1 . MacArthur’s love for sailing dates back to when she was just four years of age, when she first got the opportunity to have a try. “I’ll never forget that feeling as a kid of setting foot on a boat for the first time,” MacArthur said. “It’s kind of struck me that this boat had everything we needed to take us anywhere in the world. And as a child, that opened up everything,” she explained how it felt like the “greatest sense of freedom”.

This experience lighted a passion within MacArthur. She knew then that she wanted to sail around the world. She had no idea how to achieve it — growing up in the countryside, it wasn’t the most obvious career path — but she knew that was what she wanted to do at some stage. So, she acquired knowledge and saved up for years to seek a career in sailing. She would have potato and beans every day for eight years so that she could save up to buy the right equipment. By reaching certain financial goals and asking technical questions about sailing, MacArthur felt as though she was getting closer to her ambitions.

“When you know where you’re going, you can actually get there — even if it seems impossible. The impossible could be possible and aiming high is not necessarily such a crazy thing to do.” And it seems that MacArthur’s drive to become a sailor went beyond her expectations. At the age of 24, she started to receive media attention after participating in the Vendee Globe, a single-handed non-stop yacht (游艇) race that goes around the world. She came in second place. Some three to four years later, MacArthur chose to sail for 71 days and 14 hours, covering more than 26,000 miles during the course of her journey. This led to MacArthur scoring a new world record in 2005, as the fastest person to sail around the globe single-handedly. While this record has since been surpassed, MacArthur is still considered as Britain’s most successful off shore racer.

1. What happened to MacArthur when she was four?

A．She was given a chance to sail.	B．She saw a boat for the first time.
C．She sailed around the world.	D．She got stuck in a boat.

2. What do we know about MacArthur from paragraph 2?

A．She worked as a technician to earn money.

B．She got financial support for her ambitions.

C．She knew clearly about her career path.

D．She prepared herself for her goal.

3. What happened to MacArthur in 2005?

A．She became the fastest person to sail around the world alone.

B．She began to gain a lot of media attention.

C．She took second place in a yacht race.

D．She had her record broken.

4. What does the story mainly tell?

A．Follow your own course, and let people talk.

B．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

C．Failure is the mother of success.

D．Doing is better than saying.

2 . 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

3 . I was selfish as a teenager．I usually spent my time thinking about myself and taking care of my own needs．I let my older brother do most of the work around the house until he left for college．I let my mom and dad worry about our bills and problems while I read books, played, and lost myself in my own imagination．This didn't change even when I went to college either．I studied hard but only to make my own life better． Even when I started to explore my faith, it was only to increase my own happiness．

I married after graduation and decided to start a family．Of course, I had no idea what hard knocks reality had in store for my selfish soul．Soon I found myself unemployed, deeply in debt, and with a new baby on the way．l found out that life has little sympathy for spoiled people．In fact, all of the struggles I was going through were beating the selfishness slowly out of me．

Still,I didn't give up on happiness．I knew that there must be a way to find it．I finally realized, however, that it had to include more than just my own needs, wants, and desires．The answer began to make itself clear one night shortly after my baby boy was born．I got a bottle and held him in my arms．As I was feeding him I looked down and saw his big, innocent, trusting eyes．I smiled and talked to him．Then he smiled and I could feel my heart growing, expanding with love．I felt such peace and joy．At that moment I had a hint of the truth: it is by growing our hearts with love that we find our happiness．

Carolyn Arends wrote："The more people you let into your heart, the bigger your heart gets．The more love you get, the more love you have to give．It just keeps growing." So, keep loving, keep living and keep caring. Keep growing your heart today, tomorrow, and always．

1. What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?

A．He often helped his brother with housework．

B．He studied hard for his family．

C．He was concerned about his family．

D．He put his own needs above others'．

2. What did the author realize after he suffered in life?

A．Spoiled people can't survive the hardship of life.

B．Spoiled people are never happy in life．

C．Life is cruel to spoiled people．

D．Selfishness is helpful．

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The author loved kids．

B．The author often fed his baby．

C．The author realized the importance of happiness．

D．When caring for his baby, the author got inspired．

4. Which can be the best title of the passage?

A．Loving Others, a Way to Happiness

B．The Elder One Grows, the More He Gets

C．Help Others, Help Oneself

D．Keep Growing to Live a Happy Life

4 . I suffered from mental illness and depression when I was younger, and it totally affected my teenage years. But after a long struggle, I found a hobby that changed my life.

My depression really kicked in after my parents moved to the UK when I was about 11 years old. Having to get used to life in a foreign country was very difficult. The friends I knew were gone, and the changes in my environment led to my depression. I had problems in many parts of my life, which made it feel impossible for me to carry on.

At that time, I didn’t understand that depression was an illness. I remember a particular day when I couldn’t find enough strength to get myself home from playing in the park—it felt like I was carrying the world on my shoulders.

Other times, I even thought about killing myself —I just felt so trapped. I never really reached out for help either, as I felt that there wasn’t anyone who could have helped with my situation.

What turned my life around, however, was discovering street dancing. I was introduced to it by a friend, and I started taking classes at a studio in London. After a few weeks, I began to go out and meet a lot of other dancers to practice and train with them on a regular basis. It gave me a purpose, and eventually the happiness I gained from it helped me manage my depression. The dancing helped me get my life back, focus on my studies, and get through university.

My advice to anyone who might be going through something like I was is to reach out for help. The thing about life is that it changes, and you never know what might come your way. If someone had said to me during those dark moments that I would have gone on to achieve the things I have, I wouldn’t have ever believed it.

Just take each day as it comes, and remember that there’s always someone, or something, out there to help you.

1. How did the author deal with his depression at first?

A．He turned to his old friends for help.

B．He talked about it with his parents.

C．He put up with it by himself.

D．He read many articles about it.

2. How did street dancing benefit the author?

A．It helped him find a good job.

B．It taught him how to control his emotions perfectly.

C．It let him find many true friends.

D．It cheered him up and made him feel positive.

3. What does the author suggest people do when they feel down?

A．Always be confident in themselves.

B．Find someone or something to rescue them.

C．Wait for help to come patiently.

D．Accept everything that life sends their way,

4. How might the author feel about his future?

A．Hopeful.

B．Fearful.

C．Satisfied.

D．Uncertain.

5 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意。然后从各题所给的选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

The three youths leaned over the metal rails along the sea-wall and watched a few fishermen pull in their nets. About thirty metres away, a boat pulled alongside the slippery steps leading _________ to the sea.

“Hey, look!” exclaimed(惊叫) Rahim. “Those two men are _________ heavy rocks. I thought we no longer do muscle labour in this technological _________.”

“You do not _________ a crane(起重机) to unload less than a dozen rocks, do you?” smiled Joshua.

“But those men do not _________ to have muscles at all,” said Michael, rather surprised. Joshua smiled.

“They are _________ labourers who know how to spread the weight of the rocks they_________. See how the man positions the rock just at the slope of his _________. Some of the rock’s weight is set _________ his head, some on the right hand and some on the left hand. His body isn’t bent. His legs are well ______________.”

“You’re right, Josh. He may have a small build, ______________ he certainly well knows his job. Dear me! And to think we have been studying ______________!” Rahim thought about all that was happening. Suddenly, he said, “Technology won’t ______________ the human being completely, it appears.”

“I don’t think it will.” ______________Joshua. “You can harvest a crop of potatoes or wheat with one of those large, multi-purpose tractors, but you ______________ use that equipment to harvest tea leaves and tomatoes, will you?”

“You can get a computer to ______________ multiple-choice assessments, but you cannot get the computer to produce or assess essays, can you?” asked Michael.

“Well, the washing machine leaves my shirt collar quite as ______________ as ever — that’s domestic technology for you!” said Rahim.

“One day, perhaps, there won’t be anybody ______________ who can carry a large rock the way those men do. It’s not going to be a very ______________ world, I’m afraid.” sighed Michael.

“You’re too much of a pessimist(悲观主义者), Mike.” said Joshua. “____________will always be other things that will make the world exciting.”

1.

A．through

B．across

C．down

D．up

2.

A．loading

B．unloading

C．covering

D．uncovering

3.

A．way

B．revolution

C．process

D．era

4.

A．ask

B．expect

C．attempt

D．hope

5.

A．happen

B．fail

C．have

D．seem

6.

A．ambitious

B．experienced

C．potential

D．energetic

7.

A．take

B．fetch

C．carry

D．bring

8.

A．shoulder

B．back

C．chest

D．arms

9.

A．on

B．against

C．toward

D．under

10.

A．supported

B．grasped

C．placed

D．strengthened

11.

A．but

B．however

C．so

D．therefore

12.

A．chemistry

B．physics

C．biology

D．psychology

13.

A．control

B．affect

C．remove

D．replace

14.

A．agreed

B．proposed

C．refused

D．denied

15.

A．can’t

B．mustn’t

C．won’t

D．needn’t

16.

A．point out

B．take out

C．hand out

D．print out

17.

A．dirty

B．clean

C．old

D．new

18.

A．caught

B．arranged

C．left

D．convinced

19.

A．exciting

B．mysterious

C．technological

D．modern

20.

A．That

B．This

C．They

D．There