1 . The hurricane made my father and me homeless. It was lunchtime. However, we had nowhere to cook. Even worse, we were _________ at the moment. Approaching the door of a small restaurant in poor clothes, we _________ to enter it. A diner at the restaurant _________ us and then continued his lunch silently.

After deciding to put the bill to our account, _________ my father and I went in. Our conversation was about the power of a positive mindset, miracles, saving for future dreams and just life in general.

The waiter _________ my attention halfway through our meal and pointed towards the _________ saying something to us, but I didn’t _________ him at first because he was behind the counter which was a fair _________ away so he walked over to us and asked if we knew the guy walking out.

Feeling embarrassed, I said no and his reply was “Oh, he just _________ your table.” Dad and I were completely __________. We tried to __________ who the person was to say thank you but by the time I turned around, he had already gone.

I asked the waiter how it __________ and he said he just asked to put our bill with his, without giving any __________.

There are beautiful souls in the world that spread __________. As my father and I talked, when you __________ miracles, miracles will happen.

1.

A．hopeless

B．fearless

C．penniless

D．speechless

2.

A．hesitated

B．intended

C．volunteered

D．determined

3.

A．hugged

B．eyed

C．joined

D．reminded

4.

A．obviously

B．finally

C．unwillingly

D．proudly

5.

A．caught

B．controlled

C．removed

D．appreciated

6.

A．table

B．counter

C．menu

D．exit

7.

A．hear

B．notice

C．ban

D．disturb

8.

A．stage

B．distance

C．length

D．area

9.

A．gave away

B．cleared up

C．paid for

D．referred to

10.

A．inspired

B．discouraged

C．offended

D．amazed

11.

A．set out

B．point out

C．find out

D．try out

12.

A．happened

B．worked

C．changed

D．improved

13.

A．process

B．signature

C．explanation

D．prediction

14.

A．honor

B．kindness

C．faith

D．pride

15.

A．defend

B．expect

C．surround

D．create

2 . On several occasions, I arrived at the Starbucks drive-through window only to find my bill already paid by a kind stranger. _________, I now keep an eye on my rearview mirror, looking for some one _________ this gesture.

One morning, I spotted a (n) _________ middle-aged woman in a shiny sports car behind me. I smiled to myself, “No way does she need me to buy her coffee!” But somehow a voice _________ inside that I should. And so I did. I knew I had trusted that little voice and that was all that really _________.

When I returned to my car, the lady was there. “Hi,” she said. “Thank you for the coffee. I never _________ that.”

“You're welcome. I was just‘ _________.”

Surprisingly, she _________ to cry, revealing her struggle with _________ bankruptcy (破产) following a business crisis and the recent _________. of her son due to cancer. “I needed a (n) _________ that everything would work out. When you bought my coffee this morning, I knew that was it.” Now I was the one who was choking back tears. I told her that I could _________ her suffering. I, too, had recently lost my son.

I sat in my car for a while, my heart kind of _________. I believe I gave her much more than a cup of coffee. Next time I am in the drive-through and feel the __________ to pay it forward— there will be no _________.

1.

A．Repeatedly

B．Frequently

C．Typically

D．Consequently

2.

A．deserving

B．rewarding

C．starving

D．sharing

3.

A．exhausted

B．proud

C．elegant

D．weepy

4.

A．insisted

B．required

C．begged

D．claimed

5.

A．remained

B．mattered

C．existed

D．succeeded

6.

A．ordered

B．expected

C．proposed

D．demanded

7.

A．stopping by

B．taking care

C．dealing with it

D．paying it forward

8.

A．failed.

B．happened

C．proceeded

D．prepared

9.

A．potential

B．practical

C．optional

D．illegal

10.

A．treatment

B．loss

C．suffering

D．condition

11.

A．excuse

B．response

C．sign

D．decision

12.

A．appreciate

B．ease

C．share

D．handle

13.

A．sinking

B．broken

C．shouting

D．stirred

14.

A．duty

B．determination

C．strength

D．urge

15.

A．regret

B．hesitation

C．concern

D．sorrow

3 . Goldie’s Secret

She turned up at the doorstep of my house. No way could I have sent her away. No way. Maybe someone had _________ her out of their car the night before. “We’re moving house.” “No _________ for her any more with the new baby coming.” People find all sorts of excuse for _________ an animal.

She was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen. I called her Goldie. She was so unsettled during those first few days, hardly able to eat anything and had such a(an) _________ of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner’s. But eventually at the end of the first week she _________. Always by my side, whether we were out or sitting by the fire.

That’s why it was such a _________ when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very _________. Eventually I couldn’t hold her any longer and she _________ down the road towards a farmhouse.

By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and _________ with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies I started to __________ them. “Oh! Honey, I can’t believe my eyes!” cheered the woman at the door. “I took her for (a) __________ one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.” She explained to me. “She must have tried to come back and got __________,” added a boy from behind her, eyes sparkling __________.

I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I’ve got Nugget now, and she looks just like her __________. And I’ve learnt a good lesson: not to __________ people.

1.

A．kicked

B．invited

C．asked

D．knocked

2.

A．confidence

B．food

C．space

D．security

3.

A．hurting

B．buying

C．selling

D．abandoning

4.

A．case

B．tone

C．air

D．status

5.

A．sat down

B．calmed down

C．broke down

D．slowed down

6.

A．shock

B．comfort

C．delight

D．terror

7.

A．restless

B．helpless

C．annoyed

D．scared

8.

A．took off

B．showed off

C．kept off

D．raced off

9.

A．bored

B．upset

C．patient

D．thrilled

10.

A．devote

B．confirm

C．understand

D．greet

11.

A．show

B．walk

C．sale

D．tour

12.

A．injured

B．killed

C．lost

D．trapped

13.

A．with care

B．with joy

C．in astonishment

D．in terror

14.

A．fellow

B．owner

C．friend

D．mother

15.

A．judge

B．expect

C．tease

D．observe

4 . In one of my classes today we discussed the question of how our lives would be without a mobile phone. I actually felt quite sad to hear how some kids cannot _______ without their phones these days. _______, I think nowadays we are _______ by our technology to keep up. So let’s see some of the points that _______ in the discussion and see if our generation really is addicted to electronic connections rather than true communication. 

It is true that everything works at a fast pace these days. For example, you can contact someone who lives on the other side of the world within _______. This is great if you think about how connected we can stay to the _______ who are far away from us. However, on the contrary, can we be too connected to the people who are _______ to us? An argument arose about the _______ that it is easier to message someone from your sofa than to meet them _______ and talk. Social skills are important to have and if you are not going to put effort into real-life __________, then you are not going to progress in this ability. 

Another point was that phones are very handy for __________ something that you are wondering about. For example, if you don’t know a word in another language, you can quickly and simply use an on-line translator to help you out. This can be very __________ in many situations, but it can also make a person dependent on the __________ to help with anything. 

All in all, this question is very interesting to __________ for oneself as we become day by day more dependent on technology. We should realize how much we really need to be connected by our phones while considering the __________ and damages it can cause us.

1.

A．affect

B．survive

C．succeed

D．perform

2.

A．Personally

B．Specially

C．Entirely

D．Gradually

3.

A．suffered

B．helped

C．controlled

D．advised

4.

A．came up

B．came across

C．came down

D．came on

5.

A．seconds

B．hours

C．days

D．months

6.

A．customers

B．teachers

C．students

D．people

7.

A．distant

B．close

C．necessary

D．kind

8.

A．direction

B．wish

C．fact

D．suggestion

9.

A．in person

B．in advance

C．with surprise

D．with joy

10.

A．style

B．communication

C．expression

D．argument

11.

A．looking after

B．looking back

C．looking up

D．looking out

12.

A．grateful

B．peaceful

C．painful

D．helpful

13.

A．textbook

B．dictionary

C．Internet

D．newspaper

14.

A．forecast

B．consider

C．judge

D．select

15.

A．benefits

B．skills

C．doubts

D．evidences

6 . A few years ago, I walked into Panera and placed my order. After I paid and filled my plastic cup with water, I walked further into the cafe. As I sat down, I ________ an older man eating his soup alone. The chair in his front was ________: he wasn’t saving the seat. He was genuinely eating all alone. As this fact settled in, a feeling of sadness began to ________ me. Why was he eating alone? Was he lonely?

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt ________ when spotting someone eating alone. I ________ assume they’re lonely and need someone to be there for them. For some reason, eating with others is the ________. Modern society has evolved to the point ________ most people do almost every activity together. If we’re getting lunch after class, we’d rather ________ to see if someone will come with us. But is it possible we just don’t want to appear lonely?

Many people are always ________ someone else, and that may make people think we always need someone with us to feel ________ about ourselves. But that’s not true. We can enjoy being alone— not everyone needs to be ________ surrounded by friends to be happy. And we shouldn’t be ________ to eat alone if that’s what we want to do.

I don’t think I’ll ever not get sad if I see someone eating alone, but I’ll ________ in mind that maybe they just want a ________ from the world, or maybe they prefer it that way. It’s important to ________ seeing someone doing something alone doesn’t always mean they’re lonely.

1.

A．recognized

B．noticed

C．examined

D．disturbed

2.

A．delicate

B．unique

C．valuable

D．empty

3.

A．respond to

B．belong to

C．reflect on

D．wash over

4.

A．sad

B．desperate

C．dizzy

D．exited

5.

A．precisely

B．automatically

C．cruelly

D．selfishly

6.

A．liberation

B．misery

C．norm

D．solution

7.

A．which

B．where

C．what

D．when

8.

A．break down

B．leave behind

C．get away

D．ask around

9.

A．against

B．beyond

C．around

D．within

10.

A．better

B．prouder

C．nobler

D．gentler

11.

A．constantly

B．dynamically

C．decently

D．fortunately

12.

A．blank

B．determined

C．delighted

D．afraid

13.

A．refresh

B．keep

C．absorb

D．decide

14.

A．guarantee

B．reputation

C．break

D．reward

15.

A．realize

B．promote

C．recall

D．convey

7 . Gurnah, growing up in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.

He is the first Black writer _________ the prize since Toni Morrison in 1993, and some observers saw his _________ as a long delayed corrective (矫正)after years of European and American Nobel laureates (获得者). In his 10 novels, Gurnah has often explored the _________ of exile(流放), identity and belonging. They _________“Memory of Departure” “Pilgrims Way” and “Dottie,” which all deal with the immigrant(移民)experience in Britain.

Gurnah’s first language is Swahili, but he _________ English as his literary language. He drew on the imagery and stories from the Quran, _________ from Arabic and Persian poetry, particularly “The Arabian Nights.” The news of Gumah’s Nobel _________ by fellow novelists and academics who have long argued that his _________ deserve a wider audience.

Gurnah was born in Zanzibar, which is now _________ of Tanzania, in 1948. Then, in 1964, he fled to England. __________ , poor, homesick, he began to write scraps(片段)in his diary, then __________ entries, then stories about other people. In his 20s, he started __________ fiction. Then he finished his first novel, “Memory of Departure,” about a young man who flees a failed uprising, at the same time he was writing his Ph. D. dissertation(论文). __________, he became a professor of English.

Though Gurnah hasn’t lived in Tanzania since he was a __________, his homeland always inspires him of his imagination. __________, he said “my homeland always asserts myself in my imagination, even when I deliberately try to set my stories elsewhere”.

1.

A．to confirm

B．to receive

C．to search

D．to appreciate

2.

A．section

B．selection

C．collection

D．consultation

3.

A．themes

B．opinions

C．passages

D．suggestions

4.

A．explode

B．conclude

C．provide

D．include

5.

A．adopted

B．advised

C．adapted

D．affected

6.

A．as much as

B．as well as

C．as long as

D．as often as

7.

A．was awarded

B．was discussed

C．was celebrated

D．was suspected

8.

A．jobs

B．works

C．labors

D．careers

9.

A．part

B．name

C．home

D．country

10.

A．Admirable

B．Respectable

C．Fashionable

D．Miserable

11.

A．higher

B．stronger

C．heavier

D．longer

12.

A．reading

B．hearing

C．writing

D．watching

13.

A．Frontwards

B．Forwards

C．Backwards

D．Afterwards

14.

A．writer

B．teenager

C．scholar

D．professor

15.

A．As a result

B．At the same time

C．On the other hand

D．In his own word

8 . Christy was helping Mum sort through boxes they’d found in their new home. “Look,” she held up an old photo. “It says Mabel beside Dream Lake, summer 1910.” It looked so _________. Christy asked if she could _________ it. Mum agreed, adding that Mabel was once the owner of the house, but she didn’t know about the _________.

Now Christy had a puzzle to _________. Where was Dream Lake? The next morning, Christy went to the local _________, where she looked through _________ of the town. They showed streets, businesses, but no lakes. Back home, while she was staring out of her bedroom window, a(n) _________ scene hit her. Christy quickly _________ Mabel’s photo and ran outside. In its _________, a steeple (尖塔) rose above a border of short trees. It looked much like the one now visible above the line of trees of her backyard. “Mum!” shouted Christy. “It’s the same steeple. This picture was taken in our __________!”

Mum hurried outside to look. “Yeah, the trees have __________ grown, but it’s the same steeple. But where’s the lake?” They finally turned to the historical society. But no one there had ever heard of such a lake. And all the __________ proved useless.

“I don’t __________ it,” said Christy in confusion.

That night, __________ came down and cooled the air. Early the next morning, Christ y woke up and looked out of her window. “Dream Lake!” yelled Christy. “We __________ the puzzle, Mum!”

1.

A．miserable

B．contemporary

C．vibrant

D．historical

2.

A．keep

B．hang

C．maintain

D．reproduce

3.

A．lady

B．time

C．lake

D．photo

4.

A．turn to

B．work out

C．worry about

D．take up

5.

A．library

B．laboratory

C．monument

D．gallery

6.

A．posters

B．maps

C．films

D．journals

7.

A．fabulous

B．alien

C．odd

D．familiar

8.

A．wrapped

B．unfolded

C．grabbed

D．submitted

9.

A．composition

B．reflection

C．background

D．frame

10.

A．town

B．garage

C．neighbourhood

D．backyard

11.

A．truly

B．abruptly

C．gradually

D．merely

12.

A．sufferings

B．searches

C．concepts

D．assumptions

13.

A．make

B．fancy

C．believe

D．get

14.

A．snow

B．rain

C．wind

D．fog

15.

A．solved

B．found

C．completed

D．proved