Helen Monson has always been interested in helping her community. Her first volunteer experience was for the American Red Cross when she was in high school. When she was a school teacher, she also found time to volunteer. One year, she organized a Super Saturday fun day for kids in the community. She also used to volunteer at the mint festival every year, One summer she served food, another year she organized an art programme.

After she retired, she started volunteering to help the old. When her father was older, he was not able to see as well as he used to, which made her sad because he had always enjoyed reading.

She decided it would be fun to read to elderly people in her community. She also helped one woman write her stories. Ann was almost 100 years old, and Helen wrote down information about her life when she visited her. She put the information in a book and got it published. Ann was very excited to share her life story with her children and grandchildren.

  After a hurricane( 飓风 ) destroyed some southern cities, Helen volunteered again for the American Red Cross. She prepared food and answered phones in a care centre. She says,” I have always liked the Red Cross because the organization helps people in need no matter what.”

  One day Helen read an article in the newspaper about refugees( 难民 ) who needed to learn English. Now, she meets once a week with Sahra, a 38-year-old woman from Somalia. Sahra is reading and writing skills. Helen gave Sahra a camera and asked her to take pictures of her daily life. She developed the pictures, and then asked Sahra questions about them. In the end, they wrote a book  together and used the photos in the book. This helped Sahra learn many new words about

her everyday life.

   Helen says, “The most rewarding( 有益的 ) part of volunteer work is becoming friends with the people I help, They enrich my life as well as I enrich theirs.”

1.When was Helen’s first volunteer experience for the American Red Cross?

2. What did Helen do after she retired?

3. Why was Ann excited when her book got published?

4.Where did Helen work when she volunteered again for the American Red Cross?

5. How far is Sahra living and working from Helen’s home?

6.Did Helen help Sahra to learn English?

7. What can you learn from Helen?

Each day I took the same route to work and passed by a security guard (保安）.  1  greeted everyone walking by and made small talk with many of the passers-by and wishing them well. His simple “hello” made people feel   2 . His cheerful smile became a part of my day. When he was absent, many people noticed it, and I felt a little bit empty.
The first few times, I didn’t say hello back to him when he greeted me. I was   3  in my own world. On Monday the security guard asked me:“How was your weekend?” I told him about my visit to California, to see my mother, who had colon cancer. I  4 how I visited her each month. “The time with my mother is so precious(珍贵的),   5  I know that each time may be the last.”
He listened like a close friend I’d known for years. He felt my   6 and my love. He shared how he had lost his father to cancer two years before. He said, “I understand what you are going through. My father passed away while I was serving in Germany. Because of some reasons I was unable to fly back in time. I was unable to say goodbye to him. I wish I could have been with him, given him a hug, and told him I loved him. You are really lucky to have the gift of   7 .”
As I walked away, I realized I did not even know his name. The following day, on my way to work, I said: “After we spent all that time   8 yesterday, I still don’t know your name.” He answered, “Gary.” I responded back, “I’m Deborah.”
After that, we talked and shared stories about our weekends, dreams and families.
Later, Gary got   9  a new job and moved away. It’s been several years since I last spoke to him, yet the memory feels like yesterday. Gary reached out to me,   10  me and made my morning the best part of the day. I experienced the beauty of friendship and love.
In the business of life, we often forget to wish a stranger hello although how easy it is, and how great and lasting a   11  it can make. When you say hello to a stranger you become like a pebble(鹅卵石) thrown into a pond. With each ripple (波纹）you create, you spread love that continues to   12 . Make a point of saying hello to a stranger today. You will give the gift that keeps on giving.

News Review

Head- on Train Crash  On May 18, two trains had a head-on crash（相撞）near New York City. Over 250 people were on the trains then. About 60people were hurt, but no deaths were reported.

Travel Time  Tourists came together to the Taishan Mountain, on May1. Over 180,000tourists

visited the place of great interest from April 29 to May 1, during the three-day holiday.

Brave Volunteer   Liao Zhi , a dance teacher from Chengdu who lost her 1-year-old daughter and her legs in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, arrived in Ya’an 13 hours after the earthquake. The dancer said she had had a terrible time herself and knew what people needed most, so she decided to come and offer help.

Tomato Competition   A tomato competition was held in Huainan, Anhui Province, on April

16. The best tomatoes were chosen according to their shape, color and taste. The competition hoped to encourage the farmers to grow better tomatoes.

1.About  ________ people were hurt in the head-on crash.

A．18                                   B．29

C．60                                   D．250

2.A lot of people visited the Taishan Mountain________.

A．13 hours after the earthquake             B．on May 18

C．during the May Day holiday                D．on April 16

3.Liao Zhi, the dance teacher from________, came to Ya’an to offer help.

A．Huainan          B．Chengdu          C．Taishan           D．New York

4.The tomato competition in Anhui Province was held to________.

A．help the people in Ya’an                 B．save the people on the trains

C．forget the terrible time                   D．help grow better tomatoes

A long time before I was born, my grandma and grandpa moved into the house on Beechwood Avenue. They had a young family of 4 little girls. During that time, it was hard to find a job. So, on weekend grandpa and grandma cleaned the garden to grow some of their own food. They planted tomatoes, beans, cabbages, potatoes and strawberries to feed their growing family. All summer long, the family ate food from the garden.
The family grew up, and before too many years had passed, the grandchildren came to visit. Grandma and grandpa still planted their garden every spring. Everyone still enjoyed the good food from the garden and always took some home.
Then grandpa died in one summer when he was eighty-nine years old. It was a lonely winter for grandma. She sat near the window, looking out at the yard and wondering if she could plant the garden in the spring. It would be hard to care for it by herself. When spring came, she planted only a little.
One nice day in the early summer, grandma heard a noise in the front yard and looked out the window. There were thousands of bees in the air. Grandma wondered what she could do. She decided to wait and think it over. Before long, she decided the bees won't bother anyone, so she went about her business and didn't give them any other thought.
That summer, grandma’s little garden grew and grew. The neighbors all puzzled* why they grew so well. One day, grandma’s brother Frank visited her. Frank said，"In my hometown, the farmers often hired* beekeepers to set up bee houses near their fields. The bees helped them to grow." That was when Grandma realized that her bees had helped with her garden all summer.
From that Time on, grandma always believed that since grandpa couldn't be there to help her that summer, he had sent the bees to take his place and make grandma's little garden grow and grow.
【小题1】How did the grandparents feed their growing family?

Answer the questions (根据短文内容回答下列问题)
1．Helen Monson has always been interested in helping her community. Her first volunteer experience was for the American Red Cross when she was in high school. When she was a school teacher, she also found time to volunteer. One year, she organized a Super Saturday Fun Day for kids in the community. She also used to volunteer at the Mint Festival every year. One summer, she served food, another year she organized an art programme.
2．After she retired, she started volunteering to help the old. When her father was older, he was not able to see as well as he used to, which made her sad because he had always enjoyed reading. She decided it would be fun to read to elderly people in her community. She also helped one woman write her stories. Ann was almost 100 years old, and Helen wrote down information about her life when she visited her. She put the information in a book and got it published. Ann was very excited to share her life story with her children and her grandchildren.
3．After a hurricane(飓风) destroyed some southern cities, Helen volunteered again for the American Red Cross. She prepared food and answered phones in a care centre. She says, “I have always liked the Red Cross because the organization helps people in need no matter what.”
4．One day, Helen read an article in the newspaper about refugees(难民) who needed to learn English. Now, she meets once a week with Sahra, a 38-year-old woman, from Somalia. Sahra is living and working in a town about 30 minutes’ walk from where Helen lives. They work on reading and writing skills. Helen gave Sahra a camera and asked her to take pictures of her daily life. She developed the pictures, and then asked Sahra questions about them. In the end, they wrote a book together and used the photos in the book. This helped Sahra learn many new words about her everyday life.
5．Helen says, “The most rewarding(有益的) part of volunteer work is becoming friends with the people I help. They enrich my life as well as I enrich theirs.”
【小题1】When was Helen’s first volunteer experience for the American Red Cross?
【小题2】What did Helen do after she retired?
【小题3】Why was Ann excited when her book got published?
【小题4】Where did Helen work when she volunteered again for the American Red Cross?
【小题5】How far is Sahra living and working from Helen’s home?
【小题6】Did Helen help Sahra to learn English?
【小题7】What can you learn from Helen?