1 . Directions: Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Do note that there is one word more than you need in each passage.

What My Wife and I Talk about When We Talk about Love

A. company       B. weather       C. desirable       D. restore       E. readily       F. considering G. sharpen       H. hesitation       I. peacefully       J. access       K. inconvenience

My wife used to believe that romantic love is the most important and exciting thing in the entire world when she was a teenager. And the mark of true love is when two good-looking boys get in a physical fight over her. It’s even     1     that they both get injured but don’t end up going to hospital, not because she is worried about them but because it may cause her a lot of     2     and indirect responsibility. One day this will certainly happen to her, if she’s lucky. So you might understand her anger and frustration when I told her that if the other male competitor I have to “fight” with weighs more than 100 kilograms, I will simply hand her over to him without     3    , wish them a happy marriage and walk away with the feeling that tomorrow is another day.

Fortunately, we’ve both grown a lot older and grown out of expecting our life partner to “die” for us     4    . The older we get, the more honest, open and vulnerable we allow each other to be. One of the hardest things about getting older and being in love is knowing when something is just reality and when it’s too much hard work. Identifying what the calm, joyful but often challenging sensation of long-term love is and identifying what has just become totally intolerable is where we all have to really     5     our instincts.

Shared interests are one of the most overrated     6     factors when it comes to choosing a partner. Deciding that someone is a good person, or your soulmate, or made of exactly the same stuff as you just because you both love the music of Faye Wong is ridiculous. Having the same Agatha Christie collection or enjoying most of the movies directed by Richard Linklater will not help you     7     the various unexpected storms of life together.

A much more crucial factor in terms of finding a partner is how much you love their     8    . Since my son was born, I have experienced firsthand how overwhelming it is to be a working parent of a newborn. It has become even more apparent to me that the most important thing in a relationship is how well married couples work as a team. Couples need to be really, really good friends.

When you’re looking for love, and it seems like you might not ever find it, remember you probably have     9     to plenty of love already, just not the romantic kind. This kind of love might not kiss you in the rain or propose marriage. But it will listen to you, inspire and     10     you. It will hold you when you cry and celebrate when you smile. You can carry it with you and keep it as close to you as you can.

2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. necessarily     B. fade     C. survive     D. expectation     E. harsh     F. treasure    G. quantity     H. dramatically     I. comfort     J. relate     K. reflect

Things I’ve Learned From My First Year Of High School

I just finished my first year of high school, and it has been     1     different from middle school. High school has brought me so many different experiences. Some I am grateful for, yet some have not been beneficial. However, all of them have taught me so many different things, and I would not have been able to     2     my first year of high school without them. The things I have learned have been so helpful to me and can also     3     to things outside of school.

1. You’re expected to demonstrate maturity and responsibility

High school teachers won’t     4     “hold your hand” as much as middle school teachers did. Your teachers may move faster through lessons. When you have questions or meet with     5     challenges, it’s important to speak up. If speaking up makes you nervous at first, you can start by using email to build your     6     level and confidence.

High school teachers enforce higher standards, and most don’t tolerate some of the behaviors that were acceptable in middle school. Again, the goal is to prepare you for college and real life. Even if the     7     seems tough at first, remember that you’re learning helpful and important life skills.

2. Find out who your true friends are

Genuine friends are friends that you can tell everything to and they will not tell anyone else without your permission. They are also there whenever you need them, whether that is to rant or you just need a shoulder to cry on. When you find your true friends, stick with them. The thing about friends is: quality over     8    .

To be honest, high school is not easy at first, but with time, you will get to appreciate and     9     everything around your experiences. The memory will never     10    , because it is the most memorable journey. I have learned so much during my first year of high school, and I am sure that I am going to learn a lot more.

3 . 用方框中所给词的适当形式填空，使短文通顺、正确、连贯(每个单词限用一次)

you   work   be   high   though   imagine   price   dream   towards     once

As a child, I would spend hours dreaming about my future. I imagined having a beautiful home. I also    1    of being a teacher, pianist or world traveler. Dreaming encouraged me to set goals and learn new skills like painting, knitting and cooking. When I dreamed, I realized the chances in life    2     endless.

A dream is something that you    3    might happen. Once you have a dream, you can create a goal. A goal is something that you can work    4    in the future. Goals turn dreams into reality.

Perhaps you want to change something about    5    . Maybe you want to lose weight, exercise more every week or earn    6    grades. You may want to read 10 books this year or travel to another country. These are specific goals.

    7    you have a goal, create a strategy that will help you reach that goal. Dreams are free. But goals have a     8    . You must spend time, money and effort to reach them. If you want to learn an instrument, then you must take lessons and practice. It is not always easy, but your hard    9    will pay off.

Finally, don’t give up your goals. At times, you may get discouraged     10    . Work hard and you can reach your goals!

4 . 选词填空

A. impact       B. pursue       C. superiority       D. address       E. consciously       F. lack G. reluctantly       H. opposite       I. involved       J. specific       K. limited

Although literally hundreds of traps can open a gateway to team disaster, the following traps are among the most common ones that need to be discussed.

Leader Abdication (退位)

Some managers, in their sincere efforts to be good team leaders, make a serious mistake: they withdraw from their group and     1     avoid interacting with team members. They wrongly assume that the best way they can help the team become more self-directed is by personally becoming less     2    .

Team Arrogance (自大)

A team can become so focused on achieving its own goals that it does not consider the     3     its actions may have on other groups or organizations. Outsiders see the team as arrogant and cruel. Insiders see the team as effective and misunderstood. Overall, the team’s belief in its own     4     has a damaging effect on the performance of the organization as a whole.

Undefined Responsibility

In this trap, a team may regularly make decision on which no following action is ever taken. Members are then frustrated by the collective     5     of responsibility. In instances where action is taken and the execution is poor or a mistake is made, no one takes responsibility. It is rarely clear who is responsible for     6     action items, and when an action item is regarded as the responsibility of the entire team, nothing happens.

Short-term Focus

Failure to see the “big picture” can lead a team to     7     strategies that help improve its own performance but leave the rest of the organization in a mess. Not having the information that allows seeing the forest rather than the trees can lead to suspect plans and poorly reasoned decision.

Decision by Default (默认)

Teams that have a tendency to repeatedly postpone difficult decisions will find that their options become increasingly     8    . Ironically, by hesitating, the team finally makes a decision—by default rather than by informed choices.

Participation Tricks

Tricks to increase employee involvement and participation—like suggestion boxes—can actually have the     9     effect. When individuals are rewarded for contributing suggestions through cash, there is little incentive (激励) for team members to work together to     10     problems and implement solutions.

5 . Directions:Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. emphasis B. compliments C. attempt D. current E. create F. reverse G. confidently H. fades I. simplify J. positively

The business of beauty is shining everywhere. Women are spending much of their time and money on buying beauty products in order to get     1    from others. Even in the third world countries, women living below the poverty line, buy cheap wig and substandard beauty products, which do more harm to their skin than good.

Youthful beauty     2     with time, but, with cultivation, inner beauty grows rich. The good news is that it’s never too late or too soon to lay much     3     on your inner beauty. A good place to start is to     4     self-awareness by locating your passions and using them     5    . Then your dinner beauty will grow and radiate to your outer self.

Believe that you have an inner self to explore and that you are willing to let yourself develop your innate talents and gifts. Here are a few quotes about     6     ideas to consider carefully.

“Go     7     into the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you     8     your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler!”--Henry David Thoreau.

“Often people    9     to live their lives backward: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the     10    . You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.”--Manager Young.

6 . Directions：Complete the following passage by using the words in the box.Each word can only be used once.Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. complicated     B.concern     C.disruptions     D. eventually     E.frequent     F.healing G.holding        H.reminder     I. representatively   J. vocalizing     K.zero

Secrets are bad for your health

I grew up in a Midwestern town where the popular wisdom was to only talk about what was pleasant and to keep secrets，if necessary，to make that happen.This meant staying silent when someone offended you，rarely     1     negative feelings and smiling a little more than is necessary. It also meant     2     room for airing any sort of dirty laundry，especially not the kinds of personal secrets that keep people up at night.

Many of us like to believe that sweeping unpleasant truths under the rug might make them     3     go away. Instead，keeping secrets--especially heavy ones--can spin an even more     4     web of isolation and deception. So why do we do it？

The truth can hurt. But in many situations，it s better to get it out and let the     5     start，rather than allowing it to become more dangerous.The burden of     6     in the truth doesn't just disappear. It hides itself in the back of your mind and can cause a number of     7       to your life and health.

"If the situations in your daily life are regular     8     of the secret，and you find it stressful to keep it，then yes，it can have emotional and physical consequences.” says Dr.Dean McKay. “Some people also find keeping secrets stressful out of a general     9     that they will 'slip’. This     10     and recurring thought of the secret can in itself be stressful.”

7 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从方框中选择适当的词并用正确的形式填空。

strive for greatness          wipe out             die out            be committed to be to blame                 in one's attempt to          get ahead       up to in short take action               set so apart            at risk of            boil down to

Why do Olympic athletes push themselves to the limits? One of the Olympic triathletes personifies the phrase herself.

To get to the top, she has made an endless list of sacrifices and it     1     this: she was born with an enormous amount of drive and determination. From a small girl, she would stay in at lunchtime just to     2     on class work; she would ride on the bus on her own at ten years old and go to swim 100 length is of the pool. This was time she could have spent with friends, playing and engaging in other pursuits. Later,     3     achieve glory in professional, she had undergone much physical and mental intensity. However, inspired by another stellar triathlete, she was always willing to do an extra little bit during her every workout, which gradually     4     from the other competitors.

Having been through fears and tears, she never regrets. To reach the winner's platform, athletes should     5     their sport. It is hard to live a life in a normal and balanced way, but these words are not used for the athletes who     6    .

8 . Directions：Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once Note that there is one word more than you need.

A.definitely；B.suffering；C.acceptance；D.discouraged；E. supposedly F.terms；G.optimism；H.sustained；I. punishing；J.favored；K.obstacle

Happiness is not natural.It is a here human construct. A state of contentment(let alone happiness) is     1     by our genetic design because it would lower our guard against possible threats to our survival.

Chasing happiness is like chasing an elusive ghost, but the positive thinking industry claims to know its secrets.Self-help was popularized by Norman Vincent Peale, a colorful American pastor,       2    by several Republican presidents, including Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. He invented “positive thinking'", a concept now deeply embedded in our culture and steadily growing in influence.The global personal development industry was valued at S38.28 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a rate of 5.1%.

Popular films and books are full of     3     inspirational statements about how all you need to do is believe in yourself and then you'll be able to achieve anything in life. This is simply, and obviously, not true. I don't think there is a need to explain that many obstacles and misfortunes in life are inevitable, or unsurmountable. Our ancestors knew this, and many philosophical and religious traditions are based on the     4     that being alive is a very challenging task,which comes with significant amounts of suffering. It goes without saying that we should do all we can to maximize our sense of well-being and minimize our suffering, but the end result cannot be a state of     5     happiness.We are not designed that way.

The self-help genre is not a homegeneous beast, however. It is,in fact, ironie how self-help books on happiness and those on how to make it big in life are lumped together in the same bookshop shelves, given that many of the former tell us that caring too much about the latter is the main     6     to happiness.

The inevitable clash between mandatory     7     and the realities of our existence comes with a heavy psychological price. It could be argued that positive psychology blames those who are suffering for their     8     ,as it is based on the misconception that unhappiness is entirely avoidable.It follows therefore that an unhappy person must be inadequate and incompetent.Positive psychology encourages people who are struggling with a particular goal to persevere in the face of unfavorable odds, which is much more     9     psychologically in the long run than accepting defeat.

I believe that coming to     10    with life as it is,and not the happiness industry tells us it could be, will make us happier, and we will feel more at peace with ourselves and with the world. Unfortunately, the devil always has the best tunes.