【推荐1】“A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high.” I’m sure T. J. Ware was made to feel this way almost every day at school. By high school, T. J. was the most widely known troublemaker in his town. Even some teachers literally cringed (感到局促不安) when they saw his name posted on their lists of students.

I met T. J. for the first time when all the students at school were attending ACE training. At first, he showed no interest in it. But slowly, the interactive games drew him in. T. J. had some brilliant thoughts, which were welcomed by his group. The other students on the team were impressed with his ideas and elected T. J. co-chairman of the team.

When T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning, a group of teachers were expressing their disagreement with his, being elected co-chairman to the school principal. The principal reminded them that the purpose of the program was to uncover any positive thought and strengthen its practice until true change can take place. The teachers left, firmly convinced that failure was unavoidable.

Two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a group of 70 students to collect food. They collected 2,854 cans of food in just two hours, which was a new school record. The local newspaper covered the event with a full-page article the next day. That newspaper story was posted on the main bulletin board at school, where everyone could see it. T.J.’s picture was there. T. J. started showing up at school every day and answering questions from teachers.

T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. Once its wing has healed, it can fly higher than the rest. He is flying quite nicely these days.

1. What do we know about T. J. from Paragraph 1?

A．He was talkative in class.	B．He didn’t have a good fame.
C．His ideas were quite impressive.	D．He showed up at school every day.

2. Why did the team members elect T. J. co-chairman?

A．Because he promised them a bright future.

B．Because they wanted to offer him a chance.

C．Because they thought the work was quite easy.

D．Because he was considered equal to the position.

3. What do we know about the principal’s attitude towards T.J.’s being elected?

A．Uncaring.

B．Supportive.

C．Cautious.

D．Doubtful.

4. What does the writer try to tell us with this story?

A．No pain, no gain.	B．Rome wasn’t built in a day.
C．Don’t judge others with prejudice.	D．Treat others as you want to be treated.

【推荐2】It was Monday. Mrs. Smith’s dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way, Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it: “Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently, “Take this to the butcher(屠夫) and he’s going to give you your lunch today.”

Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher’s. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.

At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.

The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers. But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher’s more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”

Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!

1. Mrs. Smith treated her little dog quite ________.

A．cruelly	B．kindly
C．fairly	D．differently

2. From its experience, the dog found that ________.

A．only the paper with Mrs. Smith’s words in it could bring it meat

B．the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it

C．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat

D．Mrs. Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher

3. At the end of the story, you’ll find that ________.

A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper

B．the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more

C．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal

D．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog

【推荐1】When he was driving home one evening on a country road, he saw an old lady, stranded(抛锚的)on the side of the road. He stopped in front of her car and got out. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. He looked poor and hungry. He knew how she felt. He said, “I am here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Joe. ”

She had a flat tire. Joe crawled under the car, changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She could not thank him enough and asked him how much she owed him. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Joe added, “And think of me. ”

She drove off. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small restaurant. She went in. The waitress had a sweet smile, and was nearly eight months pregnant (怀孕的). The old lady wondered how someone like her who seemed poor could be so kind to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her change from a hundred—dollar bill. But she stepped right out the door.

When the waitress came back, she noticed something written on a napkin, “I am helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here’s what you do---Do not let the chain of love end with you. ”

That night when she got home, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. She and her husband needed money with the baby due(预期的)next month. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe. ”

1. When Joe stopped to help the lady, she           .

A．became excited	B．was afraid to be hurt
C．refused his offer	D．thanked him

2. Why did the lady leave the restaurant without getting her change?

A．She forgot it.

B．She wanted to help Joe.

C．She wanted to tip the waitress.

D．She wanted to give the waitress some help

3. By telling the story, the author tries to show that           .

A．helping others is helping oneself.

B．kindness can be spread.

C．poverty is not a threat to a happy marriage.

D．a happy family depends on a happy marriage.

【推荐3】I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill. It was 1994 but I can remember my mother's words as if it were yesterday: "Kerrel, I don't want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS. Be very careful when you are around him."

AIDS wasn't something we talked about in my country when I was growing up. From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret. My parents were not together any more, and my dad lived alone. For a while he could take care of himself. But when I was 12, his condition worsened. My father's other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him. We couldn't afford all the necessary medication for him, and because Dad was unable to work, I had no school supplies and often couldn't even buy food for dinner. I would sit in class feeling completely lost. The teacher's words became muffled (模糊不清的) as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage.

I did not share my burden with anyone. I had seen how people reacted to AIDS. Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease. And even adults could be cruel. When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself.

I had known that he was going to die. But after so many years of keeping his condition a secret, I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days. Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the non-profit National AIDS Support. That day, she kept me on the phone for hours. I was so lucky to find someone who cared. She saved my life.

I was 15 when my father died. He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me. He did not want to call attention to AIDS. I do.

1. What does Kerrel tell us about her father?

A．He had stayed in the hospital since he fell ill.	B．He depended on the nurses in his final days.
C．He worked hard to pay for his medication.	D．He told no one about his disease.

2. What can we learn from the underlined sentences?

A．Kerrel couldn't understand her teacher.	B．Kerrel had special difficulty in hearing.
C．Kerrel was too troubled to focus on the lesson.	D．Kerrel was too tired to hear her teacher's words.

3. Why did Kerrel write the passage?

A．To tell people about the sufferings of her father.	B．To show how little people knew about AIDS.
C．To draw people's attention to AIDS.	D．To remember her father.

【推荐1】

Genetics (遗传学) is the science of what makes you who you are. People who study genetics，called geneticists, learn about how parents pass on information through their genes (bits of information in your body that you cannot see) to their children. Is there anyone in the world like you? No! Your eye color，how tall you are and the size of your nose all come from the special information in your genes that makes you different from everyone else.

We get our genes from our parents. So genetics explains why you might look similar to your mother or brother and why you like some of the same things or speak in a similar way. Genes come in pairs-you get half from your mother and half from your father. We know that some genes are stronger than others. For example, the gene for brown eyes is stronger than the gene for blue eyes. So does it mean that if your parents both have brown eyes that you do too? Not always.

Because genes come in pairs, it's possible that someone with brown eyes has the gene for both brown eyes(B) and blue eyes (b). Look at the picture on the right that shows how the genes from Mum and Dad might be passed on to their children.

Why is genetics important? It's fun to think about which family members you are similar to and which genes you have, but studying genetics is also very important for our health. Some diseases are in our genes, so studying genetics can help us know if we might become ill in the future. It also helps doctors and scientists to know what medicine might help that disease.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．What genetics is.

B．What geneticists learn about.

C．How the size of your nose comes from.

D．How parents pass on information to their children.

2. What does human genetics explain?

A．Why you look like your friends.

B．Why you are different from other people.

C．Why parents pass on information to their children.

D．Why many people in the world look exactly the same.

3. What can we know from the text?

A．Our genes come in pairs.

B．Some genes are longer than others.

C．People get their genes mainly from their mothers.

D．Your parents both have brown eyes that you do too.

4. Why is studying genetics very important according to the text?

A．Because it is very funny.	B．Because it is useful for scientists.
C．Because it can help us fight diseases.	D．Because it can help us make medicine.

【推荐2】American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts(转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents(居民) became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs(郊区)。
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.
1. What does the author think of cities all over the world?

A．They are alive.	B．They are hopeless.
C．They are similar.	D．They are different.

2. Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War II?

A．Because older American cities were dying.

B．Because they were richer and needed more space.

C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society.

D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.

3. According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities ________.

A．are faced with housing problems	B．are forced to move to the suburbs
C．want to sell their buildings	D．need more money for daily expenses

4. We can conclude from the text that ________.

A．American cities are changing for the worse

B．people have different views on American cities

C．many people are now moving from American cities

D．the population is decreasing in older American cities

【推荐3】The local dog park might be getting busier and cat cafés might be opening in every neighborhood, but do you know which traditional pet is the most popular around the world?

United States

The United States is home to the highest number of domestic (驯养的) dogs, cats, and fish, and Americans are more likely to treat their friends like humans. U.S. pet owners spend $50 billion a year on their animal companions, and 36% of dog owners have used some of that money to buy their pet a birthday present.

Russia

According to Russian tradition, keeping a cat as a pet is good fortunate, so it's no surprise the cat is Russia's most popular pet. In 2016, 57% of Russian households contained a cat, compared to the 29% that had dogs. On March 1, Russia celebrates National Cat Day as part of celebrations for World Cat Day.

Brazil

Brazils domestic bird population was about 19 million in 2013, while dogs held top rank at just over 37 million. Brazil has the highest number of small dogs per capital city in the world. The nearly 20 million small dogs are attributed to (归因于) a rapidly-growing middle class living in small urban apartments.

United Kingdom

Dogs and cats rank second and third in Britain, while fishes hold the top spot. It has been linked not only to the low maintenance (维护), but also to the fact that many other pets like dogs or cats are not allowed in some places.

1. Why are the figures mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．To explain the importance of pets.

B．To show Americans growing wealth.

C．To explain why Americans have pets.

D．To show how Americans love their animal friends.

2. Where are cats regarded as the symbol of good luck?

A．In Brazil.	B．In Russia.
C．In the United States.	D．In the United Kingdom.

3. What are the most popular pets in the United Kingdom?

A．Dogs.	B．Cats.
C．Birds.	D．Fishes.

【推荐1】I’m an English teacher working in Russia, and for some reason I really don’t like that classroom topic—Talk About Your Family. Perhaps it’s because everyone studied English from the same book at school. So all the students say, “My family consists of five members: me, my mother, my father, my brother and my dog...”and so on, as if all families are exactly the same.

Let’s get rid of the phrase“my family consists of ...”and look at some more interesting ways to talk about families. English is rich in idioms (习语) to talk about family life. Let’s ignore the black sheep of the family—that’s someone who doesn’t fit in, or causes a family scandal (丑闻). If you’re loyal (忠诚) to your family, you can say blood is thicker than water or keep it in the family. If you share a talent with another family member, you can say it runs in the family. You might have your father’s eyes or your mother’s nose. If you’re like one of your parents, you can say like father, like son or you can be a chip off the old block.

Then there are idioms that have left the family (flown the nest) and gone on to have a life of their own. For example, a Londoner is telling someone how to get a new passport. “Get four pictures taken, pick up a form in the post office, hand it in with your old passport and... Bob’s your uncle.”It means“the problem is solved”. But I’d love to know who the original Bob was, and why he was such a useful uncle to have.

1. Why does the writer dislike the classroom topic—Talk About Your Family?

A．Because he works in Russia.	B．Because all families are the same.
C．Because all answers are similar.	D．Because he has no family there.

2. When we mention the black sheep of the family, we may refer to someone __________.

A．who causes a family scandal	B．who is loyal to the family
C．who has the father’s eyes	D．who has a useful uncle

3. What can you say if you want to express you have the same talent with your brother?

A．Blood is thicker than water.	B．It runs in the family.
C．You are the chip off the old block.	D．Bob is your uncle.

4. According to the text, how do you probably feel when you hear “Bob’s your uncle”?

A．Sad.

B．Bored.

C．Stressed.

D．Satisfied

【推荐2】Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, that solar power is still quite expensive. Eight19, a British company by Cambridge University, has, however, invented a novel way to get round this. In return for a deposit of around￡10 it is supplying poor Kenyan families with a solar cell able to generate 2.5 watts of electricity, a battery that can deliver a three amp (安培) current to store this electricity, and a lamp whose bulb is a light­emitting diode (二极管). The firm thinks that this system, once the battery is fully charged, is enough to light two small rooms and to power a mobile­phone charger for seven hours. Then, next day, it can be put outside and charged back up again.

The trick is that, to be able to use the electricity, the system’s keeper must buy a scratch card — for as little as a dollar — on which is printed a reference number. The keeper sends this reference, plus the serial number of the household solar unit, by SMS to Eight19. The company’s server will respond automatically with an access code to the unit.

Users may consider that they are paying an hourly rate for their electricity. In fact, they are paying off the cost of the unit. After buying around￡80 worth of scratch cards — which Eight19 expects would take the average family around 18 months — the user will own it. He will then have the option of continuing to use it for nothing, or of trading it in for a bigger one, perhaps driven by a 10­watt solar cell.

In that case, he would go then through the same process again, paying off the additional cost of the upgraded kit at a slightly higher rate. Users would therefore increase their electricity supply steadily and affordably.

According to Eight19’s figures, this looks like a good deal for customers. The firm believes the average energy­starved Kenyan spends around￡10 a month on oil — enough to fuel a couple of smoky lamps — plus￡2 on charging his mobile phone in the market­place. Regular users of one of Eight19’s basic solar units will spend around half that, before owning it completely. Meanwhile, as the cost of solar technology falls, it should get even cheaper.

1. The underlined word “get round” in the first paragraph can be replaced by “______”.

A．make use of	B．come up with
C．look into	D．deal with

2. What should the user do when the electricity in the battery is used up?

A．Buy a scratch card.

B．Recharge it outside.

C．Buy another solar cell.

D．Return it to the company.

3. How much would users pay for the cell and scratch cards before they own a 2.5­watt solar cell?

A．Around￡10.	B．Around￡80.
C．Around￡90.	D．Around￡180.

4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that       .

A．Kenyan families would find it difficult to afford the solar cell

B．using the solar cell would help Kenyan families save money

C．few Kenyan families use mobile phones for lack of electricity

D．the company will make a great profit from selling solar cells

【推荐3】Years ago, I was so confident, and so naive(幼稚的). I was so sure that I was right and everyone else was wrong.

Unfortunately I was lucky and got successful, so that kept me blind to my weak points. I sold my company, felt ready to do something new, and started to learn. But the more I learned, the more I realized how little I knew and how lucky I had been.

I’d start to make things, but then saw how stupid I was, so I stpped. I lost all confidence. I spent a few years completely stuck.

Finally, some new ideas helped:

Learning without doing is wasted. If I don’t use what I learn, then it is pointless! How terrible to waste hundreds of hours spent learning, and not turn them into action. Like throwing good food in the trash: it’s wrong.

This isn’t about me. How I feel in this moment doesn’t matter－it will pass. Nobody is judging me, because nobody is thinking of me. They are just looking for things to improve their own life. The public me is not the real me anyway, so if they judge my public personality, that’s fine.

The work is the point, and my work is special. If I can do something that people find useful, then I should. It doesn’t matter if it’s a masterpiece or not, as long as I enjoy it.

So I’m glad my old confidence is gone. Now I aim(以……为目标)to make my work my little contribution to the world－just special and useful.

1. I lost all my confidence when______

A．I got successful in my career.

B．I Learned more than before.

C．I sold my company.

D．I realized I knew little.

2. According to the passage, the author prefer______

A．learning by using.

B．learning is wasting time.

C．learning by spending hours.

D．learning is pointless.

3. Why does the author think his work is special?

A．Because he is a unique person in his company.

B．Because he can gain confidence by helping others.

C．Because his aim is to be special in the world.

D．Because his old confidence is gone.