【推荐1】Maybe it's because it was our first purchase as homeowners. The salesman must have spotted just how green we were, so he began persuading. And soon he led us to a classic leather chair. All these years later, I remember he used words like rich and handsome, the thing every living room needed.

We believed him. So we bought that chair — just less than $100, a great deal in the 1970s for a young couple!

How we loved that chair! It always occupied a place of honor in our various living rooms, moving with us from our first tiny house to our beloved new house.

Somehow, conversations were better on that chair, and life was more fun around it. Three daughters spilled their secrets on it. Old friends seemed to be attracted by it on those wonderful occasions. Crazy as it sounds, that leather chair seemed to have — well, powers. All for good.

At first, we didn't really care that the leather was showing signs of wear or that it had lost its sheen (光泽). But in our most recent move, when the chair was moved in our new living room, it suddenly looked terribly lonely sitting close to newly painted walls and a couple of shiny new tables.

My husband and I tried but still we couldn't ignore the rough spots. Our chair had a skin disease. Even our adult kids raised eyebrows, urging us to at least remove the chair to some dark corner of the room. Neither of us could imagine such a retirement for it.

So we had an inspired idea. We'd call in an upholsterer (修理工) to give our old chair a whole new life. Our friend Joe studied the chair and then took out a simple leather conditioner. He explained that although it wouldn't work miracles, it would definitely get our weary chair looking younger again. It certainly doesn't look new, but its seat and back are shining, and some of its deeper wrinkles have lightened.

Best of all, it's back in the living room, looking like a wise old friend to the furniture around it. And, yes, there it will stay.

Because some things, like some people, just deserve a happy old age.

1. How did the salesman persuade the author into buying the chair?

A．By thinking highly of the author.

B．By saying that the author was green.

C．By describing how great the chair was.

D．By comparing the chair with others.

2. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Sweet memories with the chair.

B．Various functions of the chair.

C．People's comments on the chair.

D．Family activities and parties of friends.

3. Why did the author finally decide to repair the chair?

A．Because he was persuaded by Joe.

B．Because he didn't have enough money.

C．Because it showed signs of hardness.

D．Because it couldn't match his new house.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．East or west, home is best.	B．From saving comes having.
C．It is never too late to mend.	D．Old friends and wine are best.

【推荐3】I was fifteen months old, a happy carefree kid until the day fell. It was a bad fall. I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to blind it. Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched the eyeball together where it was cut, leaving a big ugly scar in the middle of my eye. The attempt failed, but my mama, in all of her wisdom, found a doctor who knew that if the eye were removed wholly, my face would grow up badly twisted, so my scarred, sightless, cloudy and gray eye lived on with me. And as I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways controlled me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

【推荐1】What is one of the most boring and tiresome words ever? Responsibility, I think，is one of those words you have probably heard so many times from authority figures (权威人物). Sometimes, it asks us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening.

Once in a hospital a male patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled (洒) on the floor beside the patient's bed. The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of the bed, so he asked his nurse's assistant to mop it up.

The patient didn't know it, but the hospital policy said that small spills were the responsibility of the assistant while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital's housekeepers.

The nurse's assistant decided that the spill was a large one and she called a housekeeper. The housekeeper arrived but said that the spill was a small one. An argument followed.

“It's not my responsibility,” said the nurse's assistant. “Because it's a large puddle (水洼).” The housekeeper did not agree. “Well, it's not mine, ” she said. “The puddle is too small.”

The patient listened for a while, and then he took a bottle of water from his night table and poured the whole thing on the floor. “Is that a big enough puddle now for you two to decide?” he asked. It was the end of the argument.

So, responsibility is about our ability to respond to situations and to choose the attitudes, actions and reactions that shape our lives.It is a concept (观念) of power that puts us in the driver's seat. If you want more control over your life, all you have to do is to be responsible. Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on.

1. According to Paragraph 1, the author thinks that responsibility_____.

A．is the most boring word

B．may upset people sometimes

C．causes people to do bad things

D．matters more to authority figures

2. The nurse's assistant argued with the housekeeper because_______.

A．they looked down upon each other's job

B．they didn't want to break the hospital policy

C．they didn't know what the hospital policy was

D．they each thought the other should mop up the puddle

3. Who probably mopped the water up at last?

A．The patient.

B．The patient's nurse.

C．The nurse's assistant.

D．The housekeeper.

4. The author wants to tell us that, to control our life, we should________.

A．show others that we are reliable

B．respond to situations quickly

C．learn to be responsible

D．trust no one but ourselves

【推荐2】The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative,they’re rubbing off on you . If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame others, and you play the role of victim, chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed

B．How to make friendship last for ever

C．You are who your friends are

D．Friends are the most important in one’s success

2. The underlined sentence “they’re rubbing off on you” in Paragraph 6 means ______.

A．they’ll push you ahead

B．they’ll influence you

C．they’ll cover your shortcomings

D．they’ll help you achieve your goal

3. The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show ______.

A．the musicians’ living conditions are quite poor

B．people have poor taste in music

C．people have different attitudes towards the same thing

D．young people have greater chances of succeeding

4. The passage is mainly written for ______.

A．musicians	B．managers
C．negative people	D．people wanting to succeed

【推荐3】Confucius, a famous teacher, was a politician and philosopher who lived in “Spring and Autumn Period”. During his lifetime, he planted the seeds for China’s transformation by teaching thousands of people. Today, he is thought to be one of the world’s greatest teachers.

Confucius grew up in a poor family. As he grew up, Confucius worked to help his mother earn money. When he wasn’t working, he would read. His favorite thing to do was to learn. His mother saw this and did her best to help him learn. One day, rich families noticed how smart he was and offered him jobs counting their money and keeping track of their crops.

Confucius did this until he was 30 years old, but he always wanted to do more. He didn’t like the way rulers treated their subjects. He wanted to find a way to help people who were less fortunate than he was. Later, he founded the philosophy “Confucianism”. Confucianism states that by educating yourself, loving your family, and respecting tradition you could become a better person. Confucius believed a person could achieve these things by practicing self-discipline. For the rest of his life, Confucius traveled and taught the people of China about self-discipline and the importance of education. He even opened China’s first school to teach both the poor and the wealthy as equals. Although he became very famous among China’s lower classes, the rulers of China never accepted his teachings. Eventually, his philosophy of self-discipline helped China unite under one ruler and finally find peace. Today, Confucius is celebrated all over the world for his philosophy of education, equality, and peace over war, money, and injustice.

1. What does the underlined word “subjects” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Themes.

B．Courses.

C．People.

D．Tests.

2. According to the author, why did Confucius open China’s first school?

A．To teach both the poor and the rich.

B．To become famous among China’s lower classes.

C．To be accepted by the rulers of China.

D．To be celebrated all over the world.

3. What can we know about Confucius from the passage?

A．He was once a farmer guiding people farming.	B．He was born in a politician family.
C．He once acted as a math teacher.	D．He devoted himself to social change.

4. What is the writer’s attitude towards Confucianism?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Disappointed.

D．Uncertain.