My neighbors across the street take pride in one of the most striking trees in the neighborhood—a towering oak that is over 75 years old. This year, after a wet, warm summer, leaves were a bit different in my Massachusetts town. And through some combination of events, that glorious oak seemed to have dropped all of its uncountable leaves on a single windy day. I arrived at home that afternoon to find our front walkway, driveway and sidewalk completely blanketed.
My son and I had a great time making a leaf pile for jumping and enjoying pillowy fun. The whole time, I was fascinated by the speed of this year’s leaf drop. Even though I was aware that it was an accident of wind patterns that left all the leaves in our yard, I kept looking up and feeling a zing of awe at the suddenly bare branches that watched quietly over our neighborhood, starting its restful season before setting spring leaf buds.
And I felt thankful for those fallen leaves as I was reminded of my favorite quote from the author and naturalist Hal Borland. He wrote it referencing October, but this year’s later drop had me change the month:“November is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations (星座) above them once again.”
When I lay in that pile of dry, crisp leaves and looked up into the oak tree across the street, I felt a clarity and peace that comes along with the inconveniently early sunsets and chilly temperatures of the transition from fall into winter. I could still admire the tree as I had in spring and summer, but I could also see through it, beyond it, to the big sky that blankets us all.
1. What’s unusual this year?| A．Outdoor activities are limited due to heavy winds. |
| B．A series of special events happened in the neighborhood. |
| C．The weather is especially cold in winter in Massachusetts. |
| D．The neighbors’ big tree dropped all its leaves within a day. |
| A．Anxiety. | B．Sorrow. | C．Comfort. | D．Amazement. |
| A．To express the author’s admiration for the naturalist. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of getting close to nature. |
| C．To express the author’s feelings about the leaf-falling season. |
| D．To emphasize the beauty of the author’s childhood memories. |
| A．The Sky Far Beyond. |
| B．The Fall of Massachusetts. |
| C．The Beauty of a Newly-bare Tree. |
| D．The Memories of Peace and Beauty. |
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【推荐1】As my kids and I walked around a community garden the other week, I asked them what veggies they could identify. We were in Alberta, where many plants were still in their early stages of growth — I wasn’t optimistic about what the kids would be able to name by leaves alone. However, they called out, “Tomatoes! Potatoes! Carrots!” Their answers made me even prouder than if they’d just explained some knowledge of physics. All the time we’ve spent in our home garden is actually sinking in.
Although I’ve been gardening for years, this year feels different. Spending time in the garden has helped me with my own well-being at a trying time, and it has given me a new way to connect with my kids when I’m running out of steam.
My garden is wild, full of life, and a bit messy. Honestly, the same goes for my kids — and I don’t expect perfection from them either. Unless you’re relying on your yield for money or food, it’s a good idea to have your expectations for gardening as low as possible. My kids say they “love the garden” but “don’t like gardening” — I think they mean they don’t like the chores. If I have some weeding or potting to do, I’ll also have some entertainment for them, which can be as simple as “find these 10 rocks” or “wet this plot with your water gun”.
Involving the kids in every stage of the process can be powerful and fun, even if what you have are just a few containers on a balcony. “Gardening allows us to spend free, unscheduled outdoor time with our kids,” writes journalist and author Shannon Brescher Shea in her book Growing Sustainable Together. “Let your kids lead the way. Invite them to participate in every step, from planting to harvesting, but don’t force it.”
One of the best things about gardens is the food, but frankly, my kids are not going to be pushing greens into their mouths any time soon. Finding uses for garden goods that go beyond food production can spark interest and supply you with some unexpectedly good results.
1. What can the author infer from her kids’ answers?| A．It’s worthwhile to spend time in her garden. |
| B．It’s great to witness her kids’ academic progress. |
| C．It’s necessary for kids to know common sense. |
| D．It’s difficult for kids to learn plants in early stages. |
| A．It is in a complete mess. | B．It has a rise in output. |
| C．It has been abandoned for long. | D．It goes as nature takes its course. |
| A．By giving rewards afterwards. | B．By giving more encouragement. |
| C．By adding recreational activities. | D．By asking them to have short breaks. |
| A．Teaching kids the power and fun of harvesting. |
| B．Encouraging kids’ active participation. |
| C．Allowing kids to observe every step carefully. |
| D．Setting an example for kids in doing gardening. |
【推荐2】I am a taxi driver. One Monday morning, I had stopped at New York Hospital when I found a well-dressed man coming over. He was waving to me. I waited until he jumped into the taxi. “La Guardia Airport, please,” he said.
As always, I wondered about my passenger. “What do you do?” “I am working at the hospital.” For some unknown reason, I decided to ask for his help.
“Could I ask a favor of you?” He didn’t answer. “I have a son, 16. He’s doing well in school. He wants a job this summer. Is there any possibility that you might get him a summer job?” After a minute, he said, “The medical students have a research project. Maybe he could fit in. Have him send me his school records.” He searched his pocket and handed me a card.
That evening, I pulled the card from my pocket. “Robbie,” I said proudly, “This could be a summer job for you. Send him your school records.” He read it out loud, “Fred Plum, New York Hospital.” “Is this a joke?” he said in doubt. After I shouted and threatened (恐吓) to cut off his pocket-money, Robbie promised to send off his grades the next morning.
Two weeks later, when I arrived home, my son handed me a letter from Plum. He was to phone Plum’s secretary for an interview.
Robbie got the job. The white coat he wore made him feel more important than he really was. As high school graduation neared, Plum was kind enough to write letters of recommendation (推荐) for universities. At last, Robbie was admitted to New York Medical College.
It never happened to me that a stranger should change my son’s future.
1. The author threatened to cut off Robbie’s pocket-money probably because _________.| A．he was tired after a day’s work. | B．he didn’t earn enough money. |
| C．Robbie was unwilling to work. | D．Robbie didn’t believe what he said. |
| A．patient and selfless. | B．generous and careful. |
| C．kind and helpful. | D．wealthy and handsome. |
| A．A stranger may change your life. |
| B．One must be friendly to strangers. |
| C．A father should be responsible for his son. |
| D．Doctors may have a great effect on people. |
【推荐3】Why are certain people so memorable, while some fade from our memories in time?
Several examples come to mind with my youngest son, Ken. He was always more comfortable around his dad’s friends than his own. He loved to spend time with them, fish with them, listen to their stories and just be with them.
He has experienced the loss of several really meaningful friendships over the past few years, and it has been very painful for him. One, Dr. George, was a neighbour and fishing buddy who would call to see if Ken could go fishing with him. Dr. George always said Ken was the son he never had and that it meant everything to him. He died very suddenly while fishing with all of his best buddies a few years ago. The huge hole that left in so many lives simply cannot be filled—for Ken it was immensely painful.
There was another fishing buddy of his dad’s, Frank, who was always fun to be around. Ken was very young then, but really enjoyed getting along with “the guys” when they were fishing. Frank and his family went to the Kens in the same week we did one year and the memory remains to this day. Cheerful and happy, he was able to laugh at himself and accept everyone’s abilities or lack of them, all qualities that impressed Ken so much.
When he became deadly ill, Ken drove from his home in North Carolina to Florida for an overnight visit with him. He died a short time later. The day after his funeral (葬礼), Frank came to Ken in a dream and asked if he would take care of his wife, Carol. To Ken this was very meaningful, and today they share a special bond that Frank somehow knew would be important for them both.
When you are raising children, you realise that some people become very important to them, draw them in, accept and respect them. It changes them.
1. According to the author, some people are unforgettable to us because of .| A．their great achievements |
| B．their consideration and kindness |
| C．good relationships between them |
| D．successful cooperation between them |
| A．adoptive son |
| B．biological son |
| C．best friend |
| D．hateful enemy |
| A．spent a joyful week with Frank one year |
| B．felt the greatest pain to George’s death |
| C．seemed to get along better with adults |
| D．was glad to get tolerated by Frank |
| A．Frank wanted her to marry Ken |
| B．Ken met Frank in a dream |
| C．Frank regarded Ken as his son |
| D．Ken was a cultured gentleman |
【推荐1】For many years, a beautiful, white horse wandered the western plains. Native Americans saw him before the settlers came but never got close to him. Only one person ever touched the white horse. She was an old lady when she told the story to her grandchildren.
Gretchen's family came to Texas in a covered wagon when she was a very little girl. The oxen that pulled the wagons moved very slowly. There were no roads. The sun was hot. and the dust covered everything in sight.
The trip was especially tiresome for little Gretchen. To make it easier, she was allowed to ride an old horse named Nelly, a gentle animal with a slow pace. Gretchen's parents tied Gretchen securely to keep her from falling off.
One day, one of the wagons broke a wheel. When the wheel was being repaired, Nelly wandered along to an inviting area of green grass near the river bank with Gretchen, who had fallen asleep tied to the horse's back.
Suddenly, Gretchen awoke with a start, from across the river came the sound of a horse's whinny. There stood the beautiful white horse. His body was the colour of snow and his long mane and tail shone like silver thread.
The wild horse ran into a nearby canyon, and Nelly slowly followed behind. Gretchen cried out, but the wagon train was far away and no one could hear her. Finally, the horses came to a stop in a grassy valley. The white horse and old Nelly stood side by side eating grass.
Gretchen stared at the beautiful horse. He didn't seem at all afraid of her. Slowly she reached over to touch his neck. He lifted his head and looked at her with gentle, curious eyes. Then he put his head back down and ate the grass. The two horses seemed to have developed a bond, and Gretchen enjoyed being with them.
For over an hour the white horse stayed with old Nelly and Gretchen. Then just as the sun was getting low in the sky, Gretchen heard a familiar shout. Across the valley, she could see her father and several men headed toward her and the horses.
The white horse twitched （抽动）his ears in response to the men's shouts and then he was gone. The men stopped to watch as he ran across the valley and out of the canyon. Never again did he come close enough to be touched.
1. In this story, Nelly is the name of ______.| A．a wagon | B．a girl | C．a horse | D．an ox |
| A．the river made too much noise |
| B．the horses were whinnying |
| C．the men were working on the wagon wheel |
| D．she was too far away |
| A．Gretchen was good at riding horses. |
| B．The trip to Texas was long and full of hardship. |
| C．Gretchen's family came to Texas for environmental reasons. |
| D．Only Gretchen felt tiresome during the trip. |
| A．explain a mystery |
| B．express an opinion |
| C．share an experience |
| D．predict an outcome |
【推荐2】There’re lots of articles in which writers like me leave social media and report on how their lives have transformed. I swore I wouldn’t add to it. But here I am, writing about it. And I’m doing so because it didn’t change my life in quite the way that I expected or many of these essays promised it would.
I genuinely enjoyed Twitter. The problem was that I loved it a little too much. I’d find myself checking it when I should be working, running late to my daughters’ school events because I tried to fit in a quick glance or staying up far too late surfing vast oceans of information, tired and barely interested but unable to resist it.
In November, my friends encouraged me to drop my Twitter habit, at least for a little while. My life was overfull, and this was something I could cut out. I followed, though hesitantly and with a little bit of unwillingness, because I trust my friends and their wisdom.
I went from being on it nearly every day to being off it for two months now. Being offline didn’t make my life that joyful. But there is one way that leaving Twitter has benefited my life and my mind. The times when I checked Twitter were often the transition points in my day: when I waited in line or to pick up my kids from school. Freeing up those seemingly inconsequential moments has been transformative. These moments are nothing I really considered before and I even didn’t notice their departure when I began going online. Leaving them unfilled has changed how I walk through time. I may wave to a neighbor; I may feel gratitude or delight. I may notice that I feel tired or lonely. But this, too, is part of the gifts of these small moments.
Our days, which are so full of work and thinking, of disappointments and confusion, must have moments when nothing much is happening, moments when we get no input, no videos, no opinions.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．The author’s life was disturbed by the overuse of Twitter. |
| B．The author followed the friends’ advice without hestitation. |
| C．The author shared the same idea with other writers about Twitter. |
| D．The author’s interest in the information online drove him to check Twitter. |
| A．Unforgettable. | B．Unimportant. | C．Tough. | D．Boring. |
| A．To persuade readers to block Twitter. |
| B．To show the influence of social media. |
| C．To share an unexpected benefit of staying offline. |
| D．To raise doubts about the promised effects of being offline. |
| A．Free up Small Moments | B．No Twitter, No Trouble |
| C．Take a Moment to Reflect | D．Small Changes, Big Differences |
【推荐3】Going green seems to be a fad (时尚) for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic (有机的) stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of homemade fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
1. It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because ________.| A．they were expected to follow the green fad |
| B．they didn’t know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy |
| D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. |
| B．They ignored others’ ungreen behaviour. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. |
| D．They sold their homemade food. |
| A．The government will give support to the green project. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
