1 . “Let’s go outside and water the plants,” urged Fiona, my energetic 4-year-old granddaughter, during a recent visit from Maryland to my New Jersey home.

Fiona and I filled our watering cans. Out we went and I walked directly to the newly-planted begonias (秋海棠). “No, Granny, what about the grass and that tree?” Fiona insisted, pointing to the sycamore tree (悬铃木) that decorated a patch of earth between the sidewalk and the street, typically cared for by the town.

Through Fiona’s eyes, the begonias, the grass and the tree were all equal in nature’s esteem, all worthy of attention and care. At first, I didn’t want to deny my red begonias preferential treatment. I thought that the rain or the town would tend to the grass and the tree.

Even so, I turned and joined in Fiona’s universal watering party. Thanks to Fiona, I saw how the grass and the sycamore tree could assume their rightful place, equal to the begonias. I wondered if I sincerely accept all of nature and all people with an open mind and heart. My time with Fiona inspired me to doubt myself since I couldn’t even apply my equalitarian beliefs to a tree, grass and flowers.

I paused and reflected on unspoken prejudice, the tendency for stereotyped (模式化的) thoughts to pass automatically through our minds. Studies on unspoken prejudice show that sorting people, nature and objects into categories is a natural phenomenon. Rarely do we question it. Instead, we may assume, quite wrongly, that some people are less worthy, less valuable or, worse, hateful and dangerous.

1. What did Fiona want the author to do when they were out?

A．Clean a patch of earth for the town.

B．Tell her more about the sycamore tree.

C．Water the begonias, the grass and the sycamore tree.

D．Help make the sidewalk and the street more attractive.

2. How did the author feel about Fiona’s suggestion at first?

A．Supportive.	B．Curious.
C．Uncertain.	D．Uninterested.

3. What made the author take a fresh look at the grass, the tree and the begonias?

A．They received the same attention and care.

B．They were found in Maryland by Fiona.

C．They were all close to the neighborhood.

D．They were all typically cared for by the town.

4. What can we infer about unspoken prejudice from the last paragraph?

A．It is what fools use for reason.	B．It pushes people to think about what goes wrong.
C．It is the original form of prejudice.	D．It often leads to unfairness.

2 . Now that my children are grown, I have resumed (中断后继续) a habit: solo travel. The seed was planted when I was 17 and went on a class trip to Spain. The experience was similar to reading my first book. I remember when I separated from the group and went through the busy streets of Madrid on my own, looking at the architecture gawkingly, trying unfamiliar foods, and gathering the courage to engage the natives with my high school Spanish. After that adventure I sought every opportunity to explore on my own, because I wanted to move according to my ideas.

I recall, many years ago, before I became a dad, arranging to work for a summer on an Icelandic farm in exchange for room and board. The driver stopped at the appointed place, but no one was there to meet me. And so I put my backpack down and read a book, knowing that when one travels one is never lost.

I tell this story to calm the fears of friends and others who have occasionally raised their hands to their faces upon hearing what I was up to. Some are specialists in outlining for me all the things that can go wrong when one launches oneself into the unknown. But for me, that’s the whole point of travel: to go where I haven’t gone before, to discover friendships waiting to be made, to interface with unfamiliar scents (气味) and tastes, to enter a new and, for me, undiscovered environment where being pleasantly surprised is the reward.

A few years back I went to Greenland. I spent a week hiking its mountains, interacting with the natives, and sailing the bays. It was inspiring. I hopped (登上) my flight back to Iceland feeling well satisfied. But when I got off the plane and saw the line of passengers waiting for their flight to Greenland, all I wanted to do was turn around and join them. Once again it was proved for me that I would never get travel out of my system.

1. How did the class trip to Spain affect the writer?

A．He discovered the magic of solo travel.

B．He realized the pleasure of reading books.

C．He became interested in learning Spanish.

D．He formed a habit of collecting plant seeds.

2. What does the underlined word “gawkingly” in the first paragraph most probably mean?

A．Curiously.

B．Randomly.

C．Casually.

D．Anxiously.

3. What does the travelling mean for the writer?

A．Going wherever you would like to.	B．Going in the unknown environment.
C．Exploring something new all the way.	D．Getting a reward from challenging fear.

4. What did the writer’s trip to Greenland reflect?

A．His impatient personality.	B．His crazy desire for travelling.
C．His quickness to follow others.	D．His tendency to be easily satisfied.

3 . Simple Tips to Increase Self-Confidence

Having confidence begins with having a mind full of confident thoughts. A mind is controlled by you, therefore believing only the things that will bring you things you desire. Almost anyone in the world can have confidence.     1    . It is a matter of following these easy steps.

Set goals

It’s a great idea to keep a “Goals Book” and every time something enters your mind you’d like to achieve, list it in the book. Soon you’ll see a pattern among all your goals.     2    , you begin to see simple changes in your life. There is no greater joy in life than to realize a goal.

    3    

People usually can’t tell you how you should live your life when it’s just an expression of their own shortcomings. Don’ allow the shortcomings of others to affect your life negatively. No one but you knows your interests and ambitions. Work in the direction of your true loves and ignore everything that enters your mind going against your own desires.

Challenge your beliefs

    4    . If they are not, cross them out. You may find it difficult to get rid of some of the deep-rooted beliefs, but with true desire you can abandon negative beliefs about yourself and you will realize enormous benefit in growing self-confidence and self-esteem.

Get started

Don’t expect changes right away and have patience in knowing that it takes time to be the person you wish to be. The wonderful thing about becoming a more self-confident person is that little benefits start taking shape almost immediately.     5     — as long as you continue to keep a positive outlook and display your confidence.

As you achieve confidence, and find little moments of confidence coming closer and closer, all the things you desire will come to you easier than you ever imagined.

A．Follow your heart

B．They keep coming one after the other

C．Believe in a power greater than yourself

D．When you make conclusions about your goals

E．If you maintain a confident position long enough

F．And, it is entirely easier than you may have once believed

G．Examine all of your beliefs and determine if they are in line with the life you desire

4 . In the seventh grade when my mother suggested that I should join the golf team, I thought she had lost her mind. But as usual, my mother _________ in the end. I played on the middle-school golf team in the seventh and eighth grade. The summer before high school came, I was _________ to join the high school team.

That summer I _________ almost every Sunday morning on the golf course with my _________, and too many afternoons with my mother. This_________ relationship with my parents _________ during my high school years._________ you’re walking down the freshly mowed fairway (修剪的平坦球道), looking out across miles of nothing but golf course, and looking up at the beautiful blue sky, you will realize what is _________ in life.My mom and I_________ many things in the middle of a round of golf that we would never do at ____________,where she is Mom and I am an annoying teenager. On the golf course, we’re just two people who ____________ golf.

During the past years golfing has become a part of my____________. My friends know in the summer the place to find me is on the golf course. There is ____________ I love more than a perfect autumn morning, riding around in a golf cart (球车) with my dad. Golf has ____________ me and made me into the person I am today. And I have to____________ that all of it is thanks to my mom who made me join that middle-school golf team. In fact, she was right.

1.

A．stopped

B．replied

C．recovered

D．won

2.

A．serious

B．careful

C．anxious

D．afraid

3.

A．wasted

B．spent

C．counted

D．missed

4.

A．father

B．friend

C．sister

D．classmate

5.

A．funny

B．unhappy

C．close

D．poor

6.

A．changed

B．started

C．failed

D．continued

7.

A．Though

B．When

C．Because

D．Unless

8.

A．difficult

B．common

C．convenient

D．important

9.

A．talk about

B．give up

C．look for

D．take down

10.

A．school

B．home

C．work

D．play

11.

A．discover

B．trust

C．love

D．watch

12.

A．way

B．story

C．job

D．life

13.

A．nothing

B．something

C．anything

D．everything

14.

A．saved

B．shaped

C．protected

D．persuaded

15.

A．admit

B．explain

C．consider

D．prove

5 . The new, “used” car that I bought just three months ago wouldn't start the other day. The factory battery that ________ along with it decided that it had worked long enough and ________ to take an early, permanent retirement. My ________ neighbor gave me a jump but the battery stubbornly wouldn't ________ the charge. After getting one more jump, I ________ to the local auto parts store to buy a new one. Installing (安装) it was much more ________ than we thought, however, so I took it to a local mechanic who finally got the new battery in and the car ________ once again.

Driving it this morning, though, I ________ that the time and date on the screen in the dashboard (仪表盘) had ________ gone back to nine years ago, resetting to the ________ date of the first time it was started. While my son smartly figured out how to ________ it back to today I thought about all the times I had wished I could go back in time and undo some of the ________ and missteps I had taken in my own life.

Yes, many of my choices brought me ________ in the past, but they have also brought me wisdom for the present. When you ________ your own life, don't regret the roads not taken Instead, be ________ with the path you are on, the things you have learned, and the love you have shared.

1.

A．came

B．waited

C．left

D．raced

2.

A．planned

B．refused

C．chose

D．managed

3.

A．easy-going

B．kind-hearted

C．hard-working

D．good-tempered

4.

A．lead

B．take

C．offer

D．hold

5.

A．welcomed

B．headed

C．returned

D．got

6.

A．complex

B．vital

C．efficient

D．accurate

7.

A．switching

B．jumping

C．running

D．shaking

8.

A．guessed

B．remembered

C．expected

D．noticed

9.

A．suddenly

B．slightly

C．casually

D．secretly

10.

A．final

B．original

C．special

D．temporary

11.

A．bring

B．program

C．call

D．drive

12.

A．attempts

B．effects

C．mistakes

D．changes

13.

A．damage

B．pain

C．peace

D．convenience

14.

A．look at

B．come out of

C．focus on

D．take control of

15.

A．faced

B．patient

C．strict

D．pleased

6 . In life, do you choose to take the road everyone has taken, or do you choose the path that is best for you? It might be ________ to choose what everyone has done, especially if it seemed to work for them. But is that what truly ________ for you?

On a recent hiking ________, my partner and I decided to take a popular trail in the ________ direction. This was an old, well-traveled trail that people had been hiking and biking from A to Z for years. For our own reasons, we chose to travel from Z to A. Going backwards made more sense with my ________. The trip would take several days and going backwards ________ that I would end the trip closer to the airport for my flight home.

As my partner and I walked, everyone crossing our path had something to say, “You're going the wrong way. Are you lost? Are you returning ________ you forgot something? Are you crazy? The path occasionally crossed a ________. When it did, even passing cars beeped to ________ us in the “right” direction.

Why did people only see one way? Because that's what everyone does? Because that's how it's always been done? We even ________ to talk to a Danish woman who said, “We have a(n)       ________ in my country: when you go backwards to everyone else, it's because you're avoiding something.” I couldn't believe it. We were just enjoying connecting with nature, hiking the way that best ________ us. Had we gone the “wrong” way? No. At least, not for us.

I decided to ________ the path I chose. ________, we had an amazing experience. Choosing the “wrong” path was right for me. When your inner ________ tells you something is right (or wrong), listen to it. It's your instinct. It's speaking to you for a reason and it knows, better than anyone, what's best for you.

1.

A．anxious

B．normal

C．awkward

D．impressive

2.

A．designs

B．plans

C．works

D．prepares

3.

A．race

B．test

C．project

D．trip

4.

A．opposite

B．wrong

C．common

D．accessible

5.

A．emotion

B．target

C．schedule

D．request

6.

A．supposed

B．ensured

C．provided

D．permitted

7.

A．if

B．because

C．while

D．yet

8.

A．plain

B．valley

C．trail

D．highway

9.

A．point

B．inspire

C．protect

D．support

10.

A．expected

B．stopped

C．agreed

D．hesitated

11.

A．saying

B．point

C．myth

D．spell

12.

A．instructed

B．confused

C．offered

D．suited

13.

A．show off

B．think over

C．pick out

D．stick to

14.

A．Probably

B．Hopefully

C．Eventually

D．Knowingly

15.

A．desire

B．feeling

C．voice

D．reaction

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 husband and I got to experience a total stranger's kindness and generosity first-hand during a 10-day trip across the High Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert.

On our second-to-last day in Morocco, we happily took a trip to Essaouira, an old and beautiful seaside town on the Atlantic. During the journey there, we stopped at an Argan co-operative（合作社）, where we got to taste some Argan oil and honey. After that, we headed where we stayed. We arrived at our small guesthouse in Essaouira at around dinnertime, and on our way to a local restaurants my husband started to feel unwell. He went back to our guesthouse while I had dinner with some friends.

When I got back to our guesthouse after dinner, I found my husband sitting on the bathroom floor, looking very pale. He had been sick about six times in an hour. He spent the rest of the night in the bathroom, getting very familiar with the house's pipe. Our main suspect was the Argan honey—it probably didn't agree with him.

At about 6 a. m., my husband finally managed to leave the bathroom and crawl into bed. He was very weak and dehydrated（脱水的），so I went down to the reception to buy a bottle of water. When I got to the lobby（门厅）,I found a young man behind the desk, who didn't look older than 18, and explained to him that my husband was sick and I needed to buy some bottled water for him.

Our house was very small and basic and didn't have a restaurant or cafe. The young man informed me that they didn't sell any drinks at the house, so I asked him where the nearest shop was.

I looked out the window and my heart started to race. I didn't fancy risking going into the unfamiliar streets of the Medina in the dark, all by myself. In fact, I was afraid of it.

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。

Instead of giving me directions to the nearest shop, the young man asked me to wait for him there.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I handed him a 50 Dirham note （about 5 EUR） for the water.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Every summer, my swim team has a picnic. Mom used to make potato salad for me. This year, _________, I wanted to try making something on my own.

I spent hours looking through recipe (菜谱) books and finally _________ to make apple pie. But then I met a(n) _________: the recipe needed six apples, and I had just three. _________, I found strawberries in the fridge. “That’s it! I’ll make strawberry-apple pie.” Two hours later, my pie was ready, not _________ nice, but it smelled so good that I couldn’t wait to _________ it.

At the picnic, when I was just _________ to show my pie, Maddie put down a very nice box. She said, “_________ the box is the most beautiful pie you can ever imagine. I bought it from the best pastry (糕点) shop in the town.” While everybody’s eyes were on it, I quietly _________ my bag of pie under the table.

I was feeling so __________ about my pie that I just sat on the grass alone. Suddenly, John cried out loud, “Come on, guys, here I found the most __________ pie under the table! Someone must have forgotten it.” Everyone went up and tried some. The pie was __________ in no time.

Seeing it was __________ strawberry-apple pie, I laughed __________.

From this __________, I knew I shouldn’t compare and worry about what everyone might think and we shouldn’t judge (判断) a pie by its look, either.

1.

A．again

B．gradually

C．however

D．besides

2.

A．decided

B．asked

C．promised

D．agreed

3.

A．answer

B．problem

C．chance

D．message

4.

A．Naturally

B．Carefully

C．Especially

D．Luckily

5.

A．looking

B．tasting

C．sounding

D．feeling

6.

A．sell

B．share

C．protect

D．refuse

7.

A．shy

B．scared

C．sorry

D．ready

8.

A．Nearby

B．Outside

C．Inside

D．Below

9.

A．hid

B．showed

C．lost

D．broke

10.

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．encouraged

D．relaxed

11.

A．terrible

B．delicious

C．interesting

D．expensive

12.

A．put down

B．taken out

C．eaten up

D．cut down

13.

A．your

B．his

C．her

D．my

14.

A．coldly

B．sadly

C．happily

D．politely

15.

A．picnic

B．tour

C．holiday

D．game

9 . Several years ago, Cindy and her kids noticed that two robins (知更鸟) had built a nest in one of their trees. As they paid attention to the robins’ _________ they realized there were eggs in the nest.

Soon four baby birds hatched. Cindy and her kids took _________ of the baby birds. They loved to watch them and would check on their condition _________.

Then one day as Cindy was _________ clothes in one of the kids’ rooms—she saw something she’d never seen before or since. More than a dozen birds were flying around the tree with the robins’ nest. Cindy _________ out to see what the trouble was and saw all different types of birds were _________ the tree. Instinctively, Cindy ran to _________ the baby birds and what she found was _________.

The birds were dive-bombing (俯冲攻击) the tree because a snake had _________ itself around the tree and was trying to get to the baby robins. The birds were doing everything they could to __________ the baby birds.

Cindy thought quickly and took a __________ and used it to pull the snake off the tree. It slid away and when Cindy eventually __________, all of the birds were sitting on the branches of the tree looking at her as if to say thank you. Then they flew away.

There is something remarkable that happens when we have a __________ cause. When we have a common __________, just like the birds, we forget our __________. We begin to work together and focus on common objectives and we fight for our cause.

1.

A．weight

B．cage

C．color

D．activity

2.

A．ownership

B．advantage

C．place

D．hold

3.

A．anxiously

B．casually

C．regularly

D．quickly

4.

A．washing

B．folding

C．buying

D．renting

5.

A．rushed

B．looked

C．worked

D．stood

6.

A．attacking

B．waving

C．ruining

D．observing

7.

A．catch

B．protect

C．comfort

D．serve

8.

A．interesting

B．rewarding

C．amazing

D．inspiring

9.

A．defended

B．enjoyed

C．resigned

D．wrapped

10.

A．save

B．satisfy

C．support

D．carry

11.

A．stick

B．gun

C．net

D．rope

12.

A．settled down

B．gave in

C．turned around

D．cheered up

13.

A．common

B．final

C．public

D．personal

14.

A．problem

B．enemy

C．idea

D．sense

15.

A．dangers

B．friends

C．differences

D．promises

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。

The Summer I Learned to Really See

It was a muggy(闷热)end-of-summer dog day in Missouri. I was preparing to go after the mail—about a mile's distance, through fields and forests, across a river, from our farmhouse, in which three generations of my family lived.

“Take the bucket with you,” my grandmother said, handing me the very familiar bucket.

“What for?” I asked, petulantly(使小性子). The berries had been picked, and it was too early for wild grapes, too late for roasting ears(穗).

“You'll find something to fill it with,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

I didn't want to take the bucket. It would be a burden to me. Twice a day I'd carried a bucket for milking. With it I'd carried feed to the chickens, salt to the cows, sugar to the neighbors. I'd had enough with carrying with the bucket!

Nevertheless, I took the bucket. Halfway to the mailbox, I set it down beneath a pokeberry bush(胡桃树). I needn't carry it the whole way, I reasoned. There was no mail. When I got back to the bucket, I saw that a few ripe pokeberries had fallen into it. With childish ill humor, I picked off enough clusters(花串) to fill the bucket, even though I thought they were good for nothing.

“Aren't they just lovely!” Grandma exclaimed admiringly when I set them on the kitchen table. She squeezed out the juice of the berries and we used the lovely red ink to paint rings on our fingers and pen letters to distant cousins.

When I went to mail the letters the next day, Grandma again told me to take the bucket along. This time I carried the bucket a little farther than the previous day before setting it down. There was only a sale catalogue in the mail. When I got back to the bucket, I dropped it in. But I felt vaguely uncomfortable, remembering the pokeberries. I caught sight of a bunch of peppermint(薄荷) growing close to the path. Funny, I had passed it every day and never noticed it before. Peppermint just doesn't spring up overnight. I picked a bucketful, its fragrance seeming to cool the day. Grandma was pleased with the peppermint. She liked to chew it and make tea with it.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
The daily routine to take the bucket along was repeated for weeks, and I began to see more.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One day when I went home, I didn't have anything in the bucket.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________