Last summer, Katie Steller pulled off the freeway on her way to work in Minneapolis. She stopped at a traffic light, where a man was sitting with a sign asking for help. She rolled down her window.
“Hey!” she shouted. “I’m driving around giving free haircuts. If I go grab my chair, do you want one right now?”
The man looked to be in his 60s. He was balding, and missing a few teeth. As Steller liked to tell the story, he laughed, then paused. “Actually,” he said, “I have a funeral to go to this week. I was really hoping to get a haircut.”
Steller pulled out a red chair from her car and helped the man cut his hair immediately. After the work was finished, Edward looked in a mirror. “I look good!” he said.
Until last year, Steller had given such haircuts to people living on the margins(边缘) around the city. She was keenly aware of the power of her cleanup job.
“It’s more than a haircut,” she said. “I want it to be a gateway, to show value and respect, but also to get to know people. I want to build relationships.”
Steller knew that a haircut could change a life. One changed hers: As a teen, she suffered from a severe disease, her hair thinned drastically. Seeing this, her mother arranged for Steller’s first professional haircut.
“To sit down and have somebody look at me and talk to me like a person and not just an illness, it helped me feel cared about and less alone,” she said.
After that, Steller knew she wanted to have her own salon so she could help people feel the way she’d felt that day. Not long after finishing cosmetology school in 2009, she began what she now calls her Red Chair Project, reaching out to people on the streets. Her aim was that by doing some kind acts, others would be inspired to spread their own.
“Part of what broke my heart was just how lonely people looked,” she said. “I thought maybe I’d go around and ask if people want free haircuts. I can’t fix their problems, but maybe I can help them feel less alone for a moment.”
It all began with a belief in simple acts of kindness, such as a free haircut. “The way you show up in the world matters,” said Steller. “You have no idea what people are going to do with the kindness that you give them.”
1.How did Steller react to the man’s asking for help?
A.She paid no attention.
B.She offered a free haircut to him.
C.She sent a red chair to him as a present.
D.She told an interesting story to make him happy.
2.What did Steller mean by saying “It’s more than a haircut” in paragraph 6?
A.She thought it was a respectable job.
B.She had found more advantages for the job.
C.She considered haircut as a way to make friends.
D.She hoped her job could make a difference to others.
3.What did Steller expect from Red Chair Project?
A.To earn a lot of money. B.To know more people.
C.To pass down the kindness. D.To make herself stand out.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.A Cut Above. B.A Beautiful Salon.
C.The Good Belief. D.The Miracle of Love.
Three Modern Services
When you're working a full-time job, studying or on the hunt for work, life can feel exhausting. The good news is that modern technology has made life easier in many ways, and with the following services, you'll find you have more time and energy for the things that matter.
Meal kit delivery services
Meal kit delivery services are one of the most underestimated innovations of the 21st century. How they work is simple. At the beginning you choose how many people need to eat in your household. Then, what your dietary requirements are, and any other preferences. Finally, you get to choose which meal kits will be delivered to your door.
No matter your diet, you can have an appropriate meal kit delivered. For example, check out these low carb meal delivery options. The kit comes complete with all the ingredients you need, already prepared. All you have to do is to follow the simple recipe to put them together and pop your meal in the oven.
With meal kit delivery, you don’t have to worry about cooking or spending money on takeout. Your trips to the grocery store will become easier and you'll waste less money and food.
Taskrabbit
One of the most frustrating aspects of having a place you call your own is that you have to take care of the maintenance(维修). Even if you are renting, there are certain tasks that your landlord will expect you to see to, whether a leaky tap or a problematic electrical appliance.
For this, Taskrabbit connects you with freelancers who are willing to take on just about any task for you. You can hire someone to take care of your leaky tap rather than spending your own time and energy doing it. You're giving someone work while enjoying your time off.
Postmates
Finally, one of the most convenient and useful services is, of course, Postmates. With Postmates, you can get just about anything delivered or deliver something yourself. You can get someone to do your groceries for you – simply make a list of what you need and choose whether the shopper should call you if something is out or if they can decide on replacements themselves.
You can also use it for takeout, to send or receive documents, and any other delivery needs you have.
We live in an age of convenience, and we should take advantage of it. Start using the above services and you'll see your stress levels drop.
1.What will people first do to enjoy Meal kit delivery services?
A.To check out some options.
B.To pop your meal in the oven.
C.To confirm the exact number of people.
D.To follow the simple recipe to put them together.
2.What do the three Modern Services have in common?
A.They can help people save money.
B.All the Modern Services are top-level.
C.They can make people easily enjoy their lives.
D.Young people show their preference for the three Modern Services.
3.Where is the passage most likely to be taken from?
A.A magazine. B.A book review.
C.A novel. D.A guidebook.
Never Say Quit
In my twenty-five years of coaching, I encountered many extraordinary athletes. Yet the athlete who made the greatest impression on me wasn't one of those promising young men, but Bobby Colson.
Early in the season, Bobby, who looked heavy but strong, ____ me in the school hallway. He told me he was eager to join in our track team and believed he could make an important ____. I was deeply_____by his presentation and self-confidence.
Given his physique, the logical role for Bobby was that of a "weight man”. So he did his best in trying discus(铁饼), shot pot…, only to find out these events were not ____ for him at all. So Bobby intended to try another more difficult event: two-mile race. I admired Bobby's ____, but to myself, I questioned whether the two-mile race was a good choice. Yet Bobby was ____ and for the following weeks, he painfully but____ struggled through his workouts.
Three months later, the two-mile race was well underway. While all the other runners had already finished, Bobby ____ had three laps to go. As Bobby completed his last two of his ____ laps, several boys from the other teams started making fun of him and ____ at him to get off the track. Bobby was crying noticeably but kept going. At this moment, our team members noticed and went to ____ Bobby on. On the last lap, all our athletes stood up to cheer Bobby on. Imagine a moving sight: Our whole team lined up ____ the track, clapping and cheering for Bobby as tears ____down his face.
After that, Bobby put in effort to support his teammates. He went from event to event ____ his teammates. When one of our athletes took a first place, Bobby was even more excited than the winner. Every teammate ____him very much and felt lucky to have him in the team.
Bobby had been right when he told me he felt he could make a significant contribution. He had joined a good team and made it into a great ____.Since then, I've seen many top athletes ____ the track when they knew they weren't going to win a race. Bobby, on the contrary, never once ____ leaving that two-mile race. Once he___, quitting was not an option. His example helped us all to understand that talent is God given, and those who have it should be thankful, but the spirit of ____ is self-given, and we should value it.
1.A.waved B.informed C.limited D.stopped
2.A.appearance B.promise C.contribution D.influence
3.A.impressed B.frightened C.puzzled D.embarrassed
4.A.satisfactory B.challenging C.suitable D.attractive
5.A.enthusiasm B.generosity C.achievement D.cooperation
6.A.worried B.confused C.determined D.hesitated
7.A.cautiously B.proudly C.secretly D.diligently
8.A.still B.already C.ever D.rather
9.A.spare B.remaining C.extra D.additional
10.A.crying B.throwing C.shouting D.criticizing
11.A.pull B.assist C.drive D.urge
12.A.over B.around C.with D.beyond
13.A.rolled B.paved C.covered D.measured
14.A.convincing B.appreciating C.competing D.encouraging
15.A.envied B.loved C.respected D.believed
16.A.family B.organization C.institution D.system
17.A.check out B.give off C.walk off D.carry out
18.A.supposed B.considered C.imagined D.concerned
19.A.proved B.realized C.discovered D.started
20.A.bravery B.unity C.perseverance D.devotion
阅读下列短文,根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词,在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
The “Twenty-four Solar terms” is the Chinese 1.(tradition)way of dividing and marking time. It shows the relationship between the universe, seasons, climate and agriculture, which is uniquely created 2.Chinese ancestors. The Twenty-four Solar Terms are important instructions for the agricultural production as well as people's daily lives. At the initial stage of agricultural development, people began to explore rules of nature and used 3.(they)to guide sowing, harvesting and other agricultural activities. Until now, it 4.(become) an essential tool to guide the agricultural production in China. And its charm and value have been increasingly recognized by the public.
阅读下列短文,根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词,在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
The railway line 1.(connect) Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the co-host city of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, is the world's first intelligent, high-speed railway. It 2.(go)into operation on Dec 30, 2019. The railway is 174 km long, with a maximum design speed of 350 kph. It reduces the travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou from over three hours to 47 minutes. The train is designed with an area to store snowboards, a device to secure wheelchairs and a mobile news center 3. passengers can watch live Olympic broadcasts.
阅读下列短文,根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词,在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
This year, the World Cup has been played across different 1.(city), and Team China had training sessions even on traveling days when some participating teams chose to rest up after a tiring flight. When the team struggled, Captain Zhu Ting was always there, doing whatever was needed 2.(carry) the team forward. That’s why she has become a national volleyball icon(偶像), just like “Iron Hammer” Lang. Never giving up, especially in a difficult situation, that’s 3. the spirit of Chinese women’s volleyball means.
