1 . Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia was delivered to my house. No card came with it. Calls to the flower-shop were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender’s name and just delighted in the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper.
But I never stopped imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother contributed to these imaginings. She’d ask me if there was someone for whom I had done special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man across the street whose mail I’d delivered during the winter. As a girl of seventeen, though, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy whom I had met.
One month before my graduation, my father died of a heart attack. I felt so sad that I became completely uninterested in my upcoming graduation party.
The day before my father died, my mother and I had gone shopping for a party dress. We’d found an impressive one, but it was the wrong size. When my father died, I forgot about my dress.
But my mother didn’t. The day before the party I found that dress—in the right size—over the living room sofa. I didn’t care whether I had a new dress or not. But my mother wanted me to have one. She wanted her children to feel loved and lovable. In truth, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia—lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery. My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming.
1. Why did the writer stopped trying to know who the sender was?| A．In no way could she find the sender. | B．The shop didn’t answer the phone. |
| C．There was no card with the flower. | D．She was only interested in the flower. |
| A．Her father. | B．Her mother. | C．An old man. | D．A boy. |
| A．12 times. | B．22 times. | C．10 times. | D．9 times. |
| A．A Party Dress | B．My Gardenia |
| C．A Mysterious Boy | D．The Death of My Parents |
2 . One day about eight years ago in the departure lounge (休息室) of a flight from New York's LaGuardia airport to O'Hare in Chicago, I found a young boy in tears and his mother at his side also appeared upset, I walked to them and invited them to our VIP lounge.
As it turned out, the boy, Miles and his mom were returning to their home in Kansas City. Miles has had some health problems. Though he had received more than thirty operations in a Jewish Hospital in New York, he would be back for more.
Miles enjoyed spending his time in our VIP lounge looking at the entire wall filled with the pictures of many celebrities (名人) who often came to our office. We soon added Miles' picture to the wall among those celebrities.
Among the celebrities, Miles like the country singer Garth Brooks best. Miles would just sit and stare at Garth's picture,
One day, Mr. Brooks was waiting in the lounge for his flight. As he looked at the collection of photographs, Garth asked about the youngster with the big smile. We told him about Miles. We also told him how much Miles loved and respected (尊重) him. He nodded and left.
About six months later, Garth was going to be performing in Kansas City and he asked our workers to help him get in touch with the family. He wanted Miles to be his guest. That evening, not only did Miles sit in the front row, but he and Garth also had a private meeting after the performance.
Although Miles would receive many more treatments after that special evening, his smile greeted us with every following visit. The face of a sick boy was changed by the joy of a stranger.
1. What does the author probably do?| A．A worker at an airport. | B．A killed photographer. |
| C．A country music singer. | D．A doctor in a Jewish hospital. |
| A．Interviewing celebrities he saw there. |
| B．Seeing pictures of celebrities on the wall. |
| C．Drawing pictures of the celebrities there. |
| D．Singing together with his favorite singer. |
| A．Determined and generous. | B．Proud and selfish. |
| C．Kind and helpful. | D．Powerful and rich. |
| A．Importance of Good Service | B．Kindness from Strangers |
| C．A Serious Health Problem | D．A Helpless Mother |
3 . Growing up in an Italian-American household was, for me, very special. My mother, Gina, an immigrant from Calabria, Italy, held on to so many of her family traditions that sometimes, regardless of the fact that we were living in the United States, our home felt like an annex(附件) of Italy.
To this day, my mother may use some English terms and expressions from time to time, but our conversations are, for the most part, in her mother tongue. And most of those conversations revolve around food.
While eating breakfast, we often discuss what we will make for lunch and right after lunch, we begin to figure out what’s on the menu for dinner. For us, food— Italian food— is an important part of our lives. We live to eat, not eat to live. The food my mother prepared for me and my sister as children is the same food my grandmother created in her small farm kitchen high up in the mountains.
So, it surprised no one that I dedicated the past four years of my life to a new cookbook, Heirloom Kitchen, which records and preserves the recipes of our ancestors, my family’s, and those of the families of many of my friends. These heritage recipes link us to our pasts.
One of my family’s heritage dishes I was sure to learn when I was young is my mother’s arancini di riso (Italian rice balls). Arancini, in Italian, means little oranges. After you roll some leftover rice into a small ball, place a piece of mozzarella(白干酪) in the center, and then bread and fry it, you get a golden ball.
My mother has always been respectful of ingredients. She grew up on a farm where the “fruits” of their labour directly transferred into the food on the table, and wasting any ingredient was unacceptable. One of the greatest lessons my mother taught me in the kitchen is to cook what I have on hand, and to never let anything go to waste, because a bit of creativity can create a new, delicious dish.
So, when I take a perfect little arancino out of the hot oil and crack it open, I am immediately transported back to my childhood: I was a little girl getting off the bus and running through the back door to the smell of last night’s rice transformed into crunchy goodness. This small snack symbolizes so many things in my life: my mother’s waste-not philosophy, her ability to take a few simple ingredients and transform them, and finally, the way she carried her mother’s recipes to the US in her mind and heart so she could, years later, teach me about my heritage through food.
1. What do we know about the author’s family?| A．The author’s mother lives in Calabria now. |
| B．Most of the family lead an American-style life. |
| C．The author’s mother only speaks to her in Italian. |
| D．The author’s mother often talks about food with her. |
| A．the taste |
| B．the appearance |
| C．a famous chef |
| D．the author’s mother |
| A．Compared to Italian food, the author prefers American food. |
| B．The family’s dinner is based on the recipes of their ancestors. |
| C．Making good use of ingredients is the family’s cooking tradition. |
| D．The author’s mother doesn’t make preparations before meals. |
| A．The heritage the author has learned through food. |
| B．How to make delicious Italian rise balls. |
| C．How to be creative at reducing food waste. |
| D．The introduction of the author’s new book. |
4 . During my senior year in college I was still a few credits short of graduating, so I skimmed through the class schedule looking for something to fill the hours. When I came across “Private Voice instruction”, as in singing lessons, I thought, “Why not step outside my comfort zone and give it a try?
I was careful to sign up for private lessons instead of group lessons because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by singing in front of other students.
Things went fine until the end of the term when my singing professor brought the shocking news. “By the way, Sean, have you decided which song you want to sing at the recital?”
“That would not be a good idea,” I said. The thought of singing in front of a group made me physically sick.
“Courage, Sean,” I kept rehearsing in my mind. “You’ve got to at least try.”
That awesome day finally arrived. As I stood in front of the class, all eyes fell upon me. I couldn’t help but think, “How? How in the world did I get myself into this situation?”
Even before I reached the second line, the expressions of excitement on the students’ faces turned to anguish(痛苦). I was so nervous that my body felt as tight as jeans just pulled from the dryer.
Near the end of the song is a really high note. I don’t recall if I hit that note or missed it. All I remember is that a few students were so embarrassed that they couldn’t even look at me.
I finished and sat down quickly. Silence. No one knew what to say.
But do you know what? Although that experience nearly killed me, when I left that classroom, I was so proud of myself. I felt a great sense of personal accomplishment, and I frankly didn’t care what anyone else thought about my high note. I had survived and I was proud of it.
1. Why did the author choose the private lessons?| A．He didn’t like to be with others. |
| B．He didn’t want to sing in public. |
| C．He wanted to get more attention. |
| D．He wanted better teaching quality. |
| A．Surprised and nervous. |
| B．Moved and thankful. |
| C．Excited and confident. |
| D．Disappointed and worried. |
| A．He didn’t finish it. |
| B．It was a great success. |
| C．Few students watched it. |
| D．It turned out to be a failure. |
| A．He had overcome himself. |
| B．He had hit the high note. |
| C．He had conquered the audience. |
| D．He thought he had sung very well. |
5 . I was raised in a house where my sisters and I weren't trusted by our mother to manage our own appearance. A few years ago, I was home for a visit when my mom, now in her early 70s, called me into her bedroom. We were ready to leave for dinner. "I don't know what to wear." she complained." You girls always look so good."
I paused in the doorway and looked at her, wondering if I'd misheard." What do you mean?" I asked her." You know what to wear. " "No, "she answered, "I don't. Can you pick some for me?" I was so surprised.
This was the same woman that, in 1989, told my younger sister she wasn't allowed to leave the house wearing a pair of ripped(撕碎的) jeans; the same woman that, in high school called me while I was out at a party to ask if my hair was tied up. "You look better with it down," she told me. Before I could answer I realized, suddenly, that my mother not only wanted my opinion, but also needed it. I pulled a pair of blue jeans and a light blue sweater."Wear them with your black shoes," I told her. She did. My mother certainly doesn't need anyone to take care of her. In fact, she still cares for my grandmother who lives with her. But with that question, my mother and I started the role reversal(转换) that happens to all parents and all children, from caregivers to receivers.
Now, if I'm visiting or we're together, it's rare for her to wear anything without checking with me first. But every so often, it seems that she asks me just to be able to disagree with my answer and pick out something on her own. And when she does, I just tell her what I think of the way she looks. Sometimes it's "great",and sometimes it's “awful”.
1. How did the author react the first time her mother asked her for advice on clothes?| A．She was happy to do something for her mother. |
| B．She came to realize that her mother needed her care. |
| C．She was worried that her mother was too old to live alone. |
| D．She had no idea what was suitable for her mother. |
| A．She always accepts her suggestions happily. |
| B．She sometimes chooses to follow her own ideas. |
| C．She is often surprised by what the author says. |
| D．She still shows uncertainty about what to wear. |
| A．She wants to show what it is like to have a strict mother. |
| B．She wants to remind readers to visit their parents often. |
| C．She wants to stress her mother's great influence on her. |
| D．She wants to show how the roles of parents and their children reverse. |
6 . Think about what you did this morning. You get out of bed and get yourself ready for the day.Many people take for granted the fact that they are able to do this independently. Imagine for a moment that you couldn't dress yourself or make your own breakfast. Now imagine if this is how you will wake up for the rest of your life. For Ivy Krause, this is her reality.
Ivy has a medical condition known as Epidermolysis Bullosa (表皮溶解水泡症)，or EB, where the slightest touch can blister and even remove her skin. Ivy has the most severe form of EB where her skin is affected both externally and internally. Simple tasks like going to the toilet and getting dressed are made very difficult. Mobility is limited as Ivy's skin has become tight, and her fingers have fused together, with the only way to reverse this being surgery. EB is a very painful condition, and what is most heartbreaking is knowing that this beautiful, smiling, little girl is living in constant extreme pain.
This is where carers and trained babysitters come in. Yvonne McMullan has been caring for Ivy for the past 3 years, and said it has been both the worst and best experience. "It's hard. For her, especially at this age, she needs continuity of care. By having the same nurses treating her, Ivy knows that we love and care about her as much as she loves us. But without being there, you don't know just how sorrowful it is to see her in pain. It's heartbreaking."
Ivy is a fighter in almost every sense of the word. She has encouraged so many people to give back to the community and donate to charities who support the families of young children living with disabilities, even just to show appreciation to the gift of life and opportunity. Even though she is covered with bandages, her strong will for life is moving and inspiring, just like a butterfly, facing so many barriers which still does its best to come out of the chrysalis (蝶蛹).
1. What is wrong with Ivy Krause?| A．She doesn't know how to cook. | B．She can't live on her own. |
| C．She is particular for food. | D．She is too lazy. |
| A．The reason for Ivy's illness. | B．The symptom of Ivy's EB. |
| C．The cures of treating EB. | D．The research on skin. |
| A．Generous and encouraging. | B．Optimistic and grateful. |
| C．Ambitious and caring. | D．Independent and unselfish. |
| A．A heartbroken babysitter | B．A strange case ever found |
| C．A butterfly beneath the bandages | D．The appreciation to the gift of life |
7 . Five days after the roadside incident, I took my first coronavirus test. I felt exhausted and fragile, my head and joints aching. "I've heard that it hurts," I said to the blue-gowned woman who held what resembled a very long Q-Tip."I wouldn't say it hurts," she said, "but it is uncomfortable, for sure." A tear rolled down my cheek. If indeed I had the virus, I knew of only one possible exposure. Had I done the right thing on that dark country road?
It was a Saturday in early September. At home in the pandemic（世界流行病） I sometimes felt trapped. I loaded our three children into the minivan and drove about 80 miles from metro Atlanta to Yonah Mountain, a remote peak near the end of the Blue Ridge. This was a wild mountain, rather than a tourist destination, but we enjoyed the view and the feeling of freedom. At dusk, we were hurrying down the mountain against the oncoming night when I heard a man calling for help.
During the pandemic, I didn't stop as much as I used to, especially when it might put the children at risk. But there was no telling what misfortune might have found him on this lonely road. I stopped the van and opened my window. A young man in a white T-shirt appeared at the front passenger window, his mask dangling from(悬于) one ear. Seeming a little drunk, he said he had a fight with his girlfriend and was forced out of the car, and now he needed a ride home.
I told the man we were being careful with the virus and all. But he insisted he was being careful too, and begged whether he could have a ride home. "Okay, if you say so." I said, and asked him to put on his mask.I prayed a silent prayer and kept the windows open. In a strange town on a strange night, the young man was mostly polite, but he did swear a lot, as some people do when they're drunk. I followed his directions and drove him to his destination.
Six days later, I got an email with an ominous(不祥的) subject line: Your COVID-19 Test Results. I'd felt sick and tired and guilty for much of the week, and my heart pounded as I clicked the link. Part of me wanted to be positive, to finally confront the monster that was stalking us all, to have the fight and survive it and just stop being afraid. I entered my date of birth and pressed the button.
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To show the author’s relationship with medical workers. |
| B．To arouse readers’ interest in the story. |
| C．To provide the backgroud information. |
| D．To explain the course of testing COVID-19. |
| A．Stress the importance of self-protection. |
| B．Remind him to take coronavirus test. |
| C．Start a conversation with the stranger. |
| D．Try to refuse him without saying no. |
| A．Impolite | B．Considerate | C．Indifferent | D．Independent |
| A．He wants to relieve the anxiety. |
| B．He wishes to escape from countless work. |
| C．He would like to take a vacation with his families. |
| D．He is guilty of staying at home for a long time. |
8 . 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 |
9 . The student arrived early, sat front and center, and stood out in my classroom in more ways than one. I’d say that he had about 40 years on his classmates in my class. He eagerly jumped into class discussions, with his self-deprecating humor and wisdom of experience. And he was always respectful of the other students’ opinions, as if each of them were a teacher. Jerry Valencia walked in with a smile-and he left with one too.
One day, Valencia said he would have to stop taking classes that semester and reapply for next year. By then, he hoped to have earned enough money from construction jobs and have his student-loan papers in order. But he said he was still coming to campus to attend events or see friends. He asked seriously whether he could still sit in on my communications class.
Sure, I said. But he wouldn’t get any credit. No problem, he said.
Soon there he was again, back at his old desk, front and center, jumping into our discussions on how to find and tell stories in Los Angeles – a 63-year-old junior with as much energy and curiosity as any of the youngsters in class.
“Here he is, willingly taking a class for the joy of it and benefit of learning,” says Jessica Espinosa, a 25-year old junior. “You may not see that in our generation.”
Valencia showed up and took the final exam too. Afterward, I overheard Valencia say he wanted to stay in school until he earned a master’s degree, but it had taken him 12 years to finish community college, so he had a long way to go.
Twelve years? He was in and out of school, he said, subject to his work schedule and whether he had money for classes. He had earned his associate of arts degree over the summer, then transferred to Cal State LA to start on his bachelor’s.
1. What’s Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Valencia’s daily life at school. |
| B．Valencia’s interest in learning. |
| C．Valencia’s participation in class. |
| D．Valencia’s academic performance. |
| A．Valencia gave up taking classes. |
| B．Loans supported Valencia’s life. |
| C．Valencia met with financial problems. |
| D．Valencia was prepared to reapply for classes. |
| A．Jessica dislikes the way Valencia learns. |
| B．Young people benefit a lot from learning. |
| C．Young students are content with learning. |
| D．She appreciates Valencia’s attitude to study. |
| A．Curiosity is source of success. |
| B．A person is never too old to learn. |
| C．Kindness deserves being respected. |
| D．The early bird catches the first worm. |
10 . 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. |
