I told my friend Graham that I often cycle t miles to my company, but unfortunately there is a big hill on my way. He replied, “You are    1   .” He explained that I should be thankful for the extra exercise that the hill provided.

My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to    2    as I approached it, but now I think that this hill will exercise my heart and lungs and it will    3    me to lose weight and get fit. This hill is my friend. I even feel sorry for those who    4    to go to a gym and sit on exercise bicycles    5    I can get the same value for free.

We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university    6   . She wrote, “Character cannot be developed    7   . Only through experiences of trial and    8    can the soul be strengthened, ambition    9    and success achieved.”

One of the main factors of success in life is our attitude towards adversity (逆境).    10   we face hardships, problems and difficulties. We cannot    11    the adversity, but we can choose our attitude towards it. Douglas Bader was twenty-one when he had both legs cut off following a flying     12   . He was determined to fly again and became one of the leading    13    in Britain. He said, “Don’t listen to anyone    14    tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Go to school, and join in all the games you can. Make up your mind, and you’ll succeed.”

Great people rise from adversity. Their common quality is that they did not become    15    in face of adversity. They chose to be positive. They took on the challenge and they won.

1.  A. unlucky          B. smart                C. lucky                D. brave

2. A. cry               B. smile                C. sing             D. complain

3. A. advise                B. persuade         C. help             D. expect

4. A. decide                B. manage           C. seem             D. pay

5. A. before                B. while                C. where                D. unless

6. A. degree                B. position         C. course               D. paper

7. A. with fear         B. at work          C. on purpose           D. in ease

8.  A. happiness            B. travel               C. learning         D. suffering

9.  A. inspired         B. developed            C. damaged          D. formed

10.     A. From time to time    B. Day and night        C. Around the clock D. For the time being

11. A. accept               B. recognize            C. stand                D. choose

12. A. accident         B. incident         C. experience           D. test

13. A. soldiers         B. doctors          C. pilots               D. writers

14. A. while                B. whose                C. whom             D. who

15. A. encouraged           B. puzzled          C. defeated         D. shocked

Half a year before graduation from college, my son began to seek a job. __1__ the financial crisis(危机), fewer companies would like to __2__ new staff. My son targeted a company that was __3__ to hire only one person __4__ there were more than twenty people filling their resumes(简历).

After the interview, there would only be 3 who could enter the final round, which would later ____5____ one person to be employed. Everything seemed to go quite ____6____ and my son passed the first round and entered the final round in a week.

On the day of the final interview, my son and other two __7__ arrived at the interview place on time, __8__ the test. Unexpectedly, the interview was unbelievably __9__. The interviewer only said to them, “All of you are very super. Please go home and wait for our __10__. We will tell you the __11__ in 3 days. Good luck to all of you!” On the morning of the third day, my son received a text from the company shortly after breakfast that he was not employed. We all felt very __12__.

In nightfall that day, my son suddenly told me __13__ on the phone, “Dad, I have been employed!” Greatly surprised, I could not wait to ask him, “What’s the whole __14__?” My son told me that he received another text saying that he was employed. Actually the first text sent to my son was also __15__ of the test in the interview. Three men received the same text this morning and only my son’s __16__ was “Thank you” while the others said “Goodbye”.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题。1.5分，满分30分）

There are going to be moments in life when you must make very important decisions. You will find many people 36 to offer you advice if you ask for it (and even if you don’t), but always remember that the life you   37   is yours and nobody else’s. It’s important to decide for yourself what’s important to you and what you want before you   38   others. Because while there will be times   39 outside advice proves wise, there will be at least as many times when it proves completely   40.. The only way to really evaluate other folks’ advice is to first learn everything that you can about whatever challenge you are   41  . Once you’ve done that, in most cases you should be able to make a wise decision   42   anyway.

You were   43   with the ability to decide what is and what isn’t in your best interest. Most of the time, you will make the right decision and   44   the appropriate actions, and in thinking for yourself, you will become far more successful than if you had gone against your own  45  .

Early on in my investment career, I made the mistake of   46   a few important business decisions on colleagues’ opinions instead of conducting the   47   necessary to make a wise decision. It wasn’t due to   48   on my part; no one could ever accuse me of that. But, being   49   to Wall Street, I intended to assume that my more senior   50  knew more than I did, and so I   51   too much significance to their opinions.

You know what happened? Each of those investments ended in   52  . Eventually I stopped allowing myself to be influenced by   53   and began doing the work myself and making my own decisions. It took me until I was almost 30 years old to   54   this—it’s never too late for a person to change his approach both to   55   and to life. 

1. A. easy    B. ready    C. unwilling   D. hard

2. A. lead    B. lend    C. take    D. earn

3. A. look at    B. pick up   C. turn to    D. learn from

4. A. that    B. since    C. when    D. while

5. A. useless     B. useful    C. priceless   D. clever

6. A. getting     B. making    C. suffering   D. facing

7.A. on one hand   B. on your own  C. on the whole  D. on all sides

8. A. born    B. tired    C. satisfied   D. covered

9. A. enjoy    B. step    C. plan    D. take

10. A. assumption   B. judgment   C. condition   D. fortune

11. A. basing    B. depending   C. relying    D. focusing

12.A. research    B. search    C. resources   D. activity

13. A. poverty    B. laziness   C. fear    D. diligence

14.A. used    B. accustomed   C. new    D. old

15.A. students    B. brothers   C. colleagues   D. classmates

16. A. attached    B. paid    C. gave    D. held

17. A. disaster    B. progress   C. failure    D. success

18.A. either    B. another   C. each    D. others

19.A. think    B. remember   C. realize    D. recall

20. A. payment   B. dreams   C. happiness   D. business

A teacher let her class play a game. The teacher    36    each child to bring a bag   37    a few potatoes. Each potato will be     38    a name of the person that the child    39     , so the number of potatoes that a child will put into his/her bag will     40  the number of people the child hates.

Some children had two potatoes; some had three and others had up to    41   potatoes. The teacher then told the children to    42   the bag wherever they go for a      43   .

   44   the days went by, the children started to    45     because of the unpleasant smell coming from the rotten(腐烂) potatoes. And the students with five potatoes also had to carry  46  bags.

After a week, the teacher asked, “How did you feel？”the children started complaining(抱怨)about the   47 they had to  48   . When they had to carry the heavy and  49  potatoes everywhere they went.

Then the teacher said, “This is the   50  where you carry your hate for somebody    51   your heart. The smell of hate will   52   your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot   53   the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine   54  it is like to have the smell of hate in your heart for your    55   .

1.A.warned              B. liked            C. told             D. preferred

2.A. containing  B. putting                 C. covering         D. included

3.A. called             B. given            C. used             D. offered

4.A. missed             B. hates            C. likes            D. appreciated

5.A. depend on  B. decide on                C. set down         D. write down

6.A. six                B. two              C. ten              D. five

7.A. bring              B. wash             C. carry            D. take

8.A. week               B. day              C. month            D. holiday

9.A. After              B. Until            C. Before           D. As

10.A. cry               B. complain         C. laugh            D. disagree

11.A. heavier           B. lighter          C. bigger           D. older

12.A. happiness   B. joy                    C. trouble          D. sadness

13.A. get along   B. go over                C. be settled       D. go through

14.A. funny             B. smelly           C. tasty            D. dusty 

15.A. situation  B. view                    C. expression       D. sign

16.A. without           B. outside          C. with             D. inside

17.A. injure            B. keep             C. pollute          D. protect

18.A. like              B. bear             C. escape           D. throw

19.A. whom              B. how              C. which            D. what

20.A. youth             B. school life      C. lifetime         D. childhood

Trudy, an American girl, tried swimming across the English Channel. That was August 6, 1962. Her father had ___1___ her two things. One was not to pull her out of the water ___2___ she asked. The other was to give her a red sports ___3___ if she made it.

In gay spirits Trudy ___4___ out, swimming strongly. All the swimmers started at 7:09 in the morning. Her father and the trainer were going along in a boat beside her. At ten o’clock, rain began falling.

___5___, Trudy trod(踩) water while drinking and eating a chicken leg. Then she started swimming ___6___. The wind was ___7___ and the sea became rougher. Late ___8___ the wind became even worse. The trainer ___9___ it was useless trying to finish. He called to Trudy to ___10___.

“No human being could do it in this weather,” he said. “It’s ___11___ to go on. “however, her father shouted, “Don’t grab her. Let her ___12___. “At seven o’clock the tides(潮水) turned ___13___ her. It was more difficult to move a- head. But Trudy still swam on. She ___14___ victory was possible now, for the English coast was in ___15___.

It was getting dark. A sound could be heard ___16___ the wind；hundreds of car horns(喇叭) were cheering her on. With ___17___ strength, she finished the last 200 yards. At 9:35p. m., Trudy got out of water. She had swum some 35 miles in ___18___ the 21-mile-wide Channel ___19___ a strong storm. But she had made it in 14 hours and 30 minutes. “Well, Pop,” she said to her father. “I ___20___ I get my car this time, don’t I?”

1. A. given     B. refused       C. allowed      D. promised

2. A. as   B. unless C. even if       D. when

3. A. suit B. shoe    C. hat      D. car

4. A. rushed    B. left     C. started D. worked

5. A. At midday     B. In the morning   C. In the evening    D. In the late afternoon

6. A. faster     B. better  C. again  D. across

7. A. stopping B. rising  C. changing    D. increasing

8. A. morning B. afternoon   C. evening      D. night

9. A. thought  B. considered  C. decided      D. felt

10. A. keep up       B. slow down  C. give up      D. take a rest

11. A. difficult       B. stupid C. impossible  D. unnecessary

12. A. go B. decide C. come out    D. go on

13. A. towards       B. with    C. at       D. against

14. A. realized       B. noticed       C. found out   D. thought

15. A. the distance        B. reach  C. sight   D. hand

16. A. over     B. in       C. with    D. from

17. A. fresh    B. greater       C. weakening  D. remaining

18. A. flying   B. swimming  C. crossing     D. passing

19. A. in spite of    B. because of  C. against       D. during

20. A. demand       B. am afraid   C. hope   D. guess