1 . “I feel lonely and hopeless, ” said Lisa, a bright teenager from a loving home. “It seems that nobody wants to become my friend. What’s wrong with me?”
Like Lisa, many of us experience loneliness. The truth is that all people, no matter what their age or character-even the most outgoing, wealthy and popular-experience loneliness at least sometimes. It’s healthy and natural to want to be around people who care. After all, we’ve all heard “No man is an island.” That’s true. We all need others in our lives.
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, explains that if we want friends, we must be friendly and reach out to others. But it has risk. Because we are often afraid of rejection, many of us are unwilling to reach out to others. We take a safer way and wait for others to make friends with us. But if we want friends, we’ve got to get beyond this.
If making friends is your goal as well, you need to consider taking some measures.
Be willing to take the initiative (主动). If you see someone whom you would like to know, don’t wait for her to make the first move. Get close to her and begin a conversation. Let her know in a non-aggressive (无攻击性的) way that you are interested in being friends with her.
Reach out to those who are lonely. When you see someone at school sitting alone, go over and talk to her. And don’t let popularity decide whom you reach out to. You’ll often be surprised at the beautiful qualities behind a shy appearance. Ask questions. Start your first conversation by asking this possible friend what she likes to do or asking about her family. Be sure to ask questions that cannot be replied with “yes” or “no”. For example, don’t ask “Do you have a dog?” Instead, say “So, tell me about your pets. ” Avoiding asking “yes” or “no” questions makes your possible friend not end your communication with a one-word answer.
1. Why does the author begin the text with Lisa’s worry?| A．To set a sad tone. |
| B．To share Lisa’s pain. |
| C．To teach readers a lesson. |
| D．To introduce the topic. |
| A．Putting ourselves in danger. |
| B．Being treated in a rude way. |
| C．Being refused by others. |
| D．Losing interest in communicating. |
| A．Popular people are often easy-going. |
| B．Just waiting for chances will help you make friends. |
| C．Shy people are hard to talk to. |
| D．A suitable way is important in making friends. |
| A．It is considered unfriendly. |
| B．It isn’t good for keeping a conversation going. |
| C．It will leave a bad first impression. |
| D．It shows the poor quality of the speaker. |
2 . Some of my earliest memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night when he came home from the office. I’d watch as he put his personal items away: his watch, wallet, comb and car keys. They would always occupy the same spot on the table every time.
Dad’s comb was jade green. I heard he bought it when he married Mum. Every night, he would smile, hand me the comb and say, “Be a good girl and help Daddy clean it, OK?”
I was more than happy to do it. At age five, this kind of task brought me such joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on, and then brush the comb with a used toothbrush as hard as I could. Satisfied that I’d done a good job, I would proudly return the comb to Dad. He would smile at me, and place the comb on top of his wallet.
About two years later, Dad left his sales job and started his own wholesale business. I started primary school. That was when things started to change. Dad’s business wasn’t doing so well, and our stable life started getting shaky. He didn’t come home as much as he used to. And when he did come home, it was always late and I’d already be in bed. I started to get mad. Why didn’t he listen to Mum and just stick to his old job? Why take the risk and place the whole family in trouble? Over the years, I stopped waiting for him to come home, and stopped going downstairs to check on him.
Now 28, I’ve graduated from college and got a job. Dad’s business has also started to get back on track. Yet the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me went on.
Two days before my birthday last year, Dad came home early. On that evening, I helped him carry his bags into his study as usual. When I turned to leave, he asked me to clean his comb. I looked at him for a while, then took the comb and headed to the sink.
It was a new comb. This one was brown. I hadn’t noticed that he’d changed it. After cleaning it, I passed it back to Dad. He looked at it and smiled. But this time, I noticed something different. My dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled, yet his smile was still as heartwarming as before.
1. From the first three paragraphs, we can learn .| A．the earliest memories with Dad were full of joy |
| B．the precious green comb of Dad was made of jade |
| C．the author was unwilling to clean the comb for Dad |
| D．the author would study together with Dad every evening |
| A．That he was eager to get everything on track. | B．That he wanted to keep his family life stable. |
| C．That he was laid off and had to make a living. | D．That he hoped to earn a better life for the family. |
| A．cheerful→ mad→ warm. | B．mad → satisfied → warm. |
| C．satisfied → worried → angry. | D．warm → concerned → uncomfortable. |
| A．A Comb of Jade Green | B．Dad’s Wholesale Business |
| C．Evenings with My Dad | D．My Earliest Memories with Dad |
3 . Best Gifts for Every Type of Mom
Mother’s Day is drawing near. Do you want to reward Mom with special gifts? We have done the work for you by selecting best gift ideas for every type of mom. Just click “Add to cart (购物车)” to shower Mom with love.
Dainty Earrings — Best for the Jewelry Lover
Made from silver, the earrings are lightweight and perfect for everyday wear. They’re also ideal for anyone with sensitive ears. Among the 8,000 plus five-star viewers, April Farmer wrote, “Just about every material irritates (刺激) my ears, but I have had these in for three months now, and no irritation. Besides, I can’t even tell they are in!”
KS Lunch Bag — Best for the Working Mom
This bag will put a smile on mom’s face during lunch hour. With about 5000 five-star reviews, the fashionable and functional KS bag will keep food and soups fresh. Plus, the soft and lightweight design makes it easy to bring anywhere.
Breville Express — Best for the Coffee Lover
If Mom is a true coffee lover, she’s dreamed of owning a high-end coffee machine. Now you can make that dream a reality. The Breville Express, which has more than 14,000 five-star reviews, comes in either black or stainless steel surfaces and offers the same dose-controlled grinding (研磨) that’s normally reserved for fancy coffee shops.
Beckham Pillows — Best for the One Who Needs a Good Night’s Sleep
She deserves a peaceful night’s rest after all the hard work she does every day, and she’ll get just that with these Beckham pillows. It’s a best seller with more than 126,000 five-star reviews, so it’s pretty much a hit.
1. Why are Dainty Earrings worth buying in April Farmer’s view?| A．They are light and skin-friendly. |
| B．They are simple but unique. |
| C．They are stylish and valuable. |
| D．They are strong and fancy. |
| A．Dainty Earrings. | B．Breville Express. |
| C．KS Lunch Bag. | D．Beckham Pillows. |
| A．Agencies selling products to moms. |
| B．People seeking gifts for their moms. |
| C．Moms planning to reward themselves. |
| D．Salesmen studying moms’ preferences. |
4 . Wearing high heels, lipstick and trendy dresses, a group of “chic grandmas” with an average age of 68, can still walk the walk as models. But they are not trained models. They are, in fact, ordinary retirees. They all share a love for fashion, and they come together to add a bit of enjoyment to their lives. These “chic grandmas” share a common goal now but their backgrounds could barely be more different.
Sang Xiuzhu, 77, is one of them. She used to be an automatic control engineer. She initially planned to journey across continents with her husband after retirement, but during a literary event, Sang, 1.7 meters tall, was spotted by a modeling coach. In the beginning, she joined the senior model team and attended events organized by her local community and enterprises. Later, she was invited to participate in Beijing International Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and her new career just grew.
Sang is learning to compose music, form lines and write scripts. She is so occupied that she really has no time to think about the aging issue. As for the future, Sang doesn’t know how to define it, as she really enjoys the present. She suggests that after retirement, people must cope with the transition period, and they should enjoy life.
As long as the heart is not old, life is always sweet. All “chic grandmas” are full of enthusiasm for new things and they live to learn. This kind of enthusiasm that is rooted deeply in their heart fills them with energy.
1. What does the underlined word “chic” in paragraph I mean?| A．Retired. | B．Urban. | C．Stylish. | D．Rigid. |
| A．Become a senior model. | B．Attend literary events. |
| C．Learn to compose music. | D．Tour around the world. |
| A．They have a born talent for modeling. |
| B．They willingly experience new things. |
| C．They come from similar backgrounds. |
| D．They concern much about the aging issue. |
| A．Changes in Fashion Week | B．Never Too Late to Learn |
| C．Beauty Has No Age Limit | D．Interest Is the Best Teacher |
5 . Of all relationships, the parent-child relationship is perhaps the purest.
Give them your time. No matter how busy you are with your life, try to make some time for your parents.
Put yourself in their shoes. Whenever your parents say something that contradicts (与……矛盾) your opinion, try not to simply agree with them.
Try not to raise your voice at them. These will be times when you disagree with your parents. It is okay to try to help them understand your point of view. However, raising your voice is never a great idea, as it will leave your parents feeling hurt.
Be open with them. As children, we tend to share every detail of our lives with our parents, but as we grow up, we filter out certain things from them. Try to be as honest as possible and let them take part in the most important aspects of your life.
| A．Call them every day. |
| B．Lend a hand with household chores. |
| C．If the gap is too big, you will become a stranger. |
| D．Accept the generation gap between you and them. |
| E．Parents often feel lonely once kids go away to college. |
| F．Let them know you want them to be a part of your life. |
| G．It is also the one that goes through several transformations, good or bad. |
6 . Children will become more and more independent and will do what they would like to do. However, as parents, you ought to take care of your own children and have a better understanding of them in the following cases.
School work becomes increasingly difficult as children grow up. So this is a time when some kids begin to do better in their school work while others struggle to understand more advanced and more difficult lessons. When they get home, talk with them about their school lessons and find out what they don’t understand. It’s a chance for you to stay close with your children as before and get them to relax.
For many families, homework can be a serious struggle. Many school-age kids are reluctant to sit down and study for a spelling test or complete their math homework. It’s natural for them to be bored with their homework, but you have to think of ways to help them form the right habit to finish their homework when they get home.
Many kids are busy with sports, music, and after-school activities. Others, however, may prefer to spend too many hours on the screen. It’s important to keep kids active at this age.
Friends become a bigger deal for children during this time too. Attending birthday parties or playing with kids on the playground can be good for their development.
Bullying (恃强凌弱的行为) can become a problem around this age. It’s important to talk to your child about kindness and respect so he doesn’t become a bully and it’s also quite necessary for you to talk about what he can do if he becomes a target.
1. What would happen with school lessons getting more difficult?| A．Children are divided in their school lessons. |
| B．Children have more homework to do at home. |
| C．Parents have more chances to show themselves. |
| D．Parents find it more difficult to teach their children. |
| A．Excited. | B．Worried. | C．Unwilling. | D．Interested. |
| A．Spend more hours on the screen. |
| B．Be active both mentally and physically. |
| C．Organize parties at home and school. |
| D．Bully other students at school. |
| A．Students. | B．Teachers. | C．Parents. | D．Office workers. |
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 |
8 . My mother was never truly happy in Connecticut finding the winter bitter cold and the culture provincial (偏狭的). Though she grew up in New Jersey, she moved to San Francisco in her early twenties, met and married my dad out there. After I was born, they decided to return east, closer to their own parents. But she never let go of her love for the Bay Area.
California was always part of the conversation when I was a kid. I ate meals off a map-of-the-world placemat (餐垫), and Mom taught me to identify San Francisco before I learned where Hartford was. She told us stories of perfection on a single city, fantasizing about retiring out west. My dad would play along, but his heart wasn’t in the same place.
While my mother’s status in the nonprofit world advanced, her desire to move back to her favorite place grew strong. She applied for jobs in the Bay, underwent bicoastal Skype screenings, even traveled out for a couple of interviews on a whim (心血来潮). Sometimes her cover letters disappeared, other times she made it down to the final two candidates. With each rejection, she promised to make her next job application even stronger.
This past May, I relocated from San Francisco to New York for a job. A few weeks later, Mom called me. Her pursuit had finally paid off. She’s been offered a vice president position at a public health nonprofit in Oakland. A few weeks later, she packed up her baggage and left Connecticut for good.
Our lives are more semblable than ever these days. We’re both discovering our new homes, making friends. We’re looking for a good yoga studio to join, reading the same books and chatting about the plots by text message. I emailed her photos from my trip to Burning Man and she replied with stories about her new coworkers who go every year. There’s even time for the occasional dating disaster.
Perhaps that’s the paradox (悖论) of growing older. Things will always change, and they can change immediately—my mother is proof. But an individual’s own power to create change always stays the same. Everything can change, and therefore nothing ever really changes.
Now when I’m out west for a visit, Mom meets me at a station with her big bag. We stop by the Grand Lake farmers market, picking out the freshest seasonal ingredients, before hiking up the hill to her new apartment. One of these days, I’ll actually cook her dinner.
1. What can we know about the author’s mother?| A．She always likes to struggle on her own. | B．Nothing can stop her from reaching her goal. |
| C．She owns a public health nonprofit company. | D．She takes everything of her daughter on herself. |
| A．Changeable. | B．Comfortable. | C．Similar. | D．Creative. |
| A．The relationship between the author and her mother is very good. |
| B．The author would not like to let her mother work on. |
| C．The author and her mother live in the same city at present. |
| D．The author would not like to change her life situation. |
| A．her family’s life always change because of her mother |
| B．the mother-daughter feelings will stay the same forever |
| C．she has grown up during her family’s constant moves |
| D．her mother always wants to change her current situations |
9 . “I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’m playing a game with a friend, a guy named Scuzzball,” my 15-year-old son shouted from his room. “Oh, what is Scuzzball’s real name?” I asked. “I have no idea.” He said. “Where is he from?” I continued. He responded, “I think somewhere in Canada. Oh, wait, it doesn’t even matter because Scuzzball just left and he has been replaced with a robot.”
“Your friend is replaced by artificial intelligence?” “It doesn’t matter, Dad. It happens all the time! The game continues.” My son doesn’t mind playing with a person or a robot, which is typical of games these days. I wonder whether the face-to-face experience of friendship that I grew up with will be lost by our children.
Aristotle, a great thinker and educator, has pointed out that shallow friendship is easily formed but also easily abandoned because such bonds are fragile. Deep friendship, by contrast, is when you care for your friend for his sake, not for any benefit you can get. This is selfless friendship. You can have only a couple of these friends because they require lots of time and effort. You must make sacrifices for each other.
Presence in friendship requires “being with” and “‘doing for”. Perhaps the most defining feature of deep friendship is “doing for”, as my friend has my back in trouble or brings me soup when I’m sick. Only strong bonds have the power to motivate real sacrifices. But it is unclear why online “friends” would bother to do the hard work of friendship. When I asked my students whether they had people in their lives who would bring them soup when they were sick, they laughed at my Stone Age question and said they’d just order soup online themselves.
Digital life fills and absorbs waking life time so that people do not join in an example case of friendship, like sports, collective arts, free range childhoods, etc. In this way, digital life produces false friendships.
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?| A．By quoting famous mottoes. | B．By introducing an online game. |
| C．By showing robots’ irreplaceable role. | D．By presenting a parent-child conversation. |
| A．Impact of selfish friendship. | B．The meaning of deep friendship. |
| C．Selfless sacrifices in friendship. | D．The formation of shallow friendship. |
| A．Robots will have our back in trouble. |
| B．Virtual friends won’t make real sacrifices. |
| C．The students thought highly of the teacher’s question. |
| D．Ordering food online for friends is an example of “being with”. |
| A．Digitalized Friendship | B．The Benefits of Digital Life |
| C．Face-to-face Communication | D．The Sacrifices of Online Friends |
10 . Friendship is a practice of unconditional love, an opportunity to grow together towards fulfillment (成就), and a journey to unfold the most precious capacities of a human being.
Provide support and encouragement. Friendships aren’t all fun and games — they do require you put in some work. Say they’ve just quarreled with their parents or failed an exam. It’s your job to be there for them and provide them with whatever they need, starting with support and comfort.
Whatever the case, make it apparent that you’re rooting for them.
Seek the good of the other person. When we love another person, we seek the good of the other because we gladden their own happiness. Therefore, our seeking for the other person’s good is totally disinterested. We serve the other without expecting anything in return.
Accept the differences.
| A．Be honest with each other. |
| B．Acts of love are made for its own sake. |
| C．Take responsibility of your own emotions. |
| D．Additionally, it’s your duty to give them encouragement as needed. |
| E．Human beings are relational beings, as everything we find in the nature. |
| F．Therefore, developing friendship with other people is essential in our lives. |
| G．Friendship doesn’t mean having the same interests, opinions and mindset as the other person. |
