When I was younger, I had been a top student with a strong desire to attend a top university. But things started to go downhill for me in high school after my parents divorced. Torn between wanting to be with my mother, who moved to Canada alone with no support, and with my beloved aging grandfather in Pakistan, I moved back and forth, struggling with my studies. I barely graduated from high school and entered an ordinary college, feeling that I had already failed.
I got discouraged, and began to suffer from severe depression. The death of my grandfather was the final straw. With no real hope for the future, I dropped out and returned to my mother and sisters in Canada.
Then I was riding with a trucking company to help support my mother and sisters. During those long hours on the road, my grandfather’s last words came back to me: “Please accept the challenges of life and work harder. It is now or never. I hope you will never disappoint us.” With his words ringing in my ears, I discovered a newfound resolve. My path suddenly became clear: I had to finish what I had started and go back to school.
To get back on track, I needed to take a full course load while continuing to work enough part-time hours to help pay the bills. After graduating from high school again, I began university engineering cooperation program, in which I worked as a paid intern (实习生) every other term, allowing me to keep my student loans in check. At the same time, I tried my best to focus on my studies. After completing my university, I went on to a master’s and now a PhD, wining several research awards along the way.
My path to this point has made one thing clear: Never fear failure. I hope I have made my grandfather proud.
1. Which of the following can best describe the author’s life in his first high school?A.Struggling. | B.Ordinary. | C.Fruitful. | D.Boring. |
A.He had a big family to support. | B.He had to get a well-paid job. |
C.He felt hopeless about the future. | D.He fought with his classmate. |
A.He was laughed at by his mother and sisters. | B.He was encouraged to win research awards. |
C.He was motivated by his grandfather s words. | D.He was forced to acquire more skills at work. |
A.Business. | B.Science. | C.Health. | D.Life. |
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【推荐1】My friend, Monty Roberts owns a horse ranch (养马场). The last time I was there he introduced me a story like this: There was a young man who was the son of a horse trainer, who would go from stable (马厩) to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. So the boy's school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. He also drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, “See me after class.”
The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked why he received an F. The teacher said, "This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. There's no way you could ever do it... If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”
The boy went home and thought about it long and haul. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.” Finally, after a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, “You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream."
Monty then turned to me and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4, 000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, "The best part of the story is that two years ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, “Look, Monty, when I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough ambition not to give up on yours.”
1. Why was Monty’s schooling continually interrupted?A.Because he didn’t like his teacher. |
B.Because he had to do much housework. |
C.Because he refused to go to school sometimes. |
D.Because his father always changed his working place. |
A.He did not pay attention to it. |
B.He punished his son for the large red F. |
C.He encouraged his son to make his own decision. |
D.He scolded his son for the ridiculous plan. |
A.Skill comes by exercise. |
B.Everybody's good at something. |
C.It's great to have dreams. |
D.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
A.A boy having no changes | B.A boy following his heart |
C.A boy holding on to his dream | D.A boy owning a horse ranch |
【推荐2】You’re never too old to achieve your dreams — or even break records. A 104-year-old woman named Dorothy Hoffner is such an example. She has just become the oldest person to skydive (跳伞), and she had the time of her life doing it. After touching ground following her jump with a US instructor, she proudly said, “Age is just a number.”
Hoffner took to the skies of Northern Illinois with the help of Skydive Chicago, making her way to the town of Ottawa for the jump. For all the excitement, this wasn’t her first time jumping out of the plane. Hoffner’s first skydiving took place a few years ago, when she was 100. Although back then the instructor helped push them out together, this time she insisted on leading the jump from 13,500 feet up in the air.
A video shared by Skydive Chicago shows Hoffner determinedly advancing towards the plane on her red walker (助行架) before being helped on board. Sitting among her fellow skydivers, she is all smiles as she waits for her turn. Once the door opens, the woman confidently jumps out of the plane head first.
Before Hoffner’s jump, the record for the oldest person to skydive belonged-to 103-year-old Linnea Ingegard Larsson from Sweden, who set it in May 2022. Now, Skydive Chicago is requesting Guinness World Records to certify Hoffner’s jump as the new record.
As for Hoffner, she seems happy with having achieved this, describing the jump as an amazing experience. “It was wonderful up there. The whole thing was wonderful, and couldn’t have been better,” she says. Now that she has completed this achievement, she is now thinking of her next adventure. Since she is turning 105 in December, she is thinking of celebrating by riding a hot air balloon, saying, “I’ve never been in one of those.”
1. What do we know about Hoffner?A.She set a world record in 2022. |
B.She took up skydiving from an early age. |
C.She loved to meet new challenges in life. |
D.She improved her physical fitness through sports. |
A.To compare different types of walkers. |
B.To explore the reason why she took to skydiving. |
C.To encourage people struggling in life to be brave. |
D.To show her determination despite physical difficulties. |
A.Thoughtful. | B.Courageous. | C.Responsible. | D.Calm. |
A.Woman braves difficulties to achieve success. |
B.104-year-old woman takes the world by storm. |
C.Woman with disability stands out with hard work. |
D.The oldest person breaks world record for skydiving. |
The beans cry in the pot
We grow from the same root (根)
Why should we boil each other with such impatience?
The poem is thought to be written by Cao Zhi, one of Cao Cao’s sons, Cao, who lived between 192 and 232 during the Three Kingdoms period.
It is said that after Cao Cao’s death, his oldest son Cao Pi became the emperor. Cao Pi was jealous (嫉妒的) of his younger brother Cao Zhi’s talent, so he wanted to find an excuse to kill him. One day, Cao Pi ordered Cao Zhi to make a poem about their relationship within seven steps, and was determined (决定) to have the younger brother killed if he failed. Cao Zhi then made the poem in front of him, which showed Cao Pi’s cruel idea to kill his own brother. Cao Pi, feeling ashamed, let Cao Zhi go in the end.
In China, the poem is taught to primary school students and is often used by people to describe unnecessary competitions or fighting between people, businesses, or organizations who are in the same area or want the same things.
The poem was posted on Tweeter by the CEO of Tesla and Space X Elon Musk, and it was given a title Humankind on purpose by Musk. The post drew tons of attention on both Western and Chinese social media, and internet users have been guessing what it was used for. People thought it could be an answer to the director of UN food organization, who mentioned that world hunger could be stopped if Elon Musk could give away 2% of his wealth.
1. The poem is said to be written by ________.A.Cao Cao | B.Cao Zhi | C.Cao Pi | D.Elon Musk |
A.Cao Zhi was one of his brothers |
B.Cao Pi was jealous of Cao Zhi’s talent |
C.Cao Zhi refused to follow Cao Pi’s orders |
D.Cao Pi wanted to become the only son of Cao Cao |
A.his brother was cruel to him | B.he was not afraid of his brother |
C.the beans were close to its stalks | D.the beanstalk should die for its beans |
A.Elon Musk posted the poem on Tweeter for fun. |
B.Only Western internet users noticed the poem. |
C.The purpose of the poem became a hot topic. |
D.Elon Musk is mean and doesn’t care about others. |
【推荐1】In one of the old buildings near our school, one could see an old man sitting by a large window on the first floor. His name was James. During the three years at school, I had hardly ever found him missing from his usual position.
He was a high-ranking government official and lived happily with his wife. Once there was a bus accident, in which a number of passengers were seriously injured and were taken to the hospital for treatment. James was responsible for the rescue operation. It was a big hospital, but James was shocked to notice how ill-equipped it was. There were no enough life-saving drugs and life-supporting equipment. The injured and their companions had to struggle there. James attempted to help. However, though he emptied his pockets, many of them died that day.
That was a turning point in his life. He made a decision to devote his life to helping others, particularly the poor and needy patients and their companions. He began spending much of his income on these people. Since this required a lot of time and energy, he found it difficult to fulfill his official duties and therefore chose to retire, which, in turn, reduced his income considerably.
His wife was deeply worried. Most of the time, James was out and paid least attention to home affairs. Meanwhile, as he was spending a lot helping others, she had to struggle even to meet the household expenses. Though she was not opposed to his helping the poor, she urged him not to overlook his own life and home, but it had no effect on him. One day they had a heated argument and in the end she left him, never to return. Though he continued with his work, this was a great blow and did serious harm to his health and enthusiasm and he was soon forced to stay indoors. That was when he took his position by the window, spending his time looking outside.
A few weeks after my graduation, I returned to school, only to find the buildings gone. I heard that they were torn down. All the people left except James. He refused to go and the next morning, he was found at his usual place by the window, dead.
1. What changed James' view towards life?A.The difficulties in his career. | B.The deaths in the bus accident. |
C.The bad conditions in the hospital. | D.The responsibilities in the operation. |
A.take care of the injured passengers | B.find a better job to increase his income |
C.spare more time and energy to help others | D.stay away from the difficult official duties |
A.she was strongly against his deeds |
B.James paid too little attention to his work |
C.her work to support their daily life was too tiring |
D.James failed to keep a balance between charity and home |
A.his decision to retire | B.the departure of his wife |
C.the argument with his wife | D.his devotion to helping others |
【推荐2】The morning after an evening struggle to care for my three-year-old daughter, I couldn’t wait to get her to school. I, as a mother, was tired from the anger and her inability to communicate because of her slowed language development.
As I accompanied her into the car, I felt desperate. Nothing was right with our world. She’d been born around the same time when the nation was witnessing the birth of another Great Recession. My job and my house had been victims. Then this happened. My child’s language delay was identified, but doctors struggled to properly help her, I felt like we both needed to he rescued.
I returned that afternoon as disenchanted with the little girl I loved as when I left. Walking slowly toward the school’s playground gate, I found her preschool teacher racing to greet me.
“You should have seen her today!” His breathy words were supported by excitement. I didn’t interrupt. “See that climber.” He pointed to a wooden piece of playground equipment that looked like a rock wall. I nodded. “Well, every day since she started school, she’s tried and failed to make it to the top.” He took a breath. “And today she did it!”
He expressed his joy just as he’d witnessed her conquering Mount Everest! “She cheered and celebrated! I wish I’d recorded it!” His words comforted me. My daughter had conquered her mountain.
As she ran toward me, I recognized something I hadn’t before. I saw her perseverance (毅力). I saw her strength. I saw a Hero.
Everyday greatness celebrates ordinary people who do unusual things in big and small ways, showing courage, kindness, love and selflessness. We encourage you to click these brief accounts and invite you to share your own story.
1. Why did the author rush her daughter to school?A.She was busy with her work as a doctor. |
B.She had a fight with her daughter last night. |
C.She broke down when dealing with her daughter. |
D.She had to sell their house due to Great Recession. |
A.Happy. | B.Concerned. |
C.Careful. | D.Disappointed. |
A.She succeeded in standing on Mount Everest. |
B.She managed to climb up the wooden equipment. |
C.She got the first place in the school sports meet. |
D.She began to communicate with others normally. |
A.The radio. | B.A magazine. |
C.A newspaper. | D.The Internet. |
I'm a single mom looking for a job.One morning I had grabbed my favorite spot at a local Starbucks and was going through the newspaper when I noticed a man in ragged clothing looking really untidy.I felt led to speak to this man and so I did.
I learned that he was homeless and just wandered from place to place.Starbucks was nice enough to allow him to come in from the cold or the heat depending on the day.I also learned that he used to be an architect,but as we spoke I saw more and more that he wasn't at the fullest of mental capabilities,which made me even more upset that he didn't have a place to go.
I sat with this man for a very long time in Starbucks calling different clinics,hospitals,shelters,police departments.He even gave me a beat up business card of a gentleman saying that was his son's phone number.It was an out-of-state number,but I called anyway but was not able to reach him.Unfortunately,all the places I called were unable to take him.
I asked him if he was hungry and he said yes,so I went down the street to a deli(熟食店)and ordered a sandwich and drink.When I got back,my new-found friend became angry for a reason I was not aware of or maybe it was some sort of mental disturbance.All I could do was set the sandwich down and told him that I'll leave it there for him if he wanted it and I left.I walked around town for a couple of minutes and then headed back to see if he was still there.
A man who was sitting in Starbucks most of the time when I was there came out and told me that the man ate the sandwich and that he was touched that I had sat with him like I did.It seems to me that no matter whether something goes awry(非正常的)on the surface,there is always something beautiful at a deeper level.
I still remember my friend.I looked for him every time I was in town,but that was the last time I saw him.I hope that I had provided some glimmer of hope that he was not forgotten.
1. How did the author feel when she noticed the poor man?A.She felt lonely as a single mother. |
B.She felt worried about her future job. |
C.She felt it necessary to talk to the man. |
D.She felt upset and disturbed by the man. |
A.Because she realized that the man was a liar rather than an architect. |
B.Because the man was mentally incapable and might attack others. |
C.Because the man was suffering from both physical and mental disabilities. |
D.Because limited mental capabilities added to the difficulty of this homeless man. |
A.To find a shelter for him. |
B.To wait for his son's phone call. |
C.To order him some food. |
D.To prevent him from being hurt. |
A.though unable to find a place for the man,she was praiseworthy |
B.in spite of his messy appearance,the man had a grateful heart |
C.though living a poor life,the homeless man remained optimistic |
D.the man had a strong desire to share his satisfaction with others |