1 . There are two roads that people can take.
My father taught me this important rule. Each week he would lay out the chores (家务) for the next seven days. Many of them could be done any time during the week.
| A．Life will demand a payment. |
| B．Life is not a gift but an investment (投资). |
| C．This lesson has been valuable to me. |
| D．So we can make a decision by ourselves. |
| E．Our goal was to complete them by Saturday noon. |
| F．They can either make excuses or make progress in life. |
| G．They can either play now and pay later or pay now and play later. |
2 . The next morning Alex was waiting in the FMA president’s suite when Jerome Patterton arrived. Alex filled him in quickly on the Jax report. Then he said, “I want you to give an order to the trust department to sell every share of Supranational we’re holding.”
“I won’t!” Patterton’s voice rose. “Who do you think you are, giving orders---“ “I’ll tell you who I am, Jerome. I’m the guy who warned the board against in-depth involvement with SuNatCo. I fought against heavy trust department buying of the stock, but no one---including you ---would listen. Now Supranational is caving in.” Alex leaned across the desk and slammed a fist down hard. “Don’t you understand? Supranational can bring this bank down with it.”
Patterton was shaken. “But is SuNatCo in real trouble? Are you sure?”
“If I weren’t, do you think I’d be here? I’m giving you a chance to salvage something at least.” He pointed to his wristwatch. “It’s an hour since the New York stock market opened. Jerome, get on the phone and give that order!”
Muscles around the bank president’s mouth twitched nervously. Never decisive, strong influence often swayed him. He hesitated, then picked up the telephone.
“Get me Mitchell in the trust department… Mitch? This is Jerome. Listen carefully. I want you to give a sell order immediately on all the Supranational stock we hold… Yes, sell every share.” Patterton listened, then said impatiently, “Yes, I know what it’ll do to the market. And I know it’s irregular.” His eyes sought Alex’s for reassurance. The hand holding the telephone trembled as he said, “There’s no time to hold meetings. So do it! Yes, I accept responsibility.”
He hung up and reached for a glass of water. “The stock is already down. Our selling will depress it more. We’ll be taking a big beating.”
“It’s our clients---people who trusted us---who will take the beating. And they’d have taken a bigger one still, if we’d waited. Even now we’re not out of the woods. A week from now the SEC may disallow those sales. They may rule we had inside knowledge that Supranational was about to be bankrupt, which we should have reported and which would have halted trading in the stock.
1. Alex filled him in quickly on the Jax report. The sentence means____.| A．He filled his name on the Jax report quickly. |
| B．Alex signed his name to the Jax report quickly. |
| C．He offered the FMA president the Jax report smartly. |
| D．He prepared the Jax report for Patterton to sign smartly. |
| A．SuNatCo would bring the stock market down if it sold all the Supranational stock they held. |
| B．The president was stubborn and would never listen to others. |
| C．Alex will take the place of Patterton in the future. |
| D．the clients would take a bigger beating than the bank |
| A．the old stock can be bought and sold |
| B．shares can be bought and sold |
| C．paper stock can be bought and sold |
| D．some of the stock can be taken without being paid for |
| A．free from danger | B．short of wood |
| C．running out of wood | D．set free |
3 . Steve is James and John's big brother. One day, when their mum left for work, James and John started crying. They didn't want her to leave. Steve tried to stop them crying and said, “Let’s play hide-and-seek (捉迷藏). You hide and I'll count to ten. Then I’ll try to find you.” Steve found James under a chair and John behind a door. They played over and over again. Each time, the two boys hid in the same places. Finally, Steve felt too bored with the game. “Let’s take the dog for a walk,” he said.
When Steve walked the dog, he found James and John were running in the street. He thought it was so dangerous. Then he had an idea. “Anyone who walks back to the house with me can have some snacks!” Steve shouted.
At home, the boys ate some cookies and got ready for a sleep. James and John wanted a story. Steve told them the story about the little red hen. When their mum returned home, she was pleased to find the three sleeping boys.
1. James and John started ________ when their mum left home.| A．crying | B．running | C．reading | D．sleeping |
| A．Under a table. | B．Under a chair. | C．Behind a door. | D．Behind a box. |
| A．Because he was not good at it. |
| B．Because he didn't know where to hide. |
| C．Because his brothers made the room dirty. |
| D．Because his brothers always hid in the same places. |
| A．Staying in the house | B．Shouting at Steve |
| C．Running in the street | D．Eating some snacks |
| A．Angry | B．Pleased | C．Afraid | D．Sad. |
4 . The wind is cold and raindrops fall. Bill Porter pays little attention to the bad weather. He’s a door-to-door salesman. With heavy steps, he stops at the first house. He rings the bell. A young woman comes to the door. “Hello.” “No, thank you.” She shuts the door. Porter’s expression never changes. People might not buy now. Next time. Maybe.
He makes his way up and down the hills. His bag is heavy. His hand hurts. His brain was damaged when he was born, which caused a disorder to his nervous system that affected his speech, hands and walk.
He walks on. He knocks on a door. A man walks out from the back yard where he’s gardening. He often buys, but not today, he says, as he walks away. Then Porter is on his way. No sale. No sale. No sale.
Finally, a middle-aged woman invites Porter inside. They chat easily about what has recently happened in the neighborhood. After a few minutes, Porter takes off his hat and raincoat and sets them on a chair. Out come the glasses and the brochures.
“We have a new kind of pepper (甜椒).” “No.” “Hot spices (调味香料)?” “No.” “All natural, pure pasta toppings (意面浇料).” He looks at the customer. She’s teetering and just needs a push.
“Sure would make a nice gift.” He studies her face, searching for clues as to what she needs to hear. “Nothing man-made.” “Really? How much is a set?” she asks. “$22.99, and they go a long way.” “OK, I’ll give it a try.”
Porter removes his glasses and places everything in his bag. He pulls on his coat and hat and follows the woman to the front door. He turns to her and says, “And I thank you.”
He arrives home after 7 p. m. Today was not profitable. He tells himself not to worry. Four days left in the week. He eats at the kitchen table and listens to the radio. He hears the rain pound on the street. He must dress warmly tomorrow. Soon he’s sleepy with great care he climbs the stairs (楼梯) to his bedroom. In time, the lights go off. Morning will be here soon.
1. In what way is Porter different from other salesmen?| A．He has physical disabilities. | B．He sells products to the disabled. |
| C．He has received excellent training. | D．He is fully trusted by his customers. |
| A．He makes a sale. | B．They make small talk. |
| C．He visits a man’s backyard. | D．They walk around the neighborhood |
| A．Unhappy with the result | B．Unable to make up one’s mind. |
| C．Having little patience to wait longer. | D．Showing little confidence in oneself |
| A．Brave and generous. | B．Honest and patient. |
| C．Polite and positive. | D．Clever and caring. |
5 . After realizing students at his elementary school were going hungry at home. PE teacher Jason Watson got a wave of inspiration and a cool set of wheels.
Jason and his wife, school librarian Anne, bought a used ice-cream truck, and for the past two summers, the couple, both 39, have delivered hot homecooked lunches and icy treats to kids in need in their 1, 300-person town of Frazeysburg, Ohio, with the help of their own kids.
It all started back in 2016 when the pair started AIM Outreach, an extracurricular pro- gram for kids that included free lunches. When the tough time came in 2020, their in-person outreach was paused indefinitely. So one day Jason asked a local ice cream truck owner if he’d drive the family around to hand out free treats. What he got was something more.
“He just fell so in love with our community and what we were doing that he offered one of his ice cream trucks to us, ”Jason says. The couple purchased the truck in October, 2020 and have been hard at work since.
The family cooks all the meals themselves from scratch, posting on social media the dates and times when they will be delivering. They serve about 70 meals a week in the summer time. To date, they estimate they’ve served about 1, 500 lunches from the truck.
The couple launched a GoFundMe in June, 2022 when the truck needed both a new trans- mission and a new engine. They raised more than $ 10. 000, They’ve been blown away by the outpouring of donations.
“And we’ve been inspired to do more, ”says Anne. “Our dream is to possibly open a free cafe where we invite people to sit and have a hot dinner. Then we can sit down and share life together. That’s kind of our vision going ahead. ”
1. What made Jason Watson start the delivery?| A．A cool set of wheels. |
| B．His students being starved at home. |
| C．Encouragement from his wife. |
| D．A wave of inspiration from strangers. |
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Shocked. |
| C．Puzzled. |
| D．Embarrassed. |
| A．Employing workers. |
| B．Booking food material. |
| C．Replacing truck parts. |
| D．Buying the old truck. |
| A．To open a free shop. |
| B．To deliver more food. |
| C．To have a new truck. |
| D．To offer free food in a cafe. |
6 . In 1955, at age 12, I became obsessed (着迷) with the idea of recording an album for our parents to do something in celebration of their wedding day. My sister, brother, and I would sing our favourite songs for them.
The recording was to be kept a secret from our parents. I found a local studio, Dunford Recordings, not too far from where we lived in Christchurch. I rang and asked the cost of making a record.
To pay for the recording, I saved the money I earned from helping my aunty Mae in the school holidays. I called a family friend and persuaded her to accompany us on the piano. We couldn’t practise with her for fear of being found out, so I got my sister and brother together and we worked out a routine.
I arranged with Aunty Mae, in strictest secrecy, to take us to the studio at the appointed time. We sang our first two songs a couple of times so they could select the best version, but by the time we got to the third song we were rather tired, so only recorded it once.
Outside the studio door, I had been holding the record very carefully but my sister snatched it from me and it rolled out of its jacket, down the stairs, bouncing onto the pavement and then onto the road. Gasp! Horror! Mercifully, it was undamaged.
The day came and we excitedly gave our precious present to our parents. They were surprised indeed. However, it never occurred to me that my parents bought a brand-new radiogram to play the record on.
My parents had been secretly warned by my aunt about our surprise, and unknown to us, they were downstairs in the appliance shop buying the radiogram while we were upstairs recording. They actually saw the record roll out onto the street.
Our recording has become a wonderful memory of the past.
1. Why did the author want to record an album at age 12?| A．To celebrate their parents’ wedding day. | B．To make money to support his family. |
| C．To found a local studio to play music. | D．To satisfy his curiosity about radiogram. |
| A．He got his sister and brother to earn money. |
| B．He borrowed money from a family friend. |
| C．He earned the money needed on his own. |
| D．He raised some money with his aunty Mae. |
| A．They were listening next to the door. |
| B．They were watching the record rolling. |
| C．They were playing in the appliance shop. |
| D．They were buying the radiogram downstairs. |
| A．Enthusiastic and generous. | B．Loving and considerate. |
| C．Hardworking and responsible. | D．Talented and fashionable. |
7 . I can’t say if it was love at first sight, but the dog’s strange look captured our hearts. That’s why we welcomed this rescue dog into our home.
Dixie had recently been found on a country road. We agreed to adopt her, relying on my son’s experience with the dog at the shelter. We gave her a safe place to sleep and her own area for food and water. Thankfully, Dixie became more comfortable with her new surroundings and began to show her personality. She found joy in being able to run free and play with other dogs, the bigger the better.
We wondered what kind of breed or mix she was. Her ears, the size of her body and coloring suggested to me she was a mix. While researching, we found that she had some characteristics similar to a pit bull (比特犬). One opinion I had was that pit bulls are aggressive and a danger to society. It was not their fault, I reasoned, and they had been bred to fight. How could I keep these beliefs when this little animal had warmed my heart?
At first, I was secretive (有所隐瞒的) when people asked Dixie’s breed. “I am not sure, she is a rescue,” I said, Because I was afraid of the response: “A pit bull? Oh, dear!” But I adored this animal! Dixie did not show the awful characteristics so widely publicized. Dixie and I have befriended many dogs and their owners who love her spirit, playfulness and friendliness. More importantly, she exposed one of my problems: a fear of being judged by others. There is no doubt that Dixie taught me not to be so quick to judge.
Now, I am a proud owner of this pit bull-like dog.
1. What can we find out about Dixie frown the first two paragraphs?| A．She was not open to humans. | B．She adapted to her new host me well |
| C．She was brought up at a dog shelter. | D．She was adopted because of her cleverness. |
| A．She was afraid of being judged. |
| B．She was unsure about her origin. |
| C．She thought the dog was bred to fight. |
| D．She found Dixie either aggressive or dangerous. |
| A．Loyal and playful. | B．god-looking and mild, |
| C．Warm and friendly. | D．Naughty and competitive. |
| A．To show we shouldn’t judge other people. |
| B．To introduce effective ways to train a dog. |
| C．To call on people not to abandon pet dogs. |
| D．To share the lessons she learned from her dog. |
8 . Rene Campbell has devoted most of her life to shaping her figure into one completely against what society thinks a woman should look like.
“I was always very insecure about my body image, as everyone seemed to know for sure that women needed to look a certain way,” she says when reflecting on her motivation to transform herself.
However, building her dream body—gaining over 85 pounds, going from a size 8 to 14—has had its challenges, too. “
“I gradually learn to ignore others’ voices and become committed to the training. It is a very big shift for me, and it has won me plenty of awards.
| A．She was constantly feeling under pressure. |
| B．Women have to pay a huge price to build a slim figure. |
| C．It does bring a sense of confidence and mental strength. |
| D．The body of super-muscular women is considered unwelcome. |
| E．Luckily, Campbell was chosen to shoot for one of the magazines. |
| F．People don’t understand why women would want to be muscular. |
| G．Purely by chance, Campbell attended a women’s bodybuilding show. |
9 . Kyle Semrau came home on the morning of April 12 after an overnight shift feeling light-headed. He told his wife he would be laying low for the day, joined by his 6-year-old daughter, Macie.
On a normal day, Macie would have been at school, but that particular morning she had refused to even get dressed for school, so she stayed home. It turns out that her unexplained want to stay home was for the best.
Later in the day. Semrau collapsed from a medical event that caused him to slip in and out of consciousness. Macie learned her dad was in trouble when she heard him yelling. In a moment while Semrau was conscious, Macie asked her dad for his phone passcode so she could unlock the device. She logged in, opened the browser, and phoned the local police department.
Macie relayed the relevant information, including their address, to Judy Smith, the Eliot Police Department’s administrative assistant who answered the phone.
“That’s really lucky,” Semrau told Boston 25 News. “I still have it saved. If you open up my browser, that’s the way it is spelled, ‘Elliot poliz’. She pushed the call button, which actually goes right to the dispatcher (调度员) here in town.”
The police arrived two minutes after Macie called.
Semrau’s medical emergency was due to issues with his sinuses (鼻窦炎), which led to difficulty breathing, according to Seacoast Online. He is now home and doing well.
“If I can say anything about this whole experience, it’s for everyone to teach kids about awareness. If I hadn’t taught my daughter certain things she wouldn’t learn in school, this outcome could have been completely different,” Semrau told Boston. com. “She is, and will always be my hero.”
1. Why did Macie skip school that day?| A．She foresaw an accident. | B．She intended to have a rest. |
| C．She did that for no reason. | D．She wanted to help her father. |
| A．Calm and capable. | B．Talented and skillful. |
| C．Brave and respectful. | D．Careful and considerate. |
| A．The web browser. | B．Semrau’s address in the city. |
| C．Semrau’s telephone. | D．The phone number of the police. |
| A．Her strong love for her father. |
| B．What she had learned at school. |
| C．The awareness taught by her father. |
| D．Her previous similar experience. |
10 . Once there lived a wise man. He was worried about his son’s future because his son was lazy. One day, he said to his son, “I want you to find some treasure. I have drawn a map to guide you.”
The son set out the next day. Along the way, he was helped by someone with food and by someone with rooms to live in. He came across robbers (强盗). He also saw changing scenery and seasons. Finally, after a long year, he got to the place his father had said. It took him two days to look for the treasure but found nothing.
So he had to get back to his home. Sometimes, he would stop to enjoy the beauty of nature.
He also learnt to make meals. He even had to fix his clothes himself. He met the same people who had helped him earlier. This time, he stayed and helped them in order to repay them.
When he got home, he apologized to his father for not finding the treasure. “There wasn’t any treasure,” the father answered with a smile. “But I think you have found your life’s true treasure.”
1. What didn’t the son see during the journey?| A．Robbers. | B．Sea. | C．Scenery. | D．Rooms. |
| A．No, he found something. | B．Yes, he found a map. |
| C．Yes, he found robbers. | D．No, he found nothing. |
| A．At first the son was really lazy without future. |
| B．The father was worried about his son’s life. |
| C．The son didn’t fix his clothes himself on his way back. |
| D．The son helped the people who had helped him before. |
| A．The true treasure in your life |
| B．The hard experience of the lazy son |
| C．Helping others means helping yourself |
| D．Follow your father’s advice when you are young |
