Mrs. Dermit, my drama (戏剧) teacher, wanted to look for someone to play a leading role--an energetic boy in a play. ______, she thought that I could act this important part. After hearing the good news, my friend Kevin and I talked about the play happily. ______ Kevin wasn't chosen for a role on the stage, his job with helping all the actors was important to the success of the play. I told him I was a little ______ because I had a lot of lines (台词) to memorize. "You can do it." he said. I knew I could depend on him: we had been friends since the third grade, and we made a good team.

Preparations for the play moved at a quick pace. While doing his own work, Kevin also spent hours helping me learn my lines. He often said my lines with me by silently moving his lips. We even ______ that he could probably play my part as well as I could.

Everything was ready for the performance. However, on the day of the play, I woke up with a high fever and I couldn't perform. The play was planned to open in fewer than six hours, and we had no time to cancel it. I tried to think of a way to help. Then it hit me--Kevin knew the lines as well as I did. I called Mrs. Dermit to give her my ______. Within a few short hours, Kevin stood on the stage in costume (戏服) and makeup. The amusing lines he had practised with me so many times made the crowd laugh and cheer. In a strange turn of events, Kevin and I had ______ the day for everyone by working as a team.

Of course, I was terribly disappointed to have missed my chance in the spotlight, but I was extremely thankful to have such a good friend.

1.A. Recently B. Personally C. Luckily D. Probably

2.A. While B. Although C. Because D. After

3.A. nervous B. bored C. satisfied D. lonely

4.A. proved B. promised C. expected D. joked

5.A. question B. information C. suggestion D. explanation

6.A. kept B. saved C. provided D. spent

Most films set in space are usually horror films and include aliens in their story. Gravity(地心引力) is different and focuses on the human drama ______. The film’s special effects are so amazing that it is easy to believe that Gravity really was filmed in space. It took more than three years for a British team to create all of these effects.

We first meet the ______ outside of their spaceship on a spacewalk. Dr Stone, a strong-minded mother whose daughter died in an accident, is on her first journey into space and is joined by Matt Kowalski, an experienced astronaut. Kowalski makes jokes and tells stories about his life to help Dr Stone feel less nervous about being in space.

The astronauts are soon ______ that pieces of a damaged satellite are flying in their direction. Their spaceship is soon hit and destroyed. Dr Stone is knocked into space. It seems that she will die there. The fast moving camera work and losing ______ with the Earth makes everything even scarier(恐怖的).

______, Kowalski saves Dr Stone and they decide to go to the nearby International Space Station and see if their escape vehicle can be used to return to the Earth. On the journey, they have trouble and are about to lose their lives in space together. Kowalski allows himself to float away to save Dr Stone.

From here Dr Stone is alone and the film explores whether she is strong enough to stay alive, or want to.

Gravity is a powerful film about a woman’s journey in a(n) ______ place. You will find it worth watching because it is not only interesting but also moving.

1.A. still B. yet C. instead D. perhaps

2.A. characters B. directors C. actors D. fans

3.A. agreed B. warned C. shown D. telephoned

4.A. energy B. patience C. sight D. contact

5.A. Finally B. Recently C. Luckily D. Immediately

6.A. dark B. lonely C. horrible D. empty

Emily was an eighth grader. To pass her Civics course, she had to do some volunteer services in a nursing home for a week.

One Monday, Emily went to the nursing home after school. When she arrived, she was told she would spent an hour every weekday with an elderly lady, Mrs. Blair. She was then led into a room, where an old lady in a flowery dress was sitting on a sofa.

Emily stood awkwardly（别扭地）in front of the lady. She cleared her throat and said, “Good afternoon I’m Emily.”

“Good afternoon, Emily. Take a seat, please.” Mrs. Blair replied.

Then, _______ filled the space between them. Emily wondered what to say.

“Tell me about yourself, Emily,” Mrs. Blair said suddenly.

“Well,” Emily started, “I don’t have any grandparents, so I don’t know how to get on well with elderly people. I love the performing arts. I’m here mainly because I have to volunteer here to get a good grade for my Civics class.”

Mrs. Blair didn’t seem to mind. “Many people, especially teens, don’t seem to _______ old people like me. Now you are here, and I’m going to change that about you. Ask me anything.”

Emily thought for a moment, and finally decided, “What was your job?”

“I was a Broadway star in the 1950s.” Mrs. Blair answered.

“Cool! Can you tell me about it!” Emily asked, amazed.

Mrs. Blair smiled. “Back then, _______ the lead actress had the honor to wear a special bracelet. I was the lead in almost all of the plays, so I always wore the bracelet. Till this day, I still have it.”

Emily smiled along with Mrs. Blair and listened to the other stories, attentively. She had become very _______ Mrs. Blair’s stories. She decided to come earlier the next day.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday passed by quickly. Then came Friday. As she was leaving, Emily was really upset to say goodbye.

“Don’t be sad. You can still visit me,” Mrs. Blair comforted her. She then handed a small box to Emily, “It’s my gift to you.”

Emily _______ opened the box and was surprised to see what was inside. “It’s the bracelet that you wore. Thank you!” Emily said, with tears in her eyes. “I’m sure to visit you whenever I’m free.”

On the way home, Emily thought of her own love for the performing arts. She touched the bracelet and_______ that she would keep her word to Mrs. Blair.

1.A. happiness B. friendship C. silence D. humour

2.A. care for B. agree with C. depend on D. worry about

3.A. even B. maybe C. yet D. only

4.A. afraid of B. interested in C. pleased with D. familiar with

5.A. angrily B. easily C. carefully D. suddenly

6.A. promised B. denied C. introduced D. lied

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Optimists always see the good side of things. Pessimists always expect the worst and see the bad side. The optimist says, “The glass is half-full.” The pessimist says, “The glass is half-empty.”

Dr. Seligman is a scientist whose studies show that optimists are ________ than pessimists. Pessimists suffer from depression (抑郁症) more often than optimists do. Dr. Seligman studied a group of men who had heart attacks. After eight years, most of the optimistic men were still alive, while most of the pessimistic men had ________ another heart attack.

Dr. Seligman also says that optimists are more successful. Sportsmen, politicians, and businessmen who have optimistic views of the world tend to (趋于) succeed.

Here’s the good news: Everyone can learn to be more optimistic. The main way is to ________ the way you talk to yourself. When something bad happens to pessimists, they believe it will affect their whole lives. When something bad happens to optimists, they see it as just one event. They also believe that they can solve the problem, so it won’t happen again.

Here’s a(n) ________: An optimist and a pessimist take a math test. They are both good students, but both of them fail this test. The pessimist thinks, “I’m probably going to fail every test. I’m never going to learn math. It’s too difficult for me. ________ will like me because I’m a terrible student.” The optimist thinks, “It was only one test. I’m a smart student. I know I can do much better next time.”

Be kinder to yourself. Be more ________. Always see the glass as half-full!

1.A. happier B. healthier C. smarter D. younger

2.A. got rid of B. worried about C. died from D. waited for

3.A. change B. lose C. choose D. find

4.A. saying B. subject C. experiment D. example

5.A. Everybody B. Anybody C. Somebody D. Nobody

6.A. thankful B. useful C. hopeful D. careful

You may have got much New Year money from your parents and your relatives this year. But if you don’t have a (n) ________ plan for spending it, it could run out very fast. So you may want to plan a budget.

A budget is a plan to ________ where your money goes. Budgeting can help you save for the things you want, but can’t pay for right now. Sounds useful? Look at the following things before you start your budget:

1.Every week, there are things we have to pay for, like school lunches and buses. There are also things we like to spend money on just for fun! These are our weekly expenses (支出).

2.Since we can’t have money for everything, we have to make _________ We need to ask if we really need something or just want it. Needs are what you must have in order to live, like food and water. Wants are things you would like to have or do, ________ you can still live without them. For example, CDs and cartoons.

3. List what you spend on needs---and if there is money left over, you will save for the things you really want. This is called a budget.

4.If you don’t have enough money for what you need and want, you may have to ________ one for the other.

No budget is fixed. Keep an eye on yours. Maybe you wanted a comic book, but now you want a video game ________ . Your needs may change into wants, or your wants may change into needs.

1.A. attractive B. careful C. creative D. important

2.A. discover B. stop C. care D. control

3.A. choices B. money C. efforts D. changes

4.A. or B. and C. so D. but

5.A. focus on B. give up C. rely on D. find out

6.A. ever B. again C. either D. instead

It happened one spring morning. I woke up and went downstairs. My mum asked me if I wanted some orange juice.

“Yes, thanks,” I replied, but my voice had changed! It sounded very deep. I was quite ______, and so was the dog! But my mum just smiled and said, “Oh, that’s just your voice breaking.”

Breaking? That did not sound good! So at school that day, I asked my biology teacher what was happening.

“Don’t worry. It’s ______ common!” she said. “Sound is made by the mouth as the air is ______ out through the voice box, which is in the neck. As you grow older, the voice box grows larger and thicker. When you are a teenager, there can be a ______.”

“But my sister is older than me, and her voice is still the same,” I said, a little ______.

“The change is bigger in boys, so you notice it more. Girls’ voices only change a little, so it is hard to tell the ______.”

Now I like my new voice. But the dog still is not sure!

1.A. excited B. embarrassed C. surprised D. satisfied

2.A. especially B. probably C. hardly D. completely

3.A. pushed B. turned C. taken D. picked

4.A. common mistake B. sudden change C. similar experience D. slow process

5.A. angry B. confused C. calm D. frightened

6.A. truth B. reason C. secret D. difference

The Thanksgiving turkey is the cause of stress for me. I have ________ it as an enemy on Thanksgiving.

Over the years I had tried just every method of cooking the turkey. When I just got married I tried the traditional pan roasting method. But I forgot to buy my turkey ________ the day before Thanksgiving. And I bought a big one because I wanted to be sure to have enough turkey for everyone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t thawed (解冻) by the time I needed to cook it. I ended up with a dry turkey overcooked on the outside and rarely done ________. And I had lots and lots of leftover turkey because nobody liked it.

The following year I was busy with a baby. So again I forgot to buy my turkey in time to get it ________ thawed. I had to be up most of the night before Thanksgiving running cold water over my turkey to get it thawed. The turkey ended up turning out okey but I was so tired and sleepy by the time I served dinner.

The next year I got a method of cooking turkey from local radio in early November. I was ________ to give it a try. Making that turkey was like taking care of a baby for nearly two days. I was so pleased with that turkey. I thought it was going to be the best tasting turkey ever since it was the most ________ I ever put in making turkey. But that didn’t happen. Nobody liked the flavour of the turkey.

I decided not to make one this year. But my family thought it wasn't Thanksgiving without turkey. The Thanksgiving turkey has been a yearly joke at our house and when I don’t make one there is nothing to complain about.

1.A. visited B. considered C. heard D. told

2.A. before B. after C. until D. since

3.A. on the surface B. on the top C. at the bottom D. in the middle

4.A. completely B. carefully C. easily D. slowly

5.A. afraid B. responsible C. surprised D. ready

6.A. money B. work C. power D. water

The Chinese used the abacus as early as the 2nd century BC, but now are welcoming“machine brains”to educate the young in this modern age.

For the young, e-learning seems so ________. Zhu Xufei, 12, uses her parents’ mobile phone to study English every day on her way to school and back home. Through an app, she can listen to and repeat back words and sentences in English. The app even tells the difference between her speech and proper pronunciation, and then ________ provides the score.

The mother of 12-year-old Zhu said,“The apps have enabled her to learn and practice spoken English anytime, anywhere,”she says.“The apps also have been designed to use games to encourage learning.”

It’s very popular nowadays, especially with parents. WeChat accounts of parents post progress reports every day on ________ their children are doing. For example,“Day 30: My son Thomas has learned 99 English words on Talking Pets.”

It’s not only children using mobile devices（设备）to learn new things. Many Metro or bus passengers can be seen with earplugs turned into app courses, like business management or the driving test.“I don’t have to ________ books around and turn pages on crowded buses,”an office lady says.“With just a touch of the screen on my smartphone, I can do practice tests whenever I have time. It also records my ________ and makes it easier for me to review them.”

E-learning has been welcomed among education services. Zheng Lili, owner of an English training school, says the learning apps help ________ better monitor the performances of students.

We believe that education should be‘whole-person’development and such devices are just support tools.

1.A. strange B. difficult C. natural D. horrible

2.A. immediately B. gently C. nearly D. secretly

3.A. whether B. where C. why D. how

4.A. borrow B. carry C. return D. deliver

5.A. mistakes B. jobs C. photos D. interest

6.A. bosses B. neighbours C. friends D. teachers

Do you ever have one of those days when everything goes wrong? Your alarm clock doesn't go off, so you oversleep. You spill coffee on your clothes at breakfast and have to change. Your scooter has a flat tire, so you have to catch the bus. But you miss the bus and end up walking to school.

You can wait for the feeling to ________ but why not do something to make yourself better?

Write down your thoughts

When someone annoys you, write a letter. Tell the person who made you mad how you feel.Then tear(撕)the letter up. __________ you dont mail it, you'll feel better when you get those feelings out your system.

Eat something you enjoy

Eat a favourite"comfort food. " These foods vary from person to person and are usually something with a good __________.Your comfort food could be peanut candy, like you ate when you were a child. It might be bubble tea, which you used to drink when you spent time with your best friend.

Expect the good feelings connected with that food to lift your spirits. They will! But if you always turn to food when you feel down, the _________ weight you gain will make you feel worse.

Do something nice for someone else

When you do something for someone else, you stop focusing on yourself. You don' t have to do something big, Just do something you know a friend or classmate will appreciate. Put flowers and a card on your teacher's desk. But don' t sign the card. you'li smile all day as you __________ your teacher is puzzling over who gave her gift.

Play with your pet

Animals __________ seem to have bad days. They are always happy to see you. Scientists say playing with a pet comforts you and lowers your blood pressure. If you dont have a pet of your own,visit a friend who does.

Beating a bad mood not only makes you feel better. A positive attitude might also help you keep fit. A recent medical stucy showed sad or angry people are much more likely to get sick than people who are happy. So get busy and cheer up!

1.A. go over B. go away C. go out D. go wrong

2.A. If B. Because C. Since D. Although

3.A. taste B. memory C. smell D. message

4.A. average B. other C. extra D. enough

5.A. Imagine B. suppose C. judge D. decide

6.A. sometimes B. often C. always D. never

My father used to work in the fire prevention industry. He saw many terrible situations at the scene of the fire. And he attended Disaster Conferences. That was quite ________for a father.

As a result, as children, we used to have fire drills at home.

My father would call us to a room. Whatever we were doing, we would go to the room ________and stand in front of my father.

“OK,” he would say and point in one direction or another, “the fire is OUT THERE. How would you get out of here?”

If we knew, we would answer him with what he had taught us before.

“Open the window and climb out!”

“But, what will you do if the window is ________?”

“Break the window?”

“What with? What would you use in the sitting room to break the window? And once you’ve broken the window, how would you make it ________ to climb out? What would you put over the broken glass?

In the sitting room, we would use the cushions off the sofa and armchairs to cover any broken glass. Upstairs, he taught us how to climb out of a bedroom window: throw out as many soft things to land on, such as pillows, blankets, quilts and even teddy bears, and then climb out and lower ourselves down to make the ________to the ground as short as possible.

Besides, we should put wet towels at the bottom of the door to prevent smoke from coming in.

Whenever we moved house, he would ________ the advice accordingly (相应地). It made us aware of the risk of fire.

If we can pay more attention to fire risk in our daily life, there will be fewer tragedies.

1.A. unusual B. important C. strange D. perfect

2.A. in this way B. with great care C. at once D. all the way

3.A. stuck B. broken C. open D. clean

4.A. comfortable B. pleasant C. safe D. easy

5.A. road B. distance C. weight D. rope

6.A. discover B. take C. provide D. change