As we slide even closer to Father's Day during these pandemic （流行病）times, I can’ t help but feel super privileged to tell you about one extraordinary dad. He's a dad so good that after he was done raising his own kids, he took to YouTube to do some more dadding to millions of complete and total strangers in need.
Rob Kenney's childhood had a theme that, sadly, is not at all uncommon for American kids: fatherlessness. His father left his family when he was just twelve years old, and statistics say that lines up with the experience of about 25% of kids today. Many lessons a dad would teach a kid, he just had to learn on his own. However, Kenney swore that his own kids would not have that experience, and after successfully raising two kids into two adults, he's branching out to help fatherless kids just like him in the coolest way possible.
Kenney has started a YouTube channel called “Dad, How Do I?" to show fatherless kids a variety of “how to' s" over the everyday tasks of living. From “how to tie a tie" to "how to shave your face" to "how to check your car's oil" , Kenney’s videos are readily understood, though almost entirely unedited.
In the past week, thanks to some viral posts on Twitter and Facebook by influencers, Kenney's channel has gone from a handful of subscribers to 1.97 million! It just goes to show you how much his " Practical 'Dadvice' for everyday tasks" is needed and appreciated by fatherless kids everywhere --- not to mention adults who just simply don ' t know how to do stuff. The viewers ' comments on Kenney's YouTube channel can move even the hard-hearted to tears.
1. What's the author's main purpose of writing the text?| A．To celebrate Father's Day. |
| B．To introduce a kind father. |
| C．To stress the major role fathers play. |
| D．To warn people against the pandemic. |
| A．To make a name for himself. |
| B．To set an example to his kids. |
| C．To direct parents to bring up their kids. |
| D．To teach fatherless kids to do everyday things. |
| A．Complex. | B．Well edited. |
| C．Slightly abstract. | D．Straightforward. |
| A．The popularity of his channel. |
| B．His thanks to enthusiastic posters. |
| C．The necessity of updating his videos. |
| D．His comments on hard-hearted viewers. |
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【推荐1】Rob Kenney’s dad left him when he was little. At a time when he was on the path to young adulthood, he had no father to guide him on the way. He had a painful experience as a young boy, but learned, with the help of his marriage, to forgive his dad just before his dad died in his 80s. Now, with a wife of 29 years and two successful adult children — Kristine, 27, who works with kids, and Kyle, a software engineer — Kenney wants to pay it forward.
“My goal in life was to raise good adults, not good children,” he explains. The fact that his kids have both grown up and left the house left him thinking how he might help others. And the quarantine (隔离期) was actually the perfect time for him to finally share some key life skills with other kids who might be growing up in difficult situations — maybe they’ve lost a parent or have parents who are absent.
So the dad set up a heart-warming YouTube program called Dad, How Do I?, a program that shares instructional videos like how to cook a meal and tie a perfect tie.
His practical tips have really touched the viewers, which are growing in number day by day. Rob Kenney is just what the Internet needs — a caring dad who wants to share his skills. It’s no wonder that he has gotten as many as 1.9 million fans in return.
The unbelievable success of Rob Kenney’s videos suggests the need for a good father figure in a child’s life. From teaching basic life skills to encouraging them to be kind, a father figure helps kids develop into active members of society. He especially instructs them in good manners, being honest, and being grateful.
1. What do we know about Kenney?| A．He learnt life skills from his wife. | B．He recognised his failing as a father. |
| C．He once hated his father so much. | D．He learnt a lot from his dad. |
| A．To encourage people to lead a healthy life. |
| B．To prepare his own children for the adulthood. |
| C．To teach life skills to kids with absent parents. |
| D．To offer tips on how to deal with loneliness. |
| A．Best qualities of a good father figure. |
| B．A father figure’s role in child development. |
| C．Lessons learnt from Kenney’s success. |
| D．Kenney’s achievements as a father figure. |
【推荐2】Natasha Tucker’s passion for fighting plastic pollution began with a shocking moment.
While working at the Vancouver Aquarium, Tucker met a rescued dolphin whose fins were partially cut off due to fishing equipment entanglement (缠绕). This heartbreaking experience made Tucker immediately search for a way to take action against the plastic pollution that caused these injuries.
“I saw immediately that this was because of us,” she says. “I knew I had to do something. Then, I found Mind Your Plastic.”
That aquarium encounter was not the only experience that inspired Tucker to action. Other experiences like working in retail management came with witnessing tons of plastic waste. “I saw how much got thrown out, and it didn’t sit well with me,” she says.
Plastic waste in business is among what Mind Your Plastic is seeking to end via its three key programs: the Circular Economy Ambassador Program(CEAP) for educators and youth, the Plastic-Free Events Policy Program for municipalities (市政当局) and the Plastic Awareness and Reduction Tool-kit s (PART) Program for businesses.
When people donate to Mind Your Plastic, their dollars directly support these programs and help them effect change. Through direct partnerships with local educators, municipalities and businesses, these programs connect Canadians with direct ways to take action. The CEAP program, for example, helps teachers educate youth about the circular economy, lead local cleanups, and track collected waste.
The blame game is another area in need of transition, according to Tucker, who says that big companies, not customers, should carry the responsibility to solve Canada’s plastic pollution problem.
“It’s felt for a long time like the responsibility is placed on the customers,” says Tucker. “That needs to stop.”
Tucker says this perspective (观点) can be shifted by individuals creating public pressures—for example, pushing for policy—and using their dollars to support more sustainable, circular alternatives until these policy changes happen.
“This makes policy a valuable tool. And big business may say there’s no interest, but we know there is,” she says. “Let’s use our dollars to prove that, and challenge policymakers to help make change happen.”
1. What first inspired Natasha Tucker’s passion for fighting plastic pollution?| A．Working in retail management. | B．Witnessing tons of plastic waste. |
| C．Meeting an injured dolphin. | D．Finding Mind Your Plastic. |
| A．Tucker felt uneasy about the large quantity of the plastic. |
| B．Tucker was unconcerned about the amount of plastic waste she saw. |
| C．Tucker enjoyed managing so much plastic waste. |
| D．Tucker thought the amount of plastic waste was acceptable. |
| A．By blaming consumers for plastic waste. | B．By providing education and partnership. |
| C．By quarreling with big businesses. | D．By stop ping using plastic products. |
| A．The harmful effects of plastic pollution on life in the ocean. |
| B．Natasha Tucker’s personal experiences and her fight against plastic pollution. |
| C．The programs of Mind Your Plastic to reduce plastic waste. |
| D．The responsibility of big companies in solving Canada’s plastic pollution problem. |
【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．Seven days after she was born. |
| B．When her Mom sang the song. |
| C．When she received the old “Christine” box. |
| D．On the fourth day after she was born. |
| A．The old boxes are not fit for the author any longer. |
| B．People usually know the author as Christine but she has changed. |
| C．The author has to live in the old boxes. |
| D．They don’t know the author has changed her name. |
| A．She showed no interest in reading. |
| B．She loved reading and sharing books with friends. |
| C．She lacked confidence and preferred to be alone. |
| D．She took pleasure in finding new things. |
| A．Learning from Names | B．Meaning of Nicknames |
| C．My True Name | D．A Unique Name |
【推荐1】Our house was across the street from a hospital. We rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was preparing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man hardly taller than my eight-year-old daughter.
But the frightening thing was his swollen face. He told me that he’d been hunting for a room since noon but no one seemed to have a room. For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep on the porch (门廊). My bus leaves early in the morning.”
I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked him to join us. “No, thank you. I have plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out to talk with him for a few minutes.
He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, who was hopelessly disabled, and her five children. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, he was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease. He thanked life for giving him the strength to keep going.
At bedtime, we put a small camp bed in the children’s room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left, he smiled, “Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him he was welcome to come again.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or vegetables. Other times we received packages. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts more precious. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude.
1. What led to the old man’s failure to get a room before?| A．His ugly appearance. | B．His fishing job. |
| C．His disabled daughter. | D．His lack of money. |
| A．He often took his daughter to hospital. |
| B．He suffered great pain due to his disease. |
| C．He took great trouble to send the author gifts. |
| D．He often came to offer the author help from then on. |
| A．A precious gift. | B．A caring family. |
| C．A generous fisherman. | D．An unspoken complaint. |
【推荐2】Sometimes we experience pain that seems just too big to feel, too frightening to face - it looks like a tsunami. So, we run. My tsunami came when I was nine years old.
I was woken up by my mother’s screams - “Bob? Bob?! BOB!” I ran to my parents’ bedroom. My father was on all fours, unconscious. My mother was crazy - desperately trying to figure out how to stop what was happening. I ran to the phone - 9-1-1, the neighbors, anyone - “help us!” Soon rescue came, but my father didn’t come back to life.
When my friends came to comfort me, I remember “pulling myself together” as I walked toward them, determining to show them that I was fine.
The more I denied my pain, the more I was praised by the adults around me-”Oh, look how strong she is!” So, I kept saying “I’m fine.” Over and over and over. I said it enough - performed it enough - that I even fooled myself. I believed that I was okay.
But pain doesn’t just “go away” - that whole “time heals” thing is a total crock 30 years after my father died, when I looked around for an explanation for all the years of destructive behavior, I couldn’t find the root of the pain in my life because I had covered it up so well. All the “I’m fine” - 30 years of them - buried the pain of that nine years old girl.
Her pain had been trying to come out, to be heard, to be healed.
And, finally, it was.
After years of treatment, I found my way back to that night where the pain started, back to the tsunami. This time, I didn’t run. It hurt - it still hurts - but now, when it hurts, I let the pain come. I m not scared to say, “I’m not fine” - because I know, eventually, I will be.
1. What did the author do when her father was in danger?| A．She ran out to look for rescue. | B．She kept calm and asked for help. |
| C．She offered first aid to him at once. | D．She was too afraid to do anything. |
| A．fact | B．theory |
| C．experiment | D．lie |
| A．She behaved politely. |
| B．She seemed to be confident. |
| C．She could look after herself. |
| D．She could handle the blow properly. |
| A．Hiding our pain can be harmful. |
| B．Expressing pain is not very easy. |
| C．Being strong means hiding one’s pain. |
| D．Children are good at covering up their pain. |
I booked an overnight trip to Dover, Delaware. We arrived in Delaware right after sunset. Mom and I settled into our hotel room and went downstairs to the restaurant, and then I ordered myself a drink. I had just taken two sips when my husband called me.
“I’m so sorry to bother you,”Craig said.“The baby is burning up and we are on the way to the hospital.” I didn’t know how to reply. I was so desperate to get away to take a break. My baby was sick but I couldn’t do a thing for him. The situa tion made me feel so helpless.“I don’t know what to do,”I told him.“I’m five hours from home!”“I know,”my husband said.“You can’t help that. I’ll call you when I know what’s wrong.” My husband and my father took the baby to the emergency room. Meanwhile, I searched the restaurant for my mom. Once I found her, we went to our hotel room and waited for a phone call.
Over an hour later, Craig called to tell me that the baby had bronchitis(支气管炎). He seemed to be feeling better. The next morning, when I returned home, the baby was already back to his happy self.
Ever since this incident, I have really struggled with the concept of“me”time. I try to figure out why I need a break from the child who I love very much. However, sometimes I need to feel like a person and not just a mommy machine. In recent months, I have taken some“me”time. My mom helped keep the baby so I could go shopping, take a nap, and clean my house. On a couple of occasions, Craig and I went to dinner with friends. And this summer, I even managed to read an entire novel while the baby rested.
Now I’ve decided not to leave the baby overnight again or travel a long distance without him. I remember when I first announced my pregnancy(怀孕), a friend told me there was no ‘me’ in mommy. Maybe there’s not. But for me, I’m taking“me”time when I can.
1. After the author answered the first phone call, she .
| A．took a taxi to the hospital |
| B．didn’t want to go home |
| C．was too concerned to have dinner |
| D．telephoned her father immediately |
| A．tell her to look after his mother |
| B．inform her of the baby’s condition |
| C．advise her to buy some medicine |
| D．complain about their child’s bad behavior |
| A．focus on taking care of her baby |
| B．read interesting stories to her baby |
| C．travel a long distance with her baby |
| D．spend time doing housework by herself |
| A．Interested. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Doubtful. |
