1 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle_________to include relatives stopping by. Yet, I knew some friends whose parents got home after dinner or even_________the entire evening. So I_________the quality time around our kitchen table, which witnessed countless valuable_________in my life.

_________,my kids cannot relate to my childhood memories. They have been left to_________with babysitters more times than I would like to admit. My husband and I have_________careers. And we often end up staying at the office way past dinnertime. When this happens too often, it_________the balance of our family.

Apart from suffering from_________,what else can a hardworking family do? I think we can all try to__________our own ways to spend time together. Surely there are days when I’m too busy to share a meal with my family. But I would make efforts to__________and chat later that day,__________       setting aside cellphones every time. And I even find a bedtime reading with my kids much__________.I am also proud to have our “big breakfast” routine every Saturday. My husband serves as the head chef, and my younger son__________       him to make the breakfast.

I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the__________someday. But now, I am happy to have so many wonderful things on my plate.

1.

A．widened

B．formed

C．lessened

D．closed

2.

A．missed

B．avoided

C．enjoyed

D．recorded

3.

A．wasted

B．treasured

C．limited

D．calculated

4.

A．shows

B．dishes

C．recipes

D．moments

5.

A．However

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Besides

6.

A．sleep

B．dine

C．study

D．play

7.

A．suitable

B．flexible

C．satisfying

D．demanding

8.

A．maintains

B．disturbs

C．improves

D．strikes

9.

A．fear

B．anger

C．guilt

D．hunger

10.

A．predict

B．create

C．evaluate

D．accept

11.

A．work out

B．calm down

C．hold on

D．catch up

12.

A．unwillingly

B．casually

C．consciously

D．carelessly

13.

A．louder

B．shorter

C．simpler

D．sweeter

14.

A．assists

B．guides

C．allows

D．orders

15.

A．office

B．kitchen

C．house

D．park

2 . When I retired, my wife Peg said “Great! You’ll have time to clean the garage!” After 30 years’ ________ as director of a radio station, I would finally have more time for housework, but I worried I’d lose the sense of________ I had felt in my profession.

I pushed at the garage’s wooden doors, but they were as ________as I felt in this new stage of my life. I finally got the doors open and started to empty the shelves. Then my hand hit something ________. It was a common old metal can. I ________ the cover and found a ________ envelope with a postmark of May 13, 1940 inside. ________, I opened it and found some flower seeds in it, “ Eighty years old! I wonder if they’ll still grow. ”

I ________the seeds in a plastic pot. I checked it every day, but nothing happened. “I guess they’re just too ________to be any good, ” I told Peg in ________ . I picked up the pot to get rid of it, but something made me ________. I changed my mind and set it aside. Meanwhile, I was keeping ________, buying some books to improve my photography skills and teaching my granddaughters everything I knew about gardening and dogs.

Six weeks later, I was out in the yard when I ________ to notice the pot. A new bit of green-a leaf had ________. I proudly showed it off to my granddaughters. “Look, girls, even something this old can still ________ for its purpose and be pretty cool. Just like your grand- papa!”

1.

A．dream

B．belief

C．study

D．service

2.

A．freedom

B．purpose

C．trust

D．security

3.

A．worn

B．stuck

C．broken

D．lost

4.

A．delicate

B．special

C．hard

D．sharp

5.

A．removed

B．washed

C．cleaned

D．fastened

6.

A．labeled

B．selected

C．yellowed

D．ruined

7.

A．Curiously

B．Sincerely

C．Skillfully

D．Bravely

8.

A．collected

B．planted

C．abandoned

D．stored

9.

A．old

B．wet

C．weak

D．small

10.

A．anger

B．surprise

C．regret

D．relief

11.

A．delay

B．reflect

C．hesitate

D．disappoint

12.

A．upset

B．awake

C．social

D．busy

13.

A．expected

B．attempted

C．failed

D．happened

14.

A．showed up

B．fallen off

C．taken off

D．dried up

15.

A．compete

B．grow

C．survive

D．relax

3 . I used to believe that only words could catch the essence of the human soul. The literary works contained such distinct stories that they shaped the way we saw the world. Words were what composed the questions we sought to uncover and the answers to those questions themselves. Words were everything.

That belief changed.

In an ordinary math class, my teacher posed a simple question: What’s 0.99 rounded to the nearest whole number? Easy. When rounded to the nearest whole number, 0.99=1. Somehow, I thought even though 0.99 is only 0.01 away from 1, there’s still a 0.01 difference. That means even if two things are only a little different, they are still different, so doesn’t that make them completely different?

My teacher answered my question by presenting another equation (等式): 1= 0.9, which could also be expressed as 1=0.99999.... repeating itself without ever ending.

There was something mysterious but fascinating about the equation. The left side was unchangeable, objective: it contained a number that ended. On the right was something endless, number repeating itself limitless times. Yet, somehow, these two opposed things were connected by an equal sign.

Lying in bed, I thought about how much the equation paralleled our existence. The left side of the equation represents that sometimes life itself is so unchangeable and so clear. The concrete, whole number of the day when you were born and the day when you would die. But then there is that gap in between life and death. The right side means a time and space full of limitless possibilities, and endless opportunities into the open future.

So that’s what life is. Objective but imaginative. Unchangeable but limitless. Life is an equation with two sides that balances itsef out. Still, we can’t ever truly seem to put the perfect words to it. So possibly numbers can express ideas as eually well as words can. For now, let’s leave it at that: 1= 0.99999... and live a life like it.

1. What does the author emphasize about words in paragraph 1?

A．Their wide variety.	B．Their literary origins.
C．Their distinct sounds.	D．Their expressive power.

2. What made the author find the equation fascinating?

A．The repetition of a number.	B．The way two different numbers are equal.
C．The question the teacher raised.	D．The difference between the two numbers.

3. Which of the fllowing can replace the underlined word “paralleled” in paragraph 6?

A．Measured.

B．Composed.

C．Mirrored.

D．Influenced.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Perfect Equation	B．Numbers Build Equations
C．An Attractive Question	D．Words Outperform Numbers

4 . Age is truly just a number if our hearts are young. Lee Minor, an 85-year-old retired psychologist, has________this by finishing his 600th marathon race with 32 members of his family by his side. “Runners don’t have a________line. We just keep going,” he toldGood Morning America. “I felt________running with my family.” Minor has been running three days a week since 1969, and his heart is filled with enthusiasm for running.

“I like to run in all kinds of________. It is so childish as the rain touches your face. And I love to come here after snow and you watch your________as you go along.” he concluded.

Minor’s enthusiasm for running is________. “It is my joy. And I want to live as long as I can. And I mean live, not________.” His words ring true for Ron Robert, a man diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease who decided to ________ a three-year bachelor of artsprogram at King’s University College in London, Ontario. “I was always taught early in life that the brain is like the most ________instrument we have in our body,” said Robert.

Last fall, Robert graduated from the university, despite the challenges of his illness. “When I went across the stage, and as I’m getting my________, the kids all stood up andyelled and clapped,” he________. “I had to hold back the tears. It was something else, just wonderful.” He hopes that his story will give hope to others facing________difficulties. “There will come a time when I won’t be able to, and I fully________that. Butin the meantime, I’m living a full life.”

The stories of Minor and Robert are reminders that age and illness need not________us. We can choose to pursue our________and live life to the fullest, no matter whatchallenges we may face.

1.

A．proven

B．approved

C．won

D．imagined

2.

A．starting

B．center

C．finishing

D．bottom

3.

A．depressed

B．thrilled

C．calm

D．uneasy

4.

A．weather

B．zones

C．illness

D．phases

5.

A．position

B．footprints

C．reflections

D．route

6.

A．infectious

B．temporary

C．blind

D．restricted

7.

A．wait

B．abandon

C．exist

D．run

8.

A．award

B．suspend

C．quit

D．pursue

9.

A．powerful

B．visible

C．boring

D．accurate

10.

A．uniform

B．application

C．certificate

D．license

11.

A．slid away

B．gave up

C．broke in

D．choked out

12.

A．emotional

B．identical

C．financial

D．abstract

13.

A．enjoy

B．reject

C．doubt

D．expect

14.

A．save

B．define

C．distinguish

D．witness

15.

A．scholarship

B．fitness

C．passion

D．career

5 . Recently, I accidentally found a set of Hanfu l only wore once from the bottom of the cupboard. I remember buying them simply to match the ancient-style hair accessories (配饰) a friend gave me. It occurred to me that 1 had been trapped in the “birdcage effect”.

“Birdcage effect” means that when you get an item one day, you will prepare more things to match it. Weeks ago, I was in the company of friends engaged in shopping. One said that she wanted to buy a good writing pen to match the delicate notebook that her sister gave her, so that she would fall in love with taking notes on reading, and thus love reading, not just reading. I joked that she must have fallen for the “birdcage effect”. But the friend said with a smile: “Why not use the ‘birdcage effect’ instead?”

For the first time, I heard that the “birdcage effect” can be used in reverse (逆向). However, this can’t help but remind me of middle school, and I seem to have used the “birdcage effect”. Passing by a bookstore one day, I purchased a magazine and saw the call for contributions published in the magazine, so I started writing with eager hands, and then I fell in love with writing.

After shopping with my friends that time, I began to proceed to use the “birdcage effect”. I bought a small fresh tablecloth to decorate my desk, and a beautiful notebook to record my inspiration. When everything was ready, I started writing again.

But how can we get rid of the “birdcage effect” in many things, and even use the “birdcage effect” in the opposite way? Various “birdcages” unavoidably appear in life, but we can distinguish them. If it is not in line with the actual situation, it is a “negative birdcage”, then we must learn to stop losses in time and maintain a heart of abandonment and separation. If it is a “positive birdcage” that motivates us to develop upward, we can clarify our goals, shop or decorate appropriately, and motivate ourselves to move towards our goals. At this time, you will find that the “birdcage effect” is actually not so terrible!

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The application of the “birdcage effect” in life.

B．The necessity of using the “birdcage effect” in life.

C．The turning point of the author’s idea on the “birdcage effect”.

D．The author’s conflict with her friend over the “birdcage effect”.

2. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning her middle school experience?

A．To recall her delightful days at school.

B．To explain the reason for her love with writing.

C．To confirm the positive of the “birdcage effect”.

D．To prove her knowledge of the “birdcage effect”.

3. How can we make use of the “birdcage effect” positively?

A．By realizing this effect has two sides.

B．By promoting our personal consumption.

C．By recognizing this effect is not so terrible.

D．By guiding our acts to go with reasonable goals.

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

A．Getting Rid of the Birdcage Effect Confidently

B．Motivating Ourselves to Move Towards Our Goals

C．The Birdcage Effect: Influence on Consumer Behavior

D．The Birdcage Effect: How to Use It to Your Advantage

6 . My friend and I recently took an art class together through our town’s community education program. Our classmates were a mix of ages, stages of life, and experience with making art. We stood out in the class—not for our artistic talent, but for our consistent encouragement of ourselves, each other, and the group. It got me thinking how encouragement had become a routine.

It became something of a joke between the two of us to compliment(赞美) each other, offer a positive comment when another student showed his or her work, and generally chat around the table about how fun our project was going. But reflecting back, our positivist was anything but a joke. It was a bright light in my week, a space where I knew I could be surrounded with kindness, gentleness, and positivist.

Here’s the most special thing about it; my friend’s and my positive conversation wasn’t just encouraging, it was true. We didn’t go for cheap or false compliments like, “This painting should be in a museum!” Instead, we went for authentic(真实的) expressions of support and encouragement, like, “I love how you did that cloud!”

Over time, the class became something of a sacred space, because we had made a habit of using encouraging, supportive language. Sentence-starters like, “I like,” “I appreciate,” “I want to try”,   kept us present, positive, and honest.

The encouragement also kept us engaged in the work of making art. I feel sure that I learned more—and practiced more at home—because the activity was shown in such consistently positive terms, grounded in a growth mindset, self-acceptance, and encouragement.

Having a friend to share an encouragement habit is fantastic, but you can practice it on your own as well. Compliment yourself in the mirror every morning. Keep a running “great work.” list of thing? you are doing well today. Trust in your ability to find something loving—and true-to comment today and every day.

1. What do we know about the author’s classmates?

A．They admired those talented in art.

B．They didn’t take art class seriously.

C．They were of the same artistic level.

D．They were on good terms in the class.

2. How did the classmates turn their class into a sacred space?

A．By showing false compliments to others.

B．By decorating their class as a museum.

C．By displaying abstract art works in the class.

D．By offering supportive language around them.

3. What did the author think of the art project?

A．It made him hopeful and confident.

B．It needed to provide more practice.

C．It was cheap and easy to carry out.

D．It promoted his communication skills.

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

A．To introduce a community education program.

B．To call for good action to support those in need

C．To describe how to make encouragement a habit.

D．To comment on the power of authentic expressions.

7 . During the lockdown, my husband, Bob, and I were offered a pingpong table. I am a non-athlete but Bob does well in pingpong.

“What are we going to do with that pingpong table?” Bob asked me.

“The two of us will _______ ,” I replied. Bob looked doubtful.

I lost every game and I told myself that it didn’t _______ that I always lost. I was playing for _______ and to provide a positive experience in a difficult time. But there were days when I _______ losing. Once I threw my paddle(球拍) across the yard angrily. Then Bob _______ I play with a handicap(让分) of 12 points. That _______ a lot—I sometimes won! I’d never been interested in any kind of sport. But pingpong became the _______ of my day. I began to get better and won more games. My handicap _______ to 8.

My husband and I _______ the worst of the lockdowns through pingpong. It ________ me that even a self-described bookworm can learn a new sport. The ________ was my husband’s suggestion that I play with a handicap so I’d have an equal ________ to win. He doesn’t like to lose either, but it’s more fun for him if I actually want to participate and ________ it. It takes two willing partners to play table tennis, after all, and two people with an equal chance in each other’s ________ to make a marriage. Simply put, when it comes to table tennis—or any other ________ —there is no ping without a pong.

1.

A．sell

B．play

C．share

D．donate

2.

A．happen

B．change

C．remain

D．matter

3.

A．courage

B．honour

C．exercise

D．hobby

4.

A．hated

B．avoided

C．missed

D．imagined

5.

A．suggested

B．demanded

C．required

D．insisted

6.

A．meant

B．helped

C．finished

D．lasted

7.

A．fantasy

B．anxiety

C．memory

D．highlight

8.

A．turned

B．added

C．dropped

D．linked

9.

A．marched into

B．got through

C．passed by

D．came across

10.

A．promised

B．persuaded

C．warned

D．taught

11.

A．reason

B．key

C．goal

D．purpose

12.

A．partnership

B．stage

C．amount

D．chance

13.

A．enjoy

B．regret

C．deserve

D．receive

14.

A．kindness

B．friendliness

C．happiness

D．business

15.

A．experience

B．education

C．relationship

D．schedule

8 . At 28 years old, I lost my job as a full-time magazine editor. I’d always dreamed of becoming a self-employed writer, but I _______ doing it at 35 or even 40 years old, _______   I had a more solid(坚实的) financial footing.

Despite the fear I felt at _______ this dream before I was ready, it was my best, most practical _______ at the time. With my husband’s encouragement, I took a leap of faith, _______ my fear and jumped.

I’ve been working for myself full-time for two years. Not only am I happier thanks to a(n) _______ schedule and the freedom to take on the projects I want, but I’m earning much more than I did as a _______ editor.

When it comes to big dreams, many of us plan out every last detail so that we feel     _______for success. But often, this over-planning prevents us from ever taking action. No matter how much planning we do, we’ll never feel 100% ready.

When Jennifer Qiao got _______ , she struggled to find a modern version of a cheongsam, a traditional Chinese wedding dress, and an idea was________. Neither she nor Vivian Chan, her co-founder, had experience in entrepreneurship(创业). They didn’t even know if there was a ________ for their products in the U.S. But they decided to just start small and test out their idea ________. They never truly felt ready to start a(n) ________ , let alone make custom wedding dresses. However, through hard work, trial and error, they’ve   ________their team to a successful company.

Never let over-planning get in the________ of you taking action.

1.

A．enjoyed

B．imagined

C．started

D．suggested

2.

A．so

B．but

C．once

D．although

3.

A．diving into

B．carrying on

C．breaking up

D．letting out

4.

A．offer

B．option

C．application

D．judgement

5.

A．shared

B．treated

C．understood

D．faced

6.

A．strict

B．tight

C．flexible

D．ambitious

7.

A．chief

B．part-time

C．retired

D．salaried

8.

A．eager

B．grateful

C．prepared

D．regretful

9.

A．fired

B．employed

C．dressed

D．married

10.

A．born

B．forgotten

C．stolen

D．rejected

11.

A．plan

B．charge

C．market

D．deadline

12.

A．widely

B．quickly

C．secretly

D．officially

13.

A．business

B．challenge

C．organization

D．game

14.

A．adjusted

B．referred

C．contributed

D．grown

15.

A．form

B．way

C．beginning

D．middle

9 . Although Cuban built a tech company that would finally make him extremely rich, he never showed off that. “I never, ever thought about _________,” he said. Instead, Cuban said his drive was something else _________. He said, “I always think about time. That’s always been my driving force. How can I control my own _________?”

At the beginning, when Cuban sold his first company for 6 million dollars, he never thought he’d have to _________ again. It made him so _________. He saved most of his _________ so he could live freely without worrying about future job. When he did _________, he spent on traveling with friends and family.

Five years later, the stock (股票) he had was highly _________ at the time. However, he hadn’t _________ most of his stock just months before the bubble (泡沫) ________________, and then the share (股份) price dropped quickly. “It taught me a ________________: When you just go after money, it never ________________ well,” Cuban said. “However, if you value time, it can work out quite well. The most valuable fortune we can ________________ is our time. The only thing we can do is ________________ time and make full use of it. In that case, we can get amazing results.”

I couldn’t agree more with Cuban’s views. A person’s life is short. We should make the best use of time to do meaningful things, so that we won’t ________________ a thing before death.

1.

A．money

B．relief

C．jobs

D．companies

2.

A．equally

B．completely

C．purposely

D．naturally

3.

A．narrowness

B．dirt

C．time

D．age

4.

A．live

B．share

C．travel

D．work

5.

A．wise

B．suitable

C．impressive

D．free

6.

A．symbols

B．strategies

C．earnings

D．rents

7.

A．party

B．spend

C．challenge

D．tour

8.

A．valuable

B．formal

C．major

D．obvious

9.

A．sold

B．packed

C．held

D．buried

10.

A．formed

B．improved

C．broke

D．changed

11.

A．personality

B．lesson

C．path

D．solution

12.

A．puts away

B．takes down

C．works out

D．gets over

13.

A．create

B．donate

C．buy

D．own

14.

A．save

B．apply

C．understand

D．limit

15.

A．feature

B．regret

C．start

D．deliver

10 . My son “graduated” from elementary school this week. I put the word in quotations(引语)because as a rising 6th grader, he wasn’t receiving a _______ —and because the school used a _______ term to describe the milestone. On reflection, the school’s term felt even more _______ than the traditional name of the _______ of one stage of a person’s education: they called it Moving On.

At the Moving On Ceremony, each member of the 5th grade class _______ one sentence of reflection on what they were thankful for or would _______ about their primary school years. One _______ words caught my attention — he said he was _______ for what he called “a step on the ladder”. I was really _______ by this 11-year-old’s ability to summarize the emotional heart of the “moving on” moment. That was totally beyond my imagination.

Growing up is the work of a ________ — a ladder that has no top. And the gift of a “moving on” moment is that we get to celebrate the firm foothold   (立足点)we’ve gained on our ________ step, even as we reach upward toward the next. We get to ________ —not beyond what we’ve learned and accomplished so far, ________ because we are able to build on today’s experiences to move ahead toward tomorrow.

We look forward to our son ________ more graduations in his lifetime. But perhaps more than that, we pray that he will have the ability to recognize many “moving on” moments to celebrate and enjoy with ________ .

1.

A．prize

B．letter

C．degree

D．gift

2.

A．normal

B．different

C．traditional

D．popular

3.

A．interesting

B．successful

C．creative

D．meaningful

4.

A．end

B．goal

C．process

D．task

5.

A．translated

B．learned

C．shared

D．completed

6.

A．complain

B．miss

C．worry

D．imagine

7.

A．teacher’s

B．parent’s

C．cleaner’s

D．student’s

8.

A．responsible

B．grateful

C．concerned

D．famous

9.

A．struck

B．confused

C．inspired

D．disappointed

10.

A．moment

B．month

C．year

D．lifetime

11.

A．current

B．previous

C．future

D．upward

12.

A．work out

B．calm down

C．think over

D．move forward

13.

A．but

B．though

C．and

D．also

14.

A．holding

B．preparing

C．discovering

D．experiencing

15.

A．kindness

B．gratitude

C．bravery

D．patience