Every April I am troubled by the same concern -- that spring might not occur this year. The landscape looks dull, with hills, sky and forest appearing gray. My spirits ebb, as they did during an April snowfall when I first came to Maine 15 years ago. "Just wait," a neighbor advised. "You'll wake up one morning and spring will just be here."
And look, on May 3 that year I awoke to a green so amazing as to be almost electric, as if spring were simply a matter of flipping a switch. Hills, sky and forest revealed their purples, blues and green.
Leaves had unfolded and daffodils（水仙花）were fighting their way heavenward.
Then there was the old apple tree. It sits on an undeveloped lot in my neighborhood. It belongs to no one and therefore to everyone. The tree's dark twisted branches stretch out, unpruned（未经修 剪的）. Each spring it blossoms so freely that the air becomes filled with the smell of apple.
Until last year, I thought I was the only one aware of this tree. And then one day, in a bit of spring madness, I set out with pruner to remove a few disorderly branches. No sooner had I arrived under the tree than neighbors opened their windows and stepped outside. These were people I barely knew and seldom spoke to, but it was as if I had come uninvited into their personal gardens.
My mobile-home neighbor was the first to speak. "You're not cutting it down, are you?" she asked anxiously. Another neighbor frowned as I cut off a branch. "Don't kill it, now," he warned. Soon half the neighborhood had joined me under the apple tree. It struck me that I had lived there for five years and only now was learning these people's names, what they did for a living and how they passed the winter. It was as if the old apple tree was gathering us under its branches for the purpose of both acquaintanceship and shared wonder. I couldn't help recalling Robert Frost's words:
The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods
One thaw(解冻) led to another. Just the other day I saw one of my neighbors at the local store. He remarked how this recent winter had been especially long and complained of not having seen or spoken at length to anyone in our neighborhood. And then, he looked at me and said, "We need to prune that apple tree again."
1. By saying that “my spirits ebb” (Para. 1), the author means that .| A．he feels blue | B．he feels relieved |
| C．he is surprised | D．he is tired |
| A．They were surprised that someone unknown was pruning the tree. |
| B．They wanted to prevent the author from pruning the tree |
| C．They were concerned about the safety of the tree |
| D．They wanted to get to know the author |
| A．be attractive only to the author |
| B．have been abandoned by its original owner |
| C．be regarded as a delight in the neighborhood |
| D．have been ignored by everyone in the community |
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【推荐1】My mother had guest soaps in the bathroom. In a home with very few luxuries (奢侈品), those tiny roses of grape purple and lemon yellow represented something special to her; they were something she wanted to keep nice for our guests. So she kept them in a covered glass container, where they would be safe from the many sets of little fingers in our household that needed washing. Those soaps decorated the shelf in the bathroom for as long as I can remember. There they stayed, displayed until dust caked in the container, and the roses lost their beauty. But they were never used.
Fast forward to my adult life. When we were visiting my in-laws, it was casually given. No big deal; everyone got one. It was just a bar of soap, wrapped in beautiful paper with a lovely label showing that this soap had been made not by machine but somebody who just happened to be my new brother-in-law. That soap was only a few dollars, but I carried the weight of it for years. It was guest soap.
It was too pretty to use. It was proudly set out to be looked at, but not used, for about a week. My practical husband did not see the point of it cluttеrіng up (胡乱填满) thе countertop. An empty childhood bedroom where there was a glassed-in display shelf was the new home for the soap.
I loved this room. Bright and sunny, it was filled with furnishings and things I loved. When I got sick, it became my recovery room. I could rest there surrounded by happy memories. As I got better, I took inventory (盘点) of my life, and of my surroundings. And, I saw the soap.
I saw something that was meant to be used, not admired. I took that carefully wrapped soap off the shelf and opened it with a sense of childish delight. Then I ran it under water. As I concentrated on the bubbles (气泡) building between my hands, I felt all my troubles washing away with those tiny bubbles. It became a moment of pure joy.
So, from now on, I will use the guest soap. And while I’m at it, I might as well use the good towels too.
1. What happened to the author’s mother’s soap in the end?| A．It was full of fingerprints. | B．It was kept well by the author. |
| C．It failed to win the author’s love. | D．It stopped serving its decorative purpose. |
| A．It was a wedding gift. | B．It was made by hand. |
| C．It was a bit expensive. | D．It was bought by her husband. |
| A．In Paragraph 2. | B．In Paragraph 3. |
| C．In Paragraph 4. | D．In Paragraph 5. |
| A．Guilty. | B．Concerned. |
| C．Carefree. | D．Disappointed. |
【推荐2】The morning commute(通勤)is never fun, but if you pass through Stevenage on your way to work, your morning might be a little brighter thanks to Nala the cat.
Dragging yourself out of bed in the morning and off to work is hard, especially on dark winter mornings. You might be a little more inclined to head out of the house with a spring in your step if your commute started at Stevenage Station, where you’d be greeted by a ginger cat called Nala.
Usually found sitting on a ticket gate, four-year-old Nala lives close to the station with her owner Natasha Ambler, and often heads to station at rush hour to enjoy attention from commuters. Ambler created a social media page called The Adventures of Nala where hundreds of people have shared photos of the adventurous cat.
Recent photos include Nala waiting in line for her “cat-purr-ccino” at Costa, snoozing(打盹)on newspaper stands and posing with commuters at the station barriers.
Nala wears a GPS tracking device so that her travels can be traced, and is usually found at the railway station or the next door leisure park. As well as the usual collar with her name and owner’s contact information, Nala wears a tag to let people know that she’s not lost.
Ambler reported that she’s not worried about Nala in the slightest: She’s obviously well-loved and she’s very happy doing what she does—I just hope one day she doesn’t actually try to get on a train.
Nala brings a ray of joy to Stevenage commuters with her playful antics. Her presence not only brightens mornings but also fosters a sense of community, as evidenced by the shared photos and interactions on social media. Her owner’s care and Nala’s adventurous spirit ensure that she’s a beloved and safe addition to the station environment.
1. What is morning commute usually like?| A．Anything but fun. | B．A little bit common. |
| C．Kind of pleasant. | D．Somewhat interesting. |
| A．Her owner’s love for her. |
| B．Her desire to entertain commuters. |
| C．The short distance from the station. |
| D．Her preference for the ticket gate. |
| A．By following Nala all the way. |
| B．By using a positioning device. |
| C．By attaching a tag to Nala’s neck. |
| D．By posting her contact information on line. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Contradictory. |
| C．Opposed. | D．Relieved. |
【推荐3】Lizzy Brown, a 42-year-old mother of three from East Riding, Yorkshire, was diagnosed with cancer when she was 14 years old. Ms Brown received the diagnosis having woken up frightened on her 14th birthday. She was admitted to a hospital in Cambridge in 1989, where she was told that she shouldn’t expect to survive into adulthood.
While being monitored (监护) at the hospital, Ms Brown was looked after by a kind nurse called Debbie Bye. Ms Brown has never forgotten the good care that Ms Bye provided during her time of need. “My prognosis (预断) was very poor,”' Ms Brown said. “I wasn’t expected to live more than five years, but now I’m 42 with three children and there’s not a wheelchair in sight. She might have thought she was doing her job but it went above and beyond that. I remember watching Debbie work and being so inspired by the way that she did things. She showed me that children are children no matter what is wrong with them and she treated us all the same.”
The childhood cancer survivor always wondered what had happened to the nurse over the years,which is why she decided to put a call out on Twitter. Ms Brown tweeted an appeal to find Ms Bye, with her tweet being shared more than 1,000 times. Her action proved successful, as the two women were eventually able to make contact (取得联系) thanks to the power of social media.
“To be there when Lizzy was given her prognosis was something I will never forget,’’ said Ms Bye, who has since retired (退休) from hospital work and now works part-time in a school. “She was a teenager in denial and over the years I have often wondered what happened to her and came to the only conclusion I could and thought she had passed away. I am blown away.”
1. What do we know about Ms Bye?| A．She is in poor health now. |
| B．She still works in the same hospital. |
| C．She forgot about Lizzy Brown’s situation. |
| D．She once worked whole-heartedly as a nurse. |
| A．She turned to the Internet. |
| B．She visited quite a few places. |
| C．She asked many relatives for help. |
| D．She made a public appeal in local papers. |
| A．scared | B．excited | C．pitiful | D．nervous |
| A．To report a moving reunion. |
| B．To warn us of the danger of cancer. |
| C．To show us how to live a healthy life. |
| D．To give advice on how to treat nurses. |
【推荐1】I settled into my seat on a plane to Cuba feeling frustrated. When I planned the trip, I had assumed that my Cuban partner and I would go to the field directly to collect water samples from rivers. That’s how I’d done fieldwork in Namibia and Bolivia. But not in Cuba, it seemed. Five days earlier, a Cuban scientist had emailed to inform me that we would only be meeting to talk about our planned project. Sampling would happen during a later trip.
At the airport, one of my partners greeted me. We drove to the research center where he worked, and then toured every lab in the building. I met scientists, technicians, students and even the cook. I was impressed that I was introduced to each person. The lack of hierarchy (等级制度) was unlike anything I had experienced before in academia (学术界).
The next day, we met again to brainstorm. Together, we looked at maps to plan how we were going to collect samples. Had it not been for the Cubans, I would have been unaware that the map I had left out some new reservoirs (水库) Local involvement and knowledge were key — making me wonder what I’d missed working without such a team in other places.
Six months later, I flew back to Cuba and this time, we headed to the field. I was impressed again by the lengths to which my Cuban partners went to ensure that all team members were treated equally. We drove around Cuba in bright yellow minibuses, and each minibus had a mix of members at all seniority levels. In the field, all members sweated together.
On the last night of the trip, we searched for a restaurant that could seat all 14 of us at one table. When a restaurant couldn’t accommodate the team without separating us, my partners insisted that we move on and find a place with a large enough table.
In 26 years as a professor, I have never been a fan of academia’s hierarchy. I want everyone working with me to feel as though they are part of a team. But my Cuban partners take teamwork to another level entirely. They make it clear that all team members are valued, that everyone is equal, and that true teamwork makes for better science.
1. Why did the author feel frustrated in paragraph 1?| A．He was asked to host a meeting in Cuba. |
| B．He was told to change his planned project. |
| C．He couldn’t do his work in his usual way in Cuba. |
| D．He spent a long time waiting for his plane to Cuba. |
| A．It was torn up. | B．It was outdated. |
| C．It was too old to read. | D．It was about another water area. |
| A．They drove minibuses to the field. | B．They were friendly to the author. |
| C．They worked in different groups. | D．They had dinner at one table. |
| A．A fruitful trip in Cuba | B．Impressed by a Cuban team |
| C．Respect seniors in the team. | D．You’ll never know until you try |
【推荐2】I feel it important for families to have regular meals together. One of my best childhood memories was dinner with my parents and two sisters. As a result, last year I decided that the entire family would have dinner together three days a week. Because my husband and I both work and our three kids are busy with school activities, we could hardly have a chance to get together as a family. But we thought it possible for everyone to set aside three evenings a week for a sit-down dinner.
First we tried setting three fixed days for our experiment Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After trying the plan some weeks, almost everyone was unhappy. Then my son had the idea of having everyone post his or her schedule for the week on the fridge every Sunday. I would choose the three best days.
For a while, the kids continued to resist (抵触) the idea, saying they would rather spend the time with their friends or joining in sports or other activities, But with time going on, they began to see these evenings together positively. We discussed each other’s, problems. We made vacation plans. We laughed a lot. Months later, anyone who had to miss a family meal felt regretful.
We all now feel that we’ve been able to build stronger relationships within the family and communicate better. The idea of having regular family meals together, which seemed difficult at first, has brought about many positive changes in our lives.
1. What made the writer decide to have regular family meals together?| A．Her good childhood memory. | B．Her kids’ needs for help. |
| C．Her husband’s advice. | D．Her son’s idea. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．On Mondays. | B．On Wednesdays. | C．On Fridays. | D．On Sundays. |
| A．To Keep Positive, Talk More Often | B．To Stay Healthy, Have More Sports |
| C．The Kids That Are Often Busy Feel Happy | D．The Family That Eats Together Stays Together |
【推荐3】It was 1st January, the first day of the year and a holiday for me. I went to the bank to get the bank work out of the way. The bank clerk nodded and I sat in front of him. He was busy filling up entries in his register.
I put my form and booklet in front of him. After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done. He shouted, “Nothing is done, and it will take time!”
Just then I saw his morning cup of tea, which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untouched. The tea had turned almost cold while he was doing his work. Suddenly I felt what this man must be feeling when customers like me come always in a hurry to get their work done. We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there.
So, I told him, “Sir, you please have your tea. I am not in a hurry.” This man suddenly looked up at me and for the first time we had eye contact. I saw a different person there, who was as hard-pressed for time as I always am.
I saw both of us sailing in the same boat. I felt that he was also missing the small things in life like a hot cup of tea or lying in a warm bed for a few more minutes like me. He gave me a rare smile and said, “It is an everyday affair with me; you are not in a hurry but somebody else will be.”
He really touched my heart with his wise words. I felt that all this time I thought of him as a someone who was there for my convenience, but today I suddenly felt a strange communion with him. I vowed to be friendly with people who help me with my work and be thankful that they are there for me.
1. Which of the following is NOT true of the writer?| A．He works in the bank as a clerk, too. | B．He went to the bank to do some business. |
| C．He was touched by the untouched cup of tea. | D．He got annoyed after waiting a few minutes. |
| A．He hated to work on a holiday. | B．He was under great work pressure. |
| C．He didn’t like his work in the bank. | D．He communicated well with his customers. |
| A．He was sometimes in the similar situation. | B．They once sailed in the same boat. |
| C．They expected to sail in the same boat. | D．He’s too busy to sail in a boat, too. |
| A．tolerance | B．satisfaction | C．sympathy | D．gratitude |
| A．To be patient with your customers. | B．Helping others is helping yourself. |
| C．To be thankful to those who help you. | D．It is our duty to do things for others. |
