My mother-in-law, Dorothy, is showing me the red notebook that’s almost as precious to her as my husband’s baby pictures. Inside the notebook is a list of the books she has read since 2007. For some people waking up in the middle of the night is a terrible thing. But for my mother-in-law, that time is a gift. At 87, she is getting the education she never had by working her way through great literature. She has now read close to 100 books, including every single novel by Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, Henry James and Thomas Mann.

My mother-in-law discusses her passion with the enthusiasm of a young girl, although she can also be a very tough critic, writing “VG’ for “ very good” in the margins next to her favorites. So far, only a handful of books have received the top prize.

Born in Ridgefield, Conn, Dorothy was the youngest daughter of an Italian gardener. She taught herself English by reading The New York Times. Eager to come to Manhattan, she became a nurse, married a dentist and spent the next several decades keeping the house and raising a family. In her later years, she put her nursing skills to good use by taking care of my father-in-law, who had lung cancer. There were many trips to the emergency room in the middle of the night and then a long hospital stay. She stayed awake to watch over him for 15 hours a day. Always a light sleeper, she developed sleeplessness as a result of the stress.

It worsened after he died. Deeply sad and lonely for the first time in her life, she began waking up around 2am. Julian and Sylvia, the elderly couple next door suggest she read literature. And so Julian, a great lover of literature, became her “professor”, providing books from his large library. Suddenly the terrifying hole turned onto a world of amazing characters.

Why is Dorothy considered a tough critic?

   A. Because no books are inspiring enough in her eyes.                        

B. Because only a few books are thought highly of by her.

   C. Because she only reads books by famous writers.                         

D. Because she finds fault with every book she reads.

It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

   A. the books Dorothy has read were bought by her husband.                   

B. the couple next door are college professors.

   C. the author loves literature too.                                         

D. Dorothy was a great wife.

The underlined part “the terrifying hole” in the last paragraph refers to _____.

   A. the frightening death                                                    

B. Dorothy’s lack of education

   C. waking up in the middle of the night                                    

D. a hole in a book that Dorothy read

What helped Dorothy get over the sadness and loneliness of losing her husband?

   A. Living with her son.                                                  

B. Reading literature.

   C. Seeing her son’s baby pictures.                                         

 D. Talking with neighbors.


选编(十六)
Dorothy Brown was very happy as she sat in the theatre listening to the music. Today her little daughter Lauren was giving her ___1___ concert. She had been waiting for this ___2___ for years and years. “Now it is here at last,” she thought. “How beautiful her ___3___ is.”
The song made her ___4___ to the days when she was Lauren’s ___5___. As a young ___6___, Dorothy wanted to be a concert singer. She studied ___7___ in France, Italy and in the United States. “You can become a fine ___8___ in the future,” her teachers told her. “But you must be ___9___ to study hard and work for many years. There will be ___10___ time for anything but music in your life.”
Dorothy was ___11___ at that time and she was ___12___ that music was all she wanted or needed to ___13___ her life. For almost a year Dorothy ___14___ of nothing else. Then she ___15___ David, a young engineer travelling Europe. They soon fell in ___16___. David asked her to be his ___17___. Dorothy also wanted to marry David. But she loved ___18___, too. She didn’t know what to do. David was against her being a singer. He said, “If you want to be a singer, you must forget about getting married. You can’t ___19___ do both.” Thus her days were gone and would never return.
Now Lauren became a singer instead of her, which was her ___20___.
1. A. sorry              B. successful           C. first         D. wonderful
2. A. dance              B. moment             C. show          D. party
3. A. voice              B. face                  C. dress          D. life
4. A. think of                  B. bring back           C. go back         D. come back
5. A. age                    B. friend               C. mother                D. teacher
6. A. musician                 B. pop star               C. lady                  D. girl
7. A. French            B. music                C. piano            D. dance
8. A. actress              B. student               C. singer         D. dancer
9. A. prepared           B. learning             C. driven         D. waiting
10. A. some              B. any                    C. no            D. enough
11. A. eight              B. eighteen              C. eighty         D. eighty-eight
12. A. lucky             B. sure                  C. afraid        D. fond
13. A. fill                     B. live                   C. lead          D. take
14. A. heard               B. knew                C. talked          D. thought
15. A. saw off           B. learned from       C. heard of      D. met with
16. A. love              B. feeling               C. music        D. touch
17. A. assistant         B. teacher               C. wife          D. student
18. A. him              B. engineering         C. herself       D. music
19. A. certainly          B. possibly              C. only          D. mainly
20. A. thought         B. hope                C. purpose      D. will

In my living room, there is a plaque (匾) that advises me to “Bloom (开花) where you are planted.” It reminds me of Dorothy. I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980s, when I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. The job responsibilities required occasional visits to the classroom of each teacher in the program. Dorothy stands out in my memory as one who “bloomed” in her remote area.
Dorothy taught in a school In Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road winding around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times. Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.
From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom (忧郁) disappeared. Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom. I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for “dinner” (lunch). In case you don’t know, poke greens are a weed-type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground.
Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students. Her enthusiasm never cooled down. When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was ready. She came to the assessment and passed in all areas. Afterward, she invited me to the one-and-only steak house in the area to celebrate her victory, as if she had received her Ph. D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom (传家宝), but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things. (360 words)
【小题1】“Early Childhood Development” in Paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A.a program directed by Dorothy
B.a course given by the author
C.an activity held by the students
D.an organization sponsored by Union college
【小题2】 In the journey, the author was most disappointed at seeing __________.
A.the long trackB.the poor houses
C.the same trainD.the winding road
【小题3】Upon arriving at the classroom, the author was cheered up by __________.
A.a warm welcomeB.the sight of poke greens
C.Dorothy’s latest projectsD.a big dinner made for her
【小题4】What can we know about Dorothy from the last paragraph?
A. She was invited to a celebration at a restaurant.
B. She got a pen as a gift from the author.
C. She passed the required assessment.
D. She received her Ph. D. degree.
【小题5】What does the author mainly intend to tell us?
A.Whatever you do, you must do it carefully.
B.Whoever you are, you deserve equal treatment.
C.However poor you are, you have the right to education,
D.Wherever you are, you can accomplish your achievement.

In my living roomthere is a plaque () that advises me to“Bloom (开花) where you are planted.” It reminds me of Dorothy.I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980swhen I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in BarbourvilleKentucky.The job responsibilities required occasional visits to the classroom of each teacher in the program.Dorothy stands out in my memory as one who“bloomed”in her remote area.

Dorothy taught in a school in Harlan CountyKentuckyAppalachian Mountain area.To get to her school from the town of HarlanI followed a road winding around the mountain.In the eight?mile journeyI crossed the same railroad track five timesgiving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times.Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountainsI found it depressing.The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.

From the moment of my arrival at the little schoolall gloom (忧郁) disappeared.Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom.I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen.The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects.Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for“dinner”(lunch)In case you don’t knowpoke greens are a weed?type plant that grows wildespecially on poor ground.

Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students.Her enthusiasm never cooled down.When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate CertificationDorothy was ready.She came to the assessment and passed in all areas.Afterwardshe invited me to the one?and?only steak house in the area to celebrate her victoryas if she had received her Ph.D.degree.After the mealshe placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand.She said it was a family heirloom (传家宝)but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things.

1.“Early Childhood Development”in Paragraph 1 refers to________.

Aa program directed by Dorothy

Ba course given by the author

Can activity held by the students

Dan organization sponsored by Union college

2.In the journeythe author was most disappointed at seeing________.

Athe long track

Bthe poor houses

Cthe same train

Dthe winding road

3.Upon arriving at the classroomthe author was cheered up by________.

Aa warm welcome

Bthe sight of poke greens

CDorothy’s latest projects

Da big dinner made for her

4.What can we know about Dorothy from the last paragraph?

AShe was invited to a celebration at a restaurant.

BShe got a pen as a gift from the author.

CShe passed the required assessment.

DShe received her Ph.D.degree.

5.What does the author mainly intend to tell us?

AWhatever you doyou must do it carefully.

BWhoever you areyou deserve equal treatment.

CHowever poor you areyou have the right to education.

DWherever you areyou can accomplish your achievement.

 

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