2 .

A．Lisa likes the messy situation.	B．Lisa made the mess.
C．He and Lisa are settling a problem.	D．Lisa likes the new place.

3 .

A．The lady should stop being patient.	B．He can’t understand the lady’s feeling.
C．The lady should not blame others.	D．Nobody may be interested in her problem.

4 . There is a country — I read about it once — where the local custom is that if you go to a house and praise some small possession, the owners feel obliged to offer it to you as a gift. The only other place I know of with such a custom is my mother’s apartment.

Knowing Mama, I have always been careful with my compliments, but that doesn’t stop her. If she catches me staring at anything small enough to put in a grocery bag, she hands it to me as I leave. It would do no good to protest. “I was merely staring at that photograph of Mount Hood because I have one exactly like it in my living room.” Mama would only nod and say, “Of course. You were thinking how nice it would be to have a set. If a mother doesn’t understand, who does?”

As far as I can remember, Mama was telling people they were in the wrong line of work and suggesting alternative careers. My turn came when I grew up and became a housewife. “You missed your calling,” Mama sighs, examining the doodles (涂鸦) on my phone book. “You should have been an artist.” Later, I tell her how I returned rancid fish to the supermarket and demanded a refund, and she links this to lawyer. I know it’s horsefathers, but I like it.

I have been worrying for weeks now about what to give my mother for Mother’s Day. There is always the danger that a gift given to Mama will bounce swiftly back to the giver. If I buy her something wearable, she perceives in an instant that it could be let in here, let out there, and it would fit me perfectly. If I give her a plant, she cuts off the top for me to take home and root in a glass of water. If I give her something edible, she wants me to stay for lunch and cat it.

Papa, a sensible man, long ago stopped trying to shop for Mama. Instead, on Mother’s Day, her birthday, and other appropriate occasions, he composes a short poem in which he tells of their life. After nearly 30 years of poems, Papa sometimes worries that the edge of his inspiration has dulled, but Mama doesn’t complain. She comes into the room while he is struggling over a gift poem and says, “It doesn’t have to rhyme (押韵) as long as it’s from the heart.”

This year, finally, I think, too, have found a painless gift for Mama. I am going to give her a magazine article, in which I wish her “Happy Mother’s Day” and tell her there’s nothing Papa or I could ever buy, find, or make her that would be half good enough anyway.

1. What can be learned about the “my” mum from Paragraph 2?

A．She doesn’t like “my” complements.

B．She doesn’t think I am careful enough.

C．She will give “me” whatever she thinks “I” like.

D．She takes it for granted that “I” love what she has.

2. By “it’s horsefeathers” (paragraph 3), “I” imply that ______.

A．being an artist has always been “my” dream

B．what “my” mother says makes no sense

C．“my” mother knows well about “me”

D．“my” mother is too involved in “my” choices of job

3. Why am “I” worried about “my” gift for Mother’s Day?

A．It may well end up in a dustbin.

B．It will hardly satisfy “my” mother.

C．It may be returned to “me” in some way.

D．It will be given to someone else in the neighbourhood.

4. What can be concluded from the passage?

A．“I” love “my” mother very much.

B．Being sensible is important for an adult.

C．“My” mother dreams of becoming a poet.

D．“My” father no longer gives “my” mother any gift.

5 . When I was three, I had a very good friend named Gemma. She was fearless where I was anxious, rebellious where I was conservative, and _________ where I was awkward. She was also entirely imaginary. With Gemma’s support, I almost made it to the top shelf of the bookcase before my parents found me — and “Gemma said it was fine!” did not _________ me from a telling-off (责骂).

I cannot remember when or how I “met” Gemma, and, perhaps sadder still, I do not remember the _________ time I “saw” her. _________ my brain created her, she inspired me to go on adventures I would not have had the confidence to embark upon without her. It _________ me, then, that 72 percent of nursery workers believe children have fewer imaginary friends than they did five years ago, as is shown by a recent survey. This is believed to be a result of _________ screen time.

It is thought that 40 percent of us at one time or another had imaginary friends during our _________. In an essay for Aeon, writer Sophie Elmhirst found that 81 percent of those surveyed had “lost” their imaginary friends after they turned ten, but most of these friendships ended _________. Perhaps imaginary friends simply stay with us for as long as we need them. They move on when our lives become too _________ for our brains to make space to generate their own entertainment.

If you have enjoyed an imaginary friendship, I would guess that you did not __________ sit down to create a perfect pal. They probably arrived as an indication of the thoughts and ideas you never knew you had. In order to be a good __________ to an imaginary friend, you need to be able to make “what if?” into an exciting proposition. When we grow up, we are too quick to finish the sentence with “what if it goes wrong?”

Having grown up, we might not need our imaginary friends anymore, but we could still use a reminder that a little bit of boredom is good for us, and that our brains can create the best ideas when they are left to their own devices. If there are fewer imaginary friends __________ the worlds where our children live, that might lead to a future with fewer artists, writers and problem-solvers. This is a real cause for __________.

As an adult, I think of my fearless, invisible friend Gemma whenever I have to do something that __________ me — usually public speaking, rather than scaling a bookcase. However, whenever I __________ my own expectations and meet myself in a place that I did not think I could quite reach, I can hear my subconscious whispering, “Gemma made me do it.”

1.

A．adaptable

B．generous

C．disturbing

D．skillful

2.

A．benefit

B．conceal

C．ban

D．save

3.

A．first

B．last

C．latest

D．previous

4.

A．As if

B．As long as

C．Even though

D．Given that

5.

A．convinces

B．recalls

C．reminds

D．saddens

6.

A．easy

B．decreased

C．hard

D．increased

7.

A．adolescence

B．adulthood

C．babyhood

D．childhood

8.

A．accidentally

B．dramatically

C．naturally

D．unfortunately

9.

A．secure

B．instructive

C．full

D．productive

10.

A．consciously

B．invisibly

C．personally

D．realistically

11.

A．boss

B．companion

C．expert

D．instructor

12.

A．challenging

B．limiting

C．locating

D．populating

13.

A．boredom

B．concern

C．imagination

D．limitation

14.

A．defeats

B．encourages

C．inspires

D．scares

15.

A．am short of

B．go against

C．go beyond

D．live up to

6 .

A．Colleagues.	B．Classmates.
C．Manager and secretary.	D．Mother and son.

9 .

A．He is unemployed at present.	B．He owns a company now.
C．He still works in the agency.	D．He is unable to support his family.

10 . My father asked me to chat with him for a while. Actually, I was unwilling to listen to his talking endlessly as he always did. My father was a lawyer, but I never wanted to go to law school or follow his path through life.

As was expected, he cleared his throat and started to say, ”Er…What…What do you really want to do in the gorgeous future?“

I was silent for a moment playing with the cell phone. I kept thinking, ”Should I tell him my true thoughts? What if he gets angry? What if I let him down?” Later I replied, “Well, I want to be a writer.”

I guessed this may not be the answer he would expect. But surprisingly, “Interesting idea!” he answered. I was shocked, speaking in a low voice with hesitation.

“Are you serious, dad?”

“Well, you need confidence and good preparations, and you still have plenty of time. You need to find out what you really enjoy now. Look, it’s late. Let’s take the boat out tomorrow morning, just you and me. Maybe we can catch some crabs for dinner, and we can talk more.”

Early next morning we packed up the equipment and set off for the coast. We didn’t talk much, but enjoyed the sound of the seabirds and the sight of the coastline.

There were no big waves and blinding sunlight at that time. “Let’s see if we are lucky,” he said, picked up a web basket with a rope tied and threw it into the sea. We waited a while, then my father stood up and said, “Give me a hand with this,” and we pulled up the crab cage onto the deck.

To our joy, the cage was filled with dozens of soft-shell crabs. Squatting(蹲)down, we watched them for a moment. At first, they fought against each other to climb out hard, trying to escape. Many were pulled back into the cage. Later, some gave up, but there were still some crabs trying to escape again and again.

At that moment my father pointed to the cage, ”Look at that crab, there!“ Staring at the crab, I found that every time he wanted to escape, he was pulled back into the cage. However, he didn’t give up his fight. Fortunately, he survived from the struggle eventually. Shocked and amazed, I suddenly understood why my father had suggested catching crabs that morning. I thought the future would be filled with many possibilities. Everyone would need to find out what he enjoyed and held on to it.

1. How did the author initially feel about having a conversation with his father?

A．Enthusiastic and eager to share.	B．Concerned and reluctant.
C．Neutral with no particular feeling.	D．Excited about the upcoming adventure.

2. During the crabbing expedition, what observation did the author make that influenced his perspective on life and the future?

A．That crabs worked together to escape.

B．Some crabs gave up trying to escape.

C．One crab persistently tried to escape despite being pulled back.

D．Crabs fought among themselves for dominance.

3. Which statement reflects the author’s new understanding of the future and demonstrates that he comprehended his father’s intention?

A．I found that every time he wanted to escape, he was pulled back into the cage.

B．I suddenly understood why my father had suggested catching crabs that morning.

C．I thought the future would be filled with many possibilities.

D．Everyone would need to find out what he enjoyed and held on to it.

4. The best title for this passage is_____________.

A．A Morning Adventure: Crabbing with Dad

B．Lessons from the Sea: A Father-Son Bonding Experience

C．The Art of Crabbing: A Guide for Beginners

D．Father and Son: Deeper Understanding Through a Shared Activity