1 . Until 2001, I had worked in a technology company for 20 years. On November 6, I learned I was going to be _______ . That afternoon, my manager suddenly requested me to join him for a(an) _______ meeting before my shift ended. Given that some of my co-workers had already _______ this situation, I thought I had known the _______ of the discussion. Even so, it was still hard to describe the _______ going through my mind then, when I was told the date of my last day. You couldn’t help but feel a bit of _______ in being chosen even though it was unrelated to your past performance.

Unwilling to let people _______ about my result, I created a brief email to tell my friends and co-workers the news. Soon, I received over 20 e-mails expressing _______ . I really appreciated every one of my co-workers. However, Jerry, my co-worker, who had already been _______ of his leaving over a month prior, was especially ________. He introduced me to a firm assisting laid-off(下岗的) workers in getting ________ and signed me up for a career workshop. He tried his best to help get me back on my feet, even though we were in the same job classification and we would ________ with each other in job hunting.

Jerry’s caring attitude made a difference to many lives, and I was ________ . So later I was able to follow his ________ when my manager was in trouble. From Jerry, I learned that relationship and people are more ________ than a temporary job.

1.

A．promoted

B．investigated

C．estimated

D．fired

2.

A．motivational

B．important

C．unscheduled

D．unexplainable

3.

A．analyzed

B．encountered

C．predicted

D．restricted

4.

A．occasion

B．nature

C．member

D．skill

5.

A．emotions

B．excuses

C．decisions

D．conversations

6.

A．shame

B．disappointment

C．amusement

D．worry

7.

A．forget

B．guess

C．judge

D．announce

8.

A．understanding

B．greetings

C．comfort

D．opinions

9.

A．warned

B．informed

C．persuaded

D．reminded

10.

A．optimistic

B．humorous

C．supportive

D．generous

11.

A．protected

B．replaced

C．discovered

D．reemployed

12.

A．compete

B．cooperate

C．interact

D．agree

13.

A．recognized

B．challenged

C．ignored

D．infected

14.

A．dream

B．example

C．tradition

D．advice

15.

A．sensitive

B．harmonious

C．precious

D．attractive

2 . Automation certainly has its advantages. I am grateful for my cellphone that _______performs services. But I also miss the interactions with people that these devices have _______. The most precious byproduct of these interactions was the unplanned, friendly jokes that often _______.

I recently decided to spend a day _______ all of my goals in a non-digital manner. So I rose early and _______ on my visit. I began by going to the bank. When I entered the hall, I found the _______ was mine: I was the only customer, with three clerks at my _______. After my transaction we chatted for a few minutes, sharing news about children. After that pleasant _______, I moved on to the post office, where the letter I was sending to Iceland triggered a/an _______ comment by the clerk, who longed to visit that country. The last visit was the ________ where I was welcomed by a cashier, who ________ that for only one penny more I get an additional potato.

That evening I told my ________ to my friend. She ________ that I could have done these with the ________, and it would have taken less than an hour. True, but I would have ________ all those kind words and friendly smiles.

1.

A．surprisingly

B．firmly

C．reliably

D．carefully

2.

A．simplified

B．enhanced

C．connected

D．replaced

3.

A．erupted

B．helped

C．counted

D．increased

4.

A．considering

B．chasing

C．setting

D．accomplishing

5.

A．settled down

B．set out

C．hung out

D．took off

6.

A．world

B．money

C．seat

D．corner

7.

A．reach

B．command

C．side

D．service

8.

A．gathering

B．learning

C．exchange

D．atmosphere

9.

A．exciting

B．humorous

C．doubtful

D．critical

10.

A．supermarket

B．theater

C．field

D．restaurant

11.

A．advocated

B．suggested

C．insisted

D．begged

12.

A．secret

B．problem

C．experiment

D．opinion

13.

A．interrupted

B．remarked

C．admitted

D．understood

14.

A．instruction

B．cellphone

C．assistance

D．effort

15.

A．valued

B．enjoyed

C．missed

D．admired

3 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语段续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数为150左右。

As an independent, self-reliant person who always handled everything by myself, I didn’t expect parenting to be hard. Oh, sure, it’s difficult for other people. I heard parents complaining all the time — kids are challenging; nothing is ever clean; there’s not enough time in the day to do everything. But that was “other people” and I knew I could handle it. How complicated could it be?

I’d always dreamed of adopting a child, and finally my dream came true one summer afternoon. Even though we had requested only one child, the worker asked, “Could you take another baby and his eleven-year-old brother?” Of course, we could. We had room to have all three boys together.

The first week after they moved in, I spent my days rushing from task to task, cleaning and making sure they had all they needed. I constantly organized our living room, which was suddenly full of toys, and picked up the path of destruction left in the boys’ wake. Cooking and cleaning after meals and snacks seemed to take half of my day. I hardly ever sat; something always needed to be done.

“I think we need a break,” my husband told me one evening as I was falling asleep on the couch as usual.

“No,” I refused. The idea of sending them to a stranger sickened me. However, with each passing day, I was growing more and more exhausted. Besides meeting the physical needs of the boys, there were medical and emotional needs. Both the little ones constantly clung (黏住) to me. It was never quiet in our house; I felt overwhelmed.

One night, my husband said firmly that he needed a break. Whether I “needed” one or not, we were going to take one. With tears rolling down my cheeks, I nodded, knowing it was true, although I didn’t want to admit my weakness.

I called my parents.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Asking for help is something I must keep re-learning as time goes on, but it’s getting easier.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . The law of supply and demand determines that an overabundance of anything will lead to a decrease in price. This rule applies not only to goods and services, but also to lifestyle and fashion trends.

In the 19th century, the primitive paintings of Picasso and Matisse shook up the positive image of the French bourgeoisie (中产阶级). In the 1970s, talented musicians with tailored costumes and egos were overshadowed by a band of punk rockers who sang about the harsh realities of ordinary life in poor urban areas.

I predict that this will also happen with beauty standards. The idealized version of life portrayed in fashion magazines will reach a turning point, as people become tired of unattainable perfection.

During my time in Washington D.C. in the 1990s, I had the opportunity to interact with numerous political celebrities. While chatting with former presidents or bumping into TV pundits (名嘴) in elevators, I also assisted former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who was my boss’s boss. What struck me was how ordinary these people appeared in real life despite their public characters. Like everyone else, they grappled with insecurities and mood swings, even though they were constantly under the spotlight.

Yes, it was great to drop names on the phone to my friends. My father, of course, couldn’t understand why I would ever want to leave. “Because you’re not me and I’m not impressed,” I told him. We do not need to lead a luxurious life or make groundbreaking achievements to be content. Happiness can be found in living out the ordinary moments of an authentic life.

Most of us end up being ordinary people without doing anything that changes the world, but that does not mean our lives are meaningless. In fact, it is precisely this realization that leads to sustainable happiness because, when all is said and done, no one’s lifestyle is essentially better than any other’s.

1. Which of the following phrase can best replace the underline phrase in paragraph 4?

A．struggled with

B．put up with

C．came up with

D．fought with

2. What’s the author’s father’s attitude towards his decision to leave Washington D.C.?

A．supportive

B． indifferent

C．opposed

D．unimpressed

3. What does the author’s observation about political celebrities suggest?

A．They are just like ordinary people.

B．They lack the ability to lead a normal life.

C．They are not as successful as they claim to be.

D．They are not as intelligent as they appear on TV.

4. What does the author want to imply in the last paragraph?

A．People should strive for a better lifestyle.

B．No one’s lifestyle is inherently superior to others’.

C．People should be content with their own lifestyles.

D．People should critically evaluate other people’s lifestyles.

5 . 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.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was a man who had with great ambition. When he was young, he had a good friend     1     (name) Liu Kun. They had such a deep friendship     2     they stayed together every day and got up at the same time every morning.

One day, when they were sleeping. Zu Ti heard the rooster crowing (鸡鸣) . He woke up Liu Kun and said, “How about     3     (get) up to play swords (剑) as soon as we heard the rooster crowing from now on?” Liu Kun was still     4     (sleep) . But he agreed with him     5     (joyful) . From then on, they got up and played swords once the rooster began crowing. They kept their word and never gave up no matter     6     cold in winter or hot in summer. Hard work     7     (pay) off. After a long period of hard study and training, they finally became the all-rounder. And they both did excellent jobs to their country.

The idiom “to rise with the rooster” teaches us that with ambition and hard work,     8     (succeed) is possible. When we can discover our shortcomings     9     time, it is not too late to try. But if you are not willing     10     (work) hard, you will not be able to achieve a career after all.

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 teacher gave us an assignment that should have been easy. “OK, class,” he said. “For the month of November, we will turn this wall into our Thanksgiving art gallery. For tonight’s homework, I want you to create a picture of one thing you’re thankful for, and we’ll hang it here.”

We were supposed to spend the last part of class figuring out an idea for our “thankful” picture. But the more I tried to think of the one perfect thing, the more panicked and puzzled became! Finally, the school bell rang, and it was time to pack up and go. “I’m going to make a picture about fishing with my grandpa,” my friend Imani said as we walked home. I told her that this project was making me nervous and that I was worried if I chose one person, everyone else felt left out.

Imani suggested that I should pick a random awesome thing instead. I was surprised and confused because I was thankful for a billion random things. How was I supposed to choose one? Imani smiled. “It’s the ‘just close your eyes’ trick.” I could write down a bunch of choices on separate pieces of paper, spread them out, close my eyes and pick one. I was still worried that I would pick the imperfect one.

“That’s the whole point,” said Imani. “There’s no perfection. Here, I’ll show you!” I followed Imani across the street to a giant tree with beautiful and attractive fallen leaves. So many leaves had fallen onto the grass that it looked like a rainbow-colored carpet. The orange one with green-and-yellow edges was incredible. Those fiery red ones were also amazing. She urged me to pick the very best leaf.

“There are too many,” I said. “It’d be impossible to find the very best.”

“Exactly!” she said. “It’s just like the thankful assignment. There are way too many choices. So just close your eyes and pick one.” I closed my eyes, picked up a leaf, opened my eyes -and we both started laughing our heads off.

注意：
1. 续写词数为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

Looking at the rotten and sad little leaf in my hand, I was lost in thought.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

The next day in class, when appreciating our pictures on the wall, everybody had questions about mine.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When Li Bai, Master Cen, Dan Qiusheng and others fly freely like elves into the colorful clouds,     1     line “together with you I’ll wipe out the cares often thousands ages” comes to life with vivid imagery; when the magnificent Chang’an of the prosperous Tang Dynasty appeared, suddenly we understood     2     it meant by “Looking back, I believe it must be Chang’an right at the end of the red sunset”. The movie Chang’an has transformed many Tang poems that     3     (memorize) during school days into real scenes. If we treat it as a textbook, the best way is naturally to preview before     4     (watch) the movie, and consolidate and understand the poems after watching it.

    5     the middle adulthood to the twilight years, Gao Shi’s and Li Bai’s destinies and encounters     6     (gradual) diverged further and further apart. Li Bai became famous as a young man, but in his old age he made a mistake and ended up with     7     (charge) of rebellion. Lost and frustrated for most of his life, he     8     (choose) the wrong man and stood on the wrong side. On the other hand, Gao Shi achieved success in     9     (he) later years, taking every step cautiously. When     10     (face) with pleas for help from his good friend, he could not do anything. It is not just a lesson in literature; it is more like a lesson in life.

9 . Graduation is a significant milestone for everyone. An 89-year-old man called Rene Neira had been trying to finish a degree since the 1950s. However, in the 1960s, he was so passionate about urban and economic development of the southside of San Antonio that he stopped school and got involved with the local government. From that time, one of his life goals was to earn a degree in economics. In 2017, the grandpa and his 19-year-old granddaughter both enrolled (入学) at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

“There were times when we would get lunch together, be in the library together, and just work silently side-by-side,” Melanie Salazar, Rene’s granddaughter, recalled. “He always had something to say, especially if his professors had different opinions than him,” Melanie said. “And there were often times when a professor would invite him to talk about the past.”

Rene’s college years weren’t easy. “He has worked very hard over time. Especially in recent years, with hearing loss and going through seasons of not having a car, there was a term where he had to take medical leave because he had a stroke, so he couldn’t go back to school that term. And then the pandemic started,” said Melanie.

After four years, their hard work finally paid off—they graduated. Together, they stood on the stage. Everyone broke into applause and cheered for this fantastic pair.

Their story has been making waves online. People have nothing but good words for them, “Awww... I love stories like this. This was such a beautiful moment. Congratulations to both of them. Grandpa definitely demonstrated that one shouldn’t give up their dream no matter how long it takes,” one wrote. Another wrote, “I’m motivated to go back to school myself, thanks to his example.”

Rene had the determination to finish his degree even at an advanced stage in his life. Hard work, patience, and determination are the keys to success, especially when the path is not easy or clear.

1. Why did Rene fail to get a degree when he was young?

A．He was not interested in university life then.

B．He devoted himself to city development.

C．He needed to work to support his family.

D．He was not good at his school work.

2. How was Rene’s college life?

A．It made him physically ill.	B．It was full of surprise.
C．It was smooth and plain.	D．It came with challenges.

3. What did people think of Rene’s experience?

A．Admirable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Funny.

D．Pitiful.

4. What lesson can we learn from Rene’s story?

A．Actions speak louder than words.

B．It is never too late to achieve one’s dream.

C．Genius without education is like silver in the mine.

D．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

10 . “Sorry, that’s incorrect.” Never had I thought that, with the simple word “substitute”, I would meet my Waterloo in a ______ competition. With the spotlight shining straight into my eyes, I could do nothing but walk off the stage, my mind was blank.

The spelling competition is ______ the most long-awaited event of the year for many students in our school. To have a wonderful stage debut (首次亮相), I devoted myself to learning English ______ for months. I ______ rather well in the first two rounds of the competition, making it to the final as ______ However, I found that I still had a long way to go. Therefore, I spared no effort trying to ______ as many words as possible before the big day.

Eventually, the day arrived. Seated onstage, holding my pen and paper   ______, I glanced breathlessly at the hundreds of eager-looking faces out there. With the clock ticking away, I felt my heart ______ wildly.

Watching the other contestants (选手) spelling out their words, I waited for my ______. Thankfully, my first word was an easy one. After another round of waiting, it was time for my second word. “Contestant No. 43, your word is ‘substitute’.” So ______ !

I wrote down the first four letters on my ______. “S-U-B-S-I-T-U-T-E, substitute,” I said confidently. But sadly, I didn’t realize the misspelling until the judge said, “ ______.”

Making such a ______ in the competition, I did gain a deeper understanding of the ______ : He who laughs last, laughs best. This experience has taught me that overconfidence might ______ our downfall. Only when we stay humble can we “laugh last and best”.

1.

A．spelling

B．shooting

C．sports

D．beauty

2.

A．impossibly

B．frequently

C．undoubtedly

D．initially

3.

A．poetry

B．pronunciation

C．vocabulary

D．grammar

4.

A．managed

B．performed

C．functioned

D．worked

5.

A．planned

B．promised

C．ordered

D．requested

6.

A．coin

B．memorize

C．use

D．write

7.

A．casually

B．loosely

C．patiently

D．tightly

8.

A．beating

B．aching

C．wondering

D．sinking

9.

A．call

B．signal

C．turn

D．count

10.

A．attractive

B．interesting

C．complex

D．easy

11.

A．paper

B．book

C．screen

D．desk

12.

A．Congratulations

B．Sorry

C．Yes

D．No

13.

A．fortune

B．decision

C．mess

D．mistake

14.

A．song

B．saying

C．lecture

D．speech

15.

A．point out

B．insist on

C．subscribe to

D．lead to