1 . We all have friends who make us frown when they walk in. We know that within five minutes they will have us completely depressed, and we feel that there is nothing we can do about it. Their lives are desperate, sad, tragic, bored or whatever, and if you have a sympathetic ear, you listen and they are likely to keep coming back to tell you more. Do you know why? It makes them feel better. But you just want to jump out the nearest window, and they leave whistling and smelling the roses.

If you are surrounded by people like this, it may be impossible to get them out of your life because they’re your biggest customer, a relative or your business partner. But whatever else you do, you really do need to draw a line in the sand. If more of the people you mix with are negative than positive, you have a problem, which will only get worse over time and keep you trapped in the cycle of feeling overwhelmed.

I made a very conscious decision a number of years ago about the type of people I would have in my life. I want to be surrounded by energetic, enthusiastic and positive people who are getting on with their lives. I don’t care what they do for a living, how much money they have or who they know. All I care about is their zest for life. These people inspire and motivate me to be the best person I can be; they are supportive of any decision or change that will help me to achieve this goal. If I fail, they are the first people to support me and say at least I gave it a go.

If I listened to the negative people, I wouldn’t do anything, because life is clearly so messed up that there is nothing I can possibly do that would make it any better. There is no malicious intention in these people, and it’s just a reflection of where they are in life at the time. And that is sad, but we all need to decide if we want to be equally sad. I made the decision not to and that was that.

I suggest keeping such people at arm’s length. Some of them won’t like you for it. Be prepared for some bad results, but try it because the pay-off is big. And developing a proper way will make it easier.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To explain the reason.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To criticize the behavior.	D．To analyze the phenomenon.

2. Which of the following does the author agree with?

A．The identity of a person matters when we choose who to mix with.

B．We must stay away from a negative person even if he is our customer.

C．Being negative is a reflection of the state of life negative people are in.

D．The more negative people we stay with, the less overwhelmed we will be.

3. What does the underlined word “zest” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Doubt.

B．Control.

C．Expectation.

D．Enthusiasm.

4. What is the author likely to talk about in the following paragraph?

A．How to define the pay-off.	B．How to ignore the bad results.
C．How to say no to a friend you dislike.	D．How to keep a distance from negative people.

2 . Life is not always smooth and easy. Sometimes we may encounter adversity, such as illness, loss, failure, or conflict, which test our resilience and courage. In these situations, we may feel lonely and helpless, and lose confidence and hope. However, we are not alone. We have our family members, who can play a significant role in helping us overcome adversity.

Family is the most intimate and trustworthy group of people in our lives. They share our blood and genes, and have a deep bond with us. They know our strengths and weaknesses, our joys and sorrows, our dreams and fears. They care about our well-being and happiness, and are willing to sacrifice for us. They can offer us unconditional love and acceptance, which can heal our wounds and soothe our pain.

Family is also the most supportive group of people in our lives. They have a long history and rich culture, and have a profound impact on our values and beliefs. They can teach us important lessons and skills, such as honesty, responsibility, cooperation, and perseverance. They can also provide us with various resources and assistance, such as money, information, advice, or connections. They can help us cope with challenges and difficulties, and find solutions and opportunities.

Family is also the most inspiring and motivating group of people in our lives. They have their own stories and achievements, and have a great potential for growth and development. They can set examples for us to follow and admire. They can also challenge us to improve ourselves and pursue excellence. They can encourage us to explore our interests and talents, and follow our passions and goals. They can support us in our endeavors, and celebrate our successes and contributions.

In summary, family is an indispensable part of our lives, especially when we face adversity. They can play a positive role in many aspects, such as giving us love and acceptance, teaching us lessons and skills, providing us with resources and assistance, setting examples for us, challenging us to improve ourselves, encouraging us to follow our passions, supporting us in our endeavors, celebrating our successes. Therefore, we should appreciate our family members and express our gratitude and affection to them.

1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．We face difficulties and challenges in life.

B．Adversity challenges our strength and bravery.

C．We feel hopeless when we face the problems.

D．Families provide support in time of adversity.

2. What does the author imply by saying “They share our blood and genes and have a deep bond with us”?

A．We have the same blood type as our family members.

B．Family members are willing to give up their lives for us.

C．We are genetically and emotionally close to our family members.

D．We have little in common with family members.

3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a lesson or skill that family can teach us?

A．Honesty.

B．Responsibility.

C．Cooperation.

D．Competition.

4. How does the author support his conclusion in the last paragraph?

A．By restating his opinion.	B．By giving examples.
C．By asking questions.	D．By offering his suggestions.

3 . 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

4 . 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.

5 . My mother was always knitting (编织). What a shock to me when she recently admitted that knitting was a great way to help her get through stresses of ________four children. And I realized that knitting has also been________to me.

My mother ________me to knit when I was about 6, starting first with the beginner’s scarf. But I soon abandoned the________, as it was boring for a young child.

My next knitting adventure was an awakening in Madison, Wisconsin, where I was in graduate school and feeling the________of the demanding program. One day, as I cycled to school past the knitting store on State Street, I stopped and went inside. I was not even sure what I was ________. The gloves in the display area caught my fancy, and I determined that I would learn to knit these ________gloves. Too big a project for a beginner, but the store employees were kind and patient with my daily visits for instruction. In the following months the project ________to a gift of gloves for each one of my dear friends, and miraculously, the gloves saved my soul in that tense semester of studies and other life________of love and loss.

My ________fingers wrapped in yarn (毛线) have long relieved my anxiety during medical appointments and hospital stays for friends and family. Knitting during the pandemic eased my despair at not being able to ________in my usual volunteer activities that had been central in my life for decades. I channeled my energy into knitting dozens of scarves to donate to a shelter and this helped me feel ________to the community.

Knitting scarves and blankets for my daughter when she went away for university brought me ________as I imagined every stitch (针脚) of love wrapped around my now-adult child—as once my arms protected her when she was ________.

My mother’s influence on me is great, but the major life lesson she taught me through knitting is that there is a step-by-step ________of building, tearing down and rebuilding. It requires patience and a belief that stitches that are cast off can always find their way back on.

1.

A．warning

B．raising

C．dressing

D．praising

2.

A．beneficial

B．challenging

C．hopeful

D．stressful

3.

A．requested

B．forced

C．taught

D．wished

4.

A．project

B．housework

C．achievement

D．honor

5.

A．excitement

B．glory

C．regret

D．pressure

6.

A．seeking

B．learning

C．researching

D．observing

7.

A．strange

B．sweet

C．broken

D．huge

8.

A．expanded

B．reduced

C．moved

D．returned

9.

A．signs

B．disasters

C．ceremonies

D．events

10.

A．cold

B．busy

C．clean

D．lazy

11.

A．break

B．major

C．participate

D．put

12.

A．grateful

B．addicted

C．ashamed

D．connected

13.

A．fear

B．thrill

C．curiosity

D．comfort

14.

A．lost

B．successful

C．young

D．aged

15.

A．effect

B．process

C．progress

D．exchange

6 . One day a poor farmer was taking a bag of rice to town. Suddenly the bag fell off his horse on the road. He didn’t know what to do about it because it was too heavy for him to carry it by himself. He only hoped that somebody would soon pass by and help him.

Just at this moment a man riding a horse came up to him. But the farmer was very disappointed (失望) when he saw who he was. It was a great man living nearby (附近). The farmer had hoped to ask another farmer or a poor man like him.

But to his surprise, the great man got off his horse as soon as he came near. He said to the farmer, “I see you need help, friend. How good it is that I’m here just at the right time.” Then he took one end of the bag, the farmer took the other. They together carried and put it on the horse.

“Sir,” asked the farmer, “how can I pay you? ”

“It’s quite easy,” the great man answered with a smile, “wherever you see anyone else in trouble (有困难) do the same for him.”

1. What happened when the famer went to town?

A．The farmer lost his bag.	B．The bag fell from his horse.
C．His horse’s leg was hurt.	D．The horse was ill.

2. The farmer couldn’t carry the bag onto the horse by himself because ________.

A．the bag was broken	B．the horse ran away
C．the bag was too heavy	D．the farmer was too old

3. The great man ________ when he saw the farmer on the road.

A．was riding a bike	B．was walking
C．was driving a car	D．was riding a horse

4. ________ helped the farmer.

A．A poor man.	B．Another farmer.
C．The great man.	D．A friend of the farmer’s.

5. If you see someone in trouble, what will you do after you read this story?

A．I’ll volunteer (自愿) to help him or her.

B．I’ll give some help if I know him or her.

C．I won’t give any help unless he or she pays me money.

D．I’ll go away as soon as possible because I don’t want any trouble.

7 . 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

8 . One Second Every Day

I’ve been in advertising for eight years and used to work a lot of late nights and weekends for numerous projects.     1     One day I watched a talk called “The power of time off”. It’s about how every seven years, the speaker takes a year off from work so he can do his own creative projects.     2     I decided I had to do that. I need to take time to start my own creative ideas.

The first project ends up being something I call “One Second Every Day”. Basically I record one second of every day for the rest of my life, combining these moments into one single continuous video until I can’t record them anymore.     3     There’re many things I have no recollection of unless someone brings them up, and I think, “Oh, that’s something I did.”

    4     On a good day, I’ll have maybe four seconds I want to choose. I’ll just have to narrow them down to one, but even narrow them down to that one allows me to remember the other three anyway.

I don’t use any filters (滤镜), just trying to catch the moment as much as possible as it is. I started a rule of the first person view. Early on, I thought I should have a couple of videos where people would see me, but I realized that wasn’t the way to go.     5    

The project has many possibilities. I encourage you all to record just a small piece of your life every day, so you can never forget that day and treasure every moment.

A．It instantly inspired me.

B．The purpose is to remember what I’ve done.

C．I’m always energetic when doing things I love.

D．People might have different interpretations of it.

E．It’s difficult, sometimes, to pick that one second.

F．But I never had time for one I wanted to work on on my own.

G．The essence of my project should be recording the thing as I actually see it.

9 . Age is truly just a number if our hearts are young. Lee Minor, an 85-year-old retired psychologist, has________this by finishing his 600th marathon race with 32 members of his family by his side. “Runners don’t have a________line. We just keep going,” he toldGood Morning America. “I felt________running with my family.” Minor has been running three days a week since 1969, and his heart is filled with enthusiasm for running.

“I like to run in all kinds of________. It is so childish as the rain touches your face. And I love to come here after snow and you watch your________as you go along.” he concluded.

Minor’s enthusiasm for running is________. “It is my joy. And I want to live as long as I can. And I mean live, not________.” His words ring true for Ron Robert, a man diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease who decided to ________ a three-year bachelor of artsprogram at King’s University College in London, Ontario. “I was always taught early in life that the brain is like the most ________instrument we have in our body,” said Robert.

Last fall, Robert graduated from the university, despite the challenges of his illness. “When I went across the stage, and as I’m getting my________, the kids all stood up andyelled and clapped,” he________. “I had to hold back the tears. It was something else, just wonderful.” He hopes that his story will give hope to others facing________difficulties. “There will come a time when I won’t be able to, and I fully________that. Butin the meantime, I’m living a full life.”

The stories of Minor and Robert are reminders that age and illness need not________us. We can choose to pursue our________and live life to the fullest, no matter whatchallenges we may face.

1.

A．proven

B．approved

C．won

D．imagined

2.

A．starting

B．center

C．finishing

D．bottom

3.

A．depressed

B．thrilled

C．calm

D．uneasy

4.

A．weather

B．zones

C．illness

D．phases

5.

A．position

B．footprints

C．reflections

D．route

6.

A．infectious

B．temporary

C．blind

D．restricted

7.

A．wait

B．abandon

C．exist

D．run

8.

A．award

B．suspend

C．quit

D．pursue

9.

A．powerful

B．visible

C．boring

D．accurate

10.

A．uniform

B．application

C．certificate

D．license

11.

A．slid away

B．gave up

C．broke in

D．choked out

12.

A．emotional

B．identical

C．financial

D．abstract

13.

A．enjoy

B．reject

C．doubt

D．expect

14.

A．save

B．define

C．distinguish

D．witness

15.

A．scholarship

B．fitness

C．passion

D．career

10 . It started with a parenting course I-took when my three sons were in elementary school. The class consisted of eight two-hour sessions and included reading and homework assignments. The basic message weaving its way through all eight sessions was “Pick Your Battles”. Another piece of advice that went along with that was “Remain Flexible”.

What started out as parenting advice went much further than that and has guided me to this day after taking the class when the situation presented itself. If there were two differing opinions’, I would stop and think. I had to decide if theoutcome was worth a battle or was even worth the time it took to discuss it. If my son wanted to wear the same superhero shirt to school three days in the row, did it really matter? No, I would have been more comfortable if he had worn a clear shirt each day, but he was happy. If his friends gave him a hard time about his shirt, he would have to deal with it. It wasn’t my issue after all.

The class also told us that flexibility especially when it involved kids, was key. Was it more important to follow a planned schedule or was it better to remain flexible enough to make changes to that schedule even at the last minute? Well, of course you need to be flexible and make changes. We were with a group a few years ago, driving through the mountains to a small town where we were planning to have a picnic lunch. On the way there we saw that a beautiful new winery (葡萄酒厂) had opened. It was not on our schedule. If we stopped, it would delay our picnic in the park, but we did stop. We had an amazing experience. Had we not been flexible, we would have missed out on that fantastic opportunity.

1. What will the author do when a dispute arises after the parenting course?

A．Take action to settle it immediately.

B．Judge if it is worth spending time on.

C．Stop the disagreement and compromise.

D．Stick to his view whatever the situation is.

2. How did the author deal with his son’s “shirt” problem?

A．Ask him to keep tidy at once.

B．Discuss the problem with his friends.

C．Keep silent and let him realize it by himself.

D．Talk with him frankly about his problem.

3. What can we learn from the experience of having the picnic?

A．Visiting a winery can’t be a wrong choice.

B．Making changes can turn out satisfying.

C．Following a planned schedule is a priority.

D．Choosing a suitable place is essential.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To recommend the parenting course to other friends.

B．To show that the parenting course is helpful to him.

C．To share with readers his experience in the winery.

D．To introduce the structure of the parenting course.