1 . The Millennials are next in line to run this crazy, messed-up world. There is, however, a serious problem with our generation that needs to be addressed, and that is our intense laziness.     1    

One of the most common reasons why our generation is lazy is because we grew up in an era when technology was starting to be linked to every aspect of our lives.     2     Computers, electronic players and many other technological advances are all examples. All of these technologies have aided our way of life, but they also have dulled our ability to think of answers for ourselves.

Another common reason why our generation is lazy is due to the fact that some of us were not taught with proper work ethics (道德准则) and values as children. Parents, as well as teachers, taught us as children to use technology as much as possible because they themselves did not possess it when they were our age. However, doing this made us lazy. Our generation has had an incredibly hard time holding down simple jobs just because we are constantly on our phones and are ignoring our responsibilities. I understand the need to cure boredom with something, but technology is not the answer.     3     If our generation had better communication skills, then maybe our work ethic would be better as well.

The biggest reason our generation is considered lazy is because many of us act very entitled (有资格的). Many of us act like we deserve everything without working for it. We were raised in a time when discipline (纪律) was starting to ease up and things were just handed to us. This has created many problems for our generation because we do not like it when something does not go our way or when we do not get something we desperately want.     4     Everyone has to have the latest and greatest piece of tech on the market (i.e., smartphones).

    5     I just want to point out some things I believe that we, the generation to next inherit (继承) this world, need to improve upon and revise. We are a lazy generation and that is partially our own fault for not exploring other possibilities of ways to handle the world as we grew up. I would like us to acknowledge these problems and try to find solutions if possible – and I do believe this is possible.

A．We need to be able to work and communicate with each other more.

B．These devices are incredibly expensive in our daily lives.

C．It arises from many factors that existed when we were brought up.

D．I am not attempting to criticize our generation.

E．These problems mainly lie in our generation’s consistent desire for technology.

F．It was to allow us to have a harder way of life.

G．Thinking back, we can see how technology became widely used during our generation.

2 . My daughter Pat had been driving me everywhere since I moved back to Vermont after 20 years in Canada. She drove me over to the local park that day, where I saw the flyer (传单), reading “_______ service”. I quickly wrote down the number – it might give me some hope of _______.

After my husband died, I felt empty and _______. I’d hoped moving back to be near my children would help, but with no car, no friends, I felt like a _______. I’d spent my life taking care of other people. I was a _______ for half a century and I _______ whenever I could in my old church back in Canada. One thing that would make me feel useful again was to join a church. I was sure. Pat had already driven me around to see some in the area, but I hadn’t yet attended a _______. This flyer could really _______ me, I thought.

Upon getting home that day I dialed the number. A lady called herself Ginet _______ the call. I spoke with eager anticipation ________ she said I had the wrong number and she was not a taxi driver. Taken aback for a while, I said sorry, trying to keep the ________ out of my voice. The line was ________. I was about to apologize again when she spoke up. “I can do that.” I ________. I didn’t want to rely on my children. Did I want to take ________ from strangers? But she did offer, I told myself.

On Sunday morning, Ginet came to pick me up. I soon found she was also a retired nurse and we had so much to talk about. Indeed, this was the start of a new ________ for me. I guess I’d dialed just the right number.

1.

A．care

B．taxi

C．nursing

D．delivery

2.

A．confidence

B．insurance

C．independence

D．resistance

3.

A．useless

B．graceful

C．homeless

D．grateful

4.

A．amateur

B．celebrity

C．barrier

D．burden

5.

A．teacher

B．doctor

C．attendant

D．nurse

6.

A．taught

B．volunteered

C．cried

D．chorused

7.

A．lesson

B．training

C．service

D．routine

8.

A．attract

B．save

C．improve

D．nourish

9.

A．made

B．refused

C．paid

D．answered

10.

A．unless

B．after

C．as

D．until

11.

A．annoyance

B．depression

C．disappointment

D．surprise

12.

A．quiet

B．noisy

C．awful

D．stressful

13.

A．withdrew

B．hesitated

C．doubted

D．complained

14.

A．sessions

B．priorities

C．cares

D．favors

15.

A．lifespan

B．career

C．friendship

D．purchase

3 . Businessman and public speaker Wilson Harrell remembers his best teacher as follows.

When I was 11, my father made me a cotton _________ at his gin（轧棉机）. At that time, I knew cotton, but I was well aware that my father was assigning an 11-year-old a job with an awesome _________.

When I cut a bale（捆）, I pulled out a mess, examined the _________, identified the grade and set the price. I’ll never forget the first farmer I faced. He looked at me, called my father _________ and said, “Elias, I’ve worked too hard to have an 11-year-old boy decide what I’ll _________ next year.”

My father was a man of _________ words. “His grade _________,” he answered and walked away. Over the years my father never _________ changed my grade. _________, when we were alone, he’d check my work. If I’d undergraded and paid too little, I’d have to go and tell the farmer I’d made a mistake and pay him the _________.If I’d overgraded, my father wouldn’t say a word—he’d just look at me. It was _________ than word-class scolding.

I’m not sure my father knew anything about business, but he _________ an awful lot about making a man out of a boy. He gave me responsibility and then _________ me. He also taught me that _________ builds a business and that the willingness to admit and correct mistakes is a sure way to bring _________ back.

1.

A．seller

B．buyer

C．picker

D．farmer

2.

A．responsibility

B．priority

C．motivation

D．applause

3.

A．process

B．sample

C．routine

D．quantity

4.

A．on

B．back

C．over

D．off

5.

A．live on

B．drop off

C．come across

D．get in

6.

A．empty

B．few

C．kind

D．mean

7.

A．keeps

B．remains

C．counts

D．stands

8.

A．accurately

B．critically

C．publicly

D．suddenly

9.

A．Otherwise

B．However

C．Anyway

D．Somehow

10.

A．tax

B．expense

C．purchase

D．difference

11.

A．hotter

B．simpler

C．louder

D．better

12.

A．understood

B．worried

C．learned

D．suffered

13.

A．employed

B．trapped

C．supported

D．rewarded

14.

A．wisdom

B．curiosity

C．passion

D．fairness

15.

A．interactions

B．discounts

C．ambitions

D．customers

4 . 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。

Just at that late afternoon, I was about to go home when the boss of our company gave me a task: I would leave the next day to accompany an important Chinese businessman to tourist sites in northern Thailand. Extremely angry, I stared at my table top. The piles of paper prove a huge amount of work remaining to be done.

After a one-hour flight the next morning, we spent the day visiting attractions along with hundreds of other tourists. I remember feeling annoyed at this huge crowd.

That evening my Chinese guest and I climbed into a special coach to go to dinner and a show, which I had attended many times before. While he chatted with other tourists, I exchanged a polite chat with a man seated with thick silvery hair. I wondered why he sat there with his head lowered. Then the truth struck me — he was blind.

“Could I please sit beside you at the dinner?” he asked. “And I’d love it if you’d describe a little of what you see.”

“I’d be happy to,” I replied.

My guest walked ahead toward the restaurant with newly found friends. The blind man and I followed. We found a table close to the stage. He ordered half a liter of beer and I ordered soda. As we waited for our drinks, the blind man said, “The music seems out of tune to our Western ears, but it has much charm. Please describe the musicians.”

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

I had never noticed the five men playing music before the show.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Later I thought: I should have thanked him.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Wisdom is not just a good quality to have but it is also very necessary. It is wonderful to increase experience, knowledge, and good judgment.     1    

Try Experiencing New Opportunities.

Variety is the spice (趣味) of life but experiencing new opportunities is also how you gain wisdom.

    2     This is the only way you will gain wisdom and become better. You can try learning new skills that you never thought of learning or going to places that were on your bucket list. Change your routine and see where life takes you, take control!

    3    

Sometimes we have biases(偏见)and they help us out but we need to set them aside most of the time. We need to be open to different views, this will open up new pathways for us. Always develop a sense of curiosity, and observe the world from different angles, it will always help you out. Never base your perspective on the most popular opinion or which is the most comfortable for you. Train your mind to be a judgment-free space for ideas.     4    

Call Upon The Wisdom Of Others.

You obviously want to grow and do better in life, right? The best way to do that is to have wise people as your advisers.     5     Before making them an adviser, find out what makes them wiser than you, then engage in useful dialogue with them. The more time you spend with them, the more transfer(迁移)of knowledge there will be.

Exposed to their knowledge as much as you can, you won`t regret it!

A．Never Back Away From Learning.

B．Open Yourself To Diverse Perspectives.

C．Let’s discuss how you can gain wisdom in life!

D．You’ll meet new people and friends and learn from them.

E．If you are modest, then you will always get to experience something new.

F．You’ll never grow from being in your comfort zone you need to get out of.

G．They can be teachers, family members, colleagues, and even special friends.

6 . 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。

Ramu started a business with great enthusiasm but just after a few months his business went under. Time passed but Ramu didn’t start any new work. His teacher got to know about his situation and called him to his home.

The teacher asked, “Why don’t you start some other work?”

Ramu replied, “I gave my everything to my business and yet it still failed.”

The teacher tried to comfort him, saying “But that’s life. Sometimes we get success and sometimes we don’t. This doesn’t mean that we stop working.”

“What’s the point of doing work, when I can’t be sure of success?” Ramu replied with a bit of annoyance.

The teacher took Ramu to a room and showed him a dead tomato plant. Ramu was confused and said, “It’s dead. Why are you showing it to me?”

The teacher replied, “When I sowed its seed, I did everything right for it. I watered it, fertilized it, sprayed it with pesticide (杀虫剂) . I took great care of it but it still died.” He stopped for a while and then said, “Doing work is the same... No matter how hard you try, you cannot decide what happens in the end. However, you can control those things in your hands. Just do your best!”

Ramu asked, “But if there is no guarantee of success then what’s the use of doing anything?”

The teacher said, “You’d better not think like that...”

“What’s wrong with that... I have given so much hard work, so much money, so much time; if success is only a matter of chance, then what is the use of doing so much?” said Ramu and he was about to leave.

Just then the teacher stopped him and said,   “Before you leave, I want to show you one more thing.”

注意：
续写词数应为150左右；
请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He took Ramu to another room and opened the door.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At that very moment, Ramu read the lesson of success.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . My grandchild, Harold, was celebrating his 7th birthday. Asked what _________ he wanted, he said he wanted me to make fudge (乳脂软糖). I _________ it perhaps 20 years earlier with little success. What I once made was either fudge _________ or a hard and burnt rock.

Harold remembered me telling of these _________, but he held the _________ that I could successfully make fudge for him. Since he eagerly wanted it, I _________ and I tried my best to make it.

I followed the _________ step by step, which told me to “continue stirring the cooked mixture until it turns white and shiny”. I _________ stirring it. And then something _________ happened. I felt the fudge start to harden. “This is just the ____________ moment,” I thought. I stopped stirring immediately and poured it into a big plate. How happy! The fudge came out ____________ for the first time!

As I presented the perfectly crafted fudge to Harold, his eyes sparkled with ____________ and a wave of pride ____________ me. It dawned on me that life is about a series of challenges and, more importantly, opportunities for ____________. It’s about embracing the unknown and believing in oneself even when past experiences may suggest otherwise. Harold’s simple ____________ had become a catalyst (催化剂) for personal growth and overcoming my own limitations.

1.

A．colour

B．gift

C．plan

D．game

2.

A．did

B．witnessed

C．bought

D．considered

3.

A．stick

B．pie

C．candy

D．soup

4.

A．changes

B．failures

C．thrills

D．hardships

5.

A．fact

B．reason

C．belief

D．theory

6.

A．complained

B．resisted

C．persisted

D．agreed

7.

A．story

B．recipe

C．grandson

D．thought

8.

A．avoided

B．regretted

C．enjoyed

D．kept

9.

A．scary

B．interesting

C．amazing

D．awkward

10.

A．quiet

B．proper

C．regular

D．difficult

11.

A．ahead

B．late

C．fine

D．wrong

12.

A．joy

B．intelligence

C．humor

D．inspiration

13.

A．stood for

B．weighed on

C．struck at

D．washed over

14.

A．education

B．involvement

C．growth

D．fun

15.

A．interruption

B．request

C．answer

D．pleasure

8 . I woke up as usual and the ground were all covered with pure white snow. As I looked out of the window this morning, I saw over six inches of snow. Beautiful as it was, I had to rush out to help my husband_________it from our driveway. Across the street I saw our_________, Herr Schroeder also standing here. I had_________ever talked with him in our year of living here—a cheerful nod was the limit of our_________. Even so, as my husband and I     _________the car, he appeared to_________us, and afterward showed me how to spread salt. As I was spreading the salt, my hands bared_________I didn’t have any work gloves, my neighbor, Joanna, appeared with gloves. I was_________by her kind act, and went back to the_________work with renewed energy, knowing that in a small way I was caring for the village.

Here in Germany, every person feels it’s their__________to keep the sidewalks in front of their house clear. This principle largely guides life here.

We were warned when we first__________that Germans are strict rule followers. This strict observation of the rules made me__________at first. In a society governed by such__________, how would a stranger survive? The__________didn’t come to me fully until this morning as I__________people clearing snow in my village. No man is an island, and when you join a village, the village also joins you.

1.

A．remove

B．beautify

C．pile

D．freeze

2.

A．workman

B．neighbor

C．driver

D．journalist

3.

A．frequently

B．specifically

C．merely

D．hardly

4.

A．processes

B．interactions

C．techniques

D．quarrels

5.

A．drove away

B．brightened up

C．wrestled with

D．broke into

6.

A．investigate

B．oppose

C．access

D．assist

7.

A．although

B．because

C．if

D．unless

8.

A．astonished

B．defeated

C．touched

D．amused

9.

A．pioneering

B．vivid

C．rewarding

D．realistic

10.

A．responsibility

B．potential

C．remark

D．ambition

11.

A．arrived

B．displayed

C．released

D．contracted

12.

A．enthusiastic

B．ambitious

C．critical

D．nervous

13.

A．effects

B．standards

C．identities

D．politics

14.

A．chance

B．curiosity

C．permission

D．answer

15.

A．imagined

B．felt

C．witnessed

D．kept

9 . Don’t Live in Others’ Expectations

Whether it is our family or friends, they want the best for us. They want us to go to the best school.     1    

However, the problem with this kind of expectation is not practicable for most of us. Why do we feel the need to live in others’ expectations? Fulfilling the need of others’ desire before yourself is neglecting your freedom of happiness and self-care.     2     Therefore, it is okay to live free of anyone’s expectations.

Expectations are attachments of ourselves to please others. One of the cruel truths about people with expectations is that they don’t really care how you feel.     3     It’s a give-and-take situation.

    4     Sometimes, we lose our joy under pressure because expectations are not realistic and because they are an ideal of how you should be, not who you are. Expectations do not focus on reality but the sacrifice of your happiness.

It’s okay to be selfish for your happiness; in a way, expectations are the root of suffering. It will destroy your self-esteem and any confirmation of your worth. We can be free of it by living our lives according to our own will.     5    

Give up the thoughts of pleasing others and live a free life. Be in control of it and let others accept who you are.

A．Take expectation as a form of attachment.

B．To be happy, you should let go of how you want to be perceived by others.

C．They see you trying for their sake of pleasure, but they don’t give anything back.

D．They also want us to have the best kind of careers, ultimately to succeed in the way they want.

E．Living in others’ expectations will never get you satisfaction because they never will be satisfied.

F．We can bend the reality of expectations and see it as a form of attachment.

G．Ignore unrealistic expectations.

10 . Everyone tries their best in life, and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can help people realize that their efforts are not in vain (徒劳).Ⅰ remember a time when I was in fifth grade, and I was a very shy girl.

There was a drawing competition at my school that day. As everyone started to use their creative ideas to draw, I was only trying to think of something creative that could express my thoughts and emotions. Lost in my own world, I was brought back to reality when my art teacher called my name from behind. She came to me and encouraged me, saying, “Don’t overthink it, just put whatever comes to your mind on the canvas (画布). Do your best, and you will do well.”

Taking her words of wisdom to heart, I started my painting. Time flew by, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the time limit. We all turned in our canvases for inspection (检查). The next day, the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. To my surprise, I heard my name being called second prize. It was a bolt from the blue for me, as I had never dared to dream of winning any prize.

Later on, I expressed my gratitude to my art teacher for her words of encouragement and for believing in me. That day, I became aware of my talent and started painting more whenever I had free time. Sometimes, I think that if it weren’t for her words of encouragement, I may have never discovered the talent I have.

Overall, this experience taught me the importance of encouraging others and how a few kind words can make a significant impact on someone’s life.

1. What was the author doing when called by the art teacher?

A．Organizing a drawing competition.	B．Trying to get some creative ideas.
C．Painting her work on her canvas.	D．Trying to get help from others.

2. What did the author think of the competition?

A．Easy.

B．Interesting.

C．Challenging.

D．Encouraging.

3. What do the underlined words “bolt from the blue” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Addiction.

B．Puzzlement.

C．Disappointment.

D．Surprise.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Power of Encouragement

B．The Importance of Art Competitions

C．Overcoming Shyness Through Painting

D．Discovering Your Great Natural Ability