1 . On Diwali, we were on a vacation in Dubai and having a good time and lots of fun. One day, we were visiting Abu Dhabi, traveling with a few passengers in a bus. At our first stop, we got out to take some pictures. At our second stop, we noticed that we had forgotten our shoulder bag at first stop. The worst part was that our passports, visas, hotel booking papers, itinerary…everything was inside that bag and we were very panicky, as we had to return to India in 2 days.
During this process of searching for our bags we came into contact with so many strangers whom we found to be really concerned and helpful with our situation.
The tour guide and the bus driver helped us to locate a cab so that we could travel back the first destination to find our bag.
The cab driver helped us in so many ways. He gave us his mobile phone so that we could contact everyone. He took us to a mosque near the first destination hoping that a cleaner might have found a bag. He took us to the nearest police station and helped us in communication with the policeman, who only spoke Arabic.
A policeman, who searched through everything in the lost and found department.
A local man, who actually found our bag, checked the bag and found a number to the travel agency. He informed them and sent his driver to a common destination from where we could get our bag back.
On that day, there was real panic inside me and I was constantly thinking of what would happen next? How will I find my bag? What will happen to us without our passports and visas? In such a mind set I was not able to say a proper THANK YOU to all those persons who helped us in such challenging situation.
I don't even know their names. I will never be able to forget their faces and their kindness. The world needs more humans like them and I decided to try to become one of them. I salute all those strangers and well-wishes for their acts of kindness.
1. Where did the author lose her shoulder bag?| A．At the first stop. | B．At Dubai Airport. |
| C．At the second stop. | D．In India. |
| A．A tour guide? | B．A bus driver |
| C．A cleaner | D．A cab driver |
| A．At a police station. | B．At a common destination |
| C．At a local's home. | D．At the lost and found department |
| A．God helps those who help themselves. | B．Thank those local people one by one. |
| C．Follow the same act of those kind people. | D．Be more careful when touring next time. |
2 . Lots of people love going to Disneyland, but few enjoy the experience as much as Jeff Reitz, who has been visiting Disney resorts every day, for the last 2,000 days.
Jeff started his daily visits to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim on Jan. 1, 2012, after receiving an annual pass as a gift, and hasn't skipped a day since. He was unemployed at the time, and visiting the parks gave him something to look forward to every day and kept his spirits up. Jeff managed to secure a stable job since then, but he still makes time for Disneyland, every evening.
Jeff Reitz loves the rides, but he also enjoys the music, communicating with the staff and visitors, and just watching the other visitors.
On Thursday, Jeff walked through the gate for the 2,000th day, setting a new world record for continued visits to Disneyland, and since his annual pass expires in January 2018, he plans to extend his lead even more. He will decide whether he'll renew his pass and continue his daily routine, but whatever he decides to do, "nobody can take that fun away from me".
Visiting Disneyland every day has had a positive impact on his life. He met his girlfriend, Karen, during one of his visits a few years ago. He has an active social life because of it, communicating with both staff and visitors, and even managed to lose 40 pounds by walking around every day.
Jeff has also been the target of criticism from people, who went as far as to call his daily habit a sickness. He says that Disneyland is a place of release, relaxation, and activity, one that has made him a better person all around.
Believe it or not, Jeff has never received any special treatment from Disney for his loyalty. He doesn't get any special treatment from the staff, and doesn't even get invited to take part in special events.
1. What is so special about Jeff Reitz according to the passage?| A．He is always in high spirits. | B．He lives in Disneyland. |
| C．He visits a certain place every day. | D．He works in Disneyland. |
| A．comes up. | B．runs out. |
| C．tears down. | D．stands out. |
| A．They have made him put on some weight. |
| B．They have made him make many friends. |
| C．They have made him become social and active. |
| D．They have made him become a famous person. |
| A．He plans to give up his daily habit in two months. |
| B．He is puzzled about some negative thoughts. |
| C．He attends special parties held in Disneyland. |
| D．He is treated as a common visitor in Disneyland. |
3 . The Jewish(犹太人）family-had-just finished supper and the woman had placed the dishes in the sink.The kitchen was quite damp and even gloomier than in the main room.It was their third apartment since the start of the war,they had abandoned the other two in a hurry.The woman came back into the room and sat down again at the table.The 3-year-old boy sat with his back straight,his eyes fixed on his father,but it was obvious that he was so sleepy that he could barely sit up.
The man was smoking a cigarette.His eyes were blood-shot and he kept blinking in a funny way.This blinking had begun soon after they fled the second apartment.
It was late,past ten o'clock and they could have gone to sleep,but first they had to play the game that they had been playing every day for two weeks.Even though the man tried his best and he moved very quickly,the fault was his and not the child's.The boy was.marvelous.Seeing his father put out his cigarette,he opened his blue eyes even wider.The woman,who didn't actually take part in the game, stroked the boy's hair.
“We'll play the key game just one more time only today.Isn't that right?"she asked her husband.
He didn't answer because he was not sure.They were still two or three minutes off. He arose and walked towards the bathroom door.Then the woman called out softly,“Ding-dong."At the sound of the bell ringing so musically from his mother's lips,the boy jumped up from his chair and ran to the front door,which was separated from the main room by a narrow corridor.
“Who's there?"he asked.
The woman,remaining in her chair,shut her eyes tight as if feeling a sudden, sharp pain.
“I'll open up in a minute,I'm just looking for the keys,"the child called out. Then he ran back to the main room,making a lot of noise with his feet.He ran in circles around the table,pulled out one of the sideboard drawers,and slammed it shut.
“Just a minute,I can't find them,I don't know where Mama put them,"he yelled,then dragged the chair across the room,climbed onto it,and reached up to the top of the shelf.
“I found them!”he shouted triumphantly.Then he got down from the chair, pushed it back to the table,and calmly walked to the door and opened it.
“Shut the door,darling,"the woman said softly."You were perfect.”
The child didn't hear what she said.He stood in the middle of the room,staring at the closed bathroom door.
“Shut the door, the woman repeated in a tired flat voice.Every evening she repeated the same words,and every evening he stared at the closed bathroom door.
At last it opened.The man was pale and his clothes were streaked with lime and dust.He stood there,eyes blinking in that funny way.
“Well?How did it go?"asked the woman.
“I still need more time.He has to look for them longer.I slip in sideways all right,but then...It's so tight in there that when I turn...And he's got to make more noise-he should stamp his feet louder."
The child didn't take his eyes off him.
“Say something to him,"the woman whispered.
＂You did a good job,little one,"he said mechanically.
“That's right,”the woman said,“you're really doing a wonderful job,darling. You act just like a grown-up.And you do know that if someone should really ring the doorbell when Mama is at work,everything will depend on you?And what will you say when they ask you about your parents?”
“Mama's at work.”
“And Papa?"He was silent.
“And Papa?"the man screamed in terror.The child turned pale.
“And Papa?”the man repeated more calmly.
“He's dead,”＂the child answered and threw himself at his father,who was standing right beside him,but already long dead to the people who would really ring the bell.
1. What does the underlined sentence in Para.5 mean?| A．The family needed to practise the game for another 2 or 3 minutes. |
| B．There was still 2 or 3 minutes left before someone knocked at the door. |
| C．They would become too sleepy to play the game 2 or 3 minutes later. |
| D．The father needed 2 or 3 more minutes before the kid opened the door. |
| A．Because he needed to drown out the noise caused by his father. |
| B．Because he was too little and just couldn't control his footsteps. |
| C．Because he was too anxious to find the key to open the door with. |
| D．Because he met many barriers on his way to where the key was. |
| A．She was angry because her son didn't close the door as he had been told to. |
| B．She felt anxious because she knew her husband would be annoyed at the boy again. |
| C．She was disappointed because the boy's movement betrayed again where her husband was. |
| D．She was impatient because she was asked to repeat these words again and again every evening. |
| A．A Scary Night | B．The Key Game |
| C．My Father Is Dead | D．An Innocent Boy |
4 . Nicole Ihus’s son John Henry was born last month with a life-threatening disease. Nicole and her husband, who live in Kansas City, contacted doctors from Minnesota and Missouri in hopes of finding a doctor who could treat John Henry for the condition, but to no avail. Luckily, Nicole managed to get in contact with the “best doctor in the world for this condition” at Johns Hopkins All Children’s in St. Petersburg, Florida, so she traveled all the way to the Sunshine State to give her newborn son a fighting chance.
After John Henry was into the ICU, Nicole felt alone in the new state, although she knew that she had to leave her son’s side in order to buy him some new clothes. Upon ordering an Uber ride to the nearby Rhea Lana children’s clothing store, she was picked up by a woman named Belinda.
Shortly after Nicole got into Belinda’s car, the new mother couldn’t help talking about her heartbreaking circumstances.
“She told me her story,” Belinda said. “She was in tears a couple of times and I really felt for her.” Rather than simply dropping Nicole off at the store, however, Belinda parked the car and insisted on accompanying her passenger into the store so she could treat John Henry to new clothes. Needless to say, Nicole was filled with gratitude.
Nicole said, “For this stranger to go completely out of her way - stop what she was doing and stop making money- to come be with me for a couple of hours while we shopped together, that was just incredible.” As Nicole cares for her newborn son and raises money for his medical conditions, she hopes to introduce the Uber driver to her son as a thank you for her compassionate gesture.
1. Why did the new mother have to travel to Florida?| A．Her husband worked there. |
| B．She wanted to have a baby there. |
| C．Her sick son might get cured there. |
| D．She wanted to find a cheap hospital there. |
| A．Drop her off at the hospital. |
| B．Accompany her while shopping. |
| C．Make friends with her son. |
| D．Buy new clothes for her. |
| A．Grateful and astonished. |
| B．Shocked and disappointed. |
| C．Worried and embarrassed. |
| D．Puzzled and regretful. |
| A．An unforgettable experience. |
| B．A heroic helper around you. |
| C．A special shopping experience. |
| D．An unexpected kindness. |
5 . Many kids start humming tunes like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” as their first songs, but Nygel Witherspoon was an exception. He preferred Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D Minor.
So when Nygel Witherspoon began to hum the very difficult concerto(协奏曲), his family guessed that he should have music lessons. He was, however, just 3 years old.
“He was calm, with an ability to focus.” recalled David Holmes, Witherspoon’s cello(大提琴) teacher from age 3 to l6.
Witherspoon is a familiar name in his hometown. He has inherited his talent from both sides of his family, including his aunt, the late jazz vocalist Shirley Witherspoon.
The 17-year-old doesn’t see himself as competitive. “I think it’s more important for students to have a supportive environment than a competitive one;” he said. “It’s great to have a support system, where you can be yourself and improve right along with others doing the same thing.”
Witherspoon’s love of music blossomed as he attended viola(中提琴) lessons with older siblings. Their teacher, David France, noticed that the little boy was a sponge(海绵).
“He’d absorb everything they did.” France said. Witherspoon was given a box violin, but he wanted to play “the big one”— the cello. He loved its size and tone. That’s when he was matched with his teacher Holmes.
Witherspoon’s drive is inspired by the connection music provides. He recalled that he and his siblings performed as a chambertrio(室内乐三重奏) at their grandmother’s nursing home. The positive reaction from residents gave him motivation.
“It’s so important, whether it’s hip-hop or classical,” he said. “Music is the universal language. It connects all of us.”
1. How was Witherspoon different from other kids when he was 3?| A．He began to teach himself music. |
| B．He was able to hum very difficult tunes |
| C．He had already made up his mind to learn violin |
| D．He could already play the songs he’d heard. |
| A．Practicing hard. |
| B．Being very competitive. |
| C．Being in a supportive environment. |
| D．Having a good teacher from an early age. |
| A．He is a fast learner. | B．He is a creative player. |
| C．He works very hard. | D．He is open-minded. |
| A．To compare Witherspoon’s performance with his siblings. |
| B．To show that motivation plays a big role in music studies. |
| C．To stress that music connects people. |
| D．To show how studying music helped Witherspoon overcome difficulties. |
6 . It was the middle of third grade and I was not sure what had got into me. I lied about many things ---I lied that I had eaten all my dinner, when in fact I buried it in the trash can, I lied that I had made my bed, when clearly I had not. My lies were not hurting anyone, but for some reason I felt the need to tell lies on an impulse (冲动 )that didn't feel like my own. I was labeled a liar.
One day my sisters and I were invited to spend the weekend with my aunt we all loved it. She spoiled us with her time. And she was an amazing artist. She had cool pencils，erasers and other supplies that any young girl would love to get her hands on. Then it happened ... someone took one of Aunt Kim's good art erasers and rubbed it across the entire top of the TV. The eraser ruined the shiny finish on the TV’s casing. All the three of us were called into the TV room and asked to admit. Nobody did! Aunt Kim told us how disappointed she was.
The next thing I knew was that she was on the phone with my parents and they were on their way to picking me up. It had to be me! I was the liar. I argued, but no one listened. And then before dinner there was a knock at the front door! Aunt Kim was standing there. It turned out my younger sister finally felt guilty! She admitted that she was the one who rubbed the eraser on the TV. I was invited back!
A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. No matter how big or small your lies are, once you are labeled a liar, earning trust takes a lot of work and time.
1. Why does the author tell lies?| A．She just does that out of a strong desire. |
| B．She can find pleasure in telling a lie. |
| C．She is afraid to admit her mistakes. |
| D．She likes to play tricks on others. |
| A．The TV’s finish was ruined. | B．The author told a lie again. |
| C．Nobody admitted the mistake. | D．The erasers were totally useless. |
| A．They felt puzzled about who did it. |
| B．None of them blamed the three girls. |
| C．They gave the author a chance to admit. |
| D．They believed it was done by the author. |
| A．A bad beginning makes a bad ending. |
| B．A liar pays a lot to win trust again. |
| C．Lies can never change the fact. |
| D．An honest man will speak out. |
7 . Do you remember your first day of school? Were you excited or a bit scared? When I started school, I lived in an area of southern Germany. I remember how frightened I was, mostly because I didn’t know what to expect.
My mother and I walked quietly, downhill into the center of town. When we entered the classroom, I noticed all the children were sitting quietly in their seats. Anxiously, I picked a spot next to a friendly-looking girl.
In my nervousness, I had totally forgotten I was to receive a Schultuete (school cone) on the first day of school, but as I looked at my teacher's desk I remembered. Her desk was covered with huge cardboard cones. I knew that my mother had filled my Schultuete with goodies and brought it to my classroom the day before, but I didn't know which one was mine.
That morning, the focus of my attention remained with those cones. All of the fear slowly disappeared. When the teacher asked me to approach the desk, she did not seem threatening at all. When she smilingly handed me my Schultuete, I was the happiest girl.
Proudly, I carried my gift home. The hill did not seem steep at all. Hurriedly, I unwrapped my Schultuete and discovered candies, chocolates, and oranges. This day stayed in my mind as one of the sweetest in my life.
When I was older I asked my mother about her first day of school. She told me she hadn't received a Schultuete from her parents because the custom had not been established all over Germany at that time.
The custom began in the cities in the 1800s and then spread to the towns and villages. By the early 1950s, the tradition of the Schultuete was established all over the country. And it has been passed on even in the present day.
1. How did the author feel at first about her first day of school?| A．Excited | B．Confused |
| C．Afraid | D．Delighted |
| A．is given to kids as a gift on their first day of school |
| B．is presented as a reward by a school teacher |
| C．became popular in the early 19th century |
| D．is usually filled with school supplies |
| A．the author was in good health | B．the author was very excited then |
| C．the author enjoyed climbing hills | D．the author missed her mother badly |
8 . We were sitting in her classroom, giggling each other and talking about the latest information of the day. Mrs Virginia De View, whose physical appearance made her an easy target for snickers (窃笑) and cruel jokes among students, cleared her throat and asked us to be silent.
“Now, Mrs.” Virginia De View said smiling, “we are going to discover our professions.” The class seemed to be greatly surprised. We were only 13 and 14 years old!
“Yes, you will all be searching for your future professions.”she said.
“You will have to do a research paper on your upcoming career. Each of you will have to interview someone in your field, plus give an oral report.”
Finally, I picked print journalism, and interviewed a true-blue newspaper reporter in the flesh. After a few days, I gave my oral report totally from memory in class. I got an A on the entire project.
Years later, I forgot all about Virginia De View and the careers we selected. I was in college looking around for a new career. but with no success. Then I remembered Virginia De View and my desire at 13 to be a journalist. And I called my parents. They didn't stop me. They just reminded me how competitive the field was. This was true. But journalism did something to me; it was in my blood. For the past 12 years, I've had the most incredible and satisfying reporting career .
I get asked all the time: “How did you pick journalism?”
“Well, you see, there was this teacher...” I always start out. Virginia Deview will probably never know without her help, I would not have become a journalist and a writer. I wonder now how many other students benefited from that career project.
I believe that when people reflect back over their school days, there will be their very own Virginia De View. Perhaps you can thank her before it's too late.
1. What did the students think of Mrs Virginia's project in her class?| A．Harmful | B．Crazy |
| C．Beneficial | D．Flexible |
| A．Career planning | B．Oral ability |
| C．Paper research | D．Interviewing skills |
| A．He keeps in touch with Mrs. Virginia. |
| B．He practiced as a journalist in college. |
| C．His parents were against his decision. |
| D．He enjoys working as a journalist |
| A．To express gratitude to Mrs. Virginia. |
| B．To give an oral report on selecting a career. |
| C．To show challenges he me as a reporter. |
| D．To look for his previous classmates. |
9 . PTSD(战后创伤) is sadly a common affliction(折磨) for many soldiers who have witnessed conflict, an invisible wound that continues to cause incredible suffering long after the guns have fallen silent.
“A lot of us come home without realizing we are bringing the war home with us,"said Josh Marino, a veteran (退伍兵)of the Iraq war who suffered the effects of PTSD of suicide .
“i didn’t want to deal with it anymore,” Marino said. He wrote a goodbye note, grabbed a knife and went outside for a final cigarette in the rain. But then, from the deepest depth of despair came hope. Meowing out of the bushes next to him came a stray black and white kitten (小猫) which， according to Marino, “just walked up and started rubbing up against my leg and let me pet him. I came to life again and I broke down crying. I burst into tears.”
From this accidental encounter everything changed. Marino found a new purpose in life through the friendly cat, who he named Scout, and who he credits with saving his life. "I stopped thinking about all my problems, and started thinking about all his problems, and what I could do to help him, "Marino said. The bond between them was instant，but that wasn't the end of the story
Marino has made a video of his and Scout's remarkable story of healing and heartbreak which you can watch on the Internet. The story is dedicated to showing how animals can help humans through tough times, as well as humans can help them.It is a beautiful story that is sure to tug at your heart strings, showing just how powerful the bond between humans and animals can be. We love it, and we hope you do too!
1. What can we get from the first two paragraphs?| A．Taking part in the Iraq war had bad effects on Josh Marino. |
| B．Josh Marino wounded badly during the Iraq war. |
| C．PTSD is a kind of disease which cannot be cured now. |
| D．PTSD usually happens after the soldiers drop their guns. |
| A．He just couldn’t help crying. |
| B．The little cat gave him hope to treasure life. |
| C．The wild little cat attacked him so badly. |
| D．He suddenly realized that the cat came to help him on purpose. |
| A．PTSD- a disease cured by a soldier. |
| B．The man and the cat. |
| C．A rescue between a soldier and a cat. |
| D．How can a cat be used to stop suicide. |
10 . “I wish we hadn’t come on this trip!” Jeff’s voice echoed across the narrow canyon （峡谷）. His father stopped, breathing heavily. “This is hard on you, but you’ve got to come through with courage!” He gently placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Now, I don’t know if I can make it without stopping every so often. You’re young, but you’re strong and fast. Do you remember the way back from here to the road, if you had to go alone?”
Jeff flashed back to the painful scene of Mark, his seventeen-year-old brother at their campsite. He was bitten by a snake yesterday. This morning he couldn’t move, and the pain got worse. He needed medical attention right away. They had left their phone in the car, and it must have been out of power by then. Leaving Mark at the campsite and seeking help was their only choice.
“Jeff, could you do it?”
Jeff looked to the end of the canyon, several miles away. He nodded and a plan began to take hold in his mind. “What is the name of that little town we stopped, Dad??” There must be a hospital there.
“Flint. We parked at the side of the road a few miles out of Flint.”
Jeff nodded. Then they continued climbing. Stone by stone, they made their way up the canyon. Gradually, Jeff’s father grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Jeff waved to him and then climbed toward the road. Two hours later, he finally reached the road and struggled toward the town, almost exhausted.
“Can’t stop.” He thought. “Mark’s in big trouble. Keep going.” Suddenly, he saw a truck heading toward him. “Hey, mister!” He shouted, waving both arms. He began to jog toward the truck, and then broke into a full-speed run.
His chest was burning with every breath when the truck driver stopped by him. Jeff explained breathlessly. The driver reached for his cellphone as soon as he heard about Mark. “Better get the helicopter in there,” he said immediately. But Jeff wasn’t sure about that because everything got unclear and then went black and quiet.
Hours later, Jeff opened his eyes to find his father on a chair nearby. “You’re a hero, son,” his father said with a smile. “You had the helicopter sent into the canyon after Mark. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I saw it overhead. They got him to the hospital. He’s going to be fine soon. I’m so proud of you!”
1. Why did Jeff and his father climb up the canyon?| A．They were going for rescue. | B．They were doing physical exercise. |
| C．They were meeting Jeff’s brother. | D．They were searching for their campsite. |
| A．He lost his way. | B．He lost his phone. |
| C．He was hit by a truck. | D．He was bitten by a snake. |
| A．Jeff was faster than him. | B．Jeff knew the way better. |
| C．Jeff needed more exercise. | D．Jeff preferred going by himself. |
| A．Humorous and ambitious. | B．Determined and caring. |
| C．Cautious and sensitive. | D．Generous and kind. |
