2 . Most people who ran the marathon last month spent days before resting up and days after recovering. But not Jacky Hunt-Broersma. In total, she ran 104 marathons in 104 days. If it’s confirmed by Guinness World Records, that would be a new world record. And she did it all with one leg and a prosthesis (假肢).

“Someone able-bodied had done it previously. I wanted to see if I could do it on a prosthetic leg and see what would happen,” she said. “I thought it would be a great way to inspire others to push their limits because I truly believe that we’re stronger than what we think. And I’ve been so pleasantly surprised that my body’s held up, everything’s held up and I’ve made it to 104.”

She actually did not pick up the sport until after she lost the lower part of her left leg in 2001 to a type of cancer called Ewing sarcoma. Runners using a prosthetic leg can’t use a regular one. They need a running blade (刀锋式跑步义肢). Hunt-Broersma has two, but she was only able to run with one because of the swelling she experienced in her left leg that made it impossible to connect to the other blade. But even with the pain that occurred, she has been able to put up with it and continued.

All together, Hunt-Broersma ran over 4,385 kilometers. During that time she’s had a lot of time to think and has learned a few things about herself. “It’s taught me how strong one can be and how important absolute determination is. If you’re mentally strong, you can do anything,” she said. “And our bodies are just amazing. . . This whole journey was impressive and super hard, but it’s told me how strong I can be as a person and how far I can push myself.”

1. Why did Hunt-Broersma decide to run marathons?

A．She wanted to set a new record.

B．She intended to challenge herself.

C．She was driven by her interest.

D．She was inspired by people like her.

2. What difficulty did Hunt-Broersma come across?

A．She didn’t get professional training.

B．She found it hard to keep her balance.

C．She suffered discomfort in her left leg

D．She couldn’t use regular running blades.

3. What message does the author convey through the story?

A．Rome wasn’t built in a day.	B．Time works wonders.
C．A good beginning is half the battle.	D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

3 . Daniel has been feeding the students of a state university for years. As a canteen worker, he tries to make a connection with all his customers in a truly _______ way: remembering all students’ names, with a smile, even if he has only met them a few _______. This amazing ability has made Daniel a (n) _______ person among students at the university.

Daniel’s struggles began on his birthday in 2023, when an electrical fire _______ into life in the house he shared with his mom. Their place was almost destroyed, even though he got himself and his mom to safety. _______, shortly after the worker lost his home, his old father passed _______. Since then he and his mom have been struggling.

When the students heard of this sad story, they decided to give back to this _______ worker by starting a fund-raising (筹款) _______. “Daniel has gone above and beyond to care for students without expecting anything _______: now we have the opportunity to help out a man in need”, according to the fund-raising page. “The fundraiser is the least that students can do to help the man that always ________ our day,” said a student.

Daniel was extremely ________ to the helping hand. “I do not take any of these beautiful acts of kindness ________ or for granted” he wrote. “Working in food industry isn’t easy, sometimes you feel completely ________ as a person. Thank you all so much for loving me and for ________ all that I do.”

When you lead with your heart, goodness comes ________ to you.

1.

A．common

B．unique

C．humorous

D．generous

2.

A．days

B．weeks

C．times

D．months

3.

A．curious

B．hard-working

C．inspiring

D．famous

4.

A．burst

B．ran

C．looked

D．crashed

5.

A．Worse still

B．After all

C．In short

D．In contrast

6.

A．by

B．on

C．down

D．away

7.

A．eager

B．nice

C．determined

D．persistent

8.

A．race

B．game

C．page

D．parade

9.

A．in return

B．in turn

C．in surprise

D．in trouble

10.

A．frightens

B．brightens

C．shortens

D．broadens

11.

A．shameful

B．regretful

C．hopeful

D．grateful

12.

A．seriously

B．highly

C．lightly

D．totally

13.

A．astonished

B．disturbed

C．ignored

D．connected

14.

A．eating

B．donating

C．expecting

D．valuing

15.

A．back

B．up

C．across

D．out

6 . Power of Perseverance (毅力)

There was once a young man named David. Born into a humble family, David had to _________ to make ends meet(维持生计). However, he was determined to rise above his _________ and achieve greatness.

When David was in high school, he faced bullying (欺负) from his schoolmates, which left him feeling _________. But instead of giving way to the negativity, he chose to see the situation as a chance for _________________________. He _________ throughout the tough times and found strength in overcoming his difficulties.

After graduation, David had a dream of becoming a successful businessman. However, he had no money or _________ in the business world. But he refused to give up.

David _________ his first business project with just a few hundred dollars in his pocket. It was a struggle at first, but he struggled on. Slowly but _________ his business began to _________. As time passed, his company __________ into a multi-million-dollar enterprise (企业). His __________ and hard work paid off. David learned that tough conditions are not a __________ but a powerful driving force that can __________ us to achieve great things.

David’s __________ indicates that we all have the __________ to turn our difficulties into opportunities for growth and success.

1.

A．prepare

B．bet

C．struggle

D．run

2.

A．doubt

B．ability

C．average

D．circumstance

3.

A．inspired

B．defeated

C．concerned

D．touched

4.

A．fame

B．growth

C．survival

D．escape

5.

A．conquered

B．thought

C．targeted

D．persevered

6.

A．energy

B．ambition

C．connection

D．courage

7.

A．launched

B．polished

C．ensured

D．rebuilt

8.

A．unsteadily

B．surely

C．suddenly

D．likely

9.

A．take up

B．take in

C．take off

D．take over

10.

A．hurried

B．stole

C．developed

D．broke

11.

A．willpower

B．productivity

C．luck

D．creativity

12.

A．stepping-stone

B．milestone

C．flashlight

D．roadblock

13.

A．require

B．motivate

C．remind

D．guide

14.

A．experience

B．focus

C．vision

D．interest

15.

A．function

B．right

C．belief

D．potential

8 . Our neighbors had a loud party last night. We weren’t _______ but this was one of those celebrations that I didn’t mind. They are a bunch of young, single guys and I would have felt out of place.

What _______ me was the way they behaved. One of the young men came over _______ in the day to “warn” us of the upcoming event and said it would be over at about 11 p.m. That was the first step. Even more _______ was what they did next. “Here’s my _______,” offered our neighbor _______. “Text me if it’s too noisy.” That was a level of _______ I had never experienced in all my years of being a neighbor!

And it really worked in their favor. My husband and I were so friendly that even when the event went past the _______ end time, even when the music reached high decibels (分贝), and even when we couldn’t get through on the phone number, we felt no _______. We knew they would stop and be ________ eventually.

It takes such little effort to make people feel that they ________ and get people on your side. Everyone needs to let loose every now and then, especially in these uniquely tough times. But people who do it without ________ others are few and far between. I hadn’t fully ________ my neighbors until this week. We had adopted that all too American “live and let live” posture. But now I see them in a new light and with greater ________. They didn’t just bring noise to the neighborhood; they shone the light of ________.

1.

A．located

B．explored

C．challenged

D．invited

2.

A．trapped

B．impressed

C．annoyed

D．embarrassed

3.

A．later

B．closer

C．earlier

D．further

4.

A．disappointing

B．frightening

C．puzzling

D．amazing

5.

A．phone number

B．room number

C．account number

D．car number

6.

A．anxiously

B．politely

C．regularly

D．obviously

7.

A．imagination

B．consideration

C．limitation

D．organization

8.

A．promised

B．supplied

C．designed

D．compared

9.

A．stress

B．anxiety

C．worry

D．anger

10.

A．responsive

B．adaptable

C．continuous

D．respectful

11.

A．figure

B．succeed

C．matter

D．access

12.

A．gathering

B．inviting

C．meeting

D．disturbing

13.

A．noticed

B．delivered

C．explored

D．proved

14.

A．surrounding

B．appreciation

C．curiosity

D．distance

15.

A．gratitude

B．apology

C．thoughtfulness

D．inspiration

9 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer (癌) and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance (保险) to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.

Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”

The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.

Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.

1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?

A．The doctors eventually cured her.

B．Her disease didn’t become worse.

C．She had a job before being ill.

D．She had payment protection about medical care.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The public involvement.	B．The couple’s commitment.
C．The operation of a website.	D．The increase of medical debts.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Ms. McIntyre?

A．Humorous and elegant.	B．Influential and understanding.
C．Cautious and promising.	D．Enthusiastic and adaptable.