1 . Every Friday night the Chevron gas station food mart offers a discount on the leftover food. To ensure the best selection, my mother and I pile into our old car and _________ in front of the mart at five p. m. sharp, ready to get our _________.

Chevron shopping _________ like this: One day my mother suddenly realized that she had maxed out (透支) almost every credit card except the Chevron card and we needed groceries for the week. Since our first _________ there, I’ve learned to believe in flexibility. In my life, it has become necessary to _________ the idea of grocery shopping. My mother and I can no longer shop at real grocery stores, _________ we still get the necessities.

Grocery shopping at Chevron has its _________. The worst is when we have so many items that it takes the cashier what seems like hours to ring up everything. A line of _________ customers formed behind us. It’s that line that _________ the most-the way they look at us. My mother never notices — or maybe she __________ not to.

I’m __________ to shop there, and I’m afraid of running into someone I know. I once expressed my fear of being seen shopping at Chevron to my mother, and her eyes shone with disappointment. I know that I hurt her feelings when I try to __________ our weekly shopping trips.

And that is why I hold on to the idea of __________ so tightly. Whenever I feel the __________ rise to my face, I remind myself at this point in my life I am struggling does not mean that I will always struggle. I know that whatever happens, we will always __________ a way to survive.

1.

A．settle down

B．pull up

C．hang about

D．show off

2.

A．award

B．share

C．change

D．credit

3.

A．continued

B．started

C．ran

D．worked

4.

A．encounter

B．match

C．inspection

D．visit

5.

A．dismiss

B．develop

C．bend

D．accept

6.

A．but

B．so

C．when

D．unless

7.

A．purposes

B．drawbacks

C．features

D．grounds

8.

A．excited

B．guilty

C．grateful

D．anxious

9.

A．declines

B．suffers

C．hurts

D．struggles

10.

A．threatens

B．promises

C．agrees

D．pretends

11.

A．shocked

B．confused

C．embarrassed

D．bored

12.

A．avoid

B．join

C．arrange

D．cancel

13.

A．simplicity

B．generosity

C．integrity

D．flexibility

14.

A．pride

B．bitterness

C．heat

D．sweat

15.

A．figure out

B．wait for

C．agree on

D．break off

2 . The message is drummed into us from childhood: forgive people who’ve wronged you, because it’s the right thing to do. Forgiveness is a virtue, we’re told—the only way for us to truly move on and heal, freed from the baggage of bearing ill will.

However, I’m not buying it. Forgiving someone can indeed be a beautiful thing, but it’s not always what’s best for us. In fact, if someone has hurt you deeply and the relationship isn’t healthy, trying to “fix” things can do more harm than good.

Most of us would probably agree that forgiving a wrongdoer means letting go of negative feelings—like anger and resentment—towards them, as if nothing happened. Actually this isn’t helpful. It pressures us to minimize our feelings and revise our boundaries—to say “it’s OK” when for us, it isn’t. While it’s not a good idea to focus on negative thoughts, recognizing and processing all of that pain is an important part of the healing journey. And when someone doesn’t make us feel seen or safe, forgiving them can actually reduce our self-esteem.

A 2010 research paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that folks who forgave partners that didn’t make them feel valued had less respect for themselves. Letting minor offences that happen now and again slide can be great for any relationship, but repeatedly forgiving bad behavior can encourage that person to keep hurting you.

At least, that’s what 2011 research by psychology professor James McNulty argues. He found that when a partner was more likely to forgive those acts, the aggressor was more likely to keep committing them. McNulty suggests that this is because facing the consequences of their actions is what motivates people to change their ways, and being offered a clean slate can be a kind of pass to avoid making changes. So forgiving frequent and major offences, like verbal or physical abuse, can do more harm than good.

For me, this speaks to the core tension in the idea. Instead of looking to forgiveness like a magic medicine, we can focus on recognizing what happened and coming to terms with it, however that looks for us and without any sense of obligation towards our offender.

1. What does the author think about the message in paragraph 1?

A．It’s reasonable.	B．It’s debatable.
C．It’s convincing.	D．It’s unquestionable.

2. How does the author develop the text?

A．By making comparisons.	B．By giving statistics.
C．By quoting researchers’ views.	D．By sharing his own experiences.

3. What does the underlined words “a clean slate” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．A repeated offence.	B．A magic medicine.
C．A terrible consequence.	D．A complete forgiveness.

4. Which can be the best title of the text?

A．Forgiving is always a virtue.	B．Forgiving can change everything.
C．Forgiving others sometimes depends.	D．Forgiving others always seems impossible.

3 . Even now, I have vivid memories of my last day of high school. In my mind’s eye, I’m cleaning out my locker, and then staring at the emptiness for a few extra beats before slamming it shut for the last time. I’m roaming the halls with my best friend, blissfully ignoring the bells going off every 50 minutes on schedule because, just today, we’re allowed to break the rules. I’m sitting on my desk, swinging my feet, and shooting the breeze (闲聊) with my English teacher, Mr. Carr, in a way that makes me feel almost grown up.

It was maybe my favorite day of the whole year. Like the final layer of watercolor, the freedom and lightness I feel seeps (渗透) into the rest of my memories of that day and turns them just a shade rosier.

If the school year hasn’t yet ended for you, consider what you can do to make the finale count. Why? Because when it comes to human memory, not all moments are created equal. Instead, our remembered experiences are disproportionately (不成比例地) influenced by peaks(the best moments as well as the worst)and endings (the last moments). Nobel Prize winner Danny Kahneman, who discovered this phenomenon, called this the peak-end rule. It suggests that our judgment of a past experience is largely based on its most extreme point and its endpoint.

I took advantage of the peak-end rule years ago, when my girls were young enough to want a bedtime story each night. I remember thinking that whatever strife (冲突) and stress had occurred that day, I could make the last moments count. I could end on a note of calm and act like the patient mom I hadn’t quite managed to be just hours before.

Don’t mistake all moments as equal in significance. There’s a reason why yoga classes end with savasana (挺卧式). There’s a reason we eat dessert last. Do orchestrate (精心安排) endings. As Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll might say: Finish strong. Last impressions are especially lasting.

1. What does the underlined word in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Calmly.	B．Surprisingly.
C．Happily.	D．Curiously.

2. Which statement is true about the peak-end rule?

A．Peaks in life can be remembered better than endings.

B．The last moments matter the most in our memories.

C．Our judgment of the past is determined by first impressions.

D．The peaks and ends of experiences are easier to remember.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How the author applied the rule to daily life.

B．How the author treated her daughters.

C．What struggles the author had in life.

D．Why the author read stories to her kids.

4. Why is Pete Carroll mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To prove the peak-end rule can be used in sports.

B．To encourage readers to value the last moments of an experience.

C．To explain why last impressions are lasting.

D．To show the importance of doing sports.

4 . I started a “question of the day” section in a family text group. We’d talk about everything from movies to politics. But despite several warnings from loved ones that some of my responses were judgmental and that I was too quick to attack an opinion, I all but killed that group text. It had a good 12 people in it. We’d shared laughs, encouragement, and funny memes (表情包). It took only one conversation — which I was in the middle of — to end it.

I realized that I had a problem. The medium for my problem is the smartphone. Before smartphones enabled instant communication, people talked on the telephone. In person, you could cut in a “What do you mean by that?” to correct a misunderstanding before it got out of hand. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good group text. It makes me feel connected to people in a way that I just can’t seem to anymore, now that I have a wife and kids.

I’m learning, but I had a relapse (复发) recently. I joined a new text group. I introduced my “question of the day” feature. I fooled myself into thinking that I was encouraging a healthy debate on current events. No. Others in the group saw it as me trying to prove that my way was the right way. Then I made the mistake of sharing some personal information that one friend had told me during a phone conversation. I thought everyone knew. Then this friend started referring to me as a snitch — not terms of kind word. So I asked him about it — in person. That’s when he told me I’d shared sensitive information he hadn’t told anyone else. I apologized plentifully and came away from the conversation more determined to slow down my texts.

My new resolve seems to be working. You should be pleased to know that I have avoided making a few points that I was tempted (鼓动) to make in individual and group texts. In some cases, I didn’t even respond. I haven’t lost any more connections by doing this.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By making judgments on politics.	B．By responding to some text messages.
C．By presenting a personal experience.	D．By starting a funny conversation.

2. What problem does the author have in digital communication?

A．Ignoring the need to listen to others.	B．Making quick and sharp responses.
C．Failing to express himself timely.	D．Focusing on the issues of his own.

3. Why was the author attacked by his friend in the text group?

A．He gave away the privacy of his friend.

B．He always made mistakes on current events.

C．He made a fool of himself in chatting.

D．He liked enquiring personal information.

4. What does the author learn from his experience?

A．Hurry makes waste.	B．Understanding each other is vital.
C．Sometimes fast is just too fast.	D．Trust is the bridge of communication.

5 . Automation certainly has its advantages. I am grateful for my cellphone that _______performs services. But I also miss the interactions with people that these devices have _______. The most precious byproduct of these interactions was the unplanned, friendly jokes that often _______.

I recently decided to spend a day _______ all of my goals in a non-digital manner. So I rose early and _______ on my visit. I began by going to the bank. When I entered the hall, I found the _______ was mine: I was the only customer, with three clerks at my _______. After my transaction we chatted for a few minutes, sharing news about children. After that pleasant _______, I moved on to the post office, where the letter I was sending to Iceland triggered a/an _______ comment by the clerk, who longed to visit that country. The last visit was the ________ where I was welcomed by a cashier, who ________ that for only one penny more I get an additional potato.

That evening I told my ________ to my friend. She ________ that I could have done these with the ________, and it would have taken less than an hour. True, but I would have ________ all those kind words and friendly smiles.

1.

A．surprisingly

B．firmly

C．reliably

D．carefully

2.

A．simplified

B．enhanced

C．connected

D．replaced

3.

A．erupted

B．helped

C．counted

D．increased

4.

A．considering

B．chasing

C．setting

D．accomplishing

5.

A．settled down

B．set out

C．hung out

D．took off

6.

A．world

B．money

C．seat

D．corner

7.

A．reach

B．command

C．side

D．service

8.

A．gathering

B．learning

C．exchange

D．atmosphere

9.

A．exciting

B．humorous

C．doubtful

D．critical

10.

A．supermarket

B．theater

C．field

D．restaurant

11.

A．advocated

B．suggested

C．insisted

D．begged

12.

A．secret

B．problem

C．experiment

D．opinion

13.

A．interrupted

B．remarked

C．admitted

D．understood

14.

A．instruction

B．cellphone

C．assistance

D．effort

15.

A．valued

B．enjoyed

C．missed

D．admired

6 . 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。

When we were finally dismissed from the last class of the day, the students streamed out of the classrooms. It was another boring day after school. I dragged my feet home as I sighed. Yet another uneventful day, I thought. Little did I know that the day would take a turn for the worse.

The lift lobby (电梯间) of my flat was old and dirty. The walls, which were painted white, had been dirtied over many years. I reached my flat’s lobby, and pressed the lift button and went in. Just then, Mrs Lim, my elderly neighbour, hobbled (蹒跚) in. She looked ancient with tissue paper white hair, wearing a faded old-fashioned dress. I held the lift door open, flashing a friendly smile, and politely greeted her. I asked her how she felt that day and pressed the buttons. She thanked me for being so polite, then we were silent for the rest of the ride.

The lift fell down increasingly fast. There were loud clanking sounds here and there while the lift grew slower and slower. My heart beat hard and fast as my hands turned cold and wet with sweat. Unfortunately, the lift came to an abrupt stop at the fifth floor. I pressed the buttons hard several times, but it was of no help. The lights on the buttons had gone out. It soon dawned on me that we were trapped. An icy fear crept up my spine. Mrs Lim was hysterical (歇斯底里).

“We will never get out!” she cried with her face pale. It had become a colourless mask. I had no time to lose. I pressed the bell in the lift immediately. The sound was surely deafening, but what other choice did I have? Mrs Lim burst into tears. I tried my very best to comfort her, telling her that everything would be all right and that we needed to find out how to get out safely. Mrs Lim began having trouble breathing, and I immediately helped her sit down and loosened her collar.

Paragraph 1: Several minutes passed, but no help came.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: Bang! My hopes were lifted when I heard the firefighters on the other side of the lift door.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . In 1967, my husband and I graduated from college with financial challenges. We struggled to make both _________ meet because of our low-paying jobs as well as college loans. The birth of our son that summer _________ our financial pressure.

Later we got involved socially with a community of couples. They _________ our values and had insights to offer on parenting. This group of people went to many places and engaged in various activities. They _________ made us feel welcome although our finances often _________ our participation.

One summer, the group _________ a picnic and requested we bring potato chips. I was _________ that I didn’t have to spend much on the event. So I bought two large bags of the least expensive brand of potato chips I could find. _________, we got to the state park, only to find a real feast laid out — chicken, watermelon, home-made salads, and desserts. _________, I thought about leaving but a friend reassured (使……安心) me that our time to make a __________ for the feast would come.

Decades have passed. Now, as my husband and I approach retirement with our grown son, that picnic remains __________ in my memory. Our friends’ kindness has __________ how we perceive and assist others. We may never repay those who once provided for us, but we continue the tradition of __________, supporting our struggling younger friends.

That day, the feast symbolized a(n) __________ of gratitude, not to be repaid, but to be paid forward. It serves as a __________ of the lasting power of community and kindness.

1.

A．terms

B．routes

C．ends

D．sides

2.

A．allowed for

B．sorted out

C．resulted in

D．added to

3.

A．challenged

B．shared

C．reflected

D．acknowledged

4.

A．hopefully

B．originally

C．consistently

D．occasionally

5.

A．encouraged

B．restricted

C．refused

D．facilitated

6.

A．advertised

B．funded

C．delivered

D．organized

7.

A．relieved

B．satisfied

C．astonished

D．convinced

8.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．Moreover

D．However

9.

A．Depressed

B．Disappointed

C．Embarrassed

D．Worried

10.

A．return

B．fortune

C．difference

D．reform

11.

A．available

B．fresh

C．distant

D．untouched

12.

A．evaluated

B．calculated

C．influenced

D．defined

13.

A．innovation

B．cooperation

C．royalty

D．generosity

14.

A．debt

B．favor

C．advance

D．investment

15.

A．chance

B．motive

C．reminder

D．turn

8 . As a boy, I knew little about baseball. Yet I later became the father of two boys, Will and Tim, who were both interested in baseball. On Saturday mornings, I’d take Will out to the playground and play catch with him. Because of my weak arm, the ball often dropped before he could catch it. After many misses, he said one day, “How am I ever going to make the major leagues (联盟)?” “You have the wrong dad, kid,” I thought. Baseball isn’t my thing.

Still, I wanted to give my kids confidence on the field. There was an official Little League in our area, but it was super-competitive and only catered to older boys. I really hoped we had something less competitive, something that welcomed younger boys and girls.

I shared the idea with some neighbors. “That would be great!” they said. Now who could organize such a thing? Not me. I tried to put the idea aside, but it wouldn’t leave me. I finally decided that I must do something about it. So I called the city government, explaining that some families wanted to start a baseball league in our neighborhood. Were there any fields for that? When I had to speak to the official in charge, I got butterflies in my stomach. What if he said no? “Yes, we have two fields for four hours every Sunday morning,” the man said hearing my request. Our league was founded. What a joy it was to sit on the benches, watching Will and Tim playing baseball! And I became the most unlikely baseball commissioner (专员) ever.

Many years have passed. Now Will and Tim are new dads, and I can’t want to see what they’ll have to do. I know better than anyone: Parenthood calls you to do the most unlikely things.

1. Why did the author think his son Will had the wrong father?

A．He had poor baseball skills.	B．He had no confidence in his son.
C．He wouldn’t play catch with his son.	D．He didn’t know what his son’s dream was.

2. What does the underlined phrase “catered to” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Won the respect of.	B．Ensured the safety of.
C．Served the purpose of.	D．Saved the trouble of.

3. How did the author probably feel while talking to the official?

A．Confident.

B．Peaceful.

C．Nervous.

D．Proud.

4. What does the author want to stress in the text?

A．The need to challenge oneself.	B．The greatness of parental love.
C．The role of sports in kids’ growth.	D．The relationship between parents and kids.

9 . The doorbell rang one mid-December evening. I frequently had unexpected visitors in those early days after my husband’s ________. But when my 6-year-old son opened the door, nobody was there. ________, on the doormat was a box, tied with a silver ________ and a note that said “On the First Day of Christmas...” A mystery.

Sam had died that fall, ________ me the single parent of our two boys, 6 and 8. My sons and I had already ________ to deal with Halloween, and Thanksgiving without Daddy. Still, I was afraid of Christmas. How could December have ________ without my husband?

The next night, the doorbell rang again. Another ________ came, decorated with the same silver ribbon (带子) and ________ the same card reading “On the Second Day of Christmas...”

For the next couple of nights, my boys waited near the front door to see who was leaving the gifts, but the bearer would always choose the moment they left to ________.

I didn’t know who the secret Santa was. But there was one thing I did know. In those dark days of ________, somebody was shining a light our way with a simple but ________ message: “You are loved.” It was such a strange feeling, to be left in darkness on the one hand and drawn so firmly toward ________ on the other. I believe hope will make a(n) ________.

After 11 days of offerings, we weren’t sure what to ________ when we approached home on that 12th night. I trusted there would be ________.

1.

A．promotion

B．death

C．retirement

D．operation

2.

A．Otherwise

B．Besides

C．Instead

D．Therefore

3.

A．rope

B．paper

C．flower

D．ribbon

4.

A．leaving

B．finding

C．naming

D．considering

5.

A．agreed

B．planned

C．managed

D．promised

6.

A．arrived

B．returned

C．ended

D．escaped

7.

A．book

B．toy

C．box

D．pet

8.

A．designing

B．including

C．showing

D．making

9.

A．get through

B．set off

C．move on

D．turn up

10.

A．regret

B．sadness

C．anger

D．disappointment

11.

A．annoying

B．funny

C．urgent

D．powerful

12.

A．dream

B．light

C．future

D．home

13.

A．difference

B．effort

C．comparison

D．contribution

14.

A．support

B．offer

C．expect

D．appreciate

15.

A．something

B．nothing

C．anything

D．everything

10 . By the time he was 24 years old, Imran Nuri quit his job in a bold move, and emptied his savings account to carry out an ambitious ________ he’d been bearing in mind. Nuri would drive his car to every state on a 100-day trip to find 1,000 ________ and ask them to share one thing they wish they’d ________ when they were younger. Nuri was hoping for answers that might help him ________ the rest of his life.

He ________. But to his shock, he chose a ________ person for the first time. He met a man, who had a dark look at Nuri. Nuri thought the man was going to ________ him. Then, doing the most ________ thing he’d done, he introduced himself, “I’m ________ around the country to talk to 1,000 unfamiliar people. I’m asking them for pieces of life advice about things they wish they knew ________.” The man remained silent for a minute or so and ________ said, “We should spend more time with our family.”

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a man in his 50s who had stage 4 terminal cancer told Nuri, “Life is about the human ________. There would be no life without social interactions.”

In Tillamook, Oregon, a waitress-a college student told him, “whether it’s changing your major or changing your whole life path, you don’t have to ________ yourself for taking a step back and reevaluating your past choices. Just do what you think to be right.”

Nuri found beauty in every place as well as ________ from the people he met. Those people taught a lot. Now he always puts himself in other people’s shoes even when a person sees the world ________.

1.

A．plan

B．policy

C．initiative

D．trick

2.

A．acquaintances

B．residents

C．strangers

D．peers

3.

A．embraced

B．inquired

C．misunderstood

D．known

4.

A．picture

B．navigate

C．enrich

D．interpret

5.

A．cracked up

B．backed away

C．set out

D．knocked off

6.

A．generous

B．wrong

C．pleasant

D．selfish

7.

A．dismiss

B．accompany

C．consult

D．beat

8.

A．courageous

B．stupid

C．unforgettable

D．glorious

9.

A．sailing

B．hiking

C．driving

D．wandering

10.

A．occasionally

B．permanently

C．later

D．earlier

11.

A．finally

B．excitedly

C．instantly

D．hesitantly

12.

A．potential

B．nature

C．connection

D．competition

13.

A．admire

B．reward

C．forgive

D．fault

14.

A．wisdom

B．fortune

C．confidence

D．perseverance

15.

A．objectively

B．differently

C．selectively

D．randomly