1 . In 2014, Mom wanted to live closer to us. My husband, Kevin, and I found a lovely ______ for her. The next day, she ______ me to complain about the food in a nearby restaurant.

I asked Kevin. “Do you think I complain a lot?” Kevin hesitated a few seconds before saying no. I realized that the family nature of complaining had taken ______ in me.

I decided to keep a better watch on my______. Things went fine for a few weeks. I was delighted at my ______. But every time Mom called, I got ______. I felt ______ to change by myself.

A few days later, I received from my friend Torry a ______ with one word on its cover: Blessings. He encouraged me to keep writing things I’m______for.

The next morning, I ______ the journal and wrote the date, then two things I was grateful for. Number one, friends who ______ me. Two, my caring husband. ______filled my heart. Maybe this was it. Not just the missing piece to help me ______the complaining but a joyous replacement:______.

Over the next few months, as I ______ to list blessings each day, I noticed little things I’d been ______ to: how the wind made the leaves ______; how the smile of a baby ______ my heart.

Looking for things to be thankful for ______to a deeper shift in me. Life didn’t suddenly become trouble-free. But a new awareness of the ______ around me made me see how lucky I was.

1.

A．hospital

B．school

C．apartment

D．garden

2.

A．called

B．invited

C．asked

D．forced

3.

A．root

B．shape

C．place

D．efforts

4.

A．health

B．tongue

C．weight

D．attitude

5.

A．method

B．chance

C．success

D．growth

6.

A．scared

B．excited

C．relaxed

D．nervous

7.

A．necessary

B．powerless

C．possible

D．happy

8.

A．book

B．present

C．brochure

D．journal

9.

A．thankful

B．eager

C．prepared

D．meant

10.

A．received

B．read

C．opened

D．copied

11.

A．host

B．trust

C．warn

D．encourage

12.

A．Satisfaction

B．Sorrow

C．Inspiration

D．Completion

13.

A．refuse

B．overcome

C．update

D．understand

14.

A．Honor

B．Adaptation

C．Gratitude

D．Balance

15.

A．imagined

B．applied

C．required

D．continued

16.

A．addicted

B．blind

C．related

D．used

17.

A．dance

B．die

C．grow

D．move

18.

A．clarified

B．lifted

C．restored

D．improved

19.

A．went

B．replied

C．led

D．connected

20.

A．people

B．lessons

C．blessings

D．love

2 . This is an amazing story about Lucio Chiquito Caicedo of Colombia.

At 104, Lucio finally_________his PhD program at the University of Manchester, an_________he has been working toward for 30 years. Curious to know the_________behind this? That’s because his dissertation (学位论文) , which was required for graduation, _________him solving a hard math equation (方程) that_________numerous people after it was first discovered 200 years ago.

This was a huge_________, which he was well aware of. But he chose to_________. Holding a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in science and technology, he is quite_________in his field. He wasn’t about to_________a 200-year-old problem to defeat him!

He has been actively working on his dissertation for the last 30 years, but life got__________, and he could only spare a little time to devote to the __________he’d been trying to solve for decades. However, when the lockdown(封禁) took place, it suddenly__________him to concentrate on it.

Lucio __________the rare opportunity. He began working tirelessly, __________himself to his research, and ended up solving the equation! He handed in his__________ to the university. At first, he was a little__________that the approval process would take a long time. __________, his work was accepted relatively quickly. Then, at last, he was __________a doctoral degree.

At 104 years old, Lucio__________to meet a professional goal, proving that it’s never too________to achieve your dreams!

1.

A．changed

B．confirmed

C．completed

D．considered

2.

A．opportunity

B．ability

C．event

D．issue

3.

A．hardship

B．reason

C．inspiration

D．secret

4.

A．depended on

B．focused on

C．dawned on

D．fixed on

5.

A．attracted

B．amazed

C．motivated

D．beat

6.

A．exception

B．hit

C．risk

D．challenge

7.

A．reflect

B．fight

C．wait

D．react

8.

A．ambitious

B．accomplished

C．determined

D．promising

9.

A．allow

B．request

C．imagine

D．choose

10.

A．tough

B．normal

C．simple

D．busy

11.

A．conflict

B．crisis

C．puzzle

D．dilemma

12.

A．reminded

B．convinced

C．drove

D．freed

13.

A．took advantage of

B．got along with

C．went over to

D．made up for

14.

A．adapting

B．helping

C．committing

D．addressing

15.

A．assumptions

B．explanations

C．findings

D．theories

16.

A．nervous

B．regretful

C．surprised

D．discouraged

17.

A．Hopefully

B．Unexpectedly

C．Fortunately

D．Undoubtedly

18.

A．titled

B．awarded

C．assigned

D．rewarded

19.

A．prepared

B．afforded

C．desired

D．managed

20.

A．late

B．difficult

C．careful

D．soon

3 . In Guilin China, studying Mandarin(普通话)my girlfriend says, “We are so far from home!” It seems obvious, so it surprised me that I disagreed. Why didn’t I feel far from home? It took me a while to realize: No one place feels like home. Home is wherever I’m sleeping that night.

When people ask where I’m from, I don’t know how to answer. I’m not really from any one place. Though I was born in California, we moved to England when I was 5. Then Chicago, and I’ve been moving around ever since. Boston, New York City, Woodstock, Portland, Santa Monica, London, Seattle. No one place got my allegiance. They’re all home. And they are the same.

I’m officially an “Overseas citizen of India”. Recently a legal resident(合法居民) of Singapore, New Zealand, and Belgium. Now where is home, again?

Someone once asked what I’m running from. When you sit in your kitchen, are you running from your living room? They’re all just rooms in your house. You sit in them at different time for different needs.

Imagine living a few years each in Melbourne, Reykjavik, Panama, Vienna, Cambridge, Kyoto, Kerala, Curitiba, and Jerusalem. Long enough so that each place feels like home. Finally, I feel connected to all parts, but this maybe keeps me from getting too connected to each place.

Any time you move to a new place, you learn some new things and maybe forget some others. It keeps you from feeling you’re right and others are wrong. It keeps the brain in circulation(循环). No one place feels like home.

1. Why does the author disagree with his girlfriend?

A．Because home is just a place to live in for him.	B．Because Guiling is his home.
C．Because he has no home.	D．Because he was born in California.

2. What does the underlined word “allegiance” mean according to the context?

A．Comment

B．Respect

C．Impression

D．Preference

3. Why does the author mention different rooms in paragraph 4?

A．To answer someone’s question about rooms.	B．To describe his large house with several rooms.
C．To explain why he move from place to place.	D．To consider his homes as different rooms.

4. According to the text, which of the following statements may the author support?

A．East or west, home is the best.	B．Home is where a person is.
C．A letter from home is a priceless treasure.	D．Easy come, easy go.

4 . Thanks to a rereading of Jane Austen’s fiction, I have experienced a rejuvenation (恢复) of spirit and energy that has transformed my life. Rereading for the sheer pleasure of Austen’s language and characters when I experienced some depression in my 60s initiated a process that became more serious as I continued to reread the novels in my 70s and became more and more curious about the relationship between reading, learning and the imagination.

Now I find that the processes of rereading, investigation and reflection have led me to the best time in my life. It raised issues in my mind about memory, truth telling and art. In weaving together these aspects of my own reading experiences, I discovered parts of myself that I had not previously explored.

On the one hand I felt removed sufficiently to evaluate the best and worst of times in my own life. And on the other hand, I became so deeply immersed in the reflective process that I surprisedly realized the longstanding dissatisfactions were evaporating around me.

Of course, to be worth rereading, novels must have the potential to yield new insights. For this reason, I have reread Austen’s same six novels many times. They have offered me the richness and complexity required to help me reassess where I am in my life, the quality of my relationships past and present, and the values at stake in my life choices.

When I read Pride and Prejudice at the age of 15, I read it as a domestic comedy. I loved the Bennet sisters because they were lively and, for all their bickering, they were having fun. Rereading the same novel in my 30s I put my attention elsewhere. I paid serious attention to whether I could reconcile (和解) myself to Charlotte Lucas !s view that happiness in marriage is a matter of chance.

At the age of 90, I reread, reflect and comfort myself with Elizabeth Bennet’s words, “till this moment I never knew myself’. This is the moment I have been waiting for.

1. Why did the writer begin to reread Jane Austen’s novel?

A．To deal with depression and seek joy.

B．To revive her love for literature.

C．To evaluate the process of rereading.

D．To dig deeper into literature study.

2. According to the writer, what books are worth rereading?

A．Books themed on life choices.	B．Books with attractive characters.
C．Books that inspire new thinking.	D．Books that recall the best moments of life.

3. How does the writer show the impact of rereading Pride and Prejudice?

A．By analyzing the novel from different aspects.

B．By comparing her reflections at different ages.

C．By quoting speeches from the main characters.

D．By describing the perspectives of different characters.

4. What message does the writer seem to convey in the text?

A．Every Jane Austen’s fiction deserves rereading.

B．Reading books does good to depressed people.

C．Rereading novels sharpens people’s reading skills.

D．Rereading great books is a rewarding experience.

5 . Bobby had attempted to climb the big snowy mountain. He had tried it at least thirty times but had always_________. He began at a god pace, focusing on the snowy summit, imagining the wonderful _________ there. But as he went on. and his strength dwindled (减少), his gaze would _________and look at his worn out boots. _________ , when the clouds had gathered round him, and he understood that he wouldn’t be able to_________ the view from the summit that day, he would give up and return to the village below.

On one of these _________he went up the mountain accompanied by old Peeper, the town optician (配镜师), who witnessed the_________. Peeper encouraged Bobby to try again, and he_________him with a pair of special sunglasses. “If it starts_________over, or if your feet start hurting, put these glasses on. These are__________glasses; they’ll help you. ”Bobby accepted the gift without giving it much mind, __________when his feet started hurting again, he put on the glasses. Just as nearly always seemed to happen, __________returned in the form of cloud cover. But this time it was so__________that he could still see the summit through the clouds. And so Bobby kept climbing, __________his pain, and finally arrived at the summit. His feeling of__________was incomparable with the mountain below surrounded by a sea of clouds. Bobby didn’t remember the clouds being as thick as that, so he looked more __________at the sunglasses, and understood everything.

Peeper had engraved a light __________on the lenses, in the form of the snow-covered summit. It was made in such a way that you could only see it if you looked__________He thanked Peeper for using that little__________to help him see that his aims were not __________, and that they were still there, where they had always been.

1.

A．stopped

B．failed

C．succeeded

D．lost

2.

A．view

B．rest

C．cheer

D．time

3.

A．shake

B．spread

C．fix

D．lower

4.

A．Finally

B．Suddenly

C．Actually

D．Immediately

5.

A．catch

B．enjoy

C．notice

D．reach

6.

A．experiments

B．lessons

C．occasions

D．courses

7.

A．failure

B．trouble

C．cause

D．sight

8.

A．equipped

B．recommended

C．promoted

D．presented

9.

A．raining

B．clouding

C．coming

D．shining

10.

A．changeable

B．expensive

C．special

D．protective

11.

A．but

B．since

C．as

D．then

12.

A．hopelessness

B．warning

C．accident

D．misfortune

13.

A．beautiful

B．light

C．white

D．high

14.

A．curing

B．reducing

C．forgetting

D．remembering

15.

A．success

B．pain

C．gratitude

D．nervousness

16.

A．strictly

B．distantly

C．closely

D．nearly

17.

A．frame

B．glass

C．part

D．image

18.

A．backwards

B．upwards

C．downwards

D．forwards

19.

A．operation

B．technique

C．secret

D．trick

20.

A．easy

B．realistic

C．impossible

D．responsible

6 . Mary and Alice are two good friends. They both _________ an ordinary life, having ordinary houses and ordinary jobs. There is really nothing _________ about their lives. And _________ they are both satisfied, Mary is happier than Alice. Whenever Alice comes to_________ Mary, Mary is always happy. It looks like nothing can _________ her. And whenever there is a party, she is always the focus of it, wearing a big _________ on her face and _________ others’ attention.

Alice can_________ stop thinking about this-how can Mary _________ to do that when they both have similar life experiences? They go to the __________ grocery store and cinema, and __________ the same movies. How is it that Mary can be so happy and carefree when faced with so much__________ about work, thinking about what her boss wants and __________ when she will be promoted? There seems no way one can be so happy and pressure-free. After all, there are always many things to __________ But whenever Alice asks Mary about the secret of happiness, Mary always says, “I just take life as it comes. ”

What is the__________ between these two friends? How is it that Mary can have a__________ attitude to life most of the time? Maybe the problem with Alice is that she thinks too much and__________ to do everything at once. However, in the daily life, Mary takes everything one step__________. That is to say, she reminds herself to do only one thing each time. She is where she is, and stays in the __________ moment.

So when you live in the moment and__________ life to the fullest, you will be happy every day.

1.

A．expect

B．abandon

C．lead

D．change

2.

A．strange

B．interesting

C．wrong

D．special

3.

A．although

B．because

C．if

D．unless

4.

A．comfort

B．visit

C．thank

D．invite

5.

A．astonish

B．satisfy

C．trouble

D．guarantee

6.

A．fear

B．puzzle

C．smile

D．shock

7.

A．calling

B．requiring

C．losing

D．attracting

8.

A．always

B．hardly

C．almost

D．totally

9.

A．manage

B．refuse

C．decide

D．offer

10.

A．distant

B．unusual

C．same

D．ordinary

11.

A．shoot

B．watch

C．review

D．share

12.

A．anger

B．confusion

C．stress

D．hurt

13.

A．wondering

B．introducing

C．looking

D．choosing

14.

A．take over

B．leave behind

C．leave out

D．deal with

15.

A．agreement

B．difference

C．connection

D．appointment

16.

A．casual

B．serious

C．negative

D．positive

17.

A．attempts

B．promises

C．pretends

D．remembers

18.

A．at times

B．at a time

C．on time

D．in time

19.

A．previous

B．future

C．past

D．present

20.

A．enjoy

B．devote

C．risk

D．extend

7 . For me, one of the biggest joys is to succeed in something that others think it is impossible to succeed in. Several years ago, I really ________ for a certain position, and I worked hard for it, but I ________ to get it. I clearly remember when one of my ________ bosses told me,“You ________ leadership skills and that is why we ________ somebody else.”

One year later, I got a very nice ________ from an organization called Toastmasters for my voluntary work. The recognition was for my ________ leadership skills which I testified in the organization as an area ________ , and I got it from the ________ of the organization. One of my first thoughts was the ________ from the earlier boss. He made a(n) ________ positive influence on me unintentionally (无意地).

From that point on, I have been telling myself that when people say that I lack this or that, that it is ________ , or that I can not do it, I will ________ , because I’m firmly ________ that it’s ________ .

Since then, I’ve been ________ negative statements or expressions telling that something is not possible, because I know that when I ________ my goals, it is a much bigger ________ than in the case where everyone would say, “Go for it! It is ________ . Everybody can be a CEO!” Now, I am a CEO and founder. I would like to ask you to prove others wrong who do not ________ you. There is no bigger joy than that.

1.

A．longed

B．allowed

C．sent

D．paid

2.

A．wanted

B．meant

C．failed

D．managed

3.

A．average

B．traditional

C．special

D．previous

4.

A．deserve

B．lack

C．drop

D．own

5.

A．attached

B．chose

C．assisted

D．deserted

6.

A．explanation

B．suggestion

C．ambition

D．recognition

7.

A．curious

B．equal

C．outstanding

D．single

8.

A．worker

B．clerk

C．manager

D．employee

9.

A．president

B．crew

C．staff

D．members

10.

A．words

B．criticism

C．praise

D．phrase

11.

A．horrible

B．unbelievable

C．absurd

D．fresh

12.

A．useless

B．responsible

C．helpful

D．important

13.

A．consult

B．bargain

C．smile

D．shout

14.

A．involved

B．described

C．concerned

D．convinced

15.

A．convenient

B．tiring

C．hopeless

D．possible

16.

A．organizing

B．wasting

C．collecting

D．publishing

17.

A．reach

B．acquire

C．conclude

D．finish

18.

A．load

B．joy

C．puzzle

D．lie

19.

A．normal

B．useful

C．regular

D．easy

20.

A．see off

B．believe in

C．turn to

D．come across

8 . For most of my life, I didn’t like being seen. I went bright red when it was my turn to speak in a group. I hated the teacher asking me something. I even didn’t like my family all looking at me! I often tried to hide away and avoid being seen by others! So, it’s not strange that I feared speaking in front of others.

Luckily, I’ve learned to overcome my problem. Now I love helping others who have the same problem that I once had but want to speak up because they have valuable things to share. I particularly love helping entrepreneurs (企业家) to become more confident. When you help a leader, the impact is so much greater.

Over the years I’ve discovered that there are three main problems that people have when it comes to speaking in public. The first is a lack of self­belief. They doubt themselves and question whether what they have to say is valuable. The second is a fear of being seen as arrogant (傲慢的). The third is a fear of rejection or a fear of not being liked.

All of these problems are related to mindset, specifically, a fear­based mindset, which is common. These fears stop people from stepping up as the leader and influencer they were born to be.

If you want to become a more effective influencer, it is so important to work on any fears you have of judgment or rejection. They will be a ball and chain that will hold you back from success. We need to take action despite feeling fear. We can’t wait for the fear to go away as it won’t go away itself. We have to act while we still feel it. And to overcome fears, we should practice. Confidence is attached to progress, and we only progress if we practice. If you don’t feel you’re progressing, you’ll start to lose your confidence and stay stuck in fear.

1. What does the author like doing now?

A．Giving speeches in front of people.

B．Sharing experiences with her followers.

C．Making friends with famous entrepreneurs.

D．Helping others gain confidence in speaking in public.

2. What can we learn about the problems that prevent people from talking publicly according to the author?

A．They are very difficult to overcome.

B．They lead to a very uncommon mindset.

C．They exist mainly because of people’s fears.

D．They are no problem for leaders or influencers.

3. What does the author suggest people do?

A．Wait for the fear to disappear.

B．Avoid failure to become more confident.

C．Refuse judgment or rejection from others.

D．Practice hard to make progress in spite of fears.

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

A．Finding the Courage Inside You

B．Becoming a more Influential Person

C．Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

D．Expressing Your Ideas more Effectively

9 . 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。

We have a problem that is deeply rooted in our world today. When it     1     (come) to the holidays, people tend to forget that it’s the season of giving rather than receiving. We tend to be more     2     (interest) in what we’ll receive on Christmas morning instead of looking at the holidays as an opportunity     3     (help) out those who don’t have it as good as we do. So how can we change the culture around the holidays and make sure that people are emphasizing the time to give as much     4     they are looking forward to opening up their stockings? This is a question worth     5     (think) about. Giving     6     (selfless) is the right thing to do, though many of us     7     (challenge) by the task. Whether or not we have much money to spare, it isn’t always easy to give away     8     we have worked so hard for, especially when we have set financial goals — saving for retirement, a vacation or a     9     (rain) day. Even with so many reasons to be unwilling, the advantages of giving outweigh them all. When we give to those in need, we make a positive difference     10     the lives of others and our own.

10 . Laungi Bhuiya, a man from a small village named Kothilwa in India, has a noble dream — to bring water to his village. To ________ this, he did the seemingly (看似) ________ — dig a canal through the land so that water can ________ from the hills to his village.

Thus started Bhuiya’s digging, which went on for almost 30 years. But his ________ brought him scorn (鄙视) from the people in his village. His own wife called him “mad.” She tried everything to ________ him, even to the point of denying him food, but she ________.

“I was always ________ with him for not caring about the children. There was never any money, never enough food,” she said.

Using only ________ tools, Bhuiya spent years digging through Kothilwa’s barren landscape. ________, he was able to create a three-kilometer canal. His ________ earned him the reputation as the “madman”.

Kothilwa is a(n) ________ village home to almost 750 people, most of whom live in mud huts and ________ a couple of wells for drinking water. They don’t have enough water for irrigation (灌溉), therefore making them unable to grow ________ to feed themselves. This is what ________ Bhuiya to build the canal.

Eventually, the ________ learned about the story of this ________ “madman”. A local journalist, Jai Prakash, wrote a report about him and published it in a local Hindi newspaper, which was a breakthrough for Bhuiya. Kothilwa was then ________ by journalists, social workers, and political leaders, all wanting to ________ Bhuiya.

The villagers’ ________ to Bhuiya has changed as well. They even asked the government for a road to be ________ in the village and named after Bhuiya.

1.

A．promote

B．accomplish

C．stop

D．solve

2.

A．impossible

B．perfect

C．necessary

D．important

3.

A．float

B．blow

C．roll

D．flow

4.

A．energy

B．talent

C．enthusiasm

D．interest

5.

A．discourage

B．protect

C．support

D．criticize

6.

A．continued

B．failed

C．returned

D．forgot

7.

A．strict

B．satisfied

C．bored

D．angry

8.

A．simple

B．advanced

C．heavy

D．expensive

9.

A．Suddenly

B．Generally

C．Constantly

D．Finally

10.

A．words

B．dreams

C．efforts

D．beliefs

11.

A．poor

B．famous

C．beautiful

D．abandoned

12.

A．think of

B．depend on

C．give away

D．put aside

13.

A．trees

B．flowers

C．weeds

D．crops

14.

A．advised

B．required

C．motivated

D．allowed

15.

A．school

B．hospital

C．company

D．media

16.

A．determined

B．proud

C．stupid

D．ridiculous

17.

A．searched

B．studied

C．visited

D．remembered

18.

A．hire

B．meet

C．pay

D．recognize

19.

A．devotion

B．donation

C．reply

D．attitude

20.

A．built

B．opened

C．enlarged

D．improved