1 . Philosophers have a bad reputation for expressing themselves in a dry and boring way. The ideals for most philosophical writing are precision, clarity, and the sort of conceptual analysis that leaves no hair un-split.

There is nothing wrong with clarity, precision, and the like — but this isn’t the only way to do philosophy. Outside academic journals, abstract philosophical ideas are often expressed through literature, cinema, and song. There’s nothing that grabs attention like a good story, and there are some great philosophical stories that delight and engage, rather than putting the reader to sleep.

One of the great things about this is that, unlike formal philosophy, which tries to be very clear, stories don’t wear their meanings on their sleeve — they require interpretation, and often express conflicting ideas for the reader to wrestle with.

Consider what philosophers call the metaphysics (形而上学) of race — an area of philosophy that explorers the question of whether or not race is real. There are three main positions that you can take on these questions. You might think that a person’s race is written in their genes (a position known as “biological realism”). Or you might think of race as socially real, like days of the week or currencies (“social constructionism”). Finally, you might think that races are unreal — that they’re more like leprechauns (一种魔法精灵) than they are like Thursdays or dollars (“anti-realism”).

A great example of a story with social constructionist taking on race is George Schuyler’s novel Black No More. In the book, a Black scientist named Crookman invents a procedure that makes Black people visually indistinguishable from Whites. Thousands of African Americans flock to Crookman’s Black No More clinics and pay him their hard-earned cash to undergo the procedure. White racists can no longer distinguish those people who are “really” White from those who merely appear to be White. In a final episode, Crookman discovers that new Whites are actually a whiter shade of pale than those who were born that way, which kicks off a trend of sunbathing to darken one’s skin-darkening it so as to look more While.

Philosophically rich stories like this bring more technical works to life. They are stories to think with.

1. What does the author think of philosophical stories?

A．The meaning behind is very obvious.

B．They am extremely precise and formal.

C．They often cause conflicts among readers.

D．They are engaging and inspire critical thinking.

2. Which category might “Christmas” fall into according to paragraph 4?

A．Social constructionism.	B．Anti-realism.
C．Biological realism.	D．Literary realism.

3. What is Black No More in paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Racial issues caused by skin colors.

B．A society view on race and self-image.

C．Black people accepted by the white society.

D．The origin of sun bathing among white people.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Stories Made Easy	B．Stories to Think with
C．Positions in Philosophy	D．Nature of Philosophical Writing

2 . Small children are easy to throw up in the air and catch-and they _________ it. “Again, Daddy, again!” Jacky shouts as I throw him skywards and catch him on the way back down again. He throws his arms and legs out _________ he were flying, his eyes wide with _________. His trust in me is _________ which is quite a nice feeling, but at the same time gives me a huge sense of _________ .

I hope Jacky will always trust me fully, but I know that, as he gets _________ , it will need more effort and sound judgment_________ . Trust is such an important part of a _________ relationship that it’s something that can’t _________ to lose. Every time I __________ Jacky to something new, he’ll do it only because he trusts me and feels __________ in the knowledge that he won’t get hurt .__________ , teaching Jacky to swim means he has to __________ that, when he’s swimming in the big pool, I’ll come to his rescue if his doggy paddle lets him down.

__________ in the workplace, trust is important for strong __________ . It is something that every manager should work hard to __________ among their team. If people don’t trust you, they’re unlikely to __________ your directions and willingly become a loyal (忠诚) team member. A __________ of trust can make people work against you rather than for you. At the very least, it means that people are not going to be __________ you their best. Good __________, like good parenting, is a long-term commitment.

1.

A．deserve

B．miss

C．love

D．know

2.

A．as if

B．in case

C．even though

D．so that

3.

A．fear

B．excitement

C．doubt

D．astonishment

4.

A．reasonable

B．limited

C．absolute

D．important

5.

A．relief

B．satisfaction

C．achievement

D．responsibility

6.

A．older

B．busier

C．quieter

D．healthier

7.

A．on my behalf

B．on my part

C．in my honor

D．in my name

8.

A．long-distance

B．high-risk

C．parent-child

D．teacher-student

9.

A．afford

B．choose

C．wait

D．expect

10.

A．attach

B．compare

C．adjust

D．introduce

11.

A．safe

B．happy

C．proud

D．grateful

12.

A．Above all

B．In addition

C．At first

D．For example

13.

A．admit

B．believe

C．suggest

D．imagine

14.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Similarly

D．Fortunately

15.

A．affection

B．determination

C．friendship

D．leadership

16.

A．assess

B．organize

C．develop

D．understand

17.

A．repeat

B．follow

C．change

D．forget

18.

A．gesture

B．measure

C．bond

D．lack

19.

A．telling

B．giving

C．selling

D．sending

20.

A．management

B．personality

C．communication

D．education

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.

2. How did the author feel about the mistake of Emily’s mother?

A．Upset.

B．Pleased.

C．Ashamed.

D．Surprised.

3. Why on earth did the author try to change Emily’s accent?

A．To prove herself right.	B．To help Emily be a reporter.
C．To make herself influential.	D．To protect Emily’s self-dignity.

4. What message does the text want to convey?

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.

4 . 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

5 . If you took the strengths of others, and compared them to your weaknesses, do you think this would make you feel good? The funny thing is, this is _________ most of us do at one time or another — and some of us do it pretty _________.

It’s surely a _________ for a drop in self-confidence and for unhappiness. Let’s say I take a look at someone who creates amazing artwork on their website and I look at my art, and realize I don’t come close to being _________ with him. In fact, I look pretty _________. But it’s not a fair _________. If I looked at my strengths — writing useful and honest posts — I can see that I have a lot to _________, a lot to be happy about.

That’s so important-being able to look at your own strengths, and see your true _________. It’s actually one of the keys to success and happiness.

I want to talk about this issue _________ an email from a reader recently: I have some teammates from very rich families, I can’t stop myself comparing my __________ with theirs. I must say that my financial planning is sound enough to take care of my __________ family; and I can take care of new family members also, at least for some time __________ I lose my current job. But __________ I see or hear them spending so much money after possessions, I start comparing again. How can I stop this habit, without changing jobs?

This is an excellent but tough __________. I think it’s __________ to compare ourselves to others, but it often makes us unhappy even if we have enough and should be __________ what we have. My quick __________: try to be aware of when you start comparing yourself to others. . . once you’ve developed this __________, stop yourself and tell yourself, “Stop that!” And then __________ thinking about all the things you do have, the things you love, the people you have and the blessings that __________ has given you. Make this a regular practice, and you’ ll start to be happier with your life.

1.

A．why

B．what

C．that

D．how

2.

A．often

B．hard

C．soon

D．well

3.

A．theory

B．option

C．practice

D．idea

4.

A．blessed

B．connected

C．weighed

D．matched

5.

A．grateful

B．pitiful

C．shocked

D．confident

6.

A．comparison

B．communication

C．competition

D．combination

7.

A．regret

B．correct

C．offer

D．afford

8.

A．thoughts

B．values

C．alternatives

D．weaknesses

9.

A．because of

B．according to

C．apart from

D．in spite of

10.

A．concept

B．health

C．profession

D．lifestyle

11.

A．developing

B．working

C．existing

D．coming

12.

A．as if

B．even if

C．in case

D．now that

13.

A．however

B．whatever

C．wherever

D．whenever

14.

A．programme

B．fantasy

C．question

D．reality

15.

A．strange

B．natural

C．difficult

D．important

16.

A．sorry for

B．curious about

C．guilty at

D．happy with

17.

A．judgement

B．conclusion

C．formula

D．advice

18.

A．awareness

B．hobby

C．tradition

D．custom

19.

A．require

B．risk

C．fancy

D．start

20.

A．happiness

B．life

C．success

D．confidence

6 . A mistake made six years ago has turned into a holiday tradition. A grandmother who mistakenly _________ a stranger to attend the family’s Thanksgiving dinner in 2016 ended up making a _________, and now the pair have _________ the holiday together every year since. This year is no exception.

In 2016, Wanda Dench tried to text her grandson about the family’s Thanksgiving dinner plans, but she _________ added a stranger to the message. Jamal Hinton was on the receiving end of the holiday text and jokingly accepted her _________.

“You’re not my grandma,” Hinton wrote back, including a selfie to _________ he was not the grandson Dench thought she was texting. “Can I still get a plate though?”

Dench, ever the _________ grandmother, replied, “Of course you can. That’s what Grandmas do… _________ everyone.” Hinton posted about the funny mix-up and it went viral (疯传). And on Thanksgiving day, he _________ drove from Tempe, Arizona to Mesa to __________ the Dench family for the holiday. And every year since, Hinton and Dench have got together for the holiday.

In 2020, he informed followers of some sad news—Dench’s husband, Lonnie, had died from COVID-19. So last Thanksgiving, __________ Lonnie, the family held a small, pared-down (精简的) __________the day after the holiday to keep the __________ alive.

This year, Hinton tweeted, “We are all set for year 6!”, __________ a screenshot of their text exchange as usual. Dench’s name is saved in his phone as “Grandma Wanda”. The story of __________ went viral again—spreading some holiday cheer on social media.

1.

A．reminded

B．invited

C．forced

D．allowed

2.

A．friend

B．deal

C．decision

D．story

3.

A．planned

B．organized

C．celebrated

D．booked

4.

A．carefully

B．purposefully

C．secretly

D．accidentally

5.

A．gift

B．idea

C．offer

D．apology

6.

A．argue

B．pretend

C．show

D．announce

7.

A．generous

B．strict

C．patient

D．caring

8.

A．forgive

B．feed

C．remember

D．understand

9.

A．casually

B．hardly

C．nearly

D．actually

10.

A．disturb

B．join

C．greet

D．congratulate

11.

A．in honor of

B．in search of

C．in praise of

D．in place of

12.

A．conversation

B．conference

C．competition

D．gathering

13.

A．mistake

B．news

C．tradition

D．holiday

14.

A．taking

B．enjoying

C．collecting

D．sharing

15.

A．honesty

B．kindness

C．generosity

D．toughness

7 . Winter goes and summer comes. The tides_______; the tides withdraw. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a_______of nature. It is one of nature’s_______, little understood, that each day I_______with moods that have changed from yesterday. Inside me is a wheel,_______turning. Like the flowers, today’s full blossom will_______, yet I will remember today’s dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow’s blossom.

And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be_______? Trees and plants depend on the weather to_______, but I make my own weather. I_______it with me. If I bring enthusiasm to my customers, they will________with enthusiasm and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a lot of gold for me. I will learn this secret: weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who________his actions to control his thoughts. Each day I will follow this plan of battle before I am________by the forces of sadness,________and failure. I will know only those with inferior(较次的) ability can always be________, and I am not inferior. If I feel depressed I will sing. If I feel________I will remember my goals.Yet, some emotions approach me with a smile, which can also destroy me. If I become overly proud, I will remember my weaknesses. If I feel my skill is________, I will look at the stars.

With this new knowledge I will make________of a person’s anger of today, for he doesn’t know the secret of controlling his mind. No longer will I judge a man on one________. This secret will be my key to great wealth. From this moment I am________to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will control my fate, which is to become the greatest________in the world!

1.

A．advance

B．disappear

C．exist

D．fall

2.

A．native

B．colleague

C．supporter

D．part

3.

A．jokes

B．secrets

C．experiences

D．awards

4.

A．break in

B．wake up

C．take off

D．give out

5.

A．constantly

B．temporarily

C．casually

D．elegantly

6.

A．appear

B．blow

C．fade

D．spread

7.

A．anxious

B．natural

C．additional

D．productive

8.

A．sow

B．grow

C．separate

D．shelter

9.

A．fold

B．follow

C．carry

D．load

10.

A．react

B．review

C．recite

D．repeat

11.

A．obtains

B．regards

C．allows

D．observes

12.

A．chosen

B．seized

C．received

D．witnessed

13.

A．self-awareness

B．self-control

C．self-esteem

D．self-pity

14.

A．behind the scene

B．on the bottom line

C．at the end of the rope

D．out of sight

15.

A．insignificant

B．improper

C．impolite

D．unconscious

16.

A．concrete

B．inadequate

C．abstract

D．unmatched

17.

A．use

B．fun

C．sure

D．sense

18.

A．view

B．meeting

C．experiment

D．idiom

19.

A．limited

B．reserved

C．prepared

D．afraid

20.

A．salesman

B．player

C．architect

D．designer

8 . 假定你是李华，某英语网站正在讨论对“The man who has made up his mind to win will never say ‘impossible’.”的理解。你打算跟帖参与讨论，内容包括：
1. 你对此的理解；
2. 结合具体实例；
3. 你的启发与感悟。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . “Keep staring! I might do a _______!” That’s the message on a T shirt of mine.

People stare at me all the time so I thought this shirt would be funny. See, I’m a dwarf(侏儒). Most of the time people aren’t trying to be _______ they just haven’t seen many dwarfs like me before. I can_______ that,but I also want to let them know that I see them staring.   

I was born with achondroplasia(软骨发育不全症), the most _______form of dwarfism. Right now, I am almost four feet tall and that’s _______ as tall as I’m going to get.

I’m not going to pretend my height isn’t a _______. It is light switches and _______ are usually too high for me. It takes me almost three steps to _______ one step of an average size adult and my mom has to shorten almost all of my _______ .

But everyone faces challenges. You have to face them with a good attitude. So, I have a long barbecue fork to ________ things from shelves and drive a car with the help of pedal ________. If all else fails, I ask for things. The way I see it, I can do just about ________that an average size person can do. I’ll never play professional sports, but I have no problem ________ my limits. It may take me longer and it may be harder, but I can still do it.

My shirt shows people the ________ me a kid with a sense of humor. And maybe that’s the trick showing others that I’m just like them. I’m just shorter, but I’m ________ of who I am.

1.

A．favor

B．magic

C．trick

D．survey

2.

A．rude

B．nice

C．indifferent

D．hospitable

3.

A．avoid

B．evaluate

C．appreciate

D．object

4.

A．common

B．special

C．scary

D．outstanding

5.

A．hardly

B．particularly

C．awfully

D．practically

6.

A．challenge

B．symbol

C．milestone

D．barrier

7.

A．stars

B．ceiling

C．counters

D．ladders

8.

A．break away from

B．keep up with

C．draw back

D．bring along

9.

A．legs

B．steps

C．pants

D．distance

10.

A．pull down

B．pick up

C．drag along

D．stab into

11.

A．brakes

B．extensions

C．devices

D．stands

12.

A．something

B．little

C．anything

D．enough

13.

A．adjusting

B．changing

C．perfecting

D．testing

14.

A．tall

B．different

C．strong

D．real

15.

A．ashamed

B．aware

C．capable

D．proud

10 . Since the first day of preschool, I was always the type to invest more time in my physical war than social activities, the type that _________ the girls who could get up in front of the class and _________ give a presentation. Anything in the area of being vocally confident was never my _________. But now I’m different. Such a change _________ my summer job.

My entire existence has been defined by the summers I’ve spent in Avalon, New Jersey. Then, in my 14th summer, I got a job, which made a _________ to me.

At first it frightened me:The idea of having to _________ my freedom. Not only was the loss of freedom saddening me, but the _________ in me came out to play when I realized that I was going to launch myself into a completely _________ environment.

The place was Brian’s Waffle House. At the beginning I was very nervous, _________ I gradually pushed myself much more and boosted my confidence. I’ve made so many great friends that I’ll __________ contact with even when the Waffle House is long gone. The time in the Brian’s Waffle House is not dull. And every customer is a valuable part of the __________.

My summer job has helped guide me in my own personal growth. Now I __________ to sing in front of a large group of people. And I never miss a __________ to allow my fashionable style to shine. If I hadn’t walked into the shop, I wouldn’t have __________ the social skills I have now. I will be __________ for the lessons and values I have learned forever.

1.

A．ignored

B．convinced

C．envied

D．consulted

2.

A．confidently

B．definitely

C．fortunately

D．secretly

3.

A．expectation

B．strength

C．excuse

D．ambition

4.

A．emerged from

B．departed from

C．suffered from

D．recovered from

5.

A．introduction

B．contribution

C．discovery

D．difference

6.

A．excite

B．possess

C．abandon

D．threaten

7.

A．shyness

B．delight

C．curiosity

D．pressure

8.

A．secure

B．strange

C．formal

D．natural

9.

A．as

B．or

C．but

D．so

10.

A．restore

B．lose

C．establish

D．maintain

11.

A．memory

B．experience

C．incident

D．journey

12.

A．dare

B．fail

C．promise

D．demand

13.

A．goal

B．plan

C．choice

D．chance

14.

A．assessed

B．acquired

C．exercised

D．applied

15.

A．ready

B．eager

C．grateful

D．suitable