原创（十二）
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some 36 it highly, believing that it is 37 for social progress and prosperity. Others say that 38 is bad, that it sets one person against another; that it 39 unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the 40 that their self-worth relied on how well they 41 at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and –death affairs. In their single-minded 42 of success, the development of many other human qualities is 43 forgotten.
44 , while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take a(n) 45 attitude. In a culture valuing only the winner and 46 to the ordinary players, they strongly 47 competition. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or 48 success. By not trying, they always have a(n) 49 ：“I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter 50 I really didn’t try.” 51 , this belief is the same as 52 of the true competitors trying to prove themselves. Both are based on the 53 belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in 54 with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve（缓解） 55 a new meaning in competition.
36．A．benefit B．influences C．value D．impress
37．A．cheerful B．meaningful C．comfortable D．responsible
38．A．competition B．ability C．knowledge D．challenge
39．A．runs into B．leads to C．comes from D．begins with
40．A．promise B．belief C．dream D．task
41．A．planned B．performed C．delivered D．practiced
42．A．pursuit B．memory C．behalf D．search
43．A．shyly B．cheerfully C．sadly D．faithfully
44．A．Therefore B．Meanwhile C．However D．Afterwards
45．A．proper B．suitable C．confident D．opposite
46．A．paying no attention B．pays less attention C．paid more attention D．pays no attention
47．A．excuse B．blame C．charge D．trust
48．A．enjoy B．apply C．receive D．achieve
49．A．opinion B．explanation C．excuse D．reason
50．A．unless B．so C．while D．because
51．A．Firmly B．Naturally C．Unfortunately D．Clearly
52．A．that B．one C．it D．this
53．A．mistaken B．different C．single D．common
54．A．consequence B．comparison C．connection D．common
55．A．we can discover B．can we discover C．can discover D．we discover
I had the meanest mother in the world． other kids ate candy, I had to have cereal(谷物食品)，eggs or toast．While others had cakes and French fries，I had to eat a sandwich．But at least，I wasn’t in my suffering．My sisters and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did．
My mother knowing where we were at all times and who our friends were . She insisted if we said we’d be gone an hour, then we be gone one hour or —not one hour and one minute．She made us wear the clothes made by herself，just to money．Now you can see how she was．
The is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9：00 each night and at 7：45 the next morning．We had to wash dishes． beds，and learn to cook．I believe she lay at night thinking up mean things to do to us．
Through the years，things didn’t a bit．We could not lie in bed，pretending to be“ ”like our friends did to miss school．Our friends’report cards had beautiful colors on them，black for passing，red for ．My mother, ，would only be content with black marks．
As the years by，we graduated from high school．Out of the four children，a couple of us !higher education than university level．With our mother us pushing and demanding， of us was allowed to drop out of school．She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults．
Now I'm trying to my three children．I'm filled with when my children call me mean．Because，you see，I thank God，he gave me the meanest mother in the whole world．
A．While B．As C．Unless D．If
A．weak B．alone C．happy D．1ucky
A．replied to B．went on C．insisted on D．took up
A．not B．more C．so D．1ess
A．make B．collect C．save D．get
A．funny B．mean C．kind D．interesting
A．worst B．best C．1east D．1ast
A．off B．away C．up D．out
A．make B．arrange C．place D．fold
A．active B．asleep C．alive D．awake
A．develop B．improve C．happen D．assess
A．sick B．sad C．honest D．ambitious
A．success B．progress C．courage D．failure
A．however B．otherwise C．besides D．moreover
A．came B．pulled C．went D．filled
A．attended B．wanted C．attained D．approached
A．before B．in C．about D．behind
A．none B．all C．both D．neither
A．raise B．meet C．change D．bring
A．apology B．pride C．shame D．anger
The hardest arithmetic(算术) to master is how to count our blessings.
According to legend, a young man while crossing the desert a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was sweet that he filled his leather canteen he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher.
After a four-day journey he the water to the old man who took a deep , smiled warmly and his student greatly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He , saying it was awful. It had become sour because of the old leather container.
The student his teacher: “Master, the water was . Why did you pretend to like it?”
The teacher replied, “You tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was only the container for an act of loving-kindness and could be sweeter.”
I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of from young children. it’s a greeting card or a bunch of flowers, the natural and proper is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we treasure the idea the gift.
Gratitude doesn’t always come . Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given the feeling reflected in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of of gratitude. After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.
A．went through B．came across C．fell into D．watched over
A．very B．too C．enough D．so
A．so that B．for fear that C．in case D．on condition that
A．provided B．sent C．presented D．threw
A．drink B．bite C．look D．breath
A．comforted B．forgave C．blamed D．thanked
A．frightened B．satisfying C．happy D．grateful
A．drank it up B．let it out C．brought it up D．spat it out
A．apparently B．probably C．immediately D．eventually
A．doubted B．replied C．challenged D．charged
A．delicious B．sweet C．terrible D．clear
A．obviously B．simply C．entirely D．certainly
A．anything B．something C．everything D．nothing
A．sympathy B．love C．respect D．care
A．Either B．Neither C．If D．Whether
A．response B．conduct C．behavior D．performance
A．beneath B．within C．beyond D．about
A．naturally B．normally C．commonly D．universally
A．other than B．rather than C．more than D．less than
A．expression B．attraction C．possession D．explanation
In 1822 Gregor Mendal was born on a farm in Austria. His father found that Mendal was interested in plants. He knew that his son was clever, and he Mendal to high school. At that time people attended high school. However, since his father could not give him enough money, he always went . Luckily, the other students always gave him food from their Later, Mendal became a monk(修道士)and his studies. He took care of the gardens at the where he and the other monks lived, and he did with pea plants for eight years. He wanted to prove that parents features to their children. Around 1860, Mendal that plants have recessive and dominant(显性的) genes.
He grew a tall pea plant with a short pea plant. Every one of the first generation of four pea plants was tall. This that tall was the dominate gene. in the next generation of four pea plants, one plant was very . The recessive short genes it received from both of its parents had made it short.
From these experiments, he understood that dominant genes the most often in the . Recessive genes only appeared and only when both parents carried the genes for the features.
To his finding with others, he wrote a paper. But during his lifetime, no one what he had discovered. At the time of his death, he still felt very sad.
, his important discovery was accepted in 1990. We now know that both plants and animals have genes and that genes play a major role in we look, how we act, and whether or not we are to get certain diseases. Today we honor Mendal as Father of hereditizm(遗传学).
A．drove B．sent C．forced D．had
A．few B．a few C．many D．a lot
A．anxious B．crazy C．hungry D．straight
A．plates B．dining-rooms C．dorms D．lunches
A．lasted B．stuck C．started D．continued
A．village B．hometown C．temple D．school
A．researches B．surveys C．observations D．experiments
A．passed B．gave C．offered D．hid
A．noticed B．discovered C．declared D．prove
A．agreed B．meant C．announced D．informed
A．Thus B．Instead C．Despite D．Yet
A．strange B．fine C．short D．cool
A．showed up B．stood out C．set aside D．turned on
A．parents B．students C．children D．monks
A．seldom B．sometimes C．actually D．mainly
A．compare B．share C．satisfy D．cooperate
A．concerned with B．worried about C．trusted in D．cared about
A．However B．Though C．Finally D．Regardless
A．how B．what C．where D．which
A．possible B．obvious C．able D．likely
One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you’ve done and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you’ll have to your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me for the rest of the night. I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the decisions adults had to make.
For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I’d wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.
During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large apartment, I became how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on family and work. difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn’t know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a attitude.
Back home, I myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be . I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable .
My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the has really taught me. Sacrifices in the end. The separation between us has proved to be for me.
A．attract B．praise C．surprise D．promote
A．little B．much C．well D．wrong
A．refuse B．leave C．contact D．forgive
A．wondering B．sleeping C．explaining D．regretting
A．poor B．timely C．final D．tough
A．nervously B．politely C．eagerly D．curiously
A．patience B．presence C．intelligence D．Influence
A．empty B．expensive C．comfortable D．modern
A．interested in B．doubtful about C．aware of D．satisfied with
A．when B．where C．which D．that
A．abandoning B．balancing C．comparing D．mixing
A．Faced with B．Supplied with C．Depending on D．Insisting on
A．different B．friendly C．positive D．general
A．criticized B．informed C．warned D．reminded
A．offered B．managed C．attempted D．expected
A．grateful B．independent C．energetic D．practical
A．examples B．limits C．rules D．goals
A．question B．experience C．history D．occasion
A．run out B．come back C．pay off D．turn up
A．blessing B．gathering C．failure D．pleasure
完形填空 (共20小题；每小题l.5分，共30分)
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome’s ____ filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so ____ that I decided to write an article about her.
I ____ Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She ____ and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of my mind. I ____ I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn’t even written a grocery list.
I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there ____, taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me…” I soon realized that ____ Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The ____ was almost unbearable. I struggled for days ____ draft after draft. Finally I put my manuscript (手稿) into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.
It didn’t take long. My manuscript ____. How stupid of me! I thought. How could I ____ in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn’t ____ the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.
Five years later, I was moving to California. While ____ my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor’s letter in ____:
Dear Ms Profit,
Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some ___ materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to ____ your story soon.
Shocked, it took me a long time to ____. Fear of rejection cost me dearly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of ____ writing. Today, I have become a full-time writer. Looking back on this ____, I learned a very important lesson: You can’t ____ to doubt yourself.
A．joy B．voice C．speech D．smile
A．proud B．active C．satisfied D．moved
A．visited B．emailed C．phoned D．interviewed
A．agreed B．refused C．hesitated D．paused
A．admitted B．discovered C．explained D．knew
A．seriously B．patiently C．nervously D．quietly
A．blaming B．fooling C．inviting D．urging
A．hardship B．failure C．comment D．pressure
A．with B．by C．on D．in
A．disappeared B．returned C．spread D．improved
A．compare B．struggle C．survive D．compete
A．ignore B．deliver C．face D．receive
A．decorating B．repairing C．cleaning D．leaving
A．disbelief B．anxiety C．horror D．panic
A．subjective B．relevant C．private D．reliable
A．broadcast B．create C．publish D．assess
A．recover B．prepare C．escape D．concentrate
A．constant B．endless C．typical D．enjoyable
A．experience B．success C．benefit D．accident
A．attempt B．afford C．expect D．pretend