1 . Ever since I was a child, I’ve been frightened by the idea of disappointing people.     1     From preschool through my master degree years I was always the first in my class. But obviously, I’m not a genius. Sometimes, I brought home a nine out of ten grade and my parents would ask me where the other point had gone.

Of course, the explanation was simple: I’d made a mistake. But for a perfectionist, that’s a very dangerous thought, which can cause a chain of abusive self-talks. After all, that mistake was so stupid.     2    

What hides behind my perfectionism is the illusion (幻觉) of control, the idea that if I work hard and do my best, I’ll be perfect and protected,     3     Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, except me; everything is a competition, and anything I can’t win is a dead loss.

    4     It can even make you physically sick with headaches, stomachaches, muscle cramps and so. on. In some cases, it leads to self-harming behavior, such as eating disorders and addiction. The other dark side of perfectionism is that you become unable to truly appreciate your success — you only focus on what you could’ve done better.

Despite the problems, perfectionism has allowed me to complete a lot and become who I am today. “To see perfectionism as a uniquely negative thing is actually to deny a part of yourself,” said the perfectionism coach Yasmina Hajoui.     5     But that desire needs to be balanced and come from a healthy place.

A．Perfectionism is a survival mechanism.

B．There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do things well.

C．The problem is that perfectionism brings more than stress.

D．I should have studied more, worked harder and focused better.

E．In perfectionism, we tend to believe that only our achievements define us.

F．And if something isn’t perfect, that means it’s my fault and that I’m awful.

G．My solution to that anxiety was to achieve perfectionism-and mostly, it worked.

2 . David Cote, then CEO of Honeywell, shared the pros and cons of hiring a CEO with experience in the role. Experience can make directors feel more ________ at a candidate, but the question is: Does he or she have the ________ to make a difference? If they don’t possess that hunger, they won’t investigate things deeply. So in many cases, experience is ________.

Are inexperienced CEOs more likely to have hunger than others? If they have no real reputation, they’ll be more likely to be driven to ________. For example, when Cote was CEO of Honeywell, some leaders said to him they didn’t know if the company could be ________—and that even if it could be, they weren’t sure whether he was the ________ to do it because he was not their first choice. Those comments just ________ his hunger. He decided to impress them.

Does the finding that previous CEO experience can hurt a person’s performance ________ you? An experienced CEO might say, “I am ________ in this work, so I know how to settle it.” Rushing to conclusions tends to ________ an experienced CEO to all facts and opinions. People will ________ act according to their own experience, which is an instinct (天性). So sometimes experience can be a(n) ________.

Rather than a fundamentally necessary factor for a CEO, ________ is simply the icing (糖霜) on the cake. The hunger ________ it. Nobody knows the future. It’s more important to hire somebody eager to ________ things, regardless of their experience.

1.

A．annoyed

B．generous

C．concerned

D．relieved

2.

A．knowledge

B．desire

C．doubt

D．opinion

3.

A．overrated

B．offered

C．broadened

D．ignored

4.

A．succeed

B．adapt

C．quit

D．resist

5.

A．taken in

B．looked into

C．given up

D．turned around

6.

A．settler

B．talent

C．reporter

D．maintainer

7.

A．balanced

B．controlled

C．increased

D．spoiled

8.

A．shame

B．shape

C．serve

D．shock

9.

A．expert

B．disappointed

C．honest

D．engaged

10.

A．accustom

B．blind

C．expose

D．attach

11.

A．effectively

B．unwillingly

C．unconsciously

D．cautiously

12.

A．disadvantage

B．reminder

C．alternative

D．privilege

13.

A．openness

B．honesty

C．experience

D．leadership

14.

A．limits

B．outweighs

C．follows

D．defines

15.

A．bring about

B．turn to

C．make up

D．figure out

3 . It was my first day in my school’s Gifted & Talented Program. Just minutes before, I had been called upon by my teacher and told to report to the cafeteria, where classes would be held. Feelings of nervousness seized me as I walked to the cafeteria for the very first time. I knew the most distinguished students would be waiting and, secretly, I wondered if I belonged. At that time in life, I struggled with acceptance.

I quickly found a seat in the back corner. As Mr. Canereli introduced himself, his calm voice settled the butterflies in my stomach.

“Today we will begin with a deductive reasoning puzzle,” he announced, breaking the stillness in the room.

“You will be given five minutes to read the clues and solve the puzzle.”

I quickly read through the clues, failing to come to any conclusions. “Breathe… slow down… you can do this….” I whispered to myself.

At this age, I felt pressure to thrive in all academic subjects. Since my mom and my dad hadn’t completed college, and my older sister did not do her best in school, I always put extra pressure on myself to do well. I refused to accept failure of any kind.

The clues repeated themselves in my head and I picked up my pencil. Before I knew it, X’s and O’s covered my paper. The entire puzzle was completed! I raised my hand and waved in sheer excitement. The assignment, initially associated with fear and doubt, had transformed into a representation of acceptance and personal excellence.

That day, I not only learned how to think but also discovered the potential to achieve anything I set my mind to. Now, my objective is to pass on the invaluable lessons I gained from Mr. Canereli on my first day in the seventh-grade Gifted & Talented Program. As a young woman, I seek to educate, equip, and inspire those in need and, as I enter college, I will use these tools to contribute to my environment.

1. What made the author nervous on the way to the cafeteria?

A．Stress of fitting in with others.

B．Fear of giving a report in public.

C．Doubts about the fairness of the program.

D．Anxiety about being excellent academically.

2. What does the underlined word “thrive” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A．Study.

B．Complete.

C．Succeed.

D．Participate.

3. What did the assignment mean to the author?

A．It deepened her fear and doubt.

B．It served as a source of creativity.

C．It relieved her academic pressure.

D．It contributed to building her self-confidence.

4. What can be learned about the author from the last paragraph?

A．She shows her social responsibility.

B．She has managed to obtain anything she wants.

C．She will use tools to beautiful her environment.

D．She aims to be a brilliant teacher like Mr. Canereli.

4 . The sun was preparing to rest for the evening. Saying goodbye to the clan (氏族), I headed back to camp. I looked forward to setting my ________ aside for an evening to reflect on my time in Ethiopia.

I wasn’t long headed home when I heard a ________ behind me. “Photo, photo, photo.” A young Surma boy about 7 or 8 years old followed closely at my ________. I breathed a tired sigh. I hoped he would find someone else to ________ his photograph, but he kept following me. He managed to draw my attention. With eyes ________ open, full of hope, he asked me again with ________ on his face, “Photo?”

As I looked at him, half interested, an idea for a composition ________ into my mind. I prepared to take the photograph, but his energy suddenly shifted from eagerness to shyness to fear. No matter what I told him to do—how to stand, how to ________ — I just couldn’t get the shot. Struck by ________, I gave up. The boy looked alone and awkward. He’d wanted his photograph taken, but now he went camera ________.

To cheer him, others in his clan gathered around, 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 the ________ I’d imagined. Reflecting on my experience with the Surma boy, I realized I had been ________ in my own ideas and wants. When I agreed to take the shot, I was looking for a ________ end result for myself. But all the boy had really wanted was to be seen for a moment. That was the moment that needed to be ________.

1.

A．budget

B．camera

C．essay

D．flame

2.

A．voice

B．quarrel

C．scream

D．whistle

3.

A．joints

B．fingertips

C．heels

D．cheeks

4.

A．blow

B．print

C．see

D．shoot

5.

A．largely

B．wide

C．straight

D．barely

6.

A．integrity

B．resistance

C．tolerance

D．anticipation

7.

A．knocked

B．spared

C．flashed

D．raised

8.

A．pose

B．sleep

C．pretend

D．cover

9.

A．urbanization

B．frustration

C．tiredness

D．convention

10.

A．sensible

B．curious

C．blind

D．shy

11.

A．In response

B．In panic

C．In comparison

D．In short

12.

A．guidance

B．potential

C．composition

D．technique

13.

A．kicked off

B．picked up

C．told off

D．caught up

14.

A．civilized

B．particular

C．successful

D．cooperative

15.

A．delivered

B．memorized

C．recorded

D．reserved

5 . My school holiday routine usually involves sleeping in, but one morning, I woke up early for no particular reason. With nothing to do, I decided to _______ glance out of my window at the parking lot below, but unexpectedly witnessed something that greatly _______ my life.

As I _______ people coming and going, getting into their cars and driving away, my attention was drawn to a(n)_______ man busy washing and cleaning the cars near a bicycle with a bucket attached to its _______. The damp ground _______ that he must have started his work quite early.

He was just simply dressed. However, there was a _______ sense of pride in the way he went about his tasks — cleaning one window at a time,_______ to admire his work, and repeating the process. He seemed devoted to his small business, happily _______ at passers-by and occasionally stopping to chat with other old folks heading to the nearby market.

________ his simple life, he appeared content. This incident made me reconsider my ________. If we are willing to work hard,________ should not be a barrier to earning a living. I felt ashamed and ________ when compared with him. It ________ me that at any age, we should make the most of time and ________ the value of hard work.

1.

A．gradually

B．causally

C．constantly

D．regularly

2.

A．attracted

B．disturbed

C．touched

D．impacted

3.

A．observed

B．recognized

C．felt

D．heard

4.

A．adult

B．young

C．elderly

D．poor

5.

A．bicycle

B．handle

C．wheel

D．seat

6.

A．explained

B．concluded

C．indicated

D．described

7.

A．slight

B．visible

C．hidden

D．possible

8.

A．backing off

B．stepping forward

C．taking over

D．showing up

9.

A．pointing

B．looking

C．laughing

D．waving

10.

A．Due to

B．According to

C．In spite of

D．In view of

11.

A．attitude

B．principle

C．identity

D．standard

12.

A．sex

B．age

C．character

D．position

13.

A．grateful

B．sympathetic

C．exhausted

D．guilty

14.

A．confused

B．informed

C．warned

D．struck

15.

A．predict

B．reflect

C．appreciate

D．convince

6 . My wife and I parked by a rough path the same time as a young man covered in tattoos (纹身). I ______ he was unfriendly，so we tried to ______ ourselves from him. But he struggled hard to ______ and wanted to talk some. We slowed down. He said he was recovering from a bad time in his life. We ______ left him in the dust，heading up the river.

Hours later we turned back ______ a flash flood had taken out the bridge. There he was again, following to ______ us. He shared a little more of his ______. He lost his mother and sister in a car accident and he was permanently ______ too. We slowed down to the pace he could ______ for the whole way back.

He continued, “During much surgery and ______ I came to hate life...” Then he pulled up his shirt to show us a ______ life size tattoo from neck to waist. It was two ladies in a ______ light waving to him. “This is my mom and this is my sister,” he pointed, “They told me to stop hating everything. They loved me just as they always had and ______ me to live in love too!” He explained the brightly colored tattoo was the exact dream he had that day.

My ______ went away. It had painted a wrong picture of this wonderful person with a beautiful ______ . I learned more than he hoped to tell.

1.

A．assumed

B．remembered

C．admitted

D．confirmed

2.

A．tell

B．distance

C．save

D．free

3.

A．turn away

B．set out

C．catch up

D．settle down

4.

A．politely

B．secretly

C．carelessly

D．accidentally

5.

A．though

B．unless

C．because

D．before

6.

A．impress

B．interrupt

C．persuade

D．engage

7.

A．target

B．story

C．plan

D．journey

8.

A．confused

B．discouraged

C．ignored

D．injured

9.

A．observe

B．judge

C．manage

D．challenge

10.

A．silence

B．pain

C．failure

D．guilt

11.

A．massive

B．funny

C．random

D．popular

12.

A．brilliant

B．gentle

C．weak

D．sensitive

13.

A．allowed

B．begged

C．forced

D．expected

14.

A．doubt

B．sympathy

C．prejudice

D．resistance

15.

A．reputation

B．message

C．appearance

D．insight

7 . I started a “question of the day” section in a family text group. We’d talk about everything from movies to politics. But despite several warnings from loved ones that some of my responses were judgmental and that I was too quick to attack an opinion, I all but killed that group text. It had a good 12 people in it. We’d shared laughs, encouragement, and funny memes (表情包). It took only one conversation — which I was in the middle of — to end it.

I realized that I had a problem. The medium for my problem is the smartphone. Before smartphones enabled instant communication, people talked on the telephone. In person, you could cut in a “What do you mean by that?” to correct a misunderstanding before it got out of hand. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good group text. It makes me feel connected to people in a way that I just can’t seem to anymore, now that I have a wife and kids.

I’m learning, but I had a relapse (复发) recently. I joined a new text group. I introduced my “question of the day” feature. I fooled myself into thinking that I was encouraging a healthy debate on current events. No. Others in the group saw it as me trying to prove that my way was the right way. Then I made the mistake of sharing some personal information that one friend had told me during a phone conversation. I thought everyone knew. Then this friend started referring to me as a snitch — not terms of kind word. So I asked him about it — in person. That’s when he told me I’d shared sensitive information he hadn’t told anyone else. I apologized plentifully and came away from the conversation more determined to slow down my texts.

My new resolve seems to be working. You should be pleased to know that I have avoided making a few points that I was tempted (鼓动) to make in individual and group texts. In some cases, I didn’t even respond. I haven’t lost any more connections by doing this.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By making judgments on politics.	B．By responding to some text messages.
C．By presenting a personal experience.	D．By starting a funny conversation.

2. What problem does the author have in digital communication?

A．Ignoring the need to listen to others.	B．Making quick and sharp responses.
C．Failing to express himself timely.	D．Focusing on the issues of his own.

3. Why was the author attacked by his friend in the text group?

A．He gave away the privacy of his friend.

B．He always made mistakes on current events.

C．He made a fool of himself in chatting.

D．He liked enquiring personal information.

4. What does the author learn from his experience?

A．Hurry makes waste.	B．Understanding each other is vital.
C．Sometimes fast is just too fast.	D．Trust is the bridge of communication.

8 . 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。

Tomato Changed My Life

Doing things-without being planned was never my strength.

As a 14-year-old, I would refuse to go for walks around the block with my friends if I was the least bit behind in my schoolwork.

Unlike most teenagers, I lived not in my room, but in an unused kitchen upstairs where I spread my books and papers on a large round table. I spent considerable time there, working continuously for hours, and my mother worried. She would try to lure (引诱) me away. “Come and watch the parade!” she would call from downstairs. “All neighbors are out there!” She thought of all kinds of tricks-the swimming pool, ice cream, stray cats and turtles-to remove me from my -studies, but nothing ever worked.

Later, in college, the pattern continued. The library and my college dorm replaced the unused kitchen at home. When spring came along friends would stop by my dorm or peer into my library room to persuade me to play Frisbee on the lawn. “No, I would almost always say.” I have too much to do.

My college study days were gone, but not my need and love for schedules. My friends and sisters tried to keep me away from my plans, but they were hardly ever successful.

This summer, though, while house sitting for my parents, I was persuaded to change my plans in the most unexpected way. The sight of tomatoes growing in my mother’s garden lured me out of my tightly scheduled world. They drew me with the power of a lover’s gaze. Hundreds of them were turning ripe and red by the minute, decorating the garden like decorations on a Christmas tree.

“If I have time, I’ll make tomato sauce (番茄酱).” I told myself. But my long week in the house by myself was already filled with things to do: writing, and finishing a project that I brought home from the office.

Then, watching the fascinating tomatoes continuously falling to the ground in ever-greater numbers, again I mentally argued about all the things I had planned and needed to do.

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。
Finally, I gave in.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A month later, my parents came back.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . While enjoying my fresh lunch in a restaurant in Amsterdam, I noticed something odd. Customers coming in for something to eat ignored the person standing behind the counter (柜台), preferring to________through a smart phone.

What was the crazy thing about this? They were just several________apart! In fact, they were so close that the staff member took a quick________at his screen to get a head start on picking the right vegetables—all without any words________. Now, I get it: Modern technology allows us to be more________, but I might be witnessing something deeper: we prefer not to talk to each other anymore.

Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you naturally ______ a conversation with somebody you didn’t know? The chances are that you don’t even________! Likely either you or the other person was “busy” with other things like________with a smartphone. Now, with the________of digital technologies, one can’t help but pay the________for modern efficiency: our ability to talk to strangers.

We shop,________a hotel, or order a taxi, all via an app.________with random strangers is becoming rarer and rarer. Yet there are surprising________of having even a short and simple conversation with strangers. You might learn something________, and beyond doubt, it has the power to enrich your understanding of others and________a special bond in our modern world.

1.

A．talk

B．call

C．order

D．deliver

2.

A．meters

B．millimeters

C．kilometers

D．centimeters

3.

A．chance

B．turn

C．look

D．test

4.

A．spoken

B．written

C．typed

D．mentioned

5.

A．efficient

B．enthusiastic

C．effective

D．energetic

6.

A．ended up

B．engaged in

C．made up

D．went on

7.

A．hear

B．believe

C．remember

D．understand

8.

A．recording

B．studying

C．playing

D．calculating

9.

A．idea

B．aim

C．problem

D．rise

10.

A．cash

B．price

C．debt

D．tax

11.

A．decorate

B．book

C．build

D．repair

12.

A．Contact

B．Work

C．Quarrel

D．Reunion

13.

A．interests

B．benefits

C．disadvantages

D．influences

14.

A．unrealistic

B．unsuitable

C．unreasonable

D．unexpected

15.

A．serves as

B．refers to

C．accounts for

D．consists of

10 . All of us ought to be able to brace ourselves for the predictable challenges and setbacks that crop up every day. If we expect that life won’t be perfect,     1     But even if you are strong enough to persist the obstacle course of life and work, sometimes you will encounter an adverse event that will completely knock you on your back.

Whether it’s a financial loss, the loss of respect of your peers or loved ones, or some other traumatic event in your life,     2     You may even wonder if things can ever change for the better again.

Adversity happens to all of us, and it happens all the time.     3     To ignore adversity is to give in to the ultimate self-delusion.

    4     Abraham Lincoln overcomes a difficult child-hood, depression, the death of two sons, and constant ridicule during the Civil War to become arguably one of the greatest president ever. Helen Keller made an impact on the world despite being deaf, dumb, and blind from an early age. Franklin Roosevelt had polio.

There are endless examples.     5    

A．What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

B．we’ll be able to avoid that impulse to quit.

C．these major setbacks leave you doubting yourself.

D．Some are either there or in wait just around the corner.

E．we’ll learn to accept imperfection and compromise with reality.

F．But history is made by people facing hurdles but achieving greatness.

G．People faced adversity bravely, learned valuable lessons and moved ahead.