My 83-year-old mother came to live with me a year ago last November. She was very ill and I had to put my life on hold to care for her.
Each morning, I got her up and dressed her and made her breakfast and sat with her. I rushed for a bowl when she felt sick, and lit fires to keep her warm. I cooked and persuaded her to take a few bites.
It’s a hard job caring for a sick or dying parent, whoever you are. But it was especially hard for me, I feel, because I am a doctor myself. I couldn’t help looking at her in two different ways. The medical professional saw a body and scrutinized it with the coldness that medicine requires. But the daughter saw the woman who had given birth to me, wiped my nose, sent me off to college and had been a constant presence in my life for over half a century.
Also, my mother didn’t appreciate how hard it was for me to care for her. I remember an exchange between her and the nurse who came to see her once a week:
“You could get some more help with care.”
“Oh, I don’t think I need that,” Mom said.
Mom didn’t understand that the help would have taken some of the burden off me. None of the treatments her doctors gave her worked, and finally her life became about comfort. She refused painkillers (止痛药) for a long time, but finally the pain convinced her. And when she accepted the painkillers she accepted the fact that she would die.
Illness and needs took us across personal boundaries I’d never before considered. And yet, while living and being and dying with Mom I witnessed something precious dawning. We became closer. We shared so many stories from our past that it was as if our memories had become one.
In the past our relationship had been difficult. We had often argued. But when the end came, both of us simply accepted that we looked at the world in different ways. We were daughter and mother and we loved each other. That was all that mattered.
1.Why was taking care of her mom especially hard for the author?
A.She was too busy living her own life.
B.She and her mom had a difficult relationship.
C.She was too old to attend to her mom carefully.
D.She viewed her mom both as a patient and a loved one.
2.The underlined word “scrutinized” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_______”.
A.held B.checked
C.ignored D.left
3.How did the author probably feel about the conversation between her mom and the nurse?
A.Helpful. B.Thankful.
C.Surprised. D.Depressed.
4.What did the author learn from the experience of looking after her sick mother?
A.Love is more important than differences.
B.Being alive was the most important thing.
C.We should learn to understand other people.
D.It was better for family members to live independently of each other.
Icons of the ANIMAL KINGDOM
CHIMU ADVENTURES
SOUTH GEORGIA
Join a Chimu Adventures cruise to South Georgia and experience one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Witness thousands of king penguins up close while making a landing from one of our expedition cruises. Chimu are the UK’s leading operator to South Georgia, the Falklands & Antarctica offering a full range of ships to suit all budgets and requirements. Contact one of our polar experts today for more info and special offers!
www.chimuadventures.com
Tel:02074038265
ON THE GO TOURS
CHINA
The panda is the beloved animal mascot (吉祥物) of China, native to the mountain ranges in the south central region. There are many conservation projects working to increase the panda population and last year they were successfully downgraded from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’ on the list of species at risk. Visit and support the Chengdu Panda Research Base with On The Go Tours where you can watch pandas in their natural habitat.
www.onthegotours.com
Tel:02073711113
SEA WOLF ADVENTURES
CANADA
Combine cultural discoveries with world-class whale and wild life viewing on an adventure into the heart of the traditional territory of the indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw: Vancouver Island North. Share our love of the local landscape and learn more about our connection with the wild life that makes these waterways home. Experience a fast-paced tour that offers a personal perspective of our 13, 000+ years old Kwakwaka’wakw culture.
www. seawolfadventures.ca
Tel: (001) 2509029653
PIONEER EXPEDITIONS
MADAGASCAR
Madagascar is the land of the lemurs (狐猴). Over 100 lemur species inhabit this extraordinary island nation, ranging from the pocket-sized ‘pygmy mouse lemur’ to the 4ft tall ‘indri’ (狐猴). With many threatened by extinction, there’s never been a better time to witness these mesmerizing (令人着迷的) primates. We’ll guide you through Madagascar, which is the only country where you can experience unforgettable lemur encounters in the wild.
www.pioneerexpeditions.com
Tel:01202798922
ABORIGINAL JOURNEYS
CANADA
We depart in search of orcas (虎鲸) from Campbell River on Vancouver Island in British, Columbia, Canada. Orcas are an apex predator, making them the kings and queens of the ocean. Orcas have very close-knit families and normally will stay together throughout their lifetime. We have many beautiful waterways in which to explore for these magnificent mammals. Tours are guided by experienced, locally born guides.
www.aboriginaljourneys.com
Tel: (001)2508501101
1.Which route may offer you discount in travelling fee?
A.CHIMU ADVENTURES B.PIONEER EXPEDITIONS
C.ABORIGINAL JOURNEYS D.SEA WOLF ADVENTURES
2.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 is intended to show ______________.
A.you can only see pandas in limited areas as they are vulnerable to visitors
B.pandas are not endangered any more thanks to the efforts of many conversation
C.the panda is still an endangered species though its population has increased a lot
D.ON THE GO TOURS can help the Chengdu Panda Research Base save more pandas
3.Which of the following animals are unique to Madagascar?
A.Orcas. B.Lemurs.
C.Pandas. D.King Penguins.
4.What is special about Orcas?
A.They are born guides. B.They are gentle animals.
C.They live alone after growing up. D.They enjoy a close relationship.
5.What can we know from the passage?
A.You can enjoy the Kwakwaka’ wakw culture in ABORIGINAL JOURNEYS.
B.Orcas will depart the family once they become mature enough to feed themselves.
C.SEA WOLF ADVENTURES will present more than whales and wildlife to visitors.
D.Both SEA WOLF ADVENTURES and ABORINAL JOURNEYS set off in British, Colombia.
6.What’s the purpose of this passage?
A.To attract readers to start a wildlife trip.
B.To introduce different kinds of animals.
C.To encourage people to protect animals.
D.To tell us that the animals are endangered.
Nimal “Nims” Purja broke the existing world record by climbing 14 Himalayan mountain peaks in 189 days.
Though thousands of _______ have climbed Mount Everest (珠穆朗玛峰), the highest and most _______ of the world’s 14 tallest mountains, _______ 40 climbers have conquered them all. Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja, _______this extraordinary achievement in just six months and six days, faster than his own seven-month _______.
“I am incredibly _______ to have completed this final summit and my goal of climbing the world’s 14 tallest mountains in _______ time, ” Purja said in a statement. “I hope to have _______ that anything is possible with some _______, self-belief, and positivity.”
The adventurer, who was ________ by teams of Nepalese climbers on each of his adventures, encountered numerous memorable and ________ moments during his epic (史诗般的) journey. On April 23, 2019, while going down Mt. Annapurna, Purja and his team heard about a Malaysian climber who had been ________ from his group with no food, water, or supplemental ________ for over 40 hours. Determined to find him, they went back up to 7500 meters, where Dr. Chin Wui Kin was last seen. Though the climbers succeeded in ________ and getting him airlifted to a hospital, ________, Dr. Chin did not survive his injuries and ________ a few days later in Singapore.
Purja, who comes from a small Nepalese village, said his primary ________ for undertaking this enormous task was to ________ the world that anyone can ________ greatness if they put their minds to it. “By achieving this goal, I knew I could ________ people from all generations across the world,” he said.
1.A.athletes B.tourists C.researchers D.adventurers
2.A.serious B.isolated C.famous D.remote
3.A.still B.yet C.only D.even
4.A.represented B.accomplished C.evaluated D.accelerated
5.A.target B.dream C.desire D.focus
6.A.crazy B.generous C.proud D.nervous
7.A.right B.future C.harvest D.record
8.A.found B.seen C.proven D.imagined
9.A.determination B.respect C.delight D.relief
10.A.taught B.joined C.beaten D.conducted
11.A.awkward B.anxious C.exact D.tense
12.A.separated B.sent C.dismissed D.led
13.A.clothes B.oxygen C.tents D.equipment
14.A.guiding B.observing C.saving D.locating
15.A.unfortunately B.surprisingly C.naturally D.normally
16.A.broke down B.went by C.passed away D.set off
17.A.design B.purpose C.concern D.importance
18.A.challenge B.order C.inform D.show
19.A.attain B.control C.apply D.meet
20.A.bless B.inspire C.support D.admire
History is the best teacher. It ________ records the development path of each country and foretells the future to us.
A.apparently B.conventionally C.faithfully D.eventually
He smiled politely ________ Lucy apologized for her drunken friends.
A.though B.as C.unless D.how
The past decades have witnessed China’s many scientific achievements, _____ the development of Shenwei supercomputers is a typical example.
A.to which B.for which C.at which D.of which
