1 . Mr. Robert was a famous writer in an old town, and he had lots of friends from all over the town. One day, Robert invited his friend Tom and Tom’s brother Jack to the dinner at his home. Tom never went to school so he was worried that he would say unsuitable words in the dinner party. But his brother Jack told him, “don’t worry, Tom. Just do everything like me, and don’t talk about anything if you don’t understand it.”
Everything went on quite well. But by the end of the evening, Tom had had a lot of drink, and he was drunken. A man asked him if he liked literature, and Tom answered, “it’s delicious, but I like beer better.” All the people in the room laughed and soon they began to leave.
When the two brothers were out of the house, Jack said to Tom, “You certainly made yourself a fool because you are empty-headed (无知的).” “What do you mean?” asked Tom. “We all know that literature isn’t a kind of drink,” Jack answered. “It’s a kind of food.”
1. Tom was afraid to say wrong words because_________.| A．He was clever. | B．He had many friends. |
| C．He was not outgoing. | D．He wasn’t well educated. |
| A．A kind of drink; a man | B．Beer; a musician |
| C．A kind of drink; a kind of food | D．A book; a kind of food |
| A．Neither Tom nor his brother knew much about literature. |
| B．Only one of the two brothers had much knowledge about literature. |
| C．Everyone in the party didn’t know anything about literature. |
| D．The two brothers had a lot of friends. |
| A．A tour guidebook | B．A scientific journal | C．A textbook | D．A magazine |
2 . Adonis Lattimore, 17, was born without a right leg, a partial left leg and only one arm. Although there were doubts from his classmates, Lattimore won Virginia’s Class 6 106-pound wrestling (摔跤) championship, capping off his high school career in a major way.
“That feeling when it finally pays off is the best feeling in the world,” Lattimore said. Lattimore’s wrestling career began in primary school when his dad found an ad about a local wrestling club and brought him to a practice. He was attracted and knew he wanted to continue in the sport. “After that, I never stopped going. I guess what kept me there was the competitive spirit and the friends I was meeting on the way,” he said. At times, others would judge his outward appearance, but he didn’t let the doubts weaken his drive. Instead, he remained focused on his technique and never once thought about giving up.
In March, Lattimore took part in his last regional match. Though he was filled with nervousness, he remained focused for each of the three-minute wrestling periods. Then came the moment he worked so hard for. His name was announced on the loudspeaker as the 2022 state champion. “I cried a little bit,” Lattimore said, “I watched so many finals from the stands or just from videos and to actually be the one to win it was a pretty dreamlike feeling.”
Lattimore is now planning on heading to college to continue wrestling and get a degree in computer science. Through his journey, he hopes to encourage other young athletes to enjoy the ride and do whatever they dream about. “Put everything you have into doing what you love,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “capping off” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Ending. | B．Starting. | C．Making. | D．Changing. |
| A．He accepted them. | B．He cared much about them. |
| C．He paid no attention to them. | D．He expressed his thanks for them. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Strong-willed. | C．Thoughtful. | D．Warm-hearted. |
| A．Enjoy life to the full. | B．Put yourself into others’ shoes. |
| C．Actions speaker louder than words. | D．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
3 . An old man lived with his little grandson. Every day the old man got up early to read books.
One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I want to read books as you do. But I always forget what I read. What are the advantages of reading?”
The grandfather didn’t answer him, but said, “Take this little basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did as his grandpa said, but all the water leaked out before he got back home. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to walk faster next time.”
The next time the boy ran faster, but the basket was still empty before he returned home. The boy said, “See, Grandpa, it’s no use!”
“Is it no use?” the old man said. “Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and found that the basket was different. It was cleaner, inside and out.
“That’s what happens when you read books. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read them, you will be changed, inside and out.”
1. What did the old man do every day?| A．He carried water. | B．He wrote something. |
| C．He read books. | D．He did some chores. |
| A．was too busy to do it | B．got up late |
| C．he slept late | D．always forgot what he read |
| A．Twice. | B．Once. | C．Three times. | D．Four times. |
4 . I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (给贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. So we both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened,I saw my shoes flying at me.I jumped to my feet and started yelling (叫喊). She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬行) under her covers (被子), sobbing (哭啼). Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart. Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the meaning of living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. What made Kate so angry one evening?| A．She couldn’t find her books. |
| B．She heard the author shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill |
| D．She saw the author’s shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．she was scared by Kate’s anger | B．she hated herself for being so messy |
| C．she was asked by Kate to do so | D．she wanted to show her care |
| A．By showing differences. | B．By analyzing causes. |
| C．By describing a process. | D．By following time order. |
| A．My Friend Kate | B．Hard Work Pays Off |
| C．Learning to be Roommates | D．How to be Organized |
5 . You Life is What You Make It
Zhang Tian graduated from university and got a teacher’s certificate last year. His parents wanted him to get a good job in Shanghai. But he was inspired by the idea of living independently away from home. So he applied for and became a volunteer teacher in a village school. Bringing with him lots of books, clothes, and two pairs of trainers, Zhang Tian travelled to the village with an eager heart. He imagined all sorts of exciting things about living and teaching in a village.
However, not everything lived up to Zhang Tian’s hopes. The school was much smaller than he expected, with only three classrooms. In front of the classrooms, there was a playground which got dusty on windy days and muddy on rainy days. Living In the village was also more challenging than he had thought. The power and water supplies were unstable, so he could only shower every three or four days, and he had to learn how to cook. The thought of leaving once flashed through his mind, but he quickly gave up the idea and found ways to deal with the challenges.
The school had just three teachers and Zhang Tian was the only English teacher. The other two local teachers were responsible for maths and Chinese. To make school life healthier and livelier for his students, Zhang Tian introduced more subjects to the school — music, art and PE. It is not surprising that PE is the kids’ favourite subject! Their school lives are now more attractive and interesting, and they enjoy playing football in the playground, as well as singing songs they’ve learnt. The school is now full of laughter and music. Zhang Tian is planning to organise the first ever school concert! Everyone is very excited.
1. Why did Zhang Tian choose to be a volunteer teacher?| A．He wanted to live independently. |
| B．His parents wanted him to be a teacher. |
| C．He wanted a new lifestyle and was inspired by teachers he met. |
| D．He needed the experience to get a teacher’s certificate. |
| A．PE was the kid’s favourite subject. |
| B．Students were short of books and desks. |
| C．The school even didn’t have a playground. |
| D．Living conditions were worse than he had expected. |
| A．Tough but meaningful. | B．Dull but interesting. |
| C．Easy and comfortable. | D．Lonely and hopeless. |
6 . Seba lives in Memphis, Tennessee—a place famous for music. He grew up with music all around, but he especially loved the drumming of Stewart Copeland from the band The Police. “The Police songs are full of so much cool drumming,” he says.
Before he turned three, his parents asked him what he wanted for his birthday. “Drums!” he answered. His parents weren’t sure, but after seeing him play the drums at a local music store, they decided he was serious. They bought him a junior drum kit.
But soon Seba grew upset. He couldn’t get his junior drum kit to make the sound he heard Mr. Copeland making. It was a lesson for the family: good instruments were worth paying for. His parents bought him a professional drum kit and signed him up for lessons.
In just a few months, his drum teacher reported that Seba was learning extremely quickly and needed a higher level of training. He was still four.
Seba’s parents encouraged him to explore music in other ways. Seba learned bass (贝斯), guitar, and piano. He faced challenges—some related to his size. “I couldn’t see over my drum set,” he says. “And I couldn’t reach some of the cymbals.” He also had trouble finding a good bass that was small enough.
In 2020, Seba got special permission to join a summer music program at Berklee as an 8-year-old. Seba studied bass in an online program. To keep up, he had to practice up-to 36 hours a week.
After the intense summer, his parents thought Seba might want a break. They were wrong. Instead, Seba asked his parents to home-school him so he could keep going to Berklee during the school year. His parents had to make some big changes to make the plan work.
Last May, Seba became the youngest person ever to receive a professional certificate (证书) from Berklee. The certificate is equal to about four college-level classes.
1. What troubled Seba after he got a junior drum kit?| A．His parents signed him up for lessons. |
| B．He couldn’t make the sound he wanted. |
| C．He didn’t like the drum his parents bought |
| D．His drum wasn’t as good as Mr.Copeland’s. |
| A．He couldn’t find a bass of good quality. |
| B．He was too short to see over the drum set. |
| C．He was unable to explore all kinds of music. |
| D．He couldn’t receive a higher level of training. |
| A．He went to Berklee. | B．He had a good rest. |
| C．He continued to learn. | D．He studied online music. |
| A．Talented and hard-working. | B．Famous and honest. |
| C．Serious and responsible. | D．Grateful and polite. |
7 . Derek Rabelo is not the only surfer to conquer Hawaii’s famous Banzai Pipeline, but while all others use their sight to do it, this young professional surfer must rely only on his other senses. That’s because he is completely blind.
When Derek was born, over 24 years ago, he got his name from Derek Ho, the first Hawaiian surfing world champion. A surfing enthusiast himself, Ernesto dreamed that his son would share the talent of his uncle, a professional surfer. Unfortunately, Derek was born completely blind, but this didn’t stop his family from believing that he could do anything he wanted, even if that meant becoming a surfer.
At age 2, Derek received a bodyboard and the beaches of Guarapari, Brazil, became his backyard. He was always comfortable in the water and surfing was in his blood, but he didn’t actually try riding a wave until he turned 17, when his father bought him a surfboard. His father taught him the basics and encouraged him to keep practising, but after successfully standing up on the surfboard, Derek knew he needed to become much better if he was going to achieve Ernesto’s dream and become a professional surfer. So he joined a surfing school, where he studied under coach Fabio Maru.
Standing up on a surfboard and conquering small waves is one thing, while gathering the courage to take on Hawaii’s Banzai Pipeline is another. But that’s exactly what Derek Rabelo set out to do just months after learning how to surf. Everyone told him it was too dangerous, but he felt he could do it. And he did, earning the praise of famous professional surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning. Since then, Rabelo has been surfing the Pipeline every winter.
1. What does the first paragraph tell us?| A．Good eyesight is necessary for becoming a good surfer. |
| B．Nobody has ever conquered Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| C．Derek Rabelo dreams to conquer Hawaii’s famous Banzai. |
| D．Derek Rabelo is the only blind professional surfer to conquer Hawaii’s famous Banzai Pipeline. |
| A．He named him after his uncle. |
| B．He never lost confidence in him. |
| C．He sent him to a surfing school. |
| D．He started his own interest in surfing. |
| A．began to try riding a wave |
| B．was no longer afraid of water |
| C．realised he still had a long way to go |
| D．knew his father’s dream had come true |
| A．Brave and confident. | B．Skillful but proud. |
| C．Thoughtful and modest. | D．Courageous but stubborn. |
8 . Kobe Bryant is no doubt a legend. How did he do it? Simply put his work principle. He showed up to training every day, no excuses. Without a doubt, it is quite evident that Kobe’s desire for success was directly correlated with his work principle.
Kobe Bryant’s work principle is what helped him become the legend he is today. But what also must be understood about Kobe Bryant is that he was relentless (不停的；严格的). He had a mental toughness and steely focus that was driven by his over-the-top competitiveness.
In short, Kobe wanted to be the best, and would do whatever it took to achieve this mental goal. If he had a weakness in one area, he would commit to mastering that weakness. If there was a lack of strength in his shot, he would get to work exhausting all options to correct that lack of strength, researching and then applying the routines that instructed him on how to get stronger. Similarly, if his weakness was a lack of speed, he would put in the time and effort to overcome the limitation. And there lies his secret to success. The willingness to learn and then apply what he learned to move himself closer to his goals.
“When I am retired, I don’t want to have to say I wish I would have done more. I don’t want that.”— Kobe Bryant.
As such, Kobe Bryant’s success principle can be summarized as a relentless focus on the end result. The great news is the ability to be relentless is in all of you.
1. According to the author, what makes Kobe Bryant a legend?| A．Kobe Bryant’s attitudes and will. | B．Kobe Bryant’s money and power. |
| C．Kobe Bryant’s devoted fans. | D．Kobe Bryant’s methods of training. |
| A．By time order. | B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By giving example. | D．By explaining words meaning. |
| A．Success results from consistent efforts. | B．Always prepare for a rainy day. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．The early bird catches the worm. |
| A．Positive and considerate. | B．Self-disciplined and hard-working. |
| C．Confident and humble. | D．Selfless and energetic |
9 . When your dream is to become a footballer, nothing should get in your way —even if you have no feet.
Gabriel Muniz, an 1l–year-old Brazil kid, was born without feet. Although his family thought he would have serious difficulties living a normal life, he started walking before he was one year old. His mother would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell. It took him a while to make the jump from walking to playing football, but he did make it. And, in fact, there’s nothing he loves more than playing football. In his school, the skillful youngster is not only the best player in his school team but also the captain of his gym team.
He knows that his disability means he’ll never be able to play for a professional football team. So Gabriel is hoping that football will one day become a Paralympics(残疾人奥运会)sport. He proved to everyone there he could go head to head with any other boy. Watching him play is unbelievable. He’s fast and he’s got a big bag of tricks – he’s very skilled and he does everything he can to copy his hero, Messi so much that he was invited to go to Spain to meet his hero Messi and show his talent in the Barcelona Football Club. His coach says he is proving the disability only exists(存在)inside our heads and he is challenging the social rules.
1. What’s the meaning of “make it” in para. 2?| A．finish doing sth. | B．quit doing sth. |
| C．fail in doing sth. | D．succeed in doing sth. |
| A．thinks others laugh at him | B．is a skillful football player |
| C．prefers playing for a club | D．is a professional football player |
| A．Strong-willed and enthusiastic. | B．Devoted and kind-hearted. |
| C．Talented and patient. | D．Intelligent and considerate. |
10 . In a quiet Northern California neighborhood, Michael seemed like a normal 11-year-old boy. His family made use of the Californian sunshine to grow orange trees and roses. All seemed good from the outside, but Michael was troubled.
Since he was taken in at 3 years old, Michael never really connected with his parents. There was a strictness about them that his nature couldn’t understand, and he was left to himself to sort out (整理) confusing feelings and the need for connection.
Without the tie a young boy needs at home, Michael often found himself down the street at his best friend’s house. Of course, the two boys laughed, read picture books and ate junk food. But the real reason why Michael liked his friend’s home was Mr. Christensen. He was the kind of father who understands boys.
With Mr. Christensen, the boys spent hours in the garage fixing an old sports car. They drove up the California coast at high speed, feeling the salt wind wash over them. The car was too loud to allow for any conversation, which was fine with Michael. He didn’t yet know how to express his feelings; for the time being, just being able to feel them was enough.
For many young boys, the language of connection is written in the wrenches (扳手) they and their parents turn, the wrestling matches they watch, the hours of their watching clouds race by overhead. Mr. Christensen understood that boys need time to learn this language. He knew a boy learns respect and duty by being loved in an unspoken way.
Some 50 years later, Michael remembers his time with Mr. Christensen. “My own father couldn’t raise me, so I was given away. My adoptive father (养父) did his best but never allowed a relationship to form between us. Luckily for me, I had Mr. Christensen. I have tried to be the kind of father he was, teaching, having fun and spending time with my child.”
1. What was the problem with young Michael?| A．He had to do hard work on the farm. |
| B．He dropped out of school with his best friend. |
| C．He was given up by his parents as a little kid. |
| D．He was treated badly by his adoptive parents. |
| A．Strong wind. | B．Too loud noise. | C．Busy repair work. | D．Driving excitement. |
| A．By taking part in competitions. | B．Through communication. |
| C．By studying hard. | D．Through doing things together. |
| A．Mr. Christensen. | B．His friends. |
| C．His own father. | D．His adoptive parents. |
