My dad has watermelon-size muscles and enormous hands as if he’s always wearing baseball gloves. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who bakes great bread, but he does. Every Saturday he bakes silently by himself. When he’s done, the whole house smells delicious. The rest of the week, he’s a car mechanic whose job involves complex lifting, tightening, shaking and hitting. People tend to think of cars as metallic members of the family, and Dad seldom lets them down.
I kind of understand Dad’s baking routine. Though he’s into the work, customers’ expectation and understaffing weigh him down. When working on the dough (生面团) he returns to a life of ease.
I had been feeling stressed out myself since I didn’t qualify for the swim team. I would have to wait a whole year, which was like a million years. I thought Dad had found that. He asked me how things were going last Saturday. I said OK. He looked at me for a moment, said it was time for me to help and headed to the kitchen.
Surprised though, I followed him. Dad took out his mixing bowl, telling me to mix materials while he added them. He isn’t big on measuring, knowing instinctively (凭直觉) how much to use. The bread is always great. Then he showed me how to process the dough — repeatedly stretching, pounding and folding it. It took ten minutes and a surprising amount of energy to finish. But what came next was harder and more surprising — doing nothing. We put the dough back into the bowl. It took an hour to rise. Then we pressed and stretched it, put it into pans and waited another hour for it to double. “It’s hard to resist putting the dough directly into the oven, but if you do, the bread will be tough,” Dad explained.
When the dough rose at its own pace, time seemed to slow down. We could do nothing to speed that. As I accepted that, I stopped watching the clock and started enjoying the time. My father taught me how to bake, but I learned something more — appreciate the slow pace of time and let the bread rise.
1. What can we learn about the author’s father?| A．He is not talkative. | B．He enjoys playing baseball. |
| C．He is expert at his work. | D．He doesn’t like fixing cars. |
| A．To get relaxed. | B．To kill the time. |
| C．To pursue his hobby. | D．To learn a new skill. |
| A．Measuring materials. | B．Waiting for the dough to rise. |
| C．Processing the dough. | D．Controlling the temperature of the oven. |
| A．Secrets of Baking | B．Influence of My Father |
| C．A Bread Lesson | D．A Surprising Leisure Time |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Tips (建议) to Bring Your Family Closer Together
I can remember being a child and everyday we would have dinner with my grandparents.
Do not force your family to spend time together.
Spend time in the kitchen together. If you have young kids，they love to make a mess and that is why I suggest the kitchen. Bake some cupcakes or cookies with them，but let them get involved by stirring (搅拌) or adding the ingredients.
Always remember that one child is not the same as another. I have two children. My older son is a perfect little angel，while my little son is constantly trying to get into trouble.
| A．They will love this. |
| B．Want parents’ attention. |
| C．I never go out with them. |
| D．This will only make them hate family time even more. |
| E．He was very upset about the quality of time his brother got. |
| F．It was a rewarding (有意义的) experience and one I will carry with me forever. |
| G．So，I have to remind myself constantly that I have to treat them differently. |
【推荐2】Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. “There's so much to learn.” he’d say. “Though we’re born stupid, only the stupid remain that way.” He was determined that none of his children would be denied an education.
Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point. Then came the moment—the time to share the day’s new learning.
Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.
“Felice,” he’d say, “tell me what you learned today”.
“I learned that the population of Nepal is. ..”
Silence.
Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. “The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well...” he’d say. “Get the map, and let’s see where Nepal is.” And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.
This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.
As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another’s education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.
Later during my training as a future teacher, I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph?| A．The author’s father was born in a worker’s family. |
| B．Those born stupid could not change their life. |
| C．The town elders wanted to learn about the world. |
| D．The poor could hardly afford school education. |
| A．enjoyed talking about news | B．knew very well about Nepal |
| C．felt regretted about those wasted days | D．appreciated his father’s educational technique |
| A．Continual learning. | B．Showing talents. |
| C．Family get-together. | D．Winning Papa’s approval. |
| A．an educator expert at training future teachers |
| B．a parent insistent on his children’s education |
| C．a participant willing to share his knowledge |
| D．a teacher strict about everything his students did |
【推荐3】All my life I had wanted a dog. I had two cats that I adored like children, but I still wanted the company of a dog. Then unfortunately I lost my cats. Soon came another shock that my husband left me forever because of lung cancer. I felt I had just lost everything that ever mattered to me.
I voiced these feelings to a friend, who took me to a pet store. The store was holding an adoption day with shelters. I looked at and held several puppies, wondering which to choose. Then I met Maggie. She looked at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen, then laid her head on my shoulder and slept. I immediately decided to save her!
Maggie adjusted well. I, however, was still adjusting. One night, thoughts of losing everything rushed through my head again. So depressed was I that I felt the only solution was to end my life. With a bottle of medicine in one hand and Maggie on my lap, I took the pills. Through my tear-filled eyes I looked down at Maggie to tell her I was sorry. The look on her face I will never be able to explain, as if her eyes said, “Don’t leave me; I need you just as you needed me.” It was then that 1 ran to the bathroom to vomit up the pills. The rest of the night I sat on the couch holding Maggie and thanking her for saving me.
Since that night 1 have had a love for her that I never knew possible. She never leaves my side when I am at home. She has taught me to smile and laugh. Together with Maggie, I feel I can get through anything.
1. The author got Maggie from ___________.| A．a friend | B．her husband | C．a pet store | D．an adoption center |
| A．throw up | B．take up | C．pick up | D．break up |
| A．her husband had taken her cats away. |
| B．she had lost everything important to her. |
| C．she couldn’t adjust to living with Maggie. |
| D．she couldn’t find any solution to her problem. |
| A．My favourite pet dog | B．Love for life |
| C．What is love | D．Who saved who |
【推荐1】I shall always recall the autumn and the girl playing the violin. She made me realize true friendship. I know she will always be my best friend .
It was a golden season. I could see the yellow leaves falling on the cool wind. In such a season, I liked walking alone on the leaves in the woods, listening to the sound of them.
Autumn is a lonely season and everything is still. Such surroundings always get me down. But one day, the sound of a violin flowed into my ears like a stream flowing in the mountains. I was so surprised that I jumped to see what it was. A young girl, standing in the wind, was lost in playing her violin.
I had never seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Lost in the music, I didn't know that I had been standing there for so long but my existence did not seem to disturb her.
Leaves were still falling. Every day she played the violin at the same time and the same place and I went to watch her performance . I was the only listener. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became interesting. Though we didn't know each other, I thought we were already good friends. I believe she also had the same feeling.
Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly stopped. To my astonishment, the girl came over to me.
“You must like the violin.” she said.
“Yes, and you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.
Suddenly, a sad expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual.
“I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave. I once played badly. It was your appreciation and listening every day that encouraged me.” she said.
“In fact, it was your playing that gave me a meaningful autumn,” I answered, “let's be friends. The girl smiled and so did I.
During the rest days left, I had never heard her play again. Only thick leaves were left on the ground. But I will not forget the girl. She is just like a dream, so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off all its light that it makes the autumn sky shining.
1. What did the writer like doing in autumn?| A．Enjoying the fresh air in the woods. |
| B．Seeking for surprises. |
| C．Walking alone on the leaves and listening to the sound of the woods. |
| D．Walking by himself on the leaves and listening to the sound of the falling leaves. |
| A．He is in high spirits. | B．He is surprised. |
| C．He feels blue. | D．He is calm. |
| A．Appreciation and listening benefit others as well as ourselves. |
| B．The violin is powerful. |
| C．The girl would miss her grandmother. |
| D．Their meeting was expected. |
| A．Beauty and love are the unchangeable themes. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Persistence is important for us to succeed. |
| D．Many people may step in your life, but only true friends leave beautiful footprints on your heart. |
【推荐2】Katherine Johnson whose life was described in the movie Hidden Figures died on February 24, 2020, aged 101. The 2016 movie describes a real story of some female African-American mathematicians who joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and led a mission to put the first man on the moon in the 1950s when racial discrimination (种族歧视) was widespread.
“NASA is deeply saddened by the loss of a leader from our pioneering days,” said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine on the webpage of NASA. “Ms. Johnson helped our nation push the boundaries of space and she also played an important role in opening doors for women and people of color to explore space. At NASA we will never forget her courage and leadership and the achievements we could not have reached without her.”
Johnson was born in West Virginia in 1918. She graduated from West Virginia State University with a major in mathematics and became a teacher at a public school. She was also the first African-American woman to attend graduate school in mathematics at West Virginia University until she left school to focus on raising children.
Her life changed in 1952 after a long career break. A relative told her about open positions at the all-black West Area Computing section at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’s Langley laboratory, and she began to work for the aerospace (航空航天) industry at Langley the next year. NASA depended on humans for complicated aerospace calculation as there was no high-functioning electronic computer. Female mathematicians usually took the job as their salary was lower. Johnson was one of those African-American human computers.
Johnson was initially in charge of aerospace analysis and then a space development mission when NASA was launched in 1958. Then she worked for the 1961 suborbital (亚轨道的) flight of astronaut Alan Shepard. Johnson continued to participate in missions after she retired in 1986. Her hidden achievements were finally publicized when Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and her dramatic life was made into a movie.
1. What did Bridenstine’s words in the second paragraph mainly want to tell us?| A．To show NASA’s appreciation for Johnson’s leadership. |
| B．To express all Americans’ regret over Johnson’s death. |
| C．To show Johnson’s contributions to space exploration. |
| D．To emphasize NASA’s achievements in space exploration. |
| A．It was cheaper to hire humans. |
| B．The computers at that time weren’t advanced enough. |
| C．It couldn’t afford to buy electronic computers. |
| D．Humans were more accurate than computers in calculation. |
| A．Johnson worked for the aerospace industry for at least 33 years. |
| B．Johnson used to work in a private school. |
| C．Johnson starred in the movie Hidden Figures. |
| D．Johnson was the first woman to attend graduate school in the United States. |
| A．To promote Hidden Figures. |
| B．To highlight the greatness of women. |
| C．To tell readers achievements made by NASA. |
| D．To honor the great mathematician Katherine Johnson. |
【推荐3】“Tell me the story of me, Momma,” my daughter Sophie always asks when we sit on my grandmother’s rocking chair at the end of the day. “The first time I saw your beautiful face, it was nearly covered by a blue-and-white hat. You were surrounded by a soft blue blanket (毛毯). All I could see was a rosy face.” “And I looked like a tiny fairy baby?” she asks. “You did, and you weren’t older than a minute,” I always answer. “The nurse handed a tiny little girl to me, and I was so surprised because you felt so light. I thought if I threw off the blanket, I’d find no baby there at all, only air.”
From that moment, I became a mother. But that moment was just special and magical as if she’d come from my body directly into my arms. From that day on, she was my daughter in every way that mattered.
It’s easy sometimes to forget there was another mother out there with whom I share my title. Sophie’s birth mother, who was also my friend, lost her life to cancer not long after giving birth to Sophie. And I’ll never forget that it was her difficult decision — her tears and her pain — that made me a mom.
As my daughter grows, she will understand that sometimes life is a relay race (接力赛), and you never know who in this world will hand you your baton (接力棒). It could be someone you know for years, or it could be someone who you even never meet, someone you will never be able to repay for giving you the life you always wanted.
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By remembering her grandmother. |
| B．By asking her daughter questions. |
| C．By describing her past life. |
| D．By showing a conversation. |
| A．She was given up by her birth mother. |
| B．She and the author aren’t related by blood. |
| C．She had a hard time growing up. |
| D．She hated her birth mother. |
| A．Disappointed. |
| B．Worried. |
| C．Thankful. |
| D．Surprised. |
【推荐1】On Monday, my classmates and I heard that our astronomy teacher’s mother had died. We were surprised that he was still teaching in school. My best friend was telling me that the teacher was trying to forget the pain of losing his mother and trying to be strong in the middle of teaching.
The teacher was such a warm-hearted person and we figured that we should give him a lot of love and good cheer. That night after school, my best friend and I thought about our teacher as well as his beloved mother and then we came up with an idea.
When we went back to school yesterday, we gave him cheer-up cards which we had taken time to decorate with flowers, hearts and peace signs. As we handed the cards to him, we could both see the light in his eyes. The smiles on his face showed how much he appreciated what we did for him. The whole atmosphere was very warm and loving, and it’s hard to express in words.
This morning, when we both went to see the teacher again, he was so happy, and gave us both a hug. This made us feel that we just might have made his day, and that he was going to be okay.
With that, I want to remind you to take the time to smile at the ones you love, be extra generous with hugs, kisses, things of that lovely nature! Life is so precious (宝贵的), so let us be happy and enjoy the gift of life.
1. What made the author and her best friend surprised?| A．Their teacher never cared about his mother. | B．Their teacher didn’t ask for leave. |
| C．Their teacher tried to forget his mother. | D．Their teacher loved teaching so much. |
| A．smiles | B．flowers |
| C．hearts | D．peace signs |
| A．Extra care for a teacher going through a difficult time |
| B．So much help from my astronomy teacher |
| C．How a teacher helps the students out of trouble |
| D．Love can change everything in the world |
【推荐2】Not knowing how to say “no”, I was afraid to tell people what I wanted. Instead, I got myself tangled (纠结的) in a web of obligations, anxiety, and white lies.
The worst thing was that I didn’t even realize what I was doing. I thought I knew how to say “no” -but couldn’t remember the last time I had done this. Like a lot of people, I just wanted to be accepted, appreciated, loved, and the only way to get those things was to put everyone else’s needs before my own.
It seemed that I never had time for things I really wanted to do. I’d like to learn Spanish, write more fiction, and travel. These aren’t huge, unrealistic goals. And yet, my people-pleasing ways dramatically cut into my free time to pursue these desires.
But recently, I decided I’d had enough. As an experiment, I began standing up for myself, even at the risk of alienating (使疏远) myself from everyone and having my entire life come crashing down around me. Several days ago, a good friend asked me to go for coffee at 5 p.m. I was planning to hit the gym and then binge-watch Mad Men for the millionth time. I said, “Sorry, I’ve got things I want to do tonight.” She said, “That’s fine. Maybe another time.” It was all, so painfully simple that I wanted to cry.
Saying “no” is so much easier. If someone asks me to do something I have zero interest in, I’m polite but honest. “I’m sorry. I don’t think that’s really for me.” The words slip out faster than some other lame excuses.
Learning how to say “no” has added several extra hours to my days, days to my weeks, and what feels like months to my years. I no longer have to back-burner my plans to help friends with their job search, or set aside a weekend to read a book draft by someone I barely know. Saying “no” has set me free.
1. For what reason, was the author afraid of saying “no”?| A．She didn’t want to tell lies. | B．She was always willing to help others. |
| C．She wanted to make more friends. | D．She wanted to please everyone. |
| A．Alienating many friends. | B．Having no time for her own hobbies. |
| C．Keeping busy all day long. | D．Feeling depressed now and then. |
| A．Natural. | B．Painful. | C．Angry. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Lonely. | B．Lost. | C．Confident. | D．Relaxed. |
【推荐3】Fatima has been the only woman working as a tour guide in Afghanistan. She grew up in rural Gohr Province, where there was no schooling available to girls, but she convinced her family to let her take lessons. When Fatima was nine, her family settled in Herat and she was able to get some informal education. She practiced her English by listening to BBC radio, which she could pick up when high enough in the hills.
“My brothers and sisters were forced to get married. I decided that I would not continue in their tradition. That was why I decided to work,” Fatima says. She signed up for Facebook and began joining groups for people interested in history. Tired of people who only knew Afghanistan as a place of war and conflict, she started writing regular posts about places in her country. Then she started getting comments and responses from her new online friends.
In 2020, one of them - a man known as “Big Tom” － invited her to be his guide during his traveling in Herat. After that, Fatima continued to get work by word of mouth. Eventually she came to the attention of Untamed Borders, a travel agency that specializes in trips to more inaccessible areas. It hired her, making her the country's first female professional tour guide.
Of course, being a pioneer is never easy. Fatima says many people in her life have told her that it's too dangerous for a woman to work, especially if it means interacting with men one-on-one.
Fatima says that the support of her employers and the people she has met through giving tours is what keeps her motivated. There's also the implication of what could happen if she does quit: “Challenges are always a part of my life. If I give up, then other women will never start.”
1. Why did Fatima want to work?| A．To practice her English. |
| B．To help to support the family. |
| C．To help girls who had no access to schooling. |
| D．To live a different life from her brothers and sisters'. |
| A．She made it by recommending herself to a travel agency. |
| B．She replied to comments and was inspired by online friends. |
| C．She first wrote posts about places in Afghanistan and then got hired. |
| D．She signed up for Facebook and began joining the groups for tour guides. |
| A．He who laughs last, laughs longest. |
| B．You can't judge a book by its cover. |
| C．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
