2 . The fear of rejection is one of my biggest fears. Keeping myself in a ______ bubble (气泡) and doing what I can perform well were my favorite. But I had to step out of the bubble eventually, with the first important out-of-my-comfort-zone ______ being applying for college.

The ______ of my first college rejection is still fresh. I remember grabbing my phone trying ______ entering the password to the application website. When the letter started with “Thank you for your ______”, I was cut to the quick.

This fear is ______ elsewhere: from a job market or when asking someone out. Compared with rejections in workplaces, being ______ in social occasions sting (刺痛) even more. At least the former mainly comes in email or phone call form, but social rejections are all terribly ______. Each rejection felt like a ______ reminder of “you’re not good enough”. Because of this fear, I ______ so many opportunities to grow.

Luckily, getting over the fear takes just a shift in _______. So next time, think this way: ______ rejections does not mean you’re not good enough, but that you’ve tried your best for the time being. This optimism will ______ the pain of a rejection.

This fear will never truly ______, as everything we do has rejection attached to it in some way. Uncertainty is ______, but without experiencing the scariness, we would never grow, would we?

1.

A．safe

B．small

C．stable

D．thin

2.

A．consequence

B．practice

C．experience

D．promise

3.

A．reason

B．memory

C．impact

D．process

4.

A．nervously

B．casually

C．curiously

D．randomly

5.

A．interview

B．request

C．consideration

D．application

6.

A．applicable

B．avoidable

C．ungrounded

D．unjustified

7.

A．picked out

B．turned down

C．built up

D．laughed at

8.

A．in private

B．in person

C．by design

D．by mistake

9.

A．visual

B．timely

C．painful

D．fading

10.

A．capitalized on

B．sought for

C．looked forward to

D．missed out on

11.

A．priorities

B．tone

C．mindset

D．strategies

12.

A．surviving

B．receiving

C．anticipating

D．hating

13.

A．ease

B．cause

C．intensify

D．overlook

14.

A．change

B．emerge

C．last

D．disappear

15.

A．relative

B．significant

C．relevant

D．scary

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

I jumped into my mother’s car, shut the door and poured out my recent trouble. “Jenny is playing her mind games again. Training is less tiring than dealing with her and her feelings,” I complained.

Jenny and I were co-captains of our cross-country team. We’d been training for the coming tournament (锦标赛) for weeks: stretching, running, and making the seven of us into a team. Jenny, with exceptional running talent, always had a way to get ahead of her competitors on the course. She also helped all of us run faster and cheered us on. It seemed that she was anticipating the final show.

However, this week, her attitude shifted. She kept making excuses not to run with the team, from aching legs to headaches. I had to beg her, telling her repeatedly that the team couldn’t do without her. It went on all day and I was worn out. What’s her deal?

Mom pulled into our driveway, and turned toward me, “Well, I know a little about Jenny. She and her   little brother have been together in foster care (寄养家庭). So close were they that every time they moved, Jenny would say that as long as they were together, they had a family.” My heart sank as Mom continued, “Jenny’s stepfather (继父) came for her brother this week, with gifts, hugs and big plans for their future. But Jenny wasn’t even part of his big plans.” My chest felt tight. “Poor Jenny, not to have a family.” I was close to tears. My mother patted my knee. “That’s it, honey. You got it.” And I did.

I decided that I should do something. I proposed that we organize a team gathering before the tournament.   Each member was to write a heartfelt message for every teammate and prepare a special gift for the one they felt most connected to. I made sure that Jenny would come. It took some persuading, though.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

As the team gathering began, there was tension in the air.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The day of the tournament arrived.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . When he flagged me down, I thought he was an elder collecting a “customs fee”, the few dollars it costs to use village roads that lead to many of Samoa’s sights. He’d been sitting lazily in a greying roadside shack (棚子) built for such occasions. Normally I wouldn’t pick up a free rider. But I tried to live out a dream.

I’d wanted to go to Pulemelei Mound since I’d heard it mentioned in an archaeology class years ago. The “mound” is actually a pyramid 40 feet high and roughly 200 feet across at its base. So, I asked, “Do you know how to get to Pulemelei Mound?”

“Mmm,” he said, raising his eyebrows in the classic Polynesian gesture for “yes”. “I need to pick up my car at the mechanic but no hurry, I’ll take you there first if you want.”

You’d think that a giant pyramid would be a major sight, or at least something many people had heard of, but it isn’t. My accidental friend’s raise of the eyebrows was the most promising prospect I’d had in a week.

We drove along the road in silence for a few minutes. Then my new friend broke the silence and, meanwhile, my hopes. “I’ve never been to Pulemelei,” he said. “I’ve lived here but I never thought of going.” My heart sank. But we pressed on, crossing a stream, walking through waist-high grass, and then another mile of hot walk until we found a sign. There, barely visible, were the words: “Pulemelei Mound 150m”. The sign marked a dark tunnel of jungle. Then the path opened to rays of sunshine. We climbed. And then, magic. We were standing on top of a Polynesian pyramid.

Just then, my friend, obviously awed by what he saw, turned toward me, and placed his big Samoan hands on my shoulders. In the most natural way, he bent down and kissed me gently on the cheek.

“Thank you,” he said.

1. What’s the purpose of the Samoan man flagging me down?

A．To thumb a ride.	B．To ask for directions.
C．To collect a customs fee.	D．To warn of a road accident.

2. Which of the following words can best describe the author?

A．Informed but rigid.	B．Hesitant but agreeable.
C．Skeptical and reserved.	D．Curious and adventurous.

3. Why did the Samoan man thank the author in the end?

A．He had lived out his dream.	B．He was taken to the mechanic.
C．He enjoyed the author’s company.	D．He experienced the thrill of discovery.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A Polynesian village.	B．A famous Samoan sight.
C．A chance encounter.	D．An elder protecting local roads.

5 . As I walked to the market this morning, I saw an old man with a dirty scarf covering his face seated in front of a shop. His clothes were _________ and his hair under an ill-fitting cap was long and messy. I decided he was a beggar. I made a mental _________ that I should give him whatever change I had after _________. A few feet away was a young man lying on the pavement obviously _________ and no one who passed by _________. I thought it was some good-for-nothing drunkard who had _________ all his money on alcohol.

Back to the beggar, I handed over all the _________ change to him. He hardly _________ my eyes, but shook his head. I _________ and pushed it into his hand. As I stood there satisfied over my great act of __________, the old man slowly got up, walked to the tea shop nearby, and __________ a sandwich and a cup of hot tea with the money I gave. He then went back to the young man, helped him to __________ and eat. Noticing I was still there watching, he explained that boy had not eaten for two days, which was why he __________ on the pavement.

Suddenly I felt so small and admired the non-judgemental __________ of a man who has so little compared to me. He was truly charitable even in a far less __________ state than me.

1.

A．ironed

B．wrinkled

C．folded

D．abandoned

2.

A．picture

B．effort

C．note

D．calculation

3.

A．work

B．exercise

C．meeting

D．shopping

4.

A．frustrated

B．frozen

C．drunken

D．exhausted

5.

A．took notice

B．took control

C．took pains

D．took risks

6.

A．invested

B．bet

C．fixed

D．wasted

7.

A．useless

B．loose

C．extra

D．unnecessary

8.

A．focused on

B．looked into

C．turned to

D．stared at

9.

A．insisted

B．rejected

C．ignored

D．regretted

10.

A．charity

B．courage

C．devotion

D．random

11.

A．collected

B．harvested

C．purchased

D．enjoyed

12.

A．stay up

B．straighten up

C．bounce up

D．sit up

13.

A．wandered

B．collapsed

C．begged

D．slipped

14.

A．responsibility

B．superiority

C．generosity

D．dignity

15.

A．privileged

B．stable

C．powerful

D．independent

6 . Every Christmas, my mom would fill our stockings with small toys and candies. At the very tip of the stocking, the very _________ thing that we would pull out was an orange. For years, I hated the tradition. It was _________ to pull an orange out of my _________ after uncovering so many fun and delicious treats. An orange wasn’t special. I could eat one any time of the year, and it was just _________ room that could have been filled with more candy.

When I was thirteen, I _________ asked my mother why she put oranges in our stockings. She _________ my grand-father had grown up very poor. His father had a brain tumor that left him blind and _________ to work, so his mother relied on _________ from the church to take care of her seven children. Every Christmas, a local church donated a basket of fruit to their family. This was my grandfather’s favorite day of the year because it was the only day when he could eat fresh fruit. The oranges were his favorite because they _________ like sunshine. When he grew up, he always __________ to have a bowl of oranges around at Christmastime so he could __________ his favorite Christmas memory with his children.

When my mom finished telling the story, I felt __________. In my rush to collect as much candy as possible, I had __________ to be grateful. Now the orange at the bottom of my stocking is a __________ to be grateful for the beautiful Christmases that my parents gave me and for the hard work they did that ensured I could have a（n）__________ any day of the year.

1.

A．best

B．last

C．first

D．fast

2.

A．disappointing

B．amazing

C．appealing

D．frightening

3.

A．room

B．bag

C．stocking

D．pocket

4.

A．blowing up

B．building up

C．taking up

D．holding up

5.

A．initially

B．joyfully

C．casually

D．eventually

6.

A．commented

B．described

C．explained

D．imagined

7.

A．unwilling

B．unable

C．qualified

D．ambitious

8.

A．contributions

B．inventions

C．pensions

D．donations

9.

A．tasted

B．looked

C．touched

D．felt

10.

A．settled down

B．spoke up

C．made sure

D．turned up

11.

A．share

B．exchange

C．appreciate

D．discuss

12.

A．anxious

B．ashamed

C．delighted

D．excited

13.

A．forgotten

B．expected

C．continued

D．agreed

14.

A．ceremony

B．tradition

C．reminder

D．memory

15.

A．party

B．festival

C．gift

D．orange

7 . 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。

Most people think that procrastination (拖延症) is a negative habit. But people like me who routinely put off doing assignments, are likely to defend our “slower” approach to getting tasks done.

I'm the only procrastination in my family. My parents and sister were all born with the “do it right now” gift. They are always in a rush, as if closely rushed by an invisible deadline. Personally, I prefer a more relaxed pace. When my parents voiced their concern about my tendencies, saying “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” “No way!” I responded, confidently presenting my research as a defense. It said people procrastinated when they need to solve a problem or commit to a topic or project. In these cases, delaying a decision can be beneficial. This was because our minds continue to reflect on problems even when we were not actively thinking about them, which could lead to more creative solutions. My findings filled me with satisfaction and pride. My method of getting things done was just as good as my sister’s…or so I thought.

At school we’d been talking about architecture and design. As part of the final assessment my teacher Mr. Smith announced an exciting project that each student would have a month to complete. We were expected to choose our materials, construct a small building and make use of things we had learned in class. Not only would the winners receive extra credit, but the winning constructions would be proudly displayed in the cafeteria. “I have no clue how I could get it done,” my friend Nate sighed in despair. I didn’t say anything. Not because I shared his anxiety-but because I was not nervous at all. I loved hands-on projects! Picturing my brilliant work exhibited in the cafeteria, I was fully convinced that I would definitely produce something that could impress everyone. So relaxed was I that I didn’t give it a second thought for weeks.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Before I knew it, I had only one day left for the project.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That taught me a great lesson.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . I’m sitting impatiently in our dusty car looking out. My travel buddy, Lucas, having taken in enough of the ________ , has gone to speak with someone from one of the nearby tourist souvenir huts. After ages, he walks towards me, ________some sausages, hot water, a new cowboy hat, and a big grin on his face. “We’re giving a man a ________ ,” he tells me.

The idea seems ________but somehow safe, given that there are two of us and Lucas is a ________   to the country. How exciting to create an opportunity to meet people that you wouldn’t have met ________ .

Now,as I look at Lucas’ new friend, I see a different kettle of fish. Michael is big. I mean really BIG. I watch in the side mirror as Michael ________towards the car. In his right boot is a big knife, pushed far enough in that only the handle and the base of the blade poke out. A knife!

I would normally be alert to this ________ stranger now sitting in the back of my vehicle. However, with Lucas now eagerly ________ with him in a language I barely understand, I’m trying to let myself ________ . Then Lucas loosely translates the conversation they’re having as Michael proudly ________ his knife, explaining that he uses it for everything: opening bottles, picking his teeth, castrating his cows.

Gradually, my___ towards our new stranger grows as he persistently tries to communicate with me, ________the mood of the car. Twenty minutes down winding mountain roads and we reach Michael’s house, where we are invited to have a meal with his ________ . Later that day, we leave the house without taking any contact details from Michael. There is an unspoken understanding that this________friendship is enough.

1.

A．meal

B．gift

C．money

D．view

2.

A．leaving

B．carrying

C．taking

D．offering

3.

A．treat

B．welcome

C．ride

D．coin

4.

A．daring

B．pleasant

C．practical

D．worthwhile

5.

A．newcomer

B．foreigner

C．local

D．visitor

6.

A．otherwise

B．instead

C．though

D．nevertheless

7.

A．climbs

B．cycles

C．flies

D．marches

8.

A．cold

B．friendly

C．enormous

D．slim

9.

A．singing

B．chatting

C．arguing

D．complaining

10.

A．sleep

B．wait

C．ease

D．forget

11.

A．pulls out

B．gives out

C．picks out

D．sets out

12.

A．fear

B．warmth

C．anger

D．sympathy

13.

A．maintaining

B．ruining

C．darkening

D．lifting

14.

A．family

B．friends

C．neighbors

D．guests

15.

A．permanent

B．brief

C．close

D．renewed

9 . Emest Owusu was 13 in 1980 when he was given the opportunity to appear in the audience of a BBC show, and ask Thatcher how she felt about being called the Iron Lady. This encounter re-emerged in a BBC’s programme recently.

At the time of their meeting, Owusu was on free school meals, living on a public estate in Brixton, south London, where he and his sister were being raised by their mother Rose, a struggling hairdresser.

Now 57, Owusu looks remarkably similar even with a greying beard. But his life has been transformed. The father of three is a human resources director, and the first black captain of the Addington golf club in its 110-year history. As a black guy, it is about breaking the glass ceiling.

Speaking in its clubhouse, Owusu describes his rise in social status (地位) as a “Thatcherite Journey”. And he says it began by asking the woman herself. “To this day it still has an impact. My confidence changed from that sliding-door moment. Something about her connected with me.”

Thatcher told Owusu she enjoyed being called the Iron Lady. “I think it’s rather a praise, don’t you?” she said, “Because so often people have said to me if you’re in your job you’ve got to be soft and warm and human, but you’ve got to have a touch of steel.” Owusu recalls the moment, “I just remember her eye contact. She was answering me, not the camera. She welcomed the question saying you’ve got to be firm in this world. And that stuck with me.”

After the show was broadcast, Owusu said he became “a little hero in Brixton for a good three months”. Owusu added, “It all gave me extra confidence. Doors might not have opened so quickly. It was one of those key moments to make you do things maybe you wouldn’t otherwise have done.”

1. What do we know about Owusu when he was 13?

A．He met with Thatcher twice.

B．He joined a famous golf club.

C．He hosted a BBC’s programme.

D．He lived at the bottom of society.

2. What do the underlined words “sliding-door moment” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Turning point.	B．Important decision.
C．Social status.	D．Remarkable achievement.

3. Based on the text, what made a big difference to Owusu?

A．Others’ treating him equally at work.

B．Others’ voting him a hero in Brixton.

C．Thatcher’s efforts to preserve his dignity.

D．Thatcher’s faith in the necessity of toughness.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Art of Dialogue	B．The Power of Confidence
C．A Life-changing Meeting	D．A Status-improving Tale

10 . Lexi Reed weighed 485 pounds at the age of 25—a weight that was quite ________ . Danny was overweight himself even though he came in at 280 pounds. But, the ________ part of everything was that the couple were both gaining more weight on what they already had with each passing day. Some of the daily activities, no matter how simple, became a real ________ for the couple. However, after celebrating their first ________ in 2016, they decided to make a positive change in their life.

The couple was making many plans to ________ in the new year 2016 like many other people around the world. They made a New Year’s resolution. But, it was not ________ to many that were made, as they decided to ________ a challenge that would change their lives forever--and for good! So many people make promises to themselves and others that they don’t really ________ , but the Reeds were not about to act like the others. Theirs were bound to come to ________ .

It was completely unknown to the couple that people were actually ________ them online when they started their journey. Their ________ attracted lots of attention, and people cheered them on. Lexi kept her friends and family ________ with her progress through Instagram. But they were yet to receive a major________ of their lives: They were ________ in a popular issue of People Magazine known as “Half Their Size”. Before long, the couple’s story had become a real ________ .

1.

A．unforgivable

B．unbelievable

C．unachievable

D．uncomfortable

2.

A．vital

B．strange

C．miserable

D．miracle

3.

A．issue

B．concern

C．debate

D．possibility

4.

A．birthday

B．valentine

C．Christmas

D．anniversary

5.

A．work

B．run

C．ring

D．surge.

6.

A．equal

B．similar

C．familiar

D．inferior

7.

A．take on

B．take out

C．take off

D．take in

8.

A．put out

B．break out

C．spread out

D．carry out

9.

A．fame

B．formation

C．top

D．reality

10.

A．doubting

B．recording

C．following

D．serving

11.

A．success

B．mission

C．enterprise

D．innovation

12.

A．updated

B．inspired

C．moved

D．connected

13.

A．achievement

B．commitment

C．surprise

D．boost

14.

A．praised

B．featured

C．documented

D．memorized

15.

A．hit

B．incident

C．gossip

D．legend