1 . When I was 13 years old, I went on a 735-mile cycling trip with my brother and father. We were all keen cyclists and I can say I felt like I was born on a bike. My father was a professional cyclist, and wanted to show us, his twin sons, the work of the trade and bond with us.
The trip was across the San Juan Islands and then Vancouver Island. We prepared for the journey by going on smaller rides and practiced cycling with panniers (货筐). Adjusting to the weight on the bike was harder than I thought. When we set out for the trip, I knew that I yearned to have an adventure and wanted to see the beautiful sights of mountains, bears, moose, deer, forests, and much more.
One night, after perhaps a week into the trip, we were on our last legs(路程)getting to a campsite, and going down a large hill. It was raining moderately and we were coasting down the hill in eager delight to take a rest from going up a mountain with all of our gear and sore legs.
Suddenly, my brother’s front tire slipped in the rain, and he slid into the middle of the road. My father and I stopped, asking if he was okay. Apparently, he was not hurt too much, but his leg was caught up in the bike frame. From the top of the hill, we saw the light of a car coming. My father and I looked on in shock. Chris could not seem to get out of the entrapment of his bike, and now the car was blasting its way. This all happened within seconds.
Instinctively, I rushed out in front of my brother in the middle of the road, and waved my hands frantically. The car rushed forward, but swerved to the left to go around my brother and I. My brother was saved from being crushed by the car.
My brother says I was incredibly brave, but I think we do what we know is right. I believe that one should listen to one’s gut in times of peril, and not intellectualize dilemmas. If I had thought about what I was doing on that night, my brother might have been robbed from this world. Life and death often swing in the balance between what seems natural and rational.
1. What does Dad expect from the cycling trip?| A．To spend time with his sons. |
| B．To instruct his sons how to cycle. |
| C．To show off his professional skills. |
| D．To explore the adventures in the mountain. |
| A．It rained cats and dogs. |
| B．A bear came out of nowhere. |
| C．The road down the hill was too slippery. |
| D．They were too excited to get back to the campsite. |
| A．A friend is never known till a man has need. |
| B．The best that we find in our travel is an honest friend. |
| C．Brothers concentrate on each other, and their strength runs out of gold. |
| D．If you are serious about what you’re doing, keep you head and follow your instinct. |
2 . There's 8 Symphony Just Below the Surface—Can You Hear It?
Imagine it's your birthday, and your friends and family pool their money to get you the best gift you can imagine: tickets for fabulous seats to see your favorite musical act.
As humans, we have been given a wonderful gift.
Life always has its music, and we don t need to be front-row center at a concert to hear it. Throughout our lives, no matter what else is going on, a melody is present.
Life is always playing music, but we have to listen, and we listen by being present. We can do this. We just need to realize and engage with the music of life that is always playing.
| A．We can become magnificent listeners to life, with enough practice. |
| B．This may work for a few minutes, and it may even last several hours. |
| C．In summary, listening to the music of life requires wisdom and a good taste. |
| D．That is the ability to suspend our fears and worries and focus on what we love. |
| E．When we do this, we'll discover that the symphony inside of us is magnificent. |
| F．But we are often so focused on the present moment that we fail to hear the melody. |
| G．But what if you got to the venue and something terrible had just happened to you? |
3 . Time and money are life's most valuable resources. One of the great laws of economics is that time equals money. The phrase "time is money" is usually credited to Benjamin Franklin, who used it in an essay(Advice to a Young Tradesman, 1748).
Time cannot be stored. One of the reasons we give little thought about how we use our limited resources is that we cannot save time.
In a word, time is anything but free. As a nonrenewable resource, time is quite expensive.
| A．However, it cannot be bought at any price. |
| B．It means time is a valuable resource. |
| C．Time is our most limited resource. |
| D．Time moves no whether we choose to spend it or not. |
| E．They will try their best to do what they want. |
| F．How we are using our time is really a question. |
| G．Actually, time and money are greatly different from each other. |
4 . I’ve recently found myself wondering if I could do without Google Maps. It is, I think, the only app on my phone I’d really miss were I to swap my smartphone for a “dumb” one that handles only calls and text messages.
Why am I thinking about this? It’s because every time I try to read a book, I end up picking up my phone instead. I keep interrupting my own train of thought in order to do something that I don’t consciously want to do.
This is not accidental. Developers have become even more unashamed in their attempts to keep us hooked on our smartphones. Some of them speak in the language of addiction and behavioural psychology, though most prefer the term “persuasive tech”. In itself, persuasive tech is not a new idea — an academic named BJ Fogg has been running classes from a “persuasive tech lab” at Stanford since the late 1990s. But as smartphone ownership has rocketed and social-media sites have been born, persuasive tech has vastly expanded its reach.
One company, Dopamine Labs — named for the chemical released in the reward center of the brain — offers a service to tech businesses wanting to “keep users engaged”. Founder Ramsay Brown tells me he wants people to understand that “their thoughts and feelings are on the table as things that can be controlled and designed”. He thinks there should be more conversation around the persuasive power of the technologies being used. “We believe everyone has a right to cognitive liberty, and to build the kind of mind they want to live in,” he says.
The poster child of the resistance movement against addictive apps is former Google “design ethicist” Tristan Harris. He thinks the power to change the system lies not with app developers but with the hardware providers. In 2014, Harris founded “Time Well Spent”, a group that campaigns for more moral design practices among developers.
Any tech business that relies on advertising profits is motivated to hold its users online for as long as possible, Harris says. This means apps are specifically designed to keep us in them. Apple, on the other hand, wants to sell phones but doesn’t have a profit stream so tightly connected to the amount of time its customers spend online. Harris hopes that companies like Apple could use their influence to encourage more morally designed apps.
While I wait for Apple to sort this out, I find myself longing for something called a “Light Phone”, a credit-card-sized handset that does absolutely nothing but make and receive calls. Price tag? $150. Seems expensive. But the company’s website is very persuasive.
1. According to the author, what makes us so glued to our smartphones？| A．People's inborn behaviours. | B．App developers’ intention. |
| C．User-friendly apps. | D．Hardware providers. |
| A．tech businesses have gone too far in controlling users’ minds |
| B．persuasive technologies are dangerous to users’ cognitive liberty |
| C．the persuasive power of the technologies deserves more attention |
| D．everyone can live the life they desire by using persuasive technologies |
| A．The advertiser. | B．The advocate. |
| C．The opponent. | D．The founder. |
You are discussing the following picture with your English friend Jim. Now you are telling him how you understand the picture and what makes you think so.
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6 . Take an Option
Jerry was a natural motivator. He was always in a good mood and always had something
Soon I moved to another city. Several months later, I heard that Jerry was seriously injured in the chest while skiing.
Later, when we met again, I asked Jerry what had
Jerry has taught me a lot. I learn from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Your
| A．regular | B．familiar | C．positive | D．typical |
| A．choices | B．trends | C．relations | D．secrets |
| A．Normally | B．Obviously | C．Hopefully | D．Luckily |
| A．preserved | B．released | C．distinguished | D．abandoned |
| A．gone through | B．put up | C．turned in | D．called for |
| A．forced | B．followed | C．wheeled | D．recommended |
| A．bored | B．frightened | C．confused | D．embarrassed |
| A．express | B．share | C．gain | D．inspire |
| A．talent | B．achievement | C．desire | D．evidence |
| A．attitude | B．standard | C．ability | D．control |
7 . There is something to be said for being a generalist, even if you are a specialist. Knowing a little about a lot of things that interest you can add to the richness of a whole, well-lived life.
Society pushes us to specialize, to become experts. This requires commitment to a particular occupation, branch of study or research. The drawback to being specialists is we often come to know more and more about less and less. There is a great deal of pressure to master one's field. You may pursue training, degrees, or increasing levels of responsibility at work. Then you discover the pressure of having to keep up.
Some people seem willing to work around the clock in their narrow specialty. But such commitment can also weaken a sense of freedom. These specialists could work at the office until ten each night, then look back and realize they would have loved to have gone home and enjoyed the sweetness of their family and friends, or traveled to exciting places, meeting interesting people. Mastering one thing to the exclusion （排 除）of others can hold back your true spirit.
Generalists, on the other hand, know a lot about a wide range of subjects and view the whole with all its connections. They are people of ability, talent, and enthusiasm who can bring their broad perspective （视角）into specific fields of expertise （专长）.The doctor who is also a poet and philosopher is a superior doctor, one who can give so much more to his patients than just good medical skills.
Things are connected. Let your expertise in one field fuel your passions in all related areas. Some of your interests may not appear to be connected but, once you explore their depths, you discover that they are. My editor Toni, who is also a writer, has edited several history books. She has decided to study Chinese history. Fascinated by the structural beauty of the Forbidden City as a painter, she is equally interested to learn more about Chinese philosophy. "I don't know where it will lead, but I'm excited I'm on this pursuit."
These expansions into new worlds help us by giving us new perspectives. We begin to see the interconnectedness of one thing to another in all aspects of our life, of ourselves and the universe. Develop broad, general knowledge and experience. The universe is all yours to explore and enjoy.
1. To become a specialist, one may have to_____.| A．narrow his range of knowledge |
| B．avoid responsibilities at work |
| C．know more about the society |
| D．broaden his perspective on life |
| A．treasure their freedom |
| B．travel around the world |
| C．spend most time working |
| D．enjoy meeting funny people |
| A．is fully aware of his talent and ability |
| B．is a pure specialist in medicine |
| C．should love poetry and philosophy |
| D．brings knowledge of other fields to work |
| A．Passion alone does not ensure a person's success. |
| B．In-depth exploration makes discoveries possible. |
| C．Everyone has a chance to succeed in their pursuit. |
| D．Seemingly unrelated interests are in a way connected. |
| A．Be More a Generalist Than a Specialist |
| B．Specialist or Generalist: Hard to Decide |
| C．Turn a Generalist into a Specialist |
| D．Ways to Become a Generalist |
8 . You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place.“They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering.“They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around.Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing(内化)your victimization.The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently.They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don't let this get in the way.They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don't blame themselves when they fail.Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter.They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的)moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart.Victims relish(沉溺)in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others--and even themselves---to feel like victims, too.Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but al1around them.Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives.One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime.Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
1. What does the word “they” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?| A．People and things around you. | B．Opportunities and problems. |
| C．Creators and their choices. | D．Victims and their sufferings. |
| A．seem willing to experience failures in life | B．possess the ability to predict future life |
| C．handle ups and downs of life wisely | D．have potential to create something new |
| A．To define victims and creators. |
| B．To evaluate victims against creators. |
| C．To explain the relationship between victims and creators. |
| D．To suggest the transformation from victims to creators. |
| A．strong attachment to sufferings in life pulls people into victims. |
| B．people need family support to deal with challengers in life. |
| C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains. |
| D．one's experiences determine his attitude toward life. |
9 . The mind is a wonderful thing. It's also excuse-making machine that frequently tries to convince us not to take action we know are good for us. If we hadn't learned about these excuses, or how to overcome them, we would never have succeeded in making these positive changes.
So why does the mind mess with us and make unreasonable excuses? Because the mind wants comfort, that's the reason. It's afraid of discomfort, pressure and change. The mind is absorbed in its comfort zone, and anytime we try to stretch that zone too far, for too long, the mind tries desperately to get back to “ground zero” at any cost. These damaging excuses, such as “I can't do it”, “It is too hard for me”, “It's too late now” and so on, are no strangers to our minds.
It seems too difficult at first, so you think you can't stick to the positive change you're making. This excuse can be countered (对抗)by looking at the fact that other people were no more capable than you thought you were. For example, my 60-year-old next-door neighbor finished running a marathon, so I told myself, “If she can do it, so can I!” Truth be told, the only person who tells you “I can't” is yourself. If you hear those words echoing in the back of your mind, tune them out.
I've witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and so forth.
Another common excuse is that “I've already failed too much.” If you break down, it's fine, because you are only human. Just don't stay down; take a rest, and then pick yourself up so you can go to where you'd rather be. As Winston Churchill said, “Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It is courage to continue that counts.”
Some people feel like quitting when they have almost reached their goal, while others attain goals through their efforts until the last second. So make some necessary adjustments to get rid of the bad habit of making excuses. Keep going! No excuses! Think, work, and climb, that's how you'll move your life forward.
1. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?| A．To tell readers how to make a change. |
| B．To help readers develop a new view of life. |
| C．To encourage readers to leave their comfortable zone. |
| D．To tell readers to stop making excuses and keep fighting. |
| A．completing a marathon was not too difficult |
| B．people often neglect their abilities |
| C．looking down upon the others is wrong |
| D．people shouldn't let negative thoughts step in their way |
| A．It tends to seek comforts rather than suffering. |
| B．It needs rest and relaxation. |
| C．It is preparing for the difficult times. |
| D．It is the way it tries to find a solution. |
| A．The lowest spot. | B．The safest place | C．The original place | D．The proper position |
10 . When my children were teenagers, I
Although my children are
For example, a number of years ago, I was on my way to a farewell function with several colleagues. As we were leaving the office, we
A week later, I learned that when we came across Wendy, she was returning to the office from a medical appointment
Whether it’s a family member who let me down, a friend who
| A．missed | B．lost | C．purchased | D．sold |
| A．spotted | B．carried | C．dropped | D．placed |
| A．meaningful | B．interesting | C．familiar | D．unexpected |
| A．aware | B．forgiving | C．ashamed | D．confident |
| A．workers | B．parents | C．seniors | D．adults |
| A．kitchen | B．fridge | C．bedroom | D．bathroom |
| A．dream | B．message | C．target | D．relief |
| A．bumped into | B．saw off | C．knocked down | D．dealt with |
| A．demanding | B．accepting | C．declining | D．delaying |
| A．curious | B．amazed | C．anxious | D．annoyed |
| A．convince | B．promise | C．ignore | D．invite |
| A．Reflecting | B．Counting | C．Looking | D．Concentrating |
| A．break | B．party | C．dance | D．lesson |
| A．suddenly | B．obviously | C．passively | D．naturally |
| A．discovered | B．avoided | C．caused | D．created |
| A．where | B．that | C．which | D．what |
| A．confusing | B．shocking | C．unusual | D．casual |
| A．built | B．lost | C．betrayed | D．possessed |
| A．doubted | B．evaluated | C．guided | D．ordered |
| A．take down | B．break through | C．come about | D．get rid of |
