1 . It was bad enough when COVID- 19 closed schools in Philadelphia, US, in March. Like a lot of students, Makyla Linder, 16, found herself getting bored. So she started watching baking videos and shows on TV and online. Soon, she started baking on her own.
Cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries were her first creations.
“I tried them on my friends when they came to my house,” Linder sad. “I also tried them on my family. They said my creations were good.”
For most children, that would have been enough. But Linder had bigger ideas. She asked her mom - what if she started selling her baked goods?
With the help of her mother, Linder got more baking supplies and equipment. She started taking orders online. More people started hearing about her business. Linder also started giving out business cards to make her company more well-know.
She also improved her baking as time went on. She researched new recipes (食谱) and learned good baking skills. She now sells chocolate-covered cookies, chocolate apples and banana pudding. She has some customers who have returned to her several times. They say her prices are good. She charges $15 for a dozen cupcakes or cake pops.
When school reopened in September, Linder had to focus more on her studies. “I wanted to do both, but I understand that school is much more important right now,” she said. However, she still watches cooking shows to get new ideas for her business.
1. What special thing did Linder do after COVID-19 broke out?| A．She started a baking business. | B．She made her own cooking show. |
| C．She invited friends over for parties. | D．She gave online baking lessons. |
| A．They are creative. | B．They are delicious. | C．They are well-known. | D．They are not big enough. |
| A．Linder is good at making money. | B．Linder spends a lot of money. |
| C．Linder’s baked goods aren’t expensive. | D．Linder’s baked goods are too cheap. |
| A．Linder didn’t return to school this year. | B．Linder is proud of her studies. |
| C．Linder will open a new bakery soon. | D．Linder will keep studying baking. |
2 . Four Great Persons
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(1756-1791)Born in Austria in 1756, Mozart was the son of a successful musician . He wrote his first piece of published music at five. Within the year, he began playing for the public, which included a tour of Europe where people admired the young boy’s talent. By the time he was a teenager, Mozart had written several operas. He wrote over 600 pieces of music in his lifetime.
Shirley Temple (1928-2014)Shirley Temple received her first acting chance at the age of three and starred in Carolina, her first film, at six. She quickly caught attention and by 1940, she had starred in 43 films, including Bright Eyes for which she won a special award for “Outstanding Personality”. As an adult, Temple became a US diplomat（外交官）for the United Nations.
Nkosi Johnson(1989-2001)South African Nkosi Johnson was born HIV-positive（携带艾滋病毒）. His story caught the media’s attention when his local public school refused to admit him because of his condition. Soon he traveled the world, telling his story wherever he could,encouraging other patients to speak out. Besides,he founded Nokie’s Haven,a safe place for HIV-positive mothers and their children.In 2005,he was award the International Children’s Peace Prize.
Alexandra Scott(1996-2004)Alexandra Scott had cancer before she celebrated her first birthday.At the age of four, she decided to raise money for other children going through the same thing.So she set up a lemonade stand（摊位）,which inspired others to start lemonade stands, too.They raised over$1 million before Scott died of cancer.Her family carries on her legacy(遗产) through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation,which has raised over $150 million.
1. Who changed his/her career path when he/she grew up?| A．Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. | B．Shirley Temple |
| C．Nkosi Johnson | D．Alexandar Scott |
| A．He got HIV-positive soon after he was born. |
| B．He caught wide attention for his disease. |
| C．He was once refused by schools for his illness. |
| D．He was awarded a prize for his high grades. |
| A．They became well-known at an early age. |
| B．They had a hard time when they were a child. |
| C．They behaved kindly to other people as a child. |
| D．They were hardworking when they were young. |
3 . If you want to help others and improve the world, you still can, without leaving the house. Many volunteer opportunities require only a computer or a phone. We’ve rounded up four websites offering a variety of choices.
Points of Light
Founded by President George Bush, this is the world’s biggest organization about volunteer service.
History and garden lovers can help make collections more available by copying historic documents or tagging (加标签) images of American gardens by plant type in its database.
Help research cold cases of missing and unidentified people for the Doe Network.
Volunteer Match
This is a huge database of more than one million virtual (虚拟的) volunteer listings.
Got a legal background? Lawyers can review online content for Illinois Legal Aid.
Retired business owner? There are many opportunities to instruct small business owners in sales and marketing, business planning and product development.
Create the Good
AARP, the membership group for people 50+, operates this volunteer opportunities database for the 50+ age group.
Offer career advice to high school students in poor families in fields from baking to handyman by email for Career Village.
Raise awareness about scams (诈骗), especially those aimed at older people, identified by AARP’s National Fraud Team.
United Nations Volunteers
This group lists organizations for peace and development all over the world. You can:
Research money and its sources for young people who start business in Asia and the Pacific.
Brainstorm ideas to collect plastic waste in Cameroon.
Want to get involved? Click here to become a member or send an email to membership @seniorplanet.org to learn about opportunities.
1. What do all the volunteer opportunities have in common?| A．They are difficult to acquire. |
| B．They require no related knowledge. |
| C．They allow one to provide help at home. |
| D．They’re aimed at excellent professionals. |
| A．Teach the elderly how to bake. |
| B．Raise money for poor families. |
| C．Provide job suggestions for poor students. |
| D．Train teenagers to run their own businesses. |
| A．Points of Light. | B．Volunteer Match. |
| C．Create the Good. | D．United Nations Volunteers. |
4 . This morning, when 1 shaved in the mirror. I found my body was growing older. There was no doubt about it My
When 1 stepped back. I could see I had become
| A．hair | B．skin | C．eyes | D．hands |
| A．thick | B．beautiful | C．little | D．black |
| A．beard | B．crops | C．body | D．kids |
| A．smaller | B．stronger | C．healthier | D．fatter |
| A．made up | B．slowed down | C．left off | D．came round |
| A．relaxed | B．athletic | C．clean | D．weak |
| A．Listening | B．Speaking | C．Writing | D．Reading |
| A．book | B．note | C．mind | D．mouth |
| A．recognize | B．control | C．replace | D．forget |
| A．smiled | B．shouted | C．waved | D．appeared |
| A．low | B．lonely | C．young | D．bright |
| A．pleased | B．stressed | C．amazed | D．excited |
| A．extremely | B．hardly | C．impossibly | D．uncertainly |
| A．politer | B．lighter | C．heavier | D．prouder |
| A．come in | B．give in | C．break out | D．wear out |
5 . When her classmates were having a good time, Molly sat at the picnic table alone. She remained embarrassed around her classmates. She seemed unsure of what to do or say, yet I could see her eyes longing for acceptance. Many students had already decided that her friendship would not be worth（值）the energy required to overcome the embarrassment. Others laughed at her. Most ignored her—except for one.
Brianna was making the other students laugh, as usual. “Brianna, do you see Molly down there? Would you mind walking down there and inviting her to come up here with the rest of us? I said.
Brianna sighed. I could tell she didn’t want to waste her precious time to do what I was asking of her, but I also knew her heart. She often thought of others before herself—a rare character for anyone, much less a kid.
Knowing this choice was hard for her, I pulled out a D-buck, our class currency（货币）. Though this was not the ideal way to deal with this situation. I needed her cooperation（合作）. “Here, I’ll pay you for your time.” I said to her. She offered an insincere smile, grasped the green paper, and headed down the hill.
As the rest of the children screamed and laughed, my eyes locked on Brianna as she neared the picnic table. Molly could be difficult to get along with, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she sent Brianna back alone, refusing her invitation. When she encouraged herself to a standing position, I sighed with relief.
Minutes later, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Here. Mrs. D.” Brianna handed me the D-buck. “Why?” I asked. “I shouldn’t keep this.” Her eyes fell to her feet, guilt showing from her quiet voice. “I don’t want Molly to think I only went to get her so I could earn the money. She’s my friend.”
A moment later, they were all laughing again, and who should I see among them, laughing for the first time that week? Molly.
1. According to the author, what was Molly like?| A．She ignored the jokes from other kids. |
| B．She felt embarrassed at being laughed at. |
| C．She desired to be accepted by other kids. |
| D．She had no interest in making friends. |
| A．Her talent. | B．Her cooperation. |
| C．Her honesty. | D．Her kindness |
| A．Worried. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Excited. | D．Confused. |
| A．To avoid losing it one day. |
| B．To get a pure friendship with Molly. |
| C．To make friends with her teacher. |
| D．To escape from being punished by her teacher. |
6 . A single cigarette sold on a street corner may not cost a lot; however, the whole costs of smoking are huge.
First, consider the cost of human life. The World Health Organization says about 10 people die of a tobacco-related disease every minute. That speed adds up to almost six million people dying of such diseases every year.
Most of these preventable（可预防的）deaths happen in low-income and middle-income countries. The World Bank says each of these countries has a total national income（收入）of less than $12,746.
The World Health Organization says tobacco kills 6 million people yearly — a number that is expected to rise to 8 million by 2030 unless immediate action is taken.
For most people, stopping smoking is hard. Many began smoking as teenagers. They are used to it. Also, tobacco contains the powerful drug nicotine.
Studies show people who want to stop smoking can do so with different treatments. Some get help from electronic cigarettes, medicine or nicotine patches that reduce their desire for the drug.
But smoking costs more than the life of a person. It can affect the health of the whole country. The World Health Organization says low-income countries depend heavily on taxes from cigarettes. They use the money, in part, to pay the costs of health care for tobacco-related diseases.
But the illegal trade in tobacco products is further testing the economies of low-income countries. WHO officials say the illegal trade earns about $31 billion every year.
Douglas Bettcher is the director of the WHO’s Department for the Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases. He calls the illegal trade a monster with many heads. He says the trade enables young people to buy cigarettes at low prices, become addicted to tobacco and suffer from serious health problems. It also increases crime and reduces taxes.
The World Health Organization is strongly suggesting that the United Nations member states sign an agreement to end the illegal trade in tobacco products. Eight countries have agreed to the agreement. But the agreement of 32 other countries is still needed for it to become an international law.
1. According to the passage, people dying of a tobacco-related disease are mostly from ______.| A．developed countries | B．high-income countries |
| C．less developed countries | D．the United Nations |
| A．Destroying the environment. | B．Being bad to human life. |
| C．Affecting the whole country’s economy. | D．Causing the illegal trade. |
| A．Some action has been taken by the WHO. |
| B．The harm of the illegal trade in tobacco products. |
| C．Young people who are addicted to smoking may commit a crime. |
| D．An agreement to end the illegal trade in tobacco products is being signed. |
| A．Smoking Costs More than You Think |
| B．Different Ways to Stop Smoking |
| C．The Illegal Trade in Tobacco Products |
| D．Immediate Action to Stop Smoking |
