1 . “Man up.” That’s the “advice” that some guys hear from their family and friends when they’re not _________ “manly” enough because they’re showing “too many” emotions.

And, frankly, it’s the kind of advice that ends up doing great _________. Love and support are what strengthen a person; toxic masculinity (有毒的男子气概) is what _________ some problems in the future.

A 16-year-old boy told his _________ about how he cried after not getting into a soccer team. It was a pretty big _________ to him and, naturally, he was upset. And _________ his mom and his sisters comforted him, his dad had a _________ attitude towards the entire situation. A big fight followed full of accusations of the boy not being enough of a man.

The boy’s dad _________ him for “not doing enough” to get into the soccer team. He then went on to give the boy some _________ on how to be more athletic and take care of his diet more.

__________, the dad said that it was stupid to cry over a thing like this, and that it was time that he “manned up”. What followed was a long __________ and afterwards, the boy ignored his dad for a week.

The boy’s behaviour can be __________. Men, just like women, experience depression and anxiety. However, men are __________ told to control their emotions and not to __________ their problems with others, as it’s seen as being weak. Actually, for men, it is good to __________ their emotions properly.

1.

A．appearing

B．acting

C．responding

D．offering

2.

A．harm

B．failure

C．confusion

D．anxiety

3.

A．deals with

B．runs into

C．brings about

D．looks into

4.

A．opinion

B．story

C．secret

D．trip

5.

A．loss

B．change

C．shame

D．blow

6.

A．unless

B．if

C．because

D．while

7.

A．different

B．positive

C．friendly

D．flexible

8.

A．praised

B．thanked

C．forgave

D．blamed

9.

A．information

B．inspiration

C．suggestions

D．demands

10.

A．However

B．Besides

C．Therefore

D．Instead

11.

A．silence

B．separation

C．conversation

D．argument

12.

A．glorious

B．practical

C．understandable

D．impressive

13.

A．traditionally

B．originally

C．immediately

D．simply

14.

A．combine

B．share

C．handle

D．compare

15.

A．hide

B．generate

C．release

D．control

2 . When Failure Is a Good Thing

Failure is an important process you can learn from.    1    

Most people view failure as something that should be avoided at all costs.    2    It may have been an “F” we received on a paper or the high expectations our parents placed upon our shoulders that stopped us from trying.

Award-winning psychologist and author, Ron Friedman, tells the story of how Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, revolutionized the women's clothing industry and became a billionaire in his book, The Best Place To Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace.

    3     She had zero experience in the clothing industry, lacked an education in business and raised only $5,000 to invest. When asked where she found the courage, she gave all credit to her dad. While most parents ask their kids, “How was your day?" when sitting down for dinner, Sara's parents asked her and her brother, “What did you fail at today?” each and every night.

When interviewed by CNN's Anderson Cooper, Sara said, “Instead of failure being the outcome, failure became not trying. It forced me at a young age to want to push myself so much further out of my comfort zone.”     4     It became more about learning and less about a personal weakness.

If we view failure as weakness, we avoid stepping out of our comfort zone.     5     It does not define us, but instead matures us. I 'm sure that there are many risks we would all take in our personal, professional and spiritual lives if we could get past a fear of failure.

What has been the greatest lesson you have learned when taking a chance? Please share with us.

A．And, most importantly, it means you tried.

B．Let's take a look at how Sara faced failures.

C．In reality, Sara's father had re-defined failure.

D．Early on, Sara overcame a series of difficulties.

E．Instead, we must remind ourselves that failure is an action.

F．It is important to reflect on what can be learnt from failure.

G．We tend to connect failure with a bad experience we had as a child.

3 . It wasn’t easy to practice gratitude (感激) every day. After I _________ Cushing’s disease and had an operation a few years ago, my _________ was that everything would be OK. However, I was wrong. I had ongoing aches and pains, and _________ myself to a new life was difficult for me. I began to notice that I’d become a _________ person.

One day, I heard a discussion about gratitude by Dr Tony Evans. It _________ me and forced me to take a long, hard, honest look at myself. I have a (n) _________ spouse (配偶) and parents. I’d heard the stories of other people’s struggles with Cushing’s disease. Their spouses had left them and they didn’t have family to _________. I didn’t face any of these problems, yet I didn’t realize that.

I made a decision to start practicing gratitude daily. Once I decided that, my _________ improved, and I began to approach situations _________. Instead of viewing situations negatively, I started to see them as __________.

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 __________ this concept to us. __________, it wasn’t until I had my own experiences that I understood what it meant.

Let me explain. When I was __________ by my own pity, my harvest in life was ruined, because everything I was __________ was negative. Since I started practicing gratitude, so many different doors of opportunity have opened up for me.

My advice is starting practicing gratitude until it becomes a part of your daily __________. Take note of the difference it will make in your life.

1.

A．caught

B．treated

C．studied

D．spread

2.

A．suggestion

B．assumption

C．description

D．solution

3.

A．referring

B．abandoning

C．releasing

D．adjusting

4.

A．reasonable

B．considerate

C．generous

D．hateful

5.

A．annoyed

B．challenged

C．fooled

D．ignored

6.

A．supportive

B．creative

C．sensitive

D．active

7.

A．turn up

B．turn in

C．turn to

D．turn down

8.

A．image

B．taste

C．mood

D．character

9.

A．obviously

B．differently

C．greedily

D．frequently

10.

A．opportunities

B．responsibilities

C．abilities

D．difficulties

11.

A．reported

B．explained

C．performed

D．demonstrated

12.

A．Instead

B．Besides

C．However

D．Therefore

13.

A．consumed

B．surprised

C．protected

D．judged

14.

A．raising

B．sowing

C．meeting

D．learning

15.

A．burden

B．supply

C．routine

D．struggle

4 . I was driving when my phone alerted me to a new email. Filled with eager anticipation, I pulled over, turned on my hazard lights, and opened it. My emotions quickly changed as I learned, for the sixth and final time, that I had been denied a promotion to full professor. My institution didn’t seem to value what I brought to the table. But when I told my family that night, my children offered a surprisingly positive response. They were excited to see what I was going to do next, they said. They apparently knew long before I did that losing my bid for a promotion would turn out to be the best thing that could have happened for me.

This had been the final step in a long process spanning 15 months and involving so much effort. I had started by studying successful promotion bids and asking senior scholars for frank discussions about my readiness. I had carefully prepared my application packet, summarizing everything I had achieved in my career. For more than a year, I had spent hours every day trying to prove my worth to my university.

To my surprise, having a final answer brought a welcome sense of closure. As a first step toward healing, I decided to prioritize my own values and follow my own internal compass. I disconnected from people in my life who violated my values, cultivated my relationships with those who share my priorities and bring out the best in me, and spent more time with my family. I founded a nonprofit that helps first-generation and low-income students and young professionals advance in the workforce while serving their community. The initiative had long been a dream of mine, but I never pursued it because typical academic hiring and promotion don’t reward such efforts. Now, such considerations were no longer my North Star.

Five months after that email from top leadership, I found myself in the car again, experiencing another career-defining moment. I may have lost my bid for a big promotion, but in the end, it brought me to the right place.

1. What did the author feel after he read the email?

A．Anxious and annoyed.	B．Embarrassed and ashamed.
C．Relieved and peaceful.	D．Disappointed and sorrowful.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．What contributions the writer had made.	B．What preparations the writer had made.
C．How successful the career had been.	D．How tiring the process had been.

3. Which of the following would the writer probably agree with?

A．Success is more than a title or a rank.

B．One’s internal compass is to be developed.

C．Serving the community may heal a broken heart.

D．One’s real value first lies in his family interaction.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Emails: my North Star

B．Full professor: a double-edged sword

C．A career setback becomes a great opportunity

D．An academic career witnesses a failed promotion

5 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Su Shi, a famous scholar of the Song Dynasty, was     1    (high)thought of in poetry, prose and painting.

At the age of 21, his fresh prose style earned him the     2    (recognize)of Ouyang Xiu. He     3    (say)that Su Shi’s writings were outstanding. This made Su Shi instantly famous. However,     4     his political dream was realized, he had to leave his position and return home.

His dreams cut short, Su Shi turned his focus toward nature. In the spring of 1082, he took an outing with his friends. When     5     sudden shower of rain made his companions rush for shelter(遮蔽物), Su Shi burst into laughter as if completely unaware of the rain.

Along both sides of the path were growing trees,     6     leaves made soft sounds as the rain-drops fell. With wet clothes, he walked along while     7     (sing)a happy song. Then it hit him: “I shall go through this life in a     8     (peace)mind, if only wearing a straw rain cape(蓑衣).”

Su Shi’s optimistic and open-minded attitude     9     life ensured his advancement despite political ups and downs. Expressed in his poetry and essay, which have been passed down through generations, such an attitude has truly inspired us     10     (keep)a broad mind and persist in our struggle against all difficulties

6 . My plan to learn to play the cello (大提琴) was a health y choice. So I took the next innocent step of going to a shop that sells and rents string instruments, especially violins, violas, and cellos. The place was a hole-in-the-wall, up a steep flight of stairs. Instruments left a narrow path to the counter where a woman with grey hair and warm eyes greeted me. Since I couldn’t form a question about what I wanted, I just stood there exploring the scene, which felt immensely pleasurable.

I rented a cello, a bow, and a case to hold them. What attracted me to the cello was its enormous size and its soft, smooth, and memorable sounds. It’s an instrument made of beautifully polished wood that I could wrap my arms around and feel its powerful vibrations when the strings were played. That was a good starting point for me. The only problem was that I didn’t know how to play it.

There’s a popular belief that the cello is a particularly difficult instrument to learn. Another is the admonition, “Don’t bother if you are a beginner over age 10!” Well, I was 70, and what others thought no longer influenced me. And besides, I thought of the words of Dr. Cohen, who suggested that learning causes physical changes in the brain.

So I found a teacher who had respect for older adult beginners and I practiced diligently, daily for years, and sometimes disheartened, but I kept up. I’m happy to report that now, more than a decade later, I can hold my own in a string trio and two quartets （two violins, a viola, and me, the female cello）and even a senior community band. Of course, I’ll never sound like Yo-Yo Ma but you could recognize a Mozart piece if you heard me play it. And, more importantly, I don’t need to please anyone but myself.

Whether it’s a pleasurable pastime or a new career, the starting point is the same: wonder, curiosity, determination, and the desire to keep your brain sharp.

1. How did the writer feel in the shop?

A．Amused by the shop assistant.

B．Anxious for a live performance.

C．Pleased at the nice music atmosphere.

D．Curious about where to find a teacher.

2. What does the underlined word “admonition” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Approval.	B．Criticism.
C．Puzzlement.	D．Warning.

3. Why does the writer mention Dr. Cohen in paragraph 3?

A．To recommend a reliable doctor.

B．To provide proof for common belief.

C．To add another reason for her decision.

D．To stress the crucial function of the brain.

4. Which of the following can best convey the writer’s idea?

A．Art is man’s second nature.

B．One is never too old to learn.

C．Education is the key to success.

D．Happiness is the best form of health.

7 . Earlier this month, I bought a new smart phone. I didn’t ________ it much at first, only to get a call from my daughter. Soon, however, I found it ________ to surf the internet on the smart phone than my large computer. Even with my ________ time I quickly found myself spending more and more of it on this phone.

Yesterday when I was ________ short videos on TikTok, suddenly a long and white nose ________ its way between me and my phone. ________ I put the phone down, took my glasses off and petted my dog. Soon we were hugging, and romping (嬉闹) around in the house. And I ________ something too. There was a feeling in my heart:a wonderful mixture of love, laughter, and ________. It was a ________ that I hadn’t gotten once during all that time I had spent on my phone.

It’s strange how it took a dog to ________ me of what is important. I ________ to spend less time on my phone and more time doing the ________ things in life like hugging my children, talking to my friends and even playing with my dog. ________ is here to stay. But we shouldn’t let it control us or our ________. We should use it only when it ________ us to do the important things like loving each other or making this world better.

1.

A．desire

B．like

C．use

D．care

2.

A．cheaper

B．easier

C．safer

D．slower

3.

A．limited

B．special

C．free

D．waiting

4.

A．taking down

B．pointing at

C．speaking of

D．checking out

5.

A．pushed

B．felt

C．lost

D．followed

6.

A．Shaking

B．Laughing

C．Running

D．Clapping

7.

A．proved

B．revised

C．noticed

D．changed

8.

A．respect

B．patience

C．trust

D．joy

9.

A．feeling

B．fantasy

C．solution

D．response

10.

A．cure

B．remind

C．clear

D．warn

11.

A．hesitated

B．happened

C．promised

D．refused

12.

A．regular

B．normal

C．important

D．extreme

13.

A．Communication

B．Technology

C．Friendship

D．Inspiration

14.

A．energy

B．talent

C．future

D．time

15.

A．expects

B．invites

C．requires

D．helps

8 . Behind the city of Colorado Springs stands a mountain which is popular among local hikers. The ________ hiker is generally always told that the hike will take all day to go up and back. He is told to start early and to set a strong, steady pace for the journey will be ________. The hiker who follows this advice and plans accordingly can be easily ________ and even become angry or confused on ________ the beginning of the trail, because he can see that the hike to the summit (山顶) and back would take far less than half a day easily at even the most relaxed ________.

And so he ________ his plans. He climbs up the trail wandering frequently from the path, taking many side-trips. He stops to play and to ________ on some of the supplies he brings since he won’t need so much for such a short trip. This he does ________ about half way through the day when he finally climbs to the summit only to discover that it is his eyes that have ________ him and not the words of those who have gone before. For he now stands on a false summit which has ________ his view of the higher summit far above.

Realizing his lack of foresight, this hiker now quickly ________ his time and decides that if he pushes himself hard enough he can still make it to the summit. And so he ________ at a wild pace, crashing through the bush until at last he reaches his destination and looks up at still another summit. You see, the mountain has two ________ summits, both of which must be traveled over before reaching the real goal. It getting dark, our exhausted hiker has no choice but to return sadly. He will try again another day.

________, we are not so fortunate in our journey through life. There are many false summits, and if you struggle for only those goals which you can see, you will fall far short of the ________ goal.

1.

A．crazy

B．anxious

C．fortunate

D．inexperienced

2.

A．exciting

B．difficult

C．boring

D．smooth

3.

A．satisfied

B．terrified

C．amazed

D．disappointed

4.

A．reaching

B．changing

C．imagining

D．choosing

5.

A．pace

B．mood

C．tone

D．breath

6.

A．makes

B．changes

C．forgets

D．remembers

7.

A．drop

B．count

C．snack

D．concentrate

8.

A．until

B．since

C．after

D．before

9.

A．shocked

B．cheated

C．helped

D．guided

10.

A．hidden

B．caught

C．blocked

D．broadened

11.

A．realizes

B．recalls

C．reproduces

D．reevaluates

12.

A．sets off

B．turns up

C．catches up

D．brings about

13.

A．high

B．false

C．beautiful

D．dangerous

14.

A．Besides

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Meanwhile

15.

A．genuine

B．specific

C．ambitious

D．immediate

9 . A stand-up comedian is, supposed to be, a fluent communicator who is also good at using body language to _________ jokes.

However, for 27-year-old comedian Zhang Jiaxin, it takes a great effort to _________ pronounce the sounds of each character and sentence and be _________ on the stage. At birth, the oxygen _________ to his brain was curtailed (限制，削减), which _________ later problems with speaking and walking. The other long-term impairment is the loss of full use of his right hand.

It was two years ago when Zhang first performed stand-up comed yon the stage. At the time, he worked for the new media operation department of a company _________ in Xiamen, Fujian province, and had to prepare for a performance at the company’s year-end party.

He didn’t know much about stand-up performance. _________, as someone who likes to watch and be amused by entertainment shows from a very young age, he decided to give a humorous monologue at the party to amuse and _________ his colleagues.

It opened Zhang’s door to a colorful world of stand-up comedy.

He started to pay attention to the stand-up comedy live shows in Xiamen and got the _________ of a woman who worked at a local stand-up club.

“She sent me some videos of Drew Lynch (an American stand-up comic who developed a(an)__________ stutter (结巴) due to a sports injury earlier in his life) and told me that my defects are what make my appeal special,” he says. “That __________ me to have a go.”

After he read through a manual for writing and performing stand-up comedy, he started to __________his daily life to identify humorous __________ that could be used as jumping-off points to launch into stories.

Once he walked onto the stage, the audience __________ noticed his differences.

“__________, they were kind of walking on eggshells to spare my feelings. As I gradually opened myself to them, the atmosphere turned to be relaxing,” he says.

Wows and claps resounded. His jokes went down well as he worked the room with his humor.

1.

A．appoint

B．accompany

C．play

D．accomplish

2.

A．likely

B．especially

C．necessarily

D．clearly

3.

A．special

B．significant

C．flexible

D．obvious

4.

A．supply

B．turn

C．addition

D．reserve

5.

A．applied to

B．led to

C．lived up to

D．held on to

6.

A．based

B．settled

C．discovered

D．explored

7.

A．Besides

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Moreover

8.

A．amaze

B．entertain

C．experiment

D．greet

9.

A．contract

B．concept

C．conduct

D．contact

10.

A．artificial

B．little

C．permanent

D．consequent

11.

A．attracted

B．instructed

C．inspected

D．inspired

12.

A．examine

B．select

C．consider

D．expect

13.

A．facts

B．insights

C．moments

D．opinions

14.

A．frequently

B．immediately

C．subsequently

D．literally

15.

A．Initially

B．Finally

C．Completely

D．Precisely

10 . 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。

“JAMIE EVANS.”

Oh no. Please tell me that Coach Cafferty did NOT just say my name. Not for the one-hundred-meter breaststroke (蛙泳). Except all eyes were turned to me when she announced it, and her eyes met mine over the clipboard (剪贴板) that held the list of events and swimmers for the Plain Township Aquatic Center meet. The PTAC meet was the first of the season, and I was not ready.

“Remember, the meet is on Wednesday night. Be here at four-thirty for and the race kicks off at six. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.” Coach Cafferty added. The crowd cleared quickly and I headed back home, feeling desperate.

“Did you find out your events for Wednesday?” Mom asked as she slid the pizza box across the table to me.

“Yeah. One-hundred breaststroke,” I finally said, not meeting her eyes. “I don’t know why Coach didn’t give me backstroke (仰泳). She knows it’s my best. I can’t swim breaststroke!”

“Maybe she sees something you don’t.” Mom said.

“Or maybe I should just quit the swim team.”

Mom frowned. “Is that what you want?”

I sighed. “No.” I took a bite of my pizza. “I’m terrible at breaststroke. What happens when I show up on Wednesday and race, and I sink to the bottom of the pool? Or even worse，come in last?”

“Someone has to be last.” Mom pointed out.

“But I don’t even know if I can swim breaststroke for one-hundred meters!” I set my pizza down. “She had submitted the names, but there’s no way I can do this.”

“You could. But how will you know unless you try?” Mom persuaded.

“Yeah, but if I try, I could fail. In front of everyone.” I pictured the entire crowd watching as I finished last, pointing and laughing. My belly squeezed.

Mom set her pizza down and gave me her I’m-saying-something-important-so-listen face. “Don’t worry about other people. Just race against yourself. Forget about anything else except doing your best and swimming your own race. Prove to yourself that you can do it.”

Somehow, there seemed a mysterious power in her words comforting my unsettling heart and I decided to have a try. The next day, I was at practice as required.

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。
Paragraph 1:

The first practice was a disaster.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Then everything crashed in the last 5 meters of the race.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________