1 . I bumped into(撞上)a stranger as he walked by me. "Oh, excuse me," I said. He replied with a smile and said, "Please excuse me too. I wasn't watching out for you. "We apologised and went our own ways.
Later that day, when I was cooking, my daughter was standing too close to me. When I turned to reach for some milk, I nearly knocked(撞倒)her over.
"Move out of the way!" I shouted.
She walked away sadly. But I didn't feel like I had to apologize to her.
While I was in bed that evening, my husband said to me, "While dealing with a stranger, you were polite, but with a daughter you love, you were unkind. Your daughter brought you some flowers that she picked herself this afternoon. You'll find them in the kitchen by the door. Have you seen the tears in her eyes?"
I quietly went and knelt down by my daughter's bed.
"Honey, I am so sorry, "I said. "Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
She said, "I found them by the tree. I picked them because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like them, especially the blue ones."
I tearfully replied, "Sweetie, I'm really sorry for the way I acted today. I shouldn't have shouted at you",
"It's okay. I love you anyway, "she said as she kissed me on my cheek.
If we can be polite to strangers, why can't we do the same for the ones we love?
1. According to the passage, “excuse me” means________ here ?| A．sorry | B．moved | C．happy | D．disappointed |
| A．mad | B．angry | C．polite | D．unkind |
| A．food | B．flowers | C．milk | D．nothing |
| A．the writer shouldn't shout at the daughter |
| B．the writer shouldn't apologize to the stranger |
| C．he shouldn't act rudely toward his daughter |
| D．both he and the writer should apologize to their daughter |
| A．We should always apologize first. |
| B．We should be polite to people around us. |
| C．Shouting is not polite behavior. |
| D．We should watch out for strangers. |
2 . Spring lifts our spirits. It's a time for Nature to bring us back to life after a cold season. I live not far from the Kairaku Park, which is one of the largest gardens in Japan, and famous for its near 10,000 plum trees. I am fortunate to have them all outside my backyard, and take advantage of the walking paths daily.
I see the same trees and swans every day, but that day was different. At the edge of the small lake, I saw some new -born black swans. They were pretty and cute. They stayed with their mom.While taking a few photos of the sunset, I was interrupted by a high sound going on for some time. So, I turned around and saw one little swan was stuck by two stones. Its mother was trying to make it out but failed. I tried to get near but the mother was ever so angry! She wouldn't allow me to get close, so I turned to an old man sitting on the bench and said,“Excuse me, the swan baby can't move and I want to help it, but the mother is extremely angry! Could you please do me a favor?"
After hearing my words, the man smiled at me first and then agreed to help me. He drove the mother away with great efforts, and for several times, he was almost hurt by the mother. Thanks to him, I was able to get there and push the little swan out of the gap finally. Oh, I really hoped it wasn't injured, but at least it was alive and swimming!
In spring, I become more physically active. Things around don't make us, but Nature does, and it keeps us going. I am positive that all of us have a little piece of nature in our own neighborhoods. Somewhere we will be reminded why natural life is so important-- -because we grow with it! Personally, I am happy that baby birds can put a smile on my face! I struggle for having a small number of "things" in life, and being filled with simple reality--at one with Nature.
1. What can we know about the author from Paragraph 1?| A．Her favorite season is spring. | B．She enjoys doing outdoor sports. |
| C．Her backyard is filled with plum trees. | D．She is satisfied with her living environment. |
| A．She took a few photos of the sunset. |
| B．She made a little swan's mother angry. |
| C．She met some swans and helped one of them. |
| D．She met an old man and made friends with him. |
| A．Well-known. | B．Warm-hearted. | C．Selfish. | D．Outgoing. |
| A．Nature. | B．kindness. | C．The garden. | D．The things around. |
| A．is really a nature lover | B．is short of some life skill |
| C．asks people to help the weak | D．calls on more people to protect the environment |
The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪耀) like diamonds，large rosy cheeks，and thin lips that held a steady smile．
With the help of his trusty cane (拐杖), he walked toward a table by the window．A young waitress watched him and ran over to him，saying，"Here，Sir．Let me give you a hand with that chair．"
Without a word，he smiled and nodded a thank you．She pulled the chair away from the table．Supporting him with one arm，she helped him move in front of the chair，and get comfortably seated．Then she pushed the table up close to him，and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it．
In a soft，clear voice he said，"Thank you，Miss．"
"You're welcome，Sir．"She replied．"My name is Mary．I'll be back in a moment．If you need anything，just wave at me．"
After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes，bacon，and hot lemon tea，Mary brought him the change，helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table．She handed him his cane，and walked with him to the front door．Holding the door open for him，she said，"Come back and see us，Sir!"
He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile，"You are very kind!"
When Mary went to clean his table，she was shocked．Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin，under which was a $ 100bill．
The note on the napkin read，"Dear Mary，I respect you very much，and you respect yourself，too．It shows by the way you treat others．You have found the secret of happiness．Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you．"
The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant．This was the first time that she，or any of his employees，had seen him in person．
1. When did the story happen? ( no more than 10 words)2. Please explain the underlined phrase “stand out” in English. (no more than 5 words)
3. What did the old man think of the waitress’ service? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why did the old man leave a 100 bill? (no more than 12 words)
5. According to the passage, how do you understand the meaning of “Happiness”? (no more than 25 words)
4 . I Was the Doughnut Lady
In university I had a part-time job at a shop that sold doughnut s and coffee. Situated on a block where several buses stopped, it served the people who had a few minutes to wait for their bus.
Every afternoon around four o'clock, a group of school children would burst into the shop, and business would come to a stop. Adults would glance in, see the crowd and pass on. But I didn't mind if the children waited for their bus inside. Sometimes I would hand out a bus fare when a ticket went missing-always repaid the next day. On snowy days I would give away some doughnuts. I would lock the door at closing time, and we waited in the warm shop until their bus finally arrived.
I enjoyed my young friends, but it never occurred to me that I played an important role in their lives—until one afternoon when a man came and asked if I was the girl working on weekdays around four o'clock. He identified himself as the father of two of my favorites.
“I want you to know I appreciate what you do for my children. I worry about them taking two buses to get home. It means a lot that they can wait here and you keep an eye on them. When they are with the doughnut lady, I know they are safe.” I told him it wasn't a big deal, and that I enjoyed the kids.
So I was the Doughnut Lady. I not only received a title, but became a landmark. Now I think about all the people who keep an eye on my own children. They become, well, Doughnut Ladies. Like the men a t the skating rink, who let my boys ring home; Or the bus driver who drove my daughter to her stop at the end of the route at night but wouldn't leave until I arrived to pick her up; Or that nice police officer who took pity on my boys walking home in the rain when I was at work—even though the phone rang all the next day with calls from curious neighbors. “Was that a police car I saw at your house last night?”
That wasn't a police car. That was a Doughnut Lady.
1. According to the passage, the author sometimes ______.| A．sold bus tickets to the children | B．gave the children free doughnuts |
| C．did business with the children's help | D．called the children's parents to pick them up |
| A．she hadn't done anything significant |
| B．she hadn't spent much time with the children |
| C．she hadn't made a lot of money from the children |
| D．she hadn't found it hard to get along with the children |
| A．He took the boys to the police station. |
| B．He helped the boys look for their mother. |
| C．He drove the boys back home in a police car. |
| D．He managed to make sure of the boys' identity. |
| A．They called to comfort them. |
| B．They tried to make sure they were fine. |
| C．They wanted to confirm it was really a police car. |
| D．They wondered what the police brought them on such a rainy night. |
| A．running a business requires skill | B．taking responsibility is a moral virtue |
| C．devotion should be everything in life | D．there are always no small acts of kindness. |
In the workplace, at home, in all areas of life, looking for a reason to laugh is necessary. A sense of humor helps us to get through the dull times, deal with the difficult times, enjoy the good times and manage the scary times.
Six-year old Hannah experienced one of the most frightening times of her life when she discovered she had cancer. And if she was to give life a shot, Hannah would have to suffer painful, almost endless medical treatments. At one point she lost all her hair due to chemicals pumped into her tiny body. On days when she felt strong enough to get out, she often covered her head.
One day while shopping with her mother, Hannah donned a ball cap with a fake small ponytail(马尾辫)sewn into the back. Unless one looked closely, she looked as if she had a full head of hair. Before long Hannah noticed a small boy staring at her as if he were trying to figure out what had happened to the girl. She tried to ignore him, but he followed her around the store. Finally, she took off her cap showing her shiny, hairless head. In a firm voice she warned, "This is what happens when you don't eat your vegetables!"
I don't know what became of the boy. As for Hannah, her sense of humor helped her get through one of life's scariest times.
As entertainer Bob Hope once said, "I've seen what a good laugh can do. It can transform tears into hope." And sometimes, a little more hope is all we need.
1. What did Hannah suffer when she had cancer? (no more than 10 words)2. Why did Hannah cover her head when she went out? (no more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined word "donned" mean? (1 word)
4. What would the boy probably do after he heard Hannah's words? (no more than 10 words)
5. What can we learn from Hannah when we meet with difficulties in life? (no more than 20 words)
6 . While doing some grocery shopping one day, I realized I had spent close to 30 minutes just in the produce section, meticulously(细致地，一丝不苟地) choosing the best-looking apples, bananas that were ripe but not spotted and ears of corn with perfectly neat rows of kernels(谷粒). However, I bet I’m not the only one that rejects the slightest imperfections in fruits and vegetables.
I’ve also seen how my pursuit of perfect produce has influenced my children. When I pack their lunches, I make sure I include fleshy tomatoes, crisp blueberries, and cucumbers without any scratches. But one day when my daughter refused to eat a pear that was turning slightly brown, I knew I had to change my way. I realized I was unconsciously teaching my children to accept society’s standards of perfection and that these perceptions could have a disastrous impact on our environment.
In the US, up to 40 percent of food is wasted every year. Most of this waste ends up in landfills that creates dangerous greenhouse gases. Around 20 percent of food waste is produced directly at the farm, for the so-called “ugly” food may not meet certain standards set by grocery stores, though the food is still perfectly consumable.
On a recent night in San Francisco, I attended a dinner party to raise awareness about this growing problem. It was the brainchild of food waste activist Josh Treuhaft, which was an intimate gathering of 16 people dinning on a table made from recycle wood. The chef, Pesha Perlsweig, prepared a six-course meal with food, which was purchased from Imperfect Produce that specifically sells “ugly” fruit and vegetables. The organic twisted carrots or knobbly sweet potatoes can be bought at this market for 30 to 50 percent of the price.
I was blown away by Perlsweig’s creative, delicious dishes made from the “ugly” food. Before each dish, Persweig offered guests tips on how we can reduce our food waste. For example, if you cut off the end of a limp carrot and place it in water, it will become firm again.
After the evening’s dinner, I became inspired to rethink the way I shopped for and consumed food, and to accept the imperfect. Though looking ugly, the food contains no less nutrition than normal food. Furthermore, it’s cheap at the price. My actions inspired my daughter to think differently as well. One morning, while she was helping prepare her school lunch, I noticed her choosing a handful of cherry tomatoes with slight flaws. “They’re special,” she said.
I’m hoping that these small changes in our perception can make a big difference to our world.
1. Why did the author spend about 30 minutes buying produce?| A．She was very picky about produce. | B．She had lots of spare time that day. |
| C．She is addicted to grocery shopping. | D．She had difficulty in making a decision. |
| A．She wouldn’t be too particular about produce. |
| B．She would change her way of educating her children. |
| C．She would no longer do everything for her children. |
| D．She would choose food for her children more carefully |
| A．Lots of food went to waste that day. |
| B．The guests got some tips at the gathering. |
| C．Most of the dishes were made from organic food. |
| D．It aimed to recommend a chef cooking “ugly” food. |
| A．It is more delicious after creatively cooked | B．It is cheap and as nutritious as perfect food. |
| C．It can always help to protect the environment. | D．It can have a good effect on children’s growth. |
| A．To offer tips on how to reduce food waste. | B．To introduce a new market for “ugly” food. |
| C．To share her experience of educating children. | D．To show how she fell in love with “ugly” food. |
| A．Environment | B．Education | C．Cooking | D．Food |
In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animal. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others. Often, we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’ re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’ s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At that moment，I decided to do something I had never done in twenty-four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to the other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.
1. When will people feel happy as the author has discovered? (No more than 7 words)2. Why does the author feel sad sometimes in Paragraph 2? (No more than 12 words)
3. What did the other drivers do when they saw the flashlights (No more than 4 words)t?
4. What does the underlined the sentence in Paragraph 6 probably mean? (No more than 5 words)
5. What can we learn from the author’s experience? (No more than 20 words).
8 . Our first year in New York we rented a small apartment with a Catholic school nearby, taught by the Sister of Charity, strong women in long black gowns and bats. I liked them a lot, especially my grandmotherly fourth grade teacher，Sister Zoe. I had a lovely name, she said, and she had me teach the whole class how to pronounce it: Yo-lan-da. As the only immigrant in my class, I was put in a special seat in the first row by the window, apart from the other children so that Sister Zoe could tutor me without disturbing them. Slowly, she enunciated(发音) the new words for me to repeat: cornflakes, subway, snow.
Soon I picked up enough English to understand a horrible wars was in the air. Sister Zoe explained to us that Russian missiles(导弹) were being collected and brought together, aimed supposedly on New York City.On the television. President Kennedy, looking worried too, was in the television at home, explaining we might have to go to war against the enemies. At school, we had air-raid drills: a worrying bell would go off and we’d move into the hall, fall to the floor, and shelter our heads with our coats. And at home, Mom and I prayed for world peace. I heard new vocabulary: nuclear bomb, radioactive fallout(放射性沉降物), bomb shelter. Sister Zoe explained how it would happen. She drew on the blackboard a picture of a mushroom and a cloud of dusty fallout that would kill us all.
The months grew cold, November, December. It was dark when I got up in the morning, and frosty when I followed my breath to school. One morning, as I sat at my desk daydreaming, out the window, I saw dots in the air like the ones Sister Zoe had drawn—random at first, then lots and lots. I screamed, “Bomb！Bomb！” Sister Zoe hurried to me. A few girls began to cry.
But then Sister Zoe’s shocked look disappeared. “Why, Yolanda dear, that’s snow!” She laughed. “Snow.”“Snow，” I repeated. I looked out the window cautiously. All my life I had heard about the white snow that fell out of American skies in the winter. From my desk I watched the fine-powder dust the sidewalk and parked cars below.“Each flake(雪花) was different，”Sister Zoe had said，“like a person，irreplaceable and beautiful.”
1. Why was the author seated apart from the other children?| A．Because she was punished for not speaking English. |
| B．Because the teacher could help her without bothering others. |
| C．Because she had trouble hearing the teacher clearly. |
| D．Because she was shy and afraid of talking to other students. |
| A．She paid no attention to the performance of her students. |
| B．She was an immigrant from America. |
| C．She taught students to draw a picture of mushroom. |
| D．She was a thoughtful and caring teacher. |
| A．hide themselves under their desks. |
| B．run to their homes immediately. |
| C．pray for world peace together. |
| D．cover their heads with their coats. |
| A．move into the hall immediately | B．corrected her patiently. |
| C．scolded her for making other girls cry | D．announced an air-raid-drill. |
| A．Snow | B．Air-raid-drills. |
| C．The Sister of Charity | D．My Childhood in New York. |
9 . At ten years old, I borrowed a book from the library that had the word "crime" in the title. My mother did not notice this book among my large number of books until I began reading it. The book was confiscated (没收), and we went back to the library. I remember how embarrassed I was as my mother explained that I needed reading material that was different from the book that we had just returned.
The librarian on duty looked down at me, smiling, walked from behind the counter, and gestured to me to follow. We crossed the hallway to the adult fiction section. "Here you are," she said. "It's called I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith, the same author who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians. " I felt far too old for dog stories. "It's very different from The Hundred and One Dalmatians, though," she said, noticing my disappointment．
I tried to accept that she was right. But I was doubtful. I mean, the title alone was strange. But I still took the book home. I curled up on our window seat, and started reading. To my surprise, I was completely attracted and it spurred (激起)my writing dream.
Two weeks ago, I drove two and a half hours to meet my mother for a Christmas lunch in a tea shop in my old hometown. I had just finished a cup of coffee in the tea shop when I looked up and saw the librarian, who had changed my life. Sixteen years had passed, but for a moment time stood still. I moved toward her- all knees and elbows and energy-and blurted (脱口而出) ,"You work at the library! You once showed me I Capture the Castle! I'm a writer now! That's still my favorite book!"
The woman stopped and smiled kindly. But then she tipped her head. I realized that dementaa (痴呆)or something like it had kept her from understanding me. A woman who was probably her sister took her by the elbow and led her gently away. As I watched her go, I wondered how many lives we change without realizing what we do is meaningful. All that woman had really done was lend me a book, but it had captured my world.
1. Why did the author and her mom go back to the library？| A．To seek help from the librarian. |
| B．To exchange words with the librarian． |
| C．To borrow more books from the library． |
| D．To replace the book with another one． |
| A．She felt no interest in it． |
| B．She felt she was too young to read it． |
| C．She felt sure that it was a strange book． |
| D．She thought it was different from dog stories． |
| A．She was always busy writing． |
| B．She lived far from her mother． |
| C．She was excited to see the librarian． |
| D．She had no control over her feelings． |
| A．To remember the lady librarian． |
| B．To stress our influences on others． |
| C．To show her respect for the librarian． |
| D．To tell us about her writing experience． |
10 . Everything changed on June 23, 2012 when Kirstie Ennis was in a helicopter crash that finally led to an above-the-knee leg amputation(截肢). Recovering from the crash nearly destroyed her, but she refused to let her injuries hold her back.
To prove to herself just how unlimited her possibilities are, Ennis set a goal: become the first veteran(老兵) amputee to complete the Seven Summit — the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
But Ennis’ climbing journey isn’t just about the mountains. On each climb, she raises money in support of a different nonprofit.
"I realized that it was a pretty unique platform…whether it’s the younger generation, men, women or wounded veterans, they can look to me in a different way,” Ennis told Connecting Vets. “It’s just the highlight of everything I always wanted to do.”
Ennis has climbed up five of the seven mountains. She’s been on Everest for more than a month, adapting to the altitude and planning routes, and her team plans to summit(登顶) on May 15, 2019. It’s a climb she has been preparing for three years, including a trip in 2017.
"Everest is the most important part of everything I have trained for," Ennis told Pensacola News Journal. "Every mountain teaches me something different. Now I have to use all of those skill sets to be able to deal with Everest. Should I summit, history will be made as the first woman above knee amputee to do so. Each individual, especially those with disabilities, should be able to determine what they’re able to do.”
Ennis shares detailed updates on her blog, and will post again after the summit attempt.
1. Why did Ennis decide to conquer the Seven Summits?| A．To inspire others. | B．To challenge herself. |
| C．To show her strong will. | D．To make her life colorful. |
| A．She promotes environmental protection. |
| B．She collects money for a nonprofit. |
| C．She recovers from her injury. |
| D．She communicates with fellows. |
| A．In 2016. | B．In 2017. | C．In 2018. | D．In 2019. |
| A．Ennis values the experience on every mountain. |
| B．Ennis is confident that she will summit Everest. |
| C．Ennis has been well trained due to some experts. |
| D．Ennis is proud of her upcoming achievement. |
| A．Excellent teachers. | B．Distinguished scientist. |
| C．Outstanding artists. | D．Those physically challenged. |
