【推荐1】A long time ago, soldiers fought wars on foot. Then they began to ride horses to battle. Until the invention of the stirrups (马蹬), though, men could not fight well with swords or spears while on horseback.

Without stirrups, soldiers had no place to put their feet. They could not stand up to use their swords without falling off their horses. They could throw spears only with the force of their arms.

Using stirrups, a soldier could stand up in his saddle (鞍). He could put a spear under the top part of his arm and charge with the force of his horse. He could use force when fighting with a sword. And he could win most fights against soldiers who did not use stirrups.

The first stirrups were made in India. Because the weather was warm, people did not wear shoes. The Indian stirrup was made of rope. It fit around the big toes. Later, the Chinese made a foot stirrup of wood. Because the Chinese lived in a colder country, the stirrup had to fit around shoes. Still later, around A. D. 700, soldiers in Asia used strong iron foot stirrups.

1. Around AD. 700, the soldiers in Asia used stirrups made of ________.

A．wood

B．shoes

C．rope

D．iron

2. On the whole, this story is about ________.

A．the soldiers in warm and cold countries

B．how to throw a spear in the fights

C．an invention that changed man’s way of fighting wars

D．the history of horse riding

3. How did the stirrup help soldiers fight better?

A．They looked better when they were using stirrups.

B．They could now stand in their saddles to throw spears.

C．Horses were safer to ride than before.

D．They made soldiers throw spears with the force of wind.

4. Which of the following sentences do you think is RIGHT?

A．There were no wars 2,000 years ago.

B．Men were fighting 2,000 years ago.

C．War is something new.

D．Chinese people didn’t wear shoes in the past.

【推荐3】Walk Through History

It’s no surprise to anyone who’s been to Charleston that it is among the best US cities to visit. “It can feel like you’re in a dream sometimes, like you’ve stepped back 200 years,” says Brian Sim ms, the owner of Charleston Sole Walking Tours. These are Sim ms’s must-sees.

African-American Heritage(遗产)Tour

“People don’t realize how much African culture is here.” says Sim ms. He recommends learning about the African-A merican heritage that shaped the city, region and country to fully understand Charleston.

Gullah Tours offers a two-hour bus tour for $ 18.www.gullahtours.com

Battery and White Point Gardens

A large public park and garden with walking paths and artifacts (人工制品)—all shaded by beautiful trees.

Free admission. Simms provides two- hour guided tours for $10 to $20. www.charlestonsole.com
Middleton Place

Middleton Placeis a historic plantation(种植园) with vivid exhibits and a working table. It provides an all-around view of what was going on with the history of the families that ran the plantation.

$ 28 / adult; $ 15 / student 14 and older; $ 10 / child 6-13; free / under age 6.www.middleton place.org

Fort Summer National Monument

Marking the site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, this historic place includes several sites around Charleston Harbor and an education center at Gadsden’s Wharf. The best time of yearto visitis spring—when the azaleas(杜鹃花) are flowering—or fall.

Admission is free； boat ride is $ 19.5 / adult, $ 12 / child. www.nps.gov/fosu

1. Where can you book a tour to learn about African A merica culture?

A．On www.nps.gov / fosu.	B．On www.gullahtours.com.
C．On www.charlestonsole.com.	D．On www. middletonplace.org.

2. What can we do at Middleton Place?

A．Visit an education center.

B．Appreciate the beauty of azaleas.

C．Learn about the history of American families.

D．Learn about the operation of a historic plantations

3. How much should a young couple pay for a boat ride around Charleston Harbor?

A．$20.	B．$36.
C．$39.	D．$56.

【推荐1】Why did Chinese people have more than one name in ancient times?

In ancient China, people’s names had three parts, their family name, given name and courtesy name. Take famous poet Li Bai for example. His family name, which came from his father’s name, was Li. His given name was Bai, and his courtesy name was Taibai.

People used their given names when they were among family members. But in social life, they called each other by their courtesy names to show respect. This was mostly done among people of similar ages. If you were talking about yourself, or if your elders were talking about you, the given name would be used instead of the courtesy name.

Men would get their courtesy names when they turned 20. It was a symbol of adulthood (成年礼). Women would get their courtesy names after getting married.

One’s courtesy name often had something to do with one’s given name. For example, the name of Mencius was Meng Ke. His courtesy name was Ziyu. Both Ke and Ziyu mean “carriage (马车)”. Zhuge Liang’s given name was Liang, which means “bright”. His courtesy name was Kongming, which means “very bright”.

1. How many parts are there in people’s names in ancient China?

A．3.

B．4.

C．5.

D．6.

2. Why did people call each other by their courtesy names in social life?

A．To show their love.	B．To show their good relationship.
C．To show their kindness.	D．To show their respect.

3. According to the passage, what name would be used if your elders were talking about you ?

A．Family name.	B．Nickname.
C．Given name.	D．Courtesy name.

4. How does the writer develop his idea in the last paragraph?

A．By telling stories.	B．By giving examples.
C．By comparing differences.	D．By listing numbers.

【推荐3】It is no secret that China has an amazingly rich history and culture. My first exposure (接触) to Chinese culture came totally by chance. One day, I entered my grandfather’s personal library and took a book named Tao Te Ching (道德经) from one of the shelves. As an 8-year-old, the book’s content completely confused me, but it provided me with an early connection to a beautiful and great philosophical (哲学的) tradition that still influences me today.

Around this time, I also came across several cartoons heavily inspired by traditional Chinese culture and martial arts (武术) such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. Both cartoons (卡通) describe beautiful landscapes and buildings similar to those found in classical Chinese paintings. This further developed my interest of the rich and beautiful culture.

At school I began studying Chinese. My interest in the language developed early on, combining my love of travelling with my love of meeting new people. Later on, my interest in the language developed into exploring widespread Chinese culture. I wanted to challenge myself in a totally new linguistic (语言的) surroundings and listen to the lives and stories of others in their own language. I have been lucky enough to have lived in China for around three years. I loved every second I spent there and there is never a shortage of things to see and do, people to meet, and foods to enjoy.

It is safe to say that my journey to studying Chinese has only just begun and these first steps are only a drop in the ocean of lifelong learning, but as the Chinese philosopher Laozi says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

1. How does the author like the book Tao Te Ching?

A．It encourages him to go to the library.	B．It improves his habits.
C．It has a long-lasting influence on him.	D．It makes him know his grandfather better.

2. What makes the author more interested in Chinese culture?

A．Watching some cartoons.	B．Describing Chinese paintings.
C．Living abroad for long.	D．Cooking Chinese food.

3. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Chinese culture differs greatly from others’.

B．Travelling takes up much of the author’s time.

C．The author keeps a diary every day when he lived in China.

D．The author learns languages in real surroundings.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．My Grandpa’s Influence on Me	B．My Exploration of Chinese Culture
C．My Travel Diary in China	D．My Exposure to Language

【推荐1】Banff National Park is Canada’s firstborn national park and was recognized in 1885. Located in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Banff includes 6,641 square kilometers of glaciers and ice fields, thick coniferous forest, and alpine (高山的) scenery. The Icefields Park-way spreads from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbors to the west while Kootenay National Park is situated to the south. The main commercial center of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.

The Canadian Pacific Railway was contributory in Banff’s early years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise hotel in the park and attracting tourists through widespread advertising. In the early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by prisoners of World War I, and through Great Depression-era public works projects, As Banff has over three million visitors annually, the health of its ecology has been endangered. In the mid-1990s, Parks Canada launched a two-year study to preserve ecological integrity.

Banff National Park has a subarctic climate (副极地气候) with three ecoregions. The forests feature lodgepole pine at lower heights and Engelmann spruce at higher ones below the tree line, above which are chiefly rocks and ice. Mammal (哺乳动物) species such as the grizzly bear, cougar, wolverine, moose and bighorn sheep are found along with hundreds of bird species. Reptiles (爬行动物) are also found but only a restricted number of species have been recorded.

The mountains were formed from sedimentary rocks (沉积岩) which were pushed east over newer rock formations, between 80 and 55 million years ago. Over the previous few million years, glaciers have at times covered most of the park, but today are found only on the mountainsides though they include the Columbia Icefield, the largest continuous glacial mass in the Rockies. Erosion (侵蚀) from water and ice has molded the mountains into their existing shapes.

1. What can we infer about Banff National Park?

A．It was built mainly by prisoners.

B．It is the oldest national park in Canada.

C．It is connected to three other provincial parks.

D．It failed to satisfy visitors’ demand for commercial activities.

2. What was a contribution of the Canadian Pacific Railway?

A．Building roads in Banff.	B．Preserving the ecology of Banff.
C．Constructing hotels in Banff.	D．Providing multiple railway lines to Banff.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The limited knowledge of reptiles.	B．The biodiversity of Banff.
C．The complex climate system of Banff.	D．The mammals’ severe living conditions.

【推荐3】To the book lovers, nothing beats walking through a bookshop and looking at all the covers, picking large heavy books up and turning them over, the smell of ink on paper, conversations with strangers about authors. With the coming of the online book buying and e-books, many have predicted(预测) that the bookstores will disappear. And we’re grateful that there are plenty of beautiful bookstores still out there.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid

Designed for Max Glucksmann, a pioneer of the music and film industries, this wonderful theater space was opened in 1919. The former theater now serves as a flagship store; more than 1 million people visit El Ateneo Grand Splendid every year.

The Book Barge

The Book Barge is a 60-foot canal boat bookshop. Inspired by the Slow Food movement, the operator Sarah Henshaw says, “We hope to help develop a less hurried lifestyle of leisurely (慢悠悠的) pleasures, cups of tea, conversations, culture and something like these.”

Selexyz Dominicanen

For those who regard bookstores with great respect, welcome to Selexyz Dominicanen, which now offers many kinds of books. The big space was used to store bicycles not long ago. But then the building was given interior (内部的) decoration, and the result is really a great surprise.

La Caverne aux Livres

Few things make as romantic a pairing as books and trains. At La Caverne aux Livres in Auvers-sur-Oise, northwestern of Paris, an old postal train station and several train cars have become home to used books for sale. Visitors often spend hours looking at them, surrounded by an atmosphere (氛围) of old letters and dreams of faraway places.

1. What do the book lovers care much about in bookstores?

A．Getting certain experiences.	B．Having many more choices.
C．Getting the best service.	D．Finding the latest bestsellers.

2. Which of the following encourages a slow lifestyle?

A．El Ateneo Grand Splendid.	B．La Caverne aux Livres.
C．The Book Barge.	D．Selexyz Dominicanen.

3. What is special about La Caverne aux Livres?

A．It is set up on a boat.	B．It is a car-themed bookstore.
C．Its decoration style is modern.	D．It mainly sells second-hand books.

【推荐1】One of the latest trends(趋势) in American childcare is Chinese au pairs.Au Pair in Stamford,Conn.,for example,has got increasing numbers of requests for Chinese au pairs from zero to around 4,000 since 2004.And that’s true all across the country.

“I thought it would be very useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age,”Joseph Stocke,the managing director of a company,says of his 2-year-old son.“I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future.”After only six months of being cared for by a 25-year-old woman from China,the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions,his dad says.

Li Drake,a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband,had another reason for looking for an au pair from China:She didn’t want her children to miss out on their roots.“Because I am Chinese,my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture(文化),”she says.

“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom,” says Suzanne Flynn,a professor in language education of children.“But parents must understand that just one year with an au pair is unlikely to produce wonders.Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12.”

The popularity of au pairs from China has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children to learn Chinese.It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.

1. What does the term “au pair” in the text mean?

A．A mother raising her children on her own.

B．A young foreign woman taking care of children.

C．A professor in language education of children.

D．A child learning a foreign language at home.

2. Li Drake has her children study Chinese because she wants them ______.

A．to live in China some day

B．to speak the language at home

C．to catch up with other children

D．to learn about the Chinese culture

3. How can children learn a foreign language best according to Flynn?

A．From their parents.

B．By attending classes.

C．From a native speaker.

D．By starting at an early age.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Learning Chinese is becoming popular in America.

B．Educated women do better in looking after children.

C．Chinese au pairs need to improve their English skills.

D．Children can learn a foreign language well in six months.

【推荐2】Have you ever said to a friend “That rose’s smell is really sweet!”, only to find that your friend can’t smell anything at all?

According to a study published in the journal PNAS in May, people have different abilities to recognize certain odors (气味) — and it’s linked to different genes.

For the study, 300 people were placed among 150 jars with different odors. At a given time, they had to smell an odor and then rate the intensity (强度) and pleasantness of the odor on a scale from 1 (extremely weak/unpleasant) to 7 (extremely strong/pleasant). Before they left, the participants needed to leave a blood sample.

After comparing genes of the participants, researchers found all had different smelling abilities and that the differences between these abilities could be traced to certain genes.

According to The New York Times, human beings have nearly 400 genes that directly control receptors (器官) and influence the way these receptors become active.

“Odors ... turn on specific receptors, which then tells us if we’re smelling a flower, how strong we find it, and whether we like it,” said Casey Trimmer, a geneticist and the lead author of the study. “One small change in the gene for the receptor can change its shape and how well the odor fits, thereby changing the awareness of the odor.”

Though genes play a decisive role in our ability to smell, other factors, including attention, past associations and expectations, are important as well. For example, if we love the smell of roses, we are drawn to their smell and pay special attention to it.

But what does our different abilities to sense odors mean?

“Smelling is the most important sense for the rest of the animal kingdom,” said Trimmer. Although, unlike other animals, humans aren’t any longer dependent on their sense of smell to find food or detect danger, smell is still a significant sense. There is also evidence that a reduced sense of smell is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.

1. What did the study find about smelling?

A．Men and women have different smelling abilities.

B．Differences between smelling abilities lie in genes.

C．People’s abilities to smell change over time.

D．Human beings can tell 150 odors apart.

2. What can we learn from Casey Trimmer’s words?

A．Our receptors won’t work when we smell an unpleasant smell.

B．People’s preferences for smells can affect their health.

C．Small changes in genes for smelling make a difference.

D．The sense of smell is the most important human sense.

3. Which might influence our smelling ability according to the text?

A．Past experiences.	B．The environment.
C．Other senses.	D．The cultural belief.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Man has a better sense of smell than animals.

B．Man can use their sense of smell to detect danger.

C．The loss of smelling causes many health problems.

D．Poor smelling ability may be a signal of early disease.

【推荐3】Bricks are one of the oldest known building materials, dating back thousands of years. But researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found a new use for bricks: as energy storage units. A team of engineers and chemists have found a way to transform an ordinary house brick into a pseudo-battery — allowing it to conduct and store electricity. The bricks are powerful enough to illuminate（点亮）an LED light bulb and cost only about $ 3 to make.

“I love the idea of adding value to things that are inexpensive, things that are affordable, things that we kind of take for granted, ”said Julio D’Arcy, an assistant professor of chemistry at Washington University and one of the researchers on this project.

The brick battery relies on the reddish pigment（色素）known as iron oxide, or rust, that gives red bricks their color. The scientists pumped the bricks with several gases that react with iron oxide to produce a network of plastic fibers. These microscopic fibers coat the empty spaces inside the bricks — and conduct electricity.

“What we’re trying to do is: we’re trying to make specialized plastics that are only used on the nano（纳米）scale — where we use very little of the plastic, and we can actually insert that plastic inside construction materials. ” The study is in the journal Nature Communications.

In the future, D’Arcy says, a brick wall could potentially serve a double purpose: providing structural support and storing electricity generated from renewable energy sources, such as solar panels.

The technology is still at least a few years away from being ready for the commercial market. And right now the energy storage capacity of the bricks is still pretty low — about 1 percent of a lithium battery. But the team is now testing ways to improve brick performance — because it looks like you can teach an old brick new tricks.

1. What appeals to Julio D’Arcy listing bricks as their subjects?

A．Their low expense.	B．Their common existence.
C．Their additional value.	D．Their internal composition.

2. What is the last step of making a brick conduct electricity?

A．Pump the brick with gases.

B．Color the brick red.

C．Produce microscopic fibers.

D．Cover its inner vacancy with microscopic fibers.

3. What will the future bricks be like according to the passage?

A．Construction materials possessing low energy storage capacity.

B．Construction materials generating renewable energy resources.

C．Construction materials used for electricity storage.

D．Construction materials with built-in common plastic.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to the technology?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Conservative.	D．Controversial.