Years ago,my wife and I volunteered at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles,US,preparing meals for thousands of people.I got to talk with one of the guys in line,Albert.He said he liked my socks.“Want to see mine?”he asked,lifting his leg.He was barefoot.He said he had been meaning to buy a pair but he hadn’t got around to it.I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

The next day,after work,I stopped at Ross and filled up a cart with socks.I stuffed my trunk with them.That next morning,I set my alarm for 5 a.m.and drove over to Santa Monica’s Palisades Park,which is a common destination for homeless people.

I took one of the bags from my trunk.It was still darkout.I headed for a group of three men,standing around a tree,probably using it as a windbreaker.Two were asleep under heavy blankets,and the third was digging through his collection.As I walked toward him,he watched me,perhaps questioning my motives.“I thought you guys might need some fresh new socks,”I said,handing him a pair.He looked confused at first but took them and said,“Thank you.”I gave him two more pairs for his friends.

I moved on.An hour later,I had given out all the socks.Most people were sleeping,and I felt like Santa.I knew that when they woke up they would find a very meaningful present.

That was nine years ago.Every week I’ll hand out as many socks as I can.If I’m on vacation or on a business trip for more than a week,I bring a bag of socks with me and hand them out to the homeless on the streets in other states and countries.

It’s extremely satisfying to operate “under the radar” to help make some people’s lives a little bit easier.Part of me hopes to see Albert out there one of these days,but even if I don’t,I like to think one of the pairs will find him.

1.What caused the author to hand out socks to the homeless?

A. Albert’s desire to get free socks.

B. The approach of Christmas Day.

C. His hard work at a homeless shelter.

D. The conversation between him and Albert.

2.Which is true about the author according to the passage?

A. He believed it felt good to help the homeless.

B. He went to Ross to buy a pair of socks for Albert.

C. He handed out socks to the homeless as Christmas gifts.

D. He was often questioned about why he was giving out socks.

3.What could be the best title for the passage?

A. Santa Claus brings Christmas gifts

B. Kindness is rewarded with kindness

C. Every sock helps make somebody’s day

D. Socks are passed on from hand to hand

I always feel sorry for world leaders busy dealing with fights between nations.When my three children were young,most days it was hard to keep my house from becoming a battlefield.

It got worse as they grew older.Three years ago,Zack,then 16,couldn’t make it through a day without making his sisters,Alex 11 and Taryn 9,angry.

My husband and I tried to be understanding the boy at such an age.We reasoned,punished,and left heartfelt notes on his bed about how he was hurting our family.His answer was “I say it because it’s true.”

I even tried telling the girls to fight back.Bad idea.Now I had three children at war.Whatever I said to them,they paid no attention.When there was no way out,I told everything to my sister,Mary,in an e?mail.She replied,“Don’t e?mail me.E?mail him.”

Our son was online every day,mailing and talking with his friends.Maybe he would actually hear me this way.I didn’t say anything different,but e?mail just took the tension away.There’d be no shouting or door banging.Zack wouldn’t feel under attack.

Zack didn’t reply for days.When he finally did,his entire message was four small words.I smiled when I read them:“You’re right.I’m sorry.”

The children still fought,of course,but Zack changed.Best of all,I now have a better way to talk with not one but three of them.I like it that they don’t tune me out as much as they used to.They like not having to listen to me shouting to them.Or as Alex says,“You’re so much nicer online.”

All I know is that the house is quiet.But we’re talking.

1.What was the trouble before the online talk in the family?

A. The children couldn’t get along peacefully.

B. The writer failed to understand her daughters.

C. The family found it difficult to keep the house clean.

D. The parents were not willing to talk with their children.

2.The writer e?mailed her sister .

A. to escape from the problem

B. hoping she’d e?mail the boy

C. to tell her about the family problem

D. asking about child?raising

3.The underlined phrase “tuneme out” in the passage probably means “ ”.

A. pay no attention to me

B. get angry with me

C. quarrel with me

D. keep me out of their rooms

4.Why does the writer feel sorry for world leaders busy dealing with fights between nations?

A. Because she doesn’t think the leaders are successful.

B. Because she doesn’t think fights can be stopped.

C. Because she has nothing to do with the leaders.

D. Because she can understand that the leaders’ job is hard.

Holidays with friends can be great fun and a good way of getting to know each other better.Once you are on holiday,the trip can be full of fantastic memories if it's planned correctly.

·Choose a destination

1. Going abroad will cost more but be a more exciting experience.Going to a different place in your own country can also be fun and will be cheaper.

·Collect your friends

Find out how much interest there is from people to go on the trip,and work out your maximum and invite those who you get on well with.

·Meet up

Everyone will have their own idea of what the trip is to be like,so meet up at a local café or restaurant,and share your ideas and concerns.2. Don't try to overpower others.Once you've all shared ideas you'll have a much better idea of how to start organizing the trip.

·Look for accommodation

3. When you are searching for a place to stay in,read reviews and ratings(等级).Book it as soon as possible because leaving it too late is going to make things harder.

·Book transport

Once you have accommodation,you'll know the dates of your stay and be able to book transport,coach,bus,airplane,etc.4.

·Choose things you want to do there

When you are on your trip it will be more relaxing if you have a good idea of what kind of things you want to do.Research the area on the Internet and book some activities you want to join in.5. Don't book a load of things which you can't afford.

A.One person will naturally be the leader.

B.Check out if your idea is necessary.

C.The first step is to work out where you want to go.

D.Match the activities to your budget.

E.Booking transport well in advance lowers the cost greatly,so please do it soon.

F.Make sure that the trip to the foreign country is not too long.

G.Find out your hotel near to the place you want to visit.

When your friends suddenly stop talking to you, it can leave you confused on what to do next. 1. However, basically, your friends are either really upset with you, or it has nothing to do with you at all. But how can you tell? What’s more, what should you do?

Find out if they have shut all their friends out or just you. It’s important to figure out if your friends have moved on from everyone, or just you. If it’s just you, then you probably did something at some point. 2. They try to get their forgiveness.

Reflect on yourself. Have your friends been upset with you for a while? Would you get it if they were? Not all people yell or scream when they’re upset. 3. If you fail to hear exactly what they’re saying, or you keep doing the same thing over and over again, they may move on and completely shut you out.

Communicate in a different way. There’s always the possibility that your friends haven’t shut you out completely, but they are bored with a certain form of communication, like texting or chatting online. 4. If so, trying a different method to reach your friends could make things better.

5. If you can’t get responses from your friends, consider reconciling (和解) with them at some point in the future. Send them a note—Let them know you care about them and leave the door open for them.

A. Give them a helping hand.

B. So sometimes they take a break from it.

C. If you feel it was something bad, apologize for it.

D. Let your friends know you’re open to friendships.

E. There are many reasons why your friends might shut you out.

F. Your friends may not answer your calls or emails suddenly.

G. Some people will talk to you calmly about something you did.

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