1 . Many years ago, I bought a house in the Garfagnana, where we still go every summer. The first time we ______ there, we heard the chug chug-chug of a motorbike ______ its way down the hill toward us. It was ______ called Mario, coming to ______ us a box containing some tomatoes and a bottle of wine. It was a very nice ______ for him to make. But when we looked at the tomatoes, we were ______ because they were so misshapen: not at all like the nice, round, ______ things you get in a supermarket. And the wine was cloudy, in a funny old bottle with no label (标签) on it. These can’t be any ______, we thought. But we were ______ his kindness, so we ______ them.

What we discovered is that it’s ______ to judge what you eat only by its ______. Those tomatoes had ______ that reminded me of the ones my uncle used to grow when I was a child. Nowadays supermarket tomatoes ______ perfect but taste of water. Nobody’s going to have a ______ memory of those. It’s a surprise they haven’t managed to grow square ones so that they can ______ them easily. Mario’s wine may have been cloudy and come out of an old bottle, but it was ______.

It’s good to eat things at the correct time, when they’re ______, and as close as possible to where they were ______. What Mario had ______ us was the taste of the Garfagnana.

1.

A．waited

B．met

C．camped

D．stayed

2.

A．making

B．searching

C．squeezing

D．feeling

3.

A．customer

B．neighbor

C．relative

D．passenger

4.

A．lend

B．send

C．bring

D．show

5.

A．choice

B．comment

C．promise

D．gesture

6.

A．worried

B．moved

C．thrilled

D．bored

7.

A．simple

B．real

C．shiny

D．fun

8.

A．more

B．good

C．new

D．easy

9.

A．sympathetic to

B．thankful for

C．cautious about

D．interested in

10.

A．tried

B．sold

C．returned

D．mixed

11.

A．unnecessary

B．uncertain

C．unwise

D．unusual

12.

A．appearance

B．quality

C．origin

D．price

13.

A．size

B．shape

C．color

D．taste

14.

A．smell

B．look

C．become

D．work

15.

A．happy

B．vivid

C．short

D．vague

16.

A．clean

B．check

C．count

D．pack

17.

A．perfect

B．useful

C．convenient

D．familiar

18.

A．on view

B．on sale

C．in season

D．in need

19.

A．finished

B．stored

C．found

D．grown

20.

A．cooked

B．given

C．bought

D．told

2 . When I was in sixth grade, I joined the band program to learn to play the clarinet (单簧管). The beginning of the year had gone _________. But as most students progressed, I seemed to fall behind. One day, when my teacher told us to play in front of the other students, I was filled with fear. I knew I would _________. When I began to play, my rhythms (节奏) were good, but my tone was another _________. “Did you practice your lesson?” the teacher barked at me. I felt so _________ and my world came _________ down in an instant.

From then on, I hated playing the clarinet and I kept getting _________. With the day of the new performance approaching, I grew increasingly upset. In a moment of _________, I asked for sick leave. It was so relieving and such a(n) _________ way out.

The avoidance of my lessons continued until my mum asked me about it. “I want to quit.” My tears started _________. “If you really want to quit, why are you crying?” asked mum. She __________ and I realized I wanted to stay in band and, by not facing my fears, I had created a black hole that would be difficult to __________ out of. I made a __________ not to hide from my fears and to stand up to even the worst of them, so a __________ could be achieved.

The next day I met with my band teacher and told her I was having a problem and couldn’t __________ why. She asked me gently to play for her. I tried, but only an unpleasant sound came out. She didn’t __________ at me and handed me a new reed (簧片). I put it in place and tried again. To my great __________ I could play well. My problem was solved and my fear was __________ a lot that year.

__________ I’m glad that I overcame my fear. Fear can __________ everything in a person’s life. Hiding from those very fears only creates a hole, which makes a person stay __________ inside. After facing up to a fear, one may find life easier and much more enjoyable.

1.

A．badly

B．endlessly

C．randomly

D．smoothly

2.

A．mess up

B．move on

C．set out

D．take off

3.

A．impression

B．essay

C．story

D．factor

4.

A．ashamed

B．starved

C．excited

D．relaxed

5.

A．crashing

B．moving

C．selling

D．bending

6.

A．stricter

B．worse

C．happier

D．smarter

7.

A．joy

B．panic

C．doubt

D．sympathy

8.

A．funny

B．important

C．easy

D．traditional

9.

A．drying

B．disappearing

C．flowing

D．separating

10.

A．had a point

B．made a change

C．reached a level

D．took a break

11.

A．send

B．bring

C．pick

D．climb

12.

A．request

B．resolution

C．presentation

D．proposal

13.

A．balance

B．degree

C．position

D．solution

14.

A．figure out

B．give away

C．think over

D．make up

15.

A．aim

B．smile

C．wave

D．shout

16.

A．anger

B．sorrow

C．disappointment

D．surprise

17.

A．felt

B．shown

C．removed

D．voiced

18.

A．Carrying on

B．Looking back

C．Stepping aside

D．Turning around

19.

A．consume

B．examine

C．reflect

D．rescue

20.

A．unknown

B．unpunished

C．interested

D．trapped

3 . 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.

4 . Philosophers have a bad reputation for expressing themselves in a dry and boring way. The ideals for most philosophical writing are precision, clarity, and the sort of conceptual analysis that leaves no hair un-split.

There is nothing wrong with clarity, precision, and the like — but this isn’t the only way to do philosophy. Outside academic journals, abstract philosophical ideas are often expressed through literature, cinema, and song. There’s nothing that grabs attention like a good story, and there are some great philosophical stories that delight and engage, rather than putting the reader to sleep.

One of the great things about this is that, unlike formal philosophy, which tries to be very clear, stories don’t wear their meanings on their sleeve — they require interpretation, and often express conflicting ideas for the reader to wrestle with.

Consider what philosophers call the metaphysics (形而上学) of race — an area of philosophy that explorers the question of whether or not race is real. There are three main positions that you can take on these questions. You might think that a person’s race is written in their genes (a position known as “biological realism”). Or you might think of race as socially real, like days of the week or currencies (“social constructionism”). Finally, you might think that races are unreal — that they’re more like leprechauns (一种魔法精灵) than they are like Thursdays or dollars (“anti-realism”).

A great example of a story with social constructionist taking on race is George Schuyler’s novel Black No More. In the book, a Black scientist named Crookman invents a procedure that makes Black people visually indistinguishable from Whites. Thousands of African Americans flock to Crookman’s Black No More clinics and pay him their hard-earned cash to undergo the procedure. White racists can no longer distinguish those people who are “really” White from those who merely appear to be White. In a final episode, Crookman discovers that new Whites are actually a whiter shade of pale than those who were born that way, which kicks off a trend of sunbathing to darken one’s skin-darkening it so as to look more While.

Philosophically rich stories like this bring more technical works to life. They are stories to think with.

1. What does the author think of philosophical stories?

A．The meaning behind is very obvious.

B．They am extremely precise and formal.

C．They often cause conflicts among readers.

D．They are engaging and inspire critical thinking.

2. Which category might “Christmas” fall into according to paragraph 4?

A．Social constructionism.	B．Anti-realism.
C．Biological realism.	D．Literary realism.

3. What is Black No More in paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Racial issues caused by skin colors.

B．A society view on race and self-image.

C．Black people accepted by the white society.

D．The origin of sun bathing among white people.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Stories Made Easy	B．Stories to Think with
C．Positions in Philosophy	D．Nature of Philosophical Writing

5 . Dr. Smith of New York works at a center for children who can’t learn well. One day a father brought his son to him for________ at his office.

The father told Dr. Smith about his son. “My son has ________ in learning and can’t even play baseball. He isn’t doing well because he doesn’t try. I have done everything for him. I have even shouted at him. But nothing ________. ”

After Dr. Smith tested the boy, he ________ his father. He asked the father to sit in front of a ________ and then gave him a pencil and a piece of paper. There was a ________ on the paper. He asked the father to look only in the mirror and ________ the lines of the star with the pencil. The father made the same ________ anyone makes. Every time he ________ the pencil, it went the wrong way. The father’s face became red.

At this ________ the doctor shouted at him, “Hurry up! Why are you ________ so long? You can’t do such an ________ thing! You don’t know left from right!” These ________ made the father very angry.

“Now you can ________, can’t you?” The doctor said to him. “Your son has felt just like that all the time. You scolded (训斥) him too often, so he didn't try any more. He was afraid of making mistakes. ”

________ the father understood everything. He put his face down. Now he felt so sorry.

1.

A．testing

B．acting

C．teaching

D．playing

2.

A．confidence

B．interest

C．experience

D．difficulty

3.

A．returns

B．helps

C．appears

D．remains

4.

A．waited for

B．searched for

C．believed in

D．called in

5.

A．mirror

B．television

C．painting

D．desk

6.

A．face

B．line

C．number

D．star

7.

A．remove

B．follow

C．cross

D．cut

8.

A．decisions

B．choices

C．mistakes

D．patterns

9.

A．touched

B．dropped

C．moved

D．sharpened

10.

A．speed

B．corner

C．end

D．point

11.

A．staying

B．taking

C．preparing

D．writing

12.

A．easy

B．important

C．obvious

D．exciting

13.

A．ideas

B．words

C．questions

D．instructions

14.

A．relax

B．leave

C．understand

D．promise

15.

A．Interestingly

B．Absolutely

C．Suddenly

D．Unfortunately

6 . Small children are easy to throw up in the air and catch-and they _________ it. “Again, Daddy, again!” Jacky shouts as I throw him skywards and catch him on the way back down again. He throws his arms and legs out _________ he were flying, his eyes wide with _________. His trust in me is _________ which is quite a nice feeling, but at the same time gives me a huge sense of _________ .

I hope Jacky will always trust me fully, but I know that, as he gets _________ , it will need more effort and sound judgment_________ . Trust is such an important part of a _________ relationship that it’s something that can’t _________ to lose. Every time I __________ Jacky to something new, he’ll do it only because he trusts me and feels __________ in the knowledge that he won’t get hurt .__________ , teaching Jacky to swim means he has to __________ that, when he’s swimming in the big pool, I’ll come to his rescue if his doggy paddle lets him down.

__________ in the workplace, trust is important for strong __________ . It is something that every manager should work hard to __________ among their team. If people don’t trust you, they’re unlikely to __________ your directions and willingly become a loyal (忠诚) team member. A __________ of trust can make people work against you rather than for you. At the very least, it means that people are not going to be __________ you their best. Good __________, like good parenting, is a long-term commitment.

1.

A．deserve

B．miss

C．love

D．know

2.

A．as if

B．in case

C．even though

D．so that

3.

A．fear

B．excitement

C．doubt

D．astonishment

4.

A．reasonable

B．limited

C．absolute

D．important

5.

A．relief

B．satisfaction

C．achievement

D．responsibility

6.

A．older

B．busier

C．quieter

D．healthier

7.

A．on my behalf

B．on my part

C．in my honor

D．in my name

8.

A．long-distance

B．high-risk

C．parent-child

D．teacher-student

9.

A．afford

B．choose

C．wait

D．expect

10.

A．attach

B．compare

C．adjust

D．introduce

11.

A．safe

B．happy

C．proud

D．grateful

12.

A．Above all

B．In addition

C．At first

D．For example

13.

A．admit

B．believe

C．suggest

D．imagine

14.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Similarly

D．Fortunately

15.

A．affection

B．determination

C．friendship

D．leadership

16.

A．assess

B．organize

C．develop

D．understand

17.

A．repeat

B．follow

C．change

D．forget

18.

A．gesture

B．measure

C．bond

D．lack

19.

A．telling

B．giving

C．selling

D．sending

20.

A．management

B．personality

C．communication

D．education

7 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle_________to include relatives stopping by. Yet, I knew some friends whose parents got home after dinner or even_________the entire evening. So I_________the quality time around our kitchen table, which witnessed countless valuable_________in my life.

_________,my kids cannot relate to my childhood memories. They have been left to_________with babysitters more times than I would like to admit. My husband and I have_________careers. And we often end up staying at the office way past dinnertime. When this happens too often, it_________the balance of our family.

Apart from suffering from_________,what else can a hardworking family do? I think we can all try to__________our own ways to spend time together. Surely there are days when I’m too busy to share a meal with my family. But I would make efforts to__________and chat later that day,__________       setting aside cellphones every time. And I even find a bedtime reading with my kids much__________.I am also proud to have our “big breakfast” routine every Saturday. My husband serves as the head chef, and my younger son__________       him to make the breakfast.

I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the__________someday. But now, I am happy to have so many wonderful things on my plate.

1.

A．widened

B．formed

C．lessened

D．closed

2.

A．missed

B．avoided

C．enjoyed

D．recorded

3.

A．wasted

B．treasured

C．limited

D．calculated

4.

A．shows

B．dishes

C．recipes

D．moments

5.

A．However

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Besides

6.

A．sleep

B．dine

C．study

D．play

7.

A．suitable

B．flexible

C．satisfying

D．demanding

8.

A．maintains

B．disturbs

C．improves

D．strikes

9.

A．fear

B．anger

C．guilt

D．hunger

10.

A．predict

B．create

C．evaluate

D．accept

11.

A．work out

B．calm down

C．hold on

D．catch up

12.

A．unwillingly

B．casually

C．consciously

D．carelessly

13.

A．louder

B．shorter

C．simpler

D．sweeter

14.

A．assists

B．guides

C．allows

D．orders

15.

A．office

B．kitchen

C．house

D．park

8 . The days that make us happy make us wise.

--- John Masefield

When I first read this line by England's Poet Laureate, it _____________   me.   What   did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the _______ was true. But his serious assurance was ________. I was deeply attracted by it.

Slowly, I seemed to ________ his meaning and realized the wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception(洞察力), not _______ by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind _______ caused by fear.

Active happiness---not mere satisfaction or _______---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has ____________ it. Amazingly, in your eyes, the grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the _________   of your friends are more understandable, and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your ________ vision.

Nor are the __________ of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts focused on your emotional woes (痛苦) , your vision is cut short as though blocked by a wall. Happy, the wall _________.

Consequently, the long vision is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you---people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now ____________ a larger scene. Everything covers a fairer _________. Everything around you, whether it is encouraging or frustrating, no longer seems such a big deal. And here is the beginning of _________.

1.

A．terrified

B．satisfied

C．surprised

D．upset

2.

A．other

B．opposite

C．view

D．contrast

3.

A．arresting

B．amazing

C．interesting

D．disturbing

4.

A．handle

B．observe

C．appreciate

D．seize

5.

A．iced

B．clouded

C．rained

D．snowed

6.

A．roads

B．paths

C．spots

D．places

7.

A．fulfillment

B．sorrow

C．disappointment

D．entertainment

8.

A．embraced

B．interrupted

C．responded

D．accompanied

9.

A．brightness

B．stupidity

C．shortcomings

D．memories

10.

A．physical

B．sharp

C．spiritual

D．solid

11.

A．insights

B．impressions

C．attentions

D．expectations

12.

A．extended

B．collapsed

C．witnessed

D．withdrew

13.

A．got out

B．stayed on

C．kept off

D．fitted into

14.

A．proportion

B．position

C．explanations

D．duty

15.

A．happiness

B．wisdom

C．ability

D．life

9 . When I retired, my wife Peg said “Great! You’ll have time to clean the garage!” After 30 years’ ________ as director of a radio station, I would finally have more time for housework, but I worried I’d lose the sense of________ I had felt in my profession.

I pushed at the garage’s wooden doors, but they were as ________as I felt in this new stage of my life. I finally got the doors open and started to empty the shelves. Then my hand hit something ________. It was a common old metal can. I ________ the cover and found a ________ envelope with a postmark of May 13, 1940 inside. ________, I opened it and found some flower seeds in it, “ Eighty years old! I wonder if they’ll still grow. ”

I ________the seeds in a plastic pot. I checked it every day, but nothing happened. “I guess they’re just too ________to be any good, ” I told Peg in ________ . I picked up the pot to get rid of it, but something made me ________. I changed my mind and set it aside. Meanwhile, I was keeping ________, buying some books to improve my photography skills and teaching my granddaughters everything I knew about gardening and dogs.

Six weeks later, I was out in the yard when I ________ to notice the pot. A new bit of green-a leaf had ________. I proudly showed it off to my granddaughters. “Look, girls, even something this old can still ________ for its purpose and be pretty cool. Just like your grand- papa!”

1.

A．dream

B．belief

C．study

D．service

2.

A．freedom

B．purpose

C．trust

D．security

3.

A．worn

B．stuck

C．broken

D．lost

4.

A．delicate

B．special

C．hard

D．sharp

5.

A．removed

B．washed

C．cleaned

D．fastened

6.

A．labeled

B．selected

C．yellowed

D．ruined

7.

A．Curiously

B．Sincerely

C．Skillfully

D．Bravely

8.

A．collected

B．planted

C．abandoned

D．stored

9.

A．old

B．wet

C．weak

D．small

10.

A．anger

B．surprise

C．regret

D．relief

11.

A．delay

B．reflect

C．hesitate

D．disappoint

12.

A．upset

B．awake

C．social

D．busy

13.

A．expected

B．attempted

C．failed

D．happened

14.

A．showed up

B．fallen off

C．taken off

D．dried up

15.

A．compete

B．grow

C．survive

D．relax

10 . 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.