1 . Thirteen can be a challenging age. Not only did I have to adapt to my _______ body, I also had to deal with my parents’ divorce, a new family and the upsetting _______ from my country home to a crowded suburb.

Realizing how lonely I was in the new place, my father _______ an old horse for me. My Cowboy was undoubtedly the _______ horse in the world. He was pigeon-toed and knock-kneed. But I didn’t _______ his disadvantages. I loved him beyond all reasons.

Tortured by unkind _______ about Cowboy’s looks, I joined a riding club. I knew that my only chance to prove they were wrong was to _______ in timed-speed events. For the whole next month, I woke up early every morning and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena (竞技场). Day and night, Cowboy and I braved the elements to _______.

Our turn finally came. As I nudged Cowboy forward, he stumbled (绊倒), and almost fell, much to the delight of the other riders. I jammed my bat down on my head, stroked Cowboy’s big red neck and entered the arena. At the ________, we dashed toward the first barrel (桶), and with perfect precision ________ the second and moved on to the third. We tore around the final curve and shot for the finish line!

No ________ filled the air. The end of our ________ was met with surprised silence. With the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, I heard the announcer call our time. We won the championship in the run!

In fact, what we won was ________ a game. What I also learned was that no matter what the difficulty, we can be the ________ of our own destiny if we wanted something ________ to work for it.

1.

A．aging

B．aching

C．changing

D．living

2.

A．experience

B．behaviour

C．move

D．moment

3.

A．purchased

B．touched

C．rode

D．rented

4.

A．biggest

B．oldest

C．fastest

D．ugliest

5.

A．ask about

B．bring about

C．care about

D．think about

6.

A．comments

B．concerns

C．details

D．facts

7.

A．arrive

B．break

C．compete

D．result

8.

A．practice

B．explore

C．deliver

D．work

9.

A．event

B．suburb

C．stage

D．signal

10.

A．escaped

B．followed

C．marked

D．rounded

11.

A．comments

B．cheers

C．debates

D．noises

12.

A．memory

B．world

C．schedule

D．run

13.

A．more than

B．other than

C．rather than

D．less than

14.

A．buyer

B．master

C．supporter

D．volunteer

15.

A．actually

B．currently

C．regularly

D．badly

2 . I still remember the brains behind the event telling me I couldn’t dance at my school’s function. I was just too fat. I recall my classmates telling me I was a ______, for I could achieve nothing. Those words were really ______. With so many people shouting my ______, how could I start healing? Luckily, I ______ a book that taught me about self-love and self-acceptance.

I took my first ______ towards self-love while reading Maya Angelou’s autobiography (自传) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The book tells about Angelou’s ______ with unfair treatment and how she solved them. The book helped jump-start my own journey, giving me the ______ to rise from the ashes of the old me.

I started pouring my heart out, using my pen to ______. a place where I could turn my tears into stories. I wanted to ______ like Maya Angelou. She ______ me to make peace with my past and heal myself. I was chasing (追赶) a (n) ______ start. This motivated me to make some new friends and be myself. I started wearing clothes I liked. I was ______ and happy. It felt like I had let go of my past.

Self-love and self-acceptance don’t ______ overnight. It can take days, months or even years to find the backbone to be kind to yourself. But it is ______ what everyone needs. I’m so glad I’ve ______ them.

1.

A．beauty

B．talent

C．viewer

D．failure

2.

A．helpful

B．hurtful

C．unforgettable

D．practical

3.

A．fear

B．health

C．weakness.

D．sadness

4.

A．took over

B．prepared for

C．picked up

D．came across

5.

A．attitude

B．step

C．trip

D．experiment

6.

A．experiences

B．satisfaction

C．concern

D．adventures

7.

A．memory

B．bravery

C．demand

D．guidance

8.

A．cover

B．describe

C．create

D．spot

9.

A．improve

B．play

C．work

D．rise

10.

A．ordered

B．inspired

C．expected

D．advised

11.

A．fresh

B．early

C．simple

D．normal

12.

A．confident

B．curious

C．friendly

D．generous

13.

A．spread

B．stay

C．occur

D．disappear

14.

A．unnecessarily

B．possibly

C．particularly

D．undoubtedly

15.

A．followed

B．discovered

C．combined

D．updated

3 . 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。

No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts. I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program. The school took part in the league matches every year. However, it never ended well. We were more of the audience, watching and cheering instead of sweating out in the fields.

Fortunately, the school held the tradition that the school’s old team was to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. For lack of resources, the old team bad no coach, and they didn’t even practice to prepare for the game.

I was assigned (指派) as the coach of the new team, which was why I was excited. I believed that we were going to win, but to my disappointment, we were defeated. I couldn’t believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I tried to figure out the reason and what I should do next.

It didn’t take long before I came to realize that my team was depending on me. Without proper guidance or previous experience, my team was at a loss what to do. I had to change my attitude so that I could bring out the best in them about their ability and potential.

I would let my action do the talking. First, I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. I could see their spirits lifted, with their head held high in great confidence. Most importantly, I began to treat them like winners. Only when they regarded themselves as winners could they willingly invest time and energy.

This summer, the other teams enjoyed their vacations.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Six months later, football season started.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成篇完整的短文。

I’ll admit it. I can be a complainer. After all, there’s so much in this life to complain about: the dirty clothes that don’t make it into the basket, that annoying neighbor’s loud music, my husband’s shoes spread out at the front door, rainy days, traffic...

Complaining is a habit I cultivated since childhood, a skill I developed through the years. My parents didn’t seem to mind—they were great complainers, too—though I do recall some eye-rolling and long-drawn sighs from friends and schoolmates when I would voice my negative opinions. In fact, I can distinctly recall the exact moment when I first realized my complaining habit reached its expert level.

One day, as I reminded ray husband once again to remove his bills from the dining-room table, put his shoes away, and lower that bothersome radio, he put up his hand.“Stop! You’re your complaining. It’s driving me crazy.”

I looked at him blank-eyed.

He took a deep breath. “You never hear me complaining, do you?”

“Well,” I answered, “you’re complaining about my complaining, so actually, yes, I am hearing you complain right now.”

His eyes widened. A drop of sweat formed his upper lip. Then he grabbed his car keys and ran out of the door.

Perhaps I’d gone too far, I thought. Maybe I really did complain too much. But, what to do about it? After all, it had been a lifetime habit. And habits are hard to break.

I took a break and sat down to think about solution. When I felt annoyed, I could lock myself in the bathroom and scream. No. The neighbors would probably hear me. Phone a friend? She probably wouldn’t be a friend for very long. Then it hit me.

I’d been in the habit of keeping a journal for most of my life. It provided a sort of timeline for me，and I liked to review past entries occasionally to review the path I had been on at that point. Journaling kept me honest with myself, and I liked it for that reason. Perhaps, I though, a complaint journal might be the answer I was seeking.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为l50左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答；

That day, I decided to give it a try.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Besides the improved relationship with my husband, I saw other effects soon.            .

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . In September, I received a message from my third-grade son's school that he was reading at a second-grade level. I was a bit alarmed by the news. For one, my son is old for his class; for another, I am a reading lover and believe in the power of books.

So the fact that my own son - who is bright and scores extremely high in math - was struggling in reading hit me a little, but it was not a surprise. Like many children, he fell behind during the pandemic, and our efforts to make him get caught up at home were pretty ineffective. For example, as parents, we didn't do a good enough job of finding the right books to naturally arouse his interest and curiosity. Another issue was that at some point he began to feel self-conscious about reading, which created a strong dislike of books.

About two months ago, I had just finished reading a story to my 6-year-old son who shares a bedroom with his older brother. I went to flick the light off when my older son said something I'd never heard before

“Can I read for just ten more minutes?” he asked, showing me his book on professional football players.

I of course readily gave my approval and told this to my wife. “They're doing a reading competition at school, which is about boys against girls,” she said. “Every minute of his reading is now added to their score. So now he wants to read - because it's a competition.” Over the next several weeks. my son leapt nearly two reading levels.

I don't doubt that some will look at this strategy with disdain (鄙视). We're taught today that competition is stupid, even harmful. This is nonsense, of course. It's the force that drove Roger Bannister to break the four-minute mile. It's given us the achievements of Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan. We should recognize that competition is a healthy force. It's capable of not only lifting tens of millions of people from poverty but also galvanizing (激励) a 9-year-old child into pushing himself to read. That's power.

1. What made the author feel worried at first?

A．His son's low reading level.

B．His son's being overage for his class.

C．His son's strong preference for math.

D．His son's imbalanced physical and mental development.

2. Why did the author mention Phelps and Jordan in the last paragraph?

A．To take them as reading models.

B．To compare them with Roger Bannister.

C．To acknowledge their great achievements

D．To stress the significance of competition.

3. What does the author think of competition in education?

A．It goes against the nature of education.

B．It is situational and should be balanced.

C．It is beneficial and should be encouraged

D．It deepens discrimination against certain people.

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

A．My son's journey to overcoming his weakness.

B．An effective way to help improve reading skills.

C．My son's struggle with learning.

D．The power of reading.

6 . At the airport, one of my partners greeted me with a broad smile. “Welcome to Cuba!” he exclaimed in perfect English, giving me a strong handshake and a hug. The next day, we drove to the research center where he worked. In the conference room, each of us gave a presentation about science and what we hoped to learn from the study of Cuban rivers.

Then, we toured every lab in the building. I met scientists, technicians, secretaries, students, and the cook. Some spoke English, and others communicated with me in Spanish while my cooperator translated. I was introduced to each person in their center, and that was what I remembered most.

Then we met again to brainstorm. Together, we studied maps carefully to plan how we were going to collect samples. Had it not been for the Cubans, I would have been unaware that the maps I had were outdated and wrong. They left out reservoirs, which was a problem because had we sampled downstream of them, our results would have been misled.

On the last night of the trip, we searched for a restaurant that could seat all 14 of us at one table because that’s what teams do--sitting together. When a restaurant couldn’t seat the team without splitting us up, my partners insisted that we move on and find another restaurant with a large enough table.

In 26 years as a professor, I’ve always tried my best to treat my students as valued partners. I have never been a fan of the grade system in the academic world. I urge everyone working with me to feel as though they are part of a team. But my Cuban partners take teamwork to another level entirely. They make it clear--through actions, both big and small--that all team members are valued, that everyone is equal, and that true team work contributes to better science.

I returned to the United States as a changed scientist. Now, I spend more time listening and making sure that everyone’s voice is heard.

1. What impressed the author most when he visited the research center?

A．He was led to see everyone.	B．There were no many people there.
C．Everybody gave a great presentation.	D．The cooperator spoke perfect English.

2. Why did the author’s partners refuse to eat at the first restaurant?

A．They wanted a smaller one.	B．They wanted to save money.
C．They didn’t want a crowded one.	D．They didn’t want to be separated.

3. Which of the following does the author stress in the team?

A．Honesty.	B．Perseverance.
C．Cooperation spirit.	D．Scientific theory.

4. What can we infer about the author from the text?

A．He used to treat his students unfairly.

B．He used to be misled by other scientists.

C．He focuses on the opinions of the masses now.

D．He speaks highly of the grade system in science now.

7 . Graduation is a significant milestone for everyone. An 89-year-old man called Rene Neira had been trying to finish a degree since the 1950s. However, in the 1960s, he was so passionate about urban and economic development of the southside of San Antonio that he stopped school and got involved with the local government. From that time, one of his life goals was to earn a degree in economics. In 2017, the grandpa and his 19-year-old granddaughter both enrolled (入学) at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

“There were times when we would get lunch together, be in the library together, and just work silently side-by-side,” Melanie Salazar, Rene’s granddaughter, recalled. “He always had something to say, especially if his professors had different opinions than him,” Melanie said. “And there were often times when a professor would invite him to talk about the past.”

Rene’s college years weren’t easy. “He has worked very hard over time. Especially in recent years, with hearing loss and going through seasons of not having a car, there was a term where he had to take medical leave because he had a stroke, so he couldn’t go back to school that term. And then the pandemic started,” said Melanie.

After four years, their hard work finally paid off—they graduated. Together, they stood on the stage. Everyone broke into applause and cheered for this fantastic pair.

Their story has been making waves online. People have nothing but good words for them, “Awww... I love stories like this. This was such a beautiful moment. Congratulations to both of them. Grandpa definitely demonstrated that one shouldn’t give up their dream no matter how long it takes,” one wrote. Another wrote, “I’m motivated to go back to school myself, thanks to his example.”

Rene had the determination to finish his degree even at an advanced stage in his life. Hard work, patience, and determination are the keys to success, especially when the path is not easy or clear.

1. Why did Rene fail to get a degree when he was young?

A．He was not interested in university life then.

B．He devoted himself to city development.

C．He needed to work to support his family.

D．He was not good at his school work.

2. How was Rene’s college life?

A．It made him physically ill.	B．It was full of surprise.
C．It was smooth and plain.	D．It came with challenges.

3. What did people think of Rene’s experience?

A．Admirable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Funny.

D．Pitiful.

4. What lesson can we learn from Rene’s story?

A．Actions speak louder than words.

B．It is never too late to achieve one’s dream.

C．Genius without education is like silver in the mine.

D．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

8 . Life’s challenges are stepping stones to joy.

I was in the first grade when my teacher_______to my finger and said, “Look at that! You’ve got a writer’s bump (肿块).” At the time, I didn’t_______that the bump on the tip of my finger was a callus (老茧). I thought it showed I was going to be a writer. Then I went home and_______held my hand up to my mom’s face. “See! I’m a writer.” And I would show the bump to_______it whenever someone asked me that.

It isn’t lost on me that a(n)_______in my hand is a small spot on my finger that grew_______to cure itself under pressure. And it played such a significant role by guiding me to a_______that I love. But sometimes when there’re pages that can’t seem to get _______, and some negative comments, I can get discouraged, full of_______. Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing?

And then I need only to feel my finger and________all the other bumps in life -- job changes, money worries, family concerns -- which at the time seemed too difficult to________, but, in fact, have prepared me for, and guided me to, this amazing life journey.

If every challenge carries a comparable or greater________, how do these ones present themselves? I believe the tiny ________ were my stepping stones. Life doesn’t ________ an easy path. We can seek________ from the places along the path where the light shines through and then move forward with these exciting, new ideas.

1.

A．stuck

B．pointed

C．attended

D．applied

2.

A．understand

B．care

C．mention

D．admit

3.

A．carefully

B．proudly

C．calmly

D．nervously

4.

A．imagine

B．appreciate

C．prove

D．defeat

5.

A．discovery

B．goal

C．achievement

D．weakness

6.

A．large

B．dry

C．thick

D．fresh

7.

A．memory

B．schedule

C．moment

D．career

8.

A．filled

B．decorated

C．noticed

D．observed

9.

A．energy

B．doubt

C．discussion

D．desire

10.

A．compete with

B．deal with

C．make up

D．think about

11.

A．recognize

B．repeat

C．expect

D．manage

12.

A．exchange

B．benefit

C．lesson

D．action

13.

A．records

B．requirements

C．struggles

D．passions

14.

A．promise

B．bear

C．excuse

D．borrow

15.

A．inspiration

B．safety

C．challenge

D．patience

9 . 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。

Ramu started a business with great enthusiasm but just after a few months his business went under. Time passed but Ramu didn’t start any new work. His teacher got to know about his situation and called him to his home.

The teacher asked, “Why don’t you start some other work?”

Ramu replied, “I gave my everything to my business and yet it still failed.”

The teacher tried to comfort him, saying “But that’s life. Sometimes we get success and sometimes we don’t. This doesn’t mean that we stop working.”

“What’s the point of doing work, when I can’t be sure of success?” Ramu replied with a bit of annoyance.

The teacher took Ramu to a room and showed him a dead tomato plant. Ramu was confused and said, “It’s dead. Why are you showing it to me?”

The teacher replied, “When I sowed its seed, I did everything right for it. I watered it, fertilized it, sprayed it with pesticide (杀虫剂) . I took great care of it but it still died.” He stopped for a while and then said, “Doing work is the same... No matter how hard you try, you cannot decide what happens in the end. However, you can control those things in your hands. Just do your best!”

Ramu asked, “But if there is no guarantee of success then what’s the use of doing anything?”

The teacher said, “You’d better not think like that...”

“What’s wrong with that... I have given so much hard work, so much money, so much time; if success is only a matter of chance, then what is the use of doing so much?” said Ramu and he was about to leave.

Just then the teacher stopped him and said,   “Before you leave, I want to show you one more thing.”

注意：
续写词数应为150左右；
请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He took Ramu to another room and opened the door.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At that very moment, Ramu read the lesson of success.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . Many years ago, I was on an early morning flight to Ecuador. ______, during such long journeys, I would put my headphones and go to sleep. ______, on this particular day, I decided to take a little risk.

I ______ the silence and started a conversation with the man sitting next to me. I learned that this companion was a ______ and we had a fascinating conversation.

Mid-flight, I gathered the courage to take another ______, sharing with him a book proposal I put together for something I was doing in my class. He read it, but politely declined it. That risk didn’t ______. Upon landing, we exchanged contact information.

Months later, I ______ him, inviting him to my class to discuss a project on redesigning the book. I shared my students’ project videos. One particular project caught Mark’s   ______.

He expressed a desire to meet these students. I admitted I was a little bit ______ for he seemed more interested in working with my students than with me.

After meeting the students, I, together with him and his colleagues, had a dinner together where life once again showed a(an) ______ turn. During this dinner, one of his editors asked me if I’d ever considered writing a book. I shared the ______ proposal that I had showed his boss a year earlier. Within a fortnight, we had a contract, and within two years, over a million books had been ______ around the world.

This journey may seem lucky, but it ______ a series of small risks, beginning with a ______ “hello.” Anyone can follow this path by ______ these small risks and finally increase your chances of being lucky.

1.

A．Fortunately

B．Typically

C．Curiously

D．Thankfully

2.

A．Besides

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．However

3.

A．broke

B．maintained

C．enjoyed

D．observed

4.

A．writer

B．teacher

C．publisher

D．photographer

5.

A．risk

B．choice

C．lesson

D．joke

6.

A．stand out

B．run out

C．work out

D．show off

7.

A．made friends with

B．reached out to

C．lost contact with

D．argued with

8.

A．breath

B．meaning

C．imagination

D．interest

9.

A．amazed

B．stressed

C．scared

D．hurt

10.

A．unexpected

B．disappointing

C．wrong

D．intentional

11.

A．new

B．same

C．different

D．updated

12.

A．donated

B．copied

C．sold

D．printed

13.

A．reduced

B．created

C．resulted from

D．led to

14.

A．surprising

B．simple

C．quick

D．formal

15.

A．hugging

B．cutting

C．estimating

D．avoiding