When I was three years old, I couldn't speak. It was a strange reality that none of the doctors I visited could understand.
One day, I was shadowing my mother. She found herself looking in a mirror, and through it our eyes met. She began to speak to me through the reflection, and I slowly began to mimic(模仿)her mouth's movements until I formed a word.
It turned out I'm deaf in my left ear, and have a slight 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 sound 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 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 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.
Owning a hearing aid hasn't always felt good, however. On the first day I got my aid, when I was eight, 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.
But it's not just school kids who can make us deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel like burdens. Every video on social media that lacks subtitles(字幕), 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, and I am human. And when it comes to sleeping, I'm even superhuman.
1.How does the author view his hearing difficulty?
A. It's a disaster and causes him a lot of trouble.
B. It helped him to live in his own world without being interrupted.
C. It made him feel embarrassed in front of his classmates.
D. It gave him a chance to experience something special.
2.What can be inferred from the passage about the author?
A. He was born deaf.
B. The hearing aid brings much convenience to his daily life.
C. His family and classmates have supported him a lot.
D. He is optimistic and helpful.
3.What is the author's attitude toward his life？
A. excited. B. anxious. C. grateful. D. disappointed.
4.What is the author's main purpose in writing the article?
A. To share his experience of treating a disadvantage with gratitude.
B. To show how difficult life is for disabled people.
C. To give advice on life to disabled people.
D. To show the convenience a hearing aid could bring.
See our editors’ top 5 picks in print books and Kindle books, and discover our editors’ picks for the best books of the year.
# 1 Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by David Grann
In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grami revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction.
Kindle: $14.99 Hardcover: $ 17.37 Paperback: $15.36
# 2 Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the fierce pull of motherhood and the danger of believing that following the rules can avoid disaster,
Little Fires Everywhere is the perfect gift for the holidays!
Kindle: $13.99 Hardcover: $ 20.96 Paperback: $ 12.95
# 3 Bear Town
by Fredrik Backman
It is a novel about a forgotten town bothered by scandal and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything into a better place. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might mean everything to the residents of Beartown.
Kindle: $10.99 Hardcover: $ 12.95
# 4 Exit West
by Mohsin Hamid
Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, Exit West tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.
Kindle: $12.99 Hardcover: $ 15.73 Paperback: $11
# 5 Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
by Yuval Harari
Yuval Noah Harari, author of the international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original and attractive book, turning his focus toward humanity’s future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods.
Kindle: $17.99 Hardcover: $ 28.95 Paperback: $22.99
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1.Which author’s book would make a good Christmas gift?
A. Yuval Harari. B. Mohsin Hamid. C. Celeste Ng. D. David Grann.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Killers of the Flower Moon is a sci-fi for staff in FBI
B. Bear Town tells the story of a hockey team’s growth.
C. Homo Deus is as famous as Sapiens internationally.
D. Exit West is a love story that will not be out of date.
3.Where would you most probably find this text?
A. On a website. B. In a magazine. C. In a brochure. D. In a book ad.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What is special about LinkedIn networking services?
A. People need an“introduction”message to make connection.
B. Only business professionals can use it.
C. You can’t share photos.
2.When did LinkedIn start making money?
A. 1n 2003. B. In 2006. C. In 2008.
3.Who is the CEO of LinkedIn now?
A. Mary Bradley. B. Reid Hoffman. C. Jeff Weiner.
4.What does the woman ask the man to tell at last?
A. Some of the primary functions. B. The ways of connecting with people.
C. The most recent changes in the company.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When did the man look at the photo albums last time?
A. Ten years ago. B. Twenty years ago. C. Thirty years ago.
2.How does the woman recognize the man in the first picture?
A. From his smile. B. From his long hair. C. From his shirt.
3.Why did the man’s leg look injured in the second picture?
A. He injured it in a car accident. B. He hurt it while skiing.
C. He had a bad fall two years earlier.
4.What is the relationship between the speakers?
A. Friends. B. Mother and son. C. Husband and wife.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why was the woman looking for a manager?
A. To set a discount. B. To know the men’s section. C. To make a complaint.
2.What did the lady in red do?
A. She was rude to the customer. B. She ignored the customer.
C. She wasted the customer’s time.
3.Where does the conversation take place?
A. Outside a mall. B. In the changing room. C. In an office.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the first thing the man mentions about going to Cambridge?
A. British culture. B. The college’s reputation. C. The college’s achievement.
2.What does the woman think of the man’s plan in the end?
A. Surprised. B. Supportive. C. Worried.
