3 . It was one of those moments every new parent dreads (恐惧). My baby son was screaming as if I’d just dipped him in a bucket (桶) of battery acid. It felt as if he’d been screaming like that for years, though he was only two months old. Even worse, this was happening in public— I was sitting with my howling baby in the food court of a Los Angeles mall, despairing (绝望) as other diners silently judged me while watching us over plates of food.

Until, that is, one woman— a complete stranger— did something and taught me a lesson about kindness that lingers to this day. She walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. “This won’t last forever,” she said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but things will get better. He’ll stop crying. You’ll get some sleep.”

It was such a small thing, a tiny kindness, really, but it made all the difference. It was 2001 and I was living in a foreign city with a newborn, without friends or family, and I was terribly lonely. This woman had seen me, if only for a moment, and taken the time to make a human connection. It was just a minute out of her day, but it has stayed with me for nearly two decades.

We all want to be better in the world and more giving to others. But we can easily get hung up on the sheer (完全的) importance of that challenge— making time to regularly volunteer or finding money to donate to a cause. Doing good doesn’t have to be an important task, though; it can be incremental (递增的). It can be as quick as a smile, a word, a phone call, an email. It can be the note you send to a friend who is feeling blue or the baby carriage you help carry down the subway stairs for a parent on their own, even though you’re late for work.

I’m reminded of a line from Brian Goldman’s bestseller, The Power of Kindness: “The opposite meaning of empathy is apathy (冷漠).” That is, the opposite of doing good isn’t doing harm; it’s doing nothing. Every tiny act of generosity— every door held open, every coffee bought for a stranger— builds a bridge to another person. It says, “I see you.” Today, when we spend most of our time looking at our phones, and not at people’s faces, that’s invaluable.

So, while I’m not particularly good at regularly volunteering or running marathons to raise money for charity, I’m committed to small gestures. I try to send a note of praise every day to someone whose work I admire. I’ve become phone friends with a lonely 87-year-old woman who contacted me about something I wrote, and who lives in a city far from her own children and grandchildren. On airplanes, I find the new parents with panicked eyes and offer to hold their babies. I remember what it felt like when the screaming baby was mine. I remember when a tiny kindness felt monumental, enough to change the world.

1. Why did the author mention her baby son’s crying in Paragraph 1?

A．To create a disappointing atmosphere.	B．To prove her opinion.
C．To show her helplessness.	D．To introduce the topic.

2. What holds people back from being more giving to others?

A．Always trying to do important deeds.	B．Being short of time.
C．Being lacking in money.	D．Keeping looking at their phones.

3. A line from Brian Goldman’s The Power of Kindness is used in Paragraph 5 to show that ________.

A．doing harm to others is better than doing nothing

B．people are supposed to pay more attention to others’ faces

C．every small gesture counts in connecting people

D．spending most of our time looking at our phones is invaluable

4. What can be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．The Kind Strangers	B．The Small Mercies
C．The Power of Words	D．The Power of Kindness

4 . I love the feeling of exchanging goods with my parents. When we visit them, we often end up _________ home more things than we brought with us. After packing up at the end of our most recent visit, and after the last _________ and sounding of the car horn(喇叭), I took a quick look at the back _________ of our car. At the top of the pile, folded _________ and smartly, were a 50-year-old baby blanket, several doilies(小型装饰桌巾) _________ from generations of women in my family, and two small quilts.

These creative quilts, looking _________ but quite worn, remind me of my great-grandmothers who were always _________ hard. I think of their _________ hands and the regular sound from their sewing machines. I think of their smiles and the wisdom found in the comers of their eyes.

I wish I could go back in time and watch them _________ these quilts. I cherish the quilts my great-grandmothers ______________. I love knowing that the women who ______________ the way for my own path through life have left behind touchable expressions of themselves. ______________ I touch the worn cloth of each creation, I will always remember the women who brought them into existence. I will be ever ______________ for the strong women in my family who have lived ______________ me and with me, who have left behind unbelievable examples to ______________ and lovely quilts to pass on.

1.

A．leaving

B．buying

C．taking

D．returning

2.

A．hugs

B．handshakes

C．nods

D．greetings

3.

A．door

B．window

C．wheel

D．seat

4.

A．closely

B．neatly

C．loosely

D．quickly

5.

A．taken down

B．given away

C．passed down

D．put away

6.

A．shabby

B．delicate

C．ugly

D．old

7.

A．working

B．learning

C．playing

D．feeling

8.

A．warm

B．wrinkled

C．smooth

D．soft

9.

A．make

B．invent

C．clean

D．check

10.

A．brought

B．sent away

C．delivered

D．left behind

11.

A．pushed

B．felt

C．paved

D．change

12.

A．If

B．When

C．Once

D．Though

13.

A．regretful

B．convinced

C．thankful

D．respected

14.

A．through

B．before

C．by

D．for

15.

A．replace

B．build

C．set

D．follow

5 . Have you seen people who take pictures of food for more than 10 minutes before eating? My friend Stella is such an example. Every time we went to a restaurant she would not take a bite until all the dishes we ________ were on the table. Then she would spend five minutes in ________ the dishes in a seemingly random but in fact ________ order. Then the most important part: taking pictures. After that, she would choose one of the ________ and click in the filter app. The food eventually looked 10 times more delicious than it really was, but we had no ________ to really enjoy it—it all went cold, actually Stella’s real life is much less elegant. For example, she hates to wash the dishes, so she leaves them in the sink for days.

Many people care too much about others’ opinions and try too hard to ________ others. They find it hard to be ________ and to accept themselves, and thus they are afraid to show their ________ life on social media. What they are trying to prove is ________ what they lack in reality. But this will not bring any ________ to reality, as they still ________ the same old pattern of life.

If they really want an elegant life, they should put more ________ into achieving it ________ fabricating it. Being more confident, ________ themselves and trying their best to be better are much more meaningful than ________ their life on social media.

1.

A．ordered

B．served

C．offered

D．prepared

2.

A．cooking

B．washing

C．setting

D．collecting

3.

A．messy

B．arranged

C．casual

D．missed

4.

A．dishes

B．restaurants

C．tables

D．pictures

5.

A．chance

B．choice

C．excuse

D．reason

6.

A．comfort

B．please

C．inspire

D．discourage

7.

A．independent

B．generous

C．responsible

D．confident

8.

A．real

B．secret

C．peaceful

D．healthy

9.

A．rarely

B．hardly

C．exactly

D．nearly

10.

A．difficulty

B．change

C．guidance

D．harm

11.

A．question

B．dislike

C．doubt

D．follow

12.

A．effort

B．ambitions

C．feeling

D．money

13.

A．other than

B．more than

C．rather than

D．less than

14.

A．identifying

B．accepting

C．persuading

D．amusing

15.

A．simplifying

B．ruining

C．beautifying

D．worsening

6 . About a decade ago, my grandpa who was suffering from Alzheimer’s(阿尔茨海默病)got into my car and drove off. Angel and I _________ the police, but before they could find him, two _________ kids pulled into our driveway with my grandpa.

They said they overheard him crying about being _________ at an empty gas station 10 miles away. My grandpa couldn’t remember our address, but gave the kids his first and last name. They looked him up online, found our address, and _________ him home.

I was _________ on that incident today while sitting near the edge of a beautiful ocean-side cliff. I was suddenly   _________ of footsteps behind me. I _________ around to see a young lady who was almost in _________ slowly walking to where I was sitting. I walked up to her and _________ , “What’s wrong?” She told me she was __________ afraid of heights, but was worried about my safety and wanted to get over her fear. Her braveness and kindness truly warmed my heart.

I’ve spent the rest of the day thinking about what an extraordinary person she is, and about those amazing college kids who helped my __________ , and about what it means to be a kind and __________ person. Sometimes you have to go the extra mile, or face your biggest __________ , or stand up against your own negative tendencies to make a(n) __________   difference in someone else’s life. It’s __________ to start doing the hard things-the right things-for others.

1.

A．condemned

B．contacted

C．consulted

D．found

2.

A．college

B．naughty

C．homeless

D．kindergarten

3.

A．careless

B．scared

C．lost

D．forgetful

4.

A．left

B．drove

C．kicked

D．carried

5.

A．depending

B．coming

C．reflecting

D．going

6.

A．afraid

B．skeptical

C．sure

D．aware

7.

A．turned

B．walked

C．got

D．looked

8.

A．sadness

B．surprise

C．feelings

D．tears

9.

A．reacted

B．thought

C．asked

D．replied

10.

A．extremely

B．worriedly

C．anxiously

D．surprisingly

11.

A．father

B．grandma

C．uncle

D．grandpa

12.

A．merciful

B．helpful

C．careful

D．peaceful

13.

A．courage

B．failure

C．fear

D．choice

14.

A．positive

B．little

C．optimistic

D．opposite

15.

A．minute

B．time

C．honor

D．luck

7 . Three years ago, I participated in Model United Nations(MUN) held by the Education Department, which was a mock UN activity. During the two days, students were separated into different groups which ________ different countries to debate and try to solve problems. MUN has ________ awards: best delegate, honorary mentions, and verbal mentions.

Each time I participated in MUN, I made good ________ and undoubtedly got a few awards. But I often felt as if I'd ________ because I had never won the best delegate award. I ________ those who didn't deserve to win the award but won it various times, and I was just filled with ________ at their success. But later I realized that it was also ________ not to get the award because I could actually ________ something，and that I shouldn't ________ the best delegate award until I was the best delegate I could be.

Failures are completely subjective-we can look at a result as a failure or a ________ . Any failure can be regarded as a(n) ________ because you can always learn something from it and do ________ next time. This is supported by John Locke's theory that we are born with blank views: Knowledge and ability are learned from our ________ . That's true. If I make a mistake in the life practice, then I probably won't ________ that next time. I believe this is ________ the best way to become better.

1.

A．strengthened

B．condemned

C．inspired

D．represented

2.

A．identical

B．temporary

C．various

D．false

3.

A．preparations

B．predictions

C．appointments

D．explanations

4.

A．accelerated

B．failed

C．exited

D．succeeded

5.

A．approached

B．trained

C．expected

D．witnessed

6.

A．relief

B．envy

C．satisfaction

D．delight

7.

A．annoyed

B．ashamed

C．good

D．terrible

8.

A．desert

B．learn

C．delete

D．display

9.

A．win

B．miss

C．deliver

D．value

10.

A．bond

B．bet

C．victory

D．loss

11.

A．aim

B．benefit

C．burden

D．limit

12.

A．funnier

B．worse

C．better

D．slower

13.

A．decisions

B．attitudes

C．positions

D．experiences

14.

A．repeat

B．admit

C．accept

D．notice

15.

A．wrongly

B．scarcely

C．truly

D．narrowly

8 . 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。

While the story of The Farmer and The Mule(骡子)makes us smile, it does have     1    (wise)in it. It reminded me about defeating adversity(逆境).

    2     we handle adversity determines our success in life. One of my thoughts on adversity is, “Adversity is a fact of life. It can’t     3     (control). What we can control is how we react to it.”

When     4     (face) with adversity, we can give up the negative attitude. Or we can look on adversity     5     an opportunity to find other ways to do things. We should be     6     (determine)and persistent. It all comes down to your choice and it is a choice of attitude!

You see, the farmer thought the mule was not worth     7     (save) when it fell into a well accidentally,     8     he just put it out of its misery by burying it. Despite the farmer’s best efforts to bury it, the mule     9     (resist) until it was able to climb out of the well on top of all the dirt that was thrown in after it.

The mule, despite the fact that it was     10     (constant)in a deep well, would not give up. The mule simply shook the dirt off little by little, never giving up the will to live by climbing out of the well.