1 . Many have had the same thought as Shannon St. Onge when looking at the approach of snow on a weather forecast—that they have time to finish their jobs. As the director of finance at the First Nations University of Canada, she had to drive 25 kilometers from her home to the city of Regina to attend an important meeting.
As she was leaving, the winter snow began to fall. Taking a dirt road for better traction (牵引) on her tires, she quickly became lost, with no ability to see the edge of the road from a rolled-down window. After a while she stopped and called 911.
“The operator took my information and told me to wait out the storm as my tank was full and I was warm. I waited almost 14 hours and nobody has called me yet to check in,” she wrote in a Face-book post.
“Would the gas tank last until morning? What if I was hit by another vehicle? What if I didn’t make it home at all?” St. Onge wondered.
Determined to ensure the safest end, she went out in the storm and discovered her location on a road sign, and then found a neighborhood Facebook group for the area she was passing through—warning others of her plight through a Google Maps pin.
That was when 80-year-old Andre Bouvier Sr., a retired rescuer, got a call about St. Onge’s situation. He went out to find her, on foot, since he couldn’t manage to start his tractor.
On the way he found three other stranded (被困) vehicles. He walked the quarter mile there and back, and led the helpless cars one by one to his home. Bouvier let the survivors sleep at his house, where they ate and laughed, and departed the next morning after he had cleaned the driveway.
1. Why did St. Onge take a dirt road?| A．She was familiar with it. | B．She could refuel on the road. |
| C．She took the dirt road to save time. | D．She thought dirt road could increase traction. |
| A．Wrong turn. | B．Poor sense of direction. |
| C．Difficult situation. | D．Bad weather. |
| A．Patient and gifted. | B．Brave and selfless. |
| C．Proud and determined. | D．Adventurous and ambitious. |
2 . Jeff was diagnosed in 2010 with multiple myeloma (多发性骨髓瘤). It is a disease that is usually noticed when grandpa falls and breaks his hip. The average patient is in his early 70s. But Jeff was only 50 when diagnosed.
“I wondered why me, as a young guy?” Jeff says. But his relative youth and good health has put him in a position to fight the disease in his way.
In January Jeff and his wife Ramona will join a team climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. It’s an adventure he’s dreamed about since the 4th grade.
Jeff will be one of four in the group who are myeloma patients not willing to be threatened by cancer. He and Ramona have raised nearly $18,000 toward their combined goal of $20,000.
Still, he’s confident that his earlier marathon training has prepared him to climb the highest free-standing mountain in the world. “I just have to deal with it and understand my limitations.” he says.
What Jeff sees is a clear future. “Having cancer narrows the focus about what we want to do and who we want to do it with.” he says. He and Ramona now ask themselves, “How do we go out and live the most fulfilling lives? Who are the most important people in our lives? What brings us joy?”
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is their next adventure, but Jeff knows it won’t be just a personal accomplishment. “I do these things for all the people who can’t.” he says.
Jeff is certain that his passion for hiking and adventure will take him to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and that his story will inspire those with multiple myeloma to keep sight of who they are beyond their diagnosis.
“It’s obvious to me,” he says, “that this is part of my fate.”
1. What’s the main purpose for Jeff and his wife to climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro?
| A．To get enough physical training to be stronger. |
| B．To show love for climbing high mountains. |
| C．To express determination to overcome the disease. |
| D．To raise awareness and money for the organization. |
| A．Worried | B．Optimistic | C．Favorable | D．Indifferent |
| A．Part of fate. | B．Power of willingness. |
| C．Love for adventure. | D．An unusual disease. |
3 . From sausage rolls to sweets and a coffee with a bin, there were many things that made Greg Robinson smile.
When the father-of-two, who was in his 50s, died suddenly in April 2021, his family’s life was turned upside down.
Greg ran a gift shop in his hometown of Donaghadce. Whether it was at work, walking the dog, with his local flute band or just out in his belayed town, his family said Greg made time for those in need. Now, on the week of his first anniversary, his family shared some of the things that made him smile with their community.
“We wanted to plan something together that allowed us to put our energy into something positive and give us something practical to do, which we knew would have an impact on others,” they told the reporter.
“We knew that by making others smile, we in turn would feel the benefit of that too. We have realised the importance of little things that have made us smile throughout the past year.”
As Greg loved his town and the community, all the gifts were purchased locally. Among them are vouchers (代金券) for a bakery, for some of his favourite sausage rolls, an ice-cream shop where he used to buy a quarter of sweets, and a cafe because “a wee coffee and a bun would have made dad’s face light up with excitement”.
“When someone dies, it is often the case that people are scared to mention the loved one in case it makes you sad, but the journey has taught us that this isn’t the case. The wonderful memories of dad shared by our community bring so much comfort,” his family said.
“We love those times when we hear how dad had impacted their lives, from showing kindness as a teenager at high school, to chatting away to customers in his shop,” they added.
For Greg’s children, they will be forever grateful for their dad teaching them “to focus on the positive parts of the day, looking for ways that we can express gratitude for everyday things”.
1. What do we know about Greg from the first three paragraphs?| A．Greg was often ready to help others. |
| B．Greg had a great passion for cooking. |
| C．Greg earned his living by playing in a band. |
| D．Greg’s death had little impact on his family. |
| A．They gathered and comforted Greg’s family. |
| B．They expressed sadness about Greg’s death. |
| C．They were still afraid to talk about Greg. |
| D．They shared good memories of Greg. |
| A．An Act of Kindness in Memory of Greg |
| B．Unusual Ways to Thank Greg’s Community |
| C．A Huge Celebration of Greg’s Family Reunion |
| D．Special Gifts to Record the Family Life of Greg |
4 . Six years ago at the age of 35, I suddenly decided I wanted to learn the cello. Straight away I rented an instrument and appeared before Wendell Margrave, professor of musical instruction.
"You can be as good as you want to be," Margrave said rather mysteriously. Then he entered my name in book:10 am, Tuesday. Tuesday followed Tuesday, and soon it was spring.
Thus began my voyage out of ignorance and into the dream. It was a happy time. I was again becoming something new, and no longer trapped as the same person. Surely the most terrible recognition of middle life is that we are past changing. We do what we can already do. The cello was something I couldn't do. Yet each Tuesday this became less and less true. Riding home on the bus one snowy night and learning the score of Mozarts C-Major Quintet, I felt the page burst into music in my hands. I could by then more or less read a score, and was humming the cello line, when suddenly all five parts came together harmonically in my head. The fellow sitting opposite stared. I met his glance with tears, actually hearing the music in my head for the first time. Could he hear it too, perhaps? No, he got off at the next stop.
As the years slipped by, my daughter grew up, playing the piano well. My goal was that she and I would one day perform together. I also wanted to perform in public with and for my peers, and to be secretly envied. I continued to play, to perform, but it is not the same. As good as I wanted to be, I am as good as I'm going to get. It is good enough.
1. From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that .| A．the author went to a cello lesson every Tuesday |
| B．the author bought a cello after he decided to learn it |
| C．the author already knew some cello basics |
| D．Margrave was a famous but mysterious professor |
| A．he used to feel very bored with his unchallenging life |
| B．it was beautiful to be able to hear the music in his mind |
| C．Professor Margrave made learning the cello very easy for him |
| D．he enjoyed the feelings of growth and getting closer to his dream |
| A．show the author's deep gratitude to his cello tutor |
| B．advise readers on how to improve their cello skills |
| C．encourage readers that it's never too late to pursue their dreams |
| D．describe the author's incredible efforts to overcome difficulties |
