【推荐1】When your child lies to you, it hurts. As parents, it makes us angry and we take it personally. We feel like we can never trust our child again. Why does lying cause such anger, pain and worry for parents?

Parents are understandably very afraid of their children getting hurt and getting into trouble, but they have very little protection against these things as they send their kids out into the word. Kids learn from other kids and from external media, and this makes parents feel unsafe because they can’t control the information and ideas that their children are exposed to.

When your kid lies, you start to see him as “sneaky（卑鄙的）”, especially if he continues to lie to you. You feel that he’s going behind your back. You begin to think that your kids are “bad”. Because, certainly, if lying is bad, liars are bad. It’s just that simple. Parents need to make their kids responsible for lying. But the mistake parents make is that they start to blame the kid for lying. It’s considered immoral to lie. But when you look at your kid like he’s a sneak, it’s a slippery slope （滑坡谬误）that starts with “You lie” and ends up at “You’re a bad person”.

Kids know lying is forbidden. But they don’t see it as hurtful. So a kid will say, “I know it’s wrong that I eat a sugar snack when I’m not supposed to. But who does it hurt?” “I know it’s wrong that I trade my dried fruit for a Twinkie. But it doesn’t really hurt anybody. I can handle it. What’s the big deal?” That’s what the kid sees.

So I think that parents have to assume that kids are going to tell them lies, because they’re immature and they don’t understand how hurtful these things are. They’re all drawn to excitement, and they’ll all have a tendency to distort(歪曲) the truth because they’re kids.

1. Why do parents worry about their kids and feel unsafe?

A．Nobody trusts their kids in the world because of lying.

B．Lying always causes their kids to get hurt or get into trouble.

C．Their kids are exposed to outside world without their control.

D．They can’t protect their kids from other kids and external media.

2. What’s the author’s attitude towards parents’ seeing kids as bad if they lie?

A．Immoral.	B．Negative.
C．Supportive.	D．Different.

3. The underlined word “they” really refers to ________.

A．parents	B．their children
C．other kids	D．bad things

4. How do parents react to kids’ lying?

A．Taking no notice of it.

B．Blaming them immediately.

C．Pretending to be angry and educate them.

D．Accept it but make them responsible for it.

【推荐2】Genealogy, also known as family history, is the study of families and the footmarks of their lineages(家系) and history. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to prove kinship(亲属关系) and lineages of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as descriptions.

The pursuit of family history and origins tends to be shaped by several impetuses, including the desire to carve out a place for one’s family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and a sense of self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling.

In communitarian societies, one’s identity is established as much by one’s kin network as by individual achievement, and the question ＂Who are you?＂ would be answered by a description of father, mother, and lineages. New Zealand Māori, for example, learn genealogies to discover who they are.

In societies such as Australia or the United States, there was by the 20th-century growing pride in the pioneers and nation-builders. Establishing descent(继承) from these was, and is, important to such groups as the Daughters of the American Revolution(DAR).

Modern family history explores new sources of status, such as celebrating the rebirth of families that survived generations of poverty or slavery, or the success of families in combining across racial or national boundaries. Some family histories even emphasize links to celebrity criminals, such as the bushranger(绿林好汉) Ned Kelly in Australia.

The growing interest in family history in the media coupled with easier access to online records has allowed those who are curious to do so to start investigating their ancestry. This curiosity can be particularly strong among those whose family histories were lost or unknown due to, for example, adoption or separation from family, perhaps as a result of bereavement(丧失).

1. Which of the following is connected with genealogy?

A．The DNA tests.	B．Historical novels.
C．Political positions.	D．Education standards.

2. What is the meaning of the underlined word ＂impetuses＂ in Paragraph 2?

A．Results.

B．Drives.

C．Categories.

D．Exploitations.

3. Why do Māori study genealogies?

A．To get achievements.	B．To learn their origins.
C．To change their identities.	D．To create their kin network.

4. What do we know about genealogy from Paragraph 4?

A．DAR is a genealogy organization.	B．Organizations have their genealogy.
C．Australia is a pioneer in genealogy.	D．Genealogy inspires the love for nation.

【推荐3】阅读下面短文，回答下面问题。

My high school，like many others，was extremely competitive not only in sports but also in academic subjects．The pressure of trying to get excellent grades while joining in extra-curricular activities could be great．Sometimes it seemed like I lived at school!When I was home my time was spent doing homework．Some days I was so busy finishing a project that I could hardly see my families．

I have a younger sister named Sally．She was nine years old．We used to see each other，but after I graduated from the primary school she attended．I saw her less and less．

Then one day I came home to an empty house and I found a note from my mom saying my sister was at her friend's and would be dropped off．

At five o'clock I saw my sister walking towards the door with her friend and her friend's father．I heard them talking．"Is anyone at home？"the father asked．

"Just my mean elder sister，Sara，and she's probably in her room as usual，''my sister replied．I couldn't believe it．I opened the door thanked the father for bringing her home，then shut the door and started to cry．

To make a long story short，a huge fight followed that ended with me driving my sister to her room．But I realized that what was worse than the fight was that I really hadn't been a good elder sister．

I had lost track of what was important．and what really mattered．I had been fallen into a whirlpool（漩涡）of pressure and competition，and it took my sister's honest observation to show me that the grades I got didn't matter to everyone--certainly not to her．All that matters to her is that I'm her elder sister，and that's what matters to me，too．

1. What kind of life did the author live at high school？（No more than 5words．）
2. What does the underlined phrase"dropped off"in Paragraph 3probably mean？（No more than 3words．）
3. Why did the author's sister consider her as a mean sister？（No more than 8words．）
4. What happened to the two sisters one day according to the passage？（No more than 5words．）
5. What lesson do you learn from the author's experience？（No more than 20words．）

【推荐1】The notice was posted next to the guests' mailboxes in the apartment building I'd just moved into in Brooklyn, New York. “A Mitzvah for Mrs. Green,” it read. “ Sign up to drive Mrs. G in 3B home from her chemotherapy treatments twice a month.”

Since I wasn't a driver, I couldn't add my name, but the word mitzvah stayed in my thoughts after I went upstairs. It's a Hebrew word that means “to do a good deed” .

And according to my grandmother, it also had another meaning. This was the one she was always pointing out to me because she'd noticed how shy I was about letting people do things for me. Linda, it's a blessing to do a mitzvah for someone else, but sometimes it's a blessing to let another person do something for you.”

Grandma would be shaking her head at me right now. Several of my friends had offered to help me settle in after the moving men left, but I'd said I could manage. Letting them help would have interfered with my image of myself as a capable and independent woman of 21.

Snowflakes had been falling past my window for several hours when it came time to leave for class. I put on two sweaters, a coat, a wool hat and boots, making for the bus stop. In this December storm it was a hard journey. As I tied around my neck the blue scarf that Grandma had knitted for me, I could almost hear her voice: “Why don't you see if you can find a lift? “

A thousand reasons came into my mind: I don’t know, my neighbors; I don't like to disturb others; I feel funny asking for favors. Pride would not let me knock on a door and say, "It's a 10-minute ride by car but a long wait for the bus, and it’s a 30-minute bus ride, so could you possibly give me a lift to school ?

I labored to the bus stop, reaching it just as a bus went by.

Three weeks later, on the night of my final exam, the snow was falling steadily. I made my way to the bus slop. For an hour, I stretched my neck, praying desperately that a bus would come. Then I gave up. The wind at my back pushed me toward home, and I prayed, "Dear God, how can I get to school? What should I do?

As I pulled Grandma's scarf more tightly around my neck, again I seemed to hear that whisper:       Ask someone for a lift! It could be a mitzvah.

That idea had never really made sense to me. And even if I wanted to ask someone for a good deed, which I did not, there wasn't a soul on the street.

But as I pashed the door of my apartment building open, I found myself face to face with a woman at the mailbox. She was wearing a brown coal and had a set of keys in her hand. Obviously she had a car, and just as obviously, she was going out. In that split second, desperation overcame pride, I blurted, “Could you possibly give me a       lift? I hurriedly explained,   “ I never ask anybody for a lift, but...”

An odd look crossed the woman's face, and I added, "Oh! I live in 4R. I moved in recently. ”

“I know, she said. “I’ve seen you through the window.” Then, without hesitation, “Of course, I’ll give you a lift. Let me get my car key.”

“Your car key?” I repeated. “ Isn't that it in your hand?”

She looked down. “No, no, I was just going to get my mail. I'll be right back.” And she disappeared upstairs, ignoring my “Ma'am! Please! I don't mean to put you out!” I was terribly embarrassed.

But when she came back, she spoke so warmly that I stopped feeling uncomfortable. “You know the way better than I,” she said. "Why don't you drive?”

“ I can’t,” I said. Now I felt uneasy again.

She just laughed and patted me on the hand, saying, “It’s not so important,” and then I laughed, too.

“ You remind me of my grandmother,” I said.

At that, a slight smile crossed her lips. “Just call me Grandma Alice. My grandchildren do.”

When she dropped me off, I thanked her again and again and stood there waving as she drove away. My final exam was a piece of cake compared with the difficult experience I'd gone through to get to it, and asking Grandma Alice for help had relaxed me so that after class I was able to ask easily, “ Is anyone going my way? ” It turned out that while I'd been waiting for a bus every night, three fellow students passed my apartment house. "Why didn't you say something before?" they chorused.

Back home as I walked up the stairs. I passed Grandma Alice leaving her neighbor’s apartment. “ Good night, Mrs. Green. See you tomorrow,” the neighbor was saying.

Mrs. Green, the woman with cancer. “Grandma Alice “ was Mrs. Green.

I stood on the stairs, my hand covering my mouth: I had asked a person struggling with cancer to go out in a snowstorm to give me a lift to school. “Oh, Mrs. Green, I stammered, “ I didn't realize who you were. Please forgive me.”

I forced my legs to move me up the stairs. In my apartment, I stood still, not taking my coat off. How could I have been so insensitive? In a few seconds, someone tapped on my door. Mrs. Green stood there.

“May I tell you something?" she asked. I nodded slowly, motioning her toward a chair, sinking down onto my couch. “I used to be so strong.” she said. She was crying. “I used to be able to do things for other people . Now everybody keeps doing things for me, giving me things, cooking my meals and taking me to places where I want to go. It's not that I don't appreciate it, but I don't have chances. Tonight before I went out to get my mail, I prayed to God to let me feel like part of the human race again. Then you came along ...”

1. What does the word 'Mitzvah' mean in the first paragraph?

A．Asking for help	B．Refusing help
C．Helping others	D．Thanks for others’ help

2. The author didn't let her friends help her settle in because .

A．her friends were very busy

B．it would have an effect on her image of being capable and independent

C．it would bring her friends much trouble

D．her grandmother didn't agree to it

3. What does the underlined sentence suggest?

A．the author decided to ask for help without any ideas

B．the author would no longer have his own pride

C．the author would be desperate for ever

D．the author wouldn't be proud for a short time

4. After final exam, the author found that .

A．the exam was difficult

B．the exam wasn't easier than going through the difficult experience

C．her classmates were more friendly to her

D．it was easy for her to ask for help

5. Knowing Grandma Alice was Mrs. Green, the author felt .

A．Proud	B．Encouraged
C．Embarrassed	D．Pleased

6. The main idea of this passage is .

A．giving help not getting help

B．giving help is better than getting help

C．that a person who gets help is to blame

D．both giving help and getting help can reflect the warmth of the world

【推荐2】
Communication

People learn and share information through communication. All forms of communication have one thing in common: the sending and receiving of a message. Using different kinds of communication, people can pass along their ideas and feelings to just one person or to millions.

    1     Animals communicate through sounds, scents (气味), and acts. Computers communicate with other computers through electronic networks.

People communicate through language, both spoken and written.     2     Written language includes books, newspapers, and e-mail.

People also communicate without words. Body and face movements show feelings. Deaf people use hand movements called sign language.

The arts are also a form of communication.     3    

The first modern humans appeared about 200,000 years ago. They likely used sounds, movements, and then speech. About 30,000 years ago humans started making paintings and sculptures on the walls of caves.

Humans invented writing more than 5,000 years ago. The ancient Sumerian people developed the first known script (文字), called cuneiform (楔形文字). Then the ancient Egyptians developed a picture-based writing called hieroglyphics (象形文字). The invention of the printing press in the 1400s was a major advance in written communication.     4    

Telecommunication is communication over long distances. In ancient times pigeons carried written messages. Before trains and cars, messengers on foot or on horseback carried letters.     5     Since then, telecommunication has become faster thanks to television, telephones, and the Internet.

A．It let printers quickly make copies of a text.

B．Communication is not only a human activity.

C．Public postal services started in the 1500s and 1600s.

D．Spoken language includes conversations and speeches.

E．Spoken communication is dependent on a number of factors.

F．Photographs, paintings, music, and movies can communicate feelings as well as facts.

G．Modern technologies for long-distance communication usually involve electrical technologies.

【推荐3】As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions—like whether to cut class or try cigarettes. Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure.
Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other.
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball.
It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do.
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely.” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.
If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two.
1. For whom is the passage most probably written?

A．Parents.	B．Teachers.
C．Students.	D．Doctors.

2. In the last three paragraphs, the author mainly_____.

A．explains why friendship is so important

B．shows how to make more good friends

C．discusses how peers influence us

D．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure

3. Which of following may help handle peer pressure?

A．Spending more time with classmates.

B．Taking up more relaxing hobbies.

C．Choosing friends with no bad habits.

D．Helping others who are in trouble.

4. What is the topic of the passage?

A．Friendship.	B．Making decisions
C．Self-confidence	D．Peer pressure