Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet, recited her poem The Hill We Climb at the recent. Presidential Inauguration (就职) Ceremony. Her words and performance were wonderful and were admired across the world. But what is even more wonderful is the story of how Amanda arrived at this moment and the lessons she offers other kids around the world.
Amanda was raised by a single mother, Joan Wicks, in Los Angeles. There was very limited television watching in their house. Encouraged by her mother, who was a teacher, Amanda fell in love with reading and writing. She gained confidence in these areas. Her passion for poetry started when she was about 8 years old.
But despite her interests and talents, she had some obstacles. Amanda has a listening processing disorder and is very sensitive to sound. She also had a speech disorder during childhood. This caused her to participate in speech treatment which helped her to turn her obstacles into gifts and strengths. As she told The Harvard Gazette in 2018, “I always saw it as a strength because since I was experiencing these obstacles in terms of my listening and speech skills, I became really good at reading and writing.”
Amanda started to dream of becoming president when she was in 6th grade. As Amanda became more confident, she became more driven to transform the world for good. She went on to earn a degree at Harvard University. And then, Amanda became the world’s first Youth Poet’ Laureate (获奖者) in history!
While Amanda looked calm, cool, and collected at the inauguration, she admits she is always nervous, like many of us, about public speaking. To ease this, she developed a spell that she recites to give herself confidence in moments of doubt, “I am the daughter of black writers. We are descendants of freedom fighters who broke through chains and changed the world.”
1. What do we know about Amanda Gorman?| A．She took to reading and writing thanks to her teacher. |
| B．She published her first poem at the age of 8. |
| C．She recited a poem at a presidential inauguration. |
| D．She became the first Youth Poet Laureate at high school. |
| A．Barriers. | B．Changes. | C．Strengths. | D．Disabilities. |
| A．By seeking support from some black writers. |
| B．By reciting special sentences to herself. |
| C．By practicing the speech context repeatedly. |
| D．By talking to freedom fighters before the speech. |
| A．To share a funny story. | B．To educate disabled kids. |
| C．To record a wonderful moment. | D．To encourage more children. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】“Ni Hao! Lao Tie! I am your foreign friend. Just have a bite of our organic (有机的) apples and place your orders here!” Erik Nilsson, a Swedish traveler, greeted through TikTok livestreams in a village of Jiangxi Province. His appearance online increased that day’s sale greatly. After experiencing a special day in the rural area, Erik said jokingly, “I wish I could change my job.”
This village is not alone. Nowadays, China’s e-commerce (电子商务) platforms have helped open up the market for Chinese farmers produce, bringing an increasing number of sales online. This new trend has made livestreaming a new way to help farmers out of their poor conditions, with mobile phones becoming “new farm tools”.
“Everyone has brought their own agricultural products. How can you make the audiences believe that they’re delicious through the screen in front of you? Now, let’s feel the look on your face during the livestreaming!” The Farmers’ Education Training Center (FETC) in Hainan Province invites professionals such as directors and makeup stylists to teach farmers a variety of skills from short video editing to livestreaming sales skills. “However, at first, only a few villagers had a strong wish. We helped them get training in livestreaming, short video marketing, and other courses. It wasn’t fancy, but simple, practical, and effective.”
“Everybody, please take a look. This is the best coconut. Taste it.” said Pei Yanqin, 59 speaking Putonghua with a strong local accent and communicating smoothly with netizens through her livestreaming software. Just over a year ago, she was one of those villagers with the least intention to get training.
In 2018, the demonstration (示范) project of national e-commerce for rural areas was launched. Today, the village has developed eight e-commerce livestreaming courtyards. Some presenters work alone, while others are husband and wife teams. In the next step, the government will train more farmer presenters and develop in the direction of multi-variety sales.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce culture conflict | B．To add to the atmosphere. |
| C．To lead in the topic. | D．To give background knowledge. |
| A．Excited. | B．Impressed. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Erik wants to look for a new job. |
| B．Government helps some farmers become skilled in marketing online. |
| C．Livestreaming is the best way to get out of poor conditions. |
| D．E-commerce is a family business. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A newspaper article. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A government report. |
【推荐2】Joy Chapman, a singer from British Columbia, recently set a new Guinness record for the lowest musical note (音符) sung by a female, a C1.
For as long as she can remember, Joy Chapman has always been able to sing in a very wide vocal range (音域), but it was not until her niece started encouraging her to go for a world record that she actually considered it. The girl had learned that the former record for the world’s lowest vocal note (female) was held by a singer who hit a D2 (the second lowest D note on a piano), and she was sure that Joy could go obviously lower than that, She turned out to be right!
“I initiated my singing notes at C2 at the beginning, so she said, ‘you sing much lower, then you should try for the record,’” Chapman recalled about how the idea of a Guinness record attempt came about.
That was a year ago, and Chapman had to overcome a series of challenges in order to get her name into the world’s most famous record book. Her mother passed away, which left her in deep sorrow. She even stopped working for a while, During one of her attempts the video cameraman turned on the limiter (限幅器) on the microphone, but it couldn’t pick up Joy’s lowest notes…However, in the end, she got it done.
On February 2lst, in a music workshop in Surrey, Joy Chapman recorded a C1 (33.57hz), the lowest C note on a piano and the lowest note ever sung by a woman.
“I wanted to leave something behind since I could do it,” the singer said.
1. What made Chapman want to challenge the Guinness record?| A．Her niece’s encouragement | B．Her interest in singing. |
| C．Her eagerness to be famous. | D．Her belief in herself |
| A．Wrote. | B．Improved. | C．Ended. | D．Started. |
| A．Her video cameraman was ill. | B．Her workshop was shut down. |
| C．Her mother left the world | D．Her piano went wrong. |
| A．Brave and humorous. | B．Talented and positive. |
| C．Dependent and careful | D．Honest and helpful. |
| A．Love story of a musician. | B．Brave attempt of a musician |
| C．Hard struggle of a female. | D．Recent birth of a world record |
【推荐3】If you need an inspiring talk from a kindergartner, there's a hotline for that. This free hotline is called "Joy4all Hotline". If you call the phone number, you'll hear recordings of kids sharing words of encouragement.
The Joy4all Hotline is a school project created at an elementary school in California. It's run by an art teacher Maggie Clancy. Clancy started the hotline because she was concerned about the stressful things that her students had gone through. She aims to bring some joy back into the lives of her students, who range in age from 5 to 12.
To create the hotline, Clancy recorded her students. She instructed the kids to say something that had helped them during a difficult time. The hotline project also included the creation of posters. These posters displayed motivational phrases and were placed around town. The idea is to spread joy in the community.
When callers dial 707-968-8510, they are greeted by Clancy's daughter. The 11-year-old welcomes them with the following menu:
“If you're feeling mad, frustrated or nervous, press 1. If you need words of encouragement and life advice, press 2. If you need an inspiring talk from kindergartners, press3. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press 4, and for encouragement is Spanish, press 5.”
When the project first started, Clancy hoped the hotline would receive 100 calls an hour. But within two days the hotline was getting over 500 calls an hour. Now, it is people with conquering anxiety and give people hope that will be good stuff happening more in the world. The project's success proves how much the world currently needs this kind of positive messaging.
“I think people are just looking for ways to feel connected,”Clancy said. “I think this hotline does that in a very pure, sweet way.”
1. Why did Clancy start the hotline?| A．To spread joyful news reports. | B．To support home schooling |
| C．To introduce encouraging posters | D．To lift her students' spirits up |
| A．get Clancy's life advice | B．talk with Clancy's daughter |
| C．listen to the sound of kids' laughter | D．hear the recordings of inspiring songs |
| A．It enjoys an increasing popularity. | B．It arouses people's concern for kids |
| C．It proves the importance of happiness. | D．It changes people's opinions on hotlines. |
【推荐1】Without Her Name
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice by English novelist Jane Austen is one of the most popular tales ever written. But behind the global admiration she enjoys today lies a sad fact.
In Pride and Prejudice, she was simply the author of Sense and Sensibility, which had carried the title “By a Lady.” The anonymity(匿名) worked so well that even friends of the Austen family had no idea that dear, sweet Jane was a novelist. A friend of Jane' s brother Henry actually told him that Pride and Prejudice was “much too clever to be the work of a woman.”
For a woman, however, there was the added burden of societal expectations. Any sort of publishing or public display of talent was considered improper behavior for a woman.
It wasn't only fear about “bad manners” that discouraged women from writing under their own names.
Heights as Ellies Bell in the same year.
The 20th century saw great progress towards gender equality. In theory, it should be unnecessary for women writers to follow Austen' s path any longer, unless driven by personal reasons.
| A．Jane Austen has attracted a great deal of critical attention in recent years. |
| B．Women 's writing was seldom taken seriously. |
| C．Politicians, for reasons of safety, also frequently chose to be invisible. |
| D．In practice, however, certain prejudices just won't go away. |
| E．in a 2016 interview, Italian novelist Elena Ferrante claimed her use of a pen name let her concentrate on writing. |
| F．in her own time, Austen 's name never appeared on her books. |
| G．They joined a long list of women authors who felt they had to hide. |
【推荐2】In 1921, long before the Walt Disney Company turned Pooh (维尼熊) into an international star of TV and films, Christopher Robin Milne was given a toy bear on his first birthday from his father, A.A. Milne, who bought the stuffed (填充的) animal from a store. The stuffed animal was named Edward Bear. Years later, Edward was named Winnie. From the time Christopher Robin Milne was a baby until he was about 8 years old, he would receive different stuffed animals.
A.A. Milne was a famous English author. As he watched his son interact (互动) with Winnie and friends, A.A. Milne thought his child’s interaction with the collection of animals would make a great bedtime story. So Milne worked with artist Ernest H. Shepard and wrote the first Winnie the Pooh poem, where Edward Bear was known as “Teddy Bear”. The writings appeared in Punch magazine and in the book they wrote together, When We Were Very Young, which was published in 1924. In a four-year period, three more books that centered on the bear and his team followed: 1926’s Winnie-the-Pooh; 1927’s Now We Are Six; and 1928’s The House at Pooh Corner.
The books and poems about Pooh brought great success to the author, and the characters became favorites with young children and their families around the world. Their popularity led Disney to get the rights to make films about the characters in 1961. Five years later, Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the rest of the team appeared on screen for the first time in Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Tree. The characters later appeared in TV shows, movies, video games and short films. Pooh’s most recent appearance came last year in the popular children’s program, Doc McStuffins, where he was a special guest.
1. What do we know about Edward Bear?| A．It was just a birthday gift for a baby. | B．It was a popular toy bear among kids. |
| C．It was an international star of many films. | D．It was given to Christopher when he was 8. |
| A．He wrote many books about Pooh. |
| B．He read many bedtime stories to his son. |
| C．He wrote 5 books with Ernest H. Shepard. |
| D．He encouraged his son to play with friends. |
| A．To meet a guest in this program. | B．To be a special part of this program. |
| C．To show it is also a popular program. | D．To make its new film known to people. |
| A．Pooh’s influence on culture | B．Great success of Pooh |
| C．The real story behind Pooh | D．Pooh and his friends |
【推荐3】If you are planning for your summer reading list and are lost in numerous choices, check out the following book reviews on modern classics for consideration.
The Known World by Edward P. Jones (2003).Apart from having won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2004, this amazingly beautiful novel about Black slave owners in an imaginary town is still under-read. It’s a work of genius and profound humanity.
One Hundred Years of Solitude (孤独) by Gabriel García Márquez (1967).García Márquez deals with Colombia’s Thousand Days’ War of 1899 — 1902, but in the most indirect way possible and in some of the most charming and excited words possible. The vast majority of people consider this Nobel Prize winning novel as a must-read book in life.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017).As a book on National Book Award finalist, this novel focuses on the issues of Japan’s occupation of Korea and the impact of World War II through the painful and inspiring stories of multiple (多个) characters over four generations with the best level of modern classic storytelling skills.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969).This novel brings its readers back to the fire and bombing days of Germany. It breaks so many rules that it will make you rethink what is possible in fiction.
1. What do these four books have in common?| A．They are all prize-winning works. | B．The writers are American-born. |
| C．They belong to the same literature style. | D．The writers set their stories in real cities. |
| A．Readers into Germany. | B．Readers keen on slavery. |
| C．Readers fond of modern poems. | D．Readers interested in Asian history. |
| A．Literature. | B．Business. | C．History. | D．World News. |
【推荐1】Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, “We’re losing by six runs (分) and the game is in the eighth inning (局). I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the final inning.
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Shay missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The pitcher could have easily thrown he ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked.
Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.
All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the way Shay.” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third.” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Shay, run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who won the game for his team.
That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day!
1. Not expecting much, Shay’s father still asked the boy if Shay could play, mainly because the father _________.| A．noticed some of the boys on the field were heisting |
| B．guessed his presence would affect the boy’s decision |
| C．learned some of the boys on the field knew Shay well |
| D．understood Shay did need a feeling of being accepted |
| A．believed they were sure to win the game |
| B．would like to help Shay enjoy the game |
| C．found Shay was so eager to be a winner |
| D．fell forced to give Shay another chance |
| A．was obviously aware of the pitcher’s purpose |
| B．looked forward to winning the game for his team |
| C．failed to throw the ball to the second baseman |
| D．saw that Shay already reached second base |
| A．The pitcher did not throw the ball to the first baseman. |
| B．The audience and the players from both teams cheered for him. |
| C．The opposing players failed to stop his running to home. |
| D．One of the opposing players ran to help him. |
| A．True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other. |
| B．Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled. |
| C．Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents. |
| D．The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players. |
【推荐2】Born in 1976 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and growing up between Pennsylvania and County Clare, Ireland, Aimee Mullins has overcome challenges from day one. She was born with a limb anomaly (异常) wherein there is partial or total absence of the shin bones. She had both legs amputated below the knee when she was only a year old. Without her legs, she could still learn to walk with artificial ones.
Despite her physical limitations, she pushed herself physically and mentally to succeed. In high school she participated in numerous sports, including softball and skiing. While in high school, she heard about a track meet for people with disabilities, and signed up for the meet. She not only won, but also broke a national record.
Mullins decided to work towards competing in the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. She obtained her first pair of sprinting legs with which she hoped to break the time she needed for Paralympic placement. Instead, her greatest fear came true — her leg began to slip off, and consequently, she lost because of it. Her coach pushed her to compete in the 200-meter, forcing her to face her biggest fear and to realize that true bravery is not the absence of fear, but the ability to conquer it. Later she set Paralympic records in Atlanta for the 100- and 200-meter dash and in the long jump.
Mullins has since set her sights towards Hollywood. She has already had a few roles on television and in movies, and she has been featured in numerous magazines and books. In 2002 she starred in Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 3, playing a woman with sprinting legs like those of a cheetah’s. In 1999 she was a runway model for British fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s London show.
Both a record-breaking Paralympic athlete and a fashion star in the making, Mullins has the amazing ability to constantly redefine herself. She is just as comfortable in high heels and gowns as she is in running shorts and sneakers, wearing both with confidence of one that is truly gorgeous both inside and out.
1. What does the underlined word “amputated” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Hurt. | B．Tied. | C．Removed. | D．Connected. |
| A．She failed because of her fear. | B．Her coach pushed her too hard. |
| C．She broke three world records again. | D．Her bravery helped her succeed. |
| A．Her achievements on television and movies. |
| B．Her fashion design in Alexander McQueen’s show. |
| C．Her later career experiences in acting and modelling. |
| D．Her leading role in the Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 3． |
| A．Considerate and cautious. | B．Persistent and strong-willed. |
| C．Responsible and generous. | D．Ambitious and warm-hearted. |
【推荐3】At the age of 17 years 64 days, Mack Rutherford has become the youngest person to fly around the world alone! Mack’s journey around the world lasted five months and he flew across 52 countries in total. His record-breaking flight began in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on 23 March, 2022. He was 16 years old when he took off and celebrated his 17th birthday by himself in his plane.
Mack faced many challenges during his adventure. Because of his small-sized aircraft, he had to land whenever the weather got too rough. However, at some points he literally (确实地) couldn’t land, such as when flying non-stop for 10 hours over an ocean. At other points, he faced extremely hot weather, such as in Dubai. In Sudan, a country in Africa, Mack also faced sandstorms which made it hard for him to see where he was going. Mack battled strong winds and pouring rain during his flight, but he never stopped smiling, joking and updating his flowers on his social media account along the way, and managed to expertly pilot his plane to safety.
And if Mack’s surname “Rutherford” sounds familiar, it’s because his elder sister Zara also flew around the world earlier this year, and still holds the female version of the record! The Rutherford siblings (兄弟姐妹) were inspired by their parents to become pilots. “I have known for certain I wanted to fly since I was eleven,” Mack said, “My dad Sam is a professional ferry pilot, my mum Beatrice is a recreational private pilot.”
Mack hopes to inspire young people to begin working towards their own goals, “No matter what background you have, I believe it is never too early to work towards your dreams and you shouldn’t limit yourself by others’ expectations.” With both feet firmly back on the ground now, it’s time for Mack to turn his attention towards catching up on his schoolwork!
1. What can we know about Mack’s flight?| A．It began when he was 17 years 64 days old. |
| B．It made him the youngest person to fly alone. |
| C．It was a successful record-breaking attempt. |
| D．It took off in the capital of his home country. |
| A．Limitation of flight hours. | B．Darkness and safety issues. |
| C．Loneliness of flying alone. | D．Bad weather and long distance. |
| A．To model themselves on their parents. |
| B．To encourage each other to dream big. |
| C．To serve as examples for their siblings. |
| D．To live up to their parents’ expectations. |
| A．To encourage young people to become pilots. |
| B．To inspire young people to fight for their dreams. |
| C．To warn young people of the dangers of flying. |
| D．To free young people of worries about school work. |
