【推荐1】I was ten when my father first sent me flowers. I had been taking ballet lessons for four months, and the school was giving its yearly performance. As a member of the beginners’ chorus group, I was surprised to hear my name called out at the end of the show along with the leading dancers and to find my arms full of red roses. I can still feel myself standing on that stage, seeing my father’s big smiles.

Those roses were the first of many bunches accompanying all the milestones in my life. Getting all those roses was wonderful, but they brought a sense of embarrassment. I enjoyed them, but I also felt they were too much for my small achievements.

Not for my father. He did everything in a big way. Once, when mother told him I needed a new party dress, he brought home a dozen. His behavior often left us without money for other more important things. Sometimes I would be angry with him.

Then came my 16th birthday. It was not a happy occasion. I was fat and had no boyfriend. And my well-meaning father furthered my suffering by giving me a party. As I entered the dining room, there on the table next to my cake was a huge bunch of flowers, bigger than any before.

I wanted to hide. Now everyone would think my father had sent flowers because I had no boyfriend to do it. Sweet 16, and I felt like crying. But my best friend, Jenny, whispered, “Boy, you’re lucky to have a father like that.”

As the years passed, other occasions—birthdays, awards, graduations—were marked with Dad’s flowers. Those flowers symbolized his pride, and my success. As my fortunes grew, my father’s health became worse, but his gifts of flowers continued until he died. I covered his coffin with the largest, reddest roses I could find.

Often during the dozen years since, I felt an urge to buy a big bunch to fill the living room, but I never did. I knew it would not be the same.

Then one birthday, the doorbell rang. I was feeling blue because I was alone. My husband and my two daughters were away. My 10-year-old son, Tommy, had run out earlier with a “see you later”. So I was surprised to see Tommy at the door. “Forgot my key,” he said. “Forgot your birthday too.” He pulled a bunch of roses from behind his back.

“Oh, Tommy,” I cried. “I love flowers!”

1. The writer felt embarrassed getting her first roses because        .

A．she wasn’t a member of leading dancers.

B．she thought her success wasn’t big enough.

C．she regarded the flowers as a milestone in her life.

D．she found herself standing on the center of the stage.

2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The father made the writer happy by giving her a party.

B．The father was proud of the writer in her growth stages.

C．The father didn’t leave the family money for important things.

D．The father bought the writer flowers when she got angry with him.

3. Tommy came back again, mainly to        .

A．take back his keys.	B．show his love for flowers.
C．encourage his mother.	D．bring his mother birthday gift.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Love in Bloom.	B．Father and Me.
C．Pleasure and Embarrassment.	D．Father’s Flowers.

【推荐3】Do you want to help others in Canada or out of the country? Here are some non-profit organizations in Calgary, Canada, through which you can do something for others.

Calgary Reads

Calgary Reads helps struggling readers in Grade One and Two twice a week. Trained adult volunteers carry out one-to-one reading teaching in the children’s school during school hours. Volunteers are trained to use a proven effective lesson framework. Time is spent coaching readers while providing a strong role model in each child’s life.

Address: 105, 12th Ave SE | Calgary, AB | T2G 2H8

Telephone: 1 403 777-8254

Ukrainian Mission Canada

This organization helps children in need in Ukraine, a country in eastern Europe. You can donate money or things to help one of the children in need.

Address: 3806 44 Ave NE | Calgary, Alberta | T1Y5V8

Telephone: 1 403 451-6991

Calgary Doula Association

This organization is formed to provide information about services related to birth and child care for the general public and worried professionals. Monthly meetings provide a networking opportunity and exchange of information for individuals interested in birth and child care, couples who are to be parents, and health care providers.

Address: 124 Crest haven Place SW I Calgary, ABI T3B 5W4

Telephone: 1 403 750-2033

Rainbow Society of Alberta

Rainbow Society of Alberta helps to fulfill wishes of Alberta children with long-term or life-threatening illnesses. Founded in Winnipeg in 1983, Rainbow Society was the first children’s organization of its kind in Canada. Its Alberta chapter(分部) was created in 1986 by a handful of caring volunteers who saw need to bring such a strong support system to children in Alberta.

Address: PO Box 1153, Station M I Calgary, AB

Telephone: 1 403 252-3891

1. What does Calgary Reads mainly aim to do?

A．To help all children do better at school.

B．To provide role models for young children.

C．To help little struggling readers read better.

D．To encourage children in Canada to read more.

2. To learn more about helping children in need in Ukraine, which number should you call?

A．1 403 451-6991.	B．1 403 777-8254.
C．1 403 750-2033.	D．1 403 252-3891.

3. What do you know about Rainbow Society of Alberta?

A．It helps children with long term illnesses worldwide.

B．It was founded in Winnipeg in 1983.

C．It is the first children’s organization in Canada.

D．It was organized by some volunteers in 1986.

4. What do the organizations have in common?

A．They all help poor children.

B．None of them aims at making money.

C．They all provide services within Canada.

D．None of them asks people to donate money.

【推荐1】We lead very busy lives and we too easily forget how hard it was for us to focus on homework when we were in school. Now that we have jobs to do, food to buy and cook and other errands to run, even I sometimes think it would be a welcome change to have to sit down and quietly read and write with no distractions. But, in case you don’t remember — homework is pretty much every child’s least favorite thing to do. In the age of Netflix, Snapchat and wifi, the distractions are almost endless. It can sometimes almost be too hard to even keep up with all the new tech advances our kids are using, so how can we make sure that those advances take a back seat to our children’s education? Here are some ideas.

There’s no point in stopping the reality that young people are going to focus on their phones and tablets instead of other things at times. Your best way is to accept, actually the tech sector continues to be the most profitable and fast-growing industries and that’s unlikely to change fast. There are ways to use technology to help your kid do homework. Ask your teacher and school staff what apps and websites they’re using to teach lessons and supplements them with at-home activities as well.

Even though technology has changed, the basics haven’t. If you want to read, write and think properly, you need to have peace and quiet and the ability to focus, right? Well, your kids are just the same. Try and find a space in your home to enable your kids to do work away from televisions, the Internet or other distractions. Let me be clear: this shouldn’t be a prison. I feel like I’m my most productive working alone in an office or at a busy cafe with my headphones on. Getting lost in other realities helps my creativity grow. Placing kids in isolation can often have a harmful effect and doesn’t always equal being more productive.

I feel like “getting engaged” is always a big part of my advice for parents on just about everything. How can you make sure your children are being successful if you have no idea what they’re doing? How can you be sure they’re doing it right if you don’t know what is the correct answer? What do they need? You should be in touch with their teachers, have a sense of where the lessons are going, what kinds of tasks are being given and what success looks like in the classroom. Knowing all of that is key to your child’s success, especially when matched with some encouraging praise and helpful tips on how he can keep going. Thinking about how your child is best   motivated by other things and using those methods here reasonably isn’t a bad idea.

And if by chance you’re having trouble solving that Math problems or understanding a sentence, don’t fear — you’re not alone. Use the school staff, other parents or friends as your support. Better to seek help than do nothing.

We all know that homework isn’t exactly the most entertaining way anyone spends their time. And sometimes we can’t help but feel that since we left school, we’re done with homework forever. But the circle of life plays out in all times and it’s up to us to make sure that we pass on the lessons we’ve picked up and that while homework might seem dull, it’s how we build skills, learn real lessons and get on the road to greatness. That greatness is on the inside, it’s up to us as adults to enable the young people to bring it out. The key to achieving greatness is to take a lifelong learning.

1. What is the author’s attitude towards new tech?

A．It affects parents’ everyday life.	B．It should be kept out of children’s reach.
C．It can benefit student’s education.	D．It makes homework easier.

2. While parents engaged in their children’s homework, they ________.

A．must be better at all the lessons	B．needn’t make sure that their children are being successful
C．can teach their children by themselves	D．should know as much as possible about it

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Children should achieve greatness on their own.

B．Parents and their children should learn from each other.

C．Children can hardly succeed without parents’ efforts.

D．Parents can only obtain skills by helping their children.

4. Which section of a magazine is this passage most probably taken from?

A．Education

B．Health

C．Technology

D．Science

【推荐2】New York. London, Paris and other big cities are exciting places to live in. There are many interesting things to see and to do. You can go to different kinds of museums, plays and films. You can also go shopping to buy things from all over the world.

Bur there are serious problems in big cities, too. The cost of living is high, and there are too many people in some places of big cities. Every year, many people move to the cities because of the chances to find jobs, to study at good schools, and to receive good medical care. But sometimes these people cannot find work or a good place to live in. Also, too many people in a small space make it hard to keep the cities safe and clean.

Some people enjoy living in big cities, others do not. Before people move to a big city, they should think about the problems of living there.

1. In big cities people can___________.

A．go to different kinds of museums	B．see all kinds of plays and films
C．buy things from all over the world	D．A, B and C

2. Which of the following is true?

A．Big cities are not safe and clean enough.	B．People can easily find a good ace to live in.
C．All people like to live in big cities.	D．No one likes to live in big cities.

3. In the passage the writer advises people____________.

A．to move to a big city

B．not to move to a big city

C．not to move to a big city without thinking about the problems

D．not to think too much about the problems before they move to a big city

【推荐3】These years, we can see more and more people like dancing in public. We call this kind of dance “Guangchangwu”.     1    . Later in 2005，it became popular with the elderly（年长者） in China.

    2    . Some people think it is a kind of entertainment （娱乐）and physical exercise. It gives the elderly a good way to relax，keep fit and make their lives interesting. It is better for them to go out to dance with their friends than to play cards or watch TV at home，because they need to keep healthy and active.

    3    . You may have the following experience（经历）：you want to sleep late into noon on a weekend morning but find it impossible because the elderly are dancing，making a lot of noise. Sometimes you are having a rest or chat for a while with your friends in a park. But the music from the dancing is so loud（大声的） that you have to stop. So quite a few people are worried about the dancing places.    4    .

    5    . But when they choose a kind of entertainment，they should think about other people’ s life

A．At times, they choose to go to and enjoy those places.

B．At times, they choose to stay away from those places.

C．Nowadays, about the dancing, people have different ideas.

D．It seemed to come into being in the 1990s.

E．It seemed to come into being in 2010.

F．It is all right for the elderly to get exercise and have fun.

G．But，not all people have the same idea.