Tia Wimbush and Susan Ellis have been co-workers for a decade, and while they didn’t know each other well, they had a lot in common, both working in information technology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and both dealing with the same medical stress at home: their spouses each needed a kidney transplant, and while Wimbush could have given her husband one of hers, she wasn’t an ideal match. Ellis, meanwhile, was no match at all for her husband.
One day, in the fall of 2020, the women saw each other in the office restroom and started chatting, lamenting that patients can wait five or more years for their name to come up on the national kidney cadaver donor waiting list. Both women worried their husbands didn’t have that kind of time.
Wimbush asked Ellis what her husband’s blood type was. He’s type O, Ellis replied.
Wimbush then said that her husband was type AB.
The women paused for a moment and looked at each other.
“I told Susan, ‘Wait a second-what are the odds that we’re both going through this with our husbands at the same time and we could also be in a position to help them?’” Wimbush says. “That’s when we both knew: We had to get tested.”
So they did. Antibody tests revealed that each woman was an excellent match for the other’s spouse. And in March 2021, seven months after that chance conversation, Tia Wimbush donated one of her kidneys to Lance Ellis, and Susan Ellis donated one of hers to Rodney Wimbush.
Christina Klein, a nephrologist and medical director of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital’s kidney transplant program, says it is extremely rare for two people to propose their own paired organ exchange and actually be a match for each other. “I’ve personally never seen this happen,” Dr. Klein says. “When we put pairs into large databases for national paired exchange programs, some pairs wait months or even years for a compatible match.”
The couples first met a few days before the surgeries when they came to the hospital for a final round of testing. Before that, they had chatted on FaceTime a bit. The surgeries lasted about three to four hours each and were a success, with no complications.
“It’s really just a story about simple kindness,” Susan Ellis says. “For us, it started with two people just being good humans. Now we’d like to tell people they can do the same.”
Rodney Wimbush says he will be forever grateful that his wife decided to bring up a conversation about blood types in the office restroom. “Susan and Lance are going to come with us to North Carolina for our son’s first college football game,” his wife adds. “I guess you could say we’ve skipped the friendship. We’re family now.”
1. Tia Wimbush and Susan Ellis shared all the following EXCEPT that __________.| A．they worked in IT department | B．their spouses were in need of a kidney transplant |
| C．their spouses’ blood types were type O | D．they were good-hearted and unselfish |
| A．emphasizing the importance | B．expressing the disappointment |
| C．admitting the incapability | D．accepting the fact |
| A．it was a planned conversation that contributed to the kidney donation of Tia and Susan |
| B．Dr. Klein was amazed that two acquaintances should donate their organs to each other’s spouse |
| C．the couples didn’t chat until they went to the hospital for a final round of testing |
| D．Susan and Lance invited Rodney and Tia to watch their son’s football match in college |
| A．We are a match. | B．Friends develop into relatives. |
| C．Patient waiting pays off. | D．Rare surgeries a great success. |
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【推荐1】Night after night, she came into my bedroom: she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead.
I don't remember when it first started annoying me — her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for they felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted at her: "Don't do that anymore — your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply. But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love.
Time after time, with the passing years, my thoughts returned to that night. I missed my mother's hands, missed her goodnight kiss upon my forehead. Sometimes it seemed very close, sometimes far away. But always it appeared in the back of my mind.
Well, the years have passed, and I'm not a little girl any more. Mom is in her mid-seventies, and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family. Through the years, my mother's hands have put in countless hours of hard work.
Now, my own children have grown up. Mom no longer has Dad, and on special occasions, I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her. So it was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand stole across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss, ever so gently, touched my brow.
In my memory, for the thousandth time, I remembered the night my young voice complained: “Don't do that any more —your hands are too rough!” Catching Mom's hand in hand, I couldn’t help saying how sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember, as I did. But Mom didn't know what I was talking about. She had forgotten —and forgiven(原谅) —long ago.
That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands. And the guilt I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.
1. Why did the author hate her mother’s touching?| A．She didn’t love her mother. |
| B．Her mother had another way to express love. |
| C．The relationship between her and her mother was not good. |
| D．Her mother’s touching made her skin uncomfortable. |
| A．Thoughtful but stubborn. |
| B．Caring and intelligent. |
| C．Devoted and hardworking. |
| D．Active but careless. |
| A．the author lived separately from her mother |
| B．the author’s father has passed away |
| C．the author alone took care of her children |
| D．the author’s mother never kissed her again since that night |
| A．To appreciate her mother’s love. |
| B．To express her regret. |
| C．To thank her mother’s help. |
| D．To call up memories of her childhood. |
Ms. Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms. Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr. Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms. Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”. Dr. Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria on the teeth of the crocodile.
1. This passage is most likely to be found in ______.
| A．a travel guide | B．a textbook |
| C．a novel | D．a newspaper |
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
| A．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．Her eyes were badly poked. |
| A．The husband should save the wife |
| B．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
【推荐3】I frowned at myself in the dressing-room mirror. I was wearing white tights and a white swim cap that hid most of my hair. I was one of 10 snowflakes (雪花) in my dance school’s Winter Wonderland show. I’d learned in science class that no two snowflakes are alike, but all of us snowflakes were wearing the same costume (表演服).
“What’s wrong, Avery?” Grandma looked at me in the mirror. “You love to dance.”
I used to love to dance. But Ms. Tuttle gave the part of the Snow Queen to Christine. Christine got to wear a blue leotard (紧身连衣裤) and a feathery skirt. And she got to do a dance onstage all by herself. But the snowflakes just had to run and spin to look like a blustery (大风的) snowstorm.
I whispered, “No one would notice if I wasn’t there. You came all this way, but now you won’t be able to tell me apart from the other snowflakes.” Grandma was about to speak. Then something outside the window caught her eyes. She grabbed my hand and my coat to the outside. It was snowing. Big swirling flakes. Grandma gasped and said “In Hawaii, it snows only on the very tops of mountains.”
I had seen snow lots of times, but now I tried to see it differently. Like it looked new to me. I saw snowflakes twisting through the air in different directions, sparkling and winking at us. So many snowflakes coming together to create something magical. “Snow changes the way the whole world looks,” I said. Grandma nodded. We watched the snow for a few more minutes, even though our toes were turning to ice. Then the wind settled down and the last flakes melted away. “Aloha,” Grandma whispered to the sky. “Aloha” can mean many things, including “love”, “hello” and “good-bye”. “I don’t know when I’ll see something like that again.”
“I do,” I said. I took Grandma Lani’s hand and pulled her back inside.
When the stage lights came up and the music started, I spun and ran with all of the other snowflakes. I didn’t care if Grandma Lani could see me. I was dancing for my grandma to see snowflakes!
1. How did the author feel about her part in the show?| A．Amused. | B．Uncertain. | C．Disappointed. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The leading role. | B．The teacher’s comfort. | C．A large audience. | D．A different costume. |
| A．She sensed the cold of the snowflakes. | B．She saw the last flakes melt away soon. |
| C．She found snowflakes flying in all directions. | D．She discovered the beauty of the snowflakes. |
| A．Grandma Lani And Me | B．Magical Snowflakes |
| C．A Snowstorm for Grandma | D．A Winter Wonderland Show |
【推荐1】On a cold winter day in Denver, I waited in line to see my hero, Jack Canfield, the co-author of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the author of The Success Principles. What Jack had become was a version of what I wanted to be.
During his talk, Jack took out his wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and said, “Who wants this?”
Hands shot up in the audience; people leaned forward to see whom Jack would choose. But I ran up the stairs to the stage and grabbed the bill from his hand. He turned to me and said, “Yes, that’s it! Instead of waiting around for opportunities, simply take the initiative and create what we want!”
After this week, I asked for his personal e-mail address and sent him e-mail sharing my views and dreams. He kindly e-mailed back simple encouragement such as “Keep thinking and playing bigger; it’s much more fun that way. Love, Jack.” Then I got occupied with other things in life and I stopped e-mail Jack.
A year later, my dream gradually faded. I had this idea if I got back in touch with Jack. I e-mailed him again and again but got no response. As I sat down at my computer to check my e-mail for the fifth time in 15 minutes, an inspiration came like lighting: What was I doing? Was I waiting for the prize of life? I knew I needed to do something about all this waiting. I was going to write a book, which I would call “Waiting for Jack”!
It all sounded good, but then reality hit. Some nights I cried and wanted to give up. I wrote and rewrote. Even though I could feel the fear, I did it anyway. Fortunately, three years later, Waiting for Jack turns out a best-seller on Amazon!
We all have a “Jack” for whom we wait — whether it’s a person, a place or a thing. Now I would like to ask you: what are you waiting for?
1. From the first paragraph we can learn that the author _________.| A．wanted Jack to autograph her book |
| B．wanted to be as successful as Jack |
| C．wanted to make friends with Jack |
| D．wanted to get help from Jack |
| A．welcomes challenges in life |
| B．enjoys playing a lot |
| C．likes showing off his wealth |
| D．seldom takes risks |
| A．She and Jack had an argument. |
| B．She had no time to contact Jack. |
| C．Jack was too proud to get along with. |
| D．She was too upset with her broken dream. |
| A．The author considered Jack Canfield as her idol. |
| B．The author was not very satisfied with Jack’s response at first. |
| C．It was the author’s sudden desire to write a book called Waiting for Jack. |
| D．The author spent three years writing Waiting for Jack, so it became a best seller. |
| A．The disappointment of waiting for her hero, Jack. |
| B．The need to keep waiting for the prize of our life. |
| C．The importance of taking action to achieve a goal. |
| D．The harm of blindly worshipping others as heroes. |
【推荐2】John and Mary had a nice home and two lovely children. John had just been asked to go on a business trip to another city for several days and Mary would go with him too. They hired a reliable woman to care for their children and returned home a little earlier than they had planned.
As they drove into their hometown, they found a home on fire. After having a look, Mary said, “Oh well, it isn’t our fire. Let’s go home.” But John drove closer and said, “That home belongs to Fred Jones who wouldn’t be off work yet. Maybe there is something we could do.”
John noticed an old lady screamed to him, “The children! Get the children!” John grabbed her by the shoulder saying, “Get a hold of yourself and tell us where the children are!” “In the basement,” cried the lady.
In spite of Mary’s disagreement, John soaked (浸湿) his clothes and ran to the basement which was full of smoke. He found the door and grabbed two children. As he left he could hear some more cries. He sent the two badly frightened children into the waiting room and asked how many more children were down there. They told him two more and Mary grabbed his arm and screamed, “John! Don’t go back! It’s dangerous! That house will fall down in any second!”
But he shook her off and went back. It seemed a very long time before he found both children and started back. As he climbed up the endless steps the thought went through his mind that there was something strangely familiar about the little bodies next to him, and at last when they came out into the sunlight and fresh air, he found that he had just rescued his own children. The baby-sitter had left them at this home while she did some shopping.
1. Why did the old lady scream to John?| A．To ask him to get away from the fire. |
| B．To ask for his help to save the children. |
| C．To ask him to rescue her from the fire. |
| D．To ask him to take out valuable things from the fire. |
| A．She disagreed with it. | B．She supported it. |
| C．She misunderstood it. | D．She was unconcerned about it. |
| A．It was clean. | B．It was burned down. |
| C．It was dangerous. | D．It was under repair. |
| A．Two heads are better than one. | B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Helping others means helping ourselves. | D．God helps those who help themselves. |
【推荐3】Once there was an 11-year-old boy who went fishing with his father in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before bass (巴斯鱼) season opened, they were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure (鱼饵) and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 p.m.— two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. “You’ll have to put it back, son,” he said.
“Dad!” cried the boy. “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish ... again and again ... every time he has an ethical (道德的) decision to make. For, as his father had taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult.
1. What happened when the big fish turned out to be a bass?| A．The father lit a match in order to check the time. |
| B．The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly. |
| C．The boy and his father discussed what to do with the big fish |
| D．They worried other fishermen may discover what they had done. |
| A．didn’t love his son | B．was firm and stubborn |
| C．disliked the huge fish | D．always disagreed with his son |
| A．Excited. | B．Embarrassed. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．they might catch a big fish there |
| B．their children enjoyed fishing there |
| C．it was a most popular fishing spot |
| D．he was taught an important lesson there |
