1 . On a common morning just inside the entryway to a subway station, a young man took his violin out of its case. He seemed quite common in _________. Then the man plucked (拨) the strings for minutes to tune his _________. After that, he reached into his pocket and _________ a few dollars, which he threw into the violin case, hoping that the passers-by would _________. Then he began to play, and thousands of people were hurrying to work, school, or wherever they were _________ as the morning rush was _________. Though the incredible sound of this man’s violin filled the subway station, it was apparently _________ by all.

If he were any other street _________, perhaps it would have been _________ that he earned little attention of people. __________ , he is Joshua Bell, one of the world’s most renowned __________, and he was playing one of the most classical masterpieces on his $3,000,000 violin. Actually, almost nobody noticed his playing. Why? One reason is that he didn’t look like a special man; the other is that everyone was too busy to __________ Joshua Bell’s excellent music.

“I’m busy!” is an everyday __________ from people like those who walked past Joshua Bell’s music without __________ a moment. All of this got me thinking: sometimes we should say no to useless busyness and allow for some __________ presence so as to perceive the beauty around us.

1.

A．appearance

B．speech

C．personality

D．skill

2.

A．instrument

B．behavior

C．posture

D．switch

3.

A．sorted out

B．made up

C．used up

D．pulled out

4.

A．set an example

B．follow suit

C．pay it forward

D．extend understanding

5.

A．suffering

B．attracting

C．heading

D．contacting

6.

A．in a dilemma

B．in full swing

C．by the book

D．by all accounts

7.

A．challenged

B．criticized

C．disturbed

D．ignored

8.

A．performer

B．beggar

C．promoter

D．defender

9.

A．strange

B．awkward

C．insignificant

D．unreasonable

10.

A．Furthermore

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

11.

A．composers

B．organizers

C．violinists

D．donors

12.

A．miss

B．acknowledge

C．create

D．appreciate

13.

A．excuse

B．lie

C．practice

D．conversation

14.

A．recalling

B．choosing

C．sparing

D．capturing

15.

A．permanent

B．unplanned

C．inaccessible

D．constant

2 . Once President Roosevelt's house was broken into and lots of things were stolen. Hearing this, one of Roosevelt's friends wrote to him and _______ him not to take it to his heart so much. President Roosevelt _______ immediately, saying, "Dear friend, thank you for your letter to _______ me. I'm all right now. I think I should thank God. This is because of the following three reasons: firstly, the thief only stole things from me but did not _______ me at all; secondly, the thief has stolen some of my things _______ all my things; thirdly, most luckily for me, it was the man _______ me who became a thief…"

Being _______ is an important philosophy of life and a great _______ . It is impossible for anyone to be lucky and successful all the time _______ he lives in the world. We should learn how to face failure or ________ bravely and generously and to try to deal with it. If so, should we ________ about our life and become frustrated and disappointed ever since then or should we be grateful for our life, and ________ again by ourselves after a fall? William Thackeray, a famous British writer, said, "Life is a ________ . When you smile in front of it, it will also smile and so will it when you cry to it. "

If you are grateful to life, it will bring you shining sunlight. If you always complain about everything, you may own ________ in the end. When we are successful, we can surely have many reasons for being grateful, ________ we have only one excuse to show ungratefulness if we fail.

1.

A．urged

B．advised

C．suggested

D．forbade

2.

A．went back

B．turned back

C．wrote back

D．fought back

3.

A．comfort

B．oppose

C．convey

D．resist

4.

A．kill

B．hit

C．hurt

D．strike

5.

A．instead of

B．instead

C．either

D．nor

6.

A．rather than

B．more than

C．less than

D．other than

7.

A．polite

B．grateful

C．elegant

D．successful

8.

A．wisdom

B．knowledge

C．regret

D．competence

9.

A．until

B．so long as

C．unless

D．as often as

10.

A．success

B．exploration

C．mercies

D．misfortune

11.

A．argue

B．complain

C．bother

D．worry

12.

A．climb

B．arouse

C．rise

D．raise

13.

A．behavior

B．philosophy

C．journey

D．mirror

14.

A．nothing

B．something

C．everybody

D．everything

15.

A．or

B．but

C．and

D．if

3 . Lately, I’ve been starting to feel as though my friends are so much farther ahead of me in life. Some of them got engaged and all of them have responsibilities while I’m still single. I see my friends a lot more _______ than I used to — everyone’s so busy with their work now. When we do get together, it’s a lot harder to _______. The only thing my friends want to talk about is their _______.

Actually, I’m _______ for them and I want what they have. Every time I see one of them _______ a new baby photo, I ask myself, “When is it going to be my _______?” But my body somehow has repeatedly _______ the idea. Meanwhile I’m still _______ dates!

How do I stop _______ myself with others when their lives look so amazing? My roommate, Harper, ________ about a big promotion at work on Twitter. And all I could do was comment, “You go, girlboss!” while sending out yet another job ________.

I know life isn’t linear, and I shouldn’t compare my ________ with anyone else’s. We’re just in different places in our lives. At the end of the day, ________ we are in our journeys, I know that my friends love me.

So, for now, I’m just going to focus on myself, maybe by ________ or taking a pottery (陶艺) class, to really use the time I have out here in the woods alone for some ________. I know that someday I will find my person, and see that the long journey is all worth it!

1.

A．infrequently

B．inaccessibly

C．inaccurately

D．impossibly

2.

A．speak

B．relate

C．care

D．worry

3.

A．idols

B．secrets

C．kids

D．failures

4.

A．delighted

B．sorrowful

C．guilty

D．apologetic

5.

A．putting off

B．showing off

C．calling off

D．working off

6.

A．family

B．baby

C．turn

D．success

7.

A．preferred

B．generated

C．accepted

D．rejected

8.

A．going on

B．depending on

C．getting on

D．taking on

9.

A．confusing

B．connecting

C．combining

D．comparing

10.

A．replied

B．commented

C．posted

D．wrote

11.

A．paper

B．interview

C．application

D．offer

12.

A．study

B．health

C．treasure

D．path

13.

A．whenever

B．wherever

C．whatever

D．whoever

14.

A．sleeping

B．eating

C．drinking

D．travelling

15.

A．self-discovery

B．self-discipline

C．self-study

D．self-respect

4 . Growing up on Long Island with a father who gave me dieting tips at 13, a mother who taught me to use makeup as I left for middle school, and peers (同龄人) who shared weight-loss tips on the bus, I developed an unusual self-image. By the time I became a teenager, I felt horror when I encountered photos of myself and saw a huge stomach in the mirror even though I was never overweight.

Throughout my early 20s, I’d wear lipstick and mascara (睫毛膏) and hold my mouth in a half-smile as I walked down the street in order to look more attractive to others. Following popular body-positive advice, I’d flip through Facebook photos of myself, trying to identify at least one desirable feature in each. I’d stare at my reflection, hoping to blink and see a different shape when I opened my eyes. Instead, I’d just fall further into the glass like Alice, deep in the darkest places of my imagination.

A year and a half ago, to escape this personal Wonderland, I decided not to put a mirror in my room when I moved into a new apartment. The small one above my bathroom sink would be enough. I was burnt out from attempts at body positivity. Rather than make peace with my reflection, photographs and scale, I’d avoid them altogether.

As I stopped trying to like my appearance, it no longer tortured (折磨) me. I stopped wearing makeup daily. Instead, I developed a sense of identity from my unfailing punctuality (准时性), my sharp analyses of movies, and my ability to pay rent in New York City as a freelance writer. I looked up to Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham instead of women who tried to diet, noticing that the most powerful women seemed undistracted by weight. Since I wasn’t always disappointing myself by trying to love my body and failing, I became happier.

1. Why did the author develop an unusual self-image when she was young?

A．She hated to wear makeup.

B．She suffered from being overweight.

C．She was influenced by people around her.

D．She wanted to have a huge stomach.

2. What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraph 2?

A．She was attracted by others’ photos on Facebook.

B．She paid too much attention to her appearance.

C．She felt ashamed of her appearance.

D．She was addicted to taking selfies.

3. What did the author take pride in later?

A．Her good personal qualities.

B．Her newly published books.

C．Her new apartment in New York City.

D．Her relationship with powerful women.

4. What has the author learned from Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham?

A．It’s important to eat healthily.

B．We should never disappoint ourselves.

C．It’s important to know others’ abilities.

D．We shouldn’t be distracted by our weight.

5 . The curb cut (下斜路缘). It’s a convenience that most of us rarely, if ever, notice. Yet, without it, daily life might be a lot harder—in more ways than one. Pushing a baby stroller onto the curb, skateboarding onto a sidewalk or taking a full grocery cart from the sidewalk to your car—all these tasks are easier because of the curb cut.

But it was created with a different purpose in mind.

It’s hard to imagine today, but back in the 1970s, most sidewalks in the United States ended with a sharp drop-off. That was a big deal for people in wheelchairs because there were no ramps (斜坡) to help them move along city blocks without assistance. According to one disability rights leader, a six-inch curb “might as well have been Mount Everest”. So, activists from Berkeley, California, who also needed wheelchairs, organized a campaign to create tiny ramps at intersections to help people dependent on wheels move up and down curbs independently.

I think about the “curb cut effect” a lot when working on issues around health equity (公平). The first time I even heard about the curb cut was in a 2017 Stanford Social Innovation Review piece by PolicyLink CEO Angela Blackwell. Blackwell rightly noted that many people see equity “as a zero-sum game.” Basically, that there is a “prejudiced societal suspicion that intentionally supporting one group hurts another.” What the curb cut effect shows though, Blackwell said, is that “when society creates the circumstances that allow those who have been left behind to participate and contribute fully, everyone wins.”

There are multiple examples of this principle at work. For example, investing in policies that create more living-wage jobs or increase the availability of affordable housing certainly benefits people in communities that have limited options. But, the action also empowers those people with opportunities for better health and the means to become contributing members of society—and that benefits everyone. Even the football huddle (围成一团以秘密商讨) was initially created to help deaf football players at Gallaudet College keep their game plans secret from opponents who could have read their sign language. Today, it’s used by every team to shield the opponent from learning about game-winning strategies.

So, next time you cross the street, or roll your suitcase through a crosswalk or ride your bike directly onto a sidewalk—think about how much the curb cut, that change in design that broke down walls of exclusion for one group of people at a disadvantage, has helped not just that group, but all of us.

1. By “might as well have been Mount Everest” (paragraph 3), the disability rights leader implies that a six-inch curb may become ________.

A．as famous as the world’s highest mountain

B．an almost impassable barrier

C．a connection between people

D．a most unforgettable matter

2. According to Angela Blackwell, many people believe that ________.

A．it’s fair to give the disadvantaged more help than others

B．it’s impossible to have everyone be treated equally

C．it’s necessary to go all out to help the disabled

D．it’s not worthwhile to promote health equity

3. Which of the following examples best illustrates the “curb cut effect” principle?

A．Spaceflight designs are applied to life on earth.

B．Four great inventions of China spread to the west.

C．Christopher Columbus discovered the new world.

D．Classic literature got translated into many languages.

4. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．Everyday items are originally invented for people with disabilities.

B．Everyone in a society should pursue what is in his or her interest.

C．A disability rights leader changed the life of his fellow men.

D．Caring for disadvantaged groups may finally benefit all.

6 . Years ago, I decided to take the adventure and start working from home. I became a stay-at-home mom with two young boys. I felt lost after leaving the working world so I wanted something new to focus on.     1     I really wanted an excuse to connect with other adults regularly.

But only weeks into my new adventure, I was trapped in the comparison game. I constantly compared my progress with that of others on my team. It seemed that this business was coming easily to everyone but me.     2    

Then the leader of my team came to me. He gave me some advice and encouraged me to keep my blinders (马眼罩) on.     3     The blinders help them avoid distractions as they walk down the chosen path. So I took my leader’s advice of putting on “blinders”.

    4     I got more peaceful. And I became able to appreciate the little goals I had achieved in my business. I wasn’t making huge “jumps” like some others on my team. But as one small success led to another, my confidence and happiness grew. I was encouraged to make more progress.

From this experience, I’ve learned that comparing myself to others truly gets me nowhere. It not only prevents my ambition, but also overshadows my successes. Whether in business or parenting, there will always be someone performing better than me.     5     I’m running in my own race — enjoying it at my own perfect pace.

A．It turned out that it benefited me a lot.

B．But what was I going to do with the blinders?

C．I didn’t let others’ accomplishments lessen my own.

D．The weight of comparison made me close to quitting.

E．Do you know that horses wear blinders as they pull carriages?

F．And what I should hold to is that I’m not running in their race.

G．Preferably, it was something that had nothing to do with childcare.

7 . Kala has deep ties to her Hawaiian roots. Her ancestors navigated (航行) the oceans for centuries using their knowledge of the stars, the sun, the currents and the wind. It’s not that she does it in a canoe without technology, but rather uses the natural technology around her. It’s called Way finding, and was taught to her by her father.

“My father was my foundation, my rock.” she says of her first voyage with him from Oahu to Lahaina in a traditional canoe. He taught her how to read the stars, the ocean swells and how to use them to hold the course. “Over 200 stars have specific names and purposes when you are Way finding. You have to look at each and determine if they are rising or setting. You know this star and the direction it represents. If you can do that, you can use it as a tool to orient (确定方向).” Kala added.

Kala Tanaka sailed the canoe in the ocean for up to three weeks. During the day, Kala used the sun until it hit a certain height. When she got closer to land, she looked for certain species of land birds and clouds that indicated there was land below. When Kala sailed she felt “I feel very connected to the crew and the canoe. We’re a family.” The longer voyage required Kala to spend hours studying the day and the night skies. It was demanding physical work. But it also had its moments of awe. For Kala, the beauty was in tying together the past and the present to enjoy the moment. So when she was not sailing, she was teaching Way finding skills to school-aged children in hopes of preserving the skills her ancestors relied on.

It’s easy to be lost in the immediacy of the technology of our day, to be consumed by screens and miss the nature that unfolds around us. But if we will take the time to look up, to see the stars and the sun, the way the clouds move, the miracle of life beneath and above us, we will discover something deep inside us, something that will always lead to happiness.

1. How does Kala navigate the ocean in a canoe?

A．By observing the natural elements around.

B．By following the course of ocean currents.

C．By using hi-technology navigation devices.

D．By recalling the first voyage with her father.

2. What did Kala think of the three-week canoe voyage?

A．It was a heroic adventure.	B．It brought great joy to her life.
C．It was school children’s favorite.	D．It represented a kind of innovation.

3. What does the author suggest we do?

A．Enjoy the screens.	B．Explore the universe.
C．Get close to nature.	D．Keep the earth clean.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Finding Our Way	B．Navigating the Ocean
C．The Wisdom from Ancestors	D．An Unforgettable Journey

8 . I’m approaching the Knight Street Bridge in my car. It’s 5:15 pm. The traffic is already _________ and then it comes to a full stop. I’m _________ even before getting on the bridge. Ahead of me are endless rows of _________, roughly 300.

When I finally _________ it onto the bridge, the traffic is still moving at a slow pace. Tired and hungry, I become very _________.

Just then I hear a weak sound in the distance. The sound gradually becomes louder, until I can _________ it as an emergency vehicle approaching from behind. What do we do? The bridge is _________. There’s no room for us to move.

But I’m wrong. Every single car quickly, yet _________, moves to the side. Without thinking, I follow suit. The lane (车道) remains _________ for a few seconds, during which the ambulance __________ through. Afterward, we close up the emergency lane, ready to continue our wait. Back in my __________, my anxiety is gone. I start __________ what we just did.

Despite our tiredness, we collectively drew on our compassion (同情心) and __________ to help the stranger who needed the time more __________ than we did without any orders. Although I may seem alone stuck on the bridge, I’m __________ to all the other drivers. Together we could make the impossible possible.

1.

A．rushing in

B．turning up

C．pulling over

D．slowing down

2.

A．stuck

B．fixed

C．lost

D．wrapped

3.

A．passers-by

B．drivers

C．vehicles

D．taxis

4.

A．reach

B．make

C．step

D．get

5.

A．disappointed

B．joyful

C．excited

D．anxious

6.

A．realize

B．identify

C．imagine

D．sense

7.

A．filled

B．locked

C．packed

D．narrowed

8.

A．carefully

B．gradually

C．casually

D．suddenly

9.

A．open

B．messy

C．crowded

D．convenient

10.

A．crashes

B．breaks

C．jumps

D．flashes

11.

A．car

B．seat

C．spot

D．sight

12.

A．bringing up

B．reflecting upon

C．referring to

D．focusing on

13.

A．gratitude

B．generosity

C．intelligence

D．expectation

14.

A．desperately

B．patiently

C．flexibly

D．temporarily

15.

A．devoted

B．connected

C．exposed

D．abandoned

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Some people are just doomed (注定) to be failures. That’s the way some adults look at troubled kids. A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high. David was made to feel this way almost every day in school.

David was the most famous troublemaker in high school. He wasn’t confident and didn’t answer questions. From time to time he skipped classes and got into lots of fights. Teachers didn’t want to have him again the following year. However, things gradually changed during a weekend leadership meeting. All the students at school had been invited to sign up for ACE training, a program designed to have students become more involved in their communities.

At the start of the meeting, David was literally standing outside the circle of students, against the back wall, with that “go ahead, impress me” look on his face. He didn’t readily join the discussion groups. But slowly, the interactive games drew him in the discussion. David started to join them and he really had great ideas. The other students in David’s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden David felt like a part of the group.

The next day, David was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the meeting, he had joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They elected David co-chairman of the team.

The very first community service project organized by the Homeless Project team was to collect food for the homeless in the charge of David. But a group of teachers doubted whether this crucial beginning should be in the hands of David. The principal reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was to uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce (加强) its practice until true change can take place.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Two weeks later, David led 20 students in the team to collect food for the homeless.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After David’s picture appeared in the newspaper, everyone saw great changes in him.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . In 2016, I suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) a form of depression(抑郁症) that is found to make people feel low in the UK between September and April. During that cold and wet period, I got comfort in books.

Books have been used by many to reduce depression. I lose myself into them as thirstily as usually get my morning coffee. Each Christmas, I have a habit of returning to the old favorite books that make up for my emptiness, such as Jane Eyre. Sometimes, to escape from the cold, I run back to the heat that I am used to, so I will read a lot of books set in Africa.

It became important for me to find a way to escape my sadness in the world of books. And isn’t that what art and literature is for? According to JJ Bola, the author of No Place to Call Home, “The world can get you so down that you think you’re the only person going through what you’re going through. But then you read and you realize that you are not alone that if someone else has gone through it and survived, then maybe you can, too.” It is this survival that the reader looks for, that is, the understanding that the winter is not so long after all.

1. What was the possible cause for the author’s illness?

A．His personality.	B．His poor health.
C．Sleeplessness.	D．Cold and wet seasons.

2. The author likes reading old favorite books because they help him________.

A．kill time	B．keep warm
C．enjoy Christmas time	D．drive away emptiness

3. Which book may the author probably read when he feels cold?

A．Jane Eyre.	B．Out of Africa.
C．Alice in Wonderland.	D．No Place to Call Home.

4. Through reading, the author________.

A．finds a way to escape his sadness

B．gets along better with others

C．leans more about other cultures

D．becomes more interested in literature

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Reading Reduces Depression	B．Reading Keeps You Warm
C．How to Escape Loneliness	D．How to Survive Winters