1 . It was 6 p. m. on 24 January 2001, the first day of Chinese New Year. I was working as a tour guide and was on my way to ________ a group for a night tour around Kuala Lumpur. As I drove along the road, a small hatchback flew across the centre divider from the ________ direction and crashed into my car head-on. I passed out and was ________ by the ringing of my mobile phone. It was a travel agent, asking me if I had arrived at the Mandarin Oriental for my assignment. Then I went into shock.

In the hospital, I saw my crushed feet hanging from my body, blue and lifeless, and I pleaded with the doctors to save them at all costs. They calmly promised to do their best.

Days after that, I was informed that I lost the job. My heart ________. How was I going to support my 65-year-old mother? And plus, I have so many other commitments.

I felt utter helplessness, but a lot of unexpected ________ came my way. I had many visitors during my 14 days in hospital and when I was ________ at home. Friends and relatives helped me with my financial stuff or simply came to cheer me up.

But I was only 30, and wanted to see the world. When the casts were removed, I did not let the sight of my weak legs ________ me. I worked hard at my physiotherapy with only one ________: I must walk again. After the five-month ________, I was back on my feet. After eight months, I was walking without the aid of crutches. By February the following year, I had started globetrotting again.

Today, after eight years, I have travelled to many countries as a tour leader and am determined not to let the pain interfere with my work.

The ________ made me realize how lives can change in a split second; five out of the six people in the overcrowded car that hit me lost their lives. In my ________ state of mind, I recalled how motorcyclists wrapped their jackets around their arms and ________ away my shattered side window to save me. I also recall the Chinese family who ________ taboo (禁忌) and drove me to the hospital ________ my bloodied condition on Chinese New Year. The kindness I’ve experienced taught me never to give up hope on anyone or in any situation. I ________ life more, not only my own but also everyone I know, and will always try to help when I know of someone in trouble.

1.

A．find out

B．search for

C．pick up

D．attend to

2.

A．opposite

B．same

C．wrong

D．right

3.

A．awakened

B．astonished

C．annoyed

D．activated

4.

A．beat

B．sank

C．jumped

D．ached

5.

A．results

B．disasters

C．blessings

D．promises

6.

A．recovering

B．working

C．testing

D．reflecting

7.

A．frighten

B．please

C．discourage

D．encourage

8.

A．aim

B．idea

C．statement

D．destination

9.

A．exercise

B．therapy

C．experiment

D．examination

10.

A．incident

B．accident

C．event

D．prelude

11.

A．nervous

B．mixed

C．foggy

D．unconscious

12.

A．cleared

B．moved

C．pulled

D．pushed

13.

A．overlooked

B．emphasized

C．considered

D．abandoned

14.

A．in spite of

B．in addition to

C．on account of

D．in case of

15.

A．understand

B．sacrifice

C．save

D．value

2 . Recently, I accidentally found a set of Hanfu l only wore once from the bottom of the cupboard. I remember buying them simply to match the ancient-style hair accessories (配饰) a friend gave me. It occurred to me that 1 had been trapped in the “birdcage effect”.

“Birdcage effect” means that when you get an item one day, you will prepare more things to match it. Weeks ago, I was in the company of friends engaged in shopping. One said that she wanted to buy a good writing pen to match the delicate notebook that her sister gave her, so that she would fall in love with taking notes on reading, and thus love reading, not just reading. I joked that she must have fallen for the “birdcage effect”. But the friend said with a smile: “Why not use the ‘birdcage effect’ instead?”

For the first time, I heard that the “birdcage effect” can be used in reverse (逆向). However, this can’t help but remind me of middle school, and I seem to have used the “birdcage effect”. Passing by a bookstore one day, I purchased a magazine and saw the call for contributions published in the magazine, so I started writing with eager hands, and then I fell in love with writing.

After shopping with my friends that time, I began to proceed to use the “birdcage effect”. I bought a small fresh tablecloth to decorate my desk, and a beautiful notebook to record my inspiration. When everything was ready, I started writing again.

But how can we get rid of the “birdcage effect” in many things, and even use the “birdcage effect” in the opposite way? Various “birdcages” unavoidably appear in life, but we can distinguish them. If it is not in line with the actual situation, it is a “negative birdcage”, then we must learn to stop losses in time and maintain a heart of abandonment and separation. If it is a “positive birdcage” that motivates us to develop upward, we can clarify our goals, shop or decorate appropriately, and motivate ourselves to move towards our goals. At this time, you will find that the “birdcage effect” is actually not so terrible!

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The application of the “birdcage effect” in life.

B．The necessity of using the “birdcage effect” in life.

C．The turning point of the author’s idea on the “birdcage effect”.

D．The author’s conflict with her friend over the “birdcage effect”.

2. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning her middle school experience?

A．To recall her delightful days at school.

B．To explain the reason for her love with writing.

C．To confirm the positive of the “birdcage effect”.

D．To prove her knowledge of the “birdcage effect”.

3. How can we make use of the “birdcage effect” positively?

A．By realizing this effect has two sides.

B．By promoting our personal consumption.

C．By recognizing this effect is not so terrible.

D．By guiding our acts to go with reasonable goals.

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

A．Getting Rid of the Birdcage Effect Confidently

B．Motivating Ourselves to Move Towards Our Goals

C．The Birdcage Effect: Influence on Consumer Behavior

D．The Birdcage Effect: How to Use It to Your Advantage

3 . While enjoying my fresh lunch in a restaurant in Amsterdam, I noticed something odd. Customers coming in for something to eat ignored the person standing behind the counter (柜台), preferring to________through a smart phone.

What was the crazy thing about this? They were just several________apart! In fact, they were so close that the staff member took a quick________at his screen to get a head start on picking the right vegetables—all without any words________. Now, I get it: Modern technology allows us to be more________, but I might be witnessing something deeper: we prefer not to talk to each other anymore.

Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you naturally ______ a conversation with somebody you didn’t know? The chances are that you don’t even________! Likely either you or the other person was “busy” with other things like________with a smartphone. Now, with the________of digital technologies, one can’t help but pay the________for modern efficiency: our ability to talk to strangers.

We shop,________a hotel, or order a taxi, all via an app.________with random strangers is becoming rarer and rarer. Yet there are surprising________of having even a short and simple conversation with strangers. You might learn something________, and beyond doubt, it has the power to enrich your understanding of others and________a special bond in our modern world.

1.

A．talk

B．call

C．order

D．deliver

2.

A．meters

B．millimeters

C．kilometers

D．centimeters

3.

A．chance

B．turn

C．look

D．test

4.

A．spoken

B．written

C．typed

D．mentioned

5.

A．efficient

B．enthusiastic

C．effective

D．energetic

6.

A．ended up

B．engaged in

C．made up

D．went on

7.

A．hear

B．believe

C．remember

D．understand

8.

A．recording

B．studying

C．playing

D．calculating

9.

A．idea

B．aim

C．problem

D．rise

10.

A．cash

B．price

C．debt

D．tax

11.

A．decorate

B．book

C．build

D．repair

12.

A．Contact

B．Work

C．Quarrel

D．Reunion

13.

A．interests

B．benefits

C．disadvantages

D．influences

14.

A．unrealistic

B．unsuitable

C．unreasonable

D．unexpected

15.

A．serves as

B．refers to

C．accounts for

D．consists of

4 . “Are you all right?” the student asked as she passed me in the hallway. I was in the final stretch of last work before writing my essay. The student, who was 4 years behind me in the same Ph.D. program, went on to say, “I see people from your group working so much, putting in extra hours, even at night.” It set me thinking a lot.

As a first-year Ph.D. student, I was lucky to have kind and understanding advisers. But I felt overwhelming pressure to become a perfect student. I kept finding a million reasons why I was coming into graduate school at a disadvantage compared with my peers. As a student from Colombia, I had been educated at institutions my professors and colleagues had never heard of, I spoke with an accent that was hard to understand, and I was older than most of the people in my cohort.

I noticed that most of the people around me seemed to be working all the time. I began to spend many weekday nights and weekends in the lab. But my strategy didn’t work. I crashed from burnout. The tiredness took a toll on my productivity and motivation. During one of many mindless Sundays in the office, I realized I’d fallen into the trap of assuming my colleagues’ work habits were the standard for belonging and being worthy of respect — and it wasn’t sustainable.

From then on, I stopped counting the number of work hours I was putting in, leaving space every day for exercising and doing activities that I enjoyed. Eventually, I realized nobody was keeping track of the amount of time I spent in the lab anyway and it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

I noticed that having more time for myself made me more rested and motivated when I went back to work. I continued quietly along this path for years, until that conversation in the hallway. So, when I ran into her again, weeks later, I told her that even though I was feeling a lot of pressure in the final year of my Ph.D., I was putting my mental and physical health first and wasn’t working overtime. I also began to talk with other students about how quality sleep, physical activity, healthy eating, and reasonable work hours were a daily part of my routine.

1. What can we learn about the student?

A．He spent much time in lab work.	B．He had finished the Ph.D. program.
C．He was concerned about the author.	D．He was putting in extra hours at night.

2. How does the author feel about his work at first?

A．Anxious.

B．Ambitious.

C．Dissatisfied.

D．Enthusiastic.

3. Which can replace the underlined phrase “took a toll on” in Para. 3?

A．Added fuel to.	B．Had a negative impact on.
C．Cast new light on.	D．Depended too much on.

4. What does the author intend to tell us?

A．A healthy work-life balance counts.

B．A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

C．Fitting in doesn’t mean working overtime.

D．Nothing is difficult to the man who will try.

5 . It might sound a bit old-fashioned, but there’s something unique about handwritten things. And I’m a real believer in the_______of letters.

When I was about 12 years old, my friends and I wanted a pet mouse. The pet shop wouldn’t_______us one until we had a letter from a parent, so, having the tidiest_______, I faked(伪)one.

My trick was quickly_______. My mum felt that the punishment should fit the crime, so she made me write letters to a few randomly selected_______.

One of them was my uncle who I’d only_______a few times. I wrote along letter_______my life and listing my interests.

My punishment_______, I forgot about this until I suddenly got a reply from him. He told me all about his life and would love to_______about what school subjects I enjoyed. And so started a correspondence(通信)that________for several years.

Then out of the blue, he passed away. My mum was________as they had not really spoken for years. I went upstairs and presented a box of________from him. She comforted herself reading them and knowing that ________she hadn’t been in touch, I had grown close to him by writing to him.

I often think about how that one________childhood behavior led to such an enriching correspondence. It________me-to write to lots of other people, and it’s something I keep up with to this day.

1.

A．content

B．advance

C．order

D．power

2.

A．sell

B．pay

C．give

D．offer

3.

A．handwriting

B．room

C．hand

D．habit

4.

A．admired

B．exchanged

C．discovered

D．solved

5.

A．strangers

B．neighbors

C．relatives

D．friends

6.

A．ignored

B．met

C．recognized

D．thanked

7.

A．detailing

B．organizing

C．improving

D．wasting

8.

A．reasonable

B．complete

C．serious

D．efficient

9.

A．think

B．care

C．hear

D．argue

10.

A．went on

B．ended up

C．got over

D．turned up

11.

A．concerned

B．upset

C．angry

D．calm

12.

A．chocolates

B．books

C．puddings

D．letters

13.

A．after

B．although

C．because

D．if

14.

A．meaningful

B．frank

C．unique

D．improper

15.

A．advised

B．required

C．encouraged

D．warned

6 . At the age of 18, we become adults and are given the right to vote, to travel the world and to pursue our dreams. At 60, we enter a new phase of life. It marks the start of retirement for most of us. There are 42 years between these two major phases. Interestingly, the number 42 is also associated with marathons, which cover42 km.    1     Let’s explore.

It takes time to prepare.

To run a full marathon, you need to train hard for months and even years, slowly building your endurance(耐力). The same goes for building a savings pool for retirement.     2       So, if you’re thinking about saving for retirement, don’t hesitate! Get started today.

    3    

Preparing for a marathon requires a well-rounded approach. Similarly, individuals building a retirement fund need to build a file that is diversified across different property classes. By diversifying your investments, you can survive market unstability and safeguard your hard-earned savings.

Every runner runs his own race.

Just like marathon runners focus on running and completing their own race, retirement planning for every individual is a personal endeavour. Trying to keep pace with another runner can damage one’s performance. Similarly, each person’s financial situation is unique and as such, each person’s approach to retirement planning will be too.     4    

Are you serious about planning for your retirement?     5     With a little hard work and dedication, you can cross the finish line with flying colours.

A．It makes sense to cover every aspect.

B．Starting small and starting young is essential.

C．Preparing for the race requires more than just physical training.

D．Take your time to dream big and plan carefully your retirement.

E．The key is to find what works best for you and remain committed to it.

F．If so, take a page out of the marathon runner’s playbook and begin training.

G．Are there lessons in training and running a marathon- that can be applied to retirement planning?

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。

Imagine sitting at your breakfast table having a cup of coffee when all of a sudden you see someone about to die. What would you do? Last Christmas, John Gelinne found out.

On Dec. 26, Gelinne, 60, was watching out the back windows of his home in Edgewater, Maryland, at frozen Beards Creek (河流). Children and grandchildren were running around the house. That’s when Gelinne looked up just in time to see a small plane a few hundred yards away, losing altitude (海拔高度).

As the plane disappeared behind the trees, Gelinne, a former Navy commander, realized it was going to land in the creek. He flashed on a moment from more than20 years earlier: Sept. 11, 2001. Gelinne was at work in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., when terrorists (恐怖分子) crashed a plane into the building. He escaped but has always wondered if he could have stayed inside and

“To the right was the crisis, and to the left was escape. I don’t even know if I could have gone right, but I went left,” he recalled. “I always second-guessed myself about that decision.”

On this day, Gelinne didn’t hesitate. He ran down to the waterfront. The plane had slipped to a stop on the broad, frozen creek, far from the shore. It was now sinking. The pilot was standing on the wing. Gelinne knew from his Navy training that even a few minutes in the icy water could kill the pilot.

Gelinne tested the ice with his foot and decided not to take any chances walking on it. So he and his son, John Ir., 37, pulled two kayaks(皮艇) out.

“I figured, if it can float on the water, it can slide on the ice,” Gelinne says. The kayaks’ paddles (桨) proved easily broken, so the pair tried using shovels (铁铲) to push the boats along. Their first attempts left them moving in circles. But with some muscle, they made progress.

注意:
1.词数150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The two men set off, pushing their boats across the ice.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
They finally arrived at the shore with great efforts.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Sometimes I have thought it would be excellent to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize _________ the values of life.

Those who have never_________   the loss of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these capabilities. Their eyes and ears_________ all sights and sounds hazily(模糊地), without concentration and with little_________ . I have often thought it would be a good thing if each human being were stricken _________ and deaf for a few days at some time. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; _________ would teach him the joys of sound.

Recently I was visited by a good friend who had just _________ from a long walk in the woods, and I asked her what she had _________ .“Nothing in particular,” she replied. How was it possible-walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing___________ of notice? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to ____________   me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry (对称) of a leaf and I touch the ____________ of trees hopefully in search of a bud(芽), the first sign of____________ Nature after her winter’s sleep. The miracle of Nature is ____________ to me and the changing seasons are an exciting and unending drama, the action of which streams through my____________ .

If I can get so much pleasure from mere ____________   , how much more beauty must be revealed by sight?

1.

A．constantly

B．sharply

C．deadly

D．merely

2.

A．treated

B．restored

C．suffered

D．prevented

3.

A．take in

B．allow for

C．smooth out

D．brighten up

4.

A．tension

B．appreciation

C．adaptation

D．possession

5.

A．disabled

B．injured

C．speechless

D．blind

6.

A．silence

B．anxiety

C．music

D．voice

7.

A．worked

B．escaped

C．struggled

D．returned

8.

A．predicted

B．targeted

C．observed

D．left

9.

A．full

B．afraid

C．free

D．worthy

10.

A．protect

B．challenge

C．interest

D．tolerate

11.

A．leaves

B．branches

C．fruits

D．barks

12.

A．exploring

B．awakening

C．drawing

D．loving

13.

A．revealed

B．expanded

C．created

D．described

14.

A．hair

B．blood

C．toes

D．fingertips

15.

A．touch

B．smell

C．taste

D．hearing

9 . At the age of 12, I withdrew into my bedroom with my guitar. I had neither musical talent — many_______music lessons had proved that — nor musical training. My fingers ached as I tried to press down on the strings without making them buzz (发出嗡嗡声). _______, I worked my way through 2-, 3- and even 5-chord (和旋) songs and discovered the _______ thrills of these musical notes. No one _______ me to do this. I did this myself and of my own free will for a week, and the sense of happiness－ true happiness _______ in absorption in something － has _______ me. Fifty years later, that week’s self-directed practice became a model and _______ for almost every meaningful thing I have done since. It makes me understand the _______ between achievement and accomplishment.

The world favors achievement while _______ accomplishment. The former is the completion of the task imposed (强加) from the outside — the ________ being a path to the next task. The latter is the end point of an activity we have chosen, whose bonus is the sudden ________ of happiness.

The seeking of accomplishment always ________ people. I learned so long ago in that ________ week that simply lifting one finger from the guitar’s C chord, you should get the most moving ________ in tune. I didn’t know then it was a major 7th chord, a favorite of some masters’. I just ________ accomplishment. That’s real human “achievement”.

1.

A．added

B．tailored

C．expected

D．failed

2.

A．Besides

B．Instead

C．Therefore

D．However

3.

A．fruitless

B．matchless

C．effortless

D．senseless

4.

A．wished

B．allowed

C．required

D．invited

5.

A．masked

B．rooted

C．set

D．stuck

6.

A．waited for

B．passed by

C．departed from

D．stayed with

7.

A．exchange

B．reason

C．foundation

D．priority

8.

A．relationship

B．difference

C．balance

D．similarity

9.

A．ignoring

B．avoiding

C．assessing

D．defending

10.

A．origin

B．process

C．decision

D．reward

11.

A．lack

B．need

C．rush

D．dream

12.

A．amazes

B．concerns

C．frightens

D．discourages

13.

A．adventurous

B．dangerous

C．memorable

D．horrible

14.

A．impression

B．performance

C．scene

D．harmony

15.

A．pursued

B．accepted

C．interpreted

D．analysed

10 . I was driving when my phone alerted me to a new email. Filled with eager anticipation, I pulled over, turned on my hazard lights, and opened it. My emotions quickly changed as I learned, for the sixth and final time, that I had been denied a promotion to full professor. My institution didn’t seem to value what I brought to the table. But when I told my family that night, my children offered a surprisingly positive response. They were excited to see what I was going to do next, they said. They apparently knew long before I did that losing my bid for a promotion would turn out to be the best thing that could have happened for me.

This had been the final step in a long process spanning 15 months and involving so much effort. I had started by studying successful promotion bids and asking senior scholars for frank discussions about my readiness. I had carefully prepared my application packet, summarizing everything I had achieved in my career. For more than a year, I had spent hours every day trying to prove my worth to my university.

To my surprise, having a final answer brought a welcome sense of closure. As a first step toward healing, I decided to prioritize my own values and follow my own internal compass. I disconnected from people in my life who violated my values, cultivated my relationships with those who share my priorities and bring out the best in me, and spent more time with my family. I founded a nonprofit that helps first-generation and low-income students and young professionals advance in the workforce while serving their community. The initiative had long been a dream of mine, but I never pursued it because typical academic hiring and promotion don’t reward such efforts. Now, such considerations were no longer my North Star.

Five months after that email from top leadership, I found myself in the car again, experiencing another career-defining moment. I may have lost my bid for a big promotion, but in the end, it brought me to the right place.

1. What did the author feel after he read the email?

A．Anxious and annoyed.	B．Embarrassed and ashamed.
C．Relieved and peaceful.	D．Disappointed and sorrowful.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．What contributions the writer had made.	B．What preparations the writer had made.
C．How successful the career had been.	D．How tiring the process had been.

3. Which of the following would the writer probably agree with?

A．Success is more than a title or a rank.

B．One’s internal compass is to be developed.

C．Serving the community may heal a broken heart.

D．One’s real value first lies in his family interaction.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Emails: my North Star

B．Full professor: a double-edged sword

C．A career setback becomes a great opportunity

D．An academic career witnesses a failed promotion