1 . Have you ever come out of a steamy hot shower and tried to look at your reflection in the mirror when it’s completely steamed and fogged up? I often think that is how we tend to view our beauty—through fogged up mirrors. We are seeing ourselves but the picture isn’t exactly clear! The mirrors have been fogged up through different life experiences and memories as we have grown up, and now blend together to form our own definition of our beauty.

The first mirror is formed as a young child and is often based on what was said about us from our parents and those around us. I remember being told that I was a cute child, so that when I got a little older and was around six or seven and another child tried to tell me I was ugly- everything within me rose up against the statement because my self-belief in what my parents had said stood strong.

The second mirror is the mirror of adolescence, those formative years when we are pushed into the big wild world and out of the protection of home. As a teenager I went to a boarding school, and I was one of the only two black people in the entire school. Children being naturally curious, I felt like I was asked a million and one different questions about both my hair and skin tone- -and I don’t think there has ever been a time when I have been more acutely aware of my appearance, which in turn opened up the door for me to question how I looked and to thankfully embrace my differences.

The final mirror comes from socially constructed ideas of beauty. We are often faced with numerous images in the media, popular culture, society, peers and social media, which can create a false ideal of beauty in our eyes. We tend to compare ourselves to those ideals and use it as some sort of margin (差值) of measurement.

However, real beauty comes from within. It is acceptance of yourself, perceived flaws and all. You are a masterpiece, a unique blend of genes and life experiences. It’s essential to appreciate yourself like any other work of art or natural wonder, without judgement. Maybe it’s time to create a fourth mirror, a new mirror that is wiped clean and is minus the fog of comparisons, accusations, judgments and expectations.

1. What do the fogged-up mirrors represent according to the first paragraph?

A．The difficulties of seeing oneself in the mirror.

B．The various sources of beauty standards.

C．The unclear perceptions of one’s beauty.

D．The life experiences and memories.

2. How did the author react when someone called her ugly?

A．She felt embarrassed.

B．She completely denied it.

C．She sought comfort from her parents.

D．She questioned what her parents had said.

3. What can we learn about social constructed ideas of beauty?

A．They push teens out of home protection.

B．They arouse acute awareness of one’s appearance.

C．They may mislead people’s idea of beauty.

D．They are the exact measurement of beauty.

4. What does the author suggest as a possible fourth mirror?

A．A mirror not affected by external factors.

B．A mirror going against society’s expectations.

C．A mirror reflecting one’s childhood experiences.

D．A mirror showing the beauty ideals from social media.

5. The passage is mainly written to tell us that we should________.

A．bring happiness to those around us

B．keep our resolve despite obstacles

C．change ourselves to achieve an ideal

D．embrace our real inner beauty

2 . What is your calling? What is your purpose in life? What did you come to this world to do? Every day we read about how we should find our purpose and pursue it throughout our lives in order to find meaning and contentment. There are even scientific studies that show people who view their work as a calling rather than just a career or a job have a higher life and work satisfaction. So, what exactly is this calling?

I’ve personally struggled with this concept for many years. I knew that happiness not only came from a present state of joy, but also from the pursuit of an objective that gave me something to pursue. That is, until I found myself feeling empty despite my achievement of those goals.

And as I reflected on these feelings of emptiness and boredom that had arisen despite my successes, I realized something. Meaning and satisfaction come from a personal devotion to what we do and the intrinsic (固有的) fulfillment we get from it. It has nothing to do with financial gain, social advancement or any other type of external reward or motivation. It is about doing something that we love. It is about focusing our efforts and spending our time on passions that light the spark inside of us and allow us to share with the world the unique gifts we possess.

I had never before stopped to think about what I found intrinsically rewarding or fulfilling. Financial gain and external recognition were pretty much the only drivers I knew. More so, I thought this calling meant having one passion we were born with to pursue relentlessly (不懈地).

So, I spent some years trying to find this long-lost purpose of mine. I discovered during that time passions I had no idea I even had. Yet, I wasn’t sure how to make them into my life purpose. I searched for an answer but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I came to understand the truths about our purpose in life that I was able to find my place in this world.

Our purpose can consist of various things that make us feel alive. As we grow and evolve throughout the different stages in our lives, we may discover new passions and desires that change our sense of purpose and calling.

We all have a longing for lives that give meaning to our existence. The difference lies in how we go about accomplishing this. We must each find our own “shine” and then shine on.

1. According to the passage, the calling refers to________.

A．one’s view about careers

B．a task one has to carry out

C．a life-long career one chooses

D．a strong desire or sense of duty to do a job

2. Which of the following belongs to the author’s previous drivers for finding fulfillment?

A．Financial gain and external recognition.

B．Pursuing passions relentlessly.

C．Discovering new passions.

D．Finding purpose in life.

3. What is the real purpose in life according to the author?

A．Trying to do everything that you can.

B．Trying to achieve your ambitious goals.

C．Doing meaningful things with your passion.

D．Doing something that can be successful easily.

4. According to the 5th paragraph, we know that________.

A．the author spent some years making changes

B．the author used to think he had no passion at all

C．the author didn’t know how to search for the life purpose

D．the author has known his passions since he started to work

5. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．It’s wise to give up discovering our one true passion.

B．It’s useless to pursue financial gain and external recognition.

C．It’s necessary to find our own calling and pursue it with vigor.

D．It’s important to share our passion with the world without stopping.

3 . During school, college and service I never participated in any group discussion or stage program. Therefore, I didn’t know what the stage______was.

Our school has a weekly “Parents View”______in the assembly. (全校师生的晨会) Around four years ago,______I received a call from the Principal of our school telling me to come to the “Parent View”, which was out of my expectation. He asked me to______to the group.

After the call my whole body became feverish and I felt really______. The whole night, I could not sleep. Many______thoughts were coming. One of them was to call the Principal, with______, and tell him that I could not go. I gathered some______. I thought, if I missed this opportunity, surely, the school would never invite me again to any of their programs.     _____I decided to go.

When my turn came and I started speaking, my legs started shaking and my heartbeat increased. After the speech, I met with the Principal and______what had happened to me. He told me that this happened to everyone. These symptoms were very   ____. Even great speakers faced the same things when they______.

Later on with the help of the Principal I ______a topic of talk for the next occasion. I practiced my presentation throughout the week. I was somewhat_______but not confident. Afterwards, I_______the Principal again and told him about the________I felt I had made. He was kind enough to______me again, but this time to give a presentation for the teachers.

For around one month, I prepared and practiced for my presentation on Motivation. This time I felt easy. I gave the presentation and it was________by the Principal as well as the teachers________they knew where I started from. They encouraged me and praised my efforts.

I learn that everything is________if we have the courage to take the first step. The saying goes: A journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step.

1.

A．fear

B．performance

C．style

D．art

2.

A．talk

B．magazine

C．program

D．lesson

3.

A．fortunately

B．surprisingly

C．secretly

D．unluckily

4.

A．listen

B．move

C．write

D．speak

5.

A．nervous

B．joyful

C．satisfied

D．disappointed

6.

A．foolish

B．useful

C．clever

D．negative

7.

A．anger

B．regret

C．thanks

D．hope

8.

A．courage

B．information

C．proof

D．advice

9.

A．And

B．But

C．So

D．Or

10.

A．explained

B．forgot

C．imagined

D．controlled

11.

A．serious

B．special

C．strange

D．common

12.

A．failed

B．started

C．mastered

D．finished

13.

A．exhibited

B．refused

C．prepared

D．understood

14.

A．worried

B．sad

C．curious

D．comfortable

15.

A．met with

B．turned down

C．looked after

D．learnt from

16.

A．trouble

B．mistake

C．fun

D．improvement

17.

A．remind

B．invite

C．phone

D．reach

18.

A．descried

B．studied

C．joked

D．appreciated

19.

A．because

B．although

C．if

D．therefore

20.

A．interesting

B．obvious

C．possible

D．right

4 . As I work in the garden, I take my time. And the garden is ________ me about working with the earth. I recognize that there will be both successes and failures and there are many factors that ________ them both. The ________ of the seeds can affect the growth of the plants. The ________ can be too hot, too cold, or ________ right. Weeds need to be ________ and thrown away to ________ that the fruits, vegetables, and flowers we have planted grow well.

I take time to stand back and rest, and to ________ the plants. Each plant is ________ and develops in the way that is best for them. Some have large broad leaves to ________ their fruit from the rays of the sun, while other plants are more ________, their fruit needing the ________ to grow and ripen.

Getting my hands ________ and feeling the sweat on my forehead, as I work under the summer sun, reminds me I am ________ in the ways I wouldn't have remembered sitting on the couch.

I feel attracted to move things around to transplant and to ________ the natural order of how plants grow. The garden teaches me the importance of knowing when to disturb things and when to let them be. The garden's life cycle ________ a pattern that is repeated according to the ________ of nature. Birth, growth, and then death and it teaches me to accept this fact.

Perhaps life is like the ________, successes and failures, time to be active and time to ________ to let go of what is no longer needed, to cultivate what helps us to grow into our light and power, and to readily ________ life from beginning to end.

1.

A．telling

B．concerning

C．worrying

D．teaching

2.

A．destroy

B．affect

C．promote

D．exchange

3.

A．quality

B．color

C．shape

D．weight

4.

A．water

B．air

C．weather

D．wind

5.

A．approximately

B．constantly

C．exactly

D．occasionally

6.

A．pulled

B．planted

C．guarded

D．provided

7.

A．make sense

B．find out

C．work out

D．make sure

8.

A．tend

B．observe

C．count

D．examine

9.

A．beautiful

B．average

C．amazing

D．unique

10.

A．prevent

B．separate

C．shade

D．remove

11.

A．open

B．delicate

C．straight

D．vivid

12.

A．energy

B．light

C．soil

D．space

13.

A．empty

B．dirty

C．broken

D．free

14.

A．awake

B．tired

C．alive

D．independent

15.

A．disturb

B．find

C．enjoy

D．guide

16.

A．discovers

B．transforms

C．draws

D．follows

17.

A．changes

B．reflection

C．laws

D．development

18.

A．plant

B．sun

C．fruit

D．garden

19.

A．rest

B．quit

C．offer

D．fight

20.

A．expect

B．accept

C．picture

D．receive