It was late, about 10:15 p.m., when Janice Esposito arrived at the New York train station and began the 20-minute drive home. She had traveled the route so many times that she almost drove on autopilot (自动驾驶): a left onto Station Road, then a left on Montauk Highway, and then — bang! Out of nowhere, a car T-boned Janice’s car, pushing her backward onto the railroad tracks.
As it happened, Pole Dipinto was getting ready for bed. He’d just closed his book when he heard the loud crash not far outside his bedroom window. A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, 64, never stopped to think. He grabbed a flashlight and still in his pajamas (睡衣), ran out of the door. “Any firefighter would have done what I did,” he said, “We’re always on duty.”
The first car he came upon was the one that had hit Janice. Once Dipinto concluded the driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Janice’s car lay across the railroad tracks. And then he heard a terrible sound: the bells signaling an on-coming train.
Dipinto rushed to Janice’s car and banged on the driver’s side window. She just looked at him, her eyes unfocused. “I don’t know where I am,” she said. She seemed unhurt. “Honey, you’re on the railroad tracks,” Dipinto shouted, “We have to get you off right now!” He pulled hard on the door handle, but it didn’t work. The heavy train, traveling at 65 miles per hour, was heading toward them. Dipinto ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. “Please, God, don’t let her be trapped”, he thought. He pushed aside the airbags, grabbed Janice’s arms, and pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until he could help her out and walk her to safety. Within six seconds, he estimated, the train crashed into the car.
“It was like a Hollywood movie,” Dipinto told reporters the next day. But this one had a difference. That night, the hero arrived in pajamas, not in a fire truck.
1. What can we know about the accident from Paragraph 1?| A．Running vehicle crashed into Janice’s car. |
| B．Janice didn’t know the route well. |
| C．Janice drove too fast. |
| D．Janice’s car pushed backward another vehicle. |
| A．He was the volunteer firefighter who was on duty that night. |
| B．He first confirmed the other driver before he came to Janice’s rescue. |
| C．He was in sound sleep in his bedroom when the accident happened. |
| D．He wasn’t aware of the coming train when he was rescuing Janice. |
| A．Janice didn’t know where she was. |
| B．All the doors of Janice’s car were in good condition. |
| C．Dipinto rescued Janice without difficulty. |
| D．The airbags protected her in some way. |
| A．A Dangerous Heavy Train | B．A Hollywood Movie |
| C．A Hero in Pajamas | D．A Horrible Car Accident |
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【推荐1】In my late 20s, my world turned upside down in just 72 hours. My husband Doug worked at local construction company, while I was a quality-control inspector for JanSport, a backpack manufacturer located in Wenatchee, Washington. We were both extremely hard workers, but we could not work our way out of a declining economy. Doug was laid off on Wednesday and, two short days later, I learned that my entire plant had decided to relocate to Mexico to save money.
I didn’t react well to the news. I wanted to find a place to hide, but that wasn’t an option. I was scared when my husband got his lay-off notice on Wednesday. I was still suffering from the uncertainty of how we would make ends meet when I walked into work that fateful Friday and was told our plant was closing. At that point, I was absolutely shocked, angry, scared beyond description, and at a loss as to what we were going to do.
Although money had been tight in our home for some time, our family had made a smart decision a few years earlier that saved us from disaster. It had taken us two years, but we managed to save an emergency fund. In the end, losing all of our family’s income sources in the space of three days didn’t break us. It made us stronger.
Instead of hiding from my problem, I picked myself up and decided to help improve my family’s circumstances. There was actually a hidden blessing in the whole storm for me. Because my plant had closed down, I was eligible to go to school under Job Training Partnership Act. Was it embarrassing to ask for help from the state to improve myself? Sure. But in studying to be an accountant I was making a better future for my family for years to come. I have also paid that help forward countless times, contributing time and money to the community and sharing my story to help others help themselves.
1. What happened to the author?| A．Her factory went out of business. |
| B．She became ill and her husband was fired. |
| C．She lost her job the same week her husband did. |
| D．The relationship between her and her husband failed. |
| A．The author’s future plans. | B．The author’s inner activities. |
| C．The author’s causes of anxiety. | D．The author’s financial struggles. |
| A．Family support. | B．Her family’s deposit in the bank. |
| C．The money she spent earlier. | D．The financial products she bought. |
| A．The author got financial help from the state. |
| B．The author was lucky enough to be given a better job. |
| C．The author became famous for sharing her story. |
| D．The author managed to benefit from misfortune |
【推荐2】Runners never forget crossing the finishing line at their first marathon, and that will be especially true for Mike Kohler. When Kohler crossed the starting line in Fargo last Saturday, he thought he was going to run 13.1 miles, his first half marathon. Six hours later, he had "mistakenly” completed his first full marathon, 26.2 miles.
Kohler, a 26-year-old plumber (水管工) who now lives in West Fargo, had lined up for the half marathon that he hoped to complete in 150 minutes. He didn't realize he was in a starting fence with the full marathoners. Several miles later, Kohler began to realize he was on the course for the full marathon. "The 8-mile mark was when I figured out that I had made a mistake," he said. "Between then and 13.1, I debated with myself about what I should do.”
At some point — he doesn't remember when — he doubled down on the distance. "After I decided I was going to keep going, the thought of quitting didn't come back. Run, walk, or crawl, I wanted to finish," he said.
Until Saturday, Kohler's longest race was a 10-kilometer run, just over 6 miles. Even the most casual marathoners do a training run of 18 miles before the race. From his experience, he said he learned one thing: sometimes people can do more than they think they can.
After his long race, he went right back to work, put in a 10-hour day and then boarded a flight to Scotland for a vacation. "I was pretty sore, but I found the more I kept moving, the less sore I was, so I tried my best to go about life normally — minus running,” Kohler said from Glasgow. "I needed a break from that for a bit."
Not for too long, though. He's already considering the Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon in October.
1. When did Kohler realize that he made a mistake?| A．Before starting the race. |
| B．After running 8 miles. |
| C．When being with the full marathoners. |
| D．While lining up for the half marathon. |
| A．Determined. | B．Cooperative. |
| C．Open-minded. | D．Well-prepared. |
| A．He went to Scotland to get a break from work. |
| B．He had never trained for the full marathon before. |
| C．He decided to complete the race at the 8-mile mark. |
| D．He was debating with himself when he finished the race. |
| A．Life Lies in Movement |
| B．Life Means Never Quitting |
| C．One Can Always Do More Than He Can |
| D．One Mistakenly Runs Full Marathon Not a Half |
【推荐3】At most schools in the U. S., it’s customary to have a cheer squad (啦啦队) to support athletics. Cheerleaders drum up excitement before games, put on jaw—dropping routines at games, and provide support on the sidelines of most events. But students who participate in performing and visual arts seldom receive the same displays of support as athletes do. A group of students at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah, decided to change that fact by creating a cheer squad just for the arts.
Their school’s athletics cheer squad is called the Bruin Crazies, so they named their artistic cheer squad the Bruin Classies! This is a new brand with which they could create something for all of the arts, whether it is band, dance show, photography and art galleries—to give them some publicity and cheer them on.
Classies wear a “uniform” of bow ties to indicate the “sense of class”artistic efforts bring their school. They carry around signs to advertise the upcoming play, musical, or dance performance. Hoping to drum up ticket sales, they encourage their fellow students to come out to support the hard work of others. They also attend performances and displays at school to cheer their classmates on.
After years of discussion to make a cheer squad for the arts, this is the first time they’ve been able to pull it off. More than 90 students have already signed up to be a Bruin Classy! “The students have poured their time and energy into their arts, and it is worthy to be celebrated. ”Caleb Stay, the cheer squad leader, said, “If you worked really hard on something and no one showed up, it would be disappointing. We just want to make sure that no one feels that way. ”
This is such an amazing idea! We can’t believe no one has come up with it before, but hopefully these thoughtful teens have started a new trend to support the arts in other schools, too.
1. Why did the students in Mountain View high school set up the Bruin Classies?| A．To support the arts in their schoo1. | B．To compete with the Bruin Crazies. |
| C．To participate in the art performing. | D．To cheer the athletes on in the games. |
| A．By offering free tickets to students. |
| B．By popularizing the art performances. |
| C．By inviting students to attend performances. |
| D．By wearing a special uniform for art festivals. |
| A．More students will sign up the Bruin Classy. |
| B．Few students like to attend the art performance. |
| C．The artistic cheer squad will become a new trend. |
| D．The students’artistic efforts deserve to be admired. |
| A．Move over, “Crazies,” the “Classies” are here |
| B．“Crazies” keep up, never give in to “Classies” |
| C．The Bruin Crazies, a “uniform” of bow ties |
| D．The Bruin Crazies, a big hit in Orem, Utah |
【推荐1】My husband had just bought a new washing machine for me. I decided to use it the very day and I washed a lot of things.
Everything worked well, but I found one of my husband’s socks (短袜) missing. I looked everywhere for it , but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
The next morning, I got ready for school as usual. When the bell rang, the students came in. I greeted them and told them what we were going to do that day.
When I turned around to write on the blackboard, the class burst into a roar (大笑声)! They laughed and laughed. They laughed so much, in fact, that I was afraid the headmaster would come in to see all this.
I asked the class to stop, but the more I talked, the more they laughed. I decided to pay no attention to them and I continued to write on the blackboard. When I did this, they roared even more.
Finally, the teacher who had the room next to mine came in to see what all the laughter was about.
“Good heavens,” I said, “Will someone please tell me what is so funny?”
“Oh, God,” said the teacher, “You have a brown sock to the back of your skirt !”
So that’s how I found my husband’s missing sock.
“Oh, well,” I said to the class, “Let’s just say you have had an unforgettable lesson on static electricity (静电).”
1. What was the writer?| A．A washer. | B．A student. |
| C．A headmaster. | D．A teacher. |
| A．The class roared with anger. |
| B．The class began to laugh loudly. |
| C．Another teacher came in. |
| D．There was a loud noise outside the room. |
| A．Because some students had hidden it. |
| B．Because her husband had taken it away. |
| C．Because she had left it in the classroom. |
| D．Because she never expected that it would stick to her skirt. |
| A．She did nothing but laugh. |
| B．She got angry with the class. |
| C．She did nothing. |
| D．She explained the matter in a clever way. |
【推荐2】Bournemouth in Dorset has always been my favourite seaside town. When I was growing up, Mum and Dad didn’t have much money, but they’d saved enough for a few days in Bournemouth. I was four years old at the time. I don’t actually remember much about the trip, apart from being devastated when we had to leave. Mum said I fell in love with the place and insisted on waving goodbye to the sea when it was time to go. So I grew up believing Bournemouth was a wonderful place.
Forty years on, my wife and I returned for a week’s break. I was nervous, wondering if I’d be able to bring back that delight I’d felt as a child. I needn’t have worried. We had a fantastic time. It helped that the British weather had decided to provide us with high temperatures and plenty of sun. But it was Bournemouth that kept me spellbound, making me feel like a child again.
Bournemouth and its neighbour, Boscombe, are always busy, alive with chatter, music and other lively sounds. But as we stepped into Boscombe Chine Gardens, all the noise faded away. A sense of peace spread through us as we meandered along the paths, delighting in the squirrels climbing up and down the trees and the bright colours of the pretty plants.
One morning, we made a short trip to Poole Quay and took the ferry to Brownsea Island. Owned by the National Trust, it’s a feast for the eyes, from its mock Tudor entrance, to the many peacocks walking around, to the magnificent views of the sun sparkling on the shining waters and boats bobbing up and down, seen from the island’s highest point.
Before we knew it, it was time to return home—but not before waving goodbye to the sea.
1. Which of the following best explains “devastated” underlined in Paragraph 1?| A．Sorrowful. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Thrilled. | D．Desperate. |
| A．The fear of losing childhood memories. |
| B．The adjustment to the new circumstances. |
| C．The uncertainty of recalling childhood delight. |
| D．The exposure to high temperatures and sunshine. |
| A．It boasts seaside views. | B．It belongs to wild animals. |
| C．It is free of the town’s noise. | D．It reminds him of his childhood. |
| A．Farewell to Bournemouth. | B．Working in a wonderful place. |
| C．A childhood unforgettable story. | D．Revisiting a childhood favourite. |
【推荐3】For Beth Terry, when she read an article about how seabirds are being killed by discarded plastics, she realized that it was time to give up plastics.
First, she focused on her kitchen and got rid of the shopping bags and other plastic products. Then she turned to her bathroom. Toothpaste without plastic packaging was extremely hard to find, so she started making her own with baking soda.
Sometimes her personal war on plastics created awkward moments. During a vacation to Disneyland in California to run a half-marathon, Ms Terry and her husband left their reusable cloth bags in the hotel, soon discovering that the local supermarket only had plastic bags. How should they carry her fruits like apples, oranges, pears and melons?
“We just rolled them up in our T-shirts and carried them that way,” said Ms Terry, 54, recalling how she crab-walked back to the hotel to stay true to her principles. “ If I let myself off the hook this time, it would be easier for me to take plastics next time,” she said.
Treating plastics like a drug habit that needs to be kicked is a lifestyle promise being shared by more and more consumers, horrified by tens of millions of tons of plastics created worldwide each year, much of it in the form of single-use items like straws that end up in landfills(垃圾填埋场）or,worse, the oceans.
If you gathered up all your plastic waste each week, as Mr. Terry once did, you would have a small hill on the floor. How should we begin? “The one thing I want to make people know is to go step by step. Don’t try to do everything at once,” said Ms. Terry, who is the author of Plastic-Free:How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too.
1. What made Beth Terry give up plastics in her life?| A．Seeing some horrible scenes. |
| B．Reading about some terrible news. |
| C．Finding piles of plastic waste in her room. |
| D．Knowing about the annual creation of plastics. |
| A．Difficult. | B．Absurd. | C．Relaxing. | D．Terrible. |
| A．Allow myself to ask a favor. |
| B．Remind myself to keep on trying. |
| C．Remind myself to make a change. |
| D．Allow myself to get out of trouble. |
| A．To remember your original aims. |
| B．To stay true to your principles. |
| C．To make gradual progress. |
| D．To keep your word. |
