1 . Would you BET on the future of this man? He is 53 years old. Most of his adult life has been a losing struggle against debt and misfortune. A war injury has made his left hand stop functioning, and he has often been in prison. Driven by heaven-knows-what motives, he determines to write a book.

The book turns out to be one that has appealed to the world for more than 350 years. That former prisoner was Cervantes, and the book was Don Quixote（《堂吉诃德》）. And the story poses an interesting question: why do some people discover new vitality and creativity to the end of their days, while others go to seed long before?

We’ve all known people who run out of steam before they reach life’s halfway mark. I’m not talking about those who fail to get to the top. We can’t all get there. I’m talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.

Most of us, in fact, progressively narrow the variety of our lives. We succeed in our field of specialization and then become trapped in it. Nothing surprises us. We lose our sense of wonder. But, if we are willing to learn, the opportunities are everywhere.

The things we learn in maturity seldom involve information and skills. We learn to bear with the things we can’t change. We learn to avoid self-pity. We learn that however much we try to please, some people are never going to love us—an idea that troubles at first but is eventually relaxing.

With high motivation and enthusiasm, we can keep on learning. Then we will know how important it is to have meaning in our life. However, we can achieve meaning only if we have made a commitment to something larger than our own little egos(自我), whether to loved ones, to fellow humans, to work, or to some moral concept.

Many of us equate(视……等同于) “commitment” with such “caring” occupations as teaching and nursing. But doing any ordinary job as well as one can is in itself an admirable commitment. People who work toward such excellence—whether they are driving a truck, or running a store—make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They’ve learned life’s most valuable lesson.

1. The passage starts with the story of Cervantes to show that ________.

A．loss of freedom stimulates one’s creativity

B．age is not a barrier to achieving one’s goal

C．misery inspires a man to fight against his fate

D．disability cannot stop a man’s pursuit of success

2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．End one’s struggle for liberty.

B．Waste one’s energy taking risks.

C．Miss the opportunity to succeed.

D．Lose the interest to continue learning.

3. What could be inferred from Paragraph 4？

A．Those who dare to try often get themselves trapped.

B．Those who tend to think back can hardly go ahead.

C．Opportunity favors those with a curious mind.

D．Opportunity awaits those with a cautious mind.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 5？

A．A tough man can tolerate suffering.

B．A wise man can live without self-pity.

C．A man should try to satisfy people around him.

D．A man should learn suitable ways to deal with life.

5. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage？

A．To provide guidance on leading a meaningful adult life.

B．To stress the need of shouldering responsibilities at work.

C．To state the importance of generating motivation for learning.

D．To suggest a way of pursuing excellence in our lifelong career.

3 . Great work is work that makes a difference in people’s lives, writes David Sturt, Executive Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute, in his book Great Work: How to Make a Difference People Love. Sturt insists, however, that great work is not just for surgeons or special-needs educators or the founders of organizations trying to eliminate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. The central theme of Great Work, according to Sturt, is that anyone can make a difference in any job. It’s not the nature of the job, but what you do with the job that counts. As proof, Sturt tells the story of a remarkable hospital cleaner named Moses.

In a building filled with doctors and nurses doing great life-saving work, Moses the cleaner makes a difference. Whenever he enters a room, especially a room with a sick child, he engages both patients and parents with his optimism and calm, introducing himself to the child and, Sturt writes, speaking “little comments about light and sunshine and making things clean.” He comments on any progress he sees day by day (“you’re sitting up today, that’s good.”) Moses is no doctor and doesn’t pretend to be, but he has witnessed hundreds of sick children recovering from painful surgery, and parents take comfort from his encouraging words. For Matt and Mindi, whose son McKay was born with only half of a heart, Moses became a close friend. As Sturt explains, “Moses took his innate (与生俱来的) talents (his sensitivity) and his practical wisdom (from years of hospital experience) and combined them into a powerful form of patient and family support that changed the critical-care experience for Mindi, Matt and little McKay.”

How do people like Moses do great work when so many people just work? That was the central question raised by Sturt and his team at the O.C. Tanner Institute, a consulting company specialized in employee recognition and rewards system.

O.C. Tanner launched an exhaustive Great Work study that included surveys to 200 senior executives, a further set of surveys to 1,000 managers and employees working on projects, an in-depth qualitative study of 1.7 million accounts of award-winning work (in the form of nominations (提名) for awards from corporations around the world), and one-on-one interviews with 200 difference makers. The results of the study revealed that those who do great work refuse to be defeated by the constraints of their jobs and are especially able to reframe their jobs: they don’t view their jobs as a list of tasks and responsibilities but see their jobs as opportunities to make a difference. No matter, as Moses so ably exemplifies (例证), what that job may be.

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

A．It’s not the nature of the job, but what you do that makes a difference.

B．Anyone in the world is responsible to delete poverty and change the world.

C．Anyone can make a difference in people’s lives no matter what kind of job he does.

D．Surgeons, special-needs educators and founders of organizations can succeed more easily.

2. According to this passage, how does Moses, a common hospital cleaner, make a difference in people’s lives?

A．By keeping optimistic and calm when facing patients and their parents at hospital.

B．By showing his special gift and working experience when working at hospital.

C．By showing his sympathy and kindness to patients when entering their rooms.

D．By pretending to be a doctor or nurse when entering a room with a sick child.

3. The word “constraints” in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.

A．demands

B．advantages

C．disadvantages

D．limitations

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Great work is work that makes a difference in people’s lives no matter what you do.

B．If a boss has trouble recognizing his employees, he can ask O. C. Tanner for advice.

C．Moses makes a difference through his sensitivity and his practical wisdom.

D．Those who do great work are never defeated by others or their jobs themselves.

4 . Years of living with a lisp (口齿不清) had taught me it was better not to say anything than to speak and risk embarrassment. As a result of my ______, I felt distanced from most of my peers (同龄人). “Kathy? Oh, she’s quiet.” That’s what most people would say when they ____ me, as if “Quiet” were part of my ____. I was okay with that. I didn’t need to be ____.

Last September, however, that all ____. I started my creative writing class with Ms. Haist. Every day we would be given a different writing task and, if we wished, we could ____ what we had written. I ____ listening to others read their work and thinking: “That will never be me. I’ll never have the ____ to do that.”

One day, I was really ____ with what I had written and wanted to share. My heart was beating wildly as I raised my hand. Those ____ little voices were ringing in my ear, “You have a lisp, remember? ____, your writing isn’t that good. Be quiet.” I was about to ____ my hand when I met Ms. Haist’s encouraging eyes.

I swallowed the voices down and let my real voice ___. I could hear it ___as I read, and I could hear every stutter (结巴) and mistake. I finished reading, waiting to be laughed at. ____, I heard claps from the class and praise from Ms. Haist.

The next day, I did it ____. Soon I was reading out loud nearly every day. Gradually, I realized that ____ my lisp, the class and the teacher always appreciated my writing. Now I may still not be the most ____, social person, but I’ve become better at oral presentations. I ____ read my poetry out loud at a reading club.

Every time those little voices try to tell me to be quiet, I think of all the encouragement I received in class and I know that I ____ to be heard.

1.

A．embarrassment

B．excitement

C．humor

D．silence

2.

A．heard from

B．talked of

C．called on

D．looked for

3.

A．name

B．opinion

C．duty

D．business

4.

A．seen

B．heard

C．followed

D．protected

5.

A．disappeared

B．returned

C．developed

D．changed

6.

A．examine

B．practice

C．share

D．copy

7.

A．regret

B．consider

C．imagine

D．remember

8.

A．time

B．courage

C．patience

D．evidence

9.

A．busy

B．strict

C．pleased

D．disappointed

10.

A．tired

B．urgent

C．funny

D．cheerful

11.

A．Besides

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Normally

12.

A．touch

B．wave

C．extend

D．withdraw

13.

A．go down

B．die away

C．come out

D．calm down

14.

A．shaking

B．singing

C．shouting

D．deepening

15.

A．Sadly

B．Hopefully

C．Honestly

D．Unexpectedly

16.

A．again

B．alone

C．already

D．anyway

17.

A．thanks to

B．instead of

C．despite

D．except

18.

A．serious

B．outgoing

C．nervous

D．hardworking

19.

A．even

B．still

C．only

D．seldom

20.

A．fear

B．agree

C．deserve

D．pretend

7 . 阅读理解。
Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps. As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable. You begin to realize that your boy, in your footsteps, could probably accomplish what you hoped for. But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.
My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten. Science projects waited until the last moment. Book reports weren’t written until the final threat.
I’ve been a newspaperman all my adult life. My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master’s degree in English. But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student(技校学生). They’re called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.
When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”, I was shocked. “Hey, he’s a good kid,” I wanted to say. “And smart, really.”
I learned later that motorheads are, indeed, different. They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don’t often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).
But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education. We who labor in clean shirts in offices don’t have the abilities that motorheads have. I began to learn this when I had my car crashed. The cost to repair it was estimated at $800. “Hey, I can fix it,” said Jody. I doubted it , but let him go ahead, for I had nothing to lose.
My son ,with other motorheads,fixed the car. They got parts(零件）from ajunkyard, and ability from vo-tech classes. The lost was $25 instead of $80.
Since that first repair job, a broken air-conditioner, a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.
These kids are happiest when doing repairs. They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world. And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.
I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers, engineers need mechanics, and architects need builders. Most important, I have learned that fathers don’t need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.
My son may never make the school honor roll. But he made mine.
1. What used to be the author’s hope for his son?

A．To avoid becoming his clone.

B．To resemble him in appearance.

C．To develop in a different direction.

D．To reach the author’s unachieved goals.

2. What can we learn about the author’s children?

A．His daughter does better in school.

B．His daughter has got a master’s degree.

C．His son tried hard to finish homework.

D．His son couldn’t write his book reports.

3. The author let his son repair the car because he believed that_______.

A．His son had the ability to fix it.

B．it would save him much time.

C．it wouldn’t cause him any more loss

D．other motorheads would come to help.

4. In the author’s eyes, motorheads are _______.

A．tidy and hardworking	B．cheerful and smart
C．lazy but bright	D．relaxed but rude

5. What did the author realize in the end?

A．It is unwise to expect your child to follow your path.

B．It is important for one to make the honor roll.

C．Architects play a more important role than builders.

D．Motorheads have greater ability than office workers.

8 . An unpleasant smell floated into my nose as the bowl of fried stinky tofu（臭豆腐） settled onto my grandmother’s dinner table. I immediately sat back. The smell ruined my appetite, and I pushed the dish away.

“It’s supposed to stink. Just give it a try!” my grandmother said.

Holding my breath, I unwillingly took a bite. To my surprise, the tofu beneath the fried skin was warm, soft, and mouthwatering. Since then, whenever I visited my grandmother’s house, I would rush to the kitchen for the stinky tofu with excitement. Thus, stinky tofu became more than a household tradition. It became my favorite dish.

Along with the stinky tofu, I would meet my Uncle Chan on every visit. As an immature boy, I never understood my uncle’s condition of Down syndrome（唐氏综合征）.

He was an unfriendly and terrible creature in my eyes. He constantly walked around the house, talking to himself. Whenever he was within view, I would run away in fear.

However, one day, my view of my uncle suddenly changed. I was just getting out of my bed when I heard soft steps approaching. It was my uncle. My muscles froze. He slowly sat next to me and touched my face gently, as a mother would stroke （抚摸）a baby.

A wide smile emerged from his blank expression. How beautiful his smile was! I could not help but smile back. My fear disappeared gradually, and my muscles relaxed. For the first time, I could see softness and warmth in his eyes.

My uncle very much resembles stinky tofu. Stinky tofu smells unpleasant on the outside,   yet   feels   warm   and   soft   in   the   inside.   Like   stinky   tofu,   my   uncle’s   Down syndrome made me keep my distance at first. Yet, I learned that deep inside, he is harmless and has a loving nature.

Some people tend to look down upon disabled people and regard them as unfit for a regular life. As I was able to see through the outer surface of the tofu, these people are unable to see through the surface of prejudice（偏见）. As a result, they judge the disabled with one glance.

The outside and inside of the stinky tofu exist as two extremely different worlds. Perhaps that is what makes it such a tasty dish. Not only is it delicious, stinky tofu offers a valuable lesson: never judge people at first glance, for true beauty comes from the inside.

1. Why did stinky tofu become the author’s favorite dish?

A．It was related to family tradition.

B．It turned out to be quite delicious.

C．Grandma encouraged him to try it.

D．His appetite for food had increased.

2. What did the author think of his uncle at first?

A．He was a quiet person.

B．He was an energetic guy.

C．He was an immature man.

D．He was a strange creature.

3. The author’s attitude towards Uncle Chan changed when .

A．Chan’s footsteps woke up the author

B．Chan showed his friendliness to the author

C．Chan displayed his love towards his mother

D．Chan’s blank expression made the author smile

4. The comparison between stinky tofu and the author’s uncle serves to _.

A．highlight the nature of Uncle Chan

B．analyze the family relationship

C．describe a childhood memory

D．introduce a traditional Chinese food

5. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the passage?

A．We shouldn’t judge by appearances.

B．A person’s taste changes over time.

C．Blood is thicker than water.

D．You are what you eat.

9 . I'd been asked to go to an editor's office with the old program “We have a story we think you'd be perfect for”. Here was the topic: We want you to write about how middle-aged men have no friends. Seeing that,I couldn't help thinking, “Excuse me? I have plenty of friends.” Then the editor told me there were all sorts of evidence out there to show how men, as they age, let their close friendships go, and that the fact can cause all sorts of problems and have a terrible impact on their health.

As I walked back to my desk in the newsroom-a distance of maybe 100 yards-I quickly took stock of my friend list. First of all, there was my friend Mark. Wait, how often do we actually hang out? Maybe four or five times a year? And then there was another best friend from high school, Rory, and…I actually could not remember the last time I'd seen him.

There were all those other good friends who seemed as if they're still in my life because we follow one another via social media, but as I ran down the list of those I considered real, true, lifelong friends, I realized that it had been years since I saw many of them, even decades for a few.

By the time I got back to my desk, I realized that I was indeed perfect for this story, not because I was unusual in any way, but because my story was very, very typical. And as I looked into what that means, I realized that in the long term, I was heading down a path that was very, very dangerous. And I knew I needed a change.

1. What did the author think of the topic at first?

A．He showed an interest in it.

B．He felt surprised and doubtful.

C．He knew the editor was joking.

D．He thought it was perfect for him.

2. What did the author realize as walking back to the newsroom?

A．He had lost some best friends.

B．He wasn't popular with others.

C．He had close friends in his life.

D．He hadn't made any true friends.

3. How did the author keep his friendship?

A．By letters.	B．Through the Internet.
C．By phoning each other.	D．By getting together regularly.

4. What do we know from the last paragraph?

A．The author was a good writer.

B．The author liked making new friends.

C．Others had more friends than the author.

D．The author would attach importance to friendship.

10 . Victor Frankl， the author of Mans Search for Meaning， once wrote， "'Everything can be taken from a person but one thing： the last of human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances．" Frankl was right． Attitude is a choice． You could be faced with a thousand problems， many or most over which you have absolutely no control． However， there is always one thing you are in complete and absolute control of and that is your own attitude．

To be honest， it wasn't until I was in my late 20s that I finally understood its full impact． All through my teens and into my early adult life， I can't tell you the number of times that I heard， "Bob， if you'd just change your attitude， you would do a lot better．" At that time， I didn't know what attitude was， let alone know how to change it!

Attitude and results are inseparable， They follow one another as night follows day． One is the cause， while the other， the result． There is a term we use to distinguish this "cause and effect " relationship， which is called The Law of Cause and Effect． Simply stated， if you think in negative terms， you will get negative results； if you think in positive terms， you will achieve positive results． Some people always see wrong things in the world． These individuals are quick to blame circumstances or other people for their problems， rather than accepting responsibility for their life and their attitude． Thus， it would appear as if they were born with bad luck and it has followed them around their whole life． However， there are others who are forever winning and living the good life． They are the real movers and shakers who make things happen． They seem to go from one major accomplishment to another． They're in control of their life． Their wins are a matter of choice．

You can experience that kind of life as well， you only need to decide． Dorothea Brand once said， "Act as if it were impossible to fail， " and I challenge you to do so． By simply becoming aware that you can choose your thoughts each and every day， you will change your entire outlook． You have the power to choose an abundant life no matter what your circumstances are． Don't wait to experience all the wonderful things the universe has in store for you． Start today by working on your attitude and welcome the abundant life that you are meant to lead．

1. What can we know from Paragraph 1？ ______

A．Freedom is the last thing we can control．

B．Most problems in life are in our control．

C．We can choose our attitude at any time．

D．A man can lose anything but freedom．

2. Why does the author use the example of himself in Para． 2？ ______

A．To show attitude is important to the old．

B．To show understanding attitude takes time．

C．To prove attitude impacts greatly on people．

D．To prove the author was very stubborn．

3. Knowing "The Law of Cause and Effect" helps readers ______ ．

A．understand what causes a good attitude

B．analyze the effect of a negative attitude

C．understand "cause and effect" relationship better

D．know the benefit of choosing active attitude

4. What is the writer's message conveyed in this passage？ ______

A．Winning is a matter of control．

B．Success begins with positive attitude．

C．Bad attitude results in bad results．

D．Attitude and results are inseparable．