1 . That night, when Aksionov was lying on his bed and just beginning to sleep, someone came quietly and sat down on his bed. He peered(看) through the darkness and recognized Makar.
"What more do you want of me?" asked Aksionov. "Why have you come here?"
Makar Semyonovich was silent. So Aksionov sat up and said, "What do you want? Go away, or I will call the guard!"
Makar Semyonovich bent close over Aksionov, and whispered, "Ivan Dmitrich forgive me!"
"What for?" asked Aksionov.
"It was I who killed the merchant and hid the knife among your things. I meant to kill you, too, but I heard a noise outside, so I hid the knife in your bag and escaped out of the window."
Aksionov was silent, and didn't know what to say. Makar Semyonovich slid off the bed-shelf and knelt upon the ground. "Ivan Dmitrich" he said, "forgive me! I will confess that it was I who killed the merchant, and you will be released and can go to your home."
"It is easy for you to talk," said Aksionov "but I have suffered for you these twenty-six years. Where could I go now?... My wife is dead, and my children have forgotten me. I have nowhere to go..."
Makar Semyonovich did not rise, but beat his head on the floor. "Ivan Dmitrich, forgive me!" he cried. "When they flogged(鞭打) me with the knot, it was not so hard to bear as it is to see you now... yet you had pity on me and did not tell. Forgive me, devil that I am!" And he began to sob.
When Aksionov heard him sobbing, he too, began to weep. "I will forgive you!" he said. "Maybe I am a hundred times worse than you." And at these words his heart grew light, and the longing for home left him. He no longer had any desire to leave the prison, but only hoped for his last hour to come.
In spite of what Aksionov had said, Makar Semyonovich confessed his guilt. But when the order for his release came, Aksionov was already dead.
1. Who on earth was the criminal that killed the merchant?| A．Aksionov. | B．Makar Semyonovich. |
| C．Ivan Dmitrich. | D．The guard. |
| A．He had been knowing who was the killer. |
| B．He offered to be put in prison instead of Makar. |
| C．He suffered a lot during the twenty-seven years. |
| D．But for the noise, he would have been killed by Makar. |
| A．Aksionov didn't forgive Makar in the end |
| B．Aksionov had been longing to go home until his death |
| C．Makar simply hoped for the order for his release to come |
| D．Makar regretted that Aksionov was put in prison instead of him |
| A．Cruel and selfish. | B．Selfless and warm-hearted. |
| C．Innocent and pitiful. | D．Hopeful and positive. |
2 . How can kids become heroes? Do they have to save the world? No. To become a hero, kids just have to think about what others need and find a way to help. Katie Stagliano is one of those hero kids.
Katie loved to garden. When she was 9, she harvested a huge cabbage which weighed 40 pounds. The cabbage was far bigger than what her family needed, so she thought about what to do with it.
She knew that there were lots of hungry people in South California, where she lived. So she decided to donate her enormous cabbage to a soup kitchen. It turned out that her kind donation helped feed more than 275 people.
Then Katie thought about other gardeners who had more vegetables than they could eat.
Suddenly, she saw a way to solve both problems. Katie realized that she could help fight against hunger by encouraging kids to plant vegetable gardens and donate their harvest to hungry people. That's how Katie's Krops was born.
Katie says, "My dream is that there are no hungry people." To make that dream come true, Katie got her whole school involved. The students planted a huge garden, but Katie knew she could do more. She contacted an organization called Fields to Families, which sent a master gardener to help.
It's so great to help people," Katie adds, but kids don't have to grow huge cabbages. If they could grow "even one vegetable plant and donate the harvest to a local soup kitchen, we could make a huge difference in the fight against hunger".
It's been several years since Katie Stagliano started work on her dream. Today, more than 60 gardens around the United States are being grown by kids. Young gardeners have donated tens of thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables to stop hunger.
Sadly, many people are still hungry. However, Katie's Krops and hundreds of child gardeners are planting and harvesting to change that.
1. What did Katie Stagliano want to do?| A．She wanted to be a hero. | B．She wanted to grow a huge cabbage. |
| C．She wanted to help those hungry people. | D．She wanted to encourage kids to donate vegetables. |
| A．Her harvest of a big cabbage. | B．Her duty to help the poor. |
| C．Her interest in planting vegetables. | D．Her desire to become a hero. |
| A．She planted a huge garden. | B．She asked an organization for help. |
| C．She donated her harvest to her school. | D．She encouraged all the citizens to work with her. |
| A．A Hero Kid. | B．The Harvest Donation. |
| C．Child Gardeners. | D．Katie Stagliano's Dream. |
3 . As the winner of six gold medals, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy is one of Britain's most successful Olympians. Now he has written a book to help young people achieve their own goals in life, called Be Amazing! An Inspiring Guide to Being Your Oum Cham pion. The book is packed with stories from his cycling career and the lessons he learned along the way. Speaking to The Week Junior, Hoy says the book's advice can apply to anything, whether it's sport, the arts or science.
When he was young, Hoy never thought he would have a career in cycling. “First of all, I wasn't that good at it,” he says. Heever thought that successful people were just certain to be great and were different from everyone else. But after growing up, Hoy realized that wasn't true and he saw whatever can happen if you work hard at something you love. He won his first gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Greece in a time trial event. In this event, the cyclists took it in turns to see who could go the fastest round a track. Before Hoy's turn came, the world record had been broken three times. However, he focused on his own performance and won gold. Hoy said hearing his name followed by the words “Olympic champion” was truly magical.
If Hoy could give his younger self a piece of advice, it would be, “Not everyone can win a gold medal, so there has to be more than that. There has to be enjoyment and fun at the heart of everything.”
1. What is Chris Hoy’s main purpose of writing the book？| A．To get young people to buy it. |
| B．To make the young learn how to cycle. |
| C．To help the young realize their dreams. |
| D．To let young people know his sports career. |
| A．His works of art. |
| B．His cycling profession. |
| C．His educational theories. |
| D．His academic achievements. |
| A．Interest and effort. |
| B．Technique and talent. |
| C．Warmth and strength. |
| D．Energy and curiosity. |
| A．He did well in cycling as a boy. |
| B．He has broken the world record three times. |
| C．He won his first Olympic gold medal in Australia |
| D．He thinks the key to doing everything is pleasure. |
4 . A few years ago, my father arranged to send me a mail-order fruitcake at Christmas time. Although I had a good job and apartment in Manhattan, he feared my cupboards might be bare. I had recently moved from California, where my parents still lived in their suburban bungalow (平房) of 50 years, the house I grew up in.
He wanted me to have a particular brand of fruitcake. A fruitcake, in his mind, was a perfect Christmas gift. Made in Texas, it was famous among fruitcake lovers — or at least, among people who gave fruitcake to those who were assumed to love them.
I knew there would be plenty to eat in California. For each Christmas, in addition to my mother’s cookies, fudge (乳脂软糖), and other treats, my father always gave my sister and me each a large bag of assorted foods he called, rather plainly, the “Food Bag”. One year, I secretly listed the contents of my Food Bag in a notebook for the day when I might not get a Food Bag for Christmas. That year, my bag contained a can of mixed nuts, a box of whole-wheat crackers, a Belgian chocolate bar, some English breakfast tea 9and many other items.
I was 44 when my father gave me that Food Bag, and he was 72.
That day before my flight to California, the fruitcake still hadn’t arrived. When my father called to wish me a safe trip and he said “Did you receive it?”
“Not yet,” I said. “Maybe it will be there today.” He regretted deeply about the lost fruitcake.
He remained hopefully the fruitcake would come by New Year’s Eve. But January, February and March came and went with no fruitcake. Though my father continued to ask about it. I never considered lying. Instead, I would say, “That cake is orbiting earth and sooner or later will land.”
As time went by, he would bring up the journey of his fruitcake. “I wonder where it is now.” he’d say.
Early last December, nearly a year after my father died, I got a call from a staffer of my apartment building, “You have a package.”
I went downstairs to pick it up. The brown box had a FedEx label with a return address in Texas.
1. What does the underlined word “bare” probably mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Plain. | B．Short. |
| C．Empty. | D．Abundant. |
| A．Treats from his parents. | B．A big Christmas dinner. |
| C．A food bag from his parents. | D．A Special fruitcake. |
| A．In Texas. | B．At Lost and Found. |
| C．In California. | D．In Manhattan. |
| A．Dad’s Mystery Package | B．Disturbing Delivery Service |
| C．My Favorite Food | D．Memorable Food Bags |
5 . Grays Peak (山顶) in Colorado rises 14,278 feet above sea level, too high for trees to grow toward the top, yet there are plenty of bushes and rocks.
It was August 2018, and Wedelstedt, 56, was on her way back down the path with three friends. A storm was coming, and they were anxious to get off the mountain. When they approached a rocky drop of a couple of feet, Wedelstedt decided to jump over it. She landed on her left leg. Then she heard the snap (咔嚓声).
Every step after that was great pain. Before long, she had to stop. As one friend ran down to get help, a number of other hikers, all strangers, attempted to help Wedelstedt down the narrow path by walking on either side of her to support her weight, but that proved slow and dangerous.
Finally, one hiker, Matt, asked her, “How do you feel about a fireman’s carry?” Before she knew it, he had lifted her over his shoulder. “Now, I’m not tiny,” says Wedelstedt, a former college basketball star. Matt clearly couldn’t carry her all the way down by himself. So six hikers and one of her friends took turns carrying her while she tried to make light of a difficult situation. Three hours and two rock-strewn (遍布) miles later, this human conveyor belt finally met the doctors, who took Wedelstedt to the hospital.
She has mostly recovered from her hike, but Wedelstedt knows she’ll never shake one thing from that day: the memory of the band of strangers who came to her rescue. “I am still in awe.” says Wedelstedt.
1. What happened to Wedelstedt while climbing down the mountain?| A．She was caught in a heavy storm. | B．She injured her leg. |
| C．She was blocked by rocks and bushes. | D．She got lost the the mountain. |
| A．By taking her directly to the hospital. | B．By calling in firemen. |
| C．By carrying her down the mountain. | D．By giving her first aid. |
| A．Respectful. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Sympathetic. | D．Tolerant. |
| A．Narrow Paths | B．Lifelong friendship |
| C．Dangerous Hikes | D．Peak Performance |
6 . When I first got the bird, it must have only just been hatched. Its mother had disappeared, leaving it alone and shivering in the face of the north wind. I decided to take it straight back and build it a new home.
At that time, we grew a great many flowers in our house. Next to one hanging orchid (兰花) I hung another empty flowerpot and it was in this pot that the bird was to have its new home. When Dad got home, he immediately discovered the new addition to our family. Without saying a word, he turned around and left the house. After some time, he returned and I saw that he had a handful of grass and pine needles. Obviously, Dad thought the nest I had made was far too rough and so he had decided to decorate it himself.
“A bird born at this time of year won’t survive the winter.” In spite of this prediction on the bird’s future, Dad very carefully fashioned the nest himself. Soon I found “Nuo Nuo” (Dad had named him) had started to grow feathers. They looked like such fine little hairs that you could only notice them if you looked really closely. I only discovered them because every day I would cup him in my hands and look at him.
Dad probably realized that he had been a little cruel in his prediction. You see, he had already started training Nuo Nuo to walk. As you know, Nuo Nuo lived in a flowerpot, not a cage or anything. When he had nothing else to do, he walked around his little home. There were times when he was a bit naughty too and he jumped down onto our dining table.
It was obvious that Nuo Nuo didn’t realize he was a bird. He perhaps thinks he was one of the family. But it is not enough for a bird to walk, it must fly as well. Dad soon began attempting to make him learn this new ability, but it was not an easy task. After all, nobody in our family had mastered the art of flying. we didn’t even have wings. How could we ask Nuo Nuo to do something that we had no means of doing ourselves?
The flying lessons went on regardless. Dad jumped off a chair, waving his arms as if his life depended on it, in an attempt to encourage Nuo Nuo to shake his wings. Surprisingly, this stupid action of Dad’s did actually have an effect. Nuo Nuo began to shake his wings and started to rise.
Everything is hard at the beginning. But seeing as what we had already started, the fact that Nuo Nuo couldn’t fly was no reason not to continue trying. Nuo Nuo learnt to fly finally and he survived the winter as well.
1. According to the text, what is the new addition to the family?| A．one hanging orchid | B．another empty flowerpot |
| C．the little bird | D．a handful of grass |
| A．Because the bird was raised in the cage. |
| B．Because the bird was one of the family. |
| C．Because the family didn’t want to teach him to fly. |
| D．Because the family didn’t have relevant experience. |
| A．Cruel | B．Considerate |
| C．Tolerant | D．Unconcerned |
| A．All the predictions may come true. |
| B．Nothing is difficult at the beginning. |
| C．Everything deserves a try though hard. |
| D．There is always a reason to do something. |
7 . The pupils of Grange town 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 made by a local artist. The school's headmaster noticed the sculpture in the artist's garden as he drove past one day. He thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as Grange town giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write a letter to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver in six weeks - all for nothing. It was expected to arrive on 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 left that job in 2006 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 for two that he and his wife could go cycling on together. “It was a most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “So I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”
Meanwhile, the pupils at Grange town High are very happy with their new classmate. “We are going to hold a competition to give it a proper name.” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on his face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”
1. According to the text, the giraffe _______________.| A．was as tall as a basketball player | B．was given to Grange town High for free |
| C．was sent to Grange town High on Monday | D．was specially made for a basketball team |
| A．excited | B．nervous | C．worried | D．confident |
| A．He learned a lot about sculpture at university. | B．He visited Grange town High |
| C．He was good at drawing, especially horses. | D．He showed interest in art at an early age. |
| A．It was a difficult job to name a giraffe. |
| B．Tom Bennett is well-known as a sculptor. |
| C．A metal giraffe arrived at Grange town High. |
| D．The Grange town Giraffe is a strong basketball team. |
8 . I went snowboarding in France with my little brother and what we lacked in skill was made up for in enthusiasm. That day, fresh snow had been falling. We stopped near the top of an off-path section. I let my brother disappear into the trees ahead, figuring I would soon catch up.
I began to pick up speed when I was suddenly thrown off balance. Just as I was regaining control, I ran into the trunk of a large tree. It was like hitting a solid wall. The pain was instant.
I quickly realized the situation could get very serious. Nobody would be coming past. There was no phone signal. It was snowing and cold. If I waited, I would probably be rescued eventually. But the chance of freezing to death before that happened was too high for me to risk staying put.
I managed to get the board off from my feet and moved it under my stomach so I was lying on it. I faced down the mountain and used the board to slowly drag and slide my body down the steep, tree-lined slope (斜坡).
It took about two hours before a skier found me and I got help. I couldn't feel my hands or my toes from the cold, but the relief at knowing I was safe was massive.
I had broken one of my backbones, so I had an operation where the doctors inserted plates. The constant pain was unbearable, but it wasn't as bad as seeing the pain and worry I put my family through.
The recovery road was tough, but I was lucky. Gradually, I was able to walk, then swim, then cycle and then run. I haven't been back to the slopes yet, but it might happen someday— I will, however, choose the paths.
1. How did the author feel at the start of snowboarding?| A．Confident. | B．Amused. | C．Nervous. | D．Panic. |
| A．He was cold and hungry. |
| B．He preferred to challenge himself. |
| C．He was aware of the risks of waiting. |
| D．He wanted to catch up with his brother. |
| A．Follow the safer path. |
| B．Do more sports activities. |
| C．Receive training in the future. |
| D．Never go snowboarding again. |
| A．To share a lesson. | B．To keep a diary. |
| C．To recommend a sport. | D．To make a comment. |
9 . Granny had just bought a sandwich for her office and was stopped at a red light in the city center. She had the window rolled down to enjoy the soft wind when a man rushed up to the driver’s side window to rob her. The robber broke into the open window with one hand in his pocket. He ordered Granny to get out of the car, or he would shoot her. A word like that would have frightened anyone else. Instead, Granny saw it as a challenge.
Completely unafraid she said that if he really had a gun, he would have pulled it out. She was right. The criminal had no gun actually and tried to pull her out of the car. Granny sounded the horn and started shouting out to draw others’ attention. With the door now open, she started kicking the man anywhere her foot could reach. After a kick to his stomach, the man attempted to escape. But Granny wouldn’t stand for that. It was now her turn to grab onto him. That poor fool didn’t have a chance. She called for help to bystanders, and they rushed to her aid. With Granny leading the charge, a group of strangers came together and took the man to the sidewalk, holding him there until the police came.
When asked by a young reporter covering the story why she fought back and wasn’t afraid, Granny’s answer was surprisingly simple: She had had her new car for less than two days and a pack of good sandwiches for her office. And there was no way for the robber to get either of those. Although we were angry with her because she could have gotten herself killed, we all learned an important lesson from her that day.
1. Why did Granny think the incident as a challenge?| A．She was afraid of the robber, |
| B．She has never experienced the robbery before. |
| C．There was possibility that the robber didn’t have a gun. |
| D．There was possibility that her new car would be robbed |
| A．He looked very terrible. | B．He had a poor memory. |
| C．He was not strong enough. | D．He was foolish and unlucky. |
| A．Granny kicked his stomach violently. |
| B．Granny kicked him anywhere her foot could reach. |
| C．Granny’s reaction was beyond his expectation. |
| D．Granny managed to grab onto him. |
| A．illegal | B．annoying |
| C．admirable | D．confusing |
10 . Francisco Fernandez died after falling off a motorbike. The 45-year-old was a beloved community figure. But with a public-facing job and a spot on his lung, he was considered a possible COVID-19 carrier. A doctor ordered his family to bury him quickly, against Philippine tradition, and all eight people who lived with him were put under a 14-day quarantine(隔离)in their crowded home.
Yet when Anthony Cortez, the doctor who had ordered the rushed burial and quarantine, arrived to check on the Fernandez family, none of them expressed anger. Instead, faces lit up and the kids waved eagerly.
Cortez, the only community doctor in Bambang, has overseen their medical care for years. They trust him, and he makes them laugh. The family gathered outside to have their temperatures taken by the doctor. When the kids tried to give Cortez high fives for not having a fever, the 56-year-old, in a surgical mask, face shield, and rubber gloves, showed "air fives" instead. For the 56 000 people living in Bambang, Cortez is their primary caregiver and the first responder.
When the first coronavirus(冠状病毒)case in the Philippines was confirmed on January 30, the town's response fell to Cortez. He and Mayor Pepito Balgos decided to take action based on science that, if necessary, would go beyond national restrictions. Cortez and Balgos are sharply aware of the threat the virus poses to Bambang, which sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. Anyone going south to Manila or north toward the rest of the country ends up passing through Bambang.
Cortez quickly set up a system of contact tracing. Using information from the town's 25 villages, he made a list of all the people who had traveled to other countries, and placed them under strict home quarantine. Anyone with symptoms would be moved to a center set up in the mountains. So far that center has remained empty.
"It is safer to assume that everybody is positive," he explained.
1. What is Cortez' reaction to the death of Francisco Fernandez?| A．Expressing his sympathy. | B．Drowning himself into mourn. |
| C．Showing professional sensitivity. | D．Following the tradition. |
| A．Its geographic character. | B．Its lack of medical staff. |
| C．Its large population. | D．The demand of the nation. |
| A．It is totally a waste of effort. | B．It is complained about by local people. |
| C．It is praised by higher authorities. | D．It is effective as a protective means. |
| A．A diary. | B．A novel. | C．A magazine. | D．A biography. |
