1 . For years going home for the holidays has been bittersweet. I appreciate the opportunity to spend quality time with my mom but it is painful for me to see her house littered with stuff.Clothes bought but never worn, and new items in their original packaging carelessly purchased and never used. It’s evident that seeing the stuff on a daily basis reminds my mom of a time when shopping was her way of spending money.
I didn’t fully understand the extent to which my mom was suffering until this week, when I saw piles of clothes on her bed. “How do you manage to sleep every night with all that stuff, Mom?” I asked. To my horror, she replied, “I do it because I know I have to get rid of all this stuff eventually; I am punishing myself by sleeping with them until I do that. ”
Shocked and upset, I gently explained to her that punishing herself was only to make things worse,and that everybody deserves a place to sleep in peace, no matter what mistakes they’ve made. I suggested she move all the stuff upstairs, leaving her room comfortable to sleep in.
With patience and her slow but steady guidance, I helped her go through some of the piles and move them upstairs. For the rest of the week I stayed there, she was in a better mood and was excited about going through the rest of the house to finally get rid of her stuff—past mistakes and painful times. The items brought back painful memories as we inspected and moved them, but I kept reminding her that removing them would allow her to move on and heal. We finally sold so many things and took bag after bag to charity.
The stuff is just a sign of the destructive patterns of self-hatred on past mistakes. Only through the act of self-forgiveness can we bring about a chain reaction of reorganizing—both of the house and heart.
1. What made the author feel bitter?| A．She couldn’t understand her mom’s sorrows. |
| B．Her mom was stuck in the painful memories. |
| C．Her mom was always left alone at home. |
| D．Her mom wasted money on useless things. |
| A．getting rid of the stuff | B．buying the stuff |
| C．opening the stuff | D．moving the stuff |
| A．the author never bought her mom anything |
| B．the author’s mom has no money to purchase now |
| C．the author’s mom regrets buying so many things |
| D．the author knows her mom’s suffering only this week |
| A．How to do shopping wisely |
| B．Clearance helps reorganize the house |
| C．Keep an eye on the elderly’s behavior |
| D．Self-forgiveness makes a difference |
2 . A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives(档案馆) by the FBI after being stolen twice.
“We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing,” says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Archives. “It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern (实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes,” and the intern put the letter back. “The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it.”
Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a clue that the stolen letter was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team got back the letter but were unable to accuse the suspect because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both genuine and exactly belonged to Smithsonian.
The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the area that would become Yellowstone National Park.
The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. “It was luckily in good shape,” says Kapsalis, “and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”
It would be difficult to steal things like the letter. “Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s,” says Kapsalis, “and we keep our high value objects in a safe that I can’t even reach.”
1. What happened to Darwin’s letter in the 1970s?| A．It was got back by the FBI. | B．It was stolen more than once. |
| C．It was bought by the archives. | D．It was put in the archives for research purpose. |
| A．They proved its real identity. | B．They kept it in a safe. |
| C．They helped repair the letter. | D．They accused the suspect but failed. |
| A．Display it in the Archives. |
| B．Turn it into an item of interest. |
| C．Carry out a major repair. |
| D．Make it available on line. |
| A．People grow more interested in art objects |
| B．Strict safety measures are taken in Archives. |
| C．The value of museum objects has been increased. |
| D．The letter helped Ferdinand do research into geology. |
3 . 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 |
The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪耀) like diamonds，large rosy cheeks，and thin lips that held a steady smile．
With the help of his trusty cane (拐杖), he walked toward a table by the window．A young waitress watched him and ran over to him，saying，"Here，Sir．Let me give you a hand with that chair．"
Without a word，he smiled and nodded a thank you．She pulled the chair away from the table．Supporting him with one arm，she helped him move in front of the chair，and get comfortably seated．Then she pushed the table up close to him，and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it．
In a soft，clear voice he said，"Thank you，Miss．"
"You're welcome，Sir．"She replied．"My name is Mary．I'll be back in a moment．If you need anything，just wave at me．"
After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes，bacon，and hot lemon tea，Mary brought him the change，helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table．She handed him his cane，and walked with him to the front door．Holding the door open for him，she said，"Come back and see us，Sir!"
He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile，"You are very kind!"
When Mary went to clean his table，she was shocked．Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin，under which was a $ 100bill．
The note on the napkin read，"Dear Mary，I respect you very much，and you respect yourself，too．It shows by the way you treat others．You have found the secret of happiness．Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you．"
The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant．This was the first time that she，or any of his employees，had seen him in person．
1. When did the story happen? ( no more than 10 words)2. Please explain the underlined phrase “stand out” in English. (no more than 5 words)
3. What did the old man think of the waitress’ service? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why did the old man leave a 100 bill? (no more than 12 words)
5. According to the passage, how do you understand the meaning of “Happiness”? (no more than 25 words)
5 . I’m interested in coding and technology, but there’s a huge gender gap in the computing field, meaning girls are in the minority. I wanted to change that. I started the Catwalk Coding Camp where girls learn how to code(编程) light-up accessories (配饰) and show them at a fashion show. I thought the main result would be that some would be interested enough to learn more, but it turned out that the girls were hungry for role models in the field.
I’d never seen myself as a role model, but suddenly there were younger girls looking up to me. It made me want to be better. This “role model psychology" doesn’t just change what I do out in the world; it changes what I do for myself. I’m halfway through my first year as a computer science major. To be honest, it’s not always easy!
I struggled, and there was a moment when I considered changing my major. Difficult as it is, I survive and move on. Look around the lecture hall and only one third of the students are girls. Then when we break up into sections led by more advanced students, only 2 to 3 sections are run by women.
It keeps me going to know that so many girls look up to me. They have decided that if another girl can go into computer science, they can as well. I want to do well so I can become a section leader in years to come, hoping to close the gender gap in the field.
1. What surprised the author after the Catwalk Coding Camp?| A．The fashion show turned out to be a success. |
| B．The girls wanted role models in computing field. |
| C．Some girls presented unusual talents for fashion. |
| D．Many girls displayed interest in learning coding. |
| A．Change her major in the college. |
| B．Hold more coding camps for girls. |
| C．Make girls feel welcome in the field. |
| D．Help more girls become section leaders. |
| A．Exhausting. | B．Relaxing. |
| C．Discouraging. | D．Challenging. |
| A．The admiration from the girls. | B．The desire to be a scientist. |
| C．The determination to be better. | D．The hunger for knowledge. |
6 . Paswan and his teen daughter Jyoti Kumari recently completed the 750-mile journey from their former apartment on the outskirts of New Dehli all the way to their home village. What's remarkable is that they rode the entire distance on a bicycle they purchased with their last $20, with Jyoti pedaling(脚蹬）as her father rode on the seat with his heavy bag.
The story of their determination has inspired millions of migrant workers across the country, where the novel coronavirus lockdowns has resulted in severe work shortages. Many of these laborers have needed to take similar journeys from major cities back to their home villages where they can be supported by their family-but financial problems have left many of them stranded（使搁浅）and wondering what's next.
Things had not been going well for Paswan,even before the pandemic(大流行病）. In January, he was involved in a traffic accident while working as a rickshaw driver. His daughter, who had dropped out of school a year earlier because of the family's financial troubles, decided to make the trip to New Dehli to care for her injured father. When the lockdown hit and Paswan was unable to earn a living, their landlord cut off their electricity and threatened to kick them out of their apartment. It was then that Jyoti suggested that they head home to their village in Bihar.
Jyoti had cycled a lot in their village, and they had just enough money to purchase a bicycle. She insisted that she would get her dad home safely.
That being said, it was not a bewitching journey for Jyoti and Paswan-they often found themselves without enough to eat; they slept at gas stations, and often relied on the generosity of strangers. The pair traveled nearly 100 miles per day. On borrowed cell phones, Jyoti would reassure her worried mother:"Don't worry, I'll get Papa home good.”
True to her word, Jyoti and her father made it home. Additionally, since the Indian media has dubbed(把......称为）her “Jyoti the lionhearted",the teenage girl has been contacted by Onkar Singh, the chairman of the Cycling Federation of India, urging her to try out for the national team.
1. What caused Paswan and his daughter to decide to go home?| A．The worsening situation |
| B．The terrible traffic accident. |
| C．The expectation from family. |
| D．The desire to travel by bicycle. |
| A．Paswan and Jyoti would continue to pay the landlord. |
| B．Paswan and Jyoti lived a good life before the pandemic. |
| C．Paswan failed to earn a living due to the traffic accident. |
| D．Paswan and Jyoti had no choice but to leave New Dehli. |
| A．Tough. | B．Smooth. | C．Unforgettable. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．She might go back to New Dehli to earn a living. |
| B．She might check if she has the potential for cycling. |
| C．She might invite Onkar Singh to be her private coach. |
| D．She might complain to the media about the new name. |
7 . I'd done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I'd bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.
The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home's dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family's temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I'd ever seen, she yelled, "Ma, Ma, they really came! " I didn't know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.
Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair—her grandmother, we'd soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire—damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times. I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.
By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change.
Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room so much, in fact, that she'd begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn't quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before—Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother. Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.
Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn't until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she'd made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls—one much taller than the other—and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn't control myself anymore—I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither one of us could let go.
By early afternoon, we finished Dakota's bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.
I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too—a greater appreciation for all of the blessing of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.
1. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know _______.| A．she formed a bad living habit |
| B．she hoped for a better education |
| C．she was an innocent and lovely child |
| D．she was strong and calm in the inner world |
| A．Enjoy your help. |
| B．Please don’t leave. |
| C．Help me, please. |
| D．Hug me close. |
| A．She worried about the little girl’s future. |
| B．She decided to keep helping the little girl. |
| C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl. |
| D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift. |
| A．One must learn to share life experiences. |
| B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life. |
| C．One occasionally benefits from the poverty. |
| D．One should be more grateful for the gift of life. |
8 . I've been writing since before I could write. As a kid, I dictated stories to my parents.About 12 years ago,I was living in New York City and pursuing a master in creative writing. For years I'd been suffering vision disorder,but in New York my symptoms worsened. I became unable to read or write for any considerable length of time. I tried vision therapy(疗法），an overhead projector,a special pair of glasses-all in vain.
Eventually,I discovered a computer program for the visually challenged. As I typed,my words were read aloud by an automated voice. With my screen dimmed to black,I relied entirely on audio feedback to know what I had written.
Facing the blank page is worrying,but facing the black page is worse. The dark screen is a sinkhole that swallows creative hope. Sentences disappear into it like an astronaut into a black hole. I managed to complete my master degree, but it took me years to adapt to my new reality. The greatest barrier seemed to be the automated voice, which was like a robot parrot on my shoulder, and I wanted nothing more than to drive it away. If a pianist were forced to practice on an untuned piano,would it corrupt his ear over time?
Of course,I could have quit writing and stopped making myself suffer.But it honestly never occurred to me-and I'm glad it didn't. Last year, after I told my story on the radio,I was contacted by VocaliD,a Massachusetts-based company that created a voice modeled on my own.
The first time I heard the voice they created, it is so close to my own that the two are nearly indistinguishable. I've only just begun using this new voice. My hope is that this will restore a sense of solitude(孤独） to my writing process,allowing me easier access to that inner space where the imagination can take over, and I can forget myself, and the real work can begin.
The black screen still exists-it always will-but the robot parrot has taken wing.
1. What happened to the author when pursuing a master degree in New York?| A．His sight started to fail due to much reading. |
| B．His eyes couldn't sustain long hours of reading. |
| C．He had to drop out due to his vision disorder. |
| D．He successfully overcame his vision problem. |
| A．The untuned automated voice. |
| B．The pet parrot on his shoulder. |
| C．The computer with a dark screen. |
| D．The noise from a neighboring pianist. |
| A．Excited. | B．Annoyed. |
| C．Unmoved. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．The automated voice is too annoying to bear. |
| B．The author can restore his sight to normal. |
| C．The author starts to enjoy his writing again. |
| D．It is likely that the technology will improve. |
9 . I’d done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different . I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip. as always, I'd bring back nothing more some mud on my boots. a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.
The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home's dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family's temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I'd ever seen, she yelled, "Ma, Ma, they really came!" I didn't know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she'd say another word near me.
Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair-her grandmother, we'd soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.
By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change. Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room-so much, in fact, that she'd begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn't quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn't seen before-Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.
Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.
Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn't until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she'd made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls-one much taller than the other-and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart Now almost in tears, I couldn't control myself anymore-I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither one of us could let go.
By early afternoon, we finished Dakota's bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.
I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my Jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too-a greater appreciation for all or the blessings of my life. I'll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she'll never forget me either.
1. What did the author expect before taking this mission trip?| A．A routine result. | B．An exciting experience. |
| C．A special memory. | D．A surprising change. |
| A．desired to approach me | B．feared to talk with me |
| C．resisted accepting me | D．enjoyed meeting me |
| A．she formed a bad living habit | B．she hoped for a better education |
| C．she was an innocent and lovely child | D．she was strong and calm in the inner world |
| A．Enjoy your help. | B．Please don't leave. |
| C．Help me, please. | D．Hug me close. |
| A．One must learn to share life experiences. |
| B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life. |
| C．One occasionally benefits from the poverty. |
| D．One should be more grateful for the gift of life. |
10 . We’ve all had cases where we’ve waited just a bit too long to pay an electric bill or speeding ticket. But one man, from California by reasonable assumption，who goes by “Dave”，recently took procrastination (拖延) one step further, by paying a parking ticket almost a half-century after it was given.
In December 2018, the Minersville Police Department in Pennsylvania received a letter in the mail. Whoever wrote the letter decided it was best to keep his name somewhat unknown，so he put the return address as “Wayward Road，Anytown California” under the name “Feeling guilty”.
When the officers opened the envelope，they found a brief letter, along with a $5 bill, and a parking ticket dating all the way back to 1974. The note read，“Dear PD，I've been carrying this ticket around for 40 plus years always intending to pay. Forgive me if I don't give you my info. With respect，Dave.”
Even though the initial parking ticket was only for $2, “Dave” must have felt awfully guilty because he left 150 percent，or $3, in interest.
Michael Combs, the Police Chief of the Minersville Police Department, stated in an interview that the same ticket would cost about $20 if it were given today. Combs went on to share that the original ticket from 1974 was given to a vehicle that had an Ohio license plate.
Because there was no system for tracking tickets given to out-of-state cars back then，“Dave” could have gotten away with never paying the $2 fine. But apparently，guilt got the best of him，and he decided to finally cough up the money more than 40 years past its due date.
1. How much do we know about “Dave”？| A．He lives in Wayward Road，Anytown California. |
| B．His car probably came from Ohio at that time. |
| C．The police are trying to find out more about him. |
| D．“Dave” is of course the man’s real name indeed. |
| A．He completely forgot about it in the past 44 years. |
| B．He didn’t find it until almost half a century later. |
| C．He didn’t pay for it just because of procrastination. |
| D．He failed to find out who he should pay the money to. |
| A．A strong sense of guilt. |
| B．Fear of being tracked by the police. |
| C．Worry about being fined more. |
| D．Sudden change of his financial situation. |
| A．Police Chief of the Minersville Police Department Shares a Story |
| B．Parking Ticket Carried Around for Almost Half a Century from Ohio |
| C．Unusual Letter Comes from Wayward Road, Anytown California |
| D．Mysterious Procrastinator Finally Pays 44-Year-Old Parking Ticket |
