1 . In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.
One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.
Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”
After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.
“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.
Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.
As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.
1. What does the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Satisfactory. | B．Informal. | C．Close. | D．Temporary. |
| A．It was too cold to go outside. | B．Liam failed to pick her up. |
| C．She was in a bad condition. | D．School was closed for the heavy snow. |
| A．Considerate and caring. | B．Brave but lazy. |
| C．Selfless and active. | D．Independent but stubborn. |
| A．Emma’s illness. | B．A precious friendship. |
| C．Liam’s company. | D．How to help a friend. |
2 . “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 |
3 . Recently we celebrated my grandmother’s 90th birthday. Family members traveled to my hometown to visit her. This was the first time in many years that I had seen so many of them. Though this was an opportunity to see family, many people did not make it. Honestly, living far from hometown, I had missed many family gatherings. But this one made me realize how much I was really missing.
It seemed strange when I was looking at the faces, realizing whom they were and greeting them with open arms. After chatting for a while, we caught up on each other’s news. Several relatives suggested having a family reunion soon if everyone wasn’t so busy. But my grandmother’s generation was much busier, yet still found time to gather. They understood the importance of visiting one another. They knew time is flying and that those you care about most won’t be here forever.
Today, we focus on our careers and raising our kids. Our extended family isn’t the center it once was. Besides, we keep in touch on social media. But what we really miss are the potato salad, the moments of laughter and sudden bursts of excitement when we hug someone we haven’t seen for over 10 years. Although the next get-together is always a year or so away, people aren’t goods and everyone has an expiration (到期) date.
I left my grandmother’s party with a much better sense of who I am and where I come from. I spent valuable time with people who contributed to who I am today. I had forgotten how much I love them and I was reminded how much I am loved.
1. How did the author feel about missing previous family gatherings?| A．Indifferent. | B．Sad. | C．Regretful. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．They were carefree. | B．They held family dear. |
| C．They took time seriously. | D．They seldom visited family. |
| A．Family reunions mean no fun. |
| B．All goods don’t have an expiration date. |
| C．People are always too busy to get together. |
| D．We should see loved ones more before it’s too late. |
| A．To convince readers to meet friends. |
| B．To share an interesting family reunion. |
| C．To stress the value of family gatherings. |
| D．To compare different generations’ values. |
Jenny was the only child in her home. She had a quarrel with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping (哭泣) sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding (责骂) from her mother. Wandering aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat, but it was not possible for her, since she had nothing with her. She stood beside a stand for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she sighed and had to leave.
The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”
“Oh, yes. . . but I don’t have money on me…” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man. “Come in.”
The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing, actually I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless (无情的) compared to a stranger!”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl,do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thank me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were baby. Can you remember the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?”
1. 1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中, 每词限用一次, 有两词为多余选项。| kind treat care complain expect move angry wander strict hunger sorrowful possible | ||
| One afternoon Jenny quarreled with her mother and left home with |
| She felt |
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| Jenny | |
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| A seller had a small talk with Jenny and |
| She was |
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| Jenny thanked the seller and |
| She thought her mother was |
2. After running out of the house, how did Jenny feel? （no more than 6 word）
3. What do you think Jenny will do in the end? （no more than 15 word）
5 . A teenager needs to have a sense of independence in their life to feel secure (安全的). To some teenagers independence means a lot to them, and I think that some parents don’t allow their teenagers enough independence.
Independence has something to do with freedom. Some kids are not allowed to go anywhere alone, and the only thing their schedule includes is going to school, coming home, going to sleep, and repeating the process the next day. Parents tend to be afraid that their kids can get hurt if they go outside into the world. But if parents control their kids too much, they may never learn to live on their own. The best way for a teenager to learn lesson is through experience. I think it is beneficial for teenagers to have freedom.
Teenagers’ lack of freedom can also stop them from having good friendship at school. Some might say this is a good thing, because it helps them focus more on their school work. I argue that this can only discourage them not to do their school work. Some parents do not allow their children to be around their friends outside the school, thinking that this will get them into trouble. But I don’t think so. Instead, isn’t this a good reason for parents to get their children a cellphone? Cellphones allow teenagers to stay in touch with their parents, and communicate with friends.
Privacy is another issue between parents and their teenagers. Teenagers tend to enjoy relaxation by themselves in their own room. This also gives them a sense of independence. It often annoys teenagers when their parents enter their room when they are not home. I know that my mom always goes in my room when I’m not home, and this has brought me to the point where I have asked many times to get a lock on my door.
1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?| A．Kids know how to live independently. |
| B．Some parents allow their kids no freedom. |
| C．It benefits teenagers to have freedom. |
| D．Kids have a dull routine every day |
| A．parents should make it easy for kids to communicate with their friends |
| B．good friendships between kids harm their school work |
| C．it is unnecessary for a kid to have a cellphone |
| D．kids should focus on the school work |
| A．Disappointed | B．Lucky |
| C．Angry | D．Calm |
| A．keep her father from reading her dairy |
| B．prevent her mother entering her room |
| C．Protect herself from any harm |
| D．Stop thieves from going in |
6 . I try to be a good father. Cook my kids good dishes, and take them to photo shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, in marathons.
This love story began in Winchester Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled (缠住) by the umbilical cord (脐带) during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs (四肢). “He’ll be a vegetable (植物人) the rest of his life,” doctors told Dick and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.” But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room.
When Rick was 11, they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University. Equipped with a computer, Rick was finally able to communicate. After a high school classmate was paralyzed (使瘫痪) in an accident, and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick said, “Dad, I want to do that.” How was Dick, a man who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”
That sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. They even decided to try marathons. “No way,” Dick was told by a race official. They weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years, Dick and Rick joined the massive field and ran anyway. In 1983, they ran another marathon so fast that they made the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon the following year.
Now they’ve done 212 triathlons and 85 marathons. “My dad is the Father of the Century,” Rick typed.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?| A．The Hoyts didn’t believe it was true. |
| B．The Hoyts couldn’t afford any institution. |
| C．The Hoyts couldn’t deal with the situation. |
| D．The Hoyts had no money for their son’s treatment. |
| A．Why Rick became paralyzed. | B．How Rick started running. |
| C．Why running changed Rick’s life. | D．How Rick communicated with others. |
| A．A boy with a rare disease | B．The greatest dad in the world |
| C．A tough road to marathons | D．Parents’ influence on children’s life |
7 . In my childhood, my mother spent her evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.
“I am going to telephone seniors,” said my mother. “Every night? But you don’t even know these people.” “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What’s important is that I listen.”
I was sixteen years old and couldn’t understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. “They will talk your ear off. Some people didn’t even stop to catch breath,” I said.
My attitude didn’t stop my mother’s enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. When she finished the call, I said, “Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?” My mother grasped one of my hands and said in a proud tune, “I’m the only person she talked to today.”
It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the meaning of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I’m the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother’s calls were life lines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.
1. What is the mother’s purpose of calling the seniors?| A．To know what they eat. | B．To ask for some cookies and pudding. |
| C．To relieve their loneliness. | D．To teach them how to make dessert. |
| A．Hurt your hearing | B．Blame other’s behaviors |
| C．Miss important information | D．Speak all the time |
| A．The author started to telephone seniors as her mother |
| B．The author realized the value of her mother |
| C．The author’s mother preferred to live alone |
| D．The author’s mother still keeps connected with the seniors |
| A．Seniors blessing | B．A new project |
| C．Nightly calls, lifeline calls | D．Call your parents often |
8 . My memories of my father are divided into parts and shares. Alive, and then dead. Healthy, and then helpless. And further back in time, the first and most division: Present and then absent; loving, and then indifferent.
He used to be a good writer and loving father. When I was a 16-year-old girl, he was fired from his company, a public, gossip-based dismissal that he would spend decades refusing responsibility for. This was the first crack that divided my relationship with him into poles of before and after. To escape his shame, he pushed away those who reminded him of it, first divorcing my mother, then alienating my sister and I.
As an adult, my relationship with my father was one of low expectations and high boundaries. He spent most of his time travelling. But when he died of heart failure in August, I was knocked off balance by the weight of the blow. I thought, after years of setting up delicate fences around our relationship, that I had already begun letting go. His death delivered a realization: despite years of analyzing his complicated love for me, there were pieces of my father I never understood—until I found my father’s notebooks in his cupboard.
In the notebooks, he often collected documentation: train tickets from Rome or a photograph of San Francisco’s Prescott Hotel. But what he was also doing was offering fatherly guidance, the kind I could only receive after he died. His life, in which what he had was never quite enough, was eventually exposed. In his final decade, he realized he had built a castle for himself upon sand and regret. Now in his entries, I hear his voice. “Debaleh,” I hear him say, using his pet name for me, “learn from my mistakes.”
I read these pages among my dad’s clothes, and wept. I hadn’t known that my father, too, lived with that familiar ache for new horizons in his heart, the one that can only be comforted by traveling.
1. Why did the author’s father keep away from his family?| A．They weren’t responsible members. | B．He didn’t get on well with his wife. |
| C．Their presence recalled his sad experience. | D．They talked behind others’ backs everywhere. |
| A．Writing a journal carefully. | B．Travelling more for relaxation. |
| C．Avoiding following in his footsteps. | D．Obeying father’s guidance thoroughly. |
| A．Finding her father’s clothes. | B．Getting to know her late father. |
| C．Failing to look for new horizons. | D．Knowing her father’s heart disease. |
9 . Unable to hold back my curiosity any longer, I opened the beautifully wrapped present. It was a shiny, new laptop. I had scored straight A’s for my examination and this was my reward. I had always envied (嫉妒) my friends who were always exchanging news about “chat rooms” or “e-mailing”, which I knew nothing about. Now I was going to find out.
It started out simply enough. I was searching for some information online when I came across a social networking site. Soon I became attached to my new-found electronic friend. I began to spend more and more time on YouTube and became controlled by Facebook and Twitter. Whenever I was not accessing these social networking sites, I would be going through gossip (八卦) or fashion websites.
As time passed, I would lock myself in my room during weekends, refusing to come out and take part in family discussions. I preferred to stay connected to the “friends” online whom I had never met. Soon I was spending the early hours of the morning surfing the Internet. Sleep became broken naps and my grades at school also began worsening.
It was about this time that my parents started voicing their disapproval. I was asked to reduce my usage of the Internet. Yet, however hard I tried, I was unable to pull myself away. I was thirsty for just another click, or just another look at message board. Then one day, my father took away my laptop. I cried, shouted and even begged but in vain. Dad had made up his mind.
Over time, I realized that Dad and Mum had always wanted the best for me. That was when I decided to take the big step—to quit my internet addiction. Quitting was harder than I expected. But with strong determination, I knew that I would be able to do it. I promised my parents that I would turn over a new leaf.
1. Why did the author’s parents buy her a laptop?| A．To reward her for her excellent grades. | B．To let her make more friends easily. |
| C．To meet her curiosity about chat rooms. | D．To help her set up a social networking site. |
| A．She went out with new friends a lot. | B．She suffered from sleeplessness. |
| C．She got anxious and lost her temper. | D．She ignored the people and things around her. |
| A．Her father’s demand. | B．Her boredom with the Internet. |
| C．Her worsening school grades. | D．Her parents’ love and expectations. |
| A．It’s never too late to mend. | B．Action speaks louder than words. |
| C．Behind bad luck comes good luck. | D．A bad beginning makes a bad ending. |
10 . Thanks to a generous and kind soul, this winter is not cold any more. A Stockton teen will make sure seniors are staying warm and unforgotten during the holiday season, because dozens of elders across the nation are getting socks for Christmas — they couldn’t be happier about it.
Elle Gianelli, 17, is a student in high school, but most of her friends are elders. She has been making colored socks with silly designs for years, sending them to seniors in nursing and care homes to brighten up their day.
It all started from the closer-than-close friendship she has with her grandmother, which taught the value of spending time with elders. “I’m a grandma’s girl, I love love love my nana,” Gianelli said. On putting forward the idea, she was supported by her family and friends. Later, she was encouraged by her teachers who started the project Socks for Seniors when she was in her 7th grade, and she has so far lighted up 92 care homes in 48 states.
But as Christmas approaches, she’s making efforts to prepare her surprise in order to send boxes of silly socks to elders in all 50 states in time for the big day. “I know most people have toys for babies and things for kids but they always seem to forget about elders,” Gianelli told CBS. “Maybe they don’t have family or maybe they live super far away and they’re only getting something like a postcard.” To make sure that elders’ toes and hearts remain warm this holiday season, Gianelli is hoping to raise $10,000 through GoFundMe for a big sock drive. So far, with still 19 days to go before Christmas, she has received 95% of her total in donations.
1. What’s elders’ feeling on getting the socks?| A．Overjoyed. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Confused. | D．Frightened. |
| A．Teachers’ guidance. | B．Christmas project. |
| C．Love for her grandma. | D．Encouragement from friends. |
| A．She also has toys and things for kids. | B．She will send socks to seniors in 48 states. |
| C．She still has 19 days to prepare the surprise. | D．She has raised $10,000 through GoFundMe. |
| A．Warm Gifts From a Teen. | B．The Wishes of the Elders. |
| C．A Special Relationship. | D．A Wonderful School Project. |
