【推荐3】Flying has made the world smaller! It's now possible to travel around the globe quickly and easily. Jumping on a plane and setting off on holiday or a business trip is common for many of us, and with the rise of cheap airlines, the number of people taking to the skies is increasing. But while air travel is costing us less, the cost to the environment is going up.

Climate change is something we're all aware of now, and airline companies know that some of the blame for this is being pointed at them. Last year airlines were forecasted to use about 97 billion gallons of jet fuel (航空燃料).

But while we could think twice about taking a flight in the first place, particularly a short trip that could be made by train, technology might be the answer to reducing emissions and the environmental damage.

Recent developments have focused on reducing the amount of fuel airliners burn. Making flying green and sustainable was the hot topic at the recent Dubai Air Show. There was talk of advances in engine technology, making them more efficient, and possibly using biofuel to power airplanes.

Rios Galvan, a bioenergy expert and professor at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, told the BBC that “these have the ability to reduce the carbon footprint anywhere between 50-80 percent when you compare them to fuels.”

And Phil Curnock, chief engineer of the civil future programme at Rolls-Royce, also suggested that electric hybrid engines could play a part for smaller airplanes, covering shorter distances. He says “it offers the possibility of a carbon-neutral flight for a limited range.”

Of course, airplane producers are always looking at ways to make their planes more fuel efficient. Boeing's Dreamliner, for example, is already in operation and uses 25 percent less fuel per passenger compared a with airplanes of a similar size. Other improvements include better aerodynamics (空气动力学), changes to ways airplanes taxi (滑行) on runways, and the use of lighter materials.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．The earth has become smaller.

B．Planes of cheap airlines can hold more passengers.

C．Tourists prefer to travel on holiday.

D．Air travel has a harmful effect on environment.

2. What does “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Climate change.	B．Environment cost.
C．Carbon footprint.	D．Jet fuel.

3. Which of the following is true, according to the passage?

A．A Performance of planes was put on' at the Dubai Air Show.

B．Electric hybrid engines are limited in its application now.

C．Biofuel is already in use to power airplanes.

D．Ways haven't been found to reduce the use of fuel.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The ways to reduce environment damage.	B．The advantages of flying by air.
C．The popularity of cheap airlines.	D．The cost to the environment.

【推荐1】Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers（低头族）.

Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie（自拍照）in front of a car accident site, and a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.

Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying. “the neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.

But that’s not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.

It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.

1. For what purpose does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragragh2?

A．To inform people of the bad effects of phubbing.

B．To advertise the cartoon made by students.

C．To indicate the world will finally be destroyed by phubbers.

D．To warn doctors against using cell phones while treating patients.

2. Which of the following is NOT a risk a phubber may have?

A．His social skills could be affected.

B．His neck and eyesight will be gradually harmed.

C．He will cause the destruction of the world.

D．He might get separated from his friends and family.

3. What may the passage talk about next?

A．Advice on how to use a cell phone.

B．People who are addicted to phubbing.

C．The possible consequences of phubbing.

D．Measures to reduce the risks of phubbing.

【推荐2】Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact these days. The term is “networked individualism”. This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings. How can we be individuals (个人) and be networked at the same time? You need other people for networks.

Here is what Professor Wellman means. Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail, our social networks included live interactions (互动) with relatives, neighbors, and friends. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice, person to person, in real time.

A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to-person interaction. However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that’s a good thing. Why?

In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer. But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true. The Internet connects us with more real people than expected-helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions.

Thanks to the computer, we are able to be alone and together with other people-at the same time!

1. The underlined phrase “networked individualism” probably means that by using computers people ________.

A．stick to their own ways no matter what other people say

B．have the rights and freedom to do things of their own interest

C．do things in their own ways and express opinions different from other people

D．are able to keep to themselves but at the same time reach out to other people

2. It can be inferred from the Pew study that________.

A．people have been separated from each other by using computers

B．the Internet makes people waste a lot of time and feel very lonely

C．the Internet has become a tool for a new kind of social communication

D．a lot of people regard the person-to-person communication as a good thing

3. Which would be the best title for this passage?

A．We’re Alone on the Internet.	B．We’re Communicating on the Internet.
C．We’re Alone Together on the Internet.	D．We’re in the Imaginary World of the Internet.

【推荐2】One of the most outspoken supporters that I know of women and girls is actually a man. As co-founder of the ONE Campaign, my friend Bono spends a lot of time speaking out against global poverty(贫困). Together, we’re working to get out a simple, powerful message: poverty is sexist.

Women and girls are more likely to be in poverty, less likely to get an education and more likely to suffer bad health. And when they are born into poverty, it is much more difficult for them to lift themselves and their families out of it.

Why? One reason is that breaking out of poverty takes time--and that is a resource women around the world are short of. On average, women spend about twice as much time as men in doing the unpaid work that makes life possible for everyone, like cooking, washing, cleaning, shopping and caring. In developing countries, the gap is even much bigger. As a result, women have no time to finish their education, learn new skills, open a business, develop personal relationships or even go to the doctor. They dream of creating a better future for their children, but they cannot spare the hours to put those dreams that they have into action.

The fact that the possibility of so many women and girls is going unrealized is a sad thing-- but it is also an opportunity for us. We need to recognize, reduce and redistribute the burden of work that is holding them back because if women have time to invest in themselves and their ideas, they could change the world.

1. According to the author, what makes it more difficult for women to climb out of poverty?

A．Lack of education.

B．Heavy burden of housework.

C．Impossible dreams.

D．Poor health conditions.

2. The phrase “the gap” in Paragraph 3 most probably refers to the difference in           .

A．the time women and men spend on their housework.

B．the space women and men need for their private life.

C．the income women and men earn each year.

D．the dream women and men have about their children.

3. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Why poverty is sexist.

B．What global poverty is.

C．How to reduce female poverty.

D．How to break down sexism.

【推荐3】Life can sometimes go_haywire rather like the feeling you get when you've lost control of your moving car. It's a feeling of complete helplessness and panic that makes us feel overwhelmed (被压垮的).

In most cases, there is a difference between our expectations and reality. The greater the difference, the greater the feeling is of being overwhelmed. This difference is often created when our expectations are too demanding or when reality changes in a way we did not expect. Think of the weather ruining your carefully made travel plans to get across the state. Think of that illness that made you stay in bed. While we may be feeling overwhelmed with everything going on in our lives right now, there are some steps we can take to regain a sense of control of our lives.

We all know we should control our emotion properly and we can be affected greatly when we are overwhelmed, but feeling overwhelmed is part of life. When we're feeling overwhelmed, it only means we are living, breathing human beings. For life is like a roller coaster ride with its ups, downs and turns. It's also like the season with its alternating periods of relative calm and periods of varying degrees of stress and anxiety. Sometimes we forget this.

No matter how much we try, we may not be able to control reality. But we can adjust our expectations to match reality. This may mean revising our goals and tasks or quitting projects. It may feel like failure in the moment, like giving up, but this ability is an opportunity to create success in the long term. Working with reality rather than against it can give us hope.

When we're feeling overwhelmed, we can easily fall into an all­or­nothing (孤注一掷). We may overlook the things we manage to accomplish when we feel overwhelmed. But celebrating our small wins creates space for gratitude to take hold in our hearts. Trade our expectations for appreciation and our whole world changes in an instant. Celebrating wins (whatever size！) allows us to clearly see the progress we are making. Acknowledging our small bites and celebrating our wins however small makes us have a more accepting attitude toward the opportunities, the gifts and the joys in our lives.

1. The underlined phrase “go haywire” can be replaced by ________.

A．be in a mess

B．become dull

C．bring surprises

D．change quickly

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．We fail to control our emotion sometimes.

B．We must learn to control our emotion well.

C．It is natural for everyone to feel overwhelmed.

D．Feeling overwhelmed is a big barrier to our life.

3. What should we do when we can't control reality?

A．Accept our failure and quit.	B．Change our goal based on reality.
C．Try our best to change reality.	D．Find a better way to realize our goal.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Small bites are better than big wins.

B．We should show gratitude to others.

C．Celebrating small wins helps us make progress.

D．We should appreciate even small achievements of ours.

【推荐1】Casablanca：Time Did Go By

If the Hollywood image of Casablanca is important to you, prepare for a shock from Casablanca.The city is further away from eastern romanticism (浪漫主义）than any other in Morocco，and Casablanca is a modern city — and beautiful in its own aspect.

Colony(殖民地）White

A walk around Casablanca will decide clearly that Casablanca was the place that the French colonial government gave most attention and money.The buildings are of a French version (版本）of Arabo-Andalucian architecture，white with soft lines，and often plenty of details.

The area to explore is south of Avenue des Forces Arms Royales，but of special interest is the Place des Nations Unies，which has the largest structures.

Town Market

Right in from the long Boulevard Muhammad 5, you will find the Marche Central of Casablanca.The place is a small but high-quality version of the traditional suuqs of Morocco, and everything is aiming at the needs of the locals.

The Marche Central has vegetables，meat，all kinds of sea food，as well as handicrafts (手工艺品）.Turtle soup should therefore be an option for those visiting Casablanca.

Old City

The old city of Casablanca is conveniently located — just off the main town square from where roads lead to all directions, and off the sea.But as you enter, you will see that it is not all that old after all，that the houses here often have a form and size which would have made them natural features in the new parts of many other Mococcan cities.

1. Which of the following colonial governments put most money into Casablanca?

A．Moroccan.

B．French.

C．American.

D．Arab.

2. If you want to enjoy sea food，which would you like to choose?

A．Colony White.

B．Old City.

C．Town Market.

D．Casablanca Time.

3. What’s the writer’s attitude towards Casablanca in this passage?

A．Passive.

B．Appreciative.

C．Disappointed.

D．Indifferent.

【推荐2】For many years, Bruce Bexler dreamed of going where no human had gone before. He wanted to cut a path through unexplored lands and discover rare species.

That might sound like an impossible dream, but Bexler turned it into a reality.

In December 2015, he and a team of Australian scientists explored an isolated rainforest on the island of New Guinea. They were the first people to enter the region. “As time was limited, we were dropped in by helicopter. Once we were on the ground, there were no trails anywhere; it was really hard to get around,” Bexler says.

Within minutes of landing, the team spotted a black chicken-like bird with strange orange skin hanging from its neck. The scientists soon determined that the unusual creature was a type of honeyeater — the first new bird species to be sighted on New Guinea in 60 years.

The honeyeater wasn’t the only surprise for the scientists. They discovered more than 40 previously unknown plant and animal species — 13 birds of paradise, 20 frogs, four butterflies, and five palms. “We were like kids in a candy store,” Bexler recalls. “Everywhere we looked, we saw amazing things we had never seen before.”

The newfound species didn’t shy away from the scientists. Two long-nosed echidnas — primitive egg-laying mammals — let the visitors pick them up and take them back to camp to study them.

Bexler thinks the animals weren’t frightened because they had never seen humans before. “In almost all parts of New Guinea, animals are hunted for food, and because of this, they are very cautious of people,” he explains. “This area gives scientists a place where they can go to study the behaviors of animals that have not yet learned to be afraid of people.”

Scientists believe the area is probably the largest untouched forest in Asia. Bexler and his team did not have enough time to study the area completely. They hope to return to record more undiscovered species. “We just scratched the surface,” Bexler says. “Anyone who goes there will come back with a mystery.”

1. Which word best describes Bruce Bexler?

A．Modest.	B．Adventurous.
C．Optimistic.	D．Confident.

2. What does Bruce Bexler mean in Paragraph 5 when he says the scientists “were like kids in a candy store”?

A．They didn’t have enough food and were hungry.

B．They were very excited about what they saw.

C．They were behaving like naughty children.

D．They knew that if they kept searching, they’d find sugar.

3. Why did some of the animals allow the scientists to pick them up?

A．The scientists seemed to be very friendly.

B．The scientists were good at handling animals.

C．The animals had been well-trained by the local people.

D．The animals had no experience or fear of people.

4. What can we conclude about the area Bruce Bexler explored?

A．The best way to explore the area is by helicopter.

B．The area has not been visited by scientists for many years.

C．The area still contains many plants and animals unknown to science.

D．The locals are unwilling to allow the scientists to enter the deep woods.

【推荐3】I was about 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the South Bronx’s Engine Co. 82. It was a restful Sunday and between alarms I rushed to the office to read a copy of the New York Times. I read an article on the Book Review section which openly stated what I thought to be a calumny — that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.

There were few things I was more proud of than my Irish root, and ever since I first picked up a book of his poems from a shelf when I was in the military, Yeats had been my favorite Irish writer, followed by Sean O’Casey and James Joyce.

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor. Throughout Yeats’ poetry, his view of the world and the people in it was basically Irish. He had lived his life and written his poetry in a truly Irish way. It was annoying to think Irishness was something to be transcended (超越).

I don’t know why I felt it my duty to safeguard the reputation of the world’s greatest poet. I just knew that I had to write that letter.

After my letter got published, I received a letter from The New Yorker, asking for an interview. When my article Fireman Smith appeared in that magazine, the editor of a large publishing firm called me, asking if I was interested in writing a book about my life. I had little confidence to write a whole book, though the subject was worthy. I wrote Report From Engine Co. 82 in six months, and it sold really well. In the years that followed, I wrote three more best-sellers.

Being a writer had been far from my expectations. How had it happened? I often found myself thinking about it, and my thoughts always came back to that letter to the New York Times. For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion (热情) I felt and the subjects represented the great values burning within me as I wrote.

Over the years, my five children have come to me with one dilemma or another. My answer is always the same. Think about what you’re feeling and measure the heat of the fire in your heart, for that is your passion. Your education and your experience will guide you toward making a right decision, but your passion will enable you to make a difference in whatever you do. That’s what I learned the day I stood up for Ireland’s greatest poet.

1. Why did the author write to New York Times?

A．To present his love for literature.

B．To spread Irish culture to the world.

C．To show off his writing.

D．To defend the reputation of an Irish poet.

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

A．A false statement.	B．A great honor.
C．A total lie.	D．A good reason.

3. Which statement is true according to the text?

A．The author thinks Yeats is more universal than Irish.

B．The author’s passion is the key to his success in writing.

C．Yeats’s poems inspires the author to be a writer.

D．The author believes education and experience count most.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Yeats, my Irish hero

B．My writing career

C．A letter that changed my life

D．Honesty is the best policy