1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the importance of acknowledging our fears?

A．To ignore and suppress our fears.

B．To have the courage to face them.

C．To compare ourselves to others.

2. How can directly facing fears help us?

A．It can hold us back from achieving our goals.

B．It can help us grow and reach our full potential.

C．It has no impact on our personal growth and development.

3. Why is it important to focus on our own journey instead of comparing ourselves to others?

A．So that we don’t get discouraged by comparing our progress to others.

B．So that we can perform better than others.

C．So that we can gloat on our success.

4. Where does the greatest growth come from?

A．Discomfort and animosity.

B．Decoding adversity.

C．Discomfort and adversity.

2 . A few months ago, one of my fellow graduate students was offered an incredible career-building opportunity. His efforts on a student-led campaign to increase federal funding for basic research had________an invitation to speak on a panel (专家组) conference. It would look great on his CV (简历). I was happy for him, of course. But I was________ to him in efforts in campaign. I felt that I deserved the same opportunity. Yet I hadn’t been________and I wasn’t sure why.

       Growing up, I had been taught that the way to________was to put my head down and work hard. If my work was good enough, it would speak for itself and I would be________. This view, coupled with a natural________, meant that I________worked up the nerve to put myself forward.

However, I decided that I needed to________my life again—by becoming my own biggest advocate.

So, with my heart beating fast, I asked my classmate to ask the conference organizers to________me. My mind was filled with________. Maybe I didn’t deserve it. Maybe I was being too ambitious. But my classmates immediately contacted the organizers, who quickly agreed to________me in. Now I come to understand that I can’t be recognized if I’m invisible. This isn’t a revolutionary idea which many people are unfamiliar with. I know, but as an introvert (内向的人) this is my________Mount Qomolangma.

I think advocating for myself will always make me a little________. But I do plenty of other uncomfortable things to________I’m living my best life, like getting flu shots. I suppose I can do the same for my________.1.

A．referred to

B．led to

C．turned down

D．put forward

2.

A．special

B．legal

C．strict

D．equal

3.

A．praised

B．promoted

C．invited

D．received

4.

A．success

B．practice

C．failure

D．reality

5.

A．rewarded

B．protected

C．attracted

D．affected

6.

A．kindness

B．patience

C．shyness

D．courage

7.

A．rarely

B．frequently

C．quietly

D．completely

8.

A．complain of

B．find fault with

C．pay attention to

D．take control of

9.

A．benefit

B．include

C．observe

D．change

10.

A．agreement

B．emphasis

C．inspiration

D．self-doubt

11.

A．track

B．send

C．hire

D．add

12.

A．personal

B．flexible

C．simple

D．traditional

13.

A．unreasonable

B．uncomfortable

C．dishonest

D．discontent

14.

A．prove

B．ensure

C．record

D．predict

15.

A．health

B．colleague

C．career

D．education

3 . How do parents teach children about money? How do you teach them to get rich? Likely, you do not have an answer because you would not call yourself rich.     1     Here is what self-made millionaires tell their kids about wealth.

You deserve to have wealth.

This statement could be read as arrogant (傲慢的), when in fact it comes from a place of humbleness. Self-made millionaires teach their children that they deserve to be rich not because they were born into the right family but because they work hard to solve other people’s problems.     2    

    3    

Having money gets rid of tons of the issues which people find themselves in when they do not have it. Not happy with your current living situation? You can pack up and leave. Do you hate your job? Why not start your own business? Upset about a global disaster? Donate what you can to the cause. Money allows you to enjoy life on your own terms.

Nothing is guaranteed.

    4     They must create their own lives and futures. It’s important to teach kids about self-reliance. Legally, kids have the right to have more and more things, but it’s important to teach against these values.

Solve problems to earn your wealth.

In a free market economy, everyone is looking for a way to make money. If you come up with an idea to solve the world’s problem, there will be a demand for it. The bigger the problem, the more difficulty you might have getting it off the ground.     5     Pairing your skills at problem solving could be the way towards wealth.

A．Wealth leads to freedom.

B．Even the blind can see money.

C．But it could also make you very rich.

D．How do the rich approach this question?

E．When do you start teaching your children about money?

F．Having wealth allows you to do something for others to earn your place.

G．A big lesson self-made millionaires teach their kids is that the world owes them nothing.

5 . 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 convey 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 corners of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid 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 realised 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. 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 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 someone.

2. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to 　　　.

A．keep her appointment with the eye doctor

B．meet her father who was already an old man

C．join in the holiday celebration of the company

D．finish her work before the deadline approached

3. How does the author buy herself peace of mind?

A．By keeping herself busy.

B．By always doing the urgent thing.

C．By accompanying her parents every day and night.

D．By doing everything possible to avoid something unpleasant.

6 . When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.

But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.

Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.

After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.

Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.

1. What was the author’s life like when he was 12?

A．Boring.

B．Peaceful.

C．Painful.

D．Meaningful.

2. How did the volunteer work benefit the author?

A．It made him popular in his town.	B．It helped him find the meaning of life.
C．It helped him understand others’ lives better.	D．It helped to shape his dream career.

3. Why did the author choose writing as his job?

A．He was inspired by his teacher.	B．He could pass positive energy to readers.
C．He wanted to share his school experiences.	D．He found he had a talent for writing.

4. What does the author suggest readers do in the last paragraph?

A．Say “no” to bullies bravely.	B．Make positive changes in their lives.
C．Treat others with kindness in daily life.	D．Learn to care more about others’ feelings.

7 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a _____ sport, at times almost painful, and practices really _____ a team’s physical and mental limits. Without trust in my own ability and a strong sense of commitment, I would never have managed to continue after years of hard work as a player, and with countless _____.

In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing _____ that gave me a great sense of achievement. But in the last game of the season, I was seriously injured. I was prohibited from any physical activities for six months. After going _____ a series of physical treatments, I returned to the field as a team captain. I practiced harder than ever to make up for my _____ time.

In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the _____ of the Most Valuable Player.

_____, my skills in football do not magically extend to other sports. During the winter break, I went on a snowboarding trip and seriously injured my right shoulder. I had to have four _____. Since I could not use my right arm for two months, I had to learn how to write and eat using my left hand.

______ life must go on. I knew that my own present efforts would decide my future, so I ______ the strict training program to build up strength and improve flexibility in my ______. After an eight-month recovery, I was back to the field playing football, the sport I ______.

In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson: ______ and commitment make what seems impossible ______. This lesson from football is the one that can be applied to every part of life.

1.

A．tough

B．popular

C．typical

D．dynamic

2.

A．set

B．control

C．test

D．require

3.

A．mistakes

B．adventures

C．accidents

D．injuries

4.

A．performance

B．position

C．moment

D．advantage

5.

A．with

B．over

C．through

D．into

6.

A．valuable

B．lost

C．extra

D．regular

7.

A．pride

B．choice

C．name

D．honor

8.

A．Unfortunately

B．Similarly

C．Happily

D．Gradually

9.

A．practices

B．tryouts

C．seasons

D．operations

10.

A．But

B．Or

C．So

D．And

11.

A．examined

B．changed

C．provided

D．completed

12.

A．shoulder

B．hand

C．leg

D．foot

13.

A．explore

B．avoid

C．love

D．support

14.

A．Knowledge

B．Belief

C．Experience

D．Opinion

15.

A．enjoyable

B．possible

C．sensible

D．responsible

8 . From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.

The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner: You can be a success if only you make the right choice.

You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem. Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are leaves tossed (摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.

You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.

Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for letting out expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.

In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.

1. People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they_______.

A．can’t exercise control over themselves	B．are ready to change their minds
C．don’t have the power to face their fate	D．are easily affected by windy weather

2. Losers would think that ______.

A．success is the result of hard work	B．their failure is only because of bad luck
C．they don’t make efforts to succeed	D．working hard will lead to success

3. It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that_______.

A．success is a chance	B．we are what we make us
C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind	D．developing confidence is the only way to future success

4. The last paragraph serves as_______.

A．the proof of the author’s points	B．the conclusion of the argument
C．an introduction to another topic	D．a comparison between two views

9 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.

Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”

In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

1. Why did the girl complain to her father?

A．Because of her tiring job.	B．Because of her hard school life.
C．Because of her father’ s busy work.	D．Because of the food her father cooked.

2. What can we infer from this story?

A．The girl liked the coffee best.

B．The father was good at cooking.

C．Different people have different reactions to adversity.

D．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs.

3. What does the underlined word “fragile” mean in the 5th paragraph?

A．thick

B．hard

C．strong

D．easily-broken

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

A．Challenges and responses.	B．Adversities and a chef.
C．A chef and coffee beans.	D．Father and daughter.