1 . “You like pottery (陶艺) more than you like science,” a family member said. I knew the comment was made lightly, but I felt frustrated and disappointed. I had worked so hard to achieve a balance between my scientific and artistic pursuits. Why was my creative side still seen as a weakness and a disturbance, in opposition to my science?

As a little girl, I created art by breaking up eggshells, dying them, and gluing them to a cloth. I also conducted science experiments with my mom, a high school science teacher, on the back porch. In college, I loved my chemistry courses and research work, and I regarded cooking as my creative outlet, hosting weekly dinner parties for friends.

Yet I heard time and again that creative expression and science were not possible together. When my college roommate concluded with a personality test that I was the “creative” type, the rest of my friends said that couldn’t be right, because “I was a scientist and therefore was not creative.” As I was preparing for graduate school and studying for the chemistry GRE test, I realized I talked about science the same way I would paint a picture, explaining concepts in broad strokes (粗线条地) — in part because I struggled to remember technical scientific terminology. I worried my way of thinking wouldn’t fit in with “proper” scientists. In the end, though, my desire to pursue a scientific career won out. I figured I would continue to find a way to balance my research with my creative pursuits, regardless of what others thought.

When in graduate school I found pottery, which I could pursue on evenings and weekends. After my first class, I was attracted. It has inspired me to more intentionally mix my art with my science. I keep a notebook at my lab table filled with words of mug (马克杯) designs inspired by my experiments. Through the challenge of getting my paper into its core concepts in such a way that it could be displayed on a mug, I gained a better understanding of my project. Pottery has now turned into a way for me to train my brain to be creative and think outside the box.

1. What did the family member think of the author’s pottery?

A．It still had room for improvement.

B．It would relax the author in her work.

C．It made up for the author’s weakness.

D．It did no good to the author’s career.

2. How did the author show her creativity as a college student?

A．By dying eggshells.

B．By performing science experiments.

C．By doing some cooking.

D．By attending social parties.

3. What can be inferred about the author from paragraph 3?

A．She didn’t get along well with her classmates in college.

B．She nearly gave up her pursuit of art.

C．She once doubted her way of understanding science.

D．She was angry about being misunderstood by friends.

4. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The notebook.	B．The design of the mug.
C．The challenge of the paper.	D．The author’s science research.

2 . At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comǎneci made history. She performed a routine ______ on the uneven bars (高低杠), scoring a perfect 10. She pursued perfection in her practice, which led to remarkable ______ in the game.

Perfectionism is generally appreciated as a good quality. Therefore, it’s not ______ that perfectionism in society has been on the rise for years. And it is more common in certain ______ like top athletes and medical specialists. Perfectionism can be seen as a behavioral ______. Perfectionists usually set extremely high standards for themselves and others. According to researchers, such behavior is rooted in insecurity. Many perfectionists ______ that if they don’t pay enough attention to ______, it will hurt their performance. So they ______ their perfectionism even when it’s self-defeating.

Aiming for a high degree of success isn’t necessarily ______ as long as you behave reasonably. People with adaptive perfectionism work hard to meet ambitious goals, but are also able to ______ mistakes, changes, and problems that they didn’t anticipate. When encountering barriers, they stay flexible.

Maladaptive perfectionism, which involves an intense ______ for others’ approval, and a high level of concern over mistakes, is unhealthy. It tends to ______ individual confidence and affects relationships and overall well-being. To overcome it, it’s crucial to ______ your mindset. Start by being ______ and gaining a broader perspective. Give yourself permission to loosen up a bit on certain matters, enabling you to ______ what truly matters. Transformation can be challenging, but it is indeed attainable.

1.

A．randomly

B．temporarily

C．faultlessly

D．repeatedly

2.

A．talent

B．discoveries

C．transformation

D．achievements

3.

A．interesting

B．necessary

C．apparent

D．surprising

4.

A．professions

B．experiences

C．advertisements

D．agreements

5.

A．theory

B．tendency

C．measure

D．difficulty

6.

A．insist

B．confirm

C．worry

D．regret

7.

A．detail

B．interaction

C．instruction

D．recognition

8.

A．miss out

B．hold onto

C．set aside

D．rely on

9.

A．beneficial

B．reliable

C．harmful

D．significant

10.

A．avoid

B．tolerate

C．identify

D．forget

11.

A．argument

B．competition

C．desire

D．strategy

12.

A．indicate

B．weaken

C．stress

D．inspire

13.

A．shift

B．adopt

C．accept

D．strengthen

14.

A．realistic

B．cautious

C．decisive

D．helpful

15.

A．challenge

B．mention

C．evaluate

D．prioritize

3 . In one of my teaching experiences, a colleague invited me to talk to his undergraduate class about being a clinical psychologist. Afterward, a line of students stopped me before I could go out. They didn’t have questions about the lecture.     1     The students’ enthusiasm showed the anxiety about navigating (找到正确方法) opportunity-seeking.

    2     We encourage people to earn a college degree. We cheer on people who seek raises. However, emotional difficulties in opportunity-seeking and -taking can lead to our feeling stuck in the process. Because you can’t control how an opportunity will pan out, making your self-worth contingent (依情况而定的) on it creates a ground for anxiety and fear.

There are two ways that people try to deal with these feelings: avoiding opportunities and seeking them excessively. Opportunity-avoiders are too hesitant to follow through with pursuing opportunities. Since they are afraid of failure, they avoid having a try at the opportunity.     3     They might also turn down opportunities that come their way because they don’t feel confident enough to pursue them.

Compulsive (难控制的) opportunity-seekers get excited by the idea of an opportunity itself rather than identifying what the opportunity will mean for their quality of life. They find it painful to pass up opportunities even when they don’t have time for them and might say “yes” to thankless tasks.     4    

These two ways are well-intentioned but they are also self-defeating. The healthiest way to go about opportunity-seeking and -taking is building self-awareness.     5     Additionally, have a sense of what you want, which will help you choose opportunities more purposely and carefully.

A．But I didn’t have any opportunities for them.

B．They hesitate to ask for help, sometimes out of shame.

C．Figure out whether your behavior is clouded by emotion.

D．Rather, they were eager to seek a chance to work with me.

E．Pursuing opportunity is a healthy behavior that society celebrates.

F．It could also mean being patient for a better time to start a new opportunity.

G．As can be imagined, overloading one’s schedule does not do much to improve self-worth.

4 . 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。

The Beautiful Game

I have a favorite footballer. His name is Chris Bush and he is a defender for the National League team Boreham Wood in Hertfordshire. He’s 31, and he plays in the number 5 shirt, and... well, I can’t tell you that much more about him, really, because, in general, I struggle to focus when it comes to football.

My disinterest in “he Beautiful Game” has been lifelong. At primary school, my classmates spent lunch break playing football, while I was in the library getting kicks from books and computers. In Games lessons, like all fat kids, I was put “in defence” which involved chatting to my friends and occasionally pretending to be bothered about where the ball was. I pretended to be expert in the game, cheering when a goal was scored, although I didn’t understand the rules.

As I got older, I stopped trying to fake it. In fact, I wore my aversion to football as a badge of honor, a fundamental part of my identity. I didn’t understand why so many people loved this sport. “It’s only a game!” I’d tell Dad, as he excitedly urged me to watch the game. When a big game was on, I’d go shopping instead of watching the game like most of the people around me. But, occasionally when meeting a friend’s father, I’d meet questions like “Who do you support?” And I would feel my heart sink, having no idea how to answer that.

This attitude of mine had stopped me from hours of conversation, and even entire friendships with people that I might otherwise have enjoyed. I couldn’t change the fact that I found football boring, but was coming to regret that I was an outsider. I never had the chance to go and watch a game and sometimes I would wonder what it would be like to watch a game and feel the atmosphere of the fans.

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。

And then I became a dad, and I didn’t want my two boys to be outsiders like their father.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not only did we enjoy watching the game, we played it too._

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Dreaming of photographing the world’s beauty, I wrote a travel wish list and hung it on my wall, not expecting to actually go anywhere. However, a local photo contest gave me a _________. I chose the Grand Canyon, one of my bucket list places to visit, since I got my first camera.

The journey was _________, with unique touches like aspen trees towering and lizards (蜥蜴)rushing about. After a day’s _________, I decided to have a good rest and start fresh the next day for the mission to _________ the Canyon’s grandeur.

The next morning, I woke up early to capture (拍摄) the _________. Reaching the overlook, I found an elderly man alone on a bench. After exchanging _________, he noticed my camera and _________if I’d captured any favorites. I _________ shared a couple of photos, not anticipating any further conversation that followed. He _________, revealing that he and his late wife, Betty, visited the Grand Canyon annually for their anniversary. Her __________the previous year marked his first return without her and he spent each sunrise reflecting on their treasured __________. His heartfelt tales __________ me deeply, as I, too, had experienced a recent loss, making the moment __________.

Returning home with numerous photos, I __________the best from my adventures for the contest. This journey taught me the value of chasing dreams, embracing challenges, and __________with others through shared moments, making it a truly enriching experience.

1.

A．favor

B．break

C．suggestion

D．push

2.

A．tiring

B．puzzling

C．refreshing

D．encouraging

3.

A．traveling

B．meeting

C．talking

D．picnicking

4.

A．shoot

B．paint

C．describe

D．video

5.

A．trees

B．sunrise

C．lizards

D．birds

6.

A．gifts

B．ideas

C．numbers

D．greetings

7.

A．doubted

B．inquired

C．considered

D．checked

8.

A．elegantly

B．purposefully

C．hesitantly

D．gratefully

9.

A．opened up

B．dressed up

C．hurried up

D．cheered up

10.

A．running away

B．passing away

C．breaking down

D．settling down

11.

A．possessions

B．collections

C．memories

D．qualities

12.

A．entertained

B．inspired

C．concerned

D．touched

13.

A．available

B．comfortable

C．admirable

D．unforgettable

14.

A．purchased

B．guaranteed

C．selected

D．made

15.

A．competing

B．connecting

C．discussing

D．cooperating

6 . “Hey, lady! You can move your ugly car up now!” The silver-haired driver behind me in a fancy truck rudely yelled at me. Without much thought, I yelled back at the man, “What? Are you in a rush or something?”

I was waiting in line at the drive-through to order our breakfast on a Sunday morning. There were only 12 inches or so between me and the car in front of me. There were also three additional cars in front of that one. We were getting nowhere fast. What was he hoping to gain by yelling at me?

I wanted to let my own anger go after this ridiculous exchange. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I was angry that he yelled at a mother in front of two kids. My daughter and my son were both confused and saddened by what they had just witnessed. We were on our way to a soccer tournament, and we had a bonus day free from school and work. Probably, there was nothing in the world to be upset about. Then this man let his anger out.

I told my kids I was so mad that I had to roll my window up so that I wouldn’t keep yelling at this guy. Then, I stopped and looked back. I had moved up the 12 or so inches at his “suggestion”, while he hadn’t moved an inch. Suddenly, I felt sympathy for him. He must have been suffering in some way. As my kids and I slowly made our way to the pick-up window to pay for our order, I had an idea.

“I heard how rude that man was to you, and I wanted to apologize to you for having to put up with that. He isn’t worth paying for,” the cashier said to me. “My kids support me in doing that,” I answered the cashier, adding that hate cannot drive out hate.

1. Why was the driver angry with the author?

A．Her car cut in.

B．She screamed at him.

C．She held up his truck.

D．Her car stopped suddenly.

2. What does the author mainly tell us in paragraph 3?

A．What her kids’ reaction was.	B．Why her anger kept growing.
C．How she calmed herself down.	D．Why she ordered the breakfast.

3. What was the author’s final decision?

A．She taught her kids a lesson.	B．She apologized to the driver.
C．She paid for the driver’s food.	D．She gave the cashier some advice.

4. What does the author intend to convey in the text?

A．Respond to hate with kindness.	B．Deal with a man as he deals with you.
C．Put distance between your car and another.	D．Never go to the drive-through at rush hours.

7 . My father, Paul Andrew Figura, was a die-hard fisherman. In my _______, we went out fishing in all kinds of weather, catching and missing nearly every fish in countless waterways.

Whenever we _______, Mom would ask: “What time will you be back?” “When we can’t see the _______.” Dad would respond. He often _______ it. Sometimes Dad would ask me to _______ some food and water and we’d fish the entire day. I observed firsthand his insistent, rapid-ire casting technique, to which he credited as a _______ factor behind his success. It was one _______ after another after another.

The greatest life lesson that Dad taught me involved dealing with those times when the fish weren’t _______ Days when the weather was awful, when the mosquitoes were biting, when my hands were cold. Times when I just wanted to _______ and go home. Dad’s ________? “Son, you’re not going to catch any fish unless you ________ your line. Keep casting,” he’d say.

I learned early the importance of ________ and willingness to keep trying different fish food if you wanted to catch them. Sooner or later they’d ________. I took that same attitude into my school work. ________, I got many awards at college. I applied it ________ to whatever job I had as an adult and it made me the person that I am today.

1.

A．dream

B．career

C．childhood

D．adulthood

2.

A．got up

B．reached out

C．stepped back

D．set off

3.

A．camps

B．lines

C．tracks

D．cottages

4.

A．forgot

B．rejected

C．recalled

D．meant

5.

A．make

B．pack

C．heat

D．freeze

6.

A．cultural

B．random

C．major

D．external

7.

A．cast

B．step

C．strike

D．risk

8.

A．swimming

B．dancing

C．gathering

D．biting

9.

A．wander

B．play

C．quit

D．sleep

10.

A．response

B．intention

C．evaluation

D．situation

11.

A．abandon

B．monitor

C．fetch

D．wet

12.

A．kindness

B．insistence

C．confidence

D．business

13.

A．cooperate

B．progress

C．resist

D．integrate

14.

A．In surprise

B．As a result

C．Ahead of time

D．In particular

15.

A．intentionally

B．casually

C．hesitantly

D．temporarily

8 . My colleagues and I, who have been teaching powerful communication skills, talk about the power of words all the time. We think the words we use are at the heart of _________.

Over the last twenty years, I have _________ thousands of people. I have heard some _________ of the following many times: “How can I get my boss/colleague to _________ me like I am part of the team?” I have met young people who are made to feel like _________ by their older colleagues, often because the experiences that are shared around the table are about something that happened long ago. I have talked with older people who feel out of touch because their younger and more culturally-current colleagues _________ refer to new developments in technology that an older colleague is _________ to know.

There are lots of ways we can make someone feel excluded and _________. But often, in my experience, the words we use are a main _________. The words have the power to make people feel included, but they also can make people feel __________.

So, the next time you are in a __________ of some kind, be __________. If you are in a meeting of engineers and there is someone who doesn’t “speak engineering” the way the rest of you do, __________ using fewer technical terms. If you are in a party and are not __________ whether everyone “speaks football”, think about talking about another __________ of your weekend.

1.

A．success

B．friendship

C．inclusion

D．sympathy

2.

A．praised

B．employed

C．criticized

D．coached

3.

A．assumptions

B．options

C．questions

D．suggestions

4.

A．treat

B．rescue

C．admire

D．follow

5.

A．competitors

B．outsiders

C．researchers

D．professionals

6.

A．gradually

B．rarely

C．temporarily

D．constantly

7.

A．hesitant

B．unlikely

C．afraid

D．unwilling

8.

A．unwelcome

B．regretful

C．envious

D．disappointed

9.

A．factor

B．result

C．change

D．dream

10.

A．sought for

B．tested out

C．cared for

D．left out

11.

A．contest

B．gathering

C．camp

D．classroom

12.

A．confident

B．courageous

C．thoughtful

D．patient

13.

A．imagine

B．consider

C．avoid

D．miss

14.

A．worried

B．curious

C．pleased

D．sure

15.

A．element

B．day

C．person

D．party

9 . I found a brown bag outside after our move. “Grass Seed,” it said in big letters. My husband and I _________ the seeds all over the dirty yard in front of our new house. “I have no idea if they will _________,” I told him, “but it’s worth a shot.” Just like our _________ to move to the rural Arizona.

Near our new house sat a charming cottage, which was _________ to tourists. I got a job offer to _________ the cottage. I’d worked in hotels for years, so when offered the _________, I jumped at it. Still, it was a big change. I _________ that it would be a right move.

While we waited for our grass to grow — or not — we _________ settled into our new house through our efforts. We made it a cozy home, despite the _________ in the front yard, which was still bare now. Meanwhile, many of the cottage guests became __________, and I got to know them well. I felt __________ to make their stays memorable. Perhaps I was better at that than __________.

But after a monsoon (季风) swept through, I woke up to a beautiful morning and looked out the window. There was no grass growing in the sunlight. __________, our yard was covered in a rainbow of zinnias (百日菊)! The front yard turned out even better than I could have __________, just like our new life. And it remains a powerful __________ of the beauty that awaits us in our new chapter.

1.

A．sought

B．spread

C．collected

D．removed

2.

A．remain

B．last

C．dry

D．root

3.

A．need

B．intention

C．decision

D．agreement

4.

A．rented

B．given

C．sold

D．introduced

5.

A．green

B．advertise

C．fill up

D．look after

6.

A．help

B．chance

C．service

D．accommodation

7.

A．pretended

B．decided

C．understood

D．prayed

8.

A．naturally

B．hardly

C．gradually

D．temporarily

9.

A．uncertainty

B．potential

C．danger

D．untidiness

10.

A．locals

B．employers

C．regulars

D．gardeners

11.

A．proud

B．grateful

C．curious

D．stressed

12.

A．house renting

B．yard cleaning

C．keeping house

D．growing grass

13.

A．Otherwise

B．Instead

C．Besides

D．Therefore

14.

A．imagined

B．designed

C．remembered

D．appreciated

15.

A．test

B．memory

C．reminder

D．choice

10 . I’m always cautious of the tired saying, “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.” I mean, what about polio (小儿麻痹症)? Or loads of other horrible things that if you survive, you’re left scarred in one way or another.

For many years I worked in a specialist NHS clinic for people with eating disorders, which are greatly misunderstood and connected with vanity (虚荣) when instead it’s usually about control or even profound trauma (精神创伤). Eating disorders have the highest mortality of any mental illness, with one in five of those with an eating disorder dying from it. Treatment for it is long, tough and tiring. So, it’s fair to say it’s not something to be taken lightly.

Yet I was often surprised by how many patients-patients with all sorts of other conditions too, from depression to cancer -would tell me how the experience had changed them for the better after receiving treatment. It’s not so much that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; more, it might make you more understanding of yourself and more sensitive to the battles and struggles of others. It can also give people a sense of determination and perseverance they never had before.

I had one patient who was an addict and alcoholic besides suffering eating disorder. She was frequently rushed into hospital and was sometimes at a real risk of dying. However, after years of hard work, she stopped drinking, stopped using drugs and her eating disorder improved. She got back into work and started doing several courses to get promoted. Actually, she had gone through numerous intense and exhausting interviews before landing a job, but she said whenever she felt she couldn’t handle it or doubted her capabilities, she reminded herself that nothing would ever be worse or harder than what she had already gone through. She managed to make the most of her life and turn her life around.

1. What does the author think of the old mantra?

A．Always applicable.	B．Totally absurd.
C．Partially right.	D．Quite misleading.

2. What does the underlined word in paragraph 2 possibly mean?

A．The number of deaths.

B．The possibility of being cured.

C．The rate of getting mentally hurt.

D．The chance of having mental illness.

3. How does the experience influence patients according to paragraph 3?

A．It leads to a changeable attitude.

B．It makes no noticeable difference.

C．It builds up their physical strength.

D．It fosters self-awareness and sympathy.

4. What can we learn about the patient mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．She continued harmful habits.	B．She relied only on medication.
C．She always believed in herself.	D．She became stronger and tougher.