1 . 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

2 . For most people, the weekly shopping is just an ordinary task.     1     When I travel abroad, the first thing I do after dropping my bags off is go to the grocery store (杂货店).

The variety of products in different countries fascinates me every time I travel somewhere new.     2     Another surprise in Malta was their selection of ice cream available even in the smallest grocery stores, the best of which was a pack of delicious ice cream sandwiches.

By wandering around a grocery store in another country, I can imagine what the lives of its citizens are like. In Italy, I saw one aisle (过道) filled entirely with different types of pasta. I smiled to myself and thought that Italians really do love their pasta.     3     Because I can see the types of things that Germans might buy on impulse (一时冲动).

    4     But it is important to get involved in the daily lives of a country’s citizens and know more about them through grocery shopping. I can watch kids begging their parents for sweets. Or watch couples pick up snacks and drinks for a party on a Friday night.     5     Indeed, it’s a chance to slow down and imagine what people’s lives are like, and find that they are not so different from our own.

A．In Germany, walking through the middle aisle was a delight.

B．But for me, I find a lot of joy in grocery shopping.

C．Grocery stores are a great place where I can buy all kinds of local food.

D．In Malta, I found the most delicious chocolate-filled bread.

E．Grocery shopping is not just an act of watching people buy food.

F．People might find it a strange habit to go grocery shopping on holiday.

G．People prefer to spend more time on something more fun like visiting museums.

3 . I grew up hiking and climbing mountain s a lot. It was my dad who accompanied me and taught me how to hike and climb mountains. On our first hike, our group ran ahead without us. Dad and I ended up _________ the path toward the top. This was the _________ part of the climb, where we had to climb rocks. I was scared not to have the path to tell us where to go. Mainly, I was afraid that Dad would fall off the mountain when he went _________ to seek for the best way for me to climb up. I was grateful for his _________. He always made me feel like I was safe with him — even when he insisted that we should not _________.

When we were close to the top, we _________ some hikers. One of them crouched (蹲) down on a rock, grasping at branches of a bush. His face was _________ and looked frozen, like a statue. Dad asked what was going on. The man _________ told him that he was frightened of _________. In my 7-year-old mind, I thought, “But, you’re climbing a mountain!” Dad always helped people in trouble. He told the man to __________ him while he led him to a spot below that was __________ by trees, with no view of the valley below. Dad told him to wait there for his group of hikers to come back and __________ him up. Dad taught me sympathy and to help others in need whenever I can.

When we finally reached the top and __________ our group, we sat on the highest point, looking at the breathtaking scenery. I was so __________ we hadn’t stopped halfway. Dad taught me, “Don’t give up, especially when you’re almost there.” This has been a valuable __________ that has got me through some big challenges in my life.

1.

A．losing

B．discovering

C．approaching

D．conquering

2.

A．easiest

B．smoothest

C．toughest

D．narrowest

3.

A．down

B．up

C．ahead

D．out

4.

A．safety

B．wisdom

C．strength

D．bravery

5.

A．speed up

B．go on

C．turn back

D．look down

6.

A．came across

B．made out

C．got through

D．got across

7.

A．red

B．pale

C．rough

D．dirty

8.

A．aimlessly

B．fearlessly

C．tirelessly

D．breathlessly

9.

A．heights

B．mountains

C．difficulties

D．accidents

10.

A．look up to

B．hold onto

C．listen to

D．respond to

11.

A．replaced

B．separated

C．surrounded

D．covered

12.

A．cheer

B．look

C．put

D．pick

13.

A．rejoined

B．reintroduced

C．revisited

D．rearranged

14.

A．regretful

B．relieved

C．upset

D．inspired

15.

A．time

B．message

C．decision

D．lesson

4 . Once there was a girl named Rose. Rose always felt _________ because she lived in a colorless village where life was black and white. She _________ for adventure, but her life was as plain (简单的) as a brown paper bag.

One day while walking down the street, she saw Eric, a former classmate, in a red car, and he _________ her eye. He looked very _________. He stopped and said, “Come in. Let’s enjoy ourselves!”

Rose was a little _________, but Eric’s infectious spirit and the sight of the car’s shiny red appearance _________ her. They drove off into the sunset and found themselves in a city that was lively and full of _________. The buildings were painted with all the colors of the rainbow.

After Eric drove Rose home, she suddenly realized that she _________ to stop running after rainbows and add some color to her _________ life. She decided to live her life in full color.

The next day, Rose took a walk in the village. She ____________ that the trees were green, and the flowers bloomed (开花) in different colors. She realized that her village was not as boring as she had ____________.

Rose noticed a shop that sold paint, so she bought some and painted her house with the brightest color she could find, She was ____________ the result. Her neighbors were amazed at the ____________ and decided to paint their houses bright colors, too. Rose realized that ____________ things in a different light had made all the ____________.

1.

A．safe

B．free

C．blue

D．afraid

2.

A．longed

B．prepared

C．waited

D．went

3.

A．covered

B．shut

C．hurt

D．caught

4.

A．bored

B．happy

C．tired

D．cute

5.

A．unsure

B．ready

C．sorry

D．thankful

6.

A．frightened

B．excited

C．saved

D．stopped

7.

A．problems

B．strangers

C．love

D．color

8.

A．refused

B．needed

C．failed

D．managed

9.

A．busy

B．private

C．healthy

D．uninspiring

10.

A．doubted

B．noticed

C．guessed

D．believed

11.

A．suggested

B．dreamt

C．thought

D．described

12.

A．satisfied with

B．nervous of

C．curious about

D．interested in

13.

A．influence

B．challenge

C．choice

D．change

14.

A．looking at

B．searching for

C．checking on

D．asking for

15.

A．mistakes

B．decisions

C．difference

D．pain

5 . 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.

6 . 阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写, 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Brrrring! The bell rang as I tapped out a quick beat on my desk. I’ve figured it out, finally! I couldn’t wait to play it for my neighbor Mia.

Mia and I had been working for weeks on a song for Saturday’s band competition but we had been stuck on the ending.

I waved when I saw a familiar face jogging toward me down the hall.

“Hey, Will!” Liam grinned. “Ready for some training after school? I’ve been working on my jumper.” He turned around and shot an imaginary ball into the air.

Uh-oh. I’d forgotten all about basketball. I didn’t want to fail Liam, but I was dying to try out the new ending. Maybe if I had a reason to skip…

“Hey, Liam. I don’t feel so great.” I gave a small cough for effect. “Another time?”

“Sure, no problem. Feel better soon, OK?” Then Liam left immediately.

Lying was easier than I imagined. I could finish the song and Liam’s feelings weren’t hurt.

After playing the ending, I looked at Mia hopefully, “What do you think?”

“Perfect!” She exclaimed in delight.

”That sounded great, guys.“ Liam stood on my basement steps with his eyebrows raised.

Oh, no. Busted. ”Thanks, “ I said, trying to think quickly. ”It was strange. I came home and suddenly felt fine. I would have met you at the court, but it was too late. And then Mia stopped by, and—“

”But, in fact, you called me,“ Mia said, shaking her head.

”I had intended to call to ask a homework question, and then…” My voice trailed off(逐渐减弱). I coughed, but it sounded fake. “I can’t remember how it went exactly, but I’m feeling better now.”

"Well, that’s good, I guess.” Liam forced a smile.

Before I could think of something to say, Liam tossed(扔)a case of a movie intended to comfort me onto the couch, Captain Crush, Part 2, the sequel to our favorite movie in which an evil villain’s little lie turned into a big mess, and left with eyes filled with disappointment, followed by Mia.

注意:
1. 续写词数应为75左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。(注: 第一段的续写已给出, 请根据第二段首句续写成完整的短文)

Para.1: After Liam and Mia left, I grabbed the movie and popped it in. I needed a distraction from how awful I felt. When watching the movie, I couldn’t help but thinking what if I lost two friends because of my lie. In my mind, two voices battled. The angel urged me to be frank and apologize to him while the devil argued that it was a white lie/a good excuse to spare his feelings. The two voices tortured me so much that I couldn’t bury myself in the movie. What’s worse, the hesitation left me tossing and turning restlessly for a whole night.

Para. 2: The next morning, I met Liam at the bus stop.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan tried to find the core of living well. Their research in self-determination theory conducted over the course of four decades with a network of 500 participants in 39 countries, has found that the experience of happiness is affected by the satisfaction of basic psychological needs to feel competent, self-determining, and positively related to other people in the activities of one’s life. These are universal needs, observed across all stages of life and in every culture in which studies have been conducted, and they help explain the truth in the ancient ideal of happiness, or human flourishing (繁荣).

According to this ideal, living well involves fulfilling one’s human potential in ways that are admirable, sustainable (可持续的), and personally satisfying. Ryan and Deci identifies three broad forms of potential: social, intellectual, and productive/creative. In other words, the forms are psychologically linked to the satisfaction of human beings’ universal basic needs for positive relatedness, self-determination, and competence. Fulfilling all three forms of potential is the key to happiness, and shaping our lives and institutions accordingly would be much more matched with sustainability than pursuing wealth without limit.

A related finding, which is very important for the pursuit of sustainability, is that escape from poverty is important to happiness but the pursuit of wealth, status (地位), and image as life goals is less beneficial to happiness than the pursuit of life goals that directly fulfill our basic forms of potential and satisfy our related psychological needs. Societies that have promoted the accumulation of wealth without limit have not raised their general level of happiness by doing so. It should be evident to any observer of life in the U.S. that as wealth and inequality have grown, most Americans have become more painfully focused on occupational insecurity and on status competition that has simply become more expensive and less sustainable.

As a consequence, we could be happier both now and in the future if we could overcome the blind faith in wealth accumulation that shaped the socially, politically and environmentally unstable world with which we must now deal.

1. What did Deci and Ryan find in their research?

A．Happiness is only determined by oneself.

B．500 people feel competent in their lives.

C．People should spend 4 decades to meet the basic needs.

D．Every culture has the similar understanding of happiness.

2. How can we live well according to the research?

A．By achieving our potential.	B．By shaping our lives and institutions.
C．By pursuing wealth without any limit.	D．By identifying three forms of potential.

3. Why did the author mention America in the third paragraph?

A．To show the importance of wealth.

B．To present the necessity of escape from poverty.

C．To introduce the new finding of the pursuit of life goals.

D．To prove the wrong concept between money and happiness.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the world nowadays?

A．Confident.

B．Supportive.

C．Disappointed.

D．Unconcerned.

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 . My four-year-old son, Will, suffered from autism spectrum disorder (自闭症). And he went through many hours in _________ , helping him to overcome many challenges he faced.

One summer afternoon, with a bucket (桶), Will and I were walking along the _________ to search for shells. After a while, I _________ the bucket and discovered nearly all the shells were broken in it. “Will, these shells are broken and _________. You need to find shells like this.” I said gently as I held up a _________ shaped shell. Will gave me a(n) _________ look, as if he failed to understand me. He continued to   _________ imperfect shells he liked and drop them into the bucket.

“Will, why do you keep on _________ our bucket with broken shells?” This time I asked in a serious voice. He looked up at me and said, “Mom, though these shells are broken, they are still beautiful.” Then he _________ his little hand into the bucket and pulled out different shells, commenting on their __________.

“Mom, this one looks like a smile when you hold it this way. ” He showed a broken shell and explained. “It __________ me of a clown. That one is round like the sun, and these are stuck together like butterflies.” He took great pride in his __________.

My eyes were full of tears as I __________ my son was teaching me a valuable lesson. Silently, I __________ the few perfect shells I had collected and returned them to the beach. We are all broken in some way, but we can find __________ in our imperfection.

1.

A．experiments

B．foods

C．exercises

D．treatments

2.

A．river

B．lake

C．beach

D．stream

3.

A．threw away

B．looked into

C．left behind

D．turned over

4.

A．unpleasant

B．unusual

C．colorless

D．useless

5.

A．sharply

B．clearly

C．perfectly

D．commonly

6.

A．puzzled

B．delighted

C．discouraged

D．embarrassed

7.

A．gather

B．reject

C．count

D．spread

8.

A．covering

B．decorating

C．preparing

D．filling

9.

A．pushed

B．reached

C．buried

D．moved

10.

A．uniquenesses

B．styles

C．symbols

D．qualities

11.

A．informs

B．persuades

C．reminds

D．warns

12.

A．observation

B．performance

C．adventure

D．expression

13.

A．agreed

B．realized

C．pretended

D．decided

14.

A．relieved

B．removed

C．examined

D．saved

15.

A．wisdom

B．power

C．wealth

D．beauty