1 . How to Be All You Desire to Be

Belief is at the root of any kind of achievement in life. If you can believe that all things are possible, then they will be.

Purpose is one thing that seem a to really frustrate a majority of the population, and until purpose is created and defined, achievement will only be a mirage. One can only see himself as a failure when he stops trying, but until then, every disappointment and disaster should be seen as a lesson to learn from. For one to succeed, he has to be willing to fail.    1    

We hear success stories of individuals who started out with nothing in their pockets and are currently building or have built empires. The interesting question is: how did they do it? How did they move from nothing to something?       2    The answer is simple — THEY NEVER GAVE UP.

This set of people could think about what they wanted long before they had real resources. They imagined the reality they wanted to occupy, regardless of their current realities, If you can think it, it can come to life and if someone has reached that height, you can reach it too. The words you speak to yourself daily have an active role in shaping you.    3     So therefore if you believe, and you speak positively, it creates your reality which is success, but if you believe that there are limits to what you can achieve, and always put up excuses (such as environment, lack of funds etc.), those limits become your reality.

    4    They program us to end a process. They destroy whatever chance we have at succeeding. They program us to fail. If you always say “I can't” or “it's not possible” it will never be possible, this is because you won't even try to attempt something outside your limited mind-set. Anything is possible with the right mind-set.     5    If you fail, you learn from it, change something and believe again!

A．All things are difficult before they are easy.

B．Life is not all roses so we all have to go through failure.

C．Such is the power in words that what you speak makes you.

D．There is a saying that “success is on the other side of failure”.

E．And why do some people achieve their goals but others don't?

F．The more you believe, the closer you are to achieving your dreams.

G．The words “I can't” and “It's impossible” are negative discouraging words.

2 . Growing up, I heard the word "genius" a lot.

It was always my dad who _________ it up. He liked to say, "You know, you' re no genius!" I don't remember how I _________ . Maybe I pretended not to hear.

I wasn't the _________ problem. My dad didn't think my brother and sister were geniuses, either. By his standards, none of us _________ up to Einstein. Apparently, this was a great _________ .

Two years ago, I was _________ enough to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, sometimes called the "genius grant." It is an award _________ by a secret committee that includes the _________ people in your field.

I was surprised and grateful for being thought of doing _________ and creative work. A girl who is told __________that she's no genius ends up __________ an award for being one. The award goes to her because she has discovered that what we eventually __________ may depend more on our great interest and perseverance than on our inborn __________ .

The morning the MacArthur was __________ , my dad said to me, "I'm proud of you." I had so much to say in response, but __________ I just said, "Thanks, Dad."

I knew that my dad was proud of me. Still, part of me wanted to __________ back in time to when I was a young girl. I'd tell him what I know now.

I would say, "Dad, you think I'm no genius. I won't __________ with that. You know plenty of people who are __________than I am." I can imagine his head nodding in __________ .

"But let me tell you something. I'm going to grow up to love my work as much as you love yours. I'll challenge myself every day. When I get __________ down, I'll get back up. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I'll try my best to be the grittiest (坚毅的)."

1.

A．brought

B．took

C．got

D．grew

2.

A．played

B．suggested

C．responded

D．hid

3.

A．difficult

B．only

C．real

D．final

4.

A．added

B．stood

C．faced

D．measured

5.

A．satisfaction

B．disappointment

C．relief

D．surprise

6.

A．fortunate

B．careful

C．healthy

D．precious

7.

A．given

B．accepted

C．passed

D．shared

8.

A．generous

B．local

C．top

D．young

9.

A．mysterious

B．complex

C．free

D．important

10.

A．especially

B．loudly

C．repeatedly

D．frankly

11.

A．deciding

B．recognizing

C．naming

D．winning

12.

A．set

B．live

C．achieve

D．agree

13.

A．appearance

B．talent

C．character

D．leadership

14.

A．found

B．announced

C．invented

D．considered

15.

A．besides

B．instead

C．somewhat

D．therefore

16.

A．date

B．look

C．travel

D．throw

17.

A．vary

B．deal

C．discuss

D．argue

18.

A．kinder

B．older

C．weaker

D．smarter

19.

A．agreement

B．return

C．disapproval

D．delight

20.

A．mocked

B．closed

C．cut

D．settled

3 . When it comes to school and schoolwork, I prefer to be an engaged parent rather than an involved parent. “Engaged” means I ask if they have homework, and I _________ nearby, doing my own thing. When it gets completed, I _________ if the kids ask for help. Being “involved” _________ digging through their school bags, doing anything for them.

I am _________ familiar with a mother who still made haircut for her 20-something son. Loving? Perhaps. _________ it’s not helpful to independent development. When I draw a hard line on not bringing forgotten _________ to school, I’m not trying to be _________. And they know I am not saying “You should remember your lunch or I’ll _________ you with something you don’t like.” Instead, I’m saying, “You are in charge of _________ your lunch. I know you will because you like to eat what you brought from __________.”

I __________ that I have sometimes even tried to __________ something. Last year, when my second-grader was forgetting to return his homework to school, I told his __________, “Don’t hesitate to mark him down for __________ homework.” I know that meeting real world’s __________ is often a more powerful force than just what parents want him to do.

So what did we do about __________ and signing the second-grade homework? I told my son’s teacher that I wanted to encourage his sense of __________, and asked if we could try it for a while. She happily agreed, and so for the rest of the year I __________ his homework to my son. There were far more items with high marks if I’d had a __________ hand to punish them, but I’m hoping a lighter touch and a little __________ will lead to a capable (能干的) child — and adult.

1.

A．sing

B．cook

C．live

D．stay

2.

A．assist

B．study

C．wake

D．decline

3.

A．advises

B．prevents

C．misses

D．indicates

4.

A．personally

B．certainly

C．regularly

D．gradually

5.

A．So

B．And

C．But

D．Or

6.

A．cards

B．schoolbags

C．books

D．lunches

7.

A．happy

B．mean

C．busy

D．tired

8.

A．punish

B．comfort

C．admire

D．promote

9.

A．leaving

B．buying

C．remembering

D．finishing

10.

A．supermarket

B．school

C．hotel

D．home

11.

A．admit

B．regret

C．wish

D．refuse

12.

A．hide

B．add

C．donate

D．borrow

13.

A．mother

B．friend

C．teacher

D．classmate

14.

A．prepared

B．missed

C．graded

D．finished

15.

A．congratulations

B．expectations

C．possibilities

D．invitations

16.

A．doing

B．planning

C．preventing

D．checking

17.

A．responsibility

B．humor

C．direction

D．touch

18.

A．got over

B．took over

C．turned over

D．thought over

19.

A．bigger

B．heavier

C．cleaner

D．broader

20.

A．success

B．happiness

C．failure

D．love

4 . I can remember when my daughter Maggie, who is now six, used to crawl into my lap and say, “Daddy, read me a story.” Last year she announced, “Daddy, I’m going to read you a story.”

Maggie was a television child. When she first became conscious of anything beyond eating and sleeping, the TV set was right there, and it soon commanded her attention.

A few years ago, we were worried not only that we’d never get the children away from the set long enough to learn to read, but that we’d forget how to read ourselves. But in 1955 there was not only more reading than before TV, but more reading than ever before in history.

Clearly, reading has survived television as it has survived a lot of other things. When I was six, a wail went up about menaces (威胁) to reading at home: motor cars and cinema. When Maggie came along, there was television. The motorcar, the radio, the cinema and television do take up a lot of time.

Well, we’ve got more time. When my mother was a girl, people worked about 60 hours a week. Now it’s 44. When Maggie grows up, it’ll be 30. And there’ll be numerous gadgets to do her housework. She’ll have to read. You can’t watch TV all day.

At present Maggie is reading about Johnny Woodchuck. Ahead of her — and I’m a little envious — are her first brush with Black Beauty, Alice stepping through the looking glass, Huck and Jim drifting down the Mississippi, the emotional storms of Shakespeare, the   spiritual agonies of Tolstoy. For reading isn’t all joy. Like life itself, it’s mixed with many moods, from ecstasy (狂喜) to despair. Maggie will learn to take the rough with the smooth, gathering from the ancient wisdom of long-dead genius a little fire to enrich her spirit.

And some day, if she’s lucky, she’ll get the biggest thrill of all, when a little girl climbs into her lap and announces, “Mummy, I’m going to read you a story.”

1. Why do the young generation like Maggie have more access to reading?

A．They face less working pressure.

B．There is more time available for reading.

C．Their parents encourage them more often.

D．They have a stronger desire for knowledge.

2. What makes the author envious of Maggie?

A．Her exposure to classic reading.	B．Her productive works in writing.
C．Her wild imagination in daily life.	D．Her spiritual reflection on the books.

3. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 6 imply?

A．Maggie has rich experiences.

B．Maggie has a good plan for reading.

C．Maggie will benefit a lot from reading.

D．Maggie is on the road to becoming a genius.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Reading makes Maggie a fortunate girl.

B．More girls like Maggie enjoy telling stories.

C．Maggie’s daughter brings her the biggest thrill.

D．It is a blessing that reading can be passed down.

5 . A brief act of kindness brings an unexpected insight.

I was shopping at a department store and had just boarded the down escalator ________ I noticed a woman standing to the side. She looked about 65, and her ________ told me she was scared. I turned toward her and asked, “Do you need help?” As the ________ continued moving I heard the woman reply ________, “I’m afraid.” There was a hint of incredulity in her ________. “Want me to ________ and get you?” I called to her. She nodded. But by the time I ________ her, the woman had reconsidered. “I don’t think I can do it,” she said. I was suddenly ________ that I had made a far greater investment than I expected. “I know we can do it,” I said, “I can _______ to you.” She looked down at the monster. Then her eyes came back to mine, looking ________ “This has never happened to me before.” she said, as much to herself as to me. I felt that her sudden ________ had to do with the escalator’s mechanical nature, its ________ inhuman untrustworthiness, I took her arm. “Shall we?” She made a little sound of ________ as we stepped on, but we’d passed the point of no ________. She ________ slightly as the stairs moved us downward “I don’t understand this at all.” she said. As we neared the ________. her grip tightened again but we did fine. “I’m so ________,” she began. “It was nothing.” I said, “I was happy to do it.” Happy, yes. I do very little to help others. I am busy caring for a family and working full time.

For a brief moment, I had a flash of ________ into why someone would become a nurse or a social worker or a minister. When I helped the woman, I felt pure, whole and ________. It was a happier ________ than I’d had in weeks.

1.

A．as

B．when

C．while

D．since

2.

A．expression

B．appearance

C．depression

D．existence

3.

A．store

B．woman

C．escalator

D．side

4.

A．swiftly

B．softly

C．loud

D．confidently

5.

A．noise

B．sound

C．mind

D．voice

6.

A．climb up

B．jump down

C．come back

D．run across

7.

A．reached

B．touched

C．helped

D．calmed

8.

A．convinced

B．afraid

C．aware

D．determined

9.

A．look forward

B．put forward

C．comment on

D．hold on

10.

A．hopeful

B．doubtful

C．curious

D．generous

11.

A．humor

B．confidence

C．courage

D．fear

12.

A．dependent

B．magic

C．reliable

D．basic

13.

A．alarm

B．announcement

C．whistle

D．complaint

14.

A．fall

B．dream

C．return

D．change

15.

A．ran

B．relaxed

C．cried

D．entertained

16.

A．top

B．bottom

C．edge

D．middle

17.

A．grateful

B．careful

C．ambitious

D．nervous

18.

A．insight

B．ability

C．memory

D．inspiration

19.

A．tough

B．boring

C．stressful

D．meaningful

20.

A．feast

B．memory

C．moment

D．story

6 . Henry Brown was at the top of his game. The 53-year-old chairman and chief executive of AMC in the US was working hard, supporting a happy family， ______ a busy social life and making plans for a long, well-earned ______.

In May 2005, he went for check-up with neurologist to ______ a slight facial droop. A scan ______ he was suffering from terminal brain cancer and had only three months to live.

As Mr. Brown explains in “Chasing, Daylight”, his ______, published posthumously of his final weeks of life, he ______ this news as a kind of blessing. He would have 100 days to make good ______: to say goodbye to colleagues, friends and family and to plan a future for his wife and children. Like the accountant he was, Mr. Brown wanted to close the book on his life and leave his ______ in good order..

The diagnosis also ______ him thinking about his career and ______ it had truly meant. “Before my illness, I had ______ commitment king among virtues,” he writes. “After I was ______, I came to treat consciousness as the most important ______.”

Mr. Brown now believed, like Socrates, that “the unconsidered life is not worth ______.” And he felt sorry for colleagues and peers who had not the ______ to reflect more seriously on their lives.

“I felt sorry that they had not been ______ as I had, with this sudden change to life,” he writes. “They had no real motivation or clear timeline, to stop what they were so busy at, to ______ ,and. so ask what ______ they were doing with their life. Many of them had money; many of them had more money than they needed.”

______, money is not the problem. Fulfillment is. Career goals may have been met, but the excitement and______

the job once offered are now a distant memory.

1.

A．making

B．maintaining

C．adding

D．starting4

2.

A．improvement

B．involvement

C．retirement

D．punishment

3.

A．investigate

B．find

C．inspect

D．search

4.

A．proved

B．noticed

C．recovered

D．revealed

5.

A．amount

B．account

C．evidence

D．excuse

6.

A．looked on

B．depended on

C．took on

D．held on

7.

A．program

B．life

C．fortune

D．death

8.

A．incidents

B．events

C．affairs

D．accidents

9.

A．prevented

B．caught

C．got

D．forced

10.

A．that

B．what

C．which

D．how

11.

A．meant

B．treasured

C．checked

D．considered

12.

A．diagnosed

B．recovered

C．cured

D．infected

13.

A．value

B．virtue

C．advantage

D．reward

14.

A．making

B．respecting

C．considering

D．living

15.

A．chance

B．potential

C．power

D．ability

16.

A．blessed

B．punished

C．regarded

D．deserved

17.

A．deal with

B．work out

C．look forward

D．step back

18.

A．seriously

B．exactly

C．perfectly

D． extremely

19.

A．Besides

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Additionally

20.

A．comfort

B．depression

C．pleasure

D．puzzle

7 . Each human being is born as something new, something that never existed before. Each is born with the capacity to win at life. Each person has a unique way of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and thinking.     1     Each can be a significant, thinking, aware, and creative being—a productive person, a winner.

Winners do not dedicate their lives to a concept of what they imagine they should be; rather, they are themselves and as such do not use their energy putting on a performance, maintaining pretence, and handling others, they are aware that there is a difference between being loving and acting loving, between being stupid and acting stupid, between being knowledgeable and acting knowledgeable.    2    

    3    They can separate facts from opinion and don’t pretend to have all the answers. They listen to others; evaluate what they say, but come to their own conclusions. Although winners can admire and respect other people, they are not totally defined, demolished, bound, or awed by them.

Winners do not play “helpless”, nor do they play the blaming game.    4     They do not give others false authority over them. Winners are their own bosses and know it.

    5    Winners respond appropriately to the situation. Their responses are related to the message sent and preserve the significance, worth, well-being and dignity of the people involved. Winners know that for everything there is a reason and for every activity a time.

A．Besides they want to hold everything entirely in their power.

B．Winners do not need to hide behind a mask.

C．Instead, they assume responsibility for their own lives.

D．Winners are not afraid to do their own thinking and to use their own knowledge.

E．Although winners can freely enjoy themselves, they can also postpone enjoyment.

F．Each has his or her own unique potentials—capabilities and limitations.

G．A winner’s timing is right.

8 . On my way home from coaching basketball yesterday, I was listening to WGN, my favorite talk radio station. What_______me was that Bob Collins, the morning show man for WGN, had been killed in an accident. He was a man who was _______ by many. The radio told story after story, _______ him as the best friend. True love and feelings _______ in from all over the country. The more I listened about how this man had influenced those around him, the more _______ I became.

I was upset because I wanted to know _______ we wait until somebody has passed away _______ we tell them how much we love them?

I now have a stronger determination to tell those around me how much they _______ to me. I am going to let my wife know just how loved and _______ she is, not only by my words, but also by my ________. I am going to play Batman with my son more often, and in the middle of our romping (嬉戏), I am going to grab him, hug him tightly, and tell him how ________ I am that he is my son.

Do you love someone? Then ________ them! Has someone been an influence in your life? Then give them a call! Has someone had a positive effect on you in your life? Then write them a letter or send them an e-mail! Don’t let another day ________ without letting that person know. There is something ________ about a written letter that ________ feelings of love towards another. I don’t know about you, but I have letters and cards from people that I have __________ for years, and ________, I get them out and reread them. They can turn a depressing day into one when you ________ just how blessed and loved you are.

Life is too ________ to leave kind words unsaid. The words you say, or the letter you write, might just make all the ________ in the world.

1.

A．shocked

B．excited

C．worried

D．confused

2.

A．loved

B．hated

C．judged

D．criticized

3.

A．explaining

B．describing

C．advising

D．thinking

4.

A．threw

B．poured

C．filled

D．crowded

5.

A．comfortable

B．disappointed

C．discouraged

D．cheerful

6.

A．what

B．how

C．where

D．why

7.

A．when

B．because

C．after

D．before

8.

A．mean

B．symbolize

C．refer

D．represent

9.

A．admired

B．appreciated

C．accepted

D．affected

10.

A．sounds

B．actions

C．opinions

D．ideas

11.

A．useful

B．hopeful

C．thankful

D．wonderful

12.

A．inform

B．notice

C．tell

D．ask

13.

A．go by

B．go over

C．go out

D．go off

14.

A．special

B．strange

C．difficult

D．funny

15.

A．indicates

B．expresses

C．displays

D．discovers

16.

A．bought

B．written

C．sent

D．saved

17.

A．first of all

B．in the end

C．now and then

D．at a time

18.

A．realize

B．recognize

C．recall

D．remember

19.

A．long

B．short

C．hard

D．easy

20.

A．effect

B．influence

C．difference

D．function

9 . Emerson, my 11-year-old daughter, is constantly contacting with the United States Postal Service (USPS)and our mail carrier, Doug. She las a serious letter-writing habit and maintains correspondence with her favorite people. If you've been the receiver of her hand-decorated letters and envelopes, then I know they really make your day.

A letter from Emerson is likely to include some art, a joke and enough questions to guarantee a response. But when she wrote a letter to Doug, she put something new in it: "You may know me as the person living here that writes lots of letters...You're very important to me, helping me stay in touch with friends. I cheer people up with my letters, but you do too!"

The next day, a package arrived with two letters. One was from Doug and the other from his superior, Sara, saying she had shared Emerson's note in the internal newsletter of the USPS and believed many postal folks wanted to thank Emerson. Emerson was so pleased with the letter that it upset me much, for the possible result of no reply would come as a blow to her.

Surprisingly, today, we saw Doug come with two boxes of letters from around the country. These letters were so human, filled with family, pets and a sense of kindness. But there was something more in them. People felt seen—some for the first time in a long time. "I work alone in a small rural post office..." "Not many people think about how hard we work…" Emerson wrote back seriously.

I'm sharing this not because I'm a proud dad, but because it's relatively easy, if we take the time, to give others links they need to be well. We all want to be seen, known and loved. Send a letter. Give a call. Take a step of bravery, like Emerson.

1. What do we know about Emerson's letters?

A．They make receivers joyful.

B．They are all about family and pets.

C．They contain many practical jokes.

D．They are written to postal folks.

2. According to Paragraph 3, the author felt unsettled because__________.

A．Emerson was too delighted with the package.

B．there might be no answer to Emerson's note.

C．postal folks would like to express their gratitude.

D．Sara had shared Emerson's note without permission.

3. Which word can best describe Emerson?

A．Humorous.

B．Serious.

C．Ambitious.

D．Caring.

4. What can be concluded from the text?

A．Courage lightens the blow.

B．Brief is life but love is long.

C．Connection makes a difference.

D．Life without a friend is death.

10 . The last thing I wanted to hear when my government-sponsored scholarship was withdrawn during my final year of college was: "Things are working out for your own good. Just give them some time." Those words just stirred a lot of anger in me.

Then I read the story of the Chinese bamboo farmer, which gave me a different view on life. The seed of the Chinese bamboo is planted in the ground like every seed. It is watered, and fed with nutrients daily, but it shows no immediate physical response and doesn't appear to grow. The farmer continues to water and feed the seed in year one, year two, and year three. No growth is seen until the fourth year, when the seed finally breaks through the ground. Then, in the space of just five weeks, it grows ninety feet tall. The Chinese bamboo grows to its full capacity within 5 years.

Despite not seeing an immediate result, the farmer had trust in what he was doing. He continued to water and feed the plant for four years, because he believed that if he played his own role and did all that a farmer was supposed to do, then he would be given his reward at the right time. That trust and patience is what kept the farmer persistently feeding his seed for four years before enjoying the reward in the end.

Life is not always straightforward. Most often, it's not a matter of 5+5 =10 (Sum 1).

Life can be more like 2+1+2+0+0+0+1+2+0+0+1 + 1=10 (Sum 2).

Both sums lead to the same result, but through quite different paths and processes. To be mature is to accept that things might look rough right now but the story can still have a great ending.

We might live in a microwave generation where everything seems to happen instantly; but many things still obey the laws of nature. Just doing what you are supposed to be doing, having patience like the Chinese bamboo farmer, and trusting that things will work out for you can help you get through the toughest times.

1. What happened to the author in the final year of college?
2. How does the Chinese bamboo grow in the fourth year?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
To overcome difficulties, we need to trust that things will work out and simply wait patiently for the great ending to come.
4. Which is your life more like, Sum 1 or Sum 2? Explain why. (about 40 words)