On a drive to my appointment on Halloween, I thought about how life should be going. I was 30, a mother of three daughters — twin five-year-olds and a one-year-old. I should be playing in the park with them or visiting the library. But once again, I needed this appointment.
It had been a year since I’d been diagnosed with cancer. My surgery was over, so it’s just a routine blood test. As always, there was a fear that the cancer had returned. But today, it was more than that. I felt alone, tired, and sad. My family and friends were busy with their lives, and I did not want to burden them with my feelings of unhappiness. I just wanted to see the positive things in life and be truly grateful — without reservations.
When we finally arrived, we sat in a crowded waiting room. It was pretty uneventful (平淡的) until my youngest daughter, dressed up like an angel, walked up to a complete stranger and said, “Tweet.” This was what she said, “Trick or Treat,” coached previously by her twin sisters. The old woman , who was in a wheelchair and accompanied by her caregiver, knew exactly what my daughter meant. She ordered her helper to take her over to the vending machine. She put in enough money to give each of my girls a treat. This caring act started a run on the vending machine. Soon, everyone had a candy bar or bag of chips ready for impromptu trick or treat, which was beyond their expectation.
Everyone was smiling and laughing, and my daughters were extremely happy with their good fortune. Here were these people, facing who-knows-what health difficulties, and they only thought of giving three little girls some Halloween fun. It was a lesson for me about how good, kind and generous people are. The gratitude I felt was overwhelming (压倒性的),and the thankfulness didn't fade away.
1. Where might the story take place according to the text?| A．In the library. | B．In the park. |
| C．In a hospital. | D．At a store. |
| A．She felt excited. | B．She was optimistic. |
| C．She feared the worst. | D．She had mixed feelings. |
| A．Unprepared. | B．Initial. |
| C．Eventful. | D．Splendid. |
| A．An Exciting Appointment | B．A Special Trick or Treat |
| C．A Routine Blood Test | D．One Special Friend |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】A Pakistani man who was born without arms has developed into a highly skilled snooker player. In the game of snooker, players traditionally use long sticks to hit colored balls into holes at the end of a table. But Muham-mad Ikram has learned a different method. He uses his chin (下巴) to hit the balls into the holes.
Muhammad Ikram is one of nine children. He did not receive an education and his family faced struggles meeting basic needs. Growing up, Ikram spent much of his time watching people play snooker, a game no one dreamed he could ever play. He says he does not remember exactly how the idea of playing struck him. But at some point, he started practicing the game in secret. “He would eagerly watch other boys play. He would keep wishing he also had arms so he could play like them,” said his mother, Razia Bibi. “Then he started using his chin.”
The 32-year-old lives in Samundri, a rural town in Pakistan’s Punjab province. He has spent eight years perfecting his game and says he is not afraid to take on any players. “I have met very good snooker players who tell me I am a real genius and I can bring great fame to Pakistan,” he told Reuters Television. Mian Usman Ahmed is co-owner of the Cuemaster Snooker Club. He says Ikram won several prizes in local competitions over the past two years. “He would come to the club and ask if he could be allowed to play. We would look at his arms and feel he was unable to,” Ahmed said. “He insisted we allow him to prove himself. When he did that, we saw he was actually very good.”
When asked what he would say to others with physical disabilities, Ikram said, “No one should lose hope.” He added that he would one day like to compete at the international level, hopefully with government support.
1. What possibly contributed to Ikram’s becoming a snooker player?| A．The idea of supporting his family. |
| B．The encouragement from his mother. |
| C．The hobby of watching snooker games. |
| D．The desire to set an example to the disabled. |
| A．He has brought fame to his country. |
| B．He has won first prize in local snooker games. |
| C．His skills of playing snooker were highly thought of. |
| D．His method of playing snooker shocked other players. |
| A．Kind-hearted and gifted. | B．Inspiring and determined. |
| C．Energetic and intelligent. | D．Active and outgoing. |
| A．To become a professional snooker player. |
| B．To compete in international snooker games. |
| C．To receive education with government support. |
| D．To open a snooker club designed for the disabled. |
【推荐2】Like many new graduates, I left university full of hope for the future but with no real idea of what I wanted to do. My degree, with honors, in English literature had not really prepared me for anything practical. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world somehow, but I had no idea how to do that. That’s when I learned about the Lighthouse Project.
I started my journey as a Lighthouse Project volunteer by reading as much as I could about the experiences of previous volunteers. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, and that I would be away from my family and friends for a very long time. In short, I did not take my decision to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. Neither did my family.
Eventually, however, I won the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for the application. After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among the candidates and survive the test alone. Several months later, I finally received a call asking me to report for the duty. I would be going to a small village near Abuja, Nigeria. Where? What? Nigeria? I had no idea. But I was about to find out.
After completing my training, I was sent to the village that was small and desperately in need of proper accommodation. Though the local villagers were poor, they offered their homes, hearts, and food as if I were their own family. I was asked to lead a small team of local people in building a new schoolhouse. For the next year or so, I taught in that same schoolhouse. But I sometimes think I learned more from my students than they did from me.
Sometime during that period, I realized that all those things that had seemed so strange or unusual to me no longer did, though I did not get anywhere with the local language, and returned to the United States a different man. The Lighthouse Project had changed my life forever.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．His university education focused on the theoretical knowledge. |
| B．His dream at university was to become a volunteer. |
| C．He took pride in having contributed to the world. |
| D．He felt honored to study English literature. |
| A．discussed his decision with his family. |
| B．asked previous volunteers about voluntary work |
| C．attended special training to perform difficult tasks |
| D．felt sad about having to leave his family and friends |
| A．participated in many discussions | B．went through challenging survival tests |
| C．wrote quite a few paper on voluntary work | D．faced strong competition from other candidates |
| A．asked to lead a farming team | B．sent to teach in schoolhouse |
| C．received warmly by local villagers | D．arranged to live in a separate house. |
| A．He found some difficulty adapting to the local culture |
| B．He had learned to communicate in the local language. |
| C．He had overcome all his weakness before he left for home. |
| D．He was chosen as the most respectable teacher by his students. |
【推荐3】When summer night falls and the streetlights go on, a dozen cars arrive at an open outdoor space. Drivers open their car trunks and set up stalls (摊位) outside their vehicles. They are selling handmade cakes, coffee and iced drinks, as well as other inexpensive goods out of trunk, while customers relax nearby in camping chairs, listening to live bands and enjoying the soft summer evening.
Car stall fairs emerged as trendy play last summer in cities across China. For the past six months, selling hand-brewed coffee at car stall fairs on the outskirts of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, has been Zhuang Shenyang’s main way of supporting his family, with a daily income ranging from 50 ($6.98) to 2,000 yuan.
The 40-year-old — who learned oil painting in college — had to find ways to support his family last year after he closed down his training school. “After staying at home for several months without income, I made up my mind to go out to earn money, even if it was running a stall on the streets,” he said. He was inspired by a conversation with a roadside food vendor (小贩) earlier this year and found that the business with little investment can make a living.
He sets up his mobile stall almost every day and has attracted many regular customers. “People don’t just come for coffee, they like to sit and talk, often staying into the night,” Zhuang said. “It’s a way young people like to socialize outdoors.”
He named his coffee stall “A Coffee Bar in Debt” with self-deprecating (自嘲的) humor. “I want to convey an attitude that even though I am in debt, I will never ‘let it rot’,” Zhuang said. “The popularity of the fairs shows that many people’s incomes have been affected by the epidemic, but they don’t want to ‘lie flat’ at home; instead, they work hard,” he said.
1. What do we know about car stall fairs?| A．It is organized by the government. |
| B．It provides oil painting classes. |
| C．It enhances the sales of cars. |
| D．It enriches people’s leisure lives. |
| A．He got it on the Tiktok. | B．He learned it in a training school. |
| C．He knew it from a stall keeper. | D．He heard it from his wife. |
| A．Skillful and warm-hearted. |
| B．Humorous and cautious. |
| C．Sincere and sensible. |
| D．Responsible and enterprising. |
| A．Night stall fairs are catching on. | B．A 40-year-old refuses to lie flat. |
| C．How can we start a mobile stall? | D．Young people favor handmade food. |
【推荐1】Here is a story: A man sees a butterfly(蝴蝶). The butterfly tries to get out of its chrysalis(蛹). Feeling sorry for it, the man decides to help. He cuts the chrysalis and the butterfly comes out easily. Surprisingly enough, the butterfly is unable to fly. If the butterfly doesn’t struggle(挣扎；奋斗) to leave the chrysalis, it can’t fly! The struggle develops the energy in the butterfly which makes it fly. Similarly, the challenges of life bring out the best in young people and make the fly.
When people are young, meeting and overcoming challenges will make them strong and ready to face life. When we look at successful people, we see that the most successful of them are people who have had to struggle. One famous businessman, who now owns many big supermarkets, used to carry clothes on his back and sell them from door to door when he was young. Another successful man is Dennis. His father died when he was only twenty. His father’s death forced him to <u>mature</u> fast. He had to bring up a family of nine people. He took up the challenges and overcame them. Today his brothers and sisters are leading successful lives.
Sometimes challenges do not appear to us because we keep away from them. So some parents and teachers actively encourage young people to face challenges. They might organize some activities for young people which provide them with challenges, like rock-climbing, camping, volunteer work and so on. However, just passing exams will not prepare a person for life. We must meet and overcome challenges. The young people of today will become the leaders of tomorrow. For countries to continue to become successful, it is important that the young people learn to meet challenges and overcome them.
1. From the story we know that the butterfly can’t fly because ________.| A．it gets out by itself |
| B．the man feels sorry for it |
| C．it tries to challenge itself |
| D．the man helps it come out |
| A．overcome the difficulties |
| B．take up business early |
| C．become the leaders of tomorrow |
| D．sell clothes from door to door |
| A．wake up | B．give up |
| C．grow up | D．bring up |
| A．Describe where a butterfly comes from. |
| B．Encourage young people to face challenges. |
| C．Suggest how to become a successful businessman. |
| D．Explain what will happen if a person fails the exam. |
| A．Successful People Have a Sense of Achievement |
| B．Young People Must Develop Their Energy Actively |
| C．Countries Should Continue to Become Successful |
| D．Challenges of Life Bring Out the Best in Young People |
【推荐2】The first day of school our professor challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady looking at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. After being introduced, she cleared her throat and began. “We do not stop playing because we are old, we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you will die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty- seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything. I will turn eighty-eight.
The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose”. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. Rose taught us by example that it is never too late to realize our dreams.
1. Which words can be used to describe Rose?| A．Ambitious and strict. | B．Positive and optimistic. |
| C．Regretful and courageous. | D．Confident and kind-hearted. |
| A．she was a big football fan | B．she was a well-educated professor |
| C．she was an outstanding student | D．she was an inspiring figure |
| A．If you regret nothing, you won’t fear death. |
| B．If you fear death, you will regret something. |
| C．People regret something when they face death. |
| D．People die with regrets because of what they have done. |
| A．My best friend | B．Dream in heart |
| C．Secrets to success | D．Accepting challenges |
【推荐3】There is an old Spanish saying which states, "Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?
| A．Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. |
| B．Therefore, today is all we have. |
| C．Don't let fear win. |
| D．In other words, dreams don't work unless you do. |
| E．Doors that you couldn't imagine open up when you go after what you want. |
| F．You were born into the world with a unique gift, which nobody can copy. |
| G．You'll be much happier if you go for it. |
【推荐1】Spilling coffee is never fun, but for German designer Stefan Kuhnigk is turned out to be a blessing in disguise(因祸得福）. He turned that first coffee stain into a small monster and has been creating Coffee Monsters ever since.
Stefan recalls looking at the stain his cup of dark espresso(a type of coffee of Italian origin) left on a piece of paper and it looking back at him as if saying “Draw me,draw me, draw meee!”So he did just that, and created his very first Coffee Monster. The next day, he thought back to this little accident that he had challenged him to get creative, and decided he could reproduce the coffee spill every day as an exercise in creativity.
When Stefan started using a spoon to spill coffee on piece of paper every day, his designer colleagues looked at him like he was crazy, but they didn’t know about the artworks that lay hidden in those random coffee stains.
Stefan Kuhnigk has created almost 600 lovable Coffee Monsters, as well as a charming backstory for each one of them. They may be monsters, but they’re the cute kind you’s expect to find in a children’s book. They tend to have a smile on their faces, because they have a very important role ----to make people happy.
To create Coffee Monsters, Stefan spills some coffee on a piece of paper, lets it dry for 4 to 6 hours, then uses a pencil to draw around the random shapes.
“My favourite moment up until now has been ,when someone wrote me, that the monsters make her happy every day, ”Stefan Kuhnigk wrote on Bored Panda, “This is so cheerful and because of messages like that I do it again and again. It never gets old for me, because a spill is never the same. ”
Stefan shared his Coffee Monsters on his social media pages, and also published a Coffee Monster book featuring his best creations.
1. At first , Stefan’s colleagues thought his coffee spill action was ___________.| A．strange | B．impressive |
| C．fancy | D．lucky |
| A．frighten children | B．make people pleased |
| C．inspire people to quit coffee | D．teach children important lessons |
| A．People’s appreciation | B．the huge profit they bring |
| C．his dissatisfaction with his creations | D．other designer’s challenges |
| A．He published several adult’s book. |
| B．He’s a careless people |
| C．He draws for 4 to 8 hours a day. |
| D．He is full of imagination. |
【推荐2】In a Zulu village, Daphne gave birth to a baby, named Xolani Nkosi. The baby was tiny, no more than two kilos. As the months passed, Daphne realized the boy was ill. The doctor who examined the boy had said his illness might be a result of HIV infection.
Meanwhile, another South African woman, Gail Johnson, was living a different life. She and her husband were not wealthy, but were comfortably middle class. A visit to a friend’s brother, who was in the terminal (晚期的) stage of AIDS, made her determined to do something. By October, she had raised enough money to set up the Guest House, and took in a dozen dying of AIDS. Daphne sent her boy to the Guest House, where he became a star.
But in 1992 the Guest House had to be closed for lack of money. Gail offered to adopt Nkosi. By his 4th birthday, Nkosi was eating better, gaining some weight. In 1997, Gail sent Nkosi to school. In 3 years at school Nkosi had only one accident. He fell in the playground and cut his mouth. The bleeding was handled with care. His school performance was satisfactory.
Nkosi’s progress was tracked in the media. Gail took advantage of the coverage to raise money and found a house in Johannesburg for some women and their kids. She called it Nkosi’s Haven. Nkosi and Gail became icons (偶像人物) in the international AIDS community. They were invited to the United States and spent a week there making appearances. Then in July 2000, the 13th International Conference on AIDS was scheduled to be held in Durban. Nkosi was introduced to a huge audience. He said, “Care for us and accept us. We are all human beings. We are normal. We have hands. We have feet. Don’t be afraid of us. We are all the same.” His tiny body was ravaged, but his big heart inspired a nation.
1. What drove Gail Johnson to found the Guest House?| A．Her middle class status. | B．Her visit to an AIDS sufferer. |
| C．Her ability to raise money. | D．Her determination to be wealthy. |
| A．He won the battle against AIDS in the end. |
| B．He made much progress in AIDS research. |
| C．He became a leader in the AIDS community. |
| D．He urged people to treat AIDS patients fairly. |
| A．Ruined. | B．Injured. | C．Controlled. | D．Protected. |
| A．Clever and humorous. | B．Curious and inspiring. |
| C．Strong-willed and demanding. | D．Warm-hearted and considerate. |
【推荐3】Kyle Schwartz, a new teacher at Doull Elementary School in Denver, teaches a thirdgrade class. Most of her students come from underprivileged homes, as 92 percent are allowed to free or reduced school lunches, she said. “As a new teacher, I tried to understand my students’ real lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn’t know about my students,” she said. To solve this problem, she asked her students to complete the sentence: “I wish my teacher knew. . . ”
While some children used the notes to jokingly complain (抱怨)about homework or to ask for more playtime, Ms. Schwartz said some of the answers were “heartbreaking”, as children showed their hard lives. One student told Ms. Schwartz that he did not have any pencils at home, while another said that they hadn’t seen their father for six years. And another student wrote, “I wish my teacher knew sometimes my homework is not signed (签字)because my mom is not around a lot.” She posted them to Twitter in March with the hashtag #I Wish My Teacher Knew #
Teachers on Twitter soon noticed how successful Ms. Schwartz’s way was for reaching out to students, and began sharing similar notes they received alongside #I Wish My Teacher Knew #.
Ms. Schwartz said that since she encouraged her students to share their secrets, students have been supporting each other more, and she hopes the method will connect students and their families with the proper things they need to live comfortably. She added that the results have been surprising, and the student that said she didn’t have anyone to play with has since been invited by classmates to join them in the school playground.
1. What does the underlined word “underprivileged” in Paragraph I probably mean?| A．Comfortable. | B．Happy. | C．Broken. | D．Poor. |
| A．To better understand them. | B．To encourage their creativity. |
| C．To develop their writing skills. | D．To teach them to introduce themselves. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Worried. | C．Surprised. | D．Supportive. |
| A．It was difficult for her students. | B．It might upset some students. |
| C．It helped her students in many ways. | D．It would improve her school’s environment. |
【推荐1】What is better for you? Exercising in the great outdoors, or signing up for a gym?To try and find out, the Guardian was invited to spend a month working withfitness and sports psychology experts at Bath University and the National Trust. The concept was that participants— including me — would spend alternate weeks exercising in a gym and on National Trust land.
The first week was spent on the exercise bikes, rowing machines and treadmills (跑步机) in a gym at Bath.Getting started at the gym was easy. There was a nice community too. People are gently teasing and encouraging each other.
On the downside, it was hard to ignore the background noise ofdance and pop music. And all the machines faced screens showing music videos, rolling news and sports channels. Not a place to get away from it all.
So it was a relief in week two to head for the hills of Dyrham, a National Trust parkland full of birds and deer.
Weeks three and four followed the same pattern. The diaries I had kept, questionnaires I had filled in, and heart monitors I had worn, were then analysed by scientists from Bath University.
The findings surprise me a bit. The heart monitors showed I had consumed a similar amount of energy whether exercising in the gym or outdoors. But fitness expert Martyn Standagewas most interested in the fact that on the days when my exercise had been done outside, I used more energy through the rest of the day.Standage said this fitted with studies that suggest working out in the outdoors leads to a greater feeling of vitality (活力).
Jo Barton, who specialises in studying outdoor exercise, suggested that working out in the fresh air could be “life-changing”.“Exercising in nature lifts your mood and increases your self-respect,” she said.
My verdict? It was more fun outside but sometimes more convenient to get to the gym. A bit of both may be the way forward.
1. Which shows the author’s exercisepattern in the four weeks?| A．in the outdoors→in the outdoors→in the gym→in the gym |
| B．in the gym→in the gym→in the outdoors→in the outdoors |
| C．in the outdoors→in the gym→in the outdoors→in the gym |
| D．in the gym→in the outdoors→in the gym→in the outdoors |
| A．He used more energy when exercising indoors. |
| B．He felt more energetic after exercising outdoors. |
| C．He was very tired after finishing daily exercise. |
| D．He summarized the findings after the experiment. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．concern | B．opinion |
| C．chance | D．challenge |
【推荐2】Something strange happened when I was 14 years old. Every previous year on Thanksgiving Day I’d woken up early, filled with excitement. But that Thanksgiving, for some reason I saw no reason to celebrate. None of my family were really thankful, I realized. The whole thing was a lie!
During the dinner time, I left, hiding in the guest room and cried. My mom came to see what was wrong. “No one is really thankful!” I sobbed, “They just pretend for one day because that’s what they’re supposed to do!”
After I finished talking, she nodded. “You’re right,” she told me. “It’s fake until you find the truth for yourself.” She said it was my choice whether to celebrate with them or not. She said Thanksgiving is a time to reflect because we don’t always get to see loved ones and eat a good meal. Then she left.
I didn’t listen to her, thinking that every holiday was a lie and I could never find joy celebrating again. But giving in to my starving stomach, I went back to the dining room in a few minutes. I couldn’t believe what I saw. My entire extended family was waiting for me with wide smiles and concerned looks, and the table was loaded with untouched plates.
“Andy,” my aunt said, “We can’t eat without you. We’re waiting for your turn. Now you can start it.” I didn’t know what to say first. Finally, I said I was thankful for having a younger brother to teach, play with, and see grow.
The family shared, and everyone had something beautiful to say. Listening to what they said, I suddenly understood what my mom meant about finding out my own reason for celebrating. For me, this holiday was a chance to pause and reflect on everything I cared about.
And with that, I took a huge and satisfying bite of food.
1. Why did the author hide himself and cry on the Thanksgiving Day?| A．Because he got up too late. |
| B．Because he thought the dinner was tasteless. |
| C．Because he thought his family didn’t show real thankfulness. |
| D．Because some of his family were absent from the celebration. |
| A．She was strict with her son. |
| B．She was very understanding. |
| C．She felt disappointed in the author. |
| D．She showed great worry about the author. |
| A．Making a wish. | B．Having dinner. |
| C．Giving a performance. | D．Expressing thankfulness. |
| A．Love and lies | B．My loving mother |
| C．An unforgettable dinner | D．An inspiring Thanksgiving |
【推荐3】Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?| A．Start the car the moment everyone is seated. |
| B．Leave the room for a minute with the iron working. |
| C．Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better. |
| D．Move an object out of the way before it trips someone. |
| A．To keep her appointment with the eye doctor. |
| B．To meet her father who was already an old man. |
| C．To join in the holiday celebration of the company. |
| D．To finish her work before the deadline approached. |
| A．We should buy insurance to make our life better. |
| B．Avoiding “if only” can make the author comfortable. |
| C．The author must have a good relationship with her children. |
| D．It is the most important thing to avoid “if only” in our daily life. |
| A．The Emotional Well-being | B．The Two Saddest Words |
| C．The Most Useful Rule | D．The Peace of Mind |
