1 . My grandson Jason was no where to be seen-normal behavior for a ten-year-old. I sat down on a chair and noticed the ladder(梯子)lying on the ground under the big tree beside the driveway. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out Jason was up in that tree and had accidentally kicked the ladder away. He wasn't about to come down, and he wouldn't let me know he was trapped. I could put up the ladder and rescue him, but then I recalled an event in my youth that I now, more than 50 years later, suddenly understood.
Raymond Cutting was a white haired gentleman, who entered my life when I was Jason's age. My parents said I was free to wander around the village except for the abandoned quarry(采石场)at the foot of a local mountain, but it was an interesting place: full of milky green water and rusty machinery hiding in the bushes. One afternoon I went there with some older boys, who later abandoned me when the sun was low. I tried for an hour to find my way, climbing over fallen trees but got caught in the bushes. Panicked, I cried.
Stopping to catch my breath, I heard someone whistle(吹口哨). "Hello,"said Cutting. "Out for a walk?" I nodded, "I've just been out exploring the old quarry, but I've got to get home now." "If you'd wait a minute, I'll walk back to town with you after I finish this willow whistle."
So we walked back down the path together, and the willow whistle was mine, sounding loud and clear. It suddenly dawned on me what an unusual act of kindness that was-Mr. Cutting had heard me crying, but he didn't play the role of a rescuer. Instead, he whistled so that I could find him.
I got up from the chair and drove my truck right under the big tree, where Jason was. I picked up the ladder and carried it around to the back of the house. When I returned, Jason was sitting in my chair.
"Where have you been?" I asked.
"Exploring, "Jason said. "I am a Cub Scout, you know.”
"Yes, "I smiled and said, "I know.”
1. What do we know about the ten-year-old author and Jason?| A．Neither of them admitted being trapped. | B．Neither of them were fond of exploring. |
| C．They both got stuck in the woods. | D．They both cried out for help. |
| A．He offered to walk the author home. |
| B．He helped the author without hurting his pride. |
| C．He punished the boys who left the author behind. |
| D．He gave the author his handmade willow whistle. |
| A．He placed his chair by the tree. | B．He parked the truck under the tree. |
| C．He put the ladder up against the tree. | D．He climbed onto the tree to catch him. |
| A．Like father, like son. |
| B．Once bitten, twice shy. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. |
| D．Have considerations for others while offering help. |
2 . In 2000, a tiny goose was left behind by his parents in our driveway. He was too young to fly and join the adults. So, we had to bring him onto our back porch to ensure his safety. A week later, the young goose had clearly decided we were his new family. We called the little guy Peeper.
A year passed and we were accustomed to the life of taking care of him. Peeper slept on our back porch each night. My dad would spray off all the goose’s droppings daily. Part of this ritual(例行的事)included dad throwing Peeper up into the air so he could fly a loop around the house, coming back again once the porch was clean. One evening, my dad threw him up again, but this time, Peeper just flew off and never back again. Twenty years passed, and Peeper became a fond memory for my family.
Geese live to be around 25 years old, are very loyal, and never forget their first home. Even so, it came as a total shock to me when, in 2019, an aging adult goose made his way back to my family home. At first, I assumed it was just another goose. And yet, something about the lone male seemed oddly familiar to me.
After two weeks of the goose coming back repeatedly, it became clear to me that this wasn't a random goose. He did all of the same things Peeper used to, like trying to come in through the front door and sleeping in our enclosed pool area. In addition to looking like Peeper's old ways, this goose also responded to the name Peeper. Much to my amazement, my old best friend had returned, 20 years later.
This experience has been as meaningful to me as anything in my life. I hope that my children, someday, have the opportunity to connect with nature and a wild being in this same way. People long for connection with the natural world. Through Peeper, I have learned so much about myself and about the nature of love.
1. What did the author's family do to the little goose?| A．He taught him some tricks. |
| B．They restricted his flight. |
| C．He tried to drive him away. |
| D．They took good care of him. |
| A．They depend on human very much. |
| B．They always remember the first home. |
| C．They know how to repay human beings. |
| D．They are good at flying long distances. |
| A．It is controversial. | B．It is quite natural. |
| C．It is of significance. | D．It is accidental. |
| A．The Reunion of a Family and a Goose |
| B．A Goose with a Great Memory |
| C．A Goose Will Eventually Fly Away |
| D．The Desire to Get on Well with Animals |
3 . Brandon Olsen and Tylor Fritz of Hometown Sanitation (公共卫生) left gifts for three sisters who waved to them each Thursday after learning that one of them, 3-year-old Rose, had been fighting cancer.
The men also gave their parents free garbage service for one year.
“When they did that, it was a few weeks before the diagnosis (诊断) when every day just felt so impossible,” said Rose's mother, Angie Evenson, of Blue Earth, Minnesota. “Nothing in reality changes Rose’s diagnosis. But what they did makes us feel we are truly not alone in this fight.”
With binoculars (双筒望远镜) in hand, Rose and her two sisters, Grace, 5 and Sophia, 2 sat by the window and waved at their garbage men, Olsen and Fritz, as they drove by on their weekly route.
Olsen, 29, and Fritz, 24, told ABC News that the girl’s smiling faces are what they look forward to while working. They even left Halloween candy for the girls this year to show their appreciation. They hope that more and more people can understand and support their work.
But weeks later, Evenson wrote Olsen and Fritz a note explaining that little Rose wouldn’t be able to wave to them for a while since she'd be undergoing chemotherapy (化疗). Rose had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer in September.
“As a father of three, it changed my outlook on things,” Olsen said. “It opened my eyes…you don’t know what someone else is going through.”
Fritz said he cried when he read the note. “I got to the chemo part and there were tears running down my face,” he recalled. “I don’t have any children of my own, but I can imagine if someone very close to me is diagnosed as cancer, I’ll be heartbroken.”
“Rose is being treated at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She will miss a few more Thursdays, when she can wave to her garbage men, but her chemo sessions will be switched to Mondays soon and she’ll be back by the window early next year. I have confidence in Rose’s recovery.” her mother said.
1. How did the garbage men help Rose’s family?| A．They took the sick girl to hospital regularly. |
| B．They collected the garbage for free. |
| C．They looked after Rose in turn. |
| D．They offered money to help cure Rose. |
| A．They made the family famous. | B．They encouraged the family. |
| C．They gave Angie Evenson a good lesson. | D．They doubted about the doctor’s diagnosis. |
| A．People’s appreciation for their work. |
| B．Good friendship with the young girls. |
| C．Making more efforts to do their work well. |
| D．The girls’ family’s caring more for their children. |
| A．Olsen has three sons. | B．Fritz has not got married. |
| C．Fritz is faced with a serious disease. | D．Evenson is optimistic about Rose’s condition. |
