1 . Jane is an Australian girl. She likes sports very much. Last year, she went to climb a _________ mountain. When she began to climb, she wanted to _________ the top quickly. _________ she ran fast all the way. Then she arrived at a ridge (山脊). She was very _________ to the top now, and she could see the other people on the top. She couldn’t wait to _________ them.

Suddenly, she saw that there was a huge stone _________ the way. She wasn’t able to see a road up to the top. “How can I get to the top?” She _________ loudly. So she thought, “I will have to jump over the huge _________.” She tried again and again but she couldn’t _________ it. It’s too high. How all those people get to the top? She said to __________ “Perhaps they are taller and __________ than me.”

Just at that moment, a middle-aged woman __________ behind her. “Would you like to reach the top of the mountain?” She asked. The girl said yes. “You follow me.” the woman said. The girl followed the woman to the far side of the ridge and saw there was a winding (弯曲) road.

Climbing the road was __________ . Soon they got to the top.

At times the fastest way to get where you would like to go is to take many small __________ instead of one big jump. It needs patience, courage and wisdom said the woman. __________, the girl understood what she should do on the way to success.

1.

A．busy

B．big

C．hot

D．high

2.

A．arrive

B．get at

C．reach

D．stay

3.

A．But

B．So

C．Or

D．And

4.

A．behind

B．close

C．besides

D．near

5.

A．join

B．fight

C．attend

D．play

6.

A．to

B．for

C．on

D．in

7.

A．talked

B．spoke

C．told

D．cried

8.

A．stone

B．stick

C．bridge

D．mountain

9.

A．do

B．try

C．make

D．get

10.

A．her

B．she

C．himself

D．herself

11.

A．heavier

B．stronger

C．more skills

D．more stupid

12.

A．got up

B．came up

C．stayed up

D．cut up

13.

A．difficult

B．different

C．easy

D．especial

14.

A．shows

B．steps

C．stones

D．stars

15.

A．At the end of

B．After all

C．At last

D．First of all

2 . Twenty-five years ago, we were on a family vacation, driving to see family in New York State. Mom and Dad, probably looking for ways to keep their two young kids busy, borrowed a sign about fifteen inches long and three inches high. On one side of the sign was painted “Smile” and on the other side “Thanks”. The sign got a lot of use on the trip. One of us would hold up the sign, so a car behind us could read “Smile”. If they did, we turned the sign over and they got the reward of “Thanks”.

The smile lesson is important, but no more so than the other side, the thanks! Playing this driving game was one of the many ways my parents taught me the importance and value of gratitude, most easily expressed with a simple thank you.

The story goes that a farmer took some of his corn to the State Fair and won the blue ribbon, for the best corn. A reporter asked him what he was going to do with the prized ears of grain he was holding. He said that he would share the seed with his neighbors. The reporter was surprised and asked, “Why would you want to do that?” The farmer calmly answered: “Don’t you know? The wind picks up pollen (花粉) from the ripening corn and blows it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily worsen the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So it is with smiling. You are the wind. You can produce smiling faces by spreading your pollen. The cost to you is slight, but the fruits of your pollen will be felt all around.

1. What is the purpose of the author’s family trip 25 years ago?

A．To influence others in a fun way.	B．To play a driving game together.
C．To drive to another city to visit family.	D．To go on a family vacation on the road.

2. Why did the author’s parents make them hold up the sign?

A．To keep them fit.	B．To teach them a lesson.
C．To gain people’s gratitude.	D．To make other drivers laugh.

3. The author tells the story of the farmer to show ________.

A．the importance of passing kindness	B．the necessity to keep good relationship
C．the significance of expressing gratitude	D．the pleasure of sharing with other people

4. What is compared to “the fruits of your pollen” in the last paragraph?

A．The influence of smiles.	B．The work you are doing.
C．The reason for your smiles.	D．The people you smile at.

3 . Most people as they get older start to take life a little slower and enjoy a leisurely pace. But it is not for Kerry, who ________ pole dancing in her 50s, has no ________ of slowing down any time soon. She’s even ________ her life “began at 50”.

The super fit gran ________ an eating disorder from a young age. Now in the best ________ of her life, she looked back on her youth and claimed she was once told she was “too fat to be a dancer”, sparking an eating disorder and being ________ conscious of her weight. After taking up dancing she felt ________ in her new lease of life.

“At the age of 47 I made a list of things I wanted to ________ and I’ve always wanted to do dancing, but I was worried I was too ________. It was so late in life,” said Kerry. ________ planning on doing one class to ________ it off her list, she found a passion and love for the sport and made a living from it, even participating in ________ too. “I feel like fate really put this in my ________, not only to recover my body but to get rid of the ________ that comes with it,” she explained. Now, she’s on a mission to ________ women that their age doesn’t have to hold them back.

1.

A．kept on

B．took up

C．hoped for

D．subscribed to

2.

A．intentions

B．doubts

C．tasks

D．feelings

3.

A．promised

B．predicted

C．checked

D．claimed

4.

A．remembered

B．indicated

C．battled

D．regretted

5.

A．shape

B．hobby

C．emotion

D．aspect

6.

A．occasionally

B．permanently

C．constantly

D．purposely

7.

A．curious

B．competitive

C．confident

D．awkward

8.

A．make

B．try

C．quit

D．win

9.

A．old

B．fat

C．weak

D．sensitive

10.

A．Still

B．Hardly

C．Never

D．Only

11.

A．cross

B．cut

C．see

D．drop

12.

A．races

B．parades

C．parties

D．shows

13.

A．opinion

B．strategy

C．path

D．dream

14.

A．memory

B．danger

C．power

D．negativity

15.

A．contact

B．protect

C．inspire

D．warn

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How were the elephants prevented from escaping?

A．By holding them with chains.

B．By tying a rope to one of their legs.

C．By keeping them in cages.

2. Why did the gentleman talk with a trainer?

A．To remove his confusion.

B．To learn how to train animals.

C．To know about the camp.

3. What does the speaker try to tell people?

A．It’s not right to tie the elephant with a rope.

B．It’s important to learn from successful people.

C．People should believe in themselves in pursuing dreams.

5 . There were eight children in my family, and we never had enough money. Meeting basic needs was a constant ________ for us. I got my first pair of ________ when I attended Senior High because I was awarded a scholarship since I performed well ________ in first grade. That enabled my parents to buy me shoes since we were ________ from the schooling fees (学费).

The first day when I walked in my new shoes, each step felt ________ beneath me. The shoes, simple and strong, protected me from the roughness of the path. To me, they were not just shoes but a symbol of ________ — through hard work and determination, I could ________ my situation.

The day I turned 18, I stood before my parents, my heart heavy with a(n) ________ that would shape my future. I told them I determined to leave home to ________ my dreams, which were bigger than what we had known here and that I wanted to change our ________. In my father’s eyes, I could see a ________ of sadness and understanding. After what seemed to be as long as a century, he nodded yes. My mother too blessed my journey. I stepped into the ________, carrying the dreams of generations with me. No matter how difficult things turned out to be, I never gave up. Years later, I started my own business and succeeded ________.

Although the first shoes are now ________, I keep them in my office as a witness of the long and hard journey from those barefoot days to now. They ________ me that hard work does pay off.

1.

A．struggle

B．promise

C．pleasure

D．comfort

2.

A．trousers

B．gloves

C．glasses

D．shoes

3.

A．physically

B．mentally

C．academically

D．socially

4.

A．protected

B．discouraged

C．freed

D．separated

5.

A．convenient

B．heavy

C．demanding

D．solid

6.

A．dignity

B．hope

C．challenge

D．harmony

7.

A．bear

B．understand

C．stress

D．transform

8.

A．decision

B．prediction

C．imagination

D．comment

9.

A．leave behind

B．go after

C．show off

D．figure out

10.

A．opinion

B．character

C．life

D．tradition

11.

A．balance

B．mix

C．competition

D．variety

12.

A．unknown

B．uneventful

C．unavoidable

D．unchanged

13.

A．with ease

B．at last

C．in return

D．on time

14.

A．perfect

B．valuable

C．gone

D．worn

15.

A．remind

B．guarantee

C．warn

D．cheat

6 . Over 30 years ago, I stood in the front row of a kindergarten performance, singing to all the parents of the elementary school. At the end of the performance, Mrs. Summers, whom I always tried to impress, made a statement that would impact me for nearly a lifetime. She walked up to my mom and stated, “She certainly was the most excited and eager student I had this year, but she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.”

From that day on, I was always insecure about my singing. Singing became an embarrassment for me and I didn’t want anyone to hear me. When I was home alone, I would belt out (大声唱) songs as if I was singing on the stage. Though I felt insecure, it made my heart dance and my soul get free.

When I started attending church regularly, a woman came up to me and asked why I didn’t join the choir. She stated that I had a beautiful singing voice and appeared to greatly enjoy singing. I laughed and said she must have been joking. With a look of surprise, she simply suggested that I should think about it because I would be a nice addition to the choir.

Why did I have such a hard time allowing others to hear me sing? It was because I had believed some words that came out of my teacher’s mouth as a child. Mrs. Summers was probably trying to be humorous, but as a child, her comment truly hurt me. So I made a decision to stop believing the words I held on to for so many years. The following week, I joined the choir, and I began to feel better. Now I sing in the streets, and I sing in the gym. It doesn’t matter if I can carry a tune in a basket; I carry it on my heart.

1. How did Mrs. Summers think of the author’s performance in the kindergarten?

A．She had a great talent for singing.	B．She was too nervous to sing well.
C．Her singing voice was distinctive.	D．Her singing was rather out of tune.

2. How did the author feel when she heard Mrs. Summers’ words?

A．Annoyed.

B．Abandoned.

C．Discouraged.

D．Wronged.

3. What can we learn about the woman the author met in the church?

A．She played a joke on the author.

B．She knew the author’s problem.

C．She wanted to sing like the author.

D．She appreciated the author’s voice.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in the text?

A．Don’t act for others’ judgement.	B．Love whatever you want to do.
C．Learn from your past mistakes.	D．Hard work will finally pay off.

7 . I’m an online columnist. A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about my life, ending up receiving some _________ reviews on a regular basis. I have become _________ used to being criticized like that. In the following days, I was also surprised when more lovely words _________ in. They told me that my running adventures had _________ them to go out to work out. Yet more _________ me for giving tips on the mental health issues they had also experienced. I have been so touched by all these people.

As an online columnist for ages, I have constantly encountered _________ readers. A lady was _________ about my daughter when she was hospitalized and a gentleman offered to _________ me for my training when I was badly off. There was also a couple who sent me a jar of home-made marmalade when they read about my _________, in the hope of cheering me up. As I thought about __________ of these kind people, I wondered why our brains are programmed to focus on the bad things __________ all the lovely ones.

At that moment, I’ve realized we don’t have the luxury of negativity. Our life is too short to be __________ by it. To stop engaging in it, the key is our __________ to be dragged down by it. In that spirit, I’ve __________ that from now on, I’m only going to focus on the positive. I’ll keep a file on my cellphone containing all __________ for me, and look at them when times get tough.

1.

A．conventional

B．innovative

C．negative

D．thorough

2.

A．terribly

B．hardly

C．aimlessly

D．accidentally

3.

A．gave

B．flooded

C．dropped

D．cut

4.

A．permitted

B．required

C．banned

D．pushed

5.

A．appreciated

B．impressed

C．represented

D．criticized

6.

A．long-lasting

B．well-meaning

C．ever-changing

D．self-fulfilling

7.

A．cautious

B．anxious

C．concerned

D．astonished

8.

A．restrict

B．stimulate

C．release

D．sponsor

9.

A．depression

B．confusion

C．satisfaction

D．embarrassment

10.

A．expressions

B．purposes

C．gestures

D．desires

11.

A．at the bottom of

B．at the expense of

C．on account of

D．on behalf of

12.

A．held back

B．brought up

C．taken in

D．turned down

13.

A．acceptance

B．target

C．refusal

D．admission

14.

A．complained

B．resolved

C．explained

D．pretended

15.

A．comprehension

B．submission

C．direction

D．recognition

8 . 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。

I have always been free and easy when it comes to handing out small change on the street, and a couple of months ago I lend 200 to a man I had never met before. Anyway, let me tell you about Brendan.

On my way back to London, I spotted a man with a large backpack and his thumb out to ask for a free lift. I pulled over and lowered the window.

“Which way are you heading?” I asked. “I’m going back to London.”

“Ah, that would be grand,” came his immediate reply. He opened the door and put his backpack on the back seat, “I’m Brendan,” he said with a smile. “I’ve had my thumb out for a day and half. Nobody seems to stop these days.”

As we headed cast along the motorway, Brendan told me about the two recent family tragedies that had pushed him out of his old life and on to the road. He told me that he was 52. He laughed a lot and enjoyed his off-grid (离网) lifestyle until the week before when he’d been mugged (抢劫). And now he just wanted to get some casual work in London, so he could then get himself home to Ireland.

It must have been the notion of home that got me and helping a man who’d clearly had a tough time seemed like the right thing to do. To my surprise I heard myself say: “Well, I’ll lend you 200 to fly home, Brendan.”

“Grand,” he replied excitedly. Then, after a pause, “and please don’t worry. I’ll definitely pay back the money when I get home.” He took my phone number and address, saying he’d call as soon as he could.

Eight weeks past, a call from Brendan made me disappointed.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A month after I got the call, to my surprise, a package was delivered to me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Bill Gates isn’t doing much light reading this summer. For his annual list of reading recommendations for the season, he’s picked four books that you can really sink into on vacation.

Upheaval, Jared Diamond

Diamond examines how people react to the different crises in their lives. Specifically, he looks at how six countries responded to big challenges, and learned how to adapt in the face of adversity. Gates writes. “I finished the book even more optimistic about our ability to solve problems than I started.”

Nine Pints, Rose George

Gates glowingly recommends this deep dive into what you ever wanted to know about the stuff in your veins (静脉). He thinks everyone should know more about this topic. “There is nothing that more people have in common than blood,” he writes.

A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles

It’s 1922 and Alexander Rostov has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life under house arrest in a Moscow hotel. Even though this book is sure to please anyone who is interested in learning more about Russia, Towles goes beyond just politics in his best-seller. “The book is technically fiction,” Gates writes.

Presidents of War, Michael Beschloss

Beschloss studies how presidents dealt with nine different US conflicts from the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War, and makes critical connections about their decisions and power as leaders. “It is hard to read about today’s conflicts without thinking about how they might connect to the past,” Gates writes.

1. Which book would most appeal to those interested in serious politics?

A．Upheaval.	B．Nine Pints.
C．Presidents of War.	D．A Gentleman in Moscow.

2. What is Nine Pints mainly about?

A．Tricks of diving.	B．Illustrations of blood cells.
C．A thorough study of blood.	D．A glimpse of blood function.

3. What is Bill Gates’ reflection after his reading the fourth book?

A．It’s impossible to solve all the problems.	B．It’s critical to make far-sighted decisions.
C．It’s difficult to understand today’s conflicts.	D．It’s necessary to connect the present to the past.

10 . 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。

The dog days of summer in Central Texas are hot and damp. It was a pity that our home didn’t have air conditioning. Momma and I were just trying to get through this August afternoon the best we could. Reading helped take our minds off the heat. Momma was stretched across the sofa, a pillow (枕头) under her head, reading. I sat on the floor, leaning (倚靠) back against the sofa, a curious nine-year-old in shorts sharing a fan’s flow. My book rested on the floor.

I looked at the thin hardcover my mom was reading, Ed Nichols Rode a Horse. There was a cowboy riding his horse on the front cover, but otherwise the book appeared plain and unimpressive. Before I settled, I asked, “Momma, what’s your book about?”

“It’s a story about a man, his horse and the hardships he encountered in Texas. Some of it takes place in Bosque County,” she answered.

With that, my mom returned to her story. I knew Bosque County was near where Momma had grown up. And I also knew it was best if I didn’t ask any more questions. My mom took her reading seriously.

We’d been reading for the better part of an hour-the only sounds were those that came from the fan and an occasional turn of a page — when I heard something unfamiliar. The sniffling (抽鼻子) back of tears.

I turned in her direction and saw something I’d never seen before: my mom crying. Something big — really big must have happened. My mom did not cry.

“Momma, what’s wrong?” I got up on my knees, staring directly into her face. “Are you all right?” “Jennifer, I’m fine.” Momma sat up and wiped (擦) her eyes. “You don’t need to be concerned.”

I wasn’t buying it. This was not normal behavior. “Why were you crying?” I asked in a whisper. She looked at me hard. “The book made me cry,” she replied.

I was trying to figure out how that plain-looking book could make my mostly no-nonsense momma cry when she said the most amazing thing. “The story made me sad when the horse got hurt.”

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。

That’s when I learned the truth that stories affect us.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I read Ed Nichols Rode a Horse from cover to cover with a big plan forming in my mind.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________