1 . Nowadays the use of cell phone has taken up a large part of our day, which concerns people a lot. Some worry that “though we are hard-wired in, we’re more disconnected than ever.” Do you agree with this statement? Please write a “for” and “against” essay on this topic (You should discuss both sides of the issue and give your own opinion).
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2 . How to Find the Theme of a Book or Short Story

If you’ve ever been assigned a book report, you may have been asked to address the theme of the book.     1     A book’s theme is the main idea that flows through the narrative and connects the components of the story together. A work of fiction may have one theme or many, and they aren’t always easy to pinpoint right away. In many stories, the theme develops over time, and it isn’t until you’re well into reading the novel or short story that you fully understand the underlying theme or themes.

Themes can be broad or they can focus on a specific notion. For example, a romance novel may have the obvious, but very general, theme of love, but the storyline may also address issues of society or family.     2    

A book’s theme is not the same as its plot or its moral lesson, but these elements are related and necessary in building the larger story.     3     The moral is the lesson that the reader is supposed to learn from the plot’s conclusion. Both reflect the larger theme and work to present what that theme is to the reader.

    4     Often it is suggested by a thinly veiled lesson or details contained within the plot. In the nursery tale “The Three Little Pigs,” the narrative revolves around three pigs and a wolf’s pursuit of them. The wolf destroys their first two homes, shoddily built of straw and twigs. But the third home, painstakingly built of brick, protects the pigs and the wolf is defeated. The pigs (and the reader) learn that only hard work and preparation will lead to success. Thus, you can say that the theme of “The Three Little Pigs” is about making smart choices.

If you find yourself struggling to identify the theme of a book you’re reading, there’s a simple trick you can use.     5     For example, you could say preparation best symbolizes “The Three Little Pigs.” Next, use that word as the foundation for a complete thought such as, “Making smart choices requires planning and preparation, which could be interpreted as the moral of the story.”

A．A story’s theme isn’t typically stated outright.

B．In order to do that, you really have to understand what a theme is.

C．The theme of a novel or short story may not necessarily be clear.

D．When you finish reading, ask yourself to sum up the book in a single word.

E．The plot of a novel is the action that takes place within the course of the narrative.

F．Many stories have a major theme and several minor themes that help develop the major theme.

G．There are several themes that are reoccurring in literature, many of which we can identify quickly.

3 . Mathilde Loisel, a beautiful woman, is miserable with her life. Although from a family of clerks, she always felt she had “fallen from a higher station” and longs to be part of the upper class. With no prospect of meeting these dreams she marries a middle-class Parisian clerk. This leaves her unhappy, suffering from what she thinks as a life of poverty. Although her husband’s income is sufficient for their needs, Mathilde still dreams of being wealthy. Mathilde focuses on her lack of possessions such as gowns and jewelry instead of enjoying the life she has. She even becomes jealous of her school friend, Madame Forestier, who has married a wealthy man.

One evening, the triumphant Monsieur Loisel comes home and hands her an invitation to a ball at the Ministry of Public Instruction where he works. Mathilde surprises him by refusing to go and throws the invitation onto the floor. She gets upset and tells her husband that without a new gown and jewelry she cannot possibly attend the ball. Monsieur Loisel reluctantly agrees to pay for a gown costing four hundred francs, knowing he will not be able to afford the hunting gun he had been saving up to buy. Mathilde buys the dress but complains that she still has no jewelry. For once though, Mathilde is pleased when her husband comes up with the solution to ask her friend to lend some jewelry.

Madame Forestier offers Mathilde to choose what she wants and Mathilde selects a beautiful diamond necklace from a black satin box. When Madame Forestier sees how happy the necklace makes her friend feel she agrees to lend it to her for the ball.

At the ball, Mathilde is the most elegant and graceful woman there, smiling and happy. All the men ask her name and want to be introduced to her. She dances with all of the attaches from the cabinet and is even noticed by the minister. Dancing with happiness and passion, intoxicated with pleasure, Mathilde exists for a time in the world she longs to be part of.

At 4 am, she is ready to leave. As Monsieur Loisel places the wrap over his wife’s shoulders, the contrast of the poverty of her wrap with the elegant ball gown is too much to bear and to save any embarrassment she hurries to leave before anyone notices her. When they reach the street, they cannot find a cab and start to walk home. They walked towards the Seine in despair, shivering with cold. At last on the quay side they find “one of those ancient night cabs which, as though they were ashamed to show their shabbiness during the day, are never seen round Paris until after dark”.

The Loisels arrive home at the Rue des Martyrs, and Mathilde’s happiness turns to horror as she sees that the necklace is missing when she looks in the mirror to admire herself one more time. She and Monsieur Loisel search frantically, but they cannot find the necklace. Monsieur Loisel even retraces their steps back along the whole route and then spends the next day enquiring and trying to find the necklace. Finally, in defeat, he suggests Mathilde writes a letter to Madame Forestier, explaining she will return the necklace after repair, lying that the clasp had broken. This story allows them time to continue the search.

When the Loisels are unable to find the necklace, they use its jewelry box to search for the jeweler where it was purchased. The jeweler offers the couple a similar necklace for thirty-six-thousand francs with the understanding that he will buy it back if they find the necklace before the end of February. However, they do not find the necklace, and they take on huge debt that forever changes their lives. Monsieur Loisel, frightened by the trouble yet to come, by the “black misery” that is about to fall upon him, by the prospect of all the physical sacrifices and the “moral tortures” he is about to suffer, goes to pay the jeweler thirty-six-thousand francs and collects the diamond necklace.

When Mathilde takes the newly purchased necklace to Madame Forestier, she fears her friend will discover that the necklace is a replacement and consider her a thief. Although Madame Forestier criticizes Mathilde for bringing the necklace back late, she never opens the case to look at it.

The next years are horrible for Mathilde, who works like a servant, her own servant having been dismissed. The Loisels move to cheaper housing. Mathilde dresses in work clothing and becomes responsible for doing all the family’s “odious” housework duties. She takes on this role with “sudden heroism”. Monsieur Loisel works a second job at night. They work for ten years to repay their debts. The strain of deprivation takes its toll, and Mathilde ages rapidly. Occasionally, she thinks back and remembers the wonders of the ball, but finally, their debt is paid in full.

One day on the street, Mathilde meets Madame Forestier, still looking lovely. At first not recognizing Mathilde, Madam Forestier is shocked by her friend’s haggard appearance. Mathilde explains that her life has been hard because of Madame Forestier. Mathilde shares the truth regarding her loss and replacement of the necklace that she had borrowed. She explains that it was purchased with ten years of hard labour. She proudly describes how she met her obligation both to Madame Forestier and to society.

Madame Forestier, deeply moved, takes Mathilde’s hands in her own and tells her the truth. The necklace that she had loaned Mathilde was mere costume jewelry worth only five hundred francs.

1. Mathilde Loisel refused to go to the ball because she ________.

A．was angry with her husband

B．thought she was not invited

C．was upset for having lost her jewelry

D．feared that she would be looked down upon

2. Put the following events into the correct order.
① Mathilde realized that the necklace was missing.
② The Loisels worked hard to pay their debt.
③ Monsieur Loisel brought home an invitation to a ball
④ Monsieur Loiser bought a diamond necklace from a jeweler.
⑤ Mathilde borrowed a necklace from her friend Madame Forestier.
⑥ Mathilde talked to her friend Madame Forestier about her “sudden heroism”

A．③⑤①④②⑥	B．③①⑤②④⑥
C．⑤③①②④⑥	D．⑤③④②①⑥

3. Madame Forestier never opens the case because she ________.

A．trusts her friend very much

B．forgets about the necklace

C．is sure that the necklace is in the case

D．doesn’t care much about the necklace

4. What can best describe Mathilde Loisel?

A．unfortunate but honest.	B．lucky but selfish.
C．smart but lazy.	D．beautiful but evil.

4 . When the author opens his memoir with a scene of his mother pushing him from a moving vehicle, you know you’re in for a fascinating read. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, who is now a daily show host, is an autobiography about Trevor’s life in Africa.

Trevor, the son of a Xhosa (科萨人) mother and a Swiss-German father, was born a crime as it was illegal for different races to marry and have children in Africa. Growing up biracial in the post-apartheid era (后种族隔离时代), his mother is an influential partner at every step along his journey. She worked diligently to stay out of poverty and keep Noah in good schools. Trevor’s mom stressed independence and free thought as well as all the values of Judaism (犹太教). Even before they knew apartheid would end, she wanted him to live freely. She took him to places that black South Africans considered “white things,” like ice rinks and the suburbs, because even if he never left the ghetto (贫民区), he would know that the ghetto was not the world. It was her mother’s aim to keep him from internalizing his oppression, and to convince him that he was greater than social labels. His mom would take him to the library and museums, and local college campuses. For his mother, being a black woman didn’t mean he couldn’t achieve greatness. She gave him permission to dream beyond his circumstances.

In Trevor’s whole early life, being mixed-race, he often wasn’t allowed to go outside during apartheid because the police could have taken him away; he couldn’t be seen with his parents and his mother had to pretend to be his maid when they were in public. So, Trevor had to have his mother’s friends pose as his mother. Trevor struggled to fit in at school as he didn’t know which group to play with. Later in high school, Trevor had to start a lunch delivery business to move up and be accepted by his fellow classmates. After high school, he started getting into comedy in 2002 and has been on TV ever since. Trevor had a rough, but loving relationship with his mother as he was always getting in trouble. Trevor didn’t see his dad much and could only meet in secret. In the end, Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother. Noah writes: “I understood even from an early age that we weren’t just mother and son. We were a team.”

Born a Crime tells a really personal and yet universal story in many respects. It is undoubtedly a life-changing story which is powerful, honest, funny and dark at the same time, still it never turns to despair, self-pity or hopelessness. It’s a story of survival against the odds and the human ability to transcend the limits of their origin. At the end of the book, he explains this miracle that happened to his mother, where she survives a bullet to the head. These stories uncover new feelings towards loved-ones, and may influence you to sincerely reconsider connections to your family and their priorities.

1. It can be learnt that Born a Crime is ________.

A．a book on slavery

B．a story about criminals

C．an autobiography of a show host

D．a report about how to reduce crime

2. What problem did Trevor have in his early life?

A．He didn’t get along with his mother.

B．He felt hard to fit in at school.

C．He was wanted by the police.

D．He got too much attention.

3. According to the passage, Trevor’s mother ________.

A．pushed him to reach academic excellence

B．encouraged him go beyond the present limits

C．inspired him to speak for the minority as a TV host

D．helped him determine which race he should side with

4. What might be the theme of Born A Crime?

A．Law and justice.	B．Hope and grit.
C．Getting to the top.	D．Secrets of success.

5 . Dear colleague,

Greetings from the Office of Admission at Harley University! We hope that you and your students are doing well in these challenging times. In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Harley has suspended all campus visitations. However, we write to you today to affirm our commitment to working with you and your students as they navigate the college search and application process.

To that end, we are pleased to announce that beginning on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, our office will be offering online information sessions for prospective students. Much like our on-campus information sessions, these will consist of a one-hour discussion hosted by a Harley admission dean and a current student. They will provide an inside look at the Harley community both academically and socially, as well as an overview of the admission and financial aid processes. Attendees will be able to see the presenters and submit questions throughout the sessions. While designed for prospective students, counselors are welcome to join.

Our online information sessions will be offered on the days/times below.

Tuesdays at 3:00 pm EDT

Thursdays at 9:00 am EDT and 6:00 pm EDT

Students/Counselors can register here.

We are hopeful the times we offered will allow anyone, regardless of time zone, to be able to join us for a session. While we are disappointed that campus visits are not currently possible, we are confident that these online sessions will provide the same accessibility, information, and enthusiasm as we introduce your students to the Harley community.

In the same spirit, we remain committed to answering any questions you, your students, or their families may have about these sessions, or any other changes to our programming. You can contact us at admission@harley.edu.

We wish you all a safe and healthy spring.

Sincerely,

Jason Harley

Director of Undergraduate Admission

1. What is the purpose of this letter?

A．To answer questions from teachers and students.

B．To arrange for school visits and online interviews.

C．To say hello to colleagues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

D．To inform alternative methods of getting application information.

2. The online information sessions are most probably for ________.

A．students in Grade 11-12

B．parents of senior high school students

C．current students in Harley University

D．teaching staff in Harley University

3. What can be learnt from the letter?

A．Harley University does not enroll new students this year.

B．Prospective students should attend the sessions with counselors.

C．The online sessions will function almost the same with on-campus visits.

D．Students can contact admission@harley.edc to arrange on-campus visits.

6 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。写在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Can a sixth extinction be avoided?     1     (expert) say that it is not yet too late, if we take action now. This would mean we have to significantly change the way we live. For example, we need to take steps to save endangered species, including setting up special areas     2     plants and animals can be protected. We need to change how we work and travel by using     3     (clean), more natural sources of energy. We also need to improve our farming methods to reduce water, air and land pollution. In short, we need to stop destroying the planet that we live     4     and start to protect it.

7 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。写在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Getting rich     1     (regard) as a symbol of success by many people, who spend a lot of time dreaming up ways of achieving their goals. But Jason Harley, who once was a millionaire, turned his back on his millions and gave all his money away. Although he lives in a small dormitory room with only second-hand furniture, he is satisfied and     2     (appreciate) this change. He used to feel guilty being a rich man when millions of people died of hunger each year. After donating all his money and     3     (drop) out of the old kind of lifestyle, he felt a sense of achievement.

8 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。写在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Social networking dominates my life in so many ways. Sometimes I set deadlines for myself: I will start doing my homework at 8 pm, and aim to finish in two hours. At 7:50 pm, I’m still scrolling through my friends’ silly posts and photos.     1     I know it, it’s 9:30 pm and I still haven’t moved an inch from the sofa. I download song after song, video after video, but I’m not really paying attention. The stimulation is in chasing after the next song rather than     2     (true) enjoying it. My friends try to drag me away from my phone, but as soon as I’m alone again, I’m desperate     3     (get) back to the online world and the intense activity that it provides.

9 . 假如你是李华，你的加拿大笔友Allen来信说近期要来北京体验中国的春节文化，希望你介绍一些有关中国春节的习俗。请根据提示写一封回信，信件的开头和结尾已为你写好。注意文段结构和衔接。要求用到以下提示词：
1. 重视，准备，打扫屋子
2. 贴汉字“福”，剪纸，春联
3. 放烟火，吓跑怪物“年”，吃年夜饭，吃饺子，发红包，看春晚，守夜，家庭团聚
4. 习俗，精神
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10 . 课文回填

On a cold, windy day in November, my Granny moved in. Somehow, at that time, I didn’t know that she was sick.

After Granny moved in, she     1     most of her time on the brown sofa by the fire. When I wrote a letter to Father Christmas, she m    2     to help me.

In December, our excitement     3     every day. Granny and I made sugar biscuits, stuffed the turkey and then I sat on my granny’s lap and we sang Christmas songs.

On Christmas Eve, Granny took a seat by the fire as we p    4     the Christmas tree. I hung most of the decorations on the branches. Before bed, Granny and I put a stocking at the end of my bed. I remember Granny sitting on my bed and singing softly until I f    5    .

On Christmas morning, my stocking     6     small toys and sweets. Granny gave me a music box with a ballet dancer inside. After breakfast, my cousin David and I raced around the garden and     7     a big snowball to make a snowman. We p    8     silly paper hats. David put too much pudding in his mouth that he couldn’t     9    . Granny laughed so much that her paper hat fell off.

A few weeks after that Christmas, Granny p    10    . I think of her often though, especially at Christmas. When I think about What makes Christmas so msgical, it’s not just gifts and Father Christmas that come to mind. It’s also my memoty of Granny.