1 . Every summer, during my grandparents’ annual visit to our home in Connecticut, my grandfather would spend mornings and afternoons playing solitaire(纸牌)at a table in the living room. My brother and I took turns sitting across from him with our own cards playing our own game. Every time we beat him—matching more cards to our top row than he did to his—he gave us a nickel(镍币). Getting nickels was a big deal, and so, in pursuit of them, I occasionally cheated. So did my brother. But Grandfather didn’t care. Playing the game was his quiet way of connecting with his grandchildren.
When I was in junior high, my mother taught me her version of double solitaire where you lay out most of the cards in two rows then try to move them up onto eight piles. I enjoyed playing the game sitting next to her in the evenings, one of the few moments in her day when I had my mother’s full attention. When I was married and the mother of two teenage sons, solitaire became a stress-reliever. If I needed a break, I switched my attention from the noisy life to the silent game with my kids. During my retirement, many of the activities I most enjoy are solitary ones—reading, exploring different neighborhoods on foot, doing puzzles, planting a garden, writing a novel for middle-school kids, and of course solitaire.
The word “solitaire” originally meant someone who is isolated or alone. Solitaire plays well in silence, but the experience of it can be shared as well. My most vivid memories of solitaire are connected to people I have loved: a grandparent, a parent, a child. Perhaps solitaire will not only become a simple pastime but also a belief in the power of one centuries-old game to teach some simple truths about our lives: Happiness will always be within reach.
1. How did the author’s grandfather bond with her?| A．By playing games with her. | B．By giving her pocket money. |
| C．By visiting her family frequently. | D．By chatting with her face to face. |
| A．Her stress could be reduced. | B．She could gain inner peace. |
| C．She considered it fun. | D．Her mother would connect to her. |
| A．Solving problems. | B．Writing a book for adults. |
| C．Having some time alone. | D．Walking in the garden. |
| A．Happiness can be easy to gain. |
| B．It is a good habit to stay alone. |
| C．Full attention is needed for playing. |
| D．People should find ways to relieve their stress. |
2 . Glen was walking along the shore with his son Terry after supper. Suddenly, Glen noticed a scorpion (蝎子)
“Dad, leave him alone! He’s not worth
Glen was teaching his son a(n)
Human nature is
No one is born with good or bad
| A．floating | B．crying | C．swimming | D．struggling |
| A．water | B．beach | C．boat | D．ocean |
| A．fell | B．ran | C．jumped | D．went |
| A．stuck | B．hit | C．stung | D．failed |
| A．raising | B．picking | C．saving | D．catching |
| A．did it | B．missed it | C．got it | D．made it |
| A．keep | B．waste | C．devote | D．focus |
| A．observed | B．protected | C．helped | D．fed |
| A．nature | B．purpose | C．kindness | D．mind |
| A．if | B．while | C．though | D．because |
| A．valuable | B．private | C．difficult | D．interesting |
| A．food | B．survival | C．attack | D．love |
| A．Strangely | B．Normally | C．Luckily | D．Worryingly |
| A．learn | B．copy | C．think | D．educate |
| A．complex | B．simple | C．easy | D．interesting |
| A．careless | B．enthusiastic | C．caring | D．selfish |
| A．follow | B．develop | C．believe | D．use |
| A．concerned | B．driven | C．suffered | D．affected |
| A．fame | B．mood | C．temper | D．character |
| A．confident | B．good | C．final | D．true |
3 . Rachel’s artwork had been accepted into an internationally famous art exhibition after she had experienced many years of rejection and lack of recognition. After receiving the news, I could hardly contain myself and decided to celebrate it with her immediately. I took my handbag quickly and raced to the garage. Then I pulled the car door open, jumped into the driver’s seat, and shut the car door. I started the car and pedaled (踩踏板) to the metal. I was eager to go!
I was backing up, backing up when I heard and felt a BOOM! I looked around and realized that I didn’t press the button to open the garage doors first and blew out the garage door panels (嵌板)! I jumped out of the car and felt relieved to discover that I was able to push the panels back into the garage doors so they looked normal. I covered up the scene, got back into my car, and left for Rachel’s home.
That evening, my teenage son had been playing a game of solo catch to which, in the past, I wouldn’t agree, for the ball made some ugly dents (凹痕) on the garage doors. But this time when he threw the ball against one of the garage doors, he didn’t just dent the door—he demolished it!
He called me, “Mom, I’m so sorry. I know you told me not to play ball against the garage doors. I didn’t think I would break them, though.” Though I had wanted to let my son take the blame to teach him a lesson, I couldn’t do it. Besides, he wasn’t the only one who Iearned a lesson that day.
1. What can we infer about the writer from paragraph 1?| A．She felt excited. | B．She couldn’t drive. |
| C．She was rejected. | D．She became famous. |
| A．She could repair the door all by herself. | B．She could make the door appear normal. |
| C．She was lucky not to knock into the door. | D．She pressed the button and opened the door. |
| A．Painted. | B．Repaired. | C．Destroyed. | D．Removed. |
| A．Rules of Driving a Car | B．A Trouble My Son Caused |
| C．A Hard Road to Learning Art | D．Lessons from a Garage Door |
4 . I often wondered what it would be like to have cancer.
I didn’t expect to find out, though, at last not for decades. I have always been healthy and strong; I regularly do hot yoga and swim two kilometers in a bay near my home in Sydney.
But now I know: it felt as if I was carrying a baby. Tumors (肿瘤) that silently grew inside me suddenly became bigger one weekend.
Then, one Saturday in June, I was struck with sharp pain and ended up in the hospital.
My doctor said it might be very serious. I spent two weeks waiting for the operation, not knowing if I’d live to the end of the year.
In the days before the operation, I turned off my phone and computer. I prayed so hard that I grew unnaturally calm.
The operation lasted five hours. The mass was fully removed, but it was unexpectedly complicated. I was in special care for eight days, in the wires, machines, with pipes in my lungs and liver.
Luckily, the operation was very successful and I am slowly growing stronger. I am walking upright again and waking without great pain. I can now drive, and am preparing to return to work. My prognosis (预后) is good, but I will need to live with the fear of return.
Everyone suddenly seems consumed with foolish worries. I have a different idea about the complaints posted by some Internet users who had the flu, were upset by the upcoming exams or burdened by work. I want to scream: BUT YOU ARE ALIVE! Alive! Each day is a gift, especially if you are upright and able to move with ease, without pain.
I’m still struggling with what all of this means. But in this short time, a truth became even clearer to me.
We should not have to move to the woods like Henry David Thoreau to “live meaningfully”. It would be impossible and frankly tiring to live each day as if it were your last. My doctor asked me a few days ago how I became so calm before the operation. I told her: I prayed; I locked out negativity and drew my family and friends near; I tried to live meaningfully.
She said, “Actually you should do that for the rest of your life.”
1. What did the author think of her physical state before being diagnosed (诊断) with cancer?| A．She knew tumors silently grew inside her. |
| B．She exercised regularly but felt bad sometimes. |
| C．She thought there was nothing wrong with her health. |
| D．She was considered to be healthy by the doctor. |
| A．Loss of both legs. | B．Suffering from the flu. |
| C．Burden of heavy workloads. | D．Fear of the monthly exams. |
| A．Kind and outgoing. | B．Cautious and brave. |
| C．Confident and generous. | D．Positive and reflective. |
| A．To share a pleasant experience. | B．To recommend a healthy lifestyle. |
| C．To call on people to live a worthy life. | D．To try hard to make a difference to the world. |
5 . In May, as our scientific institution began to open back up and whispers about face-to-face lab meetings started to float around, I panicked.
My hearing loss began when I was in graduate school. At first, I fondly thought I could overcome it with hard work. I began to record every one-on-one meeting because even with the strongest focus I just couldn’t catch everything, and taking notes is not a choice when you rely on lip-reading. In meetings, I sat in the front row, tiring myself as I strained to both hear the speaker and process the science. So, in the fourth year, I decided cochlea implants (植入耳蜗) were the right next step.
The week after I began to hear with both implants, I attended a conference. I looked over every listening environment to plan my equipment and where I needed to be located during the event. It worked OK — but it was still tiring, and I felt excluded from so much.
When meetings were held online, my experience was much better. The sound quality was clear, without the powerful noises of a physical office space or meeting room. I could sit back and let the sound come to me. It was easier to focus, participate, and think deeply about the science. I felt a sense of belonging. I began to leave meetings feeling refreshed rather than needing a short sleep.
I didn’t want to be forced back into struggling to understand. So, with anxiety, I contacted my adviser to make a simple hearing plan which includes asking presenters to use a microphone for our lab meetings. It worked. Now, a few weeks later, my anxiety is gradually giving way to scientific curiosity and questions enabled by feeling included and worthy of belonging. A few of my lab mates have even thanked me because they, too, were unable to hear people without microphones. Maybe instead of rushing back to “normal”, we can all take this chance to create environments that are more welcoming — for everyone.
1. Why did the author feel panicked?| A．Her hearing loss got worse. | B．She hated social communication. |
| C．Her institution would open back up. | D．She feared returning to in-person meetings. |
| A．Failed. | B．Struggled. | C．Managed. | D．Prepared. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Anxious. | C．Shocked. | D．Sleepy. |
| A．Online meetings work well. | B．Cochleas help people with hearing loss. |
| C．Inclusion and belonging do matter. | D．Scientific curiosity leads to development. |
6 . “Dad, can you tell me how to get rich?”
My dad
“Because today Jimmy’s mom
“They
“Yeah.” I replied in a
My dad
The year was 1956. I was nine years old. By some twists of fate, I
My dad finally put down the paper. I could
“Well, son,” he began slowly. “If you want to be rich, you have to learn to make money.”
“How do I make money? I asked.
“Well, use your
He was trying to say, “That’s all I’m going to tell you,” or “I don’t know the answer, so don’t
As expected, dad said, “Don’t count on me to give you an answer.
| A．struck | B．put | C．looked | D．turned |
| A．When | B．How | C．Where | D．Why |
| A．brought | B．drove | C．rose | D．raced |
| A．questioned | B．called | C．convinced | D．took |
| A．naughty | B．bad | C．poor | D．rich |
| A．do | B．did | C．had | D．were |
| A．shameful | B．proud | C．hurt | D．joyful |
| A．silently | B．strongly | C．hesitantly | D．enthusiastically |
| A．took | B．pushed | C．lifted | D．unfolded |
| A．command | B．explanation | C．instruction | D．answer |
| A．studied | B．went | C．attended | D．afforded |
| A．point | B．side | C．crossing | D．end |
| A．better | B．special | C．usual | D．different |
| A．while | B．as | C．since | D．though |
| A．tell | B．assume | C．suspect | D．deny |
| A．hands | B．toes | C．head | D．life |
| A．meant | B．delivered | C．demonstrated | D．predicted |
| A．threaten | B．impress | C．challenge | D．embarrass |
| A．Think | B．Hope | C．Compensate | D．Make |
| A．exception | B．alternative | C．end | D．imagination |
“Get out of my house, you rude, unwanted, ugly and stupid child!” Aunt Foully shouted as Justin before closing the front door. Justin looked out at the grass that surrounded his aunt’s garden. He sighed as he remembered the list of housework that his evil aunt had planned for him after he got home from school. It was just not fair. If his parents had not died, he would not have to spend his entire life with Aunt Foully. Aunt Foully was a woman with crazy, curly, orange hair. She had small, black eyes, a big nose and a mouth so wide that you could have fitted a dining plate in it. Worse still, she had a heart so cold that you would freeze if you went near it.
As Justin dragged himself to school, he felt angry and disappointed. He wanted to express his anger at somebody. He decided that for the whole day, he was going to be rude to everyone, including Madame Bell, who was a little hard of hearing.
As he stepped into the classroom and took his place at the back of the room, he started making loud noise with his mouth, and started throwing paper airplanes at his classmates. Whenever Madame Bell looked back at the class, Justin would stop and pretended to be reading his history textbook. After throwing paper plans at his classmates for ten minutes, Justin started to feel bored. He slowly took an eraser out of his pencil case and threw it at a girl in the first row named Jody. But at that moment, Jody bent down and the eraser hit Madame Bell on her back. Madame Bell turned around quickly but crashed into a water bottle on the table, water and broken glass all over the floor. Madame Bell glared at the whole class, face red with anger, and shouted, “Who threw the eraser?”
All eyes turned to Justin as he sank lower and lower in his seat. “Justin Wang, go to the headmaster’s office immediately!” Madame Bell ordered, Justin stood up and went out of the classroom.
Paragraph 1:
Justin walked in the headmaster’s office.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
After the long talk with the principal, Justin went back to his classroom.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was the last day of the month-long summer camp. All the camp leaders and volunteers were preparing for the grand wrap-up event that evening. Some were setting up chairs and tables outside; some were preparing water balloons for games we would play later; and some were cutting fruits and veggies for snacks.
One of the leaders, George, came to me, handed me a small broom and a dustpan, and asked me to sweep the gym. Alone. While the others were chatting and laughing outside. While the gym was dusty and stuffy (不通风的) after weeks of camp and crafts.
I didn’t have a choice. I was sixteen, and George was my elder. I was a staff member at camp, and George was my employer. I put on as cheerful a face as I could and began to sweep the floor of the gymnasium.
Every time I made a decent (合宜的) pile of dust and scraps (残羹剩饭) to push into the dustpan, I had a nice little part of the gym cleared. But I would look up and see the rest of the gym and realize how big the job was. The whole situation felt so unfair.
I wasn’t really happy then. I’m not proud of it, but I was angry as well. I could hear the sounds of people talking, laughing, and generally having a great time outside. There was silence in the gym, except for my sweep, sweep, sweep.
During a break between sweeps, I looked up. George was quietly and matter-of-factly moving the speakers and cleaning the stage at the front of the gym. I noticed he worked alone as well. He didn’t seem particularly excited about what he was doing, but I noted the calmness and joy in his eyes as he went about his work, doing what had to be done because he was there and he was able to do it.
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。
I watched him silently for the next ten minutes.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Thanks, Laura.” he said and nodded as if acknowledging the small sacrifice I had made.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 . Standing by a lake, I was amazed at so many small rocks surrounding my boots. They were all created from
Seeing them, I wonder what can be learnt from the rocks. As we know, even the tallest mountains can become flatter or
Once, I too was a
Recently, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a
I sat
Time, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones,
I placed a
| A．flat | B．hard | C．round | D．soft |
| A．safer | B．rougher | C．smoother | D．narrower |
| A．expanded | B．lost | C．kept | D．set |
| A．sharp | B．huge | C．bare | D．little |
| A．walking | B．turning | C．coming | D．flowing |
| A．work | B．exist | C．play | D．come |
| A．store | B．building | C．club | D．restaurant |
| A．argue | B．flee | C．leave | D．chat |
| A．sign | B．letter | C．book | D．poster |
| A．break through | B．get through | C．look into | D．take notice of |
| A．carelessly | B．differently | C．freely | D．angrily |
| A．glaring | B．talking | C．teasing | D．watching |
| A．bleeding | B．smooth | C．youthful | D．strange |
| A．However | B．Besides | C．Thus | D．Instead |
| A．notes | B．shoes | C．words | D．groups |
| A．careful | B．considerate | C．smart | D．humorous |
| A．changes | B．shows | C．asks | D．leads |
| A．its | B．their | C．another’s | D．our |
| A．damaged | B．carved | C．colored | D．rounded |
| A．dropping | B．attending | C．providing | D．needing |
10 . I had a quick short stay in Detroit Airport before heading home. Knowing my gate number, I got there with 5 minutes to spare and stood waiting for “Gate 3” to be called.
I was already very tired and had an important call scheduled for an hour after I was set to get home. But then I heard the announcement, “It seems we have overbooked the flight. Would anyone care to volunteer to stay for the later departure in 4 hours?” And the gate attendant was anxiously waiting for someone to volunteer.
I looked around and saw businessmen needing to work, moms needing to meet their kids, kids needing to see their friends. Even though I wanted to be home just as much as anyone, something inside me said that I should extend some kindness to this group of strangers.
I picked up my bag, approached the desk, and told the gate attendant my decision. Smile spread on the face of her. As she was processing my ticket, I was happy to see all the other passengers could now board their flight and I had been able to help. The attendant handed me my boarding pass for the later flight and another piece of paper, then said, “This is for your kindness.” I saw that it was a 700-dollar voucher to fly anywhere in the world during the next year!
I got to my new gate and took a seat next to a power outlet so that my laptop would make it through the extra four hours. 1 rescheduled that important call. And then I got a lot of work done, which was a wonderful silver lining.
When my flight started boarding, I was surprised to discover that my new boarding pass was for a seat in first class. I thought about how grateful I was for everything that had happened, and how it was all because of the chain effects of kindness. I gave with the intention to serve others, with no thought of reward, and that kindness was returned to me with an amazing upgrade.
1. The airport announcement was made to ______.| A．ask someone to take next flight |
| B．give information about a delayed flight |
| C．inform that the flight was about to take off |
| D．tell passengers the flight had been cancelled |
| A．A reward of 700 dollars | B．An offer of first-class seat. |
| C．The request of the attendant. | D．His concern about other passengers. |
| A．Boring but productive. | B．Challenging but acceptable. |
| C．Satisfying and efficient. | D．Relaxing and worthwhile. |
| A．Every Effort Counts | B．Time Is Treasure |
| C．Patience Is Appreciated | D．Kindness Gives Back |
