1 . Looking back, I spent many unhappy days. In middle school I didn’t think I was as smart as everyone else; I didn’t have cool enough clothes. Junior high was the same. I wasn’t as tall and thin as all the other girls; my baby teeth hadn’t fallen out yet. Fast forward to high school. Still everyone was smarter; still everyone dressed better. Eventually, in my first job out of college I wasn’t making as much money as my friends did.

I come from a long line of people who’ve suffered from depression. When I was single, I thought that was just who I was — it was the genes (基因) I was born with. When I was twenty-six, I got married, and three years later I had my first child.

Once we had kids, my excuse of “it’s-in-the-genes” didn’t work so well for me anymore because that meant my kids would be depressed. Although I realized that still might be the case, I began looking at my unhappiness in new ways.

Over the years many things helped me fight depression: healthy eating, exercise, fresh air, friends and medicine. They all helped. But I had a little secret, too. It’s an exercise I did every night before bed. By the side of my bed, I had a small datebook — every day I only had enough space to write one line.

Every night I asked myself: “What made me the happiest today?” Because I didn’t have space to write a lot, it only took me a few seconds. But in those seconds I replayed my day and decided on its happiest moment.

Some days it was “reading before bed with the kids” or “laughing with a friend on the phone”. And other days it was “finally getting to get into bed” or “not having to cook dinner again”. Anyway, I actively sought the positive every day. Today, when I have a difficult day, I look back through the datebook, read and remember those happy moments in the past.

1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?

A．The author led a poor life.

B．The author got a high-pay job.

C．The author challenged herself bravely.

D．The author usually compared herself with others.

2. What changed the author’s mind?

A．Her first career.	B．Her happy marriage.
C．Her care for her children.	D．Her knowledge of genes.

3. Why did the author keep a datebook every day?

A．To ease her loneliness.	B．To have a sound sleep.
C．To recall happy moments.	D．To serve as bedtime stories.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

B．Mother should set a good example for kids.

C．There could be a solution to any problem.

D．We should appreciate life’s bright aspects.

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。

Listening to Be Heard

Our P. E. teacher Ms. Lopez had been out with a skiing injury. She was a caring and considerate teacher who showed patience and understanding to little minds like us. So, when we knew she was returning, some of us asked our substitute(替代) gym teacher if we could plan a welcome-back party.

“Sounds great,” said Ms. Green, “We have a few minutes before the bell rings, so you can do a little brainstorming while I put some stuff away.” We were excited and could not wait to let our minds wander. But here came the problem.

“I bet Ms. Lopez would like welcome-back cards.” I said.

“We should have a rock ‘n’ roll theme!” said Noah.

“No, we should make it a soccer theme! What about a cake shaped like a soccer ball!”said Avery.

“Why is soccer better than music?” said Noah.

“I think cards are really important!” I said, louder.

The discussion soon turned into a noisy chaos (混乱). Everyone had their ideas to present and wished them to be realized. Even the “fashionable” kids interrupted, demanding to bring balloons and some fancy clothes like a skirt with orange flowers. It seemed all voices were ignored.

That was when the bell rang and the party discussion ended. I was in confusion and fear for the rest of the day. It was going to be a disaster, and Ms. Lopez wouldn’t even know we missed her.

When I returned home, my little brother and sister were arguing about a board game.

“I know the rules!” Tex shouted. “You don’t have to start over if you land on blue!”

“I know the rules!” shouted Indi. “You get an extra point if you get the flowers!”

I walked over to where they were playing and said, “If you’d stop and listen to each other, you might realize you’re both right.” I pointed to the rule sheet and read them the parts they’d been arguing about. They were surprised that they were both right. Suddenly it clicked—we had been busy presenting our ideas without listening to others.

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。

The next day in gym class, during the party discussion, I asked my classmates for a stop.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A week later, Ms. Lopez was amazed at the welcome-back party containing our various ideas.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . People usually consider voluntary work as a completely selfless act, but voluntary work has its place in everyone’s lives, and my personal experiences have confirmed my belief in this.

    1     I once cleaned up flats where the poor lived in. The space was overcrowded and the items were covered in dust. I couldn’t contain my judgement and was critical about them. However, after talking to the residents and hearing about their misfortunes, I regretted my hasty judgment. This allowed me to know more about the less fortunate who don’t share my lifestyles.     2     Life is more complex than expected and I should sympathize with the disadvantaged.

Volunteer work has reminded me to cherish and appreciate little things in life. When I volunteered to teach life skills to students with cerebral palsy (脑瘫), I found that they were very grateful to the teachers and assistants by saying “thank you” and smiling.     3     Consequently, this has made me more mindful of my priorities in life, and more deliberate in not letting insignificant things bother me. Doing voluntary work has taught me to be happier and more grateful.

Doing voluntary work has given my life more meaning.     4     However, excessively pursuing them can often lead to increased discontent and can’t give meaning to one’s life. After doing voluntary work and learning the stories of others, I have a stronger sense of purpose in my life. Instead of just being absorbed in my own wants and needs, I make up my mind to try my best to help those in need.     5    

A．I felt that they had taught me a lesson on gratitude.

B．It is easy to be obsessed with material wants in society.

C．I am now able to go through life with more love and compassion.

D．Volunteer work has provided me with opportunities to make friends.

E．With the determination, the decisions I make are now more meaningful.

F．Moreover, I realized they are often unreasonably judged by other people.

G．Voluntary work has helped me better understand the lives of the less fortunate.

4 . 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.

5 . Recently, I accidentally found a set of Hanfu l only wore once from the bottom of the cupboard. I remember buying them simply to match the ancient-style hair accessories (配饰) a friend gave me. It occurred to me that 1 had been trapped in the “birdcage effect”.

“Birdcage effect” means that when you get an item one day, you will prepare more things to match it. Weeks ago, I was in the company of friends engaged in shopping. One said that she wanted to buy a good writing pen to match the delicate notebook that her sister gave her, so that she would fall in love with taking notes on reading, and thus love reading, not just reading. I joked that she must have fallen for the “birdcage effect”. But the friend said with a smile: “Why not use the ‘birdcage effect’ instead?”

For the first time, I heard that the “birdcage effect” can be used in reverse (逆向). However, this can’t help but remind me of middle school, and I seem to have used the “birdcage effect”. Passing by a bookstore one day, I purchased a magazine and saw the call for contributions published in the magazine, so I started writing with eager hands, and then I fell in love with writing.

After shopping with my friends that time, I began to proceed to use the “birdcage effect”. I bought a small fresh tablecloth to decorate my desk, and a beautiful notebook to record my inspiration. When everything was ready, I started writing again.

But how can we get rid of the “birdcage effect” in many things, and even use the “birdcage effect” in the opposite way? Various “birdcages” unavoidably appear in life, but we can distinguish them. If it is not in line with the actual situation, it is a “negative birdcage”, then we must learn to stop losses in time and maintain a heart of abandonment and separation. If it is a “positive birdcage” that motivates us to develop upward, we can clarify our goals, shop or decorate appropriately, and motivate ourselves to move towards our goals. At this time, you will find that the “birdcage effect” is actually not so terrible!

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The application of the “birdcage effect” in life.

B．The necessity of using the “birdcage effect” in life.

C．The turning point of the author’s idea on the “birdcage effect”.

D．The author’s conflict with her friend over the “birdcage effect”.

2. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning her middle school experience?

A．To recall her delightful days at school.

B．To explain the reason for her love with writing.

C．To confirm the positive of the “birdcage effect”.

D．To prove her knowledge of the “birdcage effect”.

3. How can we make use of the “birdcage effect” positively?

A．By realizing this effect has two sides.

B．By promoting our personal consumption.

C．By recognizing this effect is not so terrible.

D．By guiding our acts to go with reasonable goals.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Getting Rid of the Birdcage Effect Confidently

B．Motivating Ourselves to Move Towards Our Goals

C．The Birdcage Effect: Influence on Consumer Behavior

D．The Birdcage Effect: How to Use It to Your Advantage

6 . Jerry was always in a good mood and had something positive to say. If someone was having a bad day, Jerry would tell them how to look on the positive side of the situation.

One day, I asked him, “I don’t get it! How can you be positive all the time?”

Jerry replied, “Each morning, I say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.” Several years later, I heard that Jerry was shot by three robbers (抢劫者). Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the local hospital.

I asked him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you scared?” I asked. “Yes, I got really scared when I saw the expressions on the face of the doctors.” “What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, when a nurse asked if I was allergic (过敏的) to anything, I shouted, bullets! (子弹)”

“Then they laughed, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me if I am alive, not dead’”

Thanks to the skill of his doctors, Jerry was saved, but also because of his amazing attitude. Attitude after all, is everything.

1. Jerry did everything in a ________ attitude.

A．opposite

B．positive

C．bad

D．terrible

2. During the robbery, ________.

A．three robbers shot Jerry	B．Jerry was in the hospital
C．Jerry fought against the robbers	D．Jerry caught the three robbers

3. The expressions on the face of the doctors shows that ________.

A．the doctors were sure to cure Jerry	B．Jerry was not hurt badly
C．the doctors were Jerry’s relatives	D．Jerry was hurt too badly

4. Through the story, we know that the writer ________.

A．was always in a bad mood, too	B．didn’t agree with what Jerry said and did
C．thought Jerry was brave and great	D．thought Jerry was funny, but foolish

5. Jerry’s story tells us that ________.

A．attitude is important for us	B．good mood may be dangerous sometimes
C．the doctor may be important for patient	D．allergic person can’t see bullets

7 . 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。

My five-year-old daughter Ruthie seemed very small standing at the base of the huge rock-climbing wall as a young employee double-checked her equipment. It was our second time at this indoor crowded climbing gym. On our first visit, Ruthie had begged my husband and me to let her try climbing the wall, but I denied her, afraid that she was undersized.

But life had dramatically changed since then. After receiving a cancer diagnosis (诊断), I felt that my life was too short to deny her a chance. I stood outside the waiting area, watching the employee attach Ruthie to a safety rope. Then he gave her a thumbs-up sign, and my daughter began climbing!

With that rope, she couldn’t possibly fall. She might slip, but she wouldn’t fall. I was surprised at how she did that so easily and joyfully. “If my cancer is the rock wall, I want to be Ruthie,” I thought.

When she touched the ground again, I leaned over the low fence and asked, “How do you do that?”

“I just trust the rope. It’s very easy,” she said with a shrug, and started on her second climbing.

Apparently, if I had known the secret, I could have climbed the wall myself. When I was sixteen, I once failed to climb a rock wall. With added weight and reduced muscle tone, I doubted if I could even do it. I didn’t see any other moms trying to climb the wall. Several months earlier, embarrassment would have stopped me from trying. But my cancer did funny things to my brain. It made me realize that I needed to be braver than I thought.

With determination, I decided to try it and the same young employee checked my safety rope and gave me the thumbs-up sign. As I began my climb, I was excited by my own bravery for trying something so new. However, only ten feet up, my fingers and toes started to tire, and there was absolutely no place to rest. My excitement began to disappear and I was afraid that I was going to slip and fall.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
But I knew if I wanted to make it, I had to trust the rope.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That day’s successful experience inspired me in my cancer battle.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . At the age of 12, I withdrew into my bedroom with my guitar. I had neither musical talent — many_______music lessons had proved that — nor musical training. My fingers ached as I tried to press down on the strings without making them buzz (发出嗡嗡声). _______, I worked my way through 2-, 3- and even 5-chord (和旋) songs and discovered the _______ thrills of these musical notes. No one _______ me to do this. I did this myself and of my own free will for a week, and the sense of happiness－ true happiness _______ in absorption in something － has _______ me. Fifty years later, that week’s self-directed practice became a model and _______ for almost every meaningful thing I have done since. It makes me understand the _______ between achievement and accomplishment.

The world favors achievement while _______ accomplishment. The former is the completion of the task imposed (强加) from the outside — the ________ being a path to the next task. The latter is the end point of an activity we have chosen, whose bonus is the sudden ________ of happiness.

The seeking of accomplishment always ________ people. I learned so long ago in that ________ week that simply lifting one finger from the guitar’s C chord, you should get the most moving ________ in tune. I didn’t know then it was a major 7th chord, a favorite of some masters’. I just ________ accomplishment. That’s real human “achievement”.

1.

A．added

B．tailored

C．expected

D．failed

2.

A．Besides

B．Instead

C．Therefore

D．However

3.

A．fruitless

B．matchless

C．effortless

D．senseless

4.

A．wished

B．allowed

C．required

D．invited

5.

A．masked

B．rooted

C．set

D．stuck

6.

A．waited for

B．passed by

C．departed from

D．stayed with

7.

A．exchange

B．reason

C．foundation

D．priority

8.

A．relationship

B．difference

C．balance

D．similarity

9.

A．ignoring

B．avoiding

C．assessing

D．defending

10.

A．origin

B．process

C．decision

D．reward

11.

A．lack

B．need

C．rush

D．dream

12.

A．amazes

B．concerns

C．frightens

D．discourages

13.

A．adventurous

B．dangerous

C．memorable

D．horrible

14.

A．impression

B．performance

C．scene

D．harmony

15.

A．pursued

B．accepted

C．interpreted

D．analysed

9 . I hadn’t got exercise lately and felt a bit dizzy. I was a little ______. One of my friends invited me to show up to see a ______ that they said would help me feel better. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced a young ______, Mr Patrick Henry Hughes. He was ______ onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers ______ across the keys as he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, ______, I knew that I was seeing something special. Ten minutes later, someone came on the stage and ______ a video of Patrick Henry Hughes.

Patrick was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints which left him ______ for life. Before his first birthday, he ______ the piano. On his second birthday, he asked to play it. His father was ______. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a ______ at university. His father attends classes with him and he has made nearly all “A” s. He is also a trumpet player of a band. He and his father do it together — they ______ all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands of people.

But even more than his ______ musical talent, it was Patrick’s attitude to gratitude that touched me. I will never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that ______ attitude to gratitude. Gratitude can change your attitude, ______ your life forever.

1.

A．active

B．down

C．shocked

D．eager

2.

A．match

B．spot

C．performance

D．picture

3.

A．musician

B．physician

C．physicist

D．lawyer

4.

A．appealed

B．rolled

C．delivered

D．forced

5.

A．danced

B．applied

C．employed

D．connected

6.

A．briefly

B．eventually

C．however

D．instantly

7.

A．shared

B．made

C．released

D．sold

8.

A．demanded

B．sad

C．worried

D．disabled

9.

A．discovered

B．displayed

C．drafted

D．demonstrated

10.

A．proud

B．satisfied

C．excited

D．shocked

11.

A．writer

B．junior

C．professor

D．poet

12.

A．apply

B．attend

C．contact

D．concern

13.

A．available

B．reliable

C．unbelievable

D．achievable

14.

A．wonderful

B．common

C．useful

D．strange

15.

A．literally

B．still

C．instantly

D．thus

10 . Do you enjoy the Olympics? I certainly do. Every four years we get to see the best of the best competing for the _______. But sometimes the best inspiration _______ those who don’t win.

In 1988, Eddie Edwards became the first athlete since 1928 to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping. He had no money, no equipment, no _______ — and some called him the great British loser.

“When you _______, it’s probably about 500 or 600 feet high. So you do have to be not a little _______ to go down, but probably a lot.” Eddie recalled, “I got out and the crowd started _______ ‘Eddie! Eddie!’. It’s the most _______ feeling in the world.”

How did Eddie do? Eddie’s British record of 71 meters _______ him in 58th place — 19 meters behind the competitor who placed 57th. But it didn’t _______. His fans loved him for other reasons. If you ask anyone in Britain, “Who won the Olympic ski jump in 1988?” Almost no one could tell you. ________, if you ask, “Who is Eddie Edwards?” They’ll tell you all about the crazy ski jump guy who they still remember and ________ to this day. The British people were proud of him for just trying, thus ________ didn’t matter a bit. He will be forever and ________ memorized by his country for doing what no one else had done in 60 years.

So what ________ thing are you afraid to do? Take Eddie’s example and just go for it. You might just become a ________.

1.

A．bonus

B．praise

C．medals

D．profits

2.

A．makes up

B．calls for

C．tracks down

D．comes from

3.

A．fans

B．coaches

C．friends

D．competitors

4.

A．look down

B．walk around

C．climb up

D．step forward

5.

A．stupid

B．expert

C．crazy

D．curious

6.

A．whispering

B．shouting

C．singing

D．laughing

7.

A．exciting

B．relaxing

C．frightening

D．annoying

8.

A．followed

B．impressed

C．titled

D．landed

9.

A．work

B．change

C．matter

D．remain

10.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Besides

D．Moreover

11.

A．blame

B．recognize

C．contact

D．admire

12.

A．sweating

B．losing

C．training

D．falling

13.

A．fondly

B．hardly

C．equally

D．simply

14.

A．suitable

B．positive

C．competitive

D．adventurous

15.

A．joke

B．legend

C．loser

D．winner