1 . Stained glass artists create different designs by making cuts on the glass to “score” it and then breaking off the pattern that they want to use in the finished product. The most difficult cut in stained glass is called an inside cut. Basically, it’s a curved line where you throw away the part inside of the curve. The problem with inside cuts is that the edges of the curve tend to break off when the pieces of scored glass are broken apart.

As the artist talked about inside cuts, he said, “The glass will break into pieces if you try to cut too much off at once. The best way to do an inside cut is to slice off smaller curves piece-by-piece. In fact, it’s not just the best way lo do it, but it’s the only way to do it.”

How many times do you try to make a big change and cut the entire piece at once? We convince ourselves that we can do this all the time. We’ll commit to transforming our diet overnight or we get inspired to launch a business in a weekend or we finally get motivated to work out and push ourselves to the edge of burning out.

Why not approach your goals and dreams like a stained glass artist? Starting by slicing a shallow curve and breaking a small piece off, you cut a slightly deeper curve and break that off until you have your full inside cut. By slowly cutting deeper and deeper curves, you prevent the glass from breaking as it change shape.

Of course, change isn’t easy — no mailer how you do it. Slow gains are boring, but if we keep making small improvements, then pretty soon we will end up with a beautiful masterpiece on our hands instead of a bunch of broken pieces.

1. Why is an inside cut believed to be most difficult?

A．It needs a one-and-only design.	B．It calls for nothing but inspiration.
C．The edges of the curve break easily.	D．The glass inside the curve is easily broken.

2. What mistakes are easily made according to paragraph 3?

A．Being too eager to make improvements.

B．Being too worried about the final outcome.

C．Trying to make a complete change all at once.

D．Developing to focus on progress instead of achievements.

3. What does the author suggest by saying “slicing a shallow cure”?

A．Moving forward with a clear aim.

B．Starting slow and improving little by little.

C．Developing a new habit with great determination,

D．Handling something major first and ignore the minor part.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To show his love of stained glass.	B．To introduce the skill of an inside cut.
C．To appreciate designs of stained glass artists.	D．To share his opinions on how to make a change.

2 . I have a memory of being about five years old, picking up a beautiful grilled(烧烤的)   cheese sandwich made for me by my hard—working mother and turning it over to see that the   other side was burned. Suddenly, what I thought was the perfect sandwich was not so perfect. Mom had tried to hide that fact from me. There was no question; I ate it anyway without complaining. However, that moment has stuck in my mind for many years. Now, at the age of 43 as a mother of two children and as a biology professor where I am routinely the “academic mother” of hundreds of students every year, I find that I believe in The Grilled Cheese Principle. Here is what I mean.

Making a grilled cheese sandwich is easy, right? But when I think of how many burned grilled cheese sandwiches I have eaten, or I have made myself, I realize that most of the grilled cheese sandwiches I have known have had at least one burned side. The thing is that although it is a relatively easy thing to make I can also easily lose focus, and before long the sandwich is burned. For my mother, the first side was usually perfect and the second side got burned due to her being distracted. For me, I have tended to burn the first side, but then I more carefully monitor the second side. Either way, the grilled cheese sandwich suffers because it has not been given the attention it deserves.

So, I have learned that even the simplest task deserves my full attention. When I am multi-tasking, I am doing none of the tasks well. And when I allow myself to be distracted, I am not in the present moment—not paying attention to the small details of living or enjoying the process.

So now, I believe the best way to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to make only one at a time and give it my full attention.

1. How did the writer react to the sandwich with burned side?

A．He ate it with full complaints.

B．He showed no interest.

C．He thought it was still perfect.

D．He was deeply impressed with it.

2. What does The Grilled Cheese Principle mean?

A．Even simple things deserve full attention.

B．Losing focus makes the sandwich burned.

C．Self-made sandwiches are always burned.

D．we should make only one sandwich at a time.

3. Which one can replace the underlined word “monitor”?

A．serve

B．watch

C．burn

D．sell

4. What does the writer want to tell us?

A．Never do multi-tasks.

B．Learn to appreciate the burned sandwiches.

C．Nothing is perfect.

D．Devote yourself to one thing at a time.

3 . After that weekend my high school classmates and I would go our ________ ways. Many planned on attending colleges far away, as I did. Others had jobs lined up and a few were thinking about _________

Directly in front of me was a friend, who ________ and smiled, acting a little self-satisfied. He and a couple of friends had decided to play one ________ trick before graduation. The night before, they’d ________ over to the principal’s home and used rolls of toilet paper to decorate his house and yard.

The principal onstage had given no ________ that anything was wrong. Hearing my name, I took a deep breath, ________ climbed the steps, crossed the stage and stopped in front of the principal. He handed me my ________ case. I couldn’t wait to open it and find my name, ________ that I had graduated. My friend opened his case and all of us burst into ________. What we saw was a single roll of toilet paper inside.

The choices we make ________ our lives.

Our high school principal had a great sense of ________ and took this opportunity to play a trick back on the boys, but they were allowed to graduate.

Sometimes we get lucky when we do something wrong. ________, sometimes we don’t. I often wonder what ________ those who didn’t make it to graduation. The ________ way to stay out of trouble is to avoid it in the first place.

1.

A．wide

B．separate

C．similar

D．contradictory

2.

A．education

B．success

C．marriage

D．separation

3.

A．sighed

B．cursed

C．trembled

D．yawned

4.

A．usual

B．important

C．last

D．very

5.

A．slipped

B．swung

C．skipped

D．swapped

6.

A．meaning

B．framework

C．fantasy

D．indication

7.

A．nervously

B．casually

C．shamefully

D．elegantly

8.

A．paper

B．diploma

C．tool

D．glass

9.

A．assuming

B．informing

C．confirming

D．identifying

10.

A．laughter

B．tears

C．anger

D．song

11.

A．destroy

B．violate

C．undergo

D．shape

12.

A．kindness

B．humor

C．happiness

D．accomplishment

13.

A．Anyhow

B．Furthermore

C．Still

D．Therefore

14.

A．became of

B．brought about

C．got across

D．brought out

15.

A．bravest

B．simplified

C．meanest

D．surest

4 . One spring, two friends and I sought permission to plant a garden. Our school was located in the downtown area of a large city. There wasn’t ____of a backyard. Actually, it was a stone-covered dirt parking lot with no extra space. However, we carefully _____ , taking into account the area that received the best sunshine.

The three of us ______ the headmaster with our plan for a small area to plant some squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The only real ______ involved was to rent a rake(耙), a pickax(丁字镐), and a hoe(锄头). However, getting the headmaster’s permission would still be difficult. We will never forget his _____ to our request. With a slightly bored tilting(偏斜) of his head, he ____ replied, “ You are wasting your time. Nothing will ever grow there! But go ahead if you still want to.”

We had received permission _____ ! So what if it wasn’t enthusiastic? We rented tools, raked four inches of stones into neat walls ______ the garden, raised the pickax and _____what must have been a former waste area. A gardener dream — dark, rich soil just sitting there waiting to be discovered. We looked at each other, repeating together: “Ah, nothing will grow there.” As you might have guessed by now, things did grow there in our garden.

Have you ever ____ that way about your life — Nothing will grow there… Have you felt ____ about your life’s progress? Worried about crop failure? Disappointed that nothing good ever seems to ____? Don’t believe that “Nothing will grow there”. It is never too ______ to be who you might have been. You may not always see the _____ for growth, but it is there. All the rich soil you need may be left just _____ the surface, but can only be discovered after you begin digging.

1.

A．more

B．little

C．much

D．less

2.

A．carried out

B．laid out

C．gave out

D．made out

3.

A．greeted

B．ignored

C．approached

D．lectured

4.

A．cost

B．reward

C．bargain

D．bonus

5.

A．promise

B．tease

C．response

D．result

6.

A．warmly

B．coldly

C．readily

D．hesitantly

7.

A．at most

B．at least

C．at first

D．at last

8.

A．separating

B．setting

C．establishing

D．outlining

9.

A．carved

B．landed

C．struck

D．smoothed

10.

A．lost

B．made

C．followed

D．felt

11.

A．discouraged

B．excited

C．puzzled

D．awkward

12.

A．go up

B．bring up

C．come up

D．pile up

13.

A．hard

B．easy

C．early

D．late

14.

A．potential

B．foundation

C．vision

D．strategy

15.

A．beyond

B．beneath

C．above

D．off

5 . A few weeks ago, I found myself taken aback by the strange and rough behavior of a medical practitioner(行医者). For the first time that I could remember, I had missed an appointment, and she called to berate me. Yes, it was my fault, but I think I subconsciously avoided the appointment due to the aggressive communication we had had thus far.

I had a sense of what I was getting into when I chose to go with her — I was warned about her bedside manner — but she came, highly recommended by multiple people, and I did not have the energy to keep looking for other options. So I went with her and made myself ready for the journey.

But I was not prepared. She screamed at me for minutes on end, as I sat there, unable to get a word in, feeling terribly guilty and ashamed of the missed appointment and having wasted her time. There was no calm talk about paying for the missed appointment.

After the phone call, I felt terrible. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that everyone we meet comes into our lives for a reason.

A week or so later, after telling a friend about the event, I was blessed with this insight: This woman’s attacking voice was familiar, and it was personified and strengthened by my harsh(刺耳的), critical inner voice. My friend helped me see what a blessing this encounter was. If I could see my inner critic as this woman with her associated foolish behaviour, I would not allow myself to buy into it.

I remember I once read an article which says that when we look at the behavior of others, we are looking at a mirror. According to the “Mirror Theory”, when we observe character defects(缺点) in other people, we are really seeing the undeveloped and unresolved parts of our personality. With this in mind, not only do I need to examine how I view and treat myself, but also other people. So eventually, my encounter with this practitioner was for the best.

1. What does the underlined word “berate” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Scold

B．Comfort

C．Question

D．Contact

2. Why did the author miss the appointment?

A．She lacked communication with the practitioner.

B．She spent much time preparing for the journey.

C．She was afraid to face the rude practitioner.

D．She wanted to find a better practitioner.

3. What do we know about the author’s encounter with the practitioner?

A．It helped her realize her own mistakes.

B．It helped her see her own critic inner voice.

C．It gave her a chance to listen to her own heart.

D．It gave her experience in dealing with rough people.

4. What has the author learnt from the “Mirror Theory”?

A．Treat herself better in the future.

B．Treat other people with more tolerance.

C．Overlook the character defects in other people.

D．See her character defects while observing others.

6 . A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C.. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. In a natural response, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”

In an instant, I realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I considered she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦逊), even though I’d lost it for a moment.

The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant (移民). I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.

In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见). I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better.

But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.

1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ________.

A．the blind woman needed the money badly

B．the author thought what he did to the woman was wrong

C．the author was as poor as the blind woman

D．The blind woman was annoyed with the author

2. According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably________.

A．rather hurt

B．very excited

C．deeply moved

D．greatly attracted

3. According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should ________.

A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled

B．treat others equally with love and respect

C．try to experience different kinds of life

D．reflect on one’s past as often as possible

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Learn from your Past	B．How my American Dream Comes True
C．The Elderly Need Respect	D．A Valuable Lesson in the Street

7 . Once I started working after graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University, I decided to stay in the workforce and go to school part-time. I began my journey as an adult _______ in the Business Administration program at Wilfrid Laurier University. When I _______ from Laurier, a colleague introduced me to the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist （CEBS） program, which offered a professional credential（凭证）related to my field of _______

These days, I keep my industry knowledge _______ through reading industry publications, _______   relative conferences and taking an annual Continuing Education course. From a_______interest perspective, I've taken music lessons and _______ in first aid, gardening and website development.

Some might call me a learning _______. I honestly can't imagine a time when I want to stop learning. Sometimes people ask me why I _______ to take courses when I am getting close to “retirement’’. When I look to the ________, 30 years of sitting on the couch watching Netflix isn't the kind of life I want to live. I need a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and something to keep me ________ active.

I am looking at the Plain Language program as an opportunity to learn a new skill that will not only make me ________ at my current job, but also will ________ some extra income once I leave my full-time career behind.

The days of being able to ________ education after university are long gone. So, continuous learning will be necessary to keep up with the pace of ________

1.

A．designer

B．teacher

C．reporter

D．learner

2.

A．heard

B．inferred

C．graduated

D．suffered

3.

A．work

B．training

C．research

D．education

4.

A．current

B．known

C．useful

D．remarkable

5.

A．organizing

B．attending

C．recording

D．confirming

6.

A．secret

B．personal

C．unique

D．common

7.

A．choices

B．measures

C．courses

D．responsibilities

8.

A．celebrity

B．master

C．consultant

D．addict

9.

A．need

B．agree

C．continue

D．refuse

10.

A．truth

B．demand

C．effect

D．future

11.

A．financially

B．physically

C．mentally

D．socially.

12.

A．better

B．stronger

C．braver

D．firmer

13.

A．reduce

B．generate

C．reserve

D．negotiate

14.

A．care about

B．leave behind

C．insist on

D．show off

15.

A．comment

B．purchase

C．production

D．change

8 . As my husband and I drove down a country road, we passed a fire station with a sign that read, "Are you ready for the next storm?” Our area had just been in the path of Hurricane Irma, causing downed trees and outages. We were stuck in the dark and cut off from the outside world.

We have had our share of storms in the past--a snowstorm and other heavy snows that knocked down trees, sometimes up to a week at a time. Those days in a cold house weren't fun, but we learned so much from those early storms, things that made later storms easier to bear.

Now we have stored up flashlights, lanterns and candles. We bought a battery-operated radio to keep up with the news. We stocked up on batteries so that we'd have plenty for extended power failures. We make sure our grill（烤架） is ready and its tank is full, and we purchase food that can be easily prepared and then cooked or heated on the grill. And we don't forget to buy emergency chocolate! We have book lights to read in the dark. We keep our car gas tanks full and have emergency cash on hand.

We're ready for the next storm, but we wouldn't have learned to do all those things if we hadn't encountered a storm in the past. The same is true spiritually. Those little storms in our lives are never fun, but they prepare us for the big storms--the big trials--that will come our way, They can teach us some valuable lessons.

Are you ready for the next storm? Now is the time to get ready. . . not when the storm arrives.

1. Which can replace the underlined word "outages” in paragraph 1?

A．weather change

B．virus' spreading

C．power failure

D．emotional reaction

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The lessons that storms can teach us.

B．The importance of being ready for storms.

C．The necessities the author bought for her daily life.

D．The preparations the author made for the next storm.

3. What does the author think of experiencing the past storms?

A．It was rewarding.

B．It was annoying.

C．It was thrilling.

D．It was frightening.

4. What can we learn from the author's story?

A．Things will work out.

B．Keep something for a rainy day.

C．Don't stop regardless of the weather.

D．Sunshine always comes after the storm.

9 . Once there lived a farmer possessing a land along the Atlantic coast. He was always making _______ for hired hands, but no one seemed to be interested.

People were _______ to work along the Atlantic, for it had violent storms frequently. After months of advertising, a man _______ the farm. “Do you have any _______ to work on a farm?” the farmer asked. “Well, I may not have enough experience, but I can sleep when the wind blows”, replied the man. Although puzzled by the man’s answer, the farmer had no _______ but to hire him. The man worked quite well and the farmer was pretty _______. One stormy night, the wind _______ the farmer. He jumped out of his bed and _______ for his helper. “Wake up!” the farmer yelled, throwing the man off the bed. “A _______ is coming. Tie things down before they get ________.” The man said, “Sir, I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Angered by the ________, the farmer didn’t lose his temper on the spot, though. ________, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his ________, he found the chickens in the cages, the cows in the barn and the doors closed. ________ was tied down so that nothing could be blown away. The farmer smiled at that moment and he ________ what his employee had said.

1.

A．messages

B．letters

C．advertisements

D．requests

2.

A．miserable

B．delighted

C．hopeless

D．unwilling

3.

A．purchased

B．approached

C．measured

D．valued

4.

A．confidence

B．courage

C．intention

D．experience

5.

A．choice

B．idea

C．curiosity

D．doubt

6.

A．jealous

B．satisfied

C．shocked

D．hurt

7.

A．reached

B．struck

C．woke

D．touched

8.

A．asked

B．waited

C．headed

D．cared

9.

A．storm

B．problem

C．danger

D．rain

10.

A．set down

B．picked up

C．taken away

D．blown away

11.

A．weather

B．response

C．rudeness

D．excuse

12.

A．Besides

B．Therefore

C．Instead

D．Furthermore

13.

A．regret

B．amazement

C．credit

D．delight

14.

A．Everything

B．Something

C．Anything

D．Nothing

15.

A．thanked

B．admired

C．remembered

D．understood

10 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

Having held the interschool storytelling championship for the past two years, I was the shining star of my school. When it came to choosing the right candidate to participate in such competitions, I was always the first choice. Naturally, I was once again selected to represent my school in the approaching contest this year.

Upon hearing the fact that I was chosen again, my classmates and friends acknowledged that I would undoubtedly emerge as the champion again. Consequently, I became conceited. I was so proud that I neglected the importance of practicing for the contest.

A week before the contest, my teacher Ms. Sara asked,“Selena, would you like to stand in front of the class to rehearse for the contest ?” She had tutored me in the past two competitions and knew how important practice was .“Just imagine you are on the stage in the presence of the audience, ”she added .

“ I’m sorry, Ms. Sara, ” I replied .“I have a bit of a sore throat.”

This was usually the lie I would tell whenever my teacher requested me to practice in front of the class. I always found excuses to avoid doing it because I believed that I was the best and therefore the practice was unnecessary. On one occasion, I even told Mrs. Sara not to worry too much as I was well prepared for the contest. In fact, I did everything but practice my scrip. I only managed to glance briefly through the story the day before the contest. As the best storyteller among the students of the local secondary schools, I was too

vain to practice and expected everything to be fine.

The contest was being held in the local community hall. On the day of the contest, the hall was packed.

My school teachers and principal were there along with many of my classmates and schoolmates. I was the eighth contestant out of twenty in total. Those who spoke before me did extremely well. On seeing their
fascinating and outstanding performance, I began to lose confidence in myself. My palms sweated heavily and I started to feel nervous.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph1:

Soon, it was my turn to talk.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph2:

Finally, results were announced after the contest.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________