Ian McKenna was in third grade when he learned that many kids at his school weren’t getting enough to eat at home. He wanted to help, but local volunteer organizations turned him away, saying he was too young. So he decided to find his own solution. For years, he had been gardening with his mother, and they often sent their vegetables to the neighbors. “I’m good at gardening,” said McKenna. “Why not plant a garden at school so that kids in need can take food home?”
McKenna persuaded his school to set aside space for a garden; then he asked the community for donations of seeds and equipment. Other students donated their time. Within months, McKenna’s garden was producing lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers for students and their families. Now, several years later, McKenna’s Giving Garden project has expanded to five area schools in addition to his own backyard garden. For most of his gardening activities, McKenna wears the same T-shirt in different colors, with his personal motto on it: BE A GOOD HUMAN. To him, that means helping in any way you can, no matter what your age.
“Even a smile might change someone’s life,” he said. “It lets them know that they are important. It can make their day.”
When COVID-19 hit the U. S., McKenna redoubled his efforts, cooking up to 100 meals to distribute (分发) them to the hungry on the weekends. When social distancing meant that volunteers couldn’t work on their community garden, he started offering online classes and a gardening hotline so families could grow at home. While gardening is his core focus, McKenna says he is always looking for new ways to help the hungry.
1. What led to McKenna’s decision to help the kids in his own way?| A．His school’s support. |
| B．His mother’s suggestion. |
| C．Being good at gardening. |
| D．Being refused by volunteer groups. |
| A．It helps students only. |
| B．It is funded by schools. |
| C．It earns great profits every year. |
| D．It started with the support from many sides. |
| A．Caring. | B．Outgoing. |
| C．Honest. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Ian McKenna, Growing a Food Project |
| B．Ian McKenna, an Experienced Gardener |
| C．The Giving Garden Project, a Challenging Task |
| D．The Giving Garden Project, a Universal Solution |
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【推荐1】When Allen invited me to a camping trip to the mountains, I imagined us in a cosy cabin overlooking a lake, with a warm fireplace, hot cocoa and soft beds. But my happy imagination became a nightmare when Allen and his older brother, Leo, showed up with a truck filled with camping equipment — tents, sleeping bags and water bottles. We were going on survival training!
The ever-efficient Leo was keen to leave the city behind us and urged us to hurry. Several hours later, as we drove through the forest, the mountains seemed bigger than I remembered;the trees were larger, and the environment felt more threatening.
At the trailhead, Leo tied a sleeping bag onto my already heavy pack and lectured Allen and me on hiking rules. Then, with Leo in the lead, we set off along the narrow and steep dirt track that wound up the mountain.
After 6 hours of climbing, we finally reached the top. My legs aching, I dropped my pack and groaned but there was no time to rest. “We need to set up camp quickly,” said Leo. “There are dark clouds coming in. A storm is on its way.”
I thought he was kidding, but Leo was quite serious. He and Allen worked expertly, while I stood around and pretended to help, thunder rumbling in the distance. We just finished putting up the tent when it hit. The wind, thunder, and lightning were relentless.
Leo, sensing that I was scared, started telling us some stories about his camping adventures. But each time lightning lit up the tent and the thunder echoed, I jumped. “Don’t worry. Summer storms pass quickly,” said Leo, trying to comfort me. “And at least the rain will keep the bears away,” he said with a teasing smile, which was less comforting.
And just as quickly as the storm came rushing in, it passed, and we exited the tent. The view was incredible—I could see for miles. As darkness set in, I stared in wonder at the millions of glowing stars in the night sky.
I won’t lie—I was still wishing for a hot shower and a soft bed, but as I gazed upward at the Milky Way, I knew this was an adventure I would never forget.
1. Why was the author surprised when Allen came to get him at the beginning of the story?| A．Allen had arrived earlier than arranged. | B．He saw that Allen was not well prepared. |
| C．He realized their trip would be challenging. | D．Allen’s brother was unexpectedly with him. |
| A．It was almost night time. | B．The weather was changing. |
| C．They were tired and needed to rest. | D．They needed protection from animals. |
| A．He was an experienced and capable hiker. | B．He didn’t consider others’ feelings. |
| C．He had known the writer for a long time. | D．He had not been to this mountain before. |
【推荐2】George liked flying a plane. Once he bought a small plane and learned how to fly it. He soon became so good that he could make his plane do all kinds of tricks（技巧）.George had a friend. His name was Peter. One day George said to his friend, “ Peter, would you like to have a trip in my plane?” Peter thought, “ I’ve traveled in a big plane several times, but I’ve never been in a small one, so I’ll go.” They went up, and George flew around for half an hour and did all kinds of tricks. Peter said in a shaken voice （颤抖的声音）, “ Well, George, thank you very much for these two trips in your plane.”
George was very surprised and asked, “ Two trips? ”
“Yes, my first and my last.” answered Peter.
1. They were in the plane for _______ minutes.| A．forty-five | B．sixty | C．thirty | D．some |
| A．Once | B．Twice | C．Three times | D．Several times |
| A．Peter thanked George for the nice trip |
| B．Peter thought it was wonderful to have such a trip |
| C．Peter felt surprised that his friend could fly so well |
| D．Peter was worried about his safety while George was doing tricks in the sky |
【推荐3】Waiting for the bus every morning and going to school has never been better for Ryder Killam, a 5-year-old boy in a wheelchair. He no longer has to wait for the school bus in the open air thanks to Westerly High School students
The goal of the boy’s father, Tim Killam, was to keep his little kid protected from the bad weather while waiting for the bus every morning. He asked for an unused bus shelter on Facebook. After not being able to find a suitable one, he decided to contact the high school which had already performed several building projects for the community.
The students from Westerly High School construction class quickly put their hands to work. The bus stop was designed by pupil Mason Heald. The construction class, led by Dan McKenna, teaches its members basic building skills and is part of the high school Career and Technical Education program. More people from the local community helped make the project happen. Dillon Helbig transported the shelter from the high school to the Killams’address with his truck. And another neighbor lent his backhoe (反铲挖机) to properly position the shelter by the bus stop.
Not only did Ryder’s daily life improve, but the students also learnt an unforgettable life lesson. They saw that with their skills and knowledge they can make a real difference in someone else’s life
1. What once made Tim Killam concerned?| A．Ryder's disability. | B．Transportation. | C．Bad weather. |
| A．A pupil. | B．A teacher. | C．A neighbor. |
| A．Kind-hearted. | B．Easy-going. | C．Hard-working. |
| A．A Cosy Bus Stop | B．An Amazing Shelter | C．A Dream Comes True |
【推荐1】When I was thirteen years old, I became very interested in shopping. After a while being just a buyer, I wanted to sell something. I had many things around the house from my childhood that I no longer needed. I knew, with the help of my father, I could make money. So far months and months I enjoyed myself by selling things on my dad’s account (账户).
On December 9, 2020, I opened my own account and began to start my own business. Things were going great and then I realized that selling things around house wasn’t making me the kind of money that I wanted to make, so I decided to turn my business into a resale shop. I went around to the garage sale (旧货出售处) and bought items at low prices and sold them at higher prices.
Last November, I went to a garage sale that was a little bit different. A single lady had many nice items that I knew I would sell quickly. I went up to her and started a conversation with her. Through the conversation, I knew she was jobless at the moment and needed money to support her family. I decided to sell any of her things for her to help her out. She looked at me for a moment and then broke into tears. I took away some of her things and over the next month I made over $1,500 for her! She was so thankful for all of my help.
I have never felt so happy to help someone in my life. I felt as if I had made a difference in this world and that my skills could be used to help someone who would really need it.
1. At first, __________ helped her make money by selling things.| A．the girl’s bank | B．the girl’s father |
| C．the girl’s teacher | D．a single lady |
| A．meet single ladies | B．sell things she no longer needed |
| C．help others | D．buy things for her resale shop |
| A．the lady’s items were nice | B．the lady lived a hard life |
| C．she liked the lady very much | D．the lady asked the author for help |
| A．disappointed | B．amazed | C．proud | D．thankful |
【推荐2】Linda was a sixteen-year-old girl in Britain. She was feeling bad for several days. Her mother took her to a hospital and the doctors found out that she had cancer.
Linda’s life changed. She began to go to the hospital often for treatment (治疗), and she also became depressed.
The hospitals and the doctors were good, but Linda did not have hope herself. Linda’s mother called a flower shop close to the hospital. “I want some beautiful flowers for my daughter. She is a teen girl with cancer. ” She told the shop owner. Later, the flowers arrived. Then Linda saw something unusual. It was a card. It read:
Linda,
I own (拥有) this flower shop. I had cancer when I was fifteen years old. I am 24 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you.
Yours,
Alice.
Linda smiled. She finally felt some real hope. She found the will (意志) to live.
Little things make a big difference. All of us can give little things like kindness, encouragement and hope to others.
1. What does the underline word “depressed” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．safe. | B．serious. | C．sad. | D．excited. |
| A．Her mother. | B．A doctor. | C．A shop owner. | D．Her friend. |
| A．She became hopeful about life. |
| B．She wanted to work with Alice. |
| C．She thanked her mother a lot. |
| D．She liked the card very much. |
| A．Be kind to yourself. |
| B．Little things make a big difference. |
| C．Try something different. |
| D．Be kind to others. |
【推荐3】The glass window shook and Matthew placed a hand roughly through the opening to lift the latch (插销) slowly. He then climbed into the room, landing on his feet with a soft step. A sudden rush of cold air swept into the room after him. Matthew trembled and he quickly tightened his clothes. Glancing down, he saw the deep cut on the back of his hand. Sighing over his rotten luck, he tore off a piece of cloth from his coat sleeve and bandaged it. With his heart beating fast, he inched his way forward, hardly able to see anything in front of him.
“Mmmm…,” came the muffled sound. Was it just his imagination? Ignoring the thought, he began to move slowly forward again. Then, without any warning, the next thing he knew was that he had kicked something soft. Matthew took out his torch. Switching it on, he found a pair of round eyes staring at him. They belonged to a little girl! Cloth in mouth, she had been bound so tightly that movement was strictly out of the question. As he was about to turn away, her tear-streaked face stopped him. Feeling sorry for the girl, Matthew used his pocket knife to cut her loose.
The girl started to cry as she believed Matthew to be the rescuer who was there to end her ordeal (折磨). She leaned on Matthew tightly. This confused him further. What was he to do? After a few seconds, Matthew spoke in a gentle voice.
“What happened, little girl?”
From her mumbled reply, Matthew could only make out that the girl had been there for two days without food and water. It seemed that her captors had totally neglected her. Almost immediately, Matthew carried the little girl back to the window from which he had entered. As he climbed out with the girl, Matthew smiled and whispered under his breath, “I can’t believe what I’ve just done. Neither will the police.”
1. Why was Matthew trembling?| A．He had survived a cut. |
| B．His head ached. |
| C．He found that a policeman followed him. |
| D．He had just entered the room from the cold. |
| A．She hadn’t eaten anything for long. |
| B．She was hurt by Matthew. |
| C．She was in pain. |
| D．She was relieved. |
| A．he gave her food and water immediately |
| B．he treated the girl gently and helped her escape |
| C．he climbed in on the purpose of saving the girl |
| D．he decided to take revenge for the girl |
