1 . Recently, the dog my aunt had been keeping for almost 18 years died of old age. So _________ was the poor lady that she kept telling others not to raise a pet, saying she wouldn’t have had to _________ this much grief if she hadn’t kept the dog.

For sure, the loss of something precious is in no way a _________ experience. But, despite my _________ for her, I was somewhat frustrated about her nagging (唠叨). By saying her _________ words, she was in fact increasing the _________ rather than reliving the happy hours she had spent with her dog, the heartfelt _________ whenever she would stroke (抚摸) its furry head, her _________ nights when the dog was around, and the many other sweet _________ .

I myself have also had dogs that I’ve lost three __________ . But still, I am now __________ another one. Knowing that I will one day lose him simply makes me __________ the time we have together. Having an __________ to have something special before losing it is a blessing. It __________ us that the things we hold dear will not be with us forever, teaching us to __________ the present moment and to live our lives to the fullest.

1.

A．busy

B．heartbroken

C．excited

D．popular

2.

A．hear

B．avoid

C．express

D．suffer

3.

A．common

B．bad

C．pleasant

D．real

4.

A．sympathy

B．love

C．respect

D．support

5.

A．favorite

B．angry

C．inspiring

D．regretful

6.

A．risk

B．pain

C．possibility

D．difficulty

7.

A．sadness

B．apology

C．smile

D．concern

8.

A．wonderful

B．normal

C．sleepless

D．lonely

9.

A．arguments

B．words

C．dreams

D．moments

10.

A．luckily

B．possibly

C．actually

D．particularly

11.

A．raising

B．adopting

C．selling

D．training

12.

A．waste

B．value

C．shorten

D．limit

13.

A．excuse

B．answer

C．idea

D．opportunity

14.

A．reminds

B．surprises

C．disappoints

D．bothers

15.

A．accept

B．understand

C．enjoy

D．change

2 . In college, there was a 90-page senior thesis, a paper we were supposed to spend a year on. So I decided I kind of had to go something step by step. But then, those first few months? They came and went, and I couldn’t quite do stuff. Then six months turned into one month, which turned into two weeks. One day I woke up with three days until the deadline, still not having written a word. So I did the only thing I could: I wrote 90 pages over 72 hours, pulling not one but two all-nighters, sprinted across campus, and got it in just at the deadline. It was a very, very bad thesis.

Anyway, today I’m a writer-blogger guy. I write the blog Wait But Why about procrastination to explain what goes on in the heads of procrastinators.

I had a hypothesis(假想) that the brains of procrastinators were actually different than the brains of other people. Both brains have a Rational Decision Maker, but the procrastinator’s instant brain also has an Instant Gratification Monkey. The Rational Decision Maker will make the reasonable decision to do something productive, but the Monkey doesn’t like that plan, who actually takes the wheel. He lives entirely in the present moment and only cares about two things: easy and fun. Sometimes it makes sense to be doing things that are easy and fun, like when you’re having dinner. But other times, it makes much more sense to be doing things that are harder and less pleasant.

That’s when we have a conflict. Well, it turns out the procrastinator has a guardian angel, called the Panic Monster. The Panic Monster is resting most of the time, and he suddenly wakes up anytime a deadline gets too close or there’s danger of public embarrassment, a career disaster or some other scary consequence. And importantly, he’s the only thing the Monkey is afraid of.

See, that’s what is experiencing in a procrastinator’s brain.

1. What’s the purpose of mentioning the experience in my college?

A．To explain why I had a hypothesis.

B．To show time passed in the blink of an eye.

C．To describe what happened and introduce the topic.

D．To demonstrate the task was urgent but I failed to do it.

2. What does the underlined word “procrastination” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Delay.	B．Panic.
C．Prohibition.	D．Territory.

3. Which of the statement is my hypothesis?

A．The Panic Monster is usually active for he is the guardian angel.

B．An Instant Gratification Monkey is only scared of the Panic Monster.

C．A Rational Decision Maker is the one who takes control of the whole situation.

D．An Instant Gratification Monkey makes sense to be doing things that are easy and fun.

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

A．My Own Experience about Procrastination.

B．Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator.

C．A Writer-blogger Guy’s Different Experience.

D．An Instant Gratification Monkey and a Rational Decision Maker.

3 . Teaching is a constant process of upgrade, where every moment you learn new things, not only as a teacher, but also as a human being.

At the start of my career, I believe I should come across to my students as a ‘no-nonsense’ type of person. My entire focus was towards maintaining classroom discipline (纪律). It was tough. Most of my Indian students were from a rural background. They would intentionally use vocabulary that sounded Greek to me. They did all in their power to make me feel like a fish out of water.

My last lecture ended at 2.30 in the afternoon. Some of the students approached me begging to let them leave 15 minutes early as they had a bus to catch. My permission resulted in a stir and restlessness as half of the class stood up to leave. They all had buses to catch! Unable to distinguish between the genuine ones and those faking it, I put a ban on anybody leaving before time.

One evening, I spotted three boys from my last class at the bus stop. I called out, “You constantly blame me for not allowing you to leave early because you have a bus to catch and here you are still hanging around at 5 pm!” One of the boys replied respectfully and humbly, “Madam, the bus leaves at 2:30. If we leave the class at 2:15, we are able to make it. In case we miss it, the next bus to our village comes after three hours. Now we are waiting for it. At this hour, the bus will be overloaded and we will not even get a seat.”

I was full of remorse (懊悔). The next day, I asked all the students who had a bus to catch to write an application, get it signed and leave whenever they wanted, without seeking my permission. I learnt the first lesson of my life as a teacher — learn to empathize (共鸣) with your students, for they would learn better from you when they respect you than when they fear you.

1. What gave the author the biggest headache when she started teaching?

A．Her students’ serious violent behavior.

B．Her inability to understand Greek words.

C．Her struggle to keep her classes in order.

D．Her students’ diverse educational backgrounds.

2. How did the author deal with the students’ request to leave before time at first?

A．She took it seriously.	B．She approved it instantly.
C．She rejected it completely.	D．She processed it gracefully.

3. How did the author feel the moment she spotted the three boys at the bus stop?

A．Embarrassed.	B．Concerned.
C．Regretful.	D．Annoyed.

4. What advice would the author give to her fellow teachers by sharing the story?

A．Show students that you respect them.

B．Relate to students’ emotional experiences.

C．Cooperate with students to promote learning.

D．Evaluate yourself first and the students second.

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。续写的词数应为150左右。

The boys in the class talked about what their parents did for a living. Christian was proud of his father, who worked as a chief engineer in a construction company. Paul stood aside and said nothing. Then Christian asked him whom his father worked for. The boy replied that his father was a carpenter (木匠). Christian joked, saying that while his dad was designing bridges and houses, Paul’s dad was making chairs and tables. All the children laughed.

When Christian returned home, he wanted to tell his parents about it. He overheard (无意中听到) their conversation. His dad told his mom that Christian’s uncle had lost his job. Mom asked why Dad couldn’t take him to his company. “My company needs a design engineer, and Bill is a driver. Yes, I know that he is a skilled person in his field, but be can’t design projects. In a few months, a new project will start, we will need diver, and I will recommend him for sure.”

Christian decided that it wasn’t the right time to tell the joke and went to his room. A week later, Christian’s dad was picking him up from his baseball practice. They stopped for pizza and everyone was very happy. Dad and Christian were in the car when a large garbage (垃圾) tuck pulled up in front of them. A man got out of it, pulled out bags from the garbage cans of the pizza shop and loaded hem into the tuck. Christian’s dad sounded the car bell and waved his hand at the man. He smiled and waved his hand back. Christian recognized Uncle Bill, whom his parents had been talking about a few days ago. The garbage tuck left, and Christian asked his father why his uncle was driving a garbage truck. Dad explained that Uncle Bill’s sipping company had closed down. He was working as a garbage truck drive, but soon Dad would take him to his company, because good drivers were important in construction.

Christian told the story from school to his dad and asked him to stay away from Uncle Bill.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I also used to wash dishes to feed myself,” his dad said.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . There are few creators whose legacy (遗产) is as far-reaching as Walt Disney. Disney transformed a simple cartoon mouse into a huge empire. Through the years, Disney also had his share of critics. But his view of criticism (批评) may be different than what you’d imagine.

Way back in 1975, the book The Story of Walt Disney shared one of my favorite quotes from the famous entertainer: “You may not realize it when it happens, but may be the best thing in the world for you.” There is a lot to be learned from that sentence. As you go through life, there will be no shortage of persons telling you what you need to improve. You could simply ignore them or you could do what Disney did: use that negative feedback to make you better.

Negative feedback is like a freshly mined (开采的) diamond. On the surface, you’ve got what would appear to most persons to be a dull, ugly rock. But to a trained eye, that ugly rock is extremely valuable. All it needs is a little cut and polish (抛光). Criticism is like an unpolished diamond: it is ugly. Here you are, trying your best, and someone comes along to tell you it’s not good enough. But much like a processional diamond cutter can take that unpolished rock and turn it into something beautiful, you can learn to get the benefits of criticism.

Think about it: smart as you are, there’s always room for improvement. Additionally, all of us have blind spots. Of course, some criticism will be completely wrong. But even in these cases, it’s valuable because it helps you to see your actions through another perspective (角度)，one you may not have considered.

Learning to benefit from such criticism takes emotional intelligence-the ability to make emotions work for you, instead of against you. The key is to change the way you process criticism and learn to turn negative feedback into something constructive. It never feels good to hear that you are wrong. When you do, take a page out of Walt’s book and remember: it is the ones who tell you the truth-even when it hurts-who will make you better.

1. What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．A surprising result.	B．A discouraging event.
C．A positive comment.	D．A comforting action.

2. How is the third paragraph mainly developed?

A．By offering numbers.	B．By analyzing causes.
C．By comparison.	D．By describing a process.

3. Why is even wrong criticism meaningful?

A．It offers you a fresh perspective.

B．It leads you to rethink your blind spots.

C．It prepares you for future similar criticism.

D．It helps improve your emotional intelligence.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Learn to see criticism in a different light.

B．Polish your skills of emotional intelligence.

C．Train yourself to ignore negative feedback.

D．Face criticism and set another goal.

5. What is the writer’s feeling towards Walt Disney?

A．Anger.	B．Embarrassment.
C．Fear.	D．Admiration.

6 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式（可能多于1个单词）。

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy came and     1     (lie) under it every day. He     2       to the tree top, eat the apples, and take a nap under the shade. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

In the     3     (follow)years, the boy came and cut the branches to build a house, used the trunk on     4     he used to climb to make a boat and then never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned. "Sorry, my boy,     5     I don't have anything for you any more. No     6     apples for you. "The tree said. "I don't have teeth     7    (bite), " the boy replied. "no more trunk for you to climb on. ""I am     8     old for that now, "the boy said. "I really can't give you anything. The only thing     9     (leave) is my dying roots, "the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just     10     place to rest. I'm tired after all these years, " the boy replied. "Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come, come, sit down with me and rest. "The boy sat down and the tree was glad, smiling with tears.

7 . Think about what kind of person you're attracted to. Physical appearance likely plays a strong part, of course, as do kindness, humor and other qualities. If you're like me, you're attracted to impressive people.     1     They have qualities I admire but lack myself. Because I assume people with certain qualities would be most interested in those who share them. I don't even consider the possibility of developing a relationship with them.

    2     If you're attracted to athletic people, for example, but don't regard yourself as fit or active, you may not think you stand a chance with the people you see working out at the gym. However, there are several mistakes with this way of thinking.

You shouldn't assume people are looking for someone who shares qualities they possess themselves.     3     They may really like to meet somebody from a completely different walk of life, other than the field of music.

The qualities you admire in other people may not be the same ones they identify（认同）in themselves. This applies to my example of impressive people.     4     While you may find their success, drive, and enthusiasm impressive, maybe they're looking for someone who knows how to step back and enjoy life.

And you are probably underselling your own positive qualities. You probably have qualities you may not find attractive but that some people will admire in you.

So it isn't worthwhile to worry about falling short of what you think other people want. All you can do is be yourself, show your best qualities, and see who responds to them. If there is one quality that never attracts anybody, it's doubt.     5    

A．I've been struggling with these same things myself.

B．Maybe it's a writer, musician, doctor, lawyer, or soldier.

C．They may not view “impressive” in the same way you do.

D．This problem goes far beyond my specific example, though.

E．A musician isn't necessarily interested only in other musicians.

F．It prevents you from finding out whether your attraction is shared.

G．You can never know which things they want to share with their partners.

8 . Today us want things better, faster and sometimes cheaper as well. Customer satisfaction is not enough to drive growth alone and isn't the toughest marketing challenge. Companies need to change their old slogan aim for excellence and deliver more a lot more! But the means of doing that is a hard nut.

The other day, the hotel where I had stayed asked me to rate their performance. I completed their form, giving four-star and five-star ratings, as I had been very satisfied with the hotel rooms, the staff and their services. Imagine my shock therefore when I received the following apology email a day or so after submitting my review:

“Thank you for taking the time to complete our online survey regarding your recent stay at our hotel. I would like to apologize for failing to surprise or impress you. Your satisfaction is important to us and we will be using the feedback you provided to make improvements to ensure we offer an outstanding experience in the future. I hope you will consider staying with us again so that we can have another chance to provide you with an excellent experience.”

Shocking mail, isn't it? I believe that is exactly why they get a 4.5 + star rating. For them customer satisfaction is not enough. They have to make guests super satisfied so that a return visit is a “no brainer”; no other hotel choice would make sense!

How do you treat your own customers and consumers? Do you do just enough to satisfy them, or do you consistently look to exceeding their expectations? The above personal example I give is one way that the hotel staff tries to correct whatever is not a “superior experience” and may serve as a lesson.

1. Which should today's companies seek according to the text?

A．Low price

B．Superior service

C．High quality

D．Customer satisfaction

2. Why was the writer shocked at the apology email?

A．The way to apologize was unique	B．The purpose of the email was hidden
C．The requirement of the hotel was strict	D．The reason for the apology was unusual

3. What does the underlined part in paragraph 4 convey?

A．The hotel is the best hotel choice	B．The hotel will be remembered easily
C．Only brainless guests will come back	D．Guests will revisit the hotel without thinking.

4. What is the writer's purpose of writing the text?

A．To share his experience	B．To recommend a hotel
C．To provide his suggestion	D．To analyze marketing challenges

9 . What is a challenging book? By calling a book “challenging”, I do not mean books whose language is hard for us to understand, but the ones that challenge and provoke(激起).

Kafka once said that “the only books worth reading are those that bite and kick, not happy books we could write ourselves”. That is what I mean by a “challenging” book. Oliver Twist is not a hard book because everything ends happily. Great Expectations is a “hard” book because Pip forces us to confront our own selfishness. Through Pip’s choices, Dickens forces us to realize that we too often abandon those who have cared for us simply because they do not have money.

The challenging books are books which force us to think deeply about ourselves and our world. Karl Marx’s works are challenging, and so are Adam Smith’s, both bringing great influence on economic and political history. Both thinkers critically analyze our world and lay its faults bare before us. Richard Wright and Dante are both challenging writers because their works force us to see that all is not well in our world. Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room is challenging because it shows us the hurt we suffer when we choose to follow social customs instead of our hearts.

Is there a test that tells us which books are challenging and which are not? No. Most people may read Austen’s Mansfield Park with a smile on their faces, but a reader sensitive to the pains of imperialism (帝国主义) knows that the wonderful society shown in the novel depends upon slavery for its livelihood. I want to end this by stressing that difficulty in terms of books depends on the reader, but that there are some books, by the nature of the author’s genius and the books’ expansive vision, covering so broad a range that they are challenging for almost everyone to read.

1. What does the underlined words “bite and kick” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Make readers uncomfortable and reflect.

B．Focus on men’s personal life and growth.

C．Remind people of their own struggles.

D．Use complex language and structures.

2. What can we infer about challenging books from paragraph 3?

A．They don’t have happy endings.

B．They don’t have to be literary works.

C．They combine literature and social sciences.

D．They focus on the negative side of social rules.

3. What is the writer’s conclusion in the last paragraph?

A．Austen’s Mansfield Park is critical of imperialism.

B．Writers are more important than readers in literature.

C．Challenges in reading come from personal experiences.

D．A book’s broad vision helps contribute to its difficulties.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To show the importance of hard books.

B．To discuss a common theme in literature.

C．To share an understanding of challenging books.

D．To recommend some classic works.

10 . There once was a very wealthy and curious king. This king had a huge rock _________in the middle of a road. Then he _________nearby to see if anyone would try to remove the gigantic rock from the road.

The first group of people to pass by were some of the _________merchants and the king's officials. Rather than moving it, they simply walked _________ it. Though they had made a tidy fortune, these _________merchants and officials never thought of making any contribution. A few even loudly_________the king for the inconvenience caused by not _________the roads. Not one of them tried to move the rock.

Finally, a peasant _________. His arms were full of vegetables and farm tools. When he got near the rock, rather than simply going around it, the peasant put down his _________and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. It took a lot of effort but he __________succeeded.

The peasant gathered up his load and was ready to go on his way when he saw a purse lying on the __________where the rock had been. The peasant __________the purse. The purse was stuffed full of gold coins and a note from the king. The king's note __________the gold was a __________for him, because he moved the rock from the road. Then, the king walked out from where he had hidden to meet the peasant.

The king__________the peasant what many of us never understand: every obstacle gives an opportunity to improve our condition.

1.

A．broken

B．thrown

C．placed

D．moved

2.

A．hid

B．lived

C．sat

D．stood

3.

A．poorest

B．wealthiest

C．greatest

D．brightest

4.

A．behind

B．over

C．under

D．around

5.

A．generous

B．devoted

C．evil

D．selfish

6.

A．blamed

B．begged

C．mentioned

D．encouraged

7.

A．removing

B．constructing

C．maintaining

D．keeping

8.

A．turned out

B．rushed off

C．came along

D．settled down

9.

A．vegetables

B．load

C．tools

D．purse

10.

A．eventually

B．gradually

C．merely

D．hardly

11.

A．stone

B．farm

C．square

D．road

12.

A．tore

B．opened

C．dropped

D．caught

13.

A．read

B．wrote

C．knew

D．witnessed

14.

A．praise

B．test

C．reward

D．souvenir

15.

A．represented

B．showed

C．declared

D．announced