When I was 3 years old, I was found to be deaf in my left ear and have a small problem in my right. Being hard of hearing has been difficult, but I’ve never lived in a state of self-hating sorrow.
Imagine being able to shut out all sounds as you lay your head down to sleep by simply rolling over onto one side. That’s my reality when I sleep on my “good ear”, and it even makes me feel like a superhero sometimes.
People call my deaf side my “bad ear”, but when I wear my hearing aid, I have access to a range of features(特征)that some other deaf people don’t.
In cinemas, for example, with one click of a button I can enjoy a whole film as though it were whispered to me from the mouths of the actors.
Having a hearing aid hasn't always felt good, however.
On the first day I got my aid, when I was 8, I took it to school for show-and-tell. As I explained how it worked to my classmates, a boy yelled out, “Aren’t those for old men?”
At that moment, I felt different. It took a long time for me to get over that sense of being so unlike my peers(同龄人).
But it’s not just choolkids who can make us deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel like burdens(负担).
Every video on social media that lacks subtitles, for example, means an entire community of deaf people is unable to enjoy it.
Completely deaf people are excluded from enjoying many movies too, as subtitles in cinemas are almost impossible to find.
And with hearing aids costing around $2,500 each, it can be hard for many people to afford to be able to listen to the things that others take for granted.
As for me, I can listen to music, enjoy films, and catch conversations – I’m lucky.
I’m deaf, but I can still hear everything. I’ve been blessed with wonderful life experiences.
1.The author once feel diferent from his peers because __________.
A. He can’t hear anything
B. He was laughed at by his classmates
C. He couldn’t enjoy without subtitles
D. He could shut out all sounds when sleeping on his “good ear”
2.Deaf people may have the following burdens EXCEPT _________.
A. being unable to afford hearing aids.
B. being unable to enjoy videos without subtitles
C. being embarrassed in front of their peers
D. being blessed with wonderful experiences
3.What does the underline pharse “are excluded from” probably mean?
A. are prevented from B. are limited to C. are separated from D. are reduced to
4.What is the author’s attitude toward his hearing difficulty?
A. It was a tough reality and caused him a lot of trouble.
B. It was a time of great sorrow and made him feel sad.
C. It gave him a chance to experience something special.
D. It helped him to live in his own world without sound.
Josh Hill, a biology teacher at Mar Vista High School in California, US, often gets sick after swimming in the ocean at Imperial Beach in California.
He and a group of students are raising awareness(意识)about water pollution by taking weekly water samples(样本)of the ocean and publishing their results online.
Every Thursday, Hill and his students collect water from the ocean. Students then take the samples to their school and test them for levels of bacteria. Usually, samples closer to the border have higher levels of bacteria, Hill said.
“Water quality is usually the worst at the southern end and it increasingly gets better,” he said.
Hill collects the samples on Thursdays so that students can publish the results on the Surfrider Foundation’s website in time for the weekend. The Surfrider Foundation has give Mar Vista lab equipment and promote the students’ results on its site.
Most of Hill’s students grew up in Imperial Beach. Many have gotten sick from the water or know someone who has.
Cameron Bell, 17, who is currently applying to college, wants to pursue a STEM career. He appreciates the fact the he can get lab experience at school. “Our research really impacts our community because it’s keeping people safe,” he said.
On a recent Thursday morning, Anthony Gass, 15, collected some samples. Before he got into the water, his classmates helped him put on waterproof(防水的)clothes and tie a rope around his waist to protect him from the onrush of water.
Hill said the protection probably wasn’t necessary, but that it was better to be safe than to be sorry. “We just want to make sure we protect the students,” he said.
1.What did Josh Hill and his students discover after checking the water samples?
A. Water quality at the northern end isn’t poluted.
B. Water nearer to the border is bless polluted.
C. Water pollution is getting worse and worse.
D. Different levels of bacteria are found in the water.
2.What can we learn about Bell?
A. He is now applying for a job in college. B. He doesn’t want to have a career in STEM.
C. He thinks that their research is meaningful. D. He isn’t grateful for his research experience.
3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The results of the students’ research are not published online.
B. Many students in Imperial Beach get sick due to the water pollution.
C. Very few safety measures are adopted in students’ research work.
D. Mar Vista High School is not equipped with modern science labs.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. US students’ research on water pollution. B. Severe ocean water pollution in the US.
C. US students’ tests for water resources. D. Tips on how to reduce water pollution.
Blue Note Jazz Festival 2018
Jul 1-30, 2018
Location:
Several locations in New York
The Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York City is the city’s most popular jazz festival and focuses on bringing big-name artists to small crowds and up-and-coming acts to the public. The event takes over 15 places across the city and includes 150 world-class performers. Past artists include Questlove, Michael Bolton and Aretha Franklin.
Grant Park Music Festival 2018
Jun 14-Aug 19, 2018
Location:
Jay Pritzker Pavilion, South Shore Cultural Center, & Harris Theater for Music and Dance | 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois
Listening to classical music is said to improve your intelligence. Whether that’s true or not, the Grant Park Music Festival will provide you with free, classical music, and you’d be smart to attend. The music at these concerts will leave you begging for more. It’s free to attend, so come and enjoy some great music with your family and friends.
Lake Park Friends Wonderful Wednesdays 2018
Jun 21 – Jun 26, 2018
Location:
Lake Park | Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Energy is way too contained(被抑制的)in an indoor music venue(场所). Let that energy go where it wants through a series of outdoor concerts with Lake Park Friends Wonderful Wednesdays. Wednesday is no longer the most boring day of the week. This tim, there’s something fun to do. A list of live music acts has made the middle of the week something too look forward to.
YouthCUE Festival of Youth Choirs(合唱队)2018
Aug 10- Aug 22 2018
Location:
Washingto National Cathedral | 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW Washing ton, DC
YouthCUE Festival of Youth Choirs in Washington gives students the rare opportunity to perform in the Washington National Cathedral, a famous historic place. The festival is a showcase of student choirs from all ove the country, accompanied(伴奏)by musicians from the local professional orchestra(管弦乐队).
1.At the Blue Note Jazz Festival, people can enjoy ___________.
A. performances by talented students B. performances by famous artists
C. performances with free admission D. peformances in 15 cities across the country
2.Those who are interested in _________ would probably go to the Grant Park Music Festival.
A. classical music B. outdoor concerts
C. live performances D. professional orchestra
3.Your energy can be released with music by outdoor concerts at the ____________.
A. Blue Note Jazz Festival B. Grant Park Music Festival
C. Lake Park Friends Wonderful Wednesdays D. YouthCUE Festival of Youth Choirs
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who is the speaker talking to?
A. Students to finish high school.
B. Students starting high school.
C. Students finishing college.
2.Why did the speaker get bad grades in college at first?
A. She was not intelligent. B. She was not organized. C. She was not hard-working.
3.How many classes is the speaker taking now?
A. Four. B. Five. C. Six.
4.What is the general topic of the talk?
A. The need for study skills.
B. The importance of university.
C. The difficulties in high school.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How old is the man’s first child?
A. Two years old. B. Three years old. C. Six years old.
2.What does the man’s wife do?
A. She is a nurse. B. She is a teacher. C. She is a lawyer.
3.When did the woman start looking after children?
A. When she was in university.
B. When she was in high school.
C. When she was in middle school.
4.How often does the man need help with the children?
A. Every evening. B. A few days per week. C. During the day on weekends.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A. At a library. B. In a classroom. C. At a bookstore.
2.What is the man looking for?
A. A specific book. B. A few books on a topic. C. An entire book collection.
3.What will the man do next?
A. Write a report. B. Take a history class. C. Search on a computer.
