1 . When I was nine years old, my dad worked in a heating and air conditioning company. It allowed him to work mainly in the spring and fall. With summers free, my parents took me and my two brothers to the lake every day. I supposed my parents must realize that if they didn’t find us any things to do, we would finally start fighting, as we were too bored.
On the way to the lake, my mother drove the car and my father recited (朗诵) poems so my brothers and I wouldn’t get bored. I still didn’t know how my dad had learnt so many poems by heart. But I had a great discovery that every time my father recited them, those verses (诗句) could keep us three quiet for the next twenty--minute drive. Such moments could never be achieved by what else my parents usually did such as singing, telling stories, and so on.
One of the poems that completely attracted me was a bit silly. It begins—Ladles and jellyspoons/I come before you/To stand behind you/And tell you something I know nothing about. There were still many similar ones. I found I was deeply caught. I recited these lines in my head over and over, week after week until they burned new electrical pathways in my brain. I even couldn’t help copying those poems neatly in my favorite notebooks.
It’s a love story that continues to this day, thirty years and 10 books of my own later. So the value of the story is this: Read to your kids. Sing to your kids. Recite poems for your kids. Be silly with your kids! It may make all the difference. It works for me. Thanks, Dad.
1. According to the author, why were his brothers and he taken to the lake daily in summer?| A．To reduce their study pressure. | B．To escape the heat of summers. |
| C．To teach them some new life skills. | D．To draw their attention to other things. |
| A．Poems were easy to learn by heart. |
| B．His parents were good at creating poems. |
| C．His father tried hard to get along well with them. |
| D．Poems could make the three brothers calm down. |
| A．He began to write poems himself. | B．He gradually fell in love with poems. |
| C．He made changes to some silly poems. | D．He grew to be a kid with excellent grades. |
| A．Children should be grateful to their parents. |
| B．Parents should avoid being too strict with kids. |
| C．Good family atmosphere is very important for kids. |
| D．Children should be encouraged to follow their dreams. |
2 . It was a very hot day in late summer. I was a young dad working in a local wood mill. It was dangerous, back-breaking work that paid very little. In the year I worked there, only four other people hadn’t quit and been replaced with new faces. Those of us who stayed did so just because there was no other work to find to support our families.
On this day all of us were covered in sweat and dust. When I looked around, every face I saw looked angry and frustrated. Suddenly, a voice called out, “Hey! There’s a deer in here,” A lost little female deer had wandered through the open loading bay doors and was now cowering in between the huge stacks of wood. All of us stopped working immediately and went looking for her as she ran about looking for a way out.
Now most people where I live hunt deer for meat in the fall but also treat them with great kindness the rest of the year. Many will even buy 50 bags of corn to help feed them during the harsh winter months. It was no surprise then that all of us were soon quickly working together to free this little creature. By blocking off all the other routes, we were able to guide her search back to the open bay doors. We watched as she jumped out of the building and back into the woods. Then we walked back in to work. I noticed something, though. On every face there was a joyful smile. It was as if this one single act of kindness had energized us again and reminded us of what life is all about.
1. Why did the author keep working in the local wood mill?| A．He wasn’t content with the pay and working conditions. |
| B．He was tired of wood cutting and wanted more freedom. |
| C．He disliked the treatment of the boss and animals around. |
| D．He didn’t find other jobs to make money for his family. |
| A．They blocked all the routes except the proper ones. |
| B．They caught her and then sent her to the wide wild. |
| C．They used signals to guide the deer out of the woods. |
| D．They used foods to guide the deer out to the open doors. |
| A．Life is not always a bed of roses. | B．Roses given, fragrance in hand. |
| C．Don’t go against the law of nature. | D．The weak are the prey of the strong. |
3 . CPR saves lives. It can really change someone’s life, as I found out for myself three years ago.
On October 14, 2009, my mom had an accident while playing soccer and was taken to hospital. The next morning, I was told that my mom had had a cardiac arrest (心脏停搏). I later learned that two players on the opposing team kept breathing air into my mother’s mouth and pressing her chest for seven minutes, as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. My mom stayed in the hospital for only ten days. I know that I am very lucky to have my mom here, because most people who have cardiac arrests and do not receive CPR within the first six minutes die.
My mom has used this experience to spread the word about CPR. She joined the Sudden Cardiae Arrest Support Group, which was set up to help survivors and their families through a difficult experience. The support group also takes part in the Heart Walk every year, raising money for the American Heart Association. And she attends Lobby Day each year, convincing the New York State Legislature to pass a law that would make basic CPR and first-aid training a graduation requirement for high school students.
This task is not as difficult as it may first appear to be. Every student in New York State must take health class in order to graduate. Just one or two days of health class each year will ensure that every student in the state will learn this important skill. This training is also nearly free. There is no need for a professional CPR instructor because the American Heart Association has online videos that show the newest techniques in CPR. Also, most local EMS services will lend training models to schools.
My mom and her fellow survivors go to a high school each year to talk to the students about the importance of learning CPR. This training will not get you the official CPR certification (证书), but as my mom says, “You don’t need a little card to save someone’s life.”
1. How does the author feel about the two players?| A．Deeply grateful. | B．Quite concerned. | C．A bit sorry. | D．Rather frightened. |
a. My mom participated in an activity about passing a law.
b. My mom walks into schools to help students realize the significance of CPR.
c. My mom suffered from heart problem and was given first aid.
d. My mom joined a specialized group.
| A．a-c-b-d | B．c-d-a-b | C．c-a-d-b | D．d-a-c-b |
| A．It may be turned down by a lot of students. | B．It requires little time and money. |
| C．It will become a graduation requirement. | D．It is difficult and dangerous. |
| A．It is challenging for many students to master CPR skills. |
| B．Every graduate should get an official CPR certification. |
| C．CPR skills are more important than CPR certifications. |
| D．High schools should make a special card for CPR learners. |
4 . “Age is just a number” is a saying that some people might disagree with, but for healthy and fit great-grandmother Anne Sheppard, nothing could be more true.
At 100 years old, Anne can kick, crunch and do full push-ups. And she is always exercising with other fitness fans who are almost 70 years her junior in the gym. South Melbourne-born Anne worked at the local clothing factory while her husband Max was away at work with the army. When the couple retired in 1981, they signed up to their local gym, where Anne is still a member 40 years later. “I feel stronger and fitter than before!” Anne says in an interview from her gym in Melbourne. She has just finished a rigorous training class, one of five group courses she attends throughout the week. “I just love it and I want to keep going as long as I can,” she smiles. “It’s part of my life now—my husband has passed away and now I’m on my own. The gym is my second family and I’d be lost without them.”
“Anne is a superstar,no matter where she goes,everyone is attracted to her!I know she inspires us to do whatever we set our minds to. We’re all jealous because we want to get to 100 years old and be like her,” says Jan, a friend of Anne in the gym.
Exercise has always been an important part of life for Anne. Despite going to the gym three days a week, Anne also keeps active in other ways, and regularly walks to and from the local supermarket. Life has now slowed a little bit for Anne. As for her next personal best, her goal is to keep going to the gym. That’s how Anne enjoys her life.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the passage. |
| B．To introduce the main character. |
| C．To explain the meaning of a saying. |
| D．To ask for background information. |
| A．She used to work with her husband in the army. |
| B．She takes exercise as an important part of her life. |
| C．She became a member of the local gym 70 years ago. |
| D．She stopped exercising after her husband passed away. |
| A．The training class. |
| B．The interview. |
| C．The smile. |
| D．The week. |
| A．Anne, Enjoying Her Slow Life |
| B．Anne, an Attractive Gym Coach |
| C．Anne, a 100-year-old Fitness Lover |
| D．Anne, Coming to Her Next Personal Best |
5 . Sometimes one plus one does equal three, as was the case when Dave McNee met Claudia Mandekic 14 years ago. McNee was at a dentist appointment in Toronto when he chatted with Mandekic, who was studying to be a teacher. When she told McNee what a headache it was to get students excited about math, he made a surprising suggestion, “Why not throw in something they enjoy, like sports?”
The idea of mixing basketball and mathematics got its first shot in 2011, when the colleagues were invited to run a summer-school program for kids who’d failed Grade 9 math at Georges Secondary School.
When the students showed up for their first day, they weren’t exactly thrilled. Over the next few hours, Mandekic and McNee gave the kids techniques to improve their shooting while also helping them calculate their field-goal percentage, which, in turn, taught them about fractions (分数). The winning team would be determined based on which group had the highest total percentage and had done the most efficient math. “When the bell rang, they were so fixated on collecting their data and figuring out which team won that they didn’t leave,” says Mandekic. “I realized we might be onto something.”
The classes, later named BallMatics, soon spread to other Toronto schools. “I was terrible at math,” says Duane Douglas, an 8th grader. “But once I started BallMatics and realized the sport I loved was directly tied to math, it made me a lot better at it. Every time I played basketball, I was thinking about math.”
McNee and Mandekic have established a private high school called Uchenna Academy since 2019, where kids with excellent basketball skills can study all subjects, train at their sport and work part-time.
The value of BallMatics is clear: last year, the boys landed university scholarships for their performance in the classroom, not on the court. McNee and Mandekic believe the school’s commitment to academics is the key reason why it’s been a winner.
1. What did Mandekic think of teaching math at the beginning?| A．Worrying. | B．Shocking. | C．Boring. | D．Exciting. |
| A．Calm. | B．Impressed. | C．Focused. | D．Dependent. |
| A．show the simplicity of math | B．prove the success of BallMatics |
| C．stress the significance of playing | D．display his passion for the school |
| A．A Simple Entertainment | B．A Surprising Discovery |
| C．A Beautiful Coincidence | D．A Winning Combination |
6 . During Brandi Tuck’s junior year at the University of Florida in 2004, her spring break plans fell through and it changed the course of her life.
All of her friends were going on alternative spring break trips, which gave them an opportunity to serve a diverse set of communities and she reluctantly signed up because nobody was going to the beach with her.
There were several trips to choose from, each focused on a cause like AIDs, women’s rights or the environment. But none of them spoke to Tuck. She’ d done community service for years, but more out of just a desire to enrich her resume (简历). “I picked the homelessness and poverty trip. I thought it was the least bad of the choices,” she recalled.
That spring, she and a dozen other students headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend a week volunteering at homeless shelters. The experience was eye-opening. At one shelter, one young boy’s request stopped her in her tracks. He said, “Oh, I love you. Can you please not go? Stay with me.” Tuck knew they didn’t have a lot of attention because the moms were so stressed. So she stayed. In that moment, Tuck decided to continue working at the shelter.
In 2008, Tuck started a nonprofit organization, now known as Path Home, which provides shelter, support, and a host of services to families experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon. The organization has since helped more than 10,000 parents and children. She also bought an old church to create an environment that would help families recover mentally as well as physically, giving them the sense of emotional, physical, and psychological safety.
Tuck says her wish is a society where every family receives the support and compassion they need to boom, which is all that she needs to continue doing the work.
1. What happened during Tuck’s spring break in 2004?| A．She traveled to the beach by herself. |
| B．She joined in a community service activity. |
| C．She was admitted to the University of Florida. |
| D．She organized a number of holiday study tours. |
| A．Excitedly. | B．Proudly. | C．Unwillingly. | D．Fortunately. |
| A．Tuck’s sympathy for the poor. | B．The effort that Tuck made. |
| C．Tuck’s reason for volunteering. | D．The honor that Tuck received. |
| A．The little boy’s invitation. | B．Her wish to help all the homeless out. |
| C．The challenges from her volunteering. | D．Path Home’s development. |
7 . I was talking to my friend Sandy about our children. Sandy had recently moved into the neighborhood with her four kids: Jane, Joe, Christopher, and her youngest, eighteen-month-old Kim. She seemed happy to have kids nearby, until she saw our dog, Sam.
Sam, our shiny black dog, loved to play with the kids and protect them. But Sandy had a fear of dogs, and she started to back away as Sam approached. I grabbed Sam’s collar and made him sit, trying to ease Sandy’s discomfort.
Sandy mentioned that she needed to get her kids ready to go to their grandmother’s house. Just then, her door opened and her kids rushed out. Sandy shouted at them to stay away from Sam.
The kids huddled (蜷缩) around their mom, looking at Sam cautiously (谨慎地). Emma, my daughter, showed the kids how to approach a dog slowly and properly. The kids were won over by Sam’s friendly nature, but I knew it would take some time for Sandy to change her viewpoint.
After that incident, we made sure that Sam didn’t go near our neighbors without me present. One day, when the kids were playing across the street, I noticed the eighteen-month-old baby heading towards a small hill. I saw a car approaching and shouted to everyone to watch the baby. Without hesitation, Sam rushed out the door and ran across the street towards the baby. He ran to the boy in time to gently push the baby away from the oncoming car. The kids cheered, completely unaware of the danger. They thought Sam had come to play.
Within a year, Sam had made friends with all the neighbors. Even Sandy started to warm up to Sam and would occasionally come over to give him a hug.
1. How did Sandy feel when she first saw Sam?| A．Excited. | B．Curious. | C．Fearful. | D．Awkward. |
| A．They looked at Sam with watchful eyes. |
| B．They formed a circle to protect their mom. |
| C．They held him by the collar to make him sit. |
| D．They prepared to escape from the dog. |
| A．By running in front of the car to block it. |
| B．By rushing to Sandy’s house to get help. |
| C．By pushing the baby away from the car. |
| D．By jumping to the front of the coming car. |
| A．Curious. | B．Brave. | C．Funny. | D．Sensitive. |
8 . Remember the woman in Port Hood, N. S. whose recipe for meat rolls spread all over the internet? The dog from Quebec that attracted hundreds of thousands of followers for its advice on surviving social isolation? The pilot whose path over Nova Scotia formed the shape of a heart?
All of their stories, and dozens more, are collected in a new book by two Canadian authors. It took Heather Down and Catherine Kenwell just a little more than seven weeks to collect the stories behind the 49 uplifting moments they recorded during the pandemic.
The book includes everything from the tale of Robbie Griffiths, the father from Paradise, N. L. who dressed up as Spider-Man so kids could have something positive in their day, to Carter Mann, the Grade 5 student from Sudbury, Ont, who wrote a poem to encourage front-line heroes including his own father, who is a health carer.
“Not Canceled: Canadian Caremongering in the Face of COVID-19” is a reminder that a lot of positive things happened during lockdown. The book’s title is a nod to the Canadian attitude and reaction to the pandemic, as the word “caremongering” has Canadian roots. Even the number of stories is no accident: it’s a reference to the 49th parallel, along which runs the Canada-U. S. border between Manitoba and B. C.
One of the stories in “Not Canceled” centers on the marriage of a couple in B. C. They may have had to shift their celebrations to a living room, but the ceremony was far from lonely. Friends showed up in their cars outside, with everyone tuned into the same radio station, so the bride and groom could have their first dance in the middle of the street.
Down wanted to document how the nation navigated such dark times with kindness. She told CTV News that “the response has been amazing. I’m so pleased.”
The stories included in the book are just the tip of the iceberg. Down says that there are so many stories left over that she and Kenwell might just have to do a second book.
1. What does the underlined word “uplifting” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Inspiring. | B．Embarrassing. | C．Mysterious. | D．Humorous. |
| A．He trained hard to become a health carer. |
| B．He wrote poems with the help of his father. |
| C．He used words to cheer up essential workers. |
| D．He dressed up as Spider-Man to please other kids. |
| A．It shows Canadian attitude and response. |
| B．It shows the total number of the stories. |
| C．It has the new-made word “caremongering”. |
| D．It contains Canada’s geographical information. |
| A．It was canceled halfway. | B．It was held completely indoor. |
| C．It was witnessed by a group of friends. | D．It was broadcast live by a radio station. |
9 . Michael and his wife, new residents in a San Francisco apartment, learned about their neighbor Jeff Dunan’s volunteer work for Bangladesh Relief, an organization that provides food, clothing and essential supplies for disadvantaged people in northern Bangladesh. Inspired, Michael donated $150 to Dunan’s GoFundMe campaign. However, a credit card notification alerted him to an unintended $15,041 charge.
When he saw the five-figure number, he was confused. Soon, it all made sense. Michael’s credit card number started with four and one. Clearly, he accidentally began typing his credit card information while his cursor (光标) was still in the donation box.
Michael planned to call Dunan to explain, but before he had the chance to do that, he started receiving Facebook messages from Shohag Chandra, the charity’s Bangladesh-based program manager, thanking him for his generous donation. After he looked through the photos of people holding thank-you signs that read his name, Michael’s heart sank. He felt terrible that he had to withdraw his handsome donation. Once his original contribution was refunded, he decided to donate $1,500.
Although Michael had told his family and friends about the tale, he decided to share it publicly on social media, after Dunan told him the organization was desperately in need of funds. “The least I could do was take the time to post this story online and see if I could inspire other people to donate to the cause,” Michael said.
Little did he know, though, that the story would be seen far and wide, ending up raising more than $120,000 for Bangladesh Relief in the span of only a few weeks—about eight times Michael’s mistaken donation. According to Dunan, more than 3,700 people have contributed because of Michael’s post. Michael has been stunned (震惊) by the ongoing outpouring of support. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this reaction,” he said. “People can be amazing when they come together for something like this.”
1. How did Michael make the large donation?| A．He input an incorrect amount. | B．He encountered a system error. |
| C．He was greatly inspired by Dunan. | D．He entered wrong credit card details. |
| A．He saw people in despair. | B．He failed to offer enough money. |
| C．He didn’t receive the full refund. | D．He realized the scale of his mistake. |
| A．Dunan’s request for publicity. | B．A desire for personal recognition. |
| C．The organization’s urgent need for funds. | D．Pressure from his family and friends. |
| A．Actions speak louder than words. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Always prepare for a rainy day. | D．A good beginning is half of victory. |
10 . As a child, Shade Ajayi worked in her aunt’s shop instead of attending school. She now runs her own business making and selling purses and bags. But she believes her inability to read or write is holding her back. Until recently, Ajayi had never gone to school. Now 50, the businesswoman is learning to read and write alongside students nearly 40 years younger than her.
Ajayi attends a school in Ilorin, in Nigera’s western Kwara state. She wears the same uniform, or school clothing, as hundreds of girls at the school. “I’m not ashamed (惭愧的) that I wear a uniform,” she said.
Ajayi signed up to attend school last year, but the school closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Schools reopened in January and Ajayi finally got her chance. She sits in a class with students aged 11 to 13 and raises her hand to answer questions. Ajayi’s teacher, Nasrat Busari, said she did not appear worried about the age difference with other students. She has been coping well with them: playing together, talking together and discussing things together.
Ajayi’s daughter, Shola Adeboye, said at first, she was embarrassed that her mother attended school alongside children. But later, she supported her mother’s efforts. “She has always wanted to be educated but she couldn’t until now,” Adeboye said.
Ajayi still makes bags and purses after finishing classes. A helper serves her customers during school hours. She plans to continue her education for four more years, saying it will help her business. “People around me can read and write and they are succeeding in their businesses,” said Ajayi. And she does not seem to care what others may say about her. Ajayi said, “It’s my duty not to pay attention to what they’re saying.”
1. Why does Ajayi go to school at such an age?| A．She’d like to accept her friend’s advice. |
| B．She believes that it will help her business. |
| C．She is sad that she has never gone to school. |
| D．She doesn’t want to miss the last chance to learn. |
| A．She failed to go to school. |
| B．She was refused by the school. |
| C．She was laughed at by her classmates. |
| D．Her daughter prevented her from going to school. |
| A．She refuses to wear uniforms. |
| B．She is embarrassed to be a student. |
| C．She is shy to answer questions in class. |
| D．She gets along well with other students. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Uncertain(未知的). | C．Confident. | D．Worried. |
