1 . At 111, Dr Edith Kaufmann was the second oldest person in the UK. I met her when I ________ at a care home for the elderly in London six years ago. I didn’t realize it would be the start of a close ________, where the age gap spanned eight decade.

At first sight, I was ________ by her self-confidence. Her doctorate (博士学位) told me she was intelligent and ________. From the beginning, I never felt as if Edith and I ________ conversation. Edith could have a full conversation with me about anything, and that her memory stretched back so easily, ________ even small things which took place 100 years ago.

She was also ________. She loved dancing as a child and I recall, only a few weeks before her death, ________ she smiled when I played the waltz and we ________ hands and danced along to the music. Although towards her later years she was ________ to a wheelchair, she still participated in the exercise classes.

As I ________ Edith each week, I realized that I was going as much for me as I was for her. I learnt to take the words of ________ when I could get them. When I have ________ over the years, and small decisions have weighed on my mind, I have ________ nothing more than the opportunity to regain my perspective (视角) on life and what actually ________.

1.

A．studied

B．relaxed

C．volunteered

D．lectured

2.

A．cooperation

B．friendship

C．attention

D．encounter

3.

A．upset

B．embarrassed

C．stressed

D．struck

4.

A．helpful

B．kind

C．bossy

D．sharp

5.

A．lacked

B．enjoyed

C．needed

D．started

6.

A．explaining

B．confusing

C．forgetting

D．recalling

7.

A．artistic

B．literary

C．active

D．capable

8.

A．how

B．why

C．what

D．when

9.

A．shook

B．held

C．raised

D．clapped

10.

A．restricted

B．devoted

C．addicted

D．introduced

11.

A．missed

B．visited

C．called

D．pushed

12.

A．praise

B．greeting

C．wisdom

D．thanks

13.

A．succeeded

B．failed

C．dreamed

D．progressed

14.

A．appreciated

B．provided

C．expected

D．created

15.

A．differs

B．matters

C．exists

D．happens

2 . Perseverance is the quality of ________ through challenges and difficulties with ________ and resilience. It is this quality that often separates successful people from those who give up at the first sign of trouble.

I remember a time when I ________ with the concept of perseverance. It was during my first year of university when I ________ a difficult course in my major. I had always been a good student and had never had trouble with my academics before. However, this ________ seemed impossible to me. The material was challenging, and I didn’t ________ it as quickly as I hoped to.

I almost gave up. I considered changing my major and even dropping out of college altogether. Yet, I had a long conversation with my professor, during which he told me that everyone struggles with something at certain ________ in their life. He inspired me to ________ through the difficulties and to keep ________ because success only comes to those who never give up.

I took his advice and decided to keep pushing myself ________ my doubts. I ________ every class, read each book, and studied late at night. It wasn’t easy for sure, I persevered, ________. And in the end, I was able to pass the course and ________ in my major.

That experience taught me the ________ of perseverance. It’s not just about ________ challenges; it’s also about the growth that comes alongside with the experience. When we persevere through difficulties, we ________ strength, resilience, and ________.

To ________ up, perseverance is a quality that should be celebrated, not feared. When facing challenges, we need embrace them and defeat them with determination and resilience. In doing so, not only can we cross ________ but we can also foster ________ skills and qualities which benefit us in all our lives.

1.

A．consisting

B．resisting

C．insisting

D．persisting

2.

A．deterrence

B．dissolution

C．determination

D．dismissal

3.

A．experienced

B．struggled

C．triumphed

D．experimented

4.

A．encountered

B．withstood

C．fought

D．deferred

5.

A．class

B．course

C．lesson

D．curriculum

6.

A．grab

B．grapple

C．gamble

D．grasp

7.

A．item

B．rule

C．point

D．whereabouts

8.

A．go

B．trudge

C．undergo

D．drudge

9.

A．revering

B．wavering

C．persevering

D．deserving

10.

A．regardless

B．despite

C．respite

D．in spite

11.

A．attended

B．enrolled

C．engaged

D．tended

12.

A．though

B．although

C．even though

D．as though

13.

A．keep

B．stay

C．remain

D．retain

14.

A．element

B．beauty

C．rudiment

D．appreciation

15.

A．meeting

B．combating

C．enduring

D．ensuring

16.

A．nurture

B．get

C．require

D．enquire

17.

A．interest

B．likelihood

C．character

D．mentality

18.

A．hold

B．brief

C．pick

D．wrap

19.

A．barrier

B．block

C．obstacles

D．blocks

20.

A．important

B．essential

C．vital

D．invaluable

3 . Some years ago, I was extremely sick. I had already been in hospital without _________ for so long that I became deeply discouraged. Day after day, the doctors would _________ in my room, bringing bad news. It seemed like life would be over.

That afternoon, a volunteer came into my room with a _________. We made small talks. I told him how _________ I was for some time. He said, “I’ve come today to tell you that you are not to lose hope.” He set the container filled with snacks on my bedside table before leaving.

For the first time, I fell into a sound sleep. When I _________, I thought I had had a great dream. Then I saw the container. I _________ that it was all real.

After my visitor came, something _________ inside me. The same doctors came in with the same _________ news each day, but it no longer _________ me the same way. I had not been given new __________, but I had been given hope, and it was the most __________ medicine of all. Eventually, I __________.

It has been many years now, but I still __________ that snack container. It is a permanent __________ through all the challenges of life to never give up. The snacks are long gone, but the container is not empty. It is filled with __________.

1.

A．doctors

B．roommates

C．assistants

D．visitors

2.

A．work out

B．stay up

C．show up

D．stand out

3.

A．container

B．letter

C．bill

D．parcel

4.

A．grateful

B．desperate

C．curious

D．guilty

5.

A．rested

B．escaped

C．awoke

D．survived

6.

A．admitted

B．predicted

C．expected

D．realized

7.

A．stayed

B．changed

C．occurred

D．faded

8.

A．false

B．local

C．awful

D．joyful

9.

A．ignored

B．benefited

C．restricted

D．affected

10.

A．medicine

B．information

C．opportunities

D．diseases

11.

A．natural

B．powerful

C．complex

D．creative

12.

A．returned

B．accepted

C．recovered

D．continued

13.

A．seek

B．pack

C．share

D．keep

14.

A．reward

B．reminder

C．device

D．shame

15.

A．hope

B．gifts

C．challenges

D．money

4 . It had been a long, hard, wonderful day. The two of us had walked from the sea’s edge through the length of a beautiful valley, climbed a superb mountain, travelled its narrow, rocky ridge, and now stood on its final peak, tired, happy and looking for the perfect campsite.

The experienced backpacker has a natural feeling for such things, and our eyes were drawn to a small blue circle on the map. We could not see it from where we were, but we followed our judgement and went down steeply until it came into view.

We were right. It was a calm pool, with flat grass beside it. Gently taking our packs off, we made the first of many cups of tea before putting up our tent. Later that evening, over another cup of tea and after a good meal, we sat outside the tent watching the sun set over a sea dotted with islands, towards one of which a ferry was slowly moving. It is not always so perfect, of course. On another trip, with a different companion, a thoroughly wet day had ended at a lonely farm. Depressed at the thought of camping, we had knocked and asked if we could use a barn as a shelter.

Backpacking could be defined us the art of comfortable, self-sufficient travel on foot. Everything you need is in the pack on your back, and you become emotionally as well as physically attached to it. I once left my pack hidden in some rocks while I made a long trip to a peak I particularly wanted to climb. I was away for nearly three hours and ended up running the last stretch in fear that my precious pack would not be there. It was, of course.

The speed at which the backpacker travels makes this the perfect way to see any country. You experience the landscape as a slow unfolding scene, almost in the way it was made；and you find time to stop and talk to people you meet. I’ve learned much local history from simply chatting to people I met while walking through an area. At the end of a trip, whether three days or three weeks, there’s a feeling of achievement, of having got somewhere under your own power.

1. The author and his companion knew there was a pool because ________

A．they had been told about it	B．they could see it on the map
C．they had seen it earlier in the day	D．they could see it from the top of the mountain

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The map.

B．The mountain.

C．The pool.

D．Rocky ridge.

3. How did the author and his companion feel at the end of the day?

A．They were too tired to put up their tent.

B．They wished they could have found a farm.

C．They were anxious about the coming weather.

D．They were delighted with the spot they had found.

4. What does the author mean by being “emotionally as well as physically attached to” his backpack in Paragraph 4?

A．It is more than just a practical aid.	B．He walks better when he is wearing it.
C．It is not a good idea to leave it anywhere.	D．He might die on the mountains without it.

5. According to the author, the main advantage of backpacking is that you can         .

A．get fitter as you walk	B．make new friends while walking
C．find out how the landscape was made	D．gain an understanding of the area you walk through

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。

Rick, a ten-year-old boy, was constantly angry at everything around him. He always fought in school with the other kids. Once he had an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate said to him, he pushed the boy, and a fight happened. When the teacher stepped in to break it up, Rick went crazy, throwing papers and books around the classroom and rushing out. His teachers couldn’t say anything that would comfort the kid. And the parents of his schoolmates were getting concerned. Rick was earning quite the reputation. After talking with school officials, Rick’s mom tried everything she could to calm Rick down.

She tried different methods until one day she came home with a canvas (画布) and paint. “What’s this?”, Rick asked. Rick’s mom handed over the painting equipment and said, “Whenever you feel angry, paint whatever you’re angry about instead of bursting out.” Rick wasn’t that happy about it but he gave it a try anyway. Over the next few weeks, the young boy created several artworks. They mostly showed disturbing images though. So his mom took all of the paintings and called Rick over so that they could talk about them. “Tell me, Rick. What are these paintings about?”

“Well, the first painting is about how some of the kids show off their new clothes and pencil cases. The next painting is about my teacher who keeps telling me about how I’m doing things wrong. And the last painting is about how one of my schoolmate’s father suggested that I change my attitude. All of them make me so angry.” Rick’s mom, in a calm voice, took Rick by her side and told him: “Don’t you see it, Rick?” “See what?” Rick asked. “You’re so angry at all of these things but not once did you try to understand why you’re getting so angry. What have all these people done to you, really?”

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。

Rick was lost in thought.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rick knew it was time to change.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . I didn’t go to Santiago, Chile to look for friendship. In fact, Chile was not even on my wish list.

A mid-life crisis woman, I got a chance to study abroad. I only wanted to learn about global business, taste South American cuisine, and check “study abroad” off my wish list.

On the fifth day, I joined a group for a neighborhood work project aided by the anti-poverty (扶贫) organization. Our tasks were to build a water tower and paint the community center. Upon arrival, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like a scene out of a horrible film. That moment redefined poverty for me because I had never seen such terrible living conditions. As advised, I showed no signs of the motional battle going on inside me.

Just as I was about to start work on painting, a request came through for a few volunteers to help Nadia, a local resident who volunteered to cook for us. I raised my hand to help because I wanted spend time with the people of the neighborhood despite my shortage of Spanish speaking skills.

Nadia had a sincere smile but not overly friendly. Even without speaking each other’s language we started to learn about one another. We chatted about our children, our upbringing, shared picture of our family, struggled to instruct each other to communicate in the other’s language, and laugh many times.

After we fed everybody and the dishes were washed, my day was over. But I found myself hesitant to leave. It was as if I had known her my entire life. I had not predicted the unselfishness heart I would encounter, and it was moving.

As we were waiting for the car to pick us up, Nadia showed me her plants that are well-maintains. I could see that despite the hard conditions she was passionate about life. She made me long to be stronger person. She showed me that poverty was external, but happiness was internal. I was seeking to give 100 percent for a well-intentioned cause, but I left receiving 200 percent from her.

1. What was the author’s initial purpose of going to Chile?

A．To find new friends while traveling.	B．To participate in an anti-poverty project.
C．To fulfill the desire to study abroad.	D．To gain a graduate certificate in business.

2. What did the author do after seeing the living conditions in the neighborhood?

A．She decided to relieve the poverty.	B．She kept her emotions well hidden.
C．She comforted the shocked volunteers.	D．She refused to continue the present task.

3. Why did the author volunteer to work with Nadia?

A．She felt very sympathetic toward Nadia.

B．She longed to interact with the local residents.

C．She wanted to improve her Spanish speaking skills.

D．She preferred cooking to painting the community center.

4. What did the author learn from Nadia?

A．True friends are never apart in heart.

B．Happiness is defined by a positive attitude.

C．Language is not a barrier to great connections.

D．Unselfishness is putting others before ourselves.

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节和给定段落开头语进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

When I was six years old, I visited my grandfather’s farm in Kansas and he sent me into the woods to gather pecans (胡桃) for us to enjoy later. The pecans were about the size of a man’s thumbnail and just about the tastiest snack I’d ever had.

However, pecan picking was really tiring and my little bucket was only half full after working hard for a long time. I thought I wouldn’t let Grandpa down. Just then something caught my eye. A large brown squirrel was a few feet away. I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree, jumped up to the trunk and disappeared in a large hole. A moment later the squirrel popped back out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place inside the hollow of the tree.

Not so secret anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was filled with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my chance. Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my bucket. Now it was almost full! I was so proud of myself that I couldn’t wait to show Grandpa all the pecans.

I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the bucket and asked, “Well, well, how did you find so many?” I told him how I’d followed the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.

Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I’d been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that surprised me. He handed the bucket back to me and put his arm gently around my shoulders.

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。
Paragraph 1:

“That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter supply of food,” he said.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

I picked up that little bucket full of pecans and carried it back to the tree.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . I attend an Art School in Southern California for Musical Theatre and have always pursued artistic pursuits throughout my life. I have also had a lot of _________ experiences from working at food banks to _________ money to help patients suffering from blood cancer. All the things I mentioned above are what _________ me to be a more appreciative and better person.

The _________ that has been by far my favorite was the _________ I did last summer. I developed and carried out a Musical Theatre Summer Camp at a local community center that _________ low-income families. This camp allowed children, who _________ wouldn’t have an opportunity, to gain a basic _________ in singing, dancing, and acting while also allowing them to feel as though they were a _________ of something.

This camp completely impacted the way I __________ both the world and the profound impact people can have. The children came from all backgrounds, and we had some homeless children, undocumented children, and many children who had experienced __________ throughout their lives. I cannot fully __________ the happiness it brings me to be able to share a creative outlet (出路) for them. I __________ believe in the importance of art and I feel incredibly grateful to have been able to share that __________ with them.

Volunteering has reminded me how important it is to __________ to others and how lucky I have been to experience everything.

1.

A．reviewing

B．approving

C．volunteering

D．attempting

2.

A．raising

B．distributing

C．chasing

D．counting

3.

A．impressed

B．remembered

C．motivated

D．troubled

4.

A．experience

B．project

C．dream

D．schedule

5.

A．zone

B．work

C．line

D．secret

6.

A．chose

B．received

C．moved

D．served

7.

A．besides

B．otherwise

C．however

D．instead

8.

A．delay

B．comfort

C．joy

D．education

9.

A．part

B．center

C．reminder

D．burden

10.

A．cultivate

B．reason

C．view

D．conquer

11.

A．connection

B．touch

C．violence

D．witness

12.

A．copy

B．express

C．indicate

D．present

13.

A．casually

B．temporarily

C．formerly

D．truly

14.

A．trade

B．trick

C．skill

D．gift

15.

A．give back

B．give in

C．get down

D．get across

9 . There was a young boy at a beautiful beach digging sands using his plastic tools. While his other friends were playing the whole time, the little boy spent his day_________his sandcastle. He even_________a moat (护城河) using a spoon, a bridge with a_________,and walls for his castle.

After a whole long day, he finished his_________sandcastle until the waves washed his hard work. Holding back his tears, the boy didn’t get mad and_________decided to study the waves that_________his creation.

The boy was aware of the_________and saw it a couple of times already. He already knew how to do things better. He felt no_________, regret, or fear any more whenever the waves came. He just smiled,_________his tools and left. He knew that the tide was beyond his__________and he couldn’t do anything about it. What he could do though is how to__________those situations.

Basically, no matter where you are, the waves of life will always__________you. What matters most is how you behave during those moments and what they__________about yourselves along this__________called life. Keep calm while looking at things from different viewpoints because sometimes all it takes for__________to happen in your life is by looking at things through different lenses!

1.

A．creating

B．picturing

C．drawing

D．watching

2.

A．kept

B．made

C．crossed

D．defended

3.

A．bucket

B．stone

C．rope

D．stick

4.

A．old

B．royal

C．dream

D．solid

5.

A．therefore

B．instead

C．still

D．nevertheless

6.

A．supported

B．perfected

C．copied

D．destroyed

7.

A．castle

B．construction

C．sand

D．tide

8.

A．sorrow

B．doubt

C．hesitation

D．excitement

9.

A．held up

B．picked up

C．searched for

D．threw away

10.

A．belief

B．repair

C．control

D．awareness

11.

A．talk about

B．draw upon

C．react to

D．fight against

12.

A．search

B．take

C．recognize

D．find

13.

A．know

B．teach

C．judge

D．beat

14.

A．distance

B．line

C．journey

D．circle

15.

A．changes

B．crashes

C．events

D．attacks

10 . I’m in a coffee shop in Manhattan and I’m about to become the most disliked person in the room. First, I’m going to interrupt the man reading quietly near the window and ask for a drink of his latte. Next, I’m going to ask the line of people waiting to pay if I can cut to the front of the queue. This is how I chose to spend my last vacation. Here’s why.

Growing up, all I ever heard about was “EQ.” It was the mid-1990s, and psychologist Daniel Goleman had just popularized the concept of emotional intelligence. Unlike IQ, which tracked conventional measures of intelligence like reasoning and recall, EQ measured the ability to understand other people — to listen, to empathize (共情), and to appreciate.

My mother, an elementary school principal, prized brains and hard work, but she placed a special emphasis on Goleman’s new idea. To her, EQ was the elixir (万能药) that separated the good students from the great after they left school. She was determined to send me into the adult world with as much of this elixir as possible.

But when I finally began my first job, I noticed a second elixir in the pockets of some of my colleagues. It gave their opinions extra weight and their decisions added impact. Strangest of all, it seemed like the anti-EQ: Instead of knowing how to make others feel good, this elixir gave people the courage to do the opposite — to say things others didn’t want to hear.

This was assertiveness (魄力). It boiled down to the command of a single skill: the ability to have uncomfortable conversations. Assertive people — those with high “AQ”— ask for things they want, decline things they don’t, provide constructive feedback, and engage in direct confrontation (对峙) and debate.

A lifetime improving my EQ helped me empathize with others, but it also left me overly sensitive to situations where I had to say or do things that might make others unhappy. While I didn’t avoid conflict, I was always frustrated by my powerlessness when I had to say or do something that could upset someone. This is my problem and I’m working on it.

1. Why did the author act that way in the coffee shop?

A．To improve a skill.	B．To test a concept.
C．To advocate a new idea.	D．To have a unique vacation.

2. What do we know about the author’s mother?

A．She thought little of IQ.

B．She popularized Goleman’s idea.

C．She was a strict mother and principal.

D．She valued EQ as the key to greatness.

3. What does the word “it” underlined in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A．EQ.

B．AQ.

C．Empathy.

D．Courage.

4. According to the passage, those with high EQ but low AQ are likely to be ______.

A．successful leaders	B．people pleasers
C．terrible complainers	D．pleasure seekers