1 . I’ve been told I was born middle-aged. That sounds about right. I took on a lot of family _________ at an early age, which meant putting away childish things long before childhood was over. When you have sensible adult _________on your mind, it’s _________ to find time to play. A few months ago, I was listening to a sensible adult podcast (播客) about publishing. During the course of the _________, the host said to his guest, “Ever since I read your latest book, I’ve found myself looking for opportunities to play.” When I heard a sensible adult podcaster talk about taking time to play, I thought “Well, that’s just silly.” The idea of playing as an adult seemed _________ in a way I couldn’t express clearly.

However, I didn’t know why the idea stuck with me. I didn’t want it at the forefront of my mind, but it certainly stayed there in my consciousness because the desire to play still _________ my mind a few days later.

One night, it must have been 9: 00 pm. I was cutting across the local park, which would have been bustling (熙熙攘攘) with _________ if I’d been there during the day. Now they were home in bed with their parents, and it was just me in this well-loved playground.

It was the swing set that really _________ my attention. When I saw it, I suddenly remembered playing on the swings with my cousin at the park near her house. I recalled the _________ of that childhood experience.

During the day you’d probably get a lot of __________ from other sensible adults if you were waiting in line with their children. But at night, with no one else around?

I __________ a bit, but nobody would ever know. So I got on the swing and pushed off the ground, and my body remembered exactly how to get going. I pumped (上下快速摇动) my __________ to go higher, higher.

The best feelings of childhood bubbled up inside me as I flew through the air. It was fun, __________ and simple. Eventually, I came down from the swing, but I didn’t resist smiling. I couldn’t. That smile __________ itself on my face, and it wouldn’t go away.

My childhood may be over, but that doesn’t mean __________ is.

1.

A．relationships

B．responsibilities

C．stories

D．debts

2.

A．matters

B．doubts

C．efforts

D．skills

3.

A．strange

B．unusual

C．unnecessary

D．difficult

4.

A．interview

B．recovery

C．change

D．negotiation

5.

A．frightening

B．unappealing

C．similar

D．normal

6.

A．connected with

B．met with

C．took up

D．brushed aside

7.

A．adults

B．children

C．coaches

D．parents

8.

A．held

B．required

C．discovered

D．escaped

9.

A．power

B．curiosity

C．delight

D．disappointment

10.

A．anger

B．well-being

C．support

D．side-eye

11.

A．hesitated

B．studied

C．stepped

D．rested

12.

A．head

B．hands

C．shoulders

D．legs

13.

A．shocking

B．awkward

C．remote

D．pure

14.

A．pleased

B．planted

C．challenged

D．proved

15.

A．reunion

B．homework

C．playtime

D．breakthrough

2 . A long time ago, there lived a very old man. He was so old that he could not see or hear very well. He also could not walk very well, or eat very well for his hand shook. The old man’s son and daughter-in-law thought he might make trouble at table. So, they had him eat his meals in the corner of the kitchen without a table.

They gave him very little to eat. The old man would have a sad look on his face as he looked at his son and daughter-in-law’s dinner table. One day the old man’s hand shook so terribly that he dropped his dish on the floor. The daughter- in-law became angry and shouted at the old man. And after that, his meals were served in a broken dish.

Not long afterwards, the family was sitting having their dinner while the four-year-old grandson was sitting on the floor carefully checking pieces of wood. The father asked “What are you doing?” “I am making a small bowl.”

“Why are you making it?" The son answered. “So that I can fill it with your and mother’s food when I grow up.”

The old man’s son and daughter-in-law looked at one another and without saying a word and started crying. They quickly brought their old father to their dinner table. From that day on, the old man sat with the family when they had their meals. Even when the old man’s food fell here and there, the son and the daughter-in-law did not say anything.

1. The son and his wife made their father eat in the kitchen to______.

A．teach their son a good lesson

B．stay away from trouble

C．give him peace and comfort

2. The old man dropped his dish______

A．because of hand-shaking

B．to ask for a new one

C．on purpose

3. Why did the husband lead the old man back to the family table?

A．Because he realized his mistakes

B．Because the old man didn’t drop rice on the floor any more

C．Because a gentleman led him back to the family table

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．An Old Man and His Son

B．A Couple and Their Son

C．A Wooden Bowl

3 . The other day, I was in the local shop with my five-year-old son. He is outgoing and _______ dealing with strangers when he is with a safe adult. That day he greeted a young kid began a _______ . This kid was wearing the uniform (校服) of the school my son will be _______ at next year so I pointed that out to him. When we finished our shopping and were _______, the other kid said, “See you at school next year!”

As I was _______ my car with goods later, the mother drove up behind me and promised to _______ me a bag of uniforms that no longer fit her son. For nothing! I went and _______ the clothes the next afternoon.

This may seem like a small kindness to some people but for me it is _______! I have been worried quite a bit about the _______ of uniforms for school next year. We are planning to start a ________ for a living but we lack money. I also suffer from a few diseases and have had a really bad year this year, ________ in my life.

I cannot even begin to explain how ________ I was for this “small” gesture from a ________. It has taken away a bit of ________ from my shoulders and is very much appreciated. You never know when the small kindnesses, even ________ a smile in the street, can be a great encouragement to others.

1.

A．avoids

B．tries

C．loves

D．suggests

2.

A．story

B．conversation

C．trouble

D．chance

3.

A．studying

B．struggling

C．living

D．serving

4.

A．cheering

B．talking

C．questioning

D．leaving

5.

A．cleaning

B．filling

C．improving

D．exchanging

6.

A．buy

B．show

C．make

D．offer

7.

A．picked up

B．paid for

C．chose from

D．his away

8.

A．normal

B．formal

C．major

D．possible

9.

A．cost

B．style

C．colour

D．design

10.

A．journey

B．business

C．discussion

D．survey

11.

A．luckiest

B．most

C．worst

D．easiest

12.

A．sorry

B．thankful

C．responsible

D．ready

13.

A．pioneer

B．friend

C．passenger

D．stranger

14.

A．work

B．disaster

C．weight

D．difficulty

15.

A．simply

B．usually

C．exactly

D．honestly

4 . When I think of the word “perfect”, I think of something only a few can achieve, like high beauty standards (标准), the super smart girl in my class, or anything that I can compare myself to.

For a few weeks now, I have been noticing this one girl. She has wonderful long dark brown hair, big blue eyes, and the most beautiful face. She always wears the prettiest clothes and seems to be the most popular girl in school, at least from my point of view. It seems like she has a perfect life, lost of friends, all A’s, and everything anyone could ever want.

One day, I was in language arts talking to my teacher about one of the upcoming tests, when I saw the girl staring at me in a strange way. I immediately started to be anxious and think, “Why is she looking at me? Did I do something wrong? Is my hair messed up?”

When the class was over and everyone was rushing to their next class, she caught up with and said, “I think you are really pretty.” I replied, “Oh my god, thank you!” I then watched her as she walked away and thought, “She thinks I am pretty?”

The whole day, I ended up thinking about one thing. That was, “Why does she think that?” After thinking about that topic in my head through each second of the day, I came to learn one big lesson: Everyone has their own insecurities (不安全感) even though it may not seem like in on the outside. In this case, I was thinking that she was everything I wanted to be and she thought the same of me.

We are just us and that’s OK. When I really look at myself, not from my point of view but a fresh one’s, I do see everything I want to be. I see a beautiful, smart, kind girl who is unique.

1. How did the author feel when the other girl fixed her eyes on her?

A．Calm.

B．Proud.

C．Nervous.

D．Comfortable.

2. What do we know about the author and the other girl?

A．They were perfect girls.	B．They admired each other.
C．They were concerned about their safety.	D．They were proud of themselves.

3. What did the author get from the other girl’s words in the end?

A．Bravery.

B．Honesty.

C．Selflessness.

D．Confidence.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．How I’ve learned I’m perfect.	B．When I met the perfect girl.
C．What kind of person I should be.	D．Who taught me what is really perfect.

5 . As a financial adviser, my clients come to me seeking help with growing their wealth. Perhaps the greatest lesson I share is that being rich isn’t a dollar amount; it is a perception that includes happiness, peace of mind, comfort and security. There’s a big difference between being wealthy and feeling wealthy.

Actually, one of the best ways I advise others in building their wealth is this: The secret to having more is giving more. Studies have shown that people who volunteer weekly exhibit an increase in happiness. Donating your time makes you grateful for all that you have, and you’ll have the unmatched joy and excitement of knowing you made a huge impact for the good of others.

Volunteering enables you to increase your relationship skills and encourages you to have conversations with people from very different walks of life. You can even make new friends. It is also a wonderful activity that families can do together. This has the added benefit of serving as a good role model to your children. I am encouraging my kids to volunteer and experience the power of love for themselves.

Without fail, every time I volunteer, I have conversations that change my life in some way. I was once volunteering at a local shelter and struck up a conversation with other volunteers. As we chatted, we all suddenly realized: The massive gratitude of those receiving help acted like a nuclear bomb going off in our hearts, and it also touched the other volunteers, making us all realize how truly blessed we are.

Giving our time, money and energy gives us a sense of achievement like nothing else. If “wealth” really is a perception of happiness, comfort and security, we must learn to get outside our own experience and understand what wealth means to other people.

1. What is the author’s understanding of wealth?

A．It is more of a state of mind.

B．It gives one the duty to help others.

C．It has something to do with finance.

D．It lifts people’s spirits like nothing else.

2. What makes a person appreciate what he has already owned?

A．Winning people’s recognition.

B．Spending time helping others.

C．Making a deep impression on others.

D．Improving one’s interpersonal skills.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Benefits of volunteering.	B．Parents’ roles in a family.
C．Importance of social skills.	D．Ways of being a volunteer.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．A Road to Real Wealth in Life	B．A Lesson in Wealth Management
C．A Different Way to Pursue Happiness	D．A Life-changing Volunteering Experience

6 . When I was a little boy, my parents and brothers would often play cards in the afternoons. It was a (n) ________ way to pass the time and after watching countless games, I started to ________. I was only five but I learned________ and was soon winning as often as I lost. When I started school, I found out the hours of playing cards had made me good with ________. I was getting full marks on my math tests until high school when I ________ they had a thing called Algebra   (代数) . I was ________to see letters mixed in with the numbers and I struggled to ________ it. Then one day I opened a Calculus (微积分) book. One look was all to know that I would not major in math.

Instead I found ________ studying literature, history, psychology, and philosophy, which all put me on a path that I am ________on today: it is a journey of learning all I can about life and________ . One thing I did learn was that love has its own unique math that isn’t logical yet makes________. In the Calculus of Love the more love you________, the more love you have. Sharing sorrows means subtracting (减去) them. Sharing________means multiplying them.

Love like life is often more than we can ________. But our soul can. May you choose it, share it, and learn it. Only then will your life add up ________.

1.

A．exact

B．valid

C．stable

D．merry

2.

A．join in

B．mark out

C．get through

D．break away

3.

A．hardly

B．quickly

C．normally

D．apparently

4.

A．dots

B．tests

C．versions

D．numbers

5.

A．discovered

B．indicated

C．observed

D．admitted

6.

A．excited

B．shocked

C．fascinated

D．associated

7.

A．adjust

B．seize

C．learn

D．obtain

8.

A．myself

B．it

C．me

D．itself

9.

A．already

B．yet

C．still

D．ever

10.

A．value

B．love

C．talent

D．skill

11.

A．effort

B．sense

C．progress

D．difference

12.

A．talk about

B．set aside

C．give away

D．hope for

13.

A．joys

B．ideas

C．dreams

D．feelings

14.

A．accept

B．hold

C．govern

D．understand

15.

A．fast

B．much

C．right

D．altogether

7 . “You’re going to buy me a bicycle?” I asked in_________. “Have you forgotten how old I am?” “No, I haven’t, and what_________does it make? Everybody of our age who travels in a motorhome has bicycles,” my husband said. I could not believe my ears.

When I was six, a girl was hit by a car while riding a bike and_________instantly. My parents told me bicycling would kill me. So, I never_________to ride.

But after I had children, I satisfied their_________to own bicycles and taught them to ride at an early age. Of course, I never_________that I would buy one for myself.

_________, I didn’t want to mess up my first travel before it started and I knew I needed to face my_________, so I decided to go along with this. One is never too_________to learn a new skill, I told myself.

After buying a bike, we were on our way to my first__________. With sweaty hands and a flying heart, I__________held the handlebars(车把) and balanced on those two wheels. There were a few sudden stops and__________starts over the course of the next thirty minutes, but I did it. I learned how to ride a bike.

Since that day, I have__________throughout Texas, California and Virginia. Bicycling has truly__________my retirement years, given me more self-confidence and, more__________, taught me that a simple, courageous act knows no age.

1.

A．shock

B．advance

C．public

D．despair

2.

A．use

B．reaction

C．story

D．difference

3.

A．laughed

B．returned

C．stopped

D．died

4.

A．hesitated

B．learned

C．forgot

D．promised

5.

A．desire

B．excuse

C．explanation

D．habit

6.

A．agreed

B．thought

C．proved

D．pretended

7.

A．Besides

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Instead

8.

A．dream

B．aim

C．demand

D．fear

9.

A．lazy

B．old

C．weak

D．busy

10.

A．discussion

B．lesson

C．experiment

D．shop

11.

A．awkwardly

B．proudly

C．secretly

D．regretfully

12.

A．normal

B．perfect

C．continuous

D．shaky

13.

A．driven

B．hiked

C．ridden

D．run

14.

A．defended

B．accepted

C．improved

D．started

15.

A．importantly

B．casually

C．basically

D．constantly

8 . In present times, stress is one of the major causes of mental illness and physical illness. Stress is no _________ to us. Everybody has met and experienced it. It lives in our homes, workplaces, and _________ follows us wherever we go, in some form or other. But do you know why you can’t _________ it?

You get stressed because you _________ to get stressed. This is ridiculous (荒谬的), you might say. You’re right. Who would _________ that stress is a choice that we make? And why in the world would we choose stress? Well, it is because we do not realize that we’re doing that. It happens _________. Choosing stress is easy, but the other way around is a _________ task.

Most of us would take the easy _________, the path of minimum efforts. We’re under stress at times _________ we don’t do anything that we should do — just because either we’re __________ or we don’t have __________ in ourselves. When you don’t complete your task on time, and the __________ draws near, stress envelops you.

If you did your task or carried your __________ as it should be, then you would not be stressed. Choosing not to get stressed is like swimming against the tide. Initially (最初), it __________ effort because you are used to going with the flow of your __________ behavior. So we need to overcome our laziness and self-abasement to be stress-free.

1.

A．loser

B．stranger

C．holder

D．founder

2.

A．even

B．ever

C．rather

D．seldom

3.

A．make fun of

B．be fond of

C．take care of

D．get rid of

4.

A．refuse

B．admit

C．recognize

D．choose

5.

A．believe

B．guess

C．regard

D．decide

6.

A．naturally

B．specially

C．deliberately

D．occasionally

7.

A．easy

B．hard

C．rough

D．main

8.

A．row

B．avenue

C．route

D．street

9.

A．although

B．because

C．so

D．whether

10.

A．selfish

B．lazy

C．mean

D．clever

11.

A．honesty

B．mercy

C．virtue

D．faith

12.

A．difficulty

B．challenge

C．timetable

D．deadline

13.

A．weight

B．responsibility

C．plan

D．backpack

14.

A．takes

B．costs

C．spends

D．pays

15.

A．advanced

B．developed

C．learned

D．dated

9 . One evening I washed and dried my hair. Then, as I combed it, my hair began to shed(掉落)by the handful. I remember sitting on the floor crying. I used to take pride in my hair.

I lost hair from all over my head, especially on the top where I had a huge bald spot. I was devastated. I called Tonya and told her what happened to my hair with tears. She showed up at my house soon and took me to the wig(假发)store. I purchased the first wig in my life.

Years went by and I kept up my routine of wearing wigs when it was cold and wearing my natural hair in the summer. Then, in September of 2020, I was looking for a wig, but I couldn’t find one that satisfied my taste.

That evening I told my husband about it and he looked at me, smiled and said, “Baby, just wear your hair. I like your natural hair. ”

That night I was on the phone with my mother and told her about it and she said, “Cassie I love your natural look. I get to see how beautiful you are. ”She went on to tell me that when I wear wigs, I can be anybody, but when I’m natural, I have no choice but to be myself.

After we ended the call, I began to think about what she said. I made a decision.

The next day I contacted my cousin who owns a barbershop and set an appointment. I got my hair cut and purchased some dye in the beauty supply store, just to add a little color to my hair.

It feels good not to worry about what hair to wear each day. I feel free, and I can honestly say that I don’t miss wearing those wigs. I’m embracing(接受)my natural hair and absolutely love it !

1. What does the underlined word “devastated” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Proud.

B．Frightened.

C．Curious.

D．Excited.

2. What made the author decide to wear her own hair?

A．The expensive cost of wigs.	B．The trouble of wearing wigs.
C．The words from her loved ones.	D．The dull wigs of all styles.

3. Why did the author call her cousin the next day?

A．To get her hair cut.	B．To buy a new wig.
C．To color her hair.	D．To fix her wigs.

4. What can be learned from the passage?

A．Two heads are far better than one.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart.

D．Nothing natural can be wholly unworthy.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A man and his son were going through the forest hills. Suddenly, the boy tripped     1     a stone and screamed     2     (painful), “Aah!” Surprisingly, he heard the same voice from the mountain, “Aah!” With     3     (curious), the boy shouted, “Who is this?” And the same voice replied,“Who is this?”He got angry,     4    (shout)again.“You are stupid!” And again came the same reply, “You are stupid!”

    5     (annoy) by this, the boy asked his father, “Father, What is going on? Who is this?” The father replied, “Son, pay attention”. The father shouted, “You are very nice”. And the voice had the same    6    (respond), “You are very nice!” The father again shouted, “Thank you”. And the voice     7     (repeat). The son became     8    (confused), waiting for his father’s explanation.

The father explained, “Son, this is     9     truth of the life,     10     is a reflection of your actions. Whatever you will give to others, you will receive the same in return.”