1 . Turning 13 can be painful. Sure, pimples (粉刺) are a problem. _______ it’s the feelings of insecurity that really _______. “I would gaze into the bathroom _______ and ask myself, ‘Is this the sum of my 13 years?’” author Gary Soto says of his _______ self. “We all doubt ourselves — _______ we look, how we play on the field, how we dress, how we do in school.”

These _______ form the basis of Soto’s latest book, Mercy on These Teenage Chimps, which is _______ in bookstores.

Soto tells the story of two 13-year-old friends, Ronnie and Joey, who are self-conscious about their _______ appearance. In the mirror, they see the _______ coming out of their chins doesn’t improve the look.

It gets ________ when the coach at school embarrasses Joey in front of a girl. ________, Joey returned to his childhood hideaway in a tree. Soto understands the need of a place to ________ it all. “I remember my childhood street from tree level. It was an escape from the ________.”

The trouble is that Joey has no intention of ________ his sanctuary (避难所). It’s up to Ronnie to convince his friend to face the world ________. In his search, Ronnie stands bullies and nosy neighbors, and ________ from more than one roof.

“This book is a call for mercy for young people ________ self-doubt,” Soto told TFK. “It’s a comic novel about ________. Ronnie concerns his friend and knows he must do ________ in his power to return him to his optimistic, fun-loving spirit. That’s ________ a friend does.”

The moral of the story: You don’t need to be the best-looking chimp in the jungle. All you need is a loyal friend who will stick by you, even when the going gets a little, well, hairy.

1.

A．And

B．But

C．So

D．Though

2.

A．benefits

B．offers

C．hurts

D．differ

3.

A．floor

B．toilet

C．mirror

D．water

4.

A．younger

B．older

C．taller

D．prettier

5.

A．what

B．where

C．why

D．how

6.

A．sadness

B．necessities

C．happiness

D．worries

7.

A．empty

B．available

C．priceless

D．invisible

8.

A．developing

B．growing

C．reforming

D．changing

9.

A．pimple

B．hair

C．wound

D．skin

10.

A．worse

B．better

C．darker

D．happier

11.

A．Excited

B．Warm-hearted

C．Teary-eyed

D．Frightened

12.

A．get away from

B．get into

C．get over

D．get through

13.

A．scene

B．world

C．coach

D．school

14.

A．leaving

B．entering

C．liking

D．avoiding

15.

A．in time

B．on time

C．right away

D．once again

16.

A．jumps

B．climbs

C．falls

D．escapes

17.

A．going for

B．going through

C．going into

D．going by

18.

A．loyalty

B．selfishness

C．glory

D．courage

19.

A．nothing

B．something

C．everything

D．anything

20.

A．which

B．that

C．those

D．what

2 . At 20 years old, I was a confident and handsome student at the University of California at Berkey.

But that year, I ________ a bump (肿块) in my right nostril (鼻孔), and when it didn’t go away, I made an ________ with a doctor. It turned out to be a tumor (肿瘤). Then I underwent surgery. Fortunately, the procedure was ________, and I returned to classes soon.

But six months later, a new bump appeared. Numerous ________ confirmed it had reproduced a horrible, life—threatening tumor. I was advised to have another operation and ________ that I might lose part of my nose. I was too young to think about death then, but the thought of disfigurement (毁容) made me feel ________.

I awoke from the surgery with a scarred, disfigured face. As I re-entered the real world, I noticed adults ________ and children pointing—and sometimes laughing—at me. The occasional and ________ negative reactions from my friends also hurt me. My self-respect sank increasingly lower, and I constantly asked others, “Do my looks ________ you?”

Five years and 20 reconstructive surgeries later, I ________ a man receiving treatment. After hearing my question, he criticized me. My problem, he ________ me, was not my physical appearance, but my emotional insecurity. His ________ helped me realize my mental scars were far more disfiguring than my physical ones.

I began examining myself from the inside out. Later, I volunteered at a cancer support organization to offer inspiration and hope to those ________ cancer

Now, I am ________ for who I am—a much stronger person than before. To you, I offer this message: Avoid making judgements about people at ________.

1.

A．took charge of

B．took care of

C．took control of

D．took notice of

2.

A．appointment

B．arrangement

C．commitment

D．placement

3.

A．severe

B．minor

C．apparent

D．complicated

4.

A．novelists

B．specialists

C．impressionists

D．journalists

5.

A．advocated

B．predicted

C．warned

D．witnessed

6.

A．desperate

B．enthusiastic

C．delicate

D．optimistic

7.

A．smiling

B．glaring

C．glancing

D．staring

8.

A．unusually

B．unintentionally.

C．unconventionally

D．unselfishly

9.

A．bother

B．impress

C．annoy

D．restrict

10.

A．greeted

B．persuaded

C．encountered

D．grasped

11.

A．abused

B．defended

C．informed

D．motivated

12.

A．relief

B．security

C．defence

D．honesty

13.

A．going about

B．relating to

C．wrestling with

D．breaking with

14.

A．greedy

B．grateful

C．suitable

D．tolerant

15.

A．mental vitality

B．physical fitness

C．social acceptance

D．face value

3 . “Is this all? Where arc the rest of the presents? ”asked my twelve-year-old daughter, Allison, and Blake, one year older than his sister.

       Money was ________. There was a time when my husband was alive and my children could receive almost everything on their wish lists, but that was not the ________ now.
       “Next year we will celebrate Christmas in a whole new way!” I announced, ________ to teach them a lesson.
       ________ went by quickly. My kids thought I would forget all about their actions on last Christmas. In fact, I ________ agencies and found a family that desperately needed help. There were four children aged three to eight. The father had lost his job and remained ________ since.
       As Christmas ________closer, there were still no presents under the tree. Blake and Allison were ________, and then told the gifts would be given to who truly needed them. The kids weren’t satisfied with the situation, but still prepared things for the family to ________ the winter.
       On Christmas Eve, we reached the house of the family and were welcomed with smiles and homemade bread. We accepted the ________, asking for the recipe, which seemingly delighted the mother.
       The parents let their children put the ________ under a small Christmas tree, where they shook boxes and guessed what was inside. ________, Allison and Blake began joining the children and laughing together. Blake was even rolling a ball with the youngest kid. We all enjoyed the day.
       When saying goodbye to the family, I could tell our visit had ________ Blake and Allison, whose eyes were full of tears that they didn’t let fall.
       The way home was quiet. On arriving, Allison and Blake turned to me, “Thanks, Mom.”
       ________ accomplished. The gifts ________ in my closet could now go under the tree, I thought.1.

A．tight

B．loose

C．enough

D．available

2.

A．case

B．view

C．reason

D．problem

3.

A．moved

B．delighted

C．embarrassed

D．determined

4.

A．Months

B．Years

C．Ages

D．Decades

5.

A．referred

B．arranged

C．promoted

D．contacted

6.

A．addicted

B．separated

C．forgotten

D．unemployed

7.

A．set

B．drew

C．mounted

D．scheduled

8.

A．amazed

B．excited

C．confused

D．frightened

9.

A．last

B．escape

C．survive

D．congratulate

10.

A．treat

B．effort

C．request

D．accommodation

11.

A．toys

B．lists

C．snacks

D．packages

12.

A．Strangely

B．Gradually

C．Generally

D．Extremely

13.

A．struck

B．unified

C．shocked

D．identified

14.

A．Event

B．Point

C．Mission

D．Challenge

15.

A．lost

B．buried

C．trapped

D．hidden

4 . In 1963, at age 65, my grandfather decided to build a new house on his farm. In order to save money, he hired a bulldozer (推土机) to________the old house far out to the________and it sits there to this very day.

We moved in the farm two years after my father passed away. When my wife took one look at the ________house, she________tearing it down. I agreed, but thought it________to check it out first, in case something of value had been________.

I walked into the woods where the old house sat. Most of the windows were________, and the siding was falling off. I entered through an open window. Suddenly, a(n)________on the floor caught my eye. I opened it. It was dated September 1944, when my father was serving in the navy abroad, at the age of 18. It wasn’t hard to read between the________. Here was a(n)________ young man, a kid really, who left his home and fought battles somewhere in the South Pacific. At the________of the page, in underlined print, my father had passed on one last message. Tears________my eyes as I read those words he had so________stressed：“All is well here. Please don’t worry. I am doing fine.”

As I left the old house that day, I took one last________back at it over my shoulder. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I________∶That old house gets to stay there until it rots (腐烂) into the earth.

1.

A．construct

B．break

C．push

D．repair

2.

A．grass

B．woods

C．stream

D．hill

3.

A．lost

B．abandoned

C．big

D．familiar

4.

A．forbade

B．appreciated

C．proposed

D．imagined

5.

A．impossible

B．interesting

C．strange

D．necessary

6.

A．left behind

B．passed down

C．taken in

D．put up

7.

A．cheap

B．gone

C．empty

D．large

8.

A．book

B．wallet

C．umbrella

D．envelope

9.

A．letters

B．lines

C．texts

D．pieces

10.

A．excited

B．nervous

C．weak

D．homesick

11.

A．bottom

B．title

C．back

D．surface

12.

A．burned

B．hurt

C．covered

D．protected

13.

A．calmly

B．proudly

C．carefully

D．politely

14.

A．breath

B．photo

C．note

D．glance

15.

A．promise

B．hope

C．guess

D．decide

5 . Chicago winters are famous for their bitter cold. It is a ________ time to earn a living for the city’s street vendors (商贩). They have been hit hard by the pandemic (疫情) as the population of street shoppers has ________ by as much as half in the city. One Chicago based restaurant owner,Robert Magret,came up with a brilliant and quite ________ idea to help these vendors. He purchases their entire day’s food ________ as a clever way to get them out of the ________. Robert then distributes the food to the ________ for free,turning one good deed into a chain of ________.

Robert has been purchasing truckloads of ________ from Chicago vendors for weeks as the temperature began to fall into the single digits. After he ________ the vendors from the cold weather,he then ________ the delicious bread to the homeless. Robert also uses his purchases to ________ Love Fridges,which are fridges around his city where people can either donate or ________ fresh vegetables and cooked meals.

Robert’s creative idea won great ________ on social media and he immediately began receiving donations from the community. Robert plans to ________ buying out street vendors all winter with the help of donations from kind ________ who have joined him on his merciful mission.

1.

A．specific

B．high

C．good

D．difficult

2.

A．decreased

B．risen

C．grown

D．expanded

3.

A．unique

B．generous

C．common

D．general

4.

A．supply

B．chain

C．cycle

D．support

5.

A．way

B．control

C．question

D．cold

6.

A．surrounding

B．homeless

C．remote

D．neighboring

7.

A．stores

B．reaction

C．kindness

D．safety

8.

A．sand

B．water

C．bread

D．medicine

9.

A．defends

B．prevents

C．forbids

D．rescues

10.

A．conveys

B．donates

C．offers

D．sells

11.

A．stuff up

B．buy out

C．live in

D．set down

12.

A．cook

B．order

C．bring

D．grab

13.

A．reputation

B．attention

C．honor

D．applause

14.

A．cancel

B．avoid

C．start

D．continue

15.

A．friends

B．workmates

C．strangers

D．neighbors

8 . Even when you have confidence in yourself, your goals will sometimes seem out of reach. When that happens, get hold of the people who _________ you and your goals and don’t let go!

When I was younger, I _________ because life felt so hard. I had _________to become a teacher or a business administrator. I knew I needed a college degree, but I had _________ believing in myself. Then a teacher in my high school _________ me. He told me three things: First, if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be _________ to get anyone else to believe in you. Second, never let other people’s _________ to see your brilliance prevent you from being brilliant. And third, despite life’s _________, stick to creating the future you want.

Early in my _________, I was teaching a workshop when a person in the audience yelled out to me. He told me I had __________ made a job choice and had a bright future. This __________ feedback (反馈)came at just the right time, because while the audience didn’t know it, I was __________ self-doubt.

Even now, I __________ myself that I have a bright future. That’s what I tell myself when I __________ success and failure. You have a bright future ahead. Think about this every single day. Remember your talents, skills, and interests. Explore the jobs that interest you, and have courage—and most __________, believe in yourself.

1.

A．refer to

B．depend on

C．learn from

D．believe in

2.

A．quit

B．struggled

C．regretted

D．argued

3.

A．responsibilities

B．dreams

C．opportunities

D．doubts

4.

A．stopped

B．admitted

C．allowed

D．considered

5.

A．tracked

B．recommended

C．accompanied

D．encouraged

6.

A．serious

B．possible

C．hard

D．necessary

7.

A．request

B．unwillingness

C．inability

D．attempt

8.

A．difficulties

B．options

C．aims

D．standards

9.

A．career

B．experiment

C．business

D．recovery

10.

A．foolishly

B．simply

C．wisely

D．bravely

11.

A．original

B．familiar

C．typical

D．positive

12.

A．looking into

B．taking down

C．dealing with

D．pointing out

13.

A．introduce

B．remind

C．guarantee

D．warn

14.

A．experience

B．describe

C．compare

D．limit

15.

A．probably

B．fortunately

C．obviously

D．importantly

10 . Instead of being a pacing-up time, winter is a locking-down time. Winter frees us in all sorts of ways.

I once had a neighbor named Earl. An old-timer and a self-made man, he _________ told me stories about Maine winters in the past. He suggested he had _________ the ice age. He backed up his old stories with _________ of old black-and-white photographs of heavy snowstorms that piled up to second-floor windows and completely _________ cars.

And I’ll never _________ what he said as an end to one of his stories, “A man couldn’t get much done once the snow came.” So what did he do once the snow came? He spent a great deal of time _________ to home and hearth, where he _________ the wood stove, sat with his wife, made pots of coffee, and read by the fire.

As I write these words I occasionally raise my head to _________ the window at the woodpile stacked (堆), the garden harvested, the apple tree _________, the lawn mowed, and the bicycle shed newly roofed.

As I tended to all those things, when did I have time to __________?

Some years ago a friend sent me a quote by Socrates that I try to be mindful of: Beware the fruitlessness of a __________ life.

The advice __________ me to look forward to the coming of winter, because I’ve finally learned that it is a slowing-down time, a gift of rest, a (n) __________ to acknowledge that most of the outdoor work that could be done has been done.

A friend of mine who lives in the Southeast recently called. In the course of our __________ he celebrated the climate where he lives, which __________ him to work outside year-round. “I’m always on the go.” he told me.

But I think I need a good time of winter.

1.

A．gradually

B．excitedly

C．angrily

D．unwillingly

2.

A．struggled

B．explored

C．survived

D．celebrated

3.

A．laughter

B．evidence

C．expectation

D．patience

4.

A．buried

B．struck

C．destroyed

D．supported

5.

A．realize

B．forget

C．recall

D．learn

6.

A．designing

B．improving

C．fixing

D．tending

7.

A．bought

B．controlled

C．built

D．filled

8.

A．look at

B．watch over

C．glance out

D．glare at

9.

A．picked

B．cut

C．planted

D．fell

10.

A．settle

B．arrange

C．work

D．breathe

11.

A．busy

B．happy

C．creative

D．special

12.

A．demanded

B．taught

C．appointed

D．assisted

13.

A．amazement

B．surroundings

C．opportunity

D．ability

14.

A．convenience

B．appearance

C．contribution

D．conversation

15.

A．employs

B．forces

C．enables

D．saves