1 . Standing on the edge of the plane, my tandem skydiving (双人跳伞) instructor, Bill, turned to face me. “Do you have any last words?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, joking. “I hope my parachute (降落伞) ________.”

I’d never felt more alive as Bill and I ________ and started our free fall. As we reached 4,000 feet, I felt a parachute open. This, I was told, would slow us down for a smooth ________. But why were we still ________ so fast? I could hear Bill swearing as he tried to ________ whatever had gone wrong.

Worse still, our emergency parachute unexpectedly got ________ on something. At that moment, I just felt so ________ that I’d even invited my family along to experience sorrow instead of watching my wonderful performance.

We ________ the ground. An unimaginable pain shot up my back. Feeling weak and tired out, I gathered all my ________, and turned to face Bill. He started screaming. From my neck down, I could hardly ________. My mother couldn’t help crying as we were placed into a(n) ________ from the hospital.

After years of treatment, the deep physical and mental pain is ________. I heard Bill made a full ________ and returned to skydiving.

I was always terrified of being myself and doing the things I wanted. Now I’ve learned I need to be ________. There’s nothing like falling from 15,000 feet without a parachute and surviving. It forces me to ________ every day!

1.

A．flies

B．breaks

C．opens

D．folds

2.

A．dropped out

B．stepped out

C．climbed out

D．rolled out

3.

A．blow

B．rise

C．turn

D．fall

4.

A．traveling

B．riding

C．skipping

D．escaping

5.

A．evaluate

B．define

C．ignore

D．fix

6.

A．caught

B．burnt

C．charged

D．controlled

7.

A．relieved

B．curious

C．guilty

D．stressed

8.

A．occupied

B．hit

C．attacked

D．swept

9.

A．strength

B．faith

C．spirits

D．thoughts

10.

A．scream

B．whisper

C．breathe

D．move

11.

A．taxi

B．coach

C．ambulance

D．bus

12.

A．returning

B．healing

C．beginning

D．worsening

13.

A．recovery

B．list

C．impact

D．fortune

14.

A．hopeless

B．aimless

C．selfless

D．fearless

15.

A．spend

B．value

C．recall

D．imagine

2 . 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.

3 . When I was a young man, I had a big ego (自负) and very little empathy (同理心). I thought I knew everything. I looked forward to fame and success. I can even remember proudly telling one of my friends in college: “If only everyone listened to me, they would all be happy.” I finally left school, ready to take on the world. Little did I know the world was about to take on me.

In the years following college, instead of success, I found struggles. I had trouble finding work. The jobs I did work at were either temporary or back-breaking and none of them paid well. When my wife and I had children, we were shocked to learn that not one but both of our sons had autis (自闭症) and would need to be taken care of for the rest of their lives. I had no idea why this had happened to us and I was very angry with the world.

In time, however, I began to change. My formerly massive ego was shrinking fast and my empathy was beginning to grow. Instead of finding joy in success, I found it in moments of love. Playing and laughing with my sons brought me so much happiness. My boys taught me more about peace, patience, kindness, joy, and unconditional love than I could have ever learned on my own. I began to share the lessons I learned through my writing and my life.

I finally realized that my purpose in this world had nothing to do with fame or success but everything to do with allowing love and light into my life and sharing it with everyone I could.

1. What was the author like when he was young?

A．He was popular.

B．He was a top student.

C．He was overconfident about his abilities.

D．He was warm-hearted to others.

2. After graduating from school, the author ______.

A．found a tiring but well-paid job

B．wanted to live a challenging life

C．didn’t want to have children early

D．suffered many difficulties in life

3. What made the writer change greatly?

A．The time with his family.

B．The books he wrote.

C．The difficulties in his work.

D．The improvement in his life.

4. What does the author intend to tell us with his story?

A．Life can be very hard for some people.

B．Parents need to be patient with their kids.

C．It’s important to learn how to be a father.

D．The purpose of life is to share love.

4 . One day in summer,little Jack was playing on the beach with his father.Suddenly,he saw a little tortoise moving slowly on the sand.He started to look at it carefully and began to touch it with his hand.To his surprise,the tortoise stopped moving.It pulled in its head and legs,and closed its shell tightly.He touched it again but the tortoise didn’t move at all.Jack became angry.He used a stick and tried to force it to open.

When his father saw this,he stopped him and said,“No,son,you mustn’t do that!You will kill the tortoise.You won’t get it open with a stick.”Jack was curious and asked,“Why?”

“Just wait and see,”his father replied.Then he picked up the tortoise and put it in a bag.

After they came back home,the father took the tortoise out of the bag.He put it near the fireplace.After a few minutes,the tortoise began to move a little.The tortoise stretched out its head and legs.At last,the tortoise began to crawl across the room.How excited Jack was when he saw this.

“Son,now you see,”said his father,“sometimes,you can’t force someone to do things he doesn’t like.But if you get him warm first,he will do what you want him to do.”

1. One day Jack and his father was playing_______.

A．in the zoo

B．on the beach

C．in the garden

D．on the hill

2. The father picked up the tortoise and_______.

A．cooked it

B．killed it

C．threw it into the sea

D．put it in a bag

3. After the tortoise get_______near the fireplace,it began to move a little.

A．warm

B．cold

C．hungry

D．thirsty

4. The story tells us that________.

A．people refuse to do things we want them to do

B．people will do things we want them to do

C．we can force people to do things they don’t like

D．we can’t force people to do things they don’t like

5 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

As teenagers, you have many     1    (dream). These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize, or they can be very small, for example, you may just want     2     (become) the best student in your class. Once you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream come true?

Andrew Mathews,    3     Australian writer, tells us that making our dreams come true is the biggest challenge (挑战) in our life. You may think you are not very good     4     some school subjects or it is impossible for you to become a     5    (write). These kinds of thoughts stop you     6     (realize) your dreams. In fact, everyone can realize his dream. Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this step by step     7     your dream will come true earlier because a big dream     8     (make) up of many small dreams.

You must also never give up     9     (you) dream. There will be many difficulties on the road to your dreams. But the biggest one     10    (come) from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important.

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 . There was once a famous scientist who made several important discoveries. Once he was asked how he could be so creative. He replied that it all came from an experience he had with his mother when he was 2 years old. He was trying to take a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator. But the bottle was too slippery（滑的）and he dropped it. The kitchen floor was covered in milk.

Instead of shouting at him or punishing him, his mother said, “Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have never seen such a huge puddle of milk. Would you like to play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?”

So he did. After a few minutes, they cleaned it up together. Then his mother said, “This was a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny hands. Let’s fill the bottle with water and see if you can find a way to carry it without dropping it.”

The little boy learned that if he held the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!

The scientist then added that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes. He learned that mistakes are just opportunities to learn something new.

1. Robert made a mess on the kitchen floor by _____.

A．doing an experiment

B．dropping a bottle of milk

C．throwing bottles around

D．drinking a bottle of milk

2. What did Robert’s mother do after he made the mess?

A．She showed him a huge puddle of milk.

B．She shouted at him and punished him.

C．She asked him to clean the kitchen.

D．She allowed him to play in the mess.

3. Which of the following words best describes Robert’s mother?

A．Hardworking.

B．Careful.

C．Smart.

D．Protective.

4. With this story, the author tries to _____.

A．tell readers how much he loved his mother

B．suggest that we should treat life as a big experiment

C．show that scientific discoveries come from everyday life

D．tell readers that they should keep an open mind about mistakes

8 . When I look back on my childhood, a mixture of happiness and sorrow floods over me. I have living memories of every past life story that has had deep _______ on my future view of life. Here is one such _______ story.

Shaking in my underwear (内衣)on the driveway, I watched the home quickly _______ to the ground. A moment ago I was sleeping _______ in my comfortable bed when a _______ woke me up. My grandma’s bedroom was just next to mine and my brother’s. A fire had _______ there and awakened her. Upon hearing her, my older brother began to take action. The house, however, was over 50 years old and made of _______ . Before we could do anything, the fire had _______ it.

I stood trembling with great _______ as the fire ruined my books, clothes, and toys. I watched ________while my mother cried and my father swore (咒骂). I wondered what would ________ ahead of us since everything was lost. However, as I looked around, I ________ something for the first time: What matters aren’t ________. I saw my older brother running across the ________ by our house to get help. I saw my oldest brother who ________ from an earlier accident standing painfully on one leg. I saw my parents gathering together and my grandma ________ our little dog in her arms. Everything that was ________ had survived the fire. Our lives would continue. And that was all that mattered.

The accident that night helps me learn the ________ we share actually means much more than materials. Live our life for the things that ________, not for the things we own. Let the ________ inside us make this world a warmer place.

1.

A．impression

B．challenge

C．difference

D．influence

2.

A．classic

B．lovely

C．meaningful

D．funny

3.

A．pull

B．burn

C．run

D．push

4.

A．deeply

B．badly

C．terribly

D．nervously

5.

A．event

B．notice

C．scream

D．song

6.

A．broken in

B．broken out

C．broken up

D．broken down

7.

A．mud

B．steel

C．wood

D．curtain

8.

A．destroyed

B．attacked

C．spread

D．injured

9.

A．delight

B．joy

C．hope

D．fear

10.

A．hopefully

B．excitedly

C．helplessly

D．happily

11.

A．earn

B．inform

C．meet

D．lie

12.

A．dismissed

B．realized

C．desired

D．approached

13.

A．families

B．surroundings

C．things

D．people

14.

A．bridge

B．pole

C．tree

D．rope

15.

A．starved

B．escaped

C．recovered

D．suffered

16.

A．holding

B．defending

C．hitting

D．beating

17.

A．cheap

B．important

C．expensive

D．native

18.

A．pain

B．worry

C．wealth

D．love

19.

A．matter

B．decide

C．determine

D．depend

20.

A．heart

B．fire

C．spirits

D．feelings

9 . One day a poor man was begging with an old wallet in his hand. As he felt sad at his own bad luck, he kept wondering why some wealthy people were never satisfied and were always wanting more.

“Here,” said he, “is the master of this house—I know him well. He is a wealthy businessman. He should have turned over his business to others, and then he could have spent the rest of his life happily, but he didn’t. Instead, he sent his ships to sea to trade with foreign lands. However, there were great storms on the water, so his ships were destroyed and his treasure disappeared in the sea. As for me, if I had only enough to eat and to buy clothing, I would not want anything more.”

Just at that moment, Fortune came down the street. She saw the poor man and stopped. She said to him, “Listen! I want to help you. Hold your wallet, and I will pour this gold into it, but only on this condition: all that falls into the wallet shall be pure gold, but every piece that falls upon the ground shall become dust. Do you understand?”

“Oh, yes,” said the poor man.

“Then be careful,” said Fortune. “Your wallet is old, so do not load it too heavily.”

The beggar was so glad that he quickly opened his wallet, and a stream of yellow dollars poured into it. The wallet grew heavy.

“Is that enough?” asked Fortune.

“Not yet.”

“Isn’t the wallet cracking （裂开）?”

“Never fear.”

The beggar’s hands began to tremble. Ah, if the gold would only pour forever!

“You are the richest man in the world now!”

“Just a little more, add just a handful or two.”

Another piece was added, and the wallet cracked. The treasure fell upon the ground and turned to dust. The beggar had nothing now but his empty wallet. He was as poor as before.

1. What happened to the wealthy businessman?

A．He was robbed of his money.	B．His ships sank at sea.
C．His treasure turned to dust.	D．He gave his money to the poor.

2. Why do you think Fortune gave the gold to the poor man?

A．She wanted to make the poor man the richest in the world.

B．She had too much gold already.

C．She wanted to teach the poor man a lesson.

D．She liked the way the poor man spoke.

3. Which word best describes the poor man?

A．weak	B．happy
C．wise	D．greedy

4. What is the best title for this article?

A．The poor man and Fortune

B．The poor man and the businessman

C．The poor man and his wallet

D．The poor man and the gold

10 . A wise man was passing through a city. While he was walking, he _________ a coin on the road. He picked it up. Despite his _________ life, he was satisfied and he had no use of that coin. So, he planned to _________ it. _________, throughout the day he didn’t find such a person. Finally, he reached the _________ area and spent a night there.

Next morning, he _________ up and was told that a king was going for his invasion of another state with his army. When the king saw the wise man, he _________ his army to stop. He came to the wise man and said, “I am going to beat another _________. Thus, my state can be _________. So __________ me to be victorious”.

After __________, the wise man gave the coin to the king! The king was confused with this because he is already one of the __________ kings! He __________ asked, “What’s the meaning?”

The wise man explained, “I found this coin yesterday in your __________. But I had no __________. So I had __________ that I would donate it. I walked around till the evening, but found no one such.

Everyone was living a __________ life. It seemed that they were satisfied with what they had. But today, the king of this state, still has the desire to __________ more and is not satisfied with what he already has. I feel you are __________ this coin.”

The king realized his __________ and gave up the planned war.

1.

A．noticed

B．lost

C．spent

D．dropped

2.

A．rich

B．simple

C．single

D．peaceful

3.

A．throw

B．ignore

C．keep

D．donate

4.

A．Thus

B．Besides

C．However

D．Therefore

5.

A．dining

B．waiting

C．walking

D．resting

6.

A．woke

B．looked

C．stayed

D．dressed

7.

A．hoped

B．allowed

C．ordered

D．advised

8.

A．tribe

B．state

C．city

D．king

9.

A．expanded

B．respected

C．developed

D．blamed

10.

A．help

B．wait

C．bless

D．promise

11.

A．consulting

B．thinking

C．chatting

D．bargaining

12.

A．strongest

B．luckiest

C．healthiest

D．richest

13.

A．nervously

B．curiously

C．eagerly

D．angrily

14.

A．city

B．palace

C．house

D．backyard

15.

A．interest

B．pocket

C．use

D．plan

16.

A．agreed

B．announced

C．informed

D．decided

17.

A．happy

B．hard

C．convenient

D．different

18.

A．defend

B．gain

C．earn

D．borrow

19.

A．in possession of

B．in search of

C．in need of

D．in charge of

20.

A．achievement

B．dream

C．existence

D．mistake