From the moment someone is born, they are influenced by their surroundings. Perhaps the most substantial of these influences are the people they come into contact with:teachers, friends, co-workers and most importantly, family. My mother drew me to the medical field and my love and fascination of childbirth has led me to focus on becoming a labor and delivery nurse.
When I was four, my mom became a licensed practical nurse. I remember attending her graduation and knew that she gave people medicine and helped them. My mom inspired my father to also become a nurse, and shortly after her graduation he started his studies. I could never imagine at that age that I would follow in their footsteps in my adult years.
After my dad graduated, both of my parents worked in a children’s nursing home in Wabash. They worked doubles every weekend so my brother and I would usually stay with our grandparents. Sometimes my mom would let me stay home and ride to work with her. I would go in for shift change and ride back home with my dad. It was during this time that I met and helped many of the patients. My parents taught me what the different machines and devices were used for.
After several years, both of my parents switched from working in a facility to home health care. This meant they would go to a client’s house to care for them. Often times the kids would come to our house and stay for the weekend. This allowed me to observe and sometimes help with the everyday medical needs of the kids. In doing this, I learned a lot about life and the struggles these families faced in caring for a special needs child. Being enveloped in the treatment and care of the patients gave me the knowledge needed in the care of my own children when they became born.
1. Who does the author think have the greatest effect on one person?| A．His teachers. | B．His friends. |
| C．His family. | D．His co-workers. |
| A．Mother’s encouragement. | B．Good salary. |
| C．Stable occupation. | D．Father’s hobby. |
| A．She could look after them. | B．Her parents were too busy. |
| C．She wanted to learn more from them. | D．Her brother used to quarrel with her. |
| A．Brave. | B．Self-centered. |
| C．Ambitious. | D．Kind-hearted. |
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【推荐1】In one of my favorite photographs of my mother, she's about 18 and very tan, with long and blond hair. It's the 1970s and my dad is there, too, hugging her from behind.
I haven't seen this photo for years. I have no idea where it is now, but I still think of it — and, specifically, my mom is in it. She looks so young and innocent. At that time she hasn't yet dropped out of college, or got married. The young woman in this photo has no idea that life will bring her five children and five grandchildren, one divorce, two marriages, and a move across the country.
For me, as for many daughters, the time before my mother became a mother is a string of stories, told and retold: the time she sold her childhood Barbie doll to buy a ticket to Woodstock; the time she worked as a waitress at Howard Johnson's, struggling to pay her way through her first year at Rutgers. The old photos of her are even more appealing than the stories because they're a historical record, carrying the weight of fact, even if the truth there is slippery: the trick of an image, and so much left outside the frame.
It is always a comfort from those photos to know that time, aging and motherhood cannot take away a woman's essential identity. For daughters who closely resemble their moms, it must be an even bigger comfort; these mothers and daughters are twins, separated by a generation, and an oldphoto serves as a kind of mirror.
For daughters, these old photos of our mothers feel like both a chasm and a bridge. The woman in the picture is someone other than the woman we know. She is also exactly the person in the photo—still, right now. Finally, we see that the woman we've come to think of as Mom—whether she's nurturing, or disapproving, or thoughtful, or supportive, or sentimental—is also a mysterious, fun, brave babe.
She's been here all this time.
1. Why does the author still think of the photo of her mother appealing?| A．The photo reminds her of her mother. |
| B．Her mother looks young and happy in the photo. |
| C．She wonders why her mother dropped out of college. |
| D．The photo tells a lot about her mother in her youth. |
| A．Bond. | B．Memory. | C．Difference. | D．Relation. |
| A．The photos are kept well even after generations. |
| B．The photos record the life of the mothers faithfully. |
| C．The photos help daughters to learn more about their mothers. |
| D．The photos show the essential part of the mothers remain unchanged. |
| A．The Pictures of Our Mothers. | B．Our Mothers as We Never Saw Them. |
| C．My Favorite Picture of My Mother. | D．The Way to Learn About Our Mothers. |
【推荐2】The school year was almost over, and we’d be moving on to a new school for sixth grade. All the girls made autograph books and collected signatures. As I signed my classmates’ books. I noticed their moms had written in them, too. Such sweet thoughts were expressed: “I couldn’t be prouder of you.” “I love you. Dad and I are so proud of you.”
I asked my mother to sign mine, too. She was busy, she said, but she’d get to it later. I set the book on the kitchen table. Later that night, she handed it back to me. I was anxious to see what encouraging words she had written.
This is what I found on the page:
When a thing is first begun,
Never leave it till it’s done.
Be the labor great or small,
Do it well or not at all.
Mom
No words of pride or encouragement. It was just a stupid poem—another indication to me that, if I couldn’t be perfect, I wasn’t good enough. I held back my tears, not expressing how I felt.
That page in that handmade book plagued me for years. In the following years, I battled perfectionism and low self-esteem and never felt good enough for most of my life.
When my mother was in her eighties and in a nursing home, I gave her a book to fill out so we could know more about her, It had tips at the top of each page and then blank space to respond. Sadly, my mother passed away soon.
After she died, I sorted out her belongings. The one thing I wanted more than anything was that book. I found it and immediately read through it, and I saw she had just filled out ten pages. But ten pages of memories were better than no pages.
What I found stopped me short. On page ten, the tip asked, “What’s the best advice you got from your mom and dad?” Her response was what she had written in my autograph book. I’ve come to see that Mom was passing on something she found valuable in her life. A gift from her to me.
1. Why did the author ask her mother to sign?| A．She did it just to follow suit. |
| B．Her mother was a famous poet. |
| C．She desired it as a gift for later generations. |
| D．She longed for encouragement from her mother. |
| A．Inspired. | B．Disappointed. | C．Excited. | D．Relieved. |
| A．Punished. | B．Encouraged. | C．Troubled. | D．Confused. |
| A．The Price of Every Decision | B．The Encouraging Words from Mom |
| C．Breathing Belief into Those Who Doubt | D．A Misunderstanding Coming to Light |
I was born disabled．A difficult birth, feet first, my head stuck．By my first birthday, I couldn't stand or walk．
When I was three, the doctor told dad I had cerebral palsy （脑瘫）．A loss of oxygen to my brain had destroyed brain signals to the right side of my body．
But no son of my dad' s was going to be disabled．Every morning before breakfast and every evening before bed, my dad placed me on the bedroom floor to exercise my right leg．The muscles were shrunk and twisted together．Back and forth up and down, my dad pushed and pulled the muscles into shape．
But my dad' s exercise of passion didn't stop there．For my 13th birthday, he threw me a special party．When everybody was gone, he brought me to open a large box, it was a-set of boxing gloves．We put them on．My dad kept on beating me mercilessly．Each time I tried to get up, leather kissed my nose, eyes and jaw．I "begged him to stop. He said he beat me to get me ready for the tough world.
That same year, I was the only kid in my neighborhood that wasn't picked for Little League. Two weeks later．Dad started the Shedd Park Minor League, and every kid played．Dad coached us and made me a pitcher （棒球投手）．
The power of my dad' s love guaranteed I walked and more．In high school, I became a football star．
In 1997, a brain surgeon in San Jose told me I didn’t t have cerebral palsy after all．He explained how and where the doctor' s forceps （镊子） at birth had damaged my brain.
My dad never knew the whole truth since he passed away years ago．But all that counts is the bottom line．After all his madness, on this Father' s Day, like every Father' s Day, I' m no longer disabled．
1. What caused the author' s disability?
| A．A failed operation． |
| B．The doctor's forceps． |
| C．An accident in a game． |
| D．Shrunken and twisted muscles． |
| A．The author has a talent for boxing． |
| B．The author achieved a lot thanks to his father' s love． |
| C．The author became a baseball star with the help of his father． |
| D．The author doesn't think his father should be so strict with him． |
| A．wouldn't give up hope easily |
| B．believed his son was a normal child |
| C．blamed the doctors for his son' s disability |
| D．couldn't accept the truth that his son was disabled |
| A．remember his father |
| B．encourage disabled children |
| C．show the difficulty the disabled face |
| D．give advice to the parents of disabled children |
I remember you. Ten months ago, when my cellphone rang, you were walking into Whole Foods to do your grocery shopping. My brother was on the other end of the line, telling me my father’s death.
After I hung up, I started to cry as my whole body trembled（发抖）. Overwhelmed with emotions, I fell to the floor, my knees bending under the weight of what I had just learned. You could have kept on walking, ignoring my cries. Instead, you came over and comforted me.
One of you asked for my phone and who you should call. I could hear your words as you tried to reach my husband, leaving an urgent message. I could hear you discuss who would drive me home. You didn’t even know one another, but it didn’t seem to matter.
I told you that I had a friend, Pam, who worked at Whole Foods and one of you went in search of her. I remember the relief I felt at seeing her face, familiar and warm. She took me to the back and brought comfort to me until my husband could get to me. One of you sent back a gift card to Whole Foods, which helped to feed（喂养）my family, when the idea of cooking was so far beyond my emotional reach, which lasted for days.
I’ve never seen you since then. Without you, I might have simply gotten in the car and tried to drive myself home. Terrible things would have happened. Your kindness to help a stranger in need has stayed with me until now. And no matter how many times my mind takes me back to that horrible life-changing moment, it’s not all darkness. You may not remember me. But I’ll never forget you.
Yours,
Deborah
1. Deborah fell down to the floor mainly because| A．she felt extremely sick | B．she felt too sad at her father’s death |
| C．she cried more than she could bear | D．she was badly injured on her knees |
| A．couldn’t recover her senses for days | B．couldn’t do the housework on her own |
| C．didn’t spend any money on her food | D．wasn’t in the mood for cooking for days |
| A．Deborah is ready to those in need in her daily life. |
| B．Deborah is unwilling to recall that horrible moment. |
| C．Deborah feels warm when recalling the terrible moment. |
| D．Deborah wants to find those who helped her out of trouble. |
| A．describing how others have influenced her life |
| B．sharing one of her terrible experiences in her life |
| C．expressing her appreciation of the strangers’ help |
| D．showing her attitude towards some kind strangers |
【推荐2】One time a young man, who hoped to study law, wrote to Lincoln for advice, and Lincoln replied, “If you are determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already.Always bear in mind that your own determination to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”
Lincoln knew. He had gone through it all.He had never, in his entire life, had more than a total of one year’s schooling And books? Lincoln once said he had walked to borrow every book within fifty miles of his home. A fire was usually kept going all night in the small house and he read by the light of it．
He walked twenty or thirty miles to hear a speaker and, returning home, he practiced his talks everywhere — in the fields, in the woods, before the crowds. He joined several societies and practiced speaking on the topics of the day．
A lack of confidence always troubled him.In the presence of women he was shy and dumb.Even when he was in love with Mary Todd, he used to sit there, nervous and silent, unable to find words, listening while she did the talking.Yet that was the man who, by practice and home study, made himself into the speaker who debated with the famous speaker Douglas! That was the man who, in Gettysburg address, rose to the heights of eloquence (雄辩) that have seldom been achieved in all the human history．
Small wonder that,speaking of his own great barriers and painful struggle, he wrote, “If you are determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already”
1. What does the underlined word “it”(in Paragraph 2) refer to?| A．Earning a fortune. |
| B．Making a living. |
| C．Asking for advice. |
| D．Becoming a lawyer. |
| A．Lincoln’s courage. |
| B．Lincoln’s position. |
| C．Lincoln’s progress. |
| D．Lincoln’s eloquence. |
| A．Believing in oneself. |
| B．Keeping on practicing hard. |
| C．Overcoming difficulties. |
| D．Sticking to one’s determination. |
The event was swimming. I watched a man dive off the blocks and knew right away that something was wrong. I'm not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold — his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle.
I heard the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes (划水) and you could tell he was worn out. But in those few awkward strokes, the crowd changed. No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and yell things like, "Come on, you can do it!" He did. The crowd went wild.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to take part in the event. Even though he recorded the slowest time, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors—a man that gave his all, knowing that he had no chance but to compete because of the spirit of the games.
1. We know from the passage that the swimmer ________.
| A．was not professional |
| B．had two competitors |
| C．had a wrong start |
| D．didn't try his best |
| A．The swimmer lost his spirit. |
| B．The swimmer didn't finish his match. |
| C．The audience was touched deeply by the swimmer. |
| D．The crowd supported the swimmer from the beginning. |
| A．tolerance |
| B．disappointment |
| C．carelessness |
| D．admiration |
| A．Successful Swimmers |
| B．Go for it |
| C．What an Event |
| D．Awkward Strokes |
【推荐1】Each morning, opening the door to the factory, I was struck by the strong smell of oil and the noises of machines. My college internship at this large plant involved walking through the factory to get to the engineering offices. I tried to get to my office without slipping or getting my high heels stuck in the old wood flooring.
The head of this crowd would shout and blow the whistle so loudly that everyone would hear and laugh. When this type of thing happened, it was just considered “boys will be boys”, so managers did nothing though they were aware of all this. This whole situation was humiliating, and I began to hate going to the offices.
After a while, I realized that the man with the whistle delighted in embarrassing the ladies. Out of necessity, my idea was born. One morning, as I walked through the factory door and made my way around the machines, he began to blow his whistle. I stopped and turned to face him, looking him directly in the eyes. Surprised, he stopped the whistle.
Breathing deeply, I said aloud, “I just wanted to tell you that I wish you wouldn’t do that. It’s very embarrassing. How would you like it if someone did that to you or one of your family members?”
I think I shocked him, and he looked down. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. We were just having fun. My name is Tom,” he said.
I met his gaze but smiled this time. “Let’s be friends from now on.”
Sure enough, the next morning, Tom smiled and waved. I smiled and waved back. We continued to have this happy exchange for the rest of my internship.
1. What struck the author when she went to work?| A．The noises of the machines. | B．The shouting of the crowd. |
| C．The chance of being stuck. | D．The worry of the internship. |
| A．They tried but couldn’t stop the men. | B．They thought it unnecessary to stop it. |
| C．They felt it helpful for the author’s growth. | D．They knew nothing about the situation. |
| A．The work wasn’t productive. | B．She hated the noisy machines. |
| C．The managers didn’t support her. | D．She disliked being laughed at. |
| A．They continued to be unfriendly. | B．They shared their work experience. |
| C．They exchanged greetings at work. | D．They developed good partnership. |
【推荐2】Very early on in my senior year of high school, my parents pretty much carried the flame for my future college. I was happy going to a 2-year college before going after my bachelor’s degree. This was for two reasons: to help them save money and to make sure I major in English. However, they insisted their only boy should attend a 4-year college right off the bat.
I was pushed to start searching for colleges therefore, ones that my parents approved of and fit within the range of tuition that my mom thought was acceptable to. I was also restricted to the immediate area, which really only included New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, so I was talked out of applying to any colleges in one of my favorite places: New Hampshire.
I should be honest: it got a bit tense at times with several different opinions between my parents and me, and with other family members or friends voicing their thoughts to my parents.
In the end, I ended up applying to three schools: SUNY Albany, SUNY New Paltz, and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. I had been to New Paltz quite often as it was only 45 minutes away from our home. And Kutztown is located in an area our family often visited.
I was accepted by all three, and I quickly gave up Albany. I was not impressed with the city and wasn’t familiar with the area. It was between New Paltz and Kutztown. After a few weeks, I ended up settling on New Paltz because Kutztown just didn’t “feel right” for me. When I was on the campus, I had a feeling that this was it.
Looking back now, I wish I had known more about the application process and had a little more freedom of choice about which college I could apply to. I probably still would have attended SUNY New Paltz, but I would have loved to have a few more options.
1. What did the author’s parents think he should do?| A．Choose a college that can provide good jobs. |
| B．Go to a community college to save money. |
| C．Choose a college that he likes best. |
| D．Directly go to a 4-year college. |
| A．He wasn’t familiar with it. | B．His situation didn’t allow it. |
| C．The living expenses there were too high. | D．He wasn’t sure if he would fit in there. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Regretful. | C．Satisfied. | D．Worried. |
| A．How I Chose My College | B．How to Apply to a College |
| C．Different Choices, Different Future | D．The Meaning of Attending College |
【推荐3】A few years ago, I stood in a small classroom just outside of New York City, watching a high schooler named Serena Stevenson answer math questions. An instructor read outnumbers — 74,470, 70,809, 98,402 — and Stevenson added them in her head. For each question, she closed her eyes, and then the fingers of her right hand began to move. She answered most of the problems correctly.
The key to her success was an ancient technology called the abacus (珠算). Stevenson used a practice called “mental abacus”, imagining the abacus in her mind and then using her fingers to work through the problems.
From watching Stevenson, I knew that gaining skill at the abacus was more than a matter of counting beads, so I decided to sign up for an abacus course with my two daughters to see if we could also improve our math skills. I was one of the many who had some math doubts and I felt a touch of fear. My typical solution was avoidance, and if I had to calculate something like a percentage change, I would go online.
Then after a few abacus classes and a good amount of practice, math seemed a little less frightening. I didn’t become Euclid, the founder of geometry. But the practice brought my numerical fears down. This is a time-tested power of the abacus. Confidence grows easily in the device, and abacus students are less likely to be nervous about an upcoming math test, according to one study. Part of the reason, it seems, is that practice and outcomes appear to move in step.
My kids gained much as well. My youngest daughter could work out those math problems that once baffled her, while my older child brought her abacus to school to show it to her classmates and teacher. These were just small successes for them, but that was how they finally developed confidence.
1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To prove the difficulty of math. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the abacus. |
| C．To show the high intelligence of Stevenson. |
| D．To stress the importance of abacus learning. |
| A．He was weak in math. | B．He was good at computer. |
| C．He regarded math as useful. | D．He had a close relationship with kids. |
| A．Knowledge starts with practice. | B．It’s never too late to learn. |
| C．Faith can move mountains. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
| A．bored | B．inspired | C．confused | D．interested |
