1 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。请在答题卡指定区域作答，

The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus.

The alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, which was called the narcissus.

But this was not how the author of the book ended the story.

He said that when Narcissus died, the goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears. “Why do you weep?” the goddesses asked “I weep for Narcissus,” the lake replied.

“Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus,” they said, “for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand.”

“But ... was Narcissus beautiful?” the lake asked.

“Who better than you to know that?” the goddesses said in wonder. “After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!”

The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said:

“I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.”

“What a lovely story,” the alchemist thought.

1. How did Narcissus get drowned?
2. What happened to the lake after Narcissus died?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
➢   The lake wept because it could not see Narcissus’ beauty any more.
4. What can you learn from the story? How are you going to apply it to your daily life?

2 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从方框中选择适当的词并用正确的形式填空。

strive for greatness          wipe out             die out            be committed to be to blame                 in one's attempt to          get ahead       up to in short take action               set so apart            at risk of            boil down to

Why do Olympic athletes push themselves to the limits? One of the Olympic triathletes personifies the phrase herself.

To get to the top, she has made an endless list of sacrifices and it     1     this: she was born with an enormous amount of drive and determination. From a small girl, she would stay in at lunchtime just to     2     on class work; she would ride on the bus on her own at ten years old and go to swim 100 length is of the pool. This was time she could have spent with friends, playing and engaging in other pursuits. Later,     3     achieve glory in professional, she had undergone much physical and mental intensity. However, inspired by another stellar triathlete, she was always willing to do an extra little bit during her every workout, which gradually     4     from the other competitors.

Having been through fears and tears, she never regrets. To reach the winner's platform, athletes should     5     their sport. It is hard to live a life in a normal and balanced way, but these words are not used for the athletes who     6    .

3 . 阅读下面句子，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Jason, who was a wealthy college professor for 16 years, gave away all his money to charities a few years ago,     1     he thought brought him happiness and a sense of success in life. He was tired of being regarded as living a successful life,     2     a person who had everything while many people had nothing. He said what he wanted was to live simply and be helpful to others. Jason is one of the people who turn their backs on their millions and found other forms of success in their lives. In their eyes, success     3     (not measure) by how much money one has but by how one understands the true meaning of life.

4 . 阅读下面句子，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

It seems that I have an active social life, attending parties and playing sports, but I'm distracted,because I strongly obsess over my phone. Social networking dominates my life. However, spending too much time     1     (socialize) online I always feel depressed and alone. I am barely the only one who feels and behaves this way.     2     is really worrying me is that no one can drop their phone because it is indispensable for present studies and life. Therefore, we are facing a situation,     3     we are wired up but more disconnected than ever.

5 . Rob made ends meet for his family as a handyman, doing odd jobs around the area. But those odd jobs quickly dried up due to a financial crisis. Then he lost his apartment. This _______ his family into renting a motel room.

“We have to pay rent every day, and I'm running _______ on money,” Rob said. So, the _______ handyman took to the streets with a sign that read: “Handyman, 25 years exp., Need work.” Rob wasn't asking for money or looking for a handout but rather for an opportunity to earn his _______.

Rob stood on the side of the highway holding his sign for a week. The temperatures were scorehing（灼热的）but he _______ the hot sun each day in the hopes of finding work. Someone took a photo of him and _______ it on social media! Kyle, the owner of Greenstar Home Remodeling, saw Rob's photo online. And he derided to offer the handyman a chance to help him gel hark on his feet.

Kyle brought Rob on to help with some demolition（拆除的）work. Rob didn't even ask how much the job paid. He just showed up. “I _______ out as a painter, and then I became a landscaper — roofing — whatever could make money at,” the handyman explained.

Rob _______ intends to put his all into working for Kyle for as long as Kyle has jobs for him. And after seeing Rob's dedication and _______, Kyle is willing to do all he can to help the man build a brighter future.

Sometimes all someone needs is to be given a __________.

1.

A．fooled

B．forced

C．frightened

D．persuaded

2.

A．deep

B．free

C．hard

D．short

3.

A．careless

B．homeless

C．unwilling

D．unemployed

4.

A．fame

B．time

C．living

D．place

5.

A．braved

B．escaped

C．expected

D．enjoyed

6.

A．leaked

B．checked

C．shared

D．clicked

7.

A．reached

B．started

C．dropped

D．hung

8.

A．fully

B．hardly

C．possibly

D．casually

9.

A．drive

B．honesty

C．creativity

D．interest

10.

A．lesson

B．choice

C．challenge

D．chance

6 . In July, I took my kids on vacation to Los Angeles. A month after our trip, I found myself under a lot of stress; I just wanted to get away and _________ for a while.

While I was sitting by the pool, an idea suddenly _________ me.

I'd always wanted to see the Greek island of Santorini. Therefore, the idea of a two-week European vacation alone was _________. It was _________ I never thought I'd be planning this soon in my life. I had always thought, if it did ever _________, it would be when I was _________ and old.

I would lie if I said I wasn't _________. I'd driven alone across the US before, from California to New Jersey, but traveling to other _________ whose languages weren't the same as mine terrified me. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to _________ with anyone, especially if I got __________ somewhere. But I soon realized that if I wanted to __________ my dreams, I had to step out of my comfort zone. And it __________ on me that I was scared, and if I let fear take __________ of me, I'd never get anywhere.

As I searched for other __________ to visit on my trip, I found Mykonos, Greece, which I realized I liked just as much as I liked Santorini. When I arrived in Europe, it was like I was __________ a dream. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and what I was __________.

The best part was the bus ride to Venice. As I rode on the bus and __________ at every new thing I saw, I was having the time of my life. It was nice to see people, young and old, __________ their bikes to wherever they needed to go. I thought the __________ of the houses and the buildings was so charming, but seeing people doing their routine was the __________ part for me.

1.

A．hesitate

B．relax

C．risk

D．cry

2.

A．broke in

B．woke up

C．happened to

D．came to

3.

A．born

B．persuaded

C．filled

D．introduced

4.

A．nothing

B．anything

C．something

D．everything

5.

A．happen

B．exist

C．appear

D．end

6.

A．mature

B．curious

C．retired

D．lucky

7.

A．grateful

B．delighted

C．sorrowful

D．scared

8.

A．cities

B．countries

C．villages

D．towns

9.

A．cooperate

B．communicate

C．greet

D．connect

10.

A．lost

B．abandoned

C．caught

D．locked

11.

A．recover

B．consult

C．escape

D．follow

12.

A．dawned

B．relied

C．cast

D．centered

13.

A．charge

B．control

C．care

D．advantage

14.

A．friends

B．relatives

C．schools

D．places

15.

A．above

B．beneath

C．inside

D．across

16.

A．experiencing

B．waiting

C．building

D．saving

17.

A．glanced

B．gazed

C．glared

D．laughed

18.

A．replacing

B．repairing

C．carrying

D．riding

19.

A．furniture

B．decoration

C．architecture

D．equipment

20.

A．worst

B．hardest

C．best

D．wisest

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求回答问题。

Valuable Values

The spending power of young people varies from person to person. Each, however, is faced with the same question: what to do with their money?

However people intend to use their money, managing it seems to be hugely important to younger generations. A 2016 study said 17 states of the US require high school students to take courses in personal finances. For those who have no access to courses, help might be at hand thanks to Jerry Witkovsky and his method of using four jars to teach teenagers how to spend their money wisely.

When Jerry’s grandchildren turned 13, his present to each of them was three jars: one for Spending, one for Saving, and another for Giving- he has since added a fourth jar for Investing. It was from then on that his grandchildren started to be in control of what to do with the money they receive: spend, save, invest or give? Jerry’s birthday present to his grandchildren is, however, much more than money and a few jars — he is giving them the opportunity to learn lifelong values.

The value taught with the Spending jar is that you are responsible for your own happiness. Money gives you independence and the opportunity to buy something you like. After all, it’s OK to be nice to yourself!

The Saving jar gives you a vision for the future. This could involve saving for university, but it could also mean saving for that special something you’ve seen in the stores. It’s up to you.

The Investing jar not only represents a vision for the future, but gives the opportunity to build for the future. Although this could likewise involve putting aside money for your university education, it also means investing in yourself.

The Giving jar is all about kindness and helping. Whether you want to help out a friend, give money to an animal charity or to children in another country, it’s your money to give to whatever cause you believe in.

The aim of the jars is to encourage teenagers to think more objectively about money and the things that it can do. In this way, can they grow up understanding the value of the valuable.

1. Why did Jerry give his grandchildren the jars as birthday presents?
2. Please paraphrase the underlined sentence in your own words.
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
It is the parents who are responsible for the teens’ use of the money in the Spending jar.
4. How are you going to manage your money after reading the passage? Why? (about 40 words)

8 . We’ve all experienced failure. Whether we like it or not, failure is part of life. How people respond to it is of great importance both to their decisions and achievements. Some are likely to have such expectations: “If I should reach that goal, how happy would I feel?” In a recent study, we wanted to understand how such expectations may change in the face of failure. Are people able to predict their own happiness?

The old saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” suggests that people spend much of their time longing for things they can’t have. In other words, the harder it is to achieve, the higher the valuation. But is this a good model for how ordinary people process failure? According to the story The Fox and the Grapes, failure often leads us to drop our initial (最初的) plan. In the story, the fox jumps with all his strength, yet he fails to reach the grapes. Finally, he walks away, concluding that the grapes were sour (酸的) anyway.

So, which is it: greener grass or sour grapes? We did an experiment to determine how people react to failure.

In the study, about 1,200 participants (参加者) received either good or poor feedback (反馈) on the practice trial of a test. Half of them were told that they had performed in the bottom 20 percent, while the other half, in the top 20 percent. They were then asked to predict how they would feel if they earned a high score on the actual test.

The research results showed that those who received poor feedback on the practice trial predicted that they would feel less happiness and less pride, compared to those who received strong feedback. However, when they received a top score on the actual test later, they were just as happy as the other half, and much happier than they had predicted before. This suggests that the initial failure made people undervalue how good it would feel to succeed in the future.

The question though, is why failure makes us downplay our future happiness. According to Professor Jon Elster, people don’t always know what they want, and often change their wishes to match what appears within reach. When the outcome doesn’t fit the one they have of themselves, they protect themselves by devaluing the goal—rather than devaluing self. In other words, when personal failure happens, one way of protecting our positive (积极的) sense of self is to refuse to accept the emotional importance of future achievements.

Detachment (超脱) from personal goals can be useful, if it helps people redirect their attention from the impossible to better and more achievable goals. However, if the sour-grape effect kicks in too early and people become fearful of failure, they could miss out on the chance to try again and realize that what once seemed impossible is now within reach.

1. What does the story The Fox and the Grapes suggest?

A．The outcome valuation depends on what goal is set.

B．Difficulties result in a higher achievement expectation.

C．Past performance doesn’t help predict future happiness.

D．Initial failure makes future success appear less attractive.

2. The word “downplay” in Paragraph 6 probably means “________”.

A．undervalue

B．better understand

C．destroy

D．discover

3. What do we know from the passage?

A．The participants cared more about strong feedback.

B．The happier people are those who predict less happiness.

C．The participants’ performance failed to match their abilities.

D．People devalue the goal to keep a positive view of themselves.

4. What is the writer trying to tell us?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Detachment stops people from changing wishes.

C．The seemingly impossible is worth trying sometimes.

D．The sour-grape effect pushes us to keep moving forward.

9 . When I was 13 years old, I went on a 735-mile cycling trip with my brother and father. We were all keen cyclists and I can say I felt like I was born on a bike. My father was a professional cyclist, and wanted to show us, his twin sons, the work of the trade and bond with us.

The trip was across the San Juan Islands and then Vancouver Island. We prepared for the journey by going on smaller rides and practiced cycling with panniers (货筐). Adjusting to the weight on the bike was harder than I thought. When we set out for the trip, I knew that I yearned to have an adventure and wanted to see the beautiful sights of mountains, bears, moose, deer, forests, and much more.

One night, after perhaps a week into the trip, we were on our last legs(路程)getting to a campsite, and going down a large hill. It was raining moderately and we were coasting down the hill in eager delight to take a rest from going up a mountain with all of our gear and sore legs.

Suddenly, my brother’s front tire slipped in the rain, and he slid into the middle of the road. My father and I stopped, asking if he was okay. Apparently, he was not hurt too much, but his leg was caught up in the bike frame. From the top of the hill, we saw the light of a car coming. My father and I looked on in shock. Chris could not seem to get out of the entrapment of his bike, and now the car was blasting its way. This all happened within seconds.

Instinctively, I rushed out in front of my brother in the middle of the road, and waved my hands frantically. The car rushed forward, but swerved to the left to go around my brother and I. My brother was saved from being crushed by the car.

My brother says I was incredibly brave, but I think we do what we know is right. I believe that one should listen to one’s gut in times of peril, and not intellectualize dilemmas. If I had thought about what I was doing on that night, my brother might have been robbed from this world. Life and death often swing in the balance between what seems natural and rational.

1. What does Dad expect from the cycling trip?

A．To spend time with his sons.

B．To instruct his sons how to cycle.

C．To show off his professional skills.

D．To explore the adventures in the mountain.

2. The possible reason for the accident is that________.

A．It rained cats and dogs.

B．A bear came out of nowhere.

C．The road down the hill was too slippery.

D．They were too excited to get back to the campsite.

3. What can we learn from the story?

A．A friend is never known till a man has need.

B．The best that we find in our travel is an honest friend.

C．Brothers concentrate on each other, and their strength runs out of gold.

D．If you are serious about what you’re doing, keep you head and follow your instinct.

10 . There's 8 Symphony Just Below the Surface—Can You Hear It?

Imagine it's your birthday, and your friends and family pool their money to get you the best gift you can imagine: tickets for fabulous seats to see your favorite musical act.     1     You'd broken your knees, say, or you learned of a failure of exam. Even while facing the prospect of extreme difficulty in your life, you are so thrilled to see your favorite group that for a couple of hours, you can put all of that behind you.

As humans, we have been given a wonderful gift.     2     In the example of the concert, we know that when the music ends, we may go back to our concerns, but while it's playing, there is nothing we can do about them, so we might as well just give in.

Life always has its music, and we don t need to be front-row center at a concert to hear it. Throughout our lives, no matter what else is going on, a melody is present.     3     The noise of our worry drowns out all the other things we might otherwise hear and enjoy.

    4     And let's face it, this is something we were born to do, so the skill is there, waiting for us to employ it. We can tap into the music, and when we do find ourselves distracted from it, we can use consciousness to bring us right back. It is as simple as saying, “OK, I'm distracted again; I am going to start listening again." Soon, we will find that we have to redirect ourselves less and less, and we hear the music more and more.

Life is always playing music, but we have to listen, and we listen by being present. We can do this. We just need to realize and engage with the music of life that is always playing.     5    

A．We can become magnificent listeners to life, with enough practice.

B．This may work for a few minutes, and it may even last several hours.

C．In summary, listening to the music of life requires wisdom and a good taste.

D．That is the ability to suspend our fears and worries and focus on what we love.

E．When we do this, we'll discover that the symphony inside of us is magnificent.

F．But we are often so focused on the present moment that we fail to hear the melody.

G．But what if you got to the venue and something terrible had just happened to you?