1 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a _____ sport, at times almost painful, and practices really _____ a team’s physical and mental limits. Without trust in my own ability and a strong sense of commitment, I would never have managed to continue after years of hard work as a player, and with countless _____.

In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing _____ that gave me a great sense of achievement. But in the last game of the season, I was seriously injured. I was prohibited from any physical activities for six months. After going _____ a series of physical treatments, I returned to the field as a team captain. I practiced harder than ever to make up for my _____ time.

In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the _____ of the Most Valuable Player.

_____, my skills in football do not magically extend to other sports. During the winter break, I went on a snowboarding trip and seriously injured my right shoulder. I had to have four _____. Since I could not use my right arm for two months, I had to learn how to write and eat using my left hand.

______ life must go on. I knew that my own present efforts would decide my future, so I ______ the strict training program to build up strength and improve flexibility in my ______. After an eight-month recovery, I was back to the field playing football, the sport I ______.

In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson: ______ and commitment make what seems impossible ______. This lesson from football is the one that can be applied to every part of life.

1.

A．tough

B．popular

C．typical

D．dynamic

2.

A．set

B．control

C．test

D．require

3.

A．mistakes

B．adventures

C．accidents

D．injuries

4.

A．performance

B．position

C．moment

D．advantage

5.

A．with

B．over

C．through

D．into

6.

A．valuable

B．lost

C．extra

D．regular

7.

A．pride

B．choice

C．name

D．honor

8.

A．Unfortunately

B．Similarly

C．Happily

D．Gradually

9.

A．practices

B．tryouts

C．seasons

D．operations

10.

A．But

B．Or

C．So

D．And

11.

A．examined

B．changed

C．provided

D．completed

12.

A．shoulder

B．hand

C．leg

D．foot

13.

A．explore

B．avoid

C．love

D．support

14.

A．Knowledge

B．Belief

C．Experience

D．Opinion

15.

A．enjoyable

B．possible

C．sensible

D．responsible

2 . A few weeks ago, I received a package containing seeds from my friend. When I asked her what they would _______ into, a smile crossed her face. “Just plant them and be patient. You’ll see for yourself _______!” she said.

I sowed the seeds in a flowerpot. In the first few days, I was very excited to search for the slightest signs, but _______ happened. With heavy loads of homework, I began to feel sad and _______. How much I longed for the color in my fast-paced life.

I watered the plants in dry periods. On the eighth day, to my great _______, a few light green sprouts (新芽) appeared. Bending down and studying the plants, I could almost hear them growing. More days passed, and the flowerpot soon became _______ with coriander (香菜) plants. Now they are taller than the edge of the pot, constantly shaking their leaves in the gentle wind, as if they were merrily singing a song of _______.

I am certain that after a few more days, my plants will be ready for_______. These plants have played an important part in _______ up my everyday life. They may not be a main dish on our table, but using some will surely make our dishes delicious.

Let us all slow our pace down and be patient. So long as we take steps to set our hearts free, time and patience will ________ us with the pure pleasure of being alive in this lovely world.

1.

A．grow

B．run

C．look

D．break

2.

A．immediately

B．finally

C．quickly

D．regularly

3.

A．anything

B．everything

C．something

D．nothing

4.

A．shocked

B．disappointed

C．embarrassed

D．scared

5.

A．surprise

B．pity

C．shame

D．anxiety

6.

A．packed

B．lined

C．crowded

D．piled

7.

A．courage

B．freedom

C．interest

D．relief

8.

A．harvest

B．loss

C．sights

D．rest

9.

A．picking

B．ending

C．brightening

D．taking

10.

A．impress

B．assist

C．surround

D．reward

4 . A Hug from a Teenage Boy

Fifteen years spent in the field of education have provided Nancy Marra with many treasured moments. One of the most endearing happened when she was teaching second grade.

That year, she decided to plan something special for the children: a Mother’s Day tea. After all the preparations were made for it, each child took home an invitation. Nancy was surprised and relieved to see that every mother was planning to attend. She even invited her own mother.

Finally, the day arrived. That afternoon, each child lined up at the classroom door expecting the arrival of his or her mom. As it got closer to starting time, Nancy looked around and her eyes quickly found Jimmy. His mother hadn’t shown up and he was looking upset.

Nancy took her mother by the hand and walked over to Jimmy. “Jimmy,” Nancy said, “I have a bit of a problem here and I was wondering if you could help out. Since I’m going to be really busy today, I was wondering if you could keep my mother company.”

Nancy’s mom and Jimmy sat at a table with two other mother-child pairs. Jimmy served Nancy’s mom her treats, presented her with the gift Nancy had made, and pulled out and pushed in her chair, just as they had practiced the day before. Whenever Nancy looked over, her mom and Jimmy were in deep conversation

Ten years later, Nancy was at a high school to take a senior class on a field trip, and there was Jimmy. On the way back, Nancy had the students complete an evaluation form of their trip. She collected and checked the forms one by one.

When she came to Jimmy’s evaluation page, he had written, “Remember our Mother’s Day tea we had in second grade, Mrs. Marra? I do! Thanks for all you did for me, and thank your mother, too.”

As they began unloading at the school, Jimmy made sure he was the last one to go. Nancy told him she really enjoyed what he had written. He looked rather embarrassed, mumbled (咕哝) his own thanks, and then turned to walk away. As the bus driver began pulling the bus away, Jimmy ran back and knocked on the bus door. He jumped back on board and gave Nancy a big hug. “Thanks again, Mrs. Marra. No one even knew my mom didn’t make it that day!”

She ended her workday with a hug from a teenage boy who had probably stopped hugging teachers years ago.

1. Why was Jimmy paired with Nancy’s mother?

A．Nancy was too busy to spend time with her.

B．Jimmy’s mother didn’t come to the event.

C．Nancy wanted Jimmy to get to know her.

D．Jimmy could get along well with her.

2. Where did Jimmy meet Nancy ten years later?

A．Near Jimmy’s high school.

B．At a Mother’s Day tea.

C．In Nancy’s classroom.

D．On a field trip.

3. How did Jimmy feel about what Nancy had done for him?

A．Upset.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Grateful.

D．Satisfied.

4. Which of the following best presents the theme of the passage?

A．No act of kindness is ever wasted.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．A mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go.

D．The best teacher must be the best performer.

5 . I decided to ski to the North Pole. It was after I saw an advertisement in a newspaper looking for people to join a team to ski 350 miles to the North Pole. Back in 1996, there had never been a woman from the UK who had accomplished this challenge. I wondered what it would be like to survive in temperatures cold enough to freeze your flesh in seconds, so I sent off for the application form.

The application form full of pictures of male explorers arrived. The words "Are you man enough for the ultimate (终极的) challenge?" made me angry and even more determined to get on the team.

Over 500 individuals applied for a place in the team, and the selection process included physical and psychological tests designed to pick the best group. In one test, there was a huge rope ladder we had to climb, and I froze at the top because I have a fear of heights. I thought my hopes were fading as most other applicants sailed past, leaving me behind. But two others helped me over, and later I found out that the organizers were not looking for amazing individuals, but great team players, and this moment had shown them who would take care of others in the team.

I had revealed (显示) my weakness, and in a place like the Arctic, you have to be yourself, as there is nowhere to hide. There personalities of asking for help and showing weakness are necessary for women to master.

I realized that by being myself, I could succeed. I was selected for the team. I realized that I could achieve more than I ever imagined—more importantly, by sharing my story with others, I could inspire them to take a step into the new world and reveal more of their abilities.

1. How did the author react on seeing the advertisement?

A．She got cross.	B．She was determined.
C．She got frightened.	D．She was uninterested.

2. What did the organizers view as the most important in the selection of new hands?

A．Personal quality.	B．Individual ability.
C．Spirit of teamwork.	D．Courage to challenge.

3. What does the author think of women's showing weakness?

A．Beneficia1.	B．Shamefu1.
C．Mercifu1.	D．Disturbing.

4. What's the intention of the author in writing this passage?

A．To inspire us to prepare for our future goa1.

B．To advise women to turn to others.

C．To make suggestions to her team members.

D．To encourage people to explore the unknown.

6 . I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early________of gardening may not have originated from my love for nature. It was to ________my parents.

At that time, we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with ________at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, “something else to ________!”Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father ever thought it a waste of time.

At that age, I always did something________to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found________, I would plant a garden!

I planted some lily (百合花)seeds in the yard. But they failed to ________. I continued to sunflower seeds and roses. Wild ________joy, I found the first rose bloom (开花). One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off.________, I was touched by this land of wonder.

________, my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even________at me because he found it was ________to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother’s ________, I put her vase my real roses which, in her eyes, were simply weeds________flowers.

Regardless of their ________, I kept on planting my garden and ________to enjoy the pleasure gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they________to care and love.

It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to ________my parent. Today I become known as Mrs. Greenthumbs, teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show which makes my parents feel very________. And now I could say it is my affection for________that makes me a real gardener.

1.

A．memory

B．dream

C．intention

D．design

2.

A．please

B．change

C．help

D．annoy

3.

A．doubt

B．appreciation

C．surprise

D．excitement

4.

A．collect up

B．care about

C．clean up

D．come in

5.

A．equal

B．similar

C．superior

D．opposite

6.

A．painful

B．valuable

C．upsetting

D．interesting

7.

A．come up

B．break out

C．hold on

D．get through

8.

A．to

B．with

C．in

D．by

9.

A．Luckily

B．Cheerfully

C．Regularly

D．Eventually

10.

A．Inetead

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Besides

11.

A．shouted

B．laughed

C．glanced

D．jumped

12.

A．convenient

B．troublesome

C．enjoyed

D．dangerous

13.

A．sadness

B．displeasure

C．delight

D．relief

14.

A．other than

B．more than

C．rather than

D．less than

15.

A．dislike

B．encouragement

C．threat

D．suggestion

16.

A．decided

B．stopped

C．continued

D．struggled

17.

A．devote

B．turn

C．respond

D．lead

18.

A．defeat

B．satisfy

C．respect

D．challenge

19.

A．proud

B．comfortable

C．strange

D．disappointed

20.

A．freedom

B．life

C．growth

D．nature

8 . Paralympian Anastasia Pagonis’ remarkable success story began when she lost her vision at age 14. Granted, it’s a tough age for any teen, but dealing with a life-changing disability made things even more challenging.

“It took me about eight months to regroup myself,” she told TODAY, “and then I got it in my head, ‘Okay, I’m blind. Now what am I going to do with my life?”

A Long Island native, Pagonis practically grew up in the water. She’d taken up competitive freestyle swimming just a few months prior to going totally blind. While she excelled at the sport with limited vision, an “abusive team” atmosphere prompted her to quit competition.

After months of therapy, however, the persistent teen was ready to get back in the swim-only swimming wasn’t enough for Pagonis. She wanted to compete.

Now she was faced with another dilemma. “Nobody wanted to train the blind girl,” she recalled in an interview with TEAM USA. “I ended up after about eight months finding an amazing coach who was willing to train me and actually put on blackout goggles to try to figure out a way for me to swim.”

By the age of 16, Pagonis was earning a reputation as a fierce competitor, taking two gold medals at the World Para Swimming World Series in Australia. When Pagonis realized her experiences and positive outlook might be a boon(益处) to others, she eagerly stepped up as a role model. “I want to help people the way I needed help,” Pagonis told TEAM USA. “I started doing Instagram and social media and was soon getting a bunch of replies saying, ‘Wow! You really helped me get through bad things,’ or, ‘I was getting bullied in school and you helped me get through that,’ or, ‘You let me know how much I was worth.’”

Back in the water, Pagonis was truly in her element. “It’s my happy place,” she told TODAY. “It’s the place where I feel like I don’t have a disability and I feel like that’s the only place where I feel free. When I dive in the water, it’s just me in the pool and I feel such a connection with it. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith because if you don’t try, you don’t know. Always follow your dreams.”

1. What difficulty did Pagonis face after she quit competition?

A．She had to wear goggles.

B．It was hard to find her a coach

C．Her skills weren’t useful in darkness.

D．She couldn’t do the freestyle anymore.

2. It can be learnt from the passage that Pagonis___________.

A．stopped swimming for two years

B．improved her vision by swimming

C．helped many people through difficulties

D．devoted herself to fighting against bullies

3. What does the underlined phrase in her element mean?

A．In a very good mood	B．Full of Confusion.
C．Confident of winning.	D．Happy to be special.

4. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．Team spirit is vital for winning-

B．Role models make us who we are.

C．A good teacher is the key to success.

D．Disability does not limit one’s success.

9 . The Party of Their Lives

In Los Angeles’s infamous Skid Row, there are hundreds of children living on the streets or in shelters. It’s a place where dreams go to die. But one couple is determined to use their own experience with loss to foster a sense of hope.

In 2013, Mary Davis and her husband lost their first unborn kid. Refusing to let the heartbreak break them, they became volunteers in a Skid Row homeless shelter. They found that many of the kids there had never had a single birthday party before, so they decided to throw a birthday party for those homeless kids. They took over a room in the Union Rescue Mission and filled it with streamers, gifts and a cake. The kids were so excited that they made their own music — singing and clapping and, of course, laughing.

Since then, the couple have thrown a party each and every month. They routinely attract 250 kids and their parents. An hour before each party, volunteers arrive to set up the decorations and activities: face painting, balloon artists, a DJ, cake, and pizza. There are small presents for the kids celebrating their birthdays, but the Davis make sure there are more than enough to go around.

“I remember a mom came with her kid,” Mary says. “It was their first night at the shelter, and her child had a birthday. We had an extra gift for her — pink headphones. The little girl was so excited. And her mom... she’s crying. ‘I never imagined we would ever need to be in a shelter. I didn’t know what to expect. But I really didn’t expect a birthday party for my child.’ she cried with happiness.”

Doing her best to normalize these kids’ lives is both heartwarming and bittersweet, Mary says. “If you look outside, you see homeless person after homeless person on the street, and it reminds you that these kids don’t get to leave this area after the party.”

It may be why, after throwing 88 parties, she still cries after each one. She credits the kids in the shelter with helping her hold on to hope. “We didn’t realize how much joy they were going to bring us,” she told CBS News. “And it was so healing for both kids and us.”

1. In Skid Row, hundreds of kids ________.

A．were homeless	B．lost their parents
C．dropped out of school	D．were crazy about parties

2. How did the couple help the kids?

A．They raised much money.

B．They rented many houses.

C．They hosted birthday parties.

D．They made birthday presents.

3. According to the passage, which can best describe Mary?

A．Honest and generous.	B．Caring and generous.
C．Outgoing and caring.	D．Outgoing and honest.

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Well begun, half done.

B．East or west, home is best.

C．What goes around comes around.

D．Where there is love, there is hope.

10 . Recently whenever I turned on my computer or my mobile phone, news about the great effect of Hurricane Harvey（哈维飓风）on thousands of people caught my eye. I saw many unfortunate events. However, there was also lots of bright news that showed the goodness of mankind. As a reporter, I reported many human-interest stories when doing my job, That’s why the story about the guys in the bakery（面包店）caught my eye.

When the workers at a Mexican bakery chain in Houston were trapped inside the building for two days, they didn't sit there feeling sorry for themselves. They used their time wisely after flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. While waiting for the eventual rescue that came on Monday morning, the four workers decided to make as many loaves of bread as possible for people around the neighborhood. They talked to their manager about their plan over the phone and the manager agreed.

The flood water rose in the street outside. They took advantage of their emergency power supply to bake bread. They used more than 4,200 pounds of flour（面粉）to create hundreds of loaves and sheets of sweet bread. Although the water kept rising, they continued baking to help more people. By the time the manager managed to get to them, they had made so much bread that they took the loaves to lots of emergency centers across the city for people affected by the floods.

The store manager, Brian Alvarado, told The Independent, “They've done more than they should have done. And what they had done has lit a light for people. I feel lucky to have them work in the bakery.”

Whenever a disaster occurs, nobody should feelforlorn. Instead, we should stay hopeful and take positive action to save ourselves and help others. Our acts of kindness will make a big difference to the people in the world as well as the world itself.

1. Why did the story in the bakery draw the author’s attention?

A．It was helpful in choosing a good job.

B．It made him/her interested in baking.

C．It could bring him/her much money.

D．It showed the goodness of mankind.

2. What did the guys in the bakery do in the disaster?

A．They tried to get people out of water.

B．They set up emergency centers to help.

C．They offered to make bread for people.

D．They let homeless people live in the bakery.

3. What does Brian Alvarado think of the four workers?

A．He found them lucky.	B．He was proud of them.
C．They were experienced.	D．They were shy but brave.

4. What does the underlined word “forlorn” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Hopeless.

B．Confident.

C．Serious.

D．Angry.