1 . I was living in Cali, Colombia. One day my younger sister decided to visit me for a holiday and I was supposed to go to meet her at the airport. I somehow lost ________ of the time and realized that I was ________my home much later than I had wanted to. And to make matters _________, when I went outside, the rain was pouring from the sky and I couldn’t get a taxi to save my life. I ________ jumping on board a public bus to Palmira, where the airport was .

The driver said that I would be dropped ________ at a crossroads which was located six kilometers away from the airport. I had no ________ but to travel with the bus. The journey took ages, however. When the bus did eventually ________ the previously mentioned crossroads, the driver pointed in a given ________ and told me that the airport was down that way. By this time, I had descended into tears. My sister would be arriving in twelve minutes, and there was no way I was going to be able to make it ________. Beside myself (失去控制) with worry, I ________ the driver to drive the six kilometers down to the airport to drop me off. He stood up and took a vote from the other passengers. Fortunately, they all ________. Thanks to them, I arrived on time. This was my first encounter with Murphy’s Law (墨菲定律): Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. And the only way to beat this devil is to take ________for the outcome of all your actions. I should have made a Plan B by ________ the possibility that there would be no taxis available. Of course, some major victories were achieved by the very fact that they did not have a Plan B to ________.

However, most of the situations we encounter in our lives are much less dramatic and can often be ________ in more ways than one. It is ________to have a Plan B because you cannot always guarantee that your original plan is going to work out, and in some cases, your contingency (不测之事) plan might just be even ________ than your original one .

Now more than ever, in this rapidly changing world, ________ is often the key to success. If you are prepared to bounce back when everyone else ________, you will be the winner. Think of your contingency plan as a form of ________, one that, if nothing else, can give you the peace of mind you need.

1.

A．heart

B．sight

C．track

D．touch

2.

A．heading

B．leaving

C．driving

D．going

3.

A．better

B．easier

C．funnier

D．worse

4.

A．picked up

B．checked up

C．ended up

D．came up

5.

A．down

B．off

C．by

D．out

6.

A．choice

B．evidence

C．hope

D．reason

7.

A．arrive

B．pass

C．reach

D．return

8.

A．station

B．direction

C．location

D．position

9.

A．in time

B．on time

C．behind time

D．ahead of time

10.

A．allowed

B．reminded

C．forced

D．begged

11.

A．agreed

B．appeared

C．succeeded

D．signed

12.

A．advice

B．control

C．responsibility

D．risk

13.

A．coming into effect

B．getting into trouble

C．putting into practice

D．taking into account

14.

A．approves of

B．looks up

C．goes after

D．turn to

15.

A．accessed

B．altered

C．approached

D．avoided

16.

A．dangerous

B．essential

C．pointless

D．priceless

17.

A．extremer

B．faster

C．better

D．stranger

18.

A．capability

B．flexibility

C．reliability

D．stability

19.

A．breaks down

B．settles down

C．gets over

D．carries away

20.

A．assistance

B．endurance

C．guidance

D．insurance

2 . Perseverance is the quality of ________ through challenges and difficulties with ________ and resilience. It is this quality that often separates successful people from those who give up at the first sign of trouble.

I remember a time when I ________ with the concept of perseverance. It was during my first year of university when I ________ a difficult course in my major. I had always been a good student and had never had trouble with my academics before. However, this ________ seemed impossible to me. The material was challenging, and I didn’t ________ it as quickly as I hoped to.

I almost gave up. I considered changing my major and even dropping out of college altogether. Yet, I had a long conversation with my professor, during which he told me that everyone struggles with something at certain ________ in their life. He inspired me to ________ through the difficulties and to keep ________ because success only comes to those who never give up.

I took his advice and decided to keep pushing myself ________ my doubts. I ________ every class, read each book, and studied late at night. It wasn’t easy for sure, I persevered, ________. And in the end, I was able to pass the course and ________ in my major.

That experience taught me the ________ of perseverance. It’s not just about ________ challenges; it’s also about the growth that comes alongside with the experience. When we persevere through difficulties, we ________ strength, resilience, and ________.

To ________ up, perseverance is a quality that should be celebrated, not feared. When facing challenges, we need embrace them and defeat them with determination and resilience. In doing so, not only can we cross ________ but we can also foster ________ skills and qualities which benefit us in all our lives.

1.

A．consisting

B．resisting

C．insisting

D．persisting

2.

A．deterrence

B．dissolution

C．determination

D．dismissal

3.

A．experienced

B．struggled

C．triumphed

D．experimented

4.

A．encountered

B．withstood

C．fought

D．deferred

5.

A．class

B．course

C．lesson

D．curriculum

6.

A．grab

B．grapple

C．gamble

D．grasp

7.

A．item

B．rule

C．point

D．whereabouts

8.

A．go

B．trudge

C．undergo

D．drudge

9.

A．revering

B．wavering

C．persevering

D．deserving

10.

A．regardless

B．despite

C．respite

D．in spite

11.

A．attended

B．enrolled

C．engaged

D．tended

12.

A．though

B．although

C．even though

D．as though

13.

A．keep

B．stay

C．remain

D．retain

14.

A．element

B．beauty

C．rudiment

D．appreciation

15.

A．meeting

B．combating

C．enduring

D．ensuring

16.

A．nurture

B．get

C．require

D．enquire

17.

A．interest

B．likelihood

C．character

D．mentality

18.

A．hold

B．brief

C．pick

D．wrap

19.

A．barrier

B．block

C．obstacles

D．blocks

20.

A．important

B．essential

C．vital

D．invaluable

3 . Last year, preparing to move to Italy, I sorted through everything in our New York apartment. Clothes, shoes, toys, china, handbags — you name it. I had to_______what to give away, what to throw out, and what to_______and ship overseas.

It forced me to review, remember, and relive my _______. Some surprises awaited me. Dealing with all the material goods_______over a lifetime, I rediscovered just how much I value_______. I found the letter President Ronald Reagan_______to my father, congratulating him for his_______to the deaf   community; _______for 1960s Broadway hits my grandma had taken me to see. I had rejection_______from magazine editors, and a typed letter from my lawyer uncle advising me to_______fooling around and get a real job. I_______Father’s Day cards and a poem to my wife on our 40th anniversary.

It proved to me that paper _______serves a purpose, even with life going _______ and all but paperless. Reviewing _______ that you can feel on your fingertips is a powerful trigger ( 触 发 ) for_______.

Going through these documents was an _______to better know myself, to recognize who I was and how I’d changed.

My love of paper gave me_______proof of a life: a marriage navigated, children raised, and struggles won or lost. It’s a life _______to the fullest.

I did it mostly for me. But someday my children may _______to find these “keepsakes” (传家宝). Perhaps they’ ll be drawn to_______the history only our family can claim.

1.

A．discover

B．imagine

C．hesitate

D．determine

2.

A．pack

B．sell

C．show

D．hide

3.

A．family

B．past

C．duty

D．friend

4.

A．avoided

B．wasted

C．gathered

D．carried

5.

A．paper

B．money

C．knowledge

D．friendship

6.

A．handed

B．lent

C．sent

D．passed

7.

A．quality

B．service

C．choice

D．chance

8.

A．stories

B．posters

C．suggestions

D．characters

9.

A．notes

B．pictures

C．bills

D．lessons

10.

A．start

B．enjoy

C．quit

D．miss

11.

A．removed

B．connected

C．ignored

D．kept

12.

A．never

B．again

C．still

D．just

13.

A．digital

B．loose

C．wild

D．wrong

14.

A．secrets

B．processes

C．shows

D．records

15.

A．dreams

B．ideas

C．attitudes

D．memories

16.

A．identity

B．ability

C．honour

D．opportunity

17.

A．concrete

B．equal

C．professional

D．awful

18.

A．brought

B．risked

C．lived

D．spent

19.

A．manage

B．happen

C．pretend

D．seem

20.

A．record

B．explore

C．write

D．teach

4 . Two hours west of a perfectly sunny summer’s day in Clackamas, Oregon a foggy breeze awaited me on the Lincoln City coast. After a year of volunteering remotely with Ocean Blue Project, today is a long-awaited beach cleanup.

I didn’t expect to take away more than just trash from the beach cleanup. At first glance, the beach appears clean. However, beach cleanups require much more attention than a quick look over. Within just a couple of hours, 71 of us volunteers managed to pick up 171 pounds of debris. Actually, we’ve got much more than that.

Beach cleanups connect us to nature and provide an escape from the world for a little bit. They also provide a learning opportunity outside of the participation part. When you sit over a pile of—let’s face it—garbage, you pick out one by one the pieces left behind by others. You see first hand the impact we’re having on our environment and account for what is left behind the most. Each cigarette butt and plastic bottle sets the tone for how we should be approaching our everyday lives, which is to stop pollution.

Personally, the time spent by the ocean and away from my phone fills me with peace and calmness as I focus my attention only on the moment, looking for the little devils trying to pollute the ocean. With a pound or two less out of the ocean, I always feel a bit more optimistic about the world to come.

This boots-on-the-sand way of making a difference grants me a feeling of accomplishment and purpose. Rather than pondering the dire task of saving the planet or researching and writing ways to do so, I get to physically make a difference. And there’s nothing that can replace that instant gratification of making positive change for your community and your planet.

After the cleanup, my eyes are now expertly trained to spot loose trash and inorganic materials anywhere I step. Imagine what a huge difference we could all make collectively if we simply stopped and picked up that water bottle or wrapper off the ground instead of passing it by.

1. Which of the following can best describe the author’s first beach cleanup with Ocean Blue Project?

A．Effortless and far-reaching.	B．Annoying but rewarding.
C．Painstaking but fruitful.	D．Demanding and inefficient.

2. According to the text, which of the following is the benefit from our doing beach cleanups?

A．Maintaining good physical health.

B．Gaining great insight into oceans.

C．Developing researching ways to save the earth.

D．Improving our mental health.

3. What does the underlined word “gratification” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Satisfaction.	B．Gratitude.
C．Impression.	D．Curiosity.

4. What is the most suitable title for the text?

A．What I’ve Learned from a Beach Cleanup

B．How Well I Performed in a Beach Cleanup

C．How Much Attention a Beach Cleanup Requires

D．Why Volunteering with Ocean Blue Project Matters