2 . Ten years ago, I went on a vacation in Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.

Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.

Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn't want to mess with that. Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway.

Now when I look at the photo, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.

This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who "ruined" it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured and frozen on some strangers bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don't even know has been immortalized (使永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.

Perhaps we all live in each other's spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us. That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.

1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?

A．Her camera stopped working.	B．A friend approached from behind.
C．Someone asked her to leave.	D．A woman blocked her view.

2. According to the author, the woman was probably ________.

A．losing her patience	B．enjoying herself
C．waiting for the sunset	D．thinking about her past

3. In the author's opinion, what makes the photo so alive?

A．The woman's existence in the photo.	B．The perfect positioning of the camera.
C．The rich color of the landscape.	D．The soft sunlight that summer day.

4. The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ________.

A．the need to be close to nature	B．the importance of private space
C．the shared passion for beauty	D．the joy of the vacation in Italy

3 . 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。

I grew up in a small town where elementary school was a ten-minute walk from my house and in an age, not so long ago, when we children could go home for lunch and find our mothers waiting.

Our lunchtime when I was in the third grade will stay with me always. I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had painstakingly practiced my lines（台词）with me. But no matter how easily I delivered them at home, as soon as I stepped on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Finally, my teacher took me aside. She explained patiently that she needed a narrator (叙述者，旁白员) and had written a narrator’s part to the play, and asked me to play the role of the narrator. Her words, kindly delivered, still hurt me especially when I saw my part go to another girl.

I didn’t tell mother what had happened when I went home for lunch that day. But she sensed my upset, and instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to walk in the yard. It was a lovely spring day and the rose vine（ 藤 ）was turning green. Under the huge trees, we could see yellow dandelions（ 蒲 公 英 ） appearing unexpectedly through the grass in bunches (簇，串）, as if a painter had touched our landscape with small amounts of gold. I watched my mother casually bend down by one of the bushes. “I think I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling a blossom up by all its roots. “From now on, we’ll only have roses in this garden.” I immediately argued, “But I like dandelions. All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions.”

注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右：
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已经为你写好。
Paragraph 1：

“Do you mean that every flower has its own beauty?”asked my mother thoughtfully.

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Paragraph 2：

Having learned what had happened, Mom patted me on the back gently and said,“But you will be a beautiful narrator.”

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5 . 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。

To be honest, sometimes, I hate it when I start thinking about money because it brings me down and drives me sad. When I was younger, I always wondered why money was so important. There wasn’t anything I needed. It’s good to be a kid, since he or she doesn’t have to worry about responsibility. But as everyone gets older, of course that changes. I work almost every day but it’s still not enough. That’s what is discouraging — it’s never enough.

Right now I have to sacrifice the money I make. I put my school on hold so that I can pay for my girlfriend’s school fee and everything else. I’m very supportive in everything I do, and she is also very supportive. We warm each other up, hoping she really gets everything right because we only have each other. I find that hope is my inspiration and that everything will work out however hard it gets. Even though I find that life is hard, it never stops me from helping others, especially those who are less fortunate. While I might be going through hard times myself, there are those out there who could be going through even harder times.

Last night, on my way home I stopped by to buy some burgers in a fast food restaurant. A homeless man approached me and asked, “Do you have any bottles lying around?” I knew he would recycle them for a few cents, but I didn’t have any. I said, “Sorry, I don’t.” And again, he asked, “Can you spare some changes?” I smiled and said, “Sorry, I can’t.” He was very polite. He smiled back and said, “Ok, thank you.” Even though he didn’t have anything, he was still in good spirits. Just from the way he spoke, I could tell he was fine.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；       
2. 续写段落开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
I went in and ate my meal, but in my head I wonder if the homeless man was hungry.
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Paragraph 2:
No matter how hard life is, there are always ways to handle it.
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6 . 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。

The end of my sophomore year was approaching.Mom called me at the dorm one evening during the last week of May.My summer break would be spent with Grandma and Grandpa on their farm.I wasn't quite satisfied with the arrangement but guessed it was just one summer.Next year would be my little brother's turn.

I arrived late that afternoon.Grandma had prepared more food than the three of us could possibly eat.However,the next morning,Grandpa prepared breakfast for the two of us.He told me Grandma tired herself out yesterday and was going to rest in bed.I made up my mind to be of some help,not be a burden.

Weeks passed.I gradually got accustomed to the life there.In the evenings I usually read or talked with Grandma.She never grew tired of hearing about college or anything I was involved in.She told me stories about her childhood,family and the early years after she and Grandpa had married.

The last Saturday in June,Grandpa suggested going fishing.We hadn't expected what we saw when we got to the pond that morning:One of the swans was dead.Grandpa had given the pair of swans to Grandma on their 50th anniversary.“We can think of buying another one,” I suggested.Grandpa thought for a few moments before answering.

He finally said,“No,it's not that easy.You see,swans mate for life.There's nothing we can do for the one that's left.He has to work it out for himself.”

A few days later,we found the other swan lying near the same spot where we had found the first one.It,too,was dead.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1：
On July 12,Grandma passed away,who had died suddenly that morning of a stroke.
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Paragraph 2：
Life at college was busy but the days spent with Grandma and Grandpa often appeared in my mind.
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7 . 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。

Once upon a time, there was a forest which was ruled perfectly by a king “The Lion”. His reputation (声望) spread to kingdoms of other forests. In order to fill the position of kingdom minister, the Lion announced a competition and the news was quickly sent to other kingdoms.

Having learned about the minister’s post, a rabbit rushed to her friend, “The Fox”. “Dear friend! In the neighboring kingdom, a competition is going to be held next Friday for the position of minister. No one can compete with you in terms of the level of your knowledge. If you set out two days earlier to the competition, you will certainly be the minister of the kingdom,” said the rabbit.

The fox prepared to leave for the competition. His long-lasting desire to become a minister was going to come true soon. Although the fox had not yet gained the position, he was full of joy and lost in deep thought. The fox was expecting that he would become the minister of the forest and provide the most essential information to the king.

In fact, the foolish fox left only one day earlier to reach the kingdom. On his way to the neighboring forest, he found that there was a radish (萝卜) field with ripen radishes to eat in the middle of the forest. The moment the fox felt hungry, he dug (挖) the field and ate the radishes happily.

Later the fox continued his journey, and he found a lake full of pure water which was a good place for him to have a swim. The fox swam in the lake and came across a group of crabs (螃蟹). Though the fox was not hungry, he created space for the crabs in the stomach.

With a heavily loaded belly, the fox once again continued the journey. However, he could not walk at great speed as before. He could not even move forward freely.

注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Feeling very sleepy, the fox rested under a big tree and fell into a heavy sleep.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He requested the Lion to give him one more chance.

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8 . Sitting in my school cafeteria, I looked around, slowly taking in everything. Student after student passed my _________ carrying that day’s lunch, but if you looked deeper, there was more to _________. There was more than just the uniform they were wearing, or the way they had styled their hair. There was a lot more hidden under the _________.

Catching the eye of a girl in my grade sitting at a nearby table, I waved _________. She smiled weakly and then continued to pick at the spaghetti in front of her. If I hadn’t _________ recently that her mother was dying of leukemia, I would have never _________ anything was wrong and I may not have been as _________ and sympathetic, either. It suddenly _________ me that we judge others too quickly without knowing the whole story.

I have an incurable lung disease. No one at our school knows—I don’t show any noticeable _________ except for a few coughs. I go about my day like any other kid, __________ with the realization that I have a __________ and terrifying future.

Before that day when I decided to __________ the world with a new perspective, I __________ myself almost every day. I thought only about myself and my heavy __________. But I’ve now realized no one is __________—we just need to accept the way we are.

1.

A．order

B．room

C．table

D．cafeteria

2.

A．imagine

B．compare

C．observe

D．exchange

3.

A．uniform

B．rules

C．circumstances

D．surface

4.

A．politely

B．wildly

C．coldly

D．impatiently

5.

A．found

B．noticed

C．heard

D．decided

6.

A．remembered

B．suspected

C．predicted

D．regretted

7.

A．willing

B．outstanding

C．understanding

D．demanding

8.

A．escaped

B．satisfied

C．hit

D．attracted

9.

A．diseases

B．symptoms

C．complaints

D．weaknesses

10.

A．but

B．and

C．or

D．so

11.

A．bright

B．real

C．serious

D．dark

12.

A．tolerate

B．create

C．change

D．view

13.

A．forgave

B．pitied

C．challenged

D．encouraged

14.

A．debt

B．reward

C．burden

D．schedule

15.

A．changeable

B．perfect

C．unique

D．different

9 . Itzhak Perlman, the world famous violinist, got polio (小儿麻痹症) as a child. _______, you know that getting on stage is not easy for him.

On November 18, 1995, he came on stage to give a _______ at Lincoln Centre in New York City. That night Perlman walked _______ to his chair. Then he sat down and began to play. But suddenly, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it break with a loud _______.

People thought to themselves, “He would have to get up to either _______ another violin or another string for this one. But he didn’t. _______ he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra (管弦乐队) began, and he played from where he had _______. He such passion and such power. Of course, everyone knew that it was _______ to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night Itzhak Perlman _______ to know that. You could see him changing and recomposing the piece in his head.

When he finished, there was a ________ in the room. Then people rose and cheered. We were ________, doing everything we could to show how much we ________ what he had done. He smiled and then he said in a quiet tone, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to ________ how much music you can make with what you have left.”

His words have ________ in my mind ever since I heard them. That is also the way of life. Perhaps our ________ in this quickly changing world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left.

1.

A．At first

B．As a result

C．In other words

D．In fact

2.

A．concert

B．speech

C．lecture

D．presentation

3.

A．quietly

B．slowly

C．quickly

D．smoothly

4.

A．scream

B．voice

C．noise

D．shout

5.

A．find

B．buy

C．replace

D．deliver

6.

A．Moreover

B．Fortunately

C．Therefore

D．Instead

7.

A．stopped

B．started

C．forgotten

D．continued

8.

A．impossible

B．unique

C．likely

D．unnecessary

9.

A．attempted

B．expected

C．managed

D．refused

10.

A．laughter

B．discussion

C．silence

D．clap

11.

A．out of mind

B．on our feet

C．at our side

D．on our knees

12.

A．remembered

B．ignored

C．shared

D．appreciated

13.

A．let out

B．put out

C．find out

D．give out

14.

A．disappeared

B．mixed

C．stayed

D．changed

15.

A．goal

B．task

C．belief

D．destination

10 . I always wanted to be extraordinary at something. Not just as in, “Great job, Jimbo!” No, I wanted to be best-in-class, awe-inspiring, tiptop; a world-famous genius, like Michael Phelps or Mark Zuckerberg.

Unfortunately, my version of reality did not quite line up with thisdelusionalvision. I was a good swimmer, but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level. My academic record was pretty solid, but I never would have made it into one of those ivy-league schools.

Though I rose to above-average status in a couple of areas, the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything more than a mid-sized fish in a small pond. God apparently had other plans.

What drove me crazy, though, was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn. Some folks just seemed to get an unfair intensive dose (剂量) of it. Why couldn’t I be like Bernie William, the famed New Yorkees player who also happens to be a world-class jazz guitar virtuoso (艺术大师)?

Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time. Around ten thousand hours, to be precise, according to author Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one’s expertise, but it seems that raw talent is equally important. You either have it or you don’t.

I’ve heard that as people approach middle age, their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations for themselves and the reality. After a few decades of frustration without the desired results, we eventually come to terms with how our lives turned out, even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectation.

Hope bends, it seems.

1. What does the word “delusional” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Practical.	B．Realistic.
C．Abstract.	D．Imaginary.

2. In the passage, the writer thinks of himself as__________.

A．a world-famous genius	B．a mid-sized fish in a small pond
C．a world-class virtuoso	D．a student in an ivy-league school

3. According to the writer, what make “greatness”?

A．Raw talent.	B．Talent and time.
C．Extraordinary efforts.	D．Ten thousand hours of practice.

4. Which of the following might be the best title?

A．Hope Bends	B．Frustrating Decades
C．Practice Works	D．Youthful Expectation