1 . Once you get close enough to someone, it’s easy to assume they’ll be a friend for life—but friendships take work, too, and it’s important that you make time to cultivate these relationships as well.
1. “How do you think we’ve both changed since we became friends?”
There’s a good chance that you’ve been friends with those closest to you for some time, which means you’ve both changed in certain ways over the years. Shari, founder of Imperfectly Perfect Life, says it’s important to reflect on that change. “
2. “
“You don’t have to just focus on your own friendship. People vary greatly in what makes them feel most connected to others—for some it’s sharing something exciting together, while for others, it’s doing daily tasks together,” Julia, a clinical psychologist, notes.
3. “What is the best advice you’ve ever received?”
Another way you can “gain a deeper understanding of your friend’s values, beliefs, and the lessons they’ve learned along their journey” is by asking them about the best advice they’ve ever received. “This provides an opportunity to share wisdom that has had a significant impact on their personal growth,” Natalie shares. “
4.“What are your biggest dreams for your life?”
| A．What life experience has shaped you the most? |
| B．Acknowledging your growth can enhance your friendship |
| C．When do you feel most connected to the people in your life? |
| D．It’s also good to acknowledge that even the closest friendships are not perfect |
| E．You should know what your friend actually envisions for themselves in the future |
| F．Additionally, it opens the door for meaningful conversations about life’s challenges |
| G．We’ve talked to different experts to get their best advice on how to create stronger bonds |
2 . On September 17, 2022, a father and son set out to begin the first of three legs of the Ironman competition in Oxford. David, 59, and his son, John, 28, weren’t the typical competitors. Despite difficulty in walking, John has his dream of being an athlete. His father would act as his arms and legs, carrying the weight of his son throughout the race.
To qualify as having finished, competitors must complete a hard 140 miles of swimming, bicycling and running in under 17 hours. David and John had participated together in five Ironman competitions, but they had yet to finish in the required time.
The race began with a 2.4-mile swim in the Choptank River. With one end of a rope tied to a belt around his back and the other end to a boat with his son inside, the father eased himself into the water. Swimming while carrying another person is tough enough — David also had to fight with jellyfish (水母).
The pair completed the swim in 90 minutes, and went through with the 112-mile bicycle ride in about nine hours, then set their sights on the final leg of the 26.2-mile marathon with David pushing John in the racing chair.
With minutes left and 200 feet to the finish line, his mom, on the sidelines, handed him the rolling walker. Not that long ago, John could hardly walk 23 steps. But after years of painful training, he increased his step count and was determined to finish the race on his own. He knew time was almost running out and worried they wouldn’t make the cutoff. “Not because I wouldn’t get my moment,” he says, “but because dad had worked so hard.”
After 16 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds — with just four minutes and 25 seconds to spare — father and son crossed the finish line together.
As the crowd flooded and cheered on John, the weary father kept a low profile. “He didn’t want his finish line moment,” says John. “He wanted it to be mine.”
1. How did David help his son in the swimming part?| A．By pulling a rope tied to a boat. | B．By swimming beside his son. |
| C．By pushing his son’s lifebelt. | D．By carrying his son on his back. |
| A．He wouldn’t get his moment. |
| B．His mom would be disappointed. |
| C．His father had put in lots of effort. |
| D．The audience had high expectations. |
| A．Responsible and selfless. | B．Brave and honest. |
| C．Committed and friendly. | D．Gentle and determined. |
3 . When I was in my second year in senior high school, I found a four-dollar-an-hour part-time job at Villa-nova Pizza. Like many of my friends, I longed to earn some pocket money from the job as well as gaining social experience. Just one week after I worked there, Stubby, the manager, called me into his office. As the saying goes, “Life isn’t a bed of roses.” My first job ended in failure. His reason was that I showed up late twice and took more breaks than others. “Oh, I’m a loser,” I thought to myself. I believed that thought was shared by my brothers, neither of whom had ever been fired, and my mother, though she would never express it in those terms.
“I am too sad to do anything,” I complained to my father. After listening to my words, he laughed. “It’s not funny; I’m a loser,” I said.
“No, you’re not. This is a part of growing up. You will be all right, my dear daughter,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Trust me. You are good enough.”
I looked into my father’s eyes and I could see he really trusted me. And I believed him. Since then, “Trust me. You are good enough!” are the only words I have repeated to myself. I have worked hard to be a better person and cherished every chance I have got.
Finally, I succeeded in entering a good university. After graduation I found my dream job. I couldn’t wait to call my father and show my gratitude.
Look ahead when you experience something unpleasant and there is always someone around believing in you. When they believe in us, we begin to believe in ourselves, too. They tell us we are good enough over and over until we can hear it.
1. Why was the author fired?| A．She was lazy. | B．She had too many breaks. |
| C．She had no social experience. | D．She failed to complete her task. |
| A．He laughed at her. | B．He was too sad to do anything. |
| C．He complained to the cruel boss. | D．He comforted her and said he believed in her. |
| A．She phoned her father and thanked him. |
| B．She returned home to have a celebration. |
| C．She showed her gratitude to her teacher. |
| D．She invited her family to a big party. |
| A．Strict and devoted. | B．Caring and kind. |
| C．Ambitious and brave. | D．Humble and humorous. |
4 . I had been off work for twelve weeks after the birth of our second child. You might think that maternity leave (产假) would be about the new baby, and for the first few weeks that was probably the case. But my maternity leave turned into a magical vacation with my three-year-old.
Every week we tried to go on a special trip that would create memories for us. But the daily activities, such as trips to the store and after-dinner walks, were what made the days so special. Who would have realized the beauty of the moment when that small hand reached unconsciously (无意识地) up for yours? And also the pride you felt as you got to see the growth of your child’s mind.
The last week that I was off, I had been trying to help prepare her, and myself for the end of my leave. I would mention that I would be going to work and she would get to stay with Daddy. Sometimes she would ask why I had to return to work. I said that I needed to earn money to pay for the house and the car and food.
Today, we were headed to the grocery store. Part of our store ritual (习惯) was to take a little change with us to buy a lemonade (柠檬味汽水) to share.
As she was climbing into the car to go, she found a quarter on the floor and shouted excitedly, “Oh, I will buy a house and car with it.”
I was surprised and asked, “Why?”
She stated, “So you don’t have to go back to work, Mommy.”
She was quiet on the way to the store. So was I. When we got there, I collected a second quarter from the car and handed it to her for our lemonade. She fed the quarter I had given her into the machine, but kept the one she had found clenched (攥住) in her hand.
I explained to her that we didn’t have enough money to buy a lemonade without the other quarter. But she wouldn’t give up that quarter. And she was perfectly cheerful not having her special treat that day because the quarter she had found had a higher purpose.
1. What did the author do during her maternity leave?| A．She stayed at home all the time. |
| B．She devoted herself to her new baby. |
| C．She made plans for a magical vacation. |
| D．She spent a lot of time with her older child. |
| A．Happy. | B．Boring. | C．Easy. | D．Lonely. |
| A．She was worried about her new job. |
| B．She was moved by her daughter’s words. |
| C．She wanted to give full attention to driving. |
| D．She tried to remember where she’d lost her money. |
| A．She bought a toy car. |
| B．She gave it to someone in need. |
| C．She treated her mother to a lemonade. |
| D．She kept it to buy something important. |
5 . This is my son Matthew’s last night at home before college. I know that this is good news. I feel proud that Matthew will go to a great school. I know that this is his finest hour. But looking at the suitcases on his bed sends me out of the room to a hidden corner where I can’t stop crying.
Through the sorrow, I feel a rising embarrassment. “Pull yourself together!” I tell myself. There are parents sending their kids off to battle zones. How dare I feel so shattered?
One of the great gifts of my life has been having my boys, Matthew and John Owen. Through them, I have explored the mysterious, complicated bond between fathers and sons. As my wife and I raised them, I have discovered the love and loss between my father and me. After my parents’ divorce, I spent weekends with my dad in Ohio. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was unable to enjoy the day’s activities because I was already afraid of the goodbye of the evening.
Now, standing among Matthew’s accumulation of possessions, I realize it’s me who has become a boy again. All my sadness and longing to hold on to things are back, sweeping over me as they did when I was a child.
His bed is tidy and spare. It already has the feel of a guest bed. In my mind I replay wrapping him in his favorite blanket. That was our nightly routine until one evening he said, “Daddy, I don’t think I need a blanket tonight.” I think of all the times we lay among the covers reading. I look at the bed and think of all the recent times I was annoyed at how late he was sleeping. I’ll never have to worry about that again, I realize.
For his part, Matthew has been a rock. He is treating his leaving as just another day at the office. And I’m glad. After all, someone’s got to be strong. I’m proud that he is charging into the first chapter of his adult life with such confidence.
1. What is the probable meaning of the underlined phrase “Pull yourself together” in Paragraph 2?| A．Take up | B．Make up | C．Cheer up | D．show up |
| A．He is on good terms with his family. | B．He has a preference for sleeping early. |
| C．He doesn’t cherish his father’s love for him. | D．He is prepared for the new life. |
| A．Relieved | B．Pleased | C．Heartbroken | D．Bittersweet |
| A．Unforgettable Memories | B．Unavoidable Goodbye |
| C．Unconditional Love | D．Glorious Moment |
6 . There is a country — I read about it once — where the local custom is that if you go to a house and praise some small possession, the owners feel obliged to offer it to you as a gift. The only other place I know of with such a custom is my mother’s apartment.
Knowing Mama, I have always been careful with my compliments, but that doesn’t stop her. If she catches me staring at anything small enough to put in a grocery bag, she hands it to me as I leave. It would do no good to protest. “I was merely staring at that photograph of Mount Hood because I have one exactly like it in my living room.” Mama would only nod and say, “Of course. You were thinking how nice it would be to have a set. If a mother doesn’t understand, who does?”
As far as I can remember, Mama was telling people they were in the wrong line of work and suggesting alternative careers. My turn came when I grew up and became a housewife. “You missed your calling,” Mama sighs, examining the doodles (涂鸦) on my phone book. “You should have been an artist.” Later, I tell her how I returned rancid fish to the supermarket and demanded a refund, and she links this to lawyer. I know it’s horsefathers, but I like it.
I have been worrying for weeks now about what to give my mother for Mother’s Day. There is always the danger that a gift given to Mama will bounce swiftly back to the giver. If I buy her something wearable, she perceives in an instant that it could be let in here, let out there, and it would fit me perfectly. If I give her a plant, she cuts off the top for me to take home and root in a glass of water. If I give her something edible, she wants me to stay for lunch and cat it.
Papa, a sensible man, long ago stopped trying to shop for Mama. Instead, on Mother’s Day, her birthday, and other appropriate occasions, he composes a short poem in which he tells of their life. After nearly 30 years of poems, Papa sometimes worries that the edge of his inspiration has dulled, but Mama doesn’t complain. She comes into the room while he is struggling over a gift poem and says, “It doesn’t have to rhyme (押韵) as long as it’s from the heart.”
This year, finally, I think, too, have found a painless gift for Mama. I am going to give her a magazine article, in which I wish her “Happy Mother’s Day” and tell her there’s nothing Papa or I could ever buy, find, or make her that would be half good enough anyway.
1. What can be learned about the “my” mum from Paragraph 2?| A．She doesn’t like “my” complements. |
| B．She doesn’t think I am careful enough. |
| C．She will give “me” whatever she thinks “I” like. |
| D．She takes it for granted that “I” love what she has. |
| A．being an artist has always been “my” dream |
| B．what “my” mother says makes no sense |
| C．“my” mother knows well about “me” |
| D．“my” mother is too involved in “my” choices of job |
| A．It may well end up in a dustbin. |
| B．It will hardly satisfy “my” mother. |
| C．It may be returned to “me” in some way. |
| D．It will be given to someone else in the neighbourhood. |
| A．“I” love “my” mother very much. |
| B．Being sensible is important for an adult. |
| C．“My” mother dreams of becoming a poet. |
| D．“My” father no longer gives “my” mother any gift. |
7 . My mom spent years as a stay-at-home mom so that my brothers and I could focus on our education. However, I could tell from her curiosity of and attitudes toward working women that she envied their financial freedom and the self-esteem that must come with it. When I asked her about working again, she would tell me to focus on achieving my dream. I knew she had once dreamed for herself.
For years, I watched her effortlessly light up conversations with both strangers and family. Her empathy and ability to reach the heart could make anyone laugh, even when the story itself did not apply to them at all. “Mom, have you ever thought about being a stand-up comedian?” “It is too late for me, son,” she responded, laughing at the idea. I could not bear to watch her struggle between ambition and doubt.
Her birthday was coming up. Although I had already bought her a present, I knew what I actually wanted to give her. I placed little notes of encouragement inside the present. I asked my family and her friends to do the same. Eventually I had collected 146 notes, and each with the same sentiment, “You are humorous, full of life, and ready to take on the stage.”
On the day of her birthday, my mom unwrapped my present. She was not surprised as she had been hinted at it for long. But then she saw those little notes. She started to weep with her hands full of notes. She could not believe the support was real.
Within two months, my mom gave her first performance in a New York comedy club. I have read the notes countless times with my mom. They are framed and line the walls of her new office space that she rented with the profits she made from working as a professional comedian. For many parents, their children’s careers are their greatest accomplishment, but for me my mom’s is mine.
1. What was the attitude of the author’s mother to working women?| A．She was curious about their income. |
| B．She admired what work brought them. |
| C．She felt indifferent to working women. |
| D．She appreciated their ambitions in finance. |
| A．Her effort in making friends. | B．Her talent to bring people joy. |
| C．Her curiosity about working women. | D．Her desire for financial independence. |
| A．Amazed and hesitant. | B．Sad and disappointed. |
| C．Moved and encouraged. | D．Delighted and proud. |
| A．My Mom’s Greatest Success. | B．My Mom’s Comedy Career. |
| C．A Special Birthday Gift. | D．A Journey to Independence. |
8 . I played on the high school basketball team. I played the ball before the game started, and then sat on the bench (长凳) cheering for guys who were actually going to play in the game. When we won, I hugged (拥抱) my teammates.
I enjoyed that. But I didn’t know how my dad felt about my role. I imagined it was hard for him. Dad was a gifted athlete. And my older brothers were sports stars at college. I was not sure how he felt about going to games to watch his son SIT. Still, Dad was always there in his suit and tie. After the game, he’d come up to me, smile, shake my hand and say “Good game!”, even though I did nothing to make the game good. It changed until the last game of the season.
It was a great day for our team — we were up by about 20 with two minutes left. The coach suddenly looked towards me and said, “Walker! You’re in!” The next two minutes seemed not real to me. I remember running up and down the field a few times. When someone started counting down the last seconds, my teammate passed the ball to me. I heard guys on the bench shouting “Shoot (投篮)!” as I faced the basket and shot. We won. But then I didn’t know what to do. I was unprepared for a time when I had hit a last second shot. Naturally, I looked for Dad. He was there, smiling at me as he always did.
Whether good times or bad, Dad was always there to smile, to support and to love. Now I’m in my 50s with a teenage basketball player in my family. I keep trying to be there, no matter what, because I know what it can mean.
1. What was the author’s role?| A．He was a green hand. | B．He gave players suggestions. |
| C．He was a fan of the basketball team. | D．He replaced those who couldn’t play. |
| A．Lost. | B．Tired. | C．Calm. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．A Sports-Loving Family | B．A Successful Basketball Match |
| C．Dad Always Being There | D．Dad Helping Me Succeed |
9 . “Do you want to go to work with me today?” asked my father one day when I was nine or 10 years old. He had never taken me to work with him before.
How could I have said no? I had no idea where my father worked, nor how he earned a living. All I knew, back around 1962, was that he left our house every morning before we woke up and came back every night after we finished dinner. So I gave him a positive answer.
My dad drove us south to the city of Newark, where he was born. There we entered a middle-class apartment building. He made the rounds doing chores (例行工作) for the next few hours with me tagging along (紧紧跟随). He checked the infrastructure (基础设施). He collected rents. He carried around a case of tools in case he needed to fix a broken door or get a washing machine running again.
He took me to work with him a few other times over the years. I always loved going. I got to see him in action, doing his job among other people, out in the wider world and looking important, even heroic. I felt proud of him, proud to be his son. I wish he had taken me more often.
Years later, I followed this tradition. I took my daughter Caroline with me to my office for a day. She saw me in a glassed-off conference room brainstorming with colleagues, on the phone talking with clients and — no doubt the most attractive scene of all — on my computer writing a report. With any luck, my daughter felt the same pride I had felt with my own father.
Today fewer and fewer kids get the same opportunity. Maybe we should make this a tradition.
1. How did the author react when he heard his father’s suggestion that day?| A．He had no idea what to say. |
| B．He was greatly confused. |
| C．He was very interested. |
| D．He hesitated to accept it |
| A．The achievements of the author’s father. |
| B．The details of the author’s father’s work. |
| C．The reason for the author’s father working in Newark. |
| D．The purpose of the author’s father bringing him to work. |
| A．He felt pity for his father. |
| B．He was willing to do the same job as his father. |
| C．He was disappointed with his father. |
| D．He thought highly of his father. |
| A．It inspired him to keep his father’s tradition alive. |
| B．It deepened his understanding of his work. |
| C．It helped him build a successful career. |
| D．It built up his courage to speak up. |
10 . Following Christmas dinner, my family was relaxing around the kitchen table. We had all enjoyed traditional turkey, sweet potatoes lightly coated with brown sugar. The good cooking smells still stayed. Dad had risen from his chair and was contentedly standing nearby.
My nephew, Andrew, never one to sit still for too long, began dribbling (运球) his new basketball. Upon nearing Dad, he stopped — almost uncertainly. With shaking, wrinkled hands, Dad had reached out for the ball. He did not speak, and the boy, confused, looked up and over at us. It took some convincing, but the ball was carefully passed over.
A playful smile appeared on his face. The twinkle in his eyes shone brighter than any Christmas lights. Holding the ball and reaching forward, Dad bounced it on the floor then caught it. Gently throwing the ball away, Dad began a game of catch. His active participation was remarkable to me, since he had advanced Alzheimer’s disease. It 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 you could do with it.
In my younger years, playing with Dad was rare. To his credit, Dad worked hard and provided for us. He was very private and never showed or shared much emotion, His game of choice was chess, which he did eventually teach me how to play. As an adult, I had become a caregiver and watched helplessly as Dad declined. Connecting moments between father and son had been few and far between before he took the basketball.
I’m not sure how long we played catch. What I do know is that our game ended all too soon, and it was time to face the reality of dirty dishes piled high on counter-tops. The moment, though, will certainly linger forever. On this Christmas, Dad gave me a special memory — one that I will always treasure. These stories about meeting Santa will fill you with Christmas spirit.
1. How did Andrew react to Dad’s request in the beginning?| A．He hesitated to pass the ball. | B．He invited Dad to the game. |
| C．He observed Dad carefully. | D．He cheered for Dad’s recovery. |
| A．A doug teacher. | B．A true-worthy friend |
| C．A hardworking breadwinner. | D．A helpless caregiver. |
| A．The strengthened father-son bond. | B．Dad’s remarkable basketball skills. |
| C．The festive atmosphere hanging over. | D．The tasty food enjoyed by the family. |
| A．differ. | B．build. | C．stick. | D．fade. |
