One day, when I went shopping with Julie, we came across something special. Waiting in a long checkout line, I thought about going to another, which had the shortest queue. There was only one guy in it, but he was in a wheelchair. Well, we stepped in behind him. At first, he seemed to be having difficulty getting his groceries onto the checking desk. But after a while, I realized that what he was actually doing was separating them into two piles.

However, doing that job was no easy task in itself. I offered to help, but he and the checkout lady had it under control. He asked my wife if she would mind putting his empty basket away. What must it be like, I wondered, to be so dependent on other people like that? The checkout operator came around and gave him his change and the items he needed to have to hand. She hung one bag of groceries over a handle at the back of his chair. I offered to get the other, bigger, bag and he said, “No. But you could do me a favour. Take that lot along to the entrance and give it to Angela.”

As I was told, I did that, leaving Julie with our shopping. Angela, as turned out, was collecting food for people who might otherwise go hungry! I hadn't even noticed her before. This guy, despite the limitations that his physical condition imposed on him, had bought more than twice as much shopping as he needed – and given the bigger bag away to help other people! He didn't let the fact that he needed help stop him from being a help. He may have been limited physically, but his heart was more than capable of overcoming all that. And it changed my idea of dependence when I realized that the help he had given was more than the help he had received.

So … what’s holding the rest of us back?

1. From the first paragraph, we know that______.

A. the writer was obviously a disabled person

B. the man in a wheelchair was a shopper

C. the writer and Julie jumped the queue

D. only three people were shopping then

2. The man put the things he bought into two piles, probably because______.

A. his shopping bags were too small to hold all the groceries

B. he hoped to keep the balance of his wheelchair

C. he intended to help the people in need

D. it would be easy for him to carry

3. From the passage, we can learn that Angela was probably______.

A. the disabled person’s wife

B. the girl at the checking desk

C. a hungry and homeless beggar

D. a kind-hearted and helpful woman

4. Which of the following can best describe the man in the wheelchair?

A. kind, energetic and determined

B. positive, dependent and easy-going

C. active, optimistic and open-minded

D. helpful, generous and strong-hearted

 

This Mother’s Day will be the 8th year I have spent without my own mother. She passed away less than a month before Mother’s Day in the year 2000. She had been ill for almost two years, and I didn’t cry when she died, or at her funeral, but on that first Mother’s Day without her. On that day, I realized that this person I loved and depended on was gone forever.

She still lives in family memories, in the thoughts of her friends and co-workers, in the values she had instilled(灌输) in her children, and in the lovely flower gardens that she had so carefully tended.

She loved her gladioli and irises. Each fall she would dig the bulbs out of the soil and carefully wrap them in paper. The bulbs would be stored until the following spring when they would be replanted. It seemed like a lot of effort to me, but each year her flower garden was more glorious than the year before. She put the same hard work into caring for her family, instilling in her children a sense of justice and fair play, compassion, and strong moral values so that we blossomed.

Share anecdotes about your mother’s life at your Mother’s Day party. Too often, we avoid speaking of those loved ones who have passed away, fearful that we will unearth sad feelings. It doesn’t have to be that way. Sharing fond memories and stories of the life we shared with her can be a healing process that binds(捆绑)the family together.

My mother passed away when her oldest grandchild was only eight years old. Children will enjoy sharing pictures and stories of the grandmother they may have never known or have little memory of. Sharing anecdotes to pass on to the next generation will give children a feeling of family history and continuity, and may be one of the best ways to honor our mothers and grandmothers who have gone before us.

1.What does the underlined words “passed away” ( in Paragraph 1)mean?

A.died             B.continued         C.started           D.lasted

2.On the first Mother’s Day after mum died the author realized_______ .

A.mum had been dead for a long time         B.mum had suffered a lot from the illness

C.it was true that mum had been dead         D.it was impossible to depend on mum

3.From the third paragraph we can infer that mum_______ .

A.loved her gladioli and irises                B.showed kindness to all her children

C.taught the children to plant patiently         D.had a good influence on the author

4.At the Mother’s Day party people don’t mention their lost mums only because_______ .

A.they are simply afraid of causing sad feelings

B.they have forgotten their mums completely

C.they don’t love their mums any longer

D.they think their mums have passed away

5.In order to show honor to our mothers and grandmothers we can _____ .

A.spend the Mother’s Day with our children

B.share the stories of them with the children

C.hold the Mother’s Day party every year

D.plant beautiful flowers in the family garden

 

When middle-aged Alex quit his job and made up his mind to become a self-employed writer, no one could tell for sure whether he would succeed or not. He found a cold storage room in a building, set up a used typewriter and settled down to work.

After a year or so, however, Alex began to doubt himself. He found it was difficult to earn his living by selling what he wrote. But Alex determined to put his dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadowland (虚幻世界) of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.

One day Alex got a call,“We need an assistant, and we’re paying $6,000 a year.” $6,000 was real money in 1960. It would enable Alex to get a nice apartment ,a used car and more. Besides, he could write in his spare time. As the dollars were dancing in Alex’s head, something cleared his senses. He had dreamed of being a writer--full time. “Thanks, but no,” Alex said firmly and swiftly, “I’m going to stick it out and write.”

After Alex got off the phone, he pulled out everything he had: two cans of vegetables and 18 cents. Alex put the cans and cents into a paper bag, saying to himself, “There’s everything you’ve made of yourself so far. I’m not sure I ever felt so low.”

Finally his work was published in 1970.Instantly he had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experience. The shadows had turned into focus of attention.

Then one day, Alex found a box filled with things he had owned years before. Inside was a paper bag with two cans and 18 cents. Suddenly he pictured himself working in that cold storage room. It reminds Alex, and anyone with a dream, of the courage and persistence(坚毅) it takes to stay the course(持续到底) in the shadowland.

1.Why did Alex give up his job?

A.Because he didn’t like the working conditions.

B.Because he couldn’t earn enough to make a living.

C.Because he wanted to be a full-time writer.

D.Because he felt he had no potential in his job.

2.What did Alex express when he answered the call?

A.He refused the job offer.

B.He was willing to give them a hand.

C.He expected them to pay him more money.

D.He would write in his spare time.

3.What kind of person is Alex?

A.determined        B.modest           C.shy              D.brave

4.Which of the following can summarize the passage best?

A.Look before you leap

B.Two heads are better than one.

C.Hold on to your dream, and it will come true.

D.A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

 

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