1 . Five years ago, my husband and I bought a former farm. It’s a short ride from our Vancouver home but a world away. As we restore the land, I feel my well-being returning, but I think the farm is also working its magic on our son’s growing resilience (适应能力). Since Dev was 20, he has lived with mental illness. We have been on this journey with him from crisis to recovery.

    1     We found the farm.

It has taken a couple of years to clear the land, seed the lawn (草坪) and build garden beds. But we did it even as other parts of our life had come undone. The farm was holding our family together. We come over on weekends and holidays and have been planting.     2    

Before he went to treatment, we planted a “guild” in the old apple farm.     3     We dug around the weaker trees and placed in garlic, wildflowers and bone meal. It keeps the moisture (水分) and nutrients in, and the garden seems to thrive (茁壮成长) as a result.

    4     The land needed clearing, and Doug, our workman, worked steadily and helped whenever I asked. Asking for help is a principle in the recovery community, a lesson my son is learning. It truly does take a village to restore a farm and rebuild a life.

The desire to recover this land has grown in me.     5     He’s found his own kind of guild that supports him. Owning a farm was never our plan but it came when our family needed a meaningful project. When my hands are in the dirt, I remember that intervention (干预) is necessary and so is allowing nature to take its course. Digging is an act of faith, hope and anticipation of what will appear next.

A．We helped ourselves by helping others.

B．We also learned how to depend on others.

C．My son had great difficulty making a recovery.

D．I have seen this drive toward restoration in my son as well.

E．Just when it couldn’t get any worse, an unexpected light occurred.

F．During this time, Dev is concentrating on his own restoration process.

G．Its aim is to support the health of trees by grouping other surrounding components.

2 . The bell for lunch rang at Glendale Primary School. However, instead of heading to the canteen like all the other children did, Jonah, a new student at the school, went to the library. Other than the noise of the air-conditioner, the library was quiet and there was barely a soul in sight. Far in a corner, he spotted Mrs Lim, the librarian, who was too busy shelving some books to pay any attention to him. The library was near to the canteen. Jonah could hear children laughing and chatting. He wished he was outside playing with some friends but he did not let this bother him.

Suddenly, Jonah heard a sound in the corner. He looked around and saw a pair of eyes looking at him from behind, the bookshelves. Jonah turned back, eyes as wide as saucers (茶碟). “Oh dear!” he whispered. He peeked (窥视) over his shoulder again and saw a smaller boy walking towards him.

The boy pulled out the chair next to Jonah and sat down. “I’m Henry. Why are you reading here when you could be playing with your friends instead?” asked he. “Uh...” Jonah looked around the library, avoiding Henry’s gaze (注视). He did not want Henry to know the real reason why he was in the library. What would Henry think of him if he knew Jonah did not have any friends? It would make Jonah feel more uncomfortable.

As Jonah turned the page, he realized Henry was still sitting there, watching him steadily.

“I know how you feel. Just say hello to someone today,” Henry encouraged Jonah. “I promise they’ll respond. Once you’ve made the first move, it just gets easier.”

Jonah appreciated the advice and thanked him before making his way out of the library. In the hallway outside the library, a boy from Jonah’s class was crouched on the floor, picking up pens and pencils that had dropped out of his pencil case. Jonah remembered what Henry had advised him to do.

“Hello, I’m Jonah. Let me help you,” he offered.

The boy looked up at him. “Thank you! My name is Ruben.”

Victory at last, Jonah thought, feeling proud of himself.

1. What can we know from the text?

A．The thought of playing outside bothered Jonah.

B．The library was not crowded at lunchtime.

C．The librarian was annoyed by the noise outside.

D．Jonah had had lunch before going to the library.

2. Why were Jonah’s eyes “as wide as saucers” in paragraph 2?

A．He turned too quickly and felt a little dizzy.

B．He was shocked by the pair of eyes peeking at him.

C．He was too thin because of lacking enough nutrition.

D．He didn’t expect the smaller boy would come to him.

3. What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Jonah’s not having any friends in the school.

B．Henry’s impoliteness in asking the question.

C．Jonah’s shyness after he found Henry’s gaze.

D．Henry’s thought of Jonah if he knew Jonah’s real situation.

4. Why was Jonah proud of himself at last?

A．He had never doubted or forgotten Henry’s advice.

B．He had completed a good deed of helping a classmate.

C．He had managed to overcome his fear and shyness.

D．He had met a classmate who was in the same situation.