1 . I was working as a lifeguard at Tower 15 on Newport and two blocks to my right was another guard named Mike, working at Tower 17. He called me over the phone and said, “Hey, I have _________ two kids who are swimming in the dangerous zone. I have to give them a warning. Keep an eye on us.” I said “Sure.” In case of _________, anytime we got out of our tower, we were supposed to _________ somebody else.

Mike hung up the phone and _________ the lifebuoy (救生圈). Then he realized that these two kids had been _________ and that there was a great tendency for them to be _________ by the wave. _________, Mike rushed toward the ocean. I _________ the water and all I found was two small heads. The mother of the two kids knelt (跪) down on the beach with _________.

When I dropped my binoculars (望远镜) and reached the mother, Mike was in waist-deep water, ____________ the two kids. I turned to the mum and said, “Hey, it’s OK. They are safe.” I saw the terror started to ____________. Then she glanced back and got her first good look at Mike. A new kind of ____________ washed over her face as though there was another threat to her kids’ lives. She snatch (抢) her kids without ____________.

Mike had some seemingly ____________ behavior, and his shaved head showed a scar. Maybe he had no ____________ manners, but his lifesaving ability ____________ his unsatisfactory skills in PR (public relation). In the mother’s ____________, Mike was a really terrible guy. However, that couldn’t change the fact that he had just ____________ her kids.

Mike just glanced at me and smiled. As I jogged back to my tower, I promised myself I’d never let my own ____________ prevent me from ____________ a hero when I meet one.

1.

A．saved

B．spotted

C．teased

D．exchanged

2.

A．emergencies

B．disasters

C．statements

D．punishment

3.

A．assist

B．inform

C．confirm

D．consider

4.

A．repaired

B．provided

C．seized

D．fixed

5.

A．struggling

B．laughing

C．quarreling

D．trembling

6.

A．supported

B．directed

C．prevented

D．swallowed

7.

A．Still

B．Instead

C．Therefore

D．Indeed

8.

A．explored

B．noticed

C．reached

D．scanned

9.

A．noises

B．screams

C．beliefs

D．gestures

10.

A．hiding

B．counting

C．beating

D．carrying

11.

A．disappear

B．refresh

C．exist

D．expand

12.

A．surprise

B．regret

C．panic

D．doubt

13.

A．presentation

B．appreciation

C．expectation

D．contribution

14.

A．stubborn

B．desperate

C．mysterious

D．boring

15.

A．gentle

B．positive

C．unpleasant

D．aggressive

16.

A．give in to

B．live up to

C．make up for

D．put up with

17.

A．judgment

B．experience

C．description

D．application

18.

A．comforted

B．rescued

C．transformed

D．frightened

19.

A．decision

B．request

C．prejudice

D．tolerance

20.

A．rejecting

B．criticizing

C．memorizing

D．recognizing

2 . No doubt there are ups and downs in life. Whatever the situation is, you shouldn’t lose your joy of life. Life is for a limited period only and no one knows how long he/she will live, so why do you waste your precious time in worrying about the things that are beyond your control? Be happy, and enjoy your life unconditionally (无条件地).

You enjoy good days but you also need to learn how to enjoy bad days, even enjoy your pain. In 2016 when I was in Geneva, Switzerland, I suffered a sudden heart attack. My colleagues called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital with much pain in my chest. Before reaching hospital, I was totally exhausted with pain and was going to lose control of my emotions. Then the doctor in the ambulance said, “Don’t worry; you are in safe hands.” His words took away all my pain because I started realizing that it was no time to worry about pain and it’s time to be happy that my life was safe. At that time, I learnt an important lesson that in pain there is a hidden joy and whoever sees the bright side can enjoy pain. My pain turned into a joy which greatly helped me recover more quickly than expected.

You not only enjoy success but you also need to learn to enjoy failure. Failure provides you with an opportunity to benefit from so many choices you’ve made. Celebrating failure will raise your morale and make you more powerful and determined to achieve success. We all make mistakes in life but only the courageous (勇敢的) people not only laugh at their own mistakes but also let other people laugh at them and then they reach success without any spiritual burden (负担). A person who learns from mistakes and knows how to turn the bad situation into his/her favor is the most intelligent person and really enjoys his/her life.

1. What does the author mainly tell us in the first paragraph?

A．Life is full of ups and downs.	B．People’s lives only last a limited period.
C．We should enjoy our life unconditionally.	D．Bad situations can be changed into good ones.

2. Why did the author still feel happy when experiencing much pain?

A．His colleagues were always with him.

B．He could be looked after by his parents.

C．He planned to enjoy the last days in life.

D．His doctor made him realize the value of being alive.

3. The underlined word “morale” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．talent	B．confidence
C．pleasure	D．inspiration

4. The author thinks that the wisest person________.

A．never laughs at others	B．has strong determination
C．is ready to do others a favor	D．is good at learning from mistakes

3 . A couple of weeks ago, my grandfather was explaining his favorite expression, “Nothing is ever easy.” The following day, as I tried to complete my clay’s work, I happened to _______a bumblebee (大黄蜂) on the skylight (天窗). The skylight was particularly high up, but I thought _______ the bee would take no more than five minutes. An hour later, the bee still remained. All that had _______was that the living room was a mess and that I was dizzy from _______ into the sunlight. I did not expect to waste an hour on an insect so _______but by doing so, I understood what my grandfather meant.

It is not only time that we tend to underestimate…we don’t account for unexpected costs. We often imagine what can work in our _______ but we seldom think of all the _______ things that could affect us. However, it is important to remember that your day or week or year might not go as _______ and that is completely normal. It is _______ acceptable to feel challenged — even at a ______________ that you thought was simple — because that is part of life.

If you can ______________ that nothing will ever be easy, then ______________ might seem slightly more manageable. In middle school, I thought high school might be easier because I could choose the classes I wanted to ______________. In high school, I thought ______________ might be easier because I could have a schedule best suited for myself. Yet each time, I was both wrong and disappointed. After accepting that school wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) be ______________, I found myself with a more positive attitude and ______________ results.

Of course, there should be ______________ made to account for expenses or time. Doing so can only help you ______________ your goals in a better way. However, there is no need to beat ourselves up (过分自责) when something stands in our ______________. Maybe we cannot see a ______________ coming our way, but we can always give ourselves the extra time to catch it.

1.

A．arrest

B．notice

C．fly

D．attract

2.

A．describing

B．exploring

C．removing

D．warning

3.

A．changed

B．failed

C．cleared

D．ended

4.

A．cleaning up

B．turning up

C．looking up

D．making up

5.

A．awful

B．worrying

C．tiny

D．big

6.

A．favor

B．dream

C．trip

D．reason

7.

A．successful

B．helpful

C．positive

D．negative

8.

A．observed

B．promised

C．unexpected

D．planned

9.

A．seriously

B．perfectly

C．obviously

D．partly

10.

A．task

B．result

C．fact

D．belief

11.

A．find

B．know

C．refuse

D．accept

12.

A．story

B．relief

C．life

D．chance

13.

A．take

B．count

C．bring

D．keep

14.

A．course

B．college

C．grade

D．role

15.

A．difficult

B．easy

C．complicated

D．annoying

16.

A．improved

B．fallen

C．recorded

D．organized

17.

A．agreements

B．decisions

C．experiments

D．preparations

18.

A．acknowledge

B．accomplish

C．predict

D．remember

19.

A．age

B．face

C．path

D．view

20.

A．friend

B．helper

C．bird

D．bee

4 . I live in a landscape surrounded by shopping malls. So it’s quite _______ to feel connected to the land. I wanted _______ for my children: soil, Mother Earth and ecology. I’m a classic suburban mom. But I grew up _______ summers at my grandparents’ farm. I used to pick wild blackberries, _______ fishes, and run between the tows of tall corn plants. I knew what wild garlic looked like. I _______ picked flowers from the honeysuckle and sucked the nectar (花蜜) out. I’ve _______ my kids to do the same. “It’s so sweet, Mom,” they told me.

_______ instead of teaching my kids about the landscape, I decided to teach them a love of the _______ they live in. I was determined to _______ PBL-place-based learning. So we went to the __________ parking lot near the dead mall and __________ dandelion (蒲公英) greens, which make delicious spring salad. We dug with sticks in the wheel ruts (车辙印) along the road __________ going home. My ten-year old found a special rock which __________ him to start a rock collection. In the fall. I __________ my kids to stands of chestnut trees and __________ them how to get the eatable nuts from the branches. I __________ I had taught them some big lessons about the earth, the __________ of which they should have appreciation for.

It has been revolutionary to be outside. We have __________ simply walking, observing, feeling the dirt under our feet, and __________ bringing home something we __________ with our own hands.

1.

A．challenging

B．wonderful

C．relaxing

D．disappointing

2.

A．admiration

B．gratitude

C．connection

D．amusement

3.

A．learning

B．spending

C．expecting

D．witnessing

4.

A．eat

B．keep

C．cook

D．catch

5.

A．voluntarily

B．instantly

C．delicately

D．carelessly

6.

A．forbidden

B．taught

C．ordered

D．required

7.

A．However

B．In addition

C．As a result

D．Similarly

8.

A．house

B．life

C．land

D．age

9.

A．investigate

B．discover

C．test

D．practice

10.

A．abandoned

B．scary

C．new

D．collapsed

11.

A．touched

B．smelt

C．viewed

D．sought

12.

A．after

B．while

C．upon

D．since

13.

A．inspired

B．urged

C．forced

D．needed

14.

A．pulled

B．rushed

C．took

D．raised

15.

A．informed

B．watched

C．asked

D．showed

16.

A．agreed

B．doubted

C．felt

D．decided

17.

A．scenery

B．beauty

C．future

D．custom

18.

A．imagined

B．considered

C．enjoyed

D．insisted

19.

A．calmly

B．safely

C．suddenly

D．happily

20.

A．harvested

B．planted

C．made

D．shared

5 . In January this year, a fire destroyed the building that housed Yossi Heiman's Fish Market in Borough Park, Brooklyn: The____ made Yossi Heiman have no place to operate his business and no ability to get_____

The merchant Shea Langsam owns a(n)_____ store, just a few blocks away. One would have____that sympathetic as he maybe to his competitor' s bad luck, he would welcome this opportunity to____ new customers and increase his business.___, Shea did something truly excellent. When he learned of the fire, he __ the phone and called Yossi Heiman. Not only did he______him but when he heard Yossi say he would need a facility and deliver_____ to his customers, he said, “don't worry! Why not join me in my store before your store could be rebuilt? As fellow community members we all should try to help each other” Shea did as he promised and Yossi_____ his losses.

The story is wonderful and it's a(n)____ of seeing fellow community members as part of one family, putting needs of others____ their own needs. Businessmen usually want to make more money or grow their __ but the story is______: It's a truly sincere display of true faith and great kindness. Real faith means____ others and having a heart of compassion(同情) and mercy like Shea.

1.

A．explosion

B．battle

C．accident

D．campaign

2.

A．attention

B．assistance

C．information

D．income

3.

A．similar

B．mysterious

C．online

D．outdoor

4.

A．explained

B．agreed

C．complained

D．thought

5.

A．treat

B．acquire

C．depend on

D．give up

6.

A．Moreover

B．Therefore

C．Instead

D．Though

7.

A．picked up

B．hung up

C．repaired

D．provided

8.

A．doubt

B．comfort

C．turn to

D．laugh at

9.

A．service

B．spirit

C．orders

D．notes

10.

A．held back

B．checked up

C．reported

D．cut

11.

A．example

B．reminder

C．challenge

D．guide

12.

A．because of

B．ahead of

C．out of

D．as for

13.

A．duty

B．fame

C．interest

D．business

14.

A．exceptional

B．boring

C．ridiculous

D．old

15.

A．respecting

B．protecting

C．taking control of

D．caring for

6 . The first time I went hunting wild geese with my father, I couldn't catch them no matter how hard I tried. Every time I tried to approach them, _______ the wild geese started flying away before I could get close. It _______ me a lot and I turned to my father for help.

Hearing my trouble, my father _______ at a wild goose standing at the highest point and said, “That wild goose is a sentry （哨兵）,which we call the wild goose _______     . It will give an alarm to the other wild geese as long as it finds something _______ .

“That's _________it is so hard for you to catch them. Listen, boy! Go and _______ the slave on purpose now, and then hide there motionless."

Not quite understanding why, I _______ to have a try.

I picked up a piece of stone from the ground and threw it at the slave. As _______ , it gave an alarm to its companions __________ . The wild geese resting there fled in all __________ , but they flew back soon when they found nothing happened.

I followed my father's instructions to repeat this __________ for a few times.

____________, a few wild geese thinking they were fooled started __________ the slave. Repeatedly, almost all the wild geese thought the slave gave false __________ and began to attack the slave. The poor slave was pecked （啄）all over with cuts and scratches.

"You can approach the geese now," __________ my father.

So I got close to the wild geese again. The slave saw me, but it took no __________this time. Maybe it was just __________ caring.

__________, I raised my gun and got a good harvest.

The tragedy often occurs in this ____________: the loyal are misunderstood while the misunderstood cannot stick out.

1.

A．somehow

B．anyway

C．somewhat

D．anyhow

2.

A．surprised

B．touched

C．annoyed

D．entertained

3.

A．aimed

B．laughed

C．stared

D．pointed

4.

A．father

B．soldier

C．slave

D．leader

5.

A．unlucky

B．unusual

C．informal

D．incorrect

6.

A．when

B．how

C．why

D．where

7.

A．start

B．beg

C．kill

D．watch

8.

A．refused

B．offered

C．pretended

D．decided

9.

A．suggested

B．expected

C．reported

D．whispered

10.

A．suddenly

B．immediately

C．carefully

D．angrily

11.

A．directions

B．forms

C．methods

D．shapes

12.

A．trick

B．word

C．plan

D．idea

13.

A．Actually

B．Finally

C．Obviously

D．Especially

14.

A．blaming

B．teasing

C．hatting

D．attacking

15.

A．meaning

B．shouting

C．warning

D．feeling

16.

A．answered

B．explained

C．repeated

D．reminded

17.

A．courage

B．notes

C．action

D．pictures

18.

A．busy with

B．tired of

C．angry at

D．used to

19.

A．Hopeless

B．Careless

C．Heartless

D．Speechless

20.

A．way

B．order

C．time

D．situation

7 . Luis Reynoso says he’s always tried to get involved (牵涉) in his children’s education: attending meetings on school-improvement projects and providing classroom food. But when his youngest daughter’s school invited families to attend a nine-week program Let’s Change the Course organized by a leading education advocacy group here to learn about parenting and school participation, he realized his past efforts barely scratched the surface.

Each weekly session touched on different parenting themes, like setting up a special space at home for kids to do homework, like the importance of confidence. One of the most helpful sessions, he recalls, focused on what a child should know academically in each grade and how to talk to teachers about his daughter’s performance. “The workshops really woke me up,”says Mr. Reynoso.

Levels of parental participation in Mexican schools have long been low. Many people commonly believe a child's education is the school s job to get involved. In some parts of the country, a mother's or father's own lack of education can play into a sense that they have nothing to contribute. And even in private schools, where there might be more adults with fixed jobs and the participation is very rare, with some parents viewing their tuition (学费) bill as their educational contribution. There are also cases where the schools themselves ignore the potential of parents in a child's education, discouraging communication between families and schools.

But the importance of family participation is something many non-profit, education advocates and recently the government are starting to home in on Mexico. Part of Mexico’s 2013 national education reform stresses the importance of parents playing a more active role in their child’s education, encouraging an increase in parental-participation programs, including Let’s Change the Course.

Susana Castellanos, headmaster of a school in Mexico City, says, “People are recognizing you have to work together to create happy successful citizens. It’s no longer acceptable to set apart the roles of teacher vs. parent vs. school headmaster.”

1. What does Reynoso mean by the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?

A．His previous efforts were in vain.

B．He missed the key point of participation.

C．His daughter disagreed with what he did.

D．He failed to catch the importance of school.

2. What did Reynoso find most beneficial about Let’s Change the Course?

A．The necessity to set up a space for kids to do homework.

B．The academic requirements for kids in different periods.

C．The importance of knowing children’s performance.

D．The ways to increase students’ confidence.

3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．How to contribute more to children’s education.

B．How to know the levels of parental participation in Mexican schools.

C．Why schools failed to provide chances for parents to get involved,

D．Why parents played a less active role in school education in Mexico.

4. What influence did Mexico’s education reform have?

A．The number of parental-participation programs rose.

B．Many non-profit educational organizations were set up.

C．Teachers role in school education started to get increased.

D．Parents began to attach importance to children's education.

8 . The method of getting into college is simply to have all A’s and get the highest SAT score, right? However, it’s more _______ than that in students being admitted into a university.

At Burlingame , _______ that there is the deep-rooted belief that straight A’s and high test scores are the only way to go to college, students feel stressed about studying and homework because they believe that every point ___________. Parents often _______ this culture, placing more pressure on their children.

While to _______ having good grades is understandable, I encourage them to recognize that the American university _______ policy and process are viewed in a comprehensive and complex way and are more focused on students’ personalities and qualities rather than only their _______ performance. We should instead motivate students to _______ no effort whatever scores that brings. For some people, even if they study for hours on _________, they simply are not strong at test-taking and may not get an A despite their best efforts. Before we judge others for not having “perfect” ________, we must understand their circumstances and realize everyone is ________. For example, for me, especially in my history classes, I understand, absorb and explain the material I am learning, but the tests often require ________ the material, which is hard for me to grasp.

Getting a B in my Advanced Placement European History class sophomore year, I was frustrated, because I was extremely ________ in that class by reading well into the night, watching videos as a booster and reading the crash (速成) course book as a(n) ________. Yet when I was asked if I would retake the class if I could go back to the beginning of the year, I said “________, B as I got, the knowledge I gained ________ any grade.” I learned so much about our world’s history and our country’s history and gained deeper ________ into everything I believe to be true. That class challenged me, foster my patience in adversity, better myself and I would not ________ the class for anything.

Many students have the “grade mindset” and they forget to enjoy learning. While I see their ________ that good grades help people enter a college, if we just concentrate on grades instead of remembering to love and enjoy learning, college and life after will not be a ________ experience.

1.

A．tricky

B．stressful

C．controversial

D．complicated

2.

A．informed

B．given

C．provided

D．supposed

3.

A．counts

B．arises

C．works

D．functions

4.

A．boom

B．stain

C．fuel

D．form

5.

A．initiate

B．stimulate

C．overlook

D．emphasize

6.

A．reform

B．admission

C．transmission

D．permission

7.

A．social

B．financial

C．academic

D．impressive

8.

A．sustain

B．spare

C．abandon

D．prohibit

9.

A．end

B．purpose

C．average

D．occasion

10.

A．evaluations

B．characters

C．preparations

D．grades

11.

A．remarkable

B．motivated

C．unique

D．respectable

12.

A．applying

B．analyzing

C．digesting

D．commercializing

13.

A．efficient

B．industrious

C．courageous

D．straightforward

14.

A．reminder

B．procedure

C．attempt

D．addition

15.

A．Probably

B．Absolutely

C．Indefinitely

D．Impossibly

16.

A．equalled

B．revealed

C．distinguished

D．outweighed

17.

A．insights

B．associations

C．meanings

D．principles

18.

A．believe in

B．give up

C．put off

D．complain about

19.

A．point

B．comment

C．suggestion

D．decision

20.

A．colorful

B．powerful

C．pleasant

D．confidential

9 . Old Mrs. Lynn was working in the cottage, hanging the washed clothes on the line. What she wasn’t aware was that some children were hiding in a nearby tree watching her every move. They were sure that she was a witch and wanted to find the evidence.

They watched nervously as she took a broomstick to sweep the dirt from her stone steps. But much to their disappointment, she didn’t get on the broomstick and fly off. The old lady only looked up when her hen began to make sounds loudly — signaling that she had laid an egg in the nest on the top of the haystack. (干草堆).

The old lady put aside her broomstick and walked to the haystack, followed by Michael, a black cat she had rescued from a fox trap. With only three legs, it was hard for Michael to keep up with his mistress. The cat was proof for the children that only a witch would own a black cat with three legs! Accidentally, she tripped and crashed to the ground. The children were in horror.

“Should we go and help her?” asked Mia.

“What if it’s a trick?” replied Patrick. “She probably knows we’re here. Witches know things like that!”

After thinking for a while, Julia said, “Anyway, we should go and check whether she is all right.”

Approaching prudently, they could see a wound on the old lady’s forehead. She had knocked her head on a stone and was unconscious.

“Go and get Dad,” Mia yelled to her brothers. “Tell him about the accident.”

Later, in the hospital, the old lady smiled her thanks. “I was so lucky that you lovely children happened to be passing when I fell. I must have yelled quite loudly.” The children exchanged guilty glances, but were very pleased that she was not a witch after all!

1. Mrs. Lynn stopped sweeping when ________.

A．her doorstep became very clean

B．she heard the hen making sounds loudly

C．she noticed the children in the tree

D．her cat Michael managed to get her attention

2. Why was Patrick not willing to help Mrs. Lynn when she fell?

A．He thought that she could be cheating them.

B．He was afraid of the three-legged black cat.

C．He did not think that she was hurt in the fall.

D．He knew he and the others shouldn’t have been in her tree.

3. Which of the definitions is closest in meaning to the underlined word “prudently” ?

A．Slowly.	B．Hurriedly.
C．Carefully.	D．Quietly.

4. What is the main idea of the story?

A．Constant dropping wears away a stone.

B．Never judge a book by its cover.

C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D．A good medicine tastes bitter.

10 . Today I would like to give you a powerful technique that you can use to become outstanding.

This technique is called anchoring, which has its roots in Pavlovian behavior modification. You remember Pavlov. He was the Russian scientist who made dogs salivate (分泌唾液) by ringing a bell.

Here's how he did it: He would start by ringing a bell while letting dogs smell meat powder. They would salivate from smelling the meat powder. Eventually, he only needed to ring a bell and this alone caused the dogs to salivate. The dogs had associated the bell with hunger. The bell was an anchor for salivation. Pretty simple, huh?

It is possible to apply this same basic technique to almost any problem. Now let's take a look at how Pavlov's discovery can help you to feel powerful and confident.

Here is how positive anchoring works: Step l. Think of three times in your life when you felt very powerful and write them down; Step 2. Stand alone in a room and think of the first situation. Recall it in full color with sound and anything else that could make it real to you; Step 3. At the moment when you feel fully back in that moment, slap (拍击) your left shoulder with your right hand and say, “Power!”; Step 4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the three memories.

Remember, you want to anchor each feeling by slapping your shoulder when you feel the memory at its most intense moment.

Now that you have created an anchor, you can “fire it off” as needed. The next time you are in a situation requiring confidence, slap your left shoulder with your right hand and say, “Power!” Just as sure as Pavlov's dogs salivated when they heard that bell, you will gain full confidence because now your mind associates confidence with that slap and the word “power”!

Occasionally feeling a lack of confidence is a normal part of being human. Having an effective strategy for immediately turning this into confidence is a normal part of being outstanding.

1. When did Pavlov ring a bell in the beginning of his experiment?

A．When the dogs stopped salivating.

B．When the dogs stopped smelling meat powder.

C．When the dogs were smelling meat powder.

D．When the dogs were salivating.

2. What does the underlined “that moment” in Step 3 refer to?

A．Any of the situations.	B．The first situation.
C．The time you say “Power!”	D．The time you stand alone in a room.

3. Which of the following plays the same role as the bell ringing in Pavlov's experiment?

A．Repeat of steps 1-3.	B．The three memories.
C．Your right hand.	D．The slap and the word “power”.

4. What is the purpose of the four-step process?

A．To refresh memories.	B．To remain confident.
C．To solve a problem.	D．To get an anchor.