1 . Traveling with kids is 90 percent reminding yourself to live in the moment and 10 percent making up your mind to never again leave your house.
I have an uncanny ability to forget this as soon as we return home from a trip and I've finished washing piles of dirty clothes in our luggage and cleaning all the messy caused by the kids. Extremely tired and annoyed, I would actually begin to miss the place we just left!
Family travel is like childbirth, I suppose. Painful, loud, messy, sort of awful, actually, but also wonderful. And you remember only the wonderful—until you’re back on a plane and your kids are fighting over who gets the aisle seat. Then you remember the bad stuff.
Last weekend, my kids and I flew to Texas for a trip we would have nothing to complain(抱怨) about—big hotel, wonderful view.
And yet—we found things to complain about. The pool was bigger in that other hotel! Why do you get to shower first? They call this coffee?! Luckily, I’ve learned to put my metaphorical coat of armor (盔甲) on as soon as we land somewhere, and it forces complaints to bounce off me and land in a pile at my feet.
For three days, genuine fun was had and annoying complaints were heard and ignored. Until it was time to catch a plane and fly home.
Unfortunately, our flight was canceled. We spent hours finding a hotel room. We hit the hotel pool before bed and swam well into the night, my kids making up songs and laughing so hard at their silly lyrics (歌词) and their crazy good fortune to be swimming at 10: 30 on a school night.
And that was when it hit me that family travel is all those things I said before but it’s also a lot more. It’s taking your kids to parts of the world that will open their eyes and finding that actually, yours need opening too. It’s remembering that joy and memories are where you make them, not where you find them.
1. The underlined word “uncanny” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to .| A．unknown. | B．uncertain. |
| C．unexpected. | D．unusual. |
| A．they both cause financial trouble and pain. |
| B．they are both hard as well as rewarding. |
| C．childhood memories come flooding back when they travel. |
| D．both of them need many preparations. |
| A．she tries to deal with the complaints more wisely and properly. |
| B．she turns those annoying complaints into a means to educate kids. |
| C．she has improved her language skills when handling the complaints. |
| D．she has succeeded in escaping kids’ fighting thanks to the armor. |
| A．family vacation benefits her kids as well as her. |
| B．joy and memories should be created rather than discovered. |
| C．the most unforgettable memory for her is about the complaints. |
| D．she has to spend some time on housework after the family vacation. |
2 . "How do you account for your remarkable accomplishment in Queen Victoria of the UK asked Helen Keller. "How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf you were able to accomplish so much?"
Ms. Keller's answer is a tribute (致敬) to her dedicated teacher. "If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.”
According to speaker Zig Ziglar, "Little Annie" Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself and was, at one time, diagnosed as hopelessly "insane" by her caregivers. She was locked in the basement of a mental institution outside of Boston. On occasion, Little Annie would violently attack anyone who came near. Most of the time she generally ignored everyone in her presence.
An elderly nurse believed there was hope, however, and she made it her mission to show love to the child. Every day she visited Little Annie. For the most part, the child did not acknowledge the nursed presence, but she still continued to visit. The kind woman left cookies for her and spoke words of love and encouragement. She believed Little Annie could recover, if only she were shown love.
Eventually, doctors noticed the change in the girl. Where they once witnessed anger and hatred, they now noted a gentleness and love. They moved her upstairs where she continued to improve. Then the day finally came when this seemingly "hopeless'' child was released.
Anne Sullivan grew into a young woman with a desire to help others as she herself was helped by the kind nurse. It was she who saw the great potential in Helen Keller. She loved her, disciplined her, played with her, pushed her and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon of light to the world. Anne Sullivan worked wonders in Helen's life; but it was a loving nurse who first believed in Little Annie and lovingly transformed an uncommunicative child into a compassionate teacher.
“If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown." But if it had not been for a kind and dedicated nurse, the name of Anne Sullivan would have remained unknown.
1. The dialogue between Queen Victoria and Helen Keller is mentioned mainly to .| A．show a deep admiration for Helen Keller |
| B．prove that Helen Keller made a great contribution |
| C．begin telling the story of Helen Keller teacher Anne Sullivan |
| D．get the reader interested in how Helen Keller achieved so much |
| A．Sullivan had a strange disease. |
| B．Almost everyone ignored Sullivan. |
| C．Sullivan was kept away from her parents. |
| D．Sullivan was believed to have a mental problem. |
| A．Sullivan liked the nurse from the very beginning. |
| B．Sullivan experienced firsthand how terrible the life of a deaf child was. |
| C．The elderly nurse had no doubt that Sullivan would be a great teacher. |
| D．Without the nurse, Sullivan couldn't have helped Helen Keller later. |
| A．The Power of Love |
| B．Making a Difference |
| C．The Secret to Being a Good Teacher |
| D．Similarities Between Anne and Helen |
3 . Captain Henry, a 98-year-old American retired fisherman, has become a first-time author, having written and published his autobiography In a Fisherman's Language after learning to read at the age of 91.
Mr.Henry spent most of his life without even his closest family members knowing he was illiterate. Forced to quit school in the third grade to take odd jobs, he kept the secret close to his chest, only telling his late wife. Henry's granddaughter, Marlisa, told reporters how he used tricks, like waiting for others to order at restaurants first, to avoid the issue.
A family argument in his 90s, she said, aroused his desire for education.“He signed a document he could not read about where he was going to live, Marlisa said. Starting with his name, he eventually moved on to the ABC's and children's books. He put them down since his wife fell ill. After the tragic loss of his wife, he went back to reading and began to log (记录) his life. He wrote about his family's voyage from Portugal to the US, how he went on to captain a boat, and his many journeys at sea.
His life stories have become so popular that nearly 800 copies were sold in the first two weeks after the book's release. One thousand more have since been printed as requests for the book flood in from as far as Germany. And now even Hollywood producers have approached Mr. Henry about buying the rights to his life story for a big screen adaptation.
The family also now has a book agent and a deal in the works to publish a second edition. Meanwhile, the family says they are reconnecting and closer than ever as a result of Henry's late-life efforts.“Everyone has a story,” Marlisa said, “It teaches that when you're down and out, never give up.”
1. When did Henry begin writing his life story?| A．When he was 91 years old. | B．After his wife passed away. |
| C．When he was 98 years old. | D．After he retired from work. |
| A．A Hollywood producer wishes to make a movie out of Henry's book. |
| B．Henry never told anyone that he couldn't read or write. |
| C．Henry began his reading with some famous novels. |
| D．Henry's book was well-received only by Americans. |
| A．The family got more money from the 2nd edition. |
| B．The family ties were rebuilt and strengthened. |
| C．His family moved from Portugal to the US. |
| D．His family story has been made into a movie. |
| A．An idle youth, a needy age. | B．Every coin has two sides. |
| C．Practice makes perfect. | D．It is never too old to learn. |
4 . Life on the street is a constant struggle for homeless people. In times of extreme weather conditions, that struggle becomes even more difficult. Recently, homeless people across Chicago faced freezing to death if they couldn't find shelter for the night.
Thankfully, one local woman refused to let that happen. On January 30，2018, 34-year-old Candice Payne, a local managing broker, was lucky enough to have shelter from the dangerous conditions.
“It was - 20℃, and I knew they were going to be sleeping on ice and I had to do something,” said Payne. Payne started brainstorming different ways she could possibly help. Finally， she decided to see if there were any rooms available at local inns and hotels that she could get to help those stuck on the street.
For Payne, her mission was personal. According to Payne, her husband, Carlos Callahan， had lived on the streets at one point in his life. Based on his experiences, Payne knew that the homeless people still out on the street desperately needed help and that if she didn't step up to help, no one likely would.
However, when Payne explained what she was trying to do，many of the local hotels refused to allow her to pay for the rooms as they didn't want homeless people to stay in their rooms. “No one wanted them, but one hotel, the Amber Inn, was nice enough to allow me to buy the rooms,” said Payne.
Payne's selfless act made news across the country. However, she insisted she had never done it for attention. “I am a regular person, ” said Payne, who spent thousands of dollars of her own money to help complete strangers.“It all sounded like a rich person did this, but I’m just a little black girl from the South Side. ”
1. What does the underlined word “ that” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Locals living on the street‘ |
| B．The homeless freezing to death. |
| C．The extreme weather. |
| D．The shelter for the homeless. |
| A．By drawing public attention. |
| B．By giving them money directly. |
| C．By taking them to her own house. |
| D．By buying hotel rooms for them. |
| A．Her husband's past experiences. |
| B．The requests from the homeless. |
| C．Her desire to become famous. |
| D．The coldness of local hotels. |
| A．A Black Fighter Changes the World |
| B．A Woman’s Curiosity Brings a Reward |
| C．A Regular Woman Makes a Difference |
| D．A Couple's Brave Act Moves the Country |
5 . At seventy-three, Marcia Pollock’s father was a man of great independence and pride. The kids called him “Poppy”, a name that everybody used.
Poppy lived in his old neighborhood and he had a part-time job at a local pharmacy（药房）. After Marcia’s mother died, Poppy firmly refused Marcia and Jack’s invitation to come and live with them. He was stubborn about not crowding their little house, about not becoming a burden.
In fact, he was always helpful. The kids loved him because he listened to them and because he always brought them something. He also brought special gifts to Marcia and Jack, never arriving empty-handed.
And so it was with shock and bewilderment（迷惑）that Marcia went to see Poppy in the hospital that summer after he had fallen down in the street. The doctor said that Poppy had been living on coffee and doughnuts. Later that day, the pharmacist told Marcia, “He has practically no money at all—just the government cheque and what little he makes here. Yet I myself saw him spend most of his last cheque on your little boy’s bicycle.”
She became stern with Poppy.“You’re foolish, Poppy,” she said. “I have my pride,” Poppy answered. “False pride,” she hurled（斥责）back at him.
During autumn, Poppy didn’t come around as often as he had in the past, but when he did, he would still arrive with little gifts in hand. Then, just before the holidays, Poppy told Marcia that he couldn’t visit them on Christmas Day because he would watch the store, but Marcia knew the shop was not open on Christmas.
She felt worried and called Poppy, telling him that he was one of them and that they all loved him. Half an hour before the turkey went on the table on Christmas, Poppy came. The kids rushed to him and gave him more hugs and kisses than he had ever had before. Poppy held out his arms to Marcia, and his hands were empty — yet never had they been more filled.
1. Which is Poppy’s reason for not living with his daughter?| A．He had a part-time job. | B．He was stubborn sometimes. |
| C．He liked living independently. | D．He didn’t want to become a burden to her . |
| A．She didn’t know who had knocked Poppy down. |
| B．She thought Poppy had enough money for living. |
| C．She wondered how to take care of him later. |
| D．She thought the doctor didn’t know his living condition. |
| A．patient | B．angry |
| C．respectful | D．afraid. |
| A．Poppy learned that he was loved. |
| B．Poppy had brought enough gifts before. |
| C．Poppy still held his independence and pride. |
| D．Poppy had found reasons for Marcia’s rudeness. |
6 . One day, I was in class, feeling fine, when all of a sudden my heart started racing. I broke out in a sweat, feeling hot and cold all over. My chest hurt, I was dizzy, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Everything went blurry around the edges. Sure I was about to faint, I jerked up from my desk and ran from the room, terrified. I didn’t care what the teacher thought, or that the eyes of the entire class were on me. I just had to get out of there.
I ran to the nearest water fountain and drank some water. For several minutes, I just stood there holding on to the fountain. What was happening? Was I having a heart attack? Slowly, the lightheadedness went away. My heart stopped racing, and every other symptom faded too. I still had no idea what had happened but I was so glad it was over.
Still I was really worried. I’d never felt that bad in my life. What was wrong with me? What if it came back?
And then, an hour later, it did the pounding heart, the dizziness, the feeling that I was dying. Once again, I couldn’t breathe. And this time. there was also pain throughout my entire upper body. I burst into tears and ran for the hallway again, actually afraid for my life. My teacher ran after me asking what was wrong. Panicking, I managed to choke out, “I need an ambulance: Please. “I was sure I was dying.”
To my surprise, though, my teacher didn’t grab her phone for help. Instead, she put her hand on my arm and told me to slow down. “Breathe, ”she said. “you’re going to be okay. You just need to calm down.”
I felt like I was going crazy. Here I was totally losing it, and she was acting like nothing was wrong! She kept on trying to calm me down, but I wasn’t ready to listen. I was sure she didn’t understand how I felt. How could she? How could anyone? Finally, my teacher explained that she was pretty sure I was having a panic attack. (They are also called anxiety attacks.) She knew, she said, because the same thing had happened to her when she was my age. She told me how she’d felt, and it was almost exactly how I was feeling now. She also explained that panic attacks are caused by anxiety (basically, excessive worry and fear that is part of your everyday life).
I was shocked. I had no idea that there was even a name for what I was feeling, let alone that it happened to other people, too! When I realized that she really did understand, I felt so relieved.
My teacher talked to my parents, and they found me a counselor to help me deal with my anxiety. I’d been going through a tough time that year. My best friend had moved to a new school, and I wasn’t sure how to fit in with the girls in my class. I’d never told anyone, though—I just kept it to myself. My counselor helped me understand that not dealing with my feelings can lead to panic attacks, and that I need to talk to someone when my life is stressful.
Now when I start feeling overwhelmed or sad, I talk to my parents or friends and my counselor about whatever is bothering me, and they all help me sort things out. This way, I’m dealing with my anxiety and stress before it gets out of control.
My counselor has also taught me some relaxation techniques and strategies that help me calm my body down at the first sign of a panic attack. I’ve learned to take deep breaths and relax my muscles. Or I’ll focus on something else, or just tell myself I’m going to be okay. If one thing doesn’t work, I’ll try another one.
It turns out that about one in every ten people has some kind of an anxiety disorder! Knowing that it’s common and that life is stressful for a lot of girls my age has helped me realize that I don’t have to be ashamed or embarrassed about it.
By sharing my story, I want other girls my age to know that you’re not as alone as you feel, and that talking about it really does help.
1. What happened to the author at the beginning of the story?| A．She suffered from a terrible anxiety. |
| B．She couldn’t calm herself down. |
| C．She had a heart trouble. |
| D．She felt dizzy. |
| A．To inform people of an anxiety attack. |
| B．To give advice on how to get over an anxiety disorder. |
| C．To describe her feelings when suffering from a panic attack. |
| D．To help other girls who are going through what she went through. |
| A．Comforting yourself. |
| B．Focusing on something else. |
| C．Talking to somebody you trust. |
| D．Taking deep breaths and doing exercises. |
| A．an educational psychologist | B．a clinical psychologist |
| C．my parents friend | D．my teacher’s friend |
| A．Teen Life | B．Chicken soup |
| C．Read for Fun | D．Literary World |
7 . It is 6:00a.m.on the first day of the school year. In Chery brook Technology High School, mathematics teacher Eddie Woo is already at work.
One of the first things before the first bell rings is to set up his tripod（三脚架）and iPad in the middle of the classroom. “I’m Mr. Woo. I record my lessons. I record all of them. In fact, I’m about to record this one,” he explains to his new maths class.
He started posting videos online in 2012 for a student who was sick with cancer and missing a lot of school, so he started sharing them across the country and beyond. Wootube now has more than 38,000 subscribes(用户) and has attracted almost 4 million views worldwide.
Cherybrook Technology High School principal(校长) Gary Johnson said Mr. Woo was helping maths teachers in Australia and making maths popular again. “He has an ability to simplify(简化) maths to a level where kids can really understand it.” Mr. Johnson said.
12-year-old student Emily Shakespear said Mr. Woo’s teaching style made maths easy and interesting. “I don’t want to say it, but he sucked me into maths,” she said. Owen Potter, who attends high school in Cobar. agreed. “It’s difficult to understand how someone in Sydney can influence thousands of people across the whole country,” he said.
Mr. Woo won the 2017 University of Sydney Young Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement, and he was one of 12 Australian teachers honored at the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.
1. Eddie Woo set up an iPadin the middle of the classroom with the purpose of ________.| A．listening to music | B．playing a video |
| C．recording his class | D．showing pictures |
| A．Mr. Woo’s teaching videos online are very popular. |
| B．Mr. Woo had made a lot of money by selling videos. |
| C．Mr. Woo posted videos online helping many adults. |
| D．Mr. Woo created his Wootube in 2012 in Sydney. |
| A．difficult to follow | B．easy to understand |
| C．simple to handle | D．challenging to learn |
| A．Mr. Woo is the most well-known maths teacher in Australia. |
| B．Mr. Woo graduated from the University of Sydney with honors. |
| C．Mr. Woo won the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards. |
| D．Mr. Woo’s contributions to teaching have been recognized. |
8 . Derek Rabclo is not the only surfer to conquer Hawaii' s famous Pipeline big wave break, but while all others use their sight to do it, this young professional surfer must rely only on his other senses. That's because he is completely blind.
When Derek was born, over 24 years ago, he got his name from Derek Ho, the first Hawaiian surfing world champion. A surfing enthusiast himself, Emesto dreamed that his son would share the talent of his uncle, a professional surfer. Unfortunately, Derek was born completely blind, but this didn't slop his family from believing lhat he could do anything he wanted, even if that meant becoming a surfer.
At age 2, Derek received a bodyboard and the beaches of Guarapari, Brazil, became his backyard. He was always comfortable in the water and surfing was in his blood, but he didn’t actually try riding a wave until he turned 17, when his father bought him a surfboard. His father taught him the basics and encouraged him to keep practicing, but after successfully standing up on the surfboard, Derek knew he needed to become much better if he was going to achieve Emesto's dream and become a professional surfer. So he joined the Praia do Moroo surf school, where he studied under coach Fabio Maru.
Standing up on a surfboard and conquering small waves is one thing, while gathering the courage to take on Hawaii's board-breaking Pipeline is another. But that’s exactly what Derek Rabelo set out to do just months after learning how to surf. Everyone told him it was too dangerous, but he felt he could do it. And he did, earning the praise of famous professional surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning. Now 24, Rabelo has been surfing the Pipeline every winter since.
1. What does the first paragraph tell us?| A．Good eyesight is necessary for becoming good suffers. |
| B．Nobody has ever conquered Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| C．Derek Rabelo dreams to conquer Hawaii's big wave break. |
| D．Derek Rabelo is the only blind professional surfer to conquer Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| A．He named him after his uncle. | B．He never lost confidence in him. |
| C．He sent him to a surfing champion. | D．He started his own interest in surfing. |
| A．began to try riding a wave | B．was no longer afraid of water |
| C．realized he still had a long way to go | D．knew his father’s dream had come true |
| A．Brave and confident. | B．Skillful but proud. |
| C．Thoughtful and modest. | D．Courageous but stubborn. |
9 . When I was in fourth grade, I worked part-time as a paperboy. Mrs. Stanley was one of my customers. She’d watch me coming down her street, and by the time I’d biked up to her doorstep, there’d be a cold drink waiting. I’d sit and drink while she talked.
Mrs. Stanley talked mostly about her dead husband, “Mr. Stanley and I went shopping this morning.” she’d say. The first time she said that, soda(汽水) went up my nose.
I told my father how Mrs. Stanley talked as if Mr. Stanley were still alive. Dad said she was probably lonely, and that I ought to sit and listen and nod my head and smile, and maybe she’d work it out of her system. So that’s what I did, and it turned out Dad was right. After a while she seemed content to leave her husband over at the cemetery(墓地).
I finally quit delivering newspapers and didn’t see Mrs. Stanley for several years. Then we crossed paths at a church fund-raiser(募捐活动). She was spooning mashed potatoes and looking happy. Four years before, she’d had to offer her paperboy a drink to have someone to talk with. Now she had friends. Her husband was gone, but life went on.
I live in the city now, and my paperboy is a lady named Edna with three kids. She asks me how I’m doing. When I don’t say “fine”, she sticks around to hear my problems. She’s lived in the city most of her life, but she knows about community. Community isn’t so much a place as it is a state of mind. You find it whenever people ask how you’re doing because they care, and not because they’re getting paid to do so. Sometimes it’s good to just smile, nod your head and listen.
1. Why did soda go up the author’s nose one time?| A．He was talking fast. | B．He was shocked. |
| C．He was in a hurry. | D．He was absent-minded. |
| A．He enjoyed the drink. | B．He wanted to be helpful. |
| C．He took the chance to rest. | D．He tried to please his dad. |
| A．recover from her sadness | B．move out of the neighborhood |
| C．turn to her old friends | D．speak out about her past |
| A．Open up to others. | B．Depend on each other. |
| C．Pay for other’s help | D．Care about one another. |
10 . When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to bear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like ? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it.“That’s just for you,” he said.“You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.
1. What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint?| A．He told her not to pay any attention to what her“enemy” had said. |
| B．He criticized (批评) her and told her to overcome her shortcomings. |
| C．He told her to write down all that her“enemy” had said about her and pay attention only to the things that were true. |
| D．He refused to take the list and have a look at it. |
| A．Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me. |
| B．She had made a list of my shortcomings and she kept on adding new ones to it so that it was growing longer and longer. |
| C．I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on. |
| D．Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious. |
| A．Because he believed that what her daughter’s “enemy” said was mostly true. |
| B．Because he had been so angry with his daughter’s shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping silent for a while. |
| C．Because he knew that his daughter would not listen to him at that moment. |
| D．Because he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the truth. |
| A．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend |
| B．The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had |
| C．My Father |
| D．My Childhood |
