【推荐2】I was fifteen months old, a happy carefree kid until the day fell. It was a bad fall. I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it. Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched the eyeball together where it was cut, leaving a big ugly scar in the middle of my eye. The attempt failed, but my mama, in all of her wisdom, found a doctor who knew that if the eye were removed wholly, my face would grow up badly twisted, so my scarred, sightless, cloudy and gray eye lived on with me. And as I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways controlled me.

I walked with my face looking at the floor so people would not see the ugly me. Sometimes people, even strangers, asked me embarrassing questions or made hurtful remarks. When the kids played games, I was always the “monster”. I grew up imagining that people looked at me in an unusual way, as if my appearance were my fault. I always felt like I was a freak(怪人).

Yet mama would say to me, at every turn, “Hold your head up high and face the world.” It became a litany that I relied on. She had started when I was young. She would hold me in her arms and stroke my hair and say, “If you hold your head up high, it will be okay, and people will see your beautiful soul.” She continued this message whenever I wanted to hide. Those words have meant different things to me over the years. As a little child, I thought mama meant, “Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking.” As an adolescent, even though I tended to look down to hide my shame, I found that sometimes when I held my head up high and let people know me, they liked me. My mama’s words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face, I let them recognize the intelligence and beauty behind both eyes even if they couldn’t see it on the surface.

In high school I was successful both academically and socially. I was even elected class president, but on the inside, I still felt like a freak. All I really wanted was to look like everyone else. When things got really bad, I would cry to my mama and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, “Hold your head up high and face the world. Let them see the beauty that is inside.”

When I met the man who became my partner for life, we looked each other straight in the eye, and he told me I was beautiful inside and out. He meant it. My mama’s love and encouragement were the spark that gave me the confidence to overcome my own doubt. I had faced adversity, encountered my problems head on, and learned not only to appreciate myself but to have deep compassion for others.

“Hold your head up high”, has been heard many times in my home. Each of my children has felt its invitation. The gift my mama gave me lives on in another generation.

1. As a result of the terrible accident, the writer ________.

A．became deaf and blind.	B．had her eye hurt.
C．had some hearing loss.	D．had her eye moved away.

2. By saying “Hold your head up high and face the world”, her mother meant to ________.

A．blame her for lack of confidence.	B．warn her of the inconvenience.
C．encourage her in her daily life.	D．praise her for her great courage.

3. The underlined sentence “Each of my children has felt its invitation.” in the last paragraph means ________.

A．all of the writer’s children grew up with an inviting prospect.

B．Mama’s inspirational words had deep effects on the writer’s children.

C．each of the writer’s children received their grandma’s invitation.

D．the writer’s children had no choice but to accept the invitation.

4. Which of the following is conveyed in this passage?

A．Treat others as you hope they’ll treat you.	B．One’s mind works faster in danger.
C．Never give up whenever in trouble.	D．Two hands make the work light.

【推荐3】A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups-porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some exquisite and expensive-telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress．Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups…And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.

"God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!"

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything．"

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

1. What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．the nice-looking cup	B．the ordinary-looking cup
C．the coffee of good quality	D．the coffee of poor quality

2. Why did the professor offer his students coffee with varieties of cups?

A．To tell his students the right attitude to life

B．To teach his students how to enjoy coffee．

C．To show the students his collection of cups．

D．To give his students many more choices．

3. According to the professor, the happiest people are the ones who _____．

A．get the best type of coffee cups	B．make the best of what they have
C．have a wide range of coffee cups	D．care about social status and wealth

4. The best title for the passage would be _____．

A．The Pressure of Life	B．God's Coffee
C．The Happiest People	D．Professor's Coffee Cups

【推荐1】From McDonald’s to Sonic, fast food had a bad effect on my waistline and my budget. It was so easy to use my card for a small purchase (购买). For me, I got a lot of satisfaction from fast food.

One day I realized that I was spending a surprising $40 a week on fast food. This was a lot of iced coffee and hamburgers! I decided to give myself a tight budget to reduce my consumption. Every Monday I placed an envelope with $20 in my purse. That was my fast food budget for the whole week. If there was anything left over at the end of the week, it would be mine to save or spend. If I spent all of the money during the week, there would be no more fast food that week.

The budget made me more mindful of my purchases. Instead of purchasing a large drink from Sonic, I would purchase a small one. It was still satisfying but not nearly as expensive. Instead of eating a whole meal, I would pick the part that I actually wanted. I never really felt unhappy because it was a wise choice to spend or save with each purchase.

The envelope budget kept me honest. I had a clear idea how much money was spent each week on fast food purchases. I started to bring my lunches more often to save more money for the week. It was a fun challenge to see how much I could save every week.

Changing the way I spent on fast food not only helped my budget, but watched my weight. Now I am more likely to bring my lunch than to buy it. I am not upset, but allowed to make positive choices to improve my life.

1. Why did the author set her envelope budget?

A．To buy fast food at a good price.	B．To save money to buy fast food. .
C．To get rid of the habit of eating fast food.	D．To make fast food spending under control.

2. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．It is unusual to make some changes.	B．It is hard to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
C．The budget means the pressures of life.	D．The envelope budget is good for health.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Why the author became addicted to fast food.	B．How fast food controlled the author’s behavior.
C．How the envelope budget changed the author’s life.	D．Why the author took the envelope budget seriously.

【推荐2】A year ago, paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.

One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders (耸肩), he said, “You don't say!”

“You don't say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. “Well, I'd better change the topic.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was great and beautiful.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide.

“The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted again by his words “You don't say!” I couldn't help asking, “Why do you ask me no to talk about it?” “Well, I didn't request you to do so.” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn't you say 'You don't say'?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “In English 'You don't say' actually means 'Really?'. It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.

Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.

1. What did the author think when the foreigner said “You don't say!”?

A．The foreigner was no interested in the topic.

B．The foreigner was only interested in the Great Wall.

C．The foreigner didn't want to talk about English idioms.

D．The foreigner wanted to explain some English idioms.

2. After the Englishman explained the idiom,________.

A．the Englishman became a real fool

B．I felt I had made a fool of myself

C．I became more careful in everything

D．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool

3. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．An Appropriate English Topic

B．A Clever English Learner's Story

C．An Amusing Experience about English Idiom

D．A Friendship between My English Teacher and I

【推荐3】It was a busy morning and I had several things to do before the day became too hot to be outside the house. As I was walking by the side of a busy road, I saw an old lady, maybe in her 80s, standing dangerously close to the traffic. Although my mind was preoccupied, I thought to myself that I should warn her not to stand so close to the busy traffic rushing by. When I reached the spot where the old lady was standing, I noticed that she was trying to get attention of passers-by who of course were too busy to take note of her.

She kept pointing to the middle of the road. When I tried to gently move her back further away from the edge of the busy road, she said that she was standing there because she dropped her house key in the middle of the road and was unable to enter her house without the key. I looked around and no one seemed to be interested in the two of us. I knew I was getting delayed but decided to help.

The traffic was busy on the road with people on two-wheelers or in cars as well as school buses rushing with school children. It was the worst time of the day to cross a busy road without a traffic light. I asked the old lady to stay at a safe distance, took a deep breath, and carefully stepped onto the road waving my hands crazily, fearing to be hit by an oncoming vehicle. At first one lane (车道) stopped and then I moved further on to the middle of the road continuing to wave my hands.

I quickly picked up the key and ran back to the old lady waiting by the side of the road and returned the key to her. As I turned to continue my hurried walk, the old lady pulled me by my hand and gave me a big warm hug. I felt so happy to have helped this old lady.

1. What was the author’s worry about the old lady?

A．She couldn’t get into her house.	B．She might lose her key on the road.
C．She could be hit by the passing cars.	D．She might get lost on the busy road.

2. What can be inferred about the situation from paragraph 3?

A．It was dangerous to cross the road.

B．People had little sense of traffic safety.

C．People got tired of driving on the road.

D．No one on the road would help the old lady.

3. How did the old lady feel in the end?

A．Scared.

B．Concerned.

C．Energetic.

D．Grateful.

4. Which word can be used to describe the story?

A．Eventful.

B．Heart-warming.

C．Breath-taking.

D．Life-changing.

【推荐1】After their 15-year-old dog Bailey died in 2007, Ron and his wife, Ann, looked for months to find the right new pet. “I love dogs,” says Ron, a worker at a health club in Waukesha, Wisconsin. “I can’t imagine not having one.”

Finally, the couple spotted a young dog at the Humane Society in Milwaukee. His name was Oscar. “He was very attractive,” says Ron, 65. Oscar quickly made himself at home, sleeping on his new owners’ bed at night.

A diabetic(糖尿病人) for 25 years, Ron faithfully took his medicine four times a day and generally had no problems. But on March 17, at about 3 a.m., he got out of bed to use the bathroom. Suddenly, he fell down to the floor. “I must have taken the wrong amount of medicine before I went to sleep, because my blood sugar was dangerously low,” he says.

“Normally, Oscar is very quiet and well-behaved,” says Ron. “But when I hit the floor, he let out sounds like a wild animal.”

“Honestly, it sounded like the dog from hell,” says Ann, who was awakened by the sound.“I didn’t know what the sound was. Then I saw my husband lying on the bathroom floor. He was cold.” She ran for the phone and called an ambulance.

Ron spent several hours in the hospital. By 6:30a.m., he was well enough to go home. “You would never suspect Oscar of any heroism.” says his grateful owner. “He’s a wonderful little guy. We are lucky enough to own him.”

Even before Oscar’s heroic action, the couple had given their pet a new nickname(昵称). “We felt the name Oscar wasn’t good enough,” says Ron, “so sometimes we call him Eduardo”—more suitable, they think, for their dog.

1. What was Ann doing when Ron went to the bathroom?

A．She was sleeping.

B．She was watching TV.

C．She was taking care of Oscar.

D．She was talking with someone on the phone.

2. Why did Ron fell onto the floor in the bathroom?

A．He forgot to take his medicine.

B．The floor in the bathroom was too wet.

C．He took the wrong amount of medicine.

D．He is a diabetic and accidentally ate some sugar.

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Oscar was 15 years old when he was found.

B．The sound of Oscar was usually like a wild animal.

C．Ron got diabetes when he was 40 years old.

D．Ron had to take his medicine three times a day.

4. From the passage we can learn that Oscar_______________.

A．is a little noisy at home

B．sleeps with his owners at night

C．got his new nickname after the story

D．was found at a health club in Waukesha

【推荐2】Pete Sparks was a sensitive boy. So sensitive that even his hair was ticklish (怕痒的). You only had to touch his hair a little bit and he would start laughing. When this ticklish laughter started, no one could make him stop.

Pete tried everything to control his ticklishness, but nothing worked. So he began to feel sad for being different.

One day in the street, he met a special clown. The clown was very old and could hardly walk, but when he saw Pete in tears, he went to cheer him up. It didn’t take long to make Pete laugh. Later Pete told him about his ticklish problem, and he asked the clown how such an old man could carry on being a clown. “I have no one to take my place, ”said the clown. “I have a very serious job to do. ”Pete looked at him, surprised. “Come, I’ll show you, ”said the clown. So the clown took Pete to many hospitals full of children who were sick. As soon as they saw the clown, their faces changed completely and lit up with a smile. The short time spent with the clown changed everything for them. That day was even more special, because in every show Pete’s laughter would end up with the kids lying on the floor, dying with laughter. When the visit came to an end, the old clown said to Pete, “Now do you see why I can’t retire, even at my age?”

That was how Pete became a clown, and took the special old man’s place. From that day on, the fact that Pete was different actually made him happy, thanks to his special gift .

1. Pete wanted to change because he wanted to_______.

A．make a difference	B．just be a normal boy
C．make everyone happy	D．just be a special clown

2. The clown took Pete to the hospitals in order to _________.

A．treat his ticklishness	B．encourage him to be a clown
C．show him the meaning of his job	D．know whether Pete had told a lie

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the old clown?

A．He was a sensitive man.	B．He liked his job as a clown.
C．He was unable to make Pete laugh.	D．He knew how to control his ticklishness.

4. What does the story teach us?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Everyone is born useful.
C．Well begun is half done.	D．Where there is life, there is hope.

【推荐3】A man named Randy liked to look for big trees and old trees. He made maps to show where these trees were. He did not want to cut them down. He wanted people to take care of them.

Randy was told that there was a very tall tree on Vancouver Island. The tree was said to be 314 feet tall. That would make it the tallest tree in Canada. Randy started to find the tree.

But someone else found it first. It was found by a logger (伐木工). Loggers wanted to cut down Canada’s tallest tree and all the trees around it.

Randy made a path in the forest so people could see the tallest tree. The tree was so big and beautiful that it would bring them enjoyment. More and more people wanted to save that forest. Thanks to these people, that forest is now a park. Canada’s tallest tree is still there.

1. Why did Randy make maps of big trees and old trees?

A．To carry out his duty carefully.	B．To avoid getting lost in forests.
C．To show where these trees were.	D．To get information for selling them.

2. What did the loggers want to do to Canada’s tallest tree?

A．Take care of it.	B．Cut it down.
C．Take pictures of it.	D．Make it famous.

3. Why did Randy make a path to the tallest tree in Canada?

A．To help people cut it.	B．To help people see it.
C．To help people water it.	D．To help people move it.

4. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．The path.

B．The forest.

C．The tallest tree.

D．The park.