1 . James Harrison is called “The Man With the Golden Arm”. The Australian man has saved the lives of more than 2.4 million babies by donating blood nearly every week for 60 years.
At the age of 14, Harrison had an 11-hour operation to remove a lung. “I received 13 units of blood and my life was saved by unknown people,” Harrison said. “When I’m old enough, I’ll become a blood donor.”
That is exactly what Harrison did Soon afterward, the doctor told him that his blood contains the rare antibody that can help mothers who have rhesus disease, a condition where a pregnant woman’s blood attacks the blood cells of her fetus(胎儿). In the worst case, it can result in brain damage or death of the baby. And until about 1967, thousands of babies died each year in Australia.
Before long, researchers had developed an injection(注射剂), called Anti-D, using Harrison’s donated blood. Because about 17 percent of pregnant women in Australia require the Anti-D injections, the blood service estimates Harrison has helped about 2.4 million babies in the county. At the age of 81, he had already passed the age limit allowed for donors, and the blood service had suggested Harrison should stop donating to ensure his health.
Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his extraordinary efforts and generosity, but he doesn’t consider himself a hero. He has donated his blood 1,173 times, which breaks the Guinness World Records. But in all those times of donating blood, he has never once watched. “I look at the celling or the nurses and maybe talk with them. I feel faint at the sight of blood, and I can’t stand the pain.”
1. What contributed to Harrison’s becoming a blood donor?| A．The rare antibody in his blood. | B．His gratitude to the blood donors. |
| C．The request from the blood service. | D．His pain during the removal of his lung. |
| A．Save babies by giving them injections. | B．Protect babies from common illnesses. |
| C．Cure pregnant mothers of rhesus disease. | D．Prevent women’s blood from being attacked. |
| A．The age among blood donors. |
| B．The amount of blood he donated. |
| C．The number of donations he made. |
| D．The number of babies he saved by donating. |
| A．He is kind and curious. | B．He is generous and modest |
| C．He is selfless and shy. | D．He is sympathetic and cautious. |
2 . One minute, Peggy Lewis and her husband were watching the trees blow in the wind outside their home in Eureka, Kansas. Next, they were surrounded by broken glass from the house’s windows. The roof tore off. The walls fell down. After the 152-mph tornado (龙卷风) had passed, it took a team of neighbors to pull the couple out from the ruins and take them to the hospital.
When the couple returned to their home three days after that awful night, Lewis wanted one thing — her family Bible. Lewis bought the Bible 35 years ago, at the start of her marriage. She’d used it to hold her family’s old photos, newspaper obituaries (讣告) of loved ones, a handkerchief from her great-grandmother and so on.
The Bible wasn’t where she’d last seen it, on top of an old dresser in her bedroom. Then two volunteers showed up to help the couple dig out. After an hour of searching, one volunteer found the Bible while cleaning through the little stones. It had flown approximately ten feet from that unlucky dresser. Surprisingly, while many books inside the house had been destroyed beyond recognition, the Bible was still intact (完好的), even though it had sat in the rain for days. A few of the Bible’s treasures did go missing. But ever so slowly, they began reappearing in Lewis’s life. Days after the Bible was found, volunteers discovered one of the newspaper obituaries outside the house. Two weeks later, a neighbor found another piece of newspaper sticking to her fence. “It was such a shock,” said Lewis.
Lewis and her family are living at a friend’s house until they get back on their feet. But the Bible already has its well-deserved place of honor, on Lewis’s borrowed dresser. She knows that while every good book tells stories of extremely bad weather and unlikely survival, this one actually lived it.
1. Why was the Bible so valuable to Lewis?| A．It’s a book published 35 years ago. |
| B．It’s a witness of her family’s history. |
| C．It’s the wedding gift from her husband. |
| D．It’s the first thing she bought for her family. |
| A．Volunteers found them outside the house. |
| B．Lewis found them when cleaning up the ruins. |
| C．They were found when floating near the old dresser. |
| D．Lewis’ neighbor and some volunteers discovered them. |
| A．This book was of high quality. |
| B．This book survived the tornado. |
| C．This book was worthy of being read. |
| D．This book told the stories about tornado. |
| A．History and art. | B．Financial observation. |
| C．Everyday wonders. | D．Science and technology. |
3 . Tom walked into a shop . It is a sign outside: "Second-hand (旧的) clothes bought and sold ." He was carrying an old pair of trousers and asked the owner（店主）of the shop, "How much will you give me for these?" The man looked at them and then said: "Two dollars."
" What !" said Tom. "I had guessed they were worth(值) at least five dollars."
"No," said the man, "they aren't worth a cent more than two dollars."
"Well," said Tom, taking two dollars out of his pocket. "Here's your money. These trousers were hanging outside your shop. The list price (标价)of them was six dollars and a half. But I thought that was too much money, so I wanted to find out how much they were really worth."
Then he walked out of the shop with the pair of trousers and disappeared before the shop owner could think of anything to say .
1. At first the owner of the shop thought that Tom __________ .| A．wanted to steal the trousers |
| B．wanted to buy the trousers |
| C．wanted to fool him |
| D．wanted to sell the trousers |
| A．would pay five dollars |
| B．would pay three dollars |
| C．would give Tom two dollars |
| D．would give Tom six dollars and a half |
only two dollars because ____ .
| A．he wanted to sell them cheaply (廉价地) |
| B．he wanted to buy them cheaply |
| C．he didn't like the trousers |
| D．they were old and dirty |
| A．the owner sold the trousers two dollars |
| B．Tom sold the trousers one dollar and a half |
| C．the owner bought the trousers three dollars |
| D．Tom bought the trousers four dollars and a half |
4 . My neighbor Mr Brown worked with an environmental group.Part of their duty is to rescue trapped animals.One day,he told me a true story that he and his environmental group experienced.I was deeply touched after hearing the story.Now I'd like to share this story with you.
A 50-foot humpback whale(座头鲸)became trapped in a web of crab traps（蟹笼）.The whale was weighed down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat（漂浮的）.She also had hundreds of yards of line rope around her tail，body and in her mouth.
A fisherman saw her just east of the Farallone Islands and radioed the environmental group that Mr brown is in.Within a few hours,the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off that the only way to save her was to dive in and release her－a very dangerous method.One slap of her tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with knives and eventually freed her.When she was free,she swam in what seemed like joyful circles.She then came back to each and every diver,one at a time,nudged(轻推)them，and pushed them gently around.She did that to thank them.
Mr brown said it was the most beautiful experience of his life.He said her eyes were following him the whole time when he was cutting the rope.He added he would never be the same.
I would never be the same either after hearing the story.If an animal knows how to show gratitude,how can we not know it?
1. What does Paragraph 2 tell us about the humpback whale?| A．She had lost hope of surviving. |
| B．She had been waiting for rescue patiently. |
| C．She was trapped by a fisherman on purpose. |
| D．It was impossible for her to get away by herself. |
| A．it would take the rescues too much time |
| B．the whale might put the rescuers in danger |
| C．the rescuers might kill the whale by accident |
| D．it was dangerous for the rescuers to dive in the sea |
| A．She immediately swam away. |
| B．She pushed the rescuers away. |
| C．She showed her thanks in her own way. |
| D．She asked for more help from the rescuers. |
| A．Interested and excited. |
| B．Surprised and moved. |
| C．Surprised and worried. |
| D．Disappointed and angry. |
5 . Isabella, whose mother died two years ago after her long battle with a rare illness, has to rely on her father as she approaches the pre-teen struggles every girl faces growing up. Yet, while her father, Philip, has been doing all he can, he has failed to master one skill that remains important for 11-year-olds such as Isabella: hair.
He originally just gave her a short cut because he didn't know how to do anything else. Once her hair grew back, however, Isabella learned to make a simple ponytail (马尾) on her way out the door each morning. It wasn't until she noticed her bus driver, Tracy Dean, braiding (编) another classmate's hair that Isabella gathered the courage to ask her for help.
Dean owes her good relationship with the community she serves to a previous cancer diagnosis (诊断). Seven years ago, she found out she had breast cancer, and one of the things that went through her head was: Who is going to take care of her little ones? Not that her husband couldn’t do it but that’s what moms do.
Dean's selfless deed has also taken social media by storm, rebuilding people's faith in each other, while also inspiring others to share their own stories of kind gestures within their own community.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and for Isabella, this means she now has a mother figure to look up to as she grows. “I feel like she's pretty much a mom to me,” Isabella said “And it makes me excited to see what she can do for me the next day.”
Dean's selfless act has also had an influence on Isabella at school, as her teacher, Mrs. Freeze, noted that Isabella had her head a little higher that morning after she asked for Dean's help. While this gesture will surely provide Isabella with the power she needs to remain positive for years to come, Dean can find great comfort in knowing that her help has made a lasting influence on Isabella in particular.
1. What was the trouble for Philip when bringing up his daughter?| A．To arrange her long hair. | B．To dress her elegant. |
| C．To communicate with her. | D．To help her with her study. |
| A．Everyone should care about their kid growth. |
| B．A small deed has made a big difference to Isabella. |
| C．Villagers should help each other in kids’ education. |
| D．Isabella has to be brought up by her fellow villagers. |
| A．Upset | B．Amazed | C．Awkward | D．Confident. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Skeptical | C．Supportive | D．Objective |
6 . Last weekend marked one of the nicest days so far this spring.
It was warm with a tiny breeze; the sun penetrated through lightweight sweaters to warm the skin; the male choir was warming up, and the graduates were walking around the lawn behind the throng of six-thousand-plus observers.
With all of the parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, the state university was a center of activity. My nephew was going to receive his bachelor’s degree. Who would have guessed that four years would go by so quickly?
As the crowd of freshly elegant candidates wandered, joked, hugged and chattered behind the platform, I heard several cell phones ring. There were several nonsensical(无意义)conversations going on with the accompanying giggles of the not-quite-mature students, but then one conversation in particular caught my attention.
“Yes, Grandma, I’m really graduating. I can’t believe it, either!I never thought I’d be here today, you know? Really!Like, I know it!Yes, it’s a very special day...Hold on, we’re lining up...Oh wow, they’ve got hundreds of balloons they’re going to release!Yes, Kelly’s here...Okay, I’ll give her your love…here we go!Gran, I’m graduating!…Love you too, Gran. I’m so glad you could be here with me!”
And somehow, my initial surprise and annoy at the use of cell phones during such a serious occasion left me. These little representatives of modern technology had joined a young woman and her devoted Gran to share a very special moment in time.
1. The author went to the university to______.| A．enjoy the beautiful spring day | B．see how the graduates act |
| C．see a relative graduate | D．receive a bachelor’s degree |
| A．Because the conversation was carried on the cell phone. |
| B．Because the young woman sounded different from other students. |
| C．Because several nonsensical conversations were going on. |
| D．Because a young woman was sharing a special moment with her gran. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Annoyed. | C．Puzzled. | D．Moved. |
| A．To describe an exciting moment in life. |
| B．To explain the convenience technology brings us. |
| C．To advise us to use cell phones properly in public places. |
| D．To describe a common scene in life. |
Epic Fails: The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12. The first book in the Epic Fails series deals with one of the most ambitious goals humans have pursued: the quests to fly. Authors Slader and Thompson focus on life-or-death scenes, such as when the Wright brothers crashed their glider over and over on the sandy coast of North Carolina; it took them two more years to get it right. |
Epic Fails: The Race to Space: Countdown to Liftoff By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12 Today, everyone is familiar with Neil Armstrong’s famous words as he first set foot on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” He made it look easy, but America’s journey to the moon was anything but simple. Our first attempt was a failure. Still, we didn’t give up. We tried again. And again. And each time we failed, we failed a little bit better. |
Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First By Luke Reynolds. Ages 6 to 12. Teacher Luke Reynolds opens each chapter with a quick, impossibly perfect version of one person’s life and then says how that person actually had to face huge challenges to accomplish goals. In this book, Reynolds writes about various common men, women and children. |
Cyrus Field’s Big dream：The Daring Effort to Lay the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable By Mary Morton Cowan. Ages 6 to 12. In 1853，it took at least a week to relay a message between the United States and Europe because people had to be transported on ships over the Atlantic Ocean. Cyrus Field tried to reduce that transmission（传送）time to just minutes by laying a long undersea cable. In this book，Cowan describes many failures Field suffered before he achieved this major breakthrough. |
1. Who are the four books intended for?
| A．Children. | B．Teenagers. | C．Adults. | D．Old people. |
| A．It was written by a famous actor. | B．It tells stories of ordinary people. |
| C．It is about science fiction stories. | D．It is a picture book by a teacher. |
| A．All roads lead to Rome. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．An early bird catches worms | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
8 . Recently, I experienced a wonderful lesson in how little things still mean a lot. My brother, mother and I live in Hawaii. Our farm is at least a dozen miles from even the most basic of services. Therefore, I take weekly trips to the shop to get supplies. About a month ago, I finished loading up the car and was about to leave, when a piece of paper on the ground caught my eye. I picked it up and read it carefully.
It was a receipt from the State Motor Vehicle Division, recording the owners payment of her Vehicles Registration fees. At first I thought that I could find the owner. So I waited there for about an hour. Although the receipt had been borne on the wind, where in the busy, crowded parking lot would I find the owner? I looked over the receipt for contact or any personal data, perhaps a license tag or telephone number. I checked the date, the fees paid, noted the name of the owner and pocketed the paper. I concluded that the best and easiest step to take was to put the receipt in an envelope and send it to the owner first the next morning.
By the end of the week, I received a beautiful "thank you " letter from a very grateful and happy woman containing a handwritten message and a gift card. In the letter, the woman explained how the wind snatched (夺去) her receipt from a pocket in her car’s passenger door. She had searched everywhere for quite some time before giving up.
It felt great to know I had helped someone avoid a loss by doing something that at first glance(一瞥) seemed little and unimportant.
1. What can be the best title for the text?| A．A Lesson I Will Never Forget | B．Never Lose Heart or Give up |
| C．Little Things Still Mean a Lot | D．Think Carefully Before You Act |
| A．He lives downtown in Hawaii. |
| B．He goes to the shop to get supplies once a week on foot. |
| C．He is too poor to have basic supplies for his family. |
| D．He is patient and willing to help others. |
| A．the receipt | B．the license tag |
| C．the telephone number | D．the personal data |
| A．She forgot where she had put it. | B．A strong wind blew it away. |
| C．A thief took it away. | D．She left it in the parking lot |
9 . Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most important people in America. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world and the third owned many buildings in the centre of New York. The reporter was talking to them about being important.
“How do we know if someone is really important?” The reporter asked the banker.
The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I think anybody who is invited to the White House to meet the President of the United States is really important.”
The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. “Do you agree with that?” She asked.
The man shook his head, “No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White House. You’d only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the President of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it.”
The reporter then turned to the third man, “Do you think so?”
“No, I don’t,” he said. “I don’t think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important. “
“Then what would make the visitor important?” The reporter and the other two men asked.
“Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the President and the phone rang, and the President picked up the receiver, listened and then said, “It is for you.”
1. The story happened in______.| A．England | B．America |
| C．Japan | D．Australia |
| A．Two men and two women. |
| B．Three men and one woman. |
| C．Three women and one man. |
| D．Four women. |
| A．he was important because he owned many buildings in the centre of New York. |
| B．the banker was really important. |
| C．the visitor was really important if he was talking to the President and the President received a telephone call for the visitor. |
| D．the person who worked in the White House was really important. |
10 . One of my most beloved possessions is my black, spiral-bound journal. It is a thin, wide-ruled, simple journal with no lock or key that I found at the dollar store. The journal has no monetary (货币的) value but instead holds its value of capturing my daily moments of gratitude.
The concept of a gratitude journal originated when my little brother began his gratitude journal. Although he is only twelve, he has truly grasped the concept of gratitude. I remember one of his journal entries saying, “I am thankful for my dog because I love walking her in the park”. A simple walk in the park makes my video game enthusiastic brother grateful and joyful.
Seeing how my brother could practice gratitude daily, I was inspired to start my own gratitude journal. Initially, writing in my gratitude journal was such a struggle. On the most typical, dry days when I sat at my desk for hours studying for the SAT, what was there to be grateful for? At one point, I found my gratitude journal to be a pointless concept and I lost belief in my gratitude journal. In the time when I chose not to journal, I realized how plain my life was. I missed savoring every moment and taking delight in the little aspects of my life that made me smile.
I decided to continue writing in my gratitude journal once again. Even though I was not learning in a classroom over the summer, I still learned in a different manner. The journal has acted as a reflective, personal space for me to recall the past. The simplest moments of my life that were once overlooked are now the highlights of my day.
1. Why did the author mention his brother’s journal?| A．To praise his brother’s vivid works. | B．To express his gratitude to his brother. |
| C．To amuse the readers with a funny story. | D．To explain his decision for writing a journal. |
| A．He didn’t know what to write. | B．He was struggling with words. |
| C．He was too busy to write journals. | D．He couldn’t find the meaning of life. |
| A．Expecting. | B．Fighting. | C．Enjoying. | D．Ruining. |
| A．Learn from journals, and learn from life. |
| B．Be grateful for every moment of life. |
| C．Wherever you are, do remember to keep a journal. |
| D．The least important can be the highlight sometimes. |
