1 . There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world.

But only a few of them are very ___ . English is one of these. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the U.S.A., but in other parts of the world. About 200,000,000 speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a ___   language. Many millions are trying to do so.

Is it easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different ____ Have you ever ___ ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?

“Learn English in six month, or your _____ back ...” “Easy and funny? Our records and tapes _____ you master your English in a month. From the first day your _____ will be excellent. Just send...” Of course, it never _____ quite like this.

The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should remember that we all learned our own language well when we were _____. If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. _____ what a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears. When he is using the language, talking in it, and ____ in it all the time, just imagine how much _____ that gets!

So it is hard to say that learning English is easy, because a good command of English _____ upon a lot of practice. And practice needs great effort and _____ much time. Good teachers, records, tapes, books, and dictionaries will ____. But they cannot do the student’s work for him.

1.

A．difficult

B．important

C．necessary

D．easy

2.

A．native

B．foreign

C．useful

D．mother

3.

A．questions

B．problems

C．ideas

D．answers

4.

A．found

B．watched

C．noticed

D．known

5.

A．knowledge

B．time

C．money

D．English

6.

A．make

B．help

C．let

D．allow

7.

A．spelling

B．grammar

C．English

D．pronunciation

8.

A．happens

B．knows

C．seems

D．feel

9.

A．students

B．children

C．babies

D．grown-ups

10.

A．Imagine

B．Mind

C．Do

D．Think of

11.

A．using

B．thinking

C．trying

D．practicing

12.

A．time

B．money

C．language

D．practice

13.

A．depends

B．tries

C．has

D．takes

14.

A．uses

B．takes

C．gets

D．costs

15.

A．do

B．work

C．help

D．master

2 . Hansen and his 10-year-old son Chase search the streets of Salt Lake City every weekend for the homeless to take to lunch. They started Project Empathy(共情)four years ago to ________a meal, listen to their stories and figured out how they could ________ help.

“Just start with a smile, a hello. It really just starts with that. If you do it, you can make a connection. A small gesture can have a ________ impact on others less fortunate,” Hansen ________ in an interview.

Some of these shared meals have turned into stronger ________ .Ward, a homeless, was ________ in a flat. He credited the Hansens with helping him ________the difficult process of moving off the streets. “It is great to have friends who make us feel ________ and I’m impressed with the pair,” Ward said.

Father and son’s ________have developed into a passion project that ________ faith and community, which emphasizes the ________ community members can have in uplifting the homeless. They know they can’t settle the homeless ________ alone. They’re hoping empathy will ________.

“My hope for the future is to ________ more connection across our country. We could and we will succeed ________ we have other people join in and help the homeless,” Chase said.

1.

A．buy

B．cook

C．share

D．eat

2.

A．often

B．further

C．also

D．even

3.

A．dramatic

B．different

C．minimum

D．decisive

4.

A．remarked

B．praised

C．joked

D．quoted

5.

A．desires

B．connections

C．motivations

D．opinions

6.

A．provided

B．permitted

C．abandoned

D．housed

7.

A．through

B．for

C．despite

D．to

8.

A．surprised

B．relaxed

C．awesome

D．calm

9.

A．dreams

B．influences

C．experiences

D．efforts

10.

A．assesses

B．compares

C．highlights

D．respects

11.

A．importance

B．task

C．chance

D．role

12.

A．argument

B．problem

C．debt

D．conflict

13.

A．go away

B．catch on

C．fade out

D．give off

14.

A．establish

B．miss

C．exchange

D．maintain

15.

A．before

B．if

C．until

D．so

3 . One young person, who was well educated, went for a job as a manager in a big company. The president did the final ________ .

He discovered the youth was ________ and felt satisfied. Then the president asked who paid for his school fees. The youth answered, “My mother did it. She worked as a clothes ________.”

The president requested the youth to ________ his hands. So the youth did. They were smooth. Then he asked, “Have you ever ________ your mother wash the clothes before?” The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to ________.”

“Go and clean your mother’s hands when you go back today, and then ________ me tomorrow morning,” the president said at last.

The youth felt his chance of getting the job was high, so when he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. However, his tears fell ________ he cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. It was the first time he had ________ that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled (布满皱纹的). After that, the youth didn’t say a word and washed all the remaining clothes for his mother________. That night, Mother and Son talked for a very long time, longer than any talk before.

The next________, the youth went to the president’s office. The president noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes and asked, “Please tell me how you ________ about helping your mother.” The youth said, “Number One, I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, I wouldn’t be successful today. Number Two, by helping my mother, I realize how ________ it is to get something done. Number Three, I’ve come to realize the ________ of family relationship.”

The president said, “You are ________. This is what I’m looking for to be my manager.”

1.

A．election

B．test

C．interview

D．competition

2.

A．strong

B．excellent

C．humorous

D．cute

3.

A．maker

B．cleaner

C．mender

D．seller

4.

A．wash

B．hide

C．show

D．dry

5.

A．found

B．let

C．helped

D．watched

6.

A．study

B．ignore

C．work

D．rest

7.

A．move

B．see

C．recognize

D．answer

8.

A．after

B．until

C．because

D．as

9.

A．believed

B．sensed

C．noticed

D．expected

10.

A．quietly

B．sadly

C．excitedly

D．angrily

11.

A．morning

B．noon

C．afternoon

D．evening

12.

A．worried

B．felt

C．brought

D．spoke

13.

A．important

B．difficult

C．different

D．impossible

14.

A．value

B．secret

C．type

D．change

15.

A．educated

B．respected

C．trusted

D．hired

4 . After I graduated from the university, I got so pressured in finding a job. I did a lot of _________ both online and handing in person to a particular company. It occurred, one day I went to _________ my CV (履历) to a certain company and I wanted to meet the human resource manager in person because I believed it was a better _________ than leaving my CV at the reception.

Unfortunately, in this company the _________ did not allow me to see the human resource manager and _________ asked me to just leave the CV with her and that she would _________ it. I was really _________ since I knew she wouldn't do that and my CV will just be thrown in the trash can, I thought so because it usually _________ a lot in some other companies. So I just left with my head _________ and never thought about it again since I knew I would never get any __________ from the company.

Weeks passed and one day I received a call from a(an) __________ number and guess what...it was the human resource manager of that same company. I was really shocked since I did not __________ it at all. So he said he received my CV and that he would __________ it.

I was so happy and felt bad at the same time for __________ the receptionist the other day. This humbled me and it was a __________ to believe in people and not assume things just because of the norm.

1.

A．designs

B．applications

C．preparations

D．examinations

2.

A．hand in

B．give up

C．carry out

D．take back

3.

A．result

B．chance

C．position

D．suggestion

4.

A．lawyer

B．president

C．reporter

D．receptionist

5.

A．thus

B．still

C．instead

D．therefore

6.

A．create

B．share

C．deliver

D．exchange

7.

A．amazed

B．frightened

C．puzzled

D．disappointed

8.

A．fails

B．works

C．changes

D．happens

9.

A．up

B．down

C．aside

D．forward

10.

A．response

B．suggestion

C．project

D．comment

11.

A．familiar

B．important

C．unknown

D．common

12.

A．expect

B．connect

C．value

D．confirm

13.

A．agree on

B．work on

C．refer to

D．search for

14.

A．doubting

B．scolding

C．admiring

D．punishing

15.

A．decision

B．conclusion

C．reminder

D．criterion

5 . Tristin Stewart, 15, of Northern Ireland, has no right knee after undergoing an operation. Now, his right leg connects directly to a right foot backward, which fits more_______than a traditional amputation (截肢).

Tristin said he began experiencing_______in his right leg in 2014, but it was not until last year that doctors diagnosed it as a cancer. The diagnosis and_______operation made Tristin’s parents, Mandy and Shane so worried.

“Tristin was scared firstly before receiving the operation,” Mandy said. “When we went in to see him after the operation, you could_______see that something was not in the right place under the_______, and Shane and I got up the courage to uncover it. That was a very strange sight, but my boy’s life was saved so that’s all that_______.”

In spite of a_______disease, the first in Northern Ireland, the soccer-loving teen is already back on his_______ just months after the operation.

“At the start it was uncomfortable and I wasn’t used to it because of the weight and my foot — you know, it felt_______— but now I’ m accustomed to it,” Tristin told Caters News. “It feels close to normal.”

“I can________with it and I’ve just started a jog,” Tristin said. “Without it, I’d be in a________. I wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

Unexpectedly, many people are now________ money to buy Stewart professional aid equipment so he can________in sports and more physical activities.

“Friends have been just as________, and they haven’t treated me differently,” Tristin added. “And I believe no matter how________ the mountain, there will always be a climb for the people who do not fear the difficult.”

1.

A．comfortably

B．differently

C．dangerously

D．commonly

2.

A．sorrow

B．pain

C．surprise

D．strength

3.

A．expecting

B．leading

C．following

D．increasing

4.

A．gradually

B．sorely

C．obviously

D．fortunately

5.

A．beds

B．covers

C．clothes

D．knives

6.

A．damages

B．matters

C．keeps

D．memorizes

7.

A．successful

B．deadly

C．frustrating

D．rare

8.

A．feet

B．way

C．behalf

D．side

9.

A．great

B．ugly

C．amazing

D．strange

10.

A．study

B．walk

C．swim

D．run

11.

A．bed

B．car

C．wheelchair

D．field

12.

A．raising

B．making

C．stealing

D．printing

13.

A．take

B．give

C．break

D．participate

14.

A．healthy

B．smart

C．hard

D．usual

15.

A．smooth

B．magnificent

C．steep

D．difficult

6 . Last year, I received a special present. My children ________ me a stainless steel coffee machine for my birthday. I love drinking coffee every morning and couldn’t ________ to use it. But ________ I poured my first cup, the coffee spilled (洒出) all over the table. Thankfully, no one was around to see my ________ face! I kept trying, but each morning I ________ be seen wiping up the coffee. Then I realized if I poured very ________, there could be no spilling. My normal ________ was to rush through breakfast to get on with my day. But eventually I learned not only to pour but to ________ the experience: the taste and the stillness of a new day.

It promoted me to ________ upon whether I was rushing through in other areas of my life. So I started to appreciate even the most ________ moments. When shop owners apologized for keeping me waiting, I’d say, “Not a problem. I’m not ________.” I even enjoyed sitting in front of my house talking with ________ and sharing our own stories, ________ we had known each other for a long time. It seemed that the world around us slowed to a ________ we could handle.

Stillness not only slows the pace of life, but also ________ the soul, helping us to enjoy the world’s small pleasures and realize the truth of life.

1.

A．lent

B．offered

C．gifted

D．asked

2.

A．help

B．wait

C．know

D．complain

3.

A．since

B．before

C．as

D．until

4.

A．disappointed

B．delightful

C．amused

D．astonished

5.

A．would

B．should

C．must

D．need

6.

A．quickly

B．casually

C．slowly

D．patiently

7.

A．promise

B．practice

C．tradition

D．standard

8.

A．possess

B．clarify

C．realize

D．enjoy

9.

A．reflect

B．decide

C．react

D．respond

10.

A．difficult

B．ordinary

C．special

D．awkward

11.

A．in difficulty

B．in trouble

C．in a hurry

D．in danger

12.

A．colleagues

B．friends

C．relatives

D．strangers

13.

A．only if

B．as if

C．if only

D．if ever

14.

A．pace

B．stage

C．point

D．occasion

15.

A．explains

B．inspects

C．blesses

D．feeds

7 . More people are travelling than ever before, and lower harriers to entry and falling costs means they are doing so for _______ periods.

The rise of “city breaks” --48-hour bursts of foreign cultures, easier on the pocket and annual leave balance has increased tourist numbers, but not their _______ spread. The same attractions have been used to market cities such as Paris, Barcelona and Venice for decades, and visitors use the same infrastructure as residents to reach them. “Too many people do the same thing at the exact same time,” says Font. “For _______, the city no longer belongs to them.”

This starts with marketing, says Font, who notes that Amsterdam has started advising visitors to seek _______ outside of the city centre on its official website. “That takes some balls, really to do that. But only so many people will look at the website, and it means they can say to their residents they’re doing all they can to ease congestion.”

But it also _______ a better way, it is called “detourism”: sustainable travel tips an _______ itineraries for exploring an authentic Venice, off the paths beaten by the 28 million visitors who flock there each year.

A greater variety of _______ for prospective visitors ------ ideas for what to do in off-peak seasons, for example, or outside of the city center ------ can have the effect of diverting them from already saturated landmarks, or _______ short breaks away in the first place. Longer stays _______ the pressure, says Font. If you go to Paris for two days, you’re going to go to the Eiffel Tower. “If you go for two weeks, you’re not going to go to the Eiffel Tower 14 times.”

Similarly, repeat visitors have a better sense of the __________, “We should be asking how we get tourists to __________, not how to get them to come for the first time. If they’re coming for the fifth time, it is much easier to integrate their behavior with ours.”

Local governments can foster this sustainable activity by giving preference to responsible operator and even high-paying consumers. Font says cities could stand to be more selective about the tourists they try to attract when the current metric for marketing success is how many there are, and how far they’ve come. “You’re thinking, ‘yeah but at what cost...’.”

He points to unpublished data from the Barcelona Tourist Board that prioritizes Japanese tourists for spending an average of €40 more per day than French tourist as a(n) __________ that fails to take into account their bigger carbon footprint. __________ tourists are also more likely to be repeat visitors that come at off-peak times, buy local produce, and __________ to less crowded parts of the city ------ all productive steps towards more __________ tourism, and more peaceful relations with residents.

1.

A．longer

B．shorter

C．wider

D．clearer

2.

A．environmental

B．national

C．economic

D．geographic

3.

A．locals

B．tourists

C．visitors

D．cleaners

4.

A．transports

B．accommodation

C．restaurants

D．service

5.

A．addresses

B．paves

C．proposes

D．receives

6.

A．separate

B．individual

C．alternative

D．objective

7.

A．reform

B．guidance

C．invitation

D．support

8.

A．convincing

B．discouraging

C．preventing

D．resisting

9.

A．pace

B．escape

C．withstand

D．ease

10.

A．culture

B．knowledge

C．entertainment

D．ability

11.

A．take over

B．bring up

C．come back

D．lay off

12.

A．distinction

B．harmony

C．association

D．comparison

13.

A．French

B．Italian

C．Spanish

D．German

14.

A．carry out

B．give into

C．spread out

D．impact on

15.

A．slight

B．complex

C．temporary

D．sustainable

8 . How far would you walk to learn about something that interested you? When he was young,Jacob Lawrence often walked more than sixty___from his home in the Harlem section of New York City to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Jacob wanted to be a(n)___,and he believed that studying the famous paintings___in that museum would help him.

It was 1930,when many people were out of work,money was tight and people suffered a lot.Still the streets were ___with energy and color.As he walked through Harlem,Jacob looked hard at the people,the churches,and barber shops and so on.He___those images in his mind,along with the images of paintings he saw in the museum.

Jacob came from a poor family.His mother believed there was little chance___her son could grow up to be a successful painter.She wanted him to aim for something more flexible.But Jacob’s teacher,Alston,in an art program saw that he was talented.Alston___him how to use paints to make stage sets.

As time passed,Alston let Jacob rent work space in his own studio.That was an exciting place for a young black man ___to become an artist.Many creative people gathered there to talk about art,literature and history.From their___,Jacob learned that history books often ignored the accomplishments of African Americans.He decided to paint a series of pictures describing the story of a black hero.He ____Toussaint,who had helped free his people____French ruling.

Many people admired Jacob’s pictures,but he needed____admiration.To help his family,he often had to work at jobs that____him away from painting.Then something encouraging happened.An artist named Augusta got Jacob a job.For eighteen months,Jacob was given a____to paint pictures.For the first time,he felt like a____artist.

1.

A．steps

B．blocks

C．buildings

D．avenues

2.

A．artist

B．tutor

C．scholar

D．official

3.

A．swinging

B．existing

C．hanging

D．twisting

4.

A．lined

B．decorated

C．associated

D．filled

5.

A．stored

B．received

C．created

D．remembered

6.

A．whether

B．which

C．that

D．when

7.

A．recommended

B．reminded

C．provided

D．showed

8.

A．hesitating

B．struggling

C．marching

D．participating

9.

A．experiences

B．performances

C．accents

D．conversations

10.

A．chose

B．accepted

C．counted

D．employed

11.

A．against

B．from

C．for

D．with

12.

A．more than

B．rather than

C．other than

D．less than

13.

A．broke

B．gave

C．permitted

D．took

14.

A．award

B．title

C．salary

D．prize

15.

A．permanent

B．popular

C．positive

D．professional

9 . Dear Ms Cai，

Thank you for your presentation about virtual reality. We were amazed by RealCine's achievement in ______ users to experience the Himalayas, without ever having to go there. Certainly, no one using it for fun and games will be ______. However, in many ways virtual reality seems more like a toy rather than a useful ______. In this case, we would like you to further ______ how we can use this in urban planning. We are not very ______ as to whether an operator will be able to use RealCine easily.

We are concerned about the price, as well. You put forward the idea that we will save ______ if we use RealCine. This may be true in the long term. ______， the cost of building a VR studio is quite high, and this seems like a real ______. Please send us more information on the daily costs and on how much time a design usually ______ using RealCine. Otherwise, we cannot go forward.

While we are very interested in RealCine, we will need much more information before we can make a ______．

1.

A．forbidding

B．allowing

C．stopping

D．asking

2.

A．embarrassed

B．excited

C．disappointed

D．delighted

3.

A．technology

B．book

C．knowledge

D．computer

4.

A．explain

B．guess

C．decide

D．include

5.

A．interested

B．worried

C．frightened

D．confident

6.

A．life

B．money

C．face

D．trouble

7.

A．So

B．Besides

C．However

D．Also

8.

A．disadvantage

B．danger

C．reason

D．chance

9.

A．spends

B．takes

C．pays

D．devotes

10.

A．mistake

B．difference

C．decision

D．living

10 . The day was Thankful Thursday. It’s a weekly ___________ that my two little girls and I began years ago. Thursday has become our day to go out and make a positive ___________.

My girls shouted “McDonald’s, McDonald’s” as we ___________ along a busy Houston road. Suddenly I ___________ that almost every crossing I passed through was ___________ by a panhandler(乞丐). And then it hit me! All these panhandlers must be hungry, too. Perfect! After we ate, I ordered a (n) ___________ lunches and we set out to deliver them. We would pull alongside a panhandler, make a contribution, and tell him or her that we hoped things got better. Then we’d say, “Oh, by the way … here’s lunch.”

We handed our final contribution to a small woman and then immediately headed back in the opposite direction for home. ___________, the light caught us again and we were stopped at the same crossing where this small woman stood. I was ___________ and didn’t know quite how to behave.

She made her way to our car, “No one has ever done ___________ like this for me before,” she said with ____________. Feeling uneasy, and wanting to move the conversation along, I asked, “So, ____________ do you think you’ll eat your lunch?”

She just looked at me with her huge, tired brown eyes and said, “Oh honey, I’m not going to eat this lunch.” I was ____________, but before I could say anything, she continued, “You see, I have a little girl and she just loves McDonald’s, but I don’t have the money. But you know ____________ ? Tonight she is going to have McDonald’s!”

I don’t know if the kids ____________ the tears in my eyes. So many times I had questioned whether our acts of kindness were too ____________ or insignificant to really effect change. Yet in that moment, I recognized the truth of Mother Teresa’s words: “We cannot do great things — only small things with great love.”

1.

A．tradition

B．ceremony

C．custom

D．habit

2.

A．decision

B．choice

C．contribution

D．plan

3.

A．walked

B．ran

C．wandered

D．drove

4.

A．reminded

B．realized

C．understood

D．thought

5.

A．crowded

B．occupied

C．discovered

D．laid

6.

A．additional

B．expensive

C．cheap

D．special

7.

A．Unfortunately

B．Luckily

C．Unexpectedly

D．Hopefully

8.

A．excited

B．embarrassed

C．frightened

D．annoyed

9.

A．something

B．everything

C．anything

D．nothing

10.

A．amazement

B．fear

C．sorrow

D．amusement

11.

A．what

B．how

C．where

D．when

12.

A．shocked

B．confused

C．pleased

D．worried

13.

A．whether

B．if

C．what

D．that

14.

A．realized

B．felt

C．noticed

D．recognized

15.

A．many

B．small

C．big

D．simple