【推荐1】Our planet is rich in life.Tigers and turtles,bats and bees,gnats and gnus,crabs and crabgrass-the list seems endless.We have named more than 1.5 million species,and suspect that millions more remain undiscovered.Scientists call this mind-boggling variety of life biodiversity.With so many species,it is surprising to realise that so many are in danger of becoming extinct.

Extinct species are plants and animals that once lived on Earth,but no longer live anywhere in the world.Endangered species are those most in danger of extinction.Even large populations of animals can be at risk.Passenger pigeons once darkened the skies of the US.Over time,habitat destruction and hunting decreased the population of these birds.The last one died alone at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.

Dinosaurs,dodos and passenger pigeons are all extinct.Extinction used to happen naturally,but in modern times,people have pushed wildlife to the brink much more quickly than ever before.We are losing wildlife very rapidly!

After realising this severe situation,many countries and international organisations have carried out rules and principles to protect endangered animals.The US Endangered Species Act of 1973,for example,was passed to protect threatened wildlife and habitats so they don't go the way of the dodo.

So why do animals become endangered?The main reason is the loss of habitats.Habitat destruction can make it extremely hard for wildlife to survive.However,as people learn to take better care of plants and animals as well as their habitats,endangered and threatened species may begin to make a comeback.In fact,many species such as bald eagles already have.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Biodiversity refers to the large variety of life on Earth.

B．Extinct animals and plants no longer live on Earth.

C．Only animals with a small population can be extinct.

D．Actions have been taken to protect endangered animals.

2. What does the author mean by using the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

A．Passenger pigeons used to fly in cloudy days or at night.

B．Most of the passenger pigeons had black feathers.

C．Passenger pigeons were so large in size that they blocked the sunlight.

D．There used to have a large amount of passenger pigeons in the US.

3. What is the main reason for animals to be endangered?

A．Unexpected accidents.	B．Natural disasters
C．The loss of habitats.	D．Serious diseases

4. What is the authors attitude towards protecting endangered species?

A．The author believes things are getting better as people have realised its significance.

B．The author doesn't care much about protecting endangered animals.

C．The author doesn't think it is more important than developing the economy.

D．The author thinks that there is lttle hope for the endangered species to make a comeback.

【推荐3】A new set of R's are here: Recycle, Reduce and Reuse. These three “Rs”，when used every day, can reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, reduce the litter polluting the land and water, conserve (节约) energy and save your money.

Recycling is one of the easiest ways to save energy, money and time while reducing the amount of garbage going into landfills.

Most communities have roadside pick­up service to recycle common household items like glass, steel, aluminum, newspaper and cardboard. By separating out the recyclable items from normal household trash, you can reduce the amount of trash entering a landfill by more than 75 percent.

Recycling one aluminum beverage can saves enough energy to run your television for three hours. Even better, local recyclers or scrap­metal dealers may pay money for your metal recyclables.

It is estimated that the 54 billion cans recycled last year in the US saved 15 million barrels of oil. That is equivalent (相等的) to the US oil consumption for one day. Recycling other household items offers similar savings in money and energy.

Composting food waste will reduce your trash load even more. A basic compost pile built with the help of instructions from numerous resources on the web can be constructed over a weekend, using materials easily obtained from local hardware or home improvement stores. In addition to reducing your waste, this all­natural recycling provides safe, clean and organic fertilizer for your garden, eliminating the need to buy chemical­derived products.

Finally, recycling other household items like computers, televisions and monitors and household chemicals like pesticides (农药) and paints will remove dangerous chemicals like mercury (水银) and lead from the landfills.

If your community doesn't offer recycling programs, contact your local government to get one established.

1. What's NOT true about recycling in the eyes of the author?

A．It's energy­efficient.

B．It's money­saving.

C．It's time­consuming.

D．It's environmentally­friendly.

2. Recycling________aluminum beverage cans save enough energy to keep your TV on for half a day.

A．three	B．four
C．five	D．six

3. What's the possible meaning of the underlined word “composting” in the sixth paragraph?

A．Turning waste into fertilizer.

B．Throwing waste into dustbin.

C．Making waste clean and useful.

D．Finding new land to put the rubbish in.

4. The passage tells us the way of living a ________life.

A．happy	B．rich
C．green	D．economical

【推荐1】My best friend traveled to stay with our family last weekend. When she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate a spoonful of raspberry jam and some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.

Our long weekend together was luxuriously simple. I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t go to shopping malls. We passed the time running errands, going to the post office and collecting dry cleaning. We drank away too many cappuccinos. But we talked about every little detail of our lives.

There’s never been a quiet moment in our friendship. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade. Reunions demand constant conversation. Our personalities are matched, to be sure, and a shared history is indescribably valuable. We were competitors in high school before bonding over a bad experience. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship strengthened itself quickly. We stayed companions through law school, through our first jobs and our first boyfriends. We supported each other through break-ups and breakthroughs. Ours is a friendship for ages.

There is something special about friends who know everyone and everything about you. They are rare. These are the people you’ve chosen to witness your life. They have seen the bright lights of achievement, the depths of despair and the boring routine of the in-between.

It’s special to unpack feelings and frustrations without wasting time filling in the blanks. As my long weekend shows, with such friends we don’t have to “do”, we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves.

The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, the continuation of which is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference sneaking into your separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I’m lucky to have found this friend, to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.

1. What happened during her best friend’s visit?

A．They enjoyed an eventful long weekend.

B．They talked constantly about their lives.

C．They made their favorite snacks and coffee.

D．They talked about what happened in their lives.

2. One thing that the author appreciates about their friendship is that ________.

A．they help each other deal with the boredom of life

B．they prefer to witness each other’s lives from far away

C．they try to show each other their best selves

D．they are comfortable just being themselves when together

3. Which of the following would the author agree with?

A．Charm comes from difference.

B．Politeness brings best friends closer.

C．Good friendships need devotion.

D．Distance can separate good friends.

4. What is the tone of the passage?

A．Light-hearted.

B．Humorous.

C．Serious.

D．Desperate.

【推荐2】As a dropout myself, I often feel it is my duty to defend my fellows. Common wisdom would have you believe we are the “bad kids’’, the future criminals, the worst sort of people. But not all dropouts are likely to deal drugs, steal goods from a shop, or shoot pool all day.

My own favourite place to go when skipping school was always the public library. My early retirement meant that at last I had time to read everything I wanted to. I found reading Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow a lot more interesting than reading about Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple.

The best of all was the time I finally had to myself. I felt liberated. I had been in school nearly my whole life. I wanted to find out for myself who I was, and until I did, everything else felt like a waste of time.

However, after three years, a series of strange thoughts began to make me anxious and unsure. Images of myself at the age of 35 began to haunt (困扰) me in my sleep. And a voice in my head began asking over and over, “Who is paying the hot water bills? Who buys the microwave pizza?” The answer, of course, was my poor old parents. Sure, I was having an enjoyable time doing plenty of nothing, discovering myself and all, but that 9s unfair to them. What kind of parents long to see their child drop out of school, with no plans for the future? Could they be expected to support me forever? Certainly not. I immediately moved out of the house and out of town, in search of a future for myself.

And it is here, in my new home of San Francisco, that I have decided to do what was once unthinkable: go back to school. I plan to take adult education classes and then apply to City College. On the one hand, I can hardly believe I’m doing it: a return to desks, chalkboards, and clocks that tell you when to stop thinking about one thing and start thinking about another. But at City College, I’ll be able to take film production, semiotics, and sociology—just because I want to know about them.

So next time you see a dropout, be sympathetic. And please don’t push him to do something he doesn’t want to do. It never works. He’ll come round when he’s ready.

1. It is commonly believed that dropouts are ______.

A．bad kids from birth

B．interested in studying drugs

C．very likely to commit crimes

D．responsible for defending non-scholars

2. What did the author find most enjoyable after dropping out of school?

A．Living in comfort with his parents.

B．Reading in the public library.

C．Escaping the pressure from school.

D．Having time for self-discovery.

3. Why did the author move to San Francisco?

A．To fight for his own future.

B．To apply to City College.

C．To break away from his parents.

D．To live up to his parents9 expectations.

4. What does the author suggest people do to deal with dropouts?

A．Push them to the limit.

B．Listen to them carefully.

C．Try to be understanding.

D．Encourage them to be friendly.

【推荐3】About 18 months ago, my father was in the hospital recovering from a major lung operation. My mother had recently passed away, and my father had taken the loss of his partner of 55 years very hard and had lost interest in life.

Trying to get him to eat each day was quite a chore as he didn’t want anything. The one thing, however, that he would ask us to bring him was ice-cream.

One evening to our surprise, he refused to eat the ice-cream, so I placed it in a staff room freezer. A little while later, my son decided he wanted it, so I fetched it for him.

As I passed another ward, a woman asked, “Are there more? Where that came from?” When I explained the situation, she apologized. She then said that she had cancer and could eat very little other than the occasional ice-cream.

The next evening, I decided to buy two ice-cream. On the way to Dad’s room, I stopped in at the sick woman’s room, and offered her the ice-cream I’d bought for her. She was totally stunned that I had thought of her, and accepted the gift with tears in her eyes. I spoke with her for a few minutes, explaining what was happening in my family and listened to her similar story of pain and suffering. It was apparent that she did not have many visitors, and the ice-cream and our short chat meant a great deal to her.

I repeated the gesture a few days later, and this time was rewarded with a huge hug.

I never even thought to ask her name, and never saw her again, but it made me realize that an act of kindness can be more rewarding when you give it, rather than receive it.

1. The writer’s father stayed in the hospital because________.

A．he had trouble eating	B．he had had a lung operation
C．he had lost interest in life	D．he was ill for losing his wife

2. The writer bought ice-creams for the sick lady when he realized________.

A．ice-cream was among the little food she could eat

B．they had similar family experiences

C．she was lonely without family around

D．to give is as important as to receive

3. The underlined word in paragraph 6 probably means________.

A．body language	B．word
C．action	D．decision

4. What did the writer try to convey to us through the story?

A．Giving is rewarding.

B．Don’t hesitate to help elderly people.

C．It’s our responsibility to look after our parents.

D．Never put of anything you can do till tomorrow.

【推荐2】Our reliance on sand is shocking—the amount we use is second only to water. As a key part of cement, asphalt (柏油) and glass, sand is essential to every aspect of our lives. Globally, humans consume up to 50 billion metric tons of sand and gravel every year, amounting to 18 kilograms per person per day.

In Asia and Africa, a construction boom has increased demand three times over the past two decades. Abundant desert sand, however, is too smooth to use for building materials, so most sand is sourced form quarries (采石场). Increasingly, it is also mined from coastal beaches, river and marine ecosystems, causing great harm to these areas.

Our increasing demand for sand now creates one of the major challenges, concludes a United Nations report. Extraction (开采)—both legal and illegal—“comes at the expense of other economic sectors, local livelihoods, and biodiversity”, according to the report. And “growth in the extraction and use of these minerals is putting pressure on the resource base and will likely lead to a ‘tragedy of the sand commons’ ”.

To avoid that tragedy, the world should focus on “reducing natural sand extraction”, the report states. One recommendation is to remove unnecessary building projects. If possible, recycle old materials. Germany, for instance, recycles 87% of its waste materials. Meanwhile, some nations are eyeing the potential to explore new sand resources. In Greenland, ice melts, leaving piles of sand on the coast, which could be exported.

“Such actions are a good start,” says Aurora Torres, and ecologist at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research. But the issue is still “understudied” and “rarely comes up in scientific circles”. “Hopefully this report will contribute to paving the way for more dialogues, interaction, and cooperation among all the sectors and actors connected by sand flows. It is time to treat sand as seriously as clean air, biodiversity, and other natural resources that nations seek to manage for the future.”

1. Which kind of sand is unsuitable for building?

A．The sand from quarries.	B．The sand from the ocean.
C．The sand from desert.	D．The sand from rivers.

2. What does the author intend to show in paragraph 3?

A．The functions of sand.	B．The harm of sand extraction.
C．A tragedy of the sand commons.	D．Challenges of sand extraction.

3. Why are Germany and Greenland mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To show some countries’ efforts.

B．To call for monitoring sand extraction.

C．To persuade other countries to stop sand extraction.

D．To convince the public of the severe situation.

4. What can be inferred from Aurora Torres’ words?

A．Researchers take no interest in the sand issue.

B．The world has been serious about managing sand.

C．Sand is gaining as much attention as other natural resources.

D．Joint efforts are needed to solve sand-related problems.

【推荐3】Author Talks &Lectures in the Toronto Public Library

Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition
Thu Apr 27, 2019
1:00 p.m.—2:00 p.m.
Location: City Hall

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Paul Watson on the epic hunt for the lost Franklin Expedition and the rare mix of marine science and Inuit knowledge that led to the shipwreck’s (海难的) recent discovery.

No registration required.

Toronto 1910: Tales of Our Past: Clergy and Convicts
Tue May 02, 2019
12:00 p.m.—1:00 p.m.
Location: Barbara Frum

Learn about your city’s history and participate in reading and slide show featuring excerpts(节选) from a new historical fiction novel series.

To register, please call 416-395-5440.

Beneath the African Sun with Author Maria Lynch
Wed May 03, 2019
7:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m.
Location: Bloor/Gladstone

Join us for a book talk and Q &A with Maria Lynch, the author of Beneath the African Sun. Beneath the African Sun is a migrant’s story about moving from Portuguese India to British East Africa during the early 20th century. More than a history, it is a story about family, home, social justice and what it means to truly belong somewhere.

Drop in. No registration required.

The Science of Shakespeare
Wed May 10, 2019
7:00 p.m. —8:00 p.m.
Location: Beaches

William Shakespeare lived in the first stage of the scientific revolution. New ideas about the human body, the earth, and the universe were transforming western thought—and—yet “Shakespeare” and “science” are rarely talked about in the same breath. Dan Falk will explore Shakespeare’s interest in the scientific discoveries of his time—asking what he knew, when he knew it, and how that knowledge is reflected in his works.

No registration necessary.

1. Where can you hear a lecture by a Pulitzer-Prize winner?

A．Beaches.	B．City Hall.
C．Barbara Frum.	D．Bloor/Gladstone.

2. For which event do you need to register?

A．The Science of Shakespeare.

B．Beneath the African Sun with Author Maria Lynch.

C．Toronto 1910: Tales of Our Past: Clergy and Convicts.

D．Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition.

3. What can be inferred from the last lecture?

A．Shakespeare was interested in the universe.

B．Science is touched upon in Shakespeare’s works.

C．The scientific revolution changed Shakespeare’s thought.

D．Shakespeare had a deep understanding of the scientific revolution.

【推荐1】Humpback Whale Swim and Watch Tour

Every year over 30000 humpback whales pass our Ningaloo reef at different stages of their migratory journey. Their size, beauty and funny behaviors have attracted tourists from all over the world.

We now have the opportunity to enter their world and swim quietly along with them to experience a small part of their journey. There will be only 7 swimmers in the water at any one time along with our guide and photographer to capture this truly amazing event.

At 8 am tourists will be picked up from their accommodation and delivered to our beautiful Heron. Once on board we head out to the reef for our morning snorkel. People wanting to swim with the humpbacks will need to be able to swim and be over the age of 18.

After our morning snorkel, our spotter plane will search for a resting group as these slow moving whales are more likely to be interested in interacting with our swimmers and providing that breath-taking experience you will never forget. When the humpback swimming is finished, we serve a delicious lunch with all drinks provided. If time permits, we'll move into one of our favorite snorkeling spots for another explore of the Ningaloo reef. We will return to Exmouth later in the afternoon.

Prices Swimmer: AU$369.00 Observer: AU$195.00 Included in the Tour

Bus transfers from and to your accommodation

Experienced guides who are all qualified dive professionals

Professional photographer on-board—professional photos of your day included free of charge .

Two meals for breakfast and lunch

All dive equipment and life vests ( swimming suits can be purchased at low costs)

In-water radio communication with the spotter plane

Hot water showers after in-water activities

1. Who can swim with humpback whales?

A．Adults who can swim.	B．Teenagers who are learning diving.
C．Boys who are interested in whales.	D．Adventurers who like sea creatures.

2. How can the guide look for the target humpback whales?

A．By boat.

B．By radio.

C．By plane.

D．By satellite.

3. Which of the following is a tourist supposed to pay for?

A．Swimming suits.	B．Professional photos.
C．Life vests.	D．Hot water showers.

【推荐2】As Americans live longer and the job market stays competitive, fast-food chains are increasingly hiring from senior centers, churches and aging advocacy groups like AARP, Bloomberg reports. And it's not just death rates and economic trends driving the change. Seniors have more polished social skills, but teens are stopped from growing up online with fewer real-world connections.

“I spend a lot of time with young kids. They can he very disrespectful,” 63-year-old Church's Chicken manager Stevenson Williams tells Bloomberg of his teen coworkers. “You have to coach them and tell them this is your job, not the street,” Williams says. Having “soft skills” such as politeness often comes more easily to the seniors, who have had a lifetime of experience in the workforce to learn how to treat customers compared with young people.

Employers thus get a more mature worker at no additional cost but the reasons for seniors outpacing teen hires are many. The US Census Bureau reported this year that, by 2035, there will be more Americans over age 65 than there are children under age 18. Plus, fewer people in their prime (盛年)are working—thanks to the unaffordable childcare that forces many parents to stay at home, according to a study by Princeton University.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts the number of American workers aged between 65 and 74 will swell 4.5 percent by 2024, while the 16-to-24s will shrink 1.4 percent. By 2024, the BLS projects the labor force will grow to about 164 million people. That number includes about 41 million people aged 55 and older about 13 million of whom are expected to be aged 65 and up.

So don’t be surprised to see even more service with a smile and silver hair in that drive-through lane.

1. What does the underlined part “the change” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．The job market gets competitive.

B．Americans live longer.

C．Senior centers are becoming more popular.

D．Fast-food chains hire more senior people.

2. Why are seniors the hot new fast-food employees according to Williams?

A．They demand less pay.

B．Teens are easy to quit.

C．Teens are hard to control and manage.

D．They are good at socializing.

3. Which of the following can be regarded as a “soft skill”?

A．Knowing customers’ needs.

B．Having high education.

C．Having lots of connections with the real world.

D．Being skillful at computer.

4. Why do many parents stay at home?

A．They prefer to look after children.

B．They find it hard to find a job.

C．They find it hard to pay for childcare.

D．They are unwilling to work with senior citizens.

【推荐3】People have grown taller over the last century. A global study looked at the average height of the 18-year-olds in 200 countries in 1914 and 2014. The results reveal that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914, Dutch men have risen from the 12th place to claim top spot with an average height of 182.5cm. Latvian women, meanwhile, rose from the 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later, with an average height of 169.8cm.

James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, London, says the global trend is likely to be due primarily to improvements in nutrition and healthcare. “An individual’s genes have a big influence on their height, but once you average over whole populations, genes play a less key role,” he adds.

A little extra height brings a number of advantages, says Elio Riboli of Imperial College. “Being taller is associated with longer life expectancy,” he says. “This is largely due to a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease among taller people.”

“But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many countries of north and sub-Saharan Africa causes concern,” says Riboli. While height increased in Uganda and Niger during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed in recent years, with height decreasing among 18-year-olds.

“One reason for these decreases in height is the economic situation in the 1980s,” says Alexander Moradi of the University of Sussex. The nutritional and health crises that followed the policy of structural adjustment led to many children and teenagers failing to reach their full potential in terms of height.

Bentham believes the global trend of increasing height has important influences. “How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grow up in,” he says. “If we give children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come.”

1. What can we learn from the study in paragraph 1?

A．Dutch men were the tallest people in the world in 2014.

B．Swedes were the tallest with an average height of 182.5cm in 1914.

C．There has been little increase in most countries.

D．The increase in women’s height is bigger than men’s.

2. According to James Bentham, how do genes influence the increase of people’s height?

A．They determine people’s height completely.

B．They influence more on an individual than on populations.

C．They have the same influences as nutrition and healthcare.

D．They play a more significant role in females than males.

3. What does the underlined word “reversed” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Grown in the same way.	B．Changed in the opposite direction.
C．Appeared a second time.	D．Stopped all of a sudden.

4. What is Bentham’s attitude to the influences of the increasing height?

A．Uncaring.

B．Negative.

C．Critical.

D．Objective.