In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animals. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others. Often, we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we're brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭)or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty-four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can. And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t, pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.
1. People will feel happy, according to the author's findings, when __________.| A．they offer their help to others | B．they receive others’ help |
| C．they feel others’ kindness to them | D．they show their weakness to other people |
| A．Because he has a soft heart, showing sympathy to others. |
| B．Because he is disabled and relies much on others. |
| C．Because some people pretend to be kind, but in fact they are not. |
| D．Because some people fail to see the kindness in others. |
| A．They sped up to pass because they didn’t want to wait. |
| B．They stopped their cars to offer help. |
| C．丁hey put on their flashlights too. |
| D．They waited with patience. |
| A．be independent of others and handle problems by ourselves |
| B．accept help from others for everything |
| C．admit our weakness |
| D．show our bravery |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Handwritten thank-you letters are such a simple way of making other people feel good, it is strange that so few people write them anymore. At work, a thank-you letter to employees is unbelievably effective. It costs little and has no side effects. The effort involved in writing letters very low. The pleasure on receiving them is very high.
Doug Conant, manager of Campbell’s Soup Company since 2001, knows the power of thank you letters. He said that every day he works with an assistant, searching the company for people deserving thanks.
In these days of such busy schedules and people running all over the place and trying to get ahead, sometimes we forget the simplest things in life are the most powerful and rewarding. You need to think to yourself about a time someone sent you a thank-you and how much it meant to you.
| A．He then writes them a thank-you letter. |
| B．Why are thank-you letters so important? |
| C．You may ask what side effects exactly mean. |
| D．This makes them an excellent way to reward and motivate staff. |
| E．But if these letters are so inspiring, why don’t more managers write them? |
| F．Always remember to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you!” |
| G．Since no one ever writes them thank-you letters they don’t write any themselves. |
Every day, in hundreds of ordinary situations, actions speak far louder than words. We talk with our mouth, but we communicate with our facial expressions, our tone of voice and our whole body.
By understanding how to use body language, you can communicate more effectively. Here is how:
Work on your handshake.
Use eye contact. Eye contact is very important in forming an impression of someone. You should have the ability to keep direct eye contact if you want to be taken seriously. But some people feel uncomfortable when it is too strong.
Be yourself. Nonverbal (非言语的) messages come from deep inside you, from your own sense of self-respect. If you are comfortable with yourself, it shows.
| A．Use hand gestures carefully. |
| B．Pay attention to your body-talk. |
| C．A mirror can be useful to examine facial expressions. |
| D．People who know who they are have a relaxed way of talking and moving. |
| E．In the business world, the handshake shows important messages about power. |
| F．Understanding body language is one of the most useful skills you can develop. |
| G．To avoid this problem, change your focus so that you look at somewhere between the eyes and the chin. |
【推荐3】Dossantos grew up among the banana trees of East Timor, a state in Maritime Southeast Asia, and never imagined he would work on Australian farms.
Last week he was picking pumpkins (南瓜) out of the rich red Ord valley soils of Ivanhoe Farms in Western Australia’s far north, working with five other East Timorese employees in Kununurra’s 381℃heat.
Dossantos is part of a group of 30 East Timorese in the area for six months as seasonal workers, laboring (劳动) on smaller fruit and vegetable farms that were part of Ord stage one, developed in the 1970s. The men are employed by happy farmers across the Ord valley, many of whom have struggled, in the past with their dependence on not always reliable backpackers to plant their crops on time and pick full-grown I fruit and vegetables.
Dossantos is typical of the group; he speaks little English, has worked on farms in East Timor and wants to earn an Australian salary (工资) for four to six months before returning home late this month as the wet season arrives, to build a better life.
“It’s a good job; hard work and hot but with good money,” Dossantos says. “I work for four months, send my money back to Mom and Dad and then go home; it’s enough to last me for the next six months and then I hope to come back here again to work next year.”
Itis music to the ears of Matt and Melanie Gray, who have had up to 12 East Timorese workers picking pumpkins on their Ceres Farm for the past few months.
Like many growers in the Ord, the Grays welcomed the opportunity this year to employ full-time visiing East
Timorese employees to do most of their continuous crop picking. “It has been a win-win situation; they seem really happy with the work, the money and opportunities it provides them with back home, while for us they provide us with reliability through the season and the likelihood (可能性) that 80 percent will want to come back again next year,” Melanie Gray says.
1. What are farmers in the Ord valley happy with?
| A．The good weather. | B．The dependable pickers. |
| C．The sale of their products. | D．The backpackers’ hard work. |
| A．It should pay more. | B．It is progressing slowly. |
| C．It is not easy but worthwhile. | D．It lasts too long in the wet season. |
| A．The big harvest. | B．The good money. |
| C．The laborer’s positive opinion. | D．The laborer’s returning to East Timor- |
| A．The farmers can offer full-time jobs. |
| B．The laborers can stay in Australia all year long. |
| C．The farmers can grow high-quality fruit and vegetables. |
| D．The laborers can find satisfaction in working in Australia. |
【推荐1】“Don’t quit that trip,” Mom said anxiously, as I tried to find the flight route through my tears. Doctors had just informed us that she had a deadly disease. My husband and I were set to leave for Cuba the next morning. As we boarded the airport shuttle, she said, “Don’t cry Jackie, try to have a good time, and bring me back a good CD. I’ll be here when you get back.”
That was Dec.31, 2019. She passed away on Feb.11, 2020. Looking through photos from our trip and listening to music gave her some of her final smiles. For the rest of my days, I’ll be reminded of the way she found joy in other people’s experiences and happiness.
When I was about 5, out shopping with my mom, I led her to the next passage, and cheerfully shouted, “Mom, look at this cute little lady!” That was an adult woman not much bigger than me. Instead of making me apologize to the woman straight away, she calmly said, “Jackie.” When I looked up to catch her eyes, she tugged on her right ear, which was a signal for “I will explain this to you when we get home.”
I remember when I was 8, my friend and I were going to play basketball through our local team. We were the only two girls on the team, but after the first game, my friend gave up. I didn’t want to become the only girl on the team so I wanted to give up. But my mom explained: You made a promise to the team; you need to stick it out for the season.
When I see the parents in my life filled with stress over keeping up with appearances and modern trends, I want to tell them to remember it’s them that their children will remember when they’re gone. Who they are, what they taught, and how they taught it. That’s what will outlive them in the hearts and minds of their children.
1. What made Mom smile in her darkest hour?| A．Finding happiness from her daughter’s happy experiences. |
| B．Remembering joy from your own past. |
| C．Making good preparations for a trip. |
| D．Listening to good CD music about her daughter’s trip. |
| A．Recommending her to apologize to the lady at once. |
| B．Signaling to her to wait for an explanation at home. |
| C．Asking her to keep silent right away. |
| D．Beating her immediately for her bad manners. |
| A．One should keep one’s promise in life. |
| B．One has to be careful enough. |
| C．One needs to do his best. |
| D．One should never lose his confidence. |
| A．Keeping children following the modern trends. |
| B．Providing children with good conditions. |
| C．Teaching children personally at home. |
| D．Impressing being yourself on children. |
【推荐2】In my mind, there is a moving story about a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart.
Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being half the size of the other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. Despite his hard training at all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played.
This teenager lived alone with his father, and the relationship between the two of them was very special. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him.
The young man loved football and was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game but remained a benchwarmer. Besides, his faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on”. Everyone firmly believed that he could never make the cut, but he did.
The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but actually he never got the real chance to play in a game.
It was at the end of his senior football season that the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became totally silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?” The coach put his arm gently around his should and said, “Take the rest of the week off, son. And don’t even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.”
Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were surprised to see their faithful teammate back so soon. “Coach, please let me play. I’ve just got to play today,” said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close play-off game. But the young man insisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. “All right,” he said. “You can go in.” Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to succeed. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid got a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown.
Finally, after the stands had emptied, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, “Kid, you were unbelievably fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?”
He looked at the coach, tears in his eyes, and said, “Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?” The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could make it!”
1. What does the underlined sentence “he got absolutely nowhere” mean?| A．He could never make his father see his performance clearly. |
| B．There was no coach to train him well enough to be a good player. |
| C．There was no chance of his becoming a top athlete in this sport. |
| D．He had no idea at all what kind of person he wanted to be in the future. |
| A．the young man’s father had a great positive influence on him |
| B．the young man’s coach played an important role in his growth |
| C．not until his father passed away did the young man train hard |
| D．the young man’s road to success in football was always smooth |
| A．He planned to make money to cure his father of his blindness. |
| B．He thought he was much better than other players in his team. |
| C．He wanted to defeat the opposing team in this significant game. |
| D．He hoped his dead father could be proud of his performance. |
| A．A thrilling football match | B．Determined father and son |
| C．The power of dreams | D．The encouragement of a coach |
【推荐3】On a cold winter morning, a poor boy called Howard Kelly was on his way to school. He was so hungry that he decided to beg(乞讨) for a meal at the next house.
A lovely young lady opened the door and she brought him a large glass of milk. He had it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe(欠) you?”
“You owe me nothing,” she replied. “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Years later the woman became seriously ill. The local doctors sent her to the big city, where specialists(专家) can study her illness. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in for the consultation(会诊). When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went to her room. He recognized her at once and decided to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special attention to her and her illness.
After a long time, the lady was well again at last. Dr. Kelly asked the hospital office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she had thought that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side caught her attention. “Paid in full with a glass of milk.”
1. What is probably the best title of the text?| A．A Young Lady | B．A Glass of Milk |
| C．A Famous Doctor | D．A Medical Bill |
| A．Because he owed her a lot of money. |
| B．Because they were once good friends. |
| C．Because she helped him out years ago. |
| D．Because they came from the same town |
| A．Dr. Howard Kelly | B．The hospital |
| C．The woman herself | D．The woman’s mother |
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Every kindness will be paid off. |
| D．Better late than never. |
【推荐1】The phone rang. It was Bea, my 86-year-old friend. Bea wanted to know if I could take her to see the doctor. I said I could. On the date of the appointment I drove over to her home to pick her up.
Bea’s eyesight was failing so she wasn’t able to drive her car any more. However, she still kept her car and said I could drive it if necessary.
Bea’s appointment went well and we were on our way to get a bite to eat. The traffic was slow as we were near a shopping mall. Suddenly, someone hit us from behind. Bea was very angry.
I was feeling a little nervous when I got out of the car. As I walked around the car, a young African American woman got out of her car angrily! The other doors of her car started to open. For some unknown reason I walked over to this young woman and put my arms around her and gave her a hug (拥抱). When I hugged her, all the other doors shut! Bea got out. When she saw me hugging this girl, she calmed down. I called the police and they came and took a report. I really don’t know what was actually going on that day. I do know that I suddenly had the thought to hug the woman and I believed the hug would be a good thing.
1. What is the purpose for Bea to have an appointment with the author?| A．To have a meal. | B．To see a doctor. |
| C．To meet a woman. | D．To go shopping. |
| A．Because she might miss an appointment. |
| B．Because the traffic on the road was slow. |
| C．Because a traffic accident happened to them all of a sudden. |
| D．Because she was suddenly beaten by someone unknown. |
| A．The police appeared quite soon. |
| B．Something unpleasant was avoided. |
| C．Bea closed the car door immediately. |
| D．the African American woman was moved. |
| A．Friendliness is the sunshine of social life. |
| B．A bad beginning makes a bad ending. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| D．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
【推荐2】Ryan Hreljac is a boy living in Canada. Without his help, hundreds of wells that now provide fresh water for people in Africa, Central America and India might never have been built. Ryan is what you might call a water ambassador(大使). He traveled the world to tell people how they can help solve a big problem: the lack of safe drinking water in many developing countries.
Ryan’s efforts didn’t begin in a far-off place, but right at home in Kemptville, Ontario.
When he was 6 years old, Ryan learned from his teacher that children in Africa often must walk miles each day to find water. Some even die from drinking bad water, his teacher said.
So Ryan decided to act. He did chores for his parents and neighbors. He spoke to schools, churches, and clubs about his goal. The word spread. After several months of hard work, Ryan had raised $ 2, 000, enough to dig one well.
An organization called Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) chose a site for the well in the village of Agweo, in Uganda. Two years later, CPAR arranged for Ryan to visit Uganda for the opening ceremony of the well. Ryan met a new friend named Jimmy. Then they formed a close friendship. He often traveled with Ryan to explain how water changed his life.
After the first well, “the ripple(涟漪) effect took over,” Ryan says, “and one goal led to another. ” With adult help, he founded Ryan’s Well Foundation to educate people about the importance of water. Now the foundation has raised more than $ 1. 5 million and built 255 wells that serve more than 427, 000 people in 12 countries. Ryan has received many awards but he isn’t bragging(炫耀). “The most impressive people I’ve met are the other kids who want to help too,” he says. “I’m just a typical kid. I had a small dream, and I stayed with it. Everybody can do something.”
1. What problem is Ryan working to solve?| A．The effect of poverty on children. |
| B．The diseases caused by polluted water. |
| C．A lack of safe drinking water. |
| D．A lack of money to save water. |
| A．He created an educational foundation. |
| B．He traveled to villages across the world. |
| C．He started a website to ask for donations. |
| D．He did chores and sold his idea. |
| A．Making friends. |
| B．Not giving up. |
| C．Knowing his limits. |
| D．Not bragging about awards. |
| A．A Story of a Well |
| B．A Boy Who Makes a Difference |
| C．An Organization of Saving Water |
| D．A Well That Brought People Together |
【推荐3】Mom wanted only one thing for her birthday. “Can you find me another copy of this song?” she asked, and handed me a worn-out cassette tape. I knew exactly what was recorded on it: My Redeemer (救世主). I heard the song played at least a thousand times while growing up. After so many years, the cassette tape was too worn out to be used. I promised her I would find a replacement.
My Redeemer became Mom’s favorite song after my younger brother Tim was killed by a drunk driver in 1973. The only thing that helped her calm down was the soulful sound of My Redeemer from the local radio station.
We recorded it on a cassette tape so she could listen to it any time she wanted but none of us knew who the soloist (独唱者) was. These days, I thought the song would be easy to find out. I went home and searched the Internet. Several songs with that title popped up, but none of them was the one Mom loved. I got frustrated.
Mom’s birthday drew near and then one day, I was driving home, listening to our local radio station. A familiar tune came on. It was My Redeemer! As soon as I could, I phoned the station. I got a line on the soloist, who was called Alan Parks. I typed his name into Google and found his home number in South Carolina. Minutes later, I was telling him how much his recording meant to Mom. He offered to ship two CDs out to me personally. I gave him my address.
“Red Lion, Pennsylvania?” he said. “Do you know the Logans?” “They are our neighbors!” “I’ ve been friends with them for 25 years,” Alan said. “They’ll be at my concert at York Gospel Chapel on April 17th. Would you and your mom come too?” We sure would. Mom was excited to hear Alan sing My Redeemer to her, live in concert — on the evening of her 87th birthday.
1. Why was the song My Redeemer so important to the author’s mother?| A．It could comfort her sad and painful mood. |
| B．It reminded her of the love from her husband. |
| C．It was given to her by a very important friend. |
| D．It was the only thing that the author’s brother left her. |
| A．Talked happily with. | B．Thought a lot about. |
| C．Made request of. | D．Got information about. |
| A．He lived in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. |
| B．He is a kind and warm-hearted musician. |
| C．He offered to give the author two cassette tapes. |
| D．He would sing for the author’s mom on the radio station. |
| A．Alan Parks and the author lived in the same neighborhood. |
| B．Alan Parks happened to get to know the author’s mother. |
| C．The author’s mother went to the concert on her birthday. |
| D．The author’s mother became good friends with Alan Parks. |
