1 . As you read, remember: gifts from the heart are the best ones you’ll ever receive.

According to legend (传说), a young man while moving about the desert came across a spring of delicious clear water. The water was so sweet that he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to an elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he gave the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was very smelly. It had become no longer fresh because of the old leather container. The student asked his teacher, “Master, the water was smelly. Why did you pretend to like it?”

The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter.”

I think we understand this lesson best when we receive gifts of love from young children. Whether it’s a piece of paper or a ruler, the natural and proper response (反应) is appreciation and we express thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.

Gratitude (感激) doesn’t always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling in it. We should tell ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude. After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.

1. Based on the story, what did the water for the old man actually stand for?

A．The young man’s loving-kindness.	B．The beauty of the desert.
C．The source of the legend.	D．The importance of giving.

2. What was the old man’s response after drinking the water?

A．He frowned (皱眉) at the water.	B．He showed his appreciation.
C．He didn’t say anything.	D．He was moved to tears.

3. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．The Importance of Gratitude.	B．Gifts from Children
C．Gifts from the Heart	D．A leather Container

4 . Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life. This time took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened.

On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's dress and picked out a beautiful skirt. “Jane bought this the first lime we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.” He said. I guess this was the occasion: it was the funeral of my sister, after her unexpected death.

He took the skirl and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral. Then he closed the drawer and turned to me, “Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you are alive is a special occasion.”

I am thinking about his words, and they've changed the way I live my life. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less lime in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer. “Someday” and “One of these days” are losing their importance on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold back or save anything that, would add laughter and color to our lives. Every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, truly is a gift. So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life.

1. Why did Jane buy the beautiful skirt but didn't wear it?

A．She waited for a special occasion to wear it on.	B．She wanted to keep it for someone else.
C．She saved it until she grew up.	D．She would give it to herself as a gift someday.

2. What does the underlined word “cherish” mean?

A．Save

B．Waste

C．Own

D．Treasure

3. From his experience, the author learns that ______.

A．everybody can have a happy life through efforts

B．every day in our lives is worth cherishing

C．enjoying ourselves is the most important thing

D．everybody will have something left to do after death

4. What does the author write this passage for?

A．To show how to make good use of every clay in life.

B．To explain the true meaning of his brother-in-taw's words.

C．To tell people to find the meaning of life and cherish every day.

D．To encourage people to waste time and enjoy themselves.

5. What's the best title for this passage?

A．Every Day Is a Gift	B．My Sister Jane
C．What Is the Meaningful Life Like	D．The Most Important Time in Your life

5 . It's a memorable period when I lost a long time job. It happened in 2004, when our company announced the job _________, facing the global economic crisis. We all _________ the insurance company we worked for was not as _________ as it used to be. Then, one day, I entered my office and was _________ I got fired.

During that week, I did almost nothing to change my situation, _________ renewing my old contacts with writers that I built when I worked as an experienced _________ many years ago. Beyond this, I remained a _________ unemployed loser. Soon enough, I received an order from a writer. Then I was _________ by a few more people who needed my services, and gradually my reputation recovered.

Though this _________ job couldn't support me long. I could make ends meet while __________ a job. During my hard times, I made the __________ of a man from Japan, who wanted to have his novel translated into English quickly, and I __________ that. We worked together for a while. He inspired me to find new opportunities from __________ companies instead of the same ones. I started to look at the world from another __________; I figured out what I truly wanted, and __________ the thought that “the man is for work, not the work for the man”.

1.

A．training

B．advertisement

C．cut

D．loss

2.

A．expected

B．realized

C．promised

D．suspected

3.

A．responsible

B．influential

C．profitable

D．attractive

4.

A．warned

B．reminded

C．convinced

D．informed

5.

A．except

B．without

C．like

D．despite

6.

A．editor

B．agent

C．insurer

D．translator

7.

A．low

B．confused

C．useless

D．sensitive

8.

A．praised

B．reached

C．inspired

D．caught

9.

A．relaxing

B．literary

C．temporary

D．challenging

10.

A．resigning from

B．dreaming of

C．keeping up

D．hunting for

11.

A．acquaintance

B．impression

C．assessment

D．celebration

12.

A．accepted

B．chosen

C．repeated

D．rejected

13.

A．developing

B．distinct

C．potential

D．similar

14.

A．approach

B．instruction

C．angle

D．background

15.

A．possessed

B．supported

C．appreciated

D．quit

6 . It is dark now when I begin my early morning walk in the woods. And now that autumn has marched into winter, darkness persists well beyond my 6 a. m. start time.

Paths have become familiar after years of hiking. But rocks and tree roots have magically appeared from previously ________ ground.

Certainly I hit my toe against or ________ on some unseen barriers. Fallen branches from last night’s storm ________ in wait. Layers of autumn leaves create a false floor through which my trusting footsteps ________. Sometimes a piece of moon donates some ________ to the mystery path. But when skies are dark, there are no ________ clues for where I step.

My very first night hike was during summer camp on a warm August night in the woods. Our leader ________ bright flashlights so we would not scare away the night creatures we hoped to find.

“See with your ________，” the leader told us over and over again.

________， that advice took effect. With ________ and courage, it didn’t take long before our feet became ________ to the ground’s textures(质地) and irregularities. Toes learned to ________ for barriers before trusting full weight on feet. Holes and dips in the ground were detected in ________ of possible fall…

But mistakes ________ happened. My foot got caught on a trip and I fell. Since the pace was ________， there was little damage except to pride. Once ________， I paused to feel the firmness of earth beneath me.

On my way home, as dawn ________ day, I thought about how similar night hikes were to journeys through life.

The same rules often ________ for both: slow down, concentration, “see” with new senses —and don’t be ________. Although the path is full of ________— hidden barriers, false surface, wet floor — the earth is solid and firm beneath. It is the nature of night ground. It is the nature of life.

1.

A．wet

B．soft

C．level

D．hard

2.

A．step

B．tour

C．go

D．trip

3.

A．stand

B．lie

C．stain

D．hang

4.

A．sink

B．break

C．walk

D．remove

5.

A．coldness

B．courage

C．loneliness

D．light

6.

A．vague

B．typical

C．visual

D．conscious

7.

A．shone

B．forbade

C．removed

D．collected

8.

A．eyes

B．toes

C．hands

D．feet

9.

A．Amazingly

B．Directly

C．Possibly

D．Luckily

10.

A．contribution

B．appreciation

C．concentration

D．expectation

11.

A．suspicious

B．cautious

C．sensitive

D．tentative

12.

A．head

B．explore

C．clarify

D．assess

13.

A．advance

B．search

C．need

D．spite

14.

A．also

B．even

C．still

D．ever

15.

A．rapid

B．mild

C．gentle

D．slow

16.

A．up

B．out

C．down

D．away

17.

A．made up for

B．made way for

C．made use of

D．made sense of

18.

A．suit

B．work

C．answer

D．apply

19.

A．scared

B．confused

C．disappointed

D．annoyed

20.

A．darkness

B．hopelessness

C．anxieties

D．uncertainties

8 . Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white building and green olive trees, I paused to ach my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.

Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view. Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn’t want to mess with that.

Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway.   And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.

This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who “ruined” it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured (捕捉) and frozen on some stranger’s bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don’t even know has been immortalized (使永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.

Perhaps we all live in each other’s space. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.

That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.

1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?

A．Her camera stopped working.	B．A woman blocked her view.
C．Someone asked her to leave.	D．A friend approached from behind.

2. In the author’s opinion, what makes the photo so alive?

A．The rich color of the landscape.	B．The perfect positioning of the camera.
C．The woman’s existence in the photo.	D．The soft sunlight that summer day.

3. The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ________.

A．the need to be close to nature	B．the importance of private space
C．the joy of the vacation in Italy	D．the shared passion for beauty

4. The passage can be seen as the author’s reflections upon ________.

A．a particular life experience	B．the pleasure of traveling
C．the art of photography	D．a lost friendship

9 . My daughter is only two years old and, like most girls, already has a nurturing（培育）spirit growing inside her. She tries to ________ everything that she has. She already has favorite suits, favorite toys, and even a favorite blanket.

This blanket is a pink one that was purchased for her before she was born. It seems to be the one she ________ the closest. I always see her dragging that blanket around from upstairs to downstairs, downstairs to upstairs. She sits and eats with it, tries to brush her teeth with it, and ________ jumps right out of the bath to run to it. Although it gets ________ many times in the course of a week, it is almost always ________.

Normally I just laugh at the thing but recently my daughter has had a cold. Any parent will tell you that germs（细菌）can get into the things the child has ________ with and cause them to stay sick

________ getting better. So，unwillingly, we ________ the blanket out of my daughter’s daily life. Of course, she wasn’t ________. It was something that she loved and had established familiarity with and that she ________ was hers. However, ________ the blanket is gone, she has a better ________ of getting over her cold faster and not getting sick again.

She doesn’t know it but the blanket is part of what was keeping her ________ in a state of sickness. We，as ________，know a lot of things that are keeping us from our true purpose，or even，true happiness. But we won’t let them ________.

We have friends, habits, and guilty pleasures that keep us caught in a state of sickness, disappointment, suffering or ________. We’d rather keep them________ because they are familiar.

________ sometimes change is beautiful.________ our security blankets is a tough choice but a ________step for us to grow.

1.

A．protect

B．collect

C．love

D．study

2.

A．watches

B．keeps

C．follows

D．touches

3.

A．still

B．yet

C．just

D．even

4.

A．washed

B．repaired

C．broken

D．changed

5.

A．clean

B．dirty

C．good

D．bad

6.

A．fun

B．patience

C．trouble

D．contact

7.

A．instead of

B．in favor of

C．in spite of

D．regardless of

8.

A．went

B．led

C．forced

D．sent

9.

A．excited

B．pleased

C．confused

D．ashamed

10.

A．guessed

B．proved

C．knew

D．hoped

11.

A．since

B．if

C．until

D．unless

12.

A．idea

B．sense

C．habit

D．chance

13.

A．related

B．trapped

C．disappointed

D．inspired

14.

A．researchers

B．doctors

C．adults

D．friends

15.

A．go

B．hide

C．happen

D．develop

16.

A．pity

B．pain

C．curiosity

D．excitement

17.

A．complete

B．safe

C．close

D．open

18.

A．But

B．And

C．So

D．Or

19.

A．Observing

B．Keeping

C．Repairing

D．Dropping

20.

A．possible

B．perfect

C．unique

D．necessary

10 . Some people think that success is only for those with talent or those who grow up in the right family, and others believe that success mostly comes down to luck. I’m not going to say luck, talent, and circumstances don’t come into play because they do. Some people are born into the right family while others are born with great intelligence, and that’s just the reality of how life is.

However, to succeed in life, one first needs to set a goal and then gradually make it more practical. And, in addition to that, in order to get really good at something, one needs to spend at least 10,000 hours studying and practicing. To become great at certain things, it’ll require even more time, time that most people won’t put in.

This is a big reason why many successful people advise you to do something you love. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it is going to feel like unbearable pain and will likely make you quit well before you ever become good at it.

When you see people exhibiting some great skills or having achieved great success, you know that they have put in a huge part of their life to get there at a huge cost. It’s sometimes easy to think they got lucky or they were born with some rare talent, but thinking that way does you no good, and there’s a huge chance that you’re wrong anyway.

Whatever you do, if you want to become great at it, you need to work day in and day out, almost to the point of addiction, and over a long period of time. If you’re not willing to put in the time and work, don’t expect to receive any rewards. Consistent, hard work won’t guarantee you the level of success you may want, but it will guarantee that you will become really good at whatever it is you put all that work into.

1. Paragraph 1 mainly talks about ________.

A．the meaning of success

B．the reasons for success

C．the standards of success

D．the importance of success

2. Successful people suggest doing what one loves because ________.

A．work makes one feel pain

B．one tends to enjoy his work

C．it takes a lot of time to succeed

D．one gives up his work easily

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．People sometimes succeed without luck or talent.

B．Successful people like to show their great skills.

C．People need to achieve success at the cost of life.

D．It helps to think that luck or talent leads to success.

4. What is the main theme of the passage?

A．Having a goal is vital to success.

B．Being good is different from being great.

C．Luck, talent and family help to achieve success.

D．One cannot succeed without time and practice.