Once many years ago, I pulled a family out of a burning car somewhere in Wyoming. Last week I received a telephone call from a woman who could not stop crying as she told me that one of my stories had saved her son from committing suicide. In closing she called me a hero.
That got me thinking about what a hero is. Was I a hero because I pulled a family from a burning car? If so, how could I be a hero just because I wrote a story that saved someone’s life?
Today I looked up the word “hero” in the dictionary to see exactly what it meant. It read “a person who does something brave” and also “a person who is good and noble”.
That statement impressed me more than the part about being brave. So I thought about something very important. And I remembered what happened to me years ago.
After my marriage of twenty years ended, I was in such a condition. I was within hours trying to get up enough courage to end the pain and misery. When I returned home, someone had sent me a card in the mail which told me how much they would appreciate me as a friend. That wonderful card probably saved my life. That person, without even knowing it, saved a life and became a hero.
The many stories I kept writing in the following years saved the life of a teenage boy. In turn that makes the person who sent me the card a double hero. I suppose that is why I fight so hard to help the children now living in orphanages (孤儿院). Most children come out of these institutions with a very hard and bitter attitude against the world. The gifts we send them let them know that they have not been forgotten. Hopefully, most of them will never hurt anyone because of the kindness shown to them by those of us who cared. If it works, we will also become "heroes".
1.The main idea of the passage is _______________.
A. why the writer should be a hero
B. whether the writer is a hero
C. what a hero exactly is
D. that everyone is a hero
2.Why did the woman call the writer a hero at the end of the call?
A. Because he was cute and kind to everybody
B. Because he saved a family from a burning car.
C. Because he asked her son not to kill himself.
D. Because his story saved her son’s life.
3.What does the underlined word “it” in the last sentence of Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. The wonderful card the writer received.
B. The action of sending the card.
C. The fact that the sender helped the writer.
D. The fact that the sender was a friend of the writer.
4.According to the writer, who can be considered as a hero?
A. A person who helps someone in trouble.
B. A person who writes wonderful stories.
C. A person who can hold a door for others.
D. A person who is brave.
Social networking isn’t only for the under 40s. More than 25 percent of Americans 50 years and older stay connected using sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, according to new research.
“The latest data tells us that more and more social networking is becoming a part of everyday life for Americans 50 plus,” said Kevin Donnellan, the chief communications officer at AARP, which released the report.
Nearly a quarter of older Americans are on Facebook and 73 percent said they use it to stay in touch with relatives, but not just their children and grandchildren. “They are using the Internet to keep up with the world and the people who are important to them,” said Jean Koppen, the author of the report. She added that older adults are also on Facebook to stay connected, not only with their family, but with their friends and those in the same age group. Almost 50 percent of older adults were introduced to the social networking sites by a family member, mainly a child or grandchild. “Just under one-fifth of adults aged 50 and older say they do not use the Internet,” according to the report.
The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,863 adults. In addition to keeping up on Facebook and Twitter older adults are aware of the latest technology. Eighty-three percent had heard about the Apple iPad and 11 percent intended to buy one.
Despite the popularity of the Internet among the over 50s, they still mostly go to print newspapers and magazines for news. Only one percent said they followed blogs.
1.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Social networking is becoming popular among older Americans.
B. Social networking isn’t for the under 40s in the U.S.A.
C. American old people’s way of life is quite fashionable.
D. Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are the most popular websites in the US.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. 85% of Americans 50 plus choose the Internet over print media.
B. About 20% of adults aged 50 plus have access to the Internet.
C. About 460 people in the telephone survey often use Facebook.
D. Three quarters of the people surveyed got to know the Internet through their family.
3.From the text, it can be concluded that______.
A. Kevin Donnellan approves of this change among older Americans
B. many older Americans are open-minded about new developments
C. Young people should introduce their elders to new technology
D. In a high tech age it is difficult to avoid social networking
4.Where does the text probably come from?
A. A novel. B. A student’s research paper
C. A technology guide. D. A newspaper.
STRANGERS parties go wild these days. The main idea of them is to never let the people know who their matches are until the last minute. These are some popular practices that are storming the world’s youth on this V-day.
Speed dating
It’s exactly what the name implies. Complete with a timer, a whistle and 50 willing singles, speed dating is not the traditional dinner and a movie type of first date. Singles pay US $35 for three minutes with more than two dozen future dates. They ask questions and try to get to know each other. At the sound of a whistle, they do the same thing all over again―25 times in all.
Lock and key party
Women are given a lock and men are given a key, upon arriving at the party. Each key and lock has several matches. One can hunt for his/her later-to-be sweetheart in various groups, and try out the key or lock. Each time a lock and key match the pair are entered into a ballot (票数） for top prizes!
Dinner in the dark
Waiters wearing night vision glasses guide the guests through the pitch-black dining room. They are seated at the table and familiarized with the wine glass and plate. Food is handled with the fingers. People will not see the food they are eating or the guests at their table until the dessert course. At that moment, dining partners will appear.
Message party
Have A Cocktail, Leave A Message! When you arrive, you get a tag with a number and a pad of post-it notes. If you see someone you like, write a message on the message board. But wait… You’ve got a message… Go and collect it! You can make new friends and win lots of gifts. The more messages you leave on the bulletin board, the more chances you have of winning prizes.
1.What do you think the similarities of these parties are?
A. All the parties have very strict rules for their members.
B. If you want to go to any of the parties, you have to buy a ticket.
C. All the parties are aimed at strangers who want to be lovers.
D. All the parties are suitable not only for the young but for the old.
2.In which party does a participant have to be careful with the time?
A. Speed dating. B. Lock and key party.
C. Dinner in the dark. D. Message party.
3.If you go to the Dinner in the dark, ________.
A. you have to eat with your hands
B. you have to wear night vision glasses
C. guests eat all the courses in the darkness
D. your dining partners will help you choose the food
4.How many of the parties offer gifts or prizes?
A. 4. B. 3. C. 2. D. 1.
The passengers on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have thought I was strange. In particular a gentleman sitting opposite me was always staring at me, looking at the cheese bread on the floor in front of me and then staring back at me. A passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop, but the gentleman might not think so. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” — my stop was quickly coming up. I had few minutes to either take the cheese bread, which nobody else was claiming, or left it there.
In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would others on the subway think of me if I took the cheese bread? Would they think that I was poor and hungry? Would they think that I was stealing?” The ignorant thing to do was say “yes” to any of those self-imposed questions. Actually, they were just my own thoughts. Though I would leave the subway, walk a block to my office, get settled at my desk, and sit comfortably in my office for the whole day, I couldn’t get rid of the enormous sense of guilt and regret.
My thoughts once pushed me towards pride and ignorance, but finally I had to admit I was wrong. This missing cheese bread could be a gift for a homeless person who suffered from cold and hunger. So why not overcome a little bit of my pride and pass along so much kindness?
Just as the doors opened at my stop, I grabbed the cheese bread and left the subway. It felt awesome, but I didn’t care if people were looking at me or what they were thinking. Instead of going directly to my office as usual, I walked a few more blocks up to Queen’s park, where I often saw a homeless man sitting outside. I always wanted to give him something, but only today I walked toward him, who wrapped himself in a sleeping bag. I was full of satisfaction, and so did the homeless man, I thought.
1.The gentleman kept staring at the author because _______.
A. he wanted to talk to the author
B. he might think the author dropped the bread
C. the author appeared too nervous
D. the author was going to get off
2.The underlined word “self-imposed” in paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
A. easily obtained
B. strongly supported
C. deliberately created
D. completely unaccepted
3.Why did the author grab the cheese bread when he got off?
A. He noticed that no one was looking at him.
B. He didn’t want to see the cheese bread to go to waste.
C. He remembered a homeless man at that very moment.
D. He valued kindness more than his own pride.
I liked climbing things when I was a baby. My mother remembers and has told me most of those 16 moments like this one. When I was one and a half years old, we lived in our first house in Rue St-Louis. On a hot summer day, my father intended to 17 the roof of our old house. In order to climb up there, he 18 a ladder front of the house.
In my town, 19 could walk outside because the streets were 20 . I was outside watching my father climb on that strange thing. I was curious about why my father disappear at last. So I decided to go up it to 21 why it was impossible to see my father after he reached the 22 of that thing. At 1.5 years old, still a baby wearing pampers, I climbed that ladder to the roof top and started walking 23 . My father did not notice that-he was on the other side occupied with his repairs. It happened that a nice lady in our 24 passed by and 25 me. The nice lady came to my house and 26 my mother of it, who was fearful and 27 ran outside to speak with me.
She really thought I would just 28 that roof, for I was just a baby 29 . She asked me to sit down and stop moving in a 30 way you speak to your babies when they are cute. 31 , I threw myself flat on the 32 and waited.
My mother climbed the ladder to 33 me up and there I was enjoying the view laughing at my mother’s shocked face. 34 the saying goes, “He who knows nothing 35 nothing.”
1.A．valuable B．unforgettable C．endless D．worthy
2.A．build B．paint C．clean D．mend
3.A．spread B．laid C．stood D．moved
4.A．adults B．children C．babies D．villagers
5.A．smooth B．wide C．clean D．safe
6.A．figure out B．think out C．pick out D．point out
7.A．foot B．top C．step D．body
8.A．out B．up C．down D．around
9.A．house B．neighborhood C．family D．company
10.A．met B．inspected C．heard D．spotted
11.A．asked B．warned C．reminded D．advised
12.A．quietly B．slowly C．immediately D．curiously
13.A．fall off B．climb onto C．repair D．destroy
14.A．after all B．at all C．in all D．all in all
15.A．concerned B．cautious C．nice D．clear
16.A．Therefore B．Instead C．However D．Otherwise
17.A．ladder B．ground C．roof D．street
18.A．bring B．pick C．put D．take
19.A．When B．While C．For D．As
20.A．doubts B．fears C．ignores D．understands
—Jones! Roy has broken the glass.
— Such things happen.
A. Doesn’t matter. B. How come?
C. What a pity! D. What has become of him?
