2 . Camel Conversation

A mother and a baby camel were lying around under a tree.

Then the baby camel asked, “Mom, _______ do camels have humps (驼峰)?”

The mother camel considered this and said, “We are desert animals and we have the humps to _______ water so we can survive with very _______ water.”

The baby camel _______ for a moment and then said, “Okay, why are our _______ long and our feet rounded?”

The mama _______, “They are meant for walking in the _______.”

The baby paused, and then asked, “Why are our eyelashes (睫毛) _______? Sometimes they get in my way.”

The mama responded, “Those long thick eyelashes _______ your eyes from the desert sand ________ the strong wind blows in the desert.”

The baby camel thought and thought. Then he said, “I see. So the hump is to store water when we are in the desert, the legs are for ________ through the desert and these eyelashes protect my eyes from the desert sand. Then why are we in the ________?”

We were given all ________ skills and abilities. These special gifts are to bring about the satisfaction we all ________. That satisfaction comes in helping others.

Don’t sit around in a zoo. Use your gifts and talents to help ________. You’ll be glad of what you did.

1.

A．why

B．how

C．whether

D．where

2.

A．drink

B．flow

C．bring

D．store

3.

A．few

B．little

C．less

D．much

4.

A．missed

B．wished

C．asked

D．thought

5.

A．arms

B．hands

C．feet

D．legs

6.

A．replied

B．asked

C．wanted

D．yelled

7.

A．sea

B．desert

C．garden

D．yard

8.

A．thin

B．weak

C．long

D．short

9.

A．depend

B．prevent

C．stop

D．protect

10.

A．when

B．although

C．as

D．because

11.

A．flying

B．walking

C．covering

D．driving

12.

A．desert

B．zoo

C．country

D．city

13.

A．worthy

B．expensive

C．special

D．seasonal

14.

A．disturb

B．differ

C．disgust

D．desire

15.

A．others

B．another

C．other

D．else

3 . A lot of people admired our neighbor. One day a delivery truck unloaded a large _________ system at their house. And the kids discussed the new sound equipment my neighbor had just bought. Meantime, we were living in a house decorated _________ and dressing our kids in second-hand clothes. We lived a _________ life.

My poor mother-in-law, in town for a visit, got to hear my complaints that night. “I feel so _________ sometimes,” I told her, as we _________ the table after dinner. “I know we’re doing the right thing, living frugally (节俭的), saving money, but it feels so hard. There’re so many things I’d like to _________, so many things I’d like to do, but we just can’t.”

She _________ as she folded a cloth napkin in silence. Then she turned to me and said, “When you make a comparison between yourself and others, it’s easy to _________ what you don’t have. But there’s one thing you two do that many other couples may _________ to do. You two often go out together and take time to focus on your __________. And that’s a very important thing.”

I stopped wiping the table and __________ for a minute. I thought of the movie my husband and I had seen a week earlier. I __________ the bike rides, the hikes and the picnics. Most of all, I remembered how __________ we were together, even after twenty years. How many people can say that?

I looked around my home in a new __________. Our refrigerator was too small for a family of six, but it was __________ filled with delicious food. Our kitchen was small and we had no big TV, but we’re happy! And that’s enough!

1.

A．entertainment

B．recognition

C．control

D．management

2.

A．carefully

B．simply

C．beautifully

D．elegantly

3.

A．peaceful

B．healthy

C．poor

D．normal

4.

A．curious

B．powerful

C．bitter

D．sweet

5.

A．cleared

B．set

C．laid

D．turned

6.

A．forgive

B．own

C．process

D．ensure

7.

A．laughed

B．yelled

C．nodded

D．sighed

8.

A．watch over

B．work on

C．focus on

D．give up

9.

A．determine

B．fail

C．seek

D．pretend

10.

A．career

B．marriage

C．health

D．authority

11.

A．reflected

B．hesitated

C．froze

D．struggled

12.

A．arranged

B．extended

C．exchanged

D．recalled

13.

A．cheerful

B．fortunate

C．grateful

D．particular

14.

A．city

B．design

C．environment

D．way

15.

A．originally

B．constantly

C．hardly

D．instantly

5 . We have to make certain our limited money is well spent. But what should we spend our money on? A 20-year study conducted by Dr. Gilovich, a professor at Cormell University, reached a powerful and straightforward conclusion: don’t spend your money on things.

The trouble with things is that the happiness they provide peters out. We get used to new possessions, and what once seemed exciting quickly becomes the common. We keep raising the bar and always look for an even better one. Possessions, by their nature, cause comparisons. We buy a new car and are thrilled with it until a friend buys a better one -and there’s always someone with a better one. Most of us usually assume that the happiness we get from buying something will last as long as the thing itself. It seems intuitive (直觉的) that investing in something we can see, hear, and touch on a permanent basis delivers the best value. But it’s not the case at all.

Gilovich has found that experiences deliver more-lasting happiness than things. Experiences become a part of our identity. Everyone’s experience is unique. We are not our possessions, but we are the accumulation of everything we’ve seen, the things we’ve done, and the places we’ve been to. “Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods,” said Gilovich. “You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences.”

Besides, we don’t compare experiences in the same way that we compare things. It’s hard to quantify the relative value of any two experiences, which makes them that much more enjoyable. And expectation of an experience causes excitement and enjoyment, while expectation of obtaining a possession causes impatience. Experiences are enjoyable from the very first moments of planning, all the way through to the memories you keep forever. The temporary happiness achieved by buying things can be regarded as “puddles (水坑) of pleasure.” In other words, that kind of happiness evaporates (蒸发) quickly and leaves us wanting more. Things may last longer than experiences, but the memories that remain are what matter most.

1. The underlined phrase “peters out” can be replaced by ______.

A．takes away

B．dies away

C．is not real

D．costs too much

2. What does Gilovich think of experiences?

A．Experiences can exist in our memory forever.

B．Our experiences take up all parts of ourselves.

C．Our experiences are what set us apart from others.

D．Experiences deliver less-lasting happiness than things.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Spiritual wealth is the most valuable for us.

B．Experiences can be compared with each other.

C．Expecting an experience increases our feeling of anxiety.

D．People are more likely to be impatient when buying things.

4. Which is the main idea of the passage?

A．How can we make happiness last long?

B．How can we gain happiness with money?

C．Why do experiences achieve permanent happiness than things?

D．Why should we spend money on experiences instead of things?

8 . One afternoon, my son came home from school. He had a (n) _________ look on his face. After asking him what was on his mind, he said, “Are all people the same even if their skin color is different?”

I thought for a moment, then I said, “I’ll _________, if you can just _________ until we make a quick _________ at the grocery store. I have something _________ to show you.”

At the grocery store, we bought some red apples, green apples and yellow apples. When we got home, I put one of each type of apple on the countertop (台面).

“Some of the apples have been _________ and are imperfect. They may not even look as delicious as the others,” I said. As I was talking, Adam was _________ each one carefully. Then, I took each of the apples and peeled (削去……的皮) them, _________ them on the countertop, but in a _________ place.

“Okay, Adam, tell me which one is which.”

He said, “I can’t __________. They all look the same now.”

“Take a bite of each one. See if that helps you __________ them.”

He took big __________, and then a huge smile appeared across his face. “People are just like apples! They are all different, but once you __________ the outside, they’re pretty much the same on the inside.”

“You’re __________,” I said. “Just like how everyone has their own personality but they are still basically the same.” He totally __________ it. I didn’t need to say or do anything else. What perfect food for thought!

1.

A．surprised

B．amused

C．puzzled

D．guilty

2.

A．notice

B．explain

C．leave

D．relax

3.

A．wait

B．admit

C．try

D．share

4.

A．turn

B．response

C．judgment

D．stop

5.

A．strange

B．interesting

C．mysterious

D．difficult

6.

A．crashed

B．decorated

C．marked

D．ordered

7.

A．examining

B．tasting

C．packing

D．describing

8.

A．counting

B．spotting

C．cutting

D．placing

9.

A．safe

B．quiet

C．different

D．spacious

10.

A．hide

B．tell

C．stand

D．help

11.

A．take in

B．get over

C．tear apart

D．figure out

12.

A．bites

B．risks

C．steps

D．decisions

13.

A．pay for

B．look into

C．depend on

D．take off

14.

A．kind

B．fair

C．right

D．lucky

15.

A．changed

B．got

C．lost

D．forgot

9 . It was June a few years ago, right around the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. A few weeks earlier, the first fireflies (萤火虫) had appeared, blinking their lights on and off in the woods around my house. What a joy it was seeing them again. Their little flickers (闪烁) of light made me smile with delight.

As the daylight was starting to fade, I saw some neighborhood children attempting to catch the slow-moving lightning bugs outside my window. One of the girls went inside and came back with a clear glass jar. After chasing a few without success, she finally caught a firefly inside it. All the other children gathered around to watch it flickering its light on and off inside the jar. Soon, darkness started to fall, and the children’s Mom walked over to them and told them it was time to release the firefly. One of the girls refused but the Mom explained that the firefly would die if left in the jar. Then the girl said something that still stays in my heart to this day: It is time to let this little guy go so it can share its light with the rest of the world!

I remember when I was a child, we all sang, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!” But as adults, we find it hard to do so. We dwell on the darkness too much and keep our light hidden in fear. Don’t hide your light. Don’t keep it in a jar. Share your flickers, no matter how small they may be. Let the love inside you out. Let the glow within you drive the darkness away.

1. How did the author feel about the appearance of fireflies?

A．Amazed.

B．Pleased.

C．Worried.

D．Confused.

2. How did the girl react to her mother’s explanation?

A．She set the firefly free.	B．She put the firefly in a jar.
C．She tried to save the firefly.	D．She stopped chasing the firefly.

3. What does the author advise us to do?

A．Be brave to face difficulties in life.	B．Share our light and love with others.
C．Protect the endangered firefly species.	D．Develop self-confidence and be ourselves.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Keep Going in Darkness	B．A Firefly Trapped in a Jar
C．Shine Like a Flickering Bug	D．A Precious Childhood Memory

10 . 阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

I am a Grade 11 student, and all my peers are obsessed with the future. 9 out of 10 conversations with my friends are about universities, dream jobs, or what we want to pursue after high school. My laptop is already plastered with stickers from universities I don’t know if I’ll even apply to yet, and my diary is filled with more notes about grades for admissions than personal thoughts. My best friend and I have already planned the fantasy apartment that we’ll rent together if we get into the same university.

However, I recently found that keeping my mind on the future is preventing me from living in the present. I selected courses I had absolutely no interest in just to boost my average. I found myself doing schoolwork with the intention of getting good grades for university admissions. At one time, I had thought of high school as nothing more than a highway to transport me from childhood to adulthood. I felt that way until last month when I attended my school’s semi-formal dance (半正式舞会).

As I danced with 200 sweaty teenagers in the venue, I felt a feeling I hadn’t felt for a long time: I was present, and we were all present. I wasn’t worried about my future because that wasn’t relevant at that moment. All that mattered was that we were young. We all lost ourselves in teenage bliss (幸福) on the dance floor without a single thought of our futures in our heads. What a wonderful feeling adolescence is.

That night changed everything. I understand now that high school is more than just a pathway to adulthood. High school is a rightful destination of its own. Ever since I’ve been trying to spend every second of my life living in the moment. Every time I catch myself going down the mental rabbit hole of the future, I take a step back and recenter myself. Instead of thinking years into my career, I try to think just one day at a time. Since my semi-formal, I’ve lived my life as an adolescent, not an adult-to-be.

1. Why did the author select courses he disliked?(no more than 5 words)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What did the author use to think of high school?(no more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the underlined phrase mean in Paragraph 4?(no more than 2 words)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What’s the author’s new attitude towards high school?(no more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What’s the highlight or unforgettable moment of your high school life? Please explain it.(no more than 25 words)
____________________________________________________________________________________________