1 . Steven took his 7-year-old son Alex and 4-year-old daughter Mia out on his boat for fishing and fun. But in the blink of an eye, things took a terrifying
While Mia wore a life jacket, Alex did not. But as the current pulled his sister away, Alex wasn’t going to leave her alone. He, too, let go of the
Realizing the danger, Steven
“I told them both I loved them because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Steven recalled. “I tried to
Alex followed his dad’s
This little boy spent an hour
Alex, the brave and
A.hit | B.turn | C.pause | D.risk |
A.release | B.find | C.escape | D.regain |
A.fish | B.jacket | C.boat | D.current |
A.unusually | B.suddenly | C.instantly | D.unexpectedly |
A.relate to | B.wait for | C.count on | D.stick with |
A.explanation | B.footsteps | C.example | D.instructions |
A.clearing | B.fighting | C.picking | D.changing |
A.security | B.understanding | C.permission | D.help |
A.cut in | B.looked out | C.took over | D.came around |
A.tough | B.humble | C.hard-working | D.confident |
2 . You may have heard of the famous workplace communication software, Slack. Many companies use Slack to virtually communicate across teams. What most people don’t know is that Slack, despite its
The
An outcome-focused company might have just moved on from the failed video game or, worse, continued investing resources, risking further negative outcomes. But
You’ve probably heard a quote or two in your life about the
A.problem | B.history | C.success | D.limitation |
A.took down | B.shut down | C.cut down | D.passed down |
A.immediate | B.general | C.real | D.initial |
A.chat | B.sign | C.control | D.power |
A.intended | B.managed | C.pretended | D.promised |
A.luckily | B.naturally | C.likely | D.hopefully |
A.Therefore | B.Still | C.Thus | D.Instead |
A.predict | B.achieve | C.adapt | D.watch |
A.origin | B.challenge | C.importance | D.purpose |
A.distance | B.destination | C.determination | D.direction |
3 . Samuel worked in the town’s bookstore. His life had been predictable and boring. But one sunny morning, the bookstore owner
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, he thought,
With pen in hand and a blank page before him, Samuel poured his soul out onto the paper. He
“Out with the old and in with the new” became Samuel’s pet phrase. The once-shy clerk
Samuel’s
A.permitted | B.complained | C.admitted | D.announced |
A.unusual | B.uncertain | C.impossible | D.unrealistic |
A.gathering | B.lacking | C.admiring | D.recalling |
A.clerk | B.painter | C.novelist | D.publisher |
A.penned | B.heard | C.provided | D.concluded |
A.Frequently | B.Eventually | C.Obviously | D.Normally |
A.chance | B.solution | C.condition | D.right |
A.depended on | B.knew about | C.learned from | D.transformed into |
A.exploration | B.curiosity | C.success | D.dignity |
A.change | B.repeat | C.create | D.evaluate |
4 . It was my first day of high school, and it was my first day of school in a new city. There was only one thing on my mind: what to wear. A good image is everything, so it was important for me to
For the first time in my life, I thought about how convenient it would be to wear the school uniform. After carefully selecting, I emerged proudly in a patterned dress. An hour later, I felt
Sitting at her desk was Mrs. Hutfilz, my English teacher,
While my first period of high school may not have gone exactly the way I thought it would, it certainly made the day
A.impress | B.surprise | C.please | D.encourage |
A.shy | B.lucky | C.free | D.powerful |
A.preparing | B.wearing | C.hiding | D.designing |
A.turn | B.chance | C.reward | D.solution |
A.writing | B.style | C.speech | D.voice |
A.happiness | B.confidence | C.boredom | D.anxiety |
A.nodded | B.buried | C.raised | D.touched |
A.neighbor | B.peer | C.teacher | D.friend |
A.relieved | B.nervous | C.patient | D.embarrassed |
A.unpredictable | B.unforgettable | C.unbearable | D.unchangeable |
5 . It was rush hour in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. White, 38, was driving home. He noticed a gray Nissan four-door pickup on the opposite side of the two-lane street. It was hard to
As the pickup drew closer, White got a good look at the
White busted a U-turn and was now facing in the same direction as the pickup, but there were four cars
White was now inside the cab of the truck, waist deep, his legs dangling out the window. The man behind the wheel, 64-year-old Todd DeAngelis, was just
White worked quickly. They were coming up to a busy intersection, he recalls, “so I was trying to stop anything before it happened.” He
From outside the truck, White asked DeAngelis if he was OK. “No,” he replied, in a haze. DeAngelis, a diabetic, was
“I'm always trying to help, where I can, when I can, ” White says.
But jumping into a moving vehicle to prevent a crash? White admits this was new
A.miss | B.recognize | C.seek | D.realize |
A.direction | B.problem | C.street | D.pickup |
A.carried out | B.given up | C.kept on | D.taken over |
A.prohibiting | B.overtaking | C.separating | D.following |
A.burning | B.cooling | C.warm | D.temperate |
A.calm | B.anxious | C.desperate | D.conscious |
A.forced | B.wheeled | C.urged | D.led |
A.ejected | B.landed | C.released | D.escaped |
A.regularly | B.specially | C.constantly | D.unexpectedly |
A.cause | B.challenge | C.approach | D.territory |
6 . I’ve been paralyzed (瘫痪的) since childhood and I started using a wheelchair in first grade. So I’ve had 30 years to learn just how
As a culture, Americans are
Well, here’s the
“So how am I supposed to be helpful?” you might be asking. You have to
Like anyone else, disabled people are both capable and in need of some help. If you want to be genuinely, actively “
A.capable | B.desperate | C.friendly | D.responsible |
A.promised | B.convinced | C.trusted | D.questioned |
A.brave | B.honest | C.helpful | D.grateful |
A.test | B.change | C.reason | D.problem |
A.forget | B.refuse | C.continue | D.pretend |
A.still | B.also | C.even | D.already |
A.believe in | B.catch up with | C.smile at | D.pay attention to |
A.tell | B.answer | C.lie | D.focus |
A.kind | B.useful | C.faithful | D.polite |
A.guidance | B.profession | C.performance | D.inclusion |
7 . It was hard not to notice an 8-year-old kid storming in and out of his own house. “He doesn’t have a father,” said his neighbor, William Dunn. “I can probably do something for him.”
That something was fishing, a
Just as important as the fishing are the
Dunn’s father passed away this year, so fishing has
A.case | B.passion | C.duty | D.goal |
A.difficult | B.dramatic | C.adventurous | D.boring |
A.remembered | B.regretted | C.recorded | D.appreciated |
A.Entertained | B.Shocked | C.Inspired | D.Confused |
A.nearby | B.around | C.ahead | D.throughout |
A.identities | B.agreements | C.relationships | D.opinions |
A.toughness | B.dependence | C.sharpness | D.defense |
A.require | B.deserve | C.lead | D.secure |
A.left behind | B.turned into | C.carried out | D.taken on |
A.curious | B.nervous | C.lucky | D.hesitant |
8 . It was 4:30 pm. As I was packing up, I noticed my colleague had left his laptop bag in the office. So I decided to bring it to him. It took me about 15 minutes to get to his house, where I
Suddenly a snowstorm came and within minutes I was in a whiteout. I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field, or worse. I kept the car
Those seconds after the call were
I texted my colleague, joking about my good deed ending in
Waiting in the car, I doubted whether
At 8 pm, I saw a tall figure in a yellow raincoat striding toward me in the dark, carrying a flashlight. I’d never been more
He turned around and started to trudge through the snow, sure of the direction. I drove behind him, feeling my heart begin to beat more
The experience has been a game changer for me. I now
A.dropped off | B.filled up | C.set aside | D.put away |
A.locked | B.parked | C.signaling | D.running |
A.painful | B.critical | C.disappointing | D.impressive |
A.failure | B.smoke | C.disaster | D.mystery |
A.route | B.location | C.direction | D.destination |
A.news | B.help | C.hope | D.faith |
A.satisfied | B.surprised | C.relieved | D.worried |
A.slowly | B.excitedly | C.nervously | D.strongly |
A.recognition | B.admiration | C.satisfaction | D.appreciation |
A.identify | B.present | C.approach | D.anticipate |
9 . During the first weeks of his retirement from the fire service, Max had felt lost. And that’s when Polly, a library manager, helped him sign up as a
Max hadn’t volunteered before and he didn’t know anything about
Glancing around the library at the many parents and carers accompanying the robot builders, Max knew he had to face this
“Okay, team,” he started
The children nodded, their hands busy with screws and plastic limbs. Max wandered from table to table,
An hour passed, and the room was filled with the sound of chatter and clinking parts. As the final minutes of Robot Club ticked away, Max stood back and
As they began to leave, many children stopped to thank Max. Each “thank you” and “see you next week” chipped away at the sense of
A.volunteer | B.writer | C.builder | D.fireman |
A.books | B.programs | C.children | D.robots |
A.searching | B.waiting | C.reading | D.arguing |
A.competition | B.consequence | C.challenge | D.conflict |
A.calmly | B.coldly | C.casually | D.weakly |
A.processing | B.offering | C.exchanging | D.understanding |
A.surveyed | B.cleaned | C.decorated | D.left |
A.bringing up | B.calling on | C.showing off | D.giving away |
A.freedom | B.relief | C.loss | D.guilt |
A.version | B.belief | C.approach | D.purpose |
10 . As an ordinary senior school student, I’ve discovered a wonderful way to
When I get on my bike and ride around familiar streets, it feels like I’m on a small quest. It’s not just about reaching a(n)
Another thing that cycling has taught me is to be ready for surprises. The road isn’t always
The most important part, though, is how cycling makes me feel happy and
In the end, my daily bike rides have become more than just a way to get around. They’ve become a(n)
A.estimate | B.approach | C.guarantee | D.challenge |
A.phenomenon | B.coincidence | C.adventure | D.entertainment |
A.flexible | B.unique | C.traditional | D.responsible |
A.cooperation | B.dilemma | C.crisis | D.destination |
A.discovery | B.value | C.comment | D.growth |
A.top | B.coast | C.stage | D.platform |
A.describe | B.detect | C.remove | D.overcome |
A.delicate | B.fragile | C.smooth | D.tough |
A.volunteer | B.insist | C.pray | D.panic |
A.original | B.unexpected | C.crucial | D.natural |
A.useful | B.efficient | C.carefree | D.curious |
A.apply | B.recharge | C.develop | D.recognize |
A.alarmed | B.embarrassed | C.fresh | D.emotional |
A.audience | B.passenger | C.victim | D.guide |
A.determination | B.attempt | C.comfort | D.calmness |