1 . Every time Oksana Chusovitina competes in a gymnastics event, she catches the audience’s attention. The Hangzhou Asian Games proved no exception. When the 48-year-old Uzbek gymnast took part in the event on Monday, thousands of audiences cheered for “Qiu Ma”, which translates to “Mother Chusovitina”.
“I’m touched by Chusovitina’s story. She tried to save her son and just never gave up. She is beautiful both as an athlete and as a mother,” said Zhang Anqi, a Hangzhou local who attended the event.
After completing her competition, Chusovitina blew a kiss to the audience and formed a “heart” shape with her hands. “It is the love and support of the people that keep me going and give me the strength to achieve more,” Chusovitina said. “I am not very satisfied with my performance tonight. Actually, I was a little over-excited. I will increase the difficulty in the final,” she added.
Chusovitina has a storied history at the Asian Games, having won eight medals, including two golds in 2002. Her Olympic journey began in 1992, representing the former Soviet Union. She later stood for Uzbekistan. When Chusovitina’s son got a serious illness in 2002, she chose to take German citizenship (国籍) to compete at global events for a higher income and better medical treatment. She took her Uzbek citizenship in 2013 again.
Her heartfelt feeling, “I dare not grow old until you are well,” has moved many. After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued her gymnastics journey simply out of love for the sport. Though she announced her retirement after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she decided to return shortly after. “The biggest power is my desire. I want to perform. I love gymnastics, and it brings me great joy. I’m just doing what I love, so why should I stop?” Chusovitina said.
1. What made Chusovitina a beautiful mother?| A．Her attractive personality. |
| B．Her determination to save her son. |
| C．Her being a good example to her son. |
| D．Her ability to balance work and family. |
| A．Her love for gymnastics. |
| B．Her strong desire to win. |
| C．Her joy of her son’s recovery. |
| D．Her eagerness for higher income. |
| A．Deep Love for Gymnastics |
| B．A Great Athlete and Mother |
| C．Chusovitina’s Return to Gymnastics |
| D．A Touching Story of Mother and Son |
2 . Friendship makes life more enjoyable and colorful. Here are some tips for you to make friends.
Make yourself available. Put yourself out there somehow in order to meet people. If you’re still in school, sit somewhere with two other people. If you see opportunities to meet new people, take them.
Talk to others actively.
Use social media wisely.
| A．Don’t be too picky. |
| B．Meet new people nearby. |
| C．We live in a digital world. |
| D．Follow people and have fun. |
| E．If someone invites you to a party, go for it. |
| F．We shouldn’t make friends on the Internet. |
| G．If you don’t actually talk to people, you still won’t make friends. |
3 . Don’t get me wrong-I love my parents very much. I know they love me too and would do anything to help me but sometimes they can be really embarrassing. Dad wanting to pick me up from school, Mum getting overexcited when she watches me playing football for the school team.
Choose the behaviour you find most embarrassing
When you’ve decided which issues you want to talk about, keep a diary of all the times your mum or dad do the things that embarrass you most. When, where and how you felt - make a note of all these things. They’ll help you put your case across.
Have a family meeting
It’s time for a little face-to-face chat.The chances are that even if your parents are aware of doing these things, they prob-ably don’t realize how embarrassing they are. Keep calm.
Try and be more understanding
Hopefully your parents will listen and be willing to change their ways, especially if you say you’re happy to change too. Of course, sometimes they might not. Re-member that they once had their own embarrassing parents, and the chances are many of us will be embarrassing parents ourselves one day.
| A．Discuss the issues |
| B．Collect the evidence |
| C．And I know it’s not just me |
| D．Let them know how you feel and why |
| E．Maybe we shouldn’t be too hard on them |
| F．Write down the things that you feel happy |
| G．Write a list of all the things you find embarrassing |
4 . How to Bring Family Closer
Strong family bonds (纽带) can encourage better behaviors in children and teach them how to be a good friend.
Set aside time for family.
Eat meals together. Choose a few nights during the week when you expect everyone to gather around the dinner table. Studies have shown that eating meals together has a positive effect on children’s physical and mental well-being.
Encourage support. Feeling supported by your family is one of the most important things in building strong family bonds. Bonds like these will last your kids a lifetime. They will enjoy these strong bonds when they are your age and even after you are gone.
| A．Do housework as a family. |
| B．Try to set aside a regular day every week. |
| C．That’s why you create a sense of support. |
| D．Just eat a meal and have a conversation together. |
| E．Here are some tips to help bring your family closer. |
5 . Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here is some advice for you.
Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t try to talk about something with your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t listen to you if you are shouting at them. Go somewhere else to cool off. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you think you can’t speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter to them.
Try to understand your parents. Your parents may think differently from you. Tell your parents what you think, what you care about and why. Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. Put yourself in their shoes and you may find a better way out.
Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to an agreement. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days.
It is also important to show your love to your parents. Try to do some small things at home, like making them a cup of tea, helping do some chores, and so on. It helps to keep your relationship closer. A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try.
1. The passage mainly talks about the communication problem between ________.| A．parents and school teachers |
| B．school kids and their parents |
| C．teachers and their students |
| D．parents and children of all ages |
| A．show your love to them | B．often stay with them |
| C．speak to them politely | D．do chores for them |
| A．understand each other |
| B．stay away from your parents |
| C．argue with each other |
| D．disagree with your parents |
| A．you are happy | B．you love them | C．you like chores | D．you are relaxed |
| A．It’s certainly necessary to show your love to your parents. |
| B．It’s hard for all the teenagers to communicate with their parents. |
| C．Think it over before you want to talk to your parents about something. |
| D．Put yourself in your parents’ shoes and you may find some good ways to communicate with your parents. |
6 . Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson Arizona. My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him, as a schoolgirl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone were my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day, my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
1. In the writer’s earliest memories, how was her father?| A．Fat. | B．Successful. | C．Kind. |
| A．He did not love his children. |
| B．He expected his daughter got straight A’s. |
| C．Their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. |
| A．He seemed unhappy with her. |
| B．He became gentle and friendly. |
| C．He was still strict and critical. |
| A．Her father’s apologies. |
| B．Her father’s funny facial expressions. |
| C．Her father’s childhood pictures and stories. |
7 . When Randy Smalls found out that his daughter, ReOnna, was in a group of students who bullied(霸凌) a girl at school, he couldn’t bear to sit back.
As someone all-too-familiar with being bullied, he felt they should say sorry to Ryan Reese, the girl who was getting picked on. And in doing so, he also found a way to teach his own daughter a lesson. He decided to help Ryan buy brand new clothes. ReOnna was upset, especially because she is into fashion. So Randy asked her to come with them and help pick out Ryan’s new clothes. Randy also took Ryan to get her hair done at asalon (美发厅). Randy’s generosity became inspiration. Several local salons also offered to help keep her looking beautiful in the months that followed.
Upset as Re’Onna was at first, the more time she spent with Ryanthe more she began to truly understand the importance of not bullying. Not only because it’s not okay to hurt others but because you never know what someone else is going through. For Ryan, that included losing her dad, grandpa, and aunt in a short period of time. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Ryan said. “I just started to cry. It really took me deeper down in my depression.”
“As parents, we have to take responsibility for what our children do,” Randy said. “We can teach our children, but when they go and are around other children, something terrible may happen. When situations like this happen we have to take action and be the parent and not the friend.”
1. What did Randy find out?| A．His daughter was bullied. | B．His daughter bullied a girl. |
| C．His daughter failed in exams. | D．His daughter got hurt at school. |
| A．Buying new clothes for Ryan. | B．Blaming her for being involved in bullying |
| C．Reporting the bullying to the school. | D．Urging her to make an apology to Ryan. |
| A．Many students helped Ryan. bir | B．Randy’s daughter felt upset. |
| C．Several local salons also took action. | D．The school also did something for Ryan |
| A．The parent is stricter. | B．The parent is more caring. |
| C．The parent is more helpful. | D．The parent is more responsible |
How to show your love to your parents
Sometimes it is difficult to understand your parents because they are from a different generation. Yes, we know how it feels, but remember, your parents always love you. Here are some ways to show your love to them.
People always give their friends gifts but often forget to do that to their parents. To show your love, the next time you buy gifts for your friends, remember to buy something for you parents too.
If a busy man like Bill Gates can find time to see his parents, so can you. Remember many things of your life will come and go, but your parents are always there.
Look at your childhood pictures with them
Why don’t you find your childhood photos when you are at home and look at them with your parents? They love remembering the “good old times”.
“Hello, Mom, I just think of giving you a call and saying ‘hi’.” Is it difficult to say that on the phone? Your call will bring a smile to their faces.
A. Give them gifts often.
B. Find time to see them.
C. Call them from time to time.
D. Help them with the housework.
9 . My father was the kind of guy who could walk into a room full of strangers and leave with new best friends for life! He was a hard worker and was known as “Mr Fix-It” to everyone. He was also one of the most cheerful, affable (和葛可亲的) and gentle people you would ever meet, which made us, his beloved daughters feel proud.
But when Dad was in his fifties, my family began to notice him struggling. His work and skills began to become worse and worse, and he became depressed and withdrawn. This was not the man I knew. At the age of fifty-eight, Dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As for our family, it was the worst.
Our first step was to attend a meeting hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association to learn more about the disease and programs that might help us. That meeting inspired me to start a Walk to End Alzheimer’s® team. But I still wanted to do more. In 2017, I became a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter.
The loss from this disease is gradual. My father’s decline continued for several years. Losing my father more and more each day was leaving a big hole in my heart and my life. I decided to fill that hole with action to honor my father.
That’s why I recently decided to leave a gift to the Alzheimer’s Association by naming it as a beneficiary of my retirement plan. My future gift will provide money to support research because I don’t want another person in my family or someone in other families to have to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
I am so proud to be able to honor my father and other family members who lost their fights to Alzheimer’s in this way. My dad was an inspiration to me, and I hope, through my gift, I can inspire others to join in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
1. What can we infer about the author’s father before having Alzheimer’s?| A．He was an outgoing man. | B．He hiked with strangers. |
| C．He made a living by sales. | D．He was a popular repairer of cars. |
| A．She consulted many experts. | B．She established a research team. |
| C．She gained more relevant information. | D．She funded the Alzheimer’s Association. |
| A．Research funds for the disease. | B．A record of her father’s mental state. |
| C．Her research papers on families like hers. | D．Experts’ suggestions on her father’s disease. |
| A．Her precious gift. | B．Her father’s firm confidence. |
| C．Her future expectation. | D．Her father’s original motivation. |
10 . It was the final part of the 2016 World Triathlon (铁人三项) Series in Mexico. With just 700 metres to go, Alistair Brownlee was in third place and his younger brother Jonny, was in the lead. Alistair pushed himself towards the finish line in the burning heat, but as he came round the corner, he saw his brother about to fall onto the track. Alistair had to choose brotherly love, or a chance to win the race.
For Alistair, the choice was clear. His brother was in trouble. He had to help. Alistair ran towards Jonny, caught him and started pulling him towards the finish line. Alistair then pushed his brother over the line. The move put Jonny in second place and Alistair himself in third. It was an unexpected end to the race, but Alistair did not want to discuss it with the media. He just wanted to see his younger brother, who had been rushed to the medical area.
The Brownlee brothers have been doing triathlons since they were children. “Obviously, when your older brother is doing it, you think it’s a cool thing to do,” says Jonny. Alistair says that they encourage each other as much as they can when they train. Though there are arguments over “stupid things” now and then, Alistair agrees that having a brother is an advantage. “Throughout my entire life, I’ve had my brother trying to beat me at everything I do. It has been a fantastic driving force.”
Watched by millions, the ending to the race has different opinions: should the brothers have been disqualified (取消资格) or highly praised for their actions? But for Alistair, his decision was easy to explain:“Mun wouldn’t have been happy if I’d left Jonny behind.” At that moment, he was no longer an athlete aiming for a medal——he was just a brother.
1. Why did Alistair get third place only?| A．He fell onto the track accidentally. | B．He was overtaken by another athlete. |
| C．He stopped to give his brother a hand. | D．He struggled with the burning heat. |
| A．An inspiration. | B．An authority. | C．A competitor. | D．A follower. |
| A．Unfavorable. | B．Supportive. | C．Uninterested. | D．Varied. |
| A．The Finish Line | B．Just a Brother | C．To Win or Not | D．Life Is a Race |
| A．Life. | B．Health. | C．Sports. | D．Community. |
