1 . When I was nine years old, my dad worked in a heating and air conditioning company. It allowed him to work mainly in the spring and fall. With summers free, my parents took me and my two brothers to the lake every day. I supposed my parents must realize that if they didn’t find us any things to do, we would finally start fighting, as we were too bored.
On the way to the lake, my mother drove the car and my father recited (朗诵) poems so my brothers and I wouldn’t get bored. I still didn’t know how my dad had learnt so many poems by heart. But I had a great discovery that every time my father recited them, those verses (诗句) could keep us three quiet for the next twenty--minute drive. Such moments could never be achieved by what else my parents usually did such as singing, telling stories, and so on.
One of the poems that completely attracted me was a bit silly. It begins—Ladles and jellyspoons/I come before you/To stand behind you/And tell you something I know nothing about. There were still many similar ones. I found I was deeply caught. I recited these lines in my head over and over, week after week until they burned new electrical pathways in my brain. I even couldn’t help copying those poems neatly in my favorite notebooks.
It’s a love story that continues to this day, thirty years and 10 books of my own later. So the value of the story is this: Read to your kids. Sing to your kids. Recite poems for your kids. Be silly with your kids! It may make all the difference. It works for me. Thanks, Dad.
1. According to the author, why were his brothers and he taken to the lake daily in summer?| A．To reduce their study pressure. | B．To escape the heat of summers. |
| C．To teach them some new life skills. | D．To draw their attention to other things. |
| A．Poems were easy to learn by heart. |
| B．His parents were good at creating poems. |
| C．His father tried hard to get along well with them. |
| D．Poems could make the three brothers calm down. |
| A．He began to write poems himself. | B．He gradually fell in love with poems. |
| C．He made changes to some silly poems. | D．He grew to be a kid with excellent grades. |
| A．Children should be grateful to their parents. |
| B．Parents should avoid being too strict with kids. |
| C．Good family atmosphere is very important for kids. |
| D．Children should be encouraged to follow their dreams. |
2 . During Brandi Tuck’s junior year at the University of Florida in 2004, her spring break plans fell through and it changed the course of her life.
All of her friends were going on alternative spring break trips, which gave them an opportunity to serve a diverse set of communities and she reluctantly signed up because nobody was going to the beach with her.
There were several trips to choose from, each focused on a cause like AIDs, women’s rights or the environment. But none of them spoke to Tuck. She’ d done community service for years, but more out of just a desire to enrich her resume (简历). “I picked the homelessness and poverty trip. I thought it was the least bad of the choices,” she recalled.
That spring, she and a dozen other students headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to spend a week volunteering at homeless shelters. The experience was eye-opening. At one shelter, one young boy’s request stopped her in her tracks. He said, “Oh, I love you. Can you please not go? Stay with me.” Tuck knew they didn’t have a lot of attention because the moms were so stressed. So she stayed. In that moment, Tuck decided to continue working at the shelter.
In 2008, Tuck started a nonprofit organization, now known as Path Home, which provides shelter, support, and a host of services to families experiencing homelessness in Portland, Oregon. The organization has since helped more than 10,000 parents and children. She also bought an old church to create an environment that would help families recover mentally as well as physically, giving them the sense of emotional, physical, and psychological safety.
Tuck says her wish is a society where every family receives the support and compassion they need to boom, which is all that she needs to continue doing the work.
1. What happened during Tuck’s spring break in 2004?| A．She traveled to the beach by herself. |
| B．She joined in a community service activity. |
| C．She was admitted to the University of Florida. |
| D．She organized a number of holiday study tours. |
| A．Excitedly. | B．Proudly. | C．Unwillingly. | D．Fortunately. |
| A．Tuck’s sympathy for the poor. | B．The effort that Tuck made. |
| C．Tuck’s reason for volunteering. | D．The honor that Tuck received. |
| A．The little boy’s invitation. | B．Her wish to help all the homeless out. |
| C．The challenges from her volunteering. | D．Path Home’s development. |
3 . Remember the woman in Port Hood, N. S. whose recipe for meat rolls spread all over the internet? The dog from Quebec that attracted hundreds of thousands of followers for its advice on surviving social isolation? The pilot whose path over Nova Scotia formed the shape of a heart?
All of their stories, and dozens more, are collected in a new book by two Canadian authors. It took Heather Down and Catherine Kenwell just a little more than seven weeks to collect the stories behind the 49 uplifting moments they recorded during the pandemic.
The book includes everything from the tale of Robbie Griffiths, the father from Paradise, N. L. who dressed up as Spider-Man so kids could have something positive in their day, to Carter Mann, the Grade 5 student from Sudbury, Ont, who wrote a poem to encourage front-line heroes including his own father, who is a health carer.
“Not Canceled: Canadian Caremongering in the Face of COVID-19” is a reminder that a lot of positive things happened during lockdown. The book’s title is a nod to the Canadian attitude and reaction to the pandemic, as the word “caremongering” has Canadian roots. Even the number of stories is no accident: it’s a reference to the 49th parallel, along which runs the Canada-U. S. border between Manitoba and B. C.
One of the stories in “Not Canceled” centers on the marriage of a couple in B. C. They may have had to shift their celebrations to a living room, but the ceremony was far from lonely. Friends showed up in their cars outside, with everyone tuned into the same radio station, so the bride and groom could have their first dance in the middle of the street.
Down wanted to document how the nation navigated such dark times with kindness. She told CTV News that “the response has been amazing. I’m so pleased.”
The stories included in the book are just the tip of the iceberg. Down says that there are so many stories left over that she and Kenwell might just have to do a second book.
1. What does the underlined word “uplifting” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Inspiring. | B．Embarrassing. | C．Mysterious. | D．Humorous. |
| A．He trained hard to become a health carer. |
| B．He wrote poems with the help of his father. |
| C．He used words to cheer up essential workers. |
| D．He dressed up as Spider-Man to please other kids. |
| A．It shows Canadian attitude and response. |
| B．It shows the total number of the stories. |
| C．It has the new-made word “caremongering”. |
| D．It contains Canada’s geographical information. |
| A．It was canceled halfway. | B．It was held completely indoor. |
| C．It was witnessed by a group of friends. | D．It was broadcast live by a radio station. |
4 . Michael and his wife, new residents in a San Francisco apartment, learned about their neighbor Jeff Dunan’s volunteer work for Bangladesh Relief, an organization that provides food, clothing and essential supplies for disadvantaged people in northern Bangladesh. Inspired, Michael donated $150 to Dunan’s GoFundMe campaign. However, a credit card notification alerted him to an unintended $15,041 charge.
When he saw the five-figure number, he was confused. Soon, it all made sense. Michael’s credit card number started with four and one. Clearly, he accidentally began typing his credit card information while his cursor (光标) was still in the donation box.
Michael planned to call Dunan to explain, but before he had the chance to do that, he started receiving Facebook messages from Shohag Chandra, the charity’s Bangladesh-based program manager, thanking him for his generous donation. After he looked through the photos of people holding thank-you signs that read his name, Michael’s heart sank. He felt terrible that he had to withdraw his handsome donation. Once his original contribution was refunded, he decided to donate $1,500.
Although Michael had told his family and friends about the tale, he decided to share it publicly on social media, after Dunan told him the organization was desperately in need of funds. “The least I could do was take the time to post this story online and see if I could inspire other people to donate to the cause,” Michael said.
Little did he know, though, that the story would be seen far and wide, ending up raising more than $120,000 for Bangladesh Relief in the span of only a few weeks—about eight times Michael’s mistaken donation. According to Dunan, more than 3,700 people have contributed because of Michael’s post. Michael has been stunned (震惊) by the ongoing outpouring of support. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this reaction,” he said. “People can be amazing when they come together for something like this.”
1. How did Michael make the large donation?| A．He input an incorrect amount. | B．He encountered a system error. |
| C．He was greatly inspired by Dunan. | D．He entered wrong credit card details. |
| A．He saw people in despair. | B．He failed to offer enough money. |
| C．He didn’t receive the full refund. | D．He realized the scale of his mistake. |
| A．Dunan’s request for publicity. | B．A desire for personal recognition. |
| C．The organization’s urgent need for funds. | D．Pressure from his family and friends. |
| A．Actions speak louder than words. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Always prepare for a rainy day. | D．A good beginning is half of victory. |
5 . Living in the beauty, scenery and peacefulness of Italy, Thomas Hartke and Irene Horbrand, both in their 60s, run A Teira, the only pizzeria open year-round in an Italian village. What started off as a vacation nearly 50 years ago turned into a new life full of unexpected cooking achievements.
“We fell in love with this place in 1975 when we first visited it,” says Hartke. “We came back many times. Then 23 years ago we moved here for good, settling down in a rented house. The locals are friendly and welcoming, there’s a comfortable village atmosphere, and we left nothing behind in Germany: why would we ever go back?”
The couple has always been active. For years they ran the village’s main bar, and then took over the pizzeria in 2016. But running the pizzeria also gave them headaches as permit renewals and day- to-day bureaucracy (官僚主义) can be a trouble. The greatest challenge, however, was making a good-or acceptable—pizza and hoping that locals didn’t find it revolting. Italians tend to get quite upset if someone messes with traditional dishes, especially pasta and pizza, but somehow the locals attracted by the German couple’s mixtures.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy to serve pizza to Italians—it’s such an untouchable, blessed food, but we were never scared of trying, and our courage was rewarded,” says Hartke. “Customers really do appreciate our pizzas, they become regulars and there’re not just foreigners. Even locals come here.”
Irene, a former fur designer, had never made a pizza before deciding that was what she and her husband were going to do. Practically overnight she learned how to make a pizza on a TV course in Germany. Each evening, alone in the small kitchen where not even her husband is allowed, she bakes 60 pizzas, from 6 p. m. to 10 p. m.
1. What made the couple settle down in the Italian village?| A．The livable environment there. | B．Quality elderly care services. |
| C．Unique delicious local food. | D．Their terrible experience in Germany. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Determined. | C．Worried. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Illegal. | B．Conservative. | C．Cheap. | D．Unpleasant. |
| A．The husband cooks pizzas following a course. |
| B．The couple cook the unique pizzas together. |
| C．The couple make pizzas in the local way. |
| D．The wife cooks pizzas on her own. |
6 . Last year, my Singapore-based sister insisted my mother and I join her for the Christmas. My mum, a fearless woman, would get strangely nervous on flights. Perhaps the only thing that convinced her to overcome her fears was the chance to piece together our declining bond.
Growing up, moments with Mum were painfully short-lived because I spent most time at the boarding school, reuniting only during the holidays. Every year, she would eagerly await my return, which would always lead to constant loving scenes. Those cherished moments were gradually vanishing as I moved away for university. Soon, our relationship became tense. She seemed unable to comprehend me and her stubborn and old-fashioned advice forced me to shut myself. But the more I pulled away, the more I felt a longing for the bond that had grown so dim. Perhaps Singapore would give us a chance to breathe it back to life.
I assumed the immersive exhibits at Art Science Museum would refresh my mother, who was an art student. However, I was surprised when she just turned her nose up at the Bruges Whale, a sculpture using plastic waste to raise awareness about ocean pollution. “It’s art, Mum! Be more appreciative.” I defended.
Disheartened by the distance between us, I led her to the kid’s zone. We signed up for a joint sketching activity, hoping that would help us connect. As our creative juices flowed, our faded relationship began to take on the hues and shades of something sincere and beautiful.
“Look!” she excitedly pointed towards a digital screen that displayed our creations. “That one’s ours.” Mum went up and reached out, touching the fish as it moved its tail back and forth in the virtual tank.
Looking around, I saw children sharing moments with their parents, and my own childhood flashed back. That rare instance where she let slip an inner innocence and delight at a new experience revealed the little girl in her, who was like me, had lost a vital connection to responsibilities of motherhood.
“Our time together was like that of friends. You were my mother, and I’m a child following you around.” My mum said to me with a smile.
1. What made Mum accept the visit to Singapore?| A．The resolve to overcome the nervousness on flight. |
| B．The desire to restore relationship with her children. |
| C．The sincere invitation of my Singapore-based sister. |
| D．The expectation for Art Science Museum as an artist. |
| A．She felt it a huge waste to make it from plastic. |
| B．She showed a great interest in this work of art. |
| C．She didn’t think it good enough to be exhibited. |
| D．She considered it beneficial to ocean protection. |
| A．It revealed Mum’s inner ignorance like a girl. |
| B．It explored causes for faded bond between families. |
| C．It let Mum totally lose responsibilities of motherhood. |
| D．It provided an opportunity to share moments with families. |
| A．A good medicine tastes bitter. | B．Life has indeed come full circle. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
7 . I grew up in a small city in Brazil, in a family where education—especially for women—was not a priority. The day I told my mom I got a job offer to do a postdoc (博士后) in the United States, she said, “Don’t forget the man is the leader of the house. When will you stop studying and get married and have children?” I love my family, and they love me. But my education has given me different dreams and created distance between us that we are trying to bridge.
My grandmother helped inspire my education and career ambitions by teaching me to buy and exchange books at secondhand bookshops. Books ignited (点燃) a hunger to learn about the world around me and become a scientist.
Throughout my bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate, I was told that was not an option. Professors and peers said my family background and the poor public schools I had attended put my dream of becoming a researcher out of reach. But I was addicted to learning and wouldn’t give up. Thankfully I succeeded.
My parents love me and are proud of me. But even pride create s distance between us. When I come home to visit, they feel nervous because they think their food and home are not good enough for me. Right before I started, my mom sent a gift—a novel about two scientists falling in love, which I had told her about. I was touched, knowing what she really meant. I asked her to write a dedication (献词). She asked my aunt to write on her behalf. “I don’t want to embarrass you,” she said, referring to her struggles with writing. It broke my heart.
Now I am still trying to figure out how to talk to my parents about my career and our differences, and our uncomfortable conversations about marriage continue. But I’ve come to realize that our love for each other gets rid of any distance.
1. How did Mom feel when told about the author’s postdoc job?| A．Guilty. | B．Concerned. | C．Excited. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．Reliable and easy-going. | B．Caring and humble. |
| C．Ambitious and hardworking. | D．Talented and generous. |
| A．They can’t persuade her to get married. |
| B．They will come into conflict with each other. |
| C．They might be looked down upon by others. |
| D．They can’t take good care of their daughter. |
| A．Distance can be bridged by love. | B．Education is always a priority. |
| C．Knowledge can remove division. | D．Parents’ support is our driving force. |
8 . Lucy Flores teaches preschool students how to read letters and write their names. After school, Flores goes home and does the same for her dad. Flores’ father, Luciano Flores, stopped attending school after first grade.
She said she tried to teach her dad to read and write when she was younger, but it didn’t go well. She doubled down on her own education and became the first person in her family, on both parents’ sides, to graduate from college.
With her teaching background, Lucy Flores gave it——teaching her dad——another shot. And this time she said he was “excited” to learn. After four months of working together for two hours, three days a week after they are both done with work, Lucy Flores said, “My dad can now write his own name and is reading some books on his own.”
As she has taught her dad, Lucy Flores has shared their journey on social media, where nearly 100,000 followers are tracking their progress. “I don’t know to this day if he understands how many people are watching him and following him.” said Lucy Flores. “But I took it as an opportunity that would encourage him even more. I know that it has.” Followers on social media share lesson plan ideas and have sent school supplies and books to the family, according to Lucy Flores.
In addition to watching her dad’s progress and inspiring others to never give up on their dreams, Lucy Flores said the most pleasant part of teaching her dad was the change in their own father-daughter relationship. “In reality, he and I did not get along well,” said Lucy Flores,who described her dad as being quiet and not one to share his feelings or sit down and play with her as a kid.
Luciano Flores said that he was excited to continue to focus on learning letters and numbers and to spend time with his family.
1. Why did Lucy Flores teach her dad?| A．She tried to practise her teaching methods. |
| B．She wanted to kill time with her dad. |
| C．She intended to help her dad get a college diploma. |
| D．She attempted to improve her dad’s ability to read and write. |
| A．Try. |
| B．Book. |
| C．Assessment. |
| D．Studio. |
| A．To inspire her students. |
| B．To make her dad famous. |
| C．To motivate her dad further. |
| D．To seek more help from her dad’s followers. |
| A．Exhausting. |
| B．Rewarding. |
| C．Demanding. |
| D．Amusing. |
9 . A couple, Libby Green and Marcel Gnauk, like travelling and sharing their travel experiences online has become part of their routine.
Libby is skilled at using a camera. But they struggled to find a focus. Then, in Cambodia, Libby filmed some birds taking flight that she wanted to use in a film. But she couldn’t capture (捕获) the sound of their wing beats.
They looked on the Internet, searching sound libraries, but couldn’t find anything appropriate. So, Marcel took a $100 audio recorder, and went searching for the missing sound to record. He didn’t find any birds, but he did manage to change their future with it.
Marcel turned the recorder on in a small construction zone, listening through a cheap set of headphones. He was awed not just by the sounds of construction, but a man’s singing, and motorcycles passing by.
“It was just like the sound was falling into my head from all sides,” says Marcel. “Everything became alive, and from that day until now I have never stopped recording.”
In the six years since that first recording, the couple have captured sounds in more than 25 countries.
Libby shoots and edits their YouTube videos, and manages their website. Marcel does most of the sound recording and editing, as well as the social media postings. Through their website, they offer 500 free sound libraries. Of these, 145 are free to download.
Libby had added a donation button to their website, and a Hollywood post-production creative had donated a few dollars. It was then that Marcel realized others shared a passion for sound, and were willing to pay for it.
“We wanted to be a source that’s affordable for all types of people to download the sounds and we’re still excited to travel to new places and record new sounds,” says Libby.
1. What changed the couple’s life direction?| A．A camera. | B．A film. | C．A library. | D．A recorder. |
| A．attracted | B．cheated | C．confused | D．awoken |
| A．They are providing some free resources online. | B．They are studying the change of bird sounds. |
| C．They are building free libraries in poor areas. | D．They are advocating donations for Cambodians. |
| A．Sharing Love | B．A Caring Couple |
| C．A Passion for Sounds | D．Recording Good Life |
10 . They said it couldn’t be done. They said he was crazy. They said he would never make it.
But Duane Hansen and his beautiful pumpkin, which he named Berta, proved them all wrong. Like Cinderella’s fairy godmother, this Nebraska man proved that you really can turn a pumpkin into a functional vehicle — in this case, a seaworthy vessel(船).
Yes, you read that right. Hansen wanted to celebrate his 60th birthday by hollowing out his prized 846-pound pumpkin and sailing down the Missouri River inside it. Not only did Hansen enjoy a pumpkin sail on his special day, but his 38-mile journey also landed him a world record! In case you wondered, the previous world record for the longest sail in a pumpkin was 25 miles, set by a North Dakota man in 2018.
It wasn’t an easy journey. Growing a pumpkin big enough to use as a boat is already a challenge. Then, there was his chosen waterway. The city of Bellevue, Nebraska, posted a photogragh of Hansen on the water that offers a reminder of just how big the Missouri River is.
“He has always said that you can do anything you want and I’m just so proud,” Hansen’s daughter Morgan Buchholz said.
Hansen reportedly spent nearly a decade trying to grow a pumpkin big enough to work as a sailing vessel. He was inspired to begin his mission after meeting a woman who had previously won “the Biggest Pumpkin Competition”. He asked her many questions about her experience.
As for his pumpkin-sailing future, “I’m done with this.” Hansen said that the voyage made his knees ache. The wake (尾流) from boats was rough, and when they passed, he said he had to stop everything and just hang on. “If somebody breaks this record, I will, like, bow down to them because they are tough,” he said.
1. Why did Hansen go on a pumpkin journey?| A．To observe his birthday. | B．To show his prized pumpkin. |
| C．To break a world record. | D．To prove pumpkin could be a vessel. |
| A．He chose a calm waterway. |
| B．He talked with the previous record holder. |
| C．He convinced his family to support his plan. |
| D．He worked a long time to grow the pumpkin. |
| A．His knees got seriously injured in the sailing. |
| B．His vessel tured over in the wake from boats. |
| C．Hansen will respect whoever breaks his record. |
| D．Hansen will continue the pumpkin-sailing in future. |
| A．It is never too old to learn. |
| B．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| C．Where there’s a will, there’s a way. |
| D．Fear always springs from ignorance |
