1 . My First Marathon（马拉松）
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.
The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.
1. A month before the marathon, the author ____________.| A．was well trained | B．felt scared |
| C．made up his mind to run | D．lost hope |
| A．To acknowledge the support of his teacher. |
| B．To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C．To show he was not talented in sports. |
| D．To share a precious memory. |
| A．He made it. | B．He quit halfway. |
| C．He got the first prize. | D．He walked to the end. |
| A．A man owes his success to his family support. |
| B．A winner is one with a great effort of will. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. |
| D．One is never too old to learn. |
2 . Alice Moore is a teenager entrepreneur(创业者), who in May 2015 set up her business AilieCandy. By the time she was 13, her company was worth millions of dollars with the invention of a super-sweet treat that could save kids’ teeth, instead of destroying them.
It all began when Moore visited a bank with her dad. On the outing, she was offered a candy bar. However, her dad reminded her that sugary treats were bad for her teeth. But Moore was sick of missing out on candies. So she desired to get round the warning, “Why can’t I make a healthy candy that’s good for my teeth so that my parents can’t say no to it?” With that in mind, Moore asked her dad if she could start her own candy company. He recommended that she do some research and talk to dentists about what a healthier candy would contain.
With her dad’s permission, she spent the next two years researching online and conducting trials to get a recipe that was both tasty and tooth-friendly. She also approached dentists to learn more about teeth cleaning. Consequently, she succeeded in making a kind of candy only using natural sweeteners, which can reduce oral bacteria.
Moore then used her savings to get her business off the ground. Afterwards, she and her father secured their first business meeting with a supermarket owner, who finally agreed to sell Moore’s product—CanCandy.
As CanCandy’s success grows, so does Moore’s credibility as a young entrepreneur. Moore is enthusiastic about the candy she created, and she’s also positive about what the future might bring. She hopes that every kid can have a clean mouth and a broad smile.
Meanwhile, with her parents’ help, Moore is generally able to live a normal teenage life. Although she founded her company early on in life, she wasn’t driven primarily by profit. Moore wants to use her unique talent to help others find their smiles. She donates 10% of AilicCandy’s profits to Big Smiles. With her talent and determination, it appears that the sky could be the limit for Alice Moore.
1. How did Moore react to her dad’s warning?| A．She argued with him. | B．She tried to find a way out. |
| C．She paid no attention. | D．She chose to consult dentists. |
| A．It is beneficial to dental health. | B．It is free of sweeteners. |
| C．It is sweeter than other candies. | D．It is produced to a dentists’ recipe. |
| A．To earn more money. | B．To help others find smiles. |
| C．To make herself stand out. | D．To beat other candy companies. |
| A．Fame is a great thirst of the young. |
| B．A youth is to be regarded with respect. |
| C．Positive thinking and action result in success. |
| D．Success means getting personal desires satisfied |
3 . One Second Every Day
I’ve been in advertising for eight years and used to work a lot of late nights and weekends for numerous projects.
The first project ends up being something I call “One Second Every Day”. Basically I record one second of every day for the rest of my life, combining these moments into one single continuous video until I can’t record them anymore.
I don’t use any filters (滤镜), just trying to catch the moment as much as possible as it is. I started a rule of the first person view. Early on, I thought I should have a couple of videos where people would see me, but I realized that wasn’t the way to go.
The project has many possibilities. I encourage you all to record just a small piece of your life every day, so you can never forget that day and treasure every moment.
| A．It instantly inspired me. |
| B．The purpose is to remember what I’ve done. |
| C．I’m always energetic when doing things I love. |
| D．People might have different interpretations of it. |
| E．It’s difficult, sometimes, to pick that one second. |
| F．But I never had time for one I wanted to work on on my own. |
| G．The essence of my project should be recording the thing as I actually see it. |
4 . “Anyone knows single parents who can’t afford to get their child’s hair done for school? I will braid (编辫子) it for free!”Brittany Starks wrote on a Facebook post.
She decided to offer her hair braiding services after a family friend delivered backpacks full of school supplies, clothing and shoes for Cayden and Ceniyah in early August. “At the time, I didn’t have anything for my kids to start school,” said Starks, who is in between homes and staying with her mother. “It meant so much to me.”
The unexpected gift made a big difference to Starks and her children, and it motivated her to pay it forward. Starks, who works two receptionist jobs, also braids hair part-time. “The hair-braiding process involves washing, blow-drying, and finally dividing the hair into small sections and braiding it. It also requires multiple supplies — including combs, brushes, hair jam and additional pieces of hair to weave in. It costs anywhere from $150 to $400 at a salon (美发厅), depending on the style,” Stacks explained. “But it can last for months and is a huge timesaver in the mornings.”
When she wrote the Facebook post, she assumed only a handful of people would reach out,but before she knew it, she had 35 appointments booked. Her Facebook inbox was suddenly full of messages from single parents, whose stories of hardship and financial challenges mirrored her own.
“There’s a huge need for this. I could really relate to a lot of the women who reached out, and it made me realize that what I was doing was really important,” said Stacks. “What got me the most was seeing the kids smile.” Given that there was less than two weeks before the start of school, Starks knew she needed to enlist help.
1. What got Brittany Starks to offer her hair braiding service?| A．A post on Facebook. | B．Her friend’s timely help. |
| C．Her mother’s advice. | D．A trip to her kids’ school. |
| A．It’s a bit dear. | B．It’s time-wasting. |
| C．It’s an easy job. | D．It’s a mother’s duty. |
| A．Rather disturbing. | B．Beyond expectation. |
| C．Far from satisfactory. | D．Very disappointing. |
| A．She is single with one child. | B．She is ambitious and arbitrary. |
| C．She is in need of helping hands. | D．She is free from financial worries. |
5 . We were standing at the top of a church tower. I saw twisting streets leading to the square. “See, my dear,” Father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square.”
Father’s words always guided me. Dreaming of becoming a fashion designer, I came to Paris, but without luck. Then one day I met a friend wearing a beautiful sweater. “What an interesting stitch!” I cried. “It was done by Mrs. Vidian,” my friend explained. “She learned the stitch in Armenia, her native country.” Suddenly I had a daring idea. Why not design, make and sell my own clothes?
I drew a butterfly pattern and asked Mrs. Vidian to knit it into a sweater. It proved a success. A New York store wanted 40 sweaters to be ready in two weeks. I accepted the order. My happiness disappeared, however, when Mrs. Vidian told me it took her almost a week to knit one sweater.
I was crushed. Then I remembered father’s words. There must be other Armenian women in Paris who mastered the special stitch. Then I searched for any Armenians living in Paris. At last I tracked down several. Two weeks later, the first shipment was on its way to the United States!
From that day on orders poured in. Then came another test. As I was busy getting ready to show my winter fashions, the sewing girls were called out on strike. Where was the way out this time? I wondered and worried. Then it dawned on me.
I worked hurriedly. And right on time, my show took place. Some coats had no sleeves; some were only patterns made of heavy cotton cloth, but on these I attached material to show what colors and textures the clothes would have when they were finished. What a show! Once again father’s words helped me.
1. What problem did the writer face after accepting the order?| A．It was impossible for Vidian to meet the deadline. | B．The sewing girls were called out on strike. |
| C．She found it hard to track Armenians living in Paris. | D．There was a shortage of suitable cloth. |
| A．Raw materials. | B．More orders. | C．The forty sweaters. | D．The special stitch. |
| A．She put off the show. | B．She showed the clothes unfinished. |
| C．She employed more sewing girls. | D．She completed the clothes in a hurry. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Like father, like son. |
| C．Easier said than done. | D．All roads lead to Rome. |
6 . Close to a century ago, New York’s Coney Island was famed for its sideshows (杂耍). Eye-catching signs crowded the island’s attractions, showing off circus shows, sword swallowers—and even an exhibition of tiny babies.
The babies were premature ones kept alive in incubators (婴儿保育箱) pioneered by Dr. Martin Couney. The medical establishment had rejected his incubators, but Dr. Couney didn’t give up on his aims. Starting in 1896, he funded his work by displaying the babies and charging 25 cents to see the show. In return, parents didn’t have to pay for Dr. Couney’s incubators, and many children survived who would never have had a chance otherwise.
Born in 12, Lucille Horn ended up in an incubator on Coney Island. She’d been born a twin, but her twin died at birth. And the hospital staff told her father that there wasn’t a chance she’d live. “It was just: You die because you didn’t belong in the world,” Horn says. But her father refused to accept that answer. He grabbed a blanket to wrap her in, called a taxi, and took her to Coney Island—and to Dr. Couney’s infant (婴幼儿) exhibit.
Years later, Horn decided to return to see the babies—this time as a visitor. When she took the opportunity to introduce herself, Dr. Couney went over to a man who was uneasily looking at his small infant. “Look at this young lady,” Dr. Couney told the man. “She’s one of our babies. And that’s how your baby’s gonna grow up.”
Horn was just one of thousands of premature infants that Dr. Couney cared for and displayed at amusement parks until the 194s. He died in 1950, shortly after incubators like his were introduced in most hospitals. At the time, Dr. Couney’s efforts were largely unknown—but at least one person will never forget him. “Ninety-six years later, here I am, all in one piece. And I’m thankful to be here,” Horn says.
1. What can we learn about Dr. Couney’s incubator?| A．It pushed medical science forward. | B．It was the most famous sideshow. |
| C．It saved many premature babies. | D．It charged each infant 25 cents. |
| A．She belonged in nowhere else but Coney Island. |
| B．It was the only place where she might survive. |
| C．The hospital staff lacked the patience to care for her. |
| D．Her father refused to accept the death of her twin sister. |
| A．To relieve the man’s anxiety. | B．To introduce the lady to the man. |
| C．To promise the baby’s bright future. | D．To explain the function of the incubator. |
| A．Medical knowledge. | B．Earning power. |
| C．Persuasive techniques. | D．Flexible mind. |
7 . I worked in a small company with about thirty-five employees (雇员). We had a good-sized kitchen with a fridge that several employees used. But people would often go to the fridge to surprisingly find either their whole lunch missing, or in my case, my can of Cherry Coke gone. I usually kept it in my lunch bag. At times when I bought takeaway food, I would get two—one for lunch and one for dinner—so I didn’t have my lunch bag. Even so, I often couldn’t find the food. It was a shock to everyone.
We doubted who was stealing, but could never prove (证明) it. One day, a good idea came to my mind, and I couldn’t wait to try it.
It was break time at noon. I headed down to the kitchen about five minutes early and gave my Coke such a hard shake that I feared it may actually go off in my hands. I placed it back in the fridge. Then, I hid into a cupboard in the kitchen, waiting for the right moment.
BINGO! A lady came in and took the Coke. I put my hand over my mouth for her to open it, but she took it with her and left. I thought she would open it in the hall. No!
As I left the kitchen, I heard her yell (叫喊). I passed her office, and Coke was everywhere: the walls, the floor, all over her desk, computer, her work, and all over her—everywhere!
Well, food has never gone missing again since then because the lady got fired.
1. Why did the employees feel surprised?| A．Their lunch was often lost. |
| B．The fridge was full of free food. |
| C．The kitchen was never clean. |
| D．The company was small-sized. |
| A．To play a joke on the lady. |
| B．To carry out some repairs inside. |
| C．To find out who was stealing. |
| D．To prove who was the best worker. |
| A．The kitchen. | B．The drink | C．The hand. | D．The fridge. |
| A．A small company. | B．An honest lady. |
| C．A special lunch. | D．An office story. |
8 . I was at a new school in a new state and needed something solid to stand on: a place to feel grounded. I also needed to do laundry, so I walked to a nearby self-service laundry and stuffed a machine with my clothes. As I struggled to close the washer door, the woman working behind the counter told me to give it a good hit with my hand. The washer did its job, yet even after an hour, the dryer seemed to have barely warmed my clothes. I left, having decided to air-dry them on my car in the August heat.
A month later, I learned her name was Sandy, which she told me after I’d helped her stop a washing machine from moving across the floor. I was grading poems at a table when one of the washers broke loose and skipped an inch into the air. I jumped to the machine and held on while she unplugged it. The next week, Sandy told me dryer No. 8 was the fastest.
It went on like this. I’d do laundry once a week, usually Thursday or Friday. Sandy worked Tuesday through Saturday and we’d talk small while I folded clothes. She told me about her son and his grades, as well as the new dog they’d just adopted. She was fascinated that I was studying poetry. She teased (开玩笑) that it was harder making a living as a poet than as a laundry attendant. Even then I knew she was probably right.
I began to recognize others there: workers taking breaks by the door, a mother and her baby, and even some delivery drivers. But Sandy was the center of my community. For nearly three years and almost every week, I’d do laundry and talk with her. We checked on each other, expecting the other to be there. We asked where the other had gone when we missed a week. There was a note of concern for the other’s absence, a note of joy at their return.
I’d found a place to stand on solid ground.
1. Why did the author leave with his wet clothes?| A．He liked the August heat better. | B．He had to go back to the meeting. |
| C．He wanted to show off his new car. | D．He didn’t think the dryer worked well. |
| A．She was warm-hearted. | B．She needed a volunteer. |
| C．She wanted to thank him. | D．She was sorry for the mess. |
| A．It was harder to fulfill. | B．It was really fascinating. |
| C．It was badly-paid work. | D．It needed a lot of effort. |
| A．He formed a close friendship with Sandy. |
| B．He made a lot of friends in college. |
| C．He expected Sandy to do laundry for him. |
| D．He often wrote to Sandy after graduation. |
9 . Four years ago, Rome Leykin was on his way to work when he accidentally fell onto the tracks of Brooklyn's train as a subway was approaching. The incident resulted in the loss of both of his legs.
But surprisingly, with the loss of his legs, Leykin gained a new passion for racing. Before his accident, he wasn't really that athletic. He would just occasionally play basketball. But that all changed after he was introduced to hand cycling. “When I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh, this is great. You don't even need legs to use it. This is perfect.’” he said. “So, I got on it, I rode and fell in love with it right away.”
Within a few months, he completed the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, a 40-mile ride through New York City. After that, he did his first marathon in 2021. He fished that race in 2 hours and 11 minutes, placing 12th out of 38.
“I'm going to attend this year's marathon and take on challenges. My hands are on the wheel, my eyes are focused, and I think my time is going to speak for itself.” he said. He's made a significant commitment to training. He hand cycles at least 13.1 miles a couple times a week and spends a lot of time in the gym.
And he plans to keep pursuing his athlete goals. He wants to complete the Abbott Six-the world's six largest marathons. One day, he said, he'll maybe even make the Paralympics.
For those who might be following his journey, he hopes they will take some lessons from his story. “There will be ups and downs but the trend is what's important. Focus on the good,” he said. “And also, take your big problems and split them into small solutions. And then all of a sudden, your big problems turn into many small wins.”
1. What can we learn about Rome Leykin from paragraph 2?| A．He once was an excellent basketball player. |
| B．He considered hand cycling difficult in the beginning. |
| C．He made hand cycling more popular among the disabled. |
| D．He showed an interest in hand cycling the moment he saw it. |
| A．Worried. | B．Curious. | C．Confident. | D．Nervous. |
| A．Easy-going and reliable. | B．Kind-hearted and helpful. |
| C．Open-minded and creative. | D．Strong-willed and ambitious. |
| A．Stick to your dreams. | B．Break down your goals. |
| C．Focus on your strengths. | D．Achieve success at all costs. |
10 . Lately, my 90-year-old mother has been sleepier and sleepier. This is very strange and worrying. At the same time, my 92-year-old father has been suffering his own health problems. It is a terrible thing to see my father struggle to get my mother to talk, say something, when she doesn’t have the energy.
The other day, I recalled how my mother used to visit a woman named Mrs. Demopolis, a Greek immigrant, who made the best baklava(果仁蜜饼) in the world! She gave lessons on baking it to my mother. Also, my mother often baked baklava at home. As I spoke of this over the phone, my silent mother perked up and said how much she’d like to have one again.
Now, they live in Florida and I live in Wales, UK, so I can’t go and bring her some baklava or even make some in her kitchen. But what I did suggest was that my father could buy some baklava at a Greek restaurant and I could do the same, and wouldn’t it be fun to eat our baklava at exactly the same time and so, be together sharing the moment and the pleasure? My parents loved the idea and we decided to do it.
Two days later we both had our baklava and shared the experience. It meant a lot to my parents, and to me, to do this. My mother said she wanted to do this again, maybe with another food or even baklava again! Why not? And as she only keeps losing weight instead of gaining, it is good for her to find foods that appeal to her appetite . It is becoming harder to find ways to communicate over the phone, but this is at least a very good way to do so.
1. Why does the author feel worried?| A．Her mother can’t walk by herself. | B．Her mother is becoming less active. |
| C．Her father has to get her mother to talk. | D．Her mother refuses to talk with her father. |
| A．Calmed down. | B．Turned around. |
| C．Held one’s breath. | D．Came to life. |
| A．They should enjoy the same food at the same time. |
| B．The author should buy some baklava for her mother. |
| C．Her mother should make some baklava in her kitchen. |
| D．Her family should get together to look after her mother. |
| A．She hopes to live with her daughter. | B．She is looking for her favorite food. |
| C．She likes communicating in this way. | D．She thinks baklava is the most delicious. |
