【推荐1】I come from a family that loves sports. My father coaches Little League baseball. My mother swims nearly every weekend. My brother is on his high-school basketball team, and I am the best hitter on my middle-school volleyball team. All of us have benefited(受益）from sports. One of the most common ways for kids to take part in sports is to join a team. Joining a sports team should be a school requirement.

Playing sports is good for both the body and mind. Everyone knows that exercise helps people stay fit. For example, swimming helps your heart work better and it also helps build muscle strength(肌肉力量）. In addition, school athletes(运动员） often have a healthy diet. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and avoid fatty foods because I must stay in great condition.

Being on a team allows students to enjoy a healthier social life. They often make more friends and can be some of the most popular kids in school. Since joining the basketball team, my brother has made friends with a lot of his tea mates and has showed more interest in spending time with them.

Kids who take part in school teams sometimes earn college scholarships(奖学金）. My brother's friend, Justin, played football in high school. His family did not have money to send him to college. However, a college invited him to play on its team. The college is paying for him to go to school. Joining a team turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made. Now he studies at a great college and plays on its football team Not every school athlete gets a college scholarship, but joining a school team-makes it possible.

Although some people may not like the idea of forcing students to join a school team, its many benefits such as keeping kids heal thy, new friendships, and possible scholarships cannot be denied(否认）.

1. What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 2?

A．Joining a school team has health benefits.

B．Students should spend more time exercising.

C．Swimming is an excellent sport for students.

D．School athletes must try to eat a healthy diet.

2. How did the author's brother change after joining the team?

A．He had a busier life.	B．He got more chances.
C．He worked much harder.	D．He became more sociable.

3. What can we infer about Justin?

A．He is a good football player.	B．He will be given a scholarship.
C．He is managing a school team.	D．He comes from a wealthy family.

4. What is the author's attitude to making students join school teams?

A．He doubts it.	B．He is in support of it.
C．He is worried about it.	D．He pays little attention to it.

【推荐1】Seek out a Unique Beach

VISIT

Oregon. For sun and fun away from the crowed beaches of Florida, check out the Oregon coast and its 363 miles of gorgeous shoreline, stretching from the Columbia River south to the redwood forests of California. Every beach is public and free. “The coast is a perfect place to watch sea lions sun themselves or simply see the mighty Pacific weaves crash in the sunset followed by a seafood feast in one of the busy fishing communities located between the coves（小海湾）,” says Bramblett. July and August aren’t peak gray whale migration season, but there’s still a good chance you could catch a glimpse of some of the 200 whales that spend the summers off the Oregon coast.

SLEEP

Next to a lighthouse. Imagine yourself an ancient mariner when you book a room overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast in Yachats, Oregon. The working lighthouse, which dated to 1894, cast a bright beam 21 miles out to sea, making it the brightest light on the Oregon coast. The cliff-top rooms at the Light Keeper’s home nearby aren’t cheap-you’ll sell out up to $385 for a weekend night during peak season (price includes a seven-course breakfast).

BEWARE

Dangerous currents Unless you love cold water (or wear a wet suit), you may not wait to venture into the sea off the Oregon coast, even during the summer. But if you do, be prepared for the U.S. Lifesaving Association. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re no longer being pulled out to sea, then swim diagonally（成对角线地）toward the shore.

BRING

Baby powder. Use a generous amount of baby powder to remove sand from your hands, feet or hair. The powder quickly absorbs moisture, allowing sand to fall off easily.

1. It can be inferred from the section SLEEP that______.

A．the price of one night shay remains the same all the year around

B．those who stay there can have a free access to the beach and the lighthouse

C．those who want to stay there have to pay more during a tourist season

D．the price includes the breakfast for seven people

2. What is suggested by the leaflet if you want to enjoy your stay at the beach?

A．Avoid wearing wet suits

B．Never dive into the cold water off the coast

C．Bring baby powder to protect your skin from sand scratches

D．Don’t swim straight toward the shore when there’re dangerous currents

3. Oregon coast will provide you with all the following experiences EXCEPT______.

A．a perfect view of sea lions

B．a mariner like stay in the more than 100-year-old lighthouse

C．a seafood feast in the popular local community

D．sun and fun of the less crowed beach

【推荐3】Nowadays kids can access various websites. However, they also need to aware of some websites that may bring them bad influences. There are a lot of good websites for kids that can be useful for their overall development.

Kids, national geographic

National Geographic Kids is one of the best websites for kids to stay updated with latest information on a wide range of topics. Every kid will surely find something important when he/she visits this website. It covers exciting information about activities, animals, education, fun and intellectual games, people and places, science and technology, stories, etc.

Factmonster

We know how much kids hate to study. If you also find it hard to make your kids study, you can ask him to visit Factmonster. This website is a fun way to study on all the school subjects. Kids will not have any punishments or long hours of lectures, but instead they will learn in a free way to study on their own!

Clubpenguin

Clubpenguin is an entertaining website, operated by Disney. As the name suggests, kids need to create a penguin alter ego (密友)and play online games and chat with fellow penguins, or friends. So, if you are looking for the chat rooms for kids only, then club penguin is a great choice for you! The best part is that all the chat information and history can be monitored by parents, in any time they want. Along with online chatting with friends, your kids can also participate in various activities that take place on club penguin, like drawing, painting! etc.

1. Kid. national geographic is a good website for kids because ______.

A．it enjoys the largest amount of topics

B．it provides online teaching by educators

C．it is good for kids’ over-all development

D．it has academic papers written by scientists

2. If the parents want their kids to learn in a more relaxing way, then they can visit _________.

A．Ebay	B．Factmonster
C．Clubpenguin	D．Kids. national geographic

3. Why is Clubpenguin better than other websites that have chat rooms?

A．It can useful for children’s intelligence

B．Kids can change their names as penguins

C．Kids can play online games with their friends

D．Parents get all the chatting records of their kids

4. The passage is most probably taken from ______.

A．education report	B．science news report
C．ad for some websites	D．Internet training course

【推荐1】Feel tired and want to have a break? People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation.

Although it might seem like a good time, looking at your cellphone may damage your mental power, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University in the United States.

For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. Halfway through the task, the students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn’t take any break at all.

Interestingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles.

The cellphone group took 19 percent longer to finish the rest of the task, and solved 22 percent fewer problems than those in the other break conditions combined.

Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break – but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.

“Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, access to ever-refilling information and more, in ways that are different than how we use other screens like computers, and laptops,” Kurtzberg told Science Daily.

This is echoed (呼应) by a 2017 study from the US University of Chicago. It found that even if cellphones are turned off or turned face down, their mere presence reduces a person’s cognitive capacity (认知能力).

So, during your next break, try putting your smartphone away. Go out for a walk, get to know your classmates or even take a nap (小憩). You may be surprised by the result.

1. What did the study find about using cellphones during breaks?

A．It could make people more motivated at work.

B．It could reduce one’s ability to solve problems.

C．It could be beneficial both physically and mentally.

D．It could affect one’s relationships with others.

2. What does the underlined word “activate” probably mean in paragraph 7?

A．motivate

B．associate.

C．appreciate

D．imitate.

3. What can we learn about cellphones from Kurtzberg’s words?

A．They may influence people in the same way as computers do.

B．They may make it hard for people to concentrate on work.

C．Their negative influence is almost impossible to avoid.

D．They have become a necessary part of people’s lives.

4. What does the author suggest people do during break time?

A．Turn off their cellphones.	B．Keep their cellphones face down.
C．Replace cellphones with laptops.	D．Keep their cellphones out of sight.

【推荐2】Kids who like noodles are in luck in Italy. School lunch almost always begins with a "primo" of pasta-think penne（意大利面食）with tomatoes and cheese. That's typically followed by a protein-packed main dish, such as roasted chicken, accompanied by a veggie side. Finally, there's dessert, usually fruit. But what if kids would rather eat a homemade sandwich？

That question became the basis of the "Sandwich Case". This is a legal fight started by a group of parents who had gotten fed up with the price and quality of school meals. Italy's top court settled the matter：Families do not have the right to send food to school. The main problem the judges have with lunchboxes is that they can create divisions.

Each nation has its own take on how to handle the meaty issue of feeding students. In Australia, for example, many schools don't have a cafeteria. And, of course, packing a school lunch to take to school is as American as apple pie. However, more American kids would be better off with school lunch for their parents think cafeteria meals are healthier than what an average parent packs.

Students in low-income families qualify for free or reduced-price meals. So there can be a stigma around who's participating, meaning kids without a lunchbox can feel singled out for being poor. One way to avoid that problem is providing meals to everyone for free. In Sweden, where students chow down on a hot main dish and their pick of vegetables from a salad bur, no one needs lunch money.

The country with a system most similar to Italy's is its neighbor. France, where kids are expected to eat their school's multi-course meals, with almost no exceptions. "It's for a healthy diet, but also for cultural aspects and pleasure, "says Florent Vieux, general director of the French research group MS Nutrition. "When my son doesn't want carrots for the starter, he doesn't eat. At the beginning it's difficult, "he says. "Then day after day, he eats more carrots because he knows he has no other choice."

1. Why did Italy's top court reject the parents' appeal？

A．It may result in unfairness.

B．The lunchboxes lack nutrients.

C．It is strongly objected by schools.

D．The homemade food has limited variety.

2. Which country supports lunchboxes？

A．Italy.	B．America.
C．Sweden.	D．Australia.

3. Which of the following words can replace “stigma”？

A．feeling of pride	B．feeling of happiness
C．feeling of uniqueness	D．feeling of shame

4. What attitude does Florent Vieux have towards school's meals？

A．Indifferent.	B．Supportive.
C．Concerned.	D．Negative.

【推荐3】The Vitality (活力) Big Half Marathon

The Vitality Big Half gets started and will see people deal with various challenges, ranging from a half marathon to a one-mile fun run. It first started last year and saw over 11,000 people take part, with the aim of inspiring more people to get active and take up running.

When does the half marathon start?

The Vitality Big Half will start from 9 am today by Tower Bridge, as well as The New Balance Big Relay. The 2.3-mile Little Half will start at 12:45 from Southwark Park, while The Vitality Big Mile will start at Greenwich Park from 12:30.

What is the route?

The Vitality Big Half will start at Tower Bridge and runners will then follow a 13.1-mile route that will take them past Shadwell and Limehouse, before circling around Canary Wharf. The marathon runners will then follow the River Thames back towards Wapping and then go over Tower Bridge and head towards Southwark Park. The route continues along the south side of the River Thames, circling around Rotherhithe before joining up The Little Half runners and travelling through Deptford towards the finish line at the Cutty Sark.

How to watch the runners?

You can go to various points along the route to watch the runners in person or you can also head straight to Greenwich Park which is right near the finish line at the Cutty Sark. It will also be possible to watch the half marathon at home by using the BBC Red Button on your TV or by watching online.

1. Why is The Vitality Big Half held?

A．To make the city livelier.

B．To build up people’s health.

C．To encourage people to run.

D．To inspire people to compete.

2. Which is the last place for runners to pass before the finish line?

A．Wapping.

B．Deptford.

C．Rotherhithe.

D．Greenwich Park.

3. What can we know about The Vitality Big Half?

A．It lasts about 3 hours.

B．It is held for the first time.

C．It starts at 12:45 at Tower Bridge.

D．It can be watched online.

【推荐1】In the past decade, the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities (名人) and turned the famous into the infamous, overnight.

A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. So, what were the key social media trends of 2018?

Short video apps such as TikTok and its Chinese equivalent Douyin, took the world by storm. The Telegraph reported that TikTok was ranked 8th on Apple’s App Store in April. And Douyin had more than 300 million domestic monthly active users in June, CNBC said.

Why are these short videos – which are rarely longer than a few minutes – so popular? Jiang Yige, Singapore-based analyst at FengHe Fund Management, has a theory. Short videos are “just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules,” he told CNBC.

These videos – apart from being very convenient – are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to Teen Vogue.

The sense of community that users of short video app get is another appealing feature. Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musically who has over 2 million followers, said that she was thrilled when anyone said that her video had “inspired” them. “It’s really cool … because I think as social creators that’s what we all are,” she added.

Live streaming is another feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise. It’s a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live.

However, China has taken live streaming to a whole new level. In China, more than 100 million viewers monthly watch a live streaming video. Forbes thought that a number of factors had led to the popularity of live streams. Among them is viewers’ ability to interact while remaining anonymous.

However, the boom in social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it arguably causes. Material shared on these platforms is often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can sway users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn’t mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds.

1. The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being _____”.

A．changeable	B．steady
C．promising	D．violent

2. According to Lisa Koshy, short videos are very popular because _____________.

A．they are very convenient

B．they help people kill time

C．they provide a sense of community

D．they allow people to express themselves

3. What can we learn about social media from the text?

A．The information from social media is highly reliable.

B．When it comes to social media, people know short videos the best.

C．People can’t communicate with each other without social media.

D．There is still much room for social media to make improvement.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Rapid Development of Social Media

B．Key Social Media Trends ruling 2018

C．Short Videos Taking the World by Storm

D．Live Streaming—New Feature of Social Media

【推荐2】At Blossom End Railroad Station, 22-year-old Stanley Vine sat, waiting for his new employer. The surrounding green fields were so unlike the muddy landscape of war-torn France. After four horrible years as an army private ( 列 兵 ) fighting in Europe, Stanley had returned to England in February 1946. Armed now with some savings and with no prospects for a job in England, he answered a newspaper ad for farm help in Canada. Two months later he was on his way.

When the old car rumbled toward the tiny station, Stanley rose to his feet, trying to make the most of his five foot, four inch frame. The farmer, Alphonse Lapine, shook his head and complained, “You’re a skinny thing.” On the way to his dairy farm, Alphonse explained that he had a wife and seven kids. “Money’s tight. You’ll get room and board. You’ll get up at dawn for milking, and then help me around the farm until evening milking time again. Ten dollars a week. Sundays off.” Stanley nodded. He had never been on a farm before, but he took the job.

From the beginning Stanley was treated horribly by the whole family. They made fun of the way he dressed and talked. The humourless farmer frequently lost his temper, criticizing Stanley for the slightest mistake. The oldest son, 13-year-old Armand, constantly played nasty tricks on him. But the kind-hearted Stanley never responded.

Stanley never became part of the Lapine family. After work, they ignored him. He spent his nights alone in a tiny bedroom. However, each evening before retiring, he lovingly cared for the farmer’s horses, eagerly awaiting him at the field gate. He called them his gentle giants.

Early one November morning Alphonse Lapine discovered that Stanley had disappeared, after only six months at his farmhand. In fact no one in the community ever heard of him again. That is, until one evening, almost 20 years later, when Armand, opened an American sports magazine and came across a shocking headline, “Millionaire jockey, Stanley Vine, ex-British soldier and 5-time horse riding champion, began life in North America as a farmhand in Canada.”

1. Stanley Vine decided to go to Canada because _____.

A．he wanted to escape from war-torn France

B．he wanted to serve in the Canadian army

C．he couldn’t find a job in England

D．he loved working as a farmhand

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Stanley joined the French army when he was 18 years old.

B．On the farm Stanley had to milk the cows 14 times a week.

C．The Lapine family were rich but cruel to Stanley.

D．Stanley read about the job offer in a newspaper.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．When Stanley first met his employer, he tried to impress him but failed.

B．Stanley had never worked on a farm, so he made a lot of mistakes.

C．Stanley’s weekly salary was not enough for him to live on.

D．Stanley left the farm by train, without telling anyone why he did so.

4. Why was Armand so astonished when he read about Stanley in the magazine?

A．He didn’t know Stanley had been a British soldier.

B．He had no idea Stanley had always been a wealthy man.

C．He didn’t know his father paid Stanley so little money.

D．He didn’t expect Stanley to become such a success.

【推荐3】Since I became a teenager, I have thought a lot about my own future job and set goal for it. It’s very necessary and important for me now to decide what I want to become.In the past, I used to want to be an engineer because I’m good at drawing and building stuff, but my thought has changed through time. I end up all of my choices as a manager who manages the whole system in the service hotel.I have planned that I will study hard in high school, then finish IGCSE and IB with a high score. After that, I will move to a good school in USA to learn about business and the economy in my country.

During my life in university, I properly will apply to work for some small stores and hotels to have the feeling of how things work in the real life. Firstly, the reason I like to be a hotel manager is I find it interesting to use techniques to persuade more people to stay at the hotel. Secondly, I see that the development in business is the fastest growing in sectors of industry besides the primary and the secondary, so I can make a lot of money. Thirdly, it’s the range of community; it has a very high range to meet different people with different nationalities.

Fourthly, I want to have more confidence and become a good leader with skill, for example, I still can’t control and persuade people to listen to me sometimes when I’m in charge of PE’s lesson. The last reason why I strongly chose to be a hotel manager is because of my pressure from my family. They are the second generation of successful 3 stars hotels’ managers. They like me to become what I’m going to do when I become a manager.

1. Why did the author want to be an engineer at first?

A．Because he wanted to follow his parents’ expectation.

B．Because he was good at silence subjects at school.

C．Because he thought being an engineer was respected.

D．Because he did very well in drawing and building staff.

2. The advantages in a hotel business are many except              .

A．earning a lot of money

B．coming across different people

C．learning the special culture in the USA

D．using techniques to persuade more people to stay

3. What can we know about the author’s family from the third paragraph?

A．His family experienced a lot of success.

B．The family never consider the author’s interest.

C．The family can support him to be a hotel manager.

D．His family have operated the hotels for many generations.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．My future job.	B．My college life
C．My family business.	D．My experience in a hotel.