1 . 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.

2 . School is said to be a temple(殿堂) of knowledge. It is the very first pace that___________you to the world and your own self.

My school life is all about the memories. I deeply_________friendship and all the sport and after-school___________but also the way that helped me find my interests. I owe(把……归功于) them all to my school life. It has made me the ___________I am today.

My school life has been full of different ___________over the years. It gave me a variety of opportunities to___________not only my learning abilities but also the art and sport skills. It supported me in my sports as well as___________me to know all types of people. All of these accounted to make me understand how to behave___________and to help me form a___________which I have today.

There are countless things that make school life the best ____________in one’s life. All of this eventually is because we are young to make____________again and again till we realize, stupid enough not to____________people and do what we feel like doing, and ____________to explore everything we can. Most importantly, we are still not messed with the ____________feelings of this world. And all of these make us____________a personality of our own.

1.

A．throws

B．lends

C．devotes

D．introduces

2.

A．protect

B．hide

C．treasure

D．trust

3.

A．quarrels

B．examinations

C．parties

D．activities

4.

A．student

B．teacher

C．person

D．parent

5.

A．styles

B．experiences

C．jobs

D．sports

6.

A．use

B．develop

C．require

D．stress

7.

A．advised

B．enabled

C．selected

D．organized

8.

A．differently

B．normally

C．socially

D．professionally

9.

A．habit

B．group

C．personality

D．club

10.

A．stage

B．destination

C．scene

D．event

11.

A．mistakes

B．preparations

C．friends

D．experiments

12.

A．think about

B．chat with

C．look for

D．learn from

13.

A．anxious

B．curious

C．generous

D．serious

14.

A．positive

B．special

C．colorful

D．ill

15.

A．choose

B．control

C．change

D．build

3 . You Are a Better Person Than You Think You Are

Maybe you haven’t achieved goals in a self-appointed time frame.     1     But this doesn’t mean you are a bad person or a failure. You could indeed be a wonderful individual. You could actually be a much better person than you believe you are. So, let’s examine the idea that you might be better than you think.

You show kindness

Being polite and kind is the mark of a good person. When you do this, you are treating others like you would want to be treated.     2     Even the smallest of things do not go unnoticed and are traits that you have a good heart.

You are a positive person

Keeping an optimistic attitude is also a trait of a good person with a powerful character. It is easy to become negative with all the bad things going on in the world, but there’s another way to look at these things. When you’re actually better than you think, you will have the habit of looking on the bright side of every situation and seeing the best in everyone.     3    

    4    

Being wise is not about being intelligent. It’s about learning from life experiences. Why does this make you a better person than you think? Wisdom can be passed to others to help them avoid the same mistakes you made. You are a good person if you’ve collected wisdom and love to share lessons with others.

So, go easy on yourself. Appreciate who you are. If there are things you need to change, that’s okay.     5     It’s about our attitude and our heart. I bet, if you took the time to read this, you are a better person than you think.

A．You give honest comments.

B．It’s just all about showing optimism.

C．We all have problems and imperfections.

D．You are wise, and you share your wisdom.

E．Maybe you have made many mistakes as well.

F．Respecting others and their space shows adulthood, which is a sign of a truly good person.

G．This may include opening doors for others or picking up change for people in front of you at the checkout line.

4 . Once upon a time, there was a small temple in a faraway mountain. One of the monks (僧人) in that temple had an interest in ________, so he was overjoyed when selected to ________ the temple. Being proud of his duty, the young monk determined to work hard at the garden and make the temple ________.

Every day, he woke up early in the morning and began his ________. He would gather the dead leaves, ________ the ground and plant the flowers in the garden. When he was tending the temple, his master, a wise old monk, ________ what he was doing.

One day, he was informed that some ________ guests would pay a visit to the temple the next day. He decided to give the temple a thorough cleaning. With great care, he went through the grass and the bush, and with the same ________, he cut the unwanted parts of the tree. When he was cleaning up the fallen ________ and branches, he carefully made them into a neat pile! Now the temple looked ________, inside and outside. Not a thing was out of place.

Delighted, the young monk stood near a tree and began to ________ his hard work. He then saw his master and asked, “Doesn’t this look perfect?” “Yes. It is perfect,” agreed the old monk. “________, there is one thing that you missed out. I'll set it right for you.” The old monk walked across the ground to the tree and gave the trunk a big ________. Many leaves fell on the ground. “Now it looks beautiful,” announced his master.

That’s when the monk ________ that a little imperfection is in fact very necessary. It makes the world look beautiful and more human, while a total perfection is machine-like and ________. He would remember this lesson for the rest of his life.

1.

A．training

B．climbing

C．drawing

D．gardening

2.

A．give back to

B．make room for

C．take care of

D．break away from

3.

A．popular

B．beautiful

C．valuable

D．famous

4.

A．routine

B．lesson

C．exercise

D．ceremony

5.

A．touch

B．cover

C．sweep

D．measure

6.

A．rejected

B．observed

C．supported

D．protested

7.

A．important

B．strange

C．different

D．familiar

8.

A．confidence

B．courage

C．kindness

D．carefulness

9.

A．trees

B．bricks

C．leaves

D．pipes

10.

A．perfect

B．simple

C．ordinary

D．creative

11.

A．analyze

B．settle

C．appreciate

D．consider

12.

A．Therefore

B．Moreover

C．Besides

D．However

13.

A．shake

B．hug

C．cry

D．smile

14.

A．argued

B．required

C．promised

D．realized

15.

A．independent

B．unnatural

C．universal

D．classical

5 . When I created a hiking course for my students, I added some tasks in it, such as writing, creating artwork, and presentations. In my mind, they would be impressed by nature and had a lot to share. But when we had the first trip, it was not what I had hoped for. My students weren’t into it. I went home feeling defeated.

Then I realized what my teens wanted was space to explore, observe, and enjoy. I needed to let go. So, I abandoned the tasks and gave my students freedom to hike and wander through the woods. Surprisingly, I witnessed more joy from them in return.

Living in northern Michigan sometimes meant we went outside in -10℃ weather, so I got a little pushback. But once I gave my students more freedom, something magical happened. They threw snowballs, searched for fallen bird feathers, observed changing leaves, and watched a frozen lake. One day when they were making land art with some rocks and fallen leaves, a random man appeared with a flute (长笛) and played music. My students gathered around him and listened. After the song was over, they clapped for him.

It turns out we did a version of forest bathing — spending time in nature to absorb our senses and be fully present. The teens didn’t need serious lesson plans or fancy art supplies. All they needed was simply being in nature. Nature gave them space to forget all their daily worries and just be kids again.

Does this mean that nature is a cure for all mental problems in the world? No. I’d never claim for it to be. But I will say that I’ve seen nature helps many, including myself. It boosts our mental health and overall state of mind. If you are having a hard time, just find a place where life feels less complicated and go.

1. How did the students think of the tasks?

A．They showed little interest in the tasks.

B．They thought the tasks too challenging.

C．They found the tasks were impressive and helpful.

D．They realized the tasks enabled them to be creative.

2. After the author gave students more freedom, they ______.

A．were pushed back by temperature	B．advocated people to protect nature
C．learned to play music in the woods	D．enjoyed nature to the fullest extent

3. What does the passage mainly intend to tell?

A．Teens need freedom to explore the world.

B．Forest bathing rids us of mental problems.

C．Plan carefully before setting foot in nature.

D．Being out in nature is really mind-refreshing.

6 . Sitting in the garden for my friend’s birthday. I felt a buzz (振动) in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender’s name. The email started off: “Dear Mr Green, thank you for your interest” and “the review process took longer than expected.” It ended with “We are sorry to inform you…” and my vision blurred (模糊). The position—measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme — had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for.

I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying, and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.

So I was shocked when, not long after the email, Professor Mary Devon, who was running the programme, invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later I was equally shocked—and overjoyed—when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn’t seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to, but I was going to give it my all.

I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project, which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert, not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn’t. In the end, I had a new scientific interest to pursue.

When I applied to graduate school, I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit, it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective (视角) to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.

Rather than setting plans in stone, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered, even if they don’t sound perfect at the time, and make the most of them.

1. How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender’s name?

A．Anxious.

B．Angry.

C．Surprised.

D．Settled.

2. After talking with Professor Devon, the author decided to ________.

A．criticise the review process	B．stay longer in the Sahara Desert
C．apply to the original project again	D．put his heart and soul into the lab work

3. According to the author, the project with the robotics professor was ________.

A．demanding

B．inspiring

C．misleading

D．amusing

4. What can we learn from this passage?

A．An invitation is a reputation.	B．An innovation is a resolution.
C．A rejection can be a redirection.	D．A reflection can be a restriction.

7 . 你校英文报正在举办主题为“戏剧人物评析”的征文活动。请你从《百万英镑》中挑选一个人物，写一篇短文投稿。内容包括：
1. 人物介绍；
2. 你的评析。
注意：
1. 参考人物：Henry Adams, the brothers (Roderick and Oliver), the clerks or the owner in the tailor’s shop…；
2. 写作词数应为80左右；
3. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . It was early winter several years ago. I had pulled out my old winter coat for another year’s _________. It was still in pretty good shape. I didn’t really _________ a new one but I wanted one and mentioned it to my daughter one day. A few weeks later she gave me a _________ of a bright red winter’s coat.

I put the old one in my closet and started to wear the new coat. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something _________ me. It seemed a (n) _________ that my still good, old coat should just sit there keeping no one warm. I took it out and drove to a local charity shop. Someone who couldn’t _________ a coat otherwise could get my old one. I dropped it off, chatted _________ with the staff for a bit, and walked out of the door. I saw a shaking man in a very _________ jacket walking in. I wondered if he would _________ my old coat. Then I smiled with a warm heart.

My new coat is my old coat now. It too is getting a little worn. It has black __________ on the sleeves from where I repaired the roof last winter. It is in too bad of __________ to even donate to charity. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon. Maybe I can find a few more things to give to the charity shop __________.

Perhaps the best way to deal with our __________ then is to give of ourselves. Love, after all, brings us the most __________. And the more of it you __________, the more of it you have.

1.

A．store

B．choice

C．use

D．goal

2.

A．need

B．design

C．sew

D．collect

3.

A．gift

B．hope

C．reward

D．selection

4.

A．surprised

B．encouraged

C．bothered

D．discouraged

5.

A．relief

B．shame

C．chance

D．honour

6.

A．wash

B．tailor

C．donate

D．afford

7.

A．guiltily

B．confidently

C．fearfully

D．happily

8.

A．new

B．thin

C．warm

D．dirty

9.

A．get used to

B．put up with

C．keep away from

D．end up in

10.

A．buttons

B．labels

C．spots

D．fabrics

11.

A．shape

B．size

C．colour

D．material

12.

A．likewise

B．otherwise

C．instead

D．indeed

13.

A．wants

B．dreams

C．promises

D．principles

14.

A．joy

B．courage

C．anxiety

D．challenge

15.

A．rely on

B．give away

C．talk about

D．put aside

9 . At a family picnic for employees of the company where my father worked, they held a contest for children. I was 13, full of enthusiasm, so I _________ myself into it.

The host gave each child a cloth handkerchief and told us the winner would be the one who cast it the _________. The first throwers, took mighty wind-ups, but when the cloth left their hands, it _________ and landed on the ground a few inches in front of them. The crowd roared with _________. Not until then did I realize it was not meant to _________ any real skill, but simply for laughs. However, it stimulated my _________ for thinking outside the box.

It _________ me to see the kids throwing harder when the handkerchief always caught the air and died. It was obvious that using the same _________ would not work. Suppose I tied a(an) _________ inside the handkerchief? When they inspected it, I’d be __________. So I began tying the handkerchief around itself to make it small and __________ packed together to keep it from unfolding. When I approached the line, people were already laughing, __________ a big strong-looking boy like me casting it just a few inches.

I took a long wind-up, and the balled handkerchief __________ off maybe 60 feet away. The laughing __________ in collective shock. I had not broken the rules. What I learned from this contest was that, in order to live creatively, you have to __________ the less-used parts of your brain, and not accept stereotypes(刻板印象), slogans and unquestioned ideas.

1.

A．admitted

B．threw

C．trapped

D．talked

2.

A．farthest

B．strongest

C．highest

D．biggest

3.

A．escaped

B．wrinkled

C．opened

D．appeared

4.

A．pain

B．applause

C．laughter

D．anger

5.

A．demonstrate

B．apply

C．improve

D．learn

6.

A．responsibility

B．imagination

C．demand

D．passion

7.

A．delighted

B．frightened

C．amused

D．annoyed

8.

A．cloth

B．technique

C．rule

D．line

9.

A．ant

B．rock

C．leaf

D．shoe

10.

A．fined

B．disqualified

C．dismissed

D．banned

11.

A．loosely

B．randomly

C．firmly

D．delicately

12.

A．anticipating

B．enjoying

C．stopping

D．confirming

13.

A．dashed

B．jumped

C．shot

D．rocketed

14.

A．died

B．roared

C．continued

D．weakened

15.

A．glance through

B．tap into

C．give up

D．go over

10 . After three years on horseback, Tim Cope has followed the route of Genghis Khan(成吉思汗) and other Asian nomads(游牧民族) who crossed into Europe over the centuries.

The 28-year-old Australian arrived in Hungary on Saturday, Sept.22, ending a 6200-mile travel through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Southern Russia and Ukraine. Surrounded by his traveling companions—his dog and three horses, Cope said, “I’m very happy to be here. Sometimes I didn’t think I would ever arrive.”

Cope was inspired to make the horseback journey during a bicycle trip from Moscow to Beijing. Trying to push his bike through the sands of the Gobi Desert, Cope watched in frustration as nomad horsemen appeared out of nowhere and disappeared over the horizon.

That got him interested in nomad life and the journey by ancient Asian groups. He set off from Mongolia in 2004 for a trip he thought would take 18 months. It ended up taking three years, and in late 2006, he had to return to Australia for several months when his father died in a car crash.

Cope quickly learned to trust the wisdom of locals. “In Mongolia, the nomads always told me that wolves were the most dangerous things and I didn’t believe them at first.” he said. Then one night he found himself surrounded by wolves. “When you hear that cry alone at night in the forest, it’s one of the most frightening sounds you’ll ever hear,” Cope said. “After that I took their advice and threw firecrackers out my tent door every night to keep the wolves away.”

Cope says he probably spent about half of his nights in his tent and the rest in farm houses and huts of strangers along the way. “In Kazakhstan, they believe that if you invite a guest, luck will fly into your house.”

Cope wants to write a book and shoot a film about his voyage, and is already imagining future adventures in northwest China and the Middle East.

“It’s my way of life. It was not just a trip,” Cope said. “I’ll be back in the saddle(马鞍) as soon as I can.”

1. Why did Tim Cope decide to make the horseback journey?

A．It was impossible to make the journey by bike.

B．Genghis Khan was the person he admired most.

C．He wanted to visit Hungary where he had never been.

D．he was deeply attracted by the life of nomad horsemen.

2. When did Tim Cope arrive in Hungary?

A．In March, 2004.	B．In March, 2006.
C．In September, 2006.	D．In September, 2007.

3. What do Cope’s words underlined in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．He will come back to Australia.

B．He will devote his life to adventures.

C．He will travel on horseback soon.

D．He will take this journey again.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．An Australian’s ambition to take adventures.

B．A rider who completes a horseback journey.

C．A modern young man who lives nomad life.

D．Following Genghis Khan to cross into Europe.