1 . I was a shy girl. I didn’t even like to answer the telephone for fear I’d have to talk to somebody I didn’t know. I enjoyed the loneliness of exploring nature. However, at school I had to spend all day in the company of others. My escape was reading. I spend a lot of time studying and was rewarded with good grades. My only failure was Spanish — I’d get all As on my written work and tests, but Ds and Fs on the spoken part.
Eventually I went to college. During my third year of college, I had enough of being shy and determined to change my outlook and behavior. One day while at school, I noticed an advertisement for positions on the local classical music radio station. I had grown up listening to classical music, and I could easily pronounce names such as Tchaikovsky, Albinoni, and Chopin.
I had absolutely no background in radio, and absolutely no hope of getting the job. The idea of talking to thousands of listeners in “radio land” terrified me. However, I luckily survived the interview. I was given brief descriptions of symphonies (交响乐) and a public service announcement to read, and a list of composers’ names to pronounce. It wasn’t hard for me. I left the recording session (录音时段) with a sense of relief and a sense of accomplishment. About two weeks later I actually landed the job. It was a challenging job, but I grew to enjoy it greatly. I began to feel comfortable talking to people.
Although I now spend many hours each week talking with people, I’m still basically a quiet person. Perhaps it is my soft voice and my quiet nature that helps draw people out as they respond to my questions as I interview them. My former shyness is a fortune, as I can relate to people who feel discomfortable when they talk to newspaper reporters. I still enjoy moments of loneliness and the peace found in nature. But I’m also glad I decided to make a change in my life that has opened many doors and opportunities that I never knew existed.
1. What do we learn about the author?| A．She didn’t like reading. | B．She enjoyed shyness in nature. |
| C．She wasn’t interested in music. | D．She didn’t work hard enough. |
| A．Very excited. | B．Pretty confident. |
| C．Highly confused. | D．Extremely anxious. |
| A．It makes others feel less comfortable. | B．It is beneficial for her challenging job. |
| C．It prevents her being a newspaper reporter. | D．It draws a negative response from audiences. |
| A．desire to find her true self | B．feeling about being a radio hostess |
| C．story of exploring the meaning of life | D．experience and feeling of overcoming shyness |
2 . The television this morning was displaying some new adventure movie about the hunt for a treasure ship full of gold.
Where did this desire for treasure come from? I know I myself am guilty of it. As a boy I would walk in the woods and daydream of finding buried treasure there. Then as an adult I would fantasize about some unknown relative leaving me a fortune or of my two self-published books becoming best sellers.
Then how shall we look for treasure? The true treasure of life is already inside of you.
| A．While our lives may not be perfect, we are happy. |
| B．You just need to open the chest and spend it like crazy. |
| C．It doesn’t necessarily mean we need to dig holes to find treasure. |
| D．Maybe the real problem is that we are all looking for the wrong treasure. |
| E．It reminded me of all the other movies just like it I had seen over the years. |
| F．Treasure is usually defined as gathered wealth in the form of money or jewels. |
| G．Perhaps we all just think that having a lot of money will solve all of our problems. |
3 . Way back in 1953, high school mathematics looked like a big problem for me and several of my classmates. When we reached the 9th grade, we got Mr.Iyer, the strict math teacher who was also our class teacher. He always stuck to his discipline. We had to arrive on time, pay attention to his lectures, and never neglect (忽视) any of his homework.
As he was our class teacher, we got to know him better. Noticing some of us were fidgety one day as the midterm exams approached, he stopped solving a mathematical problem to ask us why. “There’s too much to do,” we sighed. “We’re afraid we’ll never manage to finish our review before the exams.”
“Nothing is impossible,” Mr.Iyer told us. “This classroom is on the second floor. Do you have trouble reaching here?”
We reacted with blank (茫然的) eyes.
“No, you don’t!” he said, answering his own question. “You have a staircase to help you climb up to this level. No one expects you to make it in two giant leaps. You simply take one step at a time. Any task can be solved if you focus on the next action to be taken. The rest will take care of itself, if you keep at it. One step at a time. That’s the secret.”
Then he wrote down an old motto on the blackboard: “The longest journey starts with a single step.” Having heard his staircase analogy (比拟), we saw him in a new light.
Most of my classmates scored distinctions (优等评分) in math. And I went on to become an English teacher. To this day, whenever I pass on Mr. Iyer’s invaluable advice to my own students, they brighten up at the sight of a lighter academic burden.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Math was difficult for most of the author’s classmates. |
| B．The students thought Mr.Iyer was not a good teacher. |
| C．Mr.Iyer was serious about his job and strict with the students. |
| D．Mr.Iyer would punish the students neglecting his discipline. |
| A．Hard-working. | B．Nervous. | C．Excited. | D．Calm. |
| A．They thought reaching the second floor had no connection with the worry. |
| B．They were too tired to understand any words Mr.Iyer said in class. |
| C．They were surprised that Mr.Iyer would talk about such an unbelievable problem. |
| D．They had no interest in any subjects that were no good for their exams. |
| A．one can reach his goals very easily |
| B．the goals can be reached step by step |
| C．there is only one step between success and failure |
| D．tasks can be achieved with the help of the teacher |
4 . One day, two old friends were walking through the desert. During the journey they had a quarrel, and one friend couldn't control himself and hit the other one in the face.
The one who was hit was hurt, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he wrote in the sand, "Today my best friend hit me in the face."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis(绿洲). They decided to get some water. The one who was hit fell into the mire(泥潭) and was in danger, but the friend saved him.
When he felt all right, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."
The one who had hit and saved his best friend felt surprised and asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand but now you write on a stone. Why?"
The other friend replied," When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can blow it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must write it in stone where no wind can ever blow it away!"
Since then the two friends have never quarreled with each other again and they got on better with each other.
1. Why did one friend hit the other in the face?| A．Because he didn't win the quarrel. | B．Because he won the quarrel. |
| C．Because he couldn't express himself. | D．Because he couldn't control himself. |
| A．Because he wanted to remember his being hit. |
| B．Because he wanted to express his anger. |
| C．Because he wanted to forget his being hit. |
| D．Because he wanted other people to know his friend was cruel. |
| A．Because he wanted to forget his friend. |
| B．Because he wanted to remember his friend. |
| C．Because he didn't want to forget his friend's kindness. |
| D．Because he wanted others to learn from his friend. |
| A．Remember a friend's kindness and forget his shortcoming（缺点） |
| B．Forget your friend's shortcoming |
| C．How to forgive a friend |
| D．It is difficult to make friends |
5 . When Spring cleaning season rived this year I decided that it was time to get rid of more than just a Winter’s worth of dust and dirt. It was the time to get rid of years worth of accumulated (累积的) stuff as well. This stuff was lining my walls, filling my shelves, and crowding my closets. This stuff was filling my home and my mind and not bringing me one bit of happiness. I couldn’t even remember how I got some of it, but I knew I wanted it gone.
It turned out to be an even bigger job than I thought. Twenty-year-old bills and receipts were thrown in the trash. Piles of papers were no longer necessary or needed. Broken bowls, dented pans, and cracked knickknacks were finally thrown away. Unworn clothes were taken out of the closet and packed to be given away to the local charity. Old books were boxed up to be passed on for others to read and enjoy.
It took several days to get it all done, but in the end I was able to walk through a home that seemed a little less messed. My heart was a lot lighter too. It felt so good to be able to get rid of all the junk and to just focus on the essential stuff in life again.
What is the essential stuff? What is the stuff that brings meaning to our days? A loving heart is essential. A joyful spirit is essential. A soul full of goodness and God is essential. And a life full of sharing all of these things is absolutely essential. The essential stuff can’t be bought, sold, or stored. It can only be chosen, created, and given away. The essential stuff is the stuff we all really want. It is the stuff we all really need.
1. Which word can describe the author’s feeling towards accumulated stuff?| A．Satisfied. | B．Curious. | C．Bored. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．It is a pity that 1 should store so much stuff. |
| B．I really don’t want to throw away such stuff. |
| C．The essential stuff is actually everywhere. |
| D．There is more unnecessary stuff than I think. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Technology. | C．Health. | D．Education. |
| A．It’s Time To Move On | B．What Matters Most |
| C．How To Get Rid Of Junk | D．What Is Junk |
6 . A long time ago, there was an emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he liked, then the emperor would give him the area of land he would have covered.
Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much as possible.
Finally, the horseman was exhausted and dying. He asked himself, “Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I need only a very small area to bury myself.”
The story above is similar with the journey of our life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to get power. We don’t pay attention to our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauties and the hobbies we love. One day when we look back, we will realize that we don’t really need that much.
Life is not only about making money, getting power. Life is definitely not only about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauties and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of work and play. Happiness is also the meaning and the purpose of life.
So, take it easy! Do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile and short.
1. What did the emperor promise to the horseman?| A．He could ride his horse. |
| B．He could get much land. |
| C．He could ride as fast as he wanted. |
| D．He could get as much land as he had covered on the horse. |
| A．He got what he wanted. | B．He got a lot of land area. |
| C．He got nothing. | D．He got a very small area. |
| A．We should enjoy life. |
| B．We only should pay attention to the work. |
| C．We should not only work hard but also enjoy the life. |
| D．We should work hard to make much money and get much power. |
| A．Because work is necessary. |
| B．Because life is fragile and short. |
| C．Because we couldn’t get enough power. |
| D．Because we couldn’t get enough money. |
7 . When I was a young man, I had a big ego (自负) and very little empathy (同理心). I thought I knew everything. I looked forward to fame and success. I can even remember proudly telling one of my friends in college: “If only everyone listened to me, they would all be happy.” I finally left school, ready to take on the world. Little did I know the world was about to take on me.
In the years following college, instead of success, I found struggles. I had trouble finding work. The jobs I did work at were either temporary or back-breaking and none of them paid well. When my wife and I had children, we were shocked to learn that not one but both of our sons had autis (自闭症) and would need to be taken care of for the rest of their lives. I had no idea why this had happened to us and I was very angry with the world.
In time, however, I began to change. My formerly massive ego was shrinking fast and my empathy was beginning to grow. Instead of finding joy in success, I found it in moments of love. Playing and laughing with my sons brought me so much happiness. My boys taught me more about peace, patience, kindness, joy, and unconditional love than I could have ever learned on my own. I began to share the lessons I learned through my writing and my life.
I finally realized that my purpose in this world had nothing to do with fame or success but everything to do with allowing love and light into my life and sharing it with everyone I could.
1. What was the author like when he was young?| A．He was popular. |
| B．He was a top student. |
| C．He was overconfident about his abilities. |
| D．He was warm-hearted to others. |
| A．found a tiring but well-paid job |
| B．wanted to live a challenging life |
| C．didn’t want to have children early |
| D．suffered many difficulties in life |
| A．The time with his family. |
| B．The books he wrote. |
| C．The difficulties in his work. |
| D．The improvement in his life. |
| A．Life can be very hard for some people. |
| B．Parents need to be patient with their kids. |
| C．It’s important to learn how to be a father. |
| D．The purpose of life is to share love. |
8 . I talked to one of my friends this morning. To make things easier, let’s call him Peter. Peter is an acting(代理的)manager in our company. He’s going to retire next year. I actually asked him whether he would apply for extension and maybe then he would become the manager. He simply answered “No, I don’t put off my retirement. I don’t need the “Manager” title to become successful either. In fact, I am already successful by my own definition(定义).”
His simple reply left me speechless. I then continued to ask him what he meant by that. He spent the next 30 minutes telling me how he had managed to send his son and daughter to learn medicine. He told me how hard it was for him to find almost $100,000 to make sure his children got the best education. Now they are very successful and Peter is very proud of what his children have achieved. This is where he thinks he succeeds in his life.
The story is truly encouraging. It tells me that the definition of success is different from one person to another. Some may consider becoming a manager is success. Another will consider bringing up successful children as their success.
Personally, I think Peter’s success is when he found out his personal definition of success. He knows that money and ranks are not success to him. That is why he didn’t ask for extension and fight for that “Manager” title.
What’s your definition of success? Peter did give me one tip to help me answer that question. If you answer “becoming a millionaire” as your definition of success, and you have made it as a millionaire, can you still smile and say “my life is complete”, knowing that today is your last day of your life?
1. The underlined word “extension” in the first paragraph means _______.| A．staying longer at work | B．giving up one’s job |
| C．adding more money | D．changing one’s job |
| A．Angry. | B．Calm. | C．Sad | D．Surprised. |
| A．teachers | B．doctors | C．managers | D．engineers |
9 . About five weeks ago, I noticed the skin of our pet lizard (蜥蜴) was growing dusty. It worried me. I reported the strange surface on the skin of the lizard to my husband and children the next morning. Seconds later, our lizard emerged from its tank with its old skin flowing behind it.
I didn't think about it much until a morning last week when I knocked my favorite teapot off the table. It burst into hundreds of pieces. As I swept up the mess, I wondered why we had been breaking so many things over the months.
The destruction started three months ago. It was my husband's birthday. He had just lost his job. The uncertainty was starting to wear on us, so I wanted to do something special.
"Let's make a cake for Dad!" I cried.
My kids screamed with joy. We baked, iced and sprinkled for most of the day. Candles on the cake! Balloons on the walls! Flowers on the table!
Two hours before my husband came back home from another job interview, my daughter climbed up to grab a glass vase from a high shelf. It fell and crashed beside the cake. Tiny pieces of glass were everywhere. She sobbed loudly as I threw the cake away. My husband had banana pudding for his birthday.
Three days ago, the light in our living room suddenly went out. After several frustrating hours of unsuccessful attempts to fix it, my husband suggested watching the Michael Jordan documentary (纪录片) series The Last Dance.
The poignancy (酸楚) of Jordan retiring from his beloved basketball to play baseball and what had pushed him to make such a tough decision took me by surprise. As I watched him take off his basketball uniform and replace it with a baseball uniform, I saw him leaving behind the layer that no longer served him, just as our lizard had. Neither of them chose the moment that had transformed them. But they had to live with who they were after everything was different. Just like us. I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind.
Humans do not shed skin (脱皮) as easily as other animals. The beginning of change is upsetting. The process is tiring. Damage changes us before we are ready. I see our lizard, raw and nearly new.
Jordan said that no matter how it ends, it starts with hope. With our tender, hopeful skin, that is where we begin.
1. What can we learn about the pet lizard from Paragraph 1?| A．Its tank grew dirty. | B．Its old skin came off. |
| C．It got a skin disease. | D．It went missing. |
| A．The birthday cake was ruined. | B．The author made good puddings. |
| C．Pudding was his favorite dessert. | D．They couldn't afford a birthday cake. |
| A．letting go of the past | B．looking for a new job |
| C．getting rid of a bad habit | D．giving up an opportunity |
| A．Love of family helps us survive great hardships. |
| B．It's not the end of the world if we break things. |
| C．We should move on no matter what happens. |
| D．Past experiences should be treasured. |
10 . The biggest misconception that I've ever heard of is that in order for us to find success in anything, we must be willing to give up something else.
Over the years, I've come to realize that isn't true. As I grow, I find several things are truly stopping us from living a more fulfilling life. Below are some.
Place limitations on yourself
On the surface, limitations are the things that stop you from achieving something.
Lack self-control
We all have some aspect about ourselves that we don't like.
Our ability to come up with creative solutions for our problems comes from our ability to learn and adapt. If you're not learning anything, you're not progressing. Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Learning never exhausts the mind." And I believe it.
Final thoughts
When you get stuck on something, you are never truly stuck
| A．Lack self confidence. |
| B．Lack learning and adaptability. |
| C．We shouldn't bottle up our own weaknesses. |
| D．Maybe you're someone who drinks a lot of alcohol or smokes. |
| E．It means that what you are currently doing isn't enough to get you over the barrier. |
| F．Whether it's career or health, one must be sacrificed in order for the other to succeed. |
| G．However, limitations are also the things that keep you restricted in the same life cycle. |
