Every Wednesday, I go to Cantata Adult Life Services, a local retirement (退休)community in Brookfield, Illinois, US, with my classmates to do community service.

After my very first visit to Cantata, my life changed forever. That may sound a bit dramatic(戏剧性的), but volunteering with the elderly has changed my views on life.

Our visits last about an hour, and we bring 25-30 students every time. We play board games and cards with the residents(居民) while we’re there.

You can watch all the movies and TV shows you want about “life back then”, but nothing compares to talking to the people who were there. Just hearing their stories has touched me in a way I never thought possible.

Whether it was talking to 98-year-old “Hurricane Hilda” about her great days as a roller skater or chatting with Lou about the times she danced with a famous actor, I was completely attracted by every single memory the residents wanted to share with me.

Even the residents who don’t have amazing memories make the experience meaningful . I remember visiting Mrs Robinson. She couldn’t think of much about her past, but she told me she’d never forget how kind I was just to listen to her “rambling (漫谈)”. It made me realize that it’s the little things that make life worth living. That’s something I won’t forget anytime soon.

If there’s one thing I’ve realized in my three years of visiting Cantata, it’s that presence –just being there –means more than anything to many of the residents. And no matter how busy our lives are, there’s always time to make someone’s day.

For me, it feels great to be a source(源泉) of happiness, a smile on a bad day or a listening ear for old memories. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

It’s easy to feel like you don’t have anything in common with the elderly –especially when you’re a teenager. But that’s not true at all.

I hate to be overly clichéd (陈词滥调的) here, but age really is just a number. As young adults, it’s important for us to realize this sooner rather than later. We can learn a lot from the elderly, and they can often get something from teenagers too.

1.What do the writer and his classmates often do when they visit Cantata?

a. play board games and cards with the residents

b. do some cleaning for the residents

c. listen to the residents talk about their memories

d. watch movies and Tvshows with the residents

A. a,b B. a,c C. b,d D. c,d

2.With the mention of his visit to Mrs Robinson, the writer wants to

A. show what Mrs Robinson’s life like at Cantata

B. show how he developed a friendship with Mrs Robinson

C. show what a difference someone’s presence makes to the residents at Cantata

D. give an example showing that most of the residents at Cantata have amazing memories to share

3.What has the writer learned from his three years of visiting Cantata?

A. It takes great patience to look after the elderly.

B. Teenagers have little in common with the elderly

C. It’s important for the elderly to learn from teenagers to keep up with the times.

D. It means a lot to have some time for the elderly and offer them a listening ear.

When Abraham Lincoln was young, he worked in a store. One day a woman came into the store and bought some things. They added up to two dollars and six and a quarter cents.

The bill was paid, and the woman was satisfied. But the young storekeeper, not feeling quite sure about his calculations(计算), added up the things again. To his surprise, he found that it should have been but two dollars.

“I’ve made her pay six and a quarter cents more,” said young Abe, upset.

It was an unimportant thing, and many salespersons would forget it, but Abe was too careful for that.

The money must be paid back, he decided.

At night, he closed the store and walked to the home of his customer. He explained the matter, paid over the six and a quarter cents, and returned satisfied.

Here is another story of young Lincoln's strict honesty. A woman entered the store and asked for half a pound of tea. The young man weighed it out. This was the last sale of the day.

The next morning, when beginning his duties, Abe discovered a four-ounce weight on the scales(磅砰). It flashed upon him at once that he had used this in the sale last night, and so, of course, given his customer short weight. Many people would not have been much worried by this discovery. But Abe weighed out four ounces of the tea, shut up the store, and carried it to the customer. I think that the name, so often given in late times to President Lincoln, of “Honest Old Abe", was well deserved(应得的).

1.What did Abraham Lincoln use to he when he was young according to the passage?

A. A teacher. B. A farmer. C. A storekeeper. D. A president.

2.When young Abe found he made a wrong calculation, he ________.

A. tried to forget it B. paid over the money

C. felt it was unimportant D. gave hack the short weight

3.When did he find his mistake in the second story?

A. At the end of that day. B. In the middle of that day.

C. At the end of the next day. D. At the beginning of the next day.

4.What can we know from the second story?

A. Abe wasn't worried by this discovery.

B. Abe didn’t notice he put a four-ounce weight on the scales.

C. Abe gave the customer enough weight at last.

D. Abe gave his customer short weight on purpose.

5.We can know that Abe was ________ from the passage.

A. easy to get worried B. confident but careless

C. honest and responsible D. funny but well behaved

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