【推荐1】For some kids, old photos and baby pictures are embarrassing. For others, they are valuable keepsakes（纪念品）. But for thousands of children living in orphanages（孤儿院）worldwide, these records of the past simply don’t exist. Either the kids’ parents weren’t around to take photos, or the pictures have been lost. Whatever the reason is, the Memory Project is giving orphans a lasting document of their youth.

Over the last two years, the Memory Project has provided hand-painted portraits to more than 4, 000 children living in orphanages in poor countries. Ben Schumaker, 24, got the idea when he was visiting an orphanage in Guatemala in Central America. But he’s not creating the portraits（肖像）alone. Students in hundreds of high school art classes across the U. S. paint them using photos sent from the orphanages.

Schumaker believes that the artists benefit from the project as much as the orphans do. “There are two purposes of the Memory Project,” he said. “One is to offer a special gift to the child abroad. The other is to help open the eyes of the student who is painting.” Staring into the eyes of another person, Schumaker believes, it creates a real connection. This connection raises awareness in U. S. schools about the needs of the world’s poor children. “It’s about planting a seed,” he said.

Schumaker is also working on Books of Hope, a project in which students of all ages put together homemade books for children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India will send books to the U. S. “It’s important to me to have it be a two-way exchange,” Schmnaker says.

1. Old photos and baby pictures are clearly unavailable to__________.

A．the kids in rich families	B．the kids in common families
C．the kids in expanded families	D．the kids without parents

2. How can the orphans in Guatemala get a continuing record of their youth?

A．By hand-painted portraits that Ben Schumaker painted.

B．By the photos the orphanage taken for them.

C．By the photos taken by the U. S. students in high schools.

D．By the Memory Project started by Ben Schumaker.

3. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The special gifts that the world’s poor children received.

B．The benefits that the Memory Project brings.

C．The need of the US schools.

D．How to help the orphans.

【推荐2】Every small child knows the panic of losing sight of its mother in the supermarket, and as these delightful pictures show, small whales obviously feel the same way.
Taken by a British diver who was following the sperm whale(抹香鲸) calf, they show the minute the baby - who had lost track of its mum - found her again in the sea off the Azores.
Soaring 30ft across the waves, the newborn slammed（猛力推）its body onto the water with joy after becoming separated from its family group in the chilly（寒冷的）waters.
But the whale calf was doing more than just jumping for joy.
British biologist and dive guide Justin Hart, 44, who took the pictures, says that young whales communicate with older ones in the ocean by creating a slamming sound which travels through the water to the ears of the adults deep below.
By leaping out of the water and slamming its 12ft long body onto the surface of the sea up to 30 times, the baby whale is telling its relatives where it is so they can regroup.
He said: “We had been following the sperm whale calf for most of the day. Sperm whales, of all the whales and dolphins, are the species that dive the deepest and for the longest time.”
“The calves have to follow what’s going on below them from the surface as best they can probably listening to the echo location（回声定位）clicks of the adults.”
“However, sometimes the adults re-surface far out of sight of the calf, and in this situation the whales often leap out of the water causing a large bang as their bodies hit the surface. In this way, the whale family could regroup.”
He added: “When I took the photo, two adults’ females had just resurfaced and the calf quite literally began jumping for joy.”
Mr. Hart captured the rare image four miles from the port of Lajes do Pico while he was working as a crewman on an underwater documentary with special license to film sperm whales in the area.
Sperm whales live in nearly all the world’s oceans in groups of about 15 to 20 animals and they practice communal(集体的) childcare. The calves do not have to follow their mother too closely as sperm whales can take milk from any milk-producing female in its social group.
1. The underlined word “they” in paragraph 2 probably refers to _____.

A．the whales	B．the divers
C．the photos	D．the mothers

2. According to Justin Hart, the young sperm whale ____.

A．found its family with his help

B．suffered a lot in the cold waters

C．lost contact with its family for days

D．slammed as a means of communication

3. What do we know about sperm whales?

A．The young are independent.

B．They are highly social animals.

C．They tend to live in warm sea waters.

D．Females take turns to care for babies.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Baby whales perform slamming with joy

B．Sperm whales ---fairly intelligent animals

C．Lost sperm whale baby reunited with its family

D．Slamming--- a way of communication among whales

【推荐1】A woman was caught trying to get her boyfriend out of Puente Ayala prison by packing him in a large suitcase. They almost got away with it, but guards became suspicious after seeing the woman struggling with the suitcase.

25-year-old Souda arrived at the Puente Ayala prison in Barcelona, Venezuela, last week, to visit her boyfriend, Jose Antonio, who was serving a sentence of 9 years and 8 months for stealing cars. She had brought their six-year-old daughter and a large pink suitcase, which is common for an overnight stay by family members in South American prison. Little did the guards know that Souda and Jose Antoni were planning to leave the prison together the next day, as a big happy family.

Their plan seemed to go smoothly as the woman carrying the bright pink baggage didn’t attract the guards’ attention, but it failed when they finally noticed the short woman struggling to pull the seemingly light suitcase out of the door. They stopped Souda and asked her to open the suitcase so they could check its items. Left with no choice but to meet the guards’ demand, the woman opened the suitcase to show young Jose Antonio looking professional contortionist (专业柔术演员)and covered with different clothing items.

Puente Ayala guards sent the car thief back to the prison. Souda has been caught by guards and is waiting for official charges, and the couple’s six-year-old daughter» Mary, been placed in the care of social services.

If only Souda had gone to the gym to improve her strength before going through escaping from prison with her lover, things might have gone differently.

1. The underlined word in Paragraph 1 can be best replaced by      .

A．pleased	B．doubtful
C．worried	D．violent

2. Where did Souda put her husband while leaving the prison?

A．In a car.	B．In the gym.
C．In a suitcase.	D．In the bag.

3. Mary lives in the care of social services because      .

A．she broke the law

B．her parents，marriage has ended

C．her parents are both caught by guards

D．her mother is busy building up her body

【推荐2】When someone steals something from you, whether it’s valuable or not, it’s completely natural to feel angry, but one thief has managed to turn things around and win sympathy(同情) for his crime. Singer Stevie Valentine said his friend had received an email from a thief who had stolen the laptop containing his university course work.  

Apologizing for the theft, the thief said he was poor and needed money but offered to send on any files(文件) the student might need for his course work. Stevie’s tweet has now been liked 26,000 times with many people expressing sympathy for the person who stole the computer. 

The unnamed thief started the message by saying he was “very, very sorry” for taking the student’s laptop. “I am extremely poor and needed the money,” the thief explained, “I left your phone and wallet, so I hope that slightly makes up for something.” The thief added, “I can see you are a university student. If there is any file such as university work on here that you need, let me know and I will send them to you. Once again I am sorry.”

“I actually like this thief because of his honesty though he was poor,” one wrote, while several said they would be happy to let the thief keep it after reading that explanation. One said that the message “breaks my heart,” while another added, “This is the nicest thief I’ve ever seen.” One even suggested that the laptop owner should reply and find the thief and give him some money.

However, another said that despite the email being sweet, the student is now left without the laptop and can’t do his work, not to mention being on a limited budget himself.

1. Stevie Valentine’s friend lost ________.

A．his computer	B．his phone
C．his wallet	D．his key

2. ________ is mainly presented in Para.3.

A．The thief’s complaining and warning

B．The thief’s apologizing and explaining

C．The thief’s arguing and explaining

D．The thief’s apologizing and comforting

3. Some people thought the thief should be forgiven and even helped because_______.

A．he sent back the files

B．he might look nice

C．his message was moving

D．he needed a laptop

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A．the email is so sweet that the student will forgive the thief

B．the student can still work without the laptop

C．no one will have a pity on the student because he is rich

D．not everyone can forgive the thief and his theft

【推荐3】Switzerland is the best place to be born in the world in 2013，and the US is just 16th. A new study made by the Economist Intelligence Unit says American babies will have a dimmer（暗淡）future than those born in Hong Kong，Ireland and even Canada. The EIU，a sister company of The Economist，tried to measure how well countries will provide the best opportunities for a healthy，safe and prosperous life in years to come.
People born in Switzerland will tend to be the happiest and have the best quality of life in terms of wealth，health and trust in public institutions，according to the analysis. The Scandinavian countries of Norway，Sweden and Denmark also all make the top five in a‘quality-of-lif e’index(指数）where it is best to be born next year.
One of the most important factors is being rich，but other factors come into play including crime，trust in public institutions and the health of family life. In total，the index takes into account 11 factors. These include fixed factors such as geography，others that change slowly over time such as demography (人口学) social and cultural characteristics, and the state of the world economy. The index also looks at income per head in 2030，which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood. Small economies take up the top 10 countries，with Australia coming second and New Zealand and the Netherlands not too far behind.
Half of the top 10 countries are European，but only one，the Netherlands，is from the eurozone. The crisis-ridden south of Europe，including Greece，Portugal and Spain，falls behind despite the advantage of a favourable climate. Interestingly，the largest European economies-Germany，France and Britain-do not do particularly well. Nigeria has the unenviable(不值得羡慕的)title of being the worst country for a baby to enter the world in 2013.
1. According to the passage，the happiest people live in      ·

A．Denmark

B．Switzerland

C．Germany

D．Nigeria

2. The factors of telling the best place to be born don’t include      ．

A．economy	B．geography
C．trust in public institutions	D．pollution

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text？

A．The Economist Intelligence Unit is a company.

B．The Economist attempted to measure the best place to live.

C．The Scandinavian countries are hardly at the top of the list.

D．Half of the top 10 countries are from the eurozone.

4. The purpose of the text is to show people      ．

A．the best place to be born in 2013

B．a new study made by the EIU

C．the worst country to be born in 2013

D．the factors of measuring the best place to be born

【推荐2】Imagine this: You’re digging a well, and instead of hitting water, you unearth a headless human body made of pottery. This actually happened to farmers in Shanxi province in central China in 1974. Local archaeologists heard of the find and biked over to investigate. They realized that the figure had come from a tomb built over 2,000 years ago for China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang. Archaeologists finally discovered three separate pits (穴) filled with 8,000 life-sized statues, all made from terracotta-a type of fired clay.

About a mile away from these pits, there’s a large mound (山丘). Archaeologists know that this is the main part of Qin Shihuang’s tomb, but they have never looked inside. They have left it alone out of respect for the first emperor and to protect the tomb as it is.

“Many people wish to see the treasures and mysteries inside, but we cannot,” says Xiuzhen Li, an archaeologist. Opening the tomb could damage its contents. Someday, Li hopes, we’ll have technology that will let us see inside the main part of the tomb without opening and disturbing it.

“Probably in the near future we’ll have some new technology that can see inside like an x-ray,” she says. Scientists are working on techniques that make it possible to see underground. Another idea is that a tiny robot could enter through a small hole and capture videos of what it sees. Even if this robotic exploration is done very carefully, however, it would still damage the tomb. For now, the Chinese government prefers to wait to do anything until they have even better technology.

1. What’s the suitable description of the figure from the tomb?

A．A copy of real soldiers.	B．A model of emperors.
C．In ruins.	D．In colors.

2. Why can’t archaeologists go inside the tomb?

A．It might be ruined.	B．It is very dangerous.
C．The robot is not clever enough.	D．The government doesn’t allow it.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Technique	B．to see underground
C．an x-ray	D．the tomb

4. What’s Xiuzhen Li’s attitude to seeing inside the tomb in the future?

A．Unconcerned.	B．Doubtful.
C．Hopeful.	D．Objective.

5. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An encyclopedia.	B．A history textbook.
C．A newspaper.	D．A travel guide.

【推荐1】Wait for it...that sigh of relief you are hearing is wives, girlfriends and partners across London celebrating the end of Movember.

This year’s annual moustache-growing campaign in London will surpass (超过) 2014 fundraising numbers.

Last year London men grew enough facial hair to raise $ 200, 000. As of Thursday 2015 fundraising sat at $250,000 with additional money still expected to roll in.

“Well I think London is a pretty charitable community” said Lincoln McCardle president of the London chapter. “Whether it is a food drive or Movember we always step up and either meet or surpass the goal.”

As a result of last year’s success London was awarded a wrap-up gala (演出) which took place Thursday night at Jim Bob Ray’s on Richmond Street.

“Up until now the galas have been happening in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary” said McCandle. “We wanted to have a gala. I told the guys in head office in Toronto to pick a number - not to tell me - but if we hit it I want a gala in London. And we did. It is a chance to thank the people who registered, hand out a few awards and have some fun.”

This year 60 percent of the money collected in Canada will still go to cancer research with the remaining 40 percent being directed towards men’s mental health.

For men looking for a professional to take off their month-long growth there are a number of “shave-off” events around the city Friday. One will be at David E. White at the corner of Richmond Street and Queens Avenue. For a $20 donation your prized moustache will be professionally removed. Organizers are hoping to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of shaves given in a day.

Started in Australia in 2003 the craze (热潮) found its way to Canadian men by 2007 and in the last couple of years Canada has collected more setting the pace in terms of fundraising. Money raised has traditionally gone toward prostate-cancer research which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men according to Health Canada.

1. What can we learn about the people in London?

A．They are wealthy.	B．They are creative.
C．They are indifferent.	D．They are warm-hearted.

2. What’s the aim of moustache-growing campaign?

A．To have a wrap-up gala.	B．To raise money for men’s health.
C．To set a Guinness World Record.	D．To remove the moustache professionally.

3. Which Guinness World Record the organizers may set?

A．The length of a moustache a man grows.	B．The amount of money collected in a day.
C．The number of moustaches removed in a day.	D．The number of people participating in the campaign.

4. What does the phrase “setting the pace” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Taking the lead.	B．Achieving the goal.
C．Falling behind.	D．Reaching the speed.

【推荐2】Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens are to start a war on gray-headed flying foxes. These super bats have invaded one of Australia’s most famous public spaces. Officials have said the animals are destroying trees and have to move on.

These unwanted guests at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens look like tiny foxes with wings. Officials have estimated there are about 11,000 of them living in the picturesque harbor-side park. After inspecting damage to dozens of trees they now believe there are twice as many as previously thought. Branches have been breaking under the weight of these furry invaders and their droppings have been poisoning plants.

Help may well be at hand, however, in the shape of the ordinary garbage bin. The gardens’ director Dr. Tim Entwistle hopes the unpleasant sounds of crashing bin lids will agitate the flying foxes and force them to move on. “The way to disturb them is to use noises, so we’ve used the loud noises made by rubbish bins in the past. You can also use speakers as long as you move the noise around, and what we’ll do is have a series of noises, at the beginning and end of the day. What we’ve found in the past is that the flying foxes leave the gardens and go somewhere else,” said Tim.

The gray-headed flying fox is Australia’s largest bat. It flies around at night using its eyes and a powerful sense of smell to search for fruit and flowers. Officials at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney have said they’re optimistic the unwelcome colony can be uprooted. If and when the bats do move to other parts of the city they will of course then become someone else’s problem.

1. According to the passage, Why do people want to get rid of the flying foxes ?

A．Because the garden are important public places.

B．Because they are polluting the city.

C．Because many garbage bins have been damaged by them.

D．Because they’re threatening the survival of trees and other plants.

2. In order to get rid of the flying foxes, what are people doing?

A．They are shooting them.

B．They are using rubbish containers.

C．They are shaking the trees hard.

D．They are cutting some trees down.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined “agitate” in Paragraph 3?

A．Excite	B．kill
C．disturb	D．discourage

4. What does the writer imply from the last paragraph?

A．The bats will still stay in the gardens.

B．Some area will have to deal with the bats.

C．The grey-headed flying fox often eat trees

D．The damage caused by the bats is serious

【推荐3】One thing the army did well was keep you busy but I was lucky enough to get some time off. They asked me where I wanted to go and there was only one place I had in mind...Ireland. Wouldn’t you want to go back home? Yes of course but I wanted to visit a person that I hadn’t seen for a long time. This person was an extremely close friend. That didn’t even begin to describe the relationship I had with her. She had her heart set on going out of the country for college and I supported her 100%. When I told her I wanted to join the army, she wasn’t exactly excited, but when I explained that school wasn’t for me and I wanted to see the world while also being in the service, she understood.

I left for the camp in the late months of summer. I knew that the day had come and this might be the last time I’d seen her. I wasn’t ready for it. Neither was she. She drove me to the airport, helped me check in, and got ready to leave. Then she stood at the bottom of the stairs and I was going to go up. Cry didn’t fully grasp the idea of what happened, but there was definitely lots of crying. When I finally got there, I took one look back and saw that big shining smile of hers, shedding my last tear.

That was the last time but now I was on a plane to meet her, in an airport, in Ireland. I knew nothing about the place except that it was green. I was still dressed in my fatigues (军服) as required. The probably native Irish people gave me a thank-you nod. Even though I didn’t wear their flag, they knew I was keeping them safe.

As I got off the plane, I couldn’t help asking myself. What if she didn’t recognize me? What if she wasn’t here? What if what if what if? That’s all I could tell myself on the way to get my bag. When I had my bag I started to walk towards the stairs. I stopped at the top and asked myself the last time, what if? Then I went down the stairs, looking around, nervous, but also scared. Then I saw it — that big shining smile that left me years ago, and it was staring right back at me.

1. How did the girl feel at first when she heard the writer would join the army?

A．Ashamed.

B．Excited.

C．Disappointed.

D．Nervous.

2. What does the writer try to show in Paragraph 2?

A．How sad he was to leave the girl.	B．How eager he was to see the girl soon.
C．How happy the girl was to see him off.	D．How unwilling he was to join the army.

3. Why does the writer use so many “what if”s in Paragraph 4?

A．To show his regret about meeting the girl.

B．To show his doubt about their relationship.

C．To show his concern for the girl’s condition.

D．To show his curiosity about the girl’s looks.

4. What will the writer probably write about in the following paragraph?

A．His pride in serving in the army.	B．His fond memories with the girl.
C．His romantic meeting with the girl.	D．His impression of the native Irish.