1 . T. S. Eliot wrote of “Distracted from distraction by distraction /Filled with fancies and empty of meaning.” T. S. Eliot never had a smartphone.

Neither did I for a long time. No Facebook account; not even email. But according to my date of manufacture, I’m supposed to be a digital native. Perhaps it’s because by the age of 20 I was living in the Welsh countryside with no signal and no Wi-Fi.

When I finally fell into the digital world, I fell hard. Unlike my friends for whom social media and mobile technology had grown and flowered around them, for me it was a sudden immersion. I got Facebook, Twitter and Gmail accounts at the same time that I got an iPhone 4. I would check my phone; five minutes later I would check my phone again. I was addicted and it started to affect my relationships with friends and family

One night, without a word, I abandoned my iPhone and bought a Nokia 3310 and became the talk of the town. Soon I became aware that not only had I stolen secret time back from the hurried days, but somehow a secret space as well. I could stretch out, free to think again, to be wholly creative and to learn meaningfully.

But, wherever I went I got bloody lost. Wandering blindly around London, only to miss appointments, became a frequent pastime (消遣). What did we do before Google Maps? I was useless. The change was worth it, though. I’ll sound like an overstatement but I think it changed my life. My choices are broader and healthier because I’m not being screamed at all day.

I bought a new Samsung phone last week. I had been scared of the rate of progress, crying: “Stop the train! Stop the madness.” But I want to be part of building the future, and to do that, you’ve got to swim in contemporary waters. Rejecting the modern world doesn’t help anyone. It slows you down and I need to be efficient. Time will tell whether I’ve mastered the wisdom to reject constantly checking my phone.

1. What can be learned about the author when she lived in the Welsh countryside?

A．She read a lot of T. S. Eliot.	B．She had no friends to talk with.
C．She had no access to the Internet.	D．She was afraid of the digital world.

2. Why did the author buy the Nokia 3310?

A．She thought she needed a spare phone.	B．She found her iPhone stopped working.
C．She wanted to attract people’s attention.	D．She hoped to break her smartphone addiction.

3. What happened after the author used the Nokia 3310?

A．She led a simple and healthy life.	B．She found her life was in a mess.
C．She spent more time with her friends.	D．She became an example for other people.

4. For what purpose did the author buy the Samsung phone?

A．To seek wisdom.	B．To stop her madness.
C．To keep pace with the times.	D．To get back to the real world.

2 . On a common morning just inside the entryway to a subway station, a young man took his violin out of its case. He seemed quite common in _________. Then the man plucked (拨) the strings for minutes to tune his _________. After that, he reached into his pocket and _________ a few dollars, which he threw into the violin case, hoping that the passers-by would _________. Then he began to play, and thousands of people were hurrying to work, school, or wherever they were _________ as the morning rush was _________. Though the incredible sound of this man’s violin filled the subway station, it was apparently _________ by all.

If he were any other street _________, perhaps it would have been _________ that he earned little attention of people. __________ , he is Joshua Bell, one of the world’s most renowned __________, and he was playing one of the most classical masterpieces on his $3,000,000 violin. Actually, almost nobody noticed his playing. Why? One reason is that he didn’t look like a special man; the other is that everyone was too busy to __________ Joshua Bell’s excellent music.

“I’m busy!” is an everyday __________ from people like those who walked past Joshua Bell’s music without __________ a moment. All of this got me thinking: sometimes we should say no to useless busyness and allow for some __________ presence so as to perceive the beauty around us.

1.

A．appearance

B．speech

C．personality

D．skill

2.

A．instrument

B．behavior

C．posture

D．switch

3.

A．sorted out

B．made up

C．used up

D．pulled out

4.

A．set an example

B．follow suit

C．pay it forward

D．extend understanding

5.

A．suffering

B．attracting

C．heading

D．contacting

6.

A．in a dilemma

B．in full swing

C．by the book

D．by all accounts

7.

A．challenged

B．criticized

C．disturbed

D．ignored

8.

A．performer

B．beggar

C．promoter

D．defender

9.

A．strange

B．awkward

C．insignificant

D．unreasonable

10.

A．Furthermore

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

11.

A．composers

B．organizers

C．violinists

D．donors

12.

A．miss

B．acknowledge

C．create

D．appreciate

13.

A．excuse

B．lie

C．practice

D．conversation

14.

A．recalling

B．choosing

C．sparing

D．capturing

15.

A．permanent

B．unplanned

C．inaccessible

D．constant

3 . Once President Roosevelt's house was broken into and lots of things were stolen. Hearing this, one of Roosevelt's friends wrote to him and _______ him not to take it to his heart so much. President Roosevelt _______ immediately, saying, "Dear friend, thank you for your letter to _______ me. I'm all right now. I think I should thank God. This is because of the following three reasons: firstly, the thief only stole things from me but did not _______ me at all; secondly, the thief has stolen some of my things _______ all my things; thirdly, most luckily for me, it was the man _______ me who became a thief…"

Being _______ is an important philosophy of life and a great _______ . It is impossible for anyone to be lucky and successful all the time _______ he lives in the world. We should learn how to face failure or ________ bravely and generously and to try to deal with it. If so, should we ________ about our life and become frustrated and disappointed ever since then or should we be grateful for our life, and ________ again by ourselves after a fall? William Thackeray, a famous British writer, said, "Life is a ________ . When you smile in front of it, it will also smile and so will it when you cry to it. "

If you are grateful to life, it will bring you shining sunlight. If you always complain about everything, you may own ________ in the end. When we are successful, we can surely have many reasons for being grateful, ________ we have only one excuse to show ungratefulness if we fail.

1.

A．urged

B．advised

C．suggested

D．forbade

2.

A．went back

B．turned back

C．wrote back

D．fought back

3.

A．comfort

B．oppose

C．convey

D．resist

4.

A．kill

B．hit

C．hurt

D．strike

5.

A．instead of

B．instead

C．either

D．nor

6.

A．rather than

B．more than

C．less than

D．other than

7.

A．polite

B．grateful

C．elegant

D．successful

8.

A．wisdom

B．knowledge

C．regret

D．competence

9.

A．until

B．so long as

C．unless

D．as often as

10.

A．success

B．exploration

C．mercies

D．misfortune

11.

A．argue

B．complain

C．bother

D．worry

12.

A．climb

B．arouse

C．rise

D．raise

13.

A．behavior

B．philosophy

C．journey

D．mirror

14.

A．nothing

B．something

C．everybody

D．everything

15.

A．or

B．but

C．and

D．if

4 . In America, seldom do you go anywhere without hearing a principle called WIN-WIN. It sounds strange to me at first because throughout my childhood, I have always been taught to try everything possible to win an upper-hand, rather than to help other people win. However, as time goes by, I have gradually understood the essence (真谛) of WIN-WIN principle — it is the attitude of seeking mutual benefits.

When I was little, I used to play Chinese checkers (跳棋) which includes two basic tactics: One is to create paths for yourself; the other is to block the passages of your rival. Players may apply these two totally different approaches in the game, but the key for the player to win is to continuously create paths for him even if his opponent may take advantage of it. Finally he can always reach the destination a few steps ahead of the other player. Meanwhile, some player may take another approach to prevent his opponent from moving forward at all costs. In this way, he may get a short-term benefit, but couldn’t fix attention on the final goal. Thus, he would never truly develop further.

In the 1990s, a strategy called WIN-WIN became widespread in the western world. Its core is to achieve your objective while giving other people some benefits, so there is no real loser. One example of applying the WIN-WIN principle is the voluntary system in the US. Most Americans advocate the spirit of social service and voluntary contribution. In the US, schools and children organizations usually encourage and support kids to be engaged in community service so that the voluntary spirit can be enrooted in their minds from childhood. Moreover, a crucial standard for universities to judge new students is whether they have worked for the community or not.

In China, it’s quite usual that some people are too selfish and never take people’s interests into consideration, while someone who really has courage to do something for the public is often called “foolish” or “stupid”. Actually helping other people can be of great delight for the helper, for he can also learn something crucial for his life such as sympathy, care, devotion, etc. So only if you take other people’s interests into earnest consideration can you assure your own gain.

1. The purpose of the author in writing the passage is _______.

A．to tell us the cultural differences between China and the US

B．to tell us the different educational systems in the US and China

C．to tell us the importance and meaning of WIN-WIN

D．to show that WIN-WIN is popular in the US and China

2. We can know from Paragraph 2 that the one who _______ is most likely to win the game.

A．prevents his opponent from moving forward at all costs

B．creates the passages for his rival over and over

C．continuously creates paths for both himself and his rival

D．blocks the passages of his rival all the time

3. What is the author’s attitude towards WIN-WIN?

A．Criticism.

B．Encouragement.

C．Disagreement.

D．Doubt.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．WIN-WIN: Thinking for Others

B．WIN-WIN: Reaching Your Goals

C．WIN-WIN: Defeating Your Rivals

D．WIN-WIN: Gaining Mutual Benefits

5 . Lately, I’ve been starting to feel as though my friends are so much farther ahead of me in life. Some of them got engaged and all of them have responsibilities while I’m still single. I see my friends a lot more _______ than I used to — everyone’s so busy with their work now. When we do get together, it’s a lot harder to _______. The only thing my friends want to talk about is their _______.

Actually, I’m _______ for them and I want what they have. Every time I see one of them _______ a new baby photo, I ask myself, “When is it going to be my _______?” But my body somehow has repeatedly _______ the idea. Meanwhile I’m still _______ dates!

How do I stop _______ myself with others when their lives look so amazing? My roommate, Harper, ________ about a big promotion at work on Twitter. And all I could do was comment, “You go, girlboss!” while sending out yet another job ________.

I know life isn’t linear, and I shouldn’t compare my ________ with anyone else’s. We’re just in different places in our lives. At the end of the day, ________ we are in our journeys, I know that my friends love me.

So, for now, I’m just going to focus on myself, maybe by ________ or taking a pottery (陶艺) class, to really use the time I have out here in the woods alone for some ________. I know that someday I will find my person, and see that the long journey is all worth it!

1.

A．infrequently

B．inaccessibly

C．inaccurately

D．impossibly

2.

A．speak

B．relate

C．care

D．worry

3.

A．idols

B．secrets

C．kids

D．failures

4.

A．delighted

B．sorrowful

C．guilty

D．apologetic

5.

A．putting off

B．showing off

C．calling off

D．working off

6.

A．family

B．baby

C．turn

D．success

7.

A．preferred

B．generated

C．accepted

D．rejected

8.

A．going on

B．depending on

C．getting on

D．taking on

9.

A．confusing

B．connecting

C．combining

D．comparing

10.

A．replied

B．commented

C．posted

D．wrote

11.

A．paper

B．interview

C．application

D．offer

12.

A．study

B．health

C．treasure

D．path

13.

A．whenever

B．wherever

C．whatever

D．whoever

14.

A．sleeping

B．eating

C．drinking

D．travelling

15.

A．self-discovery

B．self-discipline

C．self-study

D．self-respect

6 . The curb cut (下斜路缘). It’s a convenience that most of us rarely, if ever, notice. Yet, without it, daily life might be a lot harder—in more ways than one. Pushing a baby stroller onto the curb, skateboarding onto a sidewalk or taking a full grocery cart from the sidewalk to your car—all these tasks are easier because of the curb cut.

But it was created with a different purpose in mind.

It’s hard to imagine today, but back in the 1970s, most sidewalks in the United States ended with a sharp drop-off. That was a big deal for people in wheelchairs because there were no ramps (斜坡) to help them move along city blocks without assistance. According to one disability rights leader, a six-inch curb “might as well have been Mount Everest”. So, activists from Berkeley, California, who also needed wheelchairs, organized a campaign to create tiny ramps at intersections to help people dependent on wheels move up and down curbs independently.

I think about the “curb cut effect” a lot when working on issues around health equity (公平). The first time I even heard about the curb cut was in a 2017 Stanford Social Innovation Review piece by PolicyLink CEO Angela Blackwell. Blackwell rightly noted that many people see equity “as a zero-sum game.” Basically, that there is a “prejudiced societal suspicion that intentionally supporting one group hurts another.” What the curb cut effect shows though, Blackwell said, is that “when society creates the circumstances that allow those who have been left behind to participate and contribute fully, everyone wins.”

There are multiple examples of this principle at work. For example, investing in policies that create more living-wage jobs or increase the availability of affordable housing certainly benefits people in communities that have limited options. But, the action also empowers those people with opportunities for better health and the means to become contributing members of society—and that benefits everyone. Even the football huddle (围成一团以秘密商讨) was initially created to help deaf football players at Gallaudet College keep their game plans secret from opponents who could have read their sign language. Today, it’s used by every team to shield the opponent from learning about game-winning strategies.

So, next time you cross the street, or roll your suitcase through a crosswalk or ride your bike directly onto a sidewalk—think about how much the curb cut, that change in design that broke down walls of exclusion for one group of people at a disadvantage, has helped not just that group, but all of us.

1. By “might as well have been Mount Everest” (paragraph 3), the disability rights leader implies that a six-inch curb may become ________.

A．as famous as the world’s highest mountain

B．an almost impassable barrier

C．a connection between people

D．a most unforgettable matter

2. According to Angela Blackwell, many people believe that ________.

A．it’s fair to give the disadvantaged more help than others

B．it’s impossible to have everyone be treated equally

C．it’s necessary to go all out to help the disabled

D．it’s not worthwhile to promote health equity

3. Which of the following examples best illustrates the “curb cut effect” principle?

A．Spaceflight designs are applied to life on earth.

B．Four great inventions of China spread to the west.

C．Christopher Columbus discovered the new world.

D．Classic literature got translated into many languages.

4. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．Everyday items are originally invented for people with disabilities.

B．Everyone in a society should pursue what is in his or her interest.

C．A disability rights leader changed the life of his fellow men.

D．Caring for disadvantaged groups may finally benefit all.

7 . I’m approaching the Knight Street Bridge in my car. It’s 5:15 pm. The traffic is already _________ and then it comes to a full stop. I’m _________ even before getting on the bridge. Ahead of me are endless rows of _________, roughly 300.

When I finally _________ it onto the bridge, the traffic is still moving at a slow pace. Tired and hungry, I become very _________.

Just then I hear a weak sound in the distance. The sound gradually becomes louder, until I can _________ it as an emergency vehicle approaching from behind. What do we do? The bridge is _________. There’s no room for us to move.

But I’m wrong. Every single car quickly, yet _________, moves to the side. Without thinking, I follow suit. The lane (车道) remains _________ for a few seconds, during which the ambulance __________ through. Afterward, we close up the emergency lane, ready to continue our wait. Back in my __________, my anxiety is gone. I start __________ what we just did.

Despite our tiredness, we collectively drew on our compassion (同情心) and __________ to help the stranger who needed the time more __________ than we did without any orders. Although I may seem alone stuck on the bridge, I’m __________ to all the other drivers. Together we could make the impossible possible.

1.

A．rushing in

B．turning up

C．pulling over

D．slowing down

2.

A．stuck

B．fixed

C．lost

D．wrapped

3.

A．passers-by

B．drivers

C．vehicles

D．taxis

4.

A．reach

B．make

C．step

D．get

5.

A．disappointed

B．joyful

C．excited

D．anxious

6.

A．realize

B．identify

C．imagine

D．sense

7.

A．filled

B．locked

C．packed

D．narrowed

8.

A．carefully

B．gradually

C．casually

D．suddenly

9.

A．open

B．messy

C．crowded

D．convenient

10.

A．crashes

B．breaks

C．jumps

D．flashes

11.

A．car

B．seat

C．spot

D．sight

12.

A．bringing up

B．reflecting upon

C．referring to

D．focusing on

13.

A．gratitude

B．generosity

C．intelligence

D．expectation

14.

A．desperately

B．patiently

C．flexibly

D．temporarily

15.

A．devoted

B．connected

C．exposed

D．abandoned

8 . 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。

Some people are just doomed (注定) to be failures. That’s the way some adults look at troubled kids. A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high. David was made to feel this way almost every day in school.

David was the most famous troublemaker in high school. He wasn’t confident and didn’t answer questions. From time to time he skipped classes and got into lots of fights. Teachers didn’t want to have him again the following year. However, things gradually changed during a weekend leadership meeting. All the students at school had been invited to sign up for ACE training, a program designed to have students become more involved in their communities.

At the start of the meeting, David was literally standing outside the circle of students, against the back wall, with that “go ahead, impress me” look on his face. He didn’t readily join the discussion groups. But slowly, the interactive games drew him in the discussion. David started to join them and he really had great ideas. The other students in David’s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden David felt like a part of the group.

The next day, David was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the meeting, he had joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They elected David co-chairman of the team.

The very first community service project organized by the Homeless Project team was to collect food for the homeless in the charge of David. But a group of teachers doubted whether this crucial beginning should be in the hands of David. The principal reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was to uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce (加强) its practice until true change can take place.

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。

Two weeks later, David led 20 students in the team to collect food for the homeless.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After David’s picture appeared in the newspaper, everyone saw great changes in him.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Early in my teaching career, I heard countless excuses—most of them amusing—for why students didn’t have their homework. “The dog ate it” was one of them. As time passed, I grew ______ of hearing “I don’t have my homework because...” So I quit accepting any excuse.

When I was ______ to another school, I took my straightforward attitude with me. “No excuses, no extensions!” I warned my eighth graders on the first day. When a student didn’t have the homework, I never asked why. ______, I sighed loudly, shook my head in disgust and recorded a zero.

One afternoon, shortly after the ______ bell rang, Anthony ______ me. “Could I talk to you a minute?” he asked shyly. “I know what you said about our homework, but I don’t want you to think I’m a slacker(懒虫) because I come to school ______ mine so often.”

Anthony looked up at me, and I could see that his lower lip was shaking. “It’s just that...well, my dad moved out, and my mom works at night, so I have to look after my little brothers. Sometimes they cry a lot, which makes it hard to ______.”

I put my hand on Anthony’s thin shoulder. “Why are you just now telling me…” I stopped in mid-sentence. I knew why. So I ______ the question. “Would it help if you stayed here after school and worked on it?”

He swallowed hard and ______.

The next day, I announced to all my students that I’d be offering an after-school study hall. Anthony was the first to ______. Several days later, Terrell joined him, ______ by twins Sandy and Randy. Before long, I had a room full of eighth graders to work on their lessons. I never asked why any of them were there, but I soon had a large ______ of “I don’t have my homework because...” stories. All were very ______. None were amusing.

The things I learned weren’t taught in college. I discovered not all kids come from homes that are safe and ______. Not all kids have a quiet bedroom with a desk and study light. Some don’t have a home where a parent is even around. And some kids do go to bed ______. Most importantly, I learned that “I’ll listen” works better than “No excuses”.

1.

A．ashamed

B．scared

C．tired

D．informed

2.

A．transferred

B．transplanted

C．transported

D．transformed

3.

A．However

B．Afterward

C．Moreover

D．Instead

4.

A．dismissal

B．removal

C．approval

D．arrival

5.

A．occupied

B．greeted

C．waved

D．approached

6.

A．with

B．without

C．for

D．on

7.

A．tolerate

B．concentrate

C．balance

D．survive

8.

A．extended

B．refreshed

C．changed

D．updated

9.

A．nodded

B．shook

C．weighed

D．understood

10.

A．give up

B．put up

C．show up

D．take up

11.

A．followed

B．surrounded

C．separated

D．impressed

12.

A．combination

B．description

C．prediction

D．collection

13.

A．imaginary

B．fictional

C．rigid

D．real

14.

A．rich

B．warm

C．simple

D．sound

15.

A．happily

B．guiltily

C．hungrily

D．irregularly

10 . It is getting hot. It’s time to put on ____ clothes and open up the windows.

Yesterday brought a(n) ____ visit to the kitchen during the brief time we were out. Two daring sparrows had ____ into a dangerous territory—our kitchen.

When you come across such sudden callers, you are ____ to sense it as an action of intruding (入侵) into your comfort zone, or you might ____ it as a lovely shining moment of life. We ____ the second option, with no hesitation. After all, we’ve never stopped feeling urgent to strengthen the relationship with our sparrows more and more each day.

We can’t stop ____ and celebrating their dance from our window. We fed them with the ____ on our tablecloth after every meal. And we have ____ them with every kind of bases and stands on our terrace (露台).

____, they feel at ease in our backyard. And that has led them to ____ courage to slip into our house. Perhaps because they have the feeling that we don’t consider them ____, but friendly neighbors, who only leave some wastes from time to time.

The presence of our dear sparrow holds magical consistency with real life. And we’ve been having lovely sparrows coming over lately, whose presence ____ us out of our dull daily routines and shows us the hidden beauty and charm.

Like different human beings, these sparrows often take different forms. We’ve met sparrows like those, of all shapes and colors. And they’re everywhere. Perhaps all of them are willing to call our ____, making us know they are there. They only ask from us not to be afraid of them or feel uneasy to their ____.

1.

A．tighter

B．lighter

C．bigger

D．cleaner

2.

A．unstoppable

B．uncomfortable

C．unforeseen

D．unwelcomed

3.

A．slipped

B．walked

C．advanced

D．spread

4.

A．proud

B．safe

C．afraid

D．sure

5.

A．keep

B．describe

C．receive

D．collect

6.

A．chose

B．hit

C．bit

D．rose

7.

A．designing

B．observing

C．managing

D．preparing

8.

A．vegetables

B．fruits

C．goods

D．leftovers

9.

A．provided

B．equipped

C．comforted

D．satisfied

10.

A．Repeatedly

B．Surprisingly

C．Undoubtedly

D．Traditionally

11.

A．lose

B．seek

C．give

D．gather

12.

A．intruders

B．strangers

C．instructors

D．breakers

13.

A．forces

B．draws

C．cuts

D．drives

14.

A．agreement

B．attention

C．acceptance

D．expression

15.

A．impression

B．expression

C．existence

D．difference