I wrote my first novel when I was 20. It was a _21___. I didn‘t know how to properly format dialogue or _22___ a plot. Those were all __23__ I planned to work out later. I gave the book to my father to read, and within a day he left me a voice mail saying that it was __24___ and that I was going to sell it for $300,000.

___25___, and rather quickly, the book was _26___ by every publisher in New York. If there were a literary prize for Most Rejections, I would have won it. I was _27____, of course, but I know better than to _28____— writing wasn’t an easy job, and if this book wasn’t my _29___ in, maybe the next one would be. I got back to work.

But this scenario(剧情) happened again: I wrote books…and then they wouldn‘t _30___ . Still, my father’s faith in me never wavered(摇摆), even _31___  I worked a lot of other jobs. Some of the jobs, like being a bookseller, were great, and _32____ to my writing life. Some, like selling overpriced jeans to 12-year-olds, were only good to some extent (在某种程度上）as they were material for future __33___.  And they were -- because it finally __34___. I sold a book! I was going to make it ！

 I completely agree with the inspiring speaker and author John Maxwell’s words: “ Successful and unsuccessful people do not _35____ greatly in their abilities but in their ___36___ to reach their potential.” Life’s not __37__ . It never was, it isn’t now, it won’t ever be. But do not fall into the trap of feeling you are a __38____, you are not. Get over it and __39___ with it. And yes, most things are more __40___ when you break a sweat to get them.

21. A. mess              B. mix                       C. confusion               D.puzzle

22. A follow             B. structure              C discover               D hatch

23. A. facts                  B. messages                 C. meanings                  D.details

24. A. practical             B. complex                  C. wonderful                D. dissatisfactory

25. A. So                    B. Instead                    C.Therefore                 D. Regardless

26. A. rejected              B. accepted                  C. admitted                  D. commented

27. A. depressed           B. surprised                 C. frightened                D. embarrassed

28. A. pass by              B. fight for                   C. give up                    D. write on

29. A. card                  B. ticket                       C. pen                         D. bill

30. A. write                 B. buy                         C. work                       D. sell

31. A. if                       B. because                   C. as                           D. since

32. A. turned                B. opened                    C. led                          D. contributed

33. A. lives                  B. decisions                 C. stories                     D. jobs

34. A. happened           B. failed                       C. made                       D. passed

35. A. vary                  B. change                    C. match                     D. diversify

36. A. request              B. demand                   C. hope                       D. desire

37. A. sad                    B. happy                      C. hard                        D. easy

38. A. witness              B. loser                     C. owner                     D. winner

39. A. get round           B. get on                    C. get about                 D. get by

40. A. challenging         B. demanding               C. rewarding                D. paying

   Looking for a great summer read? Kid reporters from Time For Kids have reviewed the season's hottest new books. They have recommended a list of kid-approved page-turners (儿童最喜爱的读物) to our readers. Whether you’re fond of mysterious, fantastic or realistic fictions, there’s always one that suits you.

Three Bird Summer

By Sara St. Antoine

Reviewed by Camryn Garrett

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Number of pages: 256

What’s the basic story line?

For his entire life, 12-year- old Adam has spent summers at his grandma’s cabin in Minnesota. But this year things are different. His parents have divorced. Apart from that, Adam’s cousins won’t be vacationing at the cabin with him. Also, Grandma seems to be acting differently. At first, she’s just a bit more forgetful than usual. But after spending more time with her, Adam realizes Grandma is “slipping.”

There are new neighbors at the cabin this summer, including a girl at Adam’s age named Alice. At first, Adam isn’t interested in spending time with her. But as time goes by, their friendship flourishes(繁荣). Throughout this unusual summer, Adam searches for hidden treasure with his new friend and begins to uncover family secrets as well.

Are the characters believable?

The characters are believable because they don’t have cookie-cutter(雷同的) personalities. Adam is quiet and shy and finds girls difficult to understand. Alice is adventurous and unlike any girl he has ever met. Readers will likely see aspects of their personalities in the characters and recognize their friendship too.

Who would like this book?

Anyone who appreciates memories of family vacations or summertime in general will enjoy the vivid imagination that fills Three Bird Summer. Readers will fall into the story, almost as if they’re actually spending the summer exploring Three Bird Lake with Adam and Alice.

41. While spending his summer at his grandma’s cabin this year, Adam ________.

A. became friends with his cousins                 B. developed a friendship with a little girl

C. annoyed his grandma occasionally               D. played with Alice in the fields nearby

42.The book is likely to appeal to kids because _______.

A. it describes country life.                             B. it talks about school life.

C. it related to their experience.                       D. it is written in simple words.

43. The text is written to __________.

A. praise a writer for his great work.               B. recommend a good book to readers.

C. encourage readers to do more reading         D. discuss how to spend summer holidays.

Last month, Justin Valdez, a college student, was shot in a subway station in San Francisco. The surveillance video(监控录像) showed that before Justin was killed, the killer pulled out his gun several times, and even wiped his nose with it. However, nobody noticed the killer. The surrounding passengers all focused on their cell phones.

We may see the same scene everywhere in our life: in subway stations, restaurants, elevators and so on, people are watching their cell phones. From a family reunion to a date with a friend, people couldn’t stop checking their twitter and facebook on the cell phones and ignoring the persons in front completely, Phubbing(低头症) not only involves young people, but also the elderly and kids.

“Phubbing” is a new term which comes from the words“phone” and “snub”(冷落). It describes the habit of snubbing someone in favor of a cell phone. The word “phubbing” was included in the Australian National Dictionary in 2012. Obviously, the indifference (冷漠) and rudeness of the information age are spreading globally.

A Stop Phubbing campaign website has been set up. You can find the slogan of the website as follows: “stop twittering, stop posting photos…enjoy your food, enjoy the music and respect others.”

Phubbing appears harmless. However, it does influence our life. Jimmy, an epicure(美食家), wrote in his blog: “I can no longer focus on what I am eating since I started twittering. My skill of food photography has improved very fast, while my interest in food drops as a result.” Let us put down our cell phones and re-enjoy the real taste of our food and the warmth of interpersonal communication.

44. The case of Justin Valdez is given in the first paragraph to show       .

A. gun violence happens easily in the US         B. phubbing may lead to terrible disasters

C. the killer didn’t mean to kill him                  D. the killer had made a careful plan

45. What will probably happen when you ask a phubbing person for help?

A. He will give you an immediate reply.            B. He will stop looking at his cell phone.

C. He will pay no attention to you.                   D. He will be very angry with you.

46. Jimmy’s words suggest that       .

A. phubbing is actually harmless      

B. phubbing stops people enjoying their life

C. phubbing affects people’s eating habits the most

D. phubbing helps people improve their photographic skills

47. What is the text mainly about?

A. The phenomenon of phubbing.

B. The popular campaign of stop phubbing.

C. The meaning of the word “phubbing”.

D. The great harm of phubbing.

Future history books might record that we were robbed of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we fail to see anything on the way, Air travel gives you a bird’s eye view of the world ---or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way. When you travel by car or train, you are moving so quickly that you do not see the countryside clearly. Car drivers are forever thinking about going on and on. They never want to stop. Is it the great motorways that attract them, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mentioning. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: “I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea.” You mention the place names in the world like EI Dorado, Kabul and someone is sure to say, “I have been there”, meaning I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else.

   When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is achieved, is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this, you suspend (中止) all experience; the present stops being a reality: you might just as well be dead.

  The traveler on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present. For him traveling and arriving are one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. H e experiences, the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical tiredness. Satisfying sleep will be his: the just reward of all true travelers.

48. The underlined words “get in your way” in Paragraph I can be replaced, by ____.

A. block your sights                                                       B. expand your range of vision

C. prevent you from going out of the plane halfway     D. make your travel continue

49. What does the author think of the travelers mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A. They get a good view of the landscape.

B. They make full use of their eyes.

C. They fail to see the scenery with their heart.

D. The y are eager to see everything on the way.

50. Why does “the present”mean “nothing ”when we travel at high speeds?

A. Because we change our aims all the time.

B. Because we are eager to go to another place.

C. Because we are looking forward to the future life.

D. Because we cannot enjoy the experience we have had.

51. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Different travelers   B. The use of eyes     C. Ways of traveling   D. True traveling

   The documentary “Under the Dome” went viral (走红)online just before Chinese lawmakers opened their yearly meeting. The film examines the health effects of China’s massive air pollution, or smog problem. It also presents the difficulties environmental officials face in enforcing laws.

   A former reporter for China’s state-run television, Chai Jing, produced the documentary. It argues that state-run businesses, especially energy companies, are part of China’s pollution problem.

   At the end of National People’s Congress meeting, a reporter asked Prime Minister Li Keqiang whether he thought the film was correct. Are big oil companies barriers to environmental law enforcement? Mr. Li said under this year's Environmental Protection Law officials are committed to taking legal action against those who add to the pollution problem. He said anyone involved in acts of illegal production and emissions will be brought to justice. He said the government must make businesses that illegally emit(排放) and dump(丢弃) pay a price too heavy to accept.

   Others also commented on the film before it was banned, including former basketball star Yao Ming. Mr. Yao served as a representative at the legislative meetings. He said he had watched the film and was thankful for the information film producer Chai Jing made public. He said the film expressed the feelings in many people’s hearts.

A respiratory(呼吸的) expert and representative at the legislative(立法的) meetings also spoke to VOA about “Under the Dome.” Zhong Nanshan said Chai Jing’s film takes a good look at where smog comes from, how harmful it is and the efforts being taken to deal with it. Previously, Mr. Zhong said that China’s smog is an even scarier problem than the serious illness SARS.

52. The documentary “Under the Dome” suggests that ______.

A. water pollution in China has very bad effect on people’s health.

B. energy companies take all the blame for China’s pollution.

C. all the state-run companies know nothing about environment protection.

D. China’s environmental departments face troubles when dealing with pollution.

53. From Para.3, we can infer that ______

A. The Chinese government will take more measures to deal with air pollution.

B. Companies must pay a lot of money before they cause some pollution.

C. Prime Minister Li praised environmental officials.

D. Prime Minister Li doesn’t think highly of the film.

54. What does the underlined phrases “be brought to justice” probably mean?

A. Be questioned      B. Be removed     C. Be grounded            D. Be punished

55. What is Yao Ming’s attitude to the film  “Under the Dome”?

A. Indifferent         B. Supportive       C. Doubtful                D. Negative