I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice. “Mom, come here! There’s this lady near my size!” The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize. I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?” He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?” “Yes, I have a son,” I answered. “Why are you so little?” he asked. “It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids joked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.
But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have – a great family, nice friends.”
It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.
1.
Why did the mother apologize to the author?
A. Because the boy ran into the author.
B. Because the boy laughed at the author.
C. Because they boy said the author was fatter than him.
D. Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.
2.
When did the author realize that she was too short?
A. When she grew up.
B. When she was 47 years old.
C. When she began to go to school.
D. When she met the boy in the supermarket.
3.
Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?
A. doubted B. increased C. decreased D. improved
4.
.How does the author feel about people’s stares now?
A. Angry B. Calm C. Painful D. Discouraged
When we think about giving help to developing countries, we often think about giving money so that these countries can build schools and hospitals, buy food and medicine, or find clean water supplies. These seem to be the most important basic needs of the people we are trying to help. However, it's far from enough. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got to come up with some better ideas to help them.
I was very surprised, then, when I read about a plan to make cheap laptop computers for children in developing countries. A man called Nicholas Negroponte invented a cheap laptop computer and he planed to produce a lot and sell them to the children in developing countries at a low price after he visited a school in Cambodia. The laptop will be covered in rubber so that it is very strong and won't be damaged easily. The idea is that these computers will help the children's education as they will be able to surf the Internet. By improving children's education they should help people to find their own solutions to their problems in the long term.
Another idea to help children in developing countries is to recycle old mobile phones so that they can be used again. In the UK, and probably in many other countries too, millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year. The waste created by throwing away these old phones is very bad for the environment, so it seems to be an excellent idea to recycle them. In this way we will be able to achieve two important goals at the same time. We will reduce the waste we produce and help others. In other words, we will be able to 'kill two birds with one stone’, and that is always a good thing.
1.
It's an excellent idea to recycle old mobile phones because .
A. it reduces waste and can help others
B. it prevents waste and can earn lots of money
C. it can send the waste produced by developed countries to other countries
D. it is good for the environment and very educative for phone users
2.
The author gives the example of Mr. Negroponte’s cheap computers .
A. to show what high technology can bring us
B. to show the kindness of people in the developed countries
C. to show how to find business opportunities in developing countries
D. to give an example of how to help developing countries
3.
Where does this passage probably come from? .
A. A newspaper. B. A magazine.
C. A lecture. D. An advertisement.
The annual marathon in my town usually took place in summer. My job was to 21 behind the runners in an ambulance 22 any of them needed medical attention. The driver and I were in an air-conditioned ambulance behind nearly one hundred athletes 23 to hear the sharp crack of the starting gun.
“We’re supposed to stay behind the 24 runner, so take it slowly ,” I said to the driver , Doug , as we began to creep forward .
“Let’s just hope all the runners are fast!” he laughed.
As they began to pace themselves, the front runners started to 25 . It was then that my 26 were drawn to the woman in blue silk running shorts and a baggy white T-shirt.
“Doug, look!”
We knew we were already watching our “last runner”. Her feet were turned in, but her left knee was turned out. Her legs were so crippled and bent that it seemed impossible for her to be able to walk , let alone run a marathon .
Doug and I watched in 27 as she slowly moved forward. We didn’t say a thing. We would move forward a little bit, then stop and wait for her to gain some distance. Then we’d slowly move forward a little bit more.
Finally, she was the 28 runner left in sight. Tears streamed down my face as I sat on the edge of my seat and watched with amazement and even respect as she 29 forward with strong determination through the last miles.
When the 30 line came into sight, rubbishes lay everywhere and the cheering crowds had already gone home. 31 , a man waited proudly there. He was 32 one end of a ribbon (带子) tied to a post. 33 slowly crossed through, leaving both ends of the ribbon fluttering behind her.
I do not know this woman’s name, but that day she became a part of my life –a part I often depend on. For her, it wasn’t about 34 the other runners or winning a competition, it was about finishing what she had set out to do, no matter 35 . When I think things are too difficult or too time-consuming, I think of the last runner. Then I realize how easy the task before me really is.
1.
A．interview B．watch C．follow D．fall
2.
A．when B．since C．because D．in case
3.
A．searching B．sitting C．wishing D．waiting
4.
A．slow B．last C．wounded D．helpless
5.
A．run B．miss C．disappear D．lose
6.
A．attention B．mind C．eyes D．sight
7.
A．happiness B．silence C．disappointment D．hope
8.
A．single B．only C．last D．careful
9.
A．pushed B．fought C．pulled D．jumped
10.
A．close B．end C．match D．finish
11.
A．Yet B．But C．Thus D．Therefore
12.
A．catching B．handing C．holding D．bringing
13.
A．He B．She C．I D．They
14.
A．winning B．competing C．beating D．fighting
15.
A．what B．where C．when D．why
——Shall I give you a ride as you live so far away?
——Thank you. _________.
A. If you like B. Of course you can
C. It couldn’t be better D. It’s up to you.
I am determined to get a seat for the concert ________ it means standing in a queue all night.
A. now that B. even if C. as if D. so that
Mary felt quite ______ from the outside world, because she couldn’t get access to the Internet and couldn’t receive any e-mail.
A. cut down B. cut in C. cut out D. cut off
