A few years ago, I moved to Aurora, Ont. with my boyfriend and I longed to make friends in my new neighborhood.
Where we lived, the houses were jammed together so tightly. But the irony of living so close was that no one actually talked to each other; as in an open-concept office, they pretend they can't hear or see each other to maintain at least an illusion of privacy.
It was not so easy to make friends as an adult. I was about to give up when I caught sight of a beautiful, tall blonde taking out her recycling. She walked with confidence—even her ponytail bounced. I thought, “I recycle too! We have so much in common!”
The question was, how would we meet? What would I say? So I thought, “What if I just happened to be jogging by?” I put on my running shoes, but after a few times around the block, sweating, I didn't see her. I decided to seize on the one thing I already knew about her—she takes out her blue bin.
The following day, I woke up a little earlier than usual. A little after 8 a.m., the garbage truck appeared and the blonde appeared. I grabbed a bin and made my way to the end of my driveway. “Just act natural, Megan,” I told myself. “Good morning. How are ya?” I said, cool as a cucumber. “Good. And you?” she replied. “Doing well...I am a new comer, just a broadcaster. I talk for a living. Clearly!” “Interesting,” she said.
As we both walked away, I turned and called out, “Oh, and by the way, I'm Megan.” “Michelle,” she replied. I walked back inside, wearing a giant smile.
Our “coincidental” recycling meet-ups continued for a few weeks until I finally gathered my courage to ask her to watch The Bachelor with me and she said yes.
That night, after we got everything ready, we settled on the couch and proceeded to drink wine, have our buffet, analyze television relationships, tell stories about our own and laugh our faces off. We “found what we'd been looking for": a new friend to fall spiritually in love with.
1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?| A．The author lived in a small house. |
| B．The author lived in a very noisy neighborhood. |
| C．The neighbors were closely connected to each other. |
| D．The neighbors had little communication with each other. |
| A．The tall blonde pretended to be very cool. |
| B．The tall blonde wore a big smile when talking. |
| C．The author was quite satisfied with their first talk. |
| D．The two friends met accidentally when the truck ca me. |
| A．hesitant but kind-hearted. | B．shy but insistent. |
| C．warm-hearted and generous. | D．Caring and modest. |
| A．A broadcaster talking for a living began to recycle. |
| B．A blonde watched The Bachelor with a broadcaster. |
| C．A new comer finally made friends with a neighbor. |
| D．Two women recycled together in the neighborhood. |
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【推荐1】Accompanying and supporting a friend, especially when they are in trouble, can be the difference between them moving through a difficult challenge or sinking into a state of hopelessness, social withdrawal and depression.
Reach out.
Find a good time to talk.
Choose a time when you’re both feeling reasonably relaxed and don’t have to rush off to other commitments.
Be a good listener.
It might be tempting (诱人的) to offer your friend advice about how to deal with what they’re experiencing, but the most helpful thing you can do if they choose to open up to you is simply listen.
| A．Encourage your friend to seek help. |
| B．Let your friend guide the conversation. |
| C．You can clear your schedule if necessary. |
| D．However, it’s tough to know what to do at times. |
| E．Sometimes a friend in trouble may isolate themselves. |
| F．They may not respond at first, so it’s important to keep trying. |
| G．It’s important to give them some time to think about everything. |
【推荐2】True love is happiness. True love is sharing your world with your dearest. How do you turn friendship into love? Is there a fine line between the two?
Be considerate and thoughtful towards the person.
Whatever the situation is, put yourself in your friends’ shoes. If they are in trouble, help them out.
If you’re really good friends with some people, go into town to catch a coffee, invite them on walks, or just invite them to your house for a bit of a catch-up. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure you know them well enough to feel comfortable having deep conversations and sharing your world with them. You don’t want them to be creeped out (爬出) with your sudden eagerness and interest.
Help them out once in a while.
Be caring and friendly.
Try not to have any arguments, even though they can easily happen. Don’t ever cheat and always look your best for them.
| A．Make eye contacts with them. |
| B．Spend plenty of time with them. |
| C．If they are happy, be happy with them. |
| D．Respect them and be friendly to them. |
| E．Here is a simple guide to seeking true love. |
| F．Have opinions, express your views and be a real friend. |
| G．If they’re struggling at school, go over a few topics with them. |
【推荐3】When we are grown-ups, it’s quite natural to look back on our different stages of life and remember who was there to see us through.
They understand the most about you. High school friends know you better than anyone else. They can just look at you and know how you’re feeling. You cannot hide much from them.
They make for the best reunion. Reunions are harder to organize when friends live across the country. However, with high school friends, it’s easy to enjoy the time together----you can often pick up just where you left off, no matter how long ago that was. Friendships can be hard to keep.
| A．We could depend on our friends all the time. |
| B．They are with you through your embarrassing stages. |
| C．They can sense something is off when you’re the slightest bit strange. |
| D．For me, I often think about my fantastic group of high school friends. |
| E．They build up your self-confidence to get you through each tough situation. |
| F．Let’s pray the flower of friendship would always bloom brightly in our hearts. |
| G．But it never seems like hard with the ones you’ve known and loved for long. |
【推荐1】Holly Cooke wasn’t a fan of weekends. Whenever Friday rolled around, it was a reminder that she had no one to spend her spare time with.
“I was lonely,” said Cooke, who relocated from Stoke-on-Trent — a city in central England — to London when she was 22. “I moved here knowing no one.” She had high hopes of going to restaurants, bars and the theater as she had done before, but she didn’t want to do those activities alone. “I was desiring community: people who wanted to hang out and have fun,” said Cooke, now 26.
She grew so eager for company, she said that she eventually found herself Googling: “How to make friends in London.” The search proved futile, though she found a few other women who were also lonely in London on some social media apps.
Cooke decided to create a Facebook group called “The London Lonely Girls Club,” and invited the people she connected with on the apps to join. She then asked everyone to meet for brunch (早午餐). “It was so difficult,” she said, adding that she asked a friend from out of town to come in for the brunch, in case no one else showed up. “Saying that you’re lonely and you don’t have people around, admitting to that was really scary.”
Cooke was pleasantly surprised when five women showed up and they all got along well. This proved she was not alone in her loneliness, and that she could help others in the same situation. She decided to start planning meetups every few weeks, and word slowly spread about the Facebook group. Now, five years later, the London Lonely Girls Club has more than 35,000 members.
Cooke said she lost count of how many women have made lasting friendships through her group. “It’s beautiful and rewarding, and it’s the reason I’ve carried on,” she said. “As long as there is a need, we will be here.”
1. What can we learn about Holly Cooke?| A．She was alone because of being addicted to social media apps. |
| B．She got used to the lifestyle of being alone on weekends. |
| C．She had little time to make friends after moving to London. |
| D．She used to meet friends on weekends when in Stoke-on-Trent. |
| A．Unsuccessful. | B．Unstoppable. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Unclear. |
| A．She wanted to have an optional plan in case it didn’t work. |
| B．She wanted to introduce her friend to the other women. |
| C．She needed someone to help her to organize the meetup. |
| D．She was afraid that no one else would come as planned. |
| A．It is well received. | B．It is not rewarding. |
| C．It is less creative. | D．It is not fruitful. |
【推荐2】Clara Barton packed her things at the office and went to her boss. “It’s been a pleasure working with you, but I’m leaving my job,” she turned and left.
“Why do you get home so early?” asked her sister Sally.
“The Civil War is taking its toll on the Union soldiers. I need to help them.” Sally looked around the room. “I’m going with you.” The two volunteered at a hospital where soldiers received treatment.
After several months, Clara became worried. “Sally, this isn’t enough. I need to help the soldiers in the field and on the front line. I’m leaving in the morning.”
Sally looked surprised. “Clara! You can’t. It’s too dangerous!”
“The front-line soldiers who need help are in greater danger.”
Clara got donations (捐赠物) from wherever she could and used her own savings to buy things that soldiers need. She also organized men to give help, carry water, and prepare food for the wounded.
Months later, Clara eventually made it to the front line. The wounded soldiers were so thankful for what she had done; she was regarded as the Angel of the Battlefield.
After the Civil War ended, Clara went to Europe to rest her body and mind. So many years of helping soldiers and their family had worn her down.
While visiting Switzerland, Clara learned of the International Red Cross. Its aim of helping the victims (受害者) of war around the world created interest and excitement in Clara. It also encouraged an idea. When she returned home, Clara worked to start an American Red Cross. She even met with President Hayes to discuss it. Finally, on 21 May 1881, the American Red Cross was formed. A month later, Clara was made president of the organization.
1. What does the underlined phrase “taking its toll on” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Calling for. |
| B．Taking control of. |
| C．Having a bad effect on. |
| D．Making an impression on. |
①Clara paid a visit to Switzerland.
②Clara officially started the American Red Cross.
③Clara learned about the International Red Cross.
④Clara went to the front line to help wounded soldiers.
⑤Clara quitted her job to volunteer at a hospital for soldiers.
| A．⑤④③①② | B．⑤④①③② |
| C．④⑤③①② | D．④⑤①③② |
| A．Kind and smart. |
| B．Honest and generous. |
| C．Strict and narrow -minded. |
| D．Brave and warm -hearted. |
| A．To describe how cruel the Civil War was. |
| B．To tell how the International Red Cross was formed. |
| C．To explain the role that women played in the war. |
| D．To introduce an important woman in American history. |
【推荐3】Reuben Kozary, a student from ANU, Australia, had never traveled to China before. Before coming to Shanghai, he had only heard about life in China through friends, social media and classroom textbooks.
Reuben Kozary was very curious to see what life in China was truly like. Fortunately, he was chosen to go on a one-month exchange program to ECNU. After living in Shanghai for a month as a student, he can now say that being a student in China was one of the greatest experiences in his life.
A Warm Welcome came from ECNU. The reception he got from the Chinese was a warm one, and it wasn’t simply because of the weather. His Chinese language teachers and program coordinator were all so friendly and excited to meet new students. Teachers gave them a tour of the beautiful ECNU campus, which is filled with sports facilities and cafeterias. To top the first day off, the teachers even treated them to a delicious dinner at one of the four cafeterias on campus. He quickly learnt that Chinese people love to eat tasty food together!
The teaching style at ECNU is quite unique. Their language classes were taught entirely in Chinese, and students were not allowed to speak English. His teacher even told them, with a smile on her face, that if she caught them speaking English more than five times, they would have to buy ice-cream for the whole class. While this was daunting at first, it helped Reuben Kozary to improve his listening and speaking skills much quicker than when he was studying in Australia. Life outside of the classroom was full of adventure. Because of the central location of the ECNU campus and Shanghai’s extremely convenient subway system, the after-class travel possibilities were endless.
Although there was much more to say about his time in Shanghai, he can summarize by saying that this one-month ECNU exchange program had been a life-changing experience. He had made many new friendships, and been inspired by the Chinese and their culture.
1. What was Reuben’s first impression of life in China like?| A．Cold and boring | B．Warm and welcoming |
| C．Confusing and surprising | D．Boring and unfair |
| A．By teaching in English | B．By forbidding the use of English in class |
| C．By giving extra homework | D．By offering private advice |
| A．Exciting | B．Relaxing | C．Encouraging | D．Frightening |
| A．The convenient underground system | B．The strict discipline at ECNU |
| C．The challenging Chinese lessons | D．The delicious food at the cafeterias |
【推荐1】In early August, Hilary Krieger, now 44, was sitting in her parents’ Boston home when her friend accidentally squirted (喷射) himself with an orange slice. She said, “Oh, the orange just orbisculated.” And he said, “It did what?” The two made a five-dollar bet, and Hilary gladly grabbed the family dictionary but found the word “orbisculate” was not in it! Hilary burst into her dad’s study and told him the shocking news. Looking awkward, her father admitted that he had made up the word “orbisculate” as the action that happens “when you dig your spoon into a grapefruit and it squirts juice directly into your eye”.
At first, Hilary was mad. But she quickly came to see her dad’s made-up word as a gift. It speaks to his creativity and the idea that, even when something is painful and annoying, like getting grapefruit juice in your eye, you can laugh and have fun with it.
Hilary’s father Neil Krieger died in April 2020, at age 78. Since the Kriegers couldn’t have a proper funeral, Hilary who now lives in New York, spent a lot of time on the phone talking with friends and family, and the “orbisculate” story kept coming up.
“I began to think ‘orbisculate’ is such a great word; it should be in the dictionary!” says Hilary. She called her younger brother Jonathan, who lives in Boston and runs an online company. Their goal is to put the word to use publicly enough that it has a chance of becoming acceptable. Encouraging people to use “orbisculate” in a wide variety of contexts will leave a compelling (令人信服的) trail of evidence for lexicographers (词典编纂者) to follow.
It has been more than two years since Neil’s death and his children are still struggling from the loss. But their campaign to get their father’s word into the dictionary has helped them win back a little of the joy that has been missing from their lives. “I could picture him being really excited,” Jonathan says. “And not until that day did I know my father had created many ‘words’ that we wouldn’t see in the dictionary.”
1. What made Hilary find “orbisculate” doesn’t exist?| A．A piece of shocking news. |
| B．The latest dictionary. |
| C．Her father’s strange reaction. |
| D．An accident between her friend and her. |
| A．Strict and stubborn. |
| B．Optimistic and creative. |
| C．Flexible and reliable. |
| D．Determined and hardworking. |
| A．After her father’s death. |
| B．When her father told her the truth. |
| C．After her brother’s request. |
| D．After she put the word to use publicly. |
| A．Hilary encourages people to make up more new words. |
| B．The introduction to other words created by Hilary’s father. |
| C．The reply that the official gave Hilary and her brother. |
| D．Hilary and her brother will continue to fight for their demand. |
【推荐2】I was quite angry with my professor last week when he gave us an assignment to “tell someone we love them”. It has to be someone we have never said those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.
But as I began driving home my conscience (良心) started talking to me. It was telling me that I knew exactly who I needed to say I love you to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and really never settled it since that time. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings.
So last Tuesday by the time I got home I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him. The next morning I was up bright and early. I could hardly sleep with excitement, nor did my wife.
At 9:00, I called my dad to see if I could come over after work. When he answered the phone, I just said, “Dad, can I come over after work tonight? I have something to tell you.” My dad responded with a grumpy face, “Now what?” I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.
At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. Dad did answer the door. I didn’t waste any time and took one step in the door and said, “Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.” His face softened and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, “I love you too, son.” Mom walked by with tears in her eyes.
Two days after that visit, my dad became unconscious (昏迷的). I don’t know if he’ll make it. What if I had waited to tell my dad? Maybe I will never get the chance again!
1. What problem did the author decide to solve?| A．His heavy office workload. | B．His hardly-finished assignment. |
| C．His disagreement with his father. | D．His unpleasant family gatherings. |
| A．Soft tone. | B．Bad temper. |
| C．Good mood. | D．Great despair. |
| A．Confused. | B．Shocked. |
| C．Moved. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．So don’t wait to do the things that you know ought to be done. |
| B．So don’t believe there will be a problem without a solution. |
| C．So don’t complain when your teacher gives you assignments. |
| D．So don’t forget to visit your family even if you are very busy. |
【推荐3】I have got kinds of gifts in my big closet. I am a closet regifter(赠礼). Don’t judge me. Regifting is a longstanding southern tradition. I mean, don’t waste what you don’t want, right? Most of you probably have a shelf or a drawer at home that houses some things that are nice but just aren’t for you. So, rather than discard them, you should save them for a rainy day when you realize you need just the right thing for that person you totally forgot about.
My mom keeps a closet filled with goodies to give. And my grandmother? One year she gave my mom a really interesting sweater on Christmas Day. After dinner we pulled the videos and we watched everyone open the gifts from the year before. What did we see? My grand mother received the exactly same sweater that she had just given my mom! So see? There was no way I was going to be able to avoid the tradition.
You would think I would learn my lesson since I have had a regift or two backfire on me. Once, I sent my cousin a wedding present from my store, a clock that was given to me on my birthday by my crazy aunt Nadine. It was unique. I truly thought she would love it. Weeks later I received a thank-you note for my thoughtful gift:
Dear Erica,
Thank you so much for the wonderful clock. I was a little confused when I opened it up and there was a card inside that said, “Happy Birthday Erica. Love, Aunt Nadine”.
Awkward! But even after all that, my annoyance remains. I mean, I promise I’ll quit someday. But first, I just have to get rid of the useless gifts in my closet. Any takers?
1. What does the underlined word “discard” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Produce. | B．Value. | C．Take apart. | D．Throw away. |
| A．Getting a genetic disorder. |
| B．Keeping the habit of regifting. |
| C．Forgetting about someone faraway. |
| D．Receiving the sweater as a Christmas gift. |
| A．It’s humorous. | B．It’s unexpected. |
| C．It’s embarrassing. | D．It’s discouraging. |
| A．It will disappear soon. |
| B．It sometimes troubles the author. |
| C．It should keep up with the times. |
| D．It changes the relationship between relatives. |
