1 . Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a water puddle ahead on the path. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack was so unpredictable and from a source so totally unexpected. I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped attacking, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. I retreated a step while my attacker relented in his attack. Yet again, I tried moving forward and I was rammed in the chest over and over again. I wasn’t sure what to do, other than to retreat a third time. After all, it’s just not every day that one is attacked by a butterfly. This time, though, I stepped back several paces to look the situation over. My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That’s when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier. He had a mate and she was dying. She was beside the puddle where he landed.
Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it upon himself to attack me for his mate’s reason, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life in case I was careless to step on her. Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was really only one option left for me. I carefully made my way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His courage in attacking something thousands of times large r and heavier than himself just for his mate’s safety justified it. I couldn’t do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed.
I left them in peace for those last few moments, cleaning the mud from my boots when I later reached my car. Since then, I’ve always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge obstacles facing me. I use that butterfly’s courage as an inspiration and to remind myself that good things are worth fighting for.
1. Why did the butterfly attack the author?| A．To let him rescue his mate. | B．To teach him about love. |
| C．To protect the puddle. | D．To warn him off his mate. |
| A．Admiring. | B．Annoyed. | C．Absent-minded. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．He cured the dying butterfly. | B．He left the butterflies alone. |
| C．He stepped on the butterfly carelessly. | D．He fought with the butterfly. |
| A．A battle with a butterfly | B．A walk around a puddle |
| C．A true story of courage and love | D．A travel in Georgia |
2 . I joined the coast guard because I wanted to help people. Hovercraft (气垫船) are rare and special. They’ve been discontinued in most commercial operation, because they are so expensive to make, but when it comes to search and rescue, they’re priceless.
From far away, a hovercraft looks like a normal boat. But if you look under its skirt, the craft is not touching the water — it floats on a cushion of air. That cushion allows us to travel over everything from water to muddy land — and even break through ice. We do all of that as a 70-tonne machine, going a maximum of nearly 120 kilometers per hour. These features allow us to rescue a large number of people quickly get onto land, and get someone into an ambulance far easier than with any other device I can think of.
The advantages of hovercraft can also make them difficult to handle. We’ve got a massive vehicle moving fast, sometimes in a thick fog bank up a narrow river. During assignments on other coast guard ships, I had 20 minutes to make alterations to avoid a crash. In a hovercraft, I have 10 seconds. You have to have enough situational awareness to make the right decision every time.
People call us for all sorts of problems: missing divers, on-board fires, or even when they’ve run out of fuel or had a mechanical breakdown. A container ship could burst into flames. We have a strong network here at the base to help everyone through difficult situations like that. Thankfully, we have captains who train us in a safe environment, but you don’t ever get fully comfortable. Anything can throw the hovercraft off — maybe your lift settings are off a little, or the wind blows with a bit of extra weight. After several years operating a hovercraft, I’m still learning. Every one of the captains here agrees: you can drive this thing for 20 years and still be surprised.
1. What makes hovercraft unsuitable for commercial use?| A．Their safety risks. | B．Their poor durability. | C．Their low efficiency. | D．Their production costs. |
| A．How a hovercraft works. | B．What comprises a hovercraft. |
| C．What distinguishes a hovercraft. | D．How a hovercraft helps victims. |
| A．They have to make faster responses. |
| B．They often face mechanical breakdowns. |
| C．They need more people for decision making. |
| D．They must consider the environmental concerns. |
| A．Dull. | B．Demanding. | C．Enjoyable. | D．Effortless. |
3 . Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory into a life lesson that I carry with me today.
My mother and father were united in their way of raising children, but it mostly fell to my mother to actually carry it out. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how she did it. Managing the family budget must have been a very hard task, but she made it look effortless. If we complained about not having what another kid did, we’d hear something like, “I don’t care what so-and-so got for his birthday, you are not getting a TV in your room, a car for your birthday or a lavish sweet-16 party.” We had to earn our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. Like the two little girls growing up at the White House, we made our own beds (no one left the house until that was done) and picked up after ourselves. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.
It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers, the basket winked at me and I knew — I knew — I had to have it.
“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her. “What a neat basket.”
I tried to hold off at first. I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn’t stand it any longer: “Mom, please can I please, please get it? I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. I love that basket. Please, Mom. Please?”
I was desperate.
“ You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever, “If you save up you could buy this yourself.”
“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!”
“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” she smiled at Roger, the bike guy.
“He can’t hold it for that long, Mom. Someone else will buy it. Please, Mom, please?” “There might be another way,” she said.
And so our paying plan unfolded. My mother bought the beautiful basket and put it safely in some hiding place I couldn’t find. Each week I eagerly counted my growing savings increased by extra work here and there (washing the car, helping my mother make dinner, delivering or collecting things on my bike that already looked naked without the basket in front). And then, weeks later, I counted, re-counted and jumped for joy. Oh, happy day! I made it! I finally had the exact amount we’d agreed upon....
Days later the unthinkable happened. A neighborhood girl I’d played with millions of times appeared with the exact same basket fixed to her shiny, new bike that already had all the bells and whistles. I rode hard and fast home to tell my mother about this disaster. This horrible turn of events.
And then came the lesson I’ve taken with me through my life: “Honey, your basket is extra-special,” Mom said, gently wiping away my hot tears. “Your basket is special because you paid for it yourself.”
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．The mother raised her children in an unusual way. |
| B．The writer envied the daughters of the U.S. president. |
| C．The writer’s parents shared the duty to bring up children. |
| D．Managing budget is an effortless job to most housewives. |
| A．well worth the effort she had made | B．the most valuable she had ever obtained |
| C．an unnecessary accessory to her bike | D．something the bike couldn’t do without |
| A．the basket cost more than she had saved |
| B．someone else had got a basket of the same kind |
| C．her paying plan was spoiled |
| D．a neighborhood girl bought a nicer bike |
| A．Save money for a rainy day. | B．Good advice is beyond all price. |
| C．Earn your bread with your sweat. | D．God helps those who help themselves. |
4 . I was at a new school in a new state and needed something solid to stand on: a place to feel grounded. I also needed to do laundry, so I walked to a nearby self-service laundry and stuffed a machine with my clothes. As I struggled to close the washer door, the woman working behind the counter told me to give it a good hit with my hand. The washer did its job, yet even after an hour, the dryer seemed to have barely warmed my clothes. I left, having decided to air-dry them on my car in the August heat.
A month later, I learned her name was Sandy, which she told me after I’d helped her stop a washing machine from moving across the floor. I was grading poems at a table when one of the washers broke loose and skipped an inch into the air. I jumped to the machine and held on while she unplugged it. The next week, Sandy told me dryer No. 8 was the fastest.
It went on like this. I’d do laundry once a week, usually Thursday or Friday. Sandy worked Tuesday through Saturday and we’d talk small while I folded clothes. She told me about her son and his grades, as well as the new dog they’d just adopted. She was fascinated that I was studying poetry. She teased (开玩笑) that it was harder making a living as a poet than as a laundry attendant. Even then I knew she was probably right.
I began to recognize others there: workers taking breaks by the door, a mother and her baby, and even some delivery drivers. But Sandy was the center of my community. For nearly three years and almost every week, I’d do laundry and talk with her. We checked on each other, expecting the other to be there. We asked where the other had gone when we missed a week. There was a note of concern for the other’s absence, a note of joy at their return.
I’d found a place to stand on solid ground.
1. Why did the author leave with his wet clothes?| A．He liked the August heat better. | B．He had to go back to the meeting. |
| C．He wanted to show off his new car. | D．He didn’t think the dryer worked well. |
| A．She was warm-hearted. | B．She needed a volunteer. |
| C．She wanted to thank him. | D．She was sorry for the mess. |
| A．It was harder to fulfill. | B．It was really fascinating. |
| C．It was badly-paid work. | D．It needed a lot of effort. |
| A．He formed a close friendship with Sandy. |
| B．He made a lot of friends in college. |
| C．He expected Sandy to do laundry for him. |
| D．He often wrote to Sandy after graduation. |
5 . Five-year-old Mustafa is smiling for the first time in ages. She did not receive a new toy or her favorite candy; rather, she got a wig (假发).
Mustafa had to go through painful procedures after being diagnosed with cancer at an early age. Her father expressed her sadness when she lost her hair after months of chemotherapy (化疗). “She saw children of her age jumping in playgrounds and spending hours styling their hair, while she couldn’t. Losing her hair made her hopeless, negatively impacting her response to treatment,” the girl’s father said.
Coming from a less fortunate family, Mustafa now sits in a humble hairdresser’s in Cairo, sliding her fingers through her new long hair as she looks in the mirror with fresh enthusiasm. Behind that smile and renewed confidence is Salam, from Egypt, who has been personally funding and designing free wigs for children with cancer to give them power to defeat their illness.
Salam took up his mission when he saw a viral video on social media of a young cancer patient who was excited at receiving a new wig. It was the moment when he decided to provide free wigs to children with cancer to lift up their spirits. “Many families can barely afford expensive cancer treatment costs, let alone costly cosmetic services that can play a huge role in restoring children’s confidence and giving them strength to continue their treatment,” said Salam.
As part of the self-funded initiative, Salam purchases the necessary requirements to make a wig, while his father helps design hairstyles to serve different children. So far, Salam has helped over 15 children walk out of his shop empowered with big smiles.
Despite the several challenges, Salam said making wigs gives him as much happiness as it does for his young customers. “Children need the emotional and moral support to go through this tough illness.” He added, “Losing their hair drives them to withdraw into themselves out of fear and embarrassment. I cannot help in their treatment, but I can help them get through it.”
1. Why are a toy and candy mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To indicate the girl’s age. | B．To imply a serious illness. |
| C．To show the shortage of toys and candies. | D．To highlight the value of the wig. |
| A．Hairstyle matters much. | B．Sports benefit Mustafa. |
| C．Hair loss depressed Mustafa. | D．Mustafa’s treatment failed. |
| A．His sympathy. | B．Family support. |
| C．Government fund. | D．Mustafa’s enthusiasm. |
| A．Cautious and innovative. | B．Inspiring and talented. |
| C．Sensitive and empathetic. | D．Ambitious and sensible. |
6 . A Chinese girl Tan Fanglin overcame a world-class mathematics problem and was invited again to attend the World Laureates Forum when she was 15. Communicating with 65 top scientists in the world, she became a rising star in this meeting of the world’s sharpest minds.
Her discovery has won her many prizes in youth innovation competitions in China. However, Tan is not a “genius” in the traditional sense. Tan was born in a scholarly family. Her father was a professor of mathematics. Tan showed a high interest in mathematics when she was very young. She likes to find questions on her own. The more difficult the problem is, the more potential she will unlock. In this process, her father will only give proper guidance.
Tan took part in many research projects. So devoted to the projects, she once made serious mistakes during the exam at school. Instead of severely rebuking her, her parents let her find the problem by herself and achieve a better balance between textbook study and research. It was because of the respect and trust of her parents that Tan began to plan her study time scientifically and applied the learning methods summarized in the process of mathematics research to the classroom. With her hard work, she made great achievements in mathematics.
Attending this meeting enabled Tan to get more inspiration from the world’s top scientists. She even got the opportunity to talk with germ Miesenböck, who is pioneering the field of Optogenetics (光遗传学). Miesenböc has encouraged her not to lose her passion and love for what she does and said accepting failure is important to researchers. He has stressed that people all know that even Thomas Edison went through hundreds of unsuccessful attempts before finally inventing the light bulb. Tan has met many difficulties in her research and often feels upset. The words have made her feel inspired.
1. What can we learn about Tan Fanglin?| A．She went to the meeting with her father. | B．She has a strong love for mathematics. |
| C．She never made mistakes in her school exams. | D．She was invited to attend the Forum for the first time. |
| A．Helping. | B．Challenging. | C．Criticizing. | D．Praising. |
| A．By correcting her mistakes. |
| B．By offering extra training for her research. |
| C．By stressing the importance of scientific research. |
| D．By respecting her and encouraging her in self-development. |
| A．All roads lead to Rome. | B．Nothing is impossible. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. | D．Failure is the mother of success. |
7 . When Amanda Lemay heard the story about a baker and his wife who were traveling around the United States in a van, learning from expert bakers, she wanted to do something similar. So she got rid of most of her possessions and made an old ambulance with her dad into a lovely home on wheels.
Lemay’s ambulance is actually a former emergency response vehicle for the US Navy, built on a 2006 Ford E350 Cutaway. Renovations were done by her and her dad. Now the dark blue vehicle has a lot of built-in cabinets on all sides, offering a lot of storage space, while the rooftop has 400-watts of solar power panels and a small roof deck where Lemay practices yoga. The inside is tastefully done to suit Lemay’s work and hobbies.
As Lemay mentions, not only did her father help, but so did the rest of her family. Lemay’s mother helped sew the decorations on the removable cushions, and her sister crafted the leather pulls. It was truly a family affair.
Her current nomadic lifestyle fits well with her work doing audiobooks, voiceovers, and publishing work. In the end, this unexpected path has Lemay rethinking what it means to be truly sustainable, now that van life has gotten her to become minutely aware of the water, electricity, and other daily resources that she uses. But all these day-to-day concerns are balanced with a greater sense of freedom.
“It’s almost mind-blowing, it feels like a completely different life because I’m doing the work online, and I can do things on my own schedule. Pretty much most of my days are mine — so by living in the van, I can be where I want to be, and do the things I want to do, and spend time outside.”
1. Why is the story of a baker and his wife mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．It shows a creative way of learning. | B．It was spoken highly by expert bakers. |
| C．It’s an example of strong determination. | D．It’s where Amanda Lemay got her inspiration. |
| A．All family members contributed to it. | B．Its cost was shared by family members. |
| C．It was made to suit the life of the family. | D．The whole family gathered to celebrate it. |
| A．To value every minute of her life. | B．To make the best of what she has. |
| C．To keep a balance between work and life. | D．To be aware of the real meaning of family. |
| A．Reflecting on life. | B．Forgetting all about work. |
| C．Working on her own schedule. | D．Being free from day-to-day concerns. |
8 . In the August sun, it’s unbearably hot in my car. I’m in Vancouver, approaching the Knight Street Bridge as I try to get home after work. It’s 5:15 pm. Traffic is already slowing down and then it comes to a full stop. I’m stuck even before getting on the bridge.
This has become my normal work commute (上下班往返) routine. Ahead of me is a heavily jammed on-ramp (匝道). I stare at the endless rows of vehicles, depressed.
My initial reaction is always denial. This is not how it looks. The traffic will soon start moving. Seconds pass. Minutes pass. Looking at the rows of cars and trucks glittering (闪光) in the sun, I start counting — 299, 300, 301 — and I give up.
Suddenly I remember I’m one of the 300 helpless drivers. But I stay alert. When the cars do move, I move carefully, making sure not to bump into other vehicles. Finally, I make it onto the bridge. The traffic is still crawling at a snail’s pace. Tired and hungry, I become very anxious.
Just then, I hear a faint sound in the distance. The sound gradually becomes louder, until I can identify it as an emergency vehicle approaching from behind. What do we do? The bridge is packed. There’s no room for us to move.
But I’m wrong. Every single car quickly, yet carefully, moves to the side. Without thinking, I follow suit. The lane remains open for a few seconds during which the ambulance flashes through.
Afterward, every car moves back into formation (队形). We close up the emergency lane, ready to restart our patient wait. Back in my spot, I’m awestruck. I forget my tiredness and hunger. My anxiety is gone. I start reflecting upon what 300 fellow drivers and I just did.
How did we do that? Despite our exhaustion, we collectively decided to help the stranger who needed the time more desperately than we did. We drew on our compassion (同情心) and intelligence, requiring no directives.
Although I may seem alone stuck on the bridge, I’m connected to all the other drivers. Together we could make the impossible possible.
1. How does the author feel when seeing the on-ramp?| A．Annoyed. | B．Shocked. |
| C．Calm. | D．Discouraged. |
| A．All drivers will be willing to move. | B．Someone should direct the traffic. |
| C．It will be hard for it to pass through. | D．Whoever is inside needs immediate help. |
| A．Deeply doubtful. | B．Filled with admiration. |
| C．Extremely confused. | D．Feeling distracted. |
| A．People’s kindness. | B．Instructions from a stranger. |
| C．The drivers’ good driving skills. | D．The drivers’ positive mindset. |
9 . When summer night falls and the streetlights go on, a dozen cars arrive at an open outdoor space. Drivers open their car trunks and set up stalls (摊位) outside their vehicles. They are selling handmade cakes, coffee and iced drinks, as well as other inexpensive goods out of trunk, while customers relax nearby in camping chairs, listening to live bands and enjoying the soft summer evening.
Car stall fairs emerged as trendy play last summer in cities across China. For the past six months, selling hand-brewed coffee at car stall fairs on the outskirts of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, has been Zhuang Shenyang’s main way of supporting his family, with a daily income ranging from 50 ($6.98) to 2,000 yuan.
The 40-year-old — who learned oil painting in college — had to find ways to support his family last year after he closed down his training school. “After staying at home for several months without income, I made up my mind to go out to earn money, even if it was running a stall on the streets,” he said. He was inspired by a conversation with a roadside food vendor (小贩) earlier this year and found that the business with little investment can make a living.
He sets up his mobile stall almost every day and has attracted many regular customers. “People don’t just come for coffee, they like to sit and talk, often staying into the night,” Zhuang said. “It’s a way young people like to socialize outdoors.”
He named his coffee stall “A Coffee Bar in Debt” with self-deprecating (自嘲的) humor. “I want to convey an attitude that even though I am in debt, I will never ‘let it rot’,” Zhuang said. “The popularity of the fairs shows that many people’s incomes have been affected by the epidemic, but they don’t want to ‘lie flat’ at home; instead, they work hard,” he said.
1. What do we know about car stall fairs?| A．It is organized by the government. |
| B．It provides oil painting classes. |
| C．It enhances the sales of cars. |
| D．It enriches people’s leisure lives. |
| A．He got it on the Tiktok. | B．He learned it in a training school. |
| C．He knew it from a stall keeper. | D．He heard it from his wife. |
| A．Skillful and warm-hearted. |
| B．Humorous and cautious. |
| C．Sincere and sensible. |
| D．Responsible and enterprising. |
| A．Night stall fairs are catching on. | B．A 40-year-old refuses to lie flat. |
| C．How can we start a mobile stall? | D．Young people favor handmade food. |
10 . Fashion always influences people, Isabella Springmuhl Tejada from Guatemala, one of the first professional fashion designer with Down syndrome, is proving that fashion goes beyond normal limits.
Tejada who discovered her hobby in childhood said, “I think that fashion design is in my blood.” After all, her grandmother had a studio where she produced Guatemalan-style clothing. And, when she was young, Tejada’s mother gave her fashion magazines to read. Tejada spent hours of her childhood reading the magazines and designing paper dresses for her dolls. By the time she reached high school, Tejada had decided to enter the world.
After being refused by several fashion schools because of her Down syndrome, Tejada found her own path. She signed up for a clothing-making course, where she began to make clothing for “worry dolls”, finger-sized traditional Guatemalan dolls. And she created life-sized dolls and dressed them in the colorful clothes that she’s now famous for. This-design experience greatly helped Tejada. She fell in love with traditional Guatemalan patterns and colors. She explained, “I’m lucky to work with traditional cloth, inspired by our culture and representing our country.”
Tejada also pioneered fashion design for people with Down syndrome. She said, “It is difficult for people like me to find suitable clothes. We can be shorter or weaker. That’s why I decided to design clothes that would be perfect for people with Down syndrome.”
Tejada has created her brand, Down to Xjabelle. The new brand took off right away. It made it all the way to London Fashion Week. And the great designer has plans for the future as well. Tejada said, “I want people all over the world to know my designs and to know that people with Down syndrome can do what they set out to do. I want to be able to live on my own.”
1. What awakened Tejada’s love for fashion design?| A．Her visit to a design school. | B．Her family’s strong influence. |
| C．Her efforts to fight her disease. | D．Her work experience in a famous company. |
| A．It proved her ability to run a business. |
| B．It inspired her to learn about different cultures. |
| C．It strengthened her wish to travel around the world. |
| D．It increased her interest in traditional design styles. |
| A．She won’t let her disability limit her. |
| B．Her illness has been successfully cured. |
| C．Her brand is facing serious competition. |
| D．She can’t please normal customers with her design ideas. |
| A．A special designer turns her dream into reality. |
| B．Fashion is closely connected with daily life. |
| C．Learn the value of traditional culture. |
| D．Develop a hobby from an early age. |
