1 . My best friend traveled to stay with our family last weekend. When she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate a spoonful of raspberry jam and some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.

Our long weekend together was luxuriously simple. I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t go to shopping malls. We passed the time running errands (做杂事), going to the post office and collecting dry cleaning. We drank away too many cappuccinos. But we talked about every little detail of our lives.

There’s never been a quiet moment in our friendship. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade. Reunions demand constant conversation. Our personalities are matched, to be sure, and a shared history is indescribably valuable. We were competitors in high school before bonding over a bad experience. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship strengthened itself quickly. We stayed companions through law school, through our first jobs and our first boyfriends. We supported each other through break-ups and breakthroughs. Ours is a friendship for ages.

There is something special about friends who know everyone and everything about you. They are rare. These are the people you’ve chosen to witness your life. They have seen the bright lights of achievement, the depths of despair and the boring routine of the in-between.

It’s special to unpack feelings and frustrations without wasting time filling in the blanks. As my long weekend shows, with such friends we don’t have to “do”, we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves.

The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, the continuation of which is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference sneaking (溜进) into your separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I’m lucky to have found this friend, to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.

1. What happened during her best friend’s visit?

A．They enjoyed an eventful long weekend.

B．They talked constantly about their lives.

C．They made their favorite snacks and coffee.

D．They talked about recent news events.

2. One thing that the author appreciates about their friendship is that ________.

A．they help each other deal with the boredom of life

B．they prefer to witness each other’s lives from far away

C．they try to show each other their best selves

D．they are comfortable just being themselves when together

3. Which of the following would the author agree with?

A．Charm comes from difference.	B．Politeness brings best friends closer.
C．Good friendships need devotion.	D．Distance can separate good friends.

4. The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to ________.

A．describe what her best friend is like	B．share the friendship she treasures
C．explore the key aspects of friendship	D．express thanks to her best friend

5. What is the tone of the passage?

A．Light-hearted.

B．Humorous.

C．Serious.

D．Sentimental.

2 . British Cycling had recently hired Dave Brailsford as its new director. At the time, professional cyclists in Great Britain had ________ nearly one hundred years of mediocrity(平庸). In fact, their________   had been so poor that one of the top bike companies in Europe ________ to sell bikes to the team because they were afraid that it would hurt sales if other professionals saw the British people using their bikes.

What made Brailsford different from previous coaches was his________ of searching for a tiny improvement in everything they do. The whole principle came from the idea that if you________   everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, improve it by 1 percent and you will get a________ increase when you put them all together.

Brailsford and his coaches began by making small________. They redesigned the bike seats to make them more________. They asked riders to wear electrically heated over-shorts to ________ ideal muscle temperature while riding and used biofeedback sensors to ________how each athlete responded to a particular workout.

But they didn’t stop there.They________ to find 1 percent improvements in overlooked areas. They hired a(n)________ to teach each rider the best way to wash their hands to reduce the ________ of catching a cold. They even painted the ________ of the team truck white, which helped them ________little bits of dust that would normally slip by ________ but could affect the performance of the________tuned bikes.

As these and hundreds of other small improvements were ________, the results came faster than anyone could have ________. Just five years after Brailsford took over, they________ the road and track cycling events in all the important Games.

1.

A．lost

B．enjoyed

C．showed

D．suffered

2.

A．score

B．track

C．performance

D．model

3.

A．failed

B．refused

C．expected

D．pretended

4.

A．promise

B．opinion

C．dream

D．philosophy

5.

A．broke down

B．took down

C．put up

D．gave away

6.

A．flexible

B．temporary

C．significant

D．random

7.

A．differences

B．adjustments

C．programs

D．efforts

8.

A．attractive

B．empty

C．soft

D．comfortable

9.

A．maintain

B．raise

C．reduce

D．discover

10.

A．change

B．monitor

C．manage

D．produce

11.

A．continued

B．happened

C．learned

D．bothered

12.

A．coach

B．secretary

C．assistant

D．surgeon

13.

A．sessions

B．chances

C．records

D．reactions

14.

A．tyres

B．roof

C．inside

D．seats

15.

A．gather

B．recognize

C．spot

D．send

16.

A．surrounded

B．unnoticed

C．removed

D．discovered

17.

A．finely

B．initially

C．slightly

D．positively

18.

A．took off

B．picked up

C．built up

D．got off

19.

A．achieved

B．remembered

C．mentioned

D．imagined

20.

A．dominated

B．witnessed

C．celebrated

D．attended

3 . When school started on that warm August day, I ________ myself into all the sports I did, including volleyball. I decided to become ________ and stopped eating completely. Soon I began losing weight, ________ thrilled me, and I even grew to love the ________ that came with my poor diet, for it meant that I was winning.

As the season progressed, things had become ________ between my head volleyball coach, Coach Smith, and me. Feeling something was wrong with my ________, she talked with me and tried to persuade me to eat ________ a healthy way. We then argued constantly. Later, my hunger started to affect my ________. I was so tired that practice and games were becoming a struggle. One afternoon, with ________ in her eyes, Coach Smith asked me what I had eaten. I told her ________ yet, and I wasn’t going to. She looked at me, hurt in her eyes, knowing her efforts are ________, and walked away.

A couple of weeks later I ________ a formal dinner for our volleyball team. I stood there as my coach managed to say something nice about me. I realized suddenly that I had ________ my senior year by being disrespectful, and probably hers as well. So that evening I wrote her a letter ________ and thanking her.

Then one Saturday, as I was reading in the library, I felt someone ________ take my arm and say softly, “Lynn Jones, how are you doing?” I looked up and saw the familiar face. “Thanks for the letter,” she said. “It ________ a lot.”

When I think of a coach, I think of someone ________ me, someone who gives instruction—not a friend. But Coach Smith is different, and, like any other good friend, she ________ my problem persistently even when I hated her for it at that time. ________ I didn’t deserve her kindness, she gave it anyway. I will forever be grateful for her help and now for her ________.

1.

A．removed

B．threw

C．flew

D．struck

2.

A．slim

B．strong

C．healthy

D．suitable

3.

A．why

B．what

C．which

D．when

4.

A．patience

B．presence

C．weakness

D．selflessness

5.

A．limited

B．smooth

C．easy

D．tense

6.

A．honor

B．state

C．credit

D．academy

7.

A．on

B．in

C．to

D．at

8.

A．appearance

B．opportunity

C．dependence

D．performance

9.

A．caution

B．relief

C．satisfaction

D．concern

10.

A．nothing

B．everything

C．something

D．anything

11.

A．in need

B．in return

C．in vain

D．in particular

12.

A．attended

B．missed

C．recommended

D．mentioned

13.

A．ruined

B．improved

C．experienced

D．controlled

14.

A．responding

B．denying

C．complaining

D．apologizing

15.

A．painfully

B．gently

C．rapidly

D．randomly

16.

A．read

B．claimed

C．meant

D．announced

17.

A．above

B．below

C．outside

D．across

18.

A．came across

B．dealt with

C．tore apart

D．held out

19.

A．Unless

B．Because

C．As

D．Though

20.

A．friendship

B．challenge

C．competition

D．cooperation

5 . When my dad finally finished the triathlon (铁人三项)in Montauk, the crowd cheered. It showed me how his hard work paid off and it excited my_________ . I wondered whether a small boy of my size could _________ something like that. I found myself _________this out loud and my father overheard me. He _________me and said I could train with him.

Training with my clad turned out to be very_________. We would get up very early for a morning jog or go for a swim in the pool after school. After a few weeks of training, I _________ my first triathlon. Before the competition, I nervously waited for the_________.

When someone fired the gun. I was off,_________towards the distant buoy (浮标)that marked my turn. I finished the half-mile swim and ran towards my _________. I was dripping wet,trying to __________it. Once on the bike, I experienced an excitement specific to __________. I went through the transition zone and__________ my running shoes. At the start of the run part of the triathlon, my__________ already felt like they were made of cement (水泥).

For me, the real competition began during the run, because now I could see each competitor as a target. No matter my__________in the field, each racer was either following me__________ being followed. The run part of the race was in fact__________tolerance.

“Shut up, legs”, one of my favorite sayings, kept me from thinking about the__________feeling. Then I crossed the finish line. I took a breath and then began a(an)__________with the other finishers. The sense of__________was there for all of us.

Looking back, I remember the small boy on that day in Montauk who doubted whether he could__________it, like his dad. Now, that same boy is not only a huge fan, but also a training partner as well.

1.

A．pride

B．congratulations

C．concern

D．curiosity

2.

A．learn

B．deserve

C．achieve

D．organize

3.

A．saying

B．figuring

C．acting

D．leaving

4.

A．admired

B．encouraged

C．pushed

D．convinced

5.

A．unbearable

B．exciting

C．enjoyable

D．challenging

6.

A．learnt from

B．suffered from

C．signed up for

D．dropped out of

7.

A．signal

B．announcement

C．result

D．permission

8.

A．riding

B．walking

C．swimming

D．dashing

9.

A．bike

B．horse

C．destination

D．coat

10.

A．take off

B．get on

C．knock out

D．put away

11.

A．running

B．traveling

C．cycling

D．swimming

12.

A．kicked off

B．switched to

C．prepared for

D．polished

13.

A．arms

B．clothes

C．shoes

D．legs

14.

A．size

B．position

C．age

D．career

15.

A．or

B．and

C．but

D．so

16.

A．breathlessness

B．thirst

C．stress

D．pain

17.

A．winning

B．nervous

C．burning

D．proud

18.

A．suggestion

B．celebration

C．impression

D．organization

19.

A．accomplishment

B．guilt

C．sorrow

D．participation

20.

A．join

B．move

C．prove

D．make

9 . A small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree and it has been there for ten years or so.

It all began because my husband Justin hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas. Overspending was one thing, but compared to the difficult experience of choosing gifts—running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and a pair of gloves for Grandma…, spending money is nothing.

I felt too tired to think of any special gifts. Knowing Justin felt the same way, I decided one year not to buy the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so on. I reached for something special just for Justin. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in such worn-out shoes that shoe strings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, while our boys were in their blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was shocked to see that the other team were wrestling without wearing helmets to protect their heads. Well, our boys ended up defeating them. We took every weight class.

Justin, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot potential, but losing like this could take the heart out of them." Justin loved kids—-all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football and baseball. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought different kinds of wrestling helmets and shoes. I sent them to the inner-city church without leaving my name.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Justin what I had done and that was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and since then the envelope has become the highlight of our Christmas.

1. Justin hated Christmas because________.

A．he thought Christmas makes no sense

B．he had a hard time choosing gifts

C．he spent too much money buying gifts

D．he disliked putting gifts under the Christmas tree

2. We know from the passage that the team sponsored by inner-city church________.

A．were well dressed	B．paid no attention to safety
C．feared Kevin's team	D．couldn't afford helmets

3. Justin felt sad mainly because the youngsters in the other team________.

A．didn't wear any helmets

B．were dressed in worn-out shoes

C．may lose confidence completely

D．failed in the match against his son

4. The underlined that in the last paragraph refers to________.

A．what the writer had done	B．the envelop on the tree
C．the note inside the envelop	D．the gifts the writer sent to church

5. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．A Church Gift	B．A Special Note
C．A White Envelope	D．A Christmas Card

10 . 阅读下面短文，并根据短文内容完成下列各题。

Aesha Ash spent most of her life ballet (芭蕾舞) dancing and even turned it into a career as a member of the New York City Ballet. As much as she loved to dance, she found the weight of her responsibility heavy because she was often the only African American ballerina (芭蕾舞女演员) in her classes and company.

After retiring (退休) from ballet in 2007, Aesha enjoyed the quiet life for more than ten years before she decided to come back to ballet, but in a completely new way. She started The Swan Dreams Project that helps kids in poor areas get into the world of ballet.

Aesha set up a one-week camp that invited kids to not only learn the basics of ballet, but also get an introduction to French (since she says it is “the language of ballet”).

Her first camp was in 2018 in a poor neighborhood in New York. When she arrived she was greeted by dozens of students, most of whom were African Americans. She wanted to help kids who otherwise might not have ever had the chance to live in the world of ballet.

On the final day of camp, after a week of learning, the students put on a final performance for their family and friends. Before the performance, Aesha said she was nervous that it would be less of a performance and more of a mess, since the campers were all between 8 and 11 years old. Much to her surprise, it turned out to be perfect. She said, “When we went out to our first circle and the kids began counting in French and performing the steps they had just learned, my heart melted.”

Aesha continues to do whatever she can to help kids learn ballet. She found a way to turn that seemingly unbearable weight she once carried around into something good for kids, as well as for the world of ballet.

1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 1 probably mean? (1 word)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. When did Aesha decide to start The Swan Dreams Project? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Where was Aesha’s one-week camp first held? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why was Aesha surprised on the final day of her first camp? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What kind of person is Aesha? Please explain or give an example. (no more than 20 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________