1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What example does the man give to prove his point?

A．His aunt’s example.

B．His father’s example.

C．His own example.

2. What did the man do last month?

A．He took part in a competition.

B．He learned to play the violin.

C．He taught his father to play the guitar.

3. What does Susan’s example prove?

A．Hard work is more important.

B．Talent is more important.

C．Talent is as important as hard work.

2 . As a reporter, I talk to strangers for a living and love the challenge of getting them to open up. Yet here’s a confession: I’ve been married for eight happy years, but until six months ago, I could be the stereotypical inattentive husband.

It’s not that my wife and I never had pleasant conversations. But more often than I care to admit, I was just going through the motions, nodding when I was supposed to. I was the guy who’d defensively snap (厉声说), “Of course I did!” when my wife would ask, “JB, did you even hear what I just said?”

In January, I began to lose my voice repeatedly. Doctors told me I needed surgery, or else my throat would be permanently damaged. Total silence would be required for the first few weeks of my recovery.

Two hours after the surgery, my eyes filled with tears as my two-year-old son stood by me looking puzzled because I wouldn’t answer his questions. I wanted to talk but couldn’t.

But before I got home, I had settled into a Zen-like peace about my silence. Soon I noticed another “side effect”: As my wife talked to me to keep up my spirits, I wasn’t just hearing her; I was listening to her.

Over the next few weeks, I found myself unwilling to miss a word she said. I began to hear a sweetness in her voice that I hadn’t recalled for long. I found myself understanding her better on topics I’d previously dismissed as “things I just don’t get as a guy”.

I also realized my toddler (学步的儿童) wasn’t just chattering nonstop but that he often had surprisingly thoughtful things to say for his age.

Even while walking my dog in the woods near our home, I began hearing pleasant patterns in bird songs. The rustling leaves sounded crisper to me. Before my surgery, I’d have spent those walks on my phone.

After several months, I was fully recovered. Now conversation in our house is better, but not because I’m talking more. I’m just listening better and becoming less and less surprised that I like what I hear.

1. What does the author want to tell us most in the first two paragraphs?

A．He was fond of talking to strangers.

B．He enjoyed taking challenges.

C．Sometimes he ignored his wife’s words.

D．He often quarreled with his wife.

2. Why did the author have to keep silent?

A．To avoid argument.	B．To hear more.
C．To ensure recovery.	D．To show unhappiness.

3. After the surgery, how did the author feel about his inability to talk at first?

A．Peaceful.

B．Upset.

C．Puzzled.

D．Uncertain.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Easier said than done.

B．Full set, partial to listen to the dark.

C．Knowledge is power.

D．Listen well and you can hear the world.

3 . The Most Important Day of Your Life

What’s the most important day of your life? The answer to that question is simple — Today.

    1     You can’t do anything about things that have already happened, and trying to live in the future will take your focus away from the present. So the helpful strategy for anyone is to make the most of the moment that is right in front of us.

Doing our best today may make things easier for us later on, or at least help us to deal with whatever situation we are in.     2     We will still be dealing with the same challenges tomorrow.

Each morning I ask myself what I can do to make today memorable.     3     In Hebrew school we were asked what we had done to help other people the previous week. Did we help an older person cross the street? Did we encourage someone who had a promising idea?    4     All of these things represent a worthy deed because they involve doing something to help someone else.

Even if today is not that meaningful for you, something you do for someone else may be very meaningful for them. You never know how much a good deed for someone else will impact that person. The greatest meaning that today brings may not be for you, it may be for someone else.

    5     You can deal with tomorrow next week, or next year when it gets here.

A．The answer involves doing something kind for someone else.

B．Did we hold the door for someone whose hands were full?

C．Is today still the most important day?

D．The past cannot be changed, and the future has not happened yet.

E．Ignoring today and hoping it will go away certainly won’t work.

F．If you wash it away, someone else may not get the benefits.

G．So make the most of today.

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。

What my father wore really embarrassed me. I wanted him to dress like a doctor or a lawyer, but on those muggy mornings when he rose before dawn to fry eggs for my mother and me, he always dressed like my father.

We lived in South Texas, and my father worked as a repairman. He liked shirts that snapped more than those that buttoned, and kept his pencils, cigars, glasses, wrenches and screwdrivers in his breast pocket. His boots were those with steel toes that made them difficult to pull off his feet, which I sometimes helped him with when he returned from repairing cars — his job that also shamed me.

I blamed the way he dressed for my social failures. When boys bullied me, I thought they’d seen my father wearing his cowboy hat but no shirt while walking our dog. I felt that girls laughed at me because they’d glimpsed him mowing the grass in cut-off jeans and black boots. The girls’ families paid men to beautify their lawns, while their fathers travelled in the bay wearing lemon-yellow sweaters and expensive sandals.

My father only bought two suits in his life. He preferred clothes that allowed him the freedom to move under cars. But the day before my parents’ twentieth anniversary, he and I went to Sears, and he tried on suits all afternoon. With each one, he stepped to the mirror, smiled and nodded, then asked about the price and reached for another. He probably tried ten suits before we drove to a discount store and bought one that saved him the bother of approaching a fitting room.

Later, he wore the same suit for my eighth-grade award banquet, but I wished he’d stayed home. After the ceremony, he praised my award and my character while changing into a faded red sweatsuit. He was stepping into the garage to wash a load of laundry when I asked what later struck me as cruel and wrong. “Why,” I asked, “don’t you dress ‘nice’, like my friends fathers?”

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。

He held me with his sad, shocked eyes and searched for an answer.

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In the following days, my father proved to me that there are things more important than what one wears.

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5 . 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。

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath a willow tree. It must be as sick, for the branches were kind of yellow and dry. I was a deserted girl. Endless quarrels with my parents had left me nowhere to go but this desolate (荒无人烟的) corner of the park. As I sat on the bench, things that happened recently began to flash through. Days seemed months to me recently. No cozy home to stay. No happy memories about my life. No considerate family members to talk to. Even the book I was reading was no fun. Not content with life, I had a good reason to frown, for the world was intended to drag me down.

And if that were not enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play. He stood right in front of me with his head tilted (倾斜) down and said with great excitement, “Look what I found!” In his hand was a flower. What a pitiful sight, its petals (花瓣) were all worn—not enough rain, or too little light. He must have picked the flower from somewhere shady and sunless, just like where I was staying these days. I couldn’t help being self-pitying. Wanting him to take his dead flower away and go off to play, I faked a smile and then looked away. “Why couldn’t everyone just leave me be!” I thought to myself, upset and gloomy.

But instead of leaving, he sat next to me and placed the flower to his nose and declared loudly with certainty, “It sure smells pretty and it must be beautiful, too. That’s why I picked it; here, it is for you.” The “weed” before me was dying or dead, not vibrant with colors, orange, yellow or red—anyone having eyes can see that clearly! But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.” Strangely, instead of placing the flower in my hand, he held it in mid-air without any reason or plan.

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。

Casting a curious glance at the boy’s eyes, I was hugely shocked.

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“I had to make a change,” I thought to myself.

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6 . 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

7 . Life is a mix of good and bad days. Each new day presents us with a fresh opportunity to learn new lessons. Sometimes, you learn these new lessons in your daily lives. On other days, you may gain invaluable knowledge about life from a game of poker(扑克牌).     1     Here are some of the life lessons you can learn from playing poker.

Life is not fair.

Life is not designed to be fair. Some people will get the best cards while others will have to deal with the waste pieces. Life has its rules, but sticking to them does not exactly mean you will achieve success.     2     What you can do in life and in a game of poker is directly influence the things under your control.

Protect yourself.

You are the most important person in your life. When playing poker, you are the most important player, and the cards you have are valuable things.     3     Always be sure to be in charge of your safety.

Learn from mistakes.

    4     You learn from mistakes, and rather than trying to avoid mistakes, you should instead try to avoid repeating the same mistake. If you are trying to avoid mistakes in a poker game, you can get left behind quickly.

    5    

Gains and losses are a part of life. You win some to lose some, just like in a game of poker. Some risky actions may prove unprofitable after you are neck-deep in them. In such cases, you must know when to quit, count your losses, and bounce back better.

A．Mistakes are a part of life.

B．Know when to cut your losses.

C．Catch chances to improve yourselves.

D．The game of poker shows life in so many ways.

E．You have to trust yourself by not taking unbearable risks.

F．You are considered foolish when making the same mistakes.

G．Following the rules in poker does not mean you will win, either.

8 . In casual conversations, there is a seemingly simple question I can never answer without hesitating — “Where are you from?”

I could say I am from Thailand, where I was born. Or I am from Mexico, where I spent the majority of my childhood. Or I am from the US, whose language is rooted into my life. In my mind, none of these answers are satisfying enough. After all, to be from somewhere carries expectations of understanding “your” culture and “your” home.

I feel envious whenever my friends say they’re “going home” for school breaks. As a student who frequently moves, I have never seen my living space as “home”, but “shelter”, another location to stay in before I unavoidably move again.

So, does this mean I do not have, and will never have, a home? I resign myself to living with this sense of sadness, until very recently.

In my dorm, inside my drawer is a specially designed white bath towel that I have not used since I brought it with me from my parents’ house. One day, I took it out, but stopped after smelling the soft, sweet laundry detergent (洗衣粉), the one my parents used back in Thailand. I felt my eyes water as that random smell brought my mixed emotions to the surface: sadness and nostalgia, a strong feeling of missing home. I still avoid using that towel until now because I don’t want to replace the smell of nostalgia with my newly-bought detergent.

Sadly, even with this new discovery, I will still struggle when answering where I am from, and I will always feel a sense of loss in not having a physical home to “go back to”. Yet, in random moments, when a smell catches me off guard (让我猝不及防) with the memories it brings, I like to believe that the things I feel then are things people feel when they are home. And if these moments can make me smile, even with a sense of loss, what better home can I ask for?

1. Why is the author unable to see his living space as “home”?

A．His living places often change.	B．He is unsatisfied with the place.
C．His expectations of “home” are high.	D．He can’t understand the culture there.

2. Why does the author treasure that towel?

A．It was made in his hometown.	B．It is a present from his parents.
C．Its smell awakened his memories.	D．Its design wins his preference.

3. What does the author want to convey in the last paragraph?

A．He no longer feels a sense of loss.

B．He feels a physical home is unnecessary.

C．He has got the answer to “Where are you from?”

D．He has found a sense of home in some moments.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．A Man’s Home Is His Castle	B．There Is No Place Like Home
C．The Smell Brings Me Home	D．The Emotion Connects Me With Home

9 . 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.

10 . 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.

2. Which of the following best describes the author according to paragraph 2?

A．Tolerant and ambitious.	B．Demanding and successful.
C．Tough and competent.	D．Optimistic and agreeable.

3. Why did the author leave Merrill Lynch?

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.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Speaking Makes a Satisfying Job	B．Challenge Your Career Choice
C．Hard Work Pays Off	D．Dare to Take Risks