1 . Before retiring, my father was a successful corporate executive. Growing up, I got used to learning that he had received________, from vice president to executive vice president to senior executive vice president, and so on. I was always impressed by my father’s________and viewed him as a wonderful role model.

Therefore, I couldn't have been more________when my father got annoyed with me after I showed him one of my new business cards,________“Tina L. Seelig, President. ”I had started my own business and________my own business cards, My father looked at the cards and said, “You can't just call yourself president.” In his experience, I had to wait for someone else to promote me to a leadership role and the thought of my________myself with that title________ him.

I have________his mentality（心态） time and time again. Twenty years ago when I told a friend I was going to write a book, she asked, “What makes you think you can write a book?” She couldn’t________taking on such a project without the________of someone in a position of greater authority. I, on the other hand, felt confident I could do it. The task was certainly________,but why not try? I put together a detailed proposal, wrote some sample chapters, shopped it around, and________a contract.

Over time, I've became increasingly________that people are divided into two categories. Some look inside themselves for________and others wait to be pushed forward by outside forces. From my experience, there’s a lot to be said for________opportunities instead of waiting for someone to hand them to you.

1.

A．increases

B．promotions

C．changes

D．shifts

2.

A．strengths

B．accomplishments

C．perseverance

D．patience

3.

A．amused

B．ashamed

C．surprised

D．concerned

4.

A．reading

B．writing

C．indicating

D．illustrating

5.

A．sold

B．delivered

C．printed

D．spread

6.

A．appointing

B．assigning

C．polishing

D．shaping

7.

A．puzzled

B．amazed

C．relieved

D．upset

8.

A．weighed up

B．backed down

C．banked on

D．come across

9.

A．tolerate

B．acknowledge

C．imagine

D．confirm

10.

A．vision

B．reputation

C．approval

D．passion

11.

A．ambitious

B．meaningful

C．valuable

D．absurd

12.

A．refused

B．appreciated

C．took

D．landed

13.

A．aware

B．afraid

C．grateful

D．accustomed

14.

A．stability

B．motivation

C．satisfaction

D．growth

15.

A．missing

B．witnessing

C．pursuing

D．seizing

2 . At 13, I resolved to be an amazing teacher, overwhelmingly driven by a _________ desire for superpowers, which some of my gorgeous teachers had.

In fifth grade, Ms. Charlotte, an English teacher could magically _________ us to different worlds every day. She encouraged us to find something beautiful on our way home or to school. Perhaps, it could be a _________ of freshly baked bread drifting from someone’s house, or the sound of breezes slightly rustling leaves. She _________ curiosity into us. She guided us to bravely _________ joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, modesty, loyalty, duty, kindness, friendship, sympathy, generosity, creativity, truth and faith.

She told us stories from books we would otherwise never _________. Currently, I still remember highlights of the classic she shared, The Old Man and the Sea. After Santiago, an old fisherman came in empty-handed for eighty-four days, we couldn’t imagine what difficulty he had _________ a huge marlin. At the sight of the beautiful huge _________, he was unable to _________ his excitement, with a bright smile __________ to his face. Yet, a __________ battle lay ahead. He felt faint but held on the great fish with all his strength. “I moved him,” he thought, “Pull, hands. Hold up, legs. Last for me, head. You never went.” For two days and nights __________, the huge fish dragged the boat drifting. The elderly was in danger. Once, twice more, once more he tried and he felt himself extremely __________ when he turned the fish. Finally, the fish was stabbed (刺，戳) and tied to the boat.

What a man! So Ms. Charlotte inspired us to fight for our own pride and defend it, __________ the fact that life will set obstacles on the way to future with challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which will take all of our courage. It is true that a man can be destroyed physically but cannot be defeated spiritually.

Now, dear teachers, we love you and thank you from the bottom of our heart! I will keep the __________ song you’ve taught us in mind.

When your dreams come alive you’re unstoppable

Take a shot, chase the sun, find the beautiful

We will glow in the dark turning dust to gold

1.

A．depressing

B．burning

C．living

D．entertaining

2.

A．transport

B．interpret

C．deliver

D．transform

3.

A．feature

B．factor

C．function

D．flavour

4.

A．attached

B．advocated

C．breathed

D．exposed

5.

A．pursue

B．contract

C．emerge

D．correspond

6.

A．pick up

B．put up

C．set up

D．get up

7.

A．catching

B．carving

C．casting

D．ceasing

8.

A．seal

B．seashell

C．fish

D．dolphin

9.

A．declare

B．contain

C．encounter

D．integrate

10.

A．drilled

B．soiled

C．nailed

D．covered

11.

A．genuine

B．identical

C．tough

D．internal

12.

A．right away

B．at once

C．on the spot

D．on end

13.

A．embarrassed

B．depressed

C．disappointed

D．exhausted

14.

A．in addition

B．despite

C．due to

D．given

15.

A．stick

B．hit

C．strike

D．rank

3 . Signs That You Are Growing

Growing is a lifelong process. Here are the signs that show that you are actually growing and not getting stuck in the process.

    1    

Often, we see how badly people look when they get overly upset due to unimportant things. So the first sign of maturity (成熟) is letting the small things go and not getting angry over a tiny detail that didn’t go as you planned.

You start forgiving and understanding other people

When we are young, we are often unforgiving. As we mature, we are better able to understand the world beyond black and white.     2    . It enables us to look beyond the obvious and let go of simple judgments. We begin to understand better that others have complex (复杂的) lives and personalities, and so we become more willing to forgive their mistakes.

You always complete things that matter

Immature people don’t know when to commit (承诺) themselves and their energy or resources are always not well employed.     3    . In this way, they can often keep their promises and honor their commitments.

You accept the possibility of being wrong

    4    . They are always able to accept the possibility that they are wrong, that they don’t know something, because there is always more to learn.

Being mature is knowing that you are always growing up. You are never done learning and developing. This means that you don’t set yourself up as the highest authority.     5    .

A．You follow the crowd

B．You let the small things go

C．Instead, mature people focus on completing things that matter

D．Immature and mature people can both have plans for their lives

E．Rather, you open your mind to other ideas and new possibilities

F．Becoming more understanding is a sign of strength, not weakness

G．Mature people appear more confident, however, they are not overconfident

4 . 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。

Most people think that procrastination (拖延症) is a negative habit. But people like me who routinely put off doing assignments, are likely to defend our “slower” approach to getting tasks done.

I'm the only procrastination in my family. My parents and sister were all born with the “do it right now” gift. They are always in a rush, as if closely rushed by an invisible deadline. Personally, I prefer a more relaxed pace. When my parents voiced their concern about my tendencies, saying “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” “No way!” I responded, confidently presenting my research as a defense. It said people procrastinated when they need to solve a problem or commit to a topic or project. In these cases, delaying a decision can be beneficial. This was because our minds continue to reflect on problems even when we were not actively thinking about them, which could lead to more creative solutions. My findings filled me with satisfaction and pride. My method of getting things done was just as good as my sister’s…or so I thought.

At school we’d been talking about architecture and design. As part of the final assessment my teacher Mr. Smith announced an exciting project that each student would have a month to complete. We were expected to choose our materials, construct a small building and make use of things we had learned in class. Not only would the winners receive extra credit, but the winning constructions would be proudly displayed in the cafeteria. “I have no clue how I could get it done,” my friend Nate sighed in despair. I didn’t say anything. Not because I shared his anxiety-but because I was not nervous at all. I loved hands-on projects! Picturing my brilliant work exhibited in the cafeteria, I was fully convinced that I would definitely produce something that could impress everyone. So relaxed was I that I didn’t give it a second thought for weeks.

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。

Before I knew it, I had only one day left for the project.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That taught me a great lesson.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . I found a brown bag outside after our move. “Grass Seed,” it said in big letters. My husband and I _________ the seeds all over the dirty yard in front of our new house. “I have no idea if they will _________,” I told him, “but it’s worth a shot.” Just like our _________ to move to the rural Arizona.

Near our new house sat a charming cottage, which was _________ to tourists. I got a job offer to _________ the cottage. I’d worked in hotels for years, so when offered the _________, I jumped at it. Still, it was a big change. I _________ that it would be a right move.

While we waited for our grass to grow — or not — we _________ settled into our new house through our efforts. We made it a cozy home, despite the _________ in the front yard, which was still bare now. Meanwhile, many of the cottage guests became __________, and I got to know them well. I felt __________ to make their stays memorable. Perhaps I was better at that than __________.

But after a monsoon (季风) swept through, I woke up to a beautiful morning and looked out the window. There was no grass growing in the sunlight. __________, our yard was covered in a rainbow of zinnias (百日菊)! The front yard turned out even better than I could have __________, just like our new life. And it remains a powerful __________ of the beauty that awaits us in our new chapter.

1.

A．sought

B．spread

C．collected

D．removed

2.

A．remain

B．last

C．dry

D．root

3.

A．need

B．intention

C．decision

D．agreement

4.

A．rented

B．given

C．sold

D．introduced

5.

A．green

B．advertise

C．fill up

D．look after

6.

A．help

B．chance

C．service

D．accommodation

7.

A．pretended

B．decided

C．understood

D．prayed

8.

A．naturally

B．hardly

C．gradually

D．temporarily

9.

A．uncertainty

B．potential

C．danger

D．untidiness

10.

A．locals

B．employers

C．regulars

D．gardeners

11.

A．proud

B．grateful

C．curious

D．stressed

12.

A．house renting

B．yard cleaning

C．keeping house

D．growing grass

13.

A．Otherwise

B．Instead

C．Besides

D．Therefore

14.

A．imagined

B．designed

C．remembered

D．appreciated

15.

A．test

B．memory

C．reminder

D．choice

6 . I live with my husband Jack in Iowa, which is far away from Florida. One day, my husband suddenly decided to play _________ in Florida.

“Why Florida?” I wanted to know. “We are so busy every day with our work. Why not someplace _________?”

“Because,” he said, “Florida is famous for golf. It’s just something I _________ to do.”

_________, I did understand. Just a week or so before, I _________ a diary of mine from my teenage years. What really got me about it was the list I’d _________ on the very first page—Things I’m Going To Do. But until now I haven’t done a third of them!

So when Jack talked about playing in _________, it got me thinking. There were a lot of things I wanted to _________. They were all the same things as I’d decided to do _________ I was sixteen. But always because of some reasons, my plans __________ to be carried out.

In order to make our life without __________, I told Jack, “Now let’s draw up all our life lists and have them __________ one by one together.” That was how our journey to Florida __________.

After many years, our plans were all finished. __________ I’ve learned that the secret is to take life __________. If you’re in too much of a hurry, you need to stop, or you will fly past all the things that are the most fun.

1.

A．football

B．golf

C．basketball

D．volleyball

2.

A．farther

B．closer

C．larger

D．warmer

3.

A．dream

B．hurry

C．refuse

D．afford

4.

A．In fact

B．For example

C．At once

D．In case

5.

A．lent

B．bought

C．missed

D．found

6.

A．called

B．practised

C．made

D．explained

7.

A．Georgia

B．Hawaii

C．Iowa

D．Florida

8.

A．support

B．learn

C．finish

D．prepare

9.

A．where

B．when

C．although

D．because

10.

A．came

B．rose

C．failed

D．happened

11.

A．regret

B．hope

C．difficulty

D．difference

12.

A．turned down

B．taken away

C．put out

D．carried out

13.

A．started

B．changed

C．appeared

D．stopped

14.

A．Simply

B．Finally

C．Quietly

D．Sadly

15.

A．early

B．busy

C．slow

D．fast

7 . There seems to be a lot of talk these days about what is fair, and what is not. Most people tend to believe life should be fair. Some of the 99% seem to believe life has somehow treated them unfairly, and some of the 1% feel life hasn’t treated them fairly enough. My questions are these: What is fairness? Is life fair? Should life be fair?

We clearly have no choice about how we come into this world. We have little choice early in life. But as we grow older, choices abound. I have long believed that while we have no control over the beginning of our life, the majority of us have the ability to influence the outcomes we attain. Fairness is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind. Our state in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, or our society—it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt.

Life is full of examples of the uneducated, the mentally and physically challenged people born into war-torn areas, who could have complained about life being unfair, but who instead chose a different path. Regardless of the challenges they faced, they had the character to choose contribution over complaint.

I agree that challenges exist. I agree that many have an uphill battle due to the severity of the challenges they face. What I disagree with is the attempt to use fairness to solve all problems in the world. Rules and orders don’t create fairness, but people’s desire and determination can work around most life challenges.

It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. A friend of mine came to this country from Africa in his late teens, barely spoke the language, drove a cab while working his way through college, and is now the president of a technology services firm. Stories such as this are all around us-they are not miracles, nor are they the rare exception. They do, however, demonstrate blindness to the mindset of the fairness.

1. What does the underlined word “abound” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Change fully.	B．Remain the same.
C．Exist in numbers.	D．Disappear completely.

2. What opinion does the writer agree with?

A．Most of us can influence the results we achieve.

B．Our background determines our choices.

C．People’s desire and determination create unfairness.

D．We should depend on fairness to solve all problems.

3. What is the primary purpose of the text?

A．To promote efforts over complaint.

B．To stress the importance of fairness.

C．To share an inspiring story of a friend.

D．To prove that fairness is a state of mind.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Fairness Is Justice	B．Life Is Not Fair—Deal With It
C．Fairness Comes First	D．Fairness Creates Chances

8 . Joe Horan, a physical education teacher, has started the program Building Men to create a positive vision of manhood not just for himself, but also for the boys he teaches. Looking back, Mr. Horan says his program developed from a low point in his life. In 2004 as he went through a hard time, he felt society’s definition of manhood was leading him down the wrong path. His life, he says, lacked substance and depth. “A desire became planted in my heart, that is, to find healing from the unhealthy messages I believed about manhood,” he says. Then, his sister recommended a book, Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx, which digs into the discovery of what being a man is all about. Joe took all the clues and started to put life lessons into his class.

Despite limited resources and funding, Building Men began at one middle school in the district in 2006. It grew on a shoestring budget, expanding school by school, year by year. Today, 33 teachers, like Mr. Colabufo, work across 18 schools. Mr Colabufo has known Mr. Horan for several years, noting many people are aware of the program’s success. “Joe’s a legend in this district,’’ Mr Colabufo says.

The program appeals to boys at first because of a basketball component, but its secret is how it dives into off-the-court issues through discussions on character. Building Men helps participants gain insight, work to restore self-worth, and learn to calm emotions. SIR is a central component of lessons, standing for significance, integrity, and relationships.

At a recent breakfast fundraiser, Shateek Nelson, a senior at Nottingham High School, shared his experience, having participated in Building Men since middle school. He said he learned to see the bigger picture, rather than living in the moment. He also came to realize his actions affect others, and now he factors that into his decisions.

1. What motivated Joe Horan to start the program Building Men?

A．An instructional book.	B．His personal experience.
C．His sister’s suggestion.	D．The society’s expectation.

2. What does the underlined word “shoestring” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Flexible.

B．Proper.

C．Tight.

D．Balanced.

3. What did Shateek Nelson learn from participating in BuildingMen?

A．One should dream big and then start small.

B．One should live each day as if it were the last day.

C．It is good to gain real-life experience at middle school.

D．It is essential to think more of others in decision-making.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．SIR: Core Component of Physical Education

B．Healthy Life: Involving Substance and Depth

C．Building Men: Teaching Boys About Manhood

D．Manhood: Teenagers’ Power of Handling Issues

9 . 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。

No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts. I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program. The school took part in the league matches every year. However, it never ended well. We were more of the audience, watching and cheering instead of sweating out in the fields.

Fortunately, the school held the tradition that the school’s old team was to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. For lack of resources, the old team bad no coach, and they didn’t even practice to prepare for the game.

I was assigned (指派) as the coach of the new team, which was why I was excited. I believed that we were going to win, but to my disappointment, we were defeated. I couldn’t believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I tried to figure out the reason and what I should do next.

It didn’t take long before I came to realize that my team was depending on me. Without proper guidance or previous experience, my team was at a loss what to do. I had to change my attitude so that I could bring out the best in them about their ability and potential.

I would let my action do the talking. First, I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. I could see their spirits lifted, with their head held high in great confidence. Most importantly, I began to treat them like winners. Only when they regarded themselves as winners could they willingly invest time and energy.

This summer, the other teams enjoyed their vacations.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Six months later, football season started.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . The message is drummed into us from childhood: forgive people who’ve wronged you, because it’s the right thing to do. Forgiveness is a virtue, we’re told—the only way for us to truly move on and heal, freed from the baggage of bearing ill will.

However, I’m not buying it. Forgiving someone can indeed be a beautiful thing, but it’s not always what’s best for us. In fact, if someone has hurt you deeply and the relationship isn’t healthy, trying to “fix” things can do more harm than good.

Most of us would probably agree that forgiving a wrongdoer means letting go of negative feelings—like anger and resentment—towards them, as if nothing happened. Actually this isn’t helpful. It pressures us to minimize our feelings and revise our boundaries—to say “it’s OK” when for us, it isn’t. While it’s not a good idea to focus on negative thoughts, recognizing and processing all of that pain is an important part of the healing journey. And when someone doesn’t make us feel seen or safe, forgiving them can actually reduce our self-esteem.

A 2010 research paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that folks who forgave partners that didn’t make them feel valued had less respect for themselves. Letting minor offences that happen now and again slide can be great for any relationship, but repeatedly forgiving bad behavior can encourage that person to keep hurting you.

At least, that’s what 2011 research by psychology professor James McNulty argues. He found that when a partner was more likely to forgive those acts, the aggressor was more likely to keep committing them. McNulty suggests that this is because facing the consequences of their actions is what motivates people to change their ways, and being offered a clean slate can be a kind of pass to avoid making changes. So forgiving frequent and major offences, like verbal or physical abuse, can do more harm than good.

For me, this speaks to the core tension in the idea. Instead of looking to forgiveness like a magic medicine, we can focus on recognizing what happened and coming to terms with it, however that looks for us and without any sense of obligation towards our offender.

1. What does the author think about the message in paragraph 1?

A．It’s reasonable.	B．It’s debatable.
C．It’s convincing.	D．It’s unquestionable.

2. How does the author develop the text?

A．By making comparisons.	B．By giving statistics.
C．By quoting researchers’ views.	D．By sharing his own experiences.

3. What does the underlined words “a clean slate” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．A repeated offence.	B．A magic medicine.
C．A terrible consequence.	D．A complete forgiveness.

4. Which can be the best title of the text?

A．Forgiving is always a virtue.	B．Forgiving can change everything.
C．Forgiving others sometimes depends.	D．Forgiving others always seems impossible.