1 . When presented with a Make-A-Wish grant, most 13-year-old boys would buy a gaming system or take a trip to Disney World. But Abraham Olagbegi is not like most teens.
Abraham is recovering from a bone marrow transplant resulting from a rare genetic blood disorder. Last year was a scary time for him and his family, but the transplant was successful, and he’s now on a path to good health. When he found out he was qualified for Make-A-Wish, he shocked everyone with his request.
“I remember we were coming home from one of his doctor appointments and he said, ‘Mom, I thought about it, and I really want to feed the homeless,’” said Miriam Olagbegi. Abraham’s mother. “I said, ‘Are you sure, Abraham? You could do a lot... Are you sure that you don’t want a PlayStation?’”
Abraham’s whole family thought it was a great idea, especially since they’ve tried to teach their kids to give freely and openly to others whenever possible. In the 13-year-old’s words, “My parents always teach us that it’s a blessing to be a blessing.”
Make-A-Wish granted Abraham’s special request, spending a day in September handing out free plates of food to people experiencing homelessness in Jackson, Mississippi. Local businesses donated all of the food and supplies, and together they managed to feed about 80 people.
Abraham said seeing the gratitude on their faces made his wish come true. Now, the Make-A-Wish team will continue Abraham’s program named Abraham’s Table every month.
“We’re just very excited to be able to continue this program. It’s just so rewarding,” Miriam said. “If I was out there on the streets, having no home, I would want somebody at some point to think of me and to do something special for me. So, that’s what I try to instill (灌输) in my kids and we just try to pay it forward by doing what we were raised to do.”
1. What is Abraham’s Make-A-Wish?| A．Having a PlayStation. | B．Helping the homeless. |
| C．Visiting Disney World. | D．Recovering from a rare disease. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Concerned. | C．Curious. | D．Amazed. |
| A．Smart and courageous. | B．Outgoing and determined. |
| C．Sympathetic and generous. | D．Hard-working and careful. |
| A．His parents’ influence. | B．People’s grateful look. |
| C．The desire to set a good example. | D．The eagerness to establish a program. |
2 . FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Wildlife-watching can turn a day outdoors into a wide-eyed family adventure. Here are four of the best UK experiences this spring.
Ponies on Exmoor
Exmoor National Park is a haven for wildlife, with the area’s native ponies a highlight. Some animals wander around the park, and you will likely see them on four-wheel-drive vehicle adventures. For very young children, don’t miss the Exmoor Pony Center, near Dulverton, home to around 20 native ponies.
Puffins on Skomer Island
Skomer might be less than a mile off the Pembrokeshire coast but arriving on this rocky, dramatic island still feels like landing on a distant shore. During breeding season (April to early July), you can expect to spot puffins, but there’s plenty more for families to enjoy, too. However, visitor numbers are capped each day, so book your boat trip well ahead of time.
Eagles and Otters on Mull
The inner Hebridean Island of Mull has superb birdwatching certificates and a rich marine life, too. Keep your eyes on the sky for golden and white-tailed eagles — the former a Highland icon, the latter the UK’s largest bird of prey. The coast, meanwhile, is home to shy but spellbinding otters (水獭). Mull Magic offers themed wildlife tours, including the Otter Detective Walk, the Eagle Walk and Birds, Beaches & Butterflies.
Seals in Norfolk
The county’s coastline is famous for its seals, with three key locations allowing you to admire colonies from a responsible distance. Hunstanton is a good bet in the summer months, and Horsey Beach is an excellent option for seeing baby seals during the winter breeding seasons, but Blakeney Points is the best year-round choice, with both harbor and grey seals seen in large numbers. Various operators run family-friendly bout trips from nearby Morston Quay, with departures throughout the year.
1. Which tour is strongly recommended for little kids?| A．Ponies on Exmoor. | B．Puffins on Skomer Island. | C．Eagles and Otters on Mull. | D．Seals in Norfolk. |
| A．You can see puffins in August. | B．It’s quite far away from the shore. |
| C．You can enjoy themed wildlife tours. | D．It puts limits on the number of visitors. |
| A．Hunstanton. | B．Hebridean Island. | C．Blakeney Points. | D．Horsey Beach. |
3 . A thief dropped a winning lottery ticket (彩票) at the scene of his crime, but he has been given a lesson in
The robbery happened when Professor Sabbatucci was changing a tyre on a highway. Another motorist, who stopped “to
The next day, the professor saw the lottery
The professor received hundreds of
The robber gave back the
| A．friendship | B．honesty | C．bravery | D．adventure |
| A．held out | B．took out | C．made up | D．picked up |
| A．crime | B．lecture | C．money | D．evidence |
| A．explore | B．rest | C．watch | D．help |
| A．stolen | B．dropped | C．forgotten | D．damaged |
| A．results | B．story | C．loss | D．sales |
| A．presented | B．took | C．donated | D．shared |
| A．joking | B．saying | C．wondering | D．replying |
| A．number | B．case | C．win | D．receipt |
| A．notes | B．emails | C．letters | D．calls |
| A．trick | B．find | C．lead | D．draw |
| A．recognised | B．reminded | C．recorded | D．recovered |
| A．car | B．suitcase | C．package | D．check |
| A．explain | B．blame | C．believe | D．realise |
| A．deal | B．promise | C．payment | D．offer |
4 . Playing sports offers you more than just physical benefits (好处).
Making new friends.
Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed.
Understanding the value of health.
Taking part in sports improves your health in many ways.
Building team spirit.
Sports provide children with the important lesson of learning how to work in a team.
Playing sports requires a lot of time and energy. Some may think this would take students’ attention away from schoolwork. However, the opposite is true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skills that are directly relevant (有关的) to schoolwork.
| A．Doing better in your studies. |
| B．Everyone has to work together to achieve the goal. |
| C．To be a good athlete, you must take care of yourself. |
| D．Sports can help you in your study and fit in with society as well. |
| E．Sports bring teens together from different schools and backgrounds. |
5 . There is a popular saying in the English language: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, that is not true. Unkind words, name-calling or even the so-called “the silent treatment” can hurt children as much as being physically hit, sometimes even more so. A recent study of middle school children showed that verbal (言语的) abuse by other children can harm, the development in the brain. The study was a project of researchers at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. Researcher Martin Teicher and his team studied young adults, aged 18 to 25. These young men and women had not ever been treated in a cruel or violent way by their parents. The researchers asked the young people to rate their childhood exposure to verbal abuse from both parents and other children. Then the researchers performed imaging tests on the brains of the subjects.
The images showed that the people who reported suffering verbal abuse from peers in middle school had underdeveloped connections between the left and right side of the brain. The two sides of the brain are connected by a large bundle of connecting fibers called the corpus callosum. This was the area that was underdeveloped.
The middle school years are a time when these brain connections are developing. So, unkind, hurtful comments from children or adults during this period have the greatest effect. The researchers tested the mental and emotional condition of all the young people in the study. The tests showed that this same group of people had higher levels of fear, depression, anger and drug abuse than others in the study.
The researchers published their findings online on the American Journal of Psychiatry's website.
Parents cannot control what other people say to their children, but they can prepare their children.
1. Why does the author use the popular saying at the beginning?| A．To show the power of words. |
| B．To introduce an opposite view. |
| C．To prove the author's argument. |
| D．To show ancient people's wisdom. |
| A．They were hurt by unkind words. |
| B．They performed poorly in imaging tests. |
| C．They had their brain slightly damaged. |
| D．They experienced no physical abuse at home. |
| A．Comments on the findings. |
| B．Approaches to further studies. |
| C．Suggestions to parents. |
| D．Different opinions on the matter. |
| A．Unkind words hurt the brain. |
| B．Verbal violence should be stopped. |
| C．The way we speak matters. |
| D．Words are worse than sticks and stones. |
When she was five years old, Lin Qiaozhi was deeply affected by her mother's death. At age 18, she chose to study medicine instead of following the traditional path of
After working for a few years, she was sent to study in Europe and then, in the US. She greatly impressed her American
The new People's Republic of China saw Dr Lin Qiaozhi playing a key role. In 1954, she
Though she never married, she was known as the “mother of ten thousand babies”, having delivered over 50, 000 babies in her lifetime. And she didn't
Beijing Culture’s time-travel comedy Hi, Mom, which opened the Lunar New Year holiday in distant second place behind Wanda Picture’s Detective Chinatown 3, has suddenly risen to the front of the pack.
The sudden shake-up reflects the extent to which Hi, Mom has become China’s clear favorite among the Lunar New Year offerings.
The film stars Chinese comedy veteran Jia as a devoted daughter
Hi, Mom reflects on how Jia misses her late mother Li Huanying, who encouraged her to pursue her artistic dreams. The film
8 . Jason, a father of three, was seriously injured in a car crash. It would cost a large amount of money to save his life.
His 9-year-old daughter, Kaylei, came up with the idea of making and selling
When asked how she felt about the community's
A GoFundMe page was also set up for the poor family. "The accident has already made such a huge
Soon over $35,000 was raised, ensuring Jason a successful
"I'm feeling so blessed （幸运的）for all these donations. Never before would I believe people would
| A．Undoubtedly | B．Unfortunately | C．Typically | D．Personally |
| A．funds | B．questions | C．spirits | D．voices |
| A．books | B．toys | C．drinks | D．cakes |
| A．collected | B．lent | C．donated | D．saved |
| A．response | B．attention | C．approach | D．solution |
| A．satisfied | B．grateful | C．upset | D．honored |
| A．effort | B．mistake | C．impression | D．impact |
| A．avoid | B．remember | C．stand | D．suggest |
| A．breathtaking | B．eye-catching | C．life-threatening | D．heartbreaking |
| A．operation | B．examination | C．profession | D．arrangement |
| A．approached | B．respected | C．encouraged | D．persuaded |
| A．know | B．care | C．ask | D．explain |
| A．met | B．accepted | C．identified | D．contacted |
| A．annoyed | B．regretful | C．lost | D．disappointed |
| A．break down | B．hold onto | C．clear away | D．get through |
9 . I was on the phone with a friend when she said that she had not been hugged for months. She believed that it was better to die than to live without love. Sensing her sadness, I drove 12 hours to give her a hug. I could feel this hug restored (恢复) her trust in humanity. She was ready to live again. This simple act of kindness had the ability to restore life. How many others out there wanted love in the form of a hug? Thus, the hugs campaign was born.
I printed leaflets (传单) with words of inspiration and passed them out while giving hugs at the Santa Monica Promenade. Every Saturday and Sunday, I stood holding a sign, inviting people with a smile. At first, 1 was frightened of offering strangers hugs, and it was a personal challenge for me to overcome my own fear But once I overcame it, the rest was magic.
I have learned a lot about people through my hugs campaign. I have learned to read people in much the same way as you would read a book. I started to find out who would be most likely to receive a hug, who would need some time to warm up before accepting a hug, and who would look at me with disgust while they hurriedly walked away as if I were giving them poison.
There was a gentleman who walked back and forth, looking at me first with disgust, then with interest, and then with fear. Upon the fifth time he passed my station, he finally walked slowly in my direction and stood waiting for me to meet him the rest of the way. I went slowly not to scare him off, and I stretched (张开) my arms out hoping he would meet mine. He did. We stood in an awkward (笨拙的) hug, and then he rushed off never looking backwards.
There was a homeless man in a wheelchair who asked for a leaflet but said I did not have to hug him, as he had not showered for some time. I told him it didn't matter. He looked at me amazedly as if to say, "Really?" The world had been cruel, and he was used to being walked away from. I bent down and held him close and told him he was loved.
People want human touch, yet many do not get enough of it. Some are afraid of hugs, but I have learned that given the chance, many will seize the chance to be hugged.
1. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Why people need hugs |
| B．Who wanted to be hugged. |
| C．Where the hugs campaign was started. |
| D．How the hugs campaign was started |
| A．gave out leaflets | B．taught people to dance |
| C．offered food to the homeless | D．invited strangers to her house |
| A．delight. | B．curiosity. | C．dislike. | D．doubt. |
| A．He lived near where the author gave hugs. |
| B．He wanted to be hugged but was afraid of a hug |
| C．He walked slowly because he was disabled. |
| D．He was interested when he saw the author at first. |
1. 深表同情；
2. 提出建议并给出理由；
3. 希望建议能有所帮助。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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