【推荐2】A tall, artistic structure called Vessel stands at the heart of Hudson Yards, a real-estate development in New York city that includes offices, residences and stores. Hudson Yards is currently the largest private development in the U.S. and is built over the top of an active rail yard.

Vessel is a network of staircases and platforms that offers views of New York city from a variety of perspectives. The structure is meant to be a meeting point at the center of the area as well as an attraction for tourists. It won’t be called Vessel for long, however. There will soon be a competition to choose a permanent title.

The structure is currently called “Vessel” because of its shape: narrow at its base and then expanding up and out. To get to the structure's highest point on foot, visitors can climb2,500 steps and cross 80 platforms. According to the developer, it’s a one-mile climb.

To explore Vessel, visitors need free tickets that allow them to enter the structure at a set time of the day. The purpose of the set times on the tickets is to keep the number of people on Vessel within a safe limit at all times.

Since Vessel opened to the public, it has been applauded by some visitors and criticized by others. Some have made fun of its shape, comparing it to a pineapple or waste paper basket. Others have criticized its lack of benches. Since resting on the stairs is not allowed, there is not place to sit. Despite these issues , Vessel attracts many locals and tourists every day.

1. According to this article, what are beneath the Hudson Yards development?

A．Trains and tracks	B．Docks and small ships
C．Freeway exchanges	D．Waiting buses and taxis

2. What is true about the structure’s current, official name?

A．It’s universally praised	B．It’s only temporary
C．It’s been copied elsewhere	D．Its meaning is unknown.

3. What does the article imply about people who visit Vessel？

A．Their opinions about it vary quite a bit	B．Their primary interest lies in shopping
C．They’re all asked to pay a small entrance fee.	D．They return to it on multiple occasions.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Advantages and disadvantages of Vessel	B．A unique landmark in the Big Apple
C．Different opinions on Vessel	D．A mysterious journey to Vessel

【推荐3】In life，once on a path，we tend to follow it，for better or worse.What's sad is that even if it's the latter，we often accept it anyway because we are so used to the way things are that wed don't even recognize that they could be different This is a phenomenon psychologist call functional fixedness.

This classic experiment will give you an idea of how it works and a sense of whether you may have fallen into the same trap: People are given a box of tacks (大头钉) and some matches and asked to find a way to attach a candle to a wall so that it burns properly.

Typically, the subjects try tacking the candle to the wall or lighting it to fix it with melted wax. The psychologists had, of course, arranged it so that neither of these obvious approaches would work. The tacks are too short, and the paraffin (石蜡) doesn't stick to the wall. So how can you complete the task? The successful technique is to use the tack box as a candle-holder. You empty it, tack it to the wall. and stand the candle inside it. To think of that, you have to look beyond the box's usual role as a receptacle just for tacks and re-imagine it serving an entirely new purpose. That is difficult because we all suffer to one degree or another from functional fixedness.

The inability to think in new ways affects people in every corner of society. The political theorist Hannah Arendt coined the phrase“frozen thoughts”to describe deeply held ideas that we no longer question but should. In Arendt's eyes, the self- content reliance on such accepted “truths”also made people blind to ideas that didn't fit their worldview, even when there was plenty of evidence for them.

Frozen thinking has nothing to do with intelligence, she said,“It can be found in highly intelligent people.”

1. What does the underlined word“it”in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The experiment.	B．Functional fixedness.
C．The path.	D．The thinking.

2. Which way is hard to think of to complete the task?

A．Tacking the candle to the wall.

B．Fixing the candle with melted wax.

C．Using the tack box as a candle-holder.

D．Lighting the candle to stand it.

3. Which of the following statements will Hannah Arendt agree with?

A．People should question.

B．We should be used to the way things are.

C．People shouldn't accept the idea that doesn't fit their worldview.

D．The smarter people are，the more open to the new things they are.

4. What's the passage mainly about?

A．An interesting experiment

B．A psychological phenomenon.

C．A theory to be proved.

D．The opinion of Hannah Arendt.

【推荐1】The American book Who Moved My Cheese (奶酪) has been a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The book tells us that when facing change in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don’t be afraid. Instead, use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students.

Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs and tells a story about two mice, two “little people” and some cheese.

The four are in a maze looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can’t change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people, however, can’t do this. They are afraid of change so they find no cheese.

After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move in a new direction quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself.

1. The book Who Moved My Cheese is ________.

A．written all over the world	B．read across the world
C．sold only in America	D．loved only by teens

2. What does the text mainly discuss?

A．Never change in our life	B．Change when you like to do
C．Change with the changes	D．Pay attention to the changes

3. The underlined word “four”（paragraph 3）refers to ________.

A．Mice and little people	B．students
C．Cheese	D．Readers

4. In our lives, we should learn from ________.

A．mice	B．little people
C．Chris	D．Spence Johnson

5. Which of the following statements is true?

A．The author is Britain.

B．There are three terms in every school.

C．Most teens don’t understand Chris’ story.

D．The book tells teens how to face changes in their lives.

【推荐2】From Madrid to Buenos Aires to Panama City to Lisbon, President Xi Jinping has tirelessly promoted the building of a community of shared future for mankind, and the Belt and Road Initiative(倡议) as a means to achieve that.

But all don’t see it that way. While some are quick to see its positive potentials, other countries insist on viewing it skeptically. There have been the usual doubts about the intention behind, although the mysterious threat they speak of is one they seem unable to explain clearly.

To some of them, it is a vague assumption that investments from China are potential “debt traps” that call for extreme caution or “threats to national security”. That is why the business combinations involving Chinese companies which would be mutually( 相互地)beneficial have hit the rocks. The Chinese telecommunications technology giant Huawei, for instance, has found the doors to the 5G telecommunications markets of advanced countries closed to it on “national security” grounds. Likewise, the European Union has agreed on a framework regulating foreign investment(投资 ) particularly those from China on the same account.

Even as Chinese and Portuguese leaders discuss bilateral( 双边的)cooperation under the Belt and Road, there is no lack of concern about “Chinas influence”. But existing EU rules do not forbid Lisbon from seeking such a partnership. If Lisbon sees no harm from foreign investment, no outsider is in a position to prevent it from making a choice in its own best interests.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has reminded EU decision-makers of his country's desire for foreign investment, and advised the latter to avoid taking “the path of protectionism”. It was a timely reminder.

Facing the challenges in today, s world, China and the countries that have embraced the Belt and Road are convinced it is the way to common development and the world’s lasting peace and stability.

1. Some countries that hold a negative attitude towards the Initiative mainly doubt its______

A．power

B．mystery

C．intention

D．potential

2. What does the underlined part “hit the rocks” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Fallen Into a trap	B．become a hit
C．made a difference	D．failed to work out

3. It can be learned from the passage that________

A．Huawei has caused serious security problems abroad

B．the EU will take relatively strict measures on Chinese investment

C．the Road and Belt Initiative has gained much popularity for “China’s influence”

D．China's investment in Portugal has been extremely smooth

4. What is the authors attitude towards Portuguese Prime Ministers advice

A．Negative.

B．Positive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

【推荐3】When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."
1. The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that ___.

A．they must reach the age of 60

B．they should be easy to make friends with

C．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

2. Doctors __________.

A．encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively

B．point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

C．believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer

D．have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming

3. The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.

A．they can remain young

B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter

C．they find it enjoyable and interesting

D．they might meet fewer troubles in life

4. The passage is mainly about __________.

A．a group of cold-water swimming lovers

B．the polar bears' life

C．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming

D．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

【推荐1】When mentioning China, what comes to mind? As a country with a history of more than 5000 years, China is rich in civilization and culture. What best represents China?

Confucius (551BC-479 BC)

Confucius was a teacher and philosopher from the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius stresses individual morality including kindness, fairness, politeness, and sincerity. Confucius' principles have a broad basis in common Chinese tradition and belief.

Dragon

A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with winding or crawling characters. The dragon symbol is frequently used on ancient Chinese emperor's items including chairs or costumes. It is considered a representation of power.

Peking Opera

Peking Opera is considered the essence of China. As the larger form of Chinese opera, it has many "firsts" in Chinese dramas: the abundance of talents, the number of artists, opera groups and audience.

The Great Wall

There is an old saying that goes. "He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man." The Great Wall, one of the greatest wonders of the world, is a destination one must see when visiting China.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Developed in China, TCM has a tradition dating back to more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, cupping, massage, exercise (Qigong), and dietary therapy.

1. What do we know about Confucius according to the passage?

A．He died at the age of 72.

B．He put stress on teamwork spirits.

C．He was a teacher in the Waning Stales Period.

D．He created common Chinese tradition and belief.

2. Which of the following is regarded as symbol of power?

A．Confucius.	B．Dragon.
C．Peking Opera.	D．The Great Wall.

3. What must you do when coming to China according to the passage?

A．Learn to exercise Qigong.

B．Appreciate Peking Opera.

C．Pay a visit to the Great Wall.

D．Experience the treatment of cupping.

【推荐2】Goolsbee, now a professor at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, said the rising number of Americans out of work forever paints a troubling picture about the recovery (恢复).

“If we are on path to only be two-thirds recovered,” Goolsbee wrote, “and then have millions of businesses closed down and the jobs there lost fast, there will be years for us to try to get back onto the path we were on before.”

And those everlasting job losses will influence the economy. People out of work may cutback spending or even stop it. They are at risk of falling behind on car payments, credit card bills and bank loan (贷款). Those risks are magnified by the fact that the government has so far failed to provide additional economic recovery policies (政策) — even though the US economy is in great need of them.

“Good insurance (保险) policies for people out of work have helped them pay the loan much more easily,” Principal’s Shah wrote, “but with everlasting job losses clearly rising and still no sign of an additional economic recovery package, the trouble will become more widespread and obvious.”

The hope is that those recognized as jobless at present will in the end get a job somewhere else. Even though some restaurants, shops and small businesses have shut down, new companies are opening each day here and there. But there is a time limit at play because the time of continuously out of job influences the chances of getting another job. “The longer you’re out of the job market,” said PNC’s Faucher, “the more difficult it becomes to find a new one.” Many Americans who had a job loss or had a too long vacation without any payment are eagerly looking forward to another job.

1. What does the underlined word “magnified” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Reduced.	B．Enlarged.
C．Avoided.	D．Unchanged.

2. What’s Shah’s attitude towards the government’s present economy policies?

A．Supportive.	B．Confused.
C．Disappointed.	D．Uninterested.

3. What can we learn about the Americans out of work?

A．Losing jobs gets them out of the job market.

B．They have more opportunities to have vacations.

C．They successfully get offers from new companies.

D．Losing jobs for long makes it harder to find a new one.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The jobless usually spend less.

B．Insurance companies offer necessary loans.

C．More job losses suggest a dark economy future.

D．The economy recovery depends on the government.

【推荐3】Keeping your teenager out of the social media world is impossible. Whether we like it or not, our kids are growing up in a digital era- -and although that creates major opportunities, it also comes with some pretty big risks. We saw this firsthand when we asked a group of tweens and teens to give up their phones and social media for a week; it was as though we’d asked them to part with a limb.

A recent study of more than 10 ,000 six- to twelve-grade girls carried out by a nonprofit organization Ruling Our Experiences found that high school girls spend an average of six hours a day on social media. And the effect of too much logged-on time is clear. The study found kids who spend eight hours or more on technology per day are five times more likely to be sad or depressed. Adding to the pressure is that2 out of 3 high school girls report being asked to send a revealing photo to another person, and most of them report that they do send sexual texts and photos to each other.

Another study, carried out by Common Sense Media, found that girls use social media more than boys and are also more likely to experience negative consequences. Most of the girls investigated admitted that content posted online often makes them worry about their appearance or social status, while just a quarter of the boys said the same. An earlier study from the Pew Research Center’s Internet came to a similar conclusion: A third of 12- to 13-year-old girls who used social media believed their peers were mostly unkind to each other online , while only 9 percent of the boys agreed.

Of course, these differences don' t mean we shouldn’t have concerns about boys and the impact of digital overload or online bulling. In fact, other studies have shown that boys and girls can be equally damaged by social media. The most important thing is for teens to feel safe, online and in the real world alike.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The pressure of the high school girls logging-on.

B．The influence of too much logged-on time on high school girls.

C．Too much time spent on social media for high school girls.

D．The increasing population of the high school girls logging-on.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “revealing” in paragraph 2?

A．Exposed.	B．Interesting.
C．Funny.	D．Romantic.

3. Why are the girls more likely to experience negative effect online than boys?

A．Because the girls' social status is low.

B．Because the girls are mostly unkind to each other.

C．Because the girls use social media more than boys.

D．Because the girls pay more attention to their appearance.

4. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Parents should keep teens out of the social media.

B．Parents keep teens feel safe online and in the real life.

C．It is time to worry about your teens and social media.

D．Boys and girls can be equally damaged by social media.

【推荐1】The Guardian(卫报) has updated its style guide to introduce terms that more accurately describe the environmental crises facing the world.

Instead of “climate change” the preferred terms are “climate emergency, crisis or breakdown” and “global heating” is favoured over “global warming”, although the original terms are not banned.

“We want to ensure that we are being scientifically precise, while also communicating clearly with readers on this very important issue,” said the editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner. “The phrase ‘climate change’, for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity.”

“Increasingly, climate scientists and organisations from the UN to the Met Office are changing their terms, and using stronger language to describe the situation we’re in,” she said. Other terms that have been updated, including the use of “wildlife” rather than “biodiversity”, “fish populations” instead of “fish stocks” and “climate science denier” rather than “climate sceptic”.

Earlier in May, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who has inspired school strikes for climate around the globe, said: “Can we all now call it what it is: climate breakdown, climate crisis, climate emergency, ecological breakdown, ecological crisis and ecological emergency?”

The update to the Guardian’s style guide follows the addition of the global carbon dioxide level to the Guardian’s daily weather pages. “Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have risen so dramatically – including a measure of that in our daily weather report is symbolic of what human activity is doing to our climate,” said Viner in April. “People need reminding that the climate crisis is no longer a future problem – we need to tackle it now, and every day matters.”

1. Why is the Guardian changing the language it uses about the environment?

A．To achieve more accurate description of the diverse world we live in.

B．To remove all the negative expressions concerning environment problems.

C．To illustrate the world’s environment crises in a more precise way.

D．To make the terms about environment sound more academic.

2. In terms of the Guardian’s language changing in the field of environment, which of the following statement is true?

A．Since the new terms about environment crises have been adopted, the original ones are all banned.

B．Compared with “climate crisis”, “climate change” sounds more pessimistic and depressing.

C．“Climate crisis” as a stronger term helps to describe the real threat facing the world.

D．Global carbon dioxide level is added to the Guardian’s daily weather pages long before the update of the style guide.

3. All the following are newly updated terms except __________.

A．wildlife

B．fish population

C．climate science denier

D．biodiversity

4. Why did Greta Thunberg inspire school strikes for climate?

A．To set a good example for teenagers as a well-behavior student.

B．To show it is urgent to update environment terms.

C．To convey Swedish schools’ willing to listen to different voices from teenagers.

D．To show how popular environment campaigns are among Sweden.

【推荐2】About a month after I joined Facebook, I got a call from Lori Goler, a highly regarded senior director of marketing at eBay. She made it clear this was a business call. “I want to apply to work with you at Facebook,” she said. “Instead of recommending myself, I want to ask you: What is your biggest problem, and how can I solve it?”

       My jaw hit the floor. I had hired thousands of people over the previous decade and no one had ever said anything remotely like that. People usually focus on finding the right role for themselves, with the implication that their skills will help the company. Lori put Facebook’s needs front and center. It was a killer approach. I responded, “Recruiting is my biggest problem. And, yes, you can solve it.”
       Lori never dreamed she would work in recruiting, but she jumped in. She even agreed to trade earnings for acquiring new skills in a new field. Lori did a great job running recruiting and within months was promoted to her current job, leading People@Facebook.
       The most common metaphor for careers is a ladder, but this concept no longer applies to most workers. As of 2010, the average American had eleven jobs from the ages of eighteen to forty-six alone. Lori often quotes Pattie Sellers, who came up with a much better metaphor: “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.”
       As Lori describes it, there’s only one way to get to the top of a ladder, but there are many ways to get to the top of a jungle gym. The jungle gym model benefits everyone, but especially women who might be starting careers, switching careers, getting blocked by external barriers, or reentering the workforce after taking time off. The ability to create a unique path with occasional dips, detours (弯路), and even dead ends presents great views of many people, not just those at the top. On a ladder, most climbers are stuck staring at the butt of the person above.
1. Why did Lori make the call?

A．She helped Facebook to solve the biggest problem.

B．She wanted to make a business deal with Facebook.

C．She tried to ask for a pay rise in Facebook.

D．She wanted to become an employee in Facebook.

2. What impressed “I” by Lori?

A．Lori was good at running recruiting.

B．Lori attached great importance to Facebook’s needs.

C．Lori jumped in Facebook with no adequate experience.

D．Lori was skilled in marketing at eBay.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Now all people don’t tend to climb the ladder.

B．None on the ladder can enjoy the great views.

C．Jungle gyms offer limited exploration for employees.

D．A pregnant woman, jobless, benefits little from the jungle gyms.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．It’s a Jungle Gym, Not a Ladder.

B．Facebook’s Biggest Problem.

C．Applying for a Job in Facebook.

D．A Jungle Gym is Better than a Ladder.

【推荐3】Anyone with a passing interest in their health will be able to rattle__off a few of the major vitamins, and possibly take an educated guess at what they do. Vitamin C, found in oranges and other fruit and vegetables, is important for wound repair. And the much－talked－about ‘sunshine’ Vitamin D, produced by the skin in response to UV light, is essential for strong bones.

But Vitamin P? It might well have you scratching your head. And that's not surprising: the term was first coined in the 1930s to describe a small group of compounds that provide pigment(天然色素) to plants, and were believed to have health benefits. Fast－forward almost a century and these compounds are now better known as flavonoids.

Today, scientists have identified between 4，000 and 6，000 different kinds and we now know they are responsible for many of the flavors and smells of fruit and vegetables and also that they protect them from invaders such as pests and bacteria.

They are equally important nutrients for the body, helping maintain bones and teeth, and for the production of the protein collagen(胶原), which provides structure to blood vessels, muscles and skin.

They are also said to help the body deal with some of the key drivers of illness, including oxidation(氧化), a natural process by which the body's cells age and can become damaged and defective(有缺陷的). That means they could help to protect against chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease.

1. Which of the following best explains “rattle off” underlined in Paragraph 1?

A．Quickly say.	B．Quickly pass.
C．Quickly find.	D．Quickly take.

2. What do we know about Vitamin P?

A．We would scratch our head if we took it.

B．It was made into a coin in the 1930s.

C．People didn't think it beneficial in the past.

D．It refers to the compounds also called flavonoids.

3. How many functions of Vitamin P for humans are mentioned?

A．Four.	B．Three.
C．Two.	D．One.

4. How does Vitamin P help slow the aging process?

A．By dealing with oxidation.

B．By maintaining bones.

C．By strengthening muscle.

D．By protecting against chronic diseases.