In one of the old buildings near our school,one could see an old man sitting by a large window on the first floor,His name was James.During the three years at school,I had hardly ever found him missing from his usual position.

He was a high-ranking government official and lived happily with his wife .Once there was a bus accident,in which a number of passengers were seriously injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.James was responsible for the rescue operation.It was a big hospital,but James was shocked to notice how ill-equipped it was.There was no enough life-saving drugs and life-supporting equipment.The injured and their companions had to struggle there .James attempted to help .However,though he emptied his pockets,many of them died that day.

That was a turning point in his life.He made a decision to devote his life to helping others,particularly the poor and needy patients and their companions.He began to spend much of his income on these people.Since this required much time and energy,he found it difficult to fulfill his official duties and therefore chose to retire,which,in turn,reduced his income considerably.

His wife was deeply worried.Most of the time,James was out and paid least attention to home affairs.Meanwhile,as he was spending a lot helping others,she had struggle even to meet the household expenses.Though she was not against his helping the poor,she urged him not to ignore his own home and life,but it had no effect on him.She decided to leave him ,never to return.Though he continued his work, this was a great blow and did serious harm to his health and enthusiasm and he was soon forced to stay indoors.That was when he took his position by the window,spending his time looking outside.

    A few weeks after my graduation,I returned to school,only to find the building gone.I heard that they were torn down.Everyone left except James.He refused to go and the next morning,he was found at his usual place by the window,dead.

    Why do we read poetry? First obvious one: because we enjoy it. The only other reason is for academic purposes, and that's not why this is here.

    Many of us read poetry simply because we often feel depressed and hopelessly lost, and in poetry we see how beautiful and strange everything is. So in that way poetry calms our anxiety.

    There are many different kinds of poems. They are not all calming. Some poems make me anxious, angry, scared, and sad, which is why I value them. As a reader, I want a full meal, not just dessert. I want the sweet and the bitter. Often, I read poetry when I'm already relaxed. In fact, I read more when I'm not stressed out.

    Here are the main reasons I respond to poetry, as far as I can tell. Metrical(格律的) poems are about setting up rules and then bending them. Usually, this is done by setting up a rhythm and then violating it or almost violating it. And then returning to it again. This satisfies my desire for order and also my desire for testing boundaries.

    Poetry plays with language and often slams words together in surprising ways, which is thrilling the way food can be when the chef has paired ingredients you never thought would taste good together but somehow do.

    Many poems are dense. Words mean two or three things at once and lots of suggestions are packed between the lines. This is intellectually inspiring and it allows me to read the same poem over and over always finding new things in it.

    And, of course, there's the subject matter. It interests me just as it would if the same subject was explored in a story or essay. Not all poems interest me in this way, but then not all stories and essays do, either.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Not long ago, a good friend of mine asked me to help him in a halfway house in Nashville. I agreed and made my way there one evening.

    When I got there, I sat with my friend and talked about how he ended up there. As we talked, another man came up, lighting up his cigarette as he sat down. He had dark, leather skin, and looked like he had endured the sun, the rain, and the wind for long, long time. I couldn't tell how old he was, but I was sure that he was younger than he looked.

    Through a bit of conversation, I found out that he had been on the streets for many, many years.

    Without my asking, he started describing life as a homeless man. How he got food; how he stayed warm; how he got money. And he told me something that caught my attention.

    He said, "You want to know how I keep my stuff safe at night?"

    "Sure," I replied.

    "I put it up in the trees."

    "Why is it safe in the trees?" I asked.

"The homeless are always looking for treasure on the ground— coins, something someone's dropped, half-smoked cigarettes. I know if I put my stuff in the trees, they'll never find it because they never look up. Never. "

    Profound words from an unexpected place. And his message is for all of us.

We all have our particular search. We're looking for treasure on this earth. But what we are REALLY looking for is right there above us. There's really nothing we need on the ground.

    In fact, it's surrounding us.

    Dodder is an unusual and unwanted plant that attacked other plants. Except for its flower, the plant looks like spaghetti, a kind of noodles in the shape of long thin pieces that look like string when they are cooked. It's almost leafless, thread-like stems hang down on top of other plants that dodder needs to stay alive. Dodder does not produce its own food. Instead, it steals food from other plants. It feeds by sucking juices from the plant which is wrapped around, often making its host very weak or even killing it.

    Dodder can find other plants by their smell. When a young dodder plant starts growing, it follows the smell of plants it prefers, like tomato plants, potato plants, or other farm crops. Unlike most plants that usually grow in the direction of light or warmth, a dodder plant will grow in the direction of, for example, tomato smell-if a tomato happens to be growing nearby.

    However, a young dodder plant must find a host plant quickly. It no longer needs its root once it is attached to the host and wrapped around it. If it cannot catch a smell of potential host within a few days, it will dry up and vanish even if there is plenty of water around. Once it finds a host, the young dodder plant will attach itself to it and start growing faster. At that point the dodder plant will drop its root.

    Dodder is thus a difficult weed to manage and a real headache for farmers. When it does get out of hand, dodder can greatly reduce a farmer's harvest or even destroy crops completely. Before sowing their produce, especially farmers in warm parts of the world often check to make sure no unwanted dodder seeds have mixed with their crop seeds. This is a good way to stop dodder plants from making their way to a crop field secretly.

    To find out how the name Canada came about we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of discovering and controlling more land, of expanding(扩大) trade beyond their borders and of spreading their beliefs across the world. In 1535, Francois I, king of France, ordered a navigator(航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore the New World and search for a way to India.

    Carrier first arrived at the gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he intended (打算) to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upstream along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Standalone, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term "Canada" entered the country's history. Apparently the word "Canada" came from an India word" kanata", which means community or village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Standalone or Quebec. What a huge "village" Canada is!

In Hollywood, few actors have experienced a career as diverse and prolific as Harrison Ford. From the fearless Indiana Jones to the charming Han Sol o and the world-weary Rick Deckard, Ford's portrayal（饰演） of iconic characters has left a permanent mark on cinema and pop culture. Yet, the irony lies in how many of his career-defining roles fell into this "late bloomer's" lap by chance.

Born in Chicago, Harrison was discouraged from pursuing a career on the silver screen early on, having failed to land any significant parts. Instead, he turned to professional carpentry（木工） as a means to keep his family fed.

But fate had other plans. While working as a carpenter in Hollywood, Ford crossed paths with numerous celebrity clients such as Joan Didion and, most notably, director George Lucas, who hired him to build cabinets for his office. Little did Ford know that this chance encounter would lead to his breakthrough role as the charming Han Solo in Star Wars. Lucas was impressed by Ford's presence and offered him the iconic role. In time, Ford rose to a star.

Ford's next lucky moment came when he tried out for the role of Indiana Jones in a massive project by Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg initially wanted Ford for the role, but Lucas was hesitant as he had already worked with Ford on Star War and 1973'sAmerican Graffiti. Then the production team tried many other possibilities but without luck. Eventually, the role went to Ford, strengthening his status as a Hollywood legend.

The film series became a worldwide sensation, stimulating people's imagination and inspiring a generation of future archaeologists. Over 40 years and four films later, Ford found himself completing the series with the fifth and final installment. Eighty-one-year-old Harrison received a five-minute standing ovation（鼓掌） at the Cannes Film Festival Premiere and picked up an honorary Palmed' Or for his achievements.

Ford's commitment to his career is evident as he said, "I love the work! My luck has been to work with incredibly talented people, to find my way into this crowd of geniuses." Despite his legendary status in Hollywood, Ford's humility shines through.