I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenage girl, and I could not bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads. Coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to stop rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work.
One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something. “I’m awfully sorry,” I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost (街灯柱). This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn’t stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to guess if the bus had arrived.
Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow (吞下) my pride and ask someone at the stop for help.
But at this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; it seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself, I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop.
1. The girl refused to ask for help because she thought ________.| A．she might be recognized | B．asking for help looked silly |
| C．being found blind was embarrassing | D．she was normal and independent |
| A．began to run | B．hit a lamppost by accident |
| C．hit a person as usual | D．was caught by something |
| A．to find more buses there | B．to find people there |
| C．to find the bus by herself there | D．to find people more helpful there |
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【推荐1】I have forgotten the name of an old lady in my home town when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it dwells in my memory that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I shall never forget.
On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the roof of the old lady’s house. As a result, the stone headed straight for a small window. We knew we were in trouble. We ran faster off her roof.
I was too scared about getting caught to be concerned about the old lady with the broken window in winter. However, a few days later, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortably.
I made up my mind to save my paper delivery money. In three weeks I had the seven dollars and put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hoped that the seven dollars would cover the cost for repairing it. After that, I walked up to the old lady’s house secretly, and put the letter I didn’t sign through the letter hole. My soul felt relieved and I could have the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady’s kind eyes.
The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and she thanked me for the paper, giving me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and continued to eat the cookies while walking.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was shocked. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, “I’m proud of you.”
1. What does the underlined word “dwell” refer to?| A．Appear. | B．Change. |
| C．Happen. | D．Exist. |
| A．The roof of the old lady’s house was broken. |
| B．The stone broke a small window of the old lady’s. |
| C．The old lady broke into her house secretly. |
| D．The old lady gave him a bag of cookies. |
| A．Lucky. | B．Discouraging. |
| C．Regretful. | D．Annoyed. |
【推荐2】Michael and his wife had recently moved into a new apartment building in SanFrancisco when they met a neighbor who is an Indian priest (牧师).
The priest, Jeff Dunan, 77, told Michael about an organization he volunteers for, which provides food, clothing and essential supplies to poor people in northern Bangladesh. The man decided to donate to the GoFundMe campaign, and settled on$150. “I thought it was a good cause, and a neighborly thing to do,” he said.
Shortly after making his donation on the GoFundMe campaign that day in February 2022, though, Michael received information from his credit card company, warning him of a suspiciously (可疑地)large business. He opened the text message, which warned him of a $15,041 charge from GoFundMe. When he saw the five-figure number, he couldn’t believe it.
Soon, it all made sense. Michael’s credit card number started with four and one. Clearly, he said, he accidentally began typing his credit card information while his cursor(光标) was still in the donation box.
Michael called GoFundMe’s support line in a panic and explained the mistaken donation. To his relief, he was told he would be refunded for the mistake within three to seven business days.
Still, there was a major complication: The $15,000 donation — which more than doubled the total amount raised at the time — would remain on the GoFundMe page until the refund was processed.
“I was like, oh no, that’s a problem,” Michael recalled. Before he explained to Dunan, he started receiving Facebook messages from Shohag Chandra, the charity’s Bangladesh-based program manager, thanking him for his substantial donation.
“The man had sent me a video of himself from Bangladesh, surrounded by dozens of hungry people holding bags of food, thanking me BY NAME.” After Michael watched it, his heart sank. He felt terrible that he had to revoke (撤销) his donation, and he wanted to offer more. Once his original contribution was refunded, he donated $1,500.
1. Why did Michael donate to the GoFundMe campaign?| A．To please his new neighbor. | B．To earn a fine reputation. |
| C．To fit in with the community. | D．To contribute to charity. |
| A．Shocked. | B．Excited. | C．Proud. | D．Depressed. |
| A．He received a thank-you message. |
| B．He was promised to get his money back. |
| C．He was informed of a suspicious charge. |
| D．He got additional funds from the charity. |
| A．People laughed at Michael’s mistake. |
| B．The poor Bangladeshis were disappointed. |
| C．Michael donated to another charity organization. |
| D．Michael donated more than his first intended amount. |
【推荐3】A California man and his family went from rags to riches after discovering that the blanket given to him by his grandmother was worth a small fortune. Loren Krylzer was living in a small hut and barely getting by on his disability payments. One day, he happened to be watching Antiques Roadshow on TV when he learned that the forgotten old blanket in his closet might be valuable. The Krytzer family heirloom (传家宝) turned out to be an antique (古老的) Navajo weaving from the 19th century that fetched US$1.5 million at auction (拍卖会).
Krytzer's blanket was prized for much more than its antiquity. Among Native American tribes, the Navajo are recognized as the most skillful weavers of blankets and rugs. The weaving style is characterized by vivid, varied patterns and exceptional durability. From shearing the sheep, spinning, preparing, and dyeing the wool to the actual weaving process, it takes around 345 hours to create one blanket.
Women traditionally wove Navajo blankets while men built the weaving devices. To this day, Navajo people still make high quality blankets and rugs to sell. They believe that, since only God is perfect, their creations should have some imperfection. Another Navajo belief is that their souls are sewn into every weaving, so they intentionally include a hidden loose thread into each piece. This ensures that it isn't too perfect, and their souls can still escape into the afterlife.
The Krylzers also had a loose thread on their road to riches that allowed them to escape the trap of financial ruin. In an unfortunate twist, the family's life-changing windfall (意外之财) came with a huge tax bill from the government and a lot of imploring relatives. After taking a family vacation in Mexico, buying a new sports car and a couple of real estate purchases, Krytzer lost his disability payments and now gets big bills for property taxes and insurance instead. Ironically, the family decided to relocate to a less expensive state to save money.
1. How did the Krytzer family go from rags to riches?| A．A family member purchased a winning lottery ticket. |
| B．Loren was invited to have an interview on a TV show. |
| C．Loren’s disability payments were unexpectedly increased. |
| D．Loren auctioned off a blanket his grandmother gave him. |
| A．God’s creation is also imperfect |
| B．people can exit from horrible situations |
| C．its owner is sure to have an everlasting life |
| D．the blanket is really made by hand |
| A．To reduce the cost of living. |
| B．To be hidden from their relatives. |
| C．To change for a better environment. |
| D．To apply for disability payments again. |
| A．Navajo blankets have nice patterns but don’t last long. |
| B．Loren Krytzer made millions of dollars from disability. |
| C．Weaving a blanket involves many processes and skills. |
| D．Loren’s life went from bad to worse because of the windfall. |
【推荐1】As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have clear memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew (工作人员). The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is especially afraid of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport for our return. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I had a sad feeling on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me abroad, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been a terrible and painful experience. Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and will always look forward to.
1. What does the author’s big moment refer to?| A．Travelling abroad. | B．Attending a meeting. |
| C．Listening to a story. | D．Accompanying his parents. |
| A．Depressed. | B．Satisfied. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
| A．Frankfurt. | B．Mumbai. | C．Dusseldorf. | D．Canada. |
| A．Beautiful memories about Europe. | B．Dreamed family flying. |
| C．An important flight travel. | D．Unforgettable experiences on Lufthansa. |
【推荐2】I have forgotten the name of an old lady in my home town when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it dwells in my memory that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I shall never forget.
On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the roof of the old lady’s house. As a result, the stone headed straight for a small window. We knew we were in trouble. We ran faster off her roof.
I was too scared about getting caught to be concerned about the old lady with the broken window in winter. However, a few days later, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortably.
I made up my mind to save my paper delivery money. In three weeks I had the seven dollars and put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hoped that the seven dollars would cover the cost for repairing it. After that, I walked up to the old lady’s house secretly, and put the letter I didn’t sign through the letter hole. My soul felt relieved and I could have the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady’s kind eyes.
The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and she thanked me for the paper, giving me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and continued to eat the cookies while walking.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was shocked. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, “I’m proud of you.”
1. What does the underlined word “dwell” refer to?| A．Appear. | B．Change. |
| C．Happen. | D．Exist. |
| A．The roof of the old lady’s house was broken. |
| B．The stone broke a small window of the old lady’s. |
| C．The old lady broke into her house secretly. |
| D．The old lady gave him a bag of cookies. |
| A．Lucky. | B．Discouraging. |
| C．Regretful. | D．Annoyed. |
【推荐3】When I was a child, my grandparents bought a second home in Arkansas and would bring me there every single summer. I would spend a lot of time outside.
I always remember my grandparents calling me over to the window when a deer family was in the yard or a few hummingbirds were at the feeders so that I could watch them.
I think we should take the time to appreciate and observe the natural world around us. When we do this, we find that it brings us happiness and has a great value beyond just that of resources. Preservation of the natural world is important as we are dependent upon it for life.
| A．I was always amazed by creatures like this. |
| B．I followed my grandfather while he did yard work. |
| C．I always felt very at peace at my grandparents’ home |
| D．Our experiences with nature have shaped my life values. |
| E．Walking in the forest always makes me feel relaxed and energetic. |
| F．My grandfather taught me the names of different trees in the yard. |
| G．We can’t harm it at such a rate where it will never return to what it once was. |
【推荐1】I’ll never forget the day when Mary came into my office and said, “I am too old to learn how to use a computer.” I shook my head. Here was a woman who had raised 6 children and who had made great progress in her career telling me that she was too old to learn something new. I told her that I always believed people were never too old to learn.
Mary followed my advice and did learn how to use the computer. Now, she is retired and leading a very active life volunteering in her community, using her computer skills and helping anyone who needs help.
When she was in her sixties, one day she called me and said she had played the piano for others all her life, and she was going to make a CD of her own. My mind flashed back to the day when she told me she was too old to learn. You can imagine my surprise and delight.
To produce the CD, she had a lot of things to learn. It was not just sitting at the piano and playing. She had to research the songs, learn about copyright, and learn about marketing. It was pretty amazing for someone who once said she was too old to learn. And finally she made it. Now she has her own CD.
Most of you probably have heard about some people who have gone back to university in their seventies and have also graduated. They are on their way again to charging themselves with a new skill and a new attitude towards life. The point is that you are unable to learn anything at any age if you believe you are too old. On the contrary, you can achieve anything at any age if you believe you can.
1. When Mary said she was too old to learn, how did the author react to it?| A．He became disappointed with her. | B．He felt sad and decided to help her. |
| C．He did not agree with her. | D．He thought what she had said was true. |
| A．To ask him for some help. | B．To talk about her new CD. |
| C．To ask him to make a CD. | D．To tell him about her plan. |
| A．He thought it was impossible. | B．He thought it was difficult. |
| C．He thought it was unnecessary. | D．He thought it was interesting. |
| A．We’re never too old to learn. | B．We should always learn new skills. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher. | D．Some people succeed for a reason. |
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
1. Why did the author follow her son?
| A．Because there might be danger. |
| B．Because her son was doing a good deed. |
| C．Because she intended to help. |
| D．Because she was curious. |
| A．Rain was in great need. |
| B．Billy carried water with his small hands. |
| C．There were few trees in the woods. |
| D．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again. |
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.
| A．③②⑤①④ | B．⑤③②①④ |
| C．④①③②⑤ | D．⑤②①③④ |
| A．Billy was a pride |
| B．God was touched by Billy's activity |
| C．the rain should have dropped earlier |
| D．it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy |
‘“The child is more frightened than hurt,” said the doctor — and that, you would think, was the end of the story. But, you see, I had taken a violent dislike to the short man. So had the child’s family — that was only natural. But the doctor, who seemed a quiet, kind man, was also looking at our prisoner with murder in his eyes.
‘The doctor and I understood each other perfectly. Together we shouted at the man, and told him we would tell this story all over London so that his name would be hated.
‘He looked back at us with a proud, black look. “Name your price,” he said.
‘We made him agree to a hundred pounds for the child’s family. With another black look, the man led us to that door over there. He took out a key and let himself into the building. Presently he came out and handed us ten pounds in gold and a cheque for ninety pounds from Coutts’s Bank. The name on the cheque was a well-known one.
‘“See here,” said the doctor doubtfully, “it isn’t usual for a man to walk into an empty house at four in the morning and come out with another man’s cheque for nearly a hundred pounds.”
‘“Don’t worry,” said the man with an ugly look, “I’ll stay with you until the banks open, and change the cheque myself.”
‘So we all went off, the doctor and the prisoner and myself, and spent the rest of the night at my house. In the morning we went together to the bank. Sure enough, the cheque was good, and the money was passed to the child’s family.’
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage above?
| A．The little girl was frightened as well as seriously hurt. |
| B．The doctor did not trust the short man and disliked him. |
| C．The short man willingly paid the little girl’s family a hundred pounds. |
| D．The doctor was present at the spot to see what was wrong with the little girl. |
| A．Instantly. | B．Constantly. |
| C．Consequently. | D．Merely. |
| A．The doctor’s attitude towards the short man. |
| B．The validity of the cheque accepted by the bank. |
| C．The name on the cheque the short man produced. |
| D．The short man’s attitude towards what he had done. |
| A．Mr. Utterson, an upright lawyer |
| B．Mr. Jekyll, a well-known doctor |
| C．Doctor Lanyon, Mr. Jekyll’s friend |
| D．Mr. Hyde, the short man mentioned in the passage above |
