【推荐3】A year ago I lost my wonderful friend and colleague Rachael Bland. She died at the age of just 40, two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her death knocked me for six. I knew it was coming and we had talked about it—but nothing prepared me for actually not having her in my life every day. The thing was, while we only knew each other for a short period of time, she had a huge impact on me. When I got diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, I made a whole new group of friends. Rachael was up there with the best of them. She understood exactly what I was going through, she shared my fears and was always there at 3 am to reassure me. She was my rock.

After Rachael died, I had a nervous breakdown. I hit numerous brick walls in the weeks and months that followed. My cancer was progressing and I fell into a dark place. I pushed it away but ignored the terror of it all and inevitably it all came crashing down around me. Great Sorrow hit me when I least expected. Her death felt like a bad dream. The emotional bit aside, one of the things I found really hard was to actually accept she died.

Rachael hoped that by starting the conversation around cancer, she could help other women avoid getting cancer too. It was her absolute determination and bravery at helping to break down taboos (禁忌) that will live on for generations to come.

Rachael showed me how to live with cancer. Even in her darkest days she was determined to show that cancer didn’t get to take over. She helped remind me to get busy living with cancer rather than worry about dying of it. She was in the bottom of my heart forever.

1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．I was beaten six times.

B．Her death gave me the strength.

C．She was knocked down and died.

D．Her death made me very shocked.

2. Why did the author hit the brick walls?

A．She wanted to end up her life.

B．She couldn’t stand the pain of cancer.

C．She had been suffering from nightmares.

D．She was too sorrowful to accept Rachael’s death.

3. What is Rachael’s wish?

A．To help women fight against fear.

B．To assess women’s conversational skills.

C．To prevent other women from getting cancer.

D．To inspire sick people to hope for their future.

4. Which of the following best describes Rachael?

A．Optimistic.	B．Weak.
C．Humorous.	D．Demanding.

【推荐1】Standing in line for the latest iPhone at the Apple store, queueing for tickets to Wimbledon or even just waiting at the post office might just have got a lot easier.   Japanese car- maker Nissan announces that it has just the thing to relieve the painful legs of tired queuers.
The new system of“self-driving”chairs is designed to detect when someone at the front of the queue is called, and automatically move everyone else one step forward in line. The new invention is shown off in a company video, which shows a busy restaurant with customers waiting outside.
In the video, diners are sitting in a row of chairs, but will not have to stand when the next hungry diner is called to a table. Instead, the chairs, equipped with autonomous technology that detects the seat ahead, move along a path toward the front of the line. When the person at the front of the queue is called, the empty chair at the front can sense it is empty and so moves out of pole position.Cameras on the remaining chairs then sense the movement and follow automatically.
The system, which is similar to the kind used in Nissan’s autonomous vehicle technology,will be tested at select restaurants in Japan this year, Nissan said. “It appeals to anyone who has queued for hours outside a crowded restaurant: it eliminates the boredom and physical pain of standing in line,”Nissan added.
Although Tokyo has some 160,000 restaurants, long queues are not uncommon. Chosen restaurants that meet the criteria will be able to show the chairs outside their restaurants next year. Nissan also released a short video showing the chairs being used in an art gallery, moving slowly in front of the various paintings to let viewers appreciate the art without the need to stand up.
1. What can we know about the “self-driving”chairs from the text?

A．They are in hot demand like iPhones.

B．They are intended for queueing diners.

C．They are the invention of a car company.

D．They are completely different, from vehicle technology.

2. What enables the chairs to detect the seat ahead?

A．Pole position.

B．Autonomous technology.

C．Cameras equipped on them.

D．Sensors equipped along the path.

3. Which of the following can replace   the underlined word“eliminates”in Paragraph 4?

A．rids	B．ignores
C．steals	D．hides

4. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Queueing is a rare scene outside Japanese restaurants.

B．“Self-driving” chairs are the most useful in art galleries.

C．Japanese people prefer eating in restaurants to at home.

D．“Self-driving”chairs haven’t been in official use in restaurants.

【推荐2】The clothes you wear.The food you eat.The color of your bedroom walls.Where you go and how you get there.The people you hang around with.What time you go to bed.What do these things have in common?You’re asking.They’re just a few examples of many hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child.

As a kid,you didn’t have a say in very much that went on;your parents made decisions about everything from the cereal you ate in the morning to the pajamas you wore at night.And it’s a good thing,too-kids need this kind of protection and assistance because they aren’t mature enough to take care of themselves and make careful decisions on their own.

But finally,kids grow up and become teens.And part of being a teen is developing your own identity(身份认同)---one that is separate from your parents’.But as you change and grow into this new person who makes your own decisions,your parents have a difficult time adjusting(调整).They aren’t used to the new you yet---they only know you as the kid who had everything decided for you and didn’t mind.

In many families,it is this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents.And issues like the type of friends you have or your attitudes to partying can cause bigger quarrels,because your parents still always want to protect you and keep you safe,no matter how old you are.

The good news about fighting with your parents is that in many families the arguing will lessen as parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teen has a right to certain opinions.It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles,though.In the meantime,focus on communicating with yourparents.

Sometimes this can feel impossible---like they just don’t see your point of view and never will.But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents and you may be able to reach compromises(和解)that make everyone happy.For example,if you are willing to clean your room in order to stay out an hour later,both you and your parents walk away with a good deal. Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases,they can relate to what you’re going through.

1. In Paragraph 2.the author_______.

A．complains that parents control kids too much

B．proves that kids have no right to give their opinions

C．describes how carefully parents look after kids

D．explains parents control kids for protection and assistance

2. A lot of fighting breaks out between teens and parents because________.

A．parents aren’t used to losing control of kids

B．teens like to have everything decided for them

C．parents get angry at teens not respecting them

D．teens are eager to develop their own identity

3. In the author’s opinion,parents control teens in order to________.

A．prevent them from having their own ideas

B．protect them from being hurt

C．make them respect parents in the family

D．make sure that children have a good future

4. Which of the following teenagers’questions does the author try to answer?

A．What do parents control their children for?

B．When do parents take care of their children?

C．How do I get rid of my parents’control?

D．Why do I fight with my parents so much?

【推荐3】A new study suggests water may have existed on Mars much more recently than past evidence (证据) has shown. The research is based on data collected by the Chinese rover, Zhurong, which arrived on the planet in 2021.

Today, Mars has a cold, desert climate. But past studies have provided evidence that ancient Mars had large amounts of water. A study suggested that 4.3 billion years ago, Mars likely had an ocean covering nearly half of the planet’s northern hemisphere.

There are different theories for what caused large amounts of water to disappear from Mars. The most likely explanation is that the liquid escaped when the planet’s air thinned over time. This turned the surface into a frozen desert about 3 billion years ago.

In the new study, the Chinese rover observed salt-rich sand dunes (沙丘) on the surface. The dunes contained breaks and small hills, which provide evidence that the land had frozen and then melted (融化). The melting could have happened as recently as a few hundred thousand years ago, the study said. The researchers believed the dunes were likely formed sometime after 1.4 million to 400,000 years ago, possibly even more recently. Conditions during that period were likely similar to how things are on Mars today.

The researchers said small openings filled with salty water were created by melting frost or snow. The team ruled out wind as a cause, as well as frost made of carbon dioxide, which makes up most of the Martian atmosphere.

“The rover has now provided evidence that there may be a wider distribution of this process on Mars than previously identified,” said Mary Bourke. She added that although the evidence suggests small amounts of water, it could still be important in identifying environments that could support life.

1. What can we infer about the lost water on Mars from paragraph 3?

A．It disappeared into space.	B．It is blown away gradually.
C．It still remains underground.	D．It is buried in a frozen desert.

2. What evidence of surface water was found by Chinese researchers?

A．Melted frost and snow.	B．Thin air on Mars.
C．Some sand dunes being rich in salt.	D．The frost made from carbon dioxide.

3. How does Mary think the new finding helps scientists with the research on Mars?

A．To measure the role of wind.	B．To find areas suitable for life.
C．To study the frozen and melted areas.	D．To figure out the history of dunes.

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

A．Chinese rover finds water on Mars	B．There used to be rich water on Mars
C．Water is actually more widespread on Mars	D．Chinese rover makes a new discovery on Mars

【推荐2】Just a couple of hours ago, I was on the plane, ready to fly home from London. The flight had been delayed by a few hours so it felt good to be so close to take-off. I had my iPod in place and a new book to read. Then, over the loudspeaker came the pilot’s voice: “The ground crew has found a metal instrument in one tire. We regret that we must cancel this flight.”

The passengers’ reactions that announcement led to were interesting. One man close to me began to argue with a flight attendant. A couple in another row complained loudly. A businessman in a black suit actually kicked the seat in front of him. Yet some passengers responded differently. An elderly gentleman smiled as he helped others take their bags down from the overhead compartments. A teenager, rather than trying to rush off the plane like most of the other passengers, stopped to help a woman with a disability. The lady sitting next to me laughed and said: “Hey, it’s not the end of the world,” before she made a call to her kids and shared her adventure with them, the wisest among us who has a remarkable ability to maintain grounded(稳定的) when times get tough.

No life is perfect; mine certainly isn’t. We all must face challenges, both large and small. You and I have the power to choose to rise above the external circumstances(外部环境). We always have the choice to be strong and kind when things fall apart.

That’s grace under pressure. My seatmate was right — things could have been so much worse. Anyway, I am safe. I have my health. I have two wonderful children. I have work I love and so much to be grateful for. Sure I now have to wait a few hours to catch the next flight home.

1. What caused the passengers’ different reactions?

A．The loudspeaker.	B．The delay of the flight.
C．The ground crew’s fault.	D．The pilot’s announcement.

2. Who turned his anger on the seat?

A．A teenager helping the disabled.	B．An old man taking bags down.
C．A man in a black suit.	D．A man close to the author.

3. What did the woman sitting next to the author do?

A．She assisted a disabled woman.	B．She made a phone call to her family.
C．She helped others carry their luggage.	D．She told moving stories to her children.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Our life is full of ups and downs.

B．It is natural to be scared under pressure.

C．We should help each other in times of difficulty.

D．We should be positive and calm when life is hard.

【推荐3】When I was small and my grandmother died, I couldn’t understand why I had no tears. But that night when my dad tried to cheer me up, my laughs turned into crying,

So it came as no surprise to learn that researchers believe crying and laughing are controlled by the same part of the brain. Just as laughing has many health advantages, scientists are discovering that so does crying.

Whatever helps us to reduce pressure is important to our emotional health, and crying seems to work well. One study found that 85 percent of women and 73 percent of men report feeling better after crying.

Besides, tears attract help from other people. Researchers agree that when we cry, people around us become kinder and friendlier and they are more ready to provide support and comfort. Tears also enable us to understand our emotions better, sometimes we don’t even know we’re very sad until we cry. We learn about our emotions through crying, and then we can deal with them.

Just as crying can be healthy, not crying-holding back tears of anger, pain or suffering-can be bad for physical health. Studies have shown that too much control of emotions can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems and some other illness. If you have a health problem, doctors will certainly not ask you to cry. But when you feel like crying, don’t fight it. It’s a natural, healthy and emotional response.

1. Why didn’t the author cry when her grandmother died?

A．Because her father did not want her to feel too sad.	B．Because she did not love her grandmother.
C．Because she was too shy to cry at that time.	D．The author doesn’t give the explanation.

2. It can be inferred from the text that ________.

A．there are two ways to keep healthy

B．emotional health has a close relationship to physical health

C．crying and laughing play the same roles

D．crying does more good to health than laughing

3. According to the author, which of the following statements is true?

A．Crying is the best way to get help from others.

B．Fighting back tears may cause some health problems.

C．We will never know our deep feelings unless we cry.

D．We must cry if we want to reduce pressure.

4. What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A．Why We Cry.	B．How to Keep Healthy.
C．Power of Tears.	D．New Scientific Discovery.

5. What is the author’s attitude to “crying”?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Touched.

D．Upset.

【推荐1】It should be one of the main goals in today’s society to reduce plastic consumption (消耗). Though many believe recycling will solve the problems, and continue using plastic, it’s actually the opposite. In 2013, 254 million tons of trash were produced in the U.S alone, and only around 30% was recycled. This means the rest ended up in a landfill and will stay there for up to 1,000 years.

Recently, China has stopped importing trash from all over the world. Before this, over 30% of the world’s waste would end up in China causing a popular belief that Asian countries are those responsible for creating the majority of the waste in the world. Now, Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, are looking for new ideas to avoid plastic. One of those ideas is a new, eco-friendly way to pack their goods by avoiding plastic packaging.

One of Perfect Homes Chiangmai’s team members noticed a creative way to reduce plastic that a supermarket called Rimping Supermarket was using and decided to shoot pictures of their shelves with his phone. Little did he know that people all around the world would absolutely love this idea. “I just dropped in to get a few items while we were waiting to sign some contracts (合同) with our lawyer, who was delayed. When I noticed the vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and simply liked the idea. So I took a few pictures and posted them online,” he said.

With more than 3.5 million views and over 17 thousand shares, the idea became something people can encourage more supermarkets to carry out.

Some have noticed that not everything on the shelves is completely plastic-free, to which the supermarket responded that they are taking one step at a time, but it’s not that easy. Many products come to the supermarkets pre-packaged and many companies are interested in wrapping their produce in plastic since it is the cheapest and the easiest option.

It’s now up to the shoppers to show the supermarket which they prefer. If everyone chooses the banana leaf packaging, they will probably stop stocking the items in plastic.

1. What can we infer from paragraph 1?

A．Recycling has failed to solve the plastic problem.

B．Approaches to mountains of trash lack efficiency.

C．Trash shouldn’t be disposed of by burying alone.

D．Reducing plastic consumption is just impossible.

2. What is the practice mentioned in the passage to avoid plastic?

A．Rubbish export.	B．Acquiring technology.
C．Leaf packaging.	D．Convincing shoppers.

3. What is people’s attitude to the new green move?

A．Disapproving.

B．Pessimistic.

C．Skeptical.

D．Supportive.

【推荐2】The different parts of a health care system have different focuses. A hospitals stroke（中风） unit monitors blood flow in the brain. The cardiac unit is interested in that same flow, but through and from the heart. Each collection of equipment and data is effective in its own field. Thus like the story of blind men feeling an elephant, modern health care offers many separate pictures of a patient, but rarely a useful united one.

On top of all this, the instruments that doctors use to monitor health are often expensive, as is the training required to use them. That combined cost is too high for the medical system to scan regularly for early signs of illness so patients are at risk of heart disease or a stroke.

An unusual research project called AlzEye, runby Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, in cooperation with University College London （UCL）may change this. It is attempting to use the eye as a window through which signals about the health of other organs could be discovered. The doctors in charge of it. Siegfried Wagner and Pearse Keane, are studying Moorfields database of eye scans, which offers a detailed picture of the health of the retina.（视网膜）.

The project will go a step further：With the information about other aspects of patients health collected from other hospitals around England doctors will be able to look for more accurate signs of disease through eye scans.

The Moorfields data set has lots of linked cases to work with---far more than any similar project. For instance, the UK Biobank, one of the world’s leading collections of medical data about individual people, contains 631 cases of a major cardiac adverse event^”. The Moorfields data contain about 12, 000 such. The Biobank has data on about 1,500 stroke patients. Moorfields has 11900. For the disease on which the Moorfields project will focus to start with dementia, the data set holds 15100 cases. The only comparable study has 86.

Wagner and Keane are searching for patterns in the eye that show the appearance of disease elsewhere int he body. If such patterns could be recognized reliably, the potential influence would be huge.

1. What does the author mean by referring to "the story of blind men feeling an elephant” Paragraph 1?

A．The scanning process is complex.

B．Modern health care system has its limitations.

C．The data collected from the units is not effective.

D．Different health care units have many similarities.

2. How does AlzEye work?

A．By examining one's body organs thoroughly.

B．By helping doctors discover one's diseases of the eye.

C．By identifying one's state of health through eye scans.

D．By comparing the eye-scan data from different hospitals.

3. What's the purpose of the numbers mentioned in paragraph 5?

A．To criticize the repeating scanning process.

B．To show the abundant resources to study on.

C．To claim Moorfields's top place among London hospitals.

D．To explain the competition between Moorfields and the Biobank.

4. Which one is the best title for the text?

A．Eye scanning: a cure for diseases.

B．Huge breakthrough in scanning technology.

C．The importance of building eye scan database.

D．A picture of the eye---door to your health condition.

【推荐3】Chocolate could soon be a thing of the past, after scientists warned that the cacao plant, from which chocolate is made, could be extinct within 32 years.

Over half of the world’s chocolate comes from just two countries in West Africa—Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana—where the temperature, rain, and humidity provide the perfect conditions for cacao to grow. But the threat of rising temperatures over the next three decades caused by climate change, is expected to result in a loss of water from the ground, which scientists say could upset this balance.

According to the related data, a temperature rise of just 2.1℃ could spell an end for the chocolate industry worldwide by 2050. Farmers in the region are already considering moving cacao production areas thousands of feet uphill into mountainous area—much of which is currently preserved for wildlife. But a move of this scale could destroy ecosystems that are already under threat from illegal farming and deforestation.

Part of the problem, according to Doug Hawkins, is that cacao farming methods have not changed for hundreds of years. “Unlike other tree crops that have benefited from the development of modern, high yielding strains and crop management techniques to realize their genetic potential, more than 90% of the global cocoa crop is produced by small farms with unimproved planting material,” he said. “It means that we could be facing a chocolate decrease of 100,000 tons a year in the next few years.”

Now scientists at the University of California at Berkeley have teamed up with American candy company Mars to keep chocolate on the menu. Using the controversial(有争议的) gene-editing technology known as CRISPR they are trying to develop a type of the cacao plant capable of surviving in dryer, warmer climates. If the team’s work on the cacao plant is successful, it could remove the need for farmers in West Africa to relocate to higher ground, and perhaps even allow cacao to be grown elsewhere in the world.

1. What do we know about chocolate from the text?

A．Chocolate will disappear from the menu 30 years later.

B．Chocolate is mainly produced by African countries.

C．Chocolate will not be produced by 2050 because of climate change.

D．A new type of chocolate will be produced with the help of CRISPR.

2. What is the reason for the extinction of the cacao plant?

A．The damaged ecosystem.

B．Water shortage caused by climate change.

C．The threat from illegal farming.

D．The changeable farming method.

3. What is the writer’s attitude to the application of CRISPR to planting cacao trees?

A．Objective.

B．Unconcerned.

C．Supportive.

D．Negative.