1 . When 76-year-old Antoinette-Marie Williams played 17-year-old Emmett Daniels in chess for the first time, she gave Daniels a run for his money. Paired through DOROT, a New York organization which was launched in 1976, they are a perfect match. “I was a good opponent for him. I don’t think he expected it.” Williams told the CVS Health blog Fortune Well. Their weekly games have led Daniels and Williams to a cross-generational relationship that they both enjoy. Williams and Daniels’ relationship disproves the idea that people of different generations have little in common.
Since its founding, DOROT has achieved a reputation of excellence and innovation in the fields of aging services. Volunteers of young ages offer critical resources to older adults, in services specific to the person’s needs and interests, with the ultimate goal of lessening loneliness of the old.
Loneliness has been recognized as a significant social issue for many years, but the classification of loneliness as an epidemic(流行病) has emerged only in recent years. In 2018, the UK government appointed a Minister for Loneliness, highlighting the increasing concern around the issue. This followed the publication of the 2017 report by the Jo Cox Loneliness Commission, which found that loneliness was a growing social epidemic and called for a national strategy to address the issue.
Fortunately, there are ways to battle loneliness, including the intervention in the lives of isolated seniors by organizations like DOROT. It advocates building a support network by reaching out to family and friends, joining a community or social group, or volunteering to connect with like-minded people. The connection between Williams and Daniels shows that these inter-generational relationships play an important role in reducing loneliness and adding joy to the lives of all the participants, young and old.
Another way to battle loneliness is to use technology to stay connected with loved ones which fosters meaning and purpose through online activities and conversations. Practicing self-care is also encouraged, as is being patient because strong relationships take time and effort to create.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph l probably mean?A.She had a running race with Daniels. |
B.Daniels felt disappointed. |
C.Daniels had a tough win. |
D.She gave Daniels money as a gift of greeting. |
A.To make technological innovation. |
B.To enhance the living standards of the elderly. |
C.To offer job opportunities for people of all ages. |
D.To provide seniors with inter-generational connection. |
A.The solution to loneliness. |
B.The root cause of loneliness. |
C.The classification of loneliness. |
D.The growing attention to loneliness. |
A.Society Watch. | B.News Express. |
C.Page Turner. | D.Science Study. |
2 . Earth Hour is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It's a big event usually at the end of March every year. On this evening, people “go dark”.
It's true that turning off lights for just one hour saves only a small amount of power.
But on another level, a large number of people’s acting together sends a powerful message to governments and companies.
The logo(标识) of Earth Hour is “60+” .The number 60 is for the 60 minutes of Earth Hour.
A.But this is only the beginning. |
B.Earth Hour represents every hour of every day. |
C.After all, everyone has to answer for what they have done. |
D.Besides turning off the lights, people get involved in other events. |
E.It pushes them to take urgent measures by making changes to policies. |
F.That is, they switch off all unnecessary lights at the same time for one hour. |
G.The plus invites people to continue their action even after Earth Hour is finished. |
3 . During the COVID-19 crisis, even the simple act of buying groceries has been completely transformed. For seniors this task is even more challenging. Concordia University's ACT project team has joined with community partners in the neighbourhood to fill this gap. They've rapidly created a new program-COVID-19 Grocery Response NDG.
The program uses a model that pairs volunteers with seniors, based on availability and language. Those volunteers are trained by ACT's team via video conferencing and then given a list of older adults. The volunteer calls the individuals and takes their order, working with grocer offerings of a Provigo store in the area. When the call is over, the order gets sent to Provigo, which gathers and delivers the order to the senior. It won't take the place of the work of the food bank; seniors are paying for their groceries.
There is also an important social element to the call, which doubles as a friendly check -in. The volunteer chats a bit with the senior, who may be very lonely and anxious. One volunteer says it has also been a rewarding experience and gives her the opportunity to help others while staying at home, which they are all being encouraged to do.
The program is a response to a number of factors, including the fact that many older adults are on a fixed income and may not have the internet access needed to order groceries online. It is targeting seniors who aren't able to access New Hope's usual meals on wheels service.
So far the project is a success, with a growing number of volunteers and seniors. As for what's next, Concordia is optimistic but acknowledges that the team will need to be nimble to accommodate the changing realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are at a critical time and we need to do everything we can, together, to help out.
1. What do the volunteers do to help the seniors?A.Help them pay the bill. | B.Send their order to the store. |
C.Write a shopping list for them. | D.Deliver their groceries lo the door. |
A.It benefits both sides. | B.It helps the store survive. |
C.It goes beyond expectation. | D.It encourages people to purchase online. |
A.Daisy aged 45 with a heavy debt. | B.David who enjoys meals on wheels service. |
C.Alexander aged 75 with a retirement pension. | D.Elspeth who knows noting about online shopping. |
A.Flexible. | B.Beneficial. |
C.Accessible. | D.Qualified. |
4 . Philadelphia's Magic Gardens makes up a folk art center, gallery space, and a nonprofit organization showcasing the works of mosaicist(镶嵌设计师)Isaiah Zagar.
Zagar devoted himself to beautifying the South Street neighborhood in the late 1960s, when he moved to the area with his wife Julia. The couple helped the area by purchasing and repairing some old buildings, often adding colorful mosaics on both their private and public walls. The first such project was Julia's still-busy folk art store, the Eyes Gallery at 402 South Street.
Zagar started working on the Magic Gardens in 1994 in the deserted parking lot near his studio. He spent the next fourteen years sculpting multi-layered walls and decorating the 3, 000 square foot space. The installation(装置艺术),primarily consisting of found objects and contributions from the community, finally covers half a city block with countless patterns and colors. It shows Zagar's many artistic influences, as well as the events and experiences of his life.
In 2002,the owner of the once-unused parking lot decided to sell the land in response to rising South Street property values. Unwilling to witness the destruction of Zagar's neighborhood art environment, the community rushed to support the artist. His creation, newly titled Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, turned into a nonprofit organization with the intention of preserving and promoting Zagar's works at the site of the Magic Gardens and throughout the South Street region.
The Magic Gardens is now a permanent art institution that is open to visitors throughout the year. Trained guides are available to lead tours of the Magic Gardens and Zagar's surrounding public wall paintings. In addition, it offers monthly mosaic workshops led by Zagar himself, and regularly hosts concerts, dance performances, and other public events.
1. How did Zagar help the South Street neighborhood?A.He moved to the area with his family. |
B.He worked to improve its surroundings. |
C.He opened a folk art store with his wife. |
D.He managed to buy all the old buildings. |
A.Great achievements of Zagar. |
B.Special skills of installing art. |
C.Location of the Magic Gardens |
D.Early history of the Magic Gardens. |
A.They harm environment. |
B.They can bring in profits. |
C.They should be removed. |
D.They are precious treasures. |
A.Paint the walls on the spot. |
B.Put on music performances. |
C.Enjoy some Zagar's works. |
D.Attend some dance courses. |