During lunch all my friends were talking about their families’ plans for winter break, and I was a little jealous since my parents couldn’t take a vacation during Christmas week.
I came home from school that day to find a newsletter from the Jewish CommunityCenter, which contained an ad for an “alternative vacation” community-service trip to New Orleans during Christmas week. I wondered whether cleaning neighborhoods destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag were really the way I wanted to spend Christmas vacation. I sent in an application anyway, went for an interview, and was actually very excited when I was accepted into the program.
We arrived in New Orleans on December 23. First, we had dinner at a pizza place that had been destroyed by the hurricane. The owners told us about what they had gone through to rebuild their homes.
On Christmas Eve, we spent the day removing garbage as part of a beautification project in the Lower Ninth Ward, which was most heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
On Christmas Day, we worked at a center for homeless people. The people really appreciated our work, and we felt like we had made Christmas a little more special for them. My favorite project was helping at an animal rescue center. We walked the animals, cleaned their places, and fed them. Six thousand dogs and cats, separated from their owners, were rescued by that shelter after the hurricane.
When I returned to New York and told my friends about my trip, I realized how ridiculous I had been to be jealous of their Christmas plans. I looked around at my house, my dog, my family and everything I owned and felt really spoiled. All the things I saw in New Orleans, all the amazing people I met and the small ways l was able to contribute to the rebuilding of the city made that week the most memorable vacation I can imagine.
1. What was the author’s first reaction to the community-service trip?| A．He felt upset. | B．He was excited. |
| C．He felt hopeful. | D．He was doubtful. |
| A．Removing garbage. | B．Helping the homeless. |
| C．Working with animals. | D．Dining with survivors. |
| A．The Most Memorable Day | B．My Special Christmas Vacation |
| C．Post-Disaster Reconstruction | D．A Big Contribution to Society |
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【推荐1】I was born in the city of York, in England, in 1632. My father was a man of some wealth, able to give the me a good home and send me to school. It was his wish that I should be a lawyer but my head began to be filled very early with thoughts of travel, and I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea. One day, being at Hull, met one of my friends who was about to sail for London in his father’s ship, and he invited me to go with him. Without telling my father, I went on board.
On the way to London, our ship was destroyed by a storm, and we almost lost our lives. I went on foot to London, where I met with the master of a large ship which did business with countries on the coast of Africa. He offered me a chance to go with him, which I gladly accepted.
A great storm came up, and the ship was tossed (颠簸) about for many days, until we did not know where we were. Suddenly we hit a bank of sand, and the sea broke over the ship in such a way that we could not hope to have her hold many moments without breaking into pieces. So we used a boat instead. After we had been driven four or five miles,a mountainous wave (波浪) hit us so hard that it overturned the boat at once. I swam well but the waves were so strong that I was pushed against a rock with such force, and left unconscious. But I recovered a little before the waves returned, and, running forward, got to the mainland safely. I never regretted my decisions.
1. What the author want to do most when he was young?| A．To visit Africa. | B．To sail the seas. |
| C．To practice law. | D．To move to London. |
| A．alone | B．hungry |
| C．sleepy | D．senseless |
| A．what he did on the ship | B．what he went through at sea |
| C．how he became a man of wealth | D．how he got to know a ship owner |
| A．He could not swim at all. | B．He made his father very proud. |
| C．He was not afraid of taking risks. | D．He did business with African countries. |
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by lightning. Witnesses(目击者) thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and a muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from lightning. However, none of them could give a compelling answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.
1. The reason why James attempted to kill himself was that ________.
| A．a terrible electrical accident happened to him |
| B．he had to live in a dark and silent world |
| C．he was struck by lightning once more |
| D．nobody in the world cared about him |
| A．Sheltering from the rain under a tree. |
| B．Putting an end to his life. |
| C．Taking a walk with a stick. |
| D．Lying on the ground. |
| A．A Terrible Electrical Accident |
| B．James Franco and His Wife |
| C．An Unforgettable Experience |
| D．What a Sudden Shock |
【推荐3】One of my most beloved possessions is my black, spiral-bound journal. It is a thin, wide-ruled, simple journal with no lock or key that I found at the dollar store. The journal has no monetary (货币的) value but instead holds its value of capturing my daily moments of gratitude.
The concept of a gratitude journal originated when my little brother began his gratitude journal. Although he is only twelve, he has truly grasped the concept of gratitude. I remember one of his journal entries saying, “I am thankful for my dog because I love walking her in the park”. A simple walk in the park makes my video game enthusiastic brother grateful and joyful.
Seeing how my brother could practice gratitude daily, I was inspired to start my own gratitude journal. Initially, writing in my gratitude journal was such a struggle. On the most typical, dry days when I sat at my desk for hours studying for the SAT, what was there to be grateful for? At one point, I found my gratitude journal to be a pointless concept and I lost belief in my gratitude journal. In the time when I chose not to journal, I realized how plain my life was. I missed savoring every moment and taking delight in the little aspects of my life that made me smile.
I decided to continue writing in my gratitude journal once again. Even though I was not learning in a classroom over the summer, I still learned in a different manner. The journal has acted as a reflective, personal space for me to recall the past. The simplest moments of my life that were once overlooked are now the highlights of my day.
1. Why did the author mention his brother’s journal?| A．To praise his brother’s vivid works. | B．To express his gratitude to his brother. |
| C．To amuse the readers with a funny story. | D．To explain his decision for writing a journal. |
| A．He didn’t know what to write. | B．He was struggling with words. |
| C．He was too busy to write journals. | D．He couldn’t find the meaning of life. |
| A．Expecting. | B．Fighting. | C．Enjoying. | D．Ruining. |
| A．Learn from journals, and learn from life. |
| B．Be grateful for every moment of life. |
| C．Wherever you are, do remember to keep a journal. |
| D．The least important can be the highlight sometimes. |
【推荐1】How to celebrate Purim
What is Purim?
Purim(which means “lots” in Persian)is a Jewish holiday that celebrates how the Jewish people were saved from being completely destroyed in ancient Persia as told in The Book of Esther.
How is Purim celebrated?
Purim is an extremely festive and happy occasion that is celebrated with the community. A few of the ways Purim is typically celebrated include:
Reading the Megilah or “scroll” （i. e., The Book of Esther）at night and in the morning
Making large sounds with groggers（noisemakers）whenever Haman's name is mentioned in the Megillah reading
Dressing up in costumes
Having a festive holiday meal
Drinking and merrymaking
Putting on a humorous play in costumes known as a Purim shpiel(which means “play” in Yiddish)
Giving gifts of snacks and other food to friends and neighbors
Giving gifts of money, food or drinks to the poor
How to greet someone on Purim?
To greet someone on Purim, you can say, “Happy Purim” or use one of the following:
Chag Purim sameach! (“Happy Purim holiday”)
Purim sameach! (“Happy Purim”)
Chag sameach! (“Happy holiday”)
When is Purim?
Purim happens on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar(during leap years，which happen every two to three years in the Hebrew calendar, an extra month, Adar I, is added and it is celebrated on the 14th of Adar Ⅱ).
This year, Purim begins on the evening of Wednesday, March 16 and ends the evening of Thursday, March 17. However, in Jerusalem and other walled cities, it is celebrated on the 15th of Adar, based on poems from Chapter 9 of The Book of Esther.
1. What is the atmosphere like during the time of Purim?| A．Serious. | B．Stressful. | C．Scaring. | D．Lively. |
| A．Give a humorous performance. | B．Ask for snacks from neighbors. |
| C．Say “Happy Purim” door to door. | D．Have a holiday meal with the poor. |
| A．On March15. | B．On a Tuesday. |
| C．On the 14th of Adar. | D．On the 15th of Adar. |
【推荐2】FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS
Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient times. Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn.
Festivals of the Dead
Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the ancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. For the Japanese festival Obon, people should go to clean graves and light incense in memory of their ancestors. The Western holiday Halloween is now a children’s festival, when they can dress up and go to their neighbors’ homes to ask for sweets.
Festivals to Honour People
Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events. People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter. China and Japan have mid-autumn festivals, when people admire the moon and in China, enjoy moon-cakes.
Spring Festivals
The most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and the coming of spring.
People love to get together to eat, drink and have fun with each other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our customs and forget our work for a little while.
| A．Harvest Festivals. |
| B．Traditional Festivals. |
| C．They offer food, flowers and gifts to the dead. |
| D．Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. |
| E．If the neighbors do not give any sweets, the children might play a trick on them. |
| F．During the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings and may give children lucky money in red paper. |
| G．Today’s festivals have many origins: some are religious, some seasonal, and some for special people or events. |
【推荐3】The third Easter of COVID-19 is upon us, and there will probably be fewer cultural events than we are used to. But that doesn’t mean we should be sad during the spring festivities.
Decorate your home
Easter is a celebration of spring. Nature is waking up after its long winter sleep.
The magic of Easter cooking
Traditional dishes are also an inherent part of Easter. In addition to the simpler ones like egg spread, you should not forget to bake a lamb pie and mazanec. If you prefer savoury pastries, you can try Easter jidáš.
Get creative with egg decorations
Go for a walk
The first days of spring literally invite you to take a walk.
| A．But how to enjoy them to the fullest? |
| B．So, decorate your home with Easter symbols. |
| C．April comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. |
| D．There are no limits to your imagination and creativity. |
| E．Decorating eggs is something you’ll enjoy most with children. |
| F．Other classic dishes include roast lamb, rabbit, or even goat meat. |
| G．The sun is getting stronger and the first plants are waking up in the gardens. |
