1 . 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

2 . I was born two months premature with underdeveloped lungs and a heart condition. The doctors said I wouldn’t live long enough to ________ it out of the hospital. As the days went by, doctors couldn’t ________ I was still alive. They told my mom I was defying (克服) the odds. With each new day came new struggles and challenges, but also more ________. Everybody began to see I was a ________. I exceeded (超越) everyone’s expectations and was ________ from the hospital one month later.

Years went by and I was pretty much just like every other kid, though I went to the doctor once a month for ________ and that became part of my normal ________. However, things started to ________ when I was in twelfth grade. I had a constant ________ in my chest and I’d have to start a treatment program right away. The program was very ________ to the chemotherapy cancer patients go through. Should I do the treatment and ________ not graduating with class for missing too many days of school or should I put it off till the summer and possibly cause irreversible (不可逆转的) damage? I thought back what my grandpa always told me, “There’s always an exception, and you’re usually it”, then I had my ________.

I finished all the work brought to me while I was ________ in bed. Once again I defied the odds; I was the ________ to the rule. Just like that baby in the hospital all those years ago, I ________— even to this day — to have that same fight in me…that will to not only survive, but to succeed in everything I set my mind to as well.

1.

A．put

B．make

C．leave

D．get

2.

A．expect

B．tell

C．believe

D．suspect

3.

A．luck

B．trouble

C．regret

D．hope

4.

A．victim

B．survivor

C．fighter

D．patient

5.

A．released

B．deserted

C．protected

D．saved

6.

A．checkouts

B．checkups

C．callbacks

D．callins

7.

A．routine

B．activity

C．duty

D．business

8.

A．go alright

B．go downhill

C．show up

D．build up

9.

A．care

B．attention

C．tension

D．pain

10.

A．similar

B．helpful

C．effective

D．urgent

11.

A．try

B．admit

C．allow

D．chance

12.

A．way

B．desire

C．decision

D．feeling

13.

A．awake

B．stuck

C．sleeping

D．lying

14.

A．witness

B．winner

C．exception

D．servant

15.

A．plan

B．work

C．happen

D．continue

3 . When I started my company, a customer service number was put on the company’s website to better the communication with users. Somehow it rarely rang. So we abandoned it.

However, I thought phone support would have made sense. So, last year, I ________ putting another service number on our homepage.   

“Again? We tried this before, but it didn’t work!” they responded, casting ________ on me.

“But companies evolve; circumstances change.” I argued.

Late last year, I convinced my company to give it a shot. So we started a two-week ________. During the first few days, the volume of calls, around 20 per day, was not much but ________. Then, over the following days, the volume increased dramatically, which ________ them all. So successful was it that we finally decided to adopt the service phone number ________.

This experience reminded me of the elephant-and-rope story. Baby elephants were ________ with a small rope. Because they’re too ________ to break free from the rope, they grow up being conditioned that the rope is stronger than they are. So, as adults, they think they can still be ________ by the rope. In my company, those who thought we couldn’t because we once ________ were like a baby elephant who was living with a ________ mindset. They drew a conclusion based on specific ________, but they forgot to revise it when things changed.

In business, not to mention life, all sorts of invisible mental ropes may hold us back. It results in missed opportunities and wasted ________. So don’t hold onto the ________ that you can’t grow or learn from past failures. All it takes is ________ eyes to reexamine the situation.

1.

A．admitted

B．imagined

C．enjoyed

D．proposed

2.

A．annoyance

B．fear

C．doubt

D．regret

3.

A．activity

B．trial

C．procedure

D．mission

4.

A．significant

B．precise

C．perfect

D．common

5.

A．amused

B．frustrated

C．astonished

D．pleased

6.

A．partly

B．regularly

C．naturally

D．officially

7.

A．injured

B．secured

C．moved

D．pulled

8.

A．small

B．big

C．fat

D．short

9.

A．held on

B．held back

C．set free

D．set apart

10.

A．tried

B．reflected

C．persevered

D．failed

11.

A．flexible

B．complex

C．fixed

D．simple

12.

A．places

B．conditions

C．standards

D．systems

13.

A．space

B．strength

C．money

D．potential

14.

A．belief

B．excuse

C．ambition

D．information

15.

A．mature

B．eager

C．fresh

D．optimistic

4 . Joe Horan, a physical education teacher, has started the program Building Men to create a positive vision of manhood not just for himself, but also for the boys he teaches. Looking back, Mr. Horan says his program developed from a low point in his life. In 2004 as he went through a hard time, he felt society’s definition of manhood was leading him down the wrong path. His life, he says, lacked substance and depth. “A desire became planted in my heart, that is, to find healing from the unhealthy messages I believed about manhood,” he says. Then, his sister recommended a book, Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx, which digs into the discovery of what being a man is all about. Joe took all the clues and started to put life lessons into his class.

Despite limited resources and funding, Building Men began at one middle school in the district in 2006. It grew on a shoestring budget, expanding school by school, year by year. Today, 33 teachers, like Mr. Colabufo, work across 18 schools. Mr Colabufo has known Mr. Horan for several years, noting many people are aware of the program’s success. “Joe’s a legend in this district,’’ Mr Colabufo says.

The program appeals to boys at first because of a basketball component, but its secret is how it dives into off-the-court issues through discussions on character. Building Men helps participants gain insight, work to restore self-worth, and learn to calm emotions. SIR is a central component of lessons, standing for significance, integrity, and relationships.

At a recent breakfast fundraiser, Shateek Nelson, a senior at Nottingham High School, shared his experience, having participated in Building Men since middle school. He said he learned to see the bigger picture, rather than living in the moment. He also came to realize his actions affect others, and now he factors that into his decisions.

1. What motivated Joe Horan to start the program Building Men?

A．An instructional book.	B．His personal experience.
C．His sister’s suggestion.	D．The society’s expectation.

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

A．Flexible.

B．Proper.

C．Tight.

D．Balanced.

3. What did Shateek Nelson learn from participating in BuildingMen?

A．One should dream big and then start small.

B．One should live each day as if it were the last day.

C．It is good to gain real-life experience at middle school.

D．It is essential to think more of others in decision-making.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．SIR: Core Component of Physical Education

B．Healthy Life: Involving Substance and Depth

C．Building Men: Teaching Boys About Manhood

D．Manhood: Teenagers’ Power of Handling Issues

5 . You’ve heard an old Chinese saying before: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. You may even be nodding your head in agreement right now. However, we can have a different understanding about it.

When a person is starving, that’s not the time to fill their head with knowledge but to first give the person a fish-eradicating their hunger-and only then teach them to fish. Far too often, people ignore this common sense first step. They see someone who is struggling, and they rush to offer wisdom. “Let me tell you what I’d do in your position,” a well-meaning individual might offer.

But few of us understand the anxiety, confusion and uncertainty that come with overwhelming need. People meeting with personal disasters don’t have the ability to think straight. Their nerves may be shot. Their confidence may be non-existent. Can you imagine what it would be like to be in that person’s situation?

Rushing to offer a struggling person long-term advice is a waste of time. Instead, it makes far more sense to help them regain their emotional balance. Once their ears, heart and mind open, you’ll have an opportunity to teach a new skill.

But how do we know whether a person needs a fish before a fishing lesson? Two things: One is the ability to pay attention. We need to know whether the other person is open and receptive, or looking at the world through narrowed eyes? You can’t just take their words but have to look at how the person acts and what they don’t say. The other is empathy (共情).The more successful you are, the harder it is to imagine what it must be like to be the opposite. Try to create a safe environment for emotional acceptance before the fishing lesson.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To illustrate a concept.	B．To bring in a new viewpoint.
C．To introduce the background.	D．To put up an example.

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

A．Getting rid of.	B．Paying attention to.
C．Making up for.	D．Putting up with.

3. What should we do first for those in disasters?

A．Get them to think straight.	B．Enhance their confidence.
C．Satisfy their primary needs.	D．Teach them a new skill.

4. Which does the author probably agree with according to the last paragraph?

A．Live and learn.	B．Never teach a fish to swim.
C．Put yourself in others’ shoes.	D．Don’t teach old dogs new tricks.

6 . Kala has deep ties to her Hawaiian roots. Her ancestors navigated (航行) the oceans for centuries using their knowledge of the stars, the sun, the currents and the wind. It’s not that she does it in a canoe without technology, but rather uses the natural technology around her. It’s called Way finding, and was taught to her by her father.

“My father was my foundation, my rock.” she says of her first voyage with him from Oahu to Lahaina in a traditional canoe. He taught her how to read the stars, the ocean swells and how to use them to hold the course. “Over 200 stars have specific names and purposes when you are Way finding. You have to look at each and determine if they are rising or setting. You know this star and the direction it represents. If you can do that, you can use it as a tool to orient (确定方向).” Kala added.

Kala Tanaka sailed the canoe in the ocean for up to three weeks. During the day, Kala used the sun until it hit a certain height. When she got closer to land, she looked for certain species of land birds and clouds that indicated there was land below. When Kala sailed she felt “I feel very connected to the crew and the canoe. We’re a family.” The longer voyage required Kala to spend hours studying the day and the night skies. It was demanding physical work. But it also had its moments of awe. For Kala, the beauty was in tying together the past and the present to enjoy the moment. So when she was not sailing, she was teaching Way finding skills to school-aged children in hopes of preserving the skills her ancestors relied on.

It’s easy to be lost in the immediacy of the technology of our day, to be consumed by screens and miss the nature that unfolds around us. But if we will take the time to look up, to see the stars and the sun, the way the clouds move, the miracle of life beneath and above us, we will discover something deep inside us, something that will always lead to happiness.

1. How does Kala navigate the ocean in a canoe?

A．By observing the natural elements around.

B．By following the course of ocean currents.

C．By using hi-technology navigation devices.

D．By recalling the first voyage with her father.

2. What did Kala think of the three-week canoe voyage?

A．It was a heroic adventure.	B．It brought great joy to her life.
C．It was school children’s favorite.	D．It represented a kind of innovation.

3. What does the author suggest we do?

A．Enjoy the screens.	B．Explore the universe.
C．Get close to nature.	D．Keep the earth clean.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Finding Our Way	B．Navigating the Ocean
C．The Wisdom from Ancestors	D．An Unforgettable Journey

7 . 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。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . After my family got comfortably settled in Hotel Ramada in Bangkok, we started exploring the city. After endless hours of shopping, it was finally time to go back.

This was when the trouble started. We forgot there are two Ramada hotels in the opposite directions. Absolutely unaware of this, we started searching for the way back. Google maps suggested us the shortest route which was just 20 minutes away by walk    1    

Bangkok felt different after sunset. Walking along the heavily-crowded roads with the dark-red sky felt beautiful. Lost in our talk, we didn’t realize that we passed onto the quieter part of the town.

    2     It was closed for redecoration. To our luck, nobody around us then spoke English. Worse still, we stepped in a local tuk-tuk(三轮车), which took us to an unknown area for an enormous pay. We had no idea where we were, our mobile phones nearly out of charge.

    3     He was a taxi driver. Recounting the day’s events proved to be a great conversation starter. We ended up talking through the way. He was so kind as to offer to drive us around for the rest of our stay.     4     For the next four days, from floating markets to the temples of Wat Pho, our trip wouldn’t have been so trouble free without him.

Sometimes when things don’t go according to plan, I think about the stranger we met on the streets and how a tiny mistake on our part led to unexpected results.     5    

A．That was when our hero arrived.

B．Our thankfulness knew no bounds.

C．We reached a completely different Hotel Ramada.

D．We set off into the city with little research on transport.

E．We decided not to waste our money but our time instead.

F．The trip rings as a reminder that every cloud has a silver lining.

G．He then informed us that our hotel was just a few blocks away.

9 . When I was a graduate student, I felt too busy to exercise. I promised myself I’d do it once I _________ school. I knew I would be busy as an assistant professor. _________. I believed in my willpower.

When I started my first job at Williams College, I _________ did exercise regularly. It turned out that I was in a(n) _________ that offered excellent support for what I _________ to do.

Research shows that our _________ are influenced by whether our environment makes something easy or difficult. Even the smallest difference can have an outsized _________. In one study, researchers _________ items from the front to the back of a salad bar-a change of just 10 inches-and the _________ inconvenience made people eat less of these items.

My plan to exercise benefited from Williamstown’s long winter. People figured the best way through it was to get __________ happily and enjoy it. I kept meeting people who were __________ joggers. When I started, they were quick to offer social __________. With so many runners in town, it was easy to find trails (小径), including those __________ for beginners.

Do __________ your environment to make challenging tasks easier. If you want to socialize, befriend outgoing persons. Or __________ your cell phone when you need to concentrate on study. The right surroundings are more powerful than willpower alone.

1.

A．attended

B．finished

C．started

D．quitted

2.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Instead

D．Meanwhile

3.

A．unwillingly

B．virtually

C．actually

D．barely

4.

A．occupation

B．situation

C．position

D．environment

5.

A．hoped

B．insisted

C．hesitated

D．managed

6.

A．experiences

B．choices

C．insights

D．emotions

7.

A．advantage

B．reward

C．effect

D．risk

8.

A．examined

B．connected

C．counted

D．moved

9.

A．obvious

B．major

C．unique

D．slight

10.

A．aboard

B．outdoors

C．home

D．inside

11.

A．enthusiastic

B．sensitive

C．independent

D．ambitious

12.

A．resources

B．activities

C．support

D．service

13.

A．instructive

B．strange

C．tough

D．appropriate

14.

A．change

B．protect

C．ignore

D．accept

15.

A．answer

B．silence

C．keep

D．ring

10 . Camping is a rite of passage (成人仪式) if you grow up in Canada. It’s a child’s first_________of what living in the wild really means. But growing up as an immigrant from India, I thought it was ___________ .

Then I __________26 and started trying new things. I had been __________mental health issues for quite some time and I discovered being out in nature helped me calm down._________, I decided to try camping.

Then I overheard a(n)__________ between my father and mother. “Why does she have to do this? Doesn’t she know she can just stay at home?” my father asked. “This is what Canadian kids do, it’s okay, she’ll be fine!” my mom__________ . My parents had no___________in me surviving one night in the wild.

My friends and I___________our campsite in the woods. As the day went on, we ate, played by the water and met our camping neighbors. Time felt like it __________; life felt gentler and easier. As the day turned into night, the stars came out and I was amazed by all the__________lights above me. Morning came. I didn’t even realize I was __________ to leave until we started packing everything up.

I wasn’t just leaving, having accomplished something I ___________thought I would do. I was leaving with a real sense of community, a real sense of __________for what the great outdoors had to offer, and a completely different __________ to an activity that I had thought strange for so many years.

1.

A．attempt

B．taste

C．proposal

D．target

2.

A．odd

B．awkward

C．amazing

D．rough

3.

A．grew

B．observed

C．turned

D．recalled

4.

A．involving

B．surviving

C．abandoning

D．experiencing

5.

A．Overall

B．Moreover

C．Somehow

D．Therefore

6.

A．argument

B．debate

C．conversation

D．quarrel

7.

A．explained

B．insisted

C．prayed

D．interrupted

8.

A．mercy

B．empathy

C．faith

D．preference

9.

A．set up

B．beat down

C．drew on

D．rose to

10.

A．shot up

B．slowed down

C．broke out

D．put off

11.

A．swinging

B．bouncing

C．rolling

D．twinkling

12.

A．curious

B．enthusiastic

C．upset

D．desperate

13.

A．barely

B．constantly

C．ultimately

D．merely

14.

A．foundation

B．appreciation

C．resolution

D．recognition

15.

A．contrast

B．attitude

C．priority

D．exposure