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I had made up my mind a long time ago that I would not give a homeless person money, because I could never be sure what that money would be used for. Instead, I decided, I would buy them a sandwich, a cold drink on a hot day, a cup of coffee, whatever I could manage.
I was out recently and saw a homeless man outside of a Starbucks. I decided I would buy this man lunch. I bought a sandwich and soda.
Just as I was leaving the store, two policemen were approaching the man. Obviously the shop owners had complained of his wandering and the police were there to draw him away from the storefronts. Just as they were about to wake him, I asked one of the officers if it was all right if I just gave the man something before he went. I was not sure why I asked the permission but the policeman said sure and I just left the bag in the man’s cart, got in my car and drove off.
As I was driving off I remember thinking “I hope people saw that”. Then I had to seriously ask myself why I hoped people had seen me give the man a sandwich from Starbucks. Was it because I wanted people to think, “She’s such a nice person!”? Why did I hope others had seen me do it? I continued to wonder this all evening.
The next morning, it came to me that I wanted people to have witnessed that small act of kindness not so that I would receive credit and praise but so that they might be inspired to do the same and in so doing that others still would witness their acts of kindness. Thus the whole spirit of pity and giving would be lasting.
1.The underlined word “Starbucks” in the second paragraph is the name of a _________.
A. shop B. bookstore C. bank D. man
2.When the author saw the homeless man, he was __________.
A. begging outside B. buying goods
C. staying awake D. falling asleep
3. What’s the purpose of the passage?
A. To show the author is great.
B. To encourage people to help others.
C. To introduce an experience that changed the author.
D. To call on people not to give money to a homeless man.
4.The author can be best described as __________.
A. bad-tempered B. hard-working
C. kind-hearted D. self-confident
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Read this article and find out which one is a must-read for your children for Thanksgiving.
Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit
Clifford has to stay home with his neighbors, as Emily Elizabeth’s family goes visiting her grandmother. At first, Clifford feels lonely, thinking of his own family, but then he decides to visit his mother too. He travels many miles, crosses bridges, and he even gets into the subway! Follow Clifford’s trip to the big city! At http://www.powells.com. it is $3.99. The author is Norman Bridwell. It is for children aged 4-8.
The Magic Tree House
The Magic Tree House describes how Jack and Annie return back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the pilgrims(移民) as well as Squanto, a native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as their adventures and excitements. It is for ages 4-8. The book costs $2.50 at http://www.powells.com. The author is Sal Murdocca.
Franklin’s Thanksgiving
Franklin thinks that there will be an over-abundance of food for Thanksgiving dinner. So he invites his teacher and friends for Thanksgiving dinner. It costs $2.50 at www.Powells.com. The book is for children aged 4-8. The author is Paulette Bourgeois.
The First Thanksgiving
The First Thanksgiving is for ages 4-8 and it tells about the story of the pilgrims’ learning languages. It is beautifully illustrated with plenty of beautiful watercolors(水彩画). The author is James Waiting and the price of the book is $2.50. You can find it on http://www.powells.com.
1.Clifford travels to the big city probably because ________.
A. he is eager to visit his grandmother
B. he is not happy at home
C. he misses his neighbors very much
D. he likes traveling very much
2.If you are interested in the pilgrims’ life you can read ________.
A. Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit B. The Magic Tree House
C. Franklin’s Thanksgiving D. The First Thanksgiving
3.Kids can understand The First Thanksgiving better with the help of ________.
A. teachers B. other readers C. pictures D. computers
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Parents are a child’s first teachers. But some parents never learned from good examples. In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents.
The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week. The class is called Mommy and Me. Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother. She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season.
She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby. The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding. Delores Clemens says, “that's not true. You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason. If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying. Pick your baby up. Cuddle your baby. Hug him! And she started to do that. They just want a little cuddling and a little love. And it works!”
Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered. Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year.
In class, with her baby son is Natasha. She lived on the streets. She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life.
The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen. That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones. By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. Parents who are a child’s first teachers.
B. A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered.
C. A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life.
D. A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers.
2.Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____.
A. help homeless young mothers become good parents
B. provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter
C. help mothers in New York be good parents
D. teach some parents how to love their children
3.What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?
A. She has a mother of five and a grandmother.
B. She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged.
C. She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers.
D. She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House.
4.According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?
A. Canada B. the United States of America
C. Mexico D. Britain
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Chinese writer Mo Yan’s Nobel Prize for Literature might ignite an explosion of global interest in Chinese literature and lead to more titles translated into English, European experts say.
“Hopefully, the award means more people will read Chinese literature and more works will get translated,” says Michel Hockx, professor of the Languages and Cultures of China and Inner Asia from University of London. “Many very good Chinese writers have been accepted globally for a long time already. Mo Yan is probably the most translated Chinese writer alive, with at least five of his novels made available in English over the past 20 years.”
Jonathan Ruppin, web editor of bookseller Foyles, says Mo’s win coincides with growing interest in Chinese literature and recognizes the talents of a distinctive and visionary（富于幻想的）writer. “We are very excited by the fact that English translations of more of his books should now become available,” Ruppin says. He made the comment after Mo became the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in its century-long history.
As East-West cultural exchange has been booming, Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention in recent years. Hockx explains, “It’s mainly because there are many more opportunities for Chinese writers to visit other countries, to publish their works outside China and to interact with readers abroad. At the same time, more and more people globally are learning Chinese and taking an interest in the Chinese language and culture.”
University of Oxford lecturer in modern Chinese literature Margaret Hillenbrand says, “The obvious reason for the growing global presence of Chinese literature is the growing global presence of China itself. People have come to realize that there is a serious knowledge deficit （缺少）between China and its international counterparts — in particular, China knows incomparably（无比地）more about Europe and America than the other way round — and reading Chinese literature is an effective, simple means of solving that gap.”
1.The underlined word “ignite” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.
A. start out B. burn up C. set off D. appeal to
2.Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention mainly because ________.
A. Chinese writers have been writing more and more books in English
B. the Chinese language has become the most widely used language in the world
C. the Chinese government attaches great importance to literature
D. the cultural communication between China and western countries has developed
3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Chinese literature has spread with the development of China.
B. The Nobel Prize for Literature has a history of hundreds of years.
C. In the past, no Chinese writers were accepted outside China.
D. Foreigners know about China mainly by reading Mo Yan’s works.
4.How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
A. China knows more about Europe and America than before.
B. China knows more about Europe and America than they know about China.
C. China, Europe and America know one another more than before.
D. Compared with America, China knows more about Europe.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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