In high school I had a math teacher, Mrs. Davies, who took her job seriously and expected her students to put forth the same degree of commitment (付出). Strict but fair, she held our attention with her great method. One of her    1    was for students who were more advanced academically. I chose to    2    it and soon realized that the course was a bit over my head. I    3    with the complex problems that others seemed to learn without much effort.

One Friday we were tested    4    our ability to use a theorem (定理) that no one in the class thoroughly understood. The teacher would    5    our papers based on our ability to progress through the problem which easily filled two pages of formulaic notations (公式符号). I was absolutely    6   . Finally, I didn't use the required theorem. Instead, I decided to use more familiar theorems to arrive at an    7   . I knew I had failed because I hadn't done the    8    assignment. I became resigned (顺从) to my fate.

Our test papers were    9    back the following Monday. Everyone received a "C" except for me. To my surprise, I received an "A". I    10    that there must be a mistake. I watched    11    as the teacher approached my desk, smiled, and asked for my test    12    back. She then went back to copy my work onto the blackboard,    13    the class how I had arrived at the correct answer. "Mathematics is meant to be a creative tool, pushing our minds to a rewarding answer," she said with confidence.    14    I didn't use the required theorem, she seemed really proud of how I'd worked through the problem. The class saw her fold my test paper and put it into her textbook. She announced that it would be    15    with future classes.

My teacher would have been justified (合理的) in giving me a    16    grade. Instead, she used the    17    to deeply influence a student who often struggled. And after forty years, I still cherish the    18   . It helped change my self-image. I    19    up to a broad boundary of possibilities which has made my life an adventure. She understood that teaching went beyond strict demands and could be used to    20    Thank you, Mrs. Davies.

1．A．ways                B．tasks                      C．tests                       D．classes

2．A．run                   B．take                       C．teach                      D．like

3．A．compared          B．struggled                C．connected               D．argued

4．A．on                    B．at                           C．in                          D．for

5．A．explain             B．collect                    C．print                      D．grade

6．A．tired                 B．curious                   C．lost                        D．satisfied

7．A．effect               B．end                        C．answer                   D．interest

8．A．completed         B．proved                   C．fixed                      D．required

9．A．handed             B．held                       C．thrown                   D．dated

10．A．hoped             B．assumed                 C．declared                 D．dreamed

11．A．angrily            B．regretfully              C．disappointedly        D．nervously

12．A．paper              B．score                      C．question                 D．method

13．A．helping           B．following               C．showing                 D．praising

14．A．Since              B．Unless                    C．Though                  D．Because

15．A．shared             B．exchanged              C．practised                D．checked

16．A．friendly          B．failing                    C．corrected                D．wrong

17．A．possibility       B．creation                  C．intention                D．opportunity

18．A．change            B．memory                 C．school                    D．life

19．A．opened            B．kept                       C．made                     D．looked

20．A．learn               B．survive                   C．inspire                   D．manage

  A South Korean man and the 21 ducklings he has been raising as his children ever since they hatched have been breaking the internet with their amazing bond. A video that recently went viral in the western world shows the cute birds following their “mother” on a mountain hike and listening to his every command.

The middle-aged man, whose name is not revealed in the video, has been taking care of his 21 ducklings ever since they were eggs, making sure the incubation( 孵 化 ) period went smoothly, and even helping the tiny birds break through their shell when it came time to hatch. He was the first thing they laid eyes on in this world, and he has remained the most important figure in their lives since.

Ducklings naturally follow their mother around, and since the man was the one who acted as their mother, these birds follow him everywhere, even up a mountain. To them it’s only natural, but the middle-aged man considers it training and conditioning for the time when he finally releases them into the wild. He would love to raise them all as pets, but knows that wouldn’t be ideal for him or the birds, so he’s making sure that they are strong enough to survive in the wild.

The video shows the ducks following the middle-aged man as he hikes up a mountain outside Seoul, stopping whenever he does and refusing to follow anyone else, even if they give the same “let’s go” command their human mother does. Unless they hear his voice and see him moving, they don’t budge. It’s actually quite remarkable. I mean, it’s one thing to see dogs acting like this, but ducklings? That’s something else.

While it’s not clear what the man does for a living, I’m pretty sure he has a lot of experience with ducks, as at one point he reveals a certificate for “father of ducklings” dated 2005.

1．What can we learn from the video?

A．The ducklings just broke through their shells.

B．The man accidentally saved some ducklings.

C．The ducklings just obeyed the man naturally.

D．The man took pride in his ducklings.

2．What’s the man’s purpose of raising the ducklings?

A．To make a living by performing.

B．To film a video to attract attention.

C．To free them into the wild one day.

D．To make a contribution to a bird reserve.

3．Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “budge” in Paragraph 4?

A．Attack.                                                     B．Move.

C．End.                                                         D．Struggle.

4．What can be the best title for the text?

A．“Father” and “mother” of cute pets

B．Man raises ducklings as his “children”

C．Ducklings also regarded as good pets

D．Amazing bond between man and animals

    Van Gogh painted sunflowers for the first time in the summer of 1886.Two years later, his interest appeared again after he settled in Arles. After he had invited the French artist Paul Gauguin, whom he admired, to join his Studio of the South, he began painting sunflowers to brighten up the whitewashed walls of the yellow house he was living in, not far from the town’s railway station.

Gauguin accepted Van Gogh’s invitation. When he began dragging his heels(脚后跟), Van Gogh painted the last two of the four original Sunflowers for the modest bedroom where his guest would sleep following his arrival that autumn, “Van Gogh saw the Sunflowers for Gauguin’s bedroom as a way of attracting his friend to come from Brittany, “says Bailey.

According to Martin Gayford, “Gauguin was very surprised by the Sunflowers, which he repeatedly praised and asked for as a gift. Years later, Gauguin himself painted some sunflower pictures.”

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers stand for (代表)his relationship with Gauguin. “I think he painted them for the joy of it,” says Jansen. “Van Gogh was at the height of his powers in the summer of 1888,”explains Bailey. “He painted the Sunflowers quickly and with great energy and confidence.” Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo in late August, “I’m painting quickly now, which won’t surprise you when it’s a question of painting large Sunflowers.”

Van Gogh recognized at once that he had created something important and that his sunflowers were so different. As he told Theo in January 1889, while other artists were known for painting other flowers, “The sunflower is mine.” This, in fact, explains the reason for the popularity of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers today.

1．Van Gogh painted sunflowers in 1888 in order to ________.

A．give them to Gauguin                                 B．make his living

C．decorate his house                                      D．show his artistic talent to others

2．Where were the last two Sunflowers placed by Van Gogh? ________.

A．In the British museum                                B．In Gauguin’s bedroom

C．In the town’s railway station                        D．In a rich businessman's house

3．How did Gauguin feel about Van Gogh’s painting——the Sunflowers? ________.

A．Very bad                                                   B．Just so­so

C．Rather worried                                          D．Quite surprised

4．From the last two paragraphs we can learn that ________.

A．Van Gogh was not good at painting large Sunflowers

B．Van Gogh had much trouble in painting the Sunflowers

C．Van Gogh didn’t like his Sunflowers at all at that time

D．Van Gogh realized the Sunflowers would make him known

    When going through major life changes, like changing careers, I would change the people with whom I spent the most time. We’ve all gone through periods when the people in our lives have changed—graduation, moving to a new city, getting a new job, joining a new club, etc. I don’t think I need to convince you just how much influence other people can have over your identity. If you’ve ever experienced a major switch in your people environment, then you know that you change as well.

Most people don’t make these choices consciously though. You might consciously decide to spend more time with a certain friend, or you may ask someone out on a date to begin a new relationship. But few people choose their existing friendships deliberately.

There’s no “getting rid of people”. People are always dropping into and out of each other’s lives. Associations grow into friendships, and friendships fade into associations. You don’t get rid of anyone. The truth is that in order to make room for new people and new experiences, you may need to loosen up some of your existing connections.

What about loyalty? Shouldn’t you always be loyal to your friends? Once you have a close friend, even if their influence on you is slightly harmful, shouldn’t you stick by them?

Loyalty to a friend sometimes means having to let go. It means being loyal to their highest and best as well. If someone is destroying his health by smoking, for example, you aren’t showing loyalty by smoking right along with him. True loyally sometimes requires that you break damaging connections, get yourself back on solid ground, and then decide what you can really do to help your friend.

It can take a lot of courage to tell someone, “I’m sorry, but I can’t have you in my life anymore." But even though this might seem like a selfish act at times, it’s often the best thing for the other person too. If a relationship is holding you back in some way, understand that it is also hurting the other person. For example, if you work for a violent boss, your acceptance of that situation is considered to be silent approval, encouraging your boss to continue to behave violently.

1．When experiencing major life changes, people may ________.

A．join a new social community                       B．influence their friends around

C．choose their friendships purposely               D．have their people environment changed

2．What can be concluded from Paragraph 3 in the passage?

A．Everyone has at least one friend.

B．Friendship still exists though there’s less connection.

C．It is unnecessary to make new friends.

D．You ought to treat your old and new friend equally.

3．What is the author’s opinion on the loyalty to friends?

A．Never betray your close friends whatever happens.

B．Correct their mistakes while you guard their goodness.

C．Stick by your friends even though they do harm lo you.

D．Break up with your friends immediately if they smoke.

4．How should we behave when employed by a violent boss?

A．We should accept what we are told to do.

B．We should stay silent and be in favor of it.

C．We should bravely disobey him if he is wrong.

D．We should give our boss courage to continue.

    Behind most of the bad things we do to our bodies as adults, eating more than we should is the idea we carry with us from childhood. On one hand, we assume that we are indestructible. On the other hand, we think that any damage we impose on ourselves can be undone when wβfinally clean up our act.

If the evidence for how wrong the first idea is isn’t apparent when you stand naked in front of the mirror, just wait. But what if you eat right and drop all your bad habits? Is there still time to repair the damage?

To a surprising degree, the answer is yes. Over the past five years, scientists have collected a wealth of data about what happens when aging people with bad habits decide to turn their lives around.

The heartening conclusion: the body has an amazing ability to heal itself, provided the damage is not too great.

The effects of some bad habits-smoking, in particular-can haunt you for decades. But the damage from other habits can be largely healed.

“Any time you improve your behavior and make lifestyle changes, they make a difference from that point on.”says Dr. Jeffey Koplan.“Maybe not right away. It’s like slamming on the brakes. You do need a certain distance.”

But the distance can be remarkably short. Consider the recent announcements from the front lines of medical research: ---A study concluded that women who consume as little as two servings of fish a week cut their risk of suffering a stroke to half that of women who eat less than one serving of fish a month. ---The day you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide levels in your body drop dramatically. Within weeks, your blood becomes less sticky and your risk of dying from a heart attack starts to decline ... Adopting healthy habits won’t cure all that bothers you, of course. But doctors believe that many chronic diseases-from high blood pressure to heart disease and even some cancers-can be warded off with a few sensible changes in lifestyle.

Not sure where to start? Surprisingly, it doesn’t matter, since one positive change usually leads to another. Make enough changes, and you'll discover you’ve adopted a new way of life.

1．Most people with bad habits of eating more than they should believe that        .

A．their bodies cannot be damaged by the bad habits

B．they can force themselves to clean up the had habits later

C．their bodies can heal all the damage without the help from outside

D．they can never change the habits that have developed for decades

2．The evidence against the assumption that we are indestructible        .

A．is seldom apparent                                     B．is clearly shown in the mirror

C．is still a question                                        D．will appear obvious sooner or later

3．According to the recent announcements        .

A．women should eat as much fish as possible

B．men don’t have to eat as much fish as women

C．eating a little more fish can improve women’s health

D．women are at a higher risk of suffering a stroke than men

4．It is implied in the passage that        .

A．the blood of smokers is more sticky than that of non-smokers

B．chronic diseases can be cured ifwe drop our habit of smoking

C．smokers have lower levels of carbon monoxide than non-smokers

D．smokers will be unlikely to die from heart attack if they quit smoking