As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact    1    these huge creatures were being held by only a thin rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no    2     (cage). It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds. But for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these elephants just stood there and made no attempt     3    (get) away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they were very young and much     4     (small), we used the same size rope to tie them, and at that age, it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they     5     (condition) to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them,    6    they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These elephants could at any time break free from their bonds but because they     7     (believe) they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life    8     (hang) onto the belief that we cannot do something,    9     (simple) because we failed in it once before?

    10     (fail) is part of learning. We should never give up the struggle in life.

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

I can well remember that I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class at the age of 9! You can imagine how     1     (terrible) shy I was with so many eyes       2       (fix) upon me. I had no     3     (choose) but to prepare for it, though. First of all, I was to draft the speech, which was just a piece of cake for me, a good writer. But the hardest part     4     (lie) in my oral presentation from my memory— for to read from the paper was not allowed. The real moment began     5         I stood on the platform with my legs trembling and my mind blank. But my listeners were waiting patiently without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found myself back,     6     (deliver) my speech with difficulty. After what seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding— I made     7    ! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my     8     (confident) building up, I now turn out to be a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way         9     success is our fear. Overcome it     10     we will be able to achieve our goals.

Generally     1     (speak), a motto is a short and suggestive     2     (express) of a guiding principle,     3     can inspire people to work for self-betterment. My motto is "God helps those who help     4     (they)". Sometimes I am lazy and don't want to work,     5     the moment I think of my motto I will become     6     (energy) again and devote myself to what I am doing. I write my motto where I can see it     7     (easy). Every time     8     (face) with difficulty, I will     9     (inspire)with much confidence by the sight of my moto. My motto also makes me become     10     independent person. My friends, what is your motto?

A man was caught and thrown into a pit (坑) of about “40 feet” deep. He struggled trying to get out of the pit,     1    the more he tried, the weaker his muscles became. He said to himself, “I don't know how    2    (get) myself out of this. Maybe I should just die instead of enduring these miserable struggles and pains.”

Just then, he heard a voice screaming, “Help! Help!! Help!!!” The shouts were coming from another pit,     3    was 10 feet more deeper than the one he was in. “Wow, so there is somebody else like me     4     (stick) here too,” He thought to himself.

Listening     5    (careful), he heard some cracking and sand dropping from     6    wall of the pit of the other victim. Immediately he summed up his courage and with his last bit of strength,     7    (start) crawling\little by little until he made it out of his pit.

When you go through pains, remember that there are people pain     8     (badly) off than you. Always say something sweet to yourself. Always smile at your pains. Try to     9     (courage) yourself. Look at yourself in the mirror, beat your chest and say, “I can make     10    and I can stand the test of time.”

I was returning home from work because of a call from my mother. Shiv kaka, a     1    (distance) uncle of my mother’s from a small village was going to visit us. Actually, I hadn’t even known of him before. But surprisingly, I     2    (draw) to his simplicity the moment I saw him. I listened to him     3     great excitement at dinner. He had travelled on a     4    (crowd) train to meet us,     5     was clearly a long and tiring journey. He told us that his daughter was married, and     6     one of his sons had set up his own business and the other was a successful doctor. He just owned a piece of land and two cows. Yet he was proud of     7     fact that he was financially independent. Besides, he enjoyed playing with his grandchildren after his busy farm work. He insisted on giving me some money as a gift before he left. But the most     8    (touch) bit was his words, “Live     9    (simple) and appreciate what you have. This is the key to my happiness.”

We are all taught to aim for higher goals, and then we are buried by endless dreams, which leaves us little time     10    (notice) the small but beautiful things around us. I am grateful to Shiv kaka because he taught me such an important lesson.

One day, on my way home I was stopped by a robber,     1     face was covered with a piece of cloth,     2    (leave) his two eyes exposed. The robber ordered me to give him money at once.

At first, I gave him     3    ten-yuan note.     4     the money did not satisfy him. Instead, he raised     5    fist, threatening to beat me. This time I had to bring out more money——a 100-yuan note. But again he was not     6     (satisfy). He drew a knife upon me. I    7    (force) to search all of my pockets, but now I had none left.

I had no     8    (choose) but to raise my two fists to fight back. On seeing this, the robber was so frightened     9     he dropped his knife and ran away as fast as he could.

It has given me a good lesson that     10    we each dare to fight back, such things will be avoided.

To Be Joyful, To Be Young

What really works to make sustainable changes in diet and lifestyle? It’s probably not what you think. In the past 30 years of conducting clinical research, I     1    (learn) that real keys are pleasure, joy and freedom. Why? Because life is to be enjoyed. There’s no point     2    (abandon) something you enjoy unless you get something back that’s even better, and quickly. When people eat more healthfully, quit smoking, and manage stress better, they find they feel so much better, so quickly.     3     you exercise and eat right, your brain     4     (receive) more blood flow and oxygen, so you become smarter, have more energy, and need less sleep. Two studies showed just walking for three hours per week for only three months caused so many neurons     5     (grow) that it actually increased     6     size of people’s brains! Your face receives more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. You look younger and     7     attractive. In contrast, an     8    (health) diet and smoking speeds up aging because nicotine contributes     9     your blood vessel becoming narrower,     10    decreases blood flow to your face and makes it wrinkle prematurely.

An old carpenter(木匠) was ready to retire.

His boss was sorry     1    (see)the good worker go. He asked the carpenter     2     he could build one more house. The carpenter     3    (say) yes, but his mind wasn’t on his work any more.

    4     (use)poor materials, he worked on the house carelessly. When the house     5    (complete), the boss handed him the front-door key. “This house is now yours,” he said, “as a reward for your     6    (devote)over the years.”

What a surprise! What a shame! Had he known he was building his own house, he would have done it differently. Now he had to live in the house poorly built by himself.

So it is with us. Sometimes we build our lives carelessly. At important points we don’t try     7    (we) best. Then with a shame we find ourselves living in the house we have poorly built. But we don’t have a chance to make it all over again.

Think of yourself     8     the carpenter. Build your life     9    (wise). Your life today is     10     result of your attitudes and choices you made in the past. Your life tomorrow will be that of your attitudes and choices you make today.

I dream to be     1    popular teacher in the future because I hope I can bring knowledge and     2    (happy) to children. With time passing by，my wonderful middle school life is coming to the end. Just   when I entered Sunshine School，I was a childish boy     3    liked playing computer games. I still remembered my first midterm exam. I failed many subjects. I even thought about     4    (give) up. It was Ms Zhang who encouraged me     5    (face)the difficulties bravely.     6     the help of my teacher，I redoubled my efforts. Nowadays，I     7    (overcome) difficulties and always do well in the school subjects.Thanks to Ms Zhang，I have gained a lot both in my study       8     in my life. I hope I can be as     9     (excellently) as my teacher.

All in all，I will learn harder to get more knowledge so as to lay a good foundation for my future. I will make full use of my every second and make my dream come true. I believe I can     10    (success)!

An influential American philosopher used to say “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go to do it because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

What makes you come alive? How are you     1    (find)aliveness in your living? Only when paying attention     2    what makes us come alive, we experience awakening,     3     (aware) and consciousness in how we live.

Brie Seavey     4    shared her story of experiencing    5    inspiring awakening about five years ago, says the lesson she has learned is trying     6    (move) forward no matter what kind of struggle you may have. If people or things bring you happiness, then surround    7    (you) with them and if they bring heart ache,     8    (calm)down. You can complicate    9    simplify the problem as it is all up to you.

Just like Brie, I believe life can be light and cheerful as long as we find     10    (mean)ways to live, to come alive and feel alive. We can prove that art is not a fantasy and our lives is art itself, and we are the artist, the world is our canvas(画布).