1 . When she returned home that year, she was given an enthusiastic welcome in the same hall. Many hands stretched out to her, many cameras focused on her. A reporter in glasses kept pestering her with the question: “What do you like best?” She was wondering how to respond when she caught sight of a bunch of flowers. Then she said, “Flowers!” Following her remarks, more flowers were at once presented out to her, too many for her to hold. During the past two years, she had participated in many international competitions and brought back one shining medal after another. What she got in return was all smiles, flowers and camera flashes. Was it because of this that she became preoccupied with winning? The more she won, the more obsessed she was with the fear of losing. So her mind was in fact more burdened with success than with failure. The mind could control physical pains but could not free itself from mental strain easily.
This time when she was a little off balance on the horizontal bar (平衡木), she became so worried that she lost self-control and fell off. This failure was followed by several more in other events. Afterwards in order to avoid people at the airport, she trailed along behind the team. She found that very few people greeted her and reporters seemed to shun her. However hard she tried, she couldn’t turn the tide; she was a complete failure. Indeed, who would side with a failure?
All of a sudden, she saw a pair of shoes in front of her. Who could it be? She raised her bent head slowly and saw a navy blue suit, long legs, and then a clear fair face. Before her stood the stewardess with her hands behind her back, speaking with a smile, “I watched your performance on the television. I knew you would come home today. So I am here especially to welcome you.”
“I did very poorly.” She lowered her head again.
“No. You did your best.”
“But I failed.”
“Nobody can avoid failure. I believe failure is as important to you as success. Failure belongs to the past, and victory is the future.” The stewardess’s voice came gentle but firm.
Hearing these words, the girl raised her head. The stewardess held out her hands from behind her back with a big bouquet of colorful flowers, and presented it to the girl. The strong fragrance seemed to turn into a magic, powerful current that went through her body. She was moved to tears. Flowers are usually given to victorious heroes. Why to the disgraced loser?
1. What does the underlined word “pester” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Greet. | B．Annoy. | C．Inquire. | D．Concern. |
| A．She had received many smiles, flowers and camera flashes. |
| B．She was passionate about walking on the horizontal bar. |
| C．Her mind was free from over anxiety about failure. |
| D．She was in good physical condition. |
| A．Ashamed. | B．Stressed. | C．Miserable. | D．Grief-stricken. |
| A．Action is worry’s worst enemy. |
| B．The winners laugh and the losers weep. |
| C．Excessive pressure will become a burden. |
| D．Success is never final and failure is never fatal. |
2 . Our savings ran out and we were going to lose our house. We had to move into Grandpa’s house, which had been old and beyond
The roof seemed to leak
Joe and I both tried to be
One evening, I walked out into the back yard to
I suddenly
| A．control | B．repair | C．recognition | D．comparison |
| A．empty | B．noisy | C．secret | D．busy |
| A．for no reason | B．in every respect | C．on no account | D．at any moment |
| A．worn | B．kept | C．cut | D．cleared |
| A．proved | B．felt | C．grew | D．stood |
| A．hardly | B．simply | C．suddenly | D．occasionally |
| A．brave | B．friendly | C．energetic | D．cheerful |
| A．warning | B．answer | C．message | D．lesson |
| A．escape | B．defeat | C．release | D．absorb |
| A．Probably | B．Accidentally | C．Naturally | D．Consequently |
| A．planting | B．picking | C．watering | D．observing |
| A．flowers | B．insects | C．seats | D．trees |
| A．quietest | B．safest | C．nicest | D．cleanest |
| A．confirmed | B．declared | C．recalled | D．realized |
| A．eager | B．grateful | C．concerned | D．responsible |
3 . I always wanted to be extraordinary at something. Not just as in, “Great job, Jimbo!” No, I wanted to be best-in-class, awe-inspiring, tiptop; a world-famous genius, like Michael Phelps or Mark Zuckerberg.
Unfortunately, my version of reality did not quite line up with thisdelusionalvision. I was a good swimmer, but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level. My academic record was pretty solid, but I never would have made it into one of those ivy-league schools.
Though I rose to above-average status in a couple of areas, the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything more than a mid-sized fish in a small pond. God apparently had other plans.
What drove me crazy, though, was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn. Some folks just seemed to get an unfair intensive dose (剂量) of it. Why couldn’t I be like Bernie William, the famed New Yorkees player who also happens to be a world-class jazz guitar virtuoso (艺术大师)?
Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time. Around ten thousand hours, to be precise, according to author Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one’s expertise, but it seems that raw talent is equally important. You either have it or you don’t.
I’ve heard that as people approach middle age, their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations for themselves and the reality. After a few decades of frustration without the desired results, we eventually come to terms with how our lives turned out, even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectation.
Hope bends, it seems.
1. What does the word “delusional” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．Practical. | B．Realistic. |
| C．Abstract. | D．Imaginary. |
| A．a world-famous genius | B．a mid-sized fish in a small pond |
| C．a world-class virtuoso | D．a student in an ivy-league school |
| A．Raw talent. | B．Talent and time. |
| C．Extraordinary efforts. | D．Ten thousand hours of practice. |
| A．Hope Bends | B．Frustrating Decades |
| C．Practice Works | D．Youthful Expectation |
4 . 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
These days, I keep my industry knowledge
Some might call me a learning
I am looking at the Plain Language program as an opportunity to learn a new skill that will not only make me
The days of being able to
| A．designer | B．teacher | C．reporter | D．learner |
| A．heard | B．inferred | C．graduated | D．suffered |
| A．work | B．training | C．research | D．education |
| A．current | B．known | C．useful | D．remarkable |
| A．organizing | B．attending | C．recording | D．confirming |
| A．secret | B．personal | C．unique | D．common |
| A．choices | B．measures | C．courses | D．responsibilities |
| A．celebrity | B．master | C．consultant | D．addict |
| A．need | B．agree | C．continue | D．refuse |
| A．truth | B．demand | C．effect | D．future |
| A．financially | B．physically | C．mentally | D．socially. |
| A．better | B．stronger | C．braver | D．firmer |
| A．reduce | B．generate | C．reserve | D．negotiate |
| A．care about | B．leave behind | C．insist on | D．show off |
| A．comment | B．purchase | C．production | D．change |
5 . When I was first married to my wife, I lived and worked in Ontario, moving from small town to big city as I pursued my career as a radio broadcaster. We have two sons, both of whom were born in Toronto, but they moved, with us, to Ottawa when they were quite young. They grew up there, and then, chasing their own careers, they also moved. One went to Canada’s east coast near a city called Halifax and the other headed to the west coast to Vancouver. We had a dilemma; we were left in the middle.
At the time I was still working and my job was in Ottawa. However, as we began to consider retirement we wondered where we should spend our final years. We couldn’t be close to both of our children and there was no telling when they might again relocate. For several reasons we settled on a small town on Vancouver Island. At least we were close to one of them. However, he had his sights set on Hollywood and, when an opportunity presented itself, he left Canada and headed south. I helped him move.
So, there we were, and still are, in our little west coast town. We love our little corner of paradise but we have paid a price. We have not been there for some important events such as the births of two of our grandchildren. We have missed watching each of them grow up; we have missed the normal, noisy households that have young people in them. Our home, while very comfortable, is also very quiet.
Every fall we travel to see the children. We usually fly, first to California to see our son Scott and spend a week or more with him trying to catch up on everything we’ve missed. Then, usually in November, we make the even longer trip east across Canada to see Travis and our grandchildren, who are now teenagers, actually into their twenties. They seldom come to visit us. The distances are just too great and it is costly.
Fortunately, both our boys are doing well and our grandchildren are growing up straight and tall. We love all of them and we are secure in the knowledge that they love us but the reality is that they don’t need us. We have done our jobs and, at least in theory, we can sit back, relax and enjoy the time remaining to us. They have also missed having a set of parents and grandparents around.
Life has been good for our family but we have all paid a price.
1. What does the author mean by saying “We had a dilemma.”?| A．They were not happy about their sons’ absence. |
| B．They were unwilling to separate from their sons. |
| C．They were not yet prepared for retirement at that time. |
| D．They couldn’t decide which son to live close to. |
| A．They have lost lots of money because of his retirement. |
| B．They have to give a large sum of money to their sons. |
| C．They have been absent from their children’s life. |
| D．They have to afford very expensive fare to visit their sons. |
| A．They are quite occupied with their homework. |
| B．It’s not easy for the kids to visit their grandparents. |
| C．They don’t need their grandparents any more. |
| D．The weather of winter in Canada is very awful. |
| A．Grandparents’ Love | B．Suffering Separation |
| C．A Price to Pay | D．Hidden Emotions |
“The mall? Really, Mom?” 13-year-old Michelle asks her mother as her sister Nicole, three, looks on. “Absolutely.” Patty smiles. “You girls deserve some fun, and I need to get out of the house.” With dialysis (透析) treatments every five hours, Patty rarely ventures (冒险) from her Raymond, New Hampshire, home. She’s also been waiting four years to receive a call—the call that would call her for the double organ transplant (移植) she so desperately needs to live—the call that could come at any time. “There,” Patty smiles. “Let’s go have an adventure!”
Before leaving, Patty phones her firefighter husband Gary. But there’s no answer. Patty and her children arrive at the mall. “Whoa!” Patty laughs, forgetting in the excitement to call Gary.
At 3:05 Gary returns to the fire house. Just as he’s about to phone home to check on Patty, the phone is ringing! “We’ve got a match!” Patty’s doctor says. “But she’s got to Charlotte, North Carolina, by midnight.” Gary’s heart beats fast as he calls home. “Why doesn’t she answer?” Gary dials again and again.
Gary worries at the fire station. He’s booked four tickets on both of the two flights to North Carolina, a 6 pm from nearby Manchester or a 7:25 pm from Boston. Where are you Patty? With still no answer, Gary hangs up and dials the police department. He and his firefighter colleagues phone local stores and malls.
Now as Patty and her daughters go shopping, the mall loudspeakers are making an announcement. But in the crowded mall, Patty doesn’t hear it.
At 5:45 Gary realizes it’s too late to make the Manchester flight. And if he doesn’t find Patty soon, they won’t make the Boston flight either. Patty still hasn’t returned at 6:40. “Come home, Patty!” he begs, looking at the driveway. 7:00. It’s too late! Gary panics. Suddenly, he hears the sound of a car! “Patty!” he cries. Spotting her car pulling into the driveway, he calls the fire department. “Get that helicopter here!” he shouts. “She’s home!”
Paragraph 1:
Patty spots Gary racing toward her, a nervous look on his face and suitcases in his hands!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
At 7:37 the plane takes off.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sophia frowned as she helped her mother and father set out the cooking supplies in the shiny steel kitchen. Her family had just moved here from San Francisco,having bought a small restaurant, which was set to open in the next few days.
“Moving here was a dumb idea," Sophia grumbled,mostly to herself. The girl had been joyless about the move, but her parents had made the decision and were now too busy getting ready for the grand opening to listen to her complaints.
The first few days at her new school hadn't been easy,either. She found it hard to talk to people she didn't know, and it seemed like the students hadn't even noticed her. Sophia sighed and got back to washing dishes.
On the day of the grand opening,Sophia' s parents were all smiling,welcoming customers into the restaurant, brightly decorated in gold and red. Even Sophia was in a good mood as she rushed around,seating guests,handing out menus,and pouring tall glasses of water. This was a big day for her family.
At one of the tables sat a family with two daughters who were about Sophia' s age. As she filled their glasses,Sophia realized the twins were in her class,Emily and Jenny. Sophia ducked her head down so her long hair covered her face,and she turned away from the table.
Sophia' s mother found her soon after, in the kitchen loading the dishwasher.
“Honey, what are you doing back here? We need you out front with the customers. ”
“Mom, I don't want to be out there. There are kids from school!”
“So?” her mother asked.“That's good! Go take them some fortune cookies and say hello!”She clucked her tongue disapprovingly at Sophia and disappeared out of the kitchen.
Sophia frowned. She grabbed a handful of fortune cookies that they gave out after every meal,but first she tore open a wrapper and cracked a cookie open for herself. She popped a sweet, crunchy piece in her mouth, and absently read the fortune paper it held.
“Many friends are found with a single smile,” it read.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Sophia sighed. She put a handful of cookies into a small tray and left the kitchen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sophia blushed and nodded. This girl knew her name?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . Years ago, there was a heated debate about what belongings people lacked most.
I
“The list”, I said with great confidence, “consists of all the things we ordinary people may get. If one could
Smiles gathered at the corners of his old eyes. “A really outstanding list,” he said slowly, after a
“Then what,” I asked him,
Using a pencil, he crossed out (划掉) all the items I had written down. Afterwards, he wrote down three words,
“He gives well-being, care and gift to many. Power and wealth are common and reputation is not
| A．Like | B．Among | C．By | D．From |
| A．boundary | B．regulation | C．catalogue | D．prejudice |
| A．eagerly | B．silently | C．magically | D．frequently |
| A．surround | B．comfort | C．inspire | D．impress |
| A．justice | B．money | C．praise | D．permission |
| A．Otherwise | B．Anyhow | C．Meanwhile | D．Besides |
| A．obtain | B．remind | C．consider | D．challenge |
| A．boring | B．prefect | C．correct | D．careful |
| A．escaped | B．bargained | C．frowned | D．smiled |
| A．And | B．Yet | C．Therefore | D．Moreover |
| A．occupied | B．valued | C．missed | D．explored |
| A．expressing | B．raising | C．treasuring | D．preferring |
| A．magic | B．peace | C．heaven | D．hope |
| A．active | B．endless | C．certain | D．rare |
| A．take | B．save | C．wait | D．devote |
9 . Our house was directly across a popular hospital. We rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic. One summer evening, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man, his face lopsided from swelling, red and raw. He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but he had no success. “I guess it’s my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…”
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.” I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. Before he left for his bus, haltingly, he said, “Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him he was welcome to come again.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us. There was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. “You can lose roomers by putting up such people!”
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude.
1. When the author’s children saw the old fisherman, how did they react to him？| A．They felt at home. | B．They were bothered. |
| C．They were terrified. | D．They felt normal. |
| A．He suffered from a back injury. | B．He had a small body but a strong mind. |
| C．He was cured of his disease. | D．He felt hopeless about life. |
| A．Because he wanted to sell them to the author |
| B．Because he wanted to pay the rent with them |
| C．Because his garden had a good harvest |
| D．Because he wanted to thank the author |
| A．God helps those who help themselves. | B．Misfortune can be a blessing in disguise. |
| C．Never judge a book by its cover. | D．Honesty is the best policy. |
10 . I grew up in an age of delayed satisfaction, when I had to wait for everything.
The mail came once a day, and I can still recall the
Such was the world as recently as in the 1970s. Everything seemed to operate on a
The changed times, on the other hand, have encouraged a constant sense of urgency, which is ironic (讽刺的): If we have anything we want anytime we want it, shouldn’t we be less
And so, on this hot day, as a gentle form of
| A．shock | B．annoyance | C．thrill | D．despair |
| A．required | B．deserved | C．sought | D．ordered |
| A．in vain | B．in relief | C．in order | D．in advance |
| A．appointed | B．saved | C．impressed | D．left |
| A．dull | B．strict | C．loose | D．stubborn |
| A．seemingly | B．regularly | C．gradually | D．increasingly |
| A．profitable | B．avoidable | C．available | D．controllable |
| A．determined | B．connected | C．directed | D．pleased |
| A．slower | B．faster | C．weaker | D．happier |
| A．casual | B．abrupt | C．consistent | D．limited |
| A．efficiency | B．patience | C．thought | D．effort |
| A．disappointed | B．hurried | C．bored | D．relaxed |
| A．hatred | B．imagination | C．possibility | D．appetite |
| A．urge | B．reply | C．protest | D．support |
| A．squeezed | B．dragged | C．pushed | D．forces |
