【推荐2】An old friend from California called from the airport to tell me that he had arrived. I was not able to leave the office, but I had made plans for his arrival. After explaining (解释) where my new house was, I told him that I had left the key under the doormat (门垫). Since I knew it would be pretty late before I could get home, I suggested that he make himself at home and help himself to anything that was in the refrigerator(电冰箱).

Two hours later my friend phoned me from the house. At the moment, he said, he was listening to some of my records after having had a delicious meal. Now, he said, he was drinking a glass of orange juice. When I asked him if he had had any difficulty finding the house, he answered that the only problem was that he had not been able to find the key under the doormat, but luckily, the living room window by the apple tree had been left open and he had climbed in through the window. I listened to all this in great surprise. There is no apple tree outside my window, but there is one by the living room window of my next door neighbor's house!

1. An old friend of mine called ______.

A．to tell me to meet him at the airport

B．to tell me about his arrival

C．to ask me to leave the office

D．to ask me to make plans for his arrival

2. My friend climbed into the room because ______ .

A．there was an apple tree outside

B．the living room window was left open

C．he had difficulty opening the door

D．he hadn't found the key

3. My friend telephoned me two hours later ______ .

A．from my home	B．at the airport
C．in his office	D．from my neighbor's house

4. The purpose of writing this passage is to ________.

A．introduce a friend	B．tell an interesting story
C．explain something	D．show what friendship is

【推荐3】Fishing is my favourite sport. I often fish for hours without catching anything. But this does not worry me. Some fishermen are unlucky. Instead of catching fish, they catch old boots and rubbish. I am even less lucky. I never catch anything -- not even old boots. After having spent whole mornings on the river, I always go home with an empty bag. 'You must give up fishing!' my friends say. 'It's a waste of time.' But they don't realize one important thing. I'm not really interested in fishing. I am only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all!

1. ________ is the author’s favourite sport?

A．Skating.	B．Fishing.
C．Catching old boots.	D．Sitting in a boat.

2. Some fishermen catch old boots and rubbish, so they are ________.

A．lucky	B．interested
C．happy	D．unlucky

3. What does the author catch?

A．Old boots and rubbish.	B．Fish.
C．An empty bag.	D．Nothing.

4. Why is fishing the author’s favourite sport?

A．Because fishing is good for health.

B．Because he likes catching old boots.

C．Because it’s a waste of time.

D．Because he likes doing nothing at all.

【推荐1】When I was in junior high school, I was really a bad boy. My history teacher — Mr Oven criticized me a lot because I was naughty in his class. By the end of the first semester, I’d had enough of his words and had decided that I would get my revenge on him.

The opportunity arose one morning when Mr. Oven was called to the office for a certain reason. While Mr. Oven left, my company Billy and I grabbed Mr. Oven’s lunch bag from under his desk. I opened his sandwich and placed a bug in between the two slices of bread. We put it back and closed it. To keep it in memory, Billy took photos of the whole process. We laughed for weeks over this.

Well, it all went south during Thanksgiving break. Billy’s Mother found the pictures in his room, and demanded that he should tell her where these pictures were from. Billy told his mother the whole story, and Mr. Oven was informed. Not only was I punished from school for two weeks, but also I was kicked off the football and basketball team. Before I could return to school, I had to turn in a 1000-word essay on what I did and why I did that. I really felt embarrassing every time I saw Mr. Oven in the hallway for the rest of the school year. I felt a little regret that Mr. Oven left our school the next year.

1. Mr. Oven criticized the writer a lot because ________.

A．he was naughty in his class	B．he didn’t go to his class
C．he didn’t answer his questions	D．he was good at his class

2. How can you imagine Mr. Oven when he had his lunch?

A．He would be glad to eat his delicious sandwich.

B．He would eat it as usual when he had his sandwich.

C．He would cry because he was afraid of the bug in his sandwich.

D．He would be very angry when he found the bug in his sandwich.

3. What is the meaning of the underlined sentence “Well, it all went south during Thanksgiving break.” in the third paragraph?

A．It was until Thanksgiving break that the secret was let out.

B．All the students left on Thanksgiving break.

C．All the students went south on Thanksgiving break.

D．Billy and I went south during Thanksgiving break.

4. What does the phrase “kicked off” mean in this passage?

A．fired

B．punished

C．scolded

D．hit

5. Which one was NOT true according to the article?

A．He had to leave school for two weeks.

B．He was kicked off the football and basketball team.

C．He had to eat the sandwich he had made for Mr. Oven.

D．He had to write a 1000-word essay to acknowledge his mistake.

【推荐2】An old man walked slowly into a restaurant with his cane (拐杖). His old jacket and shoes made him unusual that day.

A young waitress named Mary watched him move towards a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said with a smile, “Here, sir. Let me give you a hand.” Without saying a word, he gave her a smile. She pulled the chair away from the table and helped him sit down. Then she put his cane against the table so that he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice, he said, “Thank you, miss.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” she replied. “I’ll be back in a moment, and if you need anything, just wave at me!”

After he had finished a good meal. Mary brought him the change. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, sir!” The old man turned around and smiled.

When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under the plate, she found a business card, a 100-dollar bill and a note. The note said, “Dear Mary, I respect (尊敬) you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness.” In fact, the old man was the owner of the restaurant. That was the first time that she, or any of his waitresses, had seen him.

1. The old man looked     

A．young

B．handsome

C．unusual

D．common

2. As soon as the old man entered the restaurant, Mary greeted him .

A．politely

B．slowly

C．sadly

D．angrily

3. Mary told the old man to     when he needed something.

A．ring the bell

B．wave at her

C．shout at her

D．phone her

4. Mary was shocked when she found a business card, a 100-dollar bill and a note       .

A．on the chair

B．on the ground

C．under the bowl

D．under the plate

5. The old man was

A．Mary’s father	B．Mary’s neighbour
C．the boss of the restaurant	D．a waiter of the restaurant

【推荐3】There was an earthquake this morning. I was working in front of my computer when it hit the city. The quake started with a sudden loud noise. I thought that something heavy in a neighbor's house probably had fallen. However, the walls and the floor began to shake. I finally realized it was an earthquake.

My son Zac, a sixteen­year­old boy, was sleeping with his door locked. Being sixteen, he can sleep through any kind of noise. "Zac!" I shouted. "Are you OK?" But nobody replied. I was a little worried. I couldn't imagine that someone was able to get such a deep sleep. The house was dancing. There were waves in the swimming pool. I was afraid the house would come down. "Zac!" I yelled, knocking on his door with an open palm (手掌). "Zac! Wake up! It's an earthquake! We need to get out!"

My son finally emerged in his underpants. We looked around the room. I knew that we should hide under a table to stop things from falling on us and stay away from glass. Unfortunately, none of our furniture was designed for hiding under. "Should we go into the garden?" Zac asked. "No, trees could fall on us!" I said. Actually, Zac had done earthquake drills (训练) at school. He must have been told to hide under a desk and cover his head. But we had nothing to cover our heads in the house.

Luckily, before we took any action, the windows stopped moving and the pool calmed down. Everything went back to normal soon. But both my son and I knew what we should do, because we knew if there had been a really big earthquake this morning, we couldn't have escaped from it.

1. When the earthquake started, the author ________.

A．didn't hear anything

B．was repairing her computer

C．didn't consider it an earthquake

D．was sleeping with her door locked

2. According to Paragraph 2, why was the author worried?

A．Because her son seemed to be in pain.

B．Because she couldn't wake her son up.

C．Because her son was locked in his room.

D．Because she couldn't solve her son's sleep problem.

3. What problem did the author and her son face?

A．They couldn't get out of the house.

B．They couldn't stop things from falling.

C．They couldn't find anything to hide under.

D．They couldn't remember what to do in an earthquake.

4. The author and her son most probably realized they should ________.

A．replace their furniture

B．build a stronger house

C．receive earthquake drills

D．watch the weather report often

【推荐1】D
Next time a customer comes to your office, offer him a cup of coffee. And when you’re doing your holiday shopping online, make sure you’re holding a large glass of iced tea. The physical sensation(感觉) of warmth encourages emotional warmth, while a cold drink in hand prevents you from making unwise decisions—those are the practical lesson being drawn from recent research by psychologist John A. Bargh.
Psychologists have known that one person’s perception(感知) of another’s “warmth” is a powerful determiner in social relationships. Judging someone to be either “warm” or “cold” is a primary consideration, even trumping evidence that a “cold” person may be more capable. Much of this is rooted in very early childhood experiences, Bargh argues, when babies’ conceptual sense of the world around them is shaped by physical sensations, particularly warmth and coldness. Classic studies by Harry Harlow, published in 1958, showed monkeys preferred to stay close to a cloth “mother” rather than one made of wire, even when the wire “mother” carried a food bottle. Harlow’s work and later studies have led psychologists to stress the need for warm physical contact from caregivers to help young children grow into healthy adults with normal social skills.
Feelings of “warmth” and “coldness” in social judgments appear to be universal. Although no worldwide study has been done, Bargh says that describing people as “warm” or “cold” is common to many cultures, and studies have found those perceptions influence judgment in dozens of countries.
To test the relationship between physical and psychological warmth, Bargh conducted an experiment which involved 41 college students. A research assistant who was unaware of the study’s hypotheses(假设), handed the students either a hot cup of coffee, or a cold drink, to hold while the researcher filled out a short information form: The drink was then handed back. After that, the students were asked to rate the personality of “Person A” based on a particular description. Those who had briefly held the warm drink regarded Person A as warmer than those who had held the iced drink.
“We are grounded in our physical experiences even when we think abstractly,” says Bargh.
1. According to Paragraph 1, a person’s emotion may be affected by ______.

A．the visitors to his office	B．the psychology lessons he has
C．his physical feeling of coldness	D．the things he has bought online

2. The author mentions Harlow’s experiment to show that ______.

A．adults should develop social skills	B．babies need warm physical contact
C．caregivers should be healthy adults	D．monkeys have social relationships

3. In Bargh’s experiment, the students were asked to ______.

A．evaluate someone’s personality	B．write down their hypotheses
C．fill out a personal information form	D．hold coffee and cold drink alternatively

4. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．abstract thinking does not come from physical experiences

B．feelings of warmth and coldness are studied worldwide

C．physical temperature affects how we see others

D．capable persons are often cold to others

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Drinking for Better Social Relationships.

B．Experiments of Personality Evaluation.

C．Developing Better Drinking Habits.

D．Physical Sensations and Emotions.

【推荐2】Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, "The British are the only people who like to be told how bad things are." This is definitely true of British comedy. Most people think humor is about happy things, but for the British, the opposite is true. We love to use our cruel sense of humor to complain and be negative.

British comedy, for example, draws a fine line between comedy and tragedy（悲剧）. BBC's The Office is a TV show, famous for its dry humor. The main character, David Brent, is a foolish man, and the show's comedy comes from his delusions. For example, he often tells himself that he is loved by everyone but the viewer can see that everyone hates him.

Stupid characters for the audience to laugh at are an old tradition in Britain. In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio is an old man whom people play tricks on. The audience will laugh away, although the reality is that this man is a truly tragic individual.

This side of British humor is reflected in friendships as well. At university, my friends and I would always laugh at one another. I had an American friend who actually found this sarcasm（挖苦）quite upsetting. She didn't realize that in Britain, the better friends you are with someone, the more you laugh at them.

This approach—laughing at everything—may sound rather depressing（让人郁闷的）, but our strange humor played a big part in British history. In World War II, along with a stiff upper lip（坚定沉着）, the British got through it by laughing. What else was there to do?

There is a saying in English: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone." If you are ever on the receiving end of British sarcasm, you may feel like crying, but it's best to just laugh it off!

1. How is British humor special?

A．It is often surprising and boring.

B．It is often about negative things.

C．It often laughs at happy people.

D．It often makes happy things depressing.

2. From paragraph 2-5 we can know that         .

A．British people will not laugh at their good friends

B．there is a great difference between comedy and tragedy

C．stupid people are often treated well in Shakespeare's plays

D．British humor used to give people courage in face of sufferings

3. How does the author advise people to react to British humor?

A．Keep silent.

B．Cry as you like.

C．Don't take it seriously.

D．Try to hold back your laughter.

【推荐3】Ireland: Beauty and a Long History of Separation

Ireland is home to ancient kings and chiefs, giants and fairies. For years it has existed as two Irelands, and Brexit could worsen that division. Discover the lively cities of Dublin and Belfast, and taste pints, drink a whiskey or eat fresh oysters(牡蛎).

Journey Highlights

Meet storytellers and experts for insight into the true story of Ireland's history.

Get the full taste of Ireland, experiencing seaweed, oysters and whiskey.

Swiss Family Adventure: An Active Journey Through the Alps.

The Swiss Alps are the perfect family playground, providing a fun and relaxing summer place for all ages. Towering peaks, rushing waterfalls and peaceful meadows bursting with wildflowers provide the calm backdrop for a variety of active programs. This eight-day program is suited to anyone with a sense of adventure, and especially for families with children ages 7 to 14.

Journey Highlights

Explore the heart-beating First Cliff Walk in Grindelwald.

Cruise Lake Thun to the town of Spiez. Explore the castle here, where children can become “Knights in Training".

Climate Change in New Orleans: A meeting and observation

The effect of climate change and extreme weather is all too noticeable in the disastrous changes that are happening along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Spend four days in New Orleans exposed to the issues around global climate change and its effects on human health, and natural ecosystems.

Journey Highlights

Take a special tour of the levee system on the Mississippi River surrounding New Orleans to see its importance in protecting the area.

Learn how climate change affects New Orleans and the Gulf region from scientists.

Active Argentina and Patagonia

Argentina is the active adventurers’ dream destination. From cathedral-like peaks to icy glaciers, this active, multisport route invites you to explore the Lake District, hike in view of the Fitz Roy Massif, sail to glaciers and ride horses.

Journey Highlights

Go kayaking on Lago Gutierrez and hike to surprising lakes in Nahuel Huapi National Park.

Cruise by boating to the face of the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Visit a working ranch for a closer look at farmer life.

1. Which activity will make you feel thrilled?

A．Visiting a working ranch in Argentina.

B．Walking on the bank of the Mississippi River.

C．Listening to the true story

D．Exploring First Cliff Walk in Grindelwald

2. Who is suitable for the journey to New Orleans?

A．Historians.	B．Adventurers
C．Sailors	D．Environmentalists

3. Where should visitors go if they want to explore the Lake District?

A．In Swiss.	B．In Argentina.
C．In Ireland.	D．In New Orleans.

【推荐1】It goes without saying that many Western wedding customs are completely different from those of Asian cultures. Some are so rooted in history that many Westerners have no idea whether they even exist.

Traditionally,June has been the most popular month for people to get married. One reason is that June 1 was the date of an ancient Roman festival celebrating the marriage of the god Jupiter and his wife Juno.Another reason will likely. astonish you. Centuries ago, taking a bath was not as common as it is today. Some people took a bath only once a year, typically in May. Since June was a time most wedding guests would not be too smelly, that month was preferred.

Another wedding custom is for the bride to "wear something old, something new,something borrowed,and something blue."Having something old is said to protect the newlyweds' future baby, while the new item shows optimism for the future. Meanwhile, something borrowed is meant to bring good luck, and something blue is a promise of being faithful. Lesser known is the fact that the bride is also supposed to have a sixpence in her shoe for prosperity(兴旺)。 Interestingly,in Sweden, brides are given two coins before getting married-one gold from her mother and the other silver from her father-also to put in her shoes. These fascinating customs show just how important certain wedding traditions are in Western cultures.

The concept of the “white wedding”， in which the bride wears a white wedding dress, is a familiar one. It is thought, mistakenly though, that this is a tradition that developed in ancient times and originates from the belief of white being a symbol of purity. Actually, the custom of brides wearing this color dates back less than 200 years and is attributed to the wedding of Queen Victoria. The queen's choice of white for her wedding was unusual for the time as other colors, especially red, were much more common.

After news of Victoria's highly publicized wedding to Prince Albert spread, not just around the United Kingdom,but to other nations including the United States,women began following in her footsteps and wearing white dresses at their wedding ceremonies. With white being the choice of a powerful royal figure like Queen Victoria, the color became associated with wealth. nobility. and the fashion-conscious.

1. Based on the text, June has been a popular month to get married probably because

A．Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in June of 1840

B．June is the month in which Romans recall the soul of gods

C．some people didn't take a bath before May in ancient times

D．it is considered to be the luckiest time of year to get married

2. Which of the following wedding customs is said to protect an unborn child?

A．Wearing something old.

B．Wearing something blue.

C．Wearing a shoe with a coin in it.

D．Wearing something borrowed.

3. What can we learn from the "white wedding" mentioned in the passage?

A．The white wedding dress is a symbol of purity and nobility.

B．Red rather than white was once popular in English weddings.

C．Queen Victoria wore white in the hope of breaking old customs.

D．The custom of the white wedding started thousands of years ago.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Routines of marriage ceremonies.

B．Highlights of traditional weddings.

C．Reflecting on old traditions.

D．Exploring western wedding customs.

【推荐2】How cold is too cold to keep schools open? The question is being raised, at least in the Northeast, where the temperature is way below zero.

Keith Marty, superintendent(主管)of the Parkway School District in Missouri, published a letter to parents saying: “it is always challenging to balance my desire to have children in school and also my desire to keep them safe.” Location can affect closure decisions: children in Minnesota are accustomed to cold winter temperatures, but kids in the South aren’t. Also at play are concerns about state student attendance requirement and traffic issues, such as how long students have to wait outdoors for a bus, as well as health dangers caused by the cold and the condition of many old or poorly equipped school buildings.

And many districts worry about students who receive most or all of their meals at school and who have working parents who can’t stay home with them. Matt Guilfoyle, spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia, said in an email that his school system “strongly believes students are better served by being in school. FCPS also considers the nearly 56,000 students who receive free and reduced-price meals each day at school. If schools are open and a parent does not believe it is safe for his or her child, the parent should keep the child at home for an excused absence.”

A few years ago, Chicago public schools closed when the National Weather Service said temperatures would feel, with wind chill(风寒), like 30 degrees below zero. But they opened the next day even though the temperature didn’t rise much. A Chicago lawyer named William Choslovsky wrote an opinion piece in Chicago Tribune mocking the schools for closing when Milwaukee schools stayed open with cold temperatures. “Consider this the continued wussification(娘娘腔)of society,” he wrote. “Our kids can go to school. Considering that so few even walk anymore, what difference does the temperature make?”

Still, sometimes, the temperatures demand school closure, at least in the eyes of school district officials. Buffalo officials decided to close schools for Friday, with the forecast calling for temperatures at around zero degrees, with wind chill making it feel more like 20 degrees below zero.

1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?

A．Waiting for a school bus can be dangerous.

B．Many school buildings are too old to function.

C．Parents and schools differ on school closure.

D．School closure decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

2. What was Matt Guilfoyle trying to express in his email?

A．Opening school is good for students.

B．FCPS offers excellent food for students.

C．Some parents are irresponsible caregivers.

D．Some parents prevent schools from opening.

3. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Are students strong enough?

B．When is it too cold for school?

C．Is the weather getting colder and colder?

D．What are the schools doing to face cold weather?

【推荐3】Being a college student during a pandemic （流行病）means you're probably working from home internship （实习）.Working remotely has become a positive trend （趋势）and more people are realizing that it's not only easy to do, but is also environmentally and economically （经济上）friendly.

Although, there are some challenges and difficulties to overcome when you work from home internship. Interns doesn't have interacting（互动）with the workmates and don't get as much hands-on experience, which can be disappointing at times.

It's important to make connections with your workmates   while serving your internship. Normally, this is done by being in the office every day and gathering near the water cooler to chat or in meetings. Making connections and building relationships with coworkers while working from home is a major challenge. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The first is to stick to meetings with your supervisor （上级）.Plan a weekly, or daily if necessary, meeting to talk about your projects and to build a relationship together. Besides, join in your team meetings when you can contribute something important or meaningful. You can even master the art of small talk so you know that your voice is being heard by every workmate. Il's admirable for a young intern, especially one who works from home, to speak up. Lastly, you can join in any teambuilding exercises or social events. Since working remotely has become the new normal, companies are trying to come up with activities that help coworkers unite together even when they aren't face-to-face.

1. What's the author's attitude towards “working remotely”？

A．Pessimistic.	B．Optimistic.
C．Uncertain.	D．Questioning.

2. Which is the possible weakness of “working remotely" ?

A．The difficulty in interacting with others.

B．Being unable to get working experience.

C．Feeling disappointed all the time.

D．Losing touch with your supervisor.

3. How many pieces of advice are given in Paragraph 4?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

4. What's the best title for the passage?

A．Communicating Much While Working from Home Internship

B．Getting the Most from Working from Home Internship

C．Combining Office Culture with Working from Home Internship

D．Experiencing Working from Home Internship when You Graduate