1 . Whenever we make a choice, whether it’s as big as getting married or as small as an argument with a friend, we are driven by our values. Values tend to be single-word concepts like freedom, equality, selflessness, honesty.
One way to recognize the values by which you live is look at how you spend your money.
Pay attention to who you talk to, what you watch, and what you do with your time.
Values make it easier for you to surround yourself with the right people, make tough career choices, use your time more wisely, and focus your attention where it really matters to you.
| A．All of these push values and beliefs. |
| B．Is your precious time wasted or well spent? |
| C．Your bills actually reflect what matters most to you. |
| D．That might sound rather abstract, but these values are really practical. |
| E．Who you surround yourself with helps you stick to your values and achieve your goals. |
| F．Without them we are swept away by outside voice instead of following our inner voice. |
| G．When we drive through a new area, we wander aimlessly if we don’t know the directions. |
I looked around the crowded waiting room at the hospital and sighed. Would the doctor be able to see my eight-year-old son next? I tried steadying the ice pack(冰袋) over his forehead, but it was no use. I couldn’t stop shaking. The wound in his forehead was deep, but at least blood wasn’t pouring from it anymore.
His face was full of tears, he seemed really brave for his age. I handed him the ice pack, and he covered his forehead with it. He was doing a much better job than I had. We were at the hospital because another child had thrown a rock at Luke during class break as he was running around the corner. His teacher called me, and when I arrived, I found him in her lap. His teacher was caring for his wound, trying to keep him calm. She felt terrible about what had happened, but I knew none of it was her fault.
Lulse received four stitches (缝和) and didn’t cry once throughout the whole treatment. For the next two days, his eye was swollen shut and black and blue. I felt like I’d had a mini nervous breakdown. Every time I tried to sleep or tend to housework, horrible thoughts crept into my mind. Fear had taken over, and then the fear turned to anger. I was angry with the child who’d thrown the rock. I just couldn’t shake it. What was she thinking? She should’ve known better.
Luke’s headmaster and teacher called me that evening to see how he was feeling and told me Katie, the girl, felt terrible. I wanted to stand up for my son, do the right thing, protect him.
The next day, Luke’s teacher stopped by to see how he was feeling and dropped off a get-well card that Katie had made. Luke and I read it several times, and I couldn’t help but feel a little choked up. It was a sincere apology.
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。
I wanted this to be a teachable moment for Luke.
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Later, Luke’s teacher told us Katie was relieved after reading our letter.
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3 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
Ritch Addison was ashy kid. In elementary school, he didn’t speak up for himself, and he
“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
Addison
“But I kept thinking about what Holly said. Finally, I realized that she was
It couldn’t happen overnight,
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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6 . 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 |
I was creating a picture book for my dad’s birthday about our family’s fruit store. I worked hard making pictures of big apples, peaches, plums, and oranges. Every time I messed up, I started all over again, so the floor under the kitchen table was covered with half-finished drawings.
“Dad’s going to love this,” Mom said as she looked over my shoulder.
I zipped through the cleaning and moved those waste papers from the floor to the recycling bin as fast as possible. Just as I was about to get back to the birthday book. my friend Mareya showed up and invited me to go play in the park. It’s freezing outside, not good for a walk. But Mareya insisted that it’s the perfect weather for not getting overheated. That’s a cool thing about Mareya. She had this way of looking on the bright side of pretty much anything.
So, after checking with my mom, we put Mareya’s guitar inside and headed to the park. But as soon as we arrived there, the sky filled with giant gray clouds and rain started pouring down. We laughed as we headed back home, dripping wet. Mareya was right about one thing. We definitely didn’t get overheated!
We were just arriving at the driveway and that’s when my heart pretty much stopped. Right there, in front of the recycling bin, were pieces of soaking-wet papers. And not just any papers…
I ran to rescue my birthday book drawings. But it was too late. As I picked up my once-perfect pictures, they were a wet, useless mess!
My drawings were gone forever! The cats had jumped up and knocked papers off the table. Then after being played with by the naughty cats, they ended up in the rain water. What could I do without the present for dad? I was in despair.
“We can do something...” said Mareya.
“What?” I sniffled.
“Remember those paper pumpkins we made in third-grade art class?” she said. “And we covered balloons with wet paper and flour to make paper pumpkins.”
Having no better alternative, we decided to give it a try though we were not sure whether this mess could work.
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。
My mom was very understanding, preparing balloons and flour for us.
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Finally we got the present ready — a big basket of paper fruit.
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8 . When 9-year-old Alice asked me, “Mom, do I have to brush my hair today?” I didn’t know how to answer. On the one hand, it’s good to have pride in our
Five years later, at age 14, Alice
We have talked about in detail how looks don’t mater and that being a good, kind ,
And just as she learned over the years that often brushing hair is probably a good idea,
| A．success | B．possession | C．health | D．appearance |
| A．And | B．But | C．So | D．While |
| A．dressed | B．felt | C．expressed | D．responded |
| A．fascinating | B．troublesome | C．demanding | D．striking |
| A．much | B．many | C．little | D．few |
| A．makes fun of | B．keeps track of | C．is obsessed with | D．adapts to |
| A．fits | B．shifts | C．suits | D．matches |
| A．struck | B．crossed | C．hit | D．puzzled |
| A．shallow | B．narrow | C．sharp | D．unusual |
| A．generous | B．caring | C．smart | D．humorous |
| A．quarrel | B．approach | C．occasion | D．conversation |
| A．In vain | B．By contrast | C．In spite of | D．In turn |
| A．powerful | B．alarming | C．embarrassing | D．illegal |
| A．hopefully | B．typically | C．exactly | D．abstractly |
| A．confidence | B．beauty | C．makeup | D．costume |
“I have to be home earlier than all my friends,” my teenage son, Jordan, said. “I’ m seventeen years old, and I still have a curfew(宵禁). Legally, I’m practically an adult.”
“You’re not an adult,” I said. “You’re still in high school.” “None of my friends had a curfew. You don’t trust me.” “It’s not about trust,” I said. “It’s about wanting what’s best for you. I want to protect you.” “Protect me from what? Having fun?”
I sighed. How could I make Jordan see that I only wanted the best for him? I decided to go for a walk. I opened the front door and nearly stepped on him: a small black cat with a white-tipped tail. “Hi, Meatball,” I said, scooping him into my arms. “Are you ready to come back inside?”
Meatball usually seemed happy enough to come in the house, but after an hour or two, he sat by the door, meowing to go back outside. “Why won’t he just stay in with us all the time?” Nathan asked. “Because he’s used to living outside,” I said.
Jordan’s curfew had become an ongoing discussion that rarely ended well for either of us. I decided to ignore his comment. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else.
One night in January, temperatures were usually low. Meatball stood at the door, meowing to go outside. “It’ s too cold out there, Bud,” I said. “You’ll freeze.” He stared at me and meowed again. “Mom’s not being mean to you,” Nathan told the cat. “She’s just trying to keep you from turning into a frozen Meatball.” We both laughed at his joke.
The next morning, I couldn’t find Meatball. Jordan said, “I let him out last night.” It took me several minutes to find him curled in a tiny ball beneath my husband’s car. I picked him up, unsure if he was alive or dead. While I called the vet, Jordan warmed towels in the dryer and wrapped them around Meatball.
“I’m sorry, Buddy,” I heard him say over and over again. “Mom was right. Even though you didn’t want to, I should have made you stay inside where it was safe.”
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。
As I drove to the vet’s office, Jordan sat in the back, holding Meatball inside his coat for warmth.
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On the drive home, Jordan surprisingly apologized to me.
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10 . Most people think that it’s fine to be “busy as a beaver.” Little do they know that beavers may work hard, but often they don’t get very much done.
Beavers are supposed to be great tree cutters. It is true that a beaver can cut through a tree very quickly: A six-inch tree takes about 10 minutes. But then what? Often the beaver does not make use of the tree. One expert says that beavers waste one out of every five trees they cut.
For one thing, they do not choose their trees wisely. One bunch of beavers cut down a cottonwood tree more than 100 feet tall. Then they found that they could not move it.
In thick woods, a tree sometimes won’t fall down. It gets stuck in the other trees. Of course, the beaver won’t cut down the trees that are in the way. Hence, a good tree goes to waste.
Some people think that beavers can make a tree fall the way they want it to. Not true. When beavers cut a tree near a stream, it usually falls into the water, but they do not plan it that way. The fact is that most trees lean toward the water to start with.
Now what about dam building? Most beaver dams are wonders of engineering. The best ones are strongly built of trees, stones, and mud. They are wide at the bottom and narrow at the top.
Beavers think nothing of building a dam more than 200 feet long. One dam in Montana was more than 2,000 feet long. The largest one ever seen was in New Hampshire: it stretched 4,000 feet, and made a lake large enough to hold 40 beaver homes.
Beavers do build fabulous dams. But they don’t always build them in the right places. They just don’t plan. They will build a dam across the widest part of the stream. They don’t try to find a place where the stream is narrow. Hence, a lot of their hard work is wasted. Beavers should learn that it’s not enough to be busy. You have to know what you’re doing, too.
1. Which of the following is NOT correct according to the passage?| A．Beavers can cut through a tree very quickly. |
| B．Beavers can make full use of every tree. |
| C．Beavers do not choose their trees wisely. |
| D．Beavers can cut down a cottonwood tree more than 100 feet tall. |
| A．They are no more than 200 feet long. | B．They are also the beavers’ home. |
| C．They are nothing in beavers’ eyes. | D．They are always built in right places. |
| A．extraordinary | B．severe | C．patriotic | D．optimistic |
| A．Early birds catch the worm. | B．Work hard, and you will succeed. |
| C．You should look before you leap. | D．Don’t put the cart before the horse. |
