1 . When the need for information technology service arises, it can be a stressful moment—the user is locked out of their computer, or a program isn’t working properly. But if you ask anyone in the MIT departments of Chemistry and Physics, or the News Office—the Institute divisions that are fortunate enough to have Greg Walton as their IT service provider, they’ll acknowledge that not only is Walton the best, but whatever the issue is, he will see it through until all involved are satisfied with the outcome. Walton usually arrives on the scene with endless positive energy that transforms a technical annoyance into an enjoyable interaction, regardless of how many other IT fires he has already put out that day.
The qualities that make him a star employee extend far beyond the campus. After spending his early years in foster care, Walton lived with his great-grandmother, but mostly, he was left to support himself. While many children might, understandably, lie flat under such unsupervised circumstances, Walton excelled academically and athletically at high school. He became the first person in his family to graduate from high school, and enrolled in college.
Walton seized the chance to enroll in Year Up, a program aiming to close the “opportunity divide” by providing young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Walton remains an active ambassador for the organization.
In June of 2007,armed with shining recommendations, Walton was hired as a temp (临时工) at MIT.He eventually worked his way up to where he is today—an invaluable asset (不可或缺的人) to three departments.“I do feel lucky to work at MIT,” he says.“I’ve had the ability to tour the country sharing my story in hopes that some people may be inspired and employers may see young adults with tough backgrounds differently.”
In addition to Year Up, he is involved with a number of organizations committed to helping young adults overcome their troubled pasts. This desire to have a positive impact on people’s lives extends seamlessly into his work at MIT. “Giving back is very important to me,” Walton says. “So many people have invested their time and energy into helping me, so I feel it would be an injustice not to do so.”
1. Staff members in MIT sing high praise for Walton mainly because________.| A．he enjoys interacting with his clients |
| B．he knows how to put out fires for others |
| C．he solves problems with a positive attitude |
| D．he is good at developing computer programs |
| A．He depended on his great-grandma for a living. |
| B．He stood out in study and sports in high school. |
| C．He lay flat just like other unsupervised children. |
| D．He was supported by foster care for better education. |
| A．To share his troubled past with young adults. |
| B．To pay back to society by helping young adults. |
| C．To advise businesses to treat young adults fairly. |
| D．To promote education equality among young adults. |
| A．One good turn deserves another. |
| B．Opportunities favor the prepared mind. |
| C．Education is a powerful weapon to change the world. |
| D．One’s future is defined by his efforts, not by his origin. |
2 . It was rush hour on the morning of June1. Heather Santellano, 36, was driving her car on Houston Harte Frontage Road with her nine-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son in the back. Suddenly, a red pickup truck cut them off. Santellano turned the wheel hard to the right, sending the car running off the road and down an embankment (路堤) that ended in a drop-off after about 50 feet. If the car didn’t stop, it would go up into the air and slide onto the road some 20 feet below. Then came a bit of luck. As the car raced towards the edge, its undercarriage got stuck on the embankment, stopping it cold. The occupants, however, were far from safe. The car had come to rest on top of a retaining wall, literally teetering on the edge of disaster. One sudden move by anyone inside could send it over.
Jacob Rodriguez, a veteran, watched the scene unfold from the company where he works. Then, he and four other men ran to the car. They leaped onto the trunk to balance the weight as the terrified kids in the back seat watched.
Meanwhile, Julio Vasquez and his nephew, Marco Vasquez, were driving to their jobs at nearby Premier Automotive. Julio jumped out of the car to help while Marco went to the shop, grabbed a heavy-duty strap and returned to the dangling car. He tied the car to and F-350 truck that had been driven over by one of the other rescuers. With the car secured the group carefully opened the back doors and helped the children out.
But their departure shifted the car’s weight, causing it to lean forward. The men, still on the trunk, implored Santellano to jump into the back seat to re-balance the weight. She did and then inched out from the back door. Finally, the men carefully got off the trunk Everyone was safe. “Another foot,” Rodriguez told the media, “and this would be different story.”
1. What happened to Santellano’ scar after a red pickup truck cut it off?| A．It ran into the truck and was holed. |
| B．It rushed to the roadside and was broken. |
| C．It went into the air and fell sharply onto the road. |
| D．It slipped off the road and down an embankment. |
| A．Because everyone got off the car. |
| B．Because Santellano jumped into the back seat. |
| C．Because the helpers ran to the car and leaped onto the trunk. |
| D．Because the weight of the car was unbalanced when the children left. |
| A．Generous and outgoing. | B．Friendly and humble. |
| C．Helpful and professional. | D．Ambitious and optimistic. |
3 . Dave King is in his second winter of snowplowing (铲雪) people’s driveways for free.
April Frazier is one person who has benefited from King’s kindness. She is a single mother. After one storm last year, she was busy looking after her kids and just knew she was not going to be able to get out there and
Frazier saw a post online in which King invited people to contact him if they needed help with that day’s storm. She
Frazier was grateful — and has been
King got the idea when he overheard a neighbor complaining she was having difficulty with the snow in her driveway. It occurred to King that he could plow the driveways of people in need for free.
King went online and invited anyone who needed their driveways plowed to get in touch with him. People were
King hopes to
“King is making a positive difference in the community,” Frazier said. “He is an unsung hero for this town. He inspires hope in
| A．feel | B．remove | C．collect | D．appreciate |
| A．reached out | B．looked up | C．held on | D．gave in |
| A．proud | B．anxious | C．puzzled | D．surprised |
| A．spotting | B．costing | C．expecting | D．rejecting |
| A．even | B．almost | C．still | D．rather |
| A．humorous | B．committed | C．optimistic | D．imaginative |
| A．bored | B．disappointed | C．cautious | D．frightened |
| A．genuine | B．popular | C．courageous | D．wise |
| A．receive | B．expand | C．keep | D．practice |
| A．creativity | B．honesty | C．confidence | D．humanity |
4 . Before Jenny passed away from cancer, she made her husband, Steve, and their daughter, Brittany, promise her one thing: he would
Days later, on the morning of Friday, September 24, Jenny died. Keeping their
Brittany wasn’t named homecoming queen that day; Nyla was. But, like many in the close-knit community, Nyli had heard about Jenny and her noble deeds for the community. In a(n)
“She’d rather have her mom than a crown,” Nyla said. By handing it to Brittany, “I was telling her that she was her mom’s queen, and that she was loved by many, especially me.”
“I fell so much love from her, and I just felt s much love for her,” said Brittany, who paid Nyla the ultimate praise. “I can see my mom through Nyla. They have the same caring,
“Nyla is no less queen for lack of a crown.” said a teacher. There’s a saying that real queens
| A．invite | B．introduce | C．recommend | D．accompany |
| A．running | B．voting | C．seeking | D．applying |
| A．agreed | B．negotiated | C．hesitated | D．declined |
| A．award | B．promise | C．appointment | D．secret |
| A．session | B．process | C．outcome | D．start |
| A．unplanned | B．expectant | C．unwilling | D．typical |
| A．gratefully | B．cheerfully | C．sadly | D．tearfully |
| A．volunteering | B．nursing | C．giving | D．forgiving |
| A．wear | B．make | C．trade | D．fix |
| A．stand | B．shine | C．lead | D．celebrate |
5 . Born with severe hearing loss, Li has found her way to communicate with the world—through painting.
Before learning to paint, Li always felt lonely in a silent world. She knew she was different from her peers because she could not hear. But a painting class in primary school opened for her a door to creativity and a way of expression.
“I still remember my first mural, which was to help a kindergarten to design and paint its wall,” Li says. “The project made me realize how happy I was immersing myself into painting.”
To pursue her passion for art, Li went to study advertising design at a vocational and technical school. “Painting brushes can help me create a colorful world in my imagination, telling my thoughts on paper, instead of through voices,” Li said.
Graduating from college in 2005, Li got a job as a typist at a public institute. But she could not communicate well with her other colleagues. Her husband understood how she felt because he lost his hearing due to medication when he was 1 year old. He is also an art lover. In March 2016, under her husband’s suggestion, Li quit her job and joined her husband’s company, which specializes in 3D wall and ground paintings.
Wall painting is a demanding job because it requires people to work outdoors, whether in extremely cold or hot weather. As all the people are hearing-impaired in their company, communication with clients is the most common challenge that the team faces.
Now in many parks and scenic spots, the couple have created large-scale murals and interactive pavement painting that make onlookers a part of the drawings.
“My husband and I want to introduce painting to more people like us and help them find their own way to make a living,” Li says. Now Li has an apprentice who just graduated from college. While coaching the newcomer, Li is exploring her own style and hopes to become an illustrator and open her own exhibition one day.
“They’re energetic young people with a passion to create new things, and you can feel that in their paintings,” one of their clients said. “They’re also a professional, dedicated team, often working late into the night on the designs for us.”
Li hopes that their stories can encourage more hearing-impaired people to build their own careers and achieve their goals, regardless of how tough it may be.
1. According to the passage, the painting class in primary school ________.| A．started Li’s first advertising design |
| B．helped Li find a new way to express herself |
| C．made Li learn about 3D wall and ground paintings |
| D．turned Li’s dream of opening an exhibition into reality |
| A．Li can communicate with her clients easily. |
| B．Li lost her hearing when she was I year old. |
| C．Li and her husband have created many wonderful paintings. |
| D．Li and her husband hope to become illustrators in the future. |
| A．Donate money to them. | B．Design painting gifts for them. |
| C．Inspire them to create their own careers. | D．Support them to complete college education. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Accepting what you have makes you happy. | D．Nothing is impossible to the man who will try. |
6 . The sign on the librarian’s desk read: “Readers Wanted for Project Read Aloud.” Sherene stared at it as the librarian stamped the book that she had selected for her weekly reading fare with a return by date.
“What is Project Read Aloud?” Sherene asked.
“Here’s the brochure about it. There’s a form inside to fill out if you want to become a reader. There is no pay, by the way,” the librarian said with a smile.
Sherene walked home. She loved living within walking distance of her town’s public library. She loved to sit in one of the overstuffed reading chairs in the reading room with the smell of books all around her and lose herself in a book. She had moved away after high school and had recently moved back. The library and fond memories of her childhood had drawn her back to this small town.
Once home, she sat down to read the brochure, which said, “Project Read Aloud seeks to provide the opportunity of hearing stories read aloud in a comfortable setting.” That is a fine goal, she thought.
Sherene filled out the form. She loved reading aloud. When she was a child, she read aloud to her teddy bear. Later, when she grew up and became a teacher, she read aloud to her students many times throughout the day. Since her retirement, she read aloud only to herself and Boots, her cat. It would feel so good to have a human audience once again to share stories with.
A couple of days later, Sherene sat in the now empty small theatre in the library, preparing the first story she was going to read. Soon, the audience began to wander in and find their seats. The theatre was half full in half an hour. Sherene stepped to the edge of the stage and introduced herself. She explained the origin of the story, opened the book and began to read. She wove the tale masterfully creating voices for the characters, pausing for emphasis, and taking the listeners into another world.
When Sherene read the last words of the story, there was a momentary silence as it all sank into the listeners and then a burst of enthusiastic applause. At that moment, understanding did grow in the town through the sharing of stories.
1. What can we learn about Sherene?| A．She used to be a teacher. | B．She lived far from the library. |
| C．She liked hearing stories read aloud. | D．She was involved in many social activities. |
| A．She wanted to make new friends. | B．The project’s goal suited her interest. |
| C．The project brought her extra income. | D．She needed to improve her reading ability. |
| A．Meaningful and humorous. | B．Novel and amusing. |
| C．Impressive and conventional. | D．Vivid and absorbing. |
On a particular sunny day, little Mykel was determined to learn to ride his bike without the help of training wheels. When the neighborhood kids
8 . Bernard, the 82-year-old retired police officer, was heartbroken when he
Three months later, David, a young volunteer pulled the medal from a river in a “one-in-a-million” catch. The young man was in a litter clean-up programme in Liverpool. He had been using a large magnet (磁铁) to
“I would have never found the medal if we hadn’t
“This was truly the best
| A．damaged | B．lost | C．sold | D．dirtied |
| A．business | B．communication | C．cooperation | D．service |
| A．net | B．site | C．cup | D．fish |
| A．tackled | B．deserted | C．recycled | D．buried |
| A．magnet | B．rubbish | C．box | D．jewelry |
| A．Apparently | B．Thankfully | C．Gradually | D．Consequently |
| A．track | B．recall | C．record | D．dial |
| A．nervous | B．astonished | C．proud | D．embarrassed |
| A．awarded | B．submitted | C．presented | D．addressed |
| A．drive | B．proof | C．wish | D．reward |
As a child growing up in the 1980s, Marlene Irvin took many trips to Joyland, an amusement park in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas. She got excited the moment her family drove into Joyland’s parking lot. “The carousel circling at the entrance to the park was always the
Joyland certainly made a/an
Around the same time, Joyland started experiencing a
As Marlene finished each horse, Botanica
Marlene always smiled and answered: “They’ve been waiting for you to come back.”
1.| A．memory | B．dream | C．highlight | D．comfort |
| A．immediate | B．lasting | C．accurate | D．general |
| A．suddenly | B．definitely | C．hesitantly | D．eventually |
| A．decline | B．break | C．boost | D．return |
| A．went down | B．fell down | C．got down | D．shut down |
| A．replace | B．rearrange | C．restore | D．reuse |
| A．displayed | B．moved | C．protected | D．advertised |
| A．modern | B．different | C．attractive | D．unique |
| A．basic | B．unexpected | C．common | D．remarkable |
| A．repairmen | B．customers | C．residents | D．adults |
10 . It had been an interesting soccer match. Jerry was so absorbed in it that everyone
“Mom, I want a soccer uniform, he begged his mother.
“OK,” said his mother, “but you need to have
The days passed by, but he got no
He drew a circle with the help of a bowl and modified the soccer image onto the T-shirt. He also took
“Jerry! What are you doing?” his mother suddenly appeared.
“I may not get the uniform, but I can try to paint the image on my T-shirt, I thought.” He was
“It’s OK,” said Mom.
“If we had fulfilled your every want, your inborn
“Thank you, Mom.” He ran playfully.
1.| A．controlled | B．sensed | C．supported | D．expected |
| A．thirsty | B．realistic | C．cautious | D．selfish |
| A．confidence | B．motivation | C．inspiration | D．patience |
| A．decision | B．response | C．judgment | D．recognition |
| A．purchase | B．exchange | C．paint | D．sew |
| A．interest | B．energy | C．courage | D．care |
| A．eager | B．surprised | C．afraid | D．relieved |
| A．appreciated | B．blamed | C．rewarded | D．thanked |
| A．taste | B．fondness | C．talent | D．fear |
| A．willpower | B．honesty | C．responsibility | D．tolerance |
