1 . A recent story on TikTok showed how two neighbors found companionship during the lockdown because of the pandemic (疫情), thanks to a shared love of the piano.
The story started when Giorgio Lo Porto heard his neighbor playing the piano through their dividing wall. Lo Porto, an Italian living in London, decided to reach out to his neighbor and left a note asking him or her to play My Heart Will Go On. The mystery neighbor agreed, leading Lo Porto to send another note suggesting they play a duet (二重奏) together from the comfort of their own homes. The mystery neighbor started playing the piano at 2:00 pm, and when he stopped after finishing a part of a song, Lo Porto continued. Over time the duets between the two complete strangers became a regular weekend appointment.
Weeks later, the pair finally met and it was better than expected. The mystery pianist happened to be a 78-year-old Polish man named Emil, who was living in temporary accommodation until his house was sold. He lost his wife in December due to COVID-19 and all he had left was the piano. And the reason why he played at 2: 00 pm every weekend was that he and his wife used to do that.
The pair finished a final duet together — Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata — before Emil moved out at the end of February.
While this is heartwarming in itself, the story has a heartbreaking ending: On March 14, Lo Porto shared that his old neighbor had passed away in his sleep. He said, “Now he is reunited with his wife.”
While saying goodbye to Emil, Lo Porto wrote, “Dear Emil, I knew very little about you, but you changed my life. You gave me back my passion, and we shared that with the world. You’ll be in my heart. I’ll keep playing, thinking of how powerful music can be. You said I was your light, but you’ve been mine, too. Bye, Emil.”
1. What happened after Lo Porto left the second note for Emil?| A．They composed a new song based on a classic. |
| B．They reached out to neighbors to cheer them up. |
| C．They shared their playing skills with TikTokers. |
| D．They performed music together through the wall. |
| A．To upload his updates. | B．To remember his wife. |
| C．To advertise his house. | D．To comfort strangers. |
| A．Emil's passing away. | B．Lo Porto’s departure. |
| C．The pair’s final performance. | D．The unfamiliarity between the pair. |
| A．He admired Emil’s ambition. | B．It is easy to say goodbye. |
| C．Emil positively influenced him. | D．Music is a universal language. |
2 . Michael Evans was standing in line at the Wayne County Treasurer's Office in Detroit last August, waiting to pay his taxes when he heard a disturbing sound ahead of him. The elderly woman at the window was crying and so was the cashier helping her. Then Evans learned why: He heard the cashier inform the woman that her house was headed for auction(拍卖). He also heard the woman tell the cashier that her daughter had recently died.
Evans, a businessman who had just buried his father, couldn't stomach the idea of this woman losing her home right after losing her child. He approached the window. "I don't mean to cut in," he said to the cashier, "but if you can get her house back, I'll pay for her taxes." The amount due: $ 5, 000.
The two women were shocked. Their despair turned to disbelief. The cashier left for a moment to confirm the amount and that it was all right for Evans to pay it. Evans went straight to the bank and came right back with the money. But when he returned to the treasurer's office, he asked someone else waiting in line to hand the $ 5, 000 check to the cashier. Evans was trying to slip away quietly. "I didn't want this attention." he explains.
He is the boss of M2E Investments. The firm owns a variety of businesses, from restaurants to a portable restroom company. His Premium Driving School gives driving lessons to teenagers, often for free. In 2015, when he saw a story on the news about a local boy with an incurable bone disease, Evans held a fund-raiser at his Detroit Shrimp & Fish restaurant to help pay for the boy's wheelchair and van. He also donated much money to the boy's family.
1. Why did the elderly woman cry?| A．Her daughter sold her house. | B．The cashier treated her rudely. |
| C．Her father passed away recently. | D．She was going to lose her house. |
| A．Remember. | B．Forget. |
| C．Tolerate. | D．Ignore. |
| A．To free himself of standing in line. |
| B．To avoid being paid attention to. |
| C．To spare time for his own business. |
| D．To give others a chance to be praised. |
| A．Rich and generous. | B．Determined and creative. |
| C．Considerate and brave. | D．Kind and confident. |
3 . Two young brothers from Malden. Massachusetts were in the spotlight Thursday after being named “heroes" by a national organization that recognizes young people doing great things. For the Bennett brothers, the goal of their work is nothing less than helping researchers find a cure for cancer. And their inspiration came from a friend.
Thirteen-year-old Hany Bennett and his nine-year-old brother Heath run their business out of their family kitchen. "We're making lip balm （润唇膏），"Harry says. They got the idea two years ago when their friend, Timmy, was diagnosed （诊断）with cancer. brothers wanted to do something. We learned that cancer patients（ lips and skin can get really dry because of chemotherapy （化疗），Hany says.
A light bulb went off in both of their young heads, and " Bennett Brothers Balm was born. "We make lip balm, which is kind of like our main product/ says Heath. They also make and sell different body balms, all natural, all handmade, while the profits benefit cancer research. "We've raised S 15,000/ Heath says.
And with the great optimism of children, they don't just want to help ； they wont to win. We want to find a cure. We want to help doctors find a cure, Harry explains, The brothers are also Gelding a team for the Light the Night Walk, to fight cancer.
"I think it's great to raise money and help people who have cancer," says Heath. Their parents play a big role as well, but it's the boys who provide the most enthusiasm with a message we can all learn from. "If you want to do something... do it," Harry says. "I just feel very glad that we're helping. It feels very good”， adds Heath.
Harn and Heath just received the S 10,000 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Hwy intend to save some of il for college, invest some of it in their business and give the rest to charity. And their friend Timmy? "He's doing great. He's all better, Harry says.
1. What encouraged the Bennett brothers to make lip balm at first?| A．Helping a friend with cancer. | B．Finding a cure for cancer. |
| C．Raising public awareness of cancer. | D．Collecting money for cancer patients. |
| A．The two brothers finished their first product. |
| B．The two brothers came up with an idea. |
| C．The two brothers struggled for a stress-free life. |
| D．The two brothers found an effective way to study. |
| A．It is quite competitive. | B．It is well worthwhile. |
| C．It fails to satisfy their parents. | D．lt helps them make a big profit. |
| A．Great minds think alike. |
| B．Two heads are better than one. |
| C．Young kids can make a big difference. |
| D．The longest journey begins with the first step. |
4 . Recently I’ve had two good roles on television. But when I was just getting started in theater work 17 years ago, I never thought I’d make it. Back then I was recovering from surgery and had been off work for six months. Even worse, as a single mother with three youngsters, I had no place to live in. I felt hopeless.
One Sunday morning I saw actor Robert Young on the television talking about his faith: Believe yourself! If we confidently take that first step, well take the next, until we reach our goal.
The first step was scary. After I went working part-time, I looked for an apartment. The ones I saw were either too expensive, or I couldn’t raise my children in them. I knew a house, not an apartment, was more suitable for me. However, after seeing several houses, my confidence was shaken. I found two seemed right, but when I was about to make an offer, someone else had ordered.
I remembered a saying, “When one door closes, a better one opens.” I wouldn’t just sit staring at the closed one but got up and struggled on. In a real estate (房地产) agent, I found a small house with proper price. To buy it, I had to borrow $ 3,000 for a down payment and get a mortgage (按揭). Common sense argued that a mortgage for a single mother working part-time was impossible. But I had enough self-confidence without following common sense.
After getting the house, my new self-confidence grew. Later , when I began filling small parts in television productions, that self-confidence showed. I'd always played the role as the director wanted. Now I find myself freer to interpret (演绎) it.
Self-confidence has made it through life. Trouble can be scary at first, but each time I take that step, I believe I will win the next.
1. How did the author feel when entering television industry at first?| A．Hopeful. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Aggressive. |
| A．To show the value of self-confidence. |
| B．To share her different life experiences. |
| C．To introduce her toughest part of life. |
| D．To tell us her ways to get over difficulty. |
| A．Her sense of confidence. | B．The difficulty in her life. |
| C．The director’s good direction. | D．Her success in her first attempt. |
| A．Appear on the Stage | B．Struggle with Life |
| C．Stick to Your Plan | D．Believe in Yourself |
5 . I'd done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I'd bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.
The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home's dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family's temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I'd ever seen, she yelled, "Ma, Ma, they really came! " I didn't know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.
Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair—her grandmother, we'd soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire—damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times. I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.
By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change.
Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room so much, in fact, that she'd begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn't quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before—Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother. Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.
Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn't until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she'd made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls—one much taller than the other—and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn't control myself anymore—I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither one of us could let go.
By early afternoon, we finished Dakota's bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.
I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too—a greater appreciation for all of the blessing of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.
1. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know _______.| A．she formed a bad living habit |
| B．she hoped for a better education |
| C．she was an innocent and lovely child |
| D．she was strong and calm in the inner world |
| A．Enjoy your help. |
| B．Please don’t leave. |
| C．Help me, please. |
| D．Hug me close. |
| A．She worried about the little girl’s future. |
| B．She decided to keep helping the little girl. |
| C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl. |
| D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift. |
| A．One must learn to share life experiences. |
| B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life. |
| C．One occasionally benefits from the poverty. |
| D．One should be more grateful for the gift of life. |
6 . The other day on a cold night, I left my wife and drove from Harrisburg to Lewisburg, a distance of about 100 miles. It was rather late. Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left, and I became increasingly impatient.
At one point along an open road, I came to a crossing with a traffic light. I was alone on the road by now, but as I drove near the light, it turned red and I made a stop. I looked left, right and behind me. Nothing. Not a car, no suggestion of car lamps, but there I sat, waiting for the light to change, the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.
I started wondering why I refused to run the light. I was not afraid of being caught, because there was clearly no policeman around, and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.
Much later that night, the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me. I think I stopped because it's part of a contract（契约）we all have with each other. It's not only the law, but it's an agreement we have, and we trust each other to honor it： we don't go through red lights.
Trust is our first inclination. Doubting others does not seem to be natural to us. The whole construction of our society depends on mutual（相互的）trust, not distrust. We do what we say we'll do； we show up when we say we'll show up； and we pay when we say we'll pay. We trust each other in these matters, and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that breaks the trust we have in them.
I am so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.
1. How does the author feel about the truck driver?| A．Pleased. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Sorry. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．He hates driving at night. |
| B．He desired to cross the red light that night. |
| C．He approves of obeying traffic rules by himself. |
| D．He is easy when suffering the traffic jam. |
| A．Tendency. | B．Faith. |
| C．Adjustment. | D．Guidance. |
| A．Be polite to others. | B．Improve traffic rules. |
| C．Be patient and helpful. | D．Trust each other. |
7 . The little,black-haired boy was waiting for us on the other side of the world.Ever since our adoption agency had matched us,I'd been crazily completing all the necessary paperwork.We knew we faced months of waiting before we could hold our new son in our arms,and he'd waited long enough already.
I made it a personal goal to never delay the process.If we had documents to get notarized(公证),we would do them on the very day we were told.On one late afternoon in June,I rushed from our Secretary of State's office toward the closest FedEx office.I had a document to send overnight.
I thought I knew where the FedEx office was.I drove there,only to find that the office was no longer located where I remembered it.I became very disappointed.I didn't bring my smart phone in my pockets.I had no way of finding the correct location.I started driving toward home.
Suddenly,at a stoplight,an oversized truck drove in front of my car.I became angry but my anger turned to shock when I saw the emblem(标记).It was a FedEx truck.I changed lanes quickly and followed closely behind the truck.What were the chances that the truck would lead me straight to the FedEx office I was seeking?
It turned out that the chances were good.Less than five minutes later,I saw a FedEx sign,and the truck made a turn into the parking lot.Our documents went out that night.Three months later,we flew halfway around the world to meet our son for the first time.We have been with him every day since.
Miracles are always around us if we are open to them.Sometimes,it's a smile at the right time or a kind word.And every now and then,it's even a big truck that cuts us off at the stoplight.
1. What can we infer about the author from the first two paragraphs?| A．She wanted to know more information about the boy. |
| B．She was looking forward to meeting her new son. |
| C．She spent a long time finishing the paperwork. |
| D．She felt dissatisfied with the adoption process. |
| A．She was cut off by a truck. |
| B．She couldn't contact her family. |
| C．She didn't find the FedEx office. |
| D．She failed to bring enough documents. |
| A．The truck parked at the parking lot. |
| B．The author's documents were accepted. |
| C．The truck led the author to the right place. |
| D．The author managed to pick up her new son. |
| A．A miracle at the stoplight. |
| B．Be patient for the miracles. |
| C．A stranger can change your life. |
| D．Be kind to a new family member. |
8 . Sneha Sharma got her flying and racing licenses before she was licensed to drive. It wasn’t easy as Sneha had to battle with her family and societal set ideas to walk on what was seen as an unconventional career path.
Sneha was 16 when she realized that winning in racing was not just fun, but her dream. The same year, after performance in city-level races, she was selected by the national racing team. But she soon ran into a huge roadblock: her parents didn’t approve of her passion. They wanted her to focus on academics because they considered racing dangerous. However, that did not block the young girl. "I would hide my helmet into my bag. I also carried my books everywhere as I told myself that studies were also a preference along with racing. I would study on the tracks, bus, and anytime possible,” she says.
Sneha went on to do well in her exams, and came out with flying colors at the national-level racing. But getting to this point wasn't easy. A normal day involved a lot of hustle (忙碌喧嚣). After attending class, she would catch a train at 3 p. m. for her pilot training. Time permitting, she would then，to the racing track which would often be open till 9 p. m. All this hustle was at the age of 16, and prepared her to get up to speed for a busy life. In 2007, she went to San Francisco for flying classes. A year later, she joined Indigo Airlines to fly Airbus 320. That very year, she emerged as one of the drivers in the top five at the Mercedes Young Star driver programme.
At the end of 2019, Sneha, 29, a brand ambassador, has her 2020 calendar charted out. Clearly, her hard work has put her career at the top speed!
1. What did Sneha’s parents think of her dream?| A．Distinctive. | B．Independent. |
| C．Rewarding. | D．Nontraditional. |
| A．Academics was as important as racing. |
| B．Academics ranked the first in her mind. |
| C．Academics was less valuable than racing. |
| D．Academics could be abandoned for racing. |
| A．In 2007. | B．In her twenties. |
| C．At the age of 16. | D．When she was 18. |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Fortunate. |
| C．Struggling. | D．Uncontrollable. |
9 . Najib is an Afghan who grew up in Iran. He led a tough life. When he found his children would be in the same situation, his family initially returned to Afghanistan. But with the country filled with conflicts, they decided to leave for Indonesia.
“When we first came here, we were in a bad situation. Its language, culture and even weather were different. We had moved away from friends and family,” says Najib. “I was in a tough position but I acted strong because there were no other choices.”
Refugees (难民) cannot work in Indonesia and there are limited choices for refugee children to attend local schools. Determined to avoid such a fate, a group of refugees in Puncak took action and scraped together (东拼西凑) their resources to set up a school—the Refugee Learning Center (RLC).
“Our only goal and task is to provide basic education, and prepare the refugee children for their future,” says Abdullah Sarwari. “We’re also trying to provide a normal life as much as possible for them.”
The RLC has also started offering Bahasa Indonesia classes to the refugee community. “Between the refugee and the local community, I feel like there’s a language barrier which stops the refugee from having an honest and open interaction with Indonesians,” says Abdullah.
“If you try your best, to learn the language of a particular place or country, it really helps make things easier,” says Najib. He is among those who signed up for classes, although he admits progress has been slow. But life has improved in some ways for him and his family.
Najib says, “The centre is an opportunity for refugee to show that they are not a burden. If they have the opportunity, they can accomplish big and great things like this.”
1. Why did Najib decide to leave for Indonesia?| A．To escape the conflict in Afghanistan. |
| B．To experience Indonesian culture. |
| C．To help refugees in Indonesia. |
| D．To get equal rights to vote. |
| A．To help them learn English. |
| B．To make them stay away from bad luck. |
| C．To provide them with chances to live in Indonesia. |
| D．To make them have access to receiving basic education. |
| A．He is the leader of refugees. |
| B．He founded the RLC himself. |
| C．He studies Indonesian in the RLC. |
| D．He lives a wealthy life in Indonesia. |
| A．The Goal of Founding a School |
| B．A School for Refugees by Refugees |
| C．A Reason for Leaving for Indonesia |
| D．The Benefit of Learning a New Language |
10 . I’m learning to drive in Switzerland. I think it will be a good idea to learn now, because I have plenty of free time and I have earned a little money to pay for lessons. I never learnt when I lived in the UK, so luckily driving on the “wrong” side isn’t a problem.
However, there are a lot of rules to remember. When you see a road to your right and there are no white lines on the ground, the cars to your right have the right to go before your car and you have to stop for them. In practice, lots of people forget this and either wait for each other while both drivers try to remember what to do, or beep (鸣喇叭) at each other if both try to go at the same time!
When you drive round a roundabout, you should check all your mirrors. To remember how to do this, I often count them aloud—one, two, three—then a second glance at my blind spot when I’m in the roundabout. One friend came driving with me and after about an hour asked why on earth I was counting. He had passed his test so long ago,but he couldn’t remember ever having to check three mirrors!
Driving still seems scary to me so I drive quite slowly. I also don’t know the countryside roads very well and don’t know what’s coming up round the corner or over the next hill. I drive slowly so I feel safe, but my driving instructor tells me to speed up or cars will bump into me from behind when trying to drive through a dangerous place. So driving slowly is just as dangerous as driving fast!
I’m not a very practical person, so learning to drive has been a challenge. I don’t have a lot of confidence and find it quite demotivating to do something that doesn’t come naturally to me. To make driving more fun and interesting, I learn in Swiss German, so my instructor gives me instructions in Swiss. This way I’ve tricked myself into enjoying driving and hopefully I will pass the test!
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．It isn’t a proper time for the author to take driving lessons now. |
| B．Driving on the “wrong” side doesn’t influence the author. |
| C．The author is too poor to pay for driving lessons in Switzerland. |
| D．It is easy for the author to get confused about the driving rules in Switzerland. |
| A．to remind himself to check the mirrors | B．to speed up |
| C．to drive through a dangerous place | D．to make driving more interesting |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Amazing. |
| C．Exciting. | D．Discouraging. |
