1 . 假定你校英语社团准备以“我的强大抗挫能力（ability of anti-frustration）”为主题举办演讲比赛，请就此写一篇英语演讲稿，内容包括：
1. 你对挫折的认识；
2. 举例说明你的抗挫能力。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；开头和结尾已写出；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Good morning, everybody! I’m happy to share with you my understanding of frustration.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you very much.

2 . As a university professor, I have been immersed in theory and guess for so long that it recently struck me: I don’t know how to do anything. By “do”, I mean something material, something done with my hands that produce an actual product.

The trades come to mind. Whenever I call an electrician, or a mason, or a carpenter, I look on in wonder as they smoothly employ their skills. For example, I recently had a new kitchen sink nulled by a young man. He kept singing as he worked at the pipes. Minutes later, he turned on the water and it flowed forth with nothing similar to a leak. Is this not a minor miracle?

All of this brought me to a decision: I registered for an adult evening course at a local technical school. The title: Basic Electricity and Wiring (线路). When we began, I felt immediately overwhelmed. So many new terms. In an instant, I was a student again in all respects: The anxiety, the self-doubt, the wondering if I had made a mistake. And then I recalled: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence... Education will not; the world is full of educated failures.” So I worked my way through my basic wiring course. My initial impulse to jump ship gradually gave way to the awareness that I was, indeed, acquiring a useful new skill.

What followed ahead was the course’s climax: Each student was presented with a switch and a lighting fixture (照明设备). The task was to install them-in-a-door-frame and-wire them; but not throw the switch until the instructor was present. There I was, an experienced professor, standing like a fresh-faced schoolboy. I worked away, using my tools to connect wires. When I was done, I raised my hand. The instructor looked over my job and glanced at me. “Hit the switch,” he said.

It’s hard to characterize that moment. But I did feel that learning is not something that ends early in life. I need to widen my horizon through constant learning. The broader the horizon, the more opportunities there are to learn something new.

I hit the switch.

There was light.

In more ways than one.

1. Why did the author register for an adult evening course?

A．Because he met several problems in the daily life.

B．Because he wanted to learn the secret of the miracle.

C．Because he needed to strengthen his theoretical knowledge.

D．Because he desired to make actual products with his own hands.

2. What was the author’s first thought when he began his course?

A．Dropping out of the evening course.	B．Ignoring so many new terms.
C．Setting a goal and never giving up.	D．Impressing others with his new skills.

3. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Responsible and sharp-eyed.	B．Determined and self-motivated.
C．Creative and well-informed.	D．Considerate and widely-interested.

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．There is no end to learning.	B．One good turn deserves another.
C．Actions speak louder than words.	D．A fall in a pit, a gain in your wit.

3 . The sun prepared to rest for the evening, and I intended to follow. Looking forward to setting my camera aside for an evening, I _________ back to camp. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me. “Photo, photo, photo.” A young Surma boy about 7 years old _________ me. I breathed a(n) _________ sigh. I had no energy to press the button one more time, no matter how eager he was.

I hoped the boy would find someone else to take his _________, but he kept following me. Finally, he _________ to catch my eye. As I looked at him, an idea for a composition _________ in my mind.

I _________ the boy where to stand and how to pose. As I prepared to take the photograph, his energy suddenly shifted from _________ to nervousness to fear. No matter how I told him to look and stand, he just looked at me _________. He’d gone camera shy! In an effort to __________ him, I clapped my hands, saying, “That was great. You were great”. The boy’s face immediately __________ a smile. I intuitively took a few __________ of the moment. That photograph turned out to be __________ than the composition I’d imagined.

I have learned much about myself and life through photography. The outer __________ of taking photos take me on . inner journeys to heal and transform. __________ on my experience with the Surma boy, I realised I had been __________ my own ideas, and wants. But, all the boy had really wanted was to be __________ for a moment. That was the moment that needed to be __________ .

Photography has become my connection to the world. I’m privileged to see others, like that Surma boy, __________ focusing on my own issues, which __________ me of what’s truly important in life.

1.

A．looked

B．marched

C．headed

D．crawled

2.

A．fished

B．dogged

C．foxed

D．petted

3.

A．energetic

B．zealous

C．shameful

D．tired

4.

A．photograph

B．hand

C．advice

D．place

5.

A．happened

B．managed

C．turned

D．agreed

6.

A．flashed

B．lifted

C．hid

D．disappeared

7.

A．awarded

B．instructed

C．noticed

D．evaluated

8.

A．eagerness

B．politeness

C．wildness

D．loneliness

9.

A．naturally

B．awkwardly

C．angrily

D．ambitiously

10.

A．concern

B．force

C．surprise

D．cheer

11.

A．reached for

B．went through

C．broke into

D．acted on

12.

A．shots

B．signals

C．exercises

D．copies

13.

A．worse

B．better

C．riskier

D．clearer

14.

A．adventures

B．memories

C．achievements

D．experiences

15.

A．Drawing

B．Passing

C．Reflecting

D．Relying

16.

A．taught up in

B．fed up with

C．looking up to

D．making up for

17.

A．celebrated

B．remembered

C．seen

D．admired

18.

A．captured

B．changed

C．Identified

D．neglected

19.

A．other than

B．rather than

C．regardless of

D．as for

20.

A．informs

B．accuses

C．warns

D．reminds

4 . I used to believe that only words could catch the essence of the human soul. The literary works contained such distinct stories that they shaped the way we saw the world. Words were what composed the questions we sought to uncover and the answers to those questions themselves. Words were everything.

That belief changed.

In an ordinary math class, my teacher posed a simple question: What’s 0.99 rounded to the nearest whole number? Easy. When rounded to the nearest whole number, 0.99=1. Somehow, I thought even though 0.99 is only 0.01 away from 1, there’s still a 0.01 difference. That means even if two things are only a little different, they are still different, so doesn’t that make them completely different?

My teacher answered my question by presenting another equation (等式): 1= 0.9, which could also be expressed as 1=0.99999.... repeating itself without ever ending.

There was something mysterious but fascinating about the equation. The left side was unchangeable, objective: it contained a number that ended. On the right was something endless, number repeating itself limitless times. Yet, somehow, these two opposed things were connected by an equal sign.

Lying in bed, I thought about how much the equation paralleled our existence. The left side of the equation represents that sometimes life itself is so unchangeable and so clear. The concrete, whole number of the day when you were born and the day when you would die. But then there is that gap in between life and death. The right side means a time and space full of limitless possibilities, and endless opportunities into the open future.

So that’s what life is. Objective but imaginative. Unchangeable but limitless. Life is an equation with two sides that balances itsef out. Still, we can’t ever truly seem to put the perfect words to it. So possibly numbers can express ideas as eually well as words can. For now, let’s leave it at that: 1= 0.99999... and live a life like it.

1. What does the author emphasize about words in paragraph 1?

A．Their wide variety.	B．Their literary origins.
C．Their distinct sounds.	D．Their expressive power.

2. What made the author find the equation fascinating?

A．The repetition of a number.	B．The way two different numbers are equal.
C．The question the teacher raised.	D．The difference between the two numbers.

3. Which of the fllowing can replace the underlined word “paralleled” in paragraph 6?

A．Measured.

B．Composed.

C．Mirrored.

D．Influenced.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Perfect Equation	B．Numbers Build Equations
C．An Attractive Question	D．Words Outperform Numbers

5 . In the post-war era, re-gifting and returning gifts to shops were commonly occurring.My mother and Aunt Florence ran a_________. For them finding desirable stock (储备物) for the store was an adventure. But the greatest_________of all was getting the wanted items without taking too many_________ones ‘paired’ with them. This pairing resulted in a highly saleable item being paired with something that had to be heavily discounted just to move it off the shelves_________at a loss.

One item I particularly remember was an ugly ornament (饰物) framed in a horseshoe.My mother was shocked by its_________ . My aunt patiently explained she had to buy it to_________some attractive crockery sets (瓷器套装) in high demand. She had paid ten pounds for it and hoped to get five pounds for it. After briefly_________ it at ten pounds, she put it on our bargain table, expecting the crockery sets would sell quickly and cover the_________ on it.Several days later she managed to sell the ornament for three pounds to a value d customer who _________to give it to a neighbour, who loved horses.

The following Saturday, our family was invited to a 21st birthday party, and my father was     __________with buying a suitable gift from the jeweler in town. However, he delayed his __________because he had his car repaired. As a result, he __________a wrapped present from our own store’s stock. Little did he know that it was the __________ .

At the party, as the presents were__________, my mother held my shoulder tightly when she saw the ornament. The__________of our family, the gift’s original purchaser, and the recipient’s (接受者) family were a mix of shock and__________. My father, realizing his mistake,__________that he thought it was a collector’s item due to the ten pound price tag.

The next day, realizing my mother discovered the ornament which had been sold had been returned by Sheila, the recipient’s mother, who __________a ten pound refund , Aunt Florence burst into laughter, though the relationship between the__________owners of the ornament sourced.

          __________ this event, I learned the value of giving cash or gift cards.1.

A．company

B．department

C．market

D．store

2.

A．challenge

B．decision

C．secret

D．promise

3.

A．satisfactory

B．unaffordable

C．undesirable

D．cheap

4.

A．frequently

B．suddenly

C．occasionally

D．gradually

5.

A．advantage

B．colour

C．influence

D．appearance

6.

A．display

B．get

C．rent

D．appreciate

7.

A．selling

B．investing

C．pricing

D．charging

8.

A．expense

B．loss

C．figure

D．value

9.

A．planned

B．agreed

C．failed

D．hesitated

10.

A．impressed

B．satisfied

C．tasked

D．bored

11.

A．dating

B．shopping

C．meeting

D．riding

12.

A．borrowed

B．bought

C．designed

D．selected

13.

A．ornament

B．jewel

C．horseshoe

D．card

14.

A．unlocked

B．covered

C．unwrapped

D．dusted

15.

A．thoughts

B．reviews

C．mistakes

D．reactions

16.

A．disbelief

B．sadness

C．delight

D．anxiety

17.

A．instructed

B．explained

C．added

D．informed

18.

A．exchanged

B．donated

C．received

D．rejected

19.

A．mysterious

B．temporary

C．aggressive

D．optimistic

20.

A．Speaking of

B．Working on

C．Hearing of

D．Reflecting on

6 . What if a simple practice could greatly enhance your happiness, promote your physical health, improve your relationships, and even help you deal with life’s toughest challenges?     1     However, countless studies and personal stories show this powerful secret: gratitude.

Gratitude is a powerful emotion and a transformative habit.     2     It’s also about acknowledging the goodness in our lives and recognizing that the source of the goodness often comes from the outside of ourselves. It’s a celebration of the positive aspects of life, both big and small.

Practicing gratitude encourages us to change our viewpoint from scarcity (缺乏) to abundance. It prevents us from focusing on what we lack or what we want, directing our attention instead to the happiness we already have.     3     By encouraging positive emotions, gratitude can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Moreover, it can enhance overall mood and emotional resilience, enabling us to better cope with stress and life’s challenges.

    4     Research has suggested that individuals who regularly practice gratitude report fewer physical problems, experience less pain, and generally feel healthier than others. They’re also more likely to engage in health-promoting behavior, such as regular exercise and routine check-ups.

Gratitude plays an important role in developing strong relationships. It helps to strengthen bonds, reduce aggression (挑衅), and promote feelings of social satisfaction.     5    .

A．It may sound too good to be true.

B．How can gratitude change your life?

C．It’s more than just saying “thank you”.

D．Gratitude can also contribute to personal growth.

E．The benefits of gratitude extend to our physical health as well.

F．People who express gratitude often report better relationships.

G．This change in viewpoint can greatly increase our life satisfaction.

7 . Life is filled with many victories and downfalls. What matters is how you manage with each situation. May it be your love life or a serious life struggle, you must learn to move on. Here’s how you can create a new chapter in your life.

    1    

There is one common mistake that many of us make when dealing with a situation. We may try to go through it on our own. Landing in a sticky place is extremely worrying. To get out of this situation, you must ask others for help. When we talk about others, I refer to the people who you are close with.     2    . Humans are social beings and we have to interact with each other. Make sure that the interaction is actually beneficial in some way.

Let Go Of Your Past

To move on from every struggle and heartbreak, you must let go of the past, guilt, and anger.     3    . You may feel like justifying them but they are only going to use up your energy in the long run, so you have to avoid them. Forgive the people that have hurt you and start venturing towards the path of enlightenment.

Forgive Yourself And Begin Anew

    4    . We must forgive ourselves so that we can easily begin the next chapter. We did our best in that time; it was certainly the right thing to do but it didn’t work out and that wasn’t your fault. Talk to yourself like a gentle teacher. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is what makes us humans.     5    .

Picture your goals in your mind and make sensible steps towards them with each passing day. Let nothing stand in your way.

A．Learn From Others

B．Avoid Making Mistakes

C．These could be your family and close friends

D．Positive thoughts help you make a new beginning easily

E．A warm and encouraging tone will help you out very much

F．It is easy to forgive others but very hard to forgive ourselves

G．No matter what, negative feelings always have the opposite of the desired effect

8 . This fall marks a new beginning for the hundreds of students walking onto a small Midwest college campus, but it’s an especially memorable time for one family. It celebrates three generations starting the new school year together.

Samantha Malczewski, 19, said that when she learned her mom and her grandmother would be joining her and her younger sister Mia Carter, 18, at Carthage College this fall, her eyes were wide open.

“I was clearly already admitted, and Mia was also admitted. And then all of a sudden, they were like, ‘Oh, we’re going too,’” Samantha recalled. “I didn’t expect it.”

Mia said she had an inkling (略知) that their mom and grandmother were interested in going back to school.

“My great-grandma just passed away and I think my mom had the realization that your mom’s not always gonna be there ... and I think it’s just the fact of them simply going to the same classroom every day and just gaining another aspect of spending time together,” the freshman accounting and marketing student said.

Her mom Amy Malczewski had worked at Carthage College for the last 22 years. She said she “always” knew she wanted to enroll (注册) as a student herself though. “I have a little time now. I’m like, you know what, I should get that graduate degree I’ve always wanted. And Carthage has this amazing master’s degree in business and design and innovation, which is really in line with all the things that I love,” said Amy.

Meanwhile, when Christy Schwan heard of her daughter’s plan, she quickly realized they could set on the journey together. The 71-year-old had retired three years before. She said she was drawn to learning about change management.

Amy and Christy are now classmates, studying for master’s degrees in business, design and innovation. Both nontraditional students say they encourage their peers (同龄人) to go for it if they’re also considering going back to school. “My advice to anybody is just, life is so short and if there’s something that you’re interested in, and maybe you’re doubting yourself a little bit, put that doubt aside and just go for it,” Amy said. “Especially if you have somebody that can do it with you, I think it makes it even sweeter, right?”

1. How did Samantha feel when she learned the news?

A．Upset.

B．Surprised.

C．Excited.

D．Worried.

2. What did Mia think was the reason that her mom and grandmom went back to school together?

A．They wanted to have a richer life.

B．They wanted to fit in with younger groups.

C．They wanted to spend more time with each other.

D．They wanted to learn more about accounting and marketing.

3. Which of the following can best describe Amy Malczewski?

A．Strong and devoted.	B．Persistent and brave.
C．Positive and knowledgeable.	D．Responsible and professional.

4. What does Amy suggest people do in the last paragraph?

A．Treasure family.	B．Go to university.
C．Don’t waste time.	D．Go for their dreams.

9 . Once there was a boy named Alfred, who was extremely bright, but also had a very bad temper. One day at school, when having a craft class, his partner _________ crushed a small part of their handiwork. He immediately got angry, criticizing her. After hearing those _________ words, she started to cry _________. Before long, the girl began shutting herself away. and never talked with Alfred.

Alfred’s parents became concerned about his _________ flaw (缺陷) , and thought about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a _________ with his son. He gave him a bag of nails and a big hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told Alfred, “ I want you to really _________ your anger by driving a nail into the oak _________ of that old fence.”

Those _________ oak boards were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was heavy. _________, by the end of the first week, Alfred had driven 37 nails into the fence. So __________ was hitting the nail that Alfred __________ began to control his temper! Day by day, the number of nails__________ into the fence decreased. Finally the day came when Alfred didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt__________ as he told his father.

To show him what __________ in the fence, his father told him to pull out one nail each time he controlled his temper. Strange __________ he felt about the instruction, he followed the advice. Finally Alfred reported with huge pride that all the nails were __________. At that point, the father asked his son to take one more look. “You have done well, but notice the __________ left. This fence will never be the same. Saving or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same result. There will be a __________ forever.”

Embarrassed and ashamed, Alfred __________ his head . This was a valuable lesson constantly reminding him of the __________ of words and the need to treat people with respect.

1.

A．intentionally

B．ridiculously

C．unluckily

D．accidentally

2.

A．meaningless

B．hurtful

C．serious

D．hateful

3.

A．uncontrollably

B．fiercely

C．dangerously

D．temporarily

4.

A．human

B．personality

C．quantity

D．identity

5.

A．balance

B．fire

C．lesson

D．bargain

6.

A．let go

B．take in

C．let out

D．give up

7.

A．boards

B．trees

C．tables

D．walls

8.

A．rotten

B．deserted

C．weathered

D．twisted

9.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Moreover

10.

A．amazing

B．easy

C．rewarding

D．demanding

11.

A．gradually

B．immediately

C．regularly

D．disappointedly

12.

A．poured

B．hammered

C．inserted

D．pulled

13.

A．shy

B．proud

C．anxious

D．conscious

14.

A．left

B．kept

C．remained

D．contained

15.

A．although

B．because

C．since

D．as

16.

A．lost

B．missing

C．messy

D．gone

17.

A．caves

B．impression

C．holes

D．pain

18.

A．scar

B．memory

C．remark

D．proof

19.

A．cut

B．hung

C．shook

D．tapped

20.

A．importance

B．energy

C．power

D．usage

10 . Thanks to a rereading of Jane Austen’s fiction, I have experienced a rejuvenation (恢复) of spirit and energy that has transformed my life. Rereading for the sheer pleasure of Austen’s language and characters when I experienced some depression in my 60s initiated a process that became more serious as I continued to reread the novels in my 70s and became more and more curious about the relationship between reading, learning and the imagination.

Now I find that the processes of rereading, investigation and reflection have led me to the best time in my life. It raised issues in my mind about memory, truth telling and art. In weaving together these aspects of my own reading experiences, I discovered parts of myself that I had not previously explored.

On the one hand I felt removed sufficiently to evaluate the best and worst of times in my own life. And on the other hand, I became so deeply immersed in the reflective process that I surprisedly realized the longstanding dissatisfactions were evaporating around me.

Of course, to be worth rereading, novels must have the potential to yield new insights. For this reason, I have reread Austen’s same six novels many times. They have offered me the richness and complexity required to help me reassess where I am in my life, the quality of my relationships past and present, and the values at stake in my life choices.

When I read Pride and Prejudice at the age of 15, I read it as a domestic comedy. I loved the Bennet sisters because they were lively and, for all their bickering, they were having fun. Rereading the same novel in my 30s I put my attention elsewhere. I paid serious attention to whether I could reconcile (和解) myself to Charlotte Lucas !s view that happiness in marriage is a matter of chance.

At the age of 90, I reread, reflect and comfort myself with Elizabeth Bennet’s words, “till this moment I never knew myself’. This is the moment I have been waiting for.

1. Why did the writer begin to reread Jane Austen’s novel?

A．To deal with depression and seek joy.

B．To revive her love for literature.

C．To evaluate the process of rereading.

D．To dig deeper into literature study.

2. According to the writer, what books are worth rereading?

A．Books themed on life choices.	B．Books with attractive characters.
C．Books that inspire new thinking.	D．Books that recall the best moments of life.

3. How does the writer show the impact of rereading Pride and Prejudice?

A．By analyzing the novel from different aspects.

B．By comparing her reflections at different ages.

C．By quoting speeches from the main characters.

D．By describing the perspectives of different characters.

4. What message does the writer seem to convey in the text?

A．Every Jane Austen’s fiction deserves rereading.

B．Reading books does good to depressed people.

C．Rereading novels sharpens people’s reading skills.

D．Rereading great books is a rewarding experience.