1 . Your mind is very powerful. Yet, if you’re like most people, you probably spend very little time reflecting on the way you think. After all, who thinks about thinking?

    1     If you draw wrong conclusions about who you are and what you’re capable of doing, you’ll limit your potential.

Your thoughts are a catalyst(催化剂)for self-perpetuating(自我持续的)cycles.     2     So if you think you’re a failure, you’ll feel like a failure. Then, you’ll act like a failure, which reinforces(强化)your belief that you must be a failure.

I see this happen all the time in my therapy office. Someone will come in saying, “I’m just not good enough to advance in my career.” That assumption leads her to feel discouraged and causes her to put in less effort.     3    

Once you draw a conclusion about yourself, you’re likely to do two things; look for evidence that reinforces your belief and discount anything that runs contrary to your belief. Someone who develops the belief that he’s a failure, for example, will view each mistake as proof that he’s not good enough.     4     Consider for a minute that it might not be your lack of talent or lack of skills that are holding you back. Instead, it might be your beliefs that keep you from performing at your peak.

    5     That’s not to say positive thoughts have magical powers. But optimistic thoughts lead to productive behavior, which increases your chances of a successful outcome.

A．When he does succeed, he’ll owe it to luck.

B．That lack of effort prevents her from getting promoted.

C．Creating a more positive outlook can lead to better outcomes.

D．With conscious effort, you can learn to think more positively.

E．However, the way you think about yourself turns into your reality.

F．Once that belief gets deeply rooted in his mind, he will suffer a lot.

G．What you think directly influences how you feel and how you behave.

2 . My dad passed away in November last year. And it took me several months to feel “_________” in the world again. I didn’t realize it at the time, but in retrospect(回想), the_________described in this piece was an _________part of that process.

I was on a two-week tour of northern Italy, during which I visited the violin_________in the city hall of Cremona, where priceless old violins are_________. Each day, some of these violins are_________and played as a way of keeping them in their finest condition. I was_________to hear the fantastic violin “Il Cremonese”_________by Antonio Stradivari, a master of instrument making. As I sat in that simple hall, surrounded by the ancient paintings and stones, I_________myself to the strains(旋律)of the violin.

My dad also__________music and he had served in Italy during World War II. So I felt he had been with me during my whole Italian journey-and from Venice to Verona, I would catch myself wondering if he had looked at the__________beautiful hills or squares sixty-five years before.

But it was at that moment in Cremona that I__________his presence most powerfully, and that his__________and mine were intertwined(交织在一起)in the__________of the violin. And I__________that people, from newly-made__________to life-long family, __________come and go in the composition of our lives, but that once they have appeared, they never really__________. They are just like those__________. Every day, in one form or another, we take them out and play them, if just for a while. We honor them and keep them__________-as they do us, intertwined.

1.

A．amazed

B．anxious

C．normal

D．sad

2.

A．journey

B．adventure

C．accident

D．concert

3.

A．unusual

B．small

C．positive

D．important

4.

A．shop

B．warehouse

C．museum

D．square

5.

A．sold

B．produced

C．housed

D．repaired

6.

A．put away

B．taken out

C．set aside

D．handed in

7.

A．afraid

B．disappointed

C．relaxed

D．fortunate

8.

A．bought

B．built

C．found

D．introduced

9.

A．devoted

B．lost

C．adapted

D．helped

10.

A．loved

B．composed

C．played

D．ignored

11.

A．remote

B．familiar

C．same

D．remaining

12.

A．felt

B．saw

C．forgot

D．recognized

13.

A．words

B．tears

C．spirit

D．image

14.

A．shape

B．sound

C．color

D．design

15.

A．meant

B．imagined

C．hoped

D．realized

16.

A．friends

B．strangers

C．masters

D．musicians

17.

A．suddenly

B．finally

C．unwillingly

D．unavoidably

18.

A．leave

B．stay

C．rest

D．stop

19.

A．stones

B．violins

C．paintings

D．hills

20.

A．happy

B．young

C．priceless

D．alive

3 . I understand why people say experience counts. However, when it comes to finding new solutions to problems, _______ can be an advantage. Not being _______ by conventional thinking frees me up to think differently.

I became an engineer _______. Despite completing a college course to teach nursery school, I soon _______ to focus on math. It was a _______ decision to leave teaching and pursue my fast-growing _______ for math. But with some guidance from a university professor, my education took another _______ and I graduated with a degree in engineering.

I realized my early lack of experience could be a(n) _______. Being a newcomer left me _______ to ask “stupid” questions. The answer was ________ to more experienced members of the team. The people surrounding me were happy—once I had ________ the courage—to let me ________ them and learn from them.

The team spirit was infectious (有感染力的). My questions were not ________ as stupid by colleagues; ________ they helped me look at problems from a different ________ and consider new approaches.

Most inventions begin with a(n) ________. When our team sets out to invent something new, we discuss the problem and the possible ways to ________ it. It’s a team effort and this is ________ in patent applications-they represent the team’s ideas, regardless of who ________ suggested them. Asking unusual questions helped me develop an inventor’s mind, one that is unconstrained (不受限制的) by standard ways of ________ problems.

1.

A．inflexibility

B．inexperience

C．inability

D．inaccuracy

2.

A．stimulated

B．persuaded

C．reserved

D．limited

3.

A．on purpose

B．on occasion

C．by accident

D．by order

4.

A．submitted

B．switched

C．failed

D．forgot

5.

A．tough

B．stupid

C．collective

D．necessary

6.

A．hate

B．panic

C．passion

D．confidence

7.

A．credit

B．beating

C．risk

D．turn

8.

A．trouble

B．plus

C．weakness

D．exception

9.

A．free

B．discouraged

C．bored

D．frank

10.

A．deaf

B．wrong

C．obvious

D．traditional

11.

A．taken up

B．torn up

C．used up

D．built up

12.

A．encourage

B．clarify

C．question

D．suspect

13.

A．perceived

B．appointed

C．learned

D．used

14.

A．instead

B．moreover

C．therefore

D．otherwise

15.

A．document

B．angle

C．introduction

D．country

16.

A．discussion

B．argument

C．assumption

D．problem

17.

A．hide

B．handle

C．admire

D．discover

18.

A．hatched

B．engaged

C．lost

D．reflected

19.

A．originally

B．accidentally

C．hopefully

D．politely

20.

A．creating

B．developing

C．approaching

D．experiencing

4 . A passenger started a conversation with a sniffling (吸鼻子) stranger, apparently due to the recent cold. “Look at me!” the healthy one said _______ , "Never a day's _______ in my life, and it owes to the simple food. Why? Because from the age of twenty, I lived an absolutely simple, regular life—no _______ nights, no extravagance (奢侈). Every day,   _______ , I went to bed regularly at nine o'clock at night and _______ at five in the next morning. I ate a _______ meal at noon and, after that,   _______ in the tennis club for an hour…”

“Excuse me,” _______ the sniffling stranger, “but what is the point?”

That kind of life _______ too much like being under a sentence. Some people can go overboard for a rigid routine. I once went on a near-starvation ________ just to drop a few pounds. In two weeks I ________ five pounds and the will to ________ . Self-discipline is important to be happy, but a rigid routine may not be the ________ .

Mark Twain gave some ________ about discipline. "Do one thing every day you don't want to do,” he advised. I think I can do that. One thing I've always ________ . One thing I always said I ought to do, but never made the ________ . We believe doing something that is important but we don't want to do is a price we pay for ________ . Call it a duty, or call it paying the price,   ________ that may be what it really is. And the other part is: leave some ________ to do something you want to do, too. Paying the price gets you where you want to go. Then having ________ along the way makes the journey worthwhile.

1.

A．seriously

B．anxiously

C．proudly

D．politely

2.

A．sickness

B．sadness

C．health

D．hunger

3.

A．late

B．exact

C．spare

D．perfect

4.

A．by chance

B．in fact

C．at once

D．on purpose

5.

A．got up

B．got back

C．got off

D．got out

6.

A．plain

B．regular

C．good

D．fast

7.

A．put out

B．headed towards

C．worked out

D．picked up

8.

A．announced

B．shouted

C．apologized

D．interrupted

9.

A．acts

B．looks

C．sounds

D．shows

10.

A．journey

B．diet

C．schedule

D．duty

11.

A．lost

B．stored

C．wasted

D．stole

12.

A．play

B．study

C．weep

D．live

13.

A．problem

B．mistake

C．answer

D．evidence

14.

A．examples

B．suggestions

C．arrangements

D．orders

15.

A．passed on

B．broken up

C．put off

D．taken back

16.

A．choice

B．space

C．conversation

D．effort

17.

A．success

B．health

C．power

D．hope

18.

A．but

B．for

C．though

D．if

19.

A．messages

B．room

C．time

D．debts

20.

A．fun

B．patience

C．interest

D．friendship

5 . Ask yourself, “Why do you work so hard？What motivates you to do so?” Most of you may say a single word to answer both the questions: Family.

All of us inherit our physical features from our parents. However, when you start interacting with the outside world, you realize that they are not enough to ensure your success, not even your survival. It is the values passed on to you by your family such as patience, care, understanding and commitment that make your survival and growth possible.

You may or may not be aware, but your family was the first school you entered. “Survival of the fittest” is the golden rule in this world. In other words, “Let the unfit perish” is the motto. When you stepped into this world, you were unfit to survive on your own. From the first day you came into the world, you started learning about love, care and family relationships at home. For example, by observing your family members, you learned how family relationships work. As time went on, you matured and started taking note of other people outside your family and how your family members interacted with them. You also noticed how your family dealt with the ups and downs of life.

What you learned from your family becomes your value system and forms your perceptions and basis of actions. A person is known by his actions. It is your family that gave you an identity. Whenever you move from one place to another, you carry your family history with you. Have you ever noticed that your opinions always confirmed to the values you acquired from your family?

Every person’s relation to his family is similar to the earth’s relation to its environment, which acts as a protective layer. For a person, the importance of family is beyond calculation. The saying goes that you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. Spend your life showing those you love that they will always be family no matter what happens.

1. Your family can help you survive by________.

A．providing more love for you

B．shaping your personality

C．introducing you to the outside world

D．improving your school education

2. According to the passage, a person represents________.

A．the unity of his family

B．his family benefits

C．the behavior pattern of his family

D．his family relationships with others

3. Like the environment to the earth, a family________.

A．is an interactive system

B．encourages its members to work hard

C．is full of challenges

D．provides security for its members

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The development of a person.

B．The importance of family.

C．How to survive the hardship?

D．What’s a family?

6 . I still remember my first fishing experience as if it were but yesterday. I have been _________ many times in my life (like when I got admitted to the best school), but never more intensely so than when I received that first fishing _________ from my uncle.

My uncle, who knew by long _________ where pickerel (梭鱼) would gather, _________ placed me at the most favorable point. I threw out my line and waited anxiously for a bite, _________ the float up and down rapidly on the surface of the water. But nothing came of it. "Try again," said my uncle. Suddenly the float _________ out of sight. "Now for it," thought I, "here is a fish at last."

I made a strong pull, only to bring up a tangle of weeds. Again and again I cast out my line with aching arms, and drew it back empty. I looked at my uncle _________ . "Try once more," he said.“We fishermen must have _________ .”

Suddenly something tugged at my line, and swept off with it into deep water. Pulling it up quickly, I saw a fine pickerel wriggling (扭动) in the sun. "Uncle!”I cried, looking back in uncontrollable _________ , "I've got a fish!” "Not yet," said my uncle. Just then, I saw the scared fish shooting into the middle of the stream, my hook hung __________ from the line. I had lost my prize.

My heart sank with it and I felt like a failure. We tend to speak of the __________ of childhood as matters of little importance __________ those of grown-ups. Controlled by reason and self-respect, the sorrows of grown-ups __________ the social customs and rules of conduct __________ the sorrows of childhood are a complete abandonment to the passion. The doll's nose is broken, and the whole world __________ with it.

So, overcome with my bitter disappointment, I refused to be __________ , even by my uncle's guarantee that there were more fish in the river. He refitted my bait, and, putting the pole again in my hands, told me to try my luck once more.

"But remember, boy," he said, with a smile, "it's no use to boast of (自夸) anything before it's done, nor then, either, __________ it speaks for itself."

How often I have been reminded of the fish that I did not catch __________! When I hear people talking about their distant aims as if they had already been achieved, I call to mind that __________ by the riverside, and the wise caution of my uncle takes the form of a proverb of __________ application: "NEVER BOAST OF YOUR FISH BEFORE YOU CATCH HIM."

1.

A．happy

B．confident

C．curious

D．optimistic

2.

A．basket

B．pole

C．net

D．boat

3.

A．analysis

B．calculation

C．adjustment

D．experience

4.

A．casually

B．desperately

C．considerately

D．unexpectedly

5.

A．kicking

B．moving

C．releasing

D．folding

6.

A．sank

B．bounced

C．flew

D．extended

7.

A．understandingly

B．appealingly

C．seemingly

D．approvingly

8.

A．affection

B．imagination

C．ability

D．patience

9.

A．amusement

B．disappointment

C．excitement

D．astonishment

10.

A．separate

B．heavy

C．empty

D．dull

11.

A．achievements

B．sorrows

C．remarks

D．commitments

12.

A．in comparison with

B．in favour of

C．in response to

D．on account of

13.

A．reform

B．keep

C．violate

D．establish

14.

A．if

B．since

C．when

D．while

15.

A．goes ahead

B．takes off

C．breaks up

D．comes out

16.

A．criticized

B．teased

C．comforted

D．protected

17.

A．for

B．once

C．if

D．though

18.

A．just then

B．ever since

C．ever after

D．only now

19.

A．view

B．location

C．conflict

D．scene

20.

A．liberal

B．potential

C．artificial

D．universal

7 . On the 15th June I set foot off the airplane and into Calgary, Canada. I've never been to this side of the world before and I had some strange expectations when I could only see fields and no cityscape in view from my plane window during landing. However, as we got closer and closer to the airport the city came into view... phew (I sighed of relief as I'm a real city-goer).

We were greeted by my girlfriend's parents and whisked away to the main city. The large amount of greenery in Calgary's city makes it a completely different city to visit and I advise if anybody is around this side of the world, it's surely an interesting visit.

Despite all the things we've done here, the thing that blew me away the most was the Canadian woodlands and mountains just a few hours outside of Calgary. The highlight for me was risking travelling to the small town of Fernie and hiking into the woods up to a small waterfall where the water was so clear we could just drink straight from the stream. The time away from the main city had a great holiday feel and gave me time to recover after a busy university year.

It's been a great experience being in the Canadian mountains and woodlands and it's taught me the importance of just having some time for yourself! So whatever you guys are doing this summer, make sure you take some time out to relax, rest and recharge.

1. Which of the following best describes the author's feeling while landing?

A．Embarrassed.

B．Disappointed.

C．Hopeful.

D．Amazed.

2. What makes Calgary a quite different city?

A．Greetings from girlfriend's parents.	B．Natural beauty of the city.
C．Woodlands outside the city.	D．Clear water from the stream.

3. What does the underlined part “blew me away” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．moved me away

B．beat me off

C．encouraged me

D．impressed me

4. What can be inferred about the author's travel experience?

A．He needs relaxation from his busy life.	B．He hates the city's busy life.
C．He is in great love with his girlfriend.	D．He is enthusiastic about work.

8 . Yesterday, my daughter had to go to work earlier than usual. Since the gym where I work out is not far from her ___________, I decided to take her to work and then go to the gym.

At quite an earlier hour, the gym was ___________ full of men and women of all ages, working out. I ___________ go to the gym at this early hour, and was ___________ to see so many people. It seems that many go to the gym before going to ___________. Some want to lose weight, others want to ___________ their body, and a great number of people like to build their muscles (肌肉). I know how difficult it is for most people to start exercising. Most people know it is good for their body, ___________ they are too lazy to go to the gym, ___________ in the morning. They ___________ to spend an extra hour in bed before starting their ____________. In the afternoon, they are too ____________ after work, and want to stay at home or go out to meet friends.

If you’re one of them, you need to overcome (克服) your ____________. If you ____________ going to the gym and exercising, you will start to ____________ it. This usually ____________ when you see you’re losing weight, that your body is getting into a better shape, and that you feel stronger.

It is the same in every other area of life. Everything becomes easier if you have great motivation.

1.

A．house

B．garage

C．office

D．yard

2.

A．already

B．still

C．even

D．just

3.

A．usually

B．sometimes

C．only

D．seldom

4.

A．happy

B．surprised

C．excited

D．satisfied

5.

A．hospital

B．bed

C．work

D．school

6.

A．shape

B．protect

C．check

D．change

7.

A．and

B．but

C．then

D．thus

8.

A．actually

B．simply

C．especially

D．generally

9.

A．need

B．have

C．prefer

D．expect

10.

A．day

B．plan

C．trip

D．business

11.

A．worried

B．bored

C．anxious

D．tired

12.

A．quietness

B．loneliness

C．darkness

D．laziness

13.

A．practice

B．keep

C．forget

D．consider

14.

A．take

B．survive

C．get

D．like

15.

A．improves

B．happens

C．finishes

D．exists

9 . In America, teenagers start learning how to drive at fifteen. And they are ________ to test for their licenses at sixteen. Unfortunately, I was unable to test for my ________ at that age.

So here I am eighteen years old, and taking my test along with “children” much ________than I am. Today I sat in my car, just like them, ________ because of the coming test. I tried to calm down. I told myself that ________ I failed the first time, I could just retake it during winter break. However, I couldn't ________ sweating (出汗). All I could think about was safety instructions my instructor told me.

The last time I felt this ________ was in tenth grade when I was waiting for my turn to play the piano during a performance. I ________ choking (窒息) during that performance — my sweaty fingers hit the wrong   keys and the piece was ________. I was worried the ________ thing would happen this time.

Once the drive tester came into the ________ and I turned onto the road, I was ________ and felt confident. The ________ was over in six minutes. As soon as my tester instructed me to pull into the parking lot, I was sure I had ________. I walked into the department of licensing, and greeted my dad, who had been patiently ________ me. Suddenly, a flood of feelings filled me. I thought about my dad who ________ me to ride a bike when I was five. ________ could thirteen years have passed already? Now I was driving a(n) ________ vehicle, one that would take me farther and farther away from him.

________, it wasn't really about passing a test anymore. It was about not disappointing people. So maybe my license ________ more than I think.

1.

A．ordered

B．forced

C．allowed

D．refused

2.

A．skill

B．license

C．degree

D．goal

3.

A．younger

B．shorter

C．nicer

D．braver

4.

A．watching

B．leaving

C．shaking

D．thinking

5.

A．until

B．though

C．as

D．if

6.

A．stop

B．keep

C．forget

D．imagine

7.

A．excited

B．nervous

C．sad

D．serious

8.

A．continue

B．prefer

C．regret

D．remember

9.

A．praised

B．played

C．ruined

D．wasted

10.

A．same

B．opposite

C．real

D．general

11.

A．room

B．office

C．hall

D．car

12.

A．in danger

B．in control

C．in need

D．in trouble

13.

A．test

B．show

C．break

D．performance

14.

A．changed

B．failed

C．missed

D．passed

15.

A．worrying about

B．waiting for

C．asking about

D．yearning for

16.

A．taught

B．advised

C．followed

D．asked

17.

A．Why

B．When

C．How

D．Where

18.

A．perfect

B．expensive

C．smaller

D．faster

19.

A．Usually

B．Suddenly

C．Slowly

D．Strangely

20.

A．needs

B．helps

C．means

D．beats

10 . My children and I were playing in our yard. The ball we were playing with accidentally ______. We would run out to get it first under ______ circumstances. But it isn't after the outbreak of a serious infectious(传染的) disease. ______, the country was put under strict lockdown and the physical ______ became a dangerous thing.

Considering people walking by, I went inside to get a mask and gloves to take a ______ outside, but before I could go out, an old man ______ the ball. Just as my kids began running to get it, I ______ them. I thanked him and asked him to just ______ it through the gate. The kids told me that the man showed clear ______ at my behavior. I reminded them why my behavior was ______.

As much as I want to ensure my kids to ______ themselves and others, this forced me to ______ how I can do so in a way that doesn't unknowingly teach them to treat people as ______. Thankfully, my children feel safe and loved ______ the many neighbors in our community that have been involved in raising them, ______ their values and sense of self. Despite having to stay home, we haven't been ______. For example, we have woken up to find food at the gate ______ by friends. Our kids left our extra fruits outside for people to take. It's not ______ a kind act. It's their way of creating new ______ in this special period.

Yes, sometimes we need to be ______ about getting back a ball, but it's vital to connect with people.

1.

A．passed by

B．disappeared

C．flew out

D．stuck

2.

A．normal

B．complex

C．familiar

D．certain

3.

A．Strangely

B．Suddenly

C．Luckily

D．Directly

4.

A．constitution

B．conflict

C．condition

D．connection

5.

A．chance

B．step

C．break

D．glance

6.

A．gave back

B．picked up

C．threw away

D．took out

7.

A．educated

B．punished

C．overlooked

D．stopped

8.

A．lift

B．carry

C．cast

D．pull

9.

A．puzzlement

B．regret

C．displeasure

D．shame

10.

A．necessary

B．positive

C．sincere

D．common

11.

A．balance

B．protect

C．comfort

D．respect

12.

A．reflect

B．assume

C．recognize

D．explain

13.

A．burden

B．challenge

C．model

D．threat

14.

A．because of

B．regardless of

C．but for

D．apart from

15.

A．testing

B．shaping

C．sharing

D．considering

16.

A．annoyed

B．impatient

C．alone

D．bored

17.

A．sold

B．promoted

C．abandoned

D．delivered

18.

A．even

B．just

C．ever

D．already

19.

A．projects

B．habits

C．lives

D．bonds

20.

A．anxious

B．courageous

C．cautious

D．curious