1 . I used to travel to make myself relaxed. Two years ago, I was rather busy with my business and under a lot of ________, so I went to Las Vegas for a holiday. I just wanted to get away and ________ for a while.

When I was on holiday, a(n) ________ suddenly came to me. I had long wished to pay a visit to the Greek island of Santorini. Therefore, the idea of a two-week European ________ alone was born.

I’d driven alone across the US before, but traveling to other ________ whose languages aren’t the same as mine ________me. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to________with anyone.

But I soon ________that if I wanted to follow my dreams, I had to ________ out of my comfort area. If I let________take control of me, I’d get nowhere.

As I was in search of more places visit on my trip, I found Mykonos, Greece, which I ________just as much as I liked Sanorini. When I arrived in Europe, it was like I was in a dream.

What I appreciated best was the bus ride to Venice. As I rode the bus and enjoyed every new thing I saw,I was completely ________from the pressure of my work. How ________ it was to see people riding their bikes to the ________they would like to go to!

Some people might say, “It’s not a big ________; it’s just Venice. Thousands of people go there every day.”But it was more than that to me. It was about having a dream and when it was time for it to come true, don’t let it go.

1.

A．loss

B．pain

C．joy

D．pressure

2.

A．work

B．relax

C．wait

D．sleep

3.

A．stranger

B．invitation

C．idea

D．incident

4.

A．vacation

B．study

C．stay

D．research

5.

A．countries

B．companies

C．cities

D．parks

6.

A．surprised

B．interested

C．attracted

D．frightened

7.

A．communicate

B．travel

C．agree

D．play

8.

A．selected

B．suggested

C．realized

D．responded

9.

A．make

B．step

C．look

D．leave

10.

A．anger

B．courage

C．fear

D．pride

11.

A．doubted

B．liked

C．explored

D．visited

12.

A．different

B．free

C．tired

D．lost

13.

A．hard

B．nice

C．threatening

D．generous

14.

A．situation

B．homeland

C．castles

D．places

15.

A．order

B．ending

C．deal

D．reality

2 . James Baldwin, an author, once said, “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” Looking back, I have found this was  _________. As a child, I was not the best listener, but I did learn valuable lessons by  _________ my elders.

While in elementary school, I was caught into  _________. A classmate had a quarrel with me because of some  _________ and he even threatened to beat me. I didn’t know how to  _________ him and I was even unwilling to go to school. Then my father  _________ my trouble and decided to go to school with me. I wasn’t sure what he was planning to do, but I felt safe around him. When at school, he talked  _________ to me and the boy I had issues with. He explained that we needed to solve our differences and learn to  _________ our friendship. He told us a  _________ in which he resolved (化解) the differences by an earnest (真诚的) talk and made friends with another man. Then he ____________ and we had to solve the problem ourselves. There we stood, face to face without a word. I broke the ____________ first and a heated discussion followed. Gradually, both of us realized we had a lot in common apart from the differences. At last, as my father ____________, we extended our hands and ____________ our differences. It was at that moment that a lifetime friendship was formed.

What my father said did not impress me much but he set a good example of ____________ this kind of problem. This is a reminder that it is more effective for elders to teach children by their ____________.

1.

A．true

B．depressing

C．impossible

D．abnormal

2.

A．respecting

B．observing

C．imitating

D．helping

3.

A．tests

B．troubles

C．fights

D．challenges

4.

A．cases

B．differences

C．qualities

D．conditions

5.

A．turn to

B．turn down

C．get used to

D．get rid of

6.

A．avoided

B．shared

C．knew

D．considered

7.

A．heatedly

B．sadly

C．cautiously

D．sincerely

8.

A．destroy

B．create

C．explore

D．cherish

9.

A．story

B．secret

C．task

D．lie

10.

A．arrived

B．disappeared

C．left

D．paused

11.

A．silence

B．promise

C．word

D．relationship

12.

A．wondered

B．described

C．agreed

D．expected

13.

A．put up

B．put forward

C．put aside

D．put out

14.

A．studying

B．handling

C．ignoring

D．supporting

15.

A．prizes

B．bodies

C．gestures

D．actions

3 . What will the future be like? Good or bad? A lot of science-fiction writing imagines a dark and _____ world. Planet of the Apes shows a _____ future for humankind.

There's a word to _____ the kind of future world which often appears in science fiction: dystopia, a(n) _____ unpleasant or bad place. The _____ is utopia. But does tomorrow's world have to be so disappointing?

No. A new project wants to use the power of science fiction to _____ a better future. The _____ of Project Hieroglyph is to bring together writers, scientists, engineers and artists to create optimistic stories about a _____ society in the next 50 years.

It's _____ to create a dystopia than write a feel-good story. There's more conflict in a world full of problems, and stories are interesting when there are a lot of problems to solve. No _____, no story! But the project produced a book with some   _____ plots. One of them is about environmentalists who fight to _____ building the first hotel in the _____ areas.

But will these stories actually change anything or _____ keep us entertained? A good science-fiction story can be   _____. It is _____ to see that stories can inspire hundreds, thousands, millions of people to _____ something that they want to do. The influence of science fiction has already been well _____ in modern research. Why are people working on   _____ clothes? Well, it's Harry Potter, right?

Time will tell how far we can go. Let's dream big and think   _____ the box.

1.

A．elegant

B．splendid

C．dynamic

D．scary

2.

A．potential

B．wonderful

C．miserable

D．dynamic

3.

A．improve

B．describe

C．comprise

D．develop

4.

A．imagined

B．argued

C．realized

D．recognized

5.

A．original

B．opposite

C．alternative

D．acceptable

6.

A．extend

B．unfold

C．sustain

D．occupy

7.

A．advantage

B．result

C．motive

D．maintenance

8.

A．harmonious

B．permanent

C．messy

D．conventional

9.

A．funnier

B．harder

C．newer

D．easier

10.

A．challenge

B．mission

C．welfare

D．surprise

11.

A．disgusting

B．frightening

C．demanding

D．promising

12.

A．risk

B．delay

C．stop

D．bother

13.

A．high

B．polar

C．crowded

D．remote

14.

A．merely

B．intently

C．frequently

D．incredibly

15.

A．abnormal

B．artificial

C．constant

D．mighty

16.

A．gradual

B．plain

C．vital

D．vague

17.

A．cast new light on

B．make their way to

C．gather around

D．beat down

18.

A．neglected

B．denied

C．exposed

D．evaluated

19.

A．invisibility

B．surroundings

C．exposure

D．absence

20.

A．inside

B．beside

C．outside

D．beneath

4 . Darius and Johntel both love basketball and are captains of their high school basketball teams. But on one Saturday night, they were forever linked in the _________ of all who were present at a game between Darius’s small town team and Johntel’s big city team.

Just _________ before the game, Johntel’s mother died from cancer. Her sudden _________ made Johntel very sad. So Johntel’s coach wanted to cancel the game. But Johntel _________ that the game should be played. So with heavy hearts, his teammates prepared to play — and hopefully win — without him. _________, Johntel appeared in the gym mid-way through the first half.

Seeing him, Johntel’s coach called a time out, and players and fans _________ the sad young man to offer love and support. Johntel wanted to _________ but putting him in the game at that point would _________ a technical foul (犯规) and two free throws for the opposing team.

The opposing team understood the _________ and told the referees to let Johntel play and to forget the technical foul. The referees ____________ that a rule is a rule, and the free throws would have to be taken before the game could ____________.

As the team captain, Darius ____________ to take the shots. The free throw line is 15 feet from the basket. However, Darius’s first shot travelled about 4 feet. His second shot ____________ travelled 2.

Immediately, Johntel and his teammates ____________ what Darius was doing. They stood and applauded the gesture of sportsmanship as Darius walked back to his bench.

Johntel’s team won the game in the end. But as the two ____________ met after the game for pizza and sodas, nobody on either side was too concerned with wins or losses.

1.

A．eyes

B．heads

C．ears

D．minds

2.

A．minutes

B．hours

C．days

D．weeks

3.

A．disease

B．wound

C．death

D．accident

4.

A．suggested

B．expected

C．wished

D．insisted

5.

A．Fortunately

B．Expectedly

C．Surprisingly

D．Hopefully

6.

A．surrounded

B．comforted

C．encouraged

D．called

7.

A．challenge

B．play

C．study

D．work

8.

A．put off

B．give up

C．result in

D．escape from

9.

A．situation

B．lesson

C．meaning

D．fact

10.

A．agreed

B．argued

C．doubted

D．guessed

11.

A．start

B．end

C．continue

D．stop

12.

A．offered

B．refused

C．hesitated

D．pretended

13.

A．already

B．even

C．only

D．still

14.

A．understood

B．admitted

C．believed

D．asked

15.

A．coaches

B．sportsmen

C．games

D．teams

5 . When light snow began falling, the principal kept a careful eye on the approaching storm. It soon took on qualities of something more terrible. By midday he called the school buses back so the kids could get home safely _________ it was too late.

My students gathered their belongings, and felt _________ to be going home early. Then the buses arrived._________, the storm suddenly became heavier and it was quickly clear that nobody was going anywhere any time soon. The original plan _________. Over 300 children got _________ inside the school.

As night approached and the storm showed no signs of stopping, we began to feel _________. What would we feed several hundred children for dinner? Where would they sleep? After every parent was _________ that their children were safe, people who lived close enough to _________ the bad weather were called and asked if they could help. Soon, a handful of people _________ to travel through the blinding snow, bringing bags of food and blankets. There wasn’t much food, but everything was shared, nobody got hungry and nobody __________. When night fell, we worked out sleeping arrangements for the kids.__________ by the tension of the day, most of them fell asleep soon on the carpeted floors.

__________, the next morning we awoke to find the storm had stopped. With the roads now clear of snow, our students were soon safely on their way home, and all the staff breathed a sigh of __________. What might have been a(n)__________ had instead resulted in strengthened __________ between the community and our school.

1.

A．as

B．when

C．before

D．after

2.

A．disappointed

B．honored

C．astonished

D．thrilled

3.

A．Therefore

B．Moreover

C．However

D．Otherwise

4.

A．broke down

B．broke through

C．broke out

D．broke in

5.

A．engaged

B．stuck

C．caught

D．abandoned

6.

A．concerned

B．confused

C．annoyed

D．bored

7.

A．convinced

B．promised

C．informed

D．reminded

8.

A．avoid

B．brave

C．escape

D．ignore

9.

A．attempted

B．tended

C．managed

D．happened

10.

A．failed

B．waited

C．opposed

D．complained

11.

A．Exhausted

B．Frightened

C．Threatened

D．Challenged

12.

A．Surely

B．Hopefully

C．Thankfully

D．Strangely

13.

A．impatience

B．relief

C．regret

D．surprise

14.

A．accident

B．intervention

C．disaster

D．adventure

15.

A．feedbacks

B．communications

C．frictions

D．bonds

6 . Many Tuesday mornings I have coffee with my father. Although my father is a man of few words, I really _______ the time along with him.

One recent Tuesday, I found it a bit _______ when I rang the doorbell, no one seemed to be home. After climbing in through the window, I _______ through his home, checking every room. I tried not to _______. Yet, upstairs, downstairs, no Dad anywhere.

I was worried. _______, my father was seventy-one years old. Anything could have happened to him. Then, I got in my car and drove to my mother's aerobics (有氧运动)   class.

On the drive, I thought a lot about our history together. Suddenly, I was three years old and he was _______ me up to the living room window to see the Christmas lights. In his _______, I was safe and secure. Then I was twelve and my dad was _______ all the kids at my birthday party with his magic tricks. I was so _______ of my father for being so talented. He'd made my party a __________.

As I entered my mother's class, I was nervous. My mom looked at me in __________.     "Mom, where's Dad?" I asked, "He's working in the __________ on the side of the house!" she answered.

And I hurried to my car and __________ back to the yard. "Hey, Dad!" I yelled out and told him about my fears of the last half hour. And so, as I __________ the door to my father's house, we went inside for our usual cup of coffee.

Thanks, Daddy, for all the __________ and more importantly, for all your love.

1.

A．dislike

B．share

C．get

D．enjoy

2.

A．dangerous

B．unusual

C．joyful

D．relaxing

3.

A．lived

B．pulled

C．hurried

D．came

4.

A．cry

B．panic

C．believe

D．confirm

5.

A．Above all

B．In all

C．After all

D．For all

6.

A．holding

B．picking

C．calling

D．bringing

7.

A．heart

B．eyes

C．face

D．arms

8.

A．amazing

B．cheating

C．inviting

D．providing

9.

A．sure

B．aware

C．proud

D．afraid

10.

A．feast

B．prize

C．secret

D．success

11.

A．anger

B．worry

C．sorrow

D．surprise

12.

A．yard

B．kitchen

C．room

D．home

13.

A．fought

B．raced

C．looked

D．fled

14.

A．closed

B．unlocked

C．kicked

D．knocked

15.

A．memories

B．chances

C．assistance

D．advice

7 . Terry Fox never thought he’d live a great life. He liked sports, but no one thought he was talented. However, Terry was _________ for one reason — he had determination.

Terry was too short for basketball, but he worked harder at it. He also practiced cross-country running though he didn’t like it. Finally he _________ the basketball team and even won the Athlete of the Year Award later.

During his first year at university, he had a (n) _________ in his right knee, which was so bad that he couldn’t stand up. He went to the doctor for _________. The doctor told that he had cancer. He was going to lose one of his _________ and be given an artificial one.

Terry’s family and friends all gave him support. “Knowing that all those people cared about me really helped me,” Terry said. He decided to face it with courage and _________.

One night Terry was _________ through an article. It was about Dick Traum, who also had an artificial leg and had _________ the New York City Marathon. “If he can do it,” thought Terry, “I can, too. I’ll run across Canada and _________ money for cancer research. It will be a Marathon of Hope!”

Terry did just that. He began to run a little every day. It is 5,300 miles across Canada. Terry hoped to run thirty to forty miles a day so that it would take him less than six months. Most of all, he hoped to raise $1 million for cancer research. Because Terry had an artificial leg, running wasn’t ____________. People supported Terry. As he ran, they ____________ and cheered. However, he had to give up the Marathon after 3,339 miles, with a sharp pain in his chest. He told the people before he left, “I won’t ____________. I just hope people will ____________ to give money.” And they did. More than $23 million was given.       

Terry ____________ a lot of awards all his life. He passed away on June 28, 1981, almost a year after his Marathon of Hope. He was considered a ____________ in all areas of his life.

1.

A．special

B．dynamic

C．powerful

D．independent

2.

A．refused

B．made

C．escaped

D．supported

3.

A．pain

B．operation

C．stretch

D．check

4.

A．tests

B．goals

C．answers

D．methods

5.

A．feet

B．knees

C．legs

D．bones

6.

A．happiness

B．patience

C．curiosity

D．determination

7.

A．seeing

B．getting

C．working

D．looking

8.

A．run

B．watched

C．learned

D．held

9.

A．earn

B．borrow

C．raise

D．provide

10.

A．complicated

B．rewarding

C．easy

D．necessary

11.

A．complained

B．waved

C．admired

D．nodded

12.

A．break down

B．blow out

C．go away

D．give up

13.

A．plan

B．compete

C．continue

D．choose

14.

A．received

B．admitted

C．benefited

D．gave

15.

A．worker

B．winner

C．player

D．leader

8 . One day, when I was a teenager, I was at home alone doing two of my favourite things: I was eating a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs and I was _______ .

At the time, my pet bird — a big white cockatoo named Luke was free from his _______ and flying around inside the house. Luke, which wasn’t _______ to use human words, was twittering (叽叽喳喳地叫), _______ me, but I wasn’t paying attention to him. I was _______ on reading my detective book. Thus Luke decided to get closer and before I _______ it, he’d landed right on top of my spaghetti and meatballs! I was so surprised — my mind went blank. My reaction was the same as yours would be: I shooed (用“嘘”声吓唬) him off my food! This wouldn’t have been so bad aside from one thing: Luke had _______ my spaghetti. So when he _______ again, the spaghetti still wound in his _______ went flying everywhere. He landed on my shirt. He hit me in the ________. As I pulled the noodles out of my hair, Luke ________ the spaghetti sauce all the way. He wasn’t ________, except for his ________ — the sauce in his beautiful white feathers turned him splotchy (污渍斑斑的) and orange for several weeks.

See how funny spaghetti can be? And see how ________ reading can be? So go ahead and enjoy a good book. But if you like to read while you eat, you’d better keep an eye on your food. And if you find a detective novel at the ________ with red, splotchy spots on two pages near the middle, you’ll know that I’ve read that book, too!

1.

A．writing

B．cooking

C．dreaming

D．reading

2.

A．basis

B．branch

C．nest

D．nursery

3.

A．approved

B．trained

C．confirmed

D．required

4.

A．talking to

B．glaring at

C．obeying

D．urging

5.

A．concentrating

B．holding

C．reflecting

D．carrying

6.

A．caught

B．knew

C．spotted

D．distinguished

7.

A．eaten

B．charged

C．grasped

D．chewed

8.

A．took up

B．took away

C．took off

D．took down

9.

A．forehead

B．neck

C．legs

D．claws

10.

A．cheeks

B．beards

C．laps

D．lips

11.

A．served

B．dropped

C．threw

D．prepared

12.

A．freed

B．found

C．lost

D．hurt

13.

A．reputation

B．glory

C．inspiration

D．personality

14.

A．dangerous

B．alternative

C．casual

D．conservative

15.

A．institute

B．embassy

C．library

D．association

9 . Just several days ago, a violent storm hit our community. I looked out of the window and witnessed a tree being abused by the fierce winds. The branches bent, and swayed (摇摆) back and forth, thanks to their _________ to avoid breaking. The leaves desperately stuck to the branches because their life _________ the tree. The powerful trunk that held the tree upright bent slightly backwards from the force in a battle to _________ its position.

   After the storm passed, the tree gracefully returned to its _________ position standing tall in chaos. It managed to _________ the storm. It didn’t look the same as leaves had been shed from its branches, but what _________ was that the tree won the fight for its life. For a long time I couldn’t understand why this tree _________ my attention the way it did. As time passed, it became _________ that it wasn’t just about the tree but about the roots, which, although unseen, went deep into the soil providing stability and nutrition. The roots allowed the tree to be able to take a _________ because they were there to support it.

I can’t but ask myself how deep the roots are in my life. Accordingly, the next time you catch your kids __________, the job is driving you crazy, you are underpaid and the __________ is tight, and the storms of life are heavy, go back to your roots. Life is full of __________. They will make you sway, make you __________ and make you lose some leaves. But the deeper your roots are, the stronger you stand.

Faced with __________ you might bend but don’t get depressed. No matter how hard the wind blows don’t let life __________ you into an uncomfortable position. Your strength lies in your roots.

1.

A．height

B．thickness

C．flexibility

D．appearance

2.

A．answered for

B．depended on

C．catered for

D．turned on

3.

A．achieve

B．reach

C．establish

D．maintain

4.

A．current

B．final

C．original

D．comfortable

5.

A．explore

B．avoid

C．cause

D．survive

6.

A．counted

B．differed

C．concerned

D．showed

7.

A．fixed

B．changed

C．escaped

D．caught

8.

A．strange

B．obvious

C．possible

D．reasonable

9.

A．beating

B．stand

C．chance

D．turning

10.

A．misbehaving

B．struggling

C．crying

D．misunderstanding

11.

A．schedule

B．deadline

C．money

D．relation

12.

A．surprises

B．choices

C．storms

D．battles

13.

A．smile

B．bend

C．hesitate

D．advance

14.

A．opportunities

B．challenges

C．tasks

D．diseases

15.

A．trick

B．argue

C．force

D．admit

10 . You probably know that doing good makes you feel good, whether it’s volunteer work or something for a friend. I have _______ someone else’s good deed. It also gives me a _______ attitude, especially a random act of kindness from a _______.

My family and friends have done more than I can _______ for me, and I am very grateful. But someone I don’t even know does something nice for me. It’s really unexpected. And that’s what makes my life wonderful.

That is what happened to me on Wednesday night. I _______ the office at 7∶10, almost an hour later than I’d planned, and I was _______ that I would only have time for a short workout. Then I walked out of our _______ onto 34th Street and got hit in the face with little ice. And as usual, I had no umbrella.

I made my way to Park Avenue _______ with the hailstones (冰雹) hitting off my unprotected head. Suddenly a _______ came from my left. “Hey, do you need an umbrella?”

I ________ and saw a guy in his mid­20s, wearing a fashionable jacket, skinny jeans and funky glasses. But he clearly had a kind attitude because he was already ________ his umbrella with me. “That’s sweet of you,” I said, “and I’m okay. I’m just going to the gym across the street.”

“Then I’ll walk you there,” he said. He ________ me to the door of my gym, shielding (保护) me from the hail all the way. He left with his ________ and my thanks. I watched him ________ in the night, my mood light and hopeful again. Why let little annoyances get to me when there’s a ________ world out there with people like my umbrella guy in it?

1.

A．put forward

B．benefited from

C．concentrated on

D．accounted for

2.

A．negative

B．particular

C．common

D．positive

3.

A．friend

B．relative

C．stranger

D．colleague

4.

A．describe

B．collect

C．recite

D．accept

5.

A．left

B．reached

C．searched

D．cleaned

6.

A．surprised

B．puzzled

C．pleased

D．worried

7.

A．building

B．home

C．hospital

D．library

8.

A．exactly

B．miserably

C．seriously

D．generally

9.

A．noise

B．sound

C．whisper

D．voice

10.

A．stopped

B．jumped

C．turned

D．arrived

11.

A．sharing

B．covering

C．spreading

D．holding

12.

A．followed

B．carried

C．pushed

D．accompanied

13.

A．reward

B．permit

C．umbrella

D．eraser

14.

A．disappear

B．stand

C．remain

D．move

15.

A．terrible

B．wonderful

C．rainy

D．cloudy