高中英语试题

What is life？Like most great questions，this one is easy to ask but difficult to answer. The reason is simple：we know of just one type of life and it's challenging to do science with a sample size of one. The field of artificial life﹣called ALife for short﹣is the systematic attempt to spell out life's fundamental principles. Many of these practitioners，so﹣called ALifers，think that somehow making life is the surest way to really understand what life is.

So far no one has convincingly made artificial life. This track record makes ALife a ripe target for criticism，such as declarations of the field's doubtful scientific value. Alan Smith，a complexity scientist，is tired of such complaints. Asking about "the point" of ALife might be，well，missing the point entirely，he says. "The existence of a living system is not about the use of anything." Alan says. "Some people ask me，'So what's the worth of artificial life？'Do you ever think，'What is the worth of your grandmother？'"

As much as many ALifers hate emphasising their research's applications，the attempts to create artificial life could have practical payoffs. Artificial intelligence may be considered ALife's cousin in that researchers in both fields are enamoured by a concept called open﹣ended evolution（演化）.This is the capacity for a system to create essentially endless complexity，to be a sort of "novelty generator". The only system known to exhibit this is Earth's biosphere. If the field of ALife manages to reproduce life's endless "creativity" in some virtunl model，those same principles could give rise to truly inventive machines.

Compared with the developments of Al，advances in ALife are harder to recognise. One reason is that ALife is a field in which the central concept﹣﹣life itself﹣is undefined. The lack of agreement among ALifers doesn't help either. The result is a diverse line of projects that each advance along their unique paths. For better or worse，ALife mirrors the very subject it studies. Its muddled（混乱的）progression is a striking parallel（平行线） to the evolutionary struggles that have shaped Earth biosphere.

Undefined and uncontrolled，ALife drives its followers to repurpose old ideas and generated novelty. It may be，of course，that these characteristics aren't in any way surprising or singular. They may apply universally to all acts of evolution. Ultimately ALife may be nothing special. But even this dismissal suggests something：perhaps，just like life itself throughout the universe，the rise of ALife will prove unavoidable.

（1）Regarding Alan Smith's defence of ALife，the author is 　 　

A．	supportive
B．	puzzled
C．	unconcerned
D．	doubtful

（2）What does the word "enamoured" underlined in Paragraph 3 most probably mean？ 　 　

A．	Shocked.
B．	Protected.
C．	Attracted.
D．	Challenged.

（3）What can we learn from this passage？ 　 　

A．	ALife holds the key to human future.
B．	ALife and AI share a common feature.
C．	AI mirrors the developments of ALife.
D．	AI speeds up the process of human evolution.

（4）Which would be the best title for the passage？ 　 　

A．	Life Is Undefined. Can AI Be a Way Out？
B．	Life Evolves. Can AI Help ALife Evolve，Too？
C．	Life Is Undefined. Can ALife Be Defined One Day？
D．	Life Evolves. Can Attempts to Create ALife Evolve，Too？

In recent years，researchers from diverse fields have agreed that short﹣termism is now a significant problem in industrialised societies. The inability to engage with longer﹣term causes and consequences leads to some of the world's most serious problems：climate change，biodiversity collapse，and more.The historian Francis Cole argues that the West has entered a period where "only the present exists，a present characterised at once by the cruelty of the instant and by the boredom of an unending now".

It has been proved that people have a bias（偏向） towards the present，focusing on loud attractions in the moment at the expense of the health，well﹣being and financial stability of their future selves or community. In business，this bias surfaces as short﹣sighted decisions. And on slow﹣burning problems like climate change，it translates into the unwillingness to make small sacrifices（牺牲） today that could make a major difference tomorrow. Instead，all that matters is next quarter's profit，or satisfying some other near﹣term desires.

These biased perspectives cannot be blamed on one single cause. It is fair to say，though，that our psychological biases play a major role. People's hesitancy to delay satisfaction is the most obvious example，but there are others. One of them is about how the most accessible information in the present affects decisions about the future. For instance，you might hear someone say："It's cold this winter，so I needn't worry about global warming." Another is that loud and urgent matters are given too much importance，making people ignore longer﹣term trends that arguably matter more. This is when a pop star draws far more attention than，say，gradual biodiversity decline.

As a psychologist once joked，if aliens（外星人）wanted to weaken humanity，they wouldn't send ships；they would invent climate change. Indeed，when it comes to environmental transformations，we can develop a form of collective "poor memory"，and each new generation can believe the state of affairs they encounter is nothing out of the ordinary. Older people today，for example，can remember a time with insect﹣covered car windscreens after long drives. Children，on the other hand，have no idea that insect population has dropped dramatically.

（1）The author quotes Francis Cole mainly to 　 　.

A．	draw a comparison
B．	introduce a topic
C．	evaluate a statement
D．	highlight a problem

（2）What can be inferred from the last paragraph？ 　 　

A．	Climate change has been forgotten.
B．	Lessons of history are highly valued.
C．	The human mind is bad at noting slow change.
D．	Humans are unwilling to admit their shortcomings.

（3）What does the author intend to tell us？ 　 　

A．	Far﹣sighted thinking matters to humans.
B．	Humans tend to make long﹣term sacrifices.
C．	Current policies facilitate future decision﹣making.
D．	Bias towards the present helps reduce near﹣term desires.

Sitting in the garden for my friend's birthday. felt a buzz（振动） in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender's name. The email started off："Dear Mr Green，thank you for your interest" and "the review process took longer than expected." It ended with "We are sorry to inform you…"and my vision blurred（模糊）.The position﹣measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme﹣had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for. I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying，and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.

So I was shocked when，not long after the email，Professor Mary Devon，who was running the programme，invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance，and a few weeks later I was equally shocked﹣and overjoyed﹣when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn't seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to，but I was going to give it my all.

I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project，which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert，not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn't. In the end. I had a new scientific interest to pursue.

When I applied to graduate school，I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit，it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective（视角）to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.

Rather than setting plans in stone，I've learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered，even if they don't sound perfect at the time，and make the most of them.

（1）How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender's name？ 　 　

A．	Anxious.
B．	Angry.
C．	Surprised.
D．	Settled.

（2）After talking with Professor Devon，the author decided to 　 　.

A．	criticise the review process
B．	stay longer in the Sahara Desert
C．	apply to the original project again
D．	put his heart and soul into the lab work

（3）According to the author，the project with the robotics professor was 　 　.

A．	demanding
B．	inspiring
C．	misleading
D．	amusing

（4）What can we learn from this passage？ 　 　

A．	An invitation is a reputation.
B．	An innovation is a resolution.
C．	A rejection can be a redirection.
D．	A reflection can be a restriction.

The International Olympic Committee（IOC）Young Leaders programme empowers talents to make a positive difference in their communities through sport. Twenty﹣five Young Leaders are being selected every two years for a four﹣year period. They promote the Olympic values，spreading the message of sport for good.

To be an IOC Young Leader，you need to first complete the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint（冲刺）.

4﹣Week Learning Sprint

The 4﹣Week Learning Sprint，which will take place during November 2023，is a virtual learning programme. The sessions can be attended live or watched back after they are made available on the IOC channel. Each week，participants will be asked to complete a topic﹣specific reflection task.

The 4﹣Week Learning Sprint is open to anyone，with the target audience aged between 20 and 28.

After successfully completing the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint，you will need to submit a plan for a sport﹣based project，which you will work on if selected as an IOC Young Leader.

Requirements for the Applicants

•You have successfully completed the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint.

•You have completed your high school studies.

•You have at least one year of work experience.

•You have strong public speaking skills.

•You are self﹣motivated and committed.

•You are passionate about creating positive change in your community.

•You are open to being coached and advised by experts and peers（同伴）.

•You are able to work with people from different backgrounds.

（1）In the 4﹣Week Learning Sprint，participants will 　 　.

A．	create change in their community
B．	attend a virtual learning programme
C．	meet people from different backgrounds
D．	promote the IOC Young Leaders project

（2）If selected as an IOC Young Leader, one will need to 　 　.

A．	complete a reflection task each week
B．	watch sports on the IOC channel
C．	work on a sport﹣based project
D．	coach and advise their peers

（3）Which is a requirement for the applicants？ 　 　

A．	Spreading the message of sport for good.
B．	Having at least one﹣year work experience.
C．	Showing great passion for project planning.
D．	Committing themselves to becoming an expert.

A

Every culture is riddled with unwritten rules，such as ones on punctuality（守时）.I'm British. Soon after moving to Switzerland，I（1）　 　（throw）a house﹣warming party and was greatly surprised when all 30 guests showed up （2）　 　（exact） on time. Years later，having moved to France. I turned up at the appointed hour for a dinner，only to find that no other guest（3）　 　（arrive） and my hostess was still in her sleeping suit.

B

Mangroves，known as "red forest" in China，grow between land and sea，characterised by their complex roots. When （4）　 　（see） from afar，the mangrove forests appear more splendid.

Mangroves can help soften waves and protect （5）　 　（city） from coastal winds. For these reasons，they are praised as "coastal guardians". Up to now，China （6）　 　（establish）a number of protected areas with mangroves.

C

Nina has run marathons in 32 countries. All of her runs have a guiding purpose: to call attention （7） global water issues. Nina recently finished her year﹣long series of runs in Chicago，（8）　 thousands were attending a water conference. She called for action （9）　 　（address）the struggles of people around the world （10） （face）"too little water or too dirty water". Her efforts have encouraged others to take part by running through a global campaign called "Run Blue".

I was always timid（羞怯的）.Being new to the school made me even （1）　 　，so it was surprising I'd （2）　 　to anyone around me.Now I was paying the price﹣to write a five﹣page essay on"Why I Should Not Talk in Class".That would take all night!

After I got home，though.I took my time petting the cat﹣postponing the pain.

When I finally sat down to （3）　 　，I began with the reasons Ms Black would want to hear.Talking kept me and my neighbours from （4）　 　.One paragraph down；now what？I chewed on my pencil.Aha!What if talking were the first step towards life as a criminal？Without the education I was throwing away，I'd turn to theft and go to prison.When I got out，people would say，"She used to talk in class."The pages began （5）　 　.

But when mum got home from work，I was still （6）　 　，"Five pages!That's impossible!"

"Well，you'd better get back to work，" she said."and I want to read it when you're through."

Soon after dinner，I handed the essay to mum.I half expected a（7）　 　﹣at least an"I hope you've learned your lesson". （8）　 　，mum laughed and laughed as she read.

The next day，when Ms Black read the essay to the class，everyone laughed.I could （9）　 　they weren't making fun of me：they laughed because I had the power to tell a funny story.My（10）　 　 still needed some nudging（激发），but I did learn I wasn't shy in print.

（1）

A．

freer

B．

shyer

C．

calmer

D．

happier

（2）

A．

nod

B．

point

C．

listen

D．

chat

（3）

A．

weep

B．

rest

C．

write

D．

read

（4）

A．

learning

B．

playing

C．

planning

D．

laughing

（5）

A．

standing out

B．

flying by

C．

breaking up

D．

checking in

（6）

A．

celebrating

B．

longing

C．

complaining

D．

warning

（7）

A．

lecture

B．

reason

C．

reward

D．

solution

（8）

A．

Therefore

B．

Moreover

C．

Meanwhile

D．

Instead

（9）

A．

hope

B．

imagine

C．

tell

D．

predict

（10）

A．

patience

B．

confidence

C．

tolerance

D．

independence

假如你是晨光中学的李津。你在英国游学期间曾寄宿在英国学生Chris家，他母亲Nancy通过电子邮件祝贺你顺利完成高中学业，并询问你将如何安排高中最后一个假期。请你用英语回复，内容包括：

(1) 表示感谢并问候；

(2) 计划与家人一起做的事情；

(3) 你决定选择哪个专业，为学好该专业做何准备。

注意：

(1) 词数不少于100；

(2) 可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；

(3) 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Nancy,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours

Li Jin

Most of us associate learning with younger people-kids in school and college or recent graduates early in their careers. But at Udemy, an open university offering online courses, Artist Anneke Camstra is engaged in the pursuit of lifelong learning and displays her potential for teaching. She loves the experience of gaining new knowledge and also loves sharing it with others. "I'm retired, but an artist never retires," Anneke said. "The last few years on the internet have been a great joy for me. I've taken so many Udemy courses, and ifs such a great feeling to get my brain working again. I find just as much satisfaction in teaching animation (动画制作) too."

She reaches countless people with her online courses and exposes them to what they can accomplish on their own using animation software, such as GoAnimate and PowToon. Her motivation for teaching on Udemy is "to get the tools to the people." "You can go such a long way to make things that look professional but still have your own voice," she explained.

Most of Anneke's students start out thinking they're not creative and can't draw. Anneke understands how fear can get in the way of so many things people dream of doing. With her five-day challenge courses, she helps them get over the fear. Anneke loves the impact she has on her students. What makes her more proud of them is that they have gone from their first animation to creating their own works.

She encourages people of all ages, especially older people, to cultivate their curiosity for life. Grandparents, for example, can learn to use GoAnimate and make animations together with their grandkids.

"Tm an older woman, teaching and having fun learning again," Anneke said, and she wants others later in their lives to catch up with her on this journey.

56. What does Anneke enjoy doing after her retirement? (no more than 10 words)

57. According to Para. 2, what does Anneke expect her students to do with animation software? (no more than 10 words)

58. What is the main idea of Para. 3? (no more than 15 words)

59. Please explain the meaning of the underlined word in Para. 4(1 word)

60. What do you suggest old people learn to do? Please give your reason(s). (no more than 20 words)

Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be "the easy subject" at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?

Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don't just want material things anymore, they want to experience life -- the arts are a perfect crossover （交迭） between culture and commerce.

Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation's experience.

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people's wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.

Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.

51. Art products differ from most other commercial products because .

A．	most people purchase them for collection
B．	they are more expensive and less accessible
C．	they have both commercial and cultural values
D．	their prices may climb up as time passes

52. By sharing their arts experiences, community members can .

A．	keep the community safe from illnesses
B．	develop a stronger tie between them
C．	learn to appreciate their own works of art
D．	offer honourable solutions to their problems

53. What can we learn about people who are involved in artistic activities?

A．	They enjoy better living conditions.
B．	They like to compare themselves with others.
C．	They are particularly good at both music and art.
D．	They tend to be healthier physically and mentally.

54. How does kids' engagement with the arts benefit them?

A．	It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth.
B．	It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills.
C．	It inspires their creativity in designing their future career.
D．	It helps to make responsible people out of them.

55. What is the best title for this passage?

A．	How Art Cures Our Hearts
B．	Art: A Blessing to Humankind
C．	How Art Benefits Communities
D．	Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

In the fictional worlds of film and TV, artificial intelligence （ Al ） has been described as so advanced that it is indistinguishable from humans. But what if we're actually getting closer to a world where Al is capable of thinking and feeling?

Tech company UneeQ is heading for its "digital humans", which appear life like on the screen not only in terms of language, but also because of facial movements: raised eyebrows, a smile, even a nod. They look close to a human, but not quite.

What lies beneath UneeQ9 s digital humans? Their 3D faces are modeled on actual human features. Speech recognition enables them to understand what a person is saying, and natural language processing is used to work out a response. Meanwhile, another Al company, Soul Machines, is taking a more biological approach, with a "digital brain", that imitates aspects of the human brain to adjust the emotions "felt" and "expressed" by its "digital people".

Shiwali Mohan, an Al scientist at the Palo Research Center, is skeptical of these digital beings. "They're humanlike in their looks and the way they sound, but that in itself is not being human," she says. "Human qualities also involve how you think, how you approach problems, and how you break them down; and that takes a lot of algorithmic ( 算 法) design. Designing for human-level intelligence is a different attempt than designing images that behave like humans." She then continues, "If something looks like a human, we have high expectations of them, but they might behave differently in ways that humans just instinctively ( 直觉地) know how other humans react.

Yet the demand is there, with UneeQ seeing high adoption of its digital employees across the financial, health care, and commercial sectors （行业） . "Unless these sectors make their business models much more efficient digitally, they might be left behind," says Chetan Dube, UneeQ9s CEO.

Some other companies are taking their digital beings a step further, enabling organizations and individuals to create digital humans themselves using free-access platforms they provide. "The biggest motivation for such platforms is to popularize Al," Dube says.

Mohan is cautious about this approach, yet she supports the purpose behind these digital beings and is optimistic about where they are headed. "As we develop more advanced Al technology, we would then have to use new ways of communicating with that technology, she says. "'Hopefully, all of that is designed to support humans in their goals."

46. According to Para. 2, in what respect （ s ） do UneeQ9s "digital humans" resemble human beings?

A．	In the way they move around.
B．	In the way they act and react.
C．	In observation and analysis.
D．	In speech and facial expressions.

47. Soul Machines' digital brain is a technological breakthrough because it .

A．	learns to make proper emotional responses
B．	tends to imitate human beings' tone vividly
C．	recognizes the speech sounds it receives
D．	processes the natural language it hears

48. In Mohan's opinion, what human quality is lacking in digital beings?

A．	Calculating brain.
B．	B Language skills.
C．	Instinctive judgements.
D．	Problem-solving ability.

49. What makes many sectors employ digital humans?

A．	The fear of falling behind in efficiency.
B．	The urgency to promote e-commerce.
C．	The wish to spread digital technology.
D．	The need to upgrade the health care system.

50. What does Mohan think of the future of digital beings?

A．	It's well planned.
B．	It is promising.
C．	It is uncertain.
D．	It's quite hopeless.

When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.

Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.

As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm's reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.

Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.

What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if ifs the only way.

41. What motivated the author to start her writing career?

A．	Her strong wish to share.
B．	Her keen interest in writing.
C．	Her urgent need to make a living.
D．	Her passionate desire for fame.

42. What problem did the author face when she decided to begin her writing?

A．	She was too exhausted to write after a busy day.
B．	She had trouble in deciding on her writing style.
C．	She had to take time to discipline her daughter.
D．	She was unsure about her writing skills.

43. Why did the author place an alarm clock in the hallway?

A．	In case the clock in her room broke down.
B．	In case she failed to hear the ringing.
C．	To force herself out of bed.
D．	To wake up her family.

44. How did the author manage to finish her novel?

A．	By sticking to writing every morning.
B．	By writing when her mind was most active.
C．	By drawing inspirations from classic novels.
D．	By reducing her teaching hours at school.

45. What can we learn from the author's success in her writing career?

A．	It is never too late to change your job.
B．	Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time.
C．	A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action.
D．	Daily life provides ideas for creative writing.

When starting college, most students enjoy a week's stay on campus before classes actually begin. What should you do with that time? Below are several tips to ease （使熟悉） yourself into college life.

Participating in Campus Welcome Activities

Most universities host welcome events before the academic year officially begins, including freshmen orientations （迎新会）， campus picnics, and entertainments like concerts.

Participating in such events is a great way to learn about school facilities and understand campus culture: What do students do for fun? What are their favorite classes? What is the history of your university? It can help you observe campus life outside the classroom.

Exploring Campus

Getting to know where essential campus resources are-such as the student advising center, psychological services, and the tutoring center~~will make your first few weeks on campus a lot easier, because you won't have to look for them while still getting used to your classes.

Take some time to check out the buildings where your classes will be held. This will prevent you from getting lost in the first few days of classes, and familiarize you with how long it takes to get from place to place. If you're worried about taking classes one after another in different buildings, a quick test run won't hurt. That way, you will avoid potential time delays in getting to your classes.

Starting a Routine

Before getting too excited about all of the fun things you will be able to do during the week, remember that you do have a pretty big schedule change coming up. Starting classes means being in different places at different times, so it's a great idea to start getting used to that routine right this week.

What helps you most is to schedule your sleep. Following the planned time will ensure you have enough sleep to get to those early classes and stay wide awake.

If you have other daily routines, such as exercising or talking on the phone with family, work those into your day-to-day life before classes start so that you get a better idea of how they fit in with your schedule.

36. By participating in campus welcome activities, freshmen can .

A．	learn about campus culture
B．	get their course schedule
C．	have a physical examination
D．	take an entrance test

37. Why are freshmen advised to have a quick test run between buildings ?

A．	To see how many facilities they can use.
B．	To avoid being late for future classes.
C．	To help those getting lost on campus.
D．	To practice running on their way to class.

38. When is it best for freshmen to start getting used to the new routine?

A．	On the first day of their classes.
B．	Before the orientation week.
C．	After their first-day classes.
D．	During the orientation week.

39. What does the author suggest freshmen do to stay focused in class?

A．	Take physical exercise before class.
B．	Leave their phones powered off.
C．	Take early classes every day.
D．	D Keep to the sleep schedule.

40. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A．	To offer some tips on making an easier start at college.
B．	To remind freshmen about the first day of school.
C．	To help freshmen organize campus activities.
D．	To share his college experience with the reader.

My brother and I are exactly one year apart. We look like twins, but we are completely ____16____ . By the time we got to middle school it was clear that my older brother ____17____ meditation ( 冥想 ),while I was a born ____18____ who preferred the theatrical, even when off stage. I took his relative silence to be offensive. We simply didn't ____19____ .

I didn't ____20____ having a tense relationship with my brother because I was involved at school. ____21____ , I threw myself into the world of musicals. I practised singing in the bedroom every day to remain at my best and be ____22____ for roles; my brother would meditate on a window seat. He might feel high school was already hard enough ____23____ my noisy singing. So space to practise became a （ n ） ____24____ between us because we shared a room.

At the start of the semester, I practised "Circle of Life" for a musical. This was the first time I _____25_____ to learn a song, because my voice cracked ( 破音 )as I switched to a head voice. I was annoyed in that period and _____26_____ practising, declaring I had reached the ceiling of my singing career. For the first time in years my brother _____27_____ quiet when I got home.

After two days of this, my brother asked me to _____28_____ him in meditation. Feeling my anger at my inability to manage this song _____29_____ ,I accepted. My brother said, "When your mind floats away, you simply come back. Don't blame yourself" I got the message, and it soon became my new _____30_____ . I kept trying at the song, no longer getting _____31_____ at myself. And just in time for the trial performance, I was able to _____32_____ power in my singing despite the switch to a head voice. It was important for me to learn that you don't have to always get everything _____33_____ the first time and that good things come with continual _____34_____ .I now understand why my brother favours the _____35_____ .

16.

A．

mature

B．

different

C．

content

D．

normal

17.

A．

disliked

B．

preferred

C．

replaced

D．

abandoned

18.

A．

writer

B．

leader

C．

painter

D．

performer

19.

A．

get along

B．

drop by

C．

show off

D．

check in

20.

A．

try

B．

mind

C．

enjoy

D．

delay

21.

A．

In particular

B．

In vain

C．

In return

D．

In theory

22.

A．

humorous

B．

ordinary

C．

competitive

D．

grateful

23.

A．

above

B．

below

C．

near

D．

without

24.

A．

issue

B．

contrast

C．

agreement

D．

balance

25.

A．

struggled

B．

expected

C．

promised

D．

decided

26.

A．

began

B．

allowed

C．

stopped

D．

continued

27.

A．

hated

B．

experienced

C．

accepted

D．

wanted

28.

A．

help

B．

invite

C．

join

D．

admire

29.

A．

gracefully

B．

suddenly

C．

fiercely

D．

cautiously

30.

A．

limit

B．

sentence

C．

mistake

D．

philosophy

31.

A．

rude

B．

angry

C．

surprised

D．

excited

32.

A．

lose

B．

share

C．

reduce

D．

maintain

33.

A．

wrong

B．

right

C．

back

D．

down

34

A．

luck

B．

absence

C．

effort

D．

fear

35.

A．

fight

B．

noise

C．

quiet

D．

safety

---I honestly don't think I'm going to be admitted.

---Wel1, you never know! You________ a better impression than you think.

A．	may have made
B．	should have made
C．	couldn't have made
D．	needn't have made

Mary became a baker at age 14, because her grandfather paid the local baker ________ her all the skills.

A．

to have taught

B．

to teach

C．

teaching

D．

having taught