It was the early 2000s. I stood on the corner of a street in Abu Dhabi, me and my two little boys, trying to catch a taxi, when one came to a stop in front of us.
The three of us got into the vehicle and I gave the driver the location, hardly giving him a second look. He was just the driver of the taxi. Who notices taxi drivers anyway?
As usual, the boys had hardly settled in when they began bickering(吵架) over some silly issue. Soon, it had turned into a fistfight(拳斗)between the two, with me reduced to a useless audience after vain(徒劳的)attempts at sorting it out. I finally gave up, turning to look out of the window.
“A healthy fight between brothers is a good sign. Let them be,” came a soft voice from in front of me.
I turned and met the driver ‘s eyes in the rear-view mirror(后视镜) “It’s a natural growing-up stage. Enjoy it while you can. Look at me, even if I wished for it, I cannot see my children grow up let alone fight!”he added.
That began a conversation between us. The man had left his wife and children back in Pakistan, living as he did far away in a different country in order to provide a good life for them. He had missed their first baby steps, their first words, so many significant milestones.
Suddenly, the man was no longer just a taxi driver. He was human too. He had a family to take care of, he had his good days and bad days, he had hopes and dreams.
The conversation between the taxi driver and me lasted through the duration(期间) of the ride and its effects lasted much longer for me.
1. What did the author do after she got into the taxi?| A．She started chatting with the driver. |
| B．She paid little attention to the driver. |
| C．She observed the driver for a while. |
| D．She forgot to tell the driver the destination. |
| A．He said it was nothing special. |
| B．He tried to stop it. |
| C．He thought it was silly. |
| D．He considered it natural. |
| A．He lived a comfortable life. |
| B．He missed many important moments in his children’s lives. |
| C．He enjoyed performing and entertaining others. |
| D．He gave up his childhood dream. |
| A．Let Children Be Themselves |
| B．Make Yourself a Good Passenger |
| C．An Eye-Opening Ride in a Taxi |
| D．A Balance Between Work and Family |
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【推荐1】The entire family was here recently –14 in all, including six kids under the age of 5. We had a joint birthday party for two of the grandkids.
The day after everyone cleared out I noticed that the drain stopper（排水塞）was missing from downstairs bathroom sink.
The last thing you want to do is accuse your own fresh and blood of stripping hardware from your bathroom, but a drain stopper doesn’t just wash itself down the drain.
So I sent out a carefully-worded e-mail saying what a wonderful time we had and asking if anyone had accidently tucked a drain stopper in a purse, pocket or suitcase. I even attached a picture of a drain stopper in case there was any doubt as to what the missing part looked like.
Our son responded that he thought his 10-month-old might have eaten it. He said he’d let us know if they found it in the next day of two.
Our youngest daughter responded that she thought she saw it in her husband’s lunchbox that morning, but she could be wrong.
Our oldest daughter replied that she had suspected her sister’s husband all along. He replied that he had been framed.
Our oldest daughter then checked the guilt of one of her twins with following exchange:
Mommy: “Do you know where Grandma’s drain stopper is?”
Three-year-old: “Yeah, let me show you.” (Heads to the bathroom.)
Mommy: “No, not ours, where is Grandma’s? Did you take it?”
Three-year-old: “I think she took it.” (She points at her 18-month-old baby sister). “She’s a naughty kid.”
Naturally, the 18-month-old defended herself by saying: “Bububbubnananabublalala!”
The next day, an email arrived from our daughter-in-law. “Guess what I found in my laundry this morning? I thought the dryer was louder last night.”
Our “perp” was short. He has a known history of building and disassembling, is mechanically inclined, determined and just turned 3.
It’s always good to know a child’s interests and talents. We have a valve（阀门）that occasionally drips under the kitchen sink. I may have him take a look at it the next time he’s here. But I’ll pat him down before he leaves.
1. What is the key message the author would like to convey through this article?| A．People should always believe in their family members. |
| B．with lots of kids around, anything silly and unbelievable could happen. |
| C．people should not jump to judgment before finding clear evidence. |
| D．Unexpected incidents in our life can lead to inspiring discoveries and fun. |
| A．who was accused of something | B．who was given help |
| C．who did mechanical work | D．who told a lie |
| A．Because he found that it was of a very strange shape. |
| B．Because he thought it could be set on his toy. |
| C．Because he was interested in mechanics. |
| D．Because he wanted to fix the author’s kitchen sink. |
| A．Angry | B．Embarrassed |
| C．Humorous | D．Worried |
【推荐2】At times my mom has been uncomfortable seeing these qualities in me. For example，when I was 12，I went to Puerto Rico all by myself to stay with my grandmother for the summer. My mom was extremely nervous about it. She kept telling me how things were different in Puerto Rico（波多黎各），to always put on sunscreen（防晒霜），not to wander away from my grandmother，and other warnings. She helped me pack and did not leave the airport until she saw my plane take off.
But despite（尽管）her worries，she let me go on my own. As I moved into my teens，she continued to give me space to grow and learn，even when it might have been difficult for her. When I reached my senior year，I decided to move away for college. Once again I found that I differed from my peers（同龄人)：While many of them wanted to stay close to home，I couldn’t wait to be out in the world on my own. While my mom may not have been happy at the thought of my going away，she was supportive and excited for me.
One big thing I realized during my senior year，as my mom granted（允许） me more freedom，was that she actually believes in me and trusts me. That means a lot. Most of my life，and especially when I was little，the main person I tried to impress in my schoolwork or other things was my mother. I knew she expected nothing but the best from me. Sometimes it was hard to live up to her standards: getting a single B on my report card would make me feel bad because I knew she wanted me to have all A’s.
I know that her high standards have helped me stay focused on what’s important, like education，and made me who I am. I am thankful for her support and involvement in my life. Most of all I respect her. She is the strongest woman I know and that’s why I have turned out so strong and independent.
1. When the author decided to go to Puerto Rico, his mother________.| A．didn’t allow him to do so |
| B．wanted to go with him |
| C．worried about his safety |
| D．asked his grandmother for advice |
| A．He wanted to be different from his peers. |
| B．He planned to keep away from his mother. |
| C．He intended to make his mother unhappy. |
| D．He wanted to be independent |
| A．had a high expectation of him |
| B．cared little about his learning |
| C．used to expect nothing from him |
| D．was too strict with him |
| A．His mother’s deep love for him |
| B．The importance of his mother’s trust and support |
| C．His long way to become independent |
| D．His good relationship with his mother |
【推荐3】When I was ten years old, Mum got paralyzed (瘫痪) . Before that, she was a lively and active woman who amazed many with her energy. I admired her for all the things she did.
However, everything changed when she turned thirty-one.
I still have vivid images of her before her paralysis. She would play popular music, creating a cheerful atmosphere for lively gatherings. She would joyfully rearrange the furniture to make room for friends to abandon themselves to dance. She often spent hours filling the house with flowers, which we picked fresh from the gardens.
After Mum’s paralysis, I began to take care of my 2-year-old sister, Mary Therese. In no time at all, I learned to bathe and feed her. For me it was a giant step beyond playing with dolls. One moment stands out even today: the time Mary Therese fell and skinned her knee, burst into tears and ran past my mother’s outstretched arms into mine. Too late, I noticed slight hurt on Mum’s face, but all she said was, “It’s natural that she should run to you, because you take such good care of her.”
When I was grown and entered the field of corrections, Mum became interested in working with prisoners. She taught writing to them. One day, she asked me to mail a letter to one prisoner, Waymon. I asked for my mother’s permission to read it first. It read: when you said that I couldn’t imagine what it is like to be in prison, I felt like I had to tell you that you are mistaken. When I awoke one day to find that I was completely paralyzed, I felt trapped, overwhelmed by a sense of being imprisoned in a body that would no longer allow me to dance or carry my child in my arms. But then, I made a choice about whether I would smile when I saw my daughters again or I would weep. I made a decision to live as fully as I could.
By the time I finished Mum’s letter, my vision was clouded by tears. For the first time, I saw my mother in a clearer light.
1. How can we describe Mum before her paralysis?| A．Creative. | B．Ambitious. | C．Adventurous. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．Mum had a sharp insight |
| B．Mum was emotionally generous |
| C．Mum was worried about her position |
| D．Mum was absent-minded at the moment |
| A．She regretted for what she had done. |
| B．Waymon’s experience was saddening, |
| C．She witnessed Mum’s character shining through. |
| D．There was some secret between her and her mother. |
【推荐1】On January 22, 2022, the British-Belgian 19-year-old, Rutherford, successfully landed her microlight aircraft back at the Airport, from where she had departed 155 days ago, fulfilling her dream to be the youngest woman to fly around the world solo.
“I feel excited not only to break the Guinness World Record, but also to diminish the gender gap by 11 years between the current youngest man record holder, 18 at the time of his record, and the previous woman record holder, who was 30 when she completed her ‘Dreams Soar’ around- the-world flight.” Rutherford wrote on her blog. Rutherford’s journey crossing five continents and 52 countries began on August 18, 2021. She met many unexpected delays along the way. They included an unscheduled stop in California, due to the fierce wildfires and a stop in Alaska, to renew her visa. She also faced several challenges in the air. Despite the severe difficulties, the determined young pilot never gave up on her dream.
Rutherford grew up around airplanes. Her British father flies commercially, while her Belgian mother is also a pilot. The young girl began learning how to fly at age 14 and got her fight license in 2020. With her goal of flying around the world completed, Rutherford now has her sights set even higher. She wants to become an astronaut and explore space.
She hopes that her journey will encourage more young women to pursue careers in flight. Currently the number of women pilots is just 5 percent. Rutherford says, “It’s an easy thing to say, but just go for it. If you don’t try and see how high you can fly, then you’ll never know.”
1. What does the underlined word “diminish” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Narrow. | B．Divide. | C．Fill. | D．Cause. |
| A．The wildfires were too fierce. | B．Her visa was due. |
| C．The weather was too severe. | D．Her engine broke down. |
| A．To turn to a new topic. | B．To state her admirable talents. |
| C．To summarize her achievements. | D．To add some background information. |
| A．Dream big, aim high. | B．Life is not all roses. |
| C．Not to advance is to go back. | D．The greatest talkers, the least doers. |
【推荐2】If “Singlish” sounds unfamiliar to you, you may want to search on video-sharing websites where there are dozens of videos making fun of “Singlish”. Like the term “Chinglish”, “Singlish” stands for “Singapore English”. It is a unique combination of various languages, made up of Mandarin（中文）, Cantonese（粤语）, Malay（马来语）, and so on. Singlish as a dialect is popular among the public.
I feel that it is an essential part of Singapore’s culture, with its distinctive slang and intonations（语调）. A good example would be “kiasu”. Originating from the Chinese word “pashu”, it stands for fear of failure. Singapore is highly competitive, and more and more immigrants are now coming. And this word is often used to criticize those being too competitive during competitions.
Last year, my classmates were discussing our social studies graded assignment, which was extremely hard, in the class group chat. The sources were very difficult, and I could hardly understand the message conveyed in them. While I was working on the assignment, I saw my classmates typing “siao ah? ”and “siao lah! ”in the group chat.
At first, I thought “siao” was derived（源于）from the Chinese word “xiao”, which means “laugh”. So I thought that they felt happy or interested while doing their work, which obviously contradicted the facts. I felt like I was the only one who found this assignment difficult.
“Excuse me. . . are you feeling happy when you say ‘siao lah’?”
All my classmates seemed surprised for a while. Then I received a blast of “laughing to tears” emojis from everyone. When I got confused about what was going on, the friendliest guy in our class replied, “Hey Yixing! ‘Siao’ means that we find something extremely ridiculous or crazy. We use the word for sarcastic purposes, and it does not mean that we are really smiling or laughing. ”
This was just one of the many embarrassing moments I have experienced when learning this interesting language. Though I can understand most phrases now, I still make my classmates laugh when attempting to speak Singlish. Fortunately, I have gradually become part of them in this way.
1. What was the author’s main purpose in writing the article?| A．To describe the connection between Singlish and Chinese. |
| B．To share the author’s experiences of learning Singlish. |
| C．To explain why there are dozens of videos online making fun of Singlish. |
| D．To teach readers some interesting examples of Singlish. |
| A．Singlish is a combination of English, Mandarin and Cantonese. |
| B．New immigrants dislike those who are too competitive. |
| C．Singlish shows how much impact local culture has on its language. |
| D．If you know Chinese well, you will feel it easy to understand Singlish. |
| A．When they feel interested in something. |
| B．When they consider something too boring. |
| C．When they feel extremely embarrassed. |
| D．When they find something really ridiculous. |
| A．disagreed with | B．was based on |
| C．responded to | D．gave an explanation of |
【推荐3】Luke Fortune drove from a small town in Central Oregon to Portland, where he parked his car in a paid garage overnight. The next morning, he discovered that the car’s window had been smashed along with his dreams for the future: his backpack and computer were gone.
Two days after the theft, another young man was standing outside his apartment, also in Portland. Masoud Almazrouei, 29 , was an exchange student from the United Arab Emirates. He had been approached by a man who said he had a computer for sale. Only $ 200. He needed a computer, so he bought it, took it home, and turned it on. Within seconds, he saw files and photographs. He realized it could be stolen. Almazrouei found what appeared to be the owner’s cell phone number and called it. Fortune didn’t trust this guy with a thick accent and thought it was a trick.
Soon after, a police officer called Fortune to say that a man had dropped the computer off and had said he was sorry. He passed along the man’s number.
Fortune called and thanked Almazrouei and insisted on paying him a reward of $ 200 , the money he was out. Almazrouei refused. He said, it was his honor and duty as a Muslim to return the property to the rightful owner.
Still the encounter produced its own kind of rewards. For Fortune, it was a lesson in cultural awareness with the sometimes bitter national debate about immigrants, especially from the Arab world. “I’m from a small, mainly white town,” Fortune said. “I’ve never met a Muslim. He’s a good man.”
Almazruel’s lesson was perhaps more complex. When a story about the two young men’s encounter made it to the local papers, Almazrouei received a call from Wim Wiewel, the present of Portland State University, where Almazrouei is studying economics.
“We thought since you gave back the laptop, we should give you a laptop so that you’ll have one,” Wiewel told him. “We’re very proud of you. It was a great story, and you did the right thing.”
1. How did Almazrouei return the computer to Fortune finally?| A．He went to Fortune’s apartment and handed it to him. |
| B．He asked the police to return the computer to him. |
| C．He apologized to Fortune and handed it to him. |
| D．He sent the computer to him by express delivery. |
| A．Because he used to discriminate against Muslims. |
| B．Because he never met an immigrant before. |
| C．Because he believed “There is no such thing as a free lunch. ” |
| D．Because he believed “Never talk to strangers.” |
| A．Almazrouei received a reward of $ 200 from Portland State University. |
| B．Fortune could seek his dream with his computer back. |
| C．Both of the young men gained something in their own way. |
| D．Kindness can eventually pay off one day. |
【推荐1】My ability of judging a route course is pretty horrific and there was one time I was in a very remote part of Austria and wanted to go to meet up with some of my friends at a lake. I grabbed a bike, and set off, map in hand. All was going well until I realized I was in a really, really remote part of the town, and pretty soon I realized I was on a hill. My failure of direction and my childish relationship with maps accidentally led me up a mountain.
I was 2.5 hours into my voyage, there was no sign of any life around me, there was definitely no lake in sight at all and especially the noises around me got stranger. I looked at my map wondering how it could cheat me and where our relationship took a wrong turn. It was getting darker. I was shitting bricks by the second and any moment now, something was going to jump out and ate me alive.
I eventually stopped caring that my bike would collapse on me and managed to ride the flat-tired bike down a very rocky trail at a pretty fast pace just hoping to get out of there as fast as possible.
Several minutes later, I finally saw a highway, so I got back on a known trail and just a few kilometres up, I saw the sign where I had missed my turn for the lake. After my 2-hour tiring journey, I had no desire to be near anything wet as I was already soaked from exhaustion, so I tried to get reception to call and see if anyone could pick me up. Eventually, I was able to track down some elderly Austrian men who could see my dilemma and handed me their phone, and a large pint of Austrian beer to save the day.
1. What did the author blame the loss of her way on?| A．The rough roads up the hill. |
| B．The darkness in Austria. |
| C．Taking with her a wrong map. |
| D．Her poor sense of direction. |
| A．No sign of life. | B．No lake in sight. |
| C．Strange noises. | D．The disappointing map. |
| A．Extremely frightened. | B．Hitting some bricks. |
| C．Very disappointed. | D．Entirely tired. |
| A．She rode a wrong bus. |
| B．She got a flat tire. |
| C．She abandoned her collapsed bike. |
| D．She was cheated by her poor memory. |
【推荐2】Blogging Australia
1. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Lauren Elizabeth Pirie Bath. Until a few years ago I was a chef, and a happy one at that, but I wanted more out of life. I wanted to TRAVEL. At that time I discovered blogging and found that I took pretty good pictures. So I decided to post pictures on my blog. In less than 18 months, there were over 200,000 people reading my blog! At first, I only regarded it as a hobby, but companies started paying me to take photos and publish them. In 2013, I was determined to make my dream come true: I would become Australia’s first professional photo blogger. It was a challenging job, but I did it. Now I spend three weeks out of every month travelling and have over 464,000 fans following me online. I’ve got to know more about this country and its people.
2. What is your connection to Western Australia?
I first visited Western Australia for work in 2013. I fell in love with northern WA and have been back six times. Some of my favourite photographs were taken there. I have made over 140 work trips, but my best work trip ever was to Broome in the Kimberley region.
3. What do you love most about Western Australia?
It is extremely beautiful and you can experience the indigenous Australia there more than anywhere else. The Kimberley region, in particular, is unique and untouched. As a photographer, I love the bright light and amazing colours: red rocks, green plants, blue-green waters and blue skies.
4. How does your love of nature influence your photography?
To work full time in travel, you have to love nature. I try to take every opportunity to get outside and admire the natural world. I love to photograph the rising sun, so I force myself into the natural world by waking early each day. I also enjoy photographing animals, such as dolphins and kangaroos.
5. Does your photography support environmental protection?
I hope so. I use my photography to make an impact on people, especially when it comes to environmental issues. Today I’ve been photographing a crocodile swimming close to our boat, the Kimberley Quest, all day. When I post the picture online, I will make a comment about how bad it is to feed wild crocodiles. This crocodile is used to passengers throwing food from boats and now she is becoming familiar with humans. Over time, this could make her a danger to people living in the area. If I can do something to make others aware of the problem, then that’s part of the solution.
1. Which of the following statements best summarizes Lauren Elizabeth Pirie Bath’s career path?| A．She was always passionate about photography and pursued it as a full-time job. |
| B．She started as a chef, discovered her talent for photography, and eventually became a professional photo blogger. |
| C．She traveled extensively and decided to become a travel blogger to share her experiences. |
| D．She worked as a chef, then became a professional photographer, and finally settled as a travel writer. |
| A．Perth. | B．The Great Barrier Reef. |
| C．The Kimberley region. | D．The Outback. |
| A．She is indifferent to environmental problems. |
| B．She uses her photography to raise awareness about environmental issues. |
| C．She believes that her photography cannot make a difference. |
| D．She only photographs animals and nature for her own enjoyment. |
It was the late-1970s. My parents were separated. My mother was now raising a group of boys on her own. My father spouted off about what he planned to do for us, buy for us.In fact, he had no intention of doing anything. As a father who was supposed to love us, in fact, he lacked the understanding of what it truly meant to love a child—or to hurt one. To him, this was a harmless game that kept us excited and begging. In fact, it was a cruel, corrosive lie. I lost faith in his words and in him. I wanted to stop caring, but I couldn’t.
Maybe it was his own complicated relationship to his father and his father’s family that caused him cold. Maybe it was the pain and guilt associated with a life of misfortune. Who knows. Whatever it was, it stole him from us, and particularly from me.
While my brothers talked about breaking and fixing things, I spent many of my evenings reading and wondering. My favorite books were a set of encyclopedias(百科全书) given by my uncle. They allowed me to explore the world beyond my world, to travel without leaving, to dream dreams greater than my life would otherwise have supported. But losing myself in my own mind also meant that I was completely lost to my father. Not understanding me, he simply ignored me—not just emotionally, but physically as well. Never once did he hug me, never once a pat on the back or a hand on the shoulder or a tousling of the hair.
My best memories of him were from his episodic attempts at engagement with us. During the longest of these episodes（插曲）, once every month or two, he would come pick us up and drive us down the interstate to Trucker’s Paradise, a seedy, smoke-filled, truck stop with gas pumps, a convenience store, a small dining area and a game room through a door in the back. My dad gave each of us a handful of quarters, and we played until they were gone. He sat up front in the dining area, drinking coffee and being particular about the restaurant’s measly offerings.
I loved these days. To me, Trucker’s Paradise was paradise. The quarters and the games were fun but easily forgotten. It was the presence of my father that was most treasured. But, of course, these trips were short-lived.
It wasn’t until I was much older that I would find something that I would be able to
When the Commodore 64 personal computer debuted, I convinced myself that I had to have it even though its price was out of my mother’s range. So I decided to earn the money myself. I mowed every yard I could find that summer for a few dollars each, yet it still wasn’t enough. So my dad agreed to help me raise the rest of the money by driving me to one of the watermelon farms south of town, loading up his truck with wholesale melons and driving me around to sell them. He came for me before daybreak. We made small talk, but it didn’t matter. The fact that he was talking to me was all that mattered. I was a teenager by then, but this was the first time that I had ever spent time alone with him. He laughed and repeatedly introduced me as “my boy,” a phrase he relayed with a sense of pride. It was one of the best days of my life.
Although he had never told me that he loved me, I would
It just goes to show that no matter how friendless the father, no matter how deep the damage, no matter how shattered the bond, there is still time, still space, still a need for even the smallest bit of evidence of a father’s love.
“My boy.”
1. From the passage, the father was_____ in the writer’s memory.
| A．selfish and cruel | B．proud and cold |
| C．imperfect but loving | D．shy but thoughtful |
| A．father showed his love but had no good way to express himself to his children |
| B．he just lost himself in his own mind without getting close to his father |
| C．father was too busy so unable to communicate with his children enough |
| D．he had a prejudice（偏见） and was too stubborn to feel it |
| A．catch hold of | B．depend on |
| C．stick to | D．keep |
| A．father liked to show off his family before others |
| B．I couldn't understand Father’s love unless he expressed to me |
| C．father intended to show a loving father he was but failed. |
| D．I would definitely treasure all the small love from father |
1. His dad agreed to help him.
2. The Commodore 64 personal computer was just on sale.
3. The writer decided to buy it and earn the money himself.
4 His dad drove the writer to one of the watermelon farms south of town, loaded up his truck with wholesale melons and drove the writer around to sell them.
5. The writer didn’t have enough money.
| A．23541 | B．23514 | C．32541 | D．32514 |
| A．Remembrances of my father | B．Father and son |
| C．My boy | D．The past days |
