1 . As a child, I was proud of my southern origin. My own voice reflected my family’s past and present-part northern Mississippi, part Tennessee, all southern. There was no sound I loved more than my grandmother’s accent: thick, sweet, warm.

While growing up, I began to realize outside of our region, southerners were often dismissed as uncultured and ignorant. I was ready to leave behind my tiny town in West Tennessee, starting a new life and jumping at big chances in some far-off cities. In that embarrassing space between “teen” and “adult”, my accent was a symbol of everything I thought I hated about my life in the rural South. I feared it would disqualify me from being a noted magazine writer. I would have to talk less “country”. So I killed a piece of myself. I’m ashamed of it, but I’m more ashamed that I tried to kill that part of someone else-change Emily’s accent.

I met Emily in college. She was determined to work for the student newspaper, which was where I spent most of my waking hours, and we became friends. She, unlike me, accepted her roots. Early in our friendship, her mother asked where I was from, assuming it was somewhere up north. Then I felt my efforts paid off and even wanted to ignore the mistake.

Emily is two years younger and she cared about my opinion. I advised her to be more like me and hide her signature Manchester accent. I stressed that throughout our college years, often by making fun of her vowel (元音) sounds. I told myself I was helping her achieve her dream of working as a reporter. Now, I see that it was actually about justifying my hiding part of myself.

Grandma Carolyn used to tell me, “Girl, don’t forget where you come from.” Now I truly understand that. Many things have faded from memory, but this sticks in my mind with uncomfortable clarity. Now that I am grown and have left the South, it’s important to me.

1. What made the author want to leave her hometown?

A．Appeal of convenience in cities.

B．Her dream of becoming a writer.

C．Outside prejudice against southerners.

D．Her desire for the northern accent.

2. How did the author feel about the mistake of Emily’s mother?

A．Upset.

B．Pleased.

C．Ashamed.

D．Surprised.

3. Why on earth did the author try to change Emily’s accent?

A．To prove herself right.	B．To help Emily be a reporter.
C．To make herself influential.	D．To protect Emily’s self-dignity.

4. What message does the text want to convey?

A．Stay true to your roots.	B．Never do things by halves.
C．Hold on to your dreams.	D．Never judge a person by his accent.

2 . 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

3 . When I first met Sarah, all I noticed was her drool (口水) running from the corner of her mouth. As Mrs. Wagner pushed the wheelchair toward me, I felt _________. Why was she seated beside me?

For the entire morning, I was uneasy. _________, I nerved myself to ask Mrs. Wagner, “Mrs. Wagner, can I have my seat _________?”

She patted (拍) my shoulder _________ and said, “Natalie, Sarah needs our care. Try it.”

Why? I didn’t need a deskmate with running drool! I decided to _________ Sarah. At three o’clock, our gym teacher came and said, “Kickball time! Put on your gym shoes. ” As I bent over to tie my shoes, Sarah’s caught my attention and I _________ how it feels to never walk. My _________ felt tight.

Mrs. Wagner asked me, “Natalie, although Sarah cannot kick, she can _________ balls. Would you help her in the gym class?”

I had to _________ and push Sarah to the __________.

Firstly, Matt kicked the ball and it came to me. I __________ it to Sarah and she threw it, which just struck Mike’s heel!

“You got him out!” I __________. Sarah laughed happily. Then I laughed, too. The rest of the game was __________ and we all enjoyed ourselves.

At the end of the day, Sarah read a journal entry to us, “My first day of school went well. I __________ playing kickball. I made a nice new friend, Natalie. ”

Sarah smiled at me. I didn’t __________ her drool. What I saw was a new friend, a friend I had almost missed.

1.

A．upset

B．interested

C．calm

D．ashamed

2.

A．Luckily

B．Finally

C．Obviously

D．Actually

3.

A．taken

B．recovered

C．changed

D．returned

4.

A．anxiously

B．pleasantly

C．eagerly

D．gently

5.

A．contact

B．ignore

C．approach

D．inspire

6.

A．discovered

B．studied

C．wondered

D．recognized

7.

A．hands

B．schedule

C．throat

D．shoes

8.

A．hold

B．throw

C．kick

D．keep

9.

A．perform

B．nod

C．react

D．sigh

10.

A．campus

B．classroom

C．stage

D．playground

11.

A．handed

B．showed

C．hit

D．lifted

12.

A．guessed

B．shouted

C．thought

D．replied

13.

A．meaningful

B．unusual

C．tiring

D．exciting

14.

A．had fun

B．took risks

C．kept on

D．thought about

15.

A．imagine

B．mention

C．notice

D．like

4 . The sun prepared to rest for the evening, and I intended to follow. Looking forward to setting my camera aside for an evening, I _________ back to camp. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me. “Photo, photo, photo.” A young Surma boy about 7 years old _________ me. I breathed a(n) _________ sigh. I had no energy to press the button one more time, no matter how eager he was.

I hoped the boy would find someone else to take his _________, but he kept following me. Finally, he _________ to catch my eye. As I looked at him, an idea for a composition _________ in my mind.

I _________ the boy where to stand and how to pose. As I prepared to take the photograph, his energy suddenly shifted from _________ to nervousness to fear. No matter how I told him to look and stand, he just looked at me _________. He’d gone camera shy! In an effort to __________ him, I clapped my hands, saying, “That was great. You were great”. The boy’s face immediately __________ a smile. I intuitively took a few __________ of the moment. That photograph turned out to be __________ than the composition I’d imagined.

I have learned much about myself and life through photography. The outer __________ of taking photos take me on . inner journeys to heal and transform. __________ on my experience with the Surma boy, I realised I had been __________ my own ideas, and wants. But, all the boy had really wanted was to be __________ for a moment. That was the moment that needed to be __________ .

Photography has become my connection to the world. I’m privileged to see others, like that Surma boy, __________ focusing on my own issues, which __________ me of what’s truly important in life.

1.

A．looked

B．marched

C．headed

D．crawled

2.

A．fished

B．dogged

C．foxed

D．petted

3.

A．energetic

B．zealous

C．shameful

D．tired

4.

A．photograph

B．hand

C．advice

D．place

5.

A．happened

B．managed

C．turned

D．agreed

6.

A．flashed

B．lifted

C．hid

D．disappeared

7.

A．awarded

B．instructed

C．noticed

D．evaluated

8.

A．eagerness

B．politeness

C．wildness

D．loneliness

9.

A．naturally

B．awkwardly

C．angrily

D．ambitiously

10.

A．concern

B．force

C．surprise

D．cheer

11.

A．reached for

B．went through

C．broke into

D．acted on

12.

A．shots

B．signals

C．exercises

D．copies

13.

A．worse

B．better

C．riskier

D．clearer

14.

A．adventures

B．memories

C．achievements

D．experiences

15.

A．Drawing

B．Passing

C．Reflecting

D．Relying

16.

A．taught up in

B．fed up with

C．looking up to

D．making up for

17.

A．celebrated

B．remembered

C．seen

D．admired

18.

A．captured

B．changed

C．Identified

D．neglected

19.

A．other than

B．rather than

C．regardless of

D．as for

20.

A．informs

B．accuses

C．warns

D．reminds

5 . I clearly remember the day when I started my journey towards becoming a minimalist.

It was one _______ in April 2013. My daughter, Emily, had just turned two. She usually _______ herself with a few toys when I quickly showered and got ready for the day. Her growing curiosity often _______ her to get into the drawers and cupboards. I was often _______ when I found cupboards emptied and messes everywhere.

On this particular day, she _______ the cupboard filled with all my various lotions (润肤露). It still _______ me why I had so many partially used bottles of _______ lotions and creams. Even if I didn’t _______ a certain one, I never threw it away because I thought I might need it one day, or didn’t want to be _______. When I got out of the ________, I found Emily standing by my bedside table with an entire bottle of runny, shimmering (微闪的) lotion ________ all over the table, herself, her pajamas, and the carpet. And cleaning lotion out of carpet is ________ fun or easy.

Right then and there I decided enough was enough! I was so ________ of cleaning up the same messes and the same ________ that I didn’t even need. I got a big ________ bag and started getting rid of every unneeded and unloved item, which really gave me a sense of liberation and ________.

This event really ________ my mindset about stuff and ________ motivated me to live a life with fewer things. For me, minimalism is not a destination but a ________. And I will ________ on this path for the rest of my life.

1.

A．afternoon

B．night

C．evening

D．morning

2.

A．equipped

B．comforted

C．entertained

D．rewarded

3.

A．allowed

B．drove

C．recommended

D．persuaded

4.

A．frustrated

B．terrified

C．disappointed

D．concerned

5.

A．fixed

B．painted

C．arranged

D．searched

6.

A．confuses

B．escapes

C．delights

D．bothers

7.

A．expensive

B．different

C．natural

D．silky

8.

A．smell

B．like

C．test

D．remember

9.

A．picky

B．typical

C．wasteful

D．stubborn

10.

A．shower

B．bed

C．cupboard

D．room

11.

A．blown

B．occupied

C．thrown

D．poured

12.

A．far from

B．at least

C．no more

D．after all

13.

A．afraid

B．capable

C．sick

D．fond

14.

A．carpets

B．lotions

C．toys

D．stuff

15.

A．shopping

B．garbage

C．paper

D．cloth

16.

A．security

B．pride

C．relief

D．belonging

17.

A．shifted

B．developed

C．clarified

D．revealed

18.

A．fortunately

B．surprisingly

C．immediately

D．ultimately

19.

A．solution

B．journey

C．tendency

D．change

20.

A．continue

B．appear

C．wait

D．survive

6 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

I was walking along the road to school one day and I met my friend Raine. He suggested that we skip school and go to the movies. I refused as my dad was very fierce and strict. After much persuasion, I gave in. There was a Will Smith movie on and I was a fan.

So we set off to the movies together, bought our tickets, popcorn and drinks and settled down comfortably. As we were early, the lights were still on. We watched people come in groups, families and there were couples too. Some of them looked like school students playing truant（逃学）like us. As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of my uncle Andy and Aunt Jane walking in. They were kind and cared about me very much. I sank into my seat quickly to avoid being spotted. I signaled to Raine that there was someone I didn’t want to see and Raine made it more obvious by turning around and asking “Who? And where?” loudly. It made me sit even lower in my seat.

To make things worse, they came and sat in the row behind us and were saying to each other how I would have loved to come to this movie as I adored Will Smith. They were even commenting about the students playing truant. Soon the movie began and I was glad when the lights were turned off but I didn’t enjoy the movie at all for fear of being spotted. So, I sat there like an astronaut, peering over the front seat.

Every now and then I would secretly take a quick look at my aunt and uncle. I was sure they were also looking at me. Feeling nervous and anxious, I kept wondering how I could leave the cinema without being noticed.

注意：
1.所续写短文词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

When the movie ended and the lights came on, I remained seated.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In front of us were my aunt and uncle, waiting at the gate.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Jane had lived her entire life in a small town. ________ she had spent decades dreaming about travelling, she never took action to make it happen.

On her 65th birthday, Jane made a brave decision. She sold all her ________ and with a backpack, she set off. The initial days on the road were ________ --- she felt like she finally lived the life she had always dreamed of.

Yet, after a few weeks, she began feeling ________. With each new step, her legs hurt more and more. ________, she slammed (怒摔 ) her backpack on the ground and sat down beside it with tears. ________ hopelessly into the road ahead, she shouted loudly, “I have nothing left in my life!”

It ________ that a life adviser heard her words while resting behind a tree near her. He decided to help her, so he grabbed her backpack and ________ quickly. Shocked and in complete sadness, Jane cried more loudly, “That backpack was all I had. Now everything is ________ !”

About twenty minutes later, she collected her ________, and slowly walked forward. Then ________, she saw her backpack on the road a short distance ahead of her. She was so ________ that she couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh, thank heavens! Now I can continue onward ......”

As we journey ________ our lives, we may experience incredible disappointments. During this time, it seems we’ve lost everything. ________, actually, we are holding a backpack of support.

So don’t lose ________. Keep going, and you’ll achieve your dream.

1.

A．When

B．While

C．If

D．Because

2.

A．belongings

B．goods

C．materials

D．decorations

3.

A．boring

B．normal

C．familiar

D．amazing

4.

A．curious

B．nervous

C．painful

D．shocked

5.

A．Regularly

B．Eventually

C．Currently

D．Originally

6.

A．Glancing

B．Glaring

C．Staring

D．Pointing

7.

A．showed

B．happened

C．seemed

D．proved

8.

A．disappeared

B．moved

C．responded

D．apologized

9.

A．limited

B．missed

C．ended

D．gone

10.

A．emotions

B．memories

C．comments

D．tips

11.

A．now and then

B．all of a sudden

C．sooner or later

D．as usual

12.

A．impressed

B．peaceful

C．concerned

D．grateful

13.

A．across

B．around

C．through

D．toward

14.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Thus

D．Besides

15.

A．chance

B．balance

C．heart

D．interest

8 . I opened my car window and called out “Ma’am! Ma’am!” The only lady in the parking lot looked around until she saw me. “I just wanted to tell how nice you look today,” I said. “The colors you have on are beautiful on you.” Her face registered surprise for a second, and then she smiled. “Thank you!” she called back. Her final steps to her car seemed lighter, and I smiled to myself.

I grew up with very few cheerleaders in my own life. When I was in the middle of fighting a battle for my life, I had been confirmed depression, along with anxiety. It has taken many years and more effort and determination than I thought I was capable of recovering from this illness. With no cheerleaders in my court, I fought this battle alone. I am proud of the progress I have made thus far. There are times when I thought, if only I had had someone to hold me and say, “Susan, I believe in you. You can do this, and I’ll be there every step of the way.” I wonder how much sooner I would have recovered. I’ll never know.

So I have made it a point in recent years to praise people, especially women and girls. Instead of just thinking that someone looks nice or did a great job, I say it out loud. It doesn’t take long, and it’s easy. So, I wonder, why don’t more people do this? As women, we have learned from our role models to be quiet. We downplay (淡化) our own achievements even when we do receive a rare compliment (恭维). Now, when I compliment someone and she denies, I say to her, “Just say thank you.” Most women are relieved that they don’t have to deny the compliment; they can accept the praise without guilt.

Cheerleading doesn’t require any skills. It only takes a few seconds, although you do have to remind yourself to do it. Eventually, it becomes a habit.

1. How did the lady feel after hearing the author’s praise?

A．Delighted.	B．Anxious.
C．Relaxed.	D．Worried.

2. What made the author become a cheerleader?

A．Her experiences.

B．Her habit.

C．Her personality.

D．Her ambition.

3. What does the author hope when she praises someone?

A．She can be rewarded.

B．She can be appreciated.

C．They can accept the praise.

D．They should say something.

4. Which of the following best describes the author?

A．Caring.	B．Brave.
C．Outgoing.	D．Honest.

9 . 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.

10 . 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。

Once upon a time, there lived a poor but cheerful shoemaker. He was so happy that he sang all day long. The children loved to stand around his window to listen to him.

Next door to the shoemaker lived a rich man. He used to sit up all night to count his gold. In the morning, he went to bed, but he could not sleep because of the sound of the shoemaker’s singing. One day, he thought of a way to stop the singing. He wrote a letter to the shoemaker inviting him over for a cup of tea.

The shoemaker came at once, and to his great surprise, the rich man gave him a bag of gold as a gift. The shoemaker took the bag and thanked the rich man. When he returned home, the shoemaker couldn’t wait to open the bag. He had never seen so much gold in his life! He sat down at his bench and began, carefully, to count it. The children watched through the window.

There was so much there that the shoemaker was afraid to let it out of his sight. So he took it to bed with him. But he could not sleep for worrying about it. So he got out of bed and went to hide it in the attic (阁楼), but he was not sure if that was a good place.

Very early in the morning, he got up and brought his gold down from the attic. He had decided to hide it up the chimney (烟囱) instead. But after breakfast, he thought it would be safer in the chicken house. So he hid it there. But he was still uneasy, and in a little while he dug a hole in the garden and buried his bag of gold in it.

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。
Paragraph 1:

He was in no mood for singing and found it difficult to focus on his work.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

At last the shoemaker felt so unhappy that he took his bag of gold and ran next door to the rich man.

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