1 . As a child, I was proud of my southern origin. My own voice reflected my family’s past and present-part northern Mississippi, part Tennessee, all southern. There was no sound I loved more than my grandmother’s accent: thick, sweet, warm.

While growing up, I began to realize outside of our region, southerners were often dismissed as uncultured and ignorant. I was ready to leave behind my tiny town in West Tennessee, starting a new life and jumping at big chances in some far-off cities. In that embarrassing space between “teen” and “adult”, my accent was a symbol of everything I thought I hated about my life in the rural South. I feared it would disqualify me from being a noted magazine writer. I would have to talk less “country”. So I killed a piece of myself. I’m ashamed of it, but I’m more ashamed that I tried to kill that part of someone else-change Emily’s accent.

I met Emily in college. She was determined to work for the student newspaper, which was where I spent most of my waking hours, and we became friends. She, unlike me, accepted her roots. Early in our friendship, her mother asked where I was from, assuming it was somewhere up north. Then I felt my efforts paid off and even wanted to ignore the mistake.

Emily is two years younger and she cared about my opinion. I advised her to be more like me and hide her signature Manchester accent. I stressed that throughout our college years, often by making fun of her vowel (元音) sounds. I told myself I was helping her achieve her dream of working as a reporter. Now, I see that it was actually about justifying my hiding part of myself.

Grandma Carolyn used to tell me, “Girl, don’t forget where you come from.” Now I truly understand that. Many things have faded from memory, but this sticks in my mind with uncomfortable clarity. Now that I am grown and have left the South, it’s important to me.

1. What made the author want to leave her hometown?

A．Appeal of convenience in cities.

B．Her dream of becoming a writer.

C．Outside prejudice against southerners.

D．Her desire for the northern accent.

2. How did the author feel about the mistake of Emily’s mother?

A．Upset.

B．Pleased.

C．Ashamed.

D．Surprised.

3. Why on earth did the author try to change Emily’s accent?

A．To prove herself right.	B．To help Emily be a reporter.
C．To make herself influential.	D．To protect Emily’s self-dignity.

4. What message does the text want to convey?

A．Stay true to your roots.	B．Never do things by halves.
C．Hold on to your dreams.	D．Never judge a person by his accent.

2 . The great philosopher Plato said, “Happiness springs from doing good and helping others.” It means that giving help to people in need can also bring _________ and enjoyment to ourselves. Here is my story.

The other day, I heard that Doreen, an old _________ in my community, developed a serious disease and she needed someone to drive her to the hospital. I _________ gave her a hand. On the way home, I happened to know that it was also _________ for her to go to the grocery store because of her _________ health conditions. I _________ to take her shopping on Saturday mornings. It was on the countless Saturday mornings that Doreen _________ me to the fantasy world of paintings. What _________ me most was her unique insight into the art and active attitude towards life. I _________ felt life was even happier. Every Saturday was another gift.

One Saturday morning just before Doreen __________, she weakly said to me: “Mary, I really enjoy your __________ in my last 2 years. I’m so lucky to have you in my life. You are my angel!” Her last words deeply __________ me! It was the first time that I was __________ of the value and significance of my life.

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones __________ us every day. My happy __________ with Doreen always remind me that a small kind act can also make a big difference.

1.

A．contribution

B．pleasure

C．satisfaction

D．relief

2.

A．architect

B．expert

C．painter

D．composer

3.

A．immediately

B．actually

C．gradually

D．obviously

4.

A．striking

B．confusing

C．alarming

D．challenging

5.

A．worsening

B．lessening

C．improving

D．threatening

6.

A．intended

B．announced

C．proved

D．offered

7.

A．promoted

B．recommended

C．introduced

D．welcomed

8.

A．reminded

B．puzzled

C．impressed

D．awakened

9.

A．ever

B．never

C．seldom

D．once

10.

A．broke away

B．dropped by

C．went off

D．passed away

11.

A．company

B．respect

C．treat

D．gift

12.

A．comforted

B．attracted

C．entertained

D．touched

13.

A．glad

B．aware

C．capable

D．confident

14.

A．strike

B．content

C．surround

D．impact

15.

A．contacts

B．memories

C．travels

D．chats

3 . Stress and holidays seem to go hand-in-hand.     1     However, this may be a good time to try to rethink about holidays and view holidays as an opportunity to improve your psychological well-being.

Take time for yourself. You may feel pressured to be everything to everyone. But remember that you’re only one person and can only accomplish certain things.     2     Plus, others will benefit when you’re feeling less stressed. Reflect on aspects of your life that give you joy; go for a long walk; get a massage; or take time to listen to your favorite music or read a new book. All of us need some time to recharge our batteries.

Volunteer. Find a local charity, such as a soup kitchen or a shelter that needs volunteers, and offer to help. Alternatively, participate in a community giving tree program or an adopt-a- family program.    3    

Encourage healthy conversations. Let your family know that holidays are times to express gratitude.     4     If there is worry about heated disagreements or negative conversations, focus on what you and your family have in common. Families might even plan activities they can do together that foster good fun and laughter, like playing a family game or looking through old photo albums.

Seek support.     5     Getting things out in the open can help you manage your feelings and work toward a solution.

A．Remember what’s important.

B．It will create a family memory.

C．Sometimes self-care is the best thing you can do.

D．Be thankful for what you all have, including each other.

E．Talk about your worries and concerns with friends and family.

F．Your schedule becomes busier with preparations and celebrations.

G．Helping others may lift your mood and help you put your own struggles in perspective.

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。

Pete hated losing at anything. His parents, teachers, and many others, said he didn’t know how to lose, but the truth of it was that he couldn’t stand losing, not even at marbles (弹珠游戏). He felt so good, when he won, that he never wanted to give up that feeling; not for anything in the world. On top of that, losing made him feel precisely the opposite. It seemed to Pete that losing was the worst thing that could happen to anyone. If there was a game Pete wasn’t brilliant at, he simply wouldn’t play it. But if he was going to win he would take part, even if the game lasted only a minute. And the kind of things he was really good at, like table football, you could hardly stop him playing.

A new kid named Albert started at Pete’s school. For several days Pete watched the new guy. He was great at some things, terrible at others — to an embarrassing degree — but he enjoyed everything equally. Pete saw Albert playing basketball once. He was absolutely hopeless; he lost time after time. But that happy smile never left Albert’s face. Albert was an especially good table football player, and it didn’t take Pete and Albert long before they challenged each other to a game. 

Pete prepared for the match with great seriousness. He was concentrated and intense (紧张的) . Albert, on the other hand, seemed not to be taking the thing at all seriously.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On that day, Pete’s great victory (胜利) was on everyone’s lips. But, that night, Pete didn’t feel so happy.
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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。

“I’m sorry, Lisa, but Debbie and I are going to move back into the house. You’re going to have to find another place to live.”

I couldn’t believe what Neil, my landlord (房东), was telling me on that warm April night. I had tears in my eyes, and so did he. I had lived in his Staten Island house for more than twelve years.

Neil had never raised my rent, which was $750 a month, very cheap for New York City. This was a big comfort when I was laid off from my newspaper job and couldn’t find any work for two years. He promised me that I would always have a home, even if I had a hard time paying the rent. But now, I was going to have to find a new apartment and pay more.

Although he gave me six months to find a new place, I was still astonished and worried. So I called Jon, my best friend, to complain about my bad experience. But Jon surprised and annoyed me.

“Look on the bright side.” he said. “Maybe you will find a place you like better. Do you remember you complained all the time about the crowded bus to and from the house? Why don’t you find a place where you don’t have to take that bus?”

“How can you say that?” I shouted at him. “This is way out of my comfort zone!”

“Come on, Lisa. Did it ever occur to you that change could be good?” Jon said.

“No!” I screamed and hung up on him.

I felt upset for the next few days about our argument. But what if Jon was right? Why did I assume that every change would be bad? Maybe my life needed to be shaken up.

That summer, as I started looking for apartments, I began to think about new possibilities. Maybe I could find an apartment with better furniture.

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。

Finally, that October, I spotted the apartment of my dreams in a new home in a nice neighborhood.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As time went on, I found myself doing more things out of my comfort zone and feeling more positive about life.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Megan King is a waitress and she recently saw an elderly woman eating by herself at the restaurant. She _________ that the woman was quietly sitting and seemed to be _________ on something while eating her meal.

That’s when Megan decided to take a pause in her busy workday and _________ the woman at her table. The two talked for a bit _________ Megan got back to her work duties.

“It was on Sunday, which is always pretty _________,” Megan shared, “About halfway through her _________, it started to slow down so we _________ for a few minutes. Small talk, nothing too deep. She told me she was almost 70… and she just wanted to stop by an old _________ for a bite.”

Little did Megan know how much that _________ meant to that elderly woman. Before she __________, the elderly woman decided to leave Megan a(n) __________ sharing how her act of kindness made her feel.

“Thank you very much for your kind company. This was my first time eating out __________ here since my husband passed away. I was hoping I could get through it,” the note read.

As soon as Megan saw the handwritten note, she had to fight back tears and went to the restroom to gather herself from the wave of emotions. She took a __________ of the sweet note. She also took a picture of her smiling with one tear rolling down her face, and she __________ both of the pictures online.

This story reminds us that one simple act of kindness can mean so much to one person. You never know what people are __________ and sharing a smile or a nice chat could really make someone’s whole day!

1.

A．insisted

B．imagined

C．heard

D．noticed

2.

A．relying

B．reflecting

C．deciding

D．judging

3.

A．help

B．punish

C．join

D．praise

4.

A．before

B．after

C．while

D．as

5.

A．free

B．busy

C．clean

D．safe

6.

A．meal

B．party

C．adventure

D．memory

7.

A．walked

B．practised

C．stopped

D．chatted

8.

A．assistant

B．friend

C．favorite

D．pose

9.

A．interaction

B．expectation

C．guarantee

D．justice

10.

A．rested

B．sank

C．performed

D．left

11.

A．call

B．note

C．address

D．book

12.

A．ahead

B．abroad

C．alone

D．aside

13.

A．sight

B．picture

C．chance

D．trip

14.

A．bought

B．downloaded

C．copied

D．posted

15.

A．arguing about

B．giving up

C．going through

D．turning down

7 . When I started my company, a customer service number was put on the company’s website to better the communication with users. Somehow it rarely rang. So we abandoned it.

However, I thought phone support would have made sense. So, last year, I ________ putting another service number on our homepage.   

“Again? We tried this before, but it didn’t work!” they responded, casting ________ on me.

“But companies evolve; circumstances change.” I argued.

Late last year, I convinced my company to give it a shot. So we started a two-week ________. During the first few days, the volume of calls, around 20 per day, was not much but ________. Then, over the following days, the volume increased dramatically, which ________ them all. So successful was it that we finally decided to adopt the service phone number ________.

This experience reminded me of the elephant-and-rope story. Baby elephants were ________ with a small rope. Because they’re too ________ to break free from the rope, they grow up being conditioned that the rope is stronger than they are. So, as adults, they think they can still be ________ by the rope. In my company, those who thought we couldn’t because we once ________ were like a baby elephant who was living with a ________ mindset. They drew a conclusion based on specific ________, but they forgot to revise it when things changed.

In business, not to mention life, all sorts of invisible mental ropes may hold us back. It results in missed opportunities and wasted ________. So don’t hold onto the ________ that you can’t grow or learn from past failures. All it takes is ________ eyes to reexamine the situation.

1.

A．admitted

B．imagined

C．enjoyed

D．proposed

2.

A．annoyance

B．fear

C．doubt

D．regret

3.

A．activity

B．trial

C．procedure

D．mission

4.

A．significant

B．precise

C．perfect

D．common

5.

A．amused

B．frustrated

C．astonished

D．pleased

6.

A．partly

B．regularly

C．naturally

D．officially

7.

A．injured

B．secured

C．moved

D．pulled

8.

A．small

B．big

C．fat

D．short

9.

A．held on

B．held back

C．set free

D．set apart

10.

A．tried

B．reflected

C．persevered

D．failed

11.

A．flexible

B．complex

C．fixed

D．simple

12.

A．places

B．conditions

C．standards

D．systems

13.

A．space

B．strength

C．money

D．potential

14.

A．belief

B．excuse

C．ambition

D．information

15.

A．mature

B．eager

C．fresh

D．optimistic

8 . Over the years I’ve spent living in Beijing, I can _________ the number of truly outdoor experiences I’ve had on one hand. But a road trip to Nanshan Skiing Village in February 2021 provided me with some _________ memories.

As my friends and I sat together in the ski lift chair, I finally felt for the first time that I had _________ left the busy city life of Beijing. Up in the air a few dozen meters off the ground, I _________ the wide view of the countryside and appreciated the peaceful quiet.

As the ski lift reached its _________, I _________ slid off from the chair and almost did a face-plant into the snow. “So much for the peace and quiet”, I _________ to myself. _________, I gathered myself together and made my way as _________ as I could to one of the several starting points.

My buddies had already started making their way down the hill, and I was about to join them but suddenly fear __________ me as I noticed how easy it was to __________ speed. I __________ to swerve (突然转向) to the side to slow down, but ended up tumbling (摔倒) down into the snow.

Not wanting to become __________, I awkwardly reattached the ski. Although I still felt nervous, by accepting the risk I was able to ski more confidently and at last managed to make it down the whole ski slope (斜坡).

By the day’s end, I had relearned what it __________ to take risks and get out of my comfort zone. By accepting what seems __________, you can find both confidence and peace within.

1.

A．cast

B．claim

C．account

D．count

2.

A．unbelievable

B．unforgettable

C．incredible

D．horrible

3.

A．truly

B．initially

C．eventually

D．simply

4.

A．took in

B．took up

C．brought in

D．brought up

5.

A．circumstance

B．departure

C．destination

D．peak

6.

A．awkwardly

B．flexibly

C．slowly

D．eagerly

7.

A．blamed

B．thought

C．regretted

D．sighed

8.

A．Nevertheless

B．Therefore

C．Although

D．Furthermore

9.

A．stably

B．gracefully

C．gently

D．tightly

10.

A．gained

B．gathered

C．swelled

D．overwhelmed

11.

A．pick out

B．pick up

C．take off

D．take up

12.

A．attempted

B．proceeded

C．adapted

D．managed

13.

A．panicked

B．ashamed

C．discouraged

D．distracted

14.

A．brought

B．meant

C．made

D．took

15.

A．impossible

B．terrific

C．upset

D．scary

9 . We all enjoy planning out our lives. We had great expectations and dreams to touch the sky.     1     The game of life twists and turns, changing direction to form new paths that aren’t anticipated.

So, what happens when the life you have isn’t the life you planned? You can go exploring. You go exploring without expectation because your plans could be the very thing that keeps you from the life that’s waiting for you.     2     Rather, you should get curious about how to change your circumstances for the better.

    3     But if you continue to focus on everything that went wrong in the past, you wouldn’t be able to see the good that is present. Each day is a blank canvas presented as an opportunity for you to create and to discover new things. Be careful, however, not to give in to other’s opinions of what your life should look like. These days everyone can be an expert on what you should do with your life.     4    

So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes but learn from them quickly.     5     You had better be free of these emotions to move on in a light-hearted way.

A．However, life isn’t a bed of roses.

B．Don’t regret for the past mistakes.

C．Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always quite match up.

D．Let go of blame, self-pity, excuses, bitterness and resentment.

E．There will still be times when you struggle with letting go of the past.

F．But when things don’t work out, they’re unwilling to take responsibility.

G．This shouldn’t mean you give in to frustration for not living up to your potential.

10 . 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.

2. Why did the author consider himself and other children wild?

A．They played in the woods crazily.

B．They tricked others purposefully.

C．They frequently broke social rules.

D．They firmly refused school education.

3. How does the author introduce his memories of the lake?

A．By sharing feelings.

B．By expressing ideas.

C．By making comparisons.

D．By describing characters.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the last paragraph?

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.