2 . A simple honk (汽车喇叭声) from the bus is one part of a secret code between the driver and students living in a remote village in Wanzhou district, Chongqing city.

Noticing a schoolbag hanging on the door of an old house along his _________, the bus driver pulls over and honks to answer the “code”. After a moment, he leans (倾斜) out of the bus and _______ a loud reminder. A boy then rushes outside and _________ the bus.

The boy's parents work far from home, leaving him in the _________ of his grandmother. Despite this separation (分离), the boy is determined to pursue (追逐) his education, making the _________ journey to the city to go to school. He and the driver, Mr Cheng Lin, have _________ a special routine. Whenever the boy's schoolbag is hanging outside the house, it signals to Cheng that the young student needs to catch the bus. This simple interaction between the driver and the student became their _________ “secret code”, a non-verbal (非语言) way of saying,“Today, it's time to go back to school.”

Mr Cheng, who has been _________ the Luotian to Wuqiao Nan Station route for many years, shared his ideas on the matter. He mentioned that this rural route had a significant number of left-behind children due to their parents' work _________. Recognizing the importance of his role in their lives, he paid extra __________ on Fridays and Sundays, the days when these children typically traveled back and forth to school.

1.

A．street

B．travel

C．path

D．river

2.

A．shouts

B．gives

C．sees

D．hears

3.

A．gets on

B．takes into

C．pulls up

D．tries out

4.

A．control

B．hope

C．honor

D．care

5.

A．daily

B．weekly

C．monthly

D．yearly

6.

A．created

B．promoted

C．developed

D．improved

7.

A．current

B．shared

C．devoted

D．convenient

8.

A．walking

B．working

C．running

D．driving

9.

A．experiences

B．levels

C．approaches

D．solutions

10.

A．thankfulness

B．movement

C．attention

D．performance

3 . My five sisters, two brothers and I grew up in West Islip in the 1950s and 1960s. I was third oldest. Big families were pretty common back then.

Our sweet and gentle mother, Joan Young, had a motto. She told us that all she required of us was that we love and ______ each other always. It was a(n) ______ goal to achieve day to day, as sibling rivalry (兄弟姐妹间的争斗) can be messy. ______, Mom never wavered (妥协).

One Thanksgiving, my sister Kate, the second oldest, came home during her junior year in college in Indiana. She had carpooled (拼车) with other kids. At every ______, Kate saw each student greeted with hugs and kisses.   

Kate arrived at our ______ house with siblings and parents all asleep. Kate was ______ and the next morning announced that she was done with our family forever. Small fighting followed. Mom, of course, ______ went into fix-it mode. She demanded that the older siblings, Cyndi, Kate, Stephanie and I, go into her bedroom. Our father, James Burrough, was in charge of the younger ones. Mom ______ us, closed the door behind her and locked it. She told us that we would not ______ until we forgave each other.

As you can imagine, we were not ______. At first we just stared at each other, then brought up any and every complaint we could think of. Mom ______ our requests to leave the room until love ______. In time — a long time — someone started to giggle (咯咯笑), then someone laughed. ______we were all laughing so hard we could barely breathe, and we gave in, hugging happily. Mom smiled, opened the door and we were ______.

As my brothers and sisters and I approach our senior years, with grown children and grandchildren, we still live by the ______ that Mom taught us: love, forgiveness and unity.

1.

A．forgive

B．respect

C．help

D．believe

2.

A．important

B．realistic

C．tough

D．personal

3.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Besides

4.

A．stop

B．corner

C．moment

D．crossing

5.

A．private

B．large

C．comfortable

D．dark

6.

A．regretful

B．angry

C．excited

D．anxious

7.

A．nearly

B．quietly

C．immediately

D．patiently

8.

A．followed

B．questioned

C．criticized

D．watched

9.

A．eat

B．speak

C．grow up

D．get out

10.

A．happy

B．relieved

C．touched

D．proud

11.

A．realized

B．repeated

C．received

D．refused

12.

A．returned

B．worked

C．changed

D．lasted

13.

A．Certainly

B．Naturally

C．Eventually

D．Hopefully

14.

A．lucky

B．interested

C．free

D．confident

15.

A．sense

B．step

C．choice

D．motto

4 . People with special access requirements across Brisbane are finding homes that are easier to live in thanks to a home access information trial.

Started by the Queensland Department of Housing and the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, the trial encourages real estate agents to identify and promote homes for sale or rent which include access features for older people and people with disabilities.

The access listing includes homes that have at least one entry with no more than three steps. Alternatively, there may be a ramp (斜坡), elevator or lift that provides easy entry into the main living areas. The listing agent may also have information on door widths, bathroom space and other important considerations for those requiring wheelchair access.

Rosslyn Kennedy from Gateway Properties is one of about 70 agents who have elected to participate in the trial. Rosslyn says access features are a big selling point.

“While people may not necessarily come out and ask for these types of properties, when you mention it to them, they say ‘oh great’,” she says. “It’s like an unconscious thing that people are looking for.”

Gateway Properties is also promoting several new developments featuring lifts and easy access to local beaches and hospitals. People who wish to have a home that is accessible for friends or family with a mobility disability will also benefit from this trial, Rosslyn says.

“We’ve had success in talking to developers early to encourage them to consider access features, especially in ground level properties,” she says. “Making modifications (改进) to properties before they are completed is also a good way to introduce access features, and can often be cheaper than designing a home from scratch.”

Housing Minister Robert Schwarten says the trial will be held in the Brisbane area and is expected to run until later this year.

“The purpose of the trial is to work with real estate agents to test and evaluate the process,” he says. “Following the results of the evaluation, we may consider a state-wide release.”

1. Who can benefit most from the home access information trial?

A．Real estate agents.	B．Tourists and patients.
C．The old and the disabled.	D．The Queensland Department of Housing staff.

2. According to Rosslyn, homes with access features ______.

A．are hard to find	B．are well-received
C．are priced much too high	D．refer to those without steps

3. What’s Robert Schwarten’s attitude towards the trial?

A．Critical.

B．Worried.

C．Surprised.

D．Supportive.

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

A．Homes sold in Brisbane	B．Homes get nod for access
C．Homes attract more agents	D．Homes available for everyone

5 . The long fishing pathway is a well-worn narrow road, about six feet across, covered in stones and dirt. I’m in Barranquilla, Colombia－a seaport city known for great fish.

I keep an eye out so I don’t trip on the rocky path. Along the way, I come upon a man likely in his 50s. I stop and watch him for several minutes as he stands on the rocks and fishes. Instead of a rod (钓竿), the man holds a large bunch of fishing line. On the other end, far off in the distance, the line is attached to a kite. The wind pushes the kite away from him and carries his long line out to sea with several hooks (鱼钩) tied to the line to catch fish. As the sun is setting, I silently reflect on his life. A life so different from my own but no less meaningful.

I’ve chosen not to live anywhere for the time being. I gave up my apartment in Toronto over two years ago, choosing to live and work remotely. I move around often and live permanently out of a suitcase, often staying with friends, family and in hotels. Toronto has become unaffordable, even more so since I’ve left, and I want a lifestyle where I can save some money while discovering unfamiliar locations and forming connections with individuals I’ve yet to meet.

I guess you could call me a digital nomad (数字游民). Work can be done from anywhere now. As a publicist in the film industry, the majority of my job involves meetings and emails and that can all be done virtually.

I learned about a new word recently: “sonder,” coined to define when you realize that each person around you is experiencing a life as vivid and complex as your own. I met the man from Barranquilla early on in my travels. Participating in that small slice of his life made me excited and curious about the world. The longer I’m on the road, the more my eyes are opened to see the world this way and seek out opportunities to understand others.

1. What might the author think of the man’s fishing method?

A．Unique.

B．Traditional.

C．Fruitful.

D．Risky.

2. For what reason did the author choose to Live a nomadic life?

A．Job requirements as a publicist.	B．Unaffordability of a settled life.
C．Inability to find a permanent residence.	D．Desire to explore new places and meet new people.

3. What do we know about people with a sense of “sonder”?

A．They are fond of traveling.	B．They do most of their work virtually.
C．They have experienced many ups and downs.	D．They are aware of the richness of others’ life.

4. In which section of a magazine does the text most probably appear?

A．Fishing.

B．Travel.

C．Life.

D．Technology.

6 . What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in September

Movie Matinees Are Back!
September l , 1:00pm: The Polar Express (2004)
September 7, 1:00pm: The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

We’re bringing our Movie Matinees back, and this month there’s trouble on a train! This is a drop-in program, no registration required. Come by for a movie on the big screen!

Art Journaling with Megan Jeffery
September 8, 6:30-8:00pm

Learn how you can get started in documenting your life with art journaling in this engaging workshop led by illustrator Megan Jeffery. Participants will create their own joumaling cards using a variety of supplies. Space is limited, so registration is required.

The Humane Gardener: Nancy Lawson (Online)
September 15, 6:30-8:00pm

Join author Nancy Lawson as our special guest speaker in an online presentation related to her book The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, which explains the importance of coexisting with the local wildlife. Registration required to receive a Zoom link one hour before the start of the program.

Preschool Storytime (Ages 3-5)
September 20, 10:00-10:45am

A program for preschoolers to learn through talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing! For children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Registration: Cheshire residents may register beginning on September 6. Non-residents may register starting on September 13.

1. What is special about the movie-watching program?

A．It is held on a train.	B．It is an online program.
C．It includes hands-on activities.	D．It requires no advance registration.

2. What should participants do before joining the presentation by Nancy Lawson?

A．Click a Zoom link.	B．Read her latest book.
C．Bring their own art supplies.	D．Submit an art journaling card.

3. Who are most likely interested in the Sept. 20 program?

A．Movie lovers.

B．Gardeners.

C．Preschoolers’ parents.

D．Artists.

8 . In 1985, Vanessa Foster and her husband hopped on a flight to Alaska without any plan. When they _________, they used the last of their money to buy an old _________ and started wandering across the state. A little while into their drive, they saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人) on the side of the road, and her husband decided to give him a _________. A few hours later, they _________ at a rest stop.

“I hopped out and _________ to the ladies’ room. When I came out a few minutes later, my husband was exiting the men’s room,” Foster remembered. “We _________ around the parking lot, and the hitchhiker and our car were gone. So we _________ the hitchhikers,” Foster said.

As they walked down the _________, none of the cars slowed down to _________ them up. __________, an El Camino stopped. Sitting in the driver’s seat was a middle-aged man with bright __________ eyes. He told them to hop in.

“When he heard we were __________ and lost everything, he offered us summer jobs and a place to stay on his farm near Homer, Alaska,” Foster said.

The __________ impacted them to such a degree that Vanesa Foster wrote about it in a book titled More Than Everything. Looking back on that time in her life, all these years later, she says she’ll never __________ that man with the bright blue eyes.

“I really appreciate his kindness toward a couple of __________ on that Alaskan highway,” she says.

1.

A．escaped

B．came

C．won

D．landed

2.

A．car

B．horse

C．pick-up

D．bike

3.

A．lesson

B．treat

C．ride

D．truck

4.

A．gave up

B．pulled over

C．checked out

D．sat down

5.

A．rushed

B．preferred

C．appealed

D．referred

6.

A．wandered

B．searched

C．played

D．drove

7.

A．asked

B．invited

C．became

D．needed

8.

A．hill

B．valley

C．bank

D．highway

9.

A．break

B．pick

C．clean

D．eat

10.

A．Currently

B．Occasionally

C．Finally

D．Frequently

11.

A．little

B．black

C．big

D．blue

12.

A．jobless

B．hungry

C．tired

D．cold

13.

A．drive

B．scenery

C．experience

D．book

14.

A．forget

B．miss

C．hate

D．forgive

15.

A．animals

B．thieves

C．workers

D．strangers