3 . A few years ago, my husband Matt offered to get me a digital piano for my 41st birthday. Matt knew that I had taken piano lessons as a kid, but stopped doing so in the seventh grade. I was at the age when I would rather go to the mall with friends than play the piano on the weekends.

I was game for a digital piano, but skeptical — I wasn’t sure I was going to play it that often. However, Matt was persistent. He reminded me that I’d mentioned wanting to play the piano again, so he bought me one and set it up in my office.

To be honest, I had only made half-hearted attempts over the years to take up various hobbies, mostly craft-related ones like knitting (编织) and cross-stitch (十字绣), to relax. But nothing really stuck.

Then, two years ago, I had a baby. The piano became even more of an afterthought as I became consumed by the challenges of parenting. I had enough on my plate, I told myself. There was no point in adding another thing that was probably just going to stress me out.

But recently, my 2-year-old son had figured out how to turn on the digital piano and loved to bang on the keys. Seeing him play so joyfully, I thought maybe I could take piano lessons and help him to prepare for the music world.

I started lessons a couple of weeks later, and it turned out that I could handle 15 minutes a day.

Sometimes, I could handle 40 minutes. I found myself completely immersed in playing the piano. The repetition calmed me. Going over difficult parts in each piece I was learning was incredibly satisfying. To my great surprise, at age 44, I have an actual hobby now, and I really look forward to performing together with my son one day.

1. How did the author feel when her husband offered to buy her a digital piano?

A．She was excited.	B．She was thankful.
C．She doubted herself.	D．She considered it a joke.

2. Which of the following statements about the author is true according to the passage?

A．She devoted herself entirely to bringing up her baby.

B．She dropped out of school in the seven grade.

C．She gave up playing the piano again at her forties.

D．She ate a lot for parenting.

3. What do we know about the author’s craft-related hobbies?

A．She loved knitting and cross-stitch the most.

B．She gave them up eventually.

C．They made her more patient.

D．They gave her too much pressure.

4. What inspired the author to restart learning how to play the piano?

A．Her husband’s encouragement.

B．Her son’s interest in the piano.

C．Her hope to make her son happy.

D．Her desire to reduce the stress of parenting.

5. What happened after the author started taking piano lessons again?

A．She taught her son to play the piano.

B．She determined to become a pianist.

C．She practiced harder for competition.

D．She felt peaceful and content while playing.

4 . A businessman was in debt and couldn’t figure out what to do. He was sitting on a bench in the park with his head down, thinking what could _______ the company from bankruptcy. _______ , an old man appeared in front of him.

“I see that something is _______ you,” he said.

After listening to the businessman, the old man said: “I think I can _______ you. ”

He asked the businessman what his name was, wrote him a _______ and said: “Take this money. We will _______ here exactly in one year, and you will be _______ to return it to me at that time. ”

After that, he turned around and _______ just as suddenly as he appeared. The businessman saw a check in his hands for an amount of 500,000 dollars, signed by John Rockefeller, one of the _______ people in the world at that time!

“I can ________ all of my problems in no time!”

He thought. But instead, the businessman decided to ________ the check into his safe. Thinking about its existence gave him the ________ to find a solution to save his business.

With the return of his ________ , he made profitable deals. Over a couple of months, he got out of ________ and started to earn money again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the ________ with the same check. At the agreed time the old man appeared again. Just as the businessman wanted to return the check and share his story of success, a ________ ran up and grabbed the old man.

“I hope he wasn’t bothering you. He always runs away from the hospital and tells people that he is John Rockefeller.” She said to the businessman.

The businessman was ________. During the whole year, he was creating and building a business, buying and selling, ________ that he had half a million dollars. And suddenly he understood that it was not the ________ , real or imaginary, that had changed his life. It was his new confidence and belief that gave him the strength to ________ everything that he had.

1.

A．save

B．build

C．make

D．buy

2.

A．Luckily

B．Slowly

C．Suddenly

D．Finally

3.

A．bothering

B．moving

C．approaching

D．hurting

4.

A．guide

B．trust

C．encourage

D．help

5.

A．bill

B．check

C．letter

D．number

6.

A．leave

B．visit

C．meet

D．remember

7.

A．willing

B．eager

C．likely

D．able

8.

A．laughed

B．ran away

C．disappeared

D．fell off

9.

A．richest

B．strangest

C．smartest

D．nicest

10.

A．ignore

B．end

C．avoid

D．recognize

11.

A．pull

B．push

C．put

D．write

12.

A．pleasure

B．relief

C．comfort

D．strength

13.

A．business

B．confidence

C．solution

D．support

14.

A．debt

B．danger

C．school

D．shape

15.

A．store

B．cafe

C．park

D．restaurant

16.

A．police

B．nurse

C．patient

D．waitress

17.

A．amused

B．angry

C．sad

D．shocked

18.

A．uncertain

B．convinced

C．pleased

D．proud

19.

A．money

B．gift

C．promise

D．help

20.

A．expect

B．match

C．learn

D．achieve

5 . The simplest way to say it is this: I believe in my mother. My belief began when I was just a kid, who _______ becoming a doctor.

My mother was a domestic worker (家政人员). Through her work, she observed that _________ people spent a lot more time reading than they _________ watching television. She announced that my brother and I _______ only watch two to three pre-selected programs during the week. With our _________ time, we had to read two books each from the Detroit Public Library and _______ written book reports to her. She would mark them up with check marks and highlights. Years later we realized her marks were a _________. My mother was illiterate (文盲).

When I entered high school, I was a(n) _________ student, but not for long. I began to like fancy clothes. I wanted to _______ other guys. I went from an A-student to a B-student to a C student. One night my mother came home from her various jobs and I __________ about not having enough Italian knit shirts. She said, “Okay, I’ll give you all the money I __________ this week scrubbing floors and cleaning bathrooms, and you can buy the family food and pay the bills. With the money __________, you can have all the Italian knit shirts you want.” I was very ________ with that arrangement but once I got through allocating (分配) money, there was nothing left. I realized my mother was a __________ genius to be able to keep the roof over our heads and any kind of food on the table, let alone buy __________ . I really realized my desire wasn’t going to get me __________. Success requires intellectual preparation. I went back to my __________ and became an A-student again and eventually I________ my dream and I became a doctor.

My story is really my mother’s story — a woman with ________ formal education who used her position as a parent to change the lives of her children. There is no job more important than __________. This I believe.

1.

A．reflected upon

B．dreamed about

C．thought of

D．responded with

2.

A．successful

B．hardworking

C．honest

D．knowledgeable

3.

A．paid

B．did

C．took

D．wasted

4.

A．must

B．should

C．would

D．could

5.

A．free

B．weekend

C．evening

D．play

6.

A．deliver

B．share

C．present

D．instruct

7.

A．joke

B．trick

C．cheat

D．mistake

8.

A．slow

B．common

C．average

D．top

9.

A．hang out with

B．catch up on

C．break away from

D．keep in touch with

10.

A．forgot

B．complained

C．worried

D．argued

11.

A．earn

B．cost

C．need

D．have

12.

A．used up

B．paid off

C．left over

D．put away

13.

A．relieved

B．enthusiastic

C．disappointed

D．pleased

14.

A．financial

B．logical

C．commercial

D．educational

15.

A．shoes

B．shirts

C．clothes

D．skirts

16.

A．nowhere

B．anywhere

C．somewhere

D．everywhere

17.

A．studies

B．mother

C．guys

D．school

18.

A．made

B．awoke

C．evaluated

D．realized

19.

A．valuable

B．personal

C．little

D．unique

20.

A．studying

B．guiding

C．working

D．parenting

6 . My mother left the field of education formally after I was born. However, she did not leave it _________. She made learning a _________ part of my life. I never watched television, not because I was not _________ to, but because it was more fun writing stories with my mom.

On my first day of kindergarten, I was excited, but _________. During snack time that day, I sat quietly and opened my _________. Inside, I found a note from my mother written on a napkin(餐巾纸). The note said that she _________ me, that she was proud of me and that I was the best kindergartener in the world! Because of that napkin note I _________ my first day of kindergarten successfully and many more school days to follow.

There have been many napkin notes since the _________ one. There were even napkin notes _________ to me in college, far away from my home. __________ I changed majors, changed the way I looked at the world, there was one thing that never __________ — my mother’s encouragement, support and __________ in napkin notes.

This year, my mother __________ to go back to school to earn her degree in teaching. Although I was in __________ of my mother for following her dreams, I wanted her to __________ that she didn’t need a(n) __________ to make her an excellent teacher.

So I gave her a __________ for school: a lunch bag filled with her favorite foods. She laughed as she __________ the lunch bag. Then she pulled out a napkin with __________ on it.

As she opened up her “You can do it!” napkin note from me, tears began to run down her face. When her eyes met mine, I saw she __________ my unspoken message: My mother is, and always has been, a teacher.

1.

A．finally

B．completely

C．clearly

D．naturally

2.

A．lucky

B．crazy

C．helpful

D．fun

3.

A．admitted

B．allowed

C．advised

D．invited

4.

A．tired

B．shocked

C．nervous

D．bored

5.

A．lunch box

B．school bag

C．pencil box

D．toy bag

6.

A．thanked

B．loved

C．missed

D．accepted

7.

A．spent

B．began

C．ended

D．won

8.

A．same

B．recent

C．best

D．first

9.

A．read

B．returned

C．sent

D．introduced

10.

A．Because

B．Although

C．If

D．Unless

11.

A．continued

B．escaped

C．changed

D．reduced

12.

A．teachings

B．warnings

C．choices

D．dreams

13.

A．suggest

B．offered

C．promised

D．decided

14.

A．charge

B．memory

C．favor

D．control

15.

A．show

B．know

C．imagine

D．hope

16.

A．book

B．degree

C．award

D．answer

17.

A．gift

B．chance

C．guide

D．speech

18.

A．washed

B．filled

C．packed

D．opened

19.

A．pictures

B．replies

C．suggestion

D．writing

20.

A．remembered

B．trusted

C．understood

D．believed

7 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

When I was seven years old, I saw my mother making doll clothes. She told me that they were for the poor people, so I never gave it another thought. On Christmas morning when I opened my present, there were those beautiful doll clothes. My mother just smiled and said, “They are for the poor people. We’re poor.”

When I was nine, my greatest desire in life was to own a pogo stick (弹簧高跷). But my mother told me that we simply couldn’t afford one. A few days before Christmas, my parents and I went shopping. While my mother and I were paying the money, my dad came with a long box. I remember wondering at that very moment if it was a pogo stick in that box. After we arrived back at home my dad put the box in the barn. While my parents were away, I shuck out to the barn to find the box. I was so excited and I knew that as soon as I opened that magical box, my bright, shiny pogo stick would appear. No such luck! Inside the box was a silly old broom. And so Christmas morning was disappointing. After all the wrapping paper was cleaned up, my dad came back from the barn with a beautiful pogo stick. I couldn’t believe it, how they were able to get the money for it and how they tricked me with the broom. My parents probably laughed quietly when they played the trick on me and I wondered if they were watching me from the window as I went out to the barn secretly for my Christmas present.

Although we didn’t have much money, my parents gave me the most important gift of all, much love. We had love and we had joy.

1. What present did the author receive on Christmas morning at the age of 7?(no more than 10 words)
________________
2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean? (no more than 5 words)
________________
3. Why did the author feel disappointed when the author found a broom in the box?(no more than 15 words)
________________
4. Why did the author’s parents put a broom in the box? (no more than 15 words)
________________
5. What is the best present you’ve received from your parents? Please give your reasons.(no more than 20 words)
________________

8 . The word “happy” would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by hardship. The circular motion (循环运动) between happiness and _________ is the one I’ve been dealing with lately.

A year ago, I developed troubling symptoms(症状) in my left _________. My husband sent me _________ to a specialist who said I had already suffered some everlasting loss of vision and would, without _________, go blind in that eye within months. And I urgently _________ to begin painful eye injections. Almost blind? Painful eye injections? I was _________. What if the _________ medicine didn’t work? What if my right eye developed the same condition? I _________ thought that, amazingly, the medicine was only three years old; before that, patients just went blind.

Over that long week, I _________ myself to casually __________ sadness, to cry and acknowledge my fears about my very fragile body. I __________ to be near anybody but my husband. Fortunately, I __________ pretty quickly, within the week. During this __________ time, I posted my __________ in my blog and receives great care and support from friends online, which filled my heart with __________ and encourages me to receive the eye injections. Besides, the doctor __________ the efficacy(功效) of the medicine. In the end, I bravely received the eye injections and they were very successful. I was lucky enough to see the world again with my healthy eye.

Finally, I gained a __________ insight: being your happiest self isn’t equal to a lifetime of __________ skies, and we are bound to __________ storms of life. Knowing this can help us face difficulties optimistically and __________ the change of life.

1.

A．loneliness

B．tiredness

C．sadness

D．greatness

2.

A．eye

B．arm

C．leg

D．ear

3.

A．suddenly

B．carelessly

C．secretly

D．immediately

4.

A．luck

B．treatment

C．apology

D．discussion

5.

A．needed

B．expected

C．managed

D．congratulated

6.

A．in relief

B．in anger

C．in peace

D．in panic

7.

A．new

B．traditional

C．strong

D．folk

8.

A．rarely

B．frequently

C．occasionally

D．mistakenly

9.

A．forbade

B．encourages

C．forced

D．permitted

10.

A．lay down

B．hold back

C．fall into

D．meet with

11.

A．desired

B．promised

C．refused

D．attempted

12.

A．gave in

B．cheered up

C．gave up

D．broken down

13.

A．terrible

B．sweet

C．spare

D．precious

14.

A．election

B．challenge

C．goal

D．choice

15.

A．guilt

B．pride

C．hope

D．joy

16.

A．stresses

B．analyzed

C．investigated

D．guaranteed

17.

A．wrong

B．unique

C．funny

D．valuable

18.

A．sunny

B．cloudy

C．rainy

D．snowy

19.

A．disturb

B．experience

C．blame

D．assign

20.

A．admit to

B．listen to

C．adapt to

D．contribute to

9 . I had a busy to - do list today and was about to get started when my sister called.

I talked with her for a short time and could _________ my seven - year - old niece (侄女，外甥女) in the background, full of energy as always, and getting blamed for something. I _________ to speak with her, both because I love talking to her and because I was _________ that I could help redirecting (使改变方向) some of her energy in a more _________ direction and give my sister a break.

I listened and talked with her on the phone, giving her as much _________ as she needed to share her thoughts and _________ herself.

The conversation went for quite a while. _________ my time, she gifted me her funny stories and sense of _________. She said the cutest things that always _________ me and caused me to laugh out loud! She told me about her friend’s birthday party, which __________ a cake, chocolate ice cream, and sand art! Then there were __________ about her new little brother, cute animals she saw recently and of course, the weather!

Forty minutes later she __________, saying, “Well, I should __________ have let you get going.”

At one point in the conversation my __________ had turned back to my “to - do” list, but then I consciously (有意识地) turned it back to her. I chose to be __________ with her and give my full attention to her so that she __________ important and special. __________, she is indeed important and special. Children are so precious (宝贵的) and __________ so fast! And we can learn so much from them, including the __________ they see the world. When choosing between my niece and my to - do list, I __________ that chores and errands (差事) could wait — every time!

1.

A．imagine

B．meet

C．observe

D．hear

2.

A．happened

B．promised

C．asked

D．had

3.

A．hoping

B．imagining

C．realizing

D．insisting

4.

A．positive

B．serious

C．confusing

D．unusual

5.

A．energy

B．relaxation

C．space

D．time

6.

A．enjoy

B．express

C．forget

D．teach

7.

A．Instead of

B．Thanks to

C．In exchange for

D．In addition to

8.

A．relief

B．humor

C．achievement

D．responsibility

9.

A．surprised

B．embarrassed

C．puzzled

D．interested

10.

A．created

B．included

C．stored

D．sold

11.

A．stories

B．dreams

C．articles

D．reports

12.

A．continued

B．finished

C．explained

D．explored

13.

A．typically

B．significantly

C．probably

D．secretly

14.

A．mood

B．feeling

C．decision

D．mind

15.

A．familiar

B．present

C．strict

D．confident

16.

A．felt

B．became

C．proved

D．remained

17.

A．Likely

B．Currently

C．Actually

D．Regularly

18.

A．grow

B．study

C．begin

D．appear

19.

A．change

B．process

C．way

D．direction

20.

A．argued

B．proved

C．debated

D．believed