Ida Nelson was relaxing herself in her sister’s sauna (桑拿室) when she heard the sound of a small airplane circling the nearby airport.
It was 11: 30 at night in a remote village with a population of 70, and, as she told the newspaper reporter, “Any time a plane flies over that late, you know something is wrong.” Nelson and her sister leaped out of the sauna, ran to the window, and saw the problem — the airports runway lights were out. Nelson threw on some clothes, jumped into her jeep, and floored it to the airport, where she found a local pilot trying to turn on the lights manually.
“Normally, if you push the button 10 or 15 times, the lights will just light up,” Nelson told the reporter. Not this time. Meanwhile, she and the pilot learned of the plane’s urgent mission — it was a helicopter, there to transport a seriously ill local girl to the nearest hospital, 280 miles away in another city.
Nelson had a plan. Driving her jeep to the end of the runway, she shone her headlights on the road for the plane to follow. Great idea, but it wasn’t enough. More light was needed, so a neighbor called nearly every home in the village — 32 of them.
Within 20 minutes, 20 vehicles arrived at the airport, many of the drivers still in pajamas. Following directions from the helicopter pilot, the cars lined up on one side of the runway. The helicopter made its final approach and, guided by the headlights, landed safely. The young patient was loaded onto the aircraft, and the plane immediately took off again. Her illness was never publicly known, but she has since been recovered.
Without them, the girl might not have made it. However, for Nelson, it was only a small deed.
1. What problem did the helicopter encounter?| A．Its lights went out by accident. |
| B．It made noise as it ran out of fuel. |
| C．It didn’t arrive at the scheduled time. |
| D．It could not spot the runway at night. |
| A．instant | B．normal | C．final | D．impossible |
| A．The girl has been in the hospital since her illness was reported. |
| B．The creative thought and the sense of duty of Nelson led to the final landing. |
| C．The villagers gathered so quickly because they were awake and ready to help. |
| D．The helicopter was to transport the girl from the local hospital to another one. |
| A．No way is impossible to courage. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．A small act of kindness makes a big difference. |
| D．Where there is a wisdom, there is effectiveness. |
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【推荐1】If this 13-year-old American boy succeeds in climbing Mount Everest, he has modest ambitions—pick a small piece of rock from the top as a memento and wears it in a necklace. “I will not sell it. It is something for myself to say ‘this is a rock from the top’,” Jordan Romero from California, told reporters in Kathmandu. He left for the mountain on Sunday.
If he succeeds, Romero will become the youngest climber to climb the 8,850 meters Everest Summit. Currently a 16-year-old Nepali boy, Temba Tsheri Sherpa, holds the record of being the world’s youngest climber of Mount Everest.
But Romero, sitting over lunch with his climbing father and stepmother in Kathmandu’s tourist district of Thamel, said he was not after setting climbing records. Romero said Mount Qomolangma that runs across Nepal-China border was part of his goal to climb the highest mountains on all seven continents.
“It is just a goal,” he said confidently. “If I don’t succeed I am okay. I will try again.” Romero has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mount McKinley in Alaska among others.
Romero’s father Paul said the boy was ready to take on the climb and understood the risk of climbing the giant mountain.
“I know it requires a lot of patience. I will remain patient. I want to stay safe and make right choice,” Romero said of his climb using the northeast ridge(山脊) route on the Chinese side of the mountain.
Over 4,000 climbers have reached the top of Mount Qomolangma since it was first climbed by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. Romero said he wanted to climb the highest mountains in all 50 states in the US next. “It does not need to be after Qomolangma and could be in between.”
1. According to the passage, at present________ keeps the record of being the world’s youngest climber of Mount Everest.| A．Jordan Romero | B．Temba Tsheri Sherpa |
| C．Tenzing Norgay Sherpa | D．Sir Edmund Hillary |
| A．souvenir | B．rock | C．stone | D．toy |
| A．Romero has climbed up all the highest mountains in all 50 states in the US |
| B．the highest mountain in America is Mount Kilimanjaro |
| C．Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa come from different countries |
| D．there is no risk climbing Mount Qomolangma |
| A．Romero is to use the northwest ridge route on the Chinese side of the mountain |
| B．Romero has his patience and understands the risk of climbing the giant mountain |
| C．Romero knew the climbing task is challenging |
| D．Romero is fond of climbing |
【推荐2】You’ve probably heard of sheepdogs that guard sheep. But on a small island off the coast of Australia, these specially trained little dogs protect fairy penguins (企鹅) from foxes. About 800 little blue penguins once nested on Australia’s Middle Island. They are the smallest species of penguin in the world. By 2015, there were fewer than 10 left on the island.
The problem started when people brought red foxes to Australia in the 1800s. The foxes made their way to Middle Island and began killing off penguins and other native wildlife. Local officials wondered what could be done.
In 2014, a local farmer named Allan Marsh had an idea. He advised training Maremma sheepdogs to protect the penguins. At that time, Marsh was using the dogs on his farm to guard his chickens from foxes. At first, local officials said no to the plan because they didn’t think it would work. But they changed their minds when the penguins had almost completely disappeared. “The government wouldn’t listen to me until it got down to six penguins,” Marsh told The New York Times.
The first sheepdog went to work on Middle Island in 2016, and dogs have been on duty ever since. The dogs bark at and go after foxes to frighten them away. Thanks to the sheepdogs, the number of fairy penguins on Middle Island has increased. Today, close to 200 penguins live on the island. In fact, officials report that no penguin has been killed since the dogs were on the job.
Eudy and Tula, the two dogs guarding Middle Island, are now 8 years old. They are almost ready to retire (退休). Local groups are trying to raise $ 25,000 needed to buy and train two new dogs.
1. Why did the little penguins almost completely disappear?| A．The red foxes hunted them. |
| B．Local officials didn’t support the protection plan. |
| C．The dogs couldn’t protect them. |
| D．People destroyed their living environment. |
| A．More than 25,000. | B．About 800. | C．About 200. | D．Fewer than 10. |
| A．There are too many of them on the island. |
| B．The two dogs are too old to guard them. |
| C．They will disappear on Middle Island soon. |
| D．The two new dogs won’t be hired. |
| A．Sheepdogs only guard sheep. |
| B．Local officials didn’t agree with Marsh’s plan finally. |
| C．The first sheepdog appeared on Middle Island in 2006. |
| D．Sheepdogs can really protect penguins on Middle Island. |
【推荐3】Every summer, as a child, I spent with my parents the annual family holiday, flying away from our home in the West Midlands to their birthplace in Ireland.
I enjoyed it, but once, I behaved differently and left home. Package tours and long-distance flights became my idea of a holiday. I then went and ran into an Englishman who also came of Irish stock, and we both felt the urge to renew our knowledge of Ireland.
It was important for us to discover something different from our childhood visits. So that’s how we came to drive along the winding St John’s Point Peninsula (半岛) in Donegal, part of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, to visit a unique part of the 20th-century history — the Donegal Corridor.
When anyone drives to the point where the land runs out, he sees giant white stones fixed firmly in green grass spelling out “EIRE” and “70”, while the Atlantic wind fiercely blows across the headland and the ice-white waves smash into the rocks below. The meaning behind the stones? They date back to the Second World War when St John’s Point was number 70 in a total of 83 Look Out Points (LOPs), observation stations set up and maintained by Ireland all around its coast.
There lies a bit of curious UK-Ireland history. Although Ireland was officially neutral during the war, the Battle of the Atlantic was being fought close to Irish shores, and these LOPs, staffed by local volunteers known as Coast watchers, passed on information on activities connected with the sea and weather fronts to London.
At St John’s Point, we were standing right under the Donegal Corridor, a long narrow area of airspace in which Ireland ensured safe passage during World War II to planes in the RAF (Royal Air Force) from bases in the UK-governed North of Ireland. The stone markings acted as reference points to aircrews.
Standing on this rough area of land surrounded by the wild and windy ocean brought home to us the conditions in which the Coast watchers and aircrews in the RAF cooperated in a shared history.
I revolted against my family tradition that summer, and I fulfilled my aim of discovering something new and absorbed all Donegal has to offer: empty golden beaches, mysterious ancient stone circles, folk music and crafts, and tasty food. I had fallen in love with Ireland all over again.
1. What can we learn about the author from paragraphs 1 to 3?| A．She met a childhood friend from Ireland that year. |
| B．She explored the Wild Atlantic Way with her family members. |
| C．She took package tours and long-distance flights every year. |
| D．She and that Englishman both had Irish ancestors. |
| A．worried about | B．passed on | C．celebrated | D．disobeyed |
| A．they functioned as reference points to aircrews in the RAF |
| B．weather information from the UK was sent through them |
| C．the Battle of the Atlantic took place right close to them |
| D．they ranked at the top in the 83 LOPs around the Irish coast |
| A．A Global Journey | B．Escaping from the West Midlands |
| C．Happy Holidays | D．Discovering Undiscovered Donegal |
【推荐1】After growing up in the foster (寄养) care system, Shanté Elliott is working to help others transition(过渡，转变) out of it. Elliott is no stranger to the foster care system. She was forced to change schools and adapt to different homes over and over again before finally being adopted at the age of 13. Elliott became the first member of her family to graduate college, double majoring in literature and communication and earning a master’s in education policy. Today she is pursuing her doctoral degree.
Elliott knows the challenges facing teenagers within the foster care system. “Often, teenagers are not viewed as children but as adults,” she recently told Reader’s Digest. “Think about it—most families looking to adopt want to adopt an infant or a young child, so they can experience developmental milestones with the child.”
There are ways to help foster children without becoming a foster parent, but finding permanency is still what most foster youth need most. And for those who age out of the system without finding those forever homes, there are additional challenges to face. According to Youth.gov, these kids are at greater risk of homelessness, health problems, dropping out of school and legal issues, all of which can make succeeding in adulthood more difficult.
Elliott wants to see that stigma end. “We need to change the national dialogue around this in a way that highlights the needs of older children. All foster-involved children want consistent homes. Potential families need to realize this.”
It’s a reality Elliott is passionate about helping others realize. “The need for protection, love, opportunity, and safety has no age limit. If more teenagers were adopted, youth would have more successful long-term outcomes after foster care.” That’s something these older foster kids who found their forever homes can prove.
1. How was Elliott’s early adoptive life?| A．Difficult. | B．Busy. | C．Strange. | D．Successful. |
| A．Because teenagers are too old to be fostered. |
| B．Because infants lack personal experience and education. |
| C．Because parents can become part of the children’s growth process. |
| D．Because they want to foster children without becoming foster parents. |
| A．Homeless children will drop out of school. |
| B．People don’t want to become foster parents. |
| C．There are some ways to help foster children. |
| D．Children without forever homes may suffer in the future. |
| A．Few teenagers want to find forever foster homes. |
| B．It’s easy for teenagers to find forever foster homes. |
| C．Teenagers are supposed to be offered permanent homes. |
| D．Only teenagers need protection, love, opportunity and safety. |
【推荐2】In pursuing our dreams, we commonly encounter voices of doubt from those around us. Friends, family, or even strangers may question our ambitions, casting shadows of uncertainty on the path we’ve chosen. However, it’s important to remember that the opinions of others should not define our potential or limit our ambitions.
Shawn Warner, a 58-year-old Texas man, pursued his childhood dream of becoming a writer after being laid off. Despite facing discouragement from others, he published his first book, Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor, last year.
Surprisingly, Shawn’s journey took an unexpected turn—he became a Texas bestselling author when a TikTok video of him selling his book at a grocery store went viral (走红). TikToker Jerrad Swearenjin shot the video of Shawn sitting alone at a table with his books in a Texas Kroger store.
“I was just shopping when I noticed this man trying to promote his new book. I honestly don’t even read books nowadays. But something told me to get a couple. This new author seemed super defeated when I first walked past him. So before I left the store, I decided to go back,” the video text read. The video gained great popularity, with millions of likes and comments, and many people expressing interest in purchasing Shawn’s book.
Swearenjin shared his motivation for approaching Shawn, stating that he wanted to show kindness to a stranger, having experienced a lack of recognition despite working hard in the past.
As the conversation progressed, Shawn’s face lit up with joy when Swearenjin expressed interest in his books and offered support as a local author. He was in shock and struggled to find words to express his appreciation for the unexpected events.
Emotionally moved by the support from people worldwide, Shawn thanked Swearenjin and everyone who had shown kindness and generosity.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To explain a phenomenon. |
| C．To show a type of person. | D．To add background information. |
| A．He failed in many fields. | B．He was out of work. |
| C．He was encouraged by others. | D．He met a kind TikToker. |
| A．It saved his energy. | B．It won millions of likes. |
| C．It contributed to his dream. | D．It was beyond understanding. |
| A．Gratitude is the best attitude. | B．Kindness is the nature of human. |
| C．Having trust in strangers counts. | D．Good luck comes with determination. |
【推荐3】Twelve-year-old Leonardo was born in a poor family in Bambamarca in Peru. He knew how to read but he had never seen a book in his life. So he asked the new priest (牧师) in his village to give him one. But there was no electricity. So Leonardo borrowed candles from the church and sat up all night reading it. The next morning, he was at the door of the priest asking for another book to read.
John Medcalf, the priest, was moved. He also realised that people would love to read if given a chance. But he knew how difficult it was for Leonardo and those in his village to get books. And yet, no one can be taught to read and write without books. To make people in a poor, faraway area grow to love books, they have to be with them. So he thought the only way was to bring books to people.
But how could this be done? Mobile libraries or car libraries would be too expensive and difficult to continue in the rocky, hilly land of Peru. So what other methods could be used?
Medcalf got a new idea from the barefoot doctors of China. And that was how the barefoot librarians first appeared in the villages of northern Peru, almost thirty years ago.
The librarians began by going from village to village, lending books to villagers. They helped start The Rural Library Network of Peru.
At first, they were teachers of the village schools which these faraway libraries belonged to. But the teachers were not very interested in the job because it meant a lot of hard work. So, village leaders took on the job themselves.
Today, there are 600 village libraries across Peru. The barefoot librarians who walk up to 15 hours a day with bags of books are their lifeline.
1. The first paragraph tells us that Leonardo ______.| A．enjoyed reading books |
| B．bought candles from the church |
| C．had a lot of books |
| D．lived in the church |
| A．to grow to love books |
| B．to read and write |
| C．to bring books to people |
| D．to build a new library |
| A．where Medcalf met Chinese doctors |
| B．who worked as village librarians at first |
| C．when the barefoot librarians appeared |
| D．how many village libraries Peru has today |
| A．the first church in Peru was set up by John Medcalf |
| B．car libraries used to be popular in Leonardo’s village |
| C．teachers were interested in bringing books to villagers |
| D．the barefoot librarians are important to village libraries |
【推荐1】When I saw the black bear appear, I knew I shouldn’t turn around and flee. So I held my ground in spite of my fear. It was a moment I’d been frightened for months.
I grew up in the Rocky Mountains and spent much of my childhood hiking and exploring out—doors. Fascinated by the mountains and streams, I decided to study geology at college. I was excited when I had the opportunity to participate in summer field research. One summer, I spent nearly 3 months hiking every day and living in a village cabin, which was a great experience.
I’d been hired as an undergraduate field assistant to do geology work. I worked alongside my supervisor and one other assistant. Before we went into the field, I overheard the other assistant saying I was a slow hiker. It wasn’t the first time that he had disparaged my physical or intellectual abilities. He argued with me constantly. The more it happened, the quieter I became. After a few weeks of misery, I could see that my supervisor was mistaking my silence for incompetence. Sensing his disappointment in me, I began to believe I wasn’t cut out to be a scientist.
Several days later, I spotted the bear. At first I was terrified. But when it quickly ran away, simply because I was standing there, my feelings started to change. I realized that if a wild animal feared me, I wasn’t powerless after all. I went back to camp with the confidence I needed to stand up to the real threat I faced that summer.
That evening, after the other assistant criticized the way I was setting up the camp table for dinner, I threw the table legs down and told him how sick I was of the way he’d treated me. I felt better after getting it off my chest. I realized that in the future I need to address problems head on rather than internalizing them and letting them affect my self-confidence.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?| A．To summarize the following paragraphs. | B．To provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．To introduce a new topic for discussion. | D．To add some background information. |
| A．Put aside. | B．Referred to. | C．Looked down on. | D．Brought down. |
| A．His silence. | B．His disability. | C．The black bear. | D．The other assistant. |
| A．Being talkative. | B．Being friendly. | C．Being confident. | D．Being active. |
【推荐2】Shortly before Christmas last year,Brazilian piano player Joao Carlos Martins invited his friends to a bar near his home. He wanted to show them the best gift he had received in many years:a new pair of gloves. They are not just any gloves,however. The specially made bionic(仿生）devices are letting the 79-year-old play with both hands for the first time in more than 20 years.
Martins 'health problems could be traced back to 1965. He suffered nerve damage in his arm from a soccer injury. And while he was on tour,a robber hit him over the head with a metal pipe in Bulgaria. Even his close friends believed that his career as a pianist would come to an end.
By his retirement last March,he had undergone 24 medical procedures to try to reduce pain caused by a series of accidents. As a result,he had been forced to work mostly as a musical conductor since the early 2000s.
However,one designer believed Martins 'retirement had come too early. That designer, Ubirata Bizarro Costa,created special bionic gloves for Martins 'hands. The gloves help move his fingers up after they press on the piano keys. Costa said he created early models based on images of Martins' hands,but that those models were“far from ideal”. He then decided to tell Martins about his efforts and they together spent several months testing different models. The perfect match came in December,and cost only$125 to build.
These days,Martins never takes off his new magic gloves-even when he goes to sleep. Martins said he had received more than 100 devices in the last 50 years as possible solutions to his hand problems. None worked well or long enough. "But these gloves do,"he said.
The new gloves have given Martins a new goal. He hopes to play the piano at New York's Carnegie Hall in October. He has already been preparing a concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of his first appearance there.
1. Which of the following is true about Joao Carlos Martins?| A．A designer who created special gloves for himself. |
| B．A musician who prefers conducting to playing the piano. |
| C．A pianist whose career was restricted by health problems. |
| D．A soccer lover who was hit over the head during a match. |
| A．They have been around for a long time. |
| B．They are considered to be far from ideal. |
| C．They enable Martins to play with two hands. |
| D．They are developed mainly for the disabled. |
| A．he perfected the gloves together with Martins. |
| B．he spent several months testing different models. |
| C．he made early models based on images of Martins 's hands. |
| D．he insisted on building the new gloves despite the high price. |
| A．Technology Improves People's Life |
| B．Martins Receives the Best Christmas Gift |
| C．Costa Creates the Special Gloves for Martins |
| D．Magic Gloves Let Brazilian Pianist Play Again |
【推荐3】Chris Moon, 39, runs a company he set up to help people solve problems in human resources and security management. He has called it Making The Best (MTB). His own philosophy is all about making the best of any situation, however bad it may seem.
After studying agriculture, he decided that the farmer’s life was not for him and took a year out to work as a volunteer at a center for the homeless. During this time, he decided to change direction. “I asked myself the question, what is life all about? I decided it was about doing the best we can, reaching our full potential and making use of our talents, so I decided to join the army.”
After leaving the army, he heard that the British Charity, the HALO Trust — which specializes in mine (地雷) clearance — wanted an army officer with agricultural and command experience, he was keen to get involved. Two years later, he was blown up by a mine, while walking in a supposedly clear area in Mozambique. He lost his lower right arm and leg, but does not consider himself a victim. He accepts responsibility because he chose to work in mined areas.
His big break could be said to have come shortly after he left hospital, when he was talking to an old friend who suggested he look on the accident as an opportunity to do something that would help him grow as a person. Recognizing the value of education and feeling that he hadn’t been able to do his best at school, he decided to do a master’s degree in security management at the University of Leicester.
After completing the degree, he had plenty of job offers but felt he wanted to keep the focus on charity work. He says his main aim is to try and motivate people, although he prefers to be called a performance enhancer rather than a motivational speaker. “There is no greater thing than empowering someone to do something they thought they couldn’t,” he says.
1. Why did Chris Moon give up agriculture as his career?| A．He thought agriculture was out of fashion. |
| B．He became homeless while studying agriculture. |
| C．He realized that he didn’t want to become a farmer. |
| D．He couldn’t work as a volunteer while being a farmer. |
| A．He accepted it in peace. |
| B．He blamed it on his bad luck. |
| C．He thought himself as a victim of war. |
| D．He regretted working for the HALO Trust. |
| A．It had long been his dream. |
| B．He wanted to improve himself. |
| C．His friend suggested he further his studies. |
| D．The University of Leicester gave him an offer. |
| A．A man who can make the best of himself. |
| B．A man who can identify potentially bad situations. |
| C．A man who devotes himself to helping war survivors. |
| D．A man who are good at solving unexpected problems. |
