1 . Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been during her worldwide vacation in a special way.
The traveler, who was born with a congenital bone disease (先天性骨病), had her right leg amputated (截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused misfortune for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as an inspiration for living her best life.
To spread that message, Gallagher has taken to social media, where she shares photos of her travels around the world. Besides, she writes her location across her artificial leg (假肢) before taking a picture.
Now she has been taking pictures across Europe, which show her cycling over the canals in Amsterdam, relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, posing with a waffle (华夫饼) in Brussels, taking breath-taking pictures in Athens and enjoying a river cruise (巡航) in Budapest, with all the well-known locations written on her artificial leg.
“I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden idea to get a chalkboard (黑板),” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother didn't like the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”
Gallagher said people often stare when she’s writing on her leg, but once she shared the photos, she received only positive comment. “My leg hasn't stopped me doing anything I’ve wanted to do, I know it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it. Therefore, I’ve been able to keep up with my peers (同龄人) and lead a pretty great life.”
Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. If life gives you an artificial leg, make art.
1. What message does Gallagher want to express in her special way?| A．She enjoys her traveling across the globe. |
| B．She suffers little from her leg amputation . |
| C．She looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing. |
| D．She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online. |
| A．She is interested in art. |
| B．She lost her both legs at the age of four. |
| C．She wrote her travel destinations on her artificial leg. |
| D．She got permission from her family for getting a chalkboard. |
| A．Considerate and cooperative | B．Reliable and generous |
| C．Independent and selfless | D．Determined and creative |
| A．Never Too Late to Share | B．A Special Artificial Leg |
| C．An Outstanding Photographer | D．Gallagher’s Summer Holidays |
2 . By now, most of us have picked up at least one pandemic (疫情期间的) hobby. And there’s a seemingly common pandemic hobby trend: People who haven’t been able to go anywhere are making imaginary travel plans. Maybe you’re among those who have spent hours researching locations―even though you’re not actually planning to travel.
It turns out that you aren’t alone. People who seem to be interested in public safety recommendations are still planning trips they don’t intend to book. And, when I suddenly found myself addicted to an imaginary girls’ trip to Joshua Tree, I wondered whether this was a healthy distraction (注意力分散).
“It’s an escapist imagination,” said Regine Galanti, a psychologist, adding that there’s nothing wrong with escapism during a global pandemic.
On the one hand, distractions are often beneficial right now. We are a full year into living with COVID-19 as a pandemic, and that means you’ve probably had to navigate a range of emotions like discomfort, sadness, or even boredom. So any hobby that doesn’t harm anyone or endanger your well-being is probably a worthy attempt.
Even if vacation planning is your happy place, Dr. Galanti suggests you “actually think about what you’re trying to achieve.” Why? “Maybe what you’re saying is, I need a vacation from work,” Dr. Galanti explains. “Then take three days off even if you are not going anywhere. “When you figure out what you’re looking for, you might be able to find a small socially distanced adventure in your backyard or a quiet place. Vacation planning is a good way to spend some time, but there might be an even better way to get what you’re desiring.
Anyway, when uncertainty is all around us, creating things to look forward to isn’t a terrible idea. And when things are safer, you’ll have all your plans in place.
1. Why do people make imaginary travel plans during the pandemic?| A．To develop a new hobby. | B．To stay safe and sound. |
| C．To be distracted from reality. | D．To get ready for future travel. |
| A．Express. | B．Balance. | C．Adapt to. | D．Deal with. |
| A．Objective. | B．Negative. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Economy. | B．Lifestyle. |
| C．Food culture. | D．Science and technology. |
3 . The scent of hot bread drifting from the shops along the Street of Flour was sweeter than any perfume Arya had ever smelled. She took a deep breath and stepped closer to the pigeon. It was a plump one, speckled brown, busily pecking at a crust that had fallen between two cobblestones, but when Arya’s shadow touched it, it took to the air.
Her stick sword whistled out and caught it two feet off the ground, and it went down in a flurry of brown feathers. She was on it in the blink of an eye, grabbing a wing as the pigeon flapped and fluttered. It pecked at her hand. She grabbed its neck and twisted until she felt the bone snap.
Compared with catching cats, pigeons were easy.
She tied the pigeon to her belt and started down the street. A man was pushing a load of tarts by on a two-wheeled cart; the smells sang of blueberries and lemons and apricots. Her stomach made a hollow rumbly noise. “Could I have one?” she heard herself say. “A lemon, or…or any kind.”
The pushcart man looked her up and down. Plainly he did not like what he saw. “Three coppers.”
Arya tapped her wooden sword against the side of her boot. “I’ll trade you a fat pigeon,” she said.
“The Others take your pigeon,” the pushcart man said.
The tarts were still warm from the oven. The smells were making her mouth water, but she did not have three coppers... or one. She gave the pushcart man a look, remembering what Syrio had told her about seeing. He was short, with a little round belly, and when he moved he seemed favor his left leg a little. She was just thinking that if she snatched a tart and ran he would never be able to catch her when he said, “You be keeping your filthy hands off. The gold cloaks know how to deal with thieving little gutter rats, that they do.”
Arya glanced warily behind her. Two of the City Watch were standing at the mouth of an alley. Their cloaks hung almost to the ground, the heavy wool dyed a rich gold; their mail and boots and gloves were black. One wore a long sword at his hip, the other an iron cudgel. With a last wistful glance at the tarts, Arya edged back from the cart and hurried off. The gold cloaks had not been paying her any special attention, but the sight of them tied her stomach in knots. Arya had been staying as far from the castle as she could get, yet even from a distance she could see the heads rotting atop the high red walls. Flocks of crows squabbled noisily over each head, thick as flies. The talk in Flea Bottom was that the gold cloaks had associated themselves with the Lannisters, their commander raised to a lord, with lands on the Trident and a seat on the king’s council.
1. The story is set in a place where ______.| A．people raised pigeons | B．only privileged people lived |
| C．people sold and bought food | D．the watchmen received training |
| A．metaphor | B．overstatement |
| C．personification (拟人) | D．rhetoric rhyme |
| A．Remembering people’s appearance so that you can recognize them. |
| B．Perceiving people’s intention so that you can properly talk to them. |
| C．Understanding people’s living conditions so that you can help them. |
| D．Knowing people’ strengths and weaknesses so that you can beat them |
| A．Arya was more hunger than terrified in the story. |
| B．The Lannisters was a big enemy of the gold cloaks. |
| C．The atmosphere of the castle was agreeable and welcome. |
| D．The authority treated the executed people’s dead bodies in a cruel way. |
4 . J.K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.
She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9-year-old daughter Bailey.
He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter”, and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.
Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud,” Burke explains. “This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”
After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more signed books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.
1. Why did Burke thank J.K. Rowling according to the text?| A．She guided him how to write a good story. |
| B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble. |
| C．Her books helped him through times of confusion. |
| D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter. |
| A．He has found it interesting to read the series. |
| B．He was too old to understand the series better. |
| C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series. |
| D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future. |
| A．Unique. | B．Normal. | C．Precious. | D．Funny. |
| A．J.K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health. |
| B．J.K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father. |
| C．J.K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth. |
| D．Burke comes to know J.K. Rowling through her series. |
5 . I lay in the hospital bed with my six-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, holding her in my arms. “Mommy, will you stay with me the whole time?” she asked, looking up. “You know I can’t be in the operating room,” I said carefully, not wanting to frighten her. “But Daddy and I will be waiting right outside.” Elizabeth nodded, but she stills looked anxious.
Elizabeth had broken her right leg in July. Seven months later, it still hadn’t recovered. In fact, it had gotten worse. She was here in the hospital for surgery.
I wanted to promise that this would be the last time she’d have to go through this and that everything would be okay. But what if something went wrong again? How could I comfort my daughter when I needed comfort myself?
There was a knock at the door. A nurse? I thought. Time to say goodbye already? But the woman who came in wasn’t a nurse. “Hi,” the woman said. “I’m a volunteer here, and I’ve got something for Elizabeth.” She handed a bright-blue box to my daughter.
Elizabeth sat up and took the box. She opened it and started pulling out goodies one by one--candies, stickers, a lovely toy in the shape of a star. She hugged the star, cheering up for the first time since she entered the hospital. “Thank you,” she said. “I love them.” There was a big smile on her face. It has been so long since I saw that big smile.
The gift was a great comfort not only to my daughter, but also to me.
1. Why did the author’s daughter feel nervous?| A．She would have surgery on her arm. |
| B．The author had no time to play with her. |
| C．She had to stay in the hospital for a long time. |
| D．The author couldn’t stay in the operating room with her. |
| A．there was no time for her to do so. | B．she wasn’t sure of the result herself. |
| C．she believed everything would be okay. | D．she thought there was no need for her to do so. |
| A．To offer a gift box. | B．To say goodbye. |
| C．To provide medical care. | D．To get all the things ready. |
| A．Nervous. | B．confused. | C．Surprised. | D．Cheerful. |
6 . For many people, bookstores are wonderful places. That’s because the books on the shelves can take you away to magical lands, help you learn a foreign language, or cook a delicious meal. But when your community is too small to house a brick bookstore, you have to come up with another idea. A mobile bookstore was the result. That is the case for Rita Collins, 70, who dreamed of opening a used bookstore after retiring from teaching.
A business planning class from the American Booksellers Association convinced Collins to give up her idea of opening a bookstore in the small town where she lives. Her town, Eureka, Montana, only has a population of 1,517. Collins asked her instructors about a traveling bookstore on wheels and they doubted her idea. But she insisted on it.
Collins was inspired by Dylans Mobile Bookstore, a traveling bookstore in Wales run by Jeff Towns. She contacted Jeff for advice but she was largely on her own when it came to building her bookstore. First, she had to find a vehicle large enough to stand in. Then she had to have it refitted with shelves that would hold the books at a 15-degree angle so that they would stay in place while traveling. Collins named her bookstore St. Rita’s Traveling Bookstore, which has been on the road since 2015.
At first, she drove through Montana and then she made her first cross-country trip in 2016. After she retired in 2017, it became a full-time job. Collins and her bookstore have visited 30 states, stopping at festivals and events along the way. Collins loves meeting people and making connections. While she loves what she does, Collins doesn’t think she can keep doing it. In several years, she hopes to pass her traveling bookstore onto another book lover who shares the same interest and will keep it on the road.
1. According to the passage, what’s the basic requirement for opening a bookstore?| A．There must be a community with a popularity of 1517. |
| B．The American Booksellers Association should support the store. |
| C．A bookstore must store enough books. |
| D．The bookstore must offer delicious meals. |
| A．With a large vehicle. | B．At a 15-degree angle. | C．On the wheels. | D．On the road. |
| A．Nobody supported Collins at first. | B．Jeff helped Collins a lot in building her bookstore. |
| C．Collins made the bookshelves by herself. | D．Collins would devote all her life to her bookstore. |
| A．How to make her bookstore popular. | B．How to raise more money to support her store. |
| C．How to choose more suitable books. | D．How to choose a man who can inherit her bookshop. |
7 . In January when wildfires came within a kilometer of her home, Jessica Miles found herself reflecting on the bravery of firefighters in the Port Macquarie area.
Jessica said the tires had been frightening. “There were helicopters (直升机) flying around our house and smoke everywhere,” she said. Over a family dinner, the 12-year-old girl raised the idea of building a sculpture to honor the men and women on the wildfire front line and was greeted with support.
With artwork from the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail on their doorstep, Jessica’s mother suggested she contact the organizers of the trail with her idea. In a message to Hello Koalas through a Facebook post. Jessica wrote: “I’ve recently thought of an idea as Australia has been facing disaster lately... The firefighters have risked their life and time to protect us. In recognition of their bravery, I wanted so share an idea I had about making a koala (考拉) in honor of the firefighters and to spread hope to Australia.”
Hello Koalas director Margret Meagher said while she had thought about creating a sculpture to honor Australia’s selfless and heroic firefighters in the past, Jessica’s message made her more determined than ever to make it happen. Having been involved in the Rural Fire Service (RFS), Ms. Meacher was also personally touched by summer’s wildfires: “So I really wanted to celebrate the local men and women who fought bravely to protect our community and to recognize all firefighters in Australia.” Ms. Meagher said.
Jessica, who is passionate about the environment and animals said she had been excited to receive such a positive response to her idea including her suggestion “it could have the RFS badge (章) painted on the koala or it could have a fireman’s jacket.” The new sculpture, Frankie Firefighter, created by artist Kim Staples, was unveiled (揭幕) this week and features both Jessica’s ideas.
1. What did Jessica’s mother advise her to do?| A．Send greetings to firefighters. | B．Put her artwork on their doorstep. |
| C．Build a sculpture to honor firefighters. | D．Seek help from Hello Koalas to apply her idea. |
| A．Firefighters heroic stories. | B．Her involvement in RFS. |
| C．Jessica’s Facebook post. | D．Her own past thoughts. |
| A．It wears a badge donated by a fireman. | B．It draws inspiration from Kim Staples. |
| C．It is contrary to Jessica’s expectations. | D．It is a koala in a fireman’s jacket. |
8 . I fell in love with the minister’s son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese, but as whitre as Mary in the manger. For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert. and a slim new American nose.
When I found out that my parents had invited the minister’s family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?
On Christmas Eve, I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawn（大虾）. The kitchen was littered with shocking mounds if raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging（鼓起的）eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedged of rubbery white sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of liquid, their backs crisscrossed with knife marking, so they resembled bicycle tires.
And then they arrived --- the minister’s family and all my relatives in a clamor（喧闹）of doorbells and rumpled（皱的）Christmas packages. Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. Robert and his family waited patiently for patters to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert frowned. Then my father reached his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. “Amy, your favorite,” he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and burped（打嗝）loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. “It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied.” explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face. The minister managed to bring up a quiet burp. I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt in beige tweed（米黄色粗花呢）. “But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.”
And even though I didn’t agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I had suffered during the evening’s dinner. It wasn’t until years later long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert ---that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the purpose behind her particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite food.
1. When the writer found out the minister’s family would come for Christmas Eve dinner, she cried mainly because ______.| A．her mum prepared a disturbingly traditional Chinese dinner. |
| B．she wasn’t ready for her slim new American nose to fir Robert. |
| C．she worried Robert would not accept or bear her Chinese family |
| D．the writer was too nervous to face the minister’s family |
| A．her relatives ignored their American guests |
| B．her family and relatives lacked American manners |
| C．her relatives brought rumpled Christmas package |
| D．Robert didn’t greet me happily when he came to the house |
| A．Mom prepared the special menu to show her love to her daughter |
| B．Robert burped in a quiet way to show understanding of Chinese culture |
| C．the minister’s family enjoyed the food though it is different from theirs |
| D．the writer didn’t appreciate her mother’s effort until the dinner was over |
| A．My Lover, Robert | B．A melting pot | C．Fish Checks | D．Strange Parents |
9 . When Chase Bailey was found to have autism (自闭症) at 2, his mother Mary Bailey feared he’d never enjoy a typical life. Indeed, he hasn’t. Occupied with appearances with famous people and hosting his own cooking show, Chase’s life is anything but typical. During the past years, the teenager has cooked noodles with food master Roy Choi and baked cookies for guests at a celebration in Los Angeles.
The days when Chase would eat nothing but pizza, chicken, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies almost seem like a distant memory. For him to go from that to cooking and eating all kinds of different things is pretty astonishing.
After the diagnosis (诊断) of Chase’s disease, friends prepared Mary for the worst: He’d never be able to have a job, never learn to socialize, and never be independent. Like many autistic patients, the sight, smell, feel and taste of almost everything on Chase’s plate tipped him over the edge.
However, when he watched cooking shows with his grandfather, he became addicted to seeing people enjoy what they were eating and started asking to try some of the food on the shows. Two years later, he recorded the first episode (集) of “Chase N Yur Face” with the help of his mother, which they posted on social media. The show quickly caught the attention of autism groups. Chase started reaching out to chefs he admired by email to invite them to tape episodes with him.
In the show which has more than 30 episodes, a confident Chase cooks everything from cupcakes to roasted meats. It has harvested tens of thousands of views. He dreams of one day seeing his show on television and wants to open his own restaurant. He hopes his experience can help others with autism. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself,” he said.
1. How is Chase’s life?| A．It is a typical one. | B．It is full of bitter experiences. |
| C．It is like other autistic kids’. | D．It is beyond his mom’s expectations. |
| A．Food was appealing to Chase. | B．Food on Chase’s plate tasted bad. |
| C．Chase had no appetite for most food. | D．Chase wanted to cook himself. |
| A．From autism groups. | B．From his grandfather. |
| C．From food masters. | D．From cooking programs. |
| A．Food Changed Chase’s Life |
| B．Cooking Is a Treatment for Autism |
| C．A Cooking Show Cures an Autistic Teenager |
| D．Chase Turns Food Fear into Love of Cooking |
10 . About five weeks ago, I noticed the skin of our pet lizard was growing dusty. Later, our lizard emerged (出现) from its tank with its old skin flowing behind it. I didn’t think about it much until a morning last week when I knocked my favorite teapot off the table. It burst into hundreds of pieces. As I swept up the mess, I wondered why we had been breaking so many things over the months.
The destruction started three months ago. It was my husband’s birthday. He had just lost his job. The uncertainty was starting to wear on us, so I wanted to do something special.
“Let’s make a cake for Dad!” I cried. My kids screamed with joy. We baked, iced and sprinkled for most of the day. Candles on the cake! Balloons on the walls! Flowers on the table!
Two hours before my husband came back home from another job interview, my daughter climbed up to grab a glass vase from a high shelf. It fell and crashed beside the cake. Tiny pieces of glass were everywhere. She sobbed loudly as I threw the cake away. My husband had banana pudding for his birthday.
Three days ago, the light in our living room suddenly went out. After several frustrating hours of unsuccessful attempts to fix it, my husband suggested watching the Michael Jordan documentary series The Last Dance.
The poignancy (酸楚) of Jordan retiring from his beloved basketball to play baseball and what had pushed him to make such a tough decision took me by surprise. As I watched him take off his basketball uniform and replace it with a baseball uniform, I saw him leaving behind the layer that no longer served him, just as our lizard had. Neither of them chose the moment that had transformed them. But they had to live with who they were after everything was different. Just like us. I realized that we have to learn to leave the past behind.
Humans do not shed skin (蜕皮) as easily as other animals. The beginning of change is upsetting. The process is tiring. Damage changes us before we are ready. I see our lizard, raw and nearly new.
Jordan said that no matter how it ends, it starts with hope. With our tender, hopeful skin, that is where we begin.
1. Why did the author’s husband have banana pudding for his birthday?| A．The birthday cake was ruined. | B．The author made good puddings. |
| C．Pudding was his favorite dessert. | D．They couldn’t afford a birthday cake. |
| A．To prove a theory. | B．To define a concept. |
| C．To develop the theme. | D．To provide the background. |
| A．Treasure Past Experiences. | B．Move on Whatever Happens. |
| C．Love Helps Us through Hardships. | D．Breaking Things Makes No Difference. |
