1 . In a gray box, I have a thick pile of love letters. I imagine about sharing them with a granddaughter when I’m 90. But my most treasured love letter is from one of my best friends. It’s a handwritten letter years ago when I was having trouble getting over a man. Her letter is the most romantic in my pile. It made no excuses. It simply let me know that I was loved.

Reflecting on her gift, and the dying art of handwritten letters in our age of emails and emoticons, I chose to conduct an experiment this Christmas: replacing presents with heartfelt, handwritten love letters for my family members.

In our digital era, most of us rarely take the time to share deeply considered thoughts and emotions with the people in our lives. Handwriting captures the writer’s emotions, often preserved longer than digital exchanges. However, technology is taking over. First came typewriters and keyboards. Now a new brain-computer lets people type with their minds. What are we losing when we sacrifice the physical labor behind the written word? We tend to value what we struggle for. Have we undervalued the human exchange of ideas?

That day, I came across a letter my mom wrote to her parents when she was young. She seemed so comfortable with her parents. It was a relationship I didn’t have with her. I was inspired by my mother’s letter to her parents when I sat down to write my letter to her. I wanted her to know my love, and to close the crack that technology and culture had created between us. With each sentence, I was discovering new and deeper ways of seeing my mother, and making myself known to her in more thoughtful ways as well.

Eight single-space pages later, my hand was aching but I was done. It was only the first of my love letters, but it was already clear: What had begun as a fun project was in fact one of the most important undertakings of my life.

1. Why does the author mention her love letters in Paragraph 1?

A．To show her grand charm as a young girl.	B．To share them with one of her granddaughters.
C．To highlight the value of handwritten letters.	D．To look back upon her romantic relationship.

2. How will technology probably affect us in the digital age?

A．Making our interaction less emotional.	B．Encouraging our thoughtful communication.
C．Saving our physical labor in conveying emotions.	D．Increasing our effort in handwritten exchanges.

3. Why did the author handwrite a letter to her mother?

A．To give her mother a big surprise.	B．To answer her mother’s handwritten letter.
C．To bridge a communication gap.	D．To make her mother feel more comfortable.

4. What did the author learn from her experiment?

A．The irreplaceable bond of family members.	B．The tendency of information technology.
C．The expression of emotions in the digital age.	D．The power of handwritten correspondence.

2 . 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.

3 . Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.

On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?

Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?

Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.

As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.

And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?

How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?

Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.

1. What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Bring up.

B．Deal with.

C．Reflect on.

D．Look into.

2. What happened to Flaco the owl after he was released from his cage?

A．He died a natural death.

B．He was caught and returned to the zoo.

C．He died from a collision with a building.

D．He lived a free life but faced many threats.

3. What was the initial reaction of New Yorkers towards Flaco’s release?

A．They were excited and supportive.

B．They were worried about his survival.

C．They were indifferent and unconcerned.

D．They were angry and opposed to his release.

4. What does the author want to convey through the story of Flaco?

A．The importance of protecting wildlife.

B．The risks and rewards of seeking freedom.

C．The value of overcoming challenges in life.

D．The need for more awareness about animal rights.

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。

Special#2，Please

My flight arrived in San Diego around midnight, and by the time I drove home and got into bed it was nearly 2:00 a. m. I was tired and jet-lagged when I dragged myself out of the bed. Nevertheless,I had to be up bright and early that morning: I was the opening keynoter(主旨发言人) at a national conference.

In short, I needed to recover quickly. A hearty breakfast in the early morning sun was what I needed. I headed for Carlos & Annie’s, a popular restaurant located in the heart of the seaside town.

“I’d like steak and eggs, please,” I said to the waitress after I had finally found a table in the restaurant. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she apologized. “We're out of Special#2. We've served the last of our steaks. How about Special#14?” “Oh, no steak and eggs?” I couldn't seem to accept it.

I'm not sure if it was my heartfelt sigh that caught Carlos, the owner's attention. His warm, caring brown eyes seemed determined to pinpoint the best solution. He then said, “You know, I think I did see one final steak back

there.”

Pressing my luck,I quickly declared, “Wow,that would be great. But you know, I’m not sure if I want a breakfast stenk at all. What I really want is a steak—one that’s two inches thick, tender and juicy, served medium rare.” “Not to worry,” Carlos assured meand left. The young waitress gave me a wink(眨眼) and said with a knowing smile, “Carlosis being Carlos again!” I did not give her words much thought.

Then, I noticed Carlos as he left the restaurant through the side door and walked into a neighborhood grocery store across the street. Carlos exchanged morning greetings with everyone he knew and even helped the owner of the bookstore next door by holding the items that filled her arms. Then he reentered the restaurant with a bag in his hand.

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: Within minutes，an exact Special#2 was in front of me.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: I was about to leave when I learned Carlos had already sold the restaurant.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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。

Another Way

The train ran smoothly on a spring afternoon. At one station, the doors opened, and came in a man. He wore laborer’s clothing, big, drunk and dirty. Screaming, he swung at an elderly couple. Terrified, the couple jumped up and quickly walked away. The laborer aimed a kick at the back of the old woman but missed. The passengers froze with fear.

I’ve been putting in a solid eight hours of martial arts (武术) training nearly every day for the past three years. “We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it,” my teacher had said again and again. I listened to his words. In my heart, however, I wanted to save the innocent by destroying the guilty.

“This is it!” I said to myself as I got to my feet. Seeing me stand up, the drunk recognized a chance to focus his rage (怒火). His fists upraised, he gathered himself for a rush at me. A second before he could move, someone shouted “Hey!”

I remembered the strangely joyous quality of the voice. We both stared down at a little old man. “Come here and talk with me,” the old man said in an easy voice. He waved his hands lightly. The big man followed, as if on a string. He planted his feet in front of the old gentleman, “Why should I talk to you?” The old man continued, “What have you been drinking?” “Beer,” the laborer replied, “and it’s none of your business!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” the old man said with interest. “You see, I love beer, too. Every night, my wife and I take beer out into the garden, and we sit on an old wooden bench. We look to see how our persimmon (柿子) tree is doing. We worry about whether it will recover from those ice storms we had last winter. Our tree has done better than I expected, though, especially when you consider the poor quality of the soil.”

注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

As the laborer struggled to follow the old man, his face began to soften.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I turned my head for one last look before getting off the train.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . On an extremely hot summer day, my friend Shelia and I treated our children to some rides at Libertyland, an amusement park. Libertyland ________ finds talented teenagers who must put on four or more shows a day for their little pay in its theater.

By mid-afternoon, Shelia and I were ________ while the kids were still full of energy and ________ to continue riding the rides. With security assistants ________ them, we decided to look for a cool ________. After a long time, in the theater, we ________ found a bench. We just sat down, hoping for a few moments of rest.

Luckily, a show ________ soon. The performers put on a wonderful show. ________, their audience of about 20 people seeking to escape the ________ didn’t seem to care.

At the end of the show, the audience gave ________ applause. But Shelia jumped to her feet, ________ and oohed and aahed (叫好) as if she ________ the most amazing Broadway production in her life. She ________ and said to me, “They’re someone else’s ________. Since their moms aren’t here, we need to ________ them.” In that instant, Shelia gave me ________ I had never thought of! Then I stood, cheering those ________ kids.

That happened over six years ago, and Shelia’s ________ still stay with me now. When I’m in a fast-food place, they ________ me that the teen behind the counter is someone’s child, and so is the pizza delivery boy. I ________ those kids as I’d want other people to do to my own children.

1.

A．already

B．just

C．still

D．also

2.

A．worried

B．tired

C．addicted

D．excited

3.

A．unsure

B．happy

C．proud

D．nervous

4.

A．accompanying

B．teaching

C．assessing

D．questioning

5.

A．show

B．sight

C．place

D．time

6.

A．eventually

B．constantly

C．secretly

D．immediately

7.

A．finished

B．began

C．continued

D．changed

8.

A．Instead

B．Besides

C．However

D．Therefore

9.

A．noise

B．dust

C．heat

D．people

10.

A．familiar

B．comforting

C．embarrassing

D．half-hearted

11.

A．listened

B．observed

C．clapped

D．predicted

12.

A．demonstrated

B．saw

C．created

D．directed

13.

A．looked down

B．came along

C．turned over

D．stepped forward

14.

A．kids

B．co-workers

C．students

D．teachers

15.

A．attract

B．coach

C．impress

D．support

16.

A．insights

B．chances

C．challenges

D．memories

17.

A．cautious

B．hard-working

C．curious

D．warm-hearted

18.

A．stories

B．promises

C．words

D．concepts

19.

A．convince

B．inform

C．warn

D．remind

20.

A．educate

B．persuade

C．serve

D．treat

7 . 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

8 . My school holiday routine usually involves sleeping in, but one morning, I woke up early for no particular reason. With nothing to do, I decided to _______ glance out of my window at the parking lot below, but unexpectedly witnessed something that greatly _______ my life.

As I _______ people coming and going, getting into their cars and driving away, my attention was drawn to a(n)_______ man busy washing and cleaning the cars near a bicycle with a bucket attached to its _______. The damp ground _______ that he must have started his work quite early.

He was just simply dressed. However, there was a _______ sense of pride in the way he went about his tasks—cleaning one window at a time,_______ to admire his work, and repeating the process. He seemed devoted to his small business, happily _______ at passers-by and occasionally stopping to chat with other old folks heading to the nearby market.

________ his simple life, he appeared content. This incident made me reconsider my ________. If we are willing to work hard,________ should not be a barrier to earning a living. I felt ashamed and ________ when compared with him. It ________ me that at any age, we should make the most of time and ________ the value of hard work.

1.

A．gradually

B．causally

C．constantly

D．regularly

2.

A．attracted

B．disturbed

C．touched

D．impacted

3.

A．observed

B．recognized

C．felt

D．heard

4.

A．adult

B．young

C．elderly

D．poor

5.

A．bicycle

B．handle

C．wheel

D．seat

6.

A．explained

B．concluded

C．indicated

D．described

7.

A．slight

B．visible

C．hidden

D．possible

8.

A．backing off

B．stepping forward

C．taking over

D．showing up

9.

A．pointing

B．looking

C．laughing

D．waving

10.

A．Due to

B．According to

C．In spite of

D．In view of

11.

A．attitude

B．principle

C．identity

D．standard

12.

A．sex

B．age

C．character

D．position

13.

A．grateful

B．sympathetic

C．exhausted

D．guilty

14.

A．confused

B．informed

C．warned

D．struck

15.

A．predict

B．reflect

C．appreciate

D．convince

9 . A few days before my high school ended, I was sitting in my English class. My classmates were talking about who would be the first person to shed tears at _________ . Then, everyone looked at me, and I began to ________ right then and there. I am not an emotional person,but the _________ of leaving this place hit me hard. I never knew how much this building and the people in it ________ to me, until my last days.

High school isn’t for everyone, but there is something for everyone in high school. You just have to ______ out what your“thing”is. I ______ found my “thing” in high school and that was Student Government. For once I had a(n) ________ . I served as the representative of my class, and it gave me a ________ to convey not only my own, but my classmates'_______ to teachers and our school.

But there were a lot of times when I felt ______ . I sat in the classroom looking at the clock, ______ for the end of school day. I ______ the days until summer like it was my job. But now I ______ I could take back all of those moments.

My biggest ________ to anyone still in high school is to make your school a place where you want to go. High school goes by very quickly. You only get one chance to be a high schooler, so take ________ of it.

1.

A．school

B．graduation

C．break

D．random

2.

A．cry

B．lie

C．sing

D．sigh

3.

A．proposal

B．option

C．possibility

D．thought

4.

A．meant

B．replied

C．reacted

D．faded

5.

A．bring

B．figure

C．cross

D．carry

6.

A．anxiously

B．bravely

C．luckily

D．initially

7.

A．organization

B．impression

C．voice

D．discovery

8.

A．benefit

B．chance

C．challenge

D．purpose

9.

A．objectives

B．principles

C．concerns

D．updates

10.

A．disturbed

B．sheltered

C．alarmed

D．inspired

11.

A．applauding

B．searching

C．fighting

D．longing

12.

A．counted down

B．went through

C．set aside

D．put off

13.

A．promise

B．assume

C．pray

D．realize

14.

A．support

B．advice

C．rule

D．warning

15.

A．account

B．notice

C．control

D．advantage

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