1 . From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.

The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner: You can be a success if only you make the right choice.

You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem. Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are leaves tossed (摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.

You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.

Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for letting out expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.

In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.

1. People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they_______.

A．can’t exercise control over themselves	B．are ready to change their minds
C．don’t have the power to face their fate	D．are easily affected by windy weather

2. Losers would think that ______.

A．success is the result of hard work	B．their failure is only because of bad luck
C．they don’t make efforts to succeed	D．working hard will lead to success

3. It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that_______.

A．success is a chance	B．we are what we make us
C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind	D．developing confidence is the only way to future success

4. The last paragraph serves as_______.

A．the proof of the author’s points	B．the conclusion of the argument
C．an introduction to another topic	D．a comparison between two views

2 . One day, my father and I were watching a dance reality show. For some reasons, I disliked one of the dancers from the very beginning of the show.

Unknowingly, I kept finding his _________ and criticizing (批评) his dance moves. _________, my father was watching the _________ with a smile all the time. When the performance ended, he looked at me and asked softly, “How much do you _________ about the dance competition, Martha?”

“No, Dad, not at all,” I said.

“Then how do you know that he is a _________ dancer?” he asked still with a smile.

“Just _________ the other dancers! He is not as good as them,” I said.

“But he is among the final 10 competitors who were carefully _________. How can he be bad? Maybe his dance is of no _________ to you, but that doesn’t mean you can _________ or even criticize his creativity.’’

“Why not?” I asked carelessly.

“Because criticizing someone or something __________ nothing but negativity around you. Instead of criticizing something you don’t like, you should spend your time __________ something you like, which will spread __________ thoughts,” my father said.

So choose __________! Never criticize anyone or anything unless you have a good __________ of it. This is the most __________ advice my father has ever given me.

1.

A．secrets

B．tricks

C．mistakes

D．strengths

2.

A．Besides

B．However

C．Finally

D．Immediately

3.

A．movie

B．action

C．performance

D．sign

4.

A．know

B．debate

C．inquire

D．complain

5.

A．representative

B．bad

C．common

D．silly

6.

A．call on

B．spy on

C．glare at

D．look at

7.

A．treated

B．raised

C．suspected

D．selected

8.

A．benefit

B．use

C．interest

D．importance

9.

A．ignore

B．limit

C．prevent

D．forget

10.

A．affects

B．gets

C．contains

D．solves

11.

A．awarding

B．appreciating

C．recording

D．remembering

12.

A．positive

B．fresh

C．original

D．unique

13.

A．freely

B．confidently

C．wisely

D．independently

14.

A．defence

B．luck

C．deal

D．knowledge

15.

A．valuable

B．ambitious

C．elegant

D．embarrassing

3 . My father loves his garden. He planted some seeds in it. But at that time, I didn’t understand why working in the dirt excited him so much.

Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He had to stay in bed for a while. My mother had several business trips, so she couldn’t take care of the garden. I didn’t want my father to worry, so I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often, so I didn’t think much about the garden.

One Saturday morning, my father said to me, “Christine, the vegetables should be about ready to be picked. Let’s have a salad today!” I went out to the garden and was upset to see that many of the lettuce leaves and carrots had been half eaten by bugs. There were hundreds of bugs all over them!

I panicked for a moment but then I quietly went to the nearest store to buy some vegetables. When I gave the salad to him, he said, “Oh, Christine, what a beautiful salad! I can’t believe the carrots are this big already. You must be taking very good care of my garden.” I felt a little bit guilty.

Coming home, my mother saw the bag from the supermarket in the kitchen. I was embarrassed, and I admitted Dad wanted a salad but the garden was a disaster. I didn’t want to disappoint him so I went to the store. She laughed but promised to help me in the garden and weeks later I was finally able to pick some vegetables.

I carefully made a salad and took it to my father. He looked at it with a hint of a smile, “Christine, the carrots are smaller in this salad, but they taste better.”

Now, I better understand how putting a lot of effort into caring for something can help you appreciate the results more, however small they may be. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for my father’s love of gardening.

1. Why did Christine originally promise she would do the gardening?

A．She was asked by her father to do it.	B．She was interested in growing vegetables.
C．She knew it was important to her father.	D．She wanted to improve her gardening skills.

2. Which of the following was a problem in the garden?

A．Insects destroyed the lettuce and carrots.	B．Animals often dug holes in the garden.
C．The plants were given too much water.	D．The vegetables were marked incorrectly.

3. Why could Christine secretly use the store-bought vegetables to make the salad?

A．Her mother helped her to buy the vegetables.

B．Her mother regularly helped her to make a salad.

C．Her father couldn’t see the progress of the vegetables in his garden.

D．Her father went on a business trip at that time.

4. What did Christine learn from her experience of gardening?

A．Always get ready for a rainy day.	B．Don’t be disappointed by bugs.
C．Working alone produces results.	D．Hard work can often be rewarding.

4 . Itzhak Perlman, the world famous violinist, got polio (小儿麻痹症) as a child. _______, you know that getting on stage is not easy for him.

On November 18, 1995, he came on stage to give a _______ at Lincoln Centre in New York City. That night Perlman walked _______ to his chair. Then he sat down and began to play. But suddenly, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it break with a loud _______.

People thought to themselves, “He would have to get up to either _______ another violin or another string for this one. But he didn’t. _______ he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra (管弦乐队) began, and he played from where he had _______. He such passion and such power. Of course, everyone knew that it was _______ to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night Itzhak Perlman _______ to know that. You could see him changing and recomposing the piece in his head.

When he finished, there was a ________ in the room. Then people rose and cheered. We were ________, doing everything we could to show how much we ________ what he had done. He smiled and then he said in a quiet tone, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to ________ how much music you can make with what you have left.”

His words have ________ in my mind ever since I heard them. That is also the way of life. Perhaps our ________ in this quickly changing world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left.

1.

A．At first

B．As a result

C．In other words

D．In fact

2.

A．concert

B．speech

C．lecture

D．presentation

3.

A．quietly

B．slowly

C．quickly

D．smoothly

4.

A．scream

B．voice

C．noise

D．shout

5.

A．find

B．buy

C．replace

D．deliver

6.

A．Moreover

B．Fortunately

C．Therefore

D．Instead

7.

A．stopped

B．started

C．forgotten

D．continued

8.

A．impossible

B．unique

C．likely

D．unnecessary

9.

A．attempted

B．expected

C．managed

D．refused

10.

A．laughter

B．discussion

C．silence

D．clap

11.

A．out of mind

B．on our feet

C．at our side

D．on our knees

12.

A．remembered

B．ignored

C．shared

D．appreciated

13.

A．let out

B．put out

C．find out

D．give out

14.

A．disappeared

B．mixed

C．stayed

D．changed

15.

A．goal

B．task

C．belief

D．destination

5 . The other day on a cold night, I left my wife and drove from Harrisburg to Lewisburg, a distance of about 100 miles. It was rather late. Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left, and I became increasingly impatient.

At one point along an open road, I came to a crossing with a traffic light. I was alone on the road by now, but as I drove near the light, it turned red and I made a stop. I looked left, right and behind me. Nothing. Not a car, no suggestion of car lamps, but there I sat, waiting for the light to change, the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.

I started wondering why I refused to run the light. I was not afraid of being caught, because there was clearly no policeman around, and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.

Much later that night, the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me. I think I stopped because it's part of a contract（契约）we all have with each other. It's not only the law, but it's an agreement we have, and we trust each other to honor it： we don't go through red lights.

Trust is our first inclination. Doubting others does not seem to be natural to us. The whole construction of our society depends on mutual（相互的）trust, not distrust. We do what we say we'll do； we show up when we say we'll show up； and we pay when we say we'll pay. We trust each other in these matters, and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that breaks the trust we have in them.

I am so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.

1. How does the author feel about the truck driver?

A．Pleased.	B．Satisfied.
C．Sorry.	D．Annoyed.

2. What can we infer about the author?

A．He hates driving at night.

B．He desired to cross the red light that night.

C．He approves of obeying traffic rules by himself.

D．He is easy when suffering the traffic jam.

3. What is the meaning of the underlined word "inclination" in paragraph 5?

A．Tendency.	B．Faith.
C．Adjustment.	D．Guidance.

4. What should we do to create a better society according to the author?

A．Be polite to others.	B．Improve traffic rules.
C．Be patient and helpful.	D．Trust each other.

6 . Since our twins began learning to walk, my wife and I have kept telling them that our sliding glass door is just a window. The _______ is obvious. If we _______ it is a door, they’ll want to go outside _______. It will drive us crazy. The kids apparently know the _______. But our insisting it’s _______ a window has kept them from _______ millions of requests to open the door.

I hate lying to the kids. One day they’ll _______ and discover that everything they’ve always known about windows is a _______.

I wonder if _______ should always tell the truth no matter the ____________. I have a very strong     ____________ that the lie we’re telling is doing ____________ damage to our children. Windows and doors have ____________ metaphorical(比喻) meanings. I’m telling them they can’t open what they absolutely know is a door. What if later in ____________ they come to a metaphorical door, like an opportunity(机会) of some sort, and ____________ opening the door and taking the opportunity, they just ____________ it and wonder, ＂What if it isn’t a door?＂ That is, ＂What if it isn’t a ____________ opportunity?＂

Maybe it’s an unreasonable fear. But the ____________ is that I shouldn’t lie to my kids. I should just ____________ repeatedly having to say, ＂No. We can’t go outside now.＂ Then when they come to other doors in life, whether they are real or metopherical, they won’t ____________ to open them and walk through.

1.

A．relief

B．target

C．reason

D．case

2.

A．admit

B．believe

C．mean

D．realize

3.

A．gradually

B．constantly

C．temporarily

D．casually

4.

A．result

B．danger

C．method

D．truth

5.

A．merely

B．slightly

C．hardly

D．partly

6.

A．reviewing

B．approving

C．receiving

D．attempting

7.

A．win out

B．give up

C．wake up

D．stand out

8.

A．dream

B．lie

C．fantasy

D．fact

9.

A．parents

B．twins

C．colleagues

D．teachers

10.

A．restrictions

B．explanations

C．differences

D．consequences

11.

A．demand

B．fear

C．desire

D．doubt

12.

A．physical

B．biological

C．spiritual

D．behavioral

13.

A．traditional

B．important

C．double

D．original

14.

A．life

B．time

C．reply

D．history

15.

A．by comparison with

B．in addition to

C．regardless of

D．instead of

16.

A．get hold of

B．stare at

C．knock on

D．make use of

17.

A．real

B．typical

C．similar

D．limited

18.

A．safety rule

B．comfort zone

C．bottom line

D．top secret

19.

A．delay

B．regret

C．enjoy

D．accept

20.

A．hurry

B．decide

C．hesitate

D．intend

7 . 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。续写词数应为150左右。

A tradesman was leading a caravan (商队) to another country to sell his goods. Along the way they came to the edge of a hot-sand desert. They learnt that during the daytime the sun heated up the fine sand until it was as hot as charcoal (木炭), so no one could walk on it — not even camels! Then the caravan leader hired a desert guide, one who could follow the stars, so they could travel only at night when the sand cooled down. The guide sat on the first cart. And they began the dangerous night-time journey across the desert. A couple of nights later, after eating their evening meal and waiting for the sand to cool, they started out again.

Later that night, the desert guide, who was driving the first cart, saw from the stars that they were getting close to the other side of the desert. He had been very tired, so when he relaxed, he fell asleep. Then the camels who, of course, couldn’t tell directions by reading the stars, gradually turned to the side and went in a big wide circle until they ended up at the same place that they started from! By then it was morning, and the people woke up and realized they were back at the same spot where they started. They lost heart and began to cry about their condition. Since the desert crossing was supposed to be over by now, they had no more water, and they were worried about there was nothing to drink, and were extremely afraid they would die of thirst. They even began to blame the caravan leader and the desert guide. However, the leader himself didn’t lose courage. He talked with the desert guide and then they began wandering, trying to work out a plan.

Paragraph 1

Suddenly, the leader noticed a small clump (团) of grass.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2

A spring (泉源) was found at last.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . I was 17 years old. Along with a dozen other boys I had made a long trip to Iowa in order to see a college that I was thinking of __________. While   the trip had been _________ for   the most part, now that I was there I was feeling depressed, alone, and isolated. I was missing my _____ and I was also missing the Appalachian mountains and the forests of my home. I loved _____ the leaves turned   a thousand   shades of green in the Spring and then _________ a sea of red, gold, and orange in the Fall.

Here in Iowa everything was __________. The grass looked burnt and brown. All that I could _____ was a mixture   of corn, mud, and pigs. I walked outside   the dormitory   of the   college and sat on an old stump. I closed my eyes and ________ being back home again. When I finally opened them,   however, I saw   something   that touched my _________. It was   a   Prairie   Sunset. It seemed to ________   the sky   from   horizon   to   horizon.   Gold,   red,   purple   and   pink   clouds   all ______ together in a picture painted by Heaven’s own hand. It was so huge that it took my breath   away. It made our   mountain   sunsets   seem _________ by comparison.   I realized   that this place too had its own special beauty. This place too was a part of nature’s __________ .

Over the years to come I learned something else. Each of us has a special beauty ______ .

Each of us has our own ________ talents and abilities.

1.

A．assisting

B．attending

C．visiting

D．quitting

2.

A．fun

B．hard

C．novel

D．tiresome

3.

A．chance

B．school

C．family

D．goal

4.

A．when

B．how

C．why

D．whether

5.

A．became

B．flooded

C．drew

D．surrounded

6.

A．easy

B．beautiful

C．flat

D．rough

7.

A．hear

B．touch

C．taste

D．smell

8.

A．cared about

B．prepared for

C．dreamed of

D．thought over

9.

A．body

B．soul

C．face

D．pain

10.

A．fill

B．cover

C．separate

D．block

11.

A．folded

B．sank

C．escaped

D．flowed

12.

A．tiny

B．pale

C．splendid

D．weak

13.

A．change

B．punishment

C．creation

D．reflection

14.

A．as well

B．in addition

C．for sure

D．in between

15.

A．extra

B．unique

C．possible

D．reasonable

9 . As a dropout myself, I often feel it is my duty to defend my fellow non-scholars. Common wisdom would have you believe we are the “bad kids", the future criminals, the worst sort of people. But not all dropouts are likely to deal drugs,steal goods from a shop, or shoot pool all day.

My own favorite place to go when skipping school was always the public library. My early retirement meant that at last I had the time to read everything I wanted to. I found reading Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow a lot more interesting than reading about Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple.

Best of all was the time I finally had to myself. I felt liberated. I had been in school nearly my whole life. I wanted to find out for myself who I was,and until I did,everything else felt like a waste of time.

However, after nearly three years, a series of strange thoughts began to make me anxious and unsure. Images of myself at the age of 35 began to haunt(缠扰）me in my sleep. And a voice in my head began asking over and over,"Who is paying the hot water bills? Who buys the microwave pizza?"The answer, of course, was my poor old parents. Sure,I was having an enjoyable time doing plenty of nothing, discovering myself and all, but that's unfair to them. What parents long to see their child drop out of school,with no plans for the future? Could they be expected to support me forever? Certainly not. I immediately moved out of the house and out of town, in search of a future for myself.

And it is here, in my new home of San Francisco, that I have decided to do what was once unthinkable: go back to school. I plan to take adult education classes and then apply for City College. On the one hand, I can hardly believe I'm doing it: a return to desks, chalkboards, and clocks that tell you when to stop thinking about one thing and start thinking about another. But at City College, I'll be able to take film production, semiotics, and sociology—just because I want to know about them.

So next time you see a dropout, be sympathetic. And please don't push him to do something he doesn't want to do. It never works. He'll come around when he's ready.

1. It is commonly believed that dropouts are_____.

A．bad kids from birth

B．interested in studying drugs

C．very likely to commit crimes

D．responsible for defending non-scholars

2. What did the author find most enjoyable after dropping out of school?

A．Living in comfort with his parents.

B．Reading in the public library.

C．Escaping the pressure from school.

D．Having time for self-discovery.

3. Why did the author move to San Francisco?

A．To fight for his own future.

B．To apply for City College.

C．To break away from his parents.

D．To live up to his parents' expectations.

4. What does the author suggest people do to deal with dropouts?

A．Push them to the limit.

B．Open their hearts to them.

C．Try to be understanding.

D．Encourage them to be friendly.

10 . Sometimes life can seem challenging (挑战的) and we usually get the feeling of “the grass on the other side is always greener”! We usually feel upset with the troubles that life throws at us.

The best thing to do at that point of time is to close our eyes and start counting of all the blessings in life that God has given us.

If we think deeply, our life is full of blessings that we hardly recognize. Listening to the singing of birds early in the morning, we realize that there are many people who spend their life in a world that is silent while many others spend their lives in a world that is dark and may have never seen a rainbow or the setting sun.

When you go out for a drive, pull down the window and look at the poor beggar standing under the hot sun, begging for filling his hungry stomach. We get three meals a day without realizing its importance. Isn’t that a blessing?

Whenever you are sad, look at the eyes of your parents and family filled with love and concern for you. There are many people who have never experienced the love of a family. Isn’t that a blessing?

As Mother Teresa once said, “We don’t need to do great things. We need to do small things with great love”.

The key to a happy life is when we consider others problems to be our own and try to help them. When we love people without any expectations and help them, our heart is filled with a sense of happiness and peace seeing the smile on their face.

So the next time whenever life knocks you down, close your eyes and…start counting!

1. What does the author intend to tell us?

A．True happiness lies in achieving wealth.

B．Blessings should be treasured in our life.

C．The singing of birds can make us happy.

D．Love from our family gives us courage to face life.

2. The underlined part “the grass on the other side is always greener” in paragraph 1 probably means that__________.

A．however happy we are, we never seem to be satisfied

B．though we are rich, we are poor in mind

C．we can have a better life if we work harder

D．there exists a greener grass on the other side

3. What can be learned from the text?

A．We have already known that life is filled with blessings.

B．It is a blessing to have three meals a day.

C．It’s natural to see a rainbow or the setting sun in life.

D．Mother Teresa calls on us to do great things in life.

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

A．Troubles in Life	B．Secrets of Life
C．A Sense of Happiness	D．Count Your Blessings