4 . Once upon a time there was great poverty (贫困) in a land. Three rich men were _________ together when they came to a very _________ village.

The first couldn’t stand seeing the poverty, _________ he took out all his gold and jewels and shared them among the villagers, wishing them all the best of luck, and he left.

The second rich man, seeing the _________ situation, stopped for a short time and gave _________ all his food and drink, since he could see that money would be of little _______ to them. He made sure that they each _________ their fair share and would have enough food to _________ for some time. Then, he left.

The third rich man, on seeing such poverty, _________ and went straight through the ____________ without stopping. The two other rich men saw this from a distance and commented with each other ____________ the third rich man lacked sympathy.

Three days later, they ____________ the third rich man, who was coming in the opposite direction. He was ____________ travelling quickly, but his wagons (马车), ____________ the gold and valuables they had been ____________, were now full of farming tools and bags of seeds.

1.

A．standing

B．travelling

C．gathering

D．running

2.

A．faraway

B．poor

C．different

D．ancient

3.

A．unless

B．because

C．so

D．if

4.

A．curious

B．worrying

C．dangerous

D．puzzling

5.

A．the villagers

B．his servants

C．the others

D．the rest

6.

A．interest

B．concern

C．use

D．attraction

7.

A．returned

B．gained

C．offered

D．received

8.

A．remain

B．last

C．supply

D．share

9.

A．turned back

B．set out

C．showed off

D．speeded up

10.

A．village

B．land

C．field

D．road

11.

A．whether

B．how

C．where

D．when

12.

A．welcomed

B．met

C．accepted

D．persuaded

13.

A．still

B．already

C．always

D．indeed

14.

A．except for

B．instead of

C．apart from

D．along with

15.

A．loading

B．treasuring

C．carrying

D．earning

5 . Doing something without thinking is easy, but it’s hard for us to take back what we have done. There was once a _______who repeated a bit rumor (谣言) about a neighbor. Within a few days the whole community _______the story. The person it concerned, was deeply _______and annoyed. Later, the woman responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was completely _______. She was very sorry and went to a wise old man to find out what she could do to _______the damage.

“Go to the marketplace,” he said, “and _______a chicken, and have it _______.   Then on your way home, pluck its feathers and drop them _______along the road.” Although surprised by this advice, the woman did _______she was told.

The next day the wise man said, “Now, go and collect all those ________you dropped yesterday and ________them back to me.”

The woman ________the same road, but to her disappointment, the wind ________ all the feathers away. “You see,” said the old man, “it’s easy to drop them, ________it’s impossible to get them back. So it is with rumor. It doesn’t take much to spread a rumor, but ________you do, you can never completely make up for the wrong.”

1.

A．boy

B．man

C．woman

D．chicken

2.

A．knew

B．found

C．realized

D．recognized

3.

A．wounded

B．hurt

C．injured

D．attacked

4.

A．polite

B．untrue

C．suitable

D．illegal

5.

A．do

B．ruin

C．cause

D．repair

6.

A．provide

B．charge

C．bargain

D．buy

7.

A．bought

B．dropped

C．killed

D．flown

8.

A．one by one

B．all in all

C．day by day

D．step by step

9.

A．that

B．it

C．what

D．which

10.

A．feathers

B．words

C．action

D．rumors

11.

A．bring

B．keep

C．hold

D．break

12.

A．copied

B．followed

C．had

D．instructed

13.

A．blew

B．should blow

C．had blown

D．blown

14.

A．but

B．so

C．and

D．thus

15.

A．unless

B．once

C．until

D．whether

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。

A few weeks before Thanksgiving one year, my husband and I decided to invite a guest over for the holiday. I called a senior centre and they suggested Ilse. She was a stubborn 78­year­old lady, who favoured sequined (亮片的) T­shirts.

On Thanksgiving, within minutes of arriving, Ilse welcomed the glass of wine my husband offered with a wide smile. By the end of the evening, we felt as if we were old friends. The more time I spent with Ilse, the more she became like a surrogate (替代的) grandma. So when her only son Ralph died, I realized she was too upset to be left alone and helped her hire a caregiver. For me, she was like a family and I was the only one left in her tribe.

Each time I stopped by her apartment, Ilse seemed more disconnected than the time before. Late one afternoon, when I called her, I was unable to understand what she was saying. I drove her to the emergency room, where the doctor confirmed she had suffered a mild stroke. During the next few days, I dropped by her apartment, but she was no longer the energetic, stubborn Ilse I knew. At the end of the week, I received an early­morning phone call from her caregiver. “Please come over now,” the woman said, her voice matter­of­fact. “She’s passed away.” When I arrived, I saw Ilse lying on her bed, motionless, her eyes closed. I sat on the edge of the bed, too shocked to cry.

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

The morning after Ilse’s death, I read through her will and saw my name.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

I donated the money to a cause she cared about deeply: children.

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8 . Growing up in Venezuela, there was never really much cause to learn English. For five years, I spent two hours a week understanding “to be”, numbers, colours, and the differences between saying “good evening” and “good night”. I would always get top marks. Yes, that used to be me, walking like a queen among Spanish speakers every day. “Bring it on, life,” I said. “I can deal with whatever you will give.”

But when I moved to Canada, life hit me so hard that it knocked me down. Years later, I was still recovering. Living in a new land, with different people, new rules, new weather, a new culture and language, I was no longer a queen. Did I speak English? No, not at all. So, I went back to school, thinking that it was a challenge I would conquer in record time. But English was more like a wall in my path. Even after getting a job, it took all my courage to stop myself from crying. I was completely at a loss and scared. Learning English, speaking and listening—it hurt me. Not the language. Not the unkind people. It hurt because I wasn’t good, despite my efforts.

Now, after almost seven years in Canada, I’ve decided not to say sorry for my accent, grammar mistakes, or pronunciation. I’m going to run after my dreams and enjoy a beautiful, rich and fascinating language. Don’t get me wrong. My brain still screams “Give me a break!” from time to time, but that’s completely natural. I know it’s going to take a while, but at least now I accept the person I am—not the perfect person I thought I was.

1. What can we learn about learning English in Venezuela from the passage?

A．Everyone put in much time.	B．The author didn’t need much effort.
C．Its standard was very high.	D．It brought advantages to students.

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 show about the author?

A．She looked down on others.

B．She was brave in competitions.

C．She was proud of her level of foreign languages.

D．She felt confident enough to face any challenge.

3. What happened right after the author moved to Canada?

A．She regretted not working hard in English.

B．She expected to improve her English easily.

C．She quickly put her language talent to use.

D．She found her feet in the new environment quickly.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The author has a practical understanding of herself.

B．The author can speak English quite well now.

C．The author has conquered her fear of English finally.

D．The author is worried about her English.

9 . Think of the last time you disagreed with another person. Maybe you argued with a sibling (兄弟，姊妹) over what to watch on TV. Or perhaps you tried to convince grown-ups that ice cream makes a better dinner than vegetables. How did your disagreement end? Were you able to see the issue from the other person’s viewpoint?

In many situations, disagreements are unavoidable. They’re part of life. After all, everyone has different opinions. We all have past experiences that shape how we see the world. Still, not all disagreements are bad. In fact, many people look at them as opportunities to learn. They do so by trying to understand where both sides are coming from.

How can you understand both sides of an issue? Often, it’s best to start by asking questions. Questions help us learn about the world around us. The right questions can also help us learn about other people. In a disagreement, asking for more information can help you learn about a person’s viewpoint. It can also lead you to gather more facts. This can paint a better picture of the entire issue.

When seeking to understand both sides of an issue, it’s important to know the difference between facts and opinions. Remember, facts are based on true information. Opinions can change from person to person. Paying attention to facts can stop biases (偏见) from taking over in a disagreement. This can help everyone involved see both sides of the issue.

Maybe you’re wondering why it’s important to understand both sides of an issue, anyway. After all, don’t most people just want to prove that their side is right? Often, that’s true. However, understanding the whole issue can lead to both sides working together.

Disagreements may be uncomfortable at first. However, when both sides truly try to understand each other, they often find they have more in common than they thought. The next time you disagree with other people, try asking them questions about their viewpoints. You never know what you might learn.

1. What does the underlined word “so” refer to in Paragraph 2?

A．Ignoring chances to learn.

B．Knowing more about themselves.

C．Shaping a right way to see the world.

D．Making the disagreements a chance to learn.

2. According to the passage, how can we solve a disagreement?

A．By changing the other’s opinion.

B．By making both sides comfortable.

C．By trying to stand in the other’s shoes.

D．By telling facts and opinions apart.

3. How does the author support his view?

A．By reasoning.	B．By making comparison.
C．By debating.	D．By giving examples.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to people’s arguments?

A．Indifferent.

B．Pessimistic.

C．Positive.

D．Skeptical.

10 . The Importance of Failure

When the world-famous author J.K. Rowling gave a speech at a Harvard University graduation ceremony, some may have a little surprised by the topic she chose: “The Benefits of Failure”.

Rowling’s first novel was rejected by 12 publishers before it was finally published, yet paradoxically, it was this experience that helped her to succeed: “    1    . I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had expected.”

The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs experienced failure early in his career, when he was fired form the company he had co-founded.     2    . However, it was, in his view, “the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life.”

Even Bill Gates has experienced failure. His first company was called Traf-O-Data, but unfortunately, its product didn’t work. It was a total disaster. But what Gates learnt from this experience helped lay the groundwork for the global success that is now Microsoft. He didn’t make the same mistake twice.

Talented fashion designer Vera Wang has built a global fashion empire, yet life wasn’t always so straightforward. A dedicated ice skater as a young woman, Wang was bitterly disappointed when she did not make the 1968 US Olympic team.     3    . After 15 years at the magazine, she was passed over for promotion to editor-in-chief. However, this setback prompted her to set up her own bridal fashion label. The rest is history.

    4    . Twice failing the college entrance examination at home, Lee turned to study drama in the US, but his poor English prevented his form becoming an actor. After being accepted for a directing major, Lee spent six years looking for opportunities to direct a film, but was only asked to look after filming equipment. He then spent most of his time writing plays which were rejected by more than 3- companies within two weeks. During six years with no income, he had to depend on his wife. In the end, whit his wife’s encouragement and his determination, all his efforts finally paid off.

All these individuals share something in common: At tough moments in their lives, they showed grit. But what is “grit” exactly? Put simply, it’s a passion for something and the determination to work hard and to stick with it.     5    .

So. how can we become “grittier”? This is where the importance of failure comes in” If we can learn how to manage failure, we’ll learn how to succeed. By working through a series of failures, we’re better prepared for the bigger challenges we’ll face int the adult world: We’ll have the resilience we need to keep going. We’ll have true grit.

A．He felt despair and rejection.

B．He learnt that success isn’t a one-way street.

C．Reaching success, he worked hard and pushed himself.

D．She gave up sport and joined Vogue as an assistant editor, but was crushed.

E．Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learnt no other way.

F．It’s very easy to give up when we hit setbacks, but people who have grit keep going.

G．Ang Lee, a worldwide-famous director, wasn’t successful either as a student or as an actor.