Sadie looked out of the window and sighed (叹气) as she thought about another long, boring day of summer. She wondered what all of her friends from school were doing on their summer vacations. It had to be a lot better than looking out of a window. Sadie thought about the fun she had last summer when she and her best friend Allison went to the beach. They built sandcastles, played beach volleyball, and even tried surfing. But they wouldn’t be going to the beach together this summer because Allison had moved to a different city far away from Sadie’s.

Suddenly, Sadie had an idea. She could call her friend Wendy, who always had funny ideas. Maybe they could ride their bikes together around the park. Sadie raced to the living room, picked up the phone, and called Wendy. She sighed more deeply as the phone rang and rang. Then Sadie seated herself on the sofa, picked up the television remote, and put it down again. She didn’t really want to watch television, so she went to her room and found the list of phone numbers of her good friends from school. In the living room, she called almost each of them, but no one was at home.

After hanging up the phone, Sadie wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching her mom do the cleaning. “Mom, I don’t have anyone to hang out with because my friends from school aren’t home and Allison moved away,” said Sadie. “Honey, there are many things you can do by yourself, like playing your guitar or having a walk in the garden. You could even finish that story about our camping trip,” said Mom.

“I don’t want to do those things by myself. I want to play with a friend.” “Sometimes, it is nice to do things by yourself,” said Mom. “I like seeing my friends, but I also like doing things alone like taking a walk by myself or finding a quiet spot to read. Why not have a try?”

Sadie thought about her mom’s words and returned to her room.

2 . Sadie looked out of the window and sighed (叹气) as she thought about another long, boring day of summer. She wondered what all of her friends from school were doing on their summer vacations. It had to be a lot better than looking out of a window. Sadie thought about the fun she had last summer when she and her best friend Allison went to the beach. They built sandcastles, played beach volleyball, and even tried surfing. But they wouldn’t be going to the beach together this summer because Allison had moved to a different city far away from Sadie’s.

Suddenly, Sadie had an idea. She could call her friend Wendy, who always had funny ideas. Maybe they could ride their bikes together around the park. Sadie raced to the living room, picked up the phone, and called Wendy. She sighed more deeply as the phone rang and rang. Then Sadie seated herself on the sofa, picked up the television remote, and put it down again. She didn’t really want to watch television, so she went to her room and found the list of phone numbers of her good friends from school. In the living room, she called almost each of them, but no one was at home.

After hanging up the phone, Sadie wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching her mom do the cleaning. “Mom, I don’t have anyone to hang out with because my friends from school aren’t home and Allison moved away,” said Sadie. “Honey, there are many things you can do by yourself, like playing your guitar or having a walk in the garden. You could even finish that story about our camping trip,” said Mom.

“I don’t want to do those things by myself. I want to play with a friend.” “Sometimes, it is nice to do things by yourself,” said Mom. “I like seeing my friends, but I also like doing things alone like taking a walk by myself or finding a quiet spot to read. Why not have a try?”

Sadie thought about her mom’s words and returned to her room.

When I was elected the president of Students’ Union, everybody congratulated me, saying it was one of the best the school had been. And my first task in my political career was to raise money to build a coffeehouse on the campus. I was excited about it.

Having determined my goal, I set up a small group of helpers to do fundraising. One of them was Gary.

He was super active and energetic. You could easily pick him out during the lunch break for he was always enjoying himself by throwing Frisbees (飞盘) to someone just passing by. But meanwhile, he was extremely clever and eloquent (雄辩的). As the leader of the Debating Club, he never had any losses. When I politely asked him to join the fundraising group, he raised his eyebrows. Obviously, he didn’t expect I would invite someone so playful as him. At my insistence, he finally agreed.

Clearly, I was right. Gary persuaded dozens of students into donating. He helped me organize our group meetings. When the team members met difficulties and lost heart on the edge of giving up, he made the best of his humor to cheer everyone up. Gradually, all of us felt like we were part of something much bigger than we were.

However, I didn’t know when my ego (自我) took over and destroyed everything. My arrogance (傲慢) and my pride were out of control. I began speaking down to my group members, demanding they listen to me because I thought I knew what was best. I believe that I could complete this task without any of them and I wanted to take credit for everything (把功劳归自己). Gary tried to remind me that I was abusing (滥用) my position, but I wasn’t listening.

Peter, a 5-year-old boy, showed such great interest in seashells that he would rush to pick them up with his 3-year-old sister, Shirley. They screamed out their joy as Peter collected his treasure into his pockets. For Peter, sea shells lay shining on the peaceful beach, waiting for him, just like stars twinkling (闪烁) in the sky. As waves touched them, they seemed to be flowers blooming (绽放) in gentle wind.

One day, Peter was wandering through a market with Shirley with some shells in his pocket. Suddenly Peter found his younger sister was lagging (落后) behind. He stopped and looked back, finding Shirley standing in front of a toy shop and staring at something with great interest. The boy went back to her and asked, “What do you want?” Shirley pointed at the doll, wearing a smile on her innocent face. Peter held his younger sister’s tiny hand, walking into the shop. He tiptoed (踮起脚尖) to reach for the doll, and like fulfilling an elder brother’s duty, gave the precious doll to Shirley. Holding tightly the doll, the sister was very happy.

The shopkeeper was watching everything and enjoyed seeing the mature (成熟的) behavior of the boy. Now the boy came to the counter and asked the shopkeeper, “How much does this doll cost, Sir?” The shopkeeper was a cool man, who had suffered from something in his life. So he asked the boy with love, “Well, what can you pay?” Peter reached into his clothes for money that was intended for these two little kids’ breakfast. Having counted the money, Peter put it with care on the counter, asking again, “Sir, is it enough for my little sister’s doll?” The amusing scene just in front of the shopkeeper eventually brought a smile to his face. Shaking his head slightly, he replied, “My boy, I am afraid it seems not to be enough.”

Aesha Ash spent most of her life ballet (芭蕾舞) dancing and even turned it into a career as a member of the New York City Ballet. As much as she loved to dance, she found the weight of her responsibility heavy because she was often the only African American ballerina (芭蕾舞女演员) in her classes and company.

After retiring (退休) from ballet in 2007, Aesha enjoyed the quiet life for more than ten years before she decided to come back to ballet, but in a completely new way. She started The Swan Dreams Project that helps kids in poor areas get into the world of ballet.

Aesha set up a one-week camp that invited kids to not only learn the basics of ballet, but also get an introduction to French (since she says it is “the language of ballet”).

Her first camp was in 2018 in a poor neighborhood in New York. When she arrived she was greeted by dozens of students, most of whom were African Americans. She wanted to help kids who otherwise might not have ever had the chance to live in the world of ballet.

On the final day of camp, after a week of learning, the students put on a final performance for their family and friends. Before the performance, Aesha said she was nervous that it would be less of a performance and more of a mess, since the campers were all between 8 and 11 years old. Much to her surprise, it turned out to be perfect. She said, “When we went out to our first circle and the kids began counting in French and performing the steps they had just learned, my heart melted.”

Aesha continues to do whatever she can to help kids learn ballet. She found a way to turn that seemingly unbearable weight she once carried around into something good for kids, as well as for the world of ballet.

7 . 任务型阅读

Following My Dream

I grew up in a poor family with six brothers, three sisters, my father and mother. We had little money and few goods, but plenty of love and attention. I was happy and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream.

My dream was athletics. By the time I was sixteen, I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything moving on the football field. And I was so lucky that my high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but often told me “The dream is priceless.” However, when I was about to get off the ground, one particular thing happened, which almost ruined (毁坏)my long-held dream.

It was the summer holiday in Senior Two and a friend recommended me for a summer job. I was offered $12.25 per hour. Compared with the average $3.5, that was a big sum. I was so excited, because this meant a chance for money in my pocket, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother. The prospect (前景)of the job was inviting, and I wanted to jump at the opportunity.

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball training to handle the work schedule. I didn’t dare to tell my coach. I thought of the advice my mother often gave me when I lacked courage, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.” I decided to talk to my coach by myself. After all, my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment to me. I gathered my courage and knocked at his door…

continue, realize, upset, advise, fortunate, priceless, throw, excite, have, disappoint, happy, recommend
Following My Dream
I grew up in a poor family and we __________ little money and few goods.		I felt __________ and energetic. I __________ that each person should build his dream even though he was poor.
By the time I was 16, I could __________ a fast ball and hit anything moving on the football field.		I was so __________that my coach was Ollie Jarvis, who often told me “The dream is __________.”
In the summer holiday I was __________ for a summer job. I was offered $12.25 per hour.		I was so __________ about the big sum, because this meant a chance for money in my pocket, money for a new bike and so on.
If I wanted to __________ to work, I would have to give up summer baseball training.		I didn’t dare to tell my coach, but my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his __________ to me.

For Sara’s family, decorating the yard was always a celebration for the New year. This year it was Sara’s father’s turn to hang colorful lights all round their roof according to family tradition.

On New Year’s Eve, light enveloped the whole house. Everything seemed to be going fine until misfortune happened: Sara’s father passed away suddenly. Sara was very sad. However, seeing the hanging lights, she was in a state of feeling happy, gaining a tiny thread of relief.

The lights reminded her of her beloved father. Taking them down meant the final connection with her father would disappear, which she wasn’t ready to accept. So she kept them. One day in March, Sara received a typed note in the mail. “Take your New Year’s lights down!” The letter read, which made Sara angry. She couldn’t hold back her anger, and shared it with her story online. Messages of support flooded into Sara’s inbox quickly. Besides, one day, Sara was driving back home and surprised to find that New Year’s decorations reappeared on houses in her neighborhood —her neighbors had made a collective (共同的) decision to hang their lights back up in honor of her father!

She never learned the sender’s identity. But for her, that hurtful deed was far less important than so many acts of kindness. A few weeks later, Sara eventually took down the decorations. “It was hard. But due to all the support and love, it was not as hard as I thought.”

Sara’s New Year Lights

10 . Peter, a 5-year- old boy, showed such great interest in seashells that he would rush to pick them up with his 3-year-old sister, Shirley. They screamed out their joy as Peter collected his treasure into his pockets. For Peter, sea shells lay shining on the peaceful beach, waiting for him, just like stars twinkling in the sky. As waves touched them, they seemed to be flowers blooming in gentle wind.

One day, Peter was wandering through a market with Shirley with some shells in his pocket. Suddenly Peter found his younger sister was lagging (落后) behind. He stopped and looked back, finding Shirley standing in front of a toy shop and staring at something with great interest. The boy went back to her and asked, “What do you want?” Shirley pointed at the doll, wearing a smile on her innocent face. Peter held his younger sister’s tiny hand, walking into the shop. He tiptoed to reach for the doll, and like fulfilling an elder brother’s duty, gave the precious doll to Shirley. Holding tightly the doll, the sister was very happy.

The shopkeeper was watching everything and enjoyed seeing the mature (成熟的) behavior of the boy. Now the boy came to the counter and asked the shopkeeper, “How much does this doll cost, sir?” “The shopkeeper was a cool man, who had suffered from something in his life. So he asked the boy with love, “Well, what can you pay?” Peter reached into his clothes for money that was intended for these two little kids’ breakfast. Having counted the money, Peter put it with care on the counter, asking again, “Sir, is it enough for my little sister’s doll?” The amusing scene just in front of the shopkeeper eventually brought a smile to his face. Shaking his head slightly, he replied, “My boy, I am afraid it seems not to be enough.”