1 . Yesterday, my daughter had to go to work earlier than usual. Since the gym where I work out is not far from her _________, I decided to take her to work and then go to the gym.

At quite an earlier hour, the gym was_________full of men and women of all ages, working out. I_________go to the gym at this early hour, and was_________to see so many people. It seems that many go to the gym before going to work. Some want to lose weight, others want to_________ their body, and a great number of people like to build their muscles (肌肉). I know how difficult it is for most people to start exercising. Most people know it is good for their body, _________they are too lazy to go to the gym, _________ in the morning. They_________to spend an extra hour in bed before starting their day. In the afternoon, they are too_________ after work, and want to stay at home or go out to meet friends.

If you’re one of them, you need to overcome (克服) your__________. If you__________going to the gym and exercising, you will start to like it. This usually __________when you see you’re losing weight, that your body is getting into a better shape, and that you feel stronger.

It is the same in every other area of life, when you study a foreign language, develop a new skill or a new habit and when you make up your mind to__________your dreams. It is__________at first. But when you start to see __________, everything becomes easier because you have great motivation.

1.

A．house

B．garage

C．office

D．yard

2.

A．already

B．still

C．even

D．just

3.

A．usually

B．sometimes

C．only

D．seldom

4.

A．happy

B．surprised

C．excited

D．satisfied

5.

A．shape

B．protect

C．check

D．change

6.

A．and

B．but

C．then

D．thus

7.

A．actually

B．simply

C．especially

D．generally

8.

A．need

B．have

C．prefer

D．expect

9.

A．worried

B．bored

C．anxious

D．tired

10.

A．quietness

B．loneliness

C．darkness

D．laziness

11.

A．practice

B．keep

C．forget

D．consider

12.

A．improves

B．happens

C．finishes

D．exists

13.

A．remember

B．recall

C．achieve

D．live

14.

A．comfortable

B．important

C．interesting

D．difficult

15.

A．facts

B．results

C．sights

D．chances

2 . Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they express regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp comers of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid (避免) those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. it’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say, “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality (可能发生的事). And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance (保障) for my emotional well-being.

1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?

A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated.

B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.

C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.

D．Move an object out of the way before it trips (绊倒) someone.

2. Why did the author decide to go to her office on Good Friday?

A．To keep her appointment with the eye doctor.

B．To meet her father who was already an old man.

C．To join in the holiday celebration of the company.

D．To finish her work before the deadline approached.

3. Which word(s) can best replace the underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3?

A．given up.

B．Lacked.

C．Avoided.

D．Wasted.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Emotional Well-being	B．The Two Saddest Words
C．The Most Useful Rule	D．The Peace of Mind

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内的单词正确形式。

Today I spent time talking to an old friend about some of the choices that we have made in    1    (us) life. We both agree that life has    2    (basic) been good to us. And we are very appreciative of what we have been blessed with. Today I want to think about your journey and where you see yourself in the next five    3    (year).Do you see that you have become exactly who you set out to be? If you’re like me, you are working daily on those goals. I work on my aims because I am    4    (excite) about that opportunity. However, I do realize that sometimes life can get in the way of our goals. I remember when my friend    5    (decide) to buy her first house. She was ready and had everything    6    (line) up. But during this time her father died and she had to move house to help take care    7    her mother. Her goal was delayed,    8    she didn’t give it up completely. And that’s exactly    9    key to this all. In order to achieve your goals, you have to keep    10    (work) on them.

4 . I was born without hands and feet. It is a rare condition. Living with that misfortune has made me who I am today.

My parents helped me develop tools to overcome my challenges. When I was two, my dad decided that my family would stop helping me eat. He knew that one day I’d live on my own, so I’d have to look after myself. I learned to eat with a spoon, and then with a knife and fork. It gave me a huge sense of achievement.

My darkest moment came when I was 10. My family had moved from Indiana to Georgia. In Indiana, friends treated me as normal. But in Georgia, it was different. I felt very aware of my disability. I worried I’d have to live at home forever. I felt hopeless about the future.

My world changed when I got into sports. I started playing football. Everything came together when I made my first tackle (抢断球) at age 11. It was my first real achievement.

Everyone I played against was able-bodied. At first, I struggled. But I threw everything I had into learning to be the best player. I turned my lack of height into a weapon.

Then I decided to start wrestling (摔跤). I lost 35 games, but then I had a breakthrough. I had an amazing coach who helped me invent moves that took advantage of my strength. My different body type was a psychological advantage-opponents (对手) didn’t know how to handle it. I eventually finished 12th in the103-pound weight class in the championships.

I keep going in the face of difficulties. Instead of thinking about the final goal, I focus on the near future. When I’m climbing a mountain, I’m down on all fours looking at the ground. It’s not going to do me any good to look up at the top.

I just figure out how to do the best I can with the next few feet in front of me.

1. Why did the parents stop helping the writer eat?

A．To give him a sense of achievement.	B．To let him get used to the new tools.
C．To push him to be more independent.	D．To prepare him for his new life in Georgia.

2. How did the writer feel about his new life in Georgia at first?

A．Excited.	B．Relaxed.
C．Anxious.	D．Disappointed.

3. How did the writer become good at wrestling?

A．By training himself independently.

B．By learning from different opponents.

C．By developing a psychological advantage.

D．By learning how to better use his strength.

4. What is the writer’s attitude toward life?

A．He concentrates on what’s directly ahead.	B．He highly values the final goal.
C．He complains a lot about his misfortune.	D．He dreams big despite his disability.

5 . Does life seem to be full of impossible problems? How many times do you find yourself saying things like “I really don’t understand this maths problem”? Maybe it’s time to introduce yourself to the power of yet. By adding this simple word, you can change everything — “I really don’t understand this maths problem yet.”     1    .

I read about a school that has transformed the way it marks its students’ exams. The school recognized that the old pass/fail system wasn’t helping students’ motivation. If you passed, then great, but those students who didn’t pass often felt like failures. So now students who don’t get the score they need to pass, don’t see a big red “F” for fail on their exam papers; instead, they see a “Not yet”.     2    . They haven’t reached the destination, but they know that they are going the right way.

    3    . People with a growth mindset don’t concentrate on failure. They aren’t worried by not getting things right the first time and are content to keep trying until they do.     4    . In contrast, people who just focus on failure have what the experts call “a fixed mindset”. These people are always worried about failure and are happy to give up when things don’t go right. Apparently, it is better to have a growth mindset than a fixed mindset.

But don’t worry if you think that you have a fixed mindset. You can train yourself to develop a growth mindset. Stop believing that you can’t and realize that you just can’t yet.     5    , you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it before.

A．Once you start doing this

B．With a strong growth mindset

C．Suddenly, the impossible becomes possible

D．That way the students feel that they are on a journey

E．They enjoy the challenge and believe they can change

F．Anyone can make a big difference by doing the following things

G．This kind of thinking is part of what experts call “having a growth mindset”

7 . It was a dark day, one of depression, sorrow and anger. As I climbed out of the _____, after witnessing my time in the 100 yard freestyle, I did not feel like speaking to anyone. I saw the bright smiles of swimmers who had just _____ a best time. _____ , I had failed. Or at least that is what I thought at the time.

I was lying on my cool bed when an idea _____ my head. Success is the _____ to go from failure to failure without _____ your enthusiasm. At practice the next day, I told my swimming teammates about my goal time and they all either laughed or replied with a _____ similar response like, “You can’t do it” or “Probably not”. Believe it or not, these are the responses that made my goal _____.

Finally came the day when I had to _____ to myself and others that with ______ there is no limit to your achievements.

With the starting gun ______, I dove with perfect form into the pool. I felt the cool water running ______ my back. I swam like a fish, bouncing off each ______ at the wall as if it was a spring board. On the ______ turn, I came back to the wall with every piece of strength I had. I ______ the final wall with my fingertips and knew that I had swum the ______ race.

I had done it! I had achieved my best time! Joy filled my ______ like water does a cup. I saw the ______ on all of my friends’ faces as I ______ out of the pool: their jaws dropped to the ground. I began to laugh and gave them thumbs up.

I have ______ in life that having belief in yourself opens all gates. Never forget that anything the mind can conceive and believe can achieve.

1.

A．pond

B．sea

C．pool

D．bed

2.

A．made

B．achieved

C．reached

D．realized

3.

A．Otherwise

B．However

C．Besides

D．In addition

4.

A．occurred

B．broke

C．stuck

D．hit

5.

A．opportunity

B．action

C．cause

D．ability

6.

A．keeping

B．losing

C．reducing

D．decreasing

7.

A．somehow

B．somewhat

C．anyhow

D．anywhere

8.

A．magical

B．reasonable

C．confident

D．achievable

9.

A．promise

B．provide

C．present

D．prove

10.

A．consideration

B．impression

C．belief

D．desire

11.

A．setting out

B．going off

C．breaking out

D．getting off

12.

A．through

B．above

C．across

D．to

13.

A．turn

B．jump

C．struggle

D．shoot

14.

A．next

B．previous

C．very

D．last

15.

A．pushed

B．reached

C．got

D．touched

16.

A．whole

B．perfect

C．first

D．best

17.

A．heart

B．head

C．mind

D．face

18.

A．expressions

B．emotions

C．feelings

D．responses

19.

A．ran

B．climbed

C．stood

D．jumped

20.

A．gained

B．dreamed

C．learned

D．remembered

8 . The word “happy” would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by hardship. The circular motion (循环运动) between happiness and _________ is the one I’ve been dealing with lately.

A year ago, I developed troubling symptoms(症状) in my left _________. My husband sent me _________ to a specialist who said I had already suffered some everlasting loss of vision and would, without _________, go blind in that eye within months. And I urgently _________ to begin painful eye injections. Almost blind? Painful eye injections? I was _________. What if the _________ medicine didn’t work? What if my right eye developed the same condition? I _________ thought that, amazingly, the medicine was only three years old; before that, patients just went blind.

Over that long week, I _________ myself to casually __________ sadness, to cry and acknowledge my fears about my very fragile body. I __________ to be near anybody but my husband. Fortunately, I __________ pretty quickly, within the week. During this __________ time, I posted my __________ in my blog and receives great care and support from friends online, which filled my heart with __________ and encourages me to receive the eye injections. Besides, the doctor __________ the efficacy(功效) of the medicine. In the end, I bravely received the eye injections and they were very successful. I was lucky enough to see the world again with my healthy eye.

Finally, I gained a __________ insight: being your happiest self isn’t equal to a lifetime of __________ skies, and we are bound to __________ storms of life. Knowing this can help us face difficulties optimistically and __________ the change of life.

1.

A．loneliness

B．tiredness

C．sadness

D．greatness

2.

A．eye

B．arm

C．leg

D．ear

3.

A．suddenly

B．carelessly

C．secretly

D．immediately

4.

A．luck

B．treatment

C．apology

D．discussion

5.

A．needed

B．expected

C．managed

D．congratulated

6.

A．in relief

B．in anger

C．in peace

D．in panic

7.

A．new

B．traditional

C．strong

D．folk

8.

A．rarely

B．frequently

C．occasionally

D．mistakenly

9.

A．forbade

B．encourages

C．forced

D．permitted

10.

A．lay down

B．hold back

C．fall into

D．meet with

11.

A．desired

B．promised

C．refused

D．attempted

12.

A．gave in

B．cheered up

C．gave up

D．broken down

13.

A．terrible

B．sweet

C．spare

D．precious

14.

A．election

B．challenge

C．goal

D．choice

15.

A．guilt

B．pride

C．hope

D．joy

16.

A．stresses

B．analyzed

C．investigated

D．guaranteed

17.

A．wrong

B．unique

C．funny

D．valuable

18.

A．sunny

B．cloudy

C．rainy

D．snowy

19.

A．disturb

B．experience

C．blame

D．assign

20.

A．admit to

B．listen to

C．adapt to

D．contribute to

10 . Growing pains and gains

It’s not easy to grow up. Actually it’s far from easy. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else makes us do and aren’t allowed to do all the things we like. Sometimes we feel stuck, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. When we look back on all the challenges in life with a positive attitude, we realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!

As a young girl my parents forced my sisters and me to do so many things that I never liked. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music, just because it was what they wanted me to do. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life in so many ways. I realize that my parents and teachers were always pushing me along. not because they wanted me to suffer(受苦)but because they wanted me to succeed in life. They’ve always wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.

Every moment of our lives is either living or dying, so live life to its fullest! We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just small pains in life. They might seem so huge at the time but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no fear and live life like that. The future is ours!

A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps(凸块)on our road to success we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!

1. According to paragraph 1, we learn that when we are young, ______.

A．life is full of joy

B．life is easy for us

C．we know we can stay young forever

D．we sometimes can’t do things we like

2. When the author was young, she was forced by her parents to ______.

A．take music lessons

B．turn gains into pains

C．look back on challenges

D．live a successful life

3. What does the underlined phrase “to its fullest” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Directly.

B．Completely.

C．Carefully.

D．Terribly.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Growing pains are necessary for us to grow up.

B．We all have to experience growing pains.

C．A little hard work and sweat are harmful to us.

D．Life without fear is a better choice for us.