“Joe? Is that you?” The woman speaking to me at the baseball game looked a little familiar. “Marci?” I asked.

“It IS you!” she cried out, smiling broadly. “Gosh, it’s good to see you again!”

It was good to see Marci, too. Off and on during the past few decades, I’ve wondered about her. I almost tried to search for her a few years ago after talking to a friend who had indicated that the 1990s had been pretty rough for Marci. So meeting her at the baseball game was really out of expectation.

We spent a few minutes talking about our lives — the good old, bad old days. Then Marci grew quiet for a moment. “You know, Joe,” she said, “I’ve always wanted to tell you ... how ... how sorry for the way I treated you. You must have been hurt both physically and mentally.” I was a little embarrassed. I tuned and looked at her. “It’s OK,” I said, “No big deal!” “But I was such a jerk,” she continued. Yes, you were, I thought. “We were both pretty young,” I smiled. “I know, she said, “It’s just always bothered me, remembering how mean I was to you. And I’ve wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”

The expression on her face was warm and sincere. And there was something in her eyes — it looked a lot like relief. “OK,” I said, “Apology accepted!” Overcome by the sweetness of the moment, I reached an arm around her and gave her a quick hug. Just then, the crowd erupted with a huge cheer, and Marci and I both returned our attention to the game. By the time I looked over to where she had been, she was gone. But the warm, wonderful feeling of our brief exchange was still there, and continues to the day whenever I think about it.

It isn’t enough to just say “I’m sorry” and “you’re forgotten”. But when those words are truly felt and sincerely expressed, they can open the door to the miracles of the heart. Forgiveness can give peace to an injured soul — even years after the fact, even at a baseball game.

21. What kind of life did Marci live during the late 20th century according to the passage?

   A. Happy.            B. Busy.           C. Hard.        D. Simple.

22. What does the underlined “jerk” in the third paragraph mean?

   A. A humorous person.  B. A cruel person.  C. A careless person.  D. An honest person.

23. Why did Marci look in relief after talking with the author?

   A. Because her favourite team won the game,

   B. Because her learned Joe was living a good life.

   C. Because she made an apology to the author.

   D. Because she found she was not mean any longer.

24. What might be the best title for the passage?

   A. Excitement of a Baseball Game.          B. Mental Burden of a Woman

   C. Relief of Finding a Friend.              D. Miracles of Forgiveness.

Since Abbi Hickman was just a little girl, she has been surrounded by animals. Chickens, cats, a dog, rabbits, and sometimes goats are just some of the animals she cares for. At the age of 9, Abbi went to the Tracy Animal Shelter, in her hometown of Tracy, California, to adopt Sheldon, her favorite cat. There, she saw the poor conditions that the animals were kept in. Abbi knew that it was her duty to take action.

Pins (识别号码) for Pets is Abbi’s solution. For the last three years, she has organized a bowling tournament to raise funds for the Tracy Animal Center. She has raised more than $30,000, resulting in a better home for the animals. “Now the shelter is nicer and cleaner and animals have more space. It is far better, a hundred percent better,” Abbi says.

To commend Abbi for her outstanding efforts, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) named her the 2015 ASPCA Tommy P. Monahan Kid of the Year. This award is given to kids who make a substantial effort to help animals. Abbi responded to the news of her win with shock. “I was pretty excited. I'm really honored to receive it,” she says.

Sacrificing time and effort to assist animals can sometimes be difficult, but Abbi hopes to do more. “I just hope that even more people come and my non-profit becomes bigger. I want to spread my free services to more shelters. I really just hope people are kinder to animals and respect them more,” says Abbi, sharing her goals for her organization. By the age of 12, Abbi has already accomplished so much.

The advice she has for kids like her, who want to accomplish their goals, is, “Nothing is impossible. You can do anything you put your mind to. Even if it is something small, it can make a huge difference.” Abbi’s work has improved the lives of animals, and she plans to keep coming up with new ways to help them.

25. Why did Abbi go to the Tracy Animal Shelter when she was 9 years old?

   A. To help take care of the animals living there

   B. To adopt a cat called Sheldon she liked best

   C. To find out the conditions animals lived it

   D. To learn some knowledge about some animals

26. Which of the following can best describe Abbi?

   A. Cautious and loyal          B. Narrow minded and imaginative

   C. Caring and sympathetic      D. Stubborn and courageous

27. How does Abbi collect money for the Tracy Animal Center?

   A. By asking some enterprises to donate money  B. By giving some performances and shows

   C. By setting up a website to promote her idea   D. By organizing a bowling tournament

28. Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. Abbi will keep using the same way raise money and help the animals

   B. Abbis find it is hard sacrificing time and effort to assist animals sometimes

   C. Abbi wants to make a greater contribution to improving the lives of animals

   D. Abbi really just expects that people are kinder to animals and respect them more

When Kansas high school student Blake Hawkins discovered an empty locker at his school，he didn't just fill it with books and equipment—instead, the innovative teen turned it into a soda pop vending machine(自动售货机)．

Hawkins explains that the“Soda Locker”vending machine uses a coin acceptor，an LCD screen，a micro-controller board，a magnetic switch, some old video game switches，and bakeries．

Hawkins explains he had Valley Center High School’s support when he was developing the prototype，and was able to come up with a design that would not damage the existing locker．And he was able to do it for approximately $ 160 spent on parts．

The Soda Locker has a design where no one can remove the control board from the locker and the door swings shut after use to protect it．Furthermore, it’s programmed to take exact change only，and to let the operator know when someone is trying to cheat the coin system．

Hawkins explains he originally thought about the idea for having a soda pop vending machine in a locker a year ago on his way to history class．While he initially treated it as a joke，he has proven how you can take an idea and turn it into something brilliant．He wrote，“Whether you build your own Soda Locker or not，I hope you're inspired to build whatever project you’ve come up with!”

29. What can we learn about the Soda Locker made by Hawkins?

A．It looks nice．                 B．It is a combination．

C．Its soda tastes great．          D．Its equipment is advanced．

30. What does Paragraph 4 mainly discuss?

A．The design process of the Soda Locker．B．The protection system of the Soda Locker

C．The charging system of the Soda Locker．D．The development cost of the Soda Locker

31. Which of the following best describes Hawkins according to the text?

A．Optimistic．      B．Productive．  C．Creative．      D．Innocent．

What’s more exciting than having a fresh hot pizza delivered to your door? How about having it brought to you by a robot? Thanks to Domino’s Robotic Unit or DRU, that just became a reality! On March 8, the three-feet tall robot delivered its first pizza to some lucky residents in Brisbane, Australia.

The fully autonomous DRU is the result of a cooperation between Domino’s Pizza Australia and Sydney based startup Marathon Robotics. The 450-pound machine that travels at a maximum speed of 12.4 miles an hour can cross a distance of up to 12 miles and back, before requiring a battery recharge. LIDAR, a laser-based sensor technology similar to the one used in self-driving cars, enables DRU to detect and avoid obstacles, while traditional sensors, much like those used in vacuum robots ensure its path is safe as it heads to its destination.

The robot can fit up to ten pizzas and even has a separate cold area to accommodate drink orders.

Equipped with both Google Maps and GPS guidance, DRU can navigate bike paths and sidewalks and also find the most efficient way to its destination. Since the robot does not have to deal with road traffic, it could potentially make deliveries a lot quicker than humans. To access their food, customers have to enter the unique code provided to them by the company. This not only ensures that they pick up the right pizza, but also prevents the pies from getting stolen en route.

Though Domino’s has thus far built just a single prototype (样机),they expect additional DRU to be ready for service in their various Queensland locations within the next six months. But don’t expect these super cute robots to replace humans anytime soon. According to Domino’s the DRU still needs extensive testing, which the company believes could take up to two years.

And then there is also the problem of regulations. The public use of autonomous vehicles is still banned in most countries. But Don Meij, the CEO and Managing Director of Domino’s Pizza Australia New Zealand Ltd, is not worried. One day DRU will become an integral part of the Domino’s family." We for one cannot wait!

32. The first paragraph is mainly used to ______.

   A. comment              B. praise          C. introduce         D. conclude

33. How can DRU detect and avoid obstacles?

   A. By navigating bike paths and sidewalks   B. By using a laser-based sensor technology

   C. By being equipped with both Google Maps and GPS-guidance

   D. By using traditional sensors, much like those used in vacuum robots

34. What must a customer do to get the food delivered by DRU?

   A. He/She should press their finger on a fingerprint scanner

   B. He/She should let the robot recognize his/her face

   C. He/She should scan the QR (quick response) code on the robot

   D. He/She should enter a cod supplied by the company

35. What can we know from the last two paragraphs

   A. The DRU requires to be tested further  B. Domino’s has built a few kinds of such a robot

   C. Don Meij is the CEO of Sydney based startup Marathon Robotics

   D. The public use of autonomous vehicles is allowed in most parts of Australia

   Travelling is a very enjoyable experience as it provides an opportunity to see new things.   36   The following article discusses the advantages of traveling.

Traveling gives you the opportunity to disconnect from your regular life. People all have crazy schedules, work and a family to take care of, and traveling alone or with some friends can give you distance and perhaps even make you realize how important these people are to you.  37

Another great benefit is the relaxation you get.  38  

When you come back you feel energetic and you are happy to be back to your daily routine.

 39

They will create a bond that nothing can erase no matter what happens to the friendship/relationship. You can create photo albums and when you feel nostalgic (对往事怀恋的) you can experience the trips again by looking at your pictures.

It’s never been this cheap to travel. With increasing oil prices the cheap travel era might be coming to an end.  40  

With the Internet and all the new technology, you can plan your trip exactly the way you want it. You can choose your budget, the duration of the trip and what you want to do.

A. It’s nice to enjoy a stress-free time.

B. As the saying goes, you never know that you have until you lose it.

C. When traveling with friends or family it creates memories of a lifetime.

D. Discouraging different values and values and ways to get by in life is really very interesting.

E. Going on a trip means that you are most likely going to spend time outside.

F. However, there are still many budget airlines fighting for your dollar right now.

G. There are many benefits other than enjoying yourself that can be realized when you travel.