2 . Lazer loves running, and although he experiences a series of potentially fatal heart problems, he always cherishes a new finish line to inspire his _______.

By 2008, Lazer had undergone six heart _______, and the last one left him _______. In an attempt to feel_______, he decided to_______ his diet and, at the suggestion of a friend, started drinking more nutrient-packed juices._______, he began to feel good enough to _______ his sneakers and hit the_______again.

“After _______ the hospital, my goal was not to ________. I wanted to live my life as I desired, and that meant to ________ running and be in the best shape that I can,” he says. “I wasn’t going to be sedentary and sit on a sofa and ________ the remote. The big thing for me was that I wanted my own life. I was going to do everything I could to get my life back.”

To Lazer, that meant running, since it was such a big part of that life. ________, just months after that sixth surgery in 2008, he was back________ the starting line of the Las Vegas 26.2. And this past November, he crossed the finish line of his 18^th ________ race.

Lazer ________ running as one of the main reasons he’s lived well beyond that one-year prognosis he got back in 2004. “I believe I started running ________ knowing that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be living too ________,” he says. “Running is a part of who I am—I am ________ to be the best that I possibly can be. It’s such a huge part of my life that my life seems out of order if I’m injured or I can’t run. It’s kind of my ________.”

1.

A．recovery

B．champion

C．competition

D．growing

2.

A．hurts

B．broken

C．surgeries

D．rehabilitation

3.

A．devastated

B．debilitated

C．strove

D．hesitated

4.

A．brighter

B．higher

C．happier

D．stronger

5.

A．pick up

B．add up

C．switch up

D．turn up

6.

A．Eventually

B．Normally

C．Quickly

D．Strangely

7.

A．put up

B．lace up

C．take on

D．control with

8.

A．master

B．disease

C．competitor

D．road

9.

A．getting out of

B．returning to

C．running out of

D．dropping out

10.

A．achieve

B．compromise

C．change

D．promote

11.

A．train

B．find

C．continue

D．start

12.

A．switch

B．play

C．fiddle

D．press

13.

A．Besides

B．However

C．But

D．So

14.

A．from

B．at

C．on

D．about

15.

A．consecutive

B．successful

C．ordinary

D．special

16.

A．doubts

B．credits

C．hopes

D．ponders

17.

A．somehow

B．anyone

C．somebody

D．anyhow

18.

A．late

B．long

C．painful

D．relaxed

19.

A．thinking

B．struggling

C．braving

D．striving

20.

A．drug

B．life

C．anchor

D．entire

3 . At a young age, Darrius Simmons fell in love with the piano. As he watched others play, he was _________ by the joy the piano gave them. He wanted to experience that, too, but knew for him it would be a/an _________.

“I decided at age 10 that I wanted to learn how to play the piano, _________ it was going to take a little bit _________ work for me to learn,” Simmons says. “I knew most people had 10 fingers while I had four, yet I was pretty _________ I could make it work.”

The Warren, Ohio teenager was born with a genetic _________ called ectrodactyly (先天性缺指畸形). He has three fingers on his right hand and _________ finger on his left. But it didn’t _________ Simmons from following his _________. With no formal training, Simmons taught himself by ear how to play the piano. He practiced and practiced, finding a way to __________ the keys with four fingers while mastering the pedals with his prostheses(假肢).

Simmons knew he would have to __________ his own style of playing. “I couldn’t base it __________ the technique of somebody who has 10 fingers. It just wouldn’t __________.” He says. “That’s __________ it was hard for me to take piano lessons. It’s very __________ for somebody who has learned how to play with 10 fingers to adjust and teach me with only four.”

The now 18-year-old not only learned how to play and read music but also began composing.

His mother, Tamara Simmons, isn’t surprised by Darrius’ __________. She knows how focused and __________ he can be.

From mastering music to beating __________ challenges, Darrius Simmons sets out to __________ the world. “I like to be somebody’s __________,” he says. “If I play in front of a whole crowd and I see one person smile, that’s a job well done.”

1.

A．frightened

B．amazed

C．interested

D．disturbed

2.

A．challenge

B．opportunity

C．fortune

D．trouble

3.

A．while

B．but

C．and

D．therefore

4.

A．more

B．much

C．fewer

D．less

5.

A．surprised

B．worried

C．sure

D．glad

6.

A．condition

B．environment

C．situation

D．tendency

7.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．five

8.

A．encourage

B．prevent

C．remove

D．change

9.

A．actions

B．roads

C．instructions

D．passions

10.

A．reach

B．repair

C．remove

D．clean

11.

A．adopt

B．abandon

C．develop

D．change

12.

A．by

B．in

C．through

D．on

13.

A．support

B．run

C．operate

D．work

14.

A．why

B．because

C．when

D．whether

15.

A．easy

B．tough

C．funny

D．stupid

16.

A．ideas

B．creations

C．difficulties

D．achievements

17.

A．kind

B．determined

C．talented

D．generous

18.

A．spiritual

B．mental

C．physical

D．emotional

19.

A．please

B．persuade

C．inspire

D．cheer

20.

A．partner

B．symbol

C．aim

D．motivation

4 . Exams never made me break out in a nervous sweat with tears threatening to ruin my already-trembling façade — but this one did. Even booking my piano exam reduced me to a blubbering mess of anxiety.

I feel permanently scarred inside churches — no longer admiring their beauty because, over the years, I have received such terrible marks from examiners hiding behind the stained-glass partitions. Despite being 15 — too old, too cool to be frightened — I remember trembling inside the bathroom stalls before my tests. I wished I never had to play in front of others.

But this time, after booking my Level 8 Royal Conservatory of Music piano exam, I went back to my normal routine. A little practice here, a little practice there. And then it happened.

My trusty, 10-year-old electric piano gave out. Middle C started to sound like an F-sharp and all other keys sounded like they were a fourth above their natural tone. Thankfully, my precious, boredom-saving buttons still worked. I could still change my piano’s settings from “piano” to “harpsichord .” I admit, it was a lot of fun banging on my wacky keys. Each note bonged like the sound on children’s TV shows when a character repeatedly runs into a wall.

Goofiness aside, I had to get my act together. I hated practicing but I really wanted a good mark. When I told my father what had happened to my piano, he only glared at me with disappointment, “When I was your age, I learned to be resourceful.”

Hmm. I had a broken piano, an exam coming up in a few months and a father who refused to buy me a new piano because he wanted to teach me a “life lesson”. I finally came upon a decision: I’d practice at school.

Going to a private school had to have its benefits, so I looked for a place to play. The school had many pianos but only a few in tune. Within a few days of searching, my piano books, my artistic best friend and I headed off to a music room at every available opportunity.

I loved finding new pianos in hidden corners of the school and I laughed at the dusty old historic pianos. They really had character. I spent hours in those music rooms while my friend honed her art skills in sketching and drawing. She suffered through my annoying, repetitive scales while I looked over my shoulder once in a while and admired her work. Not only did I become a better musician, but I also managed to gain a few subpar skills as an art critic.

As my exam drew close, all the music teachers knew to look for me in the piano rooms during recess, after school and late on Fridays. In anticipation of my assessment, one of my music teachers let me perform for her as a mini practice exam. To my surprise, she was greatly impressed.

Within a few months I went from not caring about my playing to feeling actually, maybe, kind of proud of my work. And over countless hours spent in my favorite, soundproof music room, I discovered that behind the piano, I could become anyone. Talking to other people never came easy to me, but I was able to express myself through music. I became overjoyed. It was like I had developed a sixth sense, one that only musicians could understand.

When I played, my worries about what others thought of me and how I viewed myself merged to reveal who I really am. All my adolescent musings made me feel like I was in a cage, but music gave me the key. Sitting behind a piano and creating music combined the movement of my body and the inner workings of my heart.

Music had never been the love of my life but that was changing. I loved the idea of being on a stage and creating something for others to enjoy and remember. Actually, it wasn’t a something, but rather a feeling that the audience would carry outside into a world where music wasn’t the only thing that people cared for.

When the time came to play in front of an examiner, instead of fearing my judge, I feared nothing but being unable to represent all my hard work. All the anxiety I had about going up on stage dimmed, and when the lights went on, all I could think about was the marvellous journey I’d had to get here. Trilling the keys reminded me of when I’d spent nearly two hours alone in a music room, more content than I had been anywhere else. Playing the melody reminded me of the bittersweet music experiences of past years.

Many days later, I received my mark. Not only did I earn a rarely mentioned “well done” and an 82 per cent, I had rewritten what music meant to me.

Now whenever I get caught up in the daily struggle, I remember the hard work that it took to reach my goal. Whenever I feel discouraged, I never forget to look at the gleaming keys of my new upright piano. As my father always says, some lessons are just learned the hard way.

1. What made the author so stressful inside churches these years?

A．The religious atmosphere.	B．The artistic performance.
C．The horrible surroundings.	D．Her colorful fantasy.

2. What can be inferred according to the underlined sentence in Para 5?

A．The author’s family was too poor to afford a new piano.

B．The father was quite angry about the author’s bad behavior.

C．The author showed great dissatisfaction about her father.

D．The father wanted the author to address the problem independently.

3. Which of the following word has the closest meaning to the underlined word in Para 11?

A．mixed

B．separated

C．interacted

D．exploited

4. The author changed her attitude towards music mainly because________.

A．Her good friend accompanied her to get through hard time.

B．Her teachers treated her much better than before.

C．Her family supported her quite well.

D．Her own understanding of musical value.

5. Which of the following indicates the change of the author’s feelings?

A．Nervous — disappointed — angry — calm

B．Curious — frustrated — hopeful — grateful

C．Frightened — indifferent — passionate — proud

D．Depressed — satisfied — disappointed — peaceful

6. What might be the best title of this passage?

A．An important Music Test

B．A Hard but Enjoyable Life

C．The Key to Happiness

D．My Favourite Piano

5 . Brenda Bongos was a girl with one big ambition to play the drums in a band. But a(n)________lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a______, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to lots of_______people in a care home. The sound of beating drums would really annoy them.

Brenda was________. She always tried to find a way of practicing her drums without ________other people. But without success. However,________to practice as much as she could. Brenda________all kinds of ways.

One day, while watching a science documentary, she heard that________cannot travel in space without air. At that moment, Brenda bongos decided to become a________astronaut.

So Brenda built a space________connected with a machine, which drew out all air.Inside was a________of drums. Once inside, Brenda________the machine and played like mad!

It wasn't long before she had become________. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble.________ -afterwards she started giving________out of the bubble.________ Brenda became a real musical astronaut as the government asked her to be part of a space journey, and had gone far beyond her first________of playing drums in a band.

When asked how she had________all this, she said, "If those old people next-door hadn't________so much to me, I wouldn’t have gone to such ________to find a solution, and none of this would have ever happened.

1.

A．obstacle

B．question

C．figure

D．hand

2.

A．match

B．band

C．talks

D．scene

3.

A．sick

B．local

C．elderly

D．poor

4.

A．delightful

B．wonderful

C．awful

D．respectful

5.

A．waking

B．reaching

C．embarrassing

D．bothering

6.

A．scared

B．thrilled

C．determined

D．encouraged

7.

A．tested

B．tried

C．played

D．found

8.

A．light

B．sound

C．air

D．heat

9.

A．musical

B．classical

C．medical

D．physical

10.

A．bag

B．bubble

C．container

D．aircraft

11.

A．set

B．pair

C．couple

D．part

12.

A．turned on

B．put on

C．got on

D．held on

13.

A．mature

B．skillful

C．famous

D．confident

14.

A．Hardly

B．Shortly

C．Rarely

D．Swiftly

15.

A．advice

B．lessons

C．speeches

D．concerts

16.

A．Suddenly

B．Generally

C．Finally

D．Fortunately

17.

A．effort

B．performance

C．ambition

D．attempt

18.

A．gained

B．done

C．got

D．achieved

19.

A．mattered

B．related

C．owed

D．talked

20.

A．classes

B．places

C．difficulties

D．lengths

6 . As the train picked up its speed, the passengers slowly settled down on their seats, I _________ the lower berth(铺位), so that I could enjoy the _________ of outside from the moving train. I don’t know why I always preferred to get the _________ seat. An elderly lady _________ the front seat of mine. I looked at her. She must be in her eighties, I guessed. At one point, we met our _________. She smiled at me and I gave her a response. Both of us were _________. By that time, the train was in its full speed.

It was 4:50 pm, evening time. So, _________ time was still in a long way, I couldn’t _________ myself any longer and asked, “Auntie! Where are you going?”

She looked at me and friendly said, “_________ camp, dear.”

Suddenly my enthusiasm __________ to know the reason. I politely said. “Auntie, you are __________ someone?”

She smiled and said, “Yes!”

Just to continue the conversation, I talked to her in a very cheerful __________. “Auntie, you must be feeling so __________ to see your child and your grandchildren.”

________, this question hurt her a little but boldly (大胆地) she answered, “Oh, dear! You are so sweet! Anyway, I had only one son who was __________ and was killed in a battle just a few days before. I bought so many new clothes for him. So, I thought why not __________ my son’s clothes for some other soldiers, so that I would control my __________ and would be happy thinking that my own son has __________ it.”

I was shocked hearing her heartbreaking story! But I __________ the old lady from the core of my heart, I was thinking of her __________ heart!

1.

A．preferred

B．reserved

C．overlooked

D．substituted

2.

A．beauty

B．fantasy

C．impression

D．miracle

3.

A．back

B．front

C．window

D．best

4.

A．undertook

B．occupied

C．controlled

D．possessed

5.

A．heads

B．hands

C．faces

D．eyes

6.

A．silent

B．amazed

C．considerate

D．concerned

7.

A．supper

B．bed

C．play

D．chat

8.

A．balance

B．commit

C．excuse

D．resist

9.

A．City

B．Neighborhood

C．School

D．Army

10.

A．shrank

B．accelerated

C．doubled

D．chanced

11.

A．mourning

B．visiting

C．hunting for

D．thinking about

12.

A．mood

B．rhythm

C．condition

D．situation

13.

A．curious

B．tentative

C．excited

D．sincere

14.

A．However

B．Eventually

C．Hopefully

D．Perhaps

15.

A．cast away

B．called up

C．picked up

D．brought in

16.

A．distribute

B．spare

C．collect

D．weave

17.

A．disappointment

B．embarrassment

C．sorrow

D．delight

18.

A．worn

B．polished

C．dyed

D．worshiped

19.

A．saluted

B．recognized

C．understood

D．memorized

20.

A．broken

B．fascinating

C．stubborn

D．brave

7 . Many people tend to bring electronic products when travelling, including me. Last year I just ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad.

Instead of looking at nature, I _________ my e-mail. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading _________ newspapers each morning. And that was the problem: I was acting _____I were still in the office. My body was on vacation but my _________ wasn’t.

So this year I made up my mind to try something _________: getting away from the Internet. I knew it wouldn’t be easy,   __________ I’m not good at self-control. But I was _________. I started by ___________ the iPad to my wife. Then, a stroke of luck: The mobile phone _________at our cabin was worse than in the past. I was trapped in a small circle and _________to carry out my plan. Largely _________from e-mail and my favorite newspaper websites, I had little way to     ___________ the world. I had no _________ but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books.

With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle   _________   the Internet. I finally _________ that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the   _________.

I knew I had _________ when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi. “Don’t need it,” I said.   __________, as we return to work, a test begins: Can I   _________   when I’m back at work? I had no intention of _________ my iPad completely. But I hope to resist the temptation (抵抗诱惑) to use it every five minutes.

1.

A．received

B．selected

C．checked

D．removed

2.

A．online

B．informal

C．local

D．traditional

3.

A．so that

B．as if

C．now that

D．even though

4.

A．opinion

B．identity

C．mind

D．curiosity

5.

A．attractive

B．logical

C．magical

D．different

6.

A．since

B．unless

C．though

D．so

7.

A．excited

B．shocked

C．determined

D．frightened

8.

A．showing

B．handing

C．sending

D．introducing

9.

A．quality

B．design

C．signal

D．technology

10.

A．concerned

B．continued

C．inspired

D．forced

11.

A．taken out

B．pulled down

C．cut off

D．carried away

12.

A．rely on

B．connect to

C．help with

D．look at

13.

A．method

B．goal

C．trick

D．choice

14.

A．against

B．for

C．on

D．to

15.

A．expected

B．realized

C．permitted

D．suggested

16.

A．puzzle

B．sign

C．evidence

D．problem

17.

A．won

B．forgotten

C．suffered

D．recovered

18.

A．Somehow

B．Anyway

C．However

D．Therefore

19.

A．survive

B．change

C．escape

D．continue

20.

A．taking apart

B．giving up

C．turning to

D．caring about

8 . Decan Andersen unexpectedly became a father of three and in the cutest way possible. One damp afternoon in 2014, a baby red squirrel _______ from his apartment building and landed in the middle of his garden, _______ and bleeding. Although concerned, Andersen _______ the squirrel alone and went inside, _______ that the mother would come and _______ him. But when that didn’t happen, he _______ what he had to do.

_______ picking up the four-week-old baby from the _______ grass, he took him inside, where he was _______ comforted by Andersen’s cat, Coco, who washed him with her ________ and warmed him up. Later, after a veterinarian(兽医) had dressed the squirrel’s wounds, Andersen made his ________ housemate some tiny sweaters and socks to prevent him from ________ his wounds.

Because his children, Nicole, now 11, and Markus, 6, had been watching the cartoon movie, The Adventures of Tintin, Andersen ________ the squirrel Tintin and decided to make him part of the family, since he couldn’t be released back into the wild without weeks of ________.

Using a little ________ to protect Tintin from other animals that weren’t as ________ of squirrels as Coco, Andersen began taking his lively little pet everywhere he went,________ their adventures on social media.

“With so much negativity in the world, I thought it could help ________ people up,” Andersen said. “Most people feel surprised and want to know more. He makes people forget about their ________ for a moment so they can laugh and smile. We have a special ________ and are pretty much together.”

1.

A．flew

B．hung

C．fell

D．returned

2.

A．worried

B．injured

C．embarrassed

D．confused

3.

A．left

B．approached

C．greeted

D．seized

4.

A．pretending

B．thinking

C．saying

D．promising

5.

A．cure

B．hide

C．bury

D．rescue

6.

A．doubted

B．appreciated

C．knew

D．remembered

7.

A．Secretly

B．Quickly

C．Gently

D．Violently

8.

A．wet

B．thick

C．loose

D．clean

9.

A．regularly

B．hardly

C．occasionally

D．instantly

10.

A．hand

B．face

C．paw

D．tongue

11.

A．familiar

B．new

C．ordinary

D．large

12.

A．scratching

B．smelling

C．cutting

D．nursing

13.

A．named

B．gave

C．brought

D．made

14.

A．growth

B．operation

C．recovery

D．development

15.

A．board

B．stick

C．gun

D．rope

16.

A．conscious

B．tolerant

C．favorite

D．aware

17.

A．downloading

B．following

C．documenting

D．exploring

18.

A．lift

B．save

C．break

D．turn

19.

A．happiness

B．troubles

C．competitions

D．ambition

20.

A．attention

B．interest

C．charm

D．bond

9 . 阅读下列短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Desiree, a 4-year-old girl, was sobbing quietly over her father, Ken, who had died nine months earlier. She was hugging a photograph of her father with her fingers running around his face. “Daddy”, she said softly, “Why won’t you come back?”

Instead of gradually adjusting to her father’s death, Desiree refused to accept it. “Daddy will be home soon,” she’d tell her mother. “He’s at work.” When she played with her toy telephone, she pretended she was chatting with her father. “I miss you, Daddy,” she’d say, “When will you come back?” Desiree’s situation made her mother worried.

Days later, it was Ken’s birthday. “How will I send him a card?” Desiree asked her mother. “How about if we tie a letter to a balloon,” her mother said, “and send it up to heaven?” Desiree’s eyes immediately lit up.

Her mother took her to a store and Desiree picked out a balloon with HAPPY BIRTHDAY above a drawing of The Little Mermaid(美人鱼). Desiree and her father had often watched it. The child’s eyes shone as they were on the way to Ken’s grave. Then Desiree dictated a letter to her dad. “Tell him, ‘Happy birthday, I love you and miss you,’” she rattled off(快速说). “ ‘I hope you get this and can write to me on my birthday in January.’ ”

Her mother wrote the message and their address on a small piece of paper, which was then wrapped in plastic and tied to the end of the string on the balloon. Finally, Desiree released the balloon. For almost an hour, they watched the shining spot of silver grow smaller and smaller till disappear. “Now Dad’s going to write back to me,” Desiree declared confidently.

Every day since they’d released the balloon, Desiree had asked her mother, “Do you think Daddy has my balloon yet?” Several weeks passed, and she stopped asking.

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；
2. 应使用 5 个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1
One day, 3,000 miles away, Wade was on a duck hunt when suddenly something in the bush caught his eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2
Desiree’s fifth birthday came and later on the afternoon, a package arrived.
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