1 . Now that we have briefly explored the history of the short story and heard from a few of its creators, let us consider the role of the reader. Readers are not empty vessels that wait, _______ raised, to receive a teacher’s or a critic’s interpretation. They bring their unique life experiences to the story. With these_______ , the best readers also bring their attention, their reading skills, and most importantly, their_______ to a reading of a story.

My students always_______ me to discuss, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the stories we read without destroying the excitement of being beamed up into another world. For years I _______with one response after the other to this challenge. Then one day I read an article by a botanist who had explored the beauty of flowers by x-raying them. His illustrations showed the rose and the lily in their_______ beauty, and his x-rays_______the wonders of their construction. I brought the article to class, where we discussed the benefits of examining the internal structure of flowers, relationships, current events, and short stories.

A short story, _______ , is not a fossil to admire. Readers must ask questions, guess at the answers,_______what will happen next, then read to discover. They and the author form a partnership that brings the story to life. Awareness of this partnership keeps the original excitement alive through discussion, analysis, interpretation, and ________. Literary explorations allow the reader to admire the authors’________ as well as their artistry. In fact, original appreciation may be enhanced by this x-ray vision. The final step is to appreciate once again the story________— to put the pieces back together.

Now it is your turn. Form a partnership with your author. During your________in reading, enter into a dialogue with the published scholars featured in Short Stories for Students. Through this________with experts you will revise, enrich, or________your original observations and interpretations.

During this adventure, I hope you will feel the same as the listeners that surround the neck of my Pueblo storyteller.

1.

A．hands

B．sails

C．flags

D．lids

2.

A．considerations

B．explorations

C．associations

D．interpretations

3.

A．imagination

B．eagerness

C．determination

D．affection

4.

A．begged

B．supported

C．encouraged

D．challenged

5.

A．dealt

B．struggled

C．fought

D．engaged

6.

A．external

B．artificial

C．classical

D．traditional

7.

A．ensured

B．analyzed

C．revealed

D．delivered

8.

A．however

B．furthermore

C．therefore

D．besides

9.

A．interpret

B．anticipate

C．predict

D．tell

10.

A．conclusion

B．evaluation

C．summary

D．appreciation

11.

A．craftsmanship

B．intentions

C．depth

D．character

12.

A．by itself

B．in vain

C．in question

D．as a whole

13.

A．observation

B．involvement

C．experiment

D．adventure

14.

A．journey

B．process

C．dialogue

D．contact

15.

A．recall

B．confirm

C．identify

D．cancel

2 . What to Do With a Day Off

If you're fortunate enough to have today off from work, the most important thing on your to-do list is to actually take the day off. Studies have shown that people send only 40 percent less email on holiday Mondays compared with regular Mondays.     1     Here are a few suggestions on how best to spend your day off.

Evaluate your career.

When was the last time you were completely honest with yourself about your career and whether you're doing what you want to be doing?     2     A full-time worker will spend roughly 80.000 hours at work during her working life, so if you're in the wrong career that could mean tens of thousands of hours spent devoted to something you don't even really care about, much less to feel   your passion.

Have a family meal.

    3     Work, school,sports practices and other obligations all seem to get in the way. But studies show that families who dine at home together are happier and healthier.

    4    

“I'll get to it sometime." Yeah, yeah, it's what we all tell ourselves to get out of doing the things on our to-do list that are hanging over our heads. But today is a great day just to get it done! Send that email, finish up that task at home, send that holiday thank-you note you still haven't gotten around to. Whatever it is,just do it.     5    

A．You'll feel so much better,I promise.

B．It might even make you more productive at work this week.

C．It can be tough to get the whole family together for a meal.

D．Besides, taking time to let your brain rest and recover makes you better at problem-solving.

E．Spend more quality time with your family by having a family meal.

F．If you're like most people, probably not recently.

G．Do that one thing you've been putting off.

3 . If at first you don’t succeed, as the old saying goes, try, try again. Good advice, up to a point. But let me offer a _________: even when you do succeed, try, try again. Tempting as it is to declare victory and move on, in many endeavors there is much to be said for rethinking an apparently satisfactory formula.

Consider the advice for job interviews in Talent, a new book by economist Tyler Cowen and venture capitalist Daniel Gross. They suggest asking a(n) _________ question, such as “give me an example of when you resolved a difficult challenge at work.” Then ask for another example. And another. The pat answers will be _________ quickly, and the candidate will have to start improvising, digging deep — or perhaps admit to being stumped.

Indeed, one way to describe this tactic is that the interviewer is asking for answers in _________ rather than for answers in series. Instead of stringing together a logical sequence of 17 questions, the interviewer is asking for 17 different answers to the same question.

While that approach is _________ in job interviews, it is common practice among designers. They often produce several _________ attempts to meet a given brief, rather than immediately focusing on what seems to be the best idea. In doing so, the designers force themselves to _________ the full range of possibilities, to avoid the risk of committing too early to a concept that seems attractive but may _________ be a dead end.

A striking example of parallel design is the creation of the Windows 95 startup sound. Microsoft was looking for an opportunity to _________ the audio capabilities of the computers of the day, so it is commissioned the famed music producer Brian Eno to do so.

Eno recalls receiving a brief, asking for music that was “inspirational, sexy, driving, provocative, nostalgic... there were about 150 __________. And then at the bottom it said, ‘and not more than 3.8 seconds long’”.

Eno describes himself as being “completely bereft of ideas” at the time. He found the brief both hilarious and inspiring. In the end he __________ more than 80 tiny pieces of music. The final result was a musical signature that has stood the test of time and was one that helped to creatively liberate Eno. “It really __________ a logjam in my own work,” he told The San Francisco Chronicle.

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, in their delightful book Designing Your Life, suggest an exercise in which you sketch out a vision for the next five years of your life. What will you be doing? Where will you live and with whom? Are you hoping to run a marathon? Start a business? Write a novel?

This is often a straightforward act of __________, but what makes the exercise excruciating is what comes next: Burnett and Evans ask you to do it again, only this time, you’re to write an entirely different projection — the idea at the heart of the plan is one that is completely forbidden: Forcing yourself to go back to the __________ board, not only a second, but a third time.

I’ve tried this myself and seen others try it. People squirm. They protest. Sometimes they cry. And then, sooner or later, the ideas start pouring out.

We all contain __________. But we don’t always let them see the light of day. Perhaps we should try producing answers in parallel more often. Even when you do succeed, try, try again.

1.

A．suggestion

B．promotion

C．recommendation

D．modification

2.

A．routine

B．academic

C．personal

D．controversial

3.

A．presented

B．exhausted

C．challenged

D．accepted

4.

A．style

B．parallel

C．detail

D．privacy

5.

A．fundamental

B．flexible

C．unconventional

D．practical

6.

A．distinct

B．determined

C．deliberate

D．vain

7.

A．dismiss

B．restrict

C．explore

D．overlook

8.

A．inevitably

B．accidentally

C．theoretically

D．eventually

9.

A．scale up

B．figure out

C．experiment on

D．show off

10.

A．adjectives

B．statements

C．variables

D．copyrights

11.

A．purchased

B．composed

C．performed

D．appreciated

12.

A．exhibited

B．created

C．broke

D．underestimated

13.

A．aggressiveness

B．imagination

C．wisdom

D．will

14.

A．dart

B．score

C．drawing

D．notice

15.

A．emotions

B．ambitions

C．desires

D．multitudes

4 . When you look ahead at the year to come, I hope you focus on all the positives even if the negatives exist, because positive thinking can help you get where you want to go.

Positive thinking is not the same as optimism. Being optimistic means believing that everything is going to work out great. But positive thinking is more than that. It’s a mindset or a way of looking at the world and what you do.     1    

To think positively, first of all, we need to look at problems, mistakes and failures as normal. Imagine you bomb a big job interview. A negative thinker will be upset by the fact that he didn’t get the job.     2     He will analyze what he did and figure out how to do it better next time. And he’ll also think about what he did well and try to repeat and improve on those successes. This means focusing on the big picture.

One trick to positive thinking is to imagine how you’ll think back to things that are happening now.     3     There are bad things that happened last year that you can probably laugh about now. You understand what was a big deal and what was not. Try to do that in the present.

    4     A negative thinker will focus on the past, especially past failures. But the past cannot be changed. It’s done and dusted. The future, however, is yet to be written. And that’s where the positive thinker will focus his attention.

Positive thinking is a mental habit. It takes practice. Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves to focus on the future and on possibility.     5     But if you can do it, there are some great payoffs: greater confidence, a better chance of success, better health condition as well as a better quality of life.

A．A positive thinker will learn from the experience.

B．Negative thinkers will look at failures as end points.

C．Positive thinking often means separating the past and the future.

D．It’s a belief in possibility, solutions to problems and the big picture.

E．Sometimes, it’s hard to learn from our failures or see the big picture.

F．We can see the power of positive thinking when it comes to problem-solving.

G．You know from experience that the passing of time brings a fresh perspective.

5 . Armed with a toolkit of techniques and tricks to calm the mind and bring focus back to your body, you can stop stressful situations from sabotaging your day, says Katy Georgiou.

GROUND YOURSELF

Making contact with the ground is your baseline go-to response for stress. This technique can be especially helpful if you find your stress regularly turns into panic. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, place your feet flat on the ground so that you feel stable, and then close your eyes. If you’re able to sit on the floor cross-legged or to lie down flat, then even better.

Think of this as earthing: really connect with the ground beneath your body. Some studies suggest that this simple act can help reduce or relieve symptoms of stress such as pain and fatigue, reduce blood pressure, and improve sleep. If you’re feeling disconnected from the world, it can also remind you that you belong to it and are a crucial part of it — the ground will always be there for you.

LOVE THYSELF

Adopting regular, daily or weekly routines for self-care can be very containing, creating consistency amid all sorts of stressful life events happening around you. Looking in the mirror each day can actually remind you that you exist, so feel free to factor some reflective gazing into your daily routine, whether it’s while applying moisturiser, shaving, or brushing your hair. Studies have shown that being confronted with your reflection can have powerful effects, taking us out of our heads and into the immediate present. For added effect, pay attention to the way your products interact with your hair and skin as you apply them.

Playing around with smells, colours and textures in your hands will also engage your senses. Using a scented shampoo or smoothing on body lotion after a warm bath can be easy ways to do this.

CLEAR YOUR MIND

Abandon all your thoughts and try to focus only on your surroundings. What can you see, hear, smell, taste and touch? Identify three things you can hear, one thing you can taste, four things you can see and two things you can feel on your skin. Pick out colours in the room you are sitting in, notice textures and different kinds of light. If somebody is with you, tell them what you are experiencing. The point here is that your senses are your best and easiest route back to feeling calm, by coming out of your head and rooting yourself back in the present. This is incredibly helpful if you’re having a panic attack or flop response.

1. If your friend Jane always feels worn out and suffers from sleep deprivation, which of the following techniques will you especially recommend to her?

A．Connect her body to the ground beneath her.

B．Adopt a daily gaze at her reflection in the mirror.

C．Exchange her scentless shampoo for an aromatic one.

D．Focus on what she can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Lying down flat can better relieve your stress.

B．Grounding yourself can give you a sense of belonging to the world.

C．Brushing your hair while looking in the mirror can remind you of your existence.

D．Those having a panic attack should shut their senses down.

3. The passage is intended to __________.

A．help people understand themselves better

B．introduce some practical methods for stress management

C．emphasize the significance of exploiting multiple senses

D．promote a mindset of living in the moment

6 . Two of the most critical lessons learned from the pandemic are the need for effective national leadership and for clear, consistent communication. Countries that fared well had both in abundance; those that didn’t often faltered. The TIMES survey results reflect this, with_________was “leadership and public communication strategies” the only category in which every rated, on average, at least 4 out of 5 for priority. The highest ranking in the category went to “ensuring strong, federally coordinated responses that provincial, state, and local jurisdictions can rely upon for guidance”. The importance of this cannot be overstated. In the U.S., it made no sense to have 50 states _________ their own supplies of masks and tests, and 50 different sets of rules to contain (or not) the disease. As a former local health official, I can tell you that local health departments are chronically under _________ and so rely on federal entities to formulate clear_________ and evidence-based policy guidance, which _______ those closer to the ground to tailor the specifics to their communities. Being able to point to federal guidelines helps serve as political cover-important when the recommendations ask for difficult actions, such as shuttering businesses and _________ stay-at-home orders.

The TIMES survey also identifies global health governance as a top _________ including to “reform the World Health Organization’s regulatory authority”. Unfortunately, the_________of this intervention was rated 2.86. I agree with this low ranking. Any reform at the WHO will be a long and tedious _________. Global health governance needs to occur, but meanwhile, individual governments can take matters into their own ____________. First, they must rigorously evaluate their country’s pandemic response and make necessary ____________ to improve local, regional and national infrastructure and coordination. Second, they should strengthen international scientific____________. Third, willing countries can ____________ multinational agreements for transparency, mutual aid and partnership.

Improvements in global public health must begin locally and be driven by leaders who will learn the hard ____________ from COVID-19. If we can ____________the key factors that need reform, then we must agree on doing what it takes to prevent another tragedy.

1.

A．proposal

B．refusal

C．adjustment

D．substitute

2.

A．influence

B．promise

C．secure

D．pattern

3.

A．smashed

B．stuffed

C．smoothed

D．staffed

4.

A．careers

B．goals

C．trends

D．signs

5.

A．employs

B．emphasizes

C．emerges

D．empowers

6.

A．imposing

B．stretching

C．challenging

D．intruding

7.

A．appeal

B．solution

C．principle

D．priority

8.

A．possibility

B．feasibility

C．availability

D．practicality

9.

A．property

B．combination

C．process

D．calculation

10.

A．hands

B．ears

C．mouths

D．eyes

11.

A．achievements

B．judgements

C．pavements

D．investments

12.

A．donations

B．collaborations

C．qualifications

D．regulations

13.

A．determine

B．overlook

C．initiate

D．evaluate

14.

A．lessons

B．causes

C．subjects

D．models

15.

A．make with

B．show up

C．take over

D．agree on

7 . “Yes, that’s fine.” But what if it isn’t? What if the minute you said those words, you started to feel ________, and knew you should be saying no?

This happens to a lot of us. Maybe we were________to be nice and kind and think that means we should always do what someone ________of us. Or maybe we are worried that the person will ________us, if it is a personal relationship, or not give us any more work if it’s a(n)________one.

But saying no does not make you a(n) ________or unhelpful person. ________ work, any employer would rather you say no than________to take on something that you don’t really have time to do well.

If you find yourself agreeing almost against your________, get into the habit of always asking for time to think about it. This will give you the opportunity to really________ if it is something you want or need to do. If you are worried about________ someone, question how realistic those thoughts really are. Nine times out of ten, they are about your own________. If you think there really is a ________ in saying no, then you could try making an offer “I really can’t help you with X, but I could do Y.”

Sometimes people advise you not to give any reasons for a(n) ________, but I personally don’t feel very comfortable with that. ________ , be careful about making up excuses ________what you really mean is that you don’t want to do something. The other person might counter by asking if you can do the________at a different time.

Remember that you are probably ________near as indispensable (不可缺少的) as you think you are. It is nice to feel ________, but is it worth________ yourself and feeling stressed and even ill?

1.

A．guilty

B．painful

C．comfortable

D．confident

2.

A．picked up

B．held up

C．linked up

D．brought up

3.

A．asks

B．hears

C．speaks

D．thinks

4.

A．cheat

B．forget

C．reject

D．replace

5.

A．social

B．parental

C．informal

D．professional

6.

A．rude

B．stupid

C．shy

D．impatient

7.

A．In case of

B．In honor of

C．In terms of

D．In search of

8.

A．happen

B．agree

C．learn

D．hesitate

9.

A．will

B．duty

C．nature

D．plan

10.

A．expect

B．argue

C．declare

D．consider

11.

A．confusing

B．frightening

C．upsetting

D．relieving

12.

A．mistakes

B．wishes

C．fears

D．diseases

13.

A．risk

B．point

C．skill

D．purpose

14.

A．promise

B．opinion

C．failure

D．refusal

15.

A．However

B．Finally

C．Otherwise

D．Therefore

16.

A．so that

B．if

C．unless

D．whether

17.

A．exercise

B．research

C．trick

D．favor

18.

A．nowhere

B．somewhere

C．anywhere

D．everywhere

19.

A．relaxed

B．inspired

C．needed

D．satisfied

20.

A．doubting

B．preparing

C．overloading

D．recovering

8 . “I’m not a reader.” It’s a common reply that Julia Torres, a teacher-librarian in Denver Public School, has heard throughout her 16-year career. She’s seen students tear up books, throw them away or check them out only to immediately return them all because they didn’t have confidence in their ability to read.

As a librarian, Torres feels strongly that libraries should be spaces of liberation, places where students can develop a love of reading at any stage. Reading is a skill that everyone can grow to love, but too many negative experiences during a child’s literacy (读写能力) education can result in boredom, lack of interest or even anger. When a student has a poor experience like being shamed for their reading choices, they can begin to associate reading with painful feelings of insecurity, shame and stress.

To prevent reading disorder (阅读障碍) practices, as Torres notes, librarians first can build an inclusive (内容丰富的) library where classified collections can make it easier for students to find out the books they want and also help identify gaps in the collections. Reevaluating librarians’ role is necessary, which allows students to take control of the library and have a say in what’s purchased for the collection, directly exciting students’ reading interest. Instead of hosting traditional book fairs where students have to pay for books, it is better to open up a True Book Fair, where students are invited to choose books intentionally to their interests without any costs. Librarians are recommended to read what students are reading. Another two important approaches to preventing reading disorder are to take a look at the library policies and redefine (重新定义) what counts as reading. It is necessary to get rid of fines, check-out limits, security gates, and punishment policies. Plus, students are encouraged to listen to audiobooks or read picture books. Find a way to teach important skills like comprehension or critical thinking with the texts that excite and interest students.

1. What does the underlined sentence “I’m not a reader” in Paragraph 1 infer?

A．Some students are not interested in reading.

B．Some students have no ability to read books.

C．Some students don’t borrow books from the library.

D．Some students haven’t tried to read for entertainment.

2. What is directly linked with exciting students’ reading interests?

A．Getting rid of library rules.	B．Making their own choices.
C．Librarians’ recommendation.	D．Reducing charges caused by reading.

3. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．What leads to students’ difficulty in reading.

B．How negative reading experiences affect students.

C．How to reduce reading disorder as student librarians.

D．Why to decrease reading disorder as student librarians.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To do a research on reading disorder.

B．To offer suggestions to the librarians.

C．To analyze why reading disorder forms.

D．To draw attention to reading disorder prevention.

10 . How to Design a Small Garden

Even if you don’t have a large area in your yard, you can still make a beautiful garden that maximizes the space you have by following tips.

    1    . Look for a place in your yard where you can see your garden from a window or a spot in your yard so that you’re able to enjoy it. Make sure you can walk into your garden with ease to make it easier to take care of your plants.     2    .

Plan the layout for your garden by drawing the outline on the paper. Start by sketching longer rectangles（矩形）for your garden beds so they’re to scale for the actual size you want them.     3    . Be sure to leave an 18-inch space between garden beds so you can easily walk between them and care for your plants.

Arrange your design so there are focal points. Aim to have several aspects of your garden design unique so they stand out from the rest of your plants.     4    . Take into consideration where you want people to focus or have their attention drawn to when they look at your garden, and plan your design around those spots. Focal points help your garden feel more inviting and make it more visually pleasing.

Put similar plants across from one another to create rhythm and symmetry(对称). Rather than put different plants in each of your garden beds, choose to use the same plant or ones that have similar textures or colors so they’re across from one another.     5    .

A．And avoid any inconvenience caused by difficult access

B．Try to position smaller plants in between larger ones

C．Pick a place where you can easily get to your garden

D．You may still be able to measure the length of the rectangles

E．Then divide the rectangles into smaller sections for different plants

F．This could be a statue or a fountain placed in the center or on either side

G．That way, when you look at your garden, it will look inviting and make the area feel more balanced