The Savitzs who move to Newton had found themselves welcomed into the neighborhood with truly open arms. Glenda was pregnant before the move and within three months, they gave birth to Samantha. About a week after Glenda and RaphiSavitz welcomed their daughter Samantha to the world, they learned that she was deaf. “We knew right away that we had to get involved in the deaf community, learn about the culture, and start getting fully lost in American Sign Language,” Glenda says. What the new parents didn’t know was that their neighbors in Newton, Mass., would decide they needed to start learning sign language, too.
“We really wanted to communicate with her and play with her,” says McNeil, who lives across the street from the Savitzs. “And since she couldn’t learn our language, we thought we wanted to learn hers.” McNeil and three other neighbors quietly signed up for local adult education classes in American Sign Language. “We met a teacher there that we really loved, and we asked him if he would come here and teach more neighbors,” McNeil explains. “So that’s how it started.” About 20 neighbors immediately signed up for the class. With the help of their instructor, Rhys McGovern, the neighbors are able to help Samantha feel like she belongs.
“We know how to say, ‘Are you riding your bike?’ or ‘You have pretty new pink sneakers.’ There’s a dog across the street that she loves to play with. So we all know the sign for ‘dog.’” McNeil adds, “Her parents translate for us because her fingers are very small right now and she signs very fast, so we’re trying and we’re getting better. ... Her first sign to all of us is ‘friend,’ which feels very good.”
The classes have been such a hit that there are now two offerings, on two different weeknights, bringing the number of neighbors learning the language to about 40. As a result of that neighborly effort, Samantha moves with ease where her family lives. She’ll stop in at neighbors’ homes just to draw pictures and chat.
1. When did Glenda and RaphiSavitz find Samantha deaf?| A．Within three months of her pregnancy. |
| B．About a week after their learning ASL. |
| C．When Samantha was about one week old. |
| D．Three months before their move to Newton. |
| A．A teacher who instructs Savitz’s neighbors to learn ASL. |
| B．A neighbor who helps Savitzinteract with her neighbors. |
| C．A neighbor hired an instructor for Savitz’s neighbors. |
| D．An organizer who calls on Savitz’s neighbors to help her. |
| A．Bike. | B．Sneakers. | C．Dog. | D．Friend. |
| A．Good neighbors, a piece of treasure. |
| B．Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. |
| C．Better to be friendly with a neighbor than to wear a fur jacket. |
| D．Communication is one of the most efficient ways to understand. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The person who set the course of my life was a school teacher named Marjorie Hurd. When 1 stepped off a ship in New York Harbor in 1949, I was a nine-year-old war refugee, who had lost his mother and was coming to live with the father he did not know. My mother, Eleni Gatzoyiannis, had been imprisoned and shot for sending my sisters and me to freedom.
I was thirteen years old when I entered Chandler Junior High. Shortly after I arrived, I was told to select a hobby to pursue during“club hours.” The idea of hobbies and clubs made no sense to my immigrant ears, but I decided to follow the prettiest girl in my class. She led me into the presence of Miss Hurd, the school newspaper adviser and English teacher.
A tough woman with salt-and pepper hair and determined eyes, Miss Hurd had no patience with lazy bones. She drilled us in grammar, assigned stories for us to read and discuss, and eventually taught us how to put out a newspaper. Her introduction to the literary wealth of Greece gave me a new perspective on my war-torn homeland, making me proud of my origins. Her efforts inspired me to understand the logic and structure of the English language. Owing to her inspiration, during my next twenty-five years, I became a, journalist by profession.
Miss Hurd retired at the age of 62. By then, she had taught for a total of 41 years. Even after her retirement, she continually made a project of unwilling students in whom she spied a spark of potential. The students were mainly from the most troubled homes, yet she alternately bullied and charmed them with her own special brand of tough love, until the spark caught fire.
Miss Hurd was the one who directed my grief and pain into writing. But for Miss Hurd, I wouldn't have become & reporter. She was the one who sent me into journalism and indirectly caused all the good things that came after.
1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．Hobbies and clubs did not interest the author. |
| B．The author turned a deaf ear to joining clubs. |
| C．Hobbies and clubs were inaccessible to immigrants like the author. |
| D．The author had no idea what hobbies and clubs were all about. |
| A．Stepping on the American soil for the first time. |
| B．Being exposed to Greek literary works. |
| C．Her mother's miserable death. |
| D．Following the prettiest girl in his class. |
| A．Miss Hurd employed a unique way to handle these students. |
| B．Miss Hurd's contribution was recognized across the nation. |
| C．Students from troubled homes preferred Miss Hurd's teaching style. |
| D．The students Miss Hurd taught were all finally fired. |
| A．How the author became a journalist. |
| B．The importance of inspiration in one's life. |
| C．The teacher who shaped the author's life. |
| D．Factors contributing to a successful career. |
【推荐2】A little boy went into a shop, reached for a box and pulled it over to the telephone. He climbed onto the box so that he could get the phone. The shop-owner watched and listened to the call.
Boy: Lady, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn(草坪)?
Woman: I already have someone to cut my lawn.
Boy: Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now.
Woman: I’m very satisfied with the person who is now cutting my lawn.
Boy: Lady, I’ll even sweep your sidewalk, so on Sunday you will have the prettiest lawn in the town.
Woman: No, thank you.
With a smile on his face, the little boy put down the phone. The shop-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy, “Son, I like your attitude(态度) and would like to offer you a job.”
“No, thanks, sir. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!”
1. What kind of job was the boy trying to get on the phone?| A．Looking after the shop. | B．Selling telephones. |
| C．Cutting the lawn. | D．Sweeping the sidewalk. |
| A．He was moved by his attitude. | B．He felt pity on him. |
| C．The boy only asked for half price. | D．The boy was good at cutting lawns. |
| A．A lawn cutter. | B．The boy’s teacher. |
| C．A shop-owner. | D．The boy’s boss. |
| A．He got better pay. | B．He found a new job. |
| C．He was praised for his work. | D．He was satisfied with his work. |
【推荐3】You’ve likely met the humblebrag before —— boasting (吹噓) in a way of a complaint, such as “I’m having such a worrying day. I got two job offers and I don’t know what to do.”
This is a typical example of humblebragging, a term coined by comedic writer Harris Wittels referring to “a specific type of boast that allows the offender to broadcast their achievements without the necessary shame and guilt that should normally accompany such claims.” In simpler terms, it’s a way to disguise a boast with some humility (谦让). Humblebragging comes in two different forms. The first is humility - based, an example being,＂can’t believe I got the highest grade in my class ”. The second type comes mixed with a bit of complaint, for example,＂I can’t believe that shopkeeper asked me for ID. I’m 25!”
People don’t like when others humblebrag because they find they are lacking in sincerity. Sincerity is a critical dimension of social evaluation, which is viewed as fundamental to people’s identity. In fact, people prize sincerity even above competence and warmth in others, according to Dr. Sezer.
If humblebragging doesn’t work, and no one likes it, why do we still do it? We all want to highlight our positive qualities without seeming proud. By speaking in a complaint or an expression of humility, we hope we’ll somehow land on the “sweet spot” of self - presentation: promoting ourselves while also conveying likability. In addition, research suggests that people may experience positive feelings while humblebragging.
Considering that we’re all likely to feel the urge to humblebrag, at least to some extent, the proper response when we hear a friend doing it may be to simply let it go——because ultimately we’re going to do it ourselves, and who really wants to be called out on it?
1. Which of the following remarks is an example of humblebragging| A．How I hate hearing my voice on TV! |
| B．I’m thrilled to be awarded the first prize. |
| C．I’m the only person to get promoted in the firm. |
| D．How I dislike doing the same thing every day! |
| A．Honest | B．Humble. | C．Insincere. | D．Incapable. |
| A．Follow it up | B．Leave it alone. | C．Turn against it | D．Get to the root of it. |
【推荐1】Huang Danian, the well-known Chinese geophysicist, was born in 1958 in Guangxi, China. As a keen and able student, Huang went to the UK in 1993 to further his studies.
By the time Huang moved back to China in 2008, he had been living and working in the UK for 15 years. He had a good job and a life there, but he gave it all up to return to home driven by the idea that he needed to contribute to his country. As one of the world’s leading experts in deep earth exploration technology, Huang was invited to participate in the “Thousand Talent” programme. He took up a position at Jilin University, Changchun.
Huang was named lead scientist on China’s deep earth exploration programme, developing advanced cameras that can see through the Earth’s crust(外壳) so that it can be analysed without having to dig into it. He set up an advanced lab, sometimes paying for equipment with his own money. Some described him as a “lunatic” (a “madman”), but this passion and drive enabled Huang to push forwards China’s deep earth exploration technology into a world-leading position. Huang’s devotion contributed to China’s lunar probe(月球探测器) Yutu being landed on the moon in 2013 and the launch of the spacecrafts Shenzhou-11 and Tiangong-2 in 2016.
Huang's health also paid the price for his commitment to his work. He began having fainting fits(昏厥) in 2012, but paid them little attention, stating he did not have time to go to see a doctor— his work always came first. In November 2016, Huang fainted and was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with cancer. The disease was so advanced that he had just a couple of months to live.
Like the true scientist he was, Huang never gave up, but always tried to push forwards. Even from his hospital bed, he continued his work, writing letters of reference for his colleagues and replying to questions from his students. Huang died in January 2017, aged just 58. More than 800 people attended his funeral to celebrate a life that burned so bright, but was so short.
1. Huang returned to China in 2008 because________.| A．he desired to devote himself to his motherland |
| B．the “Thousand Talent” program attracted him |
| C．Jilin University offered him a top position |
| D．he wasn’t satisfied with the life in the UK |
| A．China’s aerospace development. |
| B．Huang’s working attitude and style. |
| C．Huang’s great contributions to China. |
| D．China’s deep earth exploration technology. |
| A．The working environment caused Huang’s disease. |
| B．Huang worked continuously despite his poor health. |
| C．Huang was taken to hospital after he fainted in 2012. |
| D．A large sum of money was paid to treat Huang’s illness. |
| A．Generous and honest. |
| B．Passionate and patient. |
| C．Modest and courageous. |
| D．Patriotic and committed. |
【推荐2】Naomi Shihab Nye has lots of things to write about. She never seems to run out of ideas, Naomi writes poetry for young people and adults, but she is also the author of essays, children's picture books, songs, and a novel for teenagers.
Where does Naomi get her ideas? She sees poetry in the details of everyday life, like the way things smell or taste, the sounds of nature, the voices of her family, and the colors of a flower or a bird's wing or a strawberry.
Naomi's poetry is also often influenced by places she has lived in and visited. Naomi was raised by her Palestinian father and American mother. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, US, Jerusalem Israel; and San Antonio, Texas, US. Each of these places has its own unique features, which Naomi has described with her rich, descriptive language.
Naomi also writes about her double cultures and the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. Today, Naomi has settled down in San Antonio. She knows many people who have a Mexican-American identity, and she works their experiences into her poetry. Naomi focuses on the ways that people of different cultures and backgrounds are similar rather than different. She has even traveled to the Middle East and Asia to promote international goodwill through the arts. Naomi firmly believes in the power of writing to change the world and help people find common ground.
Naomi Shihab Nye began writing poetry as soon as she learned how to write. She published her first poem when she was only seven years old! Since that time, Naomi has written and edited more than 20 books. She often tells young writers to write about their daily lives—the things they observe and the feelings they have. That's a good reminder for a writer!
1. Which of the following best describes Naomi according to Paragraph 1?| A．Optimistic. | B．Productive. |
| C．Generous. | D．Traditional. |
| A．By observing the world around her. |
| B．By visiting many different people. |
| C．By reading famous writers' works. |
| D．By comparing features of different places. |
| A．In Missouri, US. | B．In Mexico. |
| C．In Texas, US. | D．In Israel. |
| A．She has a strong sense of social responsibility. |
| B．She focuses more on cultural differences. |
| C．She lived a hard life in childhood. |
| D．She writes books for improving writing skills, |
【推荐3】For weeks, Eva Hachey had thought of adopting a dog. And there he was, at the local dog shelter. “The attendant picked him up and put him on my lap. He started giving me kisses. He stole my heart at that moment.” She adopted the ten-month-old puppy immediately and named him Bruno.
Bruno lived happily with Hachey and her daughter, Angel Hutchinson, for five months. Then, on the evening of September 26, 2018, Hachey, returned home as usual at 8 pm from her job. She ate supper in the living room. Around 10:30, a friend called, just as Bruno went into Hutchinson’s room to go to sleep where Hutchinson was ready to sleep. Hachey and her friend chatted a bit, and as Hachey hung up, she noticed the time was 11:08.
“The next thing I remembered was a male voice saying, Eva, Eva, wake up. It was a doctor,” Hachey says. “I looked around, and the room was just full of people. And I said, what are you doing in my house?”
What they were doing was saving her life. By the time Hachey hung up with her friend, Hutchinson was fast asleep in her bedroom and Bruno was next to her bed on the floor. Hachey believes he heard something strange and possibly went to the living room to investigate.
Anyway, Bruno began barking and jumping on and off the bed to wake Hutchinson. When that didn’t work, he attacked the fleshy skin between Hutchinson’s index finger and thumb. Finally, she leaped out of bed and went to see her mother, only to find Hachey slumped over in the chair who had stopped breathing. Hutchinson dialed 911 immediately. Hachey was diagnosed to have suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and she spent 15 days in hospital.
Now, a year and a half later, Hachey has fully recovered, although doctors had given her only a 5% chance of survival. Hachey believes that being found so quickly after the rupture is the only thing that saved her life.
1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.| A．everything went smoothly before 11 o'clock |
| B．it was Hutchinson that Hachey first saw when she came to life |
| C．Bruno managed to wake Angel up by jumping on and off the bed |
| D．Bruno was five months old when Hachey suffered the brain disease |
| A．fast asleep | B．wide awake |
| C．seated senseless | D．lying dead |
| A．Her daughter’s company. |
| B．The doctors’ timely rescue. |
| C．Hachey’s strong desire to live. |
| D．Bruno’s quick and clever action. |
【推荐1】The first time my father and I ever went fishing became a family joke. We spent hours waiting for the fish. The sun was like fire. We were hot, sticky, and mad that the fish refused to try our night crawlers (蚯蚓).
Being only seven years old, I observed that perhaps the worms were the problem. Maybe the night crawlers only moved at night, and now they were just lying still there. Dad ignored my guessing.
We began to pack up to leave. As we headed back to our truck, we heard tires roaring in the distance. Getting into our truck was tough. Having sat in the boiling sun for six hours, I found the seats were burning.
I shifted from side to side in the seat so as not to cook my bottom. While driving out we saw a truck stuck in the mud. That explained the sound of roaring tires we’d heard.
Being a nice guy, my dad helped pull the man from the mud. In return, this fellow gave Dad some fish for being a Good Samaritan. As Dad climbed back into our truck with a brown bag full of fish, we waved goodbye to our newfound friend.
On the drive home, we agreed to take in the fish as if we had caught them. We were sure there was no way for Mom to know the difference. It was just a little white lie.
We arrived home hot and sweaty, and went to shower while Mom prepared the fish.
After showering, Dad and I met in the hall and sat down to enjoy freshly fried fish. We started eating happily and went on talking about how delicious the fish tasted.
As we got up to do the dishes, Mom cleared her throat. “I just have one question for you two great fishermen,” she said. We looked at her expectantly, thinking we had another opportunity to delight her with our great fishing ability. With a big smile, Mom asked, “How was it that you two managed to not only clean your fish, but also freeze them before you got home?”
1. Why didn’t the fish eat the night crawlers?| A．The weather was too hot. |
| B．The fish were not hungry. |
| C．The reason was not clear. |
| D．The night crawlers didn’t move. |
| A．helping a stranger |
| B．taking in the fish |
| C．showing great strength |
| D．making friends with a stranger |
| A．she was pleased by the clean fish |
| B．she was amused by the little white lie |
| C．she did not need to deal with the mess |
| D．she was satisfied with their fishing ability |
【推荐2】When she was a kid, Danielle Belleny “was always outdoors, playing with plants and investigating the world on my own.” “I wanted to be a veterinarian (兽医), at first,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to work with animals, and as a kid that was the only job I knew where you could do that.”
But when Belleny reached her second year of college, her dad mentioned wildlife biology (生物学) a another choice. She hadn’t yet heard of it before, but that’s what she was learning about. While in college, Belleny started working on research projects. She spent a lot of time with animals in their natural environment. On one project, she studied the plants that animals eat. Another is about placing trackers on a bird called the northern bobwhite.
Belleny’s current job is at Plateau Land & Wildlife Management, in Hays County, Texas. “In the morning, I’m usually out the door by sunrise,” she says. She studies birds. She keeps track of different animals. And she searches for signs of what other animals in the area are doing. “I love that there’s always a sense of discovery. It allows me to keep learning,” she says.
Around lunchtime, she’ll return home and write up a report. In the afternoon, she leaves for another site visit. Landowners can request her services. She advises people on how to accommodate the wildlife that lives on their land. “It’s a lot of meeting new people, a lot of quick introductions, and then talking for long periods of time.” That’s all her work for a day.
Outside of work, Belleny has been bird-watching, for seven years. Her first book, This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds, was published in May. It allowed her to share her love of the activity. Now she’s working on a children’s book about bird-watching. It’s scheduled to come out in fall 2023.
Belleny has some advice for young people who are thinking about professional goals. “Try everything you’re interested in.” And if you’re interested in working with animals, “Go to a library and find some field guides.” There’s a lot of information about animals out there. Books are always a good place to start.
1. What is Danielle Belleny at present?| A．A veterinarian. | B．A wildlife biologist. | C．A zoo keeper. | D．A full-time writer. |
| A．She keeps birds in her home. | B．She teaches people to watch birds. |
| C．She writes books about birds. | D．She advises people to accommodate birds. |
| A．Find information about a library. | B．Try to like animals. |
| C．Reading is the most important thing. | D．Do what you enjoy doing. |
| A．Study wildlife in the field | B．Protect children’s interests |
| C．Make researches on plants | D．Help farmers with their work |
【推荐3】With splits (劈叉) in the air，a man in black jumps high and shows different poses before landing on the ground gracefully. Sometimes, he carries a bright red silky fan while spreading his arms like wings in the air.
His dance is conspicuous, with crowds surrounding who take pictures and ask what he is doing. He is Chinese dancer Ma Jiaolong, who has been making and sharing short videos of himself dancing in London since 2020. Ma has nearly 5 million followers on TikTok, a major short-video platform.
“I didn’t expect that the videos would go popular. Now I can be easily recognized while dancing in public places,” says the 35-year-old. 2 years ago, affected by the COVID-19 pan-demic, Ma had to train at home to keep his muscles strong and his body flexible. However, Ma couldn’t make big moves since his home was small. One day, Ma and his wife went shopper ping and passed Greenwich Park, a famous tourist site with beautiful views in London. Ma’s wife said to him, “Why not do some dance moves here that you couldn’t do at home?” Then Ma jumped off the ground and did a 360-degree spin (旋转), which was recorded by his wife on her phone.
“Back home, we sent it to my friends. Surprisingly, they loved it, which inspired me to share it online,” says Ma. Later, he made more short videos and put them online, “I simply considered that as a way of keeping memories of my life,” Ma also likes to interact with strangers, who are curious about his performances, “Dance has become a medium of communication between me and the people passing by,” he says. “Now, making and sharing short videos have become a part of my life, and, most importantly, a great way to introduce Chinese class is cal dance to more audiences, especially those viewers overseas.”
1. What does the underlined word “conspicuous” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Ordinary. | B．Awkward. | C．Attractive. | D．Beneficial. |
| A．Amazed. | B．Confused. | C．Grateful. | D．Upset. |
| A．A tourist. | B．His wife. | C．A stranger. | D．His friend. |
| A．To attract more followers on the Internet. |
| B．To communicate better with more strangers. |
| C．To keep the memory of his staying in London. |
| D．To make Chinese dance known to foreigners. |
