Peter Damon produces about 30 paintings a year and sells them for between US$250 and US$1,500. That’s not enough to make ends meet, but it has made him whole again. He lost both arms in an accident.
“Having this skill that even normal people find difficult was something that really helped me and made me feel like I fit in more in the world,” Damon said.
He was a worker in a car factory. One day when he was working, there was a gas explosion (爆炸), killing one worker and injuring him.
“I lost my right arm above the elbow, about three inches above the elbow, and my left about six inches below,” he explained.
“How am I going to make a living and take care of my family? I had always worked with my hands,” he said.
Then with a simple little drawing, a new future opened up for him.
“I thought it was wonderful in a way,” Damon said. “Something was telling me to focus on this and everything will be alright.” Damon doesn’t have a perfect prosthetic arm (假肢)—just a hook (钩子), which he finds works best.
He and his wife Jen run True Grit Art Gallery in Middleboro, Massachusetts, where he shows the works of local artists. With his disability check from the government, he can afford to be an artist. He is a man doing what he wants with his life, and doesn’t look at his situation as a hard time.
“I don’t see it that way,” Damon said. “Suffering an injury like this has a way of making you focus on what’s important in life.”
He believes his best work is still ahead of him. But with his pictures of simple American scenes, Damon has already produced his best work.
1.How did Damon lose his arms?
A.A gas explosion injured his arms.
B.He was attacked when he was driving a car.
C.His arms were trapped by a worker by accident.
D.He was knocked down by a car when he was working.
2.What do we know about Peter Damon when he started taking up painting from the text?
A.His hope for life was brought back.
B.He felt a lot of pressure at the beginning.
C.He didn’t earn enough to support his family.
D.His paintings were so expensive that few people wanted to buy them.
3.What is Damon’s attitude towards his suffering?
A.Wonderful. B.Positive.
C.Pitiful. D.Uncertain.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Winners do what losers don’t want to do.
B.Nothing is impossible if you try your best.
C.God closes a door and another will open for you.
D.Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Central Park
Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.
Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km2). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.
Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).
On Foot or by Bicycle
To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.
If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.
Open Time
From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Price
Entry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.
Transport
Subway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D.
Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.
Nearby places
Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)
Guggenheim Museum (564 m)
American Museum of Natural History (688 m)
Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)
The Frick Collection (1.3 km)
1.What can we learn about the Central Park from the text?
A.It is home to lakes and waterfalls.
B.It is perfect for doing outdoor sports.
C.It is the largest city park in the world.
D.It is the most famous symbol of New York.
2.Which one of the following things is free?
A.Hiring a bicycle.
B.Entrance to Central Park.
C.Visiting Central Park Zoo.
D.Going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
3.Where can we find this text?
A.In a science report. B.In a geography book.
C.In a fashion magazine. D.In a travel guide.
圣诞节即将来临，你的好友 Tom 正在为如何度过假期而苦恼。假如你是李华，请你给他写一封信， 谈谈你的看法。要点如下:
1. 你的建议：旅行等。
2. 你的理由。
注意:1. 词数 100 左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有 10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改 10 处，多者(从第 11 处起)不计分。
I am Li Hua, that is chairman of the Student Union, from Xinhua High School. On behalf of our school, I’d like to tell you that if our school is going to organize series of English Club activities in the coming summer holiday. Ten students from your school is needed to work as volunteers to help us organize and carry out these activity. Through it, we can promote the friendship among our two schools.
If you are interesting in the position, please apply for it. In my application, you’d better make a self-introduction first. Additional, the reason why you want this job should be included, too.
Send your application to the Student Union. If you had further questions, contact us at 0797-1234567.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
I am Adam Rouse. I first 1.(buy) cannabis(大麻) from a man in the street and continued to buy cannabis from him for six months and as a result, I got addicted to it. One day, the man offered 2.(I) some crack cocaine, a more 3.(power) addictive. When I went back to the man for more crack cocaine, he asked me 4. a lot of money. 5.(terrible), I was in pain when I couldn’t afford to buy any drugs. 6.(get) money, I broke into a house and stole something to sell for money. The more drugs I took, the more addicted I became. So I had to steal something every day to pay for the drugs. One day, I 7.(catch) stealing and sent to the police station. The next day, 8. doctor came to see me and told me that I could die 9. I could stop taking drugs. I took his advice and stopped immediately. Now I work in a center for drug addicts, helping others to stop 10.(take) drugs.
Long long time ago, in a small and distant _______, there was a place known _______ the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and _______ to visit it. When he arrived, he _______ happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail _______ as fast as it could. To his great _______, he found himself staring at 1000 other _______ little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was _______ with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he _______ the House, he thought to himself, “This is a ________ place. I will come back and visit it often.”
In the same village, ________ little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, was determined to visit the house. He ________ climbed the stairs and ________ his head low as he looked into the door. ________ he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was ________ to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, “That is a terrible place, and I will ________ go back there again.”
All the faces in the world are ________. When you smile at the world, the whole world will ________ at you, and vice verse (反之亦然). ________, it is you who can choose to be happy or to be upset. And what kinds of reflections (思考) do you see in the ________ of the people you meet?
1.A.province B.village C.county D.city
2.A.as B.for C.in D.to
3.A.decided B.chose C.pretended D.devoted
4.A.lay B.escaped C.sped D.jumped
5.A.shaking B.running C.wagging D.hanging
6.A.relief B.comfort C.joy D.surprise
7.A.upset B.happy C.scared D.angry
8.A.concerned B.offered C.answered D.charged
9.A.left B.visited C.entered D.approached
10.A.terrible B.wonderful C.common D.beautiful
11.A.other B.others C.another D.the other
12.A.slowly B.gradually C.immediately D.finally
13.A.seized B.lifted C.hung D.touched
14.A.Although B.If C.While D.When
15.A.excited B.frightened C.disappointed D.surprised
16.A.ever B.already C.just D.never
17.A.guidances B.magazines C.mirrors D.machines
18.A.cry B.smile C.stare D.weep
19.A.Therefore B.Besides C.However D.Instead
20.A.identities B.eyes C.opinions D.faces
