1 . Summer has finally started. I walked outside my house to smell the hot air of the summer of 2019. We were leaving for Panama City Beach in the 6-hour drive. I had never met the twelve cousins I have on my mom's side of the family before and I was kind of nervous to see them. Finally, we reached the Emerald Coast. The whole family of 18 people were all sharing one four- bedroom house right on the water.
It was almost dinner time and by that time I had been observing the family. Everyone was running around the house yelling and trying to figure out dinner. It was only the first night and I already didn't like this family. After dinner, everyone went to bed. I was glad it was bedtime because now I could get some peace and quiet.
The next morning I got up before everyone else. I looked out of the giant window at the ocean. I watched carefully as the waves crashed against the sand and watched early risers hanging up their beach towels. All I wanted to do was go to the beach，After about an hour I started getting ready to go to the beach with my mom.
Walking down the walkway to the beach, I had particles of sand on my feet. I was so excited that I ran to our beach chairs, threw on my glasses, and jumped into the ocean. After a moment in the water, I noticed my surroundings. I was alone in the area of water I was in. For the next few hours, I played in the sand. I made sandcastles, buried my feet， dug a hole, and made a wall. It was a lot of fun, I then heard my mom yell my name. I turned and looked at her and she told me it was time to go. We left the beach and went back up to our house for dinner.
1. Which of the following made the author nervous?| A．The long trip. | B．His 6-hour drive. |
| C．The heat of summer. | D．His cousins he had never met before. |
| A．Because they laughed at him a lot. |
| B．Because they didn't play with him. |
| C．Because they made too much noise. |
| D．Because they shared a bedroom with him. |
| A．To protect his eyes. | B．To drink some water. |
| C．To do some warming-up exercise. | D．To appreciate more scenery at sea. |
| A．Delighted. | B．Annoyed. |
| C．Exhausted. | D．Disappointed. |
2 . The news that all teachers were expected to attend camp with their students left me feeling unsettled. For the first time in more than 20 years, I would need to spend three days in the early autumn bush with 120 14-year-olds.
I love spending time with teenagers. But I teach Grade 12 English and am 51 years old. There is a difference between a literary seminar on King Lear, no matter how lively it may be, and late-night party in a campground. Besides, my idea of “outdoors” is biking on the Ottawa bike paths or sitting in the backyard with a cup of tea and a good book.
Eventually, we turn down a long dirt track that dives deep into a forest. I read the schedule and note the impressive minute-by-minute detail for the next 72 hours. I’ve never faced such a structured(高度组织化的) time since, well, when I went to camp in Grade 9. I think of home.
The next morning, I arise early. It is 7 a.m. Time for the polar bear dip. Everyone asks if I am going to swim. I respond with lame excuses and then wander, like a Grade 8 boy at the edges of a middle-school dance. Kids charge in, great plumes(股流) of water rising up around them as they shout with joy. My colleagues link arms, count down and run into the water bravely. Toweling off, the swimmers discuss the water temperature. The regret that I knew I would feel starts to kill me. I will now forever be the guy who did not take part in the polar bear dip. I walk slowly up to the dining hall and decide that from that moment on I will commit fully to camp life. My unwillingness to do anything is replaced with a burning desire to do everything.
At 7 a.m. the next morning, I am the first person on the beach in my bathing suit. I dive into the water. I scream about how good it feels. Toweling off afterward, I talk to anyone within earshot about the temperature of the water.
Later that day, the camp winds down. Something has happened in this camp. To the students, for sure, but also to me. When the last camper leaves, I give the camp director a big hug.
1. How did the author feel before the camp?| A．Angry. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Anxious. | D．Excited. |
| A．To stress its liveliness. | B．To explain its topic. |
| C．To introduce his preference. | D．To show its similarity to camping. |
| A．He is fed up with making excuses. |
| B．He hates to be regret-stricken. |
| C．He desires to show off his swimming skills. |
| D．He is encouraged to do so by his colleagues. |
| A．He has used up his energy. |
| B．He misses home very much. |
| C．He turns into a camp director. |
| D．He has become a camp lover. |
3 . Sneha Sharma got her flying and racing licenses before she was licensed to drive. It wasn’t easy as Sneha had to battle with her family and societal set ideas to walk on what was seen as an unconventional career path.
Sneha was 16 when she realized that winning in racing was not just fun, but her dream. The same year, after performance in city-level races, she was selected by the national racing team. But she soon ran into a huge roadblock: her parents didn’t approve of her passion. They wanted her to focus on academics because they considered racing dangerous. However, that did not block the young girl. "I would hide my helmet into my bag. I also carried my books everywhere as I told myself that studies were also a preference along with racing. I would study on the tracks, bus, and anytime possible,” she says.
Sneha went on to do well in her exams, and came out with flying colors at the national-level racing. But getting to this point wasn't easy. A normal day involved a lot of hustle (忙碌喧嚣). After attending class, she would catch a train at 3 p. m. for her pilot training. Time permitting, she would then，to the racing track which would often be open till 9 p. m. All this hustle was at the age of 16, and prepared her to get up to speed for a busy life. In 2007, she went to San Francisco for flying classes. A year later, she joined Indigo Airlines to fly Airbus 320. That very year, she emerged as one of the drivers in the top five at the Mercedes Young Star driver programme.
At the end of 2019, Sneha, 29, a brand ambassador, has her 2020 calendar charted out. Clearly, her hard work has put her career at the top speed!
1. What did Sneha’s parents think of her dream?| A．Distinctive. | B．Independent. |
| C．Rewarding. | D．Nontraditional. |
| A．Academics was as important as racing. |
| B．Academics ranked the first in her mind. |
| C．Academics was less valuable than racing. |
| D．Academics could be abandoned for racing. |
| A．In 2007. | B．In her twenties. |
| C．At the age of 16. | D．When she was 18. |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Fortunate. |
| C．Struggling. | D．Uncontrollable. |
4 . Go. Stop. Go. Stop. The travel signals in my head were conflicting. “Are you sure you want to head to Greece this November with Kathleen?” asked my husband. “The weather could be unpleasant.”
“You must go,” said my friend Larry, who talked about having spent Thanksgiving on Santorini. “It’s a wonderland. ”
With his encouraging words, I booked our flights to Athens and included two Greek islands: Santorini and Grete.
A sunny Saturday afternoon welcomed us to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens. During the next few days Kathleen and I tried a lot of unknown-to-us foods. No annoying lines of tourists either as we saw sights on the Athens “A” list.
And then came Wednesday. The flight to Santorini was yo-yoed by wind gusts of up to 40 miles an hour. Fira, usually a much-photographed tourist destination, was chilly, rainy... empty. With rain beating our faces, Kathleen and I headed for our hotel and checked in for a three-night stay.
“This isn’t how I want to spend my holiday,” said Kathleen. “Maybe Crete isn’t experiencing the same storm. Can we fly out later today? ”
Her question mirrored my own thoughts. But we couldn’t leave. We’d just arrived. Payments for the hotel and rental car would be lost, and costly last-minute plane reservations needed. “Let’s not decide right now,” I suggested.
During the next few days, we drove around despite the showers. At a restaurant named Poseidon, on our third night, we waited and waited for dinner. “Your dinner will be out shortly. The chef was busy studying something beautiful,” our waiter explained.
Seeing our puzzled look, the waiter then said, “He went out for a smoke, saw a beautiful girl and began to chat…”
Suddenly, Kathleen laughed. Instead of complaining, she leaned back and out came a loud, happy sound.
An attitude adjustment into grace, I realized, had been happening since our arrival. “You know, Mum, you can’t live a positive life with a negative mind,” she said.
Grace surrounds us. The challenge is to let go of anxieties and worries, the tendency to complain. A sunny attitude can let grace shine.
1. What did the author’s husband think about her trip to Greece?| A．It was pleasant. | B．It was ill-advised. |
| C．It would be costly. | D．It would be eye-opening. |
| A．Delightful. | B．Busy. |
| C．Struggling. | D．Annoying. |
| A．To wait for sunny days. | B．To avoid wasting money. |
| C．To enjoy the off-season. | D．To deeply explore the place. |
| A．The role of grace. |
| B．The benefits of travelling. |
| C．The power of positive thinking. |
| D．The importance of understanding. |
5 . I wanted a change of pace, a break from routine. The past few years found me working long hours at my marketing job while my husband, Steven, put in equally full days as a physics tutor. We were both burned out from the constant boredom.
Vacation experiences at first glance seem a little difficult for us. How do you find comfort in an ever-changing environment? And I, someone who enjoys more planned fun, had to adapt.
But I was surprised at how easily I was able to adapt to a new mode of operation, a more relaxed version of myself who wasn’t worried where we’d park and sleep each night. The fact that we both became so accustomed to sleeping in the back of a cargo van is another surprise we experienced on this journey. The van was our main transportation and, with a full-size bed in the back, it also provided us with a bit of comfort that made us continue. At first, every sound outside was foreign, and we both took longer to fall-and stay-asleep. But, after a couple of weeks into van life, we let the sounds fade into soft background music.
Over the course of our seven- month trip, one of our big goals was to come away from each park with one spectacular image. That shared goal placed us on the same team: It brought us together, even more than before, gave us more to talk about, and encouraged us to motivate each other along the way.
By this point, you’re probably wondering how we paid for all of this, or maybe you’re assuming we come from wealthy backgrounds. The truth is, we actually managed this entire adventure on a middle-class budget. Steven did part-time remote work about 10 hours per week for his employer from the road. I ended up finding some temporary jobs through the trip. We also continued our photography business, setting up an online shop to sell our landscapes.
We only visited some parks in the 48 states. And the experience would still be worth every penny. It is really a chance to lose and find ourselves in our nation’s park lands.
1. Why did the author want to change?| A．Because she wanted a rest from daily routine. |
| B．Because she was interested in travelling. |
| C．Because she fell ill with long working hours. |
| D．Because she didn't like her marketing job. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Helpful. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Boring. |
| A．The couple visited 48 states during the trip. |
| B．The couple tried different jobs to maintain their trip. |
| C．The husband worked harder than the wife. |
| D．The couple came from a middle-class family. |
| A．Introducing a couple’s daily life. |
| B．Sharing a couple’s travel experience. |
| C．Showing the importance of traveling. |
| D．Advising some travel plans to readers. |
6 . My first performance in front of the audience was coming up soon.
I tried as hard as I could to remain calm but my heart was racing. I stared down at my sweat-covered shaking hands.
I looked up again at the audience realizing that these were real people. They were not just my mum and dad who would say “Good job!” even if I messed up the entire piece.
What if I had the wrong music? What if I played the wrong notes?
As it turned out, I was never able to answer these questions because the spotlight (聚光灯)was waiting for me. I grasped my hands tightly together drying off the sweat.
Slowly I walked to the mud-brown piano in the center of the room. It contained 88 demanding keys which were waiting impatiently to be played. I swallowed the golf-ball-sized lump (隆起部分) in my throat and sat down. Slowly I opened the music. Next I rested my still shaking hands on the ivory (象牙色的) keys.
As my fingers played across the keys, I was becoming more unsure of my preparation for this moment. But the memory of my years of training came flooding back. I knew that I had practiced this piece so many times that I could play it backwards if requested.
Although at one point, I accidentally played two keys instead of the intended one, I continued to move my fingers automatically (自动地).
My eyes burned holes into the pages in front of me. There was no way that I was going to lose my concentration. To keep this to myself, I leaned forward and focused carefully on the music.
When I came to the end of the page a warning went off inside my head: DON’T MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN YOU TURN THE PAGE!
Needless to say I obeyed myself with all my heart and mind. And proud of my “page-turning” feat (技艺) I finished the rest of the piece without making a single mistake.
After the final note died away, a celebration went into action inside my head. I had finished. I had mastered the impossible.
1. How did the author feel before the performance?| A．Over the moon. | B．On pins and needles. |
| C．As cool as a cucumber. | D．Hot under the collar. |
| A．The author had never performed in public before. |
| B．The author didn’t make a single mistake while playing. |
| C．The author’s parents were present at the performance. |
| D．The author hadn’t made full preparation before the performance. |
| A．He tried to fix his eyes on the pages. | B．He wanted to tear the pages into pieces. |
| C．He lost interest in the pages. | D．He was dissatisfied with his performance. |
| A．He/She thought he/she played through the piece carefully but light-heartedly. |
| B．He/She thought it was comfortable and successful. |
| C．He/She thought he/she was too nervous to have a good performance. |
| D．He/She thought it was very difficult but successful. |
7 . Once there was a piano player in a bar. People came just to hear him play. But one night, a lady asked him to sing a song.
I don’t sing, “said the man.
But the lady told the waiter, “ I’m tired of listening to the piano. I want the player to sing! “
The waiter shouted across the room,” Hey,friend! If you want to get paid,sing a song!” So he did. He had never sung in public before. Now he was singing for the very first time! Nobody had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung so beautifully!
He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no - name piano player in a no - name bar. But once he found, by accident，that he could sing well,he. went on working hard and became one of the best - known singers in the US. His name was Nat King Cole.
You,too,have skills and abilities. You may not feel that your talent is great,but it may be better than you think. With hard work, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may have no success at all if you just sit on your talent.
1. Nat King Cole succeeded because .| A．the lady helped him a lot | B．he caught the chance |
| C．he continued to play in the bar | D．he played the piano well |
| A．fail to realize | B．forget to use |
| C．try to develop | D．manage to show |
| A．hide it and wait | B．ask others for help |
| C．pay no attention to it | D．work hard to improve yourself |
| A．Sing in the Bar | B．Achieve Success in Life |
| C．Never Lose Heart | D．Find Your Hidden Talent. |
8 . A rescue group made sure hunting dogs Herbier and Hilda were adopted as a pair since Hilda helps Herbier get around.
For more than 50 years, guide dogs have been trained to help humans with vision challenges live without boundaries and enjoy independence in their homes, offices, and the community at large. Given dogs' ability to be trained, along with their skills, it seemed unavoidable that there would be an unofficial guide dog for a blind dog.
Almost more exciting is the fact that one such set, which was abandoned together in Salem about a month ago, has found a new forever home that will allow the blind dog and his caretaker dog to remain together.
A little more than a month ago, someone abandoned three dogs over the fence of a local gentleman who formerly rescued greyhounds. The man no longer rescues the little dogs of being long of body, short of leg and droopy of ears, but he did know to take them to the Marion County Dog Services shelter.
The county shelter knew immediately to contact Diane Young at Salem Dogs, a local dog rescue known for being heavy on love and affection that the county most likely has on speed dial.
The rescue director responded in time, taking in the two of the dogs. One black male was healthy and passed tests quickly and easily. He was put up for adoption at the shelter and was quickly accepted.
The other two are between the ages of 4 and 5, required a bit more care. Hilda, a long-haired, black-dappled female, was obviously connected to Herbier, a light-brown, smooth-coated brown greyhound who had vision problems.
1. What can we learn about the abandoned dogs?| A．They have been trained for their ability and skills. |
| B．The three dogs were abandoned because they are blind. |
| C．They are finally adopted to live with the man who found them. |
| D．The dog Hilda offers to help the blind dog Herbier get around. |
| A．Cows who have lost their babies. | B．Dogs who are abandoned by their owners. |
| C．Humans who become old and lonely. | D．Chickens which are living with their mom. |
| A．The touching story of two dogs helping each other happened one month ago. |
| B．Humans began to train dogs for the ability and skills of guidance five years ago. |
| C．The two abandoned dogs are still living together at the shelter today. |
| D．The two dogs were abandoned most probably because they were blind. |
| A．A moving story about two dogs. | B．The Marion County Dog Services shelter. |
| C．A dog and a blind dog were trained. | D．Two dogs were abandoned by a man. |
9 . As I jogged over the bridge and round the corner on my regular early morning run, he was standing opposite the jeweler’s, looking extremely suspicious. But the moment he saw me, instead of trying to avoid me, he came straight across the road as I drew level with the jeweler’s. Halfway across he began addressing me: “I thought you were going to…” — but his voice trailed away as he received no reply and no sign of recognition from me. It was quite obvious that he had mistaken me for someone else. But he started up again as if nothing had happened．“Good morning, ” he said．“Nice to bump into someone so early. Someone to talk to. I’ve taken to talking to myself on this job.”
I hate meeting people when I’m out early, and I was almost out of breath, so I just paused in my stride, nodded in a friendly manner, and went on up the road. The stranger had spoken quietly, and quite slowly. And I had noticed that he was well dressed, too. But if he looked suspicious dressed like that at that time of the morning, what about me? I was in a track suit, with an old sweater round my shoulders and a cap on my head．As to his odd remark about “talking to himself on this job”, I hadn’t paid any attention to it, although now it began to worry me. Was he perhaps a plain clothes policeman? At the time I somehow felt he was.
I had just turned the corner into the High Street when I heard the sound of breaking glass somewhere behind me, and I thought the sound came from the street I had just left. I stopped dead and almost without thinking looked back around the corner. The stranger was not there, but almost immediately an alarm bell in the jeweler’s began ringing furiously.
I found out later that a burglar had broken into the jeweler’s shop and stolen watches and rings worth about ￡5,000. The police are still looking into the matter, but I’m afraid to go and tell them what I know now because they might even suspect me of committing the crime, and it might be difficult for me to prove my innocence. After all, I haven’t offered my assistance as a witness, and the only other person around that morning was the “stranger” who had spoken to me.
1. From the passage we can infer that the author _____.| A．always goes past the jeweler’s |
| B．didn’t like talking to the strangers |
| C．meets a few people every morning |
| D．saw a plain clothes policeman that morning |
| A．Because the stranger took the author as someone else. |
| B．Because the stranger loved talking to people. |
| C．Because the stranger recognized the writer. |
| D．Because the stranger took a job of talking to himself. |
| A．He was about to go into the jeweler’s. |
| B．He was far too friendly. |
| C．He was dressed too well for that time. |
| D．He talked to himself a lot. |
| A．he might have been badly injured |
| B．he would have seen what happened |
| C．he wouldn’t have heard the alarm bell |
| D．the stranger wouldn’t have broken the window |
| A．he thinks the stranger is innocent |
| B．the burglar didn’t steal very much |
| C．he might commit the crime to the police |
| D．he hesitates whether to report to the police about what he knew |
10 . When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn’t yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around.
“Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie?”
There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers(护林人) didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends—her, Celia, and Marie.
But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side as she always did. Lina had exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill(寒意) down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie’s dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
1. What can be inferred about the island?| A．It is very near the ocean. | B．It is surrounded by thick forest. |
| C．It is a popular place for boating. | D．It has never been reached by others. |
| A．Lina was left alone on the island. | B．Marie would not help row the boat. |
| C．Marie didn’t know how to row the boat. | D．Celia supported Marie in the disagreement. |
| A．Her shame about the unnecessary argument. |
| B．The first raindrops of the approaching storm. |
| C．The idea that no one would come to save her. |
| D．The drop in temperature as the sun went down. |
