1 . Back in high school, I loved nothing more than going bowling. From freshman to junior year, starting and leading my school’s bowling club helped me come out of my ________. As time went on, our team began winning local and even ________ tournaments. These victories not only ________ my popularity but also allowed me to form meaningful connections. Man, life was great back then.

Still the bowling memory that really stuck out to me was ________ I met Leroy. I was already a junior by then, and he was still a young freshman. The strange thing about it, ________, was how he would always ________ in the back, watching others play. ________ his regular presence, he seemed too nervous and shy to play or even talk with others.

Then one evening something remarkable happened. During a game, I ________ Leroy actually picking up a bowling ball for the first time. He ________ to lift the lightest ball up, and with each throw, the ball ________ in the gutter lane (边沟), resulting in straight zeroes across the board.

That’s, when I finally went over to say hi to Leroy. ________ to see me, Leroy nervously cracked a smile and murmured with ________, “I just can’t manage the ball...” Reassuringly, I responded, “It’s no big ________. Everyone was a green hand once.” My words seemed to ________ his tension, and in the following hours, he ________ as I taught him how to bowl step by step. From his words, I realized how ________ he had desired to join the bowling club and how lonely he felt without friends.

That was the beginning of our friendship. Since that night, playing together and sharing our life stories has become our weekly ________. I was delighted to see Leroy’s significant progress through ________ efforts. He was a fast learner and soon ________ a spot on the team. What’s more, Leroy gained confidence to try new things. It was through practising bowling that his brand new life journey ________. As bowling enthusiasts, we’ll always cherish the sincere friendship and get the ball rolling forever.

1.

A．way

B．zone

C．shell

D．place

2.

A．school

B．town

C．community

D．state

3.

A．boosted

B．affected

C．formed

D．enjoyed

4.

A．when

B．how

C．that

D．because

5.

A．instead

B．though

C．otherwise

D．rather

6.

A．hang out

B．turn over

C．show off

D．slip away

7.

A．Besides

B．Against

C．Despite

D．Beyond

8.

A．prevented

B．witnessed

C．suggested

D．imagined

9.

A．determined

B．struggled

C．desired

D．hesitated

10.

A．ended up

B．ran away

C．set off

D．turned out

11.

A．Disappointed

B．Relieved

C．Excited

D．Surprised

12.

A．confusion

B．embarrassment

C．eagerness

D．anger

13.

A．deal

B．matter

C．problem

D．mistake

14.

A．ease

B．increase

C．defeat

D．break

15.

A．held back

B．gave in

C．broke down

D．opened up

16.

A．helplessly

B．hopefully

C．desperately

D．thoroughly

17.

A．routine

B．meeting

C．experience

D．recreation

18.

A．temporary

B．consistent

C．subsequent

D．prosperous

19.

A．captured

B．seized

C．earned

D．found

20.

A．went along

B．started off

C．gave out

D．carried on

6 . Pooja Rai was a young architecture student in 2014 when she went with a friend to give food to a local orphanage. She was surprised at what she saw.

Kids were playing with anything they could get their hands on. One group was rolling around a broken metal pipe. Two boys were trying to play badminton, using old shoes as rackets. “Play shouldn’t just be part of a rich kid’s lifestyle. All kids have a right to enjoy their childhoods.” Rai says.

Over the next few weeks, she talked with friends about collecting money for a playground. And that’s when she thought of old tires. Around 100 million tires are thrown away in India every year. Could they reuse them as playground materials and help the environment, too?

That idea became a reality in 2015, using old tires—all cleaned, carefully looked over to make sure they are safe to use, and painted in bright colors. The following year, she created Anthill Creations, which has built 275 playgrounds across India—celebrating the power of play in public spaces orphanages, and schools.

“Our work always begins with talks with kids about what they want from this space.” says Rai. Sometimes it can take a few hours, or a few visits, until children are ready to open up. She also draws on her experience as an architect. “I found that spaces are powerful in shaping people’s behavior.” she says.

Most of the play spaces Rai designs feature large tire sculptures of cars, buildings, or animals, paired with more classic elements of swings and jungle gyms.

In one girl’s school in Bengaluru, the children wanted their play space to be shaped into a boxing ring, with tires doubling up as punching bags. “Their teacher was unsure about it.” Rai remembers. “But the girls said they didn’t want people to see them as weak. They wanted to practice self-defense and grow stronger.” In December 2019, this playground became a reality.

1. What did Rai find out about the kids in a local orphanage?

A．They behaved badly.	B．They were badly treated.
C．They had nothing to do but play.	D．They were short of play equipment.

2. What did Rai do with the thrown-away tires?

A．She renewed them in a tire shop.

B．She turned them into artistic works.

C．She used them to design play spaces.

D．She sold them to raise money for hungry kids.

3. What did Rai take into consideration when carrying out her work?

A．Children’s needs.	B．Children’s experiences.
C．Her favourite childhood games.	D．An architect friend’s suggestions.

4. What can we learn about the girls from the last paragraph?

A．They needed to build their confidence.

B．They wanted to win their teachers’ trust.

C．They finally had their dream playground.

D．They often helped with collecting old tires.

5. Which of the following can best describe Rai?

A．Talented and hard-working.	B．Creative and kind-hearted.
C．Realistic and lonely.	D．Poor but caring.

8 . Many of our family traditions centered around food. We’d gather in the kitchen for every birthday and holiday and enjoy delicious food. My grandparents always held Christmas dinner, which included chicken cacciatore, sausage, meatballs and salad. But right before we sat down to eat, my grandmother would pull me aside to show me the dish she made just for me: fresh pasta (意大利面) with tomato sauce.

It was a simple dish, but to me it was warm food that filled me with happiness. But more than that, it made me feel like I belonged. I was a shy kid and, in many situations, I felt ignored. And here was my grandmother, showing me that I mattered.

Years went by; I moved away and got married. I’d visit throughout the years and my grandmother would serve up a plate of pasta.

When my daughter was born in 2020, for the first time in my life I wasn’t about to make the trip back home for Christmas. I cooked my family’s traditional foods and my husband and I had a big meal that included, of course, fresh pasta. I had a video call with my grandmother and showed her the pasta. Shortly after the holidays she passed away unexpectedly.

It seemed so unfair that my grandmother passed away soon after I became a parent. I’d hold my daughter and think about how I could tell her what an amazing great-grandmother she had.

In my sadness I came to an answer: food. Late at night after my daughter had gone to bed, I’d go to the kitchen and learn how to make fresh pasta, cooking my grandmother’s recipes. Before long I started experimenting, making a bit changes to classic recipes. When my daughter got a little older, I began making special dishes for her with my grandmother’s flavors in mind.

I know that no matter how hard I try, my daughter will never have a bowl pasta with sauce exactly like the ones my grandmother would make for me. While that makes me sad, she’ll still get to have my pasta sauce. I know there’re two things she’ll never lack for in this life: pasta and love.

1. What did the author say about her grandmother’s homemade pasta?

A．It was a special birthday gift for her.	B．It brought her a sense of belonging.
C．It was loved by every family member.	D．It took a lot of time and energy to prepare.

2. What made the author’s 2020 Christmas dinner different from previous ones?

A．She didn’t share pasta with her husband.

B．She didn’t give her grandmother a call.

C．She didn’t prepare many traditional family foods.

D．She didn’t have a chance to eat her grandmother’s pasta.

3. Why did the author learn to make fresh pasta late at night?

A．To honour her grandmother.	B．To give her daughter a surprise.
C．To meet her grandmother’s wish.	D．To be a role model for her daughter.

4. What can we learn about the author’s pasta sauce?

A．It isn’t easy to make.	B．It isn’t to her daughter’s liking.
C．It tastes exactly the same as her grandmother’s.	D．It shows her love for her daughter.

5. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Different types of pasta	B．The origin of pasta
C．Love through pasta	D．Pasta for Christmas

9 . Last weekend I made my first visit to a remote village, home to one of our students, Tombe. Another teacher and I walked for two and a half hours to get there—first, up a mountain from where we had fantastic views, and then down a shaded path to the valley below. When we arrived at the village, Tombe’s mother, Kiak, saw us coming and started crying “ieee ieee”. We shook hands with all the villagers. Everyone seemed to be related to Tombe.

Tombe’s father, Mukap, a man with a strong jaw and a wrinkled forehead, led us to his house, a low, round bamboo hut with no windows, with a door just big enough to get through, and with grass sticking out of the roof—this shows it is a man’s house. Such housing is dark inside so it took time for our eyes to adjust. Fresh grass had been laid on the floor and there was a platform for Jenny and me to sleep on. There was a fireplace in the centre of the hut. The only possessions I could see were one broom, a few saucers, a kettle, cups, pans, and a couple of jars.

Mukap built a fire outside and laid stones on it to heat. He then placed the hot stones in an empty oil drum with kau kau(sweet potato), ripe corn, and greens. He then covered the vegetables with banana leaves and left them to steam. It smelled delicious. We ate inside the hut sitting round the fire. I loved listening to the family talking softly to each other in their language, even though I could not participate much in the conversation. Luckily, Tombe interpreted for us.

Later, I noticed a can standing upside down on the grill (烤架) over the fire. After a while. Tombe threw it out of the doorway. Tombe told me that the can was heated to dry out the leftover food. His family believes that leftovers attract bad spirits in the night, so any leftover food is dried up in a can and the can is then thrown out of the hut.

We left the village the next morning after many goodbyes and firm handshakes. My muscles were aching and my knees shaking as we dragged ourselves down the mountain towards home. That evening I fell happily into bed. It was such a privilege to have spent a day with Tombe’s family.

1. Why did Tombe’s mother start crying “ieee ieee”?

A．Because she was excited to see her son home	B．Because she saw someone who scared he
C．Because she was welcoming the teachers.	D．Because that was her daily routine.

2. What can we learn about Tombe’s father from the passage?

A．He’s not a considerate one.	B．He has a luxury house.
C．He had a good talk with the author.	D．He is good at cooking

3. When the author saw the family talking softly to each other, her feeling can be best described as ________.

A．amazed

B．puzzled

C．frightened

D．happy

4. According to Paragraph 4, the can was used to ________.

A．drive bad spirits

B．protect the hut

C．hold the leftovers

D．be thrown out of the hut

5. What did the author think of this visit?

A．She hated the long and tiring visit

B．She was pleased to visit the Tombe family.

C．She thought Tombe’s family was too poor.

D．She thought some of the Tombe family’s actions were stupid.

10 . About two weeks ago I saw a very sad, blue eyed, homeless man sitting outside my local coffee house. I said, “Hi! How are you doing today?”

He seemed shocked that I was talking to him. “Not very well,” he replied. He began to tell me how he had been hit by a car while riding his bike. He had been in the hospital for a month and s rest home for another month. During that time the person that paid for his SSI checks (社保费) died of a hear attack and his wallet was stolen with all his IDs. He had several checks waiting for him but had no ID and therefore no access to his money.

I decided that if this was all true I’d like to help him get a copy of his birth certificate and social security card. I asked him to meet me at the Department of Vital Statistics at 11:00 p.m. The next morning I didn’t see him so I started filling out the paperwork. I explained to the receptionist, “I’m trying to help a homeless friend get his ID hack.” “Bob?”   she inquired. “Yes, Bob,” I responded, surprised that she knew his name. “He was here at 9:30 and he just left,” she said, “But he told us you were coming.” I paid the fee and walked out with Bob’s Birth Certificate.

As I was driving home I saw Bob riding back on the old bike someone had given him. I pulled over and jumped out of my car shouting, “Bob! Bob! I got it!” He saw me and rode over. “I got it, Bob! Look, here it is!” He got tears in his eyes and told me I was his guardian angel.

A few days later I needed him to meet me at the Social Security Office. It took me a half hour to get there by car and at least two hours by bike. But there he was sitting on the sidewalk waiting for me! We were in the Social Security Office for two hours. We got everything straightened out and by next week he will have received his back pay, which is a substantial sum.

Yes, one person can make a difference in this world. And the interesting thing is that I am getting as much, if not more, from this experience than Bob. I am deeply touched by Bob’s sensitivity, his gratitude, his stories, his heart.

Home is where the heart is, even for the homeless!

1. The author helped the homeless man get his ID back by _____.

A．finding it for him

B．filling out the paperwork

C．visiting the Department of Vital Statistics

D．getting his birth certificate

2. The receptionist knew the homeless man because ______.

A．he just contacted with her	B．he told her I was coming
C．he just left from her office	D．he called her for reception

3. The homeless man needed his ID to ______.

A．get the money from the car owner	B．get the money out of some checks
C．prove his true identity	D．pay back his SSI checks

4. The author helped the homeless man at the Social Security Office to _______.

A．check if his information is true	B．check if his name was kept there
C．get his information to his back pay	D．take a substantial sum of money

5. “I am getting as much, if not more, from this experience than Bob” means ____.

A．I felt it meaningful to help Bob

B．Bob also helped me in some way

C．I was repaid after Bob got the money

D．I got more respect after the experience