1 . At the news of the Queen’s death, one realization jumped out at me: Her Majesty was an enthusiastic collector of stamps. She’d picked up the hobby when her grandfather George V passed his precious albums down the family tree, so did my grandpa. This got me thinking about how few “collections” I keep myself.
However, when I was complaining to my wife about how odd it is that I don’t collect anything, she sighed and gestured behind me at the fridge freezer. At first, I thought she just wanted me to shut up and get out of the way. As indeed she did. But then I looked at the fridge doors she’d been pointing at, and suddenly I saw — as if for the first time — that I own 57 fridge magnets (冰箱贴). How odd it is to have spent 20 years combing through souvenir shops for fridge magnets without once being aware that I was making a “collection”! I guess it’s because fridge magnets are, seemingly, so small and silly that they don’t seem worthy of serious attention. Particularly my ones, as I have a preference for the cartoonish and humorous: There’s even a starfish with sunglasses on, but could any of these fairly be named a “collection”?
However, for me, they are priceless and I’d happily hand over another couple of hundred pounds for them, as they hold so many memories. Some even include photos of me, like the one from my first vacation overseas, easily calling up past memories, youth and enthusiasm, like the Radio 4, one I bought at the BBC shop just because I was so proud to work in the building and the magnets of Oregon woodland creatures, which I purchased just for the receipt. By no means is this a collection my grandchildren will want. But isn’t that the best kind of collection to have?
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?| A．To show grief for the Queen’s death. |
| B．To describe the setting of the story. |
| C．To show respect for his dear grandpa. |
| D．To introduce the topic of the article. |
| A．These magnets were collected easily. |
| B．These magnets are really pricey. |
| C．To me, these magnets are invaluable. |
| D．The magnets I preferred are tailored. |
| A．Critical. | B．Instructive. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Great minds often think alike. |
| B．Collecting is a good hobby for all. |
| C．It is memory that matters most. |
| D．Collecting genes exist in my family. |
2 . I met Steven on my way to Dublin Airport at the end of a business trip. A cheerful, talkative fellow with a friendly smile. As a local taxi driver, he has probably visited every street of the city. But his childhood years spent in Swansea makes him feel Welsh.
“I often wonder where home is for me, I’d like to think it’s Swansea but I have a life here now,” he explained to me. Having left Swansea as a teenager, he has since lost contact with all his childhood friends, and most of his family left there too.
His words surprised me, as I had considered cultural similarities and ease of movement across Europe made the concept of home unrelated. I had thought high tech communications in our globalized world would have shortened the 250 miles distance between Dublin and Swansea to almost none.
It’s just not what I pictured. But I should not have been surprised. Despite growing global connectivity, identity is still central to people’s hearts. Looking back at my own life, I feel perhaps I understand Steven’s situation. I was born and grew up in Chongqing, in Southwest China. After living for eight years in London, I have made many local British friends and learnt to appreciate British humor. With a reputation as one of the world’s most multicultural cities, London always makes its residents feel welcome regardless of their origin. But I also felt a little “something missing” in Steven’s words.
As China increasingly opens up to the world, more and more Chinese will travel abroad to work, study and live, but China will remain forever a home for them. And sitting in Steven’s taxi, witnessing his love for Swansea, I realized the desire for such a place you belong to is universally shared.
1. Why does the writer mention Steven’s story?| A．To describe a wonderful taxi driver he met in Dublin. |
| B．To share interesting travelling experiences in the UK. |
| C．To show the difference between his life and the writer’s. |
| D．To introduce people’s feelings of living far from home. |
| A．The longer one stays in a place, the more connected he feels. |
| B．London has become his sweet home regardless of his origin. |
| C．Globalization doesn’t take away people’s desire for identity. |
| D．Steven and the writer both feel unwelcome in a strange place. |
| A．East or west, home is best. | B．Great minds think alike. |
| C．Beauty lies in the lover’s eyes. | D．All roads lead to Rome. |
| A．My Oversea Life in London | B．The Longing for Home |
| C．A Story of Two Cities | D．A Small, Small World |
3 . As a child, I was proud of my southern origin. My own voice reflected my family’s past and present-part northern Mississippi, part Tennessee, all southern. There was no sound I loved more than my grandmother’s accent: thick, sweet, warm.
While growing up, I began to realize outside of our region, southerners were often dismissed as uncultured and ignorant. I was ready to leave behind my tiny town in West Tennessee, starting a new life and jumping at big chances in some far-off cities. In that embarrassing space between “teen” and “adult”, my accent was a symbol of everything I thought I hated about my life in the rural South. I feared it would disqualify me from being a noted magazine writer. I would have to talk less “country”. So I killed a piece of myself. I’m ashamed of it, but I’m more ashamed that I tried to kill that part of someone else-change Emily’s accent.
I met Emily in college. She was determined to work for the student newspaper, which was where I spent most of my waking hours, and we became friends. She, unlike me, accepted her roots. Early in our friendship, her mother asked where I was from, assuming it was somewhere up north. Then I felt my efforts paid off and even wanted to ignore the mistake.
Emily is two years younger and she cared about my opinion. I advised her to be more like me and hide her signature Manchester accent. I stressed that throughout our college years, often by making fun of her vowel (元音) sounds. I told myself I was helping her achieve her dream of working as a reporter. Now, I see that it was actually about justifying my hiding part of myself.
Grandma Carolyn used to tell me, “Girl, don’t forget where you come from.” Now I truly understand that. Many things have faded from memory, but this sticks in my mind with uncomfortable clarity. Now that I am grown and have left the South, it’s important to me.
1. What made the author want to leave her hometown?| A．Appeal of convenience in cities. |
| B．Her dream of becoming a writer. |
| C．Outside prejudice against southerners. |
| D．Her desire for the northern accent. |
| A．Upset. | B．Pleased. | C．Ashamed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．To prove herself right. | B．To help Emily be a reporter. |
| C．To make herself influential. | D．To protect Emily’s self-dignity. |
| A．Stay true to your roots. | B．Never do things by halves. |
| C．Hold on to your dreams. | D．Never judge a person by his accent. |
The first value of science is that scientific knowledge enables us
Another value of science is the fun called intellectual enjoyment,
5 . It wasn’t easy to practice gratitude (感激) every day. After I
One day, I heard a discussion about gratitude by Dr Tony Evans. It
I made a decision to start practicing gratitude daily. Once I decided that, my
This led me to practice the concept of sowing and reaping (收获), which I learned from my parents. They didn’t just talk the talk, but rather they
Let me explain. When I was
My advice is starting practicing gratitude until it becomes a part of your daily
| A．caught | B．treated | C．studied | D．spread |
| A．suggestion | B．assumption | C．description | D．solution |
| A．referring | B．abandoning | C．releasing | D．adjusting |
| A．reasonable | B．considerate | C．generous | D．hateful |
| A．annoyed | B．challenged | C．fooled | D．ignored |
| A．supportive | B．creative | C．sensitive | D．active |
| A．turn up | B．turn in | C．turn to | D．turn down |
| A．image | B．taste | C．mood | D．character |
| A．obviously | B．differently | C．greedily | D．frequently |
| A．opportunities | B．responsibilities | C．abilities | D．difficulties |
| A．reported | B．explained | C．performed | D．demonstrated |
| A．Instead | B．Besides | C．However | D．Therefore |
| A．consumed | B．surprised | C．protected | D．judged |
| A．raising | B．sowing | C．meeting | D．learning |
| A．burden | B．supply | C．routine | D．struggle |
6 . I’ve just moved out to live with my best friend. We rented a house which had no
One day after we moved in, we learned there was an
In conversation we knew he had come from a
| A．electricity | B．sunlight | C．fridge | D．furniture |
| A．go on | B．do without | C．give up | D．calm down |
| A．unwanted | B．informal | C．inexpensive | D．uncomfortable |
| A．managed | B．chose | C．struggled | D．expected |
| A．direction | B．go | C．case | D．line |
| A．witnessed | B．forecast | C．confirmed | D．recorded |
| A．hurriedly | B．constantly | C．carefully | D．secretly |
| A．hurry | B．way | C．reason | D．doubt |
| A．attempts | B．decisions | C．plans | D．trips |
| A．cover | B．decorate | C．hide | D．repair |
| A．reached | B．checked | C．returned | D．hesitated |
| A．privileged | B．rural | C．loving | D．disadvantaged |
| A．meaningful | B．influential | C．risky | D．tough |
| A．offering | B．seizing | C．creating | D．discovering |
| A．wonderful | B．strange | C．different | D．common |
7 . Going home on break is always a bittersweet feeling. At some point during the semester, college may have started to feel like a second home.
I’m lucky since I live locally. When I tell people that I live so close to home, they often ask, “Why are you living on campus if your house is so close to the school?” And the answer was always a sense of community.
Yes, I’ve heard of the horror stories of some commuters who weren’t able to form as much of a bond with peers as people who were living on campus. But to me, everyone in my residential hall was like a big family. Of course, I was closer to some people more than others, but we would all support each other.
College is often seen as a place where everyone tends themselves until they make it to graduation, where people compete for that internship (实习) or research position that basically everyone in your major is aiming for. But here, it’s more common to see people studying with each other during reading period until 3 a.m., or bringing Starbucks to their friends.
Like most things, there are negative things about independence as well. Staying at home for the longer break reminded me of every little thing that my mom would do for me and my siblings. I don’t know about you, but my siblings often scream and run around until their bedtime. Sometimes, I wish I was back at my dorm or the library reading a book. Instead, I have to plug my ears to try to not let them drive me crazy when my parents are at work. However, at other times, their enthusiasm really does help relieve my stress after a week filled with exams and labs right before spring break.
Being home really is a double-edged sword. It’s comforting to be around people you’ve known for your entire life, but it also comes with the sacrifice (牺牲) of some of the things you built into your daily routine in college. But what can I say, it’s always good to go back home — nothing beats Chinese food.
1. What makes the author choose to live in the school?| A．A sense of curiosity. | B．Living away from parents. |
| C．A sense of community. | D．Longing for independence. |
| A．Everyone provides for themselves on campus. |
| B．Students study for internship or research position. |
| C．These moments make living on campus refreshing. |
| D．Students study with each other during reading period. |
| A．To remind that every little thing counts in daily life. |
| B．To confirm independence has some negative effects. |
| C．To prove being home really is a double-edged sword. |
| D．To inform college is where everyone cares for themselves. |
| A．Campus times. | B．On going home. |
| C．The story of going home. | D．Unforgettable college life. |
8 . I remember the first time I saw a skateboarder roll past me when I was 14 in the early 90s. The skater moved in such a
What I didn’t know then was that this first
And as my skateboarding years rolled by, my friends and I
I’m now 36, and, as I continue to age, my adventures as a skateboarder will
| A．smooth | B．sensitive | C．safe | D．strange |
| A．inched | B．weaved | C．fled | D．pulled |
| A．color | B．route | C．procedure | D．origin |
| A．enjoy | B．analyze | C．recall | D．celebrate |
| A．cleverest | B．healthiest | C．strongest | D．coolest |
| A．love | B．goal | C．request | D．concern |
| A．dressed | B．calmed | C．expressed | D．found |
| A．competition | B．attempt | C．plan | D．order |
| A．end | B．pass | C．work | D．fail |
| A．negotiated | B．declared | C．shared | D．valued |
| A．focus | B．change | C．start | D．grow |
| A．journeyed | B．divided | C．fell | D．broke |
| A．Trades | B．Relations | C．Arguments | D．Problems |
| A．endless | B．worthless | C．aimless | D．restless |
| A．fade away | B．come back | C．go on | D．run out |
Another term had started and I had to attend the first lecture of the new course. The lecturer told us to make groups of two students for a project. I looked to the right and there was my classmate Jack sitting there. And I decided myself that he would be my group member. On the left side, there was an older woman who was from an open university. We talked about the project and decided to make a group of three. During the break, she told me that, last year, she didn’t manage to pass the course, so she would try again.
Later we got an email from our lecturer saying it was not allowed to make groups of three students. The old lady then tried to find some groups, but failed. I knew she wouldn’t find other groups, so I told her that we could do the project together. I had to say good bye to Jack.
After many meetings, we finished the project. In the last meeting, I told her I had difficulty in finding a summer job. I was living in a small town and there weren’t many jobs available and neither had I any previous experience. She advised me to keep doing it, as one would finally answer someday. She then thanked me for helping her and before leaving she said “see you”.
Two weeks later, I got an email from a company saying they had received my job application and decided to call me for a job interview. I appeared for the interview and answered the questions interviewers raised. In the end, they asked me where I had learned about the open job position. In fact, I had no idea so I told them I didn’t remember well. They called me three days later and told me I could start in May. That would be the first time I would be working as a software engineer and I couldn’t describe what I felt like.
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。
One day, I arrived at work and I noticed one familiar car.
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She told me that she really understood me at that time.
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10 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle
Apart from suffering from
I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the
| A．widened | B．formed | C．lessened | D．closed |
| A．missed | B．avoided | C．enjoyed | D．recorded |
| A．wasted | B．treasured | C．limited | D．calculated |
| A．shows | B．dishes | C．recipes | D．moments |
| A．However | B．Otherwise | C．Therefore | D．Besides |
| A．sleep | B．dine | C．study | D．play |
| A．suitable | B．flexible | C．satisfying | D．demanding |
| A．maintains | B．disturbs | C．improves | D．strikes |
| A．fear | B．anger | C．guilt | D．hunger |
| A．predict | B．create | C．evaluate | D．accept |
| A．work out | B．calm down | C．hold on | D．catch up |
| A．unwillingly | B．casually | C．consciously | D．carelessly |
| A．louder | B．shorter | C．simpler | D．sweeter |
| A．assists | B．guides | C．allows | D．orders |
| A．office | B．kitchen | C．house | D．park |
