When things aren’t going so great, there’s a saying to encourage us: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade (柠檬饮料).
That’s what 15-year-old Zack Francom has been doing in the past nine years. He does that to improve the lives of people in developing countries. They need wheelchairs but don’t have money for them.
It all started in 2010. His school held a fundraiser (募捐会) to raise $86 to buy a wheel-chair for a charity. Although Zack was only 6 years old then, he wanted to keep the fundraising going.
“I thought, ‘What if I couldn’t walk or run or ride my bike? What would that be like?” I wanted to help make life easier for those who couldn’t walk or run and didn’t have money for a wheelchair to help them get around,” he said.
Now hundreds of people line up in April to buy lemonade from Zack’s store. In 2014, he sold a lot of lemonade; raising $5,300. With that money he was able to buy 37 wheelchairs at a cost of $143 each and ship them to places like Guam and Guatemala, where a wheelchair can cost more than a person would make in one year!
Lots of people in poor countries have to pull themselves around with their hands and crawl (爬行) to get around, because wheelchairs are too expensive for them.
“We helped one lady in Guatemala who crawled for 10 miles with her baby on her back,” said Zack’s mom. “What a difference it has made in her life! Stories like this are what keeps Zack going.”
Zack has no plan to slow down any time soon. In fact, he hopes other kids will follow him.
1. Zack Francom was born in ________.| A．2004 | B．2007 | C．2010 | D．2014 |
| A．how Zack helps the poor | B．what Zack does to help the poor |
| C．where Zack buys the wheelchairs | D．why Zack buys wheelchairs for the poor |
| A．less than $86 | B．less than $143 | C．more than $143 | D．more than $5,300 |
| A．selling lemonade | B．helping the lady |
| C．crawling to get around | D．carrying a baby on the back |
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【推荐1】The winter of 1948 was very difficult for our family of eight living in Knoxvile, Tennessee. Unfortunately, Dad became ill and soon was out of a job. I was only 8 years old and my younger brother, Buddy was 7. After school we went to pick coal that fell from the coal train along the railroad near our home. When the train slowed down, ran alongside it. After the train passed, we picked up the fallen coal.
One day, the train stopped for a short time unusually. My brother and I were digging around in the snow when the train’s fireman came to the window and shouted to us, “Why are you boys digging in the snow? Are you looking for gold?” he laughed.
“No, sir,” I replied, “We are finding coal.”
“Why doesn’t your daddy buy coal? It’s really dangerous here.”
“Our daddy is very sick and we have no money to buy food and coal,” I answered.
The fireman turned and went inside. After a moment, he shouted again. “Hey! Bring that coal bucket(桶子) here. I got something for you.” Then the fireman filled our bucket with clean coal. We were happy with his gift, and we knew we could go home early that day.
He smiled the kindest and warmest smile I had ever seen. “You two boys come here the day after tomorrow and I’ll throw off some coal.”
Two days later, Buddy and I stood by the railroads as the train slowed down. The fireman waved to us, then disappeared. Suddenly, some coal and a piece of red cloth came out. In the red cloth were two pieces of bubble gum and a new one-dollar bill.
All that winter, three days a week, we received a bucket of coal, a gift and, sometimes, money. I never knew the person’s full name, but to our family, he was a guardian angel.
1. The winter was very difficult for the family because ________.| A．the weather was colder than ever |
| B．they couldn’t afford food or coal |
| C．the writer’s father was paid a little |
| D．they couldn’t get help from the government |
| A．the fireman was a close friend of the family |
| B．the fireman often gave them good food |
| C．the fireman protected the two boys from danger |
| D．the fireman had pity on the family and offered them help |
| A．tell us to be hopeful in times of difficulty, no matter how bad it is |
| B．remember a difficult time during his childhood |
| C．show a little kindness can make a great difference to people in need |
| D．show how he and his brother helped his family |
| A．An Angel in Winter | B．Picking Coal |
| C．An Unusual Fireman | D．A Bucket of Coal |
【推荐2】Last Saturday, Du Juan came to a park with her red chair and tools as usual. She put a sign saying “Haircuts” on the ground. Then a man, about 60 years old, came and sat down.
Du Juan took the tools in her hands and began to work. They talked like old friends. Du Juan spoke of some funny things in her life. The old man told his old days and shared his present life with her. He said that he was going to attend his son’s graduation ceremony the next Tuesday. Twenty minutes later, “OK, done,” said Du Juan. The old man looked at himself in a mirror. “I look good. Thank you!” he said.
So far Du Juan has done such free haircuts to people around the city. All began because of an illness. It made her ever thick hair become terribly. After that, she didn’t dare to have her hair cut until a professional barber（理发师）appeared. “He talked with me and didn’t regard me as a patient. I felt cared about and less alone. He changed my appearance and more importantly, he changed me,” Du Juan said.
“I learned the haircut skills and later became a barber. I enjoyed listening to people’s stories of sadness and happiness,” she added. During her spare time, she not only gave people free haircuts, but also made them feel the way she’d felt that day. In 2018, she set up the Red Chair Project to help more people. “I can’t fix their problems, but I can help them feel less alone for a moment,” she said.
Du Juan believes simple acts of kindness, such as a free haircut, can make a difference. “The way you show up in the world is important,” she said.
1. What would the old man do?| A．He was going to see his son. | B．He would become a barber. |
| C．He would study in a college. | D．He would tell some funny stories to Du Juan. |
| A．Because the barber was her old friend. | B．Because the barber was a doctor before. |
| C．Because the barber thought her as a normal person. | D．Because the barber and she studied in the same college. |
| A．get more money | B．fix people’s problems |
| C．teach people haircut skills | D．make people less alone |
Kim Junsu is a Korean exchange student. He has studied in Qingyang City for two years. Since Kim Junsu came to the city, he has done much volunteer work in his free time. One day he read Gansu Daily.
Protect the sea with us!
Volunteers from all over the world are welcome!
| You will | help recycle plastics. teach children how to protect the sea in local schools. join in weekly beach clean-up with local students and teachers. |  |
| You need | to be at least 18 years old. to be able to speak Chinese. to be interested in protecting the sea. to be able to start working on Monday. | |
| You can | have colorful activities. have three meals a day. stay in a beach room. |
Seeing the news, Kim Junsu put down his newspaper and called the telephone number of the newspaper press (报社).
1. What newspaper did Kim Junsu read one day?| A．Gansu Daily. | B．China Daily. | C．China Youth. | D．21 century. |
| A．Volunteers from all over Qingyang. |
| B．Volunteers from all over Gansu. |
| C．Volunteers from all over China. |
| D．Volunteers from all over the world. |
| A．At least 19 years old. | B．At least 18 years old. |
| C．At least 17 years old. | D．At least 16 years old. |
| A．introduce his articles | B．find more friends |
| C．join in the beach clean-up | D．look for his lost cousin |
| A．Kim Junsu comes from Japan. |
| B．The beach clean-up is to help recycle plastic. |
| C．People should be able to speak Chinese if they want to join in the clean-up. |
| D．People can have three meals a day when joining in the clean-up. |
【推荐1】Slowly but surely, Amy and her grandparents were making progress. Boxes of all sizes were placed on top of each other throughout the house. Amy’s grandparents had lived in the house for years and they had decided to move.
The dining room was full of memories. Amy’s grandfather kept many fine dinner plates from his hometown. Amy remembered that they ate from the red, yellow, and blue plates during important holidays.
After carefully packing the plates and putting them into a box, Amy lifted it up and moved it out of the way. But the box was too heavy. It suddenly fell from her arms and dropped to the floor. All three of them heard the plates shatter(破碎).
“I’m sorry!” Amy apologized.
“It’s okay,” her grandfather said quietly. “It was an accident.”
They opened the box and, sure enough, many of the plates were broken. Only a few remained whole. Looking at the small pieces, Amy felt really terrible. She knew these plates were passed down from her great grandparents and …
“Don’t worry,” her grandmother said, patting her on the back. Carefully, they put the broken pieces into a rubbish bag.
They continued packing for a little while, but Amy still felt very sorry. She was trying very hard to think of a way to make it up for her grandparents.
Soon, Amy’s father came.
“I have to go,” she said. “Dad is here to pick me up.”
She kissed her grandparents both, picked up the bag of the broken pieces and left. “What’s that?” her father asked, as Amy climbed into the car.
Amy looked at the bag in her hands as an idea came to her. “This,” she said, “is an art project.”
The following day, Amy went to an art store and bought everything she needed. Then she started to work. She used a thin board as the base. Then she took out the colorful plate pieces and glued them in a creative way on the board. When it was dry, Amy wrapped it up.
A few days later, Amy’s family had a big dinner at her grandparents’ new house. She handed her gift to her grandparents.
“This is fantastic, Amy!” said her grandfather.
“I can’t wait to hang it up in our new home,” Amy’s grandmother said as she gave her a big hug.
1. What was Amy helping her grandparents do at first?| A．Move to a new house. | B．Pack some nice gifts. |
| C．Collect colorful boxes. | D．Prepare a big family party. |
| A．On school mornings. | B．On important holidays. |
| C．During Amy’s childhood. | D．At daily dinner time. |
| A．They were made by her grandfather. | B．They were valuable holiday presents. |
| C．They were meaningful family treasures. | D．They were expensive hometown products. |
| A．She sent them to an art store. | B．She put them in her father’s car. |
| C．She made a special gift with them. | D．She threw them into a rubbish bag. |
| A．Kind and creative. | B．Brave and outgoing. | C．Careless and shy. | D．Funny and hard-working. |
She has many classes in the morning. At about twelve fifteen, she comes back for lunch. In the afternoon, she isn’t so busy. After school she does her homework and plays with other children.
In the evening, her parents come back from the factory. The family has supper together. After that, they usually read newspaper or listen to the radio for a little time. Sometimes, they watch TV. Rose goes to bed at half past nine. But her father often works late at night.
1. Rose gets up ________ every morning.
| A．late | B．early | C．at 6:30 | D．at 7:00 |
| A．seven o’clock | B．half past seven | C．seven fifteen | D．about six thirty |
| A．after supper | B．in the evening | C．after school | D．after nine thirty at night |
| A．comes back | B．has supper | C．works | D．goes to bed |
| A．watch TV | B．read newspaper |
| C．do their homework | D．play with other children |
【推荐3】When Wilma Rudolph was four years old, she was seriously ill. It made her unable to walk. Her family was poor and could not afford (负担得起) good medical care. She was from a large family. She was the 20th child of 22 children.
Her mother did everything she could to help Rudolph to walk again, although the doctors said she would not be able to walk. She took her on a long bus trip to a hospital every week. It helped a little. When she was 8, she could walk with a leg brace (支架). After that, she played basketball with her brothers every day.
Three years later, her mother came home to find her playing basketball by herself. She didn’t even have to use the leg brace.
A track coach (田径教练) encouraged her to start running. She ran so well. When she was in high school, she took part in the 1956 Olympics (奥运会). She won a bronze (铜的) medal in the women’s 400-meter relay (接力赛). She went on to win 3 gold medals in track during the 1960 Olympics.
1. Wilma Rudolph ________ because of her serious illness when she was young.| A．couldn’t speak | B．couldn’t walk | C．could see nothing | D．could hear nothing |
| A．20 | B．21 | C．22 | D．23 |
| A．took her to hospital in a car | B．tried her best to help her daughter |
| C．took her to see doctors every day | D．taught her to play basketball |
| A．She came from a rich family. | B．Her father was a track coach. |
| C．She couldn’t walk until four years old. | D．She took part in the Olympics at least twice. |
