1 . 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

2 . 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

3 . 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

4 . 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.

5 . Seven years ago, my wife bought me a terrific birthday present. For $70, she   _________ me two garden plots of land 20 feet by 20 feet from the Skokie Park District, which come with free _________ to fresh water from faucets, no _________. The football field of garden is a true place of beauty, costing the Park District very little to _________, with the water pipes being the only _________ capital investment.

My _________ is that gardening is good exercise accessible to people far into late middle age and beyond, deeply beneficial and _________ by couples and groups of friends. My garden neighbors and I, once _________, share ideas and encouragement. My daughter loves to help me _________ the wild weed, and the whole family loves the good fresh food, some of which I give to friends and neighbors.

I __________ about $300 to $400 a year but harvest literally 10 times the __________ of fresh produce—and I’m far from the best gardener!

We need to __________ one another while respecting each other as individuals, as carriers of subcultures, as positive people. Human difference is easier to accept with __________ when we know each other and are building something together.

And who doesn’t need to have __________ and get some exercise and eat great food? Community gardening is a wholly __________ activity.

1.

A．sold

B．offered

C．guaranteed

D．rented

2.

A．use

B．access

C．storage

D．entrance

3.

A．comment

B．difference

C．charge

D．way

4.

A．measure

B．decorate

C．design

D．operate

5.

A．initial

B．risky

C．heavy

D．wise

6.

A．responsibility

B．qualification

C．ambition

D．experience

7.

A．occupied

B．divided

C．beloved

D．possessed

8.

A．lecturers

B．strangers

C．farmers

D．competitors

9.

A．harvest

B．irrigate

C．grow

D．classify

10.

A．waste

B．collect

C．earn

D．invest

11.

A．habit

B．value

C．room

D．time

12.

A．calm down

B．appeal to

C．connect with

D．believe in

13.

A．doubt

B．curiosity

C．care

D．dignity

14.

A．fun

B．money

C．fame

D．fortune

15.

A．tolerant

B．specific

C．positive

D．convenient

6 . Have you ever felt the need to grab a pen and start writing your thoughts on paper? Words—beautiful and fascinating. But you know what is better than putting your imagination somewhere? In my case, to win the competition for the best novelist.

That was a small tournament organized by my school annually to _______ our creative writing and vivid imagination. Since I had a burning passion for _______, I decided to show my power. I thought no one could _______ me.

I finished a long story and e-mailed it. As I _______ the email every day, my eyes were wandering to _______ the line “Congratulations! It is a great pleasure to inform you that…” _______, no such thing came.

I was not accepted. I _______ my abilities. The next day at school, I tried my best to be _______, avoiding the usual contact. But in the corridor, I _______ Stacy Williams, my school rival. Could she be the ________? I started walking sneakily. In class, I was just looking out of the window at the ________ clouds which were a reflection of my soul.

Thankfully, a film that night—Forrest Gump lifted my ________. I wouldn’t let a stupid competition ________ my future. I could win on the next one or even at a better tournament. The important thing was to ________ my head and face my challenges without losing hope when everything seemed ________.

1.

A．advertise

B．demonstrate

C．defend

D．distinguish

2.

A．speaking

B．acting

C．dancing

D．writing

3.

A．beat

B．touch

C．contradict

D．dominate

4.

A．answered

B．sent

C．checked

D．shared

5.

A．notice

B．smell

C．taste

D．feel

6.

A．Moreover

B．Otherwise

C．However

D．Hence

7.

A．abused

B．overestimated

C．enhanced

D．proved

8.

A．moody

B．normal

C．natural

D．invisible

9.

A．encountered

B．shadowed

C．greeted

D．congratulated

10.

A．sponsor

B．organizer

C．reporter

D．winner

11.

A．clean

B．dark

C．soft

D．light

12.

A．spirits

B．eyes

C．boundary

D．restriction

13.

A．promote

B．decide

C．sustain

D．safeguard

14.

A．lower

B．position

C．straighten

D．shake

15.

A．never-ending

B．abstract

C．contradictory

D．hopeless

7 . Being a teacher, I learned a lot from my little kids full of wisdom.

One Friday afternoon, the sports field was in full swing. The basketball shooting game _________ us most. A large crowd of students, happy and excited, surrounded the court and _________ the impressive shooting. Then I _________ one of my darling little girls, who wouldn’t take anything lightly. She stood at the line, basketball in hand, with a(an) _________ expression on her face. She shot. Air ball. She fixed her attention on the net and _________ again. Air ball. Her third and fourth shots both failed again. Not one of her five shots even came close to the _________.

Poor little kid! I felt _________ her.

Back in the classroom, we decided to talk about all the fun we’d had in the game. _________, my tiny air baller raised her hand. What? What did she want to _________? She got five air balls! She must have got me wrong.

Then, she said, “I was __________ about that basketball game at first because I’d never played it before. But when I tried my best to shoot higher and higher, I felt I was already the __________!” With her words still echoing in the air, a wave of __________ washed over me. I had placed too much emphasis on the game’s __________, rather than __________ her progress in the process. From her, I learned that any progress, no matter how __________, deserves celebration.

1.

A．attracted

B．confused

C．changed

D．shaped

2.

A．hunted for

B．cheered for

C．argued about

D．complained about

3.

A．approached

B．spotted

C．stopped

D．met

4.

A．amazed

B．annoyed

C．serious

D．curious

5.

A．pressed

B．passed

C．climbed

D．shot

6.

A．line

B．ball

C．net

D．court

7.

A．sorry for

B．happy for

C．proud of

D．tired of

8.

A．Unfortunately

B．Undoubtedly

C．Unwillingly

D．Unexpectedly

9.

A．catch

B．share

C．gain

D．know

10.

A．nervous

B．certain

C．careless

D．optimistic

11.

A．performer

B．loser

C．winner

D．leader

12.

A．warmth

B．delight

C．shame

D．relief

13.

A．fairness

B．outcome

C．rules

D．schedules

14.

A．displaying

B．investigating

C．maintaining

D． appreciating

15.

A．rapid

B．great

C．steady

D．small

8 . I came across an image of a distance runner with a caption (说明文字) that told readers to keep going at all costs. It _________ me of the sunk cost fallacy (谬论), a concept I researched in grad school after realizing I’d been so likely to suffer from it.

In high school, I had _________ five universities. Soon I heard from four, and Southern Utah University was going to give me the best _________. I paid them my $100 commitment fee. Two weeks later, the last school _________ an even better scholarship with full fees. And what did 17-year-old me do? I was still _________ to Southern Utah University due to the _________ $100 investment. It seems obvious to me now that _________ schools, even if it meant admitting I’d “wasted” $100, was a better _________ decision.

I’m not the only _________. People will wear clothes they don’t like because they have paid money for them and stay in unhealthy ____________ because they’ve been together for so long.

That you’ve sunk time, effort, or money into something doesn’t mean you should ____________ more. Our society loves to emphasize ____________ to keep trying. But only you know the right path for you. Sometimes ____________ is the hardest choice of all after all the hard work. You might ____________ a path you’re on is no longer the right one or never was. That’s a ____________ realization.

1.

A．accused

B．convinced

C．reminded

D．informed

2.

A．approved of

B．jumped at

C．taken in

D．applied to

3.

A．reward

B．scholarship

C．celebration

D．welcome

4.

A．offered

B．refused

C．expected

D．explored

5.

A．exposed

B．committed

C．admitted

D．used

6.

A．initial

B．extra

C．minor

D．generous

7.

A．attending

B．skipping

C．switching

D．visiting

8.

A．physical

B．cultural

C．moral

D．financial

9.

A．victim

B．student

C．customer

D．loser

10.

A．competition

B．lifestyles

C．state

D．relationships

11.

A．harvest

B．invest

C．ignore

D．pursue

12.

A．permission

B．curiosity

C．determination

D．freedom

13.

A．breaking out

B．walking away

C．giving in

D．passing down

14.

A．realize

B．doubt

C．prove

D．regret

15.

A．funny

B．stupid

C．relaxing

D．painful

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In fifth grade, my family moved across town. I hated being the new kid at school.

I was tall for my age and already wore a size nine shoe—how awkward! My ponytails (马尾辫) and short bangs (刘海) seems quite different from others. I wanted to fit in, but in vain.

Theresa was thin but strong, with blond bangs and tightly pulled-back hair. For a reason unknown to me, she decided that I was worthy of her attention, and every day she walked up to me and kicked me in the back of the legs. Theresa was smart and quick. No teacher ever saw her, and within a week, my legs were bruised (淤青) black and blue.

One day on the playground, as Theresa was about to close in on me again, I escaped away. I glanced over one shoulder and, with relief, didn’t see her and thought she had given up. I stopped abruptly and turned around, unaware that Theresa had been running full-speed toward me. She didn’t expect my sudden stop and crashed into me and fell to the ground. A group of kids standing nearby laughed. Angry, she got up and began to kick me. I couldn’t stand any more. So I made a fist and swung my arm wildly. I caught Theresa in the nose, and she was bleeding. I didn’t know which of us was more surprised. Then we made a big fight. Consequently, we were taken to the principal’s office. He said we should be punished and then filled a form, I stared at his desk and realized that I could read the form upside down. It reads, “Labor punishment for one week.”

Theresa leaned toward me and whispered, “I guess we should get a two-week labor punishment.” I shook my head and said, “No, one week. I can read the form upside down.” Both of us were surprised that we should talk with each other.

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。
We were arranged to take care of the flowers and plants in the school garden together.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was surprised that Theresa and I have so many things in common.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 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