1 . Eeva Simons shows us that a physical disability doesn’t necessarily bar one from dancing on the stage. With skillful handling, she can make her wheelchair do graceful moves and win applause worldwide. The 34-year-old is among a group of four Finnish performers with different physical disabilities.

Simons has been bound to a wheelchair since jumping from a roof in a suicide attempt that ended her dancing career 16 years ago. She said that for a long time she had been depressed, with no idea how to adapt to her changed conditions. “The incident had a big effect on me,” she said. “I had never thought what it would be like to be a wheelchair user. It was difficult.”

But positive changes came several years later when she met a group of disabled people at a community centre. Their interest in alternative ways of movement lighted her love for dance and life again.

Simons joined the PAA troupe, which experimented with new approaches to performing. In 2000, the group put on their first show. Although many professional dance moves are not possible, the show has been running more than 10 countries in Europe and won the “Theatre Event of the Year 2000” award in Finland.

Simons said her part required the upper part of her body to be strong, especially her arms, which had to perform everything from hand gestures to powering the wheelchair. “It is a challenge. We use our creativity to think of alternative ways to find beauty,” she said.

In one moving scene about her post-accident mental condition, the frustrated Simons sits on the floor, before crawling to a wheelchair and accepting her new tool. Director Paasonen said the dancers were sharing their life experiences, feelings, states and thoughts with audience and that the show was very personal.

“They are people with bodies that have stories to tell,” he said. “The show is about transformation, and how people deal with change, including how to deal with the transformation of our own body after it becomes disabled.”

1. The underlined word “bar” in the first paragraph means ________.

A．save

B．protect

C．encourage

D．prevent

2. From the passage we can infer that Eeva Simons _________.

A．became disabled accidentally.

B．once lost her hope for life.

C．learned how to dance after the incident.

D．wanted to kill herself to end her dancing career.

3. What can we learn about the performers in the PPA troupe?

A．They are creative dancers.

B．Most of them are young.

C．They are able to do all professional dance moves.

D．They are discouraged by their disability.

4. What may be the best title for the passage?

A．A Special Troupe.

B．Disabled Dancers.

C．New Approaches to Dancing.

D．A Wonder in a Wheelchair.

2 . It was a day like any other. I awoke and stretched as the summer sun lay casually ______ my sheets. This summer was going to be different— I had my ______ and my car. With my new found freedom fresh on my mind, I ______ out of bed and ran to the kitchen. My mother was bent over the sink with her phone. “Yes… I’ll be there soon,” she said, then hung up “You need to dive me to ______ my truck.” she said, turning to me.

As we ______ our way to the car dealership, my mother kept ______ me this highway was dangerous, and always ______ with rushing cars. When we drove back home, I followed ______ behind my mother. Everything was fine at first. My mother put her right ______ on, indicating that we were to the exit. The only problem was that I was one lane over and my ______ was blocked by a giant truck in the right lane. Stupidly, I sped up and ______ to pass the truck. However, I judged everything ______. The most horrifying and unimaginable ______ announced the collision, and my car began to spin off the road. There were bloody ______ up and clown my legs and arms, but everything ______ worked like it should.

Tears ______ in my mother’s eyes as she hugged me tight. Hours seemed like minutes, and ______ I knew it we were driving home in my mother’s truck. It didn’t ______ me until later that day, just how fragile life is. Sure, I could easily have been killed. In half a second, all my achievements and ambitions would mean ______. Everything I’d ever done would be all I’d ever be remembered for. Life is so fragile and deserves to be lived ______

1.

A．through

B．under

C．across

D．over

2.

A．passport

B．license

C．certification

D．account

3.

A．leapt

B．rolled

C．fell

D．climbed

4.

A．sell

B．repair

C．load

D．fetch

5.

A．struggled

B．lost

C．made

D．fought

6.

A．reminding

B．asking

C．informing

D．bothering

7.

A．wide

B．busy

C．quiet

D．narrow

8.

A．far

B．free

C．hard

D．close

9.

A．door

B．window

C．signal

D．wiper

10.

A．path

B．direction

C．mirror

D．truck

11.

A．managed

B．pretended

C．ordered

D．attempted

12.

A．normal

B．right

C．wrong

D．crazy

13.

A．applause

B．sound

C．click

D．crack

14.

A．scars

B．cuts

C．bones

D．bumps

15.

A．never

B．even

C．also

D．still

16.

A．ran out

B．welled up

C．squeezed out

D．held up

17.

A．before

B．until

C．after

D．while

18.

A．strike

B．touch

C．hurt

D．beat

19.

A．something

B．everything

C．nothing

D．anything

20.

A．to the end

B．to the point

C．to the extent

D．to the fullest

3 . I can’t say if it was love at first sight, but the dog’s strange look captured our hearts. That’s why we welcomed this rescue dog into our home.

Dixie had recently been found on a country road. We agreed to adopt her, relying on my son’s experience with the dog at the shelter. We gave her a safe place to sleep and her own area for food and water. Thankfully, Dixie became more comfortable with her new surroundings and began to show her personality. She found joy in being able to run free and play with other dogs, the bigger the better.

We wondered what kind of breed or mix she was. Her ears, the size of her body and coloring suggested to me she was a mix. While researching, we found that she had some characteristics similar to a pit bull (比特犬). One opinion I had was that pit bulls are aggressive and a danger to society. It was not their fault, I reasoned, and they had been bred to fight. How could I keep these beliefs when this little animal had warmed my heart?

At first, I was secretive (有所隐瞒的) when people asked Dixie’s breed. “I am not sure, she is a rescue,” I said, Because I was afraid of the response: “A pit bull? Oh, dear!” But I adored this animal! Dixie did not show the awful characteristics so widely publicized. Dixie and I have befriended many dogs and their owners who love her spirit, playfulness and friendliness. More importantly, she exposed one of my problems: a fear of being judged by others. There is no doubt that Dixie taught me not to be so quick to judge.

Now, I am a proud owner of this pit bull-like dog.

1. What can we find out about Dixie frown the first two paragraphs?

A．She was not open to humans.	B．She adapted to her new host me well
C．She was brought up at a dog shelter.	D．She was adopted because of her cleverness.

2. Why was the author unwilling to mention Dixie’s breed?

A．She was afraid of being judged.

B．She was unsure about her origin.

C．She thought the dog was bred to fight.

D．She found Dixie either aggressive or dangerous.

3. Which of the following can best describe Dixie?

A．Loyal and playful.	B．god-looking and mild,
C．Warm and friendly.	D．Naughty and competitive.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this text?

A．To show we shouldn’t judge other people.

B．To introduce effective ways to train a dog.

C．To call on people not to abandon pet dogs.

D．To share the lessons she learned from her dog.

4 . I was traveling in Spain with my sister who was living there. I went into a bakery to order a couple of pastries(点心). There were different kinds of bread on a shelf, but only one kind had a little sign hanging from the shelf that said “something something borrachos”. I didn’t necessarily want that kind, but it was the only labeled one, so naturally I waved the guy behind the counter and ordered “dos borrachos por favor”.

I was pretty timid about my Spanish, so I whispered it. The men sitting near me all stopped talking and looked at me. The guy, very seriously, said, “que? quieras? (What do you want?)”

I shyly said again, with less confidence, “dos borrachos por favor.”

All the men around me started snickering(偷笑).

The guy again asked me what I wanted, and he was getting louder. He was raising his voice over the noise of the whole shop. He told me to speak up. Most of the tables now were also quiet.

I was getting a bit embarrassed. I thought he was making fun of my accent or I was pronouncing it wrong. I looked hard at the sign, made sure to pronounce correctly, and shouted “quiero dos borrachos! (I WANT 2 BORRACHOS!)”

He shouted, “aaaah, quieras dos BORRACHOS!” This time, he couldn’t keep a straight face and started guffawing(狂笑), and the rest in the shop followed.

I had no idea what was happening, so I just ran out, empty-handed and ashamed.

I came back and told my sister the story. She started laughing and explained “borrachos” means “drunk men” and the sign probably said that “drunk men were not welcome here” and that sign happened to hang under the shelf.

I had just shouted to a full shop that I WANTED a couple of drunk men.

1. Why did the author go to the shop?

A．To buy something to eat.	B．To see her sister.
C．To find a drunk man.	D．To practise her Spanish.

2. What does the underlined word “timid” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Confident.

B．Curious.

C．Unsure.

D．Angry.

3. What made all the people in the shop laugh?

A．The author’s strange accent.	B．The author’s wrong pronunciation.
C．The author’s shy behaviors.	D．The author’s unusual order.

4. How was the author feeling when she left the shop?

A．Amused.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Satisfied.

D．Regretful.

5 . My name is Alice. Early last year, I was troubled by an anxiety that crippled ( 削弱 ) my ability to do anything. I felt like a storm cloud hung over me. For almost a year I struggled on, constantly staring at this wall that faced me. My perfectionist tendencies were the main root of this: I wanted to be perfect at whatever I did, which obviously in life is not possible, but it consumed me.

One day, I attended a presentation by wildlife conservationist Grant Brown at my high school. His presentation not only awed and inspired me, but also helped emerge an inner desire to make a difference in the world. I joined a pre-presentation dinner with him and that smaller setting allowed me to slowly build up my courage to speak one-on-one with him—an idea that had seemed completely impossible. This first contact was where my story began.

A month later, Brown invited me to attend the World Youth Wildlife Conference. Looking back, I now see that this would be the first in a series of timely opportunities that my old self would have let pass, but that this new and more confident Alice enthusiastically seized. Shortly after I received his invitation, applications to join the Youth for Nature and the Youth for Planet groups were sent around through my high school. I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature. Each of these new steps continued to grow my confidence.

I am writing this just six months since my journey began and I’ve realised that my biggest obstacle ( 障碍 ) this whole time was myself. It was that voice in the back of my head telling me that one phrase that has stopped so many people from reaching their potential: I can’t. They say good things come to those who wait; I say: grab every opportunity with everything you have and be impatient. After all, nature does not require our patience, but our action.

1. What was the main cause for Alice’s anxiety?

A．Her inability to act her age.	B．Her habit of consumption.
C．Her desire to be perfect.	D．Her lack of inspiration.

2. How did Grant Brown’s presentation influence Alice?

A．She decided to do something for nature.	B．She tasted the sweetness of friendship.
C．She learned about the harm of desire.	D．She built up her courage to speak up.

3. The activities Alice joined in helped her to become more ________.

A．intelligent

B．confident

C．innovative

D．critical

4. What can we learn from this passage?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Patience is a cure of anxiety.
C．Action is worry’s worst enemy.	D．Everything comes to those who wait.

6 . I was invited to a three-day retreat (静修) in New Jersey. I didn’t want to go because I was ________. It didn’t really draw my ________ from the beginning. My friend ________ I should go and the sponsor made a request to my employer on my behalf. So I decided to go. We ________ and spent a night in a hotel. There were so many people. The ________ was so lovely and everybody was very kind.

On the first morning of retreat, I was alone at ________. I found a girl who was alone too. I ________ her to ask if she needed ________ with her wheelchair. She said “okay” in a shy way. We ________ our food and chose a table. We talked a lot. I was so ________ to her and after a few laughs she was open to me too. We didn’t know each other, but we ________.

She was very interesting and taught me something really ________ that I will never forget. I think everybody has faith, strength, confidence and courage. I think everybody should ________ what they want to be or reach what they want to reach.

If you do something you don’t believe is possible every day, you will gain ________. If you exercise or ________ difficult moments every day, you’ll gain ________. If you do something that takes courage and that ________ can do, you’ll get courage. I really think that everybody has to gain these ________ to grow every day.

We ________ shared our names. We continue to teach each other and have ________ friends ever since that day.

1.

A．appealing

B．observing

C．staying

D．working

2.

A．exploration

B．suspicion

C．attention

D．life

3.

A．ordered

B．insisted

C．promised

D．bothered

4.

A．struggled

B．exploded

C．walked

D．travelled

5.

A．environment

B．reality

C．issue

D．devotion

6.

A．dawn

B．break

C．noon

D．present

7.

A．left

B．approached

C．met

D．offended

8.

A．help

B．business

C．procedure

D．process

9.

A．had

B．sold

C．selected

D．analysed

10.

A．rude

B．fortunate

C．strange

D．open

11.

A．had a good time

B．made a fortune

C．got off the room

D．set about others

12.

A．important

B．tiresome

C．embarrassing

D．casual

13.

A．suffer

B．complain

C．define

D．damage

14.

A．equipment

B．dependency

C．confidence

D．tension

15.

A．avoid

B．present

C．rule

D．overcome

16.

A．freedom

B．strength

C．permission

D．hesitation

17.

A．few

B．many

C．others

D．everyone

18.

A．processes

B．sayings

C．quantities

D．qualities

19.

A．abnormally

B．merely

C．eventually

D．distantly

20.

A．conducted

B．remained

C．suspected

D．requested

8 . It was the day of the big cross-country run. Students from different primary schools were warming up and walking the route through thick evergreen forest.

I looked around and finally spotted David, who was standing ______ by a fence. I walked over and asked him why he was there. He ______ and said he had decided not to run.

What for? He had ______ so hard for this event!

David had a brain disease which prevented him from walking or ______ like other children, but at school his classmates regarded him as a ______ kid. He always participated to the best of his ______ in whatever they were doing. That’s why none of the children thought it ______ that David had decided to join the cross-country team. David had not missed a single ______, and he did always finish.

Sitting down next to him, I said gently, “If you desire to ______ yourself, nothing can stop you.” He sat still with a deep ______. “You have prepared fully, which is why you ______ here”, I ______ sincerely. Finally, he said with a fierce but quiet ______, “I’m going to run.”

The ______ started. The runway was extremely long for young children, not to ______ a child like David. David had only gone a few meters before he fell over. ______, he picked himself up and ______ his mission. “Come on! You can make it!” I knew without even ______ that these voices were not just from his schoolmates. They came from parents, teachers and kids from other schools. To everyone’s ______, he crossed the finish line to wild cheers and applause.

It is a brave ______ and dogged determination that can make something unusual happen.

1.

A．excitedly

B．anxiously

C．alone

D．angrily

2.

A．laughed

B．hesitated

C．doubled

D．nodded

3.

A．worked

B．consulted

C．studied

D．progressed

4.

A．writing

B．reading

C．speaking

D．running

5.

A．special

B．naughty

C．regular

D．disabled

6.

A．team

B．age

C．ability

D．class

7.

A．normal

B．unusual

C．average

D．reasonable

8.

A．presentation

B．opportunity

C．competition

D．practice

9.

A．challenge

B．change

C．better

D．enjoy

10.

A．desperation

B．breath

C．impression

D．expression

11.

A．show off

B．show up

C．put on

D．put up

12.

A．added

B．commented

C．explained

D．praised

13.

A．voice

B．thought

C．determination

D．motivation

14.

A．race

B．term

C．drill

D．show

15.

A．involve

B．teach

C．include

D．mention

16.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Besides

D．Instead

17.

A．stopped

B．continued

C．completed

D．abandoned

18.

A．thinking

B．hearing

C．looking

D．probing

19.

A．sorrow

B．grief

C．shame

D．joy

20.

A．action

B．body

C．spirit

D．heart

9 . Andre Bouvier hiked in a snowstorm to reach a trapped woman. The retired ________is being praised as a hero for________the woman and three other cars likewise.

Many have had the same________as Shannon St Onge even when looking at a yellow________of snow—that they have time to________their daily tasks. So she drove to work and she had________left when the snow began to fall. She________a dirt road to provide better________for her tires, so she quickly became lost. She stopped and called 911, with the operator suggesting she________the snowstorm. The operator took her________and told her an officer would call back. Almost 14 hours had passed, and nobody had called her yet to check in.

“What if I fell asleep and the tailpipe was________? Would the gas tank last until morning? What if I didn’t________it home at all?” St Onge wondered. Determined to ensure the________end, she went out in the snowstorm and discovered her location on a road sign. Then she was________enough to find a neighborhood Facebook group for the area she was passing through—informing those it________of her trouble through a Google Maps pin.

That’s when Andre Bouvier, an 80-year-old retired teacher, learned about St Onge’s situation.________his own safety, the 80-year-old went out to find her on foot,________he couldn’t manage to start his tractor. On the way he found three other trapped________, totaling seven people. Walking a quarter mile________, he led the helpless cars one by one to his home. He remarked that everyone would have done the same, and that it took very few thoughts or________to help.

1.

A．cleaner

B．operator

C．driver

D．teacher

2.

A．reporting

B．rescuing

C．changing

D．finding

3.

A．thought

B．fact

C．evidence

D．message

4.

A．sight

B．warning

C．sign

D．coverage

5.

A．schedule

B．discuss

C．accomplish

D．postpone

6.

A．simply

B．instantly

C．hardly

D．gradually

7.

A．witnessed

B．built

C．cleared

D．took

8.

A．friction

B．company

C．reason

D．recognition

9.

A．check out

B．keep off

C．wait out

D．call off

10.

A．location

B．information

C．time

D．place

11.

A．touched

B．connected

C．struck

D．blocked

12.

A．make

B．put

C．leave

D．forget

13.

A．simplest

B．quickest

C．safest

D．nearest

14.

A．patient

B．lucky

C．grateful

D．cautious

15.

A．contained

B．advertised

C．recommended

D．followed

16.

A．Regardless of

B．In spite of

C．Instead of

D．Owing to

17.

A．before

B．unless

C．since

D．while

18.

A．passengers

B．devices

C．vehicles

D．survivors

19.

A．in turn

B．there and back

C．by chance

D．over and again

20.

A．patience

B．money

C．difficulty

D．courage