If you could see a movie of your life before you lived it, would you want to live it? Probably not. The excitement of living is that you don’t know what’s coming.

    Sure, it’s hard to see uncertainty(不确定) in such positive（积极的）light when you’re out of work, or when you feel like you’re failing. But uncertainty is really another word for chance.

    When Allison graduated from Harvard, she had chances all over the place but had no idea what she wanted to do. She took a job in consulting（咨询）, but she knew she wouldn’t stay there. She took the GRE and scored so high that she was able to increase her income（收入）by teaching students. Still, she didn’t think she wanted to go to graduate school（研究院）. Allison knew she wasn’t doing what she wanted, but she didn’t know what she wanted.

    She worried. All her friends were going to graduate school or starting their own businesses. She was lost and felt that she would never find anything out. After six years, Allison, by having a general（全面的）plan in mind, got married, moved to the Midwest, and used her consulting experience to get a great job. Allison realized that she spent her years finding her way: time well spent.

    The only way to lead an interesting life is to face uncertainty. Otherwise your life is not your own—it is a path someone else has chosen. Moments of uncertainty are when you create your life, when you become who you are. Uncertainty usually begins with a job hunt, but it doesn’t end there. Every new role we take on means another round of uncertainty. Instead of fearing it, you should find some ways to deal with uncertainty.

1. From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that                     .

A. being out of work is a sad thing               

B. uncertainty is what makes life interesting

C. life in a film is more exciting than real life  

D. chance never appears when we need it

2. What troubles Allison after graduation?

A. She couldn’t find a well-paid job.             

B. She had no money to start a business.

C. She was not sure what to do.                  

D. She didn’t score high enough for graduate school.

3.How did Allison feel about her six years’ working experience?

A. Uncertain.        B. Amazed.                      C. Sorry.                         D. Satisfied.

4.What may be discussed in the following paragraph?

A. How to deal with uncertainty.                                   

B. What role uncertainty plays in life.

C. Why people fear uncertainty.                          

D. Whom to go to when facing uncertainty.

The Christmas Eve meal is very important in most European countries. While other Christian families around the world celebrate this great meal with different kinds of meat, it is a tradition for Italians to eat seven different kinds of fish. Such a meal is called the “Feast of the Seven Fishes”. It’s also considered traditional that there may be nine, eleven, or even thirteen fishes for the meal. This kind of celebration is held to remember the birth of the baby Jesus.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes was held just by southern Italians as a custom at first, but today Italians all over the world hold it. Although the Feast of the Seven Fishes has been regarded as an Italian custom, no one definitely knows the meaning of it. There are lots of explanations for it. Some people believe that seven fishes are served because it took God seven days to create the world. Other explanations mention the Seven Hills of Rome.

For the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it’s not certain that which kinds of fish should be served. At the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the meal usually begins with antipasto (开胃食物) and ends with delicious desserts.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes has been a tradition since ancient times, and it will continue or even change as life changes. However, for Italians all over the world, the cultural meaning of the tradition is more important than anything else.

1. Italian families celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with different kinds of ______.

A. meat????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B. fish????????????? ????????????? ????????????? C. desserts????????????? ????????????? D. antipasto

2.Where did the Feast of the Seven Fishes begin?

A. In Northern Italy.????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B. In Rome.????????????? ?????????????

C. In Southern Italy.????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? D. In England.

3.The Feast of the Seven Fishes is held to remember ______.

A. the day when God created the world

B. the Seven Hills of Rome

C. seven Christmas Eve meals????????????? ?????????????

D. the birth of the baby Jesus

4.The underlined word “definitely” means “_______” in Chinese.

A. 快速地????????????? ????????????? B. 确切地????????????? ????????????? C. 温柔地????????????? ????????????? D. 逐渐地

5.Which of the following is NOT true about the Feast of the Seven Fishes?

A. It began from ancient times.

B. The number of the fish for it has already changed now.

C. There are clear requirements for the kinds of fish for it.

D. To Italians, the cultural meaning of it is more important than anything else.

Mary is __41__  English girl, but she is in France (法国) now. She is six __42__ old. Her mother says to her. “You are six,   43  you will be school here. You will like the school because (因为) it’s a __44__ school.” “Is it an English school?” Mary asks. “Yes, it  45  .” Mother answers.

Mary goes to school. The teachers __46__ very friendly and speak good __47__. And there   48  two other English girls in the class, __49__. She begins to like the school.

Her mother takes her  50  school __51__ the morning and brings her home in the afternoon.

One day ,when her mother is at school, Mary runs out  52   the classroom and says, “We have a __53__ girl in our class today. She is six, too. She is very nice, __54__ she isn’t English. She is a German (德国人).” “Doesn’t she speak English?” Mary’s mother asks. “No, but she always laughs __55__ English.” She says happily.