1 . A man got depressed about life. In spite of all his ________, he got nothing but failure. Feeling ________, he left everything and relaxed himself in the woods, where he met a farmer. The man shared his ________ with the farmer.

“Do you see that fern (蕨类植物) and bamboo there?” the farmer said, pointing towards two ________. He told the man that when he planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, he took very good care of them. Within a short period of time, the fern ________ grew from the earth. However, ________ the bamboo seed had been watered for years, it did not outwardly grow as much as an inch. But the farmer did not ________ the bamboo seed and continued to ________ it. By the fifth year, a tiny sprout (嫩芽) grew out of the ________. And within six months, the tree grew a hundred feet tall.

“So, did the bamboo tree lie quietly for four years only to grow rapidly in the ________?” the farmer asked. The answer is quite ________. The little tree was growing underground, developing a root system which was ________ enough to support its potential for outward ________ in the fifth year and beyond.

“Did you know that you had been ________ all the time and that you were growing strong roots?” said the farmer. Hearing the farmer’s words, the man ________ the value of hard work.

1.

A．advice

B．effort

C．fear

D．evidence

2.

A．surprised

B．motivated

C．defeated

D．relieved

3.

A．excitement

B．failure

C．knowledge

D．food

4.

A．farms

B．seeds

C．gardens

D．plants

5.

A．quickly

B．immediately

C．hardly

D．likely

6.

A．since

B．if

C．unless

D．although

7.

A．get down to

B．look forward to

C．give up on

D．go away with

8.

A．show

B．control

C．cut

D．water

9.

A．ground

B．imbalance

C．tree

D．disorder

10.

A．third

B．fourth

C．fifth

D．sixth

11.

A．obvious

B．right

C．wrong

D．complex

12.

A．clear

B．strong

C．early

D．close

13.

A．information

B．calmness

C．success

D．growth

14.

A．resting

B．waiting

C．struggling

D．smiling

15.

A．reported

B．realized

C．ignored

D．assessed

2 . Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.

On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?

Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?

Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.

As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.

And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?

How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?

Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.

1. What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Bring up.

B．Deal with.

C．Reflect on.

D．Look into.

2. What happened to Flaco the owl after he was released from his cage?

A．He died a natural death.

B．He was caught and returned to the zoo.

C．He died from a collision with a building.

D．He lived a free life but faced many threats.

3. What was the initial reaction of New Yorkers towards Flaco’s release?

A．They were excited and supportive.

B．They were worried about his survival.

C．They were indifferent and unconcerned.

D．They were angry and opposed to his release.

4. What does the author want to convey through the story of Flaco?

A．The importance of protecting wildlife.

B．The risks and rewards of seeking freedom.

C．The value of overcoming challenges in life.

D．The need for more awareness about animal rights.

3 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

As we stepped off the plane in Pucón, the lively atmosphere of the town immediately lifted our spirits after the long flight from New York.

The contrast between the freezing Big Apple and the warmth of Pucón was striking. The climate was delightful, which was a welcome change from the busy New York City.

“Feel that?” my friend said proudly, bathed in the gentle sunshine. “This is what I call a vacation!”

Our guide, Herman, was waiting for us with a broad smile. His English was limited, but his enthusiasm was boundless. He greeted us with heartiness, “Welcome to Pucón! I have everything ready for you.”

We spent our first day settling into the luxurious house he had arranged for us. The unique design of the house deeply attracted us. The house was a combination of modern luxury and traditional charm, neat and tidy, with tall windows framing the greenery outside.

Herman insisted on taking care of our every need. He would not even let us lift a finger in the house, which was above and beyond his duties.

One evening, as we wandered along the beach, the sky transformed into a canvas (画布) of rich colors. We were placed in a world of wonder. My friend turned to me, eyes sparkling, and said,“This is why we travel, isn’t it? Moments like these make everything else fade away.”

As we planned to go to another town to admire the unique architecture, something unexpected happened. I got a fever.

Our explorations were cut short. Lying in bed, I could hear my friend pacing outside my room, worried. And our travel plans were put on hold as there was no choice but to rest in the hope that I would recover soon.

The next morning, my fever worsened. Being new to the area and struggling with the language barrier, we felt helpless.

注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Just then, Herman appeared.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With Herman’s help, I began to recover.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . I didn’t go to Santiago, Chile to look for friendship. In fact, Chile was not even on my wish list.

A mid-life crisis woman, I got a chance to study abroad. I only wanted to learn about global business, taste South American cuisine, and check “study abroad” off my wish list.

On the fifth day, I joined a group for a neighborhood work project aided by the anti-poverty (扶贫) organization. Our tasks were to build a water tower and paint the community center. Upon arrival, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like a scene out of a horrible film. That moment redefined poverty for me because I had never seen such terrible living conditions. As advised, I showed no signs of the motional battle going on inside me.

Just as I was about to start work on painting, a request came through for a few volunteers to help Nadia, a local resident who volunteered to cook for us. I raised my hand to help because I wanted spend time with the people of the neighborhood despite my shortage of Spanish speaking skills.

Nadia had a sincere smile but not overly friendly. Even without speaking each other’s language we started to learn about one another. We chatted about our children, our upbringing, shared picture of our family, struggled to instruct each other to communicate in the other’s language, and laugh many times.

After we fed everybody and the dishes were washed, my day was over. But I found myself hesitant to leave. It was as if I had known her my entire life. I had not predicted the unselfishness heart I would encounter, and it was moving.

As we were waiting for the car to pick us up, Nadia showed me her plants that are well-maintains. I could see that despite the hard conditions she was passionate about life. She made me long to be stronger person. She showed me that poverty was external, but happiness was internal. I was seeking to give 100 percent for a well-intentioned cause, but I left receiving 200 percent from her.

1. What was the author’s initial purpose of going to Chile?

A．To find new friends while traveling.	B．To participate in an anti-poverty project.
C．To fulfill the desire to study abroad.	D．To gain a graduate certificate in business.

2. What did the author do after seeing the living conditions in the neighborhood?

A．She decided to relieve the poverty.	B．She kept her emotions well hidden.
C．She comforted the shocked volunteers.	D．She refused to continue the present task.

3. Why did the author volunteer to work with Nadia?

A．She felt very sympathetic toward Nadia.

B．She longed to interact with the local residents.

C．She wanted to improve her Spanish speaking skills.

D．She preferred cooking to painting the community center.

4. What did the author learn from Nadia?

A．True friends are never apart in heart.

B．Happiness is defined by a positive attitude.

C．Language is not a barrier to great connections.

D．Unselfishness is putting others before ourselves.

5 . Last year, my younger brother Darrin tore the old engine out of his Dodge Challenger. Then he ________ it piece by piece, and put it back together again all by himself. He was 16. All he ________ was a Chilton’s shop manual (使用手册) for the car, his own curiosity, and a strong desire to ________ how things worked.

Later, I asked him about this ________ and how he made it. His answer was ________ — he just did it. He wanted a new car and couldn’t afford to buy another one, so this was really his only ________. He had nothing to lose and was highly ________ to make the engine work. He ________ with it, paid close attention to how he took it apart, made a lot of mistakes, and reached points where he wasn’t ________ what to do next. When that happened, he asked a friend or a friend’s dad for ________, tried this and tried that, until he finished the work. To me it was a (n) ________ achievement.

Our ________ to do hard things increases when we try doing those hard things. It is ________ limited by our own will and imagination. We learn by trying, by making mistakes, and by ________ help from those who know more sometimes just a little more-than we do.

Never ________ trying new things. The more one does, the more one can do.

1.

A．discovered

B．rebuilt

C．donated

D．reserved

2.

A．detected

B．preferred

C．occupied

D．had

3.

A．figure out

B．give away

C．bring up

D．rule out

4.

A．property

B．campaign

C．guide

D．project

5.

A．correct

B．serious

C．simple

D．funny

6.

A．luck

B．option

C．requirement

D．relaxation

7.

A．expected

B．forced

C．convinced

D．motivated

8.

A．communicated

B．competed

C．experimented

D．disagreed

9.

A．sure

B．afraid

C．curious

D．satisfied

10.

A．permission

B．courage

C．advice

D．reward

11.

A．amazing

B．common

C．confusing

D．strange

12.

A．anxiety

B．capacity

C．income

D．impatience

13.

A．rarely

B．necessarily

C．originally

D．mostly

14.

A．seeking

B．offering

C．affording

D．avoiding

15.

A．admit

B．stop

C．fancy

D．keep

6 . My friend and I recently took an art class together through our town’s community education program. Our classmates were a mix of ages, stages of life, and experience with making art. We stood out in the class—not for our artistic talent, but for our consistent encouragement of ourselves, each other, and the group. It got me thinking how encouragement had become a routine.

It became something of a joke between the two of us to compliment(赞美) each other, offer a positive comment when another student showed his or her work, and generally chat around the table about how fun our project was going. But reflecting back, our positivist was anything but a joke. It was a bright light in my week, a space where I knew I could be surrounded with kindness, gentleness, and positivist.

Here’s the most special thing about it; my friend’s and my positive conversation wasn’t just encouraging, it was true. We didn’t go for cheap or false compliments like, “This painting should be in a museum!” Instead, we went for authentic(真实的) expressions of support and encouragement, like, “I love how you did that cloud!”

Over time, the class became something of a sacred space, because we had made a habit of using encouraging, supportive language. Sentence-starters like, “I like,” “I appreciate,” “I want to try”,   kept us present, positive, and honest.

The encouragement also kept us engaged in the work of making art. I feel sure that I learned more—and practiced more at home—because the activity was shown in such consistently positive terms, grounded in a growth mindset, self-acceptance, and encouragement.

Having a friend to share an encouragement habit is fantastic, but you can practice it on your own as well. Compliment yourself in the mirror every morning. Keep a running “great work.” list of thing? you are doing well today. Trust in your ability to find something loving—and true-to comment today and every day.

1. What do we know about the author’s classmates?

A．They admired those talented in art.

B．They didn’t take art class seriously.

C．They were of the same artistic level.

D．They were on good terms in the class.

2. How did the classmates turn their class into a sacred space?

A．By showing false compliments to others.

B．By decorating their class as a museum.

C．By displaying abstract art works in the class.

D．By offering supportive language around them.

3. What did the author think of the art project?

A．It made him hopeful and confident.

B．It needed to provide more practice.

C．It was cheap and easy to carry out.

D．It promoted his communication skills.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce a community education program.

B．To call for good action to support those in need

C．To describe how to make encouragement a habit.

D．To comment on the power of authentic expressions.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文.

Born to be different

I stood in front of the mirror, whispering to myself, “If I didn’t have this scar (疤痕), the world would embrace me more warmly.” With a heavy heart, I turned away from my reflection and gazed out of the window, the daily school routine—a constant reminder of the tightness in my chest. Each day, I prepared my sell for the unavoidable questions—the disgusted glances, and the eye-rolls as I bravely attempted to explain what it truly meant to be born with a cleft (裂缝，裂口).

Born with a cleft lip and orphaned (孤儿) at birth, I entered multiple adoptive homes until ages even when I was finally adopted by my forever home. But the frequent transitions had already left a bad mark on my young soul and I’d fallen behind in my schoolwork, and my appearance-related insecurities robbed me of any confidence. My future seemed clouded and uncertain, and I constantly sought approval from others, often finding myself in the wrong crowd.

Deep inside, I was fully aware that I was on the wrong path. Although the future remained a mystery, I desired something different and realized that I had to change the course of my life.

Thankfully, in middle school, my life took a turn. I started to hang out with uplifting friends—individuals who accepted me without judgment and taught me the value of self-love. My sixth-grade social studies teacher, Cynthia, with her passionate delivery of history, often had me staying after class to further explore global issues. She inspired me to become the change I longed to see in the world.

One day, I delivered a speech in front of my classmates, discussing the significance of the “Treaty of Versailles (《凡尔赛条约》)”. After my speech, Cynthia called to me. “Ashleigh, I would like to speak with you for a moment, please.”

注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

My legs shook like trees in a storm.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cynthia nodded approvingly, “Ashleigh, I’d like to suggest you consider a career in polities.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . I was struggling earlier in the year, even though I’m a(n) _______ person by nature. The entire world seemed to have come to a stop all of a sudden. I was _______ with worry about my family and paying the bills, and whether life would ever be the same again.

Then, one evening I went outside and _______. The sky was dark and the stars were shining so brightly that I almost held my breath. As I stood under that splendid ceiling, I was filled with _______.

I really wanted to find out more about them. Suddenly, I remembered I’d _______ an app on my phone a couple of months earlier, which _______ all the stars and planets. Together with my daughters, I raced to the upstairs, where we had a perfect _______ of the night sky. Using the app, we were excited to _______ that bright white star hanging over the horizon was Venus. Then we looked past Betelguese, a dying red supergiant star 700 times the size of Earth, and many more. _______, the world no longer seemed like an unfamiliar place. It __________ me that the Earth had been around for 4. 5 billion years and had experienced things much more __________. That realization __________ brought my worries into a much broader perspective (眼界).

Plus, that twinkling night sky was just so beautiful — I felt happier and calmer just looking at it. It became our __________ to sit at the window every evening, gazing at the stars. Not only did it help us __________ the reality, but for half an hour each day we got to __________ outside our four walls.

1.

A．optimistic

B．patient

C．independent

D．considerate

2.

A．combined

B．questioned

C．consumed

D．impressed

3.

A．pulled over

B．looked up

C．headed off

D．calmed down

4.

A．wonder

B．pride

C．anxiety

D．guilt

5.

A．designed

B．downloaded

C．advertised

D．tested

6.

A．reflects

B．connects

C．measures

D．identifies

7.

A．view

B．memory

C．record

D．example

8.

A．explain

B．imagine

C．discover

D．indicate

9.

A．By the way

B．At first sight

C．At that moment

D．By all means

10.

A．benefited

B．warned

C．challenged

D．struck

11.

A．informal

B．flexible

C．conventional

D．dramatic

12.

A．constantly

B．instantly

C．secretly

D．randomly

13.

A．regret

B．routine

C．adventure

D．responsibility

14.

A．describe

B．ignore

C．stress

D．face

15.

A．train

B．gather

C．travel

D．recover

10 . Observing the natural world is a wonderful way of learning more about ourselves. Elisabeth Bailey found ________ from her tiniest and slowest friend from nature, a woodland snail (蜗牛).

You may not know a woodland snail’s shell adds layers as it ages, and that it has 2,462 teeth. Bailey knew well about such ________ details about the tiny creature because for years, this woodland nail was her ________ companion.

At the age of 34, Bailey suffered a serious illness which ________ her in bed for a long time. As Bailey’s ability to ________ declined, she had little choice but to ________ the slow lane (跑道) with the woodland snail that a friend had left on her bedside table.

“It had evolved its long ________ mechanisms (机制) and will probably be on Earth much longer than humans. “Its ________ outweighs its figure: A snail can glide effortlessly right up a tree trunk or a wall without any other equipment,” said Bailey.

On the days Bailey was unable to engage in the normal human world, she was ________ in the world of the snail. In the ________ space they both inhabited, Bailey witnessed the snail growing. She observed its habits, such as its ________ to sleep during the day and adventure at night.

And it was during this year of slowing down and ________ that the snail taught Bailey an important lesson. “This little animal had been ________ from its habitat, and it was able to ________. Its such ability convinced me that I would eventually make it to adapt to my illness ________.”

1.

A．comfort

B．trust

C．love

D．fault

2.

A．beneficial

B．decisive

C．minute

D．regular

3.

A．previous

B．political

C．cruel

D．constant

4.

A．replaced

B．trapped

C．persuaded

D．arrested

5.

A．applaud

B．create

C．move

D．calculate

6.

A．join

B．pass

C．find

D．measure

7.

A．review

B．defense

C．delivery

D．survival

8.

A．patience

B．strength

C．head

D．tooth

9.

A．sunk

B．struck

C．released

D．cheated

10.

A．sufficient

B．alien

C．silent

D．available

11.

A．curiosity

B．courage

C．ability

D．tendency

12.

A．migrating

B．noticing

C．mixing

D．exposing

13.

A．removed

B．rescued

C．driven

D．freed

14.

A．fade away

B．break down

C．fit in

D．come to

15.

A．otherwise

B．somehow

C．instead

D．indeed