1 . Maggie, a girl of thirteen years old, lived on the west coast of the United States. She had never experienced an earthquake before; she only prepared for it. As long as she could remember, preparing for an earthquake was common at her school. Her family had made plans as well in case of a natural disaster.
One day, Maggie arrived home from school at the usual time. However, it was not the same as usual. She was home alone. Her mom would be driving home on the busy freeway and her dad was to arrive at the airport. He was coming home from a two-week business trip.
After finishing her homework, Maggie felt a little hungry, so she went to the kitchen to find something to eat: Just then she felt a shake, then the violent shaking. Maggie quickly ran under the large table in the dining room. The sounds of breaking glass and the crashing of many things were deafening, and Maggie hugged herself in fear.
After what seemed like a very long time, the earthquake appeared to be over. Maggie could hear the sound of water rushing below her in the basement. And there was the smell of natural gas in the air. Maggie knew where the main water valve(阀门) was and how to turn it off. Dad had ever shown her before.
Slowly and carefully she came out from under the table. The once tidy home was then almost unrecognizable. Walls had fallen down and many things in the room were in a mess. As Maggie approached the open basement door, she could see the steps. Carefully she made her way down into the dark basement.
While placing her feet firmly on the floor, Maggie felt a sudden pain as a large wood hit her head and shoulder. She fell unconscious onto a pile of boxes. An hour later, she woke up and found her parents beside her. She was happy that she was still alive!
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?A.Earthquake are the main natural disasters in the US. |
B.Maggie’s parents taught her how to survive in an earthquake. |
C.Earthquakes occur often in the west of the US. |
D.Magpie has some self-help knowledge in earthquakes. |
A.Very loud. | B.Quite familiar |
C.Very distant | D.Quite strange. |
A.She was the only child in her family |
B.She was not afraid at all during the earthquake. |
C.She was hurt on the way to turning off the water valve. |
D.She had experienced an earthquake before. |
A.A story of a girl in an earthquake. | B.The importance of preparing for an earthquake. |
C.The ways to escape from an earthquake. | D.The danger of an earthquake. |
2 . The Battista family of New York City was on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland when their 2-year-old Fisher went lost on July 4, 2020.
The Battistas immediately blanketed the area with missing posters, barraged (炮击) social media, and even got Fisher face-time on a local floating billboard (广告牌).
With no leads, the family decided to remain in the area for an extended stay. They hired a tracker and even consulted with an “animal communicator” in hopes of tapping into Fisher’s whereabouts (行踪) — all to no avail.
The family also set up a find-fisher Facebook page, which quickly gathered 8,000 followers, and launched an online fundraiser to raise awareness and help them in their efforts to bring their beloved fur baby home.
“Signs have been posted, and we’ve extended our stay in Ocean City and arranged to bring in a professional dog tracker, in addition to making continuous searching trips in a car, on foot, and on a bike,” Matthew Battista wrote.
On April 20, 2021, 290 days after Fisher made his unauthorized Independence Day exit, Baltimore City resident Wayne Horn was repairing his motorcycle when he noticed a stray (走失的) dog in the road. When a friend of Horn’s posted picture of the found dog to Facebook, the responses of “That’s Fisher!” came back faster than a boomerang (回旋镖).
Informed of the news, Elissa Battista recognized Fisher immediately. “From the moment I saw the photos I knew it was him from the markings and his little tongue sticking out,” she posted to Facebook.
The reunion was quickly arranged. The Battistas had some local friends pick him up from the Horns, and then Elissa made the five-hour trip to retrieve Fisher and bring him home. Apart from minor signs of possible frostbite (冻伤), Fisher was in excellent shape.
1. What was described in detail in the text?A.Battistas’ regret for losing their loved dog. |
B.Online responses to the Battistas’ request. |
C.Different comments on the touching story. |
D.Efforts made to search for the lost dog. |
A.Online viewers recognized its photos posted online. |
B.One of family members discovered it in the road. |
C.Wayne Horn sent it back shortly after he found it. |
D.A professional dog tracker brought it back soon. |
A.Break down. | B.Take apart. | C.Pay back. | D.Get back. |
A.Chance favors the prepared mind. | B.Loyalty always comes first. |
C.Never giving up pays off. | D.Misfortune may be an actual blessing. |
3 . Scientists don’t have all the answers to the question “How to Strengthen Your Immune System?”, but exercise, proper diet, and stress management can make you more recoverable at any age.
One aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that has kept us guessing since the early days is why some people who get the virus don’t suffer much and others become desperately ill. All the more, while the elderly have been particularly hard hit, some— even centenarians(百岁老人)— survive, whereas countless younger people, whose immune systems are supposed to be stronger, have succumbed to it. So what factors give some people a stronger immune system than others, regardless of age? What does it mean if, for example, your partner or child gets sick and you don’t, or vice versa?
We know that our immune systems slowly decline as we age. Doctors call it immunosenescence. It’s slow and insidious (在不知不觉之间加剧的). Think of a photo of yourself from ten years ago versus one taken this afternoon. “You see changes in your face, skin, and hair color,” says Insoo Kang, MD, director of allergy and immunology at the Yale School of Medicine. “It takes time. Same process with your immune system.”
The difference in rate of decline between individuals is one of science’s big mysteries. The immune system is complex, but most of us understand the basics: Our bodies detect an intrude— a virus, bacterium, parasite, or foreign object— and produce white blood cells to fight against the problem. How many of these cells you produce when you’re, say, 73 versus when you were 45 is the million-dollar question. And it’s at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, we won’t always be in a pandemic. But we can use this one to gain an understanding of how the immune system changes with age and how we might slow the decline and stay stronger in the future.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To state a fact in life. | B.To solve a problem. |
C.To introduce a topic. | D.To voice an opinion. |
A.Fought against. | B.dealt with. | C.Succeeded in. | D.Died of. |
A.By listing lots of numbers about it. | B.By comparing photos of different ages. |
C.By doing some physical research. | D.By making a comparison questionnaire. |
A.Immune System Declines with Age | B.Immune system and COVID-19 |
C.Slow the decline of Immune System | D.Stay stronger in the future |
4 . As you grow rapidly through your teenage years, you will experience a lot of changes. The changes may seem difficult and they may seem to happen quickly. Don’t panic! You will deal successfully with them! You are a young adult now!
With more responsibility, you will find more freedom to make your own choices. This is a time to be well informed about your choices so that you can make healthy balanced decisions that will help shape your future. You may already know your career path or you may have no idea at all what you want to do. Both situations are fine! Work hard and the right opportunity will present itself to you.
Young adulthood means greater freedom and more choices. You will probably want to be independent. But try not to shut your family out of your life. You should learn to think of others even though you are old enough to look after yourself. Your family have been with you since you came into this world.
It is also perfectly natural in this time for you to spend more time with your friends than your family. Choose your friends wisely. A true friend will stand by you no matter what happens.
This period is part of the life cycle. There are some people who will be with you throughout life’s journey and there will be some people with whom you part and go separate ways. Leaving school can be hard. The reality is that you may not ever see all of your classmates again.
You are a young adult. It is your life. No one can live it for you. The choices that you make from now on will be your choices. So making the right choices will be important to you. Life is for living. Enjoy your life wisely!
1. The best title for this passage would be ________.A.The Choices in Life | B.The Key to Success |
C.Say Goodbye to the Past | D.Becoming a Young Adult |
A.your parents. | B.your deskmates. |
C.true friends. | D.your relatives. |
A.a period of complete freedom |
B.too hard for young people to get through |
C.an important time for the young to make the right choices |
D.a very important period for young students to leave their parents |
A.Teenagers. | B.Teachers. | C.Young parents. | D.Adults. |
5 . When I was a little girl, growing up in Anammosa, lowa, my favorite thing to do was read— same as today. So when I thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I figured I’d be a librarian. Our town librarian, Mrs. Tonne, was really important to me becoming me. The library had a two-book limit, but she knew I’d blow through those in just a few days, so she always let me check out a big stack. And when I was in fourth grade, our school librarian, Mrs. Ketelsen, sent some poems I’d written about dinosaurs to Highlights magazine. My first published writing!
At the University of Iowa, majoring in journalism, I quickly learned that I did not want to be a newspaper reporter. I’m shy about interviewing people, which amuses almost everyone who knows me and thinks I’m outgoing. (I am, but only with people I know! ) So I was thrilled when I was selected for a summer internship (实习岗位) at Reader’s Digest.
Ten years after that, I came back to RD to work as an editor. I’ve worked at other magazines too, but I’ve spent most of my career here, reading magazines, newspapers, websites, and books for stories we could condense; writing articles; even choosing jokes.
This issue seems like the perfect one to introduce myself to you all. “The Tractor War” takes me home to the Midwest. “Something to Sneeze At” reminds me of all the sneezing I did when I moved to New York City and was suddenly allergic to grasses and trees. “Pet Besties” makes me think about my cats, brothers Reggie and Smoky, who are sitting together at the windows as I write.
I relate to lots of our stories this month, and I hope you do too. Enjoy!
1. What was the author’s favorite thing to do, when she was young?A.Writing. | B.Reading. | C.Speaking. | D.Studying. |
A.Because she is confident enough. | B.Because she is a private person. |
C.Because she is outgoing to anyone. | D.Because she is always brave. |
A.An introduction to the author. | B.A comment on a current issue. |
C.A news report on a social problem. | D.An experience on Reader’s Digest. |
6 . Although Mark Twain is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers, the world-renowned author once indicated that he would have preferred to spend his life as a famous Mississippi riverboat pilot. Though the comment was probably not entirely serious, Twain so loved life on the river that as a young man, he did in fact work as a riverboat pilot for several years.
Twain, whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, felt so closely tied to the Mississippi River that he even took his pen name, Mark Twain, from a river man’s call meaning “two fathoms deep.” When he was eleven, his father died, and he left school to become a printer’s apprentice. He worked as a printer in a number of different cities before deciding at age twenty-one to pursue a career as riverboat pilot.
When the Civil War closed traffic on the Mississippi, Twain went to Nevada. There he worked as a journalist and lecturer, developing the entertaining writing style that made him famous. In 1865, he published “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” which made Twain became an international celebrity. Following the publication of The Innocents Abroad, a successful book of humorous travel letters, Twain moved to Hartfort, Connecticut, where he was to make his home for the rest of his life. There he began using his past experiences as raw material for his books. He drew on his travels in the western mining region for Roughing It and turned his childhood experiences on the Mississippi into The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The latter title in particular so greatly influenced other writers that Ernest Hemingway praised it with these words.
“All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.”
Twain traveled widely throughout his career, and his adventures abroad were fuel for a number of books. After living in Europe for several years, he returned home with his family. Following the death of his wife and three of their four children, Twain’s writing depicted an increasingly pessimistic (悲观) view of society and human nature. His work, however, continued to display the same masterful command of language that had already established him as one of America’s finest fiction writers.
1. Why did Mark Twain prefer to be a riverboat pilot?A.He was paid well. | B.He loved life on the river. |
C.He missed the Mississippi River | D.His father wanted him to do the job. |
①An apprentice ②A printer ③A journalist ④A lecturer ⑤A riverboat pilot
A.①②⑤ | B.②③④ | C.②④⑤ | D.①②③④⑤ |
A.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. | B.Roughing It. |
C.Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. | D.The Innocents Abroad. |
A.Humorous. | B.Ridiculous. | C.Inspiring. | D.Negative. |
7 . When I talk to kids about writing, I often compare it to the roller coaster (过山车) to remind them to mix laughs with tears in writing, because nobody wants to ride a roller coaster that’s a long, never-ending and terrifying one. Even Shakespeare, in his darkest tragedies, opens each act with a funny scene before the bad things come out. We need amusing relief in literature, a break in the tension (紧张).
I have always tried to write stories for kids that mix the heart-racing thrill of a mystery with a few jokes. Maybe this is because, when I was in the fifth and sixth grades, the fun magazine was my favorite reading material. When I first moved to New York City, I performed with one of the city’s top comedy (喜剧) groups. Comedy, I have discovered, is a great teaching tool. It is also a wonderful defense against fear.
One of my favorite e-mails I’ve ever received was sent to me in 2009 by a young reader who loved my stories. Here’s what he wrote:
Dear Mr. Grabenstein,
I just wanted to let you know that I really, absolutely love your books. I’m in 6th grade and recently finished The Hanging Hill after reading The Crossroads. Your stories mix action, humor and horror together in a perfect combination.
Thanks so much!
Will R
Comedy is a writer’s tool for releasing tension and it also simply makes books more fun to read. I used humor in my middle grade novel The Island of Dr. Libris to make classic literature feel more accessible to young readers. I also think it’s why so many reluctant readers — including kids who haven’t read a book in years — have been crazy about Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. Learning the Dewey DecimaI System in maths class can be fun if it is presented in a funny way because when we’re laughing, we never think we’re working too hard.
1. Where is the text probably from?A.A literature textbook. | B.An autobiography. |
C.A writing guideline. | D.A writing outline |
A.To prove a theory. | B.To explain a concept. |
C.To support his opinion. | D.To introduce the topic. |
A.Boring. | B.Effective. | C.Useful. | D.Simple. |
A.Drama suit, a decoration for writing | B.Imagination, the soul of writing |
C.Magazine, a guide for writing | D.Fun, the basis in writing |
8 . The year 2114 will be an eventful one for art. In May of that year in Berlin, the philosopher-artist Jonathon Keats’ “century cameras” — cameras with a 100-year-long exposure (曝光) time — will be brought back from hiding places around the city to have their results developed and exhibited. Six months after that, the Future Library in Oslo, Norway, will start to welcome its guests, presenting 100 books printed on the wood of trees planted in the distant past of 2014. As Katie Paterson, the creator of the Future Library, puts it: “Future Library is an artwork for future generations.”
These projects, more than a century in the making, are part of a new wave of “slow art” intended to push viewers and participants to think beyond their own lifetimes. They aim to challenge today’s short-term thinking and the brief attention spans of modern consumers, forcing people into considering works more deliberately. In their way, too, they are fighting against modern culture — not just regarding money, but also the way in which artistic worth is measured by attention.
In a similar fashion, every April on Slow Art Day, visitors are encouraged to stare at five works of art for 10 minutes at a time — a tough task for the average museum visitor, who typically spends less than 30 seconds on each piece of art.
Like the Future Library, the century cameras are very much a project for cities, since it’s in cities that time runs fastest and the pace of life is fastest. “Since I started living in a city, I’ve somehow been quite disconnected,” Anne Beate Hovind, the Future Library project manager, who described how working on the library drew her back to the pace of life she knew when she was growing up on a farm in her youth, told The Atlantic magazine.
1. According to the first paragraph, what will happen in 2114?A.The wood of trees planted in 2014 will be made into books. |
B.The Future Library will be open to the public for the first time. |
C.A camera which was produced 100 years ago will be exhibited. |
D.A book about photos with a 100-year exposure time will come out. |
A.They ignore works of modern culture deliberately. |
B.They spend only a little time in admiring artworks. |
C.They seldom pay attention to the price of artworks. |
D.They focus too much on artistic worth of artworks. |
A.To preserve works of art for a longer time. |
B.To promote works of art for modern culture. |
C.To advocate creating works of art more slowly. |
D.To encourage people to consider works of art more deliberately. |
A.Convenient. | B.Competitive. |
C.Efficient. | D.Busy. |
9 . Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb (麻木的) to new stimulation (刺激), new ideas. Relearning takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring.
Another block to awareness is the obsession (痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a “ruby-crowned kinglet” and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird.
The pressures of “time” and “destination” are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were heading to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. “Oh, just a few birds,” they said.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension (维度) to your life.
1. What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?A.To avoid jumping to conclusions. | B.To stop complaining all the time. |
C.To follow the teacher’s advice. | D.To admit mistakes honestly. |
A.They are very patient in their observation. |
B.They are really fascinated by nature. |
C.They only care about the names of birds. |
D.They question the accuracy of the field guides. |
A.The natural scenery is not beautiful enough. |
B.They focus on arriving at the camp in time. |
C.The forest is home to a few dangerous birds. |
D.They are keen to see rare birds at the destination. |
A.We should sharpen our senses to feel the wonders of the world. |
B.We should face up to the blocks in life on our way to success. |
C.We should keep our curiosity and explore different fields in life. |
D.We should focus on the views along the way rather than destinations. |
10 . A young Jewish girl begins a diary just as World War II is about to break out in Europe. She records the details of her daily life. Eventually, the diary comes to a heartbreaking end with the girl shot to death by the Nazis. However, it’s not the story of Anne Frank. This is Renia’s Diary, a journal that spent decades stored away in a safe box. Now it’s coming off the press with the help of Renia’s niece and sister.
For a long time, Elizabeth Bellak didn’t even know that her older sister Renia had kept a diary as a teenager in Poland. She was totally stunned that one day in her 50s, someone brought the diary to her. She began to read, but couldn’t get very far —the task proved too painful. Therefore, she just put it in the basement and didn’t think about it.
Alexandra Renia Bellak, Elizabeth’s daughter, who was named after her aunt, grew up knowing about the locked diary. As getting older, she became more interested in it. “If I could read this diary, maybe I’ll unearth (揭露) some things from the past,” she thought.
Finally, Alexandra got the diary from its hiding place. She turned shocked after reading the first few pages. “It’s the description of a wonderful, intelligent girl who showed great courage in dire circumstances. My aunt’s world comes to life as the diary shifts between the daily concerns of a teenage girl and the war.”
Elizabeth and Alexandra are thrilled that Renia’s diary has been published. “It is a story that needs to be heard now more than ever. We should never repeat the same types of racism (种族主义) and prejudice and hate that lead to active violence,” Alexandra says.
1. Why was Renia’s Diary unknown to the world for so many years?A.Alexandra was too afraid to read it. |
B.It was lost in the war and no one found it. |
C.The story is not as famous as Anne Frank’s. |
D.Elizabeth was emotionally stricken and hid the diary. |
A.Certain. | B.Serious. |
C.Mysterious. | D.Crucial. |
A.She was quite interested in World War II. |
B.She wanted to comfort her sorrowful mother. |
C.She wondered what had happened to her aunt. |
D.She planned to publish her aunt’s dairy in the future. |
A.Renia’s Diary coming off the press. | B.Renia’s miserable life and her diary. |
C.A girl fighting against the racism and hate. | D.The story of a Jewish family in World War II. |