文章大意:本文是一篇新闻报道。本文主要讲述了世界上年龄最大的两位笔友的故事。八十多年前,美国的一个教育项目使英国的杰夫与美国的塞拉斯塔建立了笔友关系。八十多年来,他们一直通过书信、电子邮件或视频软件保持着联系。
The world’s oldest pen pals have both turned 100 after 84 years of transatlantic(大西洋彼岸的)letters and have now switched to Zoom.
Geoff Banks from Honiton, Devon, and Celesta Byme, from US, started writing to each other aged just 16 in 1938. They met as part of an educational project to put British and American students in contact-and 84 years later they are still corresponding.
Geoff, a retired engineer, said, “I honestly struggle to remember how we got in touch, but I was talking to Celesta recently and I think it was something to do with an American school’s scheme(计划), which matched us up with Americans for a pen pal relationship, and somehow I ended up with this letter from an American girl, and we just kept corresponding ever since. There were a couple of years when we struggled to keep in touch because of the war. Now of course she is partially sighted, so I correspond mainly by email to one of her daughters who lives nearby. Email is much easier for me these days too because I can’t write very well anymore. We just talk about daily lives and our families really. She’s always been there to write to, even if it was just birthday cards and Christmas cards.”
Despite having chatted for decades, the pair has only ever met twice—first in 2002 while Geoff visited New York aged 80, and then again two years later. Geoff is now a great grandfather, having sadly outlived(比……活得长)his daughter but still having three sons scattered across the world and many more grandchildren.
Geoff said, “We actually met up again in 2004 when she invited me to her house for lunch. I have this new thing called Zoom I think now to chat with her, but I leave all the technology to younger people. They’re much better at pressing all buttons.”
4. What brought Geoff Banks and Celesta Byrne together to be pen pals?
A.The war in the 1930s. | B.An American school’s scheme. |
C.Communication technology. | D.Geoff’s visit to New York. |
5. Why did Geoff Banks prefer using email to writing letters?
A.He suffered from eye disease. | B.He had trouble pressing buttons. |
C.He was unable to write well. | D.He relied on Zoom to chat. |
6. What can we infer from the passage?
A.True friendship outlives time and space. | B.Letters were not permitted during the war. |
C.Pen pals are true friends. | D.Technology strengthens friendships. |
7. What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Pen Pals Meet after 84 years | B.Pen Pal Relationship Lasts a Century |
C.90 Years of Chat: from Letter to Zoom | D.Oldest Pen Pals in the world |