1 . The scent of hot bread drifting from the shops along the Street of Flour was sweeter than any perfume Arya had ever smelled. She took a deep breath and stepped closer to the pigeon. It was a plump one, speckled brown, busily pecking at a crust that had fallen between two cobblestones, but when Arya’s shadow touched it, it took to the air.
Her stick sword whistled out and caught it two feet off the ground, and it went down in a flurry of brown feathers. She was on it in the blink of an eye, grabbing a wing as the pigeon flapped and fluttered. It pecked at her hand. She grabbed its neck and twisted until she felt the bone snap.
Compared with catching cats, pigeons were easy.
She tied the pigeon to her belt and started down the street. A man was pushing a load of tarts by on a two-wheeled cart; the smells sang of blueberries and lemons and apricots. Her stomach made a hollow rumbly noise. “Could I have one?” she heard herself say. “A lemon, or…or any kind.”
The pushcart man looked her up and down. Plainly he did not like what he saw. “Three coppers.”
Arya tapped her wooden sword against the side of her boot. “I’ll trade you a fat pigeon,” she said.
“The Others take your pigeon,” the pushcart man said.
The tarts were still warm from the oven. The smells were making her mouth water, but she did not have three coppers... or one. She gave the pushcart man a look, remembering what Syrio had told her about seeing. He was short, with a little round belly, and when he moved he seemed favor his left leg a little. She was just thinking that if she snatched a tart and ran he would never be able to catch her when he said, “You be keeping your filthy hands off. The gold cloaks know how to deal with thieving little gutter rats, that they do.”
Arya glanced warily behind her. Two of the City Watch were standing at the mouth of an alley. Their cloaks hung almost to the ground, the heavy wool dyed a rich gold; their mail and boots and gloves were black. One wore a long sword at his hip, the other an iron cudgel. With a last wistful glance at the tarts, Arya edged back from the cart and hurried off. The gold cloaks had not been paying her any special attention, but the sight of them tied her stomach in knots. Arya had been staying as far from the castle as she could get, yet even from a distance she could see the heads rotting atop the high red walls. Flocks of crows squabbled noisily over each head, thick as flies. The talk in Flea Bottom was that the gold cloaks had associated themselves with the Lannisters, their commander raised to a lord, with lands on the Trident and a seat on the king’s council.
1. The story is set in a place where ______.| A．people raised pigeons | B．only privileged people lived |
| C．people sold and bought food | D．the watchmen received training |
| A．metaphor | B．overstatement |
| C．personification (拟人) | D．rhetoric rhyme |
| A．Remembering people’s appearance so that you can recognize them. |
| B．Perceiving people’s intention so that you can properly talk to them. |
| C．Understanding people’s living conditions so that you can help them. |
| D．Knowing people’ strengths and weaknesses so that you can beat them |
| A．Arya was more hunger than terrified in the story. |
| B．The Lannisters was a big enemy of the gold cloaks. |
| C．The atmosphere of the castle was agreeable and welcome. |
| D．The authority treated the executed people’s dead bodies in a cruel way. |
2 . Joe’s single dad parenting story unfolds in a touching video that swept through the hearts of online users on TikTok.
On his daughter’s school Mother’s Day celebration, Joe
As the video unfolds, we see an emotional hug between Joe and his 15-year-old daughter, Nong Cream. She hugs Joe tightly. Joe
Joe, also known as “Teacher Joe”, is a proud PE instructor at his daughter’s school. He shared his
Cream responded, “I don’t feel embarrassed. This year’s Mother’s Day, I want to say I love my father. I’m
| A．stayed up | B．dressed up | C．woke up | D．grew up |
| A．leave | B．turn | C．part | D．place |
| A．designed | B．reserved | C．selected | D．decorated |
| A．empty | B．wet | C．dirty | D．cold |
| A．compares | B．links | C．returns | D．refuses |
| A．casually | B．gently | C．eagerly | D．skillfully |
| A．motivation | B．thirst | C．passion | D．requirement |
| A．annoyed | B．scared | C．worried | D．ashamed |
| A．response | B．opposition | C．commitment | D．attention |
| A．translated | B．broke | C．led | D．changed |
| A．demanding | B．challenging | C．rewarding | D．amusing |
| A．gesture | B．choice | C．promise | D．effort |
| A．grateful | B．peaceful | C．helpful | D．hopeful |
| A．rescuing | B．educating | C．raising | D．protecting |
| A．strengthened | B．created | C．balanced | D．measured |
3 . When Chase Bailey was found to have autism (自闭症) at 2, his mother Mary Bailey feared he’d never enjoy a typical life. Indeed, he hasn’t. Occupied with appearances with famous people and hosting his own cooking show, Chase’s life is anything but typical. During the past years, the teenager has cooked noodles with food master Roy Choi and baked cookies for guests at a celebration in Los Angeles.
The days when Chase would eat nothing but pizza, chicken, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies almost seem like a distant memory. For him to go from that to cooking and eating all kinds of different things is pretty astonishing.
After the diagnosis (诊断) of Chase’s disease, friends prepared Mary for the worst: He’d never be able to have a job, never learn to socialize, and never be independent. Like many autistic patients, the sight, smell, feel and taste of almost everything on Chase’s plate tipped him over the edge.
However, when he watched cooking shows with his grandfather, he became addicted to seeing people enjoy what they were eating and started asking to try some of the food on the shows. Two years later, he recorded the first episode (集) of “Chase N Yur Face” with the help of his mother, which they posted on social media. The show quickly caught the attention of autism groups. Chase started reaching out to chefs he admired by email to invite them to tape episodes with him.
In the show which has more than 30 episodes, a confident Chase cooks everything from cupcakes to roasted meats. It has harvested tens of thousands of views. He dreams of one day seeing his show on television and wants to open his own restaurant. He hopes his experience can help others with autism. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself,” he said.
1. How is Chase’s life?| A．It is a typical one. | B．It is full of bitter experiences. |
| C．It is like other autistic kids’. | D．It is beyond his mom’s expectations. |
| A．Food was appealing to Chase. | B．Food on Chase’s plate tasted bad. |
| C．Chase had no appetite for most food. | D．Chase wanted to cook himself. |
| A．From autism groups. | B．From his grandfather. |
| C．From food masters. | D．From cooking programs. |
| A．Food Changed Chase’s Life |
| B．Cooking Is a Treatment for Autism |
| C．A Cooking Show Cures an Autistic Teenager |
| D．Chase Turns Food Fear into Love of Cooking |
4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
I used to be crazy about the hunting season. I could hardly wait for those dry, cold mornings, that cup of hot coffee and then the walk over fresh-fallen snow, a fine rifle (步枪) in my hand.
There’s a thrill in hunting, an excitement that comes over you when a deer crashes out of the bush. You are waiting for him with death. After hunting, you also feel great. There’s the bit of showing off with the boys.
There’s beauty in the woods especially late in the fall. Sometimes you walk among the huge trees, where the sunlight filters through. It’s quiet and big. with touches of white and green and gold. And the silence is like that of a church.
It was like that the last time I was in the woods. I was alone, packing a rifle, a thermos (保温杯) of coffee and three thick sandwiches. I went up into the hills, heading for a well-used deer trail. Sure enough there were fresh tracks in the snow. I turned over a few rocks to clear the snow and settled down behind a little bush. It was pretty cold, but I was dressed for it and didn’t mind.
I sat there for about an hour. It was then that I saw him. A deer, a big beautiful deer! He was off to my left. There was no cover nearer to him than 30 yards. Surely, I couldn’t miss! I waited for him to realize I was there. I waited for him to be shocked and run away. But he fooled me completely. He came towards me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe he was stupid — how else can you explain it?
He was not quite young. He must have known about men and guns. But he came closer, slowly and purpose fully. His big eyes never moved from my face. Well, that deer walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me!
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
What happened next is hard to believe, but it’s true.
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Paragraph 2:
I picked up my thermos and the wrapping for the sandwiches, and started walking back.
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5 . Six-year-old Harper Gage is already a race car driver and she races in a small car called a go-kart getting started.
In December, Harper took part in the World Karting Association’s national tournament and raced against other kids of her age.
She was sixth out of 17 racers near the end of the race. However, her first season as a racer did not end the way she planned. The motor stopped with only two laps left. “She’s pretty bummed,” Harper’s mother said after the race. “But we are so proud of her.”
Harper started racing go-karts around one year ago. At first, Gage wasn’t sure if her daughter should race. To help, Harper wears hearing aids. But her hearing aids don’t fit under her race helmet, so she races without them. Without the hearing aids, sound is muffled or muted.
Harper doesn’t think hearing loss puts her at a disadvantage. She said having perfect hearing would help, but it was not needed if she used her eyes. “She’s always looking back,” her father said.
Born With Hearing Loss
Harper was 4 months old when she was diagnosed with hearing loss. Ears have three bones that send sound vibrations to the brain. Harper is missing one of those bones in each ear. Her parents were worried at first as they weren’t sure what it would mean for their only child.
Today, Harper wears a hearing device, tiny metal transmitters sit behind her ears. They take the place of the missing bones and send vibrations to the brain.
“I Want To Drive Fast”
Harper would like to be a pro race car driver one day, but for now, she has other plans. When asked about her goals, Harper shyly giggled and said, “I want to drive fast.”
1. Why did Harper feel bummed after her December race?| A．She had to race against older kids. |
| B．She made poor decisions in the race. |
| C．Her go-kart’s motor stopped during the race. |
| D．She only ranked sixth near the end of the race. |
| A．It made her unable to hear other racers. |
| B．The hearing aids did not fit under her helmet. |
| C．The helmet made the hearing aids not work as well. |
| D．It made Harper feel uncomfortable during her racing. |
| A．“She’s always looking back,” her father said. |
| B．Harper started racing go-karts around one year ago. |
| C．She was sixth-out of 17 racers near the end of the race. |
| D．Harper doesn’t think hearing loss puts her at a disadvantage. |
| A．Six-year-old Harper wants to be a professional auto racer. |
| B．Six-year-old Harper races go-karts despite her hearing loss. |
| C．Six-year-old Harper is the youngest racer at national tournaments. |
| D．Six-year-old Harper races go-karts with the support of hearing aid. |
6 . How do you create a restaurant business and become an overnight success at the age of 52?As Ray Kroc said, “I was an overnight success alright, but 30 years is a long, long night.” As the builder of the McDonald’s hamburger empire, he helped change America’s eating habits, as well as its nature of business by standardizing operations in the fiercely competitive fast-food industry.
But not many know how this entrepreneurial (创业的) success story came to be. Kroc was not a chef or a restaurateur. He never even went to college. For over three decades, he held a variety of jobs, from piano player to salesman of paper cups and multiple milkshake machines. “The two most important requirements for major success are, first, being in the right place at the right time and, second, doing something about it.” So said Kroc.
And in 1954, he was in the right place at the right time, and he did something about it. The salesman was surprised by a huge order for eight multi-mixers (多用搅拌机) from a hamburger stand in California. There he found a small but successful restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, and was amazed by the effectiveness of their operation. They produced a limited menu, concentrating on just a few items-burgers, fries and beverages-which allowed them to focus on quality at every step of production.
The brothers were looking for a new franchisee (特许经营者) and Kroc saw an opportunity. He pitched (推销) his vision of creating McDonald’s restaurants all over the US to them. In 1955 he founded the McDonald’s Corporation, and six years later bought the exclusive rights to the McDonald’s name and operating system. By 1958, McDonald’s had sold its 100 millionth hamburger.
Kroc wanted to build a restaurant system that would be famous for providing food of consistently high quality and uniform methods of preparation. He wanted to serve burgers, fries and beverages that tasted just the same in Alaska as they did in Alabama.
To achieve this, Kroc chose a unique path: persuading both franchisees and suppliers to buy into his vision, working not for McDonald’s, but for themselves, together with McDonald’s. He promoted the slogan, “In business for yourself, but not by yourself.” His philosophy was based on the simple principle of a three- legged stool: one leg was McDonald’s franchisees; the second, McDonald’s suppliers; and the third, McDonald’s employees.
Kroc believed in the entrepreneurial spirit, and rewarded his franchisees for their individual creativity. Many of McDonald’s most famous menu items — like the Filet-O-Fish, Big Mac, and Egg McMuffin — were created by franchisees.
1. From the passage we know .| A．Ray Kroc was born with a talent of running businesses |
| B．Ray Kroc borrowed his business idea from others |
| C．McDonald’s Corporation was started by two brothers |
| D．McDonald’s Corporation succeeded for its unique philosophy |
| A．Kroc formed the three legs of McDonald’s |
| B．many suppliers created new ways of making burgers |
| C．franchisees began to stick to a limited menu |
| D．employees would work hard for McDonald’s and for themselves |
| A．Lucky and creative. | B．Devoted but simple-minded. |
| C．Independent and far-sighted | D．Cooperative but strict. |
| A．The cooperation of Kroc and two brothers. |
| B．The contribution of McDonald’s to the US food industry. |
| C．The requirements for a successful fast-food chain. |
| D．The story of an entrepreneurial success. |
Tomato Changed My Life
Doing things-without being planned was never my strength.
As a 14-year-old, I would refuse to go for walks around the block with my friends if I was the least bit behind in my schoolwork.
Unlike most teenagers, I lived not in my room, but in an unused kitchen upstairs where I spread my books and papers on a large round table. I spent considerable time there, working continuously for hours, and my mother worried. She would try to lure (引诱) me away. “Come and watch the parade!” she would call from downstairs. “All neighbors are out there!” She thought of all kinds of tricks-the swimming pool, ice cream, stray cats and turtles-to remove me from my -studies, but nothing ever worked.
Later, in college, the pattern continued. The library and my college dorm replaced the unused kitchen at home. When spring came along friends would stop by my dorm or peer into my library room to persuade me to play Frisbee on the lawn. “No, I would almost always say.” I have too much to do.
My college study days were gone, but not my need and love for schedules. My friends and sisters tried to keep me away from my plans, but they were hardly ever successful.
This summer, though, while house sitting for my parents, I was persuaded to change my plans in the most unexpected way. The sight of tomatoes growing in my mother’s garden lured me out of my tightly scheduled world. They drew me with the power of a lover’s gaze. Hundreds of them were turning ripe and red by the minute, decorating the garden like decorations on a Christmas tree.
“If I have time, I’ll make tomato sauce (番茄酱).” I told myself. But my long week in the house by myself was already filled with things to do: writing, and finishing a project that I brought home from the office.
Then, watching the fascinating tomatoes continuously falling to the ground in ever-greater numbers, again I mentally argued about all the things I had planned and needed to do.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Finally, I gave in.
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A month later, my parents came back.
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9-year-old Igor lived in a huge forest in the north of Russia. His father was a woodcutter and his mother a tailor. The boy liked playing with animals in the forest, and knew the names of different birds and their songs. One freezing winter Igor was seriously ill and the doctor from big cities told his parents that only surprise could save him. Lying all day in bed, Igor only wanted his father to catch a bird and played with it. But in winter there were no birds in the forest. “You could make him a bird out of wood,” suggested the anxious mother.
The first finished birds were fat and too heavy to fly. He threw them into the fire, head in hands.
It was snowing heavily, and he really didn’t know where to find a bird. Then an idea occurred to him, “The bird needs two pieces of wood.” Eventually, he made it and showed it to his wife. “Beautiful!” she said, taking a needle and some thread (细线) and sewing the two ends together, like a real bird. She tied a long thread to the bird’s back. And it could be hung above Igor’s bed. Quietly, the woodcutter hung the bird above the boy’s bed.
At daybreak, his son was watching the bird carefully. There was a light in his eyes for the first time in many weeks. “Beautiful!” said Igor. “I’ve never seen it before in the forest. What’s its name?” “That’s a good question. I’ll find out and tell you.” The next morning, when the father entered Igor’s room, he found the boy sitting up in bed, trying to touch the bird. The last time Igor sat up in bed was many weeks before. “What’s it called?” the boy asked. “Oh, dear, I’m still not sure.”
Late on that night, Igor’s father went into his son’s room quietly and made the thread a little shorter. Then the bird was hanging a little higher above Igor’s head. Three days later, he found Igor kneeling on the bed, trying to touch the bird. His hand was very near it. “Have you decided on the name?” “Not yet. My son.” his father replied.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1:
Again, at night the father went into his son’s room.
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Paragraph 2:
Several days later, Igor’s father was cutting wood when he heard a scream from the house.
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9 . While most people are doing their best to work multiple jobs in a day to earn honest money, some people still settle on scamming (诈骗) others just to have instant cash. However, one scammer called the wrong person when he dialed Jean Ebbert’s number. The 73-year-old woman from New York may be in her senior years, but she is surely one tough lady who used to be a 911 call operator.
Her previous line of work has trained her to be a fast thinker and quick on her toes. When she received that call from someone claiming to be her grandson, she knew instantly that she was talking to a scammer.
According to the caller who was even crying at the time, he was Jean’s grandson who had gotten arrested due to drunk driving and now needed money to get out of prison. Ridiculously, Jean had no grandson who drives. However, knowing that the man could easily find another person to trick if she dropped the call, Jean decided to play along so the person on the other end of the line could get what he deserves.
“So I played the game. And then I said to him, ‘Listen! Don’t call your mother, or she’s going to be mad. Let me handle this,’” Jean recalled.
Eventually, the scammer passed the phone to his “lawyer” who then told her that her grandson needed $8,000 to be set free. Jean knew better of the situation and continued with her act, instructing the caller to visit her home address to get the money he needed.
Moments later, the doorbell rang and Jean rose to her feet and opened the door. In front of her stood a tall young man, who claimed himself to be her grandson’s lawyer and asked for the cash that had been promised to him. Jean had already laid a trap for him. The instant the scammer came, he was greeted by the two policemen waiting inside Jean’s home.
1. Who called Jean Ebbert?| A．Her lawyer. | B．Her grandson. | C．A complete stranger. | D．A 911 call operator. |
| A．She wanted to get back her $8,000. | B．She hated seeing others being tricked. |
| C．She enjoyed playing along with scammers. | D．She was concerned about her grandson’s safety. |
| A．She went outside, ready to greet the man. |
| B．She contacted her lawyer, consulting him for advice. |
| C．She got the money the man needed ready, waiting inside for him. |
| D．She contacted the police, informing them of the man’s potential visit. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. | B．You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. |
| C．Every dog has its day, and every man his hour. | D．Old horses know the way; old men know the world. |
10 . It is said that Lincoln’s ghost(幽灵) often appears in the White House. He appears in the room where the Lincoln bed is kept. Harry Truman once responded to a 3 o’clock knock on his door and found no one there. He attributed the knock to Lincoln.
Lincoln is said to return to the White House when the safety of the country is at risk. He walks up and down the second floor hallway, gently knocks at doors, and stands by certain windows with his hands put behind his back. One staff member firmly said that he had seen Lincoln sitting on his bed pulling on his boots.
A guard to President Harrison was kept awake many nights trying to protect the president from strange footsteps he heard in the hall. He grew so tired and worried; he finally attended a séance(降神会) to beg President Lincoln to stop so that he could get enough sleep to properly protect the president!
Abigail Adam’s ghost was seen wandering through the closed doors of the East Room to hang the laundry(洗衣店) during the Taft administration.
A gardener said that he had spoken to the ghost of Dolly Madison, who was angry with him for trying to remove the rose bushes she had planted over a hundred years ago.
In the 1930’s Andrew Jackson’s ghost could be heard laughing in the Rose room.
In 1952, complete repairs were done to the second floor of the White House. Since then, the ghosts have not walked so actively.
1. How many people’s ghosts appear in the white house?| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
| A．Harrison’s. | B．John Adam’s. | C．Andrew Jackson’s. | D．Dolly Madison’s. |
| A．Harry Truman had heard Lincoln’s footsteps. |
| B．Lincoln always returns to the White House when he misses his people. |
| C．President Harrison was not afraid of Lincoln’s ghost at all. |
| D．The rose bushes were planted by Dolly Madison. |
| A．The White House Ghosts |
| B．American Presidents’ Ghosts |
| C．The White House |
| D．American Presidents |
