed to ride with me ... well, Grandpa will have to pick her up. As for me, I didn’t get money in my savings account by being totally stupid. Sure, doing things with the kids is fun, but spending that kind of money to put two or more of them in a group — which would probably drive me crazy anyway — is really dumb. Sometimes temptation can prove that you still have a little sense.

1. The author’s little grandkid Lily ______.

A．refused to stay with her

B．was not allowed to take her car

C．was always picked up by her husband

D．thought it was dangerous to drive a Smart Car

2. The author gave up the idea of buying the Toyota because ______.

A．it was a used car

B．she couldn’t afford it

C．there was no need for it

D．the salesman was unreliable

3. The underlined word “dumb” in the last paragraph can best be replaced by ______.

A．difficult

B．stupid

C．reasonable

D．amazing

4. Which of the following proverbs best describes the text?

A．Look before you leap.

B．Better late than never.

C．Don’t judge a book by its cover.

D．Every advantage has its disadvantage.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What kind of transportation do local people prefer to use in Nairobi?

A．Buses.

B．Taxis.

C．Minivans.

2. What is advised to bring in national parks?

A．Plastic straws.

B．Plastic carrier bags.

C．Reusable water bottles.

3. What do we know about Kenyans?

A．They don’t like being photographed without permission.

B．They love to participate in public activities.

C．They are hard to get along with.

4. What is the talk mainly about?

A．Tips for traveling to Kenya.

B．An adventurous experience.

C．A tour arrangement.

4 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man doing?

A．Writing a report.

B．Doing the dishes.

C．Dusting the furniture.

2. Who will be in charge of cleaning the floor?

A．The speakers’ daughter.

B．The woman.

C．The man.

3. What does the woman remind the man to do?

A．Return a book.

B．Buy a bottle of wine.

C．Pick up the guests.

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。

The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is an     1    (energy) and colorful celebration of life and death and an important part of Mexican culture.

The holiday’s roots go back thousands of years to the indigenous people, who believed death is a natural part of the cycle of life. They celebrated the occasion for a month with burial ceremonies and shrines. When the Spanish     2    (conquer) the regions in the 16th century, they introduced All Saints’ Day and All Soul’s Day to honor     3     dead. Over time, the two cultures mixed,     4    (give) rise to the Day of the Dead as it is known today.

The most familiar     5    (symbol) of the holiday are the skeletons and skulls. They appear on everything. The     6    (bright) colored smiling skulls serve as a reminder that the holiday is a celebration of the lives of those who are no longer with us. It is a joyful, not a sad event.

The festivities begin at midnight on November 1^st. It is believed that this is     7     the border between the living world and the spirit world disappears. This allows late loved ones     8    (cross) over and join their families.

Families visit the graves of their ancestors, cleaning and decorating them     9     flowers and candles. The celebrations also include parades, music, dancing,     10     feasting.

6 . ______(困住) aboard due to the volcanic ash cloud, thousands of holiday-makers couldn’t make it home in April. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

7 . Jerry, 81 years old, set out from Big Pine, California, on February 24th to return to his home in Gardnerville, Nevada. _________, he was trapped alone in his car in a heavy snow for nearly a _________.

The temperatures dropped from 35F to15F overnight, and many areas saw _________amounts of snow — an unusual occurrence for a state that’s not used to _________ winters.

Jerry survived by _________ the few snacks he had in his car. He _________ his window occasionally to eat snow. A hotel bath towel was the only thing Jerry had to keep himself   _________

On February 28, the Inyo County Search and Rescue team received “a call for a _________person”. Then, on March 2, they succeeded in locating Jerry’s car partially buried in _________. The crew loaded Jerry onboard and transported him directly to __________ care.

Jerry was only in the hospital for a few hours and afterward was returned to his __________ in Gardnerville. According to his grandson Christian, he was __________ well.

Christian hopes his grandfather’s miraculous (奇迹般的) rescue can serve as a warning to others about just how __________ winter travel can be. But above all, “if someone gets __________, don’t give up hope,” said Christian. “The human body is   __________   for what it can endure (忍耐).”

1.

A．Luckily

B．Unexpectedly

C．Undoubtedly

D．Obviously

2.

A．week

B．month

C．day

D．year

3.

A．little

B．small

C．large

D．moderate

4.

A．warm

B．dull

C．long

D．freezing

5.

A．eating

B．smelling

C．selling

D．counting

6.

A．turn down

B．rolled down

C．took down

D．pushed down

7.

A．safe

B．warm

C．quiet

D．happy

8.

A．talented

B．hopeless

C．missing

D．special

9.

A．sand

B．ice

C．dust

D．snow

10.

A．medical

B．temporary

C．private

D．daily

11.

A．shop

B．company

C．home

D．car

12.

A．playing

B．behaving

C．sleeping

D．recovering

13.

A．entertaining

B．dangerous

C．unforgettable

D．annoying

14.

A．trapped

B．injured

C．confused

D．arrested

15.

A．healthy

B．interesting

C．complicated

D．amazing

8 . Being bored is no fun, especially at work. But new research out of the Research School of Management at Australian National University argues that while boredom is certainly boring, it isn’t all bad. The disliked mental state can actually spark precious creativity.

The study asked 52 subjects to do a pretty boring job: sort apart a bowl of red and green beans with just one hand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, 49 other subjects — the control group — were instructed to create art projects with paper, beans and glue. Once the 30 minutes was over, each group was instructed to spend five minutes on a creative task: they had to come up with reasons why a hypothetical (假定的) person was two hours late for a meeting.

The bored group came up with not just more ideas than the control group, but more creative ideas than the control group, too. The quality and quantity of production was higher for people who were bored than those who were not. Creativity itself was measured under a standard that balanced novelty and practicality. Ideas had to fit both criteria to be considered creative.

Guiyun Park, the study’s lead author, readily admits that not every type of job permits the fun of boredom, and it can really be harmful to some important work. But for designers and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to embrace. Sometimes, the best way to be productive is to expect nothing of yourself at all.

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The process of the research.	B．The benefits of the research.
C．The reasons for the research.	D．The disadvantage of the research.

2. Which of the following may Guiyun Park disagree with?

A．Boredom can do harm to some work.

B．All types of jobs can embrace boredom.

C．Boredom is not always something to fear.

D．Boredom can be favourable to art designers.

3. What is the author’s attitude to boredom?

A．Concerned.

B．Negative.

C．Positive.

D．Indifferent.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．The Role of Boredom in Increasing Productivity

B．The Negative Impact of Boredom on the Workplace

C．Why Boredom Should Be Avoided in Creative Fields

D．Unlocking Creativity: The Unexpected Benefit of Boredom

9 . In Oak Ridge, Texas, there lived a man named Samuel who was known for his _________ to embrace change. However, one day a serious of events happened that _________ him to face his fears and embark on a journey to turn over a new leaf.

Samuel worked in the town’s bookstore. His life had been _________ and dull. But one sunny morning, the bookstore owner _________ that the shop would be closing for good. Samuel’s heart sank, and he found himself _________ an uncertain future. Yet a glimmer of hope emerged—an opportunity to start anew.

With a newfound determination, Samuel decided to _________ his dream of becoming a novelist. With pen _________ and a blank page before him, Samuel poured his soul out onto the paper. He _________ tales of adventure, love and self-discovery. As he wrote, he gave life to the _________ that danced across the page.

__________, an unexpected opportunity presented itself. A local publishing house, __________ by Samuel’s stories, offered him a chance to share his work. He __________ took a leap of faith and said yes! The once-shy clerk __________ into a confident author. His books found their way into the hands of readers near and far, touching hearts and igniting passions.

And so, in the little town of Oak Ridge, Samuel became a beacon of light, whose life was __________ the lives of others by proving that starting anew was not just surrendering to the unknown, it was an invitation to create a life filled with __________ and fulfillment.

1.

A．unwillingness

B．uneasiness

C．discomfort

D．disagreement

2.

A．led

B．forced

C．encouraged

D．persuaded

3.

A．admirable

B．challenging

C．tiring

D．predictable

4.

A．announced

B．clarified

C．explained

D．demanded

5.

A．welcoming

B．anticipating

C．facing

D．awaiting

6.

A．take after

B．climb after

C．look after

D．go after

7.

A．on hand

B．by hand

C．in hand

D．at hand

8.

A．collected

B．penned

C．drew

D．reviewed

9.

A．characters

B．actors

C．directors

D．dancers

10.

A．Subsequently

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Eventually

11.

A．refreshed

B．astonished

C．charmed

D．entertained

12.

A．actually

B．immediately

C．practically

D．literally

13.

A．transported

B．translated

C．transformed

D．transmitted

14.

A．different from

B．similar to

C．composed of

D．contrary to

15.

A．happiness

B．purpose

C．recognition

D．welfare

10 . As I grew up, I always had my mom by my side. We lived a very ________ life. I never looked at the other kids and ________ why I didn’t have a dad, or why I lived in an apartment instead of a big house. Most of what I ________ was our little Christmas tree in the living room and going to the park very often.

________, when I hit my teenage years, things started to change. I didn’t want to ________ with her as much. I ________ on friends and school. I ________ her out because I didn’t want her to tell me what to do.

At about 16, I ________ an eating disorder. And I felt sad and lost. Soon, I found the reason why I was ________ — I needed my mother. And she was there ________ my mean words, my silence, and my anger. She told me she was ________ there for me, reminding me to relax for a moment and think. I did. And I ________ when the world is sometimes cruel, she will be there for me all the time.

After that day, everything changed. I looked at how she ________ me on her own as a single mom. I looked at the sacrifices and ________ of sleep she endured for me. She got herself through college without ________ by making money by herself, and is now ________ with her own apartment and ________. I honestly could not be more grateful for such a(n) ________ mom. Now, as a 17-year-old ready to leave for college, it’s my turn to ________ her. I thought the least I could do was to get her to go on some dates. I ________ her in every way, and she does the same.

1.

A．happy

B．hard

C．different

D．lonely

2.

A．answered

B．proved

C．wondered

D．explained

3.

A．expect

B．hate

C．remember

D．achieve

4.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Besides

D．Otherwise

5.

A．make up

B．come up

C．get along

D．hang out

6.

A．depended

B．focused

C．called

D．agreed

7.

A．helped

B．shut

C．picked

D．pulled

8.

A．controlled

B．prevented

C．developed

D．treated

9.

A．tired

B．upset

C．strange

D．bored

10.

A．in spite of

B．for fear of

C．in addition to

D．because of

11.

A．never

B．sometimes

C．always

D．hardly

12.

A．imagined

B．doubted

C．wished

D．realized

13.

A．praised

B．disappointed

C．raised

D．trusted

14.

A．lack

B．needs

C．favor

D．effects

15.

A．encouragement

B．permission

C．love

D．aid

16.

A．cheerful

B．successful

C．respectful

D．meaningful

17.

A．life

B．relationship

C．marriage

D．friendship

18.

A．young

B．honest

C．funny

D．amazing

19.

A．take care of

B．stay away from

C．take the place of

D．pay attention to

20.

A．teach

B．observe

C．check

D．support