Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet, recited her poem The Hill We Climb at the recent Presidential Inauguration (就职) Ceremony. Her words and performance were wonderful and were admired across the world. But what is even more wonderful is the story of how Amanda arrived at this moment and the lessons she offers other kids around the world.
Amanda was raised by a single mother, Joan Wicks, in Los Angeles. There was very limited television watching in their house. Encouraged by her mother, who was a teacher, Amanda fell in love with reading and writing. She gained confidence in these areas. Her passion for poetry started when she was about 8 years old.
But despite her interests and talents, she had some obstacles. Amanda has a listening processing disorder and is very sensitive to sound. She also had a speech disorder during childhood. This caused her to participate in speech treatment which helped her to turn her obstacles into gifts and strengths. As she told The Harvard Gazette in 2018, “I always saw it as a strength because since I was experiencing these obstacles in terms of my listening and speech skills, I became really good at reading and writing.”
Amanda started to dream of becoming president when she was in 6th grade. As Amanda became more confident, she became more driven to transform the world for good. She went on to earn a degree at Harvard University. And then, Amanda became the world’s first Youth Poet Laureate (获奖者) in history!
While Amanda looked calm, cool, and collected at the inauguration, she admits she is always nervous, like many of us, about public speaking. To ease this, she developed a spell that she recites to give herself confidence in moments of doubt, “I am the daughter of black writers. We are descendants (子孙) of freedom fighters who broke through chains and changed the world.”
1. What do we know about Amanda Gorman?| A．She took to reading and writing thanks to her teacher. |
| B．She published her first poem at the age of 8. |
| C．She read a poem at a presidential inauguration. |
| D．She became the first Youth Poet Laureate at high school. |
| A．Worries . | B．Changes. | C．Strengths. | D．Disabilities. |
| A．By seeking support from some black writers. |
| B．By practicing the speech context repeatedly. |
| C．By reciting a special sentence to herself. |
| D．By talking to freedom fighters before the speech. |
| A．To share a funny story. | B．To educate disabled kids. |
| C．To record a wonderful moment. | D．To encourage more children. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We were designing a wheelchair for a college engineering course. My classmates were certain that we needed to use steel and they felt only steel would be strong enough. I thought steel would be too heavy and aluminum would be a better option. But the student who strongly advocated steel worked at a bike shop. A few days later, when the big and heavy steel arm kept dropping down, I wished I had shown more determination to defend my position.
I enjoyed doing handiwork and my parents would come home and see artworks I had finished that day—painting, clay sculpting, sewing stuffed animals, etc. But when I studied engineering in college, these pursuits were deep-sixed. Not only was I stretched for time, but I didn’t think they were relevant to my academic work. I hesitated to highlight my female crafting (手工艺) interests in the male-dominated engineering environment where I already felt like an outsider.
When I went on to pursue a Ph.D. — early in the pandemic, I felt anxious and turned to crafting. One day I was making a set of dice as a gift for a friend. While putting the liquid resin (树脂) into the silicone mold (硅胶模具), I made a joke to my partner that I was “injection molding” — a standard engineering manufacturing process. I suddenly realized that although resin art is not injection molding in the technical sense, it shares the spirit and probably some skills.
Soon I saw connections between engineering and crafting that I had previously overlooked. When working on the wheelchair project, I used my sewing skills to create cushioned grips for the handles. I saw how crafting taught me to persevere when my product didn’t match my initial vision and to consider the failed creation a learning experience, just as an engineer must.
Since then, I’ve built crafting back into my free time. I’ve also stopped hiding it from my colleagues. I mentioned my dice-making experience at a robotics conference and explained in a team meeting how we could gain inspiration from art experiences. I was glad that the responses were positive — not rude or dismissive, as I used to fear.
1. What can we know about the author and her classmates?| A．They had a sort of love-hate relationship. |
| B．They worked part-time at a local bike shop. |
| C．They had disagreements when creating a wheelchair. |
| D．They knew nothing about the structure of wheelchairs. |
| A．Put aside. | B．Backed up. | C．Followed through | D．Dug out. |
| A．It helped show off her talent. | B．It was unfriendly to females. |
| C．It helped promote cooperation. | D．It was beyond all her expectations. |
| A．She should take up more hobbies. | B．Crafting needs great practical skills. |
| C．She should become more determined. | D．Crafting can help make her a better engineer. |
| A．Creative but sensitive. | B．Confident but stubborn. |
| C．Ambitious and strong-willed. | D．Emotional and straightforward. |
【推荐2】A UPS (United Parcel Service) driver Ryan Arens was making his rounds near a pond in Bozeman, Montana, when he heard a sound. “Like a cry for help,” he told the Dodo. It was December 2019, and about 15 feet from the frozen banks was the source of that cry-a struggling dog with half of its body underwater, trying to stick to a thin layer of ice. How she got there no one knows, but an elderly man was already on the scene, determined to save her. He’d entered the pond in a rowboat and was trying hard to cut the ice with a rock to create a path to the dog. It was slowly going, and Arens,44, thought he stood a better chance.
“Animals are my weakness,” he told the Great Falls Tribune, explaining why he took off his clothes without hesitation, even though the temperature was in the 30s, and took over the rowboat.
His heart beating wildly, Arens slid closer to the dog and used the other man’s rock to smash away at the ice. He gave one too strong hit and slipped off the boat, falling into 16 feet of icy water.
He resurfaced in time to see the dog going under. Using nervous energy to keep warm, he swam about five feet toward her, took hold of her collar, and pulled her to the ice. He then lifted the dog into the boat and slid it back to the shore, where anxious bystanders carried the dog to the home of the elderly man, a retired animal doctor. Once in the house himself, Arens jumped into a warm shower with the dog until they both felt warm. A few more minutes in the pond，the doctor told Arens, and she would have likely suffered cardiac arrest(心脏骤停).
The next day, Arens was back working in the same neighborhood when the dog’s owner came over to thank him for saving Sadie. “Would you like to meet her?” he asked. He opened the door to his pickup, and immediately out raced Sadie. She went straight to Arens, leaping on him and bathing him in wet kisses. “That special delivery”，says Arens, “was the highlight of my UPS career.”
1. What happened to the dog?| A．It lost its way home. | B．It was caught in an accident. |
| C．It fell into a pond. | D．It was trapped in a truck. |
| A．He can’t help helping animals in trouble | B．Dogs are too weak to stand the cold. |
| C．He is good at raising weak animals. | D．He is too weak to save the dog. |
| A．Warm | B．Cold | C．Cool | D．Hot. |
| A．The animal doctor. | B．Ryan Arens |
| C．A bystander. | D．A reporter. |
| A．Sadie went to live with the person who saved her. |
| B．The dog owner was not a responsible master. |
| C．Dogs should be kept indoors in cold weather. |
| D．Arens was proud of what he had done. |
【推荐3】For days, Hunter Mollett had little to eat but he insisted on heading to Enterprise High School in Mississippi. He never complained; he’d simply do his work, hang about with friends and attend band practice. Finally, after four days, Hunter’s mom found some peas and cornmeal and made a meal for them.
In high school, Mollett experienced various degrees of homelessness. However, as one of the smartest students in his grade, when struggling to find stable housing, he also wanted to attend Harvard University.
Jackie Lewis first learned of his dream when she met him in her ninth-grade algebra class. “He told me he was going to Harvard,” she said, “but I was unsure if he was going to make it.” However, after having Mollett in class, Lewis changed her views on his chances in the Ivy League.
Mollett first decided on Harvard when he was in Grade One when he was watching Boston Legal with his mother. He asked her how the characters became lawyers. She said they went to Harvard. Though he didn’t know if she was just joking, Mollett decided that was where he wanted to go.
When Mollett’s teachers learned of his unstable housing, they started helping when they could. If Mollett needed some books, a teacher would buy them for him. If he needed a ride, someone would take him. Meanwhile, Mollett worked hard toward his goal of becoming a lawyer. He took his tests and started applying to colleges, including Mississippi State University and Harvard.
Soon he learned Mississippi State University accepted him and offered him a full scholarship. Then he got an e-mail about financial aid at Harvard even before his university acceptance letter. He felt bewildered.
“I sat there for 16 minutes just staring at my phone. I couldn’t believe I got in.” Mollett said.
1. What made Hunter Mollett set the goal of going to Harvard?| A．His mother’s joke. | B．The inspiration from a TV play. |
| C．His friend’s encouragement. | D．His teacher’s support and help. |
| A．Confused. | B．Satisfied. | C．Frustrated. | D．Upset. |
| A．Social and intelligent. | B．Confident and patient. |
| C．Ambitious and considerate. | D．Determined and diligent. |
The drunken thief who pretended he was Superman to stop a child raising the alarm has been caught after he leapt from the apartment building in his pants to make the girl convinced.
Thief Ethan Adamson, 25, told police that he had broken into a fifth-floor flat after a drinking party, believing it was empty.
But he was horrified when the owner’s 10-year-old daughter woke up while he was there.
From his hospital bed, the thief told reporters, “To keep her quiet, I told her I was really Superman and I’d soon be flying off back to my secret headquarters.”
“She called my bluff (向…摊牌) and told me, ‘If you’re Superman, show me you can fly or I’ll scream’.
“I had no choice so I stripped to my pants to look more like a superhero and went to the window. I saw another roof below and I thought I could make it but it turned out to be a lot further down than thought. I know it doesn’t make sense but it did to me when I was drunk.”
Police later found him on the roof in just his yellow pants, covered in cuts and bruises(淤青) after a neighbor heard his cries of pain.
He now faces seven years behind bars for burglary.
Police spokesman Frank Armado said, “He was in quite a serious state and couldn’t move until we got up there using ladders. He was treated for his injuries and we got him some fresh clothes, before taking him to hospital where he is being kept under guard until he is well enough to be arrested.”
1. What does the underlined part in the passage mean?
| A．I could land safely on the roof. |
| B．I could make the girl trust me. |
| C．I could prove I was a superhero. |
| D．I could make a successful escape. |
a. Ethan Adamson told reporters of the burglary.
b. The 10-year-old girl called Ethan Adamson’s bluff.
c. Ethan Adamson attended a drinking party.
d. Ethan Adamson leapt out of a window.
| A．cabd | B．dbca | C．cbda | D．dcab |
| A．To report on a joking burglary. |
| B．To call our attention to the burglary. |
| C．To explain how the burglar was caught. |
| D．To look back on an adventure story. |
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily．My sister Liz, a prisoner（囚犯，俘虏） of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up．Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms．This allowed me to shovel enough driveways （车道） to pay off my debt．I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other．
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable （便携式的） record player．I was excited．However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen．“We have one more gift for you．” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage．There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle．
“It’s not fair,” I complained．“I worked so hard for my bike．and it’s not even new．Then Liz gets a new bike．She didn’t have to do anything for it．” My dad smiled．“She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’s not really for her ,” he said．What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike．
By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up．As we grew, Liz and I became true friends．
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later．That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me．He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart （逐渐疏远） in the face of my ability to travel．He gave me my best friend．
1. What do we know about the author’s bike?
| A．It was worth $120． |
| B．Allen bought it for him． |
| C．It was very fashionable． |
| D．He didn’t like it actually． |
| A．He had paid off his debt． |
| B．He had learned to ride a bike． |
| C．He could also own Liz’s bike． |
| D．He could sell his bike to Liz． |
| A．His sister got a new record player． |
| B．His father didn’t care about him． |
| C．The record player wasn’t new． |
| D．His sister got a better gift． |
| A．moved | B．satisfied |
| C．puzzled | D．disappointed |
【推荐3】“I don’t do throw-up.” My own words were coming back to haunt (烦扰) me as I heard one of my campers yell, “Ewww, Bridger threw up.” I froze. I forced myself to turn around and look. I glanced quickly, then immediately looked away. I stopped breathing through my nose so I wouldn’t be able to smell it.
Working at Camp Seafarer for the summer was like a dream to me. Being a counselor (夏令营负责人), though, was more work than I had expected. I was always exhausted, and it was hard to keep giving 100 percent of myself twenty-four hours a day. In the end, however, it was worth staying up with a homesick camper or saying a longer goodnight to the shyest girl to help bring her out of her shell. It was just so much responsibility trying to keep twelve ten-year-olds safe, while trying to help them have a great summer. Now my responsibility was spreading to the one thing I hated most, cleaning up throw-up.
I looked around at Bridger who looked like she was in pain. Then I noticed my co-counselor, Jessie standing around. I looked at her, waiting for her to start the work. “I’ll take Bridger to the health center,” Jessie said. I couldn’t believe it! I was stuck with doing the one thing I have always said I would never do. “All right, I can do this,” I said to myself. What to get first? Paper towels! I went into the bathroom to find some. As I approached my enemy, I noticed a lot of girls were crowded around me laughing.
I then squeezed my eyes shut and went in for the kill, picking up the mess. I picked up the paper towels as fast as I could and threw them into the trash can. I had done it! I could handle this job. Then I noticed that now all the people were laughing.
“Sarah!” Bridger cried, “The throw-up was fake!”
I learned, that summer, that with responsibility comes great rewards, such as my campers’ laughing over the fake throw-up. Every smile and every hug made the job worth it.
1. How might the author have felt about the news of Bridger?| A．Panicked. | B．Confused. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Relieved. |
| A．It often made her very angry. |
| B．It cured her of homesickness. |
| C．It was tiring but worthwhile. |
| D．It helped overcome her shyness. |
| A．The co-counselor Jessie. |
| B．The throw-up. |
| C．The paper towel. |
| D．The trash can. |
| A．She broke her mental block. |
| B．She recognized Bridger’s trick. |
| C．She was rewarded by the camp organizer. |
| D．She was looked down upon by her co-counselors. |
