【推荐1】America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while—then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand.

Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.

Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. Sometimes, we Chinese, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily life. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.

For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families.

B．Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives.

C．Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy.

D．Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break.

2. From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ________.

A．warmly welcomed at the airport	B．offered a ride to his home
C．treated hospitably at his home	D．treated to dinner in a restaurant

3. A suitable title for this passage would probably be “________”.

A．Americans’ and Chinese’s opinions of friendships	B．Americans’ hospitality
C．Friendships between Chinese	D．Friendships between Americans

【推荐2】When we are grown-ups, it’s quite natural to look back on our different stages of life and remember who was there to see us through.     1     While some people’s high school friendships gradually end, mine have struck with me through every bit of life since. And I suppose high school friends are the friends you’ll build the strongest relationships with.

    2     Whether it is the bad haircut or the braces(牙箍) you wear, your high school friends help you through it all. They tell you that you look wonderful when you cannot go out in public with that hairdo.     3    

They understand the most about you. High school friends know you better than anyone else. They can just look at you and know how you’re feeling. You cannot hide much from them.     4     And they’d rather help deal with the problem at hand than let it go. So even when you don’t want to hear it, prepare yourself ----because they’re not going to stop trying until you’re back to your normal yourself.

They make for the best reunion. Reunions are harder to organize when friends live across the country. However, with high school friends, it’s easy to enjoy the time together----you can often pick up just where you left off, no matter how long ago that was. Friendships can be hard to keep.     5    

A．We could depend on our friends all the time.

B．They are with you through your embarrassing stages.

C．They can sense something is off when you’re the slightest bit strange.

D．For me, I often think about my fantastic group of high school friends.

E．They build up your self-confidence to get you through each tough situation.

F．Let’s pray the flower of friendship would always bloom brightly in our hearts.

G．But it never seems like hard with the ones you’ve known and loved for long.

【推荐3】Practical Ways to Show Respect for a Friend

●Show respect for their life choices and decisions

Accept that people aren’t always going to be just like you. They will make different life choices, have different views on politics and religion, and act differently in many ways. This doesn’t mean they can’t be your friend.     1    

●Give them the benefit of the doubt

    2     If you’re in doubt about something, ask your friend. Be respectful and give them the benefit of the doubt when you don’t do. This alone will help you stay in their good graces(好感).

●Give friends your full attention

One of the best ways to show respect for someone is to listen to them fully. Allow them to pause, convey nonverbal communication clues, collect their thoughts, and get it all out. Too often friends listen with half an ear or jump in the minute their friend pauses with an even worse story.     3    When your friend is talking, pay attention.

●     4    

Treat your friends respectfully when you argue with them. Make your friendship a safe place by not embarrassing your friend or expressing your private disagreements in front of other people. Be publicly supportive and kind to your friends so they know you value your friendship with them.

●Show up, be there, and do what you say you’re going to do

    5     So just show your friend the best kind of respect by being on time, keeping promises, and being the one friend they can always count on. That’s the way to truly show respect.

A．Consider your friendship a precious gift.

B．This type of behavior is very disrespectful.

C．Tell your friends what you think about them directly.

D．In fact, you can almost do nothing but accept the differences.

E．Treating your friends with suspicion(猜疑) can be a dangerous thing.

F．It means that you’ll need to take a step back, reserve judgment, and show respect.

G．No one likes an unreliable friend who says they’ll be there and then doesn’t show.

【推荐1】Music has been considered as a "background" for various activities for centuries. The development of electronic recording and reproduction systems has enabled background music to become prevalent in society. Background music is intended to be heard but not actively or purposely listened to. Strictly speaking, music that catches a person's attention isn't truly "background" music.

There is certainly strong evidence from different kinds of sources that people respond differently to various kinds of music. However, the various factors that may influence the effects of different kinds of music on behavior and cognition （认知）haven't been systematically documented or explored. Hector Berlioz's description of his reactions to a piece of music included increased blood circulation, violent pulse rate, trembling and many others. Although in Berlioz's case he was actively listening to the music rather than passively absorbing the sound, the effects on his physiological （生理的）mechanisms were very marked.

Nowadays, music is available to everyone through radio, recordings and television, and recorded background music is played in many public places. But there have been few studies which have investigated the effect of background music on the behaviour of pupils. Hallam carried out a study on mathematics performance in a school for children with emotional and behavioral disorders （EBD）. A significant improvement occurred in the behavior of these children when background music was played. And improved levels of co-operation and a reduction in aggression （攻击性）were also reported in the lessons immediately following the intervention. Other studies found that, most pupils, with appropriate music in the background, felt more relaxed, happier and more productive. The most effective music for improving children's performance was what they liked, providing that it didn't overly excite them.

Studies at the Tomatis Institute widely used specially designed music to cure children with learning disabilities and attention disorders. The Tomatis techniques are based on the theory that, unlike the continuous low-frequency sounds in some music stimulate the inner ear and improve the brain's listening, helping it process all information more accurately.

1. What does the underlined word "prevalent" in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Popular.

B．Valuable.

C．Familiar.

D．Important.

2. What does Hector Berlioz's case show?

A．Typical human reactions to music.	B．Effect of music on human physiology.
C．Humans' active participation in music.	D．Physiological disorders caused by music.

3. What can we know from the third paragraph?

A．Most pupils feel less stressed after listening to music.

B．Background music played at school is widely studied.

C．Pupils with EBD exposed to music behave less aggressive.

D．Effective background music is the music that excites pupils most.

4. Tomatis Institute cures children with attention disorders by ________.

A．stimulating their inner ear with low-frequency sounds in music

B．developing their listening skills to process information more clearly

C．improving their brain's listening with high-frequency sounds in music

D．putting them in environments filled with continuous low-frequency sounds

【推荐3】The Swedish Academy has named Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize for Literature. It also announced that it was honoring Austrian Peter Handke with the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature. The Academy cancelled the prize last year after many members fled the organization following sexual abuse accusations linked to it.

The Academy said it awarded Tokarczuk for imaginative writing that “represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.”

The Polish writer’s first published work came in 1989, a book of poetry called Cities in Mirrors. Her first novel, The Journey of the Book-People, was published in 1993. Last year, Tokarczuk became the first Polish writer to win Britain’s Man Booker Prize for International Literature for her novel Flights. Her novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, was on the short list of nominees for the 2019 prize as well. That prize went to another writer. Tokarczuk spoke Thursday with readers hours after she won the Nobel. “I can only write.” She said.

The Swedish Academy said it named Peter Handke winner of the 2018 prize for “influential work that with linguistic gift has explored the boundary and the specificity of human experience.” Handke’s first novel was published in 1966. He also writes plays and is a political organizer. The Austrian writer was an opponent(反对者) of NATO’s air attacks against Serbia in the Kosovo war of thelate1990s.He was a supporter of the Serbian government under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic. He has denied that Bosnian Serb troops carried out a campaign killing of 8, 000 locals in Srebrenica during the Bosnian war in the 1990s. As a result, some critics are angry that he was given the Nobel Prize.

At home in Paris Thursday, Handke called the decision to give him the literature award “courageous.” He said the recognition gave him “a strange kind of freedom.”

1. Which of Tokarczuk’s works won Britain’s Man Booker Prize?

A．Cities in Mirrors.	B．Flights.
C．The Journey of the Book-People	D．Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.

2. What does the underlined word “nominees” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．A candidate to be selected to an office.	B．A candidate seeking a kind of position.
C．A candidate chosen by a political party.	D．A candidate being considered for an honor.

3. How does Peter Handke find the Nobel committee?

A．Fearless.

B．Awesome.

C．Strange.

D．Embarrassed.

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．Peter Handke from Austria Win 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature.

B．Olga Tokarczuk from Poland Win 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature.

C．Writers from Austria and Poland Win 2018, 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature.

D．Writers from Poland and Austria Win 2018, 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature.

【推荐1】Sidney Keys, 14-year-old, has started a youth-led book club program, with the support and help of his mom, to help empower both himself and many other boys with mental or physical problems through literature.

“I used to have a really bad stutter (结巴) and perform badly in school and I would get laughed at for it, ”Sidney Keys, the founder of the book club Books N Bros said. “Reading was kind of my escape from my stutter because in my head I was able to imagine things and play out all the events clearly.” He said, “I wanted to startup Books N Bros so that I could talk to other people, especially boys, about books I love in a relaxing way because it’s like a brotherhood”.

The reading club that he started at just 10 years old now has over 250 “bros” aged 7 to 13 from the U.S. and Canada, most of whom are changing actively and positively. Marvels Hero Project, which reveals the remarkable, positive change young men make in their communities across the country and turns them into superheroes, selected Keys to be featured in the Disney series.

“I always wanted to read books that had characters that looked like me, but now I see a comic book with me in it,” Keys said. “It’s unbelievable that my friends and teachers all call me my superhero name.”

As for the future of Books N Bros, Keys and his mom hope to expand the programs reach throughout the country. “Getting Books N Bros in schools across America, we don’t want transportation to be an issue for getting that physical brotherhood and bond. It just benefits so many people, and it keeps me going,” Keys explained.

1. What’s the main reason for Sidney Keys to build the club Books N Bros?

A．His mother’s support.	B．His poor school performance.
C．His own sufferings.	D．His desire to talk to people.

2. Why was Keys chosen by Marvel’s Hero Project?

A．Because he was called a superhero by people.

B．Because he made a difference to others.

C．Because he was brave to face his shortcomings.

D．Because he looked like a role in the Disney series.

3. How did Keys feel when seeing himself in a comic book?

A．Confused.

B．Curious.

C．Touched.

D．Proud.

4. What is this text mainly about?

A．How Sidney Keys and Books N Bros affect other people.

B．How Marvels Hero Project creates a superhero.

C．How a teenager gets help from Marvels Hero Project.

D．How a music club becomes a hit across America.

【推荐2】When people want to know about the weather,they usually go to their radios,TVs, newspapers,or to the Internet.However,you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed senses.Drops in air pressure(压力) produce an effect on small animals in many ways.Mice and deer are good weather indicators.People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that,before a storm,field mice come out of their holes and run around.Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains.
Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways.For example,some birds become irritable(急躁的) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread.Other birds chirp(叽叽喳喳) and sing just before a storm.It seems they know they won’t get another chance for an hour or two.Birds also seek safe places before a storm.You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building.Pre-storm low pressure makes the air so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime,rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn.Watch for other weather signs if you see this.If they fly in the wrong direction,they may be flying ahead of a storm.
By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature,we can become better prepared for any kind of weather.
1. The word “indicators” in Paragraph 1 probably means______.

A．maps	B．services
C．signs	D．stations

2. There will be a storm if birds______.

A．make more noise than usual

B．fly in different directions

C．come down from tall trees

D．share a piece of bread

3. How can birds sense the coming of a storm?

A．By feeling a drop in air temperature.

B．By noticing the change of wind directions.

C．By feeling a drop in air pressure.

D．By noticing the movements of other animals.

4. The best title for the text would be______.

A．Signs of a Storm

B．Drops in Air Pressure

C．Animals’ Sharp Senses

D．Nature’s Weather Signs

【推荐3】As to the question what is a best age to learn a language, many would rush to the conclusion that it’s best to start young. Though it is true to some extent, now science offers a much more complex view of how our relationship with languages evolves over a lifetime-and there is much to encourage late beginners.

Broadly speaking, different life stages give us different advantages in language learning. As babies, we have a better ear for different sounds s as toddlers(幼儿), we can pick up native accents with astonishing speed. As adults, we have longer attention spans and important skills like literacy that allow us to continually expand our vocabulary, even in our own language. And a wealth of factors beyond ageing—like social circumstances, teaching methods, and even love and friendship—can affect how many languages we speak and how well.

“Not everything goes downhill with age, “says Antonella Sorace, a professor of developmental linguistics and director of the Bilingualism Matters Centre at the University of Edinburgh. She gives the example of what is known as “explicit learning”: studying a language in a classroom with a teacher explaining the rules. “Young children are very bad at explicit learning, because they don’t have the cognitive(认知) control and the attention and memory capabilities,” Sorace says. “Adults are much better at that. So that can be something that improves with age.”

A study by researchers in Israel found, for example, that adults were better at grasping an artificial language rule and applying it to new words in a lab setting. The scientists compared three separate groups: 8-year-olds, 12-year-olds, and young adults. The adults scored higher than both younger groups, and the 12-year-olds also did better than the younger children. They suggested that their older participants may have benefited from skills that come with maturity—like more advanced problem-solving strategies—and greater linguistic experience. In other words, older learners tend to already know quite a lot about themselves and the world and can use this knowledge to process new information.

1. What is the correct understanding of the underlined sentence in paragraph 1?

A．We should stay up late to learn a language.

B．Late beginners strive hard to learn a language.

C．Late beginners can also learn a language well.

D．We should give much encouragement to late beginners.

2. According to the passage, language learning is NOT affected by          .

A．our inborn abilities	B．our native accents
C．our cognitive control	D．our attention spans

3. Why do the adults score higher than both younger groups in the test?

A．They have already known quite a lot about the words.

B．They draw upon their existing knowledge to help.

C．They have been taught the way to learn a language.

D．They are better at learning artificial language rules.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To compare and evaluate.	B．To examine and assess.
C．To argue and discuss.	D．To inform and explain.

【推荐1】

Subject Art & Design, Craft & Creative, Beauty

Delivery method Online

Study level Professional development, Short, Accredited

Ref FACE-GUARD

Price £30, was £299, use code: GUARD90

Face Painting Academy Diploma

Start a career in Face Painting or simply learn for fun.

Do you have a love for entertaining people?

Are you artistic and want to impress people with a new skill?

Have you ever thought about doing a course in face painting so you can earn fantastic money?

If so then with this course you could become a qualified face painter just like hundreds of other people who have taken our courses. For a one-off fee (一次性付款) you can study online and complete the diploma in about 28 hours.

The comprehensive syllabus (教学大纲) is supported by 16 instructional videos so you can learn all the designs with ease, and you will learn a wide range of designs including dog, rabbit and spider man. With 14 modules to cover, you can become an accomplished face painter.

Your qualification will be recognized and can be checked for validity by all of your future clients too! Take a step in the right direction and get your Face Painting Academy Diploma today.

£30, was £299, use code: GUARD90

Module 1 Your Introduction to Becoming a Face Painter

Module 2 The Equipment and Materials You Will Need for Face Painting

Module 3 Health & Safety and Risk Assessments

Module 4 Starting / Running Your Own Business

Module 5 Pricing and Costs

Module 6 Marketing Your Business & Social Media

Module 7 The Do’s and Don’ts and What to Do If Your Business Doesn’t Go Well

Module 8 How to do a Dog / Cat Face Paint Design

Module 9 How to do a Butterfly / Dolphin Face Paint Design

Module 10 How to do a Monkey / Frog Face Paint Design

Module 11 How to do a Rabbit / Swan Face Paint Design

Module 12 How to do a Tiger / Dinosaur Face Paint Design

Module 13 How to do a Spiderman / Batman Face Paint Design

Module 14 How to do a Minnie Mouse / Princess Face Paint Design

1. The course is intended mainly for those ________.

A．keen on showing off new skills	B．eager to get an academy diploma
C．interested in learning face painting	D．equipped with a unique taste for art

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the course?

A．It is presented both online and offline.

B．It provides more than lessons on business.

C．The diploma can be obtained in one day.

D．Some clients will be invited to examine your qualification.

【推荐2】When was the last time you saw some dolphins at an aquarium? Was the scene fun to watch? Do you think the dolphins enjoyed it? A film shows just exactly where some of these dolphins come from. And it isn’t pleasant.

The Cove is a documentary film with a lot of blood — dolphin blood. It’s all about dolphin drive hunting, which is a method of hunting dolphins that fishermen use. They use boats to drive the dolphins into a bay or onto a beach. Once there, the dolphins are prevented from escaping and are then killed in the water with knives or spears.

The dolphins are mostly hunted for their meat, but some are captured and end up in dolphinariums, including the world-famous SeaWorld theme parks. This form of dolphin killing takes place in many places around the world. There is dolphin drive hunting in the Solomon Islands, Peru and the Faroe Islands.

The Cove focuses on the particular dolphin hunting near the town of Taiji in Japan.

Every year, more than 2,000 dolphins are driven into a cove near the town and killed. The documentary film was directed by former National Geographic photographer Louis Psihoyos, and was made secretly throughout 2007 using underwater microphones and a hidden camera. Also appearing in the film was Ric O’Barry, the director of saving Japan dolphins, and also a marine mammal expert. He trained dolphins for the popular 1960s TV series Flipper. He is praised for having started the dolphin entertainment industry but has spent most of his life fighting against it.

So what do the people of Taiji think about it? Many feel that they are being unfairly selected out. The town of Taiji has a 400-year history of whale and dolphin hunting and its fishermen only catch about 20% of Japan's yearly dolphin quota (定额).

Masashi Nishimura, manager of the Japan Fisheries Association’s International section, said, “I don't think it’s a big topic here. As long as the killing is humane (人道的), dolphins are like other animals to us.”

But for many people, dolphins are special. They are clearly highly intelligent mammals and they often form strong bonds of friendship with humans. Primates, such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are all protected species. Should these levels of protection be extended to marine mammals too? Many believe they should.

1. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Fishermen use boats to drive the dolphins into a bay.

B．There is dolphin drive hunting in the Solomon Islands.

C．Underwater microphones were used to make the film.

D．All the dolphins caught in Japan are sold for meat.

2. What is Masashi Nishimura’s attitude towards the killings?

A．Cold.	B．Regretful.
C．Unfair	D．Unsupportive

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce a documentary film The Cove.

B．To show how The Cove was made.

C．To encourage people to protect dolphins.

D．To describe what is happening to dolphins.

【推荐3】Wildlife has been greatly threatened in the modern age. There are species that are disappearing every day. The white-naped crane is a typical example. So scientists are trying their best to save the species from going out of existence.

Chris and Tim work at a zoo, helping endangered cranes with — their reproduction. Emma, a female crane, has been in their care since she arrived in 2004.

Born at an international crane foundation, Emma was raised by human caretakers. This led to an unexpected consequence, though she had a wonderful time there. Emma had never taken herself as a crane and become attached to humans. She refused to live with male cranes, and even had a reputation for killing some of them, which made it impossible for her to become a mother.

However, the two zookeepers didn't want to see the extinction of this precious species. With their patience and efforts, they successfully developed a combination of artificial breeding and natural reproduction. This enabled Emma to give birth to five baby cranes.

The two keepers are proud of their productive work. But before they can be assured, more efforts must be made, because the population of the crane in the wild is on the decline, and many other species appear headed toward extinction. After all, not everyone has realized that wildlife has thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, equal rights to survive.

How can we bridge the ever-widening gap that separates us from other animals? Chris and Tim offered us the answer: human beings took it for granted that their brains held all the solutions, but maybe their hearts can be a better guide.

1. Which one is not true about Emma?

A．She was an endangered crane.	B．She was cared for by Chris and Tim in 2005.
C．She was unwilling to live with male cranes.	D．She was famous for protecting male cranes.

2. What does the expression “become attached to humans” in paragraphs mean?

A．Had an affection for humans.	B．Become popular with humans.
C．Become familiar with humans.	D．Become concerned about humans.

3. What enabled Emma to be delivered of baby cranes?

A．Artificial breeding.	B．Natural reproduction.
C．Zookeepers’ patience and efforts.	D．Combining artificial breeding with natural reproduction.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Human beings are absolutely more powerful than animals.

B．No one has realized animals' equal rights to survive.

C．Two keepers have confirmed their success in protecting the crane from extinction.

D．People's love and efforts may help narrow the gap between them and animals.