When I was in my second year in senior high school, I found a four-dollar-an-hour part-time job at Villa-nova Pizza. Like many of my friends, I longed to earn some pocket money from the job as well as gaining social experience. Just one week after I worked there, Stubby, the manager, called me into his office. As the saying goes, “life isn’t a bed of roses”. My first job ended in failure, His reason was that I showed up late twice and took more breaks than others. “Oh, I’m a loser,” I thought to myself. I believed that thought was shared by my brothers, neither of whom had ever been fired, and my mother, though she would never express it in those terms.
“I am too sad to do anything,” I complained to my father. After listening to my words, he laughed. “It’s not funny; I’m a loser,” I said.
“No, you’re not. This is a part of growing up. You will be all right, my dear daughter,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Trust me. You are good enough.”
I looked into my father’s eyes and I could see he really trusted me. And I believed him. Since then, “Trust me. You are good enough” are the only words I have repeated to myself. I have worked hard to be a better person and cherished every chance I have got.
Finally, I succeeded in entering a good university. After graduation I found my dream job. I couldn’t wait to call my father and show my gratitude.
Look ahead when you experience something unpleasant and there is always someone around believing in you. When they believe in us, we begin to believe in ourselves, too. They tell us we are good enough over and over until we can hear it.
1. Why was the author fired?| A．She was usually late for work, |
| B．She had no social experience, |
| C．She had too many breaks. |
| D．She failed to complete her task. |
| A．He laughed at her. |
| B．He complained to the cruel boss. |
| C．He was too sad to do anything. |
| D．He comforted her and said he believed in her. |
| A．She phoned her father and thanked him. |
| B．She returned home to have a celebration. |
| C．She showed her gratitude to her teacher. |
| D．She invited her family to a big party. |
| A．Strict and devoted. |
| B．Caring and kind. |
| C．Ambitious and brave. |
| D．Humble and humorous. |
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【推荐1】It’s the eighth autumn since my father died, and I want to have some chicken nuggets. My father would understand. I don’t remember him saying “I love you.” His love language was the simple pleasure of processed food. He introduced me to fries, fat cream, and sugary drinks.
There were secrets between us: a Happy Meal on our fishing trip, or two liters of Coke before my mother came home. I felt honored until I found that my father kept secrets from me. One day, I spotted a pack of cigarettes at home and threw it away. He got mad, then promised to quit, but I kept smelling smoke in his clothes and car. I had plans for my future self. The person I aimed to be was never reflected in my smoking-addicted and blue-collar father.
I used to blame my father for his bad habits. But the older I get, the more I see myself giving in too. And so, each autumn, I think: I’m at the age when my father followed my mother to a country where he couldn’t speak the language; now I’m at the age when he was fired and tried his first cigarette, which was as irresistible to him as the stupid online games are to me. Thus I think: the age I am is far too young for the responsibilities he bore.
I can imagine how excited my father felt upon moving to the US to discover that KFC’s was the stuff of everyday. It was cheaper than fish, much more accessible than fresh fruit, and simpler than a long-distance phone call to home in which he had to hide his difficulties and his loneliness. I can imagine it might be easier to hand your child a chicken nugget—a promise of abundance and pleasure.
Is it wrong to compare my father to a piece of deep-fried food? But it’s a more faithful representation than the usual metaphors of fathers as safe harbors, rocks, or teachers. None of those really rings true when it comes to my father. The next time the urge strikes, I’ll have a chicken nugget or two or four. And at that moment, I will understand my father completely.
1. What secret did the author share with his father?| A．Going on a fishing trip. | B．Eating fish at a restaurant. |
| C．Smoking in the kitchen. | D．Enjoying junk food together. |
| A．He expressed his love to the author through fast food. |
| B．He felt quite accustomed to the life in a foreign country. |
| C．He set a good example of healthy life for the author. |
| D．He took a secure job to support the family for years. |
| A．A safe harbor. | B．A hard rock. | C．A chicken nugget. | D．A life teacher. |
| A．Why I Fell in Love with Processed Food | B．Why I Followed the Path of My Father |
| C．How Fast Food Bonded My Father and Me | D．How a Family Tradition Changed Me |
【推荐2】An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window. The father asked his son, “What is that?” The son replied, “That is a crow.” After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?” The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’ a crow.” After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?” This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow，a crow.”
After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?”
This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?” A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.
“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son. ”
If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the best way no matter how they behave.”
1. Why did the Father ask the same question again and again?| A．Because he wanted to make his son angry. |
| B．Because he was too old to remember anything. |
| C．Because he wanted to see the reaction of his son. |
| D．Because he couldn’t understand what his son said. |
| A．he would like his son to read it | B．he forgot what had happened |
| C．it could remind himself of the past | D．he wanted to find what a crow was |
| A．80 years old. | B．38 years old. |
| C．45 years old. | D．42 years old. |
| A．tell us the function of a diary | B．introduce a pair of son and father |
| C．teach us what a crow is | D．call on us to love our parents |
【推荐3】My mother was an excellent housekeeper. She had a few surgeries over the years, and before each one she’d have my father move the stove out from the wall so she could clean behind it. It would have been hard for her to relax in the hospital if she knew there were dust balls behind the stove.
The entire house was tidy and organized – there was a place for everything and everything
was in its place. Mom would hang the sheets outside to dry rather than inside the house. And if storm clouds gathered, she would run outside, race down to the sheets, throw them into a bag, and then race back to the house as the rain started, satisfied that a major catastrophe had been avoided. Throughout our entire childhoods, my sisters and I were spoiled with fresh bedding and cookies fresh from the oven.
There’s something beautiful about freshness, like the beginning of a school year, the start of a marriage, the birth of a child, moving to a new place, or starting a new job.
Freshness is like opening a new calendar that isn’t yet filled with neglected tasks. A new year always means a chance at a fresh start. But the question is, how do we choose to make this new start?
Maybe I need to do some housekeeping myself. A good sweeping usually leads to finding some interesting things – an old memory or two and new hobbies that fell by the wayside. Perhaps it’s time to clean out all those drawers filled with junk – the ones holding old tapes that replay the things I regret doing and the things that I wish I had done.
My personality could use some polish (亮光剂) as well – the ability to listen more than I talk. Glass cleaner (玻璃清洁剂) would be a good idea too – something to give me a clearer view of the things that matter and the things that don’t.
Cleaning is rarely my first choice of activity, but I’m ready to go and do what needs to be done. Here’s to a fresh start and a new year.
1. What can we learn about the author’s mother according to the article?| A．She prefer rainy days to sunny days. |
| B．She couldn’t bear anything to be unorganized in her house. |
| C．She required her daughters to wash their own bedding. |
| D．She ask her husband to do the housekeeping during her surgeries. |
| A．She has forgotten it | B．It was painful for her. |
| C．It was full of happiness. | D．She was spoiled by her mother. |
| A．She see it as a chance to improve herself and move on. |
| B．She wants to help reduce her mother’s burden. |
| C．She is quite bothered by her messy house. |
| D．She thinks it’s time to learn some life skills. |
| A．give advice on how to clean the house. |
| B．inspire people’s thought and plan for the new year. |
| C．share the story of her mother’s strength. |
| D．recall her mother sisters and father. |
【推荐1】When you hear the word “birthmark”, you probably think of one of those black or brown spots that you have on your body. For me, it’s different―I have them on my lips and inside my mouth. I’m used to being asked, “What are those black marks on your lips?” When I tell people they’re birthmarks, they usually say, “That’s strange.” I used to consider them ugly. However, my mom calls them beauty marks.
In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing (噘起) my lips so I wouldn’t ave to deal with people’ s questions, As I was growing up, people wore me out with them. Some people would ask me the same questions even before knowing my name. In society I feel like we judge people by their looks before their personality.
My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom’s side of the family, My mom’s mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom’s uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. Every year I plan to have procedure to remove them. But when imagining the process, I always get nervous and give up.
My cousin faces a similar challenge. She has a huge birthmark that takes up her whole arm. She’s never tried to hide it or change her appearance. Once, her grandmother told her that the birthmark looked extremely prominent and suggested that she should wear long sleeves more often. If my cousin had actually taken that suggestion, she wouldn’t be such a person as she is.
Inspired by my cousin, I am finally accepting who I am and now I don’t hesitate when someone asks me about them either. I say, “They’re beauty marks” and smile without pursing my lips.
1. How did the author feel when asked about the birthmarks?| A．She felt excited to show her difference. |
| B．She felt annoyed to give others an answer. |
| C．She was scared to be made fun of by people. |
| D．She was bored to be faced with the question. |
| A．Her mother. | B．Her grandmother. |
| C．Her cousin. | D．Her uncle. |
| A．She dislikes talking about her birthmark. |
| B．She never judges others by their looks. |
| C．She is more confident than the author. |
| D．She has taken her grandma’s suggestion. |
| A．Brilliant. | B．Symbolic. |
| C．Harmful. | D．Impressive. |
【推荐2】Over 30 years ago, a book titled “The Alchemist” was published. The author of this book was a man named Paulo Coelho, and he was told by the first bookseller to carry his book, that only one person bought a copy after it was published. Though it was bad to hear about the shocking results, Coelho remained confident in his work.
He waited for better results to appear, but they were slow to come. Six months had passed before the next copy was sold. Strangely, the person who bought his first book was the same person who bought the second.
After that first year, the publisher decided that the book was a flop and ended Coelho’s contract. Fortunately, though, Coelho shrugged off that defeat. He made up his mind not to give in, and so he doubled down to pursue his dream with even more efforts by finding another publisher. Now finding this new publisher was no easy task for Coelho, as he was met with rejection after rejection. But, after many repeated rejections, he finally landed that new publisher, and with it, another opportunity to achieve his dream.
From that point forward, Coelho’s dreams started to come true. At first, he only sold three thousand books. But the sales kept trickling in, and as time went by, he would sell ten thousand. and then 100 thousand, Coelho’s luck has yet to run out, as his book sales continue to grow year over year, with now over 150 million and counting copies of “The Alchemist” having been sold. Even more astonishing is the fact that he sold over 320 million books including all of his other works. But it all started with that first book!
1. What can we infer about “The Alchemist” in the first paragraph?| A．It is a book containing an unexpected ending. |
| B．It inspired Paulo Coelho’s passion for writing. |
| C．Almost no one noticed it after it was published. |
| D．It is based on Paulo Coelho’s own life experience. |
| A．Lesson. | B．Reward. | C．Chance. | D．Failure. |
| A．Self-centred. | B．Determined. | C．Creative. | D．Tricky. |
| A．Be supportive to others who are in need. | B．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. |
| C．Books and friends should be few but good. | D．Don’t judge a book on the basis of its cover. |
【推荐3】When I left my home in rural (乡下) Missouri to attend college in New York City, I didn’t consider myself an experienced subway rider. Because of my family’s warnings, I was afraid to take the subway at first. Luckily, I was able to overcome this fear by having my first trip by subway guided by a neighbor named Sasha. He had grown up in Manhattan, so he was familiar with the busy subway routes. He had taken the subway almost every day as a child with his family, and so I was encouraged to set off with him to learn the ins and outs of the New York subways.
Sasha showed me to the stop nearest our building led me down the steps from the busy street, and guided me skillfully through the fast–moving crowd in the station .I couldn’t decide whether to buy my ticket from the woman on the left of from the woman on the right, but Sasha confidently tugged (拉) me right up to the one on the left. I managed to speak out, ‘Canal Street, please,’and the woman silently took away my change and handed a ticket to me.
I couldn’t tell to which platform to go; I had always used landmarks to find my way around my hometown. After a little searching, though, I saw the sign that read ‘Canal St.’ hanging above the escalator (电动扶梯)，so Sasha and I climbed aboard and rode down to our platform.
When we were finally seated on the train, Sasha looked at me with a pleased expression. I suppose, he was proud of how well he had served as a guide. ‘You look like you belong here in the big city,’ he said. I smiled back at him, wondering if I had already changed.
We arrived at the Canal Street station, and we rode up the escalator toward the street, taking care to stand well to one side to let more impatient passengers by. I had a feeling that I have been exploring fantastic caverns (洞穴) filled with treasures and new wonders of an undiscovered continent. I’ll always remember my first subway ride, when ‘going underground’ took on an entirely new meaning.
1. The subway station close to where the author lived was probably_______.| A．quite small | B．newly built |
| C．very crowded | D．easy to find |
| A．He is an only child. | B．He is very warm-hearted. |
| C．He is from a rural town. | D．He is a tourist guide |
| A．He almost lost his way. |
| B．He took the wrong train. |
| C．He asked Sasha to buy the tickets. |
| D．He was too nervous to take the escalator. |
| A．Shaming. | B．Worrying. |
| C．Successful. | D．Respectful. |
| A．became much more impatient |
| B．got to know more about New York |
| C．found some treasures underground |
| D．wasn’t afraid to take the subway anymore |
【推荐1】As a country with a long history, our historical and cultural heritage is a precious treasure that is irreplaceable.
Everyone of us should therefore actively take the responsibility of passing down China’s traditional culture.
The response was great. People from all walks of life gathered together to learn about Chinese culture and appreciate its beauty.
| A．The positive feedback inspired me to continue my efforts. |
| B．To promote the continuation of traditional culture, I have made great efforts. |
| C．That’s why I decided to take actions and help promote Chinese traditional culture. |
| D．Growing up, I have always been fascinated by the rich history and heritage of China. |
| E．Everyone is motivated to explore new ways to develop the excellent cultural heritage. |
| F．So I partnered with local community to organize larger cultural events and performances. |
| G．Looking back, I am grateful for the opportunity to help promote Chinese traditional culture. |
【推荐2】At 1,345 meters above sea level, Ben Nevis is definitely not the world’s most difficult mountain to climb. But things get considerably tricky if instead of hiking shoes you put on a pair of 5-inch high heels, especially if you’re a guy. One English teenager recently proved that it was not impossible.
Ben Conway, a 19-year-old art student from London, recently took up the challenge as a way to stand out in an application for a scholarship for the School of Communication Arts in Brixton. He started his unusual high-heel climb at 8 a.m., on June 27, and was joined by Callum MacKenzie Allen, a friend from his art foundation year, who videotaped the whole thing for a two-minute video that served as his application project. The whole climb took five hours and wasn’t the smoothest experience.
Halfway up Ben Navis, one of his shoes broke, so he had to tape the shoes to his feet to make sure they stayed on. The weather didn’t make it easy for him either, as he claimed that it rained pretty much the whole time, and he had to go against 40 to 50 miles an hour winds. Due to these difficult conditions, Ben and his friend had to turn back after reaching 900 meters up the mountain.
Apart from providing a unique art school application project, the high-heel climb also allowed the 19-year-old to raise some money for worthy causes, like Sal’s Shoes, which provides footwear for barefoot children around the world.
“Raising money for charity brings happiness to people’s lives and if I can do something ridiculous and bring someone happiness, then that’s what it’s all about”, Ben said.
1. What can replace the underlined word “tricky” in Paragraph 1?| A．Pleasant. | B．Boring. | C．Tough. | D．Smooth. |
| A．To prove nothing is impossible. | B．To record a special experience. |
| C．To promote their friendship. | D．To assist in Ben’s application. |
| A．The difficulties in the climb. | B．The climbing route. |
| C．The terrible weather. | D．The unexpected incident. |
| A．Puzzling. | B．Inspiring. | C．Exciting. | D．Frightening. |
【推荐3】Many years ago, Coca-Cola ran a brilliant advertising campaign about “The Pause That Refreshes”. They were on to something. Pauses refresh us because they allow us to stop, refocus, and rest.
The older I get, the more I’ve intentionally added pauses to my day. Some pauses are only a few minutes long; others are hours. It may be a walk to a faraway copier at work instead of the one in my department. Or driving an alternate route home. Or a day at the beach. The idea is to relax and rest by changing my thoughts from what stresses me to what refreshes me.
Rest refreshes us. And I rest best by doing nothing. I recently read a little book by Sandy Gingras called How to Live at the Beach. I love this light-hearted, five-minute read. It’s a clue that helps conjure up images of the mentality we have when we’re at the beach—and why we need to transport this beach mentality to our non-beach lives.
My son, his wife, and my grandson live near the beach in Santa Barbara, California. Next to Hawaii, it's one of the most beautiful places in the United States. When I head to the ocean with them, I'm awed by the benefits of the beach. For me, a day at the beach epitomizes (成为缩影) the discipline of doing nothing. It’s a pause. It’s also an example of a simpler life. I’m learning how to bring a beach mentality, and all its benefits, back home with me. A beach mentality slows me down, allows me to think over only what’s in front of me and allows me to fully appreciate what surrounds me in my nine-to-five world.
During the time of “country closure”, I’ve noticed what I typically fail to notice. Who says doing nothing is boring? Doing nothing calms and refuels me.
I’ve realized that by pausing more, I’ve seen more, listened more, heard more, and felt more. Yet, pausing is a discipline all its own. By developing the discipline of doing nothing, I’ve learned that a life of clarity, simplicity, and rest awaits.
1. Why is the advertising campaign run by Coca-Cola mentioned?| A．To make a prediction. | B．To explain a concept. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To illustrate an argument. |
| A．Transform. | B．Imagine. | C．Withdraw. | D．Polish. |
| A．Follow suit. | B．Keep watch. | C．Pursue perfection. | D．Slow down. |
| A．The Discipline of Doing Nothing | B．Being Intentional About Self-Care |
| C．The Price of Every Decision | D．Choosing Joy over Sadness |
