1 . Charity in Action
In a busy city like Shanghai, the hustle and bustle often overshadow the needs of those less fortunate. However, amidst this chaos, there are still stories of
One such story unfolded one sunny afternoon in the heart of the city. Li Hua, a high school student, was walking home from school,
Curious, she approached and saw an elderly woman sitting on the ground,
Without
Inspired by this encounter, Li Hua decided to take action. She organized a charity event at her school,
To her surprise, the response was
The charity event was a huge success. Not only did it raise a significant amount of money and goods, but it also
Li Hua’s actions not only
In the busy and often impersonal world of Shanghai, Li Hua’s story is a beacon of hope, a reminder that amidst the noise and crowds, there is still room for
| A．charity | B．success | C．adventure | D．courage |
| A．advocated | B．annoyed | C．amused | D．amazed |
| A．happy | B．lost | C．helpless | D．hopeless |
| A．sorrow | B．happiness | C．confusion | D．surprise |
| A．hesitation | B．permission | C．doubt | D．invitation |
| A．sad | B．nervous | C．warm | D．proud |
| A．reducing | B．gaining | C．losing | D．raising |
| A．carried out | B．gave away | C．put up | D．took down |
| A．negative | B．indifferent | C．overwhelming | D．disappointing |
| A．offering | B．demanding | C．expecting | D．refusing |
| A．created | B．destroyed | C．ignored | D．avoided |
| A．ignored | B．highlighted | C．linked | D．analyzed |
| A．helped | B．hurt | C．ignored | D．frightened |
| A．shaking | B．showing | C．lending | D．pointing |
| A．kindness | B．wealth | C．fame | D．power |
2 . The train was at a standstill, some twenty minutes outside Kolkata, when an unexpected stroke of luck presented Piya with an opportunity to go for a seat beside a window for some fresh air. She had been sitting in the stuffiest part of the train compartment, on the edge of a bench, now, moving to the open window, she saw that the train had stopped at a station called Champahati.
Looking over her shoulder, Piya spotted a tea-seller on the platform. Reaching through the bars of the window, she called him with a wave. She had never cared for the kind of chai, Indian tea, sold in Seattle, her hometown in the USA, but somehow, in the ten days she had spent in India she had developed an unexpected taste for milky, overboiled tea served in earthenware cups. There were no spices in it for one thing, and this was more to her taste than the chai at home.
She paid for her tea and was trying to get in the cup through the bars when the man in the seat opposite her own suddenly turned over a page, jolting her hand. She turned her wrist quickly enough to make sure that most of the tea spilled out of the window, but she could not prevent some from spilling over his papers.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Piya was very embarrassed: of everyone in the compartment, this was the last person she would have chosen to injure with her tea. She had noticed him while waiting on the platform in Kolkata and she had been struck by the self-satisfied tilt of his head and the way in which he stared at everyone around him, taking them in, sizing them up, sorting them all into their places.
“Here,” said Piya, producing a handful of tissues. “Let me help you clean up.”
“There’s nothing to be done,” he said testily (暴躁地). “These pages are ruined anyway.”
For a moment she considered pointing out that it was he who had knocked her hand. But all she could bring herself to say was, “I’m very sorry. I hope you’ll excuse me.”
“Do I really have a choice?” he said. “Does anyone have a choice when they’re dealing with Americans these days?”
Piya had no wish to get into an argument so she let this pass. Instead, she opened her eyes wide and, in an attempt to restore peace, came out with, “But how did you guess?”
“About what?”
“About my being American? You’re very observant.”
This seemed to do the trick. His shoulders relaxed as he leaned back in his seat. “I didn’t guess,” he said. “I knew.”
1. In the first paragraph, Piya was relieved when she got a window seat because it meant that ________.| A．there was more room for her luggage |
| B．she no longer had to suffer from a lack of air |
| C．there was less chance that she would miss her stop |
| D．she didn’t have to stand for the rest of the train journey |
| A．was disappointingly weak in taste |
| B．reminded her of her home in Seattle |
| C．would have tasted better if served fresh |
| D．was preferable to the chai she had had before |
| A．find out what the man really thought about Americans |
| B．ensure the man realized that she had apologized |
| C．try to calm the situation down by starting a conversation |
| D．make sure the man knew he was being rude |
3 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?| A．He got a baby brother. |
| B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. |
| D．He received a doll. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．A sad Christmas day. |
| B．Life with a lovely baby. |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family. |
4 . People used to find it safe to keep their treasure and money in some secret or unknown places. They tried various ways as they could think out. They buried treasure to stop other people from taking it. They chose a quiet place, dug a deep hole and buried the treasure in it. Then they made a map of where the treasure was or wrote down other clues that would help them or someone else to find it again.
In Britain a few years ago, a writer wrote about some treasure that he had buried. He put clues in the story to help readers find it. Thousands of people hunted for the treasure. They dug holes all over Britain, hoping to find it.
One of the most popular adventure stories ever written is Robert Louis Stephenson’s “Treasure Island”, an exciting story about a young boy, Jim Hawkins, who is captured by pirates (海盗) and later finds some buried treasure.
Then there is the true story about a man who had to travel overseas for a year. He did not trust banks, so he buried his life savings in a park. Then he went away. On his return, he went straight to the park. But the park was no longer there. In its place there was a huge building.
And then there was a woman who buried her savings, all in bank notes, in a waterproof bag. When she dug it up years later, there was nothing left. Worms and insects had eaten the bag and everything in it.
And of course, these are stories about people who bury things and either forget where they have buried them or lose the map.
Although it is true that people sometimes lose their money because a bank fails, banks are still the safest place to keep our savings and treasures.
1. _________ could help them or someone else to find it again.| A．Making a map of the place and writing down some clues |
| B．Digging another hole and writing some clues |
| C．Colouring the place and making the map |
| D．Asking someone else and numbering the place |
| A．really had buried some small coins |
| B．started a nationwide treasure hunt |
| C．had lost his treasure and wanted people to help him find it |
| D．caused trouble because people dug holes everywhere |
| A．thought his money was safer there than in a bank |
| B．stayed away longer than he expected |
| C．got his life savings back again |
| D．travelled on the sea for a year |
| A．we cannot trust banks |
| B．we should not trust anyone |
| C．burying may not be the safe way to keep something valuable |
| D．insects can keep anything valuable |
I can still remember the afternoon when we climbed the mountain as if it were yesterday.
It was a sunny day. Eager to spend some time outside, I went up the mountain with my uncle. The mountain was hard
On the way back down, my uncle asked me a question,
“I have no idea,” I answered
“There is no doubt that a person
I once wanted to be a top student but the hard work needed meant
6 . New technology means that we no longer have to wait for anything. Therefore, you would expect waiting rooms to be filled with a lot of people complaining. However, a newspaper survey suggests that people regard these spaces as a place of refuge, a window in their tightly scheduled lives. Here are some of the stories that people told.
A Ella Doroudy, subway station. Friday 5 p.m.
We’ve been at the beach all day, and now we’re on our way home. We don’t have to wait very long, because we checked the schedule so we got here with about 15 minutes to spare. I just hang out and chat with my friends until the train comes. Waiting with other people is easier because it’s easier to kill time when you have someone to talk to.
B Caroline Lacey, dentist’s office. Tuesday 3 p.m.
I don’t really get nervous about a visit to the dentist, but since these two fillings came out I’ve been in great pain. The office is bright and cheerful, so it’s pretty calming. I usually pass the time by browsing through magazines. I’ve been coming to the dentist only when I need to, but I’m going to have to start coming regularly.
C Renata Oliveira, model casting. Tuesday 2 p.m.
I was a little bit late today, which ended up being OK because some of these girls have been waiting for hours. You can’t help but look around at everyone else—you look at the other girls and think: “I wonder if they’ll like her better than they like me.” While I’m waiting, I’m thinking: “Oh, come on. I don’t have all day!”
D Paul Thomas, hospital, waiting room. Wednesday 2 p.m.
I feel pretty all right while I’m waiting here, to be honest. It’s something I’ve been doing since my motorcycle accident seven years ago. I’ve had about 32 operations so far. This time I’m here for one more in my foot. It’s no use coming in thinking you’re going to escape in five minutes, so I just sit back and people watch.
1. What are the four people talking about?| A．How they like to wait. | B．Why they hate waiting. |
| C．Unhappy experience of waiting. | D．Different reasons for waiting long. |
| A．Ella Doroudy. | B．Caroline Lacey. |
| C．Renata Oliveira. | D．Paul Thomas. |
| A．Ella Doroudy waited at the subway station for more than half an hour. |
| B．Caroline Lacey doesn’t think the dentist’s office is relaxing enough. |
| C．Renata Oliveria failed in the model competition because she was late. |
| D．Paul Thomas has got accustomed to waiting in the waiting room. |
7 . (A)
When I was growing up, my family kept chickens. We always had about a dozen of them at any given time and whenever one died off – taken away by hawk or fox or by some unknown chicken illness – my father would replace the lost hen.
He’d drive to a nearby chicken farm and return with a new chicken in a sack. The thing is, you must be very careful when introducing a new chicken to the general flock. You can’t just toss it in there with the old chickens, or they will see it as an invader. What you must do instead is to slip the new bird into the chicken farm in the middle of the night while the others are asleep. Place her beside the flock and tiptoe away. In the morning, when the chickens wake up, they don’t notice the newcomer, thinking only, “She must have been here all the time since I didn’t see her arrive.” And awaking within this flock, the newcomer herself doesn’t even remember that she’s a newcomer, thinking only, “I must have been here the whole time…”
My arrival in India does likewise. My plane lands in Mumbai on December 30. I find my luggage, and then find the taxi that will take me hours and hours out of the city to the destination, located in a remote rural village. I doze on the drive through streets, sometimes waking to look out the window, where I can see strange haunted shapes of thin women walking alongside the road with bundles of firewood on their heads. Buses with no headlights pass us, and we pass oxcarts. The banyan trees spread their elegant roots throughout the ditches.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph?| A．The author was good at keeping chickens. |
| B．The author’s father could treat chickens’ diseases. |
| C．Chickens were more valuable than hens. |
| D．The number of the chickens was kept steady. |
| A．8:00 P.M. | B．1:00 A.M. | C．7:00 A.M. | D．3:00 P.M. |
| A．The chicken farm. | B．The group of chickens. |
| C．The nearby chickens. | D．The new chickens. |
| A．tell the readers how he quickly got integrated into Mumbai |
| B．describe how a newcomer usually feels on a new land |
| C．persuade the readers to get accustomed to the new environment quickly |
| D．reflect upon his childhood and his eventful travel to Mumbai |
8 . One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp(黄蜂) nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again—to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. And immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know was that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike(话筒), trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock(休克). Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last, he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. “You made it”, he thought.
1. It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when _______.| A．the hottest season comes around | B．strangers are approaching |
| C．the air is filled with food smell | D．there are huge noises |
| A．he was in a state of shock | B．his radio equipment was poor |
| C．he was unable to speak clearly | D．no one was on duty |
| A．Allen, A Helpless Driver | B．A Race Against Death |
| C．Wasps, Bloody Killers | D．War Against Wasps |
9 . One August afternoon. Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp(黄蜂) nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly, “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again-to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside, Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late: they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. An immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know was that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike(话筒), trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock(休克). Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station.” He shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought: Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out, Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. “You made it,” he thought.
1. It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when________.| A．there are huge noises | B．strangers are approaching |
| C．the air is filled with food smell | D．the hottest season comes around |
| A．have no after-effects | B．suffer more |
| C．surely lose his life | D．become more sensitive |
| A．he was unable to speak clearly | B．his radio equipment was poor |
| C．he was in a state of shock | D．no one was on duty |
| A．Allen, A Helpless Driver | B．Wasps, Bloody Killers |
| C．A Race Against Death | D．War Against Wasps |
10 . They were going to Florida — three boys and three girls. They were dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the grey, cold spring of New York vanished behind them. Vingo was on the bus from the beginning.
As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice that Vingo never moved. He sat in front of the young people, his dusty face masking his age, dressed in a plain brown suit that did not fit him. He sat in complete silence and seemed completely unaware of the existence of the others.
Deep into the night, the bus pulled into a Howard Johnson’s restaurant and everybody got off the bus except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him: perhaps he was a sea captain; maybe he could be an old soldier going home.
In the morning they awoke outside another Howard Johnson’s and this time Vingo went in. A girl invited him to join them. He seemed very shy and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously, as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches. When they got back on the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again.
“Are you married?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” she said.
‘‘Well, when I was in jail I wrote to my wife. I said, ‘Martha, I was going to be away a long time. If you couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, you could just forget me. I told her she didn’t have to write to me or anything, and she didn’t. Not for three-and-a-half years.
“And you’re going home now, not knowing?”
“Yeah. Well, last week, when I was sure the parole (有条件释放) was coming through I wrote her again. I told her that if she had a new guy, I understood. But, if she didn’t, if she would take me back she should let me know. We used to live in Brunswick, and there’s a great oak tree just as you come into town. I told her if she would take me back, she should tie a yellow ribbon (丝带) to the tree, and I would get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it, no ribbon and I’d understand and keep going on through.”
“Wow,” the girl said “Wow.”
She told the others, and soon all of them were caught up in the approach of Brunswick. Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took the window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-criminal’s mask, and ________ . Then it was 10 miles, and then five, and the bus became very quiet.
Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances, shaking clenched fists in triumph and exaltation. All except Vingo.
Vingo sat there stunned, looking at the oak tree through his misty eyes. The tree was covered with yellow ribbons, 30 of them, 50 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a flag of welcome, blowing and billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted, the old ex-criminal slowly rose from his seat, holding himself tightly, and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.
1. In the beginning, Vingo was sting in silence without interacting with others most probably because ________.| A．he was too shy and nervous to utter a word |
| B．he was lost in thought and uncertainty. |
| C．he did not want to ruin the joyful atmosphere among other passengers. |
| D．he felt inferior to others due to his criminal past |
| A．They embarrassed Vingo by breaking his silence. |
| B．They hid their great concern for Vingo’s past. |
| C．They showed trust and sympathy towards Vingo. |
| D．They hoped Vingo could make his own decision instead of waiting for his wife’s response. |
| A．preparing himself for still another disappointment. |
| B．wanting to get away from the other passengers’ noise. |
| C．not ready to accept whatever lies ahead for him. |
| D．hoping he did not inform the other passengers of his story. |
| A．a show of respect from Vingo’s family. |
| B．a last warning from Vingo’s wife. |
| C．a expression of sympathy from Vingo’s wife. |
| D．a display of forgiveness from Vingo’s wife. |
