1 . My first job was at a fast-food restaurant called Carroll’s in my hometown. One spring day my next-door neighbor _________ me to apply for work with her there, and I agreed to have a try.

One little _________ was that I wasn’t 16 yet, so I just changed my birth date on the application from July to _________. Luckily, they didn’t ask for any ID to prove my _________, because there were few applicants for the job. Both of us were _________.

The pay was _________, only $1.60/hour with no tips. I worked at the _________ and only boys were allowed to work in the kitchen. I got a chance to make milkshakes, though, which I considered kind of fun. I also _________ the relationships with all the other workers, who were mostly easy-going teenagers.

It was great to _________ different diners. The restaurant was located on a __________ entryway into town, so all kinds of people came in. One day a man in plain clothes __________ but ordered many signature dishes. When he came to my counter to check out, I was __________ to find he was my idol.

Besides __________ about my age, I also failed to inform the manager that I was leaving in June to attend summer camp, so my first job only lasted a few __________. It has been long gone, but the __________ in the restaurant remains a sweet memory of my life.

1.

A．allowed

B．invited

C．forbade

D．taught

2.

A．topic

B．mistake

C．difficulty

D．opportunity

3.

A．March

B．June

C．August

D．October

4.

A．address

B．age

C．name

D．face

5.

A．fired

B．interviewed

C．refused

D．accepted

6.

A．low

B．high

C．enough

D．good

7.

A．counter

B．door

C．park

D．toilet

8.

A．damaged

B．ignored

C．enjoyed

D．missed

9.

A．help

B．thank

C．recognize

D．encounter

10.

A．hidden

B．secret

C．distant

D．major

11.

A．woke up

B．gave up

C．turned up

D．looked up

12.

A．surprised

B．ashamed

C．disappointed

D．frightened

13.

A．worrying

B．lying

C．complaining

D．arguing

14.

A．days

B．hours

C．months

D．years

15.

A．food

B．service

C．payment

D．experience

2 . Four Tutorials for Beginners

English for Everyone Course Book: Level 1 Beginner

A series of textbooks by the renowned British publishing house DK specializes in nonfiction and teaching aids. Main topics: work, leisure, home and life. These are self-explanatory activities for self-study and implementation. The book includes vocabulary, texts and useful audio lessons (through the mobile application and online).

Cutting Edge: Elementary

An excellent tutorial is Cutting Edge, which can be purchased in different combinations. The basic tutorial from DVD includes 12 lessons and consists of speaking exercises, video and audio exercises. Topics include global issues and cultural phenomena. The main advantage of this course is the online English laboratory MyEnglishLab, which contains audio and video materials for learning, interactive lessons with the ability to record your own speech which is useful for self-study of the language, while developing pronunciation and speaking skills.

Practice Makes Perfect: Basic English

Practice Makes Perfect is a training course with a wide variety of interactive exercises. This textbook is like a large workbook with short lessons and extended hands-on activities for fun. The course includes 53 lessons focused on the study of possessive pronouns, verb tenses, prepositions, 40 exercises to practice pronunciation, tasks for speaking and a graph of achievements. There is an application for a smartphone or PC.

English Made Easy: Volume One

The English Made Easy series of textbooks will be especially useful for those who are better at comprehending visual images. The entire tutorial is based on visual content containing numerous images. Available online, it consists of 20 lessons, at the beginning of which there is a mandatory list of active vocabulary, grammar, phonetic recommendations. Lesson topics: acquaintance, conversations on general topics, shopping, professions and time.

1. What can learners do while studying with Cutting Edge: Elementary?

A．Make a record of their speech online.

B．Enjoy a number of pictures in the book.

C．Create their nonfiction and teaching aids.

D．Take classes focused on everyday activities.

2. Which book focuses on drills for learning English?

A．Cutting Edge: Elementary.

B．English Made Easy: Volume One.

C．Practice Makes Perfect: Basic English.

D．English for Everyone Course Book: Level 1 Beginner.

3. What do all the tutorials have in common?

A．They all have global topics.	B．They can be learned online.
C．They contain vocabulary.	D．They are intended for adults.

3 . Online book clubs have sprung up, breaking down physical barriers to bringing like-minded book lovers into your living room. The following clubs are for you to join in 2023.

Reese’s Book Club

Actress Reese Witherspoon has been recommending her favorite books since 2017. She picks a book with a woman at the center of the story every month. There’s no cost to join, which is definitely SOMETHING. What’s more, Reese’s international reputation has authors flooding into her feed to talk about books and answer your burning questions. Do note applicants must be unpublished, including self-publishing.

Oprah’s Book Club

Oprah’s first book club was launched nearly thirty years ago, and her picks have shot to the top of bestseller lists. On her book club’s website, you’ll find videos of Oprah introducing the month’s book and sitting down with the author for an in-depth interview. You can also join the conversation on Goodreads.

Book of the Month

Book of the Month, dating back to the 1920s, is about finding the best new reads. Each month some lovely people with great taste search through hundreds of new releases to find the five best books hitting the shelves. For $14.99 ($9.99 for your first book), you can have your favorite delivered to your door.

Andrew Luck Book Club

Quarterback by day and book lover by night, football player Andrew Luck founded his book club in 2016. The Andrew Luck Book Club features books hand selected by Luck each month. While it’s open to readers of all ages and levels, Luck does provide different reading options for club members.

1. What do members of Reese’s Book Club have chance to do?

A．Get free books.	B．Publish their works.
C．Talk to authors.	D．Meet Reese in person.

2. Which book club was founded earliest?

A．Book of the Month.	B．Reese’s Book Club.
C．Oprah’s Book Club.	D．Andrew Luck Book Club.

3. What do the four book clubs have in common?

A．They are founded by celebrities.	B．They are targeted at female readers.
C．They recommend books monthly.	D．They deliver books to their members.

4 . It is never too late to develop great study habits. However, starting making some changes is hard. Even if you want to do well enough in school and improve your grades, you’re probably having trouble getting started in the first place!     1    .

Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Make a schedule of your time. Then decide on good, regular time for studying.     2    , but it will make you more aware of how you spend your time.

Find a good place to study. Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable and quiet. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject.

Skim before you read.     3    . As you preview the material, you get some idea of the passage and how it is organized.

    4    . Listening to what the teacher says in class means less work later. Taking notes helps you remember what the teacher says.

Develop a good attitude to tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject.     5    . Tests provide grades, but they also let you know that you need to spend more time studying.

There are other skills that might help you with your study. Share with your classmates some of the skills you have found to be helpful.

A．Study regularly

B．Make good use of your time in class

C．There are several ways that can help you

D．Develop a positive attitude by setting realistic goals

E．This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems

F．The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t worry too much about a test

G．This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为 150 左右。

My parents came to the US from India in the 1960s, along with other immigrants from India. Back then, there were few Indians anywhere around the US. My father came to Kansas,where he would get his Ph.D. Six months later, my mother came with the three of us kids — my sister, my brother, and me. We were just six,five and three years old then.

It was the very first winter when we were in Kansas. It was so cold,but we didn’t have heavy coats or warm clothes. We didn’t have a concept of how cold it really could be in the Midwest, and there was a new surprise every day. We didn’t have a car or anything like that, and my dad didn’t have a US driver’s license. But anyway, my father was studying for his Ph.D., and he would walk up and down a big hill to and from the campus on a regular basis.

Since I was three years old, I didn’t go to school, but my sister and brother were in school. My father had to walk down the big hill to take them to school every day and then walk back up the hill to go to university.After about three weeks of living like this, a woman called Valerie,whose son John was in the same class as my brother, started noticing them. On a very cold snowy morning,when they went to school as usual,Valerie passed by. She pulled up and said, “I see you on the way every day. Don’t you feel cold without coats?”My father responded,“We didn’t expect the weather would be so cold in Kansas.”Valerie said,“Maybe I can take your daughter and son to school. Would you like a ride?”

Paragraph 1:

Hearing that, my dad nodded with great joy.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2:

Later, Valerie and her family became so dear to my family.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Within your family, are you the “boss”, the “peacemaker”, the “baby” or the “king”?     1    

Firstborn — The “Boss”

First-time parents often have very high expectations for their eldest children.     2     Firstborns tend to be natural leaders who respect and trust authority. Many astronauts and engineers are firstborn children.

Middle child — The “Peacemaker”

Typically, parents don’t give middle children as much attention as the firstborn or the youngest.     3     As a result, they are usually determined to achieve success in their own way. They don’t like conflict and will try to avoid it. They are often realistic, independent, patient peacemakers and good communicators.

Youngest child — The “Baby”

By the time the youngest family member is born, most parents have loosened their rules.     4     They often enjoy amusing others and being the center of attention. They are typically fun-loving, creative people who aren’t afraid to question authority or take risks.

Only child — The “King of the Castle”

Life in the family of an only child often revolves around him or her.    5    An only child enjoys learning from adults and is usually very clever for his or her age. Only children are creative and intelligent and can easily communicate with adults. They are typically confident, independent and very successful. What about you? Does the birth order description match your personality?

A．Thus, they tend to have more freedom.

B．That often causes them to feel they are ignored.

C．Early-born children experience a better social environment.

D．These kids don’t have to share their toys or their parents’ time.

E．Many researchers believe your position in the family influences your personality.

F．As a result, these kids are often responsible, organized, bossy, successful achievers.

G．The relationships between birth order, personality, and behavior confuse many researchers.

7 . People use laughter to connect and bond with others. It’s how we tell friends that we find their jokes funny, or how kids in a park show that they are having fun. Laughter is so important to humans, even if they belong to different cultures or speak different languages. What about animals? Scientists are studying if there is a connection between animals’ laughing and playing.

Sasha Winkler, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), studies biological anthropology (人类学)，including the study of animal behavior. She noticed that the small monkeys she worked with, liked to play together by chasing each other. While having fun together, they made panting (喘气) sounds, almost like they were out of breath, which reminded Winkler of their quiet laughter. This made Winkler wonder whether other animals did so while they were playing.

To find out whether other animals laugh and play, Winkler teamed up with another scientist named Greg Bryant, a professor and vice chair in the Department of Communication at UCLA. Together, they found and read dozens of reports written by other scientists who study animals. Winkler and Bryant looked for any mentions in any animal of sound signaling like the panting of the monkeys during their playing.

In April 2021, Winkler and Bryant published their findings in a science journal. Through their research, they identified 65 species or groups of animals, which laugh while playing. The animals that laugh the most include primates (灵长类) like monkeys and apes, rodents (啮齿动物) like rats, and mammals that live in the ocean like dolphins. Their work won’t only help us understand animals better but it could also help us understand how humans develop or change over time. Next, they will carry on more study to find more.

1. What is the function of paragraph 1?

A．To conclude the main idea.

B．To put forward the topic.

C．To offer the supporting evidences.

D．To add the background information.

2. What are the small monkeys like when they are having fun?

A．They can hardly breathe.

B．They tend to laugh separately.

C．They laugh at a low sound.

D．They don’t laugh at all.

3. What do we know about Winkler and Bryant’s study?

A．It is great progress in the study of animals and humans.

B．It is only based on the findings in a science journal.

C．Over 65 groups of animals laugh while playing.

D．They do the research only by studying primates and rodents.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Science.

B．Education.

C．Health.

D．Entertainment.

8 . Four Seasonal Best-Sellers Online

Are you among the parents who are seeking books for your children during the coming winter vacation? The following seasonal best-sellers may be on your list of choices.

Salt

Salt, in which Helen Frost tells a story about friendship between Anikwa and James, was set in a time of war. Anikwa and James spent their happy days together in the forests of the Indiana Territory until facing the cruel war. As a children’s literature, it was once considered as a Kirkus Reviews Best Book in 2013.

Now

Now was set in the present day. This is the final book in Morris Gleitzman’s series that began with Once, continued with Then and Now. In the novel, Felix, a successful man with painful memories of his childhood recalls his time with his granddaughter Zelda. It has been popular with teenagers since it came out. Now is one of Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2012.

Green

Die-cut (模切的) pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book. How many kinds of green are there in the world? Laura Vaccaro Seeger shapes a respect to a single color that will delight and quite possibly shock you. Green was considered as Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2012 and a 2013 Caldecott Honor Book.

Holes

In this wonderfully creative novel, Louis Sachar makes up a puzzle about Stanley Yelnats, a boy who was sent to juvenile detention center (少年管教中心) Camp Green Lake, and forced to dig a hole a day, five feet across in the hard earth of the dried-up lake bed. It is a darkly humorous tale. The book wins the Winner of the National Book Award and was one of the best sellers among children.

1. Who is the author of the book Salt?

A．Helen Frost.	B．Anikwa.
C．Stanley Yelnats.	D．Louis Sachar.

2. What do we know about the book Green?

A．It tells a serious but funny story.

B．It describes different kinds of one color.

C．It talks about friendship in the period of war.

D．It is one of the series by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

3. What do the four books in the text have in common?

A．They are set in modern times.

B．They share the same honor as each other.

C．They don’t sell as well as first published.

D．Their readers are mostly children.