1 . Moving forces us to face the extraneous. File cabinets and drawers stuffed to the brim, boxes piled high in the backs of closets — why keep letters and cards that we never re-read? One card with my grandmother’s handwriting should be enough.

An unnerving yet productive strategy is to envision someone dealing with the piles of papers if you suddenly weren’t here. You instantly realize that most of your accumulation will one day be thrown into a recycling bin. The things you are saving as reminders of your past are useless to others. Sure, you may value what you keep, but worth is essentially all in your head.

In a real sense, to throw things away is to prepare to die. This is not a gloomy declaration but rather an enlivening recognition of the freedom that follows when we take ourselves less seriously. It’s the same as looking at a sky full of stars and feeling the relief of being tiny and unimportant. Awareness of the briefness of our time on earth and the impermanence of both our attachments and our sufferings can become a powerful basis for clearing things and emotions alike.

A few years ago, dear friends were called home from work to a big fire. They watched as their house burned to the ground, despite the efforts of several fire crews. Everything material, cherished things, and accumulations were reduced to ashes —clothes, photo albums, furniture, paintings, books, boxes of old letters, the piano.

By nightfall, what they had left were the clothes they had worn that day and the photos they had kept at their workplaces. At first, they felt completely collapsed, but once they emerged from the initial shock and grief, they were sustained by a lot of love from family and friends. They were alive, and this is what really mattered. It is astonishing to discover how little weight our possessions carry in this calculus of true necessity.

1. What does the underlined word “extraneous” mean in Paragraph 1?

A．Invaluable.

B．Irrelevant.

C．Suitable.

D．Necessary.

2. What may the author agree with about the value of one’s accumulation?

A．It’s useless.

B．It’s essential.

C．It’s personal.

D．It’s recyclable.

3. How can one be prepared “to throw things away” according to Paragraph 3?

A．By recognizing the burden of freedom.	B．By letting oneself fade into insignificance.
C．By being aware of the preciousness of time.	D．By treasuring the attachments and sufferings.

4. Why does the author mention his friends’ story?

A．To demonstrate the cruelty of a fire.	B．To stress the weight our possessions carry.
C．To emphasize the importance of love from friends.	D．To show the insignificance of our possessions.

2 . As a traveler with a disability, I have always avoided cruises. This expedition-style small-ship cruise changed my mind.

When our expedition leader ________ we would make a Zodiac (卓迪船) ________ at Jan Mayen, a tiny island in the Arctic Ocean, I stepped out onto my balcony aboard our ship, ________ to find clear skies and calm seas. ________, I was met with a gust of wet wind and a view of mist-covered mountains in the distance. Jan Mayen wasn’t on our itinerary (行程), and due to its ________ location and often unpredictable weather, very few people ever ________ the island. I knew the ________ weren’t ideal, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

In fact, the possibility of ________ adventures was one of the reasons I chose this small-ship cruise. So I ________ joined my shipmates in the mud room, where we put on waterproof clothes and life jackets before hopping in the Zodiacs for a bumpy ________ to a black-sand beach. Even the fierce wind and rain couldn’t ________ our excitement as we ________ our way to the beach and hiked to a viewpoint, pausing to photograph little purple flowers ________ the volcanic rocks.

Our visit there wasn’t about what we could do or see. It was an opportunity to just be—to exist in a brief ________ on a tiny, often inaccessible, volcanic rock in the Arctic. And that’s something I never thought I’d ________ in my lifetime.

1.

A．knew

B．announced

C．remembered

D．replied

2.

A．living

B．return

C．landing

D．mark

3.

A．failing

B．choosing

C．struggling

D．hoping

4.

A．Instead

B．Finally

C．Thus

D．Otherwise

5.

A．strategic

B．remote

C．favorable

D．central

6.

A．set foot on

B．fell victim to

C．kept track of

D．gained control of

7.

A．constructions

B．conditions

C．descriptions

D．distributions

8.

A．unwanted

B．unsecured

C．unplanned

D．unauthorized

9.

A．mistakenly

B．nervously

C．routinely

D．happily

10.

A．walk

B．flight

C．ride

D．path

11.

A．dampen

B．share

C．convey

D．fuel

12.

A．changed

B．lost

C．fought

D．made

13.

A．in response to

B．in view of

C．in contrast to

D．in defense of

14.

A．moment

B．experiment

C．glance

D．ceremony

15.

A．value

B．need

C．miss

D．experience

3 . So, I did it. I moved back home, despite all the disapproval. I left my good job, my relationship, and the endless opportunities.

Some people questioned me, “Why did you move back?” It was hard at first to admit that I liked being home, and that, actually, I didn’t prefer New York City (as so many people do). But after time, it became easier and less of an issue. And when they asked me why I moved back home, I confidently said, “Because I wanted to.” Many people welcomed me back into the community.

The first few months home were the most relaxing of my life. Every day I wake up to birds chirping, and sunlight coming in from the window-no traffic sounds or people screaming on the streets. It sounds like a Disney movie, but it’s so true! There is something about the air here-it’s clean. It smells good. I can also see the Grand Mesa (the largest flat-top mountain in the world) from my bedroom window. My work commute (通勤) is a four-minute car ride. And on summer nights, my favorite thing to do is watch the sunset from my porch because it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

I’ve been home for almost three years now, much to the surprise of my friends and family. Some friends even made bets on how long “this” would last. So far, I’m winning. But since I’ve been home my life has flourished. I realized that home, for me, is a place that inspires me. Because before, in the city, I felt like I had to compete with everyone to get ahead. Many times, forgetting what I was “fighting” for, I was clouded in competition and not passion. I lost touch with the other parts of myself, never quite realizing that the quiet country life provided that to me.

By coming home, I found myself again, the true me. I didn’t expect a city to give me opportunities because I could make my own.

1. Why does the author mention “a Disney movie” in Paragraph 3?

A．To introduce a new topic.	B．To provide more details.
C．To give a vivid description.	D．To support an argument.

2. How did the author win the bets with her friends?

A．By staying home longer than expected.	B．By getting used to country life quickly.
C．By wining competitions at workplace.	D．By leading a better life than in the city.

3. What is it that the author dislikes about city life?

A．Bad work relations.	B．Few job opportunities.
C．Longer work commute.	D．Too much competition.

4. What does the author refer to with the word “that” in Paragraph 4?

A．The goal she was fighting for.	B．Living to be her true self.
C．The chance of getting ahead of others.	D．A more comfortable life.

4 . Eric loses his dog, Nova, on a walk. She has pulled the leash (绳子) from his hand in ________ of a rabbit. He puts up signs, ________ neighbors, and enlists friends to help search for Nova, but with no ________.

A week later, a beautiful woman named Vanessa shows up at Eric’s front door. She has Nova. After Nova and Eric reconnect in a chaotic, ________ display of affection, Eric thanks the woman. They talk for a while and seem to ________. Soon, Eric and Vanessa fall in love.

A couple of months go by. While driving on his way to pick up Vanessa, Eric is T-boned at full speed by a distracted driver who ________ a red light. Eric is ________ unconscious. Later, he finds himself in a hospital. A doctor ________ Eric of what has happened and explains that he has suffered a severe head ________ and that they will need to run a brain scan to ________ if there’s any chance of permanent brain damage.

The next day, the doctor comes into Eric’s room and tells him they have found a tumor (肿瘤) in his brain. “________, we only catch a tumor after someone realizes something’s wrong when they start to feel the ________ which is almost always too late, but this tumor is caught before it grows into any other areas of your brain, which in almost all cases becomes ________. Eric, this car accident basically saved your life.”

This ________ of events led Eric to realize that sometimes a ________ could be a blessing in disguise.

1.

A．pursuit

B．memory

C．defense

D．control

2.

A．brings

B．notifies

C．alerts

D．encourages

3.

A．answer

B．luck

C．wonder

D．way

4.

A．easy-going

B．far-reaching

C．heart-warming

D．ever-lasting

5.

A．check it out

B．leave it behind

C．pick it up

D．hit it off

6.

A．approached

B．encountered

C．ran

D．spotted

7.

A．knocked

B．pushed

C．beaten

D．carried

8.

A．accuses

B．convinces

C．informs

D．relieves

9.

A．tumor

B．spin

C．shot

D．injury

10.

A．determine

B．react

C．compare

D．prevent

11.

A．Unexpectedly

B．Occasionally

C．Fortunately

D．Normally

12.

A．accident

B．scars

C．symptoms

D．disasters

13.

A．rare

B．original

C．deadly

D．harmless

14.

A．schedule

B．chain

C．type

D．circle

15.

A．chance

B．misfortune

C．checkup

D．belief

5 . In one’s lifetime, especially during adolescence when mental maturity is yet to be achieved, everyone is likely to make some foolish mistakes that will be remembered for a lifetime. The way parents _________ these situations often directly determines the value attributed to these mistakes.

When I was ten years old, I got really angry one day and ended up breaking my favorite pen. Instead of scolding me, my parents chose a different _________. They quietly kept the broken pen and used it as a silent reminder of my mistake. Every time I saw that _________ pen, it served as a gentle yet _________ lesson.

In the beginning, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t yell at me or punish me _________. However, as days went by, the broken pen became a symbol of my _________ actions. It made me reflect on my behavior and the consequences of letting anger _________ me.

The silence from my parents _________ louder than words ever could. It wasn’t about the pen itself, but rather the lesson it represented. I realized that patience and self-control were _________ qualities to cultivate. Instead of reacting impulsively (冲动的), I learned to take a step back and __________ before acting.

Time __________, I eventually became a more patient and thoughtful person. The broken pen, once a source of __________, became a catalyst (催化剂) for positive change in my behavior. My parents’ quiet discipline __________ me a valuable lesson about the power of reflection and the importance of learning from my mistakes. This experience __________ me into a better person, reminding me that sometimes, the most profound lesson come in the form of silent __________.

1.

A．put off

B．give in

C．lead to

D．deal with

2.

A．approach

B．career

C．punishment

D．expectation

3.

A．unique

B．expensive

C．damaged

D．magic

4.

A．practical

B．powerful

C．well-organized

D．challenging

5.

A．directly

B．gently

C．quietly

D．openly

6.

A．secretly-promoted

B．newly-invented

C．highly-recommended

D．ill-considered

7.

A．catch up with

B．in terms of

C．take control of

D．team up with

8.

A．whispered

B．spoke

C．shouted

D．remained

9.

A．essential

B．rough

C．average

D．satisfactory

10.

A．reflect

B．fight

C．scream

D．dream

11.

A．freezes

B．flies

C．talks

D．cures

12.

A．happiness

B．imagination

C．regret

D．creativeness

13.

A．planed

B．bought

C．set

D．taught

14.

A．drew

B．compared

C．terrified

D．shaped

15.

A．pens

B．consequences

C．parents

D．people

6 . 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。

It was time for the ice cream event that my small youth group had waited for many months. The group consisted of five boys; one of them was Scott.

Scott always had a positive attitude. He looked on the bright side of things and never criticized anyone. But Scott was different from the rest of us because he was disabled, suffering from a disease which caused hands shaking constantly. Therefore, he was unable to participate in activities in most cases. No one ever made fun of him to his face, but at times, people would laugh or stare in his presence. But Scott never worried; he just kept his head up high and ignored them.

Finally, the night of the ice cream event descended. My friends and I rushed to the church basement and waited with scoops (冰淇淋勺) in hand for the guests to arrive. One by one, people filed in, all hoping to get a creamy and tasty scoop of ice cream. But what they ended up getting was a hard and frozen mass. We waited for a while for the ice cream to melt, and eventually it did.

Once the ice cream melted, we had another problem. It had turned into three pools of coconut, chocolate, and strawberry. But we persisted in serving it. We had our chance to serve, except for Scott. So, being as kind as possible, I gave Scott a chance to scoop and serve. As soon as Scott gripped the scoop, our ice cream troubles grew beyond control. Milky ice cream was flung in every direction and made a mess on people, but there was no sign for him to come to a stop on account of his terrible control of trembling hands. At that moment, a stir of unrest and dissatisfaction rippled through the crowd.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Abruptly, a woman stormed forward and grabbed the scoop.   

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tears blurred his eyes as Scott got hold of the scoop again.   

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . I’m a mom of two teenagers, and I often visit Disney theme parks alone to recharge.

These trips give me a break from my daily ______ and some much needed alone time. If you’re ______ what a mom at Disney should do all on her own, here is what I did during a recent stay at the Four Seasons Resort on Disney World.

When I checked in online before my visit, the hotel ______ me to choose the type of bedding I preferred. Since I didn’t have to think about anyone else’s ______ I chose a pillow mattress topper and microfiber pillows, sleeping like a baby, right in the center of the bed, ______ by pillows, for the night. My hotel ______ several works from the Disney fine artist DomCorona, so I spent time walking through it and seeing his art, which normally my kids would have found ______. I waited in line to meet my favorite Disney character and took a moment to ______ for a photo with Donald Duck. However, my children would never want to stand in ______ long lines for this experience. My hotel room had a(n) ______ oversized bathtub, so I was soaked (浸泡) in a bubble bath with a glass of wine. Since no one else was around to control the ______ , I could watch a movie I’d been wanting to see for a long time. Finally, I watched fireworks in my pajamas.

______ began to slip in while lying lazily by the hotel’s pool? The answer is NO! Your kids won’t have such burden either and they may ______ it when you have a break from them. Moms are no ______ to the idea that self care is important. You’re one of your child’s most important models and taking time to ______ yourself and have fun shows your kids that adulthood isn’t all work and no play.

1.

A．challenges

B．anxieties

C．fantasies

D．responsibilities

2.

A．seeking

B．wondering

C．discussing

D．researching

3.

A．allowed

B．commanded

C．encouraged

D．persuaded

4.

A．preferences

B．suggestions

C．requirements

D．attitudes

5.

A．impressed

B．covered

C．surrounded

D．occupied

6.

A．purchased

B．accumulated

C．featured

D．possessed

7.

A．thrilling

B．amazing

C．interesting

D．boring

8.

A．pose

B．ask

C．sign

D．bid

9.

A．always

B．frequently

C．occasionally

D．seldom

10.

A．shocking

B．comforting

C．admiring

D．inviting

11.

A．schedule

B．programme

C．expense

D．remote

12.

A．Doubt

B．Satisfaction

C．Guilt

D．Emptiness

13.

A．hate

B．like

C．feel

D．respect

14.

A．strangers

B．acquaintances

C．participants

D．determiners

15.

A．adapt

B．recharge

C．supply

D．improve

8 . We find the owl at the very edge of our woods the morning after the storm. Wings flight-frozen and round eyes glassy. I touch its feathers lightly with my fingertip and I’m surprised because they still feel real even though the owl has slipped away somewhere else and Dad is already digging a hole for it in the rain-soaked earth.

I lift its body and it’s huge in my hands but the hollow bones do most of the work for me and I almost think the owl might shake the stiffness from its feathers and fly away. I really don’t think this one should go into a hole in the ground. I say that to Dad and he says that it’s the circle of life and that now the owl will become part of nature again. Feeding the soil with its flesh and growing the roots of plants from its feathers.

Dad shifts the last of the dirt with his spade and sits down at the base of a tree with a huff of air that smokes around him. I put the bird in the hole and mark it with a smooth pebble so I’ll always know.

After we’ve buried the owl, we walk all around the woods and clear the worst of the damage from the winds and the rain. The damage isn’t as bad as it’s been before and it feels like the storm has cleaned everything back to being new and fresh. I use my hawk eyes and search the ground in flicks and sweeps and I find treasures in the rain-raked earth just like always. Pieces of pottery and something that could be a Roman coin. I slip them into my pocket and they bump against each other to tell their stories to me, but I’ll listen later.

I help Dad load the best of the fallen branches on to the trailer so we can cut them for fire wood or maybe a bonfire, and then we drive over the muddy paths and back to our house.

1. What do we know about the owl when the author finds it?

A．It is already dead.	B．It is hidden in a hole.
C．It is too stiff to fly away.	D．It is trying to flee the woods.

2. Why does the author mark the hole with a pebble?

A．To facilitate future visits.	B．To show sympathy for the owl.
C．To keep the site clear of plants.	D．To draw the attention of passers-by.

3. What message does the author want to convey by mentioning the owl?

A．Storms make trees take deeper roots.	B．In nature’s embrace, time stands still.
C．The darkest hour has only sixty minutes.	D．With every leaf’s fall, a new life emerges.

4. What does “I’ll listen later” in paragraph 4 reveal about the author?

A．Money-driven.

B．Wonder-seeking.

C．Artistically talented.

D．Emotionally mature.

9 . Rejection doesn’t always hurt. Sometimes rejection may _________ a more certain path to our final goals.

This year football fans have been watching to see how Joe would _________ in the playoffs(季后赛) this season. Joe dreamed to play in the National Football League (NFL), but his journey wasn’t a(n) _________ one. He applied to several colleges, but none _________ him. Later, he got into Ohio State, but he sat on the _________ for three years. Ohio State had a great football program and coaches, who didn’t think Joe had _________. But Joe thought differently. He _________ Nebraska and got rejected once again, but he didn’t quit. Then he applied to Louisiana State University, which accepted him. The rest is history.

Joe became the Heisman Trophy _________ during his senior year, then he was admitted to the NFL, and later, his team participated in the World Championship.

Joe’s story reminds us that there are _________ paths to our final goals and that it __________ strong endurance and determination to reach them. No single __________ is going to prevent you from __________ your long-term goals. Be sure to__________ the pain that comes from disappointment and face it bravely. Try to focus on goals rather than the __________ outcome of being rejected and remember that the hurt of rejection comes from how we __________ it.

1.

A．follow

B．lead

C．create

D．clear

2.

A．study

B．perform

C．train

D．join

3.

A．tough

B．fun

C．attractive

D．easy

4.

A．accepted

B．remembered

C．rejected

D．ignored

5.

A．bench

B．stand

C．team

D．stage

6.

A．chance

B．resource

C．potential

D．enthusiasm

7.

A．signed up for

B．applied to

C．attended to

D．searched for

8.

A．fan

B．adviser

C．learner

D．winner

9.

A．similar

B．smooth

C．multiple

D．flat

10.

A．costs

B．takes

C．makes

D．offers

11.

A．theory

B．training

C．rejection

D．excuse

12.

A．achieving

B．planning

C．announcing

D．explaining

13.

A．affect

B．emphasize

C．estimate

D．acknowledge

14.

A．active

B．negative

C．possible

D．predictable

15.

A．interpret

B．imagine

C．explore

D．escape

10 . Clinton was a great example of the student every teacher loves to have in class. An immigrant from the Philippines at the age of twelve with _______ English skills, he had traveled far to be the only student at school who _______ scholarships from three different school-based groups. All his teachers felt proud when he announced to be a teacher in the future because we knew he would _______ students’ lives

_______ , Clinton never made it to college. Just two days after he graduated from high school, Clinton was diagnosed with stage four colon(结肠) cancer. The doctors held _______ hope that cancer treatments would do more than postpone the eventual_______ . We were heartbroken. Clinton would never _______ college.He would never teach. He would never marry. He would never have children.

We_______ a hand of help and comfort to Clinton and his family. Many an hour was spent by Clinton's side in the hospital; a T-shirt was sold to help raise_______ for Clinton's medical care, and on the front of that T shirt was the following: “Love is a verb ”. For all of us who knew and loved Clinton, we came to ________ that statement and we believed it would make all the ________ in the world.

Clinton passed away on October 16th. We were all deeply ________ by his death. But we also ________ to the fact that the true duty of our school is beyond the factual knowledge and skills we teach to students. It is helping ________ to grow and mature into ________ people.

1.

A．new

B．limited

C．practical

D．special

2.

A．founded

B．gained

C．offered

D．refused

3.

A．risk

B．threaten

C．impact

D．save

4.

A．Unfortunately

B．Particularly

C．Roughly

D．Hopefully

5.

A．some

B．every

C．much

D．little

6.

A．experience

B．career

C．outcome

D．answer

7.

A．attend

B．quit

C．finish

D．like

8.

A．borrowed

B．extended

C．owed

D．waved

9.

A．doubts

B．loans

C．hopes

D．funds

10.

A．comment on

B．act on

C．concentrate on

D．depend on

11.

A．difference

B．fortune

C．mistakes

D．adjustments

12.

A．relieved

B．pleased

C．saddened

D．shocked

13.

A．bowed

B．awoke

C．adjusted

D．objected

14.

A．adults

B．parents

C．teachers

D．youngsters

15.

A．promising

B．noble

C．modest

D．caring