【推荐1】I was puzzled! Why was this old woman making such a fuss about an old copse（树丛）which was of no use to anybody? She had written letters to the local paper, even to a national, protesting about a projected by-pass to her village, and, looking at a map, the route was nowhere near where she lived and it wasn’t as if the area was attractive. I was more than puzzled, I was curious.

The enquiry into the route of the new by-pass to the village was due to take place shortly, and I wanted to know what it was that motivated her. So it was that I found myself knocking on a cottage door, being received by Mary Smith and then being taken for a walk to the woods.

“I’ve always loved this place,” she said, “it has a lot of memories for me, and for others. We all used it. They called it ‘Lovers lane’. It’s not much of a lane, and it doesn’t go anywhere important, but that’s why we all came here. To be away from people, to be by ourselves.” she added.

It was indeed pleasant that day and the songs of many birds could be heard. Squirrels watched from the branches, quite bold in their movements, obviously few people passed this way and they had nothing to fear. I could imagine the noise of vehicles passing through these peaceful woods when the by-pass was built, so I felt that she probably had something there but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals, I said nothing. The village was quite a dangerous place because of the traffic especially for old people and children, their safety was more important to me than an old woman’s strange ideas.

“Take this tree,” she said pausing after a short while. “To you it is just that, a tree. Not unlike many others here.” She gently touched the bark, “Look here, under this branch, what can you see?”

“It looks as if someone has done a bit of carving with a knife.” I said after a cursory inspection.

“Yes, that’s what it is!” she said softly.

She went on, “He had a penknife with a spike for getting stones from a horse’s hoof, and I helped him to carve them. We were very much in love, but he was going away, and could not tell me what he was involved in the army. I had guessed of course. It was the last evening we ever spent together, because he went away the next day, back to his Unit.”

Mary Smith was quiet for a while, then she sobbed. “His mother showed me the telegram. ‘Sergeant R Holmes... Killed in action in the invasion of France.’…”

“I had hoped that you and Robin would one day get married.” she said, “He was my only child, and I would have loved to be a Granny, they would have been such lovely babies’—she was like that!”

“Two years later she too was dead. Pncumonia（肺炎）, following a chili on the chest’ was what the doctor said, but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart. A child would have helped both of us.”

There was a further pause. Mary Smith gently caressed the wounded tree, just as she would have caressed him. “And now they want to take our tree away from me.” Another quiet sob, then she turned to me. “I was young and pretty then, I could have had anybody, I wasn’t always the old woman you see here now. I had everything I wanted in life, a lovely man, health and a future to look forward to.”

She paused again and looked around. The breeze gently moved through the leaves with a sighing sound. “There were others, of course, but no one can match my Robin!” she said strongly. “And now I have nothing—except the memories this tree holds. If only I could get my hands on that awful man who writes in the paper about the value of the road they are going to build where we are standing now, I would tell him. Has he never loved, has he never lived, does he not know anything about memories? We were not the only ones, you know, I still meet some who came here as Robin and I did. Yes, I would tell him!”

I turned away, sick at heart.

1. The main purpose of this passage is to ________.

A．draw attention to the damage that wars cause

B．persuade people to give up private memory

C．arouse the awareness of being environmentally friendly

D．introduce a touching but sad love story

2. Which of the following words can best describe Mary Smith?

A．Selfish.	B．Faithful.
C．Changeable.	D．Stubborn.

3. The underlined sentence “I felt that she probably had something there” means ________.

A．I thought there might be something hidden in the woods by Mary Smith

B．I guessed there might be a story related with Mary Smith

C．I thought there might be some reason for Mary Smith’s protest

D．I guessed there might be a secret purpose of Mary Smith

4. What was probably the carving on the wounded tree?

A．The date when Robin Holmes would leave for army.

B．Their wish that this place and tree would last long.

C．Their names and a heart with a sign of arrow through it.

D．Their protest against the war which tore them apart.

5. In Mary’s opinion, which of the following might have caused Robin’s mother’s death?

A．Pneumonia.	B．A chill on the chest.
C．A heart attack.	D．Severe sorrow.

6. Mary Smith protested about a projected by-pass to her village, most probably because of ________.

A．her romance story with Robin

B．her decision to protect the environment

C．her sadness for Robin’s mother

D．her dream of having a big family

【推荐2】There’s one patient that Sarah Rose Black still thinks about. Back in 2019, the nursing team at Toronto’s Cancer Center called to ask if she could reach out to a patient who had been there for about a week. The man was struggling, and unwilling to communicate with workers or be part of any activities.

Black isn’t a doctor or a nurse. Since 2013 she has played an important role for patients at the center as a music therapist (治疗专家). On any day, she might see one person who’s anxious about an operation, another who’s in need of a calm moment.

So, Black walked into the patient’s room and introduced herself. She asked if she could sit and offer to play some music. In an effort to persuade him, she said, “If you don’t like it, you can just tell me to leave.” After some gentle urging, the man in his 70s, who had lung cancer, told her a few musicians he liked and then turned away to look out the window. But as she started to play one of his favorites, a change came over him. He turned towards Black and started to cry.

She stopped playing. “Do you want me to continue?” “Certainly,” he said through tears. “It was as if the music went places that nothing else could,” recalls Black. The music showed up at a moment when it felt like a hug.

As Sarah Rose Black says, people have been connecting with music for their whole lives—she is just helping them use it again at a time when they need it most.

“We have a heartbeat, so we have a drum (鼓) inside us; we are wired to be musical people,” she says. She smiles softly as she reflects back on the experience.

1. Why did the nursing team call Black?

A．A struggling patient hoped to meet her.	B．She worked as a nurse in the center.
C．They wanted her to help a patient.	D．They wanted to enjoy her music.

2. What happened when Black played the patient’s favorite?

A．The patient was moved to tears.	B．She gave the patient a warm hug.
C．She was asked to stop playing.	D．The patient looked out of the window.

3. What does the underlined sentence “we are wired to be musical people” mean in the last paragraph?

A．We are born to be musicians.	B．We like playing the drum.
C．We can live without music.	D．We need musical instruments.

4. Which of the following can best describe Black?

A．Strong and talented.	B．Clever and honest.
C．Thoughtful and helpful.	D．Hardworking and humorous.

【推荐1】Traveling on an airplane can be a very tiring task even in the best of circumstances, which is why when Sophie Murphy boarded a recent flight from Sydney to Melbourne and noticed an “awful tension” in the cabin, she first thought it was caused by typical bad-tempered passengers. But as the flight neared its end, it became obvious that something was very wrong.

A teenage boy with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征) who was traveling with his family had become upset and would not return to his seat, regardless of the cabin crew’s warnings over the loudspeaker that it was almost time to land. The pilot was forced to circle above the airport, delaying the landing—and angering people on the already tense flight.

“If it were a cartoon,” remembered Murphy, “there would have been smoke coming out of people’s ears.”

As the boy’s elderly parents and adult brothers and sisters tried to persuade him to get off the floor and back into his seat, but in vain, Murphy, 42 — who had been a teacher for more than 20 years — stood up and quickly headed to the back of the plane.

She found the boy in the passage between rows of seats, lying on his belly, and lay down on her stomach to face him. She began chatting calmly with him, asking his name, his favorite book, and his favorite characters. He told her he felt sick and she tried to comfort him.

Minutes later, he allowed her to hold his hand—and then together they got properly back into airplane seats. Murphy asked for sick bags, and held them as the boy threw up several times, including on her. As she helped him clean up, she repeatedly told him everything would be okay and that they’d get through it together.

After the plane was finally able to land, no one was impatient to step off the flight as one might expect. Instead, calmed passengers—obviously following Murphy’s amazing example — allowed the boy and his family to depart first, smiling at them as they passed. His parents tearfully thanked Murphy for what she had done, and a doctor sitting nearby also let her know he had even taken notes on her expert way of handling the situation.

1. How did Murphy manage to handle the “awful tension” ?

A．She communicated with the boy.

B．She fought against unfair treatment.

C．She asked an experienced doctor to help.

D．She called on other passengers to join her.

2. The landing was delayed because ________.

A．a family ignored the warnings

B．a boy refused to sit in his seat

C．smoke was coming out of the engine

D．the pilot was forced to change the destination

3. What changed the angry passengers’ attitude at last?

A．The boy’s improvement.	B．The plane’s safe landing.
C．The teacher’s efforts.	D．The crew’s behavior.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Murphy?

A．Kind and cool-headed.	B．Patient and interested.
C．Wise and cooperative.	D．Generous and cautious.

【推荐2】There is a story about a man who lost his legs and left arm in an accident. After the accident, only a finger and thumb on his right hand remained.

He was a brilliant, creative, and educated man. He had gained a lot of experience while traveling around the world, so he became very depressed after his accident. He was afraid he would spend the rest of this life suffering and would no longer be able to spend his life in a meaningful way. Then, he realized that he still had partial function of his right hand and could still write even though it was very difficult. An idea occurred to him. “Why not write to other people who need encouragement?”

He wrote to the prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied, “Writing to the prisoners is acceptable, but your letters will not be answered.”

Filled with excitement, the man knew he could write his letters. He began sending one-way messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the limit. He poured his heart and soul into his words and shared his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.

It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of a reply. One day he received a letter from the prison ministry. It was a short note from the officer who monitored and checked the prison mail.

The letter said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell to cell until they literally fall to pieces!”

No matter what circumstances lite may present, we all have unique experiences, abilities, and God-given talents. We can discover ways to reach others who desperately need messages of encouragement and strength.

1. Before the man had the accident, he___________.

A．had toured around the world	B．had visited local prisons
C．had tried doing exercise to recover himself	D．had been friends with the prison minister

2. In order to live in a meaningful way, the man began to___________.

A．receive the school education	B．write to other people who needs encouragement
C．meet the people who are depressed	D．help other people lost arms and legs

3. According to the prison minister, ___________.

A．the man was not allowed to write to the prisoners

B．the man couldn’t go to see the prisoners himself

C．the prisoners were not allowed to answer the letters

D．he was not sure if the prisoners liked receiving the letters

4. From the officer’s short note we are told that___________.

A．the man would be offered free paper to write letters on

B．some of the prisoners were not satisfied with his letters

C．the prisoners eagerly wanted to write back to the man

D．his letters were very popular among the prisoner

5. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Stories about a humorous Person	B．Popularity of Special Letters
C．Special letters of Encouragement	D．Relationship between writers and prisoners

【推荐1】Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him food, wood and other products; they give him shade; and they help to prevent drought and floods.

Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers.

Two thousand years ago, a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became bare and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.

Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult sometimes to make the people realize this. They cut down the trees but are too careless to plant and look after new trees. So unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.

This does not only mean that there will be fewer trees. The results are even more serious. For where there are trees, their roots break the soil up, allowing the rain to sink in, and also bind the soil. This prevents the soil from being washed away. But where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, and this causes floods and the rain carries away the rich top soil in which crops grow. When all the top soil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert.

1. Trees are useful to man mainly in three ways, the most important of which is that they can .

A．keep him from the hot sunshine

B．protect him from drought and floods

C．make him draw quick profit from them

D．enable him to build warships

2. The underlined word “bind” in Paragraph 5 means “ ”.

A．to wash away	B．to make stay together
C．to make wet	D．to improve

3. The purpose that the writer wrote this article is to ______.

A．tell people the use of wood

B．tell people the function of tree roots

C．warn that man mustn’t destroy forests any more

D．explain how trees help to prevent drought and floods

【推荐2】After Stewart and Debbie Wilder lost their son, Cameron, in 2013, the last thing on their minds was decorating for the holiday season. “We haven’t put anything up in three years. It has all stayed boxed up,” said Debbie.

But in December 2016, the house was lit up for Christmas, with little lights cheerfully lining the rood and eaves(屋檐). It wasn’t the Wilders but a stranger Carson Zickgraf, the founder of CZ Enterprises LLC, who finally made the house shine. “I started crying,” Debbie says about seeing the lights for the first time. “It was really special.”

Zickgraf has been donating his light-stringing services to brighten the lives of families affected by losing their children, especially during the difficult holiday season since 2015 and has decorated the houses of more than two dozen families so far.

He started the project by chance. He was hanging lights on a home when the owner mentioned that some neighbors were having a hard time that holiday season because their son had recently died. Then he had an idea. “I sent my crew there to decorate that house too,” he says. The family was delighted. In fact, he had two friends who had died young, and he’d always wished he could ease the pain for their loved ones. Now, he’s found a way.

“There’s something special about Christmas lights. They warm the spirit.” Zickgraf knows his efforts can’t completely remove the pain from these families, but he can make the holidays a little cheerier. “I wish I had a bigger company so I could do more houses,” he says.

1. How was the Wilders affected by the loss of their son?

A．They didn’t feel like decorating their house for Christmas.

B．They were the last to put up some decorations at Christmas.

C．They had no one to help decorate their house for Christmas.

D．They had the belongings of their son boxed up at Christmas.

2. Why did Zickgraf donate the light-stringing service?

A．To make more houses brighter.	B．To expand his own business.
C．To relieve the victim family’s pain.	D．To memorize his dead friends.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Zickgraf?

A．Enthusiastic and optimistic.	B．Courageous and smart.
C．Ambitious and generous.	D．Considerate and helpful.

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

A．Lights warming the spirit	B．A person brightening houses
C．Families going through sufferings	D．A business hanging lights

【推荐3】When people argue about whether coffee is good for health, they're usually thinking of the health of the coffee drinker. Is it food for your heart? Does it increase blood pressure? Does it help you concentrate? However, coffee affects the health of the human population in other ways, too.

Traditionally, coffee bushes were planted under the canopy(树冠)of taller indigenous(土生土长的)trees. However, more and more farmers in Latin America are deforesting the land to grow full-sun coffees. At first, this increases production because more coffee bushes can be planted if there aren't any trees. With increased production come increased profits.

Unfortunately, deforesting for coffee production immediately decreases local wildlife habitat. Native birds nest and hide from predators(捕食者)in the tall trees and migrating birds rest there.

Furthermore, in the long term, the full-sun method also damages the ecosystem because more chemical fertilizers and pesticides are needed to grow the coffee. The fertilizers and pesticides kill insects that eat coffee plant, but then the birds eat the poisoned insects and also die. The chemicals kill or sicken other animals as well, and can even enter the water that people will eventually drink.

Fortunately, farmers in Central and South America are beginning to grow more coffee bushes in the shade. We can support these farmers by buying coffee with such labels as “shade grown” and “bird friendly.” Sure, these varieties might cost a little more. But we're paying for the health of the birds, the land, ourselves, and the planet. I think it's worth it.

1. What does increased production of full-sun coffee bring about?

A．More insects.	B．Better quality coffee.
C．Larger farms.	D．Higher profits.

2. How do farmers find more land for growing full-sun coffee?

A．They buy more land from other farmers.	B．They cut down trees.
C．They move to another country.	D．They turn grassland into farmland.

3. The full-sun method may affect the following EXCEPT ____ .

A．insects

B．air

C．birds

D．humans

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Farmers are changing the way they grow coffee.

B．Coffee is becoming more expensive to produce.

C．Shade-grown coffee is more expensive than sun-grown coffee.

D．People should buy shade-grown coffee.

【推荐1】If you discover that your credit card, cheque book, debit card or cash card is missing, telephone the credit card company or bank as soon as possible. Follow this up with a letter. If you suspect theft, tell the police as well. In most circumstances, provided you act quickly, you will not have to pay any bills which a thief runs up on your account. Most home insurance policies will also cover you against even this limited risk.

Because plastic money is now so common, central registration schemes such as Credit Card Shield and Card Protection System exist to help customers whose cards are lost or stolen. Under the schemes you file details of all your cards—including cash cards and account cards issued by shops—with a central registry, for a small annual fee. Then, if any or all of your cards are stolen, you need to make only one phone call to the registry, which is open around the clock 365 days a year. As soon as you have called, your responsibility for any bills run up by the thief ends and the scheme's staff make sure that all the companies whose cards you had are notified.

What you stand to lose on a stolen card:

CREDIT CARD You will not have to pay more than £ 50 of the bills a thief runs up with your card. If you report the loss before the card is used, you will not have to pay anything.

CHEQUES AND GUARANTEE CARD Unless you have been careless—by signing blank cheques, say --- you will not have to pay for any forged cheques a thief uses. The bank or shop that accepts them will have to bear the loss.

DEBIT CARD (Switch or Visa Delta) The banks operate a system similar to that for credit cards, in that you are liable for bills up to £ 50.

If your cash card is stolen:

Legally, you can be made to pay back any sums a thief withdraws using your card, but only up to the time you report the loss and only up to £ 50, unless the bank can prove serious carelessness, such as writing your personal identification number on your card.

•Never keep your card and a note of your personal number (which does not appear on the card) together.

•Memorize your personal number if possible. If you must make a note of it, disguise it as something else—a telephone number, say.

•The same rules and precautions apply to a credit card used as a cash card.

1. Credit Card Shield is        .

A．an agency for finding lost or stolen cards

B．an emergency telephone answering service

C．a system for registering people's card details

D．an insurance company which deals with card theft

2. When contacted, the Card Protection System company will        .

A．ensure that lost cards are replaced

B．inform the police about the loss of the card

C．give details about the loss of the card to shops

D．get in touch with the relevant credit card companies

3. You are fully protected by both banks and shops if you lose        .

A．a cheque that is signed but not otherwise completed

B．a blank unsigned cheque

C．a Switch card

D．A credit card

4. If you have written your personal number on a stolen card, you may have to        .

A．pay for anything the thief buys on it

B．pay up to £ 50 for any loss incurred

C．change your account to a different bank

D．join a different credit card protection scheme

5. What happens if your cash card is stolen?

A．You may have to pay up to £ 50 of any stolen money.

B．The bank stops you withdrawing money.

C．You arrange for the card to be returned.

D．You cannot use a cash card in future.

【推荐2】Whale Camp at Marine Science Institute

Camp Type: Overnight, Family, International

Age of Campers: 10-18

Year Established: 1984

No other marine (海洋的) science program enables you to closely observe and study whales, dolphins, and seals in their own natural habitat. Board our 60-foot sailboat for unmatched observations of marine life. Help collect data to document whales’ distribution patterns and behaviors. Gain hands-on experience using our marine science equipment. Explore the powerful and endangered processes of life in the sea.

Some summer programs teach you about marine science and oceanography (海洋学) with lots of time in a classroom, lab or museum. We take you directly to the source for the best observation and experience. This is why the Whale Camp is the place where inspiration, exploration and discovery abound (很多). This is why there’s only one Whale Camp.

We are located on beautiful Grand Manan Island which was recently named the third best small island in the world to visit by the travel experts. The location is ideally situated in the Bay of Fundy where the highest tides in the world create one of the world’s richest and most diverse marine ecosystems.

In our years of experience, we’ve observed numerous whales on over 98% of our research trips. Whale Camp offers more research trips per session than any other summer camp program. The diversity of bird life at sea and on land is extraordinary. Only the Whale Camp takes you to the highly restricted Machias Seal Island to be surrounded by many rare creatures. Each day at Whale Camp is a life-changing experience. With our seas and planet in danger, we believe it’s more important than ever for us to learn how to protect the systems of life that sustain (维持) us.

1. According to the passage, the program _______.

A．is part of the in-class education	B．is about great scientific researches
C．mainly focuses on endangered marine species	D．offers chances to get close to sea creatures

2. Some summer programs are mentioned to show that _______.

A．Whale Camp is very unique	B．Whale Camp is the best summer camp
C．people can observe whales at Whale Camp	D．schools take education of marine life seriously

3. The marine ecosystems are diverse because _______.

A．the location is close to the bay	B．there are high tides in the area
C．experts make efforts to protect them	D．the island is rarely visited by people

4. Who might be mostly interested in this article?

A．Teachers

B．Travelers

C．Scientists

D．Teenagers

【推荐3】Looking for work?

Tutors Wanted: Math / Science / Humanities + Test Preparation

Job Posted: 2 days ago

Wage: $27 – 30 per hour

Job Type: Part-time

Schedule: Afternoons, evenings, weekdays, weekends

Job description:

We're looking for tutors to join us before the next school year starts.

Our suitable candidate will be able to assist middle and high school students with test preparation and academic work in Math, Science and or Humanities.

We'll pay for your training before this fall and can also offer flexible summer tutoring chances, including teaching group classes.

Once our fall semester starts on August 21, we’ll have even higher demand for tutoring sessions on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. as well as from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

What we offer:

★ Flexible scheduling. Tutors work from 15 to 30 hours per week depending on availability and student demand.

★ Free Sunday dinners during the academic year.

★ Fun staff gatherings

★ Health insurance reimbursement (补偿) for staff working over 30 hours per week.

★ We are 5 minutes’ walking distance from the Menlo Park Caltrain Station.

Applicants must：

★ Have a good command of the subjects they tutor.

★ Be willing to tutor students through the full academic year.

Application instructions:

★ Email us your resume (简历)

★ Tell us why you want to join Academic Trainers and describe your experience of tutoring students if you have any.

★ Let us know your scheduling preferences and potential start date.

★ Tell us which of the subjects you are able to tutor — Math, Science and or Humanities.

1. Which period of time needs the most tutors during the academic year?

A．Saturday and Sunday mornings.	B．Friday afternoons and evenings.
C．Monday and Thursday mornings.	D．Sunday afternoons and evenings.

2. What can a tutor enjoy who works more than 30 hours per week?

A．Comfortable accommodation.	B．Free job training every month.
C．Health insurance reimbursement.	D．Free meals during the academic year.

3. According to the text, the ideal candidate________.

A．is good at one or more academic subjects

B．will work every evening throughout the academic year

C．has the opportunity to become a full-time tutor

D．must have previous tutoring experience