When it came time to vote for the speaker at graduation in the class meeting, Ms. Lenihan asked who would like to be our class speaker. Being a (an) 1 girl, I tried not to make eye contact. Seeing several classmates go up to the front to state why they should be the speakers, I felt a sense of 2 . But at last Ms. Lenihan 3 in front of us and said, “We will have another meeting this week, and I expect to see more participation. I am 4 that some of you are just sitting there when you should be up here!” When she said those words, I looked up to see she was glaring right at me. I felt so nervous, but knowing she had so much 5 in me, I should not let her down.
After spending the whole week practicing a speech, I stood up in front of my classmates. There were eight to ten other participants, and I didn’t 6 much for myself. When the votes came in the next day, Ms. Lenihan announced that the class chose me! I would have to stand up in front of our entire school to make a speech. My 7 level went through the roof, but Ms. Lenihan told me she was glad that I had stepped up to the 8 .
Over the next month I worked on my graduation speech. When I stood up in front of the whole school, I was still nervous, 9 when I looked at Ms. Lenihan, I remembered the whole reason I was up there was that she had faith in me. I believe I 1 0 that day, and will always remember the encouragement that Ms. Lenihan gave me.
1 ． A ． shy B ． honest C ． outgoing D ． lazy
2 ． A ． duty B ． shame C ． loss D ． relief
3 ． A ． stayed up B ． climbed up C ． marched up D ． pulled up
4 ． A ． disappointed B ． depressed C ． embarrassed D ． frightened
5 ． A ． faith B ． interest C ． pride D ． ambition
6 ． A ． win B ． expect C ． prove D ． share
7 ． A ． threat B ． anxiety C ． excitement D ． tolerance
8 ． A ． achievement B ． destination C ． failure D ． challenge
9 ． A ． till B ． then C ． but D ． so
1 0 ． A ． proceeded B ． promised C ． innovated D ． transformed
1 ． A
2 ． D
3 ． C
4 ． A
5 ． A
6 ． B
7 ． B
8 ． D
9 ． C
1 0 ． D
【分析】
本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了作者自己是一个害羞的女孩，最终在老师的帮助下站在全校师生面前发表毕业演讲。
1 ．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：作为一个害羞的女孩，我尽量不去和别人有眼神交流。 A. shy 害羞的； B. honest 诚实的； C. outgoing 外向的； D. lazy 懒的。根据 “I tried not to make eye contact.” 可知，作者是一个害羞的女孩。故选 A 。
2 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：看到几个同学走到前面陈述为什么他们应该是演讲者，我感到如释重负。 A. duty 责任； B. shame 羞愧； C. loss 损失； D. relief 欣慰。根据 “Seeing several classmates go up to the front to state why they should be the speakers,” 可知，有同学主动做班级的发言人，作者不需要演讲，所以感到如释重负。故选 D 。
3 ．考查动词短语词义辨析。句意：但最后勒尼汉老师走到我们面前说： “ 这周我们还会有另一次会议，我希望看到更多的参与。我很失望，你们中有些人应该站在这里，却只是坐在那里 ! ”A. stayed up 熬夜； B. climbed up 爬上； C. marched up 挺进； D. pulled up 停下。根据 “in front of us and said,” 可知，勒尼汉老师走到学生们的前面讲话。故选 C 。
4 ．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：但最后勒尼汉老师走到我们面前说， “ 这周我们还会有另一次会议，我希望看到更多的参与。我很失望，你们中有些人应该站在这里，却只是坐在那里 ! ” A. disappointed 失望的； B. depressed 沮丧的； C. embarrassed 尴尬的； D. frightened 害怕的。根据 “some of you are just sitting there when you should be up here!” 可知，勒尼汉老师对不踊跃参加的同学感到失望。故选 A 。
5 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：我感到很紧张，但是知道她对我有这么多的信心，我不应该让她失望。 A. faith 信念； B. interest 兴趣； C. pride 自豪； D. ambition 雄心。 have faith in 相信。根据 “I should not let her down.” 和 “When I stood up in front of the whole school, I was still nervous, 9 when I looked at Ms. Lenihan, I remembered the whole reason I was up there was that she had faith in me.” 可知，勒尼汉老师对作者很有信心。故选 A 。
6 ．考查动词词义辨析。句意：还有 8 到 10 个参与者，我对自己的期望不高。 A. win 赢得； B. expect 期望； C. prove 证明； D. share 分享。根据 “There were eight to ten other participants,” 可知，因为参与者很多，所以作者对自己的期望不高。故选 B 。
7 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：我的焦虑程度飙升到了极点，但勒尼汉老师告诉我，她很高兴我接受了挑战。 A. threat 威胁； B. anxiety 焦虑； C. excitement 激动； D. tolerance 容忍。根据 “I would have to stand up in front of our entire school to make a speech.” 可知，作者要站在全校师生面前发表演讲，所以非常焦虑。故选 B 。
8 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：我的焦虑程度飙升到了极点，但勒尼汉老师告诉我，她很高兴我接受了挑战。 A. achievement 成就； B. destination 目的地； C. failure 失败； D. challenge 挑战。根据 “Being a (an) 1 girl, I tried not to make eye contact.” 可知作者是个害羞的女孩，能够战胜自我，在全校师生面前发表演讲，这是一个挑战。故选 D 。
9 ．考查连词词义辨析。句意：当我站在全校师生面前的时候，我仍然很紧张，但当我看着勒尼汉老师的时候，我想起了我站在那里的全部原因是她对我有信心。 A. till 直到； B. then 然后； C. but 但是； D. so 因此。根据 “When I stood up in front of the whole school, I was still nervous,” 可知，前后句为转折关系，所以用连词 but 。故选 C 。
1 0 ．考查动词词义辨析。句意：我相信那天我改变了，也会永远记得勒尼汉老师给我的鼓励。 A. proceeded 开始； B. promised 答应； C. innovated 改革； D. transformed 改变。根据 “and will always remember the encouragement that Ms. Lenihan gave me.” 可知，勒尼汉老师给作者鼓励，所以作者相信自己改变了。故选 D 。
请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。
Feeling extreme loneliness can increase an older person’s risk of premature (过早的)death by 14 percent, according to research by John Cacioppo, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago.
Cacioppo and his colleagues’ work shows that the impact of loneliness on premature death is nearly as strong as the impact of disadvantaged socioeconomic status, which they found increases the chances of dying early by 19 percent. A 2010 meta﹣analysis showed that loneliness has twice as much impact on early death as obesity does, he said.
The researchers looked at dramatic differences in the rate of decline in physical and mental health as people aged. Cacioppo and his colleagues have examined the role of satisfying relationships on older people to develop their resilience ([rɪˈzɪliəns] 快速恢复的能力；适应力), the ability to feel better quickly after something unpleasant, and grow from stresses in life.
The consequences for health are dramatic, as feeling isolated or separated from others can disturb sleep, elevate blood pressure, increase morning rises in the stress hormone cortisol ([‘kɔ:tɪsɒl] 皮质醇), change the gene expression in immune cells, increase depression and lower overall subjective well﹣being, Cacioppo pointed out in a talk, “ Rewarding Social Connections Promote Successful Aging.”
Cacioppo, one of the nation’s leading experts on loneliness, said older people can avoid the consequences of loneliness by staying in touch with former co﹣workers, taking part in family traditions, and sharing good times with family and friends ﹣ all of which give older adults a chance to connect with others about whom they care and who care about them.
”Retiring to Florida to live in a warmer climate among strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea if it means you are disconnected from the people who mean much to you,” said Cacioppo. Population changes make understanding the role of loneliness and health all the more important,he explained. “People have to think about how to protect themselves from depression, low subjective well﹣being and early death. “
Although some people are happy to be alone, most people develop from social situations in which they provide mutual support and establish a strong bond. Evolution encourages people to work together to survive and accordingly most people enjoy companionship compared to be alone.
It is not solitude (独处)or physical isolation itself, but rather the subjective sense of isolation that Cacioppo’s work shows to be so destructive. Older people living alone are not necessarily lonely if they remain actively engaged in social life and enjoy the company of those around them. Some aspects of aging, such as blindness and loss of hearing, however, place people at special risk of becoming isolated and lonely, he said.
| Passage outline | Supporting details |
| The main idea | Chances are that older people will die early if they feel extremely 51．. |
| 52． with loneliness | • Like disadvantaged socioeconomic status and obesity, loneliness can 53． old men’s premature death. • When 54． from others, one will find physical health impacted and tend to feel depressive and unhappy. |
| Suggestions | • Keep in touch with others and take part in 55． activities. • Choosing to live in a pleasant climate don’t necessarily make sense if the elder are disconnected from people who are 56． to them. • Think about how to57． depression, low subjective well﹣being and early death. • Work together with others to 58．, to gain mutual support and establish a strong bond. |
| Conclusions | • The sense of isolation, rather than solitude or physical isolation itself, isn’t 59．to elders. • Living alone doesn’t mean loneliness if older people live an 60． social life. |