1 . I was then in my early twenties. Even though I was armed with a degree in Education, finding a ______ teaching job was not easy. I had to try some temporary ones.

This year, when a golden opportunity ______ to teach 5th grade students in a local school. I ______ it and took things seriously. I ______ myself with lesson plans, taught with enthusiasm, and stayed ______ with the students. I had no hesitation in ______ the kids when they got the answer right, and encouraged them if they didn’t.

One day when the kids were _______, a girl approached and handed me a ______ before she went home. On it was a lovely drawing full of childlike wonder, ______ by the words, “You are the best teacher I have ever had!” It really amazed me that one of my kind comments had ______ that girl’s heart greatly. I took that note home and ______ put it in a folder, looking on it as a ______ because it was very important. Anytime I was feeling down I would look at it and it proved to be a ______ .

That experience showed me the ______ of just a single kind word. It encouraged me to continue to try my best each day to ______ love and kindness through my words and actions. Wish the same for others.

1.

A．first-rate

B．well-paid

C．labor-saving

D．full-time

2.

A．escaped

B．demanded

C．arose

D．arranged

3.

A．jumped at

B．thought about

C．waited for

D．dreamt of

4.

A．occupied

B．amused

C．concerned

D．contented

5.

A．familiar

B．positive

C．strict

D．consistent

6.

A．evaluating

B．supporting

C．instructing

D．congratulating

7.

A．graded

B．dismissed

C．tested

D．taught

8.

A．note

B．gift

C．parcel

D．book

9.

A．judged

B．indicated

C．emphasized

D．accompanied

10.

A．hardened

B．touched

C．broken

D．gladdened

11.

A．simply

B．casually

C．carefully

D．eagerly

12.

A．reminder

B．treasure

C．proof

D．secret

13.

A．comfort

B．fortune

C．fantasy

D．privilege

14.

A．target

B．application

C．power

D．principle

15.

A．clarify

B．find

C．feel

D．spread

2 . By the time he was 24 years old, Imran Nuri quit his job in a bold move, and emptied his savings account to carry out an ambitious ________ he’d been bearing in mind. Nuri would drive his car to every state on a 100-day trip to find 1,000 ________ and ask them to share one thing they wish they’d ________ when they were younger. Nuri was hoping for answers that might help him ________ the rest of his life.

He ________. But to his shock, he chose a ________ person for the first time. He met a man, who had a dark look at Nuri. Nuri thought the man was going to ________ him. Then, doing the most ________ thing he’d done, he introduced himself, “I’m ________ around the country to talk to 1,000 unfamiliar people. I’m asking them for pieces of life advice about things they wish they knew ________.” The man remained silent for a minute or so and ________ said, “We should spend more time with our family.”

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a man in his 50s who had stage 4 terminal cancer told Nuri, “Life is about the human ________. There would be no life without social interactions.”

In Tillamook, Oregon, a waitress-a college student told him, “whether it’s changing your major or changing your whole life path, you don’t have to ________ yourself for taking a step back and reevaluating your past choices. Just do what you think to be right.”

Nuri found beauty in every place as well as ________ from the people he met. Those people taught a lot. Now he always puts himself in other people’s shoes even when a person sees the world ________.

1.

A．plan

B．policy

C．initiative

D．trick

2.

A．acquaintances

B．residents

C．strangers

D．peers

3.

A．embraced

B．inquired

C．misunderstood

D．known

4.

A．picture

B．navigate

C．enrich

D．interpret

5.

A．cracked up

B．backed away

C．set out

D．knocked off

6.

A．generous

B．wrong

C．pleasant

D．selfish

7.

A．dismiss

B．accompany

C．consult

D．beat

8.

A．courageous

B．stupid

C．unforgettable

D．glorious

9.

A．sailing

B．hiking

C．driving

D．wandering

10.

A．occasionally

B．permanently

C．later

D．earlier

11.

A．finally

B．excitedly

C．instantly

D．hesitantly

12.

A．potential

B．nature

C．connection

D．competition

13.

A．admire

B．reward

C．forgive

D．fault

14.

A．wisdom

B．fortune

C．confidence

D．perseverance

15.

A．objectively

B．differently

C．selectively

D．randomly

3 . At 20 years old, I was a confident and handsome student at the University of California at Berkey.

But that year, I ________ a bump (肿块) in my right nostril (鼻孔), and when it didn’t go away, I made an ________ with a doctor. It turned out to be a tumor (肿瘤). Then I underwent surgery. Fortunately, the procedure was ________, and I returned to classes soon.

But six months later, a new bump appeared. Numerous ________ confirmed it had reproduced a horrible, life—threatening tumor. I was advised to have another operation and ________ that I might lose part of my nose. I was too young to think about death then, but the thought of disfigurement (毁容) made me feel ________.

I awoke from the surgery with a scarred, disfigured face. As I re-entered the real world, I noticed adults ________ and children pointing—and sometimes laughing—at me. The occasional and ________ negative reactions from my friends also hurt me. My self-respect sank increasingly lower, and I constantly asked others, “Do my looks ________ you?”

Five years and 20 reconstructive surgeries later, I ________ a man receiving treatment. After hearing my question, he criticized me. My problem, he ________ me, was not my physical appearance, but my emotional insecurity. His ________ helped me realize my mental scars were far more disfiguring than my physical ones.

I began examining myself from the inside out. Later, I volunteered at a cancer support organization to offer inspiration and hope to those ________ cancer

Now, I am ________ for who I am—a much stronger person than before. To you, I offer this message: Avoid making judgements about people at ________.

1.

A．took charge of

B．took care of

C．took control of

D．took notice of

2.

A．appointment

B．arrangement

C．commitment

D．placement

3.

A．severe

B．minor

C．apparent

D．complicated

4.

A．novelists

B．specialists

C．impressionists

D．journalists

5.

A．advocated

B．predicted

C．warned

D．witnessed

6.

A．desperate

B．enthusiastic

C．delicate

D．optimistic

7.

A．smiling

B．glaring

C．glancing

D．staring

8.

A．unusually

B．unintentionally.

C．unconventionally

D．unselfishly

9.

A．bother

B．impress

C．annoy

D．restrict

10.

A．greeted

B．persuaded

C．encountered

D．grasped

11.

A．abused

B．defended

C．informed

D．motivated

12.

A．relief

B．security

C．defence

D．honesty

13.

A．going about

B．relating to

C．wrestling with

D．breaking with

14.

A．greedy

B．grateful

C．suitable

D．tolerant

15.

A．mental vitality

B．physical fitness

C．social acceptance

D．face value

4 . When I first built my website 3 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing.

Naturally, I went to various websites and blogs for _________. I noticed features like social media buttons, advertisements, comments and more. At first glance, these seemed _________ since every website had them. But as I _________ my site, I found they were not. Instead, a clean, user-friendly design had _________ effects. Without advertisements or social media buttons, more people were _________ in my articles. It seemed that the _________ my website became, the better the results were.

Later, I noticed the _________ of simplicity in other areas of life.

As a kid, I was too thin. As an athlete, I needed to get stronger. So I spent hours designing the right combination of exercises. But when I _________ got stronger, I assumed that I was missing some kind of exercise. So I kept _________ something new. But it took me years to realize that the key was the exact opposite.

I __________ the complex workouts and focused on just one or two exercises. Surprisingly, there was a noticeable __________ in my strength in just four months.

From __________ to workouts, my skills didn’t improve overnight. Instead, I made progress by ignoring, reducing and __________ non-essential choices. I think this principle also __________ to most things in life. So when you make a list of your plans, decide what truly matters to you and __________ the rest.

1.

A．attention

B．relaxation

C．inspiration

D．recognition

2.

A．familiar

B．essential

C．similar

D．special

3.

A．abandoned

B．tested

C．copied

D．imagined

4.

A．temporary

B．harmful

C．serious

D．positive

5.

A．trapped

B．disappointed

C．absorbed

D．uninterested

6.

A．simpler

B．richer

C．cheaper

D．faster

7.

A．impact

B．limit

C．fault

D．purpose

8.

A．finally

B．gradually

C．obviously

D．barely

9.

A．adding

B．achieving

C．admiring

D．avoiding

10.

A．carried on

B．gave up

C．took out

D．set down

11.

A．blow

B．gap

C．drop

D．rise

12.

A．websites

B．comments

C．articles

D．features

13.

A．making

B．removing

C．facing

D．accepting

14.

A．responds

B．appeals

C．applies

D．objects

15.

A．turn off

B．put off

C．cross off

D．show off

5 . Even when you have confidence in yourself, your goals will sometimes seem out of reach. When that happens, get hold of the people who _________ you and your goals and don’t let go!

When I was younger, I _________ because life felt so hard. I had _________to become a teacher or a business administrator. I knew I needed a college degree, but I had _________ believing in myself. Then a teacher in my high school _________ me. He told me three things: First, if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be _________ to get anyone else to believe in you. Second, never let other people’s _________ to see your brilliance prevent you from being brilliant. And third, despite life’s _________, stick to creating the future you want.

Early in my _________, I was teaching a workshop when a person in the audience yelled out to me. He told me I had __________ made a job choice and had a bright future. This __________ feedback (反馈)came at just the right time, because while the audience didn’t know it, I was __________ self-doubt.

Even now, I __________ myself that I have a bright future. That’s what I tell myself when I __________ success and failure. You have a bright future ahead. Think about this every single day. Remember your talents, skills, and interests. Explore the jobs that interest you, and have courage—and most __________, believe in yourself.

1.

A．refer to

B．depend on

C．learn from

D．believe in

2.

A．quit

B．struggled

C．regretted

D．argued

3.

A．responsibilities

B．dreams

C．opportunities

D．doubts

4.

A．stopped

B．admitted

C．allowed

D．considered

5.

A．tracked

B．recommended

C．accompanied

D．encouraged

6.

A．serious

B．possible

C．hard

D．necessary

7.

A．request

B．unwillingness

C．inability

D．attempt

8.

A．difficulties

B．options

C．aims

D．standards

9.

A．career

B．experiment

C．business

D．recovery

10.

A．foolishly

B．simply

C．wisely

D．bravely

11.

A．original

B．familiar

C．typical

D．positive

12.

A．looking into

B．taking down

C．dealing with

D．pointing out

13.

A．introduce

B．remind

C．guarantee

D．warn

14.

A．experience

B．describe

C．compare

D．limit

15.

A．probably

B．fortunately

C．obviously

D．importantly

6 . In December 2004, I had just become a professional photographer and was working on a project about communities who live on the sea, known as sea nomads (海上游牧民族). I was living with members of the Chao-Ley tribe (部落) on a small island in southern Thailand. We didn’t share a language and relied on body language to communicate.

I went out to sea with them regularly. One morning, I was due to set out with a group of six Chao-Ley fishermen in a small boat. The sea looked different, with the water totally still.

About 20 minutes after we left and a few miles out in the open sea, one of the fishermen pointed to a small white spot far in the distance. It was getting bigger and bigger very quickly. This was a tsunami (海啸) wave speeding through the ocean.

Usually, the deeper the water, the weaker the wave. But we weren’t out far enough to be safe, nor close enough to shore to make it back in time. We were stuck. I began to feel really scared.

The captain told the six of us where to sit, so we would balance out the boat. My camera was in my backpack. I wanted to capture the scene, but I couldn’t. Any movement would imbalance the boat. Suddenly there was a huge noise. The wave hit the boat, but in a flash the skilled captain managed to swerve (使突然转向) us up and onto the wave. Then the boat moved from the tip of the wave down into safe waters. Our eyes and mouths were wide open, and everyone let out heavy sighs. The captain had saved us all.

Surviving gave me a deep understanding of how important life can be. I’ve been going back to Southeast Asia almost every year since. The photography project has become a thank-you to the people who saved my life. The picture I wanted to take on the boat remains “the one that got away” – I think every photographer has one. But mine changed my life.

1. What happened before the author set out with the fishermen?

A．The captain wanted to cancel the trip.

B．He noticed something unusual.

C．They saw a white spot in the distance.

D．It looked like it was about to rain.

2. When did the author start to feel frightened?

A．When fishermen on the boat felt nervous.

B．When he realized they were trapped.

C．When the boat was about to be hit.

D．When the boat shook violently.

3. What was the author doing when the tsunami wave hit the boat?

A．Helping the captain swerve.

B．Taking a photo of the wave.

C．Trying not to move.

D．Reaching for his backpack.

4. What did the author learn from his experience?

A．We should have the courage to take risks.

B．Opportunity never knocks twice.

C．Life is too short to be wasted.

D．Sometimes regrets in life can save us.