1 . I ask every student I interview for admission to my institution, Pitzer College, the same question, “What do you look forward to the most in college?” I was surprised and delighted recently when a student called David replied. “I look forward to the possibility of failure.” Of course, this is not how most students respond to the question when siting before the person who can make decisions about their academic future. “You see, my parents have never let me fail,” he said. “When I want to take a chance at something, they remind me it’s not a safe route to take. Taking a more challenging course or trying an activity I may not succeed in, they tell me, will ruin my chances at college admission.”

I wish I could tell you this is an uncommon story. Students are usually in shock when I tell them I never expect perfection. But these days finding imperfections in a college application is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Students only tell us things they believe we will find impressive. And this is supported by a secondary school culture where teachers are under pressure to give students nothing less than an A, and counselors are told not to report disciplinary infractions to colleges.

Admission officers are digging deeper to find out who students really are outside of their medals or test scores. We get most excited when we read an application that seems real. It’s so rare to hear stories of defeat and win that when we do, we cheer. If their perspectives are of lessons learned or challenges overcome, these applicants tend to jump to the top of the heap at highly selective colleges. We believe an error in high school should not define the rest of your life, but how you respond could shape you forever.

During my weekend of interviews, another student Jefferson told me, “I’m ashamed to admit I failed calculus, but I decided to take it again and got a B-plus. I will still take calculus, even though I don’t like it.” I asked him what he had learned from the experience. “I learned to let go of shame,” he said. “I realized that I can’t let a grade define my success. I also learned that if you want anything bad enough, you can achieve it.”

I smiled as I wrote his words down on the application-review form. Apparently, he has the coping skills he needs to adjust to college life. Failure is about growth, learning, overcoming and moving on. Let’s allow young people to fail. Not only will they learn something, it might even get them into college!

1. What can we learn from David’s reply?

A．He wanted to show he had never failed before.

B．He wanted to prove he was an independent thinker.

C．He wanted to set himself apart from other applicants.

D．He wanted to try something new, even though he might fail.

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 imply?

A．Students lie about what they have achieved.

B．Students list everything in their applications.

C．Students just show their best in their applications.

D．Students show good writing skills in their applications.

3. Which of the following applications do admission officers like best?

A．The one that shows a balance between life and study.

B．The one that proves a student focuses on test scores less.

C．The one that proves a student understands what college life is.

D．The one that shows a student has struggled and overcome a barrier.

4. How did the author feel about Jefferson’s interview?

A．He didn’t care that Jefferson failed calculus.

B．He appreciated Jefferson’s attitude to failure.

C．He found Jefferson’s self-awareness impressive.

D．He appreciated that Jefferson was open about college life.

5. What does the author most likely want to tell us?

A．Teachers should be responsible for helping students succeed.

B．Students would benefit from the positive attitude to failure.

C．Parents should try to keep their kids from suffering failure.

D．Experiences of enough failure could shape students’ future.

2 . I cannot stop thinking about the video of a 10-year-old girl facing her fears at the top of a ski jump. Her fear, her courage, her joy, her pride — the whole thing has really touched me. Of course, the video makes me reflect on the times when I experienced the similar feeling. I remember how in those moments every cell in my body vibrated (颤动) with life. But it also reminded me of the times I didn’t choose the more risky options.

I’ve always been a little bit of a chicken when it comes to my physical safety but I definitely pushed myself more when I was younger. Now that I’m a mom, I feel like I have to stay safe. I worry about what my kids would do without me and that leads me to make safe choices.

But as I watch this fourth grade overcome her fears, I think about how much this experience will mean to her in the future; she’ll always have this as a reference point when she comes up against something scary or difficult. She’ll be able to look back on this and say, “Well, I did that and the worst part was the bad feeling at the beginning.”

I know I want that view for my 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. I know I want them to take risks. Maybe not every day, maybe not ski-jumping, definitely not extreme sports, but I deeply hope that they will push themselves to their limits, facing down fear with whatever tools they can use and enjoying the great rush that comes from attempting scary things and getting to the other side of them.

So if I want that for my kids, I have to honestly look at my own relationship with risk and say that yes... I play it safe. And I have to ask myself another question: Am I doing enough? Or do I need to make some changes in my life so that my daughter and son can be inspired to make their own brave decisions?

1. How did the author react when watching that video?

A．She felt ashamed of herself.

B．She realized that sport was dangerous.

C．She thought of her own past experiences.

D．She regretted taking part in some risky activities.

2. After becoming a mother, the author chooses to ______.

A．be careful of her safety

B．push herself to her limits

C．be overprotective of her kids

D．pick up the risky activities again

3. The fourth grader’s overcoming her fears makes the author realize ______.

A．having safe choices is important

B．taking a risk isn’t as scary as it seems

C．overcoming fears requires a long time

D．making preparations for future is necessary

4. The author most probably thinks that she should ______.

A．let her kids play with the girl in the video

B．certainly allow her kids to try ski-jumping

C．use some tools to practice her kids’ courage

D．participate in more risk activities to set an example

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Pushing Ourselves to Our Limits

B．Paying Attention to Kids’ Activities

C．Learning a Kind of Risky Activities

D．Encouraging Kids to Choose What They Like

3 . For my 8^th birthday my ________ was a shiny blue bike. My older sisters decided to teach me to ride. We lived on Edgewood Avenue at the top of a steep hill. My ________, Agnes and Christina, put me on my bike and ________ me hard, yelling instructions, “Peddle! Steer! Use the brakes!” Needless to say, I was rushing down the street ________ trying to hold on.

I bumped into the curb (路缘), ________ over the handlebars onto the sidewalk, skinning my knees, hurting my hands and crying loudly. Instead of offering ________, my sisters yelled at me ________ I hadn’t listened to their instructions. Weeks ________ before I tried again. This time I walked my bike to the ________ parking lot behind the schoolyard. I kept repeating the instructions to myself and after a few awkward ________ and even more painful spills I learned to ride a bike.

Learning life lesson is ________ like learning to ride a bike. Some life lessons are ________ to learn. We don’t always get to choose where we learn them; we don’t always have good teachers and we are not always ________. Sometimes we find ourselves madly trying to hold on.

But things are different now.

My husband, Rich, ________ my sons to ride a bike. First he raised their training wheels a little and they rode around the block getting used to the unstable ________. After he removed the training wheels he would run along the side of the bike holding on to the seat to ________ them. Up and down our street they would go with Rich calling out, “You ________ have it! You’re doing great!” until my son would call out “Let go”. Rich would let go but still run along, just ________. It was a happy day in the neighborhood.

When the life lessons come along in this New Year you may ________ them from a patient and kind teacher; you may have them surrounded by ________ and encouragement. And you may have someone stay by your side until you have found victory.

1.

A．dream

B．reward

C．gift

D．aim

2.

A．brothers

B．sisters

C．friends

D．classmates

3.

A．stuck

B．turned

C．knocked

D．pushed

4.

A．wildly

B．carefully

C．slowly

D．instantly

5.

A．jumping

B．flying

C．moving

D．leaving

6.

A．sadness

B．happiness

C．excitement

D．sympathy

7.

A．although

B．until

C．because

D．while

8.

A．passed

B．remained

C．happened

D．changed

9.

A．crowded

B．busy

C．covered

D．empty

10.

A．experiments

B．attempts

C．fights

D．conflicts

11.

A．though

B．even

C．much

D．still

12.

A．wonderful

B．comfortable

C．dangerous

D．painful

13.

A．ready

B．perfect

C．wrong

D．strong

14.

A．forced

B．taught

C．allowed

D．ordered

15.

A．practice

B．habit

C．development

D．feeling

16.

A．repair

B．fix

C．steady

D．move

17.

A．almost

B．usually

C．always

D．seldom

18.

A．in time

B．in relief

C．in turn

D．in case

19.

A．accept

B．learn

C．refuse

D．avoid

20.

A．blame

B．complaint

C．support

D．criticism

4 . It started with a dogwood (山茱英) tree.

I was in Ohio when my mother died on a cold day in February, and everything was ______.A few weeks into my grief (悲痛), my uncle suggested planting a tree in her______. He had visited my parents decades before during a California spring. They drove down a neighborhood street______blooming (盛开的) dogwood trees and ever since, the______of a dogwood reminded him of my mom.

We planted the dogwood in May. Its gray trunk was as thin as my mother's arms. It lay in the______much like her ashes (骨灰) would settle on the rocky soil of the Rocky Mountains five years later.

Planting a living thing to______her hard life that ended too soon soothed (抚慰) my heart. This tree would be a symbol of her, something I could _______despite all I’d lost.

My mother could make anything_______.She possessed not just green thumbs but green hands and a nature that could raise anything but_______

As a young adult, I was never good at cultivation (培养)— opportunities, relationships, flowers._______distance and poor health, my relationship with my mom never got the_______to blossom like I'd hoped.

But my mom’s dogwood grew. Its ______pushed into the hard soil; its white blossoms________like stars every June. This tree gave me hope that life goes on ______the past.

Soon I began buying other plants. Without explanations, these plants______ thrived (旺盛) under my care. And I grew, too, learning how to ______them. So many lessons that nature already knew, that my mother must have known but didn’t have time to ______, I applied to my own life.

A part of me believes this is my mother's ______she gave to me after death — the ability to encourage and celebrate______where there was none, to make flowers appear out of dirt. It is her reminder to find the good in whatever I’m_____ , and a promise that wherever she is, it is beautiful.

Though she has been gone for more than 14 years, I can still find her in my garden.

1.

A．cold

B．colorless

C．false

D．delicate

2.

A．company

B．favor

C．memory

D．place

3.

A．lined with

B．made of

C．flooded with

D．loaded with

4.

A．existence

B．sight

C．height

D．wonder

5.

A．air

B．heaven

C．water

D．ground

6.

A．honor

B．protect

C．value

D．claim

7.

A．live up to

B．adapt to

C．hold on to

D．catch up to

8.

A．appear

B．rise

C．applaud

D．grow

9.

A．herself

B．itself

C．themselves

D．myself

10.

A．Far from

B．Because of

C．In face of

D．Apart from

11.

A．season

B．chance

C．situation

D．moment

12.

A．branches

B．seeds

C．roots

D．leaves

13.

A．failed

B．smelt

C．remained

D．exploded

14.

A．in spite of

B．in case of

C．in regard to

D．in addition to

15.

A．properly

B．slightly

C．frequently

D．suddenly

16.

A．tend

B．protect

C．water

D．appreciate

17.

A．learn

B．share

C．draw

D．apply

18.

A．lesson

B．secret

C．gift

D．letter

19.

A．tradition

B．holidays

C．victory

D．life

20.

A．Taken

B．handed

C．reminded

D．convinced

5 . I understand why people say experience counts. However, when it comes to finding new solutions to problems, _______ can be an advantage. Not being _______ by conventional thinking frees me up to think differently.

I became an engineer _______. Despite completing a college course to teach nursery school, I soon _______ to focus on math. It was a _______ decision to leave teaching and pursue my fast-growing _______ for math. But with some guidance from a university professor, my education took another _______ and I graduated with a degree in engineering.

I realized my early lack of experience could be a(n) _______. Being a newcomer left me _______ to ask “stupid” questions. The answer was ________ to more experienced members of the team. The people surrounding me were happy—once I had ________ the courage—to let me ________ them and learn from them.

The team spirit was infectious (有感染力的). My questions were not ________ as stupid by colleagues; ________ they helped me look at problems from a different ________ and consider new approaches.

Most inventions begin with a(n) ________. When our team sets out to invent something new, we discuss the problem and the possible ways to ________ it. It’s a team effort and this is ________ in patent applications-they represent the team’s ideas, regardless of who ________ suggested them. Asking unusual questions helped me develop an inventor’s mind, one that is unconstrained (不受限制的) by standard ways of ________ problems.

1.

A．inflexibility

B．inexperience

C．inability

D．inaccuracy

2.

A．stimulated

B．persuaded

C．reserved

D．limited

3.

A．on purpose

B．on occasion

C．by accident

D．by order

4.

A．submitted

B．switched

C．failed

D．forgot

5.

A．tough

B．stupid

C．collective

D．necessary

6.

A．hate

B．panic

C．passion

D．confidence

7.

A．credit

B．beating

C．risk

D．turn

8.

A．trouble

B．plus

C．weakness

D．exception

9.

A．free

B．discouraged

C．bored

D．frank

10.

A．deaf

B．wrong

C．obvious

D．traditional

11.

A．taken up

B．torn up

C．used up

D．built up

12.

A．encourage

B．clarify

C．question

D．suspect

13.

A．perceived

B．appointed

C．learned

D．used

14.

A．instead

B．moreover

C．therefore

D．otherwise

15.

A．document

B．angle

C．introduction

D．country

16.

A．discussion

B．argument

C．assumption

D．problem

17.

A．hide

B．handle

C．admire

D．discover

18.

A．hatched

B．engaged

C．lost

D．reflected

19.

A．originally

B．accidentally

C．hopefully

D．politely

20.

A．creating

B．developing

C．approaching

D．experiencing

6 . Last week I wrote about how giving to others can and does lift your life and brings more happiness, contentment, and even better health and a longer life. It must have _________ me to practice what I was preaching (宣扬) because later I _________ myself in my car driving to the high school that all my kids attended and going _________ to the office where I made a pretty sizable donation.

As I walked out of the building, I felt so good and happy in the _________ of my heart and brain that I _________ another school. I made a couple more _________ that day and felt like I was on top of the _________. It’s very _________ that when I make donations, including all those $2 bills that I _________ give to kids, I always feel that I __________ much more out of it than the recipient (接受者). What a great __________ it gives me! As science has proved, there is a great __________ between the brain and the __________. This allows us humans to help and __________ our entire physical being by what we run through our heads. __________ is one of those things that can set off a lot of good __________ feelings in our bodies.

Most of us, when we talk about giving, tend to think __________ in terms of giving money. But there are so many other ways and things to give. With very little __________, I came up with this list of things we can give to others that can be a __________ help to those people and, at the same time, can give a __________ to our brains, souls, and bodies.

1.

A．attracted

B．prohibited

C．motivated

D．allowed

2.

A．found

B．devoted

C．committed

D．dressed

3.

A．suddenly

B．specially

C．well

D．straight

4.

A．presence

B．center

C．edge

D．absence

5.

A．got through

B．registered for

C．rolled over

D．headed for

6.

A．donations

B．experiments

C．predictions

D．decisions

7.

A．voice

B．building

C．-world

D．mountain

8.

A．surprising

B．interesting

C．annoying

D．convincing

9.

A．often

B．purely

C．simply

D．deliberately

10.

A．make

B．share

C．get

D．change

11.

A．shock

B．feeling

C．gift

D．reward

12.

A．difference

B．restriction

C．gap

D．connection

13.

A．body

B．heart

C．muscle

D．ankle

14.

A．handle

B．improve

C．spread

D．block

15.

A．Purchasing

B．Organizing

C．Giving

D．Changing

16.

A．official

B．foreign

C．familiar

D．positive

17.

A．fortunately

B．constantly

C．primarily

D．eventually

18.

A．effort

B．contribution

C．requirement

D．chance

19.

A．real

B．legal

C．formal

D．huge

20.

A．terminal

B．lift

C．train

D．rest

7 . 阅读下面的短文，并根据短文内容回答后面的问题。

Trevor Baylis，the inventor has a swimming pool just inside his front door and a hot tub(盆)on the front. This energetic former stunt man(替身演员),with a training in structural engineering and a swimming-pool business, heard some TV talk about the difficulty of sending out warnings of Aids in Africa because without power or batteries, radios were useless.

So he invented a clockwork(发条)wind-up radio: turn round the handle for 60 seconds and you can hear the whole of The World At One and The Arches. He got mentioned in a BBC programme. There was a meeting with Nelson Mandela and an OBE from the Queen. There are his spots on radio and television.

As a Junior High school dropout from Hendon in London, however, he wants to do something to help all the inventors less lucky than him. He wants to set up an Academy of Invention.

“I’ve learned something in my 62 years,” he says. “I don’t mind anybody looking down on me, as long as they don’t expect me to be looking up. If someone’s got a problem with me, it’s their problem. They say, ‘You’re rather strange .’ Well, if being strange means you live in a house with an indoor swimming pool and a hot tub on the front, let’s be strange. People may think I am out of the trees, but to believe convention(惯例)is something that prevents answer. You may give a conventional person a problem, they’ll come up with a conventional answer. Conventional people can’t deal with the questions of unconvention .”

1. What did Trevor invent?
2. Was Trevor a successful student according to the passage?And why?
3. What does the underlined phrases “out of the trees”mean in this passage ?
4. What is Trevor’s opinion about convention according to the last paragraph ?
5. What can we learn from the passage?

8 . In ancient Greek mythology, we learn about a young man named Narcissus. He was so beautiful that he fell in love with his own reflection. But soon he realized that what he loved was not real. As a result he became sad and died. In the place where he had stood appeared a yellow flower - a narcissus.

This is where the word “narcissism” came from. Unfortunately, narcissism is often used negatively - it is usually used to mean being self-centered and not caring about others.

However, part of the reason that narcissism carries these negative meanings is that many people admire themselves in an unhealthy way. But the truth is that good self-love is necessary for our mental health, scientists say.

A study published 10 years ago shows that low self-esteem is responsible for many social problems, and it can affect teenagers seriously. When they feel less confident and not as good as their classmates, teenagers are more likely to suffer from depression, according to the BBC.

The other reason that narcissism is considered an ugly thing is because we are taught that we should care more about others than ourselves and that it’s better to give than to receive.

Thinking about others is the right thing to do, without question. But psychologists say that the love of others is actually based on self-love --if you see yourself as an unpleasant stranger, how can you make friends with anyone else? After all, you are closer to yourself than anyone else. You can’t love another until you love yourself, and you can’t expect someone to love you if you don’t love yourself.

If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge, it is time to build a positive self- image and learn to love yourself. You’ll be surprised how nice it can be!

The best way to defeat a negative self-image is to step back and build your pride. Make a list if you need to, but record all of the great things you do every day. Think about how you are always there for your friends; how you help your classmates with their homework; how you manage to get good grades.

If you think you’re weak because you can’t finish a 1,500 m run, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you are not in fashion, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it, it doesn’t mean it’s true.

The next time you look in the mirror, try to tell yourself that you are one of a kind. Pick out your best qualities and be proud of yourself.

1. Why does narcissism often have a negative meaning?

A．In ancient Greek mythology, Narcissus’s story is sad.

B．Narcissism is a habit in which people unhealthily admire themselves.

C．Narcissism is responsible for many social problems.

D．Narcissism harms one’s mental health.

2. What social problem is caused by low self-esteem?

A．Teenagers’ physical and mental health is negatively affected.

B．Teenagers who don’t like themselves are often ignored by teachers.

C．Teenagers are more likely to suffer from depression.

D．Teenagers often feel that they could have done better.

3. What is the relationship between the love of others and self-love?

A．People cannot love themselves without loving others.

B．To love others is the right thing to do, while self-love is not.

C．Self-love is the basis of love for others.

D．To love yourself depends on whether others love you.

4. What does the word “it” refer to in the 9^th paragraph?

A．You can’t finish a 1,500 meter run.	B．You are not in style.
C．You are weak or dull.	D．You have a negative self-image.

5. What is the main purpose of this text?

A．To persuade people to stop being narcissistic.

B．To suggest that parents care about children’s self-image.

C．To advise people to look in the mirror and like themselves.

D．To encourage people to accept and love themselves.

9 . During school, college and service I never participated in any group discussion or stage program. Therefore, I didn’t know what the stage______was.

Our school has a weekly “Parents View”______in the assembly. (全校师生的晨会) Around four years ago,______I received a call from the Principal of our school telling me to come to the “Parent View”, which was out of my expectation. He asked me to______to the group.

After the call my whole body became feverish and I felt really______. The whole night, I could not sleep. Many______thoughts were coming. One of them was to call the Principal, with______, and tell him that I could not go. I gathered some______. I thought, if I missed this opportunity, surely, the school would never invite me again to any of their programs.     _____I decided to go.

When my turn came and I started speaking, my legs started shaking and my heartbeat increased. After the speech, I met with the Principal and______what had happened to me. He told me that this happened to everyone. These symptoms were very   ____. Even great speakers faced the same things when they______.

Later on with the help of the Principal I ______a topic of talk for the next occasion. I practiced my presentation throughout the week. I was somewhat_______but not confident. Afterwards, I_______the Principal again and told him about the________I felt I had made. He was kind enough to______me again, but this time to give a presentation for the teachers.

For around one month, I prepared and practiced for my presentation on Motivation. This time I felt easy. I gave the presentation and it was________by the Principal as well as the teachers________they knew where I started from. They encouraged me and praised my efforts.

I learn that everything is________if we have the courage to take the first step. The saying goes: A journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step.

1.

A．fear

B．performance

C．style

D．art

2.

A．talk

B．magazine

C．program

D．lesson

3.

A．fortunately

B．surprisingly

C．secretly

D．unluckily

4.

A．listen

B．move

C．write

D．speak

5.

A．nervous

B．joyful

C．satisfied

D．disappointed

6.

A．foolish

B．useful

C．clever

D．negative

7.

A．anger

B．regret

C．thanks

D．hope

8.

A．courage

B．information

C．proof

D．advice

9.

A．And

B．But

C．So

D．Or

10.

A．explained

B．forgot

C．imagined

D．controlled

11.

A．serious

B．special

C．strange

D．common

12.

A．failed

B．started

C．mastered

D．finished

13.

A．exhibited

B．refused

C．prepared

D．understood

14.

A．worried

B．sad

C．curious

D．comfortable

15.

A．met with

B．turned down

C．looked after

D．learnt from

16.

A．trouble

B．mistake

C．fun

D．improvement

17.

A．remind

B．invite

C．phone

D．reach

18.

A．descried

B．studied

C．joked

D．appreciated

19.

A．because

B．although

C．if

D．therefore

20.

A．interesting

B．obvious

C．possible

D．right

10 . My friend North is a manager in a large business company. She often ______ in the office that her mother has become particularly ______ since she learned to use WeChat. She ______ spreads rumors or junk information like “get red package if registered” in the family crowd.

She told her mother several times to stop it. But the next second, another ______ message by her occurs in the group. North was angry to ______ with her mother many times for this.

I once saw a ______ on the Internet, saying “Why is it that every time our parents make a very ______ mistake, we always can’t ______ our temper to these old babies?” One reply that ______ me most was that we were angry with our parents, not because ______ they did is wrong, but because they shouldn’t be the “wrong people”.

When we were young, they told us not to talk to strangers. But now they regard the person who sells insurance on the street ______ someone more important than us; when we were young, they told us not to spend money on some useless. But now, they rush to the supermarket to carry ______ at a discount home, no matter ______ it can be used or not. We’re not happy because we find too many ______ in them and we’re not quite willing to ______ their shortcomings. ______, a lot of pity and conflicts that could have been avoided ______.

The most ______ thing in the world is that you ______ a long face at your parents, telling them they’re wrong, and they’re stupid. Sometimes, ______ to be silly in front of our parents is a kind of filial piety(孝顺).

1.

A．debates

B．explains

C．complains

D．chats

2.

A．amazing

B．annoying

C．terrifying

D．challenging

3.

A．approximately

B．immediately

C．sincerely

D．frequently

4.

A．reference

B．trash

C．bargain

D．advertisement

5.

A．conflict

B．say

C．associate

D．consult

6.

A．message

B．word

C．post

D．motto

7.

A．childish

B．stupid

C．foolish

D．silly

8.

A．resist

B．relieve

C．arouse

D．transfer

9.

A．reminded

B．frustrated

C．impressed

D．motivated

10.

A．where

B．that

C．why

D．what

11.

A．like

B．for

C．of

D．as

12.

A．something

B．anything

C．everything

D．nothing

13.

A．how

B．when

C．whether

D．what

14.

A．imperfections

B．confusions

C．strengths

D．traditions

15.

A．prevent

B．admit

C．puzzle

D．remove

16.

A．As a result

B．After all

C．First of all

D．In the meantime

17.

A．bring about

B．come about

C．result from

D．result in

18.

A．forgetful

B．stressful

C．forceful

D．regretful

19.

A．put

B．express

C．take

D．have

20.

A．behaving

B．acting

C．pretending

D．performing