1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman learn from the story?

A．Encouragement is very important.

B．Success means never giving up.

C．Every coin has two sides.

2. What happened to the two frogs in the story?

A．They both died.

B．They both survived.

C．One died and one survived.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many famous persons are mentioned in the text?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

2. What do we know about Albert Einstein?

A．He could not speak until he was four.

B．He could not walk until he was two.

C．He could not read until he was six.

3. What are the three magic tools mentioned in the text?

A．Have talent, believe in yourself and never give up.

B．Believe in yourself, work hard and never give up.

C．Believe in yourself, have teamwork spirits and never give up.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．The early bird catches the worms.

B．Talent is important in success.

C．Success is not determined at birth.

3 . I didn’t quite know what I was looking for when I flew to Mongolia for a term abroad. I just needed something different, far from the late-night libraries of my college town. Most different, I hoped, would be my rural homestay: two weeks in central Mongolia with a family of nomadic(游牧的) herders.

I was studying Mongolian at the time, but still, there was so much I couldn’t say or understand. As we walked in the snow behind the goats, my host mom would ask me if I was cold, then giggle (咯咯地笑) and copy a big shiver to make sure I understood. In the evenings, she showed me how to make dumplings with her fingers. My host siblings would talk with me, speaking too fast for me to understand, as we explored the rocks around our tent; I’d listen and nod.

This verbal(言语的) barrier was strangely freeing. In the crowded dining hall at home, meeting new people made me anxious. I’d stay quiet, measuring out my words, struggling for something to say that wouldn’t expose me as unfunny or boring. In Mongolia, I couldn’t perfect my words. I could only smile, and try out one of the phrases I’d mastered: “May I help?” “Where is the dog?” “Are you tired?” My host family laughed at my pronunciation, at the way I threw up my hands and eyebrows in a frequent gesture of confusion. But in their laughter, I felt safe, unembarrassed.

With my Mongolian family on the grassland, I found a feeling of ease I’d never felt before. We were so different, they and I, and not just in language. Their skin was hardened and darkened by sun; I’d been hidden under hats and sunscreen since birth. My host siblings(兄弟姐妹) grew up drawing water from frozen streams and jogging behind herds of sheep; I spent summers at tennis camp.

For me, these gaps made all the difference. Without shared social measures, I wasted no time wondering how I was measuring up. Only real things—kindness, helpfulness—mattered.

1. Why did the author go to Mongolia for a term abroad?

A．She dreamed of living a nomadic life.	B．She was tired of studying late at night.
C．She had to study Mongolians’ normal life.	D．She was collecting information for libraries.

2. What does the underlined word “shiver” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Hug.

B．Smile.

C．Attack.

D．Shake.

3. How did the author behave at the dining hall in her home country?

A．She felt at ease in the crowd.	B．She usually weighed her words.
C．She asked a lot of funny questions.	D．She often made others laugh with jokes.

4. What did the author learn from her life in Mongolia?

A．You are judged wherever you go.	B．Nature makes humans feel insignificant.
C．Appearance reflects one’s standard of life.	D．Being kind is the common social standard.

4 . Accepting a compliment (赞美) has always been hard for me. I don’t _________ getting many as a kid, although my parents were very loving and supportive.

When I got to know Aaron, he _________ not just my looks but also my gifts and mind. I was hesitant (犹豫的) to believe all the _________ things he was saying. At the time, I was wondering if I could go to college. Aaron saw something else in me and _________ me to apply to college. His compliments _________ my life: He told me I was a good person and smart. He helped me see a totally different _________ of myself, and I liked being that girl! It turned out he was right: I was accepted to college and got my degree later.

Still, I felt _________ accepting compliments from anyone else. I didn’t think I was worthy of praise.

My real turning point came after being _________ to run a half-marathon in Germany in 2012. After the race, the _________ that I had, holding that medal and hearing everyone tell me how well I’d done, was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I couldn’t deny (否认) that feeling of __________.

Now it’s a pleasure for me to both __________ and accept all kinds of compliments. I love seeing the __________ when I praise someone else — and I love seeing the satisfaction when they see that their compliments __________ me up, too.

A compliment is a __________ from another person and we wouldn’t refuse or question a gift. So these days, when someone gives me a compliment, I __________ smile and say, “Thank you!”

1.

A．imagine

B．remember

C．mind

D．suggest

2.

A．praised

B．noticed

C．accepted

D．described

3.

A．new

B．important

C．good

D．different

4.

A．allowed

B．required

C．invited

D．encouraged

5.

A．wasted

B．changed

C．took

D．controlled

6.

A．example

B．picture

C．story

D．side

7.

A．uncomfortable

B．surprised

C．lucky

D．helpless

8.

A．expected

B．taught

C．chosen

D．forced

9.

A．reason

B．feeling

C．result

D．plan

10.

A．freedom

B．safety

C．achievement

D．connection

11.

A．study

B．need

C．give

D．discover

12.

A．politeness

B．kindness

C．cleverness

D．happiness

13.

A．brought

B．picked

C．woke

D．cheered

14.

A．question

B．gift

C．test

D．reply

15.

A．just

B．once

C．seldom

D．nearly

5 . Once there were three travelers checking in a hotel. When they went out in the morning, one traveler brought an umbrella and another one took a crutch (拐杖) _________ the third one left with _________ whatsoever.

When they were back in the evening, the man who brought an umbrella got his clothes _________ in rain; the one taking a crutch fell, all covered with mud; but the man empty-handed kept his clothes dry, _________ any mud on it. The former two guys felt it was _________, so they asked the third man why.

The third guy didn’t reply, but _________ asked the man with an umbrella, “Then why were you caught in the rain _________ without falling?”

“When it was raining, I felt so _________ for my prediction that I opened the umbrella and walked in the rain _________. I didn’t think I would be caught in the rain, but __________ my clothes got so showered. Going to the places which were too muddy to cross, __________ that I didn’t have a crutch for fear of falling, I walked very carefully. It __________ that I walked all the way back __________ and sound. ”

After hearing __________ the first man said, the third man then asked the man with a crutch why he became muddied all over himself instead of getting showered.

He answered like this, “When it was raining, I had no umbrella, so I __________ chose those places I could __________ from the rain to walk through. In the muddy places, I went on with my crutch, but I hadn’t thought I fell. ”

The empty-handed traveler __________, “When it was raining, I chose the places protecting myself from the rain and in the muddy places I kept particularly __________, so I was neither drenched nor fell. ”

The advantages are __________. Only if we create advantages by virtue of the objective environment can we __________ a success.

1.

A．When

B．As

C．While

D．Since

2.

A．anything

B．nothing

C．something

D．everything

3.

A．wet

B．muddied

C．dry

D．tidy

4.

A．despite

B．beyond

C．without

D．with

5.

A．common

B．strange

C．strict

D．ordinary

6.

A．besides

B．otherwise

C．therefore

D．instead

7.

A．but

B．and

C．or

D．thus

8.

A．pity

B．glad

C．anxious

D．upset

9.

A．sensitively

B．curiously

C．constantly

D．bravely

10.

A．unlikely

B．unexpectedly

C．unacceptably

D．universally

11.

A．considered

B．to consider

C．considering

D．to have considered

12.

A．turned out

B．brought out

C．carried out

D．picked out

13.

A．safe

B．dirty

C．hurried

D．worried

14.

A．what

B．which

C．how

D．why

15.

A．already

B．yet

C．still

D．just

16.

A．prevent

B．protect

C．shelter

D．escape

17.

A．confused

B．regretted

C．depressed

D．laughed

18.

A．pessimistic

B．serious

C．casual

D．cautious

19.

A．absolute

B．relative

C．obvious

D．exact

20.

A．do

B．make

C．take

D．change

6 . Music is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It can bring us joy, sorrow, or even inspiration. It can evoke emotions and memories that we didn’t even know we had.     1    

Music can be a source of comfort. It can provide a refuge（避难所）from the troubles of the world and provide a sense of peace and solace.     2     It can also bring people together, helping to create a sense of community and shared experience.

    3     It can be an uplifting force in times of struggle, helping us to persevere and overcome obstacles. It can inspire us to take action and make positive changes in our lives.

Finally, music can be a source of joy and celebration.     4     It can be a way to express our love and gratitude for the people in our lives.

Music has the power to change our lives in ways we may never have imagined. It can provide us with strength, courage, comfort, and joy. It can help us to find our inner voice and express ourselves in unique and creative ways.     5    

A．Poor people can live a happy life with music.

B．Music can also give us strength and courage.

C．Music can associate people with each other around the world.

D．Music can change a person’s life in ways that nothing else can.

E．Listening to music can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

F．It can bring us closer together, helping us to appreciate and celebrate the beauty of life.

G．Music can truly be a life-changing force, and one that should never be underestimated.

7 . The virtue, responsibility, means a duty to complete a task, which can be either ______by someone else or even may have been created out of our own ______ and circumstances. It must be taken seriously and as a(n) ______ man, you should put your best efforts to ______the task to completion.

The sense of responsibility should be ______since the teenage years, as it is the best time to learn good habits and ______. Although there is no age to learn something new, it is again   the responsibility of teachers and parents to ______ their children to learn the ______ of responsibility from the beginning.

The responsibility of an individual may change with situation and ______. The significance of responsibility usually ______ with age. A student should learn to be a(n) ______ person for his school and home activities, not to make his parents ______, to set a good example for his younger siblings or juniors at school, to be responsible to the society and ______ and being a responsible citizen. A teacher is______responsible for leading the   students to the right path and to help them learn the values of life as well as the ______subject.

Now, some of you may be ______ what will happen if we do not fulfill those responsibilities. Will there be any ______ for not doing so? In that case, you will be ______and lose the purpose of living. It is because, to fulfill one’s responsibility, you may meet some difficult situations and while dealing with those ______times, you are actually learning important lessons and ______ of those challenging fights will definitely help you further.

1.

A．wrapped

B．assigned

C．evaluated

D．exposed

2.

A．reasons

B．plan

C．commitments

D．foundation

3.

A．decent

B．guilty

C．discouraged

D．innocent

4.

A．fetch

B．unfold

C．occupy

D．bring

5.

A．preserved

B．convinced

C．protected

D．instructed

6.

A．principles

B．cooperation

C．knowledge

D．culture

7.

A．force

B．guide

C．allow

D．cheat

8.

A．conditions

B．methods

C．virtue

D．integrity

9.

A．time

B．desire

C．forecast

D．leisure

10.

A．reduces

B．resigns

C．increases

D．harvests

11.

A．kind

B．elegant

C．reliable

D．incredible

12.

A．proud

B．unhealthy

C．violent

D．disappointed

13.

A．nation

B．hometown

C．school

D．family

14.

A．otherwise

B．likewise

C．merely

D．ever

15.

A．legal

B．concerned

C．tough

D．tiring

16.

A．imagine

B．forgive

C．suspecting

D．wondering

17.

A．punishment

B．fault

C．deadline

D．hope

18.

A．shocked

B．ashamed

C．scared

D．delighted

19.

A．strange

B．casual

C．tough

D．urgent

20.

A．conflict

B．entry

C．messages

D．outcomes

8 . Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. Critical thinking has been the subject of much debate and thought since the time of early Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates and has continued to be a subject of discussion into the modern age, for example the ability to recognise fake news.

Critical thinking might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. In nature, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously (严厉地) question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is to decide what you are aiming to achieve and then make a decision based on a range of possibilities.

Once you have clarified that aim for yourself you should use it as the starting point in all future situations requiring thought and, possibly, further decision making. Where needed, make your workmates, family or those around you aware of your intention to pursue this goal. You must then discipline yourself to keep on track until changing circumstances mean you have to revisit the start of the decision-making process.

However, there are things that get in the way of simple decision making. We all carry with us a range of likes and dislikes, learnt behaviours and personal preferences developed throughout our lives; they are the hallmarks of being human. A major contribution to ensuring we think critically is to be aware of these personal characteristics, preferences and biases (偏见) and make allowance for them when considering possible next steps.

The more clearly, we are aware of ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, the more likely our critical thinking will be productive.

1. What will you be by using critical thinking?

A．A creative philosopher.	B．A passive recipient of information.
C．An independent organizer.	D．An active learner.

2. Which of the followings belongs to critical thinking?

A．Setting up direct targets.	B．Coming up with imaginative ideas.
C．Analysing original reasons.	D．Making various possible decisions.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 6?

A．Personal preferences will change critical thinking.

B．Individual behaviours will stop you pursuing the goal.

C．Tastes and preferences vary from individual to individual.

D．Critical thinking gets in the way of simple decision making.

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

A．What is Critical Thinking?

B．How does Critical Thinking work?

C．How is Critical Thinking Productive?

D．What effect does Critical Thinking cause?

9 . An icon (偶像) from my childhood, Linda Ronstadt announced this week that she has Parkinson’s disease and has lost her ability to sing. One of her songs that I was singing for a long time without realizing it was, “Poor, poor, poor, me, poor, poor, pitiful me.” However, she is doing anything but saying, poor me. She is embracing (欣然接受) her accomplishments and bringing enlightenment (启迪) to the world by sharing her journey. It is wonderful that they are recording her voice via interviews for the generations to come, as she will more than likely lose her ability to speak clearly. I have enjoyed listening to these interviews.

As a young girl, I had dreams about being a journalist one day. I put those dreams away with reality, along with my writing. I was singing poor, poor, poor me for a long, long time. Once I changed my song, opened myself up to the world and allowed things to flow my way... I continue to be constantly amazed.

People actually notice what I have to say. Yes, I have found my voice...and I like it! I am overjoyed each week when over 700 followers of The Year of the Cicadas blog read what I have floating around in my head. If you are reading this blog, thank you. It really does matter to me.

Last week I was asked to submit a blog for consideration to the Huffington Post. Do you know they have over 43,240,000 readers every month?! I have no idea if it will be accepted or not, that is not the point. The point is that I was asked and they wrote me back and said,“Perfect. Thank you so much for doing the work. It was worth it.”Wow, this is a big moment for me, and for that young girl who one day long ago dreamed about writing an article that would be published.

1. How does the author begin the text?

A．By providing an example.	B．By conveying an opinion.
C．By introducing a conclusion.	D．By describing a saying.

2. What can be inferred about the author from the second paragraph?

A．Her dream changed.	B．She had many readers.
C．Her mental state changed.	D．She began to learn singing.

3. Why did the Huffington Post send the request to the author?

A．Her article got recognized.	B．Her blog was extremely popular.
C．Her opinion received support.	D．Her work was published.

4. What message does the passage mainly convey?

A．It is the first step that costs.

B．Failure is the mother of success.

C．Things come true to those who dream.

D．The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill.

10 . “Can we look at the school supplies while we’re here?” my daughter, Julia, asked during a trip to the store. My favorite school-supply item is the daily planner because I struggle with organization. I always dream that the perfect planner will somehow cure me of my delay and turn my life into a paradise (乐园) of order and productivity.

The list of habits I wanted to develop was long. Exercising regularly. Drinking more water. Clearing a junk drawer or closet each week. Reading more books and watching less TV. Delaying less on work deadlines. Spending more time with each of my kids and reaching out to family and friends more often. Making special meals, and doing other things to make my loved ones feel loved.

Over the next few days, I was able to check off several items on my habit tracker. I was pleased with the progress, but I hadn’t done much with the habits intended to improve my relationships with others. I tried to put more focus on those habits.

One morning, I opened my planner and realized that it was Julia’s. The first task was “Write in my gratitude journal.” The second one was “Do something nice for someone else.” Julia was a busy college student. How did she find time to keep a journal and do random acts of kindness? When I asked her about it, she said, “Those two habits go together. Writing in my gratitude journal makes me want to do nice things for other people.”

“What a wonderful thing to do!” I said, “I love that your gratitude fuels your acts of kindness.” I took a plain notebook and wrote, “I’m thankful for...” I prepared my husband’s favorite dinner, sent an encouraging text to a friend, and baked another batch of cookies for Julia to share with her friends.

1. Why does the author like the planner most?

A．She often used it while being a teacher.

B．She wants to keep her life organized.

C．She is a person of doing things in order.

D．She tends to focus on working effectively.

2. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?

A．The various arrangements the author had a day.

B．The constant changes the author made in life.

C．The good habits the author wanted to develop.

D．The different things the author delayed doing.

3. What habits did the author want to put more focus on after the progress?

A．Doing more exercise every day.	B．Completing her tasks in time.
C．Keeping a balanced diet for her health.	D．Building more close bonds with others.

4. What did the author learn from Julia?

A．Gratitude can fuel kindness.	B．Love is endless in a family.
C．Blessing comes from nowhere.	D．Generosity is actually a virtue.