1 . I was driving when my phone alerted me to a new email. Filled with eager anticipation, I pulled over, turned on my hazard lights, and opened it. My emotions quickly changed as I learned, for the sixth and final time, that I had been denied a promotion to full professor. My institution didn’t seem to value what I brought to the table. But when I told my family that night, my children offered a surprisingly positive response. They were excited to see what I was going to do next, they said. They apparently knew long before I did that losing my bid for a promotion would turn out to be the best thing that could have happened for me.
This had been the final step in a long process spanning 15 months and involving so much effort. I had started by studying successful promotion bids and asking senior scholars for frank discussions about my readiness. I had carefully prepared my application packet, summarizing everything I had achieved in my career. For more than a year, I had spent hours every day trying to prove my worth to my university.
To my surprise, having a final answer brought a welcome sense of closure. As a first step toward healing, I decided to prioritize my own values and follow my own internal compass. I disconnected from people in my life who violated my values, cultivated my relationships with those who share my priorities and bring out the best in me, and spent more time with my family. I founded a nonprofit that helps first-generation and low-income students and young professionals advance in the workforce while serving their community. The initiative had long been a dream of mine, but I never pursued it because typical academic hiring and promotion don’t reward such efforts. Now, such considerations were no longer my North Star.
Five months after that email from top leadership, I found myself in the car again, experiencing another career-defining moment. I may have lost my bid for a big promotion, but in the end, it brought me to the right place.
1. What did the author feel after he read the email?| A．Anxious and annoyed. | B．Embarrassed and ashamed. |
| C．Relieved and peaceful. | D．Disappointed and sorrowful. |
| A．What contributions the writer had made. | B．What preparations the writer had made. |
| C．How successful the career had been. | D．How tiring the process had been. |
| A．Success is more than a title or a rank. |
| B．One’s internal compass is to be developed. |
| C．Serving the community may heal a broken heart. |
| D．One’s real value first lies in his family interaction. |
| A．Emails: my North Star |
| B．Full professor: a double-edged sword |
| C．A career setback becomes a great opportunity |
| D．An academic career witnesses a failed promotion |
2 . True beauty is not found in looks.
Place your beauty in your identity but not your identity in your beauty. If you hold onto youthful beauty as a narrow definition of yourself, you won’t enjoy your looks as you age.
The fountain of youth doesn’t exist. Despite many anti-aging products, there is no magic solution to stopping the effects of aging. You should stop devaluing (贬低) yourself just because you are getting older. Aim for a healthy life and keep yourself strong and fit. Eat healthy diet and be committed to a daily exercise routine. Lots of efforts are needed.
Beauty relates to physical and psychological aspects.
| A．Everyone does it. |
| B．It comes from the inside. |
| C．Go beyond your mirror image. |
| D．You will feel better over a long term. |
| E．It’s human nature to believe beauty is everything. |
| F．People generally think beauty is only a skin-deep issue. |
| G．Be less scared of aging and you will look more beautiful. |
3 . One of the most frequent questions I get on my blog is, “Can you recommend some books for boys?” I
After these questions started
The sad
It’s a
On my Instagram Stories, one mother told me about her
Of course, I’m not saying we should
No one
| A．raised | B．noticed | C．changed | D．imagined |
| A．bought | B．exchanged | C．read | D．suggested |
| A．rolling in | B．going away | C．getting through | D．working out |
| A．boring | B．inspiring | C．surprising | D．moving |
| A．profit | B．chance | C．split | D．game |
| A．Still | B．Therefore | C．Otherwise | D．Instead |
| A．adapt | B．enjoy | C．refuse | D．hate |
| A．example | B．attempt | C．memory | D．truth |
| A．parents | B．someone | C．heroes | D．everyone |
| A．damage | B．benefit | C．burden | D．pleasure |
| A．readers | B．stories | C．movies | D．editors |
| A．annoyed | B．certain | C．embarrassed | D．happy |
| A．son | B．daughter | C．husband | D．friend |
| A．or | B．so | C．but | D．and |
| A．confused | B．afraid | C．glad | D．excited |
| A．sorting out | B．burning out | C．giving out | D．checking out |
| A．warn | B．forbid | C．force | D．beg |
| A．difficulty | B．ability | C．patience | D．interest |
| A．world | B．debate | C．race | D．market |
| A．knows | B．wins | C．doubts | D．loses |
4 . You Are a Better Person Than You Think You Are
Maybe you haven’t achieved goals in a self-appointed time frame.
You show kindness
Being polite and kind is the mark of a good person. When you do this, you are treating others like you would want to be treated.
You are a positive person
Keeping an optimistic attitude is also a trait of a good person with a powerful character. It is easy to become negative with all the bad things going on in the world, but there’s another way to look at these things. When you’re actually better than you think, you will have the habit of looking on the bright side of every situation and seeing the best in everyone.
Being wise is not about being intelligent. It’s about learning from life experiences. Why does this make you a better person than you think? Wisdom can be passed to others to help them avoid the same mistakes you made. You are a good person if you’ve collected wisdom and love to share lessons with others.
So, go easy on yourself. Appreciate who you are. If there are things you need to change, that’s okay.
| A．You give honest comments. |
| B．It’s just all about showing optimism. |
| C．We all have problems and imperfections. |
| D．You are wise, and you share your wisdom. |
| E．Maybe you have made many mistakes as well. |
| F．Respecting others and their space shows adulthood, which is a sign of a truly good person. |
| G．This may include opening doors for others or picking up change for people in front of you at the checkout line. |
5 . Beep! Beep! Beep! I rolled over and turned off my alarm clock. It was still
I
I shivered (打寒颤) and
Our lives here are full of sweet
| A．rainy | B．dark | C．cold | D．snowy |
| A．curious | B．afraid | C．eager | D．able |
| A．coat | B．bite | C．leash | D．flashlight |
| A．temperature | B．condition | C．environment | D．weather |
| A．method | B．path | C．plan | D．calendar |
| A．check | B．forecast | C．test | D．provide |
| A．removed | B．needed | C．packed | D．washed |
| A．tried on | B．decided on | C．relied on | D．focused on |
| A．difficult | B．ideal | C．wrong | D．safe |
| A．water | B．mud | C．dust | D．frost |
| A．patience | B．balance | C．distance | D．promise |
| A．complained | B．smiled | C．suffered | D．doubted |
| A．pre-dusk | B．mid-night | C．pre-dawn | D．post-dawn |
| A．Actually | B．Suddenly | C．Effortlessly | D．Generally |
| A．avoided | B．regretted | C．stopped | D．continued |
| A．wonder | B．reality | C．signal | D．challenge |
| A．offered | B．refused | C．intended | D．failed |
| A．found | B．admired | C．reflected | D．lighted |
| A．discoveries | B．dreams | C．seasons | D．memories |
| A．Enjoy | B．Examine | C．Admit | D．Remember |
6 . “Why?” It’s a simple question that people ask Angela Madeline frequently. After all, she began a journey that very few people would ever attempt: walk around the world alone.
The thought of Madeline’s journey did not start from a place of loss or personal crisis. She said, “I was searching for a deeper interaction with nature and people.” Walking would minimize her carbon footprint, plus the slow pace meant that she could fully immerse herself in nature, and gain insights into other cultures in a unique way.
She left her hometown of Bend, Oregon, on 2 May 2016 and headed into an adventure. Along the way, Madeline would suffer from heatstroke (中暑)in the Australian desert and hear gunshots while camping in Turkey. “Still,” she said, “I didn’t stop because I was more afraid of not following my heart than I was of losing everything I owned and loved.”
Apart from that, her slow pace allowed her to be drawn deeply into other cultures. She wandered the tiny seaside villages along Italy Tyrrhenian Sea, enjoying the lively atmosphere. In Vietnam, she was invited and offered food by an elderly woman to rest in her wooden shack at the peak for the night. She chose an experience of uncertainty and curiosity, in search of something she could never be certain to find: a sense of fulfillment and a deeper connection.
On 16 December 2022, Madeline’s pilgrimage (朝圣之旅)ended right where it started. For now, she’s working on a book, planning future journeys and creating more effective ways for women to find and express courage in their lives.
Whether a walk leads halfway around the world or just down the road, Madeline has shown the true worth of slowing down and giving more than we receive along the way.
1. Why did Madeline decide to start her journey?| A．To get closer to the world. | B．To reduce carbon footprint. |
| C．To get rid of personal crisis. | D．To slow down the pace of life. |
| A．She was about to give up. |
| B．She was helped by Italian locals. |
| C．She experienced various cultures. |
| D．She enjoyed Australian coastal scenery. |
| A．Cautious and gentle. | B．Tough and adventurous. |
| C．Ambitious and generous. | D．Open-minded and humorous. |
| A．A new way to slow down life. |
| B．A closer connection with the wild. |
| C．An unforgettable memory of a trip. |
| D．A woman walking around the world. |
7 . While Sam Bloom was on a vacation in Thailand, a balcony railing collapsed (倒塌), sending her falling 20 feet to the ground. The
In the many months that followed, she fell into a deep
A few months after returning home, her son Noah
Due to its wobbly (摇晃的) walk and black and white
“I didn’t feel as
| A．fall | B．travel | C．railing | D．country |
| A．gradually | B．recently | C．completely | D．hardly |
| A．sleep | B．depression | C．hole | D．passion |
| A．figuring out | B．talking about | C．calling at | D．caring for |
| A．former | B．strange | C．weak | D．false |
| A．made | B．had | C．got | D．put |
| A．beautiful | B．excellent | C．independent | D．professional |
| A．watched over | B．thought of | C．gave up | D．turned to |
| A．discovered | B．hunted | C．dropped | D．trapped |
| A．hand | B．trick | C．engage | D．take |
| A．hope | B．nurse | C．send | D．show |
| A．eyes | B．photos | C．feathers | D．dots |
| A．keep | B．consider | C．name | D．accept |
| A．greedy | B．needy | C．proud | D．energetic |
| A．change | B．motivation | C．practice | D．attention |
| A．responsibility | B．challenge | C．stress | D．chance |
| A．escape | B．treatment | C．exercise | D．excuse |
| A．useless | B．careless | C．quiet | D．lazy |
| A．objecting | B．adjusting | C．sticking | D．tending |
| A．answer | B．care | C．realize | D．believe |
8 . There seems to be a lot of talk these days about what is fair, and what is not. Most people tend to believe life should be fair. Some of the 99% seem to believe life has somehow treated them unfairly, and some of the 1% feel life hasn’t treated them fairly enough. My questions are these: What is fairness? Is life fair? Should life be fair?
We clearly have no choice about how we come into this world. We have little choice early in life. But as we grow older, choices abound. I have long believed that while we have no control over the beginning of our life, the majority of us have the ability to influence the outcomes we attain. Fairness is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind. Our state in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, or our society—it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt.
Life is full of examples of the uneducated, the mentally and physically challenged people born into war-torn areas, who could have complained about life being unfair, but who instead chose a different path. Regardless of the challenges they faced, they had the character to choose contribution over complaint.
I agree that challenges exist. I agree that many have an uphill battle due to the severity of the challenges they face. What I disagree with is the attempt to use fairness to solve all problems in the world. Rules and orders don’t create fairness, but people’s desire and determination can work around most life challenges.
It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. A friend of mine came to this country from Africa in his late teens, barely spoke the language, drove a cab while working his way through college, and is now the president of a technology services firm. Stories such as this are all around us-they are not miracles, nor are they the rare exception. They do, however, demonstrate blindness to the mindset of the fairness.
1. What does the underlined word “abound” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Change fully. | B．Remain the same. |
| C．Exist in numbers. | D．Disappear completely. |
| A．Most of us can influence the results we achieve. |
| B．Our background determines our choices. |
| C．People’s desire and determination create unfairness. |
| D．We should depend on fairness to solve all problems. |
| A．To promote efforts over complaint. |
| B．To stress the importance of fairness. |
| C．To share an inspiring story of a friend. |
| D．To prove that fairness is a state of mind. |
| A．Fairness Is Justice | B．Life Is Not Fair—Deal With It |
| C．Fairness Comes First | D．Fairness Creates Chances |
I yawned (打哈欠)as I got off the last step of the bus. I had woken early that morning, and had not been able to sleep on the long ride from Riverside High, thinking about that day’s race, the Eye Opener. I had never raced in a state-wide race before. Over thirty high school teams ran, along with quite a few colleges. The rest of my team and I unloaded the bus, and we relaxed and waited for our race patiently.
“Start warming up,” our coach told us, roughly forty-five minutes after we arrived. After finishing our stretches, we headed over to the starting line, eager for the race to begin.
The starter walked to the middle of the field. “There will be two commands,” his voice boomed, ‘‘Runners set, then the gun. If you hear another shot, return to the starting line to start again. ” My heart raced as I got my legs ready to race.
“Runners set!” the starter shouted Bam! The gun fired, and he rushed out of our way. Adrenaline (肾上腺素)rushed through my body as I raced through the mass of runners. As I rounded the first turn, my schoolmates greeted me with heartening shouts. Then, in what felt like only one minute, I arrived at the one mile mark.
“6’10”, a man declared as I ran by. I tried to ignore him, but my legs began to burn as I realized I had run a mile and still had two to go. I slowed down my pace, for I knew the second mile was the worst of all three. Minutes later, I felt horrible. My legs ached, feeling like lead blocks. My vision was clouded as sweat dropped down into my eyes, and my arms felt as if they would fall off if I swung them one more time. Just as I almost reached my limit, a boy passed me. He also seemed to have lost strength but soon he was a little ahead of me.
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。
I gathered up my strength to speed up but suddenly fell to the ground.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the last mile, seeing the athletes passing us one by one, I asked the boy to run without me.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . In the post-war era, re-gifting and returning gifts to shops were commonly occurring.My mother and Aunt Florence ran a
One item I particularly remember was an ugly ornament (饰物) framed in a horseshoe.My mother was shocked by its
The following Saturday, our family was invited to a 21st birthday party, and my father was
At the party, as the presents were
The next day, realizing my mother discovered the ornament which had been sold had been returned by Sheila, the recipient’s mother, who
| A．company | B．department | C．market | D．store |
| A．challenge | B．decision | C．secret | D．promise |
| A．satisfactory | B．unaffordable | C．undesirable | D．cheap |
| A．frequently | B．suddenly | C．occasionally | D．gradually |
| A．advantage | B．colour | C．influence | D．appearance |
| A．display | B．get | C．rent | D．appreciate |
| A．selling | B．investing | C．pricing | D．charging |
| A．expense | B．loss | C．figure | D．value |
| A．planned | B．agreed | C．failed | D．hesitated |
| A．impressed | B．satisfied | C．tasked | D．bored |
| A．dating | B．shopping | C．meeting | D．riding |
| A．borrowed | B．bought | C．designed | D．selected |
| A．ornament | B．jewel | C．horseshoe | D．card |
| A．unlocked | B．covered | C．unwrapped | D．dusted |
| A．thoughts | B．reviews | C．mistakes | D．reactions |
| A．disbelief | B．sadness | C．delight | D．anxiety |
| A．instructed | B．explained | C．added | D．informed |
| A．exchanged | B．donated | C．received | D．rejected |
| A．mysterious | B．temporary | C．aggressive | D．optimistic |
| A．Speaking of | B．Working on | C．Hearing of | D．Reflecting on |
