Like most couples, my husband and I dreamed of becoming homeowners. Sure, apartment living comes with its own set of advantages—less housework, shared comfort, less to clean up and care for, and usually cheaper rent. As a result, we decided to downgrade from our neat five-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot house on the water to a three-bedroom, 1,369-square-foot apartment, with two kids.
Once we arrived in our new apartment, we were surprised to find that things flowed relatively smoothly. There was so much less to keep up with—fewer floors to mop, fewer windows to clean, fewer walls to wipe, etc. Now I think of our home as our little playhouse, since it's much smaller and everything is closer together. That also makes it so much easier for me to keep up with as a mom. I collect laundry all on one floor comparing with having to climb stairs to the house's second floor!
In our new home, we use lots of shoe organizers inside of every closet door for more than just shoes—baby items, office items, and medicines. We also have a functional room that serves as an office and gym. Since both my husband and I work from home, we require at least one room to share as an office with fitness equipment fitted into a corner.
While many people choose to downsize for financial reasons, that actually wasn't a factor in our decision. We wanted to be in a lively area with like-minded young families. That was our first priority. Though we may still buy another house in this area at some point down the line, for now, we're thrilled with the concept of renting an apartment. Let me put it this way: We’re not really the “handy” types, so being able to call maintenance(维修)for any repairs is worth every rent coin!
【小题1】What can we learn from Paragraph 1?A.Our old house was upgraded. | B.Living in a house has advantages. |
C.Our new apartment was downsized. | D.Smaller size means more housework. |
A.Confused. | B.Amazed. | C.Tired. | D.Challenged. |
A.To build up their body. | B.To create a home office. |
C.To enlarge all the rooms. | D.To make full use of space. |
A.Transportation. | B.Neighbourhood. |
C.Repair work. | D.Money. |
Two Chinese police officers were sitting in the car at Guilin Highway. Suddenly a cute dog appeared by their window, seemingly asking for help. According to the media, a cute golden retriever (寻回猎犬) sought the help of the two police officers. Obviously, the dog was lost and his owner was nowhere near the neighborhood.
One of the police officers said that it was already 1 a.m. when the dog approached them with his leash (狗链) in its mouth. The dog even followed them while they worked, but because people might get frightened and for the dog's own safety, the two decided to just take the dog to the police station. There, they gave him food and water to drink.
The dog stayed in the police station until the policemen came back at 8 in the morning. To their surprise, the dog quickly jumped inside the police car after they got ready to work that day. He just sat there as if asking the two officers to help him find his way back to his owner. Touched by the dog's friendly behavior, the officers decided to ask the public to help them find the owner.
A couple of hours later, the dog's owner was informed and quickly rushed to the police station. The owner said that his 2-year-old golden retriever had a habit of hunting for mice and must have wandered far from home and got lost. He said that his dog was trained for a short while at a Nanning police base.
【小题1】What happened to the dog?A.It couldn't find its owner. | B.It was driven away by its owner. |
C.It escaped from hunters. | D.It was terribly frightened. |
A.The trouble brought by the dog. | B.The pressure from the public. |
C.The dog's friendly behavior. | D.The dog's strange behavior. |
A.It stayed at the station for over a day. |
B.It didn't want to go home. |
C.It likes eating mice. |
D.It was once trained by the police. |
About 15 years ago, Andrew McLindon, a businessman and crazy cyclist, was riding his bike in Austin, Texas, when he thought about Jack, a friend’s 12-year-old son. Jack had never known the joy of biking because he suffered from hydrocephalus(脑水肿), a buildup of fluid in the brain that often causes balance disturbances.
When he got home, McLindon, now 60, went online and found a three-wheel bike with a balancing bar, perfect for a child with balance issues. Soon Jack was riding around the street with his friends, having fun and getting exercise. But there was more, as his friend told McLindon. “I’ll never forget the smile on his face when my son is interacting with other kids.”
That smile launched the McLindon Family Foundation. Funded by donations, the group works with clinics to find children who can benefit from owning an adaptive bike and to help make each bike to the particular needs of the child. A bike may include a headrest, a shoulder belt, a seat belt and soon. The bikes are expensive-$3,000 to $4,000, and that’s with the foundation’s producer’s discount. For kids lucky enough to get one, they’re a life changer.
“We worked with a 14-year-old who has spina bifida(脊柱裂),” says McLindon. “She spent most days on the couch watching TV. Soon after she got her bike, she was training for special-needs triathlons(三项全能运动). In a magazine interview, she said, ‘I always knew there was an athlete in me.’”
So far, the foundation has given away45 0 bikes, and that’s just a start. “I do a lot of things. I run a lot of companies,” McLindon says. “But getting these kids their bikes is the most important thing that I do.”
【小题1】Which picture best illustrates the bike for Jack?A. | B. | C. | D. |
A.To give away bikes. | B.To help kids with mental problems. |
C.To offer special bikes to particular kids. | D.To make profits from making special bikes. |
A.Kind and patient. | B.Generous and cautious. |
C.Rich and hard-working. | D.Warm-hearted and helpful. |
A.McLindon and Life Bikes | B.McLindon, an Aggressive Businessman |
C.The McLindon Family Foundation | D.Unusual Kids with Particular Needs |
In my town people like to give smile cards to those who have received help. And the receivers continue to help others. With those cards, people enjoy helping and being helped.
I got some smile cards and used three of them just yesterday!
I used the first smile card when I was getting my dogs some food in a pet store. A man walked up to look at collars (项圈), looking puzzled. He asked me if I knew anything about dogs and collars, which actually I was quite familiar with. I helped him choose one. I hope it would work for his dog. When he said thanks, I handed him a smile card. He smiled and said he would help someone as soon as possible.
That was amazing! Then in a supermarket, when I was paying the bill, a grandma was trying to get her granddaughter out of a basket. I offered to help her, and she said “Yes, please.” Later she told me that she had just had an operation and couldn’t lift things very well. After getting the baby girl out, I handed her my second smile card.
Then I paid for someone’s food in a small restaurant and left behind the third smile card.
I felt very happy yesterday. It was great to help others and leave behind smile cards. I believe that more and more people will get happiness from receiving and giving smile cards.
【小题1】Who will get smile cards?A.People who have received help | B.Any stores |
C.People who have offered help | D.Any friends |
A.dog food | B.dogs and collars | C.cards | D.giving smile cards |
A.hard work | B.much talk | C.an operation | D.a long walk |
A.People only like to receive help. | B.People like to give things to others. |
C.People love to go around the town. | D.People live a happy life. |
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