1 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

I had just finished my dance class, and it was a disaster: I started on the wrong foot and couldn’t get the steps that other students seemed to do easily. I began to doubt my talent for ballet.

Just then, my big sister Julissa arrived. She took one look at me and asked, “What’s wrong Lakeisha?”

“Nothing,” I said quietly. I was too shy to be perfectly frank with my sister.

“Uh huh,” Julissa replied. “Looks like a bad ‘nothing’ to me, so tell me what happened.”

“Well,” I mumbled (咕哝), “maybe I shouldn’t be taking dance classes? It felt like I was the only one who couldn’t land her pirouettes (单脚尖旋转) today.”

“Listen,” she said, “not every day is a great one, and not everything you try is going to work out the way you want. The point is to keep trying. Remember that and you’ll be fine.”

“I tried my best, but…” I replied.

Looking at me seriously, Julissa said, “Maybe ballet is not your thing, but dance is. I see how beautifully you shake and move all the time. There are all kinds of ways to dance, so maybe you just need to find your own style. Why not stick to jazz dance? You are so good at it.”

I thought about her words and my performances carefully. Yes, why had I never thought of that? I wanted to be a ballet dancer, but it may not be a good choice for me. It seemed as if I suddenly saw the light

“You’re right,” I replied. “Thank you. I’m so lucky to have you to guide me!”

1. What did Lakeisha think of her dance class? (no more than 5 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why didn’t Lakeisha show her true feelings at first? (no more than 5 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How do you understand the underlined part in paragraph 8? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What advice from Julissa made Lakeisha happy in the end? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is your understanding of finding one’s style? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . My knees started shaking, yet my body froze. It felt as though my soul left my body and I had no _______ of it. I looked through the list posted on the wall _______. My heart sank as I saw all my friends’ names on that list but was _______ to find mine.

Tears filled my eyes. Just then, a group of students _______ to see the final team list. Every one of them jumped with _______ after seeing that they made the basketball team. Trying to _______ about the situation, I walked home. However, I walked _______ and it felt as if I had a100-pound weight tied to my backpack. My mind was also _______.

Noticing my _______ facial expression, my father asked me what was wrong. “I didn’t make the basketball team,” I replied. “What are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit there?” he asked.

I just shook my head and ________ myself in my room. Being alone in my room, I thought hard about what my dad said, and it started ________ to me. Nobody was going to give me a(n) ________ on that team. I would have to ________ it. Then I decided to take action. Conveniently, there was a ________ near my school, and I biked there after school every day and trained hard for two hours. I wasn’t sure if I could finally make it, but I ________ it.

After almost a year of ________, I tried out for my seventh-grade team. ________ the result, I knew I’d worked hard and learned about mental ________. The next day, I found out I made the team. As the saying goes, “The greater the ________, the sweeter the reward.” I couldn’t ________ with it more.

1.

A．sight

B．control

C．memory

D．record

2.

A．angrily

B．indifferently

C．aimlessly

D．anxiously

3.

A．unsure

B．unnecessary

C．unable

D．unwilling

4.

A．crowded

B．pretended

C．hesitated

D．announced

5.

A．regrets

B．confusion

C．sadness

D．excitement

6.

A．talk

B．forget

C．worry

D．argue

7.

A．heavily

B．bravely

C．quickly

D．smoothly

8.

A．open

B．wild

C．blank

D．clear

9.

A．irregular

B．unsuitable

C．irresponsible

D．unusual

10.

A．treated

B．locked

C．relaxed

D．comforted

11.

A．making sense

B．showing off

C．coming over

D．turning back

12.

A．excuse

B．account

C．spot

D．comment

13.

A．quit

B．earn

C．hide

D．share

14.

A．museum

B．library

C．supermarket

D．gym

15.

A．stuck to

B．focused on

C．cared about

D．admitted to

16.

A．waiting

B．planning

C．practicing

D．learning

17.

A．Regardless of

B．Thanks to

C．Apart from

D．According to

18.

A．health

B．toughness

C．attitude

D．weakness

19.

A．courage

B．patience

C．effort

D．confidence

20.

A．shake

B．agree

C．fix

D．deal

3 . One freezing morning last February, I walked through Ontario Place. Trees were frosted sculptures. Large chunks of ice floated in the lake. Then I saw a group of people in bathing suits bouncing up and down in the water. They held hands, shouting and yelling into the sky. They looked and sounded so free.

I’ve always found cold water thrilling. The shock of it is like pressing a switch. It seems to reset my body and soul.

And last winter, I definitely needed a reset. I woke up most mornings with a dull, grey feeling as I forced myself out of bed to start the day. I needed something to cheer myself up, but I didn’t know what, until that day.

The ice warriors (勇士) emerged from the lake, their skin steaming. Trembling, they were yet laughing and hugging each other. I called out:   “You guys are awesome!” One woman waved back, “Come and join us! We’ re here every Monday morning.”

The night before my first dip (游泳), I was excited and nervous. Cold water was one thing, but this icy lake was a whole other level. Should I back out? Eventually, I got up in the dark and drove to the meeting spot.

After some wild warm up, I charged into the lake along with others. We yelled into the sky. Teeth chattering heart rates slowing, fingers and toes going numb (麻木), we stayed there for somewhere between two and five minutes. Knowing it was my first time, people cheered me on. It felt amazing. I was stupid with cold, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so happy.

Now I go dipping almost every day, and I’ve come to long for that moment when the cold becomes a second skin and my internal voice goes silent. Apart from the thrill of those first heart-stopping dives, which, ironically, saved me from going under, what has drawn me is this community of generous, open-hearted souls.

We laughed together, often, but from the stories we’ve shared about ourselves, I know I’m not the only one who faces life’s challenges. Holding hands in the freezing lake, we looked out for each other last winter and will do so through this one.

It won’t fix everything in our lives—but for some reason, it helps. At the end of each session I return home feeling stronger, lighter, more able to carry on. As another winter sets in, I’m more than ready to embrace the cold again.

1. When the author saw the people in the lake, her feeling can be best described as __________

A．nervous	B．amazed
C．frightened	D．calm

2. Why did the author think of joining the swimmers?

A．To expand her social circle.	B．To lift her spirits again.
C．To adapt to the cold weather.	D．To prepare for a new career

3. What can be learnt about the author’s first dipping?

A．She hesitated a bit before going.

B．She suffered from a heart problem.

C．She stayed in cold water too long.

D．She regretted not doing enough warm up.

4. What change has cold water swimming brought about in the author?

A．She is more intelligent.

B．She gets more competitive.

C．She becomes a better storyteller.

D．She regains her inner peace.

5. What message does the author most likely want to convey?

A．Severe cold builds up character

B．Group wisdom brightens our life.

C．Tackling the odds together cures.

D．Doing sports promotes friendship.

4 . Months earlier, my wife Lisa had woken up at 4:45 am, preparing to do exercise. She heard voices coming from the upstairs game room and decided to investigate. She discovered that our older son, Hunter, had been playing the video game Fortnite since he got home from school the previous day. What she found angered both of us.

We were sick and tired of the amount of time Hunter spent playing video games. He was so addicted to video games. Back in the 1980s, instead of playing video games, we kids were crazy about playing baseball and street football, driving hoops outside the house, etc. But times are different now. It became apparent that kids of the new generation are entirely different from kids of my generation. My kids and his peers are crazy about electronic products. I work in a summer camp and responsible for the field sports programme. I often notice many of the campers playing video games on little portable devices.

I began to refer to kids who spent more time playing video games than playing sports as the Nintendo Generation. In an attempt to ensure that our kid did not become a member of the Nintendo Generation, I came up with a programme to help Hunter cope with his bad habit. It was that video-game time would have to be earned in our house, just like money. I set the exchange rate: Each mile run equals 30 minutes of video-game play.

The first couple days didn’t go well. Instead of choosing to run to win the time of playing games, he decided to boycott my programme and spend time sleeping. But eventually, Hunter came around, and decided he would give running a shot. Now, Hunter is in good health and can run 18 miles. But nine months earlier, he was not in any condition to run five miles.

I hope that running teaches my son to invest his time in worthwhile efforts, to do something hard, but quite meaningful and beneficial, and then to enjoy a reward. I never want him to stop challenging him.

1. What made the author and his wife Lisa angry? (no more than 10 words)
2. What did kids in the 1980s like doing according to the author? (no more than 5 words)
3. How did the author help Hunter deal with his bad habits? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined word in paragraph 4 mean? (1 word)
5. What lesson do you learn from Hunter’s change? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)

5 . I just flew from Berlin, Germany, to Atlanta, Georgia, and it took me 24 hours due to the weather-related delay during my stopover in New York. Like many other passengers, I was so worn out, annoyed, and helpless that I could barely hold it together.

The pilot, called Thierry Beyeler, was different. He left the flight deck and walked to the dissatisfied passengers to apologize and comfort them. The pilot’s appropriate behavior set the tone and ensured no one got angry. It reminded me of the beauty of “elegance under pressure”. Thierry Beyeler was a pilot with Swiss International Air Lines, for which he flew various aircraft. During the delay, I had the chance to speak to Beyeler and learn about his experience as a pilot.

He said, “Flying is a bit like eating chocolate. I love every flight. However, when you have16 flights in four days, then that’s too much chocolate for me...”. As for crisis situations, he did have a few: “Once, I had an engine failure, but that’s rare, and we handled it. Another time, we had smoke in the cabin (机舱), and we went to land quickly. In the end, it was just the air conditioning having some problems…” He believes, “As Murphy’s law puts it, ‘What can go wrong will go wrong’. So think about it and try to prepare mentally.”

Beyeler continued, “Compared with cars, a flight is a high-risk environment; it’s not like riding a bike. Even if there was a minor error, it could have fatal consequences. Every pilot is quite professional in the field. But it is the strong mindset in the chaos that plays the key role. Humans intervene in technical systems to solve problems countless times a day, and it would be dangerous if the pilot became nervous and forgot that.”

I’ve been touched by Beyeler’s words. I understand that human factors, including confidence, courage, responsibility, and emotional intelligence, are becoming more and more important in today’s world.

1. How did Beyeler sound facing the long delay according to the text?

A．Depressed and tired.	B．Calm and optimistic.
C．Helpless and anxious.	D．Annoyed and sympathetic.

2. What does Beyeler want to show by mentioning “eating chocolate”?

A．Flying brings him much fun.	B．Flying involves various crisis situations.
C．Too many flight tasks can be unbearable for him.	D．Too many crisis situations have happened to him.

3. What does Beyeler consider critical, for pilots during emergencies?

A．Gaining a good sense of time.	B．Having great strength of mind.
C．Knowing all the technical systems well.	D．Having a good grasp of professional knowledge.

4. What did the author think of his communication with Beyeler?

A．Boring.

B．Frightening.

C．Rewarding.

D．Confusing.

5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．An adventurous trip to Atlanta.	B．The potential crisis situations on the plane.
C．Major factors influencing traffic safety.	D．The lessons from the pilot Beyeler.

6 . When I began to study flower arranging, I was slowly developing a deeper understanding of the_________ between all life.

In our first class, my teacher said that flowers can_________ talk and that they each have their own_________ of being beautiful. They have “prana” life force, so you have to pay full attention to them, rather than_________ your own ideas of beauty on them. So I began to ask the flowers how they wanted to be_________ and what positioning would make them _________ most beautiful. I waited and listened.

Even after the flowers had been_________ in the vase, I would discover sometimes that in the morning they had rearranged themselves during the night. Even if they were secured in the_________，they always seemed to be silently straining(尽力)to find their_________ place. At the same time, they were not__________ independent; they needed loving care. They were dependent on me, or whomever their__________ wasfor the day, to water them. Watching other people spraying water on the arrangements sometimes, I would feel so__________ by the scene. Small drops of water on the flowers touched the source of life and nourished the heart of beauty.

This experience made me feel how__________ it could be, if our minds are set in the right way to water not only plants, but__________,to treat all living creatures in a way that__________ them their right to be beautiful, in their own__________ and time.

What we came to notice was that flowers could also__________. Our teacher urged us to always__________ the flowers when we passed how beautiful they were and to thank them for sharing that__________ with us.

When we made our arrangements with this kind of__________,we found that the flowers remained beautiful and fresh for many more days than expected.

1.

A．difference

B．conflict

C．barrier

D．connection

2.

A．actually

B．hardly

C．briefly

D．mildly

3.

A．ways

B．goals

C．levels

D．measures

4.

A．pouring

B．focusing

C．relying

D．forcing

5.

A．covered

B．arranged

C．delivered

D．wrapped

6.

A．prove

B．grow

C．feel

D．smell

7.

A．put

B．cut

C．brought

D．handed

8.

A．garden

B．vase

C．cave

D．wall

9.

A．first

B．right

C．former

D．equal

10.

A．fully

B．apparently

C．mentally

D．firmly

11.

A．performer

B．babysitter

C．neighbor

D．caretaker

12.

A．amazed

B．moved

C．anxious

D．curious

13.

A．simple

B．funny

C．complex

D．foolish

14.

A．flowers

B．animals

C．grasses

D．humans

15.

A．allows

B．conveys

C．promtises

D．passes

16.

A．direction

B．space

C．energy

D．shape

17.

A．shake

B．listen

C．breathe

D．inform

18.

A．prove

B．select

C．imagine

D．rémind

19.

A．beauty

B．secret

C．message

D．treasure

20.

A．talent

B．policy

C．devotion

D．technique

7 . During my career in the past years, I’ve been fired a few times. The last time was about five years ago.

At the time. I co-owned a literary agency. I agreed to take on a giant project for a major client. I worked my tail off about a year, focusing just on this one client. Meanwhile, my partner and associates took care of everyone else. We all thought it was a good bet. But in the end, the client fired me and paired with an agency who promised to get him a major book deal with a New York publishing house and an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s television show. I was left high and dry with nothing to show for my year-long investment.

The worst part was that I did not see it coming. I thought I had done a great job, and we had enjoyed a long-term personal relationship. But my client had his eye on bigger things and decided I couldn’t take him there, so he abandoned me without discussion.

The thing I finally learned from this experience was that clients and customers can be changeable. So never put all your eggs in one basket.

This wasn’t the only mistake I’d made in my career. Some of the mistakes I had made got me fired. That got my attention and furthered my education in the school of hard knocks.

Chances are that you are going to be fired at some point in your career. Last May, 1.7 million workers in America were laid off or fired. And according to the Labor Department, that was during month of generally good economic news. The trick—after being fired—is to try to push bitterness aside and learn from it. Failure can be a great teacher, but we have to listen.

1. Why did the author only focus on one project?

A．His client required him to do so.

B．He considered it would be a safe bet.

C．It could give him an appearance on the show.

D．There were no other projects in his agency.

2. Why was the author abandoned?

A．He caused some trouble for his client.

B．His client wanted to teach him a lesson.

C．He couldn’t satisfy his client’s demands.

D．His client was afraid of destroying their friendship.

3. What lesson did the author probably learn?

A．He should have spread his risk.

B．He should have tired his best to do better.

C．He shouldn’t have worked on giant projects.

D．He shouldn’t have made friends with his clients.

4. What trick did the author learn from being fired?

A．Don’t keep suffering, and learn from failure.

B．Study further to obtain a higher degree.

C．Endure failure, don’t resist and welcome success.

D．Get rid of difficult customers as soon as possible.

5. What does the author mainly write the text for?

A．To show the importance of failure.

B．To tell us how to face getting fired.

C．To share a most horrible experience.

D．To explain why people easily get fired.

8 . Meagan, my youngest child, studies in a high school. She’ll ______it soon and she has gained a scholarship from a university.

Her brother is a physician; her sisters major in computer. In a way, all of this ______for my New Year’s resolution (决定) made years ago. That evening my husband, Gary, said, “I’ve decided on my New Year’s resolution. I’ll take ______ lessons.” I answered. “What about me? I’m stuck in the kitchen, bed rooms, and yards due to the kids. It’s not that I don’t ______ being a mother, but that sometimes I wish to do something for myself, too.”

“Why don’t you?” Gary ______, “Surely you can think of something to be away from the ______ .” His words comforted me. ______ I was a non-native English speaker, I thought I could take an English class at college to improve my ______ so that people would understand me better. Later, I realized taking a class would ______ me, and that my kids would have an advantage, too.

“You’re ______,” I replied. “I decide to take an English class and see if the college will accept me.” “Give it a(n) ______,” Gary said. “I’m sure you’ll make it.” ______, in my heart, I just felt a bit doubtful.

And before applying to college, I was ______ baby number three. So I ______ my plan made before. One day, Gary said______,“I have finally found an excellent guitar teacher.”And he added, “What about your resolution? Have you signed up for your classes?”

I ______ my head, explaining it was because I was pregnant and that I had decided to apply to college after my delivery. Gary ______, saying I should register for the spring term before the baby came. I followed Gary’s advice. Later, I went to a good college and ______some papers. I was ______that after my papers were read, I was given a chance to take classes.

Now I fully realize the _____ of the New Year’s resolution. My following through that resolution inspired my kids, greatly contributing to their achievements in education.

1.

A．leave

B．quit

C．pick

D．visit

2.

A．came around

B．came about

C．came down

D．came in

3.

A．physics

B．computer

C．English

D．music

4.

A．escape

B．remember

C．mind

D．enjoy

5.

A．encouraged

B．commanded

C．warned

D．argued

6.

A．school

B．house

C．hospital

D．company

7.

A．Since

B．When

C．Although

D．If

8.

A．talent

B．spirit

C．accent

D．memory

9.

A．challenge

B．benefit

C．interrupt

D．impress

10.

A．right

B．welcome

C．strange

D．strong

11.

A．award

B．explanation

C．advantage

D．shot

12.

A．Otherwise

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Meanwhile

13.

A．raising

B．counting

C．expecting

D．calling

14.

A．canceled

B．postponed

C．showed

D．discussed

15.

A．curiously

B．sympathetically

C．anxiously

D．excitedly

16.

A．lifted

B．nodded

C．patted

D．shook

17.

A．compromised

B．regretted

C．disagreed

D．remembered

18.

A．made up

B．filled out

C．looked through

D．gave away

19.

A．embarrassed

B．worried

C．delighted

D．determined

20.

A．influence

B．origin

C．process

D．difficulty

9 . I come from a long line of farmers. When my parents moved to Wisconsin, farming allowed them to _________ back to Laos, to the culture, and the land. Wisconsin’s cornfields _________ the rice fields of Laos. But for me as a child, farming was just a _________. I would be assigned (分配) a row of green beans. My mom _________ me a big basket and it was my _________ to fill it. That was how I spent my summer vacation _________ my friends were either at camp or doing other fun activities.

I didn’t _________ how farming brought hope to my parents until I was an adult. I am a _________ removed from Laos and I have found that farming allows me to _________ my parents’ story. It allows me to see a little bit into their story. What I’ve __________ from my mom is that you can grow just about anything. My mom wants to start growing __________ like she did back in Laos. With a snowy climate, it is something I never thought __________ here. To me, this shows resilience (适应力). Maybe it __________ and maybe it doesn’t. But there is __________ in that.

As a kid, I hated doing farm work and I never thought that someday I would say that I kind of __________ putting my feet in the mud and weeding (除草) the corn.

1.

A．connect

B．head

C．retire

D．report

2.

A．changed

B．covered

C．replaced

D．affected

3.

A．dream

B．game

C．chore

D．mystery

4.

A．sold

B．gave

C．sent

D．lent

5.

A．intention

B．opportunity

C．choice

D．job

6.

A．while

B．if

C．since

D．until

7.

A．regret

B．monitor

C．appreciate

D．complain

8.

A．generation

B．graduate

C．professional

D．beginner

9.

A．give away

B．make up

C．act out

D．relate to

10.

A．expected

B．learned

C．chosen

D．demanded

11.

A．corn

B．rice

C．beans

D．flowers

12.

A．flexible

B．necessary

C．legal

D．possible

13.

A．improves

B．revives

C．works

D．exists

14.

A．confusion

B．permission

C．balance

D．hope

15.

A．miss

B．risk

C．delay

D．escape

10 . 假设你是天津中学学生李津，你校的英语学习社发起了关于“True Beauty”的征文活动，邀请同学们发表自己对美的看法，请根据以下提示写一篇征文稿，内容应包括：
1．你认为什么是“真正的美”；
2．你认为“真正的美”表现在哪些方面并举例说明；
3．呼吁同学们都做“真正美”的人。
注意：字数不少于100；可适当增加细节，以使内容充实，行文连贯。
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