1 . Saber Hosseini, who teaches children in the city of Bamiyan, central Afghanistan, has converted his bicycle into a mobile library which he rides to remote villages.
“I came up with the idea for this project six months ago. I started alone with 200 storybooks for kids, and started riding to remote villages throughout Bamiyan province. Soon, I recruited more volunteers and we have a collection of about 6,000 books.”
Hosseini revealed that he chose to use bicycles for his mobile library project for a number of reasons. Many of volunteers simply cannot afford cars and most of the villages in his province are only accessible by bike.
Hosseini does more than just distribute books to children—he also stops to talk to them about topics such as peace, tolerance, and why they should stay away from drugs. “One time, I talked to children in a village about guns, using the slogan ‘say no to guns and yes to books’. The next time I went to their village, the kids had gathered up all of their plastic toy guns and handed them over to me—but they had one condition: they wanted their village to be the first in the next round of book deliveries so they could get first pick. It was the most joyful moment of my life!”
Sadly, Hosseini is forced to work with a limited budget and cannot always afford to get the kinds of books that the children request—mainly comics about Batman that they’ve seen on TV. There are other dangers associated with his work too—he sometimes receives phone threats warning him to only distribute religious books or face dire consequences.
“These kids live such stressful lives—they live in a society that is full of death and violence, and they often face violence from their parents at home, too. So we want to keep delivering a bit of joy and calm in their lives through books,” Hosseini said.
1. When Saber Hosseini first started, ______.| A．he was lacking in funds |
| B．he didn’t have enough books |
| C．he was unwilling to ride |
| D．he appealed for more volunteers |
| A．he is in favour of environment protection |
| B．he is fond of taking exercise by bike |
| C．the majority of villages have bad roads |
| D．cars are too expensive for all of volunteers |
| A．Generous but adventurous. |
| B．Caring and talkative. |
| C．Easy-going and generous. |
| D．Great but particular. |
| A．The difficulties Hosseini is facing. |
| B．Hosseini knows little about comics. |
| C．Dangers keep happening to Hosseini. |
| D．Hosseini might give up his project. |
2 . Every year in Australia, the strongest long-distance runners race more than 500 miles from Sydney to Melbourne. The race takes more than five days to complete. It attracts world-class athletes—the kind who become spokespeople for sports shoes and drinks.
In 1983, however, as the competitors lined up to race, they were joined by a 61-year-old farmer wearing overalls（工作服）.
When the race began，the younger runners flew past Cliff. Instead of trying to catch them, Cliff shuffled（拖着脚走）along in an unusual way.
Cliff received $10,000 for winning the race. He said he did not realize there would be prize money, and he gave the money to his fellow runners. Doing this made him a hero in Australia. Since then, many runners have started to use his special way of running.
| A．His name was Cliff Young. |
| B．He greeted them with a big smile. |
| C．No one sleeps during the race anymore, either. |
| D．On the fifth day, the sheep farmer shuffled into the first place. |
| E．Cliff was welcomed by cheerful crowds when he went home. |
| F．Sometimes I had to run after those sheep for two or three days. |
| G．The other runners and the spectators thought he would never finish the race. |
3 . An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money. When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “ Only a miracle(奇迹)can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman. “ It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “ He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.” Pardon?” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?” “We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry, “ the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “ What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know.” she answered with her eyes full of tears.” He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man. “ $ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck!” smiled the man. “ $ 1.11, the price of a miracle for your little brother.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “ Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?
1. In the eye of the little girl, a miracle might be______ .| A．something interesting | B．something beautiful |
| C．some good food | D．some wonderful medicine |
| A．she had still kept some money | B．she hoped not to be refused |
| C．there was no need to worry about money | D．she thought money was easy to get |
| A．The girl’s love for her brother. | B．The girl’s money. |
| C．The medicine from the drugstore. | D．Nobody can tell. |
| A．Andrew was in fact not so sick as they had thought |
| B．the little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| C．the doctor didn’t ask for any pay |
| D．you are sure to get anything you want if you keep trying |
4 . Having attended a first-aid-at-work course, Brian Cracknell soon found himself responding to two emergencies in a week.
Brian was at work in his bus company office in Weston-super-Mare on May 18 when a colleague called to say there had been an accident at a bus stop nearby. He ran to the scene with his first aid kit and found an old lady sitting at the bus stop. When boarding (上车) the bus, the old lady painfully hurt her left leg, which was bleeding.
He introduced himself, and asked some basic first aid questions to get a general picture of her health. Then he put his jacket on the floor, using the lady’s coat as a pillow, and gently laid her down so he could raise her legs and apply some bandages. Brian said, “At first I was a bit worried about remembering to do all the right things. I made sure she was as comfortable as possible.” When he had nearly finished, he told the lady that she was his first one. The lady said he was doing a great job.
Just a week later, Brian got a second call-out to help another lady at a bus stop.
Having used his new skills twice within a short time, Brian has decided to sign up as a Red Cross first aid volunteer. As he said, “I just thought: what’s the point in having this knowledge if I’m not going to use it? It felt really good to help those people. I was so proud of myself afterwards, so I’m going to join the Red Cross.”
1. Before helping the old lady, Brian .| A．had given first aid on many people |
| B．was thought to be a skilled first aid volunteer |
| C．knew nothing about how to handle an emergency |
| D．had learnt first aid skills but hadn’t put them into practice |
| A．Her legs were bleeding after being injured. |
| B．Her left leg was injured and was bleeding. |
| C．She fell onto the ground and hurt her head. |
| D．She was knocked down by a bus and lost her legs. |
| A．The reason why Brian was asked to help. |
| B．Brian handled two emergencies in a week. |
| C．How Brian gave first aid on the old lady. |
| D．How the old lady reacted to Brian’s performance. |
| A．was discouraged and decided to give up |
| B．realized he still had a lot of things to learn |
| C．decided to give up his job for the Red Cross |
| D．decided to help more people with his first aid skills |
5 . In France, there once lived a man named Louis Pasteur, who was a doctor of science. The thing that concerned him most was the disease rabies (狂犬病).
“I must find the rabies germs that hide inside people and make them so sick that they die,” he thought. “Once I find them, I’ll think of a way to kill them.”
Many people thought Pasteur was wasting his time. Some laughed at him and said, “You’ll never do it.”
Pasteur didn’t care what people thought; he believed in himself. He kept right on working.
At the same time, in Germany, a boy named Joey was about to get into trouble. He was teasing a dog. But this dog was sick with rabies, which made the dog mad. Unfortunately, the dog bit him. The rabies germs were passed from the dog to Joey.
Soon the little boy was very sick. His parents could only wait. But then there was news. Joey’s mother saw it and shouted for joy. “A doctor of science has found a way to save sick people like Joey!” she said. The man, of course, was Louis Pasteur. Joey’s parents quickly prepared Joey for the long journey to Paris.
“Dr. Pasteur,” said the mother. “Our little boy is very sick. Can you help us?”
“Perhaps,” said Pasteur. “I’ve invented a vaccine (疫苗). It is strong enough to kill the rabies germs. Joey will be the first person to have my rabies vaccine.”
“The first person?” asked Joey’s worried father nervously. “Will it be dangerous? Are you sure it will work?”
“I believe it will,” said Pasteur.
Slowly the vaccine killed more and more of the rabies germs. Joey began to get well. Dr. Pasteur’s vaccine was a success!
From then on no one had to be afraid of rabies anymore, and people who had laughed at him before, respected him. He is recognized as one of the world’s greatest scientists.
1. What was people’s first reaction toward Pasteur’s thoughts on killing rabies germs?| A．Hopeful. | B．Sceptical. | C．Uncaring. | D．Cheerful. |
| A．He fought with a dog. | B．He drove a mad dog away. |
| C．He killed the rabies germs. | D．He got rabies unexpectedly. |
| A．Proud and imaginative. | B．Careful and simple-minded. |
| C．Selfless and humorous. | D．Confident and strong-minded. |
| A．The amazing story of Joey. |
| B．Pasteur’s deep interest in science. |
| C．The first known person to survive rabies. |
| D．Pasteur’s success in finding a treatment for rabies. |
6 . The other day on a cold night, I left my wife and drove from Harrisburg to Lewisburg, a distance of about 100 miles. It was rather late. Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left, and I became increasingly impatient.
At one point along an open road, I came to a crossing with a traffic light. I was alone on the road by now, but as I drove near the light, it turned red and I made a stop. I looked left, right and behind me. Nothing. Not a car, no suggestion of car lamps, but there I sat, waiting for the light to change, the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.
I started wondering why I refused to run the light. I was not afraid of being caught, because there was clearly no policeman around, and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.
Much later that night, the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me. I think I stopped because it's part of a contract（契约）we all have with each other. It's not only the law, but it's an agreement we have, and we trust each other to honor it： we don't go through red lights.
Trust is our first inclination. Doubting others does not seem to be natural to us. The whole construction of our society depends on mutual（相互的）trust, not distrust. We do what we say we'll do； we show up when we say we'll show up； and we pay when we say we'll pay. We trust each other in these matters, and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that breaks the trust we have in them.
I am so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.
1. How does the author feel about the truck driver?| A．Pleased. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Sorry. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．He hates driving at night. |
| B．He desired to cross the red light that night. |
| C．He approves of obeying traffic rules by himself. |
| D．He is easy when suffering the traffic jam. |
| A．Tendency. | B．Faith. |
| C．Adjustment. | D．Guidance. |
| A．Be polite to others. | B．Improve traffic rules. |
| C．Be patient and helpful. | D．Trust each other. |
7 . When I was four years old，I got stung(螫) by a bee－twice in one week！After that，I had a fear of bees.That's when my parents suggested that I learn about bees instead of being frightened. I read picture books and watched videos about bees，and I learned that bees help make the food we eat because of their pollination(授粉). Take pizza，for example. If we didn't have bees to pollinate tomato plants，we wouldn't have tomatoes for sauce. And we wouldn't have cheese without pollination，either.
The bad news is that bees are struggling to survive. Many are dying. Some scientists think it might be because of chemicals that are used to kill other insects. What would happen if there were no more bees? I wanted to help. I thought, “What if I make lemonade，sell it，and raise money to help bees?” I talked to my grandmother Helen. She gave me her recipe(调制法) for lemonade. It came from a cookbook from 1940.
I added honey to her old recipe. That way，I could sell the lemonade and donate some of the money to groups that are helping to save bees. I could also support local beekeepers by using their honey in my product. And I would be educating others on the importance of bees and helping to save them.
My dad showed me how to work out what supplies I needed to buy. At first，I sold lemonade at a stand at a kids' business event. But I wanted to help bees all year round. We talked to a pizza place near where I live. They said they wanted to sell it. Now more than 30 stores sell it，too. This year we sold about 140,000 bottles. I love helping to save bees. It's the sweetest feeling ever.
1. After learning about bees，the author ________.| A．discovered their importance to people | B．developed an interest in insects |
| C．knew how to deal with them | D．became afraid of them |
| A．Bees’ worrying condition. | B．A cookbook from 1940. |
| C．Helen's special recipe. | D．Her parents' words. |
| A．Careful and polite. | B．Kind and caring. |
| C．Brave and smart. | D．Strong and patient. |
| A．From lemon to lemonade. | B．A kid and her bees. |
| C．A healthy heart. | D．A sweet idea. |
8 . A mum-of-two, Cherish Reardon, was bullied (欺凌) throughout her teenage years and struggled with anxiety for years. In March 2017, Cherish was struggling to adapt to life as a stay-at-home mum when she started exploring ways she could work for herself. Cherish said, “I am eager to work through the website at home. It is a good way to avoid a job interview!”
Immediately, Cherish tried going into fashion. She first focused on vintage-inspired (复古风的) dresses. In order to get her Popsy Clothing started online, Cherish had to put all savings into the business and turned to family for extra backing — she managed to raise & 10,000.
In the first few months, Cherish would only sell a few in the online marketplace. But soon she realized that mums like herself were the ones buying into the brand and NOT the 16-year-old girls what she had expected. Along with the Etsy shop and website, the mum-of-two set up a web page called Frocks & Friends to share fashion tips. Cherish said, “Now we ask my customers what sort of printed cloth they like best. I feel like it is their idea as well as ours.”
Last year, Popsy Clothing turned over almost £ 1,000,000, appearing on Gok Wan’s Fashion Roadshow. In 2019, the business sold 33,200 dresses and Popsy has now branched out into kids clothing and tights. Describing how her business has helped her anxiety, Cherish said, “Anxiety is always going to be with me to a certain degree, but I think I’ve learnt how to manage it and I’ve got support of many other women. Knowing that I’m not alone and other people struggle with it as well, that has been amazing.
1. What is the name of the clothing brand of Cherish?| A．Etsy. | B．Popsy Clothing. |
| C．Frocks & Friends. | D．Fashion Roadshow. |
| A．To look after her children at home. | B．To create her own business attentively. |
| C．To set her free from suffering anxiety. | D．To escape facing others due to her anxiety. |
| A．Ambitious and determined. | B．Confident and humorous. |
| C．Experienced and sensitive. | D．Generous and imaginative. |
| A．Cherish has been suffering from anxiety a lot. |
| B．Cherish has managed to handle her life and work. |
| C．Many women in the world have anxiety disorders. |
| D．Customers have taught her how to cure her illness. |
9 . Leeny stood in the chicken coop（笼子）, shovel in hand, smiling widely. She was not faking it: My 7-year-old daughter was having fun cleaning out the chicken coop. I was happy she was enjoying herself, but I’d meant the household work to be punishment for losing a library book. So, was I winning or losing at parenting?
Leeny always has her nose in a book. She even took to reading in the car on the long drive to summer camp, which was where she lost the book. This is the first lost library book in my life. My family has always been overeducated, but we were poor. I didn’t own books. I borrowed books. However, my daughters have more books now than I owned my whole childhood and I knowingly contribute to it by adding to the stacks（堆）. So it’s probably my fault that when Leeny realized she had lost the book, she shrugged（耸肩）. “Sorry. I can't find it.” My daughter said. “It’s only $20, right? What's the big deal?”
I felt the need to make her feel responsible for the book. She agreed to clean the chicken coop in trade for my paying the library fine. I thought this idea was very clever because cleaning the coop is some work I had been avoiding for months. It was summertime, and dust floated in the dry air.
But my girl, my animal-loving, mini-me, thought shoveling chicken poop（铲鸡粪）was the most fun she’d had on a Saturday morning in a long time. She did not feel any of the emotions that punishment is supposed to introduce. In fact, she looked as if she might lose another book on purpose in order to clean the coop again. I stood, somewhat dumbfounded（发愣的）, watching her.
It took me a while to realize what had happened, why my punishment had failed completely and why I didn’t care. The fact is that I had Leeny help me clean the chicken coop. I was there, too, shoveling chicken poop, fetching the clean straw and feed. Leeny’s little sister, Vicki, was inside watching a cartoon while my husband paid bills. Only Leeny and I were outside. She had me all to herself for the first time since Vicki was born, and she was enjoying all the attention for once. I don’t know what she learned about responsibility, but I found that I didn’t care about the book anymore. We bonded over that unpleasant job and spent quality time together: mother, daughter, and chicken poop.
1. How does Leeny find reading?| A．It is very enjoyable. |
| B．It is full of challenges. |
| C．It inspires her to be a camper. |
| D．It teaches her to lover her family. |
| A．the author didn’t own any books |
| B．the author’s daughters own too many books |
| C．the author’s daughters often lost library books |
| D．the author could never have enough books to read |
| A．Worried. |
| B．Ashamed. |
| C．Astonished. |
| D．Embarrassed. |
| A．My punishment failed, but I didn’t care |
| B．What I owe to Leeny: much more attention |
| C．My daughter drove me crazy, but I felt grateful |
| D．Surprise: my daughter loves cleaning chicken coops |
10 . Katie always knew she wanted to be a performer. She was crazy about musicals and Disney movies from an early age and would often watch them singing along with her mom, Karen. When Katie was nine years old, her happy childhood took a turn when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Then they made a decision. Disney World had been a longtime dream vacation for Karen. So in November 1997, the family packed up and headed to Disney World.
They spent their days in the parks, seeing the sights, greeting characters, and watching Karen’s face light up with joy. They all shared the joy of experiencing the park for the first time with Karen. Katie says she’ll never forget the moment that changed her life on that trip: After a long day, the Whetsells decided to see one of Disney World’s nightly light shows. While watching, a Disney cast member performing in the parade came up to her mom and rested her hand on Karen’s shoulder. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to work for Disney.
Sadly, Katie’s mom Karen lost her battle with cancer on June 2, 2003. Katie went on to pursue her dream.
After Katie received her degree in musical theatre, Katie struggled for years, trying to make it as an actor. Her hard work and passion finally paid off when she was hired to work on Disney Cruise Lines in 2009 and later as a performer in Disney on Classic.
Since then, Katie has had many opportunities to play with some of her favorite Disney characters, but Katie’s favorite friend is Dory in Finding Nemo at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Several times a week, Katie can be found voicing lovable, forgetful Dory. She says that Dory has taught her the value of living in the present moment and to “just keep swimming”.
1. Why did the family decide to visit Disney World?| A．To spend Katie’s dream vacation. | B．To help Katie be a performer. |
| C．To make Karen’s dream come true. | D．To enjoy the last family trip. |
| A．Karen was diagnosed with cancer. |
| B．The family shared the joy together in the park. |
| C．They saw a Disney World’s nightly light show. |
| D．A Disney performer had some interaction with Karen. |
| A．Because Dory taught her some life lessons. |
| B．Because Katie enjoyed voicing lovable Dory. |
| C．Because Dory played with a Disney character. |
| D．Because Katie had opportunities to swim with Dory. |
| A．Humorous and honest. | B．Hardworking and determined. |
| C．Optimistic and serious. | D．Outgoing and patient. |
