1 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.

Unfair Comparisons

Thanks to social media, the distance between friends is smaller than ever. But does that make us happier? Not necessarily. A recent study has found spending too much time comparing your life with the seemingly perfect lives of your friends on social media can result in depressive symptoms.

We’ve all done it ---- browsing through our WeChat friends’ updates while feeling that green-eyed monster holding its head in our minds: Are their homes bigger and more tasteful? Are their vacations more expensive and exciting? Are their careers more successful and rewarding?

Comparison is the thief of joy. The more time you spend on social media, the more likely it is for you to feel depressive symptoms, according to a new study out of University of Houston.The study, led by Mai-Ly Steers, examines the potential impact online social comparison can have on a person’s mental health.

“The underlying mechanism is social comparison,” Steers said. “The reason why you feel these feelings is that you tend to socially compare yourself with your friends.”

This social comparison theory was popularized by US psychologist Leon Festinger in the 1950s. According to an article in The Atlantic, Festinger argued that people have born tendencies to track their progress and measure their self-worth by comparing themselves with other people. That social comparison leads to feelings of insignificance and insecurity. Research has since found that making social comparisons, especially upward comparisons (to people we think above us for whatever reason), are associated with negative health outcomes like depressive symptoms and decreased self-esteem.

“You can’t really control the strong desire to compare because you never know what your friends are going to post. In addition, most of our friends tend to post about the good things that occur in their lives, while leaving out the bad. If we’re comparing ourselves with our friends’‘sharable highlights’, this may lead us to think their lives are better than they actually are, and thus make us feel worse about our own lives.”

So if you are the jealous type, maybe think about signing off of your WeChat for a while. Your well-being may depend on it.

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2 . In university I had a part-time job at a shop that sold doughnuts and coffee. Situated on a block where several buses stopped, it served the people who had a few minutes to wait for their bus.

Every afternoon around four o'clock, a group of schoolchildren would burst into the shop, and business would come to a stop. Adults would glance in, see the crowd and pass on. But I didn’t mind if the children waited for their bus inside. Sometimes I would hand out a bus fare when a ticket went missing — always repaid the next day. On snowy days I would give away some doughnuts. I would lock the door at closing time, and we waited in the warm shop until their bus finally arrived.

I enjoyed my young friends, but it never occurred to me that I played an important role in their lives — until one afternoon when a man came and asked if I was the girl working on weekdays around four o'clock. He identified himself as the father of two of my favorites.

“I want you to know I appreciate what you do for my children. I worry about them taking two buses to get home. It means a lot that they can wait here and you keep an eye on them. When they are with the doughnut lady, I know they are safe.” I told him it wasn’t a big deal, and that I enjoyed the kids.

So I was the Doughnut Lady. I not only received a title, but became a landmark.

Now I think about all the people who keep an eye on my own children. They become, well, Doughnut Ladies. Like the men at the skating rink (滑冰场) who let my boys ring home; Or the bus driver who drove my daughter to her stop at the end of the route at night but wouldn’t leave until I arrived to pick her up; Or that nice police officer who took pity on my boys walking home in the rain when I was at work — even though the phone rang all the next day with calls from curious neighbors. “Was that a police car I saw at your house last night?”

That wasn’t a police car. That was a Doughnut Lady.

1. According to the passage, the author sometimes _______.

A．called the children’s parents to pick them up

B．provided schoolchildren with warm shelters

C．did business with the children’s help

D．sold bus tickets to the children

2. By saying “... it wasn’t a big deal,” (in paragraph 4) the author meant that _______.

A．she hadn’t found it hard to get along with the children

B．she hadn’t made a lot of money from the children

C．she hadn’t spent plenty of time with the children

D．she hadn’t done anything very significant

3. According to the author, those who _______ are Doughnut Ladies.

A．are always ready to help others

B．provide free doughnuts for the poor

C．work in the doughnut store for a while

D．are curious about the happenings around

4. The passage suggests that _______.

A．taking responsibility is a virtue

B．devotion co-exists with reward

C．running a business requires skills

D．acts of kindness are never too small

3 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Have you ever been involved in animal rescue? This is what happened to the Winter the dolphin. Winter was found off the coast of Florida in December of 2005. She was just a few months old, alone, and caught in a crab trap. The ropes from the trap were wrapped tightly around her body.

The fisherman who found her called for help, and the rescue team soon arrived. The ropes had cut off the blood circulation to her tail. She was badly hurt. Her rescuers didn't think she would survive. Hoping for a miracle and racing against time to save her, the rescuers transferred her to the ClearwaterMarine Aquarium in Florida.

The doctors managed to save Winter, but sadly, not her tail. He tail flukes were too damaged and had to be removed so Winter could live.

The little dolphin Winter survived against all odds, but she would never be able to swim normally without a tail. Thankfully the story doesn't end here. Winter was able to swim, but not very well. Because she didn't have a tail. She moved her body in a side-to-side motion like a shark. But doctors at the aquarium were worried that unconventional moment would hurt her spine.

Kevin Carroll heard Winter's story and for thought, he would could help. He is a specialist who designs and provides prostheses for people. If he could help people, why not help a dolphin? He started working with Winter and came up with a solution for the new fluke and tail section

Kevin designed a stretchy sleeve to fit winter's body and protect her skin. Then a tail made of silicone and plastic was made to tightly fit over the sleeve. Now winter can swim like other dolphins. And she is a great inspiration to people who struggle with their own injuries.

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4 . 高三毕业在即，我校《金苹果》英语报要征集同学交往中的印象深刻的事。请向报纸投稿，叙述你与同学交往中的一件令你印象深刻的事，并谈谈感悟。文中不能透露真实姓名。
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5 . 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.

6 . The lives of the Ancient Greeks revolved(运转) around Eris, a concept by which they defined the universe. They believed that the world existed in a condition of opposites. If there was good, then there was evil；if there was love, then there was hatred; joy, then sorrow; war, then peace; and so on. The Greeks believed that good Eris occurred when one held a balanced outlook on life and coped with problems as they arose. It was a kind of ease of living that came from trying to bring together the great opposing forces in nature. Bad Eris was evident in the violent conditions that ruled men’s lives. Although these things were found in nature and sometimes could not be controlled, it was believed that bad Eris occurred when one ignored a problem, letting it grow larger until it destroyed not only that person, but his family as well. The Ancient Greeks saw Eris as a goddess: Eris, the Goddess of Discord, better known as Trouble.

One myth that expresses this concept of bad Eris deals with the marriage of King Peleus and the river goddess Thetis. Zeus, the supreme ruler, learns that Thetis would bear a child strong enough to destroy its father. Not wanting to father his own ruin, Zeus convinces Thetis to marry a human, a mortal(凡人) whose child could never challenge the gods. He promises her, among other things, the greatest wedding in all of Heaven and Earth and allows the couple to invite whomever they please. This is one of the first mixed marriages of Greek Mythology and the lesson learned from it still applies today. They do invite everyone . . . except Eris, the Goddess of Discord. In other words, instead of facing the problems brought on by a mixed marriage, they turn their backs on them. They refused to deal directly with their problems and the result is tragic. In her fury(狂怒), Eris arrives, ruins the wedding, causes a jealous argument between the three major goddesses over a golden apple, and sets in place the conditions that lead to the Trojan War. The war would take place 20 years in the future, but it would result in the death of the only child of the bride and groom, Achilles. Eris would destroy the parents’ hopes for their future, leaving the couple with no legal heirs (继承人) to the throne.

Hence, when we are told, “If you don’t invite trouble, trouble comes,” it means that if we don’t deal with our problems, our problems will deal with us . . . with a revenge! It is easy to see why the Greeks considered many of their myths learning myths, for this one teaches us the best way to defeat that which can destroy us.

1. Bad Eris is defined in the passage as _______

A．the violent conditions of life.	B．the problems man encounters.
C．the evil goddess who has a golden apple.	D．the murderer of generations.

2. Zeus married Thetis off because _______

A．he needed to buy the loyalty of a great king of mankind.

B．he feared the gods would create bad Eris by competing over her.

C．he feared the Trojan War would be fought over her.

D．he feared being a father of a boy who would kill him in the future.

3. Zeus did not fear a child of King Peleus because _______

A．he knew that the child could not climb Mt. Olympus and manage to kill a god.

B．he knew that the child would be killed in the Trojan War which would happen in 20 years.

C．he knew that no matter how strong a mortal child was, he couldn’t overthrow an immortal god.

D．he knew that Thetis would always love him above everyone else.

4. What does the myth in the passage want to tell us?

A．Do not consider a mixed marriage.

B．Do not anger the gods.

C．Do not ignore the problems that arise in life.

D．Do not take myths seriously.

7 . Shipwrecked Prayers

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two survivors agreed that they had no alternative but to pray to God.

However, to find out whose prayers were more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its fruit. But the other man’s parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man became lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon thereafter the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these things were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island, and in the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island.

The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island, considering the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn’t deserve anything.”

“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”

“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”

“He prayed that all your prayers would be answered.”

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. So what you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself.

1. The first man’s wife is _____.

A．a swimmer who got to the island by accident

B．an angel sent by God to keep him company

C．a survivor from another wrecked ship

D．a native person on the desert-like island

2. The underlined word “barren” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _____.

A．isolated

B．unproductive

C．fertile

D．dry

3. Which of the following is true about the second man?

A．He didn’t deserve any blessing from God.

B．None of his prayers was answered by God.

C．He is not brave enough to tell God his needs.

D．His prayer helped his companion get out of trouble.

4. What’s the moral of the story?

A．Never judge a person by appearance.

B．Don’t lose heart in trouble.

C．Helping others is helping ourselves.

D．Greed is the root of all evil.

8 . The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fueling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, she delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems — how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.
1. The passage mainly deals with         .

A．the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer

B．the relationship between genius and success

C．the decisive factor in making a genius

D．the way of gaining some sense of distinction

2. By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could        .

A．come to understand the inner structure of writing

B．join a fascinating circle of writers someday

C．share with a novelist her likes and dislikes

D．learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security

3. In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.

A．her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success

B．her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance

C．she acquires the magic of some great achievement

D．she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write

4. What can be concluded from the passage?

A．A fueling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success

B．A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.

C．As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. doesn’t matter, but just his/her effort.

D．What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.

9 . Just as the stock market rises and falls in response to what people are willing to put their money behind, we have inside ourselves an inner economy that rises and falls in response to our beliefs about what is possible. Sometimes the degree to which we are willing to ____our belief systems determines the success of our inner economy. For example, imagine that your family of origin had a belief that musical talent was not something they ____ As a member of that group, you would likely ____ that same belief about yourself. As a result, even if you had a great desire to create music, you might be ____ to really get behind yourself. Because you might fear that your ____ would not pay off. Even if you had the courage to follow your passion, your inner belief that you are not born____ would probably stop your trying. And that would be a major ____ to invest your energy in your dream.
On the other hand, belief isn’t anything ____ If you found a way to ____ that negative belief, a great flood of energy would pour forth, greatly increasing the possibility of your success. How much energy we are willing to invest in the various ideas and dreams is like the money people are, or are not, willing to invest in the various products available for trade on the stock market. And in both cases, ____ plays a key role in determining how willing we are to get behind something. One way to open up the possibility for greater success in our inner economies is to understand that belief is not the reliable ____ we sometimes think. There are other more reliable things of success that we can put our ____ in, such as passion, feeling, and sense. Some of the most successful investors in the stock market are the ones that go against the grain, trusting their sense over the ____ opinion held by ordinary people about what will work.
In the same way, we can learn to trust our heart’s desires and our sense to guide us,
____ any beliefs that stand in the way of our ability to fully invest in ourselves. As we take out energy from limiting ideas about what is possible, we ____ the resources that have the power to make our inner economy prosper.1.

A．simplify

B．challenge

C．eliminate

D．maintain

2.

A．possessed

B．trusted

C．objected

D．missed

3.

A．reject

B．preserve

C．deny

D．share

4.

A．willing

B．sorry

C．reluctant

D．ready

5.

A．success

B．knowledge

C．profession

D．investment

6.

A．devoted

B．talented

C．concerned

D．interested

7.

A．obstacle

B．excuse

C．chance

D．principle

8.

A．important

B．fixed

C．changeable

D．stimulating

9.

A．enhance

B．reserve

C．release

D．follow

10.

A．energy

B．hobby

C．expense

D．belief

11.

A．guide

B．ability

C．goal

D．policy

12.

A．aim

B．faith

C．task

D．dream

13.

A．unacceptable

B．strange

C．unbelievable

D．common

14.

A．questioning

B．understanding

C．interpreting

D．believing

15.

A．stick to

B．lead to

C．free up

D．leave out

10 . However wealthy we may be, we can never find enough hours in the day to do everything we want. Economics deals with this problem through the concept of opportunity cost, which simply refers to whether someone’s time or money could be better spent on something else.
Every hour of our time has a value. For every hour we work at one job we could quite easily be doing another, or be sleeping or watching a film. Each of these options has a different opportunity cost—namely, what they cost us in missed opportunities.
Say you intend to watch a football match but the tickets are expensive and it will take you a couple of hours to get to and from the stadium. Why not, you might reason, watch the game from home and use the____ money and ____to have dinner with friends? This—the alternative use of your cash and time—is the opportunity cost.
For economists, every decision is made by knowledge of what one must forgo—in terms of money and enjoyment—in order to take it up. By knowing precisely what you are receiving and what you are missing out on, you ought to be able to make better-informed, more reasonable decisions. Consider that most famous economic rule of all: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Even if someone offers to take you out to lunch for free, the time you will spend in the restaurant still costs you something in terms of forgone opportunities.
Some people find the idea of opportunity cost extremely discouraging: imagine spending your entire life calculating whether your time would be better spent elsewhere doing something more profitable or enjoyable. Yet, in a sense it’s human nature to do precisely that—we assess the advantages and disadvantages of decisions all the time.
In the business world, a popular phrase is “value for money.” People want their cash to go as far as possible. However, another is fast obtaining an advantage: “value for time.” The biggest restriction on our resources is the number of hours we can devote to something, so we look to maximize the return we get on our investment of time. By reading this passage you are giving over a bit of your time which could be spent doing other activities, such as sleeping and eating. In return, however, this passage will help you to think like an economist, closely considering the opportunity cost of each of your decisions.
1. According to the passage, the concept of “opportunity cost” is applied to ________.

A．making more money

B．taking more opportunities

C．reducing missed opportunities

D．weighing the choice of opportunities

2. The “leftover ... time” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to the time ________.

A．spared for watching the match at home

B．taken to have dinner with friends

C．spent on the way to and from the match

D．saved from not going to watch the match

3. What are forgone opportunities?

A．Opportunities you forget in decision-making.

B．Opportunities you give up for better ones.

C．Opportunities you miss accidentally.

D．Opportunities you make up for.