Computer programmer David Jones earns $35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card. Instead he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18. The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David’s firm releases two new games for the fast growing computer market each month.
But David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage, or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs” he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school”, he said. “But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway” David added, “I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”
1. In what way is David different from people of his age?| A．He often goes out with friends. | B．He graduated with six O-levels. |
| C．He lives with his mother. | D．He has a handsome income. |
| A．He will soon lose his job. | B．He is too young to get a credit card. |
| C．He has no time to learn driving. | D．He has very little spare time. |
| A．He was good at playing computer games. |
| B．He had done well in all her exams. |
| C．He had learnt to use computers at school. |
| D．He had written some computer programs. |
| A．He lost interest in school studies. | B．He received lots of job offers. |
| C．He wanted to earn his own living. | D．He was eager to help his mother. |
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【推荐1】“I’m so tired of Christmas I wish there never would be another one!” cried Effie as she watched her mother arranging presents. Although her mother was shocked to hear this, Effie continued to complain about the holiday, with all its useless gins and lack of surprise. She wished that she were a beggar girl, free to go out at will.
In her sleep that night, Effie dreamed she was a beggar girl. but it wasn’t what she thought it would be -- for she was cold, hungry, and miserable. Just then, a Christmas spirit appeared before Effie. He took her hands in his, turned the snow into a warm coat, and gave her a bowl of hot soup.
Suddenly, an amazing world began appearing around Effie. She heard merry Christmas bells and saw the most marvelous Christmas trees with candles that never stopped burning. There was joy in the air, and Effie watched as other spirits got ready for Christmas. There were four Santa Clauses getting ready for their long rides, and dolls in their houses living like humans, except the dolls were being kinder and nicer to each other.
Effie was then taken to another place, where she saw kindhearted people bringing joy in the form of gifts, food, and love to the poor. “I wish I could make merry Christmases as these good people do,” she said. She wanted to stay longer but was awoken by her mother.
Hearing the details of Effie’s dream, her mother had an idea. She got to work on setting up a surprise for Effie. When it was finally time. Effie was dressed up like the spirit in her dream and was led to a large room.
What awaited Effie was something truly magical. There were rows of Christmas tree decorated with popcorn, fruit. candy, and toys. Twenty-four orphan girls walked onto the magical scene, and they couldn’t contain their excitement. They each were given their own tree and the toys and candy that came with it. Some of the girls even cried, overcome with joy. Effie’s Christmas dream had come true. Later, as she lay in bed, her heart was filled with a new love for Christmas, and she couldn’t wait to do it all again next year.
1. How would you describe Effie at the start of the story?| A．Excited. | B．Spoiled. | C．Shocked | D．Sleepy. |
| A．A Christmas spirit gave Effie some hot soup. |
| B．Kind dolls brought her to the magical world. |
| C．Ellie saw kind people giving gifts to the poor. |
| D．Four Santas were getting ready for their journey. |
| A．Effie’s mother threatened her. | B．She didn’t. It was all a dream. |
| C．The orphan girls were nice to her. | D．Ellie discovered the joy of giving. |
①A Christmas spirit appeared.
②Effie complained about Christmas.
③Effie was transported to a magical world.
④Effie discovered the true meaning of Christmas.
⑤Her mother set up a surprise for Effie.
| A．②①③⑤④ | B．②①③④⑤ | C．②③①⑤④ | D．③①②④⑤ |
【推荐2】Torbjorn Pedersen is a Danish traveler who recently finished a trip around the world. But this wasn’t just any trip.
In 2013, Mr. Pedersen read an article about someone who had visited all the countries of the world. It made him realize he could set a record by doing the same thing, but without flying.
He hoped that he could live on a budget of about $20 a day. He had originally anticipated it would take four years to reach countries, but the world had other plans.
Though he did have to quit his job and leave his parents and girlfriend behind, the first part of his trip was pretty easy, but as he moved on to other parts of the world, things began to get hard.
To cross large bodies of water, Mr. Pedersen took boats. Sometimes it was hard to find a boat. At other times, Mr. Pedersen was on a boat for days, being tossed (摇摆颠簸) by strong waves during a storm. He traveled by taxi, bus, train, and even walking. With a limited budget, sometimes people invited him into their homes. At other times, he had to sleep outside. Mr. Pedersen says he had many difficult experiences. He was once held at gunpoint and thought he might be killed. He also became severely ill with a serious disease.
But he also had many good experiences. Mr. Pedersen says that one reason why he didn’t give up was the help he got from people all over the world. On July 26, Mr. Pedersen arrived back in Denmark after a 33-day boat ride. He was met by about 150 people, including friends and family members.
In the last 10 years, he’s covered around 260,000 miles — roughly 10 times the distance around the Earth. Mr. Pedersen says he’s looking forward to some quiet time to think about his trip. After that, he plans to write a book and share what he learned in his travels around the world.
1. What inspired Torbjorn Pedersen to start the trip around the world?| A．The dream of setting a world record. | B．The knowledge of a stranger’s experience. |
| C．The desire to experience different cultures. | D．The encouragement of his parents and girlfriend. |
| A．He failed to carry out his plan. |
| B．He finished his trip smoothly as expected. |
| C．He spent more than four years travelling around the world. |
| D．He changed his plans over the course of the trip intentionally. |
| A．The help Mr. Pedersen got from others. |
| B．The challenges Mr. Pedersen met on the way. |
| C．The efforts Mr. Pedersen made to achieve his goal. |
| D．The inconvenient transportation Mr. Pedersen underwent. |
| A．Courageous and determined. | B．Ambitious and helpful. |
| C．Sincere and independent. | D．Amusing and strong-willed. |
【推荐3】I was never very neat （整洁的）, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled（贴标签）everything. I always looked for everything. Over time，Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, "Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!" Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled （爬）under her covers，sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through phone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn't notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, "Thanks."
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn't always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. How is Paragraph one mainly developed?| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By describing a process. |
| C．By showing differences. | D．By following time order. |
| A．She couldn't find her books. | B．She heard the author shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill. | D．She saw the author's shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．she wanted to show her care | B．she was asked by Kate to do so |
| C．she was scared by Kate's anger | D．she hated herself for being so messy |
| A．My Best Friend Kate | B．Hard Work Pays Off |
| C．How to Be Organized | D．Learning to Be Roommates |
【推荐1】The Out of Eden Walk, following the route in which our ancestors walked from Africa to other parts of the world, is finally restarting after COVID-19 closed overland borders last year.
The host Paul Salopek is a Pulitzer-winning journalist and photographer and has been traveling overland on foot, documenting his trip across the world. Through the walk, Salopek wants to connect the ancient stories of our human ancestors with the stories of our time and tell us more about what it means to be human.
“For more than eight years, I have followed the first human beings who walked out of Africa during the Stone Age,” he says, “My storytelling journey, called the Out of Eden Walk, has been stuck in Myanmar for months, where this pandemic (流行病) became out of control. The pandemic has blocked thousands of miles of Asian land borders.”
Salopek describes thinking back to eight years ago, when he started in the rocky highlands of Ethiopia, visiting the resting sites of the earliest human ancestors. Entering the countries in the Middle East, he saw some scenes of war in Syria. Then he crossed the vast grasslands of the Central Asian Steppe and reached the steamy river valleys of Yunnan. “A hundred generations of mountaineers have carried tea and other goods on the roads of Yunnan,” says Salopek as he finishes his first travel days in 20 months.
While difficult to say, Salopek’s journey could be described as half over, as he still must cross northeastward through China and Russia, before crossing the Bering Strait in winter and continuing to walk south all the way to the tip of South America, just as our early ancestors did, with the special exception of the Pacific Islanders. Half-time is often a good period to jump into a sports match, and as Salopek prepares to continue one of humanity’s all-time great walkabouts, it’s worth tuning in to see how the match ends.
1. What do we know about the Out of Eden Walk from the text?| A．It started from Asia seven years ago. | B．It was held in memory of our ancestors. |
| C．It is being hosted by a famous writer. | D．It helps us know our human ancestors better. |
| A．He fell seriously ill. | B．The global COVID-19 hit. |
| C．The scenery fascinated him. | D．He found more human stories. |
| A．In Ethiopia. | B．In China. | C．In Myanmar. | D．In Syria. |
| A．The Story Told by Paul Salopek | B．A Storytelling Journey to Continue |
| C．Walking Freely Around the World | D．The Biggest Challenge on the Route |
【推荐2】Sweat blurred my vision.
All I had to do for the two dollars was to clean her house for a few hours after school. It was a beautiful house, too, with things that were common in her neighborhood, absent in mine. In the middle of the war, she had butter, sugar…
I knew how to clean floors on my knees and how to wash clothes, but I had never seen a Hoover vacuum cleaner or an iron that wasn't heated by fire.
Part of my pride in working for her was earning money I could squander: on movies, candy, paddle balls, jacks, ice-cream cones. But a larger part of my pride was based on the fact that I gave half my wages to my mother, which meant that some of my earnings were used for real things. The pleasure of being necessary to my parents was profound. I was not like the children in folktales: burdensome mouths to feed, nuisances to be corrected, problems so severe that they were abandoned to the forest. I had a status that doing routine chores in my house did not provide — and it earned me a slow smile, an approving nod from an adult. Confirmations that I was adult-like, not childlike.
In those days, the forties, children were not just loved or liked; they were needed. They could earn money; they could care for children younger than themselves; they could work the farm, take care of the herd, and much more. I suspect that children aren't needed in that way now. They are loved, doted on, protected, and helped.
Little by little, I got better at cleaning her house — good enough to be given more to do. After pushing the piano, my arms and legs hurt so badly. I wanted to refuse, or at least to complain, but I was afraid she would fire me, and I would lose the freedom the dollar gave me, as well as the standing I had at home. She began to offer me her clothes, for a price. Impressed by these worn things, which looked simply gorgeous to a little girl who had only two dresses to wear to school, I bought a few. Until my mother asked me if I really wanted to work for castoffs. So I learned to say “No, thank you” to a faded sweater offered for a quarter of a week's pay.
Still, I had trouble summoning the courage to discuss or object to the increasing demands she made. And I knew that if I told my mother how unhappy I was she would tell me to quit. Then one day, alone in the kitchen with my father, I let drop a few whines about the job. In any case, he put down his cup of coffee and said, “Listen. You don't live there. You live here. Whatever the work is, do it well — not for the boss but for yourself. You make the job; it doesn't make you. Your real life is with us, your family. You are not the work you do; you are the person you are.”
I have worked for all sorts of people since then, geniuses and morons, quick-witted and dull, big-hearted and narrow. I've had many kinds of jobs, but since that conversation with my father I have never considered the level of labor to be the measure of myself, and I have never placed the security of a job above the value of home.
1. What can we learn about the author is different from other children?| A．She worked up a real desire to wear gorgeous costumes |
| B．She wanted to deserve the equal support from adults |
| C．She did chores regularly to shoulder family responsibilities |
| D．She hoped that her peers be mature and adult-like |
| A．They just want to be popular, loved and liked. |
| B．They only take great pains to earn more money. |
| C．They can do all kinds of daily work, such as caring for children and so on. |
| D．They are no longer needed except for being spoiled by adults. |
| A．Don’t escape difficulties in work | B．Whatever decision she made, her father would support her |
| C．Convey her dissatisfaction with her work | D．Make a distinction between work and life |
| A．Don't regard work achievement as a standard for assessing oneself. |
| B．Hard work is a struggle for a better future in your limited life. |
| C．Work of high quality counts on nonstop labor and stable footsteps |
| D．The value of home guarantee the security of challenging work |
【推荐3】Seven years ago, my father was in the hospital, and I was informed that he was in the end-of-life stage. He had wanted to be at home during his final moments, so I arranged for him to return home. He spent only one more night there, but he wasn’t alone. A Marie Curie nurse was by our side.
Facing the emotions that come with knowing a loved one is at the end of their life can be irresistible. Having a nurse with us made it easier to cope with these feelings. That’s why I made the decision to join Marie Curie.
Working for the charity, I find myself on duty during most Christmases, a typical time for healthcare assistants like us. Our role is to support families and the individuals who are dying. We do whatever they need us to do. For instance, one family asked us to play Christmas carols throughout the night. We accommodate such requests. What we do during Christmas is what we do throughout the year — we aim to please families.
You might assume that being with families during their last Christmas would be a sad experience. But for the families in my experience, it’s not. I remember one particular family—three sisters — and the fourth was in the end-of-life stage. When I arrived, she was unconscious, and I knew she might not make it through the night. But sitting with the sisters, talking about their childhood, past Christmases and sharing photos, it was a special time. They mentioned that their sister had asked for peaches and cream earlier that day, and they made sure she got it. She went to sleep, and we lost her that night. The sisters expected it, they thanked me, and it was a comforting experience. I’ll always remember the peaches and cream!
I’ve lost count of the number of stories like this. I feel honored to be there with them. We can’t change the unavoidable, but we can make a difference.
1. What inspired the author to work for Marie Curie?| A．Her dream to be a nurse. | B．Her love for charity work. |
| C．Her experience of her father’s death. | D．Her professional medical background. |
| A．Satisfy. | B．Ignore. | C．Express. | D．Submit. |
| A．They tried every means to save their sister. |
| B．They were desperate about their sister’s death. |
| C．They didn’t expect that their sister died so soon. |
| D．They stayed positive during their sister’s final moment. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Brave. | C．Confident. | D．Devoted. |
【推荐1】Harry Potter, a pirate, a baseball player and a gentleman in a bowler hat — Logan Houghtelling turned into all of them, in class, and way before Halloween.
Life was difficult for the San Francisco Bay area teenager. He worried about his father, a firefighter who was battling wildfires, and missed his friends during the coronavirus pandemic. "I know other people are feeling like this. So, why don't I dress up and try to bring happiness to people? "
So starting in August, he set out to cheer up his classmates, his family and others who have come to wonder what he'll wear next for his classes on Zoom. One day, he popped up on screen in a toga （宽袍）；another day, he wore a cowboy hat and a Western shirt. In September, he wore the uniform of the Chicago Cubs. In October, he was Seymour Krelborn from Little Shop of Horrors. He even dressed up as a bottle of sriracha sauce（辣椒酱）. "I've had two teachers just stop in mid-sentence and start laughing, " the 15-year-old boy said. "I've had classmates text me like, 'What are you wearing today?
Most ideas come from Halloween costumes that he wore in previous years and clothes from around the house that he adapted with the help of his mother, Meredith, an elementary school teacher. "I've actually had friends who I’ve bumped into in the grocery store saying, 4 You haven't been posting his pictures lately. I look forward to his pictures every day, '" she said.
Houghtelling said that it's important to try to focus on the positive and help lift others up. “I think there need to be people who go out and bring people happiness, " he said. "More people need to do that. We just need to spread positivity. "
1. What's Houghtelling's purpose of dressing himself up?| A．To comfort his father. | B．To celebrate Halloween. |
| C．To make people happy. | D．To attract fans on social media. |
| A．Because they were afraid of the coronavirus. |
| B．Because they were shocked by the sriracha sauce. |
| C．Because they were annoyed at Houghtelling's action. |
| D．Because they were amused by Hough telling's funny looks. |
| A．Heroic and determined. | B．Friendly and generous. |
| C．Creative and optimistic. | D．Naughty and troublesome. |
| A．Teen changes roles during the pandemic |
| B．Teen dresses in costumes to cheer others |
| C．Homemade costumes prepared for Halloween |
| D．San Francisco boy stays positive by playing tricks |
【推荐2】In reading the world’s great literature on human excellence and personal success, I’ve found that, in order to launch ourselves into a life of true success, we need to satisfy one basic condition: pursue our goals with perseverance. The biggest difference between people who succeed and those who don’t is not usually talent but persistence.
On my way to work one morning, I met Ruby, who is now a motivational speaker. He has grown up in Joliet, listening to stories about University of Notre Dame (圣母大学), and dreaming of one day playing football there. Friends told him he wasn’t a good enough student to be admitted. So he gave up his dream and went to work in a power plant.
Then a friend was killed in an accident to work. Shocked, Ruby suddenly realized that life is too short not to pursue your dreams. In 1990, at the age of 23, he enrolled at Holy Cross Junior College in South Bend, Indiana. He got good enough grades to transfer to Notre Dame, where he finally made the football team as a member of the “scout team”, the players who helped the team prepare for games.
Ruby was living his dream, almost. But he wasn’t allowed to suit up for the games themselves. The next year, after Ruby requested it, the coach told Ruby he could put on his uniform for the season’s final game. And there he sat, on the Notre Dame bench during the game. A student started shouting, “we want Ruby!” Soon others joined in. Finally, at the age of 27, with 27 seconds left to play, Ruby was sent onto the field—and made the final tackle (阻截). So his team won the game.
When I met Ruby 17 years later, it was in the parking lot outside Notre Dame stadium, where a camera crew was filming scenes for Rudy, a motion picture about his life. His story illustrates that there is no limit to where your dreams can take you.
1. The writer believes that the key to achieving success is_________.| A．developing one’s talent | B．seizing opportunities |
| C．having wide vision | D．sticking to one’s goal |
| A．his friend was killed there | B．his foot was injured in an accident |
| C．he lacked confidence in himself | D．he failed in the entrance examination |
| A．He was the oldest player at Notre Dame. |
| B．He succeeded in realizing his dream. |
| C．He was the best speaker at Notre Dame. |
| D．He succeeded in developing his ability. |
【推荐3】Rick went home from school by bus one day. When an old woman got on the bus, Rick gave her his seat. The old woman thanked him and gave him three apples. She said to him in a whisper, “Tell the apple what you want to be. Eat it and then wait and see.”
Rick thanked her and went to the park with the apples. There were some tall boys. “I want to be tall and strong.” Rick said and ate the first apple. Suddenly, he grew into a big boy. But all the boys ran away in panic when they saw him.
Rick was sad. He took out another apple and said, “I want to be famous and have lots of friends.” With these words, he ate the second apple. But when hundreds of people wanted to interview him, he ran away.
When he saw a sports car, Rick wanted to be rich and ate the third apple. But when his wish came true, he was unhappy at all.
A few days later, Rick met the old lady again. She told him, “Go to the garden, find a small yellow flower and tell the flower what you want to be.”
Rick went to the garden and picked up the flower. Then he said, “I want to be myself.” Suddenly, he was at the park again and one of the boys said to him, “Come on and play with us!”
1. The old lady thanked Rick because he was a ________ boy.| A．weak | B．kind | C．careful | D．funny |
| A．a feeling of being afraid | B．a feeling of being surprised |
| C．a feeling of being happy | D．a feeling of being amazed |
| A．tall and strong | B．very rich | C．famous | D．special |
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
