It was Tracey who first noticed the man who looked strikingly like her brother-in-law, who also worked as a carpenter. With brown eyes and a strong nose, he could have been the twin of her husband’s brother, Clifford. But Tracey didn’t think much more about the likeness until she discovered her husband and Clare, who shared the same birthday, even had been born at the same hospital. That night, Tracey and Craig sat up in their queen-size bed, talking and drinking black tea until the sun rose. It was a huge mental leap from recognizing a series of likeness to wondering if he was switched at birth.
After a few days, Tracey got her chance to secretly snap a picture of Clare and sent to Craig. Over the next few days, all family members of Craig shook their heads in disbelief about the extreme facial similarity. Clifford, the one who was almost identical, desired to do a DNA test to determine whether it is true or not. However, when the couple approached Clare to tell him about their thought, he was reluctant to admit that he wasn’t the person he’d always been, regarding it as a terrible joke. “Everyone looks like someone.” He thought.
Months later, when Craig got results comparing his DNA with Clifford’s, he called Clare first. But Clare, even while he felt a wave of sadness, wasn’t convinced that the news applied to him.
But the truth floated eventually. Years later, Clare decided to take an identity test. When Clare’s test results arrived in the post, he called Craig. Clare had laid out his results on the kitchen counter next to Clifford’s. “Everything was a match,” Clare said. He and Clifford had been brothers. There was silence on both ends of the phone. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to go to work. Clare moved from his bed to the sofa, the sofa to the bed, sometimes stopping to sob in the kitchen, often drinking and smoking along days alone, refusing to believe the truth.
1. What made Tracey first think Clare and Clifford could be twins?| A．Their jobs. | B．Their birthday. |
| C．Their appearances. | D．Their birthplace. |
| A．Clifford rejected an identity test. |
| B．Clare disliked the couple’s thought. |
| C．Craig’s family were far from shocked. |
| D．Clare compared his DNA with Clifford’s. |
| A．That Craig and Clifford were twins. |
| B．That Clare also needed to do a DNA test. |
| C．That Craig got the results of the DNA test. |
| D．That Clare and Clifford were probably twins. |
| A．Upset. | B．Amazed. | C．Relieved. | D．Exhausted. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】One day while trying to print all the class worksheets we needed for the day, I found myself shouting at my printer in front of my son. “Why won’t this stupid thing print?” I shouted. My son came up to me quietly, saying, “Calm down, Mommy. Maybe if you don’t shout at the printer, it will work. You need to have patience.”
He was right. I needed patience-patience with this whole situation. I stopped myself, realizing this was not the behavior I wanted my son to see. He was also right that I needed to calm down. Just like what I told him to do, I took a few deep breaths and walked away from the collapsed printer. Later that day when we were outside, I tried to keep the sense of calm I had slightly achieved. Once I blocked out all the anxiety over the virus, school, and my work — I found the afternoon peaceful and pleasant. I played flying disc with my son, simply enjoying each other’s company while the birds sang. It was an everyday moment I’ll never take for granted again.
From then on, things got a little easier. I started to give myself, and everyone else, some favour. I stopped holding myself to my perfectionism standards with every little thing because they were truly impossible to keep to.
With that favour, I changed my focus. Getting every school worksheet done correctly is not important. Neither is cleaning the house. And, apart from getting fired, neither is my work. Spending time with my family, and staying healthy emotionally and physically, became my main concerns. We took walks. We danced our hearts out during the Disney Family Sing-Along. We got up early and walked secretly into our backyard with telescopes to bird watch. Who knows, birding may be the new hobby we’re never giving up.
1. What did the author’s son ask his mother to do?| A．Print later. | B．Stop printing. |
| C．Change another printer. | D．Stay calm. |
| A．Sensitive. | B．Stubborn. |
| C．Broken-down. | D．Unfriendly. |
| A．By giving up dreams. |
| B．By focusing on others. |
| C．By stopping pursuing perfection. |
| D．By paying little attention to work. |
【推荐2】A Letter to My Daughter
Dear Ava,
A long time ago, your aunt came to Delhi looking for an ambition that was taking shape inside her. I, on the day of her joining a fashion institute, told her that, ''You'll have to travel in a bus to work. This is the world I can present you and this is the world all women are facing every single day of their lives.''
Ava, I honestly don't know how you are going to face this world bravely. I cannot be there always to protect you, to save you from its darkness. Take your own journey and find a solution to the things that hold you back. Find your own weapon and don't forget to chase your dreams.
Your aunt took the journey and today she is a fashion designer in her own right. With all my humility (谦逊) I am asking you to stand on your own feet and challenge a society that is going to make things a lot more difficult for you simply because you are a girl.
The world bows down before a woman who is ready to look all challenges right in the eye. Your mother came to Mumbai and worked tirelessly on her own terms. She never gave in to the pressure; instead she fought till she decided to have you in her life. She is my ideal woman after my mother.
Ava, I wish I could be there by your side to always guide you, to tell you how to go about things. That's my primary responsibility as your dad. But I know one thing for sure that when you are in your youth I'll be gone.
Fight like a fighter; be aggressive like a lion. Even if you are defeated at some point it doesn't matter, because a person who never tries to ride a horse can only be a spectator(观众). Fight your battle and hopefully you’ll come out winning.
Lots of love,
Your father
Manoj Bajpayee
1. What can we infer from the letter written by the author to Ava?| A．The father wants to warn his daughter of danger. |
| B．The father wants to guide his daughter by some advice. |
| C．The father wants to explain the reality to her. |
| D．The father wants to express his deep love. |
| A．Confident. | B．Puzzled. | C．Concerned. | D．Helpless. |
| A．quotes his own example | B．gives some motivation |
| C．makes some promises | D．offers all the blessings as a father |
| A．Keeping your dreams going on. |
| B．Solving the problems independently. |
| C．Being brave and wise. |
| D．Riding a horse to be a spectator. |
【推荐3】At an airport I happened to hear a father and daughter in their last moments together. Standing near the door, he said to his daughter, “I love you, I wish you enough.” She said, “Daddy, your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too.” They kissed good-bye and she left.
He walked toward the window where I was seated. I could see he wanted to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?”
“Yes,” I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of my Dad. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing.
“When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?” He began to smile. “That’s a wish handed down from my parents.” Looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.
“When we said ‘I wish you enough’, we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things,” he continued the sharing. “I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.”
He then stood up and walked away.
1. What can we infer about the father’s family?| A．Hardworking. | B．Honest. | C．Supportive. | D．Generous. |
| A．Disturb. | B．Value. | C．Care. | D．Ignore. |
| A．Varied. | B．Rough. | C．Simple. | D．Smooth. |
【推荐1】In January 2017, I left a 30-year career in radio to find a new path. Fear, doubt, and anxiety filled my life at that time. I had no idea where life was going to take me.
Anything new in life can be exciting, but it can also come with anxiety. I was beginning a new career with little experience. The language on the ramp(舷梯)was foreign to me. What is involved with a “turn” (a plane being downloaded and loaded) was foreign to me. All of the excitement I had about this job on the first day was slowly changing to fear and doubt by week three.
After two weeks in the classroom, it was time for training on the ramp. On my first day as a trainee, I was partnered with a man named Fernando. My job was zone assist. A zone assist is usually at the back of the plane, bringing the belt loader(带式行李装载机)to the aircraft, unloading the back bins(箱子), servicing the drinking water, and wing walking at a push(紧急时). I was 48 years old at the time and had been without extreme physical activity since high school, so I was about to hit the ramp for the first time in extremely hot conditions.
Another deep fear I had, other than hurting myself, was damaging an airplane. Granted, things happen and we’re human. But making a mistake and damaging a plane that could lead to a delay or taking it out of service would be a disaster for a ramp agent. With that in mind, I was so nervous driving the belt loader up the airplane.
Fernando and I did eight turns that day. I don’t remember how many bags I downloaded. Eventually, I got through the day, tired and sore afterwards. Looking at the schedule for the next day, I believed I would do it better.
1. Why did the author feel anxious at the beginning?| A．Because he was out of work. |
| B．Because he had no idea how he could make his living. |
| C．Because the new job was totally unfamiliar to him. |
| D．Because the new job was very dangerous. |
| A．His physical condition. | B．His carelessness. |
| C．The extreme physical work. | D．The hot environment. |
| A．Having an old partner. | B．Being too tired. |
| C．Hurting himself. | D．Damaging the plane. |
| A．The author would continue his new job. | B．The author would change his job. |
| C．The author would have a higher salary. | D．The author would get a promotion |
【推荐2】After 195 countries in two years, one traveler has become the first black woman to visit every country in the world. Jessica Nabongo ended her journey in the Seychelles, off the coast of East Africa—just as she said she would be on “Good Morning, America” back in March. Friends and family joined her in the Seychelles to celebrate the incredible achievement.
Nabongo was born and raised in Detroit by Ugandan-immigrant parents. She has been traveling internationally since she was four. In addition to her U.S. passport, Nabongo carries a Ugandan passport, which helped her gain access to different nations around the world.
The idea to visit every country on earth came to her in February 2017. At that point, she had visited about 60 countries. But Nahango didn’t tell anyone her plan, at least not at first. Nabango did some research and discovered that she could become the first black woman to visit every country. “I didn’t want anyone to beat me to it,” she said.
Nabongo had been writing a travel blog since 2009, before social media was so prevalent, as a way to keep family and friends updated. Today, she documents much of her travel on Instagram, where she has almost 200,000 followers who have watched her journey around the world.
What makes it to her Instagram is just a part of her life. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Seasoned traveler as she was, she got ripped off(被敲诈) during her journey when exchanging her money for the local currency. More often than not, though, people tried to be helpful, especially when Nahongo would tell them what she was trying to accomplish.
Through her travels, Nabongo broke down barriers about many countries, particularly those that people are afraid to visit, and highlighted(突出) the countries that are often unseen and overlooked.
1. What can we learn about Jessica Nabongo?| A．She was born in Uganda. |
| B．She started her journey from East Africa. |
| C．She used to be a broadcaster. |
| D．She made history in touring the world. |
| A．Holding American citizenship. |
| B．Having many loyal followers. |
| C．Owning two different passports. |
| D．Getting support from the government. |
| A．Commercial. | B．Widespread. | C．Promising. | D．Addictive. |
| A．Learning a foreign language is a necessity. |
| B．The residents were unfriendly to tourists. |
| C．Photos on the social media are misleading. |
| D．The journey was a mixture of joy and bitterness. |
【推荐3】A lot of kids have dreams they will never achieve due to the limitations of their little bodies. They want to fly, or to become a dinosaur, or to learn how to shoot webs out of their fingers like Spiderman.
Luka Tavcar, 12, has muscular dystrophy(萎缩) and is totally dependent on his wheelchair. Nevertheless, late last year, he had an inspired plan: to be photographed walking around and having fun.
He approached Matej Peljhan, an amateur photographer and a psychologist at CIRIUS rehabilitation(康复) center near Ljubljana, Slovenia, where Luka is a patient.
At first, Peljhan was perplexed. How could he photograph a boy who can not move or act in motion? “Luka wanted to see himself playing and having fun, but it seemed impossible,” he says.
Then Peljhan had a brainstorm: Luka could lie down on a piece of cloth and, with the help of an assistant, Peljhan would pose the boy as if he were jumping, climbing stairs, moving downhill on a skateboard, and playing basketball. Then Peljhan would shoot these images from above. The photos took about a month to produce; all were shot early this year.
Peljhan, who lost his right arm and left eye as a child, says his disabilities motivated him to make the photographs. “I understand people with limitations,” he says.
He named the series the little Prince after the French story by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in which a boy teaches a man about trust, hope and friendship. Luka loves the photos.
Peljhan himself understands what it is like to live with limitations- he lost his right arm and left eye as a child. “He wants to stay positive,” the photographer explains. “Luka’s imagination helps him forget his phisical limitation”, says Peljhan. “He’s fragile, but he can see the world differently.”
1. What does the underlined word “perplexed” in paragraph 4 mean?| A．Confused. |
| B．Annoyed. |
| C．Confident. |
| D．Disappointed. |
| A．The payment Luka offered. |
| B．Luka’s strong determination. |
| C．His own phisical limitations. |
| D．The friendship between the two. |
| A．make Luka feel sad |
| B．make Luka stay positive |
| C．encourage Luka to do exercise |
| D．interest Luka in photographing |
【推荐1】Once there was a woman who was greatly disturbed by her husband. He seemed to care little about her.
So the woman took her trouble to the local magician. She told him her story, full of pity for herself. “Can you give me some magic powers to make him love me again? ” she asked anxiously.
The magician thought for a moment and replied, “ I will help you, but first you must bring to me three hairs from a living lion. These! Must have before I can give you my magic powers.”
There was indeed a lion that often came near to the village. It was frightening. The woman thought again and again and at last she had an idea.
The next morning she took a young sheep and waited anxiously. When she saw the lion approaching, she left the sheep in the path of the lion quickly and went back home. So it happened that, every day early in the morning, the woman would rise and take a young sheep to the lion. Gradually the lion came to know the woman. Seeing the lion's trust in her, the woman carefully pulled three hairs from it and set out for the magicians house “Look, "she said happily as she entered, “here they are! ”And she gave him the three hairs.
“How did you make it ?” asked the magician in surprise.
The woman told him the whole story. A smile spread over the magician’s face. "You may treat your husband the same way you've treated the lion, "he said.
1. What was the woman’s problem according to Paragraph 1?| A．Her husband took no notice of her. |
| B．The woman was afraid of her husband. |
| C．Her husband always got her into trouble. |
| D．The woman and her husband had a hard life. |
| A．A sheep. | B．A lion. | C．A magician | D．Her husband. |
| A．make magic powers with the magician | B．get three hairs from a living lion |
| C．drive the lion away from the village | D．leave a sheep in the path of the lion |
| A．To confuse the lion. | B．To catch the lion. |
| C．To get the lion’s trust. | D．To show her pity for the lion |
【推荐2】“My wife's locked in,” explained Wilson calmly, “she's going to stay there till we move away.”
Michaelis was surprised to hear words like those from his neighbor. He tried to find out what had happened, but Wilson didn't want to explain. After seven he heard Mrs. Wilson's voice, loud and angry, downstairs in the garage. She was shouting at her husband.
A moment later she ran out into the dark night. Before Michaelis could do anything, it was over.
The car, as reported, didn't stop. Michaelis wasn't even sure of its color. He told the policeman later that it was light green. Another car heading for New York stopped and its driver hurried back to where Mrs. Wilson lay dead in the road.
“Crash！” said Tom “Good. Wilson'll have some business.”
He stopped at the garage.
“We'll take a look,” he said.
A wailing (恸哭) sound was coming from the garage — it was Wilson. “Oh, my god!” he cried over and over again.
“There's some bad trouble here,”said Tom, trying to look over the heads of the crowd.
Suddenly he made a strange sound and started pushing through the people. Jordan and I followed. Mrs. Wilson's body lay in a blanket on a table by the wall. Tom was bending over her. Tom turned to the policeman, “What happened？”
“A car hit her. She was killed instantly.”
“Killed instantly,” repeated Tom.
“She ran into the road,” said Michaelis. “There were two cars. The one coming from New York hit her.”
Another man said, “It was a big, new, yellow car.”
“Did you see the accident?”
“No, but the car passed me down the road. It was going very fast.”
Some of this conversation reached Wilson.
“You don't have to tell me！I know what kind of car it was!” he shouted.
The muscles in Tom's shoulders tensed. He walked over to Wilson and took hold of him.
“Pull yourself together,” he said quietly. “I got here a minute ago, from New York. I was bringing you that coupe (敞篷车). That yellow car I was driving this afternoon wasn't mine.”
1. From Wilson's reply in Paragragh 1, Michaelis probably sensed that ________.| A．danger was drawing near |
| B．Wilson did not love his wife at all |
| C．the Wilsons quarrelled over something unusual |
| D．Mrs. Wilson was to be locked for a long time |
| A．To protect himself against being suspected. |
| B．To take Wilson away from the scene. |
| C．To cheer Wilson up in face of trouble. |
| D．To express sorrow for Mrs. Wilson's death. |
| A．Wilson thought his wife deserved it. |
| B．Michaelis was the owner of the coupe. |
| C．“I” was at the scene, knowing what happened. |
| D．Tom was eager to find truth about Mrs. Wilson's death. |
【推荐3】Grandpa moved in with us after Grandma passed away. He came to Canada from China, where he was a well-respected school headmaster.
I, a nine-year-old boy, never spoke much Chinese. Grandpa didn't speak much English, but we still connected in our own way.
One way we developed our relationship was over a game of Monopoly. He didn't really understand the rules or much of what my little brother and I said; I don't think it mattered. He laughed when he landed on our hotels. Or when he pulled a card that read: “GO TO JAIL.” He got a kick out of our amusement.
I think of Grandpa when I play the trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh! with my sons. I can't keep track of all the spells and effects involved in this game.
Truthfully, I don't care if I win or lose these games. What matters is spending time with my children and making an effort to understand their interests.
I often think about my kids. At how excitedly they explain rules and how they go easy on their old man. I imagine it's like how Grandpa felt playing Monopoly with us.
Grandpa went for regular walks. He also spent his days sitting on the couch, staring out the window and singing quietly. I often thought he was bored. But as I age, I find peace in taking moments to stare out a window. Maybe I got that from him.
What I learned from my grandfather was to enjoy simple pleasures in life. To see the beauty in the colors of the rainbow. To see a single leaf fall from a tree. To play Yu-Gi-Oh! with my sons.
1. What happened to the writer and his grandfather during their game?| A．His grandfather seldom had fun while playing. | B．He grew impatient with his grandfather. |
| C．They learned to speak each other's language. | D．They grew closer by playing the game. |
| A．How wonderful it is to feel peace at heart. | B．How difficult it is to be a good parent. |
| C．How much he misses his grandfather. | D．How bored his grandfather was at that time. |
| A．To tell readers his grandfather's life story. |
| B．To encourage readers to spend more time with family. |
| C．To share how his grandfather influenced him. |
| D．To encourage older people to learn about kids' games. |
