【推荐1】When I was a little girl, a couple in our community went through a tragedy. They lost a young child and were in deep despair. Shortly afterward, my mother ran into the father at the local supermarket. He turned to my mother and said, “Your husband saved our life. He was the one more than anyone else who helped us get through this incredible loss.”

My mother wanted to know what message of solace was given to lift them from the depths of despair. So back at home, she asked my father about their conversation many times, but my father insisted that he had said nothing.

A few weeks later the couple came over to our home. After sitting down for a few minutes, my mother gently said, “You told me that my husband helped you the most when you went through your awful sadness. What did he say?”

“Rebbetzin, you husband did not say one word. He just came over to our home and walked over to me without saying anything. And then he reached over to me, took my hands into his and hugged me. I looked up and saw tears falling from his eyes. You cannot imagine what that felt like. Your husband felt my pain. I was not sitting alone with my suffering.”

My mother was quiet, absorbing the message this man was giving.

“No, your husband did not speak. I didn’t need him to give me words. I needed his heart and soul.”

When I recall this story, I realize the truth. When having someone in our lives who is going through difficulty, we are often at a loss. What do we say? How do we make it all better? What is the greatest gift we can give to our loved ones?

We tend to think that we must fill space with words. But when you want to give of yourself, give a listening heart. Sometimes a person in pain needs you to stay silent. Just now that you are there for them. Perhaps you can’t fix anything or take away the pain, but you can feel it. With the silence comes sympathy and understanding. And you share the load.

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

A．Guidance.

B．Comfort.

C．Inspiration.

D．Appreciation.

2. How might my mother feel after hearing the man’s words?

A．Satisfied. .

B．Annoyed.

C．Disappointed.

D．Surprised.

3. What can be learned from the text?

A．Time is the recipe to cure a broken heart.	B．Your presence speaks louder than any word.
C．Listening to your heart is of great importance.	D．A random act of kindness can make a difference.

【推荐2】阅读下面短文，按照要求完成阅读任务。

I was still a fresh graduate from high school; I got a chance to work. During my first day of work, I came early. I was the first one to arrive in the office. Perhaps it was due to excitement, I had performed well in my given tasks. Everything went smoothly in my work. The passion when I started was still the same passion I am feeling until now. Furthermore, I didn’t forget to do well in my studies. In fact, I still managed to review my notes, to become active in classes and to score high in tests.

I had learned new things as I started working there. Dealing and interacting with people were some of the remarkable learning I had. Moreover, it was also very fulfilling when I had helped my parents diminish their finances in my own ways.

It is not that easy to study while working. There are truly pressures in between them. Sometimes, deadlines of the school project and errands(差事) from the boss go together. Sometimes, there are misunderstandings between colleagues. There are just some sacrifices and challenges of becoming a working student.

Yet, it is my will and I am very happy with it because I am learning and growing. They say, “You can’t serve two masters at a time. ” It is possible, but it is a challenge. I know that I can balance studies and work. Moreover, I know that I can still keep my relationships with my family, friends and loved ones. I know that I can still share my talents despite my busy life. I just enjoy everything because every moment of being a working student is a truly remarkable experience.

1. What did the author learn from work according to the text? (no more than 5 words)
2. What is the meaning of the underlined word “diminish” in Paragraph 2? (one word)
3. Why is it not easy for the author to study while working? (no more than 10 words)
4. Why is the author satisfied with his becoming a working student? ( no more than 8 words)
5. Would you like to be a working student? Why or why not? (no more than 30 words)

【推荐3】FRIDAY was my husband’s birthday, but we spent most of it in the car. We were driving to Phoenix to celebrate his birthday and see the Warriors play the Suns.

My husband is a lucky man. Not only has he lived to see another birthday, but he’s married to a woman who likes basketball and doesn’t mind driving 300 miles (480km) to see a game.

In the car, his cell phone kept ringing with birthday greetings from family and friends. He put them all on speakerphone so I could listen in, even though it wasn’t my birthday.

The western sky colored up slowly, painting feather-like clouds in the singular shades of neon pinks and purples and grays that I’ve come to love in sunsets.

Soon, the rough road got rougher. My bad knee kept begging for a break, and dinner was still miles away. Meanwhile, on the CD player, the Reverend Al Green began to sing Love and Happiness. A little good music makes a bad road better.

An hour later, we checked into the hotel, got dinner and sat on a rooftop feeling glad to be alive.

We had a great weekend – we ate too much, slept too little and the Warriors, well, they lost. But still, it was all worth the drive.

Isn’t it always?

On the way home, I started thinking about birthdays. In our family, we celebrate four in January, four in February, and all the others throughout the year. Mine is next week.

If I’m lucky, like my husband, I’ll get cards and calls and maybe a few videos. I don’t need presents any more. When you’ve seen as many birthdays as I’ve seen, the only gift you truly want is getting to see one more.

Birthdays are the mile markers on the road of life. They tell us how far we’ve come, but not how far we’ve yet to go. Life is a journey more than a destination. What matters is whom we choose as traveling companions, and how often we get to sit back and enjoy the ride.

1. Which of the following help the couple go through the long, difficult drive to Phoenix?
a. The rare basketball tickets.
b. The music played on their CD player.
c. The great views along the way.
d. The birthday greetings from family and friends.
e. The many breaks they took during the journey.

A．abc	B．bcd
C．bce	D．cde

2. What kind of birthday gift does the author really want?

A．Calls and cards from friends.	B．Videos from friends and family.
C．Watching a live NBA game.	D．Being able to live another year.

3. What does the author learn from the journey to Phoenix?

A．A meaningful life is like a journey with a clear destination.

B．Taking a long drive is a great way to celebrate a birthday.

C．People should learn to appreciate life together with their beloved ones.

D．People shouldn’t rest on what they have but try to make new achievements.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A birthday journey	B．My lucky husband
C．Driving to see the Warriors play the Suns	D．Mile markers on the road of life

【推荐1】TENNIS
Indoor and outdoor courts. Coaching from beginners to advanced, every day not
evenings.Children only-Sat. mornings.
SKIING
Dry slopes—3 levels instructors at weekends and Fridays. Daytime parcitice. 8 years upwards.
SWIMMING
2 pools I heated Olympic length. Tuition available.
Women: Tuesday and Thursday.
Men: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Children: Saturday
Family day: Sunday
GOLF
9 hole practice course. Professional Coaching. Lessons must be booked in advance in daytime. Evening practice. Minimum age — 9 years.
GYMNASTICS
Maximum age—18 years. Children aged 5—10. Monday and Wednesdays. 4:00—6:00 p.m. 10—18 year-old. Friday evenings. Bar work on Sunday mornings.
AND MUCH MORE
Table Tennis, Snooker, Darts（标枪）, Chess（everyday and evening）, Café （all day），Bar（lunch time and evenings）, Nursery（weekdays and weekends, not evenings）. Centre open 10:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. Daily. Interested? More details inside. Quote Card Number: 99.
1. What is this ad mainly about?

A．It mainly shows us some ways to spend weekends.

B．It Shows the ways of saving our time.

C．It mainly shows us a place to relax ourselves.

D．It shows us a lot of ways to spend our holidays.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．People can play tennis day and night.

B．People under 20 can all take gymnastics．

C．Children at any age can play golf in the SPORTS CENTER．

D．Men and women swim in the SPORTS CENTER separately．

3. How many sports items are mentioned in the passage?

A．5

B．7．

C．9．

D．12．

4. Where can we find this ad in your opinion?

A．In a company．	B．On a newspaper．
C．In a park	D．In a restaurant．

【推荐3】Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where：Tahua，Bolivia
How much：About $95 a night
Why it’s cool：You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood，but salt？That’s something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses(床垫) and blankets)．The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni，a prehistoric dried­up lake which is the world’s biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633­square­mile flat to make the bricks，and glue them together with a paste (糊) of wet salt that hardens when it dries.When rain starts to dissolve the hotel，the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where：Vythiri，India
How much：About $240 a night
Why it’s cool：Taking a pulley(滑轮)­operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure.As you look out of your open window—there is no glass！—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy(罩篷)．Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel，or just sit on your bamboo bed and read.You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulley­drawn “elevator”．
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where：Cottonwood，Idaho
How much：$92 a night
Why it’s cool：This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet.Sweet_Willyis a 30­foot­tall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side.You can relax in the main bedroom，go up a few steps of the loft(阁楼) in Willy’s head，or hang out inside his nose.Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters，there is also a toilet in the 12­foot­tall fire hydrant(消防栓) outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where：Ayvali，Turkey
How much：Between $130 and $475 a night
Why it’s cool：This is caveman cool！Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago，when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash.But your stay will be much more modern.Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel，and the white volcanic ash，called tufa，keeps the rooms cool，about 65in summer.(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)
1. What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?

A．It is located on a prehistoric lake.

B．It should be protected against the rain.

C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt.

D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel.

2. What is the similarity of the four hotels?

A．Being expensive.

B．Being comfortable.

C．Being natural.

D．Being unique.

3. What does the underlined words “Sweet Willy” refer to?

A．The name of the hotel.

B．The name of the hotel owner.

C．The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.

D．The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.

4. Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?

A．Tayka Hotel de Sal.

B．Green Magic Nature Resort.

C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.

D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel.

【推荐1】When I was sixteen years old, I made my first visit to the United States. It wasn’t the first time that I had been abroad. Like most English children, I learned French at school. I had often been to France, so I was used to speaking a foreign language to the people who didn’t understand English. But when I went to America, I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems.

How wrong I was! The misunderstandings (误解) began at the airport. I was looking for a public telephone to give my American friend Jenny a call and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man asked me if he could help me.

“Yes,” I said, “I want to give my friend a ring.”

“Well, that’s nice,” he said. “Are you getting married?”

“Who is talking about marriage?” I replied. “I only want to give my friend a ring to tell her I’ve arrived. Can you tell me where there’s a phone box?”

“Oh!” he said, “there’s a phone downstairs.”

When at last we met, Jenny explained the misunderstandings to me.

“Don’t worry,” she said to me. “I had so many difficulties at first. There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from the British. You’ll soon get used to all the funny things they say. Most of the time British and American people understand each other!”

1. The writer thought ________ in America.

A．he wouldn’t have any language difficulties

B．he would not understand the Americans

C．the Americans might not understand him

D．he would have difficulty at the airport

2. From the passage we know that “give somebody a ring” ________.

A．means the same in America as in England

B．means “call somebody” to the old man

C．has two different meanings

D．means “be going to get married” in England

3. In the last paragraph, the word “they” refers to ________.

A．the old man and the boy	B．the Americans
C．the British	D．the French

【推荐2】In 2021, Henan TV has gone viral by promoting traditional culture through Chinese dance. It produced seven dance pieces highlighting traditional culture, such as Rhapsody on the Luo River Goddess(《洛神水赋》), a two-minute underwater dance, and Dragon Boat Festival and Guardian Warriors of Longmen (《龙门金刚》), a dance piece supported by AR technology against the backdrop of the Longmen Grottoes.

“The seven dance pieces have gained nearly 30 billion hits on social media platforms,” said Yao Wei, director of the TV station’s Innovation Center, at a three-day forum centering on the research of Chinese dance.

The pieces made an emotional impact on audiences, especially the young generations. “It’s been over forty years since the country’s reform and opening-up and the younger generations have grown up with a more open mindset. With plenty of resources and opportunities, they embrace Chinese culture and be proud of it,” said Yao. “What we need is to present Chinese culture and tradition in interesting ways for those young people.”

Yao added that Henan TV has been producing shows highlighting traditional culture, such as traditional operas and kung fu, for nearly 30 years.

“To appeal to younger audiences, we are also changing our shows. One of the keys is to produce content with strong visual creativity,” Yao said. “For example, the latest technology and unconventional (新奇的) stage settings, like underwater scenes, have become our new ways of telling stories about traditional Chinese culture, rather than simply narrating history with traditional video content.”

Another key to successfully reaching younger audiences is using social media platforms to promote their shows. “Social media is being shaped and driven by young people. It’s a powerful form of communication. When they take a quick scroll (滚屏) through their phones, they easily become interested in an eye-catching video.” Yao said.

1. What does the article tell us about the seven dance pieces produced by Henan TV?

A．They were presented in creative ways.

B．They were performed by famous stars.

C．They were all produced with the help of AR technology.

D．They reflected the culture of seven different ethnic minority groups.

2. What does the underlined word “embrace” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Realize.

B．Welcome.

C．Reject.

D．Introduce.

3. Which statement is not true about the efforts Henan TV has made to attract young viewers?

A．To design the stage setting in an innovative way.

B．To employ social media to advertise their shows.

C．To represent historic events just in a conventional way.

D．To take advantage of the latest technology in producing.

4. What is the main purpose of the article?

A．To report on the comeback of traditional Chinese dance.

B．To tell the behind-the-scenes stories of the seven dance pieces.

C．To introduce the success of the dance series produced by Henan TV.

D．To explain how technology helps promote traditional Chinese culture.

【推荐1】Can animals be artistic? Some experts think so. Painting and music are part of efforts to keep animals happy at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Zookeepers there believe that animals need enrichment just like people do.

A sloth bear (长毛熊) called Francois is one of the National Zoo’s artists. He began his artistic career two years ago. Francois has a very unusual way to paint. He uses his breath to paint. His zookeeper, Stacey Tabellario, says that although the technique may look strange, it is actually a very natural behavior for sloth bears. They have got big lungs and they can breathe out a huge amount of air. The zookeepers fill one of those tubes fill of paint and ask them to breathe through it And they blow all of the paint onto the canvas (画布), making the really cool paintings.

Animal artists come in all shapes and sizes at the Zoo. They use many kinds of techniques to create their works of art. Apes use paintbrushes. Many use their paws or claws — much like a human painter would use his or her hands.

Stacey Tabellario says Francois seems to enjoy expressing himself through his art. “When I set up the materials for painting activity, he comes and sits next to them and waits until we are ready to start painting. He does that every time. I also see where his eyes go. He dose see the paints come out of the tube and land on the canvas.” But not every animal wants to paint.

Music is another part of the arts enrichment program. Physically and mentally interesting (有趣味的) activities are an important part of the daily care of the animals. Trainers have a set of tools, from tablet computers to small toys.

Kenton Kerns says the program helps the animals and the zookeepers in many ways. Every interaction between keepers and their animals creates some sort of connections. The one-of-a-kind works of art created by the animals are popular with zoo visitors. Many are sold at the zoo’s fundraising events.

1. What is the best title for the text?

A．Art Works in the Zoo

B．Zoo Animals Show Artistic Side

C．Animals can Earn Money

D．Animals Enjoy Painting

2. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Francois is a two-year-old artist at the National Zoo.

B．Francois’ way to paint is unusual for sloth bears.

C．Francois’ big lungs determine the way it paints.

D．Francois paints with the help of his feet.

3. According to Stacey Tabellario, Francois __________.

A．is fond of painting

B．likes to stay with other animals

C．often shows the painting to the audience

D．wants to get attention from the zookeepers by painting

4. What do we know about the art program according to Kenton Kerns?

A．It enriches the keepers’ life.

B．It makes the animals clever.

C．It intends to collect money for the zoo.

D．It deepens the relationship between animals and keepers.

【推荐2】Most adults find it hard to recall events from their first few years of life and now scientists have found exactly when these childhood memories fade(消失).

A new study has found that most three-year-olds can recall a lot of what happened to them over a year earlier, and these memories persist while they are five and six, but by the time they are over seven, these memories decline(衰退) rapidly.

Most children by the age of eight or nine can only recall 35% of their experiences from under the age of three, according to the new findings.

The scientists behind the research say this is because at around this age the way we form memories begins to change. They say that before the age of seven children do not have a sense of time and place in their memories. In older children, however, the early events they can recall tend to be more adult-like in the way they are formed. Children also have a far faster rate of forgetting than adults. The findings also help to explain why children can often have clear memories of events but then forget them just a couple of years later.

The youngsters first visited the laboratory at the age of three and discussed six unique events from their past, such as family outings, trips to the zoo, and the first day of school. The children then returned for a second session between the ages of five and nine to discuss the same events. The researchers found that between the ages of five and seven, the amount of memories the children could recall remained between 63 -72 percent. However, the amount of information eight-to nine-year-old children could recall dropped to 35 and 36 percent.

1. What does the new study tell us?

A．Childhood memories decline with years.

B．Three-year-old kids are the cleverest.

C．Childhood memories can fade easily.

D．Some adults cannot recall past events.

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

A．Change.	B．Remain.
C．Appear.	D．Return.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?

A．Adults cannot have clear memories of past events.

B．Children can think like adults when they get older.

C．Children under 7 years old have different ways of forming memories.

D．Children often forget things because they have no idea of time or place.

4. In the second session, nine-year-old children _________.

A．refused to discuss the same events

B．remembered all their family outings

C．could recall 72 percent of their past events

D．only remembered a small part of their past events

【推荐3】A lot of us lose life’s tough situations by mounting a frontal attack when a touch of humor might well enable us to chalk up a win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, Sam, who hit a traffic jam on the way to work. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s constant lateness-serious illness at home, he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His boss was probably already pacing up and down with a dismissal speech prepared.

He was. Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room. Sam’s boss approached him. Suddenly, Sam reached out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’ m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job which I understand became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?” The room exploded in laughter. The boss smiled and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard saved his job with the only tool that could win a laugh.

Here is another example. An English hostess was giving a formal dinner for eight distinguished guests. She had asked her son to serve a large roast turkey. The boy only succeeded in dropping the bird onto the dining-room floor. Moving only her head, the hostess smiled at her son, “No harm, Daniel,” she said, “just pick it up and take it back to the kitchen”, she said clearly so he would think about what she was saying and bring in the other one. Some humorous words changed the dinner from a red-faced embarrassment to a ton of fun.

Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected(忽视)means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for making up differences, saying sorry, saying no, criticizing, and getting the other person to do what you want without his losing face. Also, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people are in any other places.

Of course, humor is often more than a laughing matter. In its potent guises(有效的伪装), it has a Trojan-horse(特洛伊木马)nature: no one goes on guard against a laugh; we let it in because it looks like a little wooden toy. Once inside, however, it can turn a city to reform, to rebellion(反抗), to resistance.

1. What can the underlined words “chalk up” in Paragraph 1 be replaced by?

A．pay for

B．respond to

C．think of recording

D．succeed in getting

2. How does the author explain the power of humor?

A．By using examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By introducing study results.	D．By setting clown general rules.

3. What does the author mean by mentioning humor’s Trojan-horse nature?

A．It is but a toy.	B．It catches us unaware.
C．We usually resist its effect.	D．We seldom really understand it.