Facing fear is one of the most important things you can do. Some people have a fear of failure and others a fear of success. It may seem strange but neither one is a good fear. You might think the fear of failure could be a good thing but it’s not, particularly if the fear of failure keeps you from accomplishing anything.
For myself, I have a huge fear of failure but I am good at facing that fear and overcoming it. I don’t let my fear of failure cause me to delay(延误) my decision or get me off the track. I use the fear to make sure I’m doing my absolute best at all times because I know if I don’t do my best I will fail. That frightens me. I’m not afraid of trying at all.
I started a business when I was married to my first wife. The business became successful and I was getting ready to make some huge money. However, my wife just wanted us to stay small because she was comfortable there. She feared what success might bring and did every little thing she could to make sure we didn’t grow any bigger. I’m sure you can see the problem. I had a fear of failure and she had an even bigger fear of success. Finally I couldn’t stand any more of her fear and we got a divorce.
Facing fear and overcoming fear is very important. People even have a fear of fear. I’m sure that it is normal. People fear change more than anything else and fight that change with fear. They fear what they don’t know or understand. They fear anything new to them. But we need to keep in mind that the world is changing all the time and that change is inevitable (不可避免的). You can live a life free of fear by learning to face your fears.
1.From the first paragraph, we can learn that the fear of failure________.
A. is better than the fear of success
B. is a good thing to most of us
C. is more common than the fear of success
D. may stop us from getting successful
2. It can be inferred that when the writer’s small business became successful, _____.
A. he feared to grow bigger
B. he feared to lose his money
C. something went wrong with their marriage
D. he was as comfortable as his wife
3.What’s the writer’s purpose of telling his own experience with his first wife?
A. To explain two kinds of fears.
B. To tell his problem in his early career.
C. To explain the bad effects of different fears.
D. To show the fear of failure is a good thing.
4.People who have a fear of fear___________.
A. often fail to understand something new to them
B. just want to live an unchangeable life
C. believe that change is inevitable
D. fear that they can’t change
Mark felt that it was time for him to take part in his community activities, so he went to the neighborhood meeting after work. The city councilman(议员) was leading a discussion about the decreasing life quality. The neighborhood faced many problems.
Mark looked at the charts taped to the walls. There are charts for crime, parking problems, and for problems in vacant(空置的)buildings. People were supposed to suggest solutions to the councilman.
It was too much for Mark. “The problems are too big,” he thought. He turned to the man next to him and said, “I think this is a waste of my time. Nothing I could do would make a difference here.”
Mark thought some more on his way to the bus stop. “People should just take care of themselves,” he decided. “That’s enough to do. I can’t take on all the problems of the world.”
As he neared the bus stop, Mark saw a woman carrying a grocery bag and a baby. She was trying to unlock her car, but she didn’t have a free hand. As Mark got closer, her other child, a little boy, suddenly darted into the street. The woman tried to reach for him, but as she moved, her bag shifted and groceries started to fall out. Mark ran to take the boy’s arm and led him back to his mother. Then he picked up the groceries while the woman smiled in relief. “Thanks!” she said. “You have got great timing!”
“Just being neighborly,” Mark said. As he rode home, he glanced at the walls of the bus. On one of them was “Small acts of kindness add up.” Mark smiled and thought, “ Maybe that’s a good place to start.”
1.We learn from the passage that_____.
A. Mark always played an active part in community activities
B. the city councilman was responsible for the decreasing of life quality
C. the seriousness of problems is made known to people in the community
D. many people were discouraged by the many problems facing them
2.The underlined word “darted” in Paragraph 5 means______.
A. walked B. looked C. fell D. ran
3.The words on the bus wall imply that______.
A. if you are kind to others, you will be treated the same way
B. everyone can play his own part to make things better
C. all small acts will add up to kindness
D. it is a small act to help a person in need
4.This passage mainly wants to tell us______.
A. how each of us can help make a difference
B. how a neighborhood meeting can solve its problems
C. how citizens react to the problems they face
D. how problems are solved through group action
George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America’s greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.
Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.
In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.
George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.
1.Many of Gershwin’s musical works were ________ .
A. composed for Paul Whiteman
B. performed in various ways
C. played mainly in the countryside
D. written about New Yorkers
2.What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?
A. It attracted more people to theatres.
B. It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.
C. It caused a debate among jazz musicians.
D. It proved jazz could be serious music.
3.What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?
A. He argued with French critics.
B. He studied with Nadia Boulanger.
C. He changed his music style.
D. He created one of his best works.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Many of Gershwin’s works were lost.
B. Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death.
C. A concert was held in memory of Gershwin.
D. The death of Gershwin was widely reported.
5.Which of the following best describes Gershwin?
A. Serious and boring B. Talented and productive
C. Popular and unhappy D. Friendly and honest
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
John’s parents acquired the washer when he was a small boy. It happened during World War II. His family never a washing machine and, since gasoline was expensive, they could not trips to the laundry (洗衣店) several miles away. Keeping clothes became a problem for young John’s household.
A family friend joined the army, and his wife to go with him. John’s family to store their furniture while they were away. To the family’s , the friend suggested they use their Bendix. So this is how they the washer.
Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he a love for the old, green Bendix. But the war ended. When the friends came to take it back, John grew terribly . His mother him and said. “You must remember, that machine belonged to us in the first place. That we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being mad at it being taken , let’s use this to be grateful that we had it at all.”
The lesson turned out . Years later, John watched his eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia(白血病). Though he for months with her death, John could not begin getting over from the until he remembered the old Bendix.
His daughter was a . When he realized the simple fact, everything changed. He could now begin recovering from the death of his daughter. He started to see her as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to for a time. He felt . He found strength and recovery. He knew he could get through the valley of loss.
1.A. required B. owned C. repaired D. saw
2.A. take B. have C. afford D. ride
3.A. clean B. warm C. nice D. good
4.A. agreed B. managed C. desired D. prepared
5.A. offered B. decided C. expected D. promised
6.A. disappointed B. astonishment C. sadness D. regret
7.A. bought B. got C. borrowed D. used
8.A. achieved B. produced C. developed D. reduced
9.A. finally B. obviously C. immediately D. peacefully
10.A. frightened B. upset C. hopeless D. confused
11.A. explained B. encouraged C. comforted D. taught
12.A. once B. already C. hardly D. never
13.A. out B. down C. away D. up
14.A. chance B. success C. event D. treasure
15.A.important B. necessary C. reasonable D. invaluable
16.A. thought B. missed C. struggled D. forgot
17.A. lesson B. loss C. illness D. difficulty
18.A. death B. washer C. gift D. loser
19.A. share B. spend C. live D. earn
20.A. grateful B. energetic C. relaxed D. happy
—Sorry, I overslept. I forgot to set the alarm.
—Your clock______. Perhaps you should buy a new one.
A. never worked B. never works
C. had never worked D. is never working
—She’s really pretty, isn’t she? Her skin looks so baby smooth!
—Well, it’s just that she puts lots of make-up on her face.____
A. Sometimes I wish I could be as beautiful as her.
B. Actually, natural beauty comes from within.
C. I can’t believe she is still so pretty after giving birth to a baby!
D. Fortunately, she has a good income.
