When Brantley Harrison and her family rescued a tiny, injured squirrel back, then released her back into the wild, they didn’t expect to ever see her again. Nine years later, however, little Bella, they called the squirrel Bella, still comes to visit them almost every day—as long as snacks are provided, of course.
As a baby, the terrible attack made by an owl (猫头鹰) left Bella near death, she was carefully taken in by the Greenville County, South Carolina family, and raised by them alongside three other squirrels named Larry, Curly, and Moe. Bella stayed with the Harrisons until she had healed successfully thanks to a regular diet of fruit, nuts, and baby food, and was ready to jump on the trees in the forest. The sweet squirrel never goes too far from her adopted home, though, and stops by to say hello whenever she can, despite how much time has passed.
“Bella sits right at the front door waiting for someone to notice she has come by for a visit. If no one notices her, she will jump over to the dining room window to wait for someone to see her,” Brantley told The Dodo. The little lady just isn’t ready to part with the family that succored her life. Whenever she stops by, she asks for nothing more than a handful of nuts.
What is the most amazing part? A few years after Bella’s original stay at the Harrison house, she found her way back to them with an injured foot—and a belly full of babies—spending another few months of recovering. “It was truly amazing to watch the baby I raised raise her own babies,” Brantley said. Bella now even has her own Instagram page, where her human family documents her adventures, with almost 4 thousand followers!
1. What happened after little Bella was injured by an owl? (No more than 10 words)2. How did the Harrisons take care of little Bella? (No more than 15 words)
3. What does the underlined word in the third paragraph mean? (Only 1 word)
4. What brought Bella back to the Harrisons a few years after its original stay? (No more than 10 words)
5. How does Bella’s story inspire you? Please explain in your own words. (no more than 20words)
2 . Once, during my summer holidays, my father was sick, but he worked in the rice field just the same, because there was so much to do. As I looked at his thin figure, crawling (缓慢移动) ahead of me, I thought of my own depressing future. I was tied to the land by job after backbreaking job, unlike other boys who had freedom to pursue happiness. Why were there people in the world who would never know what it was like to toil (苦干), and others, like me, who had been toiling ever since they were small boys, season after season, year after year? Why were some people sitting before electric fans or in air-conditioned rooms, while I was out of breath and sweating under the blazing sun? Why was there mud and more mud in front of me?
Only we farmers were willing to crawl, to assume the lowliest of positions in order to have a better harvest. Even a horse, when working for man, stands tall. I was suddenly consumed with great pity and great respect for poor farmers, and the focus of my attention began to extend beyond myself and my family. This was an important turning point in my life.
While resting beside a field one day, my brothers and I resolved to pursue useful knowledge and technology to help ourselves and other farmers improve our circumstances, and lighten our burden of labour. This resolve gave me strength so that when I went to university, lighten our burden of labour. This resolve gave me strength so that when I went to university, and later to the US on a scholarship, my spirit rose above personal hardships. Crawling in the mud had taught me to lake bleeding and sweating as part of my life, and not to be afraid in the face of difficulties. But what was more important was that I had learned the meaning of “You reap what you sow”.
Mother used to say, “Judge a man not by his face, but by his fields.” I appreciate more and more the meaning of these words. The land is dependable, as long as you are willing to toil on it. When the wind blew and the green rice plants moved like waves in a sea, stunningly beautiful, a deep sense of satisfaction swelled up (充满) in me.
I laboured hard in the simple, isolated countryside of my home, and I am proud of this. Although later I went into academic research, I shall always remember what working in the rice fields taught me: plant your feet firmly on the ground, work hard and you will be rewarded.
1. What did the author think of his job as a farmer in Paragraph 1?| A．Unhappy but promising. | B．Free and meaningful. |
| C．Busy but rewarding. | D．Exhausting and hopeless. |
| A．The concern for his father’s sickness. | B．His pity and respect for poor farmers. |
| C．His eagerness for knowledge and technology. | D．His wish to have a better harvest. |
| A．A man should be judged by his academic background. |
| B．A man’s sense of satisfaction comes from the land. |
| C．A man willing to toil in his field is bound to reap a harvest. |
| D．A man shouldn’t be proud of his appearance. |
| A．achieves great success in his academic career | B．benefits a lot from his previous experience |
| C．lives in the isolated countryside | D．takes pride in his hometown |
| A．Crawling in the Rice Fields | B．Sticking to Your Dreams |
| C．Lightening the Burden of Labour | D．Sparing No Effort to Work |
3 . American author Gary Hopkins tells us, “A suitable apology can be a wonderful thing, so long as it is from the heart.” However, an apology is
A few years ago, I was a guest
Of course, apologies shouldn’t be
Generally, over apologizing
| A．essential | B．impossible | C．reasonable | D．difficult |
| A．editor | B．speaker | C．worker | D．member |
| A．dressed | B．prepared | C．known | D．equipped |
| A．formed | B．recalled | C．delivered | D．appreciated |
| A．blamed | B．praised | C．discovered | D．approached |
| A．interrupted | B．apologized | C．stopped | D．coughed |
| A．caught on | B．brought out | C．stepped on | D．broke down |
| A．speechless | B．hopeless | C．confused | D．frightened |
| A．ready for | B．nervous about | C．careful about | D．aware of |
| A．in reply | B．in vain | C．in return | D．in place |
| A．ignored | B．mentioned | C．used | D．accepted |
| A．regretting | B．failing | C．pretending | D．promising |
| A．ridiculous | B．impressive | C．accessible | D．crucial |
| A．sale | B．income | C．deposit | D．loss |
| A．private | B．false | C．inadequate | D．illegal |
| A．Besides | B．Therefore | C．Nevertheless | D．Instead |
| A．expects | B．continues | C．deserves | D．tends |
| A．motivation | B．confidence | C．energy | D．experience |
| A．embarrass | B．challenge | C．misunderstand | D．tolerate |
| A．suitably | B．normally | C．directly | D．frequently |
Life on the street is a constant struggle for homeless people. In extreme weather conditions, that struggle becomes even more difficult. Recently, homeless people across Chicago faced freezing to death if they couldn’t find shelter for the night.
Thankfully, one local woman refused to let that happen. On January 30, 34-year-old Candice Payne, a local managing broker, was lucky enough to have shelter from the dangerous conditions. “It was -20℃, and I knew they were going to be sleeping on ice and I had to do something,” said Payne. Payne started brainstorming different ways she could possibly help. Finally, she decided to see if there were any rooms available at local inns and hotels that she could get to help those stuck on the street.
For Payne, her mission was personal. According to Payne, her husband, Carlos Callahan, had lived on the street at one point in his life. Based on his experience, Payne knew that the homeless people still living on the street desperately needed help and she wanted to step up.
However, when Payne explained what she was trying to do, many of the local hotels refused to allow her to pay for the rooms as they didn’t want homeless people to stay in their rooms. “No one wanted them, but one hotel, the Amber Inn, was nice enough to allow me to buy the rooms,” said Payne.
Payne’s selfless act made news across the country. However, she insisted she had never done it for attention. “I am a regular person,” said Payne, who spent thousands of dollars of her own money to help complete strangers. “It all sounded like a rich person did this, but I’m just a little black girl from the South Side.”
1. What was the biggest problem homeless people had when extreme weather came? (no more than 10 words)2. Why was Candice Payne determined to help homeless people? (no more than 10 words)
3. How did Candice Payne help the homeless people? (no more than 8 words)
4. What does the underlined part mean in the last paragraph? (no more than 3 words)
5. What do you think of Payne? Please give your reasons. (no more than 20 words)
5 . My mother was never truly happy in Connecticut finding the winter bitter cold and the culture provincial (偏狭的). Though she grew up in New Jersey, she moved to San Francisco in her early twenties, met and married my dad out there. After I was born, they decided to return east, closer to their own parents. But she never let go of her love for the Bay Area.
California was always part of the conversation when I was a kid. I ate meals off a map-of-the-world placemat (餐垫), and Mom taught me to identify San Francisco before I learned where Hartford was. She told us stories of perfection on a single city, fantasizing about retiring out west. My dad would play along, but his heart wasn’t in the same place.
While my mother’s status in the nonprofit world advanced, her desire to move back to her favorite place grew strong. She applied for jobs in the Bay, underwent bicoastal Skype screenings, even traveled out for a couple of interviews on a whim (心血来潮). Sometimes her cover letters disappeared, other times she made it down to the final two candidates. With each rejection, she promised to make her next job application even stronger.
This past May, I relocated from San Francisco to New York for a job. A few weeks later, Mom called me. Her pursuit had finally paid off. She’s been offered a vice president position at a public health nonprofit in Oakland. A few weeks later, she packed up her baggage and left Connecticut for good.
Our lives are more semblable than ever these days. We’re both discovering our new homes, making friends. We’re looking for a good yoga studio to join, reading the same books and chatting about the plots by text message. I emailed her photos from my trip to Burning Man and she replied with stories about her new coworkers who go every year.
There’s even time for the occasional dating disaster.
Perhaps that’s the paradox (悖论) of growing older. Things will always change, and they can change immediately—my mother is proof. But an individual’s own power to create change always stays the same. Everything can change, and therefore nothing ever really changes.
Now when I’m out west for a visit, Mom meets me at a station with her big bag. We stop by the Grand Lake farmers market, picking out the freshest seasonal ingredients, before hiking up the hill to her new apartment. One of these days, I’ll actually cook her dinner.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．The author spent her childhood in California. |
| B．The author’s father didn’t want to live in California. |
| C．The author’s mother liked to use plates with map designs. |
| D．The author’s family preferred listening to stories of the west. |
| A．She always likes to struggle on her own. |
| B．She owns a public health nonprofit company. |
| C．Nothing can stop her from reaching her goal. |
| D．She takes everything of her daughter on herself. |
| A．Changeable. | B．Comfortable. | C．Similar. | D．Creative. |
| A．The relationship between the author and her mother is good. |
| B．Everyone has the power to make a difference to his family. |
| C．Culture and living conditions have influence on one’s life style. |
| D．The author’s mother had a hard time before she looked for a job. |
| A．her family’s life changes all the time because of her mother |
| B．the mother-daughter feelings will stay the same forever |
| C．she has grown up during her family’s constant moves |
| D．her mother always wants to change her current situations |
6 . I was sitting in a chair having coffee when a text message from a former colleague woke me from my daydreams.
“Do you want to
I taught grades 1-2 for 17 years, and my dreams as a teacher were tied to that rocking chair. It was a
My husband and I adopted one of my former students in 2017. The complexity of
I joined a
My family, my books, finding a new purpose and belonging in a(n)
| A．give away | B．put back | C．send out | D．pick up |
| A．ridiculous | B．magical | C．strange | D．complex |
| A．gather | B．turn | C．pass | D．chase |
| A．attempt | B．invitation | C．courage | D．measure |
| A．goal | B．job | C．process | D．route |
| A．Unfortunately | B．Frequently | C．Actually | D．Consequently |
| A．natural | B．vague | C．severe | D．normal |
| A．challenge | B．take | C．finish | D．quit |
| A．around | B．over | C．through | D．down |
| A．motivating | B．teaching | C．parenting | D．rescuing |
| A．invisible | B．unexpected | C．suspicious | D．exceptional |
| A．rescuing | B．defending | C．forming | D．bonding |
| A．external | B．support | C．finance | D．academic |
| A．in return | B．by chance | C．on average | D．at ease |
| A．a chance | B．lessons | C．an offer | D．messages |
| A．community | B．school | C．family | D．office |
| A．evaluating | B．accepting | C．offending | D．fulfilling |
| A．character | B．identity | C．determination | D．sense |
| A．when | B．how | C．whether | D．why |
| A．called on | B．set aside | C．came over | D．looked back |
Monday started as an ordinary day for Shannon St. Onge, who lived in Pense, a town in Saskatchewan, Canada. She drove the approximately 25 kilometres east into Regina for work.
She kept an eye on highway conditions throughout the day. The weather network was warning of a blizzard. Expected start time was at around 7 pm, but she thought she could make it. “I bought a takeout for the kids, filled my gas tank, replaced my broken phone charger and then headed home around 5:30 before the storm hit,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
She took a dirt road because she thought it would be better for the winter driving conditions. Just as the pavement turned into gravel (碎石路), the wind picked up and visibility started to diminish (降低). She drove at a snail’s pace with her window rolled down, using the edge as her guide. After a while she realized she was lost. Whiteout conditions left her confused.
She could make out a sign that said “Bouvier Lane,” giving her some sense of where she was. Then she posted her location on the Pense community Facebook page in hopes that someone might be able to find her. That was when 80-year-old Andre Bouvier Sr. figured out her location. Despite his wife’s concern for his well-being, he decided to help her and headed out in the storm.
He bundled up (使穿得暖和), grabbed an LED flashlight and walked about half a kilometre into the raging storm to search for St. Onge’s car. To Bouvier’s surprise, he found two other cars with people who also needed help trapped alongside St. Onge. He led the seven lost people back to his home and welcomed them in for the evening.
Bouvier became a hero overnight. Bouvier didn’t want much credit for his efforts for a stranger in need. “Everybody would have done the same thing,” he said. “You don’t think about it; you just do it.”
1. Why did St. Onge still drive home although she heard about the approaching blizzard? (no more than 10 words)2. What made driving difficult according to Paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
3. How do you understand the underlined word in Paragraph 5? (1 word)
4. How did Bouvier help the lost people? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you think of Bouvier? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
8 . After I won my first race at five, life was about winning races. Two kids, Ray J and Gil,
One day in our first NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) season, my teammate, Ray had to leave for home because his son Ray J suddenly developed cancer. He said something about
Gil was a six-year-old boy with a rare bone disease. His bones were so easy to break that a hug might
Win. That word again. Had I ever thought much about what it
| A．recognized | B．achieved | C．resigned | D．changed |
| A．hating | B．expecting | C．failing | D．refusing |
| A．fee | B．choice | C．family | D．attitude |
| A．necessary | B．difficult | C．absurd | D．unforgettable |
| A．hopeless | B．desperate | C．careful | D．weak |
| A．easy-going | B．strong-willed | C．hard-working | D．absent-minded |
| A．safer | B．faster | C．wider | D．harder |
| A．problem | B．possession | C．race | D．adventure |
| A．damage | B．cure | C．change | D．influence |
| A．sound | B．goal | C．face | D．smile |
| A．examine | B．outstretch | C．move | D．shake |
| A．Instead | B．Generally | C．Obviously | D．Furthermore |
| A．legs | B．feet | C．knees | D．ankles |
| A．fan | B．expert | C．competitor | D．developer |
| A．hold on | B．run around | C．give up | D．break through |
| A．debt | B．task | C．optimism | D．pain |
| A．meant | B．brought | C．split | D．needed |
| A．love | B．manage | C．support | D．encourage |
| A．straight | B．finish | C．start | D．red |
| A．losers | B．cooperators | C．winners | D．doctors |
9 . Life is just like a box of chocolates and you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes when we are in our darkest hour, something completely unexpected happens that can give us a little bit of hope and comfort.
Jessica was a healthy woman. One day, while she was working on a brilliant idea that suddenly struck her, which she thought would be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem she was working on, she suddenly lost consciousness. After she was rushed to the hospital, her heart rate slowed by nearly 50 percent. It took nine days for doctors to concentrate on what was causing her problem.
After several weeks, Jessica was still stiff (僵硬的) from head to foot, but luckily, she was able to move her lips. Staff noticed this and introduced Jessica to Consuelo Gonzalez, a professional lip reader. Consuelo can understand what people are saying by the shape their lips make. She can also understand how annoying it is not to be able to communicate because she has been completely deaf since the age of 8.
For a few hours each week, Jessica could have long conversations with Consuelo, diving into the ocean of words she dearly missed. Through Consuelo, Jessica asked the doctors and nurses questions she had long wanted answers to. She also talked to Consuelo about the vivid dreams she was mixing up with reality.
In fact, there are other ways for Consuelo to earn a living by reading lips, but she says helping patients separate horrible dreams from reality is the most rewarding way she can use her unique skill. “What is really wonderful, without doubt, is being able to use this skill to create healing and to create communication between human beings. That’s what feels best: Love.”
After four and a half months in the hospital, Jessica finally recovered. Consuelo was there, holding Jessica’s hands. Jessica eventually went back to work as a math professor. After her experience she wrote a new living will. One thing she added is that if she ever becomes incapacitated like this again, she is never to be left alone.
1. Why does the author mention a box of chocolates in the first paragraph?| A．To present an argument. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To give an example. |
a. Jessica was introduced to Consuelo Gonzalez.
b. Jessica went back to work and wrote a new living will.
c. Doctors spent nine days to find out what caused Jessica’s problem.
d. Jessica was able to ask the doctors questions she had long wanted answers to.
e. Jessica worked on a brilliant idea for solving the mathematical problem.
| A．ecadb | B．adcbe | C．ecdba | D．adbce |
| A．Jessica became deaf as a result of the sudden disease after losing consciousness. |
| B．Consuelo must have a gift in psychology as she could separate dreams from reality. |
| C．Consuelo accompanied Jessica all the time in the hospital until the latter recovered. |
| D．Doctors focused on the cause of Jessica’s disease before Consuelo offered help. |
| A．Friendly and cautious. | B．Brave and creative. |
| C．Kind and caring. | D．Determined and humorous. |
| A．Deadly exhausted. | B．Seriously ill. | C．Desperately lonely. | D．Incredibly compulsory. |
| A．Love can make people no longer alone facing difficulties. |
| B．Creating communication between human beings is rewarding. |
| C．Self-acceptance is based on the love for oneself. |
| D．Love is key to the attainment of others’ respect. |
10 . People say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That
After Dad was
As we started throwing out old phone books and every medical bill from every
I’m realizing all these things
| A．thought | B．goal | C．principle | D．coincidence |
| A．looked for | B．looked into | C．looked through | D．looked after |
| A．with | B．to | C．for | D．by |
| A．retired | B．ill | C．gone | D．injured |
| A．clean | B．strange | C．modern | D．empty |
| A．pleased | B．familiar | C．disappointed | D．astonished |
| A．saved | B．enjoyed | C．purchased | D．designed |
| A．decisions | B．bargains | C．challenges | D．responsibilities |
| A．person | B．neighbor | C．doctor | D．child |
| A．bought | B．discovered | C．buried | D．lost |
| A．even | B．just | C．only | D．yet |
| A．liked | B．bought | C．kept | D．lost |
| A．school | B．army | C．college | D．countryside |
| A．receive | B．direct | C．sense | D．describe |
| A．repaired | B．cleaned | C．spotted | D．set |
| A．descriptions | B．introductions | C．memories | D．communications |
| A．recognized | B．represented | C．instructed | D．confirmed |
| A．supermarket | B．church | C．office | D．house |
| A．merely | B．always | C．really | D．never |
| A．Anything | B．Nothing | C．Everything | D．Something |
