【推荐1】The annual marathon in my town occurred as scheduled. My job was to follow behind the runners in an ambulance in case any of them needed medical attention. As the athletes began to pace themselves, the front runners started to disappear. It was then that my eyes were drawn to the woman in blue running shorts and a baggy white T-shirt.

I knew we were already watching our “last runner”. Her feet were turned in, yet her left knee was turned out. Her legs were so crippled and bent that it seemed impossible for her to walk, let alone run a marathon.

The driver and I watched in silence as she slowly moved forward. We would move forward a little bit, then stop and wait for her to gain some distance. Then we’d slowly move forward a little bit more. As I watched her struggle to put one foot in front of the other, I found myself breathing for her and urging her forward. I wanted her to stop, and at the same time, I prayed that she wouldn’t.

Finally, she was the only runner left in sight. I sat on the edge of my seat and watched with respect and amazement as she pushed forward with sheer determination through the last miles. When the finish line came into sight, the cheering crowds had long gone home. Yet, standing straight and proud waited a man. He was holding one end of a ribbon tied to a post. She slowly crossed through, leaving both ends of the ribbon fluttering (飘动) behind her.

I don’t know this woman’s name, but that day she became a part of my life — a part I often depend on. For her, it wasn’t about beating the other runners or winning a prize. It was about finishing what she had set out to do. When I think things are too difficult or I get those “I-just-can’t-do-it,” I think of the last runner. Then I realize how easy the task before me really is.

1. What words can best describe the woman?

A．Proud and determined.	B．Strong-willed and honorable.
C．Modest and courageous.	D．Diligent and considerate.

2. What does the underlined word “crippled” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Disabled.

B．Healthy.

C．Perfect.

D．Strong.

3. What has the author learnt from the woman?

A．Don’t depend on others when facing hardships.

B．Nothing is too tough to accomplish if one is brave enough.

C．The disabled can also run a marathon despite their walking difficulty.

D．It’s not winning but finishing the thing we start that really matters.

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

A．A Humorous Stranger.	B．An Unforgettable Job.
C．The Last Runner.	D．The Annual Marathon.

【推荐2】A poem competition has been started for pupils aged 4 to 18 around UK. It invites young people to focus on (关注) the “many ways we are connected to the universe”. The competition is part of a national celebration of creativity in the UK.

The winning entries (参赛作品) will be presented in a projection show, which will visit some places around the UK from March to May 2023. This outdoor show will include entries from the competition and run for a week in each place. Winners will also receive other prizes, including books and chocolate, plus continued development.

The rules are as follows:

The competition is free to enter. If you are aged 4-12, your parent will need to allow for you to enter.

Your entry must be original (原创的). Your work is accepted only if this will be its first appearance anywhere in the world.

Poems must be written in English or Welsh and not be longer than 20 lines. You are free to write in any style or form.

You may enter either online through the website or by post to the Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London. All online entries must be received by 23:59 GMT on 19 December 2022. All poems entered by post must be post-dated on or before 19 December 2022.

If you would like to enter online, please continue through the online system on this website. Email AboutUs@poetrysociety. Org if you have any problem.

1. The competition centers on ________.

A．National celebration	B．Outdoor show around the UK
C．Young people’s talents	D．Connectivity to the universe

2. What will be awarded to the winners?

A．A free tour around the UK.	B．A chance to present their works.
C．Books, chocolate and prize money.	D．Membership of the Poetry Society.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．Poems can be written in any language.

B．The show will last a month in each place.

C．All poems entered by post must be posted by 19 Dec. 2022.

D．People need to pay to enter the competition.

4. According to the rules, people who take part in it ________.

A．must write poems no more than 20 lines	B．may enter their published poems
C．should be aged 4-12	D．can email entries

【推荐1】On his first day as an airport official tasked with COVID-19 prevention and control, Wu Ge was assigned to prepare a waiting area at Pu dong International Airport specifically for transit passengers.

The task would have been challenging for most people, but Wu took it and quickly distributed tasks to his colleagues. Together, they cleaned and disinfected the area, set zones for checking people's temperatures and filling out forms. It wasn't until the first passenger stepped into the waiting area that Wu finally took a break from his work.

Born in southwestern China's Chongqing, the 46-year-old began working at Pu dong International Airport in 2007 and is currently an official leading more than 300 staff members of the Shanghai airport authority's security check and protection department.

As the nation's busiest airport for overseas travelers. Shanghai Pu dong International Airport is currently battling the COVID-19 with closed-loop management. During this critical period, Wu and his colleagues have been assigned to a special task force in charge of separating overseas travelers into various categories, sending passengers to quarantine spots and safeguarding passengers during transfers.

"This job requires care, responsibility and hard work. Our teammates have sweat all over their bodies as they have to wear N95 face-masks and protective suits all the time. Each of us walks at least 30,000 steps every day. Sometimes we even hit 60,000 steps," he says.

Wu's work as the group leader is nonstop. Breakfast is sometimes the only meal he has in a day. Wu says he tries his best to reduce waiting time for passengers. He has also arranged for hot water and biscuits to be made available for passengers around the clock.

1. What was Wu Ge asked to do?

A．Reduce waiting time.	B．Prepare hot water and biscuits.
C．Prepare a waiting area.	D．Hel passengers fill out forms.

2. Which can best describe Wu Ge's assignment?

A．Demanding.

B．Rewarding

C．Encouraging.

D．Frightening.

3. Why did Wu Ge and his colleague have sweat all over their bodies?

A．It was hot at that time	B．They carried passengers' luggage.
C．They had to walk a lot.	D．They wore protective equipment.

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

A．Working at the Airport	B．Fighting COVID-19 at the Airport
C．Living a Busy Life at the Airport	D．Helping Passengers at the Airport

【推荐2】The day was September 5, 2015, when for the first time I left my country Bangladesh for China to get Master of Environmental Engineering at Chongqing University, thanks to the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC). I always wanted to know and learn new language, culture and tradition.

At the beginning, because of the language prevention, going to canteen or restaurant or visiting places or buying things were a challenge. Later, when I began learning Chinese, considered one of the most difficult languages in the world, life became much smoother. In addition, I took part in after-school activities organized by the university or by Chinese friends. In the past four years I have visited many places in China such as Yichang, Beijing, Kunming and Sichuan province. I enjoy Chongqing's delicious hotpot, tofu, traditional Chinese tea. China covers a large region and has many ethnicities (少数民族), so there's a variety of Chinese food. China is a country with a time-honored civilization and a land of ceremony. Whenever guests visit, it is necessary to serve tea to them. Before serving tea, you may ask them for their preferences as to what kind of tea they prefer and serve them the tea in the right teacups.

China is one of the few countries in the world which depend on coal as the main energy source. At present, coal accounts for about 70 percent of the energy structure in China, which produces serious environmental pollution and ecological (生态的) damage. After years of efforts, China has made achievements. Related technologies have been used in large companies in China.

I'm lucky to here working as a doctoral researcher at the department of environmental science and engineering. I should have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills that I need to build a bright future planet. By gathering scientific knowledge in this field, I have plans to create new opportunities for policymakers of my country Bangladesh. I value the chance to serve my beloved homeland!

1. The best title of the passage should be ________.

A．the Chinese government helps less developed countries a lot

B．Chinese, the most difficult language in the world

C．from Bangladesh to Chongqing, learning from China

D．Sichuan as well as Chongqing is home to delicious food

2. We can know from the second paragraph that ________.

A．buying things is a challenge in China

B．the writer probably wrote this article in 2019

C．serving tea is necessary as tea is a healthy drink

D．the writer joined in after-school activities to meet new friends

3. About the author (作者), we can know that ________.

A．she majored in Chinese as a new language in Chongqing University

B．she considered Chinese as one of the most difficult languages in the world

C．she would work as a doctor to help the patients after she returned to her country

D．she loved her country, Bangladesh

4. In the writer’s eyes, ________.

A．China, like many countries, uses coal as the main energy source

B．China is a country with much beautiful scenery and tasty food

C．environmental pollution will be a serious problem in China

D．China acts as the top country in the field of environmental science and engineering

【推荐3】Many people, some even at a very young age, set the goal of graduating from college. One American woman in Texas waited a long time for her chance to reach that goal.

The woman, 85-year-old Janet Fein, received her bachelor’s degree (学士学位) from the University of Texas in December, 2018.

Fein has had a full life. She raised five children and then had a career as a secretary (秘书) until she retired at age 77. But even then, she was not ready to take it easy and rest during a well-earned retirement. She decided to major in sociology (社会学).

Fein grew up in the Bronx area of New York City. In high school, she just wanted to finish and get a job. After graduating early, at the age of 16, she went to work as a secretary.

After getting married, she spent 18 years staying home with her children. She held several jobs throughout her life, including being a secretary at a Dallas hospital. That is the job she retired from in 2011. She received an associate degree (专科学位) in 1995. But she also wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree. Fein took part in a state program that lets people who are 65 and older take free classes at public universities in Texas.

She kept going to class even as her health condition worsened. During her studies, it became necessary for her to use a walker to get around and she needed oxygen (氧气) too. She also developed knee problems. So, Fein took online classes to finish the last part of her degree requirements.

Renee Brown is one of Fein’s care-givers. She says Fein has also inspired her. At 53, she plans to begin nursing school to further her career. Brown says Fein told her, “Renee, you can do it. If I can do it you also can do it, and you will feel so good about it.”

1. When did Janet Fein start to work?

A．In 1933.	B．In 1995.
C．In 1949.	D．In 2012.

2. What does she study for her bachelor’s degree?

A．Sociology.	B．Secretary.
C．History.	D．Health.

3. What does the underlined word “inspired” probably mean in the last paragraph?

A．Shocked.

B．Disappointed.

C．Employed.

D．Encouraged.

4. What can we learn from Janet Fein’s story?

A．Practice makes perfect.

B．It is never too late to learn.

C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D．When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

【推荐1】Wanted

Someone for a Kiss

We’re looking for producers to join us in the second of London 100FM. You’ll work on the station’s music programmes.Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss100.

Father Christmas

We’re looking for a very special person preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit.Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sunday, 10:30—16:00. Excellent pay. Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Center, Station Parade, Eastbourne.

Accountants Assistant

When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level, we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience. Wealden District Council

Software Trainer

If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in programme writing. You will be allowed to make our decision, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of ￡15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.

1. Who should you get in touch with if you hope to work in a radio station?

A．Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100.	B．Mrs R.Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.
C．The Enterprise Shopping Centre	D．Wealden District Council.

2. Which position is open to recent school graduates?

A．Producer, London Kiss.	B．Father Christmas.
C．Accountants Assistant	D．Software Trainer

3. What kind of person would probably apply to Palmace Limited?

A．One with GCSE grade C level.	B．One with some office experience.
C．One having a good computer knowledge	D．One trained in producing music programmes.

【推荐2】You are what you eat. This saying has provided scientists with clues about the diet of hominids—our early relatives of 3 million years ago.

Studying carbon atoms locked up in tooth enamel(珐琅质), two researchers argue against the widely held belief that hominids ate little more than fruits and leaves. Sponheimer and Julia Lee-Thorp of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, report their findings in Friday’s Science.

There aren’t many clues for us to know the life of early hominids. The shape of hominids teeth offered the first clues. Large and flat-edged with thick enamel, they looked perfect for eating nuts and fruits, different from the sharp teeth one would want to tear into meat with. The first stone tools, which would help in eating meat, didn’t appear until about half a million years later.

Scientists have also found marks on hominids’ teeth with patterns very similar to those on the teeth of modern-day fruit eaters. Sponheimer and Lee-Thorp tried a new method, looking at the chemical composition of the tooth enamel. They studied the enamel for the carbon-13. Animals that eat grass have higher carbon-13 levels than those eating fruits and other plants.

What they found was that the teeth of the hominids had an in-between amount of carbon-13, which meant not only they were eating fruits, they were eating a lot of grass, or animals eating grass. The lower carbon-13 levels could also come from eating certain types of insects.

But there are people who understand differently. Prof Ungar of the University of Arkansas agrees the study offers new suggestions of hominid diet, but disagrees about the suggestion that meat could explain the lower carbon-13 levels.

One suggestion might be true, though—take good care of your teeth. In 3 million years, a scientist might be using them to figure out what you ate for dinner.

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

A．Protect Your Teeth	B．Where the Hominid lived
C．What the Hominid Ate	D．The Formation of Tooth enamel

2. Before the two scientists’ findings, most people thought that hominids ________.

A．lived half a million years ago	B．ate mainly fruits and leaves
C．used tools to dig grass	D．had sharp teeth

3. The two scientists’ findings were mainly based on the study about ________.

A．the shape of hominids’ teeth	B．the teeth marks of early fruit eaters
C．the grass of 3 million years ago	D．the make-up of the tooth enamel

4. What is it that Prof.Ungar finds doubtful?

A．Hominids possibly ate grass-eating animals.

B．Hominids probably had different diets.

C．Hominids were basically fruit-and grass-eaters

D．Hominids had lower level of carbon-13 in their teeth.

【推荐3】Finding fish is going to get harder as climate change continues to heat the world’s oceans. A new study finds that warming seas over the past 80 years have reduced the sustainable catch of 124 species of fish and shellfish. Sustainable catch refers to the amount that can be harvested without doing long-term damage to the health of populations of some species.

Overfishing has made that decline worse, researchers say. Overfishing refers to catching so many fish that the size of the population falls. In some parts of the world, such as the heavily fished Sea of Japan, the decrease is as high as 35 percent. That’s a loss of more than one in every three fish.

Researchers examined changes in 235 populations of fish and shellfish between 1930 and 2010. Those fish populations spread far apart across 38 ocean regions. Temperature changes vary from one ocean site to another. But on average over that time, Earth’s sea-surface temperatures have risen by about half a degree Celsius.

On average, that warming has caused the sustainable catch to drop by 4.1 percent, the study found. About 8 percent of the fish and shellfish populations the team studied saw losses as a result of the ocean warming. However, about 4 percent of some populations increased. That’s because certain species have thrived in warmer waters. One example is a kind of black sea fish. It lives along the northeastern U.S. coast. As warming continues, these fish will reproduce faster until they reach their limit.

About 3.2 billion people worldwide rely on seafood as a source of food. That means it’s urgent for commercial fishing fleets and regulators to consider how climate change is affecting the health of all of those fish in the sea.

1. What does the new study discover?

A．Overfishing is to blame for fish health.

B．Warming seas cause fewer fish and shellfish.

C．Seafood matters to people’s health worldwide.

D．The living regions of fish and shellfish are different.

2. What does the underlined word “thrived” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Survived narrowly.	B．Disappeared soon.
C．Decreased sharply.	D．Developed quickly.

3. What do we know about species of fish and shellfish?

A．About 8 percent of them suffered from a great loss.

B．About 35 percent of them survived in the Sea of Japan.

C．About 3.2 billion species have been saved up to now.

D．About 80 species have died out because of warming seas.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A cooking guide.	B．A science magazine.
C．A news review.	D．A health brochure.

【推荐1】Prairie dogs（草原犬鼠）are native to the prairies of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They are actually a type of squirrel named for the place where they live and the warning call they give when they are threatened（威胁）, which sounds similar to a dog’s bark. One of the amazing things about prairie dogs is the way that they live in “towns.” These towns can contain many hundreds of prairie dog families.

Prairie dogs like to live with other prairie dogs, so they join together to make prairie dog towns. These are collections of prairie dog families that can cover one or two square kilometers. Prairie dog towns are big because each family lives in their own tunnel（地道）system, which is usually 10-30 meters wide. Families are usually made up of 1 male, 2 to 4 females, and their children. When the young prairie dogs reach three years of age, they leave home to found their own families on the edges（边缘）of the town.

Prairie dog tunnels usually have several chambers. These chambers are like rooms in a house. Female prairie dogs use them when they give birth and when they raise their babies. The other chambers are used by the family for sleeping. To make them comfortable, prairie dogs separate the chambers by lining the walls with grass. The tunnels are also used for protection when prairie dogs are threatened by other animals. For this reason they are designed with two or more holes serving as doors.

Prairie dogs like living in towns and they even make social visits to each other. When two friendly prairie dogs meet, they greet each other with a kind of kiss. However, the male prairie dogs defend the borders of the family’s tunnel system against enemies. Prairie dog towns have conflicts, social gatherings, and cooperation just like a human town, which makes them very interesting.

1. What do we know about prairie dogs?

A．They are group animals.	B．They bark like squirrels.
C．They are an endangered species.	D．They are wild dogs living on grasslands.

2. How does the author explain the function of chambers in Paragraph 3?

A．By giving the meaning of chambers.	B．By describing how chambers are built.
C．By classifying the contents of chambers.	D．By comparing chambers to human homes.

3. Why are tunnels designed with many holes?

A．To let in fresh air.	B．To make it comfortable for sleep.
C．To run away from dangerous enemies.	D．To avoid being crowded in and out.

4. The last paragraph is mainly about prairie dogs’ ________.

A．social life

B．social structure

C．hunting habits

D．living environment

【推荐2】Denny was famous photographer. He travelled all over the world, taking pictures for magazines and newspapers, and won many prizes.

“I’ll do anything to get a good photo,” he often said “I’ll go anywhere at any time, even if it is dangerous.” And he told the truth. He had photos of earthquakes, forest fires, floods and even wars. If something interesting happened, Denny went to photograph it.

He was a married man and his wife often asked him take her with him, but he always refused, my work, not for pleasure,” he told her. “You won’t have fun, and I won’t have time to look after you. Sometimes there’s not even anywhere to stay, and i have to sleep outside. I often don’t have a good meal or a bath for days. You won’ t like it.”

“Denny, I am not a child,” his wife didn’t agree. “I can look after myself. Please take me with you the next time you go overseas.”

Denny didn’t say anything, but he thought about it, and when he was asked to go to Africa, he said to his wife, “You can come to Africa with me if you want to. I have got to take photos of wild animals there. It should be interesting and not too uncomfortable.”

His wife was very excited, and at first she had a very enjoyable time. Then Denney went to the forest to find some lions to photo. His wife went with him, but before long they became separated. She walked down one path while he walked down the other.

Suddenly, Denny heard her crying. He ran back and saw her running towards him. a huge lion was chasing her. Quickly Denny took his camera out of its case and pointed it at his wife and the lion. Then he shouted. Slow down, woman! I can’t get you both in the picture!

1. Denny had photos of all the following EXCEPT         .

A．natural disasters	B．wild animals
C．travel magazines	D．interesting event

2. The couple became separated in the African forest, probably because         .

A．one of them left to take a bath	B．either of them had lost his/her way
C．they didn’t have a good meal for days	D．they had nowhere to stay for the night

3. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph mainly tells us that         .

A．Denny was in fact playing a joke with his wife

B．Denny trained the wild lion to play with his wife

C．Denney loved wonderful pictures more than his wife

D．Denny was too busy taking photos to protect his wife

4. According to the passage, a famous photographer’s live must be         .

A．safe, cheerful and colorful	B．pleasant, comfortable and meaningful
C．enjoyable, excting but regrettable	D．interesting, successful but dangerous

【推荐3】The study on facial recognition technology (FRT) began in the late 1960s. In the late 1990s, FRT began to enter the market gradually but its accuracy had a long way to go though it cost governments a lot, which made it unpopular at that time. FRT attracted wide attention after September，11, 2001 and it has been widely used now.

Recognizing the potential abuse in the use of FRT, Microsoft is asking the U. S. government to study facial recognition (FR) and keep a dose watch over its use. Personally, I hold this is a positive job that Microsoft is doing. FRT has grown to be so powerful. It can be used to identify people in photos, video feeds，and of course in person, without their permission.

Mr. Bradford Smith, Microsoft’s president, suggests that “governments around the world should examine commercial uses of FR.” The European Union (EU) is ahead of others in this aspect, thanks to its tough new data protection law, which forbids companies to gather the biometric (生物特征) data needed for facial recognition without first obtaining users, permission.

San Francisco has become the first city in the USA to forbid using facial recognition software. And Oakland discussed a similar rule last month. San Francisco has said that police and other public departments cannot use FRT. San Francisco already uses surveillance (监视) cameras for reading car number plates and police officers wear body cameras. San Francisco official Aaron Peskin said FRT was like “Big Brother” from the book 1984 by George Orwell. The phrase Big Brother is now used to describe attempts to increase surveillance and “spy” on citizens. Mr. Peskin said, “We can have good policing without being a police state.”

1. Why was FRT unpopular in the 1990s?

A．It was inconvenient to use.	B．It was expensive to produce.
C．Its accuracy needed improving.	D．Its roles weren’t fully found out.

2. What is the author’s attitude to Microsoft’s advice on the management of FRT?

A．He says yes to it.	B．He is doubtful of it.
C．He feels worried about it.	D．He can’t understand it.

3. Who has done the most work to make people use FRT in a right way?

A．San Francisco.	B．Microsoft.
C．Oakland.	D．The EU.

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

A．Big Brother Technology	B．Different Uses of FRT
C．Strong Protection of FRT	D．FR Data’s Disadvantages