Question

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.

Answer 1