1 . For years I wanted a flower garden, but with five children I was too busy to have one. Money was limited(有限的), and so was time. Often one of the children would want something that cost too much, and I would say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.” Finally, when all five had gotten through high school and college, and had started having their own families, I started thinking again about having a garden. However, I knew gardens cost money.
Then, one spring morning on Mother’s Day, as I was working in my kitchen, I heard cars drive by and looked out of the window to see a new tree planted in my yard. I couldn’t believe my eyes: it was a money tree! Dollar bills were stuck all over that tree, and there was a note which read: “I owe you eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin.”
Marvin, my first son, kept his promise. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen-foot bed(花坛，花圃) for me. My other children bought me tools, a sunflower stepping stone(踏脚石) and gardening books. We built a garden together.
That was three years ago. My garden is now very pretty, and just what I’d always wanted. When I go out to weed or tend my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels as if they were right there with me. When I think about what my children have done for me, I get tears in my eyes every time.
I’m still not sure whether money grows on trees. But I know love does!
1. Why had the author(作者) never had a flower garden before?| A．Because she didn’t have enough time and money. |
| B．Because she had five children to take care of. |
| C．Because her children wanted expensive things. |
| D．Because her children were going to high school and college. |
| A．Her neighbor. | B．Her first son. |
| C．Her five children. | D．Her husband. |
| A．Because she has a big money tree. |
| B．Because she has a very pretty garden. |
| C．Because she is busy weeding or tending her flowers. |
| D．Because she feels the love of her children in the garden. |
| A．how to grow your own money tree | B．the story of pretty garden |
| C．a story of the love between a mother and her children | D．the story of a money tree |
2 . One day, Jack’s parents told him that his grandpa would retire after
Jack loved his Grandpa and wanted to do something special
When
As Grandpa opened the gift, tears filled his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! It was a business card on
“Well, how much do I get paid?” his grandpa asked, smiling. “As many hugs as you want!” With these words, Jack gave Grandpa a hug. “Well, I guess that means I’m the
3 . It is not so easy to disagree with your parents. Here are a few quick tips on how to show your opinion in the right way.
Try to stay calm. If you find yourself getting too angry, ask for some time to be alone.
Learn to listen. Maybe your parents aren’t as persuasive as you think.
Pay attention to needs rather than problems.
| A．Never listen to your parents. |
| B．Think before you speak. |
| C．It is quite common to disagree with one’s parents. |
| D．Hear them out and then decide how to deal with the problem. |
| E．Think about the problem from your parents’ point of view. |
| F．If you can, try to discuss the problem with your parents at another time. |
| G．Be clear about what you need, rather than focus on why you disagree. |
4 . June 18 is the birthday of my late sister, Tanya. She would have been 49 years old this year, but that’s increasingly difficult for me to imagine. She is frozen in time at 37.
Tanya died more than a decade ago and the wound left by her loss has healed into a scar (伤疤). It's a big scar. You can’t know me for very long without discovering my scar. Trust me; if you haven’t found it on your own, I will point it out to you. I want you all to know that she existed, and that she mattered.
When we first lose a loved one, we ask, “How will I live without you?” and wounds are open and weeping. We don’t know how we’ll cope with the pain. But then the wounds form scars, and we learn to live with our new skins. “How can I remember you?” we ask.
So many people are hesitant to talk about my sister. It is as though mentioning her will remind me that she is dead, and upset my balance when I am so happy. But I never forget my sister, not for a moment.
And so I love it when people mention Tanya’s name. Sometimes I come across one of her friends, and they casually bring up a memory, and it is like a gift.
So if you have friends who have lost loved ones, please don’t avoid talking about their loved one.
You won’t remind them of their loss, because it is always there. They haven’t forgotten their scar. They just don’t point it out to you.
Instead, try to reassure (使安心) them that their loved one is not forgotten. Ask questions about the deceased (逝去的) person’s life. Keep them alive in the only way you can after a person is gone, with your words and your memories.
I love hearing from friends on my sister’s birthday. It makes her present, despite her absence. It reminds us all that she was here. She walked this earth. She was loved, and she mattered. And on June 18, I embrace (欣然接受) my scar.
1. What does “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The death of the author’s sister. |
| B．The birthday of the author’s sister. |
| C．The “scar” in the author’s heart. |
| D．The author’s love for her sister. |
| A．She becomes upset about it. |
| B．She worries that she must defend her sister. |
| C．She doesn’t know how to deal with it. |
| D．She is happy to be reminded of her sister. |
| A．Avoid talking about the person who died. |
| B．Keep them company as long as you can. |
| C．Help them to forget their painful scars. |
| D．Talk with them about the person who died. |
| A．Forget Your Loved One |
| B．Embrace Your Scar |
| C．Avoid Talking About Your Scar |
| D．Accept the Truth |
5 . Being a good friend isn’t always easy，but taking the time to develop a lasting friendship is worth the effort.As the years pass，you will realize that each friendship you keep is priceless.
Keep your promises.
Don’t ever make a promise that you can’t keep.If you say you’ll hang out with a friend and an unexpected situation arises，explain the situation.Give your friend a gift and tell him or her you are sorry.Nobody is perfect，and it’s okay if you break a promise once in a blue moon.
Apologize when you’ve made a mistake.
To be truly supportive，you will have to be able to watch out for your friend when he/she is having a difficult time.If you sense that your friend is getting into some trouble，help him or her away from the situation by not being afraid to speak up about it.
Give your friend some space when he or she needs it.
Part of being supportive means supporting the fact that your friend won’t always want to spend time with you.Learn to step back and give your friend space.
| A．However，don’t make it a regular thing. |
| B．Help your friend deal with his or her struggles. |
| C．Learn to forgive your friend and move forward. |
| D．Of course，to have a good friend，you must be one. |
| E．If you want your friend to believe in you，you can’t act like you’re perfect. |
| F．Understand if your friend wants to be alone or to have a walk with other people. |
| G．Take the time to truly understand your friend when he or she is talking to you. |
6 . Finding friends that share your interests does not have to be difficult.
Check out online friend seeking websites like friend finder.com, wayn.com or Facebook.
Go to social events in your area-maybe they support a cause you love or include a band that you enjoy. As soon as you meet someone at one of these events,you will know you already have an interest that you share.
Join a sports team at your community center.
Meet new friends through friends you already have.
| A．Join a class in your community |
| B．Many people are looking for friends |
| C．Decide why you want to meet new people |
| D．Friends come and go throughout one’s lifetime |
| E．You will find people with the same interest in sports |
| F．Sometimes we can find a connection through a friend |
| G．You can meet friends that share the same interests on these websites |
Long long ago, there was an old merchant who had three sons。 “To which one shall I leave my fortune?” he wondered。 “It must be to the cleverest son。 But which one is the cleverest?”
He called his three sons to him。 “Here is some money,” he told them, “you must each take one coin to buy something that will fill this room。 Anyone who can do this shall have my fortune。”
“It is a big room,” said the eldest son。
“One coin will not buy very much,” said the second son。
But the youngest son said nothing。 He stood and thought, and then he smiled, “Come, brothers,” he said, “let us go to the market。”
The eldest son bought straw with his coin。 But one coin bought only a bit of straw。 Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the straw covered only a corner of the room。
The second son bought sand with his coin。 But one coin bought only a bit of sand。 Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the sand covered only half of the floor。
“What did you buy?” the eldest son angrily asked the youngest son。 “You don't have any straw。”
“Yes, what did you buy?” the second son asked angrily。 “You don't have any sand。”
“I bought this,” said the youngest son。
“A candle！” cried his brothers。 “What good is a candle?”
“Watch”, said the youngest son。
He lit the candle, and all at once the room was filled from wall to wall, from ceiling to floor。 It was filled with light!
“Although you are the youngest, you are indeed the cleverest of my sons,” the old merchant said。
And that is how, the old merchant left his fortune to his youngest son, the one who could fill a room with light。
1. Who would get father's fortune according to his requirement?| A．The oldest son。 | B．The richest son。 |
| C．The cleverest son。 | D．The silliest son。 |
| A．who would fill the room by using something which is worth one coin |
| B．who would take care of him when he became old |
| C．who wanted to get his fortune |
| D．who got married first |
| A．He is very clever。 | B．He is very lazy。 |
| C．He is very mean。 | D．He is very diligent。 |
| A．straw | B．candle | C．sand | D．water |
1. Who is the woman?
| A．A reporter. | B．An author. | C．A TV hostess. |
| A．At two years old. | B．At three years old. | C．At four years old. |
| A．Ann. | B．Jenny. | C．Helen. |
| A．She was very shy. |
| B．She was noisy and naughty. |
| C．She was quite interested in her studies. |
9 . One Saturday afternoon, I went to a fast food restaurant to have some food with my kids. As we were walking into the restaurant, I noticed a woman smoking a cigarette outside. While we were waiting in line, with about ten other people, we saw the woman rush back into the store to help the busy staff.
A customer standing next to us started yelling at the employee who had begun filling brown paper bags with fries, burgers, and nuggets, “I saw you,” she said. “I saw you out there smoking; then you came in straight and touched our food! It’s disgusting! Why would you do that?” The woman wouldn’t stop. Everyone was staring. The employee was getting teary. It looked as if she just wanted to find a place to hide. The manager came over and told her to wash her hands and leave the floor for a while. He then apologized to the customer.
“That’s disgusting,” my oldest son whispered to me, “But I do feel bad for her.” I was glad he followed it up with that last sentence. His comment showed me that he’d probably never treat someone the way that customer had treated that employee.
You are allowed to be angry at others’ improper behavior and tell them how you feel. However, you don’t need some audience or witnesses when you are making negative comments on others. Doing that in public doesn’t strengthen your point.
I’m willing to bet that the woman being criticized was so shamed that she wasn’t able to hear the message that was being forced down her throat. However, had the customer taken her aside, and said in a quiet voice, “I noticed you didn’t wash your hands after your smoke break; can you please go to do that now?” The employee would have had the opportunity to do just that. The message the customer wanted to convey would have gotten to that employee more effectively, and her entire day would not have been ruined.
1. Why was the customer so angry?| A．The employee smoked in front of her. | B．She was yelled at by people around her. |
| C．She had to wait in a long line for her food. | D．The employee touched food without washing hands. |
| A．She felt confused and annoyed. | B．She turned to her manager for help. |
| C．She was very sad and embarrassed. | D．She dealt with the problem calmly. |
| A．had sympathy for the employee | B．supported the customer’s behavior |
| C．cared little about the employee’s action | D．had experienced the situation many times |
| A．Supportive. | B．Sympathetic | C．Objective. | D．Neutral. |
| A．We should treat every person equally. | B．We should always mind our behavior. |
| C．We should admit our mistakes bravely. | D．We should avoid criticizing someone in public. |
10 . Many Tuesday mornings I have coffee with my father. Although my father is a man of few words, I really
One recent Tuesday, I found it a bit
I was worried.
On the drive, I thought a lot about my father and our
As I entered my mother’s class. I was nervous. My mom looked at me in
“Mom, where’s Dad?” I asked, “He’s working in the
And I hurried to my car and
Thanks, Daddy, for all the
| A．dislike | B．share | C．get | D．enjoy |
| A．dangerous | B．unusual | C．joyful | D．relaxing |
| A．decided | B．hoped | C．expected | D．wondered |
| A．lived | B．pulled | C．hurried | D．came |
| A．cry | B．panic | C．believe | D．confirm |
| A．Above all | B．In all | C．After all | D．For all |
| A．journey | B．family | C．interest | D．history |
| A．holding | B．picking | C．calling | D．bringing |
| A．heart | B．chest | C．eyes | D．arms |
| A．amazing | B．cheating | C．inviting | D．providing |
| A．sure | B．aware | C．proud | D．afraid |
| A．honest | B．special | C．lucky | D．practical |
| A．feast | B．prize | C．secret | D．success |
| A．anger | B．worry | C．sorrow | D．surprise |
| A．yard | B．kitchen | C．room | D．home |
| A．fought | B．raced | C．looked | D．fled |
| A．kept | B．remembered | C．began | D．stopped |
| A．bitter | B．simple | C．familiar | D．tight |
| A．closed | B．unlocked | C．kicked | D．knocked |
| A．memories | B．chances | C．assistance | D．advice |
