1 . While youth is often a time of great promise and achievement, a life well lived can also be filled with any number of next chapters and second or even third — acts that add depth, nuance (细微差别), and meaning to our stories. At 65 years old, Somerset native Carole-Ann Warburton experienced a plot twist that led to the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream she’d never even spoken of aloud.

After an illness incapacitated (使失去正常生活能力) her, Warburton was left with the question of what to do going forward. During her convalescence (康复), her daughter brought around some real estate listings for the sort of homes in which she thought her mum might best spend her golden years. Coincidentally, amongst the notices was an offering for a small barbershop with an above-stairs apartment.

For Warburton, although she admitted “the place was awful”, it was love at first sight and the perfect opportunity to do something she’d longed to do for almost as long as she could remember — work in a bookshop. Less than three months after coming to her decision, Warburton handed in her retirement notice, sold her house, bought the store, and using a personal inventory (库存) totaling between 8,000 and 9,000 titles — she launched her new bookshop, The Book Rest.

A decade on, The Book Rest recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Although the pandemic has slowed foot traffic, since Warburton’s driving motive isn’t monetary profit, but rather, something of a deeper, more special personal value, she has no plans to close up the shop.

Having achieved her own dream, Warburton sees every day in the bookstore as an opportunity to help others realise theirs as well. “All the dreams are in the books,” she told The Guardian. “They are all there waiting to be picked up... Someone can walk in tomorrow and say, I have been looking for that for an awfully long time!” And as gatekeeper to her own small universe of literary wonders, Warburton says she plans to stay around as long as she can to ensure that they do.

1. What does the author want to say in the first paragraph?

A．There are possibilities at any stage of life.	B．One should grasp the youth to make achievements.
C．Changing the way of life is crucial at the age of 65.	D．Realising a long-cherished dream is all that matters in life.

2. What did Warburton do to seek her dream?

A．She invested much money in opening a bookstore.

B．She used her possessions to develop real-estate business.

C．She started her career with her daughter in a small barbershop.

D．She sought her daughter’s advice on where to rent the apartment.

3. What makes Warburton want to keep her bookstore open?

A．Her strong desire to attract more customers.	B．The increasing decline of economic situations.
C．The huge financial burden of illness treatment.	D．Her seeking of an inner world of self-fulfillment.

4. Which of the following can best describe Warburton?

A．Curious and ambitious.	B．Brave and adventurous.
C．Creative and pioneering.	D．Enthusiastic and determined.

2 . We had a painter in our home recently. Unlike many, he was _________ and completed the work in a timely way. And he went above and beyond the call of _________, like filling in little nail holes in the hallways.

The painter was always friendly and his prices were _________. I happily handed him a bottle of wine as an extra reward of our _________. As a famous writer puts, “Kindness _________ another; the painter’s friendliness makes me be friendly to others and so it goes.” Unfortunately the _________ is also true. Sometimes, people are rude to us and we tend to _________ in a kind way. My daughter recently moved across the country. The movers couldn’t have been more unpleasant. First they _________ to put the boxes in certain rooms. They threw them around and _________ many things including an expensive dining room table, but they were ____________ to take responsibility. I give my kid credit for reacting to the company with ____________ instead of rudeness.

I recently ordered some avocados (牛油果) online. Every single one was bad. Although I ____________ got a refund, I was troubled by the seller’s complete indifference to doing his job well and to the impact on the ____________. I was about to ____________ about his lack of service awareness. But I stopped myself. I was ____________ by the negative behavior and I had to work not to react.

We have to stop greeting rudeness with ____________ behaviors or performance. What ____________ is that, instead of waiting for others to be kind to us, we should make a positive ____________ to be kind to others. It doesn’t take a lot — a smile, a kind word and an offer to help or to ____________ another person. What a great deal — low ____________ and high reward!

1.

A．sensitive

B．stubborn

C．punctual

D．ridiculous

2.

A．conscience

B．emergency

C．moral

D．duty

3.

A．reasonable

B．absurd

C．unfair

D．changeable

4.

A．allowance

B．appreciation

C．celebration

D．evaluation

5.

A．leads to

B．makes up

C．builds up

D．consists of

6.

A．misunderstanding

B．concept

C．statement

D．opposite

7.

A．interrupt

B．decline

C．respond

D．ignore

8.

A．promised

B．refused

C．chose

D．pretended

9.

A．damaged

B．stole

C．abandoned

D．exchanged

10.

A．afraid

B．sorry

C．unwilling

D．ready

11.

A．aggression

B．doubt

C．politeness

D．criticism

12.

A．easily

B．accidentally

C．basically

D．illegally

13.

A．partners

B．customers

C．monitors

D．deliverymen

14.

A．worry

B．think

C．discuss

D．complain

15.

A．affected

B．defeated

C．threatened

D．surrounded

16.

A．personal

B．violent

C．cautious

D．similar

17.

A．counts

B．appears

C．differs

D．disagrees

18.

A．influence

B．choice

C．contribution

D．appointment

19.

A．call up

B．come across

C．light up

D．hear about

20.

A．cost

B．standard

C．price

D．risk

3 . Just before Christmas, my daughter Katie and I went over to my dad’s place to decorate. I couldn’t help _________ the old glass balls when _________ them on the tree. Later that night before I went to sleep, in the quiet darkness, I recalled some _________ from years ago.

The Christmas after I turned 16, while decorating the _________ with my mom, I accidentally _________ and broke a ball. The old glass ball had been on our tree for as long as I could _________.

Broken-hearted, I knelt to pick up the pieces and was _________ to find a small slip of paper on the floor. Unfolding the note, I _________ my father’s writing. Lifting my eyes, I saw my mother’s _________ expression.

“Your daddy wrote that and put it in that __________ during our first Christmas together, just before you were born,” she said with a smile.

I wouldn’t have __________ it, except for the proof there in my __________. The daddy I knew always seemed a bit __________ around the holidays. And yet, this bit of yellowed paper __________ that long ago, my daddy had done something quite romantic at Christmas.

I cleaned up the pieces, __________ I could put them together. “It’s OK,” Mom said. “Just pick out another of the old ones and put the __________ inside.”

Now, as we __________ the holidays without my mom, who we lost to cancer, my discovery is even more __________. Each year as I decorate my dad’s tree, I remember the moment I __________ with my mom that winter afternoon.

The note inside one of those old glass balls on my dad’s tree holds the heart of my parents’ __________ in three little words: “I love you.”

1.

A．selecting

B．admiring

C．breaking

D．collecting

2.

A．holding

B．printing

C．hanging

D．hiding

3.

A．memories

B．ideas

C．dreams

D．opinions

4.

A．wall

B．tree

C．cake

D．room

5.

A．discovered

B．covered

C．caught

D．dropped

6.

A．tell

B．decide

C．remember

D．predict

7.

A．annoyed

B．surprised

C．excited

D．disappointed

8.

A．realized

B．learned

C．expected

D．recognized

9.

A．warm

B．anxious

C．angry

D．bored

10.

A．ball

B．drawer

C．pocket

D．box

11.

A．understood

B．recalled

C．believed

D．noticed

12.

A．mind

B．hands

C．book

D．shoes

13.

A．thoughtful

B．passionate

C．cheerful

D．mean

14.

A．proved

B．described

C．explained

D．stressed

15.

A．showing

B．knowing

C．wishing

D．pretending

16.

A．bill

B．note

C．pieces

D．card

17.

A．prepare

B．demand

C．celebrate

D．save

18.

A．funny

B．difficult

C．puzzling

D．touching

19.

A．shared

B．cooked

C．quarreled

D．read

20.

A．decorations

B．business

C．success

D．marriage

4 . Searra, an eight-year-old brain cancer patient, was a “regular” in the Radiation Department. With my office located near the ________, I could hear Searra, also called CC, coming. Several steps behind, CC’s grandmother, also called Mommie, would follow as she tried ________ CC.

I had prepared toys and coloring materials for her in my office. When she walked into the ________, it was time to socialize with us and to see what she could color for ________ before her treatment.

I was surprised by the love CC had for Mommie. ________   I asked her about home life, or how she was feeling, every reply referred to her time ________ with Mommie, the funny stories they ________ and how much she loved her. When CC was first ________ with radiation treatment, the therapists (治疗专家) told her they’d give her a quarter each day if she promised to keep her ________ still on the treatment table. So on the last day of 6-week treatment, the therapists ________ what big toy she was going to buy with all her ________. CC replied, “Oh, I am not going to buy a toy. I’m going to buy something for Mommie ________ all the nice things she does for me.”

CC taught me about what is really important in life. She ________ showed that loving others is the best gift you can give another. Certainly, CC had an excuse to complain or be   ________ at the world for a childhood totally ________ from other children’s in her class. I have never heard her ________ about her hairless head, swollen (肿胀的) body or ________ energy level, which keeps her from playing outside.

CC reminds me not to ________ the love people give us for granted and to look beyond the superficiality (表面情况) that is often found in daily life. I am ________ to be more thankful for what I have today and not to complain what is behind me or what lies ahead. CC, just like many other cancer patients, is a true ________,   so let’s make the best of what we have today.

1.

A．road

B．car

C．store

D．entrance

2.

A．coming up with

B．putting up with

C．keeping up with

D．keeping in touch with

3.

A．hospital

B．department

C．studio

D．waiting room

4.

A．herself

B．Mommie

C．doctors

D．nurses

5.

A．Whenever

B．Whatever

C．However

D．Wherever

6.

A．spent

B．taken

C．cost

D．wasted

7.

A．said

B．shared

C．spared

D．told

8.

A．cured

B．experienced

C．treated

D．experimented

9.

A．leg

B．face

C．head

D．hand

10.

A．realized

B．noticed

C．knew

D．wondered

11.

A．checks

B．belongings

C．bills

D．change

12.

A．unlike

B．because of

C．as to

D．in front of

13.

A．constantly

B．seldom

C．never

D．occasionally

14.

A．excited

B．curious

C．surprised

D．angry

15.

A．similar

B．familiar

C．different

D．unfortunate

16.

A．talk

B．think

C．complain

D．ask

17.

A．high

B．normal

C．full

D．low

18.

A．look

B．take

C．link

D．think

19.

A．reminded

B．informed

C．requested

D．admitted

20.

A．girl

B．example

C．exception

D．patient

5 . Nong Luhuan had a wild dream when he was little: He wanted to become a cartoonist and publish books of his own. Now, the 22-year-old art design student has _______ his dream. His microblog cartoon has more than 260,000 followers.

Nong`s microblog cartoon first drew wide _______ in late 2012. He draws _______ of real-life people struggling to achieve their life goals.

One story is about a middle-aged cleaner who _______ to have a job with a salary of 6,000 yuan a month. But he _______ to work in Beijing for only 1,000 yuan per month. This way he could audition(旁听)at the central Conservatory of Music and realize his dream of becoming a _______ . Another widely reposted story is about an accounting student who is _______ to become a flight attendant.

Though each story _______ only several pictures, it takes Nong a lot of effort to complete them. He digs _______ into each person’s story. Before drawing, he spends a whole day researching the person’s ________ .

Microblog cartoons are not interesting because of the drawings. “We attract viewers with the ________ ,” Nong says. “If my work can trigger reflection, then it is ________ .”

On the way to success, Nong has had his own ________ . He even thought about stopping his dream of ________ in 2011. But when he saw the microblog cartoons of Chen Anni, a well-known female cartoonist of Nong’s age, he found new ________ . “She is not even a fine art student and she is pursuing her dream of drawing cartoons. Why should I ________ ?” Nong says.

After that, Nong worked even harder, ________ becoming popular and receiving encouraging ________ . Many fans have sent Nong private messages, telling him that his work has ________ them to pursue their life goals. “I’m glad that I have persisted and conveyed a ________ attitude through my work. My readers are inspired through it and are themselves becoming a source of motivation for others,” he says.

1.

A．owned

B．continued

C．achieved

D．finished

2.

A．invention

B．attention

C．impression

D．reflection

3.

A．deeds

B．comments

C．stories

D．ideas

4.

A．promised

B．used

C．prepared

D．turned

5.

A．quit

B．afforded

C．set

D．escaped

6.

A．novelist

B．student

C．teacher

D．composer

7.

A．allowed

B．intended

C．determined

D．thought

8.

A．consists of

B．insist on

C．makes up

D．refers to

9.

A．deep

B．well

C．right

D．back

10.

A．appearance

B．background

C．history

D．relationship

11.

A．color

B．pattern

C．style

D．content

12.

A．necessary

B．particular

C．precious

D．meaningful

13.

A．method

B．struggles

C．agreements

D．dreams

14.

A．drawing

B．studying

C．exploring

D．imagining

15.

A．respect

B．wealth

C．future

D．courage

16.

A．give away

B．give up

C．give back

D．give out

17.

A．occasionally

B．gradually

C．recently

D．probably

18.

A．answers

B．awards

C．responses

D．intentions

19.

A．ordered

B．called

C．followed

D．encouraged

20.

A．positive

B．serious

C．common

D．similar

6 . The box arrived. Inside was the sample of my company’s first product. To ________ the box, I used something ________ from my past. It was a pocket knife given by my ________.

Dad worked many jobs but never ________ much. To lead a better life, I ________ early that I’d go to college. Dad told me that I would need to ________ for it by myself, so I started doing different jobs, including ________ my dad at work.

At that time, my dad worked as a courier (快递员). Usually, we’d break down boxes, ________a pocket knife back and forth. ________, he gave me my own knife. It felt like a gesture of ________.

At 17, I earned the right to be seen as a work partner and have my own ________.

With the money I’d saved and my scholarships, I became the first in my family to graduate from college. ________, my dad couldn’t celebrate with me as he’d passed away during my second year. I came across the knife he’d given me one day. I realized then how much it ________: It was the jobs that helped me earn the ________ to get through college, which ________ my life.

I still keep the knife ________, which is why I had it that day when the ________arrived. I always remember the ________ from my dad: Make a goal and work as ________ as you need. He couldn’t ________ much, but what he did teach was priceless.

1.

A．deliver

B．open

C．check

D．keep

2.

A．different

B．expensive

C．beautiful

D．meaningful

3.

A．father

B．partner

C．brother

D．teacher

4.

A．spent

B．earned

C．needed

D．showed

5.

A．discovered

B．predicted

C．decided

D．believed

6.

A．apply

B．search

C．pay

D．ask

7.

A．leaving

B．visiting

C．joining

D．calling

8.

A．moving

B．waving

C．carrying

D．passing

9.

A．Additionally

B．Eventually

C．Actually

D．Obviously

10.

A．acceptance

B．kindness

C．admiration

D．thanks

11.

A．style

B．time

C．tool

D．place

12.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Besides

D．Somehow

13.

A．tried

B．helped

C．changed

D．represented

14.

A．money

B．right

C．pride

D．knowledge

15.

A．transformed

B．saved

C．controlled

D．touched

16.

A．clean

B．close

C．sharp

D．safe

17.

A．sample

B．request

C．news

D．result

18.

A．gift

B．memory

C．lesson

D．story

19.

A．carefully

B．seriously

C．fast

D．hard

20.

A．take in

B．work out

C．pull off

D．pass on

7 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Darius Brown is a 14-year-old boy in the eighth grade. He lives in Newark, New Jersey. When he was 2 years old, doctors told his mother, Joy Brown, that he had a fine motor skills disorder (精细运动技能障碍) which could make it hard for him to do things with hands, like tying shoes and using scissors. And the poor boy can never recover.

When Darius Brown was 8 years old, his elder sister, Dazhai, taught him how to make a bow tie (蝴蝶领结). At first, Joy worried that he might hurt himself. “He was resolute to learn how to make bow ties,” said Joy. “So he sat and watched Dazhai for months and took it all in. Then he practised and practised. ” Before long, she said, “he was making bow ties by himself.” One day, he made a bow tie out of Ninja Turtle fabric (忍者神龟布料). He wore the new bow tie to school the next day. His friends wanted such bow ties of their own. So Darius began to make more.

In 2017, he found a great use for this new skill. That was the year Hurricane Irma hit Florida and Puerto Rico. The powerful storm flooded homes and streets. It left hundreds of dogs and cats homeless. The dogs and cats needed families to adopt them. Darius said he realized he could help. He would give the animals special bow ties to make them look cute. Darius learned that some of the rescued animals were brought to an animal shelter in New York City. So he dropped off about 25 pet-sized bow ties. It worked even better than he’d expected. Darius realized that such a small thing could give a homeless animal a better chance of being adopted.

Darius has donated more than 600 bow ties to shelters since starting his project in 2017. Shelter workers say that Darius’ bow ties are of great help.

1. What will trouble Darius Brown for all his life? (no more than 5 words)
2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 probably mean? (no more than 5 words)
3. How did Darius’ classmates think of his Ninja Turtle bow tie? (no more than 5 words)
4. According to Darius, what would be the result if a homeless animal wore a bow tie?(no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of Darius Brown? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)

8 . 阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

When I was a little girl, I spent memorable holidays with my grandmother, who lived in a small village. She was a farmer with a stooped (弯曲的) back that made it seem like she was always leaning forward to examine something. Early in the morning, she would tie a cloth around her waist and set out to the farm. I would skip breathlessly alongside, trying to keep up. On our way, she would greet everyone we passed.

There was the standard greeting, “Did you wake up on the right foot this morning?” Then, the more personalized greetings. To Patriarch Kosi who sat under the mango tree, she would ask, “Are the grandchildren in good health?” To the Bean Stew Seller who was preparing to serve breakfast, she would inquire, “Are your boys well?”

Sometimes, the greetings were spoken soothingly (安慰地). When we walked past the widow, Dada Mawusi, many months after her husband’s death, Grandmother would say directly, “How is your grieving?” She didn’t like to beat around the bush. The greeting made more sense to her to acknowledge the woman’s suffering, and in doing so, empathize (理解) with her.

The people that Grandmother greeted would respond similarly. “I see you have your granddaughter with you today. How is her father?” or “I see you have woken up before the cock’s crow today. May it be a fruitful day at the farm.” As a young girl, I thought these greetings were unnecessarily time-consuming. What I now realize is that the greetings increased a sense of belonging. My grandmother taught me that there is always time to greet someone before getting down to business. You can always take a few extra seconds to say a greeting to a person. We enrich our society when we acknowledge the unique presence of one another.

1. Where did the writer spend holidays when she was young? (no more than 6 words)
________________
2. What made the writer feel breathless? (no more than 8 words)
________________
3. How do you understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
________________
4. What did the writer think about greetings when she was young? (no more than 10 words)
________________
5. Why do you think greeting neighbors is important? Give your reasons, (no more than 20 words)
________________

9 . Alexander Tsao, a keen rock climber for several years, was climbing the walls at a gym near his home in Redmond, Washington, when he noticed that the ropes were frequently being replaced with new ones. Just 16 at the time, Tsao wondered what happened to the old ropes. He asked the gym owners and found out the ropes had to be discarded regularly due to safety regulations. He was surprised to find that so many ropes were sent to landfills.

This discovery inspired him to find a solution to the environmental issue of climbing rope waste. He considered possible ideas and ways to up cycle the discarded ropes, deciding to turn them into leashes (拴狗带) for dogs.

Once he had made his plan, Tsao contacted all the climbing gyms in Washington State, introducing his idea of recycling old ropes. Some were doubtful at first, but many gyms agreed to donate their used ropes. Tsao spent months testing and designing his products and filling documents to become a nonprofit organization which he called Rocks2Dogs.

To make the leashes, Tsao and volunteers first wash and dry the ropes. They cut them into different lengths, ranging from4 to 10 feet, and then burn the ends to prevent them from fraying (磨损). They add a clip and handle to each end, and cover the leash’s hardware with shrink tape.

Because making the leashes now is a full-time job, Tsao has asked his friends, family and neighbors for help. “We have made and sold over a thousand leashes, which add up to over 10,000 feet of rope being saved from landfills,” says Tsao. The leashes come in various colors. There are also half-price leashes made from ropes with slight imperfections. These start at $7.49 while most other leashes start at $ 14.99. To date, the nonprofit has raised more than $ 35,000. Much of this money has been donated to animal shelters.

1. What did Tsao discover?

A．Rock climbing might do harm to health.

B．The gym didn’t obey safety regulations.

C．Many old climbing ropes went to waste.

D．Landfills caused damage to the environment.

2. What was Tsao’s plan?

A．To call on climbing gyms to donate ropes.

B．To transform retired ropes into dog leashes.

C．To upcycle old leashes saved from landfills.

D．To set up an environmental organization.

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．Efforts to promote the ropes.

B．Reasons for starting Rocks2Dogs.

C．Ways to reuse discarded waste.

D．Steps for making the leashes.

4. What is the last paragraph intended to tell us?

A．Tsao succeeds in the leash business.

B．Animal protection gain’s more attention.

C．More people volunteered to help Tsao.

D．Leashes are very popular with pet owners.

10 . 阅读表达

One day I decided to plant a garden in our backyard, and my husband began to paint our fence. We’re renters, not owners, and were growing tired of waiting for the day when we would be able to buy something, so we began turning our house into a place we could call home.

We’ve also taken on new responsibilities: I started volunteering at the city’s animal shelter, and my husband has been volunteering for a nonprofit art gallery. Being involved in this way has given each of us an increased sense of purpose and strengthened our ties to the place we live in.

But it’s not just the things that you can add to your restart that matter. I’m happy to be able to help out an elderly woman I see struggling with her bag. I know I’ve done something good when I knock on a neighbor’s door and let her know her car lights are still on. I feel I’ve done my part when I find a lost dog wandering in the neighborhood and return him to his relieved owner.

No doubt it works the other way, too. As we come to care about the place we live in, the people here grow to know and care about us. It feels good to know that when we’re out of town, our neighbors are picking up our mail and keeping an eye on our house for us. We’re delighted when a neighbor congratulates us on my pregnancy.

This symbiotic (共生的) relationship we’re building with our community is exciting and inspiring. As I watch new life sprouting up in my garden, I think about all the possibilities for laying down more roots to this place and growing along with it. And as I think about the baby growing, I am knowing we will be bringing a new person --- a new participant --- into this community, a community he’ll call his hometown.

1. What new responsibility has the author’s husband been taking on? (No more than 10 words)
2. Why are the writer and her husband rewarded in return? (No more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined phrase “sprouting up” most probably mean? (No more than 3 words)
4. What is the best title of the text? (No more than 8 words)
5. After reading the text, if you want to have a life with your neighbors, what should you do? (No more than 20 words)