The mom had died when the rescuers found her after the terrible earthquake. She was covered by a destroyed house. Through gaps (缝隙) of those ruins, the rescuers could see her last posture (姿势). It was something like an ancient person who was kowtowing (叩头), but it just looked strange because she was out of shape by pressure.
The rescuers confirmed her death by touching her through the gaps of the ruins. They shouted at the ruins again and again, knocked the bricks using various tools, but no reply inside.
Then the rescuing team went to the next building. Suddenly the leader ran back, calling “Come here.” He came to the body, put his hands under the woman, feeling and touching, then shouted loudly and gladly, “There is someone, a baby, still living.”
Through some efforts, rescuers cleaned up the ruins which blocked her. Under her body lay her baby, who was covered by a small red quilt (棉被). He was about 3 or 4 months’ old. Since well protected by his mother’s body, he was safe. He was in a deep sleep when the rescuer carried him out, and his lovely and peaceful face warmed everyone around him. The doctor, along with the rescuing team, took the baby out of the quilt to check if the baby was all right, and he found there was a mobile phone in the quilt. The doctor looked at the screen; a written message was already there: “My dear baby if you could live, don’t forget how much I love you.” As a doctor, he experienced much of this type of separation; but at this moment, he cried. The mobile phone was passed, and every person who saw this message shed (流出) tears.
1. When the rescuers found the mom, she________.| A．was using her mobile phone to ask for help | B．begged the rescuers to save her baby first |
| C．was struggling with the pressure | D．didn’t have the normal shape |
| A．was smiling a lot | B．was fast asleep |
| C．was listening carefully | D．was frightened to death |
| A．Moved | B．Excited | C．Excited | D．tired |
| A．a story of saving a mother and her baby | B．the disaster of a terrible earthquake |
| C．the great love of a mother in the earthquake | D．the rescuers’ hard work after an earthquake |
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【推荐1】I have been worrying for weeks now about what to give my mother for Mother's Day. For most people, this is a modest problem, solved by the purchase of a bathrobe or a box of candy. For me, however, Mother's Day represents an annual challenge to do the impossible—find a gift that will make neither Mama nor me feel terrible.
Expensive gifts which Mama defines as costing over $10 are out, because they make Mama feel terrible. "This is awful, " she once said, examining an apron. "I feel just terrible. You shouldn't have spent that much on it." Inexpensive presents - under $10—please Mama, but they make me feel terrible.
The story always goes this way: a gift given to Mama will bounce swiftly back to me. If I buy her something wearable, she perceives in an instant that it could be let in here, let out there, and it would fit me perfectly. If I give her a plant, she cuts off the top for me to take home and root in a glass of water. If I give her something edible, she wants me to stay for lunch and eat it.
Papa, a sensible man, long ago stopped trying to shop for Mama. Instead, on Mother's Day, her birthday, and other appropriate occasions, he composes a short romantic poem in which he tells of their meeting, unforgettable things, and marriage. After nearly 30 years of poems, Papa sometimes worries that the edge of his poetic inspiration has dulled, but Mama doesn't complain. She comes into the room while he is struggling over a gift poem and says, "It doesn't have to rhyme as long as it's from the heart."
This year, finally, I think I, too, have found a painless gift for Mama. I am going to give her a magazine article, unrhymed but from the heart, in which I wish her "Happy Mother's Day" and tell her there's nothing Papa or I could ever buy, find, or make her that would be half good enough anyway.
1. Why Mother's Day is regarded as an annual challenge by the author?| A．Most gifts are too expensive to afford. |
| B．Her mother has never been pleased with gifts. |
| C．She lacks the experience of choosing gifts. |
| D．It's hard to buy a satisfying gift for her mother. |
| A．She is particular about gifts. | B．She doesn't like receiving gifts. |
| C．She always cares about her child. | D．She always gives something in return. |
| A．Loving and wise. | B．Energetic and kind. |
| C．Brave and inspiring. | D．Optimistic and talented. |
| A．To show her love for her mother. |
| B．To show off her literary competence. |
| C．To offer a better present than .her dad's. |
| D．To avoid the difficulty of choosing |
【推荐2】There was once a jeweler, known for many virtues. One day, the Jewish elders came to him to buy some diamonds to decorate part of the dress of their high priest (神父，牧师), which the Bible calls an ephod.
They told him what they wanted, and offered him a fair price for the diamonds. He replied that he could not let them see the jewels at that moment, and requested them to call again.
As they wanted them without delay, and thought that the object of the jeweler was only to increase the price of the diamonds, the elders offered him twice, then three times, as much as they were worth. But he still refused, and they went away angrily.
Some hours after, he went to them, and placed before them the diamonds, for which they again offered him the last price they had named, but he said, “I will only accept the first one you offered to me this morning.”
“Why, then, did you not close with us at once?” asked they in surprise. “When you came,” replied he, “my father had the key of the box, in which the diamonds were kept, and as he was asleep, I should have been obliged to wake him to obtain them. At his age, a short hour of sleep does him a great deal of good, and for all the gold in the world, I would not be wanting in respect to my father, or take from him a single comfort.”
The elders, affected by these feeling words, spread their hands upon the jeweler’s head, and said, “Thou shalt be blessed of Him who has said: Honor thy father and thy mother, and thy children shall one day pay thee the same respect and love thou hast shown to thy father.”
1. Why did not the jeweler give two elders the diamonds at first?| A．He wanted a higher price | B．He had to get his father’s permission. |
| C．He didn’t have them in the shop then. | D．He didn’t have the key to the container. |
| A．You will get as many honors as you want. | B．Your children will live a rich and respectable life. |
| C．You and your family are blessed by God. | D．Your father will live a long and healthy life. |
| A．A devoted son | B．An honest businessman |
| C．A reasonable price | D．A luxurious dress |
【推荐3】One day my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. The other woman my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been living alone for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it impossible to visit her often.
That Friday after work, when I arrived at her house, my mother waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.
We went to a restaurant that, although not classical, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I answered.
During the dinner, we had a pleasant conversation nothing special but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
A few days later, my mother died of a heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. A note said: paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but I paid for two plates-one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.” At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: ‘I LOVE YOU’ and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some “other” time.
1. According to the passage, we know the writer’s mother .| A．lives with her son’s family |
| B．wanted to invite her son to have dinner again |
| C．wrote a letter to tell her son about her illness |
| D．died of a heart attack all of sudden |
| A．his mother | B．his wife |
| C．himself | D．his children |
| A．My Mother’s Life | B．An Unforgettable Meal |
| C．Love is Something You should never put off | D．My Mother And I |
【推荐1】Over this past year, lifestyle blogger Aileen Xu has kept a monthly gratitude list.
It wasn't a hard sell. “I think just over the last few years there's been more of a trend to focus on gratitude,” says psychologist Laurie Santos, who teaches a popular course on the science of happiness at Yale.
You can buy different kinds of gratitude journals, or download apps that remind you to take down your blessings. “Those types of products can remind us to take time to be grateful,” Santos says.
And noting your gratitude seems to pay off.
Making gratitude lists is just one way of enjoying those benefits. The best way of expressing gratitude may be different for each person. You could choose to keep your gratitude private or share it with others.
However, for all the research on the broad benefits of expressing gratitude, there's also evidence that it isn't for everyone. And it isn't a cure-all. It can't make injustice (不公平), loss or pain disappear.
| A．What gratitude can do is to give us hope. |
| B．There's a growing body of research on the benefits of gratitude. |
| C．That's why gratitude features heavily in Santos' happiness class. |
| D．Gratitude is a very rich emotion, but it's also a complicated one. |
| E．Sometimes it was the big stuff(事情): “I'm grateful so many people care. ” |
| F．Santos' students are asked to write a thank-you letter and then read it out loud to the recipient. |
The thing is, my luck’s always been ruined. Just look at my name: Jean. Not Jean Marie, or Jeanine, or Jeanette, or even Jeanne. Just Jean. Did you know in France, they name boys Jean? It’s French for John. And okay, I don’t live in France. But still, I’m basically a girl named John. If I lived in France, anyway.
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate. So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase. I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me, and then got no answer to my many phone calls, asking where my aunt and uncle were. Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver, instead of getting out and helping me with my bags, just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches, it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me. It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.
According to my mom, most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s. But now they’ve been divided up into apartments, so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone, though. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone. That’s practically one floor per person, since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids, my cousins Tory, Teddy, and Alice.
Back home, we just have two floors, but there are seven people living on them. And only one bathroom. Not that I’m complaining. Still, ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs, it’s been pretty frightful at home.
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was, it was really narrow—just three windows across. Still, it was a very pretty townhouse, painted gray. The door was a bright, cheerful yellow. There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window, flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted, since it was only the middle of April, and not quite warm enough for them.
It was nice to know that, even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York, people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be. The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little.
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today, and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.
Like everything was going to be all right, after all.
Yeah. With my luck, probably not.
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street, then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin. Leaving one bag on the sidewalk, I dragged the other up the steps with me. Maybe I took the steps a little too fast, since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk. I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…
1. Why did the author go to New York?
| A．She intended to go sightseeing there. |
| B．She meant to stay with her aunt’s family. |
| C．She was homeless and adopted by her aunt. |
| D．She wanted to try her luck and find a job there. |
| A．she was given a boy’s name in French |
| B．the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags |
| C．her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs |
| D．nobody had come to meet her at the airport |
| A．have an effect on | B．play tricks on | C．put pressure on | D．throw doubt on |
| A．the author left home without informing her mother |
| B．the author arrived in New York in a very warm season |
| C．her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own |
| D．her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival |
【推荐3】B
Increasing Noise Annoys
People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority (优先) was a noise complaints system that works.
Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted survey and found that about half its citizens are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through solutions to the problem.
The meeting found the present noise complaints system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complaints often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the meeting were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints.
The meeting also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas（居民区）.
1. According to the passage, what do people want most?| A．Tougher laws. | B．Technical improvements. |
| C．An effective noise complaints system. | D．Tougher minimum standards for noise. |
| A．reasonable | B．wonderful | C．strange | D．responsible |
| A．3. | B．4. | C．2. | D．5. |
| A．Tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances are necessary. |
| B．Traffic, mowers, pool pumps, and air conditioners are all the sources of noise. |
| C．90% of the residents are annoyed by noise. |
| D．Heavy traffic should be kept away from residential areas according to the meeting. |
| A．the result of the survey carried out by itself |
| B．a noise complaints system that works |
| C．people asking for tougher laws on noise |
| D．requirements of an effective noise complaints system |
【推荐1】Growing up in Southern California, Shelma Jun says, “I surfed, I skateboarded, I mountain biked.” In short, says Jun, “I was a tomboy ( 假小子), which is a really problematic term. Why do we need the word boy to describe being outdoorsy?”
More problematic was the way Jun came to view other women. “In those male-dominated ( 男性统治的) sports, there can be a bad energy where there’s room for only one ‘cool girl’ and other women are competition,” she says. “I didn’t have good relationships with women for a long time.”
Having graduated from the university, Jun got a job as a community planner and moved to New York City. There, while improving her newest skill — rock climbing — she met some women at her climbing gym who practiced in an area two hours north of the city. “That’s where I got to understand what it feels like when you’re trying something hard with just women,” says Jun. “When the pressure to act a certain way is taken away — because no men are around — you suddenly discover all kinds of ways to challenge and encourage one another.”
In 2014, as a “way to celebrate the climbing we were doing,” Jun started an Instagram account. With women climbers all over the country searching for others like them, Flash Foxy quickly got hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands of followers, and an online women’s climbing community was born. “A lot of women felt like they were the only women climbers — not because there were so few of us, but because we were far apart,” says Jun. “Social media allowed us to discover that there are a lot of us. And we’re together.”
In 2016, Jun put her community-organizing background to work to create the Women’s Climbing Festival. “I could picture 30 or 40 women in the desert,” she says. “We posted it online, and 300 women said they wanted to come.” Eight festivals later, every single one of the twice-yearly gatherings has sold out — some in just one minute.
1. What problem did Jun have before moving to New York City?| A．She couldn’t find a favorite sport. |
| B．She wanted to be the only cool girl. |
| C．She didn’t have many women friends. |
| D．She picked up bad habits from the men around her. |
| A．She became more outdoorsy. |
| B．She enjoyed competition more. |
| C．She was relaxed while doing sports. |
| D．She stopped doing male-dominated sports. |
| A．They are connected. |
| B．They are very safe. |
| C．They are far apart. |
| D．They are as skilled as men. |
| A．It is a ticketed event. |
| B．It is an online festival. |
| C．It is sending out pictures. |
| D．It is held every two years. |
【推荐2】Disneyland’s opening day, July 17, 1955, was a nightmare. Rides broke down. Restaurants ran out of food and drink. Long lines formed at bathrooms. All in front of a national audience of 90 million, Disney’s opening day would be known in Disney history as Black Sunday. But Disneyland’s story actually twenty years earlier with what Walt Disney called “Daddy’s Day”.
On Saturdays in the 1930s and 1940s, Disney would take his two daughters to ride the Griffith Park merry-go-round. Disney saw the amusement parks they often visited as dirty and unimaginative places run by unfriendly employees. He thought he could do better.
In 1939, he asked two employees to work on a plan for an amusement park. The pair spent six weeks visiting parks around the country and came up with a proposal （提议）.
In 1948, Disney laid out his plans for a Mickey Mouse Park, which included a town square, a city hall, a fire station and a movie theater.
By 1952 the idea had grown into a 16-acre park proposal that he presented to Burbank, California official. However, the City Council didn’t accept the proposal.
Disney counted the refusal as a fortunate setback. By now, his dreams for a theme park had gone far beyond the space available in Burbank. He examined locations throughout Southern California. 160-acre land, 22 miles south of Los Angeles, was soon chosen.
Groundbreaking took place in July 1954, and Disney walked the site daily to offer direction and encouragement.
Disneyland wasn’t ready on opening day, but Disney decided to open the gates anyway to the media and invited guests. After the madness of opening day, newspaper headlines wrote: “Walt’s Nightmare”. The media foresaw a quick and early end.
However, the public didn’t listen. Visitors arrived in droves, and within weeks Disneyland was a success. Within two months, the park had welcomed its millionth visitor. Sixty years later, Disneyland’s popularity continues to grow, and shows no signs of slowing down with total overall attendance topping 700 million.
1. What made Disney come up with the idea of building a park?| A．His six-week visit to all the national parks. |
| B．The good business opportunities in this industry. |
| C．His unpleasant experience in other amusement parks. |
| D．The unfriendly attitudes of employees in Griffith Park. |
| A．The refusal gave Disney a bigger chance. | B．Disney felt very lucky with his proposal. |
| C．The refusal made Disney feel frustrated. | D．Disney was ready to accept the refusal. |
| A．grew very quickly | B．had a hopeless future |
| C．would be a great success one day | D．should be responsible for the public |
| A．By discussing important events. | B．By explaining reasons. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By following time order. |
【推荐3】This is a tale of two friends, Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi-one is blind; the other has no arms. On their own, the two are“disabled(残疾的)". But together, they are a powerful team that has changed part of their village into a rich, green forest.
Their story began in 2000, when Haixia, who was already blind in his right eye, lost his left one after an illness. Wenqi lost his arms in an accident when he was just three. Neither could find a job, so the two decided to team up. They rented some poor land and began to plant trees. In return, the local officials paid them a small fee(费用). Haixia and Wenqi never imagined that they would end up creating an environmental paradise (乐园).
Their forest now has over 10,000 trees, hundreds of birds and many other wild animals. In addition, it saves the village from river flooding during the rainy season. When the friends work together, they focus on their strengths not their disabilities. Their day begins at 7 a.m. when the blind Haixia carries Wenqi across the river to get to their worksite.
Since they cannot afford to buy young trees to plant, the two use branches from existing (现存的) trees. Haixia climbs to the treetop and with Wenqi's direction, selects the perfect branch. He then digs a hole and carefully plants it. Finally Wenqi waters the area.
Though hard-working, the men don't make much money. But as Wenqi puts it,“We stand on our own feet so the fruits of our work taste sweeter."
Neither Haixia nor Wenqi cares about money.Together.hey already have everything they need—a perfect pair of eyes, two strong hands, and the best friendship in the world!
1. Why did Haixia and Wenqi start working together?| A．Haixia needed someone to help him. |
| B．They both needed a way to make money. |
| C．They wanted to improve the environment. |
| D．They were required to do so by local officials. |
| A．stopping floods in the rainy season | B．increasing the number of tourists |
| C．making the villagers richer | D．providing more farmland |
| A．They are easy to get. | B．They do not cost money. |
| C．They can grow very quickly. | D．They are preferred by animals. |
| A．they hope to make the forest even better |
| B．the fruits from their trees are very sweet |
| C．they are proud not to depend on others |
| D．they are able to do any difficult work |
