1 . I remember as a young child bringing a bunch of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother. It didn’t matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn. I thought they were beautiful!
And there were so many of them! We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers. But the supply of dandelions (蒲公英) never ran out. My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawnmower at least once a week, but that didn’t stop these hardy wonders.
And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawnmower, there was another level of existence. The soft roundness of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless laughter of delight as we unconsciously spread this flower across the yard.
As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers, I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed.
And I thought, if only I had the staying power of a dandelion. If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn’t separate me completely from the source that feeds me life. If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse, purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me. If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.
The lawns at my parents’ home are now beautiful green blankets. The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human interference couldn’t. Still, I hope you and I can be different. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can’t reach our souls. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness.
1. The author’s parents probably viewed the dandelions in the lawn as ________.| A．unwanted weeds | B．hard y wonders | C．supplies of seeds | D．patches of colors |
| A．The flowers were meant as a joyful gift to her mother. |
| B．The flowers that some called a weed were difficult to pull out. |
| C．The flowers were tough enough to spread new lives themselves. |
| D．The flowers evolved into a stronger species because of frequent mowing. |
| A．The author’s family enjoyed the dandelions as much as she did. |
| B．The author purposefully replaced some dandelions with crops. |
| C．The dandelions were never successfully removed from the lawn. |
| D．The author felt sorry but encouraged by the fate of the dandelions. |
| A．You reap what you sow. |
| B．Never judge a book by its cover. |
| C．United we stand, and divided we fall. |
| D．Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine. |
2 . As a child, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of stone walls, the house and field provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me.
Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls surrounding the houses. My parents would never agree because the walls were so old that some stones were loose and falling. However, my idea to climb across those walls grew so strong that finally I had all my courage to enter the living room, where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner.
“I want to climb the stone walls.” I said. “Heavens, no! You’ll hurt yourself!” The response was just as I’d expected. But before I left the room, I was stopped by my grandfather’s loud voice. “Now hold on just a minute.” I heard him say. “Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself.”
“Go,” he said to me, “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 with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I’ll never forget what he said. “Fred,” he said, smiling, “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.”
Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit. “There’s only one person in this whole world like you,” the kids will hear me say, “and people can like you exactly as you are.”
1. Why did the writer enjoy his visits to the farm?| A．There were old stone houses. | B．He was allowed to climb the walls. |
| C．He missed his grandfather a lot. | D．He could experience new fun there. |
| A．He was backed up by his grandfather to follow his heart. |
| B．He didn’t expect his parents’ disagreement on wall climbing. |
| C．He became a TV program host with his grandfather’s help. |
| D．He didn’t know the possible danger of the stone walls. |
| A．Unforgettable Childhood | B．Just Be Yourself |
| C．Do Whatever You Like | D．Like grandfather, like grandson |
3 . There is a man who I’d like to tell you about. His name is Sandy Greenberg. Sandy was a very good student, but he came from a poor family. And so he went to Columbia University, but while there, he became blind.
But something else happened to Sandy that may surprise you. Sandy said that when he lost his sight, his roommate would read his textbooks to him, every night. As a result, Sandy went on to graduate. He got a scholarship, and he went off to study at Oxford.
One day, Sandy got a call at Oxford, and his former roommate said, “Sandy, I’m really unhappy. I really don’t like being in graduate school, and I don’t want to do this.”
So Sandy asked, “Well, what do you want to do?”
And his roommate told him, “Sandy, I really love to sing. I have a high school friend who plays the guitar. And we would really like to try the music business. But we need to make a record, and in order to do that I need $500.”
So Sandy Greenberg told me he took all his life savings and sent it to his roommate. He told me, “You know, what else could I do? He made my life; I needed to help make his life.”
I almost forgot. You probably are wanting to know who Sandy’s roommate was. I think you’ve heard of him. Sandy’s roommate was a fellow by the name of Art Garfunkel, and he teamed up with another musician by the name of Paul Simon. That $500 helped them make a record that eventually became “The Sound of Silence.”
I hope you’ll remember the power of doing well by doing good. Each of you, in your own lives, will be faced with challenges and problems that you didn’t expect. How you are able to deal with adversity will be influenced by how you deal with others along the way. What you get will depend a lot on what you give. And that’s the end of the story of doing well, by doing good.
More importantly, when you get to be my age, you will find yourself beginning to ask, did my life make a difference? I think the only way to face this question is to consider, every day of your life: How can I do something for somebody else? How can I give back to others? It may be teaching, it may be becoming a doctor, you may be successful in business — no matter what your career path, there will always be the opportunity to give back. The chance will present itself to give your time, give your money, but mostly, to give your own heart and soul.
1. When Sandy Greenberg lost his sight, ____________.| A．he had thoughts of quitting college | B．he overcame the difficulties on his own |
| C．he borrowed a friend’s notes | D．a friend helped him with his study |
| A．Sandy had a difficult time at Oxford |
| B．Sandy and his roommate both went on studying after their graduation |
| C．singing was one of Sandy’s hobbies |
| D．Sandy’s roommate was a great success at graduate school |
| A．to encourage us to face difficulties bravely |
| B．to tell us to change our path in life if we want to |
| C．to show that disabled people can succeed with help |
| D．to tell us that by helping others, we can also help ourselves |
| A．difficulty | B．generosity | C．kindness | D．friendship |
| A．helping others to make sure that we are successful |
| B．using our life to make a difference to others |
| C．being a teacher so that we can give back to others |
| D．starting to be generous when we become older |
| A.Even if B.move on C. pick up D. break down E. benefit from F. common sense G. in a mess H.in touch with I. turn out J. make a difference K. in fear |
Life is full of challenges, but we must learn to
5 . Our neighbors had a loud party last night. We weren’t
What
And it really worked in their favor. My husband and I were so friendly that even when the event went past the
It takes such little effort to make people feel that they
| A．located | B．explored | C．challenged | D．invited |
| A．trapped | B．impressed | C．annoyed | D．embarrassed |
| A．later | B．closer | C．earlier | D．further |
| A．disappointing | B．frightening | C．puzzling | D．amazing |
| A．phone number | B．room number | C．account number | D．car number |
| A．anxiously | B．politely | C．regularly | D．obviously |
| A．imagination | B．consideration | C．limitation | D．organization |
| A．promised | B．supplied | C．designed | D．compared |
| A．stress | B．anxiety | C．worry | D．anger |
| A．responsive | B．adaptable | C．continuous | D．respectful |
| A．figure | B．succeed | C．matter | D．access |
| A．gathering | B．inviting | C．meeting | D．disturbing |
| A．noticed | B．delivered | C．explored | D．proved |
| A．surrounding | B．appreciation | C．curiosity | D．distance |
| A．gratitude | B．apology | C．thoughtfulness | D．inspiration |
6 . The doorbell rang one mid-December evening. I frequently had unexpected visitors in those early days after my husband’s
Sam had died that fall,
The next night, the doorbell rang again. Another
For the next couple of nights, my boys waited near the front door to see who was leaving the gifts, but the bearer would always choose the moment they left to
I didn’t know who the secret Santa was. But there was one thing I did know. In those dark days of
After 11 days of offerings, we weren’t sure what to
| A．promotion | B．death | C．retirement | D．operation |
| A．Otherwise | B．Besides | C．Instead | D．Therefore |
| A．rope | B．paper | C．flower | D．ribbon |
| A．leaving | B．finding | C．naming | D．considering |
| A．agreed | B．planned | C．managed | D．promised |
| A．arrived | B．returned | C．ended | D．escaped |
| A．book | B．toy | C．box | D．pet |
| A．designing | B．including | C．showing | D．making |
| A．get through | B．set off | C．move on | D．turn up |
| A．regret | B．sadness | C．anger | D．disappointment |
| A．annoying | B．funny | C．urgent | D．powerful |
| A．dream | B．light | C．future | D．home |
| A．difference | B．effort | C．comparison | D．contribution |
| A．support | B．offer | C．expect | D．appreciate |
| A．something | B．nothing | C．anything | D．everything |
7 . My friend and I recently took an art class together through our town’s community education program. Our classmates were a mix of ages, stages of life, and experience with making art. We stood out in the class—not for our artistic talent, but for our consistent encouragement of ourselves, each other, and the group. It got me thinking how encouragement had become a routine.
It became something of a joke between the two of us to compliment(赞美) each other, offer a positive comment when another student showed his or her work, and generally chat around the table about how fun our project was going. But reflecting back, our positivist was anything but a joke. It was a bright light in my week, a space where I knew I could be surrounded with kindness, gentleness, and positivist.
Here’s the most special thing about it; my friend’s and my positive conversation wasn’t just encouraging, it was true. We didn’t go for cheap or false compliments like, “This painting should be in a museum!” Instead, we went for authentic(真实的) expressions of support and encouragement, like, “I love how you did that cloud!”
Over time, the class became something of a sacred space, because we had made a habit of using encouraging, supportive language. Sentence-starters like, “I like,” “I appreciate,” “I want to try”, kept us present, positive, and honest.
The encouragement also kept us engaged in the work of making art. I feel sure that I learned more—and practiced more at home—because the activity was shown in such consistently positive terms, grounded in a growth mindset, self-acceptance, and encouragement.
Having a friend to share an encouragement habit is fantastic, but you can practice it on your own as well. Compliment yourself in the mirror every morning. Keep a running “great work.” list of thing? you are doing well today. Trust in your ability to find something loving—and true-to comment today and every day.
1. What do we know about the author’s classmates?| A．They admired those talented in art. |
| B．They didn’t take art class seriously. |
| C．They were of the same artistic level. |
| D．They were on good terms in the class. |
| A．By showing false compliments to others. |
| B．By decorating their class as a museum. |
| C．By displaying abstract art works in the class. |
| D．By offering supportive language around them. |
| A．It made him hopeful and confident. |
| B．It needed to provide more practice. |
| C．It was cheap and easy to carry out. |
| D．It promoted his communication skills. |
| A．To introduce a community education program. |
| B．To call for good action to support those in need |
| C．To describe how to make encouragement a habit. |
| D．To comment on the power of authentic expressions. |
When we were finally dismissed from the last class of the day, the students streamed out of the classrooms. It was another boring day after school. I dragged my feet home as I sighed. Yet another uneventful day, I thought. Little did I know that the day would take a turn for the worse.
The lift lobby (电梯间) of my flat was old and dirty. The walls, which were painted white, had been dirtied over many years. I reached my flat’s lobby, and pressed the lift button and went in. Just then, Mrs Lim, my elderly neighbour, hobbled (蹒跚) in. She looked ancient with tissue paper white hair, wearing a faded old-fashioned dress. I held the lift door open, flashing a friendly smile, and politely greeted her. I asked her how she felt that day and pressed the buttons. She thanked me for being so polite, then we were silent for the rest of the ride.
The lift fell down increasingly fast. There were loud clanking sounds here and there while the lift grew slower and slower. My heart beat hard and fast as my hands turned cold and wet with sweat. Unfortunately, the lift came to an abrupt stop at the fifth floor. I pressed the buttons hard several times, but it was of no help. The lights on the buttons had gone out. It soon dawned on me that we were trapped. An icy fear crept up my spine. Mrs Lim was hysterical (歇斯底里).
“We will never get out!” she cried with her face pale. It had become a colourless mask. I had no time to lose. I pressed the bell in the lift immediately. The sound was surely deafening, but what other choice did I have? Mrs Lim burst into tears. I tried my very best to comfort her, telling her that everything would be all right and that we needed to find out how to get out safely. Mrs Lim began having trouble breathing, and I immediately helped her sit down and loosened her collar.
Paragraph 1: Several minutes passed, but no help came.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Bang! My hopes were lifted when I heard the firefighters on the other side of the lift door.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . As a little girl, I’d sit in the kitchen and watch my mother cook, but I didn’t really get into cooking. When I graduated from college and moved lo Washington DC, I left all of my friends behind. There were no new roommates. I was on my own and felt lonely. Home-cooked meals were my best attempt at changing my condition.
So, I started calling my mom and asking for the recipes (食谱) for my favorite dishes. It turned out that my mom didn’t have any recipes. She couldn’t give me a single measurement (计量) for any dish. She grew up in the kitchen with her mom too, and my grandma shared her knowledge through oral (口头的) tradition. Then it was my turn. My mom taught me how to “measure with my heart” when cooking. I learned to cook by tasting and feeling my food. And my food was pretty good. Soon enough, everyone was asking me for the recipes. That was why Bun Bo Bae, my cooking blog, came into being in 2019.
Bun Bo Bae was a space for me to put what I learned into writing. I didn’t want all of the secret knowledge behind dishes like my mom’s noodles and my dad’s tomato soup to disappear if the oral tradition ended one day. I wanted to write down every piece of advice I was given in detail.
These days, I experiment more. I’m not as strict with myself about recreating the dishes exactly as I remember about eating them. I use seasonal food materials when I can’t find some items. My food blog and flower count grew, and so did my confidence in the kitchen.
Bun Bo Bae also increased my confidence at work and gave me a space to write about what I love. It has connected me to countless new Internet friends.
Most importantly, writing for Bun Bo Bae has taught me that celebrating my culture doesn’t have to be about perfectly recreating my parents’ tradition. It’s about mixing what I’ve been taught with my own experiences, and cooking up something entirely new.
1. Why did the author begin her home-cooked meals?| A．To lead a healthy lifestyle. | B．To get rid of her loneliness. |
| C．To try out her mother’s recipes. | D．To improve her cooking skills. |
| A．She had trouble creating new recipes. |
| B．She followed strict measurements in cooking. |
| C．She made tastier dishes than her mom and grandma. |
| D．She mastered cooking skills under her mom’s oral guidance. |
| A．To bring her family members together. |
| B．To discuss local fine foods with followers. |
| C．To keep a record of her family’s cooking tradition. |
| D．To encourage people to develop healthy eating habits. |
| A．It’s important to learn a basic living skill, |
| B．It’s necessary to share her food knowledge online. |
| C．It’s better to understand different cooking cultures. |
| D．It’s wise to connect traditional cooking methods with new ideas. |
It was at the 2012 1SU World Figure Skating Championships that I first saw Japanese figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru. He was competing in free skating with a piece of music from Romeo and Juliet. I was
Yuzuru has been
Yuzuru has always trained hard despite the suffering from asthma (哮喘). He bravely
