1 . Five years ago, I wrote about the connection between expectations and happiness—lower your expectations and you will be happier: control expectations and despair won’t be so obvious when life does not go according to plan. And perhaps there is some truth in that idea.

However, with reduced expectations, we chip away at hope. And how can we not hope for a better tomorrow? I consider myself to be someone with spirit. I look forward to experiences and anticipate memorable ones. And while it’s important to cope when such experiences fall through. I think it’s even more important to hold onto what was originally present -that sense of hope.

The Times article, Optimism Bias: Human Brain May Be Hardwired for Hope, offers a perspective with roots in evolutionary (进化的) psychology. Hope can be wired in the human brain to enhance survival. If present during trying times, hope can be a factor that allows some to overcome difficulties and gather positivity for the days ahead.

“Hope keeps our minds at ease, lowers stress and improves physical health,” the article states. “Researchers studying patients with heart disease found that optimists were more likely than nonoptimistic patients to take vitamins, cat low-fat diets and exercise, thereby reducing their overall risk. A study of cancer patients revealed that pessimistic patients under the age of 60 were more likely to die within eight months than nonpessimistic patients of the same initial health and age.”

Life is always going to bring us challenges. Life is always going to be comprised of problems that might pull us down. Is it still foolish to have hope? I say it’s not. Because without hope, what are we left with? I say hope is significant. I say it’s a beautiful part of what it means to be human.

1. What would the author do to deal with disappointments five years ago.

A．Raise expectations.	B．Anticipate less.
C．Stay away from stress.	D．Make fewer plans.

2. What does the underlined phrase “chip away art” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Forget.

B．Weaken.

C．Change.

D．Doubt.

3. What can we learn from The Tines article?

A．Pessimists tend to live a shorter life.	B．Optimists usually have a better appetite.
C．Being hopeful helps humans survive.	D．Human brains are designed for hardship.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The methods of achieving happiness.	B．How to cope with difficulties.
C．The importance of holding on lo hope.	D．How to balance hope and reality.

2 . I hadn’t seen Anne in nearly 20 years since college, yet we could still party like old times. It was great to have her here, _______ our lives.

She was looking at the few blooms (花) left in my yard. I hadn’t planted much after losing my job. It had been a _______ year for me. Just when I thought I was done with the bitterness, it would all come rushing back and the _______ thing on my mind was flowers.

“One of my hobbies is taking photos of _______,” she said and steadied herself near the last rose of the season. I shrugged (耸肩), wondering why anyone would _______ taking time to look at a lowly rose.

Suddenly a hot song rang from her cell phone. “I set it to remind me to take my medicine,” she said calmly.

“An _______ for medicine?” I laughed. “Are we that old?”

“For my brain,” she smiled. “I have been diagnosed with a rare cancer, a small tumor (肿块) no bigger than your fingernail,” she laughed softly. That was Anne — ever _______. Even cancer was no more than joking about.

So _______ that I was beyond words.

Later next day, an e-mail filled with the flower photos popped up from Anne — clear and beautiful. She had gotten past the anger, the pity and unfairness, taking one moment at a time and polishing it until it _______.

I shifted my eye to outside, and I had her flowers in full bloom. Actually, I always had them, but it was Anne who got me to really ________ them.

1.

A．saving

B．watching

C．sharing

D．controlling

2.

A．normal

B．new

C．satisfying

D．difficult

3.

A．last

B．same

C．only

D．right

4.

A．yards

B．flowers

C．parties

D．people

5.

A．bother

B．avoid

C．miss

D．stop

6.

A．award

B．order

C．alarm

D．idea

7.

A．optimistic

B．attractive

C．hard-working

D．confident

8.

A．nervous

B．shocked

C．relaxed

D．lucky

9.

A．ended

B．failed

C．shined

D．fruited

10.

A．arrange

B．trust

C．colour

D．appreciate

3 . Many years ago, Coca-Cola ran a brilliant advertising campaign about “The Pause That Refreshes”. They were on to something. Pauses refresh us because they allow us to stop, refocus, and rest.

The older I get, the more I’ve intentionally added pauses to my day. Some pauses are only a few minutes long; others are hours. It may be a walk to a faraway copier at work instead of the one in my department. Or driving an alternate route home. Or a day at the beach. The idea is to relax and rest by changing my thoughts from what stresses me to what refreshes me.

Rest refreshes us. And I rest best by doing nothing. I recently read a little book by Sandy Gingras called How to Live at the Beach. I love this light-hearted, five-minute read. It’s a clue that helps conjure up images of the mentality we have when we’re at the beach—and why we need to transport this beach mentality to our non-beach lives.

My son, his wife, and my grandson live near the beach in Santa Barbara, California. Next to Hawaii, it's one of the most beautiful places in the United States. When I head to the ocean with them, I'm awed by the benefits of the beach. For me, a day at the beach epitomizes (成为缩影) the discipline of doing nothing. It’s a pause. It’s also an example of a simpler life. I’m learning how to bring a beach mentality, and all its benefits, back home with me. A beach mentality slows me down, allows me to think over only what’s in front of me and allows me to fully appreciate what surrounds me in my nine-to-five world.

During the time of “country closure”, I’ve noticed what I typically fail to notice. Who says doing nothing is boring? Doing nothing calms and refuels me.

I’ve realized that by pausing more, I’ve seen more, listened more, heard more, and felt more. Yet, pausing is a discipline all its own. By developing the discipline of doing nothing, I’ve learned that a life of clarity, simplicity, and rest awaits.

1. Why is the advertising campaign run by Coca-Cola mentioned?

A．To make a prediction.	B．To explain a concept.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To illustrate an argument.

2. What do the underlined words “conjure up” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Transform.

B．Imagine.

C．Withdraw.

D．Polish.

3. What are the readers advised to do in the last paragraph?

A．Follow suit.

B．Keep watch.

C．Pursue perfection.

D．Slow down.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Discipline of Doing Nothing	B．Being Intentional About Self-Care
C．The Price of Every Decision	D．Choosing Joy over Sadness

4 . 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。

Jack was a reserved (内向的) child who was often isolated at school. He used to suffer a lot. Seldom did he discuss anything in and after class, nor did he consult with his teacher. It seemed that he was more fond of immersing himself in his own world, However, his classmates didn’t understand his quietness and interests and often deliberately didn’t invite him to take part in activities. But in reality, Jack felt very lonely and longed to interact with others but didn’t know how to break down the barriers. He was eager to turn to someone for help.

Sadly, Jack’s parents were too occupied with daily chores to notice the change in him as he became quieter and more distant. Even when Jack picked up his courage to share his feelings, he was simply comforted by words like, “Go and get it. We know you can do it.”

However, Jack was at a total loss to pull himself out. At home, he had no alternative but to play his favorite jigsaw (拼图) puzzle in silence and avoided interacting with anyone. He began to wonder if he was doing something wrong and if he really wasn’t cut out to make friends and could never express himself properly. He felt sad and started not to associate with others.

Luckily, Jack’s class teacher noticed his predicament (窘境) and decided to step in to help. The teacher organized a class project after a math test, which seemed quite demanding for most students but not for Jack. The teacher required the students to work together in groups to solve the problems of their own and then he would invite someone to present his or her critical ideas on behalf of the group. The teacher then purposely placed Jack in a disadvantaged group and encouraged him to show his strengths. To the teacher’s credit, Jack didn’t let him down.

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。

During the project, Jack impressed all the group members.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack learned a lot from the project and decided to make a change.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . This was the big game. The boys were _________ and excited. It was a clear night, and my son, Andy’s baseball team, which had _________ all year, had shocked the better teams by making it to this championship game. The atmosphere was _________: the other team’s slugger (强击手), a big kid, was like a snake, dangerous and ready to _________.

Nervously, I looked out Andy’s way. I was _________ to see Andy looking straight up at the night sky! Obviously he wasn’t _________ on the game. I was horrified that he wouldn’t even know the ball was coming.

“Come on, Andy. _________ out there,” I said to myself.

Thank goodness, a big kid in the other team made a mistake. Andy and I had been _________ and our team still led by one run.

Andy ran up to me at the _________. I was about to ____________ him when he said loudly, “Did you see that shooting star?”

Andy’s eyes were glowing (发光) with ____________. I paused.

“Yes,” I said. “Well, one inning (局) to go. Hit a home run (全垒打)!”

“Okay!” said Andy, and he ran back to his ____________.

I suddenly realized it was nice that my son would take time out to ____________ the wonder and beauty in life. You might be surprised by the beauty you can find when you least ____________ it. Andy hit a triple (三垒打) in that last inning. But I still wish I had ____________ that shooting star, too.

1.

A．nervous

B．scared

C．curious

D．ashamed

2.

A．trained

B．struggled

C．prayed

D．run

3.

A．electric

B．friendly

C．casual

D．romantic

4.

A．flee

B．bite

C．jump

D．strike

5.

A．amused

B．embarrassed

C．shocked

D．satisfied

6.

A．carrying

B．focusing

C．commenting

D．reflecting

7.

A．Settle down

B．Stand up

C．Wake up

D．Lie down

8.

A．informed

B．punished

C．warned

D．spared

9.

A．meeting

B．break

C．corner

D．entrance

10.

A．blame

B．comfort

C．entertain

D．tease

11.

A．anger

B．anxiety

C．excitement

D．confidence

12.

A．teammates

B．fans

C．parents

D．stars

13.

A．create

B．research

C．explain

D．appreciate

14.

A．need

B．expect

C．afford

D．suspect

15.

A．become

B．filmed

C．seen

D．followed

6 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Have You Got Success Amnesia?

Have you heard yourself say “it was nothing really” when someone congratulates you on a job well done? Or have you drawn a blank when you are asked to make a list of what you have achieved? If so, you have suffered success amnesia. Failing to acknowledge your hard work is often a sign of success amnesia. It signals that there might be a gap between how others view your achievements and how you see them.

People who have success amnesia often have a strong track record at work or get it sorted for family members. They are people who others would describe as successful and yet they find it difficult to acknowledge and own their results. They don’t hold their achievements in their memory bank.

This particular type of memory loss robs them of the satisfaction and pleasure that can follow in achieving a goal. And, perhaps more importantly, it robs them of confidence. Confidence does not guarantee success, but it does increase the chance of success. Why not try some practical methods?     

Ask for feedback about the impact you’ve had and then listen carefully. Watch out for anything that you begin to tell yourself “It wasn’t that big a deal.” Try to absorb what you hear. You can also look back over the past 6 or12 months, capture every success you can think of, whether large or small, and write them down clearly. Purposefully acknowledging and admitting your achievements can help to bring them into more realistic focus. Besides, be mindful that you have a tendency to forget or minimize your achievements. A sticky note on your laptop screen might help: my strengths and achievements are bigger than they appear to me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 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。

My best friend, Cocoa, and I live in a senior-citizen apartment complex in a lovely small town. Cocoa is a ten-year-old poodle(卷毛狗) and I am a sixty-nine-year-old lady, so you can see we both qualify as senior citizens.

Years ago, I promised myself that when I retired I would get a chocolate poodle to share my golden years. From the very beginning, Cocoa has always been exceptionally well-behaved. I never have to tell him anything more than once. He is extremely neat—when taking toys from his box to play, he always puts them back when he is finished. I have been accused of being obsessively neat, and sometimes I wonder if he mimics me or if he was born that way, too.

He is a wonderful companion. When I throw a ball for him, he picks it up in his mouth and gives it back to me. He does many amusing things that make me laugh, and when that happens, he is so delighted that he just keeps it up. I enjoy his company very much.

But almost two years ago, Cocoa did something that challenged comprehension. Was it a miracle or a coincidence? It is certainly a mystery.

One afternoon, Cocoa started acting strangely. I was sitting on the floor playing with him when he started pawing and sniffing at the right side of my chest. He had never done anything like this before, and I told him, “No.” Usually, one “no” is sufficient, but not that day. He stopped briefly, then suddenly ran toward me from the other side of the room, throwing his entire weight—eighteen pounds—at the right side of my chest. He crashed into me and I yelled in pain. It hurt more than I thought it would have.

Soon after this, I felt a lump (肿瘤). I went to the doctors, and after X-rays, tests and lab work were done, they told me I had cancer.

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 cancer starts, a wall of calcium(钙) builds to which the lump or cancer attaches itself.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Was Cocoa just aware of what he was doing?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . My friend and I recently took an art class together through our town’s community education program. Our classmates were a mix of ages, stages of life, and experience with making art. We stood out in the class—not for our artistic talent, but for our consistent encouragement of ourselves, each other, and the group. It got me thinking how encouragement had become a routine.

It became something of a joke between the two of us to compliment(赞美) each other, offer a positive comment when another student showed his or her work, and generally chat around the table about how fun our project was going. But reflecting back, our positivist was anything but a joke. It was a bright light in my week, a space where I knew I could be surrounded with kindness, gentleness, and positivist.

Here’s the most special thing about it; my friend’s and my positive conversation wasn’t just encouraging, it was true. We didn’t go for cheap or false compliments like, “This painting should be in a museum!” Instead, we went for authentic(真实的) expressions of support and encouragement, like, “I love how you did that cloud!”

Over time, the class became something of a sacred space, because we had made a habit of using encouraging, supportive language. Sentence-starters like, “I like,” “I appreciate,” “I want to try”,   kept us present, positive, and honest.

The encouragement also kept us engaged in the work of making art. I feel sure that I learned more—and practiced more at home—because the activity was shown in such consistently positive terms, grounded in a growth mindset, self-acceptance, and encouragement.

Having a friend to share an encouragement habit is fantastic, but you can practice it on your own as well. Compliment yourself in the mirror every morning. Keep a running “great work.” list of thing? you are doing well today. Trust in your ability to find something loving—and true-to comment today and every day.

1. What do we know about the author’s classmates?

A．They admired those talented in art.

B．They didn’t take art class seriously.

C．They were of the same artistic level.

D．They were on good terms in the class.

2. How did the classmates turn their class into a sacred space?

A．By showing false compliments to others.

B．By decorating their class as a museum.

C．By displaying abstract art works in the class.

D．By offering supportive language around them.

3. What did the author think of the art project?

A．It made him hopeful and confident.

B．It needed to provide more practice.

C．It was cheap and easy to carry out.

D．It promoted his communication skills.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce a community education program.

B．To call for good action to support those in need

C．To describe how to make encouragement a habit.

D．To comment on the power of authentic expressions.

9 . One day, I had a serious quarrel with my father. I felt he was always trying to _________ me and I wanted to break free. After we exploded in _________, I stormed out of the house and went back to school.

All that day, my mind was racing with _________ thoughts. After all, he hadn’t even finished high school, but here I was a mighty college student! How dare he try to _________me on my life and plans?

Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t do the assignment that was _________: a thought card. Dr. Simon always _________ us to think deeply by raising all kinds of questions about social issues, political issues, personal issues etc. _________, for something to write, I could only think of the _________ I’d just had with my dad.

“I am the son of an idiot!” I wrote and then _________. The next day, Dr. Simon gave back our cards. He put mine on the desk face down. I picked it up, almost unable to turn it ____________. On the card, he wrote, “What does “the son of an idiot” ____________ with the rest of his life?”

I felt like someone had ____________ me in the face. Again and again, my parents didn’t ____________ me and I blamed them for this or that, but how long could I get away with blaming them for my life?

Slowly, my thinking ____________ and my relationship with my father improved. Instead of controlling, now I saw him as concerned and caring. And it all started with an innocent- seeming ____________

1.

A．prevent

B．trouble

C．criticize

D．control

2.

A．details

B．shouts

C．tears

D．flames

3.

A．deep

B．stupid

C．angry

D．strange

4.

A．lecture

B．overcome

C．suspect

D．compete

5.

A．near

B．prior

C．close

D．due

6.

A．forced

B．challenged

C．confused

D．appealed

7.

A．Empty

B．Desperate

C．Absent

D．Curious

8.

A．fight

B．matter

C．lesson

D．fact

9.

A．put   away

B．calmed down

C．signed up

D．handed in

10.

A．down

B．up

C．over

D．around

11.

A．do

B．agree

C．deal

D．leave

12.

A．joked

B．struck

C．looked

D．ignored

13.

A．please

B．educate

C．praise

D．pardon

14.

A．cleared

B．struggled

C．shifted

D．abandoned

15.

A．quarrel

B．teacher

C．reply

D．question

10 . Self-love

We all have the thought of having satisfactory relationships, which will bring some meaning to our lives and make us happy.     1     However, we often forget that true happiness lies right within us, that is, we needn’t go anywhere to find it.

    2     By now we have heard more than a million times that true happiness lies within ourselves. You have to love yourself first in order to love someone else. Many people say self-love is the foundation of a happy life. But have you ever wondered that with so many preachers (传道者) of self-love, why haven’t we been able to love ourselves?     3    

We have been taught to be selfless from the start of time. The minute we start thinking about ourselves, everyone around us makes it their personal mission to remind us of how selfish we are. But there is nothing wrong with putting your needs and yourself first.     4     It only helps us better understand which sacrifices are worth making!

    5     The stronger your roots are, the more difficult it will be for winds to knock down the branches. Before exploring this view, it is very important to understand what self-love truly means. With such a thin line between being ruthless (冷酷无情的) and self-loving, it is too easy to trip over the darker side.

A．Self-love is not selfish.

B．Yes, that’s right.

C．No, that’s ridiculous.

D．Self-love is always criticized.

E．We are busy in finding true happiness everywhere.

F．Self-love is the root of all your healthy relationships.

G．Below is one of the reasons for our failure to love ourselves: