1 . Years ago, I volunteered at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles, handing out food. Once I got talking with Albert., a tall and skinny young guy in line. He said he liked my socks. “Want to see mine?” he joked, lifting his leg. He was barefoot. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

The next day, after work, I stopped at Ross and filled up my truck with socks. The following early morning, I drove over to Santa Monica's Palisades Park, which is a common destination for homeless people.

I took one of the bags from my trunk. It was still dark out. I headed for a group of three men, standing around a tree, probably using it as a windbreaker. Two were asleep under heavy blankets, and the third was digging through his collection. As I walked toward him, he watched me, perhaps questioning my motives. “I thought you guys might need some fresh new socks,” I said, handing him a pair. He looked confused at first but took them and said, “Thank you.” I gave him two more pairs for his friends.

I moved on. An hour later, I had given out all the socks. Most people were sleeping, and I felt like Santa. I knew that when they wake up they would find a very meaningful present.

That was nine years ago. Every week I’ll hand out as many socks as I can. If I’m on vacation or on a business trip for more than a week, I bring a bag of socks with me and hand them out to the homeless on the streets in other states and countries.

It’s extremely satisfying to operate “under the radar（雷达）” to help make some people’s lives a little bit easier. Part of me hopes to see Albert out there one of these days, but even if I don’t, I like to think one of the pairs will find him.

1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph I most probably mean?

A．Homesick.	B．Sorry.
C．Regretful.	D．Embarrassed.

2. What is Ross most probably?

A．A garage.	B．A public park.
C．A store.	D．A homeless shelter.

3. What made the author feel especially satisfied with giving out socks?

A．Playing Santa in public.	B．Making weekends as holidays.
C．Spending early morning at a park.	D．Helping others silently.

4. Which of the following could be the best title?

A．Helping the Homeless in an Unexpected Way.

B．The Easy Way Out of Helping the Poor.

C．A Unique Experience at a Homeless Shelter.

D．Satisfactory Return from Kindness.

2 . At least 20 people died and hundreds were injured in a bridge collapse in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata Thursday. Witnesses said many people and vehicles, including two buses carrying more than 100 passengers, were under the bridge when it fell. They also said construction workers had set up camps near the bridge site where they would sleep and cook.

Before rescue teams arrived, local residents and firefighters used their bare hands to try to rescue people trapped under the debris. The collapsed bridge is in a busy commercial area of Kolkata. Its location has made it difficult for rescue operations. Access to the area is blocked on both sides by buildings, and the streets are blocked with heavy traffic.

Reuters (路透社) reports that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, rushed to the scene of the collapse. She said that rescuing those trapped is her “top priority”. Banerjee said those responsible for the disaster will be punished. Yet she faces questions about the safety of the construction project. The Telegraph newspaper reported last November that Banerjee wanted the bridge — already five years overdue — to be completed by February. Project engineers said they were concerned over whether this would be possible, the newspaper said at the time. Construction workers had been on a strict schedule to complete the bridge. The disaster could affect the West Bengal election next month. An Indian company, IVRCL, was building the 2­kilometer bridge, its website said. IVRCL’s director of operations said the company was not sure of the cause of the disaster.

1. Why were so many people killed or injured in the accident?

A．Many people were under or near the bridge.

B．The rescue work responded too slowly.

C．The bridge was under construction.

D．Construction workers had set up camps there.

2. What does the underlined word “debris” probably mean?

A．Buildings.	B．Ruins.
C．Vehicles.	D．Disasters.

3. What can we learn about the bridge?

A．It was designed by a company called IVRCL.

B．Project engineers were unwilling to cooperate.

C．It should have been completed five years ago.

D．The cause of the disaster has been discovered.

3 . These days, it seems like everyone wants to go out into space and live on new planets.Rather than depend on another pre-existing planet, could we make a new, proper planet ourselves?

To start with, if we do want to be living on it, we should find a good place in space to put the new planet. We’d want it to be in a habitable zone, meaning the planet should be at the right distance from its star to make sure there would be perfect temperatures and most importantly, liquid(液态的) water.

We’d also need the right materials to make the planet. Our Earth is made up of many different elements(元素). If we made our own new planet we’d probably want it to have similar elements and a similar structure(结构) We’ d also want enough water to form some oceans.

But even if we get all of the materials creating a new planet like Earth could have many troubles. It might be something more like a huge space station. It would be pretty expensive if we wanted it to be super big.

We would probably also need a lot of food since there s going to be many scientists and astronauts out in space working on this project!

According to NASA, each astronaut uses about 0. 83 kilograms of food per meal, including 0.12 kilograms of packaging(包装) material. Without the weight of the packaging material, we’d need about 780 kilograms of food just to feed one astronaut for a year.

Putting all these together could make it possible to make our own planet one day! In reality, creating a new planet would probably require a very modern technology and there would be tons of other things to think about. And if this is even possible, it likely won’t happen for a very long time.

1. What's the first thing we should do if we want to create a new planet?

A．To prepare enough food.

B．To design its inner structure.

C．To find a proper place to set the planet.

D．To collect materials similar to our Earth.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refers to?

A．Our Earth.	B．Outer space.
C．The new planet.	D．The ocean water.

3. How much food does an astronaut actually eat each meal?

A．About 0. 12 kilograms.	B．About 0. 71 kilograms.
C．About 0. 83 kilograms.	D．About 0.95 kilograms.

4. What does the author think of creating a planet?

A．It is a waste of money and time.	B．It should be one of NASA’S next plans.
C．It is not a good idea for humans.	D．It won’t come true in the near future

4 . Sleep is vital to your physical and mental health. However，how can you tell whether you’re truly sleeping well? It can be hard to measure your sleep patterns against those of the people around you.     1    

Stick to a sleep schedule.

Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours.     2     Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try to limit the difference in your sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends to no more than one hour.

Pay attention to what you eat and drink.

Don’t go to bed hungry or too full. In particular，avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Your discomfort might keep you up.     3     The stimulating(令人兴奋的) effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to disappear and can influence quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy, it can disturb sleep later in the night.

    4    

Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged(长期的)use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime. Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques, might promote better sleep.

Limit daytime naps.

    5     If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes and avoid doing so late in the day. If you work nights, however, you might need to nap late in the day before work to help make up your sleep debt.

A．Create a restful environment.

B．Adjust yourself to the environment.

C．Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too,

D．Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep.

E．What you eat and drink has an important role in your health.

F．Most people don’t need more than eight hours in bed to achieve this goal.

G．If you have trouble in sleeping well, you can adopt some habits that encourage better sleep.

5 . Plays are an important part of British culture. The West End theatre district in London is the best place to watch a professional play, but acting also takes place in every school and village hall and the country.

There are over 2,500 non-professional drama groups in the UK today and they are an active part of community life. People from all walks of life take on acting roles in addition to their regular jobs. They do it for fun, for the love of acting and as a way to meet new people.

Not everyone in a drama club is a skilled actor, but enthusiasm(热情) is considered to be more important than talent. Friends, family members and neighbors enjoy getting together to watch the final performance and tell the people they know to “break a leg(祝演出成功)”. It’s a great way of bringing people together. Also, in many rural（乡村的） parts of Britain, the non-professional theatre is the only chance that people have to see plays for miles around.

Many people get a taste of acting at school. Every school puts on a play at least once per year, usually at Christmas, and parents love coming to watch their children perform. Ask many British persons and they’re sure to have happy memories of being in their school’s Christmas play, whether they played the role of Mary or Joseph or perhaps even a sheep or a monkey.

Another Christmas theatre tradition is the pantomime（童话剧）. Pantomimes are a type of the musical comedy for families. The audience is encouraged to take part in the performance —singing along with music and shouting at the actors. Pantomimes are really fun to watch, especially for children.

British people love going to the theatre, professional or not, and many of them also enjoy performing. If you have the chance, go and see a play in the UK.

1. In the writer’s opinion, what is more important for an actor in a drama club?

A．talent.	B．support from family.
C．professional training.	D．enthusiasm.

2. According to the article, what is special about pantomimes?

A．All the performers are professional child actors.

B．The audience is allowed to play some small roles in them.

C．The audience is encouraged to take part in the performances.

D．The musical comedy is always about family life.

3. From the passage, we know that most Britain people ____________.

A．greatly enjoy acting roles in plays.

B．have good memories of their schools.

C．have no interest in plays.

D．watch plays only in the West End theatre district in London.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Everyone in a drama must be a skilled actor.

B．Plays are very popular among British people.

C．In Britain, acting can only take place in theatres.

D．The writer doesn’t think the pantomime is good for children to watch.

6 . What does it take to be a good neighbor? Over the years I have had all kinds of neighbors, ones that were enjoyable and others that were to be avoided at all costs.

One of the most important things in being a good neighbor is to respect a person’s privacy(隐私).When someone new moves into the neighborhood it is a good idea to watch them to see how friendly you should be. If you go rushing over as soon as they move in they may think you are going to be one of those neighbors that come over at all times of the day, not respecting their privacy.

It is a good idea always to be friendly to everyone in the neighborhood. This can not only put you on good terms with them, but will also be a form of protection for your family and home. If you wave as they drive by or offer a friendly hello while they are out in their yard this shows that you respect them. If you are friendly to them they are much more likely to watch out for any wrong doings going on around your home while you are out and let you know if anything happens.

Another way of being a good neighbor is to be helpful in times of need. If you see that they are in need of a helping hand doing something or in times of a disaster, it is good to offer your help. Even though you have never really talked to the people down the street, they are willing to take the time to help out a neighbor in need.

In conclusion, if you respect a person’s privacy, treat them kindly and be helpful when you see they are in need, you will be a great neighbor and anyone would be happy to have you next door!

1. When someone moves into your neighborhood you should_______.

A．visit them frequently	B．know their privacy
C．respect them always	D．avoid meeting them

2. If you are always friendly to your neighbors you can________.

A．keep your family safe	B．often visit their yard
C．make friends with them	D．have your own privacy

3. In the opinion of the author, neighbors should always be_______.

A．helpful, strong and kind	B．respectful, friendly and helpful
C．honest, active and friendly	D．polite, honest and kind

4. The author develops the passage based on his_______.

A．wide knowledge	B．scientific experiments
C．careful research	D．real experiences

7 . Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion（困惑）. I decided to take a walk even though I didn’t know where I would go.

The most extraordinary thing happened when I was out on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. I thought he looked at least 70 years old. He seemed so tired and nobody bought his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I hadn’t brought anything with me.

Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, “Grandpa, may I polish(擦亮) your shoes?” That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, “I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my little brother a new school uniform.”

I heard this and tears filled my eyes. The old man answered, “Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform.” Then they walked to a market and I followed close behind them. There he bought her a uniform. The girl said, “Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you.” Then she left, leaving the old man smiling there.

The old man walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, “You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.

My own sadness had disappeared and was chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it happily with someone who had nothing.

1. When the author first saw the old shoe seller, he was full of       .

A．pity	B．happy
C．surprise	D．sorrow

2. Why did the girl offer to polish shoes for the old man?

A．She took pity on him.	B．She wanted to take care of him.
C．She meant to be friendly to him.	D．She wanted to earn some money.

3. The underlined part “chased away” most probably means       .

A．got rid of	B．made clear
C．sent out	D．showed around

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A clever little girl	B．A pair of old shoes
C．A kind shoe seller	D．A girl’s new uniform

8 . Sometimes people around you can change your life. The change may not be sudden or _______ , but little habits can produce big _______ that make you think about what is important in your life. The person who changed my life is Julia Masi. She has _______ me so many things that I will carry with me _______ my life.

One thing I've learned from Julia is how to balance   _______. Julia has shown me how to _______ ahead so that I can finish all my school work, enjoy sports and_______ have time for my friends. She has taught me that you can do anything if you are _______ and if you never give up. I've also learned that you can find anything fun or _______   if you connect it with something that you enjoy.

Last year I hated studying vocabulary, but I loved playing on my computer. Julia ________   the two and showed me a website called “freerice.com” where you can ________   a word game that gives you 5 grains of rice to donate to the poor with every correct word. She ________   me to learn a hundred new ________   by filling up the rice bowl. I liked playing the game so much that I ________   about 1,000 words in just one month.

Julia has always ________   me to try new hobbies. She showed me that going to the theater could help me become a better writer. ________ , she taught me that discussing a play can excite an interest in reading.

________   it wasn't for Julia I probably wouldn't have ________   how easy it is to help the poor. There are so many ways that one person can ________ . I've learned to be more appreciative of what I own. I am ________   for the opportunities that I have been given. I will continue to think of ways to help those less fortunate for the rest of my life.

1.

A．simple

B．slight

C．necessary

D．impressive

2.

A．results

B．problems

C．ideas

D．decisions

3.

A．taught

B．served

C．offered

D．bought

4.

A．for

B．of

C．throughout

D．into

5.

A．work

B．money

C．career

D．time

6.

A．plan

B．get

C．move

D．stay

7.

A．never

B．seldom

C．yet

D．still

8.

A．excited

B．determined

C．careful

D．patient

9.

A．important

B．easy

C．possible

D．interesting

10.

A．shared

B．remembered

C．combined

D．separated

11.

A．watch

B．play

C．raise

D．improve

12.

A．permitted

B．invited

C．challenged

D．reminded

13.

A．lessons

B．skills

C．words

D．stories

14.

A．learned

B．read

C．used

D．spelled

15.

A．allowed

B．warned

C．forced

D．encouraged

16.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．However

D．Otherwise

17.

A．Unless

B．If

C．Although

D．Since

18.

A．realized

B．noticed

C．imagined

D．dreamed

19.

A．turn away

B．make a difference

C．show off

D．make a mistake

20.

A．ready

B．sorry

C．thankful

D．anxious

9 . I am a nurse working in a hospital. It was a ___morning when an elderly gentleman____to have his heart condition checked by the doctor. He said he was in a hurry ___he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I had him take a seat. Since there were a lot of people ___to see the doctor, I knew it would be over an hour ___the doctor would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch ___while waiting. To make him not feel so ___with nothing to do for long hours, I decided to go over and __ with him for a while. The gentleman told me that he ___to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his mom. His mother had been suffering from a disease and had ___there for several years.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit ___. He replied, “She can’t ___me now.” I was ___, and asked him, “And you still go every morning, ___she doesn’t know who you are?” He smiled and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I ___make out who she is — the woman who gave me not only ___but a mother’s whole love.” I was moved to tears and felt very ___on such a winter day. The ___between parents and children is everlasting (永恒的).

Just then, a young man came up and said to the man, “Grandpa, now it’s my____to see the doctor. I am not in a hurry, so you can do it first.” The elderly man was very ___and went in the doctor’s to have his heart examined.

1.

A．sad

B．late

C．busy

D．long

2.

A．arrived

B．started

C．realized

D．stopped

3.

A．so

B．as

C．or

D．if

4.

A．changing

B．declaring

C．calling

D．waiting

5.

A．since

B．before

C．when

D．after

6.

A．nearly

B．firmly

C．hardly

D．frequently

7.

A．embarrassed

B．bored

C．relaxed

D．frightened

8.

A．chat

B．learn

C．read

D．walk

9.

A．needed

B．forgot

C．decided

D．failed

10.

A．worked

B．dreamed

C．stayed

D．known

11.

A．weak

B．late

C．busy

D．tired

12.

A．believe

B．obey

C．recognize

D．accept

13.

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．ashamed

D．surprised

14.

A．until

B．though

C．because

D．unless

15.

A．still

B．seldom

C．even

D．also

16.

A．life

B．advice

C．mind

D．knowledge

17.

A．cool

B．hot

C．cold

D．warm

18.

A．content

B．desire

C．love

D．hope

19.

A．step

B．duty

C．turn

D．chance

20.

A．nervous

B．grateful

C．curious

D．serious

10 . When my husband and I got married, he worked as a mechanic (机修工) from midnight to 8 a.m. However, I worked during the______. So as he came home from work each morning, I was getting ready to______.

We had very little______then, so when Valentine’s Day came around that first year, I knew we couldn’t______anything for each other. After he left to go to work the night before Valentine’s Day, I decided to______and make a Valentine’s Day card for him. I _________ wrote a poem on the front of the card. When he came home the next______， I felt foolish as I handed him the card, ______that he wouldn’t laugh at it. When he had finished ______ it, he slowly raised his head and looked at me. Then he reached down into his pocket. When he pulled his ______ out, he was holding ______.

He told me that he had______it for me during his break time, but he had been__________ to give it to me because he thought I might think it was______，and that I might laugh at it.

It was a small heart made out of aluminum (铝).______ I had stayed up all night making him a Valentine card, he had been cutting out a______for me. I still have the aluminum heart, and I______it in my desk. Every time I see it, all those______come flooding back to me. Over the years, we’ve been able to buy each other very nice,______presents for Valentine’s Day. But none has ever been as dear or______as much as those handmade gifts made from our hearts the first year that we were married.

1.

A．holiday

B．night

C．weekend

D．day

2.

A．cook

B．rest

C．leave

D．help

3.

A．time

B．money

C．chance

D．energy

4.

A．borrow

B．choose

C．find

D．buy

5.

A．stay up

B．call back

C．slow down

D．look out

6.

A．still

B．even

C．only

D．again

7.

A．evening

B．noon

C．afternoon

D．morning

8.

A．hoping

B．noticing

C．guessing

D．imagining

9.

A．studying

B．examining

C．reading

D．playing

10.

A．foot

B．leg

C．arm

D．hand

11.

A．something

B．anything

C．nothing

D．everything

12.

A．written

B．made

C．drawn

D．invented

13.

A．afraid

B．happy

C．angry

D．surprised

14.

A．wrong

B．difficult

C．stupid

D．dangerous

15.

A．Before

B．While

C．Though

D．If

16.

A．heart

B．card

C．toy

D．book

17.

A．change

B．cut

C．keep

D．divide

18.

A．problems

B．memories

C．pains

D．choices

19.

A．strange

B．special

C．expensive

D．satisfying

20.

A．proved

B．explained

C．influenced

D．meant