1 . Last month, my husband and I completed what some of our friends considered a foolish task: a 32-day, 5, 232-mile camping trip with children in our Volkswagen van, without ''high-tech'' to occupy the children.

It was the screen less journey that showered me with doubts. But is ''boredom'' senseless? My friend Renee, who has driven cross-country with her three kids eight times, calls boredom the mother of creativity. She's not the only one who sees virtue in blank time. In a recently published paper, researchers at East Anglia University in England concluded that the trance like (发呆的) state helps recharge the mind and is ''central to learning and creativity''. I wasn't trying to make my kids smarter. Neither do I dislike high-tech. But I understand too well the power of mini screens to transform our kids into zombies (木讷的人) .

On Day 1, our 7-year-old son announced ''Texas is so boring!''. The next day, struggling against his seat belt, he yelled he couldn't take much more of this. His 5-year-old sister was better at the long hours playing make-believe with the stuffed animals. On Day 3, he began count mountains and see pandas and dolphins in distant clouds in the Texas sky. I often joined the kids in the back, where we did thumb-and-toe wrestle. With well-known mountains ahead, my husband told the children the past legends of them. ''Arizona is not as boring as Texas,'' our son declared.

I hope the trip gave kids some lazy, unstructured time to learn something about valuing the trip instead of looking for the fastest way to burn it up. I don't always make the right call as a parent but I know that in banning the small screen we made the right choice this time.

1. Why did the author choose a high-tech free journey?

A．Her friends are highly against it.

B．She disliked advanced technology.

C．She feared the passive influence of mini-screens.

D．The researchers proved the harm of modern technology.

2. What happened during the cross-country drive?

A．Their son got worse at boredom.

B．Her kids had a tough time riding in the vehicle.

C．Their son relieved himself by watching animals outside.

D．The time spent without screens strengthened the family bond.

3. The underlined part ''the fastest way'' in the last paragraph refers to      .

A．the speediest route to finish the journey

B．the ability to observe the surroundings

C．the interest of playing games with others

D．the choice of killing time by playing digital devices

4. Which is the best title for the text?

A．Is Driving Long Distances Good for Children?

B．A Touching Cross-country Trip of My Family

C．What's Wrong with Boredom without High-tech?

D．Creative Kids out of Parents' Reasonable Choice

2 . Learning should never stop. The same way applies for self-improvement,     1    . Here are four reasons why self-improvement is important regardless of your age.

Increase self-awareness

Self-awareness is an ongoing journey.     2    , which make you more aware of your personality, thoughts and feelings. So, in order to be on the path of self-improvement, it is important to never lose touch with yourself.

Enhance strengths

Self-improvement lets you identify your personal strengths, from relationships to careers—knowing your strengths is important for every aspect of your life. It gives you a better understanding of what you are seeking and where you are likely to be more excellent.     3    . After all, you can only achieve what you want when you know what you want.

Overcome weaknesses

    4    , you should come to terms with your weaknesses. Don’t be ashamed of them, look at them as areas of improvement. We all have strengths and weaknesses that shape our personality. It is these imperfections that make us humans.

    5    

Choosing to work on improving yourself requires you to take your trip out of comfortable areas. It lets you face your fears, try new things, take risks and challenge yourself. There will be times when you will discover a new side of your personality but there will also be times when you will fail.

A．Improve mental health

B．Step out of comfort zone

C．It also helps you set life goals and make them happen

D．When you refuse to improve yourself in your daily life

E．Though identifying strengths is an important aspect of self-improvement

F．As life progresses, you are met with different experiences and challenges

G．That’s to say, self improvement is of great importance no matter how old you are

3 . By the time I reached junior high, I was sure I wanted to be a nurse. If you didn’t study Latin, you couldn’t be a nurse, so I enrolled. Many Latin words were familiar to me. The hard part turned out to be the usage and creating sentences with the words that seemed so easy to pronounce. Several weeks into the course my teacher came to me, saying, “I think you should withdraw from this course. It seems to be too hard for you.”

That was the day I learned I wasn’t smart enough to become a nurse. With shame, I handed in my Latin textbook.

After high school, the years raced by. I married and had children. Then one day my husband John came home. “Carol, Max died this afternoon.” I looked at my husband with disbelief.

John was touched by this tragedy. Finally one evening he said, “Carol, Jackie has never worked and now she’s alone with four children. I've been thinking - if anything happens to me. I want you to be able to take care of yourself and the children. Why don’t you think about what you’d like to do and get the training you’ll need to do it?”

I signed up for the entrance exam for nursing programs. One day I received a letter from the schoo1. I wanted so badly to open it, but with my lack of confidence, I laid it on the kitchen counter saying, “I'm not in the mood for a rejection letter today.”

Finally I forced myself to open it. “Dear Carol,”I read. “We are pleased to inform you that you successfully passed the entrance exam.”

An insensitive teacher once stole my dream. If you have a dream, exhaust every effort to reach it. I’ve worked thirty years now as a nurse and I’ve never been more certain that this is what I was meant to be.

1. Why did John advise Carol to find a job?

A．To support the family	B．To provide more money for her kids
C．To live a more colorful life	D．To be able to live independently

2. From the text, we know what the teacher said____________.

A．destroyed Carol’s dream to be a nurse.

B．helped Carol find her true interest

C．saved Carol from wasting her time

D．encouraged Carol to be careful in learning

3. After receiving the letter from the schoo1, Caro1____________.

A．was uncertain about the result	B．had no mood to read it then
C．didn’t take it seriously at all	D．couldn’t wait to open it

4. What may be the best title for the text？

A．A dream too high to achieve.	B．Too stupid to be a nurse?
C．Never too late to 1earn.	D．A chance too important to miss

4 . Danny Redden was just putting his sneakers into his locker when his baseball teammate Max told him he was wanted by the coach in the principle's office. Danny felt _______. ''Why? '' ''He didn't say. '' Danny was a(an) _______ good student, so it wasn't about his grades. Taking a big _______, he knocked on the closed door and then _______ inside. There was the principle Mr. Irving at his desk. _______ the desk sat coach Geller. And when he’d taken an empty seat, he saw his _______. Oh, no. if his mom was there, he must really be in _______.

''I've got some bad news, '' said the principle. Danny just _______ hard. ''You won't be able to _______ in the last game of the championship. '' ''Why not? '' he asked. The series was ________, 2-2. The last game would be played this coming Saturday. ''It's not because of anything you did. ________, you've been a real treasure to the team, Danny. Coach Geller ________ left your name off the list and the rules state that every player has to be ________ in order to participate, '' said Mr. Irving. ''Can you just ________ my name? '' Danny asked. ''I'm very sorry, Danny. The list was submitted last night. Additions are not allowed, '' said the principle.

Then the big day came. Danny sat in the stand as the game got ________. First his team was ahead, and then the other team ________. Finally, Danny's team scored the winning run. Danny ________ out of his seat. He couldn't wait to get down to the ________ to celebrate the moment with the team.

That night he told his mom with the biggest smile of his life, ''That was my win and Max's, and Simon's too. That's what it means to be ________ of a team. I helped get us to the championship. And in my own way, I helped win it, too. ''

Yes, as the saying goes, ''No one can whistle a symphony. It ________ a whole orchestra to play it. ''

1.

A．anxious

B．upset

C．amused

D．awkward

2.

A．equally

B．similarly

C．fairly

D．instantly

3.

A．look

B．hesitation

C．breath

D．courage

4.

A．rushed

B．marched

C．paced

D．stepped

5.

A．Off

B．Across

C．Beneath

D．From

6.

A．mom

B．brother

C．playmate

D．acquaintance

7.

A．shape

B．trouble

C．danger

D．difficulty

8.

A．listened

B．cried

C．swallowed

D．trembled

9.

A．act

B．present

C．play

D．drum

10.

A．tied

B．defeated

C．scored

D．fought

11.

A．In all

B．In fact

C．As a rule

D．As a result

12.

A．unbelievably

B．deliberately

C．carefully

D．accidentally

13.

A．permitted

B．prepared

C．qualified

D．listed

14.

A．add

B．load

C．make

D．fill

15.

A．in the way

B．under way

C．in a dilemma

D．under control

16.

A．kept up

B．caught up

C．went up

D．showed up

17.

A．went

B．crawled

C．exploded

D．excited

18.

A．coach

B．business

C．court

D．field

19.

A．part

B．member

C．honor

D．player

20.

A．spends

B．means

C．marks

D．takes

5 . It is an uncomfortable fact that civilized society is almost completely dependent upon fossil fuels in nearly every aspect. Whether you believe there are hundreds of years or just a few decades left of this resource, the fact remains that it is a limited resource. At some point, fossil fuels are going to either be gone or become too expensive to realistically use. That is, when fossil fuels become too expensive to use, people will just start using something else. Though this may work well in theory, actually shifting from fossil fuels is not the same as shifting from one brand of shampoo to another.

This is entirely due to the fact that humans rely so much on the infrastructure (基础设施) they have developed, which is entirely dependent upon this resource, accounting for 85% of the United State's energy use. If the world were entirely dependent upon solar energy, that would be fine because sunlight is a continuing resource. However, at the current state of things, humans are in a dangerous position owing to its complete dependence upon one single limited input.

Fossil fuels are also responsible for a significant amount of land, water, and air pollution beyond their carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) production. For example, coal mining brings solid wastes to the surface that would normally remain underground and the areas around a mine can remain barren (贫瘠的) for generations due to the lack of proper topsoil. The burning of coal for energy also produces many different types of particulate (微粒的) matter that pollutes the air. Compared with fossil fuels, renewable energy is far more environmentally friendly.

There exists an argument that renewable energy options are not as efficient as fossil fuels because the deployment (部署) of renewable energy equipment like the wind turbine (风力涡轮机) costs a lot of money. However, when factors such as pollution and climate change are considered, renewable energy is actually far more efficient than fossil fuels. And fossil fuels will be surely replaced by renewable energy whether it is your generation or your grandchildren's.

1. According to paragraph 1, we know fossil fuels ____.

A．are heavily depended on by humans

B．are a symbol of civilized society

C．are becoming more and more expensive

D．can be replaced by other resources soon

2. What does ''This'' in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．That it is necessary to use solar energy.

B．That it is hard to stop using fossil fuels.

C．That people have overconsumed fossil fuels.

D．That people have developed so many infrastructures.

3. What is the purpose of paragraph 3?

A．To show the relationship between greenhouse gases and fossil fuels.

B．To present negative consequences brought by fossil fuels.

C．To introduce how carbon dioxide affects the environment.

D．To explain why fossil fuels should be used.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Renewable energy equipment is economically-beneficial.

B．Renewable energy produces less energy than fossil fuels.

C．It is very urgent for people to shift to renewable energy.

D．It is an unstoppable trend to use renewable energy.

6 . The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

----Thomas Macaulay About thirty years ago, I was studying in a public school in New York. One day, Mrs Nanette O’Neill gave a maths ______ to our class. When the papers were ______ she discovered that twelve boys had made exactly the ______ mistakes throughout the test.

There is nothing really new about _______ in exams. Perhaps that was ______Mrs O’Neill didn’t even say a word about it. She only asked the twelve boys to ______after class. I was one of the twelve.

Mrs O’Neill asked______questions, and she didn’t _____us either. Instead, she wrote on the blackboard the ______ words by Thomas Macaulay. She then ordered us to copy these words into our exercise-books one hundred times.

I don’t know about the other eleven boys. Speaking for ______ I can say it was the most important single ______ of my life. Thirty years after being introduced to Macaulay’s words, they   ______ seem to me the best yardstick (准绳), because they give us a _______ to measure ourselves rather than others.

_____ of us are asked to make ______ decisions about nations going to war or armies going to battle. But all of us are called   _____ daily to make a great many personal decisions. Should the wallet,   ______ in the street, be put into a pocket or ______   to the policeman? Should the ______ change received at the store be forgotten or ______ ? Nobody will know except you. But you have to live with yourself, and it is always better to live with someone you respect.

1.

A．paper

B．question

C．test

D．problem

2.

A．marked

B．completed

C．examined

D．answered

3.

A．easy

B．same

C．funny

D．serious

4.

A．lying

B．discussing

C．guessing

D．cheating

5.

A．because

B．when

C．why

D．how

6.

A．remain

B．apologize

C．come

D．leave

7.

A．many

B．certain

C．no

D．more

8.

A．excuse

B．reject

C．help

D．scold

9.

A．above

B．common

C．following

D．unusual

10.

A．herself

B．ourselves

C．themselves

D．myself

11.

A．chance

B．incident

C．lesson

D．memory

12.

A．still

B．even

C．always

D．almost

13.

A．reason

B．sentence

C．choice

D．way

14.

A．All

B．Few

C．Some

D．None

15.

A．quick

B．wise

C．great

D．personal

16.

A．upon

B．out

C．for

D．up

17.

A．finding

B．found

C．find

D．founded

18.

A．turned up

B．turned on

C．turned over

D．turned back

19.

A．small

B．extra

C．some

D．necessary

20.

A．paid

B．remembered

C．shared

D．returned

7 . The story I’m going to tell you happened two years ago when I was in high school in Poland. I came to school early on a sunny day, ____ I felt that there was something wrong. Students from my class were behaving ____.

I noticed that Tom was absent from school that day. Later, I ____ what happened. Tom had got sick and he had lung cancer, a very serious disease. It was _____ for my friends and me. I couldn’t believe that this had happened to him. He was so ____ and he was good at sports.

____ he had lung cancer, so he had to have an operation. It was successful. After that, he returned to school and felt very good. Twice a month he went back to the ____ for medical examinations just to make sure that everything was going well.

One day, the doctors noticed that the cancer had ____ to his brain. When I heard this ____, I felt like bursting into tears, “God, why do you do this, it is not ____.”

A lot of my friends ____ their faith and hope, and they even thought that there was no ____ for him to live, but he was strong. Tom was eager to live, and he said: “No way, I’m not going to ____. I will fight!”

The doctors made another operation on his brain. The operation ____ well and now he feels great and everything is fine. From Tom’s ____, I learned that whatever happens in our lives, we can’t give up or lose heart.

1.

A．so

B．but

C．for

D．and

2.

A．strangely

B．interestingly

C．naturally

D．impatiently

3.

A．spoke out

B．pointed out

C．worked out

D．found out

4.

A．disappointing

B．frightening

C．shocking

D．amusing

5.

A．kind

B．humorous

C．clever

D．healthy

6.

A．Therefore

B．Thus

C．Besides

D．Anyhow

7.

A．stadium

B．hospital

C．school

D．home

8.

A．adapted

B．crashed

C．turned

D．moved

9.

A．research

B．evidence

C．idea

D．information

10.

A．fair

B．perfect

C．honest

D．reliable

11.

A．held

B．lost

C．rebuilt

D．kept

12.

A．need

B．wonder

C．chance

D．doubt

13.

A．give off

B．give up

C．give out

D．give in

14.

A．went

B．observed

C．command

D．charged

15.

A．misfortune

B．achievement

C．accident

D．experience

8 . The train wasn't overcrowded when I was on it． Though the four-hour journey was ______， the experience would be remembered ______ in my memory．

A mother was sitting with her kid exactly ______ me． Both of us were sitting beside the window． A window seat is a（n）______， isn't it？ The mother seemed very young and her kid looked ______ with two bright and big eyes． After a moment， the kid started staring at me，and I asked her name but got no answer．She just smiled looking at me．Instead，her mother replied．And then I asked them why they were travelling．The mother ______ and replied she was going for the kid's ______ course．Being a doctor，it was my instinct （本能） to ask about the ______．I could notice a little sadness on her face．Maybe because she knew her baby's condition was ______， she told me her girl ______ the mental disorder and couldn't speak out a word after she was born．I said I was sorry． To ______ the moment， I said， "Your daughter looks exactly like you - beautiful．" I had never spoken as such to any ______ but I was happy I said that． The mother smiled． Then I asked if there were some complications （并发症） during pregnancy． She gave a small laugh and said， "I don't know． I don't give ______ to her．" I was shocked． She ______ my confusion and said she ______ her when she was three． I was ______ and knew it was the love that made her adopt the girl no matter what condition the baby was in - love has no ______!

We didn't speak anything special later on． We were ______ enjoying our peace of mind． I was smiling at the girl while saluting the mother in my head．______， the train stopped for us to get off． I waved good-bye to them and I thought the journey ______ my day．

1.

A．boring

B．exciting

C．frightening

D．surprising

2.

A．rarely

B．backward

C．slowly

D．forever

3.

A．under

B．opposite

C．behind

D．over

4.

A．dream

B．adventure

C．blessing

D．challenge

5.

A．foolish

B．strange

C．ugly

D．lovely

6.

A．nodded

B．sighed

C．complained

D．cried

7.

A．culture

B．art

C．treatment

D．diet

8.

A．condition

B．budget

C．expense

D．environment

9.

A．common

B．ridiculous

C．shameful

D．obvious

10.

A．dealt with

B．got through

C．suffered from

D．passed on

11.

A．last

B．lighten

C．sense

D．enjoy

12.

A．stranger

B．doctor

C．friend

D．partner

13.

A．care

B．hope

C．help

D．birth

14.

A．imagined

B．noticed

C．denied

D．evaluated

15.

A．protected

B．adopted

C．developed

D．controlled

16.

A．moved

B．relaxed

C．disappointed

D．puzzled

17.

A．gifts

B．boundaries

C．problems

D．choices

18.

A．even

B．also

C．ever

D．only

19.

A．Particularly

B．Directly

C．Eventually

D．Immediately

20.

A．made

B．finished

C．built

D．formed

9 . A few years back I worked in a university building that also housed a department full of psychologists, all of whom seemed to see us as perfect guinea pigs（豚鼠） for their latest theories. If an eager graduate student showed up in my office bearing desserts and asked me to pick one, I'd cast a careful glance and ask “Why?” before grabbing the apple pie.

So one day, when someone from the Psychology Department posted instructions in the bathroom persuading all of us to “Think about five things for which you're grateful every day for a week!”, my response was frankly doubtful. I did the math. Five things a day for seven days is a lot of brainpower to expend without so much as the promise of an apple pie.

I wandered into the office of Heidi Zetzer, the director of our school's Psychological Services Clinic.“What's with the gratitude thing?”I asked. You don't ask an academic question－even a simple one unless you're prepared for a long answer. Heidi came alive, and I sat down. That's when I first heard the term “positive psychology”. The gratitude thing, as I had called it, was but one small and simple element of the practice. “Kind of like training the brain to focus on joy,” my friend Heidi explained. “It's only a week,” she urged. “Try it.” I did. And guess what? It worked.

Every day for a week, I found five distinct things for which I was thankful. They had to be different every day. I couldn't get away with just being grateful for my wonderful husband. But I could, suggested Collie Conoley, another positive psychologist, express my gratitude for specific aspects of a certain person each day. He's a great cook. He always puts our family first.

Life will never be perfect. I still see new stories that annoy me. The traffic in my city is maddening. I wish I could speed up my recovery. But with just one simple exercise, I'm rediscovering the peace of that old saying: accepting the things I can't change, working without complaint to change what I can, and being wise enough to know the difference.

And all it took was a little gratitude.

1. What's the author's attitude toward the student with desserts?

A．Cautious.	B．Respectful.
C．Indifferent.	D．Supportive.

2. Why was the author doubtful about the instructions?

A．Because she thought it wasn't worth the effort.

B．Because she didn't like expressing thanks often.

C．Because she needed to ask her friend to do it first.

D．Because she could do five things every day easily.

3. What does Collie Conoley suggest the author should do?

A．Be grateful to her wonderful husband.

B．Be thankful for things but not people.

C．Be a great cook and put her family first.

D．Be specific about what she's thankful for.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．Don't Be Bothered by Small Things

B．We Can Change Everything If We Want

C．Practicing Gratitude Changed My Life

D．Being Grateful to One Good Person

10 . I grew up in a middle-class household in Australia. In terms of safety and standard of living，a comfortable lifestyle is all I ever knew，and as a result，I was not aware just how lucky I was.

It was a Monday，and a teacher told us about an oversea mission trip to Cambodia. I had never been overseas before，and I knew absolutely nothing about Cambodia，but something inside of me knew l needed to go on this trip.

I spent the next few months working on S7. 25 hourly wage at an awful fast food chain，saving every penny I earned. Just days before the trip was set to depart，I managed to hit my target.

I will never forget the moment I nervously stepped off the plane in Cambodia. I vividly recall the sight of malnourished （营养不良）children begging for money tearing at my heart. I saw what true poverty looked like as we went to hand food packages out at a massive garbage dump in the city，home to thousands of families，many of whom were forced to seek for food among the rubbish.

On the following days，I played with children who，despite living in hard conditions, were overflowing with joy and happiness. I met families who，despite having nothing，were some of the kindest people I'd ever met. For the first time，my eyes were opened to the reality that happiness is not defined by money. People here were rich in relationships and community，and shared with each other the little that they had.

Through the trip，I began to see the value of learning from people of other races，cultures and religions. I finally saw that there was a much bigger world outside of my little one，and experienced first-hand the beauty of human diversity.

1. How did the author react when hearing about the overseas mission trip?

A．she considered it a little bit risky.

B．She really looked forward to taking it.

C．She hesitated in the first place.

D．She imagined a lot about Cambodia.

2. How did the author feel when she saw the children at first?

A．Upset	B．Bored
C．Moved	D．Inspired

3. What did the author think of the locals after getting along with them?

A．They considered wealth very important.

B．They were poor but had their simple pleasure

C．They struggled very hard to become rich.

D．They were really bad at building relationships.

4. What was the biggest benefit the author got from the trip?

A．She got some work experience.

B．She learnt to be independent.

C．She made friends with some locals.

D．She learned about the outside world.