As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Laughing is like a super drug for your health that can lift your mood, lessen pain, and protect you from the
Journalist, author and professor Norman Cousins was
Since then, research has continuously confirmed the effectiveness of laughter in relieving pain
On an ordinary weekend, Charley went out as usual. Unfortunately, he had a car accident. Charley was hurt badly. With the help of the police and kind people, Charley was sent to a nearby hospital in time. The doctor said Charley might have broken his back and could lose the use of his legs. His life would change forever.
Over the next month, as Charley was in hospital, his friend Tad felt an strong sense of worry. When he picked up the courage to visit, he found a sad Charley. Looking small and pale, Charley shouted, “I can’t walk. What should I do?” Tad tried to comfort him, but words were not enough.
When Charley got out of the hospital, Tad went over to his house a few times and helped him with the lessons, but it just wasn’t the same. Not only was Charley’s body damaged, so was his spirit. Gradually, because of busy study, Tad didn’t have much time to visit Charley. He felt sad and guilty (内疚的) that he wasn’t spending more time with Charley. He wanted to help him but didn’t know how to do it.
On returning to school, Charley’s challenges became more obvious. Sitting in a wheelchair brought him several difficulties, from picking up his schoolbag to getting trapped by gym doors. Though Charley wasn’t hurt, he was so embarrassed that he didn’t talk to anyone during the rest of the day. Tad wanted to help his friend to make it all better but he knew his help was limited, so he needed to seek help from other people or organisations. He knew that Charely always loved dogs. He remembered reading on the Internet that therapy (治疗) dogs can help reduce anxiety and sadness. So he made every effort to find organisations that had therapy dogs and told them about Charley, hoping they could help him. In the end, Tad showed up in the Charely’s with a big black dog.
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The dog, named Rowdy, was a trained service dog to help Charley.
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Tad could be aware that something had changed.
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3 . When Amelia Lisowe was told she was too young to volunteer, she decided to make a difference by herself. The Benton, Arkansas native launched her own non-profit, Lisowe’s Lights, in 2018, donating over 500 nightlights to kids in the Arkansas foster (寄养的) system that year alone.
Since, she has expanded to all 50 states (and 9 countries) and raised funds to distribute more than 15,000 nightlights — with no plans of slowing down.
“Kids in foster homes sometimes have to leave in the middle of the night without taking anything with them,” she says. “I wanted to help them feel less scared and more safe.” The 12-year-old hopes to give away at least 2,500 more lights in 2023.
Amelia grew up volunteering with her mom, Lauren, who encouraged her daughter to find something she was good at and use it to make the world a better place. “I’m so proud of her,” Lauren adds. “She’s involved in every decision we make. Every time we spend money, she helps decide if something is a good idea or will further our cause.”
Amelia also gets help from friends in the Royal International Miss Pageant system, who run their own nightlight drives in person and online. Amelia, a sixth grader who also volunteers at her local food bank and nursing home, says she feels the impact of her work most when she hears from organizations that have put her lights to use.
“I heard about one boy in Oklahoma who never turned off his hall light, not because he was scared, but because he wanted to make sure his little sister was always doing okay across the hall,” Amelia shares. “When they got their nightlight, he knew she wouldn’t be afraid anymore.”
1. What was the reason for Amelia’s being refused as a volunteer?| A．Her young age. | B．Her slow reaction. |
| C．Her busy schedule. | D．Her little experience. |
| A．By easing their scare. | B．By encouraging them to explore. |
| C．By ensuring their safety. | D．By putting them to sleep. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Worried. |
| A．To explain why he kept light on. | B．To express her pride in her job. |
| C．To decide what she would do next. | D．To show how nightlights help kids. |
4 . The Bullock Texas State History Museum
The museum opened in April of 2001. Here’s the museum’s official mission statement: We create experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. It offers interactive exhibits that explain Texas history and an IMAX® theater.
The Exhibits
The first floor is about the land and covers the first meetings between Native Americans and Europeans, early settlers and missions and the mapping of the state. The second floor is about identity and discusses Texas history, the significant battles and people who made the state what it is today. The third floor covers important technology from Texas, Texas-led explorations and other Texan achievements.
IMAXW Theater
The Bullock museum’s IMAX® theater was one of the first IMAX® theaters in Texas, and one of few in the world. The theater seats 329 guests and houses the biggest IMAX ® screen in the state at 6 stories high and 84 feet wide. Guests can enjoy sharp and vivid images, as well as immersive (沉浸式虚拟现实的) sound.
Museum Store
On the first floor of the Bullock Texas State History Museum, you will find the museum store. It is filled with Texas-themed goodies, such as clothing, ornaments, books, movies, jewelry, music, home décor and kitchenware.
The Essentials
Address: 1800 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701
Hours: The museum is open from Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Parking: The museum has an underground parking garage with an entrance. Parking in the museum garage is $15 for full-day parking.
1. Which floor of the museum shows the battles?| A．The first floor. | B．The second floor. |
| C．The third floor. | D．The fourth floor. |
| A．9 am, Sunday. | B．9 am, Monday. |
| C．2 pm, Thursday. | D．6 pm, Saturday. |
| A．To introduce special exhibits. |
| B．To tell about the history of a museum. |
| C．To show information about a museum. |
| D．To attract people to buy Texas-themed goods. |
Positive Action Fuels Hope
“I’m not going back to group therapy (治疗). I refuse to be treated like that.” The voice was so loud that I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
Alicia Gonzalez suffered from depression. This was her second month at the homeless shelter, where I work as a case manager.
Alicia had been a nurse for 10 years. Her work was intense and demanding, and she loved it. To her, the trauma (精神创伤) she’d suffered was that her son lost his life in a car crash. With her brain overloaded by the trauma, she couldn’t focus on her work. Finally, she had to quit her job. With no income, she couldn’t pay her rent. For almost three years, Alicia lived in her truck. Alicia told me all this at our first meeting.
“I want to help you,” I said. “There are lots of resources here. All I ask is that you tell me what’s going on with you. That way I can make sure you’re getting the services you need.”
“I’ll try,” she said. “It’s just hard. I used to feel as though what I did mattered. Now...” Her voice became quiet. Before I could say something, she stood and walked out of the room.
Two months later, I still felt as if I hadn’t gotten through to Alicia. Sometimes the things sending her into a violent anger were so minor—a piece of rubbish someone had dropped on the floor—it was hard for me to think of coping skills that didn’t sound like I was criticizing her.
Maybe this latest talk in group therapy was the last straw (稻草). “Finding something small you can feel good about can help you cope with anger,” I suggested. “It doesn’t need to be some huge thing.” Even as I said it, I wondered, “Was that really the best advice I could come up with?” Alicia took a long deep breath. “I know,” she said.
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A few weeks later, I saw her in the hallway with a rubbish bag.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In March, Alicia was offered a job doing housekeeping at the shelter.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . After learning about these famous women, you’ll know you can do a lot for society no matter what. You don’t need to be in a specific field, time or environment to make a difference to the world in your lifetime.
Amelia Earhart (1897－1937)
Amelia Earhart was the first woman who ever flew alone across the Atlantic in 1932. She became the first woman pilot in 1935 after flying from Hawaii to California. She began her lifelong dream of flying across the world in 1937. However, her flight went missing on that trip and she was never seen again.
Helena Rubinstein (1870－1965)
Helena Rubinstein moved to Australia in 1902 without the ability to speak English. Later, she founded one of the world’s first cosmetic (化妆品) companies after mixing lanolin, which is an oil that comes from sheep’s wool, with flowers. Because of that, she became the world’s richest woman at the time.
Katharine Hepburn (1907－2003)
Katharine Hepburn was known for playing strongwilled women in her films. She won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, the most an actress has ever won. Her new dress style made wearing trousers acceptable to women, which wasn’t allowed at that time.
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858－1928)
Emmeline was an influential woman activist, who helped British women get the right to vote. She fought along with her husband for the rights of women all the time in the late 19th century and early 20th century. After she lost her husband, she teamed up with her three daughters and formed The Women Social and Political Union, which was best known as the suffragettes (women’s right to vote).
1. What was the problem for Helena at first when she moved to Australia?| A．She didn’t know how to make up. | B．She didn’t have money. |
| C．She didn’t have work experience. | D．She couldn’t speak English. |
| A．Patient. | B．Friendly. | C．Honest. | D．Determined. |
| A．A pioneering spirit. | B．A creative mind. | C．A good education. | D．A warm heart. |
7 . Companion planting (混栽) is the practice of planting things together to help each other grow. Its goal is to create a healthy and productive garden ecosystem (生态系统). But you should consider choosing right species together in your garden.
It saves space
One of the common uses of companion planting is to save space.
It helps with disease issues
Diseases can spread quickly through plants of the same species.
If there is plenty of habitat of food, then lots of beneficial insects will likely spend lots of time traveling in your garden. They feed on harmful insects. Some plants attract pollinators that help produce fruits. They make a great addition to the garden.
It increases productivity
The main benefit of companion planting is its ability to increase crop yields. It helps with pest (害虫) control, pollination and increases the available space. We now talk about nutrients.
| A．It attracts beneficial insects and pollinators |
| B．Different plants have different nutrient needs |
| C．Certain plants might not like being planted too close |
| D．It keeps the soil wet and prevents the soil being destroyed |
| E．Here are some of its benefits that the practice brings you |
| F．Adding different species in your garden can slow the spread of diseases |
| G．This is perfect for people trying to make the most of their small gardens |
1. 你的经历；
2. 你的感受。
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2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
An Unforgettable Sports Meet
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sometimes an act of kindness can mean a lot in life.
Three years ago I worked for a few weeks as a doctor in a new dental clinic (牙科诊所) at Victor Harbor, to the south of Adelaide and an hour further away than my usual workplace. My first day there was a rush driving to the new clinic and getting used to the clinical environment.
As it was all new to me, I took off my gold rings: my wedding ring, and one that was an anniversary (周年纪念日) gift from my husband. I put them in a tissue (纸巾) and placed them beside my computer. During my lunch break, I noticed the tissue and thought that it did not look very clean and threw it into the rubbish bin. I went about my work and my day went well; I met new patients and felt that I had been productive. At the very first day at the clinic, I did a good job, busy but fruitful. So I felt more than proud. When it was time to get off work, I changed my clothes and went out of the clinic, thinking nothing of the ring.
Driving home at the end of the day, just moments before I reached my house, I noticed that my rings were missing. I felt the heat in my body rise, my face burning red. I felt sick to my stomach. I spent an hour or so making calls, trying to find my rings. The first people I called were my manager and clinical leader and they gave me a few phone numbers for cleaners. I got in touch with a lady who managed the cleaning services for the clinic, and she told me that the bins had already been collected. I knew nothing could be done now. I had lost my rings. It mattered much to me and now as if I lost a precious thing and my feelings were beyond words.
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But about two hours later, I received an amazing phone call.
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Three days later, I finally got a chance to thank the cleaner face to face.
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10 . By the time Joy Ryan, a US grandma, turned 85, she had never seen the ocean or mountains. For Joy, trips to the local fishing area with her husband were about the farthest place she had ever gone, even if she loved watching the Travel Channel.
But one day Joy’s grandson, Brad Ryan, discovered that he and his grandma had a common interest in their love for traveling, when they began to visit the American great outdoors together.
Brad said, “When I learned my grandma had never seen the great wildernesses of America—deserts, mountains and oceans, I thought there was something I needed to do.” It was after taking his grandma out of Ohio on a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that he came up with the idea of visiting all the 63 US national parks with her to create inspiring memories.
Going to all the 63 US National Parks is a huge achievement even for a much younger adventurer (冒险家). Brad said his grandmother’s physical strength (体力) grew with their trips. For example, his grandma went water rafting (漂流) at 91, with class three rapids and when walking at the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, she broke the record by almost a decade!
It wasn’t always like this, however. Joy was so wobbly (不稳的) on her first trip, challenged by her balance. A group of college students clapped their hands when she reached the top of a path they were following.
Joy broke her age limitation (限制) and at the age of 93, she made history as the oldest living person to visit every US National Park. Joy believes it’s the mix of hopefulness, willpower, and the good health that gives her strength.
1. With whom did Joy Ryan visit all the 63 US national parks?| A．Her grandson. | B．Her husband. |
| C．Her daughter. | D．Her student. |
| A．She had a love for traveling. |
| B．Water rafting is dangerous for the old. |
| C．There is no age limitation for water rafting. |
| D．She had developed a strong body from traveling. |
| A．Her memory. | B．Her balance. |
| C．Her physical strength. | D．Her sense of direction. |
| A．Brave and hopeful. | B．Humorous and outgoing. |
| C．Hard-working and helpful. | D．Thoughtful and self-confident. |
