1 . If our kids don’t fall, they don’t learn to get up. I still remember the day in high school that my mom forgot to pick me up from school. I’m the oldest of four children, and no doubt she’d had a long day with the other kids and it’d slipped her mind. After waiting at school for an hour, I walked the three miles home, and when I got to my house, I shut our front door with anger, stormed into the kitchen and screamed in my mom’s face that she’d forgotten me.

Later that night, my dad told me I no longer had a ride to school the next day. I figured my mom would still take me, but when the morning came, she refused. It was midterm, and as a straight-A student ready to start college applications, being late wasn’t an option. In my mind, missing these tests would have been the end of my academic career. I begged my mom. I told her she was ruining my future and everything I’d worked for. But she held her ground, and that day, I walked to school. And I missed my tests.

My mom didn’t rescue me from failure. She let me suffer from it. She let me figure it out. She let me learn. Now, as a mom myself, I’ve realized that I want my kids to experience failure because failure is how we grow, learn and think outside of ourselves. It’s how we self-educate to learn what’s right and respectable, and what’s not. It’s how we become responsible and enthusiastic.

Falling down makes us better, because we learn how to get up.

1. Why did the author shout at her mother?

A．Because she was tired after walking home.

B．Because she missed some important tests.

C．Because her mother had ruined her future.

D．Because her mother didn’t pick her up home.

2. How does the author feel about her experience now?

A．Disappointed.	B．Merciful.
C．Beneficial.	D．Embarrassed.

3. What does the underlined phrase “held her ground” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Stuck to her decision.	B．Gave in to me.
C．Said yes to me.	D．Stayed in the place.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Offer Your Kids Help if Necessary	B．Stop Rescuing Your Kids from Failure
C．Be Responsible for Your Kids’ Failure	D．Try to Meet Your Kids’ Demands

3 . One day a student went to see his teacher.He had been given an important position and now was coming to say goodbye to his teacher.The old man asked him how he would live among high officials.The student answered, “ I will be all right.I have prepared a hundred high hats, one for each official I will meet.I am sure I will succeed.” The teacher got angry on hearing this. “What?” he cried.“Is this what ten years of my teaching has made of you? Nothing but flatterer(拍马屁的人)?” “Excuse me, honored(尊敬的) master,” the student rose to his feet and apologized hurriedly.“But you have always been absorbed in your studies and don’t know how vulgar(庸俗的) the world has come to be.There are few men in the world who are above flatterers like you.” “There is something true in what you said,” the teacher nodded, smiling with one of the student’s “high hats” on.

1. The student came to say goodbye to his teacher because_____________.

A．he had got hundred hats to sell

B．he had got a fairly high position in society

C．he wanted to see his parents in his home town

D．he moved away to another city

2. The student would live among high officials by___________.

A．selling hats to them	B．making a hundred hats for them
C．flattering them	D．serving them

3. The teacher was angry with__________.

A．himself

B．the society

C．his student

D．high officials

4. The phrase “rose to his feet” means________.

A．stood up	B．kicked with his feet
C．became quite excited	D．raised his feet

4 . Years ago, I had a quarrel with a friend owing to a misunderstanding. It was_________my fault, but I was afraid to admit that I was wrong, so we didn't speak for a long time. Several years later we came across each other and decided to meet for lunch. It was so_________that we kept meeting. After two or three meals together, I felt_________to apologise for my previous behaviour.

My experience is never unique. Many people_________apologising because the idea of admitting to wrong behaviour makes them_________uncomfortable. Apologies force us to admit to ourselves that we don't always_________our own standards. We might also fear that the victim won't_________our apology. We all like to_________ourselves as good people—as kind, honest and considerate. For these_________, an apology can be very difficult to give.

Given my__________, there is no doubt that an apology is a vital tool for__________a relationship to make it functional again. Usually, a(n)__________apology is called for, but if the victim is angry about the wrong behaviour, it may be more__________to wait, because their__________may prevent them from accepting our apologies. Also, a delay__________an apology's effectiveness because it conveys that the offender has reflected on their__________. But a heartfelt apology has more powerful effects, which can improve our mental health and repair our__________interpersonal relationships. __________, expressing regret and acknowledging responsibility are equally vital. Without__________, it's a defence of your actions; without responsibility, it's an excuse.

My friend and I had lunch recently, 15 years after my belated apology. Admitting that everything had been my fault helped us heal our relationship. We're both__________of having our friendship today.

1.

A．hardly

B．narrowly

C．completely

D．usually

2.

A．pleasant

B．awkward

C．ridiculous

D．strange

3.

A．surprised

B．comfortable

C．terrible

D．forced

4.

A．advise

B．avoid

C．appreciate

D．advocate

5.

A．regretfully

B．easily

C．slightly

D．terribly

6.

A．go back to

B．look up to

C．live up to

D．give way to

7.

A．accept

B．analyse

C．exchange

D．check

8.

A．serve

B．view

C．tell

D．treat

9.

A．reasons

B．contents

C．comments

D．examples

10.

A．need

B．sense

C．experience

D．character

11.

A．developing

B．rebuilding

C．announcing

D．practising

12.

A．frequent

B．permanent

C．immediate

D．formal

13.

A．convenient

B．effective

C．adventurous

D．inspiring

14.

A．anxiety

B．curiosity

C．anger

D．worry

15.

A．discovers

B．records

C．supplies

D．increases

16.

A．misdeeds

B．reputations

C．questions

D．decisions

17.

A．damaged

B．disturbed

C．required

D．disabled

18.

A．Instead

B．Thus

C．Meanwhile

D．However

19.

A．challenge

B．regret

C．expression

D．influence

20.

A．tolerant

B．cautious

C．enthusiastic

D．appreciative

5 . “Ding... ding...,” the bell rang. The English teacher came into the classroom with test papers in his hand. All the students shouted. The teacher_________with a smile on his face, “I know there are too many tests for you these days, but the test today is very_________.” After hearing the teacher’s words, all the students sat up straight and _________for the test to begin. The teacher started to_________the test papers to each student._________he finished handing out the test papers, he asked them to begin.

There was not a question but only a small black “X” in the middle of the paper. The students were very_________to see that. The teacher _________ the students’ surprise. Then he said, “I would like you to_________about what you see there. You must finish it all by_________ .”

All the students thought about it hard and then wrote down their answers quietly. At the end of the class, the teacher collected their papers and read the answers. __________ of them described the black “X”. The next day, the teacher said, “Everybody only paid attention to the black ‘X’, but __________ wrote about the white paper.” The whole class listened __________ , because they worried that they might fail the exam.

Then the teacher said, “Don’t worry about the __________ of this test. I just want you to think about your life.” Everyone smiles. The teacher added, “The white paper is like our whole life and the black ‘X’ in the middle of the paper is just __________ problems in our daily life. Do you have some more thoughts?”

Then the students discussed and expressed __________ opinions actively. Finally they understood the teacher and this special test.

Our life is a __________ given to us by God, with love and care.________, we just care about the problems like illness and hunger, and never see that these problems are much__________ than everything else we have in our life.

We should try to take our eye off problems and __________ each moment life gives us. Only then can we start a nice   __________   and find true happiness in our lives.

1.

A．asked

B．complained

C．explained

D．guessed

2.

A．difficult

B．hard

C．easy

D．special

3.

A．waited

B．looked

C．searched

D．cared

4.

A．sell out

B．bring out

C．give out

D．put out

5.

A．Before

B．After

C．While

D．Until

6.

A．happy

B．sad

C．surprised

D．relaxed

7.

A．hated

B．forgot

C．remembered

D．noticed

8.

A．hear

B．worry

C．write

D．learn

9.

A．yourselves

B．ourselves

C．myself

D．themselves

10.

A．None

B．All

C．Neither

D．Both

11.

A．somebody

B．nobody

C．Everybody

D．anybody

12.

A．quickly

B．hardly

C．angrily

D．carefully

13.

A．results

B．suggestions

C．presents

D．jobs

14.

A．like

B．in

C．at

D．with

15.

A．her

B．his

C．their

D．your

16.

A．problem

B．challenge

C．gift

D．window

17.

A．Except

B．However

C．Also

D．Besides

18.

A．more important

B．bigger

C．smaller

D．more serious

19.

A．enjoy

B．Waste

C．invite

D．throw

20.

A．door

B．spirit

C．skill

D．journey

6 . A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.

Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn’t find him. The mother felt very sad and didn’t know how to face her husband.

When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said "I love you, darling."

The son was missing. If he had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family’s relationship became stronger over that time.

Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful.

1. The underlined part means a person who __________.

A．always has a sweet smile	B．is as pretty as an apple
C．is loved more than anyone else	D．looks like an apple

2. The father didn’t pick the boy up because he________.

A．was very lazy	B．thought the mother had done that
C．forgot to do so	D．was too tired to do so

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Be careful in everything you do.	B．Love is the most important.
C．Learn to forgive others	D．Everyone can make mistakes.

4. What do you think of the husband?

A．Warm-hearted.	B．Careful.
C．Hard-working	D．Broad-minded.

9 . Recently I’ve had two good roles on television. But when I was just getting started in theater work 17 years ago, I never thought I’d make it. Back then I was recovering from surgery and had been off work for six months. Even worse, as a single mother with three youngsters, I had no place to live in. I felt hopeless.

One Sunday morning I saw actor Robert Young on the television talking about his faith: Believe yourself! If we confidently take that first step, well take the next, until we reach our goal.

The first step was scary. After I went working part-time, I looked for an apartment. The ones I saw were either too expensive, or I couldn’t raise my children in them. I knew a house, not an apartment, was more suitable for me. However, after seeing several houses, my confidence was shaken. I found two seemed right, but when I was about to make an offer, someone else had ordered.

I remembered a saying, “When one door closes, a better one opens.” I wouldn’t just sit staring at the closed one but got up and struggled on. In a real estate (房地产) agent, I found a small house with proper price. To buy it, I had to borrow $ 3,000 for a down payment and get a mortgage (按揭). Common sense argued that a mortgage for a single mother working part-time was impossible. But I had enough self-confidence without following common sense.

After getting the house, my new self-confidence grew. Later , when I began filling small parts in television productions, that self-confidence showed. I'd always played the role as the director wanted. Now I find myself freer to interpret (演绎) it.

Self-confidence has made it through life. Trouble can be scary at first, but each time I take that step, I believe I will win the next.

1. How did the author feel when entering television industry at first?

A．Hopeful.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Aggressive.

2. Why does the author mention her experience of finding a house?

A．To show the value of self-confidence.

B．To share her different life experiences.

C．To introduce her toughest part of life.

D．To tell us her ways to get over difficulty.

3. What mainly helped the author perform well in her later acting?

A．Her sense of confidence.	B．The difficulty in her life.
C．The director’s good direction.	D．Her success in her first attempt.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Appear on the Stage	B．Struggle with Life
C．Stick to Your Plan	D．Believe in Yourself

10 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He hardly watered his new trees, an attitude which flew in the face of conventional wisdom.

Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said he had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water.

So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the trees’ attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some 25 years ago. They were tall and strong.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to encounter hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.

1. What did the author think of Doctor Gibbs’s planting trees at first?

A．Perfect .	B．Puzzled.
C．Amused.	D．Impractical .

2. What did Doctor Gibbs do to the trees he planted?

A．He let them grow quickly.

B．He beat them to get their attention.

C．He helped them search for water.

D．He read a newspaper near them.

3. Which of the following can best describe Doctor Gibbs?

A．Kind and wise.	B．Calm and brave.
C．Careful and ambitious	D．Strict and devoted.

4. What does the author learn from Doctor Gibbs?

A．Elders are treasures.

B．Two heads are better than one.

C．A man without distant care must have near sorrow.

D．Only those who bear the most become the highest.