【推荐1】Mr Guo is a teacher from Xi’an. He asked his students to hand in their homework through a QR code (二维码). “We spent an hour or two in class learning how to generate (使产生)the codes, and in the end everything gets easier, ” said Guo. “When students finish the homework, they keep it on WeChat (微信). Then, each student makes his own QR code and gives it to me. So I can check their work everywhere using my computer or telephone. ”

The QR codes can be sent to Mr Guo by email, QQ and WeChat. When Guo scans (扫描) his students’ QR codes, their homework appears on his phone. He finds that their homework becomes more creative (创新的), with many pictures, music and even videos.

Guo’s students like the new way and think it is interesting. “We are living in the information age. Many students like to work with computers, which makes learning more fun,” said Tingting, a student of Guo’s.

“The paper is not easy to keep, but the code is easy to keep and share,” Guo said. “It is worth trying to use new technology in education. Education itself is a kind of creation. I don’t want my students to fall behind the times.”

However, some parents are worried. They are afraid that their children will spend too much time on computers and less time communicating with teachers. But in fact, it’s unnecessary. Students still need to look up information in books and write it down when they do their homework. They only use the code when they hand in their homework, which doesn’t take them too much time. Also for teachers, it allows them to check the students’ work at any time. And it’s also an easy way to share homework with other students.

1. According to the passage, students can keep their homework on 　　　　.

A．WeChat	B．QQ
C．email	D．blog(博客)

2. Guo’s students think the new way is 　　　　.

A．strange	B．boring
C．interesting	D．unnecessary

3. What does “It” in paragraph 4 refer to(指代)?

A．The paper is not easy to keep.

B．Keeping and sharing the code easily.

C．Trying to use new technology in education.

D．Education itself is a kind of creation.

4. Some parents are worried, because they think their children will 　　　　.

A．talk with teachers face to face

B．spend too much time on computers or phones

C．not like the new way of handing in homework

D．find the QR codes too difficult to use

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Teachers needn’t check homework any more.

B．Students needn’t hand in homework any more.

C．Using QR codes makes checking homework easier.

D．Some parents are worried about their children.

【推荐2】Eddie, Aged 16

Being yourself is one important thing you have to remember when going to senior high school. I don’t know what your junior high school was like, but senior high school teachers will not care about such things as how much homework you have already finished in one night. It means that you had better learn to manage your time wisely.

Frank, Aged 16

I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day. You’ll probably love it. I know I did. You should join some clubs where you can meet people with the same interests. And taking part in some outdoor activities will also help to make your senior high school experience more enjoyable. Good luck!

Bill, Aged 15

When I began senior high school I was really nervous, especially since I had been taught at home all through junior high school. I think the best advice is that you should relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard, but things will become easier before you know it.

James, Aged 16

I have to tell you the truth that the first day of my senior high school is kind of frightening. But you’ll get used to it soon. Don’t be afraid of anyone. Just take it easy. It really helps if you make some friends and stay with them. After the first week, you’ll feel better. Don’t worry.

1. According to Frank, how can you make your senior high school life enjoyable?

A．By making many friends.

B．By talking with your teachers.

C．By joining clubs and taking part in activities.

D．By meeting people with the different interests.

2. How did Bill feel on his first day of senior high school?

A．Nervous.

B．Bored.

C．Easy.

D．Excited.

3. Who mentioned the importance of friends?

A．Eddie.

B．Frank.

C．Bill.

D．James.

【推荐2】For as long as we’ve known about it, humans have searched for a cure for cancer. Across the world, countless amounts of time and money have been spent on researching a way to stop this terrible disease. But now, it seems like the answer could have been inside our own bodies the whole time.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA, a government agency that’s responsible for health care, approved a new form of gene therapy that could mean the end of a certain type of cancer.

The therapy allows scientists to “train” the immune (有免疫力的) cells of sick patients to fight leukemia—a form of blood cancer that mostly affects young people.

The exciting new treatment works by removing healthy immune cells from the patient, known as T-cells, which are then changed to be able to “hunt down” cancer cells.

The cells are then put back into the patient before they begin to get rid of the patient’s leukemia over time, similar to how the body fights off other illnesses.

“This is truly an exciting new day for cancer patients,” Louis J. DeGennaro, president of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, said in a news release.

Up until now, a long and painful marrow transplant (骨髓移植) was the only option for many leukemia patients.

In this procedure, healthy blood cells are taken from a donor and placed into the sick patient, who also has to go through chemotherapy (化疗) to allow their body to adjust to the new cells.

But with a recovery rate of around 83%—according to a news release published by the FDA—it’s hoped that the days of painful trips to the hospital, or even death, are over for leukemia sufferers.

“We’re entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient’s own cells to attack a deadly cancer,” FDA representative Scott Gottlieb said in the release. “New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold the potential to transform medicine and our ability to treat and even cure many incurable illnesses.”

1. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?

A．To compare different ways of curing leukemia.

B．To report on a breakthrough in cancer treatment.

C．To explore the potential of gene and cell therapies.

D．To show scientists’ efforts in search of a cure for cancer.

2. How does the new treatment for leukemia work?

A．By replacing sick blood cells with healthy ones.

B．By using changed T-cells to destroy cancer cells.

C．By removing sick blood cells during a marrow transplant.

D．By using chemotherapy to improve the patient’s immune system.

3. What can be inferred about the new therapy for leukemia sufferers?

A．It can give them a better chance of survival and recovery.

B．It can improve their ability to fight off all kinds of cancer.

C．It can reduce their pain in the process of the marrow transplant

D．It can save them many more trips to the hospital and cause more deaths.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A biology textbook.	B．A research paper.
C．A medical magazine.	D．A travel brochure.

【推荐1】One day I was walking around in a national park when I saw a beautiful tarantula (狼蛛) crossing a path. I just stopped and decided to observe its walking.

Behind me there was a family going up the same way and they also noticed the tarantula. Without doubting it, a kid shouted, ''Quick, Dad, kill it. '' His brother also encouraged their dad to do that.

Then I stopped their dad. ''Wait. This is the last place the tarantula has to live in. Do you really want to kill it? ''

''Well, it's dangerous and we have kids here…''

''Why not stand still and let it cross safely? Then you can go and admire the rest of the park. ''

After some discussions I persuaded them to stand still and watch. Soon, the tarantula crossed and hid into the bushes.

Their dad thanked me and said, ''You're right. I was about to make a mistake. '' The children even said good bye to the tarantula and they learned something too.

1. What did the family want to do on seeing the tarantula?

A．To watch it.	B．To kill it.
C．To stand by.	D．To hide away.

2. What did the dad think of the tarantula?

A．Dangerous.	B．Interesting.
C．Powerful.	D．Beautiful.

3. What is the author's advice on how to deal with the tarantula?

A．To stop it quickly.	B．To greet it politely.
C．To let it cross safely.	D．To drive it into the bushes.

4. What may the kids learn from the experience?

A．Stay calm in time of danger.

B．Enjoy the beauty of nature.

C．Stay away from animals.

D．Treat the wildlife kindly.

【推荐2】The undersea world is very beautiful. Now more and more people want to dive in the water to find the secrets there. Scuba diving is a new sport today. It can take you into a wonderful undersea world.

You will find many strange animals in the sea. Some are as large as a school bus. Many sea animals give out light in the dark and some have sharp teeth. During the day, there is enough light. Here, under the sea, everything is blue and green. When fish swim nearby, you can catch them with your hands. When you have bottles of air on your back, you can stay in deep water for a long time. However, you can’t dive too deep. And you must be very careful when you dive in deep water. The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It’s cold, and it’s dark, too. The deeper it is, the less sunlight there is. At about 3,000 feet, there is no light at all. It is very dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes. Some have big eyes. A few have eyes on one side.

Besides the cold and the darkness, deep-sea animals face a third danger ― other animals. Animals eat! They must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants. However, some animals eat meat. This means these sea animals have two big jobs. They need to find animals as food, and they have to try not to become other animals’ meal.

1. Why do people want to dive in the sea?

A．Because they want to catch fish.

B．Because they want to find the secrets of the undersea world.

C．Because the sea is deep.

D．Because there are all kinds of plants in the sea.

2. In the daytime, when you dive in the sea, you ________.

A．can’t see anything bright

B．can’t be in danger

C．can catch nothing

D．can see everything is green and blue

3. According to the writer, how many dangers will animals meet in the deep sea?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

4. When you do scuba diving, you can ________.

A．stay in deep water for a long time

B．dive very, very deep

C．live in deep water safely

D．dive freely without any dangers

5. According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?

A．One animal finds something to eat, and it may be eaten by others.

B．Animals in the sea must find food to eat. Many eat plants. However, some eat meat.

C．The deeper the sea is, the darker and colder it is.

D．At the depth of 3, 000 feet under the sea, all animals can find their way by seeing.

【推荐3】Over the years, the small Vermilion Heritage Museum in Alberta, Canada, tried everything in its power to unlock an old safe (保险箱) in its basement: The museum hired blacksmiths, called the manufacturer, contacted former employees and challenged visitors to play around with the safe but nobody had any success.

Until last month, when a visitor to Vermilion cracked the code (密码) on his first try, much to the astonishment of everyone present.

Stephen Mills, from Fort McMurray, Alberta, was on a family camping trip with his wife and his two children. After giving the Mills' family a tour of the whole building, the museum volunteer showed them the objects in the basement, including the mysterious safe.

It originally had belonged to the town's Brunswick Hotel which opened in the early 1900s. When the hotel shut down in the late 1970s, the safe was locked: —and so it had remained.

“It was like a time capsule, nobody had any idea of what was in there,” said Mills.

Like other visitors, Mills was offered the chance to take a crack at opening it.

“Just like you see in the movies,” he said, “I looked at the dial and I saw the numbers were running from 0 to 60. So I thought in my head 20-40-60. I did a particular combination which is three on the right, two on the left, and one on the right, tried the handle … and it opened!””

“It was a 100% guess.” he said. “I was fully amazed. I stepped back a lttle bit and thought,

“I'm buying a lottery ticket tonight!””

The contents of the safe proved a little disappointing.

“Unfortunately, there wasn't what we thought was there,” Mills said. “Some papers, old checks, a waitress' notebook, and a receipt from the hotel. That's it.”

Nonetheless, Mills said everyone was excited about the lucky guess. “My children kept screaming “We beat the code! We beat the code!” he said.

1. Who unlocked the mysterious safe?

A．A visitor.	B．A volunteer.
C．A blacksmith.	D．An employee.

2. How did Mills unlock the old safe?

A．After several attempts.	B．Through accurate calculations.
C．By a random guess.	D．With professional guidance.

3. What did Mills think of the contents of the safe?

A．Exciting.	B．Unexpected.
C．Impressive.	D．Valuable.

【推荐1】Bridging the gap between simple automation(自动化)and robots that can communicate with humans naturally is a big challenge, but major progress has been made in the past few years.

Research into social robots has shown that machines that respond to emotion(情感)can help the elderly and children, and could lead to robots becoming more widely socially acceptable.

Milo is both a robotic teacher and a student. Developers RoboKind created Milo to help children with autism(自闭症)learn more about emotional expression and empathy (共鸣) while collecting data on their progress to target learning and treatment. Milo's friendly face makes himself kind and the children are able to read his expressions.

Robots can also reduce stress in hospital settings. Expper Tech's Robin was designed as a robot to provide emotional support for children with medical treatment. Robin explains medical details to them, plays games and tells stories, and during treatment draws their attention away to reduce their feeling of pain.

Expper's robot uses Artificial Inteligence(AI) to create empathy, remembering expressions and conversations to build conversation for follow-up sessions. In trials at the Wigmore Medical Pediatric Clinic in Yerevan. Armenia, the team found that Robin led to a 34% weakening in stress and improve happiness of 26% in the 120 children who interacted(互动)with him at least once.

Today's simple systems are being trained to meet that demand. This includes ProxEmo, a little wheeled robot that can guess how you are feeling from the way you walk, and ENRICHME who helps older people to stay physically and mentally active. The problem is the fear that human jobs may be lost as robots become better at dealing with social situations.

1. What makes children feel Milo's kindness?

A．Milo's appearance.	B．Milo's speech.
C．Milo's hospital settings.	D．Milo's way of walking.

2. How does the author show Robin's advantage in paragraph 5?

A．By listing numbers.	B．By making comments.
C．By following the time order.	D．By explaining the process.

3. Which is the best choice for an old man who wants to be active?

A．Milo.	B．Robin.
C．ProxEmo.	D．ENRICHME.

4. What do people mainly worry about?

A．Robots can't meet their demand.

B．Some people will be out of work.

C．A robot isn't widely acceptable.

D．Robots can't deal with problems.

【推荐2】People have grown taller over the last century,with South Korean women shooting up by more than 20 cm on average, and Iranian men gaining 16.5 cm. A global study looked at the average height of 18-year-olds in 200 countries between 1914 and 2014. The results show that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914.

Dutch men have risen from 12th place to the top spot with an average height of 182.5 cm. Latvian women, meanwhile, rose from 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later,with an average height of 169.8 cm.

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

But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many African countries causes concern, says Riboli.While height increased in Uganda and Niger during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed(反转) in recent years, with height decreasing among 18-year-olds.

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

James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, believes the global trend of increasing height is of great importance. “How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in," he said. "If we give children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come.”

1. What does the global study tell us about people's height in the last hundred years?

A．There is great difference across continents

B．There has been an obvious increase in most countries.

C．The increase in people's height has been quickening.

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

2. What does Elio Riboli say about taller people?

A．They tend to live longer.

B．They enjoy an easier life

C．They generally risk fewer diseases.

D．They have greater expectations in life.

3. What do we learn about 18-year-olds in Uganda and Niger?

A．They grow up slower than their peers in other countries.

B．They are actually shorter than their earlier generations.

C．They find it hard to bring their potential into full play.

D．They have experienced many changes of government.

4. What does James Bentham suggest we do?

A．Watch closely the global trend in children's development.

B．Make sure that our children grow up to their full height.

C．Try every means possible to improve our environment.

D．Ensure our children grow up in an ideal environment.

【推荐3】As traditional Chinese art，paper cutting has a long history. The first and earliest paper cutting was found in China 1 ,500 years ago. But this traditional art is at risk of disappearing now.

Luckily, Vivian Woo, a Chinese immigrant in America, is trying to bring this art back to life. One Saturday in 2017, Ms. Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She got much fun and peace doing it. She hoped more people would enjoy it. Ms. Woo began to study the art of paper cutting as a 14-year-old girl in her hometown in China. She said all the students at school had to learn paper cutting. But she had a deep love for it. So her teacher spent
more time teaching her after class. Later, she won the second prize in a national painting and art competition. Ms. Woo went to America after she finished college in 2008. Soon after that, she took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting. And then she was invited to show the art in many important activities. “It is important to promote this art to Americans or anyone who is interested in it. Maybe it will make this art more popular. ”Woo said.

From the art of paper cutting， people can know about Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people' s life. Ms. Woo uses the art as a tool to show Chinese culture to people who know little about it.

Chinese art is not only for Chinese, but also for people all over the word.

1. What did Ms. Woo do in 2017?

A．She won the second prize in a national painting and art competition.

B．She was invited to many activities to show paper cutting.

C．She held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington.

D．She took part in an activity to promote Chinese paper cutting.

2. Ms. Woo began to study the art of paper cutting______.

A．when she was fourteen	B．after she got to America
C．when she was in college	D．after she finished college

3. In the passage, the writer thinks the art of paper cutting is _______now.

A．very popular in America	B．very popular in China
C．for people who know about it	D．in danger of disappearing