1 . I became a magician by accident. When I was nine years old, I learned how to make a coin disappear. I’d read The Lord of the Rings and ventured into the adult section of the library to search for a book of spells—nine being that curious age at which you’re old enough to work through more than 1,200 pages of fantasy literature but young enough to still hold out hope that you might find a book of real, actual magic in the library. The book I found instead taught basic sleight-of-hand technique, and I dedicated the next months to practice.
At first the magic wasn’t any good. At first it wasn’t even magic; it was just a trick—a bad trick. I spent hours each day in the bathroom running through the secret moves in front of the mirror. I dropped the coin over and over, a thousand times in a day, and after two weeks of this my mom got a carpet from the hardware store and placed it under the mirror to muffle the sound of the coin falling again and again.
I had heard my dad work through passages of new music on the piano, so I knew how to practice—slowly, deliberately, going for precision rather than speed. One day I tried the illusion in the mirror and the coin vanished. It did not look like a magic trick. It looked like a miracle.
One of the lessons you learn very early on as a magician is that the most amazing part of a trick has nothing to do with the secret. The secret is simple and often dull: a hidden piece of tape, a small mirror, a duplicate playing card, diversion of the audience’s attention. In this case, the secret was a series of covert ( 暗 中 的 ) technique to hide the coin behind my hand in the act of opening it, a dance of the fingers that I learned so completely I didn’t even have to think. I would close my hand, then open it, and the coin would vanish not by skill but by real magic.
1. What book did the author intend to find in the library when he was nine years old?| A．A book teaching people how to make a coin disappear. |
| B．The second book of The Lord of the Rings. |
| C．A book on how to become a magician. |
| D．A book of real magic. |
| A．clean | B．punish |
| C．lower | D．kill |
| A．Without music, life is of no value. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Great liars are also great magicians. | D．No pains, no gains. |
| A．Carrying out skillful hand moves. |
| B．Using real magic to create miracles. |
| C．Hiding some stage tools inside the coat. |
| D．Guiding the audience to focus on something unimportant. |
2 . When I was in my first year of high school, I had a terrible time when every area of my life was a disaster. I felt so hopeless and alone that I thought everything was impossible.
On one such day, I was walking from class across the school to catch the school bus home, with my head down, fighting tears of total hopelessness, when a young man came down the sidewalk toward me. Though I had never seen him before, I did not want him to see that I was in such low spirits, so I turned my head away and hoped to hurry past. I thought he'd walk on by, but he moved until he was directly in front of me, waited until I looked up, and then smiled.
Looking into my eyes, this stranger spoke in a quiet voice："Whatever is wrong will pass. You're going to be OK, just hang on." He then smiled again and walked away.
I can't explain the effect of that man's unexpected kindness and caring! He gave me the one thing that I'd lost completely—hope. I looked for him in our school to thank him, but never saw him again.
That was thirty years ago. And I've never forgotten that moment. Over the years, whenever I see someone who is in trouble, I will always think of that young man and try to give a flash of hope in the dark wherever I can. I carry things for people when they are too heavy for them, sit with naughty babies in the waiting room while their mothers are busy, or talk to tired couples at the checkout line or it could be anything.
If you keep your head up, your heart will show you the place that needs hope.
1. Where did the writer meet with the young man？
| A．In the school. | B．In the school bus. | C．In the classroom. | D．In the library. |
| A．had known the young man for a long time |
| B．made friends with the young man afterwards |
| C．was grateful to that young man very much |
| D．avoided meeting the young man since then |
| A．show his sympathy to those who are badly ill |
| B．give others hope of life when they are in trouble |
| C．realize his promise made to the young man |
| D．get respect from those who were helped by him |
| A．the young man always tried his best to help those who were in trouble |
| B．it was the young man's smile and words that made the author feel hopeful |
| C．the author had never been praised by others before he met with the young man |
| D．the author traveled to a lot of places to look for the young man but failed |
3 . Mama and I spend mornings cleaning up the dirt that blows into our house. Mama says all the dust is due to the drought. The dirt sifts into everything. It covers our clothes. We have to wash the dishes before each meal. We rarely drive the truck because Papa fears the dust from the road will ruin the motor.
When my sister, Faye, and I walk to school, we wear kerchiefs over our mouths so we don’t breathe in the dirt. On days when the air is so bad that they close the school, we stay home and help Mama put wet sheets over the windows. But the dirt always finds a way in.
Last Sunday, there was no dirt in the air, only bright spring sunshine and a clear blue sky. After lunch, Papa headed out to the field to check on the cattle while I played with Faye in the yard. The temperature suddenly dropped. I looked to the west and saw a huge black cloud of dust.
All the birds flew away. “I must warn Papa,” I thought to myself. To avoid her panicking, I gently told Faye to go back inside where she would be safe, and then headed off to the field.
The storm hit so fast, and in an instant the day turned into night. By the time I entered the cow field the fine sand was whipping across my face. I screamed for Papa, hoping my voice would lead him back.
The dirt and sand stung my skin like a thousand bees. Although I was terrified, I refused to turn back. My dad was stranded and needed my help. Covering my face with one hand, I groped my way toward the truck and opened the door. First I tried turning the truck’s lights on and off, hoping that Papa would see them flashing, but the sandstorm let no light escape. Then I pushed the horn again and again, so Papa would hear it. I pushed until I had no more strength in my arms.
Suddenly, Papa’s face appeared at the window. My heart leaped with surprise and relief. He opened the door and climbed onto the seat next to me. He then pulled me into his arms and said, “Oh, Iris, you saved me!”
Finally, the wind subsided and the dust began to settle. Dirt was piled up to the window on one side of the truck and halfway up the door on the other. Papa kicked against the door, opening it far enough to let us out.
Sand and soil drifts were everywhere, but we were safe.
1. What is the main function of the first two paragraphs?| A．It describes a problem the characters must solve. |
| B．It establishes the setting where the story takes place. |
| C．It introduces the characters that will follow in the story. |
| D．It explains the motivations for the characters’ later actions. |
| A．He was trying to get to his truck. |
| B．He needed to prepare the field for harvest. |
| C．He wanted to make sure the animals were fine. |
| D．He planned to bring in the cattle before the storm. |
| A．By warning him to run away. | B．By turning on the truck’s lights. |
| C．By guiding him towards the shelter. | D．By screaming his name at the top of her voice. |
| A．Brave and calm. | B．Experienced and confident. |
| C．Adventurous and careful. | D．Fearless and sympathetic |
4 . For some years，my mother worked for a charity as President and Secretary.Selling raffle tickets(兑奖券) was her main means of bringing in the charity’s muchneeded funds.We girls would accompany her，selling tickets with great success.My father made and donated beautiful wooden toys，jewellery boxes and other lovely items as prizes.
Now my sister was always coming up with “good ideas”，most of which didn’t work out to plan.But that didn’t deter her.She had many just waiting to be tested.When she was eight and I was just five，we had a wonderful idea for a business adventure.We decided we would sell raffle tickets for charity，and that charity was us!
So one afternoon，we told our mother we were going to play in the park with our cousins as we did most days after school.But instead，we walked around the streets armed with a raffle book，a pen and a large cloth bag to carry the money.
We’d accompanied our mother many times when she sold tickets，so people were familiar with us when we appeared at their doors.Despite the blank looks they received when asking about the prizes on offer，they were very generous.Although there were no actual prizes，our mother’s previous track record enabled us to sell nearly the whole book of raffle tickets.
Like a little pair of lottery(彩票) winners，we walked home and proudly showed off our takings.But our enjoyment of this sudden wealth was shortlived，and our plans for spending it quickly failed.Our angry mother took us back to every ticket buyer，making us apologise and give the money back.Thankfully，our sweet neighbours didn’t make a big deal of our “clever” misbehavior and thus my mother’s
fundraising career could continue safely.We were taught a good lesson by our mother that day.Also I remember my sister’s entrepreneurial(企业家的) spirit dried up a bit after that.
1. What did the author’s father do?
| A．He got prizes ready. | B．He sold handmade items. |
| C．He was in charge of a charity. | D．He helped design raffle tickets. |
| A．Embarrass. | B．Shock. |
| C．Discourage. | D．Mislead. |
| A．They ran into their mother. |
| B．They met some generous strangers. |
| C．They got lost while walking around the streets. |
| D．They took advantage of people’s trust in their mother. |
| A．Honesty is the best policy. | B．What’s done can’t be undone. |
| C．Misfortune never comes alone. | D．Good advice is beyond all price. |
5 . Mr. Harris used to work in Dover, but then he changed his work, and he and his wife moved to another town. They did not have many friends there, but they soon met a lot of interesting people, and after a few weeks, they often went to dinner or to parties at other people’s houses. Then Mrs. Harris said to her husband, “We’ve been to a lot of other people’s houses, and now we must invite them to our house, mustn’t we?”
“Yes, certainly,” answered her husband, “A big party will be the easiest thing, won’t it? Then we can start to invite people to dinner in small numbers next month.”
So Mrs. Harris said, “Yes, I’ll invite all our friends here to a big party on 5th December.”
“How many will that be?” Mr. Harris asked. “Don’t invite too many.”
Mrs. Harris was beginning to write the invitations when her husband saw that she was writing, “Party: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.”
“That isn’t very nice, is it?” he said. “You’re telling our guests that they must go at 8:30.” So Mrs. Harris just wrote “Party: 6:30 p.m.”
A lot of guests came, and they all had a good time, so they did not go home at 8:30. In fact they were still there at mid-night when the door bell rang and a policeman arrived. He said, “You must stop making a noise, because someone has complained.”
Mr. Harris said he did not want to quarrel with the policeman, so everyone went home. They were sorry to have to go.
When Mr. and Mrs. Harris were alone again, she said to him. “That was a surprise, wasn’t it? Who complained about the noise?”
“I did,” Mr. Harris answered in a tired voice.
1. Why did Mr. Harris and his wife move to another town?| A．They wanted to make some new friends. |
| B．Mr Harris changed his work. |
| C．They wanted to meet a lot of interesting people. |
| D．They enjoyed going to parties and visiting other people houses. |
| A．They had gone to other peoples parties many times. |
| B．They could ask people to dinner in small numbers. |
| C．They liked making friends with others |
| D．It was easy to hold a big party at home |
| A．From the morning till night. | B．About fourteen hours. |
| C．About two hours. | D．Till midnight. |
| A．At about 8: 30. |
| B．When the policeman talked with Mr Harris on the phone. |
| C．About twelve o'clock at midnight. |
| D．When someone telephoned the police station. |
6 . In 2009, Dan Black was hit by a car in his hometown of Chepstow, Wales, as he was biking to his job at a grocery store. The accident left him unable to move from the chest down. During his recovery, he suffered a stroke that made his right arm useless. Once a promising guitarist, Dan, now 25, lives with his parents and requires around-the-clock care that costs nearly $ 300,000 a year. After the accident, a friend of his started the Help Dan Black Fund to cover some of Dan’s medical expenses. Dan learned about an experimental stem cell(干细胞) treatment in China that could enable him to walk again. After four years, donations to help Dan Black totaled nearly $ 30,000.
One day, in 2013, a news story caught the eye of Dan’s mother, Michacla, who then shared the story with her son. The story featured a five-year-old boy named Brecon Vaughan. He had a rare form of disease and never walked by himself. The boy’s family had created a website with which to raise nearly $ 100,000 needed for a trip to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where treatment was offered that could help Brecon walk. Only half the amount had been raised, said the report.
Dan deliberated. Then, after considering that his own dream of walking could be years away, he donated his $30,000 to Brecon’s cause. “I know how it feels to walk. Brecon doesn’t. He needs it much more than I do.” Dan told a newspaper.
Dan’s generosity received a great deal of attention, and contributions started pouring in to the Vaughan website. The family soon exceeded their fund-raising goal. They’ve promised to give the extra funds, about $17,000, to the Tree of Hope charity, which helps sick children in the United Kingdom find specialized medical help. In October, Brecon and his family travelled to St. Louis to begin treatment. “What Dan did is great.” Brecon’s mother said, “It is an extraordinary gift.”
1. What do we know about Dan Black?| A．He promised to be a guitarist. |
| B．He donated his money from his need. |
| C．He created a website to collect money. |
| D．He lost his right arm in an accident. |
| A．Achieved. | B．Brought up. |
| C．Went beyond. | D．Set. |
| A．Dan Black’s example. | B．Brecon’s story |
| C．Michaela’s suggestion. | D．The Vaughans’promise |
| A．Support Dan Black’s treatment. | B．Fund Brecon’s trip to St. Louis. |
| C．Help sick children in the UK. | D．Give away to the Tree of Hope charity. |
7 . It was late one evening. I can’t remember what it was about, but my dad and I had a very big argument when my mom was away. We both said things we didn’t mean, and in the end I said, “I’m leaving.” And he said, “Good. The sooner, the better.”
I threw a few things in a suitcase and closed the door angrily behind me, not knowing where I was going. After walking aimlessly for about 20 minutes, I stopped at a local supermarket. Then my phone rang. It was my mom calling. She said, “Hey, Mary. Where are you？Dad is worried about you.”
“How can he worry about me？I’ve been away for nearly half an hour, but he didn’t call,” I said with annoyance(气恼). My anger returned and I remembered all the hateful things he’d shouted to me. “Listen, Mom. You can tell Dad that I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said and hung up.
I walked around the store, trying to get my thoughts together. By the time I paid for my purchases, it had been much later than I used to be out alone. When I left the supermarket, a large piece of white paper was in front of me. On the piece of white paper were these words: “Please come home! I miss you and I’m worried about you！”
Then a car pulled up beside me. Hanging out of the window was my dad. Beside him, smiling gently, sat my mom. And that’s when I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I cried. Despite my best efforts to run away from home, my father finally managed to track me down. I couldn’t leave now, not with him sitting there with caring eyes.
1. Hearing Mary decided to leave home, Mary’s father was very ________.| A．worried | B．nervous |
| C．angry | D．surprised |
| A．became angrier than before | B．gave in to her father |
| C．cried and calmed down | D．agreed to go home |
| A．Actions Mary regretted. | B．Goods Mary bought. |
| C．Telephone calls Mary made. | D．Lessons Mary learned. |
| A．Mary’s mother hated her father. | B．Mary still refused to go home. |
| C．Mary’s father became angry again. | D．Mary returned home happily. |
8 . For over one hundred and fifty years, Americans of all social classes have worn blue jeans.
Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829.
Strauss did not want to be a person who searched an area for minerals.Instead, he knew he could make a good living by selling supplies to the miners.At first, he planned to sell sewing supplies and cloth.
In 1873, Strauss received a letter from a Jewish tailor named Jacob Davis who had invented a process of connecting pockets with copper rivets (铆钉).This made the pants last a long time.Because Davis did not have the money to patent his idea, he offered to share it with Strauss if Strauss would agree to pay for the patent.
By the time Strauss died in 1902, he had made a great contribution to American fashion.
| A．Nobody knew what kind of material was suitable. |
| B．As a young boy, he moved with his family to the United States. |
| C．However, he did not get much business for those products. |
| D．He did and Levi jeans have been made with metal rivets ever since. |
| E．He also made a great contribution to America's clothing industry. |
| F．As the business grew, Strauss got much money from it. |
| G．Since they were invented by Levi Strauss, they have become a symbol of American consumer culture. |
9 . Some time ago, I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there were a whole lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth — so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds.” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that, but it’s nothing.”
Everything was going according to the plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I’m sorry; I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “Your must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said would you mend this chair for me?” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver (五镑钞票)?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.
1. We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer ________.| A．was rather impolite |
| B．was warmly received |
| C．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair |
| D．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair |
| A．changed his mind |
| B．accepted the offer |
| C．saw the writer’s purpose |
| D．decided to help the writer |
| A．￡5. | B．￡7. | C．￡20. | D．￡27. |
| A．smart | B．careful | C．honest | D．funny |
Izzy, nine, restarted father Colm’s heart by stamping (踩) on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing.
Izzy’s mother, Debbie, immediately called 999 but Izzy knew doctors would never arrive in time to save her father, so decided to use CPR.
However, she quickly discovered her arms weren’t strong enough, so she stamped on her father’s chest instead.
Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest compressions (按压) until the ambulance arrived.
Izzy, who has been given a bravery award by her school, said: “I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasn’t strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his chest.”
“She’s a little star,” said Debbie, “I was really upset but Izzy just took over. I just can’t believe what she did. I really think all children should be taught first aid. Izzy did CPR then the doctor turned up. Colm had to have more treatment on the way to the hospital and we’ve got to see an expert.”
Truck driver Colm, 35, suffered a mystery allergic reaction on Saturday and was taken to hospital, but was sent home only for it to happen again the next day. The second attack was so serious that his airway swelled, preventing him from breathing, his blood pressure dropped suddenly, and his heart stopped for a moment.
He has now made a full recovery from his suffering.
1. Izzy kicked her father in the chest ________| A．to express her helplessness | B．to practise CPR on him |
| C．to keep him awake | D．to restart his heart |
①Izzy kicked Colm. ②Debbie called 999.
③Izzy learned CPR. ④Colm’s heart stopped.
| A．3124 | B．4231 | C．3421 | D．4312 |
| A．What Colm suffered. |
| B．Colm’s present condition. |
| C．What caused Colm’s allergy. |
| D．Symptoms of Colm’s allergic reaction. |
| A．To describe a serious accident. |
| B．To prove the importance of CPR. |
| C．To report a 9-year-old girl’s brave act. |
| D．To call people’s attention to allergic reaction. |
