1 . Everyone tries their best in life, and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can help people realize that their efforts are not in vain (徒劳).Ⅰ remember a time when I was in fifth grade, and I was a very shy girl.

There was a drawing competition at my school that day. As everyone started to use their creative ideas to draw, I was only trying to think of something creative that could express my thoughts and emotions. Lost in my own world, I was brought back to reality when my art teacher called my name from behind. She came to me and encouraged me, saying, “Don’t overthink it, just put whatever comes to your mind on the canvas (画布). Do your best, and you will do well.”

Taking her words of wisdom to heart, I started my painting. Time flew by, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the time limit. We all turned in our canvases for inspection (检查). The next day, the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. To my surprise, I heard my name being called second prize. It was a bolt from the blue for me, as I had never dared to dream of winning any prize.

Later on, I expressed my gratitude to my art teacher for her words of encouragement and for believing in me. That day, I became aware of my talent and started painting more whenever I had free time. Sometimes, I think that if it weren’t for her words of encouragement, I may have never discovered the talent I have.

Overall, this experience taught me the importance of encouraging others and how a few kind words can make a significant impact on someone’s life.

1. What was the author doing when called by the art teacher?

A．Organizing a drawing competition.	B．Trying to get some creative ideas.
C．Painting her work on her canvas.	D．Trying to get help from others.

2. What did the author think of the competition?

A．Easy.

B．Interesting.

C．Challenging.

D．Encouraging.

3. What do the underlined words “bolt from the blue” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Addiction.

B．Puzzlement.

C．Disappointment.

D．Surprise.

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

A．The Power of Encouragement

B．The Importance of Art Competitions

C．Overcoming Shyness Through Painting

D．Discovering Your Great Natural Ability

2 . I was 17 when I discovered shooting stars.

I loved them so much that I invited my high school friends to my family farm and spent an August night in our sleeping bags on the hillside to watch them together.

I can’t help but think of that as the final night of my childhood. I always managed to squeeze in a week or two of vacation before starting back at school, and I’d see shooting stars and remember that brilliant night on the hill. While still marveling at them, I’d work at convincing myself that the joy I’d experience from my accomplishments in college would soon replace my longing for some quiet time beneath a vast sky. But always, I returned to college life in August with deep sadness in my heart.

I’ve given lots of reasons over the past 13 years for my choice to live an independent life on a distant farm and homeschool my daughters. But deep down, I think the shooting stars had a lot to do with it. I couldn’t bear to gaze up at them and think that they were a finale(演出的终场)to be witnessed before returning to the demands of school and careers.

So I said “no” to all of it: no jobs, no school. And I decided to lead a life tied to the seasons, where shooting stars were just one of many gifts from nature.

I changed my life to make room for them and I’m starting to learn the difference between fulfillment and accomplishment.

Accomplishment is a child’s successful test scores. Fulfillment is loving and forgiving each other through times table (乘法表) and written words.

Accomplishment is the publication of 20 essays per year and six books. Fulfillment is the hours spent researching, then walking through the woods to think about each word and thought.

Accomplishment is making enough income to cover my taxes. Fulfillment is sitting outside at 3 am in August, watching the shooting stars, no longer sad at the passage of childhood, but thrilled for the joy of the stars.

It is learned that accomplishment is merely a mark in the book made as a result of following fulfillment above all else.

1. What does the author think marks the end of her childhood?

A．Leaving home for college.	B．Encountering shooting stars.
C．Watching shooting stars with friends.	D．Sleeping in a sleeping bag on a farm.

2. What caused the author to live independently and homeschool her daughters?

A．The need to live on a farm.	B．The wish for a life connected to nature.
C．The desire for independence.	D．The demands of school and careers.

3. Which of the following might the author see as fulfillment?

A．Winning a gold medal in a sports competition.

B．Spending quality time with family members.

C．Holding a high position in a famous company.

D．Buying a big, lovely and comfortable house.

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

A．School or Careers	B．Watch Shooting Stars
C．Live a Life of Fulfillment	D．Accomplishment or Fulfillment

3 . Thanks to a rereading of Jane Austen’s fiction, I have experienced a rejuvenation (恢复) of spirit and energy that has transformed my life. Rereading for the sheer pleasure of Austen’s language and characters when I experienced some depression in my 60s initiated a process that became more serious as I continued to reread the novels in my 70s and became more and more curious about the relationship between reading, learning and the imagination.

Now I find that the processes of rereading, investigation and reflection have led me to the best time in my life. It raised issues in my mind about memory, truth telling and art. In weaving together these aspects of my own reading experiences, I discovered parts of myself that I had not previously explored.

On the one hand I felt removed sufficiently to evaluate the best and worst of times in my own life. And on the other hand, I became so deeply immersed in the reflective process that I surprisedly realized the longstanding dissatisfactions were evaporating around me.

Of course, to be worth rereading, novels must have the potential to yield new insights. For this reason, I have reread Austen’s same six novels many times. They have offered me the richness and complexity required to help me reassess where I am in my life, the quality of my relationships past and present, and the values at stake in my life choices.

When I read Pride and Prejudice at the age of 15, I read it as a domestic comedy. I loved the Bennet sisters because they were lively and, for all their bickering, they were having fun. Rereading the same novel in my 30s I put my attention elsewhere. I paid serious attention to whether I could reconcile (和解) myself to Charlotte Lucas !s view that happiness in marriage is a matter of chance.

At the age of 90, I reread, reflect and comfort myself with Elizabeth Bennet’s words, “till this moment I never knew myself’. This is the moment I have been waiting for.

1. Why did the writer begin to reread Jane Austen’s novel?

A．To deal with depression and seek joy.

B．To revive her love for literature.

C．To evaluate the process of rereading.

D．To dig deeper into literature study.

2. According to the writer, what books are worth rereading?

A．Books themed on life choices.	B．Books with attractive characters.
C．Books that inspire new thinking.	D．Books that recall the best moments of life.

3. How does the writer show the impact of rereading Pride and Prejudice?

A．By analyzing the novel from different aspects.

B．By comparing her reflections at different ages.

C．By quoting speeches from the main characters.

D．By describing the perspectives of different characters.

4. What message does the writer seem to convey in the text?

A．Every Jane Austen’s fiction deserves rereading.

B．Reading books does good to depressed people.

C．Rereading novels sharpens people’s reading skills.

D．Rereading great books is a rewarding experience.

4 . Bobby had attempted to climb the big snowy mountain. He had tried it at least thirty times but had always_________. He began at a god pace, focusing on the snowy summit, imagining the wonderful _________ there. But as he went on. and his strength dwindled (减少), his gaze would _________and look at his worn out boots. _________ , when the clouds had gathered round him, and he understood that he wouldn’t be able to_________ the view from the summit that day, he would give up and return to the village below.

On one of these _________he went up the mountain accompanied by old Peeper, the town optician (配镜师), who witnessed the_________. Peeper encouraged Bobby to try again, and he_________him with a pair of special sunglasses. “If it starts_________over, or if your feet start hurting, put these glasses on. These are__________glasses; they’ll help you. ”Bobby accepted the gift without giving it much mind, __________when his feet started hurting again, he put on the glasses. Just as nearly always seemed to happen, __________returned in the form of cloud cover. But this time it was so__________that he could still see the summit through the clouds. And so Bobby kept climbing, __________his pain, and finally arrived at the summit. His feeling of__________was incomparable with the mountain below surrounded by a sea of clouds. Bobby didn’t remember the clouds being as thick as that, so he looked more __________at the sunglasses, and understood everything.

Peeper had engraved a light __________on the lenses, in the form of the snow-covered summit. It was made in such a way that you could only see it if you looked__________He thanked Peeper for using that little__________to help him see that his aims were not __________, and that they were still there, where they had always been.

1.

A．stopped

B．failed

C．succeeded

D．lost

2.

A．view

B．rest

C．cheer

D．time

3.

A．shake

B．spread

C．fix

D．lower

4.

A．Finally

B．Suddenly

C．Actually

D．Immediately

5.

A．catch

B．enjoy

C．notice

D．reach

6.

A．experiments

B．lessons

C．occasions

D．courses

7.

A．failure

B．trouble

C．cause

D．sight

8.

A．equipped

B．recommended

C．promoted

D．presented

9.

A．raining

B．clouding

C．coming

D．shining

10.

A．changeable

B．expensive

C．special

D．protective

11.

A．but

B．since

C．as

D．then

12.

A．hopelessness

B．warning

C．accident

D．misfortune

13.

A．beautiful

B．light

C．white

D．high

14.

A．curing

B．reducing

C．forgetting

D．remembering

15.

A．success

B．pain

C．gratitude

D．nervousness

16.

A．strictly

B．distantly

C．closely

D．nearly

17.

A．frame

B．glass

C．part

D．image

18.

A．backwards

B．upwards

C．downwards

D．forwards

19.

A．operation

B．technique

C．secret

D．trick

20.

A．easy

B．realistic

C．impossible

D．responsible

5 . 任务型阅读

As I inch closer to my sixth decade, I can’t help but reflect on my life’s journey.

My path has taken many twists and turns, as it does for most, and I am grateful for each chapter and all the characters who were a part of my script. Through all the seasons, hills and valleys, I have grown in all areas of life and as a human being in general.

My husband and I have always wanted to retire near the ocean. We are active and love the outdoors. Finally, we were getting closer to our goal. I had put in my final years for retirement at MES, the wonderful school I spent the majority of my teaching career. I had three years left, but with Illinois’ bad weather, I had it in my mind to get us to Florida sooner than expected.

Our son is stationed at Hurlburt Field near Destin, Florida, and after visiting him there, we fell in love with the pretty coast. The salt air,heat,and humidity did my sinuses (鼻窦) and body good. I was back to running daily and did not once suffer from knee pain or sinus issues during our time there. We discussed it when we returned to Illinois, and I decided to act. I applied for teaching jobs in the Destin area.

Fortunately, I landed a teaching job at a great school and left MES. We put our house up for sale and were looking forward to this next adventure.

I moved to Florida in late July to start my next chapter while my husband stayed back to wrap things up.

I got into my new school on Aug. 1st and began preparing to move from teaching seventh to fourth graders.

However, back home, we weren’t selling our house. Besides, we couldn’t find housing in Florida. After much discussion, we decided the timing wasn’t right because of many unforeseen factors, so I packed up and drove back to Illinois.

1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词限用一次，有两词为多余选项

stay     calm     reason     leave     hope     nose     health     grow     disappoint     expect     tire     satisfy

My Life Crossings
I ________ in all areas of life, full of twists and turns.		I’m grateful and ________ with my life.
I wanted to ________ MES.		I was ________ of bad weather in Illinois.
I visited my son and ________ in Florida; the weather was good for my ________.		I fell in love with the pretty coast.
I applied and landed a teaching job in Florida. I moved to Florida and got into the new school, ________ my future.		I was excited and ________.
For some ________, I drove back to Illinois.		I was quiet and ________.

根据文本内容回答下列问题
2. Why did the author go back to Illinois?
___________________________________________________________________
3. What would the author do next?
___________________________________________________________________
4. What’s the author’s opinion of her path?
___________________________________________________________________

6 . In some ways, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where we ______ our day with a cup of coffee or tea. The kitchen is where we ______ ourselves, body and soul.

Sometimes you need order in the kitchen for things to run ______. Sometimes you need one person to be ______ charge. Imagine you are cooking dinner for your friends. As you are making the soup, your friend Sara ______ it and says, “This needs more salt.” So, she adds more salt.

Then Harlan comes in. He tastes your ______ and says, “You didn’t put enough pepper.” So he grinds (磨碎) some fresh black pepper into the pot.

Cecilia sees him. She tastes the soup and says, “You forgot vinegar. It’s my ______ ingredient.” Then she ______ in some vinegar.

You are happy to spend time with your friends. But, quite ______, all their opinions about your soup are becoming ______. Worst of all, you taste the soup and it’s ______!

And that is where we get the expression “too many cooks ______ the soup.”

This expression describes an age-old ______: If too many people help to complete a task, it may not go very well.

So there should be a cook in the kitchen. He is the ______. Other people can be assistants helping him. And the cook has the final ______.

1.

A．enjoy

B．finish

C．start

D．spend

2.

A．prepare

B．eat

C．cook

D．feed

3.

A．frequently

B．actively

C．smoothly

D．quickly

4.

A．from

B．for

C．with

D．in

5.

A．tastes

B．heats

C．mixes

D．drinks

6.

A．meat

B．soup

C．vegetable

D．food

7.

A．wonderful

B．famous

C．secret

D．delicious

8.

A．pours

B．fills

C．puts

D．blows

9.

A．importantly

B．strangely

C．interestingly

D．frankly

10.

A．charming

B．inviting

C．annoying

D．embarrassing

11.

A．salty

B．awful

C．sour

D．hot

12.

A．spoil

B．share

C．make

D．polish

13.

A．mystery

B．discovery

C．tradition

D．problem

14.

A．leader

B．host

C．assistant

D．manager

15.

A．method

B．direction

C．advice

D．say

7 . Signs That You Are Growing

Growing is a lifelong process. Here are the signs that show that you are actually growing and not getting stuck in the process.

    1    

Often, we see how badly people look when they get overly upset due to unimportant things. So the first sign of maturity (成熟) is letting the small things go and not getting angry over a tiny detail that didn’t go as you planned.

You start forgiving and understanding other people

When we are young, we are often unforgiving. As we mature, we are better able to understand the world beyond black and white.     2    . It enables us to look beyond the obvious and let go of simple judgments. We begin to understand better that others have complex (复杂的) lives and personalities, and so we become more willing to forgive their mistakes.

You always complete things that matter

Immature people don’t know when to commit (承诺) themselves and their energy or resources are always not well employed.     3    . In this way, they can often keep their promises and honor their commitments.

You accept the possibility of being wrong

    4    . They are always able to accept the possibility that they are wrong, that they don’t know something, because there is always more to learn.

Being mature is knowing that you are always growing up. You are never done learning and developing. This means that you don’t set yourself up as the highest authority.     5    .

A．You follow the crowd

B．You let the small things go

C．Instead, mature people focus on completing things that matter

D．Immature and mature people can both have plans for their lives

E．Rather, you open your mind to other ideas and new possibilities

F．Becoming more understanding is a sign of strength, not weakness

G．Mature people appear more confident, however, they are not overconfident

8 . A few weeks ago my family and I went on a trip by car. This has become our ___________ on Sundays over the past several months of the pandemic (疫情). Over the past nine months, we had to stay indoors except on weekends. On a recent morning, we ___________ about 30 minutes to Los Dinamos, a mountainous thickly forested national park.

I listened to the _________ of rushing water from the river below and the singing of birds ___________ in the trees. I ___________ the tiny hand of our ___________ 2- year- old daughter, who was glad to go out playing. And then I surprisingly ___________ we were alone. In a city of millions, we had ___________ ourselves to another world.

I often tell people what I ___________ most about prepandemic life is the liveliness and excitement of the city. But I’ve come to realize that I also need these ____________ on pine- needle- covered (铺满松针的) ways with my young daughters, ____________ things they had never seen or calling out the ____________ of the flowers we pass along the way. I ____________ truly fresh air. I need to attract my kids and my husband ahead with promises of delicious food and a perfect ____________ place where we could sit on the blanket and enjoy the food.

It’s a ____________ that there’s life all around me, even if I can’t spend time mixing with others.

1.

A．achievement

B．experience

C．pressure

D．habit

2.

A．walked

B．ran

C．drove

D．jumped

3.

A．sound

B．talk

C．noise

D．cry

4.

A．losing

B．sleeping

C．hiding

D．sitting

5.

A．lifted

B．held

C．gave

D．observed

6.

A．excited

B．anxious

C．frightened

D．tired

7.

A．remembered

B．argued

C．realized

D．believed

8.

A．turned

B．taken

C．forced

D．helped

9.

A．worry

B．lecture

C．hate

D．miss

10.

A．walks

B．rides

C．challenges

D．flies

11.

A．pushing

B．destroying

C．exploring

D．removing

12.

A．tastes

B．colors

C．seeds

D．fruits

13.

A．call

B．fit

C．sign

D．need

14.

A．exercise

B．dance

C．fishing

D．picnic

15.

A．reminder

B．wonder

C．secret

D．pity

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

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

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

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

We can say words of kindness and self-compassion to ourselves: Mistakes are natural and human; we can be kind to ourselves for this error and still try to do better next time; noticing our own imperfections can help us to be kind to others when we notice they are imperfect, too. When we practice our mistakes in this way, they can become opportunities to open up to others, learn about ourselves, and connect even more with what matters to us.

1. How does the author develop paragraph 1?

A．By giving some examples.	B．By following time order.
C．By doing scientific experiments.	D．By sharing personal experience.

2. What was the result of the author sharing his mistake?

A．Shameful.

B．Unexpected.

C．Punishable.

D．Unaccepted.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．Intentions to avoid mistakes.	B．Advantages of making mistakes.
C．Possibilities of making mistakes.	D．Efforts to avoid making mistakes.

4. What can we know about mistakes from the last paragraph?

A．They interfere with what we are doing.

B．They draw too much attention from us.

C．They are big opportunities to get us improved.

D．They make us feel irresponsible and defeated.

10 . Henry was going through a very hard time. His wife passed away one month ago. He thought his life became meaningless. Henry sat in his house sadly and did nothing.

One day, Henry’s neighbor, Lisa, saw him from her yard. She hadn’t seen him outside for several days! She wanted to help Henry. Then she had an idea.

Lisa said to Henry, “Hello, Henry! Just look at this fence (篱笆) between our houses. It is falling apart. You are a strong man. Can you help fix this fence?”

After hearing Lisa’s words, Henry was a little angry. He didn’t want to help her. He thought he was the one who needed help. He thought Lisa was kind of rude. However, he agreed to help Lisa because Lisa was too old to fix the fence herself.

Henry spent a few days fixing the fence. When he finished, Lisa thanked him. Henry gave her a smile. It was his first time to smile after his wife passed away.

“What a wonderful job! Could you please paint it for me?” Lisa said to him. Henry thought for a while and agreed. Then he began to paint the fence in the hot sun. As his neighbors passed by and saw Henry, they all praised Henry for what he was doing. Henry felt happy and proud. He felt his life was not meaningless any more.

Henry finally understood Lisa’s purpose. She wanted Henry to know that staying busy could help him forget his sorrow (悲痛). Henry thanked Lisa a lot.

1. Which of the following shows how Henry’s feelings changed over time?

A．Happy→thankful→bored→sad.	B．Sad→angry→happy→thankful.
C．Sad→happy→thankful-→sad.	D．Happy→upset→thankful→happy.

2. How did Lisa help Henry forget his sorrow?

A．She wanted him to get to know more neighbors.

B．She asked him to do some things to make him busy.

C．She encouraged him to make friends with other neighbors.

D．She advised him to find a new part-time job in his free time.

3. Which words can best describe Lisa according to the passage?

A．Silly and lazy.	B．Rude and lazy.
C．Clever and helpful.	D．Patient and hard-working.

4. What does the writer mainly want to tell us?

A．Staying busy can help us forget our sadness.	B．We should help others at any time.
C．It is hard to make friends with neighbors.	D．Asking others for help isn’t rude.