1 . 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

2 . I learned about life from an ant farm. When I was seven years old, my family _________ an ant farm at home. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box, and then we brought some ants from the backyard and placed them into the _________ home.

Shortly after the new _________ were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one knew _________ what to do. After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had particular given jobs. With my mom’s help, I kept a journal of what happened each day and _________ the ants. My favorite was the biggest, Cinderella. I drew a picture of her in my journal, which I still have.

On day five a disaster _________ the ant farm. While I was observing the ants, I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally _______ it over. Unfortunately, my carelessness caused all the tunnels to        _______ . Although the ants _________ their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was ____________ as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were actually dying of “frustration”—feeling annoyed and disappointed as they couldn’t control the situation. They simply could not ____________ the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed. Cinderella was the last to die; she did so while carrying a dead ant on her back.

Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, ____________ it taught me much more. ____________ the years, I came to realize the ants were a study in the benefits of ______________. Working together, they were able to create a（n）______________ world for themselves. I also learned that they should be ____________ for their hard work. Day in and day out, each labored at their task. The ant farm demonstrated that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key   __________ for success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not   ____________ until recently: Disaster is a natural part of life, and must be ______________. Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face ______________. Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel comes down, we just have to build another.

1.

A．created

B．bought

C．ran

D．laid

2.

A．empty

B．new

C．strange

D．distant

3.

A．guests

B．settlers

C．friends

D．members

4.

A．precisely

B．roughly

C．probably

D．normally

5.

A．compared

B．trained

C．named

D．measured

6.

A．affected

B．struck

C．kicked

D．beat

7.

A．split

B．took

C．tipped

D．handed

8.

A．rush out

B．break in

C．cave in

D．drop out

9.

A．experienced

B．predicted

C．faced

D．survived

10.

A．astonished

B．annoyed

C．moved

D．thrilled

11.

A．reflect

B．ignore

C．confirm

D．stand

12.

A．but

B．and

C．so

D．or

13.

A．In

B．For

C．From

D．Over

14.

A．devotion

B．teamwork

C．responsibility

D．organization

15.

A．relaxing

B．amusing

C．moving

D．amazing

16.

A．supported

B．admired

C．inspired

D．admitted

17.

A．solutions

B．approaches

C．recipes

D．circumstances

18.

A．give

B．take

C．realize

D．adopt

19.

A．accepted

B．suffered

C．escaped

D．managed

20.

A．challenges

B．barriers

C．pressure

D．disappointment

3 . 阅读文章回答问题。

A couple of weeks ago, my grandfather explained his favorite expression, “Nothing is ever easy.” Then the following day, as I tried to complete my day’s work, I happened to notice a bumblebee(大黄蜂) on the skylight(天窗). The skylight was particularly high up, but I thought removing the bee would take no more than five minutes. An hour later, the bee still remained. All that had changed was that the living room was a mess and that I was dizzy from looking up into the sunlight. I did not expect to waste an hour on an insect so tiny, but by doing so, I understood what my grandfather meant.

It is not only time that we tend to underestimate — we don’t account for unexpected costs. We often imagine what can work in our favor, but we seldom think of all the negative things that could affect us. However, it is important to remember that your day or week or year might not go as planned, and that is completely normal. It is perfectly acceptable to feel challenged — even at a task you thought was simple — because that is part of life.

If you can accept that nothing will ever be easy, then life might seem slightly more manageable. In middle school, I thought high school might be easier because I could choose the classes I wanted to take. In high school, I thought college might be easier because I could have a schedule best suited for myself. Yet each time, I was both wrong and disappointed. After accepting that school wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) be easy, I found myself with a more positive attitude and improved results.

Of course, there should be preparations made to account for expenses or time. Doing so can only help you accomplish your goals in a better way. However, there is no need to beat ourselves up(过分自责) when something stands in our path. Maybe we cannot see a bee coming our way, but we can always give ourselves the extra time to catch it.

1. What was out of the author’s expectation when he removed the bumblebee on the skylight?(no more than 15 words)
2. What does the underlined phrase “account for” in Paragraph 2 mean? (no more than 3 words)
3. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us? (no more than 15 words)
4. According to the passage, how will you deal with what stands on your path? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you understand the sentence—“Nothing is ever easy.”? (no more than 25 words)

4 . Have you ever given a thought to inspiration？In fact, inspiration can be a strange thing. You never know when it might_________, and sometimes, it can come from the most_________places.

I recently read about an author named Nnedi Okorafor. When she was in college, she had a serious spine disorder. Okorafor was told that a simple operation could_________it. But when she woke up from her_________, she found that she couldn’t move her legs and was in great pain.

Okorafor got_________later. But before she did, she saw strange things in her hospital room. She imagined her _________as a beast that hunted her from the shadows. But she also_________a woman-a woman who could fly, in fact. This_________woman inspired her and helped her_________her pain. “I felt myself become__________,” she wrote in her book Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected.

We__________know where we might find the inspiration to create. As a__________, most of my inspiration comes from other people’s music. But I also find__________in other places. Books, movies and__________just moments in everyday life can lead to new creations.

__________, I recently rewatched the film Blade Runner. I’ve seen it plenty of times before; it’s one of my favorite movies. But this time, for some reason, I saw it__________.I decided to make music that could create the same feeling as the__________. It’s not done yet, but the music I’m working on now is heavily__________by the movie’s setting and characters.

Anything can__________us. You just have to be__________to catch inspiration when it hits.

1.

A．work

B．hit

C．exist

D．pass

2.

A．interesting

B．ordinary

C．unexpected

D．dangerous

3.

A．fix

B．make

C．remove

D．control

4.

A．dream

B．shock

C．recovery

D．operation

5.

A．well

B．bad

C．worried

D．annoyed

6.

A．curiosity

B．pain

C．anger

D．fear

7.

A．asked

B．met

C．imagined

D．visited

8.

A．confident

B．smart

C．honest

D．magical

9.

A．forget

B．recognize

C．describe

D．practice

10.

A．richer

B．better

C．busier

D．quieter

11.

A．always

B．never

C．sometimes

D．still

12.

A．director

B．dancer

C．musician

D．writer

13.

A．tips

B．messages

C．examples

D．ideas

14.

A．even

B．again

C．not

D．only

15.

A．In short

B．In addition

C．For example

D．After all

16.

A．differently

B．perfectly

C．vividly

D．smoothly

17.

A．story

B．song

C．play

D．film

18.

A．changed

B．supported

C．disturbed

D．influenced

19.

A．impress

B．inspire

C．amuse

D．challenge

20.

A．free

B．thankful

C．ready

D．careful

5 . I always wanted to be extraordinary at something. Not just as in, “Great job, Jimbo!” No, I wanted to be best-in-class, awe-inspiring, tiptop; a world-famous genius, like Michael Phelps or Mark Zuckerberg.

Unfortunately, my version of reality did not quite line up with thisdelusionalvision. I was a good swimmer, but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level. My academic record was pretty solid, but I never would have made it into one of those ivy-league schools.

Though I rose to above-average status in a couple of areas, the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything more than a mid-sized fish in a small pond. God apparently had other plans.

What drove me crazy, though, was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn. Some folks just seemed to get an unfair intensive dose (剂量) of it. Why couldn’t I be like Bernie William, the famed New Yorkees player who also happens to be a world-class jazz guitar virtuoso (艺术大师)?

Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time. Around ten thousand hours, to be precise, according to author Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one’s expertise, but it seems that raw talent is equally important. You either have it or you don’t.

I’ve heard that as people approach middle age, their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations for themselves and the reality. After a few decades of frustration without the desired results, we eventually come to terms with how our lives turned out, even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectation.

Hope bends, it seems.

1. What does the word “delusional” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Practical.	B．Realistic.
C．Abstract.	D．Imaginary.

2. In the passage, the writer thinks of himself as__________.

A．a world-famous genius	B．a mid-sized fish in a small pond
C．a world-class virtuoso	D．a student in an ivy-league school

3. According to the writer, what make “greatness”?

A．Raw talent.	B．Talent and time.
C．Extraordinary efforts.	D．Ten thousand hours of practice.

4. Which of the following might be the best title?

A．Hope Bends	B．Frustrating Decades
C．Practice Works	D．Youthful Expectation

6 . When it comes to big dreams, goals and aspirations, many of us plan out every last detail so that we feel ready for success. But sometimes, this excessive planning is a way of protecting ourselves from _________ and ultimately preventing us from ever taking action. No matter how much planning you do, you’ll never feel 100% ready to take a leap of faith into the _________ . So the most important is that we     _______ before we’re ready and we learn while doing.

When Jennifer Qiao got married, she struggled to_________a modern version of a cheongsam (旗袍), so an idea was _______ . She wanted to make cheongsams. Neither she nor Vivian Chan, her co-founder, had _______ in fashion or entrepreneurship. They didn’t even know if there was a(n)_______ for their product in the US. The two _______ a Shopify website with one dress _______ over the weekend. After one month, they __________ their first customer. They never truly felt ready to start a(n) ________ , let alone make custom wedding dresses.________ , they have been able to________their team and company to a seven-figure annual recurring revenue.

“Once you get one good idea, you have to act on it because it may never________again. The time was __________. Even if I wasn’t ready, the situation was ready.” Jennifer Qiao said.

1.

A．carelessness

B．error

C．difficulty

D．failure

2.

A．future

B．life

C．unknown

D．danger

3.

A．appear

B．stay

C．leave

D．start

4.

A．make

B．find

C．appreciate

D．invent

5.

A．refused

B．changed

C．born

D．accepted

6.

A．experience

B．friends

C．interest

D．achievements

7.

A．possibility

B．example

C．buyer

D．market

8.

A．bought

B．created

C．found

D．improved

9.

A．show

B．design

C．photo

D．outline

10.

A．got

B．satisfied

C．needed

D．cheated

11.

A．campaign

B．business

C．mission

D．job

12.

A．However

B．Besides

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

13.

A．move

B．grow

C．increase

D．extend

14.

A．rise

B．exist

C．happen

D．return

15.

A．ripe

B．hard

C．limited

D．valuable

7 . During my lifetime, I’ve learnt something important: it’s good to learn new skills outside of your comfort zone. About seven years ago, I started learning how to paint as a_______. I was pretty terrible. Everything looked_______, and my colors were totally off. My friends and colleagues suggested that I stop_______my time on something I wasn’t good at. “_______on your day job,” they said. I kept at it — practicing, taking classes, finding the right_______who could guide me. I am now___________“good”. Today, the same friends say I was born with this_______.

The same thing_______when I started piano and singing lessons a couple of years ago. Comments shifted from, “Stop wasting your time and focus on what you know,” to “You’ve got a musical gene (基因).”

These_______originate from long-held beliefs that growth is usually not possible for adults. Even when there is evidence of learning, it can be__________to inborn talent.

Most scientific studies on adulthood focus on cognitive decline (认知下降), rather than__________, suggesting that even scientists may think that development is limited in adulthood. A few recent studies suggest that__________new skills, such as photography, for even three months may strengthen the functioning of the brain in adults.

I would take these studies one step further to argue that a(n)__________cause of cognitive decline is the fact that adults learn fewer new skills__________to children. If we can__________how to learn well as adults, then perhaps we can__________cognitive decline.

Adults are often__________ to go outside of their comfort zones. We fear looking__________for making mistakes; we fear failure could cost us our jobs. Perhaps a reason why we suffer from cognitive decline is that we do not engage in learning new skills for many years.

To better communicate with my German friends, I am starting to learn German. I’m__________at the “listening and babbling (咿呀学语)” phase. Sure, some may laugh at an adult babbling, but I hope one day I can__________German fluently, and inspire many other adults to learn like a baby.

1.

A．hobby

B．dream

C．job

D．measure

2.

A．perfect

B．bright

C．dull

D．enjoyable

3.

A．taking

B．wasting

C．putting

D．getting

4.

A．Count

B．Depend

C．Focus

D．Congratulate

5.

A．friends

B．teachers

C．colleagues

D．partners

6.

A．concluded

B．realized

C．considered

D．described

7.

A．character

B．spirit

C．talent

D．power

8.

A．happened

B．found

C．mentioned

D．showed

9.

A．suggestions

B．achievements

C．results

D．comments

10.

A．reported

B．owed

C．forced

D．addicted

11.

A．failure

B．change

C．adaptation

D．growth

12.

A．catching

B．arranging

C．learning

D．holding

13.

A．important

B．strange

C．insignificant

D．useful

14.

A．prepared

B．compared

C．intended

D．provided

15.

A．break out

B．give out

C．bring out

D．figure out

16.

A．interrupt

B．prevent

C．master

D．influence

17.

A．unreasonable

B．uncertain

C．unwilling

D．undoubted

18.

A．stupid

B．upset

C．crazy

D．ugly

19.

A．clearly

B．presently

C．continually

D．occasionally

20.

A．write

B．read

C．listen

D．speak

8 . Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these_______as a necessary part of the learning process. As a parent or a teacher, we should help our children _______this fact. When I see a child having this kind of pressure. I think of Donnie and his teacher , Mary Anne. They give us a good example.

Donnie was a third-grader. His _______ of failure kept him from classroom games that other children enjoy. He _______answered questions when he might be wrong.

Mary was a young and pretty teacher, and she loved children. That’s the reason why her pupils, including Donnie, _______her. She tried to build Donnie’s self-confidence. But _______changed tor quite a long time.

One morning the students were_______math problems on the blackboard. Donnie’s has copied the problems with neatness. _______with his progress, Mary left the classroom and went_______some other materials. When she returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d ________the third problem.

Mary looked at her student carefully. Then from the desk, She got a ________filled with pencils. “Look, Donnie,” she said, kneeling(跪) beside him and gently________his face from his arms. “ I’ve got something to show you.” She________the pencils, one at a time, and placed them on his desk.

“See these pencils, Donnie?” she continued. “They belong to me. See how the erasers are________? I can tell you I make mistakes too, ________I erase the mistakes and try again. That’s what you must ________to do , too.”

She kissed Donnie and stood up. “ Here,” she said, “ I’ll________one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up at his teacher in ________and with a smile.

The pencil became Donnie’s prized________. That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement, gradually________him that it’s all right to make mistakes--as long as you erase them and try again.

1.

A．ideas

B．failures

C．offers

D．apologies

2.

A．draw

B．hide

C．give

D．face

3.

A．fear

B．anger

C．guess

D．doubt

4.

A．still

B．seldom

C．only

D．even

5.

A．praised

B．avoided

C．respected

D．minded

6.

A．anything

B．everything

C．something

D．nothing

7.

A．creating

B．working

C．causing

D．choosing

8.

A．Pleased

B．Surprised

C．Disappointed

D．Ashamed

9.

A．on

B．by

C．for

D．with

10.

A．found

B．changed

C．saved

D．missed

11.

A．container

B．package

C．suitcase

D．wallet

12.

A．helping

B．.making

C．lifting

D．showing

13.

A．arranged

B．removed

C．grasped

D．provided

14.

A．worn

B．paid

C．done

D．held

15.

A．since

B．if

C．or

D．but

16.

A．agree

B．decide

C．learn

D．expect

17.

A．borrow

B．check

C．spread

D．leave

18.

A．trouble

B．fun

C．trust

D．pain

19.

A．possession

B．suggestion

C．information

D．evaluation

20.

A．examined

B．persuaded

C．introduced

D．satisfied

9 . Once I started working after graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University, I decided to stay in the workforce and go to school part-time. I began my journey as an adult _______ in the Business Administration program at Wilfrid Laurier University. When I _______ from Laurier, a colleague introduced me to the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist （CEBS） program, which offered a professional credential（凭证）related to my field of _______

These days, I keep my industry knowledge _______ through reading industry publications, _______   relative conferences and taking an annual Continuing Education course. From a_______interest perspective, I've taken music lessons and _______ in first aid, gardening and website development.

Some might call me a learning _______. I honestly can't imagine a time when I want to stop learning. Sometimes people ask me why I _______ to take courses when I am getting close to “retirement’’. When I look to the ________, 30 years of sitting on the couch watching Netflix isn't the kind of life I want to live. I need a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and something to keep me ________ active.

I am looking at the Plain Language program as an opportunity to learn a new skill that will not only make me ________ at my current job, but also will ________ some extra income once I leave my full-time career behind.

The days of being able to ________ education after university are long gone. So, continuous learning will be necessary to keep up with the pace of ________

1.

A．designer

B．teacher

C．reporter

D．learner

2.

A．heard

B．inferred

C．graduated

D．suffered

3.

A．work

B．training

C．research

D．education

4.

A．current

B．known

C．useful

D．remarkable

5.

A．organizing

B．attending

C．recording

D．confirming

6.

A．secret

B．personal

C．unique

D．common

7.

A．choices

B．measures

C．courses

D．responsibilities

8.

A．celebrity

B．master

C．consultant

D．addict

9.

A．need

B．agree

C．continue

D．refuse

10.

A．truth

B．demand

C．effect

D．future

11.

A．financially

B．physically

C．mentally

D．socially.

12.

A．better

B．stronger

C．braver

D．firmer

13.

A．reduce

B．generate

C．reserve

D．negotiate

14.

A．care about

B．leave behind

C．insist on

D．show off

15.

A．comment

B．purchase

C．production

D．change

10 . As my husband and I drove down a country road, we passed a fire station with a sign that read, "Are you ready for the next storm?” Our area had just been in the path of Hurricane Irma, causing downed trees and outages. We were stuck in the dark and cut off from the outside world.

We have had our share of storms in the past--a snowstorm and other heavy snows that knocked down trees, sometimes up to a week at a time. Those days in a cold house weren't fun, but we learned so much from those early storms, things that made later storms easier to bear.

Now we have stored up flashlights, lanterns and candles. We bought a battery-operated radio to keep up with the news. We stocked up on batteries so that we'd have plenty for extended power failures. We make sure our grill（烤架） is ready and its tank is full, and we purchase food that can be easily prepared and then cooked or heated on the grill. And we don't forget to buy emergency chocolate! We have book lights to read in the dark. We keep our car gas tanks full and have emergency cash on hand.

We're ready for the next storm, but we wouldn't have learned to do all those things if we hadn't encountered a storm in the past. The same is true spiritually. Those little storms in our lives are never fun, but they prepare us for the big storms--the big trials--that will come our way, They can teach us some valuable lessons.

Are you ready for the next storm? Now is the time to get ready. . . not when the storm arrives.

1. Which can replace the underlined word "outages” in paragraph 1?

A．weather change

B．virus' spreading

C．power failure

D．emotional reaction

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The lessons that storms can teach us.

B．The importance of being ready for storms.

C．The necessities the author bought for her daily life.

D．The preparations the author made for the next storm.

3. What does the author think of experiencing the past storms?

A．It was rewarding.

B．It was annoying.

C．It was thrilling.

D．It was frightening.

4. What can we learn from the author's story?

A．Things will work out.

B．Keep something for a rainy day.

C．Don't stop regardless of the weather.

D．Sunshine always comes after the storm.