1 . The doorbell rang one mid-December evening. I frequently had unexpected visitors in those early days after my husband’s ________. But when my 6-year-old son opened the door, nobody was there. ________, on the doormat was a box, tied with a silver ________ and a note that said “On the First Day of Christmas...” A mystery.

Sam had died that fall, ________ me the single parent of our two boys, 6 and 8. My sons and I had already ________ to deal with Halloween, and Thanksgiving without Daddy. Still, I was afraid of Christmas. How could December have ________ without my husband?

The next night, the doorbell rang again. Another ________ came, decorated with the same silver ribbon (带子) and ________ the same card reading “On the Second Day of Christmas...”

For the next couple of nights, my boys waited near the front door to see who was leaving the gifts, but the bearer would always choose the moment they left to ________.

I didn’t know who the secret Santa was. But there was one thing I did know. In those dark days of ________, somebody was shining a light our way with a simple but ________ message: “You are loved.” It was such a strange feeling, to be left in darkness on the one hand and drawn so firmly toward ________ on the other. I believe hope will make a(n) ________.

After 11 days of offerings, we weren’t sure what to ________ when we approached home on that 12th night. I trusted there would be ________.

1.

A．promotion

B．death

C．retirement

D．operation

2.

A．Otherwise

B．Besides

C．Instead

D．Therefore

3.

A．rope

B．paper

C．flower

D．ribbon

4.

A．leaving

B．finding

C．naming

D．considering

5.

A．agreed

B．planned

C．managed

D．promised

6.

A．arrived

B．returned

C．ended

D．escaped

7.

A．book

B．toy

C．box

D．pet

8.

A．designing

B．including

C．showing

D．making

9.

A．get through

B．set off

C．move on

D．turn up

10.

A．regret

B．sadness

C．anger

D．disappointment

11.

A．annoying

B．funny

C．urgent

D．powerful

12.

A．dream

B．light

C．future

D．home

13.

A．difference

B．effort

C．comparison

D．contribution

14.

A．support

B．offer

C．expect

D．appreciate

15.

A．something

B．nothing

C．anything

D．everything

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Almost all the people like travelling. For some people, travelling is a chance to relax and escape     1     the busy daily life. For others, it’s interesting to learn about other people’s cultures and lives. They consider it to be     2     best way to have fun.

Of course, there are people who are always     3     (happy) with the way the life is. But luckily, those people     4     (be) rather few and most people understand how exciting and interesting travelling is.

As for me. I enjoy watching all-round views from some altitudes. I enjoy watching them in my hometown and as soon as I am in some new city. I start     5     (look) for such places right away. When I’m in such a place, I just hold my breath and enjoy the beauty. At such moments I think about what beauty it     6     (offer) us and how important it is to value each moment of     7     (we) lives.

From such places it’s so exciting     8     (enjoy) city views and imagine how     9     (thousand) of people live there and experience so many different feelings. I understand that I’m not alone, that I have so many chances and     10     I can reach all my goals. While watching the views of nature. I wonder how such beauty can be created and how much it is important not to break it.

3 . It was November. The sky was gray with dark clouds and a freezing rain. My mood ______ the day. Thanksgiving was coming soon and then Christmas but after that was a long, dark, cold winter and I wasn’t ______ it.

The older I got, the less it seemed I ______ the winter months. When I was a boy, they meant ______ in the snow, making snowmen, having snowball fights, and then sitting with my dog by the ______ and reading my favorite books. Now they just ______ watching the days get shorter, driving on slippy roads, and feeling the cold wind bite my face every time I went outside.

I lay on my bed, hoping I could sleep under the covers until ______ . Just then my little dog climbed onto my ______ and looked at me with her big, wet eyes. She appeared so sad and miserable. “Is that how I ______ right now?” I thought, knowing that she often ______ my moods. I smiled and patted her until she smiled too.

I feel grateful for having this loving, little dog. She ______ me that the whole world around us is our mirror. We can either be a reflection of ______ or darkness. We can either give the world kindness and joy or fear and ______. Life truly is what we ______ it and we can reflect our warmth, love and light even in winter’s ______ days.

1.

A．counted

B．admired

C．matched

D．rescued

2.

A．looking forward to

B．keeping up with

C．taking notice of

D．getting along with

3.

A．achieved

B．remembered

C．needed

D．liked

4.

A．playing

B．training

C．performing

D．driving

5.

A．roadside

B．tree

C．river

D．fire

6.

A．enjoyed

B．meant

C．advised

D．regretted

7.

A．spring

B．summer

C．autumn

D．winter

8.

A．stage

B．desk

C．bed

D．chair

9.

A．sound

B．look

C．smell

D．taste

10.

A．demanded

B．forgot

C．mirrored

D．delivered

11.

A．reminds

B．suggests

C．warns

D．promises

12.

A．peace

B．light

C．silence

D．patience

13.

A．doubt

B．surprise

C．shame

D．anger

14.

A．have

B．use

C．take

D．make

15.

A．happiest

B．simplest

C．darkest

D．Busiest

4 . Jane had lived her entire life in a small town. ________ she had spent decades dreaming about travelling, she never took action to make it happen.

On her 65th birthday, Jane made a brave decision. She sold all her ________ and with a backpack, she set off. The initial days on the road were ________ --- she felt like she finally lived the life she had always dreamed of.

Yet, after a few weeks, she began feeling ________. With each new step, her legs hurt more and more. ________, she slammed (怒摔 ) her backpack on the ground and sat down beside it with tears. ________ hopelessly into the road ahead, she shouted loudly, “I have nothing left in my life!”

It ________ that a life adviser heard her words while resting behind a tree near her. He decided to help her, so he grabbed her backpack and ________ quickly. Shocked and in complete sadness, Jane cried more loudly, “That backpack was all I had. Now everything is ________ !”

About twenty minutes later, she collected her ________, and slowly walked forward. Then ________, she saw her backpack on the road a short distance ahead of her. She was so ________ that she couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh, thank heavens! Now I can continue onward ......”

As we journey ________ our lives, we may experience incredible disappointments. During this time, it seems we’ve lost everything. ________, actually, we are holding a backpack of support.

So don’t lose ________. Keep going, and you’ll achieve your dream.

1.

A．When

B．While

C．If

D．Because

2.

A．belongings

B．goods

C．materials

D．decorations

3.

A．boring

B．normal

C．familiar

D．amazing

4.

A．curious

B．nervous

C．painful

D．shocked

5.

A．Regularly

B．Eventually

C．Currently

D．Originally

6.

A．Glancing

B．Glaring

C．Staring

D．Pointing

7.

A．showed

B．happened

C．seemed

D．proved

8.

A．disappeared

B．moved

C．responded

D．apologized

9.

A．limited

B．missed

C．ended

D．gone

10.

A．emotions

B．memories

C．comments

D．tips

11.

A．now and then

B．all of a sudden

C．sooner or later

D．as usual

12.

A．impressed

B．peaceful

C．concerned

D．grateful

13.

A．across

B．around

C．through

D．toward

14.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Thus

D．Besides

15.

A．chance

B．balance

C．heart

D．interest

5 . As a boy, I knew little about baseball. Yet I later became the father of two boys, Will and Tim, who were both interested in baseball. On Saturday mornings, I’d take Will out to the playground and play catch with him. Because of my weak arm, the ball often dropped before he could catch it. After many misses, he said one day, “How am I ever going to make the major leagues (联盟)?” “You have the wrong dad, kid,” I thought. Baseball isn’t my thing.

Still, I wanted to give my kids confidence on the field. There was an official Little League in our area, but it was super-competitive and only catered to older boys. I really hoped we had something less competitive, something that welcomed younger boys and girls.

I shared the idea with some neighbors. “That would be great!” they said. Now who could organize such a thing? Not me. I tried to put the idea aside, but it wouldn’t leave me. I finally decided that I must do something about it. So I called the city government, explaining that some families wanted to start a baseball league in our neighborhood. Were there any fields for that? When I had to speak to the official in charge, I got butterflies in my stomach. What if he said no? “Yes, we have two fields for four hours every Sunday morning,” the man said hearing my request. Our league was founded. What a joy it was to sit on the benches, watching Will and Tim playing baseball! And I became the most unlikely baseball commissioner (专员) ever.

Many years have passed. Now Will and Tim are new dads, and I can’t want to see what they’ll have to do. I know better than anyone: Parenthood calls you to do the most unlikely things.

1. Why did the author think his son Will had the wrong father?

A．He had poor baseball skills.	B．He had no confidence in his son.
C．He wouldn’t play catch with his son.	D．He didn’t know what his son’s dream was.

2. What does the underlined phrase “catered to” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Won the respect of.	B．Ensured the safety of.
C．Served the purpose of.	D．Saved the trouble of.

3. How did the author probably feel while talking to the official?

A．Confident.

B．Peaceful.

C．Nervous.

D．Proud.

4. What does the author want to stress in the text?

A．The need to challenge oneself.	B．The greatness of parental love.
C．The role of sports in kids’ growth.	D．The relationship between parents and kids.

6 . Have you ever been in a position where you were required to participate in music lessons, although you had absolutely no interest?

The _________ was this: My father was a professional music teacher _________ in teaching Hawaiian and Spanish guitar. My mother was an accomplished piano player and, _________, the whole family was very musical. I was the only one who had not been involved, yet, in learning to play a(n) _________.

And, as a lot of _________ do, I was enrolled (注册) in piano lessons _________ I had absolutely no interest in learning how to play it. So, it _________. Lesson after lesson I attended but didn’t play carefully at the time I was meant to practice. Finally, I just quit practicing and my piano teacher told my parents that I was hopeless. Great-no more piano lessons. However, the music _________ didn’t end here. It went on to where I decided what I wanted to learn and that ended up being the drums. I _________ playing the drums and went on to play in several bands for many years after that.

The point here is this: We all make __________ sooner or later but those cannot be forced on you. The other __________ is that you will make your own choices on whatever basis and for whatever reasons when you are __________. Some people take longer than others to __________. This can be annoying to some people but that is the way of life.

Now, that doesn’t mean you just have to sit on your hands. It means, instead, that you __________ to exchange ideas. After all, whether you know it or not, what you say does have a(n) __________. You can influence but you cannot force.

1.

A．schedule

B．situation

C．process

D．consequence

2.

A．specializing

B．resulting

C．believing

D．differing

3.

A．for example

B．in fact

C．as usual

D．at last

4.

A．album

B．match

C．instrument

D．role

5.

A．schools

B．classes

C．communities

D．families

6.

A．even if

B．as though

C．in case

D．now that

7.

A．faded

B．started

C．increased

D．mattered

8.

A．theory

B．festival

C．industry

D．story

9.

A．quit

B．admitted

C．enjoyed

D．regretted

10.

A．choices

B．excuses

C．mistakes

D．plans

11.

A．concern

B．benefit

C．truth

D．method

12.

A．afraid

B．busy

C．young

D．ready

13.

A．imagine

B．decide

C．argue

D．doubt

14.

A．offer

B．forget

C．pretend

D．prefer

15.

A．question

B．copy

C．access

D．effect

7 . It was Christmas Day. For Antony, this was another day spent in a white-walled ______. His wife and son were enjoying chicken and soup at home. But for Antony, he couldn’t enjoy the Christmas ______ with them. Instead, he was surrounded by flashes of red from arriving ambulances. He was _______ lives.

About fifty years ago, Antony was born in a little ______ in Northern Greece, where religious festivities were upheld with the highest honor. However, he was a boy who _____ Santa. When asked the reason, he laughed out and said, “He was always there, but he never _______ me Christmas presents.” His laugh then turned into a(n) ______ yell, trying to get emotional resonance (共鸣). He continued, “All the other children in the village got Christmas _______ except me.”

When he was a boy, his parents struggled hard to make ends meet and couldn’t ______ to buy him gifts. He was left to think Santa was an ________ magical man who always forgot him. Santa brought the other children presents, but ignored him. People could never imagine what it was like for him to watch all the other _______ open their Christmas presents.

______, when other children in the village played with new toys, Antony passed the time by reading his older brother’s ______ textbooks. His appetite for reading and the example his older brother set _______ him to study hard and become a _____. Antony is now a senior cardiologist. He works ______ at the hospital, close to the village where he grew up.

Doctors are especially needed, and Antony is not relying on Santa to deliver. He is at the hospital, like Santa, faithfully ________ the greatest gift of all. Antony teaches us that we can rise from _______ beginnings. His story shows us that though we may not grow up having what others do, with the right _______ and hard work, we can do something _______.

1.

A．restaurant

B．hospital

C．supermarket

D．cinema

2.

A．appointment

B．performance

C．delight

D．blessing

3.

A．improving

B．wasting

C．enjoying

D．saving

4.

A．farm

B．village

C．shop

D．school

5.

A．hated

B．followed

C．admired

D．trusted

6.

A．bought

B．taught

C．brought

D．lent

7.

A．forgettable

B．considerate

C．impolite

D．infectious

8.

A．records

B．presents

C．information

D．knowledge

9.

A．afford

B．reject

C．claim

D．arrange

10.

A．attractive

B．aggressive

C．awful

D．ambitious

11.

A．patients

B．parents

C．doctors

D．kids

12.

A．In the past

B．In the distance

C．In the end

D．In the meantime

13.

A．musical

B．physical

C．medical

D．natural

14.

A．required

B．inspired

C．forced

D．persuaded

15.

A．salesman

B．consultant

C．manager

D．doctor

16.

A．tirelessly

B．regularly

C．exactly

D．reasonably

17.

A．trying out

B．drawing out

C．giving out

D．selling out

18.

A．smooth

B．promising

C．complex

D．humble

19.

A．opinion

B．motive

C．comment

D．privilege

20.

A．extraordinary

B．familiar

C．practical

D．traditional

8 . My friend Wes has cancer. He has_______every other week. He gets chemo (化疗) on Monday, wears a pump and tubes on Tuesday, and has them_______at the end of Wednesday. Usually, I remember the_______, but sometimes I need to ask him whether it’s a chemo week or an off week.

Wes always_______his chemo schedule in a different way. He called his chemo weeks “good weeks” and his off weeks “great weeks”. Every time he called his schedule that way, I would give him_______and tell him, “You really don’t_______to be strong all the time.” I thought he was trying hard to be_______and that he was putting on a brave face. However, he didn’t care what others thought of him.

My opinion of Wes_______when he came to visit me on a Sunday. On that nice Sunday, I was cooking and watching birds. I was_______my life when it hit me: Wes isn’t trying to be________optimistic. He considers his chemo weeks not________at all because those weeks keep him________. Wes is thankful to be still here on Earth.

His words during our meal proved my________. “The chemo weeks let me live to enjoy my life. So I ________those weeks,” he said with a smile. Hearing that, I made a(n)________. I shouldn’t have misunderstood him.

Influenced by Wes, I’m trying to remove the term “bad day” from my vocabulary.

1.

A．communication

B．treatment

C．conferences

D．adventures

2.

A．created

B．displayed

C．removed

D．accepted

3.

A．track

B．routine

C．event

D．activity

4.

A．made up

B．went through

C．got into

D．referred to

5.

A．warnings

B．advice

C．invitations

D．comment

6.

A．deserve

B．like

C．need

D．expect

7.

A．healthy

B．smart

C．honest

D．positive

8.

A．formed

B．disappear

C．changed

D．flowed

9.

A．misunderstanding

B．enjoying

C．running

D．wasting

10.

A．falsely

B．highly

C．reasonably

D．unfairly

11.

A．awful

B．strange

C．important

D．different

12.

A．busy

B．poor

C．alive

D．tired

13.

A．method

B．attempt

C．guess

D．result

14.

A．fear

B．avoid

C．record

D．value

15.

A．apology

B．complaint

C．decision

D．argument

9 . 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。

A golden haze settled over the cornfields. The sun prepared to rest for the evening, and I intended to follow. Saying goodbye to the clan (宗族) I was staying with, I headed back to camp. I looked forward to setting my camera aside for an evening to reflect on my time in Ethiopia.

It wasn’t long when I heard a voice behind me, “Photo, photo, photo.” A young Surma boy about eight years old followed closely at my heels. I breathed a tired sigh. I had no energy to press the shutter button one more time, no matter how beautiful or eager he was.

Over the past four days, many in the camp had wanted their photograph taken. I hoped the boy would find someone else to snap his photograph, but he kept following me and saying, “Photo, photo, photo.” He managed to catch my eye. With eyes wide full of hope, he asked me again with anticipation on his face.

As I looked at him, half interested, an idea for a composition flashed in my mind.

I kneeled in the cornfield and instructed the boy where to stand and how to pose. As I prepared to take the photograph, his energy suddenly shifted from eagerness to shyness to fear.

No matter what I told him to do—how to stand and how to look—I just couldn’t get the shot. Frustrated, I gave up. I looked at the boy, who looked alone and awkward. He’d wanted his photograph taken, and now he’d gone camera-shy.

In an effort to cheer him, I clapped my hands, saying, “That was great. You were great.” Others in his clan gathered around, cheering and clapping loudly. The boy’s face immediately broke into a smile. I intuitively (凭直觉地) took a few shots of the moment. That photograph turned out to be better than I’d imagined.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I printed a large copy of the photograph and returned to the Surma boy’s clan.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As I left Ethiopia, I held onto the memory of the Surma boy’s joyous tears and the collective hope of his clan.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A punctual person is in the habit of doing things at proper time in a     1     (plan) way and is always keeping his appointment. He knows     2     if he wants to succeed in his work and society he must observe regular or appointed time. The     3     (punctual) man, on the contrary, seldom does what he has to do at the set time. If he has made an appointment with someone, he never cares about the appointed time and is     4     (like) to be late for half an hour.

Unpunctuality is very harmful. Friends sometimes grow cold to wards each other, or even become     5     (enemy), because one of them has been remiss in keeping     6     (appoint). Imagine how it would be if those who are     7     (trust) with important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends, his     8     (classmate) or colleagues.

There is a proverb which says, “There is a time     9     everything.” This is true. In fact time is life     10     (it), and the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time and is no doubt fond of punctuality.