At eleven years old, my main concern was money. On my bedroom floor, I arranged the change from my money box to see what I had. I wished it’d multiply before my eyes, but of course it didn’t. To have more money, I decided to work for my grandmother.
After school, my grandmother drove to pick me up. About an hour later, we arrived at the pick-up kitchen and got dozens of little shiny silver trays (托盘). After our load was arranged in the backseat, my grandmother drove us to our first stop: a small white house. I took a meal and a small box of milk from the back and walked beside my grandmother to the door. She opened it and said, “Mrs. Hershel, we’ve brought you some lunch.” The reply came, “Come on in.”
I nearly jumped when I glanced over to see a tiny old woman in the corner looking at me. She sat in a rocking chair and had many wrinkles. When I approached her, she smiled at me, with no teeth. My grandmother guided me inside to place the lunch on her kitchen table. The house smelled bad.
The next stop was much the same and the next. The houses varied in size and shape, but the same wrinkly people waited for their meals. Each person smiled at me and thanked me as I hurried to get out of there. I was sweaty and tired, and my clothes had captured the bad smell of the food and old houses.
At the end of the day, I guessed it was obvious to my grandmother that I wasn’t very comfortable about the job anymore. “You don’t have to help me,” she said. “I understand if the job isn’t what you want to do.” I swallowed hard, wandering what to say. “For many of the people we deliver lunch to, this is their only meal of the day. Many of them are alone,” my grandmother continued. Seeing my eyes widen, my grandmother smiled, “But a kind word and a smile go a long way.”
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。
When we arrived home, my grandmother handed me the money I’d earned.
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The next morning, I saw each person with all their wrinkles and the houses a little differently.
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2 . Once a year, around the time when Christians celebrate Easter, Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Jews celebrate Passover, I often invite my 24-person team to a joyful and special dinner at my place. To
I think this
Yet when people
I’m also really
As the person in charge of the lab, I see preserving a variety of cultural backgrounds as an important part of my job. Such an accessible, varied and supportive
| A．accommodate | B．avoid | C．change | D．control |
| A．enjoy | B．throw | C．prepare | D．taste |
| A．dream | B．tradition | C．promise | D．debate |
| A．strange | B．conservative | C．poor | D．diverse |
| A．gives up | B．turns down | C．consists of | D．leaves out |
| A．breakthroughs | B．backgrounds | C．ambitions | D．hobbies |
| A．differences | B．recipes | C．requirements | D．standards |
| A．visit | B．praise | C．join | D．aid |
| A．regret | B．charge | C．sympathy | D．love |
| A．surprised at | B．proud of | C．interested in | D．worried about |
| A．curious | B．casual | C．careful | D．relaxed |
| A．thank | B．defeat | C．compare | D．choose |
| A．scientifically | B．physically | C．mentally | D．financially |
| A．respect | B．protect | C．stand | D．doubt |
| A．chance | B．position | C．lecture | D．environment |
3 . There was once a farmer who had a large field of corn. He worked the land with the greatest care, for he wanted to sell the corn and buy good things for his family. But he saw his corn dry up, for no rain fell, and he feared that he was to have no crop. Every morning he went out to the field and looked at the thirsty stalks and wished for the rain to fall.
One day, as he stood looking up at the sky, two little raindrops saw him, and one said to the other: “Look at that farmer. I feel very sorry for him. He took such pains with his field of corn, and now it is drying up. I wish I might help him.”
“Yes,” said the other, “but you are only a little raindrop. What can you do? You can’t wet even one hill.”
“Well,” said the first, “I know, to be sure, I cannot do much; but perhaps I can cheer the farmer a little, and I am going to do my best. I’ll go to the field to show my good will, if I can’t do anything more. Here I go!”
The first raindrop had no sooner started for the field than the second one said: “Well, if you really insist upon going, I think I will go, too. Here I come!” And down went the raindrops. One came — pat —on the farmer’s nose, and one fell on a thirsty stalk of corn.
“Dear me,” said the farmer, “what’s that? A raindrop! Where did it come from? I do believe we shall have a shower.”
By this time a great many raindrops had come together to see what all the commotion was about. When they saw the two kind little drops going down to cheer the farmer, and water his corn, one said:“If you two are going on such a good errand, I’ll go, too!” And down he came. “And I!” said another. “And I!” And so said they all, until a whole shower came and the corn was watered. Then the corn grew and ripened — all because one little raindrop tried to do what it could.
1. Why does the first raindrop feel badly for the farmer?| A．His crops are dying. | B．His family is starving. |
| C．He is extremely thirsty. | D．He is bad at growing crops. |
| A．the first raindrop offers its support |
| B．the farmer gives the corn a shower |
| C．all the raindrops come and make a shower |
| D．the first two raindrops go on a good errand |
| A．Brave and humble. | B．Kind and inspiring. |
| C．Ambitious and cheerful. | D．Pessimistic and insistent. |
| A．Save it for a rainy day. |
| B．God helps those who help themselves. |
| C．It’s better to be a leader than a follower. |
| D．Doing your best can make a difference. |
4 . Life is a mix of good and bad days. Each new day presents us with a fresh opportunity to learn new lessons. Sometimes, you learn these new lessons in your daily lives. On other days, you may gain invaluable knowledge about life from a game of poker(扑克牌).
Life is not fair.
Life is not designed to be fair. Some people will get the best cards while others will have to deal with the waste pieces. Life has its rules, but sticking to them does not exactly mean you will achieve success.
Protect yourself.
You are the most important person in your life. When playing poker, you are the most important player, and the cards you have are valuable things.
Learn from mistakes.
Gains and losses are a part of life. You win some to lose some, just like in a game of poker. Some risky actions may prove unprofitable after you are neck-deep in them. In such cases, you must know when to quit, count your losses, and bounce back better.
| A．Mistakes are a part of life. |
| B．Know when to cut your losses. |
| C．Catch chances to improve yourselves. |
| D．The game of poker shows life in so many ways. |
| E．You have to trust yourself by not taking unbearable risks. |
| F．You are considered foolish when making the same mistakes. |
| G．Following the rules in poker does not mean you will win, either. |
5 . Whenever we make a choice, whether it’s as big as getting married or as small as an argument with a friend, we are driven by our values. Values tend to be single-word concepts like freedom, equality, selflessness, honesty.
One way to recognize the values by which you live is look at how you spend your money.
Pay attention to who you talk to, what you watch, and what you do with your time.
Values make it easier for you to surround yourself with the right people, make tough career choices, use your time more wisely, and focus your attention where it really matters to you.
| A．All of these push values and beliefs. |
| B．Is your precious time wasted or well spent? |
| C．Your bills actually reflect what matters most to you. |
| D．That might sound rather abstract, but these values are really practical. |
| E．Who you surround yourself with helps you stick to your values and achieve your goals. |
| F．Without them we are swept away by outside voice instead of following our inner voice. |
| G．When we drive through a new area, we wander aimlessly if we don’t know the directions. |
Ritch Addison was ashy kid. In elementary school, he didn’t speak up for himself, and he
“It turned out that I had gotten a hundred on the test and he didn’t do so well,” Addison recalled. “And I joked heartlessly about it.”
Then one day, his good friend, Holly, pulled him aside and said, “Ritch, sometimes you really hurt
Addison
“But I kept thinking about what Holly said. Finally, I realized that she was
It couldn’t happen overnight,
Broken Shells
It was a warm summer afternoon at the Jersey shore. My four-year-old son and I just loved walking along the beach just before dinner. With a bucket in hand, we’d hit the sand and start our adventure.
I remember the days not so long ago when a trip to the beach was just unbearable for my little boy. My son, Will, was diagnosed with ASD (孤独症). His sensitivities to sights, sounds, and touches would prevent us from enjoying everyday activities. The beach is now one of his favorite places to visit.
Presently, we are able to walk along the edge of the water almost daily in the summer months, looking for seashells to fill our bucket. On this particular day, there didn’t seem to be too many shells washed up on the shore. Will began picking up whatever shells he saw lying in the sand. After a while, I looked into the bucket and saw nothing but broken shells. “Will,” I said, “all of these shells are broken and no good.” “You need to find shells like this,” I continued, as I held up a perfectly shaped shell. Will gave me a puzzled look and continued on his way, gathering whatever shells he saw and dropping them into the bucket.
I continued my search for some time, and again, I stopped, but this time I asked in a firm voice, “Will, why do you insist on filling our bucket with shells that are broken?” He looked up at me and replied, “Mom, there are more shells on the beach that are broken than there are perfect ones that you are searching for. We’ll get the bucket filled faster with the broken ones.” True, I thought, but who wanted a bucketful of broken shells? Will stared at me as if he knew what I was thinking. “Mom, these shells are broken. but they are still beautiful.” he added. Just then he began commenting on different shells’ uniqueness. “It has the color purple on it. Mom, none of yours have purple on them. It reminds me of a clown (小丑). This one is like the sun, and these ones are like butterfly wings,” he said with such pride.
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。
Touched by what he said, I realized changes are to be made to our shell trip.
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Back home with great joy, we agreed to make more shell trips and build a “broken shell garden”.
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8 . I truly believe we all have a very special purpose in life, regardless of who we are or where we come from. After ten years of working for a major Wall Street bank, I wanted to do something challenging. So when I read a Merrill Lynch advertisement looking to hire more stockbrokers (股票经纪人), with great excitement, I made some phone calls and arranged to meet with one of its branch vice presidents. After this interview and interviews with twelve of his top stockbrokers, I eventually landed the job.
The first few months was a struggle. I lived on very little commission (佣金). Night after night, I left the office weary and exhausted, ready to give up, yet somehow returning the next morning to start anew day. Eventually, all the hard work paid off. In less than four years, I became one of the top sales people at my branch and increased personal sales by 1,700 percent. The success earned me a six-figure income, promotion and numerous sales awards.
Toward the end of my fourth year at Merrill Lynch, it hit me that something was missing. I thought long and hard about my goals. Then I was reminded of the time when I spoke to hundreds of people, while in college as a student leader, and years later, when I won a “Humorous Speech” championship. It dawned on me that every time I had a speaking engagement, I always came out of the experience with a wonderful, energetic, peaceful and magical feeling that was unmatched by anything else I did. I knew the extraordinary public-speaking skills I was blessed with could enable me to make a lasting difference and transform other people’s lives.
Then I took another daring risk, gave up everything and left the investment business for a more satisfying career as a motivational speaker. The beginning of my speaking journey was surprisingly similar to what I had first experienced at Merrill Lynch. However, nothing in the world comes close to the satisfying feeling I get when thousands of people tell me how much I have made a difference in their lives by motivating them to take risks and be the best they could be.
1. Why did the author meet with a Merrill Lynch branch vice president?| A．To arrange an interview. | B．To make an advertisement. |
| C．To employ more clerks. | D．To get a position. |
| A．Tolerant and ambitious. | B．Demanding and successful. |
| C．Tough and competent. | D．Optimistic and agreeable. |
| A．He hoped to relive college life. | B．He wanted to influence others’ lives. |
| C．He had an engagement. | D．His investment was not satisfying. |
| A．Speaking Makes a Satisfying Job | B．Challenge Your Career Choice |
| C．Hard Work Pays Off | D．Dare to Take Risks |
I was creating a picture book for my dad’s birthday about our family’s fruit store. I worked hard making pictures of big apples, peaches, plums, and oranges. Every time I messed up, I started all over again, so the floor under the kitchen table was covered with half-finished drawings.
“Dad’s going to love this,” Mom said as she looked over my shoulder.
I zipped through the cleaning and moved those waste papers from the floor to the recycling bin as fast as possible. Just as I was about to get back to the birthday book. my friend Mareya showed up and invited me to go play in the park. It’s freezing outside, not good for a walk. But Mareya insisted that it’s the perfect weather for not getting overheated. That’s a cool thing about Mareya. She had this way of looking on the bright side of pretty much anything.
So, after checking with my mom, we put Mareya’s guitar inside and headed to the park. But as soon as we arrived there, the sky filled with giant gray clouds and rain started pouring down. We laughed as we headed back home, dripping wet. Mareya was right about one thing. We definitely didn’t get overheated!
We were just arriving at the driveway and that’s when my heart pretty much stopped. Right there, in front of the recycling bin, were pieces of soaking-wet papers. And not just any papers…
I ran to rescue my birthday book drawings. But it was too late. As I picked up my once-perfect pictures, they were a wet, useless mess!
My drawings were gone forever! The cats had jumped up and knocked papers off the table. Then after being played with by the naughty cats, they ended up in the rain water. What could I do without the present for dad? I was in despair.
“We can do something...” said Mareya.
“What?” I sniffled.
“Remember those paper pumpkins we made in third-grade art class?” she said. “And we covered balloons with wet paper and flour to make paper pumpkins.”
Having no better alternative, we decided to give it a try though we were not sure whether this mess could work.
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。
My mom was very understanding, preparing balloons and flour for us.
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Finally we got the present ready — a big basket of paper fruit.
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10 . When 9-year-old Alice asked me, “Mom, do I have to brush my hair today?” I didn’t know how to answer. On the one hand, it’s good to have pride in our
Five years later, at age 14, Alice
We have talked about in detail how looks don’t mater and that being a good, kind ,
And just as she learned over the years that often brushing hair is probably a good idea,
| A．success | B．possession | C．health | D．appearance |
| A．And | B．But | C．So | D．While |
| A．dressed | B．felt | C．expressed | D．responded |
| A．fascinating | B．troublesome | C．demanding | D．striking |
| A．much | B．many | C．little | D．few |
| A．makes fun of | B．keeps track of | C．is obsessed with | D．adapts to |
| A．fits | B．shifts | C．suits | D．matches |
| A．struck | B．crossed | C．hit | D．puzzled |
| A．shallow | B．narrow | C．sharp | D．unusual |
| A．generous | B．caring | C．smart | D．humorous |
| A．quarrel | B．approach | C．occasion | D．conversation |
| A．In vain | B．By contrast | C．In spite of | D．In turn |
| A．powerful | B．alarming | C．embarrassing | D．illegal |
| A．hopefully | B．typically | C．exactly | D．abstractly |
| A．confidence | B．beauty | C．makeup | D．costume |
