1 . I believe that families are not only blood relatives, but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will.

In May 1977, I was living in a Howard Johnson’s motel off Interstate 10 in Houston. My dad and I ____ a room with two double beds and a bathroom was too ____ for a 15-year-old girl and her father. Dad’s second marriage was ____ and my stepmother had ____ us both out of the house the previous week. Dad had no ____ what to do with me. And that’s when my other family ____

Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home ____ their only daughter, Su, my best friend, asked them to. I ____ with them for the next seven years.

Barbara washed my skirts the same as Su’s. She ____ I had lunch money, doctors’ appointments, help with homework and nightly hugs. Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders ____ I could tell, for the Beaches there was no ____ between Su and me; I was their daughter, too.

When Su and I ____ college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school. Recently, Barb presented me with an insurance policy they bought when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23 years.

The Beaches knew ____ about me when they took me in – they had heard the whole story from Su. When I was seven, my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to ____ his kids. Before I went to live with the Beaches I had believed that life was entirely ____ and that love was shaky and untrustworthy. I had believed that the only person who would take care of me was me.

____ the Beaches, I would have become a bitter, cynical (愤世嫉俗的) woman. They gave me a(n) ____ that allowed me to grow and change. They kept me from being paralyzed (使麻痹，瘫痪) by my ____ and they gave me the confidence to open my heart.

I ____ family. For me, it wasn’t the family that was there on the day I was ____ , but the one that was there for me when I was living in a Howard Johnson’s on Interstate 10.

1.

A．lived

B．shared

C．possessed

D．bought

2.

A．cheap

B．noisy

C．small

D．limited

3.

A．in trouble

B．in sight

C．in place

D．in parts

4.

A．struck

B．removed

C．kicked

D．knocked

5.

A．plan

B．choice

C．chance

D．idea

6.

A．looked after

B．showed up

C．turned over

D．came across

7.

A．so

B．because

C．until

D．while

8.

A．worked

B．traveled

C．lived

D．learned

9.

A．worked out

B．called up

C．watched out

D．made sure

10.

A．As long as

B．As far as

C．As soon as

D．As many as

11.

A．change

B．problem

C．conflict

D．difference

12.

A．set off

B．left for

C．entered into

D．admitted into

13.

A．all

B．little

C．something

D．nothing

14.

A．supply

B．teach

C．encourage

D．raise

15.

A．different

B．unfair

C．easy

D．hopeful

16.

A．Thanks to

B．In spite of

C．Except for

D．But for

17.

A．home

B．house

C．ability

D．lesson

18.

A．choice

B．failure

C．past

D．present

19.

A．doubt about

B．call on

C．center on

D．believe in

20.

A．born

B．accepted

C．educated

D．deserted

2 . There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers，he used two buckets. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one, which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled(溢出). The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say, “See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don’t know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are !”
And all that the old bucket could say was, “I know I’m not very useful, but I can only do my best. I’m happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least. ”
One day, the gardener heard that kind of conversation. After watering the flowers as usual, he said, “You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back. I want you to look carefully along the path.”
Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare(光秃秃的)earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.
1. What does the underlined word “dilapidated” probably mean ?

A．dirty.

B．dark.

C．worn-out.

D．plain-looking.

2. What was the old bucket ashamed of ?

A．His past.

B．His aging.

C．His manner.

D．His leaking.

3. The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to _______.

A．laugh at the old one	B．take pity on the old one
C．show off its beautiful looks	D．praise the gardener’s kindness

4. Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?

A．Because it was used to keep a balance.

B．Because it stayed in its best condition.

C．Because it was taken as a treasure.

D．Because it had its own function.

3 . A
I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn’t think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.
I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.
It takes confidence to make a new start — there’s a dark period in-between where you’re neither one thing nor the other. You’re out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you’re too ashamed to say, “Well, I’m writing a novel, but I’m not quite sure if I’m going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published ,
I put it aside.
Then I met an agent（代理商）who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.
The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal — that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.
It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck — of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there’s no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract of the publisher — to be a published writer — is unbelievably rewarding.
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．I was waiting for good fortune.

B．I was trying to find an admirable job.

C．I was being aimless about a suitable job.

D．I was doing several jobs for more pay at a time.

2. The author decided to write a novel ______ .

A．to finish the writing course

B．to realize her own dream

C．to satisfy readers’wish

D．to earn more money

3. How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?

A．Disturbed.

B．Ashamed.

C．Confident.

D．Uncertain.

4. What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph?

A．It pays to stick to one’s goal.

B．Hard work can lead to success.

C．She feels like being unexpectedly lucky.

D．There is no end in sight when starting to do something.

4 . Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not, I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA (personal bank account ). I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version (版本) of yourself, instead of a second-class version of somebody else.”

Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that:

In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.

At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.

It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit (储蓄) into your PBA and will build strength.

1. The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “________”.

A．to be honest

B．to be unreal

C．to become clear

D．to come from an imagined world

2. Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?

A．Be your true self rather than follow others.

B．Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.

C．Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.

D．Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.

3. What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story ?

A．honesty can be of great help.

B．A bad thing can be turned into a good one.

C．Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.

D．One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.

4. In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express ________.

A．one must be brave to be honest

B．it’s difficult to be honest when others are not

C．one should be honest when making a deposit

D．honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future

5 . In the clinic, I asked if Michael could be retested, so the specialist tested him again. To my _______, it was the same score.
Later that evening, I ______ told Frank what I had learned that day. After talking it over, we agree that we knew our ________much better than an IQ test. We ________that Michael’s score must have been a _______ and we should treat him ________as usual.
We moved to Indiana in 1962, and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year. He got _______ grades in the school, especially _______ biology and chemistry, which was a great comfort.
Michael _______ Indiana University in 1965 as a pre-medical student, soon afterwards, his teachers permitted him to take more courses than ________. In 1968, he was accepted by the School of Medicine, Yale University.
On graduation day in 1972, Frank and I ________ the ceremony at Yale. After the ceremony, we told Michael about the ________ IQ score he got when he was six. Since that day, Michael sometimes would look at us and say ________, “My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn’t be a doctor, not until after I graduated from medical school!” It is his special way of thanking us for the ________ we had in him.
Interestingly, Michael then _________another IQ test. We went to the same clinic where he had _______ the test eighteen years before. This time Michael scored 126, an increase of 36 points. A result like that was supposed to be ________.
Children often do as ________ as what adults, particularly parents and teachers,_________ of them. That is, tell a child he is “ ________”, and he may play the role of a foolish child.1.

A．joy

B．surprise

C．dislike

D．disappointment

2.

A．tearfully

B．fearfully

C．cheerfully

D．hopefully

3.

A．student

B．son

C．friend

D．doctor

4.

A．argued

B．realized

C．decided

D．understood

5.

A．joke

B．mistake

C．warning          D wonder

6.

A．specially

B．strictly

C．naturally

D．carefully

7.

A．poor

B．good

C．average

D．standard

8.

A．in

B．about

C．of

D．for

9.

A．visited

B．chose

C．passed

D．entered

10.

A．allowed

B．described

C．required

D．offered

11.

A．missed

B．held

C．delayed

D．attended

12.

A．high

B．same

C．low

D．different

13.

A．curiously

B．eagerly

C．calmly

D．jokingly

14.

A．faith

B．interest

C．pride

D．delight

15.

A．looked for

B．asked for

C．waited for

D．prepared for

16.

A．received

B．accepted

C．organized

D．discussed

17.

A．imperfect

B．impossible

C．uncertain

D．unsatisfactory

18.

A．honestly

B．much

C．well

D．bravely

19.

A．hear

B．learn

C．expect

D．speak

20.

A．wise

B．rude

C．shy

D．stupid

6 .    I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”

At that time, I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!” And she swept it into the wastebasket.

I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth…?

She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room – if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!” Then she turned to me, kissed me and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.

After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood(情绪) had changed. I was laughing. How would I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.

1. Why did the author shout at the telephone?

A．He was mad at the telephone.

B．He was angry with his agent.

C．He was anxious about his wife

D．He was impatient with the secretary.

2. What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?

A．She said nothing	B．She shouted at him.
C．She called the agent	D．She threw the phone away

3. What made the author laugh?

A．His own behavior.	B．His wife’s suggestion
C．His changeable feelings	D．His wife’s sweet kiss.

4. What does the underlined word “antics” refer to?

A．Smart words	B．Unusual actions
C．Surprising Looks	D．Anxious feelings

7 . 阅读下面短文，掌握大意，然后从所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
Some people think if you are happy, you are blind to reality．But when we research it, happiness actually____ every single business and educational outcome for the brain．Why do people have this social ____ about happiness? Because we assumed you were average.
Many people think happiness is genetic．That’s only half the story．When we stop studying the average and begin____ positive outliers — people who are above average for a positive aspect like optimism or intelligence — a____ different picture appears．Our daily decisions and habits have a huge impact upon both our levels of happiness and success.
____ , happiness is a choice．It is a choice about where your single processor brain will devote its limited resources as you process the world．If you scan for the____first, your brain really has no resources left over to see the things you are grateful for or the meaning embedded (嵌入) in your work．But if you scan it the other way round, you start to acquire an ____ advantage.1.

A．rises

B．arises

C．arouses

D．raises

2.

A．faith

B．concept

C．misunderstanding

D．tradition

3.

A．discovering

B．researching

C．observing

D．finding

4.

A．wildly

B．hardly

C．mildly

D．crazily

5.

A．Fortunately

B．Gradually

C．Strangely

D．Scientifically

6.

A．positive

B．negative

C．active

D．passive

7.

A．annoying

B．interesting

C．amazing

D．Embarrassing

8 . 完形填空
On my way to work every day, I drive down a street lined with pine trees．One tree in particular____ my attention．It must have suffered some____ ．Part of its trunk grew nearly parallel to the ground, and then in an effort to____ its own course of life, the trunk took a 90 degree turn____ to stand tall and stretch toward the sun.
Each day as I drove by, I saw this bent but determined tree and I would be____ ．It was a reminder to me that____ I may not have had the best start in life, I could change____ in the parts of my life at any time.
I was planning to stop one day to get a perfect____ of my kindred-spirit (志趣相同的) tree．But that week I was busy．After that week, I still didn’t take any action．Every time I drove by the tree I would____ myself, “Tomorrow, I’ll stop tomorrow to take one.” Then one day, as I drove by “my” tree, I glanced over, and much to my____ , I found a sawed-off stump (树桩) where that tree had stood．I had____ my plan until “tomorrow” and tomorrow proved to be too____ .
What have you been putting off? What would you do today if you knew you would____ have the opportunity to do it again? Why not do those things that you have been putting off until tomorrow?1.

A．caught

B．paid

C．fixed

D．escaped

2.

A．experience

B．influence

C．defeat

D．damage

3.

A．change

B．design

C．follow

D．imagine

4.

A．applying

B．attempting

C．learning

D．happening

5.

A．satisfied

B．interested

C．encouraged

D．educated

6.

A．even though

B．as if

C．in case

D．if only

7.

A．habit

B．direction

C．plan

D．purpose

8.

A．review

B．picture

C．glance

D．knowledge

9.

A．call

B．help

C．tell

D．warn

10.

A．regret

B．pleasure

C．happiness

D．surprise

11.

A．cut off

B．taken off

C．put off

D．called off

12.

A．sad

B．far

C．good

D．late

13.

A．never

B．ever

C．surely

D．almost

9 . The journey of water on the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Like a river that flows within the boundaries of its banks, we are born with certain characteristics that ____ our identity. We move through life, ____ many twists, turns, and barriers along the way just as a river does.
Water shows us how to move through the world with grace, bravery, determination, and ____ Water is brave and does not waste time sticking to its past, but flows onward without looking back. When there is a hole to be filled, water does not run away from it in fear of the dark; ____, water modestly and bravely fills the empty space. Similarly, we can face the dark moments of our life rather than run away from them.
____, a river will empty into the sea. Water does not hold back from joining up with a larger body, nor does it fear a loss of ____ or control. It gracefully and modestly falls into the vastness by contributing its energy without hesitation. Each time we move ____ our personal characters to become part of something bigger, we can try our best to ____ the lead of the river.1.

A．preserve

B．assume

C．decide

D．cast

2.

A．competing

B．meeting with

C．living with

D．playing with

3.

A．modesty

B．happiness

C．honesty

D．reputation

4.

A．therefore

B．besides

C．otherwise

D．instead

5.

A．Eventual

B．Absolutely

C．Regularly

D．Actually

6.

A．life

B．confidence

C．liberty

D．root

7.

A．on

B．into

C．across

D．beyond

8.

A．take

B．follow

C．lose

D．hold

10 . When I was a small boy my family was very poor. My father always used his savings to _______ my mother to visit her parents who lived far away. There was just my younger brother and myself in the house. One evening Dad came home from _______ and there was no food in the house, not _______ a piece of bread. Although we were _______, my brother and I went to bed without eating anything.

My father had no money, but I knew from the _______ on his face that he could not let us have an empty stomach. He _______ the house and about two hours later returned and quickly _______ us up. He had in his hand two small potato pies, which he gave us to eat. I don’t know where he got the _______ but somehow he _______ to get us something to eat.

My father had not eaten and had worked all day ________ he sat there with great satisfaction watching us eat. This has ________ stayed in my mind and left more of an impression than any amount of ________ he may ever have given me.

At that moment, I felt happy knowing that he was there and would not let us ________.

I guess the ________ I am trying to make is that in difficult times it is ________ not to show weakness but strength and character. If a ________ is the cement(粘合剂) that holds a family together, then the father is ________ that strengthens that cement.

It is his values and ________ and memories that have carried me forward and helped me to ________ my own problems in life. In my own ________ I have learned that it is the valuable time you spend with your children and the values you give to them that will remain with them always.

1.

A．force

B．remind

C．send

D．teach

2.

A．hospital

B．work

C．school

D．shop

3.

A．quite

B．just

C．only

D．even

4.

A．nervous

B．hungry

C．sleepy

D．busy

5.

A．worry

B．pleasure

C．disappointment

D．surprise

6.

A．cleaned

B．observed

C．left

D．searched

7.

A．brought

B．put

C．called

D．woke

8.

A．chance

B．food

C．support

D．recipe

9.

A．managed

B．decided

C．agreed

D．waited

10.

A．so

B．or

C．but

D．and

11.

A．normally

B．always

C．shortly

D．softly

12.

A．cost

B．time

C．salary

D．money

13.

A．suffer

B．know

C．leave

D．cry

14.

A．decision

B．promise

C．point

D．apology

15.

A．strange

B．important

C．difficult

D．common

16.

A．father

B．brother

C．sister

D．mother

17.

A．something

B．anything

C．everything

D．nothing

18.

A．words

B．records

C．actions

D．failures

19.

A．work out

B．carry out

C．run into

D．look into

20.

A．opinion

B．home

C．order

D．turn