四、短文填空
Last summer vacation, my family took a trip to an art village in Yunnan Province. The most special experience during the trip was meeting Li Wei, a slashie—both a painter and a writer. His small studio stood at the quiet end of the village, looking 1. (simple) than the colourful shops nearby, but in fact, you would find it exciting 2. you stepped inside. The walls were covered with beautiful watercolour paintings, each with handwritten poems beside them.
As curious 3. (tour), we watched Li Wei at work. He mixed colours by himself and created a painting of the local mountains 4. (careful) at the wooden desk. “I found that painting and writing match each other,” he explained while working. “The paintings show what words cannot express, and the poems tell what the brush cannot paint.” His style is unusual and 5. (set) his artworks apart from others’.
To my surprise, Li Wei was not 6. artist in the past. He worked 7. a hotel manager in Beijing for ten years. One day, he decided 8. (give) up his job to do what he really loved. Now his “painting-poems” become famous in the art community.
9. (meet) this talented slashie taught me an important lesson—We don’t have to put 10. (we) into just one role. Sometimes, when we mix different skills, we can make something special.

1. simpler 2. once/after/when 3. tourists 4. carefully 5. sets 6. an 7. as 8. to give 9. Meeting 10. ourselves

【分析】
本题为英语短文填空题，需结合语境、词性变化、语法规则及固定搭配完成填空。解题思路：先通读全文理解主旨，再逐个分析每个空格的句子结构、所需词性、时态等，结合提示词或上下文逻辑确定答案。
【解析】
1. 由句中than可知，此处需用形容词simple的比较级simpler；
2. 空格前后为两个句子，需填连词表时间/条件，可填when/once/after；
3. 主语为we，指“游客”，需用tour的名词复数tourists；
4. 修饰动词created，需用careful的副词形式carefully；
5. 主语His style为第三人称单数，一般现在时中动词用set的第三人称单数sets；
6. artist为可数名词单数，且以元音音素开头，需用不定冠词an；
7. 固定搭配work as意为“担任”，填as；
8. 固定搭配decide to do sth，填to give；
9. 空格处作主语，需用动名词Meeting；
10. 固定搭配put oneself into，主语为we，需用反身代词ourselves。
【答案】
1. simpler 2. when/once/after 3. tourists 4. carefully 5. sets 6. an 7. as 8. to give 9. Meeting 10. ourselves
【知识点】
词性转换、固定搭配、非谓语动词
【点评】
本题考查英语基础词汇运用及语法知识，结合语境和常见语法规则即可解答，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6

五、完形填空
“I will never find time to learn this difficult lesson,” said James to Eric as they walked to the dining hall. “I can’t do it by tomorrow.”
“You have ten minutes now before lunch. Why not 1 right now?” asked his brother.
“Ten minutes! That’s 2. Besides, I must chat with my friends now,” said James.
After school, the two boys were waiting for the bus. Eric 3 his book and began to learn part of it. “What a bookworm (书虫)!” James laughed, turning his attention to birds in the tree.
“Come off to soccer!” shouted a group of school friends outside the door as the brothers arrived home. James rushed off with the boys. Eric promised (承诺) to 4 in 15 minutes, and read his book once more. This done, he went to play with the boys, and enjoyed the game.
The two brothers were tired that evening. James went to bed early 5 Eric took out his book again. When they went to school the next day, Eric knew his lesson 6. However, James told the teacher that he did not have time to learn it.
“7 did you find time, Eric?” asked the teacher. “I had 10 minutes before lunch yesterday; 15 minutes as I waited for the bus and 15 minutes 8 playing soccer. Then I went over my lesson before I went to bed; and took 10 minutes before breakfast this morning.”
“That makes an hour’s 9 for the lesson,” said the teacher. “Eric, go out for a break. James, stay in and use your break time to learn. Go on to do that until you have learned this important lesson: those who take care of the 10 will have the hours to take care of themselves.”
() 1. A. eat B. start C. finish D. play
() 2. A. something B. anything C. nothing D. everything
() 3. A. put away B. put down C. talked about D. took out
() 4. A. follow B. run C. read D. sleep
() 5. A. while B. so C. because D. if
() 6. A. bravely B. poorly C. suddenly D. perfectly
() 7. A. Why B. Who C. Where D. How
() 8. A. as B. after C. before D. during
() 9. A. preparation B. education C. question D. information
()10. A. brothers B. minutes C. lessons D. teachers

1. B 2. C 3. D 4. A 5. A 6. D 7. D 8. C 9. A 10. B

【分析】
做完形填空需先通读全文把握主旨（本文围绕James与Eric利用时间学习的对比展开，核心是珍惜零碎时间的重要性），再结合上下文语境、词义辨析及固定搭配逐一分析每个空：先明确每个空前后句的逻辑关系，再对比选项词义，选出最贴合语境的答案。
【解析】
1. 前文James抱怨没时间学习，Eric建议“现在就开始（学习）”，start符合语境，故选B。
2. James认为10分钟不算什么，nothing表示“没什么”，契合他轻视零碎时间的态度，故选C。
3. Eric拿出书开始学习，took out意为“拿出”，符合动作逻辑，故选D。
4. Eric承诺15分钟后跟着（学习），follow表示“跟随、跟着做”，符合语境，故选A。
5. while表对比，连接两个并列动作（James早睡 vs Eric继续学习），故选A。
6. Eric完美掌握了功课，perfectly意为“完美地”，契合结果，故选D。
7. 老师询问Eric“如何”找到时间的，how表方式，故选D。
8. Eric提到早餐前的10分钟，before表示“在…之前”，符合时间顺序，故选C。
9. 零碎时间加起来是一小时的准备时间，preparation意为“准备”，故选A。
10. 主旨是珍惜“分钟”的人才能掌控时间，minutes契合核心，故选B。
【答案】
1.B 2.C 3.D 4.A 5.A 6.D 7.D 8.C 9.A 10.B
【知识点】
完形填空解题技巧、语境理解、词义辨析
【点评】
本文是一篇富有教育意义的完形填空，通过对比James与Eric对待零碎时间的不同态度，传达了珍惜时间、合理利用零碎时间的道理。解题需紧扣上下文语境，结合词汇词义与用法辨析，难度适中，适合初中阶段学生练习。
【难度系数】
0.5