1 . When you first meet a successful person, it’s easy to believe that he must have been born with wonderful gifts. In reality, there are numerous examples. Animation pioneer Walt Disney was told that he had “no original ideas” by the newspaper that fired him, and Oprah Winfrey was once told that she “wasn’t fit for television.”     1     It’s hard work and perseverance (毅力) that finally pay off.

What happens when someone is told that they are talented? Sometimes, they will lose their motivation to improve themselves. For example, kids who are told throughout high school that hey are naturally smart might assume that they will breeze through (轻松完成) college. They might never bother to develop the skills needed to learn new material.     2     They might find themselves struggling to cope (成功地应对). However, someone who has been told that they are in no way gifted or talented might become discouraged.     3    

To call someone “talented” can also be an act of rudeness. It suggests that the person did not have to rely on their own hard work to achieve success.     4     After all, if someone else is talented and you are not, why even bother trying to achieve a similar level of success? If someone ever does label you “ talented “, be sure to remind him that it was hard work that made all the difference.

    5     The very idea that some people are born better than others is not constructive.

A．College might come as a real shock to them.

B．They might even stop following their dreams.

C．It’s true that we are all stronger in some areas than others.

D．Calling someone “ talented” also gives you permission to be lazy.

E．Therefore, labeling someone “ talented” is not straightforward praise.

F．Let them tell you what is working well, and what needs improvement.

G．These stories show that not every successful person finds immediate recognition.

2 . I had not seen my parents for a long time. Last Saturday I drove a long way to visit them,       _____neither of them was at home. So I waited patiently at their home________their return. Not seeing them made me really________

As I was walking around their bedroom,I______ little reminders of them. Some Christmas gifts were still_______in boxes. There were_______on the wall, which I guess must have a ________meaning to them. What took my breath away was seeing my dad's emblems (徽章) from his military service of our country______he was young. My father never_______to us about the Korean Wars. As I looked at those emblems hanging______with all the photos that he treasures, I______that this was an important part of his life, but I never spent the______in talking with him about them. The photos of my mom with her close_______made me realize her life before she was my mom. I had been so______running my business to raise my own family that I______the chance to know about their past and experience.

We sometimes don't realize something is______for us until we have lost it, so it's not too late for us to talk to our parents about their past. I am writing my story to______everyone who is fortunate to still have their parents_______to invest some time to learn about them. I am grateful to have_______of my parents. So I still have time to talk with them. I hope that readers will______from my story and find the time to talk about those things in their life that mean so much to their parents.

1.

A．or

B．so

C．and

D．but

2.

A．for

B．to

C．of

D．in

3.

A．frightened

B．embarrassed

C．upset

D．excited

4.

A．sought

B．took

C．needed

D．saw

5.

A．kept

B．folded

C．hidden

D．covered

6.

A．Santa Claus

B．family trees

C．family photos

D．old clothes

7.

A．past

B．special

C．simple

D．real

8.

A．if

B．when

C．though

D．until

9.

A．talked

B．explained

C．showed

D．referred

10.

A．proudly

B．openly

C．finally

D．clearly

11.

A．promised

B．declared

C．admitted

D．realized

12.

A．courage

B．time

C．chance

D．energy

13.

A．friends

B．teachers

C．students

D．children

14.

A．busy

B．blind

C．strict

D．eager

15.

A．rejected

B．avoided

C．delayed

D．missed

16.

A．hopeful

B．important

C．careful

D．original

17.

A．encourage

B．demand

C．require

D．warn

18.

A．away

B．awake

C．around

D．alone

19.

A．either

B．both

C．one

D．neither

20.

A．make

B．benefit

C．change

D．recover

3 . I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed.It was time.The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights.I’d procrastinated long enough.

I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room.The garland (花环) was the first to come down.The tree looked naked (光秃秃的) already.I took the large ornaments off next.They made a large pile on our bed.An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories.Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.

I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite.“Hey, little Santa!” I held the Santa from my childhood.“Thanks for being my friend for almost 50 years.” He was a little ragged (衣着破烂的) but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories.“Until next year, my dear friend.”

There was a collection of handmade ones.My children made in their first years of school, more than 20 years ago.Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree – memories of young giggles on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work.“Look what we made, Daddy!”

“Oh! It is beautiful.Let’s find a special spot on the tree for it.” Every year since, they are displayed.

A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed (用吸尘器清扫) and I sat staring at a barren (空荡荡的) corner.The room seemed so empty.It took me two days of work to assemble (收集) and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.

My tree is a good marriage or a great friendship.Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.

Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships.I take great care of those.They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live.I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year.I can do the same with the loves in my life every day.Take great care of your friendships and your marriage.Once they come down, they aren’t as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree.Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow.

1. In the author’s eyes, the Christmas tree _____.

A．is a collection of childhood memories	B．is a symbol of long-lasting relations
C．takes too much time to decorate	D．is full of out-of-date ornaments

2. The underlined word “procrastinated” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.

A．reflected	B．celebrated
C．decorated	D．delayed

3. To the author, a Christmas tree is similar to a good marriage in that ______.

A．both take time to build but fall apart easily

B．both remind him of bittersweet memories

C．both need to be admired for some time

D．both get less attractive over the years

4. What is the main theme of the article?

A．We’d better put away Christmas decorations and recycle them each year.

B．Friendships and marriages should be valued and managed carefully.

C．Memories with friends and family should be cherished and relived.

D．We should decorate Christmas trees with personal stuff and recycle.

4 . The other day on a cold night, I left my wife and drove from Harrisburg to Lewisburg, a distance of about 100 miles. It was rather late. Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left, and I became increasingly impatient.

At one point along an open road, I came to a crossing with a traffic light. I was alone on the road by now, but as I drove near the light, it turned red and I made a stop. I looked left, right and behind me. Nothing. Not a car, no suggestion of car lamps, but there I sat, waiting for the light to change, the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.

I started wondering why I refused to run the light. I was not afraid of being caught, because there was clearly no policeman around, and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.

Much later that night, the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me. I think I stopped because it's part of a contract（契约）we all have with each other. It's not only the law, but it's an agreement we have, and we trust each other to honor it： we don't go through red lights.

Trust is our first inclination. Doubting others does not seem to be natural to us. The whole construction of our society depends on mutual（相互的）trust, not distrust. We do what we say we'll do； we show up when we say we'll show up； and we pay when we say we'll pay. We trust each other in these matters, and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that breaks the trust we have in them.

I am so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.

1. How does the author feel about the truck driver?

A．Pleased.	B．Satisfied.
C．Sorry.	D．Annoyed.

2. What can we infer about the author?

A．He hates driving at night.

B．He desired to cross the red light that night.

C．He approves of obeying traffic rules by himself.

D．He is easy when suffering the traffic jam.

3. What is the meaning of the underlined word "inclination" in paragraph 5?

A．Tendency.	B．Faith.
C．Adjustment.	D．Guidance.

4. What should we do to create a better society according to the author?

A．Be polite to others.	B．Improve traffic rules.
C．Be patient and helpful.	D．Trust each other.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Ariana caught another whiff(难闻的味道)and tried to hold her breath. She moved away slightly, but Ashley only moved closer and continued talking. Ariana felt trapped. She wanted badly to tell Ashley that she didn’t smell very good. But how could she do that without hurting Ashley’s feelings? Instead, she gathered the remains of her lunch to throw into the trash, thankful for the excuse to get some fresh air. She looked back to see Ashley eating quietly. Ashley’s hair was tangled(乱糟糟的), and her clothes were dirty. Ariana forced herself to go back to the table and take her seat, vowing(发誓)that she would not sit with Ashley the next day.

When Ariana got home from school, she complained to her mom, “There’s a girl named Ashley who likes to sit next to me in school, but she smells bad.”

“She’s probably having a tough day,” said her mother.

“No, it’s not just one day. She smells bad a lot,” Ariana explained. “Nobody else likes to sit next to her, either.”

“I don’t think you understand Ashley’s situation, so let me ask you this...” Her mother’s tone was serious. “Who makes sure that your hair is combed every morning so you’ll look nice when you go to school?”

“You do,” answered Ariana.

“Who makes sure you’re bathed and cleaned every day? And your clothes are washed and neatly ironed?”

“You and Daddy,” Ariana said again.

“Do you live in a nice home? Do you have enough to eat?”

Ariana nodded, beginning to feel guilty. She was starting to understand now. Ashley couldn’t help her situation because she was only seven years old—the same age as Ariana. Grown-ups are supposed to take care of kids.

“Why doesn’t her family take better care of her?” Ariana asked.

“Not all children live in the best situation,” her mother said. “The best thing you can do for Ashley is to treat her with kindness and sympathy.”

注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:

Ariana bit her bottom lip. Sadness for Ashley filled her heart.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2 :

At the end of the school year , the second grade prepared to go on a field trip to the zoo.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式.

Sometimes in life, you need to act quickly. Thinking too much about a problem     1    (be)not always beneficial. It can hold us back. But many things in life require careful thought and preparation. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," is     2     great expression for that kind of behavior. This saying comes to us     3     Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the     4    (found) of the United States. The word “ounce” means something really small, just two-one-hundredths of a kilogram     5     (exact). So, when you deal with a problem, spending a small amount of time and effort early on can save you more trouble in the end. For example, if a country announces strong measures for     6     (contain)a virus，we could say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It is better     7     (take) severe precautions（预防）than to suffer severe consequences later.

Franklin was not talking about disease.     8     rather fire prevention. During a visit to Boston in 1733, Franklin     9     (impress) with the city’s fire prevention methods. He tried to bring some of those practices to the city of Philadelphia,     10    he lived. From then on, this expression can be used in many serious situations.

7 . I was walking my dog Snoopy one evening while the last light of the setting sun _________ the clouds purple and pink. I looked up at the sky and smiled. After a minute Snoopy started _________ at her leash. She was more than ready to head inside for a bowl of dog food and a bacon   _________. I wasn’t quite ready to go in, however, so I _______ her. I was waiting for my friends the Little Blinkers to appear.

It wasn’t long either _______ I saw them switching their lights on and off. They were fireflies, of course, also known as lightning bugs. Over all the years that I have lived here they have never failed to appear at this time during the summer. They have never failed to _______me. They have never failed to make the world a little brighter. It has always been such a _______ too knowing that such wonderful creatures can shine their own light and make the _______ meadows look like the starry skies above. They make me want to share my own light as well, even if it isn’t that bright and even if it does _______ to blink now and then.

Robert Fulghum wrote, “I know some people who ________a lot of light. Because they have absorbed a lot of light themselves. They shine.” I don’t know how much light I have ________the years, but I do know that I won’t keep it ________ under a basket. I will shine it. I will share it. I will use it to ________as much goodness, love, joy, and wisdom into this world as I possibly can.

May you always ________ your light as brightly as you can. May you always share it with others as well. Remember that you are not asked to ________the whole world up. What you need to do is just to make your little corner of it a bit brighter.

1.

A．printed

B．dyed

C．colored

D．pictured

2.

A．pushing

B．pulling

C．dragging

D．waving

3.

A．food

B．thing

C．treat

D．feast

4.

A．comforted

B．approved

C．pleased

D．blamed

5.

A．unless

B．before

C．when

D．once

6.

A．delight

B．disappoint

C．satisfy

D．touch

7.

A．chance

B．surprise

C．curiosity

D．joy

8.

A．green

B．ordinary

C．vast

D．dark

9.

A．intend

B．plan

C．tend

D．manage

10.

A．give out

B．give off

C．give away

D．give in

11.

A．absorbed

B．appealed

C．applied

D．collected

12.

A．stayed

B．remained

C．changed

D．hidden

13.

A．cause

B．appear

C．bring

D．require

14.

A．hold

B．shine

C．spread

D．offer

15.

A．build

B．deepen

C．light

D．brighten

8 . Being good at something and having a passion for it are not enough. Success __ fundamentally on our view of ourselves and of the___ in our lives.

When twelve-year-old John Wilson walked into his chemistry class on a rainy day in 1931, he had no way of knowing that his life was to change completely. The class experiment that day was to___ how heating a container of water would bring air bubbling(冒泡)to the surface.____, the container the teacher gave Wilson to heat __ held something more volatile(易挥发的)than water. When Wilson heated it, the container___ , leaving Wilson blinded in both eyes.

When Wilson returned home from hospital two months later, his parents attempted to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had _____________   their lives. But Wilson did   not regard the accident as catastrophic. He learned braille(盲文)quickly and continued his education at Worcester College for the Blind. There, he not only did well as   a student but also became a（n）___ public speaker.

Later, he worked in Africa, where many people suffered from___ for lack of proper treatment. For him, it was one thing to ________   his own fate of being blind       and quite another to allow something to continue _________   it could be fixed so easily.   This moved him to action. And tens of millions in Africa and Asia can see because of the___ Wilson made to preventing the preventable.

Wilson received   several international _____________   for   his great contributions. He lost his sight but found a____. He proved that it's not what happens to us that __ our lives — it's what we make of what happens.

1.

A．depends

B．holds

C．keeps

D．reflects

2.

A．dilemmas

B．accidents

C．events

D．steps

3.

A．direct

B．show

C．advocate

D．declare

4.

A．Anyway

B．Moreover

C．Somehow

D．Thus

5.

A．mistakenly

B．casually

C．amazingly

D．clumsily

6.

A．erupted

B．exploded

C．emptied

D．exposed

7.

A．submitted to

B．catered for

C．impressed on

D．happened to

8.

A．accomplished

B．crucial

C．specific

D．innocent

9.

A．deafness

B．depression

C．blindness

D．speechlessness

10.

A．decide

B．abandon

C．control

D．accept

11.

A．until

B．when

C．unless

D．before

12.

A．opposition

B．adjustments

C．commitment

D．limitations

13.

A．scholarships

B．rewards

C．awards

D．bonuses

14.

A．fortune

B．recipe

C．dream

D．vision

15.

A．distinguishes

B．determines

C．claims

D．limits

9 . The best example of universally understood body language may be the smile. A smile can open doors and tear down walls among _______.

I have organized and reorganized an _______ with the dentist for months. I also _______ it twice and called the day before to ensure all the paperwork would be ready for the x-rays.

Then I arrived. It wasn't _______ at all. The lady there even had no idea what I was talking about. 1 _______ felt my blood boil. I was getting so _______ .I didn't yell at her but I may as well have because the _______ I was talking to her was not nice. I spoke down to her like she was a child and incapable. It was not a good moment. The whole time she smiled and was _______ to me.

Only when everything was finally _______ was I nice. I sat down in the waiting area and ________ it all. How can I make it better? How can I make up for my ________ behavior a moment ago? I couldn't. I could gift her a chocolate bar I had on me, but this needed more than that. It needed an honest ________ . And that is exactly what I gave.

I apologized for the way I had spoken to her and told her it was wrong of me. She accepted. Again with a hope. God help me be that woman who smiles and forgives so ________ .I don't get it right every time. I can be rude and when I am, I almost ________ myself for it. I am not that person, not anymore. Yet I continue to grow and continue to ________ . It's true that smile vanished my anger and opened a door to understanding.

1.

A．friends

B．strangers

C．patients

D．relatives

2.

A．interview

B．operation

C．experiment

D．appointment

3.

A．confirmed

B．arranged

C．discussed

D．admitted

4.

A．crowded

B．ready

C．open

D．busy

5.

A．mildly

B．roughly

C．privately

D．immediately

6.

A．mad

B．sad

C．humorous

D．curious

7.

A．habit

B．way

C．accent

D．tune

8.

A．rude

B．attached

C．friendly

D．devoted

9.

A．figured

B．added

C．made

D．sorted

10.

A．refiected on

B．worked at

C．called at

D．went through

11.

A．unnecessary

B．impolite

C．impossible

D．unfair

12.

A．comment

B．promise

C．apology

D．suggestion

13.

A．slowly

B．easily

C．frequently

D．tightly

14.

A．teach

B．forgive

C．hate

D．see

15.

A．expand

B．react

C．overcome

D．learn

10 . Just several days ago, a violent storm hit our community. I looked out of the window and witnessed a tree being abused by the ______ wind. The branches bent, and swayed (摇摆) back and forth, thanks to their ______ to avoid breaking. The leaves desperately stuck to the branches because their life ______ the tree. The powerful trunk (树干) which held the tree upright bent slightly ______ from the force in the battle to ______ its position.

After the storm had passed, the tree gracefully returned to its ______ position standing tall among the chaos (混乱). It managed to ______ the storm. It didn’t look the same as leaves had fallen and the soil had loosened, but what ______ is that the tree won the fight for its life.

For a long time I couldn’t understand why this tree ______ my attention the way it did. As time passed, it became clear that it wasn’t just about the tree but about the ______ roots which are deep into the soil providing ______ and nutrition. The roots allow the tree to be able to take a ______ because they are there to support them.

____, the next time you catch your kids ______, when the job is driving you crazy, when you are underpaid and the ______ is tight, and when the storms of life are blowing, go back to your ______. Life is full of storms. They will make you ______, make you sway and even make you lose some leaves but the ______ your roots the stronger you stand. I challenge you to bend but don’t break. However hard the wind blows don’t let life ______ you into an uncomfortable position. Your ______ lies in your roots.

1.

A．fierce

B．strange

C．unusual

D．gentle

2.

A．height

B．flexibility

C．outline

D．weight

3.

A．depended on

B．answered for

C．intended for

D．touched on

4.

A．towards

B．over

C．backwards

D．into

5.

A．achieve

B．reach

C．establish

D．maintain

6.

A．current

B．final

C．original

D．comfortable

7.

A．explore

B．avoid

C．overcome

D．survive

8.

A．differs

B．matters

C．concerns

D．reveals

9.

A．fixed

B．paid

C．caught

D．escaped

10.

A．unseen

B．dirty

C．obvious

D．new

11.

A．light

B．surroundings

C．sources

D．water

12.

A．stand

B．beating

C．chance

D．turning

13.

A．However

B．Still

C．Thus

D．Besides

14.

A．misleading

B．interpreting

C．withdrawing

D．misbehaving

15.

A．budget

B．deadline

C．hand

D．living

16.

A．dream

B．home

C．roots

D．trees

17.

A．win

B．bend

C．loosen

D．stay

18.

A．deeper

B．bigger

C．more

D．brighter

19.

A．trick

B．force

C．lead

D．admit

20.

A．courage

B．ambition

C．value

D．strength