1 . Instead of being a pacing-up time, winter is a locking-down time. Winter frees us in all sorts of ways.

I once had a neighbor named Earl. An old-timer and a self-made man, he _________ told me stories about Maine winters in the past. He suggested he had _________ the ice age. He backed up his old stories with _________ of old black-and-white photographs of heavy snowstorms that piled up to second-floor windows and completely _________ cars.

And I’ll never _________ what he said as an end to one of his stories, “A man couldn’t get much done once the snow came.” So what did he do once the snow came? He spent a great deal of time _________ to home and hearth, where he _________ the wood stove, sat with his wife, made pots of coffee, and read by the fire.

As I write these words I occasionally raise my head to _________ the window at the woodpile stacked (堆), the garden harvested, the apple tree _________, the lawn mowed, and the bicycle shed newly roofed.

As I tended to all those things, when did I have time to __________?

Some years ago a friend sent me a quote by Socrates that I try to be mindful of: Beware the fruitlessness of a __________ life.

The advice __________ me to look forward to the coming of winter, because I’ve finally learned that it is a slowing-down time, a gift of rest, a (n) __________ to acknowledge that most of the outdoor work that could be done has been done.

A friend of mine who lives in the Southeast recently called. In the course of our __________ he celebrated the climate where he lives, which __________ him to work outside year-round. “I’m always on the go.” he told me.

But I think I need a good time of winter.

1.

A．gradually

B．excitedly

C．angrily

D．unwillingly

2.

A．struggled

B．explored

C．survived

D．celebrated

3.

A．laughter

B．evidence

C．expectation

D．patience

4.

A．buried

B．struck

C．destroyed

D．supported

5.

A．realize

B．forget

C．recall

D．learn

6.

A．designing

B．improving

C．fixing

D．tending

7.

A．bought

B．controlled

C．built

D．filled

8.

A．look at

B．watch over

C．glance out

D．glare at

9.

A．picked

B．cut

C．planted

D．fell

10.

A．settle

B．arrange

C．work

D．breathe

11.

A．busy

B．happy

C．creative

D．special

12.

A．demanded

B．taught

C．appointed

D．assisted

13.

A．amazement

B．surroundings

C．opportunity

D．ability

14.

A．convenience

B．appearance

C．contribution

D．conversation

15.

A．employs

B．forces

C．enables

D．saves

2 . My photographs are the items I would definitely take or guard in case of an emergency. But what else? This was the question I asked myself as a ________ came toward us.

Unlike some friends and________, we decided to stay in our home. We didn’t have to choose what we would save by ________ it into the car, but we still had to decide what required protection by storing it in our walk-in closet. Surprisingly, few items made the cut - an obvious ________ that we had surrounded ourselves with beautiful yet unessential items. We needed ________ for the truly important things: ourselves.

Because when you hear the roar of the winds, or when something ________ hard against your windows, you don’t think of photos.You don’t worry about your big screen TV, or those paintings you’ve covered with towels to protect them, or that ________ car that you still haven’t finished paying for.

As ________ goes on outside, this is what you think: My children, are they OK? Are their impact-resistant(耐冲击的) windows working ________? Are their roofs keeping out the damage? My grandchildren, are they crying out in fear? Are they ________ as their own grandparents are? My relatives — yes, even those I try to avoid — have they ________ the worst of it? My friends, will they be forced to move somewhere else permanently? You don’t think about what you own but about what you love; what money can’t buy back.

Months and years after the hurricane, I often told people that there are two parts to ________ this kind of catastrophe: the horror of the hurricane itself and then the rebuilding that follows. The ________ together of a life, however, will take months, perhaps years.

But we will do it, ________ and as a community. Of that I have no doubt. In fact, I’ll make one more prediction. Piece by piece, item by item, we will once again collect the material possessions that decorate a home. I hate to admit this, but lessons learned ________ fear aren’t always long-lasting.

1.

A．flood

B．drought

C．wildfire

D．hurricane

2.

A．hosts

B．partners

C．relatives

D．architects

3.

A．applying

B．packing

C．exchanging

D．delivering

4.

A．sign

B．gap

C．clue

D．summary

5.

A．kit

B．gym

C．space

D．greenhouse

6.

A．rests

B．erupts

C．carves

D．cracks

7.

A．cheap

B．expensive

C．graceful

D．economic

8.

A．destruction

B．appreciation

C．challenge

D．determination

9.

A．as usual

B．as follows

C．as scheduled

D．as promised

10.

A．annoyed

B．amazed

C．confused

D．frightened

11.

A．escaped

B．protested

C．identified

D．processed

12.

A．causing

B．preventing

C．surviving

D．suffering

13.

A．cutting out

B．putting back

C．giving up

D．working out

14.

A．devotedly

B．creatively

C．individually

D．dependently

15.

A．in favor of

B．in times of

C．in need of

D．in search of

3 . It might sound a bit old-fashioned, but there’s something unique about handwritten things. And I’m a real believer in the_______of letters.

When I was about 12 years old, my friends and I wanted a pet mouse. The pet shop wouldn’t_______us one until we had a letter from a parent, so, having the tidiest_______, I faked(伪)one.

My trick was quickly_______. My mum felt that the punishment should fit the crime, so she made me write letters to a few randomly selected_______.

One of them was my uncle who I’d only_______a few times. I wrote along letter_______my life and listing my interests.

My punishment_______, I forgot about this until I suddenly got a reply from him. He told me all about his life and would love to_______about what school subjects I enjoyed. And so started a correspondence(通信)that________for several years.

Then out of the blue, he passed away. My mum was________as they had not really spoken for years. I went upstairs and presented a box of________from him. She comforted herself reading them and knowing that ________she hadn’t been in touch, I had grown close to him by writing to him.

I often think about how that one________childhood behavior led to such an enriching correspondence. It________me-to write to lots of other people, and it’s something I keep up with to this day.

1.

A．content

B．advance

C．order

D．power

2.

A．sell

B．pay

C．give

D．offer

3.

A．handwriting

B．room

C．hand

D．habit

4.

A．admired

B．exchanged

C．discovered

D．solved

5.

A．strangers

B．neighbors

C．relatives

D．friends

6.

A．ignored

B．met

C．recognized

D．thanked

7.

A．detailing

B．organizing

C．improving

D．wasting

8.

A．reasonable

B．complete

C．serious

D．efficient

9.

A．think

B．care

C．hear

D．argue

10.

A．went on

B．ended up

C．got over

D．turned up

11.

A．concerned

B．upset

C．angry

D．calm

12.

A．chocolates

B．books

C．puddings

D．letters

13.

A．after

B．although

C．because

D．if

14.

A．meaningful

B．frank

C．unique

D．improper

15.

A．advised

B．required

C．encouraged

D．warned

4 . When I hear the word stereotype (刻板印象), I feel it’s a word that doesn’t have a good aura (氛围) around it. It makes me feel ________ when I hear it. I’m not gonna ________ you on what you look like, I’m gonna judge you only when I meet you.

People assume that because of my ________ that I can’t do things that white women do, like finishing high school, going to college, graduating from college, getting a PhD, and having a career. ________ I go to the gym, people will be like, you run well for an ‘Asian guy’. And like this little ________ use of languages really affects how we view our world.

Being an Indian in a ________ American school, I’ve faced a couple of challenges. Many people assume things ________ me like I’m smart or I want to be a doctor, or I play things like chess, but I don’t think my skin color is what ________ me. I think it’s important for you to get to know a person ________ their skin. And really, I’m just American. I was born here. I like to live the same way ________ anybody else would.

When I first meet someone, I just talk about where they’re from and stuff ________ assuming where they’re from. Because it’s usually better to get to ________ someone’s background information than just assume it.

I break the stereotypes that I’ve encountered by ________ them, and walking off. A stereotype does not make you. You make you. You should accept who you are and love who you are, because we’re all human. We all deserve to have a ________. Your color or your race shouldn’t ________ your personality.

1.

A．upset

B．concerned

C．tired

D．excited

2.

A．make

B．judge

C．meet

D．criticize

3.

A．personality

B．school

C．family

D．race

4.

A．Wherever

B．Whatever

C．Whenever

D．However

5.

A．great

B．tiny

C．strange

D．enormous

6.

A．mostly

B．partially

C．clearly

D．rarely

7.

A．in

B．about

C．on

D．from

8.

A．predicts

B．chooses

C．replaces

D．defines

9.

A．at

B．in

C．under

D．about

10.

A．of

B．as

C．for

D．from

11.

A．instead of

B．by accident

C．because of

D．thanks to

12.

A．guess

B．think

C．know

D．understand

13.

A．coming across

B．looking after

C．depending on

D．laughing at

14.

A．voice

B．noise

C．sound

D．interest

15.

A．explain

B．assess

C．identify

D．acquire

5 . Happiness, as I see it, comprises five elements: spiritual well-being (meaning and purpose), physical well-being (nutrition, exercise), intellectual well-being (curiosity, deep learning), relational well-being (kindness and generosity), and emotional well-being (cultivating positive emotions). As an interdependent aggregate of these five elements of SPIRE, happiness is about much more than experiencing pleasure.

As Aristotle put it, happiness is the ultimate purpose of life, meaning how we spend our everyday lives is ultimately guided by what we think would make us happier. This is not a good or a bad thing. It simply is, like the law of nature. Even people who are tirelessly working for an important cause, for example, to get rid of world hunger, are doing it because they find their work meaningful. Meaning is an element of happiness.

One barrier to happiness has to do with the expectation that happiness is an unbroken chain of positive emotions. This expectation, however, prevents people from experiencing happiness because painful emotions don’t go away but grow stronger when we reject them.

The second barrier has to do with equating happiness with success. It’s a commonly held belief that happiness can be attained by achieving certain goals, like money or fame. People tend to think if they finally find success, they will automatically become happy.

The third barrier has to do with the way people pursue happiness. We want to be happy for many reasons. After all, we are constantly told that happiness is good for our health, relationships, and work outcomes. Yet, if I wake up in the morning and decide to pursue happiness straight, I will become less happy.

But how? Indirectly. As is known, if you look up at the sun directly, you’ll hurt yourself. But if you take the same sun rays and break them down, you’ll enjoy the colors of a rainbow. Similarly, pursuing happiness directly can hurt us; pursuing it indirectly—by breaking it down into something like the SPIRE elements—can contribute to our well-being. Starting a meditation practice, exercising, performing acts of kindness, learning something new, or expressing gratitude for what we have are all indirect ways of pursuing happiness.

1. What does the underlined word “aggregate” probably mean in the first paragraph?

A．Combination.

B．Conclusion.

C．Accumulation.

D．Association.

2. What’s the author’s attitude towards how we spend our daily lives?

A．Favorable.

B．Suspicious.

C．Objective.

D．Indifferent.

3. What can we know from the text?

A．Being a success leads one to happiness.

B．Refusing negative feelings helps us obtain happiness.

C．Going after happiness directly makes one feel happy.

D．Pursuing one aspect of SPIRE can boost our well-being.

4. Why is the sun mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To make a contrast.	B．To make an analogy.
C．To conclude the argumentation.	D．To answer the previous question.

6 . Just about 50 years ago, needing money to support my family—my novels weren’t bestsellers—I had the idea of taking the longest train trip imaginable and writing a travel book about it. The trip was improvisational (即兴的). I didn’t have a credit card. I had no idea where I’d be staying nor how long this trip would take. And I’d never written a travel book before. I hoped my trip wouldn’t suffer a lot, though it was obviously a leap in the dark.

I set off with one small bag containing clothes, a map of Asia, a travel guidebook and some travelers’ cheques. I was often inconvenienced, sometimes threatened, now and then disturbed for bribes, occasionally laid up with food poisoning—all this vivid detail for my narrative.

What I repeated in the more than four-month trip was the pleasure of the sleeping car. Writing on board the Khyber Mail to Lahore in Pakistan, “The romance associated with the sleeping car comes from the fact that it is extremely private, combining the best features of a cupboard with forward movement. Whatever drama is being shown in this moving bedroom is heightened by the landscape passing the window...” A train is a carrier that allows residence.

I wrote The Great Railway Bazaar on my return in 1974, and it appeared to good reviews and quick sales. That’s the past. Nothing is the same. All travel is time-related. All such trips are singular and unrepeatable. It’s not just that the steam trains of Asia are gone, but much of the peace and order is gone. Who’d risk an Iranian train now or take a bus through Afghanistan?

But I’ve been surprised by some of the more recent developments in travel. I rode on Chinese trains for a year and wrote Riding the Iron Rooster, but now China has much cleaner and swifter trains and modernized destinations. A traveler today could take the same trip I took in 1986—1987 and produce a completely different book.

All travel books are dated. That’s their fault that they’re outdated, and it’s their virtue that they preserve something of the past that would otherwise be lost.

1. What happened at the beginning of the author’s trip to Asia?

A．He made full preparations for the trip.

B．He had expected the journey to be rough.

C．He organized the trip with his family’s support.

D．He started the trip out of his passion for traveling.

2. Why did the author repeatedly recall the sleeping car?

A．For its romantic scenery.	B．For its reassuring privacy.
C．For its full equipment.	D．For its long distance.

3. What did the author try to convey by saying “Nothing is the same”?

A．The landscape in Asia was gone.	B．Train trip was no longer popular.
C．He couldn’t write another bestseller.	D．Transportation and travel had changed a lot.

4. Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Sharp tools make good work.
C．Travel, truth is not the arrival card.	D．The journey, not the arrival matters.

7 . This morning I was reading a book outside my favorite beachside coffee shop when an 18-year-old boy sat down next to me and said, “The ______   in your hands is great, isn’t it?” I closed the book and we started ______ .

He told me he was getting ready to ______   high school next week and then started his college life in the fall. But he had no ______ what he wanted to do with his life.

He asked me many questions, and I ______ them as well as I could, trying to give ______ advice with the time I had. And after a half-hour conversation, he thanked me and we parted ways.

But on my way home I realized the ______ I had with that 18-year-old boy was ______ quite nostalgic (令人怀念的) . He made me ______ the time when I was his age, more than twenty years ago. I had so many ______ back then. So, I started thinking about his questions again, and I began remembering all the helpful little things someone told me ______ I was 18.

The ______ is that you’d better do your best, one ______ , not all at once. And above all, laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t ______ when everything develops. Life is short, yet ______ . Enjoy the ride!

1.

A．book

B．magazine

C．radio

D．newspaper

2.

A．reading

B．dancing

C．chatting

D．singing

3.

A．graduate from

B．give up

C．get to

D．look for

4.

A．right

B．idea

C．excuse

D．money

5.

A．avoided

B．refused

C．doubted

D．answered

6.

A．proper

B．strict

C．humorous

D．wrong

7.

A．competition

B．experiment

C．argument

D．conversation

8.

A．angrily

B．sadly

C．actually

D．bravely

9.

A．forget

B．remember

C．waste

D．discuss

10.

A．chances

B．choices

C．questions

D．challenges

11.

A．when

B．until

C．how

D．though

12.

A．reason

B．truth

C．silence

D．cause

13.

A．on time

B．at a time

C．in time

D．from time to time

14.

A．volunteer

B．imagine

C．change

D．cheat

15.

A．similar

B．strange

C．difficult

D．amazing

8 . It was early winter several years ago. I had pulled out my old winter coat for another year’s use. It was still in pretty good shape although it was looking dirty from so many winters’ wear. I didn’t really need a new one but I wanted one and casually mentioned it to my daughter one day. She was such a sweet, loving girl that I should have guessed what would happen next. A few weeks later she gave me a new winter coat as a gift.

I put the old one in my closet and started to wear the new coat every day. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something troubled me. It seemed a shame that my old but still good coat should just sit there keeping no one warm during the cold winter days. After a few weeks, I took it out and drove to a local charity shop. I knew that there was someone who couldn’t afford a coat but could get my old one.

My new coat is my old coat now. It is getting a little dirty and worn, too. It has black marks on the sleeves. It is in too bad shape to even donate to charity. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon, but I think I will wait for a while. I don’t really need a new one and maybe I can find something else to give to the charity shop instead.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Want is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover.” Perhaps the best way to deal with our wants then is to give instead. Love, after all, brings us the most joy. And the more of it you give away, the more of it you have.

1. Which word can best describe the author’s daughter?

A．Wealthy.

B．Thoughtful.

C．Easy-going.

D．Humorous.

2. Why was the author in shame when seeing his old coat in the closet?

A．It cost too much.	B．It was looking dirty.
C．There was not enough room for his new coat.	D．It was not sent to someone in need.

3. What is the author’s decision after his second coat becomes old?

A．Telling his daughter.	B．Buying a new one soon.
C．Donating it to charity.	D．Sending something else to charity.

4. What does the author want to show in the last paragraph?

A．Giving fills our wants.	B．Love is the key to joy.
C．The more you give, the more you lose.	D．A coat is large enough to cover our wants.

9 . Once a year, around the time when Christians celebrate Easter, Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Jews celebrate Passover, I often invite my 24-person team to a joyful and special dinner at my place. To _________ the needs of all my team members, I usually _________ different kinds of typical food from different religions.

I think this _________ reflects the wider philosophy(哲学) of my science lab: we aim to be a _________ yet united group of people working in a global scientific network. My lab _________ people with different _________. One of the most obvious _________ is our religions.

Yet when people _________ my lab, they gather together, first through their common _________ for science, and then as they get to know one another and enjoy spare time activities, we become a cohesive(有凝聚力的) team. I am ____________ this cohesion and the new friendships in my lab, and do my best to encourage them.

I’m also really ____________, while looking for new members. I interview many people before I ____________ the right ones for my lab. They must be ____________ capable(有能力的)of course, but it’s just as important that they’re friendly, interesting and interested in others. They should be prepared to ____________ various points of view and cultures.

As the person in charge of the lab, I see preserving a variety of cultural backgrounds as an important part of my job. Such an accessible, varied and supportive ____________ promotes new ideas and scientific breakthroughs.

1.

A．accommodate

B．avoid

C．change

D．control

2.

A．enjoy

B．throw

C．prepare

D．taste

3.

A．dream

B．tradition

C．promise

D．debate

4.

A．strange

B．conservative

C．poor

D．diverse

5.

A．gives up

B．turns down

C．consists of

D．leaves out

6.

A．breakthroughs

B．backgrounds

C．ambitions

D．hobbies

7.

A．differences

B．recipes

C．requirements

D．standards

8.

A．visit

B．praise

C．join

D．aid

9.

A．regret

B．charge

C．sympathy

D．love

10.

A．surprised at

B．proud of

C．interested in

D．worried about

11.

A．curious

B．casual

C．careful

D．relaxed

12.

A．thank

B．defeat

C．compare

D．choose

13.

A．scientifically

B．physically

C．mentally

D．financially

14.

A．respect

B．protect

C．stand

D．doubt

15.

A．chance

B．position

C．lecture

D．environment

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Ritch Addison was ashy kid. In elementary school, he didn’t speak up for himself, and he    1    (worry) a lot. But once he went to high school, he made up his mind    2    (develop) a sense of humor to make more friends. His new approach worked and he started to become known for his jokes—like the time he made fun     3    a classmate’s poor score on a math test.

“It turned out that I had gotten a hundred on the test and he didn’t do so well,” Addison recalled. “And I joked heartlessly about it.”

Then one day, his good friend, Holly, pulled him aside and said, “Ritch, sometimes you really hurt     4    (people) feeling.”

Addison    5    (shock). He had always seen himself as the one who made his friends laugh. He couldn’t imagine that he might be hurting them.

“But I kept thinking about what Holly said. Finally, I realized that she was     6    (absolute) right. I started paying attention to     7    other people was reacting to my humor,” he said.

It couldn’t happen overnight,    8    . “Over the years, I worked on    9    (be) more compassionate(同理心的) toward the people around me since I wanted to have    10    different kind of relationship with them,” he said.