1 . 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.

2. Which of the following words can best describe the author?

A．Self-centred and pessimistic.	B．Self-confident and optimistic.
C．Hard-working and intelligent.	D．Easy-going and warm-hearted.

3. What does the underlined phrase “tune out” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Ignore.

B．Focus.

C．Create.

D．Receive.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

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

2 . The photographs that Scilla took as a 16-year-old girl on the streets of London in 1955 stayed largely in her album (相册) over the years. Scilla is now 83, and her self-developed black-and-white photos have been brought back to life after they were discovered by a teenage photographer.

Over the past year, Philip Loveday, 16, has been revisiting his grandmother’s path across the capital to carefully rephotograph the pictures. His journey through time with a camera has been especially moving, because his grandmother, Scilla, has Alzheimer’s disease (阿尔茨海默症) and has lost many of her memories.

Philip took new photos that looked like the ones Scilla took long ago, and put them in a new album. Each page of Scilla’s old album was copied and put in the new one, with Philip’s new photos on the opposite pages. Philip’s mother, Catherine Loveday, said Scilla had been happy with the new album, which had “put her back in her shoes” as a teenager.

Philip said his mother showed him the album she had found at her mother’s house. Greatly absorbed in how modern London would compare to the city photographed by his grandmother, Philip and his mother began to make trips into central London. During the trips, they had the idea of retaking the photos.

Some of the places are similar, like Big Ben. Others show how the city has modernized. Unlike Scilla’s view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from the Thames, Philip’s retake has the Millenium Bridge. When Scilla photographed the John Lewis store on Oxford Street, it was a one-storey building — now it has seven floors. Philip had to use his imagination to recreate other sights. Scilla has repeatedly returned to her new album since receiving it. Philip said: “It’s nice for her to see someone taking an interest in those photos and going back over them, and also good for her to connect her past to where we are now.”

1. What did Philip do for Scilla during the past year?

A．He taught her how to use a camera.

B．He took her to visit London streets.

C．He found a new way to treat her disease.

D．He recreated photos of London she had taken.

2. What influence did Philip’s work have on Scilla?

A．It inspired her to take photos.	B．It made her think of her teenage days.
C．It encouraged her to travel across London.	D．It raised her confidence to fight off illness.

3. What does the underlined word “absorbed” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Troubled.

B．Interested.

C．Experienced.

D．Disappointed.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．A teenager sensed the great changes of London.

B．An old lady suffered a lot from Alzheimer’s disease.

C．A teenager and his mother travelled to London for fun.

D．A teenager’s photos helped recover his grandmother’s memory.

3 . It is difficult for parents of nearly every family to teach their children to be responsible (负责的) for housework, but with one of the following suggestions, you really can get your children to help at home.

If you give your children the impression (印象) that they can never do anything quite right, then they will regard themselves as unfit or unable persons. Unless children believe they can succeed, they will never become totally (完全地) independent.

My daughter Mary’s fifth­grade teacher made every child in her class feel special. When students received less than a perfect test score, she would point out what they had mastered (掌握) and declared (宣称) firmly they could learn what they had missed.

You can use the same technique when you evaluate (评价) your child’s work at home. Don’t always scold (责骂) them and you should give lots of praise instead. Talk about what he has done right, not about what he hasn’t done. If your child completes a difficult task, promise him a Sunday trip or a ball game with Dad.

Learning is a process of trying and failing and trying and succeeding. If you teach your children not to fear a mistake of failure, they will learn faster and achieve success at last.

1. The whole passage deals with ______.

A．social education	B．family education
C．school education	D．pre­school education

2. The author thinks that ______.

A．there is no way to get children to help at home

B．children can be forced to help with housework

C．it is very difficult to make children responsible for housework

D．the more encouragement and praise you give, the more responsible and helpful children will become

3. The passage gives us a good suggestion about how to evaluate your child’s work at home. That is to ______.

A．give him a punishment	B．promise him a trip
C．praise his success	D．promise him a ball game

4. The author advises readers to ______.

A．do as what Mary’s teacher did in educating children

B．take pride in Mary’s fifth­grade teacher

C．learn from himself, for he has a good way of teaching

D．follow Mary’s example because she never fails in the test

4 . Following Mid­Autumn Festival dinner, my family was relaxing around the kitchen table. We were discussing the delicious meal we had just had. Dad had risen from his chair and was standing nearby.

My nephew began playing with his new basketball around the table. Upon nearing Dad, he stopped. With shaking, wrinkled hands, Dad had reached out for the ball. He did not speak, and the boy looked at us in confusion. After a few seconds, he carefully passed the ball to Dad. I watched my father closely to see what he would do. A playful smile appeared on his face. Holding the ball and reaching forward, Dad bounced it on the floor and then caught it.

This action was repeated. Smiling with satisfaction, he then turned towards us. Gently tossing (投掷) the ball away, Dad began a game of catch.

The ball continued to be passed through pairs of outstretched hands. Cries of “Over here!” rang through the warm kitchen. Dad’s active participation in this game was remarkable to me, since he had dementia (痴呆). This disease had robbed him of many memories and the recognition of people, places and points in time. Despite this, Dad clearly recognized the ball and what he could do with it.

In my younger years, playing with Dad was rare. He worked hard and provided for us, but never showed nor shared much emotion. His favorite game was chess, which he once taught me how to play. But after his illness, connecting moments between father and son had been few before he took the basketball.

I’m not sure how long we played the game. Watching the clock was not important. Dad happily led us until he began to tire.I know that moment will certainly last forever. This Mid­ Autumn Festival, Dad gave me a special memory—one that I will always treasure.

1. The method the writer uses to develop the second paragraph is         .

A．offering analyses	B．providing details
C．giving examples	D．making comparisons

2. The author’s father’s active participation in the game surprised the author because         .

A．it was the first time he had taken part in such a game

B．he was able to recognize his family members clearly

C．he could have a rest and relax by playing the ball game

D．he could recognize the ball and react accordingly, despite his illness

3. What can we learn about the author’s father from the text?

A．His sickness made it difficult for him to recognize people.

B．When the author was young, he spent a lot of time playing with him.

C．He taught the author how to play basketball and the game of catch.

D．He worked hard and liked to share his feelings with his family.

4. What would be the best title for this text?

A．A Son’s Love

B．A Father’s Smiles

C．The Happiness of a Sick Father

D．Unforgettable Memories at Mid­Autumn Festival

6 . In a post shared on Twitter last Monday, the woman, Amy Clukey, explained that her dad, Rick, a beekeeper, died of lung cancer about nine years ago. But, before passing away, he wrote a note that he hoped one of his children would later find, and finally after so long, her little brother, who is now 16 years old, found it in his father’s beekeeping clothes.

The note said, “I hope one of my children is curious about beekeeping. Beekeeping is actually pretty easy and you can learn everything online. Bees make more products than just honey; it can be a source of extra income. So don’t be afraid, have courage. Good luck. Love Dad.”

The bee population in 2019 consisted primarily of wild bees, and North Dakota has the highest honey production with over 38 million pounds.

Clukey explained that her father bought a farm when he was in his 40s, and it was then that he took up beekeeping and other hobbies like raising cattle and horses. She added, “When he was diagnosed (诊断) with stage 4 lung cancer, the doctors told him that he had 18 months to live. He was a fighter: He lived 5 years and a week after his diagnosis.”

The post has attracted a lot of readers on the platform and has received over 42,800 likes, 2,333 comments, and 749,000 re-shares in less than 24 hours, and in the comments, the woman added that while she doesn’t do beekeeping herself, two of her brothers are interested in it.

One user commented, “I lost my dad in 2018. This post makes me cry.” And another user said, “My dad is in the last few weeks of his life battling cancer. I’ll come back to the post in a couple of months when I need it again.” And one also shared the story of her personal loss, writing, “I lost my husband half a year ago. He used to leave little notes all over the house. I can’t bring myself to move anything.”

1. What did the father wish according to the text?

A．His children could make big money.

B．One of his children could find the hidden note.

C．One of his children could be interested in keeping bees.

D．His children could make great contribution to the honey production.

2. What kind of person was Amy’s father?

A．Hard-working and brave.	B．Wealthy and healthy.
C．Easy-going and intelligent.	D．Generous and wise.

3. What is the common part of the readers?

A．They are all beekeepers.	B．They are all moved by the note.
C．They all lost their loved ones.	D．They all found the family member’s notes.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．A father’s death touched people’s hearts.

B．People made comments on a father’s death.

C．A father’s note posted online attracted attention.

D．Beekeeping is important for many families.

8 . When I was about 12 years old, my older brother, James, smuggled (偷运) a BB gun into the house. Our parents had told us many times that we were not allowed to bring home guns or knives, even if they were just toys. Having any form of weaponry (兵器) in our home was strictly forbidden.

James brought me to his room. He opened his closet door and look out a shoebox that was buried beneath a heap of clothes. The BB gun was inside. I was immediately attracted by the shiny barrel (枪管).

“Can I shoot it, James?” I asked, hopefully.

“No way,” James said, taking it from me and putting it back.

One day, when no one was home, I went into Jame’s closet and took it out. For some incomprehensible reason -- I have no idea what I was thinking I went to the front window of the second floor in our row house. I cracked the window open. I pointed the gun outside and shot. I quickly shut the window and looked outside secretly.

In a matter of seconds, old Mr. Schlosberg came out of his grocery store. He looked back at his store window. He looked up the street. He looked down the street. Then he looked straight across to our house.

Thankfully, James made it home before Mother or Father.

As he stepped through the door, I could hear old Mr. Schlosberg call his name. “James, James,” he called. “Come here, son.”

After several minutes, James ran back across the street and into the living room. I had retreated into the kitchen. “Alma!” he screamed. “Get out here! You cracked Mr. Schlosberg’s window with my BB gun!”

“Oh, please, James,” I begged. “Don’t let him tell Mother. She will hit my bottom real good!” James sighed. He wiped my tears and went back across the street to Mr. Schlosberg’s. I don’t know what James said to that man, but there was never a mention of the incident again.

Years later, I found out James had used the money he got from his newspaper route to pay for Mr. Schlosberg’s cracked window. He only got one cent for every paper he delivered. He managed to pay back the debt just before he went off to fight in World War II.

Since that day, I have never touched a gun: a BB gun, a water gun, a real gun, or any other type.

1. The word “retreated” in the middle of the passage is closest in meaning to “_________”.

A．rushed happily	B．moved excitedly
C．wandered unhurriedly	D．escaped quietly

2. What did Alma expect from James after he shot Mr. Schlosberg’s window?

A．To deal with the problem.	B．To talk with his parents.
C．To throw away the gun.	D．To tell the truth.

3. Which of the following best describes James as a brother?

A．Responsible and strict.	B．Brave and determined.
C．Responsible and caring.	D．Naughty and determined.

4. The best title of the passage is

A．A Warmhearted Brother	B．A BB Gun
C．A Cracked Window	D．An Incident

10 . My son just turned 14 and does not have a smartphone. When he graduated from Grade 8, he was the only kid in his class without one. He asks for a phone now that he’s going to high school. I say no, he asks why, I explain, and he pushes back.

“You can choose to do things differently when you’re a parent,” I told him. But sometimes, I wonder if I’m being too stubborn or unfair.

The more I research, the more confident I feel in my decision. Many studies link the current mental health crisis among adolescents to fundamental changes in how they socialize, namely, the shift from in-person to online interaction.

But other mothers challenge my view. “He must feel so left out!” Then there are the parents who tell me sadly that they wish they had delayed their teenager’s phone ownership longer than they did. They urge me to hold out.

If teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 are truly spending an average of 8 hours 39 minutes per day on their devices, as stated in a survey conducted by Common Sense Media, then what are they not doing? Kids absorbed in their devices are missing out on real life, and that strikes me as really sad.

I want my son to have a childhood he feels satisfied with and proud of. I want it to be full of adventures, imaginative play and physical challenges which he must sort out himself without asking me for help. The easiest and simplest way to achieve these goals is to delay giving him a smartphone.

Some think my son is missing out or falling behind, but he is not. He does well in school and extra-curricular activities, hangs out with his friends in person, and moves independently around our small town. He promises he’ll give his own 14-year-old a phone someday, and I tell him that’s fine. But recently, he admitted that he missed the beautiful scenery on a drive to a nearby mountain because he had been so absorbed in his friend’s iPad. If that is his version of admitting I’m right, I’ll take it.

1. What does the underlined phrase “pushes back” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Agrees.

B．Delays.

C．Opposes.

D．Persuades.

2. What is the author primarily concerned about regarding giving her son a phone?

A．Her son’s online safety.

B．Her son’s mental growth.

C．Her son’s reduced physical activities.

D．Her son’s poor academic performance.

3. What quality does the author want her son to develop in his childhood?

A．Team spirit.	B．Leadership.
C．Independence.	D．Critical thinking.

4. What can be learned about the author’s son?

A．He is falling behind academically.

B．He is easily influenced by his friends.

C．He has given up his desire for a smartphone.

D．He has realized the problems of much screen time.