1 . There’s a quote putting, “life doesn’t come with a manual (手册); it comes with a mother.” Thankfully, for Jabez and Christopher, their manual — or mother — found a creative way to keep her little boys’ fingers safe around a sewing machine. And as a result, she turned them into successful business owners.

Queenie Jenkins from Atlanta worked in the fashion industry and in her spare time, made matching scarves and skirts on her sewing machine at home. But once she became a mother with two energetic boys at her feet, her hobby became both difficult and dangerous. So, she turned the problem into a life lesson. Jenkins taught her boys how to use the sewing machine skilfully and safely. It wasn’t long before the boys were no longer green hands. As they grew older, they knew how to change the trousers into shorts for the summer months well.

When Jabez’s elementary school held a Career Day, he made 30 bow ties and 30 hair bows to sell. Within minutes, all of them had sold out. Then Jabez launched Kings and Gents Accessories, a small workshop, in 2018 with his brother. In addition to making and selling their bow ties, the brothers have also written a book and created a YouTube channel to host meetings for other potential “kidpreneurs (儿童企业家)”.

Now as a freshman in high school, Jabez said inspiring the next generation of business owners is an important part of their mission. “We just wanted to show younger kids how we got started, and how they can get started,” said Jabez, “We’re no different than any other kids.”

Jenkins has plenty to be proud of. Not only have her boys created a successful business, but they’ve gained valuable life skills along the way. “They’ve learned not to give up, to be more creative, and to be thinkers,” said Jenkins. “They don’t allow their fear to stop them.”

1. In which aspect do Jabez and Christopher benefit most from their mother’ sewing machine?

A．Life skills.	B．Safety rules.
C．Business plans.	D．Cloth materials.

2. What do the underlined words “green hands” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Awkward learners.	B．Attractive experts.
C．Admirable pioneers.	D．Amazing artists.

3. Which of the following best describes the brothers’ impact on other potential kidpreneurs?

A．Over-all.

B．One-sided.

C．Short-lived.

D．Far-reaching.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Mama’s sewing machine

B．Business on the rocks

C．Sewing the seeds of success

D．Developing creative thinking

2 . How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.     1     But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1. Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation.

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.     2     You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3.     3    

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4. Let it grow.

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.     4     The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship.

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.     5     Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A．Be cheerful.

B．Do things together.

C．Do not wait to be spoken to.

D．Try not to find fault with your friends.

E．Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F．For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G．So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

4 . When someone you care about has suffered a serious health event or is dealing with a life-threatening illness, it can be difficult to know what to say or do.     1     How can you best offer your support? These tips can help:

Offer your support. Your friend or loved one may be unwilling to ask for help, but it’s support from people like you that can make all the difference in their recovery. Offer to help with a specific task, even if it’s simply to sit with them during or after treatment.     2    

Listen. When you talk to someone with a serious illness, it’s natural to feel awkward or not know what to say.     3     Allow them to express what they’re going through without judging them.

    4     The more you know about your loved one’s diagnosis (诊断) and treatment, the better prepared you’ll be to help. But that doesn’t mean you should tell the person what they should or shouldn’t do, unless they specifically ask for your opinion or want to know what you’ve researched. Treatment decisions are finally always up to your loved one, so be supportive even if you don’t always agree.

Stay connected.     5     You can’t just provide support at the time of diagnosis and then let your attention go. Your support can be just as important after treatment as it is before.

A．Encourage your loved one to keep calm.

B．Some illnesses can involve long-term treatment.

C．But often what really counts is to listen to the person.

D．Educate yourself about the illness but don’t give advice.

E．All you need to do is to present your determined attitude.

F．Your loved one is likely to experience some painful feelings.

G．Sometimes, the most important thing you can do is to be there.

6 . When I was in primary school, sometimes I would meet a girl of the same age as me. Lisa was never active, but she was always very sweet and nice. In the 5th grade she came to my class. She was absent a lot, and one day I had the courage to ask why. She told me she was sick, and she explained she wore a wig (假发) because her medicine made her lose her hair. Since then, anytime Lisa came to class, I would hang around with her on the playground.

I received much ridicule (嘲笑) from my friends for this because they thought I was ignoring them for Lisa. My family education taught me to be nice, and I felt Lisa’s needs were much more important than others I knew.

It had been months since Lisa was in our class, and one day our teacher was crying. She explained Lisa died the day before and would no longer be our classmate. She told us Lisa had fought a battle (斗争) with cancer for years.

I was shocked. Lisa never spoke of her illness as if it could kill her. Well, all these years I have kept Lisa in my mind and heart. When I go through the important events in my life, I think of Lisa.

I’ve had a strong wish recently to find her mother and father. I’d like to tell them that though they never met me, their daughter had a sweet effect on my life. I have no idea what her parents’ first names are. I write to your column (专栏) and hope you can point me in the right direction.

Lisa was such a lovely girl. Maybe her parents would be comforted by the fact that after all these years they are not the only ones who remember her.

1. Why was the author being laughed at?

A．Because she wore a wig to school.

B．Because she always kept Lisa company.

C．Because she cried in the classroom.

D．Because she lost her friends because of Lisa.

2. What can we know about the author from the passage?

A．She had known Lisa since they were born.

B．She has been to Lisa’s house.

C．She has a good family education.

D．She was the first one to know about Lisa’s death.

3. What did the author learn from Lisa?

A．To keep your illness a secret.

B．To be nice to everyone everywhere.

C．To face challenges in life bravely.

D．To put others’ needs above yours.

4. The author wrote this passage mainly to ________.

A．remember a true friend

B．ask for help to find a friend’s parents

C．show her concern for a friend

D．tell her experience of fighting cancer

7 . As I went down the wooden snowy steps, I held the rough fence with one hand, held my crying daughter Kelly with the other and made my way into the yard. I knew everything would be okay if I located my mother.

Instead of a smile, she greeted me with concern. I knew she had read my face as I’d approached. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

I held the baby out. “I can’t take care of this baby,” I said simply. My mother didn’t take her from my arms as I expected. She smiled slightly, and then replied firmly, “You have to take care of that baby.” This was not the reply I wanted. Couldn’t she hear the baby crying? I wanted her to fix this problem. Instead, she took off her gloves and asked me in for some coffee.

Mom held Kelly while I held the coffee cup. At that moment the baby finally stopped crying. I glanced over at Kelly, content in my mother’s arms. Her tiny blue eyes were fixed on me, as if to ask, “What’s the problem here, Mama?” Her sweet, familiar breath eased the stress in the air. I looked at my mother, feeling foolish but relieved. She stood and placed an arm around my shoulders. “By the time you came along, things were quite the opposite for me. But with your elder brother, you can bet that I often felt helpless.”

The baby showed no signs of our afternoon struggle, while my own hair remained damp and messy from sweat and worry. “Crying is the only way babies have to communicate. Try to listen to her cries and hear them as language. She’s not crying to annoy you; she’s trying to send a message with the only voice she has.”

Once again, her gentle guidance had supported me through a storm and back into clear skies.

1. Why did the author visit her mother in the rough weather?

A．She was concerned about her mother’s safety.

B．She was helpless and needed her mother’s help.

C．She wanted to learn to care for babies from her mother.

D．She intended to borrow some money from her mother.

2. How did the author’s mother probably feel when bringing her up?

A．Inexperienced but patient.	B．Considerate but impatient.
C．Experienced and confident.	D．Thoughtless and unconcerned.

3. What did the author’s mother want to express in paragraph 5?

A．Taking care of babies was difficult.

B．Babies enjoyed annoying their parents.

C．The author should let her baby cry more.

D．Parents should understand and accept babies’ crying.

4. What can we infer about the author’s mother?

A．She usually goes shopping with the author.

B．She lives a lonely life without her children.

C．She often gives advice to the author in trouble.

D．She likes to raise small children for young mothers.

8 . When I was worried my son was coming down with a little something, I remarked that his eating was slowing down a bit.

“I’ve noticed how fast you eat,” my wife’s Auntie Carmel said. I looked down at my plate — the plate from which my food had just been emptied — and looked up at her stare. “I’m not being critical,” she assured me, “and I find it fascinating.” She said “fascinating” in the way a polite member of the FBI might describe your recent Internet searches.

“You do eat pretty fast,” whispered my wife by the time I’d placed my knives and forks down. Her mother shared the same view shortly after that, and soon the entire table were unanimous in this opinion.

We were at my wife’s parents’ home in Dublin because Auntie Carmel was visiting from New York, and it was a good chance for her to meet our son, who immediately adored her. We all adore Auntie Carmel for her ability to speak her mind in a way that never seems rude.

In fairness to Carmel, I do eat quickly. I’m fond of saying it’s because I come from a large family. I now realize this makes no sense. There is also the fact that my wife’s mum and Auntie Carmel themselves both come from a family of 12. The same is true for her dad. Yet somehow, none of them eat as if their legs were on fire.

It’s a habit I picked up along the way, and I might have been permanently blind to it without this intervention. Left unexamined, it might have coloured my parenting, demanding my speed as a default (默认) for my son, for I remarked that his eating was slowing down a bit. For now, at least, he can clear his plate as slowly as he likes.

1. How does Auntie Carmel feel about the author’s eating habit?

A．Interesting.	B．Satisfactory.
C．Disturbing.	D．Puzzling.

2. What does the underlined word “unanimous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．At a loss.	B．In agreement.
C．In embarrassment.	D．Under consideration.

3. What do we know about Auntie Carmel?

A．She likes little children.

B．She tends to criticize others.

C．She is skilled at expressing herself.

D．She is particular about table manners.

4. What can be learned from Paragraph 5?

A．Children’s eating habits are not easy to change.

B．The author often has excuses for his behaviors.

C．The family size isn’t related to one’s eating speed.

D．Children in small families don’t need to eat quickly.

9 . Jim found himself exhausted during a trip. When he came home, he went to see a doctor. “The reason why I was fatigued (精疲力竭),” Jim says, “was that my kidneys were gone.”

Jim, 69, a former Air Force pilot, immediately started dialysis (透析) three times a week. A person of his age on dialysis usually lives only about four years. Transplants are a long-shot alternative. The National Kidney Foundation estimates that 13 people die every day while waiting for a donor with the right blood and tissue types.

Jim’s wife, nephew and four family friends offered but weren’t a match. Jim was so discouraged that he was even considering not attending a reunion of some Air Force buddies (铁哥们). But his wife encouraged him to reunite with his old friends, among whom was one he hadn’t seen for nearly 50 years: Doug Coffman. The two had met. When they both were learning Vietnamese before they went overseas.

Doug, then 70, felt a strong bond with his band of brothers, even though he hadn’t seen some of them for decades. Their connection went beyond the battlefield in ways most, soldiers never experience.

Doug had received help from his friends when he was in trouble, so he felt like it was a time that he could pay that ahead by donating a kidney to Jim. Fortunately, series of testing revealed not only that Doug’s tissue type matched Jim^’s but also that he had the kidneys of a 35-year-old.

The transplant was a success. “It’s pretty miraculous to be able to take an organ out of one person’s body—a living organ—put it in another person’s body, and have it work.” Doug says. “And there’s nothing finer than knowing I’ve helped another person live a better life.”

1. From paragraph 2 we know that kidney transplant is ________.

A．expensive	B．dangerous
C．a matter of luck	D．an unwise choice

2. How old was Jim when he went overseas?

A．About 17.

B．About 19.

C．About 22.

D．About 25.

3. What can we infer from Doug’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Doug is happy to donate a kidney to Jim.

B．Jim is having a better life than Doug.

C．The kidney transplant was very successful.

D．Modern medical science is very advanced.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To share his good luck.	B．To tell us to pay it forward.
C．To introduce a kidney transplant.	D．To encourage us to make friends.

10 . It has been four years since Grandma Joy told her grandson that she had never seen the most beautiful views of America. Since then, they have gone on many cross-country trips.

Brad Ryan had been feeling tired of studying in a vet school when he visited his 85-year-old grandma in 2015. He hoped that spending some quality family time would help lift his spirits.

As he was telling his grandma stories of his travels, however, he was heartbroken to hear that she had never seen the ocean or mountains. Ryan then asked his grandmother if she would like to go hiking with him. Needless to say, she was more than happy to agree.

They have since visited 29 different national parks across America---from the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado to the Acadia National Park in Maine. Over the four years, Ryan and his grandma have driven 25,000 miles through 38 states. And it has greatly affected his quality of life. “Seeing it through my grandmother’s eyes, who every morning wakes up and   is thankful to be alive has taught me how to live,” Ryan said. “With her, I’ve had to slow down and see life in a different way, which has made it a lot richer.”

“I love my grandma so much, and it’s just really giving me a lot of peace when she passed away. I can go back to these places, feel her spirit, and feel connected to her,” he added.

Ryan posted all of their trips on Facebook. He hopes more young people will spare time to be with their elders. “I want young people to know that hanging out with your grandparents is cool. And there’s so much we can learn from our elders,” Ryan said.

1. Why did Brad Ryan visit his grandma in 2015?

A．To cheer himself up.

B．To please his grandma.

C．To take his grandma to travel.

D．To share his travelling experiences.

2. How did Brad Ryan feel when he heard his grandma had never seen the ocean or mountains?

A．Shocked.	B．Sad.
C．Doubtful.	D．Excited

3. What influence did Brad Ryan’s grandma have on him?

A．She made him live a better life.

B．She helped him find his life goal.

C．She told him to have peace of mind.

D．She gave him a lot of encouragement.

4. What is Brad Ryan’s purpose of posting their trips online?

A．To advise young people to take a trip.

B．To share his joy of travelling with his grandma.

C．To encourage the young to keep their elders company.

D．To show young people what they can learn from their elders.