My daughter Kelly is a cautious person. She needs to warm up to situations, and is hesitant to try new things. When with close friends, she becomes a leader who laughs loudly and chants, “Girls rule, boys drool.” But when that comfort zone is not around her, she is shy and nervous.

This has been challenging for me at times. “Shy” is not a word that I think has ever been used to describe me. But this bas been a year of firsts for my girl that has filled her with a new sense of confidence. This year she moved to lap lane in swimming where she was preparing for a swim team. This year she learned to ride a bike without training wheels. And this year she completed her first kids’ triathlon (三项全能).

On Saturday, with a thunderstorm coming soon and my son’s birthday party later in the day, we all went out in the dark of the morning for Kelly to participate in her first triathlon. We practiced transitions from swim to bike to run with her, we got all the equipment she'd need, and we kept talking about the race. But as we waited the two hours for the older kids to finish before her turn, she held my leg a little harder and told me she loved me a few too many times. She was nervous but trying to keep it together.

And then it was her turn. From the second she jumped into the water, my heart soared. My daughter transformed into the most confident human being I had ever seen. She dominated that swim, crushed that bike ride and ran to the finish with the biggest smile on her face.

I can honestly say that I never felt so proud of someone in my entire life. It wasn’t because she did a sport or anything like that. It was because she was afraid of something and conquered that fear with confidence and a fire I hadn't seen before.

All day I would find myself just looking over at her and smiling. She might be wearing the finalist medal but I felt like I won that day. I won the chance to see my girl shine.

Shine on, sweet baby.

1.Kelly is nervous when .

A. boys are around her

B. she changes into a leader

C. she is away from her mom

D. situations are new to her

2.We can know from Paragraph 3 .

A. the race began in the early morning

B. the whole family gave Kelly support

C. Kelly was eager for her turn in the race

D. Kelly prepared for her brother’s birthday party

3.Seeing Kelly’s performance in the race, the author felt .

A. excited and proud

B. anxious and uneasy

C. worried and hesitant

D. curious and concerned

4.In Paragraph 5, the underlined word “conquered” probably means .

A. to defeat someone especially in a competition

B. to succeed in dealing with or control something

C. to become very popular or successful in a place

D. to take control of a country or a city and its people by force

5.In the ending paragraphs the author “felt like I won that day” because Kelly .

A. overcame the fear

B. expressed love to her

C. won the gold medal

D. took part in the sport

Why do Chinese people love hot pot so much? As the winter months are coining in, more and people are silting around a table, enjoying this kind of traditional meal. I find myself wondering what it U about this traditional meal, which has existed for more than 1,000 years. What makes it a Chinese food favorite? It seems that the answer lies beyond the dish itself.

Hot pot isn’t just designed to keep you warm during the cold months; it’s also a social experience. It’s a “theater” cooked food that turns a meal into an event. There is a lot of fun for everyone to have in adding some foods to the hot pot.

Hot pot is eaten over two to three hours. For this reason, it is often considered an evening’s entertainment, and a time to spend with friends and families. However, many westerners would be put off by the idea of other people sticking chopsticks in their food. When we come to eat at the table in the UK, we tend to have our own shares, although the experience is still a social one.

A similar experience to the hot pot can be found in Korean barbecue restaurants, which lei you cook your own meat. This allows people to have their meat done however they want.

For most westerners, the idea of going to a restaurant to cook their own food is very strange. But having a go, I find it’s now one of my favorite meals in Beijing. The steam from the pot left my clothes smelling of food when I got home, but perhaps this was also part of the experience. When the cold wind is blowing outside, I am sitting around with my good friends, eating and drinking. For me it’s like a dinner party where my taste buds and my appetite are equally satisfied in the warm company of friends.

1.What is the main reason why hoi pot is popular in China?

A. It has a history of over 1,000 years.

B. It is a fun social experience.

2.We can conclude from the article that British people generally .

A. enjoy cooking their own food in restaurants

B. prefer a Korean barbecue to Chinese hot pot

C. don’t like sharing food with others in restaurants

D. don’t mind the smell of food staying on their clothes

3.How long do people spend in enjoying the traditional meal?

A. More than four hours. B. Over one hour.

C. About three hours. D. All the evening.

4.What is the author’s attitude to hot pot?

A. Serious. B. Tired.

C. Humorous. D. Appreciative.

Malia Obama, the elder daughter of former US President Barack Obama, would postpone enrolling in Harvard. She would take a gap year.

Gap years are so popular in Britain that more than 200,000 students take them every year. However, they are virtually unknown to many students in the US. Only about 1 percent of graduating seniors, or about 30,000 Americans students, decide to take a year off between high school and college.

Gap years, as defined by most US colleges, are structured educational periods of travel, volunteering or other kinds of learning through experiences. They usually have to be approved by the colleges which students plan to attend, and more American students, like Malia Obama, have started to take gap years.

According to American Gap Association(AGA)surveys, there was a 22 percent increase in students taking gap years in 2015 over the previous year.

While many colleges and particularly public universities don’t allow students to postpone enrollment, Florida State Universality has begun encouraging its freshmen to take a year off from their studies in order to get some extra maturity and new experience.

“We know very clearly now that gap years can be an educational experience that changes you completely,” said Joe O’shea, the president of(AGA),“Gap years help increase students’ focus while their identities and future plans take shape.”

She believes gap years are good ways for young people to get away from their comfortable lives or pressures from society, and to see their lives from a new angle. “It helps you choose your path, instead of letting it choose you.

Karis Engle spent a year with a charitable organization in Haiti at age 18. The experience has made her realize that she wants to help others. Now Engle has become the president of the Glades Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps with food security in communities in southern Florida. She said the immersion in a very different culture completely changed her worldview. By the time she entered Bethel College in Kansas a year later, her life had changed. “I felt like I was different from most people there. I knew clearly what I wanted to study, which was international development with an emphasis on social work.”

1.The example of Malia Obama is to show ________.

A. some American students begin to take gap years

B. taking gap years is necessary for American students

C. fewer students want to take gap years in America

D. famous persons encourage their children to take gap years

2.From the passage, we can infer that ________.

A. American governments support seniors to take gap years

B. American students taking gap years will have a sharp increase soon

C. students who take gap years needn’t apply to college

D. students taking gap years are not just for making money

3.Karis Engle thinks ________.

A. taking gap years has influenced her cultural choices

B. taking gap years seldom affects participants’ worldview

C. taking gap years is very valuable for her to choose her career

D. taking gap years is helpful for her entry into college

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To advertise for taking gap years.

B. To introduce the situation of gap years in the US.

C. To discuss how to take gap years.

D. To share opinions about taking gap year.

Planning before buying something is a good idea. For example, you are going to buy a pet dog, you still have to consider a few things and plan them well before you welcome it in the house. 1. You will also have to train it well so that it does not misbehave in front of people. You should realize that it is a big responsibility.

2. Think about whether your pocket can manage the purchase, as well as different items for keeping the dog. If something goes wrong with the health of your pet, you will have to spend some extra money on it.

The next thing you need to consider is your home. 3. You will also have to consider the family members. If your living place is already too crowded with people, getting a dog as an additional member of the house will not be a good idea.

4. Make sure nobody is allergic (过敏的) to the fur of the dog. Also make sure that you can easily find time to train the dog. Ensure that your family is welcoming to this idea.

5. When you are bringing this best friend in your house, you must make sure everything is right for it. You should make life easier for it, as well as others who are living in your house.

A. Looking after your dog doesn’t only mean taking it for a walk or playing with it.

B. A dog is supposed to be man’s best friend.

C. Before you think about getting a dog, think about the affordability (经济承受力).

D. The training should start as soon as the dog is in your care.

E. Once the dog has learned how to sit, you may teach him to shake hands.

F. You will also have to think about any health problems related to your family.

G. A small apartment will not be fit to house a large dog.

I always feel sorry for world leaders busy dealing with fights between nations. When my three children were young, most days it was hard keeping my __ from becoming a battlefield.

It got worse as they got older. Three years ago, Zack, then 16, couldn’t make it __ a day without making his __, Alex 11 and Taryn 9, angry.

My husband and I tried to be understanding the boy at such an age. We reasoned, punished, and __ heartfelt notes on his bed about __ he was hurting our family. His answer was “I say it because it’s true.”

I __ tried telling the girls to fight back. Bad idea. Now I had three children at war. __ I said to them, they paid no attention. When there was no __ out, I told everything to my sister in an e-mail. She replied, “Don’t __ me. E-mail him.”

Our son was online every day, mailing and talking with his friends. Maybe he would actually __ me this way. I didn’t say anything __, but e-mail just took the __ away. There’d no shouting or door banging. Zack wouldn11 feel __.

Zack didn’t __ for days. When he finally did, his entire message was four small words. I __ when I read them: “You’re right. I’m sorry.

The children still fought, of course, __ Zack changed. __, I now have a better way to talk with not one but three of them. I like that they don, t __ me as much as, they used to. They like not having to listen to me shouting to them. Or __ Alex says, “You’re so much nicer online.”

All I know is that the house is quiet,but we’re __.

1.A. house B. garden C. neighborhood D. backyard

2.A. into B. within C. through D. over

3.A. cousins B. brothers C. neighbors D. sisters

4.A. advertised B. left C. attached D. took

5.A. where B. when C. why D. how

6.A. even B. still C. ever D. again

7.A. However B. Wherever C. Whichever D. Whatever

8.A. way B. access C. path D. approach

9.A. call B. ask C. e-mail D. inform

10.A. find B. hear C. recognize D. write

11.A. normal B. else C. nice D. different

12.A. tension B. pressure C. gap D. misunderstanding

13.A. at home B. in vain C. under attack D. at a loss

14.A. fight B. reply C. appear D. comment

15.A. shouted B. froze C. smiled D. signed

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

17.A. Best of all B. After all C. Therefore D. Instead

18.A. blame B. ignore C. interrupt D. dismiss

19.A. when B. as C. what D. as if

20.A. quarreling B. working C. talking D. travelling

Shortly after the war, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented a cottage in the country, although he rarely spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture in it, many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked, making the whole house damp.

On our first evening, we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories which our uncle had to tell of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed; but I could not bear to miss any of my uncle’s exciting tales.

He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash from the bedroom above, the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.

“It sounds as if the roof has fallen in!” cried out my uncle, with a loud laugh.

When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door, we could see nothing at first because of the thick clouds of dust which filled the room. When the dust began to clear, a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen down, falling right on to the pillow of my bed. I was glad that I had stayed up late to listen to my uncle’s stories, otherwise I should certainly have been seriously injured, perhaps killed.

That night we all slept on the floor in the sitting room downstairs, not wishing to risk our lives by sleeping under a roof which might at any moment fall down on our heads. We left for London the very next morning and my uncle gave up his cottage in the country. This was not the kind of adventure he cared for either!

1.Why did the uncle seldom spend much time in the country cottage?

A. Because the roof of the cottage was falling.

B. Because the cottage was in bad condition.

C. Because he was used to living abroad.

D. Because there was no furniture in it.

2.When they opened the bedroom door, they could see nothing at first because __________.

A. it was completely dark inside

B. there was too much dust in the air

C. something strange blinded them

D. it was too bright inside

3.The writer felt glad that he had stayed up late because __________.

A. he did not miss the exciting stories

B. he spent more time with his uncle

C. he had a lucky escape

D. he saw a strange sight

4.Which of the following can best describe the writer’s uncle?

A. Adventurous and good at storytelling.

B. Humorous and good at making jokes.

C. Dependable and generous with money

D. Considerate and sensitive to danger.

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