Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for ____ hands. Most people were reluctant（不情愿） to work on _____ along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful _____that raged across the Atlantic， wreaking havoc（浩劫，灾难） on the buildings and crops. As the farmer __ applicants for the job， he ______ a steady stream of refusals.
____， a short， thin man， well past middle age， approached the farmer. “Are you a good farmhand？” the farmer asked him.
“Well， I can ___ when the wind blows，” answered the ____ man.
Although ____ by this answer， the farmer， desperate（不顾一切的） for _____， hired him. The man worked well around the farm， ______ from dawn to dusk， and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. ____ out of bed， the farmer grabbed（抓起） a lantern and ____ next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He ____ the little man and yelled， “Get up！ A storm is coming！ Tie things down before they blow away！”
The little man ____ in bed and said ____， “No sir. I told you， I can sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged by the response， the farmer was tempted to ___ him on the spot. Instead， he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his ___， he discovered that all of the haystacks（干草垛） had been covered with tarpaulins（油布）. The cows were in the barn， the chickens were in the coops（鸡笼）， and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand ____， so he returned to his bed to also sleep ____ the wind blew.
A．took B．applied C．hired D．got
A．field B．farm C．garden D．park
A．winds B．flood C．hurricane D．storms
A．visited B．trained C．saw D．interviewed
A．accepted B．offered C．refused D．received
A．Surprisingly B．Finally C．Obviously D．Luckily
A．sleep B．do C．work D．help
A．strong B．young C．kind D．little
A．pleased B．puzzled C．surprised D．satisfied
A．work B．pleasure C．man D．help
A．busy B．sad C．tired D．happy
A．Coming B．Leaving C．Going D．Jumping
A．rushed B．ran C．went D．moved
A．beat B．stroke C．shouted D．shook
A．rolled over B．put on C．got up D．sat
A．delightly B．happily C．Firmly D．angrily
A．kill B．instruct C．fire D．inform
A．regret B．joy C．surprise D．sadness
A．expected B．prepared C．meant D．offered
A．when B．while C．after D．as
All life’s circumstances can be seen in an egg. The soft yolk (蛋黄) inside is our and the hard shell outside is the barrier. When the barrier breaks from outside, our desire is crushed (压制), but when it breaks from inside, we something.
I was 22 years old. I did not where the kitchen was in my house, since I had gone into the kitchen before. All of a sudden, I had to move to America to pursue(追求) my master’s degree. I I had to learn to cook a proper meal in order to . My desire to cook began to , and the yolk began to stir.
The first time I made , it came out like white glue. Within a month of experimenting with different recipes, I the art of making Chinese fried rice and north Indian curry. This breaking of the eggshell from gave me yet another skill for life, . Now that I look back, maybe my wife agreed to marry me for this alone.
It is easy to break an egg from outside, but it is to break it from inside. And sometimes, someone or something outside can you to break the egg from inside.
As a father, I took it as my responsibility to my son cycling and swimming. In this case, the yolk was the untapped (未被利用的) potential of my son and the barrier was his fear of losing . It took months of patience and coaching to help him his fear. It was an uphill task to keep him motivated through failures. , I was glad and relieved when he learned both these essential skills.
The important lesson here is that the egg will be no matter what. Success, when the egg breaks from inside, is more about what you overcome than what you achieve.
Life always throws you . I urge you all to persist, believe in yourself and allow your yolk to break through to a new soul and a new you.
A．concern B．desire C．weakness D．resource
A．lose B．change C．gain D．expect
A．know B．find C．forget D．question
A．often B．never C．sometimes D．ever
A．reminded B．promised C．imagined D．realized
A．survive B．compete C．continue D．settle
A．turn around B．get across C．take shape D．take part
A．tea B．rice C．yogurt D．porridge
A．recognized B．appreciated C．introduced D．mastered
A．inside B．outside C．sideways D．around
A．learning B．cooking C．cycling D．adapting
A．courage B．attempt C．skill D．hobby
A．funny B．simple C．boring D．difficult
A．prevent B．help C．agree D．warn
A．accompany B．keep C．teach D．require
A．balance B．patience C．courage D．freedom
A．understand B．discover C．reflect D．overcome
A．Meanwhile B．Finally C．Besides D．Therefore
A．broken B．cooked C．lost D．kept
A．ideas B．messages C．surprises D．challenges
A mother and daughter living in my community are two of the most unfriendly people I have ever come across in my life. They are totally , mixing with nobody. As they drive past neighbors they keep their eyes looking away and make no sign of . The only fame they have is making a nuisance (讨厌的人) of themselves to the local police station by music played too loud, dogs barking more than once a day and any other petty (琐碎的) little .
On moving into this neighborhood, I was of these two but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and blast (猛烈抨击) me with some or other. I answered politely and made sure I as they went past my place and also made the effort now and then to make a kind about their garden or pets.
Time passed and in October, as part of the Kindness Rock Give, Maureen and I decided to place a kindness rock in their garden. Their remained unchanged, however, and I continued to be as friendly as possible. During the Easter give, we decided once again to these two unhappy ladies to our list and a packet of cookies on their gate. Imagine my when two days later they at my gate and jokingly said they were hanging their Christmas stocking on their gate, and they brought me a bunch of flowers!
So, my fellow gifters, do not on your random gifts of kindness. You may never know just what this to others, nor how many broken or hearted people you may just change a simple act of kindness.
A．protected B．depressed C．separated D．equipped
A．enthusiasm B．acknowledgement C．excitement D．entertainment
A．discussing B．requesting C．reporting D．rejecting
A．events B．issues C．incidents D．affairs
A．accused B．warned C．reminded D．convinced
A．challenge B．project C．task D．matter
A．quarrels B．opinions C．explanations D．complaints
A．seldom B．never C．always D．sometimes
A．waved B．stared C．noticed D．laughed
A．difference B．account C．gesture D．remark
A．smile B．attitude C．decision D．anger
A．add B．recommend C．reduced D．drove
A．shared B．took C．left D．fixed
A．interest B．anxiety C．surprise D．doubt
A．whispered B．stopped C．shouted D．wandered
A．imagining B．intending C．considering D．approaching
A．take in B．take up C．give in D．give up
A．refers B．means C．relates D．contributes
A．kind B．light C．hard D．warm
A．on B．over C．by D．with
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）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，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The Town of Pressure and the Town of Pleasure were neighbors but had nothing in common. Residents built walls to______ influence from the other town.
In Pressure, ____ struggled to be the very best. When women gave birth, they would ____ to have the baby with the loudest cry. There was violent competition in every aspect of life. Because ______ was the index (指数) of success, people were ____ busy making money, with____ for relaxation. Some young people couldn’t bear the intensity and resorted to drink or drugs to escape.
_____ , over in Pleasure, the motto was “As long as you like it, do it.” People grew up without ____ and____ do anything they liked. Children played computer games day and night. At school, teachers didn’t ____ whether students showed up or not. Workers might sit around the office _____ sipping coffee and doing nothing._____ the lack of regulations, nobody worried about losing their jobs. It was ______ that mattered. No one had the ___ thought of moving forward, either for themselves or for the town. The computers they used were _____ models from Pressure.
Some of the young were addicted to______ because of the meaninglessness of their lives. Then, people in the two towns began asking themselves, “What is ____ for?” But, just before life in the two towns completely ___ , there came a saint – Mr. Reason. He went from door to door, talking with people and giving advice. People in Pressure learnt to be____ with what they had, while people in Pleasure began to make plans. They ___ the walls between them and built a road to connect the two. The towns’ people came to realize the truth—there is no space between Pressure and Pleasure if they don’t go to extremes.
A．connect B．keep out C．go out D．prevent
A．everyone B．anyone C．nobody D．somebody
A．have B．like C．compete D．try
A．health B．joy C．children D．wealth
A．seldom B．always C．hardly D．sometimes
A．much time B．no reason C．many reasons D．no time
A．Meanwhile B．otherwise C．Therefore D．Virtually
A．pleasure B．pressure C．work D．happiness
A．must B．need C．could D．dared
A．know B．find C．recognize D．care
A．in the morning B．in the evening C．all day long D．in the afternoon
A．Thanks to B．Regardless of C．Owe to D．According to
A．money B．time C．pleasure D．pressure
A．strongest B．slightest C．most D．smallest
A．the old B．the new C．the best D．the same
A．books B．work C．money D．drugs
A．pressure B．life C．pleasure D．money
A．improved B．failed C．succeeded D．lived
A．satisfied B．surprised C．patient D．angry
A．built B．put down C．pulled down D．set up
I guess you can say I’m not healthy. I throw up almost everything I , and I have no idea what is going on with my body in the of doing it. I’m 17 years old, and I have been suffering from this for about 6 months. That doesn’t seem like a time, but those 6 months feel like 6 years.
I was never or even close to it. I’ve always been short and in shape, but it me every time to see a really pretty girl because I think, “Why can’t I like that?” Also, the town I live in is full of drugs, , and drinking , and I’ve fallen into all of those. I’m tired of the that I have been living. My parents are in me and practically think I’m a failure. I’m always worried if my trousers are going to me the next day. And on top of that, I’m friends because they think I’ve changed.
Bulimia（暴食症）is a black hole that, you have entered, it is extremely hard to get out. And if you do get out, you are so .
I hope that someday I can say I’ve from this terrible thing, because all I want to do is to live my life and not to have to my weight all the time.
At the point I’m going, I might end up in the , and that is what frightens me most. All I can do is to try and get the I need. However, I know the best help comes from my heart and the actual need within me to this illness.
A．remember B．see C．read D．eat
A．experiment B．purpose C．process D．plan
A．accident B．illness C．loss D．punishment
A．free B．meaningful C．bad D．long
A．fat B．rude C．sick D．wrong
A．shocks B．kills C．excites D．encourages
A．always B．sometimes C．also D．even
A．feel B．look C．sound D．taste
A．parties B．matches C．lessons D．lectures
A．dream B．belief C．life D．food
A．pleased B．honest C．interested D．disappointed
A．carry B．support C．fit D．attack
A．blaming B．losing C．visiting D．making
A．once B．although C．unless D．because
A．friendly B．lovely C．busy D．lucky
A．suffered B．returned C．recovered D．separated
A．add to B．worry about C．talk about D．depend on
A．hospital B．school C．house D．station
A．education B．space C．help D．money
A．catch B．spread C．forget D．stop
It was the district sports meet．My foot still hadn’t healed (痊愈) from a(n) _____ injury．I had _____whether or not I should attend the meet．But there I was, _____for the 3,000-meter run．
“Ready … set …” The gun popped and we were off．The other girls rushed _____ me．I felt ___ as I fell farther and farther behind．
“Hooray!” shouted the crowd．It was the loudest _____ I had ever heard at a meet．The first-place runner was two laps (圈) in front of me when she crossed the finishing line．“Maybe I should _____,” I thought as I moved on．_____, I decided to keep going．During the last two laps, I ran _____ and decided not to _____ in track next year．It wouldn’t be worth it, _____ my foot did heal．
When I finished, I heard a cheer _____ than the one I’d heard earlier．I turned around and _____, the boys were preparing for their race．“They must be cheering for the boys．”
I was leaving _____ several girls came up to me．“Wow, you’ve really got courage!” one of them told me．
“Courage? I just _____ a race! ” I thought．
“I would have given up on the first lap,” said another girl．“We were cheering for you．Did you hear us? ”
Suddenly I regained _____．I decided to _____ track next year．I realized strength and courage aren’t always _____ in medals and victories, but in the _____ we overcome．The strongest people are not always the people who win, _____ the people who don’t give up when they lose．
A．slighter B．worse C．earlier D．heavier
A．expected B．supposed C．imagined D．doubted
A．late B．eager C．ready D．thirsty
A．from behind B．ahead of C．next to D．close to
A．ashamed B．astonished C．excited D．frightened
A．cheer B．whisper C．cry D．noise
A．slow down B．drop out C．go on D．speed up
A．Therefore B．Otherwise C．Besides D．However
A．with delight B．with fear C．in pain D．in advance
A．keep B．arrive C．race D．attend
A．even if B．only if C．unless D．until
A．weaker B．longer C．lower D．louder
A．well enough B．sure enough C．surprisingly enough D．strangely enough
A．while B．when C．as D．since
A．finished B．won C．passed D．lost
A．cheer B．hope C．interest D．experience
A．hold on B．turn to C．begin with D．stick with
A．measured B．praised C．weakened D．increased
A．sadness B．struggles C．diseases D．tiredness
A．or B．nor C．and D．But