3 . On the morning of my Ph. D. qualifying exam. I rolled out of bed. showered, and next came the makeup. I brushed on a layer of foundation and drew thick black lines around my eyes — a _________ that signified (表达) the courage I wanted to show during my presentation. Then I looked in the mirror. I felt confident — _________ to answer questions that would be thrown at me. It's a way I found thanks to an unlikely _________: a famous singer.

I've always _________ with being confident. As an undergraduate, I felt extremely _________ whenever I tried to answer questions from professors. Later, in graduate school, I especially _________ giving presentations about my research. _________, I could find a solution that could build my confidence.

The _________ came during the month before my qualifying exam when I appreciated the singer's new song. As a fan, I noticed it sounded completely _________. She had switched from her usual dance-pop to soft rock and country. I was ____________ — why was she doing so? She was taking a huge professional ____________, but she was ____________in her music and herself.

Her confidence got me thinking: Could I do something similar before I stepped on stage? I ____________ the image I wanted my professional self to possess. I ____________ myself wearing professional clothing and appropriate makeup. To me, makeup wasn't a mask. It ____________ courage and confidence.

I first experimented with the____________during a practice presentation at home. It was a great ____________ . So I decided to give my new self a(n) ____________ at my qualifying exam. When I walked into the exam room, I was happy to ____________ I had newfound confidence. Sure, I was still nervous but 1 was able to answer questions without ____________.

1.

A．prayer

B．manner

C．look

D．greeting

2.

A．sorry

B．ready

C．kind

D．shy

3.

A．inspiration

B．meeting

C．coincidence

D．incident

4.

A．connected

B．combined

C．compared

D．struggled

5.

A．excited

B．nervous

C．angry

D．delighted

6.

A．feared

B．practised

C．forbade

D．admitted

7.

A．Legally

B．Immediately

C．Hopefully

D．Unfortunately

8.

A．reward

B．dilemma

C．outcome

D．breakthrough

9.

A．different

B．professional

C．famous

D．normal

10.

A．relieved

B．embarrassed

C．curious

D．cautious

11.

A．action

B．side

C．risk

D．seat

12.

A．confident

B．interested

C．honest

D．expert

13.

A．laughed at

B．gave up

C．commented on

D．thought about

14.

A．avoided

B．imagined

C．resisted

D．missed

15.

A．consumed

B．represented

C．covered

D．replaced

16.

A．principle

B．advice

C．hobby

D．idea

17.

A．start

B．challenge

C．future

D．effort

18.

A．meaning

B．end

C．go

D．alternative

19.

A．wish

B．discover

C．predict

D．promise

20.

A．judging

B．speaking

C．smiling

D．trembling

4 . I believe even the smartest people have to work hard to achieve success. People make themselves into winners by their own _______.

Many years ago, I took the head _______ job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the _______ team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to _______ the game, but to my disappointment we were defeated. Thinking hard about it, I came to _______ that I had to change my _______ towards their ability and potential.

I started doing anything I could to help them build a little _______. Most importantly, I began to treat them like _______. That summer vacation, we met every day and _______     passing and kicking the football.

Six months after our defeat, we won our first game and our second, and continued to ________ . Finally, we faced the number one team in Georgia. I felt that it would be a ________ for us even if we lost the game. But my boys beat them , giving me the greatest ________ of my life!

       From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can ________ the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and ________ them. I helped them to see themselves ________       , and they built themselves into winners. Winners are made, not born.1.

A．tests

B．luck

C．efforts

D．nature

2.

A．operating

B．editing

C．consulting

D．coaching

3.

A．new

B．excellent

C．strong

D．successful

4.

A．cheer for

B．prepare for

C．help with

D．finish with

5.

A．realize

B．claim

C．permit

D．demand

6.

A．decision

B．attitude

C．conclusion

D．intention

7.

A．pride

B．culture

C．fortune

D．relationship

8.

A．leaders

B．partners

C．winners

D．learners

9.

A．risked

B．missed

C．considered

D．practiced

10.

A．expand

B．improve

C．relax

D．defend

11.

A．shame

B．burden

C．victory

D．favor

12.

A．chance

B．joy

C．concern

D．offer

13.

A．surprise

B．relate

C．interest

D．affect

14.

A．encouraged

B．observed

C．protected

D．impressed

15.

A．naturally

B．individually

C．calmly

D．differently

5 . “What is the meaning of life?” This is a _______ that we all ask ourselves at one point or another of our _______ here. It is a question that I have asked myself many times over the years.

The best answer that I ever _______ was written by the great psychologist, Viktor Frankl who had _______ the Nazi Concentration camps in World War II. Frankl wrote that “The meaning of life is to give life meaning.”

When I was a young boy I gave my life meaning by _______ playing, running, jumping, swimming， _______ and riding my bike. When I went to _______ I gave my life meaning by learning, studying hard, getting good _______ and trying to make my Mom and Dad _______ . When I was a teenage boy I found meaning in playing sports, hanging out with my friends, and trying to ________ girls. In college I found my meaning by deciding what I wanted to study and what ________ I wanted to prepare for. When I was working ________ a teacher I found meaning in helping to open young ________ to new ideas and old wisdom. When I ________ and had children I found meaning in protecting， providing for, and ________ those I loved.

As I got older, I began to realize that meaning isn't something that ________ and goes.

We can give meaning to every moment of our lives here. We can bring meaning to the thoughts we ________. We can bring meaning to the things we do. We can bring meaning to the hearts we ________ . All we have to do is love. It is love ________ gives life meaning and makes life ________ living.

1.

A．question

B．choice

C．decision

D．advice

2.

A．society

B．dream

C．existence

D．conditions

3.

A．came across

B．came out

C．came up

D．came to

4.

A．worked

B．escaped

C．managed

D．survived

5.

A．actually

B．simply

C．fully

D．lonely

6.

A．crying

B．laughing

C．complaining

D．worrying

7.

A．work

B．university

C．school

D．camp

8.

A．friends

B．books

C．grades

D．behavior

9.

A．anxious

B．sad

C．optimistic

D．proud

10.

A．impress

B．observe

C．respect

D．support

11.

A．major

B．position

C．purpose

D．career

12.

A．with

B．as

C．against

D．for

13.

A．minds

B．ideas

C．opinions

D．feelings

14.

A．graduated

B．married

C．changed

D．grew

15.

A．looking over

B．going over

C．watching over

D．taking over

16.

A．runs

B．stands

C．comes

D．flies

17.

A．provide

B．imagine

C．suggest

D．think

18.

A．feel

B．touch

C．meet

D．share

19.

A．that

B．what

C．whether

D．which

20.

A．by

B．for

C．like

D．worth

6 . Are you happy? Most of the time, we make it hard to enjoy our lives by pursuing something that seems impossible. Happiness is possible for us all. First, we have to define what happiness is, and then reframe it if necessary.

For many, they have never-ending restrictions. I know this because I did so. I would think if only this would happen then I will finally be happy. When the great event happened, however, I didn't take the time to enjoy the moment. I just added another restriction and continued to dream of something I would never attain.

In my view, happiness is not an event nor a person. It is not a material thing, success, nor money. For me, it is gratitude. When I find the feeling of gratitude, then I find the joy. I don't make it complicated, nor take it out of my own control. I don’t put my ability to be joyful in someone else's hands.

Every day I look for things to be thankful for. I take a moment to enjoy the sunrise and sunset and give as many smiles and hugs as I can in one day. If I can’t be happy with what already have, then I wouldn’t be happy with more. I love finding the joy in simple things. When we remove the unnecessary limitations and expectations from our lives, then we open our hearts to receive more.

Recording my blessings in a gratitude journal helps me to see my life with new understanding. When I take time to thank God for all the blessing I have, I realize that I have everything that I need. I don’t spend much of my life complaining and crying about what I don’t have. Instead, I am grateful for what I have. When I change my thought process and feel gratitude. The greatest gifts in life can't be bought, or even be seen — they must be felt in our hearts.

1. Why are we unhappy?

A．We don’t have aims in life.

B．We cannot get what we want.

C．We don’t know what happiness is.

D．We always want to achieve better results.

2. According to author, the key to happiness is being________.

A．thankful	B．imaginative
C．wealthy	D．simple-minded

3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A．How the author found pleasure in small things.

B．How the author spent his spare time.

C．What the author cared more about.

D．What the author did to be happy.

4. What is the message the author tries to convey to readers?

A．A thankful heart is a happy heart.

B．Greed is so destructive. It destroys everything.

C．Sometimes it is difficult to realize that life is so simple.

D．You'll never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart.

7 . High school students have a lot more power than they may realize.

Belscher _________ a dollar on the floor when having his English class. When the school day _________, Belscher walked back to the classroom. He could easily have _________ it, for the wrinkled (皱巴巴的) bill was still there. _________, he brought the old bill to his English teacher, —Mattison.

Mattison was a little _________ he’d turned; in the dollar, knowing a lot of people would have just kept it. She _________ that Belscher tape(d)it to the whiteboard, where she always puts _________ things.

A day or two later, the school shut down for Easter _________. Neither the teacher nor her student thought twice about the dollar. After school, a boy named Tom spotted the dollar on the whiteboard. “There was a _________ to it.” Tom says. He asked Mattison why it was there. She replied, “I don’t know.” Then Tom __________ a second dollar.

The __________ of the two dollar bills side by side triggered (触发) something in Mattison’s students. They started asking about the __________ of the money, to which Mattison always gave the __________ answer: She didn’t know.

However, the students, among themselves, decided and understood Mattison had some good __________ final plan and goal. So, they wanted to be part of whatever this was. They __________ their savings and the amount continue to grow. As for the __________ dollar, the person who lost it never came looking.

That left Mattison to make the best decision. She thought of her brother-in-law, Jack Hains, who had died of ALS, a __________ and deadly disease. His sister died of the same __________. Mattison asked the teens whether they __________ if they donated (捐赠) the money. Their answer was that they definitely didn’t. Then, they __________ peeled (剥开) the cash off the board and made the donation to the ALS Institute established to find a cure for the disease.

1.

A．hid

B．lost

C．noticed

D．dropped

2.

A．started

B．ended

C．arrived

D．passed

3.

A．discovered

B．ignored

C．pocketed

D．accepted

4.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．Instead

D．Meanwhile

5.

A．excited

B．surprised

C．frightened

D．interested

6.

A．realized

B．commanded

C．recognized

D．suggested

7.

A．lost

B．required

C．selected

D．damaged

8.

A．break

B．dinner

C．meeting

D．activity

9.

A．signal

B．response

C．key

D．mystery

10.

A．earned

B．taped

C．missed

D．recovered

11.

A．sight

B．discussion

C．idea

D．story

12.

A．owner

B．total

C．power

D．purpose

13.

A．same

B．brief

C．secure

D．different

14.

A．unknown

B．unchanged

C．unspoken

D．unexplored

15.

A．added to

B．broke up

C．watched over

D．dug into

16.

A．former

B．important

C．valuable

D．old

17.

A．born

B．rare

C．common

D．mild

18.

A．operation

B．treatment

C．accident

D．condition

19.

A．wondered

B．minded

C．agreed

D．regretted

20.

A．sadly

B．calmly

C．carefully

D．skillfully

8 . I've come to the conclusion that I'm rubbish at saying “No”. For example, last Sunday I was sitting at my desk alone, totally ____ in my own business, when a colleague of mine phoned and asked me to get involved in ____ with her. I found myself getting all caught up in her enthusiasm and didn't want to ____ her. So I said “Sure, why not？” and before the call had ____, I found myself agreeing, without giving any ____ whether it was worth doing.

We are both window­shoppers and ___ a whole day in the street. Actually, I hardly have any time to spare because I am very busy ____ my normal job - I've also got a book to write, a business to ____ and a family to look after. And then there are my other projects to ____ - my voluntary work and a couple of other interesting investments that I want to ____. I'm going to have to be more ruthless (无情的) and not just agree to ____ people ask me to get involved in. In other words, I'm going to have to get ____ at saying “No”.Usually I hate saying “No”, because having to disappoint someone usually ____ me. Now I realize ____ I haven't learned to say “No”, I've been feeling very ____.

We had better do what we think is right and what we are ______ to do. Sometimes it does not seem that bad to ______ others. If I focus on the things I ______ want to be involved in, I'll reach a much higher standard and do it quite ______. I'll be enthusiastic and motivated (有积极性) and do something that is good for everyone and everyone will be happy. It'll be a win-­win ______. What's not good about that？So sometimes, we have to say “No”.

1.

A．experienced

B．absorbed

C．concerned

D．disappointed

2.

A．reading

B．discussion

C．shopping

D．travel

3.

A．displease

B．force

C．support

D．shock

4.

A．explained

B．announced

C．developed

D．ended

5.

A．thought

B．suggestion

C．idea

D．question

6.

A．lost

B．kept

C．enjoyed

D．wasted

7.

A．because of

B．regardless of

C．apart from

D．instead of

8.

A．visit

B．run

C．inspect

D．invent

9.

A．consider

B．fetch

C．catch

D．enlarge

10.

A．take in

B．work on

C．turn out

D．make up

11.

A．something

B．none

C．everything

D．either

12.

A．further

B．cooler

C．faster

D．better

13.

A．attracts

B．beats

C．upsets

D．puzzles

14.

A．after

B．because

C．if

D．although

15.

A．impressed

B．anxious

C．merciful

D．depressed

16.

A．likely

B．afraid

C．willing

D．proud

17.

A．join

B．refuse

C．invite

D．choose

18.

A．highly

B．hardly

C．suddenly

D．really

19.

A．patiently

B．well

C．seriously

D．accidentally

20.

A．situation

B．environment

C．appearance

D．spirit

9 . I grew up as the “baby” of my family. I was the_______of three sons. My brothers were five and seven years older than me and_______most of the small routine tasks that my mom and dad needed to do around the house. I spent most of my time riding my bike, playing basketball, walking in the woods, or reading books by the_______in the cold winter. I spent my_______with all the fun and none of the_______.

By the time I entered my early teens,_______, both of my brothers had moved out of our home. My dad had injured his back seriously and become_______. Later, we_______to a mountain top house heated by a stove. I soon_______that I did more work than I had ever done before. I__________our garden in the spring and summer. In the fall I cut and__________wood up to keep us__________ in the winter. And all year round I__________heavy five gallon containers of water from a mountain spring back to our__________so that we could have water to drink and cook with.

At first I__________and wasn’t satisfied. After a while, I began to find__________in helping my parents. I sang to myself while I piled wood up and smiled while I carried water. I __________found myself helping my mom with the dinner dishes and cleaning. I started to __________something that I would carry with me the rest of my__________too: When your work is done in love, it isn’t just__________.

1.

A．smartest

B．laziest

C．youngest

D．strangest

2.

A．abandoned

B．handled

C．removed

D．weighed

3.

A．lorry

B．fence

C．tree

D．stove

4.

A．childhood

B．adulthood

C．time

D．money

5.

A．effort

B．preparation

C．patience

D．responsibility

6.

A．however

B．therefore

C．otherwise

D．instead

7.

A．distinct

B．disabled

C．dishonest

D．distinguished

8.

A．led

B．distributed

C．moved

D．devoted

9.

A．found

B．recommended

C．indicated

D．worried

10.

A．destroyed

B．weeded

C．visited

D．advertised

11.

A．burnt

B．cleaned

C．piled

D．gave

12.

A．healthy

B．apart

C．safe

D．warm

13.

A．dragged

B．returned

C．piped

D．stored

14.

A．farmland

B．house

C．hotel

D．camp

15.

A．lied

B．quit

C．complained

D．wandered

16.

A．hope

B．pity

C．pain

D．joy

17.

A．even

B．seldom

C．alone

D．again

18.

A．promote

B．realize

C．confuse

D．explain

19.

A．family

B．cash

C．life

D．expense

20.

A．trouble

B．fun

C．pleasure

D．work

10 . When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming many things. Sometimes, I wished I was an astronaut going up into space, finding new planets and jumping around in a cool space suit. Other times, I imagined being a cowboy in the Wild West, wearing stylish cowboy boots. On other occasions, I pretended to be a famous footballer, using my skills to score lots of goals for my team.

Looking back, I realize that imagination is a wonderful thing. I was able to create entire environments and scenarios in my head, using nothing more than my brain, and to be able to adapt things in my everyday surroundings to fit the specific story of the day. Growing up with siblings (兄弟姐妹) also helped, as it meant that even bigger stories could be created, combining our ideas and putting our thoughts into action. It also allowed for more varieties in the stories, as sometimes I could be the hero while on other occasions, I would be the bad guy.

One of my all-time favorite memories as a kid was playing in my back garden. I played the role of Indiana Jones, which cleaned up at the cinema at that time, with my younger sister as my assistant and my brother as a bad person. We used everything in our garden, from the path to the fence, as part of the storyline to create obstacles that needed to be overcome, and we would keep the story going for hours!

My personal favorite game was Indiana Jones and the Stolen Easter Eggs, where my brother hid small chocolate eggs around the garden and my sister and I had to find them by answering questions or solving a puzzle. It was difficult, but eventually we found all the eggs and shared them together.

Since then, I have seen many great things and met many amazing people. The elements of fun and varieties of my creative imaginations are what I try to bring into every part of my positive life. So I can enjoy sharing with and hearing about other people’s stories, too.

1. What do we know about the author from his childhood?

A．He enjoyed living a life full of freedom.

B．He was longing to experience adventurous things.

C．He was always imagining a bright life for his future.

D．He had a clear picture of what he would do after growing up.

2. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “scenarios” in Paragraph 2?

A．experiences	B．situations
C．positions	D．excuses

3. From the passage, we know that Indiana Jones was       .

A．an astronaut	B．a famous footballer
C．a hot film	D．a very popular book

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．My Creative Imagination.	B．My Childhood.
C．My Positive Life Today.	D．My Pride in Myself.