1 . I still remember that busy autumn evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for the parent-teacher night. We walked in and all eyes were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids’ whispers. A classmate yelled to my daughter, “What’s wrong with your mom’s face?” Shocked, I started to explain my condition, but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, “It’s my mom’s birthmark! Don’t be rude!” I was extremely proud of how she handled that situation.
I was quite young when I realized I looked different because of my large facial birthmark. I always thought I would be alone because of it. Being compared to Batman’s evil Two-Face made me believe I could never find love. But I was lucky enough to meet my husband, who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to worry if the world would judge my children. I always worried I might pass my condition onto my children; I didn’t want them to grow up feeling judged. Unfortunately, my facial difference has impacted my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or sleepovers, or I learn certain kids are no longer friends with mine after their parents saw me at school.
When my kids were young, I explained how my special purple skin was rare and we talked about acceptance and never judging others on how they look. When my girls kiss my purple-skinned cheek, I feel “normal” around them and their unconditional love. With time going by, both my daughters have become my strongest supporters. Thanks to them, I’ve begun to feel more self-confident as I try to be a good role model.
Their worldviews are similar to mine. We see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more accepting heart. As the saying goes, your daughters will grow up to be your best friends. I know that will be the case for me!
1. What happened when the author went to attend the parent-teacher night?| A．Athena was praised by others for her bravery and optimism. |
| B．Athena defended her mother against her classmate’s rudeness. |
| C．Some parents criticized their kids because of their misbehaviour. |
| D．The author felt shocked at her daughter’s response to her classmate. |
| A．Friendship needs to be watered by love. |
| B．We should treat our children as best friends. |
| C．We should accept other people’s differences. |
| D．Our ability to handle difficulties can be developed. |
| A．They have to drop out of school. |
| B．They have the same physical condition as me. |
| C．They have difficulty maintaining friendships. |
| D．They feel worried because they are often judged. |
| A．A birthmark to live with. | B．My strongest supporters. |
| C．A kind and accepting heart. | D．The confidence to be different. |
2 . In 2019, Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider, had an unpleasant experience due to the wrong address left by a customer. Wang searched three buildings and climbed 18 floors before he finally managed to deliver the food to the customer, who rudely scolded Wang for arriving late. Wang was sad and frustrated. As a husband and father of three children, who shouldered the majority of the financial responsibility in his family, he had to bear all silently. On his way home that day, Wang wrote a poem, Man in a Hurry, expressing his feelings.
Since then, Wang has been writing poems inspired by his daily life, including a poem New Temple, which occurred to him after he delivered food to construction workers repairing an old temple, and Forgive, based on his observation of a young couple fighting.
Wang’s poems, simple yet real, are seen as a tool to process his emotions, especially the personal experiences he has during his work. His heart is healed by writing the poems, and he has shared them with his friends. In 2022, one of his friends posted Man in a Hurry online. It quickly went viral and was viewed for over 20 million times. The same year, Wang published a collection of more than 180 poems, under the same title. So far, Wang has written about 4,000 poems. This April, Wang published his second poetry collection, titled I Love This World Clumsily, featuring about 130 poems he has written since July 2022.
“Poetry is like a distraction from stress and an opportunity to record my life. Whether it’s coping with pain, dealing with stressful situations, or coming to terms with life’s struggles, poetry makes me confident and happy,” says Wang.
“The feedback from the readers is a big encouragement to me. Those poems carne to me naturally and I enjoyed writing them very much. However, the priority is to look after my family, so I will keep my regular job delivering food,” says Wang.
1. What can we know from paragraph 1?| A．Wang was in a hurry for the bad weather. |
| B．Wang released his feelings by writing a poem. |
| C．Wang lost his job for an unpleasant experience. |
| D．Wang misunderstood the customer’s need. |
| A．Became a hit. | B．Got updated. |
| C．Disappeared online. | D．Received criticism. |
| A．Talented and generous. | B．Responsible and creative. |
| C．Ambitious and considerate. | D．Intelligent and humorous. |
| A．An unpleasant experience. |
| B．A good way to process emotions. |
| C．A man delivering a feast of poetry. |
| D．A popular collection of poems online. |
3 . An old man with his pale blue eyes and a smile walked slowly into the restaurant. His old cloth jacket and warm personality made him easily to be noticed from the usual Saturday morning breakfast people.
A young waitress named Mary watched him walk toward a table by the window. She ran over to him and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.”
In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you for your kindness.”
“You’re welcome, sir.” She replied. “And my name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment and if you need anything, just wave me!”
After he had finished a big meal, Mary helped him up from his chair, and out from behind the table. She helped him walk to the front door.
Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, sir!”
He turned with his whole body, smiled and nodded a thank you.
When Mary went to clean his table. she almost let out a cry. Under his plate she found a100-dollar bill with a note, which read. “Dear Mary, you have found the secret of happiness. Your kindness will shine through those who meet you.
The man she had waited on was the owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she or any of his workers had ever seen him in person.
1. The old man came to the restaurant to have __________| A．supper | B．dinner | C．breakfast | D．afternoon tea |
| A．Smile. | B．Patience. | C．Service. | D．Kindness. |
| A．looked at | B．Served | C．waited for | D．found |
| A．he was dressed well. |
| B．he looked very poor |
| C．Mary was a new waitress of the restaurant. |
| D．none of his workers had seen him before. |
4 . Like any other child growing up, Nicole LaMont was an outgoing, adventurous and free-spirited child with the dream of becoming a scientist. “My childhood was filled with imagination of adventure and curiosity, ”Nicole said. She experienced a normal childhood, but when she was 12 years old, a terrible illness led her to lose her hearing in both ears.
“My world was turned upside down,” said Nicole. “I went from being a talkative, joyous child to being quiet and depressed. ”However, she came to realize she had to fight when it was determined that her hearing would not return. With her family’s help, Nicole began to learn American Sign Language(ASL).
A year later, she received an operation where she was implanted (植入) a hearing device, which brought back some light to her life and she also learned how to adapt to the new life. It wasn’t until she attended Gallaudet, a school for the deaf, that she fully devoted herself to ASL and the deaf community. “Becoming fluent in ASL and having total communication allowed me to feel a sense of acceptance again,” said Nicole. “I found my confidence and ‘visual (视觉的) voice’ in the performing arts.”
It was then that she made her first request, demanding subtitles (字幕) for movie theatres in Alabama. After much struggle, Nicole’s efforts proved successful, and today nearly all movie theatres in Montgomery and Birmingham offer subtitles for the deaf. After graduating from Gallaudet University, Nicole continued to use her new found “visual voice” through taking part in several activities, becoming Miss Black Deaf D.C. “By doing this, I want to show that deaf people can achieve much. It’s very important to educate and support hearing families that struggle with making the best decisions for their deaf children’s education.” said Nicole.
1. Which of the following best describes Nicole’s childhood?| A．Fruitful. | B．Colorful | C．Lonely | D．Poor. |
| A．A sense of belonging. | B．A hearing device. |
| C．A chance of going to college. | D．A totally new treatment. |
| A．Nicole called on all US cinemas to offer subtitles. |
| B．Nicole was going to donate her invention-visual voice. |
| C．Nicole was determined to train more deaf kids to go to school. |
| D．Nicole hoped to promote deaf education in hearing families. |
| A．More Self-Control, More Success |
| B．Keep Going, and You Can Make It |
| C．Illness Makes One More Confident |
| D．He Who Laughs Last Laughs Longest |
5 . Once when I was four, Mom attacked a keyhole with a paper towel, wiping a spider out. “Stop!” I shouted, “She’s somebody’s mother!” I believe people shouldn’t harm other living things and that even the tiniest creatures must be honored.
One summer day, Mom and I planted a grapevine (葡萄树) in the yard. By the end of the summer, the longest branches had spread over the wall.
Then one day, as I was watering, the most magical thing happened. A beautiful midnight blue bug landed on my white T-shirt just below the shoulder. “Hello, pretty one,” I whispered. She didn’t move. Beautiful wings spread into a Y shape. She stuck to my shirt, unwilling to fly away. Ever when she left, I was still excited. That evening, I told Mom what had happened. “It was amazing.” Mom said.
One morning, weeks later, I went to feed my turtles. In the purple light of dawn, the grape leaves appeared brown and lacy (网眼状的). Something was wrong with my vine! I ran in to my Mom. We turned to a gardener nearby for help. He called the culprit (罪魁祸首) the Western grape leaf moth, who feeds on the leaves in her caterpillar (毛毛虫) stage. I was shocked. The moth had laid the eggs. Her babies were destroying my vine! Bacillus thuringiersis, a product widely used by grape growers, was recommended for exterminating the moths.
I had intended to use the liquid, until I read the warning instructions. “Mom, we can’t do this. The poor bugs!” She nodded. The next afternoon, I had an idea. I got a jar and cupped it over the moths, cutting off the leaf they lay on. “I know where I’ll take you.” I whispered.
The next morning. I rode a bus to the desert. I placed the jar near some bushes and opened it “Be safe,” I said. It was my wish for them. Back home, the caterpillars continued their work. I cut off the leaves and placed them in bags. They went to the desert as well. Could the desert handle them? I wondered. Was I doing the right thing? Would I have to continue this for the rest of my life? Sure.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 3?| A．The bug was fond of the author. |
| B．The author was afraid of the bug. |
| C．The author was friendly to the bug. |
| D．Mother was concerned about the bug. |
| A．Killing | B．Seeking. | C．Protecting. | D．Frightening. |
| A．The author doubted if he did the right thing. |
| B．The author would continue to protect creatures. |
| C．The author was unwilling to set the bugs free. |
| D．The author would keep cutting leaves for his vine. |
| A．Caring for plants needs wisdom. |
| B．Mother bugs’ love for her babies. |
| C．Creatures should be treated equally. |
| D．Relationship between human and nature. |
6 . A few years ago, I stood underneath a red overhanging cliff (悬崖) near my husband’s hometown, Carbondale, Colo. I was tied in, ready to climb.
Just as I was about to climb, nerves in my body said hello. That’s not good for any athlete.
Desperate, I painted a coat of confidence on my inner walls of doubt.
“You can do this,” I told myself determinedly. “If you believe, success is certain.”
I visualized myself at the top, celebrating.
It didn’t work. I fell near the top. Defeated, I lowered to the ground and realized, powerfully, that the desire to climb the route had kept me from doing it. My self worth was linked at that moment to my success or failure, and that set off a chain reaction: unnatural desire, pressure, performance anxiety, expectation, a mind fixed on the top but a body struggling below, bad decision-making, irregular movement, distraction, disappointment. All in that order, too.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I told myself that on my next attempt, success or failure was irrelevant. “Make one move at a time. That’s all.” I gave myself a pass from whatever would happen. Case closed.
It worked. I reached the top.
That moment got me thinking, and then researching. At some point, I described this experience for myself in terms of simple mathematics: When I added (determination, courage, self-confidence, desire), I failed. When I took away (the desire for success), my body moved with greater naturalness. I improved. I enjoyed it more as well, which, as an athlete of 30 years, I didn’t think was possible.
I discovered the power of subtraction (减法).
The French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote one of my favorite books Wind, Sand and Stars. In it, I found one of the smartest lines ever written on the human condition: “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add but when there is nothing left to take away.”
1. What happened to the author at her first attempt to climb the cliff?| A．She got nervous. | B．She quit out of fear. |
| C．She made it to the top. | D．She was full of confidence. |
| A．Not important. | B．Not certain. | C．Not final. | D．Not optional. |
| A．Never stop trying. | B．Always stick to your goal. |
| C．Don’t care about the results. | D．Be confident no matter what happens. |
7 . I was at a new school in a new state and needed something solid to stand on: a place to feel grounded. I also needed to do laundry, so I walked to a nearby self-service laundry and stuffed a machine with my clothes. As I struggled to close the washer door, the woman working behind the counter told me to give it a good hit with my hand. The washer did its job, yet even after an hour, the dryer seemed to have barely warmed my clothes. I left, having decided to air-dry them on my car in the August heat.
A month later, I learned her name was Sandy, which she told me after I’d helped her stop a washing machine from moving across the floor. I was grading poems at a table when one of the washers broke loose and skipped an inch into the air. I jumped to the machine and held on while she unplugged it. The next week, Sandy told me dryer No. 8 was the fastest.
It went on like this. I’d do laundry once a week, usually Thursday or Friday. Sandy worked Tuesday through Saturday and we’d talk small while I folded clothes. She told me about her son and his grades, as well as the new dog they’d just adopted. She was fascinated that I was studying poetry. She teased (开玩笑) that it was harder making a living as a poet than as a laundry attendant. Even then I knew she was probably right.
I began to recognize others there: workers taking breaks by the door, a mother and her baby, and even some delivery drivers. But Sandy was the center of my community. For nearly three years and almost every week, I’d do laundry and talk with her. We checked on each other, expecting the other to be there. We asked where the other had gone when we missed a week. There was a note of concern for the other’s absence, a note of joy at their return.
I’d found a place to stand on solid ground.
1. Why did the author leave with his wet clothes?| A．He liked the August heat better. | B．He had to go back to the meeting. |
| C．He wanted to show off his new car. | D．He didn’t think the dryer worked well. |
| A．She was warm-hearted. | B．She needed a volunteer. |
| C．She wanted to thank him. | D．She was sorry for the mess. |
| A．It was harder to fulfill. | B．It was really fascinating. |
| C．It was badly-paid work. | D．It needed a lot of effort. |
| A．He formed a close friendship with Sandy. |
| B．He made a lot of friends in college. |
| C．He expected Sandy to do laundry for him. |
| D．He often wrote to Sandy after graduation. |
8 . At Phoenix Bikes, a bicycle shop, students are learning to repair bikes. Phoenix Bikes sells bikes to the public at their business in Arlington, Virginia. But it also teaches teenagers how to repair bikes.
Most students at Phoenix start in its after-school “earn-a-bike program,” at middle and high schools in and around Arlington County. Once a week over a 12-week period, students learn repair skills. They learn how to use tools, fix flat tires, correct the wheels, and change gears (齿轮). The first lesson includes taking the bike apart. By doing this, they learn all the parts of a bike.
In the first few weeks, they work in small groups to repair a bike given to the shop. The bikes often have missing or damaged parts. The finished bike is then given to a person in need from the community. In the last four weeks of the program, students come to the shop to work on one of the given bikes which they can then take home at no cost.
Anthony is a student at nearby Wakefield High School. He just completed his bike. He said it was not in good shape at first but was the kind of bike he was looking for and could be made into something better. He said it had no lights, no front tire, and was without a chain, which controls the gears. He said he joined the program to get better at working with his hands and fixing things.
Phoenix Bikes is teaching 300 to 400 young people this year. Phoenix communicationscoordinator Gage said the classes are fun and let students learn with their hands after sitting in the classroom all day at school. He added that bikes are interesting for teenagers especially because they are a means of transportation and freedom. Learning how to fix a bike can also be a fun challenge, she said.
1. What are the students asked to do in the first lesson?| A．Learn how to use tools. | B．Learn about bicycle parts. |
| C．Repair flat tires. | D．Change the wheels. |
| A．They sell them to whoever likes it. | B．They use them in the training. |
| C．They keep them for themselves. | D．They gave them to those in need. |
| A．It was the type of bike he liked. | B．It was a must to finish the training. |
| C．He tried his best to prove his ability. | D．He wanted to get real experience. |
| A．It did good to students’ studies. | B．It offered fun transportation for students. |
| C．It was hard for students. | D．It was valuable to students. |
9 . On an autumn day, a stranger rang a woman’s doorbell. The woman looked through the peephole (窥视孔) and saw a man. At first, she thought it was a salesman who might go away. When he didn’t, she decided to answer and see what he wanted.
The man asked if a woman named Karen lived at the address. The woman answered that Karen was her mother, but she wasn’t home now. The man smiled, handed an envelope over and then walked away. When the woman saw the contents of the envelope, she was shocked. She then rushed out of the apartment to run after the man, but the stranger was gone.
Inside the envelope was $1,000 in cash and a letter explaining where the money was from. “Please accept this gift. Our late mother devoted much of her time and resources to helping people through Random (随机的) Acts of Kindness program. One way our family honors her is to keep the tradition with acts of random kindness. Although we do not know you personally, other members of our community identified you as a deserving recipient of this gift. Please use this money in any way you see fit.”
Random Acts of Kindness does not have to involve the giving of money. It can be as simple as sharing your time with someone lending an ear, or offering a compliment (赞美). The most important part is that the act is done with no expectation of anything in return.
It turned out that Karen had been battling cancer for three years. The illness left her financially struggling and this amount of money would really help her. We truly never know what someone is going through and how much a random act of kindness might help turn their life around. Surely, $1,000 won’t necessarily meet her need, but it can go a very long way in changing someone’s luck and setting them on a better path.
1. Why did the man come to the woman’s home?| A．To donate money to Karen with cancer. |
| B．To find out the real situation of Karen. |
| C．To ask for the address of a patient he was to help. |
| D．To invite Karen to join Random Acts of Kindness. |
| A．By appealing to more people to help others. |
| B．By continuing to offer help to those in need. |
| C．By starting Random Acts of Kindness program. |
| D．By raising funds for Random Acts of Kindness. |
| A．The return it expects. | B．The way to join it. |
| C．How it begins. | D．How it functions. |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．Love me, love my dog. |
| C．More love, more hope. | D．Faith can move mountains. |
10 . At the hillside of the Emei Mountain in Sichuan, a homestay (民宿) — My Own little Yard (吾家小院) is attracting travelers from far and wide, especially on weekends. The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a small company in Chengdu, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li worked overtime on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.
In 2020, they quit (辞掉) jobs and went back to their village, where there were plenty of homestays around their old countryside house coming into their sight. Stepping onto every balcony of every homestay, they could see the beautiful scenery of the Emei Mountain. More importantly, the villagers have earned a lot of money without entering cities to be peasant-workers, which impressed the couple most.
The couple began to rebuild their old countryside house, which was updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, and a dining room. Japanese cherry trees were planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool was placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.
Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. During the summer holiday in 2023, their My Own little Yard — homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media.
1. How did Li feel about city life?| A．Satisfied. | B．Attractive. | C．Noisy. | D．Tired. |
| A．Villagers becoming rich. | B．Many many homestays |
| C．Their old countryside house. | D．Scenery of Mount Emei. |
| A．It is ancient and broken. | B．It can hold many guests. |
| C．It has been rebuilt by the couple. | D．It must have been carefully designed. |
| A．Sichuan homestays are very popular. |
| B．The Emei Mountain attracts many travelers. |
| C．A couple gives up city life to run a homestay. |
| D．The villagers have earned lots of money as peasant-workers. |
