1 . I was in the middle of the Amazon (亚马逊) with my wife, who was there as a medical researcher. We flew on a small plane to a faraway village. We did not speak the local language, did not know the customs, and more often than not, did not entirely recognize the food. We could not have felt more foreign.

We were raised on books and computers, highways and cell phones, but now we were living in a village without running water or electricity It was easy for us to go to sleep at the end of the day feeling a little misunderstood.

Then one perfect Amazonian evening, with monkeys calling from beyond the village green, we played soccer. I am not good at soccer, but that evening it was wonderful. Everyone knew the rules. We all spoke the same language of passes and shots. We understood one another perfectly. As darkness came over the field and the match ended, the goal keeper, Juan, walked over to me and said in a matter-of-fact way, “In your home, do you have a moon too?” I was surprised.

After I explained to Juan that yes, we did have a moon and yes, it was very similar to his, I felt a sort of awe (敬畏) at the possibilities that existed in his world. In Juan’s world, each village could have its own moon. In Juan’s world, the unknown and undiscovered was vast and marvelous. Anything was possible.

In our society, we know that Earth has only one moon. We have looked at our planet from every angle and found all of the wildest things left to find. I can, from my computer at home, pull up satellite images of Juan’s village. There are no more continents and no more moons to search for, little left to discover. At least it seems that way.

Yet, as I thought about Juan’s question, I was not sure how much more we could really rule out. I am, in part, an ant biologist, so my thoughts turned to what we know about insect life and I knew that much in the world of insects remains unknown. How much, though? How ignorant   (无知的) are we? The question of what we know and do not know constantly bothered me.

I began collecting newspaper articles about new species, new monkey, new spider…, and on and on they appear. My drawer quickly filled. I began a second drawer for more general discoveries: new cave system discovered with dozens of nameless species, four hundred species of bacteria found in the human stomach. The second drawer began to fill and as it did I wondered whether there were bigger discoveries out there, not just species, but life that depends on things thought to be useless, life even without DNA. I started a third drawer for these big discoveries. It fills more slowly, but all the same, it fills.

In looking into the stories of biological discovery, I also began to find something else, a collection of scientists, usually brilliant occasionally half-mad, who made the discoveries. Those scientists very often see the same things that other scientists see, but they pay more attention to them, and they focus on them to the point of exhaustion (穷尽), and at the risk of the ridicule of their peers. In looking for the stories of discovery, I found the stories of these people and how their lives changed our view of the world.

We are repeatedly willing to imagine we have found most of what is left to discover. We used to think that insects were the smallest organisms (生物), and that nothing lived deeper than six hundred meters. Yet, when something new turns up, more often than not, we do not even know its name.

1. How did the author feel on his arrival in the Amazon?

A．Out of place.

B．Full of joy.

C．Sleepy.

D．Regretful.

2. What made that Amazonian evening wonderful?

A．He learned more about the local language.

B．They had a nice conversation with each other.

C．They understood each other while playing.

D．He won the soccer game with the goal keeper.

3. Why was the author surprised at Juan’s question about the moon?

A．The question was too straightforward.

B．Juan knew so little about the world.

C．The author didn’t know how to answer.

D．The author didn’t think Juan was sincere.

4. What was the author’s initial purpose of collecting newspaper articles?

A．To sort out what we have known.

B．To deepen his research into Amazonians.

C．To improve his reputation as a biologist.

D．To learn more about local cultures.

5. How did those brilliant scientists make great discoveries?

A．They shifted their viewpoints frequently.

B．They followed other scientists closely.

C．They often criticized their fellow scientists.

D．They conducted in-depth and close studies.

6. What could be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．The Possible and the Impossible .

B．The Known and the Unknown .

C．The Civilized and the Uncivilized .

D．The Ignorant and the Intelligent.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Who is Clifford?

A．A little girl.

B．The man’s pet.

C．A fictional character.

2. Who suggested that Norman paint for children’s books?

A．His wife.

B．Elizabeth.

C．A publisher.

3. What is Norman’s story based on?

A．A book.

B．A painting.

C．A young woman.

4. What is it that shocked Norman?

A．His unexpected success.

B．His efforts made in vain.

C．His editor’s disagreement.

3 . Another person's enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father_________me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is_________for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no_________ than tomorrow morning.”

My stepmother walked over to me, _________my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are_________This is not the worst boy at all, _________the smartest one who hasn't yet found an outlet(释放的途径) for his enthusiasm.”

That statement began a(n)_________between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my_________as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She_________my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father's career could be more__________and my brother and I could be better__________.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand__________and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I__________ it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her__________ and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of__________that great day I went to interview Andrew Camegie and received the task which became my life's work later. I wasn't the__________beneficiary(受益者). My father became the__________ man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

What power__________has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one's purpose and is__________ strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible(不可抗拒的) force which poverty and temporary defeat can never________.

You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.

1.

A．rushed

B．sent

C．carried

D．introduced

2.

A．distinguished

B．favored

C．mistaken

D．rewarded

3.

A．sooner

B．later

C．longer

D．earlier

4.

A．dragged

B．shook

C．raised

D．bent

5.

A．perfect

B．right

C．wrong

D．impolite

6.

A．but

B．so

C．and

D．or

7.

A．agreement

B．friendship

C．gap

D．relationship

8.

A．opinion

B．image

C．expectation

D．mind

9.

A．begged

B．persuaded

C．ordered

D．invited

10.

A．successful

B．meaningful

C．helpful

D．useful

11.

A．treated

B．entertained

C．educated

D．respected

12.

A．camera

B．radio

C．bicycle

D．typewriter

13.

A．considered

B．suspected

C．ignored

D．appreciated

14.

A．belief

B．request

C．criticism

D．description

15.

A．teaching

B．writing

C．studying

D．reading

16.

A．next

B．same

C．only

D．real

17.

A．cleverest

B．wealthiest

C．strongest

D．healthiest

18.

A．enthusiasm

B．sympathy

C．fortune

D．confidence

19.

A．deliberately

B．happily

C．traditionally

D．constantly

20.

A．win

B．match

C．reach

D．doubt

4 . The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer’s(阿尔茨海默症). He was losing his memory.

A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.

Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep each night when she was young. She thought about hiring a professional pianist to work with her father.

Naomi, Melissa’s best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.

“Why do this?” Steve wondered.

“Because she cares.” Melissa said.

Steve nodded, tear in eye.

Naomi drove to the Goodwin home. She told Steve she’d love to hear him play. Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.

Naomi put a small recorder near the piano. Starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.

“It was beautiful.” Naomi said after listening to the recording. “The music was worth saving.”

Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was still in Steve Goodwin. It was hidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.

Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He’d move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she’d take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.

Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn’t play it.

Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it “Melancholy Flower”.

Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him “honey” and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.

Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve’s favorite, and most personal, songs. With Naomi’s help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve’s songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn’t.

In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: “Melancholy Flower. ”

She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve’s permission. He considered it an honor.

After the concert, Naomi told the family that Steve’s music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.

The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.

By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.

Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.

1. Why did Melissa want to save her father’s music?

A．His music could stop his disease from worsening.

B．She wanted to please her dying old father.

C．His music deserved to be preserved in the family.

D．She wanted to make her father a professional.

2. After hearing Steve’s playing, Naomi ________.

A．refused to make a comment on it

B．was deeply impressed by his music

C．decided to free Steve from suffering

D．regretted offering help to her friend

3. How can the process of Steve’s recording be described?

A．It was slow but productive.

B．It was beneficial to his health.

C．It was tiresome for Naomi.

D．It was vital for Naomi’s career.

4. Before Steve finished “Melancholy Flower,” his wife Joni _______.

A．thought the music talent of Steve was exhausted

B．didn’t expect the damage the disease brought about

C．didn’t fully realize the value of her husband’s music

D．brought her husband’s music career to perfection

5. How did Steve feel at the concert held in downtown Portland?

A．He felt concerned about his illness.

B．He sensed a responsibility for music.

C．He regained his faith in music.

D．He got into a state of quiet.

6. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．The Kindness of Friends

B．The Power of Music

C．The Making of a Musician

D．The Value of Determination

5 . Raynor Winn and her husband Moth became homeless due to their wrong investment. Their savings had been________ to pay lawyers’ fees. To make matters worse, Moth was diagnosed（诊断）with a __________ disease. There was no __________, only pain relief.

Failing to find any other way out, they decided to make a __________ journey, as they caught sight of an old hikers’(徒步旅行者）guide.

This was a long journey of unaccustomed hardship and __________ recovery. When leaving home, Raynor and Moth had just ￡320 in the bank. They planned to keep the __________ low by living on boiled noodles, with the __________ hamburger shop treat.

Wild camping is __________ in England. To avoid being caught, the Winns had to get their tent up __________and packed it away early in the morning. The Winns soon discovered that daily hiking in their 50s is a lot ____________ than they remember it was in their 20s. Raynor ____________ all over and desired a bath. Moth, meanwhile, after an initial ____________, found his symptoms were strangely ____________ by their daily tiring journey.

__________, the couple found that their bodies turned for the better, with re-found strong muscles that they thought had ____________ forever. "Our hair was fried and falling out, nails broken, clothes ____________ to a thread, but we were alive."

During the journey, Raynor began a career as a nature writer. She writes, "____________ had taken every material thing from me and left me torn bare, an empty page at the end of a(n) ____________ written book. It had also given me a ____________, either to leave that page ____________ or to keep writing the story with hope. I chose hope.”

1.

A．drawn up

B．used up

C．backed up

D．kept up

2.

A．mild

B．common

C．preventable

D．serious

3.

A．cure

B．luck

C．care

D．promise

4.

A．business

B．walking

C．bus

D．rail

5.

A．expected

B．frightening

C．disappointing

D．surprising

6.

A．budget

B．revenue

C．compensation

D．allowance

7.

A．frequent

B．occasional

C．abundant

D．constant

8.

A．unpopular

B．lawful

C．attractive

D．illegal

9.

A．soon

B．early

C．late

D．slowly

10.

A．harder

B．easier

C．cheaper

D．funnier

11.

A．rolled

B．bled

C．ached

D．trembled

12.

A．struggle

B．progress

C．excitement

D．research

13.

A．developed

B．controlled

C．reduced

D．increased

14.

A．Initially

B．Eventually

C．Temporarily

D．Consequently

15.

A．gained

B．kept

C．wounded

D．lost

16.

A．sewn

B．washed

C．worn

D．ironed

17.

A．Doctors

B．Hiking

C．Lawyers

D．Homelessness

18.

A．well

B．partly

C．neatly

D．originally

19.

A．choice

B．reward

C．promise

D．break

20.

A．loose

B．full

C．blank

D．missing

6 . For a long time Gabriel didn’t want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at music students, _______across the campus with their heavy instrument cases, _______at school for practice hours _______ anyone else had to be there. He swore to himself to_______music, as he hated getting to school extra early.

_______, one day, in the music class that was _______of his school’s standard curriculum, he was playing idly (随意地)on the piano and found it _________to pick out tunes. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he actually _______doing it. He tried to hide his _______pleasure from the music teacher, who had ________over to listen. He might not have done this particularly well, ________the teacher told Gabriel that he had a good________and suggested that Gabriel go into the music store-room to see if any of the instruments there ________him. There he decided to give the cello(大提琴) a ________. When he began practicing, he took it very ________. But he quickly found that he loved playing this instrument, and was ________to practicing it so that within a couple of months he was playing reasonably well.

This ________, of course, that he arrived at school early in the morning, ________his heavy instrument case across the campus to the ________looks of the non-musicians he had left________.

1.

A．travelling

B．marching

C．pacing

D．struggling

2.

A．rising up

B．coming up

C．driving up

D．turning up

3.

A．before

B．after

C．until

D．since

4.

A．betray

B．accept

C．avoid

D．appreciate

5.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Thus

D．Moreover

6.

A．part

B．nature

C．basis

D．spirit

7.

A．complicated

B．safe

C．confusing

D．easy

8.

A．missed

B．disliked

C．enjoyed

D．denied

9.

A．transparent

B．obvious

C．false

D．similar

10.

A．run

B．jogged

C．jumped

D．wandered

11.

A．because

B．but

C．though

D．so

12.

A．ear

B．taste

C．heart

D．voice

13.

A．occurred to

B．took to

C．appealed to

D．held to

14.

A．change

B．chance

C．mission

D．function

15.

A．seriously

B．proudly

C．casually

D．naturally

16.

A．committed

B．used

C．limited

D．admitted

17.

A．proved

B．showed

C．stressed

D．meant

18.

A．pushing

B．dragging

C．lifting

D．rushing

19.

A．admiring

B．pitying

C．annoying

D．teasing

20.

A．over

B．aside

C．behind

D．out

7 . 阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

In the recent interview, Evelyn Glennie who was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland, recalled how she became a percussion soloist (打击乐器独奏演员) in spite of her disability.

“Early on I decided not to allow the _________ of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began _________ piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion (酷爱) for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my _________. Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the _________ and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never _________ me.”

“My _________ was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I _________ to hear music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can _________ the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动). I feel through my body and through my _________. My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every __________ that I have.”

“I was __________ to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had __________ this before and some teachers __________ my admission. Based on my performance, I was __________ admitted and went on to __________ with the academy’s highest honours.”

“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I __________ and arranged a lot of musical compositions since __________ had been written specially for solo percussionists.

“I have been a soloist for over ten years. __________ the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn’t __________ that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be __________ by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart, they will lead you to the place you want to go.”

1.

A．opinions

B．actions

C．recommendations

D．conditions

2.

A．choosing

B．taking

C．giving

D．enjoying

3.

A．hearing

B．touch

C．taste

D．sight

4.

A．result

B．excuse

C．cause

D．evidence

5.

A．excited

B．accompanied

C．disappointed

D．left

6.

A．decision

B．promise

C．goal

D．purpose

7.

A．learned

B．used

C．ought

D．turned

8.

A．see

B．hear

C．smell

D．tell

9.

A．movement

B．imagination

C．experience

D．carefulness

10.

A．effort

B．feeling

C．idea

D．sense

11.

A．astonished

B．determined

C．discouraged

D．dissatisfied

12.

A．accepted

B．advised

C．admitted

D．done

13.

A．followed

B．required

C．opposed

D．supported

14.

A．finally

B．possibly

C．hopefully

D．usually

15.

A．research

B．graduate

C．progress

D．study

16.

A．translated

B．copied

C．read

D．wrote

17.

A．some

B．many

C．few

D．enough

18.

A．Although

B．When

C．Since

D．However

19.

A．seem

B．conclude

C．say

D．mean

20.

A．guided

B．taught

C．limited

D．directed

8 . I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us_______chasing the same thing.

One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell_______I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I_______the countryside for some place I could rent for the_______possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road_______the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was_______, full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and_____________.

The locals knew nothing about me,_______slowly, they started teaching me the_______of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began__________around to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a__________American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of__________

What I had believed in, all those things I thought were__________for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place. __________on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my__________with my neighbors.

Four years later, I moved back into__________I saw many people were having a really hard time,__________their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to________a handful of people. We’d all be in ___________if we hadn’t banded together.

The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about__________we can all get by together.

1.

A．separately

B．equally

C．violently

D．naturally

2.

A．off

B．apart

C．over

D．out

3.

A．crossed

B．left

C．toured

D．searched

4.

A．fullest

B．largest

C．fairest

D．cheapest

5.

A．at

B．through

C．over

D．round

6.

A．occupied

B．abandoned

C．emptied

D．robbed

7.

A．turned

B．approached

C．cleared

D．cut

8.

A．but

B．although

C．otherwise

D．for

9.

A．benefit

B．lesson

C．nature

D．art

10.

A．sticking

B．looking

C．swinging

D．turning

11.

A．wild

B．real

C．different

D．remote

12.

A．neighborliness

B．happiness

C．friendliness

D．kindness

13.

A．unique

B．expensive

C．rare

D．necessary

14.

A．Up

B．Down

C．Deep

D．Along

15.

A．cooperation

B．relationships

C．satisfaction

D．appointments

16.

A．reality

B．society

C．town

D．life

17.

A．creating

B．losing

C．quitting

D．offering

18.

A．put in

B．turn in

C．take in

D．get in

19.

A．yards

B．shelters

C．camps

D．cottages

20.

A．when

B．what

C．whether

D．how

9 . It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of the dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories fleshed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.

“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.” Jack said.

Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.

“The box is gone,” he said.

“What box?” Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.

Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.

“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.

Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside, “Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bernett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes. Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.

Inside he found these words carved: “Jack. Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”

“Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

1. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Belser.

B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

C．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

D．His present busy life washed away his children memories.

2. Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that _________.

A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing

B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

3. Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

A．Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

B．Because he had no children or relatives.

C．Because he thought he had to keep his word.

D．Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

4. Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

B．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

C．He had missed his son and his family for days.

D．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

5. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A．The Good Old Times	B．What He Valued Most
C．An Old Gold Watch	D．The Lost Childhood Days

10 . Years ago, a critical event occurred in my life that would change it forever. I met Kurt Kampmeir of Success Motivation Incorporation for breakfast. While we were ____, Kurt asked me, “John, what is your ____for personal growth?”

Never at a loss for words, I tried to find things in my life that might ____for growth. I told him about the many activities in which I was ____. And I went into a ____about how hard I worked and the gains I was making. I must have talked for ten minutes. Kurt ____patiently, but then he ____smiled and said, “You don’t have a personal plan for growth, do you?”

“No,” I ____.

“You know,” Kurt said simply, “growth is not a(n) ____process.”

And that’s when it ____me. I wasn’t doing anything ____to make myself better. And at that moment, I made the ____: I will develop and follow a personal growth plan for my ____.

That night, I talked to my wife about my ____with Kurt and what I had learned. I ____her the workbook and tapes Kurt was selling. We ____that Kurt wasn’t just trying to make a sale. He was offering a ____for us to change our lives and achieve our dreams.

Several important things happened that day. First, we decided to ____the resources. But more importantly, we made a commitment to ____together as a couple. From that day on, we learned together, traveled together, and sacrificed together. It was a ____decision. While too many couples grow apart, we were growing together.

1.

A．working

B．preparing

C．thinking

D．eating

2.

A．suggestion

B．demand

C．plan

D．request

3.

A．appeal

B．look

C．call

D．qualify

4.

A．involved

B．trapped

C．lost

D．bathed

5.

A．lecture

B．speech

C．discussion

D．debate

6.

A．calculated

B．listened

C．drank

D．explained

7.

A．eagerly

B．gradually

C．gratefully

D．finally

8.

A．admitted

B．interrupted

C．apologized

D．complained

9.

A．automatic

B．slow

C．independent

D．changing

10.

A．confused

B．informed

C．pleased

D．hit

11.

A．on loan

B．on purpose

C．on sale

D．on balance

12.

A．comment

B．announcement

C．decision

D．arrangement

13.

A．life

B．progress

C．performance

D．investment

14.

A．contract

B．conversation

C．negotiation

D．argument

15.

A．lent

B．sold

C．showed

D．offered

16.

A．recalled

B．defined

C．recognized

D．declared

17.

A．tool

B．method

C．way

D．rule

18.

A．provide

B．buy

C．give

D．deliver

19.

A．grow

B．survive

C．move

D．gather

20.

A．difficult

B．random

C．firm

D．wise