A Leap(跳跃)to Honor
Leaping on a narrow balance beam(平衡木) is not easy.But Lola Walter, a 13－year－old gymnast, is an expert at it.
To perfect her skills, Lola ____ for four hours a day, five days a week.At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.
That's especially impressive，____she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift(移动)constantly.She often sees double and can't ____ how far away things are.
When she was little, her mom ___ that even though she couldn't see ____ , she was fearless.So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three.She loved the ____ right away and gymnastics became her favorite.
Though learning gymnastics has been more ____ for her than for some of her teammates, she has never quit.She doesn't let her ____ stop her from doing anything that she wants to.
She likes the determination it takes to do the sport.Her biggest ____ is the balance beam.Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams.She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine.Sometimes she even closes her eyes.“You have to ____ your mind that it'll take you where you want to go，” says Lola.
To be a top－level gymnast, one must be brave.The beam is probably the most ____ for anyone because it's four inches wide.At the state competition, Lola didn't fall ____ the beam.In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10——her highest score yet.
Lola doesn't want to be ____ differently from the other girls on her team.At competitions, the judges don't know about her vision ____.She doesn't tell them, because she doesn't think they need to know.Her mom is amazed by her ____ attitude.
Lola never thinks about ____.She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics.Her ____ is to reach level 9.She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she's learned to other kids ____ she grows up.
Lola is____of all her hard work and success.She says it's helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics too.Her ____ for others is “just believe in yourself”．
A．runs B．teaches C．trains D．dances
A．since B．unless C．after D．though
A．tell B．guess C．assume D．predict
A．suspected B．remembered C．imagined D．noticed
A．deeply B．well C．ahead D．closely
A．task B．sport C．event D．show
A．boring B．enjoyable C．difficult D．satisfactory
A．talent B．quality C．nature D．condition
A．doubt B．advantage C．challenge D．progress
A．examine B．express C．open D．trust
A．fearful B．harmful C．unfair D．inconvenient
A．to B．on C．off D．against
A．greeted B．treated C．served D．paid
A．pains B．stresses C．injuries D．problems
A．positive B．friendly C．flexible D．cautious
A．defending B．quitting C．winning D．bargaining
A．standard B．range C．view D．goal
A．until B．as C．when D．before
A．proud B．tired C．ashamed D．confident
A．plan B．advice C．reward D．responsibility
One morning I stood beside the window. Across the river, the __1___ decorated the edge of the shore in white. I stood __2____ and looked at what the night’s storm had ___3___.
I leaned forward and stood close to the window. There was a goose out there, quite ___4___, its wings folded to its sides, its feet ___5___ to the ice. Then from the dark skies, I saw a line of swans. They moved in their own ___6___ style, graceful and free.
As I watched, the leader __7___ from the sky and landed on the ice. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, I __8___ it might be killed by those great swan beaks(鸟喙).
__9__instead, those beaks began to work on the ___10___. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. At last, the goose’s head ___11___; its body pulled. Then the goose was ___12____ and standing on the ice. And the swans stood in the air ___13___. It seemed as if the goose was crying, “I cannot fly.” Four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks cleaned the goose’s ___14___ from top to bottom, chipping off the ice held in the feathers. ___15___at last the goose’s wings were free, the four swans ___16___ and joined the group.They restarted their eastward journey cheerfully.
I watched them until they ___17____ over the tops of the farthest trees. Only then did I realized that __18____ were running down my cheeks. Believe me! This story is __19____. And I will ask “If so for birds why not for ___20____?”
1.A. flower B. tree C. snow D. picture
2.A. quietly B. silently C. happily D. nervously
3.A. washed B.painted C. destroyed D. cleaned
4.A. hungry B. thirsty C. terrible D. still
5.A. frozen B. put C. turned D. tied
6.A. common B. ordinary C. noticeable D. boring
7.A. dived B. moved C. flew D. circled
8.A. frightened B. feared C. hoped D. knew
9.A. Wonderfully B. Puzzlingly C. Surprisingly D. Disappointingly
10.A. ice B. earth C. goose D. swan
11.A. carried B. pushed C. moved D. lifted
12.A. glad B. sad C. free D. lucky
13.A. listening B. hearingC. fighting D. watching
14.A. head B. legs C. feathers D. body
15.A. While B. When C. Before D. Until
16.A. took off B. took up C. got away D. got up
17.A. climbed B. stopped C. disappeared D. landed
18.A. leaves B. hairs C. rivers D. tears
19.A. actual B. real C. true D. right
20.A. animals B. man C. people D. insects
My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm when I was seven. He told me to throw a__21____into the water. And he told me to watch the____22___created by the stone. Then he asked me to__ 23__ of myself as that stone.
“You may24 lots of splashes (飞溅 ) in your life,___ 25___the waves that come from those splashes will ___26____the peace of all your fellow___27_____,”he said.
“Remember that you are ___28____for what you put in your circle and that the circle will also___29____many other circles. You will need to live in the ___30____that allows the good that comes from your circle to ___31____the peace of that goodness to___32____. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those___33_____to other circles. You are responsible for____34_____.”
That was the first time I ___35_____each person creates the inner peace or discord (冲突) that ____36_____out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are ___37____with inner conflicts, hatred, ____38______, or anger. We radiate (流露) the feelings and thoughts that we hold ____39_____,whether we speak them out or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.
We are ____40_____to everything and everyone else around in the universe.
21. A. stickB. brickC. stoneD. ball
22. A. holesB. circlesC. dropsD. waters
23. A. thinkB. accuseC. regardD. warn
24. A. produceB. damageC. preventD. create
25. A. butB. becauseC. whileD. for
26. A. cutB. disturbC. bringD. block
27. A. studentsB. friendsC. creaturesD. workers
28. A. proudB. helpfulC. respectful D. responsible
29. A. hearB. leaveC. strike D. touch
30. A. familyB. situationC. way D. hurry
31. A. sendB. provideC. destroy D. keep
32. A. themB. nobodyC. someone D. others
33. A. tastesB. smellsC. feelings D. views
34. A. allB. bothC. neither D. any
35. A. realizedB. recognized C. admitted D. promised
36. A. flowsB. takes C. picks D. brings
37. A. prepared B. filledC. presented D. supplied
38. A. honesty B. truthC. doubt D. modesty
39. A. forward B. outsideC. inside D. upward
40. A. referred B. intendedC. devoted D. connected
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly(闲散地)on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and___1___, watch the water ___2__downstream, and listen to the chirps(喳喳声)of the birds and the rustling (沙沙声)of the leaves in the trees. I would also___3___the bamboo trees___4___under pressure from the wind and watch them ___5____gracefully to their upright or ___6___ position after the wind had___7____. When I think about the bamboo tree’s ___8____to bounce back or return to it’s original position, the word resilience(弹性)__ 9___to mind. When used in ___10_____ a person , this word means the ability to readily _11__from shock, depression or any other situation___12____stetches the limits of a person’s emotions. Have you ever felt like you are about to shout? Have you ever felt like you are at your __13__point?__14__, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it. During the experience you probably felt a mix of __15____that threatened your health. You felt emotionally tired,___16_____ exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.
Life is a __17__ of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are __18___one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you __19____to your breaking point, bend but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you. A measure of hope will__20__ you through the unpleasant test.
1.A. quiet B. beautiful C. noisy D. happy
2.A. flow B. rush C. go D. come
3. A. see B. notice C. watch D. look at
4.A. bend B. swing C. break D. tremble
5.A. return B. recover C. give D. fly
6.A. straight B. original C. quick D. necessary
7.A. died from B. died out C. died down D. died off
8.A. ability B. power C. energy D. strength
9.A. strikes B. goes C. appears D. comes
10.A. preference to B. conference to C. reference to D. appearance to
11.A. recover B. calm C. comfort D. sink
12.A. where B. that C. when D. in which
13.A. high B. low C. breaking D. returning
14．A．Thankfully B. Hopefully C. Happily D. Surprisingly
15.A. senses B. emotions C. thoughts D. minds
16.A. physically B. mentally C. patiently D. fully
17.A. way B. mixture C. condition D. feeling
18.A. experiencing B. making C. living D. meeting
19.A. away B. far C. close D. fast
20.A. bring B. take C. make D. set
For some people, the sight of a mouse can be reason to scream. For other mice, the same sight can be reason to sing.
Mice will probably 21sing their way to any concert, but researchers in the United States have found 22that mice do, 23, sing.
Scientists already knew that mice make ultrasonic(超声波) sounds—noises that are too high-pitched(高音的) for people to hear 24special equipment.
To find out whether mice put such sounds together in song-like 25, the researchers recorded the sounds of 1 mice. Using computer 26, they were able to separate the sounds into specific types of syllables(音节), and found the mice produced about 10 syllables per second.
The results showed that nearly all of the mice repeated sequences(顺序) of syllables in different patterns. That’s enough to meet the definition of what scientists 27song. But not all scientists are 28 _ that what the mice are doing is 29singing. To prove it, the researchers must show that there’s learning involved. And, they need to __ 30why the mice sing.
21. A. almost B. even C. never D. usually
22. A. coincidence B. evidence C. guidance D. instance
23. A. at once B. by means C. for example D. in fact
24. A. during B. inside C. through D. without
25. A. fashions B. instructions C. patterns D. styles
26. A. access B. printer C. screen D. software
27. A. call B. hear C. sing D. write
28. A. accustomed B. convinced C. involved D. qualified
29. A. actually B. obviously C. simply D. unlikely
30. A. figure out B. get about C. run across D. talk over
One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our schools: the almost complete failure of foreign-language teaching. As a French graduate who has taught for more than twenty-five years, I believe I have some idea of why the failure is so total. 21 the faults already found out in the education system as a whole — such as child-centred learning, the “discovery” method, and the low expectations by teachers of pupils — there have been several serious 22 which have a direct effect on language teaching.
The first is the removal from the curriculum (课程) of the thorough teaching of English 23 . Pupils now do not know a verb from a noun, the subject of a sentence from its object, or the difference between the past, present, or future.
Another important error is mixed-ability teaching, or teaching in ability groups so 24 that the most able groups are 25 and are bored while the least able are lost and 26 bored. Strangely enough, few head teachers seem to be in favour of mixed-ability school football teams.
Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having 27 lessons. This is why many people who attended French lessons at school, even those who got good grades, have 28 it a few years later. Because they never need it, they do not practice it.
Most American schools have accepted what is inevitable and 29 modern languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum. Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop 30 resources on a subject which few pupils want or need.
21. A. Due to B. In addition to C. Instead of D. In spite of
22. A. errors B. situations C. systems D. methods
23. A. vocabulary B. culture C. grammar D. literature
24. A. wide B. similar C. separate D. unique
25. A. kept out B. turned down C. held back D. left behind
26. A. surprisingly B. individually C. equally D. hardly
27. A. extra B. traditional C. basic D. regular
28. A. needed B. forgotten C. practised D. left
29. A. restored B. absorbed C. prohibited D. withdrawn
30. A. wasting B. focusing C. exploiting D. sharing