When 24-year-old Hannah Brencher moved to New York after college, she was hit by depression and loneliness. One day she felt so lonely that she wanted to reach out to someone. So she put pen to paper and started writing letters—letters to complete strangers.
But these weren’t sad letters about how she was feeling. They were happy letters, all about the other person, not her. She would write messages for people to have a “bright day” and tell strangers how outstanding they were, even if they thought no one else had noticed. Brencher began dropping the notes all over New York, in cafes, in library books, in parks and on the subway. It made her feel better, knowing that she might be making somebody’s day through just a few short, sweet words. It gave her something to focus on. And so, the website The World Needs More Love Letters was born.
The World Needs More Love Letters is all about writing letters—not emails, but proper, handwritten letters. Not traditional love letters, written to a real beloved, but surprise letters for strangers. They don’t necessarily say “I love you”, but they are full of kindness—telling people they are remarkable and special and all-around amazing.
Brencher’s initiative (初衷) has now exploded. She has personally written hundreds of letters. Last year, she did a TED talk, in which she talks about a woman whose husband, a soldier, comes back home from Afghanistan and they struggle to reconnect: “So she leaves love letters all over the house as a way to say: ‘Come back to me. Find me when you can.’” And then comes another story of a man threatening to kill himself on his Facebook page, only to now be in the land of the living, with many love letters under his pillow.
The World Needs More Love Letters Project works on the idea that “A love letter a day keeps the doctor away”. It’s about sharing positive energy, restoring confidence and happiness. There are now more than 10,000 people from all over the world joining in to write letters to the lonely and depressed, to basically tell them that everything will be okay.When feeling lonely, Brencher wrote letters to _________________.
| A.share her sad feelings with strangers |
| B.tell strangers how outstanding she was |
| C.express her wish to have a bright day |
| D.brighten strangers’ day with kind words |
According to the passage, which of the following letters can be found on the website?
| A.The email to remarkable people. |
| B.The handwritten letters to friends. |
| C.The traditional love letters to beloved ones. |
| D.The encouraging letters to strangers. |
What can be inferred from Brencher’s TED talk?
| A.The man leaves love letters to his wife, asking her to look for him. |
| B.The woman gets on well with her husband after his return from Afghanistan. |
| C.The life of the man in the second story has been saved by the inspiring love letters. |
| D.The man in the second story has written many love letters and put them under his pillow. |
In the last paragraph, the underlined sentence means____________.
| A.love letters can help cheer you up in spirits |
| B.love letters can keep you physically healthy |
| C.love letters can make the doctors out of work |
| D.love letters can keep you away from loneliness only |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Art Institute, which is the second largest art museum in the nation.
Opening hours:
Mon - Wed & Fri - Sun, 10:30 am - 5 pm; Thu, 10:30 am- 8 pm; closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Highlights:
● The Modern Wing contains contemporary(当代的)masterpieces by Dali, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol.
● View one of the world’s finest Impressionist collections, including masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
● Thorne Miniature Rooms offer a detailed view of European homes from the 16th century through the 1930s and American homes from the 17th century to 1940.
● The past returns as over 550 works from 4,000 years of art come together in Of Gods and Glamour, located in the beautiful new Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art.
Advice for visitors:
● Free guided tours are available daily at noon.
● Free art-making activities are available for children each weekend from 11 am to 2 pm.
● Visit the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center, open daily from 10:30 am – 5 pm, and introduce your child to the museum’s collections with a variety of hands-on activities. Assemble (组装) puzzles based on masterpieces you’ll see in the galleries, build architectural wonders with colorful blocks, and learn about art through stories and games at Curious Corner.
● Check out the Lion’s Trial tour for children ages 5-10. This tour is especially designed for the young people in your group! Don’t miss it!
Getting there:
You can take the follow buses: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 14, 26, 28, 126, 143.The Art Institute of Chicago can be visited on ____________.
| A.Christmas Day | B.New Year’s Day |
| C.Independence Day | D.Thanksgiving Day |
Whose works can you see in the Impressionist collections?
| A.Picasso’s | B.Monet’s |
| C.Pollock’s | D.Warhol’s |
At Curious Corner, children can ___________.
| A.take part in many hands-on activities |
| B.join the Lion’s Trail tour |
| C.enjoy free art-making activities |
| D.get free guidance |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
People all need friends because nobody wants to be lonely and a friend can help you in good and bad times. You’ve made friends since childhood,but you still don’t know who your true friends are. Here are some signs to tell you if your friend is a true friend.
Always honest
Honesty is important to keep a relationship alive. A true friend always tells you the truth. It may be hard sometimes but lying can destroy a friendship. It is important that your friend speaks honestly and never makes up stories.
There are always periods in your life when you have problems or difficulties. A true friend will always have time to listen to your problems and give you advice. It may not be able to offer a solution to your problems but the fact that your friend makes time to listen is a sign he/she cares for you. Your friend is not a true friend if he/she can never make time for you when you are in trouble. You also need to be reasonable and accept that your friend also has other things to do so he/she can’t always listen immediately to your problems.
Always respectful
A true friend will always respect your opinion no matter whether he/she agrees or not. Your true friend may disagree but never insists that he/she is correct.
Always understanding
It is possible that some problems will arise between you and your friend. A true friend will always be forgiving and understanding,even if it isn’t his/her fault. We are all different people and we all make mistakes. A true friend is always forgiving and understanding because he/she doesn’t want to take the risk of losing his/her best friend.What’s the best title for the third paragraph?
| A.Keep your secrets | B.Always there for you |
| C.Always happy for you | D.Remember your important days |
According to the passage,a true friend will always ____________.
| A.follow your advice |
| B.offer a solution to your problems |
| C.respect your opinion even if he/she disagrees with it |
| D.listen immediately to your problems |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A.Never tell lies to friends. |
| B.Making time for friends. |
| C.Paying attention to a friend’s opinion. |
| D.Sharing fun with friends. |
What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A.To tell us how to find out if a friend is a true friend. |
| B.To find out how long a friendship can last. |
| C.To introduce his experience in making friends. |
| D.To teach us how to make true friends. |
Metro Pocket Guide Metrorail(地铁)
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out.Up to two children under ago five may travel free with a paying customer.
Farecard machine are in every station, Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the station and farecard machine only provide up to $ 5 in change.
Get one of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass.Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations.Use it after 9:30 a.m.until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.
Hours of Service
Open: 5 a.m Mon-Fri 7a.m.Sat—Sun .
Close: midnight Sun—Thurs 3 a.m.Fri.---Sat.nights.
Last train times vary.To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in the station.
Metrobus
When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1.35 .when paying with a smarTrip card, the fare is $1.25
Fares for the Senior /disabled customers
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare.On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTrip card.For more information about buying senior/disabled farecards, farecard or SmarTrip cards and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors.com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100
Travel tips (提示)
Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a.m.and between 4 and 6 p.m.
If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.What should you know about farecard machine?
| A.They start selling tickets at 9:30 a.m. |
| B.They are connected to change machines. |
| C.They offer special service to the elderly. |
| D.They make change for no more than $5. |
At what time does Metrorail stop service on Saturday?
| A.At midnight |
| B.at 3 a.m. |
| C.at 5 am |
| D.at 7 p.m. |
What is good about a SmarTrip card?
| A.It is convenient for old people |
| B.It saves money for its users |
| C.it can be bought at any time |
| D.it is sold on the Internet. |
Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?
| A.202-962-1195 |
| B.202-962-1100 |
| C.202-673-7000 |
| D.202-673-8000 |
One of the latest trends(趋势) in American Childcare is Chinese au pairs.Au Pair in Stamford, Conn, for example, has got increasing numbers of request for Chinese au pairs from aero to around 4, 000 since 2004.And that’s true all across the country.
“I thought it would be useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age” Joseph Stocke, the managing director of a company, says of his 2-year old son.“I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future, ” After only six months of being cared by 25-year-old woman from China, the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions, his dad says.
Li Drake, a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband, had another reason for looking for an au pair from China.She didn’t want her children to miss out on their roots.” Because I am Chinese, my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture.” she says.
“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom, ” says Suzanne Flynn, a professor in language education of Children.”But parents must understand that just one year with au pair is unlikely to produce wonders. Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12.”
The popularity if au pairs from china has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children who want their children to learn Chinese.It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.What does the term” au pair” in the text mean?
| A.A mother raising her children on her own |
| B.A child learning a foreign language at home |
| C.A professor in language education of children |
| D.A young foreign woman taking care of children. |
Li Drake has her children study Chinese because she wants them ______.
| A.to live in China some day |
| B.to speak the language at home |
| C.to catch up wit other children |
| D.to learn about the Chinese culture |
What can we infer from the text?
| A.Learning Chinese is becoming popular In America, |
| B.Educated woman do better in looking after children |
| C.Chinese au pairs need to improve their English Skills. |
| D.Children can learn a foreign language well in six months. |
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have gotten a lot “greener” toward the environment .“We didn’t know at that time that there even was an environment, let alone that there was a problem with it, ”says Bruce Anderson, president of Earth Day USA.
But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement .Business people, political leaders, university professors, and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement.“The understanding has increased many, many times, ”says Gaylord Nelson, the former governor from Wisconsin, who thought up the first Earth Day.
According to US government reports , emissions (排放)from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 tons .The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9 .Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with , the world is a safer and healthier place .A kind of “Green thinking ” has become part of practices .
Great improvement has been achieved .In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs , ; today in 1995 there are about 6, 600 .Advanced lights , motors , and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution .
Twenty –five years ago , there were hardly any education programs for environment .Today , it’s hard to find a public school , university , or law school that does not have such a kind of program .” Until we do that , nothing else will change! ” say Bruce Anderson .According to Anderson , before 1970, Americans had little idea about ___
| A.the social movement |
| B.recycling techniques |
| C.environmental problems |
| D.the importance of Earth Day |
Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from?
| A.The grass –roots level |
| B.The business circle |
| C.Government officials |
| D.University professors |
What have Americans achieved in environmental protection ?
| A.hey have cut car emissions to the lowest |
| B.They have settled their environmental problems |
| C.They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities. |
| D.They have reduced pollution through effective measures . |
What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph ?
| A.Education |
| B.Planning |
| C.Green living |
| D.CO reduction |