1 . We are enrolled in the full-time school called “life”. Every day in this school, we have opportunities to learn new lessons. No matter whether we like these lessons or not, we have to take them, because they are our lessons.

Why are we here in this world? What is the purpose of life? Humans have tried to discover the meaning of life for thousands of years, but failed to get the answer, because the meaning of life is different from person to person.

Each one of us has his or her special purpose and path, unique and different. As we travel on our life path, we will learn many great lessons in order to fulfill that purpose. Learning our lessons well is the key to discovering the real meaning of our own life.

As we travel through our lifetime, we may be taught hard lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with problems we don’t need to deal with. We may never know why we love English, not physics, which indicates that our path is different. While traveling on our own path, sometimes alone, we should, first of all, take a basic lesson in openness.

Openness means being receptive. Life will present us with so many lessons, none of which are useful to us unless we can recognize them and are open to their values. These lessons are not easy to learn, but we should regard them as gifts. But how can we recognize these lessons? It is a matter of what “glasses” we are wearing at the time. It is not difficult to spot them if we take them as opportunities. So when we are not open to learning our lessons, failing a weekly English test might be like a disaster rather than an opportunity to us. Of course, the hard lessons may not be fun, but they can actually be the biggest gifts we receive from life.

1. The author may be in favor of the viewpoint that all men are born          .

A．equal	B．different
C．to learn lessons	D．ready for challenge

2. The example of “we love English, not physics" is mentioned to show that we              .

A．choose our own path in life

B．need to face some hard lessons

C．discover the meaning of our own life

D．realize the necessity of openness

3. Whether we can see life lessons as gifts depends upon our              .

A．angles of view

B．common value system

C．experiences from life

D．willingness to face challenge

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

A．Life and lesson	B．Life as School
C．Life School and Students	D．Gifts from Life

2 . The meaning of the word “volunteer ” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a ____ of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer the up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”
1. According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.

A．is willing to help those in need without pay	B．can afford to travel to different places
C．has a strong wish to be successful	D．has made a big fortune in life

2. Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.

A．after she met Mother Teresa

B．after she finished high school

C．when she was touring Calcutta

D．when she was working in a hospital

3. Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?

A．She liked to work with Mother Teresa.

B．She had already had some experience.

C．She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example.

D．She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example.

4. What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?

A．Going abroad to help the sick.

B．Working in Mother Teresa’s home.

C．Doing simple things to help the poor.

D．Improving oneself through helping others.

3 . What is a big dream?    1    or, is a big dream something that provides only entertainment? Children dream big dreams, but there are three barriers(障碍) to realizing dreams. They often kill them before they ever have a chance to grow.The SelfImmediately following the birth of a big dream, a negative self-talk takes over and gives all the reasons why it can’t happen. This inside voice is the ego (自我). It is there for protecting and should be listened to. Sometimes it is right, but more often it is wrong.    2    That’s why only a handful of people make their dream come true.    3    Family and friends are a lot like the ego. They want to protect those they love, so they will often list all the reasons why the big dreams won’t come true. Sometimes, family and friends destroy dreams of those they love most, out of their own fear of being left behind.The WorldIf one gets past the first two barriers, one has to face the world.    4    In the past, bigdreamers were locked up and sometimes even killed when they were shown to the world. Fortunately, in most of the world today, big dreamers just get laughed at.The way to realize a big dream is with confidence and action. When children have confidence and then take action, they will be ready to accept any failure. The truth is that every great dreamer whose dreams have never seen the light of success knows failure well.    5    

A．How Big Dreams Die

B．Family and Friends

C．They simply fail until they succeed.

D．Does a big dream show one’s future?

E．Most people are influenced by the inside voice.

F．It is the last and the most terrible barrier.

G．And their big dream is to be a rock star or a famous artist.

4 . Dear John，

My name is Amber and I want to share my story with you because what you've shared about life and positive energy has changed my life.

This past year has been one of the hardest for me.I felt I was stuck in a position that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do with my life.In January，after two years of being together，my boyfriend left me.

I read your blog every Monday morning as I drink my coffee at work，but it wasn't until this March that I told myself “no more negativity (消极)” as you taught readers in your blog.

Since then I've got into new habits at work to keep my energy positive.When people walk in the front door，I'm the first face they see，so I smile big when I say “good morning” to them，especially on Mondays.Instead of waiting for someone to ask me for help，I offer it with an open mind.The CEO noticed my change and offered me the executive assistant position that I wanted.

One of the biggest things I've taken to heart from your blog is changing my perspective (看法) on my job.Yes，it was not an important position，but when I was passionate (热情的) about it，I could make my life fulfilling.

All in all，I have to thank you somehow for having the passion to help others because it truly is inspiring to me.So thank you so much，John.My life has changed because your words pointed me in the right direction.Take care!

Sincerely，

Amber

1. Amber wrote the letter mainly to   ________．

A．introduce herself to John

B．talk about her bad year

C．ask for some advice

D．express her thanks

2. We can infer from the passage that Amber   ________．

A．didn't like her boyfriend

B．spent a lot of time online

C．wasn't satisfied with her job

D．received very good education

3. What is implied about John in the letter?

A．He is a very famous writer.

B．He used to live a very negative life.

C．He doesn't like sharing his life stories.

D．He likes helping others through writing positive blogs.

4. What does Amber's change tell us?

A．Practice makes perfect.

B．Bad luck doesn't exist long.

C．A positive attitude is rewarding.

D．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

5 . Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self-respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized (归类) as “honor” help you create this life of good feelings.
       Here’s an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
       Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk’s mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
       Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
       In the first case, where we don’t tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk’s attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action, we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
       There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it’s easy to think and act honorably again when we’re happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it’s started, it’s easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
1. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our ________.

A．self-respect	B．financial rewards
C．advertising ability	D．friendly relationship

2. The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to ________.

A．lying	B．stealing
C．cheating	D．advertising

3. The phrase “bringing the error to the clerk’s attention” (in Para.5) means ________.

A．telling the truth to the clerk

B．offering advice to the clerk

C．asking the clerk to be more attentive

D．reminding the clerk of the charged item

4. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．How to Live Truthfully

B．Importance of Peacefulness

C．Ways of Gaining Self-respect

D．Happiness through Honorable Action

6 . When our restaurant business failed, we headed north in a camping truck to Texas, hoping to have a “fresh start”.

At the _______of Palo Duro Canyon (峡谷) State Park, I _______a job advertisement hiring park hosts. The position offered a _______, permanent campsite in the park, and _______, the hosts served as a link between the park’s guests and the rangers (护林人). It was the perfect solution: a rent-free place to reorganize our lives. We entered the park and I made an _______for the following day.

The park was_______, so it took us some time to find an available site. That evening, as we finished our dinner, my wife saw two large skunks (臭鼬) walking toward our table. We_______climbed onto the table and, for the next four hours, waited for them to _______our camp.

Having survived that night, we were _______that everything else would be all right. The next day we met with the people who ran the park. They explained our________ and gave us a beautiful campsite.

That evening, ________, we learned about the canyon ________ They were strong and cold, rocking our little camping truck violently, and we lay ________ in the dark until the winds died away.

________the weeks that followed, we learned to survive in our truck and ________

the little money my wife ________by substitute teaching. Building a successful business and then losing it had left very little time for building a successful ________. For a time after our business ________I thought I might lose my family as well.

Living in the tiny__________with no television, we sat close together reading and talking. One evening, standing under a jeweled sky, I found myself ________ for all the hardships. We had walked the trails and climbed the canyon walls. We had become a family!

1.

A．back

B．edge

C．centre

D．entrance

2.

A．sponsored

B．published

C．noticed

D．answered

3.

A．safe

B．free

C．convenient

D．beautiful

4.

A．in return

B．in time

C．in short

D．in turn

5.

A．attempt

B．agreement

C．appeal

D．appointment

6.

A．crowded

B．dangerous

C．ideal

D．quiet

7.

A．repeatedly

B．immediately

C．eventually

D．calmly

8.

A．attack

B．leave

C．pass

D．search

9.

A．satisfied

B．determined

C．confident

D．aware

10.

A．responsibilities

B．requirements

C．circumstances

D．conditions

11.

A．moreover

B．therefore

C．meanwhile

D．however

12.

A．winds

B．snows

C．woods

D．trails

13.

A．shaking

B．quarrelling

C．mourning

D．aching

14.

A．After

B．Between

C．During

D．Beyond

15.

A．give away

B．hand out

C．live on

D．put aside

16.

A．borrowed

B．earned

C．posted

D．raised

17.

A．business

B．career

C．family

D．image

18.

A．started

B．failed

C．expanded

D．declined

19.

A．truck

B．park

C．house

D．camp

20.

A．desperate

B．ready

C．suitable

D．thankful

7 . When I was 16 years old, a boy gave me an important gift.     1    .It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school, and my old school was far away.     2    . I was very lonely, and afraid to make friends with anyone.

Every time I listened to other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn’t talk about anyone with my problems. And I didn’t want my parents to worry about me.[

Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends, but I sat at my desk unhappily as usual.     3     I didn’t know who he was. He passed me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy, lively and warm     4     I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now!       5     I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it lonely, you might always be alone. So   smile at the world and it will smile back.

A．At that moment, a boy entered the classroom.

B．He’s living in Australia now and he loves it.

C．It doesn‘t matter because all the dark days have gone.

D．It was a smile.

E．That smile changed my life.

F．It’s practically impossible to make friends here.

G．As a result, no one knew who I was.