Reading Comprehension
A
Like mother, like son. Lucas Zutt is the 10-year-old son of journalist Donatella Lorch, who frequently contributes to Goats and Soda. They’ve lived in Kathmandu since June 2017. Lucas shared his impressions of the earthquake with NPR after it struck. And now he’s made a video. “My mum has told me that the news stays on a country for only a short time,” he says. And he’s worried that the world news is forgetting Nepal.
So Lucas used his mother’s iPhone to show the earthquake scenes that have had an impact on him. Some of the video was shot in Kathmandu. Some parts show scenes from the village of Kot Danda, about 9 miles away. That’s where the family’s driver, Keshav Thapa Magar, lives. “They haven’t gotten any help,” he says about the people in Kot Danda.
揝eventy-six houses have collapsed （倒塌）. People are living in greenhouses or just under any sort of covering — a tarp, a sheet of iron. I want them to have proper shelter.” Lucas is especially worried because the monsoon season （季风季节）starts in a few weeks; the rains have already begun. “You get wet all the time,” he says. “It is miserable.” Lucas loves Nepal. “It’s my home, and I don’t want to leave,” he says. “This is where I belong.”
But the earthquake has definitely changed things. 揙utside Kathmandu Valley, there is nothing but destruction. It makes me really sad,?he says. 揈arthquakes are scary as can be. I am scared of standing near leaning
ea（倾斜的） buildings. When night comes I worry about other earthquakes.” Lucas hopes his video goes a long way and sends its message out clearly: Don’t forget Nepal.
1. Lucas Zutt made a video just to _______.
A. contribute to Goats and Soda
B. do his duties as a journalist
C. remind people of Nepal’s suffering
D. show his life in Kathmandu
2. How did Lucas make his video?
A. By using his own iPhone.
B. By using his driver’s iPhone.
C. By using his mother’s iPhone.
D. By downloading from TV News.
3. What is Lucas most concerned about?
A. His own safety.
B. The collapsed rooms.
C. The living greenhouses.
D. The poor condition of shelters.
4. Which might be the title of the passage?
A. A Teenager Makes A Video Outside Kathmandu Valley.
B. A Teenager Makes A Video On Beautiful Views Of Nepal.
C. A Teenager Makes A Video Before Nepal Earthquake.
D. A Teenager Makes A Video So We Don’t Forget Nepal.
B
We began the task early in 2009, about a year after my grandma Peale passed away. There were rooms upon rooms to go through, closets beyond closets, endless cupboards, an attic(阁楼), and two basements. There were small items, treasures, books, clothing and kitchen equipment in it and it is where my grandpa died in December 1993.
My grandma and grandpa, who purchased The Hill Farm, in 1964, loved The Hill Farm and spent weekends and holidays there. They took in the natural beauty of their farm and the Hudson Valley. They sometimes read and wrote there. The Hill Farm was where we enjoyed meals. I remember our playing hide and seek, and picnicking on the stone tables. Memories were made both inside and outside of my grandma and grandpa’s country home.
In a few weeks The Hill Farm will belong to another family. Getting every last item out of The Hill Farm will be difficult. When I was packing up boxes or other belongings, my stomach clenched(紧缩) at the thought that this rare and beautiful home would no longer be our family’s. But it is time to let go. As author Juan Nakamori wrote, “If you have been grasping onto something, try to let it go. Your empty hands will be ready to receive a new gift.” I am not sure what this new gift will be. Perhaps the pleasure includes seeing more lights in the windows, activities on the farm, and even getting to know the new family.
Anyway, I will hold on to the memories made at The Hill Farm and will continue to share them with my children. I will keep the images and feelings that I experienced there. And now I will let go of The Hill Farm. May it be filled with love again, and with new gifts to be shared by the family who will call it home.
1. We can learn from this passage that ____.
A. the writer’s grandmother passed away in 2007
B. the writer can see the Hudson Valley on their farm
C. the writer’s grandfather must have been a farmer
D. the writer wants to put away the memory of the farm
2. The writer went through all these things in order to ____.
A. find treasures
B. clean the house
C. sell their farm
D. use them again
3. When the writer was packing his belongings he felt ____.
A. excited but nervous
B. pleased and delighted
C. puzzled and disappointed
D. extremely uncomfortable
4. The reason that the author used what Juan wrote was that ____.
A. he wanted to use it to comfort himself
B. he believed he would get a new gift
C. he thought all Juan said was right
D. he wouldn’t forget the happy time they spent on the farm
C
?Those people” is a phrase that is used typically in a negative way — like “look at ‘those people’ who are not dressed the way that we think it is right to dress”. We live in a society that is so cruel and judgmental to those who do not fit the type of what is acceptable in their opinion.
?Those people” can be anyone that is not worthy according to someone else. Everyone is equally worthy of love and support but not everyone can see value in people that are different and need a different kind of support. Anyone who survived middle school and high school can remember how socially separated they were. They come in many various forms ?people with special needs, people who have a different skin color, culture, or economic or faemily background compared to most of the peers(同龄人). All of them are just as deserving of love and friendship as the people who are the norm(常态).
We need to be more acceptive of those people’s behaviors and struggles. By being genuinely nice to “those people” or anyone else you could help make someone’s day, or save his life. Even if you are the only one who cares about the person, which might be enough to keep him on the Earth a little longer.
I am not saying you need to be best friends with everyone you meet because that is not reasonable or realistic. I am saying, however, that the world would be a much happier place if we all took a few minutes out of our day to say hello to people, particularly those who are struggling with their life. So next time you see someone sitting alone at lunch, invite him over. You could be his ray of sunshine in a cloudy sky. Who knows, you might even meet your best friend or the love of your life.
1. What is the society’s attitude towards “those people”?
A. Unconcerned.
B. Sympathetic.
C. Positive.
D. Negative.
2. By listing some examples of “those people”, the author wants to ____.
A. show that they deserve love and friendship
B. criticize anyone who looks down upon them
C. prove that they suffered a lot in the past
D. show that it’s wrong to have others separated
3. How does the author think we might change somebody?
A. By becoming their best friends.
B. By offering them some food.
C. By caring about them.
D. By making everything realistic.
4. What can we know from the last paragraph?
A. A candle lights others and consumes itself.
B. Early mistakes are the seeds of future trouble.
C. Opportunity is reserved for those who have prepared.
D. Caring for others may give us some opportunities in return.