1 . Many years ago, I bought a house in the Garfagnana, where we still go every summer. The first time we ______ there, we heard the chug chug-chug of a motorbike ______ its way down the hill toward us. It was ______ called Mario, coming to ______ us a box containing some tomatoes and a bottle of wine. It was a very nice ______ for him to make. But when we looked at the tomatoes, we were ______ because they were so misshapen: not at all like the nice, round, ______ things you get in a supermarket. And the wine was cloudy, in a funny old bottle with no label (标签) on it. These can’t be any ______, we thought. But we were ______ his kindness, so we ______ them.

What we discovered is that it’s ______ to judge what you eat only by its ______. Those tomatoes had ______ that reminded me of the ones my uncle used to grow when I was a child. Nowadays supermarket tomatoes ______ perfect but taste of water. Nobody’s going to have a ______ memory of those. It’s a surprise they haven’t managed to grow square ones so that they can ______ them easily. Mario’s wine may have been cloudy and come out of an old bottle, but it was ______.

It’s good to eat things at the correct time, when they’re ______, and as close as possible to where they were ______. What Mario had ______ us was the taste of the Garfagnana.

1.

A．waited

B．met

C．camped

D．stayed

2.

A．making

B．searching

C．squeezing

D．feeling

3.

A．customer

B．neighbor

C．relative

D．passenger

4.

A．lend

B．send

C．bring

D．show

5.

A．choice

B．comment

C．promise

D．gesture

6.

A．worried

B．moved

C．thrilled

D．bored

7.

A．simple

B．real

C．shiny

D．fun

8.

A．more

B．good

C．new

D．easy

9.

A．sympathetic to

B．thankful for

C．cautious about

D．interested in

10.

A．tried

B．sold

C．returned

D．mixed

11.

A．unnecessary

B．uncertain

C．unwise

D．unusual

12.

A．appearance

B．quality

C．origin

D．price

13.

A．size

B．shape

C．color

D．taste

14.

A．smell

B．look

C．become

D．work

15.

A．happy

B．vivid

C．short

D．vague

16.

A．clean

B．check

C．count

D．pack

17.

A．perfect

B．useful

C．convenient

D．familiar

18.

A．on view

B．on sale

C．in season

D．in need

19.

A．finished

B．stored

C．found

D．grown

20.

A．cooked

B．given

C．bought

D．told

2 . Simply saying thank you doesn’t seem enough in certain situations. I was considering this while working as a _______ just a few weeks ago. And it came to me then how much easier it would be if we had a range of words that express different _______ of gratitude (感谢).

My thoughts were soon _______. We had a woman patient who was _______ from a knee replacement operation. One afternoon, while _______ to get into bed she collapsed (倒下) from what was _______ discovered to be a heart attack. The collapse was disastrous, _______the emergency medical team and good teamwork. But she recovered, though _______, and was ready for discharge (出院) after four weeks.

She was _______ for everything that the medical and nursing team had done for her. On her day of discharge, we shared in her ____________ at her recovery. As she was ____________ she was eager to say ____________ to each of us in the nursing team. When she ____________ one nurse, she tried to press a five-pound note into her hand. My colleague ____________ to accept it, saying that we were all just ____________ our job. The patient looked puzzled, and then ____________:“Oh this isn’t for the____________ I had. I take that as a ____________. No, this is for setting my hair yesterday.”

       And there you have it. To many people,____________lives is part of the job but styling hair is an ____________ and should be rewarded.1.

A．cleaner

B．chemist

C．nurse

D．doctor

2.

A．grades

B．meanings

C．needs

D．expectations

3.

A．brushed aside

B．put to the test

C．brought under discussion

D．taken into account

4.

A．departing

B．escaping

C．retiring

D．recovering

5.

A．attempting

B．choosing

C．pausing

D．promising

6.

A．eventually

B．fortunately

C．casually

D．secretly

7.

A．assessing

B．requiring

C．forming

D．proving

8.

A．slightly

B．accidentally

C．slowly

D．happily

9.

A．grateful

B．thoughtful

C．sorrowful

D．fearful

10.

A．surprise

B．delight

C．curiosity

D．disappointment

11.

A．operating

B．thinking

C．hesitating

D．leaving

12.

A．sorry

B．hello

C．goodbye

D．yes

13.

A．reached

B．consulted

C．introduced

D．persuaded

14.

A．wished

B．pretended

C．failed

D．refused

15.

A．enjoying

B．doing

C．securing

D．starting

16.

A．repeated

B．recited

C．replied

D．reported

17.

A．courage

B．patience

C．duty

D．care

18.

A．goal

B．given

C．push

D．greeting

19.

A．risking

B．changing

C．saving

D．building

20.

A．honour

B．ability

C．opening

D．extra

3 . Curiosity is rooted in our DNA. We are fascinated by the future; we are impressed with the unknown that surrounds us; we are amazed at all that we have to explore. The mysteries of the world have always been a push for us to watch.     1    .

Children are known for sticking their fingers in places where young fingers should never be. They are famous for putting all kinds of objects and substances in their mouths, everything from plastic blocks to any object in the room.

    2     It holds our hand as we move into old age and the unknown of the future. By and large, we are determined question-askers. We want to know more than we know; we want to expand our horizons, try out the new and undiscovered, and pursue experiences that deepen our comprehension of the world we live in.

    3     It is also the generation of possibilities. When we look at the world from multiple perspectives, we give ourselves permission to examine a wider range of resolutions. We open up our minds to explore the unexamined and unknown.     4     Ian Leslie explains it this way, “Curiosity is essential to an exploring mind; it opens our eyes to the new and undiscovered, encouraging us to seek out new experiences and meet new people.”

Curiosity is the catalyst(催化剂) for questioning, and questioning is what urges us to seek out the unfamiliar and the unknown.     5     It does not move forward, nor does it have sufficient power to dig what may lie just below the surface or just slightly out of reach. Curiosity is the fuel necessary for creativity to prosper and succeed.

A．Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

B．Without questioning, knowledge becomes inactive.

C．Nowhere is this truer than when we watch our children.

D．But curiosity is much more than a simple search for answers.

E．Curiosity becomes a boost for new opportunities and new options.

F．So ask questions to which there may be a wide variety of responses.

G．In adults, curiosity guides us toward a lifetime occupation and to new destinations.

4 . Since the first day of preschool, I was always the type to invest more time in my physical war than social activities, the type that _________ the girls who could get up in front of the class and _________ give a presentation. Anything in the area of being vocally confident was never my _________. But now I’m different. Such a change _________ my summer job.

My entire existence has been defined by the summers I’ve spent in Avalon, New Jersey. Then, in my 14th summer, I got a job, which made a _________ to me.

At first it frightened me:The idea of having to _________ my freedom. Not only was the loss of freedom saddening me, but the _________ in me came out to play when I realized that I was going to launch myself into a completely _________ environment.

The place was Brian’s Waffle House. At the beginning I was very nervous, _________ I gradually pushed myself much more and boosted my confidence. I’ve made so many great friends that I’ll __________ contact with even when the Waffle House is long gone. The time in the Brian’s Waffle House is not dull. And every customer is a valuable part of the __________.

My summer job has helped guide me in my own personal growth. Now I __________ to sing in front of a large group of people. And I never miss a __________ to allow my fashionable style to shine. If I hadn’t walked into the shop, I wouldn’t have __________ the social skills I have now. I will be __________ for the lessons and values I have learned forever.

1.

A．ignored

B．convinced

C．envied

D．consulted

2.

A．confidently

B．definitely

C．fortunately

D．secretly

3.

A．expectation

B．strength

C．excuse

D．ambition

4.

A．emerged from

B．departed from

C．suffered from

D．recovered from

5.

A．introduction

B．contribution

C．discovery

D．difference

6.

A．excite

B．possess

C．abandon

D．threaten

7.

A．shyness

B．delight

C．curiosity

D．pressure

8.

A．secure

B．strange

C．formal

D．natural

9.

A．as

B．or

C．but

D．so

10.

A．restore

B．lose

C．establish

D．maintain

11.

A．memory

B．experience

C．incident

D．journey

12.

A．dare

B．fail

C．promise

D．demand

13.

A．goal

B．plan

C．choice

D．chance

14.

A．assessed

B．acquired

C．exercised

D．applied

15.

A．ready

B．eager

C．grateful

D．suitable

5 . Although Cuban built a tech company that would finally make him extremely rich, he never showed off that. “I never, ever thought about _________,” he said. Instead, Cuban said his drive was something else _________. He said, “I always think about time. That’s always been my driving force. How can I control my own _________?”

At the beginning, when Cuban sold his first company for 6 million dollars, he never thought he’d have to _________ again. It made him so _________. He saved most of his _________ so he could live freely without worrying about future job. When he did _________, he spent on traveling with friends and family.

Five years later, the stock (股票) he had was highly _________ at the time. However, he hadn’t _________ most of his stock just months before the bubble (泡沫) ________________, and then the share (股份) price dropped quickly. “It taught me a ________________: When you just go after money, it never ________________ well,” Cuban said. “However, if you value time, it can work out quite well. The most valuable fortune we can ________________ is our time. The only thing we can do is ________________ time and make full use of it. In that case, we can get amazing results.”

I couldn’t agree more with Cuban’s views. A person’s life is short. We should make the best use of time to do meaningful things, so that we won’t ________________ a thing before death.

1.

A．money

B．relief

C．jobs

D．companies

2.

A．equally

B．completely

C．purposely

D．naturally

3.

A．narrowness

B．dirt

C．time

D．age

4.

A．live

B．share

C．travel

D．work

5.

A．wise

B．suitable

C．impressive

D．free

6.

A．symbols

B．strategies

C．earnings

D．rents

7.

A．party

B．spend

C．challenge

D．tour

8.

A．valuable

B．formal

C．major

D．obvious

9.

A．sold

B．packed

C．held

D．buried

10.

A．formed

B．improved

C．broke

D．changed

11.

A．personality

B．lesson

C．path

D．solution

12.

A．puts away

B．takes down

C．works out

D．gets over

13.

A．create

B．donate

C．buy

D．own

14.

A．save

B．apply

C．understand

D．limit

15.

A．feature

B．regret

C．start

D．deliver

6 . I believe almost everyone would like two things from their jobs and careers: success and happiness. They want to do relatively well financially, receive fair recognition for their accomplishments, enjoy their work as much as one can, and become happier as a person as a result. So many people, especially ambitious, hard-working people, simplify them in a logical way: They first seek success and then assume that success will lead to happiness.     1    . Chasing success has costs that can end up lowering happiness.

This is not to say that you have to choose between success and happiness.     2    . But you have to reverse (颠倒) the order of operations: Instead of trying first to get success and hoping it leads to happiness, start by working on your happiness, which will enhance your success.

Whether you are an employee or employer, it is a better investment to increase happiness at work and in life, rather than simply trying to increase measures of success.

    3    . No matter how much you enjoy your work, overwork will become an obstruction (阻碍) to well-being.

Once work quantity is under control, happiness at work requires a sense of meaning and purpose.     4    . Earned success implies a sense of accomplishment and recognition for a job well done, while service to others requires knowledge of the real people who benefit from your work.

Ultimately, although success and happiness are linked, the magic mostly works one-way — and not in the way that most people think.     5    , and may lead you to unhappiness. But working on your happiness. gives you the best chance at getting both.

A．You can obtain both

B．But this reasoning is faulty

C．It’s fairly reasonable to think this way, though

D．Working on your success to get happier is inefficient at best (充其量)

E．The first thing to remember is that happiness requires balance

F．It’s dangerous to pursue success instead of happiness

G．The two key aspects of meaningful work are earned success and service to others

7 . A teacher gave his students a test. Most of the students finished all the questions without much effort _______they all read the last one which was “What is the first name of the woman who _______ the school? ”

All of the students thought that this question was some kind of _______. They had all seen the cleaning woman many times during each day at school. It was _______ that she was tall and old, but how would they know her _______?

So they all _______ their test paper, leaving the last question _______. Just before the class ended, one of the students asked if the last question would count toward the results of the _______.

“_______”said the teacher.

He went on to say, “In your lives and careers, you will ________ many people and they are ________individual, so they each are worth your ________ and care, even if all you do is ________and say “Hello”.

Over the following days each of the students ________ the importance of finding out the name of the cleaner and introduced themselves. They all learned that cleaner’s name was Dorothy and they never forgot the ________ that everyone is important.

1.

A．while

B．until

C．since

D．after

2.

A．cleans

B．manages

C．supports

D．guards

3.

A．pity

B．risk

C．story

D．joke

4.

A．natural

B．clear

C．possible

D．unusual

5.

A．address

B．family

C．name

D．age

6.

A．left behind

B．lifted up

C．put away

D．handed in

7.

A．unanswered

B．open

C．out

D．unprepared

8.

A．exercise

B．experiment

C．test

D．match

9.

A．Possibly

B．No

C．Sure

D．Never

10.

A．love

B．help

C．respect

D．meet

11.

A．important

B．unique

C．intelligent

D．honest

12.

A．consideration

B．attention

C．discussion

D．protection

13.

A．look

B．smile

C．listen

D．play

14.

A．remembered

B．proved

C．explained

D．realized

15.

A．lesson

B．opinion

C．premise

D．argument

8 . When Failure Is a Good Thing

Failure is an important process you can learn from.    1    

Most people view failure as something that should be avoided at all costs.    2    It may have been an “F” we received on a paper or the high expectations our parents placed upon our shoulders that stopped us from trying.

Award-winning psychologist and author, Ron Friedman, tells the story of how Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, revolutionized the women's clothing industry and became a billionaire in his book, The Best Place To Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace.

    3     She had zero experience in the clothing industry, lacked an education in business and raised only $5,000 to invest. When asked where she found the courage, she gave all credit to her dad. While most parents ask their kids, “How was your day?" when sitting down for dinner, Sara's parents asked her and her brother, “What did you fail at today?” each and every night.

When interviewed by CNN's Anderson Cooper, Sara said, “Instead of failure being the outcome, failure became not trying. It forced me at a young age to want to push myself so much further out of my comfort zone.”     4     It became more about learning and less about a personal weakness.

If we view failure as weakness, we avoid stepping out of our comfort zone.     5     It does not define us, but instead matures us. I 'm sure that there are many risks we would all take in our personal, professional and spiritual lives if we could get past a fear of failure.

What has been the greatest lesson you have learned when taking a chance? Please share with us.

A．And, most importantly, it means you tried.

B．Let's take a look at how Sara faced failures.

C．In reality, Sara's father had re-defined failure.

D．Early on, Sara overcame a series of difficulties.

E．Instead, we must remind ourselves that failure is an action.

F．It is important to reflect on what can be learnt from failure.

G．We tend to connect failure with a bad experience we had as a child.

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容及所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

The walls of failure surrounded me. I saw my teacher’s eyes fixed on my every move. My mom’s blank expression betrayed one thing: disappointment. “He is not giving his full potential,” I heard my teacher say. I gazed down, afraid, ashamed, and determined. My determination was not to excel and put my best effort into improvement; my determination told me to give up.

It was my first year in the United States. I was a fifth grader, and everything around me seemed alien. My native language had been Spanish, and after coming to the United States from Puerto Rico because of serious family problems, I just felt like hiding inside my metaphorical shell. The school itself was bright and very welcoming. The bright walls with colored dinosaurs and cartoons were appealing, and the distinct smell of crayons, play dough, and chalks made the place feel like my home.

Then why did l have such a negative attitude? It was not because my teachers did not support me. They were willing to stay after school with me to help me learn the concepts. It was not because my classmates did not want me there. Most of them invited me to sit with them at lunch. It was not because I could not talk to anyone; I had a bilingual teacher with me all day, helping me.

My negative attitude was the result of frustration and lack of interest in study. No matter how hard I tried, the mysterious code known as “English” would not take root in my brain. I tried for hours on end to improve my grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary ,but the unknown language “did not want to be learned”.

Paragraph 1:

One afternoon, my mother was informed to attend a parent-leacher conference.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

The next day, I found myself understanding English words I had thought I would never know.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . It started with a dogwood (山茱英) tree.

I was in Ohio when my mother died on a cold day in February, and everything was ______.A few weeks into my grief (悲痛), my uncle suggested planting a tree in her______. He had visited my parents decades before during a California spring. They drove down a neighborhood street______blooming (盛开的) dogwood trees and ever since, the______of a dogwood reminded him of my mom.

We planted the dogwood in May. Its gray trunk was as thin as my mother's arms. It lay in the______much like her ashes (骨灰) would settle on the rocky soil of the Rocky Mountains five years later.

Planting a living thing to______her hard life that ended too soon soothed (抚慰) my heart. This tree would be a symbol of her, something I could _______despite all I’d lost.

My mother could make anything_______.She possessed not just green thumbs but green hands and a nature that could raise anything but_______

As a young adult, I was never good at cultivation (培养)— opportunities, relationships, flowers._______distance and poor health, my relationship with my mom never got the_______to blossom like I'd hoped.

But my mom’s dogwood grew. Its ______pushed into the hard soil; its white blossoms________like stars every June. This tree gave me hope that life goes on ______the past.

Soon I began buying other plants. Without explanations, these plants______ thrived (旺盛) under my care. And I grew, too, learning how to ______them. So many lessons that nature already knew, that my mother must have known but didn’t have time to ______, I applied to my own life.

A part of me believes this is my mother's ______she gave to me after death — the ability to encourage and celebrate______where there was none, to make flowers appear out of dirt. It is her reminder to find the good in whatever I’m_____ , and a promise that wherever she is, it is beautiful.

Though she has been gone for more than 14 years, I can still find her in my garden.

1.

A．cold

B．colorless

C．false

D．delicate

2.

A．company

B．favor

C．memory

D．place

3.

A．lined with

B．made of

C．flooded with

D．loaded with

4.

A．existence

B．sight

C．height

D．wonder

5.

A．air

B．heaven

C．water

D．ground

6.

A．honor

B．protect

C．value

D．claim

7.

A．live up to

B．adapt to

C．hold on to

D．catch up to

8.

A．appear

B．rise

C．applaud

D．grow

9.

A．herself

B．itself

C．themselves

D．myself

10.

A．Far from

B．Because of

C．In face of

D．Apart from

11.

A．season

B．chance

C．situation

D．moment

12.

A．branches

B．seeds

C．roots

D．leaves

13.

A．failed

B．smelt

C．remained

D．exploded

14.

A．in spite of

B．in case of

C．in regard to

D．in addition to

15.

A．properly

B．slightly

C．frequently

D．suddenly

16.

A．tend

B．protect

C．water

D．appreciate

17.

A．learn

B．share

C．draw

D．apply

18.

A．lesson

B．secret

C．gift

D．letter

19.

A．tradition

B．holidays

C．victory

D．life

20.

A．Taken

B．handed

C．reminded

D．convinced