【推荐1】Most of us spend our lives surrounded by screens, which offer us convenience as well as connection and an ocean of information. But since it’s easy to feel pressured to keep up with every notification, technology may feel more like a burden than a blessing. Thus, the idea of “digital detox” is becoming increasingly inviting.

The phrase “digital detox” describes getting rid of TV, phones, computers and other forms of technology that control our lives for a period of time. Some experts advocate completely avoiding unnecessary screen time for 30 years. Others suggest using an app that will limit the amount of time one can spend on certain websites. A third option is logging out in evenings or on weekends. Others simply turn their phones off at scheduled times. Some even pay high prices to take vacations in places where they can unplug from their digital routine.

Why might you want to take a digital detox? Perhaps you find that you are spending longer than you intend on certain apps or that they distract you from more important things. Perhaps social media is depressing because you compare yourself to others or you fear missing out on things that other people are enjoying. Constant negative news can also give rise to a lot of stress.

Technology can also have physical effects. Many people experience back or neck pain as a result of bending over screens. The blue light coming from most screens can also affect people’s sleep by preventing production of melatonin (褪黑素).

Giving up all screens may not be realistic, but strategic breaks from technology may be good for your body, mind, emotions and relationships. It is high time that you picked a time to turn off your devices and focus on really important things.

1. Why does the author say “technology may feel more like a burden than a blessing” in paragraph 1?

A．To confirm a concept.

B．To explain a rule.

C．To present a problem.

D．To make a prediction.

2. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?

A．Forms of getting rid of “digital detox”.

B．Suggestions of practicing “digital detox”.

C．Ways of avoiding screen time completely.

D．Options of unplugging all digital routine.

3. Which could be the reason for one to start “digital detox”?

A．Pressure from social comparison.

B．Fear of missing important things.

C．Exposure to false news.

D．Apps selection difficulty.

4. Which section of the website may this article come from?

A．Entertainment.

B．Technology .

C．Health.

D．Education.

【推荐2】Be a Green Kid

What does it mean to be green? “Green” is more than just a color.    1     Every day, people make choices that affect the amount of trash and pollution produced in our world. What can we do? Here’s a four-step guide to be green.

Reduce it!

    2    For instance, a shorter shower means you use less water and less fuel since your house uses fuel to run the water heater that warms up the water.

Reuse it!

Sometimes people call our society “a throwaway society”. That means we’re a little too willing to throw away old stuff and buy some stuff.     3    For instance, if your little brother outgrows his coat, why not give it to another family who has a little kid?

Recycle(循环再利用) it!

Recycling has never been easier. Many communities will pick those things up right in front of your house. Tell your mom and dad you want to become “Chief of Recycling” for your household.    4    Remember to put them outside the door on recycling day, and remind others which items can be recycled.

Enjoy it!

It’s true that trash and pollution are problems, but the Earth remains a huge and wonderful place for you to explore.    5    But before you travel the globe, take a look at your own backyards. Is there a spot where you could plant a tree or put in some vegetables? If so, get out there and get yourself dirty.

A．It’s also one less toy that needs to be produced.

B．Enjoy outdoor activities in all sorts of weather.

C．That means you’ll organize the recyclable items (物品) in bins.

D．It also means taking special steps to protect the environment.

E．Even if you no longer need something, someone else might need.

F．You can start by visiting the naturally beautiful spots in your city.

G．When you use less of something, you do a good thing for the Earth.

【推荐3】From the tropical paradise of United States' Miami to South China's innovative(创新的)city Shenzhen, The Lonely Planet released a list of top 10 cities which are worth visiting in 2019. It covers a mix of well-known and less-known destinations. Those places include second place Shenzhen, China； Novi Sad, Serbia in third place; Miami, Florida in fourth place, and Kathmandu, Nepal munding out the top five. Let's have a brief look at some of these attractive places.

Copenhagen, Denmark

With its modern design, 15 Michelin-starred restaurants and highly bike-friendly culture, it is not surprising that Denmark's capital has topped Lonely Plane’s top 10 cities list.

Copenhagen's street food scene is developing fast in Refshaleoen, a former industrial area with a food and craft market, Reffen.

Novi Sad, Serbia

While Novi Sad is not as noted as the capital of Belgrade, it's much more fashionable. It's home to the country's annual EXIT! Festival, which is held each July at the 18th century-era Petrovaradin Fortress.

The festival contributes to a vibrant music and arts scene and a youthful atmosphere. Next year, 2019*8 European Youth Capital will be held in Novi Sad. It may be a practice run for 2021, when the city will observe the important title of European Capital of Culture.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Three years after it was struck by a destructive earthquake, Kathmandu is welcoming visitors to a city which is much quieter, by design.

"With cars banned from the historic center and motor horns banned across the Kathmandu Valley, it's much quieter than it used to be in the past. Hall figures out.

It will also host the South Asian Games in 2019.

1. In which city can you enjoy highly bike-friendly culture?

A．Shenzhen, China	B．Kathmandu, Nepal
C．Novi Sad, Serbia	D．Copenhagen, Denmark

2. In Novi Sad, Serbia you can ________

A．experience a quieter life style

B．visit the food and craft market, Reffen

C．try delicious food in Michelin-starred restaurants

D．enjoy a vibrant music and arts scene and a youthful atmosphere

3. Where does the passage most probably come from?

A．A science report.	B．A book review.
C．A magazine.	D．A realistic novel.

【推荐1】Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut.” Joanna noted.

Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to sit in my arms on the sofa and talk with me,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”

Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list.” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years.” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”

Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (思想的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.

1. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son_______.

A．dislikes to open his door

B．begins to hate his parents

C．is always busy with his studies

D．keeps himself away from his parents

2. What troubles Tina and Mark most?

A．Their daughter isn’t as lovely as before.

B．They can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly.

C．They don’t know what to say to their daughter.

D．Their daughter talks with them only when she needs money.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Parents are patient with their silent teenagers.

B．Parents should try to understand their teenagers.

C．Parents are unhappy with their growing children.

D．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers.

【推荐2】Technology use seems to be the new wave of addiction hitting people of all ages. The next time you’re in a crowded public place, look at the people around you. It’s hard to find someone who isn’t glued to the tiny screen, fingers moving at lightning speeds, texting their friends, emailing co-workers or listening to music. It may seem ridiculous (荒唐的) that someone is that addicted to such a small object. I’ve seen people who seem to be at their wits’ end if their phone or iPad has been taken away, lost or left at home.

Some people may ask, “What’s wrong with technology use? It’s a way for people to communicate.” While this is true, the overuse of technology isn’t always appropriate in certain settings. Schools are becoming stricter about the use of cell phones, iPods and other electronics in classrooms. Various workplaces have signs hanging on their walls warning employees that “Cell phone use is not permitted” or “Cell phones are forbidden”.

Electronics may be a way for people to communicate and stay in touch with each other, but the disadvantages may outweigh the benefits. People are losing the ability to hold face-to-face conversations with others.

However, it’s hard to avoid electronics in this day and age because almost everything is turning into an electronic format. Books, originally meant for paper design, are now being transferred (转存) to electronic forms. Photo albums, and even yearbooks, can now be viewed via the Internet. With this growing trend, future generations are bound to become even more addicted to technology.

Is there a cure for electronic addiction? Simply turning electronics off for an hour or two a day may help to an extent, but it will not completely help overcome electronic addiction. There only seems to be one cure left, and it may be the hardest: self-control.

1. What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?

A．Addiction to smartphones.	B．The popularity of smartphones.
C．Bad behaviors in public places.	D．Changes brought by technology.

2. What does the underlined phrase “at their wits’ end” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．At a disadvantage.	B．At a loss.
C．Out of the way.	D．Out of control.

3. What advice does the author give in the text?

A．Develop self-control.	B．Focus on outdoor activities.
C．Stay away from smartphones.	D．Change the habits of using electronics.

【推荐3】It's 51 years since man first stepped on the moon, and were still dreaming of escaping life on Earth for the mysteries of space. If a career as an astronaut isn’t interesting for you, perhaps the promise of a stay in a space hotel might be attractive.

Californian company The Gateway Foundation has released plans for the Von Braun Station, a ship-style hotel floating among the stars. The aim is to get the hotel off the ground by 2025 and make it fully operational for travel by 2027. According to the video and images released by the Gateway Foundation, the station looks like a rotating(旋转)wheel, made up of 24 parts, circling the Earth. Tim Alatorre, senior designer at the Gateway Foundation, says the wheel can create a simulated(模仿的) gravity.

The Gateway Foundation’s hotel design is named for Wernher Von Braun, an aerospace engineer who pioneered rocket technology, first in Germany and later in the United States.

Space tourism is an expensive game-a stay in its space hotel will cost $9. 5 million. The Von Braun Station will sleep 352 people with a maximum capacity of 450.

So what will Von Braun Station be like inside? On board. there’ll be warm suites with carpets and stylish touches and bars that wouldn't look out of place back on Earth, just with star -observing views. There will also be plenty of fun amusement activities for guest to enjoy, says Alatorre. “We’re going to have a number of different amusement activities and games that’ll highlight the fact that you're able to do things that you can’t do on Earth,” he says. “Because of the weightlessness and the reduced gravity, you’ll be able to jump higher, be able to lift things, be able to run in ways that you can't on Earth.”

Given the design is still exactly that just a design there are some questions that remain unanswered about how the space hotel will work in reality. The construction on the Gateway Foundations project is set to begin on October 1, 2021.

1. What can we know about the new hotel according to the second paragraph?

A．It will be put into use by the year of 2025.

B．There will be no gravity in the new hotel.

C．The first customers of the hotel are astronauts.

D．The wheel-like hotel will go around the earth.

2. Why is the new hotel called Von Braun Station?

A．Because is named after the designer of the hotel.

B．Because it is in honor of a great space engineer.

C．Because it is the first space hotel in the world.

D．Because it is the symbol of international cooperation.

3. Which of the following best describes the inside of the hotel?

A．Surprising and risky.	B．Creative but uncomfortable
C．Funny and creative	D．Interesting and fancy.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The construction of the hotel has started.

B．The project on the earth will be finished by 2021.

C．There are some problems which need to be solved.

D．Some people question whether the hotel should be built.

【推荐1】Given a wide range of available entertainment options and the way we consume information, visits to the library may seem like an old-fashioned entertainment. But according to a new Gallup poll(民意调查),Americans took more trips to the library than to the movie theater in 2019. The poll surveyed 1,025 adults throughout the United States who were asked how many times they participated in nine different leisure(休闲)activities, including visiting a library, watching a movie, or attending a sporting event. Library visits came out on top as the favorite, with those surveyed visiting an average of 10.5 times annually. Movies were second with respondents heading to the cinema an average of 5.3 times throughout the year. The zoo came in the last place with only 0.9 visits.

Although it’s not the only determining factor, cost appears to play a part. Activities at the bottom of the list such as theme parks and zoos are typically expensive. Libraries are free, as are many of their available services like Wi-Fi, in addition to the endless amounts of books. A Pew Research Center study indicated that although most people visit libraries to check out reading materials, 29% of surveyed Americans over the age of 16 use libraries for computers, Internet and public Wi-Fi.

People between ages 30-49 were most likely to engage in leisure activities, according to the Gallup poll. This was perhaps because of “their relative youth combined with mid-life stability” Gallup’s Justin McCarthy told Smithsonian. McCarthy also notes that libraries are typically visited most often by adults from low-income households and less often by adults from high-income households. In this poll, the youngest age group—those who are 18 to 29 years old—visited the library the most. This could be because college students are in that group.

Regardless of the reasons why people visit libraries, they’re far from outdated. Libraries have stood the test of time, which is good news for book lovers, those needing to drop in for Internet use, or anyone just looking for some quiet time. If there was ever any doubt that libraries would simply fade away, research suggests that they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

1. Which activity ranks last according to the survey?

A．Going to a library.

B．Visiting the zoo.

C．Attending a sporting event.

D．Watching a movie in the theater.

2. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?

A．Age plays a key role in going to a library.

B．Teenagers go to libraries mainly for free Wi-Fi.

C．Theme parks and zoos are less favored among the young.

D．The majority of Americans visit libraries mainly for reading materials.

3. Who visit libraries most according to McCarthy?

A．Adults with high income.

B．People between ages 30-49.

C．The young at the age of 18 to 29.

D．Teenagers from low-income households.

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

A．Why people love reading more than ever

B．We love movies, but we love libraries more

C．Reading in libraries makes you a better person

D．Why more young people go to libraries for free Wi-Fi

【推荐2】Eleven-year-old Ruby Kate Chitsey loves asking the question “If you could have any three things, what would you want?” at nursing homes in Harrison. Even more amazing, she then sets out to make the residents who live in the nursing home realize their dreams.

Last May, Ruby Kate noticed a resident named Pearl staring out a window. She seemed sad. “What are you looking at?” Ruby Kate asked. Pearl said her dog was led away by his new owner because she couldn’t afford to raise it. Ruby Kate and her mother, Amanda, asked around and discovered that many nursing home residents are unable to afford even the smallest luxuries. So Ruby Kate decided to do something about it.

She started by asking residents what three things they wanted most in the world. Amanda worried that people would ask for cars and other things an 11-year-old wouldn’t be able to provide. Instead, they asked for chocolate bars, McDonald fries, pants that ft properly and even just prayer. Using heir own money, the Chitseys granted the wishes of about 100 people in three months. Then they started asking for donations.

The good people of Harrison responded enthusiastically, so much so hat Amanda set up a GoFundMe page, Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents, hoping to collect %5,000. They hit their goal in a month. After GoFundMe named Ruby Kate a Kid Hero and promoted her story internationally this past January, Three Wishes raised $20,000 in 24 hours and more than $250,000 in five months.

Earlier this year, Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents became a nonprofit and launched its first nationwide chapters. Ruby Kate doesn’t plan to stop there. “I consider kindness to be my hobby,” she says, “and I’m very good at it.”

1. What inspired Ruby Kate to help residents at nursing homes?

A．Pearl’s sadness for missing her dog.

B．The kindness of residents at nursing homes.

C．Many nursing home residents’ lack of luxuries.

D．Her experience of working in a nursing home.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Three Wishes has set up its worldwide branches.

B．The Chitseys helped satisfy the residents’ wishes.

C．The nursing home introduced Ruby’s story around the world.

D．The Chitseys are wealthy enough to afford all residents’ wishes.

3. What do the numbers listed in Paragraph 4 indicate?

A．People were supportive.	B．Ruby Kate was generous.
C．Raising money was quite easy.	D．The programme was profitable.

4. Which of the following can best describe Ruby Kate?

A．Proud and enthusiastic.	B．Creative and imaginative.
C．Warm-hearted and selfless.	D．Ambitious and modest.

【推荐3】Mother Nature has it figured out. She’s designed a master scheme that connects plants and animals, all working in concert to keep every living thing in balance.

This is especially obvious in places like central Africa and in South American tropical rainforests where certain animals help keep trees safe and healthy, which is critical as trees absorb vast amounts of planet-warming carbon pollution.

Recent research warns that losing the creatures that nurture trees puts forests in danger. This, by extension, is helping to accelerate dangerous climate change.

In central Africa for example, elephants eat fast-growing trees, making room for those that grow more slowly. The slow-growing trees with their very dense wood store more carbon than the thinner, faster-developing ones Without elephants, more carbon would accumulate in the atmosphere, worsening climate change according to a new study that used computer models to project what could happen if elephant populations continue to decrease or become extinct.

Africa may once have contained 10 million elephants from the Mediterranean to the Cape, in every habitat except extreme desert. In 1970, there may have been a million left. By the end of the 1980s, there were half that number, mostly killed for the ivory trade, "said Stephen Blake, assistant professor of biology at St. Louis University.

By killing elephants, poachers (偷猎者) rob slow growing trees of their guardian. They also slow the growth of new trees. Elephants blaze(开辟) trails and disperse(散播) seeds as they look for food. “Elephants are basically the gardeners of the forest,” Blake said. They disperse over 100 species of seeds, and disperse more of them over longer distances than other dispersers.”

Blake, who has spent nearly 20 years in Africa working in elephant research and conservation, mourns their fate, describing them as “a complex society of intelligent, caring, emotional animals who respect their grandmothers and mourn their dead” and condemns those who neglect their duty to save them.

“We will go to Mars-there is no doubt-humans are too smart not to,” he said. “Yet we do not have the wisdom to protect elephants and their forest environment that do so much for our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being.

1. Elephants help keep slow-growing trees safe and healthy by________.

A．providing living space for them.

B．dispersing seeds when searching for food.

C．decreasing in number and reducing carbon accumulation.

D．protecting them in the forest from being cut down.

2. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The world is changing at a faster speed than before.

B．People are intelligent enough to protect the environment.

C．What we have done to protect elephants is far from satisfactory.

D．Animals are so smart that they care much about the well-being of humans.

3. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．Elephants are in danger of dying out in the near future.

B．Elephants are fighting climate change in ways humans can’t.

C．Animals are assumed to be the gardeners of the forest.

D．Animals are accelerating dangerous climate change.