1 . As I stuck in the mud (泥), with my bike on top of me, I wondered what had forced me to come here. Madagascar is not a good place for a cycling holiday: one of the world's poorest countries, only 11 percent of roadway is paved (铺). South of the town of Antalaha, where I started, the road was in worse condition.
I appeared from a week in the wilderness and reached the start of the Route National 5 at Maroantsetra, but my dream of a smooth road and speed was suddenly destroyed by mud. The "worst road in the country" changed my bicycle into a burden (负担) for days. Finally, I was claimed by the road. Tired. Alone.
As I wiped (擦) the mud from my face and looked upwards, I was greeted by a Malagasy man. He helped me stand up and smiled playfully while he pointed to my bike, which sat next to his. I started again. But I fell again in the mud. Angrily, I told him to go on, but if he understood he showed no sign of it. His smile forced me back onto the bike. We continued like this for hours. But I fell less. Studying my quick guide, slowly I learned. As we passed through a village, a group of children saw me and shouted loudly. His only words were: "Their parents tell them while people steal and eat them. Funny, no?"
I tried to ask why, but he had already set off. I tried to catch up; as I got closer, he took it as a challenge and sped up. We raced along the road. I rode a little faster and I was just behind, about to catch up with him. With a smile, he sped up and was away, leaving me breathless.
1. What was in the author's mind when he was in the mud?| A．He considered his experience a special pleasure. |
| B．He made up his mind to continue challenging himself. |
| C．He tried to think out a new road for cycling in Antalaha. |
| D．He regretted having the cycling holiday in Madagascar. |
| A．The author chose another road. |
| B．The author decided to ask for help. |
| C．The author lay on the road for a rest. |
| D．The author had no confidence to ride on. |
| A．By showing him the right way. |
| B．By wiping the mud from his bike. |
| C．By riding in front of him all the way. |
| D．By teaching him how to ride in the mud. |
| A．A lonely trip |
| B．A bicycle race |
| C．A lesson in cycling |
| D．A road in Madagascar |
2 . One weekend, Taylor, an eight-year-old girl, went shopping with her parents. She asked her parents to buy a toy she wanted. Instead of giving her money to buy the toy, Taylor’s father encouraged her to make money by herself. “How can I make money?” Taylor thought for a while and had an idea, “Why not make cakes and sell them at church to raise money to buy the toy?”
The next day. Taylor started her plan. She first needed some money for tools and materials. So she borrowed $40 from her parents and promised to pay it back. Then she began to make cakes by herself. To her parents’ surprise, she made $175 by selling the cakes that Sunday.
Everyone thought Taylor would buy the toy she wanted. She certainly had made enough money for it, but she didn’t. Instead, Taylor decided to buy business cards and had her father’s phone number on them. Then she began handing the cards out. More people knew Taylor and came to buy her cakes. Even large companies began to try buying her delicious cakes.
Though Taylor has made a lot of money, she still works hard at school. She also likes to take part in other activities. So Taylor must carefully manage her time. For example, instead of watching TV after school, Taylor might have to bake（烘焙）a lot of cakes for customers. When she has dance lessons on some days, she needs to get her baking done on time so she isn’t late for class.
Making cakes may take time and be hard work, but Taylor sees the fun in it. “I think making cakes is mostly my hobby.” she says. She also decorates（装饰）the boxes that are used to pack the cakes. Taylor uses all kinds of decorations to make sure each box looks special for her customers. People love the extra feeling Taylor gives them by decorating the boxes, so more and more people come for her cakes.
Taylor’s cakes are becoming very popular. She achieves a sweet success.
1. Why dig Taylor start selling cakes?| A．Because she loved baking cakes very much. |
| B．Because she wanted to make a lot of money. |
| C．Because her parents encouraged her to sell cakes. |
| D．Because she needed money to buy the toy she wanted. |
| A．By handing out business cards. |
| B．By selling her cakes at church. |
| C．By advertising at her dance class. |
| D．By inviting large companies to buy her cakes. |
| A．She doesn’t work hard at school. |
| B．She can’t manage her time well. |
| C．She sees the fun in her cake business. |
| D．She is too busy to take part in other activities. |
| A．To explain how to buy a toy. |
| B．To teach us how to make good cakes. |
| C．To show us that it is fun to sell cakes. |
| D．To introduce a girl who is talented in business. |
3 . When I woke up on Aug 4, 2016, there was only one thing on my mind: what to wear. A billion thoughts appeared through my brain in the closet (衣橱). Not only was it my first day of high school, but it was my first day of school in a new state; first impressions are everything, and it was important for me to impress the people who I would spend the next four years with.
After carefully hunting my closet, I proudly came out in a dress from Target. The soft cotton was comfortable, and the specially designed shoulders added a little of fun. Yes, this cloth was the one. An hour later, I felt powerful as I headed toward room 1136. But as I entered class, my jaw dropped to the floor.
Sitting at her desk was Mrs Hutfilz, my English teacher, wearing exactly the same dress as me. I kept my head down and tiptoed(踮着脚尖) to my seat. I made it through my simple introduction speech until Mrs Hutfilz stood up, jokingly saying that she liked my style. Although this was the moment I had been afraid of from the moment I walked in, all my anxiety surprisingly melted away, and the students paid attention as I shared my story. My smile grew as I laughed with the students. After class, I stayed behind, talked to Mrs Hutfilz and make a humorous and real communication.
Looking back four years later, the ten minutes I spent afraid of giving my speech were really not worth it. My first period of high school certainly made the day unforgettable in the best way and taught me that Mrs Hutfilz has a brilliant sense of style!
1. Why did the author pay great attention to her clothes on the first day of high school?| A．She followed her father’s advice. |
| B．She was unconfident about herself. |
| C．She cared too much about her appearance. |
| D．She wanted to make a good impression. |
| A．It was her first day of primary school. |
| B．She was satisfied with her first day dress. |
| C．Her teacher was unhappy because she wore the same dress with her. |
| D．She made a conversation with her English teacher in class. |
| A．Angry. | B．Confused. |
| C．Proud. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．To share a memorable experience. |
| B．To explore the troubles with dressing. |
| C．To introduce her stylish English teacher. |
| D．To stress the importance of first impressions. |
4 . While a man was passing by an elephant, he suddenly stopped. The elephant was held by only a small rope. The farmer ties the rope to the elephant's front leg. No chains, no cages. The man was very confused. He wanted to know why the elephant didn't run away.
He visited the farmer and asked why the elephant just stood there and didn't run away. "Well," the farmer said, "when it was very young and much smaller, we used the same size rope to tie it. At that age, the rope was strong enough to hold it. Of course it couldn't run away. When it grew up, it still believed the rope could hold it. So it never tried to run away."
The man was very amazed. In fact, the grown-up elephant could run away at any time. But it didn't run away just because it believed it couldn't. As a result, it was stuck right there.
We have such problems in our life. Sometimes we don't think we can deal with the problems. Sometimes we fail to deal with them. It's not wise to stop struggling. See? Failure is part of learning. We should never give up the struggle.
1. The farmer held the elephant by ________.| A．making a chain to tie the elephant | B．making a cage for the elephant |
| C．tying a rope to the elephant's front leg | D．tying a rope around the elephant's body |
| A．a stronger rope | B．a smaller rope |
| C．the same size rope | D．a longer rope |
| A．no one came to save it | B．the elephant couldn't run fast |
| C．it was not strong enough | D．it believed it couldn't |
| A．not to stop struggling | B．to give up the struggle in life |
| C．to learn from the farmer | D．to learn from the elephant |
5 . 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 |
6 . I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. "But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth."
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us, I was "too emotional". But she lived "on the surface".
As years passed, I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family, I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer; none came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace. It seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of Her desk told me, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a one — page letter, folded and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
1. The passage shows that___________.| A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to the author |
| B．Mother was too serious about everything the author had done |
| C．Mother cared much about the author in words |
| D．Mother wrote to the author in careful words |
| A．deep understanding | B．difference between ideas |
| C．free talks | D．part of the sea |
| A．She had never received the letter. |
| B．For years, she often talked about the letter. |
| C．She didn't forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
| D．She read the letter again and again till she died. |
| A．My letter to Mother | B．Mother and Children |
| C．My Mother's Desk | D．Talks between Mother and me. |
7 . Most heroes are not super. They don’t appear in comic books, on television, or in movies. They just do what they believe needs to be done to make their world a better place. Bike Batman is one of them.
Bike Batman is a 30-year-old married engineer who lives in Seattle, Washington. He’s a cyclist who also buys and sells bikes as a hobby.
About three years ago, he was looking for a bike for his wife. He found one on Craigslist, a website where people list things they want to sell. As he often does, he also looked at Bike Index, a popular website that allows users to register their bikes and post reports when they’re taken. The bike, which he was considering purchasing, clearly matched one reported stolen on Bike Index.
Then he called the person who claimed（声称） to be the bike’s owner and arranged to meet him— supposedly to complete the sale. When the two men met, Bike Batman told the thief, “You’ve got two choices. You can wait until a police officer gets here, or you can just get out of here.” You can imagine what the thief did.
After that first success, Bike Batman developed a safer routine. When he sees questionable bike ads on Craigslist, he cross-references the image with bikes reported on Bike Index. Once he has confirmed it with the owner, he arranges a meet-up with the thief and will call the Seattle police department so that officers can participate in the action. In more than half of the 22 cases in which he has got back and returned bikes, the thieves have been caught. In one case, Bike Batman even helped a family recover a wide range of prized belongings that suspects（嫌疑犯）had stolen during a home burglary.
His nickname came from a discussion with a police officer who suggested he be called “Robin Hood”. Since he wasn’t exactly stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, “Batman” seemed a better fit. The idea of a superhero punishing criminals feels pretty silly to him, but the main reason he continues his work is to keep up Seattle’s fame as a friendly city.
1. Bike Batman is .| A．a superhero | B．a website manager |
| C．a Seattle citizen | D．a police officer |
| A．contact the owner of the stolen bike | B．look up the bike’s information |
| C．call the police department | D．arrange to meet the thief |
| A．become famous | B．help poor people |
| C．punish bike thieves | D．build a friendly city |
| A．Bike Batman felt relieved to see the thieves caught |
| B．Bike Batman began his good deeds by accident |
| C．the police failed to perform their duties |
| D．the thieves refused to return the bikes |
8 . Roger Rolls was the first black governor in the history of New York State, USA. He was born in one of New York’s dishonorable slums (贫民窟). The children born here rarely did good work after they grew up. However, Roger Rolls was an exception, for he was not only admitted to the university, but also he became a governor.
At one of the press conferences, a reporter asked him, “What made you become the governor?” Faced with more than 300 journalists, Rolls did not mention his struggle but only spoke of his primary school schoolmaster---Pierre Paul.
In 1961, Pierre Paul was engaged as the director and principle of Nobita Primary School. When he entered this school, he found the children here didn’t cooperate with the teachers. Pierre thought up many ways to guide them, but none was effective. Later, he found these children were very superstitious(迷信的), so when he gave lectures, he added a program of palm reading as a means of fortune-telling, with which he encouraged the students.
When Rolls jumped to the platform with his small hands stretched out, Pierre Paul said, “As soon as I see your slim little fingers, I know you will be the governor of New York State in future.” At that moment, Rolls was shocked because only his grandmother inspired him once, saying that he could become captain of a five-ton ship. This time, Pierre Paul said he could become governor of New York State, so he remembered that remark and believed him.
From that day on, the “New York State Governor” was like a banner (旗帜) that constantly inspired him to study energetically and make progress. Rolls no longer stained his clothes with mud, nor did he speak in foul language. He began to straighten his back when he was walking. In the next more than 40 years, he demanded himself according to the identity of a governor. At the age of 51, he finally became the governor of New York State.
Put up a banner of faith for yourself and you will have the drive to struggle and the dynamism of life!
1. Pierre Paul read palms for the kids to __________.| A．practice his fortune-telling skills | B．find a governor for the future. |
| C．get them to cooperate with him. | D．inspire them with clever tricks |
| A．He put up a banner in one of the slums. |
| B．He had more faith in his grandmother. |
| C．He became captain of a five-ton ship. |
| D．He started to pay attention to his own image. |
| A．encouragement and faith make for success. |
| B．education plays an important role in life. |
| C．superstitious people are easy to persuade. |
| D．it is not necessary to get an acceptable job. |
| A．foreign | B．professional |
| C．unpleasant | D．local |
9 . I remember watching my first rental (租赁的）movie when I was a kid. My aunt owned a video store and we borrowed a VHS copy of Poltergeist.
In 2004, I was 33 years old, living in Bend and looking for a part-time job to help support our family. My best friend, Mary, a saleswoman at the Blockbuster, suggested I might like working with her at the Blockbuster, and I’ve been here ever since. Back then, there were five Blockbusters in Bend alone. The movie-rental business was at its peak (顶点): we were still storing VHS tapes but DVDs were also coming in, and both were doing well.
When it became clear that DVD was going to replace VHS, I got very excited because those cassettes were so big and heavy. I often dropped them on my feet. Even then, I never dreamed I would end up managing the last store in town.
For me, the best thing about this job is the people. I love chatting to customers and hearing their opinions on movies. Now I’m the manager, however. I have all kinds of other responsibilities, like handling mountains of paperwork. I’m a bit like an old policeman in a movie who hates the desk job and longs to go back to the beat (巡逻区域). I hate being the manager.
The final store closures happened so fast. At the end of 2017, there were seven Blockbusters left in the US, but by early 2019 there was only our store and one other store in Australia, in the world. Since March when only our store remained, things have been crazy. The local community has been surprisingly supportive, and people have come from all over the world to rent movies: we’ve set up close to 5,000 new memberships. Most of them are regulars.
I’ll be sad to see the end of video stores. We have several years left on our lease (租期）and, as long as we can continue to pay our staff, we’11 stay open. Becoming the last store has given the business a push and we’re selling Blockbuster souvenirs. I’ve watched enough movies to realize there’s an end to everything, but hopefully the ending of this story is a long way off.
1. What can we learn about the Blockbuster?| A．It was quite popular in the past. | B．It was mainly found in America. |
| C．It provided many part-time jobs for kids. | D．It offered workers high salaries. |
| A．It’s troublesome. | B．It’s low-paid. |
| C．It’s boring. | D．It’s challenging. |
| A．Because few people want to work in Blockbusters. |
| B．Because many Blockbusters have broken down. |
| C．Because VHS tapes and DVDs became hard to buy. |
| D．Because their store became popular unexpectedly. |
10 . Jim was a young man in his early twenties who was studying to be a carpenter. He was a good worker, honest and worthy of trust, so his boss was pleased with him. As he was such a likable man and easy to deal with, he was popular with his workmates, too. They also made fun of him a great deal but he never got angry with them and would only laugh.
But Jim’s one great shortcoming was that he could never tell a lie, no matter how hard he tried, not even a little one. In fact, he was so honest and shy that he would blush even when he was telling the truth. He used to stand in front of the mirror and practise lying while looking himself in the eyes at the same time. But as soon as he saw his face starting to go red he had to look away.
One morning, however, he didn’t feel like going to work because he had been to a party the night before and it hadn’t ended till the early hours of the morning. And so far the first time in his life he decided to take the day off. He rang his boss, pretending to be a woman. “I’m afraid Jim can’t come to work today. He isn’t feeling very well.”
Poor Jim was thankful that his boss couldn’t see him just at that moment because his hands were trembling(发抖) and his face was bright red.
“Thank you for letting me know,” said Mr. Woods, his boss, and then just as he was about to hang up, he said, “just a moment, madam, who’s speaking.”
“Oh!” he stammered (口吃的说), and going all out for making a voice like a woman, he cried in a voice: “This is my landlady speaking!”
1. According to the passage we know that Jim was a ___.| A．skillful worker |
| B．skillful carpenter |
| C．researcher studying how to be a carpenter |
| D．being-trained carpenter |
| A．stammer | B．look away |
| C．go red | D．feel hot |
| A．To avoid being laughed at by his workmates. |
| B．To overcome his shortcoming. |
| C．To get his boss pleased with him. |
| D．To get ready for asking for leave. |
| A．out of the bag | B．out of the house |
| C．into the bag | D．into the house |
