1 . The most important life lesson I’ve learned from running is to run at my own pace. This lesson has guided me in many ways. _________, it made me challenge the fixed expectations of retirement and aging.

Running is a metaphor for life. I realized this while _________ for a marathon to celebrate my 60th birthday. All the other runners being faster than me made me _________. But my coach shared some valuable advice: run at your own best pace. Setting a goal or target time could be a _________. He was right. _________, I ran more easily and faster. I also enjoyed the experience much more.

I have _________ this principle to other areas of my life. Finding a rhythm is not about _________ or how many things I can get done in a day. It has more to do with what I decide to do at this stage in my life.

Running carries its own set of expectations, including what it meant to be a strong runner. But expectations also _________ to other areas of life, including what people at certain life stages should be doing or not doing. Expectations at my age can _________ how leisure time is spent, decisions about employment and even the role of a ____________.

I used to think it was young people who bore the brunt (冲击) of ____________, but older adults can experience it too. This is ____________, because often later in life is a time when we are less inclined to care about the opinions of others.

That is the message my running coach was trying to convey. ____________ what others are doing.

Their pace is not ____________ the pace you should run at. Run in your own way. It’s not better or worse -only ____________.

1.

A．In turn

B．In particular

C．In advance

D．In depth

2.

A．training

B．struggling

C．competing

D．searching

3.

A．pitiful

B．grateful

C．impressed

D．embarrassed

4.

A．resolution

B．practice

C．limitation

D．motivation

5.

A．Against time

B．Ahead of time

C．Of all time

D．Over time

6.

A．exposed

B．compared

C．applied

D．suggested

7.

A．music

B．business

C．requirement

D．efficiency

8.

A．subscribe

B．extend

C．contribute

D．refer

9.

A．center on

B．hope for

C．decide on

D．call for

10.

A．boss

B．grandparent

C．athlete

D．citizen

11.

A．peer pressure

B．separation anxiety

C．sleeping disorder

D．age discrimination

12.

A．natural

B．unacceptable

C．ironic

D．significant

13.

A．Mind

B．Expect

C．Forget

D．Abandon

14.

A．basically

B．gradually

C．alternatively

D．necessarily

15.

A．different

B．amazing

C．common

D．fair

2 . Everyone knows that the choices we make affect our future. Suppose I am an intelligent student with good marks. However, being lazy, I do badly in my examinations. I am refused entry to university and cannot find a good job. The golden future will never be.    1    

However, your choices affect your future in a way that is more complicated.    2     Your character is displayed through your choices, but it is also formed by them. Whenever you make a choice, your character changes or grows, depending on whether the decision you made is wise or foolish.     3     And so, you become the sort of person who will make a certain kind of choice in a certain situation.

    4     After all, the field of human choice is a narrow one. Most of the things that form us in our lives are not subject to choice. We cannot choose when and where to be born, whether our families will be rich or poor, kind or cruel. We cannot even entirely control who we will meet in our lives. With so much that we cannot choose, how can we be said to be responsible for anything?

However, we do have some power of choice, and we do control the most important thing of all: how we respond to circumstances.    5     It is our key to having confidence in the future. It is human nature to fear the future, as the future is unknown. You cannot entirely control what will happen to you tomorrow. But if you have confidence in your character, then you do know one thing for certain about the future: no matter what happens, you will make a choice that you will be proud of.

A．Some will argue this is not true.

B．All these are from a bad choice!

C．Too many choices can be confusing.

D．This ability to choose how we behave is a great gift.

E．We can choose to keep struggling in hard times, or to give up.

F．Your character is being made by you, bit by bit, choice by choice.

G．This is because nearly all the choices you make affect your character.

3 . One freezing morning last February, I walked through Ontario Place. Trees were frosted sculptures. Large chunks of ice floated in the lake. Then I saw a group of people in bathing suits bouncing up and down in the water. They held hands, shouting and yelling into the sky. They looked and sounded so free.

I’ve always found cold water thrilling. The shock of it is like pressing a switch. It seems to reset my body and soul.

And last winter, I definitely needed a reset. I woke up most mornings with a dull, grey feeling as I forced myself out of bed to start the day. I needed something to cheer myself up, but I didn’t know what, until that day.

The ice warriors (勇士) emerged from the lake, their skin steaming. Trembling, they were yet laughing and hugging each other. I called out:   “You guys are awesome!” One woman waved back, “Come and join us! We’ re here every Monday morning.”

The night before my first dip (游泳), I was excited and nervous. Cold water was one thing, but this icy lake was a whole other level. Should I back out? Eventually, I got up in the dark and drove to the meeting spot.

After some wild warm up, I charged into the lake along with others. We yelled into the sky. Teeth chattering heart rates slowing, fingers and toes going numb (麻木), we stayed there for somewhere between two and five minutes. Knowing it was my first time, people cheered me on. It felt amazing. I was stupid with cold, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so happy.

Now I go dipping almost every day, and I’ve come to long for that moment when the cold becomes a second skin and my internal voice goes silent. Apart from the thrill of those first heart-stopping dives, which, ironically, saved me from going under, what has drawn me is this community of generous, open-hearted souls.

We laughed together, often, but from the stories we’ve shared about ourselves, I know I’m not the only one who faces life’s challenges. Holding hands in the freezing lake, we looked out for each other last winter and will do so through this one.

It won’t fix everything in our lives—but for some reason, it helps. At the end of each session I return home feeling stronger, lighter, more able to carry on. As another winter sets in, I’m more than ready to embrace the cold again.

1. When the author saw the people in the lake, her feeling can be best described as __________

A．nervous	B．amazed
C．frightened	D．calm

2. Why did the author think of joining the swimmers?

A．To expand her social circle.	B．To lift her spirits again.
C．To adapt to the cold weather.	D．To prepare for a new career

3. What can be learnt about the author’s first dipping?

A．She hesitated a bit before going.

B．She suffered from a heart problem.

C．She stayed in cold water too long.

D．She regretted not doing enough warm up.

4. What change has cold water swimming brought about in the author?

A．She is more intelligent.

B．She gets more competitive.

C．She becomes a better storyteller.

D．She regains her inner peace.

5. What message does the author most likely want to convey?

A．Severe cold builds up character

B．Group wisdom brightens our life.

C．Tackling the odds together cures.

D．Doing sports promotes friendship.

4 . Last Christmas, I volunteered for WNWNB, a charity which takes surplus (剩余的) produce from New Covent Garden Market and ________ it to the local community.

The food was already in containers. So we set up the stand and got ready to distribute some Christmas ________. At first, it was ________. People seemed a bit suspicious of taking food for free. But they gradually ________ us and we had a fun afternoon singing carols and trying to ________ passersby to take our food.

It was then time to deliver meals to those who weren’t able to come. This is ________ things changed for me. The first door I knocked on was ________ by a woman in her 30s. She had children and looked absolutely worn out. I told her I was from WNWNB and gave her the ________ meals. It was probably only about two days’ worth of food but, the way she ________, I felt as if I was handing her gold.

I had similar responses to my next ________. In some cases, when people were elderly or alone, I’d go into their homes and have a brief ________ before heading off. Many felt ________, but I saw how happy they were to have another adult human to ________.

As a local politician I knock on doors and talk to people a lot, but there was something deeper about those ________ on Christmas Day. I finished my day at WNWNB a slightly different person from the one who ________.

1.

A．distributes

B．introduces

C．sells

D．exhibits

2.

A．forgiveness

B．images

C．recipes

D．cheer

3.

A．easy

B．nice

C．slow

D．safe

4.

A．broke away from

B．put up with

C．cut in on

D．warmed up to

5.

A．threaten

B．encourage

C．allow

D．command

6.

A．why

B．how

C．where

D．when

7.

A．opened

B．repaired

C．cleaned

D．guarded

8.

A．costly

B．unfinished

C．deserted

D．ready

9.

A．declined

B．reacted

C．argued

D．traded

10.

A．purchases

B．interviews

C．deliveries

D．schedules

11.

A．meal

B．chat

C．report

D．silence

12.

A．proud

B．free

C．lonely

D．content

13.

A．connect with

B．look after

C．turn to

D．rely on

14.

A．conversations

B．budgets

C．explanations

D．deals

15.

A．hesitated

B．started

C．ignored

D．struggled

5 . As usual, Lily bought expensive gifts for her children Alice and Peter before Christmas. Her job kept her busy, and she _________ got to see her children during weekdays. Being a mother, she always wanted to be _________ her children, but she placed her _________ first, thinking earning money was more important.

Lily _________ the gifts in secret and decided to give them a day before Christmas since she had to attend a business meeting the next day. _________, a day later, the meeting got canceled. Lily was _________ she could spend Christmas with her family. Therefore, she decided to _________ a party. Lily sent _________ to all her friends and her father-in-law, Michael. Lily was worried her friends would not feel _________ in the presence of aged people. Later that day, her children noticed the gifts she had bought. Unexpectedly, neither of them seemed __________ to open the gifts.

On Christmas Eve, Lily __________ her friends into her house. However, she felt __________ when she saw Michael walking in. On arrival, Michael gave Alice and Peter presents—some cookie molds (模具)! The two kids ran happily to their grandfather and showed great __________ for his gifts, asking him to bake cookies with them.

All the guests present were moved by the scene. Lily __________ all they want is their parents’ time and __________ not what their parents buy them.

1.

A．usually

B．rarely

C．always

D．never

2.

A．around

B．beyond

C．without

D．for

3.

A．family

B．heart

C．body

D．job

4.

A．watched

B．laid

C．hid

D．made

5.

A．Fortunately

B．Eventually

C．Suddenly

D．Amusingly

6.

A．shocked

B．touched

C．happy

D．free

7.

A．attend

B．throw

C．delay

D．rule

8.

A．blesses

B．regards

C．letters

D．invitations

9.

A．confident

B．warm

C．relaxed

D．cool

10.

A．shy

B．worried

C．easy

D．eager

11.

A．welcomed

B．led

C．signaled

D．waved

12.

A．uncomfortable

B．refreshed

C．surprised

D．calm

13.

A．respect

B．pity

C．enthusiasm

D．love

14.

A．noticed

B．realized

C．learned

D．witnessed

15.

A．money

B．passion

C．knowledge

D．attention

6 . Many years ago, I was living with my best friend and we had many happy moments together. But there was one night that ________ our lives forever.

On the night of November 25, 2011, I got into a fistfight with my best friend in our kitchen. It all started because I was trying to help him. He was drinking a lot, arguing with everyone and ________ himself from others by keeping silent most of the time. This had been going on for weeks and finally I decided it was time for a(an) ________ I told him that he needed to stop drinking so much and tried to ________ his alcohol and he got angry and started ________ with me. It was scary, but by the end of the night, we were able to calm down and talk to each other.

I thought alcohol ________ was his main problem. But he was just using alcohol to ________ himself through. He was lonely, heartbroken and struggling to connect with people. So during the Christmas season a few weeks later, I gave him a ________ that I didn’t even know I had.

That Christmas my friend didn’t have any place to go, so I invited him home to my parents’ house in Lancaster. They ________ cleaned up our guest room for him and even bought him some Christmas gifts. I’ll never forget the night we arrived at my home. My parents were already ________, but my mom had prepared dinner for us, baked some cookies and left us a note. My parents are known for their ________, so I wasn’t surprised by this warm welcome. But when my friend read my mom’s note and saw all that she had prepared, he broke down and cried. That’s when I ________ how much I took my loving family for granted.

That year my friend and I both received gifts that we would ________ forever. I gave him the gift of a warm, loving, safe place to spend Christmas. And he gave me the gift of a new ________ on life. If I hadn’t shared my home with him, I wouldn’t have understood how ________ I am.

1.

A．defined

B．inspired

C．created

D．changed

2.

A．defending

B．separating

C．protecting

D．locking

3.

A．communication

B．investigation

C．exploration

D．promotion

4.

A．put up

B．take away

C．break out

D．call off

5.

A．talking

B．crying

C．fighting

D．laughing

6.

A．access

B．addition

C．abuse

D．affection

7.

A．look

B．break

C．drive

D．carry

8.

A．time

B．holiday

C．gift

D．family

9.

A．happily

B．generally

C．formally

D．hurriedly

10.

A．awake

B．asleep

C．available

D．absorbed

11.

A．generosity

B．curiosity

C．ability

D．creativity

12.

A．admitted

B．realized

C．recognized

D．accepted

13.

A．exchange

B．present

C．treasure

D．appreciate

14.

A．day

B．test

C．skill

D．eye

15.

A．kind

B．grateful

C．blessed

D．healthy

7 . I was then in my early twenties. Even though I was armed with a degree in Education, finding a ______ teaching job was not easy. I had to try some temporary ones.

This year, when a golden opportunity ______ to teach 5th grade students in a local school. I ______ it and took things seriously. I ______ myself with lesson plans, taught with enthusiasm, and stayed ______ with the students. I had no hesitation in ______ the kids when they got the answer right, and encouraged them if they didn’t.

One day when the kids were _______, a girl approached and handed me a ______ before she went home. On it was a lovely drawing full of childlike wonder, ______ by the words, “You are the best teacher I have ever had!” It really amazed me that one of my kind comments had ______ that girl’s heart greatly. I took that note home and ______ put it in a folder, looking on it as a ______ because it was very important. Anytime I was feeling down I would look at it and it proved to be a ______ .

That experience showed me the ______ of just a single kind word. It encouraged me to continue to try my best each day to ______ love and kindness through my words and actions. Wish the same for others.

1.

A．first-rate

B．well-paid

C．labor-saving

D．full-time

2.

A．escaped

B．demanded

C．arose

D．arranged

3.

A．jumped at

B．thought about

C．waited for

D．dreamt of

4.

A．occupied

B．amused

C．concerned

D．contented

5.

A．familiar

B．positive

C．strict

D．consistent

6.

A．evaluating

B．supporting

C．instructing

D．congratulating

7.

A．graded

B．dismissed

C．tested

D．taught

8.

A．note

B．gift

C．parcel

D．book

9.

A．judged

B．indicated

C．emphasized

D．accompanied

10.

A．hardened

B．touched

C．broken

D．gladdened

11.

A．simply

B．casually

C．carefully

D．eagerly

12.

A．reminder

B．treasure

C．proof

D．secret

13.

A．comfort

B．fortune

C．fantasy

D．privilege

14.

A．target

B．application

C．power

D．principle

15.

A．clarify

B．find

C．feel

D．spread

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

When we were finally dismissed from the last class of the day, the students streamed out of the classrooms. It was another boring day after school. I dragged my feet home as I sighed. Yet another uneventful day, I thought. Little did I know that the day would take a turn for the worse.

The lift lobby (电梯间) of my flat was old and dirty. The walls, which were painted white, had been dirtied over many years. I reached my flat’s lobby, and pressed the lift button and went in. Just then, Mrs Lim, my elderly neighbour, hobbled (蹒跚) in. She looked ancient with tissue paper white hair, wearing a faded old-fashioned dress. I held the lift door open, flashing a friendly smile, and politely greeted her. I asked her how she felt that day and pressed the buttons. She thanked me for being so polite, then we were silent for the rest of the ride.

The lift fell down increasingly fast. There were loud clanking sounds here and there while the lift grew slower and slower. My heart beat hard and fast as my hands turned cold and wet with sweat. Unfortunately, the lift came to an abrupt stop at the fifth floor. I pressed the buttons hard several times, but it was of no help. The lights on the buttons had gone out. It soon dawned on me that we were trapped. An icy fear crept up my spine. Mrs Lim was hysterical (歇斯底里).

“We will never get out!” she cried with her face pale. It had become a colourless mask. I had no time to lose. I pressed the bell in the lift immediately. The sound was surely deafening, but what other choice did I have? Mrs Lim burst into tears. I tried my very best to comfort her, telling her that everything would be all right and that we needed to find out how to get out safely. Mrs Lim began having trouble breathing, and I immediately helped her sit down and loosened her collar.

Paragraph 1: Several minutes passed, but no help came.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: Bang! My hopes were lifted when I heard the firefighters on the other side of the lift door.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . One Second Every Day

I’ve been in advertising for eight years and used to work a lot of late nights and weekends for numerous projects.     1     One day I watched a talk called “The power of time off”. It’s about how every seven years, the speaker takes a year off from work so he can do his own creative projects.     2     I decided I had to do that. I need to take time to start my own creative ideas.

The first project ends up being something I call “One Second Every Day”. Basically I record one second of every day for the rest of my life, combining these moments into one single continuous video until I can’t record them anymore.     3     There’re many things I have no recollection of unless someone brings them up, and I think, “Oh, that’s something I did.”

    4     On a good day, I’ll have maybe four seconds I want to choose. I’ll just have to narrow them down to one, but even narrow them down to that one allows me to remember the other three anyway.

I don’t use any filters (滤镜), just trying to catch the moment as much as possible as it is. I started a rule of the first person view. Early on, I thought I should have a couple of videos where people would see me, but I realized that wasn’t the way to go.     5    

The project has many possibilities. I encourage you all to record just a small piece of your life every day, so you can never forget that day and treasure every moment.

A．It instantly inspired me.

B．The purpose is to remember what I’ve done.

C．I’m always energetic when doing things I love.

D．People might have different interpretations of it.

E．It’s difficult, sometimes, to pick that one second.

F．But I never had time for one I wanted to work on on my own.

G．The essence of my project should be recording the thing as I actually see it.

10 . If you took the strengths of others, and compared them to your weaknesses, do you think this would make you feel good? The funny thing is, this is _________ most of us do at one time or another — and some of us do it pretty _________.

It’s surely a _________ for a drop in self-confidence and for unhappiness. Let’s say I take a look at someone who creates amazing artwork on their website and I look at my art, and realize I don’t come close to being _________ with him. In fact, I look pretty _________. But it’s not a fair _________. If I looked at my strengths — writing useful and honest posts — I can see that I have a lot to _________, a lot to be happy about.

That’s so important-being able to look at your own strengths, and see your true _________. It’s actually one of the keys to success and happiness.

I want to talk about this issue _________ an email from a reader recently: I have some teammates from very rich families, I can’t stop myself comparing my __________ with theirs. I must say that my financial planning is sound enough to take care of my __________ family; and I can take care of new family members also, at least for some time __________ I lose my current job. But __________ I see or hear them spending so much money after possessions, I start comparing again. How can I stop this habit, without changing jobs?

This is an excellent but tough __________. I think it’s __________ to compare ourselves to others, but it often makes us unhappy even if we have enough and should be __________ what we have. My quick __________: try to be aware of when you start comparing yourself to others. . . once you’ve developed this __________, stop yourself and tell yourself, “Stop that!” And then __________ thinking about all the things you do have, the things you love, the people you have and the blessings that __________ has given you. Make this a regular practice, and you’ ll start to be happier with your life.

1.

A．why

B．what

C．that

D．how

2.

A．often

B．hard

C．soon

D．well

3.

A．theory

B．option

C．practice

D．idea

4.

A．blessed

B．connected

C．weighed

D．matched

5.

A．grateful

B．pitiful

C．shocked

D．confident

6.

A．comparison

B．communication

C．competition

D．combination

7.

A．regret

B．correct

C．offer

D．afford

8.

A．thoughts

B．values

C．alternatives

D．weaknesses

9.

A．because of

B．according to

C．apart from

D．in spite of

10.

A．concept

B．health

C．profession

D．lifestyle

11.

A．developing

B．working

C．existing

D．coming

12.

A．as if

B．even if

C．in case

D．now that

13.

A．however

B．whatever

C．wherever

D．whenever

14.

A．programme

B．fantasy

C．question

D．reality

15.

A．strange

B．natural

C．difficult

D．important

16.

A．sorry for

B．curious about

C．guilty at

D．happy with

17.

A．judgement

B．conclusion

C．formula

D．advice

18.

A．awareness

B．hobby

C．tradition

D．custom

19.

A．require

B．risk

C．fancy

D．start

20.

A．happiness

B．life

C．success

D．confidence