She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle (雀斑)-faced image of innocence. It was outside, the kind of rain that spilt over the top of gutters (檐槽), so much in a hurry to the Earth.
We all there inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We all waited, some patient, others , because nature messed up their hurried day. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running and splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome from the worries of my day.
Her voice was so sweet as it the depressing atmosphere. “Mom,let’s run through the rain,”she said.
“What?”Mom asked.
“Let’s run through the rain!”She repeated.
“No, honey. We’ll wait until it down a bit.”Mom replied.
The young child waited another minute and repeated: “Mom, let’s run through the rain.”
“We’ll get wet through if we do.”Mom said.“No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning.” The young girl said as she at her Mom’s arm, “Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, if God can get us through this, he can get us through !”
The entire crowd stopped dead .No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom and thought for a while about what she would say.
Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation (肯定) in a young child’s life,a time when trust could be nurtured (培育) so that it would bloom into .“Honey, you are right.Let’s run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we just need washing.”Mom said. Then off they ran.We all stood watching, smiling as they ran past the cars. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. Soon they were by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
or people can take away your material possessions, your money, your health or sometimes your happiness. But no one can ever take away your memories. So don’t forget to take the opportunities to memories every day!
To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I do hope you will the time to run through the rain.
1.A.howling B.freezing C. pouring D. cheering
2.A.hit B.mix C.slip D.bear
3.A.lay B.rested C.sat D.stood
4.A.excited B.relaxed C.annoyed D.astonished
5.A.running B.washing C.driving D.turning
6.A.reward B.relief C.remark D.refund
7.A.broke B.disturbed C.awoke D.extended
8.A.calms B.slows C.settles D.passes
9.A.pointed B.dragged C.stared D.pulled
10.A.anything B.something C.anybody D.everybody
11.A.silent B.content C.touched D.inspired
12.A.reasoned B.mourned C.paused D.converted
13.A.definite B.concrete C.apparent D.innocent
14.A.ambition B.faith C.assumption D.truth
15.A.absolutely B.loosely C.actually D.considerably
16.A.assessed B.reserved C.followed D.advocated
17.A.Procedures B.Circumstances C.Chances D.Occasions
18.A.private B.proper C.precious D.particular
19.A.build B.promote C.refresh D.make
20.A.take B.value C. occupy D.arrange
There is distinction between reading for information and reading for understanding. 1.__
The first sense is the one in which we read newspapers, magazines, or anything else. 2. Such materials may increase our store of information, but they cannot improve our understanding. And clearly we don’t have any difficulty in gaining the new information, for our understanding was equal to them before we started. Otherwise, we would have felt the shock of puzzlement.
The second sense is the one in which we read something that at first we do not completely understand. Here the thing to be read is at the first sight better or higher than the reader. The writer is communicating something that can increase the reader’s understanding. 3. Otherwise one person could never learn from another. Here “learning” means understanding more, not remembering more information.
What are the conditions in this kind of reading? First, there is inequality in understanding 4. Besides, his book must convey something he possesses and his potential readers lack. Second, the reader must be able to overcome this inequality in some degree. And he should always try to reach the same level of understanding with the writer. If the equality is approached, success of communication is achieved.
5. It is the least demanding and requires the least amount of effort. Everyone who knows how to read can read for entertainment if he wants to. In fact, any book that can be read for understanding or information can probably be read for entertainment as well.
A.Thus, we can employ the word “reading” in two distinct senses.
B.Such communication between unequals must be possible.
C.We can get access to the content of those materials easily.
D.The writer must be “superior” to the reader in understanding.
E.The writer should have a better communicating skill.
F.Besides gaining information and understanding, there’s another goal of reading—entertainment.
G.Reading for entertainment is capable of increasing our understanding for information.
Plans to expand wind energy into the most scenic parts of Germany are meeting increasing opposition across the country.
Anti-wind campaigners are angry that areas including the forests made famous by the tales of the Brothers Grimm are among the targets for new turbines (涡轮机). For the first time they have formed a national opposition group to thwart the expansion. They say the expansion will damage forests and tourism across the country.
Germany has started a massive expansion of renewable energy since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 in Japan. The government decided to reduce atomic plants and instead increase the opportunities for green power. As a result, solar farms, biogas plants and wind parks are booming. In 2013, 22% of Germany’s electricity was generated by renewable energy. Wind has played a major part in this change, making up half of the renewable energy in 2013, and the public has been generally supportive. To date, a majority of the 23,000 wind turbines in the country have been built in the flat northern and eastern parts of the country. But now the focus of expansion is on the areas of dark forest in the central and southern areas of Germany.
One such region is the Rheinhardswald in the northern part of the state of Hesse. This is the home of the magical tales of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and others, made famous in the books of the Brothers Grimm. This scenic place is a magnet, attracting hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the world. But now there are also plans to build up to 200 turbines in this scenic place!
Ann-Kathrin Blankenberg is a PhD student and an opponent of the plans. “It is not because this is the area of Sleeping Beauty,” she says, “I want the green movement, I want green technology, I don’t want nuclear power--- but they should be made in the right way and not by destroying the forests.”
The campaigners argue that putting wind turbines in this area makes no sense. The wind speeds are low and the area is home to some extremely rare birds including the endangered black stork. Campaigners say building turbines here would be disastrous for the birds.
1. Which of the following does NOT belong to green power? _____.
A.Solar energy B.Wind energy
C.Bio-energy D.Atomic energy
2.What percentage of Germany’s electricity was generated by wind in 2013? _____.
A.11% B.22% C.50% D.60%
3.What can be inferred from the passage? _____.
A.The author is against building more wind turbines.
B.The public prefers wind energy to nuclear energy.
C.Most Germans object to building wind turbines all over Germany.
D.The central and southern areas of Germany are rich in wind energy.
4.What is the main idea of the passage? _____.
A.Wind parks are increasing rapidly all over Germany.
B.The Rheinhardswald is famous for the tales of Sleeping Beauty.
C.Expanding wind energy into the land of Sleeping Beauty causes controversy.
D.Building wind turbines in the land of Sleeping Beauty area makes no sense.
From good reading we can get pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters in it are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble (相像) human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances(熟人). Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. While human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.
Of all the gifts from reading books, the most valuable one is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of daily routines or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb high mountains, brave the perils (危险) of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mix with the merry crowds of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.
1.Why do we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?
A.No one is trying to disturb you there.
B.All is so quiet and calm around you.
C.The book you read is so fascinating.
D.Our life is just far from satisfactory.
2.What makes people like their acquaintances in books even more?
A.They are just like our human friends.
B.They are unfamiliar types we like.
C.They will never ever abandon us.
D.They will never hurt our feelings.
3.The word “hazardous” means ______.
A.“unexpected” B.“dangerous”
C.“imaginary” D.“unusual”
4.What is the most suitable title for this passage?
A.Reading and traveling B.Experiencing the world
C.Traveling with books D.Gifts from reading
In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Bad events like "serious illness of a family member" were high on the list, but so were some helpful life-changing events like marriage.
When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not show how you deal with stress ---it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you deal with these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women's magazines ran titles like "Stress causes illness".
If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy the articles said avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, many — like the death of a loved one — are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription for staying away from chances as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. The idea that all stress makes you sick also takes no notice of a lot of what we know about people. It supposes we’re not active in the face of the difficult situation. But what about human ability and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom and physical and mental pressure.
1.The result of Holmes-Rahe’s medical research tells us _________.
A.the way you deal with major events may cause stress
B.what should be done to avoid stress
C.what kind of event would cause stress
D.how to deal with sudden changes in life
2.The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows ______.
A.how you can deal with life-changing events
B.how helpful events can change your life
C.how stressful a major event can be
D. how much pressure you are unde
3.Why is “such simplistic advice” impossible to follow according to the author?
A.No one can stay on the same job for long.
B.No prescription is effective in reducing stress.
C.People are sure to get married.
D.You could reduce stress by doing nothing.
4. According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become _______.
A.nervous when faced with difficulties
B.physically and mentally tired
C.more able to deal with difficulties
D.cold toward what happens to them
If you are interested to find a parttime job or learn something different during your spare time, you can have a look at the following jobs offered by the DC Public Library.
Teens of Distinction Program
The DC Public Library offers parttime jobs for teens through the Teens of Distinction Program. Teens work 10-12 hours per week all year long, helping the library with important tasks and projects. The Teens of Distinction Program is now hiring! To apply, you have to：
● be a DC resident
● have and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average
● be 16 to 18 years old
● be able to work 10-12 hours per week
● be able to work for DCPL for at least 9 months
Oh, and of course you have to impress us with your wonderful personality!
Teen Volunteer Opportunities
If you want to earn community service hours for school, Youth202 is a good choice.
Youth202 is a radio program created by youth and for youth. You can learn radio production skills, interview people around you, and help keep other teens to learn news, events, and anything else you think is important.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Every summer, teens can work here to help library customers organize books and learn lots of new skills, such as program planning, writing and media production.
On Friday, January 25 at 12:15 pm, the application for the 2014 SYEP will be open to teens between the ages of 14 and 21.
Applications will be processed on a firstcome, firstserved basis. Space is limited this year, so teens are encouraged to apply early, and remember not to miss the deadline, Saturday, February 16.
1.Working for the Teens of Distinction Program, teenagers will ___．
①become a DC resident
② work 10-12 hours per week
③ work for DCPL for at least 9 months
④ have a wonderful personality
A.③④ B.②③ C.①②③ D.①③④
2.Who has the biggest chance to work for the 2014 SYEP?
A.A teenager who applies early.
B.A teenager who is popular.
C.A teenager who is smart.
D.A teenager who gets high grades in exams.
3.The aim of text is to ________．
A.introduce the DC Public Library
B.describe the job of library workers
C.offer teenager parttime jobs in the DC Public Library
D.teach how to apply for parttime jobs
