【推荐1】My dad, George, only had an eighth grade education. He was a quiet man and he didn’t understand my world of school activities. From age 14, he worked. And his dad, Albert, took the money my dad earned and used it to pay family expenses.

I didn’t really understand his world cither. He was a livestock trucker, and I thought that I would surpass (超过) anything he had accomplished by the time I walked across the stage at high school graduation.

The summer before my eighth grade, I was one of a group of boys that a neighboring farmer hired to work in his field. He explained our basic task, the tractor fired up and we were off, riding down the field to get rid of weeds (杂草) with chemicals. After a short way, the farmer stopped and pointed at a weed which we missed. Then we began again. It was tiring work, but I looked forward to the pay, even though I wasn’t sure how much it would amount to.

At home, my dad said, “A job is a big step to growing up. I’m glad you will be contributing to the household.” My dad’s words made me realize that my earnings might not be mine as I wished. My labor lasted about two weeks, and the farmer said there might be more work, but I wasn’t interested. I thought it was not fair that I had to contribute my money.

The pay arrived at last. Although the job was very tiring, I was very happy in my heart for I got something from my work. “How much money have you earned?” Dad asked. I was surprised, reluctant to say my income. The next morning, my dad’s livestock truck started running. I saw my father’s hard-working figure and thought of his words “A job is a big step to growing up”.

I understood immediately that my labor was very hard, but my growth and our whole family had been depending on the hard work of my parents! Dad never complained (埋怨) about unfairness and he has worked for so many years! In the evening, Dad came back. I proudly took out my own money and handed it to Dad.

1. What can we know about the author’s father?

A．He lived a rich life.	B．He was well-educated.
C．He was an outgoing man.	D．He worked at a young age.

2. What was the author hired to do by a neighboring farmer?

A．Wash tractors.	B．Watch the field.
C．Deal with harmful weeds.	D．Recognize different chemicals.

3. What does the underlined word “reluctant” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Delighted.

B．Content.

C．Unwilling.

D．Stressed.

4. What can we infer from the article?

A．The author gave the money to his father.

B．The author finally understood the meaning of growth.

C．The relationship between the author and his father was not good.

D．The author has always been happy to put his money into the household.

【推荐1】The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, “Hi, girl! My name is Rose. I’m 87 years old. Can give you a hug?”
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may! “and she gave me a giant squeeze.
“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age ?”I asked. She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel!”
“No seriously “I said. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” “she told me.
Over the course of the year, Rose because a campus icon（偶像）and she easily made friends wherever she went .She loved to dress up and she reveled（陶醉）in the attention bestowed（赠给）upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us.
“We do not stop playing because we are old“; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only two secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success/You have to laugh and find humor everyday. Your’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die!” she said.
“The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.” Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”
She concluded her   speech by courageously singing “The Song of Rose”. She challenged each of us study the lyrics(歌词)and live them out in our daily lives.
At the year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
1. Rose made herself known to the author in a _______ manner.

A．serious

B．cold

C．crazy

D．humorous

2. From the information provided in the passage, we know________.

A．Rose finished the college degree within a year

B．Rose did realize her dream of meeting a rich husband and getting married through college education

C．Rose enjoyed her campus life very much

D．Rose grew so old that she stopped playing

3. Rose delivered the speech________.

A．at the graduation

B．which she prepared carefully

C．ended with ”The Song of Rose”

D．to challenge all the other speakers

4. According to her speech,________.

A．whenever you have a dream, you succeed

B．All people don’t grow up while growing older

C．Rose usually regretted having done something

D．a nine-year-old is as old as a 87-year-old if he doesn’t do anything

5. The best title for the passage can be________.

A．Growing Older or Growing Up	B．It’s Never too Old to learn
C．Humour Does Count	D．Challenge Yourself

【推荐2】Everyone is affected by certain events or individuals that change their life.     1     One of them who have had a special effect on me is my volleyball coach.

When I first went to the volleyball training, I found out that my coach was seventy years old.     2     When she was seventy-three, she still warmed up with us and ran the five-kilometer cross-country races in the sports camp. I’ve never seen her being desperate, exhausted or complaining about something. In addition to this, she also has a great sense of humor and a modern world view. She is an absolutely amazing human being and a great role model.     3    

The coach taught me to control my emotions. She always reminded me that I should never give up and that I needed to believe in myself. She showed that I should take advantage of any opportunity, never be nervous in difficult situations and take it easy.     4     This wonderful woman has taught us to work as a team and developed a sense of responsibility for our actions in us.

I’m thankful for everything she has taught me. Under her instructions, I became a part of a team which has won a lot of competitions.     5     She has made a great influence on the formation of my personality and character. Also she has taught me to love volleyball.

I’m still trying to come to her training classes and help her with everything that I can do. Knowing her has been one of the most wonderful parts of my life.

A．I followed all her instructions in the competition.

B．Many people have influenced me during my life.

C．She believed what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

D．We even became winners of international championships.

E．It was surprising for me because she was getting on well with us.

F．I wanted to have such a strong character and willpower as she has.

G．However, after training with her, I realized any young person would envy her strength and energy.

【推荐3】LaShenda Williams was a woman who had been sleeping in a parking lot for a year. It was a pity that she had been battling alcohol addiction and had been spending the nights in her car at a Nashville Kroger after driving around different locations during the day. Williams was really poor, and she would lean her seat in the car all the way back so that no one would see her because she wasn’t supposed to be there.

At the end of last year, Jackie Vandal, a hiring manager at a Kroger grocery store, noticed Williams and encouraged her to attend an upcoming job fair. With some help from Vandal, Williams spent a few hours filling out the application. Once Vandal saw the message indicating she had successfully applied, Vandal hired her on the spot.

It became a great day! Williams was brimming with happiness and smiled from ear to ear. From then on,she loved her work and got excited every day to come in. She couldn’t wait to see the workers who she worked with. She couldn’t wait to see the customers. Her positive attitude had been a blessing to the staff, too.

Even Jackie Vandal thought that they were so lucky to have Williams as part of their team members. Her uplifting spirit was inspiring. She had made such a positive impact on her fellow team members, and so many customers as well.

Williams said it was easy to be enthusiastic after everything that had happened. She was sleeping in a parking lot and looking for something to eat last year.   However, now，all Williams’s colleagues there love her. No one laughs at her, and no one calls her dumb and stupid. For the first time in her life, she gets peace and happiness.

1. How was LaShenda Williams’s life last year?

A．Enthusiastic and happy.	B．Poor and hard.
C．Peaceful but boring.	D．Exciting but tough.

2. What happened to Williams at the end of last year?

A．She got a job with the help of Vandal.

B．She gained financial assistance from Vandal.

C．She helped Vandal work for Kroger grocery store.

D．She attended a job fair organized by a Kroger grocery store.

3. Which can take the place of the underlined word“brimming" in paragraph 3?

A．uncovered

B．filled

C．increasing

D．relieving

4. What can we know about Williams?

A．She made her family members enthusiastic.

B．She won back the customers with her inspiring story.

C．She loved her work and felt satisfied with her new life.

D．She was so lucky that she made a good impression on customers.

【推荐1】Every person plans to run off to some tropical isle, but few do. Real life, family, work, and monetary limitations get in the way. Ian Fleming let none of these considerations stop him.

After the war, Fleming set down his schedule. The first week of January saw him leave England and travel to Jamaica. The first week of March saw his return. He accepted his job at Kemsley newspapers without compromise — this portion of the year would be set aside for Jamaica or he would look elsewhere for employment.

For 6 years Fleming traveled each winter to Jamaica, lounging in paradise, romancing women, chasing the sunset, but it was not until he faced the pressure of a married woman who was pregnant with his child did Fleming start the writer’s journey which would change his life and popular culture forever. As Fleming waited in Jamaica for Anne’s divorce to become final, he wrote the first draft of a novel, Casino Royale.

Fleming’s career as a writer deserves more examination than can be offered here, but suffice it to say, over the next 12 years, Ian Fleming transformed his elite existence, his arrogance, his style, and his acid wit into some of the greatest thrillers ever written. Fleming incurred the respect of authors as diverse as Raymond Chandler, Kingsley Amis, and Edith Sitwell. His fans included John, Jackie, and Bobby Kennedy, and his social circle included Prime Minister Anthony Eden, Evelyn Waugh, and Somerset Maugham.

Fleming filled out the 12 years of Bond with great adventure journalism. Even in stories which had little action or pay off, such as his short non-fiction book, The Diamond Smugglers, the “Fleming-flair” ensured exciting reading. He wrote the “Atticus” column for the Sunday Times, proving a wonderful conduit for inside intelligence information, and clever rebukes(指责).

Regardless of book sales or family obligations, Fleming managed to live the life he wanted. As the years passed, his passion for golfing increased so he took more time with it. Fleming’s long-term fascination with America grew, so he traveled there more often.

Ian Fleming’s full life caught up with him through his heart. It may be that years of drinking and smoking took their toll, or that the butter-rich cooking Fleming loved was the culprit. Or maybe it was just genetics. Whatever the cause, Fleming’s health declined in the late 1950s. This plus anxieties in the marriage increased Fleming’s depression. With the success of Bond, the world came knocking at Fleming’s door, and he had a harder time shutting those out that he did not want in his life.

Nonetheless, Fleming fought the loosing battle of his weakening heart by throwing more fuel on the fire. He continued to drink and smoke, making some excuses but not many. He wrote books he wanted to read, and traveled the world with style and authority. By this time, Fleming had already earned his own fortune, created his own identity, and ruled his own literary empire.

1. According to the second paragraph, Fleming accepted the job offered by Kemsley newspaper __________.

A．and had to give up his yearly holiday plan to Jamaica

B．because he was offered to work in Jamaica every winter

C．so that he wouldn’t have to look for employment elsewhere

D．on condition that he took two months off to Jamaica every year

2. What led Fleming follow the path of writing?

A．His dream to be a writer.

B．The pressure from a woman.

C．His potential for literature.

D．His state of health.

3. When he began writing, Fleming never expected that __________.

A．he would change popular culture

B．he could get over the pressure

C．Anne would have a divorce

D．Anne would keep his child

4. Fleming’s thrillers reflected his __________.

A．sense for popular culture	B．relationship with Anne
C．own personalities	D．life at Jamaica

5. The fact that “Fleming filled out the 12 years of Bond with great adventure journalism” shows that __________.

A．Fleming took up journalism when he finished Bond’s adventures

B．Fleming put Bond through many thrilling adventures

C．Fleming described Bond as an adventurous journalist

D．Fleming experienced Bond’s adventures when he was a journalist

6. According to the passage, Fleming died of __________.

A．an unidentified reason	B．a disease of the heart
C．an unknown family disease	D．over drinking and smoking

【推荐2】Thompson’s Children

As her son Cameron sits at his laptop completing a task for his math degree course. Alison Thompson, a full-time mum is busy helping her daughter Emma (two years younger than Cameron) get dressed. While help has always been available for Emma, Alison and her husband also have to fight to get Cameron the support he needs."People could see that Emma has special needs but because Cameron was doing so well at school, his teachers never thought there was a problem with him, “says Alison.

It took Alison and her husband a while to realize their son was different. Cameron's ability didn’t become clear until he began primary school. Once he even corrected the teacher when she told the class that zero was the lowest number. Cameron told her she was wrong because there were negative numbers(负数). He was four at the time. Now 14-year-old Cameron is at secondary school, studying for a distance learning math degree with the Open University, having sailed through his GCSE at 11 and his A-level at 12, achieving top grades.

Bethany, another daughter of Alison, is bright too but not gifted. She is the one who will remind absent-minded Cameron to put on his coat. She also helps him out in social situations.

Emma attends a specialist school and the family is quick to celebrate her successes too.

“The other day she did up the buttons on her coat, which was real progress,” Alison says.

Late last year the Thompsons took part in a television documentary(纪录片) to prove that not all gifted children are the result of extremely ambitious parents. Gifted children need support too, but their lives don't have to be that different. Cameron is an example

1. What does paragraph 1 indicate?

A．Cameron helps Emma with her math tasks.

B．Teachers at school ignored Emma's problems.

C．Both Cameron and Emma need parental support.

D．The couple often have fights because of Cameron.

2. There are at least__________ people in Mrs. Thompson’s family.

A．three	B．four
C．five	D．six

3. What can be known from the passage?

A．Emma has learned to take good care of herself.

B．Cameron showed his gift before primary school.

C．The children of the family are bright and gifted.

D．Gifted kids are not so different as people expect.

【推荐3】Misty Copeland spends most days practicing and perfecting the graceful movements of her art. She takes classes almost every day and takes care of her body so she doesn’t injure it when she goes to work at Americam Ballet Theatre, one of the most famous ballet companies in the world.

“I treat my body with the respect that any musician would their instrument. I accept all that it is and do my best to make it the best it can be,” says Misty.

Misty didn’t always feel so confident in herself. The challenges she has faced over almost 20 years of dancing have made her strong. She was a shy child and avoided the spotlight. But she loved music and movement. When she was 13, she joined the drill team. One day, her coach suggested that she attend a free ballet class at the Boys & Girls club. For two weeks, Misty sat on the gym platforms watching the class, afraid to join in. Finally, she gave it a try.

At first, Misty felt out of place in the class. She didn’t know anything about ballet, and she was older than most of the students. Even though Misty felt discouraged, she didn’t quit. She talked with others who had struggled with similar problems. With the support of these friends, things slowly improved.

Over the next five years, ballet was Misty’s life. She practiced, performed, competed, attended summer ballet programs, and got loads of awards.

Today, Misty says, “I’ve learned to embrace my appearance, skin color, and figure.” She wants to help other dancers, especially ballerinas of color, accept themselves, too. She wrote a picture book, Firebird, in which her character encourages a young African American ballerina. In a note at the end of the book. Misty tells readers to follow their dreams: “No matter what that dream is,” she writes, “you have the power to make it come true with hard work and dedication.”

1. When Misty Copeland began to learn ballet, she _____________.

A．felt a sense of belonging immediately

B．joined the drill team and practiced actively

C．encountered many challenges but stuck to her dream

D．encouraged others with similar problems and improved together

2. Which words can best describe Misty Copeland?

A．Determined and indifferent.	B．Persistent and devoted.
C．Diligent and pessimistic.	D．Talented and traditional.

3. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Many hands make light work.	B．One good turn deserves another.
C．Diligence is the mother of success.	D．A fall in a pit, a gain in your wit.

【推荐1】A man in Brisbane, Australia, survived a house fire early Wednesday morning because his pet parrot, named Eric, sounded the alarm.

Anton was asleep when his home caught fire just after 2:00 a.m., according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Anton didn’t hear the smoke detector(探测器). Instead, he heard Eric calling his name repeatedly, ABC reported. “I heard a bang and Eric — my parrot— he started to yell so I woke up and I smelled a bit of smoke,” Anton told ABC. “I grabbed Eric, opened the door and looked to the back of the house and saw some flames,” he added. “And so I grabbed my bag and bolted downstairs.” Officials told ABC that Anton’s home did have a smoke detector, but it didn’t go off before Eric started calling “Anton! Anton!” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Inspector Cam Thomas told ABC that the firemen were able to contain the fire before it spread to other properties(财产).

According to ABC, there may be a crime(犯罪)and policemen are looking into what caused the fire. In the meantime, Anton is glad that he and Eric survived. “I’m in shock but I’m fine,” he told ABC. “Everything’s all right so long as I have myself and the bird.”

1. What is the right order of the following?
a. Anton saw some flames.
b. Anton heard Eric calling his name.
c. Anton bolted downstairs.
d. Anton’s house caught fire at midnight.
e. Anton woke up and smelled the smoke.

A．dbeac.

B．debac.

C．daebc.

D．deabc

2. How did Anton feel about the experience?

A．Awkward

B．Lucky.

C．Shocked

D．Annoyed

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Eric got badly injured in the fire.

B．The house was burnt to the ground.

C．Someone might have set fire to the house.

D．The police couldn’t find the cause of the fire.

【推荐2】Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs who met every day to play together. Like pairs of dogs you can find in most any neighborhood, these two loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their respective houses.

One evening, Brownie's family noticed that Brownie hadn't returned home. They went looking for him with no success. Brownie didn't show up the next day, and despite their efforts to find him, by the next week he was still missing. Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie's house alone. Barking, whining and generally pestering Brownie's human family. Busy with their own lives, they just ignored the nervous neighbor dog.

Finally, one morning Spotty refused to take "no" for an answer. Ted, Brownie's owner, was steadily harassed by the furious, adamant little dog. Spotty followed Ted about; barking insistently, then darting toward nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, "Follow me! It's urgent!"

Finally, Ted followed the frantic Spotty across the empty lot as Spotty paused to race back and bark encouragingly. The little dog led the man under a tree, past clumps of trees, to a desolate spot a half mile from the house. There Ted found his beloved Brownie alive, one of his hind legs crushed in a steel leg hold trap. Horrified, Ted now wished he'd taken Spotty's earlier appeals seriously. Then Ted noticed something quite remarkable.

Spotty had done more than simply led Brownie's human owner to his trapped friend. In a circle around the injured dog, Ted found an array of dog food and table scraps which were later identified as the remains of every meal Spotty had been fed that week!

Spotty had been visiting Brownie regularly, in a single minded quest to keep his friend alive by sacrificing his own comfort. Spotty had evidently stayed with Brownie to protect him from predators, snuggling with him at night to keep him warm and nuzzling him to keep his spirits up.

Browni’s leg was treated by a veterinarian and he recovered. For many years thereafter, the two families watched the faithful friends playing and chasing each other down that well-worn path between their houses.

1. What's the correct order of the following?
① They couldn’t find him everywhere.
② Spotty went to Brownie’s master's house to ask for help.
③ One evening, Brownie was missing.
④ Spotty found Brownie and helped him by giving him food.
⑤ They play together happily again.

A．③①②④⑤

B．⑤③①④②

C．③①④②⑤

D．③①④⑤②

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

A．Spotty took Brownie's food to him every day.	B．There was a natural path between the two houses.
C．The legs of Brownie were hurt by the steel trap.	D．Brownie disappeared for more than a week.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Ted noticed Spotty’s earlier actions.	B．Brownie’s family were thankful to Spotty.
C．They asked the police to find Brownie for them.	D．Spotty led Brownie’s owner to feed him.

【推荐3】In many countries of the world, people can confidently tell you the meaning of their town or city, but most people who live in Manchester, Oxford or Birmingham would not be able to explain what the name of their city means. The name of every British town and city, however, has a long history.

Two thousand years ago, most people living in Britain were Celts. Even the word “Britain" is Celtic (凯尔特语).Then the Romans arrived and built camps which became cities called “castra". This is why there are so many place names in England which end in "-chester" or “-caster" Manchester, for example.

The Romans never reached Wales or Scotland, and many place names there are Celtic. For example,Welsh place names that begin with “Llan" come from the Celtic word for "church".

After the Romans left Britain, it was attacked by the Anglo-Saxons who were from the area of Europe that is now Germany and Holland. The names of their villages often ended in “-ham" or “-ton". Some got their names from the leader of the village.So Birmingham for example, means "Beormund's village”

The Anglo-Saxons were farmers and the landscape was very important to them, so we have villages called Upton (village on a hill)——a good place to build a village and Moreton (“village by a lake”)where floods could make life hard. Place names that end in “-ford" (a place where you could cross a river) also describe the location of Anglo-Saxon villages.

Finally, in 1066 England became Norman—the Normans gave us the place name "grange", which means farm.

And how about London? Experts cannot agree. The Romans called the city Londinium, but they were not the first inhabitants (居民). People once believed that the United Kingdom’s capital city got its name from the castle of a King called Lud   but this is very unlikely. Our best guess today is that the name comes from a Celtic word meaning a fast-flowing river. Like a number of British place names, its history is lost in time.

1. The origin of British place names is unfamiliar to many local people because of      

A．the death of local languages

B．the long lost history of the names

C．their lack of interest in it

D．the frequent changes to the names

2. According to the article, Stratford is most likely a town             .

A．on a hill	B．near a castle
C．beside a river	D．with a church

3. Which of the following shows the correct order of the arrival of inhabitants in Britain?

A．The Celts—The Romans—The Normans—The Anglo Saxons

B．The Celts—The Romans—The Anglo Saxons—The Normans

C．The Romans—The Celts—The Anglo Saxons—The Normans

D．The Romans―The Anglo Saxons—The Celts—The Normans

4. What does London mean in Celtic?

A．River	B．Londinium
C．Lud	D．Castle