1 . As the saying goes, life is sweet. But while we may wish for consistently sweet moments, life often serves us other _________.

Recently, we celebrated my mom’s birthday. In her nineties now, as she _________ the closing stages of a long and remarkable life, she struggles with dementia (痴呆), leading to her mind and body not _________ the way she would want.

The day before the celebration, we _________ to bake cookies with her great grand kids. Not just any cookies, but 60 _________ sugar cookies cut in different shapes, covered with lots of sprinkles (糖屑). Though the kids worked as carefully as they could, they made the kitchen a total mess, _________almost as many sprinkles on the floor as on the cookies. They went on for hours, rolling dough, baking, cutting shapes, and _________ with four kinds of sprinkles.

The next day, the birthday _________ was a success. We took many pictures, and the beautiful cookies were shared. In an _________ way, those sweet sprinkles have not only stuck in my mind but remained almost everywhere in our home for the past few days. In every __________, I continue to find them, in all the colors of the rainbow, four shapes and sizes, sweet, and after I __________ step on them, not so sweet.

Truly, these are bittersweet moments, filled with __________ emotions. From such moments, we unwillingly learn that much in life is __________ our control: the separations and losses, the __________ of life, the passage of time. Life serves up many flavors. __________, we can choose our attitudes on the journey.

1.

A．memories

B．flavors

C．experiences

D．smells

2.

A．forgets

B．realizes

C．nears

D．questions

3.

A．functioning

B．changing

C．failing

D．growing

4.

A．decided

B．asked

C．managed

D．continued

5.

A．new-born

B．snow-covered

C．hard-won

D．home-made

6.

A．working on

B．preparing for

C．cutting off

D．resulting in

7.

A．checking

B．decorating

C．struggling

D．volunteering

8.

A．cake

B．wish

C．gift

D．party

9.

A．unexpected

B．unknown

C．undoubted

D．unlimited

10.

A．picture

B．cookie

C．room

D．house

11.

A．dangerously

B．successfully

C．emotionally

D．accidentally

12.

A．new

B．strong

C．mixed

D．negative

13.

A．within

B．through

C．beyond

D．toward

14.

A．shortness

B．meaning

C．record

D．style

15.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Meanwhile

D．Therefore

2 . Rejection doesn’t always hurt. Sometimes rejection may _________ a more certain path to our final goals.

This year football fans have been watching to see how Joe would _________ in the playoffs(季后赛) this season. Joe dreamed to play in the National Football League (NFL), but his journey wasn’t a(n) _________ one. He applied to several colleges, but none _________ him. Later, he got into Ohio State, but he sat on the _________ for three years. Ohio State had a great football program and coaches, who didn’t think Joe had _________. But Joe thought differently. He _________ Nebraska and got rejected once again, but he didn’t quit. Then he applied to Louisiana State University, which accepted him. The rest is history.

Joe became the Heisman Trophy _________ during his senior year, then he was admitted to the NFL, and later, his team participated in the World Championship.

Joe’s story reminds us that there are _________ paths to our final goals and that it __________ strong endurance and determination to reach them. No single __________ is going to prevent you from __________ your long-term goals. Be sure to__________ the pain that comes from disappointment and face it bravely. Try to focus on goals rather than the __________ outcome of being rejected and remember that the hurt of rejection comes from how we __________ it.

1.

A．follow

B．lead

C．create

D．clear

2.

A．study

B．perform

C．train

D．join

3.

A．tough

B．fun

C．attractive

D．easy

4.

A．accepted

B．remembered

C．rejected

D．ignored

5.

A．bench

B．stand

C．team

D．stage

6.

A．chance

B．resource

C．potential

D．enthusiasm

7.

A．signed up for

B．applied to

C．attended to

D．searched for

8.

A．fan

B．adviser

C．learner

D．winner

9.

A．similar

B．smooth

C．multiple

D．flat

10.

A．costs

B．takes

C．makes

D．offers

11.

A．theory

B．training

C．rejection

D．excuse

12.

A．achieving

B．planning

C．announcing

D．explaining

13.

A．affect

B．emphasize

C．estimate

D．acknowledge

14.

A．active

B．negative

C．possible

D．predictable

15.

A．interpret

B．imagine

C．explore

D．escape

3 . 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。

As a wise person once said, “We more often need to be reminded than instructed.”

I thought of that while     1     (watch) my sons make a presentation of Young and Motivated recently. It was the first time I had had an opportunity to see it firsthand,       2     made it a bittersweet moment for me, and I was     3     (surprise) by how inspired I was by the message.

What really hit home for me was the     4     (discuss) that was centered on the “rocks” in our lives—the things that should be high     5     (priority) in our schedules and our relationships. If you don’t attend to the rocks first, you won’t find room for them later. That’s just the way life works.

As I sat there, I realized     6     were areas of my life where I had allowed some important rocks     7     (get) crowded out. I just needed the reminder.

Then I saw these notes     8     (take) by a delightful 12-year-old participant named Isabella. She had     9     (obvious) connected with the economic benefits of getting your rocks     10     order. If only more young people would understand that by putting away 20 percent of whatever they take in, they are creating something meaningful and lasting. We would see a generation of financially secure(经济有保障的), independent young people.

4 . In 2014, Mom wanted to live closer to us. My husband, Kevin, and I found a lovely ______ for her. The next day, she ______ me to complain about the food in a nearby restaurant.

I asked Kevin. “Do you think I complain a lot?” Kevin hesitated a few seconds before saying no. I realized that the family nature of complaining had taken ______ in me.

I decided to keep a better watch on my______. Things went fine for a few weeks. I was delighted at my ______. But every time Mom called, I got ______. I felt ______ to change by myself.

A few days later, I received from my friend Torry a ______ with one word on its cover: Blessings. He encouraged me to keep writing things I’m______for.

The next morning, I ______ the journal and wrote the date, then two things I was grateful for. Number one, friends who ______ me. Two, my caring husband. ______filled my heart. Maybe this was it. Not just the missing piece to help me ______the complaining but a joyous replacement:______.

Over the next few months, as I ______ to list blessings each day, I noticed little things I’d been ______ to: how the wind made the leaves ______; how the smile of a baby ______ my heart.

Looking for things to be thankful for ______to a deeper shift in me. Life didn’t suddenly become trouble-free. But a new awareness of the ______ around me made me see how lucky I was.

1.

A．hospital

B．school

C．apartment

D．garden

2.

A．called

B．invited

C．asked

D．forced

3.

A．root

B．shape

C．place

D．efforts

4.

A．health

B．tongue

C．weight

D．attitude

5.

A．method

B．chance

C．success

D．growth

6.

A．scared

B．excited

C．relaxed

D．nervous

7.

A．necessary

B．powerless

C．possible

D．happy

8.

A．book

B．present

C．brochure

D．journal

9.

A．thankful

B．eager

C．prepared

D．meant

10.

A．received

B．read

C．opened

D．copied

11.

A．host

B．trust

C．warn

D．encourage

12.

A．Satisfaction

B．Sorrow

C．Inspiration

D．Completion

13.

A．refuse

B．overcome

C．update

D．understand

14.

A．Honor

B．Adaptation

C．Gratitude

D．Balance

15.

A．imagined

B．applied

C．required

D．continued

16.

A．addicted

B．blind

C．related

D．used

17.

A．dance

B．die

C．grow

D．move

18.

A．clarified

B．lifted

C．restored

D．improved

19.

A．went

B．replied

C．led

D．connected

20.

A．people

B．lessons

C．blessings

D．love

5 . 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

6 . 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.

7 . Cope With Loneliness or Depression

My grandmother, Margaret lived to be 104, spending the last 16 years of her life in a nursing home. Although ______ kept in a wheelchair from severe arthritis(关节炎), she was mentally sharp until her ______. In fact, she was one of the very few residents there who could still think clearly. ______ the passing years, friends and family members died. Yet, when I had the ______ to visit her, she never seemed to be despondent or ______ of being lonely. After my visits, I ______ left thinking “If I lived that long, would I have the same ______? Was there something special or different in the way she thought that prevented her from becoming ______ ?”

By our very nature, human beings are relational. As social beings, we need some sense of ______ to the world around us, whether it’s through people or the ______ world. In what appeared to be the very ______world of my grandmother, she had ______ close relationships with the nurses on her floor. I’ve ______ a lot on the example my grandmother provided during her ______ years. I’ve asked myself many questions about aging and how to ______ a sense of well-being as our world ______ to narrow from the death of family and friends or major health issues. Perhaps what I’ve ______ will help you, too.

Being alone. What does that ______ bring into your mind? The way we feel about being alone has something to do with the way we frame it. For example, you ______ be in a large group of people and still feel very lonely. Yet, some people seem to recharge and actually energize by taking the time to be alone. Once your thoughts and feelings change, it will be ______ for your behavior to change as well.

1.

A．mentally

B．sadly

C．happily

D．physically

2.

A．recovery

B．death

C．victory

D．failure

3.

A．While

B．As

C．Until

D．With

4.

A．chance

B．honor

C．right

D．choice

5.

A．complained

B．reminded

C．informed

D．thought

6.

A．never

B．sometimes

C．always

D．seldom

7.

A．ability

B．luck

C．attitude

D．age

8.

A．depressed

B．disappointed

C．annoyed

D．excited

9.

A．achievement

B．direction

C．connection

D．humor

10.

A．amusing

B．amazing

C．different

D．natural

11.

A．small

B．huge

C．difficult

D．broad

12.

A．developed

B．invented

C．held

D．found

13.

A．regained

B．realized

C．reflected

D．recognized

14.

A．long

B．lonely

C．early

D．last

15.

A．organize

B．maintain

C．spread

D．broadcast

16.

A．promises

B．prepares

C．seems

D．starts

17.

A．calculated

B．collected

C．discovered

D．described

18.

A．phrase

B．word

C．sentence

D．passage

19.

A．would

B．can

C．must

D．should

20.

A．better

B．happier

C．harder

D．easier

8 . Winter goes and summer comes. The tides_______; the tides withdraw. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a_______of nature. It is one of nature’s_______, little understood, that each day I_______with moods that have changed from yesterday. Inside me is a wheel,_______turning. Like the flowers, today’s full blossom will_______, yet I will remember today’s dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow’s blossom.

And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be_______? Trees and plants depend on the weather to_______, but I make my own weather. I_______it with me. If I bring enthusiasm to my customers, they will________with enthusiasm and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a lot of gold for me. I will learn this secret: weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who________his actions to control his thoughts. Each day I will follow this plan of battle before I am________by the forces of sadness,________and failure. I will know only those with inferior(较次的) ability can always be________, and I am not inferior. If I feel depressed I will sing. If I feel________I will remember my goals.Yet, some emotions approach me with a smile, which can also destroy me. If I become overly proud, I will remember my weaknesses. If I feel my skill is________, I will look at the stars.

With this new knowledge I will make________of a person’s anger of today, for he doesn’t know the secret of controlling his mind. No longer will I judge a man on one________. This secret will be my key to great wealth. From this moment I am________to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will control my fate, which is to become the greatest________in the world!

1.

A．advance

B．disappear

C．exist

D．fall

2.

A．native

B．colleague

C．supporter

D．part

3.

A．jokes

B．secrets

C．experiences

D．awards

4.

A．break in

B．wake up

C．take off

D．give out

5.

A．constantly

B．temporarily

C．casually

D．elegantly

6.

A．appear

B．blow

C．fade

D．spread

7.

A．anxious

B．natural

C．additional

D．productive

8.

A．sow

B．grow

C．separate

D．shelter

9.

A．fold

B．follow

C．carry

D．load

10.

A．react

B．review

C．recite

D．repeat

11.

A．obtains

B．regards

C．allows

D．observes

12.

A．chosen

B．seized

C．received

D．witnessed

13.

A．self-awareness

B．self-control

C．self-esteem

D．self-pity

14.

A．behind the scene

B．on the bottom line

C．at the end of the rope

D．out of sight

15.

A．insignificant

B．improper

C．impolite

D．unconscious

16.

A．concrete

B．inadequate

C．abstract

D．unmatched

17.

A．use

B．fun

C．sure

D．sense

18.

A．view

B．meeting

C．experiment

D．idiom

19.

A．limited

B．reserved

C．prepared

D．afraid

20.

A．salesman

B．player

C．architect

D．designer

9 . After leaving the publishing industry in my fifties, I chose a university to follow my love for animal biology. I regard the experience as a change for my self-confidence, both inside and outside the classroom.

My background is in the arts, so I wanted to see if I could keep up with a science degree. I was a carer for my parent when I was 18, so I didn’t have the opportunity to go to university then. I was a little nervous, and worried, but I was actually treated the same as all the other students.

I’m definitely a bit of a mum figure to some of my classmates, but that’s fine. Friendship grows in different ways. I’ve done lots of volunteering, so there have been plenty of opportunities to extend my knowledge and experience.

My family have been so supportive. My husband is retired(退休) now and has taken on lots of the housework so that I can study. My daughter has already g other degree and she’s been great helping me get new views. I’ve hunted for a few jobs at the university, and I’m also considering other qualifications. I have learned so much about critical thinking.

I would recommend adult study to anyone, even if it’s just college, so they can feel that connection and support. That’s what I missed-going in regularly and having a group of people to talk to, especially if you have gradually lost your confidence over the years You need the support from people who see you as a person and not just a mum or a wife. It’s really given me the confidence to speak up again, to join in and be part of the society.

1. Why did the author choose a university?

A．To teach arts.	B．To get a degree.
C．To follow her passion.	D．To find a better job.

2. What prevented the author going to university when she was young?

A．Keeping a science degree.	B．Taking care of her parents.
C．Being nervous about study.	D．Showing no interest in university.

3. What did the author benefit from her experience?

A．She got on better with her old friends.

B．She learned to be stricter with herself.

C．She was more responsible for her housework.

D．She became more confident to express herself.

4. Which maybe the best title for the text?

A．It Is Never Too Old to Learn.

B．Hard Work Is the Key to Success.

C．Family Support Is of Great Importance.

D．Volunteering Is Helpful in Developing Friendship.

10 . In 1838, Charles Darwin faced a problem. Nearing his 30th birthday, he was trying to decide whether to marry. To help make his decision, Darwin made a list of the expected pluses and minuses of marrying.

Darwin is struggling with what I call a wild problem — a fork in the road of life where knowing which path is the right one isn’t obvious. How should we go ahead then, especially if we want to make a rational decision?

As we will see, the cost-benefit list that Darwin constructed is less helpful. He managed to come up with more minuses than pluses. His list — especially of pluses is the list made by who has never been married and has no access to the upside of the inner life of a married man. With many wild problems, the downside is easily imagined, while the upside is hidden from us. That’s one reason wild problems are so hard to tackle with the standard tools of rationality.

Less than a year later, Darwin married and had seven surviving children. Somehow, he managed to become one of the greatest scientists of all time and forever changed our understanding of who we human beings are. What’s the lesson to be learned from his decision-making process?

Life is more than accumulating pleasure or avoid pain. Humans want purpose. We want meaning. We want to belong to something larger than ourselves. The decisions we make in the face of wild problems don’t lead to good days and bad days. They define us. They determine who we are, who we might aspire to become, who we might come to be.

Learn from Darwin. Spend less time trying to figure out the best path to get to where we want to go and spend more time thinking about where we want to go in the first place.

1. How did Darwin decide whether to marry at first?

A．He made a rational decision.

B．He was struggling with a wild problem.

C．He constructed a list of costs and benefits.

D．He came up with more pluses than minuses.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards the standard tools of rationality?

A．Critical.

B．Impartial.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Approval.

3. What does the underlined word “aspire” mean in Paragraph 5?

A．pretend

B．manage

C．need

D．dream

4. What can be learned from Darwin’s lesson?

A．Life has more pleasure than pain.

B．It is crucial to figure out our purpose.

C．Life is about good days and bad days.

D．How to best tackle problems defines us.