1 . Growing up, Deka Ismail says she let labels define what she could be. “I was a black girl, from a refugee (难民) family,” Deka said. “It was as if I was only allowed to explore in this predetermined box.”

After a high school chemistry class inspired her to think about a career in science and gave her confidence in the field, Deka learned to live outside labels and began making big plans for her future. Now she is about to begin her freshman year at the University of California, planning to become a professor.

Born and raised in San Diego's City Heights neighbourhood, Deka is the daughter of a Somali refugee couple. While some might say Deka's success happened in spite of her background, she would say differently, that her experiences shaped her and inspired her to be the driven, young scientist that she is today.

When Deka was eight years old, her mother got a job by studying hard back in school in order to support the whole family. That made Deka realize that education could make a difference to one's life. She spent a lot of time in the library reading books, and didn't do many of the things her peers did, like partying or having romantic relationships.

“I always felt like I had to be the perfect girl for my family,” Deka said. “You have to not even do your best but two times better than everyone else. I felt like the whole world was waiting for me to mess up.”

Deka's efforts paid off. The summer before her senior year of high school, she was accepted to the American Chemical Society Project SEED Programme. “She brought both enthusiasm and focus,” Botham, a researcher at this research institute, recalled. “She arrived every day ready to work, ready to learn and ready to tackle new challenges regardless of whether or not she had done anything similar.”

When asked what advice she would give to others like her, Deka warned them not to underestimate themselves. “Don't tell yourself that scholarship is too big or this programme is too competitive or I'll never get into this school, ” she said. “I was not sure whether I could make it until I started seeing the acceptance letters rolling in.”

1. From the passage, we can learn that__ .

A．Deka was adopted by a refugee family

B．Deka spent a lot of time going to parties

C．Deka's experiences drove her to work hard

D．Deka became a professor after graduation

2. Deka realized the importance of education ______.

A．after her chemistry class	B．from her mother's experience
C．by reading books in the library	D．through working at the institute

3. According to the last paragraph, Deka advised that students be ______.

A．patient	B．generous
C．adaptable	D．confident

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Hard work leads to success.	B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Well begun is half done.	D．Life is not all roses.

2 . "Keep your eyes open. This is where the Ewoks live.'' The one-hour drive outside of San Francisco, covered in clouds along windy roads, has inspired my husband to say this sentence at least a dozen times.

We finally arrive at Muir Woods National Park. I explain the strange green stuff on trunks of trees as we pass by--mos (苔藓), something my 5-year-old son Cole has never seen in the desert where we live.

"Mom, are Ewoks real? I think they maybe aren't real. " There's a question in Cole's voice,like he's trying on this idea.

We've been down the road of pretending versus reality before, what with all the talk of superheroes and such around our house. "I think you are right. Ewoks are just in the movies. But it would be cool if they were real, right ?"

Cole's silent for a while, thinking. "I just saw an Ewok’s ear back there!" Coles spotted an additional Ewok arm and one full body of the tiny hairy creatures. It does indeed look like we are in the Ewok forest of Star Wars.

Cole's imagination is more than I can understand. What do plants eat? Which is the best planet? Which rocks float? He loves life. He loves his inner world and outer existence equally.

I hear a lot of worry from parents about media sucking the souls from our children, taking away their time for creative play. For us, this hasn’t been the case. Cole and his brother are quite knowledgeable in the realities of life when it comes to Angry Birds, Curious George, and the adventures of Indiana Jones. These characters, and others of their own invention, live in my home like visitors, joining us on walks and outings. I appreciate them, though not all the time, for the company they give my sons and their busy minds.

I think of media characters as an add-on to already busy minds, by carefully monitoring who gets invited into our lives, they become part of the parenting team. They teach loyalty adventure, curiosity--lessons I'm trying to convey, but in a much cooler way than I can.

Pretence is awesome. It provides practice for real life without the ordinary interfering.

1. Where are the family heading for?

A．The cinema.

B．A park.

C．San Francisco.

D．A desert.

2. What can we know about Cole from the passage?

A．He is proud of himself.	B．He is full of curiosity.
C．He is courageous.	D．He is considerate.

3. What do many parents think of their children playing via media?

A．It wastes children's time.

B．It can make their children relaxed.

C．It can engage their children in learning actively.

D．It can accompany their children in their absence.

4. What's the authors attitude to the media characters in parenting children?

A．Indifferent.

B．Critical.

C．Supportive.

D．Disapproving.

3 . Today the kids and I went to the grocery store before the storm came in. When we made it outside to load our groceries，the hurricane alarms _______.

On our way home，we passed a man _______ so hard to get his wheelchair off the main road. We _______ and asked him if he needed help，he said yes.

Without a second   _______，my son Seth jumped out of the car and   _______ this man who was a double amputee(截肢者)up a hill about a block.   _______ ，the hurricane alarms were sounding.

The man was so _______，and he kept saying that I was raising _______ kids. There and then I explained to him that my grandfather was a double amputee and that I was raised to _______ if I can. He said he could have been ________ in a terrible storm but for this young man.

Seth got into the car and as we drove off，his exact words were，“Mom，I ________ that we live in a world where people would fly by and honk(摁喇叭)at a disabled person ________ voluntarily lend a hand. ”I told him that’s why it’s so important to always help. Every little bit truly does ________ . He is truly my ________ and joy. I’m proud of you，Seth，for your ________ to be a kind human.

1.

A．broke out

B．went on

C．went off

D．put forth

2.

A．practising

B．arranging

C．attempting

D．learning

3.

A．pulled on

B．pulled over

C．pulled out

D．pulled back

4.

A．thought

B．wonder

C．knowledge

D．mind

5.

A．1ifted

B．held

C．dragged

D．pushed

6.

A．However

B．Nevertheless

C．Meanwhile

D．Besides

7.

A．grateful

B．careful

C．hopeful

D．helpful

8.

A．clever

B．good

C．strong

D．creative

9.

A．help out

B．give out

C．hand out

D．hold out

10.

A．lost

B．caught

C．absorbed

D．occupied

11.

A．hate

B．picture

C．suspect

D．assume

12.

A．other than

B．along with

C．or rather

D．rather than

13.

A．function

B．apply

C．stress

D．count

14.

A．pride

B．helper

C．favorite

D．dear

15.

A．promising

B．choosing

C．expecting

D．preparing

4 . There are times when we feel as if our bad circumstances will never change. When we meet troubles or problems in our lives,we are _______ for a sign that tells us everything will be _______ and get better.

When in this mindset (心态), I think back to a _______ I once heard about a family having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. At the end of the meal, everyone _______ their fortune cookie and read their messages out loud. _______ , the youngest child did not, she went to get another fortune cookie. This _______ several times before the mom stopped her and asked, “What are you doing?” The little child responded, “I am looking for a cookie with the _______ fortune for me.” The mom said, “There is only one thing you need to _______ and it’s not in a fortune cookie. That is where there is a will there’s a way.”

When _______ are not going our way,we may ________ the right fortune. We seek the hope for our ________ so that it will be better than the present. Once the Israelis were expelled (驱逐) in a foreign country against their will. At that time, everything was ________ for them, but they didn’t lose hope; instead, they________to their new environment positively. Years later they returned to their homeland as they had________.

In life we need to take action and hope and believe that nothing is impossible to a willing mind. It does ________ that good things do come out of bad and difficult situations.

1.

A．ready

B．grateful

C．Responsible

D．desperate

2.

A．settled

B．hidden

C．defeated

D．gone

3.

A．message

B．story

C．problem

D．case

4.

A．ate

B．tasted

C．touched

D．opened

5.

A．Anyhow

B．However

C．Otherwise

D．Therefore

6.

A．changed

B．ran

C．happened

D．showed

7.

A．good

B．bad

C．wrong

D．right

8.

A．doubt

B．guess

C．know

D．hope

9.

A．memories

B．things

C．questions

D．chances

10.

A．search for

B．make up

C．take out

D．wrestle with

11.

A．family

B．work

C．business

D．future

12.

A．easy

B．difficult

C．common

D．special

13.

A．adjusted

B．turned

C．stuck

D．agreed

14.

A．left

B．expected

C．talked

D．remembered

15.

A．prove

B．tell

C．consider

D．understand

5 . I attended my 35th high school reunion recently. It was held at the 4-H camp that I _______ next to as a child. When I got there the very first thing I _______ was the little Oak trees that I used to climb up as a boy now seemed as tall as Redwoods. _______ had that happened?

I had arrived early so I _______ to help get things set up. I _______ some chairs around the tables and then got drafted to blow up the party balloons. For some reason my aging _______ couldn’t seem to get my balloons quite as _______ as my friend’s, who was helping me out.

As I started to talk to my _______ high school friends I noticed something else too. We all looked a little _______. There was some with gray hair. And we all seemed to have a few extra ________ and a few extra wrinkles. Yet, the moment we started to talk and catch up the years melted away, our ________ souls shined through. On the outside we all seemed a little wiser and more mature, but on the ________ every single one of us was bright, beautiful, and energetic. 35 years may have ________ our bodies a bit, ________ it hadn’t had any effect whatever on our souls. Our souls are created in Love. And Love ________ ages. Love is both unfading and forever young.

1.

A．ended up

B．grew up

C．pulled out

D．set out

2.

A．explored

B．described

C．noticed

D．counted

3.

A．Why

B．How

C．When

D．Where

4.

A．happened

B．promised

C．agreed

D．volunteered

5.

A．placed

B．designed

C．decorated

D．fixed

6.

A．bone

B．heart

C．lungs

D．muscle

7.

A．large

B．flat

C．empty

D．full

8.

A．generous

B．new

C．old

D．honest

9.

A．simple

B．nervous

C．mild

D．different

10.

A．fees

B．pounds

C．jobs

D．aids

11.

A．young

B．healthy

C．active

D．beautiful

12.

A．contrary

B．surface

C．spot

D．inside

13.

A．weakened

B．aged

C．strengthened

D．enriched

14.

A．or

B．and

C．but

D．for

15.

A．never

B．always

C．seldom

D．often

6 . My son was playing with a bottle of bubbles. Dip the loop in the bottle, pull it out, and blow it to make bubbles. He understood the principle but was vainly _______ to blow bubbles. He would dip and dip and blow and blow, but alas, no _______. He _______ me the bottle and loop and asked me, “Daddy, can you make bubbles?”

I hadn’t blown bubbles in years. I am a _______ by education, fairly well-trained in surfactant (活性剂) technology. However, all that knowledge is completely _______. I was having no more _______ than my son. I dipped and puffed, _______ no bubbles.

After several _______ attempts, I changed strategies. _______ puffing on the loop of soapy water, I just gently breathed on it. My son ________ with delight as a big beautiful bubble formed and ________ away. I explained to him, “Son, you can’t blow hard. You must ever so ________ breathe on the loop to make bubbles.” He ________ his urgent desire to make big bubbles by blowing hard and followed my advice. Big bubbles!

There are some things that you can get with ________, but other things only ________ from the gentleness of a soft breath.

1.

A．trying

B．managing

C．expecting

D．acting

2.

A．changes

B．bubbles

C．results

D．drops

3.

A．lent

B．handed

C．threw

D．cast

4.

A．researcher

B．professional

C．chemist

D．parent

5.

A．out of date

B．of no use

C．in doubt

D．in trouble

6.

A．trial

B．confidence

C．patience

D．success

7.

A．even

B．thus

C．somehow

D．still

8.

A．fruitless

B．tough

C．unwilling

D．difficult

9.

A．Despite

B．Without

C．On

D．Except

10.

A．screamed

B．nodded

C．rushed

D．flew

11.

A．escaped

B．floated

C．burst

D．bounced

12.

A．silently

B．slightly

C．eagerly

D．gently

13.

A．freed

B．fueled

C．contained

D．reduced

14.

A．brain

B．action

C．force

D．science

15.

A．survive

B．separate

C．jumped

D．arise

7 . When I was living alone in Santa Rosa, California, and running a business division for Intuit, my two cats Wiley and Wilbur were my family. We took care of one another, entertained one another,_________annoyed one another, and_________one another after all. Then, at only ten years old, Wilbur_________cancer.

Letting go of Wilbur was painful, and I was when the time came to say_________.Wiley, my other cat, was_________too. He and Wilbur were best friends. He had always been happy and well-adjusted,_________he seemed lost after Wilbur’s passing. Wiley and I grieved and healed together.

When people adopt a homeless pet, it’s clear that they are saving the animal from homelessness,_________animal companionship to their lives. They’re obviously_________a far better life for the animal. Time after time, people who adopt homeless pets find their own lives being_________too.

Thai’s just one of the__________of adopting a shelter dog. And that’s__________I created Mutual Rescue, an animal-welfare initiative aimed at highlighting this special bond__________more homeless animals’ lives can be     __________. I also wrote a book about the__________animals have on our lives: Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too. This book includes some of the beautiful, life-changing stories I’ve ________.

1.

A．always

B．occasionally

C．permanently

D．usually

2.

A．hated

B．complained

C．adored

D．disgusted

3.

A．suffered from

B．escaped from

C．recovered from

D．got from

4.

A．hello

B．regret

C．sorry

D．goodbye

5.

A．warmhearted

B．thrilled

C．scared

D．heartbroken

6.

A．so

B．or

C．hut

D．thus

7.

A．adding

B．applying

C．adapting

D．adjusting

8.

A．equipping

B．providing

C．contributing

D．donating

9.

A．disturbed

B．disordered

C．saved

D．challenged

10.

A．troubles

B．benefits

C．faults

D．missions

11.

A．when

B．how

C．why

D．where

12.

A．so that

B．in case

C．in that

D．for fear that

13.

A．exchanged

B．transformed

C．interrupted

D．transferred

14.

A．disadvantage

B．mercy

C．inspiration

D．impact

15.

A．encountered

B．designed

C．invented

D．facilitated

8 . One day I was sleeping in my chair when I woke up to the sound of a car crash. I sat up and looked _______ out my window. Across the street, a car had just backed into a chain-link fence. The car must have been moving fast, _______it was in bad shape. The fence was bent out exactly the _______of the car’s back end.

I watched the driver get out of the car. After a few seconds of _______the damage, the man tried to put the fence back into the place. His first attempt failed and he tried a little harder. He grabbed its vertical support pole and pulled against it with his full _______. The pole suddenly _______ and the man fell hard onto the ground. The entire fence fell on top of him, and one of his shoes _______ and landed 10 feet away on the sidewalk.

I laughed out loud. The man's failure was _______my whole day. He climbed out from under the_______fence and went back to the apartment building.

That, I thought, would be the ________of it. The man was going to leave all the chaos behind for someone else to ________. However, the man__________a few minutes later with some tools. For the next hour, I ________out my window as he doggedly fixed the fence and even improved it. Now the fence would be extra secure, stronger than before.

This man was actually a hero and I was embarrassed by my ________judgments. Years later, I still look out my window at that fence almost every day. It makes me ________what else that man has improved, and how I can make myself more like him.

1.

A．gradually

B．especially

C．immediately

D．generally

2.

A．until

B．because

C．if

D．although

3.

A．beginning

B．direction

C．center

D．shape

4.

A．assessing

B．mentioning

C．limiting

D．avoiding

5.

A．equipment

B．sight

C．wisdom

D．weight

6.

A．broke

B．burnt

C．lightened

D．rose

7.

A．moved on

B．passed by

C．flew off

D．turned up

8.

A．wasting

B．brightening

C．completing

D．controlling

9.

A．fallen

B．hidden

C．locked

D．related

10.

A．plan

B．form

C．cause

D．end

11.

A．give away

B．clean up

C．learn from

D．refer to

12.

A．quit

B．hesitated

C．approved

D．appeared

13.

A．worked

B．counted

C．watched

D．guessed

14.

A．unbalanced

B．uncertain

C．unfair

D．unhurried

15.

A．wonder

B．observe

C．explain

D．challenge

9 . Every year, more books on happiness are published. And every year, more people feel depressed because they do not see themselves as happy. They don’t remember or know what it feels like, and instead, they feel guilty that they aren’t as happy as everyone says they should be. This is really a sad state of emotional affairs.

The books, blogs, YouTube videos and advice columns (专栏) will tell you that if you read, exercise, stay busy, help others, and increase your intimacy (亲密) every day, then you too can be happy.

The simple truth is that no one can be happy all the time. That doesn’t mean you have to be sad, angry, or depressed the rest of the time but that you can find a middle ground called contentment. This middle ground is a good place mentally and emotionally, and spending time there is a healthy choice.

Contentment is somewhere between satisfied and peaceful. When you are in that place, the stuff of life can be going on around you, but you don’t need to allow it to bother you. And that, my friends, is a very nice way to go through life.

I find contentment in walks and in writing, and in talking with my partner and reminding each other that our life is good, despite temporary setbacks or scary moments. Because I know about myself and I can respond differently. Doing this takes away stress and will keep you from losing your state of contentment.

If there is even one thing that puts you in a state of contentment — you do it regularly and early enough each day — it will help you go through any challenges you may have to face later.

Right at this moment, things around me are still a little out of my control — such is life — but I am feeling pretty good because I actively living my purpose. I am now content, and that feeling will last the whole day through. You can do the same.

1. What does the author want to stress by mentioning “Books on happiness in paragraph 1?

A．People find it difficult to agree on what happiness is.

B．Such books are so popular that they are sold out very soon.

C．Happiness is something easy to gain in our daily life.

D．Experts find it useless to argue about the value of happiness.

2. When facing setbacks or sad moments, what does the author do?

A．He turns to such media as blogs.

B．He definitely communicates with partners.

C．He adjusts himself and reacts positively.

D．He sees himself unlucky and feels depressed.

3. What is the author most likely to agree with?

A．Still water runs deep.	B．Health is better than wealth.
C．Enough is as good as a feast.	D．One good turn deserves another.

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

A．To introduce a novel experience.

B．To advocate a proper life attitude.

C．To encourage studies on happiness.

D．To persuade us to work endlessly.

10 . A few years ago,I boarded a plane to Disney World with my 8-year -old kid Lucas.

Even before boarding,I was filled with_______. Lucas is an autistic (自闭症) boy.Traveling outside his comfort zone can sometimes be_______for Lucas. I was worried other passengers might not understand_______Lucas communicated with the world.

Worse sill,we were seated next to a man who_______to be hard boiled.As the plane_______ ,so did my boy's excitement level and my own worry.I could even_________ the unpleasant remarks this man might have for my excited son.

As Lucas began to play with an app on his iPad,he screamed with joy and _______his hands as loudly as he could.I began to_______,trying to quiet my son so that he wouldn't_______the other passengers. I noticed the hard-boiled man paying attention from the________ of my eye. He leaned closer to me and I even got________to begin a verbal fight.

However,the man________ said,“You know ,you don't have to keep him quiet for me. You can let him have fun.”It was the________thing I expected,and I didn't know what to say________“thank you”.

The kindness of that man will always be a(n)________to me that there are always people who want to enter our world and understand my wonderful boy.

1.

A．confidence

B．pride

C．excitement

D．anxiety

2.

A．enjoyable

B．tricky

C．curious

D．considerate

3.

A．when

B．how

C．why

D．where

4.

A．appeared

B．pretended

C．preferred

D．promised

5.

A．broke down

B．touched down

C．took off

D．pulled out

6.

A．anticipate

B．bear

C．acknowledge

D．witness

7.

A．shook

B．waved

C．raised

D．clapped

8.

A．wonder

B．complain

C．sweat

D．argue

9.

A．disappoint

B．motivate

C．puzzle

D．disturb

10.

A．corner

B．bottom

C．top

D．center

11.

A．inspired

B．prepared

C．excited

D．determined

12.

A．simply

B．rarely

C．roughly

D．totally

13.

A．typical

B．exact

C．last

D．first

14.

A．or rather

B．other than

C．rather than

D．more than

15.

A．symbol

B．experience

C．warning

D．reminder