James Bowen and a Street Cat
It all started in 2007 when James Bowen, a thirty-something drug addict (吸毒上瘾的人) who survived by playing guitar on the street, found an orange cat sitting in front of the door of his apartment.
Bowen noticed the cat was wounded. Without hesitating, the young man took him to the Humane Society and spent the little money he had on medicine to heal (治疗) him.
Shortly thereafter, the cat, who was healing and feeling much better, began to follow the musician when he left the house. Then one day the cat got on the bus that Bowen took to the place where he worked.
That’s how the cat, who had recently been named Bob, began to accompany his human friend to his musical performances. Bob’s mere presence attracted the attention of passers-by. He and Bowen would finish off each song with a high five. Pretty soon, the images of Bob wearing a scarf while sitting on the musician’s shoulder, or keeping him company while he played the guitar, began to go viral all over the world.
Eventually, the news found out about the pair and did a story for the magazine Islington Tribune. It was not long after that when a book agent appeared in their lives and gave them a chance to tell their story.
By then, Bowen, who had managed to get away from drugs, wrote a novel called A Street Cat Named Bob. He relates in great detail how meeting the cat changed him.
The book soon sold more than six million copies and even spread beyond the borders of the United Kingdom. In fact, it was translated into thirty languages.
Through all of these changing circumstances, Bob has always been with Bowen — on his shoulder. You can’t make up a story like this. But life always gives opportunities to those who know how to get hold of them. So if you are ever in a position where a cat has chosen you, don’t ignore it. You can’t imagine all the good that life may have in store if you decide to accept the proposal (提议).
1. Why did James Bowen keep the cat?| A．The cat would help him get away from drugs. |
| B．The cat could keep him company. |
| C．The cat was a lovely performer. |
| D．The cat needed to be taken care of. |
| A．Look funny. | B．Create viruses. | C．Spread quickly. | D．Change greatly. |
| A．It was a huge success. | B．It was written by a book agent. |
| C．It helped Bowen stop taking drugs. | D．It was first published in a magazine. |
| A．They have traveled all over the world. | B．They are struggling for survival. |
| C．They healed and saved each other. | D．They no longer perform on the street. |
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【推荐1】I live in London now. In 2015, I decided to take a break and do some traveling. During my travel, I saw a lot of plastic waste in the ocean, and started wondering what I could do about it. I reused my bamboo bike, which I’d made at the Bamboo Bicycle Club in Hackney, to float on the Thames and collect plastic on the river.
On September 18, I started my journey at the source of the Thames in Lechlade. Every day was different and the first was the worst. It was raining hard and when I tried to put the bamboo bike in the water, the weight of it turned the whole thing over. I thought: This is it — the project is over! But after a good hour I managed to get it out.
I had two fishing nets that I filled up every day with plastic, and I couldn’t even collect everything because some bits were hidden under a forest of seagrass. I also took pictures and geotagged them, to map which parts of the river were the most polluted. Oxford was particularly bad, with a lot of takeaway boxes, bottles, DVDs and even some chicken breasts still in the plastic bags.
My journey taught me the hard way that cleaning up the river is not going to solve the problem. We need to target the root cause: the buying of plastic. I’m thinking of running some activities in London and trying to make them spread quickly, like filling up a London bus with plastic bottles to represent how much plastic waste is produced every minute in London.
I want to show people how plastic is affecting us: how some of it even comes back into our bodies via microplastics(塑料微粒) in fish or salt. I know you can’t totally cut out the use of plastic, just like that, but I’d like people to think twice before buying their next bottle of water. Every step helps.
1. Why does the author make use of the bamboo bike again?| A．It’s comfortable to ride. | B．It can float on the water. |
| C．It can be used for exercise. | D．It won’t pollute the river. |
| A．The project failed. | B．The bike was gone. |
| C．Everything would turn better. | D．All the work was finished. |
| A．Revised. | B．Cleared. | C．Marked. | D．Collected. |
| A．Closing plastic factories. | B．Reusing plastic items. |
| C．Collecting plastic waste. | D．Buying fewer plastic products. |
【推荐2】Growing up in New York, as the daughter of two first-generation immigrants from Guyaria, Andrea Dalzell was taught the values of hard work and determination. What her parents didn’t realize at the time was how much Andrea would come to need these values — and that they would eventually become her calling card.
It all began at age 5 when Andrea was diagnosed with transverse myelitis. The condition led her to the full-time wheelchair use by age 12. Having already had 33 major operations, Andrea decided to devote her life to finding a cure for the pain she had gone through by pursuing a career in the medical field. Originally, she studied to be a doctor, but it didn’t feel quite right. “I was much more interested in hands-on work and caring for people, just like what my nurses did throughout my life,” Andrea explained. “They took my mom’s place when she couldn’t be there, and they knew how to make me smile even when I felt like I was at rock bottom.”
So she decided to become the first nurse in a wheelchair that she had ever seen! She was accepted into CUNY College of Staten Island’s nursing program in 2016. But as a student, she started to encounter new concerns. “There was this weight of never being allowed to be a student,” Andrea said, “How would I be able to keep my wheelchair clean, hold this, wipe this, turn a patient, and carry a washbowl full of water? All of these things were running through my mind.” Still, Andrea knew better than to let any barriers stop her. She passed her courses with high marks, earning her degree, passing her boards, and officially becoming a registered nurse!
After graduation, Andrea worked as a nurse at the school. When COVID-19 hit, she responded to the government’s call for nurses. Since then, Andrea’s incredible nursing achievements have gotten some of the praise they deserve. In September 2020, she was named a co-winner of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation’s Visionary Prize and was awarded $1 million. And this was only the beginning of her great career!
1. Why did Andrea eventually choose to be a nurse?| A．She took her parents’ advice. | B．She failed to become a doctor. |
| C．She desired to look after others. | D．She wanted to repay her doctor’s kindness. |
| A．She had poor academic performance. | B．She was not treated as a regular student. |
| C．She was too busy to concentrate on her study. | D．She had difficulty in performing physical tasks. |
| A．To introduce an outstanding female nurse. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of family values. |
| C．To encourage people to pursue a career in nursing. |
| D．To show Andrea’s achievements in the medical field. |
【推荐3】Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn't soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If I grumbled, he'd say in his loudest father-voice, "That' what your legs are for!"
The walk didn't bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn't seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedged（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedges because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedged had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedged, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father's head. Then I knew, each time I'd come home, he had stood behind the hedged, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.
On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greener. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. "So, my son, it's you!" he'd say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied, "Yes, Dad, it' me. I'm home."
1. What does the underlined word "grumbled" in Paragraph I probably mean?| A．Spoke unhappily. | B．Explained clearly. |
| C．Accepted happily. | D．Agreed willingly |
| A．the tiredness after long hours in labs |
| B．the fear of seeing something moving |
| C．the feeling of being less than valued |
| D．the loneliness of riding the bus home |
| A．My College Life | B．My Father's Secret |
| C．My Terrible Journey Home | D．Riding the Bus Alone |
【推荐1】When Ricochet was just a young pup, her owner Judy Fridono hoped the dog might one day become a service dog and help people. But Ricochet had other plans, at least for the first part. She failed at service dog training, but she went on to help millions of people around the world learn how to trust, how to love, and how to surf.
According to Fridono, the dog seemed naturally suited to life as a service dog. She was great with people, especially kids, and she had plenty of energy. But birds were her weakness. She just couldn’t seem to stop running after them. And that’s not a good quality for a service dog that needs to focus on the person she’s helping.
Fridono said at the beginning she was disappointed when Ricochet didn’t succeed at service dog school. But it wasn’t long before the pup let her true skills shine through. At just 8 weeks old, Ricochet climbed on to a board that had been left in a children’s pool, showing her special talent for balance.
Soon, Ricochet was making headlines as the beach-loving dog who could hang ten on a surfboard. But she wasn’t finished showing off her special talents yet.
“One day at the beach, she jumped on a surfboard with a 14-year-old boy who had spinal cord(脊髓)injuries, ”Fridono said. “It was at that moment that her life purpose to surf with people who are disabled was realized. She is just such an inspiration to everyone—she’s got such a strong connection to people, and we see such improvements in the people who she surfs with. ”
Ricochet now surfs daily with children and adults with special needs. She specializes in helping military veterans(退伍军人)with some diseases and children with autism(自闭症)by connecting with them in ways that no one else can.
1. What do we know about Ricochet?| A．She has been helpful for many people. |
| B．She was taught how to surf. |
| C．She saved thousands of people’s lives. |
| D．She learnt special skills at service dog school. |
| A．Impatience. | B．Great pride. |
| C．Lack of concentration. | D．Not being brave. |
| A．Ricochet’s widespread popularity. |
| B．Ricochet’s rapid progress. |
| C．Ricochet’s extraordinary talents. |
| D．Ricochet’s dropping out of school. |
| A．Ricochet once had a spinal cord injury. |
| B．Fridono made Ricochet’s dream come true. |
| C．Ricochet has a unique connection with people having special needs. |
| D．Fridono helped Ricochet develop her skills and talents. |
【推荐2】It was Monday. Mrs Smith's dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house.
Considering that there was no better way, Mrs Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it: "Give my dog half a pound of meat. " Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently."Take this to the butcher（屠夫）and he's going to give you your lunch today.”
Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at the paper, and gave the dog is meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers. But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, "This is a small dog. Why does Mrs Smith give it so much meat to eat today?"
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!
1. It seemed that the dog knew well that the paper Mrs Smith gave it .| A．could do it much good | B．might do it much harm |
| C．would help the butcher | D．was worth many pounds |
| A．only the paper with Mrs Smith's words on it could bring it meat |
| B．the butcher would give meat to it whenever he saw it |
| C．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat |
| D．Mrs Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher |
| A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper |
| B．the dog dared not go to the butcher's any more |
| C．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal |
| D．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog |
【推荐3】We had to put our Belgian sheepdog Shadow to sleep yesterday. He was hands down the worst dog I have ever had—not so much a superdog as a superbad dog. For the first two years of his life, we worked relentlessly to train him to do the basic things. He balked at all of it. When made to lie down, he would roll his back and cry out as if he were being beaten. If pushed too hard, he would bite — never to draw blood, but enough to let you know who was in charge.
Frustrated, we sent him to a professional trainer, who took him into his home to work with him one-on-one. After the agreed-upon two weeks of training, the handler called and sheepishly asked for another two weeks with Shadow, free of charge, as he had been unable to make any progress. In another two weeks, we got the same phone call. So, after six weeks, the dog trainer returned our dog with apologies, stating that this was the first dog that he’d ever deemed untrainable. Shadow appeared quite pleased with himself.
For all of his 13 years, Shadow bested us, allowing us the privilege of living in his home. On his last day, my daughter commented, “Mom, I know he doesn’t feel good because he is not growling at me when I kiss his face.” That was him. Shadow was a genius. How else could he have compelled us to love the worst dog.
1. Shadow would bite when we push him too hard ________.| A．to make us bleed | B．to beat us | C．to train him | D．to show dissatisfaction |
| A．Because he wanted to work with Shadow. |
| B．Because he wanted to charge more money. |
| C．Because he failed to train Shadow well within the agreed time. |
| D．Because Shadow was quite pleased with himself. |
| A．He didn’t like being trained. |
| B．He spent twelve weeks altogether with the trainer. |
| C．He became the first dog that the trainer failed to train. |
| D．He would growl at our daughter when she kissed him. |
| A．naughty and intelligent | B．friendly and trainable |
| C．unkind and untrainable | D．superbad and disobedient |
