1 . Thanks to a generous and kind soul, this winter is not cold any more. A Stockton teen will make sure seniors are staying warm and unforgotten during the holiday season, because dozens of elders across the nation are getting socks for Christmas — they couldn’t be happier about it.
Elle Gianelli, 17, is a student in high school, but most of her friends are elders. She has been making colored socks with silly designs for years, sending them to seniors in nursing and care homes to brighten up their day.
It all started from the closer-than-close friendship she has with her grandmother, which taught the value of spending time with elders. “I’m a grandma’s girl, I love love love my nana,” Gianelli said. On putting forward the idea, she was supported by her family and friends. Later, she was encouraged by her teachers who started the project Socks for Seniors when she was in her 7th grade, and she has so far lighted up 92 care homes in 48 states.
But as Christmas approaches, she’s making efforts to prepare her surprise in order to send boxes of silly socks to elders in all 50 states in time for the big day. “I know most people have toys for babies and things for kids but they always seem to forget about elders,” Gianelli told CBS. “Maybe they don’t have family or maybe they live super far away and they’re only getting something like a postcard.” To make sure that elders’ toes and hearts remain warm this holiday season, Gianelli is hoping to raise $10,000 through GoFundMe for a big sock drive. So far, with still 19 days to go before Christmas, she has received 95% of her total in donations.
1. What’s elders’ feeling on getting the socks?| A．Overjoyed. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Confused. | D．Frightened. |
| A．Teachers’ guidance. | B．Christmas project. |
| C．Love for her grandma. | D．Encouragement from friends. |
| A．She also has toys and things for kids. | B．She will send socks to seniors in 48 states. |
| C．She still has 19 days to prepare the surprise. | D．She has raised $10,000 through GoFundMe. |
| A．Warm Gifts From a Teen. | B．The Wishes of the Elders. |
| C．A Special Relationship. | D．A Wonderful School Project. |
| A．They had a celebration dinner. |
| B．They went to see a newborn baby. |
| C．They sent a mail to their neighbors. |
Last night came the first snow of the year. The trees put on caps overnight and the little town was blanketed with fresh snow. The children had a snow day off from school. For them, the fall of snow was a magical event. Jack could hardly wait to go outside. His mother handed him a scarf, a hat and mitts and suggested he build a snowman.
Jack dressed, got a bucket and collected everything he needed to decorate his snowman. He walked into his front yard, happy to hear the snow crunch under his feet. He first packed some snow and made a very small ball. Then he got on his knees and rolled the snow into a big ball.
At another window, a little girl flattened her nose against the cold window, watching Jack play alone. It was his new neighbour Nancy. Nancy asked her mother if she could go outside and play. Her mother agreed. Immediately, Nancy zipped up her coat, tugged (用力拉上) her boots and ran outside to Jack’s yard. She said hello and asked if she could help him finish his snowman. Jack nodded willingly.
“Okay. What can I do?” asked Nancy.
“I built my snowman’s body with two snowballs. I need to roll one more for its head.” “But snowmen only have two snowballs. One is for the body and one is for the head,” Nancy laughed.
“No, snowmen always have three snowballs,” Jack argued. “I don’t think I need you to help me after all.” He made a small snowball and rolled it away, leaving Nancy alone.
Low in spirits, Nancy thought to herself, “I’m going to make my own.”
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Nancy walked back to her own yard.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hearing Jack’s cry, Nancy ran over to his yard.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 . Judy Wright and her husband decided to move closer to their son, Chris, who lived in Georgia. About a month after the move, Judy fell ill, suffering from her ongoing battle against Parkinson’s disease.
Her condition worsened rapidly and she required medical care at home. The family hired a nursing aid who canceled at the last minute. Instead, a woman named TunDe Hector showed up in her place.
One day, TunDe shared a story with Judy and her family. She remembered a particularly difficult day in 2014, when a stranger had helped her with a kind gesture. She had run out of gas, and with only $5 in her pocket, was walking to a gas station, gas can in hand. A man saw her walking and turned his car around. He paid for her gas and gave her all the cash left in his wallet. Upon hearing the story, Judy’s son, Chris, took off his hat and said, “That was me!” He was the stranger that had helped TunDe on that difficult day.
During the care of Judy, the Wright family learned about TunDe’s family and her own dream. The nursing aid, TunDe hoped that one day she could become an OB-GYN nurse. Her tuition was past due (逾期) and she had a family to care for, but she was determined to achieve that goal for herself and her family.
Judy died on July 9, 2017. Instead of flowers, her family asked mourners (悼念者) to donate to TunDe’s education, to assist her in paying for her nursing school. In less than a week, they raised more than $8,000 and presented her with the surprise check.
1. Why did Judy’s family choose TunDe in the end?| A．To help her with a kind gesture. |
| B．To replace another nursing aid. |
| C．To look after Judy in the hospital. |
| D．To give Judy the best medical care. |
| A．Astonished | B．Upset |
| C．Puzzled | D．Moved |
| A．They paid for her education. |
| B．They helped care for her family. |
| C．They helped her realize her dream. |
| D．They bought her a surprise present. |
| A．Kindness comes full circle. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．The truth never fears investigation. |
| D．Constant dropping wears stone. |
