1 . I was cleaning out a cupboard the other day when I made an amazing discovery. Inside I _________ the manuscript (手稿) for a novel. It included an outline of the _________ and a pile of typed pages telling a story. It was written, to my _________, by my father who has been dead for more than 50 years. It isn’t _________, as novels go, perhaps fifty or sixty typed pages, but without my _________ it has somehow accompanied me through my years of _________, several jobs, a marriage, the birth of my children and grandchildren, retirement and even a relocation across the country where I live.

Yet there it was, resting under a lot of paper to be recycled. I might have _________ my father’s legacy (遗产). I was truly _________ by my discovery.

I’m in the middle of reading another book _________ my dad’s novel has a place on my bed-side table. I want to have some __________ time for it so I haven’t __________ examined it yet. I’m going to spend a whole afternoon to give it the __________ it deserves. As yet I don’t know what the story line is about and I don’t even know if it is complete but I __________ a highly emotional process of finding out.

I find it fascinating to think that this could happen; that after more than fifty years my father could __________ his only son through the mists of time. It’s one of those things that we don’t see coming and that make life so __________.

1.

A．locked

B．found

C．placed

D．hid

2.

A．notes

B．reviews

C．chapters

D．references

3.

A．regret

B．relief

C．satisfaction

D．amazement

4.

A．long

B．fun

C．popular

D．romantic

5.

A．support

B．knowledge

C．approval

D．reach

6.

A．life

B．writing

C．reflection

D．education

7.

A．cleared away

B．passed down

C．counted on

D．handed out

8.

A．bothered

B．caught

C．shaken

D．disturbed

9.

A．or

B．so

C．but

D．for

10.

A．easy

B．quick

C．rough

D．clear

11.

A．briefly

B．closely

C．happily

D．calmly

12.

A．honor

B．comment

C．reward

D．attention

13.

A．design

B．anticipate

C．evaluate

D．record

14.

A．touch

B．raise

C．help

D．protect

15.

A．peaceful

B．successful

C．interesting

D．smooth

2 . Earlier that evening, my mother called, telling me that my brother died in a car crash. I stumbled (跌跌撞撞地走) around the house _________ what to put into the suitcases. My husband, Larry, and I had been packing for moving to New Mexico. The house was in (a) total _________.

I tried to hold my tears. I _________ picked things up and put them down. I couldn't _________. What I'd heard on the phone echoed (回荡) through my head.

Larry phoned a few friends. _________, someone asked to speak to me. “If there is anything I can do, let me know.” “Thank you,” I replied. I didn't know what to _________.

The doorbell rang and I rose slowly for the door. It was Donna.

“I've come to clean your shoes,” she said. _________, I asked her to repeat. “When my father died, it took me _________ to get the shoes cleaned and shined for my father's _________,” she said. I hadn't even thought about shoes.

Shoes were gathered. Donna __________ herself on the floor and got to work. The love in the act __________ my tears. Watching her __________ on one task helped me pull my __________into order. Laundry first, I told myself. One by one, the jobs fell into place.

Now whenever I hear of an acquaintance's loss of a loved one, I think of one __________ task that suits that person's __________. If the person asks, “How did you know I needed that?” I'd reply, “Because someone did that.”

1.

A．forgetting

B．imagining

C．wondering

D．searching

2.

A．damage

B．failure

C．despair

D．mess

3.

A．aimlessly

B．helplessly

C．quickly

D．decisively

4.

A．hurry

B．decide

C．focus

D．move

5.

A．Constantly

B．Fortunately

C．Suddenly

D．Surprisingly

6.

A．call for

B．ask for

C．talk about

D．get across

7.

A．Touched

B．Shocked

C．Confused

D．Amused

8.

A．minutes

B．hours

C．weeks

D．decades

9.

A．satisfaction

B．funeral

C．smiles

D．wishes

10.

A．laid

B．stood

C．rested

D．settled

11.

A．released

B．held

C．stopped

D．caused

12.

A．keeping

B．concentrating

C．insisting

D．depending

13.

A．thoughts

B．rooms

C．sadness

D．luggage

14.

A．specific

B．normal

C．challenging

D．perfect

15.

A．idea

B．personality

C．identity

D．need

3 . On the morning of September 11th, my closest friend, Kevin Bowser, died in the World Trade Center. The sorrow was so awful, but I was determined to channel it into something with_________.

The next summer, I set off on a two-month bicycle tour to Philadelphia to _________ him. The whole nation was in deep sorrow and, as I travelled and _________ new people, we would inevitably (不可避免地) hug. I didn’t notice the _________ they brought at the time, but when I returned, a friend said that I often spoke about the hugs I shared with _________. The bike ride and the _________ I made enriched me, so I planned a second. I call it “Big Dave’s hug” .

Between 2002 and 2015, I _________ the stretches of North America three times. My Big Dave’s hug banner (横幅) introduced me and my _________. Some people were _________ about hugging me when they didn’t know the first thing about me. But when they saw my intention was__________ and I wasn’t asking for anything, they __________. Young people would reveal their childhood secrets and affairs, while elders always had great stories to __________. Every city would warn me that the next was less __________, but they never were.

It generated enormous joy. It was not just a hug, but also __________ and moments. People ask why I’m doing it and I say it __________ me, makes me smile and provides perspective.

1.

A．regret

B．purpose

C．reputation

D．profit

2.

A．amuse

B．check

C．honour

D．trick

3.

A．hired

B．met

C．avoided

D．treated

4.

A．pride

B．emptiness

C．sorrow

D．comfort

5.

A．strangers

B．volunteers

C．victims

D．consultants

6.

A．connections

B．schedules

C．donations

D．promises

7.

A．charted

B．studied

C．cycled

D．secured

8.

A．destination

B．achievement

C．mission

D．background

9.

A．particular

B．curious

C．positive

D．hesitant

10.

A．sincere

B．unclear

C．strange

D．awful

11.

A．got away

B．opened up

C．gave in

D．looked out

12.

A．share

B．type

C．edit

D．collect

13.

A．known

B．ambitious

C．civilized

D．friendly

14.

A．conversations

B．challenges

C．tensions

D．tolerances

15.

A．beautifies

B．publicizes

C．enriches

D．shelters

4 .

I grew up hearing that it is better to give than to receive, and the older I get, the more I aim to take this message to heart. Nevertheless, here I am, in the midst of the holiday season stressed out about gifts I have not yet purchased.

How did gift buying become an emotionally fraught chore (苦差事)? For a moment, it’s easy to question if it’s worth it. But science tells me that giving makes us feel good.

“The act of giving actually does improve your happiness,” says Michael Norton, a psychologist at Harvard Business School. He has published several studies on the effects of giving.

In one experiment that included about 700 people, the researchers randomly assigned participants to make either a purchase for themselves, or for a stranger. Afterwards, the participants reported how happy they felt. Turns out, giving to others led to a significant happiness boost, whereas spending on oneself didn’t move the needle.

“If you take $5 out of your pocket today, the science really does show that spending $5 on yourself doesn’t do much for you,” Norton says. “But spending that $5 on somebody else is more likely to increase your happiness.”

Take a scarf. If you buy one for yourself, it’s just another thing you don’t necessarily need. But if you buy a scarf for someone else, “you’ve shown them that they’re important to you,” Norton says. Either way, it’s just a scarf. “But it can either be a throwaway object or something that enhances a relationship between two people,” he says.

So, there’s evidence that generosity promotes happiness, but the process of shopping, wrapping and schlepping (搬) gifts can be tiresome — or even extremely annoying considering all of our day-­to­-day demands and other holiday stressors.

Studies also show when people are given something they are more likely to give back. Reciprocity (互惠) is a foundation of good relationships and when we surround ourselves with generous people, we tend to feel the same. Feeling that spirit of giving and the connection it can bring is what the holidays are all about.

1. Why does the author mention his own experience in paragraph 1?

A．To make a prediction.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To present a reason.	D．To clarify a concept.

2. How does Norton illustrate his opinion in paragraphs 5 and 6?

A．By listing data.	B．By giving examples.
C．By making comments.	D．By telling personal experiences.

3. Why is preparing a gift sometimes an emotionally fraught chore?

A．It’s difficult and expensive.	B．It happens frequently.
C．It’s not valued by others.	D．It requires much effort.

4. What can we learn about giving gifts from the text?

A．It is not worth the effort.

B．It is a must to enhance a relationship.

C．It brings about emotional benefits.

D．It gains popularity during holidays.

5 . 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。

One of my favorite possessions is a little red can. It sits among my collections, looking somewhat old and out of place. But this can is special. It has a history. It was dear to me when I was younger, but mean even more to me now.

I’ve always loved to visit my grandparents in Cleburne, Texas, and as anyone in the family can tell you, there is always a gathering around the dining room table for meals and conversations so that we can keep in touch closely. It is important to keep in touch with the family members since we are busy with our own business, so my family members keep the tradition to have the gathering every month. We enjoy the moment when all of us meet in a place and communication helps us to solve the problem of isolation. As the first grandbaby, though, I was at a slight disadvantage. When I sat in the dining chair, only my nose could reach the table. Cleburne is a small town with a small population, and the phone book could only lift me an inch. So, Grandma and Grandpa came up with the idea of the little red can.

It was about ten inches high, made of tin, and painted a glorious shiny red. It worked perfectly, enabling me to bang away on the table with my little spoon and cup as I tried to keep up with the joyful talks around the table. After I finished a meal, I was placed on the floor, and the can was opened, and all sorts of surprises kept me busy while the adults visited. The can was full of lovely dolls which attracted little girls like me greatly. Besides, there were fresh and novel items that were mysterious to me and left me to explore.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Pretty soon, other grandbabies started to arrive, and each of them had their own turn on the little red can. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Decades later, Grandma proudly pulled out the little red can again when I traveled to Cleburne with my daughter. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . The Power of Insensitivity

Highly sensitive(敏感的)person, or HSP, is a term invented by psychologist Elaine Aron. HSPs can come with many challenges. They may find it hard to adapt to new surroundings, and easily become uncomfortable in response to certain feelings or others’ opinions.     1    

The power of insensitivity can be explained as “slow power”. Usually, people connect “insensitivity” with something bad, but indeed, it stresses the ability to keep doing something difficult without complaining.     2     It is not a weakness but an approach to winning a better life.

    3     Knowing yourself is difficult, and knowing yourself correctly is undoubtedly an excellent ability. The successful people clearly know where their strengths are, what they can do and what direction to go.

There are some ways to practice “insensitivity”: Don’t pay too much attention to the ups and downs of life at the moment.     4     Don’t get involved in other people’s lives and don’t let others affect yours. Regarding relationships, learn to view problems as two parts: One part is what you need to face and solve. The other part is the responsibility of others, which is not your business.

Everyone can gain the ability to be insensitive.     5     And the world will also be a better one if we focus on major goals and stay insensitive to something else.

A．Insensitivity plays a significant role.

B．Rather, you should be looking forward.

C．That’s where the need to be insensitive comes from.

D．Once you slow down the pace, you will feel more comfortable.

E．Those not easily affected are the people who care less about others.

F．That is, calmly facing the downtime in life and moving towards one’s own direction.

G．One reason why insensitivity allows people to better survive is the strong self-awareness.

7 . Yesterday we said goodbye to my grandfather. He was 96 years old and he was my last grandparent.

It has been a while since I saw my grandpa in person. I think he only met my youngest Lilly once. It kind of pains me to think that I deprived(剥夺)my children of the chance to know their only great-grandparent. But I didn’t want them to know or remember a very old man, incapable of getting down on his knees to play with them, and laughing with them because he can’t hear what they’re saying. That’s not the grandfather I know.

My grandfather never stopped. He was an early-adopter to have a laptop-type-device long before Apple was a houschold word and he was programming video games for grandkids to play before most people knew what programming was. He kept physically fit every day of his life. In his later years, he kept busy playing tennis, ballroom dancing, swimming, bicycling. In the end, he didn’t lose a battle to any disease. His body simply could not go on anymore.

I feel extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to know my grandfather. Intentional or not, he taught me many lessons. My grandfather taught me to waterski when I was 5 years old and he taught me how to surf about a decade after that. Whenever I thought it’s too late for me to study a language or get better at piano, he made it clear that it’s only my fear holding me back, not age.

These lessons make life meaningful to me. I prefer to think of them as lessons for living a positive life that leaves a positive impression on me. That is something I will strive to do. Thanks to my grandfather, I have a pretty good blueprint to follow. So I guess the best thing I can offer my children to feel connected to that man is the lessons I learned from him.

1. Why did the author seldom take kids to their disabled great-grandfather?

A．To promote the kids’ independence.

B．To keep the old man living a quiet life.

C．To prevent the kids from being frightened.

D．To avoid the kids having a bad impression of him.

2. How could the author’s grandfather keep fit?

A．By eating apples everyday.	B．By playing with little kids.
C．By living a simple life.	D．By keeping exercising.

3. What can we infer about the author’s grandfather from paragraph 4?

A．He was a surfing instructor.	B．He was very encouraging.
C．He did everything with an intention.	D．He studied a new language in his old age.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Memories of My Grandfather	B．Winning a Battle to Disease
C．Connecting the Generations	D．Impression of My Childhood

8 . How to Practice Gratitude (感激) in Your Daily Life

Gratitude is a positive emotion. Learning how to practice it is an effort to remind yourself of the good in life and to show an internal appreciation for yourself and others.     1    . Whichever exercise you do, it’s vital to remember the elements of gratitude: the awareness of the good things, expressing gratitude to yourself and giving thanks to people you’re grateful for.

Create a gratitude list. The intense stress of life can get you so caught up that we may fail to recognize the positive events or interactions we encounter on a daily basis.     2    . It can also help you picture the biggest and smallest moments that make your day.

    3    . Expressing your gratitude to those you’re grateful for strengthens your relationship with them. Plus, bonding with family and friends is a simple act that can help you feel gratitude for these relationships. Sharing kindness will make you feel happier and healthier. In turn, those benefits get passed along to those you most care about.

Make a gratitude jar (罐). Make the jar fun and personable by decorating it and placing it where you can always see it. Every day, write down what you’re grateful for on a slip of paper and put it in the jar.     4    . Whenever there’s a moment of doubt or sadness, return to the jar and read a few notes to remind yourself of who and what is good in your life.

In conclusion, engaging in daily gratitude exercises can make a great difference. Showing gratitude helps you connect with positive emotions, focus on acknowledging the good, and shift your focus to positive aspects of life.     5    .

A．Share your gratitude with others

B．Seek out opportunities to help others

C．There are several gratitude activities and exercises

D．As you fill it, it serves as a good reminder of good times

E．It is better to keep track of whatever happens in your life

F．You’ll also harvest the greatest rewards when it becomes a habit

G．Writing down the positive moments helps put life into a better perspective

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据文后各题目的具体要求完成阅读后的表达任务。

Silent friends in a life storm

Dear Annalisa,

My dad died unexpectedly a few months ago and I feel angry with some of my oldest friends, who have hardly contacted me since it happened.

Three months on, I’ve finally heard from some of them through text about other matters. I didn’t mention my sad stories, and they didn’t ask.

I understand that death is a frightening subject and that people might worry about saying the wrong thing. Yet I still feel a bit hurt by their lack of contact after my dad’s funeral (葬礼).

Now I don’t want to face them because I don’t want to make them feel guilty (内疚的). Normally they are extremely good friends who I love very much. I have other friends, so I can manage this without their support. I just want to let go of the anger so I can get through this sadness. Hope to receive your advice.

Yours,

Amy

Dear Amy,

I’m so sorry to hear about your dad’s death.

Your anger may come from being unable to ask for the help you need. You also seem worried about troubling your friends too much.

It is likely that your friends are very concerned about you. Perhaps their own fear of the subject is too big to comfort you and, just as you say, they are frightened of saying the wrong thing. Also, people often want to “fix” things, but no one can fix death, so they may feel powerless to help you. In these situations, you have to be brave to break the ice and tell them not only what you need, but also how to offer help.

If you really can’t ask your “silent” friends for help, maybe you could count more on those other friends. You might find some psychological (心理的) treatment useful as well. Talking to someone with professional knowledge who understands your situation can help you carry the burden of sadness.

Yours,

Annalisa

1. 根据文章内容，使用文章中的原词完成下列表格，每空一词。

Amy’s problem	Some of her oldest friends have seldom contacted her since her dad’s death, making her feel angry and ______.
Annalisa’s analysis (分析)	● Amy’s anger comes from the fact that she is ______ to ask for help. ● The subject of death is so frightening that her friends are at a loss what to say to ____     her. ● Her friends may feel powerless to help her solve the problem so they choose to keep     ____.
Annalisa’s ______	● Be brave to start a conversation with her friends. ● ______ more on those other friends. ● Seek ______ support.

2. 假如你是 Amy，请给Annalisa回一封信，表示感谢并告诉她你打算怎么做。写作词数应为40左右。
Dear Annalisa,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Amy

3. 假定你是Amy的朋友，得知她的困扰，你将如何提供帮助？请用英语写出你可以做的三件事。
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why did the brothers grow apart?

A．They had different hobbies.

B．They stopped living in the same house.

C．They no longer spent much time together.

2. How does the man feel now?

A．Regretful.

B．Hurt.

C．Angry.

3. What does the woman suggest the man do about the problem?

A．Leave his brother alone.

B．Try talking to his brother.

C．Invite his brother to hang out.