【推荐1】Shortly after the war，my brother and I were invited to spend a few days with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented a cottage in the country，although he rarely spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture（家具）in it；many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked（渗漏），making the whole house terrible.

On our first evening，we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories which our uncle had to tell of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed；but I could not stand missing any of my uncle's exciting stories.

He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash from the bedroom above，the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.

"It sounds as if the roof has fallen in！"cried out my uncle，with a loud laugh.

When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door，we could see nothing at first because of the thick clouds of dust which filled the room. When the dust began to clear，a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen down，falling right onto the pillow（枕头）on my bed.

I was glad that I had stayed up late to listen to my uncle's stories，otherwise I should certainly have been seriously injured，perhaps killed.

That night we all slept on the floor in the sitting room downstairs，not wishing to risk our lives by sleeping under a roof which might at any moment fall down on our heads. We left for London the very next morning and my uncle gave up his cottage in the country. This was not the kind of adventure he cared for either！

1. Why did the uncle seldom spend much time in the country cottage？

A．Because the roof of the cottage had fallen.

B．Because the cottage was in bad condition.

C．Because he was used to living abroad.

D．Because the rooms were too small to live in.

2. When the author and his brother opened the bedroom door，they could see nothing at first because.

A．it was completely dark inside

B．there was too much dust in the air

C．something strange stopped them

D．it was a mess inside

3. The author felt glad that he had stayed up late because.

A．he did not miss the exciting stories

B．he spent more time with his uncle

C．he had a lucky escape

D．he saw a strange sight

4. Which of the following can best describe the writer's uncle？

A．Adventurous and good at storytelling.

B．Humorous and good at making jokes.

C．Dependable and generous with money.

D．Thoughtful and sensitive to danger.

【推荐2】“I say, I’m pleased to see you,” said the little man standing by the letter-box.
“Oh, hello,” I said, remembering he was a new neighbor. “Simpson, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.” He seemed quite pleased by my ready recognition.
“I wonder if you could lend me some money,” he continued. “My wife gave me a letter to post, and I’ve just noticed it isn’t stamped.”
“yes, they never are,” I said, sympathetically（同情地）.
“It must go tonight—it really must! I’d get stamps out of the machine,” explained Simpson,” Only I find I have no small change about me.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I haven’t either,” I said.
“Oh, dear, dear,” he said.
“Yes, well,” I said, intending to move off. But he looked so unhappy standing there with the blue unstamped envelope that I really hadn’t the heart to desert him.
So I took him to my house and found some pennies and gave them to him, who, in the most business like way, made a note of the loan in his pocket-book, and left. But soon he turned up again.
“I’m sorry I am a stranger round here and —well, I’m rather lost…”
It took me several minutes to explain to him where the post office was. In the end I felt as lost as Simpson and had to accompany him to the post office, but, only to find the automatic stamp-machine was empty!
“Oh!” Simpson was so desperate that he dropped the letter on the ground and when he picked it up there was a large black spot on its face.
“Dear me,” he said, “My wife told me to post it tonight. I’d better post it, if you know what I mean.”
I did know. Or, at least, I knew Mrs Simpson.
Then I got a good idea, “Post the letter unstamped—let the other man pay double postage on it in the morning. ” And he had to agree.
Finishing off our job, I took him home.
“I’m so grateful to you, really,” he said when we reached his home. “That letter—it’s only an invitation to dinner to Mr… Dear me!”
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Just something I’ve remembered.”
“What?”
But he didn’t tell me. He just opened his eyes and his mouth at me like a wounded gold- fish, murmured（低声说话）a “Good-night”, and went inside.
All the way home I was wondering what it was that he had remembered.
But I stopped wondering the next morning, when I had to pay the postman double postage for a blue envelope with a large black spot on its face.
1. Simpson was very happy when the writer greeted him because ____.

A．they were good friends

B．he had a very important letter to post

C．he saw somebody he could turn to at last

D．he didn’t expect the writer to recognize him instantly

2. In the writer’s view,   ____.

A．the consequence would be very severe if Simpson didn’t obey his wife

B．wives never gave their husbands money to post a letter

C．it bothered him to lead Simpson to the post office

D．he was as foolish as Simpson

3. What did Simpson suddenly remember when they got his home?

A．His wife was waiting for him to return.

B．The letter was only an invitation to dinner.

C．The letter was just addressed to the writer.

D．It’s unfair for the other man to pay for the letter.

4. How would the writer describe Simpson?

A．Stupid and careless.	B．Careless but warm-hearted.
C．Optimistic and kind.	D．Cautious but stubborn.

【推荐1】Mark Twain, the famous American writer and a great master of humour, liked to play jokes on others. But once a joke was played on him. One day Mark Twain was invited to give a talk in a small town. At lunch he met a young man, one of his friends.

The young man said that he had an uncle with him. He told Mark Twain that his uncle never laughed or smiled, and that nobody and nothing was able to make his uncle smile or laugh.

“You bring your uncle to my talk this evening,” said Mark Twain. “I’m sure I can make him laugh.”

That evening the young man and his uncle sat in the front. Mark Twain began to speak. He told several funny stories and made everyone in the room laugh. But the old man never even smiled. Mark Twain told more funny stories, but the old man still kept quiet. Mark Twain continued to tell his funny stories. Finally he stopped. He was tired and quite disappointed.

Some days later, Mark Twain told another friend what had happened. “Oh,” said his friend, “I know that man.

He’s been deaf for years.”

1. One day Mark Twain met ________ at lunch.

A．his brother

B．a friend

C．his teacher

D．a young girl

2. Why did Mark Twain ask the young man to bring his uncle to his talk?

A．Because he wanted to get to know the old man.

B．Because the old man could tell stories.

C．Because he thought he could make the old man laugh.

D．Because he wanted to learn from the old man.

3. Mark Twain stopped finally because he was ________.

A．sleepy

B．sorry

C．ill

D．disappointed

4. Mark Twain couldn’t make the old man laugh because ________.

A．the old man was deaf

B．his joke was not funny

C．the old man was not interested in the jokes

D．the old man could not tell more funny jokes

【推荐3】Parker Stewart, a 16-year- old student from Sayre School in America, decided last year that he wanted to study the environment by himself to have a broad influence on the community.

In order to reduce the carbon footprint, Stewart planned to produce enough solar energy to power the school's science labs. Now his plan is set to happen. To fix 30 solar panels (太阳能板) is scheduled for late November.

As he began his research on solar energy, he discovered a useful phone app. By entering an address, he could find out how much sunlight the location receives each day. Based on how much sunlight it receives, he found that his school building was the best location. At the suggestion of his science teacher, Debbie Wheeler, he first performed an energy calculation of the science lab to see how much energy a typical lab uses per day. Then, he started his research, contacting a local company of solar panels, Synergy Home, to do the job. He lacked money for starting the project, so he convinced Sayre's head to support him after explaining the benefits of solar power for the school and community.

Since Sayre provided the initial seed money to provide infrastructure (基础设施) and the purchase of one panel, the project has grown to include a total of 30 panels. They are expected to produce enough energy to run all the science labs on campus.

“It feels like a dream to think that an idea I had from my AP Environmental class would have this kind of influence,” said Stewart, expressing gratitude for Wheeler's help. Wheeler said the success of the project was due to Stewart's efforts and willingness to follow through on the project from start to finish. “I've had other students talk about environmental initiatives (倡议) on campus, but Stewart had the persistence and courage to make it happen,” she said.

Stewart said that he would eventually like to study environmental engineering at Stanford University in California.

1. What did Stewart do with the help of the phone app?

A．He began his research on solar energy.

B．He found a perfect site for his project.

C．He did an energy calculation of the science lab.

D．He identified the specific address of his school.

2. How did Stewart get seed money for his project?

A．By getting support from his school.

B．By asking for help from his science teacher.

C．By convincing Synergy Home to provide free panels.

D．By collecting money from his school and community.

3. Which word can best describe Stewart?

A．Faithful.

B．Flexible.

C．Determined.

D．Addicted.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Students search for solar energy.

B．A teacher helps a student do a project.

C．A student plays a part in cutting carbon.

D．Students talk about the environmental protection.

【推荐1】The spine (脊柱) stands at the center of your health, providing your body with structure and support. It also contains a major collection of nerves that deliver electric signals from the rest of the body to your brain. Since your spine is so central to health, it’s important to take care of it.

Staying in a good position is one of the most important things you can do to keep your spine healthy. A proper position means standing or sitting while keeping your spine straight, except for its natural bending. Positions play a vital part even when you’re asleep. Stomach sleeping is far from a good idea. Many people prefer sleeping on their side, which is in the interests of their spine. Sleeping on your back has lots of benefits yet can cause lower back pain and put some pressure on your spine.

Staying still for too long — even if your position is good — can be hard on your back. Especially if you work at a task most of the day, it’s important to get up and stretch (伸展) periodically. Therefore, exercise is also a key part in the health of your spine. Stretches can help the muscles (肌肉) around your spine relax. Strength exercises with light weights or body weight exercises like push­ups can also help by strengthening the muscles. However, don’t overdo the exercise, as repeated movements can hurt the muscles around the spine, as trying to lift heavy weights with poor technique.

Your diet also affects the health of your spine because many vitamins are necessary for bones and nerves. In particular, vitamin B and omega­3 fatty acids help keep nerves healthy. Another important part is vitamin D, which is required for strong bones. Vitamin D can come from some foods, but it’s also absorbed from sunlight, so it may help to do some exercises outside. At last, many of the actions necessary to keep a spine healthy are similar to those used to protect your health in other ways. So protect your back, and the rest of the body will benefit.

1. Which sleep position is best for our spine according to the passage?

A．	B．
C．	D．

2. What is suggested in Paragraph 3?

A．Doing a proper amount of exercise.

B．Staying still in a good position.

C．Repeating a certain movement more.

D．Strengthening muscles of the whole body.

3. What can we infer about vitamins?

A．Vitamin B reacts with omega­3 fatty acids.

B．Abundant vitamin D guarantees strong bones.

C．Vitamin D can’t be absorbed without sunlight.

D．Doing push­ups outside increases vitamin D intake.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Good posture, good spine

B．Stay still, stay healthy

C．Healthy means, healthy spine

D．Proper exercise, proper weight

【推荐2】Dear Mummy,

This last trip to India with you has brought home to me a few hard facts- facts that I wanted to avoid seeing for some time. As you well know, you and I have had a few arguments and several days of tension during the trip. I must admit sometimes I really do not know how to communicate to you what I really feel. Words seem to fail on both sides. That's why I am writing this letter. Perhaps it will be a bit easier.        ①         

As I approach my seventeenth year, I suddenly ask myself where I belong.1 know this is the usual teenage identity crisis. You came to this country when you were slightly older than I am and married my father. You admired the American lifestyle and tried to be an American as much as you could. I am the daughter of you, a mother who is Indian, and a father who is American. Of course, I am American. Except for a few trips to India I have little to do with India outwardly. But I feel how much you would like me to     become Indian sometimes. I cannot explain it with examples. But I feel it in my bones. The India that you never quite shake off comes back to you now and you want to see your daughter live it, at least partly.        ②         

Yes, Mummy, I know I am wrapped up in many superficial (肤浅的) things, things my friends indulge in (沉迷于) and I can understand your need to protect me. But I am part of them and in order for me to be accepted by my friends, sometimes I need to do things which do not always please me either. I need their approval and I want to be like them sometimes. But your good intentions to teach me those good Indian things then clash. Although I dislike the superficiality of my friends, I cannot move back to your culture just because it is better for you or more ancient or deep.        ③          

My dearest mother, I cannot be protected by you. Forgive me if I remind you of something you related   to me many times. You could not be protected by my grandparents (your parents) when you decided to embrace this culture along with my father.       ④        Nor can you protect me despite the fact that we are not separated by physical distance. Perhaps we are separated by something else and I suspect that is India.

I have never written a letter like this before in my short life. I feel good about writing this and would like to hear what you have to say, Ma, perhaps you and I can still be friends in a way that you and your mother could not be. Let’s try. I love you.

Yours,

Rita

1. What can we learn from this letter?

A．Rita and her mother had a pleasant trip in India.

B．Rita always asks herself where she belongs.

C．Rita wants to be accepted by her friends.

D．Rita's mother allows her freedom to do as she wishes.

2. This sentence “Let me live the life I am surrounded by and suffer as I wish.” can be best placed at ______.

A．①	B．②
C．③	D．④

3. The underlined word “clash” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______

A．come into existence	B．come into disagreement
C．come into view	D．come into effect

4. Which words can best describe Rita's personality?

A．Hesitant and ignorant.	B．Thoughtful and generous.
C．Ambitious and humorous.	D．Independent and communicative.

5. Which kind of social problem can be reflected from this private letter?

A．Politics.	B．Race.
C．Religion.	D．Identity.

6. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Rita expects more protection from her mother.

B．Rita expects more Indian cultural influence from her mother.

C．Rita expects more communication and respect from her mother.

D．Rita expects more attention and care from her mother.

【推荐3】Think of a university campus: it has its own roads, shops, residential areas, banks and transport links. It may be visited by tens of thousands of people each day. It is, in effect, a tiny city.

Across the globe, metropolises (大都市) are increasingly opting for a smart city approach. This is a tech-driven model that’s used in places such as Barcelona, where street lamps react intelligently to surroundings to save energy; Seattle, where smart traffic lights respond to the conditions on the road and even Milton Keynes, which has a real-time “data hub” sharing information about the town’s energy and water consumption, transport, weather and pollution.

Universities are taking notice. The US is leading the way, with on-campus innovations (创新) in energy (the University of Texas at Austin has a fully independent grid that provides all its energy), transport (the University of Michigan has introduced a self-driving shuttle system) and information (the University of Minnesota has installed 300 digital signage boards, updated with real-time data.)

UK institutions are following suit. The University of Glasgow has been working with innovation centre Future Cities Catapult on a strategy to bring smart technology to the campus as it expands. The vision includes intelligent campus Al, an on-demand bus service and a data centre powered by renewable energy.

“Smart cities are kind of slow-moving,” says Gemmy Ginty, a designer working on the strategy. “Cities are so big, and there are so many players and stakeholders (有权益关系者), so it can be difficult. But universities have control over their estates. They own all the buildings, all the networks and a captive audience in terms of the students, so they can become a living lab.”

Curtin University, in Western Australia, has joined up with Hitachi to turn the campus into a data-gathering laboratory, with 1,600 cameras linked to facial recognition and analytics software to gather information on study patterns and course attendance. According to the university’s chief operating officer Ian Callahan, this will be “to improve students’ experiences and enhance learning”。

“But any kind of monitoring does raise questions around privacy. Universities need to remember that data are not a magic bullet.” says Kathleen Armour, a professor at the University of Birmingham.

“I am not convinced by the suggestion that we should collect mountains of data on everything a student does,” she says. “It’s easy to be carried away. Instead, we need to use anonymous (匿名的) data intelligently to ensure that our campus and its systems are made as effective as possible to meet students needs.”

1. What do cities mentioned in Paragraph 2 have in common?

A．They all try every means to save water.

B．They all have a smart transport system.

C．They all have a smart way to fight pollution.

D．They all benefit from technological advance.

2. What can we learn from Gemmy Ginty’s words?

A．It is much easier to build smart universities.

B．Universities should give students right to choose.

C．Cities should take universities into consideration.

D．It is difficult to control universities’ development.

3. What is Kathleen Armour’s attitude towards monitoring?

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

【推荐1】The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and pushed the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. “How embarrassing! I am getting so clumsy in my old age.”

Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others.

Frank began,“My Dad was a fisherman. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home.”

Frank's voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!”

He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss. When we got to the school, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, ‘No, Dad.’ It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, ‘Dad, I'm too old for a good-bye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.’ My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear. I had never seen him cry. He turned. ‘You're right,’ he said. ‘You are a big boy ... a man. I won't kiss you anymore.’”

For the moment, the tears began to well up in Frank's eyes. “It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back.”

I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again.“Guys, you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek.”

1. Why did Frank feel embarrassed when his father kissed him good-bye at that time?

A．Because he didn’t want his father to drive him to school.

B．Because his classmates would laugh at him.

C．Because everybody was standing around and watching him.

D．Because he thought he was too old for a good-bye kiss.

2. When Frank refused his father's kiss that day, his father__________.

A．felt surprised and didn't know what to do

B．felt a little angry but agreed not to kiss him anymore

C．felt very sad but agreed not to kiss him anymore

D．felt very relieved because his son grew up

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A．Frank's father was hardworking and very responsible.

B．Frank's father drove him to school everyday when he was 12.

C．Frank regretted refusing his father's kiss very much.

D．Frank didn't think the good-bye kiss an embarrassment anymore.

4. Frank told us this when everyone told a story about the embarrassing moment maybe because the following reasons EXCEPT__________.

A．he regretted to have refused his father's kiss

B．he wanted to remind us to cherish the time with family

C．he still thought this was the most embarrassing thing

D．he understood his father's love and missed him

【推荐2】Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mum, you must come and see the daffodils （水仙花）before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Lake Arrowhead. “I will go next Tuesday,” I promised, a little unwillingly, on her third call.

The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is indiscernible in the cloud and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see!”

My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this weather all the time, Mum. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read “Daffodil Garden”.

We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most beautiful sight! There were five acres of flowers! “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “That’s her home,” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio（平台）, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs（鳞茎）,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”

I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun -- one bulb at a time -- to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top.

1. Why was the author unwilling to see the daffodils at first ____.

A．The weather was terrible.

B．She took little interest in them.

C．She wasn’t available at that time.

D．It was not easy to go there.

2. What does the underlined word “indiscernible” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Invisible.

B．Remote.

C．Impossible.

D．Complex.

3. Which of the following best describes the woman living in the A-frame house?

A．Optimistic.

B．Productive.

C．Determined.

D．Generous.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．I love Daffodils

B．An Unbelievable Experience

C．Gardening as a hobby

D．One Bulb at a time

【推荐3】Learning a foreign language can be a difficult task for most people. The degree of difficulty, however, differs from one person to another. Like studying any other subject, we have to spend much effort and time. Besides, an individual’s learning ability can be determined by the following factors.

My husband says I am a quick learner, but I easily forget new information, especially dates and figures. But my husband spends more time learning a new subject but seldom forgets what he has learned. Some people can learn new information fast, while others have to work a little bit harder at it. Others retain new knowledge longer, like my husband, while others easily forget what they just learned. How fast and well you learn new things are determined by your genes and your environment. My mother is a fast learner, while my husband has slow learning parents. The way we learn also differs. I like to write down what I’ve just learned. I also find that drawing diagrams and relationships work better for me. Compared with my husband, I hate memorizing data. I remember things better when I can visually picture them in my mind.

Foreign language resources are not so common here in our area. I’ve seen a few dictionaries in some bookstores but haven’t seen any CD or DVD about it. I don’t even think the stores here sell electronic dictionaries! I have to go to a big city just to buy one. However, you may easily get all of these materials. Make a list of all the resources you have access to in your neighborhood. In this way, when you attend a language school, you’ll know just where to find dictionaries to help you in your course.

In my opinion, this is the most important factor in learning a foreign language: your drive to learn. Different people are driven by different motivations. I want to learn a new language because I find it challenging. Others may need to learn it because of having a new job or working in foreign countries. The point is to determine whether you truly need or just want to learn a foreign language.

1. What does the underlined word “retain” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Remember

B．Acquire

C．Spread

D．Improve

2. Compared with the author, her husband ________.

A．likes to draw diagrams	B．hates memorizing data
C．learns new things slowly	D．easily forgets new information

3. What does the author think affects learning a foreign language most？

A．The resources one can get in the neighborhood.

B．The determination to overcome difficulties.

C．The motivation to learn a foreign language.

D．The ability to learn a foreign language.

4. The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to ________.

A．share her experience in learning a foreign language

B．analyze why people cannot learn a foreign language well

C．tell us how to find the method of learning a foreign language

D．introduce some factors affecting our language learning ability