1 . When I was nine years old. I pulled out my grandmother’s dress over my young frame, admiring myself in the mirror. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Later in senior high school, I began to dream of being an adult to explore a big world and make adventures. However, I knew adulthood for me was still distant because I supported myself mainly with the money from my family.

Fresh out of college, I was working as a middle school teacher. I was in charge of young people and heavy with that responsibility. I arrived at school early and stayed late, preparing lessons and chatting with students. I was an official adult. I paid my rent and taxes. But I still felt as if I were playing a role. I was the adult authority figure who secretly didn’t feel grown-up in a room full of children. But I wasn’t worried; I was convinced that it would happen soon.

To me, an adult is someone who is mature and trustworthy—a contributing member of the society. We strive to become adults while there is also someone who spends life constantly partying and avoiding responsibility. A grown-up, however, is a state of mind. Our body gets older but something inside us doesn’t feel as if it is progressing as quickly.

In the following ten years, I followed the routines of adulthood: getting married, giving birth and working. My 6-year-old daughter and I often held hands, running breathlessly and laughing wildly. I tried to avoid eye contact with the nearby people who glared at us. I suspect they would prefer adults who would never slide down a giant hill of sand.

I turned 57 recently and it occurred to me that maybe I had it all wrong; I should stop waiting to feel grown-up. What if we embraced (拥抱) the child-like part of ourselves to enjoy it, guilt free? If we’re responsible adults and do all the adult things in a way that works, why should it matter if we don’t feel grown-up deep inside? Non-grown-ups don’t necessarily play games, but it isn’t fun embracing the playful side of life? Why can’t we feel 57 and 15 years old at the same time?

1. How did the author feel about adulthood when she was a teenager?

A．She was unwilling to make adventures if she became an adult.

B．She showed no interest in thinking about it.

C．She was expectant and hopeful about it.

D．She had unknown fears for it.

2. What did the author believe would happen to her before long according paragraph 2?

A．Being respected by her children.

B．Becoming a capable teacher.

C．Living on her own.

D．Being a real adult.

3. What does the author mainly talk about in the third paragraph?

A．What an adult means in her opinion.

B．What an adult’s state of mind can be.

C．Why some people spend life avoiding responsibility.

D．Why it doesn’t progress so quickly to become a grown-up.

4. What advice does the author give to us through her story?

A．Be true to your inner self.

B．It’s never too late to learn.

C．Life is a bittersweet journey.

D．Nice souls are a masterpiece of time.

2 . On a common morning just inside the entryway to a subway station, a young man took his violin out of its case. He seemed quite common in _________. Then the man plucked (拨) the strings for minutes to tune his _________. After that, he reached into his pocket and _________ a few dollars, which he threw into the violin case, hoping that the passers-by would _________. Then he began to play, and thousands of people were hurrying to work, school, or wherever they were _________ as the morning rush was _________. Though the incredible sound of this man’s violin filled the subway station, it was apparently _________ by all.

If he were any other street _________, perhaps it would have been _________ that he earned little attention of people. __________ , he is Joshua Bell, one of the world’s most renowned __________, and he was playing one of the most classical masterpieces on his $3,000,000 violin. Actually, almost nobody noticed his playing. Why? One reason is that he didn’t look like a special man; the other is that everyone was too busy to __________ Joshua Bell’s excellent music.

“I’m busy!” is an everyday __________ from people like those who walked past Joshua Bell’s music without __________ a moment. All of this got me thinking: sometimes we should say no to useless busyness and allow for some __________ presence so as to perceive the beauty around us.

1.

A．appearance

B．speech

C．personality

D．skill

2.

A．instrument

B．behavior

C．posture

D．switch

3.

A．sorted out

B．made up

C．used up

D．pulled out

4.

A．set an example

B．follow suit

C．pay it forward

D．extend understanding

5.

A．suffering

B．attracting

C．heading

D．contacting

6.

A．in a dilemma

B．in full swing

C．by the book

D．by all accounts

7.

A．challenged

B．criticized

C．disturbed

D．ignored

8.

A．performer

B．beggar

C．promoter

D．defender

9.

A．strange

B．awkward

C．insignificant

D．unreasonable

10.

A．Furthermore

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

11.

A．composers

B．organizers

C．violinists

D．donors

12.

A．miss

B．acknowledge

C．create

D．appreciate

13.

A．excuse

B．lie

C．practice

D．conversation

14.

A．recalling

B．choosing

C．sparing

D．capturing

15.

A．permanent

B．unplanned

C．inaccessible

D．constant

3 . Growing up on Long Island with a father who gave me dieting tips at 13, a mother who taught me to use makeup as I left for middle school, and peers (同龄人) who shared weight-loss tips on the bus, I developed an unusual self-image. By the time I became a teenager, I felt horror when I encountered photos of myself and saw a huge stomach in the mirror even though I was never overweight.

Throughout my early 20s, I’d wear lipstick and mascara (睫毛膏) and hold my mouth in a half-smile as I walked down the street in order to look more attractive to others. Following popular body-positive advice, I’d flip through Facebook photos of myself, trying to identify at least one desirable feature in each. I’d stare at my reflection, hoping to blink and see a different shape when I opened my eyes. Instead, I’d just fall further into the glass like Alice, deep in the darkest places of my imagination.

A year and a half ago, to escape this personal Wonderland, I decided not to put a mirror in my room when I moved into a new apartment. The small one above my bathroom sink would be enough. I was burnt out from attempts at body positivity. Rather than make peace with my reflection, photographs and scale, I’d avoid them altogether.

As I stopped trying to like my appearance, it no longer tortured (折磨) me. I stopped wearing makeup daily. Instead, I developed a sense of identity from my unfailing punctuality (准时性), my sharp analyses of movies, and my ability to pay rent in New York City as a freelance writer. I looked up to Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham instead of women who tried to diet, noticing that the most powerful women seemed undistracted by weight. Since I wasn’t always disappointing myself by trying to love my body and failing, I became happier.

1. Why did the author develop an unusual self-image when she was young?

A．She hated to wear makeup.

B．She suffered from being overweight.

C．She was influenced by people around her.

D．She wanted to have a huge stomach.

2. What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraph 2?

A．She was attracted by others’ photos on Facebook.

B．She paid too much attention to her appearance.

C．She felt ashamed of her appearance.

D．She was addicted to taking selfies.

3. What did the author take pride in later?

A．Her good personal qualities.

B．Her newly published books.

C．Her new apartment in New York City.

D．Her relationship with powerful women.

4. What has the author learned from Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham?

A．It’s important to eat healthily.

B．We should never disappoint ourselves.

C．It’s important to know others’ abilities.

D．We shouldn’t be distracted by our weight.

4 . I’m approaching the Knight Street Bridge in my car. It’s 5:15 pm. The traffic is already _________ and then it comes to a full stop. I’m _________ even before getting on the bridge. Ahead of me are endless rows of _________, roughly 300.

When I finally _________ it onto the bridge, the traffic is still moving at a slow pace. Tired and hungry, I become very _________.

Just then I hear a weak sound in the distance. The sound gradually becomes louder, until I can _________ it as an emergency vehicle approaching from behind. What do we do? The bridge is _________. There’s no room for us to move.

But I’m wrong. Every single car quickly, yet _________, moves to the side. Without thinking, I follow suit. The lane (车道) remains _________ for a few seconds, during which the ambulance __________ through. Afterward, we close up the emergency lane, ready to continue our wait. Back in my __________, my anxiety is gone. I start __________ what we just did.

Despite our tiredness, we collectively drew on our compassion (同情心) and __________ to help the stranger who needed the time more __________ than we did without any orders. Although I may seem alone stuck on the bridge, I’m __________ to all the other drivers. Together we could make the impossible possible.

1.

A．rushing in

B．turning up

C．pulling over

D．slowing down

2.

A．stuck

B．fixed

C．lost

D．wrapped

3.

A．passers-by

B．drivers

C．vehicles

D．taxis

4.

A．reach

B．make

C．step

D．get

5.

A．disappointed

B．joyful

C．excited

D．anxious

6.

A．realize

B．identify

C．imagine

D．sense

7.

A．filled

B．locked

C．packed

D．narrowed

8.

A．carefully

B．gradually

C．casually

D．suddenly

9.

A．open

B．messy

C．crowded

D．convenient

10.

A．crashes

B．breaks

C．jumps

D．flashes

11.

A．car

B．seat

C．spot

D．sight

12.

A．bringing up

B．reflecting upon

C．referring to

D．focusing on

13.

A．gratitude

B．generosity

C．intelligence

D．expectation

14.

A．desperately

B．patiently

C．flexibly

D．temporarily

15.

A．devoted

B．connected

C．exposed

D．abandoned

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

I live in Bangalore, India, where the traffic is heavy for most of the day,     1     drivers can be pretty impatient.

When I     2     (be) in Singapore about seven years ago, I stepped off the sidewalk (人行道) and     3     (quick) jumped back upon seeing a car. To my     4     (surprising), the car stopped. I waited. So did the car. Then, the driver waved at me to cross. That was a     5     (memorize) moment for me. A pedestrian (行人) was     6     important than the car—something we are just not used to in India.

Now, I try to slow down as often as possible and allow pedestrians     7     (cross), or even invite another car to go ahead of me. And I always wave when someone gives me space to go ahead.

In fact, another way of     8     (create) goodwill is in airport queues or at the train station. I’ve found that the moment I step aside for the people in a hurry, they are always thankful, and often give me a smile or offer back what I have offered them. There is an instant connection when we offer space for others.

In     9     busy world, the very same people will smile back at us when we offer a kind gesture. Taking the time to give others the chance to go first     10     (make) these small moments of connection that brighten my day.

6 . In 2016, I suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) a form of depression(抑郁症) that is found to make people feel low in the UK between September and April. During that cold and wet period, I got comfort in books.

Books have been used by many to reduce depression. I lose myself into them as thirstily as usually get my morning coffee. Each Christmas, I have a habit of returning to the old favorite books that make up for my emptiness, such as Jane Eyre. Sometimes, to escape from the cold, I run back to the heat that I am used to, so I will read a lot of books set in Africa.

It became important for me to find a way to escape my sadness in the world of books. And isn’t that what art and literature is for? According to JJ Bola, the author of No Place to Call Home, “The world can get you so down that you think you’re the only person going through what you’re going through. But then you read and you realize that you are not alone that if someone else has gone through it and survived, then maybe you can, too.” It is this survival that the reader looks for, that is, the understanding that the winter is not so long after all.

1. What was the possible cause for the author’s illness?

A．His personality.	B．His poor health.
C．Sleeplessness.	D．Cold and wet seasons.

2. The author likes reading old favorite books because they help him________.

A．kill time	B．keep warm
C．enjoy Christmas time	D．drive away emptiness

3. Which book may the author probably read when he feels cold?

A．Jane Eyre.	B．Out of Africa.
C．Alice in Wonderland.	D．No Place to Call Home.

4. Through reading, the author________.

A．finds a way to escape his sadness

B．gets along better with others

C．leans more about other cultures

D．becomes more interested in literature

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Reading Reduces Depression	B．Reading Keeps You Warm
C．How to Escape Loneliness	D．How to Survive Winters

7 . We would all love to learn how to be happy. And sometimes, the ______ comes from a surprising place.

There was an anthropologist (人类学家) who had been studying the habits and ______ of a remote African tribe. He had been ______ in the village for ______ some time and the day before he was to return home, he put together a gift basket filled with delicious fruits from around the region and ______ it in a piece of cloth. He placed the basket under a tree and then he ______ the children in the village.

The man drew a ______ in the dirt, looked at the children, and said, “When I tell you to ______, run to the tree and ______ gets there first will win the basket of the fruits.” When he told them to run, they all ______ each other’s hands and ran together to the tree. Then they ______   together around the basket and enjoyed their ______ as a group.

The anthropologist was ______ . He asked why they would all go together when one of them could have won all the fruits for himself or herself. A ______ girl looked up at him and said ______, “How can one of us be happy if all the other ones are ______?”

Years later, the well-known South African activist Desmond Tutu would describe the little girl’s ______   process by using the word “ubuntu”, which means “I am because ______ are”. People in that tribe believe that a person is a person through other people. Happiness is the ______ of combining what we love to do with something that is ______.

1.

A．design

B．determination

C．consideration

D．solution

2.

A．ocean

B．culture

C．diversity

D．difference

3.

A．working

B．surviving

C．wandering

D．searching

4.

A．even

B．quite

C．just

D．still

5.

A．wrapped

B．decorated

C．tied

D．fixed

6.

A．gathered up

B．cleared up

C．took up

D．picked up

7.

A．sign

B．symbol

C．picture

D．line

8.

A．prepare

B．start

C．escape

D．depart

9.

A．whenever

B．whichever

C．whoever

D．whatever

10.

A．pushed

B．dragged

C．shook

D．held

11.

A．played

B．lay

C．united

D．sat

12.

A．experience

B．service

C．treat

D．effort

13.

A．shocked

B．excited

C．annoyed

D．ashamed

14.

A．noisy

B．troublesome

C．young

D．crazy

15.

A．pitifully

B．innocently

C．hopefully

D．confusedly

16.

A．silent

B．curious

C．greedy

D．sad

17.

A．analysis

B．study

C．thought

D．growth

18.

A．we

B．you

C．all

D．they

19.

A．truth

B．direction

C．result

D．secret

20.

A．demanding

B．meaningful

C．practical

D．important

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节和给定段落开头语进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

When I was six years old, I visited my grandfather’s farm in Kansas and he sent me into the woods to gather pecans (胡桃) for us to enjoy later. The pecans were about the size of a man’s thumbnail and just about the tastiest snack I’d ever had.

However, pecan picking was really tiring and my little bucket was only half full after working hard for a long time. I thought I wouldn’t let Grandpa down. Just then something caught my eye. A large brown squirrel was a few feet away. I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree, jumped up to the trunk and disappeared in a large hole. A moment later the squirrel popped back out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place inside the hollow of the tree.

Not so secret anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was filled with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my chance. Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my bucket. Now it was almost full! I was so proud of myself that I couldn’t wait to show Grandpa all the pecans.

I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the bucket and asked, “Well, well, how did you find so many?” I told him how I’d followed the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.

Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I’d been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that surprised me. He handed the bucket back to me and put his arm gently around my shoulders.

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:

“That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter supply of food,” he said.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

I picked up that little bucket full of pecans and carried it back to the tree.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . I was at the bus stop, on my way to the lab where I was a postdoctoral fellow. It was_________like any other morning. But something began to _________inside me as I watched the people around me – headphones hanging from their ears, eyes _________, unsmiling faces. They looked_________ And l realized I was one of them. Suddenly, I could no longer_________my work life and booked a one-way ticket to fly home.

Over the years, I had grown more_________. Those who could have been collaborators(合作者) became competitors I _________. But the effect of this competition was exactly the_________of what I had hoped for. So I began to feel alone and_________.I became less and less productive in my scientific work. I____________my breaking point that day at the bus stop. The____________ had to end. I emailed my professors, explaining that I had put the ____________first and myself second for too long.

Back home, I ____________ my family and friends about my problems. I also started to receive some emails from my ____________ --- I guessed they expected me to join them again soon. After a few ____________ asking how I was, in the emails many expressed their stress of academic life. Vulnerable (脆弱的) researchers were ____________their heads out of their shells(壳). I understand that we all ____________ sometimes, and that vulnerability and collaboration can be more ____________ than competition. In fact, it can be a ____________, instead of one where one side gains while the other side loses. Working with others and ____________help doesn’t make my Contributions unimportant; it means we can all succeed.

1.

A．never

B．just

C．even

D．already

2.

A．awaken

B．argue

C．settle

D．disappear

3.

A．cast away

B．cast off

C．cast down

D．cast around

4.

A．unfriendly

B．unhealthy

C．loose

D．upset

5.

A．continue

B．balance

C．improve

D．predict

6.

A．mature

B．academic

C．competitive

D．positive

7.

A．disliked

B．ignored

C．disbelieved

D．rejected

8.

A．outcome

B．choice

C．case

D．opposite

9.

A．disappointed

B．Lost

C．ashamed

D．guilty

10.

A．spotted

B．marked

C．hit

D．realized

11.

A．play

B．race

C．loneliness

D．prejudice

12.

A．evaluation

B．reputation

C．production

D．occupation

13.

A．got along with

B．kept away from

C．stood up for

D．opened up to

14.

A．workmates

B．friends

C．teammates

D．sponsors

15.

A．jokes

B．lines

C．calls

D．emails

16.

A．shaking

B．sticking

C．scratching

D．spinning

17.

A．fail

B．regret

C．struggle

D．hesitate

18.

A．powerful

B．familiar

C．painful

D．popular

19.

A．different story

B．non-controversial case

C．close finish

D．win-win game

20.

A．offering

B．praising

C．seeking

D．refusing

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

As we all know, there is an atmosphere of boredom and tension in hospitals.    1     (much) often than not, I dress up as a clown to help children by entertaining them,    2     will make the hospital a friendlier place to visit. In the middle of this particular scene I spot a small girl     3     (cry) in pain and her ankle is twice its normal size. The on-duty nurse tells me that Lara     4     (fall) off her bicycle the other day. Although it’s the doctors and nurses     5     will treat her injury, it’s my job to make her feel better. While the doctor concentrates     6     examining Lara’s ankle, I get her attention by doing a magic trick.

While she is clearly still in some pain, her     7     (scare) and anxious look has been replaced—first by a small smile, and then by loud    8     (laugh) as I “magically” produced her sock from out of my pocket. Seeing their daughter so much happier, Lara’s parents are feeling in     9     good mood. From this experience, I realize that     10     is true that, “laughter is the best medicine”.