1 . There was a park near my home. But I didn’t go there very often, many people said there was nothing ______ . One afternoon, I went into the ______ and found it was really small. I walked ______ because there wasn’t much to see. I walked for some time and found myself ______ in front of two paths. “Which way should I go?” asked myself, looked at one way, then the ______. I found that the two paths were different from each other.

The left one was wide and clean. There were lots of ______ on both sides of the path. Though the flowers weren’t beautiful, they made me feel good. I ______ to take this path. But wait! I looked at the right one, the path didn’t look nice, it looked like it had not been cleaned for months.

Grass grew ______. For a long time, I couldn’t make up my mind.

After a while a strange feeling made me follow the ______ path. It wasn’t nice, but I didn’t want to ______. At last, I came to the end of the path. Ah! There was a small garden there. It was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. There were trees, flowers and chairs. I thought it was the ______ part of the park.

Many people told me that there was nothing much to see in the park. Now I’d like to tell them that if they had ______ the right way, they would have felt differently. But when I told them about what I had seen in the park, they just smiled at me without saying a word. I knew they didn’t believe me. They couldn’t even remember that path ______ it was too small.

My trip to the park that day made me understand something about ______. Don’t be afraid to choose a ______ path. You may get a big surprise!

1.

A．special

B．common

C．difficult

2.

A．house

B．park

C．mountain

3.

A．quickly

B．slowly

C．lazily

4.

A．sitting

B．lying

C．standing

5.

A．another

B．other

C．others

6.

A．grasses

B．trees

C．flowers

7.

A．decided

B．destroyed

C．demanded

8.

A．anywhere

B．everywhere

C．nowhere

9.

A．clean

B．clear

C．dirty

10.

A．give up

B．give in

C．give out

11.

A．worst

B．nicest

C．softest

12.

A．discussed

B．played

C．followed

13.

A．so

B．because

C．but

14.

A．life

B．path

C．book

15.

A．similar

B．small

C．different

2 . 阅读下面短文，根据上下文连贯要求和句子结构，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中单词的正确形式。

An old woman had     1     cat. The cat was very old. She could not run     2    (quick), and she could not bite,     3    she was so old. One day, the old cat saw a mouse. She jumped and     4    (catch) the mouse. But she could not bite     5    , so the mouse got out     6    her mouth and ran away.

Then the old woman became very     7    (anger) because the cat did not kill the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said: “Do not hit your old servant (仆人). I     8    (work) for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I’m too old. Do not be     9    (kind) to the old, but remember     10     good work the old did when they were young.”

5 . I watch documentaries, not movies. I read history books, not fiction. I use every free moment to accomplish one of the tasks on my never-ending checklist, and I am completely filled with thoughts of productivity. An hour sleeping is an hour wasted. And like the rest of 21st century America, I like it. But this fixation on productivity is increasingly destroying character and transforming men into robots.

New York Times columnist David Brooks warned American University students of this cultural decline in a speech. “We cut off all things spiritual and emotional in a competitive urge to stand out”, he said, “The pressure to succeed professionally, to acquire skills, to do the things you need to do to succeed in an information age economy really became the overwhelming(难以应付的)pressures, and it sort of weakens the thinking about character and morality.”

Many students happily go to college, viewing it as a next step on their rise to professional achievement. Forcing as many success-building activities into their schedules as they can, they enjoy keeping busy with little sleep. “Today’s outstanding kids are likely to spend their afternoons and weekends shuttling from one skill-improving activity to the next,” Brooks wrote in an article, “We fear failure more than we desire success.”

A century ago, college was about character building. Today, our characters are in decline. We are experts on economics, material things and professional skills. We fail to discuss and understand relationships, emotions and all things spiritual.

Philosopher Karl Popper divided the world into two categories: Clocks and Clouds. Clock problems are those that can be taken apart, examined and solved through deductive reasoning(演绎推理). Clouds cannot be taken apart. Cloud problems represent whole systems that need to be understood in a different way.

“When we have a Cloud problem, we try to turn it into a Clock problem,” Brooks said. And in a reason-centered culture, adding titles to one’s resume becomes a trend. At American University, 85 percent of seniors (and 89 percent of business majors) graduate with at least one practical experience which is often helpful to a student’s future career, but can sometimes draw focus away from academics.

To prevent the death of man’s character, Brooks urges rediscovering our human natures through falling in love. And by love he means love for a task, job, or another person. “Synchronicity is key to happiness,” he said. Rather than crazily increasing our long lists of accomplishments, we need to lose ourselves in what we do, and success will come on its own.

1. From Paragraph 1, we can learn that people ________.

A．are controlled by time	B．are eager to achieve
C．are changing their characters	D．are keen on reading books more

2. What is the author’s attitude towards colleges that existed a century ago?

A．Tolerant.

B．Uncertain.

C．Approving.

D．Curious.

3. The last paragraph mainly tells us that ________.

A．success comes from devotion to work

B．the focus on human natures counts

C．more work contributes to happiness

D．love is more important than focus

4. The purpose of this passage is to ________.

A．criticize students’ desire for achievements

B．stress the importance of productivity

C．warn about the pressure to seek success

D．bring awareness to character building

6 . One day, a colt (小马驹)took a bag of wheat to the mill (磨坊).When he came to a small river, he could not _______ whether he could cross it. Just then, he saw a cow nearby and asked, “Aunt Cow, could you tell me if I can cross the river?” The cow said, “Of course, you can. The river isn't very _______, just knee high.”

The colt was about to cross the river _______ a squirrel （松鼠）jumped down a tree and stopped him, _______ , “Colt, stop! You'll get killed in the river! One of my friends _______ his life yesterday in the river" The colt was _______ at what to do, so he went home to ask for his mom's opinion.

His mother said, "Don't always _______ others. You'd better go and try yourself. Then you'll know what to do."

He returned to the river “Little horse, it's too _________ !” The squirrel shouted again.

“Thanks, but I want to try myself.”

After crossing the river successfully, the colt _______ that the river was neither as shallow as the cow said nor as deep as the squirrel told him.

This story tells us the ________: Real knowledge comes from practice.

1.

A．decide

B．think

C．discuss

D．argue

2.

A．wide

B．deep

C．long

D．narrow

3.

A．why

B．until

C．when

D．though

4.

A．shouting

B．nodding

C．singing

D．joking

5.

A．led

B．lost

C．saved

D．earned

6.

A．excited

B．puzzled

C．ashamed

D．satisfied

7.

A．laugh at

B．pick out

C．listen to

D．fight with

8.

A．clean

B．safe

C．dirty

D．dangerous

9.

A．realized

B．insisted

C．wished

D．begged

10.

A．lie

B．news

C．name

D．truth

7 . Living an Adventurous Life

     Nearly ten years ago, I was told that I had a brain tumor, and this experience changed my attitude about adventure forever. I thought that I was going to die and that all my adventures were over. I did not have a brain tumor, it turned out, but rather multiple sclerosis, which meant that, although they were not over, the nature of my adventures could have to change.
     Each morning that I wake up is a fresh event, something that I might not have had. Each gesture that I make carries the weight of uncertainty and demands significant attention: buttoning my shirt, changing a light bulb, walking down stairs. I might not be able to do it this time. If I could not delight in them, they would likely drown me in anger and in self-pity.

I admire the grand adventures of others. I read about them with interest. With Peter Matthiessen I have hiked across the Himalayas to the Crystal Mountain. I have walked with Annie Dillard up, down, into, and across Tinker Creek in all Seasons. David Bain has gone with me along 110 miles of Philippine coast, and Ed Abbey has rowed me down the Colorado River. I enjoy the adventures of these courageous figures, who can strike out on difficult trips—2 miles, 250 miles, 3000 miles—ready to bear cold and tiredness—indeed not just to bear but to celebrate.

     But as for me, I can no longer walk very far from the armchair in which I read. Some days I don't even make it to the backyard. And yet I'm unwilling to give up the adventurous life, the difficulty of it, even the pain, the anxiety and fear, and the sudden brief lift of spirit that makes a hard journey more attractive.
     I refine adventure, make it smaller and smaller. And now, whether I am moving on my hands and knees across the dining room to help my cat, lying wide-eyed in the dark battling another period of sadness, gathering flowers from the garden, meeting a friend for lunch, I am always having the adventures that are mine to have.
1. What happens to the author after her illness?

A．She has a fear of medical treatments.	B．She travels to places she has dreamed.
C．She can't take care of herself any longer	D．She is not drowned in anger and self-pity.

2. Why does the author admire the people mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．Because they write popular novels.	B．Because they are great adventurers.
C．Because they are famous geographers.	D．Because they struggle with hardship in life

3. The author ends the article with a feeling of______.

A．sadness

B．sacrifice

C．security

D．satisfaction

4. What does "adventurous life" in the title mean to the author?

A．The struggles of great people against difficulties.

B．Her concern about giving up certain activities.

C．Her adapting to the situation with an illness.

D．The exciting traveling experience of others.

5. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

A．Travel can enrich a person's life.

B．Reading is an activity that a patient enjoys most.

C．A positive attitude can improve a difficult situation.

D．A person's ability can be improved through reading.

8 . The meaning of the word “volunteer ” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a ____ of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer the up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”
1. According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.

A．is willing to help those in need without pay	B．can afford to travel to different places
C．has a strong wish to be successful	D．has made a big fortune in life

2. Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.

A．after she met Mother Teresa

B．after she finished high school

C．when she was touring Calcutta

D．when she was working in a hospital

3. Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?

A．She liked to work with Mother Teresa.

B．She had already had some experience.

C．She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example.

D．She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example.

4. What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?

A．Going abroad to help the sick.

B．Working in Mother Teresa’s home.

C．Doing simple things to help the poor.

D．Improving oneself through helping others.