1 . I still remember that busy autumn evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for the parent-teacher night. We walked in and all eyes were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids’ whispers. A classmate yelled to my daughter, “What’s wrong with your mom’s face?” Shocked, I started to explain my condition, but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, “It’s my mom’s birthmark! Don’t be rude!” I was extremely proud of how she handled that situation.
I was quite young when I realized I looked different because of my large facial birthmark. I always thought I would be alone because of it. Being compared to Batman’s evil Two-Face made me believe I could never find love. But I was lucky enough to meet my husband, who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to worry if the world would judge my children. I always worried I might pass my condition onto my children; I didn’t want them to grow up feeling judged. Unfortunately, my facial difference has impacted my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or sleepovers, or I learn certain kids are no longer friends with mine after their parents saw me at school.
When my kids were young, I explained how my special purple skin was rare and we talked about acceptance and never judging others on how they look. When my girls kiss my purple-skinned cheek, I feel “normal” around them and their unconditional love. With time going by, both my daughters have become my strongest supporters. Thanks to them, I’ve begun to feel more self-confident as I try to be a good role model.
Their worldviews are similar to mine. We see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more accepting heart. As the saying goes, your daughters will grow up to be your best friends. I know that will be the case for me!
1. What happened when the author went to attend the parent-teacher night?| A．Athena was praised by others for her bravery and optimism. |
| B．Athena defended her mother against her classmate’s rudeness. |
| C．Some parents criticized their kids because of their misbehaviour. |
| D．The author felt shocked at her daughter’s response to her classmate. |
| A．Friendship needs to be watered by love. |
| B．We should treat our children as best friends. |
| C．We should accept other people’s differences. |
| D．Our ability to handle difficulties can be developed. |
| A．They have to drop out of school. |
| B．They have the same physical condition as me. |
| C．They have difficulty maintaining friendships. |
| D．They feel worried because they are often judged. |
| A．A birthmark to live with. | B．My strongest supporters. |
| C．A kind and accepting heart. | D．The confidence to be different. |
2 . I was born in Venice, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, and studied designing at university here. Though I have also spent time away, I have always come back because it’s my home.
In Venice, there are no roads, only canals, so you have to get around on foot or by boat. I live on a canal in the Rialto area in a house that was built in 1588 for the Muti family, who were businessmen in the silk trade. In the mid-eighteenth century, it was home to the Vezzi family, who made things like plates and bowls in fine china and became rich by sending these around the world. These businessmen’s houses in Venice are like palaces. Their owners had to have space to show off their goods, but the building also had to be an office, a factory, a store and a home. My house came into our family in 1919, when it was bought by my grandfather. He died before I was born but he was the director of a museum where I often do research on old documents. On some of these, I’ve seen notes in his handwriting, so, in a way, I met him through these documents.
Sadly, the population of Venice has dropped from 120,000 in the 1950s to about 60,000 now. This doesn’t include the thousands of tourists who come to visit. I welcome the tourists but unless something is done to stop everyday shops like bakeries from disappearing, the city will die. I want people who love the city to come here to live and work and give Venice back a life that is not just about tourism.
1. What can we learn about the family who first owned the author’s home?| A．They were china dealers. | B．They made plates and bowls. |
| C．They used to buy and sell silk. | D．They helped to build the canals. |
| A．He met his grandfather in an unusual way. |
| B．His grandfather taught him how to write. |
| C．His grandfather turned his home into a museum. |
| D．He found his grandfather’s handwriting hard to read. |
| A．It faces a difficult situation. | B．It can’t feed its population. |
| C．It needs more modern shops. | D．It has fewer tourists than before. |
3 . After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his sons school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake.
He was shocked. He didn’t know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, “No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins.
As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, “It’s too late! They’re all dead! There’s nothing you can do!” To them he replied with one line, “Are you going to help me now?” And then he kept on digging.
No one helped, however. He went on alone because he needed to know for himself, “Is my boy alive or is he dead?” He dug for eight hours…12 hours.….24 hours.….36 hours.. then in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son’s words. He shouted his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?! It’s me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!’ You did it Dad!”
“What’s going on there? How is it?” the father asked.
“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We’re frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you’re here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle, and it saved us.”
“Come out, boy!”
“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”
1. The underlined word “collapsed” probably means_________| A．fallen down | B．shaken violently | C．stood by | D．gone off |
| A．he was mad | B．all the children had died in the earthquake |
| C．he was too dangerous to others | D．it was not his job to dig |
| A．Fourteen. | B．Thirty three | C．Forty seven | D．Nineteen. |
| A．it took the father one day to find his son and other students |
| B．his wife died in the earthquake |
| C．his son was the last one to come out of the ruins |
| D．the son didn’t believe his father would come to save him |
4 . Within your family, are you the “boss”, the “peacemaker”, the “baby” or the “king”?
Firstborn — The “Boss”
First-time parents often have very high expectations for their eldest children.
Middle child — The “Peacemaker”
Typically, parents don’t give middle children as much attention as the firstborn or the youngest.
Youngest child — The “Baby”
By the time the youngest family member is born, most parents have loosened their rules.
Only child — The “King of the Castle”
Life in the family of an only child often revolves around him or her.
| A．Thus, they tend to have more freedom. |
| B．That often causes them to feel they are ignored. |
| C．Early-born children experience a better social environment. |
| D．These kids don’t have to share their toys or their parents’ time. |
| E．Many researchers believe your position in the family influences your personality. |
| F．As a result, these kids are often responsible, organized, bossy, successful achievers. |
| G．The relationships between birth order, personality, and behavior confuse many researchers. |
5 . Back in the 1960s, a Harvard graduate student made a great discovery about human anger. At age 34, Jean Briggs was allowed to live in an Inuit community where many Inuit families lived a traditional life.
Briggs quickly realized something unusual was going on in these families.“They never got angry with me, and even showing a bit of anger was considered weak and childlike,” Briggs said. For example, once when someone knocked a hot pot of tea across the igloo (冰屋), damaging the ice floor, no one changed their look. “Too bad,” the person just said calmly and went to refill the teapot.
Briggs wrote up her observations (观察记录) in her book, Never in Anger. But she was left with questions: How do Inuit parents teach their children this ability? How do the Inuit turn irritable (易怒的) babies into cool-headed adults?
After reading Briggs' book, in early December I came to the Arctic town of Iqaluit, Canada, which is an Inuit town, in search of parenting wisdom, especially when it comes to teaching children to control their feelings. Right off the plane, I started collecting data (数据).
I sat with the elders in their 80s and 90s. I talked with moms. And I attended a local parenting class. All the moms mentioned one golden rule: Don't shout or yell at small children, for it is a tradition among the Inuit to see yelling at a small child as shameful.
The elders I spoke with said colonization (殖民) over the past century is harming the tradition, so the community is working hard to keep their parenting methods. Goota Jaw, who teaches the parenting class at Nunavut Arctic College, is in the front line of this effort. “Shouting is not how we teach our children,” Jaw said. “It is just teaching them to run away.”
“When we shout at a child, we' re training the child to shout,” said author Laura Markham. “Parents who control their own anger are helping their children learn to do the same.”
1. What did Briggs find about the Inuit?| A．They often behaved like children. |
| B．They began to lead a modern lifestyle. |
| C．They developed a habit of drinking tea. |
| D．They were quite able to control their anger. |
| A．To study how Briggs wrote Never in Anger. |
| B．To attend a class about the history of the Inuit. |
| C．To find out how the Inuit raise cool-headed kids. |
| D．To collect data on education in Inuit communities. |
| A．Their parenting style is being harmed. |
| B．Colonization will make the Inuit disappear. |
| C．Inuit parents become too kind to their kids. |
| D．Parenting classes are attracting fewer parents. |
| A．Kids follow the example of parents. |
| B．Teaching kids to be angry is necessary. |
| C．Parents often learn parenting from their kids. |
| D．It is sometimes OK to speak to kids seriously. |
6 . Today the word friendship has been used so often that it has lost its meaning. Some jokingly or seriously say that friends are made to be used. It makes me very sad.
True friendship doesn’t mean that when you need your friend’s help, you will treat him to dinner, and when you have to protect yourself, you will put your friends in a difficult situation.
In fact, true friendship is the communication and understanding of the hearts.
True friendship is like water. Compared with decent wine, water is tasteless, but is of great help when we are thirsty. True friends don’t need to be with each other every day, but are connected in heart every minute.
True friendship is like medicine. Though it is bitter, it cures your illness. True friends give you some suggestions even if they know you would not take. They criticize you when others have a good word for you, not because of envy but worrying that you may lose your cool head.
True friendship has nothing to do with fame, power or money. True friends would often watch you silently far away when you are influential, but come to you whenever you need their help. You’re not his stepping-stone to success, but are his crutch to live through difficulties.
True friends make you complete. Many persons go along with you through your life ─your parents, your husband/wife, and your children, who take care of you and make your life happy. However，, you still need someone who understands your thoughts and souls. Without them, you are likely to be unhealthy in spirit.
True friends stay in your heart, rather than at your side; they know you more than yourself, and try to better you.
1. The writer speaks of water because ______.| A．it has no taste | B．it is easy to get | C．it is important to our life | D．it stays with us every day |
| A．quiet | B．busy | C．helpful | D．powerful |
| A．enjoy mental health | B．achieve your success | C．understand them better | D．live a happy life |
| A．True friends need to be with each other every day. |
| B．True friendship is like medicine, and it can cure your illness. |
| C．True friendship has something to do with fame，power or money. |
| D．True friendship means that when you need your friend’s help，you will treat him to dinner. |
Helping Seniors | |
 | Posted 5 / 15 /20 4：53PM |
| I created Teens Helping Seniors with my friends. The group has about 200 volunteers. The volunteers deliver food or other supplies for the elderly in town. I spend six to eight hours a week buying food and making deliveries. By now we have completed 350 deliveries. | |
 | Posted 5/ 15 /20 6：25PM |
| I organized Mittler Senior Technology, a program to help the elderly learn how to use computers and smartphones. Now there are 50 Local seniors in the weekly technology classes. I want to make sure that the seniors could stay connected to the world. | |
 | Posted 5 /16 /20 , 5： 20PM |
| I came up with a way to help lonely seniors with my friends. We call it the Joy 4 All Project. By dialing 569-4255, the elderly can hear pre-recorded jokes and poems. The hotline has received more than 1, 800 phone calls. | |
 | Posted 5 / 16 /20 7：46PM |
| I heard that the seniors in the nursing home couldn’t see their families and friends very often, so my friends and I've decided to cheer up the elderly by writing them letters. We want them to know that nobody is being forgotten. By now more than 100 students in my school have joined us. | |
1. Who created Teens Helping Seniors?
| A．Kathy. | B．Linda. | C．Matt. | D．Jordan. |
| A．50. | B．100. | C．200. | D．350. |
| A．Teaching them computer knowledge. |
| B．Recording jokes and poem. |
| C．Delivering food for them. |
| D．Writing them letters. |
8 . Both of my parents worked fulltime when I was a little girl，so my grandmother would stay at our house during the day. We would watch game shows in the living room. Our favorite was The Price Is Right. We would call out our answers along with the contestants.
When I got older and started going to school，we couldn’t watch our game shows regularly. That was okay with me，though，because the one thing I liked better than watching game shows with my grandmother was helping her bake cakes. Watching her in the kitchen was amazing：she never seemed to need the recipes（食谱）but everything she made tasted delicious.
At first I would just sit in the kitchen and watch，even though I didn’t understand what she was doing. As I got older，she let me help with the easy parts，such as measuring the sugar. The day she let me separate the eggs，I felt like I had found complete pleasure.
At last，my parents decided that I could take care of myself，and my grandmother stopped coming over every day. The love of baking，however，stayed with me. I started baking by myself，and even if the cookies ended up burnt sometimes，more often they turned out pretty well. I tried out new recipes，and whenever I got to a thorny part，I would call my grandmother for advice. Sometimes I would call her just to talk too. I felt like I could talk to her about anything.
My grandmother passed away ten years ago，but I still think of her every day. Last week，I found a recipe book she made for me. It included her recipes for brownies，cookies，and my favorite，lemon pie. As I looked through the pages，I thought I could hear her voice. She was the one who taught me not just about baking，but about life.
1. The passage is mainly developed by .| A．analyzing causes | B．making comparisons |
| C．following the time order | D．examining differences |
| A．found it interesting | B．turned out to be a troublemaker |
| C．hoped to make a living by baking | D．regretted missing the game shows |
| A．Basic. | B．Common. |
| C．Special. | D．Difficult. |
| A．To describe her childhood memories. | B．To show her good baking skills. |
| C．To remember her grandmother. | D．To talk about her happy family life. |
9 . When I walked into the house after school, I found my dad at home.
"What are you doing home already?" I asked casually.
"Andrew, I was laid off today," he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. "No, you weren't. Why are you really home?"
Then I noticed his expression and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. My father's unemployment created many changes in our lives. He was home all day, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be optimistic. He asked my brother and me to spend less money. I gave up my allowance, which even though it wasn't much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he devoted to it.
One evening I asked if he needed help. "Only if it doesn't interfere（打扰，妨碍） with school," he said, which sounded like a yes.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really influenced me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plans, ask for help, and take risks.
1. When the father was laid off, he ________.| A．was angry with his boss |
| B．didn't care about it at all |
| C．couldn't accept the fact easily |
| D．was as happy as usual |
| A．it was not easy for the father to find a new job |
| B．the father asked his sons to give up their allowance |
| C．the father found a good job when he changed his direction |
| D．Andrew and his brother helped his father set up his business |
| A．poor feelings |
| B．bad situations |
| C．low spirits |
| D．old ideas |
| A．The spirit of creative problem-solving. |
| B．The skills of surfing the Internet. |
| C．The experience of saving money. |
| D．The rich business skills. |
