1 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

2 . To build a prosperous (繁荣的) society, a fundamental understanding of the modern economy as a driving force in today’s world is essential.

What kind of prosperity have we achieved so far? The widespread definition of prosperity focuses on economic power and growth as measures of success. Let’s take a look at history. The Second Industrial Revolution enabled mass production and created a sufficient supply of goods. This has greatly increased the importance of money in its role as “a store of value, ” and “a medium of exchange. ”As a result, we have pursued economic power as the only indicator of prosperity, such as GDP. Waves of globalization and technological evolution have promoted overall economic growth, but have allowed the few who are strong to achieve greater power while exploiting the many who are weak. Consequently, inequality has worsened, and disunity has intensified.

The path to a truly prosperous world requires a shift in focus towards the most suitable happiness for all, in addition to economic power. Defining happiness, however, is a complex task. What makes people happy? The degree to which the same thing creates happiness differs from person to person. Happiness is subjective and complicated. This is a world of “multiple values” where each of us determines worth as opposed to “one fixed price” based merely on an economic perspective. Individuals shouldn’t be defined by a single identity or role but by multidimensional nature as well as multiple roles making independent choices and taking actions for their happiness in different aspects.

Businesses must be pioneers in pursuing not only economic growth but also the happiness of all citizens of society. Companies can contribute through the pursuit of social value as well as economic profit. At the heart of this lies “purpose”. A company’s purpose defines the value it brings to society. The true worth of a company should be determined not just by the return s it creates for shareholders but by the value it creates for society as a whole.

1. What is the author’s attitude to the widely accepted standard of prosperity?

A．Indifferent.

B．Critical.

C．Uncertain.

D．Approving.

2. What is the side effect of technological evolution?

A．The slower economic growth speed.

B．The sharp reduction of job opportunities.

C．The enlarged gap between the rich and the poor.

D．The increasing conflict between different nations.

3. Which statement will the author agree with according to the passage?

A．Happiness is changeable and beyond control.

B．Happiness largely depends on economic power.

C．The pursuit of profit determines a company’s true worth.

D．A prosperous world should be measured by multiple values.

4. Who are the main intended readers of the text?

A．Social psychologists.	B．Enterprise administrators.
C．School educators.	D．Technological researchers.

3 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.

I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.

Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.

I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.

The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.

Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.

1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Fear.

C．Expect.

D．Avoid.

2. Why does the author think some callers treat her badly?

A．They get angry too easily.	B．They blame her for their debts.
C．They do not see her as a real person.	D．They accuse her of taking their money.

3. Why does the author think she is good at her job?

A．She can offer callers best advice.	B．She is always respected by callers.
C．She can put herself in others’ shoes.	D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this text?

A．To call for understanding of her job.	B．To explain why she is good at her job.
C．To introduce what she is responsible for.	D．To complain about her being treated badly.

4 . It was at the midnight. I had just gone to bed, a bit drunk after _________ my birthday with some buddies in my house.

Our town was on the bank of the Ahr River, and it had been raining heavily that week; there were flood warnings for nearby areas, but not where I was. I _________ made some preparations, sandbags outside my garden door, clothing on tables etc. Before my friends left, they _________ me for doing that, but I thought, why _________?

As I drifted off to sleep, I was _________ by the sound of rushing water. When I _________ my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my _________. In darkness, I grabbed my phone and turned on its flashlight to _________ into the hall, where I saw water was pouring from the garden door. It must have broken the _________.

Any __________ of the alcohol were gone. With the fierce water, in bare feet, I started to wade to my only __________: the door that leads __________ to the rest of the house. Finally I made it and tried to open the door, but it shut again __________ I opened it a bit. I had to do something. I __________ in the water nearly to my waist, and a sword was touched. I grabbed it and wedged the door open. I managed to make a __________, enough for me to __________ through. Then, I ran up to the third floor to check my family’s __________. At that critical moment, we saw the light flashing outside—the rescue team. __________ we stood on the assault boat, I was still trembling.

The following day, the __________ news came that many houses around us were destroyed. I think the experience made me grateful. __________, “better safe than sorry” is a wise choice.

1.

A．congratulating

B．celebrating

C．broadcasting

D．applauding

2.

A．even

B．already

C．yet

D．still

3.

A．laughed at

B．approved of

C．stared at

D．accused of

4.

A．take a risk

B．make a fortune

C．make a bet

D．take a guess

5.

A．annoyed

B．awakened

C．affected

D．attacked

6.

A．bent

B．sought

C．swung

D．hung

7.

A．feet

B．knees

C．waist

D．chest

8.

A．slid

B．wandered

C．hurried

D．skipped

9.

A．wall

B．fence

C．sandbags

D．barriers

10.

A．excuses

B．causes

C．consequences

D．effects

11.

A．escape

B．direction

C．help

D．passion

12.

A．forwards

B．backwards

C．downstairs

D．upstairs

13.

A．before long

B．every time

C．as soon as

D．any time

14.

A．observed

B．experienced

C．searched

D．examined

15.

A．gap

B．glimpse

C．blank

D．distance

16.

A．jump

B．ride

C．squeeze

D．pull

17.

A．safety

B．health

C．actuality

D．motivation

18.

A．Since

B．If

C．After

D．Before

19.

A．harmful

B．fearful

C．stressful

D．powerful

20.

A．What’s more

B．Worst of all

C．In contrast

D．In any case

5 . 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.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A middle-aged man took his eighty-year-old father, who used a stick for walking, to the park to take a walk every morning.

One day, while the old man stepped out from the car, his stick fell down, and he lost his balance.

However, his son caught his hand tightly     1     (immediate), and saved him. The old man smiled at his son gratefully. The son said, “Father, pleased put that stick aside. I     2     (support)you for walking.”

    3     (hold) his son’s hand, the old man walked slowly.

After walking     4     half an hour, they felt tired and sat on a bench. Taking     5     deep breath, the old man said: “Dear, this is life!”

The son asked,“ What do you mean, Father?” The man said,“ When you were a kid, I was holding your hand to support you for walking.     6    now, you are holding my hand to help me!Years ago, you were identified as my son; now I am in your care!This is what     7    (call) the rule of life!”

“What?” the son questioned his dad. The old man replied,

“We all want to be ‘young’ forever! Ageless! Young age is always full of     8     (excite) when you keep on doing sports, When you are a child, everything is so     9    (enjoy); that never happens again    10     you catch ages. Life is short. So, live it to the fullest and make every second court!”