1 . When the semester ended, I returned home. In a few weeks BYU would post grades; then I’d know if I could return in the fall.
I filled my journals with promises that I would stay out of the junkyard. I needed money so I went to get my old job back, at Stokes. I turned up at the busiest hour in the afternoon when I knew they’d be understaffed, and sure enough, the manager was bagging groceries when I found him. I asked if he’d like me to do that, and he looked at me for all of three seconds, and then lifted his apron over his head and handed it to me.
Dad was waiting for me when I came through the back door. He saw the apron and said, “You’re working for me this summer.”
“I’m working at Stokes,” I said.
His voice was raised. “This is your family. You belong here.”
There was no one on his crew since my brothers had gone. He had to do everything all by himself. Dad’s face was haggard, his eyes bloodshot. But that determination was etched (流露出) into his face. It was in his voice, in the harshness of it. He had to win this standoff (对峙).
But I couldn’t do the job, because to do it would be to slide backward. I had moved home, to my old room, to my old life. If I went back to working for Dad, to waking up every morning and pulling on steel toed boots and trudging (跋涉) out to the junkyard, it would be as if the last four months had never happened, as if I had never left.
When I’d told Dad that I planned to go back to college, he’d said a woman’s place was in the home that I should be learning about herbs — “God’s pharmacy (药房)” he’d call it — so I could take over for Mother.
My memories of the university faded quickly. The scratch of pencils on paper, the clack of a projector moving to the next slide, the peal of the bells signaling the end of the class — all were drowned out by the clatter of iron and the role of diesel engines after a month in the junkyard. BYU seemed like a dream, something I had created by magic. Now I was awake.
1. Why did the author turn up at the busiest hour at Stokes?| A．Because she was expelled from college and planned to work at Stokes. |
| B．Because she could save money by buying stuff at a discount in the afternoon. |
| C．Because she would have a better chance to get the job. |
| D．Because her dad asked her to get an apron for him from Stokes in the afternoon. |
| A．tired | B．excited | C．indifferent | D．concerned |
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Hesitant. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The author didn’t want to work for her dad mainly because it was too tiring at the junkyard. |
| B．The author’s dad was poorly educated but he acknowledged the importance of education for girls. |
| C．The author missed her university and wanted to embrace her new life. |
| D．The author’s dad was disappointed because she didn’t choose medicine as her major. |
2 . I am not sure how many years ago it was, but I still had a cassette player (盒式磁带放录机) at the time. I was tired of television and was in the mood for music. I pulled out one of my favorite cassettes. It started to play but before long the music stopped. I opened the player and saw the tape in the cassette was all pulled out and twisted. I tried to fix it, but it was already broken beyond repair. I frowned. I didn’t want to risk another of my cassettes with a tape eating machine, but I really wanted some music.
Then I noticed my ancient record player in the corner. I walked over and dusted it off. I pulled out an old record of my mom’s that my Dad had given me after she died. I turned on the record player and gently put the record on the turn-table (唱机上的转盘). “Pop!” “Crack!” went the record for a second as I put the needle down. Then a beautiful melody from my childhood started to play. I smiled and started to do my house work. The sweet songs I grew up on touched my soul. I felt the music coming out of me. I started to sing letting my weak voice join in joyously with the music. I even dared to dance a little while I did the dishes. “This is how life is supposed to be!”
These days all my music is on CDs. My daughter says I am behind the times. She says I should buy a cellphone and download all the music I want. But instead, I think I will dust off those old records again, put them on that record player and start to sing along.
We all have music within us just waiting to get out. Don’t let your music die within you then. Share your song with the world. And don’t forget to dance a little too.
1. Why did the author give up listening to cassettes?| A．He preferred records to cassettes. |
| B．His cassettes were out of order. |
| C．His cassette player was twisted. |
| D．His cassette player didn’t work. |
| A．upset | B．content | C．grateful | D．relieved |
| A．It is inconvenient. | B．It is out of fashion. |
| C．It is hard to sing along. | D．It brings good memories. |
| A．Records can better express music. |
| B．Music helps us keep up with the times. |
| C．Music helps strength family bonds. |
| D．Life with music is beautiful. |
3 . Hua Sheng and Lu Sheng, a retired Tibetan couple, have become trailblazers (开拓者) of grape growing and winemaking in their old ages.
Lu Sheng learned grape planting and winemaking from her grandmother’s sister. Since they retired, the couple have moved to Lhasa from the village of Yakhadi. Though the fact that the region’s capital, which is 3,600 meters above sea level, is considered unfit for growing grapes, Lu Sheng and Hua Sheng began an ambitious project in 2015, planting grapes in Tsalna, a town in the suburb of Lhasa.
They received support from the local government, which is committed to developing business and the economy. The couple’s project provides jobs for rural residents, and, as a result, the government has considered the project part of its poverty relief program.
“Lhasa is an ideal place for planting French grape varieties that are resistant to cold, drought and disease, and adaptable to high-altitude and open-air planting,” Lu Sheng said.
“Thanks to the plateau’s sunshine and organic planting, our grapes grow very well here in Lhasa. The grapes are a bit sour and sweet, and they have a high anthocyanin (花青素) content,” she said. Anthocyanins, which accumulate (积累) in grape cells and contribute rich color to wine, are water-soluble(水溶性的).
In 2018, Hua Sheng and Lu Sheng expanded their project, planting on nearly 6.67 hectares. In order to familiarize Tibetan farmers with grape planting and winemaking, they taught the skills to local villagers.
“We have successfully taught the local farmers how to grow grapes and make wine over the three years. They now have a new source of income besides traditional farming and herding,” Hua Sheng said.
Yudron, a resident of Nam, said she was grateful to the grape planting project in her village, which has contributed to her income and quality of life. “After working in the vine-yards for years, now we know how to make wine. We drink both barley and grape wine now. We love grape wine more, though, as it is healthier.”
1. What did the couple do after their retirement?| A．They grew grapes and made wine in Lhasa. |
| B．They made friends with a French expert. |
| C．They moved to another city from Lhasa. |
| D．They learned grape planting from Hua Sheng’s grandmother. |
| A．They donated grapes to local schools. |
| B．They employed local residents as workers. |
| C．They provided free wine for villagers. |
| D．They expanded the project with the local government. |
| A．They make grapes more delicious. |
| B．They provide adequate colors for wine. |
| C．They make grapes a bit sour and sweet. |
| D．They can accelerate the growth of grapes. |
| A．indifferent | B．cautious |
| C．appreciative | D．concerned |
4 . During his sophomore (大学二年级) year, Ben took a few business classes. They got his head spinning with ideas to start his own business. He started by thinking about things he liked. First, it was clothing, then coffee. He thought about opening up a coffee shop. But both ideas seemed too hard and costly.
Some might give up right there and keep going about their regular life. But Ben is different. He kept thinking and came up with the idea of selling his own brand of coffee. He felt like there was potential to do this without too much money or risk. He didn’t give up. So he took to the Internet and started doing research. He eventually found a coffee bean supplier. He had to learn about all of the legalities (法律事务) of starting a business. It all seemed daunting but he stuck to it.
After setting up his business and starting to order coffee, he began testing different versions with his friends and family. He got feedback and improved his product. He appropriately named his company Clouds Coffee Company. He had a little bit of savings from his birthdays but that was far away from starting a business. So, he traded with an advertising designer to help him with his naming, logo, product pictures, photography, and website design. In return, he would supply him with coffee in exchange for his design talent!
Ben received great support from his tutor, Clyde Rucker, a very successful businessman and the best friend of his grandparents. Many others in the community supported Ben in his earliest days, trying to help him succeed at such a young age. They were inspired by his activeness and energy. And his good coffee!
Ben Cloud is a fantastic example of a young person struggling to become the best version of himself.
1. What does the underlined word “daunting” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Discouraging. | B．Effortless. | C．Exciting. | D．Helpful. |
| A．By collecting money from his friends. |
| B．By working for an advertising company. |
| C．By doing a part-time job of website designing. |
| D．By making a deal with an advertising designer. |
| A．Wise and well-educated. | B．Active and strong-minded. |
| C．Brave and hard-working. | D．Ambitious and kind-hearted. |
| A．Sharp tools make good work. |
| B．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| C．Never too old to learn, never too late to turn. |
| D．Imagination is more important than knowledge. |
5 . Children with disabilities aren’t represented nearly enough in the books they read or the shows they watch, but Danny Jordan is doing whatever he can to change that.
Inspiration struck him when he and his wife found out that their daughter Emerson would be born with a body difference. The very next day after getting that, a title idea for a book series The Capables came to him. “As a first-time dad-to-be, I just wanted to contribute to a world that is more inclusive (包容的) and understanding when it comes to disability,” said Danny.
To make his dream a reality, Danny launched a Kickstarter in 2020. Within only three days,enough money had been raised to publish the book! Although this was his first time writing a book, Danny was far from alone in the process. To make sure the stories he brings to life encourage disability pride, he created a team full of people who are willing to guide him for free.
The Capables is an inclusive children’s book series about a group of kid superheroes. Each installment (分册) features a new central character with a different disability and a superpower that goes along with it. The first installment Rae’s First Day features a girl named Rae, who has an upper limb difference like Emerson. Since it was published, it has received a large amount of positive feedback. Best of all, children and adults with disabilities are getting to see themselves represented in ways they may never have experienced before. It offers such a fantastic opportunity to get the idea of disability pride into the next generation.
“Seeing my daughter holding the book where the hero looks like her, calling out Rae’s name and laughing as she reads the story is the greatest sense of joy,” said Danny.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．His daughter would be disabled. | B．His new book’s title was decided. |
| C．His book would be published soon. | D．His daughter was about to be born. |
| A．It was published accidentally. | B．It was supported by many people. |
| C．It earned him a lot of money. | D．It was donated to the Kickstarter. |
| A．She is Emerson’s big fan. | B．She is very popular at school. |
| C．She reflects disability pride. | D．She is The Capables’ main character. |
| A．Responsible and humorous. | B．Hardworking and outgoing. |
| C．Ambitious and considerate. | D．Intelligent and caring. |
6 . A series of massive thunder storms hit our area recently, causing flash flooding and knocking down tree branches and even trees. I had spent the afternoon picking up branches out of my yard and throwing them away. Then just before I was getting ready to take my dogs for their last walk of the day, the warnings came on my television and over my phone that another of these storms was heading our way.
I quickly took my dogs outside. Huge clouds were rolling in while thunder boomed over the hills. I knew that the stars were shining but I certainly couldn’t see them. The darkness seemed darker and scarier than usual because I knew what was on the way. That was when I saw it. The tiniest blink of light, up high, at the far end of the grassland behind my house. I smiled. The first of the fireflies had appeared for the summer at just the time I needed to see his light. Soon a few others were blinking their lights as well. It amazed me how far their light traveled in the darkness of the night and how they didn’t seem bothered at all by the approaching storm. I spent an extra few minutes watching my lightening bug friends and taking in their message of light before heading in to get ready for the storm. As I did, though, I noticed that the darkness no longer seemed so scary and that my fear had been replaced with joy.
Life does have its share of storms, some caused by nature and some caused by us. We can’t go through life being scared of them, however. Take a lesson from the fireflies then. Let your light shine. It may seem tiny but you will be amazed at how far it can be seen and how easily it can drive the dark away.
1. What happened when the author was about to walk the dog?| A．His house was heavily damaged. | B．He was encouraged to pick up the branches. |
| C．He was broadcasting a bad weather warning. | D．Another big storm was broadcasted to be on its way. |
| A．Normal. | B．Frightening. | C．Pale. | D．High. |
| A．There would be no storm at all. | B．He could then walk his dog easier. |
| C．He found great hope from the dark. | D．He wasn’t afraid of being lost then. |
| A．We should always give off light when in trouble. | B．Small light in life won’t help much in our life. |
| C．Some great troubles won’t be easily dealt with. | D．We should avoid being disturbed by trouble. |
