1 . 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

2 . I never thought I would be a “runner”. I was the girl who_______slowest in the PE class. A few years ago, I was walking with a group of_______in the Race for the Cure, a 5km race designed to_______money for the fight against breast cancer (癌), _______one lady caught my_______.

She was one of the weakest-looking women I’ve ever seen. She must have been close to seventy years old, _______a T-shirt with the word “Survivor”. She was so small that it seemed as if she could even be_______by a strong wind. But, she was running. And she was_______me and my group of friends. She ran slowly, but _______— as if each step pushed her cancer further into her past. Right at that moment, I__________that in the next Race for the Cure, I'd be running along with her.

A week later, I found myself in the__________, running on the treadmill (跑步机). Three minutes after I started, my face was bright red. I felt like my lungs were going to burst. I__________slow down to a walk. I thought of the__________at the race. I kept it up. I was able to go a little__________each time. Three and a half minutes. Four minutes. Five.

A year later, I was__________at the Race for the Cure, but this time, I__________with the runners. When the race started, the other runners passed me by. I ran forward. I__________if I'd be able to do it. But then, I remembered the__________woman. I ran as fast as I could until I finally crossed that finish line. I had just__________my first race! I looked down at my legs, amazed. They had done something I’d never thought__________. I have never felt stronger than at that moment. And I knew that I wanted to do it again.

1.

A．talked

B．walked

C．ran

D．swam

2.

A．friends

B．teachers

C．students

D．patients

3.

A．save

B．use

C．make

D．raise

4.

A．while

B．when

C．until

D．before

5.

A．breath

B．hand

C．arm

D．eye

6.

A．wearing

B．holding

C．pulling

D．waving

7.

A．turned down

B．turned over

C．taken over

D．taken down

8.

A．passing

B．watching

C．seeing

D．calling

9.

A．strangely

B．determinedly

C．excitedly

D．anxiously

10.

A．agreed

B．learned

C．decided

D．explained

11.

A．shop

B．street

C．park

D．gym

12.

A．had to

B．preferred to

C．got to

D．liked to

13.

A．prize

B．survivor

C．plan

D．woman

14.

A．earlier

B．longer

C．harder

D．farther

15.

A．even

B．again

C．ever

D．still

16.

A．watched

B．traveled

C．stood

D．waited

17.

A．wandered

B．witnessed

C．wished

D．wondered

18.

A．kind

B．brave

C．generous

D．honest

19.

A．finished

B．won

C．entered

D．missed

20.

A．good

B．right

C．possible

D．necessary

3 . 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

4 . 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

5 . A professor entered the classroom and told the students about a surprise test. All students were ________ and waited for the test to begin. The professor gave the test papers to all students with text facing down at the desk.________ he was done with ________ the test to all students, he asked them to ________ the test paper and begin.

Students were confused (迷惑) to see that there was just a black ________ in the center of the page. The professor told them, “I want you to ________ about what you see there.” The students were ________ confused but got started with the test. ________ the end of the class, the professor collected all answer sheets and started reading each answer from each sheet in front of all students. _________of them described about the black dot and tried to explain its position.

Now, professor began to explain, “Here everyone ________ the black dot and wrote about it ________ no one wrote about the white paper. The same is   ________ our lives. The white paper stands for our whole life and the black dot   ________ problems in our life.

Our life is a ________ given to us by God, with love and care, and we always have reasons to celebrate ---- our friends around us, the job that provides us with everything we need.________, we just focus on day to day problems like health issues, lack of money, problems in relationships, but we ________ see that these problems are very ________ compared to everything we have in our lives.”

We should try to take eyes off our ________ and enjoy each moment ________ life gives us. Be happy and ________ your life positively.

1.

A．disappointed

B．seated

C．pleased

D．devoted

2.

A．Once

B．If

C．Before

D．Unless

3.

A．working out

B．handing out

C．dealing with

D．mixing up

4.

A．open

B．read

C．defend

D．turn

5.

A．space

B．word

C．dot

D．sentence

6.

A．bring

B．speak

C．write

D．talk

7.

A．still

B．hardly

C．never

D．mostly

8.

A．By

B．At

C．In

D．On

9.

A．Most

B．All

C．None

D．Few

10.

A．concentrated on

B．depended on

C．insisted on

D．counted on

11.

A．for

B．so

C．and

D．but

12.

A．with

B．of

C．as

D．to

13.

A．likes

B．means

C．prefers

D．deserves

14.

A．picture

B．lesson

C．gift

D．text

15.

A．So

B．Besides

C．Instead

D．However

16.

A．properly

B．anyhow

C．usually

D．seldom

17.

A．big

B．small

C．serious

D．difficult

18.

A．problems

B．happiness

C．achievements

D．embarrassment

19.

A．what

B．who

C．that

D．when

20.

A．dream

B．earn

C．gain

D．live

6 . Old Tom had four sons. He wanted them     1     (learn) not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them to look at an apple tree in different seasons. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest in autumn. When they all came back, he called them together to describe     2     they had seen. The sons had different     3     (opinion). Tom then told them that they shouldn’t judge a tree, or a person, by only one season.

7 . From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.

The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created：the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.

You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem. Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are the perennial（长期的）victims and martyrs. They are leaves tossed（摇摆）by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.

You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.

Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.

If you associate with positive-thinking people, you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary, the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding, planting, and nurturing the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks.

In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.

1. People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they ______.

A．are ready to change their minds	B．are easily affected by windy weather
C．don't have the power to face their fate	D．can't exercise control over themselves

2. Losers would think that ______.

A．success is the result of hard work	B．working hard will lead to success
C．their failure is only because of bad luck	D．they don't make efforts to succeed

3. It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that ______.

A．whether we will succeed depends on our attitudes

B．one’s expectation is the key to future success

C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind

D．setting our expectations is essential before taking action

4. The last paragraph serves as ______.

A．the proof of the author's points	B．the conclusion of the argument
C．an introduction to another topic	D．a comparison between two views

5. Which is the best title for the text?

A．The secrets of success．	B．Success is a choice．
C．Develop our confidence．	D．How to achieve success．

8 . An old man lives with his little grandson.Every day the old man gets up early to read books.

One day the grandson asked,“Grandpa,I want to read books as you do.But I always forget what I read.What are the advantages of reading?”

The grandfather didn’t answer him,but said,“Take this little basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did as his grandpa said,but all the water leaked out before he got back home.The grandfather laughed and said,“You’ll have to walk faster next time.”

The next time the boy ran faster,but the basket was still empty before he returned home.The boy said,“See,Grandpa,it’s no use!”

“Is it no use?” the old man said.“Look at the basket.”

The boy looked at the basket and found that the basket was different.It was cleaner,inside and out.

“That’s what happens when you read books.You might not understand or remember everything,but when you read them,you will be changed,inside and out.”

1. What does the old man do every day?

A．He carries water.

B．He reads books.

C．He writes something.

D．He does some chores.

2. After the grandson read books,he 　　　.

A．was too busy to do it

B．got up late

C．always forgot what he read

D．slept late

3. How many times did the grandson go to the river to get some water?

A．Once.	B．Twice.
C．Three times.	D．Four times.

4. According to the grandpa’s words,what happens when we read books?

A．We won’t have any changes.

B．We can understand everything.

C．We will be changed,inside and out.

D．We can never forget what we read.

9 . 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

10 . There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers，he used two buckets(水桶).One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one，which had seen many years of service，but was now past its best.

Every morning，the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path，one on each side，to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled. The old bucket felt very ashamed(惭愧的)because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds，much water had leaked(渗漏)along the path.

Sometimes the new bucket would say，"See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me water the flowers every day! I don’t know why he still uses you. What a waste of space you are!"

And all that the old bucket could say was，"I know I am not very useful，but I can only do my best. I am happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me ，at least.’’

One day，the gardener heard that kind of conversation. After watering the flowers as usual，he said，"You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back，and I want you to look carefully along the path."

Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed，on the side where the new bucket was carried，there was just bare earth；on the other side where the old bucket was carried，there was a joyous row of wild flowers，leading all the way to the garden.

1. What was the old bucket ashamed of?

A．Its   past.

B．Its aging.

C．Its   manner.

D．Its leaking.

2. What does the underlined word "dilapidated" probably mean?

A．Dirty.

B．Dark.

C．Worn out.

D．Ordinary-looking.

3. The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to________.

A．take pity on the old one	B．laugh at the old one
C．show off its good look	D．praise the gardener's kindness

4. Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?

A．Because it was used to keep a balance.

B．Because it stayed in its best condition.

C．Because it had its own advantage.

D．Because it was thought of as a treasure.