1 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

2 . We have all heard that if you talk to yourself, you’re crazy,     1     According to research, talking to yourself in a positive way is actually very healthy for your mind

My first exposure to positive self-talk was reading The Little Engine That Could. Do you remember that book from your childhood? While trying to make it up a big hill, the little engine keeps saying to himself, “I think I can, I think I can.” And of course, he makes it.     2    

Positive self-talk is one of the most valuable tools you can use to keep yourself physically and mentally balanced. Many Olympic and professional athletes use it every time they practice or compete.

    3     My own personal favorite is “I’m okay”. Back when I was in the movie business. I used to work with the stunt (特技) team. I was told that one of their simple but effective secrets was to stay loose and talk to their body. I had the chance to try it out one day. My apartment was on the second floor of a duplex (复式公寓), and one rainy day I slipped on the top step and started falling over. Then I just kept telling myself, “I’m okay.”     4     There were only a few scratches (擦伤) on my legs. I believe to this day that it was the simple positive self-talk that helped keep me from being seriously injured.

Positive self-talk can also help you calm down from anxiety and feel less sad. There was a period of time when I felt upset. Every morning, I woke up and said to myself, “Hi, Barton. You’re going to have a good day today.”     5     When I did it throughout the day, fewer things would bother me, and I became friendlier to myself.

A．In fact, that’s not always the case.

B．Much to my surprise, I was just fine

C．It’s a valuable lesson for us to learn and remember.

D．Instead, there are several different types of self-talk.

E．You know, I was programming my brain to feel good.

F．When it comes to positive self-talk, the simpler, the better.

G．That was an opportunity for me to try something challenging.

5 . In 2016, I started working for the local company here in the community. I had to admit that the first day I walked into the office, I didn’t know what to expect, I was really_________. The waiting area was dark and dusty. I remembered sitting in the chair and feeling breathless with the_________of files and paperwork all over. I was worried about my_________.

One day, my boss asked me what I thought could be done with the scenery outside next to the office window. I paused for a while,_________what I could do with it. Then I had the perfect idea. I’d plant_________there if that was okay. He told me it was up to me. So, I got to work.

It took me a good week to_________the field, getting rid of the weeds. And I had to choose which type of sunflower to grow, as there were many different varieties. That was when I learned about all the different_________of sunflowers! I planted different ones.

It only took about a week for the sunflowers to sprout (发芽). I made sure to_________them every day and give them all the love I could. Before I_________it, the sunflowers had grown big, some even bigger than me. Watching them grow big and follow the sun throughout the day filled me with__________. I think part of my happiness is that I’ve grown them and help get them to be such beauties.

Every year, my sunflowers grow bigger, and so do my__________. Eventually, I have fields of sunflowers and an excellent__________in work. And it all__________with just a seed. Well, a packet of seeds. Dreams are like seeds; we could plant them, nourish them, and then watch them__________. Dreams has the potential to become something__________.

1.

A．familiar

B．confident

C．ambitious

D．nervous

2.

A．styles

B．piles

C．sources

D．sizes

3.

A．interview

B．chance

C．future

D．luck

4.

A．predicting

B．forgetting

C．explaining

D．wondering

5.

A．trees

B．vegetables

C．flowers

D．fruits

6.

A．put up

B．take up

C．clean up

D．keep up

7.

A．stories

B．sales

C．symbols

D．species

8.

A．water

B．surprise

C．remove

D．separate

9.

A．doubted

B．knew

C．found

D．appreciated

10.

A．disappointment

B．anxiety

C．joy

D．determination

11.

A．dreams

B．lessons

C．promises

D．attempts

12.

A．performance

B．adventure

C．ambition

D．competition

13.

A．helped

B．mattered

C．disappeared

D．started

14.

A．improve

B．grow

C．succeed

D．change

15.

A．difficult

B．big

C．popular

D．simple

8 . Complete the dialogue using one of the articles below or leave it blank.

a

an

the

Alex: Hi, Jeff. What are you reading?
Jeff: Hi, Alex. It’s     1     interesting book about different attitudes towards success. It seems that success is a very subjective concept.
Alex: What do you mean by that?
Jeff: Well, I mean success is different for different people. If your ambition is to be a millionaire, then your bank account is     2     most important thing.
Alex: I see. So, if family is     3     most important thing for you, maybe finding     4     husband or wife and having     5     children is what you would understand success to be.
Jeff: Exactly. It’s interesting to see     6     variety of ideas here. Everyone is different.
Alex: So, what would     7     successful life be like for you in the future?
Jeff: I think if I could have     8     happy family and     9     career in science I would feel I have achieved     10     success. What about you?
Alex: For me, travelling around     11    world and also having     12     happy family would make me feel happy and successful.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Peter lived in a village. He was always upset and treated others     1     (bad). He enjoyed himself by making other     2     (villager) unhappy. So the whole village avoided     3     (he) as much as they could. On the day when he turned eighty,     4     unusual thing happened. Everyone     5     (hear) the words. “Peter looks happy today. Instead of     6     (say) something bad, he smiles to everyone he meets.” When the whole village got together, Peter     7     (ask) why. He answered, “I’d been running after my happiness     8     eighty years, but it was     9     (use). And then I decided to live without it and just enjoy life. That’s the reason     10     I’m happy now.”

10 . My mother turned ninety. I knew I needed to find a senior _______ center. Not for her — for me. If I were at her age, I would want to stay in shape to _______ life, getting a lot of pleasure. Yes, walking in local parks was my _______, but I wasn’t so active as before.

I called a nearby center, “Do you have aerobics (有氧运动) classes _______ for seniors?” “Sure. Come and check us out! We start at 10 am,” the receptionist (接待员) replied and _______. The next morning, I went there. One part of me was _______ that the class was too easy, not doing me any good. The other part feared it was too hard for me to _______.

When I came into the room, a woman _______ me, “Oh, you’re new. Welcome.” Then the music started. The hour-long workout woke up the muscles I didn’t often _______ in daily walks, suiting me fine. I became a member there. My classmates ranged in age from fifty to ninety. Most gave the exercises their own ________, doing as much or little as they could. ________ no one kept score. Soon I learned physical well-being wasn’t the only ________ there. During breaks, people chatted happily. Whenever some people were ________ we asked around. Were they busy? Were they in hospital? Moreover, we signed cards for those who were ill.

I ________ to be in good shape now as I’ve hoped. Still, I’m grateful for things more valuable from the class — close friendships and new social ________.

1.

A．leisure

B．fitness

C．community

D．learning

2.

A．change

B．remember

C．wait

D．enjoy

3.

A．routine

B．aim

C．challenge

D．plan

4.

A．attached

B．familiar

C．appropriate

D．vital

5.

A．comforted

B．invited

C．promised

D．welcomed

6.

A．sure

B．disappointed

C．anxious

D．hopeful

7.

A．make up for

B．look down on

C．get down to

D．keep up with

8.

A．greeted

B．recognized

C．helped

D．introduced

9.

A．relax

B．stretch

C．strengthen

D．use

10.

A．improvement

B．agreement

C．interpretation

D．conclusion

11.

A．Fortunately

B．Consequently

C．Naturally

D．Surprisingly

12.

A．problem

B．contribution

C．standard

D．focus

13.

A．lonely

B．absent

C．unhappy

D．tired

14.

A．fail

B．manage

C．attempt

D．continue

15.

A．backgrounds

B．connections

C．skills

D．duties