55-year-old Michael Smith spotted an injured baby bird lying on the roadside as he cycled home one evening in May. He picked up the tiny bird, now named Patch, and took him home, where he made him a little nest and fed him boiled eggs. Now he has recovered and is about 16 weeks old. Patch has spread his wings, but comes back to his rescuer when Michael calls.
Bird and man have such a close relationship that Patch gives his friend little beaky kisses and hitches lifts (搭便车) on his bike rides and walks. Michael loves Patch so much that he even slept in the open air one night when his feathered friend didn’t come out of a tree.
Michael, an ex-builder from Malvern in Worcestershire, said, “I love nature and animals, so I couldn’t leave him injured in the wild. He’s like my best friend now, and I spend as much time with him as possible. He is the talk of the town, and if I am not with him, everyone is asking after him.”
Michael thought Patch, who he thinks is a boy, had been attacked by another animal when he found him with a broken wing. After living in an old pigeon box Michael got from a friend, and being fed boiled eggs, bread and milk, Patch took four weeks to recover the use of his wing. Michael still feeds Patch worms, and fruit like cherries and grapes, but the now-recovered bird catches moths for himself.
Patch lives in a nest that Michael built in the garden, but comes in for playmates and occasional sleepovers (在外过夜) in the house Michael shares with his 78-year-old mother Mary.
Michael said, “People call me the bird whisper, or birdman of Malvern. It came quite naturally to me. And I remember all these tales I’ve heard about people rescuing birds and forming a bond. I was quite well known around here but I am even more so now: it’s a lovely thing to be known for it. Having him is such a lovely thing to happen.”
1. How did Michael Smith treat Patch after finding him lying on the road?| A．He brought him home and fed him. |
| B．He handed him to a relevant department. |
| C．He did an operation on his wings by himself. |
| D．He had its wings treated in a pet hospital. |
| A．Patch was left injured in the nest. |
| B．He wanted to find Patch and take hold of him. |
| C．Patch sat in a tree and didn’t visit him. |
| D．He found Patch had spread his wings and flown away. |
| A．How Patch was attacked by another animal. |
| B．How Michael helped Patch get well again. |
| C．How Patch managed to catch moths for himself. |
| D．How Michael found a pigeon box for Patch to live in. |
| A．He lives with his mother who is old. |
| B．He hates it when Patch gives him a kiss. |
| C．He asked somebody to make a nest for Patch. |
| D．He is a construction worker and will retire soon. |
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【推荐1】A heart-stopping video shows that a group of hikers were able to keep their cool as a curious black bear approached them—and one even stayed composed enough to snap a selfie （自拍）.
The black bear pulls one of the women by the leg with its paws（爪子）,moving towards her across the path as she tries to remain completely still. When the frightening animal stands up on its legs to smell her, the fearless walker can be seen taking a photo with the wild animal as it breathes down her neck.
The incident is reported to have happened on a path in Chipinque Ecological Park, Mexico, and the clip （剪辑片段）has had millions of views since being shared on social media. With the bear particularly interested in one member of the group, another walker remains frozen with her back to the animal as she stares still into the trees.
A third can be seen nervously fearing as the bear begins to approach her and shakes her hand in fear, but it circles back around to check out the first hiker for a second time. It pushes her off balance with its head before twice pawing at her legs as onlookers shout to try and warn the bear off.
The woman remains fearless as the animal isn't into her and continues walking up the path, giving the group an opportunity to make a swift exit.
It was shared on Twitter by former basketball player Rex Chapman, getting 2.7 million views, with the caption: "Oh, my goodness. She's a rock."
1. What does the underlined word "composed” mean in the first paragraph?| A．Calm | B．Confused | C．Amazed | D．Afraid |
| A．On seeing the black bear. | B．On the bear's pulling her leg. |
| C．On the bear's smelling her | D．On the bear's seeing her. |
| A．It was frightened. | B．It lost interest. |
| C．It got injured. | D．It was hungry. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A research report. | D．A newspaper. |
【推荐2】When you’re deciding how to plant a tree, the most important considerations are choosing the right tree and placing it in the right spot. Trees vary widely in their needs for space, light, moisture (水分) and soil conditions. When you’ve chosen a tree, you’ll need to prepare your site for planting.
Dig a hole a foot deep and twice as wide as the root ball of the new tree. Loosen the soil at the bottom and sides of the hole.
Gently remove the tree from the container.
Backfill the hole with existing soil. At this time you can also add fertilizer such as bone meal or any other fertilizer. Then water the tree.
Caring for the tree once it is planted is an important step. It needs watering regularly. When soil is dry below the surface of the covering, it’s time to water it.
Spring and autumn are generally the best time to plant a tree.
| A．Straighten the tree in the hole. |
| B．Then guide the tree into the hole carefully. |
| C．Make a note of your goals for planting a tree. |
| D．Planting a tree is big investment. |
| E．In this way roots will be able to easily enter the soil. |
| F．You will probably need to water it at least once a week. |
| G．This gives the tree time to adjust before the hot or the cold season arrives. |
【推荐3】Owning a pet, like a dog or a cat, especially for five years or more, may be linked to slower cognitive decline (认知衰退) in older adults, according to a new study.
“Previous studies have suggested that the human-animal link may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress,” said the study author Tiffany Braley. “Our results suggest raising pet may also be protective against cognitive decline.”
The study looked at cognitive data from 1.369 senior adults with an average age of 65 who had normal cognitive skills at the start of the study. A total of 53% owned pets and 32% were long-term pet owners who owned pets for five years or more.
Researchers used data from the Health and Retirement Study. In that study, people were given several cognitive tests. Researchers used those cognitive tests to record cognitive score for each person, ranging from 0 to 27. The score included common tests of subtraction (减法), number counting and word memory. Researchers then used participants’ cognitive scores to judge the connections between years of pet ownership and cognitive function.
Over six years, the cognitive scores decreased at a slower rate in pet owners. This difference was stronger among long-term pet owners. Considering other factors known to affect cognitive function, the study showed that long-term pet owners usually had a higher cognitive score compared to non-pet owners. The researchers also found that the cognitive benefits connected with longer pet ownership were stronger for college educated adults and men.
“As stress can negatively affect cognitive function, the possible stress-reducing effects of pet ownership could provide a proper reason for our findings,” said Braley.
1. What is the finding of Tiffany Braley’s study?| A．Both dogs and cats make perfect pets. | B．Pets may help keep the brain work well. |
| C．Females tend to be long-term pet owners. | D．A human-animal link helps decrease blood pressure. |
| A．By referring to previous studies. |
| B．By monitoring several cognitive tests. |
| C．By tracking the changes in cognitive scores. |
| D．By correcting data from the Health and Retirement Study. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Cautious. | C．Surprised. | D．Unsatisfied. |
| A．Why should we keep pets? |
| B．How long should we keep pets? |
| C．Does the human-animal link have health benefits? |
| D．Do pets have a positive effect on people’s brain health? |
【推荐1】Mark Bertram lost the tips of two fingers at work in 2018 when his hand became trapped in a fan belt. “It’s life-changing but it’s not life-ending,” he says. “Doing work is harder now. Everything is just a little different.”
After two surgeries and occupational treatment, Bertram decided to make light of his condition by asking Eric Catalano, a tattoo artist, to create fingernail tattoos. The idea made staff in the studio laugh—until they saw the final result. “The mood changed,”Catalno recalls from his Eternal Ink Tattoo Studio in Hecker, Illinois. “Everything turned from funny to ‘wow’.”
When Catalano posted a photo of the tattoos, a pair of fingernails looked so real that no one could believe their eyes. He had no idea the image would eventually be viewed by millions of people around the world.
The photo pushed Catalano, 40, further into the world of paramedical tattooing. Now people with life-altering scars come from as far away as Ireland to visit his shop. They enter Eternal Ink looking for the artistic healing they saw online. Using flesh-colored inks and a needle, Catalano transforms his clients' view of themselves.
Leslie Pollan, 32, in Oxford, Mississippi, was bitten on the face by a young dog in 2014. She experienced countless surgeries to correct a scar on her lip. “Plastic surgery gave me no hope.” she says. “So I looked for other options.” She finally traveled six hours for a meeting with Catalano. He hid Pollan's lip scar, giving her back a piece of her confidence. “You don’t understand until you've been through it,” Pollan says. “it made me have a different attitude to life.
Catalano performs up to eight reconstructive tattoos each “Wellness Wednesday”. “Every time I see that emotion from my customers, I’m sure this is something that I can’t stop doing.” Catalano says.
1. What is staff's attitude towards fingernail tattoos at the very start?| A．Negative. | B．Cautious. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Delighted. | B．Disappointed. | C．Upset. | D．Amazed. |
| A．It took six hours to finish. | B．It completely removed her scar. |
| C．It helped Pollan regain confidence. | D．It was one of her countless surgeries. |
| A．Tattoo: an entertainment. | B．Tattoo: an artistic healing. |
| C．Tattoo: an occupational treatment. | D．Tattoo: a traditional plastic surgery. |
【推荐2】For most children, bath time is fun. But four-year-old Harry Floyd used to have a very different experience—soon after climbing into the water he felt itchy (发痒的) from head to foot.
Harry first started to develop small itchy bumps on the skin at three months old. He woke at 3 a. m. and was covered in the bumps, but they cleared up within an hour. When Harry's mother Lisa got him to the doctor, there was nothing to see. Lisa initially thought it was the soap that Harry was allergic to, but even when she just used water to bathe him he would still get the bumps. Lisa was then alarmed to see that when the weather was really cold or hot Harry would start to get them. Within a few minutes they would spread over his body. He'd just scream and try to scratch them.
Lisa and her husband Eddie took Harry to the doctor many times over the next year, but were told it was simply a virus and the condition wouldn't affect his older brother, Oliver. At six months Harry was diagnosed with several food allergies, which doctors thought might have caused the bumps. But Harry continued to get the bumps even after shunning those foods. Out of desperation, the family took Harry to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see a private specialist. By coincidence, Harry got the bumps when they were waiting to see the consultant. So the consultant saw exactly how severe it was. And Harry was diagnosed with physical urticaria (荨麻疹), a skin allergy to a host of common triggers (触发物). Since the diagnosis, Harry’s condition has greatly improved.
The cause of physical urticaria is still a mystery. Genetics may play a role and stress has been seen as a trigger. From newborn babies to the old are likely to suffer from it. Recent research suggests around one million people in Britain suffer from the condition, although experts say this may be inaccurate, with many more going undiagnosed.
1. Why does Harry's problem remain unsolved at the first time?| A．Lisa was unsure about the triggers. |
| B．Hospital equipment was not advanced. |
| C．His symptoms disappeared in a short time. |
| D．Doctors lacked experience to identify the bumps. |
| A．Digesting. | B．Avoiding. |
| C．Selecting. | D．Ignoring. |
| A．Physical urticaria can start at any age. |
| B．Harry's father used to have physical urticaria. |
| C．Physical urticaria is rather uncommon in Britain. |
| D．Physical urticaria can be easily passed on to children. |
| A．The symptoms of a rare disease. |
| B．The possible causes of physical urticaria. |
| C．A family seeking treatment for their injured kid. |
| D．A little boy suffering from a terrible skin allergy. |
【推荐3】America’s latest superhero Austin Perine, who calls himself President Austin, is now taking the country by storm. But he is not a typical superhero. Two things set him apart: He doesn’t fight human enemies, but hunger and homelessness. Also, he’s only four years old.
Our superhero’s origin story started from the day when TJ Perine, his father, took Austin to the Firehouse Ministries, a local shelter that provides housing, food and other services for the homeless. As they drove by the building, they saw a group of 25 homeless men standing on the street corner. That day, Austin used his allowance (零用钱) to buy each man a sandwich and handed the food out himself with his slogan, “Don’t forget to show love!”
After he returned, words of Austin’s kindness spread through social media. Austin and TJ could feed 25 to 50 people at a time before, and now, thanks to community support, they can feed 800 to 2,000 people.
But Austin isn’t merely filling stomachs. He has been improving the lives of the homeless people he meets. On that first trip to Firehouse Ministries, TJ and Austin talked to a poor man named Raymont. The respect Austin showed for him touched 41-year-old Raymont, who regained his confidence in life and finally found a job with the help of TJ. All that was made possible because a little boy took the time to care.
Austin’s passion has become his family’s calling. After raising money through a GoFundMe page, Audrey, TJ’s mother established the nonprofit Show Love Foundation, dedicated to fighting homelessness. She now serves as president, and TJ oversees public relations for the foundation full time. They offer medical and mental health care as preventive steps against homelessness.
As for President Austin, he continues to give out food, smiles, and his inspirational message of love. “It makes me feel like I’m saving the day,” he said proudly.
1. Why has Austin become well-known to the entire country?| A．He has super power to fill the stomachs of the homeless. |
| B．He fights hunger and homelessness at such a young age. |
| C．He has removed the poverty of the local community. |
| D．He has chosen an impressive and unique name. |
| A．Exposed. | B．Opposed. |
| C．Devoted. | D．Surprised |
| A．To show Austin’s positive influence. |
| B．To persuade people to live together with their parents. |
| C．To prove the personal ability of Austin’s father. |
| D．To describe the difficult situation of poor people. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Humorous. |
| C．Approving. | D．Considerate. |
