1 . Tony Newton and his wife Marie have spent about 40 years turning their modest (简朴的) yard in the Black Country into what is now named the “four seasons’ garden”.
Grandmother-of-four Marie, 72, started looking after the garden in 1982 while working as a transport planner and a nurse while Tony, 70, joined her after he retired (退休) from medicine.
Marie said, “Tony and I usually spend two hours a day in the garden but obviously since lockdown and the fact that we are over 70 means we have even more time to spare. We are sometimes in the garden all day and only come in when it gets dark.”
“One addition this year was that we put up three bird feeding stations, which we haven’t normally had, and that has given us a huge amount of pleasure,” she added. “We’ve got so many different types of birds coming out.”
“We really miss the grandchildren because they used to love playing here,” she said, though they keep in contact through the Internet. “We’ve got fairy (精灵) houses and the streams they played in. We used to look after them a few nights a week but that’s all stopped.”
“I always look forward to spring and this year has been especially rewarding. I have never seen the garden look so beautiful,” Marie added. “We haven’t been able to count every flower and tree but there are over 3,000 plants in the garden. It has been very satisfying to use so many skills, and to have done everything ourselves.”
The couple have won several awards, including being named the winner of Britain’s Best Garden. The garden has become so popular that it even features in unofficial tourist trails (路线) of the Black Country.
Tony said, “There has been a lot of trial and error (反复试验) to get the garden the way it is now — and over the last few weeks we’ve really been able to explore even more ideas. We’re already planning what to grow for the next season.”
1. What do we know about Marie?| A．She has five grandchildren. | B．She worked as a nurse until 1982. |
| C．She started tending the garden in her 30s. | D．She is two years younger than Tony. |
| A．Bird feeding stations. | B．Fairy houses. |
| C．Streams. | D．Grandchildren’s birds. |
| A．Surprised | B．Proud. | C．Scientific. | D．Professional. |
| A．Grow more plants. | B．Open their garden. |
| C．Explore the Black Country. | D．Enter a garden competition. |
2 . “Meet me in the conference room with the contracts and a cup of coffee,” my boss barked at me. “Ten minutes. ”
I didn’t respond. I stood still as if my shoes had been glued to the floor. I had no intention of taking a cup of anything to anyone, supervisor or not.
I had seen with my own eyes what such behavior did to a woman. It happened to Mrs. Wilson next door. Old Mr. Wilson couldn’t put in his own false teeth without his wife’s assistance, let alone make himself lunch. It was a miserable union. I vowed by age eight that I would never live like her. I adopted the motto: Don’t help those who won’t help themselves.
I rushed to the file room and pulled my phone. I explained to my father what had happened and asked his advice on what to do, only to be asked back. He must have forgotten the unwritten rule between us about not answering a question with a question. Fortunately, I came up with an idea that would have the best of both worlds.
I took up the files and headed for the coffee pot. I took two cups and made two cups of coffee. Then I walked into the boss’ office with a cup of coffee in each hand. I handed my boss a cup of coffee and drank at the same time as him.
“Let’s take a break,” partway through the meeting, my boss stood, saying. “I need more coffee.” I picked up my empty cup. “I do, too,” I said, and handed it to him across the table. “Thanks,” I added, looking at him expectantly. The boss was staggered for a moment, and then took the cup from me.
When I finally left my boss’ office, I hid in the bathroom and called my dad. My father’s laughter on the phone made me feel even prouder.
1. Why does the author mention the Wilsons?| A．To show how the couple grew old together. |
| B．To picture what she will be like when she ages. |
| C．To stress her opposition to inequality in society. |
| D．To explain her unwillingness to serve the coffee. |
| A．She meant to share instead of serving. |
| B．She planned to have the boss serve her later. |
| C．She intended to play a trick on her mean boss. |
| D．She wanted to save the trouble of doing it again. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Shocked. | C．Confused. | D．Excited. |
| A．She figured out how to show respect for her superior. |
| B．She found it practical to seek solutions from her father. |
| C．She took a sensible approach to standing up for herself. |
| D．She considered it significant to fight against men bravely. |
3 . A fat man with a camera around his neck and a bottle of sunscreen cream sticking out of his bag, he really did look like a tourist. He sat on the terrace (平台), sipping lemonade and pretending to look at a tourism brochure. His sunglasses masked his eyes, but I knew he wasn't looking at the brochure: he hadn't turned a page for the last ten minutes. As I brought him his dishes, he coughed up a "thank you" and looked at me briefly I tried not to stare at the tiny scar across his left eyebrow.
I walked back inside with my empty tray, shaking my head. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place him. Then it hit me. The car accident. The mysterious stranger who helped me out of my crashed car, just before it exploded. I rushed back to his table. He was gone.
I moved his saucer and found his tip, along with a card: I am deeply grateful to you. The night of your car accident, I was on my way to rob a jewelry store. Saving your life brought things back in a right way. I now live an honest life, thanks to you. God bless you! Mr. D.
I shivered (震颤). The night of my car accident, I was heading for an interview in an illegal dance club. Seeing human kindness through his heroic gesture (英雄姿态) turned my life around and brought faith back into my life. I unfolded the tip he left. Among the singles was a grand (一千块) with a pen mark underlining "In God We Trust. "I said a silent prayer for him and got back to work, smiling.
1. Why did the fat man look like a tourist?| A．Because he doesn't look like a native citizen. |
| B．Because he ordered strange food and drinks |
| C．Because he used money not the same as the locals. |
| D．Because he carried what tourists usually have on. |
| A．The page remained unturned. | B．He was drinking all the time. |
| C．He sat still with his sunglasses. | D．He was staring at the writer. |
| A．The man became a rich man year later. |
| B．The writer didn't go to that interview. |
| C．The writer had been searching for the man. |
| D．They kept in touch with each other since then. |
| A．Cod. | B．Worried. | C．Grateful. | D．Trusty. |
4 . Danny and Susie were walking to school when Susie noticed something under the bushes.
“What is that?” Susie asked, as she pointed to a bush.
“Hmm, I’m not sure.” Danny reached down to get it. It was a book, and it looked old. The title was Buried Treasure. He started looking through the book. It was full of different maps that were supposed to lead to buried treasure. “Wow, this book looks great!”
Their friend Fred joined them during a break at school. Susie held the book and turned the pages. Each treasure map had an explanation for where it was found, and what the treasure was supposed to be. The stories were exciting, and Susie, Danny and Fred let their minds run wild. They wished there were a treasure map in their town for them to explore. What a fun adventure that would be!
They were getting toward the end of the book when a piece of paper fell out.
Danny opened the paper. It had the name of their town on top, and it was a map of their town! There was a marking on the map, which meant one thing: treasure! They immediately decided to start their own adventure! They followed the directions and guidance of the map and finally they stopped at a park.
“Where do you think the treasure is?” asked Fred.
“I don’t know, but I hope it’s good!” said Danny.
They started looking around for hints. Finally, Susie called out to Danny and Fred, “I found it!” Hanging on the trunk of a tall tree was a tiny glass bottle, in which there was a message, saying “The best treasure is good adventure with good friends!” Danny, Fred and Susie looked at each other, smiling and nodding.
1. Which of the statement is TRUE according to the text?| A．It was Danny who first noticed the book. | B．Fred joined Danny and Susie after school. |
| C．They found a message hidden in a tiny glass bottle. | D．They got a map of their town once opening the book. |
| A．Trees. | B．Clues. | C．Maps. | D．Bottles. |
| A．In the bottle. | B．On the trunk. | C．At the park. | D．Through the adventure. |
| A．guiding people to find treasure maps | B．recommending an interesting book |
| C．calling on people to cherish friendship | D．encouraging people to hunt for treasure |
5 . When I was a boy, we lived 4 miles outside of town. We lived next to the forest and I would spend hours every day playing in it with the oak (橡树) and maple trees as my companions. I would climb up their limbs, sit in their shade, and feel their peace.
That is why it was so hard for me when I found myself to be a lumberjack as a young man. It wasn't just the back breaking work, the long hours, and the low pay. It was also seeing day after day beautiful trees that had grown for half a century being sawed (锯) up and cut into flooring. Still, I couldn't help but think that they looked a lot more lovely as living trees reaching up to Heaven than as dead flooring lying under my feet.
One afternoon after a long day's work, I was feeling particularly down and depressed.I decided to take a walk in the woods like I had as a boy in hopes of lifting my spirits and calming my soul. As I walked along with my aching back and tired body, I longed for those happy childhood days. I dropped my head frustratedly and looked down at the dirt. That is when I saw it: a single, red oak acorn (橡子) that had somehow survived the hungry deer and squirrels all winter long.Then I remembered something I'd read once: “Eventually an acorn becomes a forest!” I smiled, bent down, dug up a handful of dirt, and planted that little acorn, feeling peace and joy warming my heart. Then I walked back home happy once again to be a part of God's green earth.
In this life we all start out as an acorn, but whether we become a forest or not is up to us. God gives us this glorious life here to grow, learn, laugh, love,share, smile, and help others to do the same.Embrace this gift of life. Use it to every day stretch your soul towards Heaven and create a mighty forest of love.
1. Which of the following can best describe the author's childhood?| A．Carefree |
| B．Dull. |
| C．Plain. |
| D．Miserable. |
| A．A person who plants trees. |
| B．A person who waters trees. |
| C．A person who cuts trees. |
| D．A person who protects the forest. |
| A．He climbed up an oak tree. |
| B．He planted a little oak acorn. |
| C．He came across a book he had ever read. |
| D．He found some hungry deer and squirrels. |
| A．Accepting the gift of life. |
| B．Taking a walk in the woods. |
| C．Experiencing a typical working day. |
| D．Refreshing the unforgettable memory. |
6 . Mikah Frye, a 9-year-old boy, was walking down the streets with his grandmother discussing Christmas gifts when he saw some homeless people struggling to stay warm in the cold night. Then he was thinking about a way to help the homeless to spend a warm Christmas.
That thought stayed in Mikah Frye’s mind and when he reached home, Mikah informed his parents not to buy the Microsoft XBox gaming device he had asked for earlier. Mikah realized that by not buying the $300 device, he could instead donate over 30 blankets to the homeless. He knew how much it meant to be warm in the cold holiday season.
Three years ago, Mikah and his parents were the ones living in a homeless shelter. Having suffered a financial crisis, they too had lost their house, not knowing where their next meal would come from and sharing a blanket every night. Mikah was six years old then but he remembered what it was like to have to give back that precious blanket every morning.
Reaching out to the emergency shelter programme that looked after them 3 years ago, the family donated 60 blankets in the end, each with a personalized message of hope in Mikah’s handwriting stating: “They gave me a blanket, but I had to leave it. That’s why I want you to have your own blanket. Today, I live in my own house, and someday you will too. Your friend, Mikah.”
The homeless people at the shelter may not have been able to give Mikah a Christmas gift in return but his gesture was noted by the billion dollar company Microsoft who made sure that Mikah was fooled into visiting their store so that Santa Claus could personally deliver an XBox from the company to him as a reward for making the top of “Santa’s list of nice boys” that year.
1. Why did Mikah give up his Christmas gift?| A．The device was out of date. | B．His parents had a tight budget. |
| C．He wanted to spend a warm Christmas. | D．He decided to do something charitable. |
| A．His own experience. | B．His parents’ education. |
| C．His visiting to the emergency shelter. | D．The cold weather during the holiday season. |
| A．The homeless gave Mikah a gift in return. |
| B．He finally got the gift he wanted on Christmas. |
| C．The company Microsoft fooled Mikah into buying an Xbox. |
| D．Mikah wrote a thank-you note to the emergency shelter he lived in. |
| A．Mikah’s Precious Christmas Gift |
| B．Mikah’s Giving Warmth on Christmas |
| C．Microsoft Rewarded Nice Boys on Santa’s List |
| D．The Homeless Needed Blankets on a Cold Christmas |
7 . A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington D. C.. I saw many of our nation’s treasures, and I also saw a lot of unfortunate people like beggars and homeless folks in the streets.
Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, "Can you help me?" When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. In a natural reaction, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it in her hand. I didn’t even look at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar.
But the blind woman smiled and said, "I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office."
Immediately, I realized what I had done. I acted with prejudice—I judged a person simply for what I thought she was.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in America at the age of 15. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, cashier, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice. I remember a time, at age 17—I was a busboy, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well at school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington D. C. cured me of my blindness. She reminded me to always keep my eyes and heart open.
1. When the author came to America at first________.| A．he usually did some work with a little payment. | B．he used to beg for some money on the street. |
| C．he lived a comfortable life as a network engineer. | D．he was respected by others all the time. |
| A．That he gave all his change to the blind woman. |
| B．That he came to Washington D. |
| C．That he didn’t tell the woman the way to the post office. |
| D．The way he treated the blind woman. |
| A．to encourage his son to make a living by himself | B．his son to become a busboy in the future |
| C．his son to work harder at school | D．to remind his son to depend on himself at school |
| A．He disliked being bothered by beggars. |
| B．He once suffered a lot. |
| C．The blind woman didn’t beg for money at that time. |
| D．He was happy to give away his money to beggars. |
8 . Marijana grew up in Serbia. Her parents made a living by picking vegetables and selling them on the market. Neither one of them ever got past primary school. “We were poor," Marijana says.
The Roma are Europe's largest minority (少数)group, numbering 8 to 12 million. They often face discrimination and have trouble getting basic rights and services. Many Roma families go hungry now and then. Roma children are often put into “special schools” for children with special educational needs. Without education, people can't find jobs, and they're poor for generations.
For Marijana and many other young Roma, both the chance for success and the pain of discrimination began in primary school. “It made me feel so bad," she says,"when my classmates' parents didn't want their children to sit with me." Sometimes she had to deal with teachers who picked on her simply because she was Roma. Once, she did an art project for a class.“But the teacher said, ‘You didn't do it, someone else did. You are Roma; it is in your character to lie,’ Marijana says.
But it was not all discrimination. “I had a very nice teacher of geography, ”Marijana says. “Because of the trust some teachers gave me, I felt I needed to keep going and succeed.”
Marijana is glad she went to mainstream schools, where the quality of education was better, but what really got her through school was that her parents believed in her. “Some people often said to my parents, ‘She'll get married. Why are you wasting your money and time on her?’ Nobody except my family believed I could do it,” she says.
Since university in Belgrade, Marijana has been working for the World Bank for 7 years. She deals with both Roma and non-Roma problems including education and social protection. But her most important impact might just come from her own history. “When I do field visits as part of my work, I always tell my own story to encourage Roma kids and their parents to go to school, and not to give up.”
1. What community did Marijana live in as a child?| A．A busy community. | B．A dangerous community. |
| C．A disadvantaged community. | D．A loving and caring community. |
| A．It was boring. | B．It was bittersweet. |
| C．It was generally fun. | D．It was a total failure. |
| A．They didn't care about that. | B．They were strongly against it. |
| C．They couldn't reach an agreement. | D．They knew it would get her somewhere. |
| A．She changes the way they study. | B．She sets a good example for them. |
| C．She prepares them for part-time jobs. | D．She makes them realize the importance of success. |
9 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.
Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.
You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.
A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.
1. What is important before gardeners break ground in their gardens?| A．Receiving some training in planting. |
| B．Drawing up a good plan for their gardens. |
| C．Having the courage to accept the worst outcome. |
| D．Doing research on the common local garden plants. |
| A．Improving the condition of the soil. | B．Growing your most favorable plants. |
| C．Taking care of the plants in your garden. | D．Selecting proper goals in gardening work. |
| A．Your quality of life depends on your positive action. |
| B．Your experience can help you understand plants better. |
| C．Your choice of soil is an important part in your gardening. |
| D．Your knowledge of planting will make you a successful gardener. |
| A．Beneficial | B．Creative | C．Boring. | D．Tough |
10 . I did an experiment last week. No, nothing involving test tubes or beakers (烧杯). Instead, I experimented with not watching the news right before I went to bed.
This is a long-time habit of mine so it’s probably not surprising that the first couple of nights I got a little twitchy when news time rolled around and I wasn’t watching. To distract myself, I went to bed a little earlier and read. Wow, what a treat that was! I love to read but I don’t always make the time for it so this felt quite luxurious. On the nights I didn’t read, I spent a little extra time petting my dog, Henry. He loved it. There’s never enough ear scratching for him. The compromise nights were when I had a book in one hand and was petting the dog with the other. Happy all around!
The funny thing about happiness is that it’s a whole lot easier to feel when you’re not being bombarded (轰炸) by images of bad news. It’s not like skipping the late news means that I don’t know what’s going on in the world. I still do read, listen to, and watch news stories. Just not right before I go to bed. That makes it easier to fall asleep and then stay asleep without dreaming about crime, wars, or natural disasters. (Although that dream I had about going to the prom might count as a natural disaster!) It’s definitely a much gentler way to end the day. I like it so much that I’m going to not only continue the no news before bed practice, but I’m also going to experiment with turning off other electronics earlier in the evening, things like the computer and smart phone.
Do you have any experience with turning off your electronics early in the evening? Does setting a particular time, like digital Quiet Hours, work? Please share any tips you have. Something tells me that this could be a little more challenging for me than no news.
1. What does the underlined word “twitchy” mean?| A．Angry. | B．Sad. | C．Anxious. | D．Pleased. |
| A．To treat himself with snacks. |
| B．To read to his dog. |
| C．To turn off the TV. |
| D．To read in bed. |
| A．He had more time to walk his dog. |
| B．He was less exposed to images of bad news. |
| C．He was cut off from the current world. |
| D．He had nightmares. |
| A．To encourage the readers to cut down time on electronics. |
| B．To gather the readers’advice in watching TV. |
| C．To share the effect of watching news. |
| D．To tell the readers the importance of reading. |
