After 21 years of marriage, my wife woman out to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. The other woman was my mother,who has been a widow(寡妇)for 19 years.However,the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That Friday after work,when I arrived at her house,my mother was waiting in the door with her coat on.She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were !he First Lady. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation about nothing extraordinary but just caught up on recent events. We talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said: “I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed. A few days later, my mother died of a serious heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.
Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt (收据）from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: **I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; still, I paid for two plates—one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you. Son.”
At mat moment, I understood the importance of saying: UI love you” and of giving our loved ones the time they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than family. Give family members the attention they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some “other’ time.
1. The author describes in detail how his mother looked, in order to .| A．show readers his mother’s character |
| B．stress how important the dinner was to his mother |
| C．create an atmosphere of happiness |
| D．emphasize the importance of table manners |
| A．his mom. who paid in advance for the next dinner |
| B．God, who gave him the chance to have dinner with his mom |
| C．his wife, who pushed him to have with his mom |
| D．his children,who were very understanding and helpful |
| A．the author's mother felt satisfied to have paid the bill in advance |
| B．the author and his mother talked about big events during their dinner |
| C．the author and his mother saw a movie together after their dinner |
| D．the author considers his work and family a great burden |
| A．A good heart is sure to find another to match it. |
| B．We should seek for good opportunities to express our love. |
| C．If you put something off, you will regret it in the future. |
| D．It's important to express our love to our loved ones in time. |
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【推荐1】In January when wildfires came within a kilometer of her home, Jessica Miles found herself reflecting on the bravery of firefighters in the Port Macquarie area.
Jessica said the tires had been frightening. “There were helicopters (直升机) flying around our house and smoke everywhere,” she said. Over a family dinner, the 12-year-old girl raised the idea of building a sculpture to honor the men and women on the wildfire front line and was greeted with support.
With artwork from the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail on their doorstep, Jessica’s mother suggested she contact the organizers of the trail with her idea. In a message to Hello Koalas through a Facebook post. Jessica wrote: “I’ve recently thought of an idea as Australia has been facing disaster lately... The firefighters have risked their life and time to protect us. In recognition of their bravery, I wanted so share an idea I had about making a koala (考拉) in honor of the firefighters and to spread hope to Australia.”
Hello Koalas director Margret Meagher said while she had thought about creating a sculpture to honor Australia’s selfless and heroic firefighters in the past, Jessica’s message made her more determined than ever to make it happen. Having been involved in the Rural Fire Service (RFS), Ms. Meacher was also personally touched by summer’s wildfires: “So I really wanted to celebrate the local men and women who fought bravely to protect our community and to recognize all firefighters in Australia.” Ms. Meagher said.
Jessica, who is passionate about the environment and animals said she had been excited to receive such a positive response to her idea including her suggestion “it could have the RFS badge (章) painted on the koala or it could have a fireman’s jacket.” The new sculpture, Frankie Firefighter, created by artist Kim Staples, was unveiled (揭幕) this week and features both Jessica’s ideas.
1. What did Jessica’s mother advise her to do?| A．Send greetings to firefighters. | B．Put her artwork on their doorstep. |
| C．Build a sculpture to honor firefighters. | D．Seek help from Hello Koalas to apply her idea. |
| A．Firefighters heroic stories. | B．Her involvement in RFS. |
| C．Jessica’s Facebook post. | D．Her own past thoughts. |
| A．It wears a badge donated by a fireman. | B．It draws inspiration from Kim Staples. |
| C．It is contrary to Jessica’s expectations. | D．It is a koala in a fireman’s jacket. |
【推荐2】For the sixth year in a row, a Florida Chick-fil-A (CFA) celebrated the birthday of a longtime customer who has been coming to the restaurant on a regular basis for over 20 years! The CFA location in Oldsmar, Florida, USA, hosted a 104th birthday party for beloved customer Mr. Steve on Nov.8.
In a Facebook post, the restaurant said Mr. Steve visited every morning for over two decades until 2018. He sat at the same table, ordered the same breakfast and read the morning paper during his daily visits. Now, he visits on a regular basis.
“His visit was a daily highlight and our team would take five to ten minutes each day to sit and talk with him,” the post said. He is described as one of the “sweetest, most genuine, kind, and humble people we have had the pleasure to know” by the restaurant employees, many of whom have developed a special relationship with him over the years.
The restaurant shared pictures from each celebration. When he turned 100, the location said it went “big” by dedicating a table to Mr. Steve and gifting him free CFA for life. The celebration resulted in national news attention and the opportunity for Mr. Steve to film a Chick-fil-A commercial in New York City.
In 2020 for Mr. Steve’s 102nd birthday, CFA team members showed up to his home and celebrated him with a socially distanced party in the driveway. In 2021, the restaurant opened its dining room just for Mr. Steve in order to celebrate his 103rd birthday.
“As we celebrated 104, we couldn’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity to return even a portion of the love that he shares with our team, and for the bond that we have been able to build over the past six years of birthdays,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook.
1. When did the Florida Chick-fil-A begin to celebrate Mr. Steve’s birthday?| A．When he was 97. | B．When he was 98. |
| C．When he was 99. | D．When he was 100. |
| A．His long life. |
| B．His personality. |
| C．His life experience. |
| D．His commercial success. |
| A．His getting free CFA for life. |
| B．His visiting the CFA every day. |
| C．The CFA’s opening its dining room for him. |
| D．The special celebration of his 100th birthday. |
| A．To express gratitude. |
| B．To attract customers. |
| C．To share an experience. |
| D．To make an announcement. |
【推荐3】My first day at senior high
I rushed out of my home with eagerness to get to know my new school.
What an impressive day!
| A．I’m a teacher of the school. |
| B．The exciting day came at last. |
| C．I found my classroom five minutes later. |
| D．I saw many new facilities in the campus. |
| E．He asked every one of us to give a self-introduction. |
【推荐1】Life lessons from death
Living gratefully has a huge transforming power, not just when something wonderful or special happens, but every day no matter what is happening. I've recently been involved with two people whose lives were challenged by bad luck. I have seen how grateful living had the power to keep one of them going and how it's beginning to lift the other. One was a friend and the other is my sister.
My friend seemed to be in good health when she received a deadly diagnosis（诊断）: a disease with no effective treatment. She had all the emotions that a tragedy（悲剧）brings, but she also had a powerful response to despair（绝望）that gave her " the happiness that doesn't depend on what happens." She wrote online daily, honestly sharing the details of her situations.
She wrote that even though it was difficult to move, this gave her more time to notice small things. She was grateful not only for the love and help of family and friends, but also for time to see the sun rise and watch the birds in her yard. No opportunity for gratefulness was wasted.
She taught that gratefulness is not a false cheerfulness. It's taking every opportunity to celebrate the blessings of small things. We can be grateful for the challenge that helps us develop compassion（同情）for each other. Life is a precious gift.
She repeatedly blogged（写博客）that she was happier than she had ever been. When she wrote about "the worst day", she ended with "Life is still a lovely gift." She died later that day.
Her message, however, changed my sister's life. My sister's health was getting worse and worse, though nothing life-threatening（威胁生命的）. She did have a very painful knee. Her life was in danger form her defeated spirit She was bed-bound（卧床不起）, getting weaker and weaker. Fearful, angry and depressed, she felt out of options for recovery.
I read my sister a few of my friend's messages. I was careful not to say, "Why can't you be more like her? " Instead, I let the words do their work. I'm grateful to say that an attitude of gratitude began to replace her anger and fear. I believe this helped her to heal.
We can't be grateful for all that happens, but we can practise gratefulness for life itself, for all we can learn to deal with, for all the ways we can help each other grow and heal.
1. How did the author's sister feel when she was ill?| A．Calm | B．Lonely | C．Sad | D．Confused |
| A．She complained that life was unfair to her. |
| B．She started to appreciate and enjoy the small things in life. |
| C．She tried her best to look for the best doctors. |
| D．She repeatedly blogged how painful it was. |
| A．Writing a blog | B．Eating healthy food |
| C．Talking with family | D．Being grateful for life |
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Gratitude has the power of lifting people's spirits. |
| C．Health is the most important thing for people. |
| D．Families will always be there no matter what happens. |
There is an old Spanish saying which states, "Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?
| A．Don't let fear win. |
| B．In other words, dreams don't work unless you do. |
| C．Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. |
| D．Therefore, today is all we have. |
| E．You'll be much happier if you go for it. |
| F．You were born into the world with a unique gift, which nobody can copy. |
| G．Doors that you couldn't imagine open up when you go after what you want. |
【推荐3】When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That's just for you，” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.” Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I've never had a better piece of advice.
1. What did the father do after he had heard his daughter's complaint?| A．He agreed with her “enemy”. |
| B．He let her continue to put up with her “enemy”. |
| C．He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said about her. |
| D．He told her not to pay attention to what her “enemy” had said. |
| A．The “enemy” thought the writer was pretty. |
| B．The “enemy” thought the writer studied hard. |
| C．The writer and her “enemy” became best friends at last. |
| D．The writer is grateful to her father. |
| A．Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend |
| B．The Best Advice I've Ever Had |
| C．My Father |
| D．My Childhood |
【推荐1】My brother and I had the typical older-sister, younger-brother relationship. He loved to annoy me and I wanted to boss him around. I am five years older so we didn’t really share friends or activities but we always got along well. That all changed in 2013 when my mom died.
Sorrow does strange things to people. My brother and I dealt with it differently. He was 18 then and put his feelings into finishing his final year of high school. I turned to drug. I’d been using a painkiller for years to help with my kidney disease and I’d never abused it. But that changed in a moment. My mother’s death took over my life. I remember swallowing a handful of painkillers and then calling a local drug dealer to bring me more pills.
My addiction progressed and I became even more irresponsible. I even risked losing my son when child protective services became concerned enough about my ability to be a good parent. I’ll never forget the fear on my brother’s face when he came to the police station. My brother was confused by my decisions. He didn’t realize addiction was a mental illness. I could see the anger and hopelessness in his eyes. Seeing him walk away from me was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever experienced.
I started treatment. As my brother saw the work I put into my recovery, he began to let go of his anger. Little by little, we repaired our relationship. I know our mother would be proud. I remember someone telling me that my mother’s death would either destroy our family or bring us closer. At first, it tore our family apart but, from ashes to beauty, I firmly believe her death and all of the hardship along the way have made us closer than ever. I am forever grateful.
1. How did the brother react to their mother’s death?| A．He lost hope for life. | B．He started to take drugs. |
| C．He quit school immediately. | D．He focused on his study. |
| A．She couldn’t afford to raise him. |
| B．He was taken away by the police. |
| C．She was not considered a responsible parent. |
| D．She didn’t want to take care of him any longer. |
| A．Her efforts put into recovery. | B．Her devotion to her brother. |
| C．Somebody else’s kind words. | D．Good memories of their childhood. |
| A．Sufferings after Mother’s Death |
| B．Drugs-Not a Good Way to Kill Sorrow |
| C．Kicking Away My Drug Addiction |
| D．Getting together with My Dear Brother |
【推荐2】Growing up, I understood one thing about my dad: he knew everything. In my teen years, he taught me things I’d need to know to survive in the real world. When I moved out on my own, I also called him at least once a week. But then, eventually, I needed him less. I got married, and my husband had most of the knowledge I lacked about gutter cleaning and water heaters. For everything else, we had Google. I loved my dad, of course, but I wondered at times if maybe he had already shared everything I needed to know. Maybe I’d heard all his stories. Maybe, after knowing a man for 40 years, there was nothing left to say.
Then, this past summer, my husband, our four kids and I moved in with my parents for three weeks while our house was being repaired. They own a lake house, and dad asked me to help him rebuild the bulkhead (隔板). I didn’t refuse—it was the least I could do for free rent—but I was afraid of it. It was hard, manual (体力) labor.
But as we put the new bulkhead together piece by piece, my dad knew exactly what went where. I looked at him and asked, “How do you know how to build a bulkhead?” The heavy mallet (木槌) he was moving backward and forward paused in mid-air. “I spent a summer in college building bulkheads on the Jersey Shoro.” “You did?” I thought I knew everything about my dad - all his jobs and interests. But I never knew this.
As he explained the importance and the steps of rebuilding, I realized that maybe it’s not that there’s nothing left to say. Maybe it’s just that I’ve spent my life asking him the wrong questions.
1. What can we know about the author from paragraph 1?| A．She knew nothing about her father. |
| B．Her husband helped her deal with everything. |
| C．She lives a more independent life away from her father now. |
| D．She could solve most problems with the help of Google when she was young. |
| A．She liked the repairing work. | B．Her husband asked her to do that. |
| C．She wanted to learn some repairing skills. | D．She wanted to make up for free rent. |
| A．Devoted. | B．Serious. | C．Knowledgeable. | D．Courageous. |
| A．Because she didn’t know how to rebuild a bulkhead. |
| B．Because she realized she didn’t know her father enough. |
| C．Because she thought her father had taught her everything. |
| D．Because there was nothing else to say between her and her father. |
【推荐3】I accidentally heard a father and daughter in their last moments together at an airport. They had announced her plane's departure Standing near the door, he said to his daughter, "I love you. I wish you enough." She said," Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy." They kissed good-bye and she left.
He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude （干涉）on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, ''Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied.
Saying that brought back memories of expressing my love and appreciation for all my dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing. ''Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked.
''I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral," he said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?”
He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looked up as if he were trying to remember it in detail. He smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things," he continued and then turned toward me. He then shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory:
"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive…I wish you enough 'Hellos' to get you through the final 'Good-bye…
He then began to sob and walked away.
1. Why did father say it was a forever good-bye?| A．He would wait for his daughter. |
| B．He thought his days were limited. |
| C．His daughter wouldn't come back. |
| D．He had a quarrel with his daughter. |
| A．He seldom visited his father | B．He was busy working. |
| C．He was good at chatting, | D．He had the same feeling. |
| A．Treasuring the time together. | B．Keeping your spirit alive. |
| C．Appreciating the sun more. | D．Making your attitude bright. |
| A．I Have Challenges Ahead | B．A Sad Journey |
| C．I Wish You Enough | D．A Sad Father |
