【推荐1】Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world. Similarly, music is a part of many people’s lives. Both language and music play a huge role in our culture and here are some of their similarities.

◆Both language and music have a writing system. In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. Similarly, we use notes to keep a record of music. Just as you are reading this collection of letters and find meaning in it, musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music which we can hear. So just as you read English, you can read music. By writing pieces of text or music, we are able to share experiences through time. I can read or hear the ideas of someone who lived hundreds of years ago, which is really quite exciting.

◆Both vary with culture. You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language they use. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.

◆Both share feelings. You can know that I am angry through my words. Similarly, music can sound angry, sad or happy. Music can show you exactly how the composer was or is feeling, and allows us to share that feeling. When you feel happy, you may want to sing and dance to a happy song to celebrate your happiness, while you probably want to listen to sad music when you are feeling down. I think we have all used music to express our feelings.

1. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Language is part of people’s daily lives.	B．Music plays an important role in people’s lives.
C．Language and music are similar in many ways.	D．Music is more important than language for us.

2. How does the author develop his idea in Para 2?

A．By giving examples.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By describing details.	D．By listing reasons.

3. What might people do when they’re in low spirit according to the text?

A．Talking to a composer.	B．Singing a happy song.
C．Dancing to delightful music.	D．Listening to unhappy music.

【推荐2】The term culture now is more used to describe everything from the fine arts to the outlook of a business group or a sports team. In its original sense, however, culture includes all identifying aspects of a racial group, nation, or empire: its physical environment, history, and traditions, its social rules and economic structure, and its religious beliefs and arts.

The central beliefs and customs of a group are handed down from one generation to another. It is for this reason that most people regard culture as learned rather than innate. People acquire a culture because they are not born with one. The process by which a person develops a taste for regional foods, accented speech, or an outlook on the world over time, therefore, is known as enculturation (文化适应).

Cultures are often identified by their symbols — images that are familiar and coated with meaning. Totem poles (图腾柱) carved with animals and creative figures suggest aspects of the Native American peoples of the Pacific Northwest but more literally represent specific tribes (部落). In Asia and India, the color of yellow is connected with temples while in ancient China it was a color only the emperor’s family was allowed to wear. Thus, different cultures may respond to a symbol quite differently. For example, to some a flag may represent pride, historical accomplishments, or ideals; to others, however, it can mean danger or oppression.

To individuals unfamiliar with cultures outside their own, the beliefs, behaviors, and artistic expression of other groups can seem strange and even threatening. A society that ranks all other cultures against its own standards is considered to be ethnocentric (from the Greek ethnos, meaning “people,” and kentros, meaning “center”). A strongly ethnocentric society assumes also that what is different from its own culture is likely to be inferior and, possibly, wrong or evil.

All people are ethnocentric to some degree, and some aspects of ethnocentrism, such as national pride, contribute to a well-functioning society. An appreciation for one’s own culture, however, does not prevent acceptance and respect for another culture. History documents the long-term vigour and success of multicultural groups in which people from numerous and various cultural backgrounds live and work together. Extreme ethnocentrism, in contrast, can lead to racism — the belief that it is race and racial origin that account for variations in human character or ability and that one’s own race is superior to all others.

1. The underlined word “innate” in Paragraph 2 most probably means ________.

A．avoidable

B．developed

C．instinctive

D．managed

2. According to the passage, the statement which is TRUE is ________.

A．Culture consists of some positive features of a racial group, nation or empire

B．Different interpretations of a symbol help to distinguish one culture from another

C．An ethnocentric country opens welcoming arms to cultures different from its own

D．People from various cultural backgrounds often reach an agreement on some image

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．All aspects of ethnocentrism can produce negative effects on a society.

B．Respect and acceptance of different cultures are a proper cultural attitude.

C．Racism is unlikely to bring about serious conflicts among different cultures.

D．Countries with a strong sense of national pride play a superior role in the world.

4. The most proper title of the passage might be ________.

A．Culture, a Faithful Mirror of History

B．Culture, the Origin of Racial Superiority

C．Culture, the Vigor of World Development

D．Culture, a Distinctive Identity of a Nation

【推荐3】Get ready to have a taste of English humour and laugh as you read the best jokes in this text.

Hunting Disaster

A man was on a hunting trip with his friend when the friend suddenly fell to the ground and stopped breathing. He crazily called 911 and screamed to the operator, “My friend is dead! What should I do?” The operator tried to calm him down. “It will be OK. I can talk you through this. First, we need to make sure he’s dead. “Finally in the silence, the operator heard a shot (开枪) fired. “OK. My friend is dead. What next?” the man asked.

The Origin of Man

A little girl was wondering where humans came from. She asked her mom, and her mom gave her a religious explanation, telling her how God created Adam and Eve. She asked her dad, and her dad told her that humans came from monkeys.

The little girl was very confused, so she asked her mom. “Why did you tell me that humans came from God and dad told me that humans came from monkeys?” Her mom joked, “Well, I was telling you from the God’s side because I came from God. Your dad was telling you from the monkeys’ side because he came from monkeys.”

Cultural Differences

A Texan meets an Ivy League graduate at a party and asks, “Where are you from?” The Ivy League graduates responds, “I’m from a place where we don’t end our sentences in prepositions (介词).” The Texan thinks about this for a moment and then says, “OK. Where are you from, Jerk?”

1. How did the hunter finally make sure that his friend was dead in Hunting Disaster?

A．He fired his gun at his friend.	B．He checked his friend’s breath.
C．He called a doctor to check his friend.	D．He threw his friend to the ground.

2. What can we learn about the mother from her reply in The Origin of Man?

A．She was just joking.	B．She wanted to defend her husband.
C．She was angry with her husband’s answer.	D．She gave a scientific explanation to her daughters.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce the best movies.	B．To tell some funny English jokes.
C．To advertise some English books.	D．To list the most attractive places on earth.

【推荐1】The rhino census (犀牛普查) is out, bearing good news for the greater one-horned rhinos! In September, 2022, the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) documented in a report that there is a baby boom in this population, representing an increase of 167 percent.

According to the report, there are a total of 4,014 greater one-homed rhinos living m India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Although this is positive news, their IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) status still remains vulnerable.

In India alone, the home to 70 percent of the world’s greater one-homed rhinos, there was an increase of 274 rhinos since the last bi-annual census, according to the organization Rhino Review.

An important reason for this baby boom is the fact that Assam, India, has enlarged Kaziringo National Park, home to the world’s largest one-homed rhino population. The park went from 430 square kilometers to 1,040 square kilometers. This gives more breeding areas for the things, and they are closed to visitors during breeding season.

India and Nepal are also protecting the rhinos by enforcing wildlife crime laws. To reduce rhino death by poaching (偷猎), the IRF donates vehicles and equipment, plus education including guard training and crime investigation.

The IRF data for other rhino species is not as promising, although the greater one-horned rhino numbers are encouraging for future conservation. According to the report, there is a decline in Sumatran rhinos, Africa’s white rhinos, while the Javan rhino population is stable and threatened by loss of habitat.

The State of the Rhino report offers hope for these other species. Given that the greater one-horned things were once close to extinction, with fewer than 100 living in the world, their recovery is incredible. This demonstrates that there are solutions when organizations and people work together. It is hoped that this successful rhino baby boom will affect other endangered wildlife species around the globe.

1. What contributes to the baby boom of one-homed rhinos in Assam, India?

A．Extending the protected areas for rhinos.

B．Raising fund to set up more reserves for rhinos.

C．Leaving the one-homed rhinos alone in the wild.

D．Keeping visitors away from the Kaziringo National Park.

2. IRF helps protect the one-homed rhinos mainly by ________．

A．Cooperating with other organizations.

B．Enhancing anti-poaching efforts.

C．Transferring the rhinos to other habitats.

D．Guarding the rhinos with new equipment.

3. What can we learn from the rhino report?

A．Rhinos are no longer a vulnerable species.

B．Rhinos will affect other wildlife in the world.

C．Everyone can play a role in protecting nature.

D．It is possible to protect other endangered species.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To inform good news on the greater one-horned rhinos.

B．To show the measures of the greater one-homed rhinos.

C．To introduce an endangered species — the greater one-homed rhinos.

D．To indicate the decline of other species of rhino population.

【推荐3】For generations, students were taught to stretch before playing games. Then the practice fell out of favor. Studies seemed to show that such stretching temporarily reduces muscular power, weakens athletic performance and increases the risk of injury. So most fitness experts currently advise against stretches before exercise. But now a new research indicates that they might not be such a bad idea after all.

This month, the journal, Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism (APNM), published a study by four distinguished exercise scientists who analyzed more than 200 studies of how stretching affects the following exercise. In broad terms, they found that stretching can briefly prevent the ability to generate power. So if you reach for your toes and hold that position, tightening your hamstrings (腿筋), you might not then be able to leap as high or start a dash as forcefully as you don’t stretch.

Those undesirable effects were generally found, however, only if each stretch was held for more than 60 seconds and the subject then immediately became fully active, with no further warm-up. “Outside the lab, most people are unlikely to hold a warm-up stretch for longer than about 30 seconds.” Dr. McHugh, the co-author of the study says. The review found few lasting negative impacts from these short stretches, especially if the volunteers followed that stretching with several minutes of jogging or other basic warm-up movements. In fact, these short stretches turned out to have a positive effect.

Do these findings mean that all the athletes should stretch in advance before a match? “Not necessarily,” Dr. McHugh says, “Runners and cyclists don’t have much risk for acute muscle injuries.” Stretching before these activities is unlikely to protect against injury. Runners and cyclists can adequately warm up by jogging or pedaling lightly. But he suggests that people who play basketball and other ball sports should stretch in advance. Those who haven’t stretched since childhood gym class might want to consider consulting an athletic trainer about the best upper and lower body stretches, particularly for the shoulders and hamstrings.

1. According to the new research, people may suffer negative impacts when _______.

A．they do stretches after attending a game

B．they reach for toes and hold that position

C．following a stretch with several minutes’ jogging

D．dashing immediately after one 60-second plus stretch

2. We can learn from the passage that _______.

A．all athletes should not stretch in advance

B．the four scientists published the journal APNM

C．it’s unnecessary for a tennis player to do warm-up stretches

D．players ought to have done warm-up stretches since childhood

3. What’s Dr. McHugh’s attitude toward stretches?

A．Concerned.	B．Doubtful.
C．Disapproving.	D．Objective.

【推荐1】Every driver is familiar with the horrible blind spot problem. However, it is more than just an annoyance. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 840,000 car accidents occur due to the blind spot. Those zones which cannot be directly observed by the driver often causes incidents that result in serious property damage and in some cases even death.

While drivers can take precautions such as adjusting the driver's seat and side mirrors properly, installing backup cameras and so on, they won't remove the invisible spots completely. Therefore, the driver will always have to carry the responsibility of being constantly aware of blind spots because failing to do that can lead to accidents.

Luckily, now there's a solution to that and it comes from a 14-year-old girl, who doesn't even have a driver's license yet. However, not being able to drive didn't prevent Alaina Gassier from understanding the important issue of traffic accidents resulting from blind spots. In fact, she knows the problem so well that she actually solved it for us. And the way she did it is nothing but genius.

Her project is called "Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots'* and work in a relatively simple way as she explained: "I did that by having a camera behind the A — pillar of a car and the camera sent the video to a projector that projected (投射)the image onto the pillar essentially making it invisible and making the driver see behind it."

To complete this invention, she used easily attainable materials such as a webcam, projector, and 3D-printed materials that project the view from outside your vehicle onto the blind spots of your car.

Gassier was awarded for her life-saving invention. It earned her the top place in a nationwide competition for middle schoolers with the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize in honor of overall STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) excellence.

1. Why is the blind spot problem more than an annoyance?

A．It is familiar to every driver.

B．It cannot be seen by drivers.

C．It may cause serious accidents.

D．It is often overlooked by drivers.

2. What does the underlined word "that" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Adjusting the driver's seat.	B．Being constantly aware of blind spots.
C．Adjusting side mirrors.	D．Installing backup cameras.

3. Which of the following statement is wrong?

A．Gassier is a student, who can't drive.

B．Gassier is talented enough to make the invention.

C．Gassier uses easily-accessible materials in her invention.

D．Gassier won first place in an international competition.

4. What can be the best title for this passage?

A．A Great Invention from A Young Driver

B．Improving Vehicle Sale by Removing Blind Spots

C．A Girl's Way to Solve the Blind Spot Problem in Cars

D．A New Generation of Cars without the Blind Spot Problem

【推荐2】Popularly known as the “Oriental Hawaii,” Sanya in South China’s Hainan province is considered as one of the best diving resorts in the South Pacific Ocean.

The followings are the top five places for diving in the city.

Wuzhizhou Island

Regarded as the best place in Hainan province for underwater diving, it is one of the few islands in the world without rocks or pebbles.

The island covers an area of 1.48 square kilometers and is in an irregular butterfly shape. The sea around the island is clear and transparent, providing a visibility of 6 to 27 meters.

Yalong Bay

The underwater world at Yalong Bay is one of the earliest diving bases in Sanya.

It is thought as one of the best scenic spots in China to carry out undersea tourism, with the world's largest and most complete soft coral. Its beautiful blue water has a visibility of 7 to 9 meters.

Xidao Island

Xidao Island, the largest of a series of small islands in Sanya, is shaped like a turtle living in the tropical area.

Located 8 nautical miles off the coast, the island enjoys idyllic surroundings of rocky caves and an interior filled with palm trees. It also boasts crystal clear waters with a wide array of marine life and extensive coral reefs to explore.

Dadonghai Bay

Embraced by hills on three sides, it is a crescent-shaped bay located about 4 km southeast of the downtown area of Sanya.

It is also richly endowed by nature with vernal sunshine, soft breezes as well as fine sand. Though the water here is not as clear as that in Yalong Bay and Wuzhizhou Island, this diving spot is easier to get to.

Fenjiezhou Island

Nicknamed the Sleeping Beauty Island, it is a national 5A scenic area in Lingshui Li autonomous county.

The island boasts extremely clean beaches and rich marine ecological resources. It is the only site in the country that allows visitors to dive with dolphins.

1. Which diving resort looks like a turtle?

A．Wuzhizhou Island

B．Yalong Bay

C．Xidao Island

D．Dadonghai Island

2. What do the places for diving have in common?

A．They are very close to the coast.

B．They provided clear waters to dive in.

C．They are surrounded by hills and palm trees.

D．They have coral reefs and marine life to explore.

3. What is special about Fenjiezhou Island?

A．It is the best place in the world for underwater diving.

B．It is the most convenient for visitors to get to.

C．It is filled with the largest soft coral and clearest water.

D．It is the site permitting visitors to dive with dolphins.

【推荐3】The audience starts to scream and young people all over Britain turn on their TVs. Yes, it’s Top of the Pops!

Top of the Pops is an amazing 34 years old. Pop stars from all over the world appear on this successful TV programme. After 1,800 shows, it’s still the most popular pop music show in Britain. So what’s the secret?

“We get lots of bands to perform live in the studio,” says producer Chris Cowey. “That just doesn’t happen on other shows.”

Chris starts planning the programme over a week before it goes out. His first job is to decide which bands to have on the show. When the chart of the top twenty songs is produced on Sunday, Chris can start to book the bands.

Monday starts with Chris meeting his sound, lighting and camera workers. They listen to each song and plan the show.

Tuesday is paperwork day. There are bookings to make sure of letters to answer and lots of phone calls to make. The show is on Thursday. Bands arrive at the studio from 10 o'clock in the morning and start practising. Tonight’s presenter, Jo Whiley, practices too.

First the bands go to make up. Judy and Issy are the make-up artists. “We see the stars with no make-up on, looking terrible,” says Issy. Then the bands go to the costume department where Marianne dresses the stars.

Back in the studio things are happening. The audience are practicing their dance moves! It takes over two hours to record the whole programme, then Chris edits it all night long. The final version is exactly 29 minutes long.

1. What make(s) Top of the Pops still the most popular in Britain?

A．The live performances in the studio.

B．The jobs carefully done by the workers of the TV station.

C．The great fame of the bands.

D．The large numbers of pop fans in Britain.

2. When the bands receive the invitations to the performance, _________.

A．they must decide on the songs

B．they don’t have to decide what songs they will perform

C．the songs that will be performed haven’t been decided on

D．they have no idea what songs they will perform

3. The underlined word “costume” in Paragraph 7 probably means        .

A．makeup	B．stage
C．studio	D．clothes

4. How is a music programme made at the TV station?

A．

B．

C．

D．

5. Which is the proper title for the passage?

A．More Popular, More Successful	B．A Stage for Pop Stars
C．Go Backstage of Top of the Pops.	D．A Popular Live Band.

【推荐1】Very early on in my senior year of high school, my parents carried the flame of worrying about my future college. I was willing to go to a 2-year college before going after my bachelor, s degree. This was for two reasons—to help them save money and to make sure I major in English. However, they insisted I attend a 4-year college right off the bat.

I was pushed to start searching for colleges therefore, ones that my parents approved of and that were within the range of tuition that my mom thought was acceptable. I was also limited to the immediate areas, which only included New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, so I cannot apply for any colleges in one of my favorite places—New Hampshire.

I’ll be honest. It got a bit tense at times with several different opinions between my parents and me, and with other family members or friends voicing their thoughts to my parents.

In the end, I ended up applying for three schools—SUNY Albany, SUNY New Paltz and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. I had been to New Paltz quite often as it was only 45 minutes away from our home. And Kutztown is located in an area our family often visited.

I was accepted by all three, and I quickly gave up Albany. I was not impressed with the city and wasn’t familiar with the area. It was between New Paltz and Kutztown. After a few weeks, I ended up settling on New Paltz because Kutztown just didn’t “feel right” for me. When I was on campus, I had a feeling that this was it.

Looking back now, I wish I had known more about the application process and had a little more freedom of choice about which college I could apply for. I probably would still have attended SUNY New Paltz.

1. What did the author’s parents think he should do?

A．Choose a college that could provide good jobs.

B．Go to a community college to save money.

C．Choose a college that he liked best.

D．Go to a 4-year college directly.

2. Why didn’t the author choose colleges in New Hampshire?

A．He didnt like the place.

B．His situation didn’t allow it.

C．The living expenses there were too high.

D．He wasn’t sure whether or not he would fit in there.

3. How did the author feel about his final choice?

A．Embarrassed.	B．Frightened.
C．Satisfied.	D．Worried.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How I chose my college	B．How to apply for a college
C．Different choices, different future	D．The meaning of attending college

【推荐2】More than four decades ago British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab.Since that ground-breaking moment,more than four million babies have been born through IVF(体外受精）and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

The prize for Dr Edwards,who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes af900,000 cheque.The Nobel Assembly described IVF as a"milestone in modern medicine".

With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe,the Manchester-born physiologist developed IVF-leading to the birth of the world's first test tube baby.Dr.Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility(生育能力）treatment and given hope to millions of couples.

It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed the lives of millions of couples.They said,"His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility,a disease which makes human unable to have a baby.This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10%of all couples worldwide."

Louise Brown,the world's first test tube baby made international headlines when she was born in Oldham,Gtr Manchester,in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969.Each year,more than 30,000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.

But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was"immoral". Martin Johnson,professor of reproductive sciences at the University of Cambridge,said the award was"long overdue".He said,"We couldn't understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted-this is the cherry on the cake for him".

Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was"thrilled and delighted".

1. What is Robert Edwards' s contribution to science?

A．Curing a disease which stops human having a baby.

B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing.

C．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life.

D．Helping couples with infertility to have babies.

2. What does the underlined word"afflicting"in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Troubling.

B．Developing.

C．Improving.

D．Confusing.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that ____.

A．some people envied Professor Edwards for his award

B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards 'finding

C．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his morality

D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered useless

4. What might be the best title for the passenger?

A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards

B．Preparations for Having a Baby

C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards

D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab

【推荐3】I can remember occasionally nodding off with my phone between my ear and shoulder after hours of conversation with a friend. I’d wake up with the dial tone screaming in my ear. What happened? What did I say? The next day, my friend would tell me a funny story about how I had trailed off（声音逐渐减弱）with some meaningless words and begun snoring（打鼾）into the phone. We had a good laugh, but there was no harm because at least there was no permanent record of it.

For today’s young people, nodding off during a verbal phone call may mean a text written in their sleep. Who even knew texting while sleeping was possible before? But it’s possible today. A newly-published study from Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing surveyed 372 college students and found that a quarter of them had sleep texting-texting while in a sleep state at some point. Of that group, 72% had no memory of the event. Respondents most likely to text in the sleep were, unsurprisingly, those who regularly slept with the phone on bed with them.

The study indicated that those who reported sleep texting admitted that cellphone use ravaged their sleep, which meant they suffered poor sleep. The study also found that most college students do not get high quality sleep, and that most do not turn off the cellphone when they go to sleep.

Young adults, especially college students, sleep even less than other age groups, often having only 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night. The demands of heavy class loads and the busy social life of college, combined with little to no adult supervision, have already been an environment fit for sleep disruption. Because of today’s technology of smartphones laptops, and so on, a solid night’s uninterrupted sleep sounds like a faraway dream indeed.

Maybe it’s time for a change.

1. Why did the author trail off with some meaningless words over the phone?

A．Because she wanted to horrify her friend.

B．Because she wanted to make up funny story.

C．Because she got tired and fell asleep gradually.

D．Because she was tired of talking with her friend.

2. What does the author want to show by mentioning the study about college students?

A．Texting while sleeping is actually common.

B．Today’s young people can’t live without the phone.

C．College students often forget what they’ve done.

D．College students have a bad habit of texting before going to sleep.

3. What does the underlined word “ravaged” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Protected.

B．Damaged.

C．Improved.

D．Controlled

4. Which of the following statements would the author most probably agree with?

A．College students should stop using their smartphones.

B．College students’ class loads should be reduced.

C．Having a solid night’s uninterrupted sleep is impossible today.

D．College students should avoid using the phone before bedtime.