1 . When I was four, I lost my sight by falling off a box car and landing on my head. Now I’m thirty-two. I can vaguely remember the brightness of sunshine and what color red is. It’d be wonderful to see again, but a disaster can do strange things to people.
It took me years to discover and strengthen this belief. It had to start with the most trivial things. Once a man gave me an indoor baseball. “I can’t use this,” I was hurt, thinking he was teasing me. “Take it with you,” he insisted, “and roll it around.” The words stuck in my head. By rolling the ball I could feel where it went.
The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself. Had I not done that, I’d have broken down and become a chair rocker for the rest of my life. And the path to the belief is never smooth.
| A．I’d fail sometimes, but on average, I made progress |
| B．This gave me an idea on something I had thought impossible to achieve |
| C．As people always say, it takes steel and temper to make a difference |
| D．It came into my mind all of a sudden |
| E．It occurred to me the other day that I might not have come to love life as I do now if I hadn’t been blind |
| F．Life asks a continuous series of adjustments to reality |
2 . That was two years after her father's death and a short time after her sweetheart—the one we believed would marry her—had deserted her. After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all. A few of the ladies had the temerity to call, but were not received, and the only sign of life about the place was the Negro man—a young man then—going in and out with a market basket.
“Just as if a man—any man—could keep a kitchen properly,” the ladies said; so they were not surprised when the smell developed. It was another link between the gross, teeming world and the high and mighty Griersons.
A neighbor, a woman, complained to the mayor, Judge Stevens, eighty years old.
“But what will you have me do about it, madam?” he said.
“Why, send her word to stop it,” the woman said. “Isn't there a law?”
“I'm sure that won't be necessary,” Judge Stevens said. “It's probably just a snake or a rat that nigger of hers killed in the yard. I'll speak to him about it.”
The next day he received two more complaints, one from a man who came in diffident deprecation. “We really must do something about it, Judge. I'd be the last one in the world to bother Miss Emily, but we've got to do something.” That night the Board of Aldermen met—three graybeards and one younger man, a member of the rising generation.
“It's simple enough,” he said. “Send her word to have her place cleaned up. Give her a certain time to do it in, and if she don't...”
“Dammit, sir,” Judge Stevens said, “will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?”
So the next night, after midnight, four men crossed Miss Emily's lawn and slunk about the house like burglars, sniffing along the base of the brickwork and at the cellar openings while one of them performed a regular sowing motion with his hand out of a sack slung from his shoulder. They broke open the cellar door and sprinkled lime there, and in all the outbuildings. As they recrossed the lawn, a window that had been dark was lighted and Miss Emily sat in it, the light behind her, and her upright torso motionless as that of an idol. They crept quietly across the lawn and into the shadow of the locusts that lined the street. After a week or two the smell went away.
That was when people had begun to feel really sorry for her. People in our town, remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were. None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such. We had long thought of them as a tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door. So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly, but vindicated; even with insanity in the family she wouldn't have turned down all of her chances if they had really materialized.
1. What did the Negro man possibly do in the family?| A．He was an adopted son | B．He worked as a servant |
| C．He kept the family alive | D．He helped kill the snakes and rats |
| A．It was almost impossible for men to take good care of a family |
| B．The Negro man seemed to keep the kitchen properly |
| C．Men were good at cleaning kitchen in a proper way |
| D．Men were very likely to make a kitchen smelly |
| A．He considers the complaints unreasonable |
| B．He thought it was the Negro man to blame |
| C．He remained neutral without giving suggestions |
| D．He didn't think much of it and believed it could be solved |
| A．Four men tried to sow something in Emily's lawn after midnight |
| B．Emily probably noticed some ones cross on her lawn |
| C．The four men tried to find out where the smell came |
| D．The smell was finally got rid of by the four men |
| A．Emily looked down upon all the young men |
| B．Emily's great aunt was driven crazy by her father |
| C．Emily's father had set lots of barriers for her pursuers |
| D．Emily's family was too distinguished to be appreciated |
3 . About a year ago I spent the night at my cousins house, it was about 2 a. m. and I heard a noise coming from outside.
For example, last night I woke up during the night around 3: 30 as usual. I continued to fall back to sleep. As soon as I shut my eyes, and was half way’s asleep, I started to hear a sound.
I always wonder what would happen if I don’t fight it. I think it happens to me at that time because that’s a time when I am most easily attacked;
| A．Sometimes it happened to me 3 times a night. |
| B．I’m so sleepy and I don’t want to wake up. |
| C．But it came to my head and touched me. |
| D．It sounded as if someone was opening her gate in the dark. |
| E．I am so scared that I can’t fall asleep at once. |
| F．I tried to move but I couldn’t. |
| G．It stopped seconds after and I felt relieved. |
4 . 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. |
5 . 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 |
6 . I have completely forgotten the name of an old lady who was a customer on my paper route when I was a twelve-year-old boy in Marinette, Wisconsin back in 1954.
On a mindless Saturday afternoon, a friend and I were throwing rocks onto the roof of the old lady’s house in her backyard. The object of our play was to observe how the rocks changed to missiles as they rolled to the roofs’ edge and shot out into the yard like comets falling from the sky.
I found myself a perfectly smooth rock. The stone was too smooth, however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight for a small window on the old lady’s back porch. At the sound of fractured glass, we ran away very fast.
I was scared about getting caught that first night. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn’t been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune.
I made up my mind that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window.
I waited until it was dark, snuck up to the old lady’s house, and put the envelope through the letter slot in her door.
The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to return the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and said, “Here，I have something for you. ” It was a bag of cookies. I thanked her and began to eat the cookies as I continued my route.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was astonished. Inside was the seven dollars and a short note that said, “I'm proud of you. ”
1. The author and his friend threw stones onto the roof of the old lady’s house in order to_______.| A．amuse themselves | B．help her repair it |
| C．ask her for some help | D．wake her up |
| A．Making cookies. | B．Collecting stones. |
| C．Delivering newspapers. | D．Repairing windows. |
| A．went to see the old lady and admitted his mistake bravely |
| B．just wrote a letter to apologize to the old lady |
| C．turned to his friend for some advice |
| D．decided to rely on his own efforts to make up for his mistake |
| A．ran into | B．slipped into |
| C．broke into | D．rushed into |
7 . 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. |
The two young men waited for a few moments, and then ran quickly and quietly towards Mrs. Riley. The tall one held her from behind while the other one tried to seize her handbag.
Suddenly Mrs. Riley threw the tall one over her shoulder. He crashed into the other one and they both landed on the ground. Without speaking, Mrs. Riley struck both of them on the head with her handbag and walked calmly away.
The two surprised young men were still sitting on the ground when Mrs. Riley crossed the street towards a door with a lighted sign above it. Mrs. Riley paused, turned round, smiled at them and walked into the South West London Judo Club.
1. The two young men were standing in a dark shop doorway because .
| A．they had nothing to do |
| B．they were homeless |
| C．they were waiting for a victim |
| D．they were guarding the shop |
| A．The woman was robbed of her handbag. |
| B．The woman taught the two young men a lesson. |
| C．The woman reported the two young men to the police. |
| D．The woman sent the two young men to a judo club. |
| A．went shopping at night |
| B．was on her way home |
| C．had just left a shopping center |
| D．had a skill of self-defense |
