Sadie looked out of the window and sighed (叹气) as she thought about another long, boring day of summer. She wondered what all of her friends from school were doing on their summer vacations. It had to be a lot better than looking out of a window. Sadie thought about the fun she had last summer when she and her best friend Allison went to the beach. They built sandcastles, played beach volleyball, and even tried surfing. But they wouldn’t be going to the beach together this summer because Allison had moved to a different city far away from Sadie’s.
Suddenly, Sadie had an idea. She could call her friend Wendy, who always had funny ideas. Maybe they could ride their bikes together around the park. Sadie raced to the living room, picked up the phone, and called Wendy. She sighed more deeply as the phone rang and rang. Then Sadie seated herself on the sofa, picked up the television remote, and put it down again. She didn’t really want to watch television, so she went to her room and found the list of phone numbers of her good friends from school. In the living room, she called almost each of them, but no one was at home.
After hanging up the phone, Sadie wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching her mom do the cleaning. “Mom, I don’t have anyone to hang out with because my friends from school aren’t home and Allison moved away,” said Sadie. “Honey, there are many things you can do by yourself, like playing your guitar or having a walk in the garden. You could even finish that story about our camping trip,” said Mom.
“I don’t want to do those things by myself. I want to play with a friend.” “Sometimes, it is nice to do things by yourself,” said Mom. “I like seeing my friends, but I also like doing things alone like taking a walk by myself or finding a quiet spot to read. Why not have a try?”
Sadie thought about her mom’s words and returned to her room.
1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词限用一次，有两词为多余选项。| Disappoint ride take suggest bore strike phone look how friend her tired | ||
| A Different Way to Spend Summer | ||
→ | Sadie felt quite | |
↓ | ↓ | |
| It | → | Sadie raced to the living room and picked up the |
↓ | ↓ | |
| Since Wendy didn’t answer the phone, Sadie called other | → | Sadie felt quite |
↓ | ↓ | |
| Without anything to do, Sadie turned to her mom for | → | Mom told Sadie sometimes it was nice to do things by |
2. What was the problem Sadie faced and why?
3. How did Sadie spend her vacation last summer?
4. What changes will Sadie make after listening to her mother’ words?
相似题推荐
【推荐1】“What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.” Have you ever said this to someone? If so, you may have ended up becoming friends with this person.
It seems that similarity often helps form friendships. The Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “Some define friendship as a matter of similarity, they say that we love those who are like ourselves.”
Now, there is some science behind this idea. Scientists from University of California said friends have similar brains, Scientific American reported. The scientists invited 42 university students to be involved in an experiment. Each student watched the same set of videos, which included a comedy, a debate and a soccer match. Meanwhile, scientists scanned their brains and recorded their brain activity.
According to their scans, friends who watched the same video clips reached in similar ways. Similar parts of their brains lit up while watching the videos, especially parts that are connected with motivation, learning and memory.
However, people who weren’t friends had different reactions to the same clips. Having close friends whose brains react like ours “may be rewarding because it backs up one’s own values, opinions, and interests,” lead scientist Carolyn Parkinson told Business Insider.
1. What do the underlined words “this idea” in paragraph 3 refer to?| A．We like those who like us first. |
| B．Many friendships start with small chats. |
| C．People with similarities may become friends. |
| D．Friends try to develop similarities between themselves. |
| A．They all watched the same set of videos. | B．They reacted differently from each other. |
| C．They are all from the University of California. | D．They were close friends before the experiment. |
| A．They are tired of watching the same videos. | B．Watching videos make one’s memory better. |
| C．Friends had similar reactions to the same clips. | D．It’s essential to have friends who react similarly. |
| A．Getting on well with Friends. | B．Making Friends with Strangers. |
| C．Doing Scientific Research on Friendship. | D．Building Friendship by Sharing Similarities. |
【推荐2】Making friends can be frustrating, something I recently found out after moving to a new city. You might hit it off with an acquaintance (泛泛之交), but what’s the next step? And how long does it take to move past “getting to know you?”
But University of Kansas researcher Jeffrey A. Hall has helped us to know the process of friendship-building in a new study. Hall surveyed 112 college students every three weeks during their first nine weeks at a Midwestern university. He also gave a one-time questionnaire to 355.
American adults who had moved to a new city in the past six months. In these surveys, the newcomers picked a friend or two and reported how much time they spend together, what activities they do, and how close the friendship is.
—It takes students 43 hours and adults 94 hours to turn acquaintances into casual friends.
—Students need 57 hours to transit from casual friends to friends. Adults need, on average,164 hours.
—
But time on its own does not bring about closeness: it depends on how we spend that time, as Hall found when he analyzed what activities friends did together.
In general, spending more time talking didn’t make student or adult friends feel closer.
Student friends did tend to be more friendly when they engaged in certain types of talking—namely, catching up about their lives, talking playfully, and showing attention, but student friends who engaged in small about current events actually tended to become more distant over time.
| A．Everyone wants to have friends, but you can’t have friends without making them. |
| B．For students, friends became good or best friends after about 119 hours. |
| C．It's the first to explore not just what activities bring us closer, but exactly how many hours it takes for an acquaintance to become a friend. |
| D．Shared activities don’t always make us closer, either. |
| E．Unfortunately, there's no manual for this crucial life skill. |
| F．Unsurprisingly, the more time two people spent together, the closer their relationship. |
【推荐3】When I moved into my apartment in Toronto, the path forward of my immigrant life wasn’t clear. I was busy figuring out a new language and culture. I didn’t know anyone well in Toronto and wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay. As time passed, I grew roots into the ground while taking pictures of the garden next door.
My studies required me to take exams which I prepared for in the evenings, after work. My mother visited to take care of me. Once she arrived in Toronto, I showed her a few places she could wander to in the neighborhood. One day, on arriving home in the evening, I found her waiting for me.
“You will not believe it,” she said “Your neighbor talked to me today. She called me over to show me her garden, but I did not want to go empty-handed, so I snatched (一把抓起) the garden pictures from the shelves and gave them to her. She wanted to know about us.” I rang them and got an invitation that same evening.
My neighbors were incredibly welcoming. They “adopted” me that evening. Immigrants themselves, Ann and John were curious about me. They told us about their lives and their grandchildren.
Over the years, I felt like I became an extended member of their family. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays, I was at Ann and John’s. They helped me embrace my new Canadian identity.
After graduation, I got a chance that meant I needed to move west. I didn’t get back to Toronto much, but when John’s 90th birthday came along, I couldn’t miss it.
Countless family and friends came to their house and its magic garden to celebrate John’s spirit. I stepped away to let myself navigate (穿行) those familiar garden paths, and there, I met Michael. Michael ended up joining me out west, and when we decided to get married, we immediately called Ann and John.
“You are having your wedding here!” they said. We could not refuse that offer. My parents couldn’t make it to our wedding. Age, disease and distance shattered (使破灭) my hopes of having them witness our happiness. But Ann and John, our other families and friends did not let any shadow fall over that day.
Many seasons have now passed. Ann still watches over her garden and perhaps secretly listens for John’s voice, now a memory. Life continues, but I know the garden will grow greener in spring. I cannot wait to wander its pathways again, wandering in Ann’s steps.
1. What do the first three paragraphs mainly talk about?| A．What the author’s new life in Toronto was like. |
| B．How the author met her neighbors. |
| C．How the author got along with her neighbors. |
| D．How the author’s mother interacted with their neighbors. |
| A．Ann and John offered the author a place to live. |
| B．Ann and John made the author feel at home. |
| C．Ann and John helped the author get a new identity. |
| D．Ann and John became the author’s legal parents. |
| A．It gave her a lot of hope and happiness. |
| B．It always attracted her to return to visit her neighbors. |
| C．It was where people gathered to celebrate John’s spirit. |
| D．It enabled her to meet her neighbors and her husband. |
| A．To tell how she got used to her life in Toronto. |
| B．To show the importance of a friendly neighborhood. |
| C．To introduce how she met her husband and married him. |
| D．To describe the close bond between her and her neighbors. |
【推荐1】After three years on horseback, Tim Cope has followed the route of Genghis Khan(成吉思汗) and other Asian nomads(游牧民族) who crossed into Europe over the centuries.
The 28-year-old Australian arrived in Hungary on Saturday, Sept.22, ending a 6200-mile travel through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Southern Russia and Ukraine. Surrounded by his traveling companions—his dog and three horses, Cope said, “I’m very happy to be here. Sometimes I didn’t think I would ever arrive.”
Cope was inspired to make the horseback journey during a bicycle trip from Moscow to Beijing. Trying to push his bike through the sands of the Gobi Desert, Cope watched in frustration as nomad horsemen appeared out of nowhere and disappeared over the horizon.
That got him interested in nomad life and the journey by ancient Asian groups. He set off from Mongolia in 2004 for a trip he thought would take 18 months. It ended up taking three years, and in late 2006, he had to return to Australia for several months when his father died in a car crash.
Cope quickly learned to trust the wisdom of locals. “In Mongolia, the nomads always told me that wolves were the most dangerous things and I didn’t believe them at first.” he said. Then one night he found himself surrounded by wolves. “When you hear that cry alone at night in the forest, it’s one of the most frightening sounds you’ll ever hear,” Cope said. “After that I took their advice and threw firecrackers out my tent door every night to keep the wolves away.”
Cope says he probably spent about half of his nights in his tent and the rest in farm houses and huts of strangers along the way. “In Kazakhstan, they believe that if you invite a guest, luck will fly into your house.”
Cope wants to write a book and shoot a film about his voyage, and is already imagining future adventures in northwest China and the Middle East.
“It’s my way of life. It was not just a trip,” Cope said. “I’ll be back in the saddle(马鞍) as soon as I can.”
1. Why did Tim Cope decide to make the horseback journey?| A．It was impossible to make the journey by bike. |
| B．Genghis Khan was the person he admired most. |
| C．He wanted to visit Hungary where he had never been. |
| D．he was deeply attracted by the life of nomad horsemen. |
| A．In March, 2004. | B．In March, 2006. |
| C．In September, 2006. | D．In September, 2007. |
| A．He will come back to Australia. |
| B．He will devote his life to adventures. |
| C．He will travel on horseback soon. |
| D．He will take this journey again. |
| A．An Australian’s ambition to take adventures. |
| B．A rider who completes a horseback journey. |
| C．A modern young man who lives nomad life. |
| D．Following Genghis Khan to cross into Europe. |
【推荐2】I took a job as a receptionist for a vet almost five decades ago. As an animal lover, I accepted the position on the condition that I wouldn’t have to assist with any wounded animals.
I could not bear to see any creature in pain. At the end of my first week, we were closing the office for the day when a young man ran up to us holding a severely injured Doberman puppy in his arms and begging us to save its life.
The four-month-old puppy had been hit by a car. The vet and I ran back into the operating room. The only place the skin was still attached to this poor little animal’s body was around one shoulder. The vet worked tirelessly for what seemed like hours, stitching it back together again. That was the easy part. The puppy had broken multiple bones, including its spine. If it survived the next few days, we were quite sure it would never walk again.
That day forever changed my life. The veterinarian trusted me a lot and I became his assistant in all things medical. One of my first jobs was to give that Doberman puppy daily physical therapy (治疗). I remember moving its tiny legs to try to keep its muscles from withering. Weeks went by until one day, I felt this little fighter push back ever so slightly. And it continued to push back till it could finally use its legs.
One year later, I walked into the clinic’s crowded waiting room and called the name of the next client. Suddenly, a huge Doberman who had been standing quietly with its owner on the opposite side of the room broke loose and bolted (脱缰) toward me. I found myself pinned against the wall with this magnificent dog standing on its hind legs, its front paws on my shoulders, washing my face with abundant and joyful kisses!
I still tear up in amazement at the display of love and gratitude the dog had for me that day all those years ago. Since retirement, I’ve volunteered at a no-kill animal shelter. In all the time that has passed and all the experiences I have had, I have never met such a grateful dog.
1. What happened when the author was about to finish his first week’s job?| A．A young man was injured. |
| B．A bus hit a four-month-old puppy. |
| C．A dog rushed into his shop with its owner. |
| D．A young man brought a seriously-injured dog to the office. |
| A．Its skin was severely injured. | B．It had just one shoulder left. |
| C．All its bones broke except spine. | D．It could only survive for a couple of days. |
| A．Because the dog went mad. |
| B．Because the dog was excited to see him. |
| C．Because the dog wanted to bite him. |
| D．Because the dog’s name was called by him. |
| A．A Caring Vet. | B．An Interesting Job. |
| C．A Grateful Patient. | D．A Life-saving Surgery. |
【推荐3】The Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon, an endurance race of 875km, was considered the toughest in the world. It used to be a five-day race, with only the world-class athletes daring to attempt it. Most athletes who took part in this ultramarathon were under 30 years of age.
Cliff was a farmer from Australia with a dream of running a race. When he attended the race, he was 61 years old. He had no specialized sportswear. Instead, he wore galoshes overalls. When he appeared at the venue, the onlookers thought he was probably a spectator. To their surprise, Cliff picked up a race number.
Having grown up on a farm, Cliff had to go out to round up the sheep every time there was a storm, because his family could not afford horses or tractors. Two thousand sheep scattered across two thousand acres of land—it took him as long as three days of chasing the animals, but he always succeeded.
The race began, and the strong and young racers started leaving Cliff behind. The racers had a strategy. They would be running hours each for the five days of the race, and sleep for the remaining 6 hours. Nonetheless, Cliff had no such strategy! Being an amateur athlete, he was not familiar with any such game plan. So, he just ran on and on, and the next morning, when the other athletes woke up, they found that the old man had caught up with the others by jogging all night. By the final night of the race, he had surpassed the other competitors and became the champion.
The next time Cliff caught attention again when he was 76. He took up the challenge of running along Australia’s border, across a distance of 16,000 km with the aim of raising money for homeless children. Unfortunately, his crew member fell ill, and Cliff had to withdraw from the race, after running for 6520 km.
Cliff, a simple farmer, created a one-of-a-kind history. Instead of withering away, he started his new life, and showed the world that it’s never too late to start following the heart and pursuing dreams.
1. Why the age of the athletes is mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To explain the rule of the race. | B．To introduce the level of the race. |
| C．To show the popularity of the race. | D．To stress the toughness of the race. |
| A．His hard training. | B．His advanced sportswear. |
| C．His working experience. | D．His well-designed strategy. |
| A．Intelligent and generous. | B．Persevering and sympathetic. |
| C．Ambitious and optimistic. | D．Determined and insightful. |
| A．Cliff, the winner of many running races |
| B．Cliff, a senior farmer pursuing his dream |
| C．Cliff, a kind charitarian keen on raising money |
| D．Cliff, a simple Melbourne ultramarathon runner |
