Very early on in my senior year of high school, my parents pretty much carried the flame for my future college. I was happy going to a 2-year college before going after my bachelor’s degree. This was for two reasons: to help them save money and to make sure I major in English. However, they insisted their only boy should attend a 4-year college right off the bat.
I was pushed to start searching for colleges therefore, ones that my parents approved of and fit within the range of tuition that my mom thought was acceptable to. I was also restricted to the immediate area, which really only included New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, so I was talked out of applying to any colleges in one of my favorite places: New Hampshire.
I should be honest: it got a bit tense at times with several different opinions between my parents and me, and with other family members or friends voicing their thoughts to my parents.
In the end, I ended up applying to three schools: SUNY Albany, SUNY New Paltz, and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. I had been to New Paltz quite often as it was only 45 minutes away from our home. And Kutztown is located in an area our family often visited.
I was accepted by all three, and I quickly gave up Albany. I was not impressed with the city and wasn’t familiar with the area. It was between New Paltz and Kutztown. After a few weeks, I ended up settling on New Paltz because Kutztown just didn’t “feel right” for me. When I was on the campus, I had a feeling that this was it.
Looking back now, I wish I had known more about the application process and had a little more freedom of choice about which college I could apply to. I probably still would have attended SUNY New Paltz, but I would have loved to have a few more options.
1. What did the author’s parents think he should do?| A．Choose a college that can provide good jobs. |
| B．Go to a community college to save money. |
| C．Choose a college that he likes best. |
| D．Directly go to a 4-year college. |
| A．He wasn’t familiar with it. | B．His situation didn’t allow it. |
| C．The living expenses there were too high. | D．He wasn’t sure if he would fit in there. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Regretful. | C．Satisfied. | D．Worried. |
| A．How I Chose My College | B．How to Apply to a College |
| C．Different Choices, Different Future | D．The Meaning of Attending College |
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【推荐1】This time last year I had a bit of a crisis. I left the company where I’d worked for over 23 years; my child went to university.
I went for a walk with a friend. “How are you?” she said. I tried to say I was “fine”, but the word stuck in my throat. I started to cry and couldn’t stop.
“Change is difficult,” she said. That hit me in the heart. It allowed me to find things tough, to not be coping, to admit to myself I was in trouble.
I went home and sat down at my computer, searching for a site that might give me comfort. There was nothing. I shouldn’t have been surprised. During my years as an editor of The Sunday Times Magazine, I’d had trouble getting stories about women in midlife, or older, into the magazine.
Women are described about their lives: get educated, get a job or career, find a partner and somewhere to live, have some kids...and that’s where the script stops. The later parts of women’s lives are unmapped, undiscussed.
So I’ve set up an online platform and community for women in midlife. It’s called Noon and it exists to help women find their next act. We tell stories of transformation-the woman who became a stand-up comedian at 60 and a civil servant who changed career to become a doctor at 50. We offer expert advice to get women through the pinch points.
Why shouldn’t younger women look forward to their “Noontime”, a period of wisdom and purpose, when having jumped through the hoops society sets out for us, we can finally pursue our own dreams. There is so much more to come.
1. What brought the author trouble?| A．Losing her child. | B．Losing her job. |
| C．Bad relationship with neighbors. | D．Changes in life and family. |
| A．Because there was little care for women above mid-age. |
| B．Because the author was too careless to find. |
| C．Because the author’s friend prevented her from doing so. |
| D．Because nobody was interested in women ?s stories. |
| A．Talk. | B．Discussion. | C．Saying | D．Story. |
| A．Women are being respected. | B．Mid-aged women are still hopeful. |
| C．There are too many unhappy women. | D．Women should be independent. |
【推荐2】Bob Cheek grew up on his parents’ farm in northern Tasmania and became a professional Australian rules football player. While many of his footballing peers went into running pubs, he was more interested in fitness, and invested in gyms “with varying degrees of success”.
He borrowed money to put into opening his first 24-hour gym in Hobart, Tasmania’s capital. “It was a risk. If it hadn’t worked out, I probably would have lost my house and everything else.” It was a struggle at first, he says, to get the local government officials to agree to it. “Twenty-four-hour gyms were unknown. They thought they were going to be the headquarters for drug distribution and murders. They couldn’t believe that people were going to go in at night and there would be no supervision (监管).”
The first opened in March 2009. It was far cheaper than most gyms and appealed to a wider range of people, including those who worked shifts and wanted to exercise at less common times. 700 people joined before it even opened. He built more in Tasmania, usually taking over old video rental shops, which had gone out of business.
Cheek ended up owning 37 gyms across Australia, with plans to move into south-east Asia. Most of the members were under 40, and he says “it kept me young, too, being involved with all these younger people coming in. Gyms are the new meeting places for young people. In my day, everyone went to the pub; now they go to the gym. It was great seeing all these young people getting fit and having a good time, and older people as well.”
“It gave me a new lease of life,” he says. “My life has got better as it’s gone on: My 60s were one of the best decades of my life, and I think my 70s are even better. I know health can have a big say in that, but for me it was like a magic carpet ride, flying into my 60s. I didn’t even feel it—I felt like I was 35 again—and that’s about having a sense of purpose, building something and helping people. I worked really hard, but I loved it.”
1. What was the barrier to Cheek’s opening of his first 24-hour gym?| A．Lacking fund. | B．Getting government approval. |
| C．Making profits. | D．Addressing security issues. |
| A．He employed part-time workers. | B．He had fewer employees. |
| C．He made use of closed shops. | D．He charged membership fees. |
| A．The desire to meet older people. | B．The closure of pubs. |
| C．The curiosity about novelty. | D．The shift in their way of life. |
| A．A great wealth. | B．A meaningful life. |
| C．A virtual world. | D．A heavy burden. |
【推荐3】John George, 60, remembers that he lived a wonderful life in the Detroit neighborhood where he grew up. “We knew all our neighbors.” George told Detroit's Metro Times. “On Christmas Eve, we'd all go to midnight Mass, and there'd be 300 people in our house at one o'clock to about five in the morning. The folks were just really good, hardworking people. ”
By the'80s, however, the old neighborhood changed. Due in part to economic downturns and drug abuse, well -kept homes had been abandoned and kindly neighbors had fled to the suburbs(郊区). But not George. “Living in any city, it’s like being in a relationship,” he told Reader’s Digest. “Some days are better than others. But it was my home. And when I saw it becoming worse, I had two choices: I could leave, or I could stay and fight. I chose the latter.”
When the abandoned home behind his turned into a worn-out place, the father of two grabbed some boards and nails and began boarding up the house. After two neighbors stopped to ask what he was doing, they decided to help, with great results.
That's how it all got started. In the 30 years since that first home rescue, an army of approximately 182,000 volunteers, along with private donors, has helped George pull down around 300 abandoned homes, mainly in die poorer Northwest area of Detroit. They've also secured 400 - some homes by boarding them up. They've painted and repaired nearly 900 homes and built over 100 from scratch. According to Forbes, more than 1,000 Detroiters have been housed as a result of their work.
And there's Halloween. In Detroit, October 30 was known as Devil's Night, a period when all hell break loose in the form of crime and vandalism (破坏公物). In response, George created a citizens' patrol(巡逻)that would take to the streets, keeping an eye on illegal behavior. He named it Angels' Night What began with 12 neighbors on patrol in 1990 has grown to more than 60,000 citywide.
George's inspired ideas have not gone unnoticed by the city he loves. Others are buying into it. There's a trend of younger homeowners coming in.
1. What was George’s home city Detroit like before the ’80s?| A．Neighbors were nice and got along very well. |
| B．People in the suburbs led a wonderful life. |
| C．Economy declined because of drug abuse. |
| D．Many homes were abandoned and people lied. |
| A．Move to the suburbs. | B．Leave his hometown. |
| C．Join his neighbors to help. | D．Stay and fight to save his city. |
| A．More people moved into Detroit. |
| B．Almost all Detroiters were housed. |
| C．Over 100 homes were newly built. |
| D．There was no illegal behavior any more. |
| A．Great minds think alike. |
| B．Two heads are better than one. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| D．Little people can make a big difference. |
【推荐1】My family lost everything in the little-known flood of Baton Rouge, Louisiana last year that the Red Cross called the “Worst US disaster since Hurricane Sandy.”
It began raining in mid-August. Then it rained some more, got more powerful, and didn’t stop for days. There was talk that the local rivers were going to crest (到达顶点)and cause some pretty serious flooding. We lived somewhat close to the Amite River, but our senior neighbors told us that our neighborhood hadn’t flooded in over 100 years.
Local news said that the nearby high school may get a little bit of water inside from the rising river. We thought we had a couple of days to plan on how we were going to shelter in place because of the weather forecast.
On the 13th of August I woke up, walked outside and headed toward the direction of the river. Some of the lower areas were collecting water but there was no standing water anywhere near my house or even my neighborhood. I went back home and told my wife we should probably get some supplies in case this got serious; that maybe we should even pack a car in case we needed to leave though I was fairly certain there was nothing to worry about.
About 30 minutes into slowly packing there was a loud banging on my front door. It was my wife’s cousin. I opened the door and she said, “What are you doing?! Get out of the house!” I looked behind her and noticed my entire yard underwater and the waterline only about a half-inch from going over my doorstep and into my house.
I was floored. The river wasn’t supposed to crest until the next day. I thought we had more time.
I yelled at my wife, “We have to get out of the house. Now!”
We packed up both our cars in about 10 minutes with only our most precious memories. Everything else we had built during a 10-year marriage was left behind. We evacuated about 5 miles east away from the river to my wife’s grandmothers.
After being there for about an hour someone came to the front door and said, “You guys ned to get out. The river is coming.”
Sure enough, her yard was flooding too.
We evacuated a second time in as many hours to her cousin’s house even further east. After only an hour we were told again that the river was on the way and we had to leave.
1. The author realized the arrival of the flood when ______.| A．the rain started to fall heavily and non-stop |
| B．the nearby high school was slightly affected |
| C．there was standing water in some lower areas |
| D．he was informed by his wife’s cousin at the door |
| A．He was clam enough to cope with the flood. |
| B．He became trapped by the rising floodwater. |
| C．He was shocked by the early arrival of the flood. |
| D．He lost his temper with his wife for being unprepared. |
| A．He didn’t take action immediately despite his neighbor’s warning. |
| B．He trusted the weather forecast so that he prepared himself in advance. |
| C．He and his wife brought some supplies and valuable belongings with them. |
| D．He was forced to leave the temporary homes again and again to avoid danger. |
| A．Mutual Support in Disasters | B．Baton Rouge Flooding |
| C．How to Survive a Flood | D．Methods of Predicting Floods |
【推荐2】In my heart, I have a special place for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.
My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old. It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.
As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.
I always read, using different voices, as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it! It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books.
Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on from generation to generation.
As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a shelter for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy (盗版行为) and I think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.
1. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?| A．Changeable. | B．Uneasy. | C．Casual. | D．Dependent. |
| A．Joy of reading shared in the family. | B．Pleasure from working in the library. |
| C．Wonderment from acting out the stories. | D．A closer bond developed with the readers. |
| A．Give away books. | B．Support libraries. |
| C．Write book reviews for libraries. | D．Buy her novels. |
| A．How I Became a Good Reader | B．Building More Libraries |
| C．My Love of the Library | D．Library: A Place for Enjoyment |
【推荐3】I have just completed my first year as a volunteer befriender (帮扶人)with the North Lanarkshire Befriending Project. I was matched with a young girl called Amy, who had been struggling (挣扎) with different aspects of her life and suffered from low self-confidence.
At first, I was a bit worried about whether Amy would like me or want to spend time with me. These fears soon disappeared when I quickly formed a strong bond (关系) with Amy. She trusted me and felt like she could depend on me.
During our time together, I took Amy out twice a month. I must say, collecting her for the first time and deciding what we were going to do was difficult! I quickly learned that it was best to plan what we would do on the next outing before collecting her.
Over the course of the year we got to do lots of things: cinema trips, bowling, ice-skating, and shopping. I have noticed a positive change in Amy since I met her. At first she lacked (缺乏) confidence. In a 1:1 situation she was very talkative and open, but when another person joined the group I noticed she became more reserved (寡言少语的) — especially around other teenagers. Thinking about this, I planned more public outings over time. Amy was nervous at first, but she grew in confidence over the year.
I feel like befriending has been a very positive thing for Amy. She really enjoyed our outings. Her outlook on life (人生观) improved noticeably during the year too. I talked to her about my experience at university, and she then started to talk more about further education, something which I am told she had never really considered as a choice before.
I feel that we all have a social responsibility to help others in our communities, and befriending is just one way in which I can do something meaningful.
1. How did the author feel when starting her befriending project?| A．Regretful. | B．Confident. | C．Nervous. | D．Excited. |
| A．Hard work pays off. |
| B．Friendship is the key to success. |
| C．The simplest way is the best way. |
| D．Planning ahead is a matter of great importance. |
| A．It has helped her reach her educational goals. |
| B．It has made her famous in North Lanarkshire. |
| C．It has offered Amy a chance to go to college. |
| D．It has made positive changes in Amy’s life. |
| A．To share her story as a volunteer. |
| B．To introduce her best friend Amy. |
| C．To discuss the benefits of volunteers. |
| D．To show how to make friends with strangers. |
