Let's learn to use the problem we are facing         a stepping-stone to future success.

to

for

as

by

考查介词词义辨析。句意：让我们学会把我们所面对的问题作为通向未来成功的手段来利用。A.to朝，对 ；B.for 为了，对于；C.as 作为；D.by通过，凭借。根据句意可知，此处“作为”符合语境。故选C项。

Mary and her friend          a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help the homeless people at the Christmas party.

came up with

put up with

caught up with

kept up with

考查动词短语辨析。句意：玛丽和她的朋友想出了一个计划，在圣诞节聚会上，从我的公司聚集了四十几个人来帮助无家可归的人。A. came up with 提出；B. put up with 忍耐；C. caught up with追上，赶上；D.kept up with 跟上。下文“聚集人帮助无家可归的人”是想出的计划。故选A项。

With a lot of difficult problems           ,he feels like a cat on  hot bricks.

to settle

being settled

settling

settled

考查非谓语动词。句意： 因为有一大堆难题要解决，他感觉像像热锅上的蚂蚁。本句with +名词+to do sth,动词不定式表示的动作尚未发生或当时看来尚未发生。本句表示“因为有一大堆难题要解决”。故选A项。

Don’t mention that at the beginning of the story, or it may             the  shocking end.

give out

give away

give up

give off

考查动词短语辨析。句意：不要在故事的开头提到它，否则会泄露令人震惊的结局。A. give out分发；B. give away泄露；C.give up 放弃；D. give off发出（光），根据“the shocking end”可知，此处表示“泄露”。故选B项。

I thought we'd be late for the concert,           we ended up getting there ahead of time.

but

or

so

for

考查连词。句意：我以为我们音乐会迟到了，但是我们提前到达了那里。but 但是；or 或者；so 因此；for因为；两个分句在意义上bu是转折关系，故用but。故选A项。

The teacher was so pleased with the progress that I had        in my study this term that she sent me an English-Chinese dictionary.

made

had 

kept

graded

考查动词辨析。句意：老师对我在这学期在学习上取得的进步非常满意，寄给我一本英汉词典。分析可知hat I had        in my study this term 应是之前名词the progress的定语从句，先行词在从句中属于固定结构make progress“取得进步”的宾语。故选A项。

A study shows the students who are engaged in after-school  activities are happier than        who are not.

ones

those

these

them

考查代词。句意：一项研究表明，参加课外活动的学生比不参加课外活动的学生更开心。空格处代词与the students是对应关系，可以用the ones 或者those替代。“them”指代前面提到的复数名词，不能与the students形成对应关系，“these”一般不用定语从句修饰。故选B项。