【推荐2】“Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy – they’re given after all. Choices can be hard.” ---Jeff Bezos.

I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2,300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old, and I'd been married for a year. I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don't, and I wasn't sure what to expect. MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I’d been a garage inventor. I'd always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.

I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I admired very much. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said. “That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job.” That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but eventually, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision not to try at all.

After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I’m proud of that choice. For all of us, in the end, we are our choices.

1. What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?

A．His dream of being an inventor.	B．Millions of exciting titles.
C．The support of his wife.	D．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet.

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?

A．He would be always feeling unsafe if he didn't try.

B．He would be very excited if he tried it out.

C．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him.

D．The decision not to build the online bookstore would terrify him.

3. What can we know from the text?

A．The author appreciated his boss’s encouragement.

B．The author might not regret if he failed the idea.

C．The author might go back to his boss if he failed.

D．The author wanted someone else to try the idea.

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

A．We Are What We Choose	B．The Starting of Amazon
C．Cleverness and Kindness	D．Following My Passion

【推荐1】Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man,” she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice (临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter (计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
1. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ________.

A．show she was familiar with the city

B．see some places for the last time

C．let the driver earn more money

D．reach the destination on time

2. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ________.

A．wanted to do her a favor

B．shut off the meter by mistake

C．had received her payment in advance

D．was in a hurry to take other passengers

3. What can we learn from the story?

A．Giving is always a pleasure.

B．People should respect each other.

C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

D．People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

【推荐3】Our tolerating ability is indeed way beyond our imagination.But not until the very critical moment will we realize our potential tolerating ability.

There was a woman in the countryside who got married at the age of 18 and had to escape with her two daughters and a son wherever she could at the age of 26 due to the Japanese army’s invasion.Many people could not bear the suffering of being a fugitive(逃亡者)and wanted to commit suicide.Knowing that，she would come to those people and soothed them by saying，“Don’t do that silly thing.There are no such setbacks that we could not overcome.The Japanese armies are bound to be driven away one day！”

Finally，she insisted until the day when all the Japanese armies were kicked out of China.However，her son died of disease without sufficient medicine and nutrition in those days of hardships.Her husband，after knowing the death of his son，lay in bed for two days without eating and drinking anything.She said to her husband in tears，“We have a tough destiny，but however tough our lives will be，we should persist in our efforts.”

After she gave birth to the second son，her husband died of edema(水肿)，which almost blew her away.But eventually，she recovered and embraced the three young children，saying，“My sweethearts，don’t feel scared.You still have me，your dear mum！”

It took her painstaking efforts to raise her children up，and the life of her family was getting better and better.Two daughters were married and so was her son finally.She said to everyone she met，“Look! What I said is absolutely right.There are no such setbacks that we could not overcome! My life is so happy now！”

She lived until 86.Before she went to Heaven，she said to her children，“You all should live to your best.There are no such setbacks that we could not overcome！”

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

A．Criticized.	B．Evaluated.
C．Thrilled.	D．Comforted.

2. What caused the woman’s son’s death?

A．Japanese invasion.

B．Her husband’s death.

C．Lack of nutrition and medicine.

D．A disease called edema.

3. The passage mainly wants to tell us that         .

A．the woman led a tough life

B．the woman showed great love to her kids

C．hardships can be overcome with an iron will and strong tolerating ability

D．invading other countries would make people there suffer a lot

【推荐1】I’m a pig, and my son is a rabbit. I have snakes for daughters, and my wife, believe it or not, is a dragon! Do I live in a zoo? No, of course not! I am talking about Chinese zodiac signs. Depending on the year of your birth, each person has an animal for a sign. That’s why I am a pig and my wife is a dragon. If you, like me, were born in the year of the pig, then you are brave, thoughtful and loyal. The year of the pig is filled with good fortune.

Now let’s take a closer look at this interesting animal.

Pigs were first raised by man about 9,000 years ago, and are still a very common farm animal in many parts of the world. We don’t just use pigs for their meat — almost every part of the animal is used. The hair is used for artists’ brushes. The fat is used to make floor wax, rubber and plastics.

Pigs have also been important in the world of entertainment. In 1995 the film ‘Babe’ starred a loveable talking pig as its main character. The film won an Oscar and was nominated for 6 more. In England you can even go to watch pig racing. A farmer, Rob Shepherd, has been raising money for charity by holding pig races on his farm. The events have been very successful. People don’t just want to eat pigs, it seems!

Pigs also play an important role in the English language. For example, if someone says that he will travel to the sun one day, you can say “pigs might fly!” to him. Hungry? Well then, you can “pig out” and eat lots of food. And what if someone rescues you? Well, you can say that they “saved your bacon”.

1. The writer wrote the first paragraph in a ______ tone.

A．sad	B．confused
C．serious	D．humorous

2. We may know from the passage that ______.

A．people in England like pigs more than other animals

B．pigs are more useful than ordinary people imagine

C．pigs are the first animals raised by man

D．more people don’t want to eat pigs now

3. The underlined sentence “pigs might fly!” in the fifth paragraph means “______”.

A．What you have just said is impossible

B．Pigs are great animals

C．I don’t understand your words

D．I can’t agree with you more

4. Whichagram shows the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

【推荐2】When her classmates were having a good time, Molly sat at the picnic table alone. She remained embarrassed around her classmates. She seemed unsure of what to do or say, yet I could see her eyes longing for acceptance. Many students had already decided that her friendship would not be worth（值）the energy required to overcome the embarrassment. Others laughed at her. Most ignored her—except for one.

Brianna was making the other students laugh, as usual. “Brianna, do you see Molly down there? Would you mind walking down there and inviting her to come up here with the rest of us? I said.

Brianna sighed. I could tell she didn’t want to waste her precious time to do what I was asking of her, but I also knew her heart. She often thought of others before herself—a rare character for anyone, much less a kid.

Knowing this choice was hard for her, I pulled out a D-buck, our class currency（货币）. Though this was not the ideal way to deal with this situation. I needed her cooperation（合作）. “Here, I’ll pay you for your time.” I said to her. She offered an insincere smile, grasped the green paper, and headed down the hill.

As the rest of the children screamed and laughed, my eyes locked on Brianna as she neared the picnic table. Molly could be difficult to get along with, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she sent Brianna back alone, refusing her invitation. When she encouraged herself to a standing position, I sighed with relief.

Minutes later, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Here. Mrs. D.” Brianna handed me the D-buck. “Why?” I asked. “I shouldn’t keep this.” Her eyes fell to her feet, guilt showing from her quiet voice. “I don’t want Molly to think I only went to get her so I could earn the money. She’s my friend.”

A moment later, they were all laughing again, and who should I see among them, laughing for the first time that week? Molly.

1. According to the author, what was Molly like?

A．She ignored the jokes from other kids.

B．She felt embarrassed at being laughed at.

C．She desired to be accepted by other kids.

D．She had no interest in making friends.

2. What made Brianna different from other kids?

A．Her talent.	B．Her cooperation.
C．Her honesty.	D．Her kindness

3. How did the author feel as Brianna walked to Molly?

A．Worried.	B．Satisfied.
C．Excited.	D．Confused.

4. What was the purpose of Brianna’s returning the D-buck to the author?

A．To avoid losing it one day.

B．To get a pure friendship with Molly.

C．To make friends with her teacher.

D．To escape from being punished by her teacher.

【推荐3】As the saying goes, "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music is very important in our lives and here are four of the greatest musicians in history.

Ludwig van Beethoven(1770-1827)

Born in Bonn, Germany, Beethoven never held an official position in Vienna. He supported himself by giving concerts, teaching piano, and the sale of his compositions(作曲). The last 30 years of Beethoven's life were filled with a lot of hard times, the first of which was his deafness. Beethoven's music greatly influenced the next generation of musicians.

Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)

Bach, "the father of modern music", was born in Eisenach, Germany. His parents died when he was nine years old, and in 1695 he went to live with his brother Johann Christoph, who was an organist(风琴手)in Ohrdruf. He stayed there until 1700. Seven years later, he moved back to Weimar, where he served as court(宫廷)organist for nine years. His music greatly influenced classical music.

Frederic Chopin(1810-1849)

Chopin was born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland. He showed a talent for the piano at a very young age. Chopin began composing when he was still a child, but some of his early works have been lost. He gave his first public concert in 1818.Chopin was considered as the leading musician of his time.

Franz Schubert(1797-1828)

Schubert was born and died in Vienna. Unlike most of his predecessors(前辈), Schubert was not a great performer. He never had much money but he was very productive. He wrote his first masterpiece when he was only sixteen. However, he died young, before his talents had even been known.

1. Where was Beethoven born?

A．In Vienna.

B．In America.

C．In Germany.

D．In Poland.

2. Who is called "the father of modern music"?

A．Bach.

B．Beethoven.

C．Schubert.

D．Chopin.

3. When did Chopin give his first public concert?

A．In 1707.

B．In 1818.

C．In 1810.

D．In 1828.

4. What do we know about the four musicians?

A．They all lived a hard life at their old age.	B．They were all born in Germany.
C．They were all talented musicians.	D．They all served as a court organist.

【推荐1】Everyone gathered around and Paddy read out loud, slowly, his tone growing sadder and sadder. The little headline said: BOXER RECEIVFS LIFE SENTENCE.

Frank Cleary, aged 26, professional boxer, was today found guilty of the murder of Albert Cumming, aged 32, laborer, last July. The jury (陪审团)reached its decision after only ten minutes, recommending the most severe punishment the court could give out.It was, said the judge, a simple case. Cumming and Cleary had quarreled violently at the Harbour Hotel on July 23rd and police saw Cleary kicking at the head of the unconscious Cumming. When arrested Cleary was drunk but clear-thinking…

Cleary was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour .Asked if he had anything to say, Cleary answered, “Just don’t tell my mother.”

It happened over three years ago, “Paddy said helplessly. No one answered him or moved, for no one knew what to do. “Just don’t tell my mother, said Fee numbly. “And no one did!Oh. God! My poor, poor Frank!”

Paddy wiped the tears from his face and said, “Fee dear, pack your things. We'll go to see him.”

She half-rose before sinking back, her eyes in her small white face stared as if dead. “I can't go, “She said without a hint of pain, yet making everyone feel that the pain was there. “It would kill him to see me. I know him so well - his pride, his ambition. Let him bear the shame alone. It’s what he wants. We’ve got to help him keep his secret. What good will it do him to see us? ”

Paddy was still weeping, not for Frank, but for the life which had gone from Fee’s face, for the dying in her eyes. Frank had always brought bitterness and misfortune, always stood between Fee and himself. He was the cause of her withdrawal from his heart and the hearts of his children.

Every time it lookcd as if there might be happiness for Fee. Frank took it away. But Paddy's love for her was as deep and impossibile to wipe out as hers was for Frank.

So he said. “Well, Fee, we won’t go. But we must make sure he is taken care of. How about if I write to Father Jones and ask him to look out for Frank?

The eyes didn't liven, but a faint pink stole into her cheeks. “Yes. Paddy, do that. Only make sure he knows not to tell Frank we found out .Perhaps it would ease Frank to think for certain that we don't know.”

1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Frank was found guilty of murder because he was a professional boxer.

B．The family didn’t find out what happened to Frank until three years later.

C．The jury and the judge disagreed on whether Frank had committed murder.

D．Frank didn’t want his family to find out what happened because Paddy disliked him.

2. Paddy didn’t cry for Frank because he thought_____.

A．Frank did kill someone and deserved the punishment

B．Frank should have told Fee what had happened

C．what had happened to Frank was killing Fee

D．Frank had always been a man of bad moral character

3. Which of the following suggests that Fee was deeply shocked by what happened to Frank?

A．“Her eyes in her small white face stared as if dead. ”

B．“Let him bear the shame alone. It’s what he wants. ”

C．“Every time it looked as if there might be happiness for Fee, Frank took it away.”

D．“The eyes didn’t liven, but a faint pink stole into her cheeks. ”

4. The underlined sentence “She half-rose before sinking back…” (in Paragraph 6) shows that     .

A．Fee was so heart-broken that she could hardly stand up

B．Fee didn’t want to upset Paddy by visiting Frank

C．Fee couldn’t leave her family to go to see Frank

D．Fee struggled between wanting to see Frank and respecting his wish

5. What is Fee’s probable relationship with Frank and Paddy?

A．Son and brother.	B．Son and husband.
C．Brother and lover.	D．Lover and husband.

【推荐2】When I was in my first year of high school, I had a terrible time when every area of my life was a disaster. I felt so hopeless and alone that I thought everything was impossible.

On one such day, I was walking from class across the school to catch the school bus home, with my head down, fighting tears of total hopelessness, when a young man came down the sidewalk toward me. Though I had never seen him before, I did not want him to see that I was in such low spirits, so I turned my head away and hoped to hurry past. I thought he'd walk on by, but he moved until he was directly in front of me, waited until I looked up, and then smiled.

Looking into my eyes, this stranger spoke in a quiet voice："Whatever is wrong will pass. You're going to be OK, just hang on." He then smiled again and walked away.

I can't explain the effect of that man's unexpected kindness and caring! He gave me the one thing that I'd lost completely—hope. I looked for him in our school to thank him, but never saw him again.

That was thirty years ago. And I've never forgotten that moment. Over the years, whenever I see someone who is in trouble, I will always think of that young man and try to give a flash of hope in the dark wherever I can. I carry things for people when they are too heavy for them, sit with naughty babies in the waiting room while their mothers are busy, or talk to tired couples at the checkout line or it could be anything.

If you keep your head up, your heart will show you the place that needs hope.
1. Where did the writer meet with the young man？

A．In the school.

B．In the school bus.

C．In the classroom.

D．In the library.

2. From the passage we may infer that the author ________．

A．had known the young man for a long time

B．made friends with the young man afterwards

C．was grateful to that young man very much

D．avoided meeting the young man since then

3. The author has given a lot of help to others in order to ________．

A．show his sympathy to those who are badly ill

B．give others hope of life when they are in trouble

C．realize his promise made to the young man

D．get respect from those who were helped by him

4. It can be known from the passage that ________．

A．the young man always tried his best to help those who were in trouble

B．it was the young man's smile and words that made the author feel hopeful

C．the author had never been praised by others before he met with the young man

D．the author traveled to a lot of places to look for the young man but failed

【推荐3】What could make a five-year-old dancer any happier? I had my mother and grandmother’s full attention. I was wearing makeup like a big girl, and I was dressed in a white tutu (芭蕾舞短裙). I was so happy.

As I stepped backstage, I couldn’t wait to see Mommy and Grandmother’s faces; they would be so proud of me.

Grandparents, mothers, fathers and friends started to pour into the room. My eyes searched wildly for my mother and grandmother. All around me I saw each performer holding her bouquet (花束) of flowers in their arms.

“Esther.” I heard my name being called.

“Mommy,” I replied, rushing into her arms. My eyes glanced over to my grandmother. There were no flowers. Was I not good enough? Why didn’t I get flowers? Tears began to stream down my cheeks.

“Esther, what’s the matter? You were so good on stage. Why are you crying?”

“Flowers,” I said, as I started to cry uncontrollably. “Where are my flowers?”

My mother was upset and said that this was the first recital (独舞表演) in your family so she did not know about this tradition. My grandmother said that she didn’t know she should bring flowers, either. My mother drew me into her arms. My tears got absorbed into her sweater.

On our way home along the riverside, which was dotted with wildflowers, our car stopped. My grandmother picked a bouquet of flowers for me. She told me that I was her perfect dancer. This made the waterfall on my face run even faster.

As I look back on that day of my first dance recital, I realized that the bouquet my grandmother had picked for me was the most meaningful and loving bouquet that I would ever receive. Each flower that she picked was a flower of love.

1. Why did the author cry after seeing her mother and grandmother?

A．She was very nervous.

B．She was extremely happy and excited.

C．She did not want to stay in the room.

D．She did not receive flowers.

2. The author’s first dance recital was ________?

A．successful	B．a failure
C．held at home	D．held when she was ten

3. Why didn’t the author’s mother and grandmother bring flowers?

A．They forgot to bring them.

B．They didn’t know they should.

C．They thought it was unnecessary.

D．They wanted to pick wildflowers for her.

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

A．My first dance recital

B．My grandmother’s bouquet

C．My mother’s big dancer

D．My loving flowers.