To personal trainer Sammy Callari, 13-year-old Parker Seward is more than a client. He’s his “little brother”. Over the past year, the pair have bonded. They play basketball together, share meals and dance to hip-hop like no one’s watching.
The trainer was asked to work with the 13-year-old boy, who has Down syndrome, because his coworker who dealt with the boy was out of town last spring. Callari had never worked with someone with a disability before. He was anxious the first day he met Parker. But Parker’s big smile and cheery introduction immediately put him at ease. He reminded Callari of himself when he was a teenager. Like Parker, Callari has also faced his fair share of challenges over the years.
As a high schooler, Callari described himself as being the weak kid. When it came to sports, he was always overlooked. His dream of playing baseball in college quickly faded away. When he went to college, Callari turned to a new sport. His younger brother trained him to become a boxer. Callari participated in five matches. Out of four of those fights he was the underdog, and he won three times. “I know how it feels,” Callari said. “Society tells you that you can’t do this, you can’t do that.” When it comes to Parker, Callari refuses to accept the word “can’t”.
The friends meet twice a week to train. They bike, box, run and work on their core with push-ups. Parker has a short attention span, so it’s Callari’s job to keep him focused. “If Parker can do it, if he’s having fun, even with his frustration, then people will ask, “Why can’t I do that?” Callari said. “That’s the whole task right now.”
Callari recalls Parker’s mom once thanking him for taking a “chance” on her son. Callari told her he never viewed it that way. Parker may be the student, but Callari says he’s also the one who’s learning.
1. Why was Callari asked to train Parker?A.They shared the same interests. | B.Parker’s parents had faith in Callari. |
C.Callari took place of his absent colleague. | D.Callari was an expert in Down syndrome. |
A.He was good at sports. | B.He was out of condition. |
C.He was looked down upon by everyone. | D.He was influenced deeply by his brother. |
A.Grateful. | B.Sympathetic. | C.Cautious. | D.Critical. |
A.An inspiring story of a disabled boy. |
B.high schooler suffering lots of failure. |
C.The friendship between a disabled boy and his personal trainer. |
D.Ways of developing friendship with the boy with Down syndrome. |
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【推荐1】Jack threw the papers on my desk. “Next time you want to change anything, ask me first,” he said. I had changed a long sentence and corrected its grammar — something I thought I was paid to do.
Several days later, he made me angry again. I went to his office, prepared to lose my job if need be, but not before I let the man know how I felt. “What?” he said nervously.
Suddenly I knew what I had to do. “Jack, the way you’ve been treating me is wrong. And it’s wrong for me to allow it to continue,” I said. “I want to make you a promise. I will be a friend.” The next day I brought some cakes to Jack’s office. Every time I saw Jack in the hall, I smiled at him. After all, that’s what friends do.
One year after our talk, I was told that I had breast cancer . When I was in hospital, my friends tried to find the right words to say, but no one could. The last day of my hospital stay, the door opened and Jack walked over to my bed. “Tulips (郁金香),” he placed some bulbs beside me and said, “If you plant them when you get home, you’ll be there to see them when they come up.” Tears filled my eyes.
In a moment when I prayed for just the right words, a man with few words said the right thing. After all, that’s what friends do. Now, I have seen those tulips push through the soil every spring for over ten years.
1. Why did Jack throw some papers on the author’s desk?A.She gave him the wrong papers. | B.He thought her report was very bad. |
C.He wanted her to check them again. | D.He didn’t agree with her correction. |
A.She would work harder from then on. | B.She would treat him like a friend. |
C.She would bring him some cakes. | D.She would treat him the same way. |
A.love | B.honor | C.hope | D.thanks |
A.Friends must help each other to correct mistakes. |
B.Friends should give advice to each other at the right time. |
C.Friends should do anything for each other. |
D.Friends should treat each other with respect and kindness. |
Many students want to find friends on the Internet as a way of practicing their language skills and learning more about new cultures. Traditional pen pals were the primary source for such contacts, and students could write each other letters. With the Internet, finding friends has become much easier, and such relationships are called key pals.
However, care and consideration should be given when finding friends on the Internet:
◎Search the Internet for reputable(有信誉的) services. Look for reviews of such sites to learn more about other students’ experiences. Don’t join a service until you have done your research.
◎Check to see if you can use a nickname, instead of ________, to protect your identity.
◎Never give personal information to anyone, including your home address, phone number, and birthday.
◎Stop contact with others if you feel uncomfortable with the topics of conversation. Again, if you protect your identity, this will be easier to do. Tell your teachers, parents, or even local law enforcement if problems arise.
◎Try to use the language you are studying in the classroom in your communication with others.
◎Ask appropriate questions that will also help you learn about other cultures. Remember that someone’s personal experience might help you to understand a whole culture. You have to talk to many different people, and this will get you started.
1. Please give this passage a proper title. (Please answer within 10 words)2. Please fill in the blank with proper words. (Please answer within 5 words)
3. Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one? (Please answer within 20 words)
Pen friends used to write letters to keep in touch with each other.
4. Why do many students want to find friends on the Internet?(Please answer within 15 words.)
5. What would you like to do if you had a bit of a problem with your key pals? (Please answer within 10 words)
【推荐3】How to write a Letter to Parents
As a teacher, one of the most difficult parts of your job is working with parents.
·Put positive communication in the letter, even if you are writing to discuss a problem.
·Share the problem with the parents. Express your concern and desire to help.
·
·Consider mailing the letter to the parent, rather than sending it home with the student. Some students will intentionally forget to give the letter to their parents, while others will accidentally or purposely lose the letter.
A.Ask for a response. |
B.Respect parents and never quarrel with them. |
C.Whenever you meet with problems, you should keep cool. |
D.Sending it in the mail makes it more certain that it will be received. |
E.Do not place it completely on their shoulders, as they may hate this action. |
F.You can do this by pointing out a little progress the child has made recently. |
G.With proper communication, however, you can build bridges between the school and home. |
【推荐1】Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory into a life lesson that I carry with me today.
My mother and father were united in their way of raising children, but it mostly fell to my mother to actually carry it out. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how she did it. Managing the family budget must have been a very hard task, but she made it look effortless. If we complained about not having what another kid did, we’d hear something like, “I don’t care what so-and-so got for his birthday, you are not getting a TV in your room, a car for your birthday or a lavish sweet-16 party.” We had to earn our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. Like the two little girls growing up at the White House, we made our own beds (no one left the house until that was done) and picked up after ourselves. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.
It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers, the basket winked at me and I knew — I knew — I had to have it.
“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her. “What a neat basket.”
I tried to hold off at first. I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn’t stand it any longer: “Mom, please can I please, please get it? I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. I love that basket. Please, Mom. Please?”
I was desperate.
“ You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever, “If you save up you could buy this yourself.”
“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!”
“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” she smiled at Roger, the bike guy.
“He can’t hold it for that long, Mom. Someone else will buy it. Please, Mom, please?” “There might be another way,” she said.
And so our paying plan unfolded. My mother bought the beautiful basket and put it safely in some hiding place I couldn’t find. Each week I eagerly counted my growing savings increased by extra work here and there (washing the car, helping my mother make dinner, delivering or collecting things on my bike that already looked naked without the basket in front). And then, weeks later, I counted, re-counted and jumped for joy. Oh, happy day! I made it! I finally had the exact amount we’d agreed upon....
Days later the unthinkable happened. A neighborhood girl I’d played with millions of times appeared with the exact same basket fixed to her shiny, new bike that already had all the bells and whistles. I rode hard and fast home to tell my mother about this disaster. This horrible turn of events.
And then came the lesson I’ve taken with me through my life: “Honey, your basket is extra-special,” Mom said, gently wiping away my hot tears. “Your basket is special because you paid for it yourself.”
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?A.The mother raised her children in an unusual way. |
B.The writer envied the daughters of the U.S. president. |
C.The writer’s parents shared the duty to bring up children. |
D.Managing budget is an effortless job to most housewives. |
A.well worth the effort she had made | B.the most valuable she had ever obtained |
C.an unnecessary accessory to her bike | D.something the bike couldn’t do without |
A.the basket cost more than she had saved |
B.someone else had got a basket of the same kind |
C.her paying plan was spoiled |
D.a neighborhood girl bought a nicer bike |
A.Save money for a rainy day. | B.Good advice is beyond all price. |
C.Earn your bread with your sweat. | D.God helps those who help themselves. |
Then I took my first trip to New York City. I couldn’t wait to experience the city. However, when I arrived in the Big Apple, it wasn’t at all what I had imagined. I knew it was home to thousands of people, but I hadn’t had the least expectation to see so many people on the street at one time. All the streets were filled with people. I also felt a little surprised to see that everyone was in a hurry and everything moved at such a fast pace. When I took the subway for the first time, I said hello to the middle-aged woman next to me. She looked at me with dislike and didn’t say a word.
After just one day, I realized how important my small town is to me. Now I appreciate the familiar faces I see every day. I like the feeling of security(安全) and belonging my town offers. Jim Thorpe gives me a sense of community and togetherness that the city doesn’t provide. I realize just how much a simple hello does for a stranger — it really can make your day a little better.
My big trip showed me that my small town really has instilled(注入) morals and values in me that I didn’t even know I had. I never would have known what a big place my town holds in my heart if I had not taken that trip to New York City.
1. How did the author feel about life in Jim Thorpe at first?
A.People there cared little about others. |
B.People there liked to accept new things. |
C.Living there was a great disadvantage. |
D.There were many chances of career development. |
A.The gestures of greeting. |
B.The modern transportation. |
C.The fast pace of life. |
D.The crowded streets. |
A.Travelling to New York City. |
B.The familiar faces in Jim Thorpe. |
C.A big place in his / her town. |
D.Everybody likes talking about others. |
A.Love of my small town |
B.A sense of community |
C.A pleasant trip to New York City |
D.Differences between big cities and small towns |
【推荐3】My first day of high school was like any other first day: registering, finding new classmates, meeting new teachers, and seeking new friends.
During lunch, I ran into my first snag (小困难) of the day. At the dining hall, as the checkout (付款处) lady asked for my money, I realized that I had forgotten my lunch money. When I told her about it, I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and there stood a teacher telling he would pay for my lunch. He told me his name, Mr. Peter Walker, and said, “If you get a chance, you should take my history class.” I recognized his name, and told him I was in his class later that day. Mr. Walker made friends with me on the very first day of school at a very crucial time of the day —lunch!
He always told us we should do more than we ever thought. He pushed us to do all things better. He coached many sports, and sponsored many after-class activities. If we were interested in something, he would find a way to expose us to it by inviting speakers, taking us on field trips, or obtaining information for us.
Two years later, my junior year in school was clicking along nicely when one day I was riding my motorcycle and I was hit by a car. I spent six days in hospital and was at home in bed for two weeks before returning to school. Mr. Walker stopped by the hospital each day with my work from my teachers. Once I was at home, he would bring my work too.
After high school, I attended the United States Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia. I knew my parents would be there the day I graduated, but they brought an unexpected guest. They came across Mr. Walker at lunch several days before and told him I was about to graduate. His visit, however, was not a surprise to me.
1. At the dining hall, ______.A.the lady didn’t want to charge the author for his lunch |
B.the author knew Mr. Walker was right behind him |
C.Mr. Walker didn’t know the author was his student |
D.the author decided to invite Mr. Walker to lunch |
A.caring | B.strict | C.skilled | D.learned |
A.His parents met Mr. Walker by chance. |
B.His family invited Mr. Walker to lunch. |
C.Mr. Walker brought an unexpected guest. |
D.His parents came together with Mr. Walker. |
A.The author had invited Mr. Walker to his graduation ceremony. |
B.The author’s parents had informed him of Mr. Walker’s visit. |
C.Mr. Walker had a very close relationship with his students. |
D.Mr. Walker went to visit the author frequently. |
【推荐1】A Georgia mom is winning praise for the way she’s teaching her children, aged 13,10 and 6, about money.
Shaketha MeGregor, a single mother in Dublin, Georgia, knew she needed a solution after frequent requests from her three kids for things like new toys and money to do things with their friends.
She came up with the unique idea to host a “job fair(就业展览会)”for her three children, Jahkeem, in seventh grade, Takeia, in fifth grade, and Serinity, in first grade. The three positions at the job fair were the kitchen manager, lead housekeeper and laundry supervisor(洗衣房主管).Children had to earn their pocket money by doing a job.
Jahkeem, Takeia and Serinity each picked the job they wanted to apply for, filled out the application and had interviews with their employer-their mom.
“My oldest and my youngest both applied for the lead housekeeper,” McGregor said.“ As to my 6-year-old daughter Serinity, I was more impressed with her application and her interview than my 13-year-old son Jahkeem.”
”I want them to be familiar with the process when they are older,“ she said. ”Whether they’re applying to a school or for a new job. they can look back and say, “I did this with Mom years ago.” As a parent you want to protect your children as much as possible, but you know that eventually they’ll have to experience it on their own and a child’s greatest lesson in life is going through the process.
MeGregor’s post on Facebook where she shared her job fair idea now has more than 200,000 likes. She said she hoped it inspired other parents to think outside of the box and let their kids’ voices be heard.“ What I’m realizing is that kids just want to be part of something. The first-hand experience is the best way to educate children,” McGregor said.
1. What do you know about McGregor’s solution?A.It is creative. | B.It’s uninteresting |
C.It is strange. | D.It’s traditional. |
A.By doing housework. | B.By behaving well. |
C.By getting good marks. | D.By listening to McGregor. |
A.Serinity was awarded a new toy. |
B.Serinity got the position as a kitchen manager. |
C.Takeia became the lead housekeeper at the fair. |
D.Jahkeen didn’t get the job he had applied for. |
A.Children should always listen to their parents views. |
B.Parents should pay their children for anything. |
C.MeGregor’s post is well received online. |
D.MeGregor’s idea is suitable for all families. |
【推荐2】William Lindesay, renowned Great Wall expert and conservationist, and his wife Wu Qi have traveled across the globe by the back paths, providing their sons Jimmy and Tommy a unique environment for personal growth.
Sunhats, backpacks, sneakers and trekking poles — these are the day-to-day must-haves of the family. This East-meets-West couple started traveling while their younger son was still in nappies in 2003. Most of their trips, most of which are far from the hot spots recommended by travel guidebooks, seem more rigorous than leisurely — heritage study in the Mongolian deserts, a 53-kilometer hiking tour of New Zealand, a one-day climb of three English summits and a six-day train ride from Beijing to Moscow.
“Real travel may be hard, uncertain, uncomfortable, but there’s a feel-good factor when you pass a test of some kind,” Lindesay wrote in the family’s newly published travel memoir Pages of Discovery.
Lindesay attaches great importance to learning out of the classroom, saying that children might score well on school tests, but that experience of the world outside, in distant lands, with different languages, scripts, political structures, and religious beliefs, is the real testing ground.
Children in this international family did not have the same pressure to perform on school tests, but they had “homework” on the road. Wu asked her sons to write travel diaries, collect tickets, draw maps and summarize travel tips. She says such habits, though they might not directly improve test scores, will pay dividends in later life.
These experiences certainly shaped their sons’ characters and influenced their chosen study at university. One read world history, the other international relations. The two brothers also share an interest in historical monuments, and the Great Wall in particular. They are now planning to follow in their father’s footsteps with a new 4,500-km hike on the Great Wall.
“My parents view the world as a big classroom, and my brother and I are the biggest beneficiaries,” Jimmy says.
1. Which of the following best describes their trips across the world?A.Hard and risky. | B.Unique yet stressful. |
C.Challenging and educational. | D.Leisurely yet rewarding. |
A.They think little of school education. |
B.They believe travel provides real education. |
C.They ask their sons to follow their career path. |
D.They require their sons to perform well on school tests. |
A.Bring advantages. | B.Pay a price. |
C.Improve scores. | D.Make mistakes. |
A.Good company on the road is the shortest cut. |
B.Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. |
C.A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
D.It is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books. |
【推荐3】My eighteen-year-old daughter Julia called twenty minutes after she left, saying she had an accident. I grabbed my shoes and was in the car in less than a minute. When I finally saw her, I hugged her tightly. Then I looked at the other driver. Learning that he fell asleep behind the wheel at about seventy miles an hour when the speed limit was forty-five, I could have choked him.
“It could have been worse,” I reminded myself as she cried all the way to the doctor’s office. Luckily, four days after the accident, Julia felt better. At her appointment, her doctor cleared her to resume normal activities, including driving. But I could tell by her look that she had no intention of getting behind the wheel.
Later that day, I sat with Julia as she spoke on the phone with our insurance agent. On the phone, she was professional, telling the agent what had happened in a clear, brief way. I realized she sounded like an adult. And adults drive cars. I realized that no matter how I felt about it, allowing Julia to give in to her fear wasn’t good for her. When she hung up, I hugged her. “You’re stronger than you think,” I said. “And tomorrow you’re going to drive my car and meet your friends for lunch. You just have to push through the fear and do it, and it will get easier each time you do.” I ignored the fear in her eyes and the way my heart sped up when I thought about Julia behind the wheel again.
The next day, Julia drove my car to meet her friends. As I watched her leave, I felt nervous and proud. She texted me when she got to the restaurant, and I felt my heart rate return to normal. The tears I’d been holding back all week flooded my eyes. Watching her leave the house without me for the first time since the accident was frightening, but it was also necessary.
1. What was the author’s reaction to the driver’s behavior?A.She almost burst with anger. | B.She felt guilty for her daughter. |
C.She felt sympathy for him. | D.She was choked with sorrow. |
A.Staying away from driving. | B.Attending a driving lesson. |
C.Contacting the insurance agent. | D.Retaking her routine activities. |
A.The driver took the blame for the accident. |
B.The accident had been worse than expected. |
C.Julia should overcome the fear to drive. |
D.Julia was smart to deal with any trouble. |
A.Julia was good at learning to drive. |
B.Julia recovered mentally and physically. |
C.Julia had supportive friends and parents. |
D.Julia could look after herself when driving. |