1 . 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

2 . 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.

3 . 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．

4 . 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.

5 . 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

6 . There are plenty of mindless activities to keep a child busy in this information age. Yet despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Alice wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition which she won last year.

As a writer, I know about winning contests—and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection letter from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and destroyed hopes can resurface in our children.

A revelation(启示）came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied. “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”

I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地）told them. Telling myself that I was an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.

Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借鉴) my daughter’s experience.

While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.

1. The underlined sentence probably means that the author was __________.

A．trying to let her daughter enjoy her own life

B．helping her daughter develop real skills for writing

C．making sure that her daughter would win the contest

D．trying to get her daughter to do the thing as the author wished

2. Why did Alice want to enter this year’s writing contest?

A．She wanted to share her story with readers.

B．She had won a prize in the previous contest.

C．She believed she possessed real talent for writing.

D．She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.

3. The author took great pains to improve her daughter’s stories because _________.

A．she was afraid that Alice’s imagination might run wild while writing

B．she did not want to disappoint Alice who needed her help so much

C．she wanted to help Alice realize her dream of becoming a writer

D．she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance

4. What does the writer mean to tell us in the last two paragraphs?

A．Children need more room to develop.

B．Parents should co-opt children’s experience.

C．Children should be provided enough help.

D．Parents need to remind their children of their own choices.

7 . In October, I said to my students, “Why not do some _______ to make some money? Then we’ll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone in need.’’

Early in Thanksgiving week, they came with their hard-earned money，_______ to go shopping. We soon picked what we needed. _______ we headed toward the checkout, someone shouted, “Flowers!” The group rushed to the flowers. _______, considering practicality, I pronounced, “You can’t _______ flowers.’’ “But please, Mrs. Sherlock,” someone _______,“we want flowers. ” Defeated, I _______ them to buy some carnations.

An agency had given us the information of a _______ grandmother living alone for many years. After a long drive, we _______ arrived at a shabby cottage. An old lady came out to ________ us. Each box was ________ quickly. But when the woman noticed the carnations，she seemed ________ “She’s wishing it was a bag of flour，’’ I thought.

“Do you like living here?” Michael asked. The woman _________ She told the children about the birds flocking to the bread she ________. “Maybe that’s why the Lord sent me the food through you，” she said “Because I ________ my food with the birds.’’

We returned to the ________ and saw her wave goodbye. Then she walked ________ the food，straight to the carnations. She put her face in their petals, with a smile on her lips. The children were quiet. They had seen the ________ they had to make another’s life ________. And I had seen something too—sometimes a person needs lovely ________ on a dark November day.

1.

A．shopping

B．homework

C．exercises

D．housework

2.

A．likely

B．eager

C．unwilling

D．afraid

3.

A．Although

B．As

C．If

D．Because

4.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．Besides

5.

A．like

B．afford

C．eat

D．send

6.

A．shouted

B．explained

C．begged

D．ordered

7.

A．taught

B．forced

C．reminded

D．allowed

8.

A．brave

B．needy

C．reliable

D．sick

9.

A．finally

B．already

C．suddenly

D．immediately

10.

A．thank

B．guide

C．help

D．welcome

11.

A．carried in

B．left behind

C．sent back

D．handed out

12.

A．satisfied

B．nervous

C．surprised

D．angry

13.

A．cried

B．brightened

C．puzzled

D．laughed

14.

A．cut off

B．put out

C．picked up

D．brought in

15.

A．cook

B．find

C．share

D．buy

16.

A．cottage

B．woods

C．car

D．store

17.

A．past

B．around

C．across

D．toward

18.

A．power

B．time

C．money

D．desire

19.

A．poorer

B．worse

C．longer

D．better

20.

A．food

B．birds

C．flowers

D．kids

8 . 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.

9 . A long time ago, there was a seed(种子). Because he was only a seed, ______ noticed him. So the seed thought he was not important in the world.

One day,a wind ______and threw him on an open field in the sun. Later, he was given rain. Years later, another day he saw a traveller ______ by his side.

“Thank you God for this, I can have a rest under the tree.”the traveller said.

“what are you talking about?”the seed ______ asked. He thought the man was ______ him. No one ever spoke to him like that.

“Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked.

“It’s me. A seed.”

The man looked at the________. “Are you joking? You’re not a seed. You are a big tree!”

“Really?"

“Yes! People often sit here. ______ do you think people come here for? To fee1 your shade (树荫)! Don't tell me you didn't know you had grown over time.”

The traveler's words brought him pride. The seed thought and ______ for the first time in his life. The years of tortune (折磨) ______ the sun and the rain finally helped him ______. “Oh! That means I’m not a little seed any more! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That’s great.”

1.

A．somebody

B．everybody

C．nobody

2.

A．picked him up

B．cheered him up

C．put him up

3.

A．to sit

B．sitting

C．sat

4.

A．friendly

B．lovely

C．quickly、

5.

A．making sure of

B．making fun of

C．making up of

6.

A．small tree

B．seed

C．big tree

7.

A．When

B．What

C．why

8.

A．smiled

B．talked

C．cried

9.

A．on

B．under

C．by

10.

A．grow up

B．grown up

C．grew up

10 . Patrick never does homework. “Too boring,” he says. He always plays baseball and     basketball after school. His teachers tell him, “Patrick! Do your homework, or you can’t   learn anything.” But what can he do? He hates homework.

One day, his cat was playing with a little “doll”. He found it wasn’t a doll at all, but a man     of the smallest size. The man called, “Save me! Don’t give me back to that cat. I have     magic. I will help you if you save me!”

How lucky he was! Here was the answer to all of his problems. So he said, “If you help     me to do my homework until the last day of school, I will get good grades.” The man   agreed. He began to do Patrick’s homework. The man didn’t always know what to do and   he needed help. “Help me! Help me!” he said. And Patrick had to help. Day after day,     Patrick had to work harder.     Finally the last day of school arrived and the man was free to go. As for homework,   Patrick didn’t hate doing it any more. Patrick got his A’s. His teachers and classmates     were all surprised. Who really helped Patrick?

1. Patrick likes after school.

A．doing sports	B．doing some reading
C．doing his homework	D．learning things

2. Why did Patrick get the small man’s help?

A．Because Patrick gave him a cat.

B．Because Patrick helped him play with the     cat.

C．Because Patrick saved him.

D．Because Patrick gave him lots of money.

3. What does the sentence “Patrick got his A’s” mean?

A．It means “Patrick got the teachers’ help”.

B．It means “Patrick got good grades”.

C．It means “Patrick got more friends”.

D．It means “Patrick got more problems”.

4. Which of the following is not true?

A．Patrick never hates doing his homework.

B．The man sometimes didn’t know what to do when he helped Patrick.

C．The man didn’t go until the last day of school.

D．Patrick finally started to like doing homework.

5. From the passage, we can know .

A．the man liked to play with the cat

B．the man never helped Patrick do his homework

C．Patrick’s classmates always helped him do his homework

D．in fact, Patrick helped himself