When Amanda Lemay heard the story about a baker and his wife who were traveling around the United States in a van, learning from expert bakers, she wanted to do something similar. So she got rid of most of her possessions and made an old ambulance with her dad into a lovely home on wheels.
Lemay’s ambulance is actually a former emergency response vehicle for the US Navy, built on a 2006 Ford E350 Cutaway. Renovations were done by her and her dad. Now the dark blue vehicle has a lot of built-in cabinets on all sides, offering a lot of storage space, while the rooftop has 400-watts of solar power panels and a small roof deck where Lemay practices yoga. The inside is tastefully done to suit Lemay’s work and hobbies.
As Lemay mentions, not only did her father help, but so did the rest of her family. Lemay’s mother helped sew the decorations on the removable cushions, and her sister crafted the leather pulls. It was truly a family affair.
Her current nomadic lifestyle fits well with her work doing audiobooks, voiceovers, and publishing work. In the end, this unexpected path has Lemay rethinking what it means to be truly sustainable, now that van life has gotten her to become minutely aware of the water, electricity, and other daily resources that she uses. But all these day-to-day concerns are balanced with a greater sense of freedom.
“It’s almost mind-blowing, it feels like a completely different life because I’m doing the work online, and I can do things on my own schedule. Pretty much most of my days are mine — so by living in the van, I can be where I want to be, and do the things I want to do, and spend time outside.”
1. Why is the story of a baker and his wife mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．It shows a creative way of learning. | B．It was spoken highly by expert bakers. |
| C．It’s an example of strong determination. | D．It’s where Amanda Lemay got her inspiration. |
| A．All family members contributed to it. | B．Its cost was shared by family members. |
| C．It was made to suit the life of the family. | D．The whole family gathered to celebrate it. |
| A．To value every minute of her life. | B．To make the best of what she has. |
| C．To keep a balance between work and life. | D．To be aware of the real meaning of family. |
| A．Reflecting on life. | B．Forgetting all about work. |
| C．Working on her own schedule. | D．Being free from day-to-day concerns. |
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【推荐1】Ten-year-old Riley Christensen and her mother, Lynn, sat in front of the family computer, checking out models and prices of bikes. “Let’s pick one out for Dad’s birthday present,” Lynn suggested to her daughter.
Suddenly, a video link caught Riley’s eye so she clicked on it. It told how Hal Honeyman had set up a club to give specially engineered bicycles to people who can’t walk. It also showed the happy faces of those who were now riding them.
“I’m going to buy a bike for one of those kids,” Riley told her mother. Two days later, she wrote a letter to raise money. “I think it’s amazing for a guy to make bikes for kids who can’t walk.” the letter said. “I saw how happy a boy was when he got one… I’m writing to ask for your help.”
Lynn was blown away by her daughter’s action. But she wasn’t sure of its success. The cost of just one of those special bikes could be as high as $4,000. Riley could never raise the money. But her letter went out to 75 family members and friends. Within three days, money began arriving. Then word got around about Riley’s activity, and as Christmas neared, more and more money rolled in. The teen eventually raised more than $12,000, enough to pay for several bikes.
Last Christmas Eve, Riley pulled on a Santa hat and gave the bicycles to three lucky kids: Ava, a 13-year-old girl; Jenny, a 15-year-old girl; and Rose, a 4-year-old girl.
“This is the best Christmas I ever had,” said Riley. She and Ava have since ridden together. “When I ride, I like to go fast, get sweaty, and feel the wind.” Riley says. “So does Ava. She rides with her arms, not her feet, but she really flies.”
Riley is determined to keep her activity going every holiday season. “I want kids to feel the wind in their faces.” she says.
1. How did Riley Christensen help those who can’t walk?| A．She set up a club to offer some bikes to them. |
| B．She comforted them and gave them a lot of money. |
| C．She advised a company to give some bikes to them. |
| D．She raised the money to buy some engineered bikes for them. |
| A．Lynn was annoyed at her daughter’s action. |
| B．Lynn was surprised by her daughter’s action. |
| C．Lynn was frightened at her daughter’s action. |
| D．Lynn was concerned about her daughter’s action. |
| A．In order to bring happiness for them. |
| B．In order to receive thanks from them. |
| C．In order to help them walk by themselves. |
| D．In order to give them a different Christmas. |
【推荐2】A dog spent the last four years of his life waiting at a crossroad in the Thai city of Khon Kaen as if waiting for someone. People originally thought the dog had been abandoned, but then realized that he looked healthy, so people asked around about him. It turned out that the dog had indeed been spending most of his time around that crossroad, but a woman had been coming round regularly to bring him food and water.
One day, while photographing the dog everyone called Leo, a reporter met the woman who had been taking care of him. She had come to drop off some food. After learning the story about the dog and the woman, the reporter decided to share the story on social media. The post soon went viral and the photos of Leo got shared hundreds of times. And the photos reached the eyes of Leo’s former old owner.
Nang Noi Sittisarn, a 64-year-old woman from Thailand’s Roi Et Province, almost had a heart attack when her daughter showed her a photo of the beloved dog named BonBon she had lost during a car trip. When she learned that he had been waiting for her in the same spot for the last four years, her heart melted.
Auntie Noi told her daughter to drive her to where the dog was waiting. When she got there and called his name, BonBon, the poor dog started wiggling his tail and came to her, but when she tried to take him home with her, he was unwilling to follow. She didn’t want to force the dog to come with her so she agreed to leave him with his new master. However, she and her daughter will come to visit him regularly.
1. Why did the dog look healthy after separation from his former owner?| A．He walked around the crossroad constantly. | B．He was kept at a woman’s home all the time. |
| C．A local reporter brought him food and water. | D．A woman looked after him on a regular basis. |
| A．Spread quickly. | B．Got infected with virus. |
| C．Appeared gradually. | D．Got ignored directly. |
| A．A stranger looked after the dog carefully for many years. |
| B．The story posted by the journalist has attained a lot of attention. |
| C．The poor dog still stayed at the crossroad in order to wait for her. |
| D．The poor dog was very delighted when meeting her at the crossroad. |
| A．Gentle. | B．Faithful. | C．Reliable. | D．Diligent. |
【推荐3】Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award — China’s top award for theater and opera performances-started to learn the traditional art form in 1977.
Born with a melodic voice, Wang loved to sing and dance when she was little. She performed frequently, and was recruited by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe (剧团) when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe’s invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies and not drop out of school. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly and showed great sincerity,Wang’s parents finally agreed.
Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. As an actress playing martial artists roles at first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu movements. Years later, Wang used the word “unimaginable” to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in winter she often had chilblains (冻疮) on her hands when training in shabby classrooms with broken windows. “But I was young and determined at the time. No matter how difficult, I always got up early the next morning to practice,” Wang recalls.
Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s,when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. “I was shocked,” Wang says. “Her every movement was full of elegance and delicacy. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time in my life, and it has stayed with me since.” Now, Wang has herself become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations and helped to promote the art form among young people.
1. Why did Wang’s parents turn down the troupe’s invitation at first?| A．They didn’t think Wang had artistic talent. |
| B．They saw no future in learning Kunqu Opera. |
| C．They didn’t want Wang to ignore her studies. |
| D．They regarded members of the troupe as insincere. |
| A．Wang has made great efforts to learn Kunqu well. |
| B．Artists should be given more attention and care. |
| C．Traditional culture needs to be further promoted. |
| D．Wang has played a key role in the development of Kunqu. |
| A．Winning the Plum Performance Award. |
| B．Joining the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe. |
| C．Watching Zhang’s masterly performance. |
| D．Being greatly admired by the audience. |
| A．It is never too late to learn. | B．Rome was not built in a day. |
| C．Doing is better than saying. | D．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
【推荐1】I remember the day when I first learned to ride a bike. It was a frightening, yet fun experience. My grandfather was the one who taught me and he helped me when I got hurt. The first time I got on a bike, I had no idea what I was doing, and just about everything went wrong. My grandfather told me to just put my feet on the pedals (脚蹬子) and start cycling. He also told me he would hold onto the back of the bike the whole time, yet he didn’t.
As soon as I started trying to balance myself, he let the bike go. I happened to look back just then. I was scared to death that I was going to fall and hurt myself. When I was scared, my mind went blank from cycling, and I just wanted to get off. I forgot how to use the brakes (车闸) and fell right off the bike. My grandfather kept encouraging me to get up and try again, and after about 15 minutes, I finally stopped crying, got up and tried again.
As soon as I started riding again, my pants got caught in the chain, and I fell flat on my face and hit my nose. My grandfather decided to call it a day and try again the next morning. The next morning I woke up brightly and early, and was very eager to try to ride my bike. My nose felt better, so I wasn’t that afraid of falling anymore.
Although I knew there were a range of difficulties on the way to mastering the skills in riding a bike, I believed I could do well with my grandfather’s help. After all, riding a bike was indeed what I wanted to do eagerly.
1. How was the author when he was on the bike first?| A．He thought balancing himself was easy. |
| B．He didn’t know where he would be going. |
| C．He put his feet on the pedals and started cycling. |
| D．He was nervous and didn’t know what to do next. |
| A．Go on to ride a bike. |
| B．Stop practicing bicycling. |
| C．Make the author feel happy. |
| D．Remember what happened this day. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Negative. |
| A．The First Time I Got My Own Bike |
| B．The Difficulty I Met with My Grandfather |
| C．The Experience of My First Riding a Bike |
| D．The Happy Moment when I Stayed with My Grandfather |
【推荐2】One day, when I was going to check in at an airport, I noticed there was a big problem. The counter person was telling everyone that all the planes were having problems and they would not be able to fly! And it was suggested that a bus would be provided to take us to Seattle. Everyone was worried, as we only had an hour and a half to make the connecting flight, and the bus was not even at the airport yet.
Finally, the bus pulled up, and the driver said, “They just pulled me out of bed after an all-night shift (夜班), and they expect me to get you to Seattle in time to catch your flight. Good Luck!”
Needless to say, everyone was in a really bad mood. I was loading my luggage into the bus and had slung (吊) my banjo over my back when the driver said, “What? Are you going to play that in my bus?” “Well, really did not plan on it,” I replied. “I was only kidding,” said the driver. But I started thinking about it, and I pulled out the banjo. A worried, angry woman said, “Well, what if I don't like it?” “Then tell me and I will stop,” I replied.
We drove off, and the tension (紧张) made the atmosphere in the bus horrendous! Then I started plucking (弹奏) the old song Blue Skies. In a few minutes, I noticed everyone was singing along. I started to sing, too, and before long, the whole bus burst into song.
One song led to another and everyone seemed to have a request. “Do you know You Are My Sunshine?” Everyone laughed and sang, with food passed around the bus, and before long, the airport was in sight.
The bus driver called, “We made it! We never would have done it without the help of our banjo player.” Shouts of approval rang through the bus. The driver said to me, “This was the best ride I ever had. Thanks for your music.”
A few weeks later, my mailbox was filled with letters from my new friends. Their letters reminded me of how, by reaching out with just a song, you can turn a very tense situation into a peaceful experience-a magical, musical bus ride.
1. What can we learn about the driver from his words in Paragraph 2?| A．He was glad to take those people to the airport. |
| B．He was late because he just returned from an all-night shift. |
| C．He thought it was hard to get those people to the airport in time. |
| D．He thought he was lucky to take those people to the airport. |
| A．the driver fully supported him | B．not all the passengers preferred that idea |
| C．all the passengers disliked that idea | D．the whole bus burst into song |
| A．changeable | B．strange |
| C．very bad | D．cheerful |
| A．A wonderful musical bus ride. | B．An unforgettable flight to Seattle. |
| C．A great banjo player. | D．The amazing friendship on a bus. |
【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 the game?| A．They grew closer by playing the game. | B．He grew impatient with his grandfather. |
| C．They learned to speak each other’s language. | D．His grandfather seldom had fun while playing. |
| A．He didn’t speak much Chinese. | B．He was a headmaster in Canada. |
| C．He had fun playing Monopoly. | D．He misunderstood his grandson. |
| A．Bored. | B．Annoyed. | C．Concerned. | D．Peaceful. |
| A．To recall his grandfather’s life story. | B．To advise older people to learn about kids’ games. |
| C．To share his grandfather’s influence on him. | D．To remind readers to spend more time with family. |
