2 . Recently I’ve had two good roles on television. But when I was just getting started in theater work 17 years ago, I never thought I’d make it. Back then I was recovering from surgery and had been off work for six months. Even worse, as a single mother with three youngsters, I had no place to live in. I felt hopeless.

One Sunday morning I saw actor Robert Young on the television talking about his faith: Believe yourself! If we confidently take that first step, well take the next, until we reach our goal.

The first step was scary. After I went working part-time, I looked for an apartment. The ones I saw were either too expensive, or I couldn’t raise my children in them. I knew a house, not an apartment, was more suitable for me. However, after seeing several houses, my confidence was shaken. I found two seemed right, but when I was about to make an offer, someone else had ordered.

I remembered a saying, “When one door closes, a better one opens.” I wouldn’t just sit staring at the closed one but got up and struggled on. In a real estate (房地产) agent, I found a small house with proper price. To buy it, I had to borrow $ 3,000 for a down payment and get a mortgage (按揭). Common sense argued that a mortgage for a single mother working part-time was impossible. But I had enough self-confidence without following common sense.

After getting the house, my new self-confidence grew. Later , when I began filling small parts in television productions, that self-confidence showed. I'd always played the role as the director wanted. Now I find myself freer to interpret (演绎) it.

Self-confidence has made it through life. Trouble can be scary at first, but each time I take that step, I believe I will win the next.

1. How did the author feel when entering television industry at first?

A．Hopeful.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Aggressive.

2. Why does the author mention her experience of finding a house?

A．To show the value of self-confidence.

B．To share her different life experiences.

C．To introduce her toughest part of life.

D．To tell us her ways to get over difficulty.

3. What mainly helped the author perform well in her later acting?

A．Her sense of confidence.	B．The difficulty in her life.
C．The director’s good direction.	D．Her success in her first attempt.

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

A．Appear on the Stage	B．Struggle with Life
C．Stick to Your Plan	D．Believe in Yourself

3 . Travelling alone can be a little frightening. However, this time is _______. Last week I had a holiday from work, but all my friends were occupied and none of them had the same_______ as mine. Such as it was, I still booked a train ride to Toronto and _______ a bed in a hotel for one week.

One week by myself! Would I be lonely? Would I be _______? Quite the opposite! In fact, there are many _______ that come from travelling alone. Firstly, I was able to do whatever I wanted. I enjoyed spending hours in museums that might have seemed _______ to some of my friends. I walked all around the _______, which some people may have found too exhausting. Instead of _______ someone else to remember _______ or to suggest activities to do, I discovered my independence and ________ map-reading skills that I didn’t know I had. I could   ________ and go to sleep when I wanted. Being in the safe environment of a hotel with like-minded __________ also gives a great opportunity to meet new people from all over the world, which can help conquer ________

I found that there were also some disadvantages of travelling alone ________ the benefits. I missed having someone to talk to and to ________ ideas with. Experiences are often more enjoyable if they are ________, and part of the fun of travelling is the ________ that you have with your friends or families afterwards. ________, eating in a restaurant or cooking in the hotel alone is less fun.

I am very ________ of myself for travelling alone and I had a fantastic time in Toronto. I would rather be by myself than with someone who is lazy and ________ to deal with in the future!

1.

A．different

B．proper

C．strange

D．disappointing

2.

A．work

B．arrangement

C．interest

D．freedom

3.

A．bought

B．made

C．changed

D．reserved

4.

A．tired

B．delighted

C．bored

D．amazed

5.

A．benefits

B．results

C．effects

D．accidents

6.

A．private

B．unique

C．dissatisfying

D．dull

7.

A．hotel

B．community

C．city

D．country

8.

A．appealing to

B．relying on

C．waiting for

D．finding out

9.

A．constructions

B．instructions

C．destinations

D．directions

10.

A．recovered

B．developed

C．received

D．refreshed

11.

A．come out

B．bring back

C．get up

D．turn over

12.

A．foreigners

B．newcomers

C．customers

D．travellers

13.

A．loneliness

B．illness

C．anger

D．fear

14.

A．rather than

B．despite

C．instead of

D．except

15.

A．declare

B．remember

C．exchange

D．learn

16.

A．shared

B．explored

C．shown

D．experienced

17.

A．guidelines

B．plans

C．opinions

D．memories

18.

A．However

B．Gradually

C．Additionally

D．Altogether

19.

A．aware

B．proud

C．fond

D．ashamed

20.

A．difficult

B．rude

C．stubborn

D．silly

4 . Some of the most powerful companies in the world have co-founders. For example, Google(Sergey Brin and Larry Page),Apple(Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs),and Microsoft(Bill Gates and Paul Allen)and so on. Having partners can help to deal with the pressure and the failures that come with running a business. No matter how down on your luck you feel they may provide emotional support. They may have extra skills, and be on hand to help out with the day-to-day problems. And an alternate point of view may help to broaden your mind and aid the risk of mistakes being overlooked.

Everybody knows Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7.When the phone was launched in 2016,customers praised it for its storage, design and usability, and it may well have been a hit if it weren’t for the fact that it occasionally caught fire and exploded. It was soon banned immediately from flights, and Samsung had no choice but to recall the entire model. The shortcoming reportedly cost the company $1 billion, and a further $17 billion in lost sales. But remember, based on the lesson, the Galaxy Note 8 and the Galaxy Note 9 are well received in the world! Now we know that failing is part of business success.

One thing that all great companies have in common is that they have failed many times—and luckily, they bounced back. Take Sarah Blakely, founder of shapewear brand Spanx for example. She credits her business success specifically to her failures. “I’d get kicked out of buildings all day long, “she remembered. “People would tear up my business card in my face. But my friends and I knew I could sell and I knew I wanted to sell something I had created. I learned that ‘no’ doesn’t always mean ‘no’ ,and that you may get 30 nos before you get the one yes. People told me no with Spanx for two years. “Spanx is worth just over $1 billion—it was a company that Blakely who took a degree in a law school started with just $5 000!

1. What can we learn from the examples in Paragraph 1?

A．Two heads are better than one.

B．Constant dropping wears the stone.

C．God helps those who help themselves.

D．All things are difficult before they are easy.

2. Why does the author mention Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7,8 and 9?

A．To suggest customers should follow the new trends.

B．To prove Samsung is responsible for customers.

C．To show Samsung paid for its product failure.

D．To explain that failures don’t spell the end.

3. What mainly contributed to Sarah Blakely’s success?

A．Her friends’help.	B．Her will power.
C．Her good luck.	D．Her education background.

4. How does the author develop the passage?

A．By making contrast.	B．By making classification.
C．By giving examples.	D．By giving numbers.