One day, when I was going to check in at an airport, I noticed there was a big problem. The counter person was telling everyone that all the planes were having problems and they would not be able to fly! And it was suggested that a bus would be provided to take us to Seattle. Everyone was worried, as we only had an hour and a half to make the connecting flight, and the bus was not even at the airport yet.
Finally, the bus pulled up, and the driver said, “They just pulled me out of bed after an all-night shift(夜班), and they expect me to get you to Seattle in time to catch your flight. Good luck!”
Needless to say, everyone was in a really bad mood. I was loading my baggage into the bus and had slung my banjo(班卓琴)over my back when the bus driver said, “What? Are you going to play that in my bus?” “Well, really did not plan on it,” I replied. “I was only kidding,” said the driver. But I started thinking about it, and I pulled out the banjo. A worried, angry woman said, “Well, what if I don’t like it?” “Then tell me and I’ll stop,” I replied.
We drove off, and the tension made the atmosphere inside the bus horrendous! Then I started plucking(弹奏)the old standard Blue Skies. In a few minutes, I noticed everyone was singing along. I started to sing, too, and before long, the whole bus burst into song.
One song led to another. Everyone laughed and sang, with food passed around the bus, and before long, the airport was in sight.
The bus driver called, “We made it! We never would have done it without the help of our banjo player.” Shouts of approval rang through the bus. People exchanged addresses and invitations to visit, and a few exchanged hugs.
A few weeks later, my mailbox was filled with letters from my new friends. Their letters reminded me of how, by reaching out with just a song or a bit of friendship, you can turn a very tense situation into a peaceful experience—a magical, musical bus ride.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．The counter person would drive the passengers to Seattle. |
| B．The driver was on the night shift then. |
| C．The passengers thought it hard to get to Seattle in time. |
| D．The driver always had lots of bad luck. |
| A．a passenger gave him a hug | B．the driver tried to stop him |
| C．the whole bus burst into song | D．a woman was not happy about it |
| A．A Wonderful Musical Bus Ride | B．A Great Banjo Player |
| C．The Amazing Friendship on a Bus | D．An Unforgettable Experience at the Airport |
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【推荐1】In March 2019, When Sara Cook first got a letter in the mail telling her that someone had paid off part of her medical debt, she thought it was fake. “It seemed like you have a long-lost uncle and you just inherited two million dollars,” Cook says.
A remarkable nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt had indeed paid $5,000 toward her bills. The former nurse was deeply moved by the gesture. Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton do have good hearts, who have seen how health-related debt has destroyed lives. Since 2014, the men estimate they've spent about $20 million to pay off personal debts. Antico and Ashton get their money from individuals and charities that support RIP’s mission.
Don't bother contacting RIP for help, however. Antico says they used to let people reach out to them, but it was a disheartening experience because they weren't able to help everyone who applied. Instead, RIP researches potential recipients based on three rules. First, they look for people who make not more than two and a half times the amount established as the federal poverty level. Then they screen for those whose medical debt is equal to 5 percent or more of their income. Third, they look to see whether a person is insolvent (破产的).
For the people who do qualify, RIP’s help is life-changing. “After their letter, I realized that my life really doesn't stink (糟糕),” says Cook, “I may never be able to work as a nurse again, but I can sit at the school library and help kids read or serve up food in the soup kitchen. When people do something out of the kindness of their hearts, sometimes they may wonder whether it really makes a difference. I want people to know that this had a positive impact.”
1. What was Sara Cook's first feeling about the letter?| A．Grateful. | B．Unbelievable. | C．Confused. | D．Lucky. |
| A．All Cook's medical debt has been paid. |
| B．Antico and Ashton have paid Cook's bill. |
| C．Individuals and charities support RIP. |
| D．The debt has destroyed Cook's life. |
| A．One who is due to pay huge medical fees. |
| B．One who submits application to RIP in advance. |
| C．One whose company is profitless during a long period. |
| D．One whose earnings are around the federal poverty. |
| A．Because she wants to pay back the money. |
| B．Because she wants to show her life is not bad. |
| C．Because she wants to prove kindness makes a difference. |
| D．Because she can't work as a nurse any more. |
【推荐2】Bookstores are fascinating places. There the books can take you to magical lands, help you learn a foreign language, or cook a delicious meal. But when your community doesn’t have enough space for a real brick bookstore, you have to make a compromise (妥协). A mobile bookstore that brings books around the country is the result. That is the case for Rita Collins, 70, who dreamed of opening a bookstore after retiring.
A business planning class convinced Collins that opening a bookstore in the small town where she lives would not be practical. Eureka, Montana, located just nine miles from the Canadian border, only has a population of 1,517. Collins asked her instructors about a traveling bookstore on wheels and they were doubtful. But she insisted.
Collins was inspired by Dylans Mobile Bookstore, a traveling bookstore in Wales run by Jeff Towns. She contacted Jeff for advice but she was largely on her own when it came to building her bookstore. First, she had to find a vehicle large enough to stand in. Then she had to have it refitted with shelves that would hold the books at a 15-degree angle so that they would stay in place while in transportation. Collins named her bookstore St Rita’s Traveling Bookstore, which has been on the road since 2015.
At first, she drove through Montana and then she made her first cross-country trip in 2016. Collins and her mobile bookstore have visited 30 states. Collins loves meeting people and making connections. She sets up a typewriter outside the store and encourages customers to write. One time, a young man typed an entire page about a friend of his. That’s something she never expected.
While she loves what she does, Collins doesn’t think she can keep doing it due to her old age. In several years, she hopes to pass her traveling bookstore onto another bibliophile (爱书者)who shares the same interest and will keep it on the road.
1. Why does the author mention the mobile bookstore in Paragraph 1?| A．To advertise it in small towns. |
| B．To compare it with the fixed one. |
| C．To introduce the story of Collins. |
| D．To introduce the main types of bookstores. |
| A．Few people love reading in her town. | B．It has a small consumer market. |
| C．She lacked start-up capital. | D．No one gave her guidance. |
| A．Where Collins got the inspiration for her bookstore. |
| B．Why Collins bookstore became famous soon. |
| C．How Collins got support for her bookstore. |
| D．How Collins built her mobile bookstore. |
| A．To invite more people to open traveling bookstores. |
| B．To find a booklover to take over her bookstore. |
| C．To keep traveling to other states by herself. |
| D．To sell more books in many areas. |
【推荐3】I am the girl who rarely says " no"・ A demanding career, chairing a local professional group, helping to found an international professional group, caring for a parent affairs, and caring for two dogshad burned me out. I needed a vacation.
I scheduled a week off from work and searched for beach rentals. At first, the search was in vain. Most houses were expensive, some would not allow dogs, and some were far away from the beach. At last, I found a house for the right price, with a dog-friendly fenced yard, across the street from the beach.
I took off for the rental with my dogs. It was easy to find the house. Inspecting it, the first thing I noticed was the same small carpet in the kitchen as in my own. It felt like a good sign. I let the dogs run and roll in the yard and continued my inspection. The house was very clean, the bed and sofas were all comfortable, and there were plenty of pots, pans and dishes for a week of meals. Setting into this strange place felt like taking a deep breath. We went on walks and runs on the beach. Schools of playful dolphins offshore kept pace with my walks. Fresh air and sunshine inspired creativity with my camera.
I now refer to this place as my recharge rental, and it has become the one calendar entry each year written in stone. Every visit, I meet nice people. A man on the beach told me how to recognize shark teeth in the sand. Another year, during a beach walk, a woman stopped me because she thought she knew me. It turned out we have a friend in common in Atlanta. Enjoying an annual visit to the beach has allowed me to step out of daily life and refill my energy.
1. Why did the author need a vacation?| A．Her career failed. | B．She was out of energy. |
| C．One of her parents passed away. | D．Her dogs were eager to go outdoors. |
| A．The sofas and cleanness. | B．The fresh air and sunshine. |
| C．The carpet in the kitchen. | D．The dog-friendly fenced yard. |
| A．They could jog together. |
| B．She met her in Atlanta before. |
| C．She wanted to show her shark teeth. |
| D．She recognized her as an acquaintance. |
| A．My Quiet Escape | B．My Refreshing Shelter |
| C．My Lovely Neighbor | D．My Beach Experience |
【推荐1】It was a beautiful sunny day in a small village in Africa. I was playing with the children outside. A little boy, about 7 years old, gestured to me to follow him. He had s shy smile on his small face and said something to me.
“You want me to go to your home?” I asked. He nodded. So we went hand in hand to his home.
We went to the place where the cabbages were growing. “Piga picha” he said… “Take a picture.” Then, I took a photo and showed him the photo on the camera, and he nodded.
We walked closer to the house and the little boy stood by the coffee tree. There his younger brother was picking coffee berries. “Piga picha,” he said again. I took a picture quickly for his younger brother.
He then pulled me by the hand to his mother’s grave around the back of the house. “Mama Sue,” he said almost in tears, “Piga picha.” It was my turn to nod. I silently obeyed his simple request. “Piga picha.”
A picture of a little boy at his mother’s grave! That reminded me: 40 years ago, when I was 7 years old, I was also standing at my own mother’s grave.
What a day!
1. What did the little boy really want the writer to do?| A．To play with him. | B．To go to his home. |
| C．To see his shy smile. | D．To visit the small village. |
| A．take a photo | B．grow cabbages | C．pick coffee berries | D．look at the camera |
| A．Anxious. | B．Worried. | C．Happy. | D．Sad. |
| A．Mother’s Love | B．Taking Photos |
| C．An Unforgettable Day | D．A Small African village |
【推荐2】Carl Allamby, owner of two auto-repair shops with 11 employees, had become anxious and desirous of something more. At first, he thought it must have to do with growing his business even further. Therefore, the Ohio resident decided to go for his university’s degree in business management.
After taking classes part-time over the next five years, Allamby was told, unexpectedly, he had to take biology to get his degree. It turned out to be best thing that could have happened. The biology class rekindled a childhood dream that he had put away somewhere deep within himself. “After the first day, I remembered this feeling of wanting to be a doctor back,” Allamby says.
Growing up in a poor African American neighborhood, he faced low expectations and numerous barriers to pursuing his dream. His school didn’t offer the advanced science classes that might have led him on a medical path. Even if it had, doing well in school could prove dangerous—students who brought books back home would always be robbed (抢劫). So he set aside thoughts of becoming a doctor in favor of a more realistic career path—fixing cars.
Years later, a different Carl Allamby, with the support of his wife and family, decided to skip business school in favor of the science classes he’d need for a second career as a health-care worker.
And in 2015, Allamby cut ties with his past, selling his two shops and everything that was in them. Then he started at Northeast Ohio Medical University. At the age of 47, as a medical doctor, he took a job in emergency medicine at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
“I am told that I shouldn’t be a doctor”, he says. “Whether it’s because of my age, my race, my upbringing or my past career, these are all good reasons why I shouldn’t be here. And yet, here I am.”
1. Why does Carl take business management classes?| A．Because he wants to meet more potential employees. |
| B．Because he wants to be respected by his employees. |
| C．Because he wants to improve his company’s business. |
| D．Because he wants to be qualified for a professor’s job. |
| A．Took on. | B．Pulled over. | C．Put out. | D．Brought back. |
| A．The poor path to his school. | B．The dangerous crimes in Africa. |
| C．Lack of the access to some key courses. | D．Lack of the money to buy advanced textbooks. |
| A．Gifted. | B．Determined. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Powerful. |
【推荐3】When school started on that warm August day, I threw myself into everything I did, including playing volleyball. I wanted to become beautiful, or at the very least, skinny. I stopped eating completely. Soon I began losing weight, which thrilled me, and I even grew to love the tiredness and lightheadedness that came with my poor diet, for those feelings meant that I was winning.
As the season progressed, things had become tense between my head volleyball coach, Coach Smith, and me. She felt that something was wrong with my health. She talked with me about my eating and was angry that I wouldn’t listen to her when she tried to make me eat. She tried to persuade me in a determined way and so we fought constantly. Then my hunger started to affect my performance. I was so tired that practice and games were becoming a struggle. One afternoon, with hurt in her eyes, Coach Smith asked me what I had eaten and I told her nothing yet, but I was going to. She looked at me, disappointment in her eyes, knowing she couldn’t make me stop, and walked away.
A couple of weeks later I attended a formal dinner for our volleyball team. I stood there as my coach managed to say something nice about me. I realized then that I had ruined my senior year by being disrespectful, and I had probably ruined hers as well. So that evening I wrote her a letter apologizing and thanking her.
Then one Saturday, as I was reading in the library, I felt someone gently take my arm and say softly, “Lynn Jones, how are you doing?” I looked up and saw the familiar face. “Thanks for the letter,” she said. “It meant a lot.”
When I think of a coach, I think of someone above me, someone who gives instruction—not a friend. But Coach Smith is different, and, like any other good friend, she dealt with my problem in a determined way even when I hated her for it at that time. I didn’t deserve her kindness, but she gave it anyway. I will forever be grateful for her help, and now for her friendship.
1. The author fought with Coach Smith because ________.| A．she refused to go on a diet | B．she caused failure of her team |
| C．she changed the training course | D．she kept her idea of losing weight |
| A．She felt sorry for eating too little food. |
| B．She desired to improve her performance. |
| C．She was grateful for Smith’s care for her health. |
| D．She wanted to build a close relationship with Smith. |
| A．Unexpected Friendship | B．A Fight with My Coach |
| C．A Strict Volleyball Coach | D．My Way of Losing Weight |
