In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.
One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.
Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”
After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.
“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.
Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.
As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering (坚定不移的) presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.
1. What does the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Satisfactory. | B．Informal. | C．Close. | D．Temporary. |
| A．It was too cold to go outside. | B．Liam failed to pick her up. |
| C．She was in a bad condition. | D．School was closed for the heavy snow. |
| A．Considerate and caring. | B．Brave but lazy. |
| C．Selfless and active. | D．Independent but weak. |
| A．Emma’s illness. | B．A precious friendship. |
| C．Liam’s company. | D．How to help a friend. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】If you’re a shy person, meeting people and making new friends might be hard for you. The good news is that there are tons of tips, strategies (策略), and skills that can make it easier to make friends as a shy person.
Greet people warmly. If you can make others feel more comfortable when they approach you, you won’t have to do so much to start conversations or make plans.
Choose low-key venues (地点).
Use friend apps to find like-minded people.
Try to listen and focus on the other person.
| A．Don’t judge too fast. |
| B．Go out in public more to meet new people. |
| C．More people are using these apps to connect with people. |
| D．A lot of shy people struggle more with talking than listening. |
| E．Instead, other people will begin coming to you, taking some pressure off. |
| F．Try to reconnect with old friends you may have lost contact with for a long time. |
| G．People who are shy often feel uncomfortable when they’re in large or noisy places. |
【推荐2】Friendship is one of the basic bonds between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.
Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft. If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to express their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief.
“No man is an island.” In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life.
As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Outgoing persons enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas shy persons are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships.
Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of closeness is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one’s life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of closeness, all friendships are based on reciprocity（互惠）, honesty and a certain amount of love and affection.
1. “No man is an island”(Line 1, Para. 3) implies that _______.| A．everyone is a part of an island | B．man cannot be an island |
| C．everyone is just a part of society | D．society is an island |
| A．age | B．belonging | C．personality | D．culture |
| A．can be easily formed when one is young | B．cannot be long-lasting |
| C．are not rare for everyone | D．are rare for most people |
| A．not respecting | B．dishonoring | C．regardless | D．considering |
【推荐3】Everyone needs friends. As the saying goes, “Friends are God’s way of taking care of us .”
The American writer, Sally Seamans, tells young students some smart ways to make friends .Sally says finding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed and take care of it to make it grow .
First you should choose a friend. What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks. A good friend should be kind and patient. For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend should listen to your complaints and do his best to help. To make friends, you cannot be too shy. You should make each other happy and share your lives .
But things cannot always be happy. Even the best friends have fights. What should you do when you have a fight with your friend? You have to talk to him or her. When there is no one around, have an honest talk. If he or she doesn’t want to talk, you could write a letter .
There are three steps to be friends again:
Tell him or her how you are feeling; say what your friend has done wrong; explain why you did this or that. Remember that friendship is the most important thing in your life .
1. Sally wants to tell students the way to .| A．make friends | B．plant trees | C．get happy | D．keep fit |
| A．be lovely and cool | B．be kind and patient |
| C．have lots of money | D．have good looks |
| A．buy a present for | B．never say a word to |
| C．have dinner with | D．write a letter to |
| A．Friends are God’s son. |
| B．People like fighting with their friends. |
| C．To make friends, we need to plant the seed and take care of it. |
| D．To make friends, we should be kind and beautiful. |
【推荐1】Mary Wollstonecraft, a famous writer, was born on April 27, 1759 in Spitalfields, London. She grew up in a difficult family situation. His father was violent and drunken every day. In 1778, she was tired of such a life and decided to take a job as a lady’s companion to Sarah Dawson. This proved a difficult experience as she didn’t get on well with the old lady.
However, around this time, she made friends with Fanny Blood, who played an important role in helping her overcome the challenges. The two became very close and Fanny Blood’s death in 1785 was quite a shock to Mary.
For a while, Mary worked as a tutor in a large Irish family. She had a talent for teaching but took a dislike to Lady Kingsborough. To Mary, Kingsborough was not an ideal woman. In Lady Kingsborough, she saw a woman with no real independence, but just concerned about appearances and pleasing men. Mary later developed her thoughts on the concept of a good wife.
Mary had a desire to become a writer. Mary returned to London where she met with famous men such as Thomas Paine, William Godwin and Joseph Johnson. In London, she became more aware of new political and philosophical ideas. The late eighteenth century was an age of change. The old “divine rights (王权神授)” of kings was being replaced with greater faith in human reason and liberty (自由).
In 1790, she wrote the Vindication of the Rights of Men. This sought to defend (保卫) the principles of the French Revolution against Edmund Burke’s conservative critique (批评). Shortly after the Vindication of the Rights of Men, Mary wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women. This was a ground-breaking book, as it proposed women were the equal of men.
1. How old was Mary when she met Sarah Dawson?| A．19. | B．26. | C．31. | D．33. |
| A．Meeting with Thomas Paine. |
| B．Teaching in an Irish family. |
| C．Fanny Blood’s friendship. |
| D．Lady Kingsborough’s guidance. |
| A．She was a good wife. |
| B．She was a talented woman. |
| C．She was very beautiful. |
| D．She was not independent enough. |
| A．Women should unite to fight to the death. |
| B．Women should have the same rights as men. |
| C．Women should serve as good wives for men. |
| D．Women should maintain their relationships with men. |
| A．Biography. | B．Poem. | C．Argumentation. | D．Exposition (说明文). |
【推荐2】I was fifteen months old, a happy carefree kid until the day fell. It was a bad fall. I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it. Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched the eyeball together where it was cut, leaving a big ugly scar in the middle of my eye. The attempt failed, but my mama, in all of her wisdom, found a doctor who knew that if the eye were removed wholly, my face would grow up badly twisted, so my scarred, sightless, cloudy and gray eye lived on with me. And as I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways controlled me.
I walked with my face looking at the floor so people would not see the ugly me. Sometimes people, even strangers, asked me embarrassing questions or made hurtful remarks. When the kids played games, I was always the “monster”. I grew up imagining that people looked at me in an unusual way, as if my appearance were my fault. I always felt like I was a freak(怪人).
Yet mama would say to me, at every turn, “Hold your head up high and face the world.” It became a litany that I relied on. She had started when I was young. She would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say, “If you hold your head up high, it will be okay, and people will see your beautiful soul.” She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide. Those words have meant different things to me over the years. As a little child, I thought mama meant, “Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking.” As an adolescent, even though I tended to look down to hide my shame, I found that sometimes when I held my head up high and let people know me, they liked me. My mama’s words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face, I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind both eyes even if they couldn’t see it on the surface.
In high school I was successful both academically and socially. I was even elected class president, but on the inside, I still felt like a freak. All I really wanted was to look like everyone else. When things got really bad, I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, “Hold your head up high and face the world. Let them see the beauty that is inside.”
When I met the man who became my partner for life, we looked each other straight in the eye, and he told me I was beautiful inside and out. He meant it. My mama’s love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt. I had faced adversity, encountered my problems head on, and learned not only to appreciate myself but to have deep compassion for others.
“Hold your head up high”, has been heard many times in my home. Each of my children has felt its invitation. The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation.
1. As a result of the terrible accident, the writer ________.| A．became deaf and blind. | B．had her eye hurt. |
| C．had some hearing loss. | D．had her eye moved away. |
| A．blame her for lack of confidence. | B．warn her of the inconvenience. |
| C．encourage her in her daily life. | D．praise her for her great courage. |
| A．all of the writer’s children grew up with an inviting prospect. |
| B．Mama’s inspirational words had deep effects on the writer’s children. |
| C．each of the writer’s children received their grandma’s invitation. |
| D．the writer’s children had no choice but to accept the invitation. |
| A．Treat others as you hope they’ll treat you. | B．One’s mind works faster in danger. |
| C．Never give up whenever in trouble. | D．Two hands make the work light. |
【推荐3】Well, your questions have taken me back to the past and inspired me to reflect on my current work.
I became interested in plants when I was about six years old. I grew up in Hubei Province in central China, which is well-known for medicinal plants. My grandfather was a local herbal doctor, and had much knowledge about plant diversity. He went to the mountains to pick plants, and I helped him. So I’ve always had that appreciation for green diversity.
But because I was his granddaughter, I was not allowed to inherit his medicinal knowledge — he was supposed to pass that knowledge on to his son or his grandson. But I was guided and attracted by the plant diversity I saw every day in the forests. In college, I was studying forestry, and a professor would take us on field trips. In the mountains near my college, there must be 300 species of trees. So I asked him, “How can these plants come together in this place so well?” He looked at me, saying, “That’s a good question. You can devote yourself to studying that question.” That was the moment when I knew I wanted to be a plant biologist.
So today I’m a plant biologist who’s focused on studying plant diversity. Now I work on describing new species — I’m working on describing a new ginseng (人参) species from Thailand and have also begun to describe a new grape species from Yunnan Province in southwest China.
I am a lucky scientist. Plants hybridize (杂交) like crazy in the wild. These kinds of processes, without proper tools, are impossible to figure out. Now we actually have various advanced tools to test our hypotheses (假设), to understand the patterns and the processes of plant evolution.
Some people may think my work is boring. But for me, it’s not. We’re trying to understand how humans can benefit from this vast plant diversity. Our science can teach us to conserve that plant diversity, so it can benefit not only us, but future generations. Also, our research encourages the new generation to carry on the torch.
1. What made the author decide to be a plant biologist?| A．Her early school life. | B．Her grandfather’s guidance. |
| C．A teacher’s encouragement. | D．A wonderful childhood adventure. |
| A．She is good at hybridizing various plants. |
| B．She has lots of opportunities to work in labs. |
| C．She is allowed to propose hypotheses in public. |
| D．She has many good tools to study plant evolution. |
| A．Boring. | B．Simple. |
| C．Impractical. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．A journal entry. | B．An interview. |
| C．A biography. | D．A science report. |
【推荐1】When I was young, I lived on an island in the north of Scotland, but I went to school in Edinburgh. It was a music school, and I studied the violin. We practiced for six hours every day. Our school was a boarding school. At the end of the term, we all packed our bags and our instruments to go home for the holidays. Most kids went by train, or bus, or their parents took them home by car. Not me! I went home by ferry (渡船) —14 hours overnight on the open sea. I loved it!
One summer I packed my suitcase and violin and said goodbye to my friends. I took the train to the ferry station and then got on the ferry. When we started moving away, I remembered a terrible thing! I left my violin on the train! I went to ask one of the crew (船员) what to do, but he said he couldn’t stop the ferry for me.
What should I do? What would my dad say? He’d be really angry! I was worried, and didn’t sleep all night. The next morning I got off the ferry to meet my dad. I didn’t want to look at him. I told him what happened. He laughed. I looked at him and couldn’t believe it. Why was he laughing?
In my violin case, I always have a label with my address and a telephone number. My dad told me, “A cleaner found your violin by the label on the train in London and took it to the police. They called me. They put the violin on a plane and it arrived an hour before you did.” My dad had it in his car! Thanks to those people, my violin was safe home!
1. Where was the writer’s home?| A．On an island. | B．In London. |
| C．In Edinburgh. | D．In the south of Scotland. |
| A．模型 | B．标签 | C．绰号 | D．唱片公司 |
| A．His father. | B．The police. | C．A cleaner. | D．A crewman. |
| A．Travelling Violin | B．Boarding School |
| C．Unforgettable Train | D．Missing Suitcase |
【推荐2】For the past three months, Riley Horner, a teenage girl from Illinois, has been waking up every morning thinking it's June 11. What's worse, her memory resets every couple of hours, so she can't even remember things she did or people who she met that day.
Riley's troubles began after she got accidentally kicked in the head by a teenager who was crowd-surfing during a dance. She was taken to the hospital, but doctors there only diagnosed her with a concussion (脑震荡) and sent her home with walking sticks. Tests showed no brain bleed or anything else out of the ordinary, but Riley's family soon noticed that there was something wrong with her. It was like her brain was stuck in the past and refused to make any new memories.
Riley's symptoms have baffled doctors, as they couldn't even find out what's wrong with her, let alone try to fix it. The teen's mother Sarah said that at first doctors told them that Riley's memory might get better as time passed, but it's been three months and her condition has not improved. Now they're saying that she could stay like this forever, which is something Riley's mother cannot accept.
The young girl has been struggling to deal with her condition, but even the simplest of things are really difficult under the circumstances. She always carries detailed notes with her at school, so when her memory resets every couple of hours, she can go over the things she needs to know, like how to find her locker. Almost everything Riley has experienced since June has been wiped clean from her memory.
“We need somebody that knows a little bit more because she deserves better. I mean she wanted to be in the medical field and now she can't even hold a job if she wanted to,” Riley's mother said. “We hope she will get help from certain experts and recover sooner or later.”
1. Why does riley always forget things and people?| A．She is affected by virus. | B．She is suffering a head injury. |
| C．She is so absorbed in her stud. | D．She is always absent-minded. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Refreshed. | C．Moved. | D．Affected. |
| A．Precise. | B．Fruitless. | C．Complex. | D．Conventional. |
| A．Riley badly needs a job. |
| B．Sarah is sure Riley will recover soon. |
| C．Riley doesn't mind her condition at all. |
| D．Sarah is eager to find good doctors to cure Riley. |
【推荐3】Mary had struggled to find the right words to convey her thoughts and feelings ever since she was a child. She was often told that she was “too quiet” or “too shy”, and as she grew older, she became increasingly self-conscious about her inability. It wasn’t that she didn’t have anything to say — far from it. Mary’s mind was constantly racing with ideas and observations, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t seem to get the words out.
“Mary, I need to talk to you,” Mr. Thompson, the boss of Mary’s new company, said one day, his voice serious. Mary’s heart sank. “Don’t worry,” Mr. Thompson said, noticing Mary’s panic. “It’s not that kind of conversation. I just wanted to talk to you about something that’s been on my mind lately.”
He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been struggling a bit lately. It seems like you’re having a tough time communicating with customers. I hear that you’re proficient at writing. So why not join our Advertising Department? Besides, I have another suggestion…”
Mary kept nodding, unable to find the words to express her gratitude.
Following Mr. Thompson’s suggestion, Mary joined a writing competition. She had always been a talented writer, and she knew that she had the potential to create something truly special. So she set to work, pouring her heart and soul into her essay. The words started flowing, and Mary found herself writing with a newfound sense of clarity and purpose.
The judges of the competition were amazed by Mary’s essay, and they selected it as the winner. Mary was thrilled, and she was grateful to have finally found the right way to do a good job.
1. What is Mary’s problem?| A．She was too self-conscious. | B．She had nothing to say with people. |
| C．She had too many thoughts in mind. | D．She didn’t know how to communicate. |
| A．To offer advice on her development. | B．To make her feel comfortable. |
| C．To give her a job promotion. | D．To point out her problem. |
| A．Confident. | B．Unsure. | C．Serious. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．It is never too late to learn. | B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Losses on one side and gains on the other. | D．Diligence can make up for lack of intelligence. |
