1 . In France, there once lived a man named Louis Pasteur, who was a doctor of science. The thing that concerned him most was the disease rabies (狂犬病).
“I must find the rabies germs that hide inside people and make them so sick that they die,” he thought. “Once I find them, I’ll think of a way to kill them.”
Many people thought Pasteur was wasting his time. Some laughed at him and said, “You’ll never do it.”
Pasteur didn’t care what people thought; he believed in himself. He kept right on working.
At the same time, in Germany, a boy named Joey was about to get into trouble. He was teasing a dog. But this dog was sick with rabies, which made the dog mad. Unfortunately, the dog bit him. The rabies germs were passed from the dog to Joey.
Soon the little boy was very sick. His parents could only wait. But then there was news. Joey’s mother saw it and shouted for joy. “A doctor of science has found a way to save sick people like Joey!” she said. The man, of course, was Louis Pasteur. Joey’s parents quickly prepared Joey for the long journey to Paris.
“Dr. Pasteur,” said the mother. “Our little boy is very sick. Can you help us?”
“Perhaps,” said Pasteur. “I’ve invented a vaccine (疫苗). It is strong enough to kill the rabies germs. Joey will be the first person to have my rabies vaccine.”
“The first person?” asked Joey’s worried father nervously. “Will it be dangerous? Are you sure it will work?”
“I believe it will,” said Pasteur.
Slowly the vaccine killed more and more of the rabies germs. Joey began to get well. Dr. Pasteur’s vaccine was a success!
From then on no one had to be afraid of rabies anymore, and people who had laughed at him before, respected him. He is recognized as one of the world’s greatest scientists.
1. What was people’s first reaction toward Pasteur’s thoughts on killing rabies germs?| A．Hopeful. | B．Sceptical. | C．Uncaring. | D．Cheerful. |
| A．He fought with a dog. | B．He drove a mad dog away. |
| C．He killed the rabies germs. | D．He got rabies unexpectedly. |
| A．Proud and imaginative. | B．Careful and simple-minded. |
| C．Selfless and humorous. | D．Confident and strong-minded. |
| A．The amazing story of Joey. |
| B．Pasteur’s deep interest in science. |
| C．The first known person to survive rabies. |
| D．Pasteur’s success in finding a treatment for rabies. |
2 . Jo Du was being helped into her beautiful white wedding dress this week when a tooth on the zipper (拉链) broke. It was Sunday in Guelph, Ontario, and no tailor (裁缝) shop was open.
Jo Du didn't want to marry Earl Lee with pins (别针) in the back of her dress. But no one in the wedding party knew how to make the repair.
The best man knocked on a neighbor's door to ask David Hobson if he might have a pair of scissors they could borrow. Mr. Hobson said, “I've got better than tools. I've got a tailor.”
David Hobson had a family of Syrian refugees (难民) living in his home for a few days: a mother, father, and 3 children.
The father of the Syrian family was Ibrahim Halil Dudu. He was a tailor in Syria for 28 years, and as soon as he saw the dress, Ibrahim Dudu got out his sewing (缝) tools and set to work.
“He really sewed her wedding dress back onto her,” Lindsay Coulter, the wedding photographer, told CTV News. “Everyone was so thankful. They said thank you a million times.”
“Every weekend I take photos of people on the happiest days of their lives, and today one man who has seen some of the worst things our world has to offer came to help,”said Lindsay Coulter, who posted photos and wrote on her Facebook page.
“I was so excited and so happy,” Ibrahim Halil Dudu said through a translator.“I like to help Canadian people from my heart.”
Earl Lee called the tailor's skillful repair, an “unbelievable act of kindness”from a“complete stranger who had only stepped foot in this country days ago.”
1. What was a big problem for Jo Du?| A．It was not easy for her to find some pins. |
| B．Her wedding dress had to be repaired soon. |
| C．She didn't know where to buy a new zipper. |
| D．There was something wrong with her scissors. |
| A．He introduced a tailor to her. |
| B．He lent a pair of scissors to her. |
| C．He helped her find the best man. |
| D．He helped organize her wedding. |
| A．Earl Lee. |
| B．David Hobson. |
| C．Ibrahim Dudu. |
| D．Lindsay Coulter. |
| A．She worked as a translator. |
| B．She felt sorry for the tailor. |
| C．She was a refugee from Syria. |
| D．She was a news reporter. |
3 . Why do most of us live our life always caring what people might say or think? Some of the decisions we make are just to please the outside world around us. I have always lived life pleasing the ever over-demanding society. This had a great effect on my search for authenticity (真实性). I only felt good enough when people paid attention to me. So I would frequently do things to catch people’s eye instead of placing emphasis on what really matters to me.
A recent experience changed my view. I had been looking for a tailor to mend some of my clothes. With the help of a few friends, I found one, who just so happened to go to the same gym as me. As we chatted, he shared his story and his use of drugs for muscle development with me. In his words, he weighed over 240 pounds and was the envy of a lot of people. So many people wanted to be like him and have a body like his, which made him use more drugs.
But within two years something happened. He began to have problems with his liver. The doctor advised him to stop using drugs and give up lifting heavy weights for a while. This was a hard decision because he had got so used to the attention from people. He didn’t want to give that up; who would? Right? That was it. He made me understand how he lived his life for people. He lost sight of what was best for him.
He told me not to live life thinking about too much what people think, feel, or say. Instead, live life with meaning. His story really has an effect on me. I have to look at my life to see what I do. I am not saying we shouldn’t take the advice of others into consideration, but we must work hard for continuous self-awareness (自我认识). If we can know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, we can realize just how important that thing is to us.
1. What does the underlined phrase“placing emphasis on”mean?| A．Looking forward to. | B．Paying attention to. |
| C．Getting familiar with. | D．Taking pride in. |
| A．To lose weight. | B．To keep healthy. |
| C．To treat his liver disease. | D．To improve his muscle and weight. |
| A．He was afraid of losing others’admiration. |
| B．He didn’t have any trouble with his health. |
| C．He wanted to live a simple and easy life. |
| D．He wasn’t able to lose sight of himself. |
| A．We should live life to the fullest. |
| B．Being open to others’advice is important. |
| C．We should have a good understanding of ourselves. |
| D．Nothing is more important than good health in our life. |
4 . It was “Disabilities Day at the Capitol ” and I was there, along with hundreds of Georgians, hoping to get the attention of our legislators (立法者). My thoughts ran back to the days when I was struggling to deal with my hearing loss learning, often dependent on others to help me hear. Now I stood under the gold dome of the Georgia Capitol, a member of the disabled community claiming the rights of people with disabilities.
After the rally (集会) I followed the crowd across the street to a free lunch. Although the crowd was huge, I managed to find a place to sit. I introduced myself to the young woman on my right, Kendall. However, with my hearing loss and her serious speech disorder, a conversation with her was next to impossible.
After a few moments, I realized that Kendall’s personal attendant (护工) was not present. I asked if anyone knew where she was and found out there had been a family situation and the attendant had to leave. “But,” I said, “who’s going to feed Kendall?” My thoughts were racing: someone had to help Kendall. In admitting her need I had to at once declare my responsibility to help.
Surprisingly, Kendall spoke clearly with her eyes. It was those eyes that spoke to me that day as we were waiting for lunch. I asked if I might serve her lunch. She nodded “Yes!” and her eyes said “Thank you!”
Helping Kendall that day shows an important belief of my life: We need each other. With or without a disability, it is our need for each other that makes us have a good life.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in attending “Disabilities Day at the Capitol”?| A．To defend the rights of the disabled. | B．To have a free lunch with friends. |
| C．To deal with his hearing problem. | D．To give support to the legislators. |
| A．Because they were in a noisy crowd. | B．Because they didn’t know each other. |
| C．Because they spoke different languages. | D．Because they both had certain disabilities. |
| A．By calling her family. | B．By feeding her lunch. |
| C．By admitting her need. | D．By finding her attendant. |
| A．We need each other to live a good life. |
| B．We should support people with disabilities. |
| C．People with disabilities should help each other. |
| D．People with disabilities should learn to be independent. |
5 . I have been receiving so much kindness. It was difficult for an independent girl like me to accept it at first. At times, my financial situation is not the best. But with that comes a great lesson in appreciation, budgeting, and deciding what is and what isn't important.
A few times I've had to put off or even give up things. Because of my scarcity on money, I had to give up a keep fit exercise, which is something I like to treat myself regularly. When my coach Lisa heard about this, she offered me training at a highly discounted price. At first this made me very uncomfortable. I feared that she would wrongly think that I was going to bargain (砍价) and of course I wasn't. ; Instead, I was just being honest about my situation being short of money. I finally accepted her offer, remembering that I deserve kindness, too.
Another time, I noticed a friend of mine selling his old exercise bike, which was perfect for me, as I was looking to replace my broken one. {I told him that I would take it when I had the money, but then life got in the way. When I finally got the time to pick it up, I realized my financial shortcomings again, I asked him if he could hold onto it for one more week, as then I'd have the funds again. He was happy to do this, but instead he insisted on offering me the bike as a gift. Another opportunity presents itself to teach me how to receive with dignity(尊严).
I continue to slowly learn how to accept the kindness from others. In fact, the relationship between giving and receiving is closely linked. When you accept the kindness from others with joy, they will feel happy, too.
1. How did the author feel at first when she received kindness from others?| A．Happy. | B．Unfair. | C．Proud. | D．Uncomfortable. |
| A．Request. | B．Independence. | C．Principle. | D．Lack. |
| A．Being punished. | B．Being misunderstood. |
| C．Accepting her coach's strict training. | D．Giving away the secret of her being short of money. |
| A．She paid much money for it. | B．She got it for free. |
| C．She bought it from her coach. | D．She borrowed it from her friend. |
6 . When I was in my first year of high school, I had a terrible time when every area of my life was a disaster. I felt so hopeless and alone that I thought everything was impossible.
On one such day, I was walking from class across the school to catch the school bus home, with my head down, fighting tears of total hopelessness, when a young man came down the sidewalk toward me. Though I had never seen him before, I did not want him to see that I was in such low spirits, so I turned my head away and hoped to hurry past. I thought he'd walk on by, but he moved until he was directly in front of me, waited until I looked up, and then smiled.
Looking into my eyes, this stranger spoke in a quiet voice："Whatever is wrong will pass. You're going to be OK, just hang on." He then smiled again and walked away.
I can't explain the effect of that man's unexpected kindness and caring! He gave me the one thing that I'd lost completely—hope. I looked for him in our school to thank him, but never saw him again.
That was thirty years ago. And I've never forgotten that moment. Over the years, whenever I see someone who is in trouble, I will always think of that young man and try to give a flash of hope in the dark wherever I can. I carry things for people when they are too heavy for them, sit with naughty babies in the waiting room while their mothers are busy, or talk to tired couples at the checkout line or it could be anything.
If you keep your head up, your heart will show you the place that needs hope.
1. Where did the writer meet with the young man？
| A．In the school. | B．In the school bus. | C．In the classroom. | D．In the library. |
| A．had known the young man for a long time |
| B．made friends with the young man afterwards |
| C．was grateful to that young man very much |
| D．avoided meeting the young man since then |
| A．show his sympathy to those who are badly ill |
| B．give others hope of life when they are in trouble |
| C．realize his promise made to the young man |
| D．get respect from those who were helped by him |
| A．the young man always tried his best to help those who were in trouble |
| B．it was the young man's smile and words that made the author feel hopeful |
| C．the author had never been praised by others before he met with the young man |
| D．the author traveled to a lot of places to look for the young man but failed |
7 . A couple John and Mary had a nice family and two lovely children. John had just been asked to go on a business trip to another city and would be gone for several days. It was decided that Mary needed an outing and would go along too. They hired a reliable woman to care for the children and made the trip, returning home a little earlier than they had planned.
As they drove into their home town happily, they noticed smoke, and they went off their usual route to see what it was. They found a home in flames. Mary said, “Oh well it isn’t our fire, let’s go home.” But John drove closer and exclaimed, “That home belongs to Fred Jones who works at the plant. He wouldn’t be off work yet, maybe there is something we could do.” “It has nothing to do with us.” protested Mary. “You have your good clothes on, let’s not get any closer.” But John drove up and stopped and they were both horror stricken to see the whole house in flames. A woman on the lawn was in hysterics screaming, “The children! Get the children!” sobbed the woman, “down the hall and to the left, they are in the basement.”
In spite of Mary’s protests John grabbed the water hose and soaked his clothes, put his wet handkerchief on his head and bolted for the basement full of smoke and scorching hot. He found the door and grabbed two children, holding one under each arm. As he left, he could hear some more whimpering. He delivered the two badly frightened and nearly suffocated children into waiting arms and filled his lungs with fresh air and started back asking how many more children were down there. They told him two more and Mary grabbed his arm and screamed, “John! Don’t go back! It’s suicide! That house will cave in any second!”
But he shook her off and went back. It seemed an eternity before he found the two children. As he stumbled up the endless steps, the thought went through his mind that there was something strangely familiar about the little bodies clinging to him, and at last when they came out into the sunlight and fresh air, he found that he had just rescued his own children.
The baby-sitter had left them at this home while she did some shopping.
1. What did the couple find first when they went back?| A．Their home caught fire. | B．Fred John’s home caught fire. |
| C．The baby-sitter’s leaving. | D．The woman’s screaming. |
| A．Because it’s none of their business. | B．Because she was eager to see her children. |
| C．Because it would burn his good clothes. | D．Because Fred didn’t work at the plant. |
| A．Warm-hearted and brave. | B．Clumsy but cautious. |
| C．Generous and humourous. | D．Determined but sensitive |
| A．Helping others is a god virtue. | B．A good act will be well rewarded. |
| C．Misfortune tastes the sincerity of friends. | D．Roses given to others, fragrance left in your hand. |
8 . The driver, Zhang Sai, hovered outside an apartment building in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak. He had been ordered not to take food to customers’ doors in order to minimize the risk of infection. But the woman on the phone was pleading, he recalled. The food was for her mother, who couldn’t go down to meet him. Mr. Zhang relented. He would drop off the order and sprint away. As he placed the bag on the floor, Mr. Zhang said, the door opened. Startled, he rushed away. Without thinking, he jabbed the elevator button with his finger, touching a surface that could transmit the virus. That was how Mr. Zhang, 32, found himself speeding back to his delivery station with one finger held aloft, careful not to touch the rest of his hand.
For many in China, delivery drivers like Mr. Zhang are the only connection to the outside world. Once a common but invisible presence on the streets of nearly every Chinese city, the drivers are now being honored as heroes. What exhausting and dangerous work! Mr. Zhang, who works for Hema, a supermarket chain owned by the tech giant Alibaba, crisscrosses (穿梭) the city armed only with the face masks and hand sanitizer that his company supplies each morning.
The epidemic has brought some unexpected bright spots. Before, Mr. Zhang said, he sometimes ran red lights during rush hour in order to meet his delivery goals for the day. Now, the streets are empty. He has no problem getting around. People are nicer, too. Some customers barely opened the door or avoided eye contact. After the outbreak erupted, everyone said thank you.
1. Why Zhang Sai couldn’t send food to customers’ doors?| A．To keep away from the deadly disease. |
| B．To reduce the chance of being transmitted. |
| C．To avoid communicating with others. |
| D．To give himself a day off. |
| A．promised | B．denied |
| C．admitted | D．refused |
| A．Economic prosperity and long culture. |
| B．Busy business and peaceful people. |
| C．Splendid surroundings and energetic persons. |
| D．Empty streets and friendly people. |
| A．The biography of Zhang Sai’s. |
| B．How did Zhang Sai send food? |
| C．The driver Zhang Sai during the epidemic. |
| D．How was Zhang Sai infected? |
9 . In her 17 years on this earth, Shreyaa Venkat has done more to help the planet and the people living on it than many adults. The non-profit organization she founded, NEST4US, has helped tens of thousands of people in the United States. Through it, it’s served over 12,000 homeless people in the Washington, D.C. area by providing food and other supplies.
Venkat’s passion for helping others started as soon as she could walk, as her parents, active volunteers themselves, brought her along on their various projects, like some creative ways to volunteer. By fifth grade, she’d developed such enthusiasm for it that she started organizing her own service projects in her community.
NEST4US was born when she realized how much food waste there is, how many hungry people there are, and how simple it would be to use the former to help the latter. “There was a homeless man standing on a corner in D.C. and he was holding a sign that said ‘Hungry Need Food’,” she recalls. “So I gave him my lunch and his whole face just lit up. It was so easy, it only took me 30 seconds, and it really helped him.”
As NEST4US took off, with hundreds of volunteers helping to feed thousands of hungry people, Venkat decided to branch out with her volunteer efforts, starting three other branches of NEST4US. Serving others had become such a way of life for her that she even celebrated her 13th birthday at a homeless shelter, bringing the party to them instead of expecting gifts for herself.
As much as she has helped others, they’ve helped her too. Not only does she get a lot of joy and personal satisfaction from her volunteer work but running NEST4US has taught her important life skills like time management, public speaking, writing, and leadership. “What it’s really given me is this opinion of putting other people first,” she says.
1. What can we infer about NEST4US from the first paragraph?| A．Its main aim is to make money. | B．It offers people cheap supplies. |
| C．It takes in all homeless people. | D．It is a charity organization. |
| A．Her parents’ constant suggestion. | B．The memory of her hard childhood. |
| C．Her experience of helping a hungry man. | D．Volunteers’ great influence on her. |
| A．She held a grand party for many people. |
| B．She could receive many nice gifts there. |
| C．She got much personal satisfaction from it. |
| D．She saw helping others as part of her life. |
| A．Caring. | B．Ambitious. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Demanding. |
10 . When I stepped out of Heathrow Airport, the British accents were music to my ears! The roads were so empty and traffic was so organized, with open spaces everywhere and so few people on the streets—what a difference from where 1 came—Mumbai. The difference was even more obvious after I had spent 21 years of my life living in that place. The streets were unfamiliar, and the faces were all foreign.
I boarded my bus for my university town. I felt like I had been in a fairytale book—the small houses, the quiet streets and the well-dressed people among other things. A small and beautiful three-storeyed building is quite a rarity back home and here, I have yet to see a building taller than that! Back home in India, the kind of rent I pay here could have afforded me a luxurious(豪华的） 2 bedroom-hall-kitchen apartment in a good location. But my accommodation here is the size of my bathroom back home! It’s just a fact... reality can be rude at times!
I really cherish the first day of my new university. I’ve met so many students from countries that I didn’t even know. But living alone in a new place, away from the protection of my family and friends, is a different experience altogether—a wonderful experience of further education!
It's been almost two months now. The novelty(新奇)is gradually disappearing, and the dust is settling down. It’s all just daily now but I feel fully settled. I really like this place. It feels like home!
1. What does the underlined part “that place” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Heathrow Airport. | B．Britain. |
| C．Mumbai. | D．A university of India. |
| A．Dirty and noisy. | B．Different but poor. |
| C．Hopeful and inspiring. | D．Strange but beautiful. |
| A．An international student. | B．A tourist from India. |
| C．A British college teacher. | D．An unknown writer. |
| A．The author is less interested in everything because of dust. |
| B．The author still feels curious about everything around. |
| C．The author has been used to the new environment. |
| D．The author feels like going home after nearly two months. |
