2 . Once I’d reached retirement age I spent a lot of time travelling to distant countries, and after seeing a documentary on Mount Kilimanjaro, I thought perhaps I should give it a _________.

When I made ________ with my favorite travel company, I was told their age limit for the ________ was 80, and as I was 79 at the time I realized it was a question of now or never! I ________ up and the date I was given meant that if I could make it to the summit (顶峰), I’d arrive on the day before my 80th _________

When I arrived in Tanzania, Africa, I ________ a group of seven ladies and eight gentlemen, all of whom I could see were half my age. I could also tell from the _______ that the man in charge would have been ________ without me, and he gave me strict ________ to always walk immediately behind the leader. I noticed too that he’d asked two of the group to keep an eye on me, as they were ________ checking to see if I was OK.

For the first three days we had excellent weather, and hour after hour we trudged (跋涉) inline, with occasional ________ for toilet and snacks. However, halfway through day four, the boss suddenly shouted my name from the end of the line, and when I _______ in response he yelled, “Norman, you are summit material!”

From then on, no one ________ on me, and on day five we all reached the summit and then ________ to the peak. In spite of the fact that my birthday was a day away, everyone stood together and sang Happy Birthday To You. You could say we’d become a     _________.

1.

A．run

B．reach

C．walk

D．go

2.

A．inquires

B．comments

C．forecasts

D．friends

3.

A．hike

B．cycle

C．climb

D．ride

4.

A．picked

B．signed

C．caught

D．grew

5.

A．birthday

B．celebration

C．anniversary

D．ceremony

6.

A．formed

B．examined

C．obtained

D．joined

7.

A．end

B．start

C．course

D．result

8.

A．angrier

B．crazier

C．happier

D．busier

9.

A．instructions

B．deadlines

C．conversations

D．conditions

10.

A．gradually

B．constantly

C．reluctantly

D．excitedly

11.

A．chances

B．hunts

C．hopes

D．breaks

12.

A．looked up

B．came back

C．turned round

D．hung out

13.

A．checked

B．depended

C．called

D．blamed

14.

A．returned

B．progressed

C．delivered

D．reacted

15.

A．class

B．committee

C．club

D．family

4 . “Jen, do you hike?” Karen asked.

Was she talking to me? “Me? Yes, yeah, I ________”, I told her, whose sun-kissed checks suggested she was a ________.

“Great, do you want to come with us tomorrow morning? We meet in front of Bobbie’s house at 6:30, before it’s too ________, so we won’t sweat heavily. It’s about three miles total. Does that sound okay?”

Three miles. I wasn’t sure how ________ that was, partly because I didn’t hike. I ________ if hiking could be much different from walking. Being new to the town, and excited about an invitation from persons I wanted to befriend, I ________.

The next day, I got up early, showered, washed and ________ my hair. I left it a little messy, so it didn’t look like I had tried too ________. I took time to ________ comfortable “hiking clothes” and I ________ a bottle of water. When I arrived at Bobbie’s house, Karen and other three women was standing there, ________.

“Hey, Jen, I’m glad you came to hike,” she said ________ and hugged me. Then we started walking to the park. We walked rapidly along the sidewalk to the base of the Thunderbird Mountain.

That day, I became a hiker. By accepting the ________ to hike, I stretched myself, and made amazing new ________. I still enjoy hiking with them, and I imagine I will always remain ________ to these lovely women who enveloped me in their circle.

The great thing about new friends is that they bring new energy to my soul.

1.

A．check

B．hike

C．chat

D．answer

2.

A．farmer

B．teacher

C．regular

D．scholar

3.

A．hot

B．cold

C．wet

D．dry

4.

A．high

B．deep

C．wide

D．long

5.

A．suggested

B．wondered

C．promised

D．believed

6.

A．abandoned

B．hesitated

C．accepted

D．refused

7.

A．styled

B．touched

C．hid

D．sold

8.

A．little

B．hard

C．easily

D．gladly

9.

A．donate

B．produce

C．exhibit

D．select

10.

A．turned in

B．brought up

C．held on

D．took along

11.

A．hiking

B．jumping

C．waiting

D．arguing

12.

A．cheerfully

B．Curiously

C．officially

D．angrily

13.

A．message

B．invitation

C．experiment

D．exploration

14.

A．friends

B．neighbors

C．stories

D．theories

15.

A．useful

B．important

C．relaxed

D．connected

5 . After months of preparation, my husband Bill and I flew to China to welcome our new daughter, our 18-month-old angel “Shirley”. But when we picked her up, Shirley missed her Chinese mother so ________ she would barely look at Bill and me. Instead, she’d stand at our hotel room door and ________ for the only mother she had known.

I was so embarrassed that lunch in a restaurant was out of the ________. I was afraid people would think I was a “bad mother.” So I ________ our meals from room service.

One time I chose the noodle plate and tried to use chopsticks for the very first time. The noodles kept ________ off my chopsticks. At this time, Shirley’s screaming suddenly stopped.

Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sitting in the room corner ________ me attentively. And in no time, a tiny hand came into ________, took the chopsticks from my big hand. As I looked up, Shirley — with the chopsticks skillfully arranged in her little fingers — began expertly feeding me noodles, without ________ a single one.

I looked at Bill, who was wide-eyed with ________. “Do you think she would ________ me?” he wondered ________. So, trembling with ________, I asked, “Shirley, will you feed your daddy now?” and ________ to Bob. She nodded “yes” with a big smile on her face!

That meal was definitely a ________ experience. Shirley must have felt that we would ________ without her assistance!

1.

A．intensely

B．happily

C．calmly

D．gently

2.

A．wait

B．scream

C．fight

D．care

3.

A．option

B．solution

C．problem

D．question

4.

A．shared

B．cooked

C．ordered

D．delivered

5.

A．slipping

B．skipping

C．sliding

D．skimming

6.

A．examining

B．observing

C．watching

D．seeing

7.

A．scene

B．view

C．sight

D．vision

8.

A．seizing

B．losing

C．dropping

D．missing

9.

A．relief

B．fear

C．disappointment

D．surprise

10.

A．serve

B．feed

C．guide

D．support

11.

A．anxiously

B．hesitantly

C．hopefully

D．silently

12.

A．agreement

B．excitement

C．embarrassment

D．disappointment

13.

A．explained

B．laughed

C．referred

D．pointed

14.

A．bonding

B．engaging

C．attaching

D．involving

15.

A．suffer

B．settle

C．struggle

D．starve

7 . Steph Morris is a talented UK artist who specializes in hyper-realistic drawings of sneakers (运动鞋). Her works are so true-to-life that even closeups of the drawings are ________ to distinguish from the real thing.

When it comes to sneaker ________, Manchester-born Morris is famous for her unmatched realism. She has always had a thing for sneakers, so pairing up this passion with her ________ talent just made sense. She didn’t ________ plan to make a living out of drawing sneakers. At first, she was more interested in ________ them, as she sought a career in sports. But a number of injuries forced her to ________ her option and come up with a plan B. She ________ a pencil and started drawing the things she ________ most.

“I’ve always loved sneakers since I was a ________so exploring that in my work is very ________.” Morris said. “It was actually a pair of sneakers that I drew to hang on my wall that got me here in the first place. It’s one of my favorite sneakers, and I collected many ________ growing up.”

While ________ as a graphic designer, Morris ________ a phone call from Reebok and was invited to a Future x Reebok event in New York. Since she couldn’t get any ________ off from work, she decided to just ________ her job and take up drawing full time.

1.

A．tiring

B．hard

C．relaxing

D．painful

2.

A．fans

B．stores

C．drawings

D．brands

3.

A．acting

B．athletic

C．musical

D．artistic

4.

A．eventually

B．fortunately

C．originally

D．obviously

5.

A．designing

B．advertising

C．washing

D．wearing

6.

A．ignore

B．reevaluate

C．discuss

D．maintain

7.

A．took up

B．threw away

C．sold out

D．turned in

8.

A．discovered

B．visited

C．loved

D．needed

9.

A．dreamer

B．kid

C．mother

D．failure

10.

A．surprising

B．boring

C．natural

D．stressful

11.

A．sheets

B．answers

C．paintings

D．pairs

12.

A．working

B．learning

C．talking

D．teaching

13.

A．missed

B．got

C．made

D．forgot

14.

A．information

B．business

C．money

D．time

15.

A．quit

B．find

C．record

D．enjoy

8 . I was having coffee with a friend recently when she leaned across the table and said, “No matter what I do as a parent, I feel like I’m being taken for granted. All my child seems to do is shout at me, ________ me or ask me for things. I just feel so ________.”

Let’s face it—parenting is often a ________ job. Before we have kids, most of us have unrealistic ________ of what it’s going to become a parent. Maybe you watched family members ________their kids, or witnessed tired parents in the grocery store whose kids were ________ and thought to yourself, “I’ll never do it that way.” But as every parent eventually finds out that ideal image we have pre-kids is not ________. It’s hard work to raise children, and most of us are ________ trying to do our best.

It’s not easy to set ________, give consequences, and stay consistent as a parent. ________, your child isn’t going to show appreciation to you for doing it. If you’re feeling taken for granted, remember that one of your main ________ is to teach your child to be a responsible adult. And, as every parent knows, this is a tough and ________ job. We have to teach and ________ them how to behave appropriately in each ________. They may not always like it when we lay down regulations, but they ultimately ________ them—not only for their behavior, but because it makes them feel safer. Do remember: their thanks will come later.

1.

A．adjust

B．explore

C．ignore

D．puzzle

2.

A．general

B．unappreciated

C．slight

D．literary

3.

A．thankless

B．mechanic

C．original

D．voluntary

4.

A．responses

B．trusts

C．potentials

D．expectations

5.

A．affecting

B．changing

C．understanding

D．raising

6.

A．giving out

B．acting out

C．sticking out

D．working out

7.

A．reality

B．job

C．process

D．suggestion

8.

A．simply

B．definitely

C．obviously

D．sincerely

9.

A．performances

B．limits

C．shows

D．difficulties

10.

A．However

B．Moreover

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

11.

A．treatments

B．tips

C．goals

D．solutions

12.

A．constant

B．noisy

C．peaceful

D．practical

13.

A．admit

B．warn

C．inform

D．guide

14.

A．decision

B．position

C．situation

D．demand

15.

A．deliver

B．calculate

C．need

D．deny

9 . 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