1 . In the post-war era, re-gifting and returning gifts to shops were commonly occurring.My mother and Aunt Florence ran a_________. For them finding desirable stock (储备物) for the store was an adventure. But the greatest_________of all was getting the wanted items without taking too many_________ones ‘paired’ with them. This pairing resulted in a highly saleable item being paired with something that had to be heavily discounted just to move it off the shelves_________at a loss.

One item I particularly remember was an ugly ornament (饰物) framed in a horseshoe.My mother was shocked by its_________ . My aunt patiently explained she had to buy it to_________some attractive crockery sets (瓷器套装) in high demand. She had paid ten pounds for it and hoped to get five pounds for it. After briefly_________ it at ten pounds, she put it on our bargain table, expecting the crockery sets would sell quickly and cover the_________ on it.Several days later she managed to sell the ornament for three pounds to a value d customer who _________to give it to a neighbour, who loved horses.

The following Saturday, our family was invited to a 21st birthday party, and my father was     __________with buying a suitable gift from the jeweler in town. However, he delayed his __________because he had his car repaired. As a result, he __________a wrapped present from our own store’s stock. Little did he know that it was the __________ .

At the party, as the presents were__________, my mother held my shoulder tightly when she saw the ornament. The__________of our family, the gift’s original purchaser, and the recipient’s (接受者) family were a mix of shock and__________. My father, realizing his mistake,__________that he thought it was a collector’s item due to the ten pound price tag.

The next day, realizing my mother discovered the ornament which had been sold had been returned by Sheila, the recipient’s mother, who __________a ten pound refund , Aunt Florence burst into laughter, though the relationship between the__________owners of the ornament sourced.

          __________ this event, I learned the value of giving cash or gift cards.1.

A．company

B．department

C．market

D．store

2.

A．challenge

B．decision

C．secret

D．promise

3.

A．satisfactory

B．unaffordable

C．undesirable

D．cheap

4.

A．frequently

B．suddenly

C．occasionally

D．gradually

5.

A．advantage

B．colour

C．influence

D．appearance

6.

A．display

B．get

C．rent

D．appreciate

7.

A．selling

B．investing

C．pricing

D．charging

8.

A．expense

B．loss

C．figure

D．value

9.

A．planned

B．agreed

C．failed

D．hesitated

10.

A．impressed

B．satisfied

C．tasked

D．bored

11.

A．dating

B．shopping

C．meeting

D．riding

12.

A．borrowed

B．bought

C．designed

D．selected

13.

A．ornament

B．jewel

C．horseshoe

D．card

14.

A．unlocked

B．covered

C．unwrapped

D．dusted

15.

A．thoughts

B．reviews

C．mistakes

D．reactions

16.

A．disbelief

B．sadness

C．delight

D．anxiety

17.

A．instructed

B．explained

C．added

D．informed

18.

A．exchanged

B．donated

C．received

D．rejected

19.

A．mysterious

B．temporary

C．aggressive

D．optimistic

20.

A．Speaking of

B．Working on

C．Hearing of

D．Reflecting on

2 . In January 2008, Rachel Lapierre, a full-time nurse and part-time volunteer aid worker, made a life-changing decision. After an exhausting day at work she ________ a $4 lottery ticket (彩票) at a local store. At that moment, Rachel made a(n) ________ — if she struck it lucky with the lottery, she would ________ her nursing career. Because humanitarian (人道主义) work was what she had longed to ________ her life to. When Rachel scratched the ticket, she discovered she had won a big ________ — $675,000.

True to her word, Lapierre spent all her life through her ________ project, Le Book Humanitaire. It began as a humble ________ of good deeds in a simple notebook, which she used to keep track of what she had done to ________ those living in the small communities around her. To her, they were just small acts of ________ — buying clothes for newly arrived immigrants, or delivering ________ to lonely seniors. But ________ started spreading, and a Facebook page she created for the project became a(n) ________ way to answer requests from those in need.

Over the years, Le Book has ________ a remarkable team of 80 volunteers. This nonprofit ________ has become a hope for the community. The notebook itself has since been replaced by dozens more, ________ millions of deeds. In 2022 alone, it ________ nearly 450,000 acts of service, ________ the lives of countless individuals.

Le Book Humanitaire, born from Rachel’s lottery win, continues to be a source of ________ for the community. “When you do a good deed, it has a butterfly effect,” says Lapierre. “One good deed can ________ 10 people. So if we all do a good deed? That can ________ the world.”

1.

A．booked

B．bought

C．noticed

D．delivered

2.

A．agreement

B．choice

C．wish

D．deal

3.

A．quit

B．earn

C．fund

D．improve

4.

A．adapt

B．ease

C．devote

D．compare

5.

A．prize

B．competition

C．game

D．profit

6.

A．team

B．research

C．nursing

D．charity

7.

A．comment

B．plan

C．survey

D．record

8.

A．pay

B．help

C．treat

D．attract

9.

A．encouragement

B．bravery

C．generosity

D．kindness

10.

A．orders

B．messages

C．meals

D．speeches

11.

A．word

B．money

C．dream

D．career

12.

A．valuable

B．unusual

C．efficient

D．positive

13.

A．worked with

B．developed into

C．accounted for

D．focused on

14.

A．research

B．organization

C．firm

D．hospital

15.

A．representing

B．imitating

C．predicting

D．recommending

16.

A．designed

B．completed

C．invested

D．introduced

17.

A．rescuing

B．deciding

C．protecting

D．touching

18.

A．inspiration

B．enthusiasm

C．relief

D．fantasy

19.

A．assist

B．shape

C．affect

D．liberate

20.

A．explore

B．satisfy

C．rule

D．save

3 . Many parents dream of their children growing up and seeing the world. But Edith Lemay, a______ of four from Canada, worried her children were running out of ______ to do that.

When her first child, Mia, was little, she ______ she would bump into (撞到) things, Lemay worried about her daughter’s ______ and brought her to a doctor. In 2018, Mia was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (色素性视网膜炎), which meant there’s a chance Mia would be completely______ by midlife. Because the disease is ______ , Lemay’s other kids were at risk . Soon, two of her sons, Collin and Laurent, were ______ , too.

Fortunately, her daughter Mia is ____ about it. She says “Today my vision is good, so I’m going to ____ it. In the future, when ____ come, we`ll face them and find solutions.”

Lemay wanted to ______ her kids for what was to come and thought about ______ them Brailie (盲文), but a specialist had another suggestion. “He said the best thing I can do is______ their visual memories,” Lemay said. “And he was talking about reading books and seeing pictures of elephants in books. And that’s when it ______ . I was like, ‘We are not going to do that in books; we are going to see them in ______ life.’”

In March, Lemay, her husband and her four kids left Canada and ______ an epic journey, traveling the ______ for a whole year showing their kids the world, _____ it is too late.

Now, they’re in Bali already having crossed Africa. They plan to ______ their way through Southeast Asia. The family have made a list of fun activities they want to accomplish, so each kid can ______ their dreams come true.

1.

A．teacher

B．mother

C．child

D．researcher

2.

A．energy

B．money

C．time

D．patience

3.

A．noticed

B．worried

C．thought

D．concluded

4.

A．head

B．leg

C．taste

D．vision

5.

A．blind

B．deaf

C．lame

D．clumsy

6.

A．curable

B．fatal

C．genetic

D．irregular

7.

A．treated

B．diagnosed

C．infected

D．operated

8.

A．sympathetic

B．pessimistic

C．enthusiastic

D．realistic

9.

A．make out of

B．make sense of

C．make use of

D．make up of

10.

A．diseases

B．opportunities

C．challenges

D．surgeries

11.

A．prepare

B．provide

C．present

D．praise

12.

A．telling

B．awarding

C．teaching

D．showing

13.

A．bury

B．fill

C．ruin

D．search

14.

A．clicked

B．struck

C．collapsed

D．occurred

15.

A．simple

B．real

C．virtual

D．complex

16.

A．broke

B．ended

C．continued

D．started

17.

A．landmark

B．country

C．destination

D．globe

18.

A．since

B．after

C．before

D．until

19.

A．force

B．work

C．lose

D．dug

20.

A．see

B．make

C．hear

D．help

4 . This weekend, thousands of motorcyclists are riding on the Black Hills for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Fair. For many of them, an 8-year-old’s lemonade stand has become a popular stop.

Wyatt started the free lemonade stand last year as a way to raise some money to buy a Lego set. But on the first day, he not only made enough cash to get his toys, but he was able to donate $200 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. “So now, 50 percent goes to college,” he explained. “30 percent goes to St. Jude and the rest goes to... last year it was Legos, this year it’s a dirt bike.”

This year, Wyatt’s lemonade stand went viral after someone posted about it on social media. “I’m still trying to figure out exactly what happened,” said his mother Robin Dennis. “This just blows my mind.”

So far, the post has been shared more than 60,000 times and encouraged hundreds of bikers from all over the U.S. to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. “He loves it,” said Robin. “He loves seeing the people. He loves waving to the people. Even if they don’t stop, they ride by and honk their horn. He makes many friends and becomes more confident.”

Whether he’s serving lemonade, posing for pictures, or sitting on a motorcycle, Wyatt has become something of a local celebrity. He’s raised enough to donate $4,500 to St. Jude this year and he has no plans to pump the brakes anytime soon.

“As long as he’s having fun doing it and it’s what he wants to do, we’ll be out here every year serving lemonade to everyone who’s here,” his mother said.

1. Why do people stop by a lemonade stand?

A．To advocate the annual fair.	B．To worship the local celebrity.
C．To support the little boy.	D．To make lemonade for the charity.

2. What is Robin’s attitude toward Wyatt’s popularity?

A．Relieved.

B．Moved.

C．Content.

D．Amazed.

3. Which is closest in meaning to “pump the brakes” in Paragraph 5?

A．Speed.

B．Stop.

C．Decline.

D．Expand.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Roses given, fragrance in hand.

B．Birds of a feature flock together.

C．A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.

D．Love shows more in action than in words.

5 . The wildfires advanced, heading straight for the town of Behchoko. Citizens were told to ________ their towns. At this time, Jason Card in the nearby town — Yelowknife, started a ________ mission to rescue the abandoned pets left in the ________.

Upon learning urgent situation from news, Jason determined to take ________ action. He tried all means to gather various dog crates (笼子), with which they’d help ________ the animals he would rescue.

With good ________, Jason set out for the heart of the fire zone, with his teenage child and his father ________ him. After a journey of 63 miles, the team of three arrived at their destination, where they were met with a scene of ________ — people in the middle of evacuation (撤离), ________ seeking shelter from the upcoming flames.

Not discouraged by the surrounding chaos, they ________ no time. By 8:00 pm, their truck was loaded with a diverse range of pets they had ________ to rescue. “Once people heard we were rescuing pets, they ________ us, asking us to get their pets. We filled every crate we had,” Jason said when interviewed. On that night, the ________ unleaded crates filled with dogs in Yellowknife. Swiftly, they set off again, making a direct ________ to Behchoko. This time, they successfully saved over 30 pets. However, something ________ arose — how to settle a great number of pets? Michelle Tuma, a vet in Yellowknife, heard of Jason’s rescue ________. Without hesitation, she ________ and provided temporary shelter for the animals.

Jason said in an interview it was heartbreaking to see our ________ die in the fire. His act of ________ highlighted the significance of caring for the most ________ members of our communities, even in the face of disaster.

1.

A．rebuild

B．search

C．leave

D．protect

2.

A．heartbreaking

B．confidential

C．fortunate

D．courageous

3.

A．crisis

B．shelter

C．wilderness

D．fire

4.

A．necessary

B．immediate

C．decisive

D．tough

5.

A．adopt

B．cure

C．transport

D．raise

6.

A．preparations

B．feelings

C．reasons

D．intentions

7.

A．leading

B．calming

C．accompanying

D．encouraging

8.

A．chaos

B．cruelty

C．accident

D．violence

9.

A．eagerly

B．hurriedly

C．vainly

D．painfully

10.

A．valued

B．wasted

C．saved

D．seized

11.

A．agreed

B．longed

C．happened

D．managed

12.

A．emailed

B．recognized

C．paid

D．approached

13.

A．owners

B．team

C．citizens

D．staff

14.

A．return

B．hiking

C．call

D．route

15.

A．disastrous

B．challenging

C．questionable

D．strange

16.

A．plans

B．members

C．efforts

D．requests

17.

A．turned around

B．looked ahead

C．carried on

D．reached out

18.

A．companions

B．neighbors

C．children

D．workmates

19.

A．will

B．faith

C．heroism

D．generosity

20.

A．valuable

B．helpless

C．grateful

D．sensitive

6 . At the age of 91, living alone, Thomas was quietly enjoying his old age. His days were filled with ________ and leisure. He would watch TV and ________ leave his place. His lack of physical activity ________ his granddaughter, Diana. She wanted her grandpa to live a long and happy life and she finally had a perfect ________.

Armed with a handful of love-a(n) ________ little dog named Frederica, she set out to________ her beloved grandpa. Diana knew her grandpa’s ________ for animals. Thomas was even considering getting a dog in the past, but his family ________ him. This time, Diana ________ to take matters into her own hands. She knew that having a puppy would be a ________ for the elderly man, so she was ready to ________ him with whatever he would need. What a wonderful and ________ decision!

Thomas’ face ________ up when he saw what his granddaughter was holding in her arms. He then ________ the puppy from the floor and immediately fell in love. The whole family were astonished by the immediate ________ between Thomas and the cute puppy. In the following days, Thomas began his remarkable ________. He used to kill most of his time inside by watching TV. But now with Frederica, he has developed a new ________.

“Now, my grandfather gets up early to go outside with Frederica, and the dog ________ him when he works in the garden. They go for walks on the beach — all sorts of activities my grandfather used to ________ to do,” Diana said in an interview, “He is much more active and ________.”

1.

A．sport

B．tears

C．rest

D．food

2.

A．barely

B．usually

C．only

D．once

3.

A．inspired

B．confused

C．influenced

D．worried

4.

A．chance

B．excuse

C．idea

D．ending

5.

A．ugly

B．lovely

C．friendly

D．lonely

6.

A．visit

B．treat

C．consult

D．persuade

7.

A．habit

B．pity

C．affection

D．patience

8.

A．supported

B．deserted

C．promised

D．discouraged

9.

A．hesitated

B．decided

C．agreed

D．failed

10.

A．challenge

B．right

C．disaster

D．shame

11.

A．surprise

B．leave

C．teach

D．help

12.

A．considerate

B．silly

C．interesting

D．selfish

13.

A．turned

B．lit

C．went

D．made

14.

A．waited for

B．picked up

C．gave up

D．jumped at

15.

A．sympathy

B．trust

C．connection

D．commitment

16.

A．show

B．journey

C．transformation

D．recovery

17.

A．hobby

B．routine

C．game

D．skill

18.

A．accompanies

B．leads

C．teases

D．urges

19.

A．try

B．like

C．wish

D．refuse

20.

A．faster

B．luckier

C．wiser

D．happier

8 . This fall marks a new beginning for the hundreds of students walking onto a small Midwest college campus, but it’s an especially memorable time for one family. It celebrates three generations starting the new school year together.

Samantha Malczewski, 19, said that when she learned her mom and her grandmother would be joining her and her younger sister Mia Carter, 18, at Carthage College this fall, her eyes were wide open.

“I was clearly already admitted, and Mia was also admitted. And then all of a sudden, they were like, ‘Oh, we’re going too,’” Samantha recalled. “I didn’t expect it.”

Mia said she had an inkling (略知) that their mom and grandmother were interested in going back to school.

“My great-grandma just passed away and I think my mom had the realization that your mom’s not always gonna be there ... and I think it’s just the fact of them simply going to the same classroom every day and just gaining another aspect of spending time together,” the freshman accounting and marketing student said.

Her mom Amy Malczewski had worked at Carthage College for the last 22 years. She said she “always” knew she wanted to enroll (注册) as a student herself though. “I have a little time now. I’m like, you know what, I should get that graduate degree I’ve always wanted. And Carthage has this amazing master’s degree in business and design and innovation, which is really in line with all the things that I love,” said Amy.

Meanwhile, when Christy Schwan heard of her daughter’s plan, she quickly realized they could set on the journey together. The 71-year-old had retired three years before. She said she was drawn to learning about change management.

Amy and Christy are now classmates, studying for master’s degrees in business, design and innovation. Both nontraditional students say they encourage their peers (同龄人) to go for it if they’re also considering going back to school. “My advice to anybody is just, life is so short and if there’s something that you’re interested in, and maybe you’re doubting yourself a little bit, put that doubt aside and just go for it,” Amy said. “Especially if you have somebody that can do it with you, I think it makes it even sweeter, right?”

1. How did Samantha feel when she learned the news?

A．Upset.

B．Surprised.

C．Excited.

D．Worried.

2. What did Mia think was the reason that her mom and grandmom went back to school together?

A．They wanted to have a richer life.

B．They wanted to fit in with younger groups.

C．They wanted to spend more time with each other.

D．They wanted to learn more about accounting and marketing.

3. Which of the following can best describe Amy Malczewski?

A．Strong and devoted.	B．Persistent and brave.
C．Positive and knowledgeable.	D．Responsible and professional.

4. What does Amy suggest people do in the last paragraph?

A．Treasure family.	B．Go to university.
C．Don’t waste time.	D．Go for their dreams.

9 . The Christmas of 2020 was not a time of celebration but just tough for many. It was ________ by COVID-19. Anthony, Sara’s brother, put up some ________ in the yard to make the holidays special. ________, right after Christmas, Anthony was seriously infected and ________. For Sara, the pain was almost too much to ________. But when she pulled up to her house at the end of a ________ day, the shining Christmas lights ________ her a little joy. They were the last mementos (纪念品) Sara had of her brother when he was still alive and ________. Taking them down felt like a final act of closure she wasn’t ready to take. So she ________ them up.

In February, Sara ________ a typed note in the mail. “Take your Christmas lights down!” the unsigned letter read. Sara looked at the paper ________ and got angry. She could have bottled up that ________, but she wrote about it instead. “I wanted to ________ people that we all had a tough year and people should be a little more ________ toward each other.” She shared it on Facebook. Sara’s inbox quickly filled with messages of ________. People started sending Sara messages about how they had ________ loved ones around Christmas. Then something strange happened. One evening, she ________ that Christmas lights were appearing — or reappearing — on houses in her neighbourhood.

The mystery had a ________ explanation: her neighbours had got together and ________, collectively, to hang their lights back up in honor of Anthony.

Sara never learned who sent the ________. But for her, that one mean-spirited deed was far outweighed by so many more acts of kindness.

1.

A．strengthened

B．clouded

C．postponed

D．celebrated

2.

A．lights

B．pictures

C．flowers

D．advertisements

3.

A．Surprisingly

B．Eventually

C．Unfortunately

D．Naturally

4.

A．dropped in

B．stepped aside

C．passed away

D．walked around

5.

A．imagine

B．permit

C．observe

D．take

6.

A．long

B．perfect

C．new

D．unique

7.

A．brought

B．earned

C．sold

D．left

8.

A．quiet

B．amused

C．worried

D．healthy

9.

A．hung

B．kept

C．fixed

D．folded

10.

A．refused

B．recognized

C．received

D．chose

11.

A．in person

B．in shock

C．in advance

D．in vain

12.

A．enthusiasm

B．anger

C．doubt

D．disappointment

13.

A．promise

B．teach

C．remind

D．warn

14.

A．thoughtful

B．patient

C．faithful

D．frank

15.

A．explanation

B．interest

C．prediction

D．support

16.

A．understood

B．greeted

C．lost

D．deserted

17.

A．checked

B．declared

C．recalled

D．noticed

18.

A．sweet

B．simple

C．vivid

D．strange

19.

A．continued

B．decided

C．intended

D．pretended

20.

A．gift

B．signal

C．invitation

D．note

10 . It was a bright spring afternoon along the Maryland coast, and Jonathan Bauer, 51, a technology executive at a hospital, and his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, were taking full advantage of it. They were driving with the windows down as they headed home on the 1.4-mile, two-lane Route 90 bridge, which spans the shallow waters of Assawoman Bay. Suddenly, the calm was disturbed by a high-pitched noise.

Not far ahead of them, a black pickup was slipping from one lane to the other. To the Bauers’ horror, it hit a BMW sedan and came to rest swinging over the rail of the bridge.

Bauer stopped his car and ran to the BMW. “Are you OK?” he asked the driver. She nodded, too shocked to speak. And then the driver’s door of the pickup was thrown open and a man climbed out. He pointed down, saying something in Spanish. In the water was a car seat. Next to it, a girl, about two years old, was floating on her back, kicking and splashing and screaming.

Bauer waited for the pickup driver to do something, but he didn’t. Maybe he was in shock. Bauer jumped into the shallow water quickly, swam to the drowning girl in a few quick strokes and lifted her out of the water: mouth half open, eyes nearly closed, not breathing. Standing, he laid her against his shoulder and hit her back with the flat of his hand. Come on… come on…

And then a retching (干呕的) sound as ocean water came streaming from her mouth. But still no breath. Another hit on the back and another retch, followed by an intake of fresh air, and then the beautiful sense of little fingers grasping him around the neck. Her eyes were opened now, focused on him. A moment later a family on a rowboat pulled up and dragged Bauer and the little girl aboard. The girl suffered a broken shoulder but was otherwise uninjured.

Ava Bauer was so inspired by her father’s actions that four months later she became a volunteer firefighter so that she too could save lives. “That girl is going to live a whole life because of him,” she says. “It’s incredible.”

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To uncover the Bauers’ feelings.	B．To introduce the upcoming event.
C．To describe a scene along the coast.	D．To explain the disturbed calm to us.

2. What happened on the bridge?

A．Slipping from one lane to the other, a black pickup suddenly stopped.

B．Having crashed into the Bauers’ car, a BMW sedan slipped into the ocean.

C．Due to the fine weather, the Bauers pulled up to enjoy the wonderful view.

D．Out of control, a black pickup unfortunately crashed into a BMW sedan.

3. What can we know about the drowning girl?

A．Without Bauer’s help, she might have died.

B．She was the black pickup driver’s daughter.

C．She dropped off the car seat to the ground.

D．Right after Bauer hit her back, she breathed.

4. Which of the following can best describe Bauer?

A．Innovative and perseverant.	B．Friendly and cooperative.
C．Courageous and decisive.	D．Intelligent and patient.