阅读理解

    On April 2, 1805, Hans Christian Andersen was born in a one-bedroom house in Odense, Denmark. His father was a shoemaker and his mother was a laundrywoman (洗衣女工). When he was 11, his father died. He had to leave school and began to work in a factory. When he was 17, he met a director. With the director's help, Andersen went back to school. He studied with children who were six years younger than him. He began writing at that time.

    Andersen's first book of fairy tales came out in 1835. The Princess on the Pea and The Tinderbox were included in it. His first book was a big success. From then on, he wrote almost a book every year. In his lifetime, he wrote about 168 fairy tales and his stories have been translated into about 150 languages. No matter how old we are, we are probably familiar with The Emperor's New Clothes, The little Match Girl and many other fairy tales of Andersen.

    Andersen always wanted to tell people not to judge (判断) people by their appearances. In 77ie Ugly Duckling, the character everyone makes fun of has inner (内在的) beauty.

    Andersen was also a gifted artist. He made thousands of paper cuttings of swans (天鹅), clowns and angels. These can be seen in the book The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen.

    Because of his wonderful fairy tales, Andersen became known as the greatest writer in Denmark and one of the most beloved children's writers in the world. On April 2, people celebrate International Children's Book Day. That's because April 2 was Andersen's birthday.

    I used to think that life in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, was filled with never-changing styles. I hated that everyone seemed to know everything about everyone else. Everyone seemed to enjoy talking about other people and their lives. I also didn't like the fact that people seemed very close-minded. I felt trapped. I felt like I was missing . It seemed to me that city life would be the opposite.

    Then I took my first trip to New York City. I couldn't wait to experience the city. However, when I arrived in the Big Apple, it wasn't at all what I had imagined. I knew it was home to thousands of people, but I hadn't had the least expectation to see so many people on the street at one time. All the streets were filled with people. I also felt a little surprised to see that everyone was in a hurry and everything moved at such a fast pace(步伐). When I took the subway for the first time, I said hello to the middle-aged woman next to me. She looked at me with dislike and didn't say a word.

    After just one day, I realized how important my small town is to me. Now I miss the familiar faces I see every day. I like the feeling of safety and belonging my town offers. Jim Thorpe gives me a sense of community and togetherness that the city doesn't provide. I realize just how much a simple hello does for a stranger — it really can make your day a little better.

    My big trip showed me that my small town really has its own values in me that I didn't even know I had. I never would have known what a big place my town holds in my heart if I had not taken that trip to New York City.

    Jeff Black has only one leg. When he was 12 years old, he got cancer. The doctor had to cut off most of his right leg to save his life.

    Every day Jeff walks with all artificial(人造的) leg. With the help of the leg, he can ski, ride a bike and play tennis. He can even run.

    When he was 22 years old, Jeff ran across the United States. He ran 5,150 kilometers. That was about 9.6 kilometers each day. Jeff wore out 36 pairs of running shoes and five artificial legs.

    On his way, people in every city gave Jeff some money. The money was not for Jeff himself. It was for a project, which helps people with cancer. Jeff talked to people about cancer and his disability.

    Though Jeff is disabled, he can do lots of things like a healthy man. He has finished college and now he is studying to be a lawyer. He says, "I want people to know that I ran not only for the disabled but also for everybody. I hope my spirit can cheer others up."

    An old man went to live with his son, his daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was very poor, and he couldn't walk steadily(平稳地). The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Rice often dropped on the floor.

    The son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man, so they put a small table in the corner. There, the grandfather ate alone, while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the table. Since the grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

    The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with a piece of wood on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” The boy answered, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so that they were in silence. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks（脸颊）. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

    Hans said to his friend Kurt, "I'm going to take my car and drive to London." Kurt said," Driving to London is very difficult. You aren't going to find your hotel." But Hans was not afraid. He drove to Calais, put his car on his ship, took it off at Dover and drove to London.

    He stopped near the city and looked at his map. Then he drove into London, but he didn't find his hotel. He drove round and round for an hour, and then he stopped and got out of his car. A taxi came, and Hans stopped it. "Take me to the Brussels Hotel." he said. But he didn't get into the taxi; he got back into his car. The taxi man laughed, but then he drove to the Brussels Hotel and Hans followed him in his car. They got to the hotel in two minutes.