I saw my first tree today. Dad used to tell me stories about the trees that still existed when he was a boy. There weren’t very many even then, with the urbanization program in full swing.
The O’Brien home was one of the few examples of old-style wooden structures that hadn’t been destroyed in Boston’s urban-renewal campaign. The family had been able to avoid this because of its wealth and political influence, and the house was passed on through generations to the present. Old man O’Brien had no children, so when he died, the Urban Center bought it. Then an official discovered that the house had a backyard-in the yard was a live tree!
When the news of the tree’s discovery leaked out, quite a few sightseers stopped by to have a look at it, and the local government, realizing the money-making potential, began charging admission and advertising the place. By now it had become a favorite spot for family trips like ours.
Dad paid the fee and we walked through a doorway hidden in a bookshelf and into the backyard. I just couldn’t help noticing the tree!
It was located at one end of the yard, with a fence around it for protection. It was similar in form to the plastic trees I’d seen, but there was much more. You could see details more delicate than in any artificially made plant. And it was alive. But best of all was the smell-fresh, living smell, unfamiliar to the world outside with metal, plastic, and glass. I wanted to touch the bark, but the fence prevented me from doing so.
On the way back, I read through the brochures. One part said the O’Brien home would be torn down next year to make room for some insurance building, and the tree will have to go, too.
I just sat still, fingering the object in my pocket that I had picked in the O’Brien’s backyard. I think it’s called an acorn (橡子).
1. Why could the tree in the O’Brien’s backyard survive till today?| A．It possessed some special characteristics. |
| B．It had a very strong fence around to protect it. |
| C．It was preserved together with the house by its owner. |
| D．It got the local government’s attention as a tourist attraction. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Calm. | C．Excited. | D．Upset. |
| A．Social progress and urbanization come at a cost. |
| B．Social progress should give way to nature protection. |
| C．Humans value nature protection over social progress. |
| D．Urbanization has more advantages than disadvantages. |
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【推荐1】Tufa grew up in Australia, so she couldn't understand why her father insisted on teaching her Oromo, a language spoken in Ethiopia.
“Dad never spoke about his life back in Ethiopia and yet he insisted on teaching us this language," Tufa said. “There were so many resources at my fingertips for the other languages I was learning and so many people that speak them. But when Dad was teaching us Oromo, there were no textbooks or learning materials at all. And that struck me as really strange."
But as Tufa got older and began doing her own research, she discovered why speaking about Oromo was so painful for her father. The Oromo are the largest racial group of Ethiopia. But since their land was seized in the 1880s, the people have suffered a lot. The Oromo language was banned, including from political life and schools. Oromo texts were destroyed. Tufa's father, an Oromo, fled to Egypt and, in the late 1970s, he was given asylum（庇护）in Australia.
By the time the Oromo ban was lifted, Tufa's father had established a small, private Oromo school in Melbourne to teach the language to the children of asylum seekers. As she helped to teach the students, Tufa realised the teaching resources were awful. She decided to create posters and worksheets for her father's students, using her own money to get them printed.
Three other Oromo schools that had opened in Victoria by then heard about the materials and all of them wanted copies. Tufa realised that if there was a demand for Oromo child education materials in Australia, there must be other communities around the world where resources were also needed.
She launched a crowdfunding campaign so she could print more Oromo learning materials. By the end of 2014, in just six weeks, she had raised almost $125,000. Word of her project spread. Her resources have also found their way to Ethiopia, with people sending copies to family members who still live there. This year, she plans to launch an online store for her publishing company.
1. What did Tufa feel strange about when learning Oromo?| A．Her father's life in Ethiopia. |
| B．Her father's way of teaching. |
| C．The lack of learning materials. |
| D．The appearance of other languages. |
| A．To explain a reason. |
| B．To give an example. |
| C．To present an argument. |
| D．To clear a misunderstanding. |
| A．She crowdfunded. |
| B．She turned to his father. |
| C．She dipped into her own pocket. |
| D．She created posters and worksheets. |
| A．Why the Oromo suffered in Ethiopia. |
| B．Where the Oromo language is taught. |
| C．How a girl helps to keep Oromo alive. |
| D．What schools need in teaching Oromo. |
【推荐2】When I was 4, our family took the train across the country to visit our grandparents. Because I was so little, I don’t remember much. But I do have a few memories of our stay there.
Grandfather had some tomatoes growing on the north side of his house, just outside the back door to the kitchen. I found a nice green tomato. I picked it and brought it with both hands and came into the kitchen and gave it to Grandpa. “Look, Grandpa, what I found!” He thanked me with a smile, and showed me he was putting it on the window sill(窗台). I was so happy, and I headed back outside, telling Grandfather I’d bring him some more. But my mom caught me and said, “No, no, no, green tomatoes are bad for health!” Grandmother sat in her wheelchair in the living room by the front door. We played games with her.
Soon, our visit ended and we had to go home. We left Grandmother to go back to the train station. It was several hours’ drive away. We all squeezed into Grandfather’s car.
A few years later, our family was living in Colorado. Grandfather came to visit us! He came by plane to Denver, and after a long drive, my father picked him up. During the weeks Grandfather stayed with us like most children, I’d go out and play in the back yard with him every day. I’m sure it was a precious time for Grandfather and my parents, too. I remember that when he was leaving in the airplane, we could see him in the airplane window, looking grieved. I never saw Grandfather again from then on, because we moved even further away. But we didn’t forget him.
1. How did the grandfather react when the author showed him the green tomatoes?| A．He was angry. | B．He looked strange. |
| C．He praised his grandson. | D．He thanked the author. |
| A．By plane and car. | B．By train and car. |
| C．By plane and train. | D．By car and ship. |
| A．Curious. | B．Sad. | C．Cautious. | D．Angry. |
| A．The life of my grandfather | B．The tomatoes of my grandparents |
| C．A lesson from my grandparents | D．The memory of my grandfather |
【推荐3】Chris Kyle is an entrepreneur(企业家), so he’s always looking for ways to support his fellow small business owners. Chris says he feels fortunate that his work allows him to spend a lot of time at home, so he can be fully present for each stage of his daughter Ava’s life. He was skeptical when his wife purchased Ava a toy kitchen set, but his daughter adores it and has now become a “small business owner” in her very own living room!
“When my wife made the purchase, I was hesitant about spending a few hundred dollars on it,” Chris explained. “It has been worth every penny. Ava is the star of her own little world when she is ready to play.” Chris paid a visit to his daughter’s at-home restaurant and shared his frank but funny “review” on his Instagram page. “So I tried to support another Black Owned Business for lunch today,” he wrote. “It’s called Ava’s Kitchen, just opened the end of April. It’s a very clean kitchenware, but let me tell you about this owner.”
“First of all, I asked why there are balloons on my chair, and it’s not my birthday?” Chris continued. “She said those are Mommy’s.” But Chris didn’t stop there. In addition to the questionable choice of balloons as a decoration, he said the service at Ava’s Kitchen was not exactly putting the establishment anywhere near the Zagat scale. “I have been waiting on my order to get done for 45minutes, and I’m the only customer here,” wrote Chris. “She was making good progress at first, then she stopped for 20 minutes to go to watch Paw Patrol. Overall the customer service could be better, but the cook is lovely. So I’ll give her another chance.”
Chris and Ava are thrilled that their post went viral. I’m glad to see our post shine bright in the lives or people around the world, said the proud dad.
1. Why does Chris mainly think he is lucky?| A．Because he has enough time to work at home. |
| B．Because he has been looking for some ways. |
| C．Because he can accompany his daughter. |
| D．Because he suspects Ava’s mother. |
| A．Buying a toy kitchen set. | B．Living in a small room. |
| C．Supporting another business. | D．Spending too much money. |
| A．On the Internet. | B．In the newspaper. |
| C．On a travel magazine. | D．In a notice. |
| A．Dad Leaves His Review After Visiting Ava’s Kitchen |
| B．Dad Is Honest And Funny After Talking With His Daughter |
| C．Dad Helps Ava Get a Good Chance to Surf the Internet |
| D．Dad Builds a Kitchen For His Own Daughter Happily |
【推荐1】The early life of the green sea turtle (海龟) is full of danger. Only one in 1,000 baby sea turtles survive to adulthood. From its home in the sand, it breaks its egg with an egg tooth. Its mother is not there to help it. Instead, it is greeted by crabs, coyotes, and dogs waiting to eat it for dinner. To survive, the baby turtle must hide in the sand until night. There, it moves slowly to the sea.
The small turtle must swim hard to reach the ocean waters. In the sea, it tries hard to find food. It must also keep itself from being food for fish.
As dangerous as the sea turtle’s life is in the natural world, its most dangerous enemies are humans. The rubbish left by humans in the ocean causes problems for the small green sea turtle. A little turtle might eat a piece of plastic in the sea. It might also eat oil on the ocean’s surface. Young turtles also get caught in fishing nets. There are laws against hunting sea turtles. Still, many are hunted, both for their meat and for their shells (壳). All of these dangers must be prevented.
Sea turtles that do survive to grow into adulthood go through many changes. For example, adult green sea turtles weigh about 500 pounds. They stop eating jellyfish and other meat and eat only plants. And they may plan a trip to go back home again. A mother sea turtle goes back to the beach where she was born. This is the only place where she will lay eggs. Even if it has been forty years since she was a baby, she always knows her way back home.
1. Why do baby turtles move to the sea at night?| A．They dislike sunshine. | B．They need to avoid enemies. |
| C．They can find food easily then. | D．They prefer lower temperatures. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Careless. | C．Poor. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．They mainly feed on fish and meat. |
| B．They can live for around forty years. |
| C．They visit their beach homes several times a year. |
| D．Mother turtles always produce eggs at their birth places. |
| A．The homes of green sea turtles. |
| B．How sea turtles find their food. |
| C．The danger faced by sea turtles. |
| D．How young turtles became adults. |
【推荐2】I enjoyed this trip for the opportunity to witness the Cranes (鹤) returning from Wood Buffalo National Park,some with their young of the year. I wondered, at the changing skies of Saskatchewan, often the vivid oranges and pinks of a sunset made me pause, but it was the clouds clouds of feathers as ducks, geese, and cranes lifted off fields and lakes in numbers so numerous, they blocked out the sky at times, that blew my mind.
The desire to travel and explore is strong within the human condition. We might think we must journey “away” to enjoy a holiday, and sometimes we do. But other times, a simpler exploration, digging deeply into landscapes and cultures that we think we know. reveals the best sights.
I grew up in Saskachewan when cranes were fighting back from extinction, and I wasn’t a birdwatcher. But, returning with Eagle-Eye Tours as a bird-loving RCGS Travel Ambassador, I wondered at the conservation successes that allowed us to find these rare birds reliably.
My favourite memory from the trip is of an old farmer driving a large trick who slowed down for our group,standing in the middle of a road, excitedly watching a flock of cranes. Rather than scolding us for blocking traffic, he invited us into his backyard for a better view! He explained how he’s been providing quiet reserves for many years as the birds stop to rest and feed before flying south to Texas. It’s moments like this that make the travel special, and companies like Eagle-Eye Tours craft itineraries (行程) that allow these unexpected discoveries.
I enjoyed sharing these experiences with other nature lovers on the Royal Canadian Geographical Society branded trip and look forward to doing it again in October 2024.
1. What do the changing skies indicate?| A．The worsening environment | B．The coming change of the weather |
| C．The imbalance of nature | D．The success of protecting cranes. |
| A．A trip of relaxation. | B．A trip of exploration. |
| C．A trip of friendship. | D．A trip of protection. |
| A．To explain why the protection goes well. |
| B．To describe how local people live their life |
| C．To show that farmers are friendly to tourists. |
| D．To prove that everyone is a true bird lover. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Expert. | C．Kind. | D．Rich |
【推荐3】Western conservation groups are seeking stricter laws to deal with trade in endangered wildlife, but Dr. Paul Jepson warns that this isn’t the best solution. He highlights the case of the Bali starling (八哥). Bringing in tougher laws created unexpected outcomes, which contributed to the bird’s extinction in the wild in 2006.
He said that the traditional law enforcement (执行) approach that outlawed (宣布……非法) ownership of the Bali starling in the 1980s and 1990s increased rather than reduced the demand for wild-caught Bali starlings. The bird has become a popular gift among the rich of Indonesia, who can gain more status by owning one.
Instead, a case-by-case analysis might be needed. Last year, he said, a bird association set up a network of breeders (饲养者) among the owners of Bali starling on the island of Java. By introducing a “crowd-breeding” model, it transformed the bird into a species whose price and source of supply were publicly known. This lessened the status of keeping such birds and thereby reduced their profitability to black market suppliers.
Another case was on Nusa Penida, an island southeast of Bali. A Balinese conservation group planned to release starlings on the island. Critics tried to block the plan, saying the island was outside the birds’ native zone. Eventually, the Governor of Bali came up with a proposal. The starlings were given to a local temple as a ceremonial offering before they were released. This gave the Bali starling status as a “sacred bird”, giving them protection under customary laws. Now the released starlings established a breeding population on Nusa Penida.
Dr. Jepson commented, “I do not want to criticize the international approach seeking tighter law enforcement, but this case study shows we should not oversimplify how we respond to the problem of the wildlife trade. There is a growing body of evidence that shows more different approaches are sometimes needed to fit with the local social and political realities. We should tailor solutions on more of a case-by-case basis.”
1. What might speed up the wild Bali starling’s extinction in 2006?| A．The bad natural environment. |
| B．The side effect of strict protection laws. |
| C．The debate over the wildlife trade. |
| D．The popularity of the bird in the world. |
| A．To block the strict laws passed by the government. |
| B．To cut off the supply to the black market. |
| C．To make the Bali starling less profitable. |
| D．To increase the demand for the Bali starling. |
| A．It implies there’s more than one way to solve a problem. |
| B．It advocates stricter law enforcement. |
| C．It has attracted close attention of conservation groups. |
| D．It is acknowledged as the best solution to illegal wildlife trade. |
| A．Stricter enforcement is needed for the biodiversity of Indonesia |
| B．The Bali starling comes back to Nusa Penida |
| C．Cutting off the market for the illegal wildlife trade |
| D．Tougher laws to reduce wildlife trade are not enough |
【推荐1】Fernando, Lucia, and their moms were heading downhill. Tired and hungry, Fernando was eager to have a rest and eat up the sandwich buried in his pack. Lucia desperately wanted to rest her tired feet and legs, which ached terribly from the challenging climb up the mountain. Mountain climbing was not her greatest talent.
Distracted by hunger pains and by the beautiful view of the valley below, Fernando didn't see the large fallen branch steps ahead of him. His foot caught on it, sending him down a steep path. After rolling to a stop, he knew something was wrong with his ankle.
His mom supported him as he tried to stand, but it was much too painful. They tried calling 911, but the surrounding trees blocked their cell phone signals. Analyzing their dilemma, the group decided that Lucia and her mom would climb back to the top of the mountain, where they would set off the emergency flares they carried. Lucia really began to worry when the group settled on this plan. She wasn't confident that her overtaxed muscles could carry her up the mountain a second time in one day!
Fernando's mom stayed with her son, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The air on the mountain was dry and turning cooler. She wrapped him in her jacket to keep him warm and periodically gave him sips of water.
Meanwhile, Lucia and her mom climbed up the mountain-again! A feeling of pride washed over Lucia when she finally made it to the mountaintop-she was tougher than she thought! Then pride turned to amazement when she spotted a helicopter approaching. Quickly, her mom fired a flare, and they shouted and waved to attract attention. The helicopter flew round to let them know that he had seen them. The plan nearer and the pilot circled had worked-they were going to get Fernando safely off the mountain!
1. What happened to Fernando?| A．His ankle got injured by accident. | B．A branch knocked him on the head. |
| C．He went missing in the deep valley. | D．He could find his sandwich nowhere. |
| A．To signal for help. | B．To wait for the helicopter. |
| C．To search for water. | D．To look for Fernando's cellphone. |
| A．Painful and fruitless. | B．Dangerous but exciting. |
| C．Tiring yet worthwhile. | D．Challenging and enjoyable. |
【推荐2】Working at a bank in New York City in the mid-2010s, Anna Sacks was not living the life she wanted. Sure, she was happy. But she wanted to do something that felt important.
Some people seeking meaning might read a self-help book or perhaps volunteer a few hours a week. Sacks packed up her life and moved to Connecticut to participate in Adamah, a farming program that focuses on sustainable living and growing sustainable food. When she returned to New York, her life was with a new purpose and many new skills to make her dreams a reality.
“One of the things that really stuck with me from Adamah was how little waste they produced and how they handled the waste they did have, primarily through composting (堆肥),” she says. The Adamah program opened Sacks’ eyes to the damage consumer culture is doing on a local, national, and global level, and the need to find solutions. So in 2017, she began what she calls “trash walking”.
During tours around her community, Sacks picks through garbage to look for reusable items. Soon, her “trash walking” expanded to include corporate trash along with residential trash. Surprisingly, she discovered a wide range of really great stuff-like clothing, decorations, and food -all of which she documents on TikTok.
Under the name The Trash Walker, Sacks quickly gained popularity for her videos that highlight the problems with consumerism. “The root issue is overproduction, which leads to overconsumption, which leads to a large amount of waste,” she says.
The fact is, companies often choose to trash items rather than give them away to people who might need them. A big reason for this waste is the way our current tax laws are structured, Sacks says. Sellers who destroy goods can claim the cost as a loss on their taxes and be refunded. If they give away goods, they can claim only a small amount as a charitable reduction on their taxes.
Sacks’ main focus is simply getting people to pay attention to how many unnecessary things they buy and then throw away. “Once you become aware of the way you consume, you can see ways you improve, ”she says.
1. Why did Anna Sacks leave New York?| A．To learn how to grow food. | B．To pursue a more meaningful life. |
| C．To realize her dream as a volunteer. | D．To accept the invitation from a program. |
| A．The significance of trash walking. | B．The hard truth of consumer culture. |
| C．The sustainable food people produced. | D．The way people there dealt with the waste. |
| A．The tax refund. | B．The tax reduction. |
| C．The overproduction. | D．The poor quality of goods. |
| A．Consumer culture accounts for wasting. | B．Corporate trash outweighs residential trash. |
| C．Turning to farming leads to sustainable living. | D．Trash walking is the key to becoming wealthy. |
【推荐3】Tears ran down from my eyes as I saw the essay my high school English teacher had just handed back. A big F was written on top. I was hopeless. I was stupid ! My face burned with shame when my classmates called me stupid.
“I’m the only one who doesn’t know my ABCs!” I sobbed to Mom.
“I’ll help,” she promised.
Every day I sat with her, but to me, cat looked like cta and red was reb. Frustrated, I would return to my bedroom and draw, filling the paper with houses, restaurants and offices.
“When I grow up, I want my own store,” I told Mom , pointing to my drawings.
“ That’s great !” she said, “ but first you have to learn to read.”
Later, I was diagnosed with dyslexia (失读症). So Mom took me to a learning centre, where I was given reading exercises. But I still had a hard time. Finally, I graduated, but I was afraid of my reading skills.
“I’ll never get a job !” I cried to Mom later again.
“ Don’t focus on what you can’t do,” she comforted, “ Concentrate on what you really can.”
But what can I do? I wondered. Suddenly, I thought of the drawings I’d made as a child and my dream of having my own store. I enjoyed sales so much that over the next few years, I tried my hand at other businesses. Today, I watch over seven branches. We have 187 employees and $15 million in sales.
While I’ll never be what my teachers might have wanted, I am a success--on my own terms. The other day a student sent me a card, reading: You gave me so much confidence. I hope to be like you when I am big. Tears of joy filled my eyes. This was my A, and I smiled.
1. Why did the author feel so ashamed at school?| A．His teacher ignored him in class. |
| B．His teacher didn’t grade his essay. |
| C．He failed to finish his essay in time. |
| D．His classmates looked down upon him. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Guilty. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Regretful. |
| A．No pains, no gains. |
| B．Never too old to learn. |
| C．Every man has his value. |
| D．Two heads are better than one. |
【推荐1】Some people usually say that the joy of giving is the joy of living. Tony March’s story shows how someone who has enthusiasm for philanthropy(乐善好施) can live joyously by doing what he loves: Helping the less fortunate to achieve lives of self-sufficiency(自给自足) and dignity. Tony March is a man who rose from great poorness to extreme wealth, while, at the same time, generously giving his wealth and his time to improve the situation of those who struggled to survive in the world in which he was raised.
At a time when human kindness and sympathy seem to be on the endangered behavior list, it is exhilarating to learn of a man like Tony and be reminded that caring individuals still exist, that the human spirit, firmly focused, can achieve wonders, and that one person’s desire to improve the human condition can have such a strong influence on improving the quality of life for tens of thousands of people.
Tony grew up without a father and was regularly beaten by an unloving mother, moving 17 times before he turned 10. He was always laughed at and had to help feed his family by working at a grocery store. Through all the mental and physical abuse, Tony didn’t give up and used education to break the poorness cycle and became the owner of 21 auto dealerships. “It is education that brings success to me,” he said.
When the Director of Metropolitan Ministries (a homeless shelfter) found out about Tony, he suggested that Mr. March “go public” with his story so that others, inspired by what he had done, would be more willing to give their talent, time and money to help the less fortunate as well. It was a persuasive argument that Tony finally accepted. His book, Paying It Backward, will be published soon.
Paying It Backward reminds us that one can live joyously by giving joyously and we all can do a part to help the less fortunate by giving our time, talent, and money for charitable causes.
1. What does the underlined word “exhilarating”mean?| A．Worrying | B．Disappointing | C．Puzzling | D．Exciting |
| A．Tony March’s parents loved him very much |
| B．education influenced Tony March very much |
| C．Tony March lived in the shelters until he was 10 |
| D．Tony March’s mother forced him to work in a grocery store |
| A．He wanted to make himself known to everyone |
| B．He wanted to sell his book to earn money. |
| C．He wanted more people to do good deeds. |
| D．He wanted more people to read more books. |
| A．Giving Back to Society Is Joyful |
| B．The Joy of Giving Is the Joy of Living |
| C．Living Joyfully Can Make a Big Difference |
| D．Giving Our Time And Money Is Important |
【推荐2】Kids Nature and Survival Camp
Set free your kids’ imagination and spirit of adventure at this camp, as they learn about the natural environment and the important skills of survival.
Activity overview
* 44-day Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains
* Basic Survival Skills: Shelter, Water, Fire, Food
* Expert Instructors-with a minimum of 10 years of experience
* Set your own custom(定制的) camp date
Details
* The camp will run for 5 hours each day: 9 am-2 pm.
* This class is 100% hands-on and very active. Everything your kids learn, they will do—no indoor classrooms or long lectures.
* Each day will center around one of the 4 main necessities of survival: SHELTER(day 1). WATER(day 2), FIRE(day 3), and FOOD(day 4).
Dates offered
* We offer 1 public camp date each summer for ages 8-12. For 2021, that date is August 5-8(9 am-2 pm each day). To book that date for a child between the ages of 8-12, please click the REGISTER NOW link below.
* We also arrange custom/private camp dates for both kids and teens all year round.
Extra information
* 4-Day Camp: $395
* Add shuttle(班车) ride to/from downtown Santa Cruz for $160($40 per day)
* At this time we do not have shuttle service from the Silicon Valley side of the hill, but we do work to help organize carpools(拼车) from the Los Gatos/Saratoga/Campbell area each year for interested parents.
1. What will kids learn if they join the camp?| A．How to make long lectures. | B．How to survive in the wild. |
| C．How to organize a camp. | D．How to improve their imagination. |
| A．It is free for all children. | B．Children could learn it online. |
| C．It is based on practicing in person to learn. | D．Kids could hook a public camp date each spring. |
| A．Los Gatos. | B．Santa Cruz. | C．Saratoga. | D．Campbell. |
【推荐3】One of the most important things that has happened to me occurred long before I was aware of it. As the story goes, I was three days old and Mom was singing “The Name Game” song to me: “Christine Bo-Bean-Banana-Fanna-Fo-Feen.” By day four, I was given a new name ---- Christine-Bo-Bean, or just Bo-Bee to my mother. Now, I am Bo to her and close friends.
Why is this nickname（昵称）so important to me? I once read a book with a passage about True Names which explains that when a person’s true name is spoken, she has a distinct aura（光环）around her. Although I have been Bo to my mother all my life, I recently discovered that my true name is not on my birth certificate; it’s the name that is as unique and memorable as I am.
People usually know me as Christine. They still see me as a quiet, bookish child. They don’t know who I am now. My most recent hopes, fears, goals, dreams and opinions escape their notice; it is easier to think of me as I was. In their minds, they have a box labeled “Christine” in which I fit neatly, and as Christine, I was content with the perfect packaging.
Those who call me Bo or Bo-Bee really know me. They remember who I was and realize I have changed. Bo is a tight squeeze in the old “Christine” boxes. The Bo I am is ever-changing, ever-growing and ever-learning.
When I was Christine, I was quiet, and easily scared. I feared groups, meeting new people and sharing my opinions. I was more comfortable with a book than my best friend. As Christine, I thought everyone was better than I was.
As Bo, I still love my books, but I want to discuss them. As Bo, my dream is to live where I can experience new things and meet new people. I dream about being alone on a stage lit by a single spotlight; I have that confidence now. I am equal to those I once saw as better than me.
A name shouldn’t make such a difference, but sometimes, when a person finds his or her True Name, they develop a new shine visible to friends, family and especially themselves.
I can’t always be Bo. Sometimes exposing myself is still scary and I feel too nervous; I want to hide in those old boxes. Mostly, however, I am ready for the world. So, just call me Bo.
1. When was the author given a nickname?| A．When her Mom sang the song. | B．On the fourth day after she was born. |
| C．Seven days after she was born. | D．When she received the old “Christine” box. |
| A．The author has to live in the old boxes. |
| B．The old boxes are not fit for the author any longer. |
| C．They don’t know the author has changed her name. |
| D．People usually know the author as Christine but she has changed. |
| A．She lacked confidence and preferred to be alone. |
| B．She took pleasure in finding new things. |
| C．She loved reading and sharing books with friends. |
| D．She showed no interest in reading. |
| A．A Unique Name | B．My True Name |
| C．Learning from Names | D．Meaning of Nicknames |
