1 . Can you imagine walking across a stage in front of 300 wearing a swimsuit? This is my ____as a competitor in the Miss Teen Massachusetts Pageant.

As soon as I was____as a contestant I began preparing, though the pageant (盛会) was months away. I had to______my classes with extracurricular activities, and_____ the pageant. I barely has time to breathe!_____, I did the best I could.

I’d always dreamed of_____in a beauty pageant. Although I didn’t win, I had a great time. It took_____to cross a stage in a swimsuit and those heels, walking like a model and smiling at so many people. It gave me the guts to try other_____. I improved my interviewing skills, met a lot of great people, and learned how to put on a_____.

The week after the beauty pageant, everyone____how I had done. I always told them_____I didn’t place, it was a terrific experience. It’s not a breeze to tell everyone that you didn’t______. After the experience, I realized that it is not necessarily the ______ that determines what you take from an experience, it is the quality of the experience, the memories, and what you_____along the way.

Most ____, I was aware that you should always reach for your dreams, because _____you will never know what could have been. If I hadn’t_____the pageant, I would always wonder. Now, looking back, I will be______ with everything I’ve accomplished, I took the initiative to strive for my dreams and___life along the way. I’ll no longer let opportunities pass by me, but______all my goals and dreams, no matter how big or small.

1.

A．dream

B．experience

C．success

D．ambition

2.

A．defeated

B．accepted

C．questioned

D．refused

3.

A．fill

B．improve

C．balance

D．compare

4.

A．preparing for

B．laying off

C．making for

D．setting off

5.

A．Thus

B．Instead

C．Besides

D．However

6.

A．speaking

B．competing

C．swimming

D．sharing

7.

A．time

B．energy

C．courage

D．patience

8.

A．things

B．trips

C．jobs

D．competitions

9.

A．smile

B．coat

C．position

D．parade

10.

A．shrugged

B．wondered

C．proved

D．judged

11.

A．if

B．since

C．because

D．although

12.

A．recover

B．improve

C．fear

D．win

13.

A．process

B．script

C．outcome

D．struggle

14.

A．suspend

B．gain

C．expect

D．allocate

15.

A．commonly

B．luckily

C．naturally

D．significantly

16.

A．yet

B．still

C．also

D．otherwise

17.

A．entered

B．missed

C．won

D．finished

18.

A．irritated

B．fascinated

C．content

D．concerned

19.

A．find

B．show

C．enjoy

D．ignore

20.

A．pursue

B．set

C．compile

D．remember

2 . Several weeks ago, I pulled an old road map out of the glove box and passed it to my children. They had never seen the province of Ontario laid out like that before. They stared at the map, asking about all the towns, parks, and other landmarks we'd visited, and I pointed them out on the map.

Google Maps and GPS are modern wonders that have gotten me out of many confusing places, but paper maps still have a role to play in our lives. Most of us adults learned to read them out of necessity, but it's up to us to pass on that skill to children whose need may not be so obvious, but who still stand to benefit from it.

As Trevor Muir wrote in an article on this topic, "When kids learn how to create and use paper maps, they are doing more than just learning how to get around. They are actually developing fundamental skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. Map skills still belong in today's classroom. "

As a child I had National Geographic maps taped to my bedroom walls. This aroused my curiosity and imagination about those places and thus made me eager to remember my geography and history lessons because they were tied to places I'd "seen". Even now as a mother of four, I've also spared time to travel to many of the countries whose maps I studied as a child.

Additionally, in this fast-changing world, unexpected events can rapidly influence one's usual way of life. When GPS satellites or Internet connections are affected, this old-fashioned skill can get you out of a mess without requiring a smartphone. Last but not least, paper maps arouse "big picture" thinking, showing kids that there's a much bigger world out there and helping to direct them within it.

So, now is a good time to pull out those dusty old maps and lay them on the kitchen table.

1. How did the children react when they were given the paper map?

A．They showed great curiosity.

B．They seemed totally confused.

C．They considered it old-fashioned.

D．They found it less convenient than GPS.

2. What might be the topic of the article written by Trevor Muir?

A．The teaching focus in today's classroom.

B．The situations where paper maps are used.

C．The necessity of digital maps in the modem world.

D．The benefit of developing paper map skills for kids.

3. Which of the following shows the author's opinion?

A．Internet connections are very reliable today.

B．GPS will sooner or later replace paper maps.

C．Paper maps provide kids with a grand vision.

D．Paper maps make people connected with each other.

4. What would be the best tide for the text?

A．Time to Teach Kids to Read Paper Maps.

B．How to Teach Kids about Different Kinds of Maps.

C．Time to Encourage Kids to Step into a Bigger World.

D．How to Teach Kids Fundamental Skills with Paper Maps.

3 . I still remember that day clearly. I zipped past my father cleaning the table. Seconds later, I zipped past him again. Minutes later, I was _________ wrapping Allyson's birthday gifts while ordering a _________ for her coming party. As soon as I finished the _________, I glanced up and met Dad's disapproving look.

“You are too _________ and stressed, honey,” he said, sitting in a chair, watching The Price Is Right, “You need to _________ and enjoy life a little more.” He was_________. And at that moment, I realized I had been totally_________ Dad in order to finish all of the_________ on my to-do list. All Dad wanted me to do was sit down and spend some time with him. _________ I did. I knew the present-wrapping could__________, and the cake could be ordered later. I sat down and watched The Price Is Right with Dad. It was his__________. We laughed and talked. I'm so__________ that I didn’t miss that special last time with my dad__________   that to-do list. Daddy__________ a few months later, but his words of wisdom remain with me.

When I am writing non-stop, trying to __________ a book soon or attempting to clean the entire house at once, I'll remember Dad's__________.

Actually, the__________ will always be, but special time with people you__________ can slip by quickly. So watch a show with your parents. Play a game with your kids. Take a long romantic walk with your__________. Each of them__________ a lot to you and they are more important than other things.

1.

A．politely

B．proudly

C．quickly

D．calmly

2.

A．cake

B．book

C．meal

D．hotel

3.

A．journey

B．call

C．report

D．game

4.

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．strange

D．busy

5.

A．come over

B．slow down

C．give up

D．break out

6.

A．clever

B．upset

C．right

D．puzzled

7.

A．refusing

B．annoying

C．observing

D．ignoring

8.

A．purposes

B．promises

C．roles

D．tasks

9.

A．But

B．So

C．Yet

D．Or

10.

A．wait

B．work

C．exist

D．continue

11.

A．chance

B．rule

C．favorite

D．choice

12.

A．glad

B．patient

C．sad

D．curious

13.

A．as for

B．instead of

C．except for

D．because of

14.

A．came back

B．showed up

C．dropped by

D．passed away

15.

A．finish

B．find

C．keep

D．paint

16.

A．experiences

B．words

C．programs

D．thoughts

17.

A．lists

B．plans

C．habits

D．points

18.

A．believe

B．love

C．respect

D．honor

19.

A．customer

B．teacher

C．partner

D．neighbor

20.

A．affords

B．explains

C．means

D．talks

4 . It was Thanksgiving Day a few years ago. My daughter was sitting on the couch watching the parade. My dogs kept lifting their noses to sniff the turkey slowly cooking in the oven. And my sons and I were secretly getting a piece of pumpkin pie with cream to hold us until dinner was done. As we lifted our forks I said, “Life is short! Eat dessert first!” Then I smiled as we ate our pie with delight and gave the outside part to the dogs.

Later I decided to take my oldest dog, Snoopy out for a walk. As we slowly walked through the ankle deep leaves I let my mind wander to memories of Thanksgivings past. I could see my grown children as babies sitting in their high chairs covered in mashed potatoes. I remembered all of those years spent visiting their grandparents and all of the special foods they made. There was sausage stuffing, noodles and cheese, and fried potatoes. There was turkey and delicious desserts made with love. And there was the three day nap (小睡) you wanted to take after dinner.

Even more than the food were the memories of joy that stuck in my mind and stayed in my heart. There were the smiles and hugs, the shared stories and laughter, the love so freely given at this time of the year. I went back inside with all of them flowing through me. I felt both glad and sad at the same time. I was happy for all the blessed times we had shared over the years and sad that they had flown by so fast. Most of all, though, I felt at peace and thankful to God for this wonderful life we are given here.

The truth is the more you love, the more thankfulness fills your heart. The more you love, the more joy you create in your life. Make the most of each day you are given here then. Be thankful for the glorious gift of life. Be the blessing you were meant to be and make every day Thanksgiving Day.

1. What do the first two paragraphs focus on?

A．The preparations for Thanksgiving

B．The happy memories of Thanksgiving

C．The various ways to celebrate Thanksgiving

D．The customs of celebrating Thanksgiving

2. Why did the author feel sad?

A．Happy times spent with her family seemed short.

B．She wished she were young again.

C．She had many regrets in those happy times.

D．Things changed much and she never felt the same.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Desserts were the author’s favorite.

B．The author’s grandparents were good chefs.

C．Delicious food was the best part of her memories.

D．The get-together of the family was full of love.

4. What does the author want to tell us through the passage?

A．We should make the best of Thanksgiving Days.

B．Everybody should treasure the time with their family.

C．People should live at present and be grateful for what they have.

D．Thanksgiving Days are the best time for people to express their love.

5 . As I look back on my life, I cannot help but wonder: why me?

At birth, I weighed less than one pound and I ______ . I ask: why me? Based on all the statistics, I ______ have made it out of the gang (帮派) ridden streets of Upstate New York, without at least some type of ______ record attached to my name. ______ , I did.Why me? After graduating from college, I ______ to join the U.S. Air Force and it got my mother's permission. I ______ for 4 years and chose to ______ the military with an honorable discharged.

With a young family to support, very little money and even less ______, I applied for an entry-level position at a Wall Street investment firm. ______ , the big firm, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, ______ me. After all, there were more seemingly qualified ______. I worked continually for two years, earning a ______ wage, with the only hope of one day becoming a stockbroker, so I stayed. Sure enough, when someone decided to give me a(an) ______ , I grabbed it with both hands. Again, I asked: why me?

My first year in the work, I was considered the most ______ rookie (新手) in my training class. Later I was ______ by the president of the firm and offered an executive-level position. My efforts impressed people around me. Now______ I've approached 40, when I have had a firm myself, I find I am ______ the question: why me? However, as a result of my own ______ lessons, I have come to realize the answer to that question.

It all boils down to one simple fact — How many people have you helped ______ the way? Once you make that your life's ______ you'll never have to ask yourself “why me” again! And indeed, I have helped many people, which pays off.

1.

A．survived

B．upset

C．saved

D．struggled

2.

A．shouldn't

B．mustn't

C．couldn't

D．needn't

3.

A．schooling

B．official

C．academic

D．criminal

4.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Otherwise

D．Moreover

5.

A．decided

B．managed

C．agreed

D．promised

6.

A．worked

B．studied

C．served

D．travelled

7.

A．join

B．leave

C．continue

D．support

8.

A．education

B．experience

C．income

D．energy

9.

A．Unexpectedly

B．Unsurprisingly

C．Naturally

D．Sadly

10.

A．knew

B．ignored

C．assisted

D．selected

11.

A．candidates

B．employers

C．players

D．clerks

12.

A．regular

B．standard

C．minimum

D．satisfying

13.

A．gift

B．sign

C．opportunity

D．bet

14.

A．hard-working

B．talented

C．successful

D．honest

15.

A．proved

B．misunderstood

C．recognized

D．forgiven

16.

A．in case

B．even though

C．only if

D．as though

17.

A．understanding

B．receiving

C．repeating

D．hating

18.

A．school

B．military

C．work

D．life

19.

A．by

B．in

C．beside

D．along

20.

A．experience

B．task

C．difficulty

D．secret

6 . A study of violinists found that merely good players practised as much as better players, leaving other factors such as quality of education, learning skills and perhaps natural talent to account for the difference.

This finding challenges the 10, 000-hour rule promoted in Malcolm Gladwell’s 1993 study of violinists and pianists. Gladwell states that enough practice will make an expert of anyone. “The idea has been popular and entrenched in our culture for years. It’s not an idiom but an overstatement,” said Brooke Macnamara, the lead author. “When it comes to human skill, a complex combination of environmental factors and genetic factors explains the performance differences across people.”

Macnamara and her colleagues set out to repeat part of the 1993 study to see whether they reached the same conclusion. They interviewed three groups of 13 violinists regarded as best, good, or less accomplished about their practice habits, before having them complete daily diaries of their activities over a week. While the less skillful violinists reached an average of about 6,000 hours of practice by the age of 20, there was little to separate the good from the best, with each reaching an average of about 11,000 hours. In all, the number of hours spent practising accounted for about a quarter of the skill difference across the three groups.

Macnamara believes practice is less of a driver. “Once you get to the highly skilled groups, practice stops accounting for the difference. Everyone has practised a lot and other factors are at play in determining who goes on to a higher level,” she said. “The factors depend on the skill being learned: in chess it could be intelligence or working memory; in sport it may be how efficiently a person uses oxygen. To complicate matters further, one factor can drive another. Children who enjoy playing the violin, for example, may be happy to practise because they do not see it as a trouble.”

The authors of the 1993 study are unimpressed. Macnamara said it was important for people to understand the limits of practice, though. “Practice makes you better than you were yesterday, most of the time,” she said. “But it might not make you better than your neighhour or the other kid in your violin class.”

1. What does the underlined word “entrenched” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Rooted.

B．Advanced.

C．Changed.

D．Unconfirmed.

2. What can we learn about Macnamara’s study?

A．It convinced Malcolm Gladwell.	B．It involved violinists and pianists.
C．Its process was similar to the 1993 study.	D．Its result is consistent with the 1993 study.

3. What does Macnamara find about highly skilled people?

A．Practicing for 11,000 hours is their main driver.

B．They enjoy keeping diaries about their progress.

C．Environmental factors have little relation to their success.

D．More practice makes little difference to their further progress.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．What makes an expert?	B．Does practice make perfect?
C．The early bird catches the worm	D．Enthusiasm is the key to success

7 . Some time ago, in my class I was about to fail a student for his answer to a physics question when the student claimed he deserved a better score. The examination question sounded “safe”.

“Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer（压表）.” The student had answered: “Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower the barometer to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building.”

I argued that a high grade should prove his competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try. Immediately, he worked out his answer: A second best way is to take the barometer to the top of the building. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula to calculate the height of the building.

I was shocked by his answer. His method gave me not only a broken barometer but a U-turn in my teaching philosophy. I gave him full marks.

On his leaving my office, I recalled that he suggested there could be a better answer. So I asked him what it was. “Oh, yes,” said the student, “There are many ways. Probably the best,” he said, “is to take the barometer to the basement and ask the superintendent （楼管）. You speak to him as follows: Mr.Superintendent, here I have a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of this building, I will give it to you.

At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school instructors’ trying to teach him how to think, and to use the so-called “scientific method”. He just wanted to solve the problem in a practical manner, not just answer the question in an expected way. Hearing this, I really had nothing to do but give the boy a firm handshake, feeling thankful that I hadn’t failed him in the first place and even more thankful, neither had he.

1. Why did the author want to fail the student in the first place?

A．The student challenged his authority.

B．The student’s answer was not practical.

C．The student didn’t show his academic ability.

D．The student had a poor performance in physics class.

2. Which of the following can best describe the author’s new teaching philosophy?

A．Without love, there is no education.

B．A man becomes learned by asking questions.

C．Teaching is to make two ideas grow where only one grew before.

D．You can lead your horse to the river, but you can’t make it drink.

3. What made the student abandon the conventional answer?

A．Lack of physics-related knowledge.

B．Ignorance of the teacher’s expectation.

C．Intention to deeply impress his teacher.

D．Disapproval of existing teaching concepts.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．The superintendent was a greedy person.

B．School education restricted this student’s thinking.

C．The teacher appreciated the student’s answers finally.

D．The examination question is a lough physics problem.