1 . Mary Lennox is a young English girl in India who is surrounded by servants. She’s a weak, selfish, and spoiled (宠坏的) child. When her parents and all their servants suddenly die from illness, she is sent to Yorkshire, England to live with her uncle, Mr. Craven.

Mr. Craven keeps his distance from Mary and soon leaves on business. She’s left to take care of herself in his big house and its gardens. As the weeks pass, Mary becomes more independent, grows stronger, and gets more respect for others. Later, she becomes friends with Dickon, a local boy and she also helps her uncle’s son—Colin, get well.

The Secret Garden’s main themes include the importance of friendship, the value of outdoor activities, and the way a healthy outlook on life can affect one’s health. When Mary first arrives at her uncle’s house, she’s a rude, selfish person. This is because she’s never had a friend her own age and has never been told “No.” Later, Dickon helps her develop empathy (同情) for others, which has had the greatest impact on her.

The natural world is key to the second of the book’s themes. At first, Mary is weak because she has never had to do anything for herself. She isn’t even capable of dressing herself without help. Colin is also weak. He stays in bed or in a wheelchair because he believes he can’t walk. The sunshine and fresh air of the gardens benefits both of them in the story.

The third important theme is the power of a positive attitude. People’s minds need nurturing (培养). An important moment for Colin happens when he determines to be a healthy person instead of a sickly one. He repeats his longing out loud and wishes hard for it to come true. Holding this idea in his mind is a key part of his recovery. It is his belief in himself and his determination to succeed that finally helps him regain his health.

1. Why was Mary Lennox sent to Yorkshire, England?

A．There’s no one to take care of her.	B．She has to increase life experience.
C．She desires to learn to be independent.	D．Some of her best friends are living there.

2. According to the text, who influences Mary the most?

A．Her parents.

B．Her uncle.

C．Dickon.

D．Colin.

3. What is the right structure of the passage?

A．①②③/④⑤/

B．①②/③④⑤

C．①/②/③④/⑤

D．①/②③/④⑤

4. What is the text?

A．A diary entry

B．A news report.

C．A book review.

D．A children’s story.

2 . 假定你是李华。你的澳大利亚笔友 Catherine 对中国古典小说非常感兴趣。请你用英语给她写一封电子邮件，推荐你最喜欢的中国古典小说《西游记》，内容如下：
1.你的推荐；
2.主要内容介绍。
注意：
1.词数100 左右；
2.邮件的开头已为你写好，不计入总词数；
3.可根据内容要点适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
4.参考词汇：《西游记》Journey to the West 唐僧 Tang Monk
取经 to fetch the Buddhist scriptures
Dear Catherine,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

3 .

A．He enjoyed reading the novel.	B．He hasn’t started reading the novel yet.
C．He doubts the woman will like the novel	D．He will lend the woman the novel

4 . In the dim light of an early autumn evening, Alexander, a hunter: known as much for his solitude as for his skill, ventured into the untamed (原始的) heart of the jungle. Each step he took was measured and careful, a respect for the ancient wilderness where every breath was a story, and man was but a fleeting shadow.

For years, whispers of a tiger, not just any tiger but one whose fur caught the last rays of the sun, had reached Alexander. A creature so splendid and fearsome, it was said to be more myth than flesh. On this day, as the shadows lengthened and the jungle whispered its age-old secrets, Alexander sought not just the tiger, but a confrontation with the very essence of the wild itself. As dusk settled, painting the world in colors of gold and shadow, the boundary between predator and prey seemed to dissolve. The air was heavy with anticipation, the kind that precedes storms and stories.

Then, in a clearing where the jungle seemed to hold its breath, the tiger appeared. It was as if the sun had woven itself into the fabric of its being, its fur a blend of flame and night. For a moment, the world shrank to the space between the hunter named Alexander and the legend made flesh before him.

Their gazes locked, a silent understanding passing between man and beast. Here was Alexander, a man who had walked through shadows to stand in the light of a legend, and the tiger, an embodiment of the wild’s untouchable majesty. In that eternal moment, Alexander saw not a prey but a sovereign of nature, a being whose right to wander the dusk was as undeniable as the setting sun.

With a respect born of countless sunsets and the silent tales they told, Alexander slowly lowered his rifle (步枪). The act was not one of defeat but of profound respect-a recognition of the bond that ties every living thing to the pulse of the earth. The tiger, its gaze still locked with Alexander’s, seemed to acknowledge this unspoken pact. Then, it turned and melted into the shadows, leaving behind a trail of twilight.

Alexander left the jungle that night without a trophy (战利品), but his soul was alight with a tale of fire and twilight. He had sought a legend and found a truth far greater: in the wild’s heart, where shadows and light dance, there lies a respect so deep it transcends the hunt. This encounter, a dance with the untamed, would echo in Alexander’s heart long after the jungle’s whispers faded into the dawn.

1. What was Alexander’s primary reason for venturing into the jungle?

A．To find a place to set up camp.

B．To hunt a tiger rumored to have a fur like the setting sun.

C．To escape from the challenges of modern life.

D．To meet other hunters and share stories.

2. What decision does Alexander make when he finally encounters the tiger?

A．He captures the tiger to prove its existence.

B．He shoots the tiger to claim his trophy.

C．He attempts to trap the tiger but fails

D．He lowers his rifle, choosing not to shoot the tiger.

3. The author’s writing style reflects Hemingway’s influence through ________.

A．complex language.	B．long sentences.
C．straightforward storytelling.	D．supernatural focus.

4. What theme is most prominently reflected in Alexander’s encounter with the tiger?

A．The thrill of the hunt is unparalleled.

B．True courage is demonstrated through dominance over nature.

C．There is a profound respect that exists between man and nature.

D．Technology has distanced man from understanding the natural world.

5 . I didn’t realize it, but during that short walk home I had lost a whole lot of weight and my eyes had grown dull and colorless. When my mom saw me she screamed out in surprise. Staring at me in disbelief, she asked, “Are you Fugui?”

Looking at my mom, I forced a smile and nodded my head. Shocked, she uttered something else, but I was no longer paying attention to her. I pushed the door open and went into my room. Jiazhen, in the middle of combing her hair, was also taken back when she saw me. She gazed at me with her mouth gaping. As soon as I thought of how I had beaten her when she came to persuade me to go home the night before, I fell to the ground and, kneeling before her, muttered, “Jiazhen, I’m finished.”

After speaking those words I began to cry out loud. Jiazhen rushed over to help me up, but being pregnant with Youqing, how could she support me? She called my mom over, and the two of them pulled me onto the bed. I looked like a corpse. They were scared to death and began patting me on the shoulder and rocking my head.

My mother appeared dumbstruck; she stared at me with a look of intensity and asked, “What did you say?”

“I’ve lost everything,” I repeated.

The look on my face convinced her. My mother sat down on the floor and, wiping her tears, said, “If the upper beam is no straight, the lower ones will not go straight either.”

Even then my mother still loved me. She didn’t blame me. Instead she blamed my father.

Jiazhen also cried. She patted me on the shoulder and tried to console me. “As long as you don’t gamble anymore, everything will be all right.”

I had nothing left. Even if I had wanted to gamble, I wouldn’t have had any money to stake a bet. I heard Dad in the next room shooting off his foul mouth. He still didn’t know that he was penniless — he was simply annoyed at being disturbed by the two women crying. As soon as she heard my father’s voice, Mom stopped crying. She stood up and walked out, with Jiazhen following her. I knew that they were going into my father’s room, and after a while I heard my dad begin screaming, “Bastard!”

It was just then that my daughter, Fengxia, pushed the door open and came in. She closed the door and in a shrill voice said, “Dad, hurry up and hide! Grandpa’s going to beat you.”

I just stared at her without moving a muscle. She then came over and tried pulling me away by the hand; when I wouldn’t budge she began to cry. Seeing Fengxia cry was like having a knife pierce my heart. Even at such a young age, Fengxia was trying to protect her dad. Just looking at her made me feel like I deserved to be cut to pieces.

Quoted from Yu Hua’s To Live

1. The underlined phrase “taken back” in paragraph 2 means ______.

A．regretful

B．astonished

C．shameful

D．concerned

2. Fugui kept saying “I’ve lost everything” to his mom and his wife because he ______.

A．wanted to gradually process the strong emotion and beg for their forgiveness

B．pretended to lose his mind and go crazy so as to get away with the punishment.

C．was afraid to face his father and wanted them to break the bad news to him

D．believed that they might still lend him some money to gamble again

3. According to the passage, what do the three female characters have in common?

A．Hard-work.

B．Bravery.

C．Self-discipline.

D．Compassion

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Fugui’s father was also addicted to gambling when he was young.

B．Jiazhen would ask for a divorce from Fugui since he was penniless.

C．Fugui’s mother and his wife decided to hide the truth from his father.

D．Fengxia had more affection towards her father than her mother.

6 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. attacking       B. beaten       C. bites       D. dignity       E. diverse       F. emotional G. exhibiting       H. link       I. literature       J. strength       K. struggles

Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is the simple story of an old Cuban fisherman who undergoes the most difficult struggle of his life. In the title character, Santiago, Hemingway describes one of the most distinguished examples in American     1     of an individual looking deep within to work up the courage necessary to get through the achievements and sad events that life presents.

Alone on the sea, Santiago continuously     2     to find hope in several seemingly hopeless situations. The old man illustrates Hemingway’s ideal of     3     “grace under pressure”, as he refuses to give in to the enormous obstacles (障碍) presented by the sea. Relying on memories of his youth, Santiago finds the     4     to physically and emotionally carry on throughout the story.

After catching the great marlin (马林鱼) Santiago realizes he is unable to quickly kill the fish, and it proceeds to pull him farther out to sea. Yet, throughout the battle between man and fish the old man begins to recognize a(n)     5     between him and the marlin, repeatedly referring to it as his brother. Both the old man and the fish are only insignificant among the     6     creatures at sea, joined together by the fact that they are at the mercy of the sea.

The fish, therefore, changes from merely being Santiago’s prey (猎物) into a reflection of the old man’s     7     and physical state. When the sharks damage the dead marlin hanging off the side of the boat as Santiago struggles to sail home, the old man fights them off as if they were     8     him. Only when the marlin’s body has been entirely eaten away does Santiago give up, knowing he “was     9     now finally”.

Although the old man seemingly fails once the sharks steal his prize fish, they cannot take away the fact that Santiago has done the unthinkable by staying with and catching a fish “bigger than he had ever heard of”. In spite of not successfully bringing the fish back, Santiago fights with     10    — first to catch the marlin, then to protect his fish from the sharks — and in doing so declares his humanity by remaining resilient (坚韧的) in the face of achievements and sad events.

7 .

With short story writer and novelist Della Galton

Q What’s the best way to keep track of your characters in a novel? Amanda Rose, via email A I’m not sure what the best way is, but here are some of the methods I use. Most of my records are on paper. I have a huge folder, and in it are the following: * Character sheets – one A4 sheet for each character with all their details: name; age; address; physical description; personality type… * Dialogue records – an extra page where I note their favorite words and dialogues. * Photographs – I use photos cut from magazines for inspirations as to what they look like.    I’m also a big fan of spreadsheets. I create one that has the name, date of birth and age of my characters at any given time in the novel – or novels if it’s a series. This is particularly helpful for controlling timelines, as I only need to change one date and the rest are set up to update automatically.    I also use a spreadsheet for keeping track of the plot so I know what happens to each character in each chapter. I create the spreadsheet before I start and fill it in as I go. It’s for tracking not plotting, but it could be used for that if you plotted what happens in each chapter.    Hope this helps, Amanda.

Q Should I use single quotes or double quotes for dialogue? Tania Yeatman, Wimborne A It doesn’t matter! Usually it’s a matter of house style, so if you are aiming at a specific publication, check to see what their style is for publication and copy that. If you don’t know the house style then the important thing is to be consistent. The same applies to quotes from interviewees and experts in your articles.    “I saw Anne at writing group,” Milly said.    “And she came rushing up to me and told me she’d done it at last. She’s got an agent!” Sometimes there may be a quote within a quote. It can be single quotes within double quotes or the other way around. But don’t mix the two styles within the story to avoid confusion. Q ______________________________ Grace Louise

1. ________ are most useful for controlling timelines of the story.

A．Character sheets	B．Dialogue records
C．Photographs	D．Spreadsheets

2. The appropriate example in the box should be __________.

A．‘I saw Anne at writing group,’ Milly said. ‘And she came rushing up to me and cried, “I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!”’

B．“I saw Anne at writing group,” Milly said. “And she came rushing up to me and cried, ‘I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!”

C．‘I saw Anne at writing group,’ Milly said. “And she came rushing up to me and cried, ‘I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!’”

D．“I saw Anne at writing group,” Milly said. ‘And she came rushing up to me and cried, ‘I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!’

3. Which of the following questions is most likely to be asked by Grace Louise, who is dreaming of becoming a novelist?

A．When and where will your next novel be published?

B．What should I write about to win the writing competition?

C．Do you have any tips for overcoming the writer’s block?

D．Can you give us a lecture on choosing the right topics?

8 . One of the most famous literary challenges in history was when Dr. Seuss received a challenge from his publisher that he could only use 50 words to write an entire book. That’s all well and good, but it’s a tough challenge, to be sure. However, Ernest Vincent Wright would no doubt turn up his nose, as he challenged himself to pen an entire 50,000-word novel without once using the letter “e”.

Wright managed to pull it off. The final product was Gadsby, which is about a man named, well, Gadsby, who tries to save his city with the help of a youth group. It took Wright nearly six months to complete the work, and in his introduction pages he mentioned the challenges along the way.

One of the biggest challenges was replacing pronouns, since it’s tough to write a sentence, let alone a novel, without words like “he” or “she” or “her” and so forth. Additionally, he was forced to find ways to work around using past tense words that typically end in “-ed”, which, as you might imagine, is more than a little tricky.

Still, Wright did manage to come up with 50,110 words and a full story without any cheats, making it one of the most successful lipograms (避讳某字之文) in the history of writing. Wright self-published the book in 1939 and it was read primarily by people who tried to find any cheats, so convinced were they that Wright simply must have used the letter.

The entire novel is available online to read for free, as it entered the public domain in 1968. It’s a good thing, too, as the storehouse that contained the majority of the copies burned down, destroying enough of the books that it has since become a rare book collector’s prize, with copies being valued at thousands of dollars.

At the end of the day, of course, it remains a truly great achievement. After all, “e” is the most commonly used letter in English, with more than 11 percent of all words in the Oxford dictionary containing at least one “e”.

1. What did Wright challenge himself to write?

A．An entire book with 50 words.

B．A 50,000-word book in six months.

C．A 50,000-word book without the letter “e”.

D．An entire book including “e” 50,000 times.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The difficulties Wright faced.

B．The plot of Wright’s final product.

C．The popularity of Wright’s final product.

D．The smart ways Wright used to replace pronouns.

3. What can we infer about the readers of Gadsby?

A．They considered the book a great success.

B．They expected the book to be available online.

C．They wondered what lipograms mean.

D．They doubted if Wright really made it.

4. Why do Wright’s book copies become valuable?

A．Due to their rarity.

B．Because Wright won a big prize.

C．Because they had a really long history.

D．Due to book collectors’ recommendation.

9 . What does the man mean?

A．Harry Potter is not as good as people think.

B．There are many good books for children.

C．The stories in Harry Potter attract people a lot.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Which animal was always sitting on the mat in Alex’s story?

A．A rat.

B．A cat.

C．A dog.

2. How does the woman find Alex’s writing?

A．Terrible.

B．Serious.

C．Impressive.

3. Who will read Alex’s story on TV?

A．Alex.

B．Bob.

C．The woman.

4. What does Bob plan to do?

A．Use rhymes as many as possible.

B．Rewrite his former stories.

C．Have a talk with Alex.