Eleven years ago, the world as I knew it ended. My husband of 19 years was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the course of seven months, Bill went from beating me silly at tennis to needing my help to go to the bathroom. It was the best seven months of my life.
Maybe I don't actually mean that. But it was certainly the time when I felt most alive. I discovered that the minor complaint of an annoying co-worker, or a flat tire pales in comparison with the beauty of sincere laughter, or the smells of a bakery. There were moments of joy; laughter, and tenderness. After Bill's diagnosis and brain surgery, I found clinical trials and talked to doctors in Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York. It gave me a sense of purpose.
In the latter days, being Bill's caregiver also meant being fully present for as many moments of every day as possible. During his last weekend, we had dinner together. Later, a relative visited. I noticed that she'd changed her appearance, and not in a good way. It was the kind of thought I'd usually keep to myself. Just then, Bill voiced exactly what I'd been thinking, in that truthful way he had, and I found myself laughing out loud.
I thought I could look after this man forever. However, he would be dead in four days.
Eleven years later, I haven't started a foundation to cure cancer. I haven't left the news business to get a medical degree. But every day, I try to again be the person I became during those seven months. I try to be a little less judgmental, a little more forgiving and generous. I am a better person for having been Bill's caregiver. It was his last, best gift to me.
1. What is true about her husband?| A．He was a poor tennis player. |
| B．He had to talk to doctors in different cities. |
| C．His brain didn't function well because of the surgery. |
| D．He had to be accompanied mostly during his illness. |
| A．Proves unavoidable. | B．Seems less important. |
| C．Turns whiter than usual. | D．Becomes more significant. |
| A．A Caregiver's Hard Work | B．My Loving Husband |
| C．The Best Time of My Life | D．The Greatest Gift to Me |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】There’s nothing more frustrating than a parent saying “no” to something you really want, whether it’s a dog, or a new phone.
Pick the right time to approach the subject. Usually, family dinner time is a safe bet. It is not a good idea to ask for something when either parent seems stressed, distracted, or tired.
Maintain a calm tone during the talk. Asking for something can be an emotional experience: you might feel passionate about the thing you’re asking for, and you might feel angry or frustrated if your parents say no.
Be patient and give them time to think about it.
| A．Understand your parents’ current feelings about your requirement. |
| B．Do background research on the thing you want. |
| C．You’d better never force them to give you an answer right away. |
| D．You should try to keep your head all the way. |
| E．You won’t always be able to persuade your parents to see things your way. |
| F．It’s good to discuss with your parents about what you need at that time. |
| G．Don’t bring it up when they’re not in a good mood. |
【推荐2】I now work 40 hours a week at a weather company and I love it Compared to when I became a mom, I don't feel bad about being away from my three kids. When I had my first child, I was a busy manager. My husband had a part-time job and cared for her the rest of the time. Once I became pregnant with my second kid, I quit my job to focus fully on writing.
At first I felt like I was living the dream. I was a work-from-home mom who never had to be away from my children. But working from home can end up being more stressful than working full-time or being a stay-at-home mom.because you're frequently exhausted between work, keeping house and telling sweet faces you don't have time to play. Ever tried writing an article with a baby screaming? It was awful.
I was so stressed that I eventually started taking my kids to 8 day care center a couple of days a week. The whole reason I worked so hard to be able to write for a living was to be at home with my kids and here I was taking them to a day care center.I thought I was a failure then.
Over the past five years of being a freelancer(自由作家), I've realized a couple of things. As I wrote six months ago, "I though I felt bad leaving my daughter for ten hours a day but now she is old enough to ask me to read her a story .Try telling your kid no, 20 times a day. It's cruel. You end up feeling worse for having to ignore them." I also realize not socializing with people weren't good for my mental well-being.
Not only that, but I can now show my kids that Mom is important and has a job at a flashy office building, something they didn't realize when1 sat around in yoga pants typing on my computer all day long.
1. The underlined part " living the dream" in Paragraph 2 refers to " "| A．earning a lot of money |
| B．working from home |
| C．no suffering from stress |
| D．no taking care of her kid |
| A．Excited |
| B．Stressed |
| C．Relaxed |
| D．Guilty |
| A．made a great many friend |
| B．was not good at telling stories |
| C．felt terrible for ignoring her kid |
| D．left her daughter for a long time |
| A．understand why their mom works so hard |
| B．are much prouder of their mom |
| C．are feeling sad for leaving their mom |
| D．realize why their mom is important |
【推荐3】Ice formed in the small pool. Then I would go to the hockey rink (冰球场). I picked up my hockey stick, holding it in the way I formed a big “T”, stepped onto the ice, and moved closely toward the middle. Should I go through, the stick would hopefully keep me from going completely under.
The next day it rained. Rain can do one of two things to a backyard hockey rink. It can either make it the smoothest surface, or it can turn it into those terrible rumble strips (减速带) on the highways. More often it is the latter. On Saturday morning my brother discovered that was what had happened to our ice. “Let’s go and see Dad.”
Taking an old iron box from the backyard, my father taught us to fill it with wood. He then tied a line to a hole at one end of it — the homemade Zamboni (磨冰机) machine, “Once the fire really gets going, the box will get really hot,” he said. “Then we just move it around and it will smooth down the bumpy (不平的) surface.” Finally, Dad began to move it across the pool. After about twenty yards, still moving forward, he said to us over his shoulder, “Well?” “Nothing,” I answered.
For many people this might have been the sign to end the project. But not our father. As we skated off the ice and returned to the kitchen for hot chocolate, he kept going, patiently walking line after line. He stayed out there, until afternoon turned into early evening. The pool would have to wait for warmer weather.
There’s a lesson in the Zamboni about fatherhood, I think: that it is not about being perfect in your actions but perfect in your intention. Love is not smooth as glass, but bumpy as ice with rumble strips, and holes, and places to fall down. Sometimes no one will be watching you walk line after line, but they’ll remember that you were out there.
Perhaps the Zamboni really did work.
1. Why did the author form a “T” with the hockey stick?| A．To ensure safety. | B．To keep calm. |
| C．To measure the ice. | D．To play the sport better. |
| A．Making holes in the ice. | B．Filling the gaps with wood. |
| C．Smoothing the lines with heat. | D．Applying pressure to the bumpy surface. |
| A．Fruitless. | B．Dangerous. | C．Practical. | D．Successful. |
| A．It’s a family tradition. | B．It’s a symbol of love. |
| C．It’s a special invention. | D．It’s a challenge to fatherhood. |
【推荐1】I was driving home the other day on a sunny afternoon. It was such a beautiful day that I felt very happy. My good mood (心情) ended, however, when I suddenly heard a piece of news on the radio about a rich famous man who had broken the law. I shook my head as I came to a red traffic light.
As I stopped I noticed four leather-jacketed motorbikers. They were standing in the middle of the road with two on either side of the light. They looked dangerous, but as I got closer I noticed each one was holding their helmet (头盔) in their hands. I rolled down my window as one approached my car. “We are the Brother of the Wheel,” he said. “We are collecting money for Christmas Toy Drive for needy children.” As I pulled a dollar out of my wallet I looked past his beard and into his eyes. They shined with kindness that came right from his heart. I dropped the money in his helmet and waved to the other three men as I drove off. My good mood had returned. And I remembered once again never to judge (判断) people by their appearance (外表).
Our society often judges books by their covers. Perhaps one day we will realize that actions (行为) are much more important than appearance.
1. The writer’s good mood ended when ________.| A．he had to give money to the man | B．he had to stop at a red traffic light |
| C．he heard a rich man broke the law | D．he saw four leather-jacketed motor bikers |
| A．Selling helmets to the passers-by. | B．Preparing for Christmas holidays. |
| C．Having a motorbike race in the street. | D．Raising money to help kids in need. |
| A．bad | B．poor |
| C．kind | D．jobless |
| A．judge others by their actions | B．change our attitude to society |
| C．manage to help others in need | D．trust young people |
【推荐2】Children grow quickly, especially their feet. But many families cannot buy new shoes each time a child needs them. As a result, about 300 million children around the world go barefoot. Those children risk picking up diseases and parasites from the soil.
Kenton Lee, an American man invented The Shoe That Grows. He explains, "It grows in three places: the front, on the side and on the back. It can last up to five years. The bottom is rubber like tire rubber. The top is just high-quality leather."
Lee says he got the idea for the shoe while working as a volunteer in an orphanage in Kenya. "I just remember a little girl who wore a pair of small shoes. The shoes were so small that she had to cut open the front of her shoes to let her toes stick out. And I just remember thinking, wouldn't it be nice if there were a pair of shoes that could grow with her feet."
However, Lee says it was not easy to turn his idea into a reality. Finally, in 2009 Lee founded a non-profit organization called Because International. In the office of Because International, Lee keeps a pair of his own shoes to help him remember his promise.
A pair of shoes, he says, gives more than protection. It gives a child self-worth and more chances to succeed. "Because it's a small thing that really does make a big difference to keep them healthy and happy and having more chances to succeed."
Kenton Lee adds that his goal is to help get The Shoe That Grows to as many children as he can around the world.
1. The first paragraph may intends to tell us ________.| A．many children suffer lacking shoes |
| B．shoes are badly needed in many places |
| C．the necessity of inventing the new shoes |
| D．we should make efforts to help the children |
| A．Small living things that live on or inside something. |
| B．The remains that left in the soil after crops got in. |
| C．Some worms that protect soil. |
| D．Small insects that are not easy to find. |
| A．The children in orphanage live a hard life. |
| B．What inspired Kenton Lee to invent the shoes. |
| C．A girl with a pair of worn shoes. |
| D．Kenton Lee wanted to help the children. |
| A．the new-invented shoes can grow automatically |
| B．he had little difficulty in inventing the new type shoes |
| C．he had a great dream to invent shoes from his childhood |
| D．shoes are important for children’s physical and mental growth |
【推荐3】For most children, bath time is fun. But four-year-old Harry Floyd used to have a very different experience—soon after climbing into the water he felt itchy (发痒的) from head to foot.
Harry first started to develop small itchy bumps on the skin at three months old. He woke at 3 a. m. and was covered in the bumps, but they cleared up within an hour. When Harry's mother Lisa got him to the doctor, there was nothing to see. Lisa initially thought it was the soap that Harry was allergic to, but even when she just used water to bathe him he would still get the bumps. Lisa was then alarmed to see that when the weather was really cold or hot Harry would start to get them. Within a few minutes they would spread over his body. He'd just scream and try to scratch them.
Lisa and her husband Eddie took Harry to the doctor many times over the next year, but were told it was simply a virus and the condition wouldn't affect his older brother, Oliver. At six months Harry was diagnosed with several food allergies, which doctors thought might have caused the bumps. But Harry continued to get the bumps even after shunning those foods. Out of desperation, the family took Harry to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see a private specialist. By coincidence, Harry got the bumps when they were waiting to see the consultant. So the consultant saw exactly how severe it was. And Harry was diagnosed with physical urticaria (荨麻疹), a skin allergy to a host of common triggers (触发物). Since the diagnosis, Harry’s condition has greatly improved.
The cause of physical urticaria is still a mystery. Genetics may play a role and stress has been seen as a trigger. From newborn babies to the old are likely to suffer from it. Recent research suggests around one million people in Britain suffer from the condition, although experts say this may be inaccurate, with many more going undiagnosed.
1. Why does Harry's problem remain unsolved at the first time?| A．Lisa was unsure about the triggers. |
| B．Hospital equipment was not advanced. |
| C．His symptoms disappeared in a short time. |
| D．Doctors lacked experience to identify the bumps. |
| A．Digesting. | B．Avoiding. |
| C．Selecting. | D．Ignoring. |
| A．Physical urticaria can start at any age. |
| B．Harry's father used to have physical urticaria. |
| C．Physical urticaria is rather uncommon in Britain. |
| D．Physical urticaria can be easily passed on to children. |
| A．The symptoms of a rare disease. |
| B．The possible causes of physical urticaria. |
| C．A family seeking treatment for their injured kid. |
| D．A little boy suffering from a terrible skin allergy. |
【推荐1】A complaint was received by the president of a major car company:“This is the fourth time I have written to you, and I don’t blame you for not answering me because I must sound crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of having ice-cream for dessert after dinner each night. Every night after we’ve eaten, the family votes on which flavor(味道)of ice-cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. I recently purchased a new Pantsmobile from your company and since then my trips to the store have created a problem. You see, every time I buy vanilla(香草)ice-cream my car won’t start. If I get any other kind of ice-cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I’m serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds: What is there about a Pantsmobile that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice-cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?”
The Pantsmobile company president understandably doubted about the letter, but he sent an engineer there anyway. The engineer had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two got into the car and drove to the grocery store. The man bought vanilla ice-cream that night and sure enough, after they came back to the car it wouldn’t start for several minutes. The engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, the man got chocolate. The car started right away. The second night, he got strawberry and again the car started right up. The third night he bought vanilla and the car failed to start.
There must be a reason why the man’s car wouldn’t start when he bought vanilla ice-cream. What was it? After doing more research into the case, the engineer eventually found out the cause. Vanilla ice-cream was the most popular flavor and was on display in a little case near the express check out, while the other flavors were in the back of the store and took more time to choose and check out. This mattered because the man’s car was experiencing vapor(蒸汽) lock, which is excess(过度的) heat boiling the fuel in the fuel line and the resulting air bubbles(气泡) blocking the flow of fuel until the car has enough time to cool. When the car was running, there was enough pressure to move the bubbles along, but not when the car was trying to start.
1. What is the best title for the passage?| A．After Dinner Ice-cream Comes |
| B．After Dinner Family Votes |
| C．After Complaints Company Responds |
| D．After Shopping Complaints Go |
| A．Rapid. |
| B．Reliable. |
| C．Various. |
| D．Extra. |
| A．Walk to buy vanilla ice-cream every time. |
| B．Leave your car working when buying vanilla ice-cream. |
| C．Restart your car after it’s cool enough. |
| D．Think twice before buying vanilla ice-cream. |
| A．Even crazy-sounding problems are real. |
| B．Chocolate helps fix vapor lock. |
| C．Whoever loves doubt can be creative. |
| D．The customer is always right. |
【推荐2】How far would you go to make a good impression at a new job? A college student in Alabama walked 32 kilometres in the dark to get to his new job.
The story begins with Walter Carr’s car breaking down the night before starting a new job. Carr was unable to find a ride. So, he figured out how long it would take to walk from his house to the job in Pelham — 32 kilometres away. He left at midnight so that he could make it to the customer’s house by 8:00 am the next morning.
Pelham police saw him walking along a highway at 4:00 am. So, they stopped to see if he needed help. After hearing his story, they took him to a restaurant for breakfast and then to a church where he could safely wait until 8:00 am. The police then took Carr to the home of customer Jenny Lamey. Lamey said that even though Carr had just walked the entire night, he refused her offer to rest. He just wanted to start working. While he worked, he talked with the customer, telling her how much he liked her kitchen.
Jenny Lamey later wrote this on Facebook: “I just can’t tell you how touched I was by Walter and his journey. He is kind and cheerful and he has big dreams! He is hard-working and tough.” She then started a GoFundMe page to help Walter with money to get his car fixed. When the CEO of Bellhops, Luke Marklin, learned of Carr’s story, he drove from Tennessee to Alabama to give Walter his own 2014 Ford Escape.
Walter Carr’s story touched many others around the United States. Within a few days, people gave over $73,000 to the GoFundMe page. Carr has decided to give a part of the donations to the Birmingham Education Foundation. And he has received more offers for jobs and scholarships for schools.
1. Why did Walter Carr decide to go to work on foot?| A．He wanted to challenge himself. | B．He wished to be on time for the job. |
| C．He was unable to borrow a car. | D．His car was damaged beyond repair. |
| A．He was devoted to his job. | B．He was blamed by his customer. |
| C．He called the police for help. | D．He started to work after a short break. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Generous. | C．Ambitious. | D．Sensitive. |
| A．One has to suffer in order to get a good job. |
| B．A good impression is sure to bring one good money. |
| C．One has to give up something in return for donations. |
| D．The efforts to leave a good impression are to pay off. |
【推荐3】When I was in medical college, I went camping with some of my friends. The season was summer; therefore, we chose to go to the seaside. After arriving there, we rented a room and left our luggage there. We finished lunch and then decided to rent a boat because the sea and the weather were beautiful.
We started to row, but about one mile out, the weather seemed to change. But we didn’t want to give up. After a while, the weather changed a lot. The waves got very high, and the boat began to shake. One of my friends started to cry; another started to vomit (呕吐). My friends and I agreed that we should go back.
We tried to change the boat’s direction, but as soon as we changed it, the oarlock (桨架) suddenly broke. Therefore, we were unable to turn back. We had to wait for help because we couldn’t do anything. Three hours passed, but nobody came to help us.
We shouldn’t have continued to row when the weather began to change, but it was too late. The only thing we could do was just praying. Fortunately, after five long hours of waiting, two big boats came to rescue us and we escaped. If they hadn’t come to get us, we would have lost our lives.
This story is the most exciting story of my life because we could have died, but luck was with us and we escaped.
1. When did they go boating at sea?| A．In the morning. | B．In the afternoon. | C．In the evening. | D．At night. |
| A．The waves got too high. | B．They didn’t know where to go. |
| C．The weather was bad for them to do so. | D．They couldn’t change the boat’s direction. |
| A．Renting a room and a boat. | B．Going camping at the seaside. |
| C．Keeping on rowing in bad weather. | D．Waiting so long for the rescue team. |
| A．A Scary Experience at Sea | B．Dangerous Friends in College |
| C．Changeable Weather at the Seaside | D．An Exciting Experience When Swimming |
