【推荐3】The deadliest wildfire in California's history broke out on November 8, 2018. It burned for 17 days and consumed 153,336 acres. In all the fire cost $16.5 billion in damage, destroying nearly 19,000 buildings, living 50,000 homes and killing 85. The beauty of this beautifully named place was gone.

Shane Grammer works as a creative director for Disney's theme parks. When his childhood friend Shane Edwards posted pictures of his white chimney--- the only part of his house to survive---Grammer felt very sad, but didn't know how to help him. And then he had an idea. "I've got to paint that chimney," he told Inside Edition. "And it was an opportunity for me to express myself and be an artist." On December 31, Grammer spent three hours spray-painting a black -and-white image of a woman on the chimney---a reminder, perhaps, of the beauty of life, or even just of life itself.

Grammer posted the image on Instagram. And many viewers said that he had really brought beauty and hope. Suddenly, Grammer realized that what he had thought was that a purely artistic expression had morphed into something deeper, the nature of true art. “When the first mural(壁画) moved so many people in this community, I knew I had to come back up,” Grammer told KRCR- TV. Over a period of three months, he returned eight times, painting 17 portraits of victims and figures of the Bible on walls, pickups, and broken buildings. "There is hope," he explains. "There is beauty in the ashes.”

Grammer's work in Paradise has now become a movement. He has traveled to many places painting murals in dark places that badly needed some light, an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, for example. "I want to do something powerful and create art that moves people," he says.

That first painting, on the chimney in Paradise, survived only a few months -the bulldozer(推土机) is a cruel art critic. Grammer couldn't be more delighted. It means that the spirit of Paradise is rising again.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．The cause of the fire.

B．The damage caused by the fire.

C．The economic loss which resulted from the fire.

D．The reason why the beautiful place was gone.

2. What does the underlined part “morphed into” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Broke out.	B．Launched out.
C．Moved into.	D．Turned into.

3. Why did the painting on the chimney survive only a few months?

A．Some people disliked it.

B．Grammer wasn’t satisfied with it.

C．The town was under reconstruction.

D．The bulldozer knocked it down by accident.

4. Which word best describes Grammer?

A．Caring.	B．Casual.
C．Humorous.	D．Indifferent.

【推荐2】Charlie is a teacher and his wife, Maria is an artist. The night before last, just before the longest day of the year, Charlie was sitting in a deckchair enjoying the warm summer air when Maria touched his shoulder and he could tell immediately she was a little worried about something. He asked her what the matter was and she replied that there was a strange thing on the jacket that was hanging in the bedroom. They had both lived in the West Indies (西印度群岛) and had seen a lot of strange creatures in their house before. But now they were living in England and so Charlie just laughed and said he would have a look at the “thing”.

He walked to the bedroom. He saw a jacket hanging in the bedroom and went up to it to have a closer look at the “thing”. The moment he touched it, the thing sprang into life. Now Charlie experiences fear like the rest of us but when this creature opened its wings, he jumped out of his skin and ran screaming from the room like a small child doing about 100 miles an hour.

For a moment the next-door neighbours thought that Charlie was murdering his wife because of the noise they could hear. In fact, it was a bat that frightened Charlie.

Eventually Charlie managed to trap the bat in a box and took it to the garden to let the bat fly. Maria, who had been playing the guitar while Charlie was upstairs, asked Charlie if he had found out what the thing was. “Oh, nothing to worry about”, he said casually hoping that the terror could not be seen in his eyes, “it was just a bat.”

1. Why was Maria a little worried one night?

A．Because she couldn't find her guitar.	B．Because she saw something strange.
C．Because it was too hot for her.	D．Because she had quarreled with her husband.

2. The underlined part “jumped out of his skin” in the second paragraph probably means ____.

A．stood up	B．was very frightened
C．threw off his clothes	D．was very excited

3. What happened to the bat?

A．It was killed by Charlie.	B．It was badly wounded.
C．It was set free by Charlie.	D．It was kept as a pet.

4. It can be inferred that ________.

A．Charlie was afraid that his wife would laugh at him if she knew the truth

B．the neighbours would report to the police about Charlie murdering the bat

C．the bat wouldn't come to Charlie's room again because it was frightened

D．Maria heard her husband screaming downstairs and became frightened

【推荐3】Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known to all over the world as Mark Twain, his penname.

Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother’s care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all his friends and neighbors. He didn’t like to go to school, and he often ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. He was nearly drowned nine times.

After his father’s death, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards, he became a full-time writer.

In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him great fortune.

Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments(投资) and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and then three of his children passed away.

At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties. He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.

1. In Mark Twain’s childhood, ____________.

A．he learned a lot at school

B．he often went swimming with other boys

C．his mother often worried about his safety

D．he often played games with other boys

2. Which of the following shows the right order about Mark Twain?

a. He became a miner.                    

b. He worked as a printer.                 

c. He got into debts.

d. His father died.                         

e. He became a full-time writer.        

f. He joined the army.

A．a-d-b-c-e-f	B．c-b-d-f-e-a
C．d-a-f-e-b-c	D．d-b-f-a-e-c

3. In order to make a living, Mark Twain ____________.

A．did many kinds of work

B．first worked as a printer

C．wrote stories in the beginning

D．joined the army after he worked in a mine

4. In the later years of his life, Mark Twain ____________.

A．wrote many stories and earned a lot of money

B．must have been very sad because he lost his family

C．continued writing until his death

D．lent too much money to others

【推荐1】In a new study, 186 four-year-old kids were given regular carrots and, on other lunch days, they were given the same vegetables renamed X-ray Vision Carrots. On the latter days, they ate nearly twice as many.
The study suggests the influence of these names might persist. Children continued to eat about 50 percent more carrots even on the days when they were no longer labeled as anything special.
The research, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was presented at the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association in Washington, D.C..
“Cool names can make for cool foods,” said the lead author Brian Wansink of Cornell University. “Whether it be ‘power peas’ or ‘dinosaur broccoli trees’, giving a food a fun name makes kids think it will be more fun to eat. And it seems to keep working — even the next day,” Wansink said.
Similar results have been found with adults. A restaurant study showed that when the Seafood Filet was changed to Romantic Hawaii, sales increased 28 percent and taste rating increased by 12 percent. “Same food, but different expectations, and a different experience,” said Wansink, author of “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.”
The study was conducted in pre-schools, but the researchers believe the same naming tricks can work with children at home.
“I’ve been using this with my kids,” said researcher Collin Payne, “Whatever sparks(激发) their imagination seems to spark their appetite.”
1. Those four-year-old kids ate ________ when the carrots were renamed X-ray Vision Carrots.

A．twice more carrots	B．nearly double carrots
C．about 50 percent more carrots	D．as many carrots as they used to

2. According to the passage, _______ make(s) kids think it will be more fun to eat.

A．power peas	B．dinosaur broccoli trees
C．fun names of food	D．cool foods

3. The restaurant study didn’t show that ________.

A．sales increased 28 percent when the name Romantic Hawaii was taken

B．taste rating increased by 12 percent after the Seafood Filet was renamed

C．same food would let people have a different experience with different names

D．the researchers got similar results when they work with children at home

4. The purpose of the passage is to tell us ________.

A．people prefer food with cool names

B．how to name the food which kids eat

C．how to help kids eat in a healthy way

D．kids often imagine when they eat food

【推荐2】I was quite close to my grandmother, Julia. We lived with her and then she lived with us. She was a very nice person, both kind and patient. She taught me to read and write when I was young and helped me to be interested in stories and poems.

In my mind, my grandmother was a great tailor. She made clothes or toys better than anything you can buy in a shop today. She always made clothes for family and friends.

My grandmother was also a hard worker both at home and at work. I can still remember the difficult time when we were very poor. At that time, my grandmother was already sixty years old but she worked in a hospital for a long time every day—not in the office but doing the cleaning outside and taking care of me at the same time while my mom was at work!

My brother and sisters also love her. We will never forget our grandmother. She is really important in our lives and is always there for all of us in one way or another. I am proud to be her grandson.

1. The writer’s grandmother taught him to ______ when he was young.

A．read and write	B．sing and dance
C．draw and sing	D．play and learn

2. His grandmother always made ______ for family and friends.

A．cakes	B．cards
C．meals	D．clothes

3. While his mom was ______, his grandmother took care of him.

A．at home	B．at work
C．out of work	D．in hospital

4. At the age of 60, his grandmother ______in a hospital for a long time every day.

A．made fine toys	B．worked in the office
C．did the cleaning	D．stayed with him mother

【推荐3】Discovering the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, an experience in Wonderlab will fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways. Come and enjoy yourself!

What to see

Spread across seven different zones, there're loads of opportunities to get hands on with real scientific phenomena. Observe live experiments at our Chemistry Bar, see lightning strike before your eyes, play with forces on giant slides or travel through space under a canopy (苍穹)of stars. You can also take part in explosive science demonstrations led by our talented team of explainers. With 50 mind-blowing wonders of science to enjoy, Wonderlab is an experience unlike any other. Besides, a selection of shows will be performed daily in Wonderlab’s beautiful new show space. They are free of charge and last 20 minutes.

Tickets

♦ Day pass:   £ 6 per person.

This ticket gives you day-long access to Wonderlab, perfect whether you're planning a special trip to the Museum or simply passing through London and want to feed your curiosity.

♦ Annual pass:   £ 10 per person.

For less than the price of two visits, give yourself a year packed full of wonder, curiosity and breathtaking experiences.

Opening times

Open seven days a week, 10:00 — 18:00 (last entry 17:15). Wonderlab will be closed on December 24，25 and 26 and will be open as usual from December 27.

During school holidays our opening hours are 10:00 — 19:00 (last entry 18:15). Please note that in peak periods ( from midday onwards) we are experiencing long queues due to the gallery’s popularity.

1. What can you do in Wonderlab?

A．Explore stars.	B．Produce lighting.
C．Join in explosion shows.	D．Do chemistry experiments.

2. How much should two visitors pay if they visit Wonderlab and enjoy the shows for one day?

A．£ 12.	B．£ 20.
C．£32.	D．£40.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce Wonderlab.	B．To attract people to Wonderlab.
C．To explain how Wonderlab works.	D．To analyze why Wonderlab is attractive.

【推荐1】The government's top Great Barrier Reef scientist says a third mass coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) event in five years is a clear signal that the marine wonder is “calling for urgent help on climate change. Corals can recover from mild bleaching, but severe bleaching can kill corals.

Prof Terry Hughes, director of the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, surveyed 1,036 reefs from a plane over nine days in late March.

The marine park authority also had an observer on the flights. The survey has released   maps showing that serious levels of bleaching occurred in 2020 in all three sections of the   reef northern, central and southern. Some 25% of the reefs were seriously bleached-meaning that more than 60% of the corals on each reef had bleached.

The Great Barrier Reel has experienced five mass bleaching events-1998. 2002,2016, 2017 and 2020 -all caused by rising ocean temperatures driven by global heating. Hughes said there probably would not be the same level of coral death in the north and central regions in 2020 as in previous years, but this was partly because previous bleaching outbreaks had kill off the less heat -tolerant species The 2020 bleaching was second only to 2016 for severity(严重性), Hughes said.

Dr. David Wachenfeld，chief scientist at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, told Guardian Australia "My greatest fear is that people will lose hope for the reef. Without hope there's no action. People need to see these bleaching events, They are clear signals that the Great Barrier Reef is alling for urgent help and for us to do everything we can”.

Measures to improve the ability of recovery of the reef include improving water quality, controlling outbreaks of coral-eating starfish, and research and development to improve the heat tolerance of corals. " However, climate change brings a new scale of impact unlike anything we have seen before. Thus, dealing with the climate problem is the basis for everything else to work, ” Wachenfeld said.

1. What does the underlined word “mild” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Serious

B．Strong.

C．Steady.

D．Slight.

2. What can we learn from Paragraphs2 & 3?

A．The majority of the corals on each reef were bleached.

B．The survey was carried out on a plane by Hughes alone.

C．The 2020 bleaching killed off the less heat tolerant species.

D．The 2020 bleaching was worse than those of all the previous years.

3. We can infer from Wachenfeld’s words that people seeing the bleaching events .

A．have done everything they can for the reef

B．are sure to lose hope for the reef

C．will care more about the reef

D．will have no action at all

4. Which is the essential measure to improve the ability of recovery of the reef?

A．Improving water quality.

B．Making efforts to prevent global warming.

C．controlling outbreaks of coral-eating starfish.,

D．Doing research on the heat tolerance of corals.

【推荐2】18-year-old Kayla Perkins explains what is in her bedroom, “I throw something on the floor and I know right where it is.” However, her parents, Steve and Deborah Perkins, of McKinney,Texas, haven’t caught on. Even Kayla admits that, at the worst, her room is a mess.

Most families at some point have at least one child whose room looks like a landfill (垃圾堆) .The mess can disturb the whole household. Dirty clothes pile up; dirty dishes get lost in the mess and smell bad; homework is lost; and valuable things are ruined.

Some parents let it go, believing that a bedroom is private space for children to manage as they wish. Others lecture their children, offer rewards for cleaning, or punish them when they don’t. What doesn’t work, parenting experts say, is constant lectures, verbal (口头的，言语的) threats or getting very angry. Mrs. Perking says they picked up all the clothes on Kayla’s floor and hid them. They cleaned everything up. When Kayla came back to a bare bedroom, there was screaming and shouting, “How can I live without my clothes?” Mrs. Perkins asked Kayla to earn her clothes back by doing housework. These days, she keeps her room clean.

Humour can help, too. For example, since Jessica, the 14-year-old daughter wasn’t bothered by the dirty clothes all over her floor, the whole family started using her room as a place to store dirty clothes. Her attitude changed after her family did that. By the time she gave in and cleaned up her room a few days later, even she was laughing.

Parenting expert, Jim Fay, also recommends that parents first ask children in a nice way to clean up and agree on a reasonable time limit. Children often behave better if you treat them in the way you would want to be treated by your boss at work - with respect and high expectation.

1. What is the best title of the passage?

A．How to Make Children Clean up Their Bedrooms

B．Ways to Correct Children’s Bad Habits.

C．Encourage Children to Share More Housework.

D．Tips on Cleaning up the Room.

2. According to the experts, when children’s room looks like a landfill, parents at first should           

A．let children have their own private space.

B．lecture their children and give verbal threats.

C．set an example and offer rewards for cleaning.

D．ask them in a nice way and set a reasonable time limit.

3. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Playing hide-and-seek can help children change their attitude.

B．Parents differ over their children’s bedroom cleaning.

C．Children often behave better if parents treat them like bosses.

D．Most children feel uncomfortable when their rooms are too clean.

【推荐3】A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.

“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.

“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what’s the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat.   She’s making a strange noise.”

The vet looked over the cow.   “She’s certainly ill,” he said, “and she needs to take some very strong medicine.”

He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, “Give her these. The pills should make her better.”

“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.

The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, “Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow.   That’ ll make it.”

The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.

“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.

“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”

“Oh?” the vet said, “Why?”

“I did what you said,” the farmer answered.   “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”

“And?” the vet asked.

“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.

1. In the story, the vet must be _________.

A．the farmer’s friend	B．a milk factory
C．a hospital for cows	D．a doctor for animals

2. The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow _______

A．couldn’t lie down	B．didn’t eat the pills
C．couldn’t make any noise	D．was ill

3. Which of the following is true?

A．The farmer ate the pills himself.

B．The cow got better after taking the medicine.

C．The vet came to help farmer change the cow the next day.

D．The farmer waited for the vet outside his house the next day.