【推荐1】Twelve years ago, I arrived in Central Florida from Puerto Rico. I had heard of a job opportunity and decided to pursue it. But it never became a reality. I quickly learned that being alone without resources in an unfamiliar city was not a comfortable situation to be in.

Once my limited funds ran out I became homeless and spent a year and a half living on the streets of Orlando. Apart from feeling not being noticed and missing my family, I had to face another challenge — hunger.

For the first time in my life, I, as a foreign man, who had lived my life in the relative comfort of the middle class, understood the desperation someone feels when they don’t get enough to eat. I clearly remembered having run a distance of more than 7 miles on many occasions just to make it to a local feeding program before they closed at 7 pm.

Once the need for food was met, the next challenge would arise — where to find a place to sleep for the night. Fortunately, local programs like the Coalition for the Homeless, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Wayne Densch Center were an important part of my ability to survive my painful experience.

With the assistance of these programs, I was accepted by a college scholarship program through the Coalition and obtained two degrees from Valencia.

My experience has helped me understand that devoting my life to helping others offers lasting rewards. Today, I am employed as Childhood Hunger Programs Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank and oversee the summer feeding, Hi-Five Kids Pack, and Kids Café programs. I am so proud to be able to distribute food resources to those wonderful programs and help hundreds more like me.

1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?

A．The author rejected many chances to get a job in Florida.

B．Florida was not a good place for people living there.

C．It was impossible for the author to get a job then.

D．Many local people were out of work in Florida.

2. Before being accepted by a college scholarship program, the author_____.

A．had been struggling financially

B．had won his degree in a university

C．had lived with his relatives happily

D．had lost hope of facing the future

3. From his experience, the author learns that ______.

A．a friend in need is a friend indeed

B．one good turn deserves another

C．misfortune may be an actual blessing

D．where there is a will there is a way

【推荐2】I first went to Harrow in the summer term.The school had the biggest swimming pool I had ever seen.It was a good joke to come up behind a naked boy,and push him into the pool.I made quite a habit of this with boys of my own size or less.
One day I saw a boy wrapped in a towel on the side of the pool.He was no bigger than I was,so I thought him ______Coming secretly behind,I pushed him in,holding on to his towel so that it would not get wet,I was surprised to see an angry face come out from the water,and a being of great strength making its way by fierce strokes(猛力地划) to the shore.I fled,but in vain.He overtook me,seized me violently,and threw me into the deepest part of the pool.I soon climbed out on the other side,and found myself surrounded by a crowd of younger boys.“Do you know what you have done?”they said.“It’s Amery;he is in Grade Six.He is champion at gym;he has got his football honor.”
I was frightened and felt ashamed.How could I tell his position when he was wrapped in a bath towel and so small?I decided to apologize immediately.“I am sorry,”I said,“I mistook you for a Grade Four boy.You are so small.”He didn’t seem pleased at all,so I added in a most brilliant word.“_____________________.”At this he laughed,and after some general words about my rude behavior and how I had better be careful in the future,signified the incident was closed.
1. The writer thought Amery “a fair game” because the boy______.

A．looked like an animal

B．was fond of games

C．was of similar size

D．was good at sports

2. The writer felt “ashamed” because______.

A．he was laughed at by other boys

B．Amery turned out to be in the same grade

C．he pushed Amery hard and hurt him

D．he played a joke on an outstanding athlete

3. By saying “My father,who is a great man,is also small”,the writer_______.

A．tried to please Amery

B．challenged Amery

C．threatened Amery

D．admired his father

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The writer could run faster than Amery.

B．The writer liked playing jokes on boy of all sizes.

C．Amery was a student in Grade Four.

D．Amery forgave the writer for his rude behavior.

【推荐1】“Serena, don’t forget your promise to me that you will mow (割) Mrs. Martin’s yard this weekend, " said Dad. “Don’t let me down.”

Serena was the oldest child in the family, and one of her tasks was to mow their yard. Mrs. Martin, their elderly neighbor, was unable to take care of her yard, so Serena’s dad had volunteered Serena for this job. Since Mrs. Martin’s yard was not very big, Serena knew the job would go quickly. However, she still resented her dad’s promise.

“Why didn’t you ask me first?” Serena had complained.

“Did you ask me first when you volunteered me to be in the school festival last fall? asked Serena’s father.

“Well, no, I didn’t ask you first, but you would have done those things anyway. You’re always willing to help.”

“I try when I can, " Dad answered. “Serena, we have known Mrs. Martin for a very long time. She has often helped our family. Now we can do something for her. Besides, the feeling you get from helping someone makes you wonder who is really helping whom.”

“I don’t know, Dad,”said Serena. “the only feeling I get from mowing our yard is tired.”

“Just you wait and see,” said Dad.

After breakfast, Serena made her way to Mrs. Martin’s yard. She was good at her job and soon had Mrs. Martin’s yard looking tidy. Mrs. Martin came outside with a big glass of orange juice and offered it to her. Serena stopped her work and thankfully enjoyed the drink, while Mrs. Martin talked to her about all of the flowers in her yard. Seeing the joy in Mrs. Martin’s eyes, Serena began to understand how much the yard meant to Mrs. Martin.

After finishing her drink, Serena returned to work with a new attitude. A warm feeling began to spread through her body. Her dad was right. It was hard to tell who was helping whom!

1. What does the underlined word “resented”in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Felt happy about.

B．Felt angry about.

C．Welcomed.

D．Broke.

2. Which of the following best describes Serena’s dad?

A．Honest and thankful.	B．Demanding and humorous.
C．Kind and considerate.	D．Brave and determined.

3. How did Serena feel when mowing Mrs. Martin’s yard after her drink?

A．Surprised.

B．Tired.

C．Annoyed.

D．Pleased.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．Mrs. Martin shared her love for the yard with Serena.

B．Mrs. Martin and Serena did the yard work together.

C．Serena likes the job of mowing her family’s yard.

D．Dad volunteered himself to take part in the school festival.

【推荐3】When you’re a junior in high school, three little letters quickly become larger than life: SAT.

At the start of my junior year, I realized that the environment was packed with competition. Surprisingly, this pressure didn’t come from adults. It came from the other students. Everyone in my grade had college on the brain. To get into the college of our choice, we all believed, we had to outcompete and outscore everyone else with less sleep, because time for sleeping was time you didn’t spend studying for the SAT.

I let myself get swept up in the pressure. My new motto was, if I wasn’t in every single honor level class, I wasn’t doing enough. I was bad-tempered and I couldn’t focus. I stopped talking to my friends and my mom, and I couldn’t figure out who I was. I didn’t have the confidence to know that my own passions and unique skills were what would make me stand out to colleges.

That’s when I realized: I am not my SAT score. Trying to stick to what I thought colleges wanted masked who I really am. I decided to rely on my strengths and get away from the crazy pressure I was putting on myself.

Instead of forcing myself into higher levels of math, I took on an extra history class. I learned how to love what I was doing and not what I thought I was supposed to do. I learned to shine as an individual, not a faceless member of the crowd. And I found that not only was this better for my happiness, but it also made me more effective and efficient when I studied.

To me, individuality means having the confidence to decide who I am and who I want to be, and a number on a page is never going to change that. I am more sure of myself, and more ready to apply for college, than ever.

1. At the start of the junior year, the author decided to study for the SAT ________.

A．to overcome the pressure from other high school students

B．to test how good she was at studying compared to others

C．because it was exciting to compete with others to get into college

D．because she was eager to get an advantage over others in the competition

2. When did the author realize she shouldn’t just compete for scores?

A．When she got in every single honor level class.

B．When everybody stopped talking to her.

C．When she found she was no longer her usual self.

D．When she forced herself to take advanced maths.

3. What can you infer from Paragraph 5?

A．She tried to live as who she was, not just a student focusing on grades.

B．She learned to team up with others and so gained efficiency.

C．She managed to do well in both maths and history classes.

D．She wanted to be number one and no one could change her mind.

4. Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

A．Pressure brings out the best in you.

B．You will stand out by being your best self.

C．Things will happen whether you like it or not.

D．Life is just a matter of decisive times.

【推荐1】It's amazing how we grow from careless kids to responsible teens. What happens in the course that makes us responsible now? It's the seed that we sow in the beginning which grows and becomes a huge tree. As I sit here, silently thinking about my growth, I wonder over some questions which don't have an answer but it's because of such unanswerable situations that life has become a roller coaster ride.

As a kid, used to read a lot of story books. In one particular book, I read a story of a bird. From then on, that has become an integral(不可少的) part of my life. It described male bird which takes: a lot of pain to build a nest and the female bird takes shelter in it and nourishes the baby. When the bird learns to fly, the whole family flies off to a different place leaving behind the beautiful nest for other birds to grow their family in it. It made me wonder. How could they so easily sacrifice their house built with so much effort?

One night, when I was deep in sleep, I got this particular dream. I was walking miles on the endless road, totally isolated but lined with beautiful trees on the either side. Fascinated by the greenery, I marched towards it only to end up deeper and deeper into the greenery. I happened to stop upon seeing something. It was a massive, wonderful house. I fell in love with that amazing part of art. Yeah, it was indeed a piece of art with every nook and corner touched artistically and lovingly. I don't know why I felt that it was done lovingly. Maybe because, things turn out to be beautiful only when we put our love into it—just like the food prepared by mom which tastes more delicious with her love.

I explored the house only to fall more in love with it. There was a sloping roof which matched with the greenery around; the large central open courtyard reminded me of the activities that might have taken place there which felt lively even now when it is completely deserted. The small water body that kept the house cool added to the beauty of the house—of course, it was all dried up now. It's really wonderful how such things add life to the spaces which otherwise just become structures. Such liveliness and happening turns the house into a home. They say 'THE HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS', but now began to feel it. This is where my heart belongs. This is what I'm destined to do.

When woke up from the dream, I was clear about everything. I realized where that mile of walk was intending me to lead. I realized what message my dream wanted to convey me. And years later, when finally my turn of choosing my destination came, I simply closed my eyes, held that book in my hand, pressed it against my chest and relived the dream. When I opened my eyes, I was sure what to do. I decided to choose the road -less traveled. Yes, I took up architecture as my profession because this is what I am destined to do. I wanted to do the same thing that the male bird in the story did, to take pain in building a beautiful house and let others stay in it. This is my dream come true and the happiness that I gain now from this profession is indescribable.

1. When the writer read the story of the bird, he probably felt            .

A．upset

B．confused

C．surprised

D．moved

2. To the writer, "the seed that we sow in the beginning"(Paragraph 1) is          .

A．the house in his dream

B．his mother's food

C．the story of the bird

D．his story books

3. Mom's food always tastes better because          .

A．mom cooks with her love	B．we are so familiar with mom's food
C．moms are better cooks than fathers	D．mom is experienced in cooking

4. The above passage is mainly about           .

A．how the writer finally becomes an honest citizen

B．where the true meaning of responsibility lies

C．what we need to do when we are seeking a fortune

D．why the writer takes up architecture as his career

【推荐2】Bob Stockton, my father-in-law, observed his 80th birthday in November 2019. Bob loved sports and was an enthusiastic Yankees (an American professional baseball team based in the New York City) fan, so it was no wonder that over the years, he was an avid (热切的) listener to WEAN radio and, in particular, the afternoon show hosted by Mike Francesa.

Bob had health issues in his later years that limited his mobility, and when he lost his eyesight three years ago, his attachment to his radio and Francesa became more pronounced. He just loved listening to Mike talk about sports and his Yankees each afternoon. Those hours brought him so much pleasure.

Of course, Mike will be leaving on Dec. 15,2020 after 30 years at the station. Mike lives in the same community where I work on Long Island, and I have gotten to know him over the past20 years. So when my father-in-law was approaching his special birthday last year, I asked Mike for a favor: to call Bob and wish him a happy birthday.

Mike agreed without hesitation. Two days before the special day, Mike stopped at my workplace. I called Bob at his nursing home and put Mike on the phone. It was a complete surprise to Bob. Mike spent more than 10 minutes wishing Bob a happy birthday and, of course, talking about the Yankees.

When my family celebrated Bob's birthday two days later, he couldn't stop talking about the phone call. Over his lifetime. he said it was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him. Unfortunately, Bob's health declined (衰退) and he passed away on July 13,2020. But even in his final months in the hospital and nursing home, he always had a radio set to WEAN to listen each afternoon to Mike Francesa. And he also had the memory of that special phone call for his80th birthday.

1. What habit did Bob keep for years?

A．Playing baseball.	B．Listening to a sports program.
C．Checking his eyesight regularly.	D．Leading organized cheering for the Yankees.

2. What does the underlined word “pronounced” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Obvious.

B．Confused.

C．Important.

D．Ordinary.

3. What word can describe the author?

A．Honest.

B．Caring.

C．Patient.

D．Independent.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．A Special Gift	B．The Call Finally Arrived
C．The Big Dream Came True	D．An Unforgettable Birthday Party

【推荐3】Nickenson Chery began at Florida National University (FNU) in 2008 as a radiology major. Midway through his career, Nickenson switched to Health Services Administration after realizing he’d prefer the medical field. But the career change came with stress, “I spent entire nights awake studying and doing homework. I’d consistently go to bed at 2 or 3 a. m., only to wake up early the next day and start over.” The hard work eventually paid off as Nickenson graduated from FNU with his Bachelor’s Degree in 2015.

When asked about his experience and impression of his time at FNU, he said, “I truly loved FNU. It was a great experience. I always felt at home and part of a family. If you need any help, professors and staff are always available. They give you all the tools necessary to get your work done and succeed. If it wasn’t for FNU, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’ll always recommend FNU to anyone looking for a great education, regardless of what they want to study.”

Nickenson’s journey was just beginning, taking a long road that led him across the country searching for the perfect career. It started here in South Florida, serving as an intern (实习医生) at Aventura Hospital. When that didn’t lead to a long-term option, he moved to Las Vegas for a short amount of time, only to leave there as well and end up in his current home, Boston. Nickenson Chery now works at Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, proving that whatever the struggles one faces perseverance and hard work will lead you to success.

Nickenson left these words to current students at FNU, “You have to know where you’re going. Don’t take anything for granted. If it wasn’t for FNU that taught me a lot of stuff in and out of the classroom, I would’ve never gotten this position. I have a degree from FNU; nothing can stop me.”

1. What’s Nickenson’s impression of FNU?

A．Joyful and peaceful.	B．Supportive and loving.
C．Rewarding but uncomfortable.	D．Creative but disappointing.

2. What happened to Nickenson after his graduation?

A．He changed jobs until finding a suitable one.

B．He faced criticism while working at FNU.

C．He returned to FNU for further studies.

D．He spent much time traveling alone.

3. What can we infer from Nickenson’s words in the last paragraph?

A．He hopes students at FNU can seek help whenever necessary.

B．He advises students at FNU be careful when making choices.

C．He wishes students at FNU to work hard and support themselves.

D．He recommends students at FNU have clear goals and be grateful.

4. What can we learn from Nickenson’s story?

A．It’s never too late to learn.	B．It pays to put theory into practice.
C．Actions speak louder than words.	D．Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.

【推荐1】In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses and so on, in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections so that they won’t have diseases. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in the garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.

People in Canada have many reasons to like pets. One of them might be: their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. And pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.

1. People give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because __________.

A．the pets are sick	B．the pets are not friendly
C．they want them to be different	D．they want to stop them from having diseases

2. In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ______________.

A．their parents’ houses are too small

B．they don’t love their parents any more

C．they can only find jobs far from their parents

D．they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more

3. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Pets in Canada.	B．Life of the old in Canada.
C．How to take good care of pets.	D．How to keep diseases away from pets.

【推荐2】When I was 4, our family took the train across the country to visit our grandparents. Because I was so little, I don’t remember much. But I do have a few memories of our stay there.

Grandfather had some tomatoes growing on the north side of his house, just outside the back door to the kitchen. I found a nice green tomato. I picked it and brought it with both hands and came into the kitchen and gave it to Grandpa. “Look, Grandpa, what I found!” He thanked me with a smile, and showed me he was putting it on the window sill(窗台). I was so happy, and I headed back outside, telling Grandfather I’d bring him some more. But my mom caught me and said, “No, no, no, green tomatoes are bad for health!” Grandmother sat in her wheelchair in the living room by the front door. We played games with her.

Soon, our visit ended and we had to go home. We left Grandmother to go back to the train station. It was several hours’ drive away. We all squeezed into Grandfather’s car.

A few years later, our family was living in Colorado. Grandfather came to visit us! He came by plane to Denver, and after a long drive, my father picked him up. During the weeks Grandfather stayed with us like most children, I’d go out and play in the back yard with him every day. I’m sure it was a precious time for Grandfather and my parents, too. I remember that when he was leaving in the airplane, we could see him in the airplane window, looking grieved. I never saw Grandfather again from then on, because we moved even further away. But we didn’t forget him.

1. How did the grandfather react when the author showed him the green tomatoes?

A．He was angry.	B．He looked strange.
C．He praised his grandson.	D．He thanked the author.

2. How did the grandfather finally get to his son’s home in Colorado?

A．By plane and car.	B．By train and car.
C．By plane and train.	D．By car and ship.

3. What does the underlined word “grieved” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Curious.

B．Sad.

C．Cautious.

D．Angry.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The life of my grandfather	B．The tomatoes of my grandparents
C．A lesson from my grandparents	D．The memory of my grandfather

【推荐3】

Railair Link

Healthrow Airport (All terminals) → Reading Dec 1st, 2014 to Jan. 31st, 2015

Mondays to Fridays

Terminal 4 depart   Terminal 2 depart   Terminal 3 depart   Terminal 1 depart     Reading arrive

0635                      0645                      0652                      0700                    0750 0730                      0720                      0727                      0735                    0835 0750                    0800                      0807                       0815                    0905 0820                    0830                      0837                       0845                    0935 then at the same minutes past each hour until 2150                    2200                      2207                       2215                    2305 2250                    2300                      2307                       2315                    0005

Saturdays and Sundays (Also Bank Holidays)

Terminal 4 depart   Terminal 2 depart   Terminal 3 depart   Terminal 1 depart   Reading arrive

0650                      0700                    0707                       0715                    0805 0720                      0730                    0737                       0745                    0835 0750                      0800                    0807                       0815                    0905 then at the same minutes past each hour until

2150                      2200                    2207                       2215                    2305 2250                      2300                    2307                       2315                    0005

For more information please telephone Reading 0734 6756778 The British Railway Board accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracy in the information contained in this guide, which may be altered at any time without notice. Published by InterCity, a business section of the British Railway Board.

Railair Link

Reading → Heathrow Airport (All terminals) Dec 1st, 2014 to Jan. 31st, 2015

Mondays to Fridays

Reading arrive   Terminal 4 depart   Terminal 2 depart   Terminal 3 depart   Terminal 1 depart

0530                 0615                      0617                      0620                  0630 0600                 0645                      0647                      0650                  0700 0630                 0730                      0732                      0735                  0745 0700                 0800                      0802                      0805                  0815 0730                 0830                      0832                      0835                  0845 0800                 0900                      0902                      0905                  0915 0845                 0930                      0932                      0935                  0945 0915                 1000                      1002                      1005                  1015 then at the same minutes past each hour until 2045                 2130                      2132                      2135                    2145 2145                 2230                    2232                       2235                    2245

Saturdays and Sundays (Also Bank Holidays)

Reading arrive   Terminal 4 depart   Terminal 2 depart   Terminal 3 depart   Terminal 1 depart

0545                 0630                    0632                       0635                    0645 0615                 0700                    0702                       0705                    0715 0645                 0730                    0732                       0735                    0745 then at the same minutes past each hour until

2045                 2130                    2132                       2135                    2145 2145                 2230                    2232                       2235                    2245

Customers should check in at the Railair waiting-room at Reading Station at least 15 minutes before departure of the coach. Please purchase a ticket before boarding the coach.

1. On December 25th, 2014, the first coach from Heathrow Terminal 1 to Reading departs at ______.

A．7:15	B．7:00
C．6:50	D．6:35

2. If you are to reach Terminal 2 of the Heathrow Airport before 10:00 a.m., you need to get to Reading Station not later than _________.

A．8:20 a.m.	B．8:45 a.m.
C．9:00 a.m.	D．9:15 a.m.

3. The information leaflet is produced by _________.

A．Reading	B．InterCity
C．Railair Link	D．Heathrow Airport

4. According to the timetable, all passengers should _________.

A．buy return tickets	B．buy their tickets on the bus
C．buy the tickets online	D．buy their tickets in advance