1 . 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 |
| A．To deal with the problem. | B．To talk with his parents. |
| C．To throw away the gun. | D．To tell the truth. |
| A．Responsible and strict. | B．Brave and determined. |
| C．Responsible and caring. | D．Naughty and determined. |
| A．A Warmhearted Brother | B．A BB Gun |
| C．A Cracked Window | D．An Incident |
2 . I was born in Detroit. My father, Robert, made his first fortune selling paint to the car industry. My mother, Hazel, was a telephone operator.
Our house in Detroit was beautiful, right off the Detroit Golf Club. We spent much of the time fishing and riding horses. It was one of the few times in my life that I had my father’s undivided attention.
When I was 7, my parents decided to move to Los Angeles. But my parents didn’t move out to L. A. immediately. Instead, they remained in Detroit for a year. I was sent on ahead, probably so my parents could enjoy their social life without disruption. My father put me on a train in Detroit, tipped a porter to keep an eye on me and when I arrived I was taken to the Hollywood Military Academy, where I had been registered.
My father had been so successful that he was able to retire. I admired his success, but he was strict and didn’t hesitate to punish or hit me for the slightest offence. I came to hate him, and I became rebellious(叛逆的). The four boarding schools I attended were like an extended Hollywood family. Many stars sent their kids there so they could work on movies without distraction. I became connected to the film industry through my friendships. I already was determined to become an actor. My father hoped I’d join his company, but I wanted nothing to do with it or him. Instead, I decided to try my luck in the picture business.
In 1950, when I was 20, I had a screen test. When the head of the studio, Darryl Zanuck, saw the test, he signed me. The day I found out, I felt absolutely great. Suddenly I was recognized. Through the years, my father voiced doubt about whether I’d make it. My mother’s support was our secret and canceled out his discouragement. At the end of his life in 1964, my father finally told me, “Nice job” about my film work. That’s the praise I got.
1. What does the underlined word “disruption” mean in the third paragraph?| A．Interruption. | B．Destruction. |
| C．Separation. | D．Consideration. |
| A．She openly encouraged his career choice. |
| B．She had no involvement in the author’s film work. |
| C．She convinced the father to be more supportive of the author. |
| D．She secretly supported him despite the father’s discouragement. |
| A．Distant but respectful. | B．Close but insecure. |
| C．Trusting and encouraging. | D．Supportive and caring. |
| A．A Life-changing Screen Test Success |
| B．The Experience of Growing Up in Detroit |
| C．A Father’s Approval: Struggles and Recognition |
| D．The Influence of Boarding Schools on My Career |
3 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Team spirit. | B．Leadership. |
| C．Independence. | D．Critical thinking. |
| 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. |
4 . If you’ve ever been in a cheerful mood, then met up with a bad-tempered friend, you’ll know how infectious emotions can be. Before you know it, you realize that you’re feeling down too.
You might wonder who wins out—if you’re feeling happy and your friend is feeling sad, do you yield to their sadness or do they catch your happiness? Part of the answer is likely depending on their and your levels of expressiveness and receptiveness.
If and when you encounter an opposite emotion to your own, the experience will likely vary depending on how invested you are in that other person or people.
| A．Happily, it can work the other way around too. |
| B．This is especially true when we’re interacting with someone we care about. |
| C．Everyone varies in how emotionally expressive and impressionable they are. |
| D．That isn’t to say that facial expressions are the only way for emotions to spread. |
| E．These processes have to do with effective communication and mutual understanding. |
| F．If you care about them, you’ll be more motivated to shift emotionally to match their state. |
| G．People exposed to more negative posts are more likely to post something negative themselves. |
5 . 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 |
6 . If you have ever lost touch with old school friends, you may find yourself wanting to make contact again. Some teens find that certain school friends are worth keeping contact with and want to keep the friendship going strong.
Hang out at the same places
One way you can get together with old friends from your school is to go to the same places that they go to. If you still go to school together, you probably know where everyone goes on the weekends. If you are able to go there too, you may find that your relationships with your old school friends start up again.
Sports teams
If you are athletic and your former friends are too, joining school sports teams is a great way to catch up with old friends. This doesn’t mean that you should join a sport which you do not like just so you can see your old friends. However, if you like sports, wish to join a team and your former friends are on that team, and then playing the team sports is a great way to get to know them again.
Take part in school clubs
There are often a lot of school clubs in which teens participate. Depending on your interests and your former friends’ interests, you may just find a club at school. Sharing a common interest such as a club activity will help you to have something in common and something to talk about.
1. You can get together with old friends by .| A．joining the dance clubs |
| B．having dinner with them |
| C．going to the places where they go |
| D．going shopping with them every day |
| A．playing sports helps you get your old friends again |
| B．you have to play a sport to make more friends |
| C．team sports are interesting activities at school |
| D．you have to play the sport your friends like |
| A．To tell a hobby. |
| B．To share same interests. |
| C．To join clubs. |
| D．To contact old friends. |
7 . Life seems long when we’re looking ahead, and so short when we’re looking back. That’s especially true for a mother. One day you’re holding a two-month-old baby, wondering if he’s ever going to stop crying. And the next day you’re seeing him off at college, wondering if he’s ever going to call you.
Where does the time fly? I want my children to grow up, but I don’t want to let them go. The grown children can be as much fun as little ones. Here are two examples:
When my father-in-law died, I called my younger son Nate to say I’d drive up to Yosemite, and we’d drive out the next day to attend the funeral. It was snowing when I stopped in the park. The next morning, Nate and I left early, only to get stuck behind a bus with a flat tyre, blocking the road. We sat for five hours in a blizzard (暴风雪) waiting for the road to be cleared. Meanwhile, Nate entertained me with jokes. I will never forget it.
A few years later, I flew to New York to visit my elder son Josh. That night, Josh began having pain in his right side. We took a cab to a hospital and he had an operation. Afterwards, I stayed for a week to take care of him. We watched movies and ate take-out meals. I will never forget it.
Being a mother doesn’t end when our children grow up. We still want to protect them, just as we did the day they were born. And grown children will always need a mother. At the same time, we’ll always need our grown-up children to make us laugh and keep us young and fill that place in our heart that only they can fill.
1. Why does the author feel that life is short?| A．Because she wants to express that time goes by very quickly. |
| B．Because she wants to show how hard it is for a mom to raise a child. |
| C．Because she wants to explain grown children are different from the little children. |
| D．Because she wants to describe the author’s anxiety when her children left home. |
| A．Protecting. | B．Widening. | C．Stopping. | D．Surrounding. |
| A．To describe the differences between her two sons. |
| B．To tell us how to communicate with different children. |
| C．To show grown children are wiser than little ones. |
| D．To prove both the grown and the little children are fun. |
| A．Grown children want independence instead of protection. |
| B．Communication is important for a mom and her children. |
| C．A mother’s love is selfless and forever. |
| D．A mother and her children will always need each other. |
8 . We parents often take material things for love. “I give him everything，” a disappointed mother complains. “New shoes, videogames, and his own TV. You’d think he’d at least show me respect!”
Of course, love and presents are related. Most parents work hard to earn money. They want their children to have more than they did and have better lives. The problem is, most children don’t connect the things parents buy with the labour that is paid for them. Children have more, but our culture—television in particular—teaches them that more is never enough. Having more does not mean that a child feels loved.
From a parent’s point of view, children are not thankful. But this has to do with their natural growth. Young children see their parents as all-mighty (万能的). If parents fail to provide what they want, it must be a matter of choice. It’s normal for children, even schoolage ones, not to be able to take another person’s point of view. For example, they may dislike their parents for working long hours, and not realise that the parents would also rather have more time at home.
In addition to giving presents, we have to find other ways to express love and create memories. Reading or telling stories together, making music and playing games are all ways for families to spend time without spending money. Traditions like reading favourite poems and even snowball fights all serve the purpose (达到目的). Most importantly, as parents, we have to learn to hold back some energy from our tiring jobs. When we’re present for our children, we ourselves become the presents we want to give.
1. What does the underlined word “them” (in Paragraph 2) refer to?| A．The things parents buy. | B．Parents. | C．Children. | D．Better lives. |
| A．want fewer presents | B．want presents rather than love |
| C．are taught to ask for more | D．can live better without their parents |
| A．There’s a heavy job load for some parents. |
| B．There’s a lack of money in some families. |
| C．There’s misunderstanding between parents and children. |
| D．There’s little love between parents and children. |
| A．Our children are good presents to us. | B．We should spend more time with our children. |
| C．We ourselves need some presents. | D．We should give more presents to our children. |
9 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?| A．He got a baby brother. |
| B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. |
| D．He received a doll. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．A sad Christmas day. |
| B．Life with a lovely baby. |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family. |
10 . I still remember that busy autumn evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for the parent-teacher night. We walked in and all eyes were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids’ whispers. A classmate yelled to my daughter, “What’s wrong with your mom’s face?” Shocked, I started to explain my condition, but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, “It’s my mom’s birthmark! Don’t be rude!” I was extremely proud of how she handled that situation.
I was quite young when I realized I looked different because of my large facial birthmark. I always thought I would be alone because of it. Being compared to Batman’s evil Two-Face made me believe I could never find love. But I was lucky enough to meet my husband, who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to worry if the world would judge my children. I always worried I might pass my condition onto my children; I didn’t want them to grow up feeling judged. Unfortunately, my facial difference has impacted my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or sleepovers, or I learn certain kids are no longer friends with mine after their parents saw me at school.
When my kids were young, I explained how my special purple skin was rare and we talked about acceptance and never judging others on how they look. When my girls kiss my purple-skinned cheek, I feel “normal” around them and their unconditional love. With time going by, both my daughters have become my strongest supporters. Thanks to them, I’ve begun to feel more self-confident as I try to be a good role model.
Their worldviews are similar to mine. We see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more accepting heart. As the saying goes, your daughters will grow up to be your best friends. I know that will be the case for me!
1. What happened when the author went to attend the parent-teacher night?| A．Athena was praised by others for her bravery and optimism. |
| B．Athena defended her mother against her classmate’s rudeness. |
| C．Some parents criticized their kids because of their misbehaviour. |
| D．The author felt shocked at her daughter’s response to her classmate. |
| A．Friendship needs to be watered by love. |
| B．We should treat our children as best friends. |
| C．We should accept other people’s differences. |
| D．Our ability to handle difficulties can be developed. |
| A．They have to drop out of school. |
| B．They have the same physical condition as me. |
| C．They have difficulty maintaining friendships. |
| D．They feel worried because they are often judged. |
| A．A birthmark to live with. | B．My strongest supporters. |
| C．A kind and accepting heart. | D．The confidence to be different. |
