3 . One morning, I was jogging and I noticed a person in front of me about 1/4 mile. I could _______ that he was running a little slower than me and I thought, “Very well, I shall try to _______ him.” I had about a mile to go _______ I needed to turn off, so I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was _______getting closer to him just a little bit. Just a few minutes later, I was only about 100 yards from him, so I really sped up, _______I was running the last lap of London Olympic competition. I was determined to keep up with him. Finally, I did _______ it! I caught and passed him. I really felt good, “I_______him.” Of course, he didn't ever know we were racing.

After passing him, I realised I had been so focused on competing against him that I had _______my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go back. Isn't it what happens in our _______when we focus on competing with classmates, co­workers, neighbours, friends, family, trying to outdo (胜过) them or trying to ________ that we are more important or more successful?

In reality, we spend our time and ________running after other people and we miss out on our own paths to our given destinies (命运). The ________ with unhealthy competition is that it's a never ending cycle. There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with ________ grades or a more satisfying job, more education, a nicer car, more money in the bank, etc. But be ________that we can be the best. We are competing with no one. Take what we have been ________, the height, weight and personality. We should feel lucky with them and stay focused and live a healthy life.

1.

A．forget

B．tell

C．admit

D．argue

2.

A．fool

B．warn

C．catch

D．encourage

3.

A．before

B．because

C．once

D．although

4.

A．secretly

B．finally

C．possibly

D．gradually

5.

A．ignoring

B．doubting

C．thinking

D．announcing

6.

A．find

B．remember

C．make

D．control

7.

A．beat

B．hit

C．meet

D．defend

8.

A．took

B．changed

C．valued

D．missed

9.

A．life

B．plan

C．mind

D．dream

10.

A．promise

B．explain

C．prove

D．predict

11.

A．energy

B．dream

C．wealth

D．health

12.

A．problem

B．possibility

C．requirement

D．influence

13.

A．lower

B．better

C．further

D．deeper

14.

A．satisfied

B．afraid

C．confident

D．curious

15.

A．given

B．provided

C．taken

D．used

4 . I was on a train to another city when I started a(n)_______with a young man near to me. From what he said, I_______that he came from a farming family. He was_______enough to give me a window seat, help a co-passenger when he dropped his coffee, etc. These small_______showed he was a good person! 

I was lost in reading a biography(自传)on Arnold Schwarzenegger. He has played a huge role in my life_______I haven’t met him. Reading a_______about him is fun.  

Now my co-passenger_______to see the book, so I handed it to him. From the train window, I_______him reading carefully. Towards the end of the trip, I even saw him_______something about the book and asked me where he could buy it.  

“You can________ it,” I said. “This is the second time that I’ve read it anyway.” 

Actually it was last weekend that I bought it! I loved it so much and how I________to hold on to it myself!________, his kindness taught me that I should do something too. “Wow,” the man said to me. “This is really________. Thank you so much. ” 

“No problem. Don’t worry about it. ”

I got off and walked into the new city with a sense of________. I did not regret giving the book to him as I believed ________each other is a good thing.

1.

A．quarrel

B．discussion

C．interview

D．conversation

2.

A．wished

B．knew

C．remembered

D．wondered

3.

A．proud

B．clever

C．kind

D．brave

4.

A．acts

B．words

C．tricks

D．gifts

5.

A．until

B．because

C．though

D．if

6.

A．text

B．book

C．note

D．magazine

7.

A．agreed

B．continued

C．stopped

D．asked

8.

A．saw

B．felt

C．guessed

D．imagined

9.

A．crossing out

B．picking up

C．thinking about

D．writing down

10.

A．read

B．keep

C．buy

D．return

11.

A．hoped

B．decided

C．refused

D．managed

12.

A．Still

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Finally

13.

A．unbelievable

B．funny

C．common

D．impossible

14.

A．humor

B．disappointment

C．joy

D．loss

15.

A．meeting

B．helping

C．admiring

D．praising

5 . As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their games. I cheered as hard for victory as they did. A dramatic _________, however, following a game in which I was a referee (裁判), changed my _________ on victories and defeats.

It was a league championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High. New Rochelle was _________ by Dan O’Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was _________, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and _________ competed. Yonkers was _________ by one point as I glanced at the clock and discovered there were but 10 seconds left to play. New Rochelle, the home team, took _________ of the ball, passed off and shot. The ball _________ around the rim (篮筐边沿) and off. The fans yelled. New Rochelle recovered the ball, and tapped it in for what looked like victory. The noise was _________.

I looked at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn’t heard the final buzzer (终场哨) because of the noise. I __________ with the other official, but he could not help me. So, I __________ the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Sir, the buzzer __________ before the final tap­in was made.” Yonkers won!

I had to tell O’Brien the sad news. His face __________. The young timekeeper came up and said, “I’m sorry, Dad. The time ran out before the final basket.” __________, like the sun coming out from a cloud, O’Brien’s face lit up. He said, “that’s okay, Joe. You did what you had to. I’m proud of you.” The two of them then walked off the __________ together, the coach’s arm around his son’s shoulder.

1.

A．conversation

B．incident

C．gesture

D．challenge

2.

A．view

B．attitude

C．theory

D．impression

3.

A．organised

B．represented

C．imagined

D．coached

4.

A．crowded

B．cleared

C．shaken

D．arranged

5.

A．happily

B．closely

C．smartly

D．freely

6.

A．moving

B．progressing

C．leading

D．shooting

7.

A．control

B．place

C．care

D．need

8.

A．stuck

B．fell

C．turned

D．rolled

9.

A．annoying

B．amazing

C．thrilling

D．deafening

10.

A．examined

B．watched

C．researched

D．checked

11.

A．criticised

B．approached

C．interviewed

D．reminded

12.

A．broke down

B．faded away

C．went off

D．carried on

13.

A．clouded over

B．softened up

C．sweated over

D．wrinkled up

14.

A．Certainly

B．Similarly

C．Fortunately

D．Suddenly

15.

A．court

B．course

C．track

D．field

8 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Three months ago, I moved to Italy with my parents. One day, after playing badminton, I was about     1    (leave) the club when I saw Amma. She’s an old lady in her late 60s, and she is responsible     2     cleaning the floor of the club. At that time, she was talking to the boss of the club,     3    (ask) for some cash. Her hand was in pain and she wanted     4    (see) the doctor. The boss gave her some excuses and escaped     5    (quick).

I felt bad for her.     6     I had never talked with Amma before, I walked to her and opened my wallet. I knew I didn’t have much money, but I gave her whatever I had in my wallet. In my     7    (break) Italian, I tried to say “Amma, please take the money and see a doctor”, but I didn’t know if my     8    (express) was correct. She seemed to have understood me and said “Thank you!”.

When I went to a nearby restaurant for dinner, surprisingly I found one bill,     9     was more than enough for my meal.     10     next day, I came across Amma, and even though it was very dark in the street, she recognized me and waved to me.

9 . I should go to university on a scholarship because I came from a low-income family. However, a last-minute &100-a-year pay __ for my mum pushed my family over the threshold (门槛) for what defined “low-income”. I was suddenly no longer __ a scholarship of ￡15,000 a year.

I wouldn’t __ any financial support from my family as all the income went towards paying their own bills. However, I decided to go to university because I had some __. After paying my fees, I had ￡10.20 a week for everything else.

I bought a cup of coffee in a coffee shop before shopping for my food. I still had a ￡20 note with me. It wasn’t until I was at the supermarket that I realized the note was __. As it was the equivalent of two weeks’ expenses (开支), I was __.

As my last __, I called the coffee shop to ask if they saw it, saying I knew it was __, but I wanted to ask if it was __ by someone because money was tight (不宽裕的) for me. The cashier said, “We were lucky to have __ it!” She handed me a shiny new note. But mine was an old worn one. She told me that they gave mine to somebody else for change and asked me to take the new one.

At her __, I left with the money. It wasn’t until later that I realized they were __ trying to help out a student who was __ with the coffee shop’s own money. Now I’ve graduated and landed a good job. The cost of coffee no longer __ me. I go to the coffee shop regularly; I’m definitely a __ for life!

1.

A．cut

B．rise

C．trouble

D．drop

2.

A．interested in

B．satisfied with

C．suitable for

D．doubtful about

3.

A．receive

B．need

C．refuse

D．return

4.

A．goods

B．savings

C．presents

D．rewards

5.

A．falling

B．missing

C．changed

D．checked

6.

A．tired

B．serious

C．ashamed

D．upset

7.

A．desire

B．request

C．effort

D．excuse

8.

A．unlikely

B．uncontrollable

C．unreasonable

D．unnecessary

9.

A．picked out

B．put aside

C．handed in

D．left behind

10.

A．found

B．hidden

C．cleaned

D．lent

11.

A．invitation

B．insistence

C．consideration

D．guidance

12.

A．mistakenly

B．patiently

C．probably

D．hardly

13.

A．struggling

B．progressing

C．guessing

D．complaining

14.

A．attracts

B．bothers

C．delights

D．shocks

15.

A．shopkeeper

B．neighbor

C．viewer

D．customer

10 . In 2007, Jamie Whitmore was considered one of the most successful athletes in America. She was a six-time USA champion for XTERRA racing, a two-time European tour champion, and held a world title.

Everything changed during a triathlon that seemed like so many others she had conquered. As a professional athlete, Jamie Whitmore was used to suffering, but she never imagined the pain in her leg could be a deadly cancer.

After a friend recommended she go to the University of California, San Francisco, Whitmore took his advice and was quickly admitted. What doctors found during surgery shocked them all: Whitmore had spindle cell sarcoma, a soft tissue tumor that can start in the bone, and the tumor was wrapped around her sciatic nerve and touching several vital organs. They couldn’t cut it out for fear of bursting the tumor.

When she heard the diagnosis for the first time, Whitmore said time stood still. “I couldn’t breathe. They were talking about treatment and I just started crying and saying ‘I don’t want to die. ’” Finally, the doctors enlisted the help of several specialists to remove the tumor. Whitmore developed sepsis(败血症) from the surgery and endured a grueling two-month recovery. When she began to feel sick again, Whitmore was certain her cancer was back. Instead, doctors gave her unexpected news: She was pregnant—with twins. “That was a whole other freak-out,” Whitmore recalls.

Jamie Whitmore isn’t used to slowing down. She has never met a challenge she couldn’t overcome, whether it was an XTERRA mountain bike race—or cancer. Today, Whitmore is a mother of two sons and cancer-free. She’s competing again, and has won a gold medal in the Paralympics, nine world titles, and has set two world records. She travels as a motivational speaker when she’s not spending time with her sons. Whitmore has some words of advice for others with limitations: “Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Some doctors told me I would never ride anything more than a stationary bike. And yet I rode my mountain bike 104 miles climbing from 9, 000 feet to 14, 000 feet. People with two good legs have fallen short of that task!You just can’t give up. ”

1. When learning about her cancer, what did Jamie feel?

A．Sad and scared.	B．Ashamed and regretful.
C．Annoyed and frightened.	D．Astonished and inspired.

2. Why couldn’t the doctors cut out the tumor at first?

A．Because Jamie was against the plan.

B．Because Jamie was pregnant with twins.

C．Because it was developing too quickly.

D．Because it was near several important organs.

3. The underlined word “freak-out” refers to 　　　.

A．something demanding	B．something rewarding
C．something unusual	D．something meaningful

4. What is the purpose of Jamie’s traveling as a motivational speaker?

A．To build up her character.

B．To inspire those with limitations.

C．To spend more time with her children.

D．To earn more money in her spare time.