1 . More than 25 years ago, Saroo Brierley was one of many poor children in rural India. One day, he played with his brother along the rail line and fell asleep. When be woke up, finding himself alone, the 4-year-old decided his brother might be on the train he saw in front of him—so he got on.
That train took him across the country to a totally strange city, where he did not speak the language. He lived on the streets, and then in an orphanage (孤儿院). There, he was adopted by an Australian family and flown to Tasmania.
As he writes in bis new book, A Long Way Home, Brierley couldn’t help but wonder about his hometown back in India. He remembered landmarks, but since he didn’t know his town’s name, finding a small neighborhood in a vast country seemed to be impossible.
Then he found Google Earth—a digital mapping program. He spent years searching for his hometown in the program’s satellite pictures. In 2011, he came across something familiar. He studied it and realized be was looking at a town’s central business district from a bird’s-eye view. He thought, “On the right-band side you should see the three-platform train station”—and there it was. “And on the left-hand side you should see a big fountain”—and there it was.
Everything just started to match.
When he stood in front of the house where he grew up as a child, be saw a lady standing in the entrance. “There’s something about me,” be thought—and it took him a few seconds but he finally remembered what she used to look like.
“My mother looked so much shorter than I remembered. But she came forth and walked forward, and I walked forward, and my feelings and tears and the chemical in my brain, you know, it was like a nuclear fusion (核聚变). I just didn’t know what to say, because I never thought seeing my mother would ever come true. And here I am, standing in front of her.”
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?| A．Brierley’s mother grew shorter and weaker as she aged. |
| B．There was a mix of feelings when Brierley saw his mother again. |
| C．Brierley kept trying and didn’t give up searching for his hometown. |
| D．Brierley didn’t recognise his mother immediately. |
| A．He was taken away by a foreigner. | B．He was adopted by an Australian family. |
| C．He got on a train by mistake. | D．He got lost while playing in the street. |
| A．By analyzing old pictures. | B．By studying digital maps. |
| C．By spreading his story via his book. | D．By travelling all around India. |
| A．His memory of his hometown. | B．His love for his mother. |
| C．His long way back home. | D．His reunion with his mother. |
2 . Leanne Carrasco ordered 95 pizzas (比萨饼). The high school senior and her friends filled up goody bags. But this was not your typical graduation party.
Carrasco had volunteered before, with her family, at the Star of Hope Family Development Center. But this time was different.
On Sunday, it was party time. The pizza was a hit, and so were the bags.
In all Carrasco and her friends served about 200 people. For the shelter residents, it was a magical day.
Carrasco did a good job but she won’t let it go to her head anytime soon. The graduating senior plans to study nursing at Briar Cliff University in Iowa in the fall.
| A．Carrasco didn’t want that. |
| B．She was able to think of other people. |
| C．They lined up to give thanks to Carrasco. |
| D．She said she would continue giving back. |
| E．Carrasco decided to spend money on a party. |
| F．She invited a group of her friends and got to work. |
| G．But Carrasco and her friends gave the residents something more than just food and soap. |
3 . Apple, a 34-year-old doctor, had been on call at Atlanta Medical Center for more than two days, with only a few hours’ sleep. And now tiredness was clouding her eyes as she drove to a meeting in Kentucky, nearly seven hours away. She tried turning on her CB radio, which enthusiasts used to warn one another about road conditions, but the airwaves (广播频道) were silent. Soon Apple’s car started to weave (迂回前进).
A 41-year-old trucker named Woody Key found a car ahead, drifting (漂移) off the road. Key shouted into his CB microphone, “Four-wheeler, are you all right?”
Apple woke up. She talked on her CB radio. “I’m tired, and I’m lucky I’m still alive driving this tired. Thanks!”
“Call me Woodpecker, my CB nickname,” the trucker said. “I’m going to Kentucky. And you?”
“Kentucky.”
“I’ll travel behind and help keep you awake. What’s your CB nickname?”
“Dr. Froot Loops,” she told him.
As they drove, they shared stories, and the time passed quickly. They parted near the Kentucky state line. She thanked him for keeping her awake and safe on the long, dark road.
Years later, Apple found several doctors checking a person brought in from an accident. His head was badly hurt. She put both hands on his head, hoping to calm him. “It’s not your time to die!” she said.
Then, he asked for her name.
“Dr. Sherry Apple,” she replied.
“No ... your CB nickname.”
“How did you guess I have a CB?”
“... I know your voice ...”
“My nickname is Dr. Froot Loops.”
“Oh ... It’s me ... Woodpecker!”
It was her truck driver! She said, “It’s not your time, Woodpecker!” Then Key was rushed into the operating room.
The first days out of the operating room were very painful for Key. Often Apple would get home and find her phone ringing. Nurses, unable to calm Key, asked her to return. She always did.
About two months after his accident, Key was ready to leave the hospital. As he was leaving, he told Apple, “I don’t think I could have made it without you.” Apple’s eyes welled up. “And I wouldn’t have made it without you.”
1. What happened to Apple on her way to Kentucky?| A．She was called back to hospital halfway. | B．She met with a car accident. |
| C．She was disconnected from her friend. | D．She fell asleep as she drove. |
| A．By keeping her eyes on the road. | B．By driving her car instead. |
| C．By talking with her by phone. | D．By giving her a lift. |
| A．He returned home quickly. | B．He fought to survive. |
| C．He stayed quite calm in the hospital. | D．He fell love with Apple. |
| A．It was heart-breaking. | B．It was serious. |
| C．It was life-saving. | D．It was strange. |
4 . John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas City in 1918. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.
Luckily, he had a strong-willed, caring mother. John remembers that his mother told him many times, “Son, you can be anything you really want to be if you just believe. She told him not to be dependent on others, including his mother. “You have to earn success,” said she. “All the people who work hard don’t succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard.”
These words came from a woman less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don’t mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago.
Chicago in1933 was not the promised land (乐土、希望之地) that black southerners were looking for, John’s mother and stepfather could not find work. But there John could go to school, and there he learned the power of words — as editor of the newspaper and yearbook of Du Stable High School. His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.
While others discouraged him, John’s mother offered him more words to live by: “Nothing beats a failure but a try.” She also let him pawn (典当) her furniture to get the $500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.
It is natural the difficulties and failures followed John closely until he became very successful. He always keeps his mother’s words in mind. “Son, failure is not in your vocabulary.”
Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America — worth $150 million.
1. Why did John’s mother decide to move to Chicago? Because ________.| A．John’s father died in his hometown when he was very young |
| B．life was too hard for them to stay on in their hometown, while life in Chicago would be better for blacks |
| C．there were no schools for blacks in their hometown |
| D．John needed more education and he could go to school there |
| A．woman with little school education but knew a lot about life |
| B．woman who would not do anything for her son |
| C．strong woman with much knowledge |
| D．woman who didn’t know how to encourage her son |
| A．if you try, you will succeed in the end |
| B．a failure is difficult to beat, even if you try |
| C．a try is always followed by failure |
| D．nothing but a try can help you out of failure |
| A．How John H. Johnson became somebody. |
| B．The mental support John’s mother gave him. |
| C．The importance of a good education. |
| D．The key to success for blacks. |
5 . Most students of UR will spend at least one evening at Tin Roof, the only bar located a block away from campus before they graduate. Kaleb Chitaphong, who spent numerous nights there as an undergraduate, bought the place.
Chitaphong didn’t intend to own a bar after graduation, instead hoping to follow his Political Science education through to a Ph.D., and probably find a career in academia. But when his frequented place was facing closure last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), Chitaphong decided he couldn’t let that happen. “I grew up in this area, so when finding out the business was closing, I contacted the owner. Initially, I had no plans to buy it. But when we got talking more, things worked out and I was able to gain ownership,” he said.
Chitaphong has experience in the restaurant industry from his family. But even with background knowledge, he still had a crash course in owning a bar the hard way-learning the laws, earning his alcohol license, understanding requirements-all during the pandemic. Chitaphong reopened the restaurant this past February, starting small.
Although loved by students, Chitaphong’s hope for Tin Roof is to attract local residents as well. “It’s important for me to have a place where everybody can come and have a good time,” he said. While Chitaphong wants to have a bar that isn’t exclusive to just UR students, he also wants to remain close to campus life. “I want it to be a UR bar, in whatever way that means,” he expressed. “I’ve talked to sports teams of UR to get some jerseys (球衣) hung up.”
As COVID-19 limitation continues to ease up, Chitaphong has plans to host more events. In addition to Disco Tuesdays, he recently added Karaoke Fridays. He’s also planning cooperation with UR’s Standup Comedy to try out Stand-Up Wednesdays.
Despite his big plans, Tin Roof isn’t Chitaphong’s end game. He may open up another business. But right now he’s focusing on this space to make it the best time for as many people as possible.
1. What was the root cause of Chitaphong taking over the bar?| A．His intention of running a business. |
| B．His emotional attachment to the bar. |
| C．His positive attitude to the pandemic. |
| D．His friendship with the boss of the bar. |
| A．His family background. |
| B．His academic performance. |
| C．The characteristics of his restaurant. |
| D．Hard preparations of starting his bar. |
| A．Familiar. | B．Near. |
| C．Specific. | D．Harmful. |
| A．Tin Roof: The Home of UR Students |
| B．Chitaphong: A Business -minded Graduate |
| C．UR Graduate Brings New Life to Tin Roof |
| D．How Does a Bar Regain Its Appeal to the Public? |
6 . According to a Facebook post by Kevin Leslie, a man was traveling with his young daughter when he was told he had to buy her a plane ticket or she could not board.
"This woman needs to be recognized," Leslie wrote. "A gentleman was checking in for his flight when the agent asked how old his daughter was. He said she had recently turned two. The agent then asked if she had a ticket, The man was confused because he was under the impression she could ride for free. He was hit with emotion. He mentioned he couldn't afford to rebook this flight or get her the ticket with such short notice. He stepped aside and tried to make a few calls. Hugging his daughter and grabbing his head, you could tell he was heartbroken. This woman next to him at the front counter heard the whole thing. She walked over to him and asked what was wrong. After they talked for a bit they walked up to the counter together. She pointed back at his daughter and said, ‘I wanna buy her ticket.’ The agent said ‘You know how much this ticket costs right?’ The woman responded ‘$700 something?’ ‘$749’ the agent said. The woman said ‘that's fine’ and pulled out her credit card.”
“I was right there and I just said to her, ‘God Bless You!’ and they printed out the ticket,” Leslie continued in the post. ‘The agent kept talking about her goosebumps（鸡皮疙瘩）while the man hugged the woman and asked for her name to repay her. The woman just kept saying, ‘Don't worry about it. 'She knew she wanted to help that man and his daughter no matter what the cost. Please share this story because people like this need to be praised.”
Although Bolton planned to stay anonymous（匿名的）and did not buy the ticket to receive attention, after the post went viral on Facebook, a number of people left comments that revealed her identity.
Some of her personal friends and co-workers left comments that this is exactly the kind of thing that she would do, and that they are proud to know her.
1. What can we infer about the man?| A．He wanted to save some money. |
| B．He repaid the woman as promised. |
| C．He was sad to part with his daughter. |
| D．He couldn't afford the ticket on the spot. |
| A．The woman wanted to stay anonymous. |
| B．It was the Flight Company that was to blame. |
| C．The agent was so excited to deal with the case. |
| D．The man was surprised when told to buy an extra ticket. |
| A．It was troublesome to be Bolton's friends. |
| B．It is natural for Bolton to take such an action. |
| C．Bolton's action is beyond their imagination. |
| D．They feel envy of Bolton's financial condition. |
| A．compare and evaluate | B．spread and advocate |
| C．argue and discuss | D．introduce and inform |
7 . Whenever a new person walks through the gates of the Science of Spirituality Meditation (冥想) and Ecology Centre in Richmond, one often hears the words, “I never knew such a place existed. It’s so peaceful and the gardens are so beautiful.”
In 2005, this centre was an old school, with a history going back to 1904. Rabbits had damaged the foundations (地基) and rats ran along littered hallways. The traffic roaring along Steveston Highway was hardly beneficial to meditation, and fresh air! Neither did we have sufficient funds at the time to carry out a purchase. But there was hope, wild hope! We had a vision. We could make it a reality.
Our group was inspired to take this step under the loving guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, a living Master in an ancient family of spiritual experts. Despite the small size of our local charity, we took chances to purchase this place that spoke to us at some very deep level. Generous donations and effort flowed in from members at exactly the right time. Thus, we could begin the physical origins of the SOS Meditation and Ecology Centre.
And to create it took a great deal of sweat efforts. Gardens were dug and planted by volunteers. Brothers and sisters worked together. Over the following years, beautiful gardens were established and every inch of the old building and roof took on a new look.
From a wishful dream and a loving handful, this special place, with its green gardens, became a reality. The Centre has become a sign of light and love in a materialistic society, where seekers find peace, joy, help in meditation, friendship and an opportunity to grow spiritually.
1. What can we infer from paragraph 2?| A．The founders intended to give up the center at the beginning. |
| B．The founders had sufficient funds to carry out the project. |
| C．The centre was not originally suited for meditation. |
| D．The centre was a school with good environment. |
| A．With the help of the old school. |
| B．With the contributions of generous people. |
| C．With the funds donated by a spiritual expert. |
| D．With the local government’s financial support. |
| A．Rude. | B．Distant. | C．Conventional. | D．Selfless. |
| A．To introduce an old school to readers. |
| B．To tell the story about the construction of the centre. |
| C．To call for people to meditate. |
| D．To explain the influence of meditation on average people. |
Story One
Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled-with students.As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the typical glass half empty or glass half full question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked "How heavy is this glass of water I'm holding?"
Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds. She replied, "From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn't matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two. it's fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up （抽筋） and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me."
As the class nodded their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them."
Story Two
One day a bright student wishing to be successful put this question to Socrates(苏格拉底）.
“Teacher, I have studied many years with you and even though I have learned many things I still have not learned the secret to success or what it really takes to be successful. Please train me in this mystery.”
Socrates looked at his student with a thoughtful expression and after a long pause, he responded. “My son, the secret is within each one of us if we only truly want it. If you walk-with me, I will take you to the river of life and show you.”
They walked side by side in silence for a while and upon reaching the river Socrates spoke. “My son, bend down here by-the edge of the river and stare deeply at these flowing waters." As the student bent down beside the river Socrates took him by the neck and plunged his head into the water. After only a few seconds (that felt like eternity to the young man), he started struggling to get his head out of the water, gasping for a breath.
After a couple of minutes, suddenly some inner strength burst into the young man and he pushed himself out of the water and gulped in precious air. After a few deep breaths he composed himself and pondered what had just happened. Was his teacher mad at him? What other reason would he act so strange?
The student blurted out, "Why did you do that?!"
Socrates answered rhetorically, "While your head was underwater, what was the one thing you wanted more than anything in life?"
“To take a breath of air to be able to stay alive,” he said.
“It is just as I told you earlier, the secret to success is already inside all of us. When you desire success as much as you wanted that breath of air, you will be successful.”
1. What is the moral(寓意，教益）of the first story?2. As teachers in these two stories, what approach do the psychology professor and Socrates share in common to inspire their students?
3. What is the moral of the second story?How do you understand it?
9 . A blind man and a woman born with spina bifida (脊柱裂) overcame all difficulties together with the purpose of climbing mountaintops.
Melanie Knecht was born with spina bifida, and Trevor Hahn had lost his sight 5 years ago. “It just seemed like common sense,” Knecht said. “He’s the legs and I’m the eyes. Together, we’re the dream team.”
They met at a rock climbing class and got to know of their love of nature. Knecht had spent her childhood camping outdoors, and had been to Easter Island recently and climbed high cliffs (峭壁) in a carrier placed on someone’s back.
Hahn was also an outdoor sports person, and even after he lost his sight, he kept at it. They two decided to go out into the Colorado wilderness. So Knecht is secured in a carrier, and lifted by a friend onto Hahn’s back, and Hahn hikes along the path with Knecht giving him directions. “I describe everything I see and exactly how Hahn needs to move,” Knecht said.
They love the fact that when hiking together, they are able to give the opportunity to each other to do what may seem impossible. “It made me so happy to help someone experience what I’ve been able to experience in my life,” Hahn said. Knecht is able to feel free. “I’ve been in a wheelchair my whole life, and it’s an amazing feeling to leave it,” she said.
These two are now encouraging the physically healthy people to think more about helping their friends with disabilities. “Ask questions of people with disabilities, to see what they like and what they want to do. Don’t include them because you think they won’t be able to do something,” Knecht said.
1. What do we know about Knecht and Hahn?| A．They were born disabled. | B．They met through a friend. |
| C．They had the same interest. | D．They enjoyed studying rock. |
| A．The path. | B．The team. |
| C．The mountain. | D．The wheelchair. |
| A．Disabled people should be involved in normal activities. |
| B．Disabled people face many difficulties in their life. |
| C．People should spend more time with their friends. |
| D．People should exercise more to keep healthy. |
| A．Challenges for disabled people |
| B．Benefits of taking part in outdoor activities |
| C．Two disabled people admiring wonderful views |
| D．Two disabled people reaching new heights together |
10 . Last July, my 12-year-old car died on California’s Santa Ana Freeway. It was an hour before sunset, and I was 25 miles from home. I couldn’t reach anyone to pick me up, so I decided to take a bus. Not knowing the routes, I figured I’d just head east. A bus pulled up, and I asked the driver how far she was going. “Four more lights,” she said. There was another bus I could take from there. This clearly was going to be a long night. She dropped me off at the end of her route and told me which bus to look for.
After waiting 30 minutes, I began to think about a very expensive taxi ride home. Then a bus pulled up. There was no lighted number above its windshield (挡风玻璃). It was out of service. But the door opened, and I was surprised to find that it was the same driver. “ I just can’t leave you here,” she said. “ This isn’t the nicest place. I’ll give you a ride home.” “You’ll drive me in the bus?” I asked, perplexed(困惑的). “No, I’ll take you in my car,” she said. “ It’s a long way,” I protested. “Come on,” she said. “I have nothing else to do.” As we drove from the station in her car, she began telling me a story. A few days earlier, her brother had run out of gas. A good Samaritan picked him up, took him to a service station and then back to his car.
“I’m just passing the favor along,” she said. When I offered her money as a thank-you, she wouldn’t hear of it. “That wouldn’t make it a favor,” she said. “Just do something nice for somebody. Pass it along.”
1. Judging from its context, the place where the writer waited for the second bus was ________.| A．very quiet and peaceful | B．dark without street lights |
| C．neither clean nor beautiful | D．a little unsafe |
| A．No bus would come at the time. |
| B．A taxi ride would be more comfortable. |
| C．He became impatient and a bit worried. |
| D．He knew the driver would never return. |
| A．she happened to go in the same direction |
| B．she wanted to do something good for other people |
| C．her brother told her to do so |
| D．she wanted to earn more money |
| A．would do as she did | B．would keep her in memory |
| C．would give the money to others | D．would do her a favor |
