At 27, after serving in World War Ⅱ, I dreamed of owning a piece of land. So I moved from central Illinois to Shelbina, Missouri, and bought 236 acres for $6,000. The land was near a dirt road and was half farmland and half trees, with an old house that had no running water or electricity. Obviously, it was not what you'd call a perfect farm. But it was mine.
I was alone for the first time in my life, and I found it liberating. My days were filled from dawn until dusk with plowing and planting corn. Dinnertime came and went, and I barely remembered to eat.
I wouldn't say I was a great success at farming in Missouri. However, when I went to the store to buy some tools, I met a nice woman named Claudette working behind the counter. I also ran into her at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Shelbina each week. I found out later that her manager kept asking her about "that tall boy from Illinois living out in the country in an old house with no water, no electricity and no housekeeper."
Claudette and her sister soon visited my farm and put up some curtains. To show my appreciation, I took Claudette out for a ride in my truck. We married in 1954 and have now been together for more than 62 years!
I later sold the Missouri farm for a $3,500 profit and bought 40 acres in Illinois. For many reasons, buying the Missouri farm was a good idea. I will always value memories of owning the farm and meeting my beloved.
1. Why did the author buy the Missouri farm?| A．To marry a nice girl. | B．To live a free life. |
| C．To have his own land. | D．To earn a good profit. |
| A．A manager. | B．A storekeeper. |
| C．A housekeeper. | D．A shop assistant. |
| A．was well furnished | B．led to a happy marriage |
| C．covered 40 acres | D．made a successful farmer |
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【推荐1】When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, Karen Lauder refused to leave her home because she was wrong about the intensity(强度) of the storm. Karen is 84 years old and depends on a wheelchair to get around because she is missing a leg. Her son, Johnny Lauder, tried repeatedly to get her to leave, but she refused.
Johnny and his whole family live within a few blocks of one another. They kept in touch with Karen as the storm continued violently(猛烈地) outside, watching the water rising dangerously all around them. When Karen reported that the water in her house had reached her bottom, Johnny knew he had to take action.
First, Johnny ensured his sons and their pets were taken care of. Then, he jumped out of a window and began to swim. Johnny used to work as a rescue swimmer. He is obviously a strong swimmer, but the flood water was filled with dangerous materials. There was also a strong current (水流), and he had to swim against it for most of his trip to Karen’s. As he made his way through the water, Johnny stopped periodically to snap selfies(自拍) to show his worried family that he was okay.
Johnny was racing against the clock. He knew he only had a short period of time to get there before the water rose above Karen’s head. It took him 40 minutes to swim four blocks. The sound of Karen shouting inside was music to his ears!
“If it would’ve been 20 minutes later, she wouldn’t be here,” Johnny said.“She’s never been happier to see me.”
Karen is now safe, although she is in the hospital being treated for infections(感染) she got in the water. The family have all lost everything they owned, including their houses, but they’re grateful just to be here.
1. Why did Karen decide to stay in her house when Hurricane Ian came?| A．She had nowhere to go. |
| B．She was too old to move. |
| C．She thought the storm was not violent. |
| D．She lost her wheelchair and was unable to leave. |
| A．To record his swimming trip. | B．To show off his swimming skills. |
| C．To warn other rescuers of danger. | D．To report his safety to his family. |
| A．By shouting. | B．Over the phone. |
| C．Through e-mail. | D．With other’s help. |
| A．Curious. | B．Frightened. | C．Confused. | D．Relieved. |
【推荐2】Nearly seven years ago, I hitchhiked (搭顺风车) across Canada. Frankly, it was rather boring. But it gave me some understanding of the beauty of humanity.
The difference between boredom and excitement on the road is quite obvious. For hours on end, you may be standing at the side of a highway, watching faces go by. You get all sorts of looks when you’re hitchhiking. People ignore you, smile at you, wave or use their hands to signal that they’re unable to pick you up. Often, truckers pick you up.
Once, I was dropped off in front of an elderly woman. She said her car had broken down and that her husband was on his way with a tow truck (拖车). Later, she and her husband offered to bring me back to their place for lunch. I happily agreed. Our communication became a funny event of translations. I could not figure out what her husband was saying. He spoke English, but his dialect made it almost impossible for me to understand. Every time he spoke to me, I’d have to say, “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Then his wife would step in to translate.
When I explained I was hitchhiking for fun, they were both amazed and impressed. Then, a look of understanding appeared on the woman’s face. “Oh!” she said. “You remind me of that guy, what’s his name...” She thought hard for a couple of minutes, then: “Terry Fox!”
The flow of randomness (随机) and the constant impermanence (无常) was what I enjoyed about hitchhiking. We have non-stop social interactions that are deeply authentic but so finite only in a short time. A person becomes an important part of our life for an hour or two and then he or she disappears. The beauty of strangers being so open about their lives never gets old and they paint a picture of harmony in this country.
1. What does the author intend to show in Paragraph 2?| A．Truckers aren’t willing to pick up passers-by. |
| B．Waiting for a lift isn’t always a pleasant experience. |
| C．Hitchhikers tend to be looked down upon. |
| D．People gesture to hitchhikers in the same way. |
| A．It went smoothly. | B．It was boring. |
| C．It sounded silly. | D．It was difficult. |
| A．He was a young trucker. | B．He often helped hitchhikers. |
| C．He hitchhiked for travelling. | D．He looked like the author. |
| A．Different. | B．Independent. | C．Limited. | D．Disturbing. |
【推荐3】During his first years at Cambridge University, Stephen Hawking’s life was full of color. He felt as if the world was in his hands and he had a promising future. But to his surprise, his life changed. A rare disease stood in the way of his university life. When he went to see a doctor, he got the saddest news of his life. He had motor neurone disease (运动神经元病), a disease that causes the muscles to become weaker and ends in paralysis (瘫痪).
For someone in his 20s, with lots of promise and dreams, it was no doubt terrible news. What was worse, the doctor told him that the average life expectancy for people with his disease was no more than two years. In one moment, his world broke into pieces. But rather than feel sorry for himself, he made peace with life. He accepted that he wouldn’t live long, but he wanted to make his life brighter. He continued studying physics and later, as we know, he made great contributions to the field.
When he lived past the average life expectancy of two years, he surprised everybody. And more surprisingly, he lived for decades more. During those years, he got married and became a father to three children. On March 14, 2018, Hawking died in Cambridge, UK at the age of 76.
Stephen Hawking didn’t stop when he had difficulties. He contributed to the world with his strong will. He is seen as the greatest scientist since Albert Einstein. Without a doubt. his life was still colorful and meaningful.
1. What does the phrase “stand in the way of...” mean?| A．to walk in a special way | B．to try to stop something |
| C．to make one look like something | D．to help somebody do better in something |
| A．He went to see the most famous doctor in the field. |
| B．He accepted that he should live peacefully. |
| C．He decided to help more people like him. |
| D．He tried to make the best of his life. |
| A．He never got married. | B．He adopted three children. |
| C．He went on studying physics. | D．He died at the age the doctor guessed. |
| A．He was a great man with a strong will. | B．He gave up in the face of difficulties. |
| C．He lived a colorful and meaningful life. | D．He made great contributions to the world. |
【推荐1】Lisa started climbing five years ago when a friend asked her to climb Mt. Rainier. The ability to experience part of the mountain that few people reach drew Lisa to continuing her climbing. By 2012 she and her husband had climbed the highest points in North America, South America and Europe. They had also volunteered for numerous projects with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (ASC). Their latest goal was Mt. Vinson in Antarctica to collect snow samples for ASC.
It was difficult for Lisa’s family who had spent all their lives in Illinois to picture what would draw her to such a remote continent (大陆). Her primary motivation was to safely climb Mt. Vinson, but secondarily she wanted to share the experience with others who, like her father, couldn’t imagine what the coldest continent was like.
As they gradually made their way up toward Mt. Vinson, Lisa’s body got used to the cold, dry air and a heavy pack. Her mind was filled with the vastness of this continent. How is it possible that so few people have seen it? How can it be kept so that others have the opportunity to responsibly do so? Part of her duty was to answer the last question.
After she had collected the snow in a small plastic bottle, she labeled (贴标签) it and stored it for safe keeping. As she watched the snow inside, she thought about the story it would tell. What would researchers learn about this mountain? What had it endured during its lifetime? What would we, as servants of this earth, do with this information? She didn’t have the skills to answer these questions by herself, but knowing that she played a small part in allowing them to be answered was exciting, just as gratifying as reaching the top.
1. What pushed Lisa to continue her climbing?| A．Her great ability to reach the mountain top. | B．Her love of challenging herself. |
| C．Her friend’s encouragement. | D．Her desire to win. |
| A．It was inspiring. | B．It was meaningful. |
| C．It was entertaining. | D．It was unbelievable. |
| A．She could not bear her heavy package. |
| B．She was not curious about people’s visiting. |
| C．She was greatly impressed by the large continent. |
| D．She felt nothing of the continent. |
| A．Simple. | B．Pleasing. | C．Practical. | D．Difficult. |
【推荐2】It was a warm winter’s day in South Africa and I planned to go surfing. The area of beach I went to is famous among surfers for its powerful waves and popularity with sharks.
After a while my brother and some of my friends got out of the water because they felt uneasy. There was the smell of fish in the air, which can attract sharks. A few of us stayed. Finally, I saw my first big wave, but as I was about to hit it, two great white sharks attacked me.
It happened so quickly. One shark hit me, throwing me into the air; a second later, it dragged me under the water. The shock stopped me from feeling pain. Under the water, another shark went for my head and shoulders but missed.
Perhaps surprised by the competition, the first shark lost its grip (控制) on me and the next thing I knew was that I was staring a shark straight in the face. It stared back at me for a few moments. Its mouth was wide open; I could see huge teeth and dark black eyes. After it passed, I swam to the surface as fast as I could.
When surfing, there is always the fear in the back of your mind of sharks. Now it was real. I was shaking, crying and panicking, realizing that I could die. I tried all my hardest to swim back to the shore. Eventually, I made it to dry land. I felt relief. Someone tied my arm to slow the bleeding and my brother rushed me to the hospital. The surgeon managed to save my fingers.
That day changed my life, but it hasn’t stopped me from surfing. I started a surfing school to teach the sport to others. I was more afraid of sharks before my attack. Now I know what it means to be alive.
1. Why do sharks like appearing at the surfing beach?| A．There are powerful waves in winter. | B．The beach is their natural habitat. |
| C．The smell of fish attracts them. | D．The beach is crowded with surfers. |
| A．By swimming as fast as possible. | B．By surfing on his surfboard alone. |
| C．By frightening the sharks away. | D．By fighting with the sharks at once. |
| A．He is more afraid of sharks. | B．He is appreciative of being alive. |
| C．He started a surfing school. | D．He didn’t surf after the incident. |
| A．An activity in South Africa. | B．A safety problem for surfers. |
| C．A terrible lesson for surfers. | D．An experience of a surfer. |
【推荐3】One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual． In 1879， Oxford University in England asked Prof．James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language． It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations （引文） showing how it was used．
This was a huge task， so Murrary had to find volunteers from Britain， the United States， and the British colonies to search every newspaper， magazine， and book ever written in English． Hundreds of volunteers responded， including William Chester Minor． Dr． Minor was an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England． He gave his address as "Broadmoor， Crowthorne， Berkshire，" 50 miles from Oxford．
Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray． Over the next 17 years， he became one of the staff's most valued contributors．
But he was also a mystery． In spite of many invitations， he would always decline to visit Oxford． So in 1897， Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself． When he arrived， he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum （精神病院） for the Criminally Insane．
Murray and Minor became friends， sharing their love of words． Minor continued contributing to the dictionary， sending in more than 10，000 submissions in 20 years． Murray continued to visit Minor regularly， sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds．
In 1910， Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America． Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920， seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed． The 12 volumes defined 414 825 words， and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient．
1. How did Dr．Minor contribute to the dictionary?| A．He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers． |
| B．He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray． |
| C．He provided a great number of words and quotations． |
| D．he went to England to work with Murray． |
| A．Brave and determined. | B．Cautious and friendly. |
| C．Considerate and optimistic. | D．Unusual and scholarly. |
| A．The history of the English language． |
| B．The friendship between Murray and Minor． |
| C．Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary． |
| D．Broadmoor Asylum and its patients． |
