I recently gave my adult class homework. The assignment was to “go to someone you love and tell them you love them. It has to be someone you have never said those words to before or haven’t shared those words with for a long time”.
That doesn’t sound like a tough assignment, but most of the men in that group were over 35 and were taught that expressing emotions is not “macho（男子汉的）”.
At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them. One of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken.
He began by saying, “I didn’t feel that I had anyone to say those words to. But as I began driving home, I knew exactly who I needed to say ‘I love you’to. Five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and never resolved it. We hardly spoke to each other.” “The next morning, I called my dad. When he answered the phone, I said, ‘Dad, can I come over tonight? I have something to tell you.’ I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.”
“At 5：30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell. As luck would have it, Dad answered the door.”
“I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you’”
“His face softened, his wrinkles（皱纹）disappeared and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, ‘I love you too, son, but I’ve never been able to say it.’”
“Dad and I hugged for a moment longer. I hadn’t felt that great in a long time.”
“Two days after that visit, my dad had a heart attack and ended up unconscious in the hospital. I don’t know if he’ll make it.”
“My message to all of you is this：Don’t wait to do the things that need to be done. Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now！”
1. Why might the assignment challenge the students?（no more than 10 words）2. What happened to the author’s student and his father five years ago?（no more than 15 words）
3. What is the meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 5?（no more than 5 words）
4. Why did the student’s father cry? （no more than 10 words）
5. What do you often do when you have disagreements with your parents? Please explain.（no more than 20 words）
2 . A small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree and it has been there for ten years or so.
It all began because my husband Justin hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas. Overspending was one thing, but compared to the difficult experience of choosing gifts—running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and a pair of gloves for Grandma…, spending money is nothing.
I felt too tired to think of any special gifts. Knowing Justin felt the same way, I decided one year not to buy the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so on. I reached for something special just for Justin. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in such worn-out shoes that shoe strings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, while our boys were in their blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was shocked to see that the other team were wrestling without wearing helmets to protect their heads. Well, our boys ended up defeating them. We took every weight class.
Justin, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot potential, but losing like this could take the heart out of them." Justin loved kids—-all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football and baseball. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought different kinds of wrestling helmets and shoes. I sent them to the inner-city church without leaving my name.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Justin what I had done and that was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and since then the envelope has become the highlight of our Christmas.
1. Justin hated Christmas because________.| A．he thought Christmas makes no sense |
| B．he had a hard time choosing gifts |
| C．he spent too much money buying gifts |
| D．he disliked putting gifts under the Christmas tree |
| A．were well dressed | B．paid no attention to safety |
| C．feared Kevin's team | D．couldn't afford helmets |
| A．didn't wear any helmets |
| B．were dressed in worn-out shoes |
| C．may lose confidence completely |
| D．failed in the match against his son |
| A．what the writer had done | B．the envelop on the tree |
| C．the note inside the envelop | D．the gifts the writer sent to church |
| A．A Church Gift | B．A Special Note |
| C．A White Envelope | D．A Christmas Card |
In March 2019, when Sara Cook first got a letter in the mail telling her that someone had paid off a large amount of her medical debt, she simply couldn't believe it. Cautiously, she called the number listed on the letter. What she learned was that this was not a scam. It was 100 percent real.
A remarkable nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt had indeed paid $5,000 toward her bills. The organization didn't take care of all the debt she'd accumulated from several back surgeries, but the former nurse was still moved by the gesture. “I felt really loved and blessed,” she says, “knowing that complete strangers just did that out of the goodness of their hearts.
Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton do have good hearts. They're also former collection agents who have seen how heavy health-related debt has destroyed lives. “I never thought about all the hardship of the people who couldn't pay. Now I'm trying to find the people who need help.” said Antico. They got their money from individuals and charities that support RIP's mission.
RIP researches potential receivers based on three criteria. First, they look for people who make no more than two and a half times the amount established as the federal poverty level. Then they screen for those whose debt is equal to 5 percent or more of the gross income (总收入). Third, they look to see whether a person can pay off debts.
For the people who do qualify, RIP's help is life-changing. “After their letter, I realized that my life really wasn't so hard,” says Cook, “I may never be able to work as a nurse again but I can sit at the school library and help kids read or serve up food in the soup kitchen. When people do something out of the kindness of their hearts, sometimes they may wonder: Does it really make a difference? I want people to know that this has a positive impact.”
1. What does the underlined word in Para.1 most probably mean? (1 word)2. What was Sara Cook's reaction to RIP Medical Debt? (no more than 2 words)
3. How did RIP Medical Debt get funds? (no more than 10 words)
4. What's the main idea of the 4th paragraph? (no more than 8 words)
5. What's your example of doing "kindness"? Please share. (no more than 20 words)
Behind the band, there was a picture of a young man named Philip Hancock shown on the screen. And he was the reason they were all there. Hancock was a 27-ycar-old Australian who taught English in Chongqing. When he died in 2018 due to complications from diabetes, his parents followed his wishes and donated his organs with the help of the Red Cross Society of China’s Chongqing branch.
“I’m Philip’s liver”; “I'm Philip’s kidney”; “Philip’s eyes...”
The five people — a salesperson, a farmer, a former truck driver and two doctors introduced themselves onstage.
“Last year, Red Cross officials told me that Philip’s parents mentioned during an earlier memorial service that he loved music and dreamed of having his own band one day,” said former truck driver Chen Xianjun. Chen instantly wanted to form a hand in memory of Philip, and so did the other four receivers.
Since they had no music experience, they had to start from scratch. From learning the guitar to mastering the maracas (响葫芦) and faking on the drum they took time out of their busy lives to practice over the past year.
“Picking up a new instrument is certainly difficult at my age, but we have a clear goal in mind and are determined to achieve it.” said Mo Li, the 36-year-old real estate salesman.
Peter Hancock, Philip’s father, said after watching the bands performance that his biggest wish was for the five to enjoy their lives more. think Philip not only gave them a new life, but also some musical cells that enable them to appreciate beautiful melodies."
1. What do these five people have in common? (no more than 8 words)2. What does the underlined part “from scratch” mean in English? (no more than 5 words)
3. What goal did these five people want to achieve? (no more than 10 words)
4. What was Philip’s father’s biggest wish? (no more than 8 words)
5. What inspiration do you get from the story? Please say it in your own words.(no more than 20 words)
Before entering college, I had heard so many stories about how stressful freshman year could get and that this would potentially be the most difficult experience I would ever have to go through. And yes, for the most part, those stories did live up to the reality.
In the first several months, I was urged to improve my social skills and to befriend people. Personally, there was a clear struggle on wanting to adjust and not simply adapt. Adapting required a change in behavior for the sake of fitting in and I didn't want that. Luckily and eventually, I was able to find my own group. It just required extra work and patience.
Naturally, there were academic obstacles that arose. The biggest one was my major. I was enrolled as a communication studies major. I chose it because it seemed like a safe haven. But I later discovered that it didn't actually fit my likes. After two quarters, serious thinking and several mini breakdowns, I switched to philosophy.
Ever since I was younger, I have known I wanted to work in the field. It has always intrigued me. To be honest, I've never had to read such challenging texts in my life, but I enjoy it. It pushes me beyond my limits in a good way. It introduces me to concepts and theories that I've never heard of. More importantly, it doesn't only make me more logical. It also makes me more empathic(有移情作用的)and understanding of others.
I eventually overcame the obstacles. As I recall it now, I'm thankful that the good always outweighed the bad. The good came in the form of new friends, significant learning and deepened self-understanding. As I head off to sophomore year, I plan to bring this good with me.
1. How was the author's freshman year in college? (no more than 5 words)2. What troubled the author in his first several months in college? (no more than 10 words)
3. Why did the author switch to philosophy? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of the author? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
6 . A woman whose sports car was stolen with her dog in it put up notices all over the area that made it clear getting back her pet was more important than her car.
“Whoever did this can keep my car. Please let Benjerman come home,” the notice said.
It is not known whether the thief showed any pity, but almost 30 hours after the 1 pm theft Friday, Kimberly Atkins of Dover and Benjerman, a 12-year-old black retriever(猎犬), were reunited after police located them in Barrington.
“He’s hungry, he’s dirty, but he’s very happy to be home,” Atkins said.
The car was found at about 5 pm Saturday off Route 125 in a swampy area frequented by off-the-road cars and dirt bikes. However, the police couldn’t control Benjerman, and they had to call Atkins to come and get him.
Atkins said the thief cared for Benjerman a little by providing him with some dry cat food. She believed Benjerman ended up drinking some muddy water in the area.
She said they have been together for nearly 11 years after she took him back from a society shelter in Dallas, Texas.
Before Benjerman was found, Atkins and several friends put up notices all over the city and in Somersworth. They also contacted animal shelters throughout southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
The notice stated there was a reward, and also that the dog needed medication(药物治疗). Any caller could remain anonymous(匿名的).
Atkins had parked the car outside a hardware store with the keys inside and gone in to rent a carpet cleaner.
“It was 10 minutes and I came out and my car was gone along with Benjerman in broad daylight,” Atkins said. The car thief threw Atkins’ wallet and other personal items out of the car before escaping from the scene.
1. What would be the best title for the passage?| A．A car with a dog was stolen |
| B．Lucky dog was returned to his owner |
| C．Stealing cars: a most important social problem |
| D．Woman wants dog back more than stolen car |
a. Notices were put up saying there was a reward.
b. Atkins saw Benjerman again.
c. Police found Atkins’ car.
d. Atkins took Benjerman back from a society shelter.
e. Atkins hired a carpet cleaner in a hardware store.
| A．d, e, a, b, c | B．d, e, a, c, b |
| C．e, a, d, b, c | D．e, a, c, d, b |
| A．the dog was treated extremely badly by the thief |
| B．car stolen accidents happen frequently nowadays |
| C．the dog was found because of the reward |
| D．the thief stole the car easily |
| A．Benjerman was sent back immediately after Atkins put up the notices. |
| B．Atkins and her friends made a great effort to look for Benjerman. |
| C．The thief gave the dog back but kept the sports car. |
| D．The dog was back at 1 pm on a Friday. |
| A．Benjerman | B．Thief |
| C．Atkins | D．Atkins’ friends |
7 . No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts.
I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.
It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no couch, and they didn't even practice to prepare for the Game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my sadness we were beaten. I couldn't believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to realize that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were depending on me. I had to change my attitude about their ability and confidence.
I stared doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. Most important,I began to treat them like winners. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their vacations. We met every day and practiced passing and kicking the football.
Six months after suffering our failure on the spring practice field. we won our first game and our second, and continue to improve .Finally, we faced the number one team in the state.I felt that it would be a victory for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest thrills of my life !
From the experience I learned a lot about how the attitude of the leader can influence the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and encouraged them. I helped them to see themselves differently, and they built themselves into winners.
Winners are made, not born.
1. Who did the author think would become the winners at first?| A．The old team. | B．Their own team. |
| C．The number one team. | D．The other team |
| A．Before their training. | B．During the spring practice. |
| C．At the start of the vacation. | D．Six months after their failure. |
| A．Interests | B．Fears | C．Excitements | D．Concerns |
| A．By building up their confidence. | B．By giving them a lecture. |
| C．By buying them a book. | D．By changing the leader. |
| A．Time is money. | B．Winners are born. |
| C．Losers are always beaten. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
When my friends went to college in great delight, I restarted my senior high school life. My spirit sank. Surrounded by strange classmates, I felt like I was in a maze and was sorry about myself. There were some complex feelings in my minds. I was frightened, nervous and lonely.
To make matters worse, I recalled my failure again and again, which put more pressure on me than I could bear. As a result, I was always feeling down during class time.
My teacher found me spiritless. One day he asked me to come to his office and told me about his attitude towards life: we might suffer from mistakes, but it’s important to learn lessons from them. All the pains and the embarrassing things we experience are part of the process. So keep up your spirit! At last, he added, “If you are optimistic, things you want may happen to you!”
Warmth rushed through my soul. I suddenly found the sun shining again when I stepped out of his office.
With the teacher’s help, I eventually got over my depression. From then on, I no longer bowed my head and began smiling to my classmates. I would put up my hand confidently in class and play with my new friends in my spare time. Meanwhile, I was gradually embraced by my classmates.
Now faced with fierce competition, we all study hard because we know that every second counts. Moreover, there is an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect between us. I love my class; I love my classmates!
To be frank, I still have a thirst for my dream university, but I’m not afraid of failure because I can profit by it. With parents and teachers’ encouragement, I’m quite certain of my success and I’m sure I can fly high.
1. Why was the writer in low spirits at the beginning? (No more than 10 words)2. What did the teacher expect the writer to do? (No more than 10 words)
3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5? (No more than 15 words)
4. What does the underlined word “embraced” in paragraph 5 mean in English?
5. What will you do if you are faced with failure? (No more than 20 words)
9 . Cards came for every occasion for Grandma. She even sent a card which was more of a
When I was young, I looked forward to
She kept writing cards even the morning she died. Her wonderful nurses
When I grew up, I realized cards served a(n)
Now I like to
| A．burden | B．promise | C．comfort | D．claim |
| A．receiving | B．sending | C．selling | D．buying |
| A．Therefore | B．Otherwise | C．Instead | D．However |
| A．precious | B．artificial | C．simple | D．traditional |
| A．recovering | B．worsening | C．treated | D．controlled |
| A．wrote | B．mailed | C．read | D．copied |
| A．funeral | B．request | C．office | D．heart |
| A．declared | B．warned | C．poked | D．suggested |
| A．slightly | B．completely | C．hugely | D．randomly |
| A．labels | B．timetables | C．accounts | D．addresses |
| A．burned | B．threw away | C．gave out | D．saved |
| A．decide | B．agreed | C．suspected | D．pretended |
| A．imaginary | B．significant | C．impossible | D．meaningless |
| A．junk | B．suitable | C．sweet | D．similar |
| A．lesson | B．recommendation | C．reminder | D．command |
| A．measure | B．appreciate | C．remember | D．check |
| A．persuade | B．surprise | C．consult | D．instruct |
| A．addition | B．consequence | C．order | D．advance |
| A．observe | B．interview | C．value | D．challenge |
| A．calm | B．fair | C．relaxed | D．special |
10 . I hear some actors keep a sad thought or memory tucked away to help them with scenes where they might need to cry. I think we should each try to find the opposite; a happy memory, something to lift us up on those inevitable down days. I’m saying this because I think I just found mine!
I had some work in Glasgow today. I was on a really tight schedule, which meant I would have no time for myself (or my own work) all day. I was having one of those days, the train was completely packed out and the conversation going on around me seemed to be particularly inane. On top of all that, I had a bit of a headache.
Walking briskly across the concourse, I fished some change from my pocket. There was usually someone at the exit selling The Big Issue (a magazine that helps homeless folk earn a living).
As the crowd parted ways at the bottom of the concourse, I saw someone selling the Big Issue. You had to be homeless to sell the Big Issue. She really looked like she’d been sleeping rough. Her clothes were ragged and she obviously hadn’t had a scrub up for quite a while.
As I approached the exit, I saw that she was also rocking from side to side. At first I thought maybe she was trying to keep warm against the biting wind. But she wasn’t, she was moving in time to a tune. I couldn’t hear her, but I could see her lips moving.
As I got closer, I saw a white cane hanging from her elbow and noticed that she had sunken eyes. She was blind, dirty and living on the streets. I came closer and through the noise of the traffic and the commuters I heard her sing the immortal line, “… and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!”
I bought her last magazine for twice what I’d originally intended. She thanked me, then she picked up her stuff and went tapping off along the pavement - still singing!
So, I have my happy memory for the day. And I think it will stay with me a long, long time. Feel free to borrow it if you like.
1. Why do some actors keep a sad thought or memory according to the passage?| A．Because some of them always feel unhappy | B．because they are scolded by the director |
| C．Because it helps meet the needs of their roles | D．Because they can’t find a happy memory |
| A．Made | B．exchanged | C．pull into | D．took out |
| A．Only those homeless people can sell the magazine |
| B．The author heard her singing as he came close to the exit |
| C．The girl selling the magazines was blind, dirty and homeless |
| D．The author never heard what the girl was singing |
| A．the author had a headache because of his busy work |
| B．the author bought more magazines than planned to |
| C．the girl went away as soon as she sold out magazines |
| D．the author felt unhappy because he missed his train |
| A．A happy Memory to Lift You Up |
| B．An Unforgettable Day I Experienced |
| C．The Roses in Her Hand: the Flavor in Mine |
| D．A Bird in the Hand is Worth than Two in the Bush. |
