1 . “On the very first day of 2024, I saw the snow of Kilimanjaro, not from the novel written by Ernest Hemingway, but from the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro!” Xu Zhuoyuan, a 17-year-old mountaineer who’d stood on top of Mount Qomolangma last May, climbed onto the tallest peak in Africa, making herself the youngest Chinese girl that conquered it.

Xu’s passion for mountaineering was motivated by her father, who himself reached many peaks, including Mount Qomolangma. And her mountaineering journey began on a family trip to Xizang and Sichuan four years ago. For many years, Xu devoted herself to rigorous training. She went to the mountains in Yunnan and Sichuan every month, climbing peaks over 5,000 meters and doing daily physical exercises like running, swimming and rope skipping. All that hard work got her ready for the challenges she would face on Kilimanjaro.

Above 4000 meters on Mount Kilimanjaro, the climate is similar to a desert, with big temperature differences. The whole climb took 7 days, during which Xu faced unpredictable weather such as rain and strong winds. Staying warm and avoiding heat loss was the main challenge. Xu had to be very sensitive to any temperature changes and adjust her clothing accordingly. This climb was also a learning experience for Xu. She was climbing with Xia Boyu (aged 74), the first Chinese climber to summit Mount Qomolangma with an artificial leg, who’d inspired Xu a lot.

Mountaineering, Xu discovered, is not just about being strong physically; it is also a journey of self-discovery. “In climbing and life, it’s important to know when to let go of things that are weighing us down and how to re start when we feel ready,” she reflected.

1. What inspired Xu Zhuoyuan’s interest in climbing mountains?

A．A novel written by Ernest Hemingway.

B．A former trip to Mount Qomolangma.

C．Her father’s success in mountaineering.

D．Her family trip to Xizang and Sichuan.

2. What does the underlined word “rigorous” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Flexible.

B．Strict.

C．Casual.

D．Dangerous.

3. Which is NOT true about Xu’s Kilimanjaro climbing?

A．She was accompanied by a disabled climber.

B．There was a desert 4000 meters on Mount Kilimanjaro.

C．Weather condition was unstable above Mount Kilimanjaro.

D．Clothes adjustment was needed due to temperature changes.

4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A．Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro—A Chinese Girl’s Bravery.

B．Conquering New Heights —A Story of Passion.

C．Mountaineering—A Journey of Self-discovery.

D．Mount Kilimanjaro —A Destination of Inspiration.

2 . 3 Most Inspirational Stories For The Child In You

Whether you choose to share these tales with your children or enjoy a personal journey through their pages, you’re about to unwrap a fascinating world of inspiration! Now is the time to visit our web and be ready to be inspired!

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! — By Dr. Seuss

In a world full of creatures and strange features living in a colorful town, there is a character who sets out on an amazing journey. This character sailed through many adventures. Facing all the challenges, this character never gave up. Do you know why? Because it is understood that life is just an exciting journey that is full of surprises. And if you are brave enough, you will find lots of opportunities just waiting around the corner.

The Little Engine That Could — By Watty Piper

In a colorful world of engines, there lived a tiny blue engine. It was small but it had big dreams! One day, the engines were entrusted (委派) with the most important task of the year: To deliver toys to children who live on the other side of the towering mountain. “It’s too hard. We can’t do it.” Said all the bigger engines. But the little engine believed in itself and set out on the mountain with effort. The little blue engine completed the task and it was only able to do this because it believed in itself!

The Rainbow Fish — By Marcus Pfister

There was an extraordinarily beautiful fish called the Rainbow Fish that had sparkling scales in the oceans. But it did not want to share its scales with other fish. Despite being so beautiful, it had no friends! One day, a wise octopus (章鱼) told the fish that we truly feel satisfied in life when we share our blessings with the less fortunate. The Rainbow Fish reflected on its own life and started sharing its scale with other fish. The Rainbow Fish made many friends that day. It discovered the joy of a true friendship.

1. If you hope your child has courage to conquer difficulties, which story you probably choose?

A．Oh, the Places You’ll Go!	B．The Little Engine That Could.
C．The Rainbow Fish.	D．All of them.

2. Who makes the Rainbow Fish change its mind?

A．Itself.

B．Other fish.

C．Marcus Pfister.

D．The wise octopus.

3. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A story book.

B．A web page.

C．A newspaper.

D．A textbook.

3 . Torsongan Bullik is a 28-year-old cross-country skier. When he was a freshman in junior high school in 2009, he excelled at long-distance running. As an amateur in 2016, he finished third in the Xinjiang Wusu International Marathon. And then a passion for cycling revealed itself as his hometown hosted the Tour of Sayram Lake, a national road race for amateur cyclists.

“The high-spirited cyclists, their flashy costumes and helmets fascinated me,” he recalls. “I felt that cycling was really cool.”

In 2012, Torsongan’s father gave him a mountain bike that cost 5,000 yuan ($695), which was a lot of money for his family. He loved the bicycle so much that he used it at every opportunity. Two years later, he entered his first competition, although there was no fairy-tale ending as he lost his balance on a steep slope. But he was determined and kept testing his limits. This paid off as he has won medals at all levels of the sport in China.

On Oct 18, 2018, Torsongan was the first to cross the finish line during a high-altitude bike race in the Xizang autonomous region. But surprisingly, it was the national cross-country skiing team that he impressed with his endurance (耐力). They were in search of new talented athletes for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Accepting the invitation from the team marked a turning point for Torsongan’s career, but challenges remained. “After training with the team during the day, I had to go to the gym to level up my upper-body strength in the evening,” Torsongan said in an earlier interview.

He didn’t make the final list, but worked as a technician assisting (帮助) in the operations of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Regardless of the outcome of the 14th National Winter Games, Torsongan enjoyed the challenge of competing, and has his eyes set on the next race.

“I will continue with my efforts. As long as I don’t give up, I still have a chance to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics,” he says.

1. What set Torsongan on the cross-country skiing road?

A．He felt that skiing was really cool.

B．He studied on cross-country skiing.

C．A professional team looked for someone with talent.

D．He hoped to fulfill his father’s expectations.

2. Which of the following can best describe Torsongan?

A．Determined and hard-working.	B．Cautious and responsible.
C．Strong and humorous.	D．Talented and productive.

3. Which of the following can we know from the Torsongan?

A．He used to be a professional long-distance runner.

B．His hard work of bike training didn’t paid off.

C．He didn’t accept the invitation from the team.

D．He was a technician in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

4. What is Torsongan’s next plan?

A．Encouraging others to join in his activity.

B．Becoming a technician assistant in his hometown.

C．Continuing his dream at the next Winter Olympics.

D．Becoming a long-distance running player.

4 . Jiang Shumei wasn’t educated as a child, learning her first Chinese character at the age of 60. Now, the 87-year-old grandmother is the proud author of six books. She learned her first character in 1996, after her husband died in a car accident, when her daughter Zhang Ailing suggested that she learn to read to take her mind off the loneliness and sorrow.

Zhang says that her mother had her own way of learning. Whenever she came across characters she didn’t know at bus stops or shop signs, she found someone to ask. Once Jiang had learned enough characters, Zhang started giving her books to read. Enjoying the books, Jiang told her daughter that she wanted to write down her own stories to share.

She first put pen to paper in 2012, at the age of 75. It was not easy. Sometimes,completing a single sentence could take a day. Jiang usually started writing at 3 or 4 am, and revised the pieces several times until she was satisfied.

Zhang began publishing her mother’s stories on social media platforms in 2013. When Zhang and her mother drew the attention of Zhang’s writer friends, the pair made a decision to publish them. The first book, Time of Trouble, Time of Poverty, was published later that year, and proved to be a success. Some critics even praised it as the “live history of a nation plagued by tough times”. The book earned Jiang a lot of fans and sympathy.

So far, the elderly woman has published six books, totaling more than 600, 000characters in length. She lives a healthy life, exercising every day, drinking milk and soy milk, as well as having regular exercise. “If I could live as long as 130, would you still say that it is too late for me to start after 60?” she asks, jokingly.

1. Why did Jiang learn to read in her later years?

A．To become a proud author.

B．To make up for not going to school.

C．To encourage her friends and families.

D．To reduce the impact of her husband’s death.

2. What made Jiang decide to publish her first book?

A．A strong inner desire.	B．The attention from other writers.
C．Her daughter’s encouragement.	D．The development of social media.

3. What dose the underlined word“plagued”in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Aided.

B．Enlarged.

C．Troubled.

D．Defeated.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．One is never too old to learn.

B．All roads lead to Rome.

C．Where there is life, there is love.

D．Gold can’t be pure and man can’t be perfect.

6 . A badly-injured fox spent two weeks recovering in a garden tent after attaching itself to a family in Glasgow, Scotland.

Liz Wink said the fox followed her home before they noticed a bad wound on its side. “My son Andrew came running in and said ‘there’s a fox following me’,” Wink said. “We opened the door and it was just standing there.”

“I have three dogs and they were barking (吠叫)but it was still trying to come in —its nose was going through the letterbox. We noticed the wound. We put food in the back garden and it made the back garden its home. There was also a chair in the back.” The fox was fed food including cooked chicken. “We also bought a tent, with an old quit cover in it.”

Wink said antibiotics(抗生素)were given after contacting a vet, and the fox finally left their garden with the wound healed after a fortnight. “It was here day and night,” Wink said. “My daughter Lucy is good with animals and would pat it. It was so quiet.”

“Clearly, when foxes are injured they take a thing called a rescue nap(抢救性小睡)and I think that’s what it has done with us,” Wink said. “They nap for however long it takes , and it completely healed. Then it was up and away and we never saw that fox again. We still have foxes but that one was so friendly, the other ones do run away. Maybe it will come back with babies one day.”

Although it’s great that the fox appeared to make a full recovery, we wouldn’t advise members of the public to attempt to treat sick or injured wild animals themselves. If people find a wounded wild animal in trouble, they should call animal helpline.

1. Why did the fox follow the son Andrew to his home?

A．To make friends with Andrew.	B．To feed its babies.
C．To turned to the family for help.	D．To cure its injured back.

2. What can we learn about the family from paragraph 3?

A．They treated the fox carefully.	B．They fed the dog with chicken.
C．They thought the fox was noisy.	D．They put the fox into the letterbox.

3. What did the fox do for its own recovery?

A．It rested for as long as it would take.	B．It went for a vet to have a check-up.
C．It killed animals nearby for food.	D．It went into forests to heal itself.

4. What does the author suggest people do to help injured wild animals?

A．Treat them under the guidance of vets.

B．Search the wild and look for more of them.

C．Contact animal experts for advice and information.

D．Learn more about them. and offer proper treatment.

5. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Garden Tent and a Kind Fox	B．An Injured Fox and a Kind Family
C．A Badly-injured Fox and Its Travel	D．A Family Travel and an Injured Fox

7 .    Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.

   The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.

   The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”

When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.

1. What is Joseph’s show about?

A．Some talk shows on sports.

B．Ways to get along with parents.

C．Stories about famous sports players.

D．Sports that his family loves playing.

2. What inspired Mike to start the show with his son?

A．His son’s talent for sports.

B．His wish to be a host since college.

C．The deaths of his college roommates.

D．The encouragement from his roommates.

3. What does Joseph think of memorizing his questions?

A．It’s as boring as homework.

B．It’s challenging to his brain.

C．It takes a lot of time but means a lot.

D．It’s more interesting than homework.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A rising sports broadcaster

B．A long road to go to success

C．The father-and-son team hosts

D．Joseph D’Avirro’s big dream

9 . Meyer Mixdorf, 5, was a patient at the children’s hospital in Missouri back in May. There he made his first mystery friend, Johnna Schindlbeck, a medical worker who works across the street.

Meyer’s mother, Liz Mixdorf, said that Meyer got brain cancer (癌症) in December 2020 and was taken to the children’s hospital to receive treatment. Five months into his treatment Liz and her husband decided to arrange sticky notes (便利贴) in the shape of a smiley face on Meyer’s window to cheer him up. They never knew that they would receive a wink face in response (回应) to their artwork a day later.

“It was a really funny and exciting activity that Meyer looked forward to,” Liz said. On Johnna’s side, she had no idea who she was communicating with. She thought that was just fun in the very beginning. Johnna realized her post-it friend was a patient after she saw a hospital sign on the window.

Meyer and his parents worked through other characters, including Iron Man, Batman, the Minions and more. Each creative design they put on would get responses. The Mixdorf family and Johnna Schindlbeck spent several weeks sending sticky note art to each other from their windows in May and July.

On July 13, Meyer was leaving the hospital. He even got a chance to meet Johnna who made his days brighter. “I knew it was him as soon as I saw him and just started crying,” Johnna talked about Meyer’s visit. “I think Liz and I just both had tears.”

Johnna once lost two older brothers to cancer. “That was kind of a personal connection for me. I really feel for him and his family because I know what it feels like to have to walk away at the end of the day and you’re just depending on the hospital staff’s care. Kindness does go a long way,” she shared. “And I’m learning to be thankful for the little things.”

1. What’s Meyer’s parents’ purpose of putting up sticky notes?

A．To decorate the room.	B．To make Meyer happy.
C．To get a wink face back.	D．To teach him make sticky note.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Johnna was curious about Meyer in the beginning.

B．Johnna wanted to encourage Meyer to be positive.

C．Johnna thought giving responses was interesting at first.

D．Johnna liked communicating with others in a new way.

3. Why did Johnna cry when she met Meyer?

A．She got the friendship she wanted.

B．She was happy for Meyer’s visit.

C．She felt sorry for Meyer ‘s illness.

D．She thought of her own experience.

4. Which of the following ideas may the author agree with?

A．A kind heart really makes a difference.

B．Love makes family members come together.

C．People should be thankful for others kindness.

D．The doctor-patient relations are easy to deal with.

10 . It was early spring and my mother worked the soil into a ridge (隆起部分) for sweet potatoes on the edge of her garden. She planted sweet comas next. When I saw the plants, I was really excited. I thought it was really amazing. This gave me an idea. So one day when my mother was working in the garden again, I said to her, “Mum, can I have some space in your garden?”

My mum looked as if she couldn’t believe her ears. I was just six years old then, after all.

“Why do you want some space?” she asked. “I want to grow some plants, too,” I said.

“What plants do you want to grow?” asked my mum.

I thought of some marigold (万寿菊) seeds I had saved from my grandma’s garden, so I told her I wanted to grow that kind of flower.

My mother didn’t answer me immediately. She looked at her plants. All that she had grown were vegetables. I didn’t know what she was thinking back then, but now I do. She didn’t want to waste her garden space. But at last she said, “OK. You can do that.”

I was very happy when I heard that. My mother then gave me a 4-by-4-foot square of space in the garden. With my mother’s guidance, I happily planted the seeds in my small “garden”. Then I watered them. In the following days I waited for the seedlings to appear. When I finally saw some, I let out cries of joy.

I have fallen in love with gardening ever since, I was lucky that I could work in a “garden” of my own when I was little. Today many children living in cities can’t have such fun. But their parents can still take them out to enjoy nature in the wild. It can bring them great joy, believe me!

1. What did the author want to do when she saw the plants grown by her mum?

A．To learn to grow vegetables.	B．To have her own garden space.
C．To observe the plants every day.	D．To help her mother in the garden.

2. How did the author’s mother feel about the author’s request?

A．Surprised.

B．Excited.

C．Interested.

D．Worried.

3. What was the author’s mother most probably thinking then?

A．She should plant some flowers.	B．She should grow more vegetables.
C．She would have to waste some space.	D．She had a lot of garden space to spare.

4. Why does the author share her story?

A．To introduce marigolds to gardeners.	B．To show today’s children live a boring life.
C．To advise people to buy houses with gardens.	D．To encourage parents to take their kids to nature.