1 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle
Apart from suffering from
I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the
A.widened | B.formed | C.lessened | D.closed |
A.missed | B.avoided | C.enjoyed | D.recorded |
A.wasted | B.treasured | C.limited | D.calculated |
A.shows | B.dishes | C.recipes | D.moments |
A.However | B.Otherwise | C.Therefore | D.Besides |
A.sleep | B.dine | C.study | D.play |
A.suitable | B.flexible | C.satisfying | D.demanding |
A.maintains | B.disturbs | C.improves | D.strikes |
A.fear | B.anger | C.guilt | D.hunger |
A.predict | B.create | C.evaluate | D.accept |
A.work out | B.calm down | C.hold on | D.catch up |
A.unwillingly | B.casually | C.consciously | D.carelessly |
A.louder | B.shorter | C.simpler | D.sweeter |
A.assists | B.guides | C.allows | D.orders |
A.office | B.kitchen | C.house | D.park |
2 . Everyone tries their best in life, and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can help people realize that their efforts are not in vain (徒劳).Ⅰ remember a time when I was in fifth grade, and I was a very shy girl.
There was a drawing competition at my school that day. As everyone started to use their creative ideas to draw, I was only trying to think of something creative that could express my thoughts and emotions. Lost in my own world, I was brought back to reality when my art teacher called my name from behind. She came to me and encouraged me, saying, “Don’t overthink it, just put whatever comes to your mind on the canvas (画布). Do your best, and you will do well.”
Taking her words of wisdom to heart, I started my painting. Time flew by, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the time limit. We all turned in our canvases for inspection (检查). The next day, the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. To my surprise, I heard my name being called second prize. It was a bolt from the blue for me, as I had never dared to dream of winning any prize.
Later on, I expressed my gratitude to my art teacher for her words of encouragement and for believing in me. That day, I became aware of my talent and started painting more whenever I had free time. Sometimes, I think that if it weren’t for her words of encouragement, I may have never discovered the talent I have.
Overall, this experience taught me the importance of encouraging others and how a few kind words can make a significant impact on someone’s life.
1. What was the author doing when called by the art teacher?A.Organizing a drawing competition. | B.Trying to get some creative ideas. |
C.Painting her work on her canvas. | D.Trying to get help from others. |
A.Easy. | B.Interesting. | C.Challenging. | D.Encouraging. |
A.Addiction. | B.Puzzlement. | C.Disappointment. | D.Surprise. |
A.The Power of Encouragement |
B.The Importance of Art Competitions |
C.Overcoming Shyness Through Painting |
D.Discovering Your Great Natural Ability |
3 . It was early winter several years ago. I had pulled out my old winter coat for another year’s use. It was still in pretty good shape although it was looking dirty from so many winters’ wear. I didn’t really need a new one but I wanted one and casually mentioned it to my daughter one day. She was such a sweet, loving girl that I should have guessed what would happen next. A few weeks later she gave me a new winter coat as a gift.
I put the old one in my closet and started to wear the new coat every day. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something troubled me. It seemed a shame that my old but still good coat should just sit there keeping no one warm during the cold winter days. After a few weeks, I took it out and drove to a local charity shop. I knew that there was someone who couldn’t afford a coat but could get my old one.
My new coat is my old coat now. It is getting a little dirty and worn, too. It has black marks on the sleeves. It is in too bad shape to even donate to charity. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon, but I think I will wait for a while. I don’t really need a new one and maybe I can find something else to give to the charity shop instead.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Want is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover.” Perhaps the best way to deal with our wants then is to give instead. Love, after all, brings us the most joy. And the more of it you give away, the more of it you have.
1. Which word can best describe the author’s daughter?A.Wealthy. | B.Thoughtful. | C.Easy-going. | D.Humorous. |
A.It cost too much. | B.It was looking dirty. |
C.There was not enough room for his new coat. | D.It was not sent to someone in need. |
A.Telling his daughter. | B.Buying a new one soon. |
C.Donating it to charity. | D.Sending something else to charity. |
A.Giving fills our wants. | B.Love is the key to joy. |
C.The more you give, the more you lose. | D.A coat is large enough to cover our wants. |
4 . 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.
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.
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.
You accept the possibility of being wrong
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.
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 |
5 . My career as a chef started at the age of 25, but my
From my youth, I have had this passion for food. Growing up in Morocco, I witnessed the most amazing hospitality and
I remember as a young kid coming home from school to the
Food is almost as
In my kitchen, I try to duplicate (复制) smells and flavors that make me think about more than what I’m actually smelling or
A.talent | B.passion | C.explanation | D.expectation |
A.changing | B.ordering | C.preparing | D.searching |
A.inspired | B.bothered | C.honored | D.amused |
A.ask about | B.experiment with | C.learn of | D.shop for |
A.biggest | B.cleanest | C.best | D.cheapest |
A.wisdom | B.honesty | C.success | D.generosity |
A.offices | B.houses | C.restaurant | D.hotel |
A.art | B.signs | C.creation | D.smells |
A.fruits | B.vegetables | C.ingredients | D.goods |
A.delicious | B.useful | C.organic | D.convenient |
A.nutritious | B.sufficient | C.emotional | D.suitable |
A.reason | B.purpose | C.cook | D.story |
A.kitchen | B.heart | C.source | D.point |
A.tasting | B.chewing | C.touching | D.seeing |
A.holds up | B.drives away | C.stirs up | D.depends on |
6 . At 20 years old, I was a confident and handsome student at the University of California at Berkey.
But that year, I
But six months later, a new bump appeared. Numerous
I awoke from the surgery with a scarred, disfigured face. As I re-entered the real world, I noticed adults
Five years and 20 reconstructive surgeries later, I
I began examining myself from the inside out. Later, I volunteered at a cancer support organization to offer inspiration and hope to those
Now, I am
A.took charge of | B.took care of | C.took control of | D.took notice of |
A.appointment | B.arrangement | C.commitment | D.placement |
A.severe | B.minor | C.apparent | D.complicated |
A.novelists | B.specialists | C.impressionists | D.journalists |
A.advocated | B.predicted | C.warned | D.witnessed |
A.desperate | B.enthusiastic | C.delicate | D.optimistic |
A.smiling | B.glaring | C.glancing | D.staring |
A.unusually | B.unintentionally. | C.unconventionally | D.unselfishly |
A.bother | B.impress | C.annoy | D.restrict |
A.greeted | B.persuaded | C.encountered | D.grasped |
A.abused | B.defended | C.informed | D.motivated |
A.relief | B.security | C.defence | D.honesty |
A.going about | B.relating to | C.wrestling with | D.breaking with |
A.greedy | B.grateful | C.suitable | D.tolerant |
A.mental vitality | B.physical fitness | C.social acceptance | D.face value |
7 . Nathan was a boy in my band class as well as in my math class. I never really liked him. He didn’t have any friends at all and always sat
One day, when I walked into band class and was
Even Mr. Kobler laughed a little and then told Nathan “ Come here, buddy.” Nathan
Then I got surprised. Nathan had guessed all the pitches
A.alone | B.lazily | C.happily | D.hopelessly |
A.listening | B.caring | C.praising | D.sharing |
A.satisfied | B.excited | C.confused | D.annoyed |
A.wrong | B.long | C.brief | D.puzzling |
A.applaud | B.laugh | C.ignore | D.help |
A.nervous | B.afraid | C.ready | D.free |
A.movies | B.jokes | C.games | D.music |
A.note | B.beat | C.tune | D.song |
A.independently | B.carefully | C.properly | D.bravely |
A.came | B.rose | C.jumped | D.sat |
A.repeat | B.guess | C.play | D.sing |
A.crazy | B.noisy | C.silent | D.blank |
A.tricked | B.bothered | C.encouraged | D.challenged |
A.correctly | B.luckily | C.seriously | D.confidently |
A.related to | B.leading to | C.based on | D.deciding on |
8 . Shortly before he turned 60, Mark Fuhrmann realized what he wanted. He, now, at 65, has just returned from a second voyage. His 6,835 mile-round trip from Nova Scotia took in the great lakes of the US, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.
Fuhrmann started these journeys “to kickstart retirement” from the maritime PR business he ran in Oslo for the past 30 years. Before he set off, in June last year, he swapped (交换) his house for a flat, and greatly reduced his possessions. “It was good to get rid of all of those things and say: ‘This isn’t a phase; this is a new season,’” he says.
Amazingly, he didn’t plan his trip, beyond committing to fundraise for Medecins Sans Frontières. “I thought: ‘I’ll try to do 40km each day.’ But I never knew where I was going to lay down my head.”
The challenges were psychological, physical, and sometimes life-threatening. In Florida, he was chased by an alligator (短吻鳄), but narrowly escaped from it. In the Boston area, he saw “a black fin moving towards me like a snake”. He lay his oar (划桨) across his lap and waited. “If a great white shark can swim leisurely, that’s exactly what it did. It just passed me,” he says. Ten minutes later, Fuhrmann pulled his kayak (小艇) into a cove, where he ran into a man who invited him into his home for coffee and apple pie. His whole trip was filled with these switchbacks and moments of connection with strangers, which Fuhrmann experienced as “a call to authenticity”.
What does he mean? “Nature is born within us. If you avoid that, you avoid experiencing something that is vital to who you are as a person. I want real things — life isn’t about having more. I think we need to accept where we are at this stage of life, at 60 or 65.”
“I look at retirement as a season,” he says. He started his latest voyage because “I wanted to have a better understanding of who I was. I wanted to have time for my thoughts to wander, to restart, to discover the value and power within myself.”
1. Why did Fuhrmann get rid of most of his possessions?A.To make donations to charity. | B.To start a new life in retirement. |
C.To make up for his business loss. | D.To collect money for the journey. |
A.Blessings. | B.Ambitions. | C.Defeats. | D.Challenges. |
A.The meaning of life is achieving more. |
B.Old people should take things as they are. |
C.It is good to have nature-based experience. |
D.It is advisable for aging people to play safe. |
A.To reflect on his past. | B.To discover his true self. |
C.To relax his mind and body. | D.To be free from the noisy world. |
9 . In high school, I got my first job at the local hardware (五金制品) store, all thanks to Mr. Anderson, our neighbor. He offered me a chance to
My daily tasks weren’t too
At dinner, I’d
He’d say, “Jobs like this teach you more than just about money; they
As the summer went on, I found myself gaining a
A.work | B.study | C.play | D.wait |
A.dealt with | B.gave up | C.jumped into | D.took over |
A.clear | B.complicated | C.adventurous | D.specific |
A.parents | B.neighbors | C.workers | D.customers |
A.strange | B.empty | C.comfortable | D.busy |
A.challenging | B.disappointing | C.annoying | D.boring |
A.read | B.share | C.create | D.hear |
A.lesson | B.experiment | C.job | D.life |
A.exhibits | B.tools | C.stories | D.books |
A.shape | B.show | C.worsen | D.accept |
A.training | B.experience | C.arrangement | D.camp |
A.waste | B.cost | C.raise | D.earn |
A.deeper | B.poorer | C.quicker | D.simpler |
A.methods | B.answers | C.ideas | D.tasks |
A.help | B.respect | C.meet | D.employ |
Charlie was a rich boy who had more toys than you could imagine. His family had a lot of money, and whenever he liked something, they would buy it for him. In reality, then, he had no idea what things cost, and wouldn’t bother to take care of what he had. Nor did he realize how difficult it was for other children to get toys like the ones he had.
A time came, though, when he was so used to all his toys that he began to want something different. One of his uncles found a fine horse and he gave it to Charlie, as something unusual. Charlie was very excited at having a horse. He learned to ride, and was constantly on his horse, going here and there. However, he treated the horse just as badly as he treated all his other toys, and it soon started looking sick. For the first time in his life Charlie became truly worried. He loved the horse, and the fact that his family had offered to buy him a new one meant nothing to him.
One day, while in the countryside, he saw a little girl with a horse. The girl looked very poor, but the horse seemed happy and looked great. Wondering how she had managed this, Charlie secretly followed them, watching everything they did. First he followed them through the forest, where he saw that she never used the stick and never hit the horse. This was the opposite of what Charlie had done to his horse. Then they came to the stable (马厩), and as soon as they arrived the girl fed and watered the horse. Then she carefully cleaned it. Charlie was surprised. He’d never done any of those things for his horse. He saw that the girl spent a lot of time giving care and attention to her horse, and that she did it all on her own. This had never entered Charlie’s mind; he had always been too busy playing and having fun to look after the horse.
Paragraph 1:
Charlie wanted to change and become like the girl.
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Paragraph 2:
As a result, Charlie gave up constantly asking for new toys.
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