When I arrived at the mountaintop observatory, I was bursting with excitement. I was about to finish my junior year studying astrophysics (天体物理). I finally felt like an astronomer. Unfortunately, as I sat alone, staring at a computer screen instead of the night sky, pressing a combination of buttons over and over to control the telescope and get back data, I had to admit: This wasn’t what I had imagined.
I had wanted to be an astronomer ever since my father gave me the DVD box set of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage when I was a teenager. Watching Carl Sagan talk about the heavens, I thought I had found my calling. But after my experience at the observatory, I had to face a new truth: the astronomer’s life wasn’t for me. Then where was my future, if not in astronomy?
I recalled a quantum (量子) physics class I had taken and thought that field might fit the bill. My academic adviser was skeptical (怀疑的). I can’t blame him; I was throwing away a ton of original astronomical data to start from scratch in a new field. But I took on the challenge. I put together a proposal I was eager to pursue, and to my joy and relief, my adviser approved it.
Being able to shape and control quantum phenomena inspired me in a way astronomy did not. I also persuaded a friend to work with me. As we talked through the project, explaining complex topics to each other and reflecting on the big picture of what we wanted to achieve, an idea dawned: I had been drawn to Cosmos not because of the subject, but because of the finesse (技巧) with which Sagan explained mind-blowing concepts. That was the spark of inspiration I wanted to follow. I began to try out my communication skills, working with high school physics students and tutoring in the college physics room. I got a real charge out of these experiences!
Now, in addition to conducting research in quantum engineering, I lecture at universities, run a summer school, and work with educators.
1. How did the author finally find his observatory experience?| A．Exciting. | B．Rewarding. | C．Disappointing. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Because it didn’t suit the author. |
| B．Because the author didn’t put forward his proposal. |
| C．Because the author threw away his original astronomical data. |
| D．Because it meant making a fresh start in an unfamiliar domain. |
| A．It was stimulated by quantum phenomena. |
| B．It required communication skills in research. |
| C．It was inspired by how the speaker got his ideas across. |
| D．It helped him achieve his full potential as an astronomer. |
| A．Aim high, shoot low. | B．Never give up on a dream. |
| C．Kill two birds with one stone. | D．Stay open to new possibilities. |
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【推荐1】I was sitting in an airport when I heard a woman seated behind me say, "What's the best gift you ever got?”
I closed the magazine and listened for an answer.
“Well," the young man said. “Probably the gold coin I got for graduation.”
Fighting off the urge to turn around, I thought about the question. When it comes to material objects, for me it was a high school graduation present.
“Congratulations,” my grandfather said.
I tore open the paper. "Wow," I said. “A shovel.”
“It's a spade（铁锹）,” he said, gently but firmly. From that moment on I've known there was a difference. My grandfather said, "Stay close to the land. Don't be afraid to dig in and get a little dirt on you.”
“Oh, I won't,” I said. I laughed at how it sounded.
That fall, I went off to college, and that shiny new green-handled spade hung untouched on the wall in my parents' garage. A few years later, I got an office job and married. Eventually my wife and I moved into our own house, and that graduation spade made its way into my own garage. I dug gardens, planted trees and roses, the usual stuff. The spade was nothing but a tool. I was just glad to have it. Glad I didn't have to buy one.
The years rolled by. I still dig hard into the earth, more often than ever. It's a reminder of my family, one proudly rooted in agriculture. It is a useful tool with a memorable message about staying close to the earth. Priceless.
A few months from now my daughter will finish graduate school. I have something valuable to give her.
It'll be wrapped, of course, and if she opens it and says, "Wow. A shovel."
1. Why does the author mention the "gold coin" story at the very beginning?| A．To give an example. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To present the object. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．Useless. | B．Priceless. | C．Dirty. | D．Unfashionable. |
| A．His daughter would refuse his gift. | B．He knew nothing about shovel and spade. |
| C．He was gradually interested in agriculture. | D．His grandfather gave the shovel randomly. |
| A．The Priceless Coin | B．The Benefits of a Spade |
| C．A Memory that I Valued | D．A Gift that Kept me Grounded |
【推荐2】It was Jennifer Williams’s mother who got her hooked in books. A librarian, she read to her three children every day. “Not until we went to kindergarten,” Williams told vadogwood.com, a local news site. “Until we went to college.”
When Williams, now 54, became an elementary school teacher in Virginia, she wanted her students to fall in love with reading just as she had. But early on, she realized that some kids had few chances to read. To Williams, the solution was simple: Give kids books. In 2017, as part of an event called Engage Danville, she gave away 900 used children’s books over three days. Most people would be satisfied with that.
“Anybody could do that,” she said. “I wanted to do something that’s going to stretch my faith, my work ethic, my everything.” So she continued setting a new goal for herself: Give away one million books. It sounds like an impossible number, but as Williams posted on Facebook: “Don’t complain in the bleachers if you aren’t willing to work hard out on the field.”
So she got to work, first by persuading friends to donate books or money to buy books. Before long, as news of Williams’s project spread, strangers started leaving bundles of books on her front door. As quickly as the books come in, Williams gives them to local schools — for free — and also supplies books to little free libraries around the city. She also hosts a book club in the neighbourhood. In the four years she’s been doing all this, Williams has given away more than 78,000 books — only 922,000 more to reach her goal! And she’s not slowing down. It’s too important for kids with few choices.
1. What got Williams interested in books?| A．Her friends’ help. | B．The courses in college. |
| C．Her mother’s influence. | D．The life in kindergarten. |
| A．Well begun is half done. | B．Learn to walk before you run. |
| C．Strike while the iron is hot. | D．Action makes the way to success. |
| A．By hosting a book club at school. | B．By giving kids new books directly. |
| C．By donating books to schools and libraries. | D．By getting friends to lend books to kids. |
| A．The Book Lady | B．The Patient Teacher |
| C．A Non-profit Club | D．A Responsible Librarian |
【推荐3】Growing up in rural Alabama, Lisa Jones often helped her parents with repairs around their house. Though her memories of days spent repairing walls and replacing handrails（扶手）are special, they don't end up with picture-perfect makeover（翻新）. "My dad was the ultimate handyman, but he was 60 when I was born, already a senior, " says Lisa, "and some projects were too hard for him and my mom while others were just too costly." Then the repairs went undone. "I know what it feels like to live in such a house.”
Today Lisa lives in Atlanta, where an increasing number of elderly homeowners are in the same situation. As executive director of the nonprofit HouseProud Atlanta, she's now fully equipped to help them solve it.
Billions of dollars in building development have caused property values in some areas, and tax bills, to skyrocket. "Folks who have lived in their homes for decades can't save enough money to maintain them,” Lisa, 43, explains. "It's a scary time for those who want to stay in the place they love.” HouseProud Atlanta makes that possible. "We help them be a part of the changes in their neighborhood, not pushed out by them.”
Since 2004, HouseProud Atlanta has served more than 1, 000 clients. It's no surprise that many of them have become extended family to the mom of three boys----her middle son, Khalil, 7, is even named after a beloved client's favorite poet. "Lisa's like a daughter to me, "says Tinnie Baugh, a 63-year-old woman whose hot water had been out for months when she heard about HouseProud Atlanta. "Lisa sent people to take care of the pipes, and they've painted my house and still help me out when I need it.”
It's a role that Lisa has been comfortable with from the time she was playing apprentice（学徒）to her dad. "These seniors just need someone to show them that everything can be better if they have support,” she says.
1. What can be learned about Lisa's family?| A．They made living by selling houses. |
| B．They lived in a self-built house in Atlanta. |
| C．They used to repair their house on their own. |
| D．They had their house painted from time to time. |
| A．Paying tax bills. | B．Living a life of ease. |
| C．Saving enough money. | D．Getting free houses to live in. |
| A．Sympathy. | B．Appreciation. | C．Curiosity. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．Love makes the world go around. |
| B．Learning from the elderly is necessary. |
| C．Helping others is easier said than done. |
| D．A winner is one with a great effort of will. |
【推荐1】At the beginning of 2020, I began a Buy Nothing New challenge, which meant everything I purchased (购买) had to be second-hand. The challenge went well for the first two months, but then came to an abrupt end in March, with the rise of COVID-19 and closures of all unnecessary stores in my neighborhood.
I found myself facing a difficult choice. I could buy second-hand items (物品) on the Internet or buy directly from local businesses that may have had to close down their storefronts, due to social distancing rules, but still had full shelves behind closed doors. I preferred the latter, as it meant my money would go straight into the hands of neighbors who need it more than ever now.
That is how I began my “slow shopping for the modern age”. Over the few weeks, I have made a few necessary purchases. One was for my son’s birthday. I sent a Facebook message to the local toy store to ask about a toy I was looking for. The owner responded immediately with pictures of various choices. After several exchanges, we settled on a dinosaur coloring kit. I e-transferred (电子转账) the money and he dropped it off at my back door the following morning.
That has been an interesting lesson for me. First, it underscores the power of the Internet for shopping locally. If it weren’t for the Internet, I wouldn’t know how to contact these businesses because they’re not answering phones as usual. Second, the local supply chain is more reliable and I received the items much faster than if I’d ordered them online. Third, because I have to find some specific items, it forces me to think long and hard about what I actually need. Finally, I realize that if it’s possible to support local businesses at a time like this, it’s possible to support them anytime.
I challenge readers to try to provide for their needs by sourcing items from their own neighborhoods. All it takes is a message or a phone call, and those items could be on your doorstep within hours. Give it a try; it’s deeply satisfying.
1. Why did the author choose to buy things from the neighborhood at first?| A．To save time and money. | B．To avoid developing a disease. |
| C．To help the neighboring stores. | D．To see items with his own eyes. |
| A．By chatting online. | B．By visiting their stores. |
| C．By talking on the phone. | D．By meeting at a distance. |
| A．Compensates. | B．Ignores. | C．Recognizes. | D．Stresses. |
| A．Shop locally. | B．Buy whatever they need. |
| C．Choose items carefully. | D．Purchase second-hand items more. |
【推荐2】I’ve been a nurse for years. I’ve loved and hated my job, which can be exciting and stressful. Holidays are the hardest. I don’t think I could count the number of times I’ve been asked to work a holiday for another, because “You don’t have a family.”
This is what I faced the year that I received my most beloved Christmas gift.
I was to work the night shift on Christmas Eve, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. It was a bitterly cold night when I arrived at work. When I stepped onto my floor, I sensed excitement. As I rounded the corner, I saw all of my co-workers waiting for me with big smiles. I thought that something big was up, and they were waiting for me to be part of it. Just then one of my co-workers Susan stepped forward, and I realized I was not just part of it… I was it!
Happy tears filled my eyes as Susan told me she’d celebrated an early Christmas Eve with her daughter so that I could have the shift off and go home to be with my parents. Maggie had taken Susan’s shift, and two more had split Maggie’s shift.
Grateful tears froze to my cheek as I reached my car. There was hardly any traffic as I sped home. I sang along to the carols on the radio, alone on the highway. But I was not alone in my heart, for it was filled with thanks and wonder.
My co-workers had given me the greatest Christmas gift I’d ever received — their friendship and understanding. Because of that gift, and the sweet memories of that night, I will never be alone on Christmas again.
1. Why was the writer always expected to work on holidays?| A．She was single. |
| B．she wanted the overtime pay. |
| C．She liked to work on holidays. |
| D．She liked to be alone on Christmas. |
| A．have a party together |
| B．play a trick on the writer |
| C．give the writer a happy surprise |
| D．give the writer a Christmas package |
| A．she was to spend her Christmas with Susan |
| B．she was the purpose of the gathering |
| C．her co-workers had done the job for her. |
| D．her co-workers had prepared a Christmas dinner for her |
| A．A Night Shift on Christmas. |
| B．A Christmas with My Patents. |
| C．The Gift of Understanding. |
| D．The Fun of Working Holidays. |
【推荐3】Having worked at a 7-Eleven store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager calls “customer relations”. I firmly believed that a friendly smile and an automatic “sir”, “ma’ma”, and “thank you” would see me through any situation that might arise, from comforting impatient or unpleasant people to apologizing for giving out the wrong change. But the other night an old woman shattered my belief that a simple and plain response could smooth over the rough spots of dealing with all kinds of customers.
The moment she entered, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. Walking as if each step were painful, she slowly pushed open the glass door and hobbled (蹒跚) down the nearest aisle. She coughed dryly, wheezing (气喘吁吁) with each breath. On a forty-degree night, she was wearing only a faded dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose calloused (满是老茧的) heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.
After wandering around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She picked up a can of corn and stared with a strange intensity at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good, polite employee and asked her if she needed help. As I stood close to her, my smile became harder to maintain; her red-rimmed eyes were partially closed by yellowish crusts (痂); her hands were covered with layer upon layer of dirt, and the unpleasant smell of sweat rose from clothes.
“I need some food,” she muttered in reply to my bright “Can I help you?”
“Are you looking for corn, ma’am?”
“I need some food,” she repeated, “Any kind.”
“Well, the corn is ninety-five cents,” I said in my most helpful voice.
“I can’t pay,” she said.
For a second, I wanted to say, “Take the corn.” But the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite, but do not let customers get the best of you. Let them know that you are in control. For a moment, I even entertained the idea that this was some sort of test, and that this woman was someone from the head office, testing my loyalty. I responded dutifully, “I’m sorry, but I can’t give away anything for free.”
The old woman’s face collapsed a bit more, and her hands trembled as she put the can back on the shelf. She dragged her feet past me toward the door, her torn and dirty clothing barely covering her bent back.
Moments after she left, I rushed out of the door with the can of corn, but she was nowhere in sight. For the rest of my shift, the image of the woman haunted me. I had been young, healthy and proud. She had been old, sick and desperate. Wishing with all my heart that I had acted like a human being rather than a robot, I was saddened to realize how weak a hold we have on our better instincts.
1. How did the writer feel about his job at 7-Eleven before the old woman came?| A．He found room for improvement in developing customer relations. |
| B．He was quite satisfied with his service manner. |
| C．He considered himself successful in dealing with all interpersonal relations. |
| D．He thought himself inexperienced after working in the store for two years. |
| A．how she presented a sharp contrast to the other customers |
| B．how she surprised the writer with her unusual appearance |
| C．how sick, poor and desperate for help she was |
| D．how inappropriate it was for her to enter a place like this |
| A．Because he thought it as an entertainment. |
| B．Because he wanted to pass the test to show his loyalty. |
| C．Because the old woman was a head official. |
| D．Because his instinct gave way to the employee rules. |
| A．What for. | B．How Come. | C．If Only. | D．Never Ever. |
