When Christina Brouder was five years old, a drunk driver ran over her as she and her father were crossing the street in front of their home.Hurt badly, the young girl was forced to spend a long time in a full-body cast(石膏) to recover from her injuries.Mostly, she traveled between the hospital and her home.Once out of the cast, Brouder sat in a wheelchair for almost a year.
In spite of the horrible accident, Christina was grateful for her recovery.She was so grateful, in fact, that she and her four talented siblings(兄弟姐妹)( three sisters and a brother) started a music group, Gilbride.The group performed at local hospitals and nursing homes, performing for the patients.Among them, the children could sing, dance and play about 20 different musical instruments.At their first show in 1988, held at Montefiore Hospital, the kids were 2,3,6,8 and 9 years old.That year alone, the group made over a hundred appearances.
From the local public entertainment places, the group expanded to charity performances.They also entertained people at Disney World, Radio City Music Hall, and even the White House.
Christina balanced her happy and successful musical career with academics.First graduating from New York City’s High School of Music and Art,and then from Fordham.In 2000,as t he youngest graduate from Fordham,1 8一year—old Christina and her siblings went on tour for a year.Not pleased with the applause she received from the audience, she entered Pace University Law School.On May 19,Christina Brouder realized part of her dream when at only 22,she received Health Law Certificate(文凭).
【小题1】What happened to Christina when she was five years old?
| A.She was coldly deserted by her father. |
| B.She got a strange and serious disease. |
| C.She had to give performances to make a living. |
| D.She was seriously injured in a traffic accident. |
| A.thankful and hardworking | B.a little shy but gentle |
| C.a 1ittle stupid and 1azy | D.sad and bored with her 1ife |
| A.were talented in music |
| B.were interested in sports |
| C.were enthusiastic about writing |
| D.had the ability to draw very well |
a.She graduated from Fordham.
b.Christina received Health Law Certificate.
c.Their first show was held at Montefiore Hospital.
d.She and her siblings entertained at the White House.
| A.d,a,b,c | B.d,c,b,a | C.c,d,a,b | D.c,b,d,a |
The first time I decided to leave home was when 1 was in high schoo1.1 was having trouble getting along will my parents.I had about a hundred dollars in my pocket,and so I thought about leaving home, It took me 6my three weeks away from home when I stared to feel homesick. Living on my own is a totally different experience for three main reasons:being more responsible, more decisive and more creative
First of all,I have learned that living on my own requires that I become more responsible.My parents usually tell me to carry out m
y work and duties almost every day.men I fail to do the work,I only get scolded. However now that I am on my own,I get to deal with my duties without being told to.When I fail to do my duties,I must also deal with the result by myself
Another different experience for me while living on my own is that now I have become more decisive. ·I have to be more careful since I am on my own because my parents are not here to give me their advice. I must make my own decisions.For example,I must make the best decisions for myself without hurting anybody’s feelings and without my parents,guidance.
Therefore,I became more creative just by living on my own.I could make my own future plan-l have made rules for myself to follow.This to me is a good experience,because I usually think that being creative is the.nicest thing in the world.However, when 1 was with my parents
l found it hard for me to be creative simply because I always followed their ideas.
In conclusion,these are the things that usually happen when I am with my parents and when I am alone. Besides,I think that it is better for everyone to love their parents and themselyes before they love anyone else.They s
hould leam how to live on their own. but meanwhile learn how to follow every technique that was given to them by their Pa
rents.They can make use of their freedom of choice to lead to wherever they want。
【小题1】According to the text,the author decided to leave home because
| A.he would like to live in the school with fellows |
| B.he found it hard to get on well with his parents |
| C.he had to go on with.his studies in.another city |
| D.he felt he was old enough to live on his own |
| A.Being independent. | B.Being responsible. |
| C.Being creative. | D.Being more decisive. |
| A.one Can be, free of trouble by living on one’s own |
| B.one can enjoy more freedom by living on one,s own |
| C.living alone can help one keep good relationships with parents |
| D.1iving alone helps one become responsible,decisive and creative |
| A.Explanation—Examples—Conclusion |
| B.Explanation—Research—Conclusion |
| C.Argument—Information—Conclusion |
| D.Argument—Reasons—Conclusion |
One Sunday morning in June 1959 my mother walked into my room. “Surprise!” she said, proudly holding up a yellow dress. “I made it just for you. What do you think?”
I bit my tongue. How could I tell Mom it was the ugliest dress I had ever seen?
“It’s perfect for church,” my mother continued delightedly.“I wish someone had made a dress like this for me.”
Too bad you can’t wear it, I thought. But I knew Mom had spent a lot of time on the dress. No one should refuse.
Unwillingly I put it on.
All through church I prayed(祈祷),Lord, let me get out of here without anyone seeing me. Especially Dennis Pearce, the boy I had a crush on, one of the coolest boys at Neptune High School. Although we were in some of the same classes, Dennis had never taken any noti
ce of me. Every time I got near him, I became tongue-tied.
At the end of the service I rushed for the door. But I had to wait on the steps while my parents chatted with their friends. Just a little while longer…Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the Pearces coming near. Before I could escape, Dennis was right beside me.
I started talking, hoping if I kept it up he wouldn’t notice my ugly dress. “I’m going to college in September,” I said.
“That’s great,” Dennis replied “I got accepted to police academy(学院).”
“Wow!” I said. Somehow I kept the conversation going. The next thing I knew Dennis had asked me out on a date!
We courted(恋爱)through college, and eventually got married. Months after our wedding I asked Dennis if he remembered the day he had first asked me out.
“Certainly I do,” he said.“You were always quiet in school. I didn’t think you’d be much fun. But you were so lively when we talked on the church steps, I wanted to get to know you better.” Maybe that yellow dress wasn’t what I would have chosen, but that day it was the perfect dress for me.
【小题1】Why did she accept such a dress?
| A.She was fond of its new pattern. |
| B.Her Mom just brought it for her. |
| C.It was proper to go to church in it. |
| D.She understood her Mom’s love. |
| A.she would catch other boys’ attention |
| B.Dennis would get her out for a date |
| C.Dennis wouldn’t take notice of her dress |
| D.she could be noticed by Dennis’s parents |
| A.10ved deeply | B.met by chance | C.100ked down on | D.worried about |
| A.An Ugly Dress | B.A Perfect Dress |
| C.A Dress for the Church | D.A Dress for the Date |
It s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree.It has been there for the past 10 years or so.It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—the commercial aspects of Christmas-overspending.Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to avoid the usual presents.The idea came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a match against a team sponsored by a church.These youngsters, dressed in ragged clothes, presenting a sharp contrast to our boys in their beautiful dresses and shoes.As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.It was a luxury that the poor team obviously could not afford.Well, we ended up defeating them.Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "
I wish just one of them could have won," he said."They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." That's when the idea for his present came.That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought wrestling headgear and shoes for the youngsters and sent them anonymously (匿名地) to the church.On Christmas Eve? I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me.His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in the following years.
For each Christmas, I followed the tradition.The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas.It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed expectation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to show its contents.As the children grew, they joined.
May we all remember the reason for Christmas, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.God bless梡ass this along to your friends and loved ones.
【小题1】The author avoids usual Christmas presents because her husband _____.
| A.likes cheap Christmas presents |
| B.likes expensive Christmas presents |
| C.dislikes spending much on large Christmas presents |
| D.dislikes spending much on unmeaningful Christmas gifts |
| A.something of poor quality | B.something abundant |
| C.something strange | D.something expensive |
| A.modest and mature | B.kind and practical |
| C.strong-willed and vain | D.optimistic and outgoing |
| A.Preparing gifts. | B.Exchanging gifts. |
| C.Opening the envelope. | D.Writing Christmas cards. |
Pete took his seat this day on his usual bench in Union Square.Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years Pete had taken this same seat exactly at one o'clock, and each time the same pleasant thing had happened.But this time Pete had come here more from habit than from hunger.Certainly today Pete was not hungry.Two rich old ladies gave him a Thanksgiving dinner of everything he could eat.
Pete sat on the bench now, hardly able to move.The buttons on his ragged shirt and coat were about to burst.The November breeze and the first light fall of snow felt cool and pleasant to his face.He happened to look to the left and there in the distance he saw the old Gentleman coming toward him.He wanted to get up and run, but he was so full of food he stayed right there.Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years, the Old Gentleman had come there, found Pete on this same bench, and then taken him to a restaurant and bought him a Thanksgiving dinner.It was a kind of tradition which the Old Gentleman, who had no family and lived alone, had tried to continue.
"How do you do' "said the Old Gentleman." Glad to see that the changes of another year have permitted you to move in health through this beautiful world."
Each time the Old Gentleman had said exactly this same thin? It was part of the tradition.Pete, too, began to feel as though he himself was now a part of the tradition, and he therefore did not have the courage to tell the old man that he had already eaten.This dinner seemed to mean so much to the Old Gentleman.
"Thank you, sir, " said Pete at last. “I’ll go with you gladly. I’m very hungry, sir.” Together the Old Gentleman and Pete walked south to the same restaurant where each year Pete had his Thanksgiving dinner. The Old Gentleman seemed pleased and happy. When the waiter brought dish after dish of food to Pete, the Old Gentlenman sat quietly and smiled.Under the circumstances, Pete had to eat.It was part of the tradition, and so he ate like a hero, although when he entered the restaurant even the smell of food almost made him sick.At last Pete leaned back with the battle won.
" Thank you, sir, " he said, with some effort, " for a fine dinner."
They parted as they did each year at the door, the Old Gentlemen going south, Pete north.
Around the corner, Pete stopped for a moment, felt a terrible pain in his stomach, and then fell to the sidewalk unconscious.A little time later an ambulance came.In the hospital they discovered that he had had an attack of indigestion (消化不良).
An hour later, another ambulance brought the Old Gentleman to the same hospital.At first they thought it was also indigestion but later one of the nurses said, "That nice old gentleman over there—you wouldn't think that it was a case of hunger."
【小题1】Where did Pete and the Old Gentleman meet every Thanksgiving Day?
| A.In the restaurant. |
| B.In Union Square. |
| C.At the Old Gentleman's house. |
| D.At the hospital. |
| A.Pete sat on the bench now, hardly able to move. |
| B.The buttons on his ragged shirt and coat were about to burst. |
| C.Glad to see that the changes of another year have |
| D.When he entered the restaurant even the smell of food almost made him sick. |
| A.Pete didn't have |
| B.Pete was so greedy that he wanted to have another dinner |
| C.Pete was suffering from hunger |
| D.Pete enjoyed having the Thanksgiving dinner for free |
| A.Self-centred. | B.Mosdest. |
| C.Stubborn. | D.Generous |