1 . Occasionally, misfortune will happen in our life and no one can avoid it. If you choose only to complain and escape from the misfortune, it will constantly follow you no matter where you go.     1    

A girl, called Selina, lost her arms in a traffic accident that caused her father’s death — who was the main source of support for the whole family.     2     For the sake of caring for her, her elder brother became her shadow , never leaving her alone for years. Except for writing with her toes, she was totally unable to do anything in her life. Then one day, her elder brother wanted to live his own normal life, and they had no choice but to separate. So she was almost desperate and didn’t know what to do next.

    3     When he tried to prepare dinner for his parents, he overturned the kerosene light on the stove, resulting in a fire that took his hands away. Though his younger brother that was studying in another city, showed his willingness to take care of him, he was determined to be totally independent. At school, he always studied hard. Most of what he learned was to be independent. Once he wrote the following in his composition: “I am lucky. Though I lost my arms, I still have legs; I am lucky. Though my wings are broken, my heart can still fly. ”

One day, the girl and the boy were both interviewed on a television program. The girl complained to the TV host about her uncertain future at being left on her own, but the boy was full of enthusiasm for his life.     4     The girl wrote: My elder brother’s arms are my arms. However, the boy wrote: Broken wings, flying heart.

    5     It is true that life is unpredictable. Disasters can strike at any time. How you deal with misfortune when faced with it is the true test of your character. If you choose only to complain and escape from the ordeal, it will always follow you wherever you go. But if you decide to face it bravely, the hardship will turn out to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.

A．A similar misfortune happened to a boy named Jerry, too.

B．Since then, she had had to depend on her elder brother’s arms.

C．So his father went out looking for his mother, leaving him alone at home.

D．One night her mother, who suffered from chronic mental illness disappeared.

E．They both were invited to write something on a piece of paper with their toes.

F．They had both encountered the same misfortune, but had completely different attitudes towards lives.

G．But if you decide to be will-powered, the sufferings will turn out to be a fortune where new hopes will arise.

2 . It was at the midnight. I had just gone to bed, a bit drunk after _________ my birthday with some buddies in my house.

Our town was on the bank of the Ahr River, and it had been raining heavily that week; there were flood warnings for nearby areas, but not where I was. I _________ made some preparations, sandbags outside my garden door, clothing on tables etc. Before my friends left, they _________ me for doing that, but I thought, why _________?

As I drifted off to sleep, I was _________ by the sound of rushing water. When I _________ my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my _________. In darkness, I grabbed my phone and turned on its flashlight to _________ into the hall, where I saw water was pouring from the garden door. It must have broken the _________.

Any __________ of the alcohol were gone. With the fierce water, in bare feet, I started to wade to my only __________: the door that leads __________ to the rest of the house. Finally I made it and tried to open the door, but it shut again __________ I opened it a bit. I had to do something. I __________ in the water nearly to my waist, and a sword was touched. I grabbed it and wedged the door open. I managed to make a __________, enough for me to __________ through. Then, I ran up to the third floor to check my family’s __________. At that critical moment, we saw the light flashing outside—the rescue team. __________ we stood on the assault boat, I was still trembling.

The following day, the __________ news came that many houses around us were destroyed. I think the experience made me grateful. __________, “better safe than sorry” is a wise choice.

1.

A．congratulating

B．celebrating

C．broadcasting

D．applauding

2.

A．even

B．already

C．yet

D．still

3.

A．laughed at

B．approved of

C．stared at

D．accused of

4.

A．take a risk

B．make a fortune

C．make a bet

D．take a guess

5.

A．annoyed

B．awakened

C．affected

D．attacked

6.

A．bent

B．sought

C．swung

D．hung

7.

A．feet

B．knees

C．waist

D．chest

8.

A．slid

B．wandered

C．hurried

D．skipped

9.

A．wall

B．fence

C．sandbags

D．barriers

10.

A．excuses

B．causes

C．consequences

D．effects

11.

A．escape

B．direction

C．help

D．passion

12.

A．forwards

B．backwards

C．downstairs

D．upstairs

13.

A．before long

B．every time

C．as soon as

D．any time

14.

A．observed

B．experienced

C．searched

D．examined

15.

A．gap

B．glimpse

C．blank

D．distance

16.

A．jump

B．ride

C．squeeze

D．pull

17.

A．safety

B．health

C．actuality

D．motivation

18.

A．Since

B．If

C．After

D．Before

19.

A．harmful

B．fearful

C．stressful

D．powerful

20.

A．What’s more

B．Worst of all

C．In contrast

D．In any case

3 . We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. This saying perfectly shows the _________ of giving, and how it helps to _________ our own lives. One of the most frequent ways of giving is through voluntary work, where we help others without receiving any financial reward _________.

I once volunteered to _________ one-room flats where the less fortunate lived. When I first entered the flat, I was _________ at the living conditions. It was overcrowded with people and household items covered with dust. _________, I could not contain my judgement, and was instinctively _________ about the owners of the flat. However, as the cleaning proceeded, I talked to them. Learning about _________ that the family had met with, I was regretful for my initial _________ judgement of them.

Another time when I volunteered to teach life skills to students with cerebral palsy(脑瘫), I found they were very __________ of the teachers. They often said “thank you” and smiled whenever I helped them even with a __________ task. This experience has allowed me to be more mindful of the things that I take for granted, and to be more careful of not letting insignificant things __________ me.

Voluntary work has provided me with the opportunity to gain more __________ into the lives of the less fortunate and count the __________ in my life. Instead of just being absorbed in your own __________, extend a helping hand to others.

1.

A．difference

B．hardship

C．significance

D．popularity

2.

A．enrich

B．challenge

C．accept

D．balance

3.

A．in need

B．in return

C．in relief

D．in person

4.

A．sell

B．paint

C．visit

D．clean

5.

A．overjoyed

B．terrified

C．shocked

D．content

6.

A．Slowly

B．Admittedly

C．Reportedly

D．Interestingly

7.

A．critical

B．worried

C．curious

D．serious

8.

A．volunteers

B．chances

C．misfortunes

D．neighbors

9.

A．unkind

B．complete

C．objective

D．strange

10.

A．fearful

B．appreciative

C．proud

D．tired

11.

A．formal

B．boring

C．complex

D．small

12.

A．attract

B．push

C．cure

D．bother

13.

A．possibilities

B．insight

C．admission

D．rights

14.

A．number

B．memories

C．blessings

D．cost

15.

A．needs

B．judgement

C．choices

D．income

4 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.

I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.

For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.

The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”

Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.

1. What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?

A．They were excited and hopeful about it	B．They purchased her a harp immediately
C．They showed concern but agreed to it	D．They hesitated over it for a long time

2. What did the author find out about sheet music?

A．It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp	B．It was beneficial to foreign language learning
C．It led to her encountering difficulty in reading	D．It was an effective way of appreciating music

3. How did the author feel when the harp was burnt?

A．Astonished

B．Sorrowful

C．Frightened.

D．disappointed.

4. What lesson did the author’s experience give her?

A．Hard work pays off	B．Strike while the iron is hot
C．The simplest way is the best way	D．Never give up on what you really want to do

5 . Novels. Why do I read them? I was most ____ to read when I was a kid. I suspect this was because my only purpose was ____ and escapism. From all 21 Famous Five stories — in order, naturally — to Anna Karenina, ____ into a basket on a cycling holiday, I was ____ to another world. Then, for A-levels and a degree, I read to pass ____. Slowly, tellingly, the joy ____. And I was no good at the exams either. When those last exams were done, more than 30 years ago, I was done with novels. I had ____ love.

Gradually, it has come back, but it’s all ____ now. I find I’m reading whole novels mainly to ____ intelligence to help understand what I’ve been feeling; feelings that I’ve been ____ to express myself. For some reason I ____ The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. The _____soon starts to fade, and all you are left with is how it made you feel. This is nice, but what makes it all worthwhile is those specific ____ that I make sure to harvest and go back to. ____, Helen says of her new life in the big city: “At first, I was ____ with the novelty and excitement of our London life, but soon I began to be tired of its ____.”

A few months later, I ____ Anne Bronte’s resting place in Scarborough. Standing there, I____ this little passage and appreciated anew how ____ it resonated (产生共鸣) with my own feelings about London. And there the poor young woman lay, gone 173 years and still making ____ friends. That’s quite something.

1.

A．surprised

B．eager

C．qualified

D．welcome

2.

A．education

B．judgment

C．enjoyment

D．family

3.

A．divided

B．turned

C．rolled

D．stuffed

4.

A．transported

B．limited

C．admitted

D．followed

5.

A．inspection

B．exams

C．messages

D．time

6.

A．declined

B．arose

C．remained

D．gathered

7.

A．sought for

B．suffered from

C．fallen out of

D．broken away from

8.

A．different

B．wrong

C．difficult

D．normal

9.

A．prove

B．unearth

C．explain

D．untie

10.

A．unwilling

B．unhappy

C．unprepared

D．unable

11.

A．identified

B．selected

C．wrote down

D．took back

12.

A．plot

B．memory

C．reputation

D．vision

13.

A．fruits

B．happenings

C．insights

D．characters

14.

A．In addition

B．In short

C．At random

D．For instance

15.

A．content

B．familiar

C．bored

D．occupied

16.

A．misfortune

B．beauty

C．authority

D．unrest

17.

A．lost sight of

B．sorted out

C．chanced upon

D．kept track of

18.

A．let out

B．made up

C．edited out

D．looked up

19.

A．intensely

B．simply

C．possibly

D．gradually

20.

A．lifelong

B．personal

C．new

D．local

6 . When I was young, I had a wrong understanding of being great. I believed I was special and different and should be rich and famous because of my talent. I was going to live my dream rather than being a “normal” person. But as time passed, reality set in and my perspective changed.

I am a teacher, married to a salesman with a baby and a mortgage（按揭贷款）. Could my life be more normal? Yet, I am okay with this.

Were I to have a conversation with my twenty-year-old self, she wouldn't understand why I'm not going to NYC to get an audition （试演）. In four years my coworkers have never heard me sing. If I'd bought a house, it should have been in an interesting neighborhood with coffee houses at every corner. She would laugh at the corner house in the neighborhood I now call home.

But I know things she didn't know. Life is so much more complicated, wonderful and terrible. I know what it means to work for love, not just sitting back and letting it happen the way it can when you're young. I know about bringing life into the world, and the complexity of emotions.

My life is simple. It is small, and may seem interchangeable with so many other lives there. I may never make an impact outside my house. But I've learned it is important to be relative. To my little girl, I am irreplaceable. When she cries, she calls for “Mama”. When she reaches out, it's for me alone. So, is it a small life? It's perfectly fine to me. In fact, I think it's what I've wanted all along.

1. What was the author like when she was young?

A．She was honest.	B．She was brave.
C．She was proud.	D．She was cautious.

2. Why does the author imagine talking to her twenty-year-old self?

A．To show she has become mature.	B．To prove her dream has come true.
C．To reveal the key to her success.	D．To introduce her present unhappiness.

3. What is the author's present focus?

A．Learning the complexity of emotions.	B．Opening her heart to the world.
C．Living with her daughter specially.	D．Caring for her family.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in the text?

A．We can achieve our dreams if we work hard.

B．We will come back to a normal life some day.

C．We should keep in contact with our families.

D．We can be the one we feel satisfied with.

7 . The Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo is a ________ for tree-climbers. It is home to some of the world’s tallest tropical trees. It has also proved to be the treasure for scientist as they have already ________ lots of towering yellow meranti trees (a kind of tree), finding a tree with a record ________ each year.

Just recently, scientists ________ a golden find-the world’s tallest tropical tree to date. It was found, ________ on the island of Borneo, in a grove of yellow meranti trees. The method that scientists used to ________ this tree to prove its height was surprisingly ________ .

In 2018, scientists used laser imagery from airplane to ________ the cluster of huge trees, by creating 3-D images of the forest canopy and spotting any extremely tall growth. Subsequently, drones (遥控飞机) were flown over the site of the yellow meranti trees to double ________ the presence of the probably tallest tree. However, after finding the tree, they go ________ !

Bringing just a tape measure (卷尺) and climbing equipment, an ________ climber is sent up to the very top of the 100-meter tree to accurately ________ the height of the tree, nicknamed “Menara” which is Malay for “tower” . This Malaysian climber Unding Jami ________ one of the world’s tallest standing trees on January 6, 2019. Slowly, but ________ ,Unding Jami and his fellow climbers ________ the highest point of the tree and assured the tree to be about 100.8 meters!

In an interview, Jami talked about his ________ to the top of the tree. When asked about how he felt at the ________ , Jim replied, “I was scared but honestly the ________ from the top was unbelievable. I don’t know what to say other than it was very, very, very amazing! After we had measured it, I couldn’t ________ for the whole night.” Let’s hope we will continue to preserve the ________ of this world for as long as we can.

1.

A．shelter

B．hell

C．paradise

D．nightmare

2.

A．researched

B．designed

C．planted

D．discovered

3.

A．width

B．height

C．length

D．depth

4.

A．came across

B．led to

C．set aside

D．left out

5.

A．unsurprisingly

B．unhappily

C．unbelievably

D．unfortunately

6.

A．remove

B．transport

C．measure

D．surround

7.

A．modern

B．unusual

C．effective

D．strange

8.

A．clean

B．cut

C．plant

D．spot

9.

A．assess

B．arrange

C．check

D．identity

10.

A．traditional

B．crazy

C．ridiculous

D．awkward

11.

A．educated

B．experienced

C．admired

D．approved

12.

A．draw

B．prevent

C．put

D．prove

13.

A．decorated

B．climbed

C．trimmed

D．protected

14.

A．easily

B．fearfully

C．surely

D．clumsily

15.

A．reached

B．observed

C．calculated

D．judged

16.

A．arrival

B．approach

C．flight

D．journey

17.

A．top

B．distance

C．middle

D．bottom

18.

A．sunshine

B．air

C．wind

D．view

19.

A．work

B．sleep

C．lie

D．eat

20.

A．habitats

B．heritages

C．wonders

D．resources

8 . I was a recent graduate of a leading business school and I was to join a big company in Gomia, Bihar. The company chose only the best, and I was full of it.

The night train from Calcutta would reach Gomia in the morning. I had a letter that said there would be a car to pick me up from the station and take me to the Guest House. However, I found no person in sight to receive me when I got off the train. I felt let down. I carried the luggage on my shoulder and came to the exit. There I saw a nice car. The driver was walking towards the car .Ah, my driver, there he was!

I went up to him and asked him to carry my luggage. He asked me who I was and I introduced myself. The driver opened the back door and had me seated. Along the way, he asked me some questions about me and my family. I was angry with the driver who asked too much and answered him in monosyllables (只言片语). After reaching the Guest House, we said goodbye.

The next day was a big day. I was to meet the boss of the place, Dr. S. K. Kamat, and I was nervous. I knocked on the door and walked into the large office. The big man had his back to me and as he turned, I recognized the man immediately. He was the driver!

He gave me a broad smile and said he was S. K. Kamat. I could have died at that moment. I apologized for my behavior and was at a loss for words. He said that he had come to the station to see off a friend. And he had seen me and wanted to be of assistance. He never referred to the incident almost as if it didn’t happen. When I walked out of the office, I learned a great lesson.

1. What do we know about the author?

A．He was a little cocky at first.

B．He was going to change his job.

C．He took the initiative in talking with the driver.

D．He saw the driver as soon as he got off the train.

2. How did the author feel when he recognized S. K. Kamat in the office?

A．Confused.

B．Warm.

C．Embarrassed.

D．Anxious.

3. Why didn’t S. K. Kamat tell the author that he wasn’t his driver?

A．He thought it was impolite to do that.

B．He didn’t want to make the author sad.

C．He was willing to offer help to the author.

D．He wanted the author to be grateful to him.

4. What message does the story convey?

A．Love brings hope to the needy.	B．Be kind whenever possible.
C．Education is the key to success.	D．Continuous learning is vital.

9 . Yesterday was my birthday, but I didn’t_________a plan to do anything with anyone. Feeling greatly_________, I decided to go out to buy a cup of coffee for a birthday celebration by myself. By the time I arrived at my favourite coffee shop, I_________a couple of ladies into the shop and waited to_________. One of the ladies asked me, “Do we get our own table or do the waiters find one for the_________?” I answered, “I think you get your own table and I’m waiting for that small one because I’m here to_________my birthday alone.” The coffee shop was fairly_________and they suggested we_________a table together. I_________that wonderful idea.

To my__________, when it was my turn to order and pay the bill, I was told it had been ordered and paid for. On sitting at the table, the ladies told me they were glad to give the surprise as a__________to me on my birthday.

We spent one hour__________ happily together and we shared many topics of common interest.__________, we had to say goodbye and continued on our separate journey. It was more than I could have expected for the day. Thank you, __________-my lovely angels for the day. They__________me that sharing is a joy. We should thank those who help and care about us.

1.

A．give away

B．come up with

C．stick to

D．break away from

2.

A．sad

B．tired

C．proud

D．excited

3.

A．helped

B．advised

C．drove

D．followed

4.

A．listen

B．fight

C．order

D．change

5.

A．friends

B．bosses

C．customers

D．workers

6.

A．show

B．celebrate

C．protect

D．attend

7.

A．full

B．empty

C．far

D．clean

8.

A．lay

B．move

C．share

D．buy

9.

A．reported

B．refused

C．recorded

D．accepted

10.

A．fear

B．pity

C．surprise

D．regret

11.

A．cake

B．dish

C．menu

D．gift

12.

A．standing

B．talking

C．looking

D．waiting

13.

A．Luckily

B．Finally

C．Slowly

D．Secretly

14.

A．ladies

B．gentlemen

C．kids

D．parents

15.

A．taught

B．wished

C．asked

D．offered

10 . Dan Price was the CEO of Gravity Payments, a financial services company. One day, he found out a friend was struggling ________. The cost of living in Washington is ________, and she just couldn’t make ends meet(量入为出) on her salary. However, Dan was already earning $1.1 million a year. He realized how ________ it was that he had so much while the people working under him were struggling.

This point was driven home when he ________ a Mc Donald’s handbook on the desk of employee Rosita Barlow. When asked , Rosita burst into tears and ________ that after she left work at Gravity, she went straight to her shifts (轮班)at McDonald’s . Some nights, she even stood ________ at the local food bank.(赈济处）

That’s when Dan decided to do something to stop income ________ in his company. In 2015, he cut his own pay by 90%, mortgaging(抵押）his two houses, and ________ his stocks and savings so that he could ________ every single employee’s pay to $70,000 a year!

More than a third of his employees saw their ________ double. Some feared productivity would decline(下降）if everyone was earning more, but the ________ turned out to be true. Dan’s employees began to truly thrive (奋发）once the stress of making ends meet was ________ from their everyday lives. Employees like Rosita were finally able to quit their second jobs and ________ their work, actually increasing ________.

When COVID-19 hit the U.S, Dan’s company ________ financial difficulties. But what the employees decided ________ Dan! They chose to take a voluntary pay ________ of between 5% and 100% to keep Gravity going ________. The pay cuts worked! Gravity was able to ________ from the economic downturn, and they recently restored all salaries to their pre-pandemic amount.

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats! Dan treated his employees well. And when it was their turn to________ him, they didn’t let him down!

1.

A．politically

B．financially

C．physically

D．emotionally

2.

A．reasonable

B．predictable

C．high

D．low

3.

A．unfair

B．strange

C．challenging

D．harmful

4.

A．forgot

B．composed

C．discovered

D．reviewed

5.

A．insisted

B．argued

C．suggested

D．admitted

6.

A．in peace

B．in line

C．in demand

D．in relief

7.

A．inequality

B．growth

C．redistribution

D．limit

8.

A．looking into

B．taking over

C．showing off

D．giving up

9.

A．earn

B．raise

C．collect

D．reduce

10.

A．market

B．creativity

C．salaries

D．costs

11.

A．same

B．opposite

C．following

D．first

12.

A．separated

B．returned

C．removed

D．hidden

13.

A．focus on

B．pass down

C．apply for

D．talk about

14.

A．requirement

B．competition

C．risk

D．productivity

15.

A．suffered

B．escaped

C．masked

D．caused

16.

A．disappointed

B．astonished

C．frightened

D．amused

17.

A．service

B．reward

C．check

D．cut

18.

A．public

B．free

C．strong

D．quiet

19.

A．benefit

B．change

C．learn

D．recover

20.

A．repay

B．respect

C．improve

D．invite