1 . Don’t let Aurora’s small stature (身材) fool you — her spirit is strong. She is one of 140 chickens _______ from a farm. When we saved her, she was tiny and sick and it seemed _______ that she would survive. Having never got the right care, many of the chickens were sick and some sadly died.

At a young age, Aurora and her sisters and brothers were _______ by their mom. Luckily, another mother took on their care.Aurora seemed the last to _______ food and attention.She grew at a much slower rate than her brothers and sisters. Everything seemed _______ her.

At the young age of seven months, Aurora had lost two moms and was _______ to find a place with the other chickens.

Aurora _______ found comfort from an old chicken named Margaret, staying under her wings during the cold nights, _______ Margaret was so old that a few months later she died.Aurora, in her own way, thinks of Margaret. Every evening you will find her in the _______ spot where she kept Margaret company.________ when the other chickens try to ________ her away, Aurora comes back.

As Aurora grew, we became ________ at her love to simply live. Nothing ________ her.

So remember, when life seems so ________ that you can't take it, think of Aurora. She has lost two moms, watched her sisters and brothers die, and recovered from serious illness. Yet she enjoys the small, sweet ________ life has offered—safety, food, warmth and good friendships.

1.

A．raised

B．purchased

C．rescued

D．collected

2.

A．hopeful

B．proper

C．possible

D．unlikely

3.

A．punished

B．refused

C．abandoned

D．scolded

4.

A．get

B．eat

C．draw

D．offer

5.

A．for

B．around

C．about

D．against

6.

A．arranging

B．choosing

C．struggling

D．affording

7.

A．lately

B．eventually

C．constantly

D．frequently

8.

A．unless

B．so

C．because

D．but

9.

A．same

B．relevant

C．similar

D．normal

10.

A．Still

B．Thus

C．Even

D．Yet

11.

A．clear

B．put

C．turn

D．push

12.

A．nervous

B．amazed

C．excited

D．disappointed

13.

A．helped

B．attracted

C．impressed

D．stopped

14.

A．tough

B．different

C．smooth

D．boring

15.

A．chances

B．pleasures

C．dreams

D．services

2 . On March 10, 2019, eight-year-old Tani defeated 73 young competitors to win the New York State Scholastic Chess Championship in his age group—kindergarten to third grade—with five wins and one draw. While the achievement is remarkable in itself, what is even more so is that the youngster, who was homeless at the time, began learning the game less than a year ago.

Tani and his family arrived in New York City from Nigeria in 2017, seeking religious protection. A church pastor (牧师) helped find the family of four space in a homeless shelter in Manhattan and, soon after, Tani entered the local elementary school. It was here that the young talent was first introduced to the basics of chess by a part-time teacher. Attracted by the game, then the seven-year-old begged his mother, Oluwatoyin, to allow him to join the school’s chess club. The family were concerned that they would be unable to afford the fees and expenses, which added up to thousands of dollars due to travel and chess competition admission. Oluwatoyin emailed chess instructor Russell, who ran the club. To her surprise and delight, Russell agreed to waive all costs for young Tani. The rest, as they say, is history. The young boy, who has got seven prizes in less than a year, currently ranks 27 in America in his age group.

Though the chess club certainly helps, Tani’s success can be largely owed to the efforts he has put into the game. The chess talent practices the game for several hours a day either on the floor with his board, or online, using his dad’s laptop. Every Saturday, Tani and his mother head to Harlem for a free 3-hour class to help further sharpen his game skills.

Not surprisingly, Tani’s incredible story, first reported by The New York Times, has resulted in an outpouring of support from the American public. Shortly after the young boy won the New York State Championship, Russell began a GoFundMe campaign for Tani and his family to “secure a home where he can continue with his journey”.

And the heart-warming story gets even better! Since they now have a home, the family have decided to “pay it forward” and donate the over $200,000 collected on GoFundMe to African immigrants in America who are struggling the way the family was.

1. What made Tani’s achievement especially remarkable?

A．His young age.

B．His quick learning.

C．Support from his family.

D．Help from his teacher.

2. What does the underlined part “to waive all costs for young Tani” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．To pay for Tani’s schooling.

B．To raise money for Tani’s family.

C．To teach Tani free of charge.

D．To spend more on Tani’s training.

3. What’s Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Success of Tani.

B．Activities of the chess club.

C．Tani’s devotion to the game.

D．Public reaction to Tani’s story.

4. What does the last paragraph tell us about the family?

A．They are caring.

B．They live in poverty.

C．They are honest.

D．They are pitiful.

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。

It was a cold and cloudy afternoon. I was on the bus with my children, aged four and two,    1    (head) home when it started to rain. I realized this would mean a wet walk home     2     the bus stop.

    3     my house was only two blocks away, it was not a pleasant walk with one small boy asleep in the pram (婴儿车), the other in a raincoat and no umbrella for myself. A pick-up truck passed us on the road. I tried to thumb a ride but failed. My little boy woke up and began to cry. I was     4    (convince) that things might become worse and nobody would bother to help on such a terrible day. A few minutes later,     5    truck drove by, but to my surprise, I saw it moving back and the driver looking directly at us. A young man put the window down. “Hey, here’s an umbrella for you, please take     6    ,” he called out. I stood there    7    (astonish), barely believing that the man     8     existence was unknown to me only moments ago, could be so considerate. “Come on, give this to     9    (you) mummy,” he said to my older son. I accepted the offer and expressed my gratitude to him.

This man might have needed the umbrella for himself later during the day but preferred to give it to me. It was a lesson     10     it’s possible to give without expecting anything in return.

4 . It was an extremely hot summer day. A thunderstorm had passed and now the clouds were cleared and the sun returned. Steam was coming off the ____ sidewalk as I parked my car. I ____ into the local store to buy my son a shirt. The air conditioner there was welcome ____ from the heat outside. 

Having made my ____,I walked back into the heat. I got into my car but had to wait to ____ because all the cars were lining up at the red light. I looked out of my car window and saw something on the pavement. A single butterfly was ____ fluttering (拍打) its wings but couldn’t get off the ground. Besides, it was right in front of a truck’s tire. Without a second thought, I got out of my car, ____ my hand so that the truck driver wouldn’t move ____,and then bent down to look at the butterfly. One of its legs was ____ in what looked like spilt soda. I reached down and ____ the butterfly in my hands ____. I lifted its leg and it was ____. I opened my hands and up it flew towards the shining sun. My own eyes shined brighter and my own heart was ____ as I watched it. 

Lots of people might wonder why I would step out into traffic like that to ____ a single butterfly. All I can say is that my heart was ____ me at that moment. And when I had done it, I felt more like my true self than I had all day.

1.

A．dry

B．straight

C．wet

D．broad

2.

A．drove

B．broke

C．headed

D．jumped

3.

A．gesture

B．reaction

C．greeting

D．relief

4.

A．purchase

B．decision

C．mind

D．day

5.

A．pull in

B．speed up

C．pull out

D．check out

6.

A．happily

B．softly

C．desperately

D．casually

7.

A．reached out

B．held up

C．lay down

D．put down

8.

A．backwards

B．sideways

C．around

D．forwards

9.

A．stuck

B．placed

C．fastened

D．fitted

10.

A．pushed

B．cupped

C．seized

D．dropped

11.

A．tightly

B．forcefully

C．quickly

D．gently

12.

A．free

B．awake

C．blank

D．dizzy

13.

A．prouder

B．lighter

C．softer

D．heavier

14.

A．rescue

B．appreciate

C．pity

D．shelter

15.

A．failing

B．guiding

C．warning

D．informing

5 . John was part of my childhood growing up in the 1970s and a link to sunny, fun-filled days spent on the beach at Bangor in Northern Ireland where we went for our summer holidays. To many, he was a mystery. Every afternoon John would wander to the end of the pier (码头) where he fed the seagulls and delighted in the sound of their excited cries as they flew around his head.

Often I asked my family questions regarding John. Eventually I gave up as no one could tell me anything about him. As I grew up, my visits to the beach became less frequent, and my memories of John buried in a child's imagination.

Last year memories came flooding back as I walked along the coastline, where I noticed a lady feeding the seagulls on the pier, and I decided to introduce myself. Then I came to know that the lady was John's daughter, and after John left this world she carried out the ritual, which had held such importance for her father.

In some strange way I felt we shared a bond, each needing to remember. In return, Lucy told me of John's life, his days in the British Navy during World War I and how he almost lost hope when his ship was attacked by a German U-boat in the North Sea and he found himself in a lifeboat with five others.

Close to death, he thought he heard the sound of wings. He put up his hands, only to catch a seagull that had landed on the side of the boat. The seagull saved the lives of the six men as it was used to catch fish, which kept them alive until they reach land. This period of John's life was one he never talked about. But the ritual he first performed as a young man remained a part of him until he died.

Now I visit Lucy as often as I can, just to chat or very often walk along the beach to the pier end. We enjoy the comfortable silence, each lost in special memories.

1. Seeing John feeding the seagulls, the author might feel ______.

A．proud	B．worried
C．curious	D．guilty

2. The underlined word ''ritual" in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______.

A．law	B．tradition
C．interest	D．procedure

3. We can infer from the text that John ______.

A．once served in both World Wars	B．was a man with a grateful heart
C．spent his childhood in Bangor	D．joined the navy in the 1970s

4. What does the author mainly tell us in the text?

A．Her thanks to a seagull that saved her life.

B．The story of how she made friends with a lady.

C．Her childhood spent on the beach at Bangor.

D．Her memories of a man who fed seagulls.

6 . In college, we were required to do an act of kindness, including preparing lunch for an elderly person. When I ______ the elderly person with the food, it never ______ to me that it would result in a new friendship and the discovery of a ______.

Bill was unable to ______ much. A nurse came regularly to help him move to and from the wheelchair ______ he has no relatives. Bill said he was delighted to see me and it was a ______ for him to eat a meal with me because he usually eats ______. He said the food was great,        but he enjoyed having ______ even more.

Bill had many______ stories to tell about his travels to many places when working on the railroad. I was ______ a trip but hesitated about traveling by train. However, I would ______ be going by train after meeting Bill.

Perhaps the biggest______ of this project was that I suddenly realized that spending time with the elderly was fun. On the one hand, I am a good ______. On the other hand, older people want someone to know their inner world, so it is a perfect ______. I decided to focus my studies on the ______. Hopefully in the future, I can help even more people like Bill.

1.

A．called on

B．came across

C．picked up

D．turned to

2.

A．happened

B．appealed

C．occurred

D．proved

3.

A．travel plan

B．career path

C．holiday destination

D．cooking skill

4.

A．talk

B．eat

C．sit

D．walk

5.

A．but

B．because

C．though

D．so

6.

A．treat

B．fancy

C．privilege

D．waste

7.

A．slowly

B．little

C．alone

D．unhappily

8.

A．family

B．company

C．fun

D．health

9.

A．adventurous

B．fresh

C．absorbing

D．satisfying

10.

A．intending

B．pretending

C．allowing

D．requiring

11.

A．unbelievably

B．undoubtedly

C．unexpectedly

D．unhurriedly

12.

A．aim

B．impression

C．problem

D．bonus

13.

A．student

B．cook

C．learner

D．listener

14.

A．choice

B．deal

C．match

D．game

15.

A．old

B．poor

C．disabled

D．homeless

7 . In October, I told the eight-year-olds in my class about my plan. “I’d like all of you to do _______ jobs around the house to earn some money,” I said. “Then we’ll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner _______.”

Early in Thanksgiving week, the boys and girls arrived in the _______, clutching their hard-earned money. I watched them running up and down, busily doing their _______. At last we headed toward the checkout, pushing a cart filled with turkey and all the trimmings (配料). Then someone spotted a “necessity” that sent them racing.

“Flowers!”, Kristine cried. The group _______ toward the holiday plants．

Stuck in the middle was a pot of purple mums. “She’ll like this one.” the children _______, and put the purple plant into the cart.

We finally _______ in front of a small bungalow in the woods. A slightly-built woman with a weary face came to the door to _______ us.

My little group hurried to get the food. As each box was carried in, the old woman oohed and aahed (欢天喜地) — much to her visitors’_______. When Amy put the mums on the counter, the woman seemed surprised. She’s ____________ it was a bag of flour, I thought.

We returned to the car. We could see the kitchen ____________. The woman inside waved ____________, then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, past the trimmings, straight to the ____________. She put her face in their petals (花瓣). When she raised her head，there was a ____________on her lips.

The children were quiet. In that one brief moment, they had seen for themselves the ____________ they possessed to make another’s life better.

1.

A．hard

B．extra

C．spare

D．unique

2.

A．otherwise

B．always

C．occasionally

D．however

3.

A．house

B．classroom

C．street

D．supermarket

4.

A．shopping

B．job

C．business

D．task

5.

A．1ooked

B．came

C．rushed

D．made

6.

A．chose

B．moved

C．admired

D．agreed

7.

A．pulled up

B．picked up

C．sped up

D．called on

8.

A．1ead

B．welcome

C．accept

D．answer

9.

A．surprise

B．disappointment

C．relaxation

D．pleasure

10.

A．wishing

B．discovering

C．finding

D．waiting

11.

A．smoke

B．window

C．shelf

D．glass

12.

A．hello

B．gratitude

C．goodbye

D．thanks

13.

A．door

B．flour

C．flowers

D．woods

14.

A．smile

B．tear

C．color

D．change

15.

A．help

B．power

C．attitude

D．youth

8 . My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most kids swam there, and there were plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his safety.

Still, the firefighter’s first words “You need to come up here to the Stillwater River” made me catch my breath and his follow-up words gave me relief: “Your son is OK.”

When I got to the river, I immediately saw the firetruck, ambulance and Anton, wrapped with a towel about his shoulders, sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine.

I hurried over to him. “You OK?” I asked.

“Yeah,” was all that he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation, I didn’t get it from my son, however, who tends to play his cards close to his vest.

The story was this: A woman was being swept under water. Hearing the cries, Anton and his friend Tyler, without hesitation, swam out to her, and brought her safely to shore.

In an age in which the word “hero” is broadcast with abandon and seemingly applied to anyone who make it through the day, I realized the real thing in my son. The teens are stubborn and self-centered, but that didn’t mean they have no desire to do good.

Still shocked by my son’s daring, I drove him home. Along the way, I tried to dig out some more information from him－but he had precious little to say. The only words he said were, “What’s for supper?”

I spent some time alone that evening, thinking about the tragedy that might have been. The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story. But all he did was toast some bread, pull himself together, and head for the door to start a new day. Watching from the window, I was reminded that still water often runs deep.

1. Why did the mother allow her son to swim there?

A．Because he was an excellent swimmer.

B．Because the water of the river was shallow.

C．Because he was old enough to swim.

D．Because the rocks could be of help if there is danger.

2. The underlined part “who tends to play his cards close to his vest” probably means ______.

A．Anton is a boy fond of swimming with other kids

B．Anton is unwilling to tell others what he thinks

C．Anton always has a desire to help others

D．Anton seldom changes his mind

3. In the mother’s eyes, what her son did was _________________.

A．dangerous but interesting	B．unexpected and courageous
C．meaningful but difficult	D．awful and absurd

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．My son, my hero	B．Anton, a silent boy
C．A good deed	D．A proud mother

9 . A butcher was really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He went over to the dog and noticed it had a _______ in its mouth. He took the note, which _______ “Can I have twelve sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has ______ in his mouth.” _______, there was really a ten-dollar note there. So he took the money and put the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog’s mouth. The butcher was so ______. He decided to follow the dog.

He followed the dog to a bus stop. The dog stopped and started looking at the ______. The dog checked out the time, and then sat on one of the benches _______ . Along came a bus. The dog went around to the front, looked at the number and ________. The butcher, by now, ________, followed it onto the bus.

The bus traveled through the town and out into the suburb. _______ it got off with the_______ still in its mouth. Several minutes later, the dog turned into a house. It walked up the path, and dropped the bag on the _______. Then it walked back down the path, quickly _______ for the door, and ______ itself against the door. But there’s no answer at the house, so the dog had to wait at the door.

After a while, there finally was a _______ to the situation. A big guy opened the door, and started kicking the dog and ______ him. The butcher ran up, and said “Why do you shout at the dog? It is really a _______.” The guy responded, “You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this _______ dog’s forgotten its _______.” On the way back home, the butcher thought to himself, “Greed may ________ have limits for the dog owner.”

1.

A．tip

B．note

C．parcel

D．list

2.

A．knew

B．wrote

C．read

D．felt

3.

A．money

B．coins

C．bones

D．gold

4.

A．Unexpectedly

B．Undoubtedly

C．Disappointingly

D．Surprisingly

5.

A．curious

B．dangerous

C．ashamed

D．frightened

6.

A．number

B．timetable

C．post

D．bus

7.

A．patiently

B．anxiously

C．restlessly

D．painfully

8.

A．flew off

B．got off

C．came on

D．climbed on

9.

A．open-minded

B．open-ended

C．open-mouthed

D．open-hearted

10.

A．Finally

B．Firstly

C．Secondly

D．Thirdly

11.

A．sausage

B．bone

C．ticket

D．bag

12.

A．balcony

B．step

C．ceiling

D．wall

13.

A．paid

B．applied

C．dashed

D．asked

14.

A．enjoyed

B．amused

C．taught

D．threw

15.

A．starting point

B．turning point

C．bottom line

D．front line

16.

A．comforting

B．praising

C．scolding

D．admiring

17.

A．servant

B．genius

C．master

D．butcher

18.

A．stupid

B．clever

C．unforgettable

D．thoughtful

19.

A．mission

B．aim

C．key

D．route

20.

A．still

B．even

C．ever

D．never

10 . It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货), saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

1. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man’s job was bike racing.

B．It was their only possession.

C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.

D．They used it for work and daily life.

2. We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.

B．people were busy before Christmas

C．the stranger brought over the bike

D．life was hard for the young family.

3. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.

B．From a newspaper.

C．From TV news.

D．From a stranger.