1 . My son had just got his driving license. On the way home, I pulled the car over and ________ seats with him, making him drive home. “No, I’m not ready,” he took a deep breath, and ________ my father’s words, “Don’t apologize for knowing your ________.” For a brief moment, time froze.

I ________ my family riding the highest roller coaster then at an amusement park one summer. I was secretly terrified of ________. Not wanting to be the only one to stay behind, I ________ to myself, you can do this, you can do this, trying to ________ my nerves.

It was time to step into the waiting area. My body was ________ with fear. At that moment I knew: I just couldn’t do it and finally ________ my fear. Too ________ to face my family, I simply called to Dad that I was leaving.

Soon they showed up. No one looked very thrilled about what they had just experienced. I began to feel ________ relieved when I looked up and ________ Dad’s inquiring eyes. “I was just too chicken. Sorry.” I murmured.

“Don’t ever apologize for knowing your limits. Don’t ever let anyone ________ you do something you’re not comfortable with.” This was the exact ________ of what I expected him to say.

Instantly, I understood how my son felt. Knowing the limits isn’t a(n) ________ of weakness, but a sign of strength.

1.

A．shared

B．found

C．switched

D．reserved

2.

A．informed

B．echoed

C．reminded

D．grasped

3.

A．errors

B．weaknesses

C．highlights

D．limits

4.

A．recalled

B．anticipated

C．imagined

D．caught

5.

A．budget

B．heights

C．failure

D．conflicts

6.

A．repeated

B．yelled

C．turned

D．waved

7.

A．set

B．lose

C．affect

D．calm

8.

A．blank

B．solid

C．rigid

D．flexible

9.

A．face up to

B．give in to

C．come up with

D．reach out for

10.

A．relaxed

B．delighted

C．surprised

D．embarrassed

11.

A．somehow

B．enough

C．little

D．somewhat

12.

A．met

B．locked

C．avoided

D．resisted

13.

A．witness

B．make

C．suggest

D．observe

14.

A．opposite

B．remark

C．explanation

D．objection

15.

A．outcome

B．display

C．indication

D．admission

2 . Seeing the Good in Others

Many interactions these days have a kind of bumper-car (碰碰车) quality to them. At work, at home, on the telephone, or via email, we bounce off each other while we exchange information, smile or frown, and move on.     1     In fact, we’re most likely to notice the bad qualities in others rather than the good ones.

Unfortunately, if you feel surrounded by lots of bad qualities in others, you naturally feel less supported, less safe, and less likely to be generous or pursue your dreams. Plus, it functions oppositely.     2     But actually, seeing the good in others is a simple way to feel happier and more confident. Below are some useful suggestions for you.

Slow down. Step out of the bumper car and spend a few moments being curious about the good qualities in the other person.     3     Instead, you are opening your eyes, taking off the glasses of the negativity bias, and seeing what the facts really are.

See positive intentions. Recently, I was at the dentist’s, and her assistant told me a long story about her electric company. My mouth was full of cotton wads, and I didn’t feel interested. But then I started noticing her underlying aims: to put me at ease, fill the time until she could pull the cotton out, and connect with each other as people.

    4     Going through school, I routinely picked last for teams in PE. Then, in my first year at UCLA, I gave intramural touch football a try. We had a great quarterback (四分卫) who was too small for college football. After one practice, he told me in passing, “You’re good, and I’m going to throw to you.” I was surprised. But this was the beginning of my realization that I was actually quite a good athlete. His recognition also made me play better, which helped our team.

See positive character traits. Unless you’re surrounded by deadbeats and sociopaths, everyone you know must have many virtues, such as determination, generosity, kindness, patience, energy, grit, honesty, fairness, or compassion. Take a moment to observe virtues in others.     5    

A．See abilities.

B．Cooperate with others.

C．You are not looking through smog-colored glasses.

D．You, too, have positive intentions, real abilities, and virtues of mind and heart.

E．How often do we actually take the extra few seconds to see others’ good qualities?

F．You could also make a list of virtues in key people in your life — even in people who are challenging for you.

G．When another person feels that you don’t really see much that’s good in him or her, that person is less likely to take the time to see much that’s good in you.

3 . The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said that you can’t step into the same river twice, for you aren’t the same person at each visit and the water is ever flowing. It is a powerful way to show the reality that everything is always changing. Yet so many people have unpleasant relationships with change. We resist it or attempt to control it, the result of which is almost always some combination of stress, anxiety, and burnout. It doesn’t have to be that way.

No doubt, change can, and often does, hurt; but with the right mindset, it can also be a force for growth. A concept called allostasis can help. Developed in the late 1980s by neuroscientist Peter Sterling and biologist Joseph Eyer, allostasis is based on the idea that rather than being rigid, our healthy baseline is a moving target. Allostasis is defined as “stability through change”—the way to stay stable through the process of change is by changing.

From neuroscience to pain science and psychology, allostasis has become the dominant model for understanding change in the scientific community. The brain is at its best when it is constantly rewiring itself and making new connections. Overcoming pain is not about resistance or trying to get back to where you were but about balancing acceptance with problem-solving and moving forward to normal.

The time to start practicing is now. Over the past few years, the river of change has been flowing, and it shows no signs of letting up. Our ability to work with these changes is directly related to our life satisfaction. Given all this, simply creating a stable expectancy around change goes a long way. So does realizing that the allostasis mindset doesn’t ask us to do nothing. Rather, it asks us to partake in change by focusing on what we can control and trying to let go of what we can’t. When I catch myself resisting change, in my head I say the following: “This is what is happening right now. I’m doing the best that I can. What, if any, skillful actions can I take?” Do this repeatedly and finally you start to get better at it.

To thrive in our lifetime — and not just survive —we need to transform our relationship with change, leaving behind rigidity and resistance. We are always shaping and being shaped by change, often at the very same time.

1. What’s the common practice toward change?

A．To welcome it.	B．To reject it.
C．To overlook it.	D．To adapt to it.

2. Which of the following can best interpret “allostasis”?

A．One size fits all.	B．Time works great changes.
C．Respond to change by changing.	D．It’s never too late to change.

3. What does the underlined phrase “letting up” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Stopping.	B．Dashing down.
C．Going up.	D．Widening.

4. What might the author agree with?

A．Repetition makes up for rigidity.	B．It matters to focus on what we can’t.
C．Changes promote life satisfaction.	D．It makes sense to embrace changes.

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。

My father had been a sales trainer who taught presentation skills. He traveled across the world for work and competed in tennis tournaments on the weekends. “Life is good,” he would always say, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Everything changed during my second year of high school. A sudden stroke (中风) left my dad with severe physical and neurological deficits. He was unable to move the right side of his body. But the most serious problem, amidst so many others, was his loss of speech.

The stroke resulted in a disorder called aphasia, which damages someone’s ability to communicate and understand language. It was like my father was a prisoner in his own body, unable to do and say exactly what he wanted.

The aphasia also caused my dad to say things he did not mean. He would sometimes cry in the middle of a funny movie and laugh when something tragic happened. I found myself going through embarrassment whenever we were in public. My father would wave his cane like a weapon and shout incoherent yet harmless phrases at passersby. It upset me. I hated the stares and hushed comments, even though he did not notice.

One afternoon, I came home to find my dad watching an old video. It was a video of my father and me playing tennis. What used to be such a simple pleasure was now impossible. We watched in silence until I couldn’t hold my grief any longer. I found myself shaking and crying. At any time, he could have another stroke. There was no promise of tomorrow. I felt overcome by fear, both for my family and for my father.

Father’s lips moved while he watched me cry. He clearly wanted to say something, but was powerless. I wondered what he wanted to say to inspire me to face up to the darkness we were going through.

I finally found my answer when one day I took my dad to the park, rowing a boat as we did a few times before. “You …and… me!” he managed to say.

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

Shocked, I wanted to hear more.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

“Yes. Life is good.” I whispered back, completing it for him.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . I’ve spent my life avoiding uncomfortable situations.

As a work-from-home mother of three, I spent my days driving children to school and then sticking to my daily _________. I’d go to the same gym, _________ at the same store, and walk the same neighborhood path.

One fall morning, I was out on a walk with a close friend. This woman is independent and brave, to whom I often turn for advice. As we talked about our daily life, I _________ the topic to fear. I admitted that I felt _________ in my comfortable zone but didn’t know how to walk out.

The advice she gave me changed my life. “Starting _________, get started no matter what,” she said. “Starting today, do something every day that _________ you.”

I decided to _________ her advice and began to make conversation with the cashier at my regular store and order something _________ at my favourite restaurant. I gave myself permission to _________ new and frightening opportunity.

My wise friend’s advice became my life’s __________. In the years to come, following this advice __________ changed my life and opened doors I didn’t even know had been closed. Heart racing, and stomach aching were once signs of danger, but now they were signs of opportunity. I get to try and fail, feel fear and choose to be __________ every single day.

Fear is a __________. Without it, I’d still be at my regular seat asking for the same sandwich instead of sitting in a café telling the waiter to “__________ me.” Accepting opportunities that frighten me has __________ me with the knowledge that I can do hard things.

1.

A．schedule

B．exercise

C．update

D．report

2.

A．chat

B．work

C．shop

D．wait

3.

A．continued

B．followed

C．changed

D．applied

4.

A．annoyed

B．trapped

C．grateful

D．regretful

5.

A．early

B．big

C．late

D．small

6.

A．delights

B．frightens

C．confuses

D．attracts

7.

A．take

B．share

C．receive

D．seek

8.

A．new

B．expensive

C．quick

D．simple

9.

A．offer

B．exchange

C．miss

D．explore

10.

A．story

B．goal

C．belief

D．style

11.

A．completely

B．extremely

C．specifically

D．formally

12.

A．anxious

B．brave

C．independent

D．determined

13.

A．wonder

B．moment

C．gift

D．matter

14.

A．strike

B．contact

C．embarrass

D．surprise

15.

A．lectured

B．crowded

C．touched

D．provided

6 . It was early in the morning and I was building a sand castle on the beach. After finishing the basic shape,I began to decorate the form with _________ . A boy walked up and began to kick at the castle. I _______what was in his mind for him to do such a thing.

Pausing for a while, I held out my hand _______ with shells and said,“Here, help me put these on.” He stopped _______, looked at me for several seconds, then took them and began to _______ them on the castle. We decorated in _______ silence. When the entire castle was covered in shells, we stepped back to look at the _______.“We did a good job,”I said, “Thank you.” He beamed at me and left. I watched for a moment as he walked away and _______ the boy's reaction. He must have been _______ when I didn't yell at him to stop his kicking,or take even more aggressive action towards him. ________ ,I extended my hand to him, and he chose to spend his ________ on the sand castle.

Many years later, that ________ is still a golden thread in my life's tapestry (织锦). It is a lovely solution. I realize that when someone gives me a(n) ________ , if appropriate, I give them some “shells.” If I and others,practice ________ solutions with smaller problems, we may one day seek to find proper ways to deal with the really ________ ones.

1.

A．flowers

B．shells

C．jewels

D．stones

2.

A．predicted

B．imagined

C．wondered

D．doubted

3.

A．decorated

B．covered

C．dotted

D．filled

4.

A．kicking

B．buffeting

C．building

D．escaping

5.

A．switch

B．base

C．place

D．carry

6.

A．comfortable

B．annoying

C．anxious

D．shocking

7.

A．beach

B．work

C．product

D．performance

8.

A．worried about

B．cared about

C．heard about

D．thought about

9.

A．defeated

B．delighted

C．surprised

D．satisfied

10.

A．However

B．Instead

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

11.

A．time

B．money

C．life

D．vacation

12.

A．image

B．attempt

C．issue

D．moment

13.

A．challenge

B．option

C．opportunity

D．assistance

14.

A．efficient

B．peaceful

C．accessible

D．various

15.

A．identical

B．vital

C．unusual

D．big

7 . My social media has been a hive of activities these last few weeks: the naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham is organizing a People’s Walk For Wildlife in London, and has asked me to recite   ‘Anthropocene’. I call it a ‘poem’ but I’m not sure it is. I feel it would be good to say aloud, to a crowd. I’ve only written a few ‘poems’   in the past, none of which was memorable, but with this one the words spilled out and I kind of’ performed’ them, recorded and shared them on Twitter. Bare upon the earth, we were weightless... Will my generation see the rightful, rising? Lots of people liked it, including Chris. It’s always a surprise to me, that people appreciate what I say and how I share it.

These past weeks I’ve been helping raise awareness for the walk in London by doing videos and Tweeting lots. It’s an exciting prospect: hundreds, if not thousands of people marching on behalf of wildlife. I’m not worried about speaking. I actually find it easier if there are lots of people, because I don’t have to make eye contact and it’s much easier to blur them into a mass. Speaking to smaller groups, that’s a killer: you feel the heat of their gaze, every twitch, each sigh.

So I have an early flight to London with Mum in the morning. I feel bad for flying, we both do, knowing the damage emission do to our world. Ideally, we should be taking a boat and driving to London, or taking the train, but it’s beyond us financially right now, and I can’t get more time off school so soon without getting into trouble. The walk feels like important work, something we should do.

I’ve already got the poem locked in my head now. I know it off by heart. We want birdsong, abundant fluttering, humming, no more poison, destruction. I feel excited. Perhaps it is the right time for me. Tomorrow will be epic.

1. What will the writer do tomorrow according to the text?

A．He will organize an event in London.

B．He will recite one of his works in public.

C．He will have a nature walk with Chris.

D．He will post some poems on Twitter.

2. What gets the write excited according to the text?

A．He will speak to a huge crowd.

B．He will become famous on Twitter.

C．He will share his favorite poems with others.

D．He will witness people gathering for nature.

3. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Why he has to fly to London.	B．Why he doesn’t like taking flights.
C．What he wants to do in London.	D．What he contributes to his work.

4. What is the writer according to the text?

A．He is a talented TV presenter.	B．He is a keen environmentalist.
C．He is a popular poet on Twitter.	D．He is a professional public speaker.

8 . I remember the first time I saw a skateboarder roll past me when I was 14 in the early 90s. The skater wove in and out of the schoolchildren. He moved in such a smooth and cool way. He flowed through the crowds in the same way that water finds its natural route. It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Why walk to school when you could skate? After serious saving and a request for early birthday funds, I found myself in the skate shop and got my first skateboard.

What I didn’t know then was that this first attempt was the beginning of a voyage that would never end. Information and experiences were exchanged and shared with friends. Videos of legendary professionals — Mark Gonzales, Rodney Mullen, Chris Miller — were circulated and pored over. After making a thorough study, I realized that dedication and perseverance played a great role in skateboarding.

Skateboarding forever changes the way you see urban spaces. The 1960s architectural eyesores (碍眼的建筑) become a creative challenge which awaits the unusual exploration of a skater. With the streets as your playground, loyal friendships are formed. You wander like a wolf pack, hunting out new challenges and opportunities. And when you journey further into the unknown architectural skate spots around the globe, you know endless good times await. You’re a global conqueror aboard four wheels and seven layers of plywood (胶合板).

There are no short cuts in the sport. As a creative culture, skateboarding is big business for sure, but the ability to flow confidently on a skateboard is no easy thing to achieve. To succeed at anything worth hard work, you need patience and perseverance — skateboarding is no different.

I’m now 36, and, as I continue to age, my adventures as a skateboarder will go on. While tricks come and go for the most part, it’s the feeling of smoothly moving through time and space that inspires a skateboarder on. Skateboarding is an extension of play and of that, I shall never tire.

1. Why did the author set foot on a skateboard at first?

A．Because he got a skateboard as a birthday gift.

B．Because he was interested in the culture of skateboarding.

C．Because he was impressed by a stranger’s skateboarding skills.

D．Because he wanted a unique means of transportation to go to school,

2. What does the underlined phrase “pored over” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Warmly welcomed.	B．Highly praised.
C．Fully expected.	D．Carefully studied.

3. What are the most important factors in having extraordinary skateboard skills according to the text?

A．Confidence and courage.	B．Devotion and continuous effort.
C．Information and experience.	D．Talent and social skills.

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

A．Why I Love Skateboarding	B．How I Learnt Skateboarding
C．Who Inspired Me to Skateboard	D．What I Learn from Skateboarding

9 . I was terribly shy as a child. I couldn’t bear to be noticed and if I spoke people would notice me, so I spoke as little as possible. About four years ago, I was hanging out with my friends on a playground. I noticed two little girls, who came to play near where we were. The elder sister pulled the younger girl away from us but couldn’t go far, as her sister threw herself on to the ground crying and refusing to get up. I was longing to comfort her but felt unable to do so.

Then I thought: Why am I waiting for someone to give me permission to do what I feel is right? I went over to the little girl and held out my hand. I had merely intended to help her up first but instead she pulled me down into a tight hug. I instantly felt the surge of her emotions flood through me. We knelt on the ground hugging tightly for what felt like a longtime; at one point I tried to move away but she wouldn’t let me go. The elder girl had run off, and reappeared with a man I took to be their father. She pointed at me accusingly (谴责地). It occurred to me that he would probably be angry at a stranger hugging his child and might shout at me or even hit me. I then decided that it didn’t matter if he did hit me. At that moment, the only thing that mattered in the world was comforting the little girl in my arms.

To my surprise, the man wasn’t angry. He just nodded and held his arms out to his child. She calmed down and went to him willingly. He carried her away and the sister followed them. I watched them disappear into the crowd.

That day, I learned that I can speak, and if-I can’t speak, I can take action, which is often easier. I still find speaking difficult. But now I know that if I need to, I can.

1. Why did the author approach the little girl on the playground?

A．To scold her for crying on the playground.

B．To join in the play with her and her sister.

C．To understand why she was so emotional.

D．To offer comfort and assistance to her.

2. Why did the author think it didn’t matter if the father got angry or hit them?

A．Her friends would protect her.

B．She didn’t care about the consequences.

C．She believed the father was friendly.

D．She was trying to impress the little girl.

3. What is the main message the author wants to convey through this story?

A．The significance of seeking permission before helping others.

B．The benefits of taking action and making a difference to others.

C．The necessity of caution when interacting with strangers’ kids.

D．The importance of overcoming shyness and becoming brave.

10 . 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 I was six, I played my first soccer game. It was a real game, complete with coaches, uniforms, and parents cheering from the sidelines.

Our two teams, Team One and Team Two, seemed pretty evenly matched, at least in the beginning. The first period ended without a single goal scored by either side. We were all still learning how to play the game properly, and our inexperience ran through this part. We stumbled over the ball, tripped over our own feet, and often completely missed our kicks. But what mattered most was that we were having fun, pure and simple.

The second quarter brought a significant change in the game. Our coach decided to pull out most of our starting players and put in the substitutes (替补), except for me—I was left guarding the goal. On the other side, Team Two’s coach decided to keep their best players on the field, which made things even more challenging for us. It seemed that winning suddenly become essential, even for us six-year-olds.

Team Two started to rule the game, and I found myself surrounded by their players whenever they came near our goal. I was determined to do my best, but it was tough. I couldn’t match the skills of three or four other really good players. Team Two began to score, one goal after another. I threw myself in front of the ball with all the energy I could gather, trying desperately to stop them but in vain.

The pressure was mounting, and I could feel my frustration building with every goal that slipped past me. I shouted, I ran, and I dove, but they kept scoring. I gave it everything I had, but it seemed useless.

My parents were there on the sidelines, and I could see them in the crowd. As the game progressed, I could see the change in my father’s expression. He had been urging me to try harder, yelling advice and encouragement from the sidelines, but now he seemed different. I could see the pain in his eyes, the pain he felt seeing me struggle. It made me want to cry.

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。

Team Two scored their fourth goal, and it was half-time break.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In that moment, what my father said meant the world to me.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________