1 . When things don’t seem to go right, what’s your first thought? Do you just give up or do you make a promise to try a different approach? If you give up the effort simply because you’ve run into difficulty, you’re not only giving yourself a reason to call yourself a failure, you’re also depriving (剥夺) yourself of the opportunity to learn.
Nothing in life stays the same. Everything is always in a state of change. Your ability to recognize change and make peace with it, while also finding the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions, will determine how effectively you can continue making progress toward your life goals.
Indeed, when you discover and accept your ability to be flexible, all things are possible. That’s because the realization that there are other ways to go about dealing with what happens in life and to find ways around seemingly impossible difficulties makes you stronger, more self-confident and satisfied. It also greatly improves your perception (感知) of your abilities.
Consider that overcoming difficulties is quite an achievement. When you combine that with the confidence you feel in being able to analyze and put together a workable approach or solution, you wind up with a positive outcome overall. This satisfying result adds to your motivation to solve the next item on your list, to go for another goal that may be a bit more challenging.
This ability to overcome difficulties doesn’t come about automatically, yet it is a talent you can foster. Indeed, it may seem like a losing plan, especially if you don’t see results right away. Instead of losing hope, keep on going.
Have you ever disappointed yourself despite your efforts when you’ve encountered challenges in adapting to changing circumstances? Suppose you haven’t been able to figure out a way around them or couldn’t determine a workable approach. Is this a terrible thing? Does it mean you’re certain to forever be at the end of the line when it comes to accomplishments? It’s not like that. What it does indicate, however, is that you may yet keep some unforgiving thoughts about your own abilities. You may, for example, not trust your instincts (本能) or you might not believe you’re capable enough of taking a calculated risk.
1. We can infer from the first paragraph that ______.| A．running into difficulty is a valid reason to stop trying |
| B．it’s a rare thing for people to have a good opportunity |
| C．facing challenges offers learning and growth opportunities |
| D．it’s better to give up than persist when faced with difficulty |
| A．Adapting and persisting through change to achieve goals. |
| B．Changing conditions to create new opportunities. |
| C．Accepting failure when faced with difficulties. |
| D．Giving up to avoid further complications. |
| A．Engaging in self-criticism for every perceived failure. |
| B．Missing chances to gain insights from challenging situations. |
| C．Abandoning efforts when confronted with a difficult challenge. |
| D．Conquering challenges with confidence and achieving positive results. |
| A．You may have negative thoughts about your own abilities. |
| B．You may have a strong capability for taking calculated risks. |
| C．You are likely to give up on accomplishing anything significant. |
| D．You are guaranteed to be always at the forefront of achievements. |
| A．The importance of avoiding difficulties. | B．The need to give up when facing challenges. |
| C．The benefits of staying in your comfort zone. | D．The significance of flexibility and adapting to change. |
1．你认为什么是“真正的美”；
2．你认为“真正的美”表现在哪些方面并举例说明；
3．呼吁同学们都做“真正美”的人。
注意：字数不少于100；可适当增加细节，以使内容充实，行文连贯。
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3 . Have you ever come out of a steamy hot shower and tried to look at your reflection in the mirror when it’s completely steamed and fogged up? I often think that is how we tend to view our beauty—through fogged up mirrors. We are seeing ourselves but the picture isn’t exactly clear! The mirrors have been fogged up through different life experiences and memories as we have grown up, and now blend together to form our own definition of our beauty.
The first mirror is formed as a young child and is often based on what was said about us from our parents and those around us. I remember being told that I was a cute child, so that when I got a little older and was around six or seven and another child tried to tell me I was ugly- everything within me rose up against the statement because my self-belief in what my parents had said stood strong.
The second mirror is the mirror of adolescence, those formative years when we are pushed into the big wild world and out of the protection of home. As a teenager I went to a boarding school, and I was one of the only two black people in the entire school. Children being naturally curious, I felt like I was asked a million and one different questions about both my hair and skin tone- -and I don’t think there has ever been a time when I have been more acutely aware of my appearance, which in turn opened up the door for me to question how I looked and to thankfully embrace my differences.
The final mirror comes from socially constructed ideas of beauty. We are often faced with numerous images in the media, popular culture, society, peers and social media, which can create a false ideal of beauty in our eyes. We tend to compare ourselves to those ideals and use it as some sort of margin (差值) of measurement.
However, real beauty comes from within. It is acceptance of yourself, perceived flaws and all. You are a masterpiece, a unique blend of genes and life experiences. It’s essential to appreciate yourself like any other work of art or natural wonder, without judgement. Maybe it’s time to create a fourth mirror, a new mirror that is wiped clean and is minus the fog of comparisons, accusations, judgments and expectations.
1. What do the fogged-up mirrors represent according to the first paragraph?| A．The difficulties of seeing oneself in the mirror. |
| B．The various sources of beauty standards. |
| C．The unclear perceptions of one’s beauty. |
| D．The life experiences and memories. |
| A．She felt embarrassed. |
| B．She completely denied it. |
| C．She sought comfort from her parents. |
| D．She questioned what her parents had said. |
| A．They push teens out of home protection. |
| B．They arouse acute awareness of one’s appearance. |
| C．They may mislead people’s idea of beauty. |
| D．They are the exact measurement of beauty. |
| A．A mirror not affected by external factors. |
| B．A mirror going against society’s expectations. |
| C．A mirror reflecting one’s childhood experiences. |
| D．A mirror showing the beauty ideals from social media. |
| A．bring happiness to those around us |
| B．keep our resolve despite obstacles |
| C．change ourselves to achieve an ideal |
| D．embrace our real inner beauty |
(1)你遇到的挑战是什么；
(2)你是如何应对的；
(3)你的感受。
注意：
(1)词数不少于 100；
(2)可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；
(3)题目已给出，不计入总词数。
The Challenges That I Met
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5 . What is your calling? What is your purpose in life? What did you come to this world to do? Every day we read about how we should find our purpose and pursue it throughout our lives in order to find meaning and contentment. There are even scientific studies that show people who view their work as a calling rather than just a career or a job have a higher life and work satisfaction. So, what exactly is this calling?
I’ve personally struggled with this concept for many years. I knew that happiness not only came from a present state of joy, but also from the pursuit of an objective that gave me something to pursue. That is, until I found myself feeling empty despite my achievement of those goals.
And as I reflected on these feelings of emptiness and boredom that had arisen despite my successes, I realized something. Meaning and satisfaction come from a personal devotion to what we do and the intrinsic (固有的) fulfillment we get from it. It has nothing to do with financial gain, social advancement or any other type of external reward or motivation. It is about doing something that we love. It is about focusing our efforts and spending our time on passions that light the spark inside of us and allow us to share with the world the unique gifts we possess.
I had never before stopped to think about what I found intrinsically rewarding or fulfilling. Financial gain and external recognition were pretty much the only drivers I knew. More so, I thought this calling meant having one passion we were born with to pursue relentlessly (不懈地).
So, I spent some years trying to find this long-lost purpose of mine. I discovered during that time passions I had no idea I even had. Yet, I wasn’t sure how to make them into my life purpose. I searched for an answer but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I came to understand the truths about our purpose in life that I was able to find my place in this world.
Our purpose can consist of various things that make us feel alive. As we grow and evolve throughout the different stages in our lives, we may discover new passions and desires that change our sense of purpose and calling.
We all have a longing for lives that give meaning to our existence. The difference lies in how we go about accomplishing this. We must each find our own “shine” and then shine on.
1. According to the passage, the calling refers to________.| A．one’s view about careers |
| B．a task one has to carry out |
| C．a life-long career one chooses |
| D．a strong desire or sense of duty to do a job |
| A．Financial gain and external recognition. |
| B．Pursuing passions relentlessly. |
| C．Discovering new passions. |
| D．Finding purpose in life. |
| A．Trying to do everything that you can. |
| B．Trying to achieve your ambitious goals. |
| C．Doing meaningful things with your passion. |
| D．Doing something that can be successful easily. |
| A．the author spent some years making changes |
| B．the author used to think he had no passion at all |
| C．the author didn’t know how to search for the life purpose |
| D．the author has known his passions since he started to work |
| A．It’s wise to give up discovering our one true passion. |
| B．It’s useless to pursue financial gain and external recognition. |
| C．It’s necessary to find our own calling and pursue it with vigor. |
| D．It’s important to share our passion with the world without stopping. |
6 . My almost 6-year-old son is currently crazy about Star Wars and Harry Potter. I know he’s young, but the movies and books bring up topics for us to sort through all the time—tough topics. A good chance for me! We read the books together; we watch the movies together. We’ve talked about many things that some parents of a 5-year-old might not talk about, but I want to have these conversations with my son.
Today, it was rainy and when the baby took her nap, I allowed him to watch a Star Wars movie as a reward for being so kind this morning to his sister who was feeling a little unhappy. As I was folding laundry, I said to him, very casually, “Wow, that Darth Vader really makes me sick.” My son chided (指责) me, “Mama, Darth Vader has good in him. I know he’s on the dark side, but he isn’t all bad.” This launched us into a conversation about good versus evil and how goodness can be found in anyone if we only look hard enough.
For the past week, I feel like I have been tested with various examples of people simply not being nice. And some people were rude for no apparent reason. A nurse was impatient with me on the phone when I called for a prescription. Little ears were listening in on all of those instances and after doing my best to be nice on the phone call with the nurse, I hung up and said to my husband, “Wow, what was wrong with her? She was so rude.” My boy said, “Mama, we all have a bad day. Be nice to her and she might be nice to you back.” This child teaches me lessons every day, and all we can do is treat people with kindness, as hard as it might be.
The nurse was probably exhausted from taking sick calls and maybe she simply needed a coffee break. I do know that those people were not on their best behavior or showing their best side but how many of us have been in those exact shoes? We all act in haste. We all speak in haste. We all do things we regret. And, if we were lucky, we were met with kindness instead of anger in return for our outburst.
My son reminded me today to be kinder and gentler to the people I meet with. I’m going to try harder this week. I’m going to try to smile when met with a frown. Like he mentions, even Darth Vader has good in him and maybe he just needs a little sympathy.
1. How does the writer react to her son’s recent interest?| A．Using it as a chance to express her regret. |
| B．Trying to persuade him to change his mind. |
| C．Trying to help him develop some more hobbies. |
| D．Using it as a chance to have a deep talk with him. |
| A．Because it was a reward for his kindness. |
| B．Because her son loves Star Wars. |
| C．Because it was raining outside. |
| D．Because the baby was napping. |
| A．How to be rude to people. |
| B．How to complain about others. |
| C．The importance of being kind to others. |
| D．The essential of asking for medical advice. |
| A．Optimistic and calm. |
| B．Brave and enthusiastic. |
| C．Courageous and generous. |
| D．Considerate and sympathetic. |
| A．smile to those friendly to them |
| B．sympathize with those in trouble |
| C．find the good in others and treat them kindly |
| D．reward others’ kindness and help more people |
7 . After I won my first race at five, life was about winning races. Two kids, Ray J and Gil,
One day in our first NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) season, my teammate, Ray had to leave for home because his son Ray J suddenly developed cancer. He said something about
Gil was a six-year-old boy with a rare bone disease. His bones were so easy to break that a hug might
Win. That word again. Had I ever thought much about what it
| A．recognized | B．achieved | C．resigned | D．changed |
| A．hating | B．expecting | C．failing | D．refusing |
| A．fee | B．choice | C．family | D．attitude |
| A．necessary | B．difficult | C．absurd | D．unforgettable |
| A．hopeless | B．desperate | C．careful | D．weak |
| A．easy-going | B．strong-willed | C．hard-working | D．absent-minded |
| A．safer | B．faster | C．wider | D．harder |
| A．problem | B．possession | C．race | D．adventure |
| A．damage | B．cure | C．change | D．influence |
| A．sound | B．goal | C．face | D．smile |
| A．examine | B．outstretch | C．move | D．shake |
| A．Instead | B．Generally | C．Obviously | D．Furthermore |
| A．legs | B．feet | C．knees | D．ankles |
| A．fan | B．expert | C．competitor | D．developer |
| A．hold on | B．run around | C．give up | D．break through |
| A．debt | B．task | C．optimism | D．pain |
| A．meant | B．brought | C．split | D．needed |
| A．love | B．manage | C．support | D．encourage |
| A．straight | B．finish | C．start | D．red |
| A．losers | B．cooperators | C．winners | D．doctors |
8 . Only shock prevented the tears from streaming down my face. My cells were dead. After being accepted into the competitive Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR), and spending approximately 170 hours of the past month studying human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) (人胚胎干细胞), I was back to square on — with only one month of my internship(实习) left . How in the world was I going to make up for lost time?
As I asked myself the question, I thought back to exactly how I had spent those 170 hours working to develop the stem cells. I started my internship a little overwhelmed by the complex equipment in the lab. After I familiarized myself with the equipment, I began to find the function of PRDMI — a gene thought to control replication (复制) in hESCs. First, though, I needed to make a growth medium (培养基) for the hESCs. I painstakingly measured to the ten millionth of a liter, testing the accuracy of each measurement multiple times before finally putting it into the medium solution. After I plated the hESCs on my new medium, I waited with bated breath for the results.
To my joy, two days later, my cells were growing very well and even outgrowing their new home. I successfully created hundreds of stable hESCs. Everything seemed to be going so well. But now....
“Nancy, I know taking the news the first time can be hard, but keep in mind, you probably didn't do anything wrong. You know how sensitive they are. This sort of thing is common when working with stem cells,” the program director said gently.
“I know,” I said. “I’m ready to try again.”
Thomas Edison said. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
1. What do we know about the author from Paragraph 1?| A．She was seriously ill because of a cell disease. |
| B．Her internship was shortened for some reason. |
| C．Her research result didn't reach her expectation. |
| D．She cried a lot after not accomplishing her goal. |
| A．One month. | B．Two months. |
| C．One hundred and seventy hours. | D．One year. |
| A．Doubt and confusion. | B．Relief and relaxation. |
| C．Anxiety and eagerness. | D．Sadness and disappointment. |
| A．Efforts made in vain. | B．Cells growing too big. |
| C．Researchers getting injured. | D．Medium solution incorrectly measured. |
| A．Hard work always brings good luck. | B．Stick to hope and never give up. |
| C．Think twice before you act. | D．Never miss a mistake. |
Growing up poor and having parents who didn’t receive a good education, I often struggled at school. What was worse, my parents often moved to different places. They likely did not realize the damaging effects it had on my learning as they moved from apartment to apartment, year after year. I attended seven different schools from kindergarten through the 8th grade. With a fragmented (片段的) education, I entered high school, not doing well in literacy and math. But it was not until I attended a major public state university that I really understood the academic gaps that I had in comparison to my peers. I had to work particularly hard to not only understand the textbooks and lectures, but also catch myself up in basic skills of writing and comprehension. But I wasn’t the one to forgo. No matter how hard it was, I persisted.
Today, I have many degrees, three of them are Master’s Degrees and I am currently in my second year of studying for my doctorate in Educational Leadership.
I share my story for various reasons, but mainly due to the hope that another young child, possibly growing up poor, can realize that an education is the ticket to the quality of life. It can happen for that child. One can be successful! One can overcome all obstacles.
Some days will be extremely tougher than others and someday those accomplishments will glow (发光), but giving up is not a wise choice. It certainly won’t lead to the light at the end of the tunnel. Therefore, we should take advantage of the challenges and difficulties to make us stronger and reflect on how to beat all the differences. We should foster our thinking that current challenges have been designed to build upon our strength, not tear us down. In this way, we can fulfill our long-term goals.
1. What made the author’s study much worse when he was a child? (no more than 5 words)2. What did the author realize after attending a major public state university? (no more than 10 words)
3. How do you understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2? (no more than 10 words)
4. Why did the author want to share his story? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you learn from the author’s story? (no more than 20 words)
I used to chase happiness a lot when I began to work. I would run after different experiences--goals, achievements and success, because I was quite sure that once I caught up with them, happiness would be with me. It was during that period that I learned happiness was a very fast runner.
Later, I tried to sneak up on happiness. I thought if I didn’t care too little or too much but just enough, it wouldn’t see me coming and then I could catch it.
It turned out that happiness is similar to owls, for both of them have 360-degree vision and extremely sharp hearing. Finally, I decided to sit still, very quietly, until happiness forgot I was there, let down its guard and got close to me. This, surprisingly, worked better than either of the other two ways.
After reading a passage in Time, I think I know the reason. Apparently, for Americans, the chase of happiness is just linked to achieving individual goals which is different from that in other cultures. In many cultures, happiness is regarded as a social phenomenon that happens most readily when it is shared. But our society puts the responsibility for catching happiness on each individual’s shoulders --a heavy burden indeed.
On Facebook, there are a lot of unbelievably happy people doing amazing happiness—producing things every day. However, most of the time, no one is really that happy all the time behind the scenes.
I also like what a famous businessman told Time reporter Mandy Oaklander, “A happy life doesn’t consist of happy moments but every moment of the day.”
Now you know how to get happiness, don’t you?
1. What did the author learn from his first period of chasing happiness? (no more than 10 words)2. How do you understand the underlined word in Paragraph 2? (no more than 5 words)
3. What does the chase of happiness mean to Americans? (no more than 6 words)
4. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 5? (no more than 12 words)
5. Do you think you’re on the way to chasing happiness? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
