Now，perhaps，more than ever before，people are wondering what life is all about，and what it is for.Seeking material success is beginning to　26　large numbers of people around the world.They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is　27　up their lives，leaving them very little   28   or energy for family or hobbies.Many are turning to   29 　ways of living and downshifting is one of them.

Six percent of the workers in Britain took the decision to　30　last year.One couple who downshifted are Daniel and Liz.They　31　to work in central London.He was a newspaper reporter and she worked for an international bank.They　32　go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs，　33　their two children with a nanny.Nearly twice a month Daniel had to　34　New York for meetings.They both earned a large amount of  money　35　began to feel that life was passing them by.

Nowadays，they run　36　in the mountains of Wales.“I always wanted to have one here，”says Daniel，“and we took almost a year to　37　to downshift.It’s taken some time getting used to，but it’s been　38　it.We have to think　39　now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any　40　.However，I think it’s made us stronger as a family，and the children are a lot　41　.”

Liz，however，is not quite sure.“I used to enjoy my job，　 42　it was hard work and long hours.I’m not really a country girl，but I suppose I’m　43　getting used to looking after the animals.One thing I do　44　，though，is being able to see more of my children.My advice for other people wanting to do the　45　is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.”

26.A.trouble                 B.attract                       C.encourage                  D.frighten

27.A.putting                 B.looking                            C.building                    D.eating

28.A.money                  B.material                    C.spirit                         D.time

29.A.other                    B.simple                       C.free                          D.many

30.A.retire                    B.downshift                  C.rest                           D.travel

31.A.wanted                 B.liked                         C.used                          D.planned

32.A.should                  B.would                       C.might                        D.could

33.A.keeping                B.sending                     C.letting                       D.leaving

34.A.fly                       B.walk                         C.move                        D.run

35.A.and                      B.so                             C.but                           D.however

36.A.company                     B.farm                         C.house                        D.school

37.A.discuss                 B.study                        C.have                         D.make

38.A.worthy                 B.worth                        C.worthless                   D.worthwhile

39.A.once                     B.twice                        C.hardly                       D.worriedly

40.A.money                  B.holidays                    C.friends                      D.difficulties

41.A.more bored          B.more worried             C.happier                            D.cleverer

42.A.even though          B.when                        C.as if                          D.unless

43.A.directly                B.particularly                C.especially                  D.gradually

44.A.doubt                   B.admire                      C.like                           D.admit

45.A.job                       B.research                    C.experiment                D.same

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Nancy had just got a secretary's job in a big company to work in the sales department. Monday was the first day that she went to work, so she was very 　31 .She got up very early and arrived at the 　32　 at twenty to eight. She 　33　 the door open and found nobody there. “I am the 　34　 to arrive.” She thought and came to her desk. She was surprised to 　35　 a large bunch of flowers on it. They were fresh. She 　36　 the flowers from the desk and smelled them. “Oh, how lovely!” Nancy 　37　 joyfully. She then looked round for a 　38　 to put them in. “Somebody has sent me flowers the 　39　 first day!” She thought happily. “But who could it be?” She began to wonder.

    The day passed very 　40　 and Nancy did everything with great interest and 　41　 .For the following days of the week, the first thing Nancy did was to change water for the flowers. And then she 　42　 herself in her work.

    Then came another Monday. When she came near her desk she was overjoyed to see a(an) 　43　 bunch of flowers there. She quickly put them in the vase, replacing the old ones.

    The same thing happened again the next Monday, Nancy felt it 　44　 and this time she began to think of ways to find out the 　45　 .

    On Tuesday afternoon, she was sent to 　46　 a plan to the general manager's office. She had to stay for a while at his secretary's desk 　47　  his directives .She happened to see on the desk a big note book 　48　 “Records of managers' meetings”, and glanced at the 　49　 pages. Suddenly her eyes fell on these words: “In order to keep the secretaries 　50　 ,the company has decided that every Monday morning a bunch of fresh flowers should be sent to each secretary's desk.”

    Later, she was told that their general manager was a business management psychologist.

A. depressed              B. encouraged              C. excited              D. surprised

A. office                   B. workshop                C. Classroom               D. bookshop

A. forced                  B. pushed                    C. Turned             D. knocked

A. last                B. second                     C. Third                      D. first

A. uncover              B. smell                       C. Find                 D. pick

A. picked up             B. threw away              C. stared at           D. took up

A. cried                    B. Laughed                  C. wept                D. replied

A. jar                      B. Box                        C. bottle                      D. vase

A. happy                 B. very                        C. funny               D. quite

A. slowly                B. normally                 C. quickly             D. hardly

A. wisdom               B. bravery                   C. passion             D. enthusiasm

A. buried                      B. dressed                    C. Devoted           D. seated

A. old                     B. Red                         C. blue                 D. new

A. special                     B. angry                             C. strange            D. difficult

A. sender                 B. receiver                   C. manager           D. waiter

A. send for            B. hand out                  C. try out              D. hand in

A. asking for            B. waiting for           C. looking for         D. searching for

A. marked               B. written                    C. printed             D. signed

A. closed                 B. damaged                  C. pinned              D. half-opened

A. at home              B. on time                   C. in high spirits    D. in low spirits

 

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

     阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16-35各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

The Price of a Dream

　　I grew up poor—living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was 　16　 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 　17　 a dream.

My dream was 　18　. By the time I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and 　19　 anything that moved on the football field.

I was also  20　. My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me 　21　 to believe in myself. He 　22　 me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular 　23　 with Coach John changed my life forever.

　　A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike, new clothes and the 　24　 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　25　 up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.

　　When I told John, he was 　26　 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” He shouted. “Your 　27　 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head 　28　, trying to think of the right　29　 　that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　30　 in me.

　　“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” He asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied.

　　“Well,” he asked, “is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?”

　　That simple question made  31    for me the difference between  32 　something at once and having a 　33　. I decided myself to play sports that summer and the ___34    year after I finished high school, I was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　35　 a $ 20,000 contract. Finally, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

16. A. happy                       B. polite　                    C. shy　                                 D. honest

17. A. live                            B. have　　　           C. make　　　              D. need

18. A. athletics                      B. music　　　      C. business　　                   D. money

19. A. kick                            B. play                            C. pass　　　　                 D. hit

20. A. right                          B. popular　　            C. lucky　　　                   D. honest

21. A. how                           B. why　　　            C. when　　　              D. whether

22. A. gave                          B. taught　　　      C. brought　　　              D. asked

23. A. accident                       B. matter　　                 C. problem　　                  D. experience

24. A. aim　　　　        B. idea　　　         C. start　　　　              D. purpose

25. A. keep　　　         B. end　　　          C. give　　　　               D. pick

26. A. mad　　　　        B. mournful　         C. frightened　                D. shameful

27. A. living　　　          B. playing　　              C. working　　                 D. dreaming

28. A. moving　　          B. nodding　　            C. shaking　　                 D. hanging

29. A. answers　　        B. excuses　　            C. words　　　                D. ways

30. A. sadness　　     B. regret　                 C. hopelessness              D. disappointment

31. A. direct　　　　    B. clear　　                C. straight　　　       D. bare

32. A. wanting　　　     B. changing　　           C. dreaming　　              D. enjoying

33. A. wish　　　　　   B. goal　　　              C. score　　　　       D. desire

34. A. following　　　    B. same　　               C. previous　　                D. very

35. A. charged　　　　B. got　　　　             C. offered　　           D. presented

 

A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 　 31　 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning　 32　 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 　 33 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been 　34　 lessons—at age 54! I told her that it was very　 35　 that she was pursuing （追求） her passion（热情） to play the piano.

　 Then she asked me　 36　 question.

　 “I have been playing for 8 years now, ” I answered.

　 “Then you must play a song for me before you leave, ” she　 37 . I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she　 38　 me of our musical “ 39　 ”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room, 40 asked me to play a song for her. I thought　 41　 and decided to play David Lanz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for　 42　 , and it was my soul-searching song.

　 I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions　 43　 into it as possible. She loved it. 　 44　 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man! ”

　 I turned around. And there was an old lady　 45　 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to　 46　 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to　 47　 my bed, but your music made me feel good, ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked　 48　 back to her room.

　 I was deeply　 49　 by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s　 50　 for peace and joy.

31. A. observed 　　　B. watched

C. noticed 　　　　　D. caught

32. A. on 　　　B. at

C. over 　　　 D. against

33. A. player 　　　B. teacher

C. composer 　　　D. starter

34. A. giving 　　　B. attending

C. teaching 　　　 D. reviewing

35. A. interesting 　　　B. wonderful

C. moved 　　　　　　D. impressive

36. A. another 　　　B. a different

C. the same 　　　　D. other

37. A. advised 　　　B. ordered

C. demanded 　　　D. requested

38. A. warned 　　　B. reminded

C. asked 　　　　　D. required

39. A. course 　　　B. task

C. discussion 　　　D. deal

40. A. and 　　　　 B. but

C. as a result 　　　D. what’s more

41. A. for the moment 　　　B. at the moment

C. for a moment 　　　　　D. at a moment

42. A. music 　　　B. songs

C. the piano 　　　D. vitamins

43. A. dropping 　　　B. falling

C. pouring 　　　　　D. running

44. A. Since 　　　B. As

C. While 　　　　 D. Because

45. A. taking 　　　B. making

C. having 　　　　 D. moving

46. A. thank 　　　B. praise

C. admire 　　　　D. owe

47. A. get on 　　　B. get up

C. get off 　　　　 D. get down

48. A. quietly 　　　B. calmly

C. happily 　　　　 D. slowly

49. A. shocked 　　　B. touched

C. delighted 　　　　D. disturbed

50. A. world 　　　B. heart

C. brains 　　　　 D. dreams

Any housewife who went to the new supermarket wished to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. This was what the 　21　just inside the entrance 　22　.It said: “Remember,　23　,one of our customers gets 　24　goods. THIS MAY BE YOUR LUCKY DAY!” For quite a long time Mrs. Edwards　25, like many of her  26, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never　27　hoping. The 　28　in the kitchen was full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her 　29　buying so many things but failed. She 　30　dreamed of the DAY when the manager of the supermarket would come up to her and say, “Madam, THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY. Everything in your 　31　doesn’t need to be paid!” One Friday afternoon Mrs. Edwards shopped  32　.But she was not the lucky customer. No sooner had she just put the things inside her 　33　than she found that she had forgotten to 　34　tea. She dashed back to the 　35　, got some tea and went towards the　36　.As she did so, she saw the 　37　came.　38　his hand he said, “I want to 　39　you. You are our LUCKY CUSTOMER this week! Everything you have in your basket　40　 !”

1.A .notice     B. report           C. board            D. newspaper

2. A. did       B. promised     C. made         D. agreed

3.A. every day  B. every month  C. twice a week D. once a week

4.A. excellent B. free             C. extra            D. unexpected

5. A. waited        B. came             C. hoped        D. went

6.A. friends        B. neighbors        C. relatives        D. customers

7. A. got rid of    B. got along with   C. gave up      D. gave out

8.A. counter    B. cushion      C. food             D . cupboard

9. A. against       B. for          C. with             D. about

10.A. often         B. always       C. usually      D. seldom

11.A. bill      B. hand         C. car          D. basket

12.A. anxiously     B. seriously        C. crazily      D. wonderfully

13.A. pockets   B. car          C. basket       D. house

14. A. buy      B. find             C. take             D. have

15.A. shop      B. counter      C. department   D. supermarket

16.A. door      B. entrance         C. cash-desk        D. shelves

17.A. secretary B. policeman        C. manager     D. salesman

18. A. Putting out B. Holding out C. Shaking      D. Waving

19.A. congratulate B .tell          C. inform          D. thank

20.A. is yours      B. means nothing    C. belongs to you  D. costs nothing