1 . 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. |
2 . 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. |
3 . Some of my earliest memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night when he came home from the office. I’d watch as he put his personal items away: his watch, wallet, comb and car keys. They would always occupy the same spot on the table every time.
Dad’s comb was jade green. I heard he bought it when he married Mum. Every night, he would smile, hand me the comb and say, “Be a good girl and help Daddy clean it, OK?”
I was more than happy to do it. At age five, this kind of task brought me such joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on, and then brush the comb with a used toothbrush as hard as I could. Satisfied that I’d done a good job, I would proudly return the comb to Dad. He would smile at me, and place the comb on top of his wallet.
About two years later, Dad left his sales job and started his own wholesale business. I started primary school. That was when things started to change. Dad’s business wasn’t doing so well, and our stable life started getting shaky. He didn’t come home as much as he used to. And when he did come home, it was always late and I’d already be in bed. I started to get mad. Why didn’t he listen to Mum and just stick to his old job? Why take the risk and place the whole family in trouble? Over the years, I stopped waiting for him to come home, and stopped going downstairs to check on him.
Now 28, I’ve graduated from college and got a job. Dad’s business has also started to get back on track. Yet the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me went on.
Two days before my birthday last year, Dad came home early. On that evening, I helped him carry his bags into his study as usual. When I turned to leave, he asked me to clean his comb. I looked at him for a while, then took the comb and headed to the sink.
It was a new comb. This one was brown. I hadn’t noticed that he’d changed it. After cleaning it, I passed it back to Dad. He looked at it and smiled. But this time, I noticed something different. My dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled, yet his smile was still as heartwarming as before.
1. From the first three paragraphs, we can learn .| A．the earliest memories with Dad were full of joy |
| B．the precious green comb of Dad was made of jade |
| C．the author was unwilling to clean the comb for Dad |
| D．the author would study together with Dad every evening |
| A．That he was eager to get everything on track. | B．That he wanted to keep his family life stable. |
| C．That he was laid off and had to make a living. | D．That he hoped to earn a better life for the family. |
| A．cheerful→ mad→ warm. | B．mad → satisfied → warm. |
| C．satisfied → worried → angry. | D．warm → concerned → uncomfortable. |
| A．A Comb of Jade Green | B．Dad’s Wholesale Business |
| C．Evenings with My Dad | D．My Earliest Memories with Dad |
4 . Grace and her family thought they had lost Thor forever when they moved to Windsor, Nova Scotia from British Columbia last August.
“We probably spent seven or eight months looking for Thor,” Grace said. “What made it worse was that there were rumors(谣言) going around that there was dogfighting in our area. We still always hoped that somebody had taken him to be a pet, but you just never knew.”
“It was terrible. My daughter Bronwyn would try to find Thor everywhere, which had been a Christmas present for her. Even while watching TV programmes, she would say, ‘Oh, look! That dog looks like Thor!’” Grace said. Then the family moved, and the hope became impossible.
But one day, the phone rang. It was their former vet in British Columbia, saying Thor was in a rescue shelter(收容所) in High River, Alberta. He had been found at a work camp in the northern part of the place and taken to south by a man planning to keep him. But the man was forced to turn him over to the shelter when he couldn’t keep Thor in his rented home. Luckily, the ring on Thor’s neck gave people some information.
Thor was flown to Nova Scotia last week. The family picked him up at the airport. “Thor was just lying in his box and looking down, and my daughter walked over and said, ‘Hey Thor.’ He immediately stood up, trying to greet my daughter. We let him out and he jumped on her as if he was giving her a big hug and he kissed her face. Then he sat down suddenly at her feet and rolled over for attention. He was cute.” Grace said.
1. Who helped Thor back home?| A．The author. | B．Grace. | C．The former vet. | D．Bronwyn. |
| A．He came back by air. |
| B．He was killed in the dogfighting. |
| C．He was given to Grace by Bronwyn. |
| D．He moved to British Columbia with the family. |
| A．Anxious and shocked. | B．Excited and joyful. |
| C．Confused and annoyed. | D．Hopeful and calm. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A news report. |
| C．A geography text book. | D．A health magazine. |
5 . As a young man, Al was a skilled artist. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his oldest son developed a stomachache. Thinking it was only some common illness, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the illness became serious, and the boy died suddenly that night.
Knowing the death could have been prevented if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al’s emotional health was weakened under the effect of his guilt. To make matters worse, his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his sixyearold younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could handle, and he began to take in a lot of alcohol and became an alcoholic．
As the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he had—his home, his land, his art objects, everything. Eventually Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room.
When I heard of Al’s death, I thought he was a loser because he ended his life with nothing material to show for it.
As time went by, I began to change my judgment. You see, I knew Al’s now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.
One day, Ernie told me, “From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, my dad came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘I love you, son.’”
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind. But he left love to his son, who became one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known.
1. Which of the following is true about Al according to the passage?| A．He used to have a happy family. | B．He lost his sons when he was young. |
| C．He went through the hard times bravely. | D．He died with his family around him. |
| A．It refers to a person who has lost his children. |
| B．It refers to a person who drinks too much alcohol. |
| C．It refers to a person who trades alcohol for a living. |
| D．It refers to a person who has mental diseases. |
| A．He has a kind and loving heart. | B．He loses courage just like his father. |
| C．He himself is now an alcoholic too. | D．He also has an unhappy family. |
| A．taking any disease seriously is really important |
| B．love and kindness can pass on to the next generation |
| C．it is not good to judge others easily |
| D．emotional health can affect one’s life |
6 . One morning a deer rushed into a courtyard where a little boy was playing. The deer hooked the boy’s clothing with its antlers (角). This scared the little boy so much that he let out a loud cry which brought his mother running out to see what was happening. She came out just in time and saw the deer running off towards the mountains with her little boy.
The mother was so afraid! She ran after the deer as fast as she could, and not too far away，she found her son sitting on the grass safely. Seeing his mother, the little boy laughed and reached out his arms to her. His mother held him tight. She was so happy that she cried.
She hurried back with her dear son. When she got home, she was amazed at what she saw. The huge tree behind her house had fallen down while she was out running after the deer. The whole house was destroyed under the tee’s great weight.
Then the mother remembered the day about a year before when a deer, fleeing from a hunter, had run into her house. She felt sorry for the frightened deer, so she covered it with some clothes and let it return to the forest.
The deer seemed to understand that she had saved its life. When leaving, it kept bowing its head to her, as if it were thanking her for her kindness.
She never imagined that the deer could remember her help. It somehow knew the tree was going to fall and kill her and her son, so it came back to save them.
When the mother remembered all this, she said, “Saving the life of another is the same as saving the life of your own.”
1. What happened when the mother ran out of the house?| A．A deer escaped into her house. | B．Her son was carried away by a deer. |
| C．The big tree behind her house fell down. | D．Her son was sitting safely on the ground. |
①The mother saved the deer from the hunter. ②The mother ran after the deer.
③The deer carried the boy away. ④The house was damaged by the fallen tree.
⑤The boy was found sitting on the ground safely.
| A．①④⑤②③ | B．①③②⑤④ | C．②①④⑤③ | D．④①⑤②③ |
| A．She was strong. | B．She was anxious. | C．She was kind. | D．She was smart. |
| A．A Life-saving Story | B．Woman Saving Her Son |
| C．Helping the Deer | D．Saving A Deer, Saving A Dear |
7 . At 12, my father decided to take me on a trip to France. I had never been out of the country before, so I was very excited. My aunt, my father and I went around with my father showing us all the unbelievable sites in Paris. None of us spoke much French but we loved the city.
We had taken the subway all over the city and were congratulating ourselves on our mastering what is honestly an excellent subway design that is pretty easy to follow. We decided to visit Versailles by train. We chatted happily along the way until my father realized we were far into the French countryside and no one around spoke English.
We reached the end of the line and felt afraid when everyone finally left the train. An old man and his grandchild noticed us and came to help. He spoke no English, so in broken French we tried to explain. When he finally understood, this great man settled his grandson and showed us to the correct train and then boarded with us.
Later we knew the truth that there was a train transfer (转乘) and he didn’t want us to miss it. This kind man rode a train for an hour and a half out of his way to make sure that three Americans got where they wanted to be. He refused to let us pay for his ticket. He did it all with a gentle smile and patted our hands gently at the stop. Then in his quiet way, he boarded the train to return the way he had come.
What impressed me most was the man and his kindness during the amazing trip. Some Americans think the French are rude for some reason, but I always try to persuade them to change their minds with this very story.
1. What happened to the author and his family on the train?| A．They couldn’t understand the signs of the train. |
| B．They failed to get off the train at the right time. |
| C．They had different opinions about where to go first. |
| D．They found it hard to communicate with the French. |
| A．He paid for their train tickets. | B．He showed them the returning way. |
| C．He invited them to travel together. | D．He led them to their place. |
| A．Seeing is believing. | B．Being kind is a good manner. |
| C．Travelling enriches one’s life. | D．Helping others brings great pleasure. |
| A．To explain an unexpected problem. |
| B．To list the unbelievable sites in Paris. |
| C．To share an unforgettable foreign experience. |
| D．To show the importance of mastering a foreign language. |
8 . My teacher held up a piece of broken glass and asked, “Who broke this window?”
Thirty boys tried to think about not only what they had done, but also what the teacher might have found out. She seldom became angry, but she was this time.
“Oh,” I thought. I was the one who broke the window. It was caused by a naughty throw of a baseball. If I admitted guilt, I would be in a lot of trouble. How would I be able to pay for a big window like that? I didn’t even get an allowance. “My father is going to have a fit as a result of it,” I thought. I didn’t want to raise my hand, but some force much stronger than I was pulled it skyward (朝向天空). I told the truth, “I did it.” It was hard enough to say what I had done.
My teacher took down a book from one of our library shelves and I had never known my teacher to strike a student, but I feared she was going to start with me.
“I know how much you like birds,” she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face. “Here is the field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out. It is yours now. It’s time we got a new one for the school anyway. You will not be punished, but remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed (恶行), but I am rewarding you for your truthfulness.”
I couldn’t believe it! I wasn’t being punished and I was getting my own bird field guide — the very one that I had been saving up money to buy.
The lesson my teacher taught me stays with me every day, and it will echo forever.
1. From the story, we can learn that the boy .| A．didn’t break the window on purpose |
| B．lacked the courage to admit his guilt |
| C．tried to think about what he had done |
| D．didn’t know what the teacher had found out |
| A．be punished by the teacher |
| B．make his father angry |
| C．pay for the broken window |
| D．get a bird field guide |
| A．Afraid—Surprised—Thankful. |
| B．Frightened—Amazed—Proud. |
| C．Regretful—Guilty—Excited. |
| D．Nervous—Afraid—Satisfied. |
| A．Every coin has two sides. |
| B．Honesty is always valued. |
| C．Bad luck never comes alone. |
| D．You can’t be too careful. |
9 . In 1992, when Xi Jinping worked in Fuzhou, he came across a newspaper report about “My Guling,” written by a Chinese student studying in the United States.
The report described an unsuccessful attempt by an American couple to revisit the small town of Guling in southern China. Her husband, Milton Gardner, spent 10 years here as a child before moving back to the United States in 1911.
Gardner later became a professor of physics at the University of California. He has been eager to return to Guling since China and the US established diplomatic relations in 1979. But because of his failing health, he never made the trip.
Gardner spent his final hours saying “Kuling, Kuling,” according to the newspaper.
After his death, his wife, Elizabeth Gardner, decided to carry out her husband’s last wish and has since made several trips to China to try to find the small city her husband loved so much. Her efforts were in vain as she had few clues (clues) as to the exact location of the town. But a Chinese student of the Gardner family identified the town as Guling, near Fuzhou, from a postmark on some of the late Mr. Gardner’s old mail. The student wrote an article about Gardner’s story and sent it to the People’s Daily, one of China’s leading newspapers.
“After I read the story, I immediately contacted Mrs. Gardner through the relevant authorities and invited her to visit,” told the press. There she met nine of her husband’s childhood friends, all of whom were over 90 at the time.
“She said she would cherish the friendship (bond) between her husband and the Chinese people, because after seeing the beautiful Guling and the warmth and goodwill of the Chinese people with her own eyes, she now understands why her husband is so attached to China.”
I believe there are many such touching stories between the Chinese and American people.
1. What can we infer from the passage?| A．Mr. and Mrs. Gardner were brought up in a southern Chinese town. |
| B．Soon after Milton Gardner left, the name of the town changed. |
| C．Guling might have been pronounced as Kuling in English originally. |
| D．Mrs. Gardner knew exactly where the small town lay in south China. |
| A．lived and worked in Guling for ten years |
| B．had few memories about the small Chinese town |
| C．kept in touch with his childhood playmates until he passed away |
| D．was deeply impressed by Guling’s people and environment; |
| A．The help from newspapers. | B．Mrs. Gardner’s hard efforts. |
| C．Mr. Xi’s concern and arrangement. | D．The Chinese student’s letter to Mr.Xi. |
| A．the Gardners’ story is a moving one with a happy ending |
| B．the Chinese student studying in the US must be from Fuzhou |
| C．the mails which became clues of Guling were sent by Gardner |
| D．the American couple revisited China trying to find Guling but in vain |
10 . Every April, I find myself troubled by the same concern—that spring might not occur this year. The landscape looks dull, with hills, sky and forest appearing gray. On May 3, I awoke to a green so amazing as to be almost electric, as if spring were simply a matter of pressing a switch. Hills, sky and forest revealed their purples, blues and green.
Then there was the old apple tree. It sits on an undeveloped lot in my neighborhood. It belongs to no one and therefore to everyone. The tree’s dark branches stretch out in unpruned (未经修剪的) abandon.
Until last year, I thought I was the only one aware of this tree. And then one day, in a bit of spring madness, I set out to prune (修剪) a few disorderly branches. No sooner had I arrived under the tree than neighbors opened their windows and stepped onto their porches (门廊). These were people I barely knew, but it was as if I had come uninvited into their personal gardens. My mobile-home neighbor was the first to speak. “You’re not going to cut it down, are you?” she asked anxiously.
Soon, half the neighborhood joined me under the apple tree. It struck me that I had lived there for five years and only now was learning these people’s names, what they did for a living and how they passed the winter. It was as if the old apple tree was gathering us under its branches for the purpose of both acquaintanceship and shared wonder.
Just the other day, I saw one neighbor at the local store. He remarked how this recent winter had been especially long and complained of not having seen or spoken at length to anyone in our neighborhood. And then, he looked at me and said, “We need to prune that apple tree again.”
1. How did the author feel about the sudden change of the view?| A．Frightened. | B．Depressed. | C．Surprised. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．They intended to greet the author. |
| B．They felt astonished to notice a stranger. |
| C．They meant to protect their personal gardens. |
| D．They wondered what might happen to the tree. |
| A．It served as a bond. | B．It was left unattended. |
| C．It stayed in a poor condition. | D．It proved to be unappealing. |
| A．The arrival of spring. | B．The neighborhood gathering. |
| C．The pruning of the apple tree. | D．Entertainment in the long winter. |
