A 99-year-old woman and a high school student in British Columbia have formed a wonderful friendship through a program that connects seniors with young people.
Myrtle MacDonald, 99, says she signed up for the local program after feeling lonely because her daughter and son couldn’t keep her company. She was paired (结对子) with Jaelyn Brown,17, based on their common interest — nursing. “I just found her more interested and less in a hurry than I expected. It has filled an empty spot,” said MacDonald.
For the high school students taking part, the time spent with seniors can be used toward volunteer hours needed for graduation. They’re supposed to speak for 30 minutes each week, but many go far beyond that. “I love and look forward to getting to talk to her every week. We talk about an hour and 15 minutes, and the time just goes by so quickly,” said Brown.
MacDonald, a former nurse, spent much of her life teaching and living in other parts of the world helping people in need. The stories are inspiring to Brown, who also wants to become a nurse. “In high school they kind of say you go to school, you get a job, you have kids. It's are gular practice but talking to her has made me realize I don't have to limit myself to one thing. I can have it all,” she said.
The program has been a good fortune to both seniors and high school students. Due to various reasons, seniors can't meet with their families and students are having trouble getting their volunteer hours. “Therefore, there's been a huge positive response from them,” said the program’s organizer Connie Stam.
1. How do the high school students help the seniors?| A．By contacting their relatives. | B．By communicating with them. |
| C．By doing housework for them. | D．By setting up the volunteer program. |
| A．It improves the seniors' health. |
| B．It collects some data for research. |
| C．It calls for some practical nursing skills. |
| D．It goes beyond the requirement for graduation. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Graceful. |
| C．Helpful. | D．Powerful. |
| A．A Good Friend Is A Close Relative | B．True Friendship Bridges Age Gaps |
| C．Friendship Is The Basis Of Morality | D．Old Friends And Old wine Are Best |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Friends are important to children. Research shows that children who have no friends can suffer from difficulties later in life. Friendship provides children with more than just fun. In making friends, children learn how to get in touch with others and solve problems. Having friends even does good to children for they can help each other during class.
If the parents are concerned about whether their children make many friends , what matters is that the child is comfortable and happy with his friends. Parents need to understand the steps children take in building friendships. First of all, be a friend to your child. Good friendships start at home. Children begin to develop the necessary ability to go out and meet others through getting along with their parents. Greet the child warmly and let him know you are glad to see him. Children learn a lot from how their parents stay with them and other people.
Teach children how to solve conflicts. Being able to work out conflicts is an important skill in getting along with others. If parents know the children have a conflict, let them work it out on their own. Only step in if it is really necessary, for example, an argument is getting physical.
Give children chances to practice staying together. Have children play games that require cooperation. For example, races are fun and provide plenty of practice in teamwork. Encourage children to show thanks to others. The parents can encourage children to do this by setting the example for them.
1. According to the article, if one child has no friend, he will ________.| A．have some trouble in the future | B．worry about everything in the future |
| C．not know the importance of making friends | D．not find anybody to help him |
| A．providing a lot of fun | B．getting in touch with others |
| C．solving the problems | D．helping to cheat in the exams |
| A．let them fight with each other until they find who is the winner |
| B．do nothing to the children and believe in their abilities |
| C．let them work it out by themselves and help if necessary |
| D．talk with them and try to find good ways to stay together |
| A．fall in love with each other | B．show thanks to others |
| C．exchange their presents | D．ignore their differences |
【推荐2】The friends we meet in school teach us how to share. When we grow older, our friends teach us how to take responsibility (责任). As we continue into our 40s and beyond, we learn to weather the ups and downs in life.
The people we bring into our lives as friends will show us how to forgive (原谅), laugh, and make conversation.
One of the most overlooked advantages of friendship is that it helps keep our minds and bodies strong.
Friends don’t completely cure (治愈) loneliness but they do help us during lonely times. Having a lifelong friend lets us know that some friendships won’t last forever but each one brings something special. We learn more about ourselves and how important it is to have someone, just one person, who knows and understands you.
| A．We should value those painful times. |
| B．Some friends share a different worldview. |
| C．This is the key to coming out of loneliness. |
| D．We don’t just talk with others but learn from them. |
| E．Once again, friends provide a sounding board and place for us to grow. |
| F．In fact, it’s as important to our physical health as eating well and keeping fit. |
| G．That means we’re happier when we choose to spend time with happy people. |
There are many different kinds of friendships to distinguish. If people are honest with one another and clearly define(界定) which kind of friendship they have, they can avoid a lot of misunderstanding. And if people can learn to move on from a relationship that is over, they will be better off.
Then, what are the different kinds of friendship? Well, the first kind is the social friend. This is the kind of friend that people have most of. This kind of friend isn't someone who you hang out with all the time or live with, but you know them and associate with(与……交往) them at a bar, store or some other public places. They’re nice to talk to when you see them and are usually good for a laugh. However, they are not good to talk about a problem with.
The second kind is the counselor(顾问). This is a friend you go to when you need advice or just someone to listen. You value their wisdom or at least the fact that they are good at listening to you. You can tell this kind of friend almost anything without fearing gossip(闲言碎语). They are the kind of friend you can trust but you just don’t hang out together, unless you want to talk about something important.
The third kind is the fun boy/girl. This kind of friend can usually be counted on to go somewhere with you at a moment’s notice. They like hanging out with you whether you’re going to a store or a bar or wherever. They’re good tension relievers because you know you’re just going to have a good time. This kind of friend isn’t someone you go to for advice; in fact you shouldn’t affect your relationship by getting serious about something. They’re trustworthy and you know they aren’t going to gossip about what you do together. Don’t expect anything else from this kind of friend; just have a good time.
The fourth kind of is the work friend. This is the friend you have at work. You interact(交流) at work only. This may include having a break together, maybe even shopping with them or running an errand(差使) during lunch or after work. They’re usually not good to get advice from but on some occasions things might be discussed and you might give each other advice. Mostly you talk about the job.
The last kind is the lifetime friend. This friendship is very rare and usually is found in marriage relationships. This kind of friend is all the above rolled into one.
Kinds of friendships | ||
| Introduction | ※You will not ※It is good for you if you can recover from a(n) | |
| Different kinds of friendships | The social friend | ※You associate with this kind of friend in some ※You can have a good time in talking with such friends, but you’d better not |
| The counselor | ※This kind of friend is someone you seldom hang out with but you can always ※They are good | |
| The fun boy/girl | ※This kind of friend can make you ※Though they are | |
| The work friend | ※This kind of friend is for you to interact with just at work. ※The main | |
| The lifetime friend | ※This kind of friend | |
【推荐1】One day a very skilled artist met a beautiful woman who immediately became the object of his affections. As he observed her and spoke with her, he admired her more and more. He showered her with kindness and words of praise until she consented to be his wife.
Not long after they were married, however, the beautiful woman found out that she was more the object of his artistic interest than of his affections. When he admired her classic beauty, it was as though he were standing in front of a work of art rather than in front of a human being to whom he had pledged his love and promised his life. And soon he expressed his great desire to put her rare beauty on canvas.
“ Please sit for me in the workroom,” he pleaded, “ and I will make your beauty permanent. The work will be my masterpiece!”
She was humble and patient as well as flattered by his words, so she said, “Yes, my love. I will be happy to sit for you.” So the beautiful, young wife of the artist sat meekly for hours in his studio, not complaining. Day after day she sat patiently, smiling as she posed, because she loved him and because she hoped that he would see her love in her smile and obedience. She sometimes wanted to call out to him, “ Please love me and want me as a person rather than as an object !” But instead, she spoke nothing but words which pleased him.
At length, as the labor drew to close, the painter became wilder in his passion for his work. He only rarely turned his eyes from the canvas to look at his wife. As he stood there gazing at his beautiful work of art, he cried with a loud voice, “This is indeed life itself!” Then he turned to his beloved and saw that she was dead!
1. In what way did the artist express his appreciation of his wife’s rare beauty?| A．He put her classic beauty on canvas. |
| B．He promised to marry her. |
| C．He centered his deep affection on her. |
| D．He pledged his love and promised his life to her. |
| A．The artist loved his work more than his wife. |
| B．The artist didn’t really understand what is beauty. |
| C．The wife was fooled to sacrifice for his art creation. |
| D．The wife loved his painting more than herself. |
| A．He appreciated his life of painting. | B．He was grateful to his wife. |
| C．His work was more true to life than life itself. | D．His effort was really worth it. |
| A．A Well-matched Couple | B．A Devoted Artist |
| C．A Rare Masterpiece | D．A Stupid Wife |
【推荐2】Kevin Carroll is one of the world’s leading scientists. Besides his work with people, he has designed prosthetics (假肢) for dogs and even a duck. And now he is working on Winter.
Winter, an Atlantic dolphin, is a playful two-year-old. She was found off the coast of Florida, caught in a trap. When she arrived at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, CEO David Yates said her condition was serious.
“The first few days, we really didn’t think she’d live at all. 24-hour around-the-clock care was provided by our veterinary (兽医) staff, our animal care staff, and our volunteers who literally watched her every second of the day,” Yates said.
Winter survived, but she lost her tail. Without a tail, she can neither swim as fast nor jump as high as a normal dolphin. “She has had to get used to swimming without a tail. We didn’t know if she could do that,” he said.
Winter’s swimming style changed from up and down to side to side. Veterinarians were concerned that this unusual swimming form might change the long-term health of her spine (脊柱). The vets, therefore, began to explore how to design a prosthetic tail for Winter. Carroll called Winter’s caretakers after he got word of the need for a prosthetic tail, and he offered his services.
Designing a prosthesis for a dolphin was a trickier process than Carroll expected. He said, “With a person, when we fit a prosthesis, we have one long, firm bone. We don’t have to have it moving in every direction. With a dolphin, it needs to move along with her whole spine.” Teaching Winter how to use the prosthetic device (设备) also presents a challenge. Carroll will have to help her to learn how to once again swim up and down like a typical dolphin.
“It’s going to be powerful seeing her coming out of the water with that tail,” Carroll said. “I know she’s going to do it. We’re really looking forward to that.”
1. What can we infer about Winter from Yates’ words?| A．She was slightly hurt. |
| B．She recovered sooner than expected. |
| C．She was treated attentively and watchfully. |
| D．She failed to receive timely medical care. |
| A．To enable Winter to swim normally. |
| B．To save Winter’s life. |
| C．To help Winter get back to water. |
| D．To assist Winter in adapting to a new environment. |
| A．Smarter. | B．More difficult. | C．Quicker. | D．More valuable. |
| A．He is thankful for it. | B．He has doubts about it. |
| C．He is uninterested in it. | D．He has high hopes for it. |
【推荐3】In 1954, Eleanor - my grandma - in great need of income, walked into the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. There she convinced some of the greatest scientists that she was the perfect person for their ant collection.
As a teenager, Eleanor spent hours wandering around the halls of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, flipping through gift shop books about insect mounting (固定于载片上). But that was all her experience in the field.
During her job interview at Harvard, when Philip Darlington, an influential zoologist at that time, asked Eleanor about her specialty, she replied, “Oh, I like everything.”
“He probably realized right then that I have nothing special,” she says. She once worked in a hardware store in New York, and she had no typing skills to be a secretary. She had dropped out of the Tyler School of Fine Arts to marry. But that artistic background was a selling point for the Harvard Job, and she was hired on the spot.
Now artistic background are common for researchers. At that time, however, hiring a woman who had dropped out of art school was certainly a risk. It paid off, Eleanor’s job as a technician required the same quality that art school had demanded. She began each day at the museum mixing glue (胶水). Then she pulled the dead ants from the containers and set them out to dry. Some ants were small-barely 3 millimeters long-requiring patience and a careful hand. Eleanor needed to fix the ant bodies with a spot of glue and write a label for each of them.
The job required her to work quickly, yet correctly. “The average person never really hears about the expertise and the effort that goes into it.” said Wilson, an expert at the Museum. Rushing would risk ruining a rare specimen (标本), but Eleanor could process ants as quickly and many as 200 a day. Wilson said that she was the best technician who ever worked for him.
1. Why was Eleanor hired?| A．She once studied at an art school. |
| B．She’s married and in need of money. |
| C．She was interested in mounting insects. |
| D．She was experienced in the Museum career. |
| A．Eleanor’s payment. |
| B．Eleanor’s effort. |
| C．Eleanor’s artistic background. |
| D．Eleanor’s being hired. |
| A．To prove how painful Eleanor’s job is. |
| B．To highlight Eleanor’s outstanding ability. |
| C．To praise Eleanor’s bravery and creativity. |
| D．To provide evidence of Eleanor’s work process. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Emotional. | C．Creative. | D．Skillful. |
