1 . 阅读下面短文，从方框中选择适当的词或短语，并用其适当形式填空。每个词或短语只用一次。

value       courage       strong       honest       give up positive       prepare       effort       focus on       in return

If I Were a Boy Again

If I were a boy again, I would try hard to talk to myself     1     to learn about my own weaknesses and     2     , and I would begin early enough, before faults (缺点) had time to become habits.

If I were a boy again, I would practise perseverance (毅力), and never     3     because it was hard to do something. If we want light, we must beat darkness. There is nothing more     4     than perseverance when the right thing needs to be done.

If I were a boy again, I would build a habit of attention, and I would let nothing come between me and my goals. When we are young, one of our great mistakes is that we do not strictly     5     what we are doing at that particular moment. If we begin early and put a lot of     6    , it is easy to learn how to pay attention.

If I were a boy again, I would try to become a brave person. I would consider     7     as one of the highest achievements of life. Dangers will appear in any place, at any time, but staying calm will often get over the worst danger. Be     8     for any potential danger and show your bravery.

If I were a boy again, I would look on the     9     side of everything. Life is like a mirror; if you smile upon it, it smiles back again on you, but if you frown(皱眉), you will be sure to get a similar look     10     . Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but all who come in contact with it.

2 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从方框中选出能填入文中空白处的最合适的单词或短语，并将相应标号（ABCDE……）涂在答题卡上。注意，其中有两个多余选项。

A. troubled       B. adult       C. sharing       D. expert       E. accepted       F. solution G. hints       H. inspired       I. prevent       J. curious       K. determined       L. encourages

I’ve noticed I am the queen of unwanted advice to my     1     children and I’m hardly alone in this.

When they tell me about things that have    2     them, I become a(n)    3     on everything and anything, which I'm obviously not. I can’t help going into Mom mode, “You should ...”, “You need to consider ...”. I want to be part of their lives and    4     them from   making mistakes that are obvious to me. But they just want a listening ear and an open heart. They are not looking for tips and       5       and they may not even want an immediate       6     to their problems. They are looking for a safe place to talk with a person who loves and    7     them. Though we may see ourselves     8     the wisdom of our years with them, they see a controlling parent who hasn’t    9     the fact that they’re adults with their own thoughts and feelings.

But I'm learning very slowly that talking at is not the same as talking with. I’ve decided to become a better parent by being a better listener. It’s not an easy task, but I am    10    .

4 . 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. defense     B. avoid       C. believing     D. mistake     E. required       F. critical G. cheating     H. ashamed     I. identify       J. confirm       K. similar

We are each responsible for our own decisions, even if the decision-making process has been cut down by stress or peer pressure. The real test of character is whether we can learn from our     1    , by understanding why we acted as we did, and then exploring ways to avoid     2     problems in the future.

Making ethical (伦理的)decisions is a(n)     3     part of avoiding future problems. We must learn to recognize risks, because if we can’t see the risks we’re taking, we can’t make responsible choices. To     4     risks, we need to know the rules and be aware of the facts. For example, one who doesn’t know the rules about plagiarism (剽窃) may accidentally use words or ideas without giving proper credit or one who fails to keep careful research notes may unintentionally fail to quote and cite sources as     5    . But the fact that such a violation is “unintentional” does not excuse the misconduct. Ignorance is not a     6    .

Most people who get in trouble do know the rules and facts, but manage to fool themselves about the risks they’re taking by using excuses: “Everyone else does it,” “I’m not hurting anyone,” or “I really need this grade.” Excuses can get very complex: “I know I’m looking at another’s exam, even though I’m supposed to keep my eyes on my own paper, but that’s not     7     because I’m just checking my answers, not copying.” We must be honest about our actions, and     8     excuses. If we fool ourselves into     9     we’re not doing anything wrong, we can’t see the real choice we’re making--and that leads to bad decisions.

To avoid fooling yourself, watch out for excuses and try this test: Ask how you would feel if your actions were public, and anyone could be watching over your shoulder. Would you feel proud or     10     of your actions? If you’d rather hide your actions, that’s a good indication that you’re taking a risk and rationalizing it to yourself.

5 .

A lot of people are determined to become a millionaire. They spend half their time     1    ways of getting rich, and the rest of their time thinking about all the enjoyable things they would do once they got rich. Some millionaires continue to     2     money when they become millionaires. But Charles Gray is one of the people who have     3     their millions. He used to be a college professor with a huge six-bedroom house and $ 2 million. However, he     4     being a person who had everything in a world where many people had nothing. Therefore, he     5     to give all his money away.

Now he appreciates this change and feels much happier.

6 . Overcoming Obstacles: How Your Biggest Failure Can Lead to Your Success

There’s been a lot written on the theme of failure and how essential it is to success. In a world where     1     is given for people’s accomplishments, failing feels dangerous. The fear of failure can stop people taking risks that might lead to success.

Heidi Grant Halvorson, a psychologist, points out much of success is     2     not on talent but on learning from your mistakes.

About half of the people in the world hold that ability in an area --- be it creative or social skill --- is natural. The other half believes, instead, that someone might have a preference or something --- say painting or speaking foreign languages --- but this ability can be improved through     3     practice or training.

It’s almost impossible to think rationally (理性地) while shouting at yourself, “I’m a failure”. But when you     4     your thinking, you will probably see what you can control --- your behavior, your planning, your reactions --- and change them.

The primary     5     between successful people and unsuccessful people is that the successful people fail more. If you see failure as a monster approaching you, take another look.

Success is as scary as failure. Researchers report that satisfaction grows on challenges. Think about it --- a computer game you can always win is boring; one you can win     6    , and with considerable effort, is fun. In pursuit of success, failure exposes areas that you need to     7    . So the failure serves as a brick wall to test how you apply yourself to     8     your objectives and how much you want them.

There is a way to distinguish whether a failure     9     you to double down or walk away, says Halvorson. If, when things get rough, you remain fascinated by your goal, you should keep going. If what you’re doing is costing you too much time and energy or it’s not bringing you joy, you should give a second thought to the     10     of your goal and even set a new one.