1 . I was born in Bombay, India. When I was about 6 months old, my legs became paralyzed (麻痹的). My birth mother deserted (遗弃) me. I was adopted (收养) by an American family. I was taken to Spokane, Washington. It took me a long time to be able to walk, because I had to accept a number of operations.
When I was in the business school, one of my friends was training for a marathon. One day, she introduced me to an organization called Achilles International, which was a club for athletes with disabilities. It took me four months to get the courage to make the phone call. Dick Traum, the founder of Achilles, answered the phone. He asked me to show up on Tuesday and would lend me his bike. That was the first time that I had been able to feel the wind in my long hair. I rode really slowly, but it was the coolest feeling to ride a bicycle for the first time.
Later, I decided to take part in the Ironman World Championship. I was in a lot of pain, because I had to practice swimming, biking and running for over nine months.
On the day of the marathon, it took me 14 hours and 39 minutes to finish the Triathlon. After I crossed that finish line, I cried. I made it. It was my determination that made my dream come true.
1. Who took the author to America?| A．Her birth father. | B．An Indian family. |
| C．An American family. | D．Her birth mother. |
| A．From a book. | B．From her friend. |
| C．From the Internet. | D．From a magazine. |
| A．Her hard exercising experience. |
| B．Her wish to be successful. |
| C．Her attitude towards the painful life. |
| D．Her dream of becoming a champion. |
| A．Disability Is the Key to Success |
| B．A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed |
| C．Success Depends on Whom You Meet |
| D．Determination Makes Everything Possible |
2 . Mr. Harris used to work in Dover, but then he changed his work, and he and his wife moved to another town. They did not have many friends there, but they soon met a lot of interesting people, and after a few weeks, they often went to dinner or to parties at other people’s houses.
Then Mrs. Harris said to her husband, “We’ve been to a lot of other people’s houses, and now we must invite them to our house, mustn’t we?”
“Yes, certainly,” answered her husband, “A big party will be the easiest thing, won’t it? Then we can start to invite people to dinner in small numbers next month.”
So Mrs. Harris said, “Yes, I’ll invite all our friends here to a big party on 5th December.”
“How many will that be?” Mr. Harris asked. “Don’t invite too many.”
Mrs. Harris was beginning to write the invitations when her husband saw that she was writing, “Party: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.”
“That isn’t very nice, is it?” he said. “You’re telling our guests that they must go at 8:30.” So Mrs. Harris just wrote “Party: 6:30 p.m.”
A lot of guests came, and they all had a good time, so they did not go home at 8:30. In fact they were still there at mid-night when the door bell rang and a policeman arrived. He said, “You must stop making a noise, because someone has complained(抱怨).”
Mr. Harris said he did not want to quarrel with the policeman, so everyone went home. They were sorry to have to go.
When Mr. and Mrs. Harris were alone again, she said to him. “That was a surprise, wasn’t it? Who complained about the noise?”
“I did,” Mr Harris answered in a tired voice.
1. What made Mr. and Mrs. Harris hold a party at their house?| A．It was easy to hold a big party at home. |
| B．They could ask people to dinner in small numbers. |
| C．They liked making friends with others. |
| D．They had gone to other people’s parties many times. |
| A．From the morning till night. |
| B．About fourteen hours. |
| C．Till midnight |
| D．About two hours. |
| A．At about 8:30. |
| B．About twelve o'clock. |
| C．When the policeman talked with Mr. Harris on the phone. |
| D．When someone telephoned the police station. |
| A．Because someone rang his door bell many times at mid-night. |
| B．His friends had a good time that night and also feel tired. |
| C．He did not want his friends to stay late that night. |
| D．Because he hated the noise. |
3 . The morning after an evening struggle to care for my three-year-old daughter, I couldn't wait to get her to school. I, as a mother, was tired from the anger and her inability to communicate because of her slowed language development.
As I accompanied her into the car, I felt desperate. Nothing was right with our world. She'd been born around the same time when the nation was witnessing the birth of another Great Recession. My job and my house had been victims. Then this happened. My child's language delay was identified, but doctors struggled to properly help her. I felt like we both needed to be rescued.
I returned that afternoon as disenchanted with the little girl I loved as when I left. Walking slowly toward the school’s playground gate, I found her preschool teacher racing to greet me.
"You should have seen her today!" His breathy words were supported by excitement. I didn't interrupt. "See that climber." He pointed to a wooden piece of playground equipment that looked like a rock wall. I nodded. "Well, every day since she started school, she's tried and failed to make it to the top." He took a breath. "And today she did it!”
He expressed his joy just as he'd witnessed her conquering Mount Everest! "She cheered and celebrated! I wish I'd recorded it!” His words comforted me. My daughter had conquered her mountain.
As she ran toward me, I recognized something I hadn't before. I saw her perseverance（毅力）, I saw her strength. I saw a hero.
Everyday greatness celebrates ordinary people who do unusual things in big and small ways, showing courage, kindness, love and selflessness. We encourage you to click these brief accounts and invite you to share your own story.
1. Why did the author rush her daughter to school?| A．She was busy with her work as a doctor. |
| B．She had a fight with her daughter last night. |
| C．She broke down when dealing with her daughter. |
| D．She had to sell their house due to Great Recession. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Concerned. | C．Neutral. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．She succeeded in standing on Mount Everest. |
| B．She managed to climb up the wooden equipment. |
| C．She got the first place in the school sports meet. |
| D．She began to communicate with others normally. |
| A．The radio. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A newspaper. | D．The Internet. |
| A．Perseverance means victory. | B．Every child is an angel. |
| C．We can always find hope in tiny things. | D．Medical treatment is advancing. |
4 . Many years ago, my dad was facing a serious heart condition. He was unable to do a steady job. He fell suddenly ill and had to be admitted to the hospital.
He wanted to do something to keep himself busy, so he decided to volunteer at the local children’s hospital. My dad loved kids. It was the perfect job for him. He ended up working with the seriously ill children. He would talk, play, and do arts with them.
One of his kids was a girl with a rare disease that paralyzed (瘫痪) her from the neck down. She couldn’t do anything, and she was very depressed. My dad decided to try to help her. He started visiting her in her room, bringing paints, brushes and paper. He stood the paper up, put the paintbrush in his mouth and began to paint. He didn’t use his hands at all. All the while he would tell her, “See, you can do anything you set your mind to.”At the end of the day, she began to paint using her mouth, and she and my dad became friends. Soon after, the little girl was sent home because the doctors felt there was nothing else they could do for her. My dad also left the children’s hospital for a little while because he became ill. Some time later after my dad had recovered and returned to work, in came the little girl who had been paralyzed and only this time she was walking. She ran straight over to my dad and hugged him really tight. She gave him a picture she had done using her hands. At the bottom it read: “Thank you for helping me walk.”
My dad would cry every time he told us this story and so would we. He would say sometimes love is more powerful than doctor, and my dad—who died just a few months after the little girl gave the picture—loved every single child in that hospital.
1. The author’s father worked at the local hospital to_______________.| A．make his serious heart condition less serious | B．keep himself occupied and pleased |
| C．realize his childhood dream | D．earn money to pay for treatment |
| A．He helped her practice walking. | B．He visited her and made a toy for her. |
| C．He showed her she could still do things. | D．He painted special pictures for her. |
| A．eventually became a unique painter |
| B．was sent home and never seen again |
| C．gradually recovered and walked |
| D．sent the author’s dad a picture painted with her mouth |
| A．It’s better to give than to receive. |
| B．A sick person should not focus on his disease. |
| C．Volunteering is a worthwhile thing to do. |
| D．Love can sometimes bring great results. |
5 . It’s not common that a grandmother aged 89 is crowned Queen of Icebergs in north America, but when it does happen it’s quite the sight.
On a recent trip to Iceland, Judith Streng became that grandma after her son attempted to take a photograph of her sitting on an ice structure that looks like a throne (宝座) at Diamond Beach in Jokul. Shortly after Streng sat down to pose, the piece of ice broke off and floated into the water.
“I thought it was safe. One girl had been on it and then two girls at the same time, and it was very secure with them. When I got on it, it started to shake and a wave was coming in. A very large wave came in and made the throne kind of shake, and I could tell that I was slipping off,” Streng told ABC News.
Streng’s story went hot after her 24-year-old granddaughter Catherine tweeted a text message exchange she had with her father about the incident. “My grandmother almost got lost at sea in Iceland today!”
Catherine, who teaches English in Seoul, South Korea, explained via Twitter that her father described the scene vividly. He has a PhD in English, and described the event in the following words, “She climbed to the throne after a wave had pulled back and left it briefly exposed on the beach. Then a wave washed in and removed the ice throne, rocking it from side to side. When the wave left, it lifted the throne and carried her out into the sea with the tide.”
Luckily for the Streng family, Randy, a licensed boat captain from Florida with knowledge of water rescue strategies witnessed the whole thing, and was able to save the day.
1. Where was the grandma when her son was taking a picture for her?| A．On a crown. | B．In an iceboat. |
| C．At a throne beach. | D．On an iceberg. |
| A．By drawing a vivid picture. |
| B．By exchanging tweeter account. |
| C．By talking with her father in Seoul. |
| D．By posting the text message exchange with her father. |
| A．Catherine. | B．Streng. |
| C．Randy. | D．Judith. |
| A．Taking Pictures Must be Very Dangerous |
| B．A Grandma Floated out to the Sea on an Iceberg |
| C．An Optimistic Family Who Love Iceberg |
| D．The Licensed Boat Captain Went Hot Slowly |
6 . Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, James Franco’s world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a compellent answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was another sudden shock.
1. The reason why James attempted to kill himself was that ________.| A．a terrible electrical accident happened to him |
| B．nobody in the whole world cared about him |
| C．he was struck by the lightning once more |
| D．he had to live in a dark and silent world |
| A．Sheltering from the rain under a tree. | B．Putting an end to his life. |
| C．Taking a walk with a stick. | D．Lying on the ground. |
| A．Gradual. | B．Wrong. | C．Convincing. | D．True. |
| A．A Terrible Electrical Accident | B．What a Sudden Shock |
| C．An Unforgettable Adventure | D．James Franco and His wife |
7 . The pupils of Grangetown High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate — a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school.
The giraffe is a huge sculpture (雕像). The school’s headmaster noticed it in an artist’s garden as he drove past one day, and thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as the Grangetown Giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver (递送) in six weeks — all for nothing! It was expected to arrive one Sunday morning, so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday — at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.”
The artist, Tom Bennett was a university professor of chemistry before he retired in 2012 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago. “I’ve always drawn pictures,” he said. I can even remember doing it on my first day at school — I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever, but I don’t think I succeeded.” Tom’s first metalwork was a bicycle on which he and his wife could go cycling together, “It was the most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “so I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”
Meanwhile the pupils at Grangetown High are very happy with their new classmate. “We’re going to hold a competition to give it a proper name,” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on its face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”
1. What can we learn about the giraffe according to the text?| A．It was specially made for a basketball team. |
| B．It was given to Grangetown High for free. |
| C．It was as tall as a basketball player. |
| D．It was sent to Grangetown High on Monday. |
| A．surprised | B．sad |
| C．shy | D．confident |
| A．He visited Grangetown High as a professor. |
| B．He did well in drawing, especially horses. |
| C．He learned a lot about sculpture at university. |
| D．He showed interest in art at an early age. |
| A．It was difficult to name a giraffe. |
| B．A metal giraffe arrived at Grangetown High. |
| C．Tom Bennett is famous as a sculptor. |
| D．The Grangetown Giraffes is a strong team. |
8 . My wife and I went to this vegan(严格的素食主义的) restaurant to give it a try. As we were eating our pepper and salt tofu, a young lady named Debra walked in. She wasn't aware that the place is vegan and was looking for some meat. My wife and I talked up the place and invited her over to try some of our tofu. Debra tried it, nodded and went out.
After a few minutes, she and her mother both walked back in. We were having the rest of our meal at that time, so we told her what we had ordered. Debra then asked the waitress to just repeat our order for them. Next , Debra said. "And we want to pay for their meal", pointing to my wife and me. We tried to say no, but Debra wouldn't listen.
That was not the end ofit. Hugs were in order. Debra came over to our table and my wife got up to hug her. Debra hugged my wife and put $ 100 into her hand. My wife firmly said NO, but Debra insisted. Debra kept talking about our kindness, and we did the same about hers and her mother's.With tears in the eyes, the workers were blown away by this whole exchange between four strangers.I left the waiters and waitresses a tip that would cover all ofour meals and we were on our way.
I've been witnessing so much kindness, especially over the last few years, as I began to pay more attention. We now have a new favorite restaurant and every time we go there my plan is to pay for someone else's meal.
1. Why did Debra go out after trying some tofu?| A．To bring her mother in. | B．To look after her mother. |
| C．To get away from the food. | D．To Iook for another restaurant |
| A．Hugging the author's wife | B．Ordering a meal for the author |
| C．Treating the author and his wife | D．Tipping the waiters and waitress |
| A．Curious | B．Funny |
| C．Surprised | D．Touched |
| A．They've been friends. | B．They were both vegan |
| C．They met forvthe first time | D．They once worked together |
9 . Most people can't live to 100． Those who do live so long can hardly walk， let alone take part in any activities． A few people， however， take part in dangerous activities even though they are more than 100 years old﹣ They keep going and going! There is a great grandmother who likes challenging herself although she is 101 years old this year．
Mary Hardison believes that people should always be cheerful and more importantly， take on all kinds of adventures while they physically still can． So， instead of celebrating her 101st birthday with a boring party， she decided to go paragliding（滑翔跳伞）﹣ an idea she got from her 75﹣year﹣old son who recently took it up as a hobby．
So on her birthday， cheered on by her big family， she tied herself up together with expert instructor Kevin Hintze， and jumped down fearlessly from the sky near her home in Ogden， Utah． And， it was not just a simple jump either． According to Kevin Hintze， the grandmother encouraged him to turn around， as they made their way down．
This is not the first time that Mary has done something "wild" and "crazy"． For her 90th birthday she rode all the adult rides at Disneyland． And， she is not done yet﹣ For her 102nd birthday she hopes to go down the 3，000 feet Alpine Slide at Utah's Park City Mountain Resort!
Not surprisingly， this great action has made Mary Hardison very famous and also earned her a place in the Guinness World Records where she broke a 2007 record set by a 100﹣year﹣old British woman． What an amazing lady!
1. What do we know about Mary Hardison？| A．She took up paragliding as her hobby at the age of 75． |
| B．She is a 101﹣year﹣old lady who likes challenging herself． |
| C．She was recorded in the Guinness World Records in 2007． |
| D．She is the oldest woman in the Guinness World Records． |
| A．A 100﹣year﹣old British woman． |
| B．Kevin Hintze． |
| C．Her grandson． |
| D．Her 75﹣year﹣old son． |
| A．Amazed． |
| B．Supportive． |
| C．Doubtful． |
| D．Worried． |
| A．a news report |
| B．an advertisement |
| C．a novel |
| D．a science report |
10 . The nervous-looking young man had waited for a few moments—outside the jeweler’s before he got enough courage to enter. He was warmly greeted by a young assistant. James felt a rush of blood to his face as he explained he would be bringing in his future wife to choose a birthday present. The assistant listened carefully and told him he’d better buy a necklace. He wasn’t used to buying jewellery and was a little worried about over-spending.
After some discussion as to a reasonable price and the type, the assistant showed him dozens of necklaces and helped him to choose. At last James chose one and left the shop promising to return at five o'clock. When, half an hour later than planned, James did return to the shop with his future wife, Laura, the assistant acted as if she had never seen him before. When she was asked to show them some necklaces, she first brought out some inexpensive ones for them to choose, and then gave them the one she had prepared. A choice was soon made and they went away, satisfied. James would certainly come back to buy what he wanted.
1. A good title for this passage is ________.| A．A Clever Assistant |
| B．Buying a Birthday Present |
| C．How to Choose a Necklace |
| D．A Brave Young Man |
| A．turned pale | B．turned red |
| C．turned yellow | D．turned black |
| A．4:30 | B．5:00 |
| C．5:30 | D．6:00 |
| A．the necklace was good |
| B．Laura liked the necklace |
| C．the assistant who served James was very beautiful |
| D．the assistant knew how to satisfy the people who came to buy things |
