1 . In 1990, Hal Donaldson was 23 years old, fresh out of college and found himself in Calcutta, India, where he was asked to interview Mother Teresa.

Donaldson says about the great woman famed for feeding the hungry, “She wasn’t wearing shoes and her ankles were swollen. She sat down with me and was very polite.” After the interview, Mother Teresa asked him, “What are you doing to help the poor?” Donaldson admitted that he was young and wasn’t focused on helping others. With a smile on her face, Mother Teresa said, “Everyone can do something.”

Those words deeply struck Donaldson and forced him to face hard truths about himself.

Hal Donaldson grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. When he was 12 years old, his parents were hit by a drunk driver; his father died, and his mother was seriously injured. To make ends meet, they went on welfare. Donaldson says, “I had holes in my shoes and clothes. When you’re teased at school for that, you just want to escape.”

He managed to do just that. Donaldson got into college and turned his focus to making money for himself. He says, “I was just trying to find my way out of insignificance.” However, it’s easy to overlook others along the way. I was the guy that would see a homeless person and cross the street, so I didn’t have to confront (面对) him. My focus was on climbing to the top instead of helping those trying to climb with me.

Donaldson returned home from India with a different thought. He traveled to eight cities in America and stayed on the streets and listened to stories of the homeless. “My heart broke,” he says. “I knew I could no longer just live for myself.”

Inspired by Mother Teresa’s words and the stories he’d heard across America, Donaldson loaded a pick up truck with $300 worth of groceries and handed them out to anyone who needed help. In 1994, Donaldson created the nonprofit organization, Convoy for Hope, which works with communities across America and around the world. Their work focuses on feeding children, women’s empowerment, helping farmers and disaster services.

1. What did 23-year-old Hal Donaldson do in India?

A．He interviewed Mother Teresa.

B．He fed the hungry with Mother Teresa.

C．He attended an job-interview for a college.

D．He did something to help the poor.

2. What can we learn about Hal Donaldson from paragraph 4?

A．He was born with disability.	B．He led a hard life as a child.
C．He was well treated at school.	D．He survived as an orphan.

3. How does Hal Donaldson describe himself in college?

A．Self-centered

B．Sympathetic

C．Popular

D．Generous

4. How did Hal Donaldson change after he returned home from India?

A．He preferred traveling to volunteering.

B．He suddenly fell in love with journalism.

C．He turned his focus to living for himself.

D．He gradually devoted himself to helping others.

2 . After I made it to the city center, I started to feel it might be easy for a foreigner to deal with the great size of Beijing. With growing confidence, I decided to take the subway to the hotel, not realizing that the network didn’t go that far. Impressed with the cleanliness of the station, I bought a ticket and boarded the first subway that came along.

After a few minutes I asked in English a young man seated next to me where I should get off closest to the Friendship Hotel. Wearing a smart business suit and tie, he would surely speak English, wouldn’t he? Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand me but seemed very friendly. I showed him the room card with all the information of the Friendship Hotel in Chinese characters. He looked at it, and then his eyes moved quickly to the carriage (车厢) subway map. Next, he raised three fingers of his right hand.

In Australia, raising fingers at someone is not usually nice, but this man wasn’t smiling. At the next station he showed me two fingers. Now in Australia, that’s really rude, but I got the message. When we stopped at the third station, he didn’t just point to the door, but got up, took me out of the train, and led me to the top of the stairs, and out onto the street. Then he stopped a taxi and told the driver where to take me.

All this came from a man who couldn’t speak my language, and I couldn’t speak his. I was now speechless, especially when he refused my offer of money. I felt a little embarrassed having even thought he would accept a tip.

This experience made it clear I had to learn some Chinese quickly or my adventures might start turning into misadventures.

1. Why does the author decided to take the subway?

A．Because he believed in his ability to deal with the trip

B．Because the network covered most of the stops

C．Because he lived near the city center

D．Because he had a good impression of its cleanliness

2. Having been shown the room card, the young man        .

A．still remained puzzled	B．understood the author well
C．answered the author directly	D．pointed at the subway map

3. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the young man?

A．helpful.

B．impolite.

C．warm-hearted.

D．responsible.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage ?

A．To prove the importance of being careful

B．To introduce a young man who didn’t know English

C．To complain some cultural misunderstanding

D．To describe one of his adventurous experiences

3 . What a day! I started my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I’d been at the school for a hundred years!

The day started very early at 7:00 am. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn’t love me, mom said to have a good talk with them. I couldn’t stop laughing.

My mom dropped me off at the school gate about five minutes before the bell rang. A little blonde girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills.

I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my new friends feel the same way, too.

1. How did the author feel the night before her new school?

A．Tired.

B．Excited.

C．Happy.

D．Worried.

2. What did the author think of her mother’s advice?

A．Clear.

B．Funny.

C．Reasonable.

D．Excellent.

3. What happened on the author’s first day of school?

A．She met many nice people.	B．She had a hurried breakfast.
C．She learned some new skills.	D．She arrived at school very early.

4. What can we infer about Abigail?

A．She disliked Stacey.	B．She was shy and quiet.
C．She got on well with the author.	D．She was an old friend of the author.

4 . The sun was shining brightly over our heads and sweat (汗水) was pouring off our backs and faces. We stood still without ______ any noise, all hot and tired. But everyone kept standing as straight as trees.

It was ______ most high schools give to new Senior One students-military training. We ______ four days in a closed environment. Although we couldn’t go home at night and the training was ______ and difficult, our humorous young drill sergeant (教官) with a funny accent was a real ______ of our days. We laughed at his jokes, sat in rows singing different songs and ______ him telling true stories about his life. He gave us the feeling that ______ and sweat were not the only things that military training ______ .

After this journey, we were more ______ than we had imagined and we were much braver than we had ______ . Girls who looked pale rested for a little while, then right away came back to the team. Boys who were being punished ______ to the playground at once and began to run. Sweat flowed down our faces when we thought about how to shout ______ than other classes.

Military training taught us perseverance (不懈) and determination. On the last day of our training, the confidence could be ______ on our faces. We shouted so loud that our ______ could be heard across the heavens. With eyes like burning torches (火炬) , we walked into the future. Now the sun is ______ at all of us.

1.

A．crying

B．making

C．sending

D．telling

2.

A．nothing

B．anything

C．something

D．everything

3.

A．wasted

B．spent

C．kept

D．took

4.

A．strict

B．curious

C．interesting

D．normal

5.

A．success

B．pleasure

C．worry

D．wonder

6.

A．referred to

B．devoted to

C．turned to

D．listened to

7.

A．sunlight

B．wealth

C．desire

D．health

8.

A．received

B．helped

C．offered

D．happened

9.

A．concerned

B．determined

C．interested

D．surprised

10.

A．expected

B．expressed

C．disliked

D．rescued

11.

A．escaped

B．moved

C．rode

D．rushed

12.

A．larger

B．stronger

C．louder

D．lower

13.

A．seen

B．heard

C．smelt

D．touched

14.

A．thoughts

B．feelings

C．opinions

D．voices

15.

A．travelling

B．falling

C．setting

D．smiling

5 . Like most people, I was not sure about using virtual reality (VR) (虚拟现实) for travel. However, driven by the chance to experience places and things I could never visit without time, money, and travel, I visited the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) to check out their spacewalk VR Transporter. The visit turned out to be the most unforgettable experience that I’d ever had. After an hour or so, I took off the VR headset (眼罩), feeling as if I had actually been staying in space for months.

As we move through the post-COVID era (后疫情时代), international travel and large events have both been slow to return, so Ceek, an APP for virtual events and experiences, has been developed to allow users to travel through time and space with great joy. Mary Spio, Ceek CEO, explains that the combination of sights and sounds is important. “So our users can listen and see everything at the same time.”

The promise of VR is that it helps us rethink what travel even means. “Traveling can be crossing cultures, crossing memories, and can be done in your mind,” says David Askaryan, CEO of the Museum of Future Experiences. He says MOFE’s VR technology create “an experience where the world around you just completely changes for 70 minutes.”

In the post-COVID era, with our vacation days or travel money running short, virtual reality may be the next best way to visit the destinations that have been lighting up our social timeline, or are on our list. As for me, I’m already planning my next VR trip: an underwater VR experience.

1. Why did the writer visit MSI?

A．To study space science.	B．To buy VR headsets.
C．To try VR travel.	D．To learn spacewalk skills.

2. What can people do with Ceek according to the passage?

A．Travel through space and time with great joy in reality.

B．Listen and see everything in the world.

C．Experience a wonderful virtual trip.

D．Discover the sights and sounds during the post-COVID era.

3. What does David Askaryan say about travel?

A．It focuses on one culture.	B．It provides a new experience.
C．It helps build up memories.	D．It changes the world around us.

4. What does the writer think of VR travel in the future?

A．It will become popular.	B．It will happen underwater.
C．It will be more expensive.	D．It will take days to finish.

6 . My father was a strong fisherman. He loved the sea and would stay out until he caught enough to ______ the family.

When we met ______ weather, he would drive me to school with his old track. And after we arrived, he would bend over and give me a ______ on the face and then tell me to be a good boy. I always felt very shy in front of so many other ______. I was already a twelve-year-old young man, but my father still kissed me goodbye!

Then on a rainy day I ______ to tell him my feeling. When we stopped at the school gate, the ______ big smile appeared on my father’s face. I ______ what would happen next. I ______ put my hand up and for the first time said “No” to him. The smile on his face immediately changed into a ______ look. He looked at me for a long time, and tears began to appear in his eyes. I was shocked. I had never ______ him cry! Then he said, “You’re right. You are a big boy... a man. I won’t kiss you anymore.”

Not long after that, my dad went to the sea on a bad day. Most of the ______ stayed at home, but not Dad, because he had a big family to feed. But after that day, be ______ came back. Later his boat was found with its nets half in and half out. He must have ______ a strong wind and was trying to save the nets.

How I wished I hadn’t ______ my father’s kiss! And from this I have learnt that we should take every chance with our family and friends as the last one in our lives. We can have ______ regrets(遗憾)by doing this.

1.

A．enjoy

B．feed

C．keep

D．save

2.

A．fine

B．warm

C．cool

D．bad

3.

A．kiss

B．smile

C．touch

D．chat

4.

A．passengers

B．workers

C．schoolmates

D．friends

5.

A．decided

B．agreed

C．advised

D．happened

6.

A．strange

B．usual

C．beautiful

D．kind

7.

A．concerned

B．wondered

C．knew

D．remembered

8.

A．curiously

B．violently

C．patiently

D．quickly

9.

A．disappointed

B．worried

C．surprised

D．satisfied

10.

A．wanted

B．seen

C．gained

D．minded

11.

A．designers

B．authors

C．customers

D．fishermen

12.

A．later

B．finally

C．never

D．often

13.

A．missed

B．managed

C．met

D．hoped

14.

A．refused

B．forgotten

C．hated

D．remembered

15.

A．new

B．good

C．small

D．few

7 . One night, as I was driving down the road, I found something was sitting in the middle of the road. A few seconds later, I realized I was looking at a large turtle (海龟). Afraid of it being crashed by cars, so I pulled over, ran across the road and dragged the turtle to safety. But I’d made one big mistake.

I had heard that the best way to pick up a turtle without hurting it was picking it by the tail in order not to get bitten. So I’d made that big mistake. While the turtle turned out OK generally, I was determined to figure out how to move a turtle properly. I needed to find someone who dealt with turtles. I found the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. I talked to Dr. Sue, its Executive and Medical Director.

Dr. Sue told me that the organization dealt with a number of aspects of turtle conservation, including rescue, settlement, birth programs, research, and education. Sue explained that southern Ontario is home to a vast majority of turtles in Canada, but is also one of the vastest road networks of the country.

“Ninety percent of injured turtles brought in are caused by cars. These turtles spend a lot of time on land. And they do travel many kilometers on land for a variety of reasons, to find a nesting spot, or to hang out for the summer or winter. Turtles know where they want to go. So, just keep them going in the direction they want to go and you may have saved a turtle’s life,” Dr. Sue said.

Once an injured turtle arrives at the center, there are medical facilities (设备) ready to go, including an X-ray machine. That’s when the team gets to work with healing injuries, and help their patient.

1. Why did the author stop the car?

A．To help the turtle.	B．To see the thing clearly.
C．To prevent a car accident.	D．To find something good.

2. What happened to the turtle?

A．It got hurt by people before.	B．It was injured a little bit.
C．It was run over by a car.	D．It lost its direction.

3. What did Dr. Sue suggest at last?

A．Leaving the turtles alone.

B．Making Ontario home to turtles.

C．Changing the road conditions.

D．Helping turtles find nesting spots.

4. What does the underlined word “patient” refer to in the last paragraph?

A．The director.	B．The driver.
C．The author.	D．The turtle.

8 . “Good morning,” the new teacher said. “I’m Ernesto Flores, your teacher for fifth grade. “In all his years in school, Julio had never heard a teacher use his or her first name. Of course, the students always found out what they were, but it was up to the students to discover this information for themselves.

“Now I’d like to find out who you are,” said Mr. Flores. He began to call the roll (点名) , starting with the boys. Julio shook his head. Teachers always began with the girls.

“Julio Sanchez,” called Mr. Flores, pronouncing it Hulio. That was the correct way to say the name in Spanish.

Several kids laughed. They had never heard Julio’s name pronounced without the J.

Mr. Flores looked up from the roll book. “Isn’t that how you say your name?” he asked Julio. “Or do you prefer Julio with a J?”

“At home, they call me Hulio. But at school everyone calls me Julio,” Julio said.

“Do you like two pronunciations of your name?” asked the teacher. “It’s a good Spanish name and you should be proud of it.”

Julio smiled. “I know,” he said, “but it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Are you sure?” asked Mr. Flores. “Your name is a very important part of you.”

Julio thought for a moment. “Okay,” he said. “From now on, everyone please call me Hulio. Puerto Rico, where I was born, used to be a Spanish colony (殖民地).”

“That’s right,” said Mr. Flores. “Can you tell us something about Puerto Rico?”

“I came here when I was only eight months old. I don’t remember anything,” Julio replied.

“I think you can interview your parents instead,” Mr. Flores said.

Julio nodded. It would be fun to learn more about the place where he had been born.

Julio had to admit (承认) that Mr. Flores was creative and interesting.

1. Why did Julio shake his head?

A．The new teacher was a man.	B．The new teacher used his full name.
C．The new teacher asked him a question.	D．The new teacher started the roll with the boys.

2. Why did some kids laugh?

A．They didn’t like Spanish.

B．They found that Julio had a funny name.

C．They didn’t expect Julio’s name to be called first.

D．They thought the teacher had made a mistake in pronunciation.

3. What would Julio probably do after school?

A．Find out more about his birthplace.

B．Learn how to pronounce his name correctly.

C．Use the new name his new teacher gave to him.

D．Discover more information about his new teacher.

4. In Julio’s mind, what kind of teacher was Mr. Flores?

A．Strict.	B．Proud.
C．Different.	D．Hard­working.

9 . Specialists(专家) say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock(文化冲击)” is the _______ these specialists use when talking about the _______ that people have in a _______ environment. “There are three stages of culture shock”, say the specialists. In the first stage, the new comers like their new environment. Then, when the _______ experience dies, they begin to _______ the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the new comers begin to adapt to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life _______ .

There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The _______ may be different. The public service systems—the telephone, the post office, or the transportation—may be difficult to _______. The most simple things seem to be big problems. The language may be _______ .

Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. ________ culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who ________ had any difficulties in their home countries and were ________ in their community(集体). Coming to a new ________ these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find ________ without a role, almost without an identity(身份). They have to ________ a new self-image.

Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation(迷失方向). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying ________ all the time. They want to ________ themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a(n) ________ of safety. This escape does ________ the problem of culture shock in the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and ________ experience—these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.

1.

A．name

B．situation

C．expression

D．term

2.

A．conditions

B．feelings

C．worries

D．preparations

3.

A．difficult

B．pleasant

C．new

D．comfortable

4.

A．friendly

B．fresh

C．terrible

D．happy

5.

A．hate

B．like

C．accept

D．leave

6.

A．less

B．little

C．much

D．more

7.

A．rules

B．customs

C．manners

D．ways

8.

A．work out

B．look for

C．depend on

D．turn up

9.

A．difficult

B．easy

C．acceptable

D．understandable

10.

A．So

B．But

C．Or

D．And

11.

A．always

B．often

C．ever

D．never

12.

A．successful

B．satisfied

C．content

D．unsuccessful

13.

A．school

B．city

C．country

D．place

14.

A．that

B．it

C．them

D．themselves

15.

A．build

B．make

C．buy

D．do

16.

A．outside

B．inside

C．calmly

D．quietly

17.

A．allow

B．let

C．suffer

D．protect

18.

A．sense

B．help

C．study

D．entrance

19.

A．have

B．solve

C．beat

D．raise

20.

A．learning

B．concluding

C．including

D．gaining

10 . North Americans value independence, and Europeans value togetherness. I never fully understood that stereotype until two months ago, when I left Canada for a 4-month period in a lab in France. On my first day, Pierre, a Ph. D. student, tapped me on my shoulder and asked: “Coffee?” I nodded and followed him to the common room, where other grad students were filling in. I sat there, cautiously sipping the bitter liquid and trying hard not to reveal my uncultured tastes, while lab chatter filled the air.

Coffee breaks are a ceremonial part of lab culture here. The chatter sometimes turns to serious scientific topics. But mostly, the meet-ups offer a chance to wind down, to share stories about life inside and outside the lab and to sympathize with people who understand what you’re going through.

The lighthearted atmosphere and sense of community is a welcome contrast to my life in Canada, where I spent most of my workdays in isolation. I went into the lab each morning with set goals for my day. At lunch, I’d keep my eyes glued to my computer while I fed forkfuls of salad into my mouth, trying to power through my to-do list. For 9 months, I struggled to figure out why I couldn’t exactly copy the results of another study. I didn’t want to trouble my advisor too much. I was also hesitant to ask my labmates for help.

How much we were missing! Researchers need community because good ideas don’t just come from reading literature and thinking deep thoughts. It’s helpful to bounce ideas off others, and, to have a venue to share the day-to-day ups and downs of life.

Would coffee breaks have solved all my problems? Probably not. But I think sharing ideas with my peers would have helped solve my research dilemma. My time in France has taught me that it’s important to create space for organic conversations about lab life. A scientist’s life can feel isolating, but it’s not necessarily so when you’re connected to a supportive community.

1. How did the author feel when he drank coffee for the first time in France?

A．A little nervous.	B．Very happy.
C．Somewhat excited.	D．Quite curious.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．Cultural ceremonies in France.	B．Various topics of the chatter.
C．Coffee breaks in French lab culture.	D．Lab culture in French style.

3. What was the author’s life like back in Canada?

A．Comfortable and fulfilled.	B．Busy and lonely.
C．Tense but satisfactory.	D．Boring but healthy.

4. Why does the author write this passage?

A．To introduce the coffee break in Europe.

B．To explain the difference between cultures.

C．To recall his personal experience in France.

D．To convey the importance of a supportive circle.