【推荐2】Getting lost in the rhythm of my turns was one of my favorite parts of skiing. Feeling the soft, powdery snow beneath my skis, I feel like I’m capable of anything.

I started skiing when I was three years old. My mom worked as a ski instructor as she also loved the snow. I soon mastered the basic concepts of turning. When I was seven, I decided I wanted to take my skiing to the next level and join a team.

There were two options: racing, a popular event for girls, and free skiing, an event heavily dominated by boys. Riding the chairlift (升降椅) with my mother, I would see free skiers flying and spinning through the air. I immediately knew which team I wanted to join: free skiing.

As soon as I joined the team, I was placed in a low level. However, I soon mounted the rankings until I came to the highest group. At that point, I was the only girl on my team. I was isolated at first; I was put down at first; nobody wanted to ride the chairlift with me. But as time passed, I was slowly accepted, and made some of my closest friends. However, this entire process took three whole years.

I have been fortunate enough to have competed in three national championships competitions for freeskiing, winning two overall first places and one overall second place. Although being a girl in a male-dominated sport can be difficult, I’m actually thankful that I’ve had the experiences that I had.

Life is going to be a bumpy (凹凸不平的) road for all of us, and building resiliency (适应力) early on is important. My experiences have taught me to meet my setbacks in life with open arms. In fact, after this encounter, I’ve become a better skier. However, there is no way that I could have done it without my supportive mother always behind me and my encouraging coach always, always behind me as well. I encourage you all to step out of your comfort zone to show the boys that girls are just as powerful as they are.

1. The author finally took up her favorite free skiing because ________.

A．it was suitable for girls like her.	B．no girls were available in the event so she intended to change it.
C．she was attracted by free skiers while riding the chairlift.	D．her mother made the choice for her.

2. Which can best explain the underlined word “mounted” in paragraph 4?

A．climbed up

B．fell off

C．put down

D．turned down

3. What can we know about the author according to the passage?

A．The life the author ran across was tougher.

B．The author gained the achievement largely on her own.

C．What the author did resulted in the equality between boys and girls.

D．Her story proved a Chinese saying that women hold up half the world.

4. What do you think of the author’s story of becoming a skier?

A．Boring

B．Unreal

C．Inspiring

D．Discouraging

【推荐3】I am Henry Jekyll. I was born in the 1 800s. I inherited(继承) a large fortune, a healthy body and an excellent mind. I was naturally hard-working and soon I was very successful in my job. So the outside world saw a serious, hard-working, successful doctor. Behind this quiet character, however, was a wild, fun-loving, irresponsible young man. Both of them were me. They lived together in the same body.

“Was it possible," I wondered, “to find a drug that could give each side of my character its own separate face and body?"

After much thought and careful study I believed I had found the answer. I had read many scientific books and spent many hours in my laboratory, searching for the right mixture of chemicals to make my drug. At last I got everything ready.

Late one night, I mixed everything together and prepared my drug. I watched the smoke rising from the liquid as its color changed from red to purple and at last to green. Then, bravely, I drank every bitter drop.

I felt a violent sickness in my stomach and a terrible pain in all my bones. The room seemed to turn round and round and I trembled with fear. Then the fear and pain disappeared and a strange, sweet feeling took its place. Wild thoughts danced through my mind- the wild passions of an evil and cruel stranger. But inside myself I felt younger, lighter, more carefree than ever before. "If this is pure evil," I thought, “I like it.”

I stood there, enjoying these strange new thoughts and passions and suddenly realized that I was shorter. So I decided to go to my bedroom in my new body and take a look at myself in the mirror there. As I came into my room, I saw Edward Hyde for the first time.

At that time, the good side of my character was stronger than the evil side. Henry Jekyll had his faults, but he was mostly a good, kind man. I believe that is the reason why Edward Hyde was so much smaller than Henry Jekyll. But that was not the only difference between the two men. Henry Jekyll had a kind, open, honest face. But pure evil stared out of Edward Hyde's eyes. I felt no dislike, however. Indeed, I welcomed him. Edward Hyde was me, young and strong and full of life.

1. In others' eyes, the writer was _____________.

A．wild and successful	B．fun-loving and responsible
C．serious and hard-working	D．quiet and irresponsible

2. The writer wanted to find a drug to _____________.

A．discover the right mixture of chemicals

B．observe the change of the chemicals

C．create separate bodies for both sides

D．make himself smaller but stronger

3. From the passage we can learn that the writer _____________.

A．was satisfied with both of his bodies

B．preferred kind Henry to pure evil Edward

C．was very sick of the shorter Edward Hyde

D．felt quite delighted right after taking the drug

【推荐1】“GOING, GOING, GONE, for $3 to bidder No. 43, the lady in the last row, white hat.” The auctioneer(拍卖师) called out my auction number and location. Delighted at my victory, I took the box and gave it a shake. The contents rattle. Inside were dozens — maybe even hundreds — of buttons, pins, and other items, all glittering in the sunlight. It reminded me of my mom’s button box. As a girl, I’d always enjoyed digging through it, just as my own daughters enjoyed looking through mine.

Then I caught sight of an old woman on a swing, watching the happenings in the yard. I went to chat with her. She told me she was selling almost all her possessions because she was moving to a nursing home in town. Her eyes fell to the button box, and when she looked up, they were glistening with tears. Her fist closed around a delicate pearl button, now yellow with age. She smiled as she told me about the birth of her first child and the special pearl-buttoned outfit that would be worn by five more babies before time wore it thin.

I noticed a large, dark brass military button and asked her about it. “From my first husband’s uniform,” she said. “It’s one of the few things I had to remind me of him when he didn’t return home alive.” As we went through the box together, I pulled a small key from the box, I heard the sharp intake of her breath. It was the key to a music box that played a special love song, she said. She thought it had been lost, never to be found. From my hand to hers, I passed the key to her memories.

Hairpins, wooden nickels, and ruby buttons took her further down memory lane. I knew that when I reached my own home, my heart would pull me to my sewing room, where I would rediscover my own lifetime of memories in my own button box.

1. What do we know about the old woman?

A．She was in need of money.

B．She was leaving her house.

C．She was wearing a white hat.

D．She was selling her mum’s button box.

2. Which of the following words best describes my talk with the old woman?

A．Discouraging.

B．Amusing.

C．Touching.

D．Shocking.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph but one?

A．The old woman’s husband used to be a soldier.

B．The old woman was good at telling stories to others.

C．I can sew the buttons that I bought in the auction into my own clothes.

D．I passed the key to a music box that played a special love song to her memories.

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

A．An Old lady at a Yard Sale

B．Memories of My Life

C．A Life in a Button Box

D．My Purchase at an Auction

【推荐2】When I was nine years old, I never dreamed that the small, quarter vending (自动售货) machine I owned would turn me into a small business owner and a college graduate.

Wanting to inspire a sense of entrepreneurship (企业家身份) and business in his daughter, my dad brought home a vending machine he had purchased from a friend. Setting it down in front of me in our living room, he asked — in all seriousness — “Do you want to start a business?”

I owned 15 vending machines by the time I left high school, with all of the profits going toward my college fund. In addition to being a great bonding experience for my family, I cannot tell you how many skills I learned from starting and growing my very own business that helped me gain responsibility.

Understanding both personal and professional finances is one of the most important life lessons to learn—the earlier, the better. I had to be fearless and confident — learning these skills at a young age saved me from speaking with difficulty through presentations later in life. Comprehending the ins and outs of your product and business shines through when speaking with customers and clients. Learning that not every experience in life leads to a “Well, You Tried” trophy (安慰奖励) taught me that rejection is hard, and it’s going to happen.

Throughout the unbelievable experience of running my own business at a young age (more stories to come), I learned valuable skills that have helped me in my job, school, and personal life. I believe in the value of customer service. I go after clients and opportunities and understand that sometimes thing don’t go my way.

With the help of my parents and customers who supported me, I grew up an entrepreneur with skills to keep for the rest of my life.

1. Why did the author’s dad give her a vending machine?

A．To earn her college fund.

B．To solve his friend’s financial problem.

C．To raise her business and management awareness.

D．To let her know how hard it is for parents to earn money.

2. In what aspect does NOT the author benefit a lot from the vending machine?

A．Earning college fees.

B．Making many friends.

C．Learning to take responsibilities.

D．Strengthening family relationships.

3. How many skills are mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．Four.

B．Five.

C．Six.

D．Seven.

4. What can we infer from the author’s experience in running vending machine?

A．She learns how to spend money.

B．Those skills can only help her in her job.

C．She learns to seize the chance to make all things possible.

D．She knows it’s important to provide customers with satisfactory service.

【推荐3】Soon after Savannah Phillips got fastened into her window seat on a United Airlines flight from Oklahoma to Illinois this past May,she glanced over at her seatmate.He was in his 60s, wore bright yellow sunglasses,and was busy texting.The letters were unusually large and the   screen was bright,making it easy for Phillips to read what he was typing out:"Hey Babe,I'm sitting next to a smelly fatty."

＂It was like confirmation of the negative things I think about myself on a daily basis,"the 33-year-old mother wrote in a Facebook post after the flight.Soon tears streamed down her cheeks as she hugged the cabin wall,trying to make herself as small as possible.

Sitting a row behind them and across the walkway was Chase Irwin,a 35-year-old bar manager from Nashville,Tennessee.He could see the man's texts,too-and he could see Phillips."I noticed her looking at his phone,"Irwin told wsmv.com."I was sick to my stomach.I could not have this guy sit next to her this whole flight and her thinking he's making fun of her," he told Nashville's News Channel 5.

In an instant,Irwin had unfastened his seat belt and was overlooking the texter."Hey,I   need to talk to you,"Irwin told him."We are switching seats-now."When the texter asked why,Irwin said,"You're texting about her,and I'm not putting up with that."

The texter agreed quickly.Irwin took his place next to Phillips and was soon cheering up his new seatmate.

＂He encouraged me not to let that guy get to me and that everything was going to be fine," Phillips wrote.And he was right.She and Irwin spent the rest of the flight chatting like old friends.

With her faith in humanity restored,Phillips wrote on Facebook,"The flight attendant told him that he was her hero.He wasn't her hero-he was mine."

1. Why did Savannah Phillips weep?

A．She sensed her seatmate's unfriendliness.

B．She was confirmed that her seatmate was ill.

C．She was disgusted by the smelly seatmate.

D．She felt embarrassed at her weight problem.

2. What do we know from Chase Irwin's words in the third paragraph?

A．He had a stomachache.

B．He was familiar with Phillips.

C．He liked Philips.

D．He was kind by nature.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Philips didn't believe in humanity.

B．Philips was grateful to Chase Irwin.

C．Such heroes were needed in every flight.

D．Flight attendants should deal with such incidents.

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

A．A hero of the attendant

B．Humanity lost forever

C．A romantic encounter

D．A journey of hurt and delight

【推荐1】My sister and I spent our childhoods in a small town, where nature’s riches made up for noise of a big city. We spent our time playing outdoor games - hide-and-seek was our favorite. Eating out was unheard of then; neither were expensive birthday parties. Special treats were reserved for Sundays, festivals and birthdays.

We were living a life where we cared and looked out for each other at the same time. Mom worked hard at her job from morning till evening. Even though we went through tough times, providing my sister and me with the best possible education remained a big priority(首要事情) for our mother, even though it meant most of her hard-earned money was spent paying our school fees. We were always careful and financially struggling, but somehow we always felt a sense of satisfaction in our lives.

Life for us moved at this easy, contented pace until, of course, our birthdays approached. When it drew near, there would be an air of expectation and tense excitement. Honestly, I did not look forward to the gifts as much as I did sharing Mom’s handmade chocolates, wrapped in shiny, colorful paper, with my classmates. Fifteen minutes before lunch, our teacher would allow us to distribute the candies. And out came the box from its hiding place under my books - and with a smile on my face and a happy heart, I would hand over two chocolates each to my friends. Then, I would rush out of the room just to admire the pleasure of hearing them open up the wrappers and taste the mouth-watering chocolates in pure delight. They would then ask me if there were a few more of these delicacies until I ran out of these treats entirely.

The years passed by, and my mother settled into a peaceful, retired life, while my sister and I married and had families and children of our own. Yet, the memory and the delightful flavor of those gift-wrapped, handmade and unforgettable chocolates were still a hit among us sisters. This memory will stay with us forever.

1. What can we learn about their childhoods?

A．They lived a simple but full life together.

B．The mother couldn’t afford her kids’ education.

C．They were guilty about their background.

D．They always got gifts from classmates on birthdays.

2. Which of the following word can best describe the mother’s chocolates?

A．Unattractive.

B．Inseparable.

C．Expensive.

D．Pleasant.

3. What’s the secret of the chocolate’s everlasting taste?

A．Delicate wrap and words.

B．Special colors and recipes.

C．Pleasure from sharing with others.

D．Mother’s affection and devotion.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing the article?

A．To share with us her simple childhood life.

B．To memorize her mom’s unique chocolates.

C．To recall her harmonious family relationship.

D．To tell us her birthday party with classmates.

【推荐2】BEIJING/SAO PAULO-Chinese traditions like cockfighting, like-flying and fireworks have been quite common in Brazil for many years.

Despite the thousands of kilometers between them, China’s historical and artistic mark on Brazil has existed for about 300 years, said Brazilian sinologist (汉学家) Jose Roberto Teixeira Leite in his book China in Brazil. “Influences from China can date from the colonial period, even up to the time after after Brazil’s independence.” The commercial relationship between the two countries has existed for a long time, he noted, adding that incoming ships would fill up Brazilian cities like Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Recife with Chinese products like porcelain (瓷器), silk and fans He also found Chinese influence not only in the arts and architecture of Brazil but also in the most diverse areas of Brazilian society, like the economy, medicine and popular culture. “At the end of the 19th century, in Pernambuco, (a state in northeastern Brazil), there was a custom that children slept with clothes decorated with Chinese dragons.” Teixeira added.

The book took him about 15 years to finish. “The impact of the book surprised me, though it was published by a university publisher and it had a print run of just 1,000 copies,” he said. “Some have said that the book represents a turning point in Chinese studies in Brazil.”

Besides, the sinologist did research on the mark and presence of China in the architecture and arts of Brazil. “It was through art that China awoke in me, first, curiosity, after that, interest, and finally, passion,” Teixeira said.

In 1992, the sinologist visited Macao to do research for his doctoral thesis about the marks and presence of China in Brazil, and that trip impressed him a lot. In 2013, Teixeira had a chance to visit the Chinese cities of Bejing, Shenzhen and Shanghai, and got to know “the past and present of the great country culturally, as well as its incredible material development.”

1. What does the underlined sentence imply?

A．Brazilian children’s love for dragons as Chinese children.

B．The development of China-Brazil frequent trade cooperation.

C．A further understanding of the cultures of the two countries.

D．China’s influence on most diverse areas of Brazilian society.

2. What marks a new stage of Chinese studies for Brazilian?

A．Children’s clothes.	B．The sinologist’s traveling.
C．The sinologist’s book.	D．China’s porcelain.

3. What fired the sinologist’s passion for Chinese studies?

A．Chinese art.	B．Chinese customs.
C．The history of China.	D．China’s development.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．The Impression of China on Sinologist.

B．China and Brazil in Eyes of Sinologist

C．An Introduction to Sinologist’s New Book

D．The Future of China-Brazil Trade Relations

【推荐3】U.K. astronomer Martin Rees says that in future, some people may decide to leave Earth in order to live on other worlds. Finally, he added, they might use high technologies to change themselves to adapt to their new environment.

“They will find themselves ill-adapted to conditions there, so they will redesign themselves using powerful genetic engineering (基因工程) technologies,” Rees says. “These techniques will, I hope, be kept under control on Earth; but those on other planets will be freer to try.”

“We should surely wish them luck in changing their children to adapt to outer planets. This may be the first step towards the development of a new species,” says Rees. He says that these “post-humans” could one day turn into “fully inorganic intelligences” which may not even need an atmosphere to live and may grow well in zero-gravity environments, which ordinary people are not adapted to. “So it is in deep space, not on Earth, that ‘brains’ may develop powers that humans can’t even imagine,” says Rees.

Rees also warns that human beings shouldn’t fall back on the idea that they can avoid disaster on Earth by heading deeper into space. “It’s dangerous to think that space offers an escape from Earth’s problems,” he says. “We must solve them here. Dealing with climate change is a doddle compared with changing other planets; there’s no environment in our solar system as mild as even the top of Qomolangma.”

This isn't the first time Rees has made interesting predictions. Last year, Rees predicted possible dangers of nuclear physics (核物理学) tests taking place on Earth. “Maybe a black hole could form, and then take in everything around it,” he said. However, some scientists were not worried about this prediction. Stefan, a physicist, said he wouldn't be “losing any sleep” over that prediction.

1. What might be Rees’s prediction?

A．People might live on other planets soon.

B．Space technologies might be improved greatly.

C．People might avoid using genetic technology in outer space.

D．Space exploration might lead to genetically-changed humans.

2. Which of the following might be a description of “post-humans” ?

A．They have better survivability.

B．They are sensitive to zero gravity.

C．They are as smart as ordinary people.

D．They cannot adapt to the global environment.

3. What might the underlined part “a doddle” Paragraph 4 mean?

A．The top dog.	B．A hot potato.
C．A piece of cake.	D．A white elephant.

4. What did Stefan think of Rees’s prediction?

A．It was doubtful.

B．It made great sense.

C．It required special attention.

D．It questioned many popular beliefs.

【推荐1】Having attended a first-aid-at-work course, Brian Cracknell soon found himself responding to two emergencies in a week.

Brian was at work in his bus company office in Weston-super-Mare on May 18 when a colleague called to say there had been an accident at a bus stop nearby. He ran to the scene with his first aid kit and found an old lady sitting at the bus stop. When boarding (上车) the bus, the old lady painfully hurt her left leg, which was bleeding.

He introduced himself, and asked some basic first aid questions to get a general picture of her health. Then he put his jacket on the floor, using the lady’s coat as a pillow, and gently laid her down so he could raise her legs and apply some bandages. Brian said, “At first I was a bit worried about remembering to do all the right things. I made sure she was as comfortable as possible.” When he had nearly finished, he told the lady that she was his first one. The lady said he was doing a great job.

Just a week later, Brian got a second call-out to help another lady at a bus stop.

Having used his new skills twice within a short time, Brian has decided to sign up as a Red Cross first aid volunteer. As he said, “I just thought: what’s the point in having this knowledge if I’m not going to use it? It felt really good to help those people. I was so proud of myself afterwards, so I’m going to join the Red Cross.”

1. Before helping the old lady, Brian         .

A．had given first aid on many people

B．was thought to be a skilled first aid volunteer

C．knew nothing about how to handle an emergency

D．had learnt first aid skills but hadn’t put them into practice

2. What was wrong with the old lady when Brian arrived?

A．Her legs were bleeding after being injured.

B．Her left leg was injured and was bleeding.

C．She fell onto the ground and hurt her head.

D．She was knocked down by a bus and lost her legs.

3. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．The reason why Brian was asked to help.

B．Brian handled two emergencies in a week.

C．How Brian gave first aid on the old lady.

D．How the old lady reacted to Brian’s performance.

4. After using his first aid skills twice, Brian       .

A．was discouraged and decided to give up

B．realized he still had a lot of things to learn

C．decided to give up his job for the Red Cross

D．decided to help more people with his first aid skills

【推荐2】It's never been easier to find vacant(空缺的）jobs or to apply for them nowadays.“With technology,it's much easier,”says Dennis Masel,chief operating officer of a US staffing agency.Mr. Masel says PDF files,mobile devices and fast Internet have changed the way he works.“I used to personally send my resumes (简历) to a client's(客户) office,”he says.“Now I can send an application to a client within seconds via the Internet.”

Some companies have developed their own mobile apps to simplify the process.Job seekers can post their resumes online and apply for posts with a single mouse click.And it is not only computers but also mobile phones.However, some employers do not trace the applications they receive.It results in candidates becoming disillusioned and less unlikely to get new jobs. Dennis Masel says three steps can help you stand out.

First,he advises candidates to reach out to online networking connections at the company where you want to work.“By making a personal connection,you could essentially make your application stand out and get noticed by people.”

Second, he says,you must react quickly when you see a job you want.“For every position that you are interested in,you have to imagine that thousands of job­seekers are all coming after the same position.You have to be quick.Sometimes positions are filled within the span of hours.”

Third,use email notices on job listing sites and choose to get only the ones you want.

“I absolutely love email notices because I can get exactly the jobs that interest me, and it's really easy for me to basically in,”he says.“Put keywords in,such as the location you want to search and your experience,and get exactly what you want.”

1. According to Para.1, people now change the way they work NOT because of     .

A．fast Internet	B．PDF files
C．resume	D．technology

2. The underlined word “disillusioned” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_______”．

A．hopeless	B．encouraged
C．anxious	D．interested

3. What can we infer from this passage?

A．Every position is filled within the span of hours.

B．Email notices will play important roles in job hunting.

C．Mobile phones will take the place of computers in job seeking.

D．Employers do not acknowledge the applications they receive online.

4. By writing the passage, the author intends to________.

A．highlight the stress of job hunting

B．analyze the cause of failure in job hunting

C．introduce some currently popular hi-tech tools

D．offer readers some useful advice about job hunting

【推荐3】Many people don’t have a home because of an illness or because they lost their jobs. They have bad health and can’t start working, and because of that, they can’t pay for a doctor, so it’s a never-ending circle. Homeless people don’t have anywhere to go, so they have to sleep on the streets, covering themselves with newspapers and looking through the rubbish cans to find some food or warmer clothes.

Seeing these horrible living conditions, the Australian charity Beddown decided to help these people in need. They came up with an amazing idea to make shelters in places that are vacant at night-like parking lots! The organization asked one of the largest car park-opera tors, Secure Parking, and they agreed upon it.

“It was great to start with a group of our volunteers to help us and set up some beds. Although as expected we had a few challenges to overcome, it was good to start bringing Bed down to life. Beddown will provide an immediate response for those who can not sleep well to access safe, find shelter-and access to a real bed and a great night’s sleep. We will work with our other partners to provide long-term solutions to providing our guests with accommoda-tion, education and employment opportunities.” The founders of Beddown said in one of their Instagram posts.

The charity also provided other services to the guests, like doctors, nurses, dentists, hairdressers. They gave them new clothing, a place to clean themselves and helped provide social services. “After spending the week here, having a good sleep at night, it reminded me of life and I want to begin my life again,” one homeless man said.

1. What can we learn about the homeless in Australia？

A．They live a hard life.	B．They lost their families.
C．They don’t want to work.	D．They like to live on the street.

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

A．Making beds for the homeless.	B．Using the parking lot to get money.
C．Using the parking lot to help the homeless.	D．Inviting the car park operators to organize the activity.

3. What did the founders of Beddown say about setting up beds for the homeless？

A．It is only a part of their help.	B．It helps the volunteers greatly.
C．It makes the Beddown get more reputation.	D．It gives the homeless a chance to return to real life.

4. What can be the best title for the text？

A．The Homeless Get Good Diet Now.

B．Beddown Shelters the Homeless in Car Parks.

C．Beddown Helps the Homeless Find Jobs in Car Parks.

D．Australian Charity Beddown and the Homeless in Australian.