1 . Mark Twain was a great American writer, and he was also a famous speaker. He liked to tell funny stories to make people laugh. He also liked to play jokes on his friends.

Once Mark Twain was travelling with a friend of his. His friend lost his money, so he asked Mark Twain to buy a train ticket for him.

“But I don’t have enough money to buy two tickets,” said Mark Twain. His friend didn’t know what to do.

“You can hide under my seat when the conductor(列车员) comes to check the tickets,” Mark Twain said to him.

When the conductor came to check the tickets, Mark Twain gave him two tickets, one for himself and one for his friend. He said to the conductor, “My friend is a strange man. When he travels on a train, he does not like to sit on the seat. He likes to lie on the floor under the seat.” Everyone in the train looked at his friend under the seat and laughed.

1. Mark Twain was a writer and _______.        .

A．scientist

B．speaker

C．pianist

D．singer

2. The friend asked Mark Twain to buy a ticket for him because _______.

A．he was very poor	B．he forgot to buy one
C．he lost his money	D．he arrived too late

3. Where was the friend when the conductor came to check the tickets?

A．Under the seat.	B．Behind the door.
C．Under the train.	D．Behind Mark Twain.

4. From the story, we know that Mark Twain was a ______ man.

A．shy

B．strict

C．serious

D．funny

2 . I have lost something before but it was a whole different experience to lose my wallet in the sand on the beach. Last Sunday I spent the whole day on the fascinating Old Orchard Beach, feeling _______. At nightfall when I was to leave the beach, I _______ the wallet wasn’t with me. Then I was _______around the sand for about a half hour with my phone flashlight. I must have looked _______.

I really needed_______but didn’t know how to ask for it. For that, I was greatly _______ that one gentleman offered to _______ my steps with his metal detector. He told me the metal detector would be able to _______ the metal in my credit card, so we walked on the beach and tried our hardest, but no_________ .

This man was going to keep ________all night if I didn’t stop him, and truly, it was the highest form of ________. Sometimes I got caught thinking that the world was just not as kind as it used to be until little acts of kindness like this ________ me to keep going.

________ , we should try to see the issue from a different perspective. At first, I was ________ I lost my wallet, but the situation it put me in while trying to find it was almost worth it. Now I’m even ________I lost my wallet because it makes me believe that there are still good people around!

1.

A．touched

B．surprised

C．relaxed

D．frightened

2.

A．indicated

B．recovered

C．anticipated

D．realized

3.

A．kicking

B．wandering

C．driving

D．turning

4.

A．crazy

B．professional

C．lonely

D．dull

5.

A．space

B．schedule

C．energy

D．help

6.

A．shameful

B．grateful

C．curious

D．anxious

7.

A．judge

B．track

C．light

D．monitor

8.

A．pick up

B．put down

C．set aside

D．take away

9.

A．reply

B．luck

C．patience

D．confidence

10.

A．charging

B．cleaning

C．searching

D．watching

11.

A．forgiveness

B．politeness

C．selflessness

D．unity

12.

A．reminded

B．informed

C．warned

D．treated

13.

A．Gradually

B．Secretly

C．Formally

D．Honestly

14.

A．calm

B．upset

C．exhausted

D．amused

15.

A．annoyed

B．regretful

C．joyful

D．sympathetic

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Backlight 226 is a rare bookstore in Shanghai, as it offers books by visually impaired （损伤） people to those with visual impairments.     1     (locate) in the city’s leafy Nanchang Street, the store has been a fixture in the area since 2022, providing much-needed reading materials to the blind community.

“People may only know about the famous Helen Keller, but there are famous blind Chinese     2     (writer) as well,” said Han Ying, the manager of Backlight 226, referring to the American author and activist     3     lost her sight and hearing at an early age.

Han partially lost her vision after an accident aged 21 and     4     (become) completely blind five years later. She said she had to give up     5     (teach) calligraphy, and the way she read was also affected.

Now, aged 43, she relies     6     special apps designed for the visually impaired and spends most of her time at the bookstore. There, she promotes reading among visually impaired people and the bookstore     7     (equip) with facilities that allow the visually impaired     8     (read) more comfortably.

“Backlight 226 is a start,” Han said. “There will     9     (definite) be more like it across the country so that we can make the public know more about the special groups     10     their world.”

4 . My 5-year-old daughter Kai walked around a bus stop, picking up candy wrappers and plastic bottles and throwing them in the waste bin. We were a visiting family here, but she was cleaning the sidewalk, which didn’t shock me, nor was I _________ when strangers looked at us.

Our cleanup project began when we drove past an empty field one day and Kai _________ the field was covered by _________ balloons. We had read about how animals could _________ balloons for food. “Stop,” Kai said, and I _________. Surprisingly, we found the field was full of much trash _________ the balloons. “Can we come back and clean it?” Kai asked. Then each Friday, we returned to have a(n) _________ cleaning.

However, it seems we can never _________ the trash completely. I feel something close to _________! Why are we making kids clean up our __________? It has everything to do with the planet we adults are leaving for kids. Plastic pollution is globally distributed and microplastics have even been discovered in human blood. It is not a __________ story that we have created trash but our next generation cleans up them.

Now Kai hopes to become a marine biologist to protect sharks one day. She still has many years to __________, if adults get serious about solving plastic pollution. We shouldn’t leave our next generation a __________ planet and expect them to save it.

The last time our family was at the beach, we still picked up plastic bottles. Most __________, though, we saw an octopus (章鱼) playing around our feet, a __________ of a harmonious habitat worth protecting.

1.

A．embarrassed

B．discouraged

C．concerned

D．frightened

2.

A．apologized

B．confirmed

C．spotted

D．explained

3.

A．loose

B．magic

C．processed

D．abandoned

4.

A．trade

B．mistake

C．replace

D．change

5.

A．pulled over

B．blew up

C．turned down

D．gave in

6.

A．due to

B．ahead of

C．other than

D．instead of

7.

A．official

B．serious

C．optional

D．regular

8.

A．deliver

B．remove

C．track

D．produce

9.

A．stress

B．comfort

C．anger

D．pride

10.

A．mess

B．platform

C．court

D．house

11.

A．scary

B．pleasant

C．historic

D．real

12.

A．decide

B．struggle

C．survive

D．contribute

13.

A．safe

B．giant

C．distant

D．sick

14.

A．personally

B．memorably

C．technically

D．universally

15.

A．promise

B．threat

C．reminder

D．favor

5 . 语法填空

Roderick and Oliver, rich     1    (man) living in London, made a bet on     2     a millionpound bank note could help a man live a month in London. Just then a poor man, Henry, came into their sight. Henry, an American, was carried to Britain     3     accident. One day, when     4    (sail), Henry was taken far into the sea by a strong wind.    5    (fortunate), he was saved by a British ship and thus he landed in Britain, where he was     6    (job) and poor. At that time Roderick and Oliver noticed him and decided     7    (give) him a millionpound bank note.

When first hearing they call him a lucky man, Henry was angry because he thought he     8     (make) fun of by the two rich men. He insisted he be offered a job to make money by     9    (he) rather than get money from others. After Roderick made more explanation, Henry with doubt received a letter with     10     big note from Oliver. Henry was required not to open the letter until two o'clock. Such a bet began.

6 . When Nicole George—O'Brien was 16, she began having seizures(癫痫). Her doctors tried some treatment, but they didn't ________ the problem. So when she was 21, she had brain ________ . That stopped the seizures, and her life went back to ________ . Five years later, she was driving over the San Mateo Bridge when suddenly it ________ like a thunderclap: another seizure.

"When I woke up in the hospital and ________ what had happened, I was really worried that I had hurt someone," George—O'Brien ________ . "And that was the first thing I asked the nurses and the doctor: "Did I hurt someone?"

The medical staff told her that a ________ had seen her having a seizure and ________ . He directed traffic around her car and made ________ no one was hurt.

"I didn't hit anyone ________ they didn't hit me, which is a ________ ," she said. No one knew the man's ______ , and to this day, George—O'Brien doesn't know anything more about him. She thinks he ________ drove off after the ambulance took her to ________ .

"He clearly ________ my life, and probably the lives of several people on the freeway that morning," she said. His actions ________ George—O'Brien's thinking about what she wanted to do with her life. She went on to become a therapist(治疗专家), a decision that she ________ to the kindness the unknown man showed her that day.

"It contributed to my ________ to do a type of work that also gave care and ________ ," she said. "I've had a great life, and I feel incredibly ________ to him for allowing that to happen."

1.

A．ignore

B．solve

C．doubt

D．believe

2.

A．examination

B．project

C．concept

D．surgery

3.

A．normal

B．magical

C．formal

D．practical

4.

A．hit

B．dropped

C．let

D．bet

5.

A．introduced

B．informed

C．realized

D．forgot

6.

A．refused

B．assumed

C．predicted

D．recalled

7.

A．lady

B．man

C．teacher

D．doctor

8.

A．pulled over

B．drove away

C．burst out

D．stood out

9.

A．simple

B．tough

C．sure

D．possible

10.

A．but

B．and

C．still

D．so

11.

A．question

B．secret

C．logic

D．miracle

12.

A．identity

B．number

C．hobby

D．secret

13.

A．constantly

B．simply

C．rarely

D．hardly

14.

A．restaurant

B．school

C．company

D．hospital

15.

A．wrote

B．possessed

C．changed

D．ruined

16.

A．attracted

B．influenced

C．concluded

D．admitted

17.

A．devotes

B．introduces

C．credits

D．continues

18.

A．desire

B．achievement

C．strength

D．attitude

19.

A．donation

B．money

C．kindness

D．freedom

20.

A．delighted

B．fortunate

C．satisfied

D．grateful

7 . Never will Kate Baker forget her frightening traveling experience. She and her husband. Bob, were heading to Europe with their 2-year-old son, Neil. "When we got on the plane in New York, all three of us were healthy," she said. "But halfway over the Atlantic Ocean, Neil started to get very warm, and his face was red." Then Neil began foaming at the mouth.

"The flight attendants were going up and down the aisle（过道）, asking anyone if they were a doctor," Kate recalled, "No one would come forward. And then the pilot started announcing, ‘Is there a doctor on board and should I turn this plane around?’ And again, no one came forward."

"When noticing Neil could hardly breathe, I think I must have gone into shock because I couldn't feel anything, and I couldn't speak," Kate said.

Then three women got out of their seats and approached where she was standing in the aisle. They came up to her and put their arms around her. They started speaking to Kate in a language that she didn't understand.

"The tone of their voice was so, so soothing, and they stood there with me with their arms around me." said Kate.

They eventually landed in Amsterdam. But they quickly booked another flight home to New Jersey. They went right to a doctor, who discovered that Neil had just had an ear infection. His symptoms（症状）had probably been due to a rapid increase in his body temperature.

The doctor treated him for the ear infection, and everything was fine. Kate never forgot those women and how supportive they were. She said, "I will never forget them and what they did for me. We may not speak the same language, but it doesn't matter to me because we can connect on a very deep human level."

1. What made Kate's travelling experience frightening?

A．The impatient travelers.	B．The rude flight attendants.
C．The sudden illness of Neil.	D．The poor service on board.

2. Why did the three women get close to Kate?

A．To warn her to be silent.	B．To offer her some comfort.
C．To advise her to change a seat.	D．To tell her how to treat her son.

3. What does the underlined word "soothing" probably mean in Paragraph 5?

A．Comforting.

B．Frightening.

C．Threatening.

D．Disappointing.

4. What does the author mainly want to convey from the passage?

A．She was fed up with the passengers on board.

B．She was grateful to the doctor in New Jersey.

C．It's essential to provide medical service on board.

D．She felt the warmth conveyed by complete strangers.

8 . A big company wanted a manager, so John went there. In the interview the director asked him a question. “Who paid for your school fees(学费)?” “My mother paid for them by washing clothes.” Hearing this, the director asked John to show his hands. John showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect. The director said, “When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.”

When John went back, he happily asked his mother to let him clean her hands. However, his tears fell as he cleaned his mother`s hands. It was the first time he noticed that there were so many bruises (伤痕) in his mother’s hands. After finishing the cleaning of his mother’s hands, John quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

The next morning, John went to the director’s office. The director noticed the tears in John’s eyes and asked, “Please tell me your feelings.” John said, “First, I know what appreciation (感激) is now. Without my mother, I would not be successful. Second, by helping my mother, now I realize how difficult it is to get something done. Third, I have realized the importance of family relationship.”

The director said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager. You can get the job.”

1. John went to the big company to        .

A．look for his mother	B．apply for a job
C．help the director wash clothes	D．ask the director for help

2. John’s mother was a(n)        .

A．manager

B．clothes cleaner

C．director

D．office clerk

3. From the underlined sentence, we learn that        .

A．John hardly helped his mother wash clothes	B．John often helped his mother do the housework
C．John lived a very rich life	D．John could take care of himself very well

4. The director decided to make John get the job because he thought        .

A．John had a good education.	B．John worked very hard
C．John was very strong	D．John learned appreciation

9 . One day, Tom’s teacher, Miss Mak, held a class meeting. “There will be a flag day next Saturday. Does anyone want to join this meaningful event?” asked Miss Mak. Tom was interested in raising money for homeless children, but he was not brave enough to talk to the strangers, so he kept quiet in his seat.

“Tom, you haven’t sold flags before,” said Miss Mak suddenly. “Would you like to have a try?” Tom was hesitant, but he finally nodded.

On the flag day, Tom and Angela sold flags in a busy street. “Excuse me. Could y-o-u pl-ea-se buy. . . ? ”said Angela softly to the first person she met. The man smiled and put a five-dollar coin into Angela’s collection bag. Then she said thanks and put a flag under his shoulder. “I did it!” said Angela happily. “It’s your turn now.”

Feeling nervous, Tom began to shake. Soon, he saw a young lady walking towards him. The lady was smiling and holding a few coins in her hand. She asked, “Are you selling flags for Fund for the Homeless Children?” Tom’s face turned red and said yes. Then the lady made the donation and Tom gave her a flag. “You made it! ”laughed Angela.

In the next couple of hours, Angela and Tom sold flags quickly and bravely. At last, their collection bags were so heavy that they had to hold them with both arms. They felt very proud.

1. Why did Tom keep quiet in his seat?

A．He had other plans.	B．He didn’t like Miss Mak.
C．He was not interested in the activity.	D．He was not brave enough to talk to the strangers.

2. Where did Tom and Angela sell flags?

A．In a busy street.	B．In their school.
C．In a tall building.	D．In a small garden.

3. How much did the first man pay Angela for the flag?

A．Five dollars.

B．Ten dollars.

C．Fifteen dollars.

D．Twenty dollars.

4. How did Tom and Angela feel after they sold the flags?

A．Bored.

B．Shy.

C．Proud.

D．Sad.

10 . In the state of Qin, there was a man called Shang Yang. He was a statesman (政治家) and worked out many reforms for the state, like paying more attention to farming and giving rewards to soldiers who were successful when at war. But these reforms were not easily carried out at first. Most people didn’t trust Shang Yang. In order to solve this problem, Shang Yang came up with an idea. He put a thin wooden pole at the south gate of the Qin capital. Many people came to see him and the pole.

Then, in front of the crowd, Shang Yang said loudly, “The man who takes this pole to the north gate will get 10 gold pieces.”

It was a simple job and the reward was so large. However, some time passed and no one stepped forward. They all thought Shang Yang was making a joke.

Hearing no answer, Shang Yang stepped forward and said, "The reward now goes to 50 gold pieces. ”

This reward was unbelievably large. Finally, a man from the crowd came forward. He put the pole on his shoulder and walked to the north gate. True to his word, Shang Yang gave the man 50 gold pieces.

After that, the people of Qin were all talking about what Shang Yang did about the pole. They believed he was a man of his word. So when Shang Yang began carrying out his reforms, the people followed him.

Under these great reforms, Qin grew stronger and stronger. At last, Qin made all the seven states into one empire (帝国).

1. In order to carry out his reforms, what idea did Shang Yang have?

A．Having a wooden pole carrying competition.

B．Having a wooden pole cutting competition.

C．The man stepping forward first would be praised.

D．The man carrying the pole from the south gate to the north one would get some gold pieces.

2. Why did Shang Yang’s reward increase at last?

A．Because a man stepped forward.	B．Because there wasn’t enough time.
C．Because Shang Yang heard no answer.	D．Because Shang Yang was happy.

3. What does the underlined part mean?

A．A man who can speak loudly.	B．A man who likes to speak a lot.
C．A man who keeps his word.	D．A man of few words.

4. After these great reforms, what happened in the history of China?

A．Shang Yang became the first emperor.

B．The first empire of China appeared.

C．The south gate fell down.

D．The state of Qin became weaker and weaker.