1 . My grandma passed away last week. My mum began the painful yet necessary task of sorting through her belongings.

“Is there anything you want from grandma’s flat?” Mum texted me.

“Her aloe (芦荟), please.” I required zero thinking time.

Sometime around 1975, Grandma, always believing good things would happen in the future, received this plant as a gift, which she appreciated and placed in her doorway. It came from the local butcher. Five years later, my mum married the butcher’s son and had me. Grandma revealed to me this particular plant was a living relationship between the two families. And so was I.

Recently, whenever we visited Grandma’s flat, I attempted to fix this concept in my children’s minds. “That was a gift your great-grandma bought your other great-grandma! It’s older than me!” Then my kids would nod and ask Grandma for a sweet.

Numerous times, Grandma gave me cuttings or clippings of the plant, hoping I might raise my own and continue the legend. Yet, every time, my new branch died with my awful gardening skills. But that didn’t used to matter, because I could turn to Grandma, who would wait and accept my disturbance without becoming upset. Then I got another clipping and tried again. But now I can’t. So, I decided that the plant will go and live with Ann, my mother-in-law, who is a genius with a greenhouse.

The plan is for Ann to keep hold of the original plant. In time, she can teach me how to deal with its cuttings properly, and then maybe one day I can settle the plant in my place.

In the meantime, Ann will allocate (分配) clippings among my relatives, as Grandma used to do. My wife’s two sisters, for example, are both better at tending plants than I am, so it is quite imaginable they, too, will offer cuttings of the plant to their partners, spreading this loving plant across my entire extended family.

1. Why did the author want his grandma’s aloe?

A．He wanted to pass it down to others.	B．He showed a preference for gardening.
C．He had a pleasant memory of the plant.	D．He received it as a gift from his grandma.

2. Which of the following best describes the author’s grandma?

A．Optimistic and patient.

B．Generous and helpful.

C．Honest and fashionable.

D．Humorous and skillful.

3. The author took the aloe to his mother-in-law to

A．display his skills in gardening	B．have the plant better cared for
C．announce his grandma’s death	D．protect the plant from dying out

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

A．Aloe: my family bond	B．Aloe: a mysterious plant
C．Grandma: my life coach	D．Grandma: a lovely gardener

2 . Every spring, as the weather warms, trees up and down the East Coast explode in a display of bright green life as leaves fill their branches, and every fall, the same leaves provide one of nature’s great color displays of vivid yellow, orange and red.

Thanks to climate change, the timing of these events has shifted over the last two decades, Harvard scientists say.

Andrew Richardson, an associate professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, and research associate Trevor Keenan worked with colleagues from seven different institutions on a study which found that forests throughout the eastern United States are showing signs of spring growth dramatically earlier, and that the growing season in some areas extends further into the fall.

Richardson said, “Climate change isn’t just about warmer temperatures. It’s also about changes in precipitation (降水) patterns... so in the future, an earlier spring might not help forests take up more carbon dioxide if they end up running out of water in mid-summer.”

The research combined information from three sources. Using satellite data, Keenan tracked when forests across the region began to turn green in the spring, and when leaves began to turn yellow in the fall. Ground observations made every three to seven days at the Harvard Forest in Petersham and a long-term research site in New Hampshire provided information about the state of buds, leaves and branches. When combined with records from instrument towers, the data sets allowed the researchers to paint a richly detailed picture that shows spring starting earlier, and the growing season lasting longer than at any point in the past two decades.

Another important result, Richardson said, was the discovery of a significant source of error in existing computer models on how forest ecosystems work.

“This shows an opportunity to improve the models and how they simulate how forests will work under future climate scenarios forecast.” he said.

The real power of the findings, however, may be in helping to make the effects of climate change clearer to the public, the researchers said.

1. What is the reason of the earlier spring according to the Harvard scientists?

A．The human activities.	B．The climate change.
C．The tree growth.	D．The reduction in water.

2. What can we infer from Richardson’s words in the fourth paragraph?

A．An earlier spring can only bring benefits.

B．The influence of climate change is complex.

C．The water in mid-summer will increase.

D．The role of forests becomes less important.

3. What is closest in meaning to the underlined word simulate in the seventh paragraph?

A．Change

B．Explain

C．Imitate

D．Create

4. What is the real power of the findings of the research?

A．It helps scientists to figure out how forest ecosystems work.

B．It reflects how the growing season is extending faster.

C．It provides an opportunity to improve the computer models.

D．It helps to make the effects of climate change clearer to the public.

5. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To tell us people should be more aware of the climate change.

B．To tell us the climate change has some effects on the world.

C．To tell us the early spring in eastern USA is a good time to travel.

D．To tell us high technology is useful to detect the climate change.

3 . Have you ever found yourself in a situation where something you enjoy on a daily basis is suddenly not available to you? For several weeks I volunteered on a ________ on the big island of Hawaii. My ________ in doing so: to learn how to grow my own food in a sustainable way, along with experiencing a simpler ________.

Being an average twenty-something citizen of the ________ world, I spend a lot of free time using mobile devices. Before coming to Hawaii, I’d never made an effort to ________ that. When I arrived at the farm and discovered that the WiFi, ________ mainly by solar panels on the roof of my small room, wasn’t working normally, I knew a ________ to learn about myself had come knocking.

Over the first couple days, I frequently thought about ________ my social media before realizing that I couldn’t. I ________ this source of entertainment and felt ________ from the world. I was ________ that someone would message me and think I was ________ them. After it fully sank in that I couldn’t connect to my social networks, I felt more ________ in my immediate environment. My attention was less ________ while working on tasks. Though I still periodically felt ________, my anxiety faded and suddenly, I realized how much more time I had for the things that gave me a deeper, more real sense of achievement and ________: for me, this included yoga and mindful movement, reading, and being out in ________.

My digital detox was not something I chose to do ________, but I’m thankful that it happened this way. ________ I value my devices just as much as I did before the digital detox, I realize that being ________ about how I use them is key to keeping my phone a positive addition to my life.

1.

A．farm

B．beach

C．playground

D．river

2.

A．method

B．purpose

C．advantage

D．suggestion

3.

A．solution

B．custom

C．principle

D．lifestyle

4.

A．unique

B．modern

C．perfect

D．complex

5.

A．change

B．blame

C．explore

D．destroy

6.

A．challenged

B．repaired

C．powered

D．closed

7.

A．vacation

B．difficulty

C．routine

D．chance

8.

A．checking

B．inventing

C．building

D．quitting

9.

A．respected

B．missed

C．praised

D．accepted

10.

A．broken up

B．fed up

C．cut off

D．paid off

11.

A．anxious

B．surprised

C．embarrassed

D．cautious

12.

A．repeating

B．answering

C．ignoring

D．criticizing

13.

A．experienced

B．absorbed

C．concerned

D．disappointed

14.

A．received

B．escaped

C．caught

D．distracted

15.

A．delighted

B．greedy

C．lonely

D．convinced

16.

A．peace

B．urgency

C．ambition

D．loss

17.

A．return

B．place

C．danger

D．nature

18.

A．nervously

B．reasonably

C．carelessly

D．willingly

19.

A．If

B．After

C．While

D．Because

20.

A．bored

B．selective

C．familiar

D．patient

4 . “Are you really going to eat another piece of pizza?” It was at my fourteenth birthday party that I received my first _________ related comment. After that day, comments like this _________ in my head longer than they should have. I was _________ picking flaws (缺点) in my figure in the mirror.

I decided that I couldn’t eat like this in order to be _________. It started out as just a little extra _________ every day, like running, but it quickly turned into _________ meals and working out every night before bed. As I _________ the calories, the comments started to change. Perhaps my _________ comment was “You’re so skinny.”

Maybe others didn’t know it, but their comments were _________ my social construction of beauty. However, my condition slowly became worse. My caloric intake was less than that of a child and I no longer had the __________ to do the things I once enjoyed.

Everything changed when I got a call from the director at my dance studio. She __________ me that she had wanted to move me to the advanced level, __________ she noticed I was too skinny. I then realized I nearly __________ my role in The Nutcracker. I was determined that I wasn’t going to let society’s idea of beauty be the death of me.

I want to get better for real this time. Mirrors and scales (秤) have no __________ of who I am. Social constructions of beauty will always be __________ in the world that I live in but I’ve decided not to let them rule over me.

1.

A．habit

B．ability

C．health

D．weight

2.

A．changed

B．stuck

C．competed

D．recreated

3.

A．constantly

B．immediately

C．carefully

D．regularly,

4.

A．famous

B．special

C．pretty

D．brave

5.

A．exercise

B．support

C．reward

D．practice

6.

A．ordering

B．serving

C．quitting

D．cooking

7.

A．cut down

B．took in

C．concentrated on

D．engaged in

8.

A．unexpected

B．favorite

C．brief

D．familiar

9.

A．fueling

B．admitting

C．improving

D．explaining

10.

A．time

B．mood

C．plan

D．energy

11.

A．informed

B．warned

C．reminded

D．persuaded

12.

A．and

B．but

C．since

D．though

13.

A．played

B．forgot

C．lost

D．picked

14.

A．amount

B．intention

C．sign

D．idea

15.

A．true

B．meaningful

C．different

D．present

5 . My son and daughter raced ahead, ________ to enter a store for the first time in months during which they had to wear masks and steer_________ of others. We used hand sanitizer(消毒液)and rushed down the pass of canned foods.It turned out that this wasn’t a physically necessary trip, but a(n)_________ necessary one.

Into our shopping cart went two sets of everything on the school Thanksgiving_________ list canned vegetables, gravy packets and boxed mashed potatoes. Instead of picking one item to buy, my________ kids wanted to give all that was_________ of them. In the check-out line, my kids matter-of-factly told the woman running the register that their school was giving this food to families who didn’t have enough, ________ sharing abundance(充足)was the most normal thing in the world, something neither to be boasted of doing nor ashamed of _________

Having lived both sides,I believe that’s the truth.From the ages of seven to seventeen, my family_________ accepted food donations during Thanksgiving and many other seasons too. I spent my childhood in a rural southeast Texas town where at least 20 percent of households were below

the_________ line,including mine. There were times when the electricity was shut off for an entire week in winter and the phone was_________ for months.

More than two decades later, I climbed my way out of that_________ childhood.I have_________ food and uninterrupted electricity but I will never forget the_________ I came from.I still remember the holiday dinners made with donated canned goods and a turkey_________ with the food stamp provided by the government.The memories are so ________ that you can’t put a price on them. No matter what the income level, everyone should have the chance to have a full_________ and also a full heart.

For me, it’s crucial to_________ the help my family received then and to ensure my children understand that there are many people who do not have the_________ and resources we do now. On Monday, my kids walked into the school lugging a large bag ________ donations. In my mind’s eye, my seven-year-old self was waiting just there to receive it with gratitude.

1.

A．excited

B．astonished

C．nervous

D．curious

2.

A．ahead

B．back

C．straight

D．clear

3.

A．temporarily

B．basically

C．morally

D．instinctively

4.

A．trade

B．donation

C．price

D．service

5.

A．successful

B．thoughtful

C．skillful

D．forgetful

6.

A．selected

B．restricted

C．ordered

D．requested

7.

A．as if

B．even if

C．what if

D．only if

8.

A．giving

B．refusing

C．receiving

D．posting

9.

A．generously

B．gratefully

C．awkwardly

D．anxiously

10.

A．standard

B．security

C．poverty

D．district

11.

A．prohibited

B．disconnected

C．occupied

D．abandoned

12.

A．tough

B．traditional

C．unique

D．meaningful

13.

A．potential

B．unnecessary

C．plain

D．plentiful

14.

A．civilization

B．circumstances

C．community

D．organizations

15.

A．exchanged

B．selected

C．collected

D．preserved

16.

A．precious

B．awful

C．glorious

D．lifelike

17.

A．mood

B．ambition

C．mind

D．stomach

18.

A．appeal to

B．target for

C．pay forward

D．weigh up

19.

A．admissions

B．expenses

C．comforts

D．insights

20.

A．worthy of

B．composed of

C．exposed to

D．heavy with

6 . Mother has just taken her temperature—over 38℃. She’s got the bug that’s going around. It’s right after lunch. The older children are at school, and the_________is sleeping. There’s no     _________why Mother cannot go to bed. But first she has a few things to do. Leave a _________for the cleaners.Put in the next load of washing._________the garbage.

At last she_________into bed. Ah-h-h-h! Her aching_________ stretch out comfortably under the cover. Her burning eyes_________. Then, suddenly, the front door bangs open as the children_________ home from school. Without finding their _________mum as usual, they cried out “Mum!” Mother tries to answer but their cries__________out her weak calls. Soon they find her—in bed. “I’m sick,” she says. “I can’t do anything. I’ll just have to __________it all to you.” She sighs. The children then rush out like __________ going into battle. Then father comes back and joins them.

__________in her room, it is clear to mother that the family is eating dinner__________she lies there sick and alone. She feels left out and__________. Then there is a crash and noise until, finally, the children appear, smiling.

“Can we stay with you? And the kitchen is a__________. And nobody knows where the broom is.” “Mum, I sure wish you’d get better.It’s just no__________when you’re sick.” says the boy, “I hope you feel better tomorrow. We miss you.”

__________, mother notices that her aches and pains are gone. So you see how it is with mothers. Other people have the 24-hour bug for 24 hours. But not a mother. If she feels __________enough,she can get over it in 12 hours or __________!

1.

A．boy

B．baby

C．mother

D．father

2.

A．doubt

B．excuse

C．point

D．reason

3.

A．note

B．door

C．key

D．word

4.

A．Carry out

B．Sell out

C．Take in

D．Pile up

5.

A．puts

B．jumps

C．sinks

D．rolls

6.

A．head

B．fingers

C．legs

D．stomach

7.

A．open

B．close

C．blink

D．swell

8.

A．rush

B．break

C．visit

D．drive

9.

A．strict

B．relaxed

C．busy

D．anxious

10.

A．set

B．bring

C．figure

D．drown

11.

A．decide

B．send

C．leave

D．conduct

12.

A．soldiers

B．runners

C．athletes

D．doctors

13.

A．Clean

B．Noisy

C．Peaceful

D．Quiet

14.

A．because

B．while

C．if

D．although

15.

A．relieved

B．forgotten

C．reminded

D．convinced

16.

A．mess

B．heaven

C．playground

D．garden

17.

A．argument

B．fun

C．fighting

D．excitement

18.

A．Actually

B．Obviously

C．Additionally

D．Strangely

19.

A．abandoned

B．helped

C．needed

D．ignored

20.

A．worse

B．more

C．better

D．less

7 . My parents have certainly had a troubled relationship. They _________ often, and even fought a lot.

It was my dad’s _________ that has changed the relationship.

In 2018, my father, the always _________ dad, discovered that he had kidney (肾脏) disease.

The _________ to go ahead with a transplant (移植) for my father was very difficult. But Mom _________ going further. She decided to _________ a kidney to my father. She said she wasn’t _________, and it was the right thing to do.

At last a _________ was chosen — November 11. All our relatives and friends gathered in the _________ that day.

The __________ went well, and not long afterward, my sister and I were allowed to go in to visit. Dad was in a great deal of __________, but all he wanted to talk about was Mom. Was she OK? How was she feeling? When the nurses __________ Mom in a wheelchair into a recovery room to visit Dad, both our parents were trying to talk to each other through __________. The nurses allowed us to __________ the pendant (垂饰) to Mom, which Dad had bought and asked us to give to Mom after the operation. Everybody was crying, even the __________.

My dad was having a very __________ time fighting back emotion, and __________ my parents reached out to __________ each other’s hands. In my nearly 35 years of existence, I’d never seen my parents do that, I __________ a picture with my camera. That photo of my parents’ hands __________ everything.

1.

A．quarreled

B．discussed

C．whispered

D．greeted

2.

A．desire

B．illness

C．picture

D．medicine

3.

A．joyous

B．intelligent

C．weak

D．healthy

4.

A．decision

B．journey

C．promise

D．invitation

5.

A．put off

B．insisted on

C．dreamed about

D．gave up

6.

A．attach

B．lend

C．donate

D．pass

7.

A．astonished

B．prepared

C．moved

D．scared

8.

A．way

B．chance

C．date

D．result

9.

A．restaurant

B．store

C．hospital

D．street

10.

A．operation

B．solution

C．reception

D．gathering

11.

A．silence

B．pain

C．danger

D．despair

12.

A．rolled

B．placed

C．respected

D．requested

13.

A．words

B．thoughts

C．tears

D．phones

14.

A．sell

B．present

C．throw

D．record

15.

A．managers

B．teachers

C．passengers

D．nurses

16.

A．pleasant

B．complex

C．ordinary

D．hard

17.

A．angrily

B．suddenly

C．exactly

D．actually

18.

A．hold

B．warm

C．expose

D．wash

19.

A．made

B．drew

C．took

D．folded

20.

A．replaced

B．charged

C．ruined

D．said

8 . Miss Baugh was the kind of teacher that everyone had at least once: scary. She ________ no nonsense. She drilled us and grilled us and taught us to take ________ seriously.

But I had my own life outside of school and had just discovered a prop (道具) for ________: an ink bottle painted to look as though it had overturned.

Of all the people I could have tricked, ________ I chose Miss Baugh. Before class, I opened her book and placed the bottle on one of the pages, proudly ________ that it truly did look like spilled ink!

Then I waited for the fun. I wasn’t ________. When Miss Baugh saw the overturned bottle, she let out a little ________.

But immediately Miss Baugh discovered the ________. She picked up the bottle and ________ it. She looked up. Her eyes ________ the classroom with a deadly look. Some of my classmates carefully ________ looking at me, so as not to give me away.

“Who did this?” asked she.

I quietly ________ my hand. All of my life I’ve been educated to be honest. I couldn’t help ________. Besides, I wanted my bottle back.

Miss Baugh fixed me with a stare that struck ________ in my heart. And then, most ________, she laughed.

“Well, it certainly ________ me!” she said, and ________ the bottle to me.

But something had ________ for me, anyway. I came to understand that, if even the ________ of Miss Baugh had a warm human being beneath that strict look, then other strict people probably do, too. And I’ve happily proved that ________ many times in my life.

1.

A．expected

B．tolerated

C．believed

D．understood

2.

A．school

B．place

C．action

D．life

3.

A．plays

B．shows

C．parties

D．tricks

4.

A．normally

B．luckily

C．strangely

D．extremely

5.

A．proving

B．reporting

C．noting

D．imagining

6.

A．amused

B．disappointed

C．discouraged

D．annoyed

7.

A．cry

B．call

C．sigh

D．relief

8.

A．secret

B．cause

C．truth

D．result

9.

A．opened

B．protected

C．adopted

D．examined

10.

A．swept

B．warned

C．reminded

D．forced

11.

A．missed

B．hated

C．started

D．avoided

12.

A．waved

B．held

C．pressed

D．raised

13.

A．showing up

B．owning up

C．breaking up

D．coming up

14.

A．terror

B．surprise

C．silence

D．shame

15.

A．undoubtedly

B．unfortunately

C．unexpectedly

D．uncertainly

16.

A．fooled

B．contacted

C．amazed

D．inspired

17.

A．pointed

B．returned

C．showed

D．carried

18.

A．disappeared

B．finished

C．divided

D．changed

19.

A．threats

B．likes

C．quality

D．success

20.

A．principle

B．practice

C．theory

D．law

9 . I could hear footsteps following me. I stopped and ________ to see who it was. The dim (昏暗的) street lamp did not allow me to see ________ and it looked like I was alone.

I was returning home after a late ________ lesson. My parents were ________ a neighborhood meeting so I had to get home on my own. The ________ from my music teacher’s house to my home was just 500 meters. The street was ________ than I had expected bur I was not very worried about the short walk home. I was busy ________ my upcoming music exam when I became ________ that I was being followed.

I ________ on my way, alert (警觉) for any sound. There it was again, the ________ of someone walking behind me. I was frightened. I decided to run. To my horror, whoever was ________ me began to run too. I glanced behind me and saw a dark ________ catching up with me. The next instant, I ran into a dustbin by the road and ________ flat on my front. I felt a hand grasp my arm and I screamed in ________ . The hand ________ my arm and I stood up, getting ready to run again. Then I ________ myself looking at a shocked young lady.

The next moment, there was a rush of footsteps and someone calling my name. To my ________ , my parents appeared together with our neighbors. We all entered our house. I was asked to ________ why I ran away from Jagdeesh, the young lady. After listening to me, Jagdeesh ________ . She told us that she was new to the neighborhood. On the way home, she was walking behind me when she heard footsteps following her and she decided to run when she saw me run. It turned out that what she had heard was the neighborhood watch group patrolling the street. When I fell, she went to help me up, which ________ led to my screaming out in fear. The night ended with us having supper together. After that, we became firm friends.

1.

A．began

B．passed

C．started

D．turned

2.

A．deep

B．far

C．long

D．wide

3.

A．physics

B．maths

C．music

D．chemistry

4.

A．attending

B．canceling

C．running

D．inspecting

5.

A．distance

B．height

C．signal

D．speed

6.

A．busier

B．lighter

C．darker

D．narrower

7.

A．making up

B．talking about

C．thinking about

D．putting away

8.

A．excited

B．aware

C．sick

D．happy

9.

A．continued

B．depended

C．counted

D．insisted

10.

A．color

B．noise

C．voice

D．sound

11.

A．accompanying

B．following

C．seeking

D．searching

12.

A．picture

B．master

C．animal

D．figure

13.

A．fell

B．jumped

C．felt

D．climbed

14.

A．anger

B．relief

C．panic

D．puzzle

15.

A．rubbed

B．released

C．educated

D．pressed

16.

A．consider

B．thought

C．made

D．found

17.

A．astonishment

B．amusement

C．satisfaction

D．anxiety

18.

A．account

B．write

C．describe

D．explain

19.

A．cried

B．laughed

C．shouted

D．joked

20.

A．unbelievably

B．uncomfortably

C．unexpectedly

D．unconsciously

10 . I was sent this summer by my parents for a so-called walking tour of Switzerland, with a tutor. I need hardly say we travelled by train so far as the money lasted. The tutor and I climbed mountains. I longed to climb the Matterhorn, but this was not only too expensive but held by the tutor to be too dangerous. All this, however, might easily have been upset by an incident which happened to me in the lake of Lausanne.

I went for a row with another boy. When we were more than a mile from the shore, we decided to have a swim. When we had had enough, the boat was perhaps one hundred yards away. The boat had a small red awning(遮阳棚) over its hard seats. This awning acted as a sail by catching the wind. As we swam towards the boat, it drifted(漂浮) farther off. After this happened several times we had perhaps halved the distance. But meanwhile the breeze was freshening and we both, especially my companion, began to be tired.

Up to this point no idea of danger had crossed my mind. The sun played upon the dancing blue waters. But now I saw Death as near as I believe I have ever seen him. He was swimming in the water at our side, whispering from time to time in the rising wind which continued to carry the boat away from us at about the same speed we could swim. No help was near. Unaided, we could never reach the shore.

I now swam for my life. Twice I reached within a yard of the boat and each time a strong wind carried it just beyond my reach; but by my greatest effort I caught hold of its side just in time before a still stronger wind bumped the red awning again. I climbed in, and rowed back for my companion who, though tired, had not apparently realized the dull yellow glare of deadly riskiness that had so suddenly played around us. I said nothing to the tutor about this serious experience; but I have never forgotten it.

1. Why does the writer use “so-called” to describe the walking tour in paragraph 1?

A．The tutor walked while the writer went by train.

B．It was a climbing trip rather than a walking tour.

C．They only walked when they ran out of money.

D．They were all supposed to be travelling by train-

2. What mistake did the boys make?

A．They didn’t know the lake had a strong current.

B．They were unaware of the coldness of the breeze.

C．They had no idea they had swum so far from the boat.

D．They didn’t realize the boat would move away from them.

3. Who or what does underlined word “He” refer to in paragraph 3?

A．Death.

B．A ghost.

C．The tutor.

D．The writer’s friend.

4. How did the writer react to the experience on the lake?

A．He was afraid his parents might be angry.	B．He became aware of some of life’s dangers.
C．He thought it was an unimportant incident.	D．He felt proud of saving the other boy’s life.