1 . The work-life balance is dead. By this, I’m not advocating that you should give up your pursuit of having a fulfilling career and a thriving personal life, and I’m definitely not saying that you have to give up one to have the other. I also acknowledge that we have a work-life problem, but I’m arguing that the concept of balance has never been helpful, because it’s too limiting. You see, our language makes a difference, and how we refer to things matters because it affects our thinking and therefore our actions.

At the minimum, most of us work because we want to be able to support ourselves, our families, and the people around us. In the ideal world, we’re all doing work that we’re proud of and that provides meaning and purpose to us. But even if your job doesn’t give you shivers of joy each new day, working is a part of what each of us does and the contribution we make to society. When you separate work and life, it’s a little bit harder to make that connection. But when you think of work as part of a full life and a complete experience, it becomes easier to see that success in one aspect often supports another.

Losing your balance and falling isn’t pleasant. A goal to balance suggests that things could quickly get off the balance, and that causes terrible outcomes. It’s more constructive to think of solutions that continue to evolve over shifts in life and work. Rather than falling or failing, you may have good days or better days or not-so-good days. These variations are normal, and it’s more useful to think of life as something that is ever evolving and changing, rather than a high-risk enterprise where things could go wrong with one misstep.

How we talk to ourselves matters, and how we talk about issues makes a difference. Let’s bury “work-life balance” and think bigger and better about work-life fulfillment to do a little less balancing and a lot more living.

1. What does the author say about our use of language?

A．It changes with the passage of time.

B．It impacts how we think and behave.

C．It reflects how we communicate.

D．It differs from person to person.

2. What does the author say we do in an ideal world?

A．We do work that betters the lives of our families and friends.

B．We do work that gives us bursts of joy each new day.

C．We do meaningful work that contributes to society.

D．We do demanding work that brings our capacity into full play.

3. What does the author say about life?

A．It is cyclical.

B．It is dynamic.

C．It is balanced.

D．It is risky.

4. What does the author advise us to do?

A．Make life as simple as possible.

B．Talk about balance in simpler terms.

C．Balance life and work in a new way.

D．Strive for a more fulfilling life.

2 . I come from a long line of farmers. When my parents moved to Wisconsin, farming allowed them to _________ back to Laos, to the culture, and the land. Wisconsin’s cornfields _________ the rice fields of Laos. But for me as a child, farming was just a _________. I would be assigned (分配) a row of green beans. My mom _________ me a big basket and it was my _________ to fill it. That was how I spent my summer vacation _________ my friends were either at camp or doing other fun activities.

I didn’t _________ how farming brought hope to my parents until I was an adult. I am a _________ removed from Laos and I have found that farming allows me to _________ my parents’ story. It allows me to see a little bit into their story. What I’ve __________ from my mom is that you can grow just about anything. My mom wants to start growing __________ like she did back in Laos. With a snowy climate, it is something I never thought __________ here. To me, this shows resilience (适应力). Maybe it __________ and maybe it doesn’t. But there is __________ in that.

As a kid, I hated doing farm work and I never thought that someday I would say that I kind of __________ putting my feet in the mud and weeding (除草) the corn.

1.

A．connect

B．head

C．retire

D．report

2.

A．changed

B．covered

C．replaced

D．affected

3.

A．dream

B．game

C．chore

D．mystery

4.

A．sold

B．gave

C．sent

D．lent

5.

A．intention

B．opportunity

C．choice

D．job

6.

A．while

B．if

C．since

D．until

7.

A．regret

B．monitor

C．appreciate

D．complain

8.

A．generation

B．graduate

C．professional

D．beginner

9.

A．give away

B．make up

C．act out

D．relate to

10.

A．expected

B．learned

C．chosen

D．demanded

11.

A．corn

B．rice

C．beans

D．flowers

12.

A．flexible

B．necessary

C．legal

D．possible

13.

A．improves

B．revives

C．works

D．exists

14.

A．confusion

B．permission

C．balance

D．hope

15.

A．miss

B．risk

C．delay

D．escape

3 . Mr. Smith, the professor at my business class, had a unique way of going over the answers to our weekly tests. For each question, he would ask a random student for their answer and then continue to grill(盘问追问) him/her, forcing him/her to defend that answer. It was certainly a memorable way to review. How I wished I’d been a more experienced student and got used to the professor’s grilling! I wasn’t, though.

But in my anatomy class, Dr. Cuddy introduced “high power” and “low power” body positions, saying “high power” positions involve taking up much space and making yourself look big, while “low power” poses, in contrast, involve making yourself look small, keeping your arms and legs crossed and held close. People tend to see others with high power poses as natural leaders, and are more willing to hire them. Her research finding was that spending just two minutes standing in a high power pose increased a person’s feeling of power and self-confidence. She wanted us to try it out.

On my next quiz-review day, instead of bending over my book studying quietly, I sat up straight and spread out my books and notebooks on the entire surface of my desk. When our teacher asked if anyone had any questions about the material before we began our quiz review, I raised my hand.

The effect was surprising. My professor answered my question as if talking to a colleague, and I had a wonderful feeling of calm. Suddenly, I realized that the important thing was that I was participating. I just needed to engage fully in the class and learn.

Today, before a presentation or a test, I spend a few minutes “thinking big”-taking up space and being seen. It calms me down and when I do, my best always turns out to be pretty good.

1. How did the author perform in his business class?

A．He was good at defending his answer.

B．He had difficulty getting used to the professor.

C．He did good memorization for his weekly tests.

D．He felt confident to question against the teacher.

2. What did Dr. Cuddy want her students to try out?

A．Keeping their arms crossed at a talk.

B．Keeping their desks clean in class.

C．Using low-power poses in class.

D．Taking a high-power pose briefly.

3. What will the author spend time doing before a test?

A．Discussing the content with his classmates.

B．Going over his lessons without being seen.

C．Making himself look big and get noticed.

D．Collecting things on his desk to make it clean.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards “thinking big”?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Indifferent.

4 . My career as a chef started at the age of 25, but my ______ for cooking started at an early age, when I was about 5 years old — by watching my grandmother and my mom in the kitchen ______ daily meals for the family. I was also ______by going with my grandfather to markets to ______ the freshest ingredients. My grandfather taught me the art of picking and recognizing “the ______.”

From my youth, I have had this passion for food. Growing up in Morocco, I witnessed the most amazing hospitality and ______ through my grandparents. They opened their ______ to everybody, and fed and sheltered the poor, travelers, family and friends.

I remember as a young kid coming home from school to the ______ of fragrant (芳香的) fresh bread coming out of the oven. Those smells stimulated (刺激) my senses at a young age. The ______were fresh and seasonal — they were very simple dishes but delightfully ______.

Food is almost as ______ as it is necessary. Food makes people feel things. I really think that food tastes its best when there is a ______ behind it. It shapes cultures, religion, politics and health. Food brings people together, and goes straight to the ______.

In my kitchen, I try to duplicate (复制) smells and flavors that make me think about more than what I’m actually smelling or ______ — it makes me think of life, my family, and my history. I love to cook food that ______ people’s emotions and memories; my philosophy is to “keep food real and simple.”

1.

A．talent

B．passion

C．explanation

D．expectation

2.

A．changing

B．ordering

C．preparing

D．searching

3.

A．inspired

B．bothered

C．honored

D．amused

4.

A．ask about

B．experiment with

C．learn of

D．shop for

5.

A．biggest

B．cleanest

C．best

D．cheapest

6.

A．wisdom

B．honesty

C．success

D．generosity

7.

A．offices

B．houses

C．restaurant

D．hotel

8.

A．art

B．signs

C．creation

D．smells

9.

A．fruits

B．vegetables

C．ingredients

D．goods

10.

A．delicious

B．useful

C．organic

D．convenient

11.

A．nutritious

B．sufficient

C．emotional

D．suitable

12.

A．reason

B．purpose

C．cook

D．story

13.

A．kitchen

B．heart

C．source

D．point

14.

A．tasting

B．chewing

C．touching

D．seeing

15.

A．holds up

B．drives away

C．stirs up

D．depends on

5 . Poppy beamed at herself in the mirror. Her new dress was absolutely perfect. It was her favorite colour of blue and had a row of bows (蝴蝶结) down the front.

Poppy’s mother was making her famous fruit juice. “My goodness, sweetheart, why are you dressed up today?” she asked. “I’m trying on my dress for picture day tomorrow,” Poppy explained. “I want to make sure everything is perfect.”

“Well, I think you’re already perfect,” her mom said. “Be careful. Don’t spill it.” Poppy rolled her eyes, grabbing a cup of fruit and gulping it down.

Seconds later, her mom yelled, “Oh, sweetheart — you spilled your juice!” Poppy glanced down at the spots and gasped. She couldn’t go to school picture day like this! Her class picture would be in the yearbook forever. “It will be all right,” her mom said positively. “I’ll wash it tonight. It’ll be as good as new.”

The next morning, Poppy grabbed her blue dress out of the laundry basket. She pulled it over her head, but something wasn’t right. Poppy couldn’t lower her arms, and the bows pulled tightly. “Oh, no!” Poppy cried. “My dress shrank!” She ran to her closet to find something else she could wear. Finally, in the back of the closet, Poppy found an old yellow dress. Nevertheless, it would have to do.

While waiting for the class’s turn, she hoped it would never come. Maybe the camera couldn’t work or it happened to rain dogs and cats!

The class marched onstage. “All right,” the photographer called. “I guess we all have something we don’t like about our looks. None of us is perfect.”

Poppy glanced at her classmates. Rosa had a bandage taped across her nose. Tom was pulling at his pants, trying to hide his mismatched socks. Lei flashed a Jack-o’-lantern grin, showing several missing teeth. We’re all different, she thought. Maybe that’s what makes us special. Poppy breathed a sigh of relief.

“Cheese!” the photographer called out. The flash went off as the photographer snapped the picture of the yearbook. Poppy smiled her brightest. The picture day hadn’t gone the way she had planned. It had gone even better. “Perfect anyway!” she cried.

1. How did Poppy feel when she looked into the mirror?

A．Upset.

B．Relaxed.

C．Nervous.

D．Excited.

2. What happened to Poppy’s new blue dress the next morning?

A．It was covered with spots.

B．It got less bright in color.

C．It became too small to wear.

D．It was broken when pulled down.

3. Why did Poppy think picture day was perfect in the end?

A．The photographer cheered her up and made her relieved.

B．She realized and accepted her difference and uniqueness.

C．The picture of the yearbook was satisfying as expected.

D．She found her classmates on stage all had their problems.

4. What can be learned from the story?

A．There are spots even on the sun.

B．Inner beauty is the real beauty.

C．Actions speak louder than words.

D．God helps those who help themselves.

6 . I started playing the piano when I was around four years old—that was 15 years ago!—and since then, the longest I haven’t touched piano keys was probably two months. This was an enormous amount of devotion to something that I wasn’t even planning to make money off of—so there must have been something worth holding on to, right?

The easy guess is that I was always so purely in love with music and piano that I couldn’t bear to let them go. However, it’s a bit more complicated than that. I struggled a lot with piano. I felt pressure to improve, innovate, and be the best in order to prove something to others. The seed of my musical interest was grown with competition and doubt.

It’s difficult to learn to love something that you didn’t choose in the first place. But somehow, sometime, love grew. And by high school, it was strong enough that I found the strength to hold on tighter, dig further, and find something of my own to grow. In a way, I had to start over.

And so, I took a pause. I switched teachers, and got incredibly lucky with one who encouraged me and helped me tunnel into what I loved, not what I was told I should learn. Anything I had was good enough to be loved.

This summer, I started learning the guitar. I deliberately wanted to learn on my own—this was just for me, to form a new relationship to music. Even though my guitar skills are miles lower than my piano skills, I feel I can express myself even more wholly through strings than keys. There’s just something about doing it all for myself that has helped me heal the damages to my relationship to music.

The love and hate I’ve had for the piano were both planted and grown. If you too have learned to hate something you once loved—or something you never chose—remember that with dedication, it can be uprooted, and love can make a home in its place. There is always time. There is always room.

1. What can we learn about the author’s experience from Paragraph 1?

A．He probably spent two months in playing the piano.

B．He began to play the piano when he was 15 years old.

C．He thought it necessary to start playing the piano early.

D．He committed himself to the piano not for financial factors.

2. Which of the following words best describes the author’s relationship with the piano?

A．Bittersweet.

B．Harmonious.

C．Painful.

D．Passive.

3. What inspired the author to learn the guitar?

A．His teacher’s constant encouragement.	B．His desire for a new relationship with music.
C．His interest in strings rather than keys.	D．His talent for playing musical instruments.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Practice makes perfect	B．Love cannot be forced
C．Love is a thing that grows	D．There is no end to learning

7 . We had just completed a unit on community heroes, and my kindergarten class homework was to draw their favorite hero. Each child was busy _________ colorful drawings. However, one little boy named Cameron was having difficulty with the homework. He was on the autism spectrum (自闭症谱系), but that didn’t _________ to me or his classmates. We all loved him just the way he was.

I sat and watched as Austin, another little boy, _________ Cameron. Austin had a wonderful way of interacting with Cameron, and helped him _________ his hero. Within a few minutes, Cameron began drawing blue lines on his paper.

_________, it was time for everybody to _________ their hero pictures. I listened carefully to each student’s _________ of his or her hero. It was finally Cameron’s _________ to share his hero. Cameron stood up and _________ his drawing in front of his face. He then said it was a picture of me and I helped him learn things.

When Austin shared his picture, I was __________ it would be a policeman, but he __________ me when he held up a picture of Cameron. He said Cameron was his __________ because he had a sickness that made it __________ to learn, but he was like Superman and was really smart. What had started out as a simple __________ on community heroes had turned into a moment that changed my understanding of teachers’ __________. Teachers should lead their children in discovering their own amazing qualities and helping them find their inner superhero.

1.

A．selecting

B．observing

C．creating

D．seeking

2.

A．matter

B．happen

C．belong

D．apply

3.

A．learnt from

B．relied on

C．worked with

D．apologized to

4.

A．draw

B．find

C．visit

D．impress

5.

A．Suddenly

B．Immediately

C．Luckily

D．Finally

6.

A．enjoy

B．examine

C．share

D．revise

7.

A．description

B．expectation

C．adjustment

D．improvement

8.

A．way

B．turn

C．permission

D．ambition

9.

A．hid

B．colored

C．donated

D．placed

10.

A．disappointed

B．afraid

C．curious

D．certain

11.

A．persuaded

B．surprised

C．reminded

D．calmed

12.

A．patient

B．brother

C．hero

D．classmate

13.

A．hard

B．necessary

C．interesting

D．flexible

14.

A．survey

B．decision

C．lesson

D．suggestion

15.

A．responsibilities

B．predictions

C．achievements

D．arrangements

8 . In our daily lives, we need to look at where we focus our time and energy.     1    —our health, our children, problems at work, the national debt, or the nuclear war. We could separate those from things in which we have no particular mental or emotional involvement by creating a “Circle of Concern”.

    2    , it becomes apparent that there are some things over which we have no real control and others that we can do something about. We could identify those concerns in the latter group by limiting them within a smaller Circle of Influence.

Proactive (积极主动的) people focus their efforts on the Circle of Influence.     3    . The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase.

Reactive people, on the other hand, focus their efforts on the Circle of Concern.     4    , the problems in the environment, and circumstances over which they have no control. Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes, reactive language, and increased feelings of sadness.

    5    —to be a better listener, to be a more loving marriage partner, to be a better student, to be a more cooperative and dedicated employee. Sometimes the most proactive thing we can do is be happy, just to genuinely smile. Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice. There are things, like the weather, which our Circle of Influence will never include. But as proactive people, we can carry our own physical or social weather with us. We can be happy and accept those things that at present we can’t control, while we focus our efforts on the things that we can.

A．Our time and energy are limited

B．We each have a wide range of concerns

C．They focus on the weakness of other people

D．They work on the things they can do something about

E．As we look at those things within our Circle of Concern

F．There are so many ways to work in the Circle of Influence

G．Now that it’s a good idea to focus on your Circle of Concern

9 . I am writing this the day before the mail containing the result of the university entrance exam reaches me. I am writing this with a determination that I will _________ and not let life pass me by. I am sure that I will become something, even if the envelope brings me _________ news.

The envelope will reach my _________ tomorrow and I am ready to bear with _________ and self-respect. I will not _________, unless they are tears of joy for saying good-bye to my childhood and welcoming in a _________ life-one that is mysterious（神秘的）and _________. It will teach me to grow and _________ why things are the way they are. It will filter out（过滤掉）all my regrets（遗憾）and let my self-worth _________.

I will be __________ in my battle and not let the bad news bring me down. I will tell myself that I am a talented person and that being __________ doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to be accepted into __________.

I will not listen to those who __________ that a university degree is the only way I will find as a means of __________ these days. I will tell myself that even if that envelope is small and includes a rejection, the person that they have __________ will carry on, because I must __________ to live my life the way I know how to.

I know who I am. I __________ who I am. And whether or not I am accepted into college, I will be true to myself and to __________ around me. I will not __________. I will only look forward and greet each day with a __________ anyway.

1.

A．lie down

B．shout out

C．break in

D．carry on

2.

A．great

B．bad

C．interesting

D．funny

3.

A．mailbox

B．bed

C．heart

D．father

4.

A．shame

B．amusement

C．courage

D．happiness

5.

A．cry

B．talk

C．move

D．work

6.

A．comfortable

B．new

C．hard

D．long

7.

A．worthless

B．expensive

C．unknown

D．brief

8.

A．question

B．wonder

C．doubt

D．understand

9.

A．decrease

B．increase

C．reduce

D．lower

10.

A．strong

B．lost

C．energetic

D．stubborn

11.

A．humorous

B．weak

C．rich

D．smart

12.

A．hospital

B．prison

C．college

D．heaven

13.

A．disagree

B．hope

C．claim

D．reply

14.

A．living

B．escaping

C．exploring

D．entertaining

15.

A．angered

B．rejected

C．greeted

D．inspired

16.

A．stop

B．decline

C．pretend

D．continue

17.

A．hate

B．accept

C．forget

D．forgive

18.

A．others

B．them

C．schools

D．mistakes

19.

A．get up

B．grow up

C．look back

D．come back

20.

A．dream

B．wish

C．struggle

D．smile