1 . “In life, we're often torn between the person we want to be and the person we ought to be. Yet, while many hesitate to take the risks associated with becoming their ideal selves”, a new study notes that people unavoidably regret not pursuing their passion.

Inspired by research published in the 1990s, psychologist Thomas Gilovich along with his colleague Shai Davidai built upon his original study, which proved that regrets often evolve from what people haven't done. According to the new research, our most enduring regrets grow from not living up to our ideal selves, as opposed to not living according to our “ought selves” (the people we should have been based on our duties and responsibilities).

Researchers began by explaining the difference between regrets concerning the “ideal self” and the “ought self”, before asking participants to list, name, and categorize their regrets. Across the six different studies conducted, participants said they experienced regrets concerning their ideal selves more often. They also mentioned more ideal-self regrets than ought-self regrets when asked to list their regrets in life. When asked to name their single biggest regret in life, participants were also more likely to mention a regret about not fulfilling their ideal selves than their ought selves.

However, Gilovich and Davidai still recommend that people move on with caution, as the best way to live depends on how much weight you attach to your ought self vs. your ideal self. “If you place a premium on your ought self, you would be wise to minimize (your) regrets by thinking twice before moving forward (and seizing the moment). ” they suggest. “However, if one is an adventurous soul guided by her ideal self, she might indeed end up happier by seizing the day and not looking back. ”

Despite this research, however, knowing what you want and pursuing that passion are two different things. Mark Twain's words may give you the courage to go for your goals：

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines (帆脚索), sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

1. How did the researchers get their new findings?

A．By analyzing their six previous studies.

B．By asking people to explain what regret is.

C．By looking into the content of people's regrets.

D．By comparing people's regrettable and fulfilling experiences.

2. What can we know about the “ideal self” and the “ought self” according to the researchers?

A．They are equally important aspects in people's lives.

B．It's very difficult for people to choose between them.

C．The choice between them can affect people's lifestyles.

D．People may choose one and change to the other in life.

3. What does the underlined part “place a premium on” in Para. 4 mean?

A．Value.	B．Know.
C．Ignore.	D．Refuse.

4. What may the author advise us to do?

A．Never regret anything in life.

B．Look back now and then in life.

C．Be patient when going for our goals.

D．Do what we want to without hesitation.

2 . Taking charge of yourself involves putting to rest some common beliefs. At the top of the list is the notion that intelligence is measured by your ability to solve complex problems; to read, write and compute at certain levels; and to resolve abstract equations (方程式) quickly. This vision of intelligence asserts (断言) formal education and bookish excellence as the true measures of self-fulfillment. It encourages a kind of intellectual prejudice that has brought with it some discouraging results. We have come to believe that someone who is very good at some form of school discipline is ''intelligent''. Yet mental hospitals are filled with patients who have all of the professional certificates. A truer indicator of intelligence is an effective, happy life lived each day and each present moment.

If you are happy, if you live each moment for everything it's worth, then you are an intelligent person. Problem solving is a useful help to your happiness, but if you know that given your inability to solve a particular problem you can still choose happiness for yourself, or at a minimum refuse to choose unhappiness, then you are intelligent. You are intelligent because you have the ultimate weapon against the big N.B.D. — Nervous Break Down.

''Intelligent'' people do not have N.B.D.s because they are in charge of themselves. They know how to choose happiness over depression, because they know how to deal with the problems of their lives.

You can begin to think of yourself as truly intelligent on the basis of how you choose to feel in the face of trying circumstances. Everyone who is involved with other human beings in any social context has similar difficulties. Disagreements, conflicts and compromises are a part of what it means to be human. Similarly, money, growing old, sickness, deaths, natural disasters and accidents are all events which present problems to actually all human beings. But some people are able to make it, to avoid abandoning themselves to depression and unhappiness despite such occurrences, while others collapse or have N.B.D.s. Those who recognize problems as a human condition and don't measure happiness by an absence of problems are the most intelligent kind of humans we know; also, the most rare.

1. According to the author, the notion of intelligence measured in terms of one's ability to read, write and compute _____________.

A．will help remove intellectual prejudice	B．is a widely held but wrong concept
C．will contribute to one’s self-fulfillment	D．is the root of all mental suffering

2. It is implied in the passage that holding a university degree _____________.

A．does not mean that one is highly intelligent

B．may make one mentally sick and physically weak

C．does not indicate one's ability to write professional documents

D．may result in one's inability to solve complex real-life problems

3. The author thinks that an intelligent person knows _____________.

A．how to accept some common beliefs

B．how to persuade others to compromise

C．how to find the best way to achieve success in life

D．how to avoid depression and make his life worthwhile

4. According to the last paragraph, which statement is TRUE?

A．Difficulties are part of everyone's life.

B．Depression and unhappiness are unavoidable in life.

C．Everybody should learn to avoid challenging circumstances.

D．Good feelings can contribute to eventual academic excellence.

3 . Communication with a Stranger

Last weekend I sat on the bus talking with excitement and so ready to spend time in New York City with one of my best friends from college. As I took the window seat and ____ headphones over ears, I almost didn't notice the elderly man sitting beside me.

Two hours passed and I was still absorbed in my own world. ______ the elderly man asked me a question, a simple question ______ the bus's Wi-Fi connection, which turned into a two- hour ______. In fact, it directly ______ my personal life.

We talked a lot about my dreams, my fears and my life. I ______ more with this stranger on the bus than I have with any friend or family member in months. Maybe it had something to do with me just being ______ to let anyone I know close to me. I was ______ that the stranger was not only so deeply interested in getting to know me, but also just as willing to ______ me to my greatest abilities. He listened carefully to every word I said and made some useful ______ at times. Instead of politely _______ his head when I mentioned my major, he told me that my strong liking seemed to be psychology, but not the one I was studying. He said that he knew I would face difficulties if I studied psychology and that he fully understood my ______ for the failure.

This elderly man made me ______ the plans that I had laid out for my life with just that simple statement. He helped me realize that my neatly ______ plan for the next five years of my life wasn't all that neat, but actually complex and filled with _______. Most of all, he helped me ______ the complex, not stay away from it because of my fear for the unknown. I ______ a lot from talking with the elderly stranger.

A few days later, he emailed me, saying, "I think you're ______ for great things no matter what you decide to do." The email was filled with words of ______. In a few hours a stranger showed me a sense of kindness that made me realize that life is sometimes ______ but it is going to be okay.

1.

A．placed

B．wore

C．took

D．raised

2.

A．Then

B．Instead

C．Again

D．Also

3.

A．through

B．with

C．during

D．about

4.

A．introduction

B．explanation

C．conversation

D．competition

5.

A．affected

B．controlled

C．interrupted

D．created

6.

A．searched

B．shared

C．demanded

D．reviewed

7.

A．sorry

B．curious

C．anxious

D．afraid

8.

A．puzzled

B．bothered

C．amazed

D．disappointed

9.

A．push

B．invite

C．treat

D．admit

10.

A．choices

B．suggestions

C．decisions

D．efforts

11.

A．raising

B．dropping

C．turning

D．nodding

12.

A．regret

B．change

C．fear

D．desire

13.

A．prepare

B．develop

C．approve

D．question

14.

A．replaced

B．organized

C．discussed

D．predicted

15.

A．uncertainty

B．danger

C．responsibility

D．conflict

16.

A．identify

B．ignore

C．seize

D．accept

17.

A．suffered

B．increased

C．benefited

D．experienced

18.

A．leaving

B．heading

C．watching

D．caring

19.

A．encouragement

B．protection

C．admiration

D．description

20.

A．stable

B．normal

C．painful

D．serious

4 . 短文改错

A few years before, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice to say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw the elderly blind woman with her hand opening. In a natural reflex (反应), I reached into my pocket, pull out all of my loose change and placed them in her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by the beggar. And the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help to find the post office.” In an instant, I realized that I had done. That blind woman reminded me my blindness. So in this essay, I wanted to be grateful to the invaluable lesson she gave me.

5 . Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.

1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?

A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated.

B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.

C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.

D．Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.

2. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______.

A．keep her appointment with the eye doctor

B．meet her father who was already an old man

C．join in the holiday celebration of the company

D．finish her work before the deadline approached

3. The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．abandoned	B．lacked
C．avoided	D．taken

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．To Keep Emotional Well-being	B．To Prevent “If Only” Moments
C．To Follow the Most Useful Rule	D．To Achieve the Peace of Mind

6 . My six-year-old daughter Amara and I ducked into a shop to hide from the rain. I hadn’t ________ to take a trip to this place. But I figured we’d see what they had ________ we were there. I took my daughter’s hand and ________ around. Suddenly there was a ________ on my hand and my attention was being directed to the shoe section. I ________ her hand and she reached out to touch a pair of shiny black shoes.

“Buy me?”

“Oh, Sweetie, they are tap shoes. You aren’t learning tap dance.”

“Buy me?” she ________.

“Well, let’s try them on.” She ________ and removed her rain boots, and easily slid the new shoes on. A perfect ________. When she stood up she heard”click”. She took a step. Click, Click. ________ recognition dawned (领悟), as she made the ________ between the shoes and her moving feet. Click, Click, Click.

“Buy me?” with ________ look in her eyes.

“Okay, take them off and put them in the bag.”

The sun had come back out as we stepped out from our little side ________. When we were near the car, Amara reached for the bag. I gave it to her, wondering what treasure she was looking for. The ________, of course.

I helped her wear them. Our next stop was the grocery store and these shoes were made to make noise, ________ on my little girl’s feet. This could be ________… Click, Click, Click — people turned to look. Click, Click, Click. I could feel the ________ stares of the proper people who would never allow their daughters to wear tap shoes to the grocery store. I held up my head with ________. The click, click, click was ________ to my ears.

When Amara was a baby, we were told she would never walk or talk. It has taken us a lot of hard work and patience ________ she only asked for the shoes, and the click, click, click means she can ________. It doesn’t matter what others think. They don’t walk in your shoes.

1.

A．offered

B．promised

C．intended

D．required

2.

A．if

B．since

C．although

D．unless

3.

A．wandered

B．showed

C．turned

D．wondered

4.

A．pain

B．scratch

C．push

D．pull

5.

A．looked at

B．let go of

C．caught hold of

D．got rid of

6.

A．begged

B．ordered

C．complained

D．angered

7.

A．nodded her head

B．shook her hand

C．jumped gladly

D．sat down

8.

A．touch

B．condition

C．fit

D．product

9.

A．Slowly

B．Hardly

C．Partly

D．Merely

10.

A．choice

B．connection

C．determination

D．study

11.

A．skeptical

B．aggressive

C．concerned

D．hopeful

12.

A．way

B．path

C．trip

D．view

13.

A．tap shoes

B．doll

C．candy

D．rain boots

14.

A．generally

B．especially

C．naturally

D．constantly

15.

A．humorous

B．embarrassing

C．ridiculous

D．interesting

16.

A．disappointing

B．favorable

C．disapproving

D．caring

17.

A．pride

B．regret

C．shame

D．sorrow

18.

A．noise

B．music

C．satisfaction

D．disturbance

19.

A．so

B．though

C．unless

D．but

20.

A．hear

B．play

C．walk

D．talk

7 . Mom was right! If you say "thank you" for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness, you'll feel as happy as Larry.

Gratitude, says Robert A. Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, is an important element of happiness. In his recent book, Thanks!Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom's point. In acknowledging and developing this much-ignored expression of thankfulness, he explains how people have benefited-even improved their health.

Expressing gratitude shouldn't be a reaction； it should be a state of mind. To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy. To feel grateful in time of crisis-anger, hatred and bitterness-is easier. Also, too many people are aware of life's blessings only after these are lost.

It's crisis and chaos-danger, disease, disability and death-that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others. Yet it's the way each of us begins life and ends it. It's too bad that so many people waste those decades in between labouring under the illusion that they are self-sufficient, says Emmons.

The abundance of voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals with chronic health problems is many. But Emmons goes beyond his groundbreaking" science to make his case for gratitude by including the inspirational writings of philosophers, novelists and saints, as well as the beliefs of various religions and their respective scriptures. Taken together, these observations are summed up quite nicely by famous humanist Albert Schweitzer, who said the secret of life is "giving thanks for everything".

To enable and embrace gratitude, Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary. He even provides easy-to-follow directions on how to practice and develop gratitude.

I'm not a reader or advocate of self-help books, but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients. The chance discovery led me to this book.

Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving, receiving and repaying. So I'll pay attention to her Professional advice and say: Thank you, Professor Emmons.

1. What is the text mainly discussed?

A．There are many ways of being thankful.	B．Mom is great for her being thankful.
C．Gratitude is important to happiness.	D．Being thankful will keep you fit forever.

2. The author mentions Robert Emmons' book Thanks! in order to prove that_________.

A．Professor Emmons supports mom's study on psychology.

B．mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons.

C．Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist.

D．mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitude.

3. What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?

A．It is enough to thank others orally.

B．Whether you are thankful is always up to you.

C．Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere.

D．It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others.

4. In the writer's opinion, Emmons' book Thanks! on gratitude is_________.

A．helpful	B．unreasonable
C．puzzling	D．one-sided

8 . 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

As a youngster on a farm, I used to dream of what seemed impossible.

Few farmers' daughters continued their____after junior middle school at that time. My dear mother insisted I should； my father______agreed. We lived twelve miles from the nearest high school. There was no bus   ______. I had to stay with a family in that village during the first two years, helping with ______ after school. Transport was______ in the last two years but there was a two - mile _____ each way to the bus stop. Cold weather ______ this walk so I had to stay with a family near the bus stop. I tried _________to be and do the best I could. I ranked well above_______ grades, receiving one of the seven medals for _____ at graduation.

There was no _______ help available to attend college. So I decided to____employment as a typist. I typed and____more than sixty letters with my resume to business places in Buffalo, NY. Only one_____ was favorable. Following an interview, I was ___________ . Six months later, I was again successful in obtaining office employment in Washington, D. C. While _______ there, I took an evening course at a university. One year later I became the first woman weather observer in New York. I then______ my evening studies, receiving master's degrees. My next   _______was to become a CPA （注册会计师）.

I believe that dreams can come true._________ did! Of course, there were many difficulties along the way, but hard work and determination   _________.

1.

A．career

B．education

C．job

D．research

2.

A．readily

B．never

C．unwillingly

D．immediately

3.

A．company

B．fare

C．driver

D．transport

4.

A．housework

B．sale

C．repairs

D．farming

5.

A．available

B．valid

C．vital

D．expensive

6.

A．exercise

B．walk

C．stretch

D．ride

7.

A．endangered

B．postponed

C．prohibited

D．promoted

8.

A．sourly

B．narrowly

C．equally

D．desperately

9.

A．average

B．normal

C．former

D．usual

10.

A．bravery

B．excellence

C．service

D．running

11.

A．technical

B．online

C．financial

D．generous

12.

A．improve

B．train

C．quit

D．seek

13.

A．received

B．saved

C．collected

D．sent

14.

A．response

B．case

C．conclusion

D．track

15.

A．praised

B．hired

C．rejected

D．treated

16.

A．relaxing

B．studying

C．working

D．touring

17.

A．continued

B．paused

C．changed

D．noticed

18.

A．direction

B．goal

C．appointment

D．step

19.

A．Few

B．We

C．Mine

D．All

20.

A．came off

B．came back

C．paid forward

D．paid off

9 . 阅读下面的短文,从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

For years, I had suffered from depression. I never seemed to be happy with my life, especially when I __ it to someone else's. I frequently felt I was not living up to either my own _____ or the worlds expectations.

Then, the week before Thanksgiving, every chair in the church has a paper bag underneath. All were expected to pick up one ____ and take them to a grocery store and fill them with some basic food items to be _____ to local chanty. Then, at the evening, a team of volunteers placed all the _____ bags, of food at the front of the church.

Included in the event was a sheet with ______, asking us to think of 100 things we were thankful for. This was a (n）_______to help us focus on gratitude. ______ I heard some kids next to me ______ each other to see who could fill in all 100 the fastest. My _____ nature pushed me to fill in blanks with any _____ in my life that I was thankful for. To my own ________, I filled in the list in four minutes. Then I joined the others ______ the bags according to their categories before they were donated to the ______.

One day not long afterward , I found myself sinking into my ______ depression when I remembered the ____. I took it out and read through it and ______ that not only did I have a lot to be thankful for but that the things I had written on that list ______ my talents , hobbies, faith , and people who had greatly _______ me.

_____to have an attitude of gratitude has made me more than happy and filled me with joy.

1.

A．introduced

B．compared

C．exposed

D．applied

2.

A．achievement

B．nature

C．potential

D．patience

3.

A．randomly

B．regularly

C．alternatively

D．considerately

4.

A．returned

B．issued

C．allocated

D．donated

5.

A．circulated

B．addressed

C．filled

D．supplied

6.

A．credits

B．blanks

C．inspirations

D．suggestions

7.

A．celebration

B．amusement

C．communication

D．exercise

8.

A．Accidentally

B．Furthermore

C．Otherwise

D．Necessarily

9.

A．remind

B．challenge

C．support

D．observe

10.

A．sympathetic

B．creative

C．competitive

D．contradictory

11.

A．situation

B．chance

C．promotion

D．awareness

12.

A．disappointment

B．curiosity

C．advantage

D．astonishment

13.

A．distributing

B．clarifying

C．sorting

D．decorating

14.

A．rich

B．needy

C．special

D．worried

15.

A．guilty

B．familiar

C．temporary

D．apparent

16.

A．list

B．activity

C．motivation

D．report

17.

A．pretended

B．claimed

C．imagined

D．realized

18.

A．ruled out

B．dropped out

C．brought out

D．worked out

19.

A．surprised

B．touched

C．promised

D．concerned

20.

A．Choosing

B．Offering

C．Demanding

D．Declining

10 . I believe we can create our own happiness. I believe the real magic in the world is done by humans.

I was sitting in my ______ at a stoplight listening to the radio, thinking how happy and warm I was in it. It was ______ outside, and I thought, “Life is good."

Now, this was a long line. As I ______ , I noticed two people huddled (挤在一起) together at the bus stop. The couple seemed to be doing their best to keep ________To my eyes, they were unhappy and uncomfortable. They looked ________Their coats looked like they came from a bargain store.

But then I saw their ______.Yes, they were huddling, but they were also laughing. They seemed to be sharing a good ______, and suddenly, instead of pitying them, I envied them. I thought, "Huh, what's so funny?" They didn't notice the wind. They weren't looking at my car thinking, "I ______ I had that."

You know ______ a single moment feels like an hour? Well, in that moment, I realized I had ______ things were all bad for them, but they weren't. And I understood we all have the ______to make moments of ______ happen.

Now, maybe that's easy for me to say. I feel lucky to have a house with a roof and a wife who ______ me. I felt this ______ even when I was working at Long John Silver's. In the beginning, it didn’t seem like a promising job. But ______ I had a job. And frankly, it was ______. After two weeks, I knew all I needed to know, and it freed my mind. The job allowed me to ______ about what my life could become.

The first year I worked there, we got robbed. I thought I was going to die. But everything ______ out all right. A lot of people ______ life as a series of miserable tasks, but after that, I didn't.

I believe this is _____ all of us can do: Try to be happy within the context of the life we are actually living. Happiness is not a situation to be longed for or a convergence of luck. Through the power of our own minds, we can help ourselves.

1.

A．store

B．office

C．house

D．car

2.

A．bright

B．cold

C．warm

D．dark

3.

A．walked

B．returned

C．complained

D．waited

4.

A．warm

B．calm

C．close

D．active

5.

A．innocent

B．helpless

C．poor

D．strange

6.

A．coats

B．faces

C．bags

D．backs

7.

A．joke

B．speech

C．offer

D．idea

8.

A．regret

B．promise

C．wish

D．hope

9.

A．when

B．how

C．why

D．what

10.

A．worried

B．found

C．admitted

D．reckoned

11.

A．power

B．promise

C．demand

D．chance

12.

A．excitement

B．satisfaction

C．happiness

D．trouble

13.

A．makes up for

B．puts up with

C．breaks up with

D．keeps up with

14.

A．way

B．case

C．point

D．sense

15.

A．at first

B．at least

C．in fact

D．in brief

16.

A．funny

B．fine

C．precious

D．easy

17.

A．come

B．care

C．bring

D．dream

18.

A．proved

B．helped

C．turned

D．got

19.

A．think

B．look

C．regard

D．act

20.

A．anything

B．something

C．everything

D．nothing