【推荐3】In Phoenix, Arizona, about one in five children is identified with dyslexia(阅读障碍).That means about four students in a classroom of twenty have the problem.

Christine Alm, who has the virtue of being ready to help others, is the co-founder of Dyslexia Road and the mother of four children with dyslexia. According to Alm, each diagnosis(诊断)is unique. That can make it difficult to understand a child’s learning needs. Alm has recently co-founded Dyslexia Road with three other moms whose children also have dyslexia.The nonprofit organization provides learning resources for children who have the learning disability.

Dyslexia means a person has trouble processing written words due to the difficulty of identifying speech sounds. Alm explains that people with dyslexia need more assistance in training their brain to read. But she adds that many people with dyslexia are extremely creative and smart. Whoopi Goldberg, Dav Pilkey and Steven Spielberg are among the famous Americans who have dyslexia.

For Alm, the biggest challenge dealing with dyslexia with her own children is the stigma surrounding the topic. She believes that it’s helpful to have open and honest discussions. “Dyslexia is nothing good or bad, ”she says.“ So children don’t need to feel shameful and embarrassed.”

Alm and the other co-founders of Dyslexia Road host community events to share resources about dyslexia. On March 2, the organization celebrated its launch with a community gathering. Many people turned up, suggesting to Alm the “power of community”. Dyslexia Road will also host three additional events to connect families with learning experts. Guests will discuss the available educational options, how to get a diagnostic evaluation and more. Additionally, the Dyslexia Road website offers resources like books.

“We’re excited to get out there and start pushing forward so that people can come together and figure out how to direct this journey,” Alm says.

1. What do the co-founders of Dyslexia Road have in common?

A．Their kids are unique and perfect.

B．Their kids have the same problem.

C．They suffer from learning disability.

D．They ignore children’s learning needs.

2. What does Alm suggest doing for people with dyslexia?

A．Helping them do more brain exercises.

B．Making them realise they lack creativity.

C．Creating special reading materials for them.

D．Encouraging them to turn to their own families.

3. What does the underlined word “stigma” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Shame.	B．Selection.
C．Principle	D．Origin.

4. What’s the purpose of hosting the three additional events?

A．To find out kids with dyslexia.

B．To provide the professional services

C．To sell books about mental disability.

D．To introduce great people with dyslexia.

【推荐1】Ever since humans began adventuring into space, 227 astronauts have performed activities outside the spaceship. While 14 of those have been women, the female astronauts have always been with a male partner. On October 18, 2019, US astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir became the first all-female team to carry out a spacewalk to replace a failed battery controller.

The historic event began at 7: 38 a. m. when Koch and Meir set their spacesuits to battery power. Live-broadcast by NASA, it was watched by thousands of space fans, particularly young girls dreaming to be astronauts. The scientists, who spent seven hours and 17 minutes fixing the controller and completing other tasks for the station, were able to observe the Earth passing under their feet. Koch and Meir returned to the International Space Station at 2: 55 p.m., where they were welcomed with cheers by their four male workmates.

When asked about the importance of this spacewalk, Koch said, “In the end, I do think it’s important because of the historical nature of what we’re doing. In the past, women haven’t always been at the table. It’s wonderful to be contributing to the space program at a time when all contributions are being accepted and everyone has a role. That can lead in turn to increased chance for success. There are a lot of people who get encouragement from people who look like them, and I think it’s an important story to tell.”

Meir added, “What we’re doing now shows all the work that went in many years ago, and all of the women that worked to get us where we are today.”

1. What was the task of Koch and Meir?

A．Change a controller	B．Walk in space
C．Carry out an experiment	D．Watch the earth

2. Why is the spacewalk a historic event?

A．It was a very adventurous task.

B．It was carried out by 227 astronauts.

C．It was all done by women astronauts.

D．It was watched by many young girls.

3. What can be inferred from Koch and Meir’s words?

A．Women are still looked down upon.

B．Women should fight for equal rights.

C．Women can contribute as much as men.

D．Women have a better chance to succeed.

【推荐2】It was the middle of the night when Bibi Bahrami’s father awoke her and the rest of the family, telling them they must leave their home immediately because her country, Afghanistan, was being invaded. Bahrami, only a teenager at the time, remembers being in a state of shock. “We just put our shoes on and we were all crying. We didn’t want to leave home. We didn’t know where we were going to end up,” Bahrami said.

The family spent the next six years living in a refugee (难民) camp in Pakistan. Life was hard, but Bahrami’s family made the most of it. They eventually made a sort of “mud house”. Much like life in Afghanistan, however, girls in the refugee camp did not attend formal school.

After getting married, Bahrami moved to the US, which provided Bahrami with a lot of experiences that wouldn’t be available to her back home. “I had day care for my children, and I could still study and go to school. I was so inspired by the opportunity. And I say I want to do this for the girls who are left behind,” she said. Hence Afghan Women’s And Kids’ Education & Necessities (AWAKEN) was founded. The first project was building a school that both boys and girls could attend. “I feel girls’ education is so important. They can educate their children and then society,” she continued.

In 2021, Bahrami started a new project MARRC, which helps Afghan refugees find housing, jobs and support. So far they have taken in around 28 families.

Frima, 26, just arrived in Muncie with her 2-year-old son. Her life was in danger because she worked at a family-focused non-profit — which was strictly forbidden then. She left her husband behind, not knowing when they would meet again. But thanks to Bahrami, the young mother is hopeful for the future. “In Afghanistan, and in many other countries, women have suffered. It’s time for the world to recognize the values of women,” Bahrami said. “I feel that sometimes women are disadvantaged and not respected in societies and those things hurt my heart. We have our rights and this should be appreciated.”

1. How did Bahrami feel after hearing her father’s words?

A．Calm and speechless.	B．Excited and hopeful.
C．Surprised and upset.	D．Confused and regretful.

2. Why did Bahrami set up AWAKEN?

A．To increase job opportunities.	B．To provide childcare for refugees.
C．To help girls receive an education.	D．To help refugees move to America.

3. How has the project MARRC affected Frima?

A．She has found a job at a non-profit.	B．She has been positive about her life.
C．She has gained a sense of achievement.	D．She has been reunited with her husband.

4. What did Bahrami intend to communicate in the last paragraph?

A．Women should be treated fairly.	B．Women make a difference in society.
C．Women can be role models in society.	D．Women in Afghanistan suffer the most.

【推荐3】After heating some syrup(糖浆), Wang Chunjing drew out a small part to make a ball which is empty inside, putting the edges together and pulling it into a tube (管子). She then blew air into the tube and created a lifelike rabbit in minutes. Children around her stared with mouths open as they watched the process, thinking she was more like a magician.

The 32-year-old, who has been blowing sugar figures, a traditional Chinese folk art, for more than a decade, understands the children’s reactions because she too once watched in amazement as her father did the same thing when she was a child.

Showing both interest and talent, Wang was able to make easy types when she was 6. After graduating from senior high school, she moved to Harbin with her family in search of a better life. She tried several jobs there, including as an assistant at a clothing shop and a mobile phone shop. However, she still dreamed of becoming a figurine(小雕像) maker to create magic like her father. She spent three years mastering the skills, after which she traveled to different provinces to earn a living by making sugar figures. In 2015, Wang returned to Harbin, starting sugar figurine business.

In 2019, Wang was granted the title of provincial-level inheritor(继承者) of sugar figures, but she never stops her attempt to develop this intangible cultural heritage. She always tries to make the sugar figures into different colors rather than only brown color and has tried out ideas for new shapes and figures.

Every month since 2017, Wang and a group of folk artists visit rural schools in Harbin, teaching students about traditional art forms such as sugar figurines, paper cutting and clay sculptures. “We were all very happy to discover that the students were really interested in these traditional arts,” she said. “I hope to teach more people about the art and traditional culture.”

1. What did Wang do when creating the sugar rabbit?

A．She heated syrup for a minute.	B．She filled the ball with syrup.
C．She put a tube into the ball.	D．She blew air into the tube.

2. Why did Wang choose to be a figurine maker?

A．She hoped to give her family a better life.	B．She failed to do well in other jobs.
C．She dreamed to create magical works.	D．She wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Wang’s deep interest in traditional culture.

B．The important developments of sugar figures.

C．The achievement Wang has won in this business.

D．Wang’s further exploration in making sugar figures.

4. Why does Wang visit rural schools in Harbin?

A．To discover new forms of folk art.	B．To practice making sugar figures.
C．To introduce traditional arts to students.	D．To help students to learn about history.