Daniel Brush, an astonishing worker in gold, jewels and steel died on November 2022, aged 75. Students from a jewellery school once came to Brush’s studio, a loft in mid-Manhattan, awed to be meeting a figure who, to them, was a worker of miracles.
For 45 years in that loft, he had pursued his calling. His wife Olivia was the only company. He produced hundreds of objects of all sorts, most of them exquisite and many astonishingly small. Rather than use electricity, he laboured alone in a forest of antique machines and when tools frustrated him he made his own, displaying them in cupboards as art in themselves.
Above all else, he worked in gold. His obsession took fire when at 13 he saw an Etruscan gold bowl in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The ancient technique of applying gold beads as fine as sand-grains to a curved gold surface without solder (焊接), was stunning, but so was the lightness of spirit.
He resolved then that he would make such a bowl, and gold became the study of his life. Simply to watch it melt, turn to red-hot and white-hot, then glow purple, was magical. To hold pure gold grain and let it move slowly through his fingers restored his calm of spirit. His chief motivation, he said, was to understand the material and, through that, himself. He wondered why his heart had beaten so fast in the museum that day. Gold in particular had a message for him. His contact with this glorious metal might focus all his attention and help him to hear it.
He developed delicate craftsmanship, with each object virtually a museum piece. For Daniel Brush, he loved the idea that one might take a piece made by Brush out of a pocket, let its beauty pass from mind to mind, and smile. That too was what its maker was after.
1. What can we learn about Daniel Brush?| A．Students visited him regularly. |
| B．He began to live in his loft in 1975. |
| C．He tended to use ancient crafts to produce objects. |
| D．Most objects he produced were of a surprisingly small size. |
| A．He wanted to learn more about both gold and himself. |
| B．He wondered why his heart had beat fast in the museum. |
| C．His calm was restored when gold grain moved through fingers. |
| D．Gold had a particular message for him and he was eager to hear it. |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Wealthy. | C．Dedicated. | D．Lonely. |
| A．Brush’s valuable works. | B．The admirers Brush expected. |
| C．Brush’s desire for fame. | D．The artistic ideal Brush pursued. |
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【推荐1】It was 3:34 in the morning. Suddenly the bed moved a little. I woke up. That bed used to move a lot so I just thought it was my wife rolling over. I looked over to her and she was fast asleep.
So I thought it was just another small tremor(轻微地震). We used to get many small tremors in Chile. But then everything in the room started making noise. The tremor got a bit stronger. My wife woke up.
I went to open the front door to make sure it wouldn’t get stuck while my wife went to see how the kids were. They were still fast asleep.
I got to the front door and left it open. When I turned around to go back to the bedroom, the full force of the earthquake started to hit. I couldn’t move forward. While I was trying to hold myself up against the wall I looked out the window. It was frightening, some buildings coming in and out of view and some already falling down. Then the earthquake made a strong push and our lights went out. In the darkness, I thought, “This is it! We’re not coming out of this alive.”
Luckily, the violent shaking gradually slowed down and then stopped. I could finally walk to our children’s room. My wife had been standing over them during the strongest part of the earthquake, making sure nothing fell on them.
After such a big earthquake, we expected the “smaller” aftershocks to be still very strong. There was still a chance that the building could collapse. So we woke the kids up, got some basic things and started to walk down the emergency stairs all 22 floors of them.
When we finally arrived at the ground floor many other people had already arrived, some in pajamas(睡衣), some half-dressed. The good news was everyone got out of the building safe and sound.
1. What woke the author up?| A．The crying of his children. | B．The movement of his bed. |
| C．The movement of his wife. | D．The noise of things shaking. |
| A．the author’s wife woke up. |
| B．the author looked out the window. |
| C．the author was opening the front door. |
| D．the author was on his way to the bedroom. |
| A．People were crying and running around. |
| B．The city’s electricity was suddenly cut off. |
| C．Buildings outside were pushing against each other. |
| D．The building he lived in was moving from side to side. |
| A．Heat up. | B．Go silent. | C．Fall down. | D．Turn over. |
【推荐2】This happened several years ago when I was still quite new in the city. I was doing my grocery shopping one day, and when I wanted to pay for my things, it turned out that I didn't have enough funds on my bank account for the things I’d chosen. It seemed something had been paid from my account that I had forgotten about.
I was so embarrassed and ashamed. There was a queue forming behind me. I became very flustered（慌乱的）and very close to tears. I tried to quickly pick some things out that weren’t so urgent for me to buy. The cashier（收银员）, a patient, elderly man, saw how upset I was and gently said, “Please, don't worry about picking out groceries to leave behind and you can pay me back for the difference another day.” I immediately refused since I didn't know him, but he insisted he would pay for the difference because he also had daughters and sometimes life could be hard. I thanked him greatly while I packed my things. I asked him what his name was so I could bring the money another day. He said, “Just ask for Baba（Father）and everyone calls me that here.”
I came back a few days later with the money, a thank-you card, and some homemade cookies. I asked a young salesman if he'd seen the old man and he immediately told me, “Oh! That must be Baba!” It was clear that he was very familiar with him. I explained what had happened and he nodded. "Yes, that is something he would do. He is a bit of an extra father to all of us working here, too. He isn't working today but I will make sure he gets this."
Thank you, Baba, for looking out for me that day, and for taking good care of your coworkers, too! I think it is people like Baba that make the world beautiful.
1. What happened to the author as she went shopping?| A．She forgot to bring money with her. |
| B．She regretted choosing something expensive. |
| C．She couldn't afford the goods she had picked. |
| D．She couldn’t remember the password of her account. |
| A．To make herself calm down. |
| B．To give up some high-priced things. |
| C．To remove some items less necessary. |
| D．To take out all the goods she had chosen. |
| A．Shy and honest. | B．Talented and friendly. |
| C．Generous and hardworking. | D．Kind and warm-hearted. |
| A．Every job is meaningful. | B．We need people like “Baba". |
| C．Giving is a kind of happiness. | D．An embarrassing shopping experience. |
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods. We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cellphone and credit card sitting on the road. We took them home. We find amazing things on the street. She looks upon it as a movable dinner. Chicken wings here and there.
I found another cellphone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book. I explained the situation to the guy who answered. He said it was his sister’s and that he'd swing by to pick it up, which he did.
And that was that. No verbal (口头的) thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here’s a box of chocolates” thank-you.
I didn’t have time to call anyone on my latest found cellphone. I was pouring myself coffee when it started to vibrate (颤动) and dance across the kitchen counter.
“Who’s this?” someone asked when I picked up.
“Who’s this?” I countered. “Sarah?”
She was taken aback until she realized her name was on the credit card I also had recovered. “Could you send it to me?” she asked.
She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house.
“Hmm, no,” I replied, adding that I thought she could come get them, and that if I wasn’t home, they would be in my mailbox.
A day later, when I was out for a run, someone retrieved them. But I got nothing. In this age of e-mail and cellphones, there’s really no excuse.
Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street: a driver’s license. I saw that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up. He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door.
“I guess I could,” I replied.
And that was that.
1. What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Several Experiences of My Own |
| B．“Thank You” Is Becoming More Priceless |
| C．It’s Polite to Thank the Finders |
| D．Only Losers Lack “Thank” for Finders |
| A．the author’s wife | B．the author’s pet |
| C．the author’s best friend | D．the author’s son |
| A．it wasn’t worth to do | B．he wanted to keep it as his own |
| C．he was busy then | D．he didn’t know its owner |
| A．got back | B．returned | C．lost | D．threw away |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Helpless. | C．Encouraged. | D．Hopeful. |
【推荐1】Have you ever heard of King Charles the Twelfth of Sweden? He was born in 1682. When he was only three or four years old, he was able to speak German as well as Swedish. He became a good horse rider at the age of eight. As a king, he was famous for his courage in defending his country.
One day he was working in a small house. The house was almost between two armies. He asked one of his officers to sit down and write a short order for him.
The officer began to write, but jus as he finished the first word, a bomb came through the roof of the house and struck the floor close by him. He dropped the pen and sprang to his feet. He was pale with fear. “What is the matter?” asked the king .
“Oh, sir. The bomb! The bomb!” he answered.
“Yes, I see,” said the king. But what has the bomb to do with what I wish you to write? Sit down, and take your pen. When your country is in danger, you should forget your own safety.”
1. From the first paragraph we can infer that_________.| A．Charles was clever as a child | B．Charles dreamed to be a ride |
| C．German was kind of difficult for Charles | D．Charles preferred riding to languages |
| A．His kindness. | B．His knowledge. |
| C．His learning skills. | D．His courage. |
| A．Far from the enemy. | B．In a small house by a river. |
| C．Between two armies. | D．In an old house in a city. |
| A．a bomb struck near him | B．he was very excited |
| C．he was afraid of the king | D．his pen was broken |
【推荐2】The car was invented just a century ago. You may know all kinds of cars’ names, but many people don’t know who was the inventor of the first car. The first car was invented not by an English man, but by an American. His name was Henry Ford.
Henry was born in a poor family. He was the eldest of the six children. When he was a boy, he became interested in watches and machines. When he was twelve years old, his mother died. Soon he had to work in a machine shop for two dollars and fifty cents a week. In the evenings he repaired watches for another dollar a week. The hard life made him strong and able.
At that time, there was another interest in the life of the young Ford. He wished of making a machine. It could run without horses, so named horseless carriage. He overcame a lot of difficulties and in April 1893, the ‘‘horseless carriage” was invented at last. It was the first car. Later Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company. He was really the first inventor of the car in the world.
1. Who really invented the car first?| A．A Chinese. | B．An Englishman. | C．A Russian. | D．An American. |
| A．2.5 dollars. | B．3.5 dollars. | C．5 dollars. | D．1.5 dollars. |
| A．only one hundred years ago | B．less than one hundred years ago |
| C．more than one hundred years ago | D．long long ago |
| A．a carriage with a horse | B．a carriage with one or two horses |
| C．a carriage without a horse | D．a carriage with a man and without a horse |
| A．five brothers and sisters | B．six brothers and sisters |
| C．five younger brothers | D．five younger sisters |
【推荐3】You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law company because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams noted for in history?| A．Her social work. |
| B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. |
| D．Her community background. |
| A．Her lack of proper training in law. |
| B．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．Women were looked down upon. |
| D．The poor family situation. |
| A．Jane Addams. |
| B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. |
| D．Rosa Parks. |
