1 . Everyone wants to look wonderful when they dress up for a big event, but occasionally, we all need a little help. Luckily, Ariel Chu has a fairy grandma on speed dial!
The 23-year-old from Australia, finally found the perfect evening dress for a big work event on the horizon. The only problem was that her perfect look, a black slip dress with complicated patterns (图案), cost over $500. Thankfully, her 86-year-old grandma, Ama, has stepped up in the past to make clothes for Ariel when her budget was too tight to get what she needed.
After sewing (缝纫) for 65 years, Ama does amazing work, so as soon as Ariel showed her the picture of the dress, she knew she could handle it! “This is not the first time my grandma has done this – she always makes clothes for everyone. Just show her a pattern or design and she will make it. She once made me a coat for school because my mum couldn’t afford a new one,” Ariel explained. “You could hardly tell the difference down to the stitching (针脚) of the school symbol that she made by needle and thread only.” This time was no different!
Ariel charted the dress-making process and shared a video online to share the impressive end result. Her post quickly went viral because Ama’s masterpiece looks perfect! Her granddaughter couldn’t be happier and is looking forward to wearing her beautiful new dress as soon as possible!
It doesn’t even matter when the dress makes its debut (首秀) because Ama is loving all the attention Ariel’s video brought on. Strangers from around the world have been sending her sweet messages of admiration, and she deserves each and every compliment!
Who needs a big bank account when you have a talented grandma in your corner? Great work, Ama!
1. What is the problem of this perfect dress?| A．Its patterns are ugly. | B．Its color is unsuitable. |
| C．It’s too big for Ariel. | D．It’s over Ariel’s budget. |
| A．She is good at sewing and drawing. | B．She has made clothes for Ariel before. |
| C．She is very popular in Ariel’s school. | D．She loves design dresses by herself. |
| A．Went mad. | B．Became popular. | C．Sold out. | D．Came back. |
| A．Friendly and devoted. | B．Kind and skillful. |
| C．Proud and determined. | D．Talented and humorous. |
2 . At a clinic in Waterloo, Ontario, an elderly woman sat on the edge of a waiting room chair belting out the Celine Dion’s tune My Heart Will Go On.With little effort, she was able to send her sweet, high-pitched voice to every corner of the clinic. I had fun watching how people reacted. There was some shifting in seats, but mainly they turned away their eyes in embarrassment and tried to pretend there was nothing unusual.
I was there with my father, who was getting a routine blood test when the woman arrived. She took a seat directly across from my dad. I was concerned about how my dad would react to the possible interaction on his space. He was 77 and had been living with Alzheimer’s for several years. He was a brilliant man of few words in public. When he was healthy, he considered it bad manners to bring more attention to oneself.
Her singing began gently, like a quiet hum. I glanced over at Dad. His smile was gone, and he was staring right at her. It seemed to be something like confusion. This wasn’t an unusual state for him, and I wondered whether he was actually seeing her at all or if he was lost somewhere deep in his mind, not really aware of her singing at that point.
Her singing slowly got louder. By the time she got to the chorus — “near,far, wherever you are...”, Dad looked a little surprised. Still, I watched for any sign of an angry outburst. Instead, his face softened, and the tension eased in his brow. He no longer looked confused.
People say that Alzheimer’s is a thief, and that it steals your loved ones slowly, day by day. There is so much heartbreaking truth in that statement. But certain experiences with my dad have allowed me to see aside of him that I never knew existed. That’s what happened for me that day in the clinic. When her song ended, the woman opened her eyes. My dad was still looking directly at her. “That was beautiful,” he said. And she smiled and said, “Thank you.”
1. How did people react to the elderly woman’s singing at the clinic?| A．They mainly looked away and ignored her. |
| B．They politely signaled to her to stop singing. |
| C．They all enjoyed her singing and sang with her. |
| D．They felt quite annoyed and changed their seats. |
| A．His father disliked Celine Dion’s songs. |
| B．His father was suffering from Alzheimer’s. |
| C．His father was easily angered by strangers. |
| D．His father preferred silence in public places. |
| A．remained the same |
| B．became more angry |
| C．softened and relaxed |
| D．showed more confusion |
| A．I got to know that my father liked music. |
| B．Alzheimer’s steals many things from old people. |
| C．This song helped me understand more about my father. |
| D．Everyone with Alzheimer’s has experienced some bad moments. |
3 . “Do you want to go to work with me today?” asked my father one day when I was nine or 10 years old. He had never taken me to work with him before.
How could I have said no? I had no idea where my father worked, nor how he earned a living. All I knew, back around 1962, was that he left our house every morning before we woke up and came back every night after we finished dinner. So I gave him a positive answer.
My dad drove us south to the city of Newark, where he was born. There we entered a middle-class apartment building. He made the rounds doing chores (例行工作) for the next few hours with me tagging along (紧紧跟随). He checked the infrastructure (基础设施). He collected rents. He carried around a case of tools in case he needed to fix a broken door or get a washing machine running again.
He took me to work with him a few other times over the years. I always loved going. I got to see him in action, doing his job among other people, out in the wider world and looking important, even heroic. I felt proud of him, proud to be his son. I wish he had taken me more often.
Years later, I followed this tradition. I took my daughter Caroline with me to my office for a day. She saw me in a glassed-off conference room brainstorming with colleagues, on the phone talking with clients and — no doubt the most attractive scene of all — on my computer writing a report. With any luck, my daughter felt the same pride I had felt with my own father.
Today fewer and fewer kids get the same opportunity. Maybe we should make this a tradition.
1. How did the author react when he heard his father’s suggestion that day?| A．He had no idea what to say. |
| B．He was greatly confused. |
| C．He was very interested. |
| D．He hesitated to accept it |
| A．The achievements of the author’s father. |
| B．The details of the author’s father’s work. |
| C．The reason for the author’s father working in Newark. |
| D．The purpose of the author’s father bringing him to work. |
| A．He felt pity for his father. |
| B．He was willing to do the same job as his father. |
| C．He was disappointed with his father. |
| D．He thought highly of his father. |
| A．It inspired him to keep his father’s tradition alive. |
| B．It deepened his understanding of his work. |
| C．It helped him build a successful career. |
| D．It built up his courage to speak up. |
4 . Due to the fact that the average life expectancy in Ghana is 64 years old, and the most common causes of death are largely treatable conditions, such as malaria, stroke, and respiratory infections. Boateng, growing up in a small village in southern Ghana/struggling to access basic health care, felt an urgent call to help and decided he would make it his life’s mission to bring health care to remote communities in Ghana.
Boateng worked hard in school, getting a scholarship to study biology at Cornell University in the US, and ultimately earned his master’s in Healthcare Administration. Later he started his nonprofit, OKB Hope Foundation, and converted a van into a mobile doctor’s office called the Hope Health Van to bring health care directly to those in need in 2021.
A few times a week, the mobile clinic and medical team travel long distances to remote communities in Ghana and provide free routine medical care. On each trip, Boateng’s team consists of a nurse, a physician’s assistant, a doctor, and an operation assistant. In the van, they can run basic labs like bloodwork and urinalysis as well as prescribe and provide medications. “It’s like a one-stop shop for people,” said Boateng, adding that most of the people they see have one health issue or another.
Since its launch, Boateng says the Hope Health Van has served more than 4, 000 Ghanaians across more than 45 rural communities who otherwise don’t have easily accessible medical care. To supplement the mobile clinic, Boateng’s organization has also trained 20 volunteers to serve as local health advocates. They check people’s vitals and provide the medical team with timely data for assessing how to move forward with care and treatment, especially for those whose health is at risk.
In the future, Boateng hopes to expand to provide more consistent and high-quality medical care not only to those living in remote areas of Ghana but in other countries as well. “I believe that our model can be replicated in sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
1. What inspired Boateng to set his life goal?| A．He wanted to get a scholarship. |
| B．Many locals died of deadly diseases. |
| C．The birthplace of him was small and poor. |
| D．Basic health care was inaccessible for locals. |
| A．How Boateng’s team functions. | B．Why Boateng’s team was founded. |
| C．What Boateng’s team has achieved. | D．Where Boateng’s team has travelled. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Ambitious. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．A van bringing medical care to thousands |
| B．A country lacking basic health care |
| C．Efforts to provide people with medications |
| D．Mobile vans travelling through Ghana |
5 . “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish, by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”---Albert Einstein
If you have a kid with special needs in the school system, you’re likely to have come across that saying hanging on a classroom wall. My five-year-old daughter Syona has cerebral palsy (脑瘫) and it means, combined with her communication and sight problems, that normal standard isn’t always an accurate measure of her abilities.
By now you have probably heard about Chris Ulmer, the 26-year old teacher in Jacksonville, Florida, who starts his special education class by calling up each student to give them much admiration and a high-five. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Syona’s teacher and how she supports each kid in a very similar way. Ulmer recently shared a video of his teaching experience. “I have seen their confidence increase rapidly.” he said. All I could think was: how lucky these students are to have such good teachers.
Syona’s teacher has an attitude that can best be summarized in one word: wonderful. Her teacher doesn’t focus on what can’t be done---she focuses on what can be done. Over the past several months, my husband Dilip and I have seen Syona’s confidence increase greatly. She uses words she wouldn’t have thought of using before. She recently told me about her classmates trip to Ecuador and was very proud when I understood her on the first try.
I actually wonder what the influence would be if we did something similar to what Ulmer does with his students in our home. We’ve recently started our day by reminding each other of the good qualities we all have. If we are reminded of our strengths on a regular basis, we will become increasingly confident about progress and success.
1. What does the author think of Albert Einstein’s saying?| A．Funny. | B．True. | C．Strange. | D．Confusing. |
| A．She is Syona’s favorite teacher. |
| B．She puts Einstein’s quote on the wall |
| C．She uses videos to teach her students. |
| D．She helps increase her students’ confidence. |
| A．They’ve invited Ulmer’s students to their home. |
| B．They visit Ulmer’s classroom regularly. |
| C．They give each other praise every day. |
| D．They feel thankful to people in their lives. |
| A．Supportive | B．Opposed | C．Indifferent | D．Negative |
6 . Some Christmas traditions are pretty standard in mainstream（主流）American culture: put up the tree, string up the lights, visit grandma, and so on.
Then there’s the one my Colombian family does every year: the Novena de Aguinaldos. We pray（祈祷）for nine days without a stop, and this Novena counts down the nine days before Christmas. Most Americans have never heard of it, but in Colombia, it’s a big deal.
Like all good traditions, especially around the holidays, this tradition is about community and getting together with friends and family. My family immigrated（移民）from Colombia when I was just two months old. Every year, we gather with a group of Colombian friends for as many of the nine nights as we can.
There are three parts to the Novena de Aguinaldos. The first is the reading: each kid takes turns to read a book. Next comes the gozos, which means “The Joys”. That’s where the music comes in, and everyone gets an instrument, a maraca, a drum, a tin can—whatever you can use to make a sound. And then, the villancicos——Spanish Christmas carols（颂歌）come.
I’ve lived my whole life in the US. There’s not a lot of Colombian culture that we still hang onto. Why do we still carry on with the tradition of celebrating the Novenas, then?
When I asked my parents the other day, the answer was that immigrants didn’t belong anywhere—not where you were, nor where you were from. So my parents helped create a space where we did. Even if the Novenas were nothing like what we might have celebrated if we’d stayed in Colombia, the Novenas became the heart of our community.
But our Novenas are starting to feel a little more breakable. It’s getting harder and harder for everyone to get together each year. Last year, I was studying abroad in Italy and couldn’t make it to any gathering; my brother went off to college and had exams late into December; my sister just moved to a new city, and my parents have taken up jobs in different countries.
1. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?| A．The process of celebrating the Novena. |
| B．The development of a Colombian tradition. |
| C．The background of the Colombian family. |
| D．The differences between the Novena and Christmas. |
| A．To remember their dead friends. | B．To find a sense of belonging. |
| C．To show their respect for Americans. | D．To understand the local culture. |
| A．Lack of money. | B．Their separate busy life. |
| C．American laws. | D．Friends’ complaints. |
| A．Growing Up | B．Colorful Culture |
| C．Exploring American Christmas Traditions | D．Colombian Family’s Novena in the US |
7 . Up to the age of ten, I did not mind at all the fact that my elder sister was different. The child psychologist had termed it as “Asperger Syndrome”, a disease that affects how a person socializes with others.
It was only at the age of ten that I started to become aware of my social life and self-image that I had carefully shaped. My sister, on the other hand, was socially awkward. She would mumble (咕哝) to herself and repeat the words she had just said under her breath. She, however, was academically capable, and hence we attended the same primary school. Despite this, I never, ever acknowledged in public that she was my sister.
Being in primary six, about to graduate, my sister and her classmates had to put up a performance, whether in a group, or individually. Due to her inability to integrate, my sister was the only one left without a group. “I’ll sing,” my sister told my parents, somewhat confidently. Hearing that, I was taken aback. How could my sister sing in front of the school? She would embarrass me, one way or another. “No!” I remember protesting. My parents shot me a look.
No one knows she is your sister. It is fine, you do not need to tell anyone. I remember telling myself these exact lines as I sat in the hall, waiting for the performances to start. The curtains parted to reveal the only solo (独唱) — my sister. It took about a whole minute for her to state her name and class and by that time, whispers were heard in the audience.
“Why is she taking so long?” people around me asked. I shifted nervously in my seat. Finally, my sister started to sing. I was prepared for the worst. She opened her mouth, and I was transfixed — she sang effortlessly. Her voice rang through the hall, beautiful in its power. I listened ever so carefully to the words that she had composed all by herself.
Guilt and shame filled my heart. Although she knew that I was embarrassed by her and was unwilling to attend her concert, my sister had forgiven me; she had never taken anything that I had done to her to heart. It was then that I resolved to love her unconditionally.
1. How did the author feel about his sister’s difference before 10?| A．He hardly accepted it. | B．He didn’t care about it. |
| C．He was extremely awkward. | D．He was determined to help. |
| A．To challenge his parents. | B．To follow other students. |
| C．To keep his sister’s image. | D．To protect his self-respect. |
| A．She always got full marks in primary school. |
| B．She refused to form a group with other students. |
| C．She gave an excellent performance before graduation. |
| D．She delivered an inspiring speech in front of the school. |
| A．Take nothing to heart. | B．Love without condition. |
| C．Stick to one’s own choice. | D．Learn from anyone around. |
8 . A funeral or an obituary (讣告）is traditionally how we honor those who have died. But the way we remember loved ones is changing, as thousands of families turn to one project using TikTok and a surfboard.
Since the death of his father Randy Mendioroz, Tony Mendioroz dreamed of reuniting him with the place that he loved most—the ocean. Randy’s life revolved around water. He was a specialist in building water parks, wave machines and swimming pools, and Tony once worked for him for a while. The Mendioroz family were also regulars at the coast and spent wonderful time from some of San Diego’s best beaches.
Randy passed away from liver cancer in 2013. Feeling lost, Tony began to search for ways to feel a connection with his dad again. He found comfort in the sea and surfing, but always felt it was an experience he should have shared with his father. So, when he came across a video of a man offering to grant Randy “one last wave”, he jumped at the chance.
The man behind the video was surfer Dan Fischer. He, too, had lost his father Karl Fischer to cancer and had turned to the ocean to feel closer to him. After one unforgettable trip into the waves off the coast of Newport, with his father’s name written on his surfboard, Dan realized the potential healing power this simple activity could have when dealing with loss.
“Through surfing, I took him out there because he always loved the ocean, and he and I were adventure buddies,” Dan says.
When he got back to the shore, Dan posted a TikTok video, encouraging others dealing with grief to reach out and have the names of their lost loved ones written on his surfboard.
The Mendioroz family were one of thousands of those who got in touch from around the world, sparking the beginning of the “One Last Wave Project”.
The project prompted Dan to document each of his trips to the beach as names continued to cover his board. It has been a powerful force in creating a global community and support network for those going through loss.
1. What do we know about Tony and his father?| A．They had a tough relationship. |
| B．They all grew up near the ocean. |
| C．They never went surfing together. |
| D．They once built a water park together. |
| A．his father’s love for the ocean. |
| B．his father’s interest in surfing. |
| C．his father’s adventurous spirit |
| D．his father’s working experience |
| A．One of his trips to Newport. |
| B．The Mendioroz family’s request. |
| C．Encouragement from his family. |
| D．Worldwide attention to his video. |
| A．A journey of overcoming loss |
| B．The healing power of a surfboard |
| C．Seeking comfort from TikTok videos |
| D．Remembering loved ones at the seaside |
9 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
10 . As I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team, I was starting to feel sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment-it was the opponents’ home gym filled with their supporters, and Nathan’s team was trailing (落后) for three quarters (节) of the game. As for me, I had been fired from my job earlier in the day.
During my drive home, I kept telling myself that I would find work again in a short time-I am confident in my experience and abilities. This is the same belief as I always try to teach my son.
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his face, as well as his teammates’ faces as they fought back to not only tie with the other team, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the score again. With the game in a tie and few seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball. With skill and confidence, he proceeded to make a basket with a defender hanging his hands all over him. The defender was warned for a foul (犯规).As Nathan stood at the free-throw line preparing for a shot that would make his team one point ahead, I saw the determination on his face again. There was no room for self- doubt. Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill. It was as if he had done it a thousand times.
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride. It dawned on me that I had taught him perseverance in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He would play in the finals, but it didn’t matter if he would win or lose. At this moment, we both won.
1. Why did the author feel sorry?| A．He had made a big mistake in his work. |
| B．He used to be too busy to accompany Nathan. |
| C．Nathan’s team was too weak to compete in the game. |
| D．He and Nathan were both going through a hard time. |
| A．Self-centred and pessimistic. | B．Self-confident and optimistic. |
| C．Hard-working and intelligent. | D．Easy-going and warm-hearted. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Focus. | C．Create. | D．Receive. |
| A．Father and Son in Life | B．A Lesson in Life and Basketball |
| C．It Matters Whether to Win or Lose | D．Life Goes Just like Playing Basketball |
