My father came to the United States as a Ukrainian immigrant (移民) when he was 14 years old. Unable to speak English but willing to do anything to succeed, he learned the language, became a barber, and opened up his own business in a small town. He put my sister and me through college during a time when most people thought that women didn’t need an education and that they should be satisfied with getting married and having children. He gave us values and ambition. But this story didn’t really start until my father was 60 years old.

    I was preparing to get married and my father was attempting to practice the polke, a must at any Ukrainian wedding. But he just couldn’t do it! He had lost mobility in his leg and was diagnosed with a brain tumor (肿瘤). After surgery, this energetic, hard-working man was forced to retire as a result of significant paralysis (瘫痪) in his right arm and leg. My dad had always worked two jobs and spent his spare time working around the house. Now that kind of life came to a sudden stop. Yet never once did he complain. He bought rubber balls and spent his days trying to regain his hand mobility by squeezing those balls over and over.

    After his last operation, he chatted with me pleasantly in the hospital room until a nurse flew into the room, waving her finger at me, and yelling, “You’d better tell your father to stay in bed. He is paralyzed and will never walk again. He needs to stop trying to get out of bed and accept the fact that he can’t walk now or ever. I am sick of picking him up and you’d better warn him to stay put!” My father smiled. He spent a great deal of time on the floor that year, but he eventually got up and walked.

    My father lived nineteen more years after that operation. He bought himself a motor scooter (小型摩托车) and spent years zipping around the streets of Philadelphia. He was proud, free, and always smiling.

In what way was the author’s father different from most other people in his times?

    A. He succeeded in migrating to the U.S.

    B. He learned the new language easily and quickly.

    C. He achieved his life goal by working as a barber.

    D. He had his daughters educated.

The underlined word “polke” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to        .

    A. a song           B. a dance          C. a musical instrument     D. a tool for painting

The author’s father used the rubber balls to         .

    A. kill his too much spare time         B. relieve himself from work pressure

    C. get his hand’s function back            D. recover from his operation

Which of the following can be used to describe the author’s father?

    A. Perfect.         B. Strong-minded.           C. Creative.            D. Impractical.

What can we learn from the text?

    A. Love can do wonders.             B. Failure is the mother of success.

    C. A father’s love is most valuable.       D. Never give up on your life.

1. Nobody can e_________ (生存) without air or water.
2. The new hospital will be of great b_________ (好处) to the town.
3. She was a________（授予）a medal for bravery..
4. Marry was such a good teacher that she showed great p_________ (耐心) with her pupils.
5. Water had also appeared on other planets like Mars but, u__________ (不像) the earth, it had disappeared later.

1. Nobody can e_________ (生存) without air or water.

2. The new hospital will be of great b_________ (好处) to the town.

3. She was a________（授予）a medal for bravery..

4. Marry was such a good teacher that she showed great p_________ (耐心) with her pupils.

5. Water had also appeared on other planets like Mars but, u__________ (不像) the earth, it had disappeared later.

Volunteering can help you deal with stress and problems, have more confidence, and introduce you to exciting new ideas and people. But what kind of volunteering should you do?
Firstly, think about what you enjoy. What are you interested in? What do you want to be when you grow up? For example, if you love animals, you can volunteer to care for abandoned(被遗弃的) pets or injured wildlife. If you want to grow up to be a doctor or a nurse, you can look for a youth volunteer program at a local hospital.
Secondly, think about what you’re good at. What skills do you have? What kinds of jobs do you do best? Try to find a volunteer position that will let you make the most of your strengths and talents. For example, if you’re a great speaker, then you could try educating others about a problem you care about. If you’re a cook, you might find a way to help feed hungry people in your area.
Thirdly, look for what your own community needs. What should be improved in your town, city, or school? What types of volunteer projects would do the most good? For example, if there are a lot of homeless people in your area, you could raise money to help them. If your town has empty areas filled with dirt or rubbish, you could organize or join a group to plant trees and flowers to make these areas more attractive.
The problems of the world, or even just of your community, might seem gigantic. Some people might even feel like there’s no point trying to do anything, since what they can contribute seems so small. But every person is important, and can do some good and make a difference. Like you!
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?

Volunteering can help you deal with stress and problems, have more confidence, and introduce you to exciting new ideas and people. But what kind of volunteering should you do?

Firstly, think about what you enjoy. What are you interested in? What do you want to be when you grow up? For example, if you love animals, you can volunteer to care for abandoned(被遗弃的) pets or injured wildlife. If you want to grow up to be a doctor or a nurse, you can look for a youth volunteer program at a local hospital.

Secondly, think about what you’re good at. What skills do you have? What kinds of jobs do you do best? Try to find a volunteer position that will let you make the most of your strengths and talents. For example, if you’re a great speaker, then you could try educating others about a problem you care about. If you’re a cook, you might find a way to help feed hungry people in your area.

Thirdly, look for what your own community needs. What should be improved in your town, city, or school? What types of volunteer projects would do the most good? For example, if there are a lot of homeless people in your area, you could raise money to help them. If your town has empty areas filled with dirt or rubbish, you could organize or join a group to plant trees and flowers to make these areas more attractive.

The problems of the world, or even just of your community, might seem gigantic. Some people might even feel like there’s no point trying to do anything, since what they can contribute seems so small. But every person is important, and can do some good and make a difference. Like you!

1.What is the text mainly about?

2.The text does NOT mention _____ as a basis for volunteering. 

3.The word “gigantic” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “_____”.

A. huge     B. serious    C. meaningless   d. different

4.How is the text mainly developed?