Aaron Fotheringham has been an amazing person with backflips(后空翻) and other skateboarding tricks throughout his teens. And his famous backflip has won worldwide notice in the form of Record. Why did his particular backflip earn such a reputation? Aaron was the first person to successfully perform a backflip in a wheelchair.
Aaron was born ill. He has been in a wheelchair since the age of 8. Since then, he has even developed a new extreme sport in which wheelchair-bound athletes use their chairs like skateboards or bikes to do tricks. Now Aaron's friends call him "Wheelz", and he says it's huge praise.
Though Aaron makes his stunts(特技表演) look easy, doing tricks in a wheelchair is very different from using a skateboard or bike. It's a completely different skill set.
If a skateboarder goes into a backflip like Aarons and doesn’t start out with enough rotation (旋转), he or she can bend his or her body to speed up. This allows a skateboarder to make complete rotation in time for a successful landing. But Aaron can't bend his body any more than it is already.
That means Aaron has to have everything perfect before going into a backflip. He needs to launch himself to just the right height. If he doesn't, he could fall on the ground completely. "My rotation is so quick that I don't have much time to think," says Aaron.
Aaron's stunts take a lot of practice. He tries to make it to the skate park every day to work on his backflip and try out new tricks. Even though he's an excellent athlete, Aaron doesn't always land his stunts perfectly. But Aaron says he doesn't let bad landings stop him. He gets right back up and goes for his backflip again.
1. What do we know about Aaron?| A．He can do backflips as a disabled person. |
| B．He is an excellent skating athlete. |
| C．He has had to sit in a wheelchair since birth. |
| D．He has developed a new game by using chairs. |
| A．disappointed | B．happy | C．angry | D．ashamed |
| A．Starting out with enough rotation. |
| B．Bending the body to speed up. |
| C．Reaching a suitable height. |
| D．Having enough time to think. |
| A．A Disabled Teen Competes in Adventure Games |
| B．A Teen Performs Excellent Stunts |
| C．A Disabled Teen Wins Respect from Others |
| D．A Teen Performs a Backflip in a Wheelchair |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The men of influence in our lives are our fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, and friends and they play an important role in our lives. They lead by example, teaching us how to move physically through our world, how to be strong in the face of adversity, how to be wise, and how to provide for ourselves and our families.
My dad taught me how to have natural fun, playing baseball in the middle of the street, in his stocking feet. Today my dad continues to influence me in positive ways. He has faced a challenging health problem over the past few months and has carried on with his life in much the same way as he did before his illness, going about his daily business a bit slower and needing to take more rests but still living his life the way he wishes to.
My grandfather taught me the value of being trusted. My father-in-law influenced my life in a different way. He was quiet, loyal, loving and a man of power. When he spoke, I listened, as he did not speak unless he had something to say.
My loving husband has encouraged me to be strong and independent, to think for myself, and not to look to him for permission. My husband has also taught me to adapt with him to the ever-changing reality of his journey with illness, and he has met each one with courage and dignity (自尊). I have learned much from the men who have had an influence on my life. For all that I have learned and for the role they played and continue to play in my life I am forever thankful.
I would like to wish all the men of the world a Happy Father’s Day. You make a difference to the men, women, and children who meet you every day. No matter what your role is, you are a man of influence.
1. Which has the closest meaning to the underlined word “adversity” in paragraph 1?| A．Change. | B．Difficulty. | C．Happiness. | D．Development. |
| A．His life has completely changed. | B．His business develops slowly. |
| C．He needs to rest most of the day. | D．Something is wrong with his body. |
| A．Her brother. | B．Her husband. |
| C．Her grandfather. | D．Her father-in-law. |
| A．The influence of men. | B．The advantages of men. |
| C．Holiday greetings. | D．Women’s source of support. |
【推荐2】Five-year-old Prisilla Perez, a student at Meador Elementary School in Willis, was unhappy with her recent haircut, which resulted from a severe disease. When students in her class started calling Prisilla a boy, she felt ashamed, often crying and losing focus in school.
Her teacher, Shannon Grimm, sympathized with her unhappiness. Grimm and Prisilla’s mom were concerned, but their ideas didn’t work. “We had classroom discussions about how girls have short hair and boys have long hair, and I showed them photos of movie stars with different looks,” Grimm said. “However, it wasn’t sinking in.”
Grimm thought about Prisilla throughout winter break, and one morning, she had an idea: Cut off her hair --- a scary thought for Grimm, who wore her hair long and took pride in it. “I’ve never had short hair, and I stressed about it for two weeks before making a decision,” she said. On Jan. 4, Grimm invited a hairstylist friend to her home. “I told him to keep going, even if I cried,” she said.
The class loved their teacher’s new do, especially Prisilla, who excitedly ran off the school bus that afternoon yelling, “Mom, Ms. Grimm cut her hair!” The teacher also bought matching bows for herself and the girl, so they could style their hair together.
In February, the teacher recommended Prisilla for the school district’s Student of the Month Award, but during the Monday ceremony, she received a surprise “hero medal” from the girl. “Now we have matching awards,” says Grimm.
Prisilla’s mother, Maria, said that Grimm’s thoughtfulness brought her to tears. “I was shocked. I was crying. I couldn’t believe it --- she did something I wouldn’t have the bravery to do. I will never forget that.”
1. Why was Prisilla unhappy at school?| A．She wasn’t satisfied with her teacher. |
| B．She couldn’t concentrate in class. |
| C．She was laughed at by her classmates. |
| D．She couldn’t get on well with others. |
| A．Praise from her students. | B．Devotion to her students. |
| C．Request of Prisilla’s mother. | D．Suggestion from the hairstylist. |
| A．She had her hair cut together with Prisilla. |
| B．She expressed her sincere thanks to her pupils. |
| C．She hesitated a lot before having her hair cut. |
| D．She won a gold medal for facing difficulties bravely . |
| A．How Grimm helped her student out. | B．What problem Prisilla had at school. |
| C．Why Prisilla won the Month Award. | D．When Grimm got her new hairstyle. |
【推荐3】Thanks to a generous and kind soul, this winter is not cold any more. A Stockton teen will make sure seniors are staying warm and unforgotten during the holiday season, because dozens of elders across the nation are getting socks for Christmas — they couldn’t be happier about it.
Elle Gianelli, 17, is a student in high school, but most of her friends are elders. She has been making colored socks with silly designs for years, sending them to seniors in nursing and care homes to brighten up their day.
It all started from the closer-than-close friendship she has with her grandmother, which taught the value of spending time with elders. “I’m a grandma’s girl, I love love love my nana,” Gianelli said. On putting forward the idea, she was supported by her family and friends. Later, she was encouraged by her teachers who started the project Socks for Seniors when she was in her 7th grade, and she has so far lighted up 92 care homes in 48 states.
But as Christmas approaches, she’s making efforts to prepare her surprise in order to send boxes of silly socks to elders in all 50 states in time for the big day. “I know most people have toys for babies and things for kids but they always seem to forget about elders,” Gianelli told CBS. “Maybe they don’t have family or maybe they live super far away and they’re only getting something like a postcard.” To make sure that elders’ toes and hearts remain warm this holiday season, Gianelli is hoping to raise $10,000 through GoFundMe for a big sock drive. So far, with still 19 days to go before Christmas, she has received 95% of her total in donations.
1. What’s elders’ feeling on getting the socks?| A．Overjoyed. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Confused. | D．Frightened. |
| A．Teachers’ guidance. | B．Christmas project. |
| C．Love for her grandma. | D．Encouragement from friends. |
| A．She also has toys and things for kids. | B．She will send socks to seniors in 48 states. |
| C．She still has 19 days to prepare the surprise. | D．She has raised $10,000 through GoFundMe. |
| A．Warm Gifts From a Teen. | B．The Wishes of the Elders. |
| C．A Special Relationship. | D．A Wonderful School Project. |
【推荐1】One very cold November morning William, who was a 20-year-old college student then, climbed on the edge of Waterloo Bridge in London. That morning, William escaped from a mental health hospital, where he'd been diagnosed(诊断) with schizo-affective disorder. He headed straight to the bridge, convinced that his disease was a life sentence.
Hundreds of people passed by without stopping. Only one man called David, then 25, calmly and quietly walked to William's side.
“You're alright, man? Why are you sitting on a bridge?”
At first William wanted David to leave him alone, but something in David's calm, down-to -earth manner struck a chord. William felt faith, like he could talk to him.
“It's cold here. Why not have some coffee in a warm cafe? Everything will be OK.” For the first time after the diagnosis William felt perhaps it really might. He climbed back.
The police, having received calls from passers-by, were waiting there. They quickly put him into a police car, in case he was to panic and jump. He lost sight of David, the person who'd brought him hope.
William ended up back in hospital. Eventually, he was well enough to return to university and finish his degree. Over the next six years, William often thought about the stranger who had talked him round. Eager to thank him in person, he posted a Facebook message nicknaming the good man Mike. His Find Mike post was shared millions of times around the world, as far as Canada.
William was very excited when David called him two weeks after his post. They had a reunion. ,finally having that coffee they had first planned all those years ago.
“Many people walked past, but because of David's kindness and sympathy, I've lived a good life. ” William said.
1. Why did William climb up the bridge?| A．He was badly treated in the hospital. | B．His disease made him lose hope. |
| C．He wanted to draw people's attention. | D．He studied poorly in the college. |
| A．Touched his heart. | B．Drew his attention. |
| C．Aroused his interest. | D．Made him happy. |
| A．Diligent. | B．Strong-willed. |
| C．Caring. | D．Generous. |
| A．By visiting homes door-to-door. | B．By calling their friends. |
| C．By asking the police. | D．By posting a message online. |
But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶)-and-stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times.
Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs—one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.
Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company “has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend” toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television.
Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it’s better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a “real” dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time?
Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.” “Keep your elbows off the table.”) must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionally but inexperienced socially.
1. Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining?
| A．Family members need more time to relax. |
| B．Busy schedules leave people no time for formality. |
| C．People prefer to live a comfortable life. |
| D．Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation. |
| A．a seller of stainless steel tableware | B．a dealer in stoneware |
| C．a pottery chain store | D．a producer of fine china |
| A．the increased value of the pound | B．the worsening economy in Asia |
| C．the change in people’s way of life | D．the fierce competition at home and abroad |
| A．are still a must on certain occasions | B．are certain to return sooner or later |
| C．are still being taught by parents at home | D．can help improve personal relationships |
【推荐3】You may have a drink at a coffee shop near your campus. But have you ever imagined running a school coffee shop all by yourself?
Eli Gutierrez and Isabella Bacciarini are both 17-year-old students in the USA. Along with some other students, they’re seeing what it’s like to work in the coffee business.
The school principal Jack Carr once suggested that being able to serve drinks at a comfortable area would “be great”. So, Gutierrez and his friends came up with the idea of Cafe Vine.
In order to manage the coffee business well, Gutierrez took a one-month online course. After he had learned from professionals, Cafe Vine attracted many customers.
Given the success of the business, Gutierrez realized he needed help at the cafe. So he started teaching skills to other students, who could make up their community service hours by serving coffee.
“I actually run a business,” said Bacciarini, a junior at String Theory High School and manager at Cafe Vine. “Being a girl, We always been told it’s usually a guy who opens a business.”
After becoming the manager and roaster (烘焙师) at the cafe, Gutierrez started to use his new skills after school at other coffee shops. And a surprise visit in the spring to Cafe Vine by David Wagaman, president and owner of Capriccio Management, led to another opportunity.
“I said to him, ‘It would be a good idea for you to buy our coffee beans,’” Gulierrez said. Bags of coffee beans from Cafe Vine are now available (可获得的) to buy at all three Capriccio cafes.
While lie’s helping the business in its early stages, Wagaman said he is also benefiting from the school’s coffee start-up.
“It’s helped us find qualified employees,” he said. “It’s not just a job. They feel worthy.”
1. Why does the author use a question at the beginning of this passage?| A．To show having a knowledge of coffee is difficult. |
| B．To prove running a cafe is impossible. |
| C．To ask the readers to answer this question. |
| D．To draw the readers’ interest in reading this passage. |
| A．By learning online courses. |
| B．By learning from others. |
| C．By listening to a suggestion from the principal. |
| D．By teaching skills to other students. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Proud. |
| C．Worried. | D．Critical. |
| A．Running coffee shops near school. |
| B．Learning management. |
| C．Selling a lot of coffee beans. |
| D．Selecting more high quality employees. |
You saw Oprah’s show on AIDS orphans when you were 11 — do you remember how you felt?
When I saw the show I was shocked. I had never heard of AIDS before and was concerned that kids were growing up without parents and no one had troubled to ask for my help.
I wanted to create a place for kids to get involved and a place where their small contributions would be valued and celebrated. I also felt that I needed to take immediate action myself. I found an orphan sponsorship (赞助) program online and an eight-year-old girl from Mauritania who needed my help. I started there and Kids Caring 4 Kids grew from that experience.
How has your own illness inspired you to help others?
Growing up with a rare liver (肝脏) disease made me feel different, which I think attracted me to others who were different and those struggling with something. I knew how I felt and I wanted to help reduce that feeling in someone else. I always wanted to support people. Growing up with an illness gave me empathy (移情) for others.
How does your own story inspire others?
My own personal story is evidence that people can give from anywhere. I started Kids Caring 4 Kids from a hospital room. I started by helping one person and it snowballed from there. When I share my story, I think that’s what affects people the most — the fact that I started all of this during a time of personal struggle and weakness. If I could do that, then they can do something too.
1. According to the text, Kendall Ciesemier.
| A．hosted a show on the situation in Africa |
| B．was affected by AIDS and a liver disease |
| C．made an effort to help African AIDS orphans |
| D．earned lots of money from Kids Caring 4 Kids |
| A．Her experience in Africa. |
| B．Living with a liver disease. |
| C．Watching Oprah’s show on AIDS orphans. |
| D．Her work with an orphan sponsorship program. |
| A．caused her to lose some close friends |
| B．made her discouraged and less enthusiastic |
| C．kept her away from those who were different |
| D．helped her easily understand other patients’ feelings |
【推荐2】Some cancer survivors (幸存者) in New Jersey are fighting back by staying fit in the group they call “Team Survivor”. The ladies are amazing, training for a sprint triathlon (短距离铁人三项) in Sandy Hook. Team Survivor has members all over the country, and each one has an inspiring story.
“It has taught me not to fear life,” Team Survivor member Janice Caldwell said. “It has taught me to wake up every morning and be grateful(感激的) that I feel good.” Caldwell got breast cancer four years ago, and she’s been fighting against it with the help of Team Survivor. It is a non-profit group of women with all types of cancer who help each other by promoting (促进) exercise in just about any sport imaginable. At 52, Caldwell just completed her first marathon.
Judy Petsonk is 65, and she’s training for her eighth triathlon. She said the support she got from her teammates removed the unpleasant feelings she had about breast cancer. She loves the motto “I didn’t choose cancer; I choose to be here.” “You can choose what’s going to happen to your body,”Petsonk said. “You can’t choose everything, but you can choose to become stronger day by day, and that’s what I’m choosing.”
Team Survivor has members of every age and athletic ability. Donna Gunderson couldn’t swim when she joined, but she took classes for one year with a volunteer coach. “Now I can go to the pool. I can swim for an hour, and I have no problem with it now,” Gunderson said, “So for those people who say they can’t swim, let me tell you—Yes, you can!” Gunderson now helps her teammates with swimming. “You can’t say ‘I’m sad, and I’m a cancer survivor,’ ”she said. “Instead, you should say ‘No, I’m going to go out there and conquer the world in some form or other. You can do anything you want.’”
1. What do we know about Team Survivor?| A．It contains only a group of men and women with cancer. |
| B．It is made up of members of cancer survivors around the world. |
| C．It encourages people to face life bravely by doing exercise. |
| D．It requires its members to have a high athletic ability. |
| A．has suffered from breast cancer for two years |
| B．attended Team Survivor five years ago |
| C．feels happy although she suffers from cancer |
| D．has taken part in marathon for eight times |
| A．They have known more about the disease with the help of the group. |
| B．They get athletic abilities from the volunteer coaches. |
| C．They can’t choose what’s going to happen to their bodies. |
| D．Though suffering from cancer, they are fighting against the disease actively. |
| A．She is helping her teammates learn to swim. |
| B．She is training for a sprint triathlon. |
| C．She is fighting against cancer in hospital. |
| D．She is learning to swim by herself. |
[2] So, when Ashley was sixteen, she launched her own website, called Goosehead. She had no idea how big a success it would be, but three years later, the site was the most successful teen site in the USA! It was getting 100,000 hits every day, and Ashley had about 30 employees.
[3] After a few years, the website closed down. Then Ashley, who lives in Los Angeles, was asked to write a book called The Goosehead Guide to Life. The book is about how to design a website and start a business. It begins with a section called “All About Ashley,” where Ashley tells readers what it is like to be the boss of a company when you are only sixteen. “I was so happy. But it was crazy in a lot of ways. I got very stressed. I mean, I was only sixteen — I didn’t even have a car! If you were sixteen and you had your own company, you’d be stressed, too!”
[4] In an interview Ashley gave advice to teenagers who wanted to start their own business, “Just be strong and have your dreams and work hard at them. And don’t listen when _______, because I heard ‘no’ a lot. Just keep going until you hear ‘yes’!”
1. For what purpose did Ashley create GooseHead? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2? (no more than 6 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. According to paragraph 3, what did Ashley do after GooseHead closed down? (no more than 10 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. How did Ashley feel as a young boss of a company? (no more than 5 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words.
_______________________________________________________________________________
