1 . In the early hours of March 23, about 12 hours before our treasured 12-year-old son died of a rare form of brain cancer, I climbed into his hospital bed,
My child was no longer
My son had been
My son was also a passionate
Then it came — at 12:52 am on March 23, my son’s heart stopped beating forever. Despite my
It
| A．fed | B．hid | C．wrapped | D．rocked |
| A．ambitious | B．conscious | C．wise | D．sensitive |
| A．win | B．stop | C．preserve | D．calm |
| A．familiar | B．concerned | C．bored | D．satisfied |
| A．leading to | B．listening to | C．taking to | D．agreeing to |
| A．kindness | B．patience | C．courage | D．honesty |
| A．reader | B．poet | C．fan | D．believer |
| A．extending | B．valuing | C．wasting | D．occupying |
| A．nearly | B．surely | C．hardly | D．finally |
| A．refused | B．pretended | C．expected | D．offered |
| A．anxiety | B．loneliness | C．illness | D．anger |
| A．struggle | B．preparation | C．tolerance | D．power |
| A．amused | B．comforted | C．shocked | D．confused |
| A．forced | B．advised | C．convinced | D．promised |
| A．admired | B．helped | C．encouraged | D．loved |
2 . I. Lead-in
Sense and Sensibility (1811) by Jane Austen follows the challenges faced by the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they navigate love and societal expectations after their father’s death. Elinor, practical and reserved, hides her emotions, while Marianne, passionate and sensibility-driven, openly expresses her feelings. Set in the Georgian era, the novel explores themes of love, class and women’s roles, offering insightful social commentary. Austen’s work provides timeless reflections on the complexities of early 19th-century life.
II. Reading
In this excerpt, Marianne finally encounters Willoughby, a man for whom she holds deep affection, at a party. However, his indifferent attitude toward her deeply saddens her. Her elder sister, Elinor, is disgusted (使厌恶) by Willoughby’s conduct.
“Good heavens!” Marianne cried. “He is there! Oh, why does he not look at me? Why cannot I speak to him?”
“I beg you, be calm,” said Elinor. “Try to hide your feelings.”
But this was impossible for Marianne. She sat there, her anxiety and impatience written clearly on her face.
At last Willoughby turned round and looked at them both. Marianne jumped up and held out her hand affectionately (深情地) to him. He came closer, and spoke to Elinor rather than her sister, asking in a hurried manner after Mrs Dashwood.
Marianne blushed (脸红) deeply and cried, “What is the meaning of this, Willoughby? Will you not shake hands with me?”
He could not avoid it then, but he held her hand only for a moment. “I did myself the honour of calling on you last week, when you were unfortunately not at home.”
“But have you not received my letters?” cried Marianne in the wildest anxiety. “There must be some terrible mistake. Tell me, Willoughby, I beg you, what is the matter?”
He looked ashamed, but, on catching the eye of the young lady with whom he had been talking, his expression seemed to harden. “Yes,” he said, “I had the pleasure of receiving information of your arrival in town, which you were so good as to send me,” and turned away to join his friend.
Marianne, looking horribly white, was unable to stand, and Elinor helped her to a chair. Soon Willoughby was seen to leave the party, and as Marianne was clearly unwell, Elinor asked Lady Middleton to take them home. Nothing was said between the sisters, as Marianne was suffering too much to speak. Elinor now realized that for Willoughby the attachment (喜欢) was over, and she felt extreme distaste for his manner of ending it.
Neither sister slept much that night, and it was still dark when Elinor was woken by the sound of agitated (激动的) sobbing. She saw Marianne, only half dressed, writing as fast as a constant flow of tears would permit her.
“Marianne, may I ask — ?” said Elinor gently.
“No, Elinor, ask nothing, you will soon know all.”
This was said with a sort of desperate calmness, which lasted only as long as she spoke. It seemed probable that she was writing for the last time to Willoughby.
The letter was given to a servant, to be delivered by hand, and the sisters went down to breakfast. Soon afterwards, a letter arrived for Marianne, who went deathly pale, and instantly ran out of the room. Mrs Jennings laughed comfortably.
“Is that a love letter from Willoughby? Well, well, I never saw a young woman so passionately in love in my life. I hope he won’t keep her waiting much longer!”
Eager to know what Willoughby had written, Elinor hurried to their room. Marianne was lying on her bed, sobbing violently. Elinor took her sister’s hand, kissed her affectionately several times, and burst into tears herself. Marianne, although unable to speak, seemed to feel her sister’s loving sympathy, and silently gave her Willoughby’s letter to read.
1. Why did Willoughby turn away from Marianne and speak to Elinor instead?| A．He felt a stronger connection with Elinor. |
| B．He was embarrassed about the situation. |
| C．He was trying to test Marianne’s feelings for him. |
| D．He considered Marianne rude and impolite. |
| A．She disapproved of his manner. | B．She found his actions justified. |
| C．She didn’t care about his actions. | D．She was puzzled by his sudden change. |
| A．She turned to her sister for advice. | B．She decided to ignore it and move on. |
| C．She wrote a letter to him immediately. | D．She cried and felt shocked. |
| A．Sensitive and impatient. | B．Passionate and emotional. |
| C．Straightforward and easy-going. | D．Practical and thoughtful. |
3 . With the winter holiday on the way and time on your hands, you might be looking for something to read. The following are four great books for you.
The Bright Side
Chad Otis is an author and illustrator. His new book, The Bright Side, is about finding hope in desperate situations. Its hero is a boy who lives with his family in an old school bus because they can’t afford to live anywhere else. This is something Otis experienced when he was a kid. He wants kids who are going through similar struggles to know, “You are not alone. Stay strong. Stay optimistic.”
Bunheads
In Bunheads, Misty Copeland tells the story of how she fell in love with dance. As a girl. Copeland was shy and afraid of talking in front of people. Dance helped her get past her fears. “Ballet gave me a language to communicate in a way that worked for me,” she told TFK. “Ballet allowed me to speak... through my body.”
Little Daymond Learns to Earn
Linle Daymond Learns to Earn teaches kids about money. It’s by Daymond John, who is one of the stars of Shark Tank. With a little creativity and the help of his friends, little Daymond starts a small business. “Every single business that you create does one thing — it finds solutions to problems in life,” he says.
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots
What’s the difference between a fact and an opinion? Sometimes, it can be hard to tell them apart. Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots is a new picture book. It teaches kids about facts and opinions. The book uses robots to show the difference between the two. Michael Rex wrote and illustrated the book, in which he asks questions of the reader.
1. What is Chad Otis’s purpose in writing The Bright Side?| A．To teach some life skills. | B．To share his life story. |
| C．To inspire kids in difficulty. | D．To help kids to make money. |
| A．They put profit first. | B．They launch new products. |
| C．They make discoveries. | D．They focus on solving problems. |
| A．Chad Otis. | B．Michael Rex. | C．Daymond John. | D．Misty Copeland. |
4 . Espionage (间谍活动)! Secrets! Suspense(悬念)! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, Max in the House of Spies written by Adam Gidwitz is for you. New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony strongly recommended this book for teenagers, saying Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book.
Espionage and courage are at the heart of this historical novel about Max, an 11-year-old boy sent to London as Germany became ever more dangerous for its Jewish citizens. Max has lots of questions, not the least of which are why the Nazis hate him so much, and why teachers and other adults are saying terrible, hurtful, things about Jewish people as if they are facts. Humor comes in the form of two little sprites from German and Jewish folklore (民间传说), who are forever weighing in—and arguing—about Max’s decisions and desire to return to Germany to save his folks. Fantastic characters and important topics for conversation make this a top read.
Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London. Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold (精灵) and a dybbuk (恶灵) named Berg and Stein. Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.
Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.
1. Who is the author of Max in the House of Spies?| A．Wonder | B．Adam Gidwitz | C．White Bird | D．Pony |
| A．High-fantasy novel | B．Folklore | C．historical novel | D．political novel |
| A．Max is an 11-year-old boy born in London. |
| B．Max is sent to London for further study. |
| C．Max is quite interested in Jewish folklore. |
| D．Max wants to save his folks in Germany. |
| A．Health Care | B．Sports Event | C．Cultural Insights | D．Book Review |
5 . Do you find yourself checking social media sites as soon as you wake up? Do you answer e-mails on your phone while surfing the Web? Actually, we've lived a life in which we're all connected, all the time. Whether or not this is a good thing is the subject of Hamlet's BlackBerry, a non-fiction book by William Powers based on an essay he penned.
Early in the work, Powers questions the way we use devices, but certainly he doesn't criticize it. He does, however, recognize the downside of constantly being overstimulated—or what he calls the “problem of connectedness”. Among the things disturbed by the problem, Powers says, are the ways in which people are connected and deal with each other. “Constantly switching among people on social media platforms, texts and all the new ways of connecting all day, we never have a sustained connection.” His intention of writing Hamlet's BlackBerry is to help teach people how to connect more wisely. Powers looked to the past, where he found several precedents(先例)for both the current information age and the anxiety that has come with it.
One major figure Powers examines actually developed his own strategies for dealing with overstimulation. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet is informed his father is murdered by his uncle and too shocked by the news to think calmly, so he pulls out his “tables” from the pocket, an object Powers describes as a so rt of original electronic planner. In the Elizabethan age, tables were a kind of new device designed to help people bring order to their lives despite massive news. You could write notes during the day and wipe(擦掉) them away at night.
But how do we deal with the same problem? Powers has one suggestion that's child's play: just disconnect. His family, for example, takes an “Internet Rest Day” every weekend. “We don't have smart phones. Therefore we can't check our inboxes and do Web surfing that day. We really enter another zone and it's wonderful. Even when we're connected to the Internet again, we feel benefits of having been disconnected days before,” he says. “It's just about that simple word—balance.”
1. What can be influenced by overstimulation according to Powers?| A．Thoughts. | B．Health. | C．Productivity. | D．Relationships. |
| A．They advocated an orderly life. | B．They could handle information overload. |
| C．They regarded tables as a necessity. | D．They improved technology to make plans. |
| A．It is a symbol of balance. | B．It lightens the family atmosphere. |
| C．It has a lasting influence. | D．It is seemingly difficult to follow. |
| A．An introduction to a book. | B．An article about the Web's impacts. |
| C．A report on digitization. | D．A review of Shakespeare's Hamlet. |
6 . Books that can help teens manage anxiety
Children experience anxiety differently from adults, and it also looks different in each child. Fortunately, books can serve as tools for guiding children through the anxious thoughts and feelings they may experience. The following are four books that can help children effectively manage their anxiety.
The Healthy Coping Coloring Book and Journal by Pooky Knightsmith
This coloring book is specifically designed for children aged 8 to 14 and activities range from coloring to journaling and drawing, all of which are developed to help children deal with troubling situations. The different activities can be beneficial for self-expression.
Please Explain Anxiety to Me! by Laurie E. Zelinger and Jordan Zelinger
Written by psychologists, this story breaks down both the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety. The story compares the natural anxiety kids feel to dinosaurs fearing being threatened in the wild. It explains that some anxiety (for example, a dinosaur’s anxiety about being eaten) can be our body’s way of protecting us from threats.
Sea Otter Cove by Lori Lite
This is a book that teaches children how to use proper breathing techniques to calm down, lower stress, and control anger. Through playful sea otters and other delightful characters in the book, children get to experience belly breathing. This effective, self-calming technique is also known as diaphragmatic breathing or deep breathing.
The Worry Glasses by Donalisa Helsley
This book is about a little girl named MJ. It tells the story of how she learns to defeat her worries. All through the story, her wonderful counselor Miss Jessica patiently helps her. The book includes a list of exercises designed to relieve kids’ anxiety. It also offers tips to parents and adults who live with anxious children.
1. What’s the common ground of the activities in Pooky Knightsmith’s book?| A．Encouraging children to express anxiety. |
| B．Helping children increase intelligence. |
| C．Measuring children’s mental health. |
| D．Inspiring children’s artistic talent. |
| A．Journal writing. | B．Controling anger. |
| C．Belly breathing. | D．Holding breath. |
| A．The Healthy Coping Coloring Book and Journal |
| B．Please Explain Anxiety to Me! |
| C．Sea Otter Cove |
| D．The Worry Glasses |
1. What does the speaker think of the novel The Red Gem?
| A．Boring. | B．Difficult. | C．Attractive. |
| A．The characters are vivid. |
| B．The pace is changeable. |
| C．The storyline is confusing. |
| A．The relationship between the characters. |
| B．The stories of the family’s friends and neighbors. |
| C．The author’s unusual way of dealing with problems. |
| A．It is convenient. | B．It is cheap. | C．It has good feel. |
8 . The following are recommended picks from NPR staff and trusted critics.
Good Night, Irene
by Luis Alberto
It’s historical fiction based on Luis Alberto’s mother, who served as a Red Cross volunteer in World War Ⅱ. These so-called Donut Dollies made doughnuts and served coffee in a truck, providing comfort to the soldiers. They also drove to the front lines during the battle. This novel is a comedy featuring characters that present friendship and courage in tough circumstances.
Homestead
by Melinda Moustakis
Homestead is a tale of what it was like to be brave enough to build a life and survive in rough Alaska. Melinda also excellently captures the complexities around a moment in American history that is reduced to a line or two in schoolbooks. The characters in Homestead are escaping troubled pasts tied to forces out of their control.
The Great Escape
by Saket Soni
The Great Escape begins in 2006, when Soni, a labor organizer, receives a midnight phone call from a Mississippi number. The caller is one of 500 foreign workers who paid $20,000 to a firm that promised green cards if they would help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. But the green cards were a lie. There’s a daring midnight escape of the men from camp, then a march to Washington, D.C.
The Porcelain Moon
by Janie Chang
Set against World War I in France, it tells the story of two women, who break general expectations and restrictions to find their love and lives. Camille, raised outside Paris in poverty, and Pauline, who works for her uncle at his Paris shop, are trying to avoid an arranged marriage. It’s a richly researched historical fiction book.
1. What’s the novel by Melinda about?| A．How people managed life in Alaska. | B．What volunteers did for brave soldiers. |
| C．What foreigners did for a green card. | D．How two women broke from tradition. |
| A．Supply food to the soldiers at war. | B．Move to Alaska to start a new life. |
| C．Remove their generational restriction. | D．Help rebuild after a hurricane strike. |
| A．They are about lives in the wild. | B．They are set in the two World Wars. |
| C．They deal with courage in face of lies. | D．They reveal the power of friendship. |
9 . One of the most commonly asked questions in the English language is “How are you?” and whether a person is feeling happy or sad, excited or lonely, fantastic or heartbroken they will just about always answer “Fine”. Why is this? Is it because humans are not good at expressing their emotions? Maybe it is just that emotions are often too personal or too complex to be shared in a casual conversation. However, for centuries, people have often expressed their emotions on paper, in the form of poetry.
The beauty of poetry is that the emotions the poet is trying to convey are often disguised in images so that the poet can maintain a feeling of privacy. For example, in Li Bai’s poem, “Seeing Meng Haoran Off at Yellow Crane Tower”, the poet describes the sail of his friend’s boat rules disappearing into the distance while he watches the river rolling by. This could seem merely like the description of a beautiful scene, but by reading into the poem, you can sense the deep sadness and loneliness that his friend’s leaving has caused him.
Poetry is also written to celebrate positive human emotions like joy, love and happiness. Throughout history, men and women have written poems to their loved ones to express their deep feelings. Poems about nature, which express the poet’s appreciation of the beauty in the world around him or her, are also common. Sadly, many poems have also been written to express anger at the destruction of nature and reactions to horrific events like war and death.
The interesting thing about poetry is that anyone reading a poem can have their own view or feelings about it and heated discussions can often arise over what the poet was originally trying to say or express. Poetry can be interpreted in many different ways. Often, a poem that one person loves another hates. Equally, a poem that one person understands and relates to, may turn another person off.
1. What is the purpose of questions in Para. 1?| A．To introduce a topic. |
| B．To teach people how to start a conversation. |
| C．To have empathy with reader. |
| D．To review the commonly asked questions. |
| A．seen | B．described | C．hidden | D．disclosed |
| A．Humans wish they could be better at expressing their feelings. |
| B．Many human emotions are very hard to capture in casual conversations. |
| C．Human emotions are too intense and wide-ranging to be expressed by most people. |
| D．Poetry is the most important way to express people’s inner feelings. |
| A．The difference in how different readers interpret and appreciate a poem. |
| B．The imagery that a poet can use to express emotions can be misunderstood by the reader. |
| C．The ability of the reader to clearly understand the meaning of a poem. |
| D．Poets’ unique description and fantastic language about poems. |
What does the man ask the woman to do?To
