1 . The great philosopher Plato said, “Happiness springs from doing good and helping others.” It means that giving help to people in need can also bring _________ and enjoyment to ourselves. Here is my story.

The other day, I heard that Doreen, an old _________ in my community, developed a serious disease and she needed someone to drive her to the hospital. I _________ gave her a hand. On the way home, I happened to know that it was also _________ for her to go to the grocery store because of her _________ health conditions. I _________ to take her shopping on Saturday mornings. It was on the countless Saturday mornings that Doreen _________ me to the fantasy world of paintings. What _________ me most was her unique insight into the art and active attitude towards life. I _________ felt life was even happier. Every Saturday was another gift.

One Saturday morning just before Doreen __________, she weakly said to me: “Mary, I really enjoy your __________ in my last 2 years. I’m so lucky to have you in my life. You are my angel!” Her last words deeply __________ me! It was the first time that I was __________ of the value and significance of my life.

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones __________ us every day. My happy __________ with Doreen always remind me that a small kind act can also make a big difference.

1.

A．contribution

B．pleasure

C．satisfaction

D．relief

2.

A．architect

B．expert

C．painter

D．composer

3.

A．immediately

B．actually

C．gradually

D．obviously

4.

A．striking

B．confusing

C．alarming

D．challenging

5.

A．worsening

B．lessening

C．improving

D．threatening

6.

A．intended

B．announced

C．proved

D．offered

7.

A．promoted

B．recommended

C．introduced

D．welcomed

8.

A．reminded

B．puzzled

C．impressed

D．awakened

9.

A．ever

B．never

C．seldom

D．once

10.

A．broke away

B．dropped by

C．went off

D．passed away

11.

A．company

B．respect

C．treat

D．gift

12.

A．comforted

B．attracted

C．entertained

D．touched

13.

A．glad

B．aware

C．capable

D．confident

14.

A．strike

B．content

C．surround

D．impact

15.

A．contacts

B．memories

C．travels

D．chats

2 . 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。

As a kid, I spent my summers with my grandparents in Texas, which was a welcome change from my Huston life of school and I loved it.

One of the best parts of spending summers with my grandparents was caravanning(乘房车度假)with the caravan club. Every few summers, we would join the trips organized by the caravan club and it was during one of these trips that my grandfather said to me the right words at the right time—it’s much harder to be kind than clever.

I wasn’t very old, maybe ten or eleven, but I was forming my opinions about the world, and of course, I thought I knew much more about things than I actually did.

I was then, as I am now, a big reader and a crazy fan for numbers. Anyone who has been on a long road trip knows that no matter how many books you bring, how beautiful the scenery is, you still have too much time to think. So I spent a good deal of my extra time calculating. I calculated gas mileage. I figured out the average per-item price of groceries bought over the course of the trip. And at some point, I saw an anti-smoking ad on TV. The announcer declared that every time a smoker took a puff of a cigarette(抽一口烟). he was shortening his life time by two minutes. My grandmother was a smoker. I hated it, and not just because I knew that it was bad for her. My guess is that any kid who rides for thousands of miles sitting in the smoke-filled backseat of a 1973 Olds car grows to hate smoking. So on one particularly long driving day, I decided to do the math.

I don’t remember exactly what the number was. Two minutes per puff, twenty puffs per cigarette, twenty cigarettes per pack, one pack a day for thirty years. About sixteen years? When I was satisfied that I had come up with a reasonably accurate number, I poked my head between the two front seats and tapped my grandmother on the shoulder.

注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右:
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。

I told grandma that she had taken sixteen years off her life from smoking.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My grandpa got out of the car and asked me to follow.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Many years ago, I was living with my best friend and we had many happy moments together. But there was one night that ________ our lives forever.

On the night of November 25, 2011, I got into a fistfight with my best friend in our kitchen. It all started because I was trying to help him. He was drinking a lot, arguing with everyone and ________ himself from others by keeping silent most of the time. This had been going on for weeks and finally I decided it was time for a(an) ________ I told him that he needed to stop drinking so much and tried to ________ his alcohol and he got angry and started ________ with me. It was scary, but by the end of the night, we were able to calm down and talk to each other.

I thought alcohol ________ was his main problem. But he was just using alcohol to ________ himself through. He was lonely, heartbroken and struggling to connect with people. So during the Christmas season a few weeks later, I gave him a ________ that I didn’t even know I had.

That Christmas my friend didn’t have any place to go, so I invited him home to my parents’ house in Lancaster. They ________ cleaned up our guest room for him and even bought him some Christmas gifts. I’ll never forget the night we arrived at my home. My parents were already ________, but my mom had prepared dinner for us, baked some cookies and left us a note. My parents are known for their ________, so I wasn’t surprised by this warm welcome. But when my friend read my mom’s note and saw all that she had prepared, he broke down and cried. That’s when I ________ how much I took my loving family for granted.

That year my friend and I both received gifts that we would ________ forever. I gave him the gift of a warm, loving, safe place to spend Christmas. And he gave me the gift of a new ________ on life. If I hadn’t shared my home with him, I wouldn’t have understood how ________ I am.

1.

A．defined

B．inspired

C．created

D．changed

2.

A．defending

B．separating

C．protecting

D．locking

3.

A．communication

B．investigation

C．exploration

D．promotion

4.

A．put up

B．take away

C．break out

D．call off

5.

A．talking

B．crying

C．fighting

D．laughing

6.

A．access

B．addition

C．abuse

D．affection

7.

A．look

B．break

C．drive

D．carry

8.

A．time

B．holiday

C．gift

D．family

9.

A．happily

B．generally

C．formally

D．hurriedly

10.

A．awake

B．asleep

C．available

D．absorbed

11.

A．generosity

B．curiosity

C．ability

D．creativity

12.

A．admitted

B．realized

C．recognized

D．accepted

13.

A．exchange

B．present

C．treasure

D．appreciate

14.

A．day

B．test

C．skill

D．eye

15.

A．kind

B．grateful

C．blessed

D．healthy

4 . Do you feel like you are not living the life you want? It’s your life, so why does it seem like you are not in control? Below are some important lessons for life.

You are constantly (一直) comparing yourself to others.     1     It will mostly contribute to making you feel more miserable (痛苦的) because it produces a lot of bad emotions. Comparing yourself to others is pointless because we all have our own unique paths to follow.     2     This will help you grow and constantly improve yourself.

You are afraid of change. Why are most people afraid of change? Mostly because we fear the unknown, and anything that threatens our serenity (平静) is seen as problematic. But it does not have to be this way.     3     It teaches us to adapt to situations we never knew we could. It helps us discover ourselves. Accepting change also helps us to be more adaptable in life. This will afford you more possibilities and opportunities in your life.

You are wasting time on things you cannot control. The painful truth is that there are many things that you cannot control in your life.     4     How do you stop wasting time on things that are out of your control? Start by finding out what is within your control, such as your attitude, goals and decisions. Then think about what you cannot control, such as other people’s values and behaviours.     5    

Putting these important lessons for life into practice will surely improve your life.

A．As Mark Twain said, comparison is the death of joy.

B．In fact, being able to accept change has many benefits.

C．Spend more time on the things that are within your control.

D．Change must happen, so you might as well learn to enjoy it.

E．A better approach would be to compare your present self to your future self.

F．The information you are using as a basis for your judgement is likely incorrect.

G．The sooner you realise that fact, the closer you get to living the life you want.

5 . My mother was always knitting (针织). What a shock to me when she recently told me that knitting helped her _______ stresses of raising four children. And I have now _______ that it is true for me — and much more.

My mother taught me to knit when I was about 6. But I soon _______ the project, as it was boring for a young child. My next knitting was restarted in Madison, where I was in graduate school and feeling the _______ of the studies. Miraculously, the knitting saved my soul in that stressful semester of studies and other life events of love and _______.

Knitting during the pandemic _______ my despair at not being able to participate in my _______ volunteer activities. I knitted dozens of scarves to _______ to a shelter and this helped me feel _______ the community.

Knitting scarves, shawls (披肩) and blankets for my daughter when she went away for university brought me ________ as I imagined every stitch (针脚) of love ________ my now-adult child — as once my arms ________ her when she was young.

My mother’s legacy is vast, but the major life ________ she taught me through knitting is that there is a step-by-step process of building, ________ and rebuilding. It requires patience and a belief that stitches that are cast off (收针) can always ________ their way back on.

1.

A．get through

B．get across

C．get into

D．get on

2.

A．noticed

B．remembered

C．realized

D．adapted

3.

A．made out

B．gave up

C．held onto

D．struggled with

4.

A．delight

B．feature

C．importance

D．pressure

5.

A．grades

B．health

C．loss

D．achievements

6.

A．eased

B．worsened

C．improved

D．strengthened

7.

A．common

B．usual

C．ordinary

D．unique

8.

A．devote

B．belong

C．sell

D．donate

9.

A．concerned about

B．connected to

C．addicted to

D．interested in

10.

A．sorrow

B．disappointment

C．comfort

D．excitement

11.

A．preserved

B．moved

C．impressed

D．surrounded

12.

A．lifted

B．balanced

C．covered

D．protected

13.

A．lesson

B．plan

C．experience

D．skills

14.

A．checking out

B．tearing down

C．putting aside

D．working out

15.

A．push

B．give

C．find

D．lose

6 . For years, people had been warned that New Orleans was vulnerable (脆弱的). The FEMA had stated that a hurricane hitting the city would be one of the deadliest disasters in the history of U.S. But then, in September 2004, New Orleans had been spared by Hurricane Ivan. However, it had provided the city with a clear warning. It had showed the need to prepare for the next hurricane. But the authorities did not act quickly or decisively enough. Eleven months later, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city.

In 2003, the Harvard Business Review published an article titled Predictable Surprises: The Disasters You Should Have Seen Coming. The authors, Max Bazerman and Michael Watkins, argued that while the world is changeable, unpredictability is often not the problem. The problem is that we still fail to act, even if faced with clear risks. Psychologists describe this inaction as normalcy bias (偏见). In the face of disaster, people have often been slow to recognize the danger and do nothing until it is too late.

Part of the problem may simply be that we get our clues from others. In a famous experiment conducted in the late 1960s, psychologists filled smoke into a room in which the participants were filling in a questionnaire. When the subject was sitting alone, he or she tended to note the smoke and calmly leave to report it. But when in a group of three, they were much less likely to react: each person remained passive, ensured by the passivity of the others.

Another cognitive (认知的) shortcut is optimism bias. In an experiment, psychologists Neil Weinstein asked more than 250 students to predict pleasant future such as good jobs and clear risks such as an early heart attack. To their surprise, the students felt that good things were likely to happen to themselves, while unpleasant things waited for other students, although they didn’t have any evidence to support that idea.

1. What contributed to the destruction of the city when the hurricane came?

A．Absence of warnings.	B．Inaction of the authorities.
C．Shortage of supplies.	D．Unpredictability of the disaster.

2. Which of the following action can be described as normalcy bias?

A．People didn’t go to hospital due to the confidence in physical condition.

B．Americans followed others to buy toilet paper crazily during the pandemic.

C．Few people got prepared for the pandemic at first because others didn’t do so.

D．Residents in New Orleans worked together to build shelters facing a hurricane.

3. How does the author introduce the two cognitive shortcuts?

A．By telling stories.	B．By listing facts.
C．By making definition.	D．By giving examples.

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

A．Are Disasters Predictable?

B．Are We Ready for the Next Disaster?

C．Why Do We Fail to Prepare for Disasters?

D．What Is the Common Bias in Face of Disasters?

7 . It had been a very busy day with a number of client meetings, so when I parked my car in the city some distance from my last appointment, I was hoping that it would be a quick one so that I could then beat the afternoon city rush hour.

I had a very important family document that needed to be signed by a large government department. As I stepped out of the lift on the third floor, it was a relief to find that there were only two people ahead of me in what I had anticipated would be a long queue, so I was expecting that it would be a simple and quick process.

Within a few minutes. I was in discussion with the customer service attendant as he outlined why he considered that my documentation could not be signed. I was very annoyed with his very unbearable explanation of what needed to be done, so I asked him if there was any way he could help me to have the paperwork signed on the spot and avoid a further delay. His answer was no.

Upset by what I considered to be such a negative and “by the book approach” from the customer service attendant. I asked to speak to the department supervisor (主管) in the hope that I could solve what I believed to be some very minor issues.

After a short wait, the department supervisor came to the counter to speak to me. After hearing my explanation, he responded quickly, “Believe me, I can organize to have the paperwork signed immediately and you can be on your way.” Within ten minutes, the documentation had been signed, so with a big smile, I was on my way.

At that very moment, I was reminded of a quote by W. Clement Stone. “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”

1. Why was the author eager to finish the document?

A．To go and have another client meeting.

B．To avoid the rush hour in the afternoon.

C．To hand in the important document on time.

D．To get a relief from a whole day’s busy work.

2. How did the attendant deal with the author’s document?

A．By following rules as they went.

B．By signing the paperwork immediately.

C．By helping to solve some minor issues.

D．By giving a detailed explanation patiently.

3. Which of the following best describe the department supervisor?

A．Tough and polite.	B．Generous and emotional.
C．Helpful and capable.	D．Creative and professional

4. What does the author stress by quoting Clement?

A．Attitude matters in solving a problem.

B．Attitude is just as important as ability.

C．People’s attitudes differ from person to person.

D．Negative and positive attitudes can be changed.

8 . Can you remember the first time you received a generous act? I can’t, but I ______remember the first time I understood the meaning of generosity.

I was in Grade Four. Fred was a boy in my class who lived in difficult conditions.His parents couldn’t afford to buy him all the stationary(文具) that he needed, and one of the basic items he ______ was colored pencils. So every time we needed to use colored pencils, Fred would ______ some of mine.

Knowing this, my mother said it must have been hard for him to always______others. Instead of driving home,she drove directly to the closest stationery shop and had me ______some for Fred.

The next day I was sent to school with these things and was told to give them to Fred in ______;I shouldn’t cause Fred to feel ______, but should just give them to him and tell him they were his to ______. Receiving these, Fred looked ______at first, then happy and proud. He had his own stationery!

To me, it’s okay to let Fred use my pencils. However, my mom realized what a ______it would make for Fred to have his own. Generosity is______an opportunity to do something within your ______. Besides, it’s never limited to material things. Thinking creatively and sharing ______to help others find solutions are also acts of generosity. Give someone your time and ______by listening mindfully. More importantly, it isn’t doing something to be seen but giving with no ______of anything in exchange.

1.

A．vaguely

B．hardly

C．clearly

D．typically

2.

A．owned

B．lost

C．mentioned

D．lacked

3.

A．borrow

B．collect

C．show

D．exchange

4.

A．care about

B．rely on

C．cheer for

D．appeal to

5.

A．select

B．remember

C．design

D．recommend

6.

A．caution

B．person

C．return

D．secret

7.

A．surprised

B．confused

C．embarrassed

D．disappointed

8.

A．present

B．keep

C．notice

D．treasure

9.

A．uncertain

B．unaware

C．pleasant

D．urgent

10.

A．fortune

B．difference

C．name

D．commitment

11.

A．offering

B．missing

C．bringing

D．finding

12.

A．responsibility

B．capability

C．availability

D．possibility

13.

A．wisdom

B．benefit

C．contribution

D．approval

14.

A．politeness

B．attention

C．permission

D．curiosity

15.

A．argument

B．hesitation

C．doubt

D．expectation

9 . 假定你是李华，你校的英语报正在征稿。请你结合以下名人名言，写一篇题为“My Understanding of Optimism”的征文。
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees opportunity in every difficult.”
—Winston Churchill
内容包括：1.你对该名言的理解;
2.结合生活实例;
3.你对该名言的感悟。
注意：1.写作词数应为80词左右(名言不计入总词数);
2.请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . I experienced a day when I was extraordinarily _______. I’m never a picture of grace, but on this particular day, I seemed to be _______ everything. It’s an old church, and the floor is _______ in some places, so my fall was the floor’s fault. But when I fell again on my way out to the car, and yet again in my own home, I began to grow _______. Had I let myself get so stressed out that I had _______ become sick?

Having been raised by devoted Christian parents who also worked in the mental-health field, I tended to look for spiritual and emotional reasons before I headed to the local _______. I have the calming practice that _______ a yoga pose with a breath prayer. I went to _______ more comfortable clothes for the exercise, and as I removed my shoes, I was _______!

I wasn’t having a stroke at all. I had completely worn out my favorite pair of sandals. The soles (鞋底) of both shoes were split in two! I had ________ all the possibilities to figure out what was causing my clumsiness. It never occurred to me to check my soles.

So often when we start to feel ________, we look for ways to make things better. But just as it never occurred to me to check the soles of my shoes, our own souls are the very ________ thing we think of to check. Take a moment to remember the last time you sat still, meditating. If you can’t remember when that was, it might be a(n) ________.

The local cobbler (鞋匠) said my soles were irreparable. We had a good ________, but it was time to let them go. Fortunately for us, our souls can be mended and restored — once we realize they are in need of ________.

1.

A．busy

B．clumsy

C．stressed

D．bored

2.

A．going through

B．stepping on

C．falling off

D．tripping over

3.

A．uneven

B．sharp

C．stained

D．shallow

4.

A．inspired

B．grieved

C．concerned

D．interested

5.

A．luckily

B．literally

C．obviously

D．doubtfully

6.

A．doctor

B．coach

C．tailor

D．psychologist

7.

A．exchanges

B．equips

C．associates

D．combines

8.

A．wrap up

B．take off

C．change into

D．look after

9.

A．rescued

B．cured

C．injured

D．slipped

10.

A．exhausted

B．predicted

C．ignored

D．discussed

11.

A．delighted

B．divided

C．overwhelmed

D．thrilled

12.

A．best

B．last

C．easiest

D．hardest

13.

A．mistake

B．solution

C．test

D．clue

14.

A．run

B．exercise

C．yoga

D．gesture

15.

A．repair

B．review

C．response

D．replacement