1 . Every Thursday afternoon, the food pantry (食品储藏室) at the local high school opens up to provide fresh food bags for families who can hardly make both ends meet to get their meals to last through the weekend. Nearly a hundred families rely on the extra food. Some are between jobs, some got hit hard with medical bills for a few months, and some are new to the neighborhood, placed there by refugee services.

On one breezy afternoon, two young mothers walked in together, each accompanied by a young child. There was nothing different about their dress, but their manner revealed a shyness that they struggled to overcome. When they spoke, it was clear why: Their accents were thick, even though they were trying hard to make their English sound American. They were uncertain of being understood. But the pantry is run by grandmothers who are never pressed for time when it comes to conversations. So they sat for a moment and told their story while the little ones were held in arms so very familiar with children.

The two lived in apartments in the basement of the Methodist Church. They had been in the United States for one month. Their husbands were well-educated but working labor jobs to pay for food and save for more typical apartments.

Both had fled the war in Eastern Europe, one family from Ukraine and one from Russia. They ended up in the same church basement and discovered that they needed each other. They became fast friends. Their children played together. They shared meals and navigated their new world together.

There were no bombs or soldiers or rations in their new neighborhood, only a chance to start over. Friendships are sometimes hard to come by, yet matter so much to each of us. A good friend gives us strength, love, laughter and the courage to keep trying.

These two families — worn down by uncertainty and war, thrown together in a new country, a new community with a new language — found so much in common. And isn’t that what we all need? A friend who faces the same life challenges, even if the forces above them have different political views. We are, after all, just mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors.

1. In the article, who primarily benefits from the services provided by the food pantry?

A．High school students.	B．People with disabilities.
C．Families with tight budgets.	D．Underpaid individuals.

2. What was the most noticeable characteristic of the two young mothers when they entered the food pantry?

A．Their clothing.	B．Their language.
C．Their children.	D．Their ID documents.

3. What is one of the reasons why these two families became friends?

A．They both live in the basement of the same church.

B．They met at the same restaurant.

C．They are from the same country.

D．They both have similar professions.

4. Which title best fits the article?

A．Challenges of Life and New Friendship	B．The Story of the Food Pantry
C．New Life in America	D．From War to Peace

2 . In 2019, a white-haired senior was awarded the Friendship Medal, the highest order of honor of China for foreigners. It was Isabel Crook. In her more than a century of life, she spent more than 90 years in China and cultivated (培养) a large number of foreign language talents for China.

In 1915, Isabel was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1938, Isabel couldn’t wait to return to China. With hard work, she and her colleague completed the survey of over 1,500 families in some villages in Bishan County. She recorded the daily life of the villagers in Xinglongchang with detailed field notes, which give the young people today some idea of the state of affairs in villages at that time.             

In 1947, Isabel and her husband David Crook came to China to observe and study the ongoing land reform. A year later, they completed the study and accepted the invitation to stay in China for language teaching.

One could hardly imagine the teaching conditions in the midst of a war. They asked their students to take small stools (凳子) with them so that they could give class everywhere. They tailored (定制) teaching approaches to suit students’ different language proficiency levels. Without handy teaching materials, they collected articles from English newspapers and magazines. In oral English teaching, Isabel asked students to watch their teachers in a given conversation first. Since there were no tape recorders at school, she had to perform the conversation again and again.

Isabel retired in 1981, but she returned to Southwest China many times to set up scholarship for children from poor families. She also went to Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and other places to help with foreign language teaching. Isabel died in 2023 in Beijing.

1. What do we know about Isabel according to the text?

A．She got China’s highest honor for foreigners.

B．She received her college education in China.

C．She returned to China as a teacher at age 23.

D．She helped children in need all over China.

2. When did Isabel start the journey of education in China?

A．In 1915.

B．In 1938.

C．In 1948.

D．In 1981.

3. Which of the following best describes the couple’s teaching?

A．Boring but helpful.	B．Simple and modern.
C．Traditional but attractive.	D．Flexible and personalized.

4. What does the author want to illustrate by mentioning Isabel’s experiences?

A．Her working experiences were rich.

B．Her life in China was quite colorful.

C．She devoted herself to teaching in China.

D．She showed great interest in Chinese history.

3 . One day, hundreds of people were stuck in traffic on the highway in below-freezing temperatures due to a snowstorm. With the conditions making it _________ for rescue workers to help, many were trapped overnight with no access to _________.

But one stuck driver found a _________ spot in the despair. As she was sitting in her car fearing the _________, Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, _________ a bread truck just ahead of them in the jam. Willing to try just about anything, they called the customer service number listed on the back of the truck and left a _________ begging for the driver to open the back and _________ bread to the hungry passengers around them. It was a last-ditch effort, and the couple wasn’t very _________ about getting a response. But to their _________ they soon received a phone call from the company’s owner, Chuck Paterakis, with the news that he was __________ the truck’s driver to open up and pass out loaves of bread from his cargo. Overjoyed by the news, Holihan and Noe __________ the truck’s driver to bring much-needed things to the cars around them.

The simple loaves of bread were surely a ray of __________ in an impossibly disturbing situation. Holihan herself calls it “one of the __________ moments” she’s ever witnessed. This company could have made a(n) __________ from the bread but instead chose to help the people around them. That is just so incredible that someone chose __________ over profit, especially in a situation where people were so desperate.

1.

A．stressful

B．effortless

C．practical

D．difficult

2.

A．water

B．necessities

C．bread

D．blankets

3.

A．new

B．familiar

C．bright

D．strange

4.

A．least

B．best

C．most

D．worst

5.

A．spotted

B．realized

C．stared

D．knew

6.

A．number

B．message

C．note

D．clue

7.

A．lend

B．sell

C． distribute

D．send

8.

A．upset

B．optimistic

C．excited

D．anxious

9.

A．relief

B．regret

C．surprise

D．credit

10.

A．consulting

B．guiding

C．begging

D．instructing

11.

A．kept up with

B．teamed up with

C．met up with

D．put up with

12.

A．hope

B．truth

C．inspiration

D．faith

13.

A．happiest

B．bravest

C．kindest

D．friendliest

14.

A．profit

B．difference

C．living

D．contribution

15.

A．welfare

B．fame

C．award

D．humanity

4 . Last Monday, when I walked into a supermarket, my daughter, Charlotte, said she would buy me some flowers. I came home with a beautiful bouquet (花束), a(n)_______gift I enjoyed. That reminded me of the old days.

When my kids were younger, sometimes I noticed them_______something on a shop shelf, and I asked what they wanted to take home. Or I saw something while shopping by myself and thought which child would love that. I’d buy it and gave it to the_______child. We may be apprehensive about buying_______for our children. Should we be careful about what we give them because they might_______something every time we go shopping? What if we have several_______? If we buy something for one of them, will we have to buy something for everyone to be_______?

Despite the_______, I still bought gifts just to spread joy. After careful teaching, nothing terrible happened. My kids didn’t_______more when we went shopping. They always appreciated whatever I gave them. The child__________a gift would smile with delight, and the other children were pleased too. They shared the joy__________.

Now they do the same for me__________. Yesterday, I was too unwell to__________my son, James, to the mall. He said he would bring home something nice to cheer me up. He returned with some beautiful sunflowers. Sometimes, I stop my writing and glance up at my flowers, and__________fills my heart.I truly feel __________.

1.

A．special

B．expensive

C．original

D．formal

2.

A．putting up

B．looking at

C．paying for

D．bringing back

3.

A．noisy

B．lonely

C．right

D．intelligent

4.

A．gifts

B．clothes

C．books

D．flowers

5.

A．reveal

B．check

C．expect

D．learn

6.

A．goods

B．children

C．choices

D．memories

7.

A．common

B．practical

C．fair

D．wise

8.

A．fact

B．risk

C．inspection

D．concern

9.

A．investigate

B．request

C．forecast

D．consult

10.

A．creating

B．ignoring

C．receiving

D．donating

11.

A．unwillingly

B．precisely

C．randomly

D．cheerfully

12.

A．in advance

B．in return

C．in place

D．in time

13.

A．move

B．guide

C．track

D．accompany

14.

A．joy

B．worry

C．change

D．curiosity

15.

A．surprised

B．confused

C．cheated

D．loved

5 . When I am reading a newspaper at home, my friends call me. “Will you _________here and give us some help?” I throw the _________ away and run to them.

My friends are playing a _________ game. And the ball goes right into Mrs. White’s   _________ . They know I live next to her,   _________   they want me to get the ball for them. I am afraid (害怕) of my neighbor, Mrs. White. She looks unfriendly. Everyone says that she doesn’t like the children. And   _________   knows Mrs. White well, because she _________ comes out of her house or speaks. I walk   _________ her garden slowly. I am nervous (紧张的). Suddenly I see a tall   _________ walking to me. It is Mrs. White. I feel worried when I see   _________ . “Is this your basketball?” she asks. I say, “Yes, and we’ll never do it again.” To my   _________   , Mrs. White says, “Why don’t you kids   _________   here? This hoop (球架) here is better than        _________ .” Wow! We are so glad to hear that! Mrs. White is   _________ us to play in her garden! We all learn an important lesson: what many people _________ isn’t always true.

1.

A．go

B．drive

C．come

D．ride

2.

A．newspaper

B．book

C．picture

D．photo

3.

A．football

B．volleyball

C．basketball

D．tennis

4.

A．balcony

B．kitchen

C．home

D．garden

5.

A．or

B．but

C．so

D．because

6.

A．everyone

B．anyone

C．no one

D．someone

7.

A．often

B．usually

C．always

D．seldom

8.

A．out

B．into

C．behind

D．under

9.

A．woman

B．man

C．girl

D．boy

10.

A．him

B．her

C．them

D．it

11.

A．joy

B．smile

C．worry

D．surprise (惊奇)

12.

A．walk

B．talk

C．play

D．eat

13.

A．ours

B．hers

C．theirs

D．yours

14.

A．teaching

B．inviting(邀请)

C．showing

D．waiting

15.

A．speak

B．talk

C．tell

D．say

6 . Daniel Hove spent years serving his community in Wisconsin as the Assistant Fire Chief for the Burnsville Fire Department. In 2012, he _________ from the job he loved after doctors diagnosed him with pancreatic (胰腺的) cancer.

Daniel spent years fighting the _________ disease. And he had tons of _________ from friends and family. But his beloved 11-year-old Labrador (拉布拉多猎犬), Gunner, _________ by his side every step of the way.

As Daniel’s _________ grew more difficult, Gunner became ill, too. And he _________ highs and lows right along with his favorite human.

“When my dad would get restless, the dog would be _________,” Daniel’s daughter Heather explained. “So once we   _______ how the dog was doing—he wasn’t moving much anymore and not doing well—we knew, it was coming.”

As Gunner’s suffering hit its peak, Heather _________ knew the dog’s time on Earth was done. Gunner was __________ an animal hospital where the veterinarian put him to __________ forever. And soon after Gunner passed away, Daniel found his __________ was close. About an hour and a half later, Daniel was gone too. __________ in life, the dog and his beloved owner also remained that way in death.

Special friends are placed in our lives. And the story of this dog and his owner is a beautiful __________ that sometimes those furry friends offer lifelong __________ without words.

1.

A．came

B．retired

C．returned

D．suffered

2.

A．common

B．impressive

C．terrible

D．addictive

3.

A．support

B．praise

C．criticism

D．popularity

4.

A．moved

B．swung

C．stopped

D．remained

5.

A．devotion

B．decision

C．battle

D．work

6.

A．experienced

B．enhanced

C．conveyed

D．explored

7.

A．unsatisfied

B．uneasy

C．selfless

D．careless

8.

A．proved

B．inferred

C．guessed

D．saw

9.

A．exactly

B．frequently

C．instantly

D．originally

10.

A．rushed to

B．sent for

C．thrown into

D．dropped by

11.

A．play

B．sleep

C．live

D．wake

12.

A．place

B．healing

C．time

D．liking

13.

A．Inseparable

B．Suitable

C．Countable

D．Unbelievable

14.

A．fashion

B．reminder

C．form

D．encounter

15.

A．process

B．education

C．learning

D．company

7 . The rain was sudden and heavy on a cold night over ten years ago. My bus had stopped at the depot （总站） because of flooding. With 2 kms still to go, I was running out of _________ to pick up my then four-year-old daughter from her childcare centre. I took off my shoes and ran. I _________ the day care wet through but I was _________ to be only a few minutes late. Now I could face the next _________.

I had no way of getting home. There were no buses and I couldn’t afford a taxi. Home was too far to _________ in the rain with a young child. We stood outside staring at the _________ rain, with it showing no _________ of stopping. Caught up in my thoughts, I just barely noticed another parent _________ up and race inside to _________ his child ten minutes later. I did not recognize him and my thoughts turned back to my __________ situation.

I was at a loss what to do, when a voice asked, “Can I give you a __________?”

I moved around to face the man who’d arrived late to fetch his child. I nervously informed him that I didn’t know how I’d __________ getting the car seat wet. But he didn’t seem to __________, and was simply happy to do us a favour.

To this day, I am still __________ when I think about the evening that my daughter and I were stranded （滞留） __________ the kindness of this stranger.

1.

A．cash

B．energy

C．fuel

D．time

2.

A．arrived at

B．broke into

C．escaped from

D．tore down

3.

A．eager

B．glad

C．guilty

D．sad

4.

A．day

B．generation

C．problem

D．storm

5.

A．drive

B．fly

C．ride

D．walk

6.

A．gentle

B．freezing

C．pouring

D．cool

7.

A．admission

B．concern

C．sign

D．fear

8.

A．cheer

B．give

C．stay

D．pull

9.

A．adopt

B．collect

C．punish

D．teach

10.

A．current

B．economic

C．ideal

D．stable

11.

A．call

B．lift

C．hug

D．tip

12.

A．avoid

B．consider

C．enjoy

D．practice

13.

A．disagree

B．matter

C．mind

D．object

14.

A．generous

B．grateful

C．proud

D．sorry

15.

A．but for

B．as for

C．because of

D．regardless of

8 . Many years ago I lived in New York City. One Sunday morning I decided to _________ my parents who lived in a small town two hours north. As I approached (靠近) the town, my car _________. It happened in the late 1970s when there were no cellphones. A woman in her thirties _________ to offer me a ride to a mechanic (修理工) in town, and as we _________ on the way in, I learned that she was a local realtor (房地产经纪人). I _________ that I was from the city seeing my parents. We exchanged _________ and went our separate ways, but I never forgot her _________.

Forty years later, both my parents now passed away; I decided to _________ their house because I was unable to pay the tax (税). I _________ the realtor who had helped me all those years ago and called her office by the number on her business card I always treasured. __________, the lady had passed away, __________ her daughter and granddaughter were running the __________ and ended up being my realtors.

They were __________ to work for their late family member’s old acquaintance (相识之人) who always remembered a simple act of kindness from a __________. And, knowing my difficulties, they helped me, sell the house for free.

Kindness __________ in the same family, and I felt quite thankful, again.

1.

A．find

B．visit

C．contact

D．protect

2.

A．broke down

B．showed up

C．pulled away

D．took off

3.

A．promised

B．happened

C．refused

D．stopped

4.

A．met

B．cheered

C．chatted

D．passed

5.

A．shared

B．heard

C．thought

D．imagined

6.

A．gifts

B．cards

C．ideas

D．messages

7.

A．situation

B．patience

C．courage

D．kindness

8.

A．clean

B．sell

C．decorate

D．repair

9.

A．mentioned

B．considered

C．remembered

D．informed

10.

A．Undoubtedly

B．Suddenly

C．Frankly

D．Unluckily

11.

A．but

B．because

C．since

D．unless

12.

A．town

B．program

C．business

D．industry

13.

A．brave

B．happy

C．nervous

D．worried

14.

A．friend

B．stranger

C．competitor

D．customer

15.

A．matters

B．changes

C．continues

D．disappears

9 . As Teachers’ Day approached, I received an interview assignment to talk with a very special figure about teaching. President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam talked with me about life’s toughest lessons and his mission of being a teacher to the Indian youth. He was now a leader and a wise old man. There was still a child in him though, and he was still curious about learning new things. To this day, he still remembered his first lesson in life and how it had changed his life.

“I was studying in fifth grade and must have been 10 years old. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramanialyer was telling us how birds flew. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, drawing the wings, the tail, the body and the head and then explained how birds flew into the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds flew.” he recalled.

“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameshwaram shore by our teacher,” the President continued. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw wonderful formations of them flying and how their wings waved. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. At last, he said to us with relief that we were very good.”

“That day from not understanding to the final understanding, as well as the gratitude to the teacher, has always impressed me. A proper education would help develop a sense of dignity (尊严) and self-respect among our youth,” said President Kalam.

1. What does the author probably do?

A．A reporter.

B．A president.

C．A teacher.

D．A painter.

2. What can we infer from the recalled lesson?

A．It was a drawing class.	B．The teacher’s diagram was not complete.
C．What the teacher taught was quite difficult.	D．The students were too stupid to understand it.

3. How did the teacher deal with the confused children?

A．By asking other teachers for help.	B．By taking them to see the real birds.
C．By bringing a bird to explain again.	D．By drawing another diagram for them.

4. How did Kalam feel about his teacher?

A．Disappointed.

B．Stressed.

C．Angry.

D．Grateful.

10 . When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, Karen Lauder refused to leave her home because she was wrong about the intensity(强度) of the storm. Karen is 84 years old and depends on a wheelchair to get around because she is missing a leg. Her son, Johnny Lauder, tried repeatedly to get her to leave, but she refused.

Johnny and his whole family live within a few blocks of one another. They kept in touch with Karen as the storm continued violently(猛烈地) outside, watching the water rising dangerously all around them. When Karen reported that the water in her house had reached her bottom, Johnny knew he had to take action.

First, Johnny ensured his sons and their pets were taken care of. Then, he jumped out of a window and began to swim. Johnny used to work as a rescue swimmer. He is obviously a strong swimmer, but the flood water was filled with dangerous materials. There was also a strong current (水流), and he had to swim against it for most of his trip to Karen’s. As he made his way through the water, Johnny stopped periodically to snap selfies(自拍) to show his worried family that he was okay.

Johnny was racing against the clock. He knew he only had a short period of time to get there before the water rose above Karen’s head. It took him 40 minutes to swim four blocks. The sound of Karen shouting inside was music to his ears!

“If it would’ve been 20 minutes later, she wouldn’t be here,” Johnny said.“She’s never been happier to see me.”

Karen is now safe, although she is in the hospital being treated for infections(感染) she got in the water. The family have all lost everything they owned, including their houses, but they’re grateful just to be here.

1. Why did Karen decide to stay in her house when Hurricane Ian came?

A．She had nowhere to go.

B．She was too old to move.

C．She thought the storm was not violent.

D．She lost her wheelchair and was unable to leave.

2. Why did Johnny take selfies along the way to Karen’s home?

A．To record his swimming trip.	B．To show off his swimming skills.
C．To warn other rescuers of danger.	D．To report his safety to his family.

3. How did Johnny’s family keep in touch in the storm?

A．By shouting.	B．Over the phone.
C．Through e-mail.	D．With other’s help.

4. How did Johnny feel when he heard Karen shouting?

A．Curious.

B．Frightened.

C．Confused.

D．Relieved.