1 . Just about 50 years ago, needing money to support my family—my novels weren’t bestsellers—I had the idea of taking the longest train trip imaginable and writing a travel book about it. The trip was improvisational (即兴的). I didn’t have a credit card. I had no idea where I’d be staying nor how long this trip would take. And I’d never written a travel book before. I hoped my trip wouldn’t suffer a lot, though it was obviously a leap in the dark.

I set off with one small bag containing clothes, a map of Asia, a travel guidebook and some travelers’ cheques. I was often inconvenienced, sometimes threatened, now and then disturbed for bribes, occasionally laid up with food poisoning—all this vivid detail for my narrative.

What I repeated in the more than four-month trip was the pleasure of the sleeping car. Writing on board the Khyber Mail to Lahore in Pakistan, “The romance associated with the sleeping car comes from the fact that it is extremely private, combining the best features of a cupboard with forward movement. Whatever drama is being shown in this moving bedroom is heightened by the landscape passing the window...” A train is a carrier that allows residence.

I wrote The Great Railway Bazaar on my return in 1974, and it appeared to good reviews and quick sales. That’s the past. Nothing is the same. All travel is time-related. All such trips are singular and unrepeatable. It’s not just that the steam trains of Asia are gone, but much of the peace and order is gone. Who’d risk an Iranian train now or take a bus through Afghanistan?

But I’ve been surprised by some of the more recent developments in travel. I rode on Chinese trains for a year and wrote Riding the Iron Rooster, but now China has much cleaner and swifter trains and modernized destinations. A traveler today could take the same trip I took in 1986—1987 and produce a completely different book.

All travel books are dated. That’s their fault that they’re outdated, and it’s their virtue that they preserve something of the past that would otherwise be lost.

1. What happened at the beginning of the author’s trip to Asia?

A．He made full preparations for the trip.

B．He had expected the journey to be rough.

C．He organized the trip with his family’s support.

D．He started the trip out of his passion for traveling.

2. Why did the author repeatedly recall the sleeping car?

A．For its romantic scenery.	B．For its reassuring privacy.
C．For its full equipment.	D．For its long distance.

3. What did the author try to convey by saying “Nothing is the same”?

A．The landscape in Asia was gone.	B．Train trip was no longer popular.
C．He couldn’t write another bestseller.	D．Transportation and travel had changed a lot.

4. Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Sharp tools make good work.
C．Travel, truth is not the arrival card.	D．The journey, not the arrival matters.

2 . This morning I was reading a book outside my favorite beachside coffee shop when an 18-year-old boy sat down next to me and said, “The ______   in your hands is great, isn’t it?” I closed the book and we started ______ .

He told me he was getting ready to ______   high school next week and then started his college life in the fall. But he had no ______ what he wanted to do with his life.

He asked me many questions, and I ______ them as well as I could, trying to give ______ advice with the time I had. And after a half-hour conversation, he thanked me and we parted ways.

But on my way home I realized the ______ I had with that 18-year-old boy was ______ quite nostalgic (令人怀念的) . He made me ______ the time when I was his age, more than twenty years ago. I had so many ______ back then. So, I started thinking about his questions again, and I began remembering all the helpful little things someone told me ______ I was 18.

The ______ is that you’d better do your best, one ______ , not all at once. And above all, laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t ______ when everything develops. Life is short, yet ______ . Enjoy the ride!

1.

A．book

B．magazine

C．radio

D．newspaper

2.

A．reading

B．dancing

C．chatting

D．singing

3.

A．graduate from

B．give up

C．get to

D．look for

4.

A．right

B．idea

C．excuse

D．money

5.

A．avoided

B．refused

C．doubted

D．answered

6.

A．proper

B．strict

C．humorous

D．wrong

7.

A．competition

B．experiment

C．argument

D．conversation

8.

A．angrily

B．sadly

C．actually

D．bravely

9.

A．forget

B．remember

C．waste

D．discuss

10.

A．chances

B．choices

C．questions

D．challenges

11.

A．when

B．until

C．how

D．though

12.

A．reason

B．truth

C．silence

D．cause

13.

A．on time

B．at a time

C．in time

D．from time to time

14.

A．volunteer

B．imagine

C．change

D．cheat

15.

A．similar

B．strange

C．difficult

D．amazing

3 . It was early winter several years ago. I had pulled out my old winter coat for another year’s use. It was still in pretty good shape although it was looking dirty from so many winters’ wear. I didn’t really need a new one but I wanted one and casually mentioned it to my daughter one day. She was such a sweet, loving girl that I should have guessed what would happen next. A few weeks later she gave me a new winter coat as a gift.

I put the old one in my closet and started to wear the new coat every day. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something troubled me. It seemed a shame that my old but still good coat should just sit there keeping no one warm during the cold winter days. After a few weeks, I took it out and drove to a local charity shop. I knew that there was someone who couldn’t afford a coat but could get my old one.

My new coat is my old coat now. It is getting a little dirty and worn, too. It has black marks on the sleeves. It is in too bad shape to even donate to charity. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon, but I think I will wait for a while. I don’t really need a new one and maybe I can find something else to give to the charity shop instead.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Want is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover.” Perhaps the best way to deal with our wants then is to give instead. Love, after all, brings us the most joy. And the more of it you give away, the more of it you have.

1. Which word can best describe the author’s daughter?

A．Wealthy.

B．Thoughtful.

C．Easy-going.

D．Humorous.

2. Why was the author in shame when seeing his old coat in the closet?

A．It cost too much.	B．It was looking dirty.
C．There was not enough room for his new coat.	D．It was not sent to someone in need.

3. What is the author’s decision after his second coat becomes old?

A．Telling his daughter.	B．Buying a new one soon.
C．Donating it to charity.	D．Sending something else to charity.

4. What does the author want to show in the last paragraph?

A．Giving fills our wants.	B．Love is the key to joy.
C．The more you give, the more you lose.	D．A coat is large enough to cover our wants.

4 . Don’t Live in Others’ Expectations

Whether it is our family or friends, they want the best for us. They want us to go to the best school.     1    

However, the problem with this kind of expectation is not practicable for most of us. Why do we feel the need to live in others’ expectations? Fulfilling the need of others’ desire before yourself is neglecting your freedom of happiness and self-care.     2     Therefore, it is okay to live free of anyone’s expectations.

Expectations are attachments of ourselves to please others. One of the cruel truths about people with expectations is that they don’t really care how you feel.     3     It’s a give-and-take situation.

    4     Sometimes, we lose our joy under pressure because expectations are not realistic and because they are an ideal of how you should be, not who you are. Expectations do not focus on reality but the sacrifice of your happiness.

It’s okay to be selfish for your happiness; in a way, expectations are the root of suffering. It will destroy your self-esteem and any confirmation of your worth. We can be free of it by living our lives according to our own will.     5    

Give up the thoughts of pleasing others and live a free life. Be in control of it and let others accept who you are.

A．Take expectation as a form of attachment.

B．To be happy, you should let go of how you want to be perceived by others.

C．They see you trying for their sake of pleasure, but they don’t give anything back.

D．They also want us to have the best kind of careers, ultimately to succeed in the way they want.

E．Living in others’ expectations will never get you satisfaction because they never will be satisfied.

F．We can bend the reality of expectations and see it as a form of attachment.

G．Ignore unrealistic expectations.

5 . In 1984, I was a painfully insecure teenage girl from a dysfunctional family, depressed, underweight, and rejected by my classmates. My only comfort was to be the stage manager at our school.

One day, actors from the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival came to perform for the school. One of them was Barry Kraft, and he was unlike anyone I’d ever met. As I ran around backstage helping him, he treated me with friendliness and respect that he would show for friends in his living room.

He showed up at our drama class and asked everyone to narrate a monologue (独白). To my shock, he took me aside after class and said, “Your monologue was the best. That was really very good.”

I made it through graduation and got accepted to college. That summer, I traveled with a friend to see Mr. Kraft perform. During one performance, I gathered up my courage and dropped him a note during the break, saying I was visiting and if he looked he could see us. Almost immediately I regretted sending the note. I thought it was the most presumptuous (留失的) thing I had ever done.

At the end of the show, he was waiting for me! He smiled broadly and gave me a hug. Then he said, “Would you like to visit backstage?” And off we went. Every time we met someone, he introduced me and said, “She’s a very good performer who was a huge help to me at her school visit.”

It is difficult to describe how important this man’s attention was to me. A successful actor doesn’t have to give a depressed teenager the time of day, but he did far more. My confidence had just increased 800 percent. I am now a happily married professional, and whenever I notice a teenager in need, I remember Barry Kraft. He saw a teenager in need of attention and support, and he took the time to help. So now I take the time, too.

1. What do we know about the author?

A．She was loved by her parents.	B．She felt left out by her classmates.
C．She suffered terribly from stage fright.	D．She was troubled by the issue of overweight.

2. Which of the following can best describe Barry Kraft?

A．Friendly and considerate.	B．Intelligent and patient.
C．Committed and generous.	D．Confident and energetic.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The author will continue with her education.

B．Barry Kraft will team up with the author.

C．Barry Kraft inspired the author to study drama.

D．The author will make efforts to assist teenagers.

4. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce a famous actor.

B．To encourage people to overcome difficulties.

C．To share the author’s experience and its impact on her.

D．To explain the reason why the author loves stage management.

6 . It was Friday, and I slid into my seat I looked up and felt the _________. I heard our fifth-grade teacher say we were about to take our weekly math test. She told us not to _________ it. If we practiced our problems at home, we should be fine.

I took some deep _________ and comforted myself, “It’s only 10 questions. How hard can it be?” But when a blank test arrived on my desk, I was full of _________. Everything seemed like a blur (模糊) as I rushed to _________ on time. However, as I handed my paper to the teacher, I felt _________ good—maybe it was because the test was over. Before the end of the day, though, she handed back the tests. I _________. Another C.

Growing up, I felt math was a _________. Only thanks to a devoted teacher in a summer course did I gain the basic _________ I needed to move forward. From then on, math felt more or less tolerable.

So you might be __________ that I’m now an elementary school math specialist. Today, I often think about why many students find math __________, and I think it has something to do with the fact that we don, t develop in them the critical (批判性的) thinking skills needed for math reasoning. That’s why my __________ is to teach math as a way of thinking.

I remind those students, who think they’re born bad at math, that math is a skill you never __________ learning. There’ll always be something you haven’t yet mastered, and that’s OK. It, s also OK to __________ along the way. Actually, it’s not the __________ of the world if a problem needs correcting; it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. So keep learning.

1.

A．impatience

B．pride

C．nervousness

D．satisfaction

2.

A．care about

B．worry about

C．talk about

D．think about

3.

A．actions

B．risks

C．turns

D．breaths

4.

A．panic

B．happiness

C．pride

D．trouble

5.

A．relax

B．prepare

C．finish

D．escape

6.

A．constantly

B．surprisingly

C．seemingly

D．naturally

7.

A．looked up

B．looked around

C．looked out

D．looked down

8.

A．challenge

B．relief

C．choice

D．skill

9.

A．research

B．principle

C．support

D．knowledge

10.

A．doubtful

B．thrilled

C．hopeful

D．shocked

11.

A．easy

B．scary

C．interesting

D．influential

12.

A．goal

B．duty

C．path

D．rule

13.

A．admit

B．ignore

C．stop

D．dislike

14.

A．struggle

B．debate

C．quit

D．pray

15.

A．beginning

B．symbol

C．end

D．power

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What example does the man give to prove his point?

A．His aunt’s example.

B．His father’s example.

C．His own example.

2. What did the man do last month?

A．He took part in a competition.

B．He learned to play the violin.

C．He taught his father to play the guitar.

3. What does Susan’s example prove?

A．Hard work is more important.

B．Talent is more important.

C．Talent is as important as hard work.

8 . As a reporter, I talk to strangers for a living and love the challenge of getting them to open up. Yet here’s a confession: I’ve been married for eight happy years, but until six months ago, I could be the stereotypical inattentive husband.

It’s not that my wife and I never had pleasant conversations. But more often than I care to admit, I was just going through the motions, nodding when I was supposed to. I was the guy who’d defensively snap (厉声说), “Of course I did!” when my wife would ask, “JB, did you even hear what I just said?”

In January, I began to lose my voice repeatedly. Doctors told me I needed surgery, or else my throat would be permanently damaged. Total silence would be required for the first few weeks of my recovery.

Two hours after the surgery, my eyes filled with tears as my two-year-old son stood by me looking puzzled because I wouldn’t answer his questions. I wanted to talk but couldn’t.

But before I got home, I had settled into a Zen-like peace about my silence. Soon I noticed another “side effect”: As my wife talked to me to keep up my spirits, I wasn’t just hearing her; I was listening to her.

Over the next few weeks, I found myself unwilling to miss a word she said. I began to hear a sweetness in her voice that I hadn’t recalled for long. I found myself understanding her better on topics I’d previously dismissed as “things I just don’t get as a guy”.

I also realized my toddler (学步的儿童) wasn’t just chattering nonstop but that he often had surprisingly thoughtful things to say for his age.

Even while walking my dog in the woods near our home, I began hearing pleasant patterns in bird songs. The rustling leaves sounded crisper to me. Before my surgery, I’d have spent those walks on my phone.

After several months, I was fully recovered. Now conversation in our house is better, but not because I’m talking more. I’m just listening better and becoming less and less surprised that I like what I hear.

1. What does the author want to tell us most in the first two paragraphs?

A．He was fond of talking to strangers.

B．He enjoyed taking challenges.

C．Sometimes he ignored his wife’s words.

D．He often quarreled with his wife.

2. Why did the author have to keep silent?

A．To avoid argument.	B．To hear more.
C．To ensure recovery.	D．To show unhappiness.

3. After the surgery, how did the author feel about his inability to talk at first?

A．Peaceful.

B．Upset.

C．Puzzled.

D．Uncertain.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Easier said than done.

B．Full set, partial to listen to the dark.

C．Knowledge is power.

D．Listen well and you can hear the world.

9 . The Most Important Day of Your Life

What’s the most important day of your life? The answer to that question is simple — Today.

    1     You can’t do anything about things that have already happened, and trying to live in the future will take your focus away from the present. So the helpful strategy for anyone is to make the most of the moment that is right in front of us.

Doing our best today may make things easier for us later on, or at least help us to deal with whatever situation we are in.     2     We will still be dealing with the same challenges tomorrow.

Each morning I ask myself what I can do to make today memorable.     3     In Hebrew school we were asked what we had done to help other people the previous week. Did we help an older person cross the street? Did we encourage someone who had a promising idea?    4     All of these things represent a worthy deed because they involve doing something to help someone else.

Even if today is not that meaningful for you, something you do for someone else may be very meaningful for them. You never know how much a good deed for someone else will impact that person. The greatest meaning that today brings may not be for you, it may be for someone else.

    5     You can deal with tomorrow next week, or next year when it gets here.

A．The answer involves doing something kind for someone else.

B．Did we hold the door for someone whose hands were full?

C．Is today still the most important day?

D．The past cannot be changed, and the future has not happened yet.

E．Ignoring today and hoping it will go away certainly won’t work.

F．If you wash it away, someone else may not get the benefits.

G．So make the most of today.

10 . 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。

What my father wore really embarrassed me. I wanted him to dress like a doctor or a lawyer, but on those muggy mornings when he rose before dawn to fry eggs for my mother and me, he always dressed like my father.

We lived in South Texas, and my father worked as a repairman. He liked shirts that snapped more than those that buttoned, and kept his pencils, cigars, glasses, wrenches and screwdrivers in his breast pocket. His boots were those with steel toes that made them difficult to pull off his feet, which I sometimes helped him with when he returned from repairing cars — his job that also shamed me.

I blamed the way he dressed for my social failures. When boys bullied me, I thought they’d seen my father wearing his cowboy hat but no shirt while walking our dog. I felt that girls laughed at me because they’d glimpsed him mowing the grass in cut-off jeans and black boots. The girls’ families paid men to beautify their lawns, while their fathers travelled in the bay wearing lemon-yellow sweaters and expensive sandals.

My father only bought two suits in his life. He preferred clothes that allowed him the freedom to move under cars. But the day before my parents’ twentieth anniversary, he and I went to Sears, and he tried on suits all afternoon. With each one, he stepped to the mirror, smiled and nodded, then asked about the price and reached for another. He probably tried ten suits before we drove to a discount store and bought one that saved him the bother of approaching a fitting room.

Later, he wore the same suit for my eighth-grade award banquet, but I wished he’d stayed home. After the ceremony, he praised my award and my character while changing into a faded red sweatsuit. He was stepping into the garage to wash a load of laundry when I asked what later struck me as cruel and wrong. “Why,” I asked, “don’t you dress ‘nice’, like my friends fathers?”

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。

He held me with his sad, shocked eyes and searched for an answer.

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In the following days, my father proved to me that there are things more important than what one wears.

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