1 . “I am so sorry,” I tearfully said to my principal investigator (PI), explaining I would not be able to return to work as originally planned. Before I became a parent, I had assumed a baby would fit right into my academic plans. But now, as the end of my leave approached, I realized I couldn’t simply carry on as I always had. I was worried this decision might signal the end of my academic career — but I felt I had no other choice.

Thankfully, my PI had more foresight. He told me I didn’t need to resign and that he could offer me a contract that would allow me to contribute to our project from afar. It proved to be an absolute career lifeline tailored to me.

Then five years after stepping back from academia, I felt ready to re-enter more fully. Because I had been able to keep my hand in during my time away, the prospect was much less daunting than it would have been otherwise. I ended up landing a lecturer position that allowed me to slowly ease back in, focusing on teaching and scholarship with research taking a back seat. And when, 4 years on, a senior lectureship position came up in the very group I had left a decade earlier, the timing was right. With both of my children in “big school”, I was ready to really put my foot down on the career accelerator. I got the job.

Now, 6 months into my new role, I am happy to be right where it all began, with involvement in so many interesting projects. But what truly made the difference for me was the offer of what I needed during that time away. I hope more institutions and PIs can come up with creative provisions (条款) for those in their workforce who don’t want to give up their careers but want-or-need to take extended periods of leave. And to those who are taking such breaks, or considering it, know that returning is possible. Above all, on both sides: Please do not discount extended leavers. We have a lot to offer — if we are given the chance.

1. What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?

A．Her path to PI began when she became a parent.

B．She struck a balance between work and family.

C．She had intended to stick to her academic plans.

D．She chose to prioritize her career over her family.

2. Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “daunting” in paragraph 3?

A．Fearsome.

B．Realistic.

C．Regretful.

D．Promising.

3. What contributed most to her success according to the author?

A．Academic researches.	B．Supportive work environment.
C．Interest in the projects.	D．Involvement in engaging projects.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To analyse.

B．To entertain.

C．To report.

D．To promote.

3 . A long time ago, there was an emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he liked, then the emperor would give him the area of land he would have covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much as possible.

Finally, the horseman was exhausted and dying. He asked himself, “Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I need only a very small area to bury myself.”

The story above is similar with the journey of our life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to get power. We don’t pay attention to our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauties and the hobbies we love. One day when we look back, we will realize that we don’t really need that much.

Life is not only about making money, getting power. Life is definitely not only about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauties and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of work and play. Happiness is also the meaning and the purpose of life.

So, take it easy! Do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile and short.

1. What did the emperor promise to the horseman?

A．He could ride his horse.

B．He could get much land.

C．He could ride as fast as he wanted.

D．He could get as much land as he had covered on the horse.

2. What did the horseman get at the end of the story?

A．He got what he wanted.	B．He got a lot of land area.
C．He got nothing.	D．He got a very small area.

3. The passage showed that_______ .

A．We should enjoy life.

B．We only should pay attention to the work.

C．We should not only work hard but also enjoy the life.

D．We should work hard to make much money and get much power.

4. Why should we live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy life?

A．Because work is necessary.

B．Because life is fragile and short.

C．Because we couldn’t get enough power.

D．Because we couldn’t get enough money.

4 . Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands but never made it because most people were afraid of the awful_______

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age,_______ the farmer."Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.

＂Well,I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, _______for help,still hired him.The little man worked well _______ the farm,busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt _______ with the man's work.

Then one night the wind _______ loudly in from the offshore. Jumping out of the bed, the farmer grabbed a_______ and rushed next door to the hired man's sleeping quarters. The farmer shook the little man and_______,"Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

But the little man. _______ in bed and said firmly,"No sir. I told you,I can sleep when the wind blows."

The farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.________,he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his ________,he discovered everything had been tied down.The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were   ________.The shutters were tightly secured. ________ could blow away. The farmer then understood ________ his hired man meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you're prepared,spiritually, mentally and physically , you have nothing to ________.Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?

1.

A．temperatures

B．hardships

C．storms

D．surroundings

2.

A．greeted

B．begged

C．approached

D．informed

3.

A．suitable

B．ready

C．available

D．desperate

4.

A．in

B．with

C．behind

D．around

5.

A．cheerful

B．satisfied

C．disappointed

D．regretful

6.

A．flew

B．blew       .

C．marched

D．paced

7.

A．strength

B．breath

C．lantern

D．clothes

8.

A．shouted

B．explained

C．warned

D．reminded

9.

A．rolled over

B．turned up

C．lay down

D．wore out

10.

A．Therefore

B．Instead

C．Meanwhile

D．Moreover

11.

A．excitement

B．puzzlement

C．amazement

D．disappointment

12.

A．blocked

B．handled

C．stuck

D．barred

13.

A．Nothing

B．Everything

C．Something

D．Anything

14.

A．which

B．what

C．how

D．why

15.

A．waste

B．admire

C．spare

D．fear

5 . My son was playing with a bottle of bubbles. Dip the loop in the bottle, pull it out, and blow it to make bubbles. He understood the principle but was vainly _______ to blow bubbles. He would dip and dip and blow and blow, but alas, no _______. He _______ me the bottle and loop and asked me, “Daddy, can you make bubbles?”

I hadn’t blown bubbles in years. I am a _______ by education, fairly well-trained in surfactant (活性剂) technology. However, all that knowledge is completely _______. I was having no more _______ than my son. I dipped and puffed, _______ no bubbles.

After several _______ attempts, I changed strategies. _______ puffing on the loop of soapy water, I just gently breathed on it. My son ________ with delight as a big beautiful bubble formed and ________ away. I explained to him, “Son, you can’t blow hard. You must ever so ________ breathe on the loop to make bubbles.” He ________ his urgent desire to make big bubbles by blowing hard and followed my advice. Big bubbles!

There are some things that you can get with ________, but other things only ________ from the gentleness of a soft breath.

1.

A．trying

B．managing

C．expecting

D．acting

2.

A．changes

B．bubbles

C．results

D．drops

3.

A．lent

B．handed

C．threw

D．cast

4.

A．researcher

B．professional

C．chemist

D．parent

5.

A．out of date

B．of no use

C．in doubt

D．in trouble

6.

A．trial

B．confidence

C．patience

D．success

7.

A．even

B．thus

C．somehow

D．still

8.

A．fruitless

B．tough

C．unwilling

D．difficult

9.

A．Despite

B．Without

C．On

D．Except

10.

A．screamed

B．nodded

C．rushed

D．flew

11.

A．escaped

B．floated

C．burst

D．bounced

12.

A．silently

B．slightly

C．eagerly

D．gently

13.

A．freed

B．fueled

C．contained

D．reduced

14.

A．brain

B．action

C．force

D．science

15.

A．survive

B．separate

C．jumped

D．arise

6 . Every year, more books on happiness are published. And every year, more people feel depressed because they do not see themselves as happy. They don’t remember or know what it feels like, and instead, they feel guilty that they aren’t as happy as everyone says they should be. This is really a sad state of emotional affairs.

The books, blogs, YouTube videos and advice columns (专栏) will tell you that if you read, exercise, stay busy, help others, and increase your intimacy (亲密) every day, then you too can be happy.

The simple truth is that no one can be happy all the time. That doesn’t mean you have to be sad, angry, or depressed the rest of the time but that you can find a middle ground called contentment. This middle ground is a good place mentally and emotionally, and spending time there is a healthy choice.

Contentment is somewhere between satisfied and peaceful. When you are in that place, the stuff of life can be going on around you, but you don’t need to allow it to bother you. And that, my friends, is a very nice way to go through life.

I find contentment in walks and in writing, and in talking with my partner and reminding each other that our life is good, despite temporary setbacks or scary moments. Because I know about myself and I can respond differently. Doing this takes away stress and will keep you from losing your state of contentment.

If there is even one thing that puts you in a state of contentment — you do it regularly and early enough each day — it will help you go through any challenges you may have to face later.

Right at this moment, things around me are still a little out of my control — such is life — but I am feeling pretty good because I actively living my purpose. I am now content, and that feeling will last the whole day through. You can do the same.

1. What does the author want to stress by mentioning “Books on happiness in paragraph 1?

A．People find it difficult to agree on what happiness is.

B．Such books are so popular that they are sold out very soon.

C．Happiness is something easy to gain in our daily life.

D．Experts find it useless to argue about the value of happiness.

2. When facing setbacks or sad moments, what does the author do?

A．He turns to such media as blogs.

B．He definitely communicates with partners.

C．He adjusts himself and reacts positively.

D．He sees himself unlucky and feels depressed.

3. What is the author most likely to agree with?

A．Still water runs deep.	B．Health is better than wealth.
C．Enough is as good as a feast.	D．One good turn deserves another.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To introduce a novel experience.

B．To advocate a proper life attitude.

C．To encourage studies on happiness.

D．To persuade us to work endlessly.

7 . After 20 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to _______. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you too.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow (寡妇) for 19 years, but my busy life had made it impossible to visit her _______. That night I called to _______ her out for dinner.

“What’s wrong? are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night _______ is a sign of bad news.

“I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I _______.

She thought about it for a moment, and _______. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation — _______ extraordinary but recent events of each other’s life.

Before we _______, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, _______ only if you let me invite you.”

A few days ________, my mother died of a heart attack. It ________ so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. A few days after the funeral, I received an envelope with a receipt (收据) from the same place where mother and I had ________. An attached note ________:

“I paid this bill ________. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two ________ —one for you and the other for your ________. You will never know what that night meant for me. I ________ you, son.”

At that moment, I ________ the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU”. Give your family the ________ they deserve, because sometimes things cannot be ________ till “some other time”.

1.

A．home

B．talk

C．movie

D．dinner

2.

A．directly

B．frequently

C．rarely

D．exactly

3.

A．bring

B．take

C．force

D．invite

4.

A．visit

B．meal

C．ring

D．date

5.

A．argued

B．whispered

C．committed

D．responded

6.

A．agreed

B．refused

C．promised

D．nodded

7.

A．anything

B．nothing

C．something

D．everything

8.

A．met

B．parted

C．left

D．divided

9.

A．but

B．and

C．so

D．or

10.

A．before

B．earlier

C．ago

D．later

11.

A．broke

B．formed

C．fell

D．struck

12.

A．sat

B．waited

C．gathered

D．dined

13.

A．saw

B．read

C．showed

D．wrote

14.

A．in advance

B．on purpose

C．by accident

D．with patience

15.

A．tables

B．dishes

C．seats

D．chances

16.

A．mother

B．family

C．wife

D．child

17.

A．miss

B．admire

C．love

D．hug

18.

A．sensed

B．accepted

C．checked

D．pursued

19.

A．time

B．money

C．comfort

D．calls

20.

A．ensured

B．delayed

C．forgotten

D．forgiven

8 . When I was a child，I stayed with my grandmother a lot of the time while my mother was at work. One day some money problems started to arise for my grandmother and the family. They needed a little more income so she decided to sing at the nearby retirement home(养老院)．

So I had to go with her. I wasn't sure about it at first，but as soon as my grandmother actually persuade me to get on stage and start singing，I loved it. I just loved seeing that sparkle(光亮)in those people's eyes. They would stand up and dance and clap to the beat of the music. Eventually，we were singing at many of the homes in the surrounding area 5 out of 7 days a week.

Making other people happy has always made me happy. And during that experience I even discovered my gift，singing. My grandma still sings to those people 15 years later，only for no charge now. I moved to North Carolina when I was 13，leaving my grandma in Florida，but I still carry on her effort and try and go out of my way to do something kind，even if very small，for at least one person every day. There is no better feeling in the world than the one you get when you hear appreciation in someone's voice.

1. The author stayed with her grandmother as a child because ________.

A．her mother was busy working

B．her mother had no ability to care for her

C．her grandmother liked her more

D．her grandmother was richer

2. The author's grandmother sang at the nearby retirement home probably to ________.

A．bring joy to the old people there

B．start a new career

C．make some money

D．satisfy her husband

3. We can infer from the second paragraph that ______.

A．the author had great confidence when she started to sing

B．the audience were surprised that the author could sing at such an early age

C．the audience didn't like the author at first

D．the author was loved by the audience

9 . Getting late for a meeting, “I need to run,” he said, as he put his coat over the shoulder and rushed out of the house. As he drove away, she came running down the stairs two at a time. “Wait, wait,” she shouted, but he had already left.

“He forgot to give me a goodbye kiss,” she said in a low, sad voice that shook under the weight of the hurt. She called him and said, “You left without giving me a kiss.” “I am sorry, sweetheart,” he said, his voice shaking. “It is okay,” she said, trying to be all grown-up as she cut the call.

She ate her breakfast quickly, put on her shoes, picked up her school bag and started to walk out of the door. Her shoulders were slumped(耷拉) and her eyes were filled with tears. As she climbed down the steps, a car came to a stop outside the house. He got out of the car. She ran to him.

“I am sorry I forgot,” he said, as he picked her up and hugged her. She said nothing. Her jaw ached from smiling.

Fifteen years later, no one would remember he was late for a meeting, but a little girl would never ever forget that her father drove all the way back home just to kiss her goodbye!

What is more important, work or family? Some parents always put work before everything. But some put family first. Remember, the company will run the same without you and your colleagues(同事) may forget you soon after you leave. But you are everything to your children.

1. The girl ran down the stairs fast to ________.

A．go to school on time	B．go to a meeting on time
C．get a goodbye kiss	D．say goodbye to her father

2. How did the girl probably feel after she cut the call?

A．Frightened.

B．Disappointed.

C．Worried.

D．Angry.

3. The passage is meant to suggest that parents ________.

A．put their children first

B．pay less attention to work

C．work hard to support the family

D．keep a balance between work and family

10 . Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can't expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you've got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’eyes，and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it's a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge，it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look，the way you act，the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is，make a list if you need to，but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile,get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends，buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective，and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat yourself on the back，you’ll know you're well on your way. Good luck!
1. You need to build a positive self-image when you___________.

A．dare to challenge yourself	B．feel it hard to change yourself
C．are unconfident about yourself	D．have a high opinion of yourself

2. According to the passage，our self-images___________.

A．have positive effects	B．are hot true
C．are often changeable	D．have different functions

3. How should you change your self-image according to the passage?

A．To keep a different image of others.	B．To make your life successful.
C．To understand your own world.	D．To change the way you think.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to prepare for your success.	B．How to face challenges in your life.
C．How to build a. positive self-image.	D．How to develop your good qualities.

5. . Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A．Parents.

B．Adolescents.

C．Educators.

D．People in general.