1 . A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C.. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. In a natural response, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
In an instant, I realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I considered she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦逊), even though I’d lost it for a moment.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant (移民). I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见). I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.
1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ________.| A．the blind woman needed the money badly |
| B．the author thought what he did to the woman was wrong |
| C．the author was as poor as the blind woman |
| D．The blind woman was annoyed with the author |
| A．rather hurt | B．very excited | C．deeply moved | D．greatly attracted |
| A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled |
| B．treat others equally with love and respect |
| C．try to experience different kinds of life |
| D．reflect on one’s past as often as possible |
| A．Learn from your Past | B．How my American Dream Comes True |
| C．The Elderly Need Respect | D．A Valuable Lesson in the Street |
2 . As my husband and I drove down a country road, we passed a fire station with a sign that read, "Are you ready for the next storm?” Our area had just been in the path of Hurricane Irma, causing downed trees and outages. We were stuck in the dark and cut off from the outside world.
We have had our share of storms in the past--a snowstorm and other heavy snows that knocked down trees, sometimes up to a week at a time. Those days in a cold house weren't fun, but we learned so much from those early storms, things that made later storms easier to bear.
Now we have stored up flashlights, lanterns and candles. We bought a battery-operated radio to keep up with the news. We stocked up on batteries so that we'd have plenty for extended power failures. We make sure our grill（烤架） is ready and its tank is full, and we purchase food that can be easily prepared and then cooked or heated on the grill. And we don't forget to buy emergency chocolate! We have book lights to read in the dark. We keep our car gas tanks full and have emergency cash on hand.
We're ready for the next storm, but we wouldn't have learned to do all those things if we hadn't encountered a storm in the past. The same is true spiritually. Those little storms in our lives are never fun, but they prepare us for the big storms--the big trials--that will come our way, They can teach us some valuable lessons.
Are you ready for the next storm? Now is the time to get ready. . . not when the storm arrives.
1. Which can replace the underlined word "outages” in paragraph 1?| A．weather change |
| B．virus' spreading |
| C．power failure |
| D．emotional reaction |
| A．The lessons that storms can teach us. |
| B．The importance of being ready for storms. |
| C．The necessities the author bought for her daily life. |
| D．The preparations the author made for the next storm. |
| A．It was rewarding. |
| B．It was annoying. |
| C．It was thrilling. |
| D．It was frightening. |
| A．Things will work out. |
| B．Keep something for a rainy day. |
| C．Don't stop regardless of the weather. |
| D．Sunshine always comes after the storm. |
3 . I was raised in a house where my sisters and I weren't trusted by our mother to manage our own appearance. A few years ago, I was home for a visit when my mom, now in her early 70s, called me into her bedroom. We were ready to leave for dinner. "I don't know what to wear." she complained." You girls always look so good."
I paused in the doorway and looked at her, wondering if I'd misheard." What do you mean?" I asked her." You know what to wear. " "No, "she answered, "I don't. Can you pick some for me?" I was so surprised.
This was the same woman that, in 1989, told my younger sister she wasn't allowed to leave the house wearing a pair of ripped(撕碎的) jeans; the same woman that, in high school called me while I was out at a party to ask if my hair was tied up. "You look better with it down," she told me. Before I could answer I realized, suddenly, that my mother not only wanted my opinion, but also needed it. I pulled a pair of blue jeans and a light blue sweater."Wear them with your black shoes," I told her. She did. My mother certainly doesn't need anyone to take care of her. In fact, she still cares for my grandmother who lives with her. But with that question, my mother and I started the role reversal(转换) that happens to all parents and all children, from caregivers to receivers.
Now, if I'm visiting or we're together, it's rare for her to wear anything without checking with me first. But every so often, it seems that she asks me just to be able to disagree with my answer and pick out something on her own. And when she does, I just tell her what I think of the way she looks. Sometimes it's "great",and sometimes it's “awful”.
1. How did the author react the first time her mother asked her for advice on clothes?| A．She was happy to do something for her mother. |
| B．She came to realize that her mother needed her care. |
| C．She was worried that her mother was too old to live alone. |
| D．She had no idea what was suitable for her mother. |
| A．She always accepts her suggestions happily. |
| B．She sometimes chooses to follow her own ideas. |
| C．She is often surprised by what the author says. |
| D．She still shows uncertainty about what to wear. |
| A．She wants to show what it is like to have a strict mother. |
| B．She wants to remind readers to visit their parents often. |
| C．She wants to stress her mother's great influence on her. |
| D．She wants to show how the roles of parents and their children reverse. |
4 . At the age of 4, I began attending the choir at St. James Church. My mother decided that joining the choir would provide me with musical instruction. I was initially joined by a lot of kids at St. James, making choir a fun, social task, but as I grew older, one by one, my friends began dropping out.
St. James was situated on the Upper East Side, one of the fanciest areas in New York, while I came from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. Some children at the choir proudly showed off the signs of their good education whose cost was nearly as much as my mother’s yearly wage, while I wore my uniform of jeans and a Tshirt. They knew me as the girl from Brooklyn, the chorister who went to public school. This discrepancy (差异) made me very uncomfortable.
I begged my mom to let me follow the path of my friends, but she replied with a “NO”. As the years went on, I continued to bother my mother. Her answers began to lessen in severity. She said “Just do it for one more year” or “Are you sure?” Not seeing much hope, I began to withdraw my constant requests. Gradually I enjoyed finding my voice every week in church. After years in the choir, people started to acknowledge me for my voice rather than my address and I began to appreciate music and my habitual complaints (抱怨) about the choir were completely gone.
Through the choir, I learned that if you continue with something long enough, you will receive some sort of benefit from it and maybe even grow to love it. Because of the choir，I found my voice in a small church. Because of the choir, I am willing to go wherever life will take me with an open mind.
1. Why did the author’s mother send her to the choir?| A．She expected to make her sociable. | B．She wanted her to learn to sing. |
| C．She was too busy to take care of her. | D．She followed a friend’s suggestions. |
| A．She lost interest in singing. | B．She felt uneasy and embarrassed. |
| C．She hoped to get a better education. | D．She decided to help support her family. |
| A．She didn’t refuse them flatly. | B．She was very angry about them. |
| C．She agreed to them completely. | D．She simply ignored them. |
| A．Treasure what we have. | B．Stick to what we are doing. |
| C．Be curious about our daily life. | D．Be grateful to people around us. |
5 . A shop owner placed a sign above his door that said: “Puppies For Sale.” Signs like this always have a way of attracting young children, and to no surprise, a boy saw the sign and approached the owner.
“How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.
The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”
The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”
The shop owner smiled and whistled. A lady ran down the aisle of his shop followed by five tiny balls of fur.
One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”
The shop owner explained the puppy was disabled by nature and it would always be lame. The little boy became excited. “I’ll buy it.” The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.” The little boy looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”
The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and play with you like the other puppies.”
To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”
1. From the passage we can infer ______.| A．The owner persuaded the boy out of buying the lame dog. |
| B．The dog was badly treated because it was different from other dogs. |
| C．The boy decided to pay the owner at least $30 for the lame dog. |
| D．The boy decided to pay off the rest of the money in a month. |
| A．Because the boy was disabled as well. |
| B．Because the puppy recovered one day. |
| C．Because the lady sold the disabled puppy. |
| D．Because the boy refused his offer. |
| A．said | B．argued | C．yelled | D．persuaded |
| A．love | B．kindness | C．generosity | D．understanding |
6 . When I was first married to my wife, I lived and worked in Ontario, moving from small town to big city as I pursued my career as a radio broadcaster. We have two sons, both of whom were born in Toronto, but they moved, with us, to Ottawa when they were quite young. They grew up there, and then, chasing their own careers, they also moved. One went to Canada’s east coast near a city called Halifax and the other headed to the west coast to Vancouver. We had a dilemma; we were left in the middle.
At the time I was still working and my job was in Ottawa. However, as we began to consider retirement we wondered where we should spend our final years. We couldn’t be close to both of our children and there was no telling when they might again relocate. For several reasons we settled on a small town on Vancouver Island. At least we were close to one of them. However, he had his sights set on Hollywood and, when an opportunity presented itself, he left Canada and headed south. I helped him move.
So, there we were, and still are, in our little west coast town. We love our little corner of paradise but we have paid a price. We have not been there for some important events such as the births of two of our grandchildren. We have missed watching each of them grow up; we have missed the normal, noisy households that have young people in them. Our home, while very comfortable, is also very quiet.
Every fall we travel to see the children. We usually fly, first to California to see our son Scott and spend a week or more with him trying to catch up on everything we’ve missed. Then, usually in November, we make the even longer trip east across Canada to see Travis and our grandchildren, who are now teenagers, actually into their twenties. They seldom come to visit us. The distances are just too great and it is costly.
Fortunately, both our boys are doing well and our grandchildren are growing up straight and tall. We love all of them and we are secure in the knowledge that they love us but the reality is that they don’t need us. We have done our jobs and, at least in theory, we can sit back, relax and enjoy the time remaining to us. They have also missed having a set of parents and grandparents around.
Life has been good for our family but we have all paid a price.
1. What does the author mean by saying “We had a dilemma.”?| A．They were not happy about their sons’ absence. |
| B．They were unwilling to separate from their sons. |
| C．They were not yet prepared for retirement at that time. |
| D．They couldn’t decide which son to live close to. |
| A．They have lost lots of money because of his retirement. |
| B．They have to give a large sum of money to their sons. |
| C．They have been absent from their children’s life. |
| D．They have to afford very expensive fare to visit their sons. |
| A．They are quite occupied with their homework. |
| B．It’s not easy for the kids to visit their grandparents. |
| C．They don’t need their grandparents any more. |
| D．The weather of winter in Canada is very awful. |
| A．Grandparents’ Love | B．Suffering Separation |
| C．A Price to Pay | D．Hidden Emotions |
7 . One spring, my aunt taught my sister, Lucy, and me how to fly the kite.
After trying in vain to make the kite fly by dragging it along the ground, I turned to my sister for help. Lucy very kindly took it up and tossed it into the air, but the kite fell down again due to my neglecting to run off at the same time. My aunt asked us to try again. Lucy once more took up the kite. However, I, who was in too great a hurry, ran off so suddenly that I pulled the kite out of her hand and it fell down to the ground again. “Who was to blame now?” asked Lucy, dropping herself to the ground in anger.
My aunt didn’t say anything and demanded another attempt. We did it with more care this time. Unfortunately, a sudden side wind was coming, Lucy let go the kite, which was blown against some bushes, leaving the poor kite hanging with its head downward. My aunt came to our rescue and rolling up the tail from the tree, my aunt led us to find a more open space to try again. Lucy tossed the kite up just as I ran off. It rose up and danced unsteadily in the air for a few seconds and then down came the kite to the ground like a frustrated lonely boy.
“A few disappointments ought not to discourage you. I have wound up your string and now try again” my aunt said patiently. And we did try and succeed. The kite was carrying upward on the breeze like a merry feather. Holding fast to the stick and gazing on the kite, Lucy and I stood in great delight and excitement.
If my aunt hadn’t persuaded us to try again, we would have given up flying the kite. It was after this unforgettable experience that I began to appreciate the value of perseverance. Whenever I fail in my attempts to do any good thing, I let my motto be ‘try again’.
1. How many times did Lucy and I try flying the kite together?| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
| A．Passed. | B．Threw. | C．Kicked. | D．Pushed. |
| A．The favorable weather. | B．The spirit of never giving up. |
| C．The more open space. | D．The way of communication. |
| A．To share his disappointing experience. |
| B．To encourage people not to give up. |
| C．To introduce his nice and patient aunt. |
| D．To describe hardship in learning to fly the kite. |
8 . What brings you happiness?
Pride isn't necessarily a terrible thing. It can bring you confidence and self-assurance, which are two great qualities that can help you lead a happy life.
When you think about addiction, you might think of alcohol or drug addiction. But there are countless other forms of addiction, too. You could be addicted to work, sugar, video games, drama, or even a harmful relationship.
It's also important to recognize that leaving your comfort zone is a good, although often unwanted idea. If you never leave your comfort zone, you'll never grow. Even though something can make you feel uncomfortable at first, it will benefit you in the long run.
| A．If you're in this situation, you,ll be much happier. |
| B．Always keep in mind that self-doubt has no benefits. |
| C．Drop the belief that your past will always be better than the future. |
| D．Whatever your desire is, it will always be a barrier to your happiness. |
| E．Many people believe if they fulfilled their desires, they would be satisfied. |
| F．However, your extreme pride can ruin your personal and professional relationships. |
| G．Ultimately, you'll expand your horizons on who you can be and what you can achieve. |
The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪耀) like diamonds，large rosy cheeks，and thin lips that held a steady smile．
With the help of his trusty cane (拐杖), he walked toward a table by the window．A young waitress watched him and ran over to him，saying，"Here，Sir．Let me give you a hand with that chair．"
Without a word，he smiled and nodded a thank you．She pulled the chair away from the table．Supporting him with one arm，she helped him move in front of the chair，and get comfortably seated．Then she pushed the table up close to him，and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it．
In a soft，clear voice he said，"Thank you，Miss．"
"You're welcome，Sir．"She replied．"My name is Mary．I'll be back in a moment．If you need anything，just wave at me．"
After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes，bacon，and hot lemon tea，Mary brought him the change，helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table．She handed him his cane，and walked with him to the front door．Holding the door open for him，she said，"Come back and see us，Sir!"
He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile，"You are very kind!"
When Mary went to clean his table，she was shocked．Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin，under which was a $ 100bill．
The note on the napkin read，"Dear Mary，I respect you very much，and you respect yourself，too．It shows by the way you treat others．You have found the secret of happiness．Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you．"
The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant．This was the first time that she，or any of his employees，had seen him in person．
1. When did the story happen? ( no more than 10 words)2. Please explain the underlined phrase “stand out” in English. (no more than 5 words)
3. What did the old man think of the waitress’ service? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why did the old man leave a 100 bill? (no more than 12 words)
5. According to the passage, how do you understand the meaning of “Happiness”? (no more than 25 words)
10 . It was our last class before summer break. I was finishing up the first year of an MFA program in poetry. I was tired and puzzled. "Was I good enough to be in the program?" When a professor asked about our summer plans, I panicked. I didn't want to appear idle(闲散的). "Gardening," I responded immediately. Actually I knew nothing about plants! My professor nodded, saying, "What a good idea, Mari! Emily Dickinson loved gardening." Emily Dickinson had lived in the countryside, studying plants as a child. I was in my late twenties, living in the city without gardening experience.
A few days later, I bought a jalapeño seedling(青辣椒秧苗). At least I could say I'd tried gardening. I watered and changed the dirt for my little plant. I even talked to it. And over the summer, it grew bigger and bigger. I was proud. Maybe I didn't have a black thumb after all.
I started the second year of my MFA, and then it was almost December and my jalapeño was suffering. It was brown in some places; many of its leaves had fallen off. Would my little guy make it? I prayed, "Please be okay." As if its survival were closely linked to mine.
I worked hard in school. Spring came. My jalapeño plant came back to life. It grew bigger, with new leaves. And then it flowered. I handed in my graduate paper--a book of poems--in May. "Your poems are strong," my professor said.
A huge weight lifted. I'd done it! At that time, I found the flowers on my jalapeño plant were gone. I watched closer. Where a flower had been, a tiny green fruit pushed through. I smiled. I had succeeded in my MFA program, and my jalapeño plant had grown right beside me, and I successfully did things I hadn't thought possible.
1. Why did the author begin gardening?| A．Just by accident. |
| B．For the love for gardening. |
| C．To express fancy for Emily Dickinson. |
| D．Because of the reminding of a professor. |
| A．In her childhood. | B．In one of her summer breaks. |
| C．In her teens. | D．In her first year of MFA program. |
| A．A talent to grow plants. | B．A dirty finger to touch plants. |
| C．A good fortune to do everything. | D．An inability to do gardening. |
| A．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
| B．Easier said than done. |
| C．It's never too old to learn. |
| D．Do not teach fish to swim. |
