1 . Emest Owusu was 13 in 1980 when he was given the opportunity to appear in the audience of a BBC show, and ask Thatcher how she felt about being called the Iron Lady. This encounter re-emerged in a BBC’s programme recently.

At the time of their meeting, Owusu was on free school meals, living on a public estate in Brixton, south London, where he and his sister were being raised by their mother Rose, a struggling hairdresser.

Now 57, Owusu looks remarkably similar even with a greying beard. But his life has been transformed. The father of three is a human resources director, and the first black captain of the Addington golf club in its 110-year history. As a black guy, it is about breaking the glass ceiling.

Speaking in its clubhouse, Owusu describes his rise in social status (地位) as a “Thatcherite Journey”. And he says it began by asking the woman herself. “To this day it still has an impact. My confidence changed from that sliding-door moment. Something about her connected with me.”

Thatcher told Owusu she enjoyed being called the Iron Lady. “I think it’s rather a praise, don’t you?” she said, “Because so often people have said to me if you’re in your job you’ve got to be soft and warm and human, but you’ve got to have a touch of steel.” Owusu recalls the moment, “I just remember her eye contact. She was answering me, not the camera. She welcomed the question saying you’ve got to be firm in this world. And that stuck with me.”

After the show was broadcast, Owusu said he became “a little hero in Brixton for a good three months”. Owusu added, “It all gave me extra confidence. Doors might not have opened so quickly. It was one of those key moments to make you do things maybe you wouldn’t otherwise have done.”

1. What do we know about Owusu when he was 13?

A．He met with Thatcher twice.

B．He joined a famous golf club.

C．He hosted a BBC’s programme.

D．He lived at the bottom of society.

2. What do the underlined words “sliding-door moment” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Turning point.	B．Important decision.
C．Social status.	D．Remarkable achievement.

3. Based on the text, what made a big difference to Owusu?

A．Others’ treating him equally at work.

B．Others’ voting him a hero in Brixton.

C．Thatcher’s efforts to preserve his dignity.

D．Thatcher’s faith in the necessity of toughness.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Art of Dialogue	B．The Power of Confidence
C．A Life-changing Meeting	D．A Status-improving Tale

2 . Ida Keeling was 67, weak and sick, when her daughter Cheryl suggested a run to her. Cheryl thought that maybe what would pull her mother out from dark cloud was something that would get her _______ again.

Keeling lived a hard life when young, growing up _______ in Harlem, and doing hard work in factories during the Great Depression. She had _______ her husband early, and two of her four children died in drug-related incidents in 1978 and 1981.

Keeling had sunk into a deep _______, her health had begun to _______, and her daughters began to _______ that they soon might be losing their mother as well.

It had been decades since Keeling had done any _______, and she would later recall that first “mini-run” feeling as if it would never end. But when it did, “I just threw off all my bad _______.”

She hasn’t stopped running since, and it’s no longer as _______ as it was during that first meet. “I was just exercising then,” she says ________ regarding that first run, “and now I’m all over the world.”

When she’s not running, she must be ________. She’s in the gym three to four days a week on a ________ basis. Part of her healthy diet is occasional consumption of alcohol mixed with her coffee or water to ________ blood circulation.

She’s written a book about her ________, titled Can’t Nothing Bring Me Down: Chasing Myself in the Race Against Time. Her ________ is also suitable for everyone: “Every day is another day forward.”

1.

A．working

B．starting

C．exercising

D．winning

2.

A．poor

B．happy

C．out-going

D．depressed

3.

A．met

B．left

C．married

D．lost

4.

A．dream

B．depression

C．regret

D．relaxation

5.

A．recover

B．slide

C．improve

D．disappear

6.

A．believe

B．announce

C．worry

D．realize

7.

A．running

B．decision

C．changing

D．preparation

8.

A．mistakes

B．memories

C．analyses

D．habits

9.

A．difficult

B．cool

C．boring

D．unsafe

10.

A．anxiously

B．cheerfully

C．unwillingly

D．secretly

11.

A．wandering about

B．doing housework

C．making friends

D．working out

12.

A．regular

B．solid

C．daily

D．voluntary

13.

A．aid

B．feel

C．slow

D．resist

14.

A．achievements

B．puzzles

C．reflections

D．experiences

15.

A．prospect

B．philosophy

C．potential

D．prediction

3 . After a whole week of rain we finally had a comfortable, beautiful summer day outside. My family and I were driving to a nearby town when my daughter _________ a yard sale. Then, a few miles down the road, we saw another, and another, and another, We saw tables full of knickknacks. We saw plates, glasses, and silverware. _________, we saw lots of smiling people talking, laughing, sitting, and standing in the sunshine.

Seeing all of this brought back _________ of my childhood. Most of the clothes in my closet back then came from _________. My mom was a talented yard sale-shopper. When I was little, she would drag me along with her. I used to _________ going to them, until one special day when I saw that they also sold old _________. After that, I always browsed through the books until it was time to _________. Sometimes mom would _________ me one too. Soon, a large part of my home library came from yard sale books. For me, these books were more _________ than their first editions.

Why do we have yard sales? It certainly isn’t for the ____________. For all the time and ____________ people put into them, they would hardly make minimum wage from the sales. I think, rather, it is yard sales that ____________ us together. We ____________ our old things and we buy “new” old things. We talk and ____________ old friends and new neighbors. We get a ____________ to give and share. We ____________ through kindness and love among all the old stuff. It’s all about ____________, both in goods and between people.

I think yard sales teach us something about ____________ too. We can’t really ____________ anything here, after all; all we get is ____________ possession of our stuff, then it comes time for us to let it go and pass it on.

1.

A．announced

B．spotted

C．prepared

D．recalled

2.

A．Even so

B．In short

C．At least

D．Above all

3.

A．problems

B．memories

C．realities

D．dreams

4.

A．markets

B．neighbors

C．yard sales

D．shopping malls

5.

A．imagine

B．enjoy

C．practice

D．hate

6.

A．books

B．paintings

C．plates

D．toys

7.

A．go

B．start

C．work

D．register

8.

A．award

B．write

C．buy

D．lend

9.

A．popular

B．useful

C．different

D．priceless

10.

A．fun

B．money

C．relaxation

D．responsibility

11.

A．love

B．resource

C．fund

D．effort

12.

A．mix

B．bring

C．guide

D．inspire

13.

A．get rid of

B．put away

C．go through

D．make use of

14.

A．pass by

B．look for

C．catch up with

D．face up to

15.

A．tradition

B．goal

C．chance

D．job

16.

A．extend

B．connect

C．learn

D．compete

17.

A．communication

B．information

C．delivery

D．exchange

18.

A．life

B．ethics

C．economy

D．society

19.

A．purchase

B．explore

C．own

D．trust

20.

A．temporary

B．legal

C．normal

D．full

4 . Standing on a hill at Cliveden Gardens on a sunny winter day, its dark-green lake surrounded by centuries-old trees took my breath away.     1     It’s just a local park near London that I’d never heard of during my eight years living in the UK. As I admired the serene garden, it taught me a lesson about the British culture of understatement.

“The English landscape is more beautiful because its beauty is understated,” my friend Will said to me later as we walked through an exhibition at Tate Britain. He pointed to a painting of a peaceful countryside. “This is the landscape I grew up with”, he said. Unlike grand waterfalls or wild forests, this scenery doesn’t shout about its beauty.     2    

I wonder if Chinese tourists will explore beyond London.     3     Indeed, Oxford and Cambridge and the beloved Lake District National Park are some iconic symbols of Britain. But it would be a pity if they miss out on the lesser-known parts of the English landscape.

    4     I remember a straight-A classmate once telling me he “survived exams” and another friend from Oxford introducing himself as “studying in the countryside”. This modesty also has its mirror in Chinese culture. I remember my parents’ telling me to work hard but not to brag about my achievements. Chinese culture is full of proverbs such as “real gold will shine sooner or later”, to encourage long-term dedication to one’s chosen area of expertise.

Experiencing both cultures, I’ve realized that the English and Chinese both express achievements with understatement.     5     It reflects the unspoken charm in both British and Chinese traditions. And it’s an off-the-beaten-path attraction well worth exploration.

A．Cliveden isn’t a famous holiday place.

B．Rather, its beauty is reserved for the locals only.

C．I’ve been impressed by British humor all the time.

D．They tend to prefer places with a strong reputation.

E．But the more I looked, the more I saw its quiet elegance.

F．Over the years, I’ve become familiar with British modesty.

G．This mix makes me appreciate the unusual beauty of Cliveden.

5 . 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。

No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts. I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program. The school took part in the league matches every year. However, it never ended well. We were more of the audience, watching and cheering instead of sweating out in the fields.

Fortunately, the school held the tradition that the school’s old team was to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. For lack of resources, the old team bad no coach, and they didn’t even practice to prepare for the game.

I was assigned (指派) as the coach of the new team, which was why I was excited. I believed that we were going to win, but to my disappointment, we were defeated. I couldn’t believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I tried to figure out the reason and what I should do next.

It didn’t take long before I came to realize that my team was depending on me. Without proper guidance or previous experience, my team was at a loss what to do. I had to change my attitude so that I could bring out the best in them about their ability and potential.

I would let my action do the talking. First, I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. I could see their spirits lifted, with their head held high in great confidence. Most importantly, I began to treat them like winners. Only when they regarded themselves as winners could they willingly invest time and energy.

This summer, the other teams enjoyed their vacations.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Six months later, football season started.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Sometime in 2014, two famous men, the hip-hop artist Wale and the popular comedian Jerry Seinfeld walked into a recording studio. They were working on a rap album, but at this particular moment they were talking about marriage.

While recording a song called The Matrimony(婚姻), Wale questioned Seinfeld about his thoughts on marriage. At first, Seinfeld talked about what it felt like to get engaged(订婚). He explained the combination of excitement, nervousness and helplessness made engagement feel like sitting in a roller coaster heading to the top of the hill where the marriage awaits.

Wale paused for a moment, looked at Seinfeld, and said, “So, even if you make plans you never think you’re really ready for marriage?”

“No,” Seinfeld said. “Marriage is like any growth. You can’t be ready for it because it’s growth. It’s going to be new. You’re going to have a new life. You’re going to be a new person.”

I like Seinfeld’s definition of growth. You’re not ready for marriage. You’re not ready to start a business. You’re not ready to move to a new city. You’re not ready for growth... and that’s exactly why it will make you grow. Start before you feel ready.

By definition, growth must be something that makes you feel unprepared and uncertain. If it was comfortable and easy, it wouldn’t be growth. It would be normal. It would be standard. It would be who you already are.

There will never be a perfect time to do something that stretches you. At some point you have to embrace the uncertainty because it is the only path forward.

You can’t be ready for true growth. That’s why it’s growth. Just step into it with everything you’ve got.

1. Why did Wale and Seinfeld talk about marriage?

A．Because Seinfeld didn’t want to get married.

B．Because Wale needed advice for his marriage.

C．Because they were working on music about marriage.

D．Because they both were confused about marriage.

2. Which statement would Seinfeld agree with?

A．Getting married is like hiking a hill.

B．You can’t be ready for marriage.

C．You can’t get engaged unless fully prepared.

D．Engagement makes people relaxed.

3. What does the author probably think of growth?

A．It is uncertain.	B．It is comfortable.
C．It is reliable.	D．It is standard.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Start Before You Feel Ready in Growth	B．No One Can Get Ready Before Marriage
C．Everybody Can Be Ready for Growth	D．Face Uncertainty in Your Marriage

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整的短文。

If you are constantly lack of confidence and worried about what other people think about your shortcomings, you will never get to where you need to go in life. This was what I learned from my own experience.

My name is Peter. Before I was born, the doctors examined my mom and found there was something wrong with my face, and actually it was worse. With my “weird” face, I knew I was not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I had never been to a real school before, not because of the way I looked, but all the surgeries I had. Mom homeschooled me. I became stronger, though. So maybe it was time for me to go to the real school.

One day, I happened to hear Mom and Dad talking about me quietly. “We can’t keep protecting him.” Mom whispered to Dad, “We have to help him learn to deal with it. We can’t just keep avoiding situations that… ”, but she didn’t even finish her sentence because she saw me. “Go back to sleep, Peter,” Mom said softly.

“Everyone will stare at me at school,” I said, suddenly crying.

Mom came over, putting her hand on mine. “Honey, you know if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. But we spoke to the principal (校长) , Mr. Green and told him how funny and smart you are. When I told him about all your surgeries, and how brave you are, ‘Wow, I have to meet this kid.’ ” Mom smiled at me.

“He is really a nice man. Besides, a real school is really good for you. Peter, you will make lots of friends and learn things you have never learned with Mom.” Dad added, raising his hand as if to swear.

“But… I don’t want to go. I am afraid... ” I said in a low voice.

“How about at least meeting Mr. Green before you make up your mind?” Mom asked.

I nodded, unwilling to accept the arrangement.

注意：
1. 续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
We arrived at the school a few weeks before the start of the school.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
After taking a tour of the school and hearing Mr. Green’s words, I realized it was time to make a change.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Challenges and difficulties are a part of life and words of encouragement can often help you get out of your present situation. It’s easy to tell someone to hang in there and to keep a positive outlook when they are going through tough times but when it happens to you, keeping your chin up(使振作)isn’t always the easiest thing to do.     1    There are a lot of things you can do to help you stand back up and move forward.

Words can have a powerful effect on your mindset. We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me”.    2    Often times, when things seem pointless, when you’ve just come face to face with yet another failure, it can seem as though it’s the end. It can seem as though no matter how hard you try, the life that you want will always be just out of reach.    3    When it comes down to it, how you feel is really just about what you focus on. What words of inspiration and encouragement will do for you is help you put things into perspective.

Who doesn’t go through failures, setbacks, and challenges?     4    In fact, after you get through this challenging time, you will have more to come in the future. Although that sounds pessimistic, it’s also reality.

Those who succeed in life and get what they want as well as those who are the most happiest aren’t people who never face difficulties. If anything, they probably deal with more challenges than most people.     5    

A．We all do.

B．Even so, it’s not impossible.

C．Words of encouragement are good for your health.

D．But the fact is that words really do have an effect on how we feel.

E．The thing that makes them different is how they respond and react to those obstacles.

F．We often get words of encouragement from our family, friends, teachers and classmates.

G．During these times, some positive words of encouragement can help you shift your focus.

9 . In elementary school, my father told me, “It doesn’t matter what you’ll do when you grow up; the key is that it will make you pleased .________ is the whole point of life. It needs ________ and effort. Your mother loves to help people ________, so she became a nurse. I love reading and poetry, ________ I became a poet. We both find happiness in daily hard work”.

A few years later when I was in junior high, my head teacher ________ with me after school because I wasn’t ________. She mentioned some successful people in history during the conversation. Then she asked what my _______ was. I told her that I just wanted to be happy. She ________ for a moment and then she agreed with me.

When I was young, the letter that my grandma wrote to me had a line about “________ happiness in hard work”, which is my motto that still resonates (产生共鸣) with me today. I find some people hold the ________ that life should be easier than it is .________, I think, no matter what you ________, you mustn’t forget hard work, because happiness is hidden in ________.

Since I graduated from college, I have been devoted to passing all my knowledge to my students. I find happiness when my hard work is repaid by their ________ and love for me. Because of my contribution to ________, I won the Excellent Teacher Award this year and I’ll do more in the future.

1.

A．Fineness

B．Forgiveness

C．Happiness

D．Calmness

2.

A．confidence

B．satisfaction

C．experience

D．passion

3.

A．in general

B．in need

C．in poor

D．in power

4.

A．but

B．yet

C．or

D．so

5.

A．danced

B．talked

C．dealt

D．played

6.

A．ambitious

B．attractive

C．outgoing

D．careful

7.

A．dream

B．secret

C．concern

D．feature

8.

A．worked

B．thought

C．relaxed

D．waited

9.

A．removing

B．designing

C．finding

D．imagining

10.

A．memory

B．competence

C．confidence

D．belief

11.

A．Besides

B．Moreover

C．However

D．Thus

12.

A．give up

B．look up

C．pick up

D．take up

13.

A．trouble

B．effort

C．courage

D．darkness

14.

A．respect

B．regret

C．record

D．response

15.

A．education

B．law

C．medicine

D．history

10 . A father and his son went to a kite（风筝） festival. When they ________ , there were many parents and their children playing in the park   ________. The son was happy when he saw the sky filled with colorful kites. He wanted to fly a kite, too. So they went to a kite shop and   ________a beautiful one.

The father was good   ________ flying kites. Soon the kite was high up in the sky. After a while, the son said, “Dad, it   ________ that the string ( 线 ) is stopping the kite from flying higher. ________we cut it, the kite will be free and fly even higher. Can we cut it?” The father said   ________but just cut the string off. The kite really went higher. This made the little boy   ________ .

But then, a few minutes later, the kite started to ________ slowly.   It soon fell onto the ground. The son was ________ to see this. He asked his father, “I thought that after cutting the string, the kite would fly higher. Why did it fall down?”

The father smiled and said. “The role of the string was not stopping the kite from going higher, but was ________it stay in the sky, because the kite   ________can’t fly up. You helped the kite go up in the right   ________by using the string. But when you cut the string, it could no longer support (支撑) the kite.”

In our life, we may sometimes feel like there are certain things that are holding us back and stopping us from growing. ________ in fact, these might be the things that support us the most. We can really   ________ and become better by knowing the importance of these things.

1.

A．arrived

B．bought

C．got

D．waited

2.

A．sadly

B．quickly

C．happily

D．slowly

3.

A．made

B．bought

C．sold

D．broke

4.

A．for

B．to

C．with

D．at

5.

A．shakes

B．seems

C．turns

D．covers

6.

A．If

B．Though

C．Because

D．Until

7.

A．everything

B．something

C．anything

D．nothing

8.

A．bored

B．sad

C．excited

D．afraid

9.

A．come down

B．go up

C．cut out

D．write down

10.

A．angry

B．surprised

C．relaxed

D．nervous

11.

A．finding

B．helping

C．seeing

D．hearing

12.

A．itself

B．myself

C．yourself

D．himself

13.

A．competition

B．information

C．way

D．instruction

14.

A．And

B．But

C．So

D．Because

15.

A．grow up

B．stay up

C．take care

D．tidy up