1 . I’m now the cook and owner of a restaurant. Nothing in my early years led me to _______ my life would connect to food and cooking deeply. My family did eat together often: we had a _______ that my grandmother cooked the weekly big meal on weekends, but food was hardly the _______ of my family’s story. After I entered college. I was still _______ about what I wanted to do. I was “supposed” to _______ my family, getting a degree in medicine at graduate school or something similar.

When accepting the job assisting cooks after finishing college, I just _______ to pay my rent. That didn’t _______ any big life plans. However, as I worked longer, the food world showed me amazing _______.

Too little salt, and a dish is _______ to be “tastelss”. A bit lemon juice helps prevent cut apples and peaches from turning brown and ________ their appealing colors. The lesson that small things matter reminds me to never ________ tiny stuff in all parts of life.

Also, working with food teaches me to really taste, smell and touch. I learn to observe my ________, watching ways birds land, the growth of trees along roads… and ________ wonders in everyday life. ________, I head down my own path, which is ________ from going to medical school as my parents did, but gives my life purpose and direction.

1.

A．wonder

B．expect

C．doubt

D．admit

2.

A．suggestion

B．pleasure

C．tradition

D．desire

3.

A．center

B．trouble

C．witness

D．secret

4.

A．sensitive

B．passive

C．unconcerned

D．unclear

5.

A．sponsor

B．company

C．follow

D．urge

6.

A．happened

B．intended

C．managed

D．promised

7.

A．inspire

B．affect

C．replace

D．prevent

8.

A．opportunity

B．wisdom

C．memories

D．skills

9.

A．easy

B．fit

C．true

D．sure

10.

A．preserve

B．hide

C．restore

D．change

11.

A．worry

B．forgive

C．justify

D．ignore

12.

A．decisions

B．improvements

C．surroundings

D．differences

13.

A．keep away

B．end up

C．suffer from

D．come across

14.

A．Even so

B．Above all

C．Therefore

D．Anyway

15.

A．free

B．absent

C．different

D．far

3 . I was cutting up lettuce (生菜) in the kitchen when I suddenly remembered watching a video about putting the lettuce stub (残余部分) in water to grow a whole new vegetable. So I took out a wide-mouthed mug (大杯) and placed the stub into it, gave it a little water, and placed it by the window.

On a snowy morning, I noticed the first sign. A first small leaf from its heart spread out. A tiny green flag of hope. Beaten, but not defeated. Within days, it was impossible to see the cuts where I had removed the leaves. The growth was explosive. And when I lifted the blossoming head out of the mug, tiny root threads fell down, seeking for the earth. What is growing here? Lettuce or hope?

If I were a lettuce in a similar condition, I’d want to doubtfully assess where I found myself before being devoted to full growth. Yet for this lettuce, my inadequate offering of water and a place by a window was enough for it to decide to reclaim itself again. It grew in a mug of water, in faith. This is the heart of this lettuce: alive, strong and fearless. It deserved a name. I decided to call it Monty.

Monty wanted to grow, as we all do. I think I gave him a little love and freedom. Those two ingredients were all he needed to return to himself. I see joy in this lettuce. The return to self is always an expression of joy, which is life itself. With the right ingredients, this is the tendency of all living things.

Monty still lives in a mug, but I’m going to transplant him outside. He deserves to become his full self. The only problem I see now is my capacity to support Monty. I hope I have enough of a green finger.

I’m surprised to find myself where I am. Maybe Monty is, too. I have the same choice as he does: give in, or start again. The prospect of starting again is discouraging. But my lettuce-friend, Monty, leads the way. I can only hope to be as brave.

1. Why did the author put the stub in water?

A．To hope that it would grow.	B．To decorate the nice mug.
C．To play a game.	D．To remove his bad mood.

2. What is the first sign of life in the author’s eyes?

A．The remaining stub.	B．The small leaf.
C．The disappearing cuts.	D．The tiny root threads.

3. How would the author feel if in the lettuce’s situation?

A．Hesitant.

B．Fearless.

C．Confident.

D．Annoyed.

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

A．Enjoy your own life to the fullest	B．Believe in yourself when in trouble
C．Never be afraid to restart yourself	D．Give freedom to the heart in a way

7 . It is getting hot. It’s time to put on ________ clothes and open up the windows.

Yesterday brought a(n) ________ visit to the kitchen during the brief time we were out. Two daring sparrows had ________ into a dangerous territory—our kitchen.

When you come across such sudden callers, you are ________ to sense it as an action of intruding (入侵) into your comfort zone, or you might ________ it as a lovely shining moment of life. We ________—the second option, with no hesitation. After all, we’ve never stopped feeling urgent to strengthen the relationship with our sparrows more and more each day.

We can’t stop ________ and celebrating their dance from our window. We fed them with the ________ on our tablecloth after every meal. And we have ________ them with every kind of bases and stands on our terrace (露台).

________, they feel at ease in our backyard. And that has led them to ________ courage to slip into our house. Perhaps because they have the feeling that we don’t consider them ________, but friendly neighbors, who only leave some wastes from time to time.

The presence of our dear sparrow holds magical consistency with real life. And we’ve been having lovely sparrows coming over lately, whose presence ________ us out of our dull daily routines and shows us the hidden beauty and charm.

Like different human beings, these sparrows often take different forms. We’ve met sparrows like those, of all shapes and colors. And they’re everywhere. Perhaps all of them are willing to call our ________ making us know they are there. They only ask from us not to be afraid of them or feel uneasy to their ________.

1.

A．tighter

B．lighter

C．bigger

D．cleaner

2.

A．unstoppable

B．uncomfortable

C．unforeseen

D．unwelcomed

3.

A．slipped

B．walked

C．advanced

D．spread

4.

A．proud

B．safe

C．afraid

D．likely

5.

A．keep

B．watch

C．receive

D．collect

6.

A．chose

B．hit

C．bit

D．rose

7.

A．designing

B．observing

C．managing

D．preparing

8.

A．vegetables

B．fruits

C．goods

D．leftovers

9.

A．provided

B．equipped

C．comforted

D．satisfied

10.

A．Repeatedly

B．Surprisingly

C．Undoubtedly

D．Traditionally

11.

A．lose

B．seek

C．give

D．gather

12.

A．intruders

B．strangers

C．instructors

D．breakers

13.

A．forces

B．draws

C．cuts

D．drives

14.

A．agreement

B．attention

C．acceptance

D．expression

15.

A．impression

B．expression

C．existence

D．difference

8 . Many years ago, I was on an early morning flight to Ecuador. _________, during such long journeys, I would put on my headphones and go to sleep. _________, on this particular day, I decided to take a little _________.

I_________ the silence and started a conversation with the man sitting next to me. I learned that this companion was a _________ and we had a fascinating conversation.

Mid-flight, I gathered the courage to take another risk, sharing with him a book proposal (书稿提案) I put together for something I was doing in my class. He read it, but politely _________ it. Upon landing, we exchanged contact information.

Months later, I _________ him, inviting him to my class to discuss a project on redesigning the book. I shared my students’ project videos. One particular project caught Mark’s _________.

He expressed a desire to meet these students. I admitted I was a little bit _________ for he seemed more interested in working with my students than with me.

After meeting the students, I, together with him and his colleagues, __________ together and life once again showed a (an) __________ turn. During this dinner, one of his editors asked me if I’d ever considered writing a book. I shared the same proposal that his boss refused a year earlier. Within a fortnight, we had a contract, and within two years, over a million books had been __________ around the world.

This journey may seem __________, but it resulted from a series of small risks, beginning with a __________ “hello.” Anyone can follow this path by __________ these small risks and finally increase your chances of being lucky.

1.

A．Fortunately

B．Typically

C．Curiously

D．Thankfully

2.

A．Besides

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．However

3.

A．risk

B．step

C．chance

D．politeness

4.

A．enjoyed

B．maintained

C．broke

D．observed

5.

A．writer

B．publisher

C．teacher

D．photographer

6.

A．agreed

B．ignored

C．approved

D．declined

7.

A．reached out to

B．made friends with

C．lost contact with

D．gave way to

8.

A．breath

B．meaning

C．interest

D．imagination

9.

A．amazed

B．hurt

C．delighted

D．stressed

10.

A．discussed

B．gathered

C．dined

D．read

11.

A．unexpected

B．disappointing

C．wrong

D．intentional

12.

A．donated

B．copied

C．sold

D．painted

13.

A．easy

B．joyful

C．comfortable

D．lucky

14.

A．simple

B．surprising

C．quick

D．formal

15.

A．cutting

B．hugging

C．estimating

D．avoiding

9 . I am a professor of psychology. Some time ago, I got halfway through a day of teaching before a co-worker pointed out to me I was quite ______ wearing a different pair of shoes, one red and one black. I felt so ______ and upset but I would have to go to teach my ______ like this. When I noticed how much I wanted to disappear and avoid this ______, I was determined to face it ______. I walked into class and ______ to the students that I was wearing two shoes from ______ pairs, and directed their attention to my feet. Everyone laughed and we went on with class. Years later, a ________ in that class told me that this was the moment she first thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be a professor, too.

I ______ my mistake because I realized that trying to hide it was weakening my ability to concentrate my mind on my teaching — but I had no idea that it would also help shorten the ________ distance between my students and myself.

Many contexts may ______ or shame people for making mistakes. Our efforts to avoid them _______ our desires for success, and how others will respond to our mistakes. We might feel ______ and shame if we do make some.

However, mistake-making is part of learning new things, and it can ______ us closer to others. It ______ up the possibility of accepting mistakes gladly, letting us be more open and engaged in what we are doing.

1.

A．impatiently

B．carelessly

C．quietly

D．slowly

2.

A．confused

B．touched

C．terrified

D．embarrassed

3.

A．aim

B．book

C．course

D．feeling

4.

A．situation

B．direction

C．operation

D．option

5.

A．besides

B．moreover

C．instead

D．otherwise

6.

A．shouted

B．appealed

C．called

D．announced

7.

A．beautiful

B．fancy

C．different

D．colorful

8.

A．worker

B．teacher

C．student

D．peer

9.

A．shared

B．made

C．avoided

D．corrected

10.

A．physical

B．psychological

C．critical

D．economical

11.

A．recognize

B．stop

C．help

D．punish

12.

A．result from

B．come out

C．give off

D．take on

13.

A．self-control

B．self-respect

C．self-confidence

D．self-criticism

14.

A．draw

B．force

C．push

D．affect

15.

A．clears

B．opens

C．turns

D．uses

10 . When I was younger, I thought that boys and grown men shouldn’t cry, much less show that they can be reduced to tears. The tears were signs of being weak, which a man isn’t supposed to be, supposedly. This was even strengthened in my young mind by a song, Boys Don’t Cry, in the early 1980s.

But just this last June, I discovered that courage isn’t all about trying to keep all the pain inside in check. Courage isn’t all about trying to hide the tears. It’s the opposite — the tears strengthen the heart’s courage. And I saw this in my father.

Our beloved grandfather passed away suddenly and with it, I saw how vulnerable my father’s heart was. My siblings and I were used to seeing him as an imposing figure and an iron-willed, authoritarian father. For three days after my grandfather’s death, he wouldn’t talk. He would just sit quietly outside our house in the dark. On the fourth night, I sat beside him and asked him to tell me what he feels about everything.

It has been years since I have laid my hand on my father’s shoulder as we have drifted farther and farther apart while I was growing up. That night though, I sensed my father trying to control his pain and I wanted him to be able to let it out. We have all cried over what happened except him. All of us except him. The simple touch and my words, “Dad, it’s not your fault” broke my father’s dam. In the darkness, he began to cry.

I understood then why he preferred to be in the dark. By being there, he hoped to spare his family of a father’s pain. His tears, though we didn’t see them before that night, were there all the same. I saw his courage, that night when my father cried with my hand on his shoulder, and understood his pain.

1. When the author was young, what did he think of an adult male crying?

A．Shameful.

B．Adorable.

C．Innocent.

D．Respectable.

2. Why did the author’s father burst into tears emotionally in the end?

A．Because the whole family were expecting him to overcome sadness soon.

B．Because he didn’t want to hide his sadness in front of his family anymore.

C．Because the author’s company and comfort helped him let out his sadness.

D．Because he wanted the author to know it was brave for a man to shed tears.

3. Which of the following best describes the author?

A．Selfless and reliable.	B．Thoughtful and caring.
C．Talkative and friendly.	D．Modest and sympathetic.

4. In which column of a website can the text probably be found?

A．Book reviews.	B．Business insight.
C．Life philosophy.	D．Parenting stories.