1 . My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of ________. Very often when we have flowers, Denise or I would plant some between the rocks, just to add some ________ to the area.

Last summer, I found a tiny little plant in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either.

We decided to let it ________ growing until we could find out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the ________ plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I decided to ________ the weeds (杂草) around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something ________.The sunflower had not ________ where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the ________.

That’s when I ________ that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability of doing the same thing. If we ________ ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach where we ________ to go and get what we need for growth.

We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ________ to achieve our goals. Like the sunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had ________ in itself that it would succeed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be ________ of who and what we are, and then the environment will begin to ________ us. We will find a way to go under or around any “rocks” in order to reach our goals.

1.

A．flower

B．insects

C．vegetables

D．rocks

2.

A．water

B．fertilizer

C．color

D．shape

3.

A．stop

B．continue

C．improve

D．escape

4.

A．weak

B．strange

C．lonely

D．pretty

5.

A．collect

B．tend

C．remove

D．watch

6.

A．unusual

B．wonderful

C．terrible

D．valuable

7.

A．passed

B．started

C．left

D．died

8.

A．air

B．top

C．sun

D．house

9.

A．hoped

B．realized

C．doubted

D．regretted

10.

A．fill in

B．put in

C．worry about

D．believe in

11.

A．forget

B．hate

C．aim

D．wait

12.

A．wish

B．plan

C．ability

D．idea

13.

A．faith

B．energy

C．virtue

D．courage

14.

A．aware

B．afraid

C．proud

D．tired

15.

A．forgive

B．support

C．upset

D．affect

2 . 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。

One day, Nick invited his friends to supper. He was cooking some delicious food in the kitchen. Suddenly, he     1     (find) that he had run out of salt. So Nick called to his son, “Go to the village and buy some salt, but pay a fair price for it: neither too much     2     too little.”

His son looked       3     (surprise). “I can understand why I shouldn’t pay too much, Father, but if I can pay less,    4     not save a bit of money?”

“That would be a very     5     (reason) thing to do in a big city, but it could destroy a small village like ours,” Nick said.

Nick’s guests,     6     had heard their conversation, asked why they should not buy sale more cheaply if they could. Nick replied, “The only reason a man would sell sale at a lower priced would be because he was desperate for money. And anyone who took advantage     7     that situation would be showing a lack of respect for the sweat and struggle of the man who worked very hard to produce it.”

“But such a small thing couldn’t     8     (possible) destroy a village.”

“In the beginning, there was only     9     very small amount of unfairness in the world, but everyone added a little,     10     (think) that it was only small and not very important, and looked where we had ended up today.”

4 . I was cycling and noticed a person, about a quarter of a kilometer in front of me. I could tell he was cycling a little slower than me and ______ to catch up with him. I had about a kilometer to go on the road before turning off.

So I ______ cycling faster and faster and every ______ I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards behind him, so I really picked up the pace and ______ myself. You would have thought I was cycling in the last section of London Olympic triathlon.

______ , I caught up with him and passed him by. On the inside I felt so ______ . I beat him, of course, but he didn’t even know we were ______ .

After I passed him, I ______ that I had been so focused on competing against him that I had ______ my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it and had to turn around and go all the way back.

Isn’t that what happens in life when we ______ competing with co-workers, neighbors and friends? We spend our time and ______ chasing after them and we miss out on our own ______ to our future.

The ______ of unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending ______ , and there will always be somebody ahead of you.

Therefore, just take what life has given you. There’s no ______ in life. Run your own race and wish others well!

1.

A．failed

B．decided

C．agreed

D．forgot

2.

A．stopped

B．enjoyed

C．started

D．regretted

3.

A．way

B．block

C．step

D．time

4.

A．comforted

B．protected

C．pushed

D．supported

5.

A．Obviously

B．Surprisingly

C．Fortunately

D．Finally

6.

A．calm

B．lucky

C．astonished

D．good

7.

A．racing

B．exercising

C．celebrating

D．cycling

8.

A．believed

B．expected

C．realized

D．understood

9.

A．escaped

B．missed

C．made

D．lost

10.

A．worry about

B．care for

C．depend on

D．focus on

11.

A．tears

B．strength

C．energy

D．pain

12.

A．paths

B．entrances

C．plans

D．barriers

13.

A．task

B．difficulty

C．problem

D．goal

14.

A．movement

B．cycle

C．event

D．routine

15.

A．mistake

B．competition

C．pressure

D．challenge

5 . I am one of those rare people who had a perfect childhood. Everything I saw was new, wonderful and exciting. I was _______ whether it was rainy or dry, whether it was hot or cold, whether it was night or day. I just wanted to _______ all the things around me.

For me the only big _______ was that I was awake or asleep. When I was awake, I wanted to _______ the time just for playing with my friends. In school, we had many interesting activities and hobby classes, which _______ between singing, dancing and drama and drawing. My life was full of sunshine and happiness.

But I can’t _______ time. When I reached my teens, I started to realize there was a different _______ of life. I no longer had enough time for little things—discovering a rainbow was not _______ , looking at a giraffe in the zoo was normal, and _______ a building with 50 floors was not amazing. A rainy day was a ________ day because the traffic was slow, and the first day of spring ________ me of allergies (过敏). Life moves on again. The first day of the month is not just the beginning of a new month; it’s the time to ________ bills. Going to the supermarket is a ________ ; it is not just fun walking around, looking for things and seeing the people around me.

Life is a ________ in which everyone has many obligations (责任), but if everyone tried to see life through the eyes of a child, I am sure that every day could be ________ .

1.

A．anxious

B．grateful

C．confident

D．happy

2.

A．demand

B．introduce

C．discover

D．affect

3.

A．expectation

B．victory

C．treasure

D．difference

4.

A．reduce

B．waste

C．lengthen

D．pass

5.

A．vary

B．benefit

C．result

D．suffer

6.

A．save

B．record

C．tell

D．stop

7.

A．way

B．choice

C．side

D．function

8.

A．challenging

B．disturbing

C．boring

D．surprising

9.

A．painting

B．seeing

C．purchasing

D．sharing

10.

A．bad

B．specific

C．favorite

D．wonderful

11.

A．informed

B．reminded

C．persuaded

D．freed

12.

A．show off

B．send out

C．add to

D．think about

13.

A．trend

B．duty

C．burden

D．rule

14.

A．process

B．reward

C．lesson

D．skill

15.

A．worse

B．shorter

C．better

D．slower

7 . 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。

I can well remember that I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class at the age of 9! You can imagine how     1     (terrible) shy I was with so many eyes       2       (fix) upon me. I had no     3     (choose) but to prepare for it, though. First of all, I was to draft the speech, which was just a piece of cake for me, a good writer. But the hardest part     4     (lie) in my oral presentation from my memory— for to read from the paper was not allowed. The real moment began     5         I stood on the platform with my legs trembling and my mind blank. But my listeners were waiting patiently without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found myself back,     6     (deliver) my speech with difficulty. After what seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding— I made     7    ! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my     8     (confident) building up, I now turn out to be a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way         9     success is our fear. Overcome it     10     we will be able to achieve our goals.

8 . The men of influence in our lives are our fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, and friends and they play an important role in our lives. They lead by example, teaching us how to move physically through our world, how to be strong in the face of adversity, how to be wise, and how to provide for ourselves and our families.

My dad taught me how to have natural fun, playing baseball in the middle of the street, in his stocking feet. Today my dad continues to influence me in positive ways. He has faced a challenging health problem over the past few months and has carried on with his life in much the same way as he did before his illness, going about his daily business a bit slower and needing to take more rests but still living his life the way he wishes to.

My grandfather taught me the value of being trusted. My father-in-law influenced my life in a different way. He was quiet, loving and a man of power. When he spoke, I listened, as he did not speak unless he had something to say.

My loving husband has encouraged me to be strong and independent, to think for myself, and not to look to him for permission. My husband has also taught me to adapt with him to the ever-changing reality of his journey with illness, and he has met each one with courage and dignity. I have learned much from the men who have had an influence on my life. For all that I have learned and for the role they played and continue to play in my life I am forever thankful.

1. What can be learned about the author’s father?

A．His life has completely changed.	B．His business has faced difficulties.
C．He needs to rest most of the day.	D．Something is wrong with his body.

2. Who encouraged the author to win the trust of others?

A．Her brother.

B．Her husband.

C．Her grandfather.

D．Her father-in-law.

3. Which word best describes the author’s husband?

A．Lonely.

B．Brave.

C．Talkative.

D．Quiet.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The influence of men.	B．The advantages of men.
C．Holiday greetings.	D．Women’s source of support.

9 . Let me tell you a secret. There are no wrong answers when you’re talking about art.

As an art historian, I am interested in_______my love of art to the public. Sometimes art can be difficult to understand. But there is no need to_______. At the heart of every engagement with an artwork is this: Do you like it or not?

_______a lot of art galleries are free, many people are hesitating (犹豫) to visit for_______that they won’t understand the art. There’s a(n)_______that other visitors may be more knowledgeable and that they understand what the artworks mean. But this_______isn’t true. Everyone is_______in front of an artwork and there are no wrong answers.

When talking about the challenges of understanding art, I’m often_______of the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. When the Emperor parades before his_______in his “new clothes”, everyone spoke well of the new clothes-no one dares to__________they can’t see anything. It takes a young child to tell the truth. “Listen to the voice of__________,” shout the Emperor’s people.

__________，in front of an artwork， you should try to look at it innocently (天真地). Contemporary art can be particularly difficult to understand and __________but enjoying an artwork is an instinct (直觉). Do you like it or not? Do you find it __________ or not? If you don’t like it, that’s OK! It doesn’t matter what other people say or think.

An art historian called Ernst Gombrich believes that a viewer “completed” the artwork, and that part of an artwork’s meaning came from the person__________it.

1.

A．giving

B．saying

C．communicating

D．connecting

2.

A．back away

B．put away

C．break off

D．carry off

3.

A．Now that

B．In that

C．Even though

D．As though

4.

A．pain

B．fear

C．surprise

D．regret

5.

A．belief

B．argument

C．concern

D．reason

6.

A．simply

B．probably

C．largely

D．usually

7.

A．fresh

B．equal

C．unique

D．different

8.

A．warned

B．told

C．reminded

D．cheated

9.

A．supporters

B．ministers

C．soldiers

D．subjects

10.

A．recognize

B．describe

C．explain

D．wonder

11.

A．heart

B．innocence

C．audience

D．truth

12.

A．Obviously

B．Actually

C．Similarly

D．Accordingly

13.

A．appreciate

B．create

C．comment

D．study

14.

A．surprising

B．relaxing

C．puzzling

D．striking

15.

A．viewing

B．collecting

C．describing

D．understanding

10 . When I was a boy, there were no smart phones, fewer computers. And our television only got one channel (频道)_________. Still, I was never bored.

I can remember once hiking to a nearby _________ and slowly walking around it. At the backside of it I was amazed to find an old _________ road that I had never seen before. I immediately _________ to travel it. It was uneven and full of muddy tire tracks with deep woods on both sides, but _________ it still seemed like a fine adventure.

I walked on for what seemed like hours. The road gave way to a gravel(碎石) one and then a smooth one, yet there was still neither a car nor a house in _________. My legs were getting tired. I noticed that the sun was starting to _________ down and I grew scared. I didn’t want to end up _________ in the night, but I was sure it would be dark _________ I could make my way back to the lake again.

I continued to walk on with the __________ growing inside of me. I was almost in tears when I saw something in the distance. It was a house that I __________. It was still over a mile away but my legs felt like __________ and I hurried back to my house in no __________. Then I ended my adventure with a good night’s sleep. I remembered this recently when I saw a sign __________, “All roads lead Home.” This is true. In this life, all roads, whatever their twists (曲折) and __________ are, can lead us home again. And to our homes in our hearts.

1.

A．clearly

B．faintly

C．briefly

D．sharply

2.

A．fields

B．woods

C．lake

D．road

3.

A．smooth

B．clean

C．distant

D．dirty

4.

A．picked out

B．set out

C．took out

D．left out

5.

A．explaining

B．exposing

C．exploring

D．exploding

6.

A．relief

B．touch

C．sight

D．control

7.

A．go

B．break

C．turn

D．fall

8.

A．injured

B．trapped

C．buried

D．chased

9.

A．after

B．before

C．once

D．that

10.

A．happiness

B．annoyance

C．shame

D．fear

11.

A．recognized

B．realized

C．returned

D．researched

12.

A．stones

B．wings

C．balloons

D．clouds

13.

A．time

B．way

C．case

D．condition

14.

A．writing

B．telling

C．saying

D．putting

15.

A．streets

B．turns

C．directions

D．places