Courtney Johnson arrived at her son Peter’s school just in time and immediately recognized him among the mass of students spilling through the front gate. Peter rushed to the car, climbed inside and put on the seat belt.
“How was your day at school today, Peter?” she asked as they left for home.
“Um, it was okay, Mom,” Peter said. “I’m starving! Can we please stop by McDonald’s on our way home?”
“Hungry?” Courtney stopped for a moment. “Didn’t you have lunch at school today? Or is it an excuse for chicken nuggets (鸡块)? Not again, Peter!”
“No, Mom! I’m actually starving. I would have eaten at the dinning hall, but I had to give my food to my classmate Aiden because he was hungry.”
Courtney frowned. “But everyone gets their separate meal at school, Peter.”
“Aiden doesn’t eat with us, Mom,” Peter revealed. “His mom can’t pay for his lunch. They are struggling financially. I found him in the playground one day and he told me not to tell anyone because he thought they would laugh at him. Today we had gym class, and everyone was really hungry. I knew Aiden wouldn’t have anything to eat, so I offered my portion (一份) to him.”
Courtney was happy that her son was kind enough to help a needy classmate. She wondered what went wrong with Aiden’s family, so that Aiden had to skip (不吃) lunch at school. When they got home that day, she received a text message from Peter’s teacher, saying there would be a parents’ meeting the next day. Then she thought of a plan. She called Peter’s teacher Mrs Dickens and shared her idea.
The next morning, when they all gathered, Mrs Dickens briefed them about Aiden’s situation at Courtney’s request.
As Courtney was about to get into her car outside the school gate, Aiden’s mom met her and thanked her for her help.
| A．Excited. | B．Bored. | C．Scared. |
| A．The man. | B．The woman. | C．Neither of the speakers. |
| A．It’s unpleasant and inconvenient. |
| B．It’s great to see the scenery. |
| C．It’s exciting to meet other passengers. |
| A．The plane. | B．The train. | C．The car. |
| A．Two hours. | B．Three hours. | C．Four hours. |
| A．Go for a cycle ride. | B．Work on his school paper. | C．Finish watching the movie. |
| A．A meal. | B．A trip. | C．A festival. |
| A．Ask a repair shop for help. | B．Buy another car. | C．Fix the car herself. |
| A．He needs a ride. | B．He wants a new job. | C．He doesn’t have insurance now. |
| A．Tomorrow evening. | B．Tomorrow morning. | C．This afternoon. |
| A．Jack’s mother. | B．Jack’s father. | C．Jack’s wife. |
| A．In the evening. | B．Right now. | C．Tomorrow. |
The cat Bubby showed up on the doorstep of Wiseman’s father, Abbott, who was putting out food for a different stray cat (流浪猫).
Wiseman recalls that one day her father found a little three-legged cat in the kitchen eating the other cat’s food. Dad was kind of really surprised by this animal. It melted his heart to see this little cat with three legs looking after himself. Since then, her father and Bubby formed an unbreakable bond. They helped each other: Bubby got food and frequent visits to the house, while Abbott got a companion through a time of change in his life.
After Abbott died in 2017, Bubby’s visits to her family home stopped. The family couldn’t locate Bubby for almost two years until they saw his furry face in an online post.
According to volunteer McLeod, Bubby was brought to the shelter after a community effort to find the three-legged cat. McLeod remembers when she met Bubby for the first time, he was laying face down in his cage, exhausted. McLeod featured the cat in an online post, asking anyone if they knew of the animal’s history. Wiseman leapt at the opportunity to reunite with Bubby. Once Bubby was recovered enough to leave the shelter, the two decided McLeod would adopt Bubby and give him his forever home.
In a twist of fate, Wiseman revealed McLeod had actually met Abbott and Bubby previously, but had forgotten the encounter. “It’s like it came full circle. It was a very sad thing that turned into a beautiful thing.” Wiseman said. Wiseman still visits Bubby whenever she can, often helping with the cat’s special food and treats. She is thrilled that Bubby was able to find his forever home, and knows her father would feel the same.
1．How did Abbott feel when he first found the three-legged cat?| A．Caring. | B．Interested. | C．Touched. | D．Upset. |
| A．She found the cat accidentally when it was posted online. |
| B．She reached the cat through hard work of the community. |
| C．She was told the cat was brought to a shelter by a volunteer. |
| D．She turned to a website helping lost animals find their owners. |
| A．After Bubby made a full recovery. |
| B．Two years before Abbott died. |
| C．When Bubby was found by McLeod. |
| D．The moment McLeod met Wiseman. |
| A．Wiseman’s frequent visits to the cat. |
| B．The cat’s final settlement in McLeod’s house. |
| C．The meeting and adoption of the cat and McLeod. |
| D．McLeod’s experience of meeting Abbot and the cat. |
A new device is helping those who are blind to see. Jason Esterhuizen lost his eyesight after a car accident. He never thought he would be able to see light or movement again. But now with the movement of a switch, his world suddenly grew brighter.
He says, “I still can’t put it into words. I mean from being able to see absolutely nothing, it’s completely black, to all of a sudden seeing a little light move around.“ It is not full or normal sight, but Esterhuizen can move about in the world around him.
Dr Nader Pouratian says, “ Being able to tell where a doorway is, being able to tell where the sidewalk begins or ends or where the crosswalk is, are all extremely meaningful events that can help these people regain some form of independence.”
The new technology-called Orion-uses several parts. One is a small device placed in the brain. The other parts are a video camera on sunglasses and a processing device that can be carried in a person’s clothes. When the user points the camera, a signal goes to the processor (处理器)and then back to the glasses. The glasses then communicate wirelessly with the device in the brain. The information causes a pattern to develop in the part of the brain. The pattern helps users detect (识别 ) movement and shapes of light. And it all happens in seconds.
Pouratian says this technology is a first. “We basically have the video camera and the video processing unit performing the functions of what the eye normally does, ” he adds.
Esterhuizen says that now he can do everyday activities around his home that he once could not. “Crossing the road is much easier and much safer for me because I can look down and just follow the white line that’s painted on the road.”
The researchers believe that one day this technology could help people who have lost their vision because of illnesses like glaucoma(青光眼)or diabetes. It may also help those with poor vision or who were born blind.
1．How does the new device help the blind to become independent?| A．To tell them their surroundings. | B．To show them its instructions. |
| C．To use sound to communicate with them. | D．To give them full sight. |
| A．It needs sunglasses with network. | B．It totally depends on the camera. |
| C．It can function almost in real time. | D．It sends a pattern of light in hours. |
| A．The technology will cure all diseases. |
| B．The technology still has some space to improve. |
| C．Those with poor vision will recover immediately. |
| D．Those with poor vision will go blind once more. |
| A．A New Device Improves Your Eyesight | B．Technology Is Changing the Modern Life |
| C．Blind Men Are Given the Chance to See | D．You Will Get Independence with Orion |
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