When I was five or six years old, I remember watching TV and seeing other children suffer in other parts of the world. I would say to myself, “ When I grow up, when I can get rich, I will save kids all over the world.”
At 17, I started my career here in America, and by the age of 18, I started my first charity organization. I went on to team up with other organizations in the following years, and met, helped, and even lost some of the most beautiful souls, from six-year-old Jasmina Anema who passed away in 2010 from leukemia (白血病)—her story inspired thousands to volunteer as donors, to 2012 when my grandmother lost her battle with cancer, which is the very reason and the driving force behind the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF). We’re all human. And we all just want a chance: a chance at life, a chance in education, a chance at a future, really. And at CLF, our mission is to impact as many lives as possible, but it starts with just one.
People make it seem too hard to do charity work. The truth is, you don’t have to be rich to help others. You don’t need to be famous. You don’t even have to be college-educated. But it starts with your neighbor, the person right next to you, the person sitting next to you in class, the kid down the block in your neighborhood. You just do whatever you can to help in any way that you can. And today, I want to challenge each of you to make a commitment to help one person, one organization, one situation that touches your heart. My grandmother always used to say,“If you’ve got a dollar, there’s plenty to share. ”
1. What did the author want to do at a young age?| A．Watch TV. | B．Grow up quickly. |
| C．Help other children. | D．Become wealthy. |
| A．Her grandmother’s death of cancer. | B．A six-year-old kid’s request. |
| C．Many volunteers’ inspiration. | D．Other organizations’ encouragement. |
| A．A chance. | B．A task. |
| C．An organization. | D．A life. |
| A．Challenge their friends to offer help. | B．Work hard to get a college education. |
| C．Do little things to help those around them. | D．Do charity work when you are rich. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】There are frequent reports on the need of volunteers in so many different charitable organizations．
Sometimes people want to become a volunteer in a specific type of work．
It isn’t always necessary to look at non-profit companies to find volunteer opportunities．Plenty of individuals and for-profit companies may benefit from volunteers’help too．A volunteer babysitter or someone who helps a neighbor with the housework can make a big difference in a community．Volunteering doesn’t have to be a full-time commitment．
| A．Different organizations have different ways to attract volunteers． |
| B．They may want to help at an animal shelter or work in a hospital． |
| C．Many schools now have community service requirements for students． |
| D．It may be an occasional thing that promotes good feelings between neighbors． |
| E．Many people will give more time if they see the benefit of their volunteer work． |
| F．But people don’t know how to start sometimes if they want to become a volunteer． |
| G．Some volunteer positions do require that applicants have certain experience before they are hired． |
【推荐2】What motivates someone to risk arrest and danger just to help others? In Dolores Huerta’s case, it’s a “sense of mission.” She says, “I knew there’s something I was meant to do.”
Dolores Huerta was born in the Great Depression. Huerta’s mother worked two jobs to make sure her children were provided for. She insisted each child help around the house. Even, she tried to help those who struggled to find work. Inspired by her mother, as an adult, Huerta was known as a symbol for passionate commitment.
After graduation, Huerta began to teach children in Stockton, California. Many of her students were poor children whose parents were farm workers barely making enough money to survive. She knew they couldn’t do their best to learn when they came to school hungry. Huerta decided to help her students by helping their whole families.
Huerta helped the farm workers bargain for better ways to work and live. Most farm workers in California worked long hours for low pay then. Workers were often exposed to dangerous chemicals. They sometimes had to pay for the water they drank at work. However, many farm workers didn’t speak enough English to talk with farm owners about these problems.
Huerta first worked with the Community Service Organization (CSO) to help make changes. She signed up workers to vote and urged them to be active in the CSO. She talked to governors and lawmakers about laws to guarantee farm workers’ health and pay. Later, with another activist, she cofounded the United Farm Workers (UFW) to teach workers how to stand up for their rights.
Although the UFW went about its work peacefully, sometimes crowds became angry and the police were called in. In 1988, while handing out information about workers’ problems, Huerta was hurt and had to go to hospital, but it didn’t stop her. Her courage drew notice and donations. Later, she created the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Despite retiring from the UFW, her mission is the same as it was four decades ago: teach people they have a voice, which really makes a difference.
1. How did Huerta’s mother make a good example for Huerta’s life of service?| A．She had fought for the rights of those who struggled to find work. |
| B．She worked to change unjust laws. |
| C．She taught her children to work the farms. |
| D．She worked hard for her family and others. |
| A．The school in Stockton. | B．The Community Service Organization. |
| C．The United Farm Workers. | D．The Dolores Huerta Foundation. |
| A．Because she signed people up to vote. |
| B．Because she founded some organizations to help farm workers. |
| C．Because she devoted her life to helping others get justice. |
| D．Because she felt sad when she saw hungry schoolchildren. |
| A．Dolores Huerta: Passion and Mission. | B．Everyone has a right to make his voice heard. |
| C．Helping others is a virtue. | D．Hardship makes great men. |
【推荐3】Tyler and I stopped by our corner store. A few police cars caught Tyler's attention. ''Mom, can I use my allowance money and buy the policemen some doughnuts to say 'thank you'? '' he asked.
''Certainly! '' I said, feeling proud that I was achieving my aim to raise my children to be grateful, tender-hearted and caring.
After we left the store, Tyler asked a question that would change our lives and the lives of countless others forever.
''Why were the police so happy about the doughnuts? ''
I explained some people are not always friendly to police officers. Tyler was very sad to hear this, and instead of shrugging it off, he said that he was going to thank every cop in America and buy them each a doughnut!
I was shocked, but it never occurred to me to say ''no''. In fact, I thought it was an excellent but unachievable idea. I suggested many other options, but nothing was enough for him on the new found mission (使命)
I didn't know how to put this passion into action, but I knew one thing: Tyler had found his purpose, and it was my duty to help him. I e-mailed our local police office and asked if Tyler could host a thank-you event for them. They were delighted. At the event, they called Tyler ''The Donut Boy'', a name that has become known throughout the nation.
Then we kept planning thank- you events and many caring people joined. We were invited to TV stations, and flew to Washington, D.C. for National Police Week. It has been three years since a simple act of kindness sparked a wonderful idea in an eight-year-old boy.
In forty-eight states, more than 90,000 doughnuts have been delivered so far, with no end in sight. We've made memories that will last a lifetime, but most importantly, we have served those who serve us daily and made our mark on this world.
1. What quality of Tyler made the author feel proud?| A．Independence. | B．Honesty. |
| C．Kindness. | D．Cautiousness. |
| A．She praised him for his ambition. | B．She told him it was impossible. |
| C．She expressed her doubt about it. | D．She tried to change his idea. |
| A．Tyler got the idea of buying the policemen doughnuts from the author. |
| B．The policemen were confused about Tyler's behavior. |
| C．Tyler has achieved his mission. |
| D．More people joined Tyler in doing Thank-you events. |
| A．A grateful heart can make a difference. | B．Curiosity is the key to children growth. |
| C．It's never too old to learn. | D．It's better to be famous at an early age. |
【推荐1】That summer, I went to a small and rather remote village of Manitoba’s as a substitute for a sick teacher. It was a very poor village with a few humble wooden houses. There was nothing but the spruce around me. Could I leave a deep impression on the children in just a month? Is a month really worth the effort? I was really doubtful about these two questions.
Maybe the children had the same ideas, because I had never seen so depressing, sad, and even bitter facial expressions. I had little experience in teaching, and my age was like that of those children.
Most of them had thin eyes, dark skin, and shiny black hair, which indicated they were mixed blood children of French and Indian.
At nine o’ clock, the classroom was already as hot as a stove. I didn’t know where I should start. Then I called from a list of names, expecting the response. They stood up, and gave me the reply. However, when Yolanda was called, there was no response …Still no response …About 15 seconds later, a voice came from the back of the classroom with the buzzing of flies. “She’s dead. She died last night.”
The tone of the child’ s voice was astonishing but plain, and perhaps nothing could be more painful than to narrate in that tone. “Ah!” I cried out, not knowing what to say. The children and I looked at each other for a long time and we were silent. I understood that what I had seen from the children’s eyes and faces, which I had thought was the expression of indifference, turned out to be a great pain.
“Since Yolanda was your classmate, would you like to see her at four o’ clock after school?” There was a smile on the children’s serious little faces. It was a smile, though formal and sad.
After four o'clock, I saw that many children were waiting for me at the school gate. There were more than 20 children in total. Some of them walked in front to guide me. The others held me tightly, which almost made me unable to walk. Five or six younger children took my hand and gently led me forward, just like leading a blind guy. I unconsciously remembered those names, and they are still fresh in my memory, including Yolanda.
1. The author went to a small remote village to________.| A．have a summer trip |
| B．teach for a short time |
| C．have a good time with children |
| D．achieve more teaching experience |
| A．Unconcern. |
| B．Dissatisfaction. |
| C．Disagreement. |
| D．Friendliness. |
| A．The children were unwilling to see Yolanda after school. |
| B．The children were upset about their mixed blood identity. |
| C．The author was moved by the love of the poor children. |
| D．The author was confident about his teaching at first. |
【推荐2】Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But many years ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, people never tried skating on wheels. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making instruments. In his free time he liked to play the violin. Merlin was a man with many ideas and many dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to go to an important party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think. He wanted to find a way to make a wonderful entrance at the party. Merlin had an idea. He thought that he would attract a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skate shoes. Merlin was very proud of them. He dreamed of arriving at the Party and skating into the room while playing the violin. He was sure that everyone would be very surprised.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing his violin. Everyone was really surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skating. He rolled on, playing the violin. Then, with all eyes on him, Merlin hit into a huge mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into many pieces with a very loud noise.
Nobody forgot Merlin's wonderful entrance after that.
1. People called Merlin a dreamer because .| A．he slept and dreamed a lot |
| B．he was full of different ideas |
| C．he invented the first roller skates |
| D．he always made peopled dreams come true |
| A．Merlin’s work | B．Merlin’s violin |
| C．A huge mirror | D．An important party |
| A．He couldn’t stop his roller-skating. |
| B．He couldn’t attract a lot of attention. |
| C．Everyone was surprised at him. |
| D．He couldn't play the violin while rolling. |
| A．Joseph Merlin’s Story | B．How Roller Skating Was Invented |
| C．A Surprising Entrance to the Party | D．Roller Skating |
【推荐3】Holly Cooke wasn’t a fan of weekends. Whenever Friday rolled around, it was a reminder that she had no one to spend her spare time with.
“I was lonely,” said Cooke, who relocated from Stoke-on-Trent — a city in central England — to London when she was 22. “I moved here knowing no one.” She had high hopes of going to restaurants, bars and the theater as she had done before, but she didn’t want to do those activities alone. “I was desiring community: people who wanted to hang out and have fun,” said Cooke, now 26.
She grew so eager for company, she said that she eventually found herself Googling: “How to make friends in London.” The search proved futile, though she found a few other women who were also lonely in London on some social media apps.
Cooke decided to create a Facebook group called “The London Lonely Girls Club,” and invited the people she connected with on the apps to join. She then asked everyone to meet for brunch (早午餐). “It was so difficult,” she said, adding that she asked a friend from out of town to come in for the brunch, in case no one else showed up. “Saying that you’re lonely and you don’t have people around, admitting to that was really scary.”
Cooke was pleasantly surprised when five women showed up and they all got along well. This proved she was not alone in her loneliness, and that she could help others in the same situation. She decided to start planning meetups every few weeks, and word slowly spread about the Facebook group. Now, five years later, the London Lonely Girls Club has more than 35,000 members.
Cooke said she lost count of how many women have made lasting friendships through her group. “It’s beautiful and rewarding, and it’s the reason I’ve carried on,” she said. “As long as there is a need, we will be here.”
1. What can we learn about Holly Cooke?| A．She was alone because of being addicted to social media apps. |
| B．She got used to the lifestyle of being alone on weekends. |
| C．She had little time to make friends after moving to London. |
| D．She used to meet friends on weekends when in Stoke-on-Trent. |
| A．Unsuccessful. | B．Unstoppable. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Unclear. |
| A．She wanted to have an optional plan in case it didn’t work. |
| B．She wanted to introduce her friend to the other women. |
| C．She needed someone to help her to organize the meetup. |
| D．She was afraid that no one else would come as planned. |
| A．It is well received. | B．It is not rewarding. |
| C．It is less creative. | D．It is not fruitful. |
【推荐1】Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became record breaker on 17 October of 1995, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people’s home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90-year-old in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips. She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercise every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glasses of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jcanne Calment sends him a card saying: Sorry, I’m still alive!
1. Which of the following could best describe the word “longest-lived” in the first paragraph?| A．Largest. | B．Highest-lived. | C．Living the longest. | D．Longest-recorded. |
| A．Her giving up smoking and drinking. | B．She does exercise every day. |
| C．She has a healthy diet. | D．The good genes from her parents. |
| A．She is unhappy. | B．She feels she is going to die very soon. |
| C．She is optimistic and humorous. | D．She wouldn’t like to live much longer. |
| A．A trip guidebook. | B．Sport news. | C．A science magazine. | D．A biography. |
【推荐2】Sixteen years ago a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile. It was the early autumn of my first year at a middle school, and my old school was far away. As a result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to speak to anyone.
Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn’t talk with anyone about my problems. Then one day, when my classmates were talking happily with their friends, I was sitting at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn’t know who he was. He passed by me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile.
Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and make friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.
One day I asked him why he had smiled, but he couldn’t remember doing so! It doesn’t matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it is lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.
1. When did the writer get the gift?| A．At the age of 16. |
| B．After making friends with the boy. |
| C．In the first year at a middle school. |
| D．After becoming closer to everyone in the class. |
| A．Because the writer’s old school was far away. |
| B．Because the writer didn’t know who the boy was. |
| C．Because the smile didn’t mean anything to the boy. |
| D．Because it made the writer feel happy and warm. |
| A．Because she was always unhappy. |
| B．Because she didn’t know anyone at the time. |
| C．Because she was in the first year at the junior high school. |
| D．Because she didn’t want her parents to worry about her. |
| A．She started to make friends. |
| B．She became the best friend of the boy. |
| C．Her parents didn’t worry about her any more. |
| D．She realized that she was lonely. |
【推荐3】When I was a child growing up in Ohio, the butterflies would sometimes pass through on their way to Mexico. And it was wonderful to see football fields full of them—and I wanted to revisit that on a larger scale (规模). I knew I had to go to see the migration (迁徙) in Mexico.
But I was on a budget. I didn’t want to rent a car in Mexico or take a bus to Valle de Bravo, the starting point for most butterfly journeys, so I called the guys at The Muddy Boot, travel experts in Mexico who can make almost anything happen at a reasonable price.
And so, on January 2, I found myself in The Muddy Boot van (面包车), being driven for two hours from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo, a lovely town on a volcanic lake which is a central point for the butterfly journeys. I booked a two-night stay at the Hotel Rodavento, an all eco-friendly hotel with individual wooden houses spreading throughout the forest and around a lake.
The first reserve I visited was Piedra Herrada, a popular destination, as it is only 40 minutes away from Valle de Bravo. The climb up is tiring. It is advisable to hire a horse. But the horse cannot take you all the way, and there is some hiking in thin air, so you must be patient, drink a lot of water, and be in reasonably good shape.
The walk is more than worth it though. As I struggled to catch my breath, I looked up and lost my breath again. At first glance, the trees had turned into different shapes, but on closer look, every inch of them was covered with butterflies.
A few flew through the air (Most of them were not warm enough). As the sun rose, they began to come alive. Soon the air was filled with flying butterflies, transforming the forest into something magical and straight out of a fairy tale.
1. Why did the author choose to take The Muddy Boot van?| A．She didn’t like a car. | B．She preferred to travel alone. |
| C．She wanted to save some money. | D．She hoped to reach the destination earlier. |
| A．It is a very high mountain. | B．It is far from Valle de Bravo. |
| C．It is full of wild animals. | D．It is only accessible by riding a horse. |
| A．Becoming healthier. | B．Breathing in fresh air. |
| C．Finding trees of different shapes. | D．Seeing the butterfly migration. |
| A．A news report. | B．A scientific paper. |
| C．A travel diary. | D．A commercial advertisement. |
