didn't have any trouble with the older kids.

I think the biggest difference between middle and high school is the homework load and the size of the school.I went from fifteen minutes of homework a night to several hours，so I had to learn time management pretty quickly! Our class size was around 550，so being exposed (暴露) to so many new people was a big change.Getting involved in clubs，sports，music and other activities at school makes it easier to get to know people in every grade—it's always useful to have an upperclassman friend!

The best suggestion I can give about the four years you spend in high school is to learn things for the sake of learning，not just to get a good grade.There have been so many tests that I've crammed (突击式学习) on the night before and got an A，but now I don't remember anything.I've changed that this year，and I enjoy school so much more.Relating to academics，don't take easy classes just to have a simple year.If you have a choice between “AP Chemistry” and “Racquet Sports”，the first will prove to be more useful!

【语篇解读】 高中生开始高中生活是全新的经历。作者通过自己的经历来告诉刚刚进入高中的学生如何来适应高中生活。

9．On the first day of high school，the author ________． A．failed to adapt himself to a new environment

B．found it was hard for him to get on with new classmates C．was teased by a senior student D．lost his way in the schoolyard

解析：文章第二段主要讲述了作者入学第一天被一位高年级同学愚弄的经历，故选C。 答案：C

10．Which of the following is TRUE about the author's advice on high school life? A. Making as many upperclassmen friends as possible.

B．Taking an active part in various after－school activities. C．Trying to obtain useful knowledge instead of getting good grades. D．Choosing easy but useful courses instead of practical ones.

解析：根据最后一段中第一句“The best suggestion I can give about the four years you spend in high school is to learn things for the sake of learning，not just to get a good grade.”可知，作者认为高中学习的目的应该是为获得知识而学习而非考高分，故C正确。

答案：C

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11．In writing the text，the author intends to ________． A．tell others his first－day experience at high school B．express his opinions on high school education C．describe what can be learnt at high school D．share his life and thoughts at high school

解析：作者回忆自己高中生活的一些经历和感悟，希望和读者分享，故D符合题意。 答案：D

D

“Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice.Gifts are easy—they're given after all.Choices can be hard.”

——Jeff Bezos

I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago.I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2，300 percent per year.I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast，and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me.I had just turned 30 years old，and I'd been married for a year.I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start－ups don't，and I wasn't sure what to expect.MacKenzie told me I should go for it.As a young boy，I'd been a garage inventor.I'd always wanted to be an inventor，and she wanted me to follow my passion. I was working at a financial firm in New York with a bunch of very smart people，and I had a brilliant boss that I admired very much.I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet.He took a long walk with me in Central Park，listened carefully to me，and finally said，“That sounds like a really good idea，but it would be an even better idea for someone that didn't already have a good job.”That logic made some sense to me，and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision.It really was a difficult choice，but ultimately (最后)，I decided I had to give it a shot.I didn't think I'd regret trying

and

failing.And_I_suspected_I_would_always_be_haunted_by_the_decision_not_to_try_at_all．

After much consideration，I took the less safe path to follow my passion，and I'm proud of that choice.For all of us，in the end，we are our choices.

【语篇解读】 聪明是一种天赋，而善良是一种选择。天赋来得很容易，选择则很难，

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但恰恰是我们的选择塑造了我们的人生。

12．What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore ? A．His dream of being an inventor. B．The support of his wife.

C．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. D．Millions of exciting titles.

解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的“I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2，300 percent per year.I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast，and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me.”可知，互联网使用量的飞速增长激发了作者创建网上书店的想法。

答案：C

13．Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence? A．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him. B．He would be very excited if he tried it out. C．He would be always having a doubt if he didn't try.

D．The decision not to try the online bookstore would terrify him. 解析：句意理解题。根据上下文可知，作者决定去尝试，他认为他不会为尝试后的失败而感到遗憾，决定不付诸行动对他来说才是一种煎熬，所以选择A项。

答案：A

14．We can know from the passage that ________． A．the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author B．the author wanted someone else to try the idea C．the author would not regret if he failed the idea D．the author might go back to his boss if he failed

解析：细节理解题。根据第三段的倒数第二句“I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing.”可知，如果作者失败了，他也不会感到遗憾。

答案：C

15．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? A．Cleverness and kindness B．The starting of Amazon C．Following my passion D．We are what we choose

解析：标题归纳题。文章第一段引用杰夫·贝佐斯的话，指出选择是很难的，接下来作者用自己的经历告诉我们，我们的选择塑造了我们的人生，因此选D。

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答案：D

第二节(共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Many people experience feelings of sadness，and depression in winter.__16__ Make a plan

The winter months can often seem quite dull，many of us spending the majority of our time indoors.A good way to get rid of this feeling is to break out of your routine and create something to look forward to.__17__Whatever your plan，make sure it is something you feel excited.

Get creative about fitness

__18__ However，many of us find our workout routine takes a hit when the cold weather sets in.To stay inspired to exercise，try searching for something new like an unusual sport.

Cheer up your social life

As people retreat more indoors to the warmth of their homes，it can feel as though your social life has gone into hibernation (冬眠)．__19__ If you want to improve your social life，it's time to get active.Pick up the phone and make plans to spend time with friends and family. __20__

To improve your happiness over the winter，it is important to make time for those little things that improve your mood.Make a list of the day－to－day things that make you happy—such as having a catch－up with a friend，or listening to your favourite song.Planning regular treats not only gives you something to look forward to，it can also improve each day. A．Treat yourself B．Get an indoor hobby

C．Different people have different hobbies，so try to find one everyone can join in.

D．Exercise is a great way to beat the blues as it will leave you looking great. E．However，spending time with others can be one of the greatest mood supporters. F．This could be a night out or weekend away，or something ongoing like a new fitness challenge.

G．If the winter blues are starting to set in，check out these ways to improve

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