1 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.

She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9­year­old daughter Bailey.

He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.

Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”

After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.

1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?

A．She guided him how to write a good story.

B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble.

C．Her books helped him through times of confusion.

D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter.

2. What is implied in Burke’s words in paragraph 4?

A．He has found it interesting to read the series.	B．He was too old to understand the series better.
C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series.	D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future.

3. Which word can best describe Burke’s experience according to the text?

A．Useless.

B．Normal.

C．Valuable.

D．Boring.

4. What is the main idea of this text?

A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health.

B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father.

C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth.

D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series.

2 . More excited than ever, Benjamin Giroux, a 10-year- old boy with autism (自闭症), came home from school on April 7. To celebrate National Poetry Month, his fifth-grade teacher asked her students to write a poem about themselves and every sentence should begin with an “I”.

Benjamin couldn’t wait to start writing his poem, so he sat down and didn’t look up until he finished it. He showed the poem to his parents, who immediately choked up.

“I am odd (奇怪的). I am new. ” Benjamin wrote in the poem. “I wonder if you are too. I hear voices in the air. I see you don’t and that’s not fair. I feel like a boy in outer space. I touch the stars and feel out of place.”

“At first, we feel hurt that he feels lonely, misunderstood and odd at school,” Mr Giroux said. “As the poem goes on, we realize that he understands that he’s odd and that so is everyone else in their own way. This is what Benjamin wants everyone to know.”

Benjamin was supposed to read his poem aloud to the class the following day, but upon waking up that morning, he refused to go to school and stayed at home. He didn’t think his poem was any good, so his dad posted it on the Internet in the hope of getting some encouraging comments from families and friends. When the National Autism Association saw the poem, they posted it on their page, where thousands of strangers shared how much the poem inspired them. The family has heard from hundreds of parents thanking Benjamin for showing how their own kids may be feeling at school.

1. Why did Benjamin feel excited on April 7?

A．He wrote a good poem.	B．He was praised at school.
C．He had a poem to finish.	D．He had good news to share.

2. How did Benjamin’s parents feel upon reading the poem?

A．Touched.

B．Worried.

C．Surprised.

D．Sad.

3. What does the underlined word “This” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Everyone has odd hobbies.	B．Everyone is odd as they are.
C．Everyone is worth respecting.	D．Everyone has their own lifestyle.

4. What happened to Benjamin’s poem after being posted on the Internet?

A．It received many thanks.

B．It caused a heated debate.

C．It was read aloud in his class.

D．It changed parents’ ideas about raising kids.

3 . As I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team, I was starting to feel sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment-it was the opponents’ home gym filled with their supporters, and Nathan’s team was trailing (落后) for three quarters (节) of the game. As for me, I had been fired from my job earlier in the day.

During my drive home, I kept telling myself that I would find work again in a short time-I am confident in my experience and abilities. This is the same belief as I always try to teach my son.

The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his face, as well as his teammates’ faces as they fought back to not only tie with the other team, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the score again. With the game in a tie and few seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball. With skill and confidence, he proceeded to make a basket with a defender hanging his hands all over him. The defender was warned for a foul (犯规).

As Nathan stood at the free-throw line preparing for a shot that would make his team one point ahead, I saw the determination on his face again. There was no room for self- doubt. Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill. It was as if he had done it a thousand times.

As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride. It dawned on me that I had taught him perseverance in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He would play in the finals, but it didn’t matter if he would win or lose. At this moment, we both won.

1. Why did the author feel sorry?

A．He had made a big mistake in his work.

B．He used to be too busy to accompany Nathan.

C．Nathan’s team was too weak to compete in the game.

D．He and Nathan were both going through a hard time.

2. Which of the following words can best describe the author?

A．Self-centred and pessimistic.	B．Self-confident and optimistic.
C．Hard-working and intelligent.	D．Easy-going and warm-hearted.

3. What does the underlined phrase “tune out” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Ignore.

B．Focus.

C．Create.

D．Receive.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Father and Son in Life	B．A Lesson in Life and Basketball
C．It Matters Whether to Win or Lose	D．Life Goes Just like Playing Basketball

5 . When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog. Her body was numb. She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours. Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.

On that Fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense that she could hardly see her support boats. Against the freezing cold water, she struggled on-hour after hour-while millions watched on national television.

In one of the boats alongside Florence, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn’t much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. However, with only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.

Still warming her chilled body several hours later, she told a reporter, “Look, I’m not excusing myself, but if I had seen land, I might have made it.” It was not tiredness or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.

Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her faith intact and her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, overshadowing the men’s record by two hours!

1. What can we learn about that fourth of July morning in 1952?

A．The thick fog cleared by mid-morning.

B．Chadwick managed to swim the Catalina Channel.

C．The support boats accompanied Chadwick all the way.

D．A live broadcast of Chadwick’s swim was watched on TV.

2. What did Florence Chadwick think was the reason for her failure?

A．Sharks threatened her life.

B．She was completely worn out.

C．The chilly water made her body numb.

D．The destination was out of sight due to the fog.

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “intact” in Paragraph 5?

A．Changed.

B．Undamaged.

C．Weakened.

D．Unexplored.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain why Chadwick failed in the first attempt.

B．To stress the importance of picturing a clear goal in the mind.

C．To introduce the process of Chadwick’s swimming the Catalina Channel.

D．To report Chadwick was the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel.

8 . 语法填空

My uncle worked hard in the day time. In his free time, he went on studying the     1    (character) of those plants. He is said to have placed some samples in his bedroom. Just at that time he began to think about how they     2     (evolve) from their ancestors. Although no income     3     (generate) from his study, he was crazy about it. He often used some primitive methods to carry out his experiments,     4     (detect) how the seeds grew into some tall plants. There was a time when the number of those plants was on     5     decline. He managed to find out the reason and came up with a new way to solve the problem. Later, he achieved a lot in this field. Many people had suspected him     6     his talent, but he succeeded!