At eleven years old, my main concern was money. On my bedroom floor, I arranged the change from my money box to see what I had. I wished it’d multiply before my eyes, but of course it didn’t. To have more money, I decided to work for my grandmother.
After school, my grandmother drove to pick me up. About an hour later, we arrived at the pick-up kitchen and got dozens of little shiny silver trays (托盘). After our load was arranged in the backseat, my grandmother drove us to our first stop: a small white house. I took a meal and a small box of milk from the back and walked beside my grandmother to the door. She opened it and said, “Mrs. Hershel, we’ve brought you some lunch.” The reply came, “Come on in.”
I nearly jumped when I glanced over to see a tiny old woman in the corner looking at me. She sat in a rocking chair and had many wrinkles. When I approached her, she smiled at me, with no teeth. My grandmother guided me inside to place the lunch on her kitchen table. The house smelled bad.
The next stop was much the same and the next. The houses varied in size and shape, but the same wrinkly people waited for their meals. Each person smiled at me and thanked me as I hurried to get out of there. I was sweaty and tired, and my clothes had captured the bad smell of the food and old houses.
At the end of the day, I guessed it was obvious to my grandmother that I wasn’t very comfortable about the job anymore. “You don’t have to help me,” she said. “I understand if the job isn’t what you want to do.” I swallowed hard, wandering what to say. “For many of the people we deliver lunch to, this is their only meal of the day. Many of them are alone,” my grandmother continued. Seeing my eyes widen, my grandmother smiled, “But a kind word and a smile go a long way.”
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。
When we arrived home, my grandmother handed me the money I’d earned.
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The next morning, I saw each person with all their wrinkles and the houses a little differently.
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2 . 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
I think this
Yet when people
I’m also really
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
| A．accommodate | B．avoid | C．change | D．control |
| A．enjoy | B．throw | C．prepare | D．taste |
| A．dream | B．tradition | C．promise | D．debate |
| A．strange | B．conservative | C．poor | D．diverse |
| A．gives up | B．turns down | C．consists of | D．leaves out |
| A．breakthroughs | B．backgrounds | C．ambitions | D．hobbies |
| A．differences | B．recipes | C．requirements | D．standards |
| A．visit | B．praise | C．join | D．aid |
| A．regret | B．charge | C．sympathy | D．love |
| A．surprised at | B．proud of | C．interested in | D．worried about |
| A．curious | B．casual | C．careful | D．relaxed |
| A．thank | B．defeat | C．compare | D．choose |
| A．scientifically | B．physically | C．mentally | D．financially |
| A．respect | B．protect | C．stand | D．doubt |
| A．chance | B．position | C．lecture | D．environment |
Merchant Tovel loved attention. Knowing that people would listen if he had news to share, he went around his village making up stories about the local rabbi (犹太教神职人员).
“He mixes dairy and meat!” said Tovel.
The townspeople shook their heads, for they all knew that dairy and meat must not be mixed in the course of any meal.
“And he sneaks (偷拿) food on Yom Kippur,” added Tovel.
“Not Yom Kippur!” cried the townspeople.
For not only is Yom Kippur the most important fasting day of the year, but it is also the holiest Jewish holiday.
Later, alone in his home, the talebearer felt bad about what he had done. His stories about the rabbi had spread quickly. “I will go to the rabbi and beg him for forgiveness,” he decided. Then all would be well again.
The next morning, he went to the temple and knocked on the door. “Rabbi,” he called, “it is merchant Tovel, coming to see you about an important matter.”
“Come in, Tovel,” the rabbi said warmly, opening the door.
In a matter of moments, Tovel told the rabbi all the things he had said. Then he asked, “What can I do to make things right?”
The rabbi thought for a moment, then told him, “You must take a feather pillow (枕头), cut it open, and feed the feathers to the wind.”
Tovel thought that the rabbi’s suggestion was strange, but the task seemed simple enough. And if it would take away the guilt he felt, then why not do it? Tovel thanked the rabbi and quickly left the temple. At home, the talebearer grabbed a feather pillow, waited for the afternoon winds to pick up, then climbed to the top of a hill. There, he cut open the pillow and watched the feathers float far and wide across the land. Satisfied, Tovel returned to tell the rabbi of his deed. “Now go and gather those feathers,” the rabbi commanded.
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。
“But they are everywhere!” Tovel cried. “How will I get them all?”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Feeling disappointed, Tovel returned to tell the rabbi about the feathers he couldn’t collect.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Broken Shells
It was a warm summer afternoon at the Jersey shore. My four-year-old son and I just loved walking along the beach just before dinner. With a bucket in hand, we’d hit the sand and start our adventure.
I remember the days not so long ago when a trip to the beach was just unbearable for my little boy. My son, Will, was diagnosed with ASD (孤独症). His sensitivities to sights, sounds, and touches would prevent us from enjoying everyday activities. The beach is now one of his favorite places to visit.
Presently, we are able to walk along the edge of the water almost daily in the summer months, looking for seashells to fill our bucket. On this particular day, there didn’t seem to be too many shells washed up on the shore. Will began picking up whatever shells he saw lying in the sand. After a while, I looked into the bucket and saw nothing but broken shells. “Will,” I said, “all of these shells are broken and no good.” “You need to find shells like this,” I continued, as I held up a perfectly shaped shell. Will gave me a puzzled look and continued on his way, gathering whatever shells he saw and dropping them into the bucket.
I continued my search for some time, and again, I stopped, but this time I asked in a firm voice, “Will, why do you insist on filling our bucket with shells that are broken?” He looked up at me and replied, “Mom, there are more shells on the beach that are broken than there are perfect ones that you are searching for. We’ll get the bucket filled faster with the broken ones.” True, I thought, but who wanted a bucketful of broken shells? Will stared at me as if he knew what I was thinking. “Mom, these shells are broken. but they are still beautiful.” he added. Just then he began commenting on different shells’ uniqueness. “It has the color purple on it. Mom, none of yours have purple on them. It reminds me of a clown (小丑). This one is like the sun, and these ones are like butterfly wings,” he said with such pride.
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。
Touched by what he said, I realized changes are to be made to our shell trip.
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Back home with great joy, we agreed to make more shell trips and build a “broken shell garden”.
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5 . I truly believe we all have a very special purpose in life, regardless of who we are or where we come from. After ten years of working for a major Wall Street bank, I wanted to do something challenging. So when I read a Merrill Lynch advertisement looking to hire more stockbrokers (股票经纪人), with great excitement, I made some phone calls and arranged to meet with one of its branch vice presidents. After this interview and interviews with twelve of his top stockbrokers, I eventually landed the job.
The first few months was a struggle. I lived on very little commission (佣金). Night after night, I left the office weary and exhausted, ready to give up, yet somehow returning the next morning to start anew day. Eventually, all the hard work paid off. In less than four years, I became one of the top sales people at my branch and increased personal sales by 1,700 percent. The success earned me a six-figure income, promotion and numerous sales awards.
Toward the end of my fourth year at Merrill Lynch, it hit me that something was missing. I thought long and hard about my goals. Then I was reminded of the time when I spoke to hundreds of people, while in college as a student leader, and years later, when I won a “Humorous Speech” championship. It dawned on me that every time I had a speaking engagement, I always came out of the experience with a wonderful, energetic, peaceful and magical feeling that was unmatched by anything else I did. I knew the extraordinary public-speaking skills I was blessed with could enable me to make a lasting difference and transform other people’s lives.
Then I took another daring risk, gave up everything and left the investment business for a more satisfying career as a motivational speaker. The beginning of my speaking journey was surprisingly similar to what I had first experienced at Merrill Lynch. However, nothing in the world comes close to the satisfying feeling I get when thousands of people tell me how much I have made a difference in their lives by motivating them to take risks and be the best they could be.
1. Why did the author meet with a Merrill Lynch branch vice president?| A．To arrange an interview. | B．To make an advertisement. |
| C．To employ more clerks. | D．To get a position. |
| A．Tolerant and ambitious. | B．Demanding and successful. |
| C．Tough and competent. | D．Optimistic and agreeable. |
| A．He hoped to relive college life. | B．He wanted to influence others’ lives. |
| C．He had an engagement. | D．His investment was not satisfying. |
| A．Speaking Makes a Satisfying Job | B．Challenge Your Career Choice |
| C．Hard Work Pays Off | D．Dare to Take Risks |
“Okay, so, where do we go and play football?” Nora asked Emily. “Hmm, maybe we should play in my garden. Come on!” Emily led the way to her garden.
“I go first!” Nora said as she kicked the ball towards Emily.
“Is that all you got? Watch me, the champion, kick the ball!” For a second, Emily ran like the wind to the ball and kicked it so hard that it flew into the neighbor’s house.
There was a loud sound.
“Uh oh ... what did you do?” Nora spoke, feeling afraid.
“I ... I do not know. Oh no! I think I broke my neighbor’s window,” Emily cried as she ran across her garden and hid behind a tree and Nora disappeared into the air.
Fear was written all over Emily’s face. She saw the neighbor, Mr. Mason, pick up the pieces of glass. There was anger on his face. Emily ran away as fast as she could into a nearby park. She dared not return home anytime soon.
The sun was setting and Emily returned home, keeping her eyes wide open for the neighbor.
What if Mr. Mason was at her house? What if he knew it was her? Her heart was shaking as she cautiously (小心翼翼地) arrived home.
Her mother saw the sweat on her face. She knew her daughter had done something wrong.
“Emily, are you okay? Is something wrong? I can help you solve your problems, my dear,” Mother said.
Emily held her mother’s hands and her eyes were wet with tears. “Mama, I did something bad, but it was unintentional. I broke Mr. Mason’s window by hitting the football so hard.”
Mother listened to Emily patiently and she did not press further, although she was not pleased that Emily did not say sorry to Mr. Mason immediately. Then Mother held a pencil and began writing on a piece of white paper.
Mother wrote a sentence on the paper and then she erased it and wrote something again.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
“Do you know why pencils have erasers?” Mother asked.
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Emily walked up to the neighbor’s front door with weak legs.
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7 . My childhood was a painted picture of sunny sky and rolling green fields stretching to the horizon. It tasted of sharp berries and smelt of sour grapes. My family lived in a cabin(小木屋) in the countryside but I lived in my mother’s arms. They were so delicate but strong, her red hair falling around me like a curtain separating me from the world.
Childhood was simple. The borders of my village were the furthest my troubles went and monsters only lived in the pages of books. Every day was a waking dream of running races and muddy knees. My village was archaic, dying cabins housing dying farmers with dying traditions. There weren’t many children but me and the other boys; boys of butchers and sellers formed our own group.
They called us wild. I suppose we were. Trees and mountains formed our playgrounds and fights broke out as easily as sudden laughter. Liberated from the restrictions of society, we would bound into the woods, deeper and deeper until we found a lake which, with a wild yell, we would jump into all at once.
My most vivid memories from boyhood center around that lake. Water shone brightly and the sounds of our screams broke into the outcry from birds. The shock of cold water against sweating skin would wake every nerve in my body and my bare feet would hit the sinking muddy bottom. As we submerged(淹没)， time would suspend， movements slowing as bubbles rose around us.
I was drowning. I was living. I was living. I was drowning.
For timelessness or a second (both felt the same), we would suspend, curl up, and then be forced back out into breathing air.
We should have known that it wouldn’t last forever. Yet, even under the best circumstances, there’s something so tragic about growing up: to have your perspective on the people and life around you change;to always struggle to reach a mirror only to find yourself tall enough to see your reflection one day. And find, a different person staring back out at you.
1. What does the underlined word “archaic” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Borderless. |
| B．Valueless. |
| C．Old-fashioned. |
| D．Poverty-stricken. |
| A．They played in the woods crazily. |
| B．They tricked others purposefully. |
| C．They frequently broke social rules. |
| D．They firmly refused school education. |
| A．By sharing feelings. |
| B．By expressing ideas. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By describing characters. |
| A．Loneliness and challenges make a man grow up. |
| B．The regret of growth is that you have never tried. |
| C．Growth is often accompanied by sad goodbyes to the past. |
| D．Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness. |
8 .
And we need heroes today more than ever. Our modern society is terribly confused about the difference between a hero and a celebrity (名人). And the difference is significant. A celebrity is all about fame-temporary, superficial fame, usually for qualities that are easy to see: a pretty face, a great dance move.
Heroes, real heroes, are all around us. They truly hold our world together, through their unselfish devotion to helping others, supporting families, teaching children, protecting the environment.
Yet, young people hear a lot more about celebrities than about heroes.
Truth is, there is a potential hero, a future difference maker, in every young person. Each of them, from whatever background, is a large amount of untapped (未开发的) energy-a positive force who can do something to steer that communal boat that carries us all.
| A．A hero, by contrast, is about character |
| B．They don’t want fame, or glory, or even credit |
| C．All of us-especially young people-need heroes |
| D．All of us need to believe in our own abilities to help people in need |
| E．Worse yet, young people are treated too often as just another target market by advertisers |
| F．They have discovered that they can build on their own energy and ideals to do something truly great |
| G．If young people believe in their own power and use it, they will discover that any person can make a genuine, lasting impact |
9 . What a comedian can teach you about managing stress
We often accept stress as part of the cost of modern life, but it really doesn’t have to be. We all know that laughter is the best medicine.
You can try to find a different perspective.
When you share stories with your friends, you can choose to share stories of trauma (创伤) and pain, or you can choose to lift their spirits with stories of hope and growth.
| A．Always share a good story. |
| B．Why not do what comedians do? |
| C．You can also look again and laugh. |
| D．But laughter does more than cheer you up. |
| E．Then you are able to make a simple choice. |
| F．In this way. you will say goodbye to stress forever. |
| G．If you have trouble seeing the funny side, you may find the following inspiring. |
10 . There are days when I find it necessary to step outside my classroom and check to be sure that my name is still in the TEACHER space over my door. Sometimes I feel that I am a student in my classroom rather than the teacher.
Seated in the classroom, my sixth grade students each held a different tool in the hand. The students discussed how words are like tools-they have the ability to build or to destroy, and they discovered how the right tool used at the right time for the right job can produce great results. I watched and listened with a sense of satisfaction. They got it!
A. few days later, one of my students, Laura, had an unexpected outburst in class. She refused to work with her group. I asked her to excuse herself and to go to our next door team center. She marched from the back of the room to our classroom door-shooting me an angry look, and then proceeded to slam the door as she left for the team meeting room.
Minutes later, I stood over her. Being extremely angry about her disrespectful behavior, I was sharp in my tone and harsh with my words. When I paused for her response, she stated, “You’re using your tool against me.” I was speechless.
There are times when you are at a critical crossroads with a student and the road you choose will make all the difference. I knew at that moment the right thing to do was to kneel down next to her chair, and softly say, “You’re right, Laura. I have used my words unwisely and unkindly. Will you forgive me?” She looked me in the eye and simply said, “Yes, I forgive you, Mrs. Ekre. I’m sorry, too.”
At the end of the year, she wrote me a beautiful letter, attached to which was a small key-a tool, she said, for a language arts teacher who taught her how important words can be. It serves as my reminder of a lesson I taught as a teacher but one I really learned from my student.
1. Why does the writer feel she is a student?| A．Her students often challenge her. | B．Her name is not in the TEACHER space. |
| C．Her students transform her ideas. | D．She abuses her power as a teacher. |
| A．Laura’s angry look. | B．Laura’s abrupt explosion. |
| C．Laura’s slamming the door. | D．Laura’s accusation against her. |
| A．Caring but stubborn. | B．Tolerant and open-minded. |
| C．Strict and changeable. | D．Sincere and flexible. |
| A．The power of words. | B．The importance of teaching. |
| C．The value of forgiveness. | D．The beauty of understanding. |
