1 . Love knows no bounds, especially when it comes to the person you’ve shared your life with. Peter Burkhardt, a 90-year-old man from Netherlands, is the embodiment (体现) of this idea. Every day, he travels 17 kilometers to accompany his wife of 63 years who now lives in a hospice (养老院) in Apeldoorn. While on days when the weather is very bad, he takes a cab or is driven then by his children, most times he gets on his bike and crosses the city on his own. It takes him an hour to get there and an hour to cycle back home.
In the colder months, Burkhardt keeps himself warm with a blue ski suit with a body warmer on top and a white cap to keep his head warm. “I’ve done skiing with pleasure. Cold doesn’t bother me and with rain, you can put on a rain jacket,” he told an interviewer. “So I’ll always get to my wife.” Burkhardt knows the route by heart, as he has been traveling to his wife’s hospice for the past seven years.
Even if he wanted to drive, Burkhardt’s license wasn’t approved and he hasn’t had a car. However, nothing stops this senior in love. “I walk a lot less now, but cycling is still going well.”
Burkhardt says that his wife doesn’t know what it takes him to reach her every day. “It is completely outside her field of experience. But when I’m back, I notice that she gives me a very nice hug every now and then.” His children have encouraged him to keep on visiting their mom every day.
Burkhardt’s devotion has certainly moved others. But above all, he has done everything in his power to spend as much time as possible with the love of his life-no matter what it takes.
1. Why does Peter Burkhardt visit his wife every day?| A．To help her recover. | B．To show off his love. |
| C．To keep her company. | D．To check on her condition. |
| A．By bus. | B．By car. | C．By taxi. | D．By bike. |
| A．Faithful and reliable. | B．Capable and brave. |
| C．Successful and helpful. | D．Adventurous and curious. |
| A．The Power of Ageless Love |
| B．Peter Burkhardt’s Daily Routine |
| C．Peter Burkhardt Doesn’t Give Up on His Wife |
| D．Man Cycles 17 Kilometers to Visit His Wife in Hospice Daily |
2 . When Sourabh Jain first became a father to his daughter, he struggled with bonding with her in the beginning. That’s when he realized that games and books are interactive and provide an opportunity to spend hours with her. Thus he began the hunt for games and toys that not only helped him bond with his daughter but also contributed to her cognitive (认知的) development.
During this search, he realized that not only are these toys and games hard to find, but they can also burn a hole in one’s pocket. Another realization was that there is always some amount of plastic in the toys and it is harmful to the environment and the little ones.
While he expected to give his daughter the world, he also wanted to leave behind a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable world for her. Today, he owns The EleFant—a toy rental company, or in Sourabh’s words, “a labor of love”.
Currently, the company has a customer base of more than 250 subscribers with over 2,000 downloads of the application per day. They also have collaborations with 70 toy companies where they source their toys.
Among these 250 subscribers is Rahul Bhauwala who rents toys for his 6-year-old son. “I am a working professional and I hardly get any time to go out and spend hours looking for and buying toys. I could use that precious time to play with my child instead. This is why I love using The EleFant app. They have a wide range of toys which are categorized by age group. The products are very well-packaged and my son loved opening them as it looked like a present to him,” he says.
As for the future, Sourabh says, “Our intention was not to make it an expensive and exclusive service (专属服务). Instead, we aimed to provide an opportunity for everyone to give their children everything in a sustainable manner. The value is kept in this way, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility for all.”
1. What did Sourabh find when searching for toys for his daughter?| A．Pockets often get damaged by toys. | B．Eco-friendly toys are hard to find. |
| C．Toys could bond him with his daughter. | D．Toys do good to cognitive development. |
| A．Its convenience. | B．Its delivery service. |
| C．Its popularity. | D．Its cheap rental price. |
| A．Producing more toys. | B．Expanding his company. |
| C．Making his service more accessible. | D．Donating toys to poor families. |
| A．Successful and humorous. | B．Generous and modest. |
| C．Talented and creative. | D．Responsible and business-minded. |
3 . How to Make Friends at a New School
Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don’t even know where to go for your own classes.
Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not say anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!
Believe in yourselfA smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don’t keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact with other people.
You like it when people use your name, and so do other people.
| A．Be friendly to others. |
| B．Making new friends can be hard, too. |
| C．Join after-school activities like |
| D．Never change what you are to try and fit in. |
| E．If you see someone you know, smile or say “Hi”. |
| F．People may become angry if you just begin by saying ”Hey“ each time. |
| G．Don ‘t sit at the back of the classroom where other people don’t notice you! |
4 . Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (依偎) against me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is understanding which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their mind. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (思想的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
1. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son ________.| A．keeps himself away from his parents | B．begins to dislike his parents |
| C．is always busy with his study | D．doesn’t want to be ignored |
| A．Their daughter isn’t as lovely as before. |
| B．They can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly. |
| C．They don’t know what to say to their daughter. |
| D．Their daughter talks with them only when she needs help. |
| A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. | B．Teenagers do not understand their parents. |
| C．Teenagers talk little about their own lives. | D．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
| A．Parents shouldn’t be angry with teenagers. |
| B．Parents have to talk with children face to face. |
| C．Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
| D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |
5 . My dad doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would bake great bread, but he is and he does. Every Saturday he produces homemade bread. When he’s done, the whole house smells delicious.
The rest of the week, Dad fixes cars at work. The shop where Dad works is running so well that he is always occupied. He is under a lot of stress. I think Dad began baking bread to help him relax.
I’ve been feeling kind of stressed out myself since I found out I didn’t make the school swim team. Now I’ll have to wait a whole year to try out again. Plus, I’m taking some difficult classes this year.
I think Dad knew I was feeling bad. Last Saturday he asked me how things were going. I said OK, even though I didn’t feel OK at all. He looked at me for a moment, and then he said it was time for me to help. Then he headed to the kitchen.
I followed right behind him. Once we were there, Dad got out his big mixing bowl, handed me a large wooden spoon, and told me to mix while he added the ingredients. Dad isn’t big on measuring. He knows how much of each ingredient to use, and the bread always turns out great.
When I finished stirring, Dad showed me how to knead the dough (揉面团). Next came the most difficult part — doing nothing. We put the dough back into the bowl and then we waited for more than an hour for the dough to slowly rise and double in size. Next, we divided it into two and waited for it to rise again. Afterward, we put the dough into pans and waited another hour for the dough to rise and double.
Dad said the waiting is always the hardest part. “It’s hard to resist putting the dough directly into the oven, but if you do, the bread will be hard. The most important lesson of all is learning to be.” Dad taught me more than how to bake bread.
1. What can we learn about the author’s father?| A．He is living a relaxing life. | B．He tries his best to make ends meet. |
| C．He has a special way to deal with stress. | D．He is more like a baker than a mechanic. |
| A．School isn’t going well. | B．She dislikes making bread. |
| C．She feels sorry for her father. | D．Some classes aren’t worth it. |
| A．Dad is unskilled. | B．Dad dislikes measuring. |
| C．Dad has a craze for measuring. | D．Dad is careful about ingredients. |
| A．Never give up. | B．Take life easily. |
| C．Believe in yourself. | D．Enjoy time with family. |
6 . For my 56th birthday, my daughter, Beth, bought me two beautifully carved wooden butterflies. I hung them in prominent (显眼的) places on my walls so that I can see them often during the day. Each time I do so, they give me a wonderful reminder of love.
My daughter and my love of butterflies goes back many years. After a long battle against cancer, my mom passed away when I was only 25 years old. Beth was only a baby at the time and never got to have any memories of her grandma. I tried to make up for it by telling her stories of my mom but each time I did, I could see that there was a little sadness in Beth’s eyes. One day when she was only seven or so we were outside at the playground. Beth suddenly said how much she saddened not having her grandma around. Well, sometimes I comforted her and this time I told her how much her grandma loved her and that Grandma still remained positive in the last weeks of her life. I said she was watching over her from Heaven and that maybe she was even hitching (搭乘) a ride on the back of a butterfly to come down and get a closer look. At that very moment, a butterfly appeared flying around Beth’s face and then flew away. We both laughed with our hearts full of love and joy.
Since that moment all of those years ago, both Beth and I seem to attract butterflies like flowers. Whenever we are outside, they seem to fly down, circle around us, take a good look, and then fly away. And every time, we are reminded of my mom’s love watching over us. The only time this doesn’t happen is during the coldest months of the year when there are no insects of any kind. But now during those times I can take a look at the two beautiful wooden butterflies my daughter bought me and still be reminded of that love.
1. Why did Beth buy wooden butterflies?| A．To celebrate the new year. |
| B．To decorate her bedroom. |
| C．To celebrate her mother’s birthday. |
| D．To remind her childhood. |
| A．Tough and optimistic. |
| B．Enthusiastic and helpful. |
| C．Independent and reliable. |
| D．Knowledgeable and respectable. |
| A．Terrified. | B．Confused. | C．Joyful. | D．Nervous. |
| A．Wooden butterflies are of great artistic value. |
| B．We all need reminders that we are loved in our life. |
| C．It is difficult to maintain family ties during difficult times. |
| D．The presence of parents is important to children’s development. |
7 . One day when I was 5, my mother scolded (责骂) me for not finishing my breakfast and I got angry. I wanted to play outside and not to be made to finish eating my breakfast. When angrily opening the screen door with my foot, I kicked back about a 12-inch part of the lower left hand corner of the new screen door. But I had no remorse, for I was happy to be playing in the backyard with my toys.
Today, I know if my child had done what I did, I would have scolded my child, and told him about how expensive this new screen door was, and I would have delivered a spanking (打屁股) for it. My parents never said a word. They left the corner of the screen door pushed out, creating an opening, a breach (裂缝) in the defense against unwanted insects.
For years, every time I saw that corner of the screen, it would constantly make me think about my mistake. For years, I knew that everyone in my family would see that hole and remember who did it. For years, every time I saw a fly buzzing (嗡嗡) in the kitchen, I would wonder if it came in through the hole that I had created with my angry foot. I would wonder if my family members were thinking the same thing, silently blaming me every time a flying insect entered our home, making life more terrible for us all. My parents taught me a valuable lesson, one that a spanking or stern (严厉的) words perhaps could not deliver. Their silent punishment for what I had done delivered a hundred stern messages to me. Above all, it has helped me become a more patient person and not burst out so easily.
1. When the author damaged the door, his parents ________.| A．gave him a spanking |
| B．left the door unrepaired |
| C．scolded him for what he had done |
| D．told him how expensive it was |
| A．regret | B．joy | C．anger | D．notice |
| A．to hide his anger away from others |
| B．not to go against his parents’ will |
| C．to have a better control of himself |
| D．not to make mistakes in the future |
| A．Adults should ignore their children’s bad behavior. |
| B．Parents are the best teachers of their children. |
| C．Patience is the key to becoming a better person. |
| D．One learns most when shown the result of his/her action. |
8 . I was quite angry with my professor last week when he gave us an assignment to “tell someone we love them”. It has to be someone we have never said those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.
But as I began driving home my conscience (良心) started talking to me. It was telling me that I knew exactly who I needed to say I love you to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and really never settled it since that time. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings.
So last Tuesday by the time I got home I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him. The next morning I was up bright and early. I could hardly sleep with excitement, nor did my wife.
At 9:00, I called my dad to see if I could come over after work. When he answered the phone, I just said, “Dad, can I come over after work tonight? I have something to tell you.” My dad responded with a grumpy face, “Now what?” I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.
At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. Dad did answer the door. I didn’t waste any time and took one step in the door and said, “Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.” His face softened and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, “I love you too, son.” Mom walked by with tears in her eyes.
Two days after that visit, my dad became unconscious (昏迷的). I don’t know if he’ll make it. What if I had waited to tell my dad? Maybe I will never get the chance again!
1. What problem did the author decide to solve?| A．His heavy office workload. | B．His hardly-finished assignment. |
| C．His disagreement with his father. | D．His unpleasant family gatherings. |
| A．Soft tone. | B．Bad temper. |
| C．Good mood. | D．Great despair. |
| A．Confused. | B．Shocked. |
| C．Moved. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．So don’t wait to do the things that you know ought to be done. |
| B．So don’t believe there will be a problem without a solution. |
| C．So don’t complain when your teacher gives you assignments. |
| D．So don’t forget to visit your family even if you are very busy. |
9 . Yesterday we said goodbye to my grandfather. He was 96 years old and he was my last grandparent.
It has been a while since I saw my grandpa in person. I think he only met my youngest Lilly once. It kind of pains me to think that I deprived(剥夺)my children of the chance to know their only great-grandparent. But I didn’t want them to know or remember a very old man, incapable of getting down on his knees to play with them, and laughing with them because he can’t hear what they’re saying. That’s not the grandfather I know.
My grandfather never stopped. He was an early-adopter to have a laptop-type-device long before Apple was a houschold word and he was programming video games for grandkids to play before most people knew what programming was. He kept physically fit every day of his life. In his later years, he kept busy playing tennis, ballroom dancing, swimming, bicycling. In the end, he didn’t lose a battle to any disease. His body simply could not go on anymore.
I feel extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to know my grandfather. Intentional or not, he taught me many lessons. My grandfather taught me to waterski when I was 5 years old and he taught me how to surf about a decade after that. Whenever I thought it’s too late for me to study a language or get better at piano, he made it clear that it’s only my fear holding me back, not age.
These lessons make life meaningful to me. I prefer to think of them as lessons for living a positive life that leaves a positive impression on me. That is something I will strive to do. Thanks to my grandfather, I have a pretty good blueprint to follow. So I guess the best thing I can offer my children to feel connected to that man is the lessons I learned from him.
1. Why did the author seldom take kids to their disabled great-grandfather?| A．To promote the kids’ independence. |
| B．To keep the old man living a quiet life. |
| C．To prevent the kids from being frightened. |
| D．To avoid the kids having a bad impression of him. |
| A．By eating apples everyday. | B．By playing with little kids. |
| C．By living a simple life. | D．By keeping exercising. |
| A．He was a surfing instructor. | B．He was very encouraging. |
| C．He did everything with an intention. | D．He studied a new language in his old age. |
| A．Memories of My Grandfather | B．Winning a Battle to Disease |
| C．Connecting the Generations | D．Impression of My Childhood |
10 . An important part of raising your children is teaching them good manners as it helps them be more successful in life.
Saying “thank you” to service workers
Saying “thank you” is the base of all good manners but these days many children overlook thanking the people that help them in many little ways each day, like wait staff, store clerks, and bus drivers. It’s not just about politeness but about teaching children to recognize and acknowledge others’ contributions as valuable.
Taking turns talking
Teach your children to touch your arm and then wait patiently for you to acknowledge(理会)them before speaking. If they do interrupt, calmly tell them it’s rude to interrupt and let them know you’ll acknowledge them shortly.
Using their indoor voices
Covering a cough or sneeze
These days it’s more important than ever to teach children to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow. It’s not just a matter of hygiene(卫生)——no one enjoys getting sprayed.
| A．Remember it goes both ways. |
| B．Therefore it makes others feel cared about. |
| C．Games are very important for children’s good manners. |
| D．Crying, laughing, or just talking, children can be very loud. |
| E．Lacking basic manners will affect kids in all areas of their lives. |
| F．It is also a way to help others feel safe and comfortable around you. |
| G．Eventually it’s about teaching them not to treat others as their servants. |
