But those are not the reasons for being sad about leaving this house. There is much more to bind (捆绑) me to the home where I brought up our kids. In the front room, there is a wall. On that wall are hundreds of pencil marks, names and dates, recording the way my children grew.

　　Of all the objects, all the memories, it's this one place in our home that makes it hard for me to leave. Friends I know have returned home to discover their wall of heights has been freshly painted over. A new paint job shouldn't be greeted by tears, but erasing that evidence of growing up hurts more than it should. My kids grow in so many ways, but here it's growth made concrete (有形的)．Over dinner，over the years, I've talked about how much I would hate leaving that wall, even though the last marks were made ten years ago when my kids stopped growing.

　　So one day, while I was at work, my children decided to do something about the wall. Here was a chance to remove the last traces of their babyhood, but they didn't do that. Instead, they hired Jacquie Manning, a professional photographer. She came to our house and, over hours, took photos of the hundreds of pencil marks, names and dates. Somehow, she captured all those grey marks and transformed them into the history of my family in just one image.

　　Three weeks later, the gift made its way to me, one life-size photo of lines. Representing love and growth, it's a gift that I will cherish forever.

18. The author finds it hard to leave the house because________.

A. it is the house where she brought up her children with her husband

B. there are too many memories in the old house

C. there are too many things to move

D. there is a wall on which her children's growth is recorded

19. Who came up with the idea of the photo gift?

A. The author. B. The author's children.

C. Jacquie Manning. D. One of the author's friends.

20. Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?

①. The author has sold the old house.

②. The author made friends with Jacquie Manning.

③. The author is kind of particular about gifts.

④. All of the author's children have grown up.

A．①② B．③④ C．①③ D．②④

第二节 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。（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）

　　If you're in a bit of depression, it might be due to your brain being a bit bored. Sticking to the same daily routine is like eating just white rice every day for your meals. It's lacking flavor and can be raised to amazing levels with just a few basic ingredients. ______21_____

　　Use the opposite hand. If you're right-handed, become a lefty for the day. Simply switching the hand you usually use for routine tasks gets your brain thinking in a different way. _____22____ You can really test yourself and try writing an entire day while using your less frequently used hand.

　　Talk to yourself. Pick one hour a day to orally discuss anything and everything with yourself. Describe what you see, what you're doing or your afternoon plans vocally (发声地) instead of keeping it locked up in your head. Sure, you might become totally crazy, which might make you feel embarrassed. _____23_____ You might find solutions to problems you've been struggling with.

　　______24____Your senses help your brain make decisions and build connections. The reality is that we often rely too heavily on one or two senses, leaving the others behind. Stimulate (刺激) your brain and close your eyes while washing your hair, eating, or putting on your clothes. Along with being a fun challenge, your brain is encouraged to use those other senses that have been forgotten about.

　　Walk on. Just like the body, our brain needs physical exercise, too. A steady walk increases blood circulation, which enhances (增强) energy production and waste removal. And walking isn't demanding and can be done anywhere anytime. _____25____

A. Wash your hair with your eyes closed.

B. When brushing your teeth, use the opposite hand.

C. Talking to ourselves is a valuable tool for thought.

D. But talking while thinking is a great brain stimulus.

E. Whether a person is right-handed or left-handed largely depends on chances.

F. Try the following fun and free activities to stimulate your brain in amazing ways.

G. Park a little farther from work or make time to walk around the block at the end of the day.

第二部分 完形填空（共20小题，每小题1分，满分20分）

阅读下面短文， 从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

　　The word "cool" has been cool for a long time. ___26____ connected with temperature, by the 16th century, the term had evolved (演变) to describe an internal state of calm. And by the late 1800s, it began to describe style and carry some of the other meanings ___27____which it is associated today. Now, cool is used as a synonym (同义词) for almost anything ____28___. Music can be cool and so___29____ restaurants.

　　But not all expressions ___30____ till now. In the 1940s, someone who dressed fashionably might be described as "spiffy". These days, teenagers might use "on fleek". Tell someone today that they look ___31__ and people will think you're caught in a time warp (时间错位).

Language is constantly evolving. Certain words and phrases catch on while others die ___32____. So what leads some expressions to become more successful? Why do