【推荐1】

Eat your vegetables. Wash your hands. Always say "please" and "thank you". We are full of advice for our children.    1    As a result, our children may grow up with clean hands and good manners, but without any idea how to manage their money.

Here are some basics that will help guide them their entire lives:

Show them the future. If your 13-year-old girl were to save $1,000, invest it at 8% and add $100 every month, by the time she's 65, she would have $980,983!

Be careful of credit. Credit cards can help you buy necessary things and build a credit history, but they must be used responsibly.     2     Explain to your children that when you buy something using a credit card, you can easily end up paying two or three times what you would have paid if you used cash.

    3    Suppose your child wants a new bicycle that costs $150. Rather than paying the cash, give him some regular pocket money and explain that by putting aside, say, $15 a week, he will be able to buy it for himself in only ten weeks.

Explain your values.     4    When your child demands that you buy something, explain way you really don't went to buy it. You might say, "I'd rather save that money for your education"     5    

A．Every time you spend or don't spend money, you have a chance to share your values.

B．Provide encouragement.

C．That means paying off your debt in time.

D．Teach patience.

E．Values and money interact.

F．But when it comes to money, we often have little to say.

G．Tell your children the importance of saving.

【推荐2】I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters.Standing by her chair,looking at the ink bottle,pens and white paper,I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.

Years later,during her final illness,mother kept different things for my sister and brother.“But the desk,”she said again,“is for Elizabeth.”

I never saw her angry,never saw her cry.I knew she loved me;she showed it in action.But as a young girl,I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.

They never happened.And a gulf opened between us.I was“too emotional”.But she lived“on the surface”.

As years passed and I had my own family.I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family.I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.

I posted the letter and waited for her answer,none came.

My hope turned to disappointment,then little interest and,finally peace.It seemed that nothing happened.I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother.I only knew that I had written it,and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

Now the presence of her desk told me,as she’d never been able to,that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work.I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside—a photo of my father and a one-page letter,folded and refolded many times.

Give me an answer,my letter asks,in any way you choose.Mother,you always choose the act that speaks louder than words.

1. The writer began to love her mother’s desk ______.

A．after mother died	B．when she was a child
C．before she became a writer	D．when mother gave it to her

2. The word“gulf”in paragraph 4 means ______.

A．deep understanding between the old and tho young

B．part of the sea going far in land

C．free talks between mother and daughter

D．different ideas between the mother and the daughter

3. What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?

A．She had never received the letter.

B．For years,she often talked about the letter.

C．She read the letter again and again till she died.

D．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

4. The passage shows that ______.

A．mother cared much about her daughter in words

B．mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

C．mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

D．mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

【推荐1】Almost two-thirds of children want their parents to spend more time reading to them before bed, and most prefer Mum’s storytelling to Dad’s, researchers said.
They conducted a study that showed younger children aged 3-4 were most hungry for more stories, with over three-quarters saying they wished their parents read to them more often.
More than half of all children aged 3-8 said story time was their favourite pastime with their parents.
"The results of our research confirm the traditional activity of storytelling continues to be a powerful learning and emotional resource in children’s lives," said child psychologist Richard Woolfson.
Storytelling ranked higher than television or video games among pastimes for kids, and 82 percent said reading a story with their parents helped them sleep better, according the survey of 500 children aged 3-8 in Britain.
The best storytellers were mothers who used funny voices to illustrate different characters or made their own special sound effects to keep the story moving, researchers said.
When mum and dad are not at hand, celebrities will do: over 30 percent of children said they would like to hear a bedtime story from Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, with teen idols Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus and Emma Watson.
"It can be very difficult for parents to find the time to read with their children, but these moments can help build strong bonds and play a vital part in their child’s development," said Woolfson.
1. The underlined word “pastime” in the passage mot probably means        .

A．old time

B．entertainment

C．emotion

D．character

2. The author develops the passage mainly by      .

A．pointing out similarities and differences	B．following the natural time order
C．comparing opinions from different fields	D．providing examples and statistics

3. Reading a story with their parents helped most kids aged 3-8       .

A．grow stronger	B．become more emotional
C．sleep better	D．become more powerful

【推荐2】According to a recent study by Keith Robinson, children’s school grades may be brought down by their parents who help their children with homework. Other forms of parental involvement (参与), including volunteering at school and watching a child’s class carefully, also fail to help, according to the most recent study on the topic.

The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting (养育子女) where schools expect them to act as partners in their children’s education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn.

Keith Robinson, the author of the study, said, “I really don’t know if the public is ready for this but there are some ways parents pay too much attention to their kids’ education, which leads to declines (下降) in their performance at school. One of the things that was consistently not beneficial was parents’ help with homework.” Robinson suggested that may be because parents themselves struggle to understand the tasks. “They may either not remember the material their kids are studying now, or in some cases never learn it themselves, but they’re still offering advice.”

Robinson assessed parental involvement performance and found one of the most damaging things a parent could do was to punish their children for poor marks. In general, about 20% of parental involvement was positive, about 45% negative and the rest statistically insignificant.

Common sense suggests it was a good thing for parents to get involved because “children with good academic success do have involved parents”, admitted Robinson. But he argued that this did not prove parental involvement was the root cause of that success. “A big surprise was that Asian-American parents whose kids are doing so well in school are hardly involved. In a more reasonable way, they made their children know how success at school could improve their lives.”

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To present the finding of a recent study.

B．To discuss how to improve children’s grades.

C．To tell what kind of parenting is good.

D．To show different parenting involvements.

2. What kind of role should parents play in children’s education according to Keith Robinson?

A．Partners.

B．Trainers.

C．Monitors.

D．Standers-by.

3. What is the major finding of Robinson’s study?

A．Modern parents raise children in a more scientific way.

B．Parental involvement is not so beneficial as expected.

C．Punishing kids for bad marks is mentally damaging.

D．Parents are not able to help with children’s homework.

4. Which of the following might Robinson agree?

A．Children with good academic success do not have involved parents.

B．Parental involvement was the root cause of academic success.

C．Parents should let children know the importance of success at school.

D．Asian-American parents are hardly involved in children’s education.

【推荐2】Martha Graham ,born in 1894, was one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, whose influence on modern dance has been compared with the influence Pablo Picasso had on the modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd W right had on architecture. She created almost two hundred dance pieces. She is often called the Mother of Modern Dance.

Earlier in her life, however, Graham did not know that she would become a dancer. At that time,the dancers were looked down on. So Graham's parents didn't approve of her desire to dance at the beginning. Until the mid-1910s, she began her studies at the newly created Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, where Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance because she was considered too old to begin dancing.

In 1936, Graham made her defining work, Chronicle, which signaled the beginning of a new era in modern dance. The dance brought serious issues to the stage for the general public in a dramatic manner. Influenced by the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression that followed, and the Spanish Civil War, it focused on depression and isolation, reflected in the dark nature of both the set and costumes.

Graham continued to dance past the age of seventy. Once again, she met with criticism from people who came to watch her shows. But she didn't give up. Her last completed ballet was 1990's Maple Leaf Rag. “A Dancer's World” is an introduction to Graham and her work. She tells about her dances and her dance group shows some of their methods.

Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976. She was the first dancer to receive the country's highest civilian honor. She died in 1991 at the age of ninety-six. In 1998 , Time magazine listed her as the “Dancer of the Century” and as one of the most important people of the twentieth century.

1. Why are some famous people mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To show Martha Graham was influenced greatly by them.

B．To show Martha Graham kept in touch with them regularly.

C．To show Martha Graham had a great effect on modern dance.

D．To show Martha Graham learned something from them.

2. Why did Martha Graham's parents disagree on her desire to dance at first?

A．She was too old to learn dance.

B．Dance was seen as a lower art at that time.

C．There was no academic school to teach dancing.

D．Her family was too poor to afford her tuition.

3. When Martha Graham continued to dance in her 70s, she_________.

A．was warmly welcomed by the youth

B．achieved huge success once again

C．received many awards for her age

D．was attacked by some people

4. What's the text mainly about?

A．The background of modern dance.

B．The development of modern dance.

C．Martha Graham and her achievements in dance.

D．The awards Martha Graham won in her life.

【推荐3】I was waiting for my train and on the subway station’s floor was a man just sitting there. I looked around and nobody stopped so I just went my way. After a few steps, I turned and asked him whether he needed help. He told me his house was one station further and he would only need to take the train there. So I reached for his hand to help him stand up.

He wanted to take the stairs but I feared that he would hurt himself since he seemed too weak to walk, so I asked him to take the elevator. Even though my mind was trying to turn the danger lights on, I put the thought that I should not go alone with a drunken man out of my mind and accompanied him on the elevator.

We arrived on the platform with no incidents. The man’s knees seemed to soften, so I asked him to rest on a bench. While sitting there, he thanked me, telling me that I saved him. No, I said, I really did nothing; he saved himself as he walked on his own feet.

At the next station, we said our goodbyes. Before I knew it, he left 100 dollars and dashed out of the train. There was no way to give him back his money. I wanted to leave it on the seat, but a young woman who thought it belonged to me ran after me and gave me the note.

My initial reaction to getting that money was of shame and I even felt offended. Then I thought he just wanted to thank me, the best way he knew how. Now, my question is—what act of kindness shall I do with these 100 dollars?

1. Why was the man sitting on the subway station’s floor?

A．Because he wanted to go home.

B．Because he was seriously ill.

C．Because he was drunk.

D．Because he was waiting for the train.

2. Seeing the money left by the man, the author first felt ________.

A．ashamed	B．grateful
C．delighted	D．frustrated

3. How will the author possibly deal with the money?

A．Give it back.

B．Buy something favorable.

C．Leave it on the seat.

D．Give it to people in need.

【推荐1】All over the globe and in some of the world's most prestigious art galleries and museums there is always one form of artwork that you'll find gracing the walls-watercolors.

Creating artwork using watercolors is one of the most popular ways of capturing beautiful scenery, painting life-like portraits and studying still-life objects. However, an unfortunate side effect of using watercolors is that they begin to fade over time, and as the years go by there is a risk of these masterpieces being lost to us forever. But just how do we prevent these wonderful paintings from disappearing? Well, thanks to the advances of modern technology, we now have the ability to scan watercolors, capturing every detail of them in the process and then saving them in a digital form.

Not only does this help to preserve the artwork in a very modern way, but when these digital captures are uploaded to a website, it offers the public more chances to appreciate them. One such website is Water colour World, which is one of the many organizations supported by Javad Marandi, one of the Joint Chairs of the Marendi Foundation which helps to provide opportunities in education, and supports some of the most vulnerable communities in the United Kingdom, as well as art and cultural initiatives. Scanning watercolors is certainly a lot more advanced than the usual scanning you might be more familiar with. Keeping the liveliness of the painting, the depths of the colors requires the correct equipment, software and a great eye for detail.

If you're an artist and you'd like to digitize (数字化) your watercolors through scanning, or if you're generally interested in how it's achieved, we've broken down the process below to give you a better idea of how art is transformed from paint to pixels (像素)!

1. What is the disadvantage of watercolor paintings?

A．They are easy to be stolen.	B．They can't last a long term.
C．They make people unfortunate.	D．They are only about natural scenery.

2. How can we make digital scanned water colors more available to people?

A．By capturing every detail.	B．By educating community citizens.
C．By moving them to a website.	D．By supporting more organizations.

3. What can he inferred about scanning watercolors according to Paragraph 3?

A．It is quite demanding.

B．It helps to preserve the artwork.

C．It is simpler than usual scanning.

D．It is invented by Watercolor World.

4. What will be probably mentioned in the following paragraph?

A．How watercolors are digitized.

B．Why paints need to be transformed.

C．How the idea of scanning came into being.

D．What watercolors will become through scanning.

【推荐2】To see the world is one thing. To have someone to share it with is another. Indeed the travel becomes more interesting when you have a travel partner. A travel partner can be a close friend, a family member, a pal you’ve met online, or a business

You can have someone to talk to

Traveling alone is fun，but wouldn’t you feel lonely? Having a travel partner can remove the feeling of loneliness. This is especially true if you can get a travel companion who is very familiar with the place you, re traveling to. You don’ t have to ask any information from the locals, and you can increase the time you spend in the country.

One of the major headaches in traveling is the costs involved. You can’t simply ignore the rising price of hotels or plane tickets. You should also think about your daily needs, such as your food. Of course, you can’t simply go back without bringing any souvenirs (纪念品)to your friends and family. All these can ruin your budg- et(预算).However, when you have a travel friend, you can have someone to share the expenses with.

You can meet a good friend

Having a travel mate is a good way of meeting a new friend or even a lifelong partner. You can never count the number of couples who actually found their way into each other’s heart while traveling together in another country.

You can have someone to watch out for you

When you’re in a foreign land, you’ll never be really safe. You don’t know   the rules as well as the culture of the people. A travel mate will be perfect to remind   you of your duties in the country and to watch your back just in case you get lost. So why don’t you find a travel companion now?

Let’s find out how ...

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

A．To introduce a travel company.

B．To encourage us to have a travel partner.

C．To explain how to be a perfect travel partner.

D．To tell an interesting experience with a travel partner.

2. What’s the best title for the 3rd paragraph?

A．You can have someone to share the expenses with.

B．You can know the local culture well.

C．You can enjoy food with your partner.

D．You can save money by bargaining together.

3. Which of the following statements agrees with the author’s opinion?

A．Traveling alone is not fun.

B．Buying souvenirs isn’t necessary.

C．Many people fall in love when traveling.

D．It’s better to choose a stranger as a travel partner.

4. The following paragraph will probably talk about .

A．how to get along with a travel partner

B．how travel can benefit people

C．what we can learn from travel

D．how to find a travel partner

【推荐3】Gregory Kloehn digs through dustbins every day, but not for the reason that most people would think．He isn’t homeless．In fact he is trying to help the homeless.
Gregory began his life as a sculptor．But he often felt that his sculptures, which just stood in rich people’s houses for years, lacked a meaningful purpose．So in 201l he decided to put his artistic energies into creating homes to sell—not ordinary homes but small structures built entirely from recycled materials.
The thought of creating homes for the homeless didn’t occur to him until the year 2013, when a homeless couple asked him for a tarp(防水布)．Instead of a tarp, Gregory offered them something better: a small home with a water tank, a kitchen and a trap for waste．They were so grateful that Gregory decided to focus his efforts on helping house the homeless population in his city．And soon his “Homeless Homes Project” was started.
Before starting a new home, Gregory, goes hunting for materials by digging through dustbins．Everything he finds is usable—refrigerator doors become house doors; washing machine doors often serve as windows, and the tops of cars become strong roofs．He put wheels at the bottom for users to move their homes around easily．Each home takes two to three days to make．
So far Gregory has donated dozens of homes to the city’s most needy．While his small low-cost mobile homes are not the final solution to the problem of homelessness, they are really practical and do provide a warm and safe place for the homeless to stay in．They are simply a way for one man to do something nice for those in need of some help.
Gregory has written a book titled Homeless Architecture, where he explains techniques to build those homes and he is now working on weekend workshops．“A lot of people who hear about what I’m doing want to get involved,” he said． “Maybe we can meet someplace and put a couple of homes together.”
1. Why did Gregory turn from making sculptures to creating homes?

A．He had no home to live in．

B．He had to make more money.

C．He lost interest in sculpture.

D．He wanted to help the homeless.

2. The author mentions the story in Paragraph 3 to tell us____________.

A．Gregory’s small homes were popular among the homeless

B．how Gregory got the idea of “Homeless Homes Project”

C．the homeless couple asked Gregory to produce more homes

D．housing the homeless in a city was not an easy task

3. What can we conclude from Paragraph 4?

A．Gregory has great trouble hunting for materials for his small houses．

B．It takes Gregory a long time to produce a home．

C．Gregory’s work requires imagination and creativity

D．Everything in the dustbins will be used in Gregory’s work．

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Gregory’s project will help more homeless people.

B．Gregory doesn’t need to make small homes now．

C．Gregory’s work will completely solve the homelessness problem．

D．A single person can make no difference to social problems．