【推荐1】When my son was first diagnosed with Autism (自闭症), it was a very hard time for us. However, in some ways it was a relief, because we finally had a name for what was going on in our lives, but it also meant years more of uncertainty, and we didn’t know what the future held.

When I shared the news with my coworkers, I was so surprised and happy to receive so much immediate love and support from them. They were focused on what we needed, as opposed to how it would affect my ability to make it to work.

One co-worker, Jackie, in particular, was amazing to my family and me. She called me into her office a few days later, and gave me a “worry stone” It gives you something to focus on when you’re worried, rubbing your thumb (拇指) around on this stone. It was a lovely gesture.

She then extended a permanent offer to drive us to any appointments or tests we needed. Considering the fact that we lived 90 minutes from where most treatment took place, this was a tremendous offer. She made it very clear to me that this offer included last minute trips or emergencies. Anytime we needed to go anywhere, she was willing to be our transportation. She said that we needed to be able to focus on our son instead of having to divide our attention between the road and him.

We never did need to take her up on her wonderful offer, but knowing it was there and that she was so willing to help made it feel like we were much less alone.

1. What does “a relief” refer to in the first paragraph?

A．My son’s recovery from the disease.

B．The help from my co-workers.

C．Knowing what my boy’s problem is.

D．The sign of a better future.

2. Why did the co-work offer to drive for us?

A．She is a mare experienced driver.

B．We live far away from the hospital.

C．She lives very close to our house.

D．She wishes to reduce our worries.

3. What does the writer think of the offer by Jackie?

A．It’s a great comfort.

B．It’s a last-minute offer.

C．It’s not necessary.

D．It’s a difficult decision for her.

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

A．Years of Uncertainty

B．The Most Generous Woman

C．In Time of Need

D．A Story of Sacrifice

【推荐2】It's pleased to receive gifts from your loved ones. I have received many Christmas gifts over the years. But the best gift I ever received was presented to me by a stranger. I never even knew his name and I only had contact with him for less than 60 seconds. His Christmas present to me changed the way I had thought about people and Christmas.

It was several years ago when my wife asked me to meet her at the local department store on Black Friday morning. They had advertised a child's bike that she wanted to purchase for our son. We stood with a very large crowd, waiting for the manager to blow the whistle. After a while, the whistle blew. It was like throwing a bucket of fish into a tank of sharks. I told my wife that if we obtained a bike, fine, but if we did not, I was OK with that too.

As the shelf of bikes began to gradually decrease in size, I saw my polite opportunity to wrap my hands around the corner of one of the boxes. I lifted it off the box and suddenly felt some mild resistance. I looked up to see one of the largest gentlemen I had ever seen in my life. Threat was not the word to describe his presence. He was decorated with numerous belts of metal pointed leather around both arms and even his neck. Tattoos (文身) were an obvious passion of his.

I started to return anxiously the box but he gently pushed it back in my direction and back into my hands. He then directed it into my shopping cart. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Merry Christmas. ” My wife and I went to the checkout, paid for the bike and went home. All the way home I was thinking that this moment was by far the best Christmas gift I had ever received. The kindness of a stranger that broke all previous views I may have had of stereotypes and prejudices. I will never forget the tenderness of a human heart in a simple act.

1. Why does the author view the gift as the best one?

A．Because it was given by a stranger.

B．Because it was donated by a charity:

C．Because it improved his level of living.

D．Because it changed his opinion on people.

2. What can we know about the bike mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．It sold well that night.

B．It was attractive to women.

C．It was sold at a lower price.

D．It was equipped with a whistle.

3. What can we infer about the stranger with tattoos?

A．He was awful in appearance but kind in heart.

B．He was handsome and good-mannered.

C．He was big but cautious in behavior.

D．He was lovely and energetic.

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

A．A True Gentleman I Met

B．The Best Gift I Ever Received

C．A Choice That Changed My View

D．A Stranger Who Gave Me a Gift

【推荐3】For weeks, Eva Hachey had thought of adopting a dog. And there he was, at the local dog shelter. “The attendant picked him up and put him on my lap. He started giving me kisses. He stole my heart at that moment.” She adopted the ten-month-old puppy immediately and named him Bruno.

Bruno lived happily with Hachey and her daughter, Angel Hutchinson, for five months. Then, on the evening of September 26, 2018, Hachey, returned home as usual at 8 pm from her job. She ate supper in the living room. Around 10:30, a friend called, just as Bruno went into Hutchinson’s room to go to sleep where Hutchinson was ready to sleep. Hachey and her friend chatted a bit, and as Hachey hung up, she noticed the time was 11:08.

“The next thing I remembered was a male voice saying, Eva, Eva, wake up. It was a doctor,” Hachey says. “I looked around, and the room was just full of people. And I said, what are you doing in my house?”

What they were doing was saving her life. By the time Hachey hung up with her friend, Hutchinson was fast asleep in her bedroom and Bruno was next to her bed on the floor. Hachey believes he heard something strange and possibly went to the living room to investigate.

Anyway, Bruno began barking and jumping on and off the bed to wake Hutchinson. When that didn’t work, he attacked the fleshy skin between Hutchinson’s index finger and thumb. Finally, she leaped out of bed and went to see her mother, only to find Hachey slumped over in the chair who had stopped breathing. Hutchinson dialed 911 immediately. Hachey was diagnosed to have suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and she spent 15 days in hospital.

Now, a year and a half later, Hachey has fully recovered, although doctors had given her only a 5% chance of survival. Hachey believes that being found so quickly after the rupture is the only thing that saved her life.

1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．everything went smoothly before 11 o'clock

B．it was Hutchinson that Hachey first saw when she came to life

C．Bruno managed to wake Angel up by jumping on and off the bed

D．Bruno was five months old when Hachey suffered the brain disease

2. What does the underlined phrase “slumped over” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．fast asleep	B．wide awake
C．seated senseless	D．lying dead

3. What played the most important role in Hachey’s being rescued?

A．Her daughter’s company.

B．The doctors’ timely rescue.

C．Hachey’s strong desire to live.

D．Bruno’s quick and clever action.

【推荐3】If, for some reason, you had 2,010 empty plastic bottles, what would you do? You’d probably sell them cheaply, right? But Xia Yu collected 2,010 bottles and built a boat with them. As you read this, Xia is, in fact, on a river somewhere in Anhui, slowly going towards his destination: the Expo Garden in Shanghai. 2,010 plastic bottles were to celebrate Expo (世博会) 2010 Shanghai. On the opening day of the Expo, Xia, together with five friends, went on a 1, 500km journey from Xiangtan to the Expo Garden, in spite of the doubt whether they’ll make it. After all, the boat they are on can hardly be called a boat. It cost only 2,000 yuan to build in a month.

What’s keeping Xia going is a major cause behind the trip. “We are examining water pollution through our journey and trying to promote a low-carbon (低碳) lifestyle. Before we started, no one believed we could sail the boat to the Dongting Lake. But we made it.” But as they expected, the journey has not always been smooth. Of the six from Xiangtan, four gave up. As of the press time (到发稿时), only Xia and his friend Huang Ying were on the boat. Huang suffered from a disease when they reached Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, Xia said, “There are so many things that can stop us from making it to Shanghai, like the weather, health, and sometimes swift river water”.

The boat was produced in a factory according to our design, and perhaps it’s not in a very good condition. But, Xia said, “we are wearing life jackets. Some boats passing by offered help”. What is more of a reward for Xia and Huang is that the Yangtze River turned out much cleaner than they had expected. Although Xia and Huang are uncertain about the journey ahead, they are quite happy with what they have already achieved. After all, it’s not the destination that counts. It’s always the course that matters the most.

1. Xia Yu doubts the success of the journey because of 　　　.

A．such a long journey on the river

B．the poor boat and the bad weather

C．few people taking part in the journey

D．the seriously polluted river in some parts

2. Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the journey?

A．To examine water pollution.

B．To celebrate Expo 2010 Shanghai.

C．To win a race on the water.

D．To promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

3. From the text we know that　　　.

A．they stay on the boat at night

B．three people gave up due to their bad health

C．Xia Yu and his mate have arrived in Shanghai

D．Huang suffered from a disease on the journey

【推荐1】Most students, when asked about their ideal graduation gift, would probably reply, “A car”, or “Money for a deposit on a house”. Cai Kaiyuan, 21, made a different choice. As a graduation gift to himself, he decided to work as a volunteer teacher in a remote village in Tibet.
       Cai, a senior majoring in electrical engineering at Huan Railway Professional Technology College, originally planned to cycle from Sichuan to Tibet. During his journey, Cai’s idea for a different graduation gift to himself began to take shape. “I did not know beforehand what the journey would mean to me. I just want to gain a unique experience and have pleasure in appreciating the view there,” he said.
       It turned out cycling on a plateau was extremely challenging. And it has kept changing his outlook on life. Cai’s fingers even became frostbitten while cycling up a 5008-meter-high mountain, where temperatures often dropped to 18 below zero. At night, the ice covered the road and he fell off his bike three times. The lack of oxygen made him feel dizzy and weak. “At the most serious moment, I felt that my life was on the line.” said Cai.
       However, he also gained something unexpected. At Ya’an, a city in Sichuan, he met a group of tourists who are also university students. A girl called Wu Ling told him that she planned to work as a teacher in a primary school in Tibet after her journey. He was impressed by the idea as she looked slender and weak.
       It was not until he reached a family-run hotel in Shigatse that Cai’s spirits began to rise. The hotel manager’s two daughters enjoyed talking with him. The kids asked about his experiences on his trip, and showed him the beautiful local lakes. “They told me that they always liked to talk to guests, as they wanted to improve their Mandarin,” he said, “Their parents and many locals can only speak Tibetan.”
       Cai was touched by the girls’ story. Their situation is tough and the local people have little chance to learn Mandarin because the schools are short of teachers. “I want to do something to improve the situation for kids like them,” said Cai. His parents finally gave their agreement and his teachers also supported him.
1. According to the passage, Cai Kaiyuan’s graduation gift to himself is _________.

A．to have money for a deposit on a house

B．to travel by cycling from Sichuan to Tibet

C．to own a new car and marry a slender girl

D．to work as a volunteer teacher in Tibetan school

2. What words can be used to describe Cai’s journey to Tibet?

A．Unique and pleasant.	B．Challenging but rewarding.
C．Relaxing but unexpected.	D．Freezing cold and boring.

3. The underlined phrase “on the line” in the third paragraph means “ ____________”.

A．in a dilemma	B．making a phone call
C．at risk	D．very painful

4. The purpose of writing this passage is to ____________.

A．tell us about an unusual graduation gift

B．introduce a dangerous journey to us

C．give advice on how to travel to Tibet

D．encourage us to be a teacher in Tibet

5. Which of the followings is NOT the reason for Cai to make his decision?

A．He met Wu Ling and was impressed by her plan.

B．His parents and teachers persuaded him to go to Tibet.

C．He was moved by the kid’s desire to improve their Mandarin.

D．A lack of teachers makes the local people have little chance to learn.

【推荐2】Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by climate change, a study has found. Scientists found all types of corals had suffered a decline across the world’s largest reef system. The sharp falls came after mass bleaching(白化)events in 2016 and 2017. More mass bleaching occurred this year. “There is no time to lose-we must sharply decrease greenhouse gas emissions ASAP,” the researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, was conducted by marine scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Queensland. Scientists assessed the health and size of coral colonies across the reef from 1995 to 2017. They found populations had dropped by more than 50% in all coral sizes and species, but especially in branching and table-shaped corals. These are the large, structural species which usually provide habitats for fish and other marine life.

Prof Terry Hughes, a study co-author, said these coral types had been “worst affected” by the back-to-back mass bleachings which damaged two-thirds of the reef. Bleaching occurs when corals under stress drive out the algae-known as zooxanthellae(虫黄藻)-that give them colour.

Corals can recover if normal conditions return, but it can take decades. A study in 2019 found that damaged coral colonies had struggled to recover because most of the adult corals had died. “A lifeful coral population has millions of small, baby corals, as well as many large ones,” said lead author Dr Andy Dietzel. “Our results show the ability of the Great Barrier Reef to recover its resilience is compromised compared to the past, because there are fewer babies, and fewer large breeding adults.”

1. What has been found in the study of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef ?

A．All types of corals has been on the rise.

B．Over half of its corals have been lost.

C．Mass bleaching events came after the sharpest falls.

D．The variety of sea creatures has dropped.

2. What caused mass bleaching of corals?

A．Greenhouse gas emissions.	B．Loss of habitats.
C．Evolution of corals.	D．Lack of algae.

3. Which word can best describe Dr Andy Dietzel’s attitude to the Great Barrier Reef’s future?

A．Indifferent.

B．Concerned.

C．Positive.

D．Enthusiastic.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals since 1995.

B．Great Barrier Reef has suffered mass bleaching.

C．Global Warming has caused warmer seas.

D．Sea pollution has caused the loss of corals.

【推荐3】For those who are too young to know what a Tamagotchi is, it’s an egg-Shaped plastic device with a black-and-white screen on which appears a little pixelated (像素化的) pet. With the three buttons below the screen, you can feed the pet, care for it and clean up its mess. And just like a real pet, it gets sick and dies if neglected.

When it was first released by Japanese company Bandai in 1997, this virtual (虚拟的) “pocket pet” was so popular with school children that it was frequently sold out at stores all over the world. For many people, the Tamagotchi was their first ever experience of raising and caring for a “pet”.

A lot has certainly changed in the last 20 years — especially when it comes to technology — so would it be a good idea to reintroduce the Tamagotchi to today’s world?

Bandai obviously thinks so since it’s going to re-release it next month, marking the device’s 20th anniversary. “We are going after that nostalgia,” said TaraBadie, director of Tamagotchi’s brand management, according to The Verge.

Modern features:

Nostalgia is all the rage these days. Just look at Nintendo’s Pokemon Go — the 2016 smartphone game originated from its 1996 version — and Nokia’s 2017 version of the 3310 — the mobile phone released in 2000 that it seems nearly everyone in the world owned. But these companies didn’t just simply copy from the past — they managed to update the old version and adapt it for the modern world.

With Pokemon Go, Nintendo successfully combined cutting-edge (前沿的) argumented reality (增强现实) technology with the game’s original storyline.

“Pokemon Go tells us about the future of software and the nature of reality-and how they integrate (整合) into what we think of as entertainment,” technology writer Om Malik wrote on The New Yorker.

And although Nokia’s new 3310 stayed faithful to the original phone’s design, it added a few modern features like a color screen, camera and internet access. It even kept the symbolic game Snake, which many of today’s adults would have spent hours playing as teenagers.

But while nostalgia is certainly a selling point to many people, not everyone is a fan.

“I'm so sick of nostalgia as a ploy (噱头) for profit. From the ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan, to the endless Star Wars and X-Men movies, we’ve become a world obsessed with looking backward for lazy sources of joy”, wrote tech reporter Thomas Ricker on The Verge.

But will the magic of nostalgia work with the Tamagotchi? According to Julia Alexander, editor for video website Polygon, it seems pretty unlikely.

After trying the new product, Alexander soon found out that little has been changed since the original.

“I grew up and, unfortunately, the Tamagotchi didn’t,” she wrote.

So when it comes to nostalgia, maybe the fond memories of our favourite childhood products are best left as that-fond memories.

1. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?

A．To promote the new Tamagotchi.

B．To compare some hit video games.

C．To explore why “nostalgia” is valued these days.

D．To analyze whether it was wise to bring the Tamagotchi back.

2. According to the text, the success of Pokemon Go and Nokia’s new 3310 lies in the fact that they both_________.

A．use argumented reality technology

B．look exactly the same as the original version

C．made creative adaptations from the old version

D．changed what we think about entertainment

3. Why isn’t Thomas Ricker a fan of using nostalgia for profit?

A．It could make people less inventive.

B．The original products were often bad.

C．It could make people become addicted to the past.

D．It ruins our tonal childhood memories.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author__________.

A．isn’t completely supportive of re-releasing old products

B．believes that nostalgia is a great selling point

C．believes the new Tamagotchi will appeal to the public

D．loves products that can help revive her good memories

【推荐1】The number of birds in North America has declined by almost 3 billion since 1970, according to a study published in Science. The researchers estimated changes in the populations of 529 species using long-term bird-monitoring databases. Those data showed that the number of individual birds across all of those species had decreased by 29 percent, from around 10 billion in 1970 to just over 7 billion in 2017.

“The data they used provide probably the best long-term, large information on species abundances for any group of animals or plants anywhere in the world,” Natalie Wright, a bird biologist tells The Atlantic. “There’s always uncertainty, but if they are wrong, they are likely underestimating the size of population declines.”

The team also examined 10 years’ worth of data from a network of 143 weather radars, which pick up bird migrations, and found a reduction in migratory biomass of about 14 percent since 2007. “Two completely different and independent monitoring techniques thus signal major population loss across the continent,” the authors wrote in their paper.

The results are particularly concerning because many of the species showing declines are not considered rare or in danger, but are almost everywhere and potentially act as important contributors to food webs and ecosystem function. More than 90 percent of the loss in abundance in the survey data was due to declines in 12 families, including sparrows and blackbirds. Some other species, including many ducks, instead showed increases in abundance—possibly as a result of focused conservation efforts in recent years.

The findings should be a wake-up call. Many of the birds studied spend time in multiple countries within and beyond North America. What our birds need now is a historic, global effort that unites people and organizations with one common goal: bringing our birds back.

1. How does the first paragraph show the bird reduction?

A．By comparing figures.	B．By listing some examples.
C．By using experts’ words.	D．By doing experiments.

2. What can we infer about the function of the data according to Natalie Wright?

A．It’s wrong.

B．It’s formal.

C．It’s helpful.

D．It’s useless.

3. Which of the following is particularly worrying?

A．The focus of conservation efforts has turned out wrong.

B．Some ducks are likely to lose their ecosystem function.

C．Few species across the continent show the increase.

D．The population of widespread species is declining.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To point out the importance of raising birds.

B．To call on people to work together to bring birds back.

C．To analyze the concerning results of long-term research.

D．To inform people of the dangers many species are facing.

【推荐2】We are not who we think we are.
The American self-image is spread with the golden glow of opportunity．We think of the United States as a land of unlimited possibility，not so much a classless society but as a place where class is mutable—a place where brains，energy and ambition are what counts，not the circumstances of one's birth.
The Economic Mobility Project， an ambitious research led by Pew Charitable Trusts， looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time， comparing the income of parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s．Here is the finding: "The 'rags to riches' story is much more common in Hollywood than on Main Street． Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom move to the top.
That is right， just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom of the study sample， in terms of income， were able to bootstrap their way into the top． Meanwhile， an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest are still stuck at the bottom，having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.
It is noted that even in Britain---a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up． When the studies were released，most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less，in inflation-adjusted dollars，than did their parents.
One of the studies indicates，in fact，that most of the financial gains white families have made in the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force．This is much less true for African-Americans.
The picture that emerges from all the quintiles，correlations and percentages is of a nation in which，overall，"the current generation of adults is better off than the previous one"，as one of the studies notes.
The median income of the families in the sample group was $55，600 in the late 1960s; their children's median family income was measured at $71，900．However，this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally．The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.
Even more troubling is that our nation of America as the land of opportunity gets little support from the data．Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder，but there is "stickiness at the ends" —four out of ten children who are born poor will remain poor，and four out of ten who are born rich will stay rich.
1. What did the Economic Mobility Project find in its research?

A．Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top.

B．Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches.

C．The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality.

D．The rags to riches story is only true for a small minority of whites.

2. It can be inferred from the undertone of the writer that America，as a classless society，should ________.

A．perfect its self-image as a land of opportunity

B．have a higher level of upward mobility than Britain

C．enable African-Americans to have exclusive access to well-paid employment

D．encourage the current generation to work as hard as the previous generation

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The US is a land where brains，energy and ambition are what counts.

B．Inequality persists between whites and blacks in financial gains.

C．Middle-class families earn slightly less with inflation considered.

D．Children in lowest-income families manage to climb a single rung of the ladder.

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

A．Social Upward Mobility.

B．Incredible Income Gains.

C．Inequality in Wealth.

D．America Not Land of Opportunity.

【推荐3】In 2008, a study was conducted in Hong Kong to find out why some people appeared to be better at public speaking. Three hundred people who were employed in jobs that require an advanced level of public speaking skills were interviewed. The participants included politicians, professors and motivational speakers. The results of the study showed that 77% of the participants reported having parents that encouraged them to ask questions and state their opinions from a young age. Eighty-five percent answered that their parents had repeatedly exposed them to a variety of positive “public speaking” experiences at home. These experiences included practicing speeches, performing dramas and reciting poems.

In another study to determine the causes of fear of public speaking, 70% of the participants said they had not had any public speaking opportunities at home. Eighteen percent of the participants had been given such opportunities, but these had resulted in a loss of confidence.

One of the participants recalled a painful experience from when he was eight years old. His parents had arranged for him to present his school project about earthquakes to his cousins. As an outgoing boy, he was eager to show off all his hard work, until he forgot a sentence and started to stutter (结巴). His cousins began to laugh at him, and instead of his family encouraging him to continue with his presentation, his father told him to call it a day. The stress of this incident and the feeling of being rejected carried over to school, where he started struggling with his words and went red like a sunset every time he had to speak in front of an audience.

From these studies, we can see that the way parents handle their child’s communication efforts and a child’s future attitude towards public speaking can be linked. Not all people are born afraid of public speaking, but rather they grow to be afraid of it due to awful experiences or outside influences. Yet this does not mean they have no control over their fear — because they do.

1. According to the study of 2008, ________ were important in making successful public speakers.

A．caring professors	B．high motivations
C．encouraging parents	D．original opinions

2. In the 3rd paragraph, the expression “call it a day” most probably means ________.

A．stop	B．respond
C．try	D．relax

3. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．How much exposure to public speaking is proper?

B．What kinds of jobs require public speaking skills?

C．Is public speaking important for children?

D．Are people born afraid of public speaking?

4. The paragraph following the last might be about ________.

A．more experiences of unsuccessful public speaking

B．ways to gain self-confidence in public speaking

C．other reasons for failure in public speaking

D．features of successful public speaking