1 . Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.

The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen-beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.

Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.

Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein, Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly. I don’t understand things quickly.”

1. Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically, ________.

A．it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast	B．we might be controlled by other people’s ideas
C．we will follow the ideas of others naturally	D．we might be fooled by other people’s ideas

2. If you are a critical thinker, you will ________.

A．think deeply about different ideas	B．trust the reports in the newspapers
C．take one view against another view	D．criticize other people for their mistakes

3. In the last paragraph, “ something new” suggests that ________.

A．the smarter you are, the faster you do things	B．the faster you do things, the smarter you become
C．speed can improve intelligence	D．intelligence is not decided by speed

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Thinking and Critical Thinking	B．Understanding Critical Thinking
C．Thinking Is Natural and Human	D．Thinking Fast Means Intelligence

3 . Amanda works for Plato's Closet, the clothing chain that buys and sells used clothing and accessories (配件). When she performed a routine _________ on a coat that was _________ by a man earlier that day, she _________ $7,000 in $100 bills zipped inside a pocket.

No one was _________ ; Plato's Closet employees check clothes all day long. And _________,the man who brought the coat didn't _________ Some people would have _________ the “opportunity”. But not Amanda. She said, “It wasn't mine, so I didn't get too _________ about that thick pile of cash.” _________, she safely stored the money until it could be ____________ to its rightful owner.

Sure, Plato's Closet has ____________ about sending back personal items found in the clothing, but what Amanda did ____________ her character. It wasn't the result of outside pressure. “It's just about integrity (诚实),” She said. “You just have to make sure that you're ____________ and that you do the right thing.

Reputation is easy; character is hard. Doing the right thing when others are watching is easy.

____________ public integrity, resolve or sincerity often results in recognition and praise. Doing the right thing when no one is watching is hard. Your nonpublic integrity gains no ____________ Or applause. Doing the right thing is also hard ____________ it often runs against our best interests. The true test of ____________ is what you do when people aren't watching. Maybe ____________ is Amanda's main character and maybe it's not, but that doesn't ____________. The fact that she ____________ to do the right thing is more important.

1.

A．service

B．comment

C．inspection

D．experiment

2.

A．picked up

B．dropped off

C．paid for

D．tried on

3.

A．earned

B．donated

C．spent

D．discovered

4.

A．listening

B．chatting

C．watching

D．speaking

5.

A．obviously

B．fortunately

C．hopefully

D．consequently

6.

A．remember

B．determine

C．express

D．wonder

7.

A．provided

B．deserved

C．seized

D．confirmed

8.

A．annoyed

B．guilty

C．excited

D．confident

9.

A．Also

B．Otherwise

C．Indeed

D．Instead

10.

A．arranged

B．returned

C．applied

D．linked

11.

A．regulations

B．remarks

C．results

D．reservations

12.

A．preserved

B．reflected

C．developed

D．affected

13.

A．greedy

B．polite

C．honest

D．curious

14.

A．Covering

B．Measuring

C．Previewing

D．Displaying

15.

A．admiration

B．knowledge

C．apology

D．cooperation

16.

A．if

B．while

C．since

D．unless

17.

A．character

B．motivation

C．education

D．nationality

18.

A．weakness

B．cheerfulness

C．carelessness

D．selflessness

19.

A．occur

B．matter

C．match

D．continue

20.

A．expected

B．promised

C．forced

D．chose

5 . Do you know the proverb “no pain, no gain”? It gives the impression that we ought to be suffering while we study. It seems that the only way to know if we’ re putting in enough work is how much hardship we bear. We are totally taken up with study, shutting ourselves away for a big exam. Is that necessarily true?

When we haven’t taken the time to come up with another idea, we just shut ourselves in a room with a book. It’s no surprise that we find revision boring and difficult. Just as children learn from playing, we can learn from doing, or at least from study techniques that interest us, rather than make us switch off. Shutting ourselves away can make us learn to hate studying, leading to a situation where, instead of being able to concentrate on our work, we are troubled by how unfair it is that we must study. This can be part of a vicious cycle (恶性循环) that traps us into ineffective revision, or poor progress fueling further annoyance.

Thankfully, working in the company of other people really helps fight against that. We just need to learn how to deal with distractions(使人分心的事). It’s not necessary to avoid all company, just lazy company. They constantly try to keep others in conversation, while studying in the same room with someone who is ironing or working out is perfectly possible. Of course, it’s also a good idea to avoid the company of people involved in activities where you would rather be playing than studying. Working while sitting next to someone playing video games is most likely to end with a new high score of games rather than productive revision.

If being around others means working in a noisy environment, a pair of headphones and some background music can block out noises. They also act as a psychological barrier, so that people think twice before interrupting you. Besides, we should know friends and family can lessen feelings of isolation. And connecting with other people makes us happy, so it’s important not to give that up and to make sure that we take the time to socialize.

1. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce effective studying means.

B．To encourage us to work as hard as possible.

C．To remind us to balance activities and study.

D．To discuss the importance of family company.

2. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Good ideas are needed in terms of progress.

B．Ways that interest us can lead to effective revision.

C．Shutting ourselves away can help concentrate on work.

D．With study techniques, revision is interesting and easy for certain.

3. What does the last sentence in Paragraph 3 imply?

A．One should learn from certain activities that interest him.

B．Playing video games is helpful for effective study.

C．One shouldn’t study with the company of a video game player.

D．The more time one spends in playing games, the higher test scores one will get.

4. What should you do if you are studying in a noisy environment?

A．Give up others company at once.

B．Think twice before taking any action.

C．Give indication of not wanting to be interrupted.

D．Force yourself to be accustomed to the environment.

7 . After I graduated from the university, I got so pressured in finding a job. I did a lot of _________ both online and handing in person to a particular company. It occurred, one day I went to _________ my CV (履历) to a certain company and I wanted to meet the human resource manager in person because I believed it was a better _________ than leaving my CV at the reception.

Unfortunately, in this company the _________ did not allow me to see the human resource manager and _________ asked me to just leave the CV with her and that she would _________ it. I was really _________ since I knew she wouldn't do that and my CV will just be thrown in the trash can, I thought so because it usually _________ a lot in some other companies. So I just left with my head _________ and never thought about it again since I knew I would never get any __________ from the company.

Weeks passed and one day I received a call from a(an) __________ number and guess what...it was the human resource manager of that same company. I was really shocked since I did not __________ it at all. So he said he received my CV and that he would __________ it.

I was so happy and felt bad at the same time for __________ the receptionist the other day. This humbled me and it was a __________ to believe in people and not assume things just because of the norm.

1.

A．designs

B．applications

C．preparations

D．examinations

2.

A．hand in

B．give up

C．carry out

D．take back

3.

A．result

B．chance

C．position

D．suggestion

4.

A．lawyer

B．president

C．reporter

D．receptionist

5.

A．thus

B．still

C．instead

D．therefore

6.

A．create

B．share

C．deliver

D．exchange

7.

A．amazed

B．frightened

C．puzzled

D．disappointed

8.

A．fails

B．works

C．changes

D．happens

9.

A．up

B．down

C．aside

D．forward

10.

A．response

B．suggestion

C．project

D．comment

11.

A．familiar

B．important

C．unknown

D．common

12.

A．expect

B．connect

C．value

D．confirm

13.

A．agree on

B．work on

C．refer to

D．search for

14.

A．doubting

B．scolding

C．admiring

D．punishing

15.

A．decision

B．conclusion

C．reminder

D．criterion

8 . 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。

To be honest, sometimes, I hate it when I start thinking about money because it brings me down and drives me sad. When I was younger, I always wondered why money was so important. There wasn’t anything I needed. It’s good to be a kid, since he or she doesn’t have to worry about responsibility. But as everyone gets older, of course that changes. I work almost every day but it’s still not enough. That’s what is discouraging — it’s never enough.

Right now I have to sacrifice the money I make. I put my school on hold so that I can pay for my girlfriend’s school fee and everything else. I’m very supportive in everything I do, and she is also very supportive. We warm each other up, hoping she really gets everything right because we only have each other. I find that hope is my inspiration and that everything will work out however hard it gets. Even though I find that life is hard, it never stops me from helping others, especially those who are less fortunate. While I might be going through hard times myself, there are those out there who could be going through even harder times.

Last night, on my way home I stopped by to buy some burgers in a fast food restaurant. A homeless man approached me and asked, “Do you have any bottles lying around?” I knew he would recycle them for a few cents, but I didn’t have any. I said, “Sorry, I don’t.” And again, he asked, “Can you spare some changes?” I smiled and said, “Sorry, I can’t.” He was very polite. He smiled back and said, “Ok, thank you.” Even though he didn’t have anything, he was still in good spirits. Just from the way he spoke, I could tell he was fine.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；       
2. 续写段落开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
I went in and ate my meal, but in my head I wonder if the homeless man was hungry.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
No matter how hard life is, there are always ways to handle it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . It was the start of the winter track season. I stood with my friends, carefully _________ new teammates. There was something about a girl with green suede（绒面革的）_________, as my friends gossiped about her. “Does the girl over there honestly think the shoes look good?” I heard someone say, pointing in her _________. Noticeably different, she trembled in the wind as we began our _________. Following us to the starting line, the girl looked _________, “What is a 400-meter repeat?” she asked with a slight accent _________ to me. I thought about her _________ for a moment, but then I quickly forgot about it as one of my teammates sarcastically（讽刺的）yelled the _________.

Quickly, though, I remembered that just last year I would have asked the same _________ . I wondered if they had been that sarcastic with me. No, that was __________. I looked like a runner. So I __________, showing off my speed as the girl with the green suede shoes fell farther behind. Moments later, I heard the loud sound of tired feet __________ me. Thinking it was one of my friends, I __________, only to see the girl with green sneakers looking confused again.

“What is ‘cool down’?” she asked, her __________ more obvious this time. __________ about her accent, I asked, “Are you from this country?” “No, I am from __________.” For the next lap, I found myself asking her about everything: her favorite foods, how she liked America and how to say different words in German. I was enjoying our __________ till we finished our run.

Disappointed in myself, I realized how __________ I had been. Her personality was not __________ by the shoes she wore. How could I have been so wrapped up in __________?

1.

A．training

B．describing

C．introducing

D．surveying

2.

A．trousers

B．sneakers

C．gloves

D．socks

3.

A．spirit

B．attitude

C．direction

D．manner

4.

A．competition

B．practice

C．challenge

D．experiment

5.

A．confused

B．shocked

C．terrified

D．disappointed

6.

A．strange

B．suitable

C．similar

D．rude

7.

A．belief

B．identity

C．rank

D．origin

8.

A．news

B．answer

C．detail

D．notice

9.

A．demand

B．order

C．question

D．situation

10.

A．abnormal

B．unreasonable

C．impossible

D．unnecessary

11.

A．responded

B．changed

C．continued

D．behaved

12.

A．fading away

B．coming close to

C．ringing around

D．bouncing back to

13.

A．hung out

B．gave in

C．hurried up

D．turned around

14.

A．accent

B．voice

C．posture

D．personality

15.

A．Mad

B．Serious

C．Careful

D．Curious

16.

A．Germany

B．America

C．England

D．France

17.

A．conversation

B．presentation

C．arrangement

D．appointment

18.

A．aggressive

B．judgmental

C．stubborn

D．selfish

19.

A．hidden

B．controlled

C．represented

D．limited

20.

A．character

B．nationality

C．performance

D．appearance

10 . On a cold winter day, I waited in line to see one of my heroes, Jack Canfield, the co-author of the best selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He was _______ at Mill High Church in Denver.

Jack’s topic for the event was his ________, the Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. During his presentation, Jack reached for his _______, poured out $100 bill and said, “Who wants this?” _______shot up in the audience; people leaned forward to see whom Jack would ________. But I jumped up, ran up the stairs to the stage, and _______ the bill from his hand. As I was launching myself in the air, all sorts of thoughts ________ through my mind: “Was I about to lose ______ in front of 800 people? Would they call security and pull me from the ________?” But my desire for bold action was ________ than any of the other voices of ________.

As I took the bill from his hand, Jack ________ to me and said, “Yes! That’s it! We can’t _______ around for the opportunities to come to us. We must take action to ______ what we say we want!”

I remember the crowd, ________ desiring like that hundred dollar bill, while they sat _______ to their chairs. What were they waiting for?

For many of us, patterns of waiting and searching begin in childhood. We ______ the gifts of life are just around the corner, that anywhere is ______than here and that one day we will arrive and everything will be OK. So we don’t try, we give up, and we forget who we are. We are afraid to succeed, afraid to fail, and afraid to say we are _______. But as Wayne Gretzky said: “You’ll always _______ 100% of the shots you don’t take!”

1.

A．selling

B．signing

C．donating

D．speaking

2.

A．experience

B．book

C．novel

D．lecture

3.

A．bag

B．suitcase

C．wallet

D．pocket

4.

A．Hands

B．Heads

C．Arms

D．Faces

5.

A．reach

B．help

C．favor

D．select

6.

A．accepted

B．seized

C．pulled

D．picked

7.

A．sent

B．got

C．rushed

D．formed

8.

A．freedom

B．heart

C．dignity

D．hope

9.

A．stage

B．crowd

C．hall

D．chair

10.

A．better

B．lower

C．faster

D．louder

11.

A．pain

B．doubt

C．disagreement

D．eagerness

12.

A．shouted

B．explained

C．turned

D．got

13.

A．wait

B．hope

C．look

D．care

14.

A．employ

B．challenge

C．express

D．create

15.

A．mostly

B．usually

C．mainly

D．generally

16.

A．supported

B．glued

C．trapped

D．caught

17.

A．hear

B．assume

C．suspect

D．witness

18.

A．safer

B．better

C．warmer

D．richer

19.

A．afraid

B．hopeless

C．nervous

D．angry

20.

A．desire

B．obtain

C．miss

D．forget