1 . An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money.
When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother,“Only a miracle can save him now，” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully. She hurried to a drugstore（药店）with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman. “It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “ He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.” “Pardon？” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost？” “We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked，“What kind of a miracle does your brother need？”
“I don’t know，” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it，so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have？” asked the man. “$ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered, “Well，what luck,” smiled the man. “$ 1.11，the price of a miracle for little brothers.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said，“Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost？
1. In the eye of the little girl，a miracle might be _______.| A．something interesting | B．something beautiful |
| C．some wonderful medicine | D．some good food |
| A．she had still kept some money |
| B．she hoped not to be refused |
| C．There was no need to worry about money |
| D．she thought money was easy to get |
| A．The girl’s love for her brother. | B．The girl’s money. |
| C．The medicine from the drugstore. | D．Nobody can tell. |
| A．The doctor didn’t ask for any pay |
| B．A miracle can happen if you keep on |
| C．The little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| D．Andrew was in fact not so sick as they had thought |
2 . Jeremy Savage, aged 17, and Ian Marshall, aged 16, went to the Rocky Mountains with their parents for the weekend. On Saturday morning, the two boys decided to climb Cathedral Mountain by themselves while their parents relaxed at the campsite. After three hours, they reached the top with no problems.
However, trouble began when they started the climb down the mountain. On one very dangerous part of the path, Ian fell three metres off the side of the path. Jeremy was able to climb down to where Ian was. Ian was badly injured and could not move. Jeremy had to decide what to do. He needed help, but he did not want to leave his friend. He used water from his own bottle to clean the dirt and blood from Ian’s face and hands. He tried to help Ian stand up, but Ian’s right leg was hurting too much. They had to wait and hope that someone would come and help them.
When the boys did not return to the campsite that evening, their parents became very worried. They got in touch with park workers and began searching for the boys. Soon more than 20 people were looking for the boys.
As night fell, the boys were still missing. While they waited for help to arrive, Jeremy gave Ian his food and water and he let Ian lie on his jacket so he would be more comfortable. As the evening grew darker, Ian told Jeremy to leave him and go back to their parents, but he still did not leave. Jeremy thought it was too dangerous for Ian to be alone. The night was cold and windy, and Jeremy used his jacket and an extra shirt to keep Ian warm.
At sunrise, Jeremy decided that the only way to help his friend was to carry him. So, they started the long climb back to their parents. Sometimes Jeremy carried Ian on his hack. Sometimes he carried him in his arms. Finally, after four hours, they arrived at the campsite where their parents were waiting. “I will always remember what Jeremy did for me,” said Ian. “He saved my life. That is the greatest thing that a person can do for his friend.”
1. What happened to Ian on his way down the mountain?| A．Ian fell three miles off the side of the path. |
| B．Ian climbed down to where Jeremy was. |
| C．Ian was badly injured and could not move. |
| D．Ian decided what to do because Jeremy was injured. |
| A．Because they knew the boys got injured. |
| B．Because the boys returned to the campsite with wounds. |
| C．Because they needed water and food. |
| D．Because the boys did not return to the campsite that evening. |
| A．Jeremy gave Ian his food and water. |
| B．Jeremy let Ian lie on his jacket so he would be more comfortable. |
| C．Jeremy left Ian alone to find some help. |
| D．Jeremy used his jacket and an extra shirt to keep Ian warm. |
| A．Four hours. | B．One night. |
| C．Two days. | D．About 24 hours. |
3 . I grew up with a four-year gap（差距）between myself and my younger brother. It was an enough distance in age to keep us close as we got older, but also enough of an age gap to make sure we lived our own lives in completely different ways. Having a younger brother while I was a girl was a lot of work for there was a lot of fighting.
However, as we've got older, we've become closer, and I've learned several things in life from my younger brother that I didn't realize I needed before.
My younger brother is one of the most talented and creative souls I've known. He's constantly feeding his creativity with new art forms, new instruments. He always seeks to understand and learn more about the world around him. He's helped remind me through his actions and words that giving up on creativity is something a person should never do.
My younger brother has always been a more introverted type, and if you speak to him, you're lucky to get over three words out of him at a time. Because of this, he's certainly learned the whole “actions speak louder than words”thing. But, I've realized from my brother that I needn't speak to fill the silence. Sometimes, it's necessary to spend some of your time in silence and reflect in it. My younger brother has also been through hard times, but he's able to focus on learning from the hard times, unlike me, who tends to hold on to every little thing from my life. It's always been difficult for me to let things go and move on, but my younger brother has been an inspiration for me to try harder at letting go.
1. What does the author think of growing up as the older sister?| A．It is a great advantage. |
| B．It tends to be enjoyable. |
| C．It is troubling but inspiring. |
| D．It isn't always fun and easy. |
| A．She should focus on the past and the present |
| B．She should never stop feeding her creativity. |
| C．She should move on with the past kept in mind. |
| D．She should explain every little detail of something. |
| A．They are quiet. |
| B．They are quick. |
| C．They are noisy. |
| D．They are friendly. |
| A．The Good Relationships between My Brother and Me |
| B．The Inspirations My Younger Brother was Given |
| C．Lessons My Little Brother Helped Me Learn |
| D．The Great Qualities of My Little Brother |
4 . Living with your parents has its advantages… at least when it comes to raising your kids—their grandkids. Because two new studies add to the evidence that grandmothers can improve the survival of grandchildren. That is, unless Grandma’s too old or lives too far away.
Humans are unusual in that women live long past the age at which they stop having babies. “We don’t really see that in nature. Most of the organisms (生物) will reproduce up to their very last moment,” says Patrick Bergeron, a teacher at Bishop’s University in Quebec. This increase in post-reproductive longevity (寿命) is often explained by the so-called “grandmother effect (效应)”.
To explore the “grandmother effect”, Bergeron and his researchers examined nearly 200 years’ worth of French-Canadian population records from the 17th and 18th centuries. At the time, life was hard. In some years, a third of the kids were not even making it to one year of age. But the researchers found that having a grandmother still alive was an advantage. Families with grandmothers alive were larger by about two and the survival of these grandchildren to age 15 was much improved.
This good effect was only seen when the grandmothers lived nearby, which suggests that grandmothers help by playing an active role in their grandchildren’s lives.
Unluckily, that role is harder for them to achieve as they get older, which brings us to the second study. Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland used church records from the 18th and 19th centuries. They found that the advantages connected with having a grandmother on hand depended on her age. Once grandmothers hit 75, the grandchild survival advantages disappeared. In other words, it was better for grandchildren to have no living grandmother at all than it was to live with an old one or one that was in poor health. So a healthy grandma helps make for a healthy grandchild
1. What’s “grandmother effect”?| A．Having a grandmother alive is an advantage. |
| B．Grandmothers are helpful to their children whatever their age. |
| C．Grandmothers are helpful for the survival of their grandchildren. |
| D．Healthy grandmothers living nearby are good for grandchildren’s health. |
| A．Researchers used French-Canadian population records. |
| B．Researchers used church records from the 17th and 18th centuries. |
| C．It was done by researchers from the University of Turku in Finland. |
| D．It found that it was good for grandchildren to have no living grandmother. |
| A．A science report. | B．A diary |
| C．A storybook. | D．A textbook. |
5 . Jade Stephenson has always loved her grandmother’s wedding dress (结婚礼服). So much so that once, Stephenson even asked her grandmother to keep hold of it so she could wear it for a special day. And when she realized her 80-year-old grandma wouldn’t be able to travel to attend her graduation at Liverpool Hope University, Stephenson knew the time had come.
“I tried the dress on several years ago, so I knew what it looked like when I put on the dress and her face then lit up,” she said. “So I knew asking her if I could wear it for graduation would make her smile. Also, my grandfather died in 2009 and to me, it felt like part of him was there with me on such a special day.”
Stephenson sported the dress under her cap and her clothes last week, at the ceremony (典礼) to collect her teaching degree at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.
Nora, her grandmother, lives in Carlisle, more than 130 miles from Liverpool. She was very happy when she saw the pictures of her granddaughter, and praised that she chose that dress for her special day.
“My grandma and I are very close. I speak to her when I can and whenever I’m home I catch up with her. I see a lot of my own characters in her. I think we have quite a lot in common,” Stephenson said. “I’ve always loved my grandma’s dress. Although it’s 32 years old, it’s fit for me.”
Stephenson said several people praised her for her choice for the ceremony. “I think people thought it was quite heart-warming. Considering how old it is, the dress is in really good condition. My grandmother has looked after it very well.”
1. Seeing Stephenson trying the dress on, Stephenson’s grandmother feels ________.| A．pleased | B．angry |
| C．unhappy | D．amazed |
| A．Her grandmother is very forgetful. |
| B．Her grandmother is similar to her. |
| C．Her grandmother is a good designer. |
| D．Her grandmother is crazy about education. |
| A．It is valuable and expensive. |
| B．It is kept in good condition. |
| C．It is old and needs repairing. |
| D．It is too long for Stephenson. |
6 . Friendships can be sources of joy and sources of sorrow. There isn’t exactly a rule book on what to do when things get tense or bad.
Broken promises
Jan Yager, a specialist in this field often hears from people who’ve been hurt by a friend’s broken promise. Dr. Yager likes to point out we don’t have formal contracts with friends where we’ve agreed to never disappoint each other. Therefore if you bring a fantasy about what the ideal friend will do in any situation to a relationship,
When things feel unbalanced
Maybe you feel like you’re always sharing about your life, but your friend doesn’t open up about hers. It’s common for relationships to experience periods where things are unbalanced. Maybe one friend is going through a breakup and needs extra support. It’s also possible another friend simply has more to discuss at any given time.
It doesn’t feel great when you check Facebook Monday morning to find out that your friends went on a weekend getaway without you. Scott Christnelly, another specialist, says, “I encourage clients to express their feelings about it but also not to jump to conclusions.” Then find someone else to talk to — maybe, a family member, or a close friend (not the one who went on the trip) — to explain how you feel. If you do make conversations,
| A．Feeling left out |
| B．Feeling stressed out |
| C．you are expecting too much of your friend |
| D．you are setting yourself up for disappointment |
| E．you can brainstorm what might have happened and how you will respond |
| F．In times like these, it’s important that you practice becoming a better listener |
| G．Here are tips on how to manage the common relationship difficulties from specialists |
7 . One evening, when I asked my 17-year-old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response took me by surprise. “What’s a colander (漏勺)?” he asked.
I could only blame myself. In the family, nobody’s hands went in the sauce except my own. But as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for. Suddenly it hit me: He’d be leaving the house in a year to attend college. No way was I going to send a spoiled prince into the world.
As parents,while we focus on our children’s character,we are also raising someone’s future roommate, husband, or father. I’d raise a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, “What’s for dinner?” So, I came up with a plan to offer Ray a private home economics course. Gladly, he didn’t say no.
For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine. One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting. Then he rolled out the piecrust and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven.
One day we covered Advanced Laundry, in which I taught him never to mix a red sweatshirt with white. I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother - he tried to beg off sewing lessons - but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. “I appreciate what you do as a mom,” he told me one day.
Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless. Not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That’s what I call a man.
1. Hearing her son’s question, the author felt ________.| A．angry | B．disappointed |
| C．shocked | D．calm |
| A．Ray’s lack of basic living skills. | B．Ray’s absence in the kitchen. |
| C．Ray’s leaving to attend college. | D．Ray’s misunderstanding of a colander. |
| A．Ray preferred sewing to cooking. |
| B．Ray made great progress in cooking. |
| C．Ray thought doing housework was helpless. |
| D．Ray was unwilling to take the course originally. |
| A．fell in love with housework | B．did other work in the house |
| C．acknowledged his mother’s efforts | D．began to be more independent |
8 . Today's world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. Key skill set for success is persistence (毅力), a characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fathers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence.
BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time，the persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school.
"There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers，"Padilla-Walker said. "This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence-which can be taught-are key to a child's life success.”
Researchers determined that dads need to practice an "authoritative" parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian:rigid，demanding or controlling. Rather，an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics:children feel warmth and love from their father；responsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed children are given an appropriate level of autonomy(自主权).
In the study，about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. A key finding is that over time，children raised by an authoritative father were significantly more likely to develop persistence，which leads to better outcomes in school.
This particular study examined 11 to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence，which is an avenue of future research.
1. What is special about the BYU professors' study?| A．It centered on fathers' role in parenting. |
| B．It was based on a number of large families. |
| C．It analyzed different kinds of parenting styles. |
| D．It aimed to improve kids' achievement in school. |
| A．Ignore their demands. | B．Make decisions for them. |
| C．Control their behaviors. | D．Explain the rules to them. |
| A．Single parents. |
| B．Children aged from 11 to 14. |
| C．Authoritarian fathers. |
| D．Mothers in two-parent homes. |
| A．Three Characteristics of Authoritative Fathers. |
| B．Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in Future. |
| C．Children Tend to Learn Determination from Father. |
| D．Family Relationship Influences School Performance. |
9 . It has been four years since Grandma Joy told her grandson that she had never seen the most beautiful views of America. Since then, they have gone on many cross-country trips.
Brad Ryan had been feeling tired of studying in a vet school when he visited his 85-year-old grandma in 2015. He hoped that spending some quality family time would help lift his spirits.
As he was telling his grandma stories of his travels, however, he was heartbroken to hear that she had never seen the ocean or mountains. Ryan then asked his grandmother if she would like to go hiking with him. Needless to say, she was more than happy to agree.
They have since visited 29 different national parks across America---from the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado to the Acadia National Park in Maine. Over the four years, Ryan and his grandma have driven 25,000 miles through 38 states. And it has greatly affected his quality of life. “Seeing it through my grandmother’s eyes, who every morning wakes up and is thankful to be alive has taught me how to live,” Ryan said. “With her, I’ve had to slow down and see life in a different way, which has made it a lot richer.”
“I love my grandma so much, and it’s just really giving me a lot of peace when she passed away. I can go back to these places, feel her spirit, and feel connected to her,” he added.
Ryan posted all of their trips on Facebook. He hopes more young people will spare time to be with their elders. “I want young people to know that hanging out with your grandparents is cool. And there’s so much we can learn from our elders,” Ryan said.
1. Why did Brad Ryan visit his grandma in 2015?| A．To cheer himself up. |
| B．To please his grandma. |
| C．To take his grandma to travel. |
| D．To share his travelling experiences. |
| A．Shocked. | B．Sad. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Excited |
| A．She made him live a better life. |
| B．She helped him find his life goal. |
| C．She told him to have peace of mind. |
| D．She gave him a lot of encouragement. |
| A．To advise young people to take a trip. |
| B．To share his joy of travelling with his grandma. |
| C．To encourage the young to keep their elders company. |
| D．To show young people what they can learn from their elders. |
10 . It was late one evening. I can’t remember what it was about, but my dad and I had a very big argument when my mom was away. We both said things we didn’t mean, and in the end I said, “I’m leaving.” And he said, “Good. The sooner, the better.”
I threw a few things in a suitcase and closed the door angrily behind me, not knowing where I was going. After walking aimlessly for about 20 minutes, I stopped at a local supermarket. Then my phone rang. It was my mom calling. She said, “Hey, Mary. Where are you？Dad is worried about you.”
“How can he worry about me？I’ve been away for nearly half an hour, but he didn’t call,” I said with annoyance(气恼). My anger returned and I remembered all the hateful things he’d shouted to me. “Listen, Mom. You can tell Dad that I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said and hung up.
I walked around the store, trying to get my thoughts together. By the time I paid for my purchases, it had been much later than I used to be out alone. When I left the supermarket, a large piece of white paper was in front of me. On the piece of white paper were these words: “Please come home! I miss you and I’m worried about you！”
Then a car pulled up beside me. Hanging out of the window was my dad. Beside him, smiling gently, sat my mom. And that’s when I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I cried. Despite my best efforts to run away from home, my father finally managed to track me down. I couldn’t leave now, not with him sitting there with caring eyes.
1. Hearing Mary decided to leave home, Mary’s father was very ________.| A．worried | B．nervous |
| C．angry | D．surprised |
| A．became angrier than before | B．gave in to her father |
| C．cried and calmed down | D．agreed to go home |
| A．Actions Mary regretted. | B．Goods Mary bought. |
| C．Telephone calls Mary made. | D．Lessons Mary learned. |
| A．Mary’s mother hated her father. | B．Mary still refused to go home. |
| C．Mary’s father became angry again. | D．Mary returned home happily. |
