At only 9 years old, Lesia Cartelli was badly burnt in a gas explosion at her grandparents’ house. The burns were so severe that her own grandfather didn’t recognize her. Lesia could have remained withdrawn for her whole life. But now, this woman uses her painful past to help other burn victims find healing (治愈). “My life got better when I started to look at my life as a gift,” Lesia said.
Lesia started Angel Faces, a national nonprofit organization offering week-long supportive retreats (休养所) for adolescent female burn victims. These retreats, for girls ranging from ages 11-19, provide seminars to help the girls heal emotionally (情感上).
“She’s like a ball of sunshine,” said Casi Smith, a 17-year-old with burns on her face she received as a baby. “Looking at her, I can see everything she’s been through. But here she is; instead of hiding, she’s helping people. To me, that is amazing. I don’t know if I could ever do that.”
As a woman burned in a gas explosion, Lesia is able to connect with these young ladies on a personal level, as someone who knows what they’re going through. Her heart for helping others motivates fellow burn victims to take control of their circumstances.
All of these women are miracles. They are blessed to have survived horrible accidents most of us can’t even imagine. Yet, surviving the incident is just the beginning. Lesia describes the period following the actual event causing the burns as a “trauma cocoon”.
And that’s where she steps in.
“I didn’t want any other girl to go through what I had gone through,” she says. “We offer a place where the girls can suffer less pain and begin to really heal.”
1. What made Lesia’s life become better after the accident?| A．Her grandfather’s timely help. | B．Angel Faces’ supportive retreats. |
| C．The change of her attitude to life. | D．Other burn victims’ healing stories. |
| A．Angel Faces provides help for all female burn victims. |
| B．Lesia started Angel Faces with the help of Casi Smith. |
| C．Victims receive Angel Faces’ professional medical help. |
| D．Lesia’s experiences have inspired many young burn victims. |
| A．The challenging time that pushes one forward. |
| B．The quiet place where one can have great fun. |
| C．The physical injury that can be easily removed. |
| D．The time when one feels painful and withdrawn. |
| A．Powerful and caring. | B．Creative and adventurous. |
| C．Selfish but brave. | D．Shy but independent. |
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【推荐1】A duck has been saved by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(RSPCA) after getting stuck with a plastic ring around its neck. It is believed that the plastic ring is the same sort used to package cans of beer together.
Animal Collection Officer(ACO) Lauren Bradshaw was one of the three people to find and rescue the duck on the canal near Sellars Square in Manchester on August 23. They entered the water to reach the bird. “Our plan was to round up the duck and get him to a bridge as the width of the canal is smaller there,” Lauren said, “The duck managed to escape from us a couple of times but eventually we managed to net and catch him. Then I freed him and gave him an examination.”
She added that the plastic was fortunately not tight around the animal’s neck and did not cause any injuries or difficulty breathing. However, plastic stuck around the neck and throat area is a hazard to many sea animals, as the animals think it is food and, once trapped, are unable to remove it. She suggested that people cut open any plastic rings so that if they are deserted, they will not be able to trap animals like this.
Lauren also reminded people that ducks may starve to death due to litter being thrown away rather than being put in a dustbin. When hungry ducks swallow floating pieces of plastic, they can cut through their organs or trick them into feeling full, causing them to stop eating.
The RSPCA says it has received more than 21,600 reports of animals injured or caught in litter over the past five years.
1. Why did the RSPCA staff drive the duck to a bridge?| A．To catch it easily. | B．To free it conveniently. |
| C．To ask passers-by for help. | D．To make it go to the bank soon. |
| A．She was annoyed at the bird. | B．She felt lucky not to hurt it. |
| C．She was guilty about her delay. | D．She breathed a sigh of relief. |
| A．Danger. | B．Criterion. | C．Shock. | D．Failure. |
| A．Cut plastic rings into pieces. | B．Deal with plastic litter properly. |
| C．Reduce plastic-based food wrappers. | D．Improve the recycling rate for plastics. |
【推荐2】SYDNEY : As they sat sharing sweets beside a swimming pool in 1999,Shane Gould and Jessicah Schipper were simply getting along well, chatting about sport, life and “anything else that came up”. Yet in Sydney next month, they will meet again by the pool, and for a short time the friends will race against each other in the 50-meter butterfly (蝶泳)in the Australian championships at Homebush Bay.
Gould, now a 47-year-old mother of four, has announced she will be making a return to elite competition(顶级赛事)to swim the one event, having set a qualifying (合格的) time of 30.32 seconds in winning gold at last year’s United States Masters championships. Her comeback comes 32 years after she won three golds at the Munich Olympics.
Schipper, now a 17-year-old from Brisbane with a bright future of going to Athens for her first Olympics, yesterday recalled (回忆) her time with Gould five years ago.
" I was at a national youth camp on the Gold Coast and Shane had come along to talk to us and watch us train,’’ Schipper explained.” It seemed as if we had long been good friends. I don't know why. We just started talking and it went from there."
"She had a lot to share with all of us at that camp. She told us stories about what it was like at big meets like the Olympics and what it’s like to be on an Australian team. It was really interesting. ”
Next time, things will be more serious. “ I will still be swimming in the 50m butterfly at the nationals, so there is a chance that I could actually be competing against Shane Gould,” said Schipper, who burst onto the scene at last year’s national championships with second places in the 100m and 200m butterfly.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Stories happening in swimming competitions. |
| B．Two women swimmers winning Olympic golds. |
| C．Lessons learned from international swimming championships. |
| D．Friendship and competition between two swimmers. |
| A．talk about sport and life | B．go back to elite competition |
| C．set a qualifying time and win gold | D．take part in the same sports event |
| A．the Olympics | B．the youth camp |
| C．the friendship | D．the Australian team |
| A．was no longer Gould’s friend |
| B．had learned a lot from Gould |
| C．was not interested in Gould’s stories |
| D．would not like to compete against Gould |
【推荐3】Going to school can be a demanding obstacle for many, but some people are well prepared for the challenge. For Dylan Kuehl, being a student has been a challenging joy. The 38-year-old has had a passion for studying, and believes that the more he learns, the more he learns to see the world differently. This open-minded approach and enthusiastic mindset are all the most inspiring as Kuehl has Down syndrome (唐氏综合征).
He knows the struggle of breaking new ground from a lifetime of experience of being different. He has sustained his ability to shine as a unique individual by graduating from The Evergreen State College in Washington State. Kuehl is the first person with Down syndrome in the college’s 51-year history to earn a four-year degree. Not only that, but this also makes him the first person with Down syndrome in Washington state to achieve this remarkable milestone.
Kuehl’s passion for creativity led him to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree. He enjoyed classes in painting and dance as part of his curriculum, but his primary focus was writing. Out of 900 graduates, he was one of three to be selected to give an address at the graduation ceremony.
“Celebrate your abilities,” Kuehl tells his fellow students in his speech. “Live your life with ambition and pride.”We can all take a leaf out of this inspiring man’s book which is about enthusiasm, positivity, determination and a whole lot of motivating hard work.
Aside from graduating college, Kuehl is also an entrepreneur (企业家). He started his own visual and performing arts company called DK Arts in 2005, where he sells his own artwork and glass jewelry. He plays the drums in a band called Living the Dream, advocating for inclusion through his music.
1. What does Kuehl think his studying is?| A．A must for his own business. |
| B．A way of viewing the world. |
| C．A relief from his Down syndrome. |
| D．An approach to showing his gifts. |
| A．He has a gift for invention. |
| B．He is good at selling things. |
| C．He leads a colourful life. |
| D．He makes music as his career. |
| A．Wealthy. |
| B．Generous. |
| C．Strict. |
| D．Inspiring. |
| A．Art. |
| B．Academy. |
| C．Business. |
| D．People. |
【推荐1】Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, in 1892. Her mother was African American. Her father was part African American and part American Indian. Her family was poor. Bessie had to walk more than six kilometers to go to school.
Bessie had to pick cotton and wash clothes to help earn money for her family. She was able to save a little money and went to college in the state of Oklahoma. She was in college only one year because she did not have enough money to complete her studies. But during that year, she learned about flying. She read about the first flight of the Wright brothers and the first American female pilot Harriet Quimby.
When she was 23, Bessie Coleman moved to Chicago, Illinois to live with two of her older brothers. There, she heard stories from pilots who were returning from World War I. She decided she was going to learn how to fly airplanes. But she soon found this to be almost impossible. What flight school would admit a black woman? Bessie learned that she would have a better chance in Europe. She began to study French at a language school in Chicago.
Soon after the end of World War I, Bessie Coleman left for France. She attended the famous flight school, Ecole d'Aviation des Freres Caudron. She completed seven months of flight training. Coleman earned her international permit to fly in 1921 and she became the first black woman pilot.
Coleman returned to Chicago. She was the only black female pilot in the United States. So her story became popular in African American newspapers. She was asked by the Dallas Express newspaper in Texas why she wanted to fly. She said that women and blacks must have pilots if they were to keep up with the times.
1. Bessie Coleman walked to school every day probably because .| A．she couldn't afford to take the bus. | B．she was stronger than others |
| C．she wanted to do physical exercise | D．she lived close to her school |
| A．Going to Europe. | B．Attending flight school. |
| C．Living with her brothers. | D．Learning French in Chicago. |
| A．She earned a large amount of money. | B．She received a pilot's permit. |
| C．She made many good foreign friends. | D．She became a soldier in World WarⅠ. |
| A．Failure is the mother of success. | B．All roads lead to Rome. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
【推荐2】From Rags to Riches: Success Stories to Inspire You
For many people, stories about success can be truly motivational. Indeed, reading about someone’s journey, the hardships they overcame and how they eventually achieved success can become the sort of examples that encourage us to persist in achieving our own goals.
The following amazing success stories of celebrities will become a source of endless inspiration for you.
Stephen King
The master of horror has penned over 90 stories throughout his career, most of which have been a definitive success. But the going wasn’t always easy for King.
Raising a family with his wife Tabitha, who was also a writer, the pair could barely make ends meet. When he wasn’t working as a teacher, King worked odd jobs at a laundromat, and as a gas station attendant and a janitor to keep a roof over his family’s heads.
His first novel Carrie, which tells the story of a troubled teen with telekinetic powers, was rejected 30 times before finally getting published, eventually becoming one of the best-selling novels of all time.
Anita Roddick
The late founder of The Body Shop could never have predicted the success that her business would bring. Indeed, when Roddick founded The Body Shop, she had a simple plan: to sell cruelty-free cosmetics made from natural ingredients.
Soon after opening the doors to her first store in 1976, its vast popularity led to numerous franchises, resulting in over 700 global stores by 1991.
Thanks to Roddick’s unique vision, The Body Shop became the forefront for ethical consumerism, becoming one of the first businesses to shun animal-tested ingredients and promote fair-trade products. Roddick also used her booming business to support and advocate several environmental and social causes, often working with organizations such as Greenpeace.
James Dyson
Britain’s richest man has taken the world by storm with his inventions. However, Dyson’s schooling is not what you’d expect from a world-renowned inventor. Indeed. Dyson was inclined towards the arts as a student and studied furniture design at the Royal College of Art in London.
But his career path would take a turn one day after becoming frustrated with his home vacuum. After breaking it apart and identifying a design flaw in the product. Dyson set out to create what would become a market-changing invention: the first bagless vacuum cleaner.
It took him 5 years and 5, 126 failed prototypes before he made one that worked. But after being unable to find a manufacturer that would produce it, Dyson put his house on the line to become a manufacturer himself. Even then, getting sellers and shops to stock his vacuum cleaner was a struggle, and being a one-man operation, he acted as the sole designer, engineer, manufacturer and salesman of his product.
Although it took a while for his invention to get any attention from consumers, once it did, it inevitably became a billion-dollar idea that set the foundations for Dyson’s empire.
1. What does the article intend to tell the readers?| A．How to achieve success. | B．How to become a famous person. |
| C．How to find inspiration. | D．How to be motivated. |
| A．King experienced several jobs to gain inspiration. |
| B．Carrie became a hit once it was published. |
| C．King’s wife Tabitha was good at managing money. |
| D．King’s works mainly feature horror. |
| A．It has numerous franchises. | B．It has chain stores all over the world. |
| C．It never uses animal-tested ingredients. | D．It is environment-friendly. |
| A．People didn’t recognize Dyson’s invention at first. |
| B．Dyson started his own company after cooperating with a manufacturer. |
| C．Dyson’s home vacuum had a problem with its bag. |
| D．Dyson used to be a furniture designer. |
The Appalachian Trail attracts thousands of serious hikers each spring, only one in four hikers completes the entire trail.
The Sutton family recently finished hiking the entire trail. They are a unique trio (三人组) as their son Harvey turned five on the trail, which makes him the youngest to complete the Appalachian Trail. Josh and Carrie Sutton said they needed to take, breaks from busy work called mini-retirements. “We set the family goal of living a life with extraordinary stories. Doing things like hiking with a child on the Appalachian Trail gives you extraordinary stories,” Josh Sutton said.
When Harvey turned three, they took him winter camping, and by the time he was four, the family completed a 50-mile hike, camping over six days. Seeing that Harvey developed a passion for hiking, they planned a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. Hiking from end to end is called a thru-hike and generally takes five to seven months to complete.
They hit the trail in Georgia on January 13, 2021. The first weeks were cold. The trail was icy and snow-covered, and the weather was often cloudy and bitter, so they made slow progress. They would wake up early each day, pack their gear (装备), and then start walking. As they had many miles to cover each day, they had to be inventive and started using imagination and Skittles (彩虹糖) as incentive for little Harvey.
The family completed their journey on August 9, 2021. Little Harvey learned to count all the way to 2,193, the total miles his little feet traveled, and a big number for someone who just started kindergarten. “I will do it again because like it so much,” said Harvey.
Although the Suttons are now back home, they have incredible memories of this mini-retirement. The journey is a life-changing experience for the Sutton family and is an inspiration for families who dream of taking a similar journey.
1. Why did the Sutton family decided to hike the Appalachian Tail? (no more than 10 words)2. What does the third paragraph mainly talk about? (no more than 10 words)
3. What made their journey difficult? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined word “incentive” in Paragraph 5 probably mean? (no more than 1 word)
5. How does the Sutton family’s story inspire you? Explain in your own words. (no more than 20 words)
