1 . 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。

Success means different things for different people. Some may equate it with fame, some with wealth and still some with accomplishments. For me, it means     1     (realize ) one’s dreams. Whatever your dreams are, you have a goal there and then devote     2     (you) to it. Dreams bring you hope and happiness. In the process of struggling for it, you cry, sweat, complain or even curse, but the joy of harvesting     3     (make) you forget all the pains and troubles you have gone through. So an old proverb says that the    4     (sweet) fruit is one that has undergone the bitterest experience.

There are several keys     5     success. First of all, your goal must be    6     (practice). It is well known that if you set your goal    7     (extreme) high, you will not attain it. Next, you have to make     8     detailed plan of doing it. You can take some    9     (step) to realize it. Since the process is quite tough, you need to be diligent, patient and persevering. Faced with some difficulties or frustrations,     10     you may meet with in the process, don’t lose heart. You should repeat over and over that there is nothing you can’t overcome. With this will and determination, success is sure to wait for you at the end of the tunnel!

2 . While I was in hospital, a friend recommended a popular online series of daily meditations, a “can’t afford to miss” in his mind. Mostly, the morning ones were impossible to do as the hospital routine starts at half past five, so I mostly listened the evening ones, which were very helpful. Once, however, I managed the morning one, which talked about the importance of doing something or creating something which will survive us.

The works of great poets and writers come to mind, but how many of us will write the next David Copperfield, or Ode to Autumn? Sporting triumphs also occur: the breaking of the four minute mile for instance. But again, how many of us are great athletes? So what can we do?

Shakespeare writes, “The evil men do lives after them; the good is oft interred (often buried) with their bones.” For once, however, I think Shakespeare is wrong. I think the good we do can live after we have gone. Sir Terry Pratchett writes, “A man is not truly dead while his name is still spoken,” and I think that is more true. Perhaps we cannot expect our name to be remembered for hundreds or thousands of years, but to be remembered with kindness and even thankfulness after we’ve gone is surely something to strive for.

I had two grannies when I was growing up. One was my mother’s mother; the other was our cousin’s grandmother on their father’s side. Our own grandmother died young, so this lovely lady adopted us as her honorary grandchildren.

Granny was the most lovely and loving lady you could imagine. There were always cakes in the tin and a warm welcome whenever we visited, there were small presents at Christmas and on our birthdays, and we loved her dearly. It was only when I attended her funeral that I realized how far her love extended: the church was packed, and tale after tale was told of her kindness. Her name was — and possibly still is — spoken long after her death.

I wish I could say the same of my other grandmother, but I can’t. My mother talks about her, but I don’t; there is no point in talking about unkindness.

When I announced my retirement, a couple of months ago, I was stunned to receive so many emails and letters of thanks. My patients really appreciate all that I have done for them. That will last after I’m gone and spread down through generations.

1. Which of the following statements will the author probably agree with about the online meditation?

A．The evening meditation are more important than the morning ones.

B．The online meditation receive more attention in the evening.

C．The morning meditation are difficult to use in daily life.

D．The online meditation are worthy of the name.

2. The author quoted Sir Terry Pratchett’s words in order to __________.

A．support Shakespeare’s statement on the afterlife

B．argue that greatness is the only way to be remembered

C．emphasize the importance of kindness to ordinary people

D．criticize the idea that only evil deeds are remembered

3. Which of the following statements it TRUE according to the passage?

A．The author’s granny on mother’s side was a kind person.

B．Shakespeare believed the goodness fades far sooner than the evil.

C．A man’s contribution is highly dependent on their achievements.

D．People were happy to know the retirement of the author.

4. We can most probably find this passage in a __________.

A．magazine featuring famous athletes

B．blog post by a doctor who recently retired

C．book about the importance of creating a legend

D．medical journal discussing the benefits of meditation

3 . Whenever we make a choice, whether it’s as big as getting married or as small as an argument with a friend, we are driven by our values. Values tend to be single-word concepts like freedom, equality, selflessness, honesty.     1     They’re a kind of moral GPS we can use to navigate through life. If you know your values, you have directions that point you toward the people and actions and habits that are best for you.

One way to recognize the values by which you live is look at how you spend your money.     2     Do you really spend your money wisely? we often have a strange perspective on what’s “worth it”, which doesn’t quite make sense if you reflect on it later.

Pay attention to who you talk to, what you watch, and what you do with your time.     3     If you’re just going from one day to the next without questioning your values, you’ll be swayed by what everyone else — from your family to marketing professionals — wants you to think. A thought comes into my mind and I ask myself: Does this fit my chosen values or those that others have selected for me?

    4     If you’re an overworked parent who wants to make your kids your priority, make friends with other parents who hold the same idea, so you can exchange support and advice.

Values make it easier for you to surround yourself with the right people, make tough career choices, use your time more wisely, and focus your attention where it really matters to you.     5    

A．All of these push values and beliefs.

B．Is your precious time wasted or well spent?

C．Your bills actually reflect what matters most to you.

D．That might sound rather abstract, but these values are really practical.

E．Who you surround yourself with helps you stick to your values and achieve your goals.

F．Without them we are swept away by outside voice instead of following our inner voice.

G．When we drive through a new area, we wander aimlessly if we don’t know the directions.

4 . A boy lived with his family on a farm. They had a beautiful dog. To prepare for the duck hunting season (猎鸭季节), the boy and the dog kept ________ every day.

Duck hunting season finally __________. At the pond, only a few minutes passed before the two heard ducks flying overhead. The boy ________ three times, killing a duck, which landed in the center of the pond. The dog, at a signal. ________ toward the pond. However. ________ swimming in the water, it walked on the _________. The boy was ________ His dog could walk on water!

He knew seeing is believing, so he returned and led a neighbor to the _________. Shots fired and a duck killed, the boy   ________ to his dog again to get the duck. Magically, the dog walked on the water again.

The boy was bursting with ________ when asking his neighbor. “Did you see that?” The neighbor replied, “Yes, your dog can’t ________ swim.” The boy sat in disbelief as his neighbor pointed out a weakness of the dog rather than ________ he had witnessed a wonder.

People often downplays (轻视)others’ achievements which they’re ________ to achieve themselves. Don’t let this bring you down. Just move on and improve yourself. Moreover, do give ________ when people accomplish something worthy of it. Pointing out other people’s shortcomings doesn’t make you _________.

1.

A．swimming

B．training

C．playing

D．wandering

2.

A．took off

B．ran out

C．came around

D．died down

3.

A．cast

B．struck

C．shot

D．aimed

4.

A．charged

B．jumped

C．rolled

D．fell

5.

A．more than

B．instead of

C．apart from

D．due to

6.

A．ice

B．surface

C．stones

D．bank

7.

A．relaxed

B．satisfied

C．inspired

D．astonished

8.

A．pond

B．bird

C．dog

D．duck

9.

A．waved

B．signaled

C．screamed

D．responded

10.

A．anger

B．curiosity

C．pride

D．confidence

11.

A．even

B．ever

C．always

D．quite

12.

A．question

B．understand

C．find

D．recognize

13.

A．likely

B．eager

C．unable

D．content

14.

A．advice

B．aid

C．permission

D．credit

15.

A．better

B．worse

C．selfish

D．generous

5 . Sometimes life puts us in places where we are supposed to be. Whether we were headed that way or not, we just need to make the best of it. Here let’s read three stories.

In 2016, Wanda Dench sent a text to her college-aged grandson inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. But she got the number wrong and reached Jamal Hinton. When Hinton asked who had sent the message, Wanda sent a picture of herself. “You’re not my grandma,” Jamal texted back, “Can I still get a plate, though?” Wanda replied. “Of course, That’s what grandmas do — feed everyone!” And for six years, Jamal has celebrated Thanksgiving with the Dench family.

In another community, Robert’s wife asked him to drop some books off at a local elementary school after a book drive. When he carried the books to the classroom on his lunch hour, the teacher mistook him for one of the volunteer tutors. “Thank you for coming,” the teacher said, “Isabella is struggling with comprehension and is a grade level behind. Here is a book and her worksheets.” Robert thought, “I have time. I’ll just sit down and help.” Robert, an artist, drew the pictures of words and illustrated their meanings. Isabella was delighted. “I think that’s when the light went on for her,” Robert says, For a full year, Robert tutored Isabella during his lunch hours. Her reading comprehension quickly caught up and then shot past grade level. “Seeing her learn so fast made my day,” Robert says.

Twenty years ago, Gladys Hankerson in Florida dialed up her sister in Maryland for a chat. But she misdialed the area code and reached Mike Moffit in Rhode Island, Mike said Gladys was a bit shy but very sweet. Gladys loves her sister and tried to call again a few days later — and made the same mistake on the area code. Mike answered again and recognized Gladys’ voice. They had a nice chat and laughed about it. Since then their friendship has deepened — and it has carried on for 20 years.

1. What did Jamal Hinton do with Wanda’s invitation?

A．He accepted it willingly.	B．He refused it politely.
C．He played a joke on it.	D．He sent a gift for it.

2. What is special about Robert in tutoring Isabella?

A．He taught her to draw pictures.

B．He tutored her while eating lunch.

C．He explained words in an artistic way.

D．He used books with pictures.

3. What did Mike say about Gladys?

A．She was carcless.	B．She was attractive.
C．She was anxious.	D．She was curious.

4. What message does the author convey in the text?

A．Head for where we should go.

B．Learn much from mistakes in life.

C．Meet whoever thinks alike.

D．Make the best of life’s arrangements.

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。

Ritch Addison was ashy kid. In elementary school, he didn’t speak up for himself, and he    1    (worry) a lot. But once he went to high school, he made up his mind    2    (develop) a sense of humor to make more friends. His new approach worked and he started to become known for his jokes—like the time he made fun     3    a classmate’s poor score on a math test.

“It turned out that I had gotten a hundred on the test and he didn’t do so well,” Addison recalled. “And I joked heartlessly about it.”

Then one day, his good friend, Holly, pulled him aside and said, “Ritch, sometimes you really hurt     4    (people) feeling.”

Addison    5    (shock). He had always seen himself as the one who made his friends laugh. He couldn’t imagine that he might be hurting them.

“But I kept thinking about what Holly said. Finally, I realized that she was     6    (absolute) right. I started paying attention to     7    other people was reacting to my humor,” he said.

It couldn’t happen overnight,    8    . “Over the years, I worked on    9    (be) more compassionate(同理心的) toward the people around me since I wanted to have    10    different kind of relationship with them,” he said.

7 . Joy is an emotion experienced by many but understood by few. It often refers to a broad sense of being satisfied with life that appears after experiencing a sense of awe or wonder. It also relates to accomplishing something we’ve wanted for a long time. It’s usually mistaken for happiness, but joy is experienced naturally, while happiness is often pursued.

Joy triggers (引发) a series of physical and psychological changes that can improve our health. When joyous, our breathing becomes faster, our heartbeat increases, and our chest and entire body feel warmer. These changes make our body prepared for movement and also make us feel more mentally prepared to take on life’s challenges. These changes in body and mind are also associated with improved mood.

Interestingly, joy is both a state and a trait (特质). This means that while some of us only experience it as a result of a joyful situation, others have a capacity for it, that is to say, they’re able to experience joy regardless of whether they’ve encountered something joyful. Some research suggests that this capacity is genetic, with estimates that about 30% of people have this “gift for joy”. This means they’re hardly influenced by their external environment and may find it easier to experience joy.

But just because some people may find it easier to experience joy, that doesn’t mean we can do nothing to help boost our experience of it. Sharing and preparing food with others can help us experience more joy, as it can enhance what’s known as psychological flourishing — the highest level of wellbeing. Researchers also find that doing exercise in company with other people or accomplishing an exercise-related goal we never thought we were capable of can lead to joy. Another simple way to boost feelings of joy is by writing down how you feel. In one experiment, participants who spent 20 minutes a day writing about positive experiences for three months reported better moods compared with participants who wrote about different topics.

However, while joy is wonderful to experience, it isn’t the only emotion we’ll feel in our life. It’s important to embrace all the emotions we experience — be that sadness, anger, happiness or joy.

1. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Joy.

B．Sense.

C．Awe.

D．Wonder.

2. The changes triggered by joy can ________.

A．make our breath faster	B．increase our heartbeat
C．prepare our body for movement	D．make us feel challenged

3. Why is joy a trait?

A．Because it’s a result of a joyful situation.

B．Because it’s an experience of few people.

C．Because it’s a general capacity.

D．Because it’s a genetic talent.

4. Which of the following statements does the author agree with?

A．Food is an important source of joy.

B．It’s joyful to exercise with other people.

C．Being a writer makes you have better moods.

D．Joy should be valued more than other emotions.

8 . 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.

9 . What is your calling? What is your purpose in life? What did you come to this world to do? Every day we read about how we should find our purpose and pursue it throughout our lives in order to find meaning and contentment. There are even scientific studies that show people who view their work as a calling rather than just a career or a job have a higher life and work satisfaction. So, what exactly is this calling?

I’ve personally struggled with this concept for many years. I knew that happiness not only came from a present state of joy, but also from the pursuit of an objective that gave me something to pursue. That is, until I found myself feeling empty despite my achievement of those goals.

And as I reflected on these feelings of emptiness and boredom that had arisen despite my successes, I realized something. Meaning and satisfaction come from a personal devotion to what we do and the intrinsic (固有的) fulfillment we get from it. It has nothing to do with financial gain, social advancement or any other type of external reward or motivation. It is about doing something that we love. It is about focusing our efforts and spending our time on passions that light the spark inside of us and allow us to share with the world the unique gifts we possess.

I had never before stopped to think about what I found intrinsically rewarding or fulfilling. Financial gain and external recognition were pretty much the only drivers I knew. More so, I thought this calling meant having one passion we were born with to pursue relentlessly (不懈地).

So, I spent some years trying to find this long-lost purpose of mine. I discovered during that time passions I had no idea I even had. Yet, I wasn’t sure how to make them into my life purpose. I searched for an answer but couldn’t find it. It wasn’t until I came to understand the truths about our purpose in life that I was able to find my place in this world.

Our purpose can consist of various things that make us feel alive. As we grow and evolve throughout the different stages in our lives, we may discover new passions and desires that change our sense of purpose and calling.

We all have a longing for lives that give meaning to our existence. The difference lies in how we go about accomplishing this. We must each find our own “shine” and then shine on.

1. According to the passage, the calling refers to________.

A．one’s view about careers

B．a task one has to carry out

C．a life-long career one chooses

D．a strong desire or sense of duty to do a job

2. Which of the following belongs to the author’s previous drivers for finding fulfillment?

A．Financial gain and external recognition.

B．Pursuing passions relentlessly.

C．Discovering new passions.

D．Finding purpose in life.

3. What is the real purpose in life according to the author?

A．Trying to do everything that you can.

B．Trying to achieve your ambitious goals.

C．Doing meaningful things with your passion.

D．Doing something that can be successful easily.

4. According to the 5th paragraph, we know that________.

A．the author spent some years making changes

B．the author used to think he had no passion at all

C．the author didn’t know how to search for the life purpose

D．the author has known his passions since he started to work

5. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．It’s wise to give up discovering our one true passion.

B．It’s useless to pursue financial gain and external recognition.

C．It’s necessary to find our own calling and pursue it with vigor.

D．It’s important to share our passion with the world without stopping.

10 . Ben was bothered every time he went through the kitchen. It was that little metal contain on the shelf above his wife Martha’s cook stove, which he had been repeatedly _________ never to touch. The reason, she said, was that it contained a “secret _________” from her late mother, and since she had no way of ever _________ the container, she was _________ that if Ben picked it up and looked inside, he might accidentally drop it and spill its _________ contents.

Ben never saw Martha cook a dish without taking the container of the shelf and sprinkling (洒) _________ a little of the contents over the ingredients. Whatever was in that container, it surely _________ Anyone who ever ate at their house felt Martha was the best _________ in the world. Looking into that container became increasingly _________ for Ben, but he never allowed himself to do so.

Then one day Martha became ill and was kept overnight in the hospital. Feeling lonely and bored in the house after returning home, Ben __________ the kitchen, and then the container on the shelf immediately came into view. It __________ his eyes like a magnet, and he quickly looked away, yet his curiosity brought him back again. He carefully took the container off the shelf, and opened it. Ben became __________ when what was inside came to I his sight. The container was empty, except for a little folded slip of paper at the bottom. He carefully picked it up and slowly __________ it under the kitchen light. Ben immediately __________ the handwriting as that of Martha’s mother. Very __________ it said: “Martha to everything you make, add a dash of love.”

1.

A．forbidden

B．told

C．inspired

D．threatened

2.

A．recipe

B．menu

C．herb

D．tobacco

3.

A．refilling

B．restoring

C．emptying

D．decorating

4.

A．pleased

B．concerned

C．puzzled

D．relieved

5.

A．valuable

B．previous

C．tasteless

D．messy

6.

A．yet

B．even

C．still

D．just

7.

A．failed

B．hurt

C．worked

D．changed

8.

A．wife

B．host

C．housekeeper

D．cook

9.

A．delightful

B．comforting

C．annoying

D．irresistible

10.

A．broke into

B．wandered into

C．ran out of

D．went back to

11.

A．opened

B．wetted

C．blinded

D．drew

12.

A．satisfied

B．calm

C．astonished

D．angry

13.

A．wrapped

B．unfolded

C．tore

D．wrinkled

14.

A．recognized

B．mentioned

C．treated

D．received

15.

A．stupidly

B．simply

C．cautiously

D．safely