1 . Quietly sitting there reading, I found myself suddenly listening to the train guard’s announcements (通知). Train travelers will surely agree that when the guard (列车长) makes an announcement, whether it’s the recorded message or the guard’s message, few people listen to it, because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand. This one was different. I noticed that other passengers appeared to be listening, too. Not only that, everyone was smiling!
Why was so much attention being paid to this message? As best I can recall the guard said something along these lines, “Good Morning Ladies, Gentlemen and Children, this is the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith to Central and you’ll be pleased to know that we are right on time. And what a lovely morning it is in Sydney today. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. I trust you have a great day wherever you’re going. Thanks for catching my train this morning and I hope to see you again soon.”
Quite a few people (obviously previous strangers) started talking to one another about the guards excellent message and how good it had made everyone feel. I started thinking about this, and then I found the young guard and said “Were you the guard on the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith?” The guard seemed a bit stunned at first, replying, “Yes, yes.” “Well, I really appreciate your announcement. Thank you for your extremely good message, which gave me and the other passengers such a good start to the day. Please keep doing it.” I said.
There are two messages for me in what happened that day. Firstly, when people are happy in their work, it shows in what they do and say. Secondly, the story attaches much importance to the benefits that accumulate (积累) from thanking people for something they’ve done, particularly when it’s not expected. Can you imagine the conversation that guard would have when he got home?
1. Why do few train travelers listen to the announcements?| A．The messages are unattractive. |
| B．The guard’s voice is not clear. |
| C．They usually feel sleepy. |
| D．They are absorbed in books. |
| A．Patient. | B．Frightened. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Excited. |
| A．The beautiful weather. | B．The recorded message. |
| C．The train from Penrith. | D．The unexpected appreciation. |
| A．An Intelligent Guard. |
| B．A Boring Train Story. |
| C．A Different Train Announcement. |
| D．A Lovely Morning in Sydney. |
2 . Luke is a cute dog, living together with me for five years. We get lots of
Somehow, Luke rushed towards the forest. There was no longer any hope at that moment to wait for Luke to come back to the
| A．rain | B．sun | C．noise | D．fires |
| A．damaged | B．removed | C．changed | D．treated |
| A．made | B．caught | C．set | D．burned |
| A．forest | B．house | C．area | D．shelter |
| A．lost | B．died | C．appeared | D．remained |
| A．warned | B．reminded | C．told | D．promised |
| A．buried | B．trapped | C．controlled | D．killed |
| A．immediately | B．naturally | C．slowly | D．particularly |
| A．Since | B．Unless | C．When | D．Until |
| A．call | B．shout | C．voice | D．sound |
| A．understood | B．recognized | C．treated | D．imagined |
| A．recorded | B．noticed | C．followed | D．wanted |
| A．fireman | B．doctor | C．farmer | D．teacher |
| A．save | B．raise | C．protect | D．hate |
| A．fun | B．huge | C．little | D．risky |
3 . One night, as I was driving down the road, I found something was sitting in the middle of the road. A few seconds later, I realized I was looking at a large turtle (海龟). Afraid of it being crashed by cars, so I pulled over, ran across the road and dragged the turtle to safety. But I’d made one big mistake.
I had heard that the best way to pick up a turtle without hurting it was picking it by the tail in order not to get bitten. So I’d made that big mistake. While the turtle turned out OK generally, I was determined to figure out how to move a turtle properly. I needed to find someone who dealt with turtles. I found the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. I talked to Dr. Sue, its Executive and Medical Director.
Dr. Sue told me that the organization dealt with a number of aspects of turtle conservation, including rescue, settlement, birth programs, research, and education. Sue explained that southern Ontario is home to a vast majority of turtles in Canada, but is also one of the vastest road networks of the country.
“Ninety percent of injured turtles brought in are caused by cars. These turtles spend a lot of time on land. And they do travel many kilometers on land for a variety of reasons, to find a nesting spot, or to hang out for the summer or winter. Turtles know where they want to go. So, just keep them going in the direction they want to go and you may have saved a turtle’s life,” Dr. Sue said.
Once an injured turtle arrives at the center, there are medical facilities (设备) ready to go, including an X-ray machine. That’s when the team gets to work with healing injuries, and help their patient.
1. Why did the author stop the car?| A．To help the turtle. | B．To see the thing clearly. |
| C．To prevent a car accident. | D．To find something good. |
| A．It got hurt by people before. | B．It was injured a little bit. |
| C．It was run over by a car. | D．It lost its direction. |
| A．Leaving the turtles alone. |
| B．Making Ontario home to turtles. |
| C．Changing the road conditions. |
| D．Helping turtles find nesting spots. |
| A．The director. | B．The driver. |
| C．The author. | D．The turtle. |
4 . Maybe it’s because it was our first purchase as homeowners. The salesman must have spotted just how green we were, so he began persuading. And soon he led us to a classic leather chair. All these years later, I remember he used words like rich and handsome, the thing every living room needed.
We believed him. So we bought that chair—just less than $100, a great deal in the 1970s for a young couple!
How we loved that chair! It always occupied a place of honor in our various living rooms, moving with us from our first tiny house to our beloved new house.
Somehow, conversations were better on that chair, and life was more fun around it. Three daughters spilled their secrets on it. Old friends seemed to be attracted by it on those wonderful occasions. Crazy as it sounds, that leather chair seemed to have—well, powers. All for good.
At first, we didn’t really care that the leather was showing signs of wear or that it had lost its sheen (光泽) . But in our most recent move, when the chair was moved in our new living room, it suddenly looked terribly lonely sitting close to newly painted walls and a couple of shiny new tables.
My husband and I tried but still we couldn’t ignore the rough spots. Our chair had a skin disease. Even our adult kids raised eyebrows, urging us to at least remove the chair to some dark corner of the room. Neither of us could imagine such a retirement for it. So we had an inspired idea. We’d call in an upholsterer (修理工) to give our old chair a whole new life. Our friend Joe studied the chair and then took out a simple leather conditioner.
He explained that although it wouldn’t work miracles, it would definitely get our weary chair looking younger again. It certainly doesn’t look new, but its seat and back are shining, and some of its deeper wrinkles have lightened.
Best of all, it’s back in the living room, looking like a wise old friend to the furniture around it. And, yes, there it will stay.
Because some things, like some people, just deserve a happy old age.
1. How did the salesman persuade the author into buying the chair?| A．By thinking highly of the author. | B．By describing how great the chair was. |
| C．By saying that the author was green. | D．By comparing the chair with others. |
| A．Sweet memories with the chair. | B．Various functions of the chair. |
| C．People’s comments on the chair. | D．Family activities and parties of friends. |
| A．Because he was persuaded by Joe. | B．Because he didn’t have enough money. |
| C．Because it showed signs of hardness. | D．Because it couldn’t match his new house. |
| A．East or west, home is best. | B．From saving comes having. |
| C．It is never too late to mend. | D．Old friends and wine are best. |
5 . I’ve heard such a story. On a Friday
The next night, the young artist took out a large piece of
The young violinist asked, ”Did you
The violinist took out a lottery ticket. “Is it?” he asked.
The man was too
Someone asked the violinist why he returned the lottery ticket to the man. He said, ”Although I don’t have much money, I live happily; but if I lose honesty, I won’t be happy forever."
1.| A．morning | B．afternoon | C．noon | D．night |
| A．quiet | B．beautiful | C．shocking | D．interesting |
| A．slowed down | B．sped up | C．passed by | D．went away |
| A．paper | B．glass | C．plastic | D．cloth |
| A．working | B．sliding | C．singing | D．playing |
| A．poems | B．articles | C．words | D．texts |
| A．important | B．fantastic | C．dangerous | D．lovely |
| A．talked | B．cared | C．expected | D．guessed |
| A．came | B．rushed | C．walked | D．left |
| A．damage | B．discover | C．forget | D．lose |
| A．proudly | B．worriedly | C．seriously | D．carefully |
| A．tired | B．disappointed | C．excited | D．surprised |
| A．bought | B．made | C．drew | D．sold |
| A．handed out | B．took out | C．lifted up | D．picked up |
| A．destroyed | B．noticed | C．guided | D．caught |
I still have fond memories of a gentleman who helped shape my future. I was in college
At that time, I received the help through my father’s financial advisor. One evening, he visited us and
I still remember this fond gentleman who helped me make
7 . In most situations, the responses of bystanders (旁观者)like negative body language, uninvited comments or pieces of advice on a child’s angry behavior can add to the stress of the situation. But sometimes bystanders’ understanding, and sometimes their words or actions can make a positive difference. One mom experienced this first-hand.
This mom was obviously pregnant and traveling alone with her young son at the Los Angeles International Airport. Then things took a turn for the worse.
The boy, about 18 months old, according to Beth, a Facebook user, was running all over the place, kicking, screaming, and lying on the floor, unwilling to get aboard the plane. His mom did her best to calm him down, but Beth said, “She couldn’t pick him up because he was so upset. He kept running away from her, then lying down on the ground, kicking and screaming again.” Finally, the mom was at her wits’ end. She sat down on the floor next to her son, buried her face in her hands, and began to cry.
Then the most amazing thing happened.
A group of six or seven women, Beth included, circled around the mother and son and did something to help. Beth sang him the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”. Another offered an orange. Another gave him a toy she had on hand. Another helped get his cup out of Mom’s bag. Yet another tended to Mom by offering her a water bottle. With the help of these women, the kid and his mother calmed down and were able to board the plane.
And then life moved on. All of the strangers went their separate ways without speaking of what had happened. But Beth said it was something she’d never forget. “We were strangers, gathering to solve something,” she wrote. “It occurred to me that a circle of passers-by, with a mission, can save the world.”
1. What are the bystanders supposed to do according to the first paragraph?| A．Laugh at the parents. | B．Give parents some advice. |
| C．Comment on the situation. | D．Be kind and offer assistance. |
| A．Made up her mind. | B．Felt worried and totally at a loss. |
| C．Gave up and ran away. | D．Collected her thoughts and calmed down. |
| A．Alarming. | B．Exciting. | C．Romantic. | D．Warm. |
| A．Strangers can help out. | B．Beth, a great mom. |
| C．Women can save the world. | D．Let’s care for children. |
8 . Gabriela worked for a multinational company as a successful project manager in Brazil. Later she was transferred to manage a team in Sweden. She was excited about her new role but soon realized that managing her new team would be a challenge.
Despite their friendliness, Gabriela didn’t feel respected as a leader. Her new staff would question her proposals openly in meetings. When she gave them instructions on how to carry out task, they would often go about it in their own way without checking with her. When she announced her decisions on the project, they would continue giving their opinions as if it were still up for discussion.
What Gabriela was experiencing was a cultural shock in expectations. Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede uses the concept of “power distance” to describe how power is distributed in different cultures. In her previous work environment, Gabriela was used to a high power distance culture where power is respected. In such a culture, leaders make the big decisions and are not often challenged. Her Swedish team, however, were used to working in a low power distance culture where employees often work together with their bosses to find solutions and make decisions. Here, leaders act as coaches who encourage independent thought and expect to be challenged.
When Gabriela became aware of the cultural differences between her and her team, she took the initiative(主动权)to have an open conversation with them about their feelings about her leadership.
Pleased to be asked for their thoughts, Gabriela’s team openly expressed that they were not used to being told what to do. They enjoyed having more room for initiative and creative freedom. When she told her team exactly what she needed them to do, they felt that she didn’t trust them to do their job well.
With a better understanding of the reasons behind each other’s behaviour, Gabriela was able to make adjustments to her management style. Finally she effectively motivated her team to achieve their goals.
1. What problem did Gabriela face with her Swedish team at the beginning?| A．Her Swedish staff didn’t understand her instructions. |
| B．Her authority was challenged by her Swedish staff. |
| C．They were always refusing to follow her directions. |
| D．They looked down upon her because she was a female. |
| A．Professional spirit and risk-taking behaviour. |
| B．Independent thinking and friendly atmosphere. |
| C．Active participation and creative thinking. |
| D．Competitive spirit and mild character. |
| A．Kind but changeable. | B．Strict but trustworthy. |
| C．Flexible and communicative. | D．Stubborn and forceful. |
| A．Birds of a feather flock together. | B．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| C．Two heads are better than one. | D．When in Rome, do as Romans do. |
There is a lovely panda. She lives with her parents and they live
Suddenly,she saw a bear
10 . Madison stared through the window and watched a puffy white cloud pass over the woods across from the school. It must be wonderful to be a bird, she thought. Total freedom. No math class to sit in, and her days would be spent on horseback. She thought of her horse, Star.
“Madison. Could you please join us again?” Mrs. Smith said. “I was just asking the class if anyone had any problems with the homework assignment.”
“Well, I didn’t have any problems doing it, but I had problems remembering to put it in my school bag after I did it.” Some giggling spread through the room.
“Madison. I don’t know what I am going to do with you. You’re such a smart girl but you just don’t apply yourself. Class, clear your desks. Our guest is here and welcome Doctor Landon. He is a veterinarian (兽医). He came here today as part of our continued Career Explorations Program.”
Madison tried to focus as Doctor Landon talked about how important grades were and how he struggled with math when he was a kid. Doctor Landon was still talking but she lost track of what he was saying. Then a word caught her attention. Horse. Was he talking about horses?
Gradually, Madison knew Doctor Landon had come to her town and house when her horse, Star, needed care. She liked it that he even knew her horse’s name. “So, you just travel around and take care of horses all day long?”
Doctor Landon nodded. “I travel with my truck to take care of horses and ponies across the county. It is a lot of work, but I love it.”
Madison’s mouth fell open. What a life that must be, she thought. At that moment, sitting in class, Madison could see her future and her life suddenly seemed bigger. By the time she got off the bus that afternoon, her plans for the afternoon had changed. She was still going to ride Star, but first she was going to spend an hour studying math. Then tomorrow she’d spend an hour studying science.
1. Why was Madison called by Mrs. Smith in class?| A．Because she had problems with math. |
| B．Because she was absent-minded in class. |
| C．Because she was distracted by the birds outside. |
| D．Because she forgot to bring her homework back. |
| A．To call for care for animals. |
| B．To enrich students’ outdoor activities. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of study. |
| D．To help students with their career choices. |
| A．She was greatly inspired. | B．She preferred math to science. |
| C．She didn’t believe Landon’s story. | D．She changed her hobby completely. |
| A．An Exciting Horse Riding | B．An Interesting Math Class |
| C．Madison Dreams Big | D．Madison Pursues Freedom |
