1 . When I was seven years old, my family made me an ant farm. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box. Then we waited for the ants to arrive. After the ants were in the glass farm, they started to make tunnels (地道). I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do. Each had its own job.

On the fifth day a tragedy (悲剧) happened. I put my face so close to the glass farm that I knocked it over. All the tunnels fell down. Although the ants remained alive after their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was scared as I watched them give up building their tunnels to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother said that the ants were dying of sadness. They simply could not stand that their tunnels were gone.

Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, but it taught me much more.

Over the years, I came to realize the importance of teamwork. Working together, the ants were able to make an amazing world for themselves. I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work.

But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity (逆境) is a natural part of life, and must be accepted. Unlike the ants, we cannot give up when we are sad. We have to realize that if a tunnel is gone, we must build another.

Giving up, I say, is not a good choice.

1. What did the writer’s family do for him when he was seven?

A．They built a farm of ants.	B．They bought a few ants.
C．They caught a lot of ants.	D．They found an ant city.

2. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The writer broke the glass box because it made his face dirty.

B．The ants died one by one because the tunnels were destroyed.

C．Unlike people, teamwork is not so important for the ants.

D．Giving up is a good way when we meet trouble.

3. The underlined word “teamwork” in the passage means_____.

A．a series of work	B．a group of members work together
C．hard work	D．work for long hours

4. What did the writer learn from the ant tragedy a few years later?

A．Working together is useless.	B．Teamwork is important.
C．He can’t accept adversity.	D．Working alone is amazing.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Ants Fear Adversity	B．My Family and Ants
C．Giving Up in Adversity	D．A Good Lesson from Ants

2 . Years ago, I lived in a building in a large city. The building next to ours was only a few feet away from mine. There was a woman who lived there and whom I had never met, yet I could see her seated by her window each afternoon, sewing (缝纫) and reading.

After several months had gone by, I began to notice that her window was dirty. Everything was unclear through the dirty window. I would say to myself, “Why doesn’t that woman clean her window? It really looks terrible.”

One morning I decided to clean my apartment, including cleaning the window. Late in the afternoon I finished the cleaning, I sat down by the window with a cup of coffee for a rest. What a surprise! Across the way, the woman sitting by her window was clearly seen. Her window was clean!

Then it dawned on me. I had been criticizing her dirty window, but all the time I was watching hers through my own dirty window.

That was quite an important lesson for me. From then on, whenever I want to judge (判断) someone, I ask myself first, “Am I looking at him through my own dirty window?” Then I try to clean the window of my own world so that I can see others’ world more clearly.

1. The writer couldn’t see anything clearly through the window because          .

A．the woman’s window was dirty

B．the writer’s window was dirty

C．the woman lived far away

D．the writer was near-sighted

2. After the writer finished the cleaning, he was surprised to find that        .

A．the woman was sitting by her window	B．the woman’s window was still terrible
C．the woman was cleaning her window	D．the woman’s window was clean

3. The writer felt ________ when he knew whose window was dirty

A．angry

B．surprised

C．funny

D．strange

4. The underlined part “it dawned on me ” probably means “________ ”.

A．I began to understand it	B．it cheered me up
C．I could see myself through the window	D．it began to get light

5. From the passage we can learn that         .

A．one shouldn’t criticize others very often

B．one should often keep his windows clean

C．one should judge himself before he judges others

D．one should look at others through his dirty window

3 . Lisa never had the chance to know her father. He and her mother divorced when she was just a young child. Even though he didn’t move far, he never came to visit his children.

Lisa often wondered about her father. What did he looked like and what he was doing. All she knew was his name: Jeff White.

After Lisa grew up she became a nurse at a hospital where she would help provide medicine and comfort for patients in their final days. A few weeks ago she received a new patient whose name was Jeff White.

When Jeff came into his room Lisa asked him if he had any children. Jeff told her that he had two daughters, Lisa and Emily. Lisa couldn’t hold her tears back. She told him, “I am Lisa, your daughter.”

Jeff embraced her, saying that he was not a good father. And the daughter held his hand and kissed him. Then Jeff began to sing This Magic Moment.

Jeff could have just weeks left to live, so Lisa wanted to make the most of the time she had with him. Lisa also brought her kids to the hospital to meet their grandfather. The kid made cards for him with the words, “I love you.”

Forgiveness is also a kind of love.

1. What happened to Lisa when she was young?

A．Her father lost his job.	B．Her mother died.
C．Her family moved to another country.	D．Her father left the family.

2. What did Lisa know about her father?

A．Her father’s looks.	B．Her father’s name.
C．Her father’s hobby.	D．Her father’s job.

3. What does the underlined word “patients” mean in this passage?

A．Doctor.

B．Sick people.

C．Family.

D．Operation.

4. From the passage we know that        .

A．Lisa has a brother	B．Lisa hates his father
C．Lisa has a sister	D．Lisa’s father hates her daughter

5. This passage mainly tells us that         

A．kids should love their father	B．the father should love his kids
C．forgiveness is also a kind of love	D．fathers shouldn’t leave their families

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据上下文连贯要求和句子结构，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中单词的正确形式。

An old woman had     1     cat. The cat was very old. She could not run     2    (quick), and she could not bite,     3    she was so old. One day, the old cat saw a mouse. She jumped and     4    (catch) the mouse. But she could not bite     5    , so the mouse got out     6    her mouth and ran away.

Then the old woman became very     7    (anger) because the cat did not kill the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said: “Do not hit your old servant (仆人). I     8    (work) for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I’m too old. Do not be     9    (kind) to the old, but remember     10     good work the old did when they were young.”

6 . A few years ago, I realized that I had a fear of heights. Sometimes I would feel uncomfortable if I looked down from somewhere high and the higher I got, the worse I felt. However, there were some things that made me nervous when I looked up at them — such as drop towers (急速下降塔).

About a month ago, my family and I went on a trip to Marineland — an amusement park with a sea animal theme. One of Marineland’s attractions is a huge drop tower called the “Sky Screamer”. My dad wanted to ride it, and he wanted to take me with him. He kept encouraging me, and I finally gave in, because I was desired to face my fears.

Going up was terrible. I got stomachaches from just looking at the tower. When we reached the tower, we lined up and got seated on the ride. When it reached a few feet off the ground, it stopped for a moment, before sending us straight to the top at great speed. I squeezed my eyes shut and I held the handlebar (把手) as tightly as I could during the whole ride. A few seconds later my heart was in my mouth and I was screaming my lungs out. At the top, I opened my eyes and looked forward, not down.

I tried to prepare myself for the way down, but it didn’t really help. There I was, with my eyes squeezed (紧紧地) shut, holding the handlebar and again, screaming at the top of my voice. In fact, it was even worse than going up! But when I got to the bottom, I felt relieved. I thanked my dad for forcing me to go on the ride, and I was pleased I had overcome my fears.

So, was the “Sky Screamer” scary? Well, maybe just a little bit.

1. Which of the following wasn’t the writer afraid of?

A．Riding a lift to a higher place.	B．Looking down from a height.
C．Looking up at drop towers.	D．Going to a wonderful park.

2. What made the writer finally decide to ride the “Sky Screamer”?

A．Her father’s encouraging words.	B．Her interest in the ride.
C．Her desire to face her fears.	D．Her father’s nagging.

3. What did the writer do during the ride?

A．She kept looking down.	B．She kept holding the handlebar.
C．She was too frightened to scream.	D．She squeezed her father’s hand tightly.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The writer volunteered to take the ride.

B．The writer’s father forced her to ride with him.

C．The ride was less scary on the way up.

D．The ride offered the writer a chance to face and overcome her fears.

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A trip to Marineland.	B．Facing a fear.
C．A ride to the top of the “Sky Screamer”.	D．A joyful ride on the “Sky Screamer”.

7 . 语法填空

Normally, my two-year old cat, Tiger, hates it when I use my tablet (平板电脑) because it takes my attention away from him. July last year, I had    1     terrible fall from the ladder(梯) at home and was on the floor for six     2    (hour). During this time, I was     3    (able) to move and couldn’t get to the phone to call for help. Tiger stayed by my side until he    4    (disappear) suddenly under my bed. “What’s he up to?” I wondered.     5    my surprise, he started to push something towards me. It was my tablet,     6     had fallen off the bed and onto the floor. Tiger     7    (probable) didn’t know what it was,     8    he knew it would make me happy.

Thanks to Tiger, I was able to contact a friend of     9    (I), who then called emergency(急救) services. It took me the next eight days in hospital     10    (recover). When I returned home, I bought Tiger a big fish to thank him.

9 . The birthday girl Guo Yujie got the perfect present on Saturday — a Paralympic gold medal. The teenager sped to_______in the women’s sprint standing (短距离站姿) event to obtain the first-ever winter Paralympic gold medal for a Chinese woman on _______. She hopes her achievement shows young people with disabilities that they should never lose_________themselves.

Born in Zhangjiakou, Guo was _______disabled, having something wrong with her left hand. She first tried_______when she was 11.“I am_______when I am skiing,” Guo says excitedly.

She was then_______to become a para cross-country skier and biathlete (滑雪射击运动员). Her decision was also_______by her family. In biathlete, Guo_______her lack of strength in skiing with precision (精确) and speed in the shooting section.

“I just love the quick change between high-speed racing and controlling my breathing for ________. I hope more disabled people can find their________in snow sports. Actually, disabled people are not________at anything. We can take part in the Winter Paralympics and become ________.Disabled people shouldn’t think little of themselves,” Guo says.

With three events to go for Guo, she hopes she has just ________her journey to victory. “People may think it is natural to put in less effort since you have won the gold medal, but when the racing moment really comes you still want to________,” she says.

1.

A．stop

B．glory

C．freedom

D．accuracy

2.

A．snow

B．water

C．ice

D．court

3.

A．interest

B．control

C．strength

D．confidence

4.

A．completely

B．suddenly

C．physically

D．visually

5.

A．singing

B．skiing

C．dancing

D．skating

6.

A．frightened

B．pleased

C．disappointed

D．annoyed

7.

A．likely

B．eager

C．determined

D．amazed

8.

A．supported

B．challenged

C．affected

D．tested

9.

A．wakes up to

B．makes up for

C．lives up to

D．puts up with

10.

A．speeding

B．responding

C．shooting

D．relaxing

11.

A．friend

B．solution

C．strategy

D．preference

12.

A．awkward

B．quick

C．expert

D．confident

13.

A．judges

B．partners

C．coaches

D．champions

14.

A．scheduled

B．recognized

C．prepared

D．begun

15.

A．win

B．race

C．cheer

D．struggle

10 . It was not turning out to be the great fishing trip we had imagined. It certainly was not the one Father had promised. All day the rain beat against the roof of our cabin.

Father sat at the window, looking out over the lake. My older brother Jeremy, who had recently turned sixteen years old, lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I paced the room, occasionally glancing toward Father to see if there was any sign that the rain would let up.

“I wish we’d never come out to this boring place,” Jeremy said.

I stopped pacing and looked at Father. He gave no sign that he had heard, and I hoped he hadn’t. This trip meant a lot to him. He used to come out here with own father.

I started pacing again.

“I mean, if we’d stayed home, at least I could watch TV, go out with my friends or play my guitar,” Jeremy continued.

Silence continued for some time. I kept pacing, imagining the trip I had dreamed of before the bad weather had set in. I saw us in the boat, anchor dropped in a calm bay casting our lines toward shore, the way Father had described it when he was trying to convince Jeremy to come along.

Father stood up and turned to face us. He smiled at me. “Come on, get up, Jeremy,” he said. “Let’s go fishing, boys.” He picked up his fishing rod and the tool box, opened the door, and walked out into the rain.

Jeremy and I watched Father walk down the pathway toward the dock (码头)，the wind whipping (打) at his hair,the rain wetting his clothes. Jeremy shook his head. “He's crazy if he thinks I’m going with him,” he said. “Maybe I would have when I was a little kid, but not now,” he said.

I waited for a while, unsure of what to do, looking out the open door at Father, who was walking onto the dock, facing against the storm. Jeremy couldn’t believe I picked up my rod and walked out into the storm after Father. I couldn’t quite hear what Jeremy said because of the wind in my ears, but I heard his footsteps behind me as he began to follow me out to the boat.

1. What does the underlined phrase “let up” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Stop.

B．Continue.

C．Hit.

D．Arrive.

2. Why was the fishing trip important for the author’s father?

A．He had never fished in the rain.

B．It’s his son Jeremy’s first fishing trip.

C．He and his own father usually went fishing there.

D．He wanted to have a better relationship with his sons.

3. What can we know about Jeremy?

A．He doesn’t enjoy fishing.

B．He dislikes outdoor activities.

C．He is addicted to playing the guitar.

D．He showed no interest in the fishing trip.

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

A．To express the fondness for a particular day.

B．To describe a fishing experience in the rain.

C．To reflect on the old family tradition of fishing.

D．To recall the generation gap between father and brother.