1 . The Price of a Dream

I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics.

By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念).

One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother.

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was afraid of this, but my mother said, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.” 

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them,” he said.

I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why I dream of buying my mom a house.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he demanded.

“Three point twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3. 25 an hour the price of a dream?”

That question exposed the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20, 000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother my dream house.

1. Why was the writer grateful to Coach Jarvis?

A．Because Coach Jarvis made him set a goal.

B．Because Coach Jarvis supplied him with new clothes.

C．Because Coach Jarvis gave him financial support.

D．Because Coach Jarvis helped him show conviction.

2. What did the writer want to do when he was offered a job?

A．Balance summer baseball and the work schedule.

B．Refuse the job offer for summer baseball.

C．Give up summer baseball for the job.

D．Ask his coach Jarvis for advice.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined part “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.” in paragraph 4?

A．You must eat the bitter fruit of your own making.

B．Believe in yourself, but above all be patient.

C．You must rely on yourself first, then others.

D．A good beginning makes a good ending.

4. What did the writer do at the end of the story?

A．He failed to buy his mother a house.

B．He succeeded as a sportsman.

C．He became a successful businessman.

D．He made some money in the summer job.

2 . How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.     1     But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1. Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation.

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.     2     You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3.     3    

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4. Let it grow.

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.     4     The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship.

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.     5     Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A．Be cheerful.

B．Do things together.

C．Do not wait to be spoken to.

D．Try not to find fault with your friends.

E．Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F．For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G．So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

3 . A little boy told his mother that there was a teacher-parent meeting in his school. To the little boy’s_________, she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he felt _________of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar (伤疤) that_________nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to_________why or how she got the scar.

At the meeting, the people were _________by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother_________the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed (尴尬的) and_________himself from everyone. He, however,_________ a conversation between his mother and his teacher.

The teacher asked_________, “How did you get the scar on your face?”

The mother replied, “When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of__________, so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked __________but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She __________the burned side of her face. “This scar will be permanent, but until this day, I have never__________what I did.”

At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and appreciated her great __________of sacrifice (牺牲), He held her hand __________ for the rest of the day.

1.

A．enjoyment

B．disappointment

C．surprise

D．sorrow

2.

A．sick

B．ashamed

C．afraid

D．tired

3.

A．included

B．passed

C．covered

D．shaded

4.

A．talk about

B．think about

C．care about

D．bring about

5.

A．impressed

B．shocked

C．excited

D．comforted

6.

A．in honor of

B．in spite of

C．instead of

D．because of

7.

A．hid

B．protected

C．separated

D．escaped

8.

A．understood

B．reminded

C．heard

D．learned

9.

A．carefully

B．angrily

C．nervously

D．anxiously

10.

A．control

B．order

C．danger

D．focus

11.

A．helpless

B．hopeless

C．senseless

D．useless

12.

A．hated

B．showed

C．wiped

D．touched

13.

A．forgotten

B．recognized

C．considered

D．regretted

14.

A．honour

B．spirit

C．happiness

D．pride

15.

A．quietly

B．slightly

C．tightly

D．suddenly

4 . Habits to Be a Highly Effective Student

Some students are able to get straight A’s and at the same time serve as the president of three clubs. However, some students struggle to keep their GPA(grade point average)above 3.0.     1     Although it’s true that everyone’s IQ is different, good study habits are very important. Here are several habits you should adopt to get good grades.

    2     If you haven’t had a “planner”, get one. Many people use their computers and smart phones to make a schedule. The problem with that approach is that they are major distractions(使人分心的事物). Instead, get an old-fashioned paper and pen planner.

Create a weekly schedule.     3     Include time that will be spent eating, sleeping and doing anything not related to schoolwork. That way you know exactly how much you can achieve each day.

Take frequent, short breaks. Taking a break from studying for 15 minutes every hour will help keep you refreshed.     4     If you don’t take a break, you may find yourself daydreaming or even falling asleep. Take some time for some water, a snack or a quick chat with a friend.

Take care of yourself. During the final exam week, it is common for students to fall behind on sleep and meals. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and have regular meals. Studying while you are hungry or sleepy is ineffective and will slow you down in the long run. Also try to make the time for family and friends.     5    

A．Keep things organized.

B．Keep away from your computers.

C．Of course, not everyone needs breaks.

D．And they seem to spend all of their time in studying.

E．Our brains are not meant to work for hours non-stop.

F．Having a good support system will help with all the stress.

G．Then in the daily schedule, make a list of things to do each hour.

5 . She is one of the most_________(有很大影响力的，有支配力的) figures in local politics. (根据汉语提示单词拼写)

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写一段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

A few years ago, the company I worked for sent my wife and me to live in New York for a year. I’ve always loved running, so I was really happy when I found out I lived next to Central Park. This meant that every morning I could go for a run before I went to work.

Because a lot of people had told me to be careful of robbers in the park, so usually I didn’t take anything with me. How could they rob me if I didn’t have anything? But one morning, my wife gave me a S 10 bill and asked me to buy some bread on the way.

It was a beautiful morning and the park was quiet with very few people walking or jogging (慢跑) around. While I was running through the park, another jogger knocked into me. He apologized and continued running. For a while, I didn’t think too much of it. However, when I noticed the wide path where I was running, I thought was kind of strange. The warning of robbers in the park occurred to me. ”It could have been a robber!” I suddenly became alarmed, so I checked my pocket and found that the money was missing. Without thinking twice, I ran after that jogger. I finally caught up and held him by the arm. I shouted, “Give me the $10 bill! Now!” I am not usually a hot-headed (性急的) person, but I got really angry this time. I couldn’t believe the robbery was actually happening to me. Filled with anger, I shook my fist at him. This seemed to frighten him. He quickly put his hand in his pocket and gave me the money. Then he ran away as fast as he could.

I bought the bread and went home. As soon as I got home, I couldn’t wait to tell my wife my story. “You won’t believe what happened to me,” I started with pride. She immediately stopped me, “I know, you left the money for the bread on the kitchen table.”

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Looking at the money on the table, I stood there, shocked.

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7 . The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates( 种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to   90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.

Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.

Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment（发酵）under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.

1. In the first paragraph, the word “pruning” means ________ .

A．regular cutting of the plants

B．frequent watering

C．regular use of chemicals

D．growing the plants high in the mountain

2. One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that ________.

A．they work harder than men do in the picking

B．they can throw their pickings more easily into the baskets

C．their fingers fit them better for the job

D．they can more easily find the twin leaves

3. How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

4. What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce various methods of tea processing.

B．To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.

C．To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.

D．To inform readers of tea growing, picking and processing.

8 . When I was reading a post about taking someone to the movies, something happened a couple of years ago suddenly hit me.

I used to drink Cokes and they had a competition where there was a code inside the bottle cap. You might win something so long as you went to a website and entered the code. I won some free Cokes. But what astonished and delighted me was the Grand Prize I won then.

The Grand Prize was free movies for a year. They pointed out that one movie a week was what free movies for a year meant. All of the tickets were valid(有效的)for one year from the day I received them. So I must use them in the following year. 1 used quite a few taking friends to movies we all wanted to see.

Then I donated 20 tickets(all I had left by that time)to the local Women's Transition House. Women and children could go there when they want to avoid a bad situation in general and get help to make a new start. It was the best thing I did with the tickets.

My workplace team had decided to help people in need, so we collected donations for that particular New Year's Day. I knew that the Women's Transition House provided some childcare for the women so they could go for job interviews and things like that.

I put those tickets in a box and wrote a note on the outside. And I asked the Women's Transition House staff to give movie tickets to women there over the holidays to have some fun to do, with or without their children, which made me really happy.

1. How did the author get the tickets?

A．By visiting a website by chance.	B．By reading a post.
C．By getting a code from a website.	D．By winning the prize for drinking Cokes.

2. How many tickets did the author donate?

A．10.

B．20.

C．30.

D．40.

3. Which of the following best describe the author?

A．Lucky and caring.	B．Strict and careful.
C．Responsible and patient.	D．Brave and kind.

4. Which of the following proverb can best explain the main idea of this article?

A．Actions speak louder than words.	B．Good luck favors those who are always ready.
C．The roses in their hands, the flavor in mine.	D．God helps those who help themselves.

9 . Tianwu has climbed Huashan more than 3,000 times in the past decade. He is a ________, transporting goods up the slopes on his back, for a living. But he is most ________ for his disability: He has only one arm.

He ________ his left am in an accident in 1992 at the coal mine. With two young children and parents to ________, he was working overtime that day when a pulley brake ________ after that he opened a store, but it went bankrupt from too many ________ sales.   ________ his hard work, he was left with nothing but debts. Then he heard about bearers for Huashan Mountain from a friend and thought it would be an ________ job.

His first job was to ________ 30 kilograms of goods to High Ladder: He had a companion who ________ mid-way, but he finished his job with ________ pain in his knees. But as he ________ experience through the years, he has developed his own ________ for climbing the mountain.

Now he carries 60 kilograms of goods up the mountain every day—1 kilogram more than his own body weight. ________, he makes three to four trip s each day to and from. “I ________ each step very carefully and have never had any accident in the past 10 years.” He said.

Being a bearer is a tiresome and dull job in many people's minds, but he enjoys himself. He appreciates and remembers the calligraphy ________ in the rocks and copies them. His favorite one is. “Though heavy snow falls down on verdant pines. the pines still stand ________.” He once said. “I'd like to stay here because the mountain pays my hard work ________.”

“I don't lament for my ________ days and will not fear the future,” He said. The painstaking job has given him a strong ________.

1.

A．carrier

B．guide

C．bearer

D．servant

2.

A．noted

B．famous

C．well-known

D．pitied

3.

A．destroyed

B．damaged

C．disabled

D．lost

4.

A．stand for

B．live for

C．look for

D．care for

5.

A．failed

B．fell

C．disappear

D．broke

6.

A．casual

B．credit

C．chain

D．constant

7.

A．Besides

B．Regardless

C．Except

D．Despite

8.

A．ideal

B．satisfying

C．loose

D．outstanding

9.

A．take

B．carry

C．fetch

D．road

10.

A．stopped

B．paused

C．quitted

D．rested

11.

A．hard

B．intense

C．severe

D．serious

12.

A．received

B．gained

C．established

D．serious

13.

A．way

B．technique

C．procedure

D．assistance

14.

A．Nevertheless

B．Therefore

C．Moreover

D．thus

15.

A．care

B．mind

C．follow

D．watch

16.

A．painted

B．printed

C．written

D．carved

17.

A．straight

B．still

C．high

D．verdant

18.

A．back

B．off

C．away

D．up

19.

A．old

B．last

C．past

D．hard

20.

A．body

B．health

C．heart

D．mind

10 . Fansida Dine

Our menu consists of classic European dishes made from the freshest ingredients with great care paid to every little detail. That is why our dishes can be considered as food art that impresses both vision and taste. Located at Fansida Building, it is near Aljunied MRT.Come and join us here at Fansida Dine for a true blue European fine dining experience like no other.

Pillars Restaurant

Pillars is equipped with a good team with vast experiences in catering. Creativity is what our team of chefs are equipped with to create surprises for customers. Our traditional dishes have also received good and positive comments from our group of customers. With a strong and organized team, we deliver timely and quality services to customers at all times. You say it; we do it.

Char-Grill Bar

Char-Grill Bar has won “Asia’s No.1 Brand Western Cuisine (西餐) Bar”. With its large central kitchen as a support, Char-Grill Bar’s long term goal is to sincerely invite those who wish to own their business in western cuisine to join the chain and set up a shop to progress and grow together.

Ireland’s Potato

Originating from Taiwan, Ireland’s Potato was inspired by the Irish’s passion for potatoes.As there’s an Irish saying, “There are two things in the world that cannot be joked about: 1 is Marriage, 2 is Potato.” Ireland’s Potato firmly support this belief to serve customers.

1. Why can the dishes in Fansida Dine be considered as food art?

A．They have special food design.

B．They are made at Fansida Building.

C．They have many different traditional tastes.

D．They are made from freshest ingredients with great care.

2. Which one is your best choice if you are hungry at 1:00 am?

A．Fansida Dine.

B．Pillars Restaurant.

C．Char-Grill Bar.

D．Ireland’s Potato.

3. Who will pay special attention to Char-Grill Bar?

A．Tom who lives near Aljunied MRT.	B．Sara who wants to become a teacher.
C．Jake who wants to have a western cuisine bar.	D．Lucy who likes eating potatoes very much.