2 . 语法填空

People are like potatoes.

After potatoes have been harvested, they have to be spread out and sorted     1     (get) the maximum market dollar. They     2     (divide) according to size—big, medium, and small. After the potatoes have been sorted     3     (careful) and bagged, they are loaded onto trucks. All Idaho potato     4     (farm) use this method—all but one.

One farmer never bothered to sort the potatoes at all. Yet he made     5     most money. A     6     (puzzle) neihbor finally asked him, “ What is your secret?” He said, “It’s simple. I just load up the wagon with potatoes and take the     7     (rough) road to town. During the eight-mile trip, the little potatoes always fall to the bottom. The medium potatoes land in the middle, while the big     8     (one) rise to the top.”

That’s not only true     9     potatoes. It’s a law of life. Big potatoes rise to the top on rough road,     10     tough people rise to the top in rough times.

3 . How Running Helped Me Turn My Life Around

I've never been an athlete. Aside from excelling at all academic disciplines at school, my main goal was to _______ PE at all costs. In my twenties, I went for an occasional yoga or Zumba class, but that was really the summary of all my athletic accomplishments.

That was until the end of 2016, when I was unexpectedly laid off. The _______ of getting a new job soon were not in my favor and _______ thoughts of not being good enough started to kick in. I was feeling quite depressed but pushed myself to go and _______ for the TCS NYC Marathon runners as the course was going through our neighborhood.

However, while being there, I got phenomenal _______ from all the runners, smiling, applauding and high-fiving constantly. Not a runner myself, I thought maybe I could give running a _______, just to try, to use my neglected gym membership and see where it _______ me. And so I tried. I went to my local gym the next morning and got on a treadmill （跑步机）.I was out of breath by minute five, but I _______ down, walked for a bit and then restarted. I came back the next day, hoping to _______ a few minutes longer. By the end of two weeks, I could run for 30 minutes, which was a huge ________.

While I saw my body starting to look more toned, I also noticed my negative thoughts didn't occur that ________ And it sparked a thought—what if I could set a running ________ and sign up for my first- ever race? I did and races sort of became a new hobby.

In the meantime, I was able to ________ a few freelance （自由职业的）projects. They offered me a good ________, and, most importantly, the time to work out for the big race. Also, when I was going for interviews, I started to feel very ________ in my abilities, experience and skills.

I got my full-time job ________ at my dream company just a couple of weeks before the halfmarathon. Although I got an ________ from overtraining right before the race, I still went for it and still finished within my ________ time.

I still have a long running ________ ahead of me—I'd love to work on my speed, my technique and I dream of running a marathon outside of the US. Running gives me ________ that I can do anything I set my mind to.

1.

A．attend

B．avoid

C．pursue

D．postpone

2.

A．options

B．plans

C．hopes

D．odds

3.

A．dark

B．deep

C．critical

D．random

4.

A．call

B．look

C．cheer

D．stand

5.

A．sympathy

B．pleasure

C．luck

D．energy

6.

A．lift

B．shot

C．break

D．choice

7.

A．meets

B．leaves

C．takes

D．drops

8.

A．came

B．fell

C．went

D．slowed

9.

A．last

B．walk

C．rest

D．function

10.

A．credit

B．impact

C．success

D．opportunity

11.

A．readily

B．frequently

C．normally

D．occasionally

12.

A．goal

B．limit

C．record

D．standard

13.

A．create

B．secure

C．approve

D．continue

14.

A．service

B．position

C．future

D．income

15.

A．absorbed

B．interested

C．confident

D．confused

16.

A．offer

B．permit

C．schedule

D．application

17.

A．award

B．honor

C．injury

D．issue

18.

A．appointed

B．expected

C．original

D．spare

19.

A．show

B．route

C．distance

D．journey

20.

A．faith

B．consideration

C．evidence

D．guidance

4 . Ray Tokuda,a 54-year-old Japanese American,takes pride in the title his school has already given him.He is a Shifu,a Chinese word literally meaning a master,mentor or senior practioner of martial arts.

Surely, he has reason to be proud.He has been involved with Chinese martial arts for almost 40 years.After learning them at the martial arts school in New Mexico State,he is among the most experienced kung fu teachers of the school today.

Practicing martial arts two to three hours and helping students improve their skills have become Tokuda’s daily routine.He expects to practice and teach martial arts for the rest of his life.“I’m still learning.It’s worth more than a lifetime to learn Chinese martial arts,”he said.“Once I started,I just couldn’t stop.I think it’s also the magic of Chinese culture.”

Tokuda was sent to the martial arts school when he was 10.He still remembers how unwilling he was when starting out.“I remember my father had always wanted to learn Chinese martial arts but never got the chance,so he put his kid in,”he said.“I was so afraid at that time because I thought kung fu was all about fighting.”

But things changed after he learned that martial arts were more than punching and kicking.

“One of the things martial arts teach me is to overcome adversity,”Tokuda said.“As a little kid,my first lesson was like,oh,look,this is a thing that I can get through by diligence,perseverance（毅力）and dedication,and that was priceless for my life.”

Learning Chinese martial arts opened a gateway for him to better understand the culture of China.

Meanwhile,Tokuda has also been invited to various events in his home state to showcase traditional Chinese culture,including the dragon dance and lion dance,which he also learnt at the martial arts school.Because of this,he is now considered a cultural envoy(使者)in the eyes of the public.

1. At first,Tokuda weren’t willing to learn kung fu because he had thought it was______.

A．practical

B．magical

C．violent

D．difficult

2. From the passage,what can we learn about Tokuda?

A．He learnt martial arts from his mother.

B．He is the founder of the kung fu school.

C．He learnt from martial arts how to solve difficulties.

D．He is the most experienced kung fu teacher of his state.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Tokuda?

A．Modest and friendly.

B．Persevering and devoted.

C．Talented and humorous.

D．Motivated and considerate.

5 . I was selfish as a teenager．I usually spent my time thinking about myself and taking care of my own needs．I let my older brother do most of the work around the house until he left for college．I let my mom and dad worry about our bills and problems while I read books, played, and lost myself in my own imagination．This didn't change even when I went to college either．I studied hard but only to make my own life better． Even when I started to explore my faith, it was only to increase my own happiness．

I married after graduation and decided to start a family．Of course, I had no idea what hard knocks reality had in store for my selfish soul．Soon I found myself unemployed, deeply in debt, and with a new baby on the way．l found out that life has little sympathy for spoiled people．In fact, all of the struggles I was going through were beating the selfishness slowly out of me．

Still,I didn't give up on happiness．I knew that there must be a way to find it．I finally realized, however, that it had to include more than just my own needs, wants, and desires．The answer began to make itself clear one night shortly after my baby boy was born．I got a bottle and held him in my arms．As I was feeding him I looked down and saw his big, innocent, trusting eyes．I smiled and talked to him．Then he smiled and I could feel my heart growing, expanding with love．I felt such peace and joy．At that moment I had a hint of the truth: it is by growing our hearts with love that we find our happiness．

Carolyn Arends wrote："The more people you let into your heart, the bigger your heart gets．The more love you get, the more love you have to give．It just keeps growing." So, keep loving, keep living and keep caring. Keep growing your heart today, tomorrow, and always．

1. What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?

A．He often helped his brother with housework．

B．He studied hard for his family．

C．He was concerned about his family．

D．He put his own needs above others'．

2. What did the author realize after he suffered in life?

A．Spoiled people can't survive the hardship of life.

B．Spoiled people are never happy in life．

C．Life is cruel to spoiled people．

D．Selfishness is helpful．

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The author loved kids．

B．The author often fed his baby．

C．The author realized the importance of happiness．

D．When caring for his baby, the author got inspired．

4. Which can be the best title of the passage?

A．Loving Others, a Way to Happiness

B．The Elder One Grows, the More He Gets

C．Help Others, Help Oneself

D．Keep Growing to Live a Happy Life

6 . I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled(摸索) in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches; they had taken those. I looked through the bars at the guard. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him “Have you got a light？” He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. As he came close and lit the match, his eyes unconsciously locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don't know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness; perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn't want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and caused a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.

I kept smiling at him, now thinking of him as a person and not just a guard. “Do you have kids？” he asked. “Yes, here, here.” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes were filled with tears. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the prison, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.

1. What had happened to the man before?

A．He had been badly treated.

B．He had killed someone.

C．He had been searched.

D．He had been forbidden to get in touch with anyone.

2. Why did the man want to smoke cigarettes?

A．Because he was sure he was to be killed.

B．Because he wanted to ease his nervousness.

C．Because he wanted to talk to the guard.

D．Because he was used to smoking cigarettes.

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The man was a heavy smoker.

B．The man smiled to please the guard.

C．The guard set the man free with permission.

D．The man hadn't thought the guard would set him free.

4. What do you think finally saved the man's life?

A．The smile.	B．The cigarette.
C．The tears.	D．The wallet.

7 . I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And ________otherwise assigned a seat by the teacher, I always ________to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this _________after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy________ because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the_______ to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “________for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.

Getting up the ________to go to the tryouts was only the half of it! When I first started________the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much _______what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get _________ and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid.________ , I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to _________ on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t ________“just yet”.

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the _______and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive _______in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the ________ — friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my ________ self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from _______in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, _______raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent _______I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

1.

A．as

B．unless

C．until

D．though

2.

A．chose

B．agreed

C．meant

D．hoped

3.

A．continued

B．settled

C．changed

D．started

4.

A．saying

B．plan

C．belief

D．idea

5.

A．right

B．ability

C．chance

D．patience

6.

A．looking

B．going

C．cheering

D．applying

7.

A．strengths

B．knowledge

C．courage

D．competence

8.

A．attending

B．preparing

C．enjoying

D．watching

9.

A．worse

B．later

C．less

D．further

10.

A．committed

B．separated

C．embarrassed

D．confused

11.

A．Interestingly

B．Obviously

C．Fortunately

D．Hopefully

12.

A．try

B．act

C．rely

D．focus

13.

A．want

B．do

C．know

D．support

14.

A．steps

B．rules

C．orders

D．games

15.

A．part

B．roles

C．mind

D．value

16.

A．movement

B．operation

C．process

D．situation

17.

A．improved

B．expressed

C．preserved

D．recognized

18.

A．dreaming

B．playing

C．hiding

D．relaxing

19.

A．to

B．for

C．with

D．by

20.

A．lucky

B．happy

C．satisfied

D．sure

8 . Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling (赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he lost his job. After he came out of lockup (拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Lang didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his five-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”
1. Mr. Lang was paid much because _______.

A．he was a driver

B．he worked in a factory

C．he had a lot of work to do

D．he had worked there for a long time

2. Mrs. Lang did all housework because _______.

A．she couldn’t find any work

B．she thought her husband was tired

C．her husband spent all time in gambling

D．she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling

3. _______, so he was put into lockup.

A．Mr. Lang often gambled

B．Mr. Lang was late for work

C．Mr. Lang didn’t help his wife at home

D．Mr. Lang wasn’t polite to the police

4. The woman had to leave Mr. Lang because _______.

A．he didn’t love her any longer

B．he wouldn’t stop gambling

C．he had been put into lockup

D．he was hardly sent away by the factory

5. Which of the following is right?

A．The boy hoped his father to be put into lockup again.

B．The boy thought his father needed some policemen.

C．The boy hoped his father to stop gambling soon.

D．The boy hoped his mother to come back.

9 .

The Pillow

At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer(拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.

We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house — something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.

On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, “What do you want for your new room?” Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, “I just want a bed.”

The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.

When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.

That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds together, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.

As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, “What is that?”

“A pillow,” he replied.

“What do you do with it?” Eric continued to ask.

“When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow.

“Oh . . . that’s soft,” he said, hugging it tightly.

Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my Dad gently asks, “Do you have a pillow?”

We know exactly what he means.

1. The writer’s first volunteer project was ________.

A．working on a poor trailer	B．helping a poor family
C．donating beds and bedding	D．dealing with a housing problem

2. On bearing Josh’s answer, the writer was shocked because ________.

A．the family lived in a trailer	B．he expected to get some toys
C．he didn’t know what a bed was	D．the boys had no bed to sleep in

3. From the passage, we can learn that Eric had never seen before ________.

A．a trailer

B．a truck

C．a pillow

D．a house

4. By sayg “Do you have a pillow?”, the writer’s father means that ________.

A．what they want to get may be unnecessary

B．they should not waste money on small things

C．they should do more volunteer work for the poor

D．what he will buy is not what they want but a pillow