4 . My wife and I were at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and wet and tense. People were carelessly blocking aisles, complaining and cutting one another off with their carts. At one point, two women quarreled for several minutes in the freezer section.

Things got worse at the checkout line. The cashier scanned a man’s discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional charge. He decided she was acting on purpose and began to argue.

Other customers looked away as the cashier tried to reason with him. She called a manager, who took him to customer service. Shaken, she moved to the next customer in line.

We’ve all witnessed uncomfortable scenes like this in public places. My reaction when I see them is both personal and professional. I am a data analyst and sociologist who studies how and why people interact with one another — or why they choose not to. To me, the grocery scene was another example of how our trust in others has disappeared. But it was also a teachable moment on how we can rebuild our faith — starting with just one person.

Therefore, my wife and I reached the disturbed cashier. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. We learned her name was Beth.

“We felt bad about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you.” I said.

Beth’s face lit up, and we talked as she scanned our items. She told us she had been working that evening through severe foot pain and would be having surgery later that week. We wished her well in her recovery, and she thanked us as we left.

That is the balancing act, the moment of countering social and emotional pain with healing, that will add up to restore trust across the United States. You can start that pattern in someone else’s life, even in a place as ordinary as the neighborhood grocery store.

1. By describing the arguments, the author wants to show________.

A．the job as a cashier is not easy	B．people in the U.S are unfriendly
C．arguments in public are very common	D．trust in each other has worn off

2. How did Beth probably feel when the couple gave her a bottle of water?

A．Sad and regretful.	B．Sorry and embarrassed.
C．Cheerful and rewarded.	D．Grateful and relieved.

3. What’s author’s attitude towards Americans’ regaining trust?

A．Doubtful.

B．Optimistic.

C．Uncaring.

D．Cautious.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．A Miserable Cashier	B．A Helping Hand
C．Learning to Trust Again	D．Starting a new life

5 . How often do you have a conversation with someone, and think you are paying attention to him or her, only to realize shortly afterwards that you can't remember what he said? Or, perhaps you get distracted while he is speaking and miss the message that he is trying to deliver.     1    : TVs, radios, traffic noises, telephones, laptops and so on, which can make it difficult to listen with our full attention.

But how can we listen more effectively?     2    . He said, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, with a purpose, at the present moment and non - judgmentally.”

    3    ? Jon Kabat - Zinn describes three key elements of mindful listening that we can use to improve our listening skills.

First of all, be present. When we listen mindfully, our focus should be on the person we are listening to without distractions. Then develop empathy (共鸣). We often see the world through our own experiences. When we're empathetic, we can understand a situation from someone else's point of view.     4    . Our cues are the thoughts, feelings and physical reactions that we have when we feel anxious or angry, and they can block out ideas and perspectives that we re uncomfortable with. Mindful listening can help us to be more aware of our cues.     5    

In conclusion, the rule is straightforward: simply “Listen”! Listen carefully and attentively. Pay full attention to the other person, and don' t let other thoughts, like what we are going to say next, distract us.

A．Finally, listen to our own “cues”

B．What can we do with mindful listening

C．But how can we apply mindful listening to our life

D．At last, “cues” helps us understand the speaker's ideas

E．In today's busy world, modern life is full of distractions

F．Besides, it allows us to choose not to let them block communication

G．Professor Jon Kabat - Zinn put forward the idea of mindful listening

6 . I'm a Russian. In my native country, people believe that those who always keep big smiles on their faces, if they don't have a real reason to do so, are not genuine（真诚的）. For the last five years, I've lived in Kansas. What brought me to this country was my American husband, John. I work in a department store, where my coworkers show big smiles to me and pronounce my Russian name so sweetly. Every time I hear it, I feel as though my mom is embracing（拥抱）me.

Last year John encouraged me to go to see my mom back in Russia, and my manager even gave me a month of for the trip. When you live an ocean apart from your family, you need at least a month to visit them. I bought a plane ticket and packed my suitcase. Then came Covid-19. My mood became grey as I realized I couldn't go to see my mom.

A couple of weeks later, my sweet coworker Miss Donna asked me, “So what's happening with your trip to Russia?” I told her I had to cancel it and I wouldn't be able to see my mom this year.

Miss Dona didn't say anything at first. Then she put on a big smile and said, “Well, you can come to my home and see my mom!" “Oh my Lord!" I was at a loss for words. Imagine a mom for loan（借出）!I honestly don't know whether I would offer the same to someone in need of a mother's warmth, but my new people surely would do it for me.

I know that because of the virus, you shouldn't hug friends, but you can still embrace someone's heart. That's how my heart felt at that moment: hugged. So, yes, believe me, big smiles with no reason can be genuine.

1. What can we know from the first paragraph?

A．The author believes big smiles are false.	B．The author works together with her husband.
C．The author seldom wears big smiles in Russia.	D．The author gets along well with her coworkers.

2. Why did the author cancel her trip?

A．Because her mother's home was too far away.	B．Because the manager didn't allow her to leave.
C．Because Covid-19 broke out unexpectedly.	D．Because she was invited to Miss Donna's home.

3. How did the author feel when invited to Miss Donna's home?

A．She was happy.

B．She was touched.

C．She was confused.

D．She was uncertain.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．A Canceled Trip	B．Imagine a Mother for Loan
C．The Outbreak of Covid-19	D．Big Smiles Embrace My Heart

7 . A boy who was nervous on his first day of school climbed onto a third-floor balcony (阳台) and put legs over the side. His mother and teachers tried their best to bring him down, but failed. However, a firefighter who dressed as "Spiderman" succeeded in saving him.

Firefighter David Smith was called in after the 6-year-old’s teachers and mother had failed to get him down from the balcony. "He was asking for his mother, "Smith said. "He was crying, and wouldn’t let any of us get near him." After hearing a conversation between the boy’s mother and his teachers about his love of superheroes, Smith hurried home to get his Spiderman clothes.

"I told him 'Spiderman is here to save you. No one will hurt you now,’" Smith said. "Then I told him to walk slowly toward me. I was really nervous that he might fall if he got too excited and started running." Then the crying boy broke into a smile and walked into the fireman’s arms.

The fictional (虚构的) superhero was created by writer Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It has recently become popular again through a series of movies made about him. In them he is acted by superstar Tobey Maguire, who acted with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco.

1. Which would be the best title for this passage?

A．Spiderman Is Back	B．"Spiderman" Saved a Boy
C．Spiderman Is Popular	D．A Boy’s Love of Spiderman

2. How did the fireman succeed in saving the boy?

A．By showing he had the same interest as the boy.

B．By bringing the boy’s mother to his side.

C．By dressing up as a superhero.

D．By making friends with him.

3. What do we learn from the passage?

A．The boy had been forced to go to school.

B．The mother did not love her son.

C．Spiderman is a superhero in a series of movies.

D．Spiderman became popular again in the 1960s.

4. What’s the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To tell us something about Spiderman.	B．To introduce some famous actors.
C．To get readers interested in Spiderman.	D．To introduce another superhero story.

8 . How to Help Others in Your Community (社区)

Helping others in your community is a great way to spread joy to others and get the most out of life.     1    

You can choose to become a volunteer. Volunteering is great way to help others out in your community. Look around for a homeless shelter or soup kitchen and spend some time there doing whatever needs to be done.     2     For example, try tutoring homeless kids at the local shelter so that they can stay in school and not fall behind, and also you get a sense of achievement.

    3     You can give away money to some organizations that help others. If you don’t have money to spare, look through your unused items (物品) and see what you can part with that is in good condition. They are needed by a local food bank or shelter.

You can choose to redirect gifts.     4     You can invite them to do voluntary work to celebrate your birthday. You can also suggest they donate the money they intend to use to buy gifts for you.

You can stop to help. There are many cases where you can stop to give a helping hand. If you see people on the street struggling to carry all their groceries, stop to help     5     However, keep in mind that they may not always need help. But never feel discouraged when your kindness is turned down.

A．Usually they are grateful to accept your help.

B．You can choose to donate to important causes.

C．There are a number of chances you can take advantage of.

D．You can help your neighbors without spending much money.

E．Donate the gifts you receive to poor children in your community.

F．Not only will this help others, but also you will gain certain benefit.

G．Instead of getting new gifts every birthday, have your friends and family help others.

9 . Around this time a few years ago, it was common to see videos of friends on social media having a bucket of icy water thrown on them. Known as the “ice bucket challenge”, it was created as a way to raise money for the medical condition ALS. But now, there’s a new challenge and this time, no water is involved.

What is it? Well, think of a fruit that you’d never normally sink your teeth into. Perhaps you’ve got it: a lemon. While we enjoy using lemons to add flavor to dishes, very few of us would actually eat one as we’d eat an apple or an orange.

But the horrible taste is the precise reason why the “lemon face challenge” is taking off. Participants bite into a lemon, taking a selfie as they do it before posting the photo online. The fun is all about expression people make as all that citric acid（柠檬酸）hits their taste buds（味蕾）. Every expression seems to say, “This is worse than freezing water.”

The serious side to this trend is the good cause it’s all in aid of. The challenge aims to raise awareness of a rare brain cancer that affects young children. It was started by Aubregh Nicholas, an 11-year-old US kid. She was diagnosed with this rare brain cancer herself in September 2017, but has since raised almost $50000 to cover her medical expenses thanks to the challenge.

If a challenge is going to raise publicity and contributions from people, it has to be something interesting and original. That way the ice bucket challenge took off in 2014 and it explains why so many people are now sharing their lemon faces. There are a lot of stories about the downside of social media these days. The charity challenges, however, show how online culture can unite the world and bring help to the people who most need it.

1. Why is the icy bucket challenge mentioned in the article?

A．to show how charity gained its popularity online.

B．to introduce a similar challenge that raises money for charity.

C．to attract people’s attention to a rare disease.

D．to prove its popularity around the world.

2. Compared with the pre-Internet charity, what is the advantage of online charity?

A．It raises more money than ever before.

B．It is started by the people who suffer rare diseases.

C．It brings people together easily and quickly.

D．It causes little doubt among people .

3. What does the underlined phrase “take off” in the last paragraph mean?

A．go away suddenly	B．become successful and popular
C．remove your clothes	D．take a break

4. What is the author’s attitude towards online charity?

A．positive	B．indifferent
C．negative	D．ambiguous

10 . Politeness is the practical application of good manners, the goal of which is to make all of the parties relaxed and comfortable. It's a flexible management of words and actions, by which we make other people have a better opinion of us and themselves. It seeks to build a positive relationship.     1    .

However, in the rush of daily life being polite is social behavior that we find rare nowadays.     2    . They don’t even take the time to look around. This has led to the loss of simple social rules some might take for granted and that are particularly powerful.

    3    , people become less and less attentive to others’ feelings, for human interaction (互动) is almost lost. Take for instance the rudeness we tolerate when a person is looking at his phone when talking to us.

Being polite is not just a simple social elegance.     4    . These days “Please” and “Thank You” are forgotten. And not many people are aware that these two simple words can easily open or close any door to us. Unfortunately, they often forget to say these words.

Hope is not lost. There are many ways we can improve our behavior to achieve skills in politeness. There are simple things we can do to be considered as a polite and well-mannered person.    5    , they will respect you back. Just make a change in our behavior to start. Use simple words like “Excuse me”, “Please”, and “Thank you” every day. Be kind to receive kindness. Care and politeness will get you far in all aspects of life.

A．As technology progresses

B．People have become more self-absorbed

C．As long as you show your politeness for people

D．Since for many people being polite remains a challenge

E．Many languages have specific means to show politeness

F．It aims to respect a person’s need to be liked and understood

G．It’s also about being kind, caring and respectful to another person