(1)向同学们发出入社邀请；
(2)介绍口语社的主要活动(如英语演讲比赛、观看英语电影等活动)；
(3)分享本人入社以来的收获。
注意：(1)词数不少于100；
(2)可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯。
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It was a dark and stormy night. The ferocious wind shook the windows wildly, as though someone outside were beating on the glass. It was also New Year’s Eve. We were having our annual party and had a house full of people just starting to celebrate.
Suddenly, we heard loud explosions. Looking outside and up into the hills, we saw sparks(火花) flying from electrical transformers(变压器). One area after another went dark up in those hills. Then there was the loudest explosion of them all and our house went dark too. I tried to find every candle we had and lit them. The candles made everything look lovely. But we had problems. We had fifteen people standing around and we still had to cook dinner. How would we do that without electricity?
The barbecue! Why not cook on the barbecue? We men went outside, some holding flashlights and others cooking. We did a wonderful job. The women stayed inside and got the salads ready. Everything was delicious. There were still a few hours to go before the beginning of the new year, so we all sat around the dining room table and sang up until a few minutes before midnight. We couldn’t watch the ball drop in Times Square on television but that wouldn’t stop us from celebrating. I stood on a chair and, with the help of someone’s watch to tell us the time, we all counted down and I dropped a tennis ball! We all screamed Happy New Year. We didn’t need electricity for that!
Nowadays, we still get together with the same group to celebrate the New Year and we still talk about that special night. I don’t think we have ever laughed so much as we did on that New Year’s Eve.
1. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 1? (1 word)2. What made dinner preparation difficult according to Paragraph 2? (no more than 6 words)
3. How did the people celebrate on New Year’s Eve according to the passage? (no more than 10 words)
4. How does the author feel about that particular New Year’s Eve? (no more than 8 words)
5. What do you think is the most necessary quality when dealing with an unexpected difficult situation? Please explain why. (no more than 25words)
3 . Ralph Emerson once said that the purpose of life is not to be happy, but to be useful, to be loving, to make some difference in he world. While we appreciate such words of wisdom, we rarely try to follow them in our lives.
Most people prefer to live a good life themselves, ignoring their responsibilities for the world. This narrow perception of a good life may provide short-term benefits, but is sure to lead to long-term harm and suffering. A good life based on comfort and luxury may eventually lead to more pain be-cause we spoil our health and even our character, principles, ideals, and relationships.
What then, is the secret of a good life? A good life is a process, not a state of being : a direction, not a destination. We have to earn a good life by first serving others without any expectation in return because their happiness is the very source of our own happiness. More importantly, we must know ourselves inside out. Only when we examine ourselves deeply can we discover our abilities and recognize our limitations, and then work accordingly to create a better world.
The first requirement for a good life is having a loving heart. When we do certain right things merely as a duty, we find our job so tiresome that we’ll soon burn out. However, when we do that same job out of love, we not only enjoy what we do, but also do it with an effortless feeling.
However, love alone is insufficient to lead a good life. Love sometimes blinds us to the reality. Consequently, our good intentions may not lead to good results. To achieve desired outcome, those who want to do good to others also need to equip themselves with accurate world knowledge. False knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance. If love is the engine of a car knowledge is the steering wheel(方向盘). If the engine lacks power, the car can’t move; if the driver loses control of the steering, a road accident probably occurs. Only with love in heart and the right knowledge in mind can we lead a good life.
With love and knowledge, we go all out to create a better world by doing good to others. When we see the impact of our good work on the world we give meaning to our life and earn lasting joy and happiness.
1. What effect does the narrow perception of a good life have on us?| A．Making us simple-minded | B．Making us short-sighted. |
| C．Leading us onto a busy road. | D．Keeping us from comfort and luxury. |
| A．Through maintaining good health. |
| B．By going through pain and suffering. |
| C．By recognizing one’s abilities and limitations. |
| D．Through offering help much needed by others. |
| A．less selfish | B．less annoying |
| C．more motivated | D．more responsible |
| A．When we have wrong knowledge of the world. |
| B．When our love for the world is insufficient. |
| C．When we are insensitive to dangers in life. |
| D．When we stay blind to the reality. |
| A．inspired by love and guided by knowledge |
| B．directed by love and pushed by knowledge |
| C．purified by love and enriched by knowledge |
| D．promoted by love and defined by knowledge |
4 . Is it true that our brain alone is responsible for human cognition(认知)? What about our body? Is it possible for thought and behavior to originate from somewhere other than our brain? Psychologists who study Embodied Cognition(EC) ask similar questions. The EC theory suggests our body is also responsible for thinking or problem-solving. More precisely, the mind shapes the body and the body shapes the mind in equal measure.
If you think about it for a moment, it makes total sense. When you smell something good or hear amusing sounds, certain emotions are awakened. Think about how newborns use their senses to understand the world around them. They don’t have emotions so much as needs—they don’t feel sad, they’re just hungry and need food. Even unborn babies can feel their mothers’ heartbeats and this has a calming effect. In the real world，they cry when they’re cold and then get hugged. That way, they start to as-sociate being warm with being loved.
Understandably, theorists have been arguing for years and still disagree on whether the brain is the nerve centre that operates the rest of the body. Older Western philosophers and mainstream language researchers believe this is fact, while EC theorises that the brain and body are working together as an organic supercomputer, processing everything and forming your reactions.
Further studies have backed up the mind-body interaction. In one experiment, test subjects(实验对象) were asked to judge people after being handed a hot or a cold drink. They all made warm evaluations when their fingertips perceived warmth rather than coolness. And it works the other way too; in another study, subjects’ fingertip temperatures were measured after being“included” in or “rejected” from a group task. Those who were included felt physically warmer.
For further proof, we can look at the metaphors(比喻说法) that we use without even thinking. A kind and sympathetic person is frequently referred to as one with a soft heart and someone who is very strong and calm in difficult situations is often described as solid as a rock. And this kind of metaphorical use is common across languages.
Now that you have the knowledge of mind-body interaction, why not use it? If you’re having a bad day,a warm cup of tea will give you a flash of pleasure. If you know you’re physically cold, warm up before making any interpersonal decisions.
1. According to the author, the significance of the EC theory lies in ________.| A．facilitating our understanding of the origin of psychology |
| B．revealing the major role of the mind in human cognition |
| C．offering a clearer picture of the shape of human brain |
| D．bringing us closer to the truth in human cognition |
| A．Their personal looks. |
| B．Their mental needs. |
| C．Their inner emotions. |
| D．Their physical feelings. |
| A．environment impacts how we judge others |
| B．how body temperature is related to health |
| C．the mind and the body influence each other |
| D．how humans interact with their surroundings |
| A．Human speech is alive with metaphors. |
| B．Human senses have effects on thinking. |
| C．Human language is shaped by visual images. |
| D．Human emotions are often compared to natural materials. |
| A．To share with the reader ways to release their emotions. |
| B．To guide the reader onto the path to career success. |
| C．To encourage the reader to put EC into practice. |
| D．To deepen the reader’s understanding of EC. |
5 . I’m an 18-year-old pre-medical student, tall and good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays to my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that the attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.
Born and raised in Africa，I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I ,a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying “I’m so different!”
What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering (口吃), which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I’d taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.
Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! “Wow,” I whispered to myself, “this isn’t a genetic(遗传的) disorder after all. It’s perfectly normal.” Days later, my life took an-other twist(转折). Searching the internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I’m smart, I shouldn’t allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.
Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host and writer—she’s black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I’m practically filled with shame.
Today, I’ve grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there’s always something fantastic about us, and what we need to do is learn to appreciate it.
1. What affected the author’s adjustment to her school life in Norway？| A．Her appearance |
| B．Social discrimination. |
| C．Her changing emotions. |
| D．The climate in Norway. |
| A．Her lack of self-confidence. |
| B．Her loss of interest in school. |
| C．Her unwillingness to greet her classmates. |
| D．Her desire for chances to improve herself. |
| A．Blessed and proud. |
| B．Confused and afraid. |
| C．Amazed and relieved. |
| D．Shocked and ashamed. |
| A．Great minds speak alike. |
| B．Stuttering is no barrier to success. |
| C．Wisdom counts more than hard work. |
| D．Famous people can’t live with their weaknesses. |
| A．Pride comes before a fall. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Self-acceptance is based on the love for oneself. |
| D．Self-love is key to the attainment of self-pride. |
6 . Getting into college is a big step for high school graduates, and it comes with a lot of changes. For most students, it’s the first time they’re living away from home and managing their own life. Not surprisingly, adapting to this new lifestyle can be challenging. The following four tips will make high school graduates better prepared for college life.
Goal setting
When setting goals, whether they’re academic, career, or personal, re-member they should be attainable but not too easy, so that you really have to push yourself to achieve them, and feel rewarded when you do. Writing down your goals and breaking down each huge, long-term goal into smaller more practical ones can help make it feel more real, and writing out a plan for achieving it can give you a roadmap to success.
Interpersonal skills
At college, you will interact with fellow students, professors, librarians, and many others. Strong interpersonal skills will help you build relationships during this time, and get more out of them. If you feel that your interpersonal skills need some work, practice asking thoughtful questions and listening closely, develop your understanding by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, and enhance your self-confidence.
Studying
With fewer in-class hours and more on-your-own learning, you’re required to really digest learning material rather than simply memorize facts. To be successful in college you’ll need to learn how to integrate large amounts of information obtained through reading, do research, and write papers. Organization is the key, so if you are not someone who is naturally organized, set up your study schedule.
Budgeting
Managing money is a critical life skill, and for many, it is at college that they develop it for the first time. Start by estimating your financial balance. Then give high priority to the expenses on basic needs and determine how much money to set aside every month to cover those costs. Don’t forget about savings…and the fun stuff(movies, dinners out), too.
1. Who is this passage most probably written for?| A．College teachers. |
| B．University graduates. |
| C．High school teachers. |
| D．Would-be college students. |
| A．Divide it into smaller, more achievable ones. |
| B．Reward oneself for each goal one has set. |
| C．Purchase a clear, updated roadmap. |
| D．Push oneself to an upper level. |
| A．prepare complicated questions |
| B．try on someone else’s shoes |
| C．listen to others carefully |
| D．take advantage of others |
| A．Being well-organized. |
| B．Being well-informed. |
| C．Effective reading skills. |
| D．Reliable research methods. |
| A．save money for financial investment |
| B．estimate one’s income and expenses |
| C．set aside money for fun activities |
| D．open a personal bank account |
7 . When I was in sixth grade, I joined the band program to learn to play the clarinet (单簧管). The beginning of the year had gone
From then on, I hated playing the clarinet and I kept getting
The avoidance of my lessons continued until my mum asked me about it. “I want to quit.” My tears started
The next day I met with my band teacher and told her I was having a problem and couldn’t
| A．badly | B．endlessly | C．randomly | D．smoothly |
| A．mess up | B．move on | C．set out | D．take off |
| A．impression | B．essay | C．story | D．factor |
| A．ashamed | B．starved | C．excited | D．relaxed |
| A．crashing | B．moving | C．selling | D．bending |
| A．stricter | B．worse | C．happier | D．smarter |
| A．joy | B．panic | C．doubt | D．sympathy |
| A．funny | B．important | C．easy | D．traditional |
| A．drying | B．disappearing | C．flowing | D．separating |
| A．had a point | B．made a change | C．reached a level | D．took a break |
| A．send | B．bring | C．pick | D．climb |
| A．request | B．resolution | C．presentation | D．proposal |
| A．balance | B．degree | C．position | D．solution |
| A．figure out | B．give away | C．think over | D．make up |
| A．aim | B．smile | C．wave | D．shout |
| A．anger | B．sorrow | C．disappointment | D．surprise |
| A．felt | B．shown | C．removed | D．voiced |
| A．Carrying on | B．Looking back | C．Stepping aside | D．Turning around |
| A．consume | B．examine | C．reflect | D．rescue |
| A．unknown | B．unpunished | C．interested | D．trapped |
| A．for which | B．with which |
| C．for whom | D．with whom |
—________. Actually, she’s very shy.
| A．I have no idea | B．Don’t jump to conclusions |
| C．Don’t mention it | D．There is no doubt about it |
| A．highlight | B．identify | C．ignore | D．prevent |
