Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLFY) is a social service organization that has been changing communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. Founded in 1998 in Austin, Texas, the organization provides services through three main programs.

Truck Ministry

Mobile Loaves & Fishes' food truck volunteers hit the streets 7 nights a week, 365 days a year to serve the homeless, delivering food, clothing, hygiene products and other life items. With the support of more than 19, 000 volunteers and over 5 million meals served, Mobile Loaves & Fishes is the largest prepared feeding program to the homeless and working poor in Austin, Texas.

Community First Village

Community First Village is a 51-acre master planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for the disabled and homeless in Central Texas. Since 2005, this transformative residential program has been a part of Mobile Loaves & Fishes and has become the largest community-based model in the country lifting homeless men and women up off the streets into community and home.

Community Works

Mobile Loaves & Fishes developed the Community Works program at Community First Village. It provides job opportunities for the residents who are coming out of homelessness to earn an income. In addition, the program requests Mobile Loaves & Fishes volunteers to serve alongside and build enduring relationships with our friends as they develop new skills.

Opportunities for more volunteers

Thank you for your interest in Mobile Loaves & Fishes! We have a variety of volunteer opportunities. Please read the service requirements carefully before your application to fulfill service hours with MLF.

●Volunteer shifts are made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
●ALL volunteers under the age of 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult.
●All volunteers must wear specific clothing and shoes for that job.
●Volunteers must arrive on time or their shift will be rescheduled upon arrival.
1. What does Truck Ministry do with the homeless?

A．It removes them out of streets.	B．It offers them job opportunities.
C．It provides them a permanent house.	D．It delivers them more than a sandwich.

2. What do the residents of the Community Works do?

A．They become volunteers of MLF.	B．They are offered work to get money.
C．They prepare food for the program.	D．They build relationships with friends.

3. What is the purpose of the last part of the text?

A．To encourage donation.	B．To introduce the MLF.
C．To provide new services.	D．To advertise for more volunteers.

"Am I beautiful now, Mama? "

My heart quickly fell to my stomach.

"What do you mean, now? "

"Now that my hair is all done, I'm beautiful, right? "

I had just put the brush down by my side when my stomach immediately somersaulted (翻滚) in guilt and fear and my mind was instantly puzzled with confusion. Why was she questioning this? Didn't she already know? I told her how beautiful she was every morning when she rose for the new day and every night as she drifted off to sleep. I wanted to yell that this world attached too many attempts to "make pretty" and commercialized the use of product after product.

I tried to control my heart and explained to her, “Baby girl, you are beautiful every day because you are kind and smart, creative and brave. You use good manners and stand up for yourself." I put my hand on her heart and pulled her in close. "But styling your hair doesn't make you beautiful. And wearing certain colors or styles can't do it either. What makes you beautiful is the person you are. Do you know where beauty really comes from? "

She thought for a minute. I gently tapped my fingers that were still resting on her heart. "From inside here. And your heart shines so brightly that it makes you incredibly beautiful. "I could feel her heart start to beat a little stronger and a smile appeared across her face.

I squeezed her tight and added, "You are so beautiful, baby girl, and I hope you never stop believing it. And I hope you never let anyone tell you differently. "

She stood up and brushed her freshly braided hair off her shoulder.

"I know, Mama. I'm beautiful because I'm ME. "

The somersaults stopped. The guilt and fear were washed away. The confusion was clarified.

"Hey Mama," she said as she started to walk away. "You are beautiful, too."

4. What was the mother's reaction to the girl's questions?

A．Shocked.

B．Excited.

C．Disappointed.

D．Embarrassed.

5. What can we infer about the author's daughter?

A．She wasn't confident in herself.	B．She wasn't pretty and smart at all.
C．She was brave to face all challenges.	D．She was particular about appearance.

6. What does the author intend to teach her daughter?

A．Everyone is beautiful.	B．Beauty comes from inside.
C．Love is the most important.	D．Smile is the key to happiness.

7. What did the daughter think of her mother at last?

A．Her mother was kind and thoughtful.	B．Her mother looked as beautiful as her.
C．Her mother demanded too much of her.	D．Her mother was an understanding person.

Last Tuesday, a robotic ship called the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) took off from Plymouth, England. Its mission (使命) was to recreate the 1620 crossing of the Atlantic by the Mayflower, which brought the first European settlers to the USA. But unlike the original Mayflower, there are no people on the MAS. Everything about the ship is designed to run automatically. The ship is guided by an artificial intelligence (AI) system called "AI Captain".

The MAS is a project run by a group called ProMare along with the computer company, IBM. The ship's electric motor is powered by solar energy. The goal of the project is to test different kinds of technologies for collecting information about the sea. If these can be handled by machines, it could be a big advance in ocean research.

Because the MAS didn't have to carry humans, its designers were free to think about how to make the best ship for the job. In addition to cameras and radar to help the ship guide itself, the ship is carrying many different kinds of tools and sensors. It has special listening devices which can detect whales and dolphins. It even has a special "tongue" which can report back on the chemicals in the water.

Last Friday morning, scientists tracking the ship noticed that it was going about half as fast as it should have been going. The AI Captain was working well, but there seemed to be something slowing the motor down. Since the ship had only covered 10% of the way across the Atlantic, the team decided to bring it back to Plymouth so they could fix the problem and send it out again. They sent the MAS instructions to turn back.

When the MAS finally does put out to sea again, it is expected to take about three weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The fastest speed for the MAS is about 10 mph (16 kph). That may seem slow, but it's about 5 times faster than the original Mayflower, which took 66 days to make the journey.

8. What is the main mission of the MAS project?

A．Take more Europeans across the Atlantic.

B．Explore the ocean with high technologies.

C．Develop new artificial intelligence system.

D．Test the new robotic ship of IBM on the sea.

9. What happened to the MAS on the sea?

A．There was something wrong with the AI Captain.

B．The scientists failed to guide the ship completely.

C．The ship couldn't reach its destination as planned.

D．The robotic ship's electric motor didn't work well.

10. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．The robotic ship will set sail again soon.

B．The journey will be difficult and dangerous.

C．The entire journey will be about 2, 100 miles.

D．The MAS will travel farther than the original one.

11. What's the best title for the text?

A．A Robotic Ship Guided by the AI Captain System.

B．Self-Driving Mayflower Ship Forced to Turn Back.

C．The Fastest Robotic Ship Sailing Across the Atlantic.

D．Another Mayflower Recreating the Cross-Atlantic Trip.