When Liberia was my home, they called it sweet. Sweet was the word I remembered the most during the war. When I was five, my father, two sisters and I fled from Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, and headed north on foot among panicked masses of criers - a journey that ended in a village where we hid from flying bullets (子弹). Every dawn, my sisters and I joined my father and covered the pages of his small journal with words. My favorite word to write was “sweet,” one that had the power to numb the reality of our 6-month abandonment by peace and civilization.
Eventually, we were considered the lucky ones: part of the wave of refugees who left Liberia in 1990 to settle in America. My mother studied at Columbia University at the time, and we made our new home in her dormitory while awaiting her graduation. My father who left early in the mornings looked for work or news of a possible return to Liberia, only to return home with nothing to give us but new words to write in notebooks. He quickly found that the education he received in Liberia was not good enough for an engineering job in the United States. So he took whatever job he could find to make sure we always had food on the table - and books.
In 2011, I founded a children’s book publishing company: One Moore Book. It provides children’s literature for the children of countries with low literacy (识字) rates and underrepresented cultures by publishing culturally relevant books that have something meaningful to say to them. My hope is to give children the peace I was given through the words of my father, by allowing them to see themselves in literature. I also think it is important to provide books about foreign countries to children in the United States, to increase the overall awareness of the world outside them.
I will never be able to give my father back the twenty years he spent working to educate us, or the home and life in Liberia he lost. I repay his sacrifice (牺牲) by honoring the education he fought for and offering my art to the world, with stories that make the histories of my people come alive, and with words to live by.
1. What was the author’s family’s life like in Liberia?| A．Sweet and peaceful. |
| B．Frightening but positive. |
| C．Comfortable but boring. |
| D．Adventurous and exciting. |
| A．He was crazy about reading. |
| B．He regretted moving to America. |
| C．He worked hard to raise his family. |
| D．He tried to receive a higher education. |
| A．To meet poor children’s growing demands. |
| B．To provide multicultural books for children. |
| C．To support her father’s books about Liberia. |
| D．To help immigrants understand American culture. |
| A．Her pity for her father’s suffering. |
| B．Her thanks to her father’s devotion. |
| C．Her pride in working for her people. |
| D．Her disappointment over the life in Liberia. |
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【推荐1】Derek Rabclo is not the only surfer to conquer Hawaii' s famous Pipeline big wave break, but while all others use their sight to do it, this young professional surfer must rely only on his other senses. That's because he is completely blind.
When Derek was born, over 24 years ago, he got his name from Derek Ho, the first Hawaiian surfing world champion. A surfing enthusiast himself, Emesto dreamed that his son would share the talent of his uncle, a professional surfer. Unfortunately, Derek was born completely blind, but this didn't slop his family from believing lhat he could do anything he wanted, even if that meant becoming a surfer.
At age 2, Derek received a bodyboard and the beaches of Guarapari, Brazil, became his backyard. He was always comfortable in the water and surfing was in his blood, but he didn’t actually try riding a wave until he turned 17, when his father bought him a surfboard. His father taught him the basics and encouraged him to keep practicing, but after successfully standing up on the surfboard, Derek knew he needed to become much better if he was going to achieve Emesto's dream and become a professional surfer. So he joined the Praia do Moroo surf school, where he studied under coach Fabio Maru.
Standing up on a surfboard and conquering small waves is one thing, while gathering the courage to take on Hawaii's board-breaking Pipeline is another. But that’s exactly what Derek Rabelo set out to do just months after learning how to surf. Everyone told him it was too dangerous, but he felt he could do it. And he did, earning the praise of famous professional surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning. Now 24, Rabelo has been surfing the Pipeline every winter since.
1. What does the first paragraph tell us?| A．Good eyesight is necessary for becoming good suffers. |
| B．Nobody has ever conquered Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| C．Derek Rabelo dreams to conquer Hawaii's big wave break. |
| D．Derek Rabelo is the only blind professional surfer to conquer Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| A．He named him after his uncle. | B．He never lost confidence in him. |
| C．He sent him to a surfing champion. | D．He started his own interest in surfing. |
| A．began to try riding a wave | B．was no longer afraid of water |
| C．realized he still had a long way to go | D．knew his father’s dream had come true |
| A．Brave and confident. | B．Skillful but proud. |
| C．Thoughtful and modest. | D．Courageous but stubborn. |
【推荐2】A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives(档案馆) by the FBI after being stolen twice.
“We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing,” says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Archives. “It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern (实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes,” and the intern put the letter back. “The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it.”
Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a clue that the stolen letter was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team got back the letter but were unable to accuse the suspect because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both genuine and exactly belonged to Smithsonian.
The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the area that would become Yellowstone National Park.
The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. “It was luckily in good shape,” says Kapsalis, “and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”
It would be difficult to steal things like the letter. “Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s,” says Kapsalis, “and we keep our high value objects in a safe that I can’t even reach.”
1. What happened to Darwin’s letter in the 1970s?| A．It was got back by the FBI. | B．It was stolen more than once. |
| C．It was bought by the archives. | D．It was put in the archives for research purpose. |
| A．They proved its real identity. | B．They kept it in a safe. |
| C．They helped repair the letter. | D．They accused the suspect but failed. |
| A．Display it in the Archives. |
| B．Turn it into an item of interest. |
| C．Carry out a major repair. |
| D．Make it available on line. |
| A．People grow more interested in art objects |
| B．Strict safety measures are taken in Archives. |
| C．The value of museum objects has been increased. |
| D．The letter helped Ferdinand do research into geology. |
【推荐3】August 1990,Boston
Dear Maya Shao-ming,
To me,June 6,1990 is a special day.My long-awaited dream came true the minute your father cried,“A girl!” You are more than just a second child,more than just a girl to match our boy.You,little daughter,are the link to our female line,the legacy of another woman’s pain and sacrifice 31 years ago.
Let me tell you about your Chinese grandmother.Somewhere in Hong Kong,in the late fifties,a young waitress found herself pregnant(怀孕)by a cook,probably a co-worker at her restaurant.She carried the baby to term,suffered to give it birth,and kept the little girl for the first three months of her life.I like to think that my mother—your grandmother—loved me and fought to raise me on her own,but that the daily struggle was too hard.Worn down by the demands of the new baby and perhaps the constant threat of starvation,she made the painful decision to give away her girl so that both of us might have a chance for a better life.
More likely,I was dropped at the orphanage(孤儿院)steps or somewhere else.I will probably never know the truth.Having a baby in her unmarried state would have brought shame on the family in China,so she probably kept my existence a secret.Once I was out of her life,it was as if I had never been born.And so you and your brother and I are the missing leaves on a family tree.
Do they ever wonder if we exist?
Before I was two,I was adopted by an Anglo couple.Fed three square meals a day,I grew like a wild weed and grasped all the opportunities they had to offer—books,music,education,church life and community activities.In a family of blue-eyed blonds,though,I stood out like a sore thumb.Whether from jealousy or fear of someone who looked so different,my older brothers sometimes teased me about my unpleasing skin,or made fun of my clumsy walk.Moody and impatient,burdened by fears that none of us realized resulted from my early years of need,I was not an easy child to love.My mother and I conflicted countless times over the years,but gradually came to see one another as real human beings with faults and talents,and as women of strength in our own right.Lacking a mirror image in the mother who raised me,I had to seek my identity as a woman on my own.The Asian American community has helped me regain my double identity.
But part of me will always be missing:my beginnings,my personal history,all the delicate details that give a person her origin.Nevertheless,someone gave me a lucky name“Siu Wai”.“Siu”means“little”,and“Wai”means“clever”.Therefore,my baby name was“Clever little one.”Who chose those words?Who cared enough to note my arrival in the world?
I lost my Chinese name for 18 years.It was Americanized for convenience to“Sue”.But like an ill-fitting coat,it made me uncomfortable.I hated the name.But even more,I hated being Chinese.It took many years to become proud of my Asian origin and work up the courage to take back my birth-name.That,plus a little knowledge of classroom Cantonese is all the Chinese culture I have to offer you.Not white,certainly,but not really Asian,I try to pave the way between the two worlds and bridge the gap for you.Your name,“Shao-ming”,is very much like mine—“Shao”means“little”.And“ming”is“bright”,as in a shining sun or moon.Whose lives will you brighten,little Maya?Your past is more complete than mine,and each day I cradle you in your babyhood,generously giving you the loving care I lacked for my first two years.When I pat you,I comfort the lost baby inside me who still cries for her mother.
Sweet Maya,it doesn’t matter what you“become”later on.You have already fulfilled my wildest dreams.
I love you.
Mammy
1. Why is June 6,1990 a special day for Mommy?| A．Her dream of being a mother came true. |
| B．She found her origin from her Chinese mother. |
| C．She wrote the letter to her daughter. |
| D．Her female line was well linked. |
| A．It is bitter and disappointing. |
| B．It is painful but understandable. |
| C．She feels sorry but sympathetic. |
| D．She feels hurt and angry. |
| A．I walked clumsily out of pains. |
| B．I was not easy to love due to jealousy. |
| C．I was impatient out of fear. |
| D．I looked different from others. |
| A．She used to experience an identity crisis. |
| B．She fought against her American identity. |
| C．She forgot the pains of her early years. |
| D．She kept her love for Asia from childhood. |
【推荐1】She was moved to hospice (临终安养院) a week ago. I stayed with her for a week and then flew back home.
Her dying process is anything but “peaceful”, making me physically ill. I had some “quiet time” with her to say my goodbyes and try to let her know it was time for her to be at pace, but as time wore on, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I feel like I would be changed forever if I continued to witness this. However, I also feel extremely guilty about “abandoning” her during her last days.
More background: my mom went through treatment up to a few days before she was admitted to a hospital. After a month, she was moved to hospice once we finally realized she was dying. This last step has been a blow to us because she was so “normal” up until her fall, so although we knew we would eventually be in this place, we didn’t expect it NOW. I am the youngest of 3 kids, but my mom and I have always had a very close relationship, although we live 2,000 miles away from each other.
The problem I have is that I hear so many people say that there is “no way” they would leave their mother’s side on her deathbed and I thought I would be the same way, but I just lost it and came home. I feel like I am justifying coming back, even though nobody is judging me!
I have contemplated flying back to her, just so I can be there ... but in reality, I’m torn. I want to be there, but I don’t want to see or hear death.
Please ... help me figure out a way to reduce my guilt.
1. The main reason why the writer left her mother alone was that ______.| A．she had something urgent to deal with |
| B．she preferred to live a quiet life with her kids |
| C．she couldn’t tolerate witnessing her mother dying |
| D．her siblings would come to look after her mother soon |
| A．remembered | B．avoided |
| C．rejected | D．considered |
| A．disappointment | B．guilt |
| C．sympathy | D．regret |
| A．Who is to blame? |
| B．Is it my fault? |
| C．How can I forgive myself? |
| D．To leave or to stay? |
【推荐2】A student named Bruce sent me an email. He said, “My parents promised me a trip to California Disneyland if I get good grades in the final exams.
The following are my tips about his problem:
I understand your problem, and this must be frustrating to hear. Studies are important in a young person’s life.
For the time being, it is best to have a positive attitude.
It may be a long time since your parents were at school so they may find it difficult to understand your situation. I remember the days when I endlessly studied for exams, worrying before the big day came.
Be honest with your parents. At the end of the day, you are still fortunate enough that you have the chance of a trip after the exams are over.
| A．But if I don’t, they will cancel the trip |
| B．Don’t expect much from them |
| C．I always found it best to focus on the task at hand |
| D．Your parents want to reward you for your hard work |
| E．I feel full of confidence and so open to possibilities |
| F．They may think differently about how they offer motivation |
| G．Try and let this potential reward motivate you if you can |
Every night, I lie awake in bed and wait for the train to stop. Wait to hear the sound of his work boots dropping on the step by the kitchen door, and his voice calling, "I'm home!" Every night, the train goes by. Sometimes the train stops for someone else's pa coming home. Not mine, not yet. Every night, Ma comes to kiss me good-night-after the train's gone by. She's been listening, too."Go to sleep. Your pa'll be home soon. Maybe for Thanksgiving." I go to sleep with the sound of train wheels in my head, whispering, "Maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow."
The smell of coffee wakes me. I run into the kitchen. There he is. Pa lifts me onto his shoulders and pretends to stagger from my weight."How's my boy?①You've gotten so big as a horse.I can hardly lift you up anymore." He puts me down, and I stare at the two bags on the table. One says FLOUR, the other, SUGAR.
Ma says, "I'm going to bake a pie for your pa's homecoming dinner. Go down to the cellar Jimmy, and bring me that jar of apples from the shelf." She smiles at me with a "mind now" look. There's no need. ②Don't I know it's the very last jar on the shelf? Doesn't my mouth water just at the word apples?
I take the steps two at a time, not bothering to hold on to the wooden rails. I stand on tiptoe to take down the preserves. I put both my hands around the jar. I can hear Pa laughing upstairs and Ma joining in, and her hands slapping the dough (面团). "Hand me the rolling pin, dear," she says. I want to be with them in the kitchen. I hurry up the steps, and my bare foot catches on the middle one. I put out my hand to steady myself, but I tumble down, the jar slipping (滑) through my fingers. Please let it roll. It doesn't. ③The jar smashes on the hard-as-rock mud floor. Bits of apple fly everywhere; a river of glass glitters up at me.
Ma’s footsteps, Ma’s voice: “Are you hurt?” She checks me for cuts. I know what she’s thinking. The last jar-the one we’ve been saving to welcome Pa home. Weeks of no dessert, not even on Sundays. And I’ve spoiled it.
Ma’s on her knees putting bits of glass in her arpon. I bring her the broom. She gets to her feet and starts sweeping up. “Go on upstairs now. Mind you don’t cut your bare feet.” I want her to yell at me, be mad at me, but that’s all she says.
Upstairs, Pa wipes my eyes with the tail of his shirt. “Never mind, old son, accidents happen.” I bury my face in Pa’s torn old jacket. ④I smell the miles he’s walked looking for work to bring us those bags on the table. I smell the dust of the train and the city. I think I can smell how lonely he’s been.
“I’m going to bake my mama’s sugar pie.” Ma says, “It’s a special-occasion pie, and it doesn’t need apples.” “I’ve always wanted to taste sugar pie.” Pa says.
1. Which of the underlined sentences uses the same literal device (修辞手段) as the one used in Paragraph 2.| A．① |
| B．② |
| C．③ |
| D．④ |
| A．share with me the joy of my pa's return |
| B．remind me to behave well in front of Pa |
| C．remind me to be careful with the apple jar |
| D．share with me her excitement at making the pie |
| A．The jar is too heavy and slippery. |
| B．The stairs are too high and steep. |
| C．He can't wait to join Pa and Ma. |
| D．He is dying to enjoy the pie soon. |
| A．The love of a family is life's greatest gift. |
| B．It is a wise father that knows his own child. |
| C．All good things come to those who always wait. |
| D．Storms make people stronger and never last forever. |
【推荐1】In 1868 six-year-old Laura Jernegan,her parents, and her baby brother,Prescott,set sail from New Bedford, Massachusetts. This was no vacation cruise.Laura's father,captain of the whaleship Roman, was hunting the mightiest animal on earth.
Unwilling to be separated from his family for three to four years while he made ocean voyages thousands of miles from home, Captain Jernegan took them with him to share in the adventure—and the danger-of life at sea. In the mid-1800s,as many as one in six American whaling, captains took their families on voyages.
What was it like to live on a whaleship? The diary Laura kept while she was at sea offers a look into her unusual childhood. She was fascinated by her father's job. When the ship's lookout spotted a whale, Laura recorded it in her diary."I hope we shall get him,"she wrote.
She watched as the men rushed to their whaleboats and chased the whales. As soon as a whale was caught, the crew began to process it. First the crew"cut in" the whale by removing its thick blanket of blubber（鲸脂）.
After throwing pieces of blubber into large pots， two men would "get in the pots and squish (挤)out the blubber,"Laura wrote. It must have been a strange sight because the sailors were "way up to their knees" in the greasy fat, she reported.
Now came the hot,smoky,and smelly par.A brick furnace(火炉)was fired up,and the blubber was tried out, or boiled into oil. One huge whale produced enough oil to fill seventy-five barrels, she noted in disbelief. When the Jernegans returned home, the oil would be sold for the best price possible.Whale oil was important during most of the nineteenth century.It was used to light lamps and to make candles.
Two and a half years after she had left New Bedford, deep-water adventure came to an abrupt end. The Jernegans were whaling in the South Pacific when several crew members mutinied(反叛). Fortunately,the mutiny was stopped before anyone got killed.Her parents were terrified.They decided that a whaleship was no place for children. Laura, Prescott,and Mrs. Jernegan headed straight back to the United States on a passenger ship, and Captain Jernegan continued his whaling voyage.
This era, often called the golden age of whaling, was over in the late nineteenth century. Yet one girl's diary has helped to ensure that this chapter in America's seafaring history will not be forgotten.
1. Why did Captain Jernegan take his family out on a whale hunt?| A．To experience the pleasant life at sea. |
| B．To spend a nice vacation with his family. |
| C．To avoid a long separation from his family. |
| D．To follow in the footsteps of other captains. |
| A．Laura offered help to the work. |
| B．It was very hard and dirty work. |
| C．It started from boiling the blubber. |
| D．The workers couldn't stand the heat and bad smell. |
| A．He worried about their safety. |
| B．Laura had no friends on his ship. |
| C．There happened to be a passenger ship. |
| D．They had been away from home too long. |
| A．Her father stopped whaling after the mutiny. |
| B．Hunting whales was challenging but rewarding. |
| C．She thought deep-water adventures were boring. |
| D．The 20th century was thc golden age of whaling. |
Celestine Thompson left Mississippi when she was 14 years old and eventually settled in New York，where she spent more than 30 years of her life，according to WLOX 13News. After surviving a fire in 1992，Thompson was in a coma（昏迷）for two years and has since experienced memory loss. The 90-year-old found it difficult to recall details about her family.
But later she remembered the name of her nephew Clarence Woodway. Then another woman who knows Thompson in Mississippi was able to track Woodway down and help reunite Thompson with her large family.
“In our minds，my brother and I were talking that she wasn’t here anymore，because we hadn’t heard from her for a very long time，”Donald Davis，another one of Thompson’s nephews，told the media.“You know，we were overjoyed when we found out that we had gotten in contact with her.”
A few of Thompson’s relatives visited her in New York，and then arranged a larger reunion which was held this past Saturday in Gulfport，Mississippi，the Associated Press reported.
Thompson now lives in Greensboro，Alabama，with a caretaker，and，although she is yet to meet them all，she has regained quite a sizeable family of 23 nieces and nephews，64 grand nieces and nephews，66 great-grand nieces and nephews and 34 great-great-grand nieces and nephews，according to the Associated Press.
1. What can we know about Thompson?
| A．She suffered memory loss and forgot everything about herself. |
| B．She lives with a caretaker and her relatives in Alabama at present. |
| C．She’s lost contact with her family since she left her hometown |
| D．She had a larger reunion with her family members in Mississippi. |
| A．A woman who knows her. |
| B．People from WLOX 13 News. |
| C．The Associated Press. |
| D．The caretaker she's living with. |
| A．"Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．Great hopes make a great woman. |
| B．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| C．Life wonders can really take place. |
| D．Misfortune will tell what fortune is. |
【推荐3】Growing up in an underdeveloped zone of Johannesburg, South Africa, Musa Motha says his surroundings weren’t exactly ideal. Soccer was his favorite sport, and he fondly remembers the times he played for the local youth team. But when he was 10 years old, he injured in his left leg. This changed everything.
A bone marrow biopsy(骨髓活检) revealed Motha had osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in his left leg. While his soccer injury was not the cause, it did draw attention to the already-present cancer. He chose the amputation(截肢) and ever since that day, he decided he was going to approach life differently—more positively, he said.
True to his word, Motha, now 26, can be seen twirling(转动) across stages around the world. He first encountered dance at a neighborhood party, where he asked a friend to teach him some modified moves. “Then I danced the whole night,” he recalled. His talents did not go unnoticed; he began appearing in South African TV ads and shows. He even appeared in Drake’s One Dance music video.
Motha thinks that representation needs to extend beyond the performing arts. “The more we can see the disabled person in multiple aspects of life, such as helicopter pilots, engineers, chefs, choreographers and professors, the greater hope we can hold onto for a society where no one is on the margins,” he said. That’s Motha’s dream as well.
Though he said that dance gave him “a purpose”, he added “I don’t want to see myself as a dancer only.” He wants to create a space for other people with disabilities to go outside their comfort zone—from soccer to singing. He feels that greater representation will create more opportunities and inclusion, paving the way for people with disabilities to shine. “Instead of telling a sob story, I find that the most beautiful stories are after the amputation,” Motha said. He encourages others with disabilities that they, too, can do everything: “There’s a whole lot of things that you can overcome and that actually define how strong you are.”
1. What caused the discovery of Motha’s cancer?| A．The terrible living environment. | B．The routine medical examination. |
| C．The accidental injury in his left leg. | D．The high amputation of his left leg. |
| A．To indicate that dance is no longer his favorite. | B．To inspire the disabled to go beyond themselves. |
| C．To stress he hasn’t gone outside his comfort zone. | D．To show off his talents in more aspects of his life. |
| A．Everyone can make a difference. | B．Most of our dreams have come true. |
| C．Not all disabled people are influential. | D．No disabled people have been prejudiced. |
| A．Brave and humorous. | B．Friendly and sociable. |
| C．Humble and creative. | D．Optimistic and ambitious. |
【推荐1】As much as we may want to protect children from all the terrible, horrible and very had things in life, too often we don’t get a choice. These four new kids’ books serve as guides for a variety of difficulties and as important reminders that we have a choice in how we react to such trails
| The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill By Megan Shepherd Twelve-year-old Emmaline has a secret: she can see winged horses in the mirrors at Briar Hili hospital, a British hospital for children during World War Ⅱ. The magical adventures of the horses come to life as Emmaline recovers from her illness and must face the sickness of those she loves. | Goodbye Days By JeffZentner Carver Briggs blames himself for the deaths of his three best friends(he sent the text message that likely caused the car accident resulting in their deaths). What’s more, he could face a criminal investigation into his role. The novel follows his journey as he tries his best to make peace with his loss and guilt. |
| StefSoto, Taco Queen | Why Can’t Grangma Remember My Name? |
| By Jennifer Torres Now in middle school, Estefania Stef Soto has become embarrassed by her Mexican-American family’s food truck and is tired of being joked at school as the “taco（墨西哥煎玉米卷）queen.” But when the family business is threatened, she becomes one of its biggest protectors and learns to accept her identity. | By Kent L Karosen, Illustrated by Chana Sticfel Driven by questions from Ashley, a child whose grandmother has Alzhelmer’s （早老性痴呆病）, this book offers an outline for families dealing with the illness. Drawings in this book are done by children and by Alzheimer’s patients |
1. “Such trials” in paragraph 1 most probably refers to ______.
| A．creative processes | B．lovable characters |
| C．painful reminders | D．difficult experiences |
| A．The Secret Horses Of Briar Hill |
| B．Goodbye Days |
| C．Stef Soto, Taco Queen |
| D．Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name? |
| A．share some new parental skills with parents |
| B．teach kids how to write some dramatic stories |
| C．start a discussion on the topics of the new books |
| D．introduce some newly published books for kids |
【推荐2】Teachers and students at Herbert Slater Middle School in Santa Rosa, California are used to seeing 7th grader Raquel Zuniga holding a stuffed Kermit the Frog doll as she goes about her school day.
Raquel, aged 12, attends classes for students with mild to serious disabilities. Having her favorite frog doll Kermit by her side makes school life much easier for her, yet there are still times when Kermit’s cheery presence isn’t enough to help her through her anxiety.
One day Raquel was having a hard time changing halfway from inside the classroom to outside. Several teachers approached Raquel as she held Kermit tight and walked back and forth in the hallway, yet none could get through to the child. After nearly an hour, school resource officer Chris Morrison happened to wander by to see if she could help.
Chris herself was a teacher for high-risk students in Los Angeles for twelve years before joining the Santa Rosa Police. She’s now been on the job as a cop for eighteen years, but those teaching wisdoms still run deeply through her mind.
Without hesitation Chris approached the student and bean to speak to her in a comforting voice. Chris did something simple yet extraordinary: she began to sing. Not only does music have a calming effect on its own but also the song she selected was especially meaningful: “Rainbow Connection”, the 1997 song made famous by Kermit the Frog himself.
Raquel’s face lights up in a beautiful smile as she turns to her teacher as if to say, “She’s singing my song!”
“The three of us were standing there in awe,” said Assistant Principal Jessica Romero, adding that she wasn’t the least bit surprised that this kind act came from Officer Morrison. “She’s a very special soul,” Jessica explained. “She comes to everything she does with heart, with empathy, and is able to build close relationship with students.”
1. Why does Raquel always hold the Kermit frog doll in her school days?| A．Because she is mentally disabled. | B．Because students are used to seeing it. |
| C．Because it gives her a sense of safety. | D．Because the teachers there encourage it. |
| A．She has been a teacher for high-risk students in Los Angeles for 12 years. |
| B．She is working both as a teacher at the middle school and a policewomen. |
| C．She is understanding and knows what to do to comfort the children in anxiety. |
| D．She is warm-hearted and always surprises the teachers around with her wisdom. |
| A．it is a song meaningful to Raquel |
| B．it is a song popular among children |
| C．it is a song familiar to Chris |
| D．it is a song to calm children |
| A．The satisfying ending of the warm story. | B．Teacher’s impression about Chris Morrison. |
| C．Teachers’ reaction to Chris Morrison’s method. | D．The unique method to get through to a child. |
【推荐3】A book is made of wood. But it is not a tree. The dead cells have been repurposed to serve another need.
Now a team of scientists has repurposed living cells—scraped(刮落)from frog embryos—and assembled them into entirely new life forms. These millimeter-wide “xenobots” can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload(like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient)—and heal themselves after being cut.
“These are novel living machines,” says Joshua Bongard, a computer scientist and robotics expert at the University of Vermont who co-led the new research. “They're neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal. It's a new class of artifact：a living, programmable organism.” “We can imagine many useful applications of these living robots that other machines can't do,” says co-leader Michael Levin, “like searching out nasty compounds or radioactive contamination(污染物), gathering microplastic in the oceans, traveling in arteries(动脉)to scrape out plaque.”
People have been manipulating(操纵)organisms for human benefit since at least the dawn of agriculture, genetic editing is becoming widespread, and a few artificial organisms have been manually assembled in the past few years—copying the body forms of known animals. But this research, for the first time ever, “designs completely biological machines from the ground up," the team writes in their new study.
Many people worry about the implications of rapid technological change and complex biological manipulations. "That fear is not unreasonable,” Levin says. "When we start to deal with complex systems that we don't understand, we're going to get unintended consequences.” “If humanity is going to survive into the future, we need to better understand how complex properties, somehow, emerge from simple rules,” says Levin. Much of science is focused on "controlling the low-level rules. We also need to understand the high-level rules." In other words, “this study is a direct contribution to getting a handle on what people are afraid of, which is unintended consequences,” Levin says.
1. What do we know about the “xenobots” from Paragraph 2?| A．They need to be carried to a specific place. |
| B．They're capable of self-healing after injury. |
| C．They are scraped from some new life forms. |
| D．They can remove an object to another place. |
| A．recycle microplastic in the oceans |
| B．take in nasty compounds |
| C．programme other organisms |
| D．take away the plaque in arteries |
| A．People never created these biological robots in history. |
| B．These machines were copied from the very beginning. |
| C．The research is completely carried out on the playground. |
| D．Organisms have been developed since agriculture. |
| A．This study is bound to bring about panic in public. |
| B．People boycott employing rapid technological change. |
| C．Science is focused on controlling the low-level rules. |
| D．Some study is likely to contribute to unexpected results. |
