1 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

2 . I was born with facial differences. My first surgery was when I was 3. That same year, I started _______ lessons when my mom signed me up to learn ballet. My mom said, “When you’re on stage, no one _______ your face,” and what I think she _______ was, “When you’re on stage, people can look past your difference and _______ you for who you are.”

I’ve had nine surgeries. I am forever _______ to my family for trying to give me every chance at a “normal” life. _______, what I would have really wanted was for that ”normal“ life to be a result of a culture where typical _______ weren’t a requirement for full participation in society.

It’s a daily experience for people with facial differences to get _______ questions like, “What happened to your face?”— that’s very _______, which I think is so messed up. I see ________ a lot when strangers are asking these questions.

I want people to examine their deeply held beliefs about what they ________ is beautiful and worthy of adoration and ask why? Why do we devalue people based only on what they ________?

The next time you see someone with a(n) ________, take a moment before asking annoying questions. You can help reduce your bias (偏见) by just ________ a person’s humanity — not through a lens (镜头) of pity, but by recognizing them as someone who is probably more ________ than different from yourself.

1.

A．piano

B．dance

C．acting

D．violin

2.

A．notices

B．shows

C．values

D．anticipates

3.

A．affected

B．predicted

C．chose

D．meant

4.

A．see

B．help

C．need

D．change

5.

A．equal

B．resistant

C．awesome

D．grateful

6.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．However

7.

A．families

B．faces

C．chances

D．lives

8.

A．exciting

B．amusing

C．disturbing

D．astonishing

9.

A．complex

B．important

C．common

D．practical

10.

A．hope

B．pity

C．panic

D．pain

11.

A．think

B．recall

C．demand

D．obtain

12.

A．rely on

B．decide on

C．put aside

D．look like

13.

A．expression

B．personality

C．difference

D．background

14.

A．recognizing

B．announcing

C．improving

D．classifying

15.

A．unique

B．similar

C．obvious

D．desperate

3 . 阅读短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

    1     (change) a bad habit is difficult, and it is easy     2     (make) excuses and give up. We need to make     3     our minds and show some discipline , and make small changes over time. There is no pill to help us, but changing will ensure we have     4     magic happy and healthy life!

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。

Special#2，Please

My flight arrived in San Diego around midnight, and by the time I drove home and got into bed it was nearly 2:00 a. m. I was tired and jet-lagged when I dragged myself out of the bed. Nevertheless,I had to be up bright and early that morning: I was the opening keynoter(主旨发言人) at a national conference.

In short, I needed to recover quickly. A hearty breakfast in the early morning sun was what I needed. I headed for Carlos & Annie’s, a popular restaurant located in the heart of the seaside town.

“I’d like steak and eggs, please,” I said to the waitress after I had finally found a table in the restaurant. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she apologized. “We're out of Special#2. We've served the last of our steaks. How about Special#14?” “Oh, no steak and eggs?” I couldn't seem to accept it.

I'm not sure if it was my heartfelt sigh that caught Carlos, the owner's attention. His warm, caring brown eyes seemed determined to pinpoint the best solution. He then said, “You know, I think I did see one final steak back

there.”

Pressing my luck,I quickly declared, “Wow,that would be great. But you know, I’m not sure if I want a breakfast stenk at all. What I really want is a steak—one that’s two inches thick, tender and juicy, served medium rare.” “Not to worry,” Carlos assured meand left. The young waitress gave me a wink(眨眼) and said with a knowing smile, “Carlosis being Carlos again!” I did not give her words much thought.

Then, I noticed Carlos as he left the restaurant through the side door and walked into a neighborhood grocery store across the street. Carlos exchanged morning greetings with everyone he knew and even helped the owner of the bookstore next door by holding the items that filled her arms. Then he reentered the restaurant with a bag in his hand.

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。

Paragraph 1: Within minutes，an exact Special#2 was in front of me.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: I was about to leave when I learned Carlos had already sold the restaurant.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . My wife and I parked by a rough path the same time as a young man covered in tattoos (纹身). I ______ he was unfriendly，so we tried to ______ ourselves from him. But he struggled hard to ______ and wanted to talk some. We slowed down. He said he was recovering from a bad time in his life. We ______ left him in the dust，heading up the river.

Hours later we turned back ______ a flash flood had taken out the bridge. There he was again, following to ______ us. He shared a little more of his ______. He lost his mother and sister in a car accident and he was permanently ______ too. We slowed down to the pace he could ______ for the whole way back.

He continued, “During much surgery and ______ I came to hate life...” Then he pulled up his shirt to show us a ______ life size tattoo from neck to waist. It was two ladies in a ______ light waving to him. “This is my mom and this is my sister,” he pointed, “They told me to stop hating everything. They loved me just as they always had and ______ me to live in love too!” He explained the brightly colored tattoo was the exact dream he had that day.

My ______ went away. It had painted a wrong picture of this wonderful person with a beautiful ______ . I learned more than he hoped to tell.

1.

A．assumed

B．remembered

C．admitted

D．confirmed

2.

A．tell

B．distance

C．save

D．free

3.

A．turn away

B．set out

C．catch up

D．settle down

4.

A．politely

B．secretly

C．carelessly

D．accidentally

5.

A．though

B．unless

C．because

D．before

6.

A．impress

B．interrupt

C．persuade

D．engage

7.

A．target

B．story

C．plan

D．journey

8.

A．confused

B．discouraged

C．ignored

D．injured

9.

A．observe

B．judge

C．manage

D．challenge

10.

A．silence

B．pain

C．failure

D．guilt

11.

A．massive

B．funny

C．random

D．popular

12.

A．brilliant

B．gentle

C．weak

D．sensitive

13.

A．allowed

B．begged

C．forced

D．expected

14.

A．doubt

B．sympathy

C．prejudice

D．resistance

15.

A．reputation

B．message

C．appearance

D．insight

6 . Denmark retired after practicing medicine for 73 years and then volunteered her services until she couldn’t anymore. She died at the age of 114.

I met her by phone when the pediatrician (儿科医生) couldn’t figure out what was wrong with my baby. On the phone, she talked with me for more than 30 minutes. I took her advice, and my baby was better about 10 days later. She never charged me.

“You keep on doing what you do best as long as you can,” she was famous for the words. And it turned out her advice about actively helping others was as good as her medical advice.

Obviously, we can’t all live as long as Dr. Denmark. But recent research has shown that volunteering provides a longevity boost similar to the effects of adding multiple servings of fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. Specifically, older adults who volunteer are at 24 percent less risk of early death. The positive impact of giving and volunteering on older people goes beyond that. According to the research, adults over 55 who give their time for others have an easier time with everyday tasks. Besides, volunteers experience 250 percent less cognitive decline leading to dementia (痴呆).

According to a new study in the Journal of Happiness Studies, people who volunteer report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. The study took it a second step and followed people who began volunteering—monitoring their responses from the time they started volunteering. The longer they volunteered and the more they volunteered, the greater level of happiness they reported.

You may already be volunteering your time. But if you’re not, consider the charities you support. Think about the skills you might be able to offer them. You are likely to be glad about what you do.

1. What can we infer about Denmark?

A．She retired at the age of 73.	B．She volunteered for 73 years.
C．She was patient and professional.	D．She once forget to charge the author.

2. How many benefits of volunteering are mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．1.

B．2.

C．3.

D．4.

3. What does the author try to do in the last paragraph?

A．Seek support.	B．Advise about sharpening skills.
C．Offer solutions.	D．Encourage people to volunteer.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The kindness of a doctor.	B．The benefits of volunteering.
C．The process of being a volunteer.	D．The struggle of child-raising.

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 five-year-old daughter Ruthie seemed very small standing at the base of the huge rock-climbing wall as a young employee double-checked her equipment. It was our second time at this indoor crowded climbing gym. On our first visit, Ruthie had begged my husband and me to let her try climbing the wall, but I denied her, afraid that she was undersized.

But life had dramatically changed since then. After receiving a cancer diagnosis (诊断), I felt that my life was too short to deny her a chance. I stood outside the waiting area, watching the employee attach Ruthie to a safety rope. Then he gave her a thumbs-up sign, and my daughter began climbing!

With that rope, she couldn’t possibly fall. She might slip, but she wouldn’t fall. I was surprised at how she did that so easily and joyfully. “If my cancer is the rock wall, I want to be Ruthie,” I thought.

When she touched the ground again, I leaned over the low fence and asked, “How do you do that?”

“I just trust the rope. It’s very easy,” she said with a shrug, and started on her second climbing.

Apparently, if I had known the secret, I could have climbed the wall myself. When I was sixteen, I once failed to climb a rock wall. With added weight and reduced muscle tone, I doubted if I could even do it. I didn’t see any other moms trying to climb the wall. Several months earlier, embarrassment would have stopped me from trying. But my cancer did funny things to my brain. It made me realize that I needed to be braver than I thought.

With determination, I decided to try it and the same young employee checked my safety rope and gave me the thumbs-up sign. As I began my climb, I was excited by my own bravery for trying something so new. However, only ten feet up, my fingers and toes started to tire, and there was absolutely no place to rest. My excitement began to disappear and I was afraid that I was going to slip and fall.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
But I knew if I wanted to make it, I had to trust the rope.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That day’s successful experience inspired me in my cancer battle.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . The stands were always filled with family members to support their favorite players. I attended each of my son’s games. His father worked nights for years, and missed out on most of his games. My son Jorden knew if his dad could, he would be there sitting right beside me.

When Jorden was younger, some family members would occasionally come to watch. But gradually they stopped showing up. Never once did Jorden lead me to believe that this bothered him, but apparently it did. It wasn’t until when he was asked to give a speech at his baseball event that he made it very clear not only to me but a room filled with over 150 people just how important it is to have extra fans in the stands.

His speech was anything but like I thought it would be. It wasn’t short and bittersweet. It wasn’t his quick thank you to his coaches and teammates. He poured his heart out, saying he seldom had grandparents, aunts or uncles coming to support him. He was grateful that his teammates’ family members showed up to support not just their own loved ones but the entire team of boys. Clearly Jorden desired more than just me. Never did I ever think my son would be hurting inside as he looked out to the bleachers to see only me at each and every game.

As he struggled to get each word out through tears, I promised I would attend as many events of the children around as I possibly could. There was no way I could allow another child to feel what my son was feeling. This small simple gesture would mean so much to any child. Neither Jorden nor I was upset with those who never attended his games. Jorden just wanted someone else besides me to witness his craft in action. I understand all of our lives become complicated and that everyone is busy with their own children and jobs that may not allow them as much free time as they’d like.

1. What do we know about Jorden’s father?

A．He had long been misunderstood by Jorden.

B．He had few chances to attend Jorden’s games.

C．He managed to be with Jorden in every game.

D．He had made excuses to miss Jorden’s games.

2. What was Jorden’s speech about?

A．His ambition to win the championship.

B．His gratitude to his mother and coaches.

C．His complaint about his family members.

D．His desire for support from more people.

3. What does the author think of Jorden’s speech?

A．Depressing.

B．Complicated.

C．Astonishing.

D．Absurd.

4. How did the author respond to Jorden’s speech?

A．She tried to be actively involved in children’s games.

B．She promised not to miss out on games of every child.

C．She offered to invite many relatives to Jorden’s games.

D．She decided to lead Jorden to trust his family members.

9 . Life is hard－even harder than anyone thought it would be. When you were younger, you dreamed of the world being your playground, and you were told that you could do anything and be anyone you wanted. Somehow, though, things haven’t been the smooth sailing that   you wanted them to be. The world seems to go against you, and the last thing you want to hear is “Cheer up!”

Still, there’s a couple of things you might not notice about your situation. Next time you’re down, maybe the following will provide motivation.

Firstly, not everything is bad. It’s a well-accepted fact that bad news makes for sensational (极好的) television ratings. The fact is that something negative catches a lot more attention than something positive, and that’s because it’s easy to see things in a negative light. However, that shouldn’t distract you from the bigger picture.

Resist the tunnel vision that results from constant negativity. Remember that even though there’s lots of really nasty stuff going on, you’re surrounded by some pretty awesome stuff as well.

You should also remember other people aren’t you. No one likes being compared to another person. What makes it even worse, if that’s even possible, is when you do it to yourself.

Stop comparing yourself to another person and you’ll realize that you’re much more awesome than you give yourself credit for.

Lastly, failure isn’t where the game stops. So you tried something new, but you didn’t follow through. Frustrated at yourself, you stop trying. As a result, your quality of life goes down terribly. You’ve given up on it, though, because you don’t see the point (since you failed the first time).

Now, you’re an adult. The things you are trying are much more complicated than five-year-old you. However, your behaviour shouldn’t change in the slightest－when you fail in something, that’s just more information in your data bank. You know that method doesn’t work, so try another one! And another one after that! Do this until you figure it out. Giving up is for losers, and you sure aren’t one of those.

1. The author mentioned bad news in order to show that .

A．bad news makes people see things in a negative light

B．bad news is more likely to catch people’s eyes

C．bad news attracts people to see positive things

D．bad news has a negative effect on television ratings

2. What does the underlined part “nasty stuff” in Para. 4 probably mean?

A．Unstable emotions.	B．Important events.
C．Amazing incidents .	D．Something unpleasant.

3. How should we view failure according to the passage?

A．We will change our behaviour.

B．We will keep trying the old method.

C．We should learn from failure.

D．We should think in a more complicated way.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．It inspires us to learn from negative experiences.

B．It compares negative and positive experiences.

C．It criticizes those who are affected by bad experiences.

D．It discusses how negative experiences affect others.

10 . I hadn’t got exercise lately and felt a bit dizzy. I was a little ______. One of my friends invited me to show up to see a ______ that they said would help me feel better. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced a young ______, Mr Patrick Henry Hughes. He was ______ onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers ______ across the keys as he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, ______, I knew that I was seeing something special. Ten minutes later, someone came on the stage and ______ a video of Patrick Henry Hughes.

Patrick was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints which left him ______ for life. Before his first birthday, he ______ the piano. On his second birthday, he asked to play it. His father was ______. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a ______ at university. His father attends classes with him and he has made nearly all “A” s. He is also a trumpet player of a band. He and his father do it together — they ______ all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands of people.

But even more than his ______ musical talent, it was Patrick’s attitude to gratitude that touched me. I will never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that ______ attitude to gratitude. Gratitude can change your attitude, ______ your life forever.

1.

A．active

B．down

C．shocked

D．eager

2.

A．match

B．spot

C．performance

D．picture

3.

A．musician

B．physician

C．physicist

D．lawyer

4.

A．appealed

B．rolled

C．delivered

D．forced

5.

A．danced

B．applied

C．employed

D．connected

6.

A．briefly

B．eventually

C．however

D．instantly

7.

A．shared

B．made

C．released

D．sold

8.

A．demanded

B．sad

C．worried

D．disabled

9.

A．discovered

B．displayed

C．drafted

D．demonstrated

10.

A．proud

B．satisfied

C．excited

D．shocked

11.

A．writer

B．junior

C．professor

D．poet

12.

A．apply

B．attend

C．contact

D．concern

13.

A．available

B．reliable

C．unbelievable

D．achievable

14.

A．wonderful

B．common

C．useful

D．strange

15.

A．literally

B．still

C．instantly

D．thus