1 . For my 8^th birthday my ________ was a shiny blue bike. My older sisters decided to teach me to ride. We lived on Edgewood Avenue at the top of a steep hill. My ________, Agnes and Christina, put me on my bike and ________ me hard, yelling instructions, “Peddle! Steer! Use the brakes!” Needless to say, I was rushing down the street ________ trying to hold on.

I bumped into the curb (路缘), ________ over the handlebars onto the sidewalk, skinning my knees, hurting my hands and crying loudly. Instead of offering ________, my sisters yelled at me ________ I hadn’t listened to their instructions. Weeks ________ before I tried again. This time I walked my bike to the ________ parking lot behind the schoolyard. I kept repeating the instructions to myself and after a few awkward ________ and even more painful spills I learned to ride a bike.

Learning life lesson is ________ like learning to ride a bike. Some life lessons are ________ to learn. We don’t always get to choose where we learn them; we don’t always have good teachers and we are not always ________. Sometimes we find ourselves madly trying to hold on.

But things are different now.

My husband, Rich, ________ my sons to ride a bike. First he raised their training wheels a little and they rode around the block getting used to the unstable ________. After he removed the training wheels he would run along the side of the bike holding on to the seat to ________ them. Up and down our street they would go with Rich calling out, “You ________ have it! You’re doing great!” until my son would call out “Let go”. Rich would let go but still run along, just ________. It was a happy day in the neighborhood.

When the life lessons come along in this New Year you may ________ them from a patient and kind teacher; you may have them surrounded by ________ and encouragement. And you may have someone stay by your side until you have found victory.

1.

A．dream

B．reward

C．gift

D．aim

2.

A．brothers

B．sisters

C．friends

D．classmates

3.

A．stuck

B．turned

C．knocked

D．pushed

4.

A．wildly

B．carefully

C．slowly

D．instantly

5.

A．jumping

B．flying

C．moving

D．leaving

6.

A．sadness

B．happiness

C．excitement

D．sympathy

7.

A．although

B．until

C．because

D．while

8.

A．passed

B．remained

C．happened

D．changed

9.

A．crowded

B．busy

C．covered

D．empty

10.

A．experiments

B．attempts

C．fights

D．conflicts

11.

A．though

B．even

C．much

D．still

12.

A．wonderful

B．comfortable

C．dangerous

D．painful

13.

A．ready

B．perfect

C．wrong

D．strong

14.

A．forced

B．taught

C．allowed

D．ordered

15.

A．practice

B．habit

C．development

D．feeling

16.

A．repair

B．fix

C．steady

D．move

17.

A．almost

B．usually

C．always

D．seldom

18.

A．in time

B．in relief

C．in turn

D．in case

19.

A．accept

B．learn

C．refuse

D．avoid

20.

A．blame

B．complaint

C．support

D．criticism

2 . 阅读下面短文,并根据短文内容完成下列各题。

Mr. Boswell, the owner of a hardware (五金制品) store, was looking for a young man to hire. Several dozen young men responded to his ad, but he eventually narrowed his choice down to three. They are Ted, John and Bob. Then he devised (设计) a final test. He gave each of them a new screwdriver (螺丝刀) with an innovative (创新的) design and told them to deliver it to Mr. Henderson at 314 Maple Street.

After a while, Ted phoned the store to ask whether the number was actually 413, rather than 314. Later, he returned saying there was no house at that address.

When John came back, he reported that 314 Maple was a funeral parlor (殡葬馆) and that Mr. Henderson had lived at 314, but had moved away.

Bob took longer than the other two young men. Like John, he also discovered that Mr. Henderson had moved away but he managed to make sure of his new address and had gone there. Mr. Henderson didn’t remember ordering the screwdriver, but when Bob pointed out its unique features and told him the price, Mr. Henderson decided he wanted the screwdriver and paid for it on the spot.

Who was hired? Bob, of course. He was given a task to do and he did it. We shouldn’t let any difficulty put in our paths and stop us from reaching our goals. The secret to success in our lives is to do the common things uncommonly well. Persistence (坚持) and patience produces payoff in our lives. Even when it doesn’t appear to do so, it produces a payoff in character.

1. By writing the passage, what does the author want to tell readers? (No more than 8 words)
2. Please explain the underlined word “deliver” in English. (No more than 3 words)
3. How do you understand the sentence “He eventually narrowed his choice down to three.”? (No more than 15 words)
4. Why did Mr. Henderson accept the screwdriver? (No more than 8 words)
5. What do you think is the secret to success in our lives? (No more than 20 words)

3 . It started with a dogwood (山茱英) tree.

I was in Ohio when my mother died on a cold day in February, and everything was ______.A few weeks into my grief (悲痛), my uncle suggested planting a tree in her______. He had visited my parents decades before during a California spring. They drove down a neighborhood street______blooming (盛开的) dogwood trees and ever since, the______of a dogwood reminded him of my mom.

We planted the dogwood in May. Its gray trunk was as thin as my mother's arms. It lay in the______much like her ashes (骨灰) would settle on the rocky soil of the Rocky Mountains five years later.

Planting a living thing to______her hard life that ended too soon soothed (抚慰) my heart. This tree would be a symbol of her, something I could _______despite all I’d lost.

My mother could make anything_______.She possessed not just green thumbs but green hands and a nature that could raise anything but_______

As a young adult, I was never good at cultivation (培养)— opportunities, relationships, flowers._______distance and poor health, my relationship with my mom never got the_______to blossom like I'd hoped.

But my mom’s dogwood grew. Its ______pushed into the hard soil; its white blossoms________like stars every June. This tree gave me hope that life goes on ______the past.

Soon I began buying other plants. Without explanations, these plants______ thrived (旺盛) under my care. And I grew, too, learning how to ______them. So many lessons that nature already knew, that my mother must have known but didn’t have time to ______, I applied to my own life.

A part of me believes this is my mother's ______she gave to me after death — the ability to encourage and celebrate______where there was none, to make flowers appear out of dirt. It is her reminder to find the good in whatever I’m_____ , and a promise that wherever she is, it is beautiful.

Though she has been gone for more than 14 years, I can still find her in my garden.

1.

A．cold

B．colorless

C．false

D．delicate

2.

A．company

B．favor

C．memory

D．place

3.

A．lined with

B．made of

C．flooded with

D．loaded with

4.

A．existence

B．sight

C．height

D．wonder

5.

A．air

B．heaven

C．water

D．ground

6.

A．honor

B．protect

C．value

D．claim

7.

A．live up to

B．adapt to

C．hold on to

D．catch up to

8.

A．appear

B．rise

C．applaud

D．grow

9.

A．herself

B．itself

C．themselves

D．myself

10.

A．Far from

B．Because of

C．In face of

D．Apart from

11.

A．season

B．chance

C．situation

D．moment

12.

A．branches

B．seeds

C．roots

D．leaves

13.

A．failed

B．smelt

C．remained

D．exploded

14.

A．in spite of

B．in case of

C．in regard to

D．in addition to

15.

A．properly

B．slightly

C．frequently

D．suddenly

16.

A．tend

B．protect

C．water

D．appreciate

17.

A．learn

B．share

C．draw

D．apply

18.

A．lesson

B．secret

C．gift

D．letter

19.

A．tradition

B．holidays

C．victory

D．life

20.

A．Taken

B．handed

C．reminded

D．convinced

4 . I understand why people say experience counts. However, when it comes to finding new solutions to problems, _______ can be an advantage. Not being _______ by conventional thinking frees me up to think differently.

I became an engineer _______. Despite completing a college course to teach nursery school, I soon _______ to focus on math. It was a _______ decision to leave teaching and pursue my fast-growing _______ for math. But with some guidance from a university professor, my education took another _______ and I graduated with a degree in engineering.

I realized my early lack of experience could be a(n) _______. Being a newcomer left me _______ to ask “stupid” questions. The answer was ________ to more experienced members of the team. The people surrounding me were happy—once I had ________ the courage—to let me ________ them and learn from them.

The team spirit was infectious (有感染力的). My questions were not ________ as stupid by colleagues; ________ they helped me look at problems from a different ________ and consider new approaches.

Most inventions begin with a(n) ________. When our team sets out to invent something new, we discuss the problem and the possible ways to ________ it. It’s a team effort and this is ________ in patent applications-they represent the team’s ideas, regardless of who ________ suggested them. Asking unusual questions helped me develop an inventor’s mind, one that is unconstrained (不受限制的) by standard ways of ________ problems.

1.

A．inflexibility

B．inexperience

C．inability

D．inaccuracy

2.

A．stimulated

B．persuaded

C．reserved

D．limited

3.

A．on purpose

B．on occasion

C．by accident

D．by order

4.

A．submitted

B．switched

C．failed

D．forgot

5.

A．tough

B．stupid

C．collective

D．necessary

6.

A．hate

B．panic

C．passion

D．confidence

7.

A．credit

B．beating

C．risk

D．turn

8.

A．trouble

B．plus

C．weakness

D．exception

9.

A．free

B．discouraged

C．bored

D．frank

10.

A．deaf

B．wrong

C．obvious

D．traditional

11.

A．taken up

B．torn up

C．used up

D．built up

12.

A．encourage

B．clarify

C．question

D．suspect

13.

A．perceived

B．appointed

C．learned

D．used

14.

A．instead

B．moreover

C．therefore

D．otherwise

15.

A．document

B．angle

C．introduction

D．country

16.

A．discussion

B．argument

C．assumption

D．problem

17.

A．hide

B．handle

C．admire

D．discover

18.

A．hatched

B．engaged

C．lost

D．reflected

19.

A．originally

B．accidentally

C．hopefully

D．politely

20.

A．creating

B．developing

C．approaching

D．experiencing

5 . Last week I wrote about how giving to others can and does lift your life and brings more happiness, contentment, and even better health and a longer life. It must have _________ me to practice what I was preaching (宣扬) because later I _________ myself in my car driving to the high school that all my kids attended and going _________ to the office where I made a pretty sizable donation.

As I walked out of the building, I felt so good and happy in the _________ of my heart and brain that I _________ another school. I made a couple more _________ that day and felt like I was on top of the _________. It’s very _________ that when I make donations, including all those $2 bills that I _________ give to kids, I always feel that I __________ much more out of it than the recipient (接受者). What a great __________ it gives me! As science has proved, there is a great __________ between the brain and the __________. This allows us humans to help and __________ our entire physical being by what we run through our heads. __________ is one of those things that can set off a lot of good __________ feelings in our bodies.

Most of us, when we talk about giving, tend to think __________ in terms of giving money. But there are so many other ways and things to give. With very little __________, I came up with this list of things we can give to others that can be a __________ help to those people and, at the same time, can give a __________ to our brains, souls, and bodies.

1.

A．attracted

B．prohibited

C．motivated

D．allowed

2.

A．found

B．devoted

C．committed

D．dressed

3.

A．suddenly

B．specially

C．well

D．straight

4.

A．presence

B．center

C．edge

D．absence

5.

A．got through

B．registered for

C．rolled over

D．headed for

6.

A．donations

B．experiments

C．predictions

D．decisions

7.

A．voice

B．building

C．-world

D．mountain

8.

A．surprising

B．interesting

C．annoying

D．convincing

9.

A．often

B．purely

C．simply

D．deliberately

10.

A．make

B．share

C．get

D．change

11.

A．shock

B．feeling

C．gift

D．reward

12.

A．difference

B．restriction

C．gap

D．connection

13.

A．body

B．heart

C．muscle

D．ankle

14.

A．handle

B．improve

C．spread

D．block

15.

A．Purchasing

B．Organizing

C．Giving

D．Changing

16.

A．official

B．foreign

C．familiar

D．positive

17.

A．fortunately

B．constantly

C．primarily

D．eventually

18.

A．effort

B．contribution

C．requirement

D．chance

19.

A．real

B．legal

C．formal

D．huge

20.

A．terminal

B．lift

C．train

D．rest

6 . 阅读下面的短文，并根据短文内容回答后面的问题。

Trevor Baylis，the inventor has a swimming pool just inside his front door and a hot tub(盆)on the front. This energetic former stunt man(替身演员),with a training in structural engineering and a swimming-pool business, heard some TV talk about the difficulty of sending out warnings of Aids in Africa because without power or batteries, radios were useless.

So he invented a clockwork(发条)wind-up radio: turn round the handle for 60 seconds and you can hear the whole of The World At One and The Arches. He got mentioned in a BBC programme. There was a meeting with Nelson Mandela and an OBE from the Queen. There are his spots on radio and television.

As a Junior High school dropout from Hendon in London, however, he wants to do something to help all the inventors less lucky than him. He wants to set up an Academy of Invention.

“I’ve learned something in my 62 years,” he says. “I don’t mind anybody looking down on me, as long as they don’t expect me to be looking up. If someone’s got a problem with me, it’s their problem. They say, ‘You’re rather strange .’ Well, if being strange means you live in a house with an indoor swimming pool and a hot tub on the front, let’s be strange. People may think I am out of the trees, but to believe convention(惯例)is something that prevents answer. You may give a conventional person a problem, they’ll come up with a conventional answer. Conventional people can’t deal with the questions of unconvention .”

1. What did Trevor invent?
2. Was Trevor a successful student according to the passage?And why?
3. What does the underlined phrases “out of the trees”mean in this passage ?
4. What is Trevor’s opinion about convention according to the last paragraph ?
5. What can we learn from the passage?

7 . 你校将举办英语演讲比赛。请你以Take the stage, play our role 为题写一篇发言稿参赛。
内容包括：
1.选择一个近来发生的让人振奋的事件说起，让你联想到祖国发展，青年一代所要肩负的责任和使命。
2.结合自身，如何实践理想报效祖国。
注意：1.词数 100 左右；       
2.题目和首句已为你写好。

Take the stage, play our role

China is rising on the world stage notably.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . After spending a weekend away with my adult son, I was so impressed by his generous（慷慨的）heart that I sent him this letter.

Dear son,

I want to thank you for teaching me a very _________ lesson in life by the great _________ you set. When we were eating at the cafe in Bondi and a person who had _________ his hamburger didn't have enough money to pay for it. Not _________ twice, you went over and put the _________ $2 into his hand.

When we were leaving, you _________ threw a five-cent coin onto the pavement（人行道）and said _________ like, “Some kids will really enjoy _________ this.”

Last week, a young man _________ me in the line at a petrol station didn't have __________ money to pay for his petrol. I asked the money collector, “How much __________ is he?” She told me he had meant to put $15 of petrol in his car __________ he had been looking at the wrong gauge（计量表）and put in 15 __________ , which came to just over __________. That is an easy mistake __________ both gauges run fast.

Something made me think of you and __________ you did that night at the cafe in Bondi. I handed the man $6. He was so __________ and said, “But why would you do this for me?” I just smiled as I thought of you.

Thank you again, son, for teaching me that “it's __________ to give than to receive”. Now when I see a five-cent coin on the __________ and want to pick it up, I think of you and leave it __________, just in case some kid will get a kick out of finding it.

Love always, Mum.

1.

A．humorous

B．private

C．reasonable

D．valuable

2.

A．story

B．book

C．example

D．organization

3.

A．ordered

B．booked

C．offered

D．bought

4.

A．thinking

B．laughing

C．permitting

D．allowing

5.

A．some

B．last

C．extra

D．rest

6.

A．again

B．already

C．only

D．also

7.

A．nothing

B．everything

C．anything

D．something

8.

A．finding

B．accepting

C．looking for

D．pointing at

9.

A．behind

B．beyond

C．ahead of

D．next to

10.

A．much

B．some

C．any

D．enough

11.

A．far

B．long

C．short

D．high

12.

A．and

B．but

C．so

D．while

13.

A．litres

B．kilograms

C．pounds

D．kilometers

14.

A．$15

B．$20

C．$25

D．$30

15.

A．until

B．as

C．although

D．unless

16.

A．what

B．which

C．whatever

D．whichever

17.

A．excited

B．surprised

C．interested

D．encouraged

18.

A．easier

B．better

C．faster

D．worse

19.

A．comer

B．way

C．ground

D．carpet

20.

A．there

B．here

C．out

D．around

9 . My friend North is a manager in a large business company. She often ______ in the office that her mother has become particularly ______ since she learned to use WeChat. She ______ spreads rumors or junk information like “get red package if registered” in the family crowd.

She told her mother several times to stop it. But the next second, another ______ message by her occurs in the group. North was angry to ______ with her mother many times for this.

I once saw a ______ on the Internet, saying “Why is it that every time our parents make a very ______ mistake, we always can’t ______ our temper to these old babies?” One reply that ______ me most was that we were angry with our parents, not because ______ they did is wrong, but because they shouldn’t be the “wrong people”.

When we were young, they told us not to talk to strangers. But now they regard the person who sells insurance on the street ______ someone more important than us; when we were young, they told us not to spend money on some useless. But now, they rush to the supermarket to carry ______ at a discount home, no matter ______ it can be used or not. We’re not happy because we find too many ______ in them and we’re not quite willing to ______ their shortcomings. ______, a lot of pity and conflicts that could have been avoided ______.

The most ______ thing in the world is that you ______ a long face at your parents, telling them they’re wrong, and they’re stupid. Sometimes, ______ to be silly in front of our parents is a kind of filial piety(孝顺).

1.

A．debates

B．explains

C．complains

D．chats

2.

A．amazing

B．annoying

C．terrifying

D．challenging

3.

A．approximately

B．immediately

C．sincerely

D．frequently

4.

A．reference

B．trash

C．bargain

D．advertisement

5.

A．conflict

B．say

C．associate

D．consult

6.

A．message

B．word

C．post

D．motto

7.

A．childish

B．stupid

C．foolish

D．silly

8.

A．resist

B．relieve

C．arouse

D．transfer

9.

A．reminded

B．frustrated

C．impressed

D．motivated

10.

A．where

B．that

C．why

D．what

11.

A．like

B．for

C．of

D．as

12.

A．something

B．anything

C．everything

D．nothing

13.

A．how

B．when

C．whether

D．what

14.

A．imperfections

B．confusions

C．strengths

D．traditions

15.

A．prevent

B．admit

C．puzzle

D．remove

16.

A．As a result

B．After all

C．First of all

D．In the meantime

17.

A．bring about

B．come about

C．result from

D．result in

18.

A．forgetful

B．stressful

C．forceful

D．regretful

19.

A．put

B．express

C．take

D．have

20.

A．behaving

B．acting

C．pretending

D．performing

10 . Once my husband was diagnosed (诊断) with stage 4 cancer, I didn’t go back to work and my life became about being the best caretaker and wife I could possibly be. After my husband was gone, it felt like my entire future had been ripped out from under me. All my hopes and dreams had involved the two of us together. But life took on new meaning.

I went to the quiet beach in Hawaii that my husband and I discovered together the first morning of our honeymoon and spread his ashes (骨灰) in the ocean. I once wished a heart attack would strike me dead, but something about having to be alone and carry the pain made me stronger than before. I realized that I could rely on myself and be my own friend.

Pretty soon, I went to Florida and saw my dad for the first time in 6 years. I went to Australia by myself and made many lasting friends from all over the world. I started to experience things that challenge myself and live life to the fullest. After many trips to other countries, I returned to work. But this time instead of working really hard like before, 1 made a promise to myself to work less and experience more.

Since my husband’s death, I have travelled to over 20 countries. The lesson I could learn from my travelling experiences was that we should live in the moment. We can’t know what will happen in the future, or even control much of it but I don’t want to wait to follow my dreams and check things off my bucket list (遗愿清单). I hope you don’t either.

1. Why did the author say “life took on new meaning” in the first paragraph?

A．She moved in a new direction in life.

B．She decided to help patients with cancer.

C．She rethought whether to go back to work.

D．She wanted to realize her husband’s un-finished dream.

2. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2?

A．She was in bad health.

B．She fell in love with Hawaii.

C．She felt worried about her future.

D．She learned to be more independent.

3. The author’s travelling experiences in Paragraph 3 showed ______.

A．her desire to make friends

B．her efforts to find a suitable job

C．her methods to deal with anxiety

D．her ways to enjoy a meaningful life

4. What was the author’s view on travelling?

A．It turned her into a kind person.

B．It helped improve her communication skills.

C．It made her develop a positive attitude to life.

D．It allowed her to experience different cultures.

5. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The magic of travelling	B．More travel, more friends
C．Keeping happy by travelling	D．The importance of relaxing activities