1 . Traveling on an airplane can be a very tiring task even in the best of circumstances, which is why when Sophie Murphy boarded a recent flight from Sydney to Melbourne and noticed an “awful tension” in the cabin, she first thought it was caused by typical bad-tempered passengers. But as the flight neared its end, it became obvious that something was very wrong.
A teenage boy with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征) who was traveling with his family had become upset and would not return to his seat, regardless of the cabin crew’s warnings over the loudspeaker that it was almost time to land. The pilot was forced to circle above the airport, delaying the landing—and angering people on the already tense flight.
“If it were a cartoon,” remembered Murphy, “there would have been smoke coming out of people’s ears.”
As the boy’s elderly parents and adult brothers and sisters tried to persuade him to get off the floor and back into his seat, but in vain, Murphy, 42 — who had been a teacher for more than 20 years — stood up and quickly headed to the back of the plane.
She found the boy in the passage between rows of seats, lying on his belly, and lay down on her stomach to face him. She began chatting calmly with him, asking his name, his favorite book, and his favorite characters. He told her he felt sick and she tried to comfort him.
Minutes later, he allowed her to hold his hand—and then together they got properly back into airplane seats. Murphy asked for sick bags, and held them as the boy threw up several times, including on her. As she helped him clean up, she repeatedly told him everything would be okay and that they’d get through it together.
After the plane was finally able to land, no one was impatient to step off the flight as one might expect. Instead, calmed passengers—obviously following Murphy’s amazing example — allowed the boy and his family to depart first, smiling at them as they passed. His parents tearfully thanked Murphy for what she had done, and a doctor sitting nearby also let her know he had even taken notes on her expert way of handling the situation.
1. How did Murphy manage to handle the “awful tension” ?| A．She communicated with the boy. |
| B．She fought against unfair treatment. |
| C．She asked an experienced doctor to help. |
| D．She called on other passengers to join her. |
| A．a family ignored the warnings |
| B．a boy refused to sit in his seat |
| C．smoke was coming out of the engine |
| D．the pilot was forced to change the destination |
| A．The boy’s improvement. | B．The plane’s safe landing. |
| C．The teacher’s efforts. | D．The crew’s behavior. |
| A．Kind and cool-headed. | B．Patient and interested. |
| C．Wise and cooperative. | D．Generous and cautious. |
2 . He was the last person who should have run into a burning building—he had lung disease. But that didn’t stop him. Michael Surrell and his wife was parking when they got a call from their daughter: “The house next door is on fire!” He went to investigate.
Though the fire department had been called, Surrell ran inside. The thick smoke burned his eyes and made it impossible to breathe. The conditions were life-threatening for Surrell.
After a few minutes, he went outside to catch his breath. Taking a deep breath, he went in again. The house was similar to his, so he made it to the second floor. He couldn’t see anything. Then a soft moan (呻吟声) came. Still unable to see, Surrell crawled (爬行) toward the sound, feeling around for any sign of the trapped.
Finally, he touched something. He pulled the kid toward him and held her into his arms and stood. He fought through the smoke and ran into the blackness. The next thing he knew, he was at the front door, then outside. Surrell put Tiara down on the porch. He started CPR. Soon a cough came from Tiara’s throat. Surrell gave five more breaths. She coughed again, opened her eyes and took a breath on her own.
Surrell woke up in the hospital days later, having suffered severe burns to his lungs. He spent a week in the hospital. The fire worsened Surrell’s condition, and he feels the effects even two years later. “It’s a small price to pay,” he says. “I’d do it again without a second thought.”
1. What was Surrell doing when he got to know the fire?| A．He was parking. | B．He was walking with his wife. |
| C．He was washing his car. | D．He was talking with his daughter. |
| A．Surrell saved Tiara at his first attempt. |
| B．Surrell never regret carrying out his deed. |
| C．Surrell called the fire department before running inside. |
| D．Surrell saw Tiara on the second floor and carried her outside. |
| A．Kind and devoted. | B．Brave and devoted. | C．Generous and kind. | D．Considerate and devoted. |
| A．A Big Fire Broke out | B．A Man Carried out CPR to Save a Girl |
| C．The Last Man Saved Another Person | D．Surrell Suffered Severe Burns to His Lungs |
3 . Natalie Doan always feels lucky to live in Rockaway. Living near the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. “The ocean makes Rockaway special,” she says.
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. Hurricane Sandy hit Rockaway hard. Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn before the city’s bridges closed. When they returned the next day, they found their neighborhood destroyed. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. People were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was damaged, so she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.
In the following days, the people helping Rockaway inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with clothing and food. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people.
“My mom tells me I can’t control what happens,” Natalie says, “but I can choose how I deal with it.” Natalie chose to help. She created a website page, matching survivors in need with donors wanting to help. Natalie posted information about a boy who lost his baseball card collection. Within days, his collection was found.
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring needed supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House.
Today, the scars (创痕) of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can’t imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,” Natalie declares.
1. What did Natalie find when she returned to Rockaway after the hurricane?| A．Some friends lost their lives. | B．Her neighborhood was in ruins. |
| C．Her school moved to Brooklyn. | D．The elderly were free from suffering. |
| A．They rebuilt their houses. | B．They brought them water and food. |
| C．They cleaned their houses. | D．They bought them clothing and food. |
| A．There is still hope. | B．Hope is flying in the sky. | C．People lost all hope. | D．The air is fresh and clean. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．East or west, home is the best. | D．Little people can make a big difference. |
4 . Barnaby, the Lawrence family’s cat, had been missing for eight months. On January 11, 2022, Rachel Lawrence was on the phone with her vet (兽医). Her younger cat, Torvi, had just received an operation and she was asking how he was.
During the call, Lawrence heard a meow (喵喵叫). It may have been a standard meow to anyone else’s ears, but to Lawrence, there was something distinct about this sound. She asked the vet if that was Torvi and was told that was just a stray (走失的宠物) that had been brought in a week before.
Lawrence put down the phone and could not stop thinking about that. Could that be long-lost Barnaby? Unable to dismiss that unlikely thought, she called the vet back a few hours later. She asked if that meow came from a black cat and if the cat had a white dot on his back foot. The reply was “Yes”. “That had to be Barnaby,” Lawrence concluded.
When she went to pick up Torvi, she brought photos of Barnaby, nicknamed Fatman by her three kids. When the vet brought Barnaby to her, Lawrence broke down in what she described as tears and cries, but not with sadness.
She couldn’t wait to video-call her three children and said, “Look who I found.”
“Fatman,” they cried out with joy!
Lawrence had previously put a chip into Barnaby, but it did not work and so when he was lost, they had no hope of finding him again. Yet, thanks to the kindness of the person who found Barnaby and took him to the vet, and to the incredible hearing of his pet owner, this cat is back.
Barnaby is safely home with the Lawrence family and Torvi. He returned home thin with little fur and many scars. Barnaby is eating well, and with all the love and attention, the family hopes he will grow back into Fatman.
1. Why did Rachel Lawrence make a second call to the vet?| A．To get more details about the stray cat. |
| B．To check if Torvi was in good condition. |
| C．To confirm the schedule for an operation. |
| D．To seek a way to identify different meows. |
| A．Sad. | B．Frightened. | C．Calm. | D．Thrilled. |
| A．He was safe and sound. | B．He didn’t receive any kindness. |
| C．He became much fatter. | D．He had a really rough time. |
| A．A Kind Vet Took Good Care of a Long-lost Cat |
| B．A Missing Cat’s Meow Led to a Happy Reunion |
| C．A Determined Cat Owner Finally Cured Her Cat |
| D．A Young Cat’s Operation Saved Another Cat's Life |
5 . In 2010, my mother-in-law gave me her rather simple but graceful, antique “secretary desk”. The desk easily fit into the tiny room at the top of the stairs. I felt so secure, and confident when I sat down and began each writing session. Despite the desk’s appeal, its limited storage capacity meant that I often put file folders and books on the small floor space around me. After each writing session, I painstakingly gathered the tools of the trade and placed them on a nearby shelf until the next session.
A few years into my writing journey, we moved into a bigger home and I acquired my own office. My husband, Bill offered on more than one occasion to buy me a new desk for my office, but I ignored his offer.
One day, we stopped at the local office supply store. Bill found what he thought was the perfect desk for me. “I want to buy this for you, sweetie. My writer needs a bigger desk. ”He hugged me.
“Thanks, but I don’t want a bigger desk!” I said.
“Why don’t you want a bigger desk?” he said. “You must be afraid of something.”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” I said. “Like I said, I really like my little desk. So don’t ask me again.”
He didn’t.
A few weeks later, while working in my new office. I looked around at the folders, books and papers lying all over my office floor but couldn’t find what needed to meet a contest deadline. My heart raced. I looked around my office. The room basically swallowed the tiny desk, making it look slightly out of place. Maybe I did need a bigger desk. Was Bill right? Was I afraid of something?
Unable to write, I pulled c. JoyBell C.’s book of poetry, All Things Dance Like Dragonflies (蜻蜓), from the bookshelf. I flipped through its pages, and her words about faith jumped off the page into my heart. She talked about how she had trained herself to love the feeling of not knowing where she was going, and just trusting that as she opened up her wings and flew off in an unknown direction, things would work out.
At that moment, I recognized that a bigger desk symbolized bigger possibilities, stepping out in faith, and leaving my comfort zone.
1. What was the limitation of the “secretary desk”?| A．It was too old to be functional. |
| B．It competed with the shelf for room. |
| C．It prevented the author focusing on writing. |
| D．It was a bit small in size. |
| A．After she was stuck in a mess. |
| B．When she finished writing a book. |
| C．When she moved into a bigger house. |
| D．After she missed an important contest. |
| A．Unemployment. | B．Loss of inspiration. |
| C．Uncertainty. | D．Lack of trust. |
| A．My Writing Journey | B．On the Wings of Change |
| C．My Lifelong Faith | D．On the Desk of Fate |
6 . A very frightening thing happened on the weekend, but luckily a hero saved all. A New Jersey police officer safely caught a one-month-old baby dropped off a second-floor balcony over the weekend, authorities said.
The Hudson County prosecutor’s office said Officer Eduardo Matute was among those called to the Jersey City residence Saturday morning after reports that a man was threatening the baby.
NorthJersey.com reports that he and several officers were positioned below the second-floor balcony as the child was dangled over the balcony fence. Officials said the man dropped the baby after a long negotiation with the officers leader, and to the relief of everyone present, Matute caught the child on the spot.
City spokesperson Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said the child was taken to the hospital. Mayor Steve Fulop later posted a photo on social media of the officer holding the child, who was wrapped in a white blanket.
“Thankfully the baby wasn’t harmed physically,” Fulop said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what charges he would face. Other details weren’t available.
“Kudos to the JCPD and all the officers involved for their heroics and for bringing a safe conclusion to this dangerous situation,” the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
1. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word “dangled” in Paragraph 3?| A．Hung. | B．Fastened. | C．Exhibited. | D．Thrown. |
| A．Amazed. | B．Relieved. | C．Frightened. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．It lost its father. | B．It was seriously hurt. |
| C．It was completely safe. | D．It was without physical damage. |
| A．An Unknown Hero | B．A Lucky Dog |
| C．A Police Officer Saving a Baby | D．A Policeman Making a Breakthrough |
7 . Jeni Stepanek’s home is an attractive four-bedroomed house. Had it been a one-roomed small house, however, Jeni would still have bought it. The only thing that mattered when she moved in four years ago was its location. It is near the 26-acre park in Rockville, near Washington, DC, created in honor of her son Mattie.
The park has play spaces, but at its heart is a memorial peace garden with a life-size statue of Mattie and his dog Micah. “Every day, I sit at my window and see mothers go over to the statue with their children,” says Jeni. “It is a terrible thing for a parent to bury a child, but I do see how Mattie has touched the world.”
Jeni is a mother who has experienced more sadness than most of us could imagine. All four of her children were born with a genetic disorder (遗传性疾病). The first three died before the age of four. Mattie survived until three weeks before his 14th birthday. In his short lifetime, he had sold more than two million copies of his poetry collections and given encouraging speeches to thousands of followers. His heroes—Oprah Winfrey, poet Maya Angelou, former US president Jimmy Carter became his best friends. At his funeral Carter said, “My wife and I have known kings, queens and presidents, but the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known is Mattie Stepanek.”
In the years after Mattie died, Jeni had been writing about his short but meaningful life. “I didn’t want my sadness to flow onto the pages and nor did I want people to think I was hanging on to Mattie’s coat tails. But I knew in the end I would tell the story because I was the only one who lived it with him,” she said. Jeni’s now published book Messenger is a celebration of Mattie’s achievements that were beyond his years.
1. Why did Jeni buy the house?| A．Because of its attractive four bedrooms. | B．Because of its special location. |
| C．Because of its low price. | D．Because of its excellent conditions. |
| A．An accident. | B．A mental disease. |
| C．A natural disease. | D．A natural disaster. |
| A．Appreciative. | B．Pitiful. | C．Patient. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Jeni was still in deep sorrow. | B．Jeni wanted to be a writer. |
| C．Jeni continued her son’s writing work. | D．Jeni was proud of her son. |
8 . “Have you checked the oil in the car?” my father used to say to me, his way of “Hello, hope you are well.” Sometimes our phone calls would begin with a question about the oil and end with a question about the oil, with not a lot in between.
Fathers have a lot of love to give, but it’s often offered by means of practical advice. In my experience: It’s mostly about my car. “How’s the car running?” “Did you get it serviced?” My car — an old green Toyota Corona bought for $500 — was where my father showed his love.
Why can’t we fathers just say “I love you” or “It’s great to see you”? The point is: that’s exactly what we are saying. You just have to translate from the language that is Fatherlish. Listen closely enough and the phrase “I love you” can be heard in the slightly longer “I could come around Saturday and repair your chair.” The words “You made my life better from the moment you were born” may be hardly heard, but the main meaning is there in the more common “I’ll hold the ladder while you get the leaves down from the roof.”
When I was 17, I went on my first road trip — a friend and I in that old car. My father stood on the corner on a cold morning to say goodbye. “Highways are dangerous,” he said, “so don’t try overtaking anything faster than a horse and buggy. And take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil.” At the time we thought his speech was pretty funny and would sing “horse-and-buggy” every time I tried to overtake some other speeding cars.
Dad’s long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that had I owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I’d have understood that the speech my friend and I so carelessly laughed at was simply Dad’s attempt at love.
1. Why did the author’s father often ask about the car?| A．To show his love for the car. | B．To see if there is enough oil. |
| C．To express his care to his son. | D．To check the condition of the car. |
| A．I love you deeply. | B．It’s great to see you. |
| C．You made my life better. | D．I can check the oil for you. |
| A．Outrunning. | B．Approaching. |
| C．Crashing into. | D．Knocking over. |
| A．He wanted to own a dictionary. | B．He regrets his childish behavior. |
| C．He is sad about his father’s death. | D．He realized his father’s love then. |
9 . Each year people are crazy about different ceremonies. Many graduation ceremonies look special and different. But for Melody, it looked so unique because of the classmate who graduated alongside her — her grandmother, 75-year-old Pat Ormond. They both went to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and graduated together.
Pat took her first college class 42 years ago. After one semester, she dropped out to move to Chattanooga, where she spent the next several decades working as an accountant and raising a family. While she did take an occasional class at UTC, she says her family continued to encourage her to go back to finish her degree, especially after she retired. She agreed when her granddaughter decided to move to study psychology at UTC after a year at Berea College. They both entered UTC with enough college credits to make graduating together a possibility.
Pat and Melody graduated on November 20 as part of UTC’s 2020 class. The achievement has also made Pat somewhat of a celebrity.
“We are so proud to have graduates like Melody and her grandmother, Pat Ormond, in the UTC class of 2020,” said Steven, UTC Chancellor. “Together, they personify the determination, commitment and love for lifelong learning we encourage in every UTC graduate.”
Pat hopes that she can be an example to other non-traditional college students who want to get their degrees. “Learning never stops,” Pat said. “That’s something that my father taught me when I was young. No matter what you do, learning never stops.” Pat isn’t planning to stop anytime soon. She’s already working on another degree-a bachelor’s degree in history.
Meanwhile, her granddaughter, who is hunting jobs, is interested in getting a master’s degree in clinical psychology so she can become a lawyer. But she says she’s in no rush. Her nanna has taught her that she has plenty of time.
1. Why was Melody’s graduation ceremony so special?| A．Because her grandmother graduated alongside her. | B．Because her grandmother was 75 years old. |
| C．Because it looked quite different from others. | D．Because she celebrated it with all her classmates. |
| A．They are anxious to be celebrities. | B．They prefer attending non-traditional colleges. |
| C．They never stop creating opportunities. | D．They support and encourage each other. |
| A．Repeat. | B．Represent. | C．Identify. | D．Follow. |
| A．Love me, love my dog. | B．Passion gives life power. |
| C．A good beginning is half done. | D．It’s never too late to learn. |
10 . Things were not going well for David McCartney on the evening of January 9th, 2006. David McCartney, the father of two, was running late to a meeting, and had been stopped for a speeding ticket. But the delay (延误) put him right where he needed to be when Elizabeth Testerman’s car ran out of the road, catching fire and bursting into flames (着火). Thinking fast, MeCartney called 911 and ran to Testerman’s car and pulled her out from the car with the help from two others. “I got to save a life,” says McCartney. “So it would end up being a pretty good day.”
That life-changing event led to a longtime friendship with Testerman, who encouraged him to continue to do good things for other people. In 2019, her message inspired McCartney, a distance runner, to donate his kidney (肾脏) to a stranger before death. Since then, McCartney’s goal has been to run 50-plus-mile marathons in his own state to increase awareness about knowing kidney disease, and also raise money for Team Mason. It is a local organization that brings people’s awareness of kidney disease.
Though McCartney had donated one of his kidneys, he also had to accept the fact that he never got to meet the person who received his kidney, because he or she chose to remain anonymous. “I would have liked to shake his or her hands,” he explains. “But you can’t know what the person is going through.”
After he recovered from his donating kidney, McCartney finally got back to run—but this time, with a new purpose. “We’re trying to get people involved in all the states.” says McCartney. “We’ve got to take this platform as far as we can.” “It’s a big business,” adds McCartney. “But if the sun is shining, we’re running.”
1. How did McCartney feel at last on the evening of January 9th, 2006?| A．Moved. | B．Grateful. | C．Upset. | D．Proud. |
| A．McCartney tried to get people aware of kidney disease. |
| B．Testerman had set up Team Mason before she died. |
| C．McCartney donated one of his kidneys to Testerman. |
| D．Testerman died of a serious kidney disease. |
| A．Curious. | B．Unnamed. | C．Responsible. | D．Special. |
| A．To exercise so that he could recover soon. |
| B．To raise money for those with kidney disease. |
| C．To make more people to know about kidney disease. |
| D．To win 50-plus-mile marathons throughout the US. |
