Helping voters out
The US 2020 presidential election has captured people’s hearts around the world. In order to allow voters to vote in person, poll (投票站) workers need to work at different vote centers. In past elections, most poll workers were elderly, but now that they are more at risk of severe symptoms from COVID-19, there was a growing need for young people to serve as poll workers.
I first became aware of the opportunity to become a poll worker from a story on my Instagram feed from an account called “Poll Hero”. It mentioned a large-scale recruitment (招聘) effort for young poll workers, and I immediately became interested in participating. I signed up to be a poll worker from the website, and a few days later, I registered through the High School Student Election Worker Program with the assistance of a Poll Hero volunteer.
After registering, there were two steps I had to take in order to become certified to serve in this election. The first was an online training course. The course takes around three hours but can be completed in multiple sittings. It covers the different roles workers have, different procedures workers must follow and provides information on how to use tools such as the electronic pollbook. The session is interactive, and I often engaged in simulated (模拟的) situations and knowledge checks to ensure that I understood each lesson. After taking the online course, I had to pass an exam with an 80 percent score or higher to complete that part of my certification. On my first attempt, I passed with a score of exactly 80 percent.
After passing the online course, I attended a two-hour in-person training session where I worked with a real electronic pollbook to practice what I would do on Election Day. The instructor took us through many different scenarios where we practiced assisting different types of voters. I was pleased to see many fellow young people attend the session!
In total, I spent 37 hours helping voters vote during this election. With my mask on the entire time, I checked in voters and helped them use the ballot (投票) marking devices where they could cast their vote. I also loved meeting fellow workers who are passionate about being engaged and helping our community. Taking part in this historic election is something I will never forget.
1. Why did the author decide to serve as a poll worker?| A．He considered it his duty to help his community. |
| B．He was inspired by a Poll Hero volunteer. |
| C．Young poll workers were in huge demand. |
| D．It was one of his school’s volunteering programs. |
| A．This course must be completed all at once. |
| B．It uses a lecture-style teaching method. |
| C．Those who pass the exam get a service certification. |
| D．To pass the exam, one has to score at least 80 percent. |
| A．What difficulties the author ran into. |
| B．What the author learned from the in-person training session. |
| C．How the author cooperated with other young poll workers. |
| D．How the author assisted different types of voters on Election Day. |
| A．Proud. | B．Exhausted. |
| C．Bored. | D．Nervous. |
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1. Who are life coaching courses intended for?| A．Those who have emotional needs. |
| B．Those who need a major life change. |
| C．Those who want to keep physical fitness. |
| D．Those who are good at socializing. |
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| B．The history of life coaching. |
| C．The way to develop soft skills. |
| D．The meaning of job promotion. |
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【推荐2】Becoming an astronomer might seem straightforward. The awesome night sky inspires a child to someday study astronomy in school, eventually leading to a graduate degree and a job in the field. But as a new book makes clear, few women find the road so simple.
In A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist, recalls her struggles with depression and anxiety as a child and with the sex discrimination she faced early in her career. In one example, she and colleagues (all men but one) were collecting rock samples in Siberia, searching for evidence of a connection between volcanic eruptions and past extinction events. Taking her time to break the rock at the right spot, Elkins-Tanton could smell the silent impatience from the men nearby. “They could have done it faster, but it’s important to let each person do the tasks they want and need to do, at their own pace.”
Her male colleagues’ discrimination against women in science, she writes, fanned her own self-doubt. To demand the same respect as male scientists, she learned she had to insist, gently, to carry her own baggage and take her own samples, her way and on her time. The lessons she learned in Siberia and in the lab helped her develop a compassionate and just leadership style in her post.
That culture is changing slowly. Before 1990, fewer than 40 women held full-time positions in astronomy or astrophysics at North American universities. Now, the number is high enough that it’s not as easy to track how many women successfully pursue a career in the field. Although those numbers point to progress, the book reminds readers that subtle acts of sex discrimination are still present and that careers in science can still be tricky for women. And yet women persist, as Lindy writes, driven by the “realization that we are only a tiny part of a vast unexplored universe.”
1. What can we infer about becoming an astronomer from the first paragraph?| A．The road to it is easy for a woman. |
| B．It’s easy for one to become an astronomer. |
| C．It can be inspired early in one’s childhood. |
| D．It requires one to attend an awesome college. |
| A．She did her work too slowly. | B．She wasn’t capable for her work. |
| C．She was too stubborn in her way. | D．She didn’t take long to break the rock. |
| A．Clarify any doubt about her ability. |
| B．Insist on doing things her own way. |
| C．Catch up with the pace of her colleagues. |
| D．Be sympathetic toward other scientists. |
| A．Women think they’re part of a vast world. |
| B．Many universities have women astronomers. |
| C．The subtle acts of sex discrimination are gone. |
| D．Countless women have become astronomers. |
【推荐3】At just 40 years old,hip-hop star Kasseem Dean,more popularly known as Swizz Beatz,has amassed（积累）a track record,lifestyle and nearly$70 million net worth that would inspire most of us to retire early.So why does Dean continue to both work extremely hard and try projects that come with the risk of rejection?
During our interview for Uncommon Drive,a video series for USA&Main that seeks to find out the motivations and magic of world-class business people,Dean provided a memorable answer:“You only have so much time—once it’s gone you don’t get it back.Don’t focus on money;focus on building something greater than yourself.If you’re not making history,you’re wasting your time on Earth.”
When you look at his answer,you will learn two important lessons.The first is in“making history”.Doing so requires awareness.You must fully understand what has and has not been achieved in the market you’ve entered.Dean makes every effort with the goal of creating something important that has not been done before and will be remembered for its impact beyond his years.
The second part of his statement is just as powerful.In this interview,he never once said he is“trying”to make history.Instead,he has told himself that no matter what difficulty there is,it’s just going to happen.“I’m going to make history.”Dean said.
After talking to Dean for nearly 45 minutes,it was clear to me that he has removed all ego（自我）from a statement that might otherwise be misread as false pride.I believe it’s a brilliant hack—rather than focus on all the reasons why a project can’t be realized,he has convinced himself of the possibility.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead to the main topic. |
| B．To describe a star’s success. |
| C．To express admiration for a star. |
| D．To explain the meaning of success. |
| A．His desire to be famous. |
| B．His wish to be wealthy. |
| C．His adventurous spirit and imagination. |
| D．His life goal to leave his mark on history. |
| A．He takes a pride in his work. |
| B．He can predict the possibility. |
| C．He always believes in himself. |
| D．He gets prepared for his career. |
| A．How does Kasseem Dean face rejection? |
| B．What makes Kasseem Dean work hard? |
| C．How does Kasseem Dean make history? |
| D．Why doesn’t Kasseem Dean want to retire? |
【推荐1】My father died when I was nine, and I remember doing the household chores to help my mother. I hated changing the vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器) bag and picking up things the machine did not suck up.
Twenty years later, in 1978, I was doing chores at home alongside my wife. One day the vacuum cleaner was screaming away, and I had to empty the bag because I could not find a replacement for it. With this lifelong hatred of the way the machine worked, I decided to make a bagless vacuum cleaner.
Easier said than done, of course. I didn’t realize that I would spend the next five years perfecting my design, a process that resulted in 5,127 different prototypes (设计原型). By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash, and we were getting further and further into debt. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem.
I just had a passion for the vacuum cleaner as a product, but I never thought of going into a business with it. In the early 1980s, I started trying to get licensing agreements for my technology. The reality was very different, however. The major vacuum makers had built a business model based on the profits from bags and filters (滤网). No one would license my idea, not because it was a bad one, but because it was bad for business.
That gave me the courage to keep going, but soon after, the companies that I had talked with started making machines like mine. I had to fight legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic to protect the patents on my vacuum cleaner. However, I was still in financial difficulties until 1993, when my bank manager personally persuaded Lloyds Bank to lend me $1 million. Then I was able to go into production. Within two years, the Dyson vacuum cleaner became a best-seller in Britain.
Today, I still embrace risk and the potential for failure as part of the process. Nothing beats the excitement of invention. Go out and brainstorm your ideas. You are not bound to any rules - in fact, the stranger and riskier your idea, the better.
1. According to the article, which of the following statements about the writer is NOT true?| A．He lost his father during his childhood and lived with his mother. |
| B．He built over five thousand prototypes of the vacuum cleaner between 1978 and 1983. |
| C．Finally, the vacuum cleaner he reinvented became popular with British customers. |
| D．He decided to develop an innovative vacuum cleaner for his wife while in his thirties. |
| A．in the early 1980s |
| B．after his bank manager agreed to lend him $1 million |
| C．after he managed to get a $1 million loan |
| D．before he obtained a patent on the product |
| A．the writer was a born businessman |
| B．the writer had no confidence in his vacuum cleaner initially |
| C．the writer’s invention might have ended up in failure without his wife |
| D．the writer’s vacuum cleaner was never recognized by other vacuum makers |
| A．Never be afraid of failure because failure is nothing but the first step to success. |
| B．The foundation stones for a success are honesty, faith, love and loyalty. |
| C．It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves. |
| D．If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting. |
【推荐2】In fairy tales, it’s usually the princess that needs protecting. At Google in Silicon Valley, the princess is the one defending the castle. Parisa Tabriz is a 36-year-old with perhaps the most unique job title in engineering- “ Security Princess”. Her job is to hack into the most popular web browser on the planet, trying to find weaknesses in the system before the “black hats” do. To defeat Google’s attackers, Tabriz must firstly think like them.
Tabriz’s role has evolved dramatically in the eight years since she first started working at Google. Back then, the young graduate from University of Illinois was one of 50 security engineers-today there are over 500.
Cybercrime(网络犯罪) has come a long way in the past decade-from the Nigerian prince scam to credit card theft. Tabriz’s biggest concern now is the people who find bugs in Google’s software, and sell the information to governments or criminals(罪犯). To fight against this, the company has set up a Vulnerability Rewards Program, paying anywhere from $100 to $ 20,000 for reporting mistakes.
It’s a world away from Tabriz’s computer-free childhood home in Chicago. The daughter of an Iranian-American doctor father, and Polish-American nurse mother, Tabriz had little contact with computers until she started studying engineering at college. Gaze across a line-up of Google’s security staff today and you’ll find women like Tabriz are few and far between- though in the last few years she has hired more female tech talents. She admits there’s an obvious gender disequilibrium in Silicon Valley.
Funnily enough, during training Tabriz first asks new colleagues to hack into not a computer, but a vending machine. Tabriz’s job is as much about technological know-how(专门知识) as understanding of the psychology of attackers.
1. Why did Google set up a Vulnerability Rewards Program?| A．To prevent people selling information to others. |
| B．To monitor the normal operation of Google. |
| C．To help the government locate the cybercriminals. |
| D．To raise people’s awareness of personal information safety. |
| A．Imbalance. | B．Preference. |
| C．Difference. | D．Discrimination. |
| A．She was the first female engineer at Google. |
| B．She must think differently so as to defeat the attackers. |
| C．Her job relates to not only technology but also psychology. |
| D．Her frequent contact with computers in childhood benefits her a lot. |
| A．What leads to cybercrime |
| B．The " Security Princess" who guards Google |
| C．Measures taken by Google to protect its users |
| D．How to become an excellent security engineer |
Yet some of my best times were driving home, leaving the city behind and slipping back into the valley. As city life disappeared and traffic thinned, I could see the faces of the other drivers relax. Then, around a bend in the highway, the grassland of the valley would come into being, offering a view of gentle rolling hills. The land seemed permanent. I felt as if I had stepped back in time.
I took comfort in the stability of the valley. Driving through small farm communities, I imagined the founding families still rooted in their grand homes, generations working the same lands, neighbors remaining neighbors for generations. I allowed familiar farmhouse landmarks to guide me.
Close to home, I often turned off the main highway and took a different, getting familiar farms again and testing my memory. Friends lived in those houses. I had eaten meals and spent time there; I had worked on some of these farms, lending a hand during a peak harvest, helping a family friend for a day or two. The houses and lands looked the same, and I could picture the gentle faces and hear familiar voices as if little had been changed. As I eased into our driveway I’d returned to old ways, becoming a son once again, a child on the family farm. My feelings were honest and real. How I longed for a land where life stood still and my memories could be relived. When I left the farm for college, I could only return as visitor to the valley, a traveler looking for home.
Now the farm is once again my true home. I live in that farmhouse and work the permanent lands. My world may seem unchanged to casual observers, but they are wrong. I know this: if there’s a constant on these farms, it’s the constant of change.
The good observer will recognize the differences. A farmer replants an orchard (果园) with a new variety of peaches. Irrigation is added to block of old grapes, so I imagine the vineyard has a new owner. Occasionally the changes are clearly evident, like a FOR SALE sign. But I need to read the small print in order to make sure that a bank has taken possession of the farm. Most of the changes contain two stories. One is the physical change of the farm, the other involves the people on that land, the human story behind the change.
I’ve been back on the farm for a decade and still haven’t heard all the stories behind the changes around me. But once I add my stories to the landscape, I can call this place my home, a home that continues to evolve and changes as I add more and more of my stories.
A poet returns to the valley and says, “Little has changed in the valley, and how closed–minded you all are!” He comments about the lack of interest in sports, social and environmental issues in the poverty and inequality of our life. He was born and raised here, so he might have the right to criticize and lecture us. Yet he speaks for many who think they know the valley. How differently would others think of us if they knew the stories of a grape harvest in a wet year or a peach without a home?
1. The most important reason why the writer wanted to move to the city is that_________.
| A．he did not want to work on the farm |
| B．he wanted to make new friends |
| C．he was eager for a different life there |
| D．there were more things to do there |
| A．He could see for miles and miles. |
| B．The traffic moved more slowly. |
| C．The people he passed seemed to be calmer. |
| D．The land seemed familiar to him. |
| A．familiar farmhouses which left him a good memory |
| B．houses that had sheltered generations of the same family |
| C．land that had been worked by a family for generations |
| D．large farms which stretched out right before him. |
| A．He remembered how hard he used to work. |
| B．He realized that he was only a visitor. |
| C．He recognized the old housed and land. |
| D．He remembered his next door neighbors. |
| A．A new variety of peach is being planted. |
| B．Irrigation is being added to a grape operation. |
| C．A piece of land is being sold by a bank. |
| D．A farm is being sold to a large corporation. |
| A．the poet prefers to live in the urban area |
| B．the poet thinks that the folk people are backward |
| C．the poet says that little has changed in the valley |
| D．the poet’s criticism and comments are not objective |
【推荐1】When you have looked through our brochure(手册) and have chosen two or three cottages(小木屋) you would like to stay in, please phone our Holiday Booking Office. The number is: 01225 892299.
31st March to 20th October
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday closed
Sunday closed
21st October to 30th March
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday closed
When a reservation(预订) has been made, it will be held for 7 days. We will give you a holiday reference number and ask you to complete the holiday booking form and return it, with a deposit(订金) of ONE THIRD of the cottage rental.
IF WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR COMPUTED AND SIGNED BOOKING FORM WITH A DEPOSIT WITHIN 7 DAYS, WE REGRET THAT YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CANCELLED.
When we receive your booking form and deposit, your reservation will be confirmed-we will send you a Booking Confirmation, together with advice on how to reach your holiday cottage and the telephone number of a local contact so that you can get further details on the cottage before leaving home.
ARRIVAL
Please do not arrive at your holiday cottage before 3:30 p.m. or later than 7:00 p.m.
DEPARTURE
On the morning of departure, please leave your holiday property(住所) by 10 a.m. to allow caretakers enough time to prepare the property for the next visitors. We ask that you please leave the property as you found it. Please do not move the furniture as this can cause damage to the furniture.
LAST-MINUTE BOOKINGS
If you wish to make a last-minute booking, please telephone the Holiday Booking Office to check availability. If your reservation is made within 10 weeks of the holiday start date, full payment is due when booking.
ELECTRICITY
In most Wessex Cottages electricity must be paid for in addition to the holiday price. In some cottages, electricity is included in the rental and in very few there is no electricity at all.
1. What should you know about your booking?| A．The reservation can be made on weekends. |
| B．You need to fill a form before booking. |
| C．A deposit of one third of the cottage rental is needed. |
| D．The reservation of a cottage will be kept for 7 hours. |
| A．At 9:30 a.m. | B．At 9:00 a.m. |
| C．At 4:30 p.m. | D．At 5:00 p.m. |
| A．There is no electricity in many cottages. |
| B．Electricity price is more expensive than the holiday price. |
| C．Electricity is included in the rental in most cottages. |
| D．You don’t need to pay for it additionally in some cottages. |
| A．Full payment is unnecessary when booking. | B．Cottages may be unavailable. |
| C．The cost is lower than before. | D．Additional charges may be made. |
【推荐2】I began working in journalism when I was eight.It was my mother's idea.She wanted me to “make something” of myself,and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue.The crowds were there.There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union.For several hours I made myself highly visible,making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST.When it was supper time,I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked. “None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.” “What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.” “You just stood there? Didn't sell a single one? My God,Russell.”
Uncle Allen put in, “I've decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分镍币)．It was the first nickle I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence,and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day,I told my mother I'd changed my mind.I didn't want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you'll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that,as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines.Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember.My mother, dissatisfied with my father's plain workman's life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people.But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband's people for true life and love.
1. Why did the boy start his job young?| A．He wanted to be famous in the future. | B．The job was quite easy for him. |
| C．His mother had great hope for him. | D．The competition for the job was fierce. |
| A．excited | B．interested |
| C．ashamed | D．disappointed |
| A．She forced him to continue. |
| B．She punished him. |
| C．She gave him some money. |
| D．She changed her plan. |
| A．the war between the boy's parents |
| B．the arguing between the boy and his mother |
| C．the quarrel between the boy and his customers |
| D．the fight between the boy and his father |
【推荐3】Be careful of those solid gold pieces of advice. The friend who advises you to, say, stay in your relationship or leave your job may well be looking out for you; but she' s inescapably looking out for herself, too, whether she realises it or not.
Moreover, research suggests that people will generally advise you to act more cautiously than they would act themselves in a similar situation — perhaps because they don’t want to feel guilty if you take a daring leap and fall flat on your face.
There's a happy side to this, though, for parents, teachers, managers and anyone else who finds themselves in the position of needing to motivate others: far better than giving them advice is to give them the opportunity to give advice. A new study found that American middle-school pupils were much more enthusiastic about doing their homework after giving advice on the topic to younger children, as compared with after receiving advice from teachers. This motivational effect lasted weeks, and was also observed among adults who were attempting to lose weight, save money, control their temper or find a job. This result isn’t all that surprising, 1 suppose, when you consider how happy it feels to be invited to give advice. Faced with a challenge, we tend to assume we need to seek advice in order to obtain more knowledge about how to give advice; yet the truth, very often, is that we know exactly what we need to do — we just lack the confidence to do it.
This, by the way, is another good reason to keep a journal: you can use it to advise yourself. Your friends may have limited patience with your habit of lecturing them on their lives in order to feel better about your own, but a leather-effect notebook never complains.
Finally, this is a reminder that there are few bigger compliments (恭维) you can pay another person than to ask for their advice. Benjamin Franklin famously observed that to flatter (奉承) someone, it’s better to ask for a favour than to perform one: the favour-doer will come to think of you as the likable sort for whom they do favours.
1. Why should you be careful of those solid gold pieces of advice?| A．They may be practical. |
| B．They may be rewarding. |
| C．They may be demanding. |
| D．They may be conservative. |
| A．become more motivated to act |
| B．should turn to others for advice |
| C．are superior to the professionals |
| D．usually lack relevant knowledge |
| A．Keeping a journal is a good habit. |
| B．You should be polite to the favour-doers. |
| C．You should be patient with your listeners. |
| D．Asking for a favour pleases the favour-doers. |
Question: Could you introduce yourself first?
Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old．I was born in a war-torn area．Right now I’m a web designer．
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields．For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long．Those are my great memories．
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: Yes．As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family．I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age．However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone．I learnt to be independent．
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area．I would have loved to live with my family in freedom．Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe．
Q: How do your get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age．I want to give back what I’ve got．That’s our way．But I am working in another city．My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it．It filters（过滤） out your emotion and leaves your voice only．My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch．
1. In Misbah’s childhood, ．
| A．he was free from worry |
| B．he liked living in the countryside |
| C．he was fond of getting close to nature |
| D．he often spent holidays with his family |
| A．Peace and freedom | B．A beautiful house． |
| C．A colorful life． | D．Money for his family． |
| A．By chatting on the Internet． | B．By calling them sometimes． |
| C．By paying weekly visits． | D．By writing them letters． |
| A．What was your childhood dream? | B．What is your biggest achievement? |
| C．What is your parents’ view of you? | D．What was your hardest experience in the war? |
【推荐2】A pile of shoes on a front porch(门廊) isn't anything out of the ordinary for most households, but for Heather Duckworth it held a special meaning during her sons' 18th summer.
The mom, who has an11-year-old daughter, 18-year-old twin sons, and a 20-year-old son, wrote a heartfelt post about seeing a pile of shoes outside her door and all that it represents," These shoes mean that I have a house full of kids, mostly teenagers, in their summer holiday. These shoes mean there is probably no food left in my house. These shoes mean noise and mess but laughter and music as well."
When Duckworth returned from work and saw the shoes recently, they brought on a wave of sadness because she realized that things were changing. Most of the kids who wear the shoes have just graduated from high school and she realizes that time is precious in her 18th summer with her sons. She continues that she knows seeing the shoes in the house means that the kids are safe, but soon all the shoes will be "spread across college campuses "and she knows "all of these shoes might not find their way back home next summer as life takes them on new adventures."
The time might be bittersweet, but Duckworth wants to focus on creating happy memories rather than focusing on the sadness that could come. She is going to be thankful for the shoes and enjoy every moment with the kid
The sentimental post generated a massive amount of interest with it being shared over 88,000 times in a week and receiving 14,000 comments. Duckworth was touched by the comments and how the story resonated(共鸣) with so many . She responds,
" What a gift you all have given me in knowing that I am not alone in feeling this way. Motherhood is hard, but we are all in this together!"
1. What do the shoes mainly mean for Heather Duckworth?| A．The messy but happy life. | B．The tiring and disorderly family. |
| C．The endless and hard housework. | D．A lot of household responsibility. |
| A．She will be trapped in a financial crisis. | B．Some of her children will leave her. |
| C．The kids will not be safe any longer. | D．Her children won't love her as before. |
| A．They are made mainly by mothers. |
| B．Most readers disagree with her opinion at all. |
| C．Many mothers have the same experience as hers. |
| D．Many people are interested in placing shoes properly. |
| A．The Children's Shoes | B．Live More Happily |
| C．The Hard Motherhood | D．A Hot Post for Mothers |
【推荐3】One summer during high school, my mom volunteered me to help Grandpa research our family tree. Great, I thought, imagining hours spent pawing through dusty, rotting boxes and listening to boring stories about people I didn't know. "You'll be surprised," my mom promised, "Family histories can be very interesting."
In truth, Grandpa didn't want to limit my work to just research, hoping to also preserve our family memories. He'd discovered a computer program that helps digitally scan old pictures and letters to preserve their contents before they crumble from old age. Grandpa wanted me to help him connect the scanner and set up the computer program. He could type documents and send emails, but had never used a scanner.
Soon after, I became fascinated with my relatives' lives. I asked Grandpa to tell the story behind every picture and letter we scanned. The stories, which turned out not to be boring at all, helped me not only understand but also relate to my relatives. I became so hungry for more information that Grandpa needed additional props to keep me satisfied. He showed me a chest filled with random stuff, all covered in dust.
Perusing through their belongings, I felt I was opening a window into the world of my relatives, a world long since gone. Grandpa showed me a bundle of letters he had sent to Grandma from the front lines of World War II and I could almost smell the gunpowder. I turned the pages of my great-grandmother's recipe book and could picture her cooking in her kitchen. All of the people who had been merely names to me now had faces to match.
Later, Grandpa admitted, "I probably could have done this project myself. I just wanted someone to share it with." I can't thank him enough for sharing the experience and making me appreciate the family members who have made me the person I am. I will cherish family memories and hope that someday will be able to pass them down to my own grandchildren.
1. Which of the following can best describe the author's first impression of research?| A．Delightful. | B．Tiresome. |
| C．Surprising. | D．Interesting |
| A．Come to life. | B．Tear apart. |
| C．Fall to pieces. | D．Break through. |
| A．To show him a bundle of letters. | B．To keep him away from boredom. |
| C．To give him something to sort out. | D．To fulfill his desire to know more. |
| A．He used to serve in the army. | B．He knew nothing about computer. |
| C．He buried the letters under gunpowder. | D．He loved sharing what he had with others. |
| A．Precious family memories | B．My grandpa and his belongings |
| C．My grandpa and his family tree | D．Helping my grandpa in summer |
