For much of my childhood, my mother filled in the evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted (编织) hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.
“I am going to telephone seniors,” said my mother. “Every night? But you don’t even know these people.” “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What’s important is that I listen.” I was sixteen years old and couldn’t understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. “They will talk your ear off. Some people didn’t even stop to catch breath, I said.”
My attitude didn’t decrease my mother’s enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, “Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?” My mother grasped one of my hands and gave it a slight squeeze. “I’m the only person she talked to today.”
It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the meaning of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I’m the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother’s calls were life lines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.
1. Why did the author’s mother call the seniors?| A．To introduce friends to them. |
| B．To make them feel less lonely. |
| C．To know what they cook for dinner. |
| D．To teach them how to make desserts. |
| A．They will blame others’ wrong doings. |
| B．They will be tired of listening to others. |
| C．They will talk all the time on the phone. |
| D．They will make you feel really satisfied. |
| A．Because the author is becoming older. |
| B．Because the author’s mother is becoming older. |
| C．Because the author started to do the same thing. |
| D．Because the author found what his/her mother did is worthwhile. |
| A．The author is going to be eighty years old. |
| B．The author thinks highly of her mother’s calls. |
| C．The author’s mother prefers to live alone at an old age. |
| D．The author’s dog likes stealing foods from the refrigerator. |
| A．Mother’s evenings | B．A new project |
| C．Nightly calls, lifeline calls | D．Call your parents often |
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【推荐1】Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod(棒) to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow. Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She had never let me see her tears.
1. Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child peel potatoes?| A．Cruel. | B．Serious. | C．Cold. | D．Strict. |
| A．Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it. |
| B．The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up. |
| C．Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher. |
| D．What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity. |
| A．they felt sorry for what they had done before |
| B．they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt |
| C．they were astonished to find the author’s progress |
| D．they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars |
| A．the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep |
| B．the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own |
| C．Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph |
| D．in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth |
【推荐2】In a post shared on Twitter last Monday, the woman, Amy Clukey, explained that her dad, Rick, a beekeeper, died of lung cancer about nine years ago. But, before passing away, he wrote a note that he hoped one of his children would later find, and finally after so long, her little brother, who is now 16 years old, found it in his father’s beekeeping clothes.
The note said, “I hope one of my children is curious about beekeeping. Beekeeping is actually pretty easy and you can learn everything online. Bees make more products than just honey; it can be a source of extra income. So don’t be afraid, have courage. Good luck. Love Dad.”
The bee population in 2019 consisted primarily of wild bees, and North Dakota has the highest honey production with over 38 million pounds.
Clukey explained that her father bought a farm when he was in his 40s, and it was then that he took up beekeeping and other hobbies like raising cattle and horses. She added, “When he was diagnosed (诊断) with stage 4 lung cancer, the doctors told him that he had 18 months to live. He was a fighter: He lived 5 years and a week after his diagnosis.”
The post has attracted a lot of readers on the platform and has received over 42,800 likes, 2,333 comments, and 749,000 re-shares in less than 24 hours, and in the comments, the woman added that while she doesn’t do beekeeping herself, two of her brothers are interested in it.
One user commented, “I lost my dad in 2018. This post makes me cry.” And another user said, “My dad is in the last few weeks of his life battling cancer. I’ll come back to the post in a couple of months when I need it again.” And one also shared the story of her personal loss, writing, “I lost my husband half a year ago. He used to leave little notes all over the house. I can’t bring myself to move anything.”
1. What did the father wish according to the text?| A．His children could make big money. |
| B．One of his children could find the hidden note. |
| C．One of his children could be interested in keeping bees. |
| D．His children could make great contribution to the honey production. |
| A．Hard-working and brave. | B．Wealthy and healthy. |
| C．Easy-going and intelligent. | D．Generous and wise. |
| A．They are all beekeepers. | B．They are all moved by the note. |
| C．They all lost their loved ones. | D．They all found the family member’s notes. |
| A．A father’s death touched people’s hearts. |
| B．People made comments on a father’s death. |
| C．A father’s note posted online attracted attention. |
| D．Beekeeping is important for many families. |
【推荐3】The text from my friend Lorraine said simply: Fancy a family picnic this weekend? My hands began to sweat; my heart beat hard. I wanted to yell, "No! Why would you suggest that? I thought we were friends!"
I hated picnics. My hatred of them began as a child. I always got car-sick and it was hot all the way. Air conditioning in vehicles was pretty much unheard of in 1980s Birmingham, and my mother insisted on having all the windows closed because of the unpleasant smell of gas. We would arrive at some faraway destination, usually a car park with a field attached next to a plant, and unpack tasteless sandwiches, nearly cold sausage rolls and disgusting salads. There were never any toilets, so we had to "go" behind a bush; the memory of being discovered by a random dog-walker still embarrasses me from time to time. My mother sat in a relaxed way on a rug (小毯子) while we girls were playing nearby or maybe lying next to her. But for me this was a time when I suffered a lot. It was frightening to be attacked by ants or spot a dead rabbit in the grass.
As an adult I'd avoided all picnics, but this time I couldn't. I just said yes, without letting Lorraine sense my true feeling about them. She is my best friend and sometimes you must make sacrifices for people you like a lot. "I'll bring the food, and you bring the drink," she said.
My ridiculously enthusiastic family and I arrived at the picnic site. My expectations were low. Lorraine and her husband Dave unloaded folding tables, chairs, a table cloth and a cool box of delicious food mostly purchased from a local deli (熟食店), which does all manner of pre-prepared salads and cold cuts. There was fresh bread, olives, even candles to keep away insects, music, and wine. It was completely delightful. There may have been children playing around too, even if one of them did find a dead bird (told you!).
I am now a picnic enthusiast and we're planning another. I'm even reading up on picnic recipes for it!
1. How did the author feel about Lorraine's suggestion?| A．Excited. | B．Ashamed. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．The food was unpleasant. |
| B．She could play with rabbits. |
| C．The destination was crowded. |
| D．She could talk with her mother alone. |
| A．They are great cooks. |
| B．They have good manners. |
| C．They are animal-friendly people. |
| D．They made careful preparations for the picnic. |
| A．To remember an unforgettable trip. |
| B．To record her memories of family picnics. |
| C．To describe her changed attitude to picnics. |
| D．To express her thanks to her friend Lorraine. |
【推荐1】Growing up, Deka Ismail says she let labels define what she could be. “I was a black girl, from a refugee (难民) family,” Deka said. “It was as if I was only allowed to explore in this predetermined box”
After a high school chemistry class inspired her to think about a career in science and gave her confidence in the field, Deka learned to live outside labels and began making big plans for her future. Now she is about to begin her freshman year at the University of California, planning to become a professor.
Born and raised in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood, Deka is the daughter of a Somali refugee couple. When Deka was eight years old, her mother got a job by studying hard back in school in order to support the whole family. That made Deka realize that education could make a difference to one's life. She spent a lot of time in the library reading books, and didn’t do many of the things her peers did, like partying or having romantic relationships.
“I always felt like I had to be the perfect girl for my family,” Deka said. “You have to do your best and do much better than everyone else. I felt like the whole world was waiting for me to mess up.”
Deka’s efforts paid off. The summer before her senior year of high school, she was accepted to the American Chemical Society Project SEED Programme. “She brought both enthusiasm and focus,” Botham, a researcher at this research institute, recalled. “She arrived every day ready to work, ready to learn and ready to tackle new challenges regardless of whether or not she had done anything similar.”
When asked what advice she would give to others like her, Deka warned them not to underestimate themselves. “Don’t tell yourself that scholarship is too big or this programme is too competitive or I’ll never get into this school,” she said. “I was not sure whether I could make it until I started seeing the acceptance letters rolling in.”
1. From the passage, we can learn that ______.| A．Deka was adopted by a refugee family |
| B．Deka became a professor after graduation |
| C．Deka’s experiences drove her to work hard |
| D．Deka spent a lot of time going to parties |
| A．after her chemistry class | B．from her mother’s experience |
| C．by reading books in the library | D．through working at the institute |
| A．patient | B．ambitious |
| C．confident | D．generous |
| A．Life is not all roses. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Well begun is half done. | D．Hard work leads to success. |
【推荐2】Karen Sturges was knitting a sweater for her daughter’s future baby. Bad news came — she was diagnosed with cancer.
“What she was most concerned about was finishing the sweater,” said her daughter Annie Gatewood. “She was just distraught when thinking she wasn’t going to be able to finish it.” Sturges worked on the sweater until four days before she died in 2021, with it unfinished. No member of the family knew how to knit.
Then in 2022, Gatewood was matched with a “finisher” Sarah in Portland, — one of the over 1,000 volunteers who complete unfinished arts projects for grieving loved ones through a group called Loose Ends. Finishing knitting the sweater, Sarah handed it off to Gatewood. “I saw her and burst into tears, because she looks like my mom,” said Gatewood. “We know for sure my mom would have been just delighted.”
Kaplan and Simonic started Loose Ends. Both are expert knitters knowing what it is like to have a loved one leave behind an unfinished project. The finisher doesn’t charge any money. The only cost is for mailing.
Opuda signed up as a finisher. She is crocheting (用钩针编织) a blue blanket for someone whose mother passed away. The blanket was one of three the mother was working on throughout her cancer treatments, and although they are not perfect, the children wanted to keep everything their mother made. “People just don’t really know how much time something takes, especially a blanket. Yet even through her illness and all her pain and challenges, she still managed to make so much progress. I didn’t want her kids to lose that,” said Opuda.
“We all experience pain,” said Simonic. “You don’t know what someone’s going through on a day-to-day basis that’s going to make them give up, but I do know these little acts of kindness make people realize there are people out there willing to help.”
1. What can be learned about Loose Ends?| A．It charges receivers lot. | B．It meets patients’ unreal wishes. |
| C．It consists of generous helpers. | D．It recycles valuable unfinished pieces. |
| A．She was a well-trained crafter. | B．She suffered a lot from cancer. |
| C．She hoped to keep the family tradition. | D．She had a great affection for them. |
| A．A small act of kindness can mean a lot. | B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．A patient’s work should be respected. | D．Love begins with a little smile. |
| A．Loose Ends to Help Finish Undone Handicrafts | B．Artworks to Make up for Family Regrets |
| C．Finishers to Help Restore Family Treasures | D．Remains to Convey Love to the Beloved |
【推荐3】Glenn, born in 1921, grew up in Ohio. He started his flying career (生涯) as a fighter pilot for the US Marine Corps. He won medals for his brave service in World War II (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). After that, Glenn took a dangerous job as a Marine Corps test pilot, flying new planes to see if they were safe. In 1957, he set an air-speed record by flying from Los Angeles to New York in less than three and a half hours.
In the late 1950s, a “space race” began between the US and the Soviet Union. Both countries wanted to be the first to send a human into space, including to the moon. In 1959,Glenn became one of the seven test pilots chosen to take part in the US’s first space program.
In 1961, the Soviet Union became the first nation to send a person into space. Glenn’s chance to go into space came on February 20, 1962. By that time, another American, Alan B. Shepard, had flown in space, but he had not circled the earth. Glenn’s flight was aired live on television and radio.
Glenn’s flight showed that the US space program was as good as the Soviet Union’s. He became a hero. Cities across the country threw parades (游行) for him, and President John F. Kennedy invited him to the White House.
In 1974, Glenn was elected to Congress. Glenn returned to space in 1998, when he was 77. He spent nine days on the space shuttle (航天飞机) Discovery. Glenn went so that scientists could study the effects of space travel on older people. He holds the record for being the oldest person in space.
“Glenn spent his life breaking barriers (障碍),” said President Barack Obama. The president also praised Glenn for inspiring future leaders in space exploration.
1. What did Glenn do in 1959?| A．He won gold medals. | B．He took part in world wars. |
| C．He joined the US’s first space program. | D．He flew from Los Angeles to New York. |
| A．He started the race between the US and the Soviet Union. |
| B．He succeeded in circling the earth. |
| C．He defeated Alan B. Shepard in the competition. |
| D．He broke the speed record. |
| A．To break a new record. | B．To test a space shuttle. |
| C．To make his last space travel. | D．To be tested by the scientists |
| A．Alan B. Shepard had circled the earth by 1962 |
| B．Glenn has made great contributions to space exploration |
| C．the US is the first nation to send a human into space |
| D．Barack Obama called on people to explore space |
