1 . Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.
On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?
Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?
Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.
As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.
And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?
How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?
Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.
1. What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Bring up. | B．Deal with. | C．Reflect on. | D．Look into. |
| A．He died a natural death. |
| B．He was caught and returned to the zoo. |
| C．He died from a collision with a building. |
| D．He lived a free life but faced many threats. |
| A．They were excited and supportive. |
| B．They were worried about his survival. |
| C．They were indifferent and unconcerned. |
| D．They were angry and opposed to his release. |
| A．The importance of protecting wildlife. |
| B．The risks and rewards of seeking freedom. |
| C．The value of overcoming challenges in life. |
| D．The need for more awareness about animal rights. |
2 . Climbing, I once thought, was a very manly activity, but as I found my way into this activity, I came to see that something quite different happens on the rock.
Like wild swimming, rock climbing involves you into the landscape. On the rock, I am fully focused. Eyes pay close attention, ears are alert, and hands move across the surface. Unlike walking, where I could happily wander about absent-mindedly, in climbing, attentive observation is essential.
As an arts student studying English literature, I discovered a new type of reading from outdoor climbing. Going out on to the crags (悬崖), I saw how you could learn to read the rocks and develop a vocabulary of physical movements. Good climbers knew how to adjust their bodies on to the stone. Watching them, I wanted to possess that skillful “language”.
My progress happened when I worked for the Caingorms National Park Authority. Guiding my explorations into this strange new landscape was Nan Shepherd, a lady too. Unlike the goal-directed mindset of many mountaineers, she is not concerned with peaks or personal achievement. Shepherd sees the mountain as a total environment and she celebrates the Caingorms as a place alive with plants, rocks, animals and elements. Through her generous spirit and my own curiosity, I saw that rock climbing need not be a process of testing oneself against anything. Rather, the intensity of focus could develop a person into another way of being.
Spending so much time in high and stony places has transformed my view on the world and our place in it. I have come into physical contact with processes that go way beyond the everyday. Working with gravity, geology (地质学), rhythms of weather and deep time, I gain an actual relationship with the earth. This bond lies at the heart of my passion for rock climbing. I return to the rocks, because this is where I feel in contact with our land.
1. Why does the author like rock climbing?| A．It challenges her to compete with men. | B．It allows her a unique attitude toward rock. |
| C．It teaches her how to possess a new language. | D．It makes her feel connected wth the earth. |
| A．Balance. | B．Concentration. |
| C．Determination. | D．Perseverance |
| A．Climbing goes together with nature. | B．Every mountain top is within reach. |
| C．The best climber is the one having fun. | D．You can not achieve high unless you change. |
| A．Time. | B．Transformation. | C．The world. | D．My view. |
3 . This wasn’t the way I wanted to see Rome. Sure, it felt
I was supposed to go to Rome with my mom back in 2012. However, life had different
My mom spent the final months of her life
I spent two weeks doing all the things we had wanted to do. Maybe she wasn’t physically there, but I
After my trip to Rome, I
| A．surprising | B．strange | C．embarrassing | D．pleasant |
| A．styles | B．plans | C．solutions | D．excuses |
| A．research | B．training | C．treatment | D．waiting |
| A．picked up | B．held back | C．heard | D．forced |
| A．examining | B．fighting | C．studying | D．controlling |
| A．battle | B．strategy | C．cause | D．contest |
| A．missed | B．arranged | C．sponsored | D．rejected |
| A．strangely | B．fortunately | C．honestly | D．interestingly |
| A．guide | B．budget | C．destination | D．choice |
| A．regretted | B．doubted | C．sensed | D．remembered |
| A．warned | B．promised | C．informed | D．reminded |
| A．memories | B．efforts | C．decisions | D．changes |
| A．interrupt | B．leave | C．understand | D．desert |
| A．positive | B．practical | C．flexible | D．normal |
| A．hardly | B．probably | C．partly | D．eventually |
4 . Stepping into a new life requires a lot of trust in ourselves. Everything is new, and change is constant.
My wife, Elba, and I are moving from New York to Florida, leaving long-time jobs and relationships and
We miss family, friends and co-workers
A few days after arriving in Florida, I had to go to Atlanta for a business trip. On my return home from the airport, I
I shared about my
Change is not for the faint of heart. It takes
Trust in ourselves during this process includes letting go of what we know and allowing a space for
| A．falling | B．starting | C．thinking | D．watching |
| A．ask for | B．look for | C．look through | D．get through |
| A．so | B．although | C．but | D．because |
| A．smart | B．lucky | C．alone | D．brave |
| A．meet | B．serve | C．invite | D．appreciate |
| A．trip | B．opinion | C．memory | D．opportunity |
| A．owned | B．took | C．drove | D．ignored |
| A．lives | B．drops | C．joins | D．takes |
| A．only | B．constantly | C．rarely | D．fortunately |
| A．moving | B．turning | C．returning | D．referring |
| A．worked | B．united | C．succeeded | D．connected |
| A．time | B．money | C．courage | D．technology |
| A．challenging | B．popular | C．moving | D．reasonable |
| A．union | B．discovery | C．flexibility | D．curiosity |
| A．skills | B．abilities | C．functions | D．friendships |
5 . Standing on a hill at Cliveden Gardens on a sunny winter day, its dark-green lake surrounded by centuries-old trees took my breath away.
“The English landscape is more beautiful because its beauty is understated,” my friend Will said to me later as we walked through an exhibition at Tate Britain. He pointed to a painting of a peaceful countryside. “This is the landscape I grew up with”, he said. Unlike grand waterfalls or wild forests, this scenery doesn’t shout about its beauty.
I wonder if Chinese tourists will explore beyond London.
Experiencing both cultures, I’ve realized that the English and Chinese both express achievements with understatement.
| A．Cliveden isn’t a famous holiday place. |
| B．Rather, its beauty is reserved for the locals only. |
| C．I’ve been impressed by British humor all the time. |
| D．They tend to prefer places with a strong reputation. |
| E．But the more I looked, the more I saw its quiet elegance. |
| F．Over the years, I’ve become familiar with British modesty. |
| G．This mix makes me appreciate the unusual beauty of Cliveden. |
6 . Malaysia Airlines(马航) flight MH370 disappeared from radar(雷达) screens an hour after it
The plane may fall into the sea. China, Malaysia and many other countries have joined to search for the
How did the accident
It may
Whether the missing plane is found
We hope these people on the plane will be
| A．took up | B．took off | C．took in | D．took away |
| A．found | B．missed | C．flown | D．seen |
| A．ship | B．terrorists | C．plane | D．Chinese |
| A．talking about | B．listening to | C．waiting for | D．hearing |
| A．take | B．go | C．come | D．happen |
| A．the other | B．the others | C．other | D．others |
| A．given | B．met | C．tried | D．caused |
| A．wise | B．easy | C．hard | D．hardly |
| A．spend | B．waste | C．get | D．take |
| A．to imagine | B．imagining | C．imagined | D．imagines |
| A．as soon as | B．after | C．until | D．before |
| A．nor | B．so | C．or | D．and |
| A．make | B．made | C．pay | D．paid |
| A．safe | B．dangerous | C．friendly | D．bad |
| A．his | B．its | C．my | D．their |
7 . I am honored to work in the greatest profession (行业). Despite the long hours and hard work, I finish each day, feeling as though I have made a difference. This is the drive that keeps teachers energetic and passionate (热情的). As Christa McAuliffe said, “I touch the future, I teach.”
When I was named Maryland Teacher of the Year, I received a congratulatory e-mail from a former (以前的) student, Morgan, who is currently attending Georgetown University and is an officer of the student-run Women in Politics group. I recently turned on the television to watch a college basketball game to find another former student, Austin, running up and down the court for Georgetown. Walking through a shopping mall recently, I encountered (邂逅) a former student, Olade, dressed in a suit. After a brief greeting, he handed me a business card for the company that he just had started, at age twenty-two. Another student said he is in the process of applying for law school at Howard University. Believe it or not, I encounter former students with similar success stories nearly every week. One student, Tasha, is off to the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore next year to study, of all things, Social Studies/Education. Now that’s a student after my own heart!
Seeing the success of former students and knowing that I was able to make a small contribution to their success during the time that they sat in my class, is the greatest reward. Sometimes, while I am watching my current students working and interacting (互动) in class, I try to picture what they will be doing ten years from now. I wonder if I am looking at a future senator (议员) or judge. Can you imagine being able to say, “I taught Senator Thomas government in the tent h grade?” I would not trade my career for any other. I literally (真正地) touch the future each and every day.
1. Which of the following people are in close contact with the author in work?| A．Drivers. | B．Coaches. | C．Actors. | D．Students. |
| A．To prove the author’s success. | B．To show off the students’ talents. |
| C．To tell us success takes many forms. | D．To remind us of people in all walks of life. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Demanding. | C．Rewarding. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Active and confident. | B．Passionate and proud. |
| C．Responsible and curious. | D．Friendly and easy-going. |
8 . Life is hard－even harder than anyone thought it would be. When you were younger, you dreamed of the world being your playground, and you were told that you could do anything and be anyone you wanted. Somehow, though, things haven’t been the smooth sailing that you wanted them to be. The world seems to go against you, and the last thing you want to hear is “Cheer up!”
Still, there’s a couple of things you might not notice about your situation. Next time you’re down, maybe the following will provide motivation.
Firstly, not everything is bad. It’s a well-accepted fact that bad news makes for sensational (极好的) television ratings. The fact is that something negative catches a lot more attention than something positive, and that’s because it’s easy to see things in a negative light. However, that shouldn’t distract you from the bigger picture.
Resist the tunnel vision that results from constant negativity. Remember that even though there’s lots of really nasty stuff going on, you’re surrounded by some pretty awesome stuff as well.
You should also remember other people aren’t you. No one likes being compared to another person. What makes it even worse, if that’s even possible, is when you do it to yourself.
Stop comparing yourself to another person and you’ll realize that you’re much more awesome than you give yourself credit for.
Lastly, failure isn’t where the game stops. So you tried something new, but you didn’t follow through. Frustrated at yourself, you stop trying. As a result, your quality of life goes down terribly. You’ve given up on it, though, because you don’t see the point (since you failed the first time).
Now, you’re an adult. The things you are trying are much more complicated than five-year-old you. However, your behaviour shouldn’t change in the slightest－when you fail in something, that’s just more information in your data bank. You know that method doesn’t work, so try another one! And another one after that! Do this until you figure it out. Giving up is for losers, and you sure aren’t one of those.
1. The author mentioned bad news in order to show that .| A．bad news makes people see things in a negative light |
| B．bad news is more likely to catch people’s eyes |
| C．bad news attracts people to see positive things |
| D．bad news has a negative effect on television ratings |
| A．Unstable emotions. | B．Important events. |
| C．Amazing incidents . | D．Something unpleasant. |
| A．We will change our behaviour. |
| B．We will keep trying the old method. |
| C．We should learn from failure. |
| D．We should think in a more complicated way. |
| A．It inspires us to learn from negative experiences. |
| B．It compares negative and positive experiences. |
| C．It criticizes those who are affected by bad experiences. |
| D．It discusses how negative experiences affect others. |
9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
A girl went to her mother and told her mother about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots (锅) with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the water came to the boil. She placed carrots into the first pot. Then she placed eggs into the second pot. Finally, she placed ground coffee beans into the last pot. She let them boil without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She took the carrots, the eggs and the coffee out with a scoop and placed each of them in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, the mother asked, “Tell me, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked her to drink the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted it.
The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, Mom?” Her mother explained that these objects had faced the same adversity (逆境) —boiling water, but they reacted differently. The carrots had been hard. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, they softened and became weak. The eggs had been weak. Their thin outer shells had protected their liquid interior (内部). But after sitting through the boiling water, their inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. “Which are you?” the mother asked her daughter.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The girl became silent and fell into thought.
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The girl changed completely from then on.
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10 . It was early winter several years ago. I had pulled out my old winter coat for another year’s use. It was still in pretty good shape although it was looking dirty from so many winters’ wear. I didn’t really need a new one but I wanted one and casually mentioned it to my daughter one day. She was such a sweet, loving girl that I should have guessed what would happen next. A few weeks later she gave me a new winter coat as a gift.
I put the old one in my closet and started to wear the new coat every day. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something troubled me. It seemed a shame that my old but still good coat should just sit there keeping no one warm during the cold winter days. After a few weeks, I took it out and drove to a local charity shop. I knew that there was someone who couldn’t afford a coat but could get my old one.
My new coat is my old coat now. It is getting a little dirty and worn, too. It has black marks on the sleeves. It is in too bad shape to even donate to charity. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon, but I think I will wait for a while. I don’t really need a new one and maybe I can find something else to give to the charity shop instead.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Want is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover.” Perhaps the best way to deal with our wants then is to give instead. Love, after all, brings us the most joy. And the more of it you give away, the more of it you have.
1. Which word can best describe the author’s daughter?| A．Wealthy. | B．Thoughtful. | C．Easy-going. | D．Humorous. |
| A．It cost too much. | B．It was looking dirty. |
| C．There was not enough room for his new coat. | D．It was not sent to someone in need. |
| A．Telling his daughter. | B．Buying a new one soon. |
| C．Donating it to charity. | D．Sending something else to charity. |
| A．Giving fills our wants. | B．Love is the key to joy. |
| C．The more you give, the more you lose. | D．A coat is large enough to cover our wants. |
