1 . MINNEAPOLIS—A 13-year-old entrepreneur (企业家) who was reported for operating a hot dog stand outside his house without a license is still in business, thanks to Minnesota officials who could have shut it down.

The Minneapolis Department of Health received a complaint this summer about the hot dog stand that Jaequan Faulkner had set up outside his home. But instead of closing down the operation, officials decided to help. “We helped Jaequan become permitted and went through some food safety techniques and procedures with him so he could operate legally and safely,” said Minneapolis Health Department supervisor Ryan Krick. Besides, the staff of health department raised the money for his permit fee, which was $87.00. Daniel Huff, the environmental health director for the department, says his agency was excited to give him coaching for some business knowledge, instead of shutting down the operation.

Jaequan says he is supported widely. “I was actually kind of surprised at first, because usually I would have one person at a time help me, but then so many people came at once. Now I realize how much people enjoy it, ” he added.

Jaequan began operating with a license on Monday. He started the hot dog stand with help from his uncle, who said Jaequan handles about 90 percent of the business. The teen now works four—hour days, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and spends his free time “thinking about what’s next.” Maybe a food cart, so he can take his operation on the road.

Jaequan said he’s also thinking about donating some of earnings to charities that help people with depression.

1. According to the passage, why was Jaequan complained?

A．Because he was too young.	B．Because he didn’t get the license.
C．Because he chose an improper location.	D．Because he sold some unhealthy foods.

2. Minnesota officials did all of the followings to help the boy EXCEPT___________.

A．offering advice on food security	B．helping him get the official permit
C．asking him to pay for the permit fee	D．coaching him for some business knowledge

3. Which of the following can best show Jaequan’s feeling to people’s help?

A．Grateful.

B．Terrified.

C．Confused.

D．Doubtful.

4. What does Jaequan plan to do in the future?

A．Leaving his business to his uncle.	B．Expanding his business to some extent.
C．Working full time on his hot dog stand.	D．Giving away all his earnings to the poor.

5. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To inspire teenagers to establish their own career.

B．To call on people to donate their earnings to charities.

C．To inform people of a touching story in Minneapolis.

D．To persuade people to support Jaequan’s business.

2 . Check out these stories of some animals.

The cat Homer

Homer the blind cat weighs only four pounds. Gwen Cooper adopted him when he was three weeks old. One night his growling (狂吠) wakes up Cooper, He’s never growled before. Surprised, Cooper opens her eyes. A burglar is standing at the foot of her bed! Cooper reaches for her phone to call 911.

“Don’t do that!” the burglar says. The sound of his voice shows his exact location, and blind Homer leaps. No match for a cat with sharp claws, the would-be robber flees.

The dog Geo

Geo follows 10-year-old Charlie Rilcy everywhere. One day Charlie, his mom, and two younger brothers are standing at a street corner. Geo is sitting at Charlie’s side. Suddenly, an out-of-control truck is heading straight for Charlie!

But Geo makes a flying leap. “He hits me so hard that I fall over,” Charlie says. The speeding truck hits Geo instead. Geo is rushed to the animal hospital.

The dog Teddy

It’s 3 a.m. in West Jordan, Utah. A mother and two children stand outside as firefighters hose (用软管浇) water on their burning house. “Is anybody inside?” the firemen ask.

The mom says no, because she feels certain that her older son escaped out the back. But just to be sure, Don Chase and his partner plunge (冲入) through the flames to look.

And what do they find? Teddy the pet dog standing by the door. Chase reaches for him, but Teddy runs down the basement stairs. Midway down, he stops and waits. But just as the firemen reach him, he takes off again. “I’m really maddened.”Chase says. “We’re wasting time chasing a dog when we should be searching for human victims.”

Then they see him — the older son, unconscious on a basement couch. Grabbing his legs and chest, the astonished firemen move him to safety, as Teddy runs behind.

1. How does Homer know where the burglar is?

A．Cooper shows him.	B．He sees the burglar.
C．Through the burglar’s voice.	D．Through the burglar’s actions.

2. The underlined word “maddened” can best be replaced by “________”.

A．interested

B．surprised

C．excited

D．annoyed

3. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Real animal heroes	B．Funny stories about pets
C．How to take care of your pets?	D．Why arc dogs better pets than cats?

3 . Steve Sanders is a dad who suffered from a serious kidney (肾) disease. Although he had been living a ________ life, going to the gym regularly, the doctors warned him that his kidney function was ________ and that he needed dialysis (透析). This made Sanders start a ________ for a kidney donor (捐献器官者) online. After he shared the post, he got ________ from 26 people who began handing in paperwork to become donors, ________ nothing moved beyond that. It could have been that they weren’t matched, or they stopped the process. “I don’t ________ them on that,” Sanders said. “I completely ________.”

One day, Chris, a local shopper, ________ him that told him he wanted to be a kidney donor. ________, Chris ended up being a perfect donor, making Sanders very excited. It was a total ________ for Sanders and he said he was happy that somebody was ________ to give him a chance.

Chris filled out the paperwork and ________ the process after a few weeks. When asked why he chose to donate his kidney, he said that he wanted to ________ what he preached (宣扬) to others on being kind and ________. Chris wanted his kids to grow up and ________ what kindness is.

Once the hospital showed his kidney was a ________ for Sanders, he agreed to receive the operation ________. Sanders was grateful for Chris’s ________. “Chris has made me feel very comfortable not ________ him anything. This is a guy who did this out of love,” Sanders added. After lots of tests, the two dads had the operation in October 2022. It was a(n) ________ transplant (移植) and even after it, they have continued their friendship.

1.

A．busy

B．rich

C．simple

D．healthy

2.

A．coming about

B．going down

C．taking off

D．showing up

3.

A．fund

B．competition

C．search

D．plan

4.

A．doubts

B．responses

C．permissions

D．ranges

5.

A．but

B．until

C．so

D．if

6.

A．support

B．forgive

C．blame

D．believe

7.

A．agree

B．understand

C．fail

D．forget

8.

A．recognized

B．discovered

C．cheated

D．contacted

9.

A．Similarly

B．Hopelessly

C．Fortunately

D．Strangely

10.

A．comfort

B．panic

C．shock

D．mistake

11.

A．brave

B．willing

C．proud

D．lucky

12.

A．changed

B．heard

C．noticed

D．started

13.

A．examine

B．remember

C．repeat

D．practice

14.

A．honest

B．positive

C．caring

D．patient

15.

A．see

B．show

C．advertise

D．ignore

16.

A．character

B．blow

C．pain

D．fit

17.

A．secretly

B．regularly

C．immediately

D．generally

18.

A．reward

B．generosity

C．creativity

D．carefulness

19.

A．owing

B．promising

C．teaching

D．serving

20.

A．famous

B．successful

C．adventurous

D．difficult

4 . Once a landlord (地主) wanted to plant garlic (蒜) in his fields. He _______ a group of boys and asked them to do the work for him. _______ , he did not invite the boys to have lunch with his family. The boys had to sit by the _______ and have lunch on the ground. The landlord was _______ that other people would see the bad food for the boys, _______ he smiled at the boys and said, “Go and _______ in the house, boys. _______ you have lunch by the door, the dogs will bite you.” Then the boys went into the house _______ .

_______ time came and the boys went into the house again. When they ________ past the landlord’s room, they smelled something ________ and looked in through the window. What do you think they ________ there? A big table with rice, chicken and different kinds of ________ on it. The landlord and his ________ , as usual, were sitting around the table and enjoying their dinner. ________ , the food for the boys was bad. The boys were very ________ . They wanted to teach the landlord a lesson. So they ________ to plant his garlic upside down. And that was what they did the next day.

A fèw days later the garlic was ________ everywhere but not in the landlord’s fields. The landlord was very surprised and asked the boys what had ________ .“The garlic is afraid that the dogs will bite it,” a(n) ________ boy answered.

1.

A．saved

B．praised

C．found

D．thanked

2.

A．As a result

B．In the beginning

C．In other words

D．On the whole

3.

A．door

B．tree

C．river

D．road

4.

A．sad

B．proud

C．excited

D．afraid

5.

A．since

B．but

C．so

D．or

6.

A．play

B．eat

C．sleep

D．sing

7.

A．If

B．Unless

C．Though

D．Because

8.

A．carelessly

B．luckily

C．safely

D．quickly

9.

A．Coffee

B．Opening

C．Supper

D．Closing

10.

A．drove

B．walked

C．swam

D．climbed

11.

A．burnt

B．terrible

C．strange

D．delicious

12.

A．saw

B．heard

C．touched

D．bought

13.

A．toys

B．books

C．fruits

D．clothes

14.

A．team

B．family

C．friends

D．neighbors

15.

A．However

B．Besides

C．Therefore

D．Simply

16.

A．sorry

B．sick

C．nervous

D．angry

17.

A．failed

B．learned

C．decided

D．continued

18.

A．dying

B．planted

C．blown down

D．coming out

19.

A．changed

B．happened

C．improved

D．disappeared

20.

A．smart

B．honest

C．polite

D．rich

5 . A man on a cruise ship (游轮) noticed there was an elderly lady all alone, and the staff on the ship all knew her. Curious, he asked a waiter about the lady, half-expecting to hear that she owned the cruise line. However, all the waiter knew was that she had been on the last four cruises, back to back.

As he left the dining room one evening, he caught her eye and stopped to say hello. He asked, “I understand you’ve been on this ship for the last four cruises.” She replied, “Yes, that’s true.” “I don’t understand,” he said.

Without waiting, she replied, “It’s cheaper than a nursing home. The cost for a nursing home is at least $200 a day. Here on the cruise, I can get a long-term discount price of $135 a day. That leaves $65 a day for extra. I can enjoy up to 10 meals a day of fantastic food through room service. There are also free pools, an exercise room and nightly shows. Clean daily necessities are provided every day, without needing to ask. They treat you like a valued customer, not just a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have all the staff happy to help you.”

“I have the chance to meet new people every 7 or 14 days! Is the TV broken? Need to change a light bulb? No problem! They will fix everything soon and say sorry for the problems. There is always a doctor on board. This is how I want to spend the later years of my life.”

1. Why was the man curious about the elderly lady on the cruise ship?

A．He thought she was the captain of the cruise line.

B．He noticed she was alone but well-known on the ship.

C．He wanted to interview her about her daily life.

D．He saw she had taken the cruise ship four times.

2. What did the elderly lady share about her choice to be on the cruise ship?

A．She preferred cruising over flying.

B．She enjoyed working with the staff.

C．She thought it was more affordable.

D．She liked traveling to different countries.

3. Which was not mentioned by the elderly lady about staying on the cruise ship?

A．The availability of 24-hour room service.

B．The opportunity to meet new people.

C．A discounted rate for long-term stays.

D．Access to onboard entertainment and activities.

4. What did the elderly lady want to express by the underlined sentence in Para 3?

A．The staff on the cruise ship were very friendly.

B．The cruise ship offered better medical care when needed.

C．The money could make the staff kindly and considerately.

D．The staff on the cruise ship were very patient.

5. What can we learn about the elderly lady from this story?

A．She preferred a quiet environment.

B．She was not good at managing money.

C．She didn’t like meeting too many new people.

D．She hoped to live the rest of her life with respect.

6 . Recently, a video story has spread among people.

James Anthony has cleaned the halls of Hickerson Primary School for 15 years. Although he is deaf, he never complains. Instead, he greets every child and teacher with a smile. Teachers and children love him very much and call him Mr. James.

On the day Anthony turned 60, the school wanted to give him a very special surprise. That day when Anthony walked into a classroom a group of children start to sign and sing “Happy Birthday” to him. Anthony stated smiling as usual. Then his jaw dropped open and he laughed for joy as he realized what was going on. A few teachers sled the kids through the whole song as Anthony watched. A wide smile was on his face. As they finished, tears came out from his eyes.

Scott, secretary of the school said, “The children love and respect Mr. James. They give him high fives in the halls, and he even teaches them sign language. Today he has put smiles on faces all around the world.”

1. James Anthony is ____.

A．a cleaner

B．a student

C．a secretary

D．a guard

2. When did James Anthony get a special surprise?

A．On his fifteenth birthday.	B．On his fiftieth birthday.
C．On his sixtieth birthday.	D．On his sixteenth birthday.

3. Why did James Anthony cry as the kids and teachers finished singing the song?

A．Because he lost his job.	B．Because he was deeply moved.
C．Because the kids didn’t like him.	D．Because he couldn’t hear the kids.

4. According to Scott, we can learn that____.

A．Anthony used to be a good teacher.

B．the kids love and respect Mr. James.

C．the kids often help Anthony clean the halls.

D．Anthony always greets the kids and teachers by singing songs.

5. Which may be the best title for the passage?

A．A Famous Teacher	B．Lovely Kids
C．A Special Birthday Gift	D．An American School

7 . It was the middle of winter some 30 years ago. I was a young father with three little children counting on me. I worked in a sawmill (锯木厂).

As I got ready to go to work I wrapped band aids around my fingers and put more in my pockets. Cutting and piling up wood for eight hours a day had caused my fingers to split (裂开) and bleed at their tips in the cold, dry winter air.

That day at work was harder than normal. We were short-handed on workers. The machines kept breaking down. We had to rush to catch up as the wood piled up. On top of that, all the heaters in the building had stopped working and we could see our breath as we spent hours working there.

When the work day finally ended, I walked wearily toward the washroom, took off my work gloves, and checked my aching fingers. The splits were worse than ever and I had bled through the band - aids again. I felt so tired. I wondered how long I could keep doing this, if things would ever get any better, and why life was so hard.

After driving home, I tried to put a smile on my face as I opened the front door. But instead, one appeared naturally. My daughter ran up to me, yelled “Daddy!” and wrapped her little arms around my neck. I lifted her up and my heart filled with love. My tired body didn’t feel so tired anymore. My aches and pains disappeared into her hug, And the joy in my heart chased the sadness away. At that moment I kissed my little girl’s cheek and held her tight. I knew I could continue and that things would get better.

1. What was the author’s situation 30 years ago?

A．He was young man teaching students.	B．He was a retired person owning a sawmill.
C．He worked in a factory as an accountant.	D．He had a heavy burden of raising children.

2. Which is NOT the factor making that day even harder than normal?

A．There were not enough workers.	B．Workers that day were not tall enough.
C．All the heaters had stopped working.	D．The machines stopped working repeatedly.

3. The author walked toward the washroom wearily, which shows that _________.

A．he was very tired	B．he felt very relieved
C．he wore heavy clothes	D．he was walking up and down

4. What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．a face

B．a smile

C．the door

D．his daughter

5. In the story, the author wants to express that _________.

A．family can give us support	B．labor work is not that hard
C．it is better to have just one kid	D．it is important for kids to study hard

8 . I was out shopping with my kids doing my best to budget (谨慎花钱) the last of my paycheck. I saw a lady sitting beside my car with a sign that she was________and needed help. I had a few dollars I could.________and a couple of bottles of water in my car, so I handed her the bottles and the_________

The next day I was down to about $ 12 and________day was one day away. On the way to picking up my son from school, I tried to do something________with my 12-year-old son. We stopped by our favorite________for the amazing cow cookies and the chocolate chip cookies. I let the baker know I had to________it under $ 12.25.   When she rang it up (把款项记入收款机), she said, “Oh, it’s $12.43.” I told her, “Sorry, I’ll have to split the payment between my card and some loose________I have in my wallet.”

________, she rounded it down to $12. After I________her and went walking out, she told me to stop and handed me an/a________chocolate chip cookie and two more cow cookies. It was a small________but made me feel so happy to receive. When I told my son about this, he________on how when we do one act of________it gets multiplied by three, I believe that and I know in my heart it always feels good to________and do the right thing.

1.

A．alone

B．homeless

C．cold

D．unhappy

2.

A．spend

B．lend

C．spare

D．make

3.

A．paycheck

B．water

C．key

D．money

4.

A．work

B．pay

C．home

D．school

5.

A．special

B．good

C．upset

D．curious

6.

A．bakery

B．park

C．field

D．restaurant

7.

A．save

B．keep

C．design

D．deliver

8.

A．credits

B．tickets

C．change

D．gold

9.

A．In return

B．In addition

C．In turn

D．Instead

10.

A．thanked

B．met

C．asked

D．shook

11.

A．equal

B．cheap

C．extra

D．small

12.

A．gesture

B．bag

C．amount

D．request

13.

A．depended

B．commented

C．lived

D．based

14.

A．wisdom

B．appreciation

C．love

D．kindness

15.

A．go

B．receive

C．give

D．say

9 . Lena could clearly remember the night she had to flee her home in Hungary. It was the beginning of the Second World War and her family needed to escape fast. She quickly packed a suitcase with a few pieces of clothing, her diary, and her most prized possession — a beautiful silk scarf. Lena and her best friend, Monika, had persuaded their parents to buy them matching scarves, which they each wore tied around their neck as a symbol of their friendship. Lena had no idea that when she left for America that night, she would never return. Her family settled on the sunny west coast in California.

Lena kept that special silk scarf for many years. One day she decided to give it to her granddaughter, Eliza, to wear to her first job interview for good luck. Lena was afraid that Eliza would lose the scarf, but her granddaughter reassured her, “Don’t worry, Grandma, nothing’s going to happen to your scarf. You’ll see. It is going to bring both of us luck today.” With that, Eliza kissed her grandmother on the cheek and left.

That afternoon, Eliza left the interview feeling confident that she had got the job. She decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant. As she sat at her table, she felt someone staring at her. Sitting next to her was an elderly woman who could not take her eyes off her. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Eliza asked.

“I’m sorry, dear, but you remind me of someone I once knew,” the old woman replied in an accented voice. “My best friend looked like you and used to wear a scarf just like the one you’re wearing around your neck.” Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms. She had heard stories of her grandmother’s best friend and knew the significance of the scarf. Could this be Monika, her grandmother’s childhood friend?

Eliza introduced herself and waited to hear the name of the other woman. “My name is Monika, dear. I’m originally from Hungary, but my family had to leave when I was 14 and I’ve been living here in California ever since.” Eliza could not believe it. She said, “Monika, would you mind going somewhere with me? I want to show you someone very special.” The elderly woman agreed and they left the restaurant together.

They walked the short distance to Lena’s home and rang the doorbell. When Lena opened the door, she was amazed to see her childhood friend standing in front of her. The scarf had indeed brought good luck.

1. Why did Lena and her family leave Hungary?

A．Because they intended to make a fortune in America.

B．Because they preferred to live on the sunny coast.

C．Because it was dangerous in their home at the war time.

D．Because they wanted to follow her best friend, Monika.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraphs 2 and 3?

A．Eliza went to the restaurant to meet Monika.	B．Lena cherished the silk scarf very much.
C．A silk scarf is a symbol of good luck.	D．Eliza celebrated with Lena in a restaurant.

3. Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms because________.

A．the stranger’s stare made her scared

B．she got cold when she took the scarf off

C．she thought the old woman’s accent was too strange

D．she couldn’t believe she should meet her grandma’s childhood friend

4. Which of the following is the correct order of the story?
a. Eliza wore the silk scarf to the interview.                      b. Lena’s parents bought her a silk scarf.
c. Eliza went to a restaurant for celebration.                    d. Lena met her childhood friend.
e. Lena fled her home in hurry.                                   f. Eliza unexpectedly met Monika.

A．b-e-a-c-f-d

B．e-b-a-f-c-d

C．e-d-b-a-c-f

D．b-e-a-f-c-d

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Reunion in California.	B．The Lucky Silk Scarf.
C．A Life-long Friendship.	D．Like Grandmother Like Granddaughter.

10 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks; he chose inspiring friends and always tried to behave well.

At the age of eight his parents divorced, and Marco and his young sister Sandra moved in with their dad. It felt to Marco that his father had little time for him and Sandra. Marco sank further into his low self-esteem and was overwhelmed with feeling desperately unappreciated, alone and isolated.

One day his father, already tired after a long day, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The fierce fight that followed left Marco feeling humiliated (羞辱). It seemed no matter how hard he tried he could never do anything right.

Two days later, his aunt Ginette called him. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest called Gala Personnalite sponsored by Club Optimiste. She thought he should give it a try. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like the other kids, since she had seen him do humorous performances for the family at Christmas. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed to enter the contest.

All that winter of 1980 to 1981, he practiced in Ville d’Anjou, where the competition would take place. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father didn’t matter. Four. months later, the big night arrived. His mother, his sister, his grandmother, and his aunt Ginette, were all in the audience. Butterflies filled his stomach. But when he stepped onto the stage and began to speak, he felt totally at home. To his shock and amazement, he WON!

As I travel around the world to speak to thousands of people every year, I tell them Marco’s story. I tell them his story because it is my story.

It all happened because of a single phone call, from one single person who simply believed in me. Because of her, I have been able to more than fulfill my dreams. I’ve been able to inspire and to touch the lives of so many others—and help them fulfill theirs.

1. Why did Marco want to behave and do well academically?   (no more than 10 words)
________________
2. What caused Marco to hold negative attitude towards himself?   (no more than 10 words)
________________
3. How did his aunt Ginette plan to do to change Marco?   (no more than 15 words)
________________
4. What does the underlined sentence probably mean in the 5^th Paragraph?   (no more than 5 words)
________________
5. Who often gives you confidence to fulfill your dreams? What does he/she do?   (no more than 20 words)
________________