1 . At the age of nine, I was taking swimming lessons in a pool. The day had arrived when I was to be tested to see if I could
Fifteen of us were to
That’s when this college student
“So?” The
Life is a journey, and the road won’t
A.refer | B.advance | C.add | D.present |
A.insist on | B.take risks | C.put off | D.take turns |
A.fellows | B.students | C.instructors | D.directors |
A.leave | B.fail | C.observe | D.quit |
A.convince | B.pretend | C.attempt | D.ignore |
A.pressed | B.grasped | C.controlled | D.pushed |
A.below | B.across | C.beyond | D.above |
A.sympathetic | B.annoyed | C.cold | D.surprised |
A.reacted | B.declined | C.urged | D.explained |
A.owed | B.taught | C.promised | D.delivered |
A.as if | B.in case | C.even if | D.so that |
A.excuse | B.question | C.voice | D.movement |
A.illegal | B.ridiculous | C.impossible | D.logical |
A.discomfort | B.damage | C.fear | D.disaster |
A.advantage | B.goal | C.task | D.result |
A.sensitive | B.embarrassed | C.sure | D.concerned |
A.easily | B.randomly | C.eagerly | D.instantly |
A.take | B.give | C.pass | D.attend |
A.sometime | B.ever | C.seldom | D.always |
A.barriers | B.surprises | C.harvests | D.sights |
2 . Close to the king’s palace stood a little house. In it lived a
The king wondered, “I wish I could be as happy as him.”
One evening the king found the gardener packing up his tools after
“Why should I be unhappy when I get two meals a day and have a
“But what if tomorrow you fall sick! Shouldn’t you think of the future too?” the king asked.
“And start
“You said it. Thank you,” the king nodded and
A.silly | B.lazy | C.cheerful | D.rich |
A.rarely | B.immediately | C.uncomfortably | D.jokingly |
A.starting | B.finishing | C.missing | D.studying |
A.shot | B.arrested | C.ignored | D.approached |
A.secret | B.use | C.price | D.goal |
A.exchange | B.divide | C.appreciate | D.share |
A.garden | B.palace | C.bed | D.kitchen |
A.money | B.strength | C.time | D.company |
A.sad | B.weak | C.tired | D.hungry |
A.get up | B.roll over | C.lie down | D.break out |
A.carefully | B.instantly | C.occasionally | D.painfully |
A.energy | B.hate | C.meaning | D.ambition |
A.chance | B.day | C.dream | D.meal |
A.sings | B.listens | C.matters | D.prefers |
A.respectfully | B.awkwardly | C.shyly | D.humorously |
A.celebrating | B.arguing | C.learning | D.worrying |
A.love | B.lose | C.change | D.forget |
A.afford | B.fail | C.decide | D.plan |
A.refused | B.pretended | C.threatened | D.determined |
A.power | B.wealth | C.present | D.talent |
I had been working for a company in Australia for more than ten years. I had just found a better job and I knew that the manager would be disappointed when I was leaving. I recently became friends with a young man who had just migrated to Australia to escape war in his homeland. He was unskilled and was finding life difficult as he was unemployed.
The manager asked me to introduce someone who I thought could do the job just as well as me, so I took this opportunity to arrange an interview for my new friend. However, in the end, he was not offered the job after the interview.
Later, I asked the manager why my friend was turned down. The manager thought that his English was not good enough for the position, but I suggested that my friend will be a good choice for the company since I could train him. I believed that once given the time to learn, he could do the job. After a week’s training, he was employed and was happy with his position.
I knew how the terrible war had forced him to leave his homeland and what price he had paid for doing so. I appreciate being able to live in Australia and believe that this appreciation is best proved by offering acts of kindness to people in need of help. The smile of appreciation from this man continues to impel me to give, which is a very happy and enjoyable process, during which I also receive some unexpected things, such as help, prize, flowers, love and so on.
1. What’s the reason of the young man’s coming to Australia? (no more than 5 words)2. Why was the young man initially turned down for the job? (no more than 10 words)
3. How did the man get the job in the end? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 probably mean? (1 word)
5. What’s your opinion about “giving and receiving”? Give your reasons. (no more than 25 words)
4 . Do you find yourself pulling away from others, especially if you’ve experienced a deep disappointment? Maybe the most
A man who lost his wife to cancer found himself wanting to be
His friends became
The man responded that he felt better
They sat in
The man sat in silence,
We cannot
A.exciting | B.common | C.difficult | D.obvious |
A.independent | B.cheerful | C.sociable | D.alone |
A.enjoyed | B.refused | C.looked back to | D.took part in |
A.quit | B.reduced | C.kept | D.became fond of |
A.hurriedly | B.hopefully | C.straight | D.eagerly |
A.greetings | B.visits | C.kindness | D.invitations |
A.annoyed | B.alarmed | C.disappointed | D.curious |
A.warm fireplace | B.beautiful garden | C.bright window | D.TV set |
A.inspired | B.told | C.encouraged | D.required |
A.inform | B.expect | C.leave | D.allow |
A.while | B.without | C.regardless of | D.because of |
A.besides | B.otherwise | C.generally | D.therefore |
A.turn | B.silence | C.tears | D.talks |
A.frightening | B.heartwarming | C.unusual | D.interesting |
A.black | B.burnt | C.dark | D.flaming |
A.watching | B.holding | C.admiring | D.ignoring |
A.down | B.away | C.ahead | D.around |
A.point | B.invitation | C.news | D.notice |
A.think | B.understand | C.escape | D.survive |
A.welcomed | B.concerned | C.connected | D.affected |
5 . Have you ever come out of a steamy hot shower and tried to look at your reflection in the mirror when it’s completely steamed and fogged up? I often think that is how we tend to view our beauty—through fogged up mirrors. We are seeing ourselves but the picture isn’t exactly clear! The mirrors have been fogged up through different life experiences and memories as we have grown up, and now blend together to form our own definition of our beauty.
The first mirror is formed as a young child and is often based on what was said about us from our parents and those around us. I remember being told that I was a cute child, so that when I got a little older and was around six or seven and another child tried to tell me I was ugly- everything within me rose up against the statement because my self-belief in what my parents had said stood strong.
The second mirror is the mirror of adolescence, those formative years when we are pushed into the big wild world and out of the protection of home. As a teenager I went to a boarding school, and I was one of the only two black people in the entire school. Children being naturally curious, I felt like I was asked a million and one different questions about both my hair and skin tone- -and I don’t think there has ever been a time when I have been more acutely aware of my appearance, which in turn opened up the door for me to question how I looked and to thankfully embrace my differences.
The final mirror comes from socially constructed ideas of beauty. We are often faced with numerous images in the media, popular culture, society, peers and social media, which can create a false ideal of beauty in our eyes. We tend to compare ourselves to those ideals and use it as some sort of margin (差值) of measurement.
However, real beauty comes from within. It is acceptance of yourself, perceived flaws and all. You are a masterpiece, a unique blend of genes and life experiences. It’s essential to appreciate yourself like any other work of art or natural wonder, without judgement. Maybe it’s time to create a fourth mirror, a new mirror that is wiped clean and is minus the fog of comparisons, accusations, judgments and expectations.
1. What do the fogged-up mirrors represent according to the first paragraph?A.The difficulties of seeing oneself in the mirror. |
B.The various sources of beauty standards. |
C.The unclear perceptions of one’s beauty. |
D.The life experiences and memories. |
A.She felt embarrassed. |
B.She completely denied it. |
C.She sought comfort from her parents. |
D.She questioned what her parents had said. |
A.They push teens out of home protection. |
B.They arouse acute awareness of one’s appearance. |
C.They may mislead people’s idea of beauty. |
D.They are the exact measurement of beauty. |
A.A mirror not affected by external factors. |
B.A mirror going against society’s expectations. |
C.A mirror reflecting one’s childhood experiences. |
D.A mirror showing the beauty ideals from social media. |
A.bring happiness to those around us |
B.keep our resolve despite obstacles |
C.change ourselves to achieve an ideal |
D.embrace our real inner beauty |
(1)你遇到的挑战是什么;
(2)你是如何应对的;
(3)你的感受。
注意:
(1)词数不少于 100;
(2)可适当加入细节,使内容充实、行文连贯;
(3)题目已给出,不计入总词数。
The Challenges That I Met
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7 . What is your calling? What is your purpose in life? What did you come to this world to do? Every day we read about how we should find our purpose and pursue it throughout our lives in order to find meaning and contentment. There are even scientific studies that show people who view their work as a calling rather than just a career or a job have a higher life and work satisfaction. So, what exactly is this calling?
I’ve personally struggled with this concept for many years. I knew that happiness not only came from a present state of joy, but also from the pursuit of an objective that gave me something to pursue. That is, until I found myself feeling empty despite my achievement of those goals.
And as I reflected on these feelings of emptiness and boredom that had arisen despite my successes, I realized something. Meaning and satisfaction come from a personal devotion to what we do and the intrinsic (固有的) fulfillment we get from it. It has nothing to do with financial gain, social advancement or any other type of external reward or motivation. It is about doing something that we love. It is about focusing our efforts and spending our time on passions that light the spark inside of us and allow us to share with the world the unique gifts we possess.
I had never before stopped to think about what I found intrinsically rewarding or fulfilling. Financial gain and external recognition were pretty much the only drivers I knew. More so, I thought this calling meant having one passion we were born with to pursue relentlessly (不懈地).
So, I spent some years trying to find this long-lost purpose of mine. I discovered during that time passions I had no idea I even had. Yet, I wasn’t sure how to make them into my life purpose. I searched for an answer but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I came to understand the truths about our purpose in life that I was able to find my place in this world.
Our purpose can consist of various things that make us feel alive. As we grow and evolve throughout the different stages in our lives, we may discover new passions and desires that change our sense of purpose and calling.
We all have a longing for lives that give meaning to our existence. The difference lies in how we go about accomplishing this. We must each find our own “shine” and then shine on.
1. According to the passage, the calling refers to________.A.one’s view about careers |
B.a task one has to carry out |
C.a life-long career one chooses |
D.a strong desire or sense of duty to do a job |
A.Financial gain and external recognition. |
B.Pursuing passions relentlessly. |
C.Discovering new passions. |
D.Finding purpose in life. |
A.Trying to do everything that you can. |
B.Trying to achieve your ambitious goals. |
C.Doing meaningful things with your passion. |
D.Doing something that can be successful easily. |
A.the author spent some years making changes |
B.the author used to think he had no passion at all |
C.the author didn’t know how to search for the life purpose |
D.the author has known his passions since he started to work |
A.It’s wise to give up discovering our one true passion. |
B.It’s useless to pursue financial gain and external recognition. |
C.It’s necessary to find our own calling and pursue it with vigor. |
D.It’s important to share our passion with the world without stopping. |
8 . My almost 6-year-old son is currently crazy about Star Wars and Harry Potter. I know he’s young, but the movies and books bring up topics for us to sort through all the time—tough topics. A good chance for me! We read the books together; we watch the movies together. We’ve talked about many things that some parents of a 5-year-old might not talk about, but I want to have these conversations with my son.
Today, it was rainy and when the baby took her nap, I allowed him to watch a Star Wars movie as a reward for being so kind this morning to his sister who was feeling a little unhappy. As I was folding laundry, I said to him, very casually, “Wow, that Darth Vader really makes me sick.” My son chided (指责) me, “Mama, Darth Vader has good in him. I know he’s on the dark side, but he isn’t all bad.” This launched us into a conversation about good versus evil and how goodness can be found in anyone if we only look hard enough.
For the past week, I feel like I have been tested with various examples of people simply not being nice. And some people were rude for no apparent reason. A nurse was impatient with me on the phone when I called for a prescription. Little ears were listening in on all of those instances and after doing my best to be nice on the phone call with the nurse, I hung up and said to my husband, “Wow, what was wrong with her? She was so rude.” My boy said, “Mama, we all have a bad day. Be nice to her and she might be nice to you back.” This child teaches me lessons every day, and all we can do is treat people with kindness, as hard as it might be.
The nurse was probably exhausted from taking sick calls and maybe she simply needed a coffee break. I do know that those people were not on their best behavior or showing their best side but how many of us have been in those exact shoes? We all act in haste. We all speak in haste. We all do things we regret. And, if we were lucky, we were met with kindness instead of anger in return for our outburst.
My son reminded me today to be kinder and gentler to the people I meet with. I’m going to try harder this week. I’m going to try to smile when met with a frown. Like he mentions, even Darth Vader has good in him and maybe he just needs a little sympathy.
1. How does the writer react to her son’s recent interest?A.Using it as a chance to express her regret. |
B.Trying to persuade him to change his mind. |
C.Trying to help him develop some more hobbies. |
D.Using it as a chance to have a deep talk with him. |
A.Because it was a reward for his kindness. |
B.Because her son loves Star Wars. |
C.Because it was raining outside. |
D.Because the baby was napping. |
A.How to be rude to people. |
B.How to complain about others. |
C.The importance of being kind to others. |
D.The essential of asking for medical advice. |
A.Optimistic and calm. |
B.Brave and enthusiastic. |
C.Courageous and generous. |
D.Considerate and sympathetic. |
A.smile to those friendly to them |
B.sympathize with those in trouble |
C.find the good in others and treat them kindly |
D.reward others’ kindness and help more people |
9 . Life is just like a box of chocolates and you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes when we are in our darkest hour, something completely unexpected happens that can give us a little bit of hope and comfort.
Jessica was a healthy woman. One day, while she was working on a brilliant idea that suddenly struck her, which she thought would be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem she was working on, she suddenly lost consciousness. After she was rushed to the hospital, her heart rate slowed by nearly 50 percent. It took nine days for doctors to concentrate on what was causing her problem.
After several weeks, Jessica was still stiff (僵硬的) from head to foot, but luckily, she was able to move her lips. Staff noticed this and introduced Jessica to Consuelo Gonzalez, a professional lip reader. Consuelo can understand what people are saying by the shape their lips make. She can also understand how annoying it is not to be able to communicate because she has been completely deaf since the age of 8.
For a few hours each week, Jessica could have long conversations with Consuelo, diving into the ocean of words she dearly missed. Through Consuelo, Jessica asked the doctors and nurses questions she had long wanted answers to. She also talked to Consuelo about the vivid dreams she was mixing up with reality.
In fact, there are other ways for Consuelo to earn a living by reading lips, but she says helping patients separate horrible dreams from reality is the most rewarding way she can use her unique skill. “What is really wonderful, without doubt, is being able to use this skill to create healing and to create communication between human beings. That’s what feels best: Love.”
After four and a half months in the hospital, Jessica finally recovered. Consuelo was there, holding Jessica’s hands. Jessica eventually went back to work as a math professor. After her experience she wrote a new living will. One thing she added is that if she ever becomes incapacitated like this again, she is never to be left alone.
1. Why does the author mention a box of chocolates in the first paragraph?A.To present an argument. | B.To make a comparison. |
C.To introduce a topic. | D.To give an example. |
a. Jessica was introduced to Consuelo Gonzalez.
b. Jessica went back to work and wrote a new living will.
c. Doctors spent nine days to find out what caused Jessica’s problem.
d. Jessica was able to ask the doctors questions she had long wanted answers to.
e. Jessica worked on a brilliant idea for solving the mathematical problem.
A.ecadb | B.adcbe | C.ecdba | D.adbce |
A.Jessica became deaf as a result of the sudden disease after losing consciousness. |
B.Consuelo must have a gift in psychology as she could separate dreams from reality. |
C.Consuelo accompanied Jessica all the time in the hospital until the latter recovered. |
D.Doctors focused on the cause of Jessica’s disease before Consuelo offered help. |
A.Friendly and cautious. | B.Brave and creative. |
C.Kind and caring. | D.Determined and humorous. |
A.Deadly exhausted. | B.Seriously ill. | C.Desperately lonely. | D.Incredibly compulsory. |
A.Love can make people no longer alone facing difficulties. |
B.Creating communication between human beings is rewarding. |
C.Self-acceptance is based on the love for oneself. |
D.Love is key to the attainment of others’ respect. |
10 . A large cat arrived at a farm where many mice lived. None of them dared(敢于)go outside for fear of being
The mice decided to hold a
“Let’s build a big trap,”one mouse
At last,one mouse,
“We’ll tie it so tightly (紧紧地) that it will never
“She’ll never be able to walk
However,the wise mouse said,“We must
It’s often very
A.trained | B.caught | C.invited | D.taught |
A.party | B.game | C.meeting | D.test |
A.danger | B.return | C.fact | D.need |
A.flew | B.stepped | C.rushed | D.swam |
A.questioned | B.suggested | C.answered | D.explained |
A.supported | B.accepted | C.refused | D.discussed |
A.everybody | B.somebody | C.anybody | D.nobody |
A.carefully | B.slowly | C.angrily | D.happily |
A.present | B.idea | C.excuse | D.reason |
A.younger | B.longer | C.stronger | D.wiser |
A.pleasure | B.help | C.information | D.silence |
A.how | B.who | C.where | D.what |
A.time | B.space | C.experience | D.power |
A.shout | B.stay | C.hide | D.watch |
A.worried | B.excited | C.surprised | D.tired |
A.get up | B.put off | C.drop off | D.turn up |
A.gladly | B.quietly | C.directly | D.quickly |
A.believe | B.imagine | C.decide | D.learn |
A.honest | B.brave | C.rich | D.old |
A.important | B.difficult | C.strange | D.easy |