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Richie Kraus thinks all kids should receive birthday presents. And he's willing to give up his own presents to make that happen.
When Richie was six, he helped collect holiday gifts for children whose families couldn't afford presents. He started thinking about how much he liked getting presents on his birthday. He asked his mom, "If we get kids presents during the holidays, who gets them presents on their birthdays?"
Richie wanted to raise money for those birthday presents. So his mom helped him create the 2U Fund. The name 2U came from the well-known song "Happy Birthday to You."
Richie explains how the fund works: "On our birthdays, we ask our friends to make a donation instead of giving us presents." Richie attaches a special sticker to his party invitations. The sticker tells about the 2U Fund and invites guests to participate, Richie and his mom then give the money to a local charity that has agreed to partner with them. The people at the charity make sure the donations go toward birthday presents for kids in need.
Richie has had three 2U parties. "It just feels really, really good to help other kids," he says.
Richie has encouraged others to try giving up some of their birthday presents to help others. His younger brother, Max, had a 2U party. Some of Richie's friends did, too. He also spoke about the idea at a summer camp and at a school assembly (集会). "There were close to 200 students and teachers in the assembly," Richie' s teacher, Janel McCormick, says. "They all wanted to help support 2U."
Since Richie and his family started the 2U Fund, dozens of kids have helped raise more than $7,000. That money has bought dolls, books, and many other birthday toys for kids in need.
1.Before Richie created the 2U Fund, he .
A. had very few friends
B. had done some charity work
C. had seldom received birthday presents
D. had already donated some birthday presents
2.To help kids in need, Richie' s 2U parties mainly .
A. hold birthday parties for them
B. invite them to attend the parties
C. prepare birthday presents for them
D. raise money for their birthday presents
3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A. All of Richie' s schoolmates plan to hold 2U parties.
B. Richie is praised for his kindness.
C. Richie' s acts of kindness have spread.
D. Richie has made more friends.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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Volunteering
Just like the animals we shelter, people are very special to us. The Animal Shelter of Sacramento County has 300 active volunteers and always wants to add more. If you have a few hours each week and a love for dogs and cats, we at the shelter welcome your coming.
Children 10 years of age or older are allowed to take part in some of our programs as youth volunteers when accompanied (陪伴) by an adult. The adult car be a parent, or guardian (监护人) 18 years of age or older
Youth Volunteer Opportunities
Youth volunteers may fill the position of dog nuzzler, cat snuggler, or kennel aide, if there are openings (空缺). Please call our volunteer information hotline at 1-800-290-5992 to hear a recording of the positions available.
Dog Nuzzlers
Dogs need human care and exercise to keep their health and level of comfort around people. Dog nuzzlers walk and clean the dogs staying at the shelter. Dog nuzzlers must be knowledgeable about dogs and able to deal with medium-sized to large-sized dogs. Youth volunteer dog nuzzlers must be able to work at least two hours between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. on Sundays.
Cat Snugglers
Help our cats keep their lovely qualities by giving them lots of attention. Cat snugglers must be knowledgeable about cats and their needs. Youth volunteer cat snugglers must be able to work at least two hours between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. on Saturdays.
Kennel Aides
Providing food and water for the animals at the shelter is a demanding job. Kennel aides assist the Animal Shelter staff in feeding the animals in our care. Kennel aides must be able to work at least two hours between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. on either Saturdays or Sundays.
1.The main purpose of this text is to .
A. look for youth volunteers
B. call on people to protect animals
C. introduce what the voluntary work is
D. teach people how to care for animals
2.Any young person who wants to work shelter should .
A. work all day long
B. be over 18 years old
C. call its information hotline first
D. have rich experience of raising animals
3.What' s the duty of a kennel aide?
A. To walk the animals. B. To train the animals.
C. To feed the animals. D. To treat the animals.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Visiting Balboa Island, in sunny southern California, proved an exciting experience that I will never forget. I had never been to Balboa Island, even though it is only about an hour from my home in northern San Diego.
Our first stop was for a specialty called a "Balboa Bar". It is a famous chocolate covered ice cream on a stick, created many years ago. As we drove along the streets toward the boat, I also saw some interesting buildings that stood for many years. Many of the building designs seemed like dollhouses and someone in our group said that the style was called, Victorian.
After we parked our car on one of the streets, we got on the boat sailing to Balboa Peninsula. As I looked around the boat, I saw a bird flying very close to the water and our boat. A little girl near the boat' s edge jumped out to touch it and shockingly fell into the water! Her dad, who stood nearby, jumped in after her at once and everyone on the boat ran to help. The boat's engine stopped and both father and daughter got saved with the help of people on the boat.
On Balboa Peninsula my family and I went to various shops, especially for food! We saw a restaurant at the very end. We enjoyed our lunch there, at the first Ruby's Diner ever opened in southern California. Although I have been to other restaurants of this popular chain (连锁店), being at the very first is a great memory.
On our way back to Balboa island we stopped at the huge Ferris Wheel, bought some sugars and played games. It was an exciting afternoon walking around on Balboa Island. I look forward to returning soon to spend some time on the beach again or maybe even to try fishing!
1."Balboa Bar" is the name of
A. a street B. a restaurant
C. a food D. a building
2.What happened on the boat to Balboa Peninsula?
A. A little girl fell into the river
B. The boat broke down halfway.
C. People helped a girl catch a bird.
D. A father quarreled with his daughter.
3.The author' s dining experience at the first Ruby' s Diner was
A. boring B. interesting
C. unpleasant D. unforgettable
4.What did the author do on Balboa Island?
A. He went fishing by the river.
B. He walked along the beach.
C. He rode the Ferris wheel.
D. He bought some dolls.
5.What' s the best title for the text?
A. My trip to Balboa B. The first Ruby' s Diner
C. My first boat ride D. Victorian buildings
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Ask any group of teenagers in the UK what they most like to eat, and foods like pizza, burgers and chips are always mentioned.
But what teenagers like to eat is not necessarily what they should be eating. According to the National Diet and Nutrition (营养) Survey, far too many young people in the UK between the ages of 4 and 18 eat too much fat, sugar and salt in their diet and take in too many calories. And their intake of starchy carbohydrates (含淀粉的碳水化合物), fiber, iron, vitamins and calcium (钙) is too low.
For a growing body, eating foods containing plenty of calcium, such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, is very important as calcium is essential for the development of healthy, strong bones. Similarly, foods that are rich in iron are good for young rapidly developing bodies, so red meat, bread, green vegetables, and dried fruit are also good to eat.
It is during our teenage years that lifestyle habits can become entrenched (根深蒂固的), so it is important that young people are educated about what foods are good for them. In 2005, in order to change eating habits and open teenagers' minds to new tastes, chef Jamie Oliver started a "Feed Me Better" project. As part of a television series, "Jamie' s School Dinners", he worked with teachers and cooks in a number of schools across the UK to provide more nutritious school meals. Although some teenagers and parents refused to have a try at first, the project went very well and helped to influence governmental policy on nutritional standards for school meals.
No one expects to end the teenage love affair with fast and junk food but, hopefully, if projects like "Feed Me Better" continue to give out the right messages, more young people will understand the importance of eating healthily.
1.What problem do teenagers in the UK have?
A. Most of them are too fat.
B. Most of them eat too little.
C. Many of them don' t eat healthily.
D. Many of them are short of exercise.
2.The underlined word "essential" in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to" "
A. difficult B. possible C. common D. necessary
3.According to the text, the "Feed Me Better" project _ _
A. proved to be a success
B. taught teachers how to cook
C. was started by the government
D. was started at Jamie's school first
4.Which of the following opinions does the author probably agree to?
A. Lifestyle habits are difficult to change.
B. Too much red meat is also bad for health.
C. Teenagers should learn to feed them better.
D. Teenagers should stop eating fast and junk food.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
