Isabella, whose mother died two years ago after her long battle with a rare illness, has to rely on her father as she approaches the pre-teen struggles every girl faces growing up. Yet, while her father, Philip, has been doing all he can, he has failed to master one skill that remains important for 11-year-olds such as Isabella: hair.
He originally just gave her a short cut because he didn't know how to do anything else. Once her hair grew back, however, Isabella learned to make a simple ponytail (马尾) on her way out the door each morning. It wasn't until she noticed her bus driver, Tracy Dean, braiding (编) another classmate's hair that Isabella gathered the courage to ask her for help.
Dean owes her good relationship with the community she serves to a previous cancer diagnosis (诊断). Seven years ago, she found out she had breast cancer, and one of the things that went through her head was: Who is going to take care of her little ones? Not that her husband couldn’t do it but that’s what moms do.
Dean's selfless deed has also taken social media by storm, rebuilding people's faith in each other, while also inspiring others to share their own stories of kind gestures within their own community.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and for Isabella, this means she now has a mother figure to look up to as she grows. “I feel like she's pretty much a mom to me,” Isabella said “And it makes me excited to see what she can do for me the next day.”
Dean's selfless act has also had an influence on Isabella at school, as her teacher, Mrs. Freeze, noted that Isabella had her head a little higher that morning after she asked for Dean's help. While this gesture will surely provide Isabella with the power she needs to remain positive for years to come, Dean can find great comfort in knowing that her help has made a lasting influence on Isabella in particular.
1. What was the trouble for Philip when bringing up his daughter?| A．To arrange her long hair. | B．To dress her elegant. |
| C．To communicate with her. | D．To help her with her study. |
| A．Everyone should care about their kid growth. |
| B．A small deed has made a big difference to Isabella. |
| C．Villagers should help each other in kids’ education. |
| D．Isabella has to be brought up by her fellow villagers. |
| A．Upset | B．Amazed | C．Awkward | D．Confident. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Skeptical | C．Supportive | D．Objective |
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【推荐1】Oregon firefighters battling wildfires across the state have a new force on their team: a Baby Yoda doll, which has become a symbol of hope and joy among the first responders who have been tirelessly fighting the historic fires that have wiped out communities and killed at least nine people since early September.
It all began when five-year-old Carver Tinning and his grandmother Sasha Tinning from Scappoose, Oregon, came across the toy while searching for items to donate to Oregon firefighters.
The toy, along with a note saying, “Thank you, firefighters. Here is a friend for you, in case you get lonely. Love, Carver.” was handed to donation drive volunteers on September 12, 2020. The thoughtful gift brought tears to their eyes. “The fires were close to us, and everyone was really high on emotion,” says volunteer Tyler Eubanks. “We were all really inspired that Carver wanted to give a companion to the men and women who were out there risking their lives to fight the wildfires.”
Eubanks delivered the toy to a group of firefighters working to control a 25-acre fire in Colton, Oregon. He had initially intended to take a few pictures of the Baby Yoda in action for Carver, and then bring back the toy to the donation site. However, the firefighters decided to hold on to the doll and share it to lift the spirits of troops across the state and also of colleagues fighting fires in Colorado.
“He’s been a really big morale boost,” said Jaebyn Drake, a firefighter with the Oregon Air National Guard. “A lot of the people on my crew, I showed them the note and everything, and they just loved it. A couple of people broke down in tears ... It just really meant a lot to us, and it was really emotional for a lot of people.”
1. What can we know from Tyler Eubanks’s words?| A．He was a firefighter. | B．He was really touched. |
| C．He participated in rescue. | D．He was in charge of reception. |
| A．Because he lost in touch with Carver. |
| B．Because the firefighters exhibited in public. |
| C．Because he was occupied in taking pictures. |
| D．Because the firefighters determined to keep it. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Objective. | C．Approving. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Small Toys Make a Big Difference |
| B．A Five-year-old Child Drew Wide Attention |
| C．Oregon firefighters Are Fighting with wildfires |
| D．Baby Yoda Joins Firefighters in Battling Wildfires |
【推荐2】Allan Felix is running a big business — something hard to imagine after she lost her sight in her twenties. When she was 21 years old, she went blind due to certain illness. She recalled, “I hid in my home. I hid in the place; to me, that was the safest place in the world.”
Luckily Felix was not someone who gave up easily. Soon she began to explore the world by using her other senses. She touched and smelled everything she came across. She was soon able to do certain jobs herself, like milking the cows.
In her father’s farm, Allan Felix found a new way forward. She founded a company, bringing in organic wines from many different countries. She traveled from South America to Europe with the help of Hanley (a guide dog named Hanley). At first, Allan Felix resisted the idea of a Seeing Eye dog. But it’s hard to imagine her life or her business without him. She said, “When someone tells me something is organic and I don’t really believe it because I taste something funny on it, I’ll put it in front of Hanley’s face and if he likes the wine, he’ll actually go in and sniff it. If it’s not right, he’ll turn his head away. He goes to the vineyard with me. He scratches around. He makes sure that we see earthworms and butterflies. That’s how we know the soil is actually organic and that there are no chemicals.”
Felix told CBS News she believes the loss of her vision was a gift. She said, “It allowed me to pay attention to what I thought was important and also to be able to teach people the broken hang nail is not a big deal, you know what I mean? All things will round to him who will but wait.”
1. Why did Allan Felix hide in her home?| A．She was shy and didn’t want to meet strangers. |
| B．She feared that she would be hurt outside. |
| C．She disliked being exposed to the sun. |
| D．She got used to being alone at home. |
| A．It is no more than a guide dog. |
| B．It likes drinking organic wine. |
| C．It can distinguish earthworms and butterflies. |
| D．It helps Allan a lot in her organic wine business. |
| A．A nail which is of no use. | B．A task that is not easy to finish. |
| C．The difficulty you have to deal with. | D．The gift that God gives you. |
【推荐3】Although Bertha Young was thirty she still had moments like this when she wanted to run instead of walk, to take dancing steps on and off the pavement, to throw something up in the air and catch it again, or to stand still and laugh at — nothing — at nothing, simply.
What can you do if you are thirty and, turning the corner of your own street, you are overcome, suddenly by a feeling of happiness — absolute happiness.
Oh, is there no way you can express it without being “drunk and disorderly”? How stupid civilization is! Why should you be given a body if you have to keep it shut up in a case like a rare, rare fiddle(小提琴)?
“No, that about the fiddle is not quite what I mean,” she thought, running up the steps and feeling in her bag for the key — she’d forgotten it, as usual — and rattling the letter-box. “It’s not what I mean, because — Thank you, Mary” — she went into the hall. “Is nurse back?”
“Yes, M’m.”
“I’ll go upstairs.” And she ran upstairs to the nursery.
Nurse sat at a low table giving Little B her supper after her bath. The baby looked up when she saw her mother and began to jump.
“Now, my lovey, eat it up like a good girl,” said nurse, setting her lips in a way that Bertha knew, and that meant she had come into the nursery at another wrong moment.
“Has she been good, Nanny?”
“She’s been a little sweet all the afternoon,” whispered Nanny. “We went to the park and I sat down on a chair and took her out of the pram (婴儿车) and a big dog came along and she pulled its ear. Oh, you should have seen her.”
Bertha wanted to ask if it wasn’t rather dangerous to let her pull a strange dog’s ear. But she did not dare to. She stood watching them, her hands by her side, like the poor little girl in front of the rich girl with the doll.
The baby looked up at her again, stared, and then smiled so charmingly that Bertha couldn’t help crying.
“Oh, Nanny, do let me finish giving her supper while you put the bath things away.
“Well, M’m, she oughtn’t to be changed hands while she’s eating,” said Nanny, still whispering. “It unsettles her, it’s very likely to upset her.”
How absurd it was. Why have a baby if it has to be kept—not in a case like a rare, rare fiddle — but in another woman’s arms?
“Oh, I must!” said she.
Very offended, Nanny handed her over.
“Now, don’t excite her after her supper. You know you do, M’m. And I have such a time with her after!”
Thank heaven! Nanny went out of the room with the bath towels.
“Now I’ve got you to myself, my little precious,” said Bertha, as the baby learned against her.
She ate delightfully, holding up her lips for the spoon and then waving her hands. Sometimes she wouldn’t let the spoon go; and sometimes just as Bertha had filled it, she waved it away to the four winds.
When the soup was finished Bertha turned round to the fire. “You’re nice — you’re very nice!” said she, kissing her warm baby. “I’m fond of you. I like you.”
And indeed, she loved Little B so much — her neck as she bent forward, her pretty toes as they shone transparent in the firelight — that all her feeling of happiness came back again, and again she didn’t know how to express it — what to do with it.
“You’re wanted on the telephone,” said Nanny, coming back in victory and seizing her Little B.
1. In paragraph 3 and 15, a “rare, rare fiddle” is used to show that ________.| A．Bertha is frustrated by not feeling free to express her musical talents |
| B．wealthy mothers are not allowed to look after their children |
| C．Bertha considers her baby girl an extraordinary child |
| D．people of a certain age are expected to follow a certain code of behavior |
| A．a vain attempt to hide her joy at seeing Bertha |
| B．fear of dismissal from her job for untidy nursery |
| C．dislike for Bertha’s ill-timed visits to the nursery |
| D．a relief as she can at last eat her supper |
| A．Bertha wishes to have care-giving time with her baby. |
| B．Bertha lacks emotional and psychological strength. |
| C．Bertha desires a closer relationship with Nanny. |
| D．Bertha suffers from an unrealistic hope of having more babies. |
| A．Bertha feels that Nanny is a competent nurse and will do anything liberate her from chores. |
| B．Nanny considers herself the baby’s primary caregiver and Bertha just an occasional visitor. |
| C．Bertha prefers to leave the child in Nanny’s care so that she can fulfill her inappropriate fantasies. |
| D．Nanny is tired of working hard for Bertha and would like to find other pleasant employment. |
| A．She is a kind employer but a strict mother. |
| B．She is a thoughtless person and inexperienced mother. |
| C．She is excited and is always lost in her overactive imagination. |
| D．She is forgetful and has no sense of class distinctions in society. |
| A．“She’s been a little sweet all the afternoon,” whispered Nanny. “...Oh. you should have seen her.” |
| B．“Now, my lovey, eat it up like a good girl,” said nurse, setting her lips in a way that Bertha knew. |
| C．“Now, don’t excite her after her supper. You know you do, M’m. And I have such a time with her after!” |
| D．“You’re wanted on the telephone,” said Nanny, coming back in victory and seizing her Little B. |
【推荐1】Proudly reading my words, I looked around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes and Miss Lancelot stone-faced. I slowly raised the report, hoping to hide myself and burning to find out “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
When another classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: no re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather and the headmaster informed me of his approval that I could skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!
1. What did the author’s classmates think about his report?| A．Amusing. | B．Moving. | C．Controversial. | D．Puzzling. |
| A．Ready. | B．Annoyed. | C．Eager. | D．Ashamed. |
| A．The teacher’s instruction was unclear. |
| B．He knew little about American history. |
| C．He was a new comer to the school. |
| D．He followed the advice to flip a coin. |
| A．He was allowed to redo the test. | B．He was devoted to his studies. |
| C．His efforts were recognized by school. | D．The punishment was reasonable. |
【推荐2】I fell into love with shopping at the age of 10. After a short time being just a buyer, I wanted to sell something. I had many things around the house from my childhood that I no longer needed. I knew, with the help of my father, I could make money. I enjoyed myself by selling things on my dad’s account (账户).
On December 9, 2022, I opened my own account and began to start my own business. Things were going great and then I realized that selling things around house wasn’t making me the kind of money that I wanted to make, so I decided to turn my business into a resale (零售) shop. I went around to the garage sale (旧货出售处) and bought items at low prices and sold them at higher prices.
Last November, I went to a garage sale that was a little bit different. A single lady had many nice items that I knew I would sell quickly. I went up to her and started a conversation with her. Through the conversation, I knew she was jobless at the moment and needed money to support her family. I decided to sell any of her things for her to help her out. She looked at me for a moment and then broke into tears. I took away some of her things and over the next month I made over $1,500 for her! She was so thankful for all of my help.
I have never felt so happy to help someone in my life. I felt as if I had made a difference in this world and that my skills could be used to help someone who would really need it.
1. At first, __________ helped her make money by selling things.| A．the girl’s father | B．the girl’s mother |
| C．the girl’s teacher | D．a single lady |
| A．meet single ladies | B．buy things for her resale shop |
| C．help others | D．sell things she no longer needed |
| A．the lady’s items were nice | B．the lady’s items were of good quality |
| C．the lady lived a hard life | D．the lady asked the author for help |
| A．disappointed | B．amazed | C．proud | D．appreciative |
【推荐3】There is no such thing as a perfect woman, and Nothing but Thirty screenwriter Zhang Yingji wanted to convey this message in telling the stories of three different women, who have found very different ways to climb their own mountains.
Wang Manni is a woman who will climb any mountain as long as she finds it challenging. Zhong Xiaoqin is one who will only climb if she has someone to go along with her. She will not overexert herself, and she will definitely stop once she has reached a comfortable place. Gu Jia, on the other hand, has already started to think about reaching the peak before she even starts the climb, regardless of whether she is alone or has company.
In a sense, the scriptwriter purposely created Gu Jia as the perfect woman of thirty. She is married, with a successful husband and a young son. She is living the dream, but Gu Jia does not feel complete. She feels lost. She is flawed. She has episodes of succumbing to her own greed and disregard to those around her.
“She is someone who chases alter perfection.” said Tong Yao (who portrays Gu Jia). “Obviously, this is stressful for those around her. She hides things. She isn’t perfect, but in front of others, she has to stay perfect.”
Her chase for perfection and her stubbornness to maintain this image has effected many of the relationships in her life. She chases after what she believes is right for others. Because of this, she and her husband start to see and value things differently, which puts a strain on their relationship.
Gu Jia’s personal struggles give life to the character. Many viewers are able to relate to her, and, through her character, find a shadow of themselves. There’s still a lot left that we can learn from the women of Nothing but Thirty, but maybe like them, we too can find the courage in ourselves to walk on that road which is truly meant for us.
1. According to the article, which of the following best describes Zhong Xiaoqin’s personality?| A．Ambitious and goal-driven | B．Moderate and content |
| C．Aimless and impulsive | D．Visionary and independent |
| A．She has her own worries and insecurities. |
| B．She leads a seemingly perfect and enviable life. |
| C．She can be greedy and insensitive to others’ feelings. |
| D．She is discontented with life because of her husband. |
| A．is a perfectionist | B．stands up to her husband |
| C．balances her work and life well | D．displays some identifiable traits |
| A．To call attention to the rise of feminism. |
| B．To introduce the plot of Nothing but Thirty. |
| C．To contrast the main characters of Nothing but Thirty. |
| D．To encourage viewers to find inspiration in Nothing but Thirty. |
【推荐1】Today I achieved a dream that was born in April this year.Before April I never swam,biked or ran.I played basketball sometimes,but I did little in the way of endurance(耐力）workouts. One day in April,however,this changed.I want to find a way to challenge myself.I decided I was going to train for the Chicago marathon and complete it in six months.
The day finally came.For the first 11 miles,everything was going great.I was pacing(调整节奏）myself correctly and there wasn't too much pain or tiredness building up in my legs. Shortly after mile 12,however,I started to feel some pain.Miles 12-17 became a mental battle as I tried to convince myself to get to the finish line without walking.
Miles 17-20 were getting hard.I had to consciously push myself to stay at the race pace I was aiming for.My ankles(脚踝）were starting to hurt and my legs were giving out.At around mile 21 I got a stomach ache.I thought I might have to stop and walk for a minute,but the determination side of my brain took over and said,"Stick to your goals and never give up!”
The last 3-4 miles of the marathon were like nothing I have experienced.At the aid station at mile 24 I walked for a few seconds and drank some water.Then I started running and slowly I got back up to speed and went on.The last mile stands as the single most difficult thing I have done physically and mentally.Every step I took,my brain was screaming at me to walk.but I wouldn't listen.
When I crossed the finish line I was so happy and excited that I began to cry.I will never forget this day and I encourage everyone to go after that big event you have been thinking about, because although it will be hard,there are few more rewarding feelings than the feeling I had today crossing the finish line at the Chicago Marathon.
1. The writer ran a marathon because he/she wanted to| A．win a prize | B．get into shape |
| C．make a difference | D．take up a sport |
| A．To run or not to. | B．To walk or not to. |
| C．To stop or not to. | D．To rest or not to. |
| A．Enthusiasm. | B．Interest. |
| C．Experience. | D．Determination. |
| A．Painful. | B．Amazing. |
| C．Embarrassing. | D．Enjoyable. |
In America，many people use sunlight and non-natural light to darken their skin. Health
experts advise against what is called“tanning”because of its links to akin cancer. In the African country of Senegal（塞内加尔），some women take health risks trying to do just the opposite.
An average beauty supply shop in Dakar has many kinds of skin-lightening creams and
soaps. The World Health Organization says that 25％of Senegalese women use skin-lightening production a usual basis. These products can contain chemicals，like mercury（汞）， hydroquinone（对苯二酚），etc. These are dangerous ingredients that can cause cancer and possibly other physical damage to the akin. They can actually burn the eyes and skin.
Shop worker Adama Diagne advises her visitors to avoid the stronger products that promise fast results. She users a cream that is made from carrots，not the strong chemical，hydroquinone. She says that it is a personal choice and that no one pressures her. Some women want to be black every day，but for her，she likes to be a shade of brown. Women in Senegal say they lighten their skin for the same reason that women all over the world make changes to their appearance. They say they want to look beautiful，to find a husband， to stand out in a crowd or simply to look great for a special event.
This thinking troubles Senegalese film-maker Khardiata Pouye Sall. So，she made“This
Color That Bothers Me"，a film about the subject of skin lightening. She said，“I used the most shocking images so that women would see the dangers. It is hard to understand why a woman says that dark skin is not beautiful. It is in their heads. They want to please a man，to he loved or they want to please society，to succeed."
Ms. Sall says that the government needs to better control the marketing and the sale of skin-lightening products. But she adds that education is the best way to persuade people against using them.
1. The underlined part“the opposite" in Paragraph 2 means some Senegalese women ．
| A．use sunlight to darken their skin |
| B．try creams to prevent skin cancer |
| C．use products to lighten their skin |
| D．take health risks to become beautiful |
| A．beauty is just a personal choice |
| B．a cream from carrots is healthier |
| C．it is beautiful to be black every day |
| D．a product can make you beautiful quickly |
| A．attract attention with shockingimages |
| B．don't consider dark skin to be beautiful |
| C．find it hard to understand the true beauty |
| D．put beauty in the first place in their heads |
| A．Unsupportive. | B．Casual. |
| C．Responsible. | D．Positive. |
Ad Vingerhoets is a professor of psychology at Tilburg University，in the Netherlands．He is one of the few scientists in the world who have studied crying．According to Vingerhoets，there are three types of tears．Basal tears are the first type．They lubricate(润滑)the eyes and act as a protective barrier between the eye and the rest of the World．Next are reflex tears．They wash your eyes clean when something gets in them．Finally，there are emotional tears. “These are released in response to emotional states，”explains Vingerhoets．“Especially when we feel helpless．”
Scientists believe that crying has something to do with how humans developed and learned to depend on each other．“Humans are very complex social creatures，”says Lauren Bylsma，a professor at the University of Pittsburgh，in Pennsylvania．“It seems that tears serve to arouse help and support from others，’’She says．“Another reason we weep is that humans have the longest developmental period of almost any animal．It takes a long time to grow up．”
Vingerhoets agrees．“I think that the reason why humans shed tears(流眼泪)has something to do with our childhood，”he says．“That’s the time when we are stir dependent on adults for love and protection and care．The major advantage of emotional tears is that you can target them at a specific person．”Vingerhoets says this ability to target someone could have come in hand in prehistoric times，when humans were living among dangerous animals．Crying could attract predators(捕食者)．Tears were a safer way to get attention．In this case，it is better to use a silent signal to ask for help，”he says．
Vingerhoets and Bylsma do frequent studies to better understand why humans cry．According to Byhma，there is still much more to discover．“It’s surprising，”she says，“how much we still don’t know．”
1. Which of the following is reflex tears?
| A．Tears when eyes are dry． |
| B．Tears moved by a story． |
| C．Tears released when crying． |
| D．Tears when dirt gets into eyes． |
| A．It helps human develop longer． |
| B．It helps humans attract predators. |
| C．It helps arouse attention． |
| D．It helps people to be independent． |
| A．Emotional tears are better than reflex tears． |
| B．Basal tears are a type of protective barrier． |
| C．Tears helped frighten predators away． |
| D．It’s easy to understand why humans cry． |
| A．Why people shed tears． | B．When people shed tears． |
| C．How people shed tears． | D．Where people shed tears． |
【推荐1】One in four people around the world is at the risk of facing dangerous water shortages. Seventeen countries face “extremely high water stress” because they use 80 percent of their available water each year. The situation is made worse by a rise in dry periods linked to climate change, the World Resources Institute (WRI) said.
New information from WRI's Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas showed the countries suffering most are in and around the Middle East and North Africa. The Atlas helps governments, investors, and other users understand where and how water risks arise worldwide. It uses a special method and the best-available data to create customizable global maps of water risks.
Qatar is the most water-stressed country, followed by Israel. India ranks 13th among “extremely high” water-stressed nations. But with a population of more than 1.3 billion, it has more than three times the people in the other 16 countries combined, which means besides plenty of fresh water, much more is demanded for Indian daily life, agricultural development etc., resulting in the higher likelihood of water shortages for the country than the other 16.
India's city, Chennai, was the latest city worldwide to warn it could be without water, as water storage levels fell. “That followed a similar announcement from Cape Town last year. It’s good that there's just one city mentioned,” said Betsy Otto, Director of WRI's Global Water Program. “But more of these kinds of “Day Zeros” are round the comer. And soon, the situation will be different, with more people put in a tight spot.”
Many things threaten the worlds water supplies, from climate change to poor supervision, according to WRI. “High dependence on groundwater supplies, which are decreasing, is an added concern,” Paul Reig said. He leads work on the WRI Atlas. Reig noted groundwater supplies are difficult to manage because they're deep below the Earth’s surface. Nearly a third of fresh water is groundwater. “It's poorly understood. We have got to get down studying it deeply and quickly, working for more available fresh water?”
1. What does the WRI Atlas serve as?| A．A database about water storage and supplies. |
| B．A tool offering information about water risks. |
| C．A company collecting water-related information. |
| D．An institute concerning water-stressed countries. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Optimistic. | C．Doubtful. | D．Cautious. |
| A．Climate change threatens the world's water supply. |
| B．High dependence on groundwater is decreasing. |
| C．Further research is needed on groundwater. |
| D．New ways should be adopted for fresh water. |
| A．The situation of water stress and potential solutions. |
| B．The effects water stress has on each country. |
| C．The reason why water stress should be overcome. |
| D．The cause of global water stress. |
【推荐2】When I met and married a Japanese man in New York, I thought he would learn a bit more English and we would continue to live our lives there. But in life’s twists and turns, we ended up living in Tokyo! I was the one who needed to learn Japanese and fast ! There is no experience quite as lonely as living in a foreign country without a grasp of the language. Especially to make friends and to break that loneliness, it is the first and foremost goal to attain… always an uphill climb, while totally awkward!
I was a trained English Language teacher, and while I lived abroad I did that work, and when we moved back to America I planned to continue it. The country’s financial difficulties at the time, however, saw deep cuts to the English as a Second Language positions in the schools and to refugee language programs. So I simply took a job in a department store, at its Child Playroom.
But this store was located near a major company that hired some of its workforce from many other countries. Often a preschooler in my playroom could not speak a word of English, and would look so lost and lonely !My heart flew to them! We interacted with each other a lot. We would play English language games and they would teach their language to me.
Years later, when a small girl who had come from South America could speak good English, she said to me, “Teacher, remember when I called you Maestra?” Another child whose language was only Russian originally —we built a robot from blocks and fed it block food and leaned English words that way—would come years afterwards and continue to play that same game! These moments became my life compass—due north is that place where when persons are different, Love Matters !
1. What was the author’s challenge after marriage?| A．She had to give up her job. | B．She lost all her best friends. |
| C．She needed to learn a new language. | D．She was forced to live overseas. |
| A．She set up her own company. | B．She lost interest in teaching. |
| C．Better teachers were needed. | D．Teaching jobs were greatly reduced. |
| A．They learned each other’s languages. | B．They took language tests. |
| C．They cared for each other. | D．They encouraged each other in learning. |
| A．Tiring. | B．Helpful. | C．Simple. | D．Humorous. |
【推荐3】The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7:30pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song.
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry.
Their experience suggests that the words in the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 -8:30pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00pm or 8:30pm means possible dinner, but 9:30pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, roll up late.
But this is not always the case. If asked to a students' party at 6:30pm, it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive - looking eager - is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re young, we're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.
The accepted custom at present is confusing, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element (成分) of surprise.
1. The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean_________________.| A．tired | B．crazy | C．curious | D．hopeless |
| A．party-goers usually get hungry at parties |
| B．party invitations can be confusing |
| C．people should ask for food at parties |
| D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
| A．are likely to arrive late for a party | B．care little about the party time |
| C．haven't really grown up yet | D．like surprises at parties |
