阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Language is the most astonishing behavior in the animal kingdom. It is the species-typical behavior that sets humans completely 36 from all other animals. Language is a means of 37 , but it is much more than that. Many animals can 38 . The dance of the honeybee communicates the location of flowers 39 other members of the hive (蜂群). But human language permits communication about anything, 40 things like unicorns (独角兽) that have never existed. The key 41 in the fact that different words can be 42 together in different ways, according to 43 to communicate different meanings.
Language is the most important learning we do. Nothing can 44 humans so much as our ability to communicate abstract 45 , whether about the university, the mind, love, dreams, or ordering a drink. It is an extremely complex 46 that we take for granted. Indeed, we are not aware of most 47 of our speech and understanding. Consider what happens when one person is speaking to 48 . The speaker has to translate thoughts into 49 language. Brain imaging studies suggest that the time from thoughts to the 50 of speech is extremely fast. Only 0.04 seconds! The listener must hear the sounds to 51 what the speaker means. He must use the sounds of speech to 52 the spoken words, understand the pattern of 53 of the words (sentences), and finally 54 the meaning. This takes somewhat longer, a minimum of about 0.5 seconds. But once started, it is of course a(n) 55 process.
A．apart B．off C．up D．down
A．advertisement B．communication C．discovery D．invention
A．transfer B．move C．convey D．communicate
A．to B．from C．over D．on
A．only B．almost C．even D．just
A．stays B．situates C．hides D．lies
A．stuck B．joined C．rung D．controlled
A．rules B．scales C．laws D．standards
A．combine B．contain C．define D．declare
A．activities B．thoughts C．effects D．chances
A．expectation B．progress C．process D．produce
A．aspects B．abstracts C．angles D．assumptions
A．anybody B．another C．other D．everybody
A．body B．gesture C．written D．spoken
A．growing B．fixing C．beginning D．building
A．put out B．take down C．draw up D．figure out
A．identify B．locate C．reveal D．discover
A．performance B．organization C．design D．show
A．regulate B．justify C．release D．interpret
A．slow B．interesting C．continuous D．serious
I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was and ill.
My father was once a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is . One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started talking about life, and I told them about one of my . I said that we must very often give things up we grow — our youth, our beauty, and our friends — but it always that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn't think of anything to say. , he answered his own question: “I gained the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.
I was also by his words. After that，when I began to feel irritated（愤怒的）at someone, I remember his words and become calm. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be to give up my small irritations. In this way, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.
Sometimes I what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one .
A．Afterwards B．Therefore C．However D．Besides
A．tired B．poor C．weak D．slow
A．took B．threw C．sent D．put
A．impossible B．difficult C．hopeful D．hopeless
A．decisions B．experiences C．suggestions D．beliefs
A．as B．since C．before D．till
A．seems B．promises C．suggests D．requires
A．cheered B．turned C．spoke D．opened
A．something B．everything C．nothing D．anything
A．Surprisingly B．Immediately C．Naturally D．Certainly
A．moved B．amazed C．attracted D．warned
A．should B．could C．would D．might
A．ready B．able C．free D．likely
A．doubt B．wonder C．know D．guess
A．prize B．word C．experience D．gift
Each spring brings a new blossom（开花） of wildflowers in the ditches (路沟) along the highway I travel daily to work.
There is one blue flower that has always my eye. I’ve noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours, and the afternoon sun is too warm it. Every day for approximately two weeks, I see those beautiful .
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look out of the window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look in that bed alongside wildflowers.
Everyday I drove the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them.” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes ...” Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband gave me a folding shovel(铁锹) one year to be used for that purpose.
One day on my way home from work, I was to see that the highway department had moved the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, “Way to go, you too long. You it when you first saw them blooming this spring.”
A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor(脑瘤晚期). She is 20 years older than my husband and , because of age and distance, we haven’t been as as we all would have liked.
I had to see the between the pretty blue flowers and the between my husband’s sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some valuable that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet (打赌）I'll stop and them to my wildflower garden
A．sweet B．interesting C．different D．particular
A．fascinated B．struck C．caught D．charm
A．for B． to C．with D．on
A．plants B．flowers C．ones D．wilds
A．open B．main hall C．front D．kitchen
A．great B．well C．horrible D．ugly
A．many B．various C．other D．colorful
A．passed B．past C．pass D．pasted
A．damaged B．ready C．dirty D．smelly
A．Ever B．once C．Never D．even
A．obvious B．temporary C．unfinished D．last
A．annoying B．saddened C．interested D．helpless
A．wasted B．ignored C．thought D．waited
A．would have done B．need have done C．should have done D．muse have done
A．unconsciously B．fortunately C．unfortunately D．consciously
A．close B．closely C．closed D．near
A．connection B．difference C．meaning D．significance
A．friendship B．relationship C．support D．relative
A．trees B．memories C．species D．roses
A．dig B．rescue C．transmit D．transplant(移植）
Charlie came from a poor village. His parents had __ _ money to send him to school when he was young. The boy was very sad. Mr. King lived next to him. He found the boy ___ _and had pity on him and lent some money to him. So the boy could go to school. He studied hard and ____ _ all his lessons. When he finished middle school, the man introduced him to his friend in the town. And he began to work.
Once Mr. King was seriously hurt in an accident. Dying, he asked Charlie to take care of his daughter, Sharon. The young man ___ _ and several years later he married the girl. He loved her very much and tried his best to make her happy. He often bought beautiful clothes and delicious food for her. He was good at cooking and he cooked ___ _ for her. So she became very fat and she felt it difficult to walk. And one day she found there was something wrong with her heart. Her husband wasn’t at home and she had to go to ___ _ at once. The doctors looked her over and told her __ _ eat meat, sugar, chocolate and things like these. She was afraid ____ _ the doctor’s words and wrote all the names of the food on the paper. When she got home, she put the list on the table and ___ _. When she returned home that afternoon, she found many kinds of food: meat, sugar and chocolate in the kitchen. Charlie was busy ____ _ there. As soon as he saw her, he said happily, “I’ve bought all the food you like, dear!”
A．no B．some C．much D．enough
A．lazy B．clever C．careful D．hard
A．did well in B．was poor at C．was working D．was good for
A．was angry B．thought hard C．agreed D．said “No.”
A．a little B．a few C．many D．a lot
A．rest B．sleep C．hospital D．work
A．should B．would C．to D．not to
A．to remember B．to forget C．to catch D．to teach
A．slept B．went out C．cooked D．ate
A．reading B．seeing C．cooking D．writing
It was the first morning of the New Year and the weather was very cold. I have always been an early bird and my morning walks have been the for the last 7 years, so I put on my shoes to for my first walk of the New Year.
There was complete outside. Litter could be seen everywhere. It seemed that everyone had an all-night . It was too cold to anyone to be awake to clear all the walkways at 5 in the morning. I was to walk on the dirty walkways and decided to go back home.
I was about to leave I saw Sam cleaning the garden. He is an employee of our society association and is to take care of the walkways and the garden. I walked up to Sam as it was a（n） to see him there cleaning at this time. He saw me and politely me, "Happy New Year!" "How come you are here and doing all this on the very first day of a new year?" I asked. Sam answered , "It is the first day of the year. I do not want people to walk on walkways. It is the first day of the year so they should feel good and special. For me, today is like any other day and my job starts with the ."
It was good to see someone so at heart. Like other staff members, Sam could have taken a day , but he woke up early and came for all of us. I suddenly realized life does not when the clock strikes twelve at midnight and a New Year begins. We all night, drinking and feeding ourselves. Then we leave the place in high spirits, leaving the surroundings dirty. Life goes on and others need to up early and clear the garbage. Isn't the very next morning a new day of a New Year for all those who clear our garbage? Why can't we also keep our clean so that everyone can have a New Year the very next day? It is true that small things can make a big in our lives.
A．manner B．approach C．routine D．access
A．look B．head C．long D．send
A．waste B．freedom C．silence D．absence
A．conclusion B．tradition C．celebration D．pollution
A．order B．expect C．trust D．catch
A．tired B．scared C．puzzled D．bothered
A．because B．though C．unless D．when
A．advised B．designed C．supposed D．determined
A．pleasure B．success C．surprise D．honor
A．advised B．wished C．asked D．congratulated
A．coldly B．hopefully C．partially D．quietly
A．dirty B．narrow C．busy D．cold
A．beginning B．same C．special D．new
A．devoted B．curious C．honest D．polite
A．over B．out C．up . D．off
A．change B．improve C．return D．happen
A．sleep B．party C．work D．clean
A．put B．stay C．wake D．pick
A．surroundings B．conditions C．background D．location
A．decision B．difference C．promise D．suggestion
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 with draft after draft. 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 :
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．replied B．discovered C．explained D．knew
A．seriously B．patiently C．nervously D．quietly
A．blaming B．fooling C．inviting D．urging
A．pressure B．failure C．comment D．hardship
A．Finally B．Luckily C．Publicly D．Gradually
A．disappeared B．returned C．spread D．improved
A．compare B．struggle C．promote 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．trouble
A．secure B．related C．private D．reliable
A．broadcast B．create C．publish D．assess
A．recover B．prepare C．escape D．forget
A．energetic B．endless C．typical D．enjoyable
A．experience B．success C．benefit D．accident
A．attempt B．afford C．expect D．pretend