Fourteen-year-old Peter often gets helpful tips from his Big Brother, Paul, a 32-year-old computer programmer, is not Peter’s brother. Instead, he is his mentor through an education program called “Big Brothers Big Sisters”.
Paul and Peter have been Big Brother and Little Brother for 1 year. Previously, they met constantly. They would go to Starbucks, walk through different districts of the city or play games. When COVID-19 started spreading, the relationship had to go completely virtual to ensure their health and security. Now things get better and they meet more.
When school is frustrating (令人沮丧的), Peter texts Paul and gets motivated. When he doesn’t understand a math problem, he asks Paul for help. Paul even gave Peter advice on avoiding being distracted while having lessons online at home, where he lives with four brothers and they talk, play and fight all in one space.
Older than Peter, Paul has had more life experiences. He helps Peter see things positively from different points of view, but he never makes decisions for Peter. Peter said, “Paul makes such a far-reaching difference to my life, in my education outside school in particular.” Paul said Peter had an effect on him likewise, saying that his life was enriched. “If you want self-improvement, join in this program. Really, it’s in practice a job worth doing. I’d like to be a lifelong Big. Brother of Peter, and more kids.”
Asked how it started, Paul said when he returned from abroad seven years ago, he started looking for ways to help his community. Then he accidentally found the program.
The program makes the most appropriate matches. Kids from ages 6 to 18 can continue to get help until they turn 21. At present, Big Brothers Big Sisters has about 1 300 kids paired with mentors locally.
1. Which is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “mentor” in Paragraph 1?| A．Instructor. | B．Researcher. | C．Learner. | D．Expert. |
| A．It was difficult for him to stay focused. |
| B．His brothers wanted to use his computer. |
| C．He wanted to talk and play with his brothers. |
| D．He always had trouble with his math homework. |
| A．Paul will leave Peter when he is 20. |
| B．Peter and Paul were carefully matched. |
| C．Paul makes Peter’s life even more difficult. |
| D．Peter depends on Paul’s advice to make decisions. |
| A．Peter and his big brother | B．How to make a great match. |
| C．Big Brothers Big Sisters program | D．New ways to help your community |
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【推荐1】Eric Moussambani is the first swimmer from Equatorial Guinea to compete in the Olympics. He found his passion for swimming shortly after high school. At the time, he didn’t know how to swim, but he knew it was a sport he wanted to pursue.
Unfortunately, there were no standard swimming pools in his country. Eventually, he found a hotel pool where he could only swim three hours a week. When he couldn’t use the pool, he trained in rivers and the sea, with the local fishermen guiding him on how to use his legs and arms.
After about eight months of swimming, Eric gained entry into the 2000 Summer Olympics through a program designed to encourage sports development in developing countries.
In Sydney, Eric saw an Olympic-size swimming pool for the first time. It was so big that Eric said he was so frightened to compete in it. In preparing for his event, Eric trained at the same time as the US team and took the opportunity to study their techniques closely. A South African coach gave him a pair of competition trunks (泳裤) and some goggles (护目镜), which were what he needed badly.
On September 19, 2000, Eric stepped out for the men’s 100m freestyle competition. With his two fellow competitors stopped from taking part for making false starts, Eric suddenly found himself racing on his own. “I swam the first 50m really well,” said Eric after the competition. “I focused all my energy on telling myself to keep going.” After turning for the second length, however, Eric began to pay for spending so much energy on the first. As his legs stiffened (变僵硬), he felt he was going nowhere. “It was then that I heard the crowd shouting, encouraging me to ‘Go, go, go’. It gave me the strength to make it to the end.”
Eric finished the race with a time of 1:52.72, the slowest recorded time in Olympic history. But the audience did not care. They cheered him as if he had broken the world record. To this day, Eric is still an Olympic hero.
1. What is true about Eric before he participated in the Sydney Olympics?| A．He had nobody to teach him how to swim. |
| B．He had never trained in a standard swimming pool. |
| C．He developed his love for swimming from his childhood. |
| D．He entered the Olympics by beating all the other competitors. |
| A．Eric had made full preparations for his event. |
| B．The US team offered to teach Eric some techniques. |
| C．Eric was eager to compete in the Olympic swimming pool. |
| D．Eric didn’t even have proper equipment for the competition. |
| A．Inspiring. | B．Competitive. | C．Successful. | D．Meaningless. |
| A．His outstanding talent for swimming. |
| B．His strong willpower to reach his goal. |
| C．His record-breaking performance at the Olympics. |
| D．His great achievements in the world’s sports development. |
【推荐2】Han Jing’s World
7:00 a.m
So this is it — senior high school at last! I’m not outgoing so I’m a little anxious right now. I want to make a good first impression. Will I make any friends? What if no one talks to me?
I just had my first maths class at senior high school! The class was difficult, but the teacher was kind and friendly. He even told us a funny story, and everyone laughed so much! I found most of my classmates and teachers friendly and helpful.
5:32 p.m.
This afternoon, we had our chemistry class in the science lab. The lab is new and the lesson was great, but the guy next to me tried to talk to me the whole time. I couldn’t concentrate on the experiment. I really wanted to tell him to please be quiet and leave me alone!
10:29 p.m.
What a day! This morning, I was worried that no one would talk to me. But I was wrong. I didn’t feel awkward or frightened at all. I miss my friends from junior high school, but I believe I will make new friends here, and there’s a lot to explore at senior high. I feel much more confident than I felt this morning. I think that tomorrow will be a great day!
1. Han Jing felt anxious before school because .| A．she was not beautiful | B．she was not good at study |
| C．she was not outgoing | D．she was poor in health |
| A．Kind and friendly. | B．Strict and cold. |
| C．Learned and handsome. | D．Outgoing and kind. |
| A．Because she didn’t like chemistry. | B．Because she didn’t feel well. |
| C．Because the teacher was not friendly. | D．Because a guy tried to talk to her all the time. |
| A．Worried. | B．Curious. | C．Awkward. | D．Confident. |
【推荐3】The beauty industry produces many units of one-time use containers every year. More and more consumers are asking how they can keep themselves clean and beautiful without trashing the planet.
It’s a question Women of the Future winner, Natassia Nicolao, considered during her years working in product development for beauty and wellness companies. Raised by a strong and supportive mother, Natassia used her skills and passion to make a difference. In 2021, she created her waterless beauty brand.
She said, “Water is involved in every stage of a product life cycle. Everything we use, buy, sell and make has a huge water footprint. On top of that, the beauty industry adds water as the main ingredients in its products, despite it having no direct benefit to our skin.”
Having lived through water restrictions in drought-ridden Australia, Natassia felt it necessary to stop the overuse of water in the beauty industry. Natassia has always loved beauty. Her company tries to be sustainable in every step of the way, but at its core, it is about removing water from our beauty routines.
“It’s really rooted in water conservation first, and then managing your water footprint, your carbon footprint and your waste footprint,” Natassia said. “We create waterless beauty products to help conserve water.” The glass bottles and jars of her products can be recycled. The oils and wipes are formulated without any water, requiring no water to use. The company also has a piece of game-changing beauty technology: face-wipes and masks that completely dissolve in water.
“The company is still in its beginning,” Natassia said. With the prize money from Women of the Future, she plans to purchase a machine to simplify the creation of the wipes and masks. The publicity, meanwhile, will help her spread the message central to the company’s existence that beauty must do better. Natassia believes that, with a little courage and innovation, it can do.
1. What does the underlined word “trashing” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Studying. | B．Damaging. | C．Exploding. | D．Supporting. |
| A．Her pursuit of profit. | B．Her best beauty skills. |
| C．Her growth environment. | D．Her love of extreme beauty. |
| A．Environmentally friendly. | B．Relatively cheap. |
| C．Elegant. | D．World-famous. |
| A．It has died out. | B．It’s promising. | C．It develops well. | D．It’s worth analysis. |
【推荐1】Lena could clearly remember the night she had to flee her home in Hungary. It was the beginning of the Second World War and her family needed to escape fast. She quickly packed a suitcase with a few pieces of clothing, her diary, and her most prized possession — a beautiful silk scarf. Lena and her best friend, Monika, had persuaded their parents to buy them matching scarves, which they each wore tied around their neck as a symbol of their friendship. Lena had no idea that when she left for America that night, she would never return. Her family settled on the sunny west coast in California.
Lena kept that special silk scarf for many years. One day she decided to give it to her granddaughter, Eliza, to wear to her first job interview for good luck. Lena was afraid that Eliza would lose the scarf, but her granddaughter reassured her, “Don’t worry, Grandma, nothing’s going to happen to your scarf. You’ll see. It is going to bring both of us luck today.” With that, Eliza kissed her grandmother on the cheek and left.
That afternoon, Eliza left the interview feeling confident that she had got the job. She decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant. As she sat at her table, she felt someone staring at her. Sitting next to her was an elderly woman who could not take her eyes off her. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Eliza asked.
“I’m sorry, dear, but you remind me of someone I once knew,” the old woman replied in an accented voice. “My best friend looked like you and used to wear a scarf just like the one you’re wearing around your neck.” Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms. She had heard stories of her grandmother’s best friend and knew the significance of the scarf. Could this be Monika, her grandmother’s childhood friend?
Eliza introduced herself and waited to hear the name of the other woman. “My name is Monika, dear. I’m originally from Hungary, but my family had to leave when I was 14 and I’ve been living here in California ever since.” Eliza could not believe it. She said, “Monika, would you mind going somewhere with me? I want to show you someone very special.” The elderly woman agreed and they left the restaurant together.
They walked the short distance to Lena’s home and rang the doorbell. When Lena opened the door, she was amazed to see her childhood friend standing in front of her. The scarf had indeed brought good luck.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraphs 2?| A．Eliza went to the restaurant to meet Monika. |
| B．Lena cherished the silk scarf very much. |
| C．A silk scarf is a symbol of good luck. |
| D．Eliza celebrated with Lena in a restaurant. |
| A．the stranger’s stare made her scared |
| B．she got cold when she took the scarf off |
| C．she thought the old woman’s accent was too strange |
| D．she couldn’t believe she should meet her grandma’s childhood friend |
a. Eliza wore the silk scarf to the interview.
b. Lena’s parents bought her a silk scarf.
c. Eliza went to a restaurant for celebration.
d. Lena met her childhood friend.
e. Lena fled her home in hurry.
f. Eliza unexpectedly met Monika.
| A．b-e-a-c-f-d | B．e-b-a-f-c-d | C．e-d-b-a-c-f | D．b-e-a-f-c-d |
| A．Reunion in California. | B．The Lucky Silk Scarf. |
| C．A Life-long Friendship. | D．Like Grandmother Like Granddaughter. |
【推荐2】Galaxy saw a man and a woman who communicated with the sign language at the train station when she was on the way home one evening. She noticed that the woman asked the man for the direction. He told her that he did not know. Galaxy decided to help them. She had learned the sign language when she served as a volunteer in the deaf and mute(聋哑) school. Then she showed the woman the direction and left her email address to them in case they needed her help later.
She received an email from that man the next day. Kazrim was his name. Galaxy replied his mail sincerely. They both started chatting online soon after and began seeing each other. Although they only communicated with the sign language, it never bothered her.
Galaxy was fond of him gradually. Obviously, Kazrim was the same too. He presented Galaxy with a bunch of sunflowers and asked her sincerely, "Are you willing to be my girlfriend?"
Galaxy was pleasantly surprised. She requested him to give her some time to persuade her parents.
As she had expected, her parents were very angry after they had learned of their love story. Galaxy explained, “Kazrim is an excellent and a very optimistic person. He has a very positive attitude towards life and work. He cares for others always: He is 100% better than the normal. Moreover, the mute is still a human. He should possess a perfect and wonderful love.”
Her parents asked to see him, then. The very worried Galaxy took Kazrim home a few days later. When they were on the train, Kazrim told her, “I’m going to tell your parents that I'll be looking after you well with all my life!" Galaxy was deeply moved.
As soon as they bad entered the house, Galaxy introduced him to her parents. She said, “This is Kazrim. "Just night after her speech, an unbelievable thing happened. Kazrim threw the gift away and held her in his arms tightly.
He said, “YOU CAN TALK?" It was the same question that Galaxy wanted to ask, too. The four people were shocked all of a sudden. As a matter of fact, Kazrim always believed that Galaxy was a mute and he still fell in love with her deeply.
1. How did Galaxy and Kazrim get to know each other?| A．They met each other by chance. | B．They both served in a special needs school. |
| C．They once studied at the same university. | D．They were .introduced to each other. |
| A．Judging from his expression. | B．Using the sign language. |
| C．Writing words on paper. | D．Speaking her native language. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Unclear. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Negative. |
| A．They fell in love at the first sight. |
| B．They cheated each other to win love. |
| C．They mistook each other for being mutes. |
| D．They helped a woman at the train station together. |
【推荐3】Mark Twain, the famous American writer, liked to play jokes on others. But once a joke was played on him.
One day Mark Twain was asked to give a talk in a small town. At lunch he met a young man he knew who told him that he had an uncle who never laughed or smiled.
The young man told Mark Twain that nobody and nothing could possibly make his uncle smile or laugh.
“You bring your uncle to my talk tonight,” said Mark Twain. “I’m sure I can make him laugh.”
That evening the young man and his uncle sat in the first row. Mark Twain spoke directly at the old man. He told some rather interesting stories, which made everyone in the hall laugh. But the old man never even smiled. Mark Twain told the most interesting stories he knew. But the old man’s face was still a blank. At last Mark Twain stopped. He felt tired and discouraged.
Some days later, Mark Twain told a friend of his about what had happened. “Oh,” said his friend, “I know that old man. He has been deaf for years.”
1. Which of the following statement is NOT true?| A．Mark Twain could make everyone in the hall laugh except the old man. |
| B．Mark Twain liked to play jokes on others |
| C．Mark Twain was an English writer. |
| D．Once a young man played a joke on Mark Twain. |
| A．his uncle liked to listen to Mark Twain’s talk |
| B．his uncle could not possibly be made to laugh or smile |
| C．his uncle never laughed at people |
| D．his uncle liked laughed |
| A．to bring his uncle to lunch | B．to ask his uncle to talk there that night |
| C．he could make his uncle laugh | D．to sit in the first row with his uncle |
| A．the old man | B．the young man |
| C．Mark Twain himself | D．a friend of Mark Twain’s |
