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 . I often felt there was a lack of ceremony in my life. The ceremony of passage to mark transitions was ________. Therefore, I was especially ________ when a friend invited me to go with him for a hike that would mark his ________ entry into elderhood. We would be ________ by three other companions. One of them was a wise and gentle elder who would serve as our ________. But whether it involved a ________ or not, an opportunity to walk in the backcountry with people who knew where they were going sounded ________ to me, and yes was what I said.

It was a long drive and we started out early,________ along mountain roads to a campground at the edge of a ________ area where we met our guide. We then walked along a gently rising trail. Along the way there was green grass and bursts of colorful ________, and we soon got down into a sandy creek bed, which we followed for some time. The wonders of the wilderness ________ before us, and every now and then our guide stopped to call our ________ to the shift of the environment, instructing us to ________ the spirit of attentiveness and gratitude.

________, he paused to adjust the leg brace（支架） he was wearing to support his knee, but these too were ________ moments. "Getting ________ slows us down," he said, "but when we slow down, we become aware of things. That's one of the ________ of being an elder. We are allowed to slow down and ________. Life may not have so many ceremonies, so we need to ________ changes. We should move forward with the right ________: being humble, appreciative and positive."

1.

A．happening

B．recovering

C．developing

D．missing

2.

A．curious

B．confident

C．excited

D．puzzled

3.

A．sympathetic

B．symbolic

C．severe

D．sufficient

4.

A．visited

B．accompanied

C．persuaded

D．accomplished

5.

A．guide

B．friend

C．teacher

D．partner

6.

A．lesson

B．greeting

C．ceremony

D．problem

7.

A．wonderful

B．ordinary

C．unimportant

D．unsuitable

8.

A．walking

B．climbing

C．jumping

D．winding

9.

A．fashion

B．wilderness

C．travelling

D．business

10.

A．wildflowers

B．cultures

C．clothes

D．houses

11.

A．hid

B．unfolded

C．disappeared

D．stopped

12.

A．attraction

B．attention

C．association

D．accommodation

13.

A．forget

B．break

C．keep

D．change

14.

A．Fortunately

B．Strangely

C．Occasionally

D．Interestingly

15.

A．sad

B．awkward

C．historic

D．teachable

16.

A．lighter

B．clever

C．healthier

D．older

17.

A．gifts

B．plans

C．purposes

D．disadvantages

18.

A．escape

B．rest

C．notice

D．laugh

19.

A．adapt to

B．pay for

C．wait for

D．object to

20.

A．attempt

B．influence

C．function

D．attitude

3 . I live in California, about four miles from the beach. Every few years, the humpback whales (座头鲸) come into the bay for a few days while they’re migrating. Each one is immense, about 15 meters long, and sometimes they turn their side fins, making it look like they are waving at us.

One day, my friend, Liz and I took out our yellow double kayak (皮艇) to watch the wildlife. After a half-hour, we spotted two pairs of whales swimming toward us. We were in awe: it’s an amazing feeling to be so close to a creature that size.

Believing if we paddled toward that spot, we'd be safe from the whales, since they’d just left, we followed them at what I believed was a safe distance. Suddenly, the kayak lifted out of the water and then tipped back into the ocean. My initial fear was that the whale intended to drag us down. In a heart-stopping moment, I realized that Liz and I weren’t just lifted by the whale — we were inside its mouth. My entire body was enveloped except for my right arm and paddle. Liz, meanwhile, was staring up into the whale’s jaw. Fearing to be swallowed, I kept thinking: I’ve got to get up; I’ve got to fight this; I’ve got to breathe.

Whales have enormous mouths but tiny throats. They spit out anything they can’t swallow. We were wearing life jackets, which likely helped us quickly reappear out of the water. The entire course lasted only ten seconds.

A few nearby people paddled over, including a retired firefighter who asked us if we were OK. “You were in the whale’s mouth!” he told us. “We thought you were dead.” I came so close to being injured or killed. I am much more appreciative of life now.

1. Why did the author and her friend go kayaking?

A．To go fishing.	B．To watch humpback whales.
C．To race other kayakers.	D．To swim with humpback whales.

2. What happened to the author and her friend while they were kayaking?

A．They dropped into the sea.	B．They were attacked by a shark.
C．The kayak broke down suddenly.	D．Their lives were in great danger.

3. How did the author and Liz get out of their situation?

A．They took off their life jackets.

B．They were spit out by the whale.

C．They fought back against the attacker.

D．They paddled towards a nearby firefighter.

4. What lesson did the author learn from her experience?

A．Life is precious.	B．We should protect wildlife.
C．Kayaking is a risky activity.	D．Whales are dangerous animals.

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。

Most people think that procrastination (拖延症) is a negative habit. But people like me who routinely put off doing assignments, are likely to defend our “slower” approach to getting tasks done.

I'm the only procrastination in my family. My parents and sister were all born with the “do it right now” gift. They are always in a rush, as if closely rushed by an invisible deadline. Personally, I prefer a more relaxed pace. When my parents voiced their concern about my tendencies, saying “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” “No way!” I responded, confidently presenting my research as a defense. It said people procrastinated when they need to solve a problem or commit to a topic or project. In these cases, delaying a decision can be beneficial. This was because our minds continue to reflect on problems even when we were not actively thinking about them, which could lead to more creative solutions. My findings filled me with satisfaction and pride. My method of getting things done was just as good as my sister’s…or so I thought.

At school we’d been talking about architecture and design. As part of the final assessment my teacher Mr. Smith announced an exciting project that each student would have a month to complete. We were expected to choose our materials, construct a small building and make use of things we had learned in class. Not only would the winners receive extra credit, but the winning constructions would be proudly displayed in the cafeteria. “I have no clue how I could get it done,” my friend Nate sighed in despair. I didn’t say anything. Not because I shared his anxiety-but because I was not nervous at all. I loved hands-on projects! Picturing my brilliant work exhibited in the cafeteria, I was fully convinced that I would definitely produce something that could impress everyone. So relaxed was I that I didn’t give it a second thought for weeks.

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。

Before I knew it, I had only one day left for the project.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That taught me a great lesson.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . 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。

Having been down on myself and unhappy in my marriage I spent the week not being very nice to anyone in my family. I felt myself distancing myself from those people that were not the root of my anger. Those little people with sweet innocent eyes were wondering why there was no love in her actions. I pushed my daughter away as she tried to hug me. Though I saw the pain in her eyes, I didn’t know how to change what I was feeling. I saw more pain in their little eyes when I served them dinner and turned and walked out of the room and didn’t join them for their last meal of the day.

For years I had made such a big deal out of having dinner as a family but during this time of heartache that I was experiencing I just couldn’t bring myself to be with them. I began to feel angry with them. It would be so easy to change my life without having them to think about. And how many times had I heard that I needed to do what was best for the kids? Did nobody care what was best for me?

Then I watched a show on TV that made me realize what I was doing to these poor kids. During this time of self pity, I was leaving them a memory, a bad memory that they could look back on. I didn’t want that to happen. I needed to pull myself up by the bootstrings and get out of the pity pot. I needed to take control of my own life. Not only for my own sake but for my kids too.

That night I went to sleep with calm thoughts in my head. The issues in my marriage had not been resolved but the issues I had with myself had. I knew what I had to do to better my life and my children’s too.

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。

The next morning I prepared and ate breakfast with my three wonderful kids.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My story told me a lot.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Learning to forgive those who have “wronged us” may not always be easy, but it’s definitely worth it. Here’s why.

First, forgiveness has absolutely nothing to do with the other person at all. Forgiveness is about one thing and one thing only: it’s about how you feel. This is why it doesn’t matter if the offense was large or small. When you hold on to the anger, when you get stuck in blaming the other person and refuse to move on, you are hurting no one but yourself.

You may have been taught to “turn the other cheek”, which can be interpreted as letting those who have harmed you in some way walk all over you. Don’t fight back, and just let it happen. But is that really what we’re supposed to do? No. Forgiving is neither about playing the martyr (自我牺牲的人) or victim, nor about being a doormat (忍气吞声的人). You can forgive what others have done to you, but you should not sacrifice your own interests.

For example, should you let your colleague get away with taking credit for your work, while you sit in silence? No. First, you can choose to forgive his action so that you can calm down. Then you can calmly explain to your boss who actually did the work on that project, without seeming overly emotional or like you have any kind of agenda other than to set the record straight.

Of course, if it’s something trivial, you can just choose to forgive and let it go.

It’s important to note that this also (and especially) applies when it comes to forgiving yourself. Since thoughts of self-blame or self-hatred are the worst thoughts we can have, staying stuck in that vibration will cause more harm than any other emotion. Move into anger, stabilize there, and then move up the emotional scale until you gradually but consistently feel better. You owe it to yourself.

1. What is forgiveness mainly about according to the author?

A．Controlling our own feelings.	B．Making ourselves feel better.
C．Lessening the harm of an offence.	D．Repairing relationships with others.

2. How should we react if we’re harmed by others?

A．Turn the other cheek.	B．Calm down and let it go.
C．Ask for help from others.	D．Fight back in a proper way.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “trivial” in paragraph 5?

A．unimportant

B．unique

C．unusual

D．uninteresting

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The way to get along well with others.

B．The importance of learning to forgive.

C．The reason to forgive ourselves.

D．The way to fight back against dishonest colleagues.

7 . Independent will is what really makes effective self-management possible. It is the ability to make decisions and choices and to act in accordance with them. It is the ability to act rather than to be acted upon.

The human will is an amazing thing. Time after time, it has won against unbelievable difficulties. The Helen Kellers of this world give dramatic evidence to the value, the power of the independent will. But as we examine it in the context of effective self-management, we realize it’s usually not the dramatic, the visible, the once-in-a-lifetime effort that brings enduring success. Empowerment comes from learning how to use independent will in the decisions we make every day.

The degree to which we have developed our independent will in our everyday lives is measured by our personal integrity. Integrity is, fundamentally, the value we place on ourselves. It’s our ability to make and keep commitments to ourselves—to “walk our talk.” It’s honor with self, a fundamental part of the character ethic, the essence of active growth.

Effective management is putting first things first. While leadership decides what “first things” are, it is management that puts them first, day-by-day, moment-by-moment. Management is discipline, carrying it out.

Discipline stems from disciple (追随者) —disciple to a philosophy, disciple to a set of principles, disciple to a set of values, and disciple to an ultimate. purpose. In other words, if you are an effective manager of your self, your discipline comes from within; it is a function of your independent will. You are a disciple, a follower, of your own deep values and their source. And you have the will, the integrity, to place your feelings, your urges, your moods after those values.

That placement requires a purpose, a mission. It also requires independent will, the power to do something when you don’t want to do it, to be a function of your values rather than a function of the urge or desire of any given moment. It’s the power to act with integrity to your first creation.

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning “the Helen Kellers” in paragraph 2?

A．To explain a reason.	B．To highlight a point.
C．To make a prediction.	D．To give a definition.

2. What do the underlined words “walk our talk” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Put words into deeds.	B．Display confidence.
C．Stop talking big.	D．Strike a balance.

3. To achieve effective self-management, what will the author probably recommend?

A．Seeking external support.	B．Undertaking more missions.
C．Sticking to one’s own values.	D．Following one’s desires.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Secret Behind Self-discipline	B．The Magic of Personal Integrity
C．The Power of Independent Will	D．The Road to Effective Management

8 . Two Canadian teenagers, William and Henry, have been taking on a series of remarkable challenges. Their most recent action _______ following the shores of the Lake Ontario for 73 kilometers. They walked from Toronto to Hamilton, Canada, in about 18 hours.

“We like to challenge ourselves physically and _______. We like to _______ challenges like these. And we feel as though going on a long walk is kind of just the purest form of challenge that you can have.” Henry told CBC news.

With very little _______, the two 16-year-olds began their journey at 5 am, starting in darkness and finishing before midnight. They took several breaks, stopping at benches with _______ views along the way, which appealed to them so much.

During their walk, one of the interesting _______ they encountered was an abandoned cargo ship(货船).“You’d be _______ by the amount of things that you don’t see when you are driving and that you will see when you’re taking your time walking,” said Henry.

_______, the journey was not only a physical _______ but also a significant mental challenge. There were moments of ________ for the pair, requiring them to ________ each other along the way.

Around 70 km into the walk, they ________ a person on a bridge who appeared to be experiencing a mental health ________. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me and Henry. But we tried to ________ him to get out of it and ended up calling the police, and the situation was ________and everyone was all right,” William told CBC News. The walk is now over but William and Henry are not ready to stop challenging themselves. They set about planning a two-day 100 km walk in the near future.

1.

A．imagined

B．involved

C．permitted

D．missed

2.

A．hurriedly

B．occasionally

C．seriously

D．mentally

3.

A．evaluate

B．describe

C．overcome

D．avoid

4.

A．strength

B．preparation

C．humour

D．independence

5.

A．ordinary

B．horrible

C．fantastic

D．concrete

6.

A．sights

B．matches

C．platforms

D．notices

7.

A．amazed

B．embarrassed

C．confused

D．terrified

8.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Moreover

D．Therefore

9.

A．contact

B．change

C．appearance

D．trial

10.

A．pride

B．victory

C．amusement

D．loneliness

11.

A．blame

B．warn

C．support

D．respect

12.

A．came across

B．turned down

C．called on

D．took over

13.

A．crisis

B．facility

C．degree

D．examination

14.

A．allow

B．forbid

C．order

D．convince

15.

A．exposed

B．eased

C．predicted

D．proved

9 . Three months ago, I began a journey—one that required neither a backpack nor a plane ticket. Instead, all I needed was a _______ and a pen. I decided to keep journaling every single day for 90 days, come rain or shine. Now, as I’ve crossed the finish line of this _______, I’m here to share the invaluable _______ I’ve gained.

Most of us spend our days _______ others. But in that process, we often _______ the most important voice—our own. In the first few days of journaling, I was surprised by the thoughts and feelings that _______, which I’d previously been too busy or too distracted to _______. My journal served as a platform for my inner self to be heard.

By writing about my experiences, I found that I was able to see my _______ in a new light. _______ were not failures, but stepping stones. Regrets were not obstacles(障碍), but ________, which show me a better way forward. Journaling became a form of ________ and a process of letting go of past events.

Journaling didn’t just make me a historian of my past; it also made me a(n) ________ of my future. The future could be seen as a canvas(画布). I was able to plan, dream, and visualize it like never before. My ________ were rich in ideas, goals, and hopes, all of which I could ________, refine(改进), and reimagine as many times as I wanted. My journal turned out to be a priceless tool for ________ growth.

1.

A．camera

B．computer

C．notebook

D．brochure

2.

A．challenge

B．competition

C．encounter

D．campaign

3.

A．resources

B．opportunities

C．suggestions

D．insights

4.

A．fighting with

B．listening to

C．relying on

D．turning down

5.

A．seek

B．appreciate

C．admit

D．ignore

6.

A．surfaced

B．disappeared

C．conflicted

D．remained

7.

A．share

B．miss

C．read

D．acknowledge

8.

A．ambition

B．career

C．past

D．achievement

9.

A．Worries

B．Difficulties

C．Mistakes

D．Complaints

10.

A．priorities

B．guides

C．replacements

D．connections

11.

A．self-discipline

B．self-forgiveness

C．self-control

D．self-defence

12.

A．assistant

B．interviewer

C．reminder

D．architect

13.

A．reports

B．schedules

C．entries

D．introductions

14.

A．revisit

B．request

C．return

D．recover

15.

A．external

B．personal

C．physical

D．economic

10 . To put it simply, stress can be the father of growth, while a crisis can be the mother of innovation. The notion that great good can emerge from great adversity (逆境) is as old as the legend of the great phoenix (凤凰), who not only arises but soars to new heights from its own ashes.

In 1598, William Shakespeare penned the play As You Like It. One of the most famous lines from that play is spoken in Act 2 Scene 1 by Duke Senior, “Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad (癞蛤蟆), ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” Even 500 years ago, the potential value of adversity was recognized, not by a great healer, but by a great playwright. Can this really be the case?

Fast-forward to the great silent film star Mary Pickford. She was called the most popular actress in the world in the 1910s and 1920s. Failing to continue acting with the advent of the “talkies”(movies with recorded sound), she co-founded the film company United Artists. Shifting her talents to producing and directing, she became the most powerful woman in the entertainment industry. She once noted, “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

Rather than fear and try to avoid adversity, perhaps we should accept the inevitability (必然) of adversity and prepare for it. Indeed, positive things can emerge from adversity.

Adversity reveals true opportunities for those preparing to take advantage. Dr. John Krumboltz’s happenstance theory states that career and life development is best fostered by preparing for opportunities that you may not know even exist in the current moment. Numerous unpredictable factors are potentially shaping the future. These include the crises adversity brings.

In Friedrich Nietzsche’s book, Behold the Man, the German philosopher writes that a person who has “turned out well” could be recognized by the ability to take advantage of and prosper from adversity, just as he wrote before, “What does not kill him makes him stronger.”

So, the next time adversity enters your life, will you run from it, or will you embrace it and use it as a step ping stone to greater happiness and success?

1. Why does the author quote the line from Shakespeare’s play?

A．To emphasize the great wisdom of Shakespeare.

B．To highlight the beauty of Shakespeare’s language.

C．To challenge the conventional belief regarding adversity.

D．To show the long-standing recognition of adversity’s value.

2. What is conveyed through Mary Pickford’s story?

A．Fame can block one’s achievements.

B．Strong determination overcomes adversity.

C．Accepting adversity results in positive outcomes.

D．Courage in the face of challenges leads to success.

3. What is the idea behind Krumboltz’s happenstance theory?

A．Embracing uncertainty.	B．Managing life’s challenges.
C．Seizing hidden opportunities.	D．Focusing on personal growth.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards adversity?

A．Cautious.

B．Favorable.

C．Neutral.

D．Doubtful.

5. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Finding value and opportunity in facing adversity.

B．Stress as the primary cause of growth and innovation.

C．How to avoid adversity and negative experiences in life.

D．Historical figures who failed to overcome adversity effectively.