3 . A little girl ran to her bedroom and pulled out her piggy bank (储蓄罐) from a secret drawer in her closet. She took the change from it and counted it carefully three times.

She carefully placed the coins in a jar and twisted on the cap. She took the jar and slipped out of the back door. She made her way six blocks to a drug store. She waited patiently for the pharmacist (药剂师) to give her some attention but he was too busy attending other customers at that moment. She tried several times to get his attention but failed. Finally, she took a quarter from her jar and hit it on the glass counter, which was finally able to get her some attention.

“What do you want, little Miss?” the pharmacist asked the tiny girl in the front of his counter. “My brother is really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle,” the girl answered back. “I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist. “My brother is really sick and my daddy says only a miracle can cure him now. So, I want to get a miracle for him. How much does it cost?” “I’m sorry but I can’t help you. We don’t sell miracles here, little girl,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

Next to the little girl was a tall well-dressed man. He lowered himself and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?” “I don’t know,” the girl replied with her eyes in tears. “I just know he is very sick and has something bad growing inside his head. Doctor says he needs an operation. But daddy can’t afford it, so we need a miracle to save him now. I can use all my money to save my brother.” “How much do you have?” asked the man. “One dollar and twelve cents, it’s all the money I have now, but I can get some more if needed,” the girl answered in a whisper. “Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “That is the exact price of a miracle for a little brother. Take me to your brother. Let’s see if I have the miracle your brother needs.”

The man was a famous nuerosurgeon (神经外科医生). He was just the right person needed to save the little boy’s life. The operation was completed without any charges and it went successfully.

Her mommy wondered how much it would have cost. The little girl just smiled, but said nothing.

1. The girl took the money out of the piggy bank to ______.

A．keep it in her bank account	B．buy her brother a miracle
C．cover the debt at the drugstore	D．donate it to a needy child

2. Why did the little girl hit a quarter on the glass counter?

A．To let off her steam.	B．To show off her wealth.
C．To get timely service.	D．To attract other customers.

3. What can we learn from the conversation between the girl and the doctor?

A．Her father was embarrassed for lack of money.	B．Her brother suffered from head injuries.
C．She was confident in saving her brother.	D．He was ready to help the little girl.

4. What the surgeon did implies that he is ______.

A．considerate and honest	B．gentle and open-minded
C．brave and creative	D．kind and professional

5. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．The Price of a Miracle	B．A Special Day at the Drugstore
C．A Doctor with Kindness	D．The Survival of a Strong-willed Boy

4 . UPS driver Ryan Arens was making a delivery near a pond in Bozeman, Montana, when he heard a strange sound. “Like a cry for help,” he told the dodo. com, a website for animal lovers.

It was December 2018, and about 15 feet from the frozen banks was the source of that cry — a half-submerged brown-and-white wirehaired hound (猎犬), struggling to cling to a thin layer of ice. How she got there no one knows, but an elderly man was already on the scene, determined to save her. He’d entered the pond in a rowboat and was hacking away at the ice with a rock to create a path to the dog.

It was slow going, and Arens, 44, thought he stood a better chance. “Animals are my weakness,” he told the Great Falls Tribune, explaining why he jumped into the water, even though the temperature was -30°C, and commandeered the rowboat.

His heart thumping, Arens slid closer to the dog and used the other man’s rock to smash away at the ice. He gave one strong heave too many and slipped off the boat, crashing into 16 feet of freezing water. He resurfaced in time to see the dog going under. Using nervous energy to keep warm, he swam about five feet toward her, caught hold of her collar, and pulled her to the ice. He then carried the dog into the boat and slid it back to the shore, where anxious bystanders carried the dog to the home of the rowboat owner, who is a retired veterinarian.

Once in the house himself, Arens jumped into a warm shower with the dog until they both defrosted. A few more minutes in the pond, the vet told Arens, and the dog would have likely suffered cardiac arrest (心脏骤停).

The next day, Arens was back working the same neighborhood when the dog’s owner came over to thank him for saving Sadie. “Would you like to meet her?” he asked. He opened the door to his pickup, and Sadie rushed out.

She made a beeline for Arens, leaping on him and bathing him in wet kisses.

“That special delivery,” says Arens, “was the highlight of my UPS career.”

1. What happened to Arens in December 2018?

A．He came across an old man who accidentally fell into the frozen pond.

B．He heard a strange sound but had to make a delivery.

C．He jumped into the icy water and saved a half-submerged dog.

D．He saved a drowning dog at the risk of cardiac arrest.

2. What does Arens mean by saying “Animals are my weakness” in Paragraph 3?

A．He is interested in animals.

B．He lacks experience and skill in dealing with animals.

C．He might be hurt by animals.

D．He is an enthusiastic zoophilist.

3. Arens fell off the boat because ______.

A．his swinging the rock caused the great opposite force.

B．the rowboat couldn’t bear the weight of him and the dog

C．he smashed too much ice, making the boat lose its balance.

D．the rowboat crashed into 16 feet of ice

4. Why did Arens regard the experience as his highlight of his UPS career?

A．Because it was his first time to deliver a dog.

B．Because it was the most tough job he had ever had.

C．Because it was one of the most meaningful things he had done in his job.

D．Because it could make him a famous person.

5. Which of the following words can describe Arens best according to the passage?

A．Kind and hardworking.

B．Helpful and brave.

C．Optimistic and cautious.

D．Wise but indecisive.

5 . My wife and I owned two dogs that we had owned before we met and brought into the ________. Her dog was a pit bull named Zack, and he ________ me. When our daughter was born, I was worried that the pit bull would be dangerous to be ________ our young daughter. I warned my wife that the dog would have to go at the first ________ of trouble. I said, “If he nips (啃咬) at the baby, he’d go. ”

We brought our daughter home in a car seat, and both dogs sniffed and licked her, tails wagging. I had to ________ Zack away from her because he ________ stop licking her. Zack immediately became my daughter’s ________, and when she was lying on a blanket on the floor, he always had to have one foot on the blanket.

Zack loved my daughter ________, and when she became a little older he always walked her to bed, and then slept on the bed with her. He ________ knew whenever it was time to go ________, and he would wait at the ________ of the stairs for her, and then follow her up to bed.

Zack was poisoned by some neighbor kids, and we had one of the worst days of our lives.________ my daughter say goodbye to him as he lay ________ on the kitchen floor, my wife and I were both sobbing.

At 8:00 that night, my daughter walked to the stairs to go to bed. At that moment, all three of us realized ________ was about to happen. My daughter looked at her mother and me with a look of horror and ________. It was at that moment ________ my dog, Sam, which loved my daughter dearly, stood up, walked over to her, and ________ her with his head. He put his foot on the ________, and looked up at her. They walked up to bed, with my daughter holding his neck ________.

For the next six years,________ he died, Sam waited for her by the stairs each night.

1.

A．birth

B．marriage

C．course

D．workshop

2.

A．loved

B．appreciated

C．hated

D．forgave

3.

A． around

B．mid

C．behind

D． near

4.

A．scene

B．signature

C．signal

D．sign

5.

A．pull

B．drag

C．hit

D．throw

6.

A．couldn’t

B．shouldn’t

C．needn’t

D．wouldn’t

7.

A．opponent

B．protector

C．commander

D．conservationist

8.

A．hardly

B．vividly

C．extremely

D．appropriately

9.

A．somehow

B．somewhat

C．somewhere

D．sometimes

10.

A．downstair

B．downstairs

C．upstair

D．upstairs

11.

A．top

B．middle

C．bottom

D．dome

12.

A．To watch

B．Watching

C．Watched

D．Watch

13.

A．still

B．quiet

C．silent

D．voiceless

14.

A．that

B．what

C．which

D．why

15.

A．comfort

B．relief

C．panic

D．joy

16.

A．when

B．which

C．at which

D．that

17.

A．nudged

B．patted

C．held

D．caught

18.

A．floor

B．stairs

C．bed

D．wall

19.

A．casually

B．randomly

C．tightly

D．gradually

20.

A．before

B．as soon as

C．even though

D．until

6 . I learnt an important ______ from one of my patients. When I first met Linda, she was only six years old, lovely and energetic. ______, an accident happened when she fell into the fire on a camping trip, leaving 30% of her skin surface ______.

Linda was ______ to the hospital and needed three additional surgeries. Between each ______, nurses daily took her for disinfection (消毒).

Overnight, the dressings (敷料) would ______ to the wound and have to be pulled away. Each step was more painful for Linda than the ______ one. For an adult, the disturbing ______ and daily fear prove overwhelming. For a child, it has a(n) ______ forever. Linda’s life would never be the same.

I took care of Linda for the next several years, ______ her scars and freeing areas of tightness in her face and neck. Over that time, her scars faded and her appearance improved ______. Eventually, her family moved away and I ______ her.

Years later, at a national meeting, I ______ a plastic surgeon I knew and he told me he had met a former patient of mine. It was Linda. She was doing extremely well and she was his ______ instead of his patient. Linda had become a nurse and worked with him in a burn ______.

She was the nurse the patients most often asked to clean their wounds and change their dressings. Her compassion and her courage in returning to a burn unit ______ their confidence and reduced their fears. Linda turned her pain into ______. She devoted every day of her life towards helping others ______ their pain.

Physicians can be ______ when we don’t have enough time in a day to complete everything we need to do. Linda taught me the importance of slowing down. Among the best ______ we, as physicians, can give our patients, whether in the exam room or at the bedside in the hospital, is to take the time to show the compassion we feel.

1.

A．chance

B．incident

C．lesson

D．memory

2.

A．Besides

B．Otherwise

C．However

D．Therefore

3.

A．abandoned

B．damaged

C．restored

D．exchanged

4.

A．evaluated

B．surrounded

C．admitted

D．required

5.

A．opportunity

B．process

C．performance

D．operation

6.

A．stick

B．adapt

C．appeal

D．object

7.

A．frequent

B．occasional

C．previous

D．gradual

8.

A．relief

B．boredom

C．pain

D．embarrassment

9.

A．reaction

B．impact

C．impression

D．judgment

10.

A．recovering

B．treating

C．fastening

D．moving

11.

A．significantly

B．necessarily

C．relevantly

D．temporarily

12.

A．kept pace of

B．lost track of

C．gave rise to

D．took notice of

13.

A．took in

B．got over

C．called out

D．ran into

14.

A．applicant

B．consultant

C．sponsor

D．colleague

15.

A．unit

B．room

C．model

D．role

16.

A．blessed

B．increased

C．proved

D．defeated

17.

A．sorrow

B．amusement

C．sympathy

D．regret

18.

A．overcome

B．suffer

C．obtain

D．extend

19.

A．hesitant

B．frustrated

C．thrilled

D．content

20.

A．images

B．instructions

C．gifts

D．words

7 . Cassandra Warren was in a rush and feeling a little overwhelmed with work and planning her wedding. As she was getting invitation for her wedding in the mail one day, she addressed one to her aunt and uncle in Eugene, Oregon, about 20 minutes from where she lived.

A week later, the invitation came back. She had mistakenly written down the wrong address. A handwritten note was written on the return envelope: “I wish I knew you —this is going to be a blast. Congratulations — go and have dinner on me. I’ve been married for 40 years—it gets better with age.” A $20 bill was put inside.

Cassandra was at a bit of a professional crossroads and had been having a tough day. In fact, she’d been complaining to her fiance, Jesse Jone, about her frustrations just as she opened the misdirected envelope. Then she read the note.

“It was kind of prefect timing,” said Cassandra, who worked as a nanny. “I was really grateful for it.”

And the magic envelope wasn’t finished with its surprises. Cassandra looked closer and saw that the person had written “Live long and prosper” on the envelop, a nod to Star Trek (《星际迷航》).

“We’re kind of Star Trek fans,” she said.

Cassandra, 26, and Jesse, 24, had no idea who the mystery note writer was. But they figured the Star Trek reference was because the person noticed the corner of their invitation, which had both a Star War sword and a Harry Potter wand (魔杖).

“She assumed we’d understand her message,” Cassandra said, “Which we did.”

Cassandra, who was a counselor (顾问) for families with autistic children, went out to dinner the following night with a friend who was going overseas with military. They happily put the $20 toward their bill.

Then Cassandra stopped by a store and bought another card — a thank-you card. She wrote her aunt and uncle’s incorrect address on the envelope again -- this time on purpose —and addressed it to “Kind Stranger”.

Inside, she wrote, “Thank you for the note and taking the time to send it. Not many people would have done that. It was a big blessing after the day I was having. I am thankful for people like you still being in the world.” Don’t miss other real-life acts of kindness like this one that will warm your heart.

1. In writing the first paragraph, the author intends to _______.

A．indicate how occupied Cassandra Warren was

B．suggest Cassandra Warren shouldn’t invite strangers

C．remind people to carefully prepare for weddings

D．tell people how the story happened by accident

2. Why did the mystery note writer include the message “Live long and prosper” on the envelope?

A．To show her appreciation for the wedding invitation.

B．To express her best wishes for the couple’s future.

C．To connect with the couple over a shared interest.

D．To give a hint about who she really was.

3. We may know from the article that _______.

A．Cassandra didn’t quite understand the mystory note

B．Cassandra was greatly touched by the stranger’s reply

C．Cassandra wrote her aunt and uncle a thank-you card

D．Cassandra was once an autistic patient of her fiancé

4. What impact did the unexpected note have on Cassandra?

A．It added to her pleasure.	B．It made her confused.
C．It lifted her spirits.	D．It inspired her to do the same.

5. What is the overall tone of the article?

A．Amusing and light-hearted.	B．Emotional and appreciative.
C．Informative and factual.	D．Critical and skeptical.

8 . The New Year was heartbreaking for Melanie Lee. A few weeks earlier, her 33-year-old son had ________ his battle with a long illness. Then the engine on her old car ________ working. She had no means of paying for it to be fixed.

“When it ________, I broke down,” Lee said. “Now I don’t have my ________, now I don’t have transportation. How am I supposed to stay ________ in my grandchildren’s lives?”

Eliot Middleton, 38, the owner of a barbecue restaurant and a former auto mechanic who, in his free time, ________ and gives away used cars. He’d heard about Lee’s difficult ________ from her nephew. On New Year’s morning, Middleton showed up unannounced at Lee’s home with a(n) ________: a white 1933 Oldsmobile.

“I had no idea what was going on,” said Lee. “He ________ me the keys and didn’t ask for anything.” Once again, she was able to ________ her granddaughters from school and take them to dance classes. “I got my ________ back.”

The ________ for the used-car giving away came to Middleton a year earlier during a ________ drive he’d organized. Many of those who’d lined up for a meal ________ up to four miles to get there because they didn’t have cars.

________ are the lifeline in this part of South Carolina, Middleton said. There’s no public ________, no taxis to take people to doctor appointments, even food shopping. So he ________ on a social media platform an offer to trade his restaurant’s specialty for broken-down ________. Since then, people have left more than 100 cars in ________ states of disrepair. Many cars sit in Middleton’s yard waiting to be fixed and ________, usually to those he’s heard about by word of mouth.

It’s a list of names that grow daily.

“People think Middleton is a good man,” Lee’s nephew said. “And I do too.”

1.

A．survived

B．lost

C．won

D．faced

2.

A．kept

B．finished

C．began

D．stopped

3.

A．broke down

B．broke away

C．broke up

D．broke off

4.

A．daughter

B．nephew

C．son

D．grandchild

5.

A．calm

B．generous

C．brilliant

D．active

6.

A．repairs

B．rents

C．paints

D．decorates

7.

A．surroundings

B．position

C．situation

D．factors

8.

A．prize

B．gift

C．honor

D．souvenir

9.

A．bought

B．showed

C．fetched

D．handed

10.

A．pick up

B．pick out

C．take up

D．take out

11.

A．belief

B．property

C．investment

D．freedom

12.

A．rule

B．suggestion

C．idea

D．theory

13.

A．food

B．clothing

C．medicine

D．music

14.

A．drove

B．walked

C．climbed

D．orbited

15.

A．Appointments

B．Cars

C．Jobs

D．Supplies

16.

A．restaurant

B．hospital

C．transportation

D．security

17.

A．posted

B．received

C．withdrew

D．refused

18.

A．tools

B．devices

C．machines

D．vehicles

19.

A．various

B．excellent

C．changeable

D．steady

20.

A．lent

B．donated

C．sold

D．returned

9 . It was Christmas morning. The ground was white with _________. The birds could not get anything to _________.

Bessie looked out of the window and saw them _________ about the street. They were _________ food. Bessie was a kind little girl. She felt _________ for the poor birds. She wanted to ask them to come into her warm home. _________ she knew that they were afraid to come in. At last she thought of a good idea. She decided to make a Christmas _________ for the birds. Bessie put a little tree outside the window. Then she hung on it little baskets full of _________ and small pieces of bread.

_________ the birds did not come to the tree. But by and by two or three came near and looked at it. They ate some of the seeds and bread. Then they flew __________ to tell the other birds about it. Soon many birds flew here to get their __________. They liked them as much as Bessie liked her Christmas presents. They sang songs to give their __________ to her.

Being __________, Bessie told her parents that she would give some of her bread to the birds every cold day. But her father said that she could not feed all the hungry birds even if she gave __________ of their bread. Thinking for a while, she said that all the birds would be fed __________ other children did the same.

1.

A．rain

B．water

C．snow

D．ash

2.

A．drink

B．eat

C．wear

D．make

3.

A．jumps

B．to jump

C．jumping

D．jumped

4.

A．begging for

B．living on

C．cutting up

D．looking for

5.

A．sorry

B．weak

C．empty

D．cold

6.

A．Otherwise

B．Or

C．For

D．But

7.

A．cake

B．box

C．tree

D．card

8.

A．seeds

B．flowers

C．eggs

D．sandwiches

9.

A．At last

B．At first

C．After all

D．Before long

10.

A．in

B．out

C．away

D．past

11.

A．noodles

B．presents

C．medals

D．coats

12.

A．thanks

B．calls

C．congratulations

D．hopes

13.

A．nervous

B．honest

C．thankful

D．glad

14.

A．little

B．either

C．both

D．all

15.

A．if

B．before

C．unless

D．though

10 . “They tell me that you’d like to make a statue (塑像) of me — is that correct, Miss Vinnie Ream?” The President’s deep, gentle voice helped calm the nervous girl as he showed his doubt.

Asking for the help of the President (总统) of the United States was no casual matter, especially for a seventeen-year-old girl.

“Yes, sir,” she replied, her dark eyes meeting his. “I wouldn’t have dared to ask you, but my teacher, Mr Mills, says I am ready. I plan to make it in an admirable manner.”

President Lincoln smiled. “Painters, sculptors — they’ve all tried to make the best of this ordinary face, but I’m afraid there’s not much hope. What did you have in mind, Miss Ream? A bust (半身像)?”

Before Vinnie could say yes, the President hurried on, a shade of apology in his voice. “Of course — I shouldn’t have asked. A full-length pose would be much too big a project for a young woman your size.”

Vinnie’s face turned red. She realized she looked like a child, with her tiny figure. “Small does not mean weak, sir,” she defended herself. “I was born in the country of Wisconsin. I’ve driven teams of horses and carried water. Making a full-length clay (粘土) figure would not exhaust my strength — and that is what I intend to do!”

The President’s eyes, brightened at her show of spirit. “Sorry, madam, I have underestimated you as I didn’t know your background.”

But his smile faded as he rubbed his beard with bony fingers, in thought. “Miss Ream,” he sighed, “I’d like to let you do it, but as you know, we are in the middle of a war. How could I possibly take the time to pose for a sculpture now? I hardly have a minute to myself.”

Vinnie looked around and noted the size of his office. “I work quickly,” she said. Her voice was soft but confident as she pointed to the corner near the windows. “If I were to bring my clay here and work for three hours every afternoon, I could complete most of the project while you are at your desk.”

The President seemed to consider her idea seriously. He got up and shook Vinnie’s hand warmly, “I’ve heard that you are a talented young woman, and I have found you charming and intelligent as well. I cannot make my decision immediately, but you will hear from me soon.”

The very next day, Vinnie received an invitation from the President.

1. How did President Lincoln first respond (回复) to Vinnie’s request (请求)?

A．Delighted.

B．Excited.

C．Regretful.

D．Doubtful.

2. What gave Vinnie confidence to make her request of President Lincoln?

A．Her enthusiastic personality.

B．Mr Mills’s encouraging words.

C．President Lincoln’s gentle voice.

D．Her interest in a challenging job.

3. Vinnie confirmed her ability to make a full-length statue by highlighting_______.

A．her experience from other projects

B．her innocent (天真的) childhood in the country

C．the heavy labor (劳动) she had done before

D．the skill she picked up in Wisconsin

4. Vinnie wanted to choose the corner near the windows to_______.

A．achieve effects of natural lighting

B．keep all her tools within easy reach

C．observe the President at a right angle (角度)

D．avoid disturbing (打扰) the President’s work

5. What message does the story convey?

A．A strong-willed soul can reach his goal.

B．Experience helps to promote excellence.

C．Ups and downs make one strong.

D．Devotion requires enthusiasm.