1 . In a remote village, selling chestnuts was the main source of livelihood for local villagers. In late autumn, the hills were covered by the trees and chestnuts were _______from the branches of the trees，which_______with the wind attracting local villagers to_______them at this time of year.

The villagers took the chestnuts, carried them home and _______them out. The whole family sifted (筛) and sorted them according to their_______, and then transported them to the city for wholesale or retail. Every villager knew that if they wanted to sell for a good price, what really_______was to send the selected chestnuts to the market first. Many families, which were short of_______, would go to the nearby villages to hire workers with high_______.

Still, to many people's _______ , there was a young man in the village who could never need help,________ he had limited hands. He lived with his blind and old mother. He always arrived at the market one step ahead of the other ones ________ he could sell out of all the chestnuts and then happily drove back with his truck________.

The secret of the young man was: after picking chestnuts, he put them ________into a sack (麻袋) and carried them to the truck. When he set out，he chose the road, ________and bumpy (不平的) to go, ________the small ones would jump to the ________of the bag and the larger ones would stay on the top of the bag. It would save time for classification and selection. When inquired how he found the way, the young man________: “If you put your heart into it, you will find the right way. This is not an accident but a(n) ________result.”

There will always be people who get ________or complain when they hear bad news. As a matter of fact, if you use your head，you will be ________ to the people and things in the environment. When you turn your mind into action to move forward step by step, you can also create a new world for yourself.

1.

A．holding

B．filling

C．planting

D．hanging

2.

A．fell

B．shook

C．jumped

D．folded

3.

A．enjoy

B．view

C．seek

D．pick

4.

A．poured

B．took

C．thought

D．figured

5.

A．shape

B．size

C．taste

D．color

6.

A．mattered

B．cared

C．interested

D．minded

7.

A．hands

B．power

C．experience

D．ways

8.

A．quality

B．quantity

C．money

D．salary

9.

A．puzzlement

B．relief

C．astonishment

D．delight

10.

A．only if

B．as if

C．even if

D．if only

11.

A．which

B．where

C．whom

D．who

12.

A．full

B．filled

C．empty

D．loaded

13.

A．suddenly

B．shortly

C．directly

D．hurriedly

14.

A．tough

B．rough

C．regular

D．smooth

15.

A．even

B．or

C．but

D．so

16.

A．hole

B．tip

C．middle

D．bottom

17.

A．sighed

B．excited

C．smiled

D．sneezed

18.

A．unexpected

B．necessary

C．accidental

D．deliberate

19.

A．stricken

B．satisfied

C．upset

D．surprised

20.

A．sensitive

B．accessible

C．relative

D．flexible

2 . There is an old Spanish Proverb which states, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week”. How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?       1     We have to go for them now! Here's why.

Tomorrow is not promised

Nobody likes to talk about death, but the reality is everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day, or the hour. Therefore, today is all we have.     2    Make the decision to go after every dream, big or small right now.

The world is waiting on your gift

I know this may be hard to believe, but the world is waiting on YOU! You were born into the world with a unique gift. Other people may be able to sing. But they'll never be able to sing exactly like you.     3       Thus, it is your responsibility to figure out exactly what your gift is, and use to better your life and the lives of those around you.

You can't let fear win

One of the biggest dream killers is fear. There are so many people who could have achieved amazing things if only they weren't afraid. Just think about all the things you've wanted to do, but allowed fear to convince you that you weren't capable. Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create.     4       

You'll be much happier if you go for it

Imagine how much happier you'll be if you're living the life you always dreamed about. The only thing that is stopping you is yourself.     5    Don't keep your dreams waiting.

A．Don't go to your grave with unfulfilled dreams.

B．Other people can write, but they'll never be able to write from the same perspective in which you write.

C．Unless you take the first step, your dreams will never come true.

D．Take control of your own happiness.

E．Doors that you couldn't imagine open up when you go after what you want.

F．Choose not to let fear stop you from achieving your dreams.

G．Our dreams should not, and cannot wait.

3 . I’d been retired for four years, when a friend suggested university. I thought he was joking—I was rubbish at school and failed my 11-plus. But we love to compete over Mastermind and University challenge, and he thought I’d make it. And he was absolutely right!

I did a foundation course first, which was part time at the University Lifelong Learning Centre(LLC), two nights a week and the odd Saturday. I did quite well, and that gave me the confidence to do a full time, three year degree. I’m passionate about art and I always wanted to be here for the journey and not the destination. That sounds really corny, but it was the truth in my case.

Initially it was a bit strange fitting in with my course mates. They were all 18, straight out of sixth form or college. Over time, though, they’ve all been fine — now, we all get on really well and there is no issue. I’ve made plenty of friends as a member of the mature students society, and I do some volunteering through the LLC, chatting to prospective students about my experience of coming to university. I tell them my story and basically encourage them to give it a go because you’ve got nothing to lose. I like to think I’ve convinced a few of them.

I have no regrets at all. Enrolling in university was the best piece of advice I’ve received in years, especially post-retirement. I needed routine in my life; I needed purpose. I’m not going to spend my day in the bookies or the pub. If you’ve got a passion for something, you should pursue it.

1. What do we learn from Paragraph 1?

A．The author often competed with his friend at university,

B．The author was satisfied with his performance at school,

C．The advice of his friend was a big challenge for the author.

D．The author’s friend told a joke when suggesting university.

2. What was it that made him determined to pursue a full time degree?

A．His long held passion for art.

B．His boring retirement life.

C．His success in the foundation course.

D．His desire to travel to the destination.

3. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．How he got along with his course mates

B．How he helped his friends at university.

C．What activities he took part in at school

D．What he experienced as a volunteer.

4. Which of the following can serve as the title of the passage?

A．Knowledge is power.

B．It’s never too old to learn.

C．Failure is the mother of success.

D．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

4 . Growing up, Deka Ismail says she let labels define what she could be. “I was a black girl, from a refugee (难民) family,” Deka said. “It was as if I was only allowed to explore in this predetermined box.”

After a high school chemistry class inspired her to think about a career in science and gave her confidence in the field, Deka learned to live outside labels and began making big plans for her future. Now she is about to begin her freshman year at the University of California, planning to become a professor.

Born and raised in San Diego's City Heights neighbourhood, Deka is the daughter of a Somali refugee couple. While some might say Deka's success happened in spite of her background, she would say differently, that her experiences shaped her and inspired her to be the driven, young scientist that she is today.

When Deka was eight years old, her mother got a job by studying hard back in school in order to support the whole family. That made Deka realize that education could make a difference to one's life. She spent a lot of time in the library reading books, and didn't do many of the things her peers did, like partying or having romantic relationships.

“I always felt like I had to be the perfect girl for my family,” Deka said. “You have to not even do your best but two times better than everyone else. I felt like the whole world was waiting for me to mess up.”

Deka's efforts paid off. The summer before her senior year of high school, she was accepted to the American Chemical Society Project SEED Programme. “She brought both enthusiasm and focus,” Botham, a researcher at this research institute, recalled. “She arrived every day ready to work, ready to learn and ready to tackle new challenges regardless of whether or not she had done anything similar.”

When asked what advice she would give to others like her, Deka warned them not to underestimate themselves. “Don't tell yourself that scholarship is too big or this programme is too competitive or I'll never get into this school, ” she said. “I was not sure whether I could make it until I started seeing the acceptance letters rolling in.”

1. From the passage, we can learn that__ .

A．Deka was adopted by a refugee family

B．Deka spent a lot of time going to parties

C．Deka's experiences drove her to work hard

D．Deka became a professor after graduation

2. Deka realized the importance of education ______.

A．after her chemistry class	B．from her mother's experience
C．by reading books in the library	D．through working at the institute

3. According to the last paragraph, Deka advised that students be ______.

A．patient	B．generous
C．adaptable	D．confident

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Hard work leads to success.	B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Well begun is half done.	D．Life is not all roses.

5 . I always had the preference to take on more than I should when I was young. At times, I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle it. At other times, my purpose was to please someone and gain recognition for my efforts. Sometimes this led to stress or frustration.

When I was an IT manager after college graduation I was assigned to work with a wealthy customer and be a go-between (中间人)for my company. I took on the assignment happily, thinking that this might be my time to shine. However, the customer’s demands proved to be more than I could do with. And the company chose to stand by the customer and try to meet his unreasonable requirements rather than stick to what we had originally offered in the contract. As you can imagine, this led to a lot of unexpected problems and arguing with some of the staff who refused to do anything outside their scope (范围) of work. I remember walking into my office one morning, opening my laptop and staring at the blank screen for long, thinking to myself: What should I do? That was a difficult time in my life and then I finally had to give up my first job and left that company sadly.

Perhaps, I thought then, I could find the job that didn’t involve dealing with difficult people and difficult situations. But later I realized: Is this possible in our modern world? No, it is impossible. Now, I know, I shouldn’t run away from the challenges I faced in life: I had to learn how to deal with them. I regret not persevering ( 坚 持 ) in my job. We should train ourselves to look at things from a positive point of view, because that is far better than being trapped in the bad circle depression. I’ve come to see that when faced with difficulties, I should not give up, but persevere.

1. Why did the author take the work assigned to him happily?

A．He wanted to please the boss.

B．The work was very easy for him to do.

C．He failed to find a job many times before.

D．He thought it was time to prove his ability.

2. What does the underlined word “this” in the second paragraph mean?

A．Arguing with some of the staff.

B．Meeting the customer’s unreasonable requirements.

C．Accepting the assignment without hesitation.

D．Sticking to what had been originally offered in the contract.

3. What made the author leave his first job?

A．The depressing job situation.	B．The low payment.
C．His lack of ability.	D．A better job waiting for him.

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．Running away from challenges.	B．Persevering instead of giving up.
C．Refusing to argue with customers.	D．Leaning to take on more than one can.

6 . A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know whether she was going to make it and want to _______. She was tired of fighting and_______. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one _______.

Her father, a cook, took her to the _______. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. In one he placed carrots, in the second _______, and in the last ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked (吸吮) her teeth and _______ waited, wondering what he was doing. In twenty minutes, he pulled the carrots and eggs out and _______ them in two different bowls, and the coffee in a mug. He brought her closer and asked her to _______ the carrots. She did and noted they were _______. Then he asked her to take an egg and break it. After ________ off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. ________, he asked her to sip the coffee. She ________, as she tasted its rich aroma (芳香).

“What does it mean, Father?” she curiously asked.

He explained that each of them had faced the ________ adversity (逆境), boiling water, but each ________ differently. The carrot went in strong and hard but after being subjected to the boiling water, it became soft and ________. The egg had been fragile. Its ________ outer shell had protected its liquid inside. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were ________, however, after they were in the boiling water, they had ________ the water .

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter.

Life will necessarily meet adversity, if so, do not be ________ . Always remember: The real success can be ________ only after the hard struggle.

1.

A．give up

B．go on

C．clean up

D．work on

2.

A．devoting

B．relaxing

C．struggling

D．arguing

3.

A．invented

B．appeared

C．answered

D．understood

4.

A．kitchen

B．bedroom

C．supermarket

D．bookstore

5.

A．milk

B．apples

C．cabbages

D．eggs

6.

A．happily

B．carefully

C．impatiently

D．early

7.

A．handed

B．placed

C．found

D．threw

8.

A．enjoy

B．taste

C．smell

D．feel

9.

A．hard

B．strong

C．soft

D．sweet

10.

A．getting

B．taking

C．giving

D．keeping

11.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Finally

D．Instead

12.

A．smiled

B．boiled

C．sobbed

D．cried

13.

A．bad

B．same

C．serious

D．different

14.

A．reacted

B．created

C．worked

D．played

15.

A．smelly

B．bad

C．weak

D．tasty

16.

A．slim

B．fat

C．thick

D．thin

17.

A．pleasant

B．delicious

C．unique

D．usual

18.

A．changed

B．awaited

C．mixed

D．colored

19.

A．excited

B．discouraged

C．surprised

D．disappointed

20.

A．arrived

B．finished

C．missed

D．achieved

7 . People generally see themselves through achievements. In doing that, they end up caring more about their image than the reality of who they actually are. Rather than their performance at work, they end up defining themselves by external markers that they hope will earn them respect.

The problem with this is that it encourages both themselves and other people to judge their worth based on some relatively unimportant measure. For example, one day, their educational diploma may overshadow what they actually learned. Therefore, a better way to know a person, I think, is to ask a different set of questions: What motivates them? What makes them ache? What do they long for?

It’s in this spirit that I want to publicly share my values. They are the compass(罗盘) that guides my life. The kindest and most sincere thing I can do is to see, recognize, and understand another person before I make judgments. From there, I can learn to treat others appropriately, depending on the context, learning from my mistakes with time and experience. It's just a reminder that life is hard for all of us, while at the same time accepting that it's important we are all also held accountable for our actions.

I have learned that we are all deeply self-interested. I hope to be self-aware enough to check out of the power and status games. That means I'm not competing with anyone for a shiny object; I'd rather compete with myself. It's about becoming so uniquely different that it would be an insult for me to measure myself against someone else. I believe if I do the work to be internally free from the pull of the power and status games, then I can add value to others based on my unique knowledge and experience.

If this resonates with(与……共鸣) you, I invite you to join me on this journey in understanding and relating to this complex world. It's a wonderful mystery, and I think together we can better define it—not just personally, but also collectively.

1. According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?

A．People generally judge others' worth by what they have achieved.

B．The external markers are better ways to know a person.

C．The author is someone who is keen on power games.

D．Learning from mistakes is the first step of treating others kindly.

2. What does the underlined word “overshadow” probably mean?

A．be relatively similar to	B．cause something to be stronger than
C．make something less important	D．block off light from something

3. Which of the following might the author agree with?

A．People should be self-aware enough and compete with themselves.

B．Life is hard, so we shouldn't criticize others when they are not responsible.

C．Everyone is unique, so showing off uniqueness is an insult to others.

D．One should see and understand another person using a real compass.

4. What is the writer's purpose of writing the article?

A．To promote harmonious living.

B．To ask people not to judge others.

C．To call on readers to learn his values.

D．To share his values of understanding the world.

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 _______ of knowing that his life was to change _________. 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 _________ to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had ____________ their lives. But Wilson did not regard the accident as ____________. 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 ____________.

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．way

B．hope

C．plan

D．measure

4.

A．continually

B．gradually

C．gracefully

D．completely

5.

A．direct

B．show

C．advocate

D．declare

6.

A．Anyway

B．Moreover

C．Somehow

D．Thus

7.

A．mistakenly

B．casually

C．amazingly

D．clumsily

8.

A．erupted

B．exploded

C．emptied

D．exposed

9.

A．deserved

B．attempted

C．cared

D．agreed

10.

A．submitted to

B．catered for

C．impressed on

D．happened to

11.

A．fantastic

B．extraordinary

C．impressive

D．catastrophic

12.

A．accomplished

B．crucial

C．specific

D．innocent

13.

A．deafness

B．depression

C．blindness

D．speechlessness

14.

A．decide

B．abandon

C．control

D．accept

15.

A．until

B．when

C．unless

D．before

16.

A．opposition

B．adjustments

C．commitment

D．limitations

17.

A．preventable

B．potential

C．spreadable

D．influential

18.

A．scholarships

B．rewards

C．awards

D．bonuses

19.

A．fortune

B．recipe

C．dream

D．vision

20.

A．distinguishes

B．determines

C．claims

D．limits

9 . Since our twins began learning to walk, my wife and I have kept telling them that our sliding glass door is just a window. The _______ is obvious. If we _______ it is a door, they’ll want to go outside _______. It will drive us crazy. The kids apparently know the _______. But our insisting it’s _______ a window has kept them from _______ millions of requests to open the door.

I hate lying to the kids. One day they’ll _______ and discover that everything they’ve always known about windows is a _______.

I wonder if _______ should always tell the truth no matter the ____________. I have a very strong     ____________ that the lie we’re telling is doing ____________ damage to our children. Windows and doors have ____________ metaphorical(比喻) meanings. I’m telling them they can’t open what they absolutely know is a door. What if later in ____________ they come to a metaphorical door, like an opportunity(机会) of some sort, and ____________ opening the door and taking the opportunity, they just ____________ it and wonder, ＂What if it isn’t a door?＂ That is, ＂What if it isn’t a ____________ opportunity?＂

Maybe it’s an unreasonable fear. But the ____________ is that I shouldn’t lie to my kids. I should just ____________ repeatedly having to say, ＂No. We can’t go outside now.＂ Then when they come to other doors in life, whether they are real or metopherical, they won’t ____________ to open them and walk through.

1.

A．relief

B．target

C．reason

D．case

2.

A．admit

B．believe

C．mean

D．realize

3.

A．gradually

B．constantly

C．temporarily

D．casually

4.

A．result

B．danger

C．method

D．truth

5.

A．merely

B．slightly

C．hardly

D．partly

6.

A．reviewing

B．approving

C．receiving

D．attempting

7.

A．win out

B．give up

C．wake up

D．stand out

8.

A．dream

B．lie

C．fantasy

D．fact

9.

A．parents

B．twins

C．colleagues

D．teachers

10.

A．restrictions

B．explanations

C．differences

D．consequences

11.

A．demand

B．fear

C．desire

D．doubt

12.

A．physical

B．biological

C．spiritual

D．behavioral

13.

A．traditional

B．important

C．double

D．original

14.

A．life

B．time

C．reply

D．history

15.

A．by comparison with

B．in addition to

C．regardless of

D．instead of

16.

A．get hold of

B．stare at

C．knock on

D．make use of

17.

A．real

B．typical

C．similar

D．limited

18.

A．safety rule

B．comfort zone

C．bottom line

D．top secret

19.

A．delay

B．regret

C．enjoy

D．accept

20.

A．hurry

B．decide

C．hesitate

D．intend

10 . My son was playing with a bottle of bubbles. Dip the loop in the bottle, pull it out, and blow it to make bubbles. He understood the principle but was vainly _______ to blow bubbles. He would dip and dip and blow and blow, but alas, no _______. He _______ me the bottle and loop and asked me, “Daddy, can you make bubbles?”

I hadn’t blown bubbles in years. I am a _______ by education, fairly well-trained in surfactant (活性剂) technology. However, all that knowledge is completely _______. I was having no more _______ than my son. I dipped and puffed, _______ no bubbles.

After several _______ attempts, I changed strategies. _______ puffing on the loop of soapy water, I just gently breathed on it. My son ________ with delight as a big beautiful bubble formed and ________ away. I explained to him, “Son, you can’t blow hard. You must ever so ________ breathe on the loop to make bubbles.” He ________ his urgent desire to make big bubbles by blowing hard and followed my advice. Big bubbles!

There are some things that you can get with ________, but other things only ________ from the gentleness of a soft breath.

1.

A．trying

B．managing

C．expecting

D．acting

2.

A．changes

B．bubbles

C．results

D．drops

3.

A．lent

B．handed

C．threw

D．cast

4.

A．researcher

B．professional

C．chemist

D．parent

5.

A．out of date

B．of no use

C．in doubt

D．in trouble

6.

A．trial

B．confidence

C．patience

D．success

7.

A．even

B．thus

C．somehow

D．still

8.

A．fruitless

B．tough

C．unwilling

D．difficult

9.

A．Despite

B．Without

C．On

D．Except

10.

A．screamed

B．nodded

C．rushed

D．flew

11.

A．escaped

B．floated

C．burst

D．bounced

12.

A．silently

B．slightly

C．eagerly

D．gently

13.

A．freed

B．fueled

C．contained

D．reduced

14.

A．brain

B．action

C．force

D．science

15.

A．survive

B．separate

C．jumped

D．arise