1 . As a youngster, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoon on my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania surrounded by miles of winding stone walls, the house and bar provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls. My parents would never agree with me. The walls were old. Some stones were missing and others were loose and broken. Still, my desire to climb those walls grew so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I gathered all my courage and entered the living room, where the adults has gathered after’ the Sunday dinner.
“I, uh... I want to climb the stone walls,” I said hesitantly. They looked up.“Can I climb the stone wall?” suddenly, a chorus went up from the women in the room. “Heavens, no!” my parents cried. “You’ll hurt yourself!” I wasn’t too disappointed because the response was just as I had expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather’s loud voice. “Now hold on just one minute,” I heard him say. “Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself.” “Be careful,” he said to me with a wink, “And come and see me when you get back.” For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls and had the time of my life. Later I met my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I’ll never forget what he said. “Fred,” he said, “You made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there’s only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are.”
1. Why do the parents would never agree with the writer to climb the stone walls?| A．It is his first time to the farm. | B．He wasn’t strong enough. |
| C．It wasn’t in good condition. | D．He was lacking in climbing skills. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Expected. | C．Unbelievable. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．Being totally hurt. | B．Following what others propose. |
| C．Telling about the adventures. | D．Being exactly who I am. |
| A．Being Yourself | B．The Price of Success | C．Encouragement from Parents | D．Fun of Staying on the Farm |
2 . Leanne Carrasco ordered 95 pizzas (比萨饼). The high school senior and her friends filled up goody bags. But this was not your typical graduation party.
Carrasco had volunteered before, with her family, at the Star of Hope Family Development Center. But this time was different.
On Sunday, it was party time. The pizza was a hit, and so were the bags.
In all Carrasco and her friends served about 200 people. For the shelter residents, it was a magical day.
Carrasco did a good job but she won’t let it go to her head anytime soon. The graduating senior plans to study nursing at Briar Cliff University in Iowa in the fall.
| A．Carrasco didn’t want that. |
| B．She was able to think of other people. |
| C．They lined up to give thanks to Carrasco. |
| D．She said she would continue giving back. |
| E．Carrasco decided to spend money on a party. |
| F．She invited a group of her friends and got to work. |
| G．But Carrasco and her friends gave the residents something more than just food and soap. |
3 . Age has never been a problem for 16-year-old Thessalonika Arzu-Embry. After all, she’s already got her master’s degree.
The North Chicago-area teen started homeschooling at the age of 4. She began having an influence on others soon after. When she was 6 years old, she was an inspirational speaker at an organization called Tabitha House Community Service, which is for people who were forced to leave their homes because of earthquake, flood and other natural disasters.
At the age of 11, she graduated from high school and then earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013. She completed those classes online as she was traveling for church events and leadership meetings.
She doesn’t stop there, though. The teen plans to focus on aviation psychology (航空心理学) for her further study, a decision inspired by her father who is a pilot. She grew up around airplanes and took flights all the time. Her goal is to use it to help pilots deal with problems that could have deadly results once the plane takes off — a topic that has been in the news lately. For her, it’s a mix of two of her interests.
In her free time, Thessalonika enjoys playing tennis, swimming and being active in her youth group at church. She also has three self-published books, which are on her site. Jump the Education Barrier is written to help students finish college, and In the Future aims to help business owners with trends. Her third book The Genius Race is designed to help people to be talents in various areas of life.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Thessalonika?| A．She majored in science and technology. |
| B．She gained her master’s degree at the age of 11. |
| C．When she was 6 years old, she started homeschooling. |
| D．In 2013 she got her bachelor’s degree through completing courses online. |
| A．Major in aviation psychology. |
| B．Be active in her youth group at church. |
| C．Write another book to help people to be talents. |
| D．Deliver inspiring speeches for church events and leadership meetings. |
| A．It aims to help people to be geniuses. |
| B．It is designed to arouse people’s awareness of psychology. |
| C．It is aimed to give students a hand to complete college. |
| D．The author hope to share her own experience with others. |
| A．The secret to become a talent is to start schooling at an early age. |
| B．Thessalonika led a rather successful and meaningful life. |
| C．Homeschooling is a good way to educate children. |
| D．Three published books help people become masters in their fields. |
