1 . My writing career began at the age of ten. That year, my mother gave me my first journal to help me deal with the ______ of my grandmother's death. In many ways, my grandmother was the ______ behind my own writing career.

When she was alive, my grandmother had ______ much emotional pain, but she also knew that writing was her key to ______ . While growing up in Galicia, Poland, during World War I, she ______ both her parents, and then had to care for herself and her eight-year-old sister. She found solace (慰藉) in journal writing.

Many years after her death, I ______ her journal and read every word. The void (空虚感) she had left in my life became stronger as the years progressed and I had my own health issues to ______ , such as being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47. My ______ caused me to write down my grandmother's life story, based

on the ______ of her journal. Although at times the writing was ______ , it did bring me close to her once again and help me more ______ understand her many hardships.

Keeping journals has helped me ______ emotionally. Whether you're ______ by change, loss or pain, finding the time to write is ______ to the healing process. So why not ______ your pen and write down whatever comes to your mind?

1.

A．secret

B．reason

C．suffering

D．place

2.

A．idea

B．inspiration

C．tip

D．instruction

3.

A．described

B．studied

C．forgotten

D．experienced

4.

A．existence

B．education

C．survival

D．dream

5.

A．lost

B．missed

C．left

D．loved

6.

A．picked up

B．came across

C．took away

D．gave back

7.

A．display

B．make

C．explain

D．handle

8.

A．job

B．failure

C．illness

D．confusion

9.

A．contents

B．suggestions

C．demands

D．pages

10.

A．scary

B．painful

C．vital

D．great

11.

A．happily

B．nearly

C．exactly

D．clearly

12.

A．respond

B．succeed

C．struggle

D．recover

13.

A．tracked

B．affected

C．injured

D．punished

14.

A．important

B．close

C．equal

D．related

15.

A．borrow

B．purchase

C．grab

D．throw

2 . Primary and secondary school learners, university students, and guests were invited on Wednesday and were treated to a colorful celebration at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, to mark the beginning of the year of the dragon which officially starts on Saturday. The place featured beautiful decorations with red and gold colors and lucky symbols.

Visitors got an opportunity to participate in cultural experiences including painting, papercutting and pot throwing as well as experiencing Chinese cuisines like spicy hotpot, steamed stuffed buns (包子) , Chinese hamburgers, dumplings and barbecue among others. They were also treated to heartwarming performances including face-changing, lion dance, dragon dance, drumming, Chinese opera, Chinese songs and a talent show featuring Chinese traditional clothes as well as a mixture of Chinese and Kenyan fashion.

Leah Muthoni, a student at the University of Nairobi lauded the Chinese cuisines served at the event, especially noodles and dumplings. She also appreciated the decorations, drawings, pictures and performances. Similar feelings were also shared by George Mwita, another student from the University of Nairobi who greatly enjoyed the pot throwing game.

In his welcoming speech, Professor Stephen Kiama, the vice headmaster of the University of Nairobi who doubles up as the Kenya director of the Confucius Institute, hoped this year will be a good year of development because the Chinese dragon horns represent power and strength, while the drums represent courage and energy.

Kiama said the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi has achieved a lot since its establishment in 2005, including winning the Confucius Institute of the Year Award seven times and pioneering the establishment of the Bachelor of Arts in the Chinese language in Kenya. “Last year, with the joint efforts of the various parties and stakeholders we established the first bachelor of education in Chinese in Kenya and we admitted the first group of students,” he said. Kiama hopes that this year the Confucius Institute will gain more force with the blessing of power, courage and vitality from the year of the Chinese dragon. He said the Confucius Institute offers a good platform for cultural exchange between China and Kenya through events like the Chinese Lunar Year celebrations. Kiama hoped that the relationship between China and Kenya would further be strengthened by the blessings of the year of the dragon.

In Chinese methodology (方法论) , the dragon has the power to control seasons, time and harvests, and it’s seen as a symbol of wealth. The Chinese consider dragons to be powerful. sympathetic, wise, kind and warm.

1. What is spoken of as one of the cultural experiences the visitors participated in?

A．Tasting Chinese cuisines.	B．Writing with brushes.
C．Reciting Chinese poems.	D．Guessing lantern riddles.

2. Which can replace the underlined word “lauded” in Paragraph 3?

A．Mixed.

B．Praised.

C．Delivered.

D．Sold.

3. What is the fact about the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi?

A．It has the biggest number of students in Africa.

B．George Mwita is one of the Chinese teachers there.

C．It has won the Confucius Institute of the Year Award seven times.

D．They set up the first bachelor of education in Chinese in Kenya in 2005.

4. What is the best title for the news report?

A．Kiama considers dragons to be powerful and sympathetic

B．Confucius Institute offers good platform for cultural exchange

C．Kiama wishes year of dragon good for development of Confucius Institute

D．Confucius Institute at University of Nairobi marks year of dragon celebrations

3 . 阅读下面句子，从方框内选择合适的短语．在空白处填入其适当形式.

turn down     in response to       take (one’s) breath away     in store for     on behalf of     contrary to worn out       be worthy of

1. It is said that Guilin’s scenery is beautiful, which ______ the reputation.
2. Before the race, my friend is energetic, but afterwards he is ______.
3. The beautiful view from the top of the mountain ______.
4. There are lots of possibilities that could be ______ us ahead.
5. ______ popular belief, moderate exercise actually decreases your appetite.
6. I am writing ______ the advertisement for a position as a secretary.
7. Tom had to ______ the invitation to the party last weekend because he was too busy.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入l个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

One of the most famous Chinese     1     (painting) in the world is the Qingming Shang He Tu by Zhang Zeduan,     2     court painter (宫廷画师) for the emperor during the Northern Song Dynasty.

The art-work captures the     3     (day) life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today’s Kaifeng in Henan. Its theme is not to show the holiday’s ceremonial aspects, such as tomb sweeping and prayers (祈祷), but     4     (celebrate) the festive, spirit and prosperous (繁荣) street scene at the Qingming Festival.

The entire piece     5     (finish) in the handscroll format (手卷格式) at that time and the content reveals the lifestyle of all levels of society from rich     6     poor as well as different economic activities. The original painting,     7     measures 24.8 by 528 cm, is now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

This long handscroll has three major sections: the right section is the rural area. A country path broadens into a road     8     we can see it eventually joins with the city streets. In the middle, there are businessmen of all kinds,     9     (sell) grain, musical instruments, paintings, medicine and so on. The left half is the urban area where economic activities, such as people loading things onto the boat, shops, and even a tax office,     10     (be) clear enough to be seen.

5 . One day a small gap appeared in the cocoon (茧), through which the butterfly would come out. A boy, who _______ passed by, stopped and watched how the butterfly was trying to _________ of the cocoon. It _________ several hours. The butterfly was trying very hard, but the _________ was as little as before. It seemed that the power would _______ the butterfly soon.

The boy decided to _________ the butterfly. He took a penknife and cut the cocoon. The butterfly immediately came out, but it was very small and _________, and the wings were _________ moving.

The boy continued to _________ the butterfly, thinking that now its wings would __________ and it would fly. ________, that did not happen.

The rest of its life the butterfly had to drag its weak body and wings that wouldn’t unfold. It was unable to fly because the boy did not realize that a(an) __________ to force itself through the narrow gap of the cocoon was __________ for the butterfly, so that the life-giving fluid would move from the body to the butterfly’s wings and that the butterfly could fly. Life forced the butterfly to leave its shell so hard that it would gain the ________ to grow and develop.

Just like the butterfly, if we were allowed to live without meeting difficulties, we would not survive. Life gives us __________ to make us braver and stronger.

1.

A．independently

B．joyfully

C．accidentally

D．absolutely

2.

A．give out

B．get out

C．work out

D．take out

3.

A．saved

B．wasted

C．lost

D．took

4.

A．entry

B．escape

C．gap

D．vigour

5.

A．leave

B．trip

C．leap

D．settle

6.

A．check

B．help

C．move

D．cure

7.

A．neat

B．scared

C．soft

D．weak

8.

A．barely

B．slowly

C．suddenly

D．sharply

9.

A．tend

B．restore

C．defend

D．observe

10.

A．divide

B．perform

C．spread

D．gather

11.

A．Thus

B．Instead

C．However

D．Meanwhile

12.

A．talent

B．effort

C．motivation

D．approach

13.

A．essential

B．rewarding

C．flexible

D．cruel

14.

A．fortune

B．assistance

C．guidance

D．power

15.

A．challenges

B．accidents

C．chaos

D．restrictions

6 . Health, as the old saying goes, is over wealth, so it’s of great significance to keep fit. You can take away our money, our house, or our clothes and we can survive.     1     That is why I eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and keep up my social life.

Eating healthfully is important to maintain one’s health. I try to avoid foods high in fat like French fries or cookies. I also try to limit the amount of animal protein I consume.     2     So, it is important to know how to cook these foods so that the nutrients are not lost in the cooking process.

Our muscles must continue to be strong to support our body as we age. Exercise helps the bones build density and helps us maintain our posture.     3     A regular exercise program of cardiovascular training and weight training is an important part of keeping us healthy.

    4     Studies have shown that people with a wide range of social contacts get fewer colds and recover faster from diseases than those who aren’t socially active. For the sake of health, I like to play and interact with my friends and I always feel better when I am with them than when I am alone.

By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at an appropriate weight and can maintain my health. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy.     5    

A．It can also strengthen our muscles.

B．Take away our health and we will die.

C．Friends are an important part of one’s health.

D．These are my three secrets to keeping a healthy lifestyle.

E．Besides, I always stay away from junk food which lacks nutrients.

F．By joining in relaxing activities, I can refresh myself to study well.

G．Instead, I eat lots of vegetables and fruit which are rich in fiber and vitamins.

7 . 节假日期间，我们总是随处可见挤满了游客的街道。
During holidays, we can always see streets ________ ________ ________ everywhere.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In Mr. Russo’s classroom, excitement filled the air as he announced, “We’re down to our final two spellers!” Jasmine couldn’t hide her joy, confident she was going to win. Finn, her competitor, reached out for a handshake, wishing her good luck. But Jasmine replied with a smile, “Luck has nothing to do with it,” leaving Finn embarrassed.

Then, it was Finn’s turn to spell his word. “Apology,” Finn took a deep breath and spelled, but he got it wrong. Jasmine watched closely, waiting for her turn. When she spelled “apology”, she stressed the letters Finn missed. After spelling the final word “Arrogant” (傲慢), Jasmine was announced the winner.

At lunch, Jasmine couldn’t stop herself from showing off as she walked by Finn and his friends. “How hard can it be to spell a few words?” she bragged (吹牛). Before they could answer, she walked away with pride.

The big day of the spelling bee showed Jasmine a different picture. Surrounded by older students, she started to doubt herself for the first time. She hadn’t thought about the tougher words she might face. A comment from Josh, a fourth grader, that “apology” was an “easy” word, made her worry. “Maybe I should have studied the list of words Mr. Russo gave the class,” Jasmine thought to herself.

As Principal Lopez introduced each of the spellers, cheers from each student’s classmates came from different areas of the hall. When Jasmine’s name was announced, most of Mr. Russo’s class clapped for her except Finn, who seemed to be looking at her angrily.

As the bee went on, Jasmine felt increasingly nervous with each word spelled right by others. Finally, it was her turn. Jasmine walked slowly to the front of the stage, her earlier confidence now mixed with caution. The audience watched, waiting. “Please spell ‘caterpillar’,” Principal Lopez asked.

Jasmine’s heart sank as she didn’t know the word.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the competition, Jasmine opened the classroom door.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 阅读下面短文，选择方框中合适的单词填入空格处。每个词只能使用一次。

A. increase     B. comparing     C. outdoor     D. nature     E. chances F. health     G. environments     H. gentle     I. interaction     J. promoting     K. creative

It’s widely accepted that exposure to a little dirt can be beneficial for health. This idea is supported by many studies suggesting that those who grow up in     1     with various microbes, such as farms, often have lower rates of diseases. This is believed to originate from their regular contact with a variety of microbial life.

In the 1970s, researchers discovered a soil bacterium with features that potentially reduces stress and boosts immune (免疫) response. This finding has contributed to the     2     of interest in the human microbiome (微生物群), leading people to focus on its development and applications.

Christopher A. Lowry, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, suggests the major microbial diversity we encounter is simply through experiencing     3     in person. This interaction is crucial not just for children but adults as well, improving both mental and physical     4    . A Finnish study further demonstrated this by     5     children in kindergarten with either a forest floor or an artificial yard. Those in contact with the natural environment showed stronger immune systems, and the effects were consistent over time.

Researchers conclude that participating in     6     activities like mountain biking, hiking, and gardening not only exposes individuals to these helpful microbes but also helps reduce symtoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Gardening, for instance, offers a healing experience,     7     real connection with the soil as you plant and care for vegetables or flowers.

Moreover, creating habitats that attract wildlife or participating in community agriculture can also motivate one’s exposure to beneficial soil microbes. Websites like U-Pick Farm Locator and PickYourOwn.org offer     8     to participate in farming, even for those without their own garden space.

Getting invovled with soil and nature in     9     ways, such as making mud pies or building fairy gardens, proves effective in mental improvement. It echoes the idea that direct     10     with the earth can be profoundly satisfying and pleasant.

10 . Running marathons is quite a challenge. Yet for Simon Wheatcroft, who ______ his sight at 18, there’s an extra difficulty. However, Simon, now 29, has not only been ______ in marathons for the past two years with the help of ______ runners but has also learned to run alone outdoors.

Simon’s unique ______ involved slowly memorizing a five-kilometre route by repeatedly walking it alone. He used a smartphone app that ______ audio feedback on his pace and distance. It helped him build a mental map of the route and its ______. “I did make a few ______ early on — like running into posts. But I’m going to ______ where that is next time,” he laughs.

At first running was a challenge that required great ______ for Simon. However, it has now become more natural for him. Compared with most runners, he ______ his running style to be more cautious, using shorter and more careful steps to sense the surroundings.

Despite risks of ______ obstacles, Simon values the freedom and ______ running gives him. He believes what he gets from running alone far outweigh any dangers, which has ______ his confidence and provided inspiration to others.

But for Simon the real motivation for his training come from simply ______ competition, giving him an ______ to run with everyone. “I can’t hide the fact I’m blind,” he says, “but meanwhile I would rather compete with everybody else and not be put into a special group.”

1.

A．caught

B．kept

C．set

D．lost

2.

A．competing

B．learning

C．running

D．working

3.

A．volunteer

B．guide

C．competitor

D．top

4.

A．difficulty

B．advantage

C．approach

D．concern

5.

A．provided

B．recorded

C．analyzed

D．received

6.

A．features

B．highlights

C．obstacles

D．landmarks

7.

A．adventures

B．mistakes

C．trips

D．points

8.

A．come across

B．figure out

C．walk into

D．map out

9.

A．concentration

B．ability

C．memory

D．determination

10.

A．recognized

B．adapted

C．described

D．developed

11.

A．dangerous

B．physical

C．unexpected

D．mental

12.

A．independence

B．motivation

C．happiness

D．strength

13.

A．shown

B．developed

C．won

D．shaken

14.

A．fierce

B．friendly

C．casual

D．equal

15.

A．advantage

B．inspiration

C．opportunity

D．objective