1 . 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。

Charlie saw a poster asking young people to join a new singing group.     1    (interest), he went to check if he was good enough. But, when he sang, his voice cracked(破裂), and he failed.

Feeling sad, Charlie went back home to his garden. He thought, “All my friends are good at something special. I wish I had a talent too.” During the school holidays, he kept     2     (try) to find his talent but always felt disappointed.

Towards     3     end of the holidays, Charlie met his friends Dingani and Jan again. He asked Dingani about the soccer match, and Dingani said they won. Charlie then asked Jan about the concert, and Jan     4     (say) it was the next day, and she was going to sing solo (独唱).

Hearing     5     they said, Charlie felt happy. He congratulated them but expressed his wish to have something to be proud     6     .Surprisingly, Jan said, “Are you joking? The vegetables in your garden     7     (be) huge and look delicious! Every time I try to grow something, it dies. I wish I had     8     (you) talent with plants.”

Charlie, surprised, said, “     9     (real)? I never thought gardening was something special.” He smiled and invited them over for dinner the next day     10     (celebrate) Dingani’s soccer victory. They could enjoy fresh vegetables from his garden and then go to Jan’s concert.

2 . Years ago Paul was living his best life, conducting tours in his native Zimbabwe. But his life changed after he_______ to lead an adventure down the Zambezi River.

Leading six clients and three other_______ down the river in three canoes (独木舟), Paul felt _______ because he knew the area well. Everything went well until they_______a school of hippos (河马)._______that they were at a safe distance, Paul_______ to just paddle (用桨划) around them.

The canoe_______ by guide Evans, however, was somehow knocked off course. Suddenly, there was a big _______. A male hippo had charged at Evans’s canoe and Evans was thrown into the water. The current was _______ Evans toward a mama hippo and her young 150 meters away. The situation was quite ________ because hippos are very territorial and might attack any animal________their territory.

Paul turned his canoe around to reach Evans ________ the other guides managed to get the clients to safety on a rock that hippos couldn't climb. The moment their fingers almost________, Paul was up to his waist down a hippo’s ________.

The hippo threw him out of its mouth soon but wouldn’t________ its attack. By the time others came to his________, Paul had been________   injured. After waking up ten hours later in a hospital,he realized that his left arm was gone. The only news that gave him some________ was that Evans survived, too.

Not long after his ________, Paul returned to the river in a canoe with a custom made single paddle. “Focus on what’s possible, not what we’ve ________,” Paul says.

1.

A．expected

B．forgot

C．hesitated

D．agreed

2.

A．writers

B．guides

C．reporters

D．actors

3.

A．anxious

B．guilty

C．confident

D．curious

4.

A．carried off

B．looked over

C．searched for

D．came across

5.

A．Assuming

B．Doubting

C．Admitting

D．Fearing

6.

A．pretended

B．decided

C．failed

D．used

7.

A．piloted

B．witnessed

C．recommended

D．recognized.

8.

A．mistake

B．improvement

C．noise

D．influence

9.

A．surrounding

B．assisting

C．attracting

D．washing

10.

A．confusing

B．critical

C．embarrassing

D．unique

11.

A．entering

B．marking

C．protecting

D．observing

12.

A．until

B．if

C．while

D．although

13.

A．froze

B．touched

C．bled

D．bent

14.

A．back

B．nose

C．throat

D．tail

15.

A．launch

B．increase

C．stand

D．stop

16.

A．rescue

B．senses

C．attention

D．conclusions

17.

A．seriously

B．frequently

C．mentally

D．commonly

18.

A．sorrow

B．amusement

C．relief

D．trouble

19.

A．arrival

B．recovery

C．retirement

D．escape

20.

A．created

B．hidden

C．abandoned

D．lost

3 . In May, as our scientific institution began to open back up and whispers about face-to-face lab meetings started to float around, I panicked.

My hearing loss began when I was in graduate school. At first, I fondly thought I could overcome it with hard work. I began to record every one-on-one meeting because even with the strongest focus I just couldn’t catch everything, and taking notes is not a choice when you rely on lip-reading. In meetings, I sat in the front row, tiring myself as I strained to both hear the speaker and process the science. So, in the fourth year, I decided cochlea implants (植入耳蜗) were the right next step.

The week after I began to hear with both implants, I attended a conference. I looked over every listening environment to plan my equipment and where I needed to be located during the event. It worked OK — but it was still tiring, and I felt excluded from so much.

When meetings were held online, my experience was much better. The sound quality was clear, without the powerful noises of a physical office space or meeting room. I could sit back and let the sound come to me. It was easier to focus, participate, and think deeply about the science. I felt a sense of belonging. I began to leave meetings feeling refreshed rather than needing a short sleep.

I didn’t want to be forced back into struggling to understand. So, with anxiety, I contacted my adviser to make a simple hearing plan which includes asking presenters to use a microphone for our lab meetings. It worked. Now, a few weeks later, my anxiety is gradually giving way to scientific curiosity and questions enabled by feeling included and worthy of belonging. A few of my lab mates have even thanked me because they, too, were unable to hear people without microphones. Maybe instead of rushing back to “normal”, we can all take this chance to create environments that are more welcoming — for everyone.

1. Why did the author feel panicked?

A．Her hearing loss got worse.	B．She hated social communication.
C．Her institution would open back up.	D．She feared returning to in-person meetings.

2. What does the underlined word “strained” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Failed.

B．Struggled.

C．Managed.

D．Prepared.

3. How did the author feel after online meetings?

A．Energetic.

B．Anxious.

C．Shocked.

D．Sleepy.

4. What message is mainly conveyed in the text?

A．Online meetings work well.	B．Cochleas help people with hearing loss.
C．Inclusion and belonging do matter.	D．Scientific curiosity leads to development.

4 . Despite all the training, when the day of my first track meet finally arrived, I didn't feel ready. I had been preparing for weeks, but I was still jittery. I didn't know what times I should run, and I didn't know how I was going to like competing.

Walking into the unfamiliar stadium for the meet, I immediately felt afraid. After warming up for a couple minutes, I relaxed a bit. Running has always come naturally to me, and participating in middle school track never made me nervous.

I watched as my teammates prepared for their events. As the shot of the first gun rang out, my nervous expectation was replaced by anxiety. More and more of my teammates began to compete. As they made their way around the track and passed where we were seated, we cheered them on. During this time, any chance of returning to a state of relaxation disappeared.

A half hour passed, and my mind was only filled with thoughts of failure. The terrible race was approaching. The closer I got to race time, the tighter the knots in my stomach became. The list of reasons why I didn't want to run grew. Perhaps I truly forgot what I loved most about running. The girls around me were unfamiliar, and stepping out onto the track put my tension at an all­time high. I can't do this!

The shot of the gun frightened me into running. The negative thoughts in my head disappeared. My competitive spirit wanted to show my talents. I passed one girl, then another, and another. With my second­place medal, I won a huge victory. Most importantly, I learned that running is not always about beating the person in front of you; it is about defeating the person inside of you.

1. What's the meaning of the underlined word “jittery” in Paragraph 1?

A．Relaxed.

B．Nervous.

C．Comfortable.

D．Scared.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 5?

A．The writer wasn't good at running.	B．The writer was tired of running.
C．The writer was a confident girl.	D．The writer had a gift of running fast.

3. What did the writer learn from this experience?

A．Running means beating the person in front of you.

B．A person should be brave enough to face the difficulty.

C．Defeating oneself is more important than beating others.

D．Only those with dreams can meet greater challenges.

4. Which is the best title for the text?

A．My Most Unforgettable Memory	B．My Competitive Spirit
C．My Favorite Sport—Running	D．My First Track Meet

5 . Long ago, people happily lived under the rule of a king. The people of the kingdom were very _________, as they were wealthy and had no problems.

The king decided to travel and visit faraway places of great historical importance. He chose to travel by foot _________ he could talk to his people. People from these areas were very happy to have a _________ with their king.

After several weeks, he _________ to the palace. He was quite happy to have visited many places and seen his people. _________, he felt a lot of pain in his _________ because it was his first long-distance trip on foot. He _________ to his ministers that the roads were covered in stones and weren’t _________. He said he was very _________ about the people who walked along them.

He made an order to __________ the roads of the whole country with __________ so that people would feel happier and more comfortable. His ministers were very __________ to hear his order as , thousands of cows would have to be __________ for leather and it would also cost a lot of money.

A wise man from the ministry came to the king and said he had another __________. The minister asked the king:“Why do you want to kill so many cows to cover the road with leather? Why not cut a piece of leather in the right __________ to cover your feet?”

The king was __________ by this idea and praised the minister. He ordered that a pair of leather shoes were to be made for himself and for each of his countrymen.

Many of us __________ our surroundings and never understand that we can make a __________ourselves. Changes are unavoidable, and they should __________ us. We cannot or should not __________ others to make them.

1.

A．close

B．polite

C．happy

D．smart

2.

A．as if

B．so that

C．while

D．before

3.

A．meeting

B．trip

C．discussion

D．conversation

4.

A．came

B．returned

C．hurried

D．headed

5.

A．Besides

B．Meanwhile

C．However

D．Instead

6.

A．heart

B．feet

C．toes

D．back

7.

A．shouted

B．apologized

C．explained

D．complained

8.

A．safe

B．comfortable

C．straight

D．convenient

9.

A．worried

B．doubtful

C．curious

D．certain

10.

A．cover

B．replace

C．build

D．repair

11.

A．stones

B．sand

C．wood

D．leather

12.

A．angry

B．surprised

C．nervous

D．sad

13.

A．killed

B．sold

C．raised

D．exchanged

14.

A．reason

B．task

C．idea .

D．result

15.

A．place

B．position

C．shape

D．order

16.

A．confused

B．disappointed

C．shocked

D．amazed

17.

A．criticize

B．love

C．harm

D．protect

18.

A．chance

B．purpose

C．rule

D．change

19.

A．benefit from

B．come from

C．relate to

D．go with

20.

A．depend on

B．work with

C．turn to

D．believe in