1 . Life Lies in Choosing
When he was still young, everything was ____ ，for the world was just before him.
One morning, God came to him, “What ____ do you have? Tell me and I can make it come true for you, for you’re my pet. But remember, you can only tell ____ .”
“____ ,” he said unwillingly. “I have a lot of wishes.”
God slowly shook his head, “There’re too many beautiful things in the world, but life is limited, so no one can possess all. Once you make a ____, you will give up others. Come on, choose carefully, with no ____ .”
____, he asked, “ Will I regret?”
God said, “Who knows. Choose love and you will have to____ the emotional torment; to choose wisdom means pains and loneliness; choose money and you will have the trouble ____brings along. There’re too many people who regret that they should virtually take another way ____they’ve gone one way. Think about it carefully, what do you really want in your lifetime?”
He thought and thought, all desires ____and fluttering around him. Which one was the one he couldn’t give up? Finally, he said to God, “ Let me think, let me think.”
God said, “ But you ____be quick, my son.”
Since then, his life was filled with the constant ____ and balance. He used half the time of his life to make lists and the other half to tear them up because he always found himself ____ something.
Day after day, year after year, he was no longer ____ . God came to him again. “ My child, haven’t you decided your wish yet? But you only have five minutes _____”
“What?” he exclaimed. “Over the years, I haven’t enjoyed the joy of love. I haven’t accumulated ____and haven’t received wisdom; I haven’t gotten all I want. My God, how can you take away my life at this time?”
Five minutes later, no matter how ____he pleaded, God couldn’t help but take him away.
Life is like this: everywhere is alive with choices. Since it is impossible to have everything, you should learn to make a choice; if you’re ____ everything, perhaps you can only achieve ____ in the end.1.

A．young

B．alive

C．impossible

D．possible

2.

A．wish

B．choice

C．idea

D．pet

3.

A．some

B．it

C．one

D．many

4.

A．Though

B．However

C．Also

D．Still

5.

A．choice

B．difference

C．noise

D．mistake

6.

A．wishes

B．mistakes

C．pains

D．regrets

7.

A．Annoyed

B．Surprised

C．Excited

D．Moved

8.

A．come up with

B．catch up with

C．put up with

D．mix up with

9.

A．who

B．which

C．it

D．what

10.

A．after

B．before

C．that

D．where

11.

A．planting in

B．taking in

C．bringing in

D．crowding in

12.

A．can

B．may

C．would

D．should

13.

A．wishes

B．comparisons

C．regrets

D．desires

14.

A．work out

B．leave out

C．take out

D．make out

15.

A．old

B．possible

C．young

D．painful

16.

A．left

B．to leave

C．leave

D．leaving

17.

A．wealth

B．health

C．desires

D．regrets

18.

A．happily

B．hopefully

C．painfully

D．curiously

19.

A．ready for

B．eager for

C．greedy for

D．hungry for

20.

A．everything

B．nothing

C．something

D．anything

2 . One night, when I was eight , my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to_______me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you’ve done_______and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you’ll have to_______your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me_______for the rest of the night.   I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the_______decisions adults had to make.
For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I’d_______wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her_______and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.
During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large_______apartment, I became_______how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then______________I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on______________family and work.______________difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn’t know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a______________attitude.
Back home , I______________myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she______________to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be______________. I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable______________.
My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the______________has really taught me. Sacrifices______________in the end. The separation between us has proved to be______________for me.1.

A．attract

B．promote

C．surprise

D．praise

2.

A．little

B．much

C．well

D．wrong

3.

A．leave

B．refuse

C．contact

D．forgive

4.

A．explaining

B．sleeping

C．wondering

D．regretting

5.

A．poor

B．timely

C．final

D．tough

6.

A．eagerly

B．politely

C．nervously

D．curiously

7.

A．patience

B．presence

C．intelligence

D．Influence

8.

A．Comfortable

B．Expensive

C．Empty

D．Modern

9.

A．Interested in

B．aware of

C．doubtful

D．satisfied with

10.

A．when

B．where

C．which

D．that

11.

A．abandoning

B．balancing

C．comparing

D．mixing

12.

A．depending on

B．supplied with

C．faced with

D．insisting on

13.

A．different

B．friendly

C．positive

D．general

14.

A．criticized

B．informed

C．warned

D．reminded

15.

A．managed

B．offered

C．attempted

D．expected

16.

A．grateful

B．energetic

C．independent

D．practical

17.

A．examples

B．limits

C．rules

D．goals

18.

A．question

B．experience

C．history

D．occasion

19.

A．pay off

B．come back

C．run out

D．turn up

20.

A．blessing

B．gathering

C．failure

D．pleasure

3 . Make the right choices

What is life’s greatest gift?    1    Choice is the ability to select one course of action from a set of alternatives to achieve a goal. What is so great about choice? It transforms us from dumb animals into artists. Each of us becomes another Michelangelo. Choice becomes nothing other than the tool we use to sculpt (雕刻)our life. The tool doesn’t come free, however, for the price of choice is responsibility.    2    The reward is happiness.

Life is not still. It is a flow.    3    We constantly need to monitor where we are on our journey. We need to ask questions: Am I moving closer to my goals? If not, what corrective measures can I take? What action will I take now to readjust myself to my goals? Choice is power. Choice is at the heart of life. It is the creative power of life.

    4    And your life becomes more convenient or comfortable because of them. For example, you decide which stores to shop at and which gas station to go to. But the decisions that we make to sculpt our lives are far more important than deciding where to shop. The more we appreciate the difference between minor and major decisions, the greater the probability that we will experience happiness and fulfillment.

All chess lovers realize that it isn’t necessary to win to enjoy the game. The pleasure is in the playing. Life is like a chess game.    5    

A．It is free will or choice

B．You have to make choices every day

C．Make the best moves you can under the circumstances

D．But when we accept and carry it out, we get a great return

E．Every choice we make leads us closer to or farther from our goals

F．Life is full of hard choices, and the bigger they are, the harder they get

G．Choose to carry out responsibilities not because you have to, but because you want to

4 . 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。
     Have you ever really had a _________? One who saw you as a raw but _________ thing, a jewel that could be _________ to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find such teachers, you will always find your way.
     My old professor’s death _________ came in 1994. Doctors guessed he had two years left. Morrie knew it was _________. Do I droop and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left? He had asked himself. _________ everyone was going to die, he could be __________great value, right? He could be a human __________for students to learn.
     The last class of my old professor’s life had only _________ student. I was the student. The last class __________ once a week in his house, by a window in the study __________ he could watch a small plant shed its pink leaves. The subject was The Meaning of Life. You were __________ to respond to questions, and you were expected to raise questions of your own. You were also required to perform physical tasks now and then, such as lifting the professor’s head to a comfortable spot on the pillow or placing his glasses on the __________of his nose. Kissing him good-bye earned you extra __________. Many topics were __________, including love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and, finally, death.
     I __________ sometimes at the person I was before I rediscovered my old professor. I want to talk to that person. I want to tell him to pay attention when your loved ones are speaking, as if it __________ the last time you might hear them. I know I cannot do this. None of us can __________ what we’ve done, or relive a life already recorded. But if Professor Morris Schwartz taught me anything, it was this: there is no __________ thing as “too late” in life. He was ___________until the day he said good-bye.1.

A．professor

B．parent

C．teacher

D．tutor

2.

A．precious

B．ripe

C．useful

D．worthless

3.

A．changed

B．polished

C．made

D．turned

4.

A．statement

B．announcement

C．condemn

D．sentence

5.

A．longer

B．less

C．many

D．much

6.

A．Since

B．Although

C．Before

D．With

7.

A．in

B．of

C．with

D．at

8.

A．novel

B．fiction

C．classic

D．textbook

9.

A．few

B．a few

C．one

D．little

10.

A．broke out

B．took place

C．occurred

D．happened

11.

A．where

B．when

C．which

D．what

12.

A．requested

B．demanded

C．asked

D．expected

13.

A．face

B．bridge

C．eyebrow

D．cheekbone

14.

A．reputation

B．money

C．credit

D．time

15.

A．covered

B．contained

C．preserved

D．excluding

16.

A．look up

B．look down

C．look ahead

D．look back

17.

A．is

B．was

C．were

D．will be

18.

A．do

B．redo

C．undo

D．misdo

19.

A．so

B．so a

C．such a

D．such

20.

A．changing

B．living

C．lasting

D．leaving

5 . I was stuck in O'hare airport on an extremely long weather delay, pacing up and down the waiting hall for some exercise, when I passed a wine bar for the twentieth time or so. But this time there was a young woman behind the piano, playing what I could only describe as absolutely beautiful classical music. She had not been there ten minutes earlier when I passed.
I sat down at an empty table for four very near the piano, and began to be warmed by her music and a bit by the wine! She played so effortlessly and with such beauty in every note. Her music immediately brought a huge smile to my face!
Soon, on a break, I thanked her and she told me that after a long day traveling, and now also facing long weather delays, she "just needed to __________" Wow! Her version of blowing off steam was a gift to get.
As I sat alone drinking my wine, absorbed in this young woman's celebration of her musical passion, two women approached my table and asked if they could join me. I invited them to sit and we immediately began sharing our love of music and celebrating the happiness the piano music was bringing us at that moment.
The two women and I began to talk about our travels, life journeys, and passions. Hearing that unbelievable piano music, and then meeting such interesting women, who generously shared with me their wisdom, perspectives, and feelings of love for each other, was truly joyous. Faced with an 11-hour travel day — to get what normally takes 45 minutes — could have been physically and emotionally exhausting. Rather, by accident of walking by a wine bar at the right moment, and having a couple of seats open at my table, my life was filled with joy.
I will cherish those moments for some time to come. This experience highlights (突出) the critical need in our lives to stop and listen to the music, to invite others to sit at your life table, to open yourself up to a stranger or two, sharing some of your deepest perspectives and experiences. Be open to noticing, absorbing, and also contributing to the joy around you!
1. What does the underlined phrase “blow off some steam” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Reduce anger.

B．Relax herself.

C．Make full use of time.

D．Breathe fresh air.

2. How long was the author’s travel supposed to take without weather delay?

A．10 minutes.

B．20 minutes.

C．45 minutes.

D．11 hours.

3. How did the author feel about the experience in the airport?

A．Happy and meaningful.

B．Lonely but unforgettable.

C．Boring and meaningless.

D．Long and tiring.

4. The author writes the text in order to encourage people _______.

A．to make the acquaintance of strangers

B．to share your experiences with others

C．to communicate with others more often

D．to notice and enjoy the happiness around you

6 . Staying silent can be just as powerful as the words you mean to say, like when the act of hugging will be more comforting than saying, “Sorry for your loss.”
Another time when silence is golden is when you are unsure of what to say. If you are confused about your own feelings concerning a matter, it’s best to stay quiet until you are more certain because more harm can be done by revealing false or exaggerated feelings
Choose silence instead of blurting out “in-the-moment” feelings that are hurtful and not really how you feel in the grand scheme of things. When you feel the urge to say an unkind thing, take a few breaths and think of the possible consequences of your words.
Silence can be your best friend during negotiations. Say your piece, then close your mouth, and let the other person come to their own conclusions. Your silence shows that one, you are confident in what you just said, and two, you respect the other person enough to hear what they have to say.
Sometimes silence is the best and most timely solution because the other person is not in a position to hear what you have to say. For example, when a friend needs for you to listen to her problems, but she is unable to accept your advice at that moment.
Practice being silent at work when you don’t have anything meaningful to contribute. Unless you can start the conversation by pointing out something interesting, missing, or beneficial, it’s best to just observe and learn.
Finally, silence is golden when you don’t want to engage in a fool’s argument. As some squabbles(口角) will never be resolved, one must agree to disagree.
However, there will be times in your life where you will need the power of your voice,the voice within you that wants and needs to be respected and appreciated.
1. The passage mainly tells us about ________.

A．whether or not to stay silent	B．why to stay silent
C．how to stay silent	D．when to stay silent

2. What is the best to do during negotiation?

A．Grasp every chance to say more than the other

B．Close your mouth and just listen to the other

C．Speak out your own points and discuss with others

D．Keep silent after expressing yourself

3. To follow this passage, the writer is likely to continue telling about ________.

A．the occasions when you should speak up

B．the power of your voice

C．the advantages of speaking up

D．the disadvantages of staying silent

7 . During the war, my husband was stationed at an army camp in a desert in California. I went to live there in order to be _______ him. I hated the place. I had never _______ been so unhappy. My husband was ordered out on a long-term duty, and I was left in a tiny shack(棚屋) alone. The heat was _______ — almost 125°F even in the shade of a cactus(仙人掌). _______ a soul to talk to. The wind blew non-stop, and all the food I ate, and the very air I breathed, were _______ with sand, sand, sand!

I was so sorry for myself that I wrote to my parents. I told them I was _______ and coming back home. I said I couldn’t stand it one minute longer. I _______ be in prison! My father answered my _______ with just two lines — two lines that will always sing in my _______— two lines that completely changed my life:

Two men looked out from prison bars,
One saw the mud, the other saw the stars.

I read those two lines ________. I was ashamed of myself. I made up my mind I would find out what was good in my present ________; I would look for the stars.

I made friends with the natives, and their ________ amazed me. They gave me presents of their favorite artworks which they had ________ to sell to tourists. I studied the delightful forms of the cactus. I watched for the desert sunsets, and ________ for seashells that had been left there millions of years ago when the sands of the desert had been an ocean ________.

What brought about this ________ change in me? The desert hadn’t changed, ________ I had. I had changed my ________. And by doing so, I changed an unhappy experience into the most amazing ________ of my life. I was excited by this new world that I had discovered. I had looked out of my self-created prison and ________ the stars.

1.

A．off

B．behind

C．near

D．beyond

2.

A．before

B．already

C．then

D．still

3.

A．inflexible

B．incomprehensible

C．uncontrollable

D．unbearable

4.

A．Only

B．No

C．Many

D．Such

5.

A．covered

B．filled

C．buried

D．charged

6.

A．catching up

B．keeping up

C．giving up

D．getting up

7.

A．ought to

B．might well

C．would rather

D．had better

8.

A．request

B．call

C．question

D．letter

9.

A．comparison

B．imagination

C．consideration

D．memory

10.

A．over and over

B．by and by

C．up and down

D．now and then

11.

A．company

B．occupation

C．situation

D．relationship

12.

A．movement

B．reaction

C．guidance

D．purpose

13.

A．refused

B．failed

C．managed

D．happened

14.

A．asked

B．hunted

C．waited

D．headed

15.

A．floor

B．surface

C．rock

D．level

16.

A．shocking

B．challenging

C．puzzling

D．astonishing

17.

A．as

B．but

C．for

D．or

18.

A．attitude

B．principle

C．identity

D．standard

19.

A．vacation

B．operation

C．affair

D．adventure

20.

A．sought

B．counted

C．found

D．reached

8 . 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，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I was eighteen, I couldn’t wait to get my first job, which meant I made the first step toward adulthood.
But it was difficult to get a work permit. One day I was dropped off by my parents at the_____, where applicants took their physical tests for work permits. Although I had night blindness, my vision was clearer during the day, which helped me walk _____ by myself. Then the doctor began the ______ He looked into my eyes with a bright light. “I suggest your parents take you to an eye specialist,” he said, “I ______ you have a retinal(视网膜) disease. If you do, you’ll never _____ a day in your life…”
My parents did take me to specialists. After much time and money spent seeking an _____ result, it was determined that I had an eye disease that slowly ______ a person of sight. But still, during daylight, I could walk without _____ I could read, but not for hours. My eyes began to _____ and words slipped off the page when I read more than a few pages. However, no matter how tired my eyes became, I never gave up reading. I knew the ______ of great writers as well as the most popular music stars. Their words were powerful, which _____ me to try writing. Soon writing brought me a lot of _____ each time I completed a paper.
Then an important phone call from an editor changed my life. An article I _____ appeared in a local newspaper. The newspaper, to my _____, continued to print my work. Next, a book series published several of my essays. I got interested in writing and ______ up with each acceptance. On the pages, readers never knew of my blindness _____ I chose to present it. For me, finding my voice through writing gave me the pride and satisfaction I _____ so many years ago. Now, I have numerous essays and articles in _____
Should I be thanking that misguided doctor? By falsely predicting that I could never work a day, he fueled my _____ into success. He set the bar too ______ and focused on what I wouldn’t be able to do. Yet I proved what I could do.1.

A．station

B．company

C．clinic

D．lab

2.

A．silently

B．proudly

C．suddenly

D．easily

3.

A．operation

B．treatment

C．examination

D．argument

4.

A．suspect

B．acknowledge

C．confirm

D．advocate

5.

A．rest

B．work

C．live

D．sleep

6.

A．urgent

B．obvious

C．accurate

D．ordinary

7.

A．reminds

B．robs

C．warns

D．informs

8.

A．assistance

B．medicine

C．allowance

D．balance

9.

A．dance

B．shine

C．widen

D．tear

10.

A．houses

B．habits

C．names

D．addresses

11.

A．asked

B．permitted

C．forced

D．encouraged

12.

A．pleasure

B．worry

C．trouble

D．stress

13.

A．admitted

B．penned

C．wanted

D．described

14.

A．shame

B．admiration

C．delight

D．disappointment

15.

A．gave

B．lit

C．came

D．put

16.

A．although

B．after

C．since

D．unless

17.

A．feared

B．sought

C．brought

D．rejected

18.

A．mind

B．use

C．time

D．print

19.

A．imagination

B．personality

C．motivation

D．responsibility

20.

A．low

B．far

C．long

D．close

9 . 完形填空
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。
A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. One day, they came to a ____ with a strong current. As the monks were ____ to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman. She asked if they could help her_____ to the other side.
The two monks glanced at one another because they had_____ not to have physical contact with women.
Then, without a word, the older monk _____ the woman, carried her across the river,_____her gently on the other side, and carried on his journey.
The younger monk couldn’t believe_____ had just happened. After rejoining his companion, he was ____, and several hours passed without a word between them.
____, the younger monk couldn’t contain himself any longer, and asked, “As monks, we are not permitted to have body contact with a woman; how could you then _____that woman?”
The____monk looked at him and replied, “Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river, why are you____carrying her?”
This simple Zen story has a beautiful message about living in the_____moment. How often do we carry around past ____, holding onto dislikes when the only person we are really_____ is ourselves?
We all _____times in life when other people say things or_____ in a way that does harm to us. We can _____to think carefully over past actions or events, but it will finally weigh us down and use up our energy.
Instead, we can choose to let go of what doesn’t serve us anymore and _____ on the present moment. Until we can find a level of peace and_____ in the present circumstances of our lives, we will never be content, because “now” is all we will ever have.1.

A．river

B．hole

C．bank

D．sea

2.

A．hoping

B．preparing

C．complaining

D．taking

3.

A．fly

B．jump

C．cross

D．dive

4.

A．analyzed

B．answered

C．protected

D．promised

5.

A．picked up

B．walked away

C．threw over

D．turned down

6.

A．passed

B．directed

C．placed

D．fixed

7.

A．which

B．where

C．how

D．what

8.

A．sad

B．speechless

C．nervous

D．afraid

9.

A．Originally

B．Hesitantly

C．Madly

D．Finally

10.

A．carry

B．fetch

C．ship

D．point

11.

A．strange

B．senior

C．cute

D．quiet

12.

A．just

B．ever

C．still

D．always

13.

A．past

B．permanent

C．complex

D．present

14.

A．happiness

B．pain

C．disease

D．performance

15.

A．touching

B．enjoying

C．changing

D．hurting

16.

A．go through

B．get through

C．go for

D．get up

17.

A．type

B．behave

C．involve

D．settle

18.

A．pretend

B．refuse

C．choose

D．hesitate

19.

A．concentrate

B．depend

C．put

D．move

20.

A．kindness

B．surprise

C．happiness

D．impression

10 . Odland remembers like it was yesterday working in an expensive French restaurant in Denver. The ice cream he was serving fell onto the white dress of a rich and important woman.
Thirty years have passed, but Odland can not get the memory out of his mind, nor the woman’s kind reaction. She was shocked, regained calmness and, in a kind voice, told the young Odland. “It is OK. It wasn’t your fault.” When she left the restaurant, she also left the future Fortune 500 CEO with a life lesson: You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the waiter.
Odland isn’t the only CEO to have made this discovery. Instead, it seems to be one of those few laws of the land that every CEO learns on the way up. It’s hard to get a dozen CEOs to agree about anything, but most agree with the Waiter Rule. They say how others treat the CEO says nothing. But how others treat the waiter is like a window into the soul.
Watch out for anyone who pulls out the power card to say something like, “I could buy this place and fire you,” or “I know the owner and I could have you fired.” Those who say such things have shown more about their character than about their wealth and power.
The CEO who came up with it, or at least first wrote it down, is Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson. He wrote a best-selling book called Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management. “A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person,” Swanson says. “I will never offer a job to the person who is sweet to the boss but turns rude to someone cleaning the tables.”
1. What happened after Odland dropped the ice cream onto the woman’s dress?

A．He was fired.

B．He was blamed.

C．The woman comforted him.

D．The woman left the restaurant at once.

2. Odland learned one of his life lessons from          .

A．his experience as a waiter

B．the advice given by the CEOs

C．an article in Fortune

D．an interesting best-selling book

3. According to the text, most CEOs have the same opinion about ________.

A．Fortune 500 companies	B．the Management Rules
C．Swanson’s book	D．the Waiter Rule

4. From the text we can learn that ________.

A．one should be nicer to important people

B．CEOs often show their power before others

C．one should respect others no matter who they are

D．CEOs often have meals in expensive restaurants