1 . In a bustling city in Arizona stood a high school where most of the students live in poverty. Among them were four sons of Mexican immigrants, Juan, Oscar, Luis, and Alfredo. These boys, coming from ________ backgrounds, often found themselves overlooked and underestimated. Bonded by fate and friendship, they shared a common passion for ________. Two science teachers there decided to enter their high school into a complicated ________ robotics competition sponsored by the NASA and the Naval Research. Excited for the news, these four boys signed up for the competition.

With enthusiasm and energy, they started calling mechanical engineers for design help. They were ________ that these kinds of robots require glass syntactic flotation foam, a type of floating material used in various marine applications.________ money, all they could afford was some PVC pipes and duct tape (强力胶布).________, they searched the city for various spare parts, gathering whatever they could to bring their vision to life. With the teachers’ guidance and encouragement, they ________ together a robot with no more than metal and wires.

As they worked on their robot, the boys also faced personal challenges. Juan struggled with the weight of family responsibilities; Oscar ________ a deep-seated fear of failure; Luis’s heart ached from the constant peers’ mockery (嘲笑) for his ________ accent, and Alfredo longed for acceptance and belonging.________ these obstacles, they persevered, leaning on each other for support and inspiration.

After a few test runs of their robot, they piled into a second-hand van to head to the competition. Upon entering the main pool area, they noticed the college teams wearing matching outfits, with robots sponsored by big companies. Feeling a bit nervous, the boys put the robot in the water for a test run.________, the PVC didn’t hold up, causing the robot to leak and sink.

However, instead of letting this ________ ruin their spirits, the boys put their heads together and came up with a brilliant solution. 12 hours later, armed with 8 super-absorbent pads to plug the leak, the robot was ________ into the pool again. This time, their robot performed admirably. Gliding gracefully through the waters, it navigated the course with precision and speed,________ the judges and audience alike. This underwater robot, a symbol of their determination and ________, conquered the waters, defeated engineering powerhouse MIT and ranked first in the country. This was not just a win for those four but a victory for every underdog with a dream.

1.

A．academic

B．relevant

C．humble

D．professional

2.

A．space

B．mechanics

C．research

D．ocean

3.

A．giant

B．industrial

C．underwater

D．local

4.

A．advised

B．forced

C．challenged

D．consulted

5.

A．Reliant on

B．Available to

C．Short of

D．Desperate for

6.

A．Therefore

B．Otherwise

C．Moreover

D．However

7.

A．tied

B．pieced

C．added

D．wrapped

8.

A．conquered

B．created

C．expressed

D．battled

9.

A．perfect

B．strange

C．slight

D．elegant

10.

A．With

B．Given

C．Despite

D．Besides

11.

A．Unfortunately

B．Basically

C．Actually

D．Consequently

12.

A．disagreement

B．failure

C．conflict

D．progress

13.

A．scaled

B．lowered

C．inserted

D．fed

14.

A．boring

B．confusing

C．wowing

D．motivating

15.

A．bravery

B．generosity

C．confidence

D．perseverance

2 . 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

2. Why did they stare straight ahead this time?

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.

3. How did Jackie encourage Marc?

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.

4. What would be the best title of this passage?

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.

3 . Growing up in Ukraine, Vadim didn’t know what it was like to live in a safe, stable home. His parents were alcoholics who would often beat him. They’d even stuff him into a wine container, breaking his little body and leaving only a small opening at the top so he could breathe and see — but only just a little.

By the time Vadim turned 9, he was living in an orphanage (孤儿院). Unfortunately, as is the case with far too many little ones, his life only got worse there. Not only was he hurt, but he was placed in a room on the third floor, making it impossible to get downstairs in a wheelchair.

This left Vadim crawling up and down the stairs, an activity that was both physically and mentally exhausting. He’d often be late for meals. If the food wasn’t already gone by the time he arrived, other kids would steal from him.

Then, a chain effect began when some special folks visited the orphanage. They told him a story about a spiritual figure who advocated love and forgiveness. This conversation helped the 14-year-old find his faith and, in turn, he had more hope than he ever had before.

Today, Vadim is on longer the boy subject to fate. He is a father to his own kids, and his life couldn’t be more different or better. Over the years, he’s discovered a gift for expressing himself through art. This inspired Tim Tebow Foundation, an organization fighting for the most vulnerable (脆弱的) people around the world, to ask if he’d like to create a piece that represented what it looked and felt like for him to have gone from “darkness to light.”

The result? A truly remarkable painting that features Vadim, in his wheelchair, leaving behind his old home, including the wine container his parents stuffed him into. His new direction includes a beautiful forest full of fall leaves and bright light, showing the hope he is said to have found in the inspiring story.

1. According to the passage, Vadim’s parents treated him ________.

A．abusively

B．forgivingly

C．thoughtfully

D．strictly

2. Why did Vadim crawl up and down the stairs when living in the orphanage?

A．Because his little roommates often did damage to his wheelchair.

B．Because other children would take his meal without permission.

C．Because he couldn’t use the wheelchair to go downstairs from a high floor.

D．Because getting downstairs was demanding for him physically and mentally.

3. The phrase “a chain effect ” in paragraph 4 refers to ________.

A．an effective treatment for Vadim’s disability

B．a series of positive changes occurring in Vadim’s life

C．a sense of hope from the story of a spiritual figure

D．a helping hand from Tim Tebow Foundation

4. What is the message that Vadim wants to convey in his remarkable painting?

A．He admires the beauty and harmony of nature.

B．He leads a miserable life with his own kids.

C．He excels in delicate painting techniques.

D．He says farewell to the past and harvests happiness.

4 . My sister, Lynn, taught me my first word: kira-kira. I pronounced it ka-a-ahhh, but she knew what I meant. Kira-kira means “glittering” in Japanese. Lynn told me that when I was a baby, she used to take me onto our empty road at night, where we would lie on our backs and look at the stars while she said over and over, “Katie, say ‘kira-kira, kira-kira!’” I loved that word! When I grew older, I used kira-kira to describe everything I liked: the beautiful blue sky, puppies, kittens, butterflies, colored tissues.

My mother said we were misusing the word; you could not call colored tissues kira-kira. She was dismayed over how un-Japanese we were and swore to send us to Japan one day. I didn’t care where she sent me, so long as Lynn came along.

When she wasn’t in school, she stayed with me constantly. Both our parents worked. Officially, I stayed all day with a lady from down the road, but unofficially, Lynn was the one who took care of me.

My sister used to keep a diary. Today I keep her diary in a drawer next to my bed. I like to see how her memories were the same as mine, but also different. For instance, one of my earliest memories is of the day Lynn saved my life. I was almost five, and she was almost nine. We were playing on the empty road near our house. Fields of tall corn stretched into the distance wherever you looked. A dirty gray dog ran out of the field near us, and then he ran back in. Lynn loved animals. Her long black hair disappeared into the corn as she chased the dog. The summer sky was clear and blue. I felt a brief fear as Lynn disappeared into the cornstalks. After Lynn ran into the field, I couldn’t see anything but corn. “Lynnie!” I shouted. We weren’t that far from our house, but I felt scared. I burst into tears.

Somehow or other, Lynn got behind me and said, “Boo!” and I cried some more. She just laughed and hugged me and said, “You’re the best little sister in the world!” I liked it when she said that, so I stopped crying.

1. What can be learned about Katie as a little child from the first paragraph?

A．She only listened to Lynn’s advice.

B．She didn’t like to learn the Japanese language.

C．She mispronounced kira-kira on purpose.

D．She associated kira-kira with nice things.

2. The underlined word dismayed in the second paragraph probably means ________.

A．discouraged

B．amused

C．relieved

D．unconvinced

3. Which of the following lines is probably in Lynn’s diary description of the event?

A．...I was sure that the dog would hurt Katie...

B．...My heart melted at the sight of the lovely dog...

C．...I kept chasing the dog until Katie appeared...

D．...I regretted taking Katie out when I saw the dog...

4. The author writes about her childhood to ________.

A．sing praise of her Japanese roots	B．share an adventurous experience
C．recall unique style of language learning	D．show the sisterly affection

5 . Directions:   After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct.   For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Diary

Kyra Peralte thought keeping a diary might help her sort out her troubled feelings. In April 2020, the mother of two in New Jersey, started writing about the challenges of handling work, marriage and motherhood during a global crisis.

Writing released emotions, but Peralte, now 46, wanted to know how other women were doing. So she made an unusual offer. She invited women from near and far to fill the     1     (remain) lined pages of her notebook with their own stories. She named the project The Traveling Diary.

So many wanted to participate     2     Peralte decided to create a website (thetravelingdiarytour.com) for people to add their names to the queue. She came up with a system: each person     3     (get) to keep the diary for three days and fills as many pages as she wishes. Then she is responsible for mailing it to the next person.

So far, more than 2,000 women from 30 countries     4     (participate). Of course, not all those entries could fit in just one journal. More than 50 of these notebooks are currently     5     use. About 20 completed ones are back in Peralte’s possession.

Each participant fills the pages with her own handwriting, narrating her experiences, recounting obstacles she faced, and sharing     6     (learn) lessons.

Kirsty Nicol, 31 from London, received the journal in March 2021. She said reading the entries allowed her to transport her into the lives of     7     and find bits of wisdom they left.

One such pearl came from a woman in Australia. She had written: “Working with the setbacks. Not against them. Patience and gratitude. It’s a dance. Life is moving and we     8     stamp our feet in rejection, or we can gracefully embrace the mess, tidying as we go.”

“It has really evolved into a community,” Peralte says. She sends participants a weekly newsletter and often hosts online meetings so the women get the chance to get to know one another more, share stories and feel     9     (distant). Some of the women, she says, have even become close friends. Her spontaneous idea, she says, has had a profound effect on the women     10     were part of it. “The Traveling Diary is making sisters out of strangers.” She says.

6 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, fill in each blank with one proper word. Make sure that your answers are grammatically correct.

Love from the Apple Tree

Once upon a time, there used to be a tall and big apple tree. A little boy, every day to the tree down, climbed up     1     (pick) apples to eat, and slept in the shade of the tree. He loved the apple tree, and it loved to play with him. The little boy gradually grew up and stopped     2     (come) to play every day. One day he came to the tree, picked all the apples and left happily. Another day, the boy came again, and cut off all the branches, happily away to build a house himself. One summer, the boy came back, cut down her tree trunk, built a boat,     3     (sail) away, and did not come back for a long time. After years, the boy returned at last. He was old and wanted     4     more than a place to rest. “Old root is     5     (suitable) to sit down and rest, come on, sit down and rest with me!” The boy sat down, and the apple tree was so happy that it shed tears.

This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parent.     6     we are young, we love to play with Mom and Dad. Having grown up, we leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they     7     to make you happy.

    8     your parents can give you is not necessarily the best in the world, but they will try their best to give you all, and they are afraid that it is not enough; maybe they never said “I love you”, but love you in their own way for a lifetime,     9     is how most parents around the world show their love. For example, a tired father was watching his two daughters eat fried chicken, but he didn’t order anything, telling his daughters that he was not hungry,     10     more money in his pocket. We grow up to know that the world’s most affectionate lie is what the father and mother said: I do not love to cat it and I am not hungry.

7 . 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

2. Which of the following may best illustrate the author’s reading habit when she first met David?

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

3. According to paragraph 19, why was the author proud of herself?

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.

4. What was the main change that David brought into the author’s life?

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.

8 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Several years ago, a co-worker invited me over for a classic social tradition: a game night. I don’t like board games. When I’m hanging out with others, I much prefer the free flow of conversation     1     the structure of competition.     2     someone starts explaining the game rules, my brain tends to involuntarily tune out, a defense mechanism against unwanted and useless information.

So obviously, eager to make new friends. I told my co-work I was in.

The evening was disappointing. An alarmingly complex game was first explained and then repeated, upon my request. I     3     (assure) that I’d “get it after a couple of rounds,” which never happened. I was so bad that I was ruining everyone eles’s experience with my unpredictable plays and constant need     4     (remind) of what was happening.

    5     these people kindly became my friends anyway, I was never invited back to another game night. “We just know you’re not really a game person, ” one of them later told me, eyes     6     (slide) sideward.

Not being a game person nowadays can make one feel like an exception. Board games, which in 2021 were a $13. 4 billion global market, are surging in popularity. There are people who love socializing through games in every town,     7     makes my resistance to them feel unacceptable. Maybe, I thought, I was missing     8     about the social value of games. Games can reveal people’s core qualities: how they react when they’re stressed, how they cooperate in a team, or how they behave when they win or lose.

However, I still have a general sense     9     they’re a silly way to pass time. When I think about the leisure activities I “indulge” in, such as cycling, they tend to have bonus benefits. Through cycling, my friends and I can share experiences that simulate the variable conditions of life: joy and pain, uncertainty and achievement. We can all reap rewards from bonding through playful activities:     10     we see as play just varies. I get that now. But to be clear, there’s still no need to invite me to your game night.

9 . Dear Doggy Diary

MONDAY

Now we’ve surely got all we require for the puppy’s arrival: a basket, a screaming toy banana and a bag of dog food. For names, we are hesitating between Spike or Lenny—but, as I tell this list to a Black friend, I suddenly realize both names are associated with famous Black men, and panic that this is a little offence.

TUESDAY

Our friend Sam has kindly volunteered to “puppy proof” our home. “You don’t want to give him that screaming toy, that’s encouraging him to eat your sofa,” she says, inspecting our purchases disapprovingly. She hands us a book, by Dr Ian Dunbar. “This guy”, she assures us, “is a Super Babysitter for dogs.”

WEDNESDAY

Spent last night ______57______ Dunbar has plenty of wisdom on “positively communicating” with the puppy, but nothing on how to get a puppy and also two young children.

THURSDAY

D-Day. Now the registration website wants a dog name at short notice. So, we go for “Buzz”. One syllable (音节) and with multi-generational fascination (Granny thinks Aldrin, kids think Lightyear).

FRIDAY

I feel very hesitant about saying so, but last night went well. Buzz is incredibly cute, the kids adore him and he’s very cute and only did one pee (排尿) on the blanket, and did I mention he’s cute?

SATURDAY

“Love” feels like a stretch right now. Our “play” was evidently not “focused” enough to prevent Buzz biting through our sofa. Also, our three-year-old thinks it’s funny to run away, so Buzz wrestles him to the ground and licks all over his face. I suspect this isn’t the best way to prepare Buzz for engaging with the public.

SUNDAY

The whole house smells of dog. I find this nasty, but friends, family, and people we barely know existed are dropping by to meet him. “It’s like having a baby, eh?” says my neighbor, Erik, brightly. “Yes, but it’s a baby you can neglect when it cries!” I respond cheerfully. He frowns (皱眉).

MONDAY

It’s 2 A.M. on the coldest day of the year and I’m on my hands and knees in the bushes. I think you’ve never really experienced a harsh mid-winter until you’re trying to run after a puppy. Then, we return inside, and it’s just me and Buzz. Peace. I should put him back in his cage, but I find I can’t resist a hug. Don’t tell my wife.

1. What does the phrase “puppy proof” our home mean in paragraph 2?

A．Make our home clean enough for the puppy.	B．Inspect our home to make it puppy-friendly.
C．Prove that the puppy will satisfy our needs.	D．Decorate our home with books on puppies.

2. In the diary of “WEDNESDAY”, a passage is missing. Which of the following plot best fits into the numbered blank?

A．Picking a dog ’s name from a name list of Blacks.

B．Looking over the house for potential safety hazards.

C．Studying Dunbar’s book on how to take care of a dog.

D．Visiting Dunbar in person in order to adopt his puppy.

3. Which of the following is the reason for naming the puppy “Buzz”?

A．Other choices imply strong prejudice against Black people.

B．Its pronunciation resembles the puppy’s cute and short bark.

C．The registration website recommends the name to the family.

D．The name holds appeal to both the elder and the younger generations.

4. Which of the following does the diary feature after the adoption of the puppy?

A．Chaos and cuteness.

B．Hatred and love.

C．Mess and cleanliness.

D．Abuse and affection.

10 . So many of us are terrible at being terrible. As our children venture off to school, sports, dances and music lessons, we urge them: Just try something, keep practicing, you’re only a beginner. And yet, faced with our own failure, we become less confident, and quit altogether.

Images of perfection fill our social-media feeds, along with advertisements assuring us we wouldn’t be so _______ if we just bought this thing or tried that product. Parents often add to the pressure, _______ their kids will end up sliding down the socioeconomic ladder.

What if we’re _______?

“It’s such a _______ not to have to be good,” says Karen Rinaldi, who refers to herself as a horrible surfer. After 20 years on the board, she is still bad, and she loves it. There is the excitement of being out on the water, but there is also the _______ of not having to be the expert, the freedom to _______ help and rely on others in a way she never would at work. Back on land, she says she is more understanding and _______others’ mistakes. “The benefit of not _______ myself every day,” she says, “is that I get to surf every time I want.”

Ms. Rinaldi, whose experience led to a book about what you can learn from failure, recommends asking yourself: “What is it that you’ve always wanted to do or try but were too _______?” Whatever it is, she says, start doing it. Should you struggle, ________ the fact that you’re a beginner. “Go in there with the ________ to say, ‘I’m new,’” she says. “People want to help you learn. It makes them feel good.”

Take myself as another example. I started yoga lessons this summer. When I ________ Syd Schulz, a professional mountain biker, that I was terrible at the poses, her response was “what did you expect?” “It’s a little ________ to people who have spent years and years of their lives acquiring skills to think that you should have those overnight,” says Ms. Schulz. Years spent working on her cycling have taught her that improvement often comes in ________ steps, following long stretches of inactivity or even getting ________.

1.

A．distressing

B．imperfect

C．impressive

D．incredible

2.

A．fearing

B．confirming

C．hoping

D．indicating

3.

A．missing out

B．putting up

C．setting in

D．taking off

4.

A．burden

B．nonsense

C．puzzle

D．relief

5.

A．disappointment

B．nervousness

C．preference

D．satisfaction

6.

A．acknowledge

B．offer

C．refuse

D．seek

7.

A．angry at

B．delighted in

C．embarrassed with

D．patient with

8.

A．awarding

B．forgiving

C．isolating

D．pushing

9.

A．afraid

B．annoyed

C．depressed

D．exhausted

10.

A．accept

B．conceal

C．deny

D．examine

11.

A．excitement

B．modesty

C．potential

D．pride

12.

A．apologized to

B．argued with

C．complained to

D．shouted at

13.

A．abusive

B．amazing

C．annoying

D．attentive

14.

A．careful

B．hesitant

C．involuntary

D．unsteady

15.

A．alert

B．fulfilled

C．improved

D．worse