1 . Just how bad of a mother am I, I silently wondered, as I watched my 13-year-old son deep in conversation with Siri. Gus has autism (自闭症), and Siri, Apple's “intelligent personal assistant” on the iPhone, is currently his BFF(Best Friend Forever). Obsessed with weather formations, Gus had spent the past hour exploring the difference between isolated and scaltered thunderstorms—an hour during which, thank God, I didn't have to discuss with him myself. After a while I heard this:

Gus:“You're a really nice computer.”

Siri:“It's nice to be appreciated.”

Gus:“You're always asking if you can help me.Is there anything you want?” Siri: “Thank you, but I have very few wants.”

Gus: “OK. Well, good night!”

Siri: “See you later!”

That is Siri. She does not let my communicatively impaired son get away with anything. When Gus discovered there was someone who would not only find information for him related to his various obsessions but would also be willing to tirelessly discuss these subjects, he was hooked.

She is also wonderful for someone who does not pick up on social cues: Siri's responses are not entirely predictable, but they are predictably kind—even when Gus is rude. I heard him talking to Siri about music, and Siri offered some suggestions. “I don't like that kind of music.” Gus snapped(厉声说). Siri replied, “You're certainly entitled to your opinion.” Siri's politeness reminded Gus what he owed Siri. “Thank you for that music, though.” Gus said.

My son's practice conversations with Siri are starting to translate into increased facility with actual humans. Yesterday I had the longest ever conversation with him. Admittedly, it was about different species of turtles which might not have been my choice of topic, but it was back and forth, and followed a logic. For most of my son's 13 years of existence, this has not been the case.

Indeed, many of us wanted an imaginary friend when we were young, and now we can all have one not entirely imaginary anytime we wish to. In a world where the commonly held wisdom is that technology isolates us, it's worth considering another side of the story.

The developers of intelligent assistants recognize their potential usefulness for those with speech and communication problems, and some are currently pondering new ways in which the assistants can help. “For example, the assistant would be able to track eye movements and help the autistic learn to look you in the eye while talking." said William Mark, vice president of the company from whom Apple purchased the technology behind Siri. “See, that's the wonderful thing about technology. Getting results requires a lot of repetition. Machines are very, very patient."

1. What did the author feel when she watched her son having a deep conversation with Siri about thunderstorms?

A．Concerned but helpless.	B．Excited and overjoyed.
C．Guilty but relieved	D．Hopeless and surprised.

2. Which of the following statements about Gus is true?

A．He had always dreamed of having an imaginary friend.

B．He shows no interest in anything that is not related to weather.

C．He has trouble communicating with others because of his illness.

D．He has been friends with Siri since he was diagnosed with autism.

3. Siri has helped Gus in the following aspects except

A．setting a fixed bedtime routine

B．exploring his special interests

C．shaping his logic while talking

D．improving his interaction with people

4. What does the author learn from her son's story?

A．Siri makes people feel much lonely in modern society.

B．Siri sometimes provides better assistance than people.

C．Siri has a better academic performance than the author.

D．Siri is likely to be an effective cure for her son's autism.

5. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Intelligent assistants will be more widely employed in the future.

B．The use of intelligent assistants will likely be limited to autistic people.

C．Machines are more skilled and patient at communication than humans.

D．William Mark was critical of the future development of intelligent assistants.

2 . A friend and I were having lunch and I asked about her son who was getting professional help for some behavioral problems he was having. Our conversation went like this: “There’s a good change in his attitude. He’s staying out of trouble, but I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” she said. “It’s hard to trust him yet. He is doing things that he’s never done before, which is great. But I still need to supervise him just in case.”

I asked a couple of questions: “Have you told him how proud you are of how far he’s come? Have you thanked him for the things he’s now doing but never did in the past?” She said no. And because she’s a very bright woman she followed it up with: “I really need to say those things because I am proud of him and I am grateful for what he’s doing now. All I keep doing is looking at what he’s still doing wrong and getting on him about that. How’s he ever going to feel good about himself and continue to improve if I don’t acknowledge him for all his improvements and growth?”

“If I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, it will!” I just smiled and told her I loved her and that she’s a great mom. The conversation moved on to a new topic. It’s worth taking a look at your close relationships, especially with your kids and asking yourself: Do I spend too much time letting them know what they’re doing wrong? Do I ignore their efforts toward positive change? Do I still find ways to be unsatisfied with their behavior?

If you answer yes to any of those questions, you’re now the one who needs to do some changing. Never forget that people love to be acknowledged — not just for the big things but the little things, too. Appreciation and love are the driving force that keeps them wanting to do well and do something nice for others.

1. The author’s friend ______.

A．was already satisfied with her son’s behavior

B．was particular about her son’s attitude

C．was still worried about her son’s behavior

D．already fully believed in her son

2. The attitude the friend holds towards the author’s advice is ______.

A．favorable	B．negative
C．unconcerned	D．doubtful

3. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．If I keep waiting for kids to correct mistakes, they will.

B．If I keep waiting for kids to change positively, they will.

C．If I keep waiting for kids to wear the other shoe, they will.

D．If I keep waiting for kids to make mistakes, they will.

4. The motivations for kids to keep behaving well are ______.

A．direct rejection and scolding

B．proper affection and admiration

C．blind love and appreciation

D．strict requirements and standards

5. The best title for the text is ______.

A．A Dialogue Between Two Women

B．Are You Proud of Your Child?

C．Be Patient When You Are a Parent

D．One Major Thing Most Parents Forget to Do

3 . Many of our family traditions centered around food. We’d gather in the kitchen for every birthday and holiday and enjoy delicious food. My grandparents always held Christmas dinner, which included chicken cacciatore, sausage, meatballs and salad. But right before we sat down to eat, my grandmother would pull me aside to show me the dish she made just for me: fresh pasta (意大利面) with tomato sauce.

It was a simple dish, but to me it was warm food that filled me with happiness. But more than that, it made me feel like I belonged. I was a shy kid and, in many situations, I felt ignored. And here was my grandmother, showing me that I mattered.

Years went by; I moved away and got married. I’d visit throughout the years and my grandmother would serve up a plate of pasta.

When my daughter was born in 2020, for the first time in my life I wasn’t about to make the trip back home for Christmas. I cooked my family’s traditional foods and my husband and I had a big meal that included, of course, fresh pasta. I had a video call with my grandmother and showed her the pasta. Shortly after the holidays she passed away unexpectedly.

It seemed so unfair that my grandmother passed away soon after I became a parent. I’d hold my daughter and think about how I could tell her what an amazing great-grandmother she had.

In my sadness I came to an answer: food. Late at night after my daughter had gone to bed, I’d go to the kitchen and learn how to make fresh pasta, cooking my grandmother’s recipes. Before long I started experimenting, making a bit changes to classic recipes. When my daughter got a little older, I began making special dishes for her with my grandmother’s flavors in mind.

I know that no matter how hard I try, my daughter will never have a bowl pasta with sauce exactly like the ones my grandmother would make for me. While that makes me sad, she’ll still get to have my pasta sauce. I know there’re two things she’ll never lack for in this life: pasta and love.

1. What did the author say about her grandmother’s homemade pasta?

A．It was a special birthday gift for her.	B．It brought her a sense of belonging.
C．It was loved by every family member.	D．It took a lot of time and energy to prepare.

2. What made the author’s 2020 Christmas dinner different from previous ones?

A．She didn’t share pasta with her husband.

B．She didn’t give her grandmother a call.

C．She didn’t prepare many traditional family foods.

D．She didn’t have a chance to eat her grandmother’s pasta.

3. Why did the author learn to make fresh pasta late at night?

A．To honour her grandmother.	B．To give her daughter a surprise.
C．To meet her grandmother’s wish.	D．To be a role model for her daughter.

4. What can we learn about the author’s pasta sauce?

A．It isn’t easy to make.	B．It isn’t to her daughter’s liking.
C．It tastes exactly the same as her grandmother’s.	D．It shows her love for her daughter.

5. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Different types of pasta	B．The origin of pasta
C．Love through pasta	D．Pasta for Christmas

4 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
Dear Max,

It must seem a little odd to get a letter from your own mother whom you see every day, but I hope you will read this and take what I have to say seriously.

I bought you a phone for your 12th birthday because you wanted one so much, and all your friends have one. I know you love your phone, but I wonder whether you are aware of just how much you use it.

From my perspective, it seems that you are constantly checking your phone for notifications (通知) or messages. You even do this when we’re having a family meal in a restaurant or when I’m talking to you. You may not realise this, but whenever you feel even slightly bored, you check your phone. You never seem to relax. You’re constantly on alert, and I don’t think this is very good for you. We all need to switch it off every now and then. And if I ask you to leave your phone at home when we go out, you sulk (生气) and get twitchy, almost as if you’re suffering withdrawal symptoms (戒断症状). It’s like your phone is a drug.

I have tried to talk to you about this, but whenever I ask you to put down your phone and look at me, you say “in a minute”. Unfortunately, “in a minute” never comes, and we never talk. I can’t actually remember the last time we had a proper face-to-face conversation. I even have to message you to let you know dinner is on the table! That’s why I decided to put my concerns in a letter to you.

Please don’t think I am writing this letter to punish you or to nag (唠叨) you. I know you are a good boy. I don’t think you want to hurt me or be rude intentionally. However, I recently heard about something called “nomophobia”—the fear of being without a phone. It’s a real illness and I’m worried whether you have it. I really think it would be a good idea if we all went to see an addiction expert together so we can all have a discussion about this serious problem. I know you won’t want to, but I’m very concerned about you. Please take some time to think about what I have written. Then let’s talk.

Mum,

1. What’s Max’s mum worried about?（no more than 10 words）
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did Max’s mum have to message him that dinner was ready?（no more than 6 words）
________________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 5?（no more than 2 word）
________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is mum’s suggestion to solve this problem?（no more than 15 words）
________________________________________________________________________________
5. What do you think of Max’s problem? Please explain.（no more than 20 words）
________________________________________________________________________________

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When will the speakers meet Howard?

A．Before 1:00.

B．At 1:00.

C．After 1:00.

2. What can we know about Howard?

A．He is a man of fun.

B．He is the hotel manager.

C．He is leaving the town soon.

3. What are the speakers going to do?

A．Have lunch with Howard.

B．Call their friend.

C．Walk around the town.

6 . It was never a question whether or not my mother loved me. However, I’m not _______ about my father’s love. There are _______ of us laughing together, with me in diapers(尿不湿). Also I’ve watched recordings of my older sister and me _______ in turns for my father to lift us into the air—all three of us scream with _______. And when I search my own childhood for _______ of my father’s love, there is one impressive memory I can name.

At some point during my first year of school, I peed(小便) my pants _______. I was sent to the office for a(n) _______ of clothes, and for the rest of the day, I wore a pair of over-large, bright orange sweatpants. I _______ exactly how the teacher and the other students looked at me, but they were the least of my _______.

I was in terror __________ of showing up at home with different pants. All afternoon I planned how I would enter the house and run to my room __________ my father even noticed I was there. I rehearsed(默默练习) again and again __________ I had in mind that would allow me to __________ my father’s anger.

I carefully planned to avoid his notice, __________ at the front door to check for my father. When he yelled out “Hello?”, I promptly(迅速地) got into the coat closet and hid there until my dad found me in the __________ pants, and I had no choice but to tell him the truth.

Then my father did something very kind but __________. He reached out for me and gently patted my head; he took the __________ pants and put them in the laundry and said it was Okay. And that was it! As I remember that moment, I want to scream through the hallway of __________: “That’s it! Look! He loves you!” I want to reach toward the little girl __________ down at her feet, who is afraid to meet her father’s eyes. I want to raise her head to __________ her eyes and know it is okay to be loved.

1.

A．anxious

B．hopeful

C．sure

D．thrilled

2.

A．photographs

B．questions

C．comments

D．conditions

3.

A．warming up

B．breaking up

C．checking up

D．lining up

4.

A．shock

B．delight

C．patience

D．curiosity

5.

A．sake

B．fear

C．right

D．proof

6.

A．in silence

B．in winter

C．in class

D．in bed

7.

A．change

B．exchange

C．display

D．return

8.

A．wonder

B．remember

C．believe

D．judge

9.

A．challenges

B．demands

C．errors

D．worries

10.

A．at the thought

B．by the means

C．to the end

D．with the hope

11.

A．unless

B．since

C．before

D．after

12.

A．the joke

B．the performance

C．the lesson

D．the plan

13.

A．arouse

B．escape

C．occupy

D．shift

14.

A．pausing

B．staying

C．gathering

D．considering

15.

A．easy-going

B．ever-changing

C．ill-fitting

D．long-standing

16.

A．familiar

B．impersonal

C．remarkable

D．unexpected

17.

A．causal

B．dirty

C．fancy

D．unspotted

18.

A．time

B．generation

C．school

D．history

19.

A．feeling

B．lying

C．settling

D．staring

20.

A．check out

B．lift up

C．look into

D．see through

7 . I was at the bus stop, heading home after a long, busy day, when I served guests at a restaurant. Suddenly I realized I’d left behind my wallet with $80 worth of tips and one of my photos in it! I couldn’t afford to ________ a day’s pay. When I ran back, the restaurant was closed. So I had to tell myself: I’d try to ________ about it this evening.

The next day was much ________ than the day before. I was already ________ five tables there, when a white-haired ________ sat down in my section (区域). No matter how ________ I was, I made sure to give them the best ________ I could. After their meal, I thanked them for their kindness. The couple had left the ________ by the time I picked up the tip. This wasn’t right, I thought; there was much more than twenty dollars. It was too much for a tip. I ________ again; forty dollars!

Quickly, I ________ around to look for the couple. They’d left the restaurant. ________, I went to the hostess (女招待). “Did you see that ________ couple who just sat in my section leave?” I asked. “Oh, they are my parents, and have gone home,” the hostess said. “They told me about you. Yesterday they ________ your wallet. Since you were very ________ just now, they asked me to give the wallet to you. By the way, they said they were very ________with your service and gave you twice as much as a tip.”

How kind they are and what a coincidence (巧合)! I will always try my best to serve customers well in future.

1.

A．lose

B．finish

C．waste

D．spend

2.

A．think

B．forget

C．complain

D．remember

3.

A．brighter

B．busier

C．luckier

D．hotter

4.

A．putting away

B．taking away

C．waiting on

D．cleaning up

5.

A．man

B．lady

C．couple

D．stranger

6.

A．tired

B．happy

C．relaxed

D．calm

7.

A．places

B．dishes

C．food

D．service

8.

A．cafe

B．table

C．money

D．scene

9.

A．included

B．admired

C．counted

D．explored

10.

A．turned

B．traveled

C．showed

D．drove

11.

A．Anywhere

B．Instead

C．Recently

D．Finally

12.

A．good

B．honest

C．friendly

D．aged

13.

A．set up

B．put up

C．picked up

D．made up

14.

A．confused

B．angry

C．busy

D．sad

15.

A．satisfied

B．popular

C．angry

D．moved

8 . My son Dan was going to fly out to France in a couple of hours. When we had to say _________, I looked closely at his face. I would have liked to have provided him with some _________, but not a sound came from my lips.

I knew that this wasn’t the first time I had let such a(n) _________ pass me by. When Dan was a little boy, I followed him to the bus on his _________ day in preschool. He looked at me when the bus stopped. What’s it like, Dad? Can I do it? And then he _________ the bus and disappeared. The bus drove away. And I hadn’t said a word. Some ten years later, something _________ took place. His mother and I drove him to university. When it was time to say goodbye, I _________ to come up with something to say. _________, the words let me down.

There was one chance I didn’t _________, however. One day I advised Dan to take a year’s sabbatical (休假) after he graduated from university. I said he should travel around the world, __________ I believed that was the best way for him to get a deeper understanding of life. Dan thought it probably was not a bad __________.

The night before his __________, I lay twisting and turning in bed, __________ about what to tell him. I couldn’t __________ anything. Maybe, I thought, it wasn’t really __________. But when I stood in front of Dan, I knew saying something really did __________ something.

“Dan,” I finally said, “if I had the __________, I would have chosen you every time.”

That was all I could say. I was not sure whether he __________ what I meant. But then he stepped towards me and put his arms around me. For a short while the world and everything in it__________, only Dan and me were there.

What I told Dan was simple and __________. It was nothing. And yet it was everything.

1.

A．goodbye

B．hello

C．sorry

D．please

2.

A．advice

B．money

C．support

D．fun

3.

A．mistake

B．opportunity

C．challenge

D．award

4.

A．busiest

B．only

C．best

D．first

5.

A．stopped

B．found

C．boarded

D．checked

6.

A．important

B．clear

C．unique

D．similar

7.

A．tried

B．started

C．continued

D．failed

8.

A．Besides

B．Again

C．Instead

D．Soon

9.

A．provide

B．create

C．deserve

D．miss

10.

A．or

B．but

C．because

D．so

11.

A．idea

B．excuse

C．job

D．answer

12.

A．graduation

B．departure

C．competition

D．performance

13.

A．worrying

B．writing

C．puzzling

D．reading

14.

A．ask for

B．think of

C．learn about

D．look into

15.

A．strange

B．interesting

C．helpful

D．necessary

16.

A．influence

B．need

C．mean

D．express

17.

A．plan

B．power

C．chance

D．choice

18.

A．remembered

B．understood

C．appreciated

D．considered

19.

A．waited

B．changed

C．disappeared

D．burned

20.

A．unforgettable

B．valuable

C．normal

D．common

9 . 假设你是李津，你的英国朋友Chris曾就读于天津某国际学校，现已回国。你很荣幸地被中英交流协会选中去英国剑桥大学学习一年。为了取得更好的学习效果，加强对英国文化的了解，请你根据以下提示，用英语给Chris写一封电子邮件。
☆询问Chris的近况并告知Chris这一好消息;
☆感谢Chris对你英语学习的帮助并征询在英国学习的建议(如选择课程，参观英国名胜簿);
☆请求对方回复。
注意：
(1)可适当加入细节，以使行文连贯，不少于100词;
(2)电子邮件的开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：
中英交流协会 Sino-British Exchange Association
剑桥大学 Cambridge University
Dear Chris,

I am Li Jin.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Jin

10 . As we grew up, my mother would sit my sister and me down on the last Sunday of every month and force us to write letters to family in India. Despite being an orphan, my mom came from a large, tight-kmit Anglo-Indian family back in Hyderabad and loved the cousins she was raised with like siblings. At the time, we were the only ones who had left India to go abroad. She missed all our relatives deeply.

It was the 1970s, and my mother was recently divorced, raising two little girls on her own and finding her way in a new country. We lived in a basement apartment and couldn’t afford long-distance calls. Letter-writing was the cheapest and only way for us to maintain contact. The last thing I wanted to do was sit down for an hour after dinner and write letters to people I barely knew. But over time, my sister and I came to enjoy it. My mother would tell us stories about each family member, and it was interesting to get to know a whole clan of people who looked and sounded just like us.

When my mother died, my sister and I took her ashes back to India. We hadn’t been back for over 25 years, having visited only once when I was 10. After the funeral, we spent a month visiting relatives. Each household would take out photo albums full of photographs of us as well as the letters they’d received over the years. They’d saved them all and wanted to show us that they’d never forgotten us.

As we struggled as new immigrants, my mother ensured that we always knew who we were, where we came from and where we were going. She kept us connected to a family that was thousands of miles away but near to our hearts through a lifetime of letter-writing. And she taught me the power of storytelling.

It's a legacy to be proud of and a gift I’m grateful for every day.

1. What can we learn about the author’s mother from the text?

A．She was born into a poor family.	B．She raised her children alone.
C．She left India to study abroad.	D．She once lost touch with her cousins.

2. In the beginning, how did the author feel about writing letters to her relatives in India?

A．Curious.

B．Excited.

C．Confused.

D．Unwilling.

3. During their visit to India, what did the author and her sister discover about their relatives?

A．They lived all over the country.	B．They had forgotten about them.
C．They had saved all the letters from them.	D．They had similarities with the author’s mother.

4. What valuable lesson did the author learn from her mother’s practice of letter-writing?

A．The power of trust.	B．The joy of giving.
C．The impact of storytelling.	D．The importance of caring for one’s relatives.

5. The passage mainly tells us about __________.

A．where the writer’s family came from

B．what the writer’s relatives did with their letters

C．why the writer’s family moved to a new country

D．how the writer’s family kept in touch with their relatives