1 . Most people can’t live to 100.Those who do live so long can hardly walk, let alone take part in any activities. A few people, however, take part in dangerous activities even though they are more than 100 years old﹣They keep going and going! There is a great grandmother who likes challenging herself although she is 101 years old this year.
Mary Hardison believes that people should always be cheerful and more importantly, take on all kinds of adventures while they physically still can. So, instead of celebrating her 101st birthday with a boring party, she decided to go paragliding(滑翔跳伞)﹣an idea she got from her 75﹣year﹣old son who recently took it up as a hobby.
So on her birthday, cheered on by her big family, she tied herself up together with expert instructor Kevin Hintze, and jumped down fearlessly from the sky near her home in Ogden, Utah. And, it was not just a simple jump either. According to Kevin Hintze, the grandmother encouraged him to turn around, as they made their way down.
This is not the first time that Mary has done something “wild” and “crazy”. For her 90th birthday she rode all the adult rides at Disneyland. And, she is not done yet﹣For her 102nd birthday she hopes to go down the 3,000 feet Alpine Slide at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort!
Not surprisingly, this great action has made Mary Hardison very famous and also earned her a place in the Guinness World Records where she broke a 2007 record set by a 100﹣year﹣old British woman. What an amazing lady!
1. What do we know about Mary Hardison？| A．She took up paragliding as her hobby at the age of 75. |
| B．She is the oldest woman in the Guinness World Records. |
| C．She was recorded in the Guinness World Records in 2007. |
| D．She is a 101﹣year﹣old lady who likes challenging herself. |
| A．A 100﹣year﹣old British woman. | B．Her 75﹣year﹣old son. |
| C．Her grandson. | D．Kevin Hintze. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Amazed. | D．Worried. |
| A．A 101-year-old lady’s Life Story |
| B．Paragliding Is Hot |
| C．How to Learn Paragliding |
| D．Never too Old to Learn Something New |
2 . Meeting and getting acquainted (熟悉的) with new friends can be challenging.
Expand (拓展) your professional circles.
Invite new persons to social activities. Once you meet with a new person, make an effort to develop a friendship by inviting the person to join in some daily activities, such as having coffee, talking a walk, having lunch or playing tennis.
Arrange group events together with smart individuals. This works well with groups that share common interests, such as artistic creation, scientific research, or literature appreciation.
| A．Identify the interests you are to develop. |
| B．Continuing education will lead you to smart people. |
| C．The person shares the same age and location with you. |
| D．Involve a variety of well-educated people in your events. |
| E．Find something that you both enjoy and try to get better acquainted. |
| F．Connecting with a group of knowledgeable friends may be more difficult. |
| G．Exchanging with those of the same profession may connect you with smart friends. |
3 . I did not go on my first hike until my mid-30s. I could blame it on the fact that I grew up on the Great Plains of South Dakota and North Dakota. But mostly, to be honest, I just wasn't interested.
I went on my first hike a few years back while living in Vernont. At the urging of my wife, and with my two young kids, we walked a beautiful forest path on a cool August morning.
A few weeks ago, my 11-year-old son, my 61-year-old dad, and I hiked Camelbeack Mountain in Phoenix.
Now, just to be clear, by no means would I classify myself as an expert hiker. I love the stillness and calm of an empty path
| A．I've fallen in love with climbing mountains. |
| B．I carried a small backpack with water and snacks. |
| C．If you can climb a mountain, you can do anything. |
| D．I didn't see the value and always shook my head when asked. |
| E．It is healthy physical exercise that creates wonderful memories. |
| F．And I have no plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or walk the Appalachian Trail. |
| G．Last weekend, I hiked down the Grand Canyon with my son along the South Kaibab Trail. |
4 . Desperate to help his 96-year-old mother to speak her mother tongue again, Keith McDermott made an appeal on social media and was met with a flood of kind responses. The old lady, Ray, was moved to tears after talking on the phone with one of the enthusiastic respondents in Welsh.
Ray moved to America after meeting her husband when she was only 18, hence waving goodbye to her life in Wales. She continued to speak Welsh with her mum-keeping a little bit of home. But she lost her beloved mum four decades ago and hadn't spoken Welsh ever since.
Despite suffering from short-term memory loss and sometimes not remembering what she has done recently, Ray's childhood memories in Wales remain clear. “She wants to return but I know, given her age, such long-distance travel is out of the question.” said Keith, “Once she mentioned ‘I wish I could speak Welsh again but I suppose I never will.’ It was then that I thought I should make her wish happen.”
So Keith, 70, posted on social media in the New York Welsh area asking for any Welsh speakers that could speak Welsh with his mum. And he was touched, as well as a little shocked, to receive over 30 responses within half an hour. Keith thanked everyone and eventually asked Melisa to give his mum a phone call. “Speaking with Melisa, her (Ray's) Welsh was a little rusty. A few more Welsh conversations and I think she'd be fluent again,” added Keith.
“When you have a parent in their nineties, you will find you two have something in common: you're both old, so I am very sympathetic to my mother's feelings of loneliness and isolation (孤立). I'm feeling it myself.” Keith hopes to set up more Welsh phone conversations for his mum and Melisa has promised to send Ray some short stories in Welsh to remind her of her life in Wales.
1. Why did Keith post a message on social media?| A．To gather American Welsh speakers. |
| B．To help his mum speak Welsh again. |
| C．To slow down his mum's memory loss. |
| D．To track down his family's Welsh origin. |
| A．Surprised and moved. | B．Concerned and thankful. |
| C．Sympathetic and excited. | D．Astonished and isolated. |
| A．Social media contribute to closer family ties. |
| B．Mother tongue means more than a language. |
| C．Childhood experiences shape one's later life. |
| D．One will be more sensitive when getting older. |
| A．A community noticeboard. |
| B．A health magazine. |
| C．A language-learning website. |
| D．A local newspaper. |
5 . Rosie Colucci’s medical history is filled with a series of thunderstruck numbers: 3 rare and life-threatening diseases—an inoperable brain tumor(肿瘤), neurofibromatosis and hydrocephalus—countless medications, including six types of chemotherapy(化疗); 14 brain surgeries, mainly to implant catheters to keep fluid from gathering on her brain, a result of the hydrocephalus; 16 other surgeries and 230 tests; 405 clinic visits; 1,486 doses of chemotherapy; 71 nights in the hospital; 33 emergency room visits; and 11 stays in the ICU.
Another number: Rosie’s age—14. An official cancer diagnosis came when she was little. After a decade of being sick, the teenager would much rather focus on some different numbers.
Take 60,000—that’s how many new toys, games and blankets she’s helped get into the hands of hospitalized kids. She’s also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer research. Rosie increases her toy giveaways around the holidays but gives them out year round.
It didn’t sit well with her as a kid learning to share that so many people gave her stuffed animals and toys, while other kids hospitalized with equally serious diseases weren’t seeing the same gifts.
Rosie works tirelessly on Rosie’s Toy Box, a charitable organization she came up with, which now is on the path toward becoming a registered nonprofit, drawing hundreds of donated toys for hospitalized kids.
“I wanted to de-emphasize the expecting of gifts and asking for gifts, and I just wanted to give her a sense of giving rather than always receiving,” Cathy Reichl, her mother, said, “I hope it’s something that stays with her as she grows, and I think it will be—the realization that not everyone has what you have, some people have struggles with their health and we could just use something to brighten their days.”
1. What does the author think of Rosie’s medical history?| A．Unbelievable. | B．Abnormal. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Unnecessary. |
| A．At the age of 3. | B．At the age of 4. |
| C．At the age of 10. | D．At the age of 14. |
| A．It is a registered organization. |
| B．It was founded by Cathy Reichl. |
| C．It donates toys to children in hospital. |
| D．It raises money for sick kids to pay for their medical treatment. |
| A．Rosie’s suffering will be paid off one day. |
| B．Rosie should raise her awareness of giving. |
| C．Rosie thinks highly of expecting of gifts and asking for gifts. |
| D．The realization of equality will accompany Rosie throughout her life. |
Today, I spent a lot of time selecting and reading the Father’s Day cards at the shopping mall. They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you. Yet it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really wanted to say to you.
You’ll soon be 84 years old. Dad, you and I will have had 55 Father’s Days together. I haven’t always been with you on Father’s Day, but I’ve always been with you in my heart. You know, Dad, there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap. You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.
The Father-Daughter Conflict shifted into high gear(档位)when you taught me to drive the old Dodge while I decided I would drive the Chevy whether you liked it or not. To my surprise, when the police officer sent me home after you reported the Chevy stolen, you were so tolerant(宽容的)about it because I had thought that would probably be the worst night of my life.
Our relationship greatly improved when I married a man you liked, and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left. Somewhere along the line, the generation gap disappeared. I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together, rather like a fine wine.
But the strangest thing happened last week. I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car. It didn’t immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and weak behind the wheel of that huge car. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.
I guess what I’m trying to say, Dad, is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today. Honoring a father on Father’s Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking. It’s about loving someone more than words can say, and it’s my wish that it never had to end.
I love you, Dad.
Love,
Jenny
1. How did Jenny probably feel on the night she was sent home by the police?| A．Guilty. | B．Nervous. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．have been getting along very well |
| B．kept in touch by writing to each other |
| C．are separated due to the generation gap |
| D．had a hard time understanding each other |
| A．express her gratitude to him | B．tell him about their conflicts |
| C．say sorry for her being stubborn | D．remind him of the early incident |
7 . There can be magic in the touch of a hand that loves you. It brings comfort and a silent promise that says, “I am here and you are not alone.”
I memorized every detail about my children. As babies, they reached for me whenever they were hungry or tired or just needed to be held. Sometimes, if they woke in the night, just the touch of my hand would ease them back to sleep. They clung to me when they took their first steps and we held hands when crossing streets and walking from the car to their classroom on their first day of school.
As they grew older and more independent, I noticed that they didn't hold my hand much any more. I told myself it was part of growing up, and I should just be glad they could do things on their own now.
But when you've been needed so much for such a long time, it's hard to step back and feel unnecessary.
Then one day, I was visiting my oldest son in New York, where he was working as an actor on a TV show. As we were about to cross a busy street that was filled with traffic, he grabbed my hand and shouted, “Hang on to me, Mom,” then led me safely across.
At that moment, I realized two things. First, my boy had become a man. Second, it was clear that our roles had changed. We still needed each other, but in different ways than before.
That scene has replayed in various ways with each of my three children. They have all taught me to lean on them just as they once leaned on me, and that we can always lean on each other. We live miles apart, but stay in touch every day. There is magic and comfort and healing in the touch of a hand that loves you, even if it “touches” you from afar.
1. How did the author get along with her children when they were young?| A．She overprotected them. | B．She was very strict with them. |
| C．She developed a close connection with them. | D．She was too busy to look after them. |
| A．She felt lonely when living apart from them. |
| B．She was worried that they couldn't manage themselves. |
| C．She was glad to be able to step back and enjoy herself. |
| D．She felt a bit uncomfortable when not needed so much as before. |
| A．she needed her son more than before |
| B．her son had become mature and reliable |
| C．time with children is always happy |
| D．she was unwilling to accept the change in their roles |
| A．To show the power of the touch of a hand. |
| B．To show how parents affect their kids. |
| C．To explore how to interact with children. |
| D．To describe the growth of her children. |
8 . When I was in primary school, sometimes I would meet a girl of the same age as me. Lisa was never active, but she was always very sweet and nice. In the 5th grade she came to my class. She was absent a lot, and one day I had the courage to ask why. She told me she was sick, and she explained she wore a wig (假发) because her medicine made her lose her hair. Since then, anytime Lisa came to class, I would hang around with her on the playground.
I received much ridicule (嘲笑) from my friends for this because they thought I was ignoring them for Lisa. My family education taught me to be nice, and I felt Lisa’s needs were much more important than others I knew.
It had been months since Lisa was in our class, and one day our teacher was crying. She explained Lisa died the day before and would no longer be our classmate. She told us Lisa had fought a battle (斗争) with cancer for years.
I was shocked. Lisa never spoke of her illness as if it could kill her. Well, all these years I have kept Lisa in my mind and heart. When I go through the important events in my life, I think of Lisa.
I’ve had a strong wish recently to find her mother and father. I’d like to tell them that though they never met me, their daughter had a sweet effect on my life. I have no idea what her parents’ first names are. I write to your column (专栏) and hope you can point me in the right direction.
Lisa was such a lovely girl. Maybe her parents would be comforted by the fact that after all these years they are not the only ones who remember her.
1. Why was the author being laughed at?| A．Because she wore a wig to school. |
| B．Because she always kept Lisa company. |
| C．Because she cried in the classroom. |
| D．Because she lost her friends because of Lisa. |
| A．She had known Lisa since they were born. |
| B．She has been to Lisa’s house. |
| C．She has a good family education. |
| D．She was the first one to know about Lisa’s death. |
| A．To keep your illness a secret. |
| B．To be nice to everyone everywhere. |
| C．To face challenges in life bravely. |
| D．To put others’ needs above yours. |
| A．remember a true friend |
| B．ask for help to find a friend’s parents |
| C．show her concern for a friend |
| D．tell her experience of fighting cancer |
9 . I feel very excited at the thought that in another week I’ll be with you again on holiday, I enjoy my stay in England very much indeed. My host and my fellow-students are all very nice to me, but as they say in England, “There’s no place like home”, and I think you will feel this above all at Christmas time.
I’m leaving here early on Thursday, the 23rd, and I’ll be arriving in Paris on Friday morning. So I’ll be home about lunch time. Please meet me at the station. In some of my earlier letters I have told you all about the other students here. Well, I want to ask my Canadian friend, Jan, to come and spend Christmas, and he has no friends in England except me. He is a very nice boy, I know you will like him and I feel sure he will enjoy Christmas with us. But I haven’t invited him yet. Please let me know soon if that’s all right. I’ve got some Christmas presents for you all, but I’m not going to tell you what they are, so it will be a surprise.
How are you all at home? I hope you are all keeping well. See that father always puts on his big coat when he goes out so that he will not catch cold. We don’t want him ill for Christmas.
1. The passage is part of a ________.| A．short story | B．novel | C．letter | D．report |
| A．an English woman | B．a French woman |
| C．a Canadian | D．an American |
| A．she enjoys her stay in England very much. |
| B．she will have her friend spend Christmas with her family. |
| C．she will soon be with her family. |
| D．she has got some Christmas presents for her people. |
| A．my host and my fellow-students | B．the English people |
| C．people I met in England | D．some people in England |
10 . My nephew Tyden and I were celebrating another nephew’s birthday at a local amusement center. It was the kind of place where you got tickets for scoring points in the games and then cashed them in for prizes.
Tyden won top prize of tickets，so we went to cash them in and select his gifts. I felt a little sad because my loved one and I had our first date at this center and had exchanged little things from the showcase. I noticed a turtle and remembered my partner loved it. I asked the young man behind the showcase if I could just buy the turtle without tickets. He said. “Unluckily. that is not a choice.”
I needed to win 350 tickets to cash the turtle in.so I left Tyden choosing his gift alone there. I bought game tokens（代币）and entered the game room. I had just chosen a game I thought I could win when I heard Tyden's excited voice，“Auntie，Auntie！Look！”
He pulled the turtle out from behind his back and gave it to me. My eyes were filled with tears. and my heart burst with love. He had listened to that whole conversation and chosen to give the turtle to me instead of getting whatever he wanted.
Before I could thank him. he said，“I wanted you to have it，so you didn't have to spend money，which would cause you to work hard”.
I held him in my arms，and told him how much I loved him. I am beyond thankful to have the title of his Auntie
1. What did the author fail to do?| A．Find another gift． | B．Buy a turtle． | C．Exchange gifts． | D．Please her loved one |
| A．To get a prize． | B．To beat Tyden． | C．To challenge herself． | D．To win tickets for her nephew. |
| A．Worried． | B．Moved． | C．Surprised． | D．Confused． |
| A．Hard-working． | B．Clever． | C．Honest． | D．Caring. |
