1 . Frank Herbert’s science fiction Dune was the first coming-of-age story that helped me survive my lonely junior high school. At age 12, my life was the tiny, boring cycle of home, school and my parents’ store. Dune cracked it all open and led me to a universe that made my little world a lot more bearable. Unlike Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye who kept breaking windows, Dune’s main character, Paul Atreides, equipped me with a junior-high survival guide.

Paul is not a classic underdog. He’s the son of a king. He’s been trained since birth in war arts, politics and critical survival skills by a group of smart and experienced men with impossible-to-pronounce names. But when his world is turned upside down-when he leaves his home, loses his father and enters a physically and politically hostile environment-he doesn’t complain and cry. He adapts.

To this day, I still can recite his words against fear: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total destruction. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

The steady diet of literary fiction assigned by my teachers was escapist and the very act of reading (whatever the content) usually took me out of a given moment, but didn’t provide much advice on how to face my daily conflicts and painful insecurity.

Dune was escapist, too. However, it was expansive and literally redefined possibility for me who had been struggling along with eyes on the ground, just trying to make it through another day of boredom and hardship of being a teenage girl. Paul lifted my eyes up so I could see the stars.

1. Which best explains “hostile” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Safe.

B．Unfriendly.

C．Unbeneficial.

D．Pleasant.

2. What is probably the author’s deepest impression about Paul?

A．His good education.	B．His noble birth.
C．His courage to face fear.	D．His escapist attitude.

3. What does the author say about herself as a teenager?

A．She was an optimistic girl.	B．She was not loved by her parents.
C．She had a carefree childhood.	D．She felt insecure and unconfident.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Catcher in the Rye Should Be Banned

B．Teenagers Should Not Read Literary Fictions

C．Dune Became My Junior-High Survival Guide

D．Science Fiction Is Better Than Literary Fiction

2 . Moving forces us to face the extraneous. File cabinets and drawers stuffed to the brim, boxes piled high in the backs of closets — why keep letters and cards that we never re-read? One card with my grandmother’s handwriting should be enough.

An unnerving yet productive strategy is to envision someone dealing with the piles of papers if you suddenly weren’t here. You instantly realize that most of your accumulation will one day be thrown into a recycling bin. The things you are saving as reminders of your past are useless to others. Sure, you may value what you keep, but worth is essentially all in your head.

In a real sense, to throw things away is to prepare to die. This is not a gloomy declaration but rather an enlivening recognition of the freedom that follows when we take ourselves less seriously. It’s the same as looking at a sky full of stars and feeling the relief of being tiny and unimportant. Awareness of the briefness of our time on earth and the impermanence of both our attachments and our sufferings can become a powerful basis for clearing things and emotions alike.

A few years ago, dear friends were called home from work to a big fire. They watched as their house burned to the ground, despite the efforts of several fire crews. Everything material, cherished things, and accumulations were reduced to ashes —clothes, photo albums, furniture, paintings, books, boxes of old letters, the piano.

By nightfall, what they had left were the clothes they had worn that day and the photos they had kept at their workplaces. At first, they felt completely collapsed, but once they emerged from the initial shock and grief, they were sustained by a lot of love from family and friends. They were alive, and this is what really mattered. It is astonishing to discover how little weight our possessions carry in this calculus of true necessity.

1. What does the underlined word “extraneous” mean in Paragraph 1?

A．Invaluable.

B．Irrelevant.

C．Suitable.

D．Necessary.

2. What may the author agree with about the value of one’s accumulation?

A．It’s useless.

B．It’s essential.

C．It’s personal.

D．It’s recyclable.

3. How can one be prepared “to throw things away” according to Paragraph 3?

A．By recognizing the burden of freedom.	B．By letting oneself fade into insignificance.
C．By being aware of the preciousness of time.	D．By treasuring the attachments and sufferings.

4. Why does the author mention his friends’ story?

A．To demonstrate the cruelty of a fire.	B．To stress the weight our possessions carry.
C．To emphasize the importance of love from friends.	D．To show the insignificance of our possessions.

3 . Powerful Quotes To Help You Find Your Way When You Feel Lost

Everyone has moments in their lives when they feel a little lost, and it is at these times that we begin to question who we are and what the purpose of life is. Many people have struggled with similar emotions before us.     1    

    2     It can happen to anyone at any time. If you are currently going through such a period in your life, powerful quotations will undoubtedly be beneficial. They will always act in your best interests and direct you in the right direction.

Powerful quotations about feeling lost will encourage you to search within and discover how you truly are. With all of life’s ups and downs, it’s simple to feel like your life is meaningless, that there is no hope for the future.     3    

Perhaps you’ve become lost in your work, your relationship, or your parental responsibilities.     4     Powerful quotations will aid in your self-understanding and boost your confidence so that you can design the life you love.

You need to understand that you are not alone if you’re feeling lost.     5     Because things will pass and get better. It Make an effort to show yourself enough love and attention. Enjoy life as it comes to you and take your time.

A．The only life you can actually lead is the one that is immediately in front of you.

B．So follow them, set aside your concerns and allow yourself to see the life that lies ahead.

C．In any event, you shouldn’t let yourself become trapped in this condition of confusion.

D．Your current difficult situations are temporary.

E．Being lost is perfectly normal.

F．Get help from some powerful professional quotes.

G．However, maybe you’re experiencing a difficult time that you weren’t prepared well.

4 . A little stream flowed down from a high mountain far away through many villages and forests, until it reached a desert. The stream then thought, “I’ve been through countless obstacles. I should have no problem crossing this desert!” But soon she found herself gradually disappearing into the mud and sand. After numerous tries, she found it was all in vain and was very upset. “Maybe it’s my destiny! I’m not destined to reach the vast ocean in the legend.”

At this time;a deep voice came, saying, “If a breeze can cross the desert, so can a river.”

It was the voice of the desert. Unconvinced, the little stream replied, “That’s because a breeze can fly, but I cannot.”

“That’s because you stick to what you are If you’re willing to give it up, and let yourself evaporate (蒸发) into the breeze, it can take you across, and you can reach your destination,” said the desert in its deep voice.

The little stream had never heard of such a thing. She could not accept this idea. After all, she had never experienced anything like it before. Wouldn’t it be self-destruction to give up what she was now?

“How do I know if this is true? and will I still be what I am now?” asked the little stream.

“Yes, and no. Whether you’re a river or invisible vapor, your inner nature never changes. You stick to the fact that you’re a river because you don’t know your inner nature,”answered the desert.

Deep down, the stream vaguely remembered that before she became a river, it was perhaps also the breeze that had carried her halfway up a high mountain, where she turned into rain and fell onto the ground and became what she was now. Finally the little stream gathered her courage and rushed into the open arms of the breeze; which carried her to the next stage of her life.

The course of our lives is like the experience of little stream. If you want to surpass the obstacles in your life in order to head for the destination of Truth, Virtue and beauty, you should also have the wisdom and courage to renounce (放弃) your ego (attachment to yourself).

Perhaps you can try asking yourself these questions: What is my inner nature? What is it that I cling to? and, What is it that I really want?

1. What obstacle did the stream come across when starting to cross the desert?

A．Her effortless attempt.	B．Her unrealistic goal.
C．Her bowing to fate.	D．All that struggle for nothing.

2. Which are the right changes of the stream’s attitudes according to the text?

A．Confident — shocked — determined — withdrawn

B．Sad — determined — disappointed — shocked

C．Disappointed — doubted — confident — surprised

D．Hopeful — upset — shocked — determined

3. What’s your understanding of the underlined phrase “Yes, and no.”?

A．Give up what you are, and you will never owe it again.

B．While you change physically, your inner nature will never change.

C．Only by sticking to yourself can you realize your dream.

D．Changing yourself means losing control of everything.

4. Which of the following is NOT the author’s attitude to life?

A．When you can’t change the environment, change yourself.

B．Stick to your inner nature rather than what you are.

C．Once starting the journey, you should stick to your goal.

D．Be flexible and adaptable, venturing into the unknown.

5 . When trouble hits someone in your community, how can you respond? This year, a wildfire has left many people in my community _________ with damaged homes. The community where I live is coming together to _________. How does each of us show our _________ for those who lost their homes?

Imagine a Circle of Care. _________ a circle and write the name of a person in _________ in the center. Draw _________ rings around the first one and write in the names of the people next closest to the crisis. _________ outwards. Distant friends and family are within _________ circles. The entire _________ itself becomes the outer ring. After the firestorm in Santiam Canyon, people posted __________ signs saying “Canyon Strong!” and sent supplies to resource centers.

When I am in the center of such a circle, I do not want to __________ someone who has not experienced my __________ say, “I know exactly how you feel.” Helping people closer to the center of the circle requires more listening than __________.

When you are in a closer ring and __________ someone in the center of the circle, you may __________ their burden and want to express your own feelings. Do it with those further out in the circle. I find this gives me __________ to continue helping those in rings smaller than my own.

Whenever you are in the circle of care, __________ what you are about to say and do. Sometimes it is possible to give physical aid. Sometimes the damage is __________ . Can you calm by __________ to go for a walk with them?__________ others and hold them dear.

1.

A．agreeing

B．working

C．connecting

D．struggling

2.

A．reappear

B．rebuild

C．repeat

D．recall

3.

A．care

B．strength

C．respect

D．appreciation

4.

A．Find

B．Draw

C．Join

D．Run

5.

A．debt

B．surprise

C．crisis

D．doubt

6.

A．darker

B．larger

C．fewer

D．nicer

7.

A．Face

B．Point

C．Pull

D．Continue

8.

A．cycling

B．certain

C．widening

D．complete

9.

A．team

B．family

C．center

D．community

10.

A．interesting

B．satisfying

C．amusing

D．encouraging

11.

A．hear

B．aid

C．imagine

D．question

12.

A．joy

B．anger

C．pain

D．freedom

13.

A．talking

B．protecting

C．lying

D．waiting

14.

A．praising

B．visiting

C．helping

D．following

15.

A．forget

B．feel

C．miss

D．increase

16.

A．time

B．energy

C．space

D．money

17.

A．give up

B．look for

C．think about

D．deal with

18.

A．emotional

B．lasting

C．unknown

D．visible

19.

A．begging

B．deciding

C．pretending

D．offering

20.

A．Reach out to

B．Have faith in

C．Keep away from

D．Catch sight of

6 . I grew up in a small North Dakota town. Dad was a farmer, so we kids were taught _______ to drive farm vehicles. I started driving the tractor (拖拉机) at age 15 .

One summer day, Dad asked me to back his truck up. _______, I backed it into a tree, damaging the truck. I was _______ because I wasn’t sure how Dad would react. Luckily, Dad wasn’t _______, and moved the truck himself.

As a teenager, I usually worked part-time on Uncle Jim’s farm in my _______ time. One day, I drove the tractor to get gas from the farmyard fuel tank, which was _______ on a big metal shelf 12 feet high. I _______ the shelf, bending one of the vehicle’s wooden bars. I stopped the vehicle anxiously and got off. I _______ Uncle Jim would help me. To my _______, he said, “Get back up on that tractor and you can do it.” And I did! During harvest, Jim had me do farming chores with that tractor, which made my confidence ________ greatly.

The “can do” ________ Uncle Jim had toward me carried me through ________ times in life. Whenever I encountered difficulties, the ________ on the summer day on the farm came flooding back to my mind and my spirit wasn’t ________ ! It just goes to show what a huge impact can be created by small gestures of ________ in a person.

1.

A．early

B．hard

C．recently

D．fast

2.

A．Frankly

B．Skillfully

C．Intentionally

D．Unfortunately

3.

A．curious

B．scared

C．embarrassed

D．hesitant

4.

A．mad

B．pleased

C．worried

D．proud

5.

A．entire

B．quality

C．spare

D．limited

6.

A．emptied

B．operated

C．placed

D．transformed

7.

A．built up

B．ran into

C．tore down

D．passed by

8.

A．claimed

B．doubted

C．worried

D．assumed

9.

A．disappointment

B．surprise

C．fright

D．satisfaction

10.

A．decline

B．suffer

C．grow

D．change

11.

A．admiration

B．judgment

C．affection

D．attitude

12.

A．tough

B．confusing

C．relaxing

D．valuable

13.

A．comment

B．expectation

C．reflection

D．plan

14.

A．broken

B．recognized

C．refreshed

D．raised

15.

A．justice

B．belief

C．interest

D．courage

7 . I was shopping in Whole Foods Market when my cellphone rang. My daughter Julianna told me that she got the job she had applied for. She had just turned 14 and was determined to spend this summer vacation on work. The things she wants are both long-term and immediate. She wants to freely buy things from Forever 21 and save money for the famous college she’s determined to get into.

Several weeks before her birthday, Julianna asked me whether I’d allow her to work. Some of her friends’ parents wouldn’t let their kids work, wanting them to focus on their studies and enjoy the last childhood freedom for as long as possible. I understood those parents. But I wanted her to spend less time on her electronic devices in her room and more time in the outside world.

The day after her birthday, Julianna immediately applied to an amusement park, which hires teens during busy summer months. I’d never seen Julianna so active. The day before the interview, we went over possible questions, including why she wanted to work at the amusement park, its most famous attraction, and what her previous work and volunteering experiences were. She rarely talked about anything else until the interview was over.

I never worked as a young teen. My husband, though, worked as a young teen at an amusement park. He shared some funny stories about his time working there. More importantly, the work contributed to his strong work ethic (道德准则) today. Studies also show that work can contribute to healthy development and that teens who work at times are more likely to attend four-year colleges and get degrees quickly.

Julianna used to be so careful about new experiences, but now she is doing something new. I realize it’s time to put aside my doubts and worries and believe she can learn the skills she needs to take care of herself.

1. What was the author’s expectation of her daughter?

A．She could spend her free time in a relaxing way.

B．She could actively experience the real world.

C．She could pay much attention to her health.

D．She could do better in her studies.

2. What can we infer about Julianna from Paragraph 3?

A．She took the interview very seriously.

B．She wanted to improve the amusement park.

C．She wished to work together with her mom.

D．She had great confidence in getting the job.

3. What does the author stress by referring to her husband’s experience and the studies?

A．The reason for her husband’s success.

B．The joy of working at an amusement park.

C．The relationship between work and education.

D．The positive influence of early work experience.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How my daughter achieved freedom and independence

B．How I guided my daughter through her life troubles

C．How I embraced my daughter’s journey of growth

D．How my daughter developed a new hobby

8 . “A house without books is like a room without windows,” wrote Horace Mann, the 18th-century writer. I agree wholeheartedly with Mann.     1    

Recently, my husband and I did a painting project in a room we use as an office, which has a beautiful wall full of built-in bookshelves. As we started to pull my valuable books down off the shelves, I felt like I was pulling plants out of the garden.     2     But then I recognized what the project would offer — the opportunity to rethink our book collection.

The physical act of removing every book from its spot on the shelf showed a few unexpected insights (见解).     3     At the same time, there were a number of inviting surprises on the shelves — books I had forgotten were waiting for me to open them. So the painting job led to a parallel (并行的) project of organizing the bookshelves.

I took the opportunity and started by grouping the books. Then I thought about the layout of the books on the shelves.     4     I arranged (布置) a vase here, a figurine (小雕像), there, and a piece of my son’s school art there, each in its place as a symbol of aspects of my life I love as much as I treasure my books.

    5     But it can also be an enjoyable experience if you spend the next rainy afternoon inside in search of something new. You can try pulling your books off the shelf, pay a visit to each one and think in a fresh way about how and where they might live their best lives.

A．A strong wave of anxiety suddenly hit me.

B．I regularly share books with my neighbors.

C．Cleaning a bookshelf might sound like a chore.

D．Choosing a good book to read seems like a difficult task.

E．Surprisingly, I realized my bookshelves had space for more than just books.

F．I take pride in the realization that I have books in every room of my house.

G．For one thing, there were many books that no longer inspired or comforted me.

9 . We will all experience pain, disappointment, and almost certainly loss and sickness. Yet some people ________ by rising to the challenge, while others sink under the weight. What’s the difference? I ________ clinical psychologist Dr. Robert Puff, host of the Happiness Podcast, who speaks ________ about pain and suffering. He explains that ________ is an unavoidable physical feeling. ________, suffering comes from the thoughts we have about the pain we are experiencing-for example, “Why is this happening to me?” or “I’ll never feel good again.” These ________ are what cause suffering, and we can choose to ________ them.

John O’Leary is the host of the Live Inspired Podcast. When he was just nine years old, John suffered ________ burns over his entire body and doctors told him that he had one percent chance of ________. No one expected him to ________. However, after dozens of surgeries and years of treatment and deep inner work, he is a fairly happy, ________ man with a beautiful family. He inspires others through his ________ as a motivational speaker, author, and life coach. He feels that what happened to him was his greatest ________: the realization that, regardless of our personal and professional challenges, we can navigate and overcome to reveal a ________ vision. In John’s words, “You can’t always choose the path you walk in life, but you can always choose the ________ in which you walk.”

1.

A．subscribe

B．proceed

C．respond

D．express

2.

A．interviewed

B．imagined

C．introduced

D．recognized

3.

A．externally

B．joyfully

C．formally

D．wisely

4.

A．mood

B．pain

C．sadness

D．hurt

5.

A．Regardless

B．Instead

C．However

D．Therefore

6.

A．thoughts

B．opinions

C．theories

D．factors

7.

A．shelter

B．decrease

C．improve

D．change

8.

A．gentle

B．severe

C．certain

D．ordinary

9.

A．relief

B．recount

C．survival

D．refreshment

10.

A．make it

B．get across

C．go around

D．pull over

11.

A．potential

B．touchy

C．sincere

D．successful

12.

A．work

B．talent

C．fantasy

D．prediction

13.

A．desperation

B．gift

C．goal

D．task

14.

A．higher

B．rarer

C．brighter

D．calmer

15.

A．angle

B．manner

C．prospect

D．trend

10 . It’s 3 am. I _________ the phone on the wall, ending the conversation with the last of my friends. I can no longer press them for their _________ on what I should do: accept a job as a university officer or move to New York to be an actor?

I feel _________ about what to choose. My eldest sister says that deep inside, I know what the _________ path is, and if I just get quiet enough, that _________ will come up to the surface. But I don’t know how.

I _________ the advantages and disadvantages repeatedly. I can see myself being happy with either _________. “Safe but predictable (可预见的)? Creative but _________? Which should I choose?” I said _________ taking a deep breath.

Suddenly I had an idea. If it’s true that I can be happy with either path, then why not let __________ decide? From my jeans pocket, I __________ a coin. Heads, university. Tails, New York, I flip (轻抛) it.

It __________ beautifully on the table. Heads, Bad luck, Bad luck?! At that moment, I know what I must do. My passion (酷爱) __________ by itself, just as my sister says.

We make __________ every day. Some of them are important: others are not. My __________? Bring lots of change with you, and, like me, let it lead you to your heart.

1.

A．hang up

B．pick out

C．take apart

D．fix up

2.

A．goals

B．opinions

C．explanations

D．solutions

3.

A．doubtful

B．awkward

C．serious

D．sorry

4.

A．difficult

B．different

C．right

D．simple

5.

A．proposal

B．risk

C．trouble

D．answer

6.

A．ignore

B．weigh

C．collect

D．share

7.

A．choice

B．change

C．challenge

D．plan

8.

A．uncertain

B．acceptable

C．regretful

D．uninteresting

9.

A．formally

B．eagerly

C．particularly

D．heavily

10.

A．responsibility

B．emotion

C．chance

D．personality

11.

A．put back

B．pull out

C．throw away

D．set aside

12.

A．exists

B．rolls

C．lands

D．stands

13.

A．improves

B．appears

C．struggles

D．survives

14.

A．friends

B．mistakes

C．discussions

D．decisions

15.

A．complaint

B．dream

C．limit

D．advice