It was Sunday, so Dad and I were at the second-hand goods market, looking for tools, appliances(家用电器), and other things that needed cleaning.Some were broken; others, like silver cups, just needed to be cleaned and polished.It was 1974, and the Depression(经济大萧条) was very serious.Dad worked full-time at a factory, but the money wasn‘t enough.Dad had tried a second job for a while, but he found it was too hard on the family.One day, he had an excellent idea that set me on a lifelong course of making money to support myself.Standing beside a crowded table at the second-hand goods market, I looked over an ancient manual sewing machine.Someone had changed it to run on electric power.It was much older than Mom‘s machine, but it looked like it had quality and a long life built into it.“Dad!” I called.“This is a beauty!”
Dad walked over, pulling a cart full of audio equipment, tools, worn-out appliances, and what appeared to be a block of dull kitchen knife.“What have you got, Son?” I described what I saw and what I figured I could do to x the beauty up.Dad paid for my discovery, and we headed home.
Every day after school I worked on the ancient machine, and every night Dad and I sharpened tools and knives, sanded off rust, polished metal, and replaced missing parts from various items.The next Saturday we headed off, as we did every weekend, to that same market, where we sold the treasures we‘d purchased the week before—at a tidy profit.My antique beauty brought in more money than anything else, and Dad let me keep every penny.
Dad‘s gone now, but I can never thank him enough.Even if we hadn‘t needed the extra money Dad and I brought in, I wouldn‘t have traded those weekends for all the picnics or Little League games in St.Louis—not in a million years.
1. Dad‘s good idea was .| A．getting a second job for a while |
| B．having his son get an after-school job |
| C．saving money by buying only used items |
| D．buying things and fixing them up for resale |
| A．He wanted to change it into an electric machine. |
| B．He thought it was like his Mom‘s machine. |
| C．He thought it was of good quality. |
| D．He wanted to practice his repair skills. |
| A．letting him shop at markets |
| B．helping him choose treasures |
| C．allowing him to keep money by himself |
| D．teaching him a lesson of self-support |
| A．Weekends at the Second-hand Goods Market |
| B．An Expensive Sewing Machine |
| C．An Accident Discovery |
| D．Jobs during the Economic Depression |
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【推荐1】Years ago, I had to travel a lot as part of work. Locked in my depressing world then, I lived as a robot working in a mechanical way every day.
On one of my work trips, I went to take a bus downtown as usual. Unexpectedly, there was a beautifully landscaped space that I had never seen before. The bus came along but I let it go past because I wanted more time to enjoy the landscape. Finally, the next bus approached and I got on that one.
After a while, a boy carrying lots of bags was seated next to me. Watching how he was accommodating his stuff, I was thinking how annoyed he must be at having to manage so much stuff. Just then, he gave me the most sincere smile I had seen from a stranger. He said "Hi! The perfect day in the perfect place, huh?" "Perfect day!" I answered, distracted by his shining smile and started to chat with him.
"Homeless since 10 years old, I lived on the street, but I've been lucky because I've known many people who have been kind to me." He said simply. Hearing this, I couldn't say a word. "Now I'm on my way to the army school where my deceased grandfather studied a long time ago." He smiled and told me for 10 years he had only one thing on his mind, to join the army like his grandpa. "I will follow my dream and every day I will be happy." He said calmly.
At this point, the bus had reached his stop. Taking his luggage, he waved goodbye to me with a big smile. Choked up with emotion, I forced a smile and shook his hands tightly. Never would I have imagined such a young homeless boy could change my perspective towards life during one short bus ride. From then on, whatever I encountered, I always try to do everything with my best smile on my face.
1. How does the author feel about his life before coming across the boy?| A．Satisfied. | B．Frustrated. | C．Optimistic. | D．Concerned. |
| A．To appreciate the beautiful view. | B．To take a break at the stop. |
| C．To wait for the homeless boy. | D．To chat with a passer-by. |
| A．Purchasing. | B．Carrying. | C．Checking. | D．Placing. |
| A．The boy was 10 years old when they met. | B．The boy was annoyed at his heavy luggage. |
| C．The author got motivated from the young boy. | D．The boy's grandfather anticipated him joining the army. |
For most 12-year-olds, any free time after school is spent hanging out with friends, competing in sports, or playing video games. But Alejandro Buxton has another dream: making all-natural candles that he sells online and at a local mall.
The idea was inspired by his mother, who had to give up many of the scented candles she’d filled their home with after realizing the chemicals within them were worsening her allergies (过敏), causing her frequent headaches.
So, in 2019, at just 9 years old, the boy started experimenting with making his own, mixing ingredients like soy and coconut waxes with essential oils. He called his first work “Jurassic Orange,” for its color and pleasant smell. Though his mother was a big fan, and the scent didn’t cause her head to ache, Buxton wanted to improve upon his work.
Within the next few months, he’d developed a line of six uniquely scented candles. By the following year, during the worldwide lockdowns, he’d created his own online shop.
Soon after, Alejandro began selling his products on his own website, “Smell of Love Candles,” where shoppers can find offerings with creative names like “Sage the Day!” and “Alexa, clean the house.” He also lists other products such as room sprays for sale.
According to the site, his younger sister Valentina serves as assistant of operations while his mother takes the role of assistant to the CEO.
Now, he is operating his business in a local mall as well. This past September, he opened a stand in D.C.’s Tysons Corner shopping center—making him the youngest leaseholder (承租人) at the mall.
Besides inspiring fellow kids with his entrepreneurial spirit and talent, Alejandro is also a positive role model for giving back and making a difference: He donates a part of his profits to a local charity.
With the experience and knowledge he’s gaining from running this business at such a young age, Alejandro hopes to one day go on to create an engineering business.
1. What is Alejandro’s dream?2. Why did the boy come up with the idea?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
• Alejandro is a successful businessman because he began his candle business and started an engineering business at a young age.
4. Among Alejandro’s qualities, which one do you think will be important for you? Why? (In about 40 words)
【推荐3】At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer (拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house — something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, “What do you want for your new room?” Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, “I just want a bed.”
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds together, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase (枕套) onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, “What is that?” “A pillow,” he replied. “What do you do with it?” Eric continued to ask. “When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as he handed Eric the pillow. “Oh... that’s soft,” he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my dad gently asks, “Do you have a pillow?” We know exactly what he means.
1. Why did the writer’s volunteer group decide to build a new house for the poor family?| A．The trailer was too small to hold such a large family. |
| B．Some strangers had donated some money to the family. |
| C．The trailer was in such poor condition that it couldn’t be fixed up. |
| D．The crew that had been working on it for two weeks asked them to do so. |
| A．Amazed. | B．Thrilled. | C．Confused. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．What he will buy is not what they want but a pillow. |
| B．His children should do more volunteer work for the poor. |
| C．His children should not waste money on cheap things. |
| D．What they ask for may not be necessary. |
| A．He was accustomed to sleeping with a pillow under his head. |
| B．He didn’t enter the room when he asked the questions. |
| C．He slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows. |
| D．He begged the volunteer group to buy some pillows. |
