1 . The members of the group saw each other regularly, because they all had serious health problems. Twelve-year-old Marc was autistic (自闭症). But here, in the group circle, they could talk about what they felt. Here they could listen to the others and provide each other with some of the human attention they often so terribly missed.
But that evening, they didn’t know how to talk about what had just happened: Paul had died. The group would never again enjoy his animated laughter. Everyone stared straight ahead. Only sadness and a sense of impotence rose to the surface. No matter what she tried, Jackie, the nurse facilitating the group, couldn’t get a conversation going.
Then Jackie described how people in some cultures, when they were sad and wanted to share their feelings but could not find the words to express their sorrow, would sit in a circle and make rhythmic music together. Then everyone picked up one of the djembe drums in the room. Jackie began softly beating hers and the others joined in. Boom-boom-ta, boom-boom-ta. Slowly, they let the rhythm carry them away. Marc had trouble keeping time with the others and gave Jackie a frightened look. She smiled her encouragement, and he focused as well as he could. Jackie began to play slowly, and the others followed. At her sign, a few began to drum out of time with the beat.
Suddenly, the rhythm of the music changed. Everyone was playing his or her own melody: no one was leading the park. Everyone was carried by the music. Gradually, the sadness found its way out. Karin, in a wheelchair, was the first to think of how much Paul had enjoyed making music with the rest of the group. Then the others told their own stories. Their faces were wet with tears-as were the instruments-but still the rhythm carried them. They felt as one, with each other and with Paul. These were tears of sorrow and mourning, but also of solidarity and connection.
Henri began to smile, and the rest soon joined him. The rhythm quickened. Their combined music held power and energy. Marc felt relieved. A broad smile lit up his face, and the others were happy to see him this way. Then the situation had changed completely. Sorrow had made way for hope.
People have been making rhythmic music in groups, using drums. It is a tradition, wherein healing takes place through the spirit and the emotions, through contact with the body and its subtle powers of self-healing. In a recent study, physician Barry Bittman showed that making rhythmic music in a group affects our physical condition. Immune cells in particular are stimulated to greater activity.
1. The members of the group meet regularly to ___________________.| A．find a solution to their health problems | B．tell interesting stories |
| C．share their feelings and emotions | D．play music instruments |
| A．Marc couldn’t talk about what he felt. | B．Paul’s death made them feel sorrowful. |
| C．Jackie couldn’t facilitate other members. | D．Henri found it hard to express his sadness. |
| A．She gave him an encouraging smile. | B．She talked about her own experiences. |
| C．She taught him how to play djembe drums. | D．She paused and let the rhythm carry on. |
| A．Getting together makes people feel sorrowful. | B．It’s a tradition to make rhythmic music. |
| C．Why immune cells are stimulated to greater activity. | D．How music captures the rhythm of the soul. |
2 . A year ago, my wife and I sold one of our cars and replaced it with an e-bike. I knew that passenger vehicles are responsible for much of our greenhouse-gas emissions. I also knew that electric cars were an imperfect fix. Though they’re responsible for less carbon pollution than gas cars, their supply chain is carbon intensive. But an e-bike’s comparatively tiny battery means less electricity, fewer emissions and fewer resources. E-bikes are clearly better for the planet than cars of any kind.
But I also viewed getting rid of my car as a sacrifice. I live in Colorado; e-biking would mean freezing in winter and sweating in summer. It was the right thing to do, I thought, but it was not going to be fun.
I was very wrong. The first thing I noticed was the savings. Between car payments, insurance, maintenance (保养), and gas, a car-centered lifestyle is expensive. I predict that we’ll save about $50,000 over the next five years by selling our car.
The actual experience of riding to work each day over the past year has been equally surprising. In winter, I wear gloves, warm socks, a thick cap, and a ski jacket when I ride, and I am almost never too cold. In summer, I didn’t break a sweat. I just used the throttle (油门), sat back, and enjoyed my ride.
I arrived to work a little more lighthearted for having spent the morning in fresh air rather than traffic. I jumped on my bike after a stressful day at work and rode home down a street edged with changing fall leaves. I felt more connected to the physical environment around me than I had when I’d traveled the same route surrounded by metal and glass.
1. Why did the author change a car for an e-bike?| A．He wanted to do something good for environment. |
| B．He thought that e-bikes would replace gas vehicles. |
| C．He couldn’t afford the expensive transportation costs. |
| D．He believed e-bike’s supply chain was environment-friendly. |
| A．The traffic safety. | B．The traffic comfort. |
| C．The traffic economy. | D．The traffic convenience. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Unexpected. | C．Conservative. | D．Compromising. |
| A．Changes Brought by an E-bike | B．My Green Life for the Last Year |
| C．The Replacement for Gas Vehicles | D．Comparation Between Cars and E-bikes |
3 . Fourteen-year-old Peter often gets helpful tips from his Big Brother, Paul, a 32-year-old computer programmer, is not Peter’s brother. Instead, he is his mentor through an education program called “Big Brothers Big Sisters”.
Paul and Peter have been Big Brother and Little Brother for 1 year. Previously, they met constantly. They would go to Starbucks, walk through different districts of the city or play games. When COVID-19 started spreading, the relationship had to go completely virtual to ensure their health and security. Now things get better and they meet more.
When school is frustrating (令人沮丧的), Peter texts Paul and gets motivated. When he doesn’t understand a math problem, he asks Paul for help. Paul even gave Peter advice on avoiding being distracted while having lessons online at home, where he lives with four brothers and they talk, play and fight all in one space.
Older than Peter, Paul has had more life experiences. He helps Peter see things positively from different points of view, but he never makes decisions for Peter. Peter said, “Paul makes such a far-reaching difference to my life, in my education outside school in particular.” Paul said Peter had an effect on him likewise, saying that his life was enriched. “If you want self-improvement, join in this program. Really, it’s in practice a job worth doing. I’d like to be a lifelong Big. Brother of Peter, and more kids.”
Asked how it started, Paul said when he returned from abroad seven years ago, he started looking for ways to help his community. Then he accidentally found the program.
The program makes the most appropriate matches. Kids from ages 6 to 18 can continue to get help until they turn 21. At present, Big Brothers Big Sisters has about 1 300 kids paired with mentors locally.
1. Which is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “mentor” in Paragraph 1?| A．Instructor. | B．Researcher. | C．Learner. | D．Expert. |
| A．It was difficult for him to stay focused. |
| B．His brothers wanted to use his computer. |
| C．He wanted to talk and play with his brothers. |
| D．He always had trouble with his math homework. |
| A．Paul will leave Peter when he is 20. |
| B．Peter and Paul were carefully matched. |
| C．Paul makes Peter’s life even more difficult. |
| D．Peter depends on Paul’s advice to make decisions. |
| A．Peter and his big brother | B．How to make a great match. |
| C．Big Brothers Big Sisters program | D．New ways to help your community |
4 . They were sitting together when Hannah hurried in with a telegram. Mrs March read it, then dropped it, her hands shaking. Jo picked up the telegram and read it in a frightened voice: “Mrs March: Your husband is very ill. Come at once. S. Hale, Blank Hospital, Washington.”
The girls moved close to their mother. All their happiness had vanished in a moment. “I shall go at once,” said Mrs March. “Where’s Laurie?”
“Here,” said the boy. “Send a telegram back,” said Mrs March. “The next train goes early in the morning. Now, I must write a note to Aunt March.”
Jo knew that the money for the journey must be borrowed from Aunt March, and she too wanted to do something to help.
Laurie went off to take the note to Aunt March and to send the telegram. Jo went to fetch some things from the shops.
“Father will need good food and wine,” said Mrs March. “Beth, go and ask Mr Laurence for a couple of bottles of wine.”
Laurie came back with a letter and money from Aunt March, but Jo did not return. It was late afternoon when she came and gave her mother some money.
“That’s to help make Father comfortable,” she said.
“Twenty five dollars!” said Mrs March. “My dear, where did you get it?”
Jo took off her hat.
“Your beautiful hair!” cried Beth.
“Don’t cry, Beth,” said Jo. “I’ll soon have a curly head again.”
After their mother went away, they all helped Hannah with housework. News of their father came through, at first telling them he was dangerously ill, but then saying he was slowly getting better.
1. The underlined word “vanished” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “ ”.| A．continued | B．varied | C．disappeared | D．burst |
| A．For comfort. | B．To borrow money. | C．For some wine. | D．To tell her the bad news. |
| A．She sent the telegram back. | B．She helped get things ready for Mother. |
| C．She bought some food and wine. | D．She sold her hair for 25 dollars. |
| A．Mrs March left for Washington the next morning | B．Hannah read the telegram to the girls |
| C．Mr March was getting worse and worse | D．Hannah went to look after their father |
5 . I was always a reader.
As a kid, I walked to the library several times a week and checked out so many books and returned them so quickly that the librarian once snapped,“Don’t take home so many books if you’re not going to read them all!”
“But I did read them all,” I said.
But I had stopped reading gradually. I joined book clubs that I never attended. I requested a library book everyone was reading, only to return it a week late, unread, with fines.
Then I met David. When I asked him about his last book, his face lit up and his fingers danced.
David read much more than I did, about a book or two a week. He preferred history and nonfiction, while I loved fiction writers.
On our seventh date, David and I visited the library.
“I have a game,” he said, pulling two pens and Post-its out of his bag. “Let’s find books we’ve read and leave reviews in them for the next person.”
“We wandered in the library for an hour. In the end, we sat on the floor among the poetry, and I read him some. He listened, then asked,“What is it you like about that one?”
That summer, as we picnicked outside, I said, “If I tell you something, will you not judge me?” David paused and raised his eyebrows.
“I’ve only read one book this year,” I said.
“But it’s June,” he said.
“I know.”
“Well, read a book!”
The next time I visited a bookstore, his charge to “read a book” echoed in my head. I picked up a book solely for its poetic title.
I had a hard time getting into it. The narrator was an old man. Whenever I was tempted to give up on it, I thought of David. I pushed through the first two chapters and discovered a new narrator in the third. I loved the alternating points of view. I carried the book to work. I read at lunch and on my walk home.
“How’s your day?” David texted.
“Good. A little tired,” I replied. “I stayed up late and finished my book.”
I tried to make it sound casual, but I was proud of myself. It was not a competition, but I felt him pushing me to be more of the person I used to be and more of who I wanted to be.
I asked David once what he liked about me.
He paused, then said. “I see the world as a more wonder-filled place with you.”
By the end of that year, David suggested we visit the library again. He asked if I remembered the game we played on our first visit.
“I remember,” I said.
He pulled a book from the shelf, dropped to one knee, and opened it. Inside, his Post-it read: “Karla, it has always been you. Will you marry me?”
His proposal had rested between the pages of The Rebel Princess for over a year.
“Yes,” I said.
1. The word “snapped” (paragraph 2) most probably means ________.| A．talked to someone voluntarily |
| B．spoke to someone impatiently |
| C．gave someone a suggestion |
| D．laughed at someone heartlessly |
| A．Carrying books around without opening them. |
| B．Only reading the books everyone recommended. |
| C．Avoiding sharing books when going to book clubs. |
| D．Often forgetting to return the books already read |
| A．She finished reading a book she didn’t like. |
| B．She had read more books than David did. |
| C．She did what she thought to be difficult. |
| D．She had kept to her taste in poetic titles. |
| A．He introduced a new library and a fun game to the author. |
| B．He encouraged the author to read more fiction and poetry. |
| C．He helped the author finish reading an entire book in a day. |
| D．He motivated the author to rediscover her love for reading. |
6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.| A．His regular water therapy. | B．His disability to swim like others. |
| C．Lack of proper training. | D．A terrible experience in a pool. |
| A．He wanted to train an Olympic champion. |
| B．He hoped kids like Zulfic could learn swimming. |
| C．He wanted to improve physical education for kids. |
| D．The existing swimming equipment wasn’t standard. |
| A．He will soon compete in a world game. |
| B．He could swim twice as fast as average swimmers. |
| C．He could swim the length of Olympic-sized pools with help. |
| D．He won a local swimming competition for disabled people. |
7 . When I was so small that my head barely touched the windowsill, we lived in the evergreen forests of Vermont. Our home was far, far away from any town or city, but that was the way we liked it.
Some winters, it got so cold that the river would freeze, which was unusual for water like that, water which ran so fast and deep. It felt as though time had stopped near the river, and so it had decided to become solid, settling in to wait for spring. We liked to skate on that river, my grandfather and I, even though the ice was uneven and his brown leather skates was so old.
One night, in the most frigid winter my young mind could recall, long after I should have been asleep, I caught my grandfather sneaking out of the front door, his ancient leather skates in his hands. He looked sheepish when he saw me, like I had caught him doing something silly, but I was so young that I thought no adult could ever do wrong. Especially not my grandfather, because he was the model of wisdom in my eyes.
“Grandpa, where are you going?” I asked.
“Skating on the river.”
“Why would you go out now? We did that yesterday morning.”
He looked a little thoughtful, and then he said: “It’s just that when you go out there, on the coldest, stillest night of the year, and you lie on your back on the thick, bubbled river ice, you can hear them.”
“Hear who?”
“The fish. Trapped there under the ice. You can hear them singing their watery winter song. And if you hold your breath, you can almost hear the stars singing in harmony.”
1. The underlined word “sheepish” is closest in meaning to “____________”.| A．quiet | B．calm | C．frightened | D．embarrassed |
| A．To enjoy the charm of a peaceful night. |
| B．To perfect his skating skills by practice. |
| C．To catch the fish trapped under the ice. |
| D．To breathe the fresh air in the forest. |
| A．It was unusual for a fast-flowing river to freeze in midwinter. |
| B．My grandfather and I enjoyed skating because of the uneven ice. |
| C．I admired my grandfather for his wisdom and outlook on life. |
| D．I was glad to hear the stars singing together with my grandfather. |
| A．describe the joy of living in a mountainous area |
| B．highlight how embracing nature can purify us |
| C．keep record of the carefree childhood memories |
| D．explain why skating is such an appealing sport |
8 . Being born during the Great Depression, as the middle of seven children in a carpenter’s family, is not a “silver spoon” experience, but I am the one well blessed in life.
Our family had a large garden, raised two pigs each year for their meat, and had a family cow for our milk. During the Depression, Dad was out of work, so we started doing some washing for the neighbourhood, employing up to seven girls at one time, and farming 12 acres of nearby land to earn a few extra dollars.
I was blessed with good teachers to help with my learning. After graduating from college, I spent two years in the army, which allows me to see Europe and to have more life experience. I returned home, got a job at the local bank, married my sweetheart, and thought I was on my way to a normal lifestyle.
I was called back into the army when they built the Berlin Wall, just six months after completing my tour of duty in Germany. That also turned out to be a blessing, as I had worked long enough at the bank to begin health insurance.
A year later, I returned home to work at the bank again. I worked my way up through the ranks to become the CEO before retiring at the end of 1997. I was blessed to have good employers and employees in my work. I’ve been blessed to have a devoted wife and wonderful children and grandchildren.
Today, I look back on those great experiences and think they were my possibilities to grow.
Time taught me to save for a rainy day, to help those who are less fortunate than me, to put others first, and to enjoy being a volunteer.
1. How did the author’s family live through the Great Depression?| A．By selling vegetables, pork and milk. | B．By selling furniture made by the father. |
| C．By opening a laundry and farming. | D．By washing clothes for the rich. |
| A．Because his oldest son was born. |
| B．Because he completed his task at the bank. |
| C．Because he wanted to live a normal life in the army. |
| D．Because political situation changed in the world. |
| A．Serious. | B．Regretful. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Grateful. |
| A．He is a prepared and helpful man. |
| B．He was born in a rich family. |
| C．The author’s father was once unemployed. |
| D．He was once the President of the USA. |
9 . The World Is Our Classroom
Tonight, our family was going out to play under the full moon.
We first started going on full moon walks for ourselves, because my husband Todd and I, loved them and we needed these little doses of moonlight to stay happy and to function in society. But after we became parents, we did this for our children. We wanted Sierra and Bryce to see that there is much magic in the natural world and that most of it is accessible to anyone. We also wanted to show them that it was not necessary to travel far from home to have an adventure, learn, and experience something new. Nearly every month, our family went into the night to “play” by the full moon.
Once we arrived at our location that evening, Sierra and I stood holding hands, waiting to cheer the full moon in its rising. A thin sliver of the apricot (杏黄色) moon poked above the shape of the Blue Mountain Ridge. Everyone stood up and witnessed its rising. More of the moon came out until it turned into a brilliant orange sphere. Todd explained to Sierra and Bryce that the moon makes no light of its own, but simply acts like a mirror, reflecting the sunlight back to us long after the sun has sunk below the horizon.
“Does the moon’s face change?” Bryce asked. I told him that the moon rotates with the earth, but it does not spin on its axis like the earth does. The same side of the moon is always facing earth. We never see the other side, the far side of the moon. Sierra remarked that the moon looked larger and closer when it was rising. I explained that it is an optical illusion (视错觉) because it is so close to the horizon that the moon tricks our eyes into comparing it with nearby objects to create the impression of increased size.
Much of the knowledge that Todd and I shared with the kids had been learned from our past life experiences. If we did not possess the knowledge to explain and educate, we looked it up, either beforehand to enhance the experience, or afterwards, together, after we wondered and came up with a list of questions.
Sometimes all it takes is going outdoors and gazing up at the heavens.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Going on a hike through the forest. |
| B．Going outdoors to watch full moon. |
| C．Visiting a museum to learn about space. |
| D．Traveling far from home to have an adventure. |
| A．It was a rare chance for them to play under the full moon. |
| B．They felt forced to watch the moon coming out with their parents. |
| C．They remained curious and kept digging deeper about the moon. |
| D．They knew the answers to all the questions put up by their parents. |
| A．The author and her husband did not make much effort to teach their children. |
| B．The author left some questions for the children to get them thinking after each trip. |
| C．The author and her husband gained all the knowledge from their past experiences. |
| D．The author and her husband sometimes looked up information in advance to better educate their children. |
| A．As we stared up at the sky, a brilliant shooting star raced across the sky. |
| B．Families have to spend a ton of money on entertainment in order to have fun and learn. |
| C．Opportunities to seek magical experiences and learning is right in your neighborhood. |
| D．The wonder state often occurs when you don’t quite understand what or why something is. |
10 . Olly Neal grew up in Arkansas. He didn’t care much for high school. One day during his senior year, he cut class and walked into the school library. He discovered a book written by Frank Yerby. The book was The Treasure of Pleasant Valley and it attracted Neal’s attention. But there was one problem — if Neal took the book to the check out counter (收银台), his friends would know he was reading books.
“Then my fame (名誉) would be down,” Neal said. “I wanted them to know that all I could do was fight and cuss (咒骂).” Finally, Neal decided to steal the book.
A week later, Neal had finished the book. He brought it back to the library. But when he put it back, there was another book by Yerby. He took it as well. The same thing happened again. He read four of Yerby’s books that term — checking out none of them.
But Neal’s sneaky action turned out not to have been so sneaky after all. Attending his 13-year high school get-together, Neal met the school’s librarian, Mildred Grady. She saw Neal take that book. She said, “My first thought was to call him out, and then I realized what his situation was. So I decided that if Neal was showing an interest in books, I would find another one for him and put it in the same place where the one he had taken was.”
This was not an easy matter, because Frank Yerby’s books were not especially available. But the woman’s efforts paid off: Neal went on to attend law school and later became a great judge. When Grady died, Neal told the story and he said, “I thank Mrs. Grady for helping me get into the habit of enjoying reading, so that I was able to go to law school and survive.”
1. Why did Neal steal the book instead of checking it out?| A．To prove he was a skillful thief. |
| B．To show the book to his friends. |
| C．To keep being known as a troublemaker. |
| D．To avoid communicating with the librarian. |
| A．Secret. | B．Dangerous. | C．Brave. | D．Illegal. |
| A．She taught Neal how to survive. |
| B．She persuaded Neal to be honest. |
| C．She encouraged Neal to study law. |
| D．She helped Neal develop reading habits. |
| A．Reading changes people’s life |
| B．A librarian changed a boy’s life |
| C．A senior student became a judge |
| D．Frank Yerby’s books attracted a boy |
