1 . Lena could clearly remember the night she had to flee her home in Hungary. It was the beginning of the Second World War and her family needed to escape fast. She quickly packed a suitcase with a few pieces of clothing, her diary, and her most prized possession — a beautiful silk scarf. Lena and her best friend, Monika, had persuaded their parents to buy them matching scarves, which they each wore tied around their neck as a symbol of their friendship. Lena had no idea that when she left for America that night, she would never return. Her family settled on the sunny west coast in California.
Lena kept that special silk scarf for many years. One day she decided to give it to her granddaughter, Eliza, to wear to her first job interview for good luck. Lena was afraid that Eliza would lose the scarf, but her granddaughter reassured her, “Don’t worry, Grandma, nothing’s going to happen to your scarf. You’ll see. It is going to bring both of us luck today.” With that, Eliza kissed her grandmother on the cheek and left.
That afternoon, Eliza left the interview feeling confident that she had got the job. She decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant. As she sat at her table, she felt someone staring at her. Sitting next to her was an elderly woman who could not take her eyes off her. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Eliza asked.
“I’m sorry, dear, but you remind me of someone I once knew,” the old woman replied in an accented voice. “My best friend looked like you and used to wear a scarf just like the one you’re wearing around your neck.” Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms. She had heard stories of her grandmother’s best friend and knew the significance of the scarf. Could this be Monika, her grandmother’s childhood friend?
Eliza introduced herself and waited to hear the name of the other woman. “My name is Monika, dear. I’m originally from Hungary, but my family had to leave when I was 14 and I’ve been living here in California ever since.” Eliza could not believe it. She said, “Monika, would you mind going somewhere with me? I want to show you someone very special.” The elderly woman agreed and they left the restaurant together.
They walked the short distance to Lena’s home and rang the doorbell. When Lena opened the door, she was amazed to see her childhood friend standing in front of her. The scarf had indeed brought good luck.
1. Why did Lena and her family leave Hungary?| A．Because they intended to make a fortune in America. |
| B．Because they preferred to live on the sunny coast. |
| C．Because it was dangerous in their home at the war time. |
| D．Because they wanted to follow her best friend, Monika. |
| A．Eliza went to the restaurant to meet Monika. | B．Lena cherished the silk scarf very much. |
| C．A silk scarf is a symbol of good luck. | D．Eliza celebrated with Lena in a restaurant. |
| A．the stranger’s stare made her scared |
| B．she got cold when she took the scarf off |
| C．she thought the old woman’s accent was too strange |
| D．she couldn’t believe she should meet her grandma’s childhood friend |
a. Eliza wore the silk scarf to the interview. b. Lena’s parents bought her a silk scarf.
c. Eliza went to a restaurant for celebration. d. Lena met her childhood friend.
e. Lena fled her home in hurry. f. Eliza unexpectedly met Monika.
| A．b-e-a-c-f-d | B．e-b-a-f-c-d | C．e-d-b-a-c-f | D．b-e-a-f-c-d |
| A．Reunion in California. | B．The Lucky Silk Scarf. |
| C．A Life-long Friendship. | D．Like Grandmother Like Granddaughter. |
When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks; he chose inspiring friends and always tried to behave well.
At the age of eight his parents divorced, and Marco and his young sister Sandra moved in with their dad. It felt to Marco that his father had little time for him and Sandra. Marco sank further into his low self-esteem and was overwhelmed with feeling desperately unappreciated, alone and isolated.
One day his father, already tired after a long day, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The fierce fight that followed left Marco feeling humiliated (羞辱). It seemed no matter how hard he tried he could never do anything right.
Two days later, his aunt Ginette called him. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest called Gala Personnalite sponsored by Club Optimiste. She thought he should give it a try. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like the other kids, since she had seen him do humorous performances for the family at Christmas. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed to enter the contest.
All that winter of 1980 to 1981, he practiced in Ville d’Anjou, where the competition would take place. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father didn’t matter. Four. months later, the big night arrived. His mother, his sister, his grandmother, and his aunt Ginette, were all in the audience. Butterflies filled his stomach. But when he stepped onto the stage and began to speak, he felt totally at home. To his shock and amazement, he WON!
As I travel around the world to speak to thousands of people every year, I tell them Marco’s story. I tell them his story because it is my story.
It all happened because of a single phone call, from one single person who simply believed in me. Because of her, I have been able to more than fulfill my dreams. I’ve been able to inspire and to touch the lives of so many others—and help them fulfill theirs.
1. Why did Marco want to behave and do well academically? (no more than 10 words)2. What caused Marco to hold negative attitude towards himself? (no more than 10 words)
3. How did his aunt Ginette plan to do to change Marco? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the underlined sentence probably mean in the 5th Paragraph? (no more than 5 words)
5. Who often gives you confidence to fulfill your dreams? What does he/she do? (no more than 20 words)
“Mom, look at this LEGO Star Wars set,” my eight-year-old son Nathan said. “Can I get it for my birthday?” I looked at the LEGO set in question.
“Nathan, this isn’t just a regular LEGO set. It’s an Advent calendar(降临历).” Seeing his questioning look, I explained, “An Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas. Starting on December 1st, you open one box each day, and each box contains one small LEGO toy.”
“I want this really badly, Mom. Can I get it for my birthday?”
“Yes, but here’s the problem with that. It’s August right now, and your birthday is in September. If we bought this for your birthday, you couldn’t start opening the toys until December 1st. That would be a long time for you before playing with a new toy. Are you sure you want it?” He thought for a minute and said, “Yes, Mom, I really want that Advent calendar.” So we bought the calendar.
On Nathan’s birthday in mid-September, he received many presents, including the Advent calendar. He seemed as surprised and pleased with it as he did with other gifts that were actually a surprise. And then he started to open it.
“Remember that’s an Advent calendar. So we can’t open it yet.” His shoulders slumped(垂下来). “Oh, yeah, that’s right,” he said unwillingly.
We put the box in his closet. I hoped he’d forget about it, but that was wishful thinking.
“How many more days should I wait until I can start opening the toys in the calendar?” he asked the day after his birthday. I gave him a pocket calendar, and we counted how many days there were until December 1st.
After waiting for so long, it was December 1st finally. Nathan’s hands were practically shaking as he opened that first box. “I’m so glad I waited, Mom,” he told me.
People say that Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year. I know these complaints are about the over-commercialization of the holiday, and I see their point. But this year, Christmas came to our house very early, and it was so much fun.
1. What is an Advent calendar used to do? (no more than 10 words)2. Why was the author unwilling to buy the Advent calendar for Nathan at first? (no more than 12 words)
3. How can we understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why do people say Christmas starts earlier and earlier? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of Nathan’s birthday present? Why? (no more than 20 words)
4 . My best friend traveled to stay with our family last weekend. When she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate a spoonful of raspberry jam and some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.
Our long weekend together was luxuriously simple. I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t go to shopping malls. We passed the time running errands (做杂事), going to the post office and collecting dry cleaning. We drank away too many cappuccinos. But we talked about every little detail of our lives.
There’s never been a quiet moment in our friendship. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade. Reunions demand constant conversation. Our personalities are matched, to be sure, and a shared history is indescribably valuable. We were competitors in high school before bonding over a bad experience. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship strengthened itself quickly. We stayed companions through law school, through our first jobs and our first boyfriends. We supported each other through break-ups and breakthroughs. Ours is a friendship for ages.
There is something special about friends who know everyone and everything about you. They are rare. These are the people you’ve chosen to witness your life. They have seen the bright lights of achievement, the depths of despair and the boring routine of the in-between.
It’s special to unpack feelings and frustrations without wasting time filling in the blanks. As my long weekend shows, with such friends we don’t have to “do”, we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves.
The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, the continuation of which is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference sneaking (溜进) into your separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I’m lucky to have found this friend, to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.
1. What happened during her best friend’s visit?| A．They enjoyed an eventful long weekend. |
| B．They talked constantly about their lives. |
| C．They made their favorite snacks and coffee. |
| D．They talked about recent news events. |
| A．they help each other deal with the boredom of life |
| B．they prefer to witness each other’s lives from far away |
| C．they try to show each other their best selves |
| D．they are comfortable just being themselves when together |
| A．Charm comes from difference. | B．Politeness brings best friends closer. |
| C．Good friendships need devotion. | D．Distance can separate good friends. |
| A．describe what her best friend is like | B．share the friendship she treasures |
| C．explore the key aspects of friendship | D．express thanks to her best friend |
| A．Light-hearted. | B．Humorous. | C．Serious. | D．Sentimental. |
5 . It was January, the first day of the year. I decided to get the bank work out of the
Just then I saw his morning tea lying there,
I realized he was also missing the
| A．way | B．corner | C．question | D．reach |
| A．on purpose | B．by accident | C．after all | D．as usual |
| A．service | B．invitation | C．greeting | D．handshake |
| A．hopefully | B．curiously | C．sincerely | D．hesitantly |
| A．going through | B．filling up | C．checking out | D．printing off |
| A．computerized | B．canceled | C．popularized | D．broadened |
| A．symptoms | B．gestures | C．signs | D．marks |
| A．when | B．how | C．why | D．if |
| A．untouched | B．unprepared | C．unfolded | D．undisturbed |
| A．always | B．seldom | C．never | D．still |
| A．reward | B．push | C．pardon | D．scold |
| A．reason | B．need | C．opportunity | D．urge |
| A．looked up at | B．looked down upon | C．looked forward to | D．looked back on |
| A．precious | B．small | C．important | D．essential |
| A．coincidence | B．suggestion | C．affair | D．arrangement |
| A．impressed | B．attached | C．challenged | D．comforted |
| A．hearts | B．minds | C．bodies | D．souls |
| A．release | B．recommend | C．reveal | D．revise |
| A．preferred | B．promised | C．managed | D．expected |
| A．cautious | B．confident | C．optimistic | D．grateful |
6 . On my way back home, I waited at the crosswalk for the traffic light to change colours. A man dressed in a UCLA shirt stood next to me. We exchanged friendly smiles. His friend came by and commented that he was excited that it was Friday. The man replied that he had to work on the weekend. He shared, “I have two little kids at home. I am thankful for any work that I can get. ”
I smiled, as the man's words made me happy in a dark week of midterm exams and job interviews. As we made our way across the street, he told me he had been shot and had seven surgeries in the past couple of years. He called getting better a “vacation” because in that kind of situation, that was the only way he could deal with what had happened.
At the end of the crosswalk, before we left each other, he said, “Through life's terrible moments, you find life's greatest gifts.” I took a left. He and his friend took a right to the parking lot. I looked back at him, thankful that our short conversation had made my day. He looked at my way. We exchanged nods and smiles, the same exchange we first made when we stood by the crosswalk moments ago.
Though we never shared names, I will forever remember his story and his inspiring life. When people ask me what I love most about my university, I tell them about the creative professors and excited students. UCLA supports its students to follow their dreams, whatever that path may be. As a college senior, I am incredibly grateful for my college experience.
What I remember most about my university life are memories of smiles and life lessons. There was that night when a group of us watched the waves and waited for the sunrise, the time my professor and I discussed equal rights, the class in which my group members and I danced to our textbook reading. These are life stories that make me smile and teach me lessons.
You never know who may inspire you next. It may be the person standing next to you at the crosswalk or the student sitting next to you in class. Simple life stories and beautiful exchanges come with just a nod, a smile, and a crosswalk. You never know what you can learn from them, from courage to positive attitudes towards life.
1. What can be learned about the author according to the text?| A．The author was troubled by midterm exams and job interviews. |
| B．The author and the man are familiar with each other. |
| C．The author is married and has two children to raise. |
| D．The author was wearing a UCLA shirt and met a friend. |
| A．They exchanged their names and phone numbers. |
| B．They shared opinions about studying and job hunting. |
| C．The man told the author about his past experience. |
| D．The man headed to the parking lot without looking back. |
| A．He really wanted to take a rest at that time. |
| B．He was thankful that he was getting better. |
| C．He could do nothing but await recovery from his injury. |
| D．He enjoyed the time when he didn't need to deal with exams. |
| A．Serious and hardworking. | B．Friendly and optimistic. |
| C．Honest and happy. | D．Talented and confident. |
| A．Every moment of your life counts. | B．Do not ignore the people around you. |
| C．Good manners bring about happiness. | D．Inspiring memories can be made at any time. |
It was a dark and stormy night. The ferocious wind shook the windows wildly, as though someone outside were beating on the glass. It was also New Year’s Eve. We were having our annual party and had a house full of people just starting to celebrate.
Suddenly, we heard loud explosions. Looking outside and up into the hills, we saw sparks(火花) flying from electrical transformers(变压器). One area after another went dark up in those hills. Then there was the loudest explosion of them all and our house went dark too. I tried to find every candle we had and lit them. The candles made everything look lovely. But we had problems. We had fifteen people standing around and we still had to cook dinner. How would we do that without electricity?
The barbecue! Why not cook on the barbecue? We men went outside, some holding flashlights and others cooking. We did a wonderful job. The women stayed inside and got the salads ready. Everything was delicious. There were still a few hours to go before the beginning of the new year, so we all sat around the dining room table and sang up until a few minutes before midnight. We couldn’t watch the ball drop in Times Square on television but that wouldn’t stop us from celebrating. I stood on a chair and, with the help of someone’s watch to tell us the time, we all counted down and I dropped a tennis ball! We all screamed Happy New Year. We didn’t need electricity for that!
Nowadays, we still get together with the same group to celebrate the New Year and we still talk about that special night. I don’t think we have ever laughed so much as we did on that New Year’s Eve.
1. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 1? (1 word)2. What made dinner preparation difficult according to Paragraph 2? (no more than 6 words)
3. How did the people celebrate on New Year’s Eve according to the passage? (no more than 10 words)
4. How does the author feel about that particular New Year’s Eve? (no more than 8 words)
5. What do you think is the most necessary quality when dealing with an unexpected difficult situation? Please explain why. (no more than 25words)
8 . Backpacking through Africa, I always carried some food with me
I was
For the next few weeks, when I was feeling the need for a little
One cold and cloudy afternoon, while I was waiting for a local bus, it started to rain. Everybody spread out for
In my hurry to
I was so sad that I almost cried. And then, in the corner of my eye, I noticed an old woman in rags
Still
My bus arrived shortly after and, as we drove off, I wondered if the jam would taste the same to me.
1.| A．unless | B．if | C．just in case | D．in order that |
| A．looking | B．buying | C．getting | D．running |
| A．apple | B．orange | C．peach | D．strawberry |
| A．last | B．best | C．other | D．first |
| A．meal | B．treat | C．rest | D．drink |
| A．remove | B．put | C．take | D．close |
| A．divide | B．eat | C．share | D．separate |
| A．pocket | B．pack | C．corner | D．store |
| A．situations | B．conditions | C．surroundings | D．occasions |
| A．protection | B．space | C．shelter | D．warmth |
| A．beautiful | B．rain | C．warm | D．dry |
| A．avoid | B．experience | C．defeat | D．overcome |
| A．hidden | B．buried | C．covered | D．locked |
| A．expensive | B．useless | C．precious | D．priceless |
| A．going | B．leaving | C．running | D．approaching |
| A．all right | B．bad enough | C．broken | D．damaged |
| A．standing up | B．sitting up | C．bending over | D．watching out |
| A．rest | B．remaining | C．extra | D．spare |
| A．swallowed | B．vomited | C．chewed | D．placed |
| A．until | B．unless | C．after | D．since |
9 . Music is something I could never live without. Without music, I was
Everyone who wanted to be in show choir auditioned for the
A year passed, I was at a
| A．calm | B．mad | C．anxious | D．quiet |
| A．teach | B．express | C．praise | D．help |
| A．heart | B．brain | C．mind | D．head |
| A．looking forward to | B．getting along with | C．trying out for | D．picking up |
| A．pride | B．adventure | C．passion | D．courage |
| A．activity | B．programme | C．service | D．job |
| A．suggested | B．recorded | C．permitted | D．written |
| A．sound | B．scene | C．play | D．answer |
| A．relief | B．concern | C．anger | D．sympathy |
| A．removed | B．signed | C．expected | D．posted |
| A．signature | B．mark | C．name | D．position |
| A．kindness | B．confidence | C．pressure | D．luck |
| A．crashed | B．started | C．continued | D．existed |
| A．theatre | B．restaurant | C．garden | D．park |
| A．eat | B．dance | C．sing | D．drink |
| A．create | B．write | C．play | D．choose |
| A．struggled | B．stopped | C．cheered | D．voted |
| A．efforts | B．ideas | C．knowledge | D．hope |
| A．picked out | B．turned down | C．brought up | D．left behind |
| A．love | B．connection | C．touch | D．common |
10 . In the eighth grade, I was student-body president of Erwin Middle School in Asheville. I considered this quite an
I spent several nights lying in bed,
The speech I gave on graduation day was only 12 minutes long, but what it started was
Throughout the summer, I worked on developing a program to carry our
Then word began to
All this was
The Erwin High “Committed Class of Millennium” would like to encourage your class to start a
| A．intention | B．honor | C．enjoyment | D．advantage |
| A．invited | B．transformed | C．promoted | D．introduced |
| A．normally | B．constantly | C．completely | D．gradually |
| A．but | B．for | C．or | D．so |
| A．thinking | B．arguing | C．dreaming | D．talking |
| A．controlled | B．freed | C．involved | D．trained |
| A．trapped | B．upset | C．moved | D．hit |
| A．success | B．dropout | C．pass | D．graduation |
| A．explore | B．leave | C．graduate | D．develop |
| A．unreliable | B．reasonable | C．acceptable | D．unbelievable |
| A．tell | B．admit | C．remember | D．suggest |
| A．pressure | B．behavior | C．response | D．respect |
| A．commitment | B．research | C．application | D．responsibility |
| A．chose | B．followed | C．found | D．started |
| A．disappear | B．spread | C．leak | D．come |
| A．congratulations | B．support | C．questions | D．doubt |
| A．amazing | B．interesting | C．relaxing | D．convincing |
| A．appointment | B．impression | C．decision | D．difference |
| A．progressed | B．quitted | C．cared | D．tried |
| A．requirement | B．performance | C．program | D．ceremony |
