1 . In 1972, Barbara Rieco penned a heartfelt children’s book that held her dream within its pages. Despite her best efforts, the manuscript (手稿) faced repeated rejection from publishers, leading her to eventually set aside her dream of becoming a published author.
Little did she know that, decades later, her grandson would turn the dream into reality. Chad Cooper, a production professional, decided to give his grandmother the ultimate Christmas gift — the publication of her treasured book. Visiting her in Baltimore for the holidays, he secretly took her original manuscript, along with the drawings for the book she had obtained from an artist years ago, and transformed them into a beautifully printed book.
On Christmas morning, as Barbara unwrapped the carefully crafted gift, she was overcome with emotion as she realized what the surprise was. The moment, captured and posted online by Chad, quickly resonated (产生共鸣) with viewers, and the video became a hit.
“This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in my entire life,” Barbara said in the video, who also gave her grandson a big hug, with tears.
Chad’s thoughtful gesture didn’t just end with the surprise; he also included a link to the book on Amazon, making it available to the public. The response was nothing short of magic — within days, Barbara’s once-forgotten book skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list, earning the coveted spot as a best seller.
Chad filmed the reaction to that news and shared more updates. Barbara said she had been reading every single comment online and wanted to respond to them all but there were thousands of them.
“I’ve bought Barbara Rieco’s book even though I’m 21 and don’t even have kids. I’ve read it and I really like it,” said one viewer.
“My children enjoy reading the book and they recommend me to read it as well,” another viewer commented.
Barbara Rieco’s book, now accepted by a new generation of readers, continues to spread joy and inspiration.
1. What did Chad Cooper do for his grandmother?| A．He had her book published. | B．He drew for her new book. |
| C．He arranged an artist to meet her. | D．He helped finish her manuscript. |
| A．Calm and proud. | B．Lucky but regretful. |
| C．Delighted but worried. | D．Excited and grateful. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Desired. | C．Empty. | D．Forgotten. |
| A．To reveal Barbara’s gift for writing books. |
| B．To show the popularity of Barbara’s book. |
| C．To tell the influence of reading on the young. |
| D．To highlight the value of Chad’s Christmas gift. |
2 . Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner
This is the memoir (回忆录) and first book of Michelle Zauner, lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast. Zauner writes about growing up as a Korean American and how losing her mother to cancer when she was 25 forced her to reconnect with her identity. It’s a story of Zauner’s grief and an exploration of all the gifts (language, food, history) her mother left behind.
Overwhelmed, by Brigid Schulte
You’ve probably heard by now that you won’t be sleeping much after you welcome your bundle of joy and noise into the world. Parenthood can be challenging and tiring, but you don’t have to feel like you’ve lost yourself while you’re creating a life for someone else. Journalist Brigid Schulte lays out how our always-on culture can get the best of us and what you can do to take back some time for yourself.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese-American poet and his first novel is written in the form of a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Exploring race, class, and manhood, the novel handles difficult topics with beauty and the kind of lines that will hang in the air long after you’ve set the book down.
24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, by Tiffany Shlain
In 24/6, filmmaker and popular speaker Shlain introduces readers to what she calls a “Technology Shabbat” -the one day, every week, where she and her family turn off all electronic devices. Beyond detailing the many ways she and her family have benefited, Shlain gives helpful, reassuring advice for setting your own tech shabbat and controlling device use.
1. Who are the main target readers of Overwhelmed?| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Writers. | D．Journalists. |
| A．Crying in H Mart. |
| B．Overwhelmed. |
| C．On Earth We’re Brie fly Gorgeous. |
| D．24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week. |
| A．They are related to family life. |
| B．They are on the theme of growing up. |
| C．They are written by mixed-race authors. |
| D．They are concerned with electronic devices. |
1. What does Dylan Warren say about the car?
| A．Its scratch was from a serious accident. |
| B．Its air conditioning system is new. |
| C．It has run more than 40,000 miles. |
| A．The engine. | B．The brakes. | C．The suspensions. |
| A．$5,500. | B．$6,000. | C．$6,500. |
| A．The culture. | B．The food. | C．The wine. |
1. Why was it difficult to rescue the cat?
| A．It was too scared to move. | B．It was hurt by the branches. | C．It was in the top of a tree. |
| A．He got a neighbor to help him. | B．He borrowed a ladder. | C．He climbed the tree. |
1. What is the speaker talking about at first?
| A．A phenomenon. | B．Her favorite icy drink. | C．A piece of good news. |
| A．It can last for two minutes. |
| B．It is impossible to prevent. |
| C．The cause of it is unknown yet. |
| A．Extremely silly. | B．Very interesting. | C．Quite surprising. |
1. Who does Andy want to send a gift to?
| A．His mother. | B．His aunt. | C．His sister. |
| A．$30. | B．$40. | C．$50. |
| A．Go shopping with Andy. | B．Lend Andy some money. | C．Post the scarf for Andy. |
| A．It’s beautiful. | B．It’s a Greek campus. | C．It’s an ancient campus. |
| A．It is expensive. | B．It is outdated. | C．It is of poor quality. |
1. What do we know about the museum?
| A．It can be explored in one day. |
| B．It houses a good many exhibits. |
| C．It can hold thousands of people at one time. |
| A．In Egypt. | B．In the U. K. | C．In Greece. |
| A．The modern artwork. | B．The ancient sculptures. | C．The American carvings. |
| A．At 3:00. | B．At 4:00. | C．At 5:00. |
