1 . We took a rare family road trip to the Adirondacks in late August,and it was as refreshing and exhausting as family vacations tend to be.Toward the end of our long drive home, even the kids were leaning forward in their seats urging my lead foot on.At that point in a road trip, even sixty-five miles per hour feels slow. We have become numb to our speed and numb to the road signs flashing by.

My family lives on the edge of Lancaster County. Only thirty miles from home,I hit the brakes, and we began to roll, slowly, behind a horse-drawn carriage.We began to open our eyes again. We saw familiar green hills and the farm with the best watermelons. I rolled down the windows, and we breathed again. Just-cut hay and a barn full of dairy cattle.

At five miles per hour,you remember what you forget at sixty-five.You are thinking about a place,even when you are moving from place to place.

I am a placemaker. A homemaker, too. I am a mother of a young kid at home, and also a writer and a gardener. But, for me, those roles are wrapped up with the one big thing I want to do with the rest of my life: I want to cultivate a place and share it with others.

The place I make with my family is a red-brick farmhouse built in l880. It has quite a few nineteenth-century bedrooms and a few acres of land, and we love nothing more than to fill them with neighbors and friends. We grow vegetables and flowers,keep a baker’s dozen of egg—laying chickens, and, since we moved in three years ago, we have planted many, many trees.

Living with my life’s purpose does not allow for much travel. I need to be here,feeding the chickens and watering the tomatoes. Any extra in the budget,and we spend it on trees.

But I learned something at the end of our family road trip.Travel can help me in the task of caring for my own place.When I slow down and pay attention to the road between here and there,travel tells me the connections between my place and all the other places.

1. What does the author try to express in the first paragraph?

A．The tiredness of her past family life.

B．Her disappointment at the family road trip.

C．The family’s eagerness to return home.

D．Kids’excitement at driving fast on the road.

2. Why did the author slow her car some miles from her home?

A．Because she made a way for a horse-drawn carriage.

B．Because she enjoyed the scenery along the road.

C．Because she needed a break after the long drive.

D．Because she wanted to get rid of a fast-paced life.

3. The underlined word“placemaker”in the 4th paragraph refers to someone who_______ .

A．devotes most of his energy and time to building his house

B．is ready to help anyone in need in the community

C．makes a creative design for others’houses

D．is good at cultivating a place and sharing it with others

4. What can be the best title of the passage?

A．On the Way Home	B．Never Travel again
C．Escape from a Family Life	D．Life on the Farm

2 . 根据短文内容，从选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中两项为多余选项。
Our Fears Can Change the Reality of the Situation
At times, our worries and anxieties can defeat us. In addition, our worries can change our understanding of what is reality and what is not. Here is a brief list of techniques that you can use to help gain a better viewpoint on things during the anxious moments.
    1    A person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off the problem. A person could get some fresh air, listen to some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.
Remember that our fearful thoughts are made to seem worse and can make the problem worse.    2    When unexpectedly having thoughts that make you fearful or anxious, challenge these thoughts by asking yourself positive questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.
Be smart in how you deal with fears and anxieties. Do not try to deal with everything all at once. When facing a current or upcoming task that makes you anxious, break the task into small ones.    3    
Remember that all the worrying in the world will not change anything. Most of what you worry about never comes true.    4    Then you should leave everything else in the hands of God.
It is not easy to deal with all the fears and worries. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, try to calm down and then get the facts of the situation. The key is to take it slow. All you can do is do your best each day, hope for the best, and when something does happen, take it easy.    5    

A．Take it one step at a time and things will work out well at last.

B．When feeling anxious, stop what you are doing and try to do something relaxing.

C．This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety.

D．Instead of worrying about something that probably won’t happen, concentrate on what you are able to do.

E．The next time you fell depressed, review your list and think about the good things that you have in your life.

F．A good way to manage your worry is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking.

G．Completing these smaller tasks once at a time will make the stress more manageable and increase your chances of success.

3 . 短文改错
One day a child was playing with a vase in great value．     1    
He careless put his hand into it．Hard as he tried,     2    
he could not pull it out．His father tried his best, too．     3    
but their efforts were in a vain．They were thinking of breaking     4    
the vase when the father said, "Now, my son, why have     5    ．     
one more try? Open your hand or hold your fingers out     6    
straight as you see I doing, and then pull．" To his     7    
surprise, the child says, "I can’t hold my fingers straight     8    
like that, because I don’t want to drop my penny．" Thousand of us     9    
sometimes are so busy hold on to the world’s worthless ．     10    
penny that we cannot achieve liberation．

4 . Many years ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and _________ as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered._________ enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and _______ as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could.

He _______ riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was _______or tired, he did not stop _______he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was _________. Then he asked himself, “Why did I _______myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only _______ a very small area to __________myself.”

The above story is __________ to the journey of our __________. We push ourselves very hard every day to make more ____________, to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our ____________, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding __________and the things we love to do. One day ______________ we look back, we will __________that we don’t really need that much, ________________ then we cannot turn back time for what we have ______________

Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only ____________ to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

1.

A．use

B．get

C．work

D．cover

2.

A．Sure

B．Strange

C．Good

D．Interesting

3.

A．rode

B．ran

C．expanded

D．struggled

4.

A．gave up

B．asked for

C．kept on

D．succeeded in

5.

A．sad

B．hungry

C．confused

D．excited

6.

A．because

B．so

C．but

D．if

7.

A．dying

B．arguing

C．sleeping

D．smiling

8.

A．make

B．push

C．destroy

D．prove

9.

A．find

B．have

C．need

D．show

10.

A．live

B．support

C．bury

D．sleep

11.

A．useful

B．certain

C．special

D．similar

12.

A．future

B．past

C．history

D．life

13.

A．money

B．progress

C．discoveries

D．friends

14.

A．freedom

B．career

C．honor

D．health

15.

A．things

B．condition

C．beauty

D．people

16.

A．before

B．when

C．unless

D．since

17.

A．regret

B．realize

C．apologize

D．explain

18.

A．but

B．until

C．however

D．or

19.

A．saved

B．won

C．reduced

D．missed

20.

A．possible

B．probable

C．necessary

D．suitable

5 . It was a rainy day. I was riding on a bus downtown to go to_______ I was sitting next to a man in a business suit and didn’t_______ much attention until we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same_______ to get a morning paper.

The man running the stand was_______ having a bad day. He was_______ and unsmiling as we purchased our papers, which served to only_______more gloom(抑郁) to my day. The businessman caught my eye and_______ He then continued to smile_______ and thanked the news stand owner for the_______and for being open on such a morning to make sure we were able to get our papers. ________, he expressed his appreciation for something most of us would take for granted.

The newsman________only with a cold expression. The businessman then pleasantly wished him a pleasant day. As we________, I asked this man why he had________ to be pleasant to the newsman when he obviously didn’t care about and didn’t respond to his expression of________ and friendliness. The businessman smiled at me and said, “Why would I let someone else________what I say and what I feel or what kind of day I’m going to have?”

We then________ to go to our respective work places. To this day, I don’t know anything about that business man. But I’ve never________ the words he said or the way his smile seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day. That was a good deed 25 years ago, but the________ this had on my life has lasted. I never had a________ to thank him personally, but the way in which I choose to look at life as a result of those words is his legacy (遗赠) to me and my thanks to him.

We cannot control people and situations that come to us, but we can always control our response to them. And in such________ decisions lie our control and personal power to make a positive difference. And it’s something anyone and everyone can do.1.

A．school

B．church

C．work

D．hospital

2.

A．draw

B．pay

C．make

D．attract

3.

A．market

B．stand

C．office

D．library

4.

A．curiously

B．gradually

C．eventually

D．obviously

5.

A．rude

B．modest

C．angry

D．kind

6.

A．add

B．refer

C．devote

D．apply

7.

A．shouted

B．waved

C．confirmed

D．smiled

8.

A．quickly

B．luckily

C．brightly

D．loudly

9.

A．book

B．present

C．paper

D．food

10.

A．In short

B．After all

C．On average

D．As usual

11.

A．responded

B．objected

C．appealed

D．disagreed

12.

A．ran out

B．left behind

C．turned away

D．put aside

13.

A．attempted

B．continued

C．intended

D．expected

14.

A．excitement

B．gratitude

C．impression

D．assessment

15.

A．ignore

B．manage

C．control

D．enjoy

16.

A．travelled

B．disappeared

C．separated

D．drove

17.

A．forgiven

B．shared

C．evaluated

D．forgotten

18.

A．effort

B．lesson

C．effect

D．pain

19.

A．wish

B．chance

C．right

D．power

20.

A．positive

B．proper

C．fortunate

D．nervous

6 . I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice. “Mom, come here! There’s a lady here my size!” The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize. I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?” He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?” “Yes, I have a son,” I answered. “Why are you so little?” he asked. “It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids joked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.
But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have--a great family, nice friends.”
It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.
1. Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A．Because the boy studied the author from head to toe.

B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

C．Because they boy said the author was shorter than him.

D．Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

2. When did the author realize that she was too short?

A．When she grew up.

B．When she began to go to school.

C．When she was 47 years old.

D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

3. Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?

A．doubted	B．decreased
C．remained	D．improved

4. Which is NOT true about the author according to the passage?

A．She suffered lots of discrimination when growing up.

B．She is grateful for what she has.

C．She doesn’t see herself different.

D．She thinks people should be treated equally.

7 . 阅读下面短文.从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I was in school, I could always tell when my class was about to take a test. You could feel fear and ________ in the air. A few students were trying to joke to________ their worries. Some were trying unsuccessfully to act ________ they hadn't cared.
Every once in a while, a teacher would ________ that this test was going to be an open book one as the test papers were being ________. As soon as the teacher said chat, you could feel the sigh of ________ from the class. A few students would laugh and you even heard a ________ or two. As we look out our ________, all of us knew ________ that the answers would be ________ in front of us. All we had to do was to ________ them.
A lot of people say that life is one long series of tests that we have to ________. This is true.
________ most people don't realize, though, is that they are all open book ones. The answers are ________ right there in front of you and they are so ________. You just have to open the book of your soul to any ________ and you will see the words:“JUST LOVE”. Just love yourself. Just love everyone as yourself.
Face all of life's tests with a smile on your face. Use the ________ they teach to learn and to grow. When you do this, you will ________ every test that life throws ________ you. When you do this, you will make the world a ________, better, and happier place.1.

A．sorrow

B．loneliness

C．desire

D．anxiety

2.

A．convey

B．calm

C．express

D．add

3.

A．even if

B．if only

C．as if

D．in case

4.

A．announce

B．remind

C．demand

D．clarify

5.

A．handed in

B．handed over

C．handed back

D．handed out

6.

A．relief

B．pity

C．tiredness

D．disappointment

7.

A．cheer

B．scream

C．word

D．shout

8.

A．dictionaries

B．papers

C．textbooks

D．cellphones

9.

A．briefly

B．clearly

C．generally

D．roughly

10.

A．slightly

B．right

C．almost

D．merely

11.

A．check

B．discuss

C．find

D．analyse

12.

A．solve

B．discover

C．defeat

D．face

13.

A．That

B．Which

C．When

D．What

14.

A．always

B．once

C．seldom

D．occasionally

15.

A．complex

B．interesting

C．simple

D．puzzling

16.

A．place

B．page

C．point

D．line

17.

A．answers

B．methods

C．lessons

D．skills

18.

A．review

B．miss

C．fail

D．pass

19.

A．at

B．into

C．over

D．beyond

20.

A．farther

B．brighter

C．safer

D．quieter

8 . The family had just moved．The young woman was feeling a little ____ ．It was Mother's Day—and 800 miles separated her from her parents．
She had called them that morning，and her mother had ____ how colorful their backyard was ____ spring had arrived． Later，she told her husband how she ____ those lilacs(丁香)in her parents’yard．“I know where we can find some，”he said．“Get the ____ and come on．”So off they went．
Some time later，they stopped at a hill and there were lilacs all round．The young woman rushed up to the nearest ____ and buried her face in the flowers．Carefully，she ____some．Finally，they returned to their car for the ____ home．The woman sat smiling，surrounded by her ____．
When they were near home，she shouted“stop”，got off quickly and ____ to a nearby nursing home．She went to the end of the porch(门廊)，where a(n) ____ patient was sitting in her wheelchair，and put the flowers into her lap．The two ____ ，bursting into laughter now and then．Later the young woman turned and ran back to her ____ ．As the car pulled away，the woman in the wheelchair ____ with a smile，and held the lilacs ____ ．
“Mom，”the kids asked，“ ____ did you give her our flowers?”“It is Mother's Day，and she seems so ____ while I have all of you．And anyone would be ____ by flowers．”
This satisfied the kids，but not the husband．The next day he ____ some young lilacs around their yard．
I was the husband．Now，every May，our yard is full of lilacs．Every Mother’s Day our kids ____ purple lilacs．And every year I remember that smile of the lonely old woman．1.

A．moved

B．worried

C．angry

D．depressed

2.

A．1earned

B．imagined

C．mentioned

D．realized

3.

A．now that

B．so that

C．as if

D．even if

4.

A．missed

B．grew

C．watered

D．showed

5.

A．cars

B．kids

C．clothes

D．1ilacs．

6.

A．bush

B．hill

C．yard

D．door

7.

A．bought

B．picked

C．set

D．raised

8.

A．break

B．holiday

C．trip

D．dinner

9.

A．friends

B．memory

C．flowers

D．honor

10.

A．responded

B．pointed

C．drove

D．hurried

11.

A．1oving

B．elderly

C．serious

D．sensitive

12.

A．hesitated

B．waited

C．sat

D．chatted

13.

A．family

B．mother

C．path

D．home

14.

A．nodded

B．waved

C．1eft

D．continued

15.

A．sadly

B．politely

C．quickly

D．tightly

16.

A．why

B．when

C．how

D．where

17.

A．quiet

B．confused

C．alone

D．patient

18.

A．calmed

B．persuaded

C．disappointed

D．cheered

19.

A．arranged

B．dried

C．planted

D．hid

20.

A．find

B．gather

C．receive

D．buy