A
The desire to sleep late can be almost too much to resist at weekends. This Saturday morning, though, there was something important enough to get me up early. Yawning widely, I got out of bed and put on some old jeans and a T-shirt. After combing the house for work gloves, my dad came up with a pair my mother used for gardening and took them along.
We hopped(跳) in the car and headed into Boston. Guided by my directions, Dad was somehow—able to get us to our destination: a row of two-story houses. They were in the process of being built, mostly by volunteers like us.
After grabbing a huge leather tool belt, I met the people I would be working with. Virginia, James and Wilbur were all more than twice my age but treated me like a peer(同龄人). We got to work nailing the frames of walls. By lunch break I had hit what seemed like every tough spot in the whole house, and pried(撬起) countless bent nails. The rest of the day went by quickly as I gained efficiency with my hammer. Soon it was time to pack up.
As I was leaving, a woman came into the house. She saw the progress we’d made upstairs and started looking around the rooms. Then I realized who the woman was—her family would be living in the house. As she walked through each room, I could see her planning where furniture would go.
Even though I had only been there one short day out of weeks of construction. I felt a great sense of accomplishment. When these houses finished, six families would have nice homes.
Thanks go to Habitat for Humanity for giving me such an opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives. Habitat for Humanity is an international organization. Local information can be found by visiting www: habitat. org. You are welcome to join and be part of the change you want to see in your community.
【文章大意】本文主要叙述了作者参加为他人建造房屋的公益活动的经历。虽然是跟陌生人一起完成这个活动, 但是作者也从这个活动中获得了巨大的成就感, 帮助6个家庭拥有了自己的容身之所。
1. What is the important thing the author mentioned in Paragraph 1?
A. Sleeping at weekends.
B. Building some houses.
C. Gardening with his mother.
D. Finding his father a pair of work gloves.
【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据第二段中的 Dad was somehow. . . a row of two-story houses. . . being built, mostly by volunteers like us 可知, 作者提到的重要事情是去义务修建房屋。
2. What can be learned about the author from Paragraph 3?
A. He worked with people of his age.
B. He was an awkward nailer at first.
C. He finished work before lunch break.
D. He learned a lot from his workmates.
【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据第三段中的 By lunch break I had. . . pried countless bent nails可知, 作者一开始钉钉子老是钉弯, 由此推断, 作者刚开始钉钉子技术很不熟练。
3. Which of the following words can best describe the author?
A. Caring. B. Brave.
C. Ambitious. D. Sensitive.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据第二段中的They were in the process of being built, mostly by volunteers like us及最后一段中的 giving me such an opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives可知, 作者在公益组织做义工, 为改变他人生活状况积极努力, 是一个很有爱心的人。
4. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?
A. Call more people to volunteer.
B. Stress the importance of labor work.
C. Advertise a local nonprofit organization.
D. Introduce the benefits of joining Habitat for Humanity.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据最后一段中的Habitat for Humanity is. . . You are welcome to join and be part of the change you want to see in your community可知, 作者在本段中介绍了公益组织 Habitat for Humanity, 并呼吁人们加入该组织, 为公益事业尽一份力。
