【推荐2】Children can achieve well at school when their family take an interest in their school and schoolwork.     1    Often, the more supported a child feels at home, the more effectively she or he will learn at school. Whatever your lifestyle or family situation is, it is never too late to start helping a child develop a positive attitude towards learning.

    2    But there are ways to find time to be involved in your child’s education. If you are a non-resident parent, it is equally important to be involved in your child’s learning too. This can inspire them to try their best where they can.

Try to give encouragement and show appreciation of your child’s achievements, whether great or small. Teach them basic organization and time management skills so they are not overwhelmed by projects or homework.     3    Let your child develop at their own pace, but if you do have concern, please speak to their teachers.

Try to give feedback rather than criticism, e.g. saying "that didn’t seem to work" rather than "you got it wrong". This helps them think about where they go wrong.     4    

You might find contacting your child’s teachers difficult.     5    But finding out more about their school life shows your child how much you care about their education. And getting to the teachers is the best way of finding out more.

A．Time can be a factor in busy families.

B．Some parents often make much complaint.

C．School is the best place to educate your children.

D．Sometimes you think they will not have time for you.

E．Be realistic and avoid putting your child under pressure.

F．The most important is that they think how to improve in future.

G．Getting involved in your child’s education shows you care about their school life.

【推荐3】After 21 years of marriage, my wife woman out to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. The other woman was my mother,who has been a widow(寡妇)for 19 years.However,the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That Friday after work,when I arrived at her house,my mother was waiting in the door with her coat on.She had curled her hair and was   wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and comfortable. My mother took my arm as if she were !he First Lady. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation about nothing extraordinary but just caught up on recent events. We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said: “I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed. A few days later, my mother died of a serious heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.

Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt (收据）from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: **I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; still, I paid for two plates—one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you. Son.”

At mat moment, I understood the importance of saying: UI love you” and of giving our loved ones the time they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than family. Give family members the attention they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some “other’ time.

1. The author describes in detail how his mother looked, in order to      .

A．show readers his mother’s character

B．stress how important the dinner was to his mother

C．create an atmosphere of happiness

D．emphasize the importance of table manners

2. The author should be thankful to     .

A．his mom. who paid in advance for the next dinner

B．God, who gave him the chance to have dinner with his mom

C．his wife, who pushed him to have with his mom

D．his children,who were very understanding and helpful

3. We   can infer from the story that       .

A．the author's mother felt satisfied to have paid the bill in advance

B．the author and his mother talked about big events during their dinner

C．the author and his mother saw a movie together after their dinner

D．the author considers his work and family a great burden

4. What does the author intend to tell us with this story?

A．A good heart is sure to find another to match it.

B．We should seek for good opportunities to express our love.

C．If you put something off, you will regret it in the future.

D．It's important to express our love to our loved ones in time.

【推荐1】I’m an ironworker in New York City, one of 100 or so ironworkers who are now working on the steel frame (框架) of a new building in Times Square.    1     Many of today's ironworkers are descendants (后代) of the men who built New York’s first high buildings. My great-grandfather helped build the Empire State Building. My father and grandfather were also iron workers.

To me, ironworkers are the kings of construction. We make the frame that the other workers build on.    2     You look at the New York skyline and think “I helped build that.” Also, we work hard, we play hard, and we get on well together.

What’s an average day like?     3     Eight hours a day, from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. You’re moving all the time.

Next, I’d like to work on something really important like my great-grandfather did.    4     He helped build it and I helped take it away.

If you want to do the same job as mine, you need to be strong, really strong.    5    . It usually takes about a year to get used to it. You can’t work and hold on with one hand at the same time. Many guys try it once, then back off and say, “This is not for me!”

A．You never stop in this job.

B．We have real pride in our work.

C．You also have to be OK with height.

D．You have to move them into place all the time.

E．Ironwork is trade that is still handed down from father to son.

F．Or like my father did, who helped build the World Trade Center.

G．Ironworkers depend on each other for their lives, and the pay is good.

【推荐3】Generally speaking, college graduation brings both the satisfaction of academic achievement and the expectation of a well-paid job. But for 6,000 graduates at San Jose State this year, there’s uncertainty as they enter one of the worst job markets in decades.
Ryan Stewart has a freshly minted degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. “You look at everybody’s parents and neighbors, and they’re getting laid off and don’t have jobs,” said Stewart. “Then you look at the young people just coming into the workforce.., it’s just scary.”
When those graduates entered college, the future never looked brighter. But in the four years they’ve been here, the world outside has changed dramatically. “Those were the exciting times, lots of dot-com opportunities, exploding offers, students getting top dollar with lots of benefits,” said Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge, of the San Jose State Career Centre. “Times have changed. It’s a new market. The job situation is grim (严峻的) now.” Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge ought to know. She runs the San Jose State Career Centre, (it is) sort of a crossroads between college and the real world. Allmen-Vinnidge says students who do find jobs after college have done their homework. “The typical graduate who does have a job offer started working on it two years ago. They’ve postured themselves well during the summer. They’ve had several internships (实习) ,” she said. And they’ve majored in one of the few fields that are still hot—like chemical engineering, accounting or nursing—where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information systems management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines in starting salaries.
Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may just end up going back to school. “I’d like to teach college some day and that requires more schooling, which would be great in a bad economy,” he said.
It is true more students are able to receive college education. It is also true that they will have to face fiercer competition in the job market as they graduate. It becomes harder and harder for the current graduates to get a foothold in job markets, but many of them have no choice but to follow the beaten track. To some students a degree may not be ticket to instant wealth. For now, they can only hope its value will increase over time.
1. What can we learn about Ryan Stewart?

A．He is a teacher.

B．He majored in religious studies.

C．He found a job as soon as he graduated.

D．He is going back to school.

2. Which of the following did NOT happen in the past four years?

A．Dot-corn opportunities decreased.

B．Salaries in chemical engineering increased.

C．The number of teaching jobs increased.

D．The number of jobs with benefits decreased.

3. What does Cheryl Allmen-Vinnidge mean when she says students “have done their homework”?

A．The have found full-time jobs as their future career before graduation.

B．The have gone to summer school for further studies.

C．They are good students who have finished their homework on time.

D．They have spent time preparing themselves to find a job.

4. What’s the meaning of the phrase “get a foothold” in the last paragraph?

A．Gain a safe position from which further advances can be made.

B．Find a place where you can stand.

C．Walk with steady footsteps.

D．Make great progress in a particular area or in a certain job.

【推荐2】Let’s be honest, kids are weird. And when you hear your three-year-old arguing over who gets to be the mom while playing ＂house＂ alone in the other room, you might question if you’ve done something wrong as a parent. But don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal for your child to have an imaginary friend, and it even has some benefits. While your kids are benefitting from playing with their imaginary friend, try out these other ways to raise an intelligent child!

One of the biggest pros is that it promotes creativity. Just think about it — you have to be kind of creative to carry on a conversation with an imaginary figure that doesn’t respond. Developmental psychologist Marjorie Taylor told PureWow that your children’s creativity will remain with them as they get older, even when they stop hanging out with their ＂friend＂.

Along with being more creative, they will also have a better developed and more diverse vocabulary as well as stronger social skills. Talking to ＂Sally＂ or ＂Bob＂ all day will allow them to practice their speech and conversation skills. Researchers at La Trobe University in Australia found that children who engage with their imaginary friends on a regular basis use more complex sentences and are more confident in everyday social situations.

There are also some benefits for the parents. If your child’s siblings aren’t around or they’re an only child, they have someone to entertain them while you take the time to chip away at your never-ending to-do list. So even though it might get old when your kids constantly ask you to set an extra plate at the table for their imaginary friend, they’ll benefit in the future from keeping them around. Having an extra member of the family can’t be that bad, the more the merrier, right?

1. Who is the three-year-old talking to while playing ＂house＂ alone?

A．His toy.	B．His mother.
C．His ＂friend＂.	D．He himself.

2. How does Marjorie Taylor like children’s playing with their ＂friends＂?

A．It helps children develop better.

B．It relieves busy parents’ worry.

C．It shows children’s loneliness.

D．It connects the family closer.

3. What does the author suggest to parents?

A．Taking their children to play outside.

B．Sparing their time for their children.

C．Adding an extra member of their family.

D．Letting their children play while at work.

【推荐3】Football, to me, is more than just a game. I have probably learned more valuable lessons from it than from school.

When I joined the team freshman year, I didn’t realize what I was getting into. Even though I had been playing since fourth grade and knew it was hard work, nothing would prepare me for the effort I would put into football that year. We worked all summer in the weight room and ran on the track to get in physical and mental shape before the season.

See, football is more of a mental sport than anything else, so running on the track wasn’t only about getting in shape. We would push our minds by running as hard as we could even if we were going to pass out. At the beginning, I was immature and only thought of myself, sometimes even gave up when I was tired or hurt. Then after the third game I had a season-ending injury. Imagine working all summer and then only being able to play three games! I needed surgery on my arm and at least five months to recover.

Needless to say, I missed the rest of the season, but this actually helped me realize that since you never know when your last play will be, you should try your hardest in football and life.

After freshman year I decided that I would always give my best effort. Playing varsity football has taught me so much more than just what my assignments are on a particular play or how to block. I have learned to think about others first and realized how important working hard is. Being with all my friends, even sweating and bleeding with them, really made us bond as a group of hard-working young men who I know will succeed in life.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How the author dislikes the game of football.	B．When the author began to play football.
C．How the writer changed his attitude to football.	D．What sport the author likes best.

2. The author thinks football is_______.

A．just a game	B．of a mental sport
C．hard to be out-of-date	D．not worth his effort

3. In the third paragraph, the phrase “getting in shape” probably means “______”.

A．becoming healthy	B．designing the playground
C．losing weight	D．measuring the track

4. From the text we can infer ______.

A．the author joined the football team with a clear aim

B．football only brought the author certain assignments

C．the author never lost heart when he met with difficulty

D．the author worked all summer to get ready for the season

【推荐1】John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas City in 1918. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.

Fortunately he had a strong-willed, caring mother. John remembers that his mother told him many times, “Son, you can be anything you really want to be if you just believe.” She told him not to be dependent on others, including his mother. “You have to earn success,” said she. “All the people who work hard don’t succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard.”

These words came from a woman less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don’t mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son — then 15 — to Chicago.

Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for, John’s mother and stepfather could not find work. But there John could go to school, and there he learned the power of words — as editor of the newspaper and yearbook of Du Stable High School. His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.

While others discouraged him, John’s mother offered him more words to live by: “Nothing beats a failure but a try.” She also let him pawn (典当) her furniture to get the $500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.

It is natural the difficulties and failures followed John closely until he became very successful. He always keeps his mother’s words in mind. “Son, failure is not in your vocabulary.”

Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America — worth $150 million.

1. Why did John’s mother decide to move to Chicago? Because ________.

A．John’s father died in his hometown when he was very young

B．life was too hard for them to stay on in their hometown, while life in Chicago would be better for blacks

C．there were no schools for blacks in their hometown

D．John needed more education and he could go to school there

2. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Chicago was the promised land for black southerners in 1933.

B．John’s mother worked hard as a cook to make their life better.

C．With the help of his mother, John got the money to start the Negro magazine.

D．Now John is the richest man in America.

3. What kind of woman was John’s mother? She was a ________.

A．strong woman with much knowledge

B．woman who would do anything for her son

C．woman with little school education but knew a lot about life

D．loving mother with different kinds of experience in life

4. The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph means ________.

A．if you try, you will succeed in the end

B．a failure is difficult to beat, even if you try

C．a try is always followed by a failure

D．nothing but a try can help you out of failure

【推荐2】Regent's Park Open Air Theatre,London

Each summer, almost 140,000 people visit the park to watch one of the four yearly plays. The schedule includes J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies this year.

With the stage and seating both completely open, the actors and the audience are unable to do anything to escape the British weather. However, it hasn’t prevented stars such as Zoë Wanamaker, Jeremy Irons and Benedict Cumberbatch from performing here.

Brownsea Open Air Theatre, Dorset

The only way to this theatre is by boat. Plays are shown on Brownsea Island off the coast of Dorset every year, and volunteers travel there each June to begin building the stage. The island is much loved by locals, who are determined to make sure it thrives (兴盛). Denise Mallender, the director of the theatre, says, “We re an official charity, and we help the work on the island by holding a regular Shakespeare’s play.”

Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Scarborough

Enjoy the sea air and sights of Europe’s largest open-air playhouse. The stage and seating are separated by a lake. “It’s a unique place,” says JanetDeacon, area director of Welcome to Yorkshire. ''The theatre now plays host to concerts by famous artists such as Elaine Page and Tom Jones, who are both performing this month.''

Rutland Open Air Theatre, Rutland

This theatre is home to the Stamford Shakespeare Company, who this year celebrates its 39th year of outdoor plays with performances of Romeo and Juliet and Henry V. In all its years, the Rutland theatre has never canceled a performance because of rain and although the stage and actors are left open to bad weather, the audience can shelter in the covered hall.

1. What do we know about Regent's Park Open Air Theatre?

A．It presents four plays every year	B．It shows the same plays every year.
C．It puts on no performance on rainy days.	D．It attracts 140,000 people all year around.

2. Which of the following is called the largest outdoor theatre in Europe?

A．Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.	B．Brownsea Open Air Theatre.
C．Scarborough Open Air Theatre.	D．Rutland Open Air Theatre.

3. What do Brownsea Open Air Theatre and Rutland Open Air Theatre have in common?

A．They both show Shakespeare’s plays.

B．They both offer shelter to the audience.

C．They both depend on money from charities.

D．They both rely on volunteers to build stages.

【推荐3】Sea, Sun, Sand and South Africa: Readers’ Favorite Beaches

The Wild Coast five-day hike from Kei Mouth to Coffee Bay in South Africa is surely the best experience for beach lovers.

Robben Island beaches

On a visit to the prison museum here, be sure to leave time to explore the island’s beaches. Few visitors realize that the island’s shores are the natural habitat of sizable penguins: enjoy watching them with far fewer tourists here. Bird life is plentiful and includes oystercatchers, ibis, egrets and cormorants. Sharks and dolphins can often be spotted offshore too.

Sand, sea and sculpture, Durban

There’s more to Durban’s Golden Mile than sunbathing and surfing. Not only is there a gallery of sand sculptures(雕像) and drawings, but Lucas, one of the best local artists, offers lessons. His amazing rhino(犀牛) is the only permanent item in a frequently changing exhibition. Lucas charges a modest R50 (£3) for a fun and surprisingly physical hour of creativity. Or, you could ask him to create a personalized sculpture for a special occasion.

Paternoster, Western Cape

Paternoster is a small beach community about 150 km north of Cape Town. The town has a number of rentals(租赁), all the Cape Dutch architecture you could want for a weekend away and some great food. Long walks on the beach, eating and drinking and watching the fishing boats make for a peaceful break. And, unlike in Cape Town, you can dip your toes in the sea without your legs freezing solid.

1. What is the suggested way for travelers to make their trips from Kei Mouth to Coffee Bay?

A．By car.	B．By boat.
C．On foot.	D．By bicycle.

2. Which destination is the best choice for a beach lover who likes animals?

A．Paternoster.	B．Robben Island beaches.
C．Kei Mouth.	D．Durban.

3. What can be learned about Durban?

A．It has a museum for ice sculptures and drawings.

B．Visitors can have their special sand sculptures made.

C．Rhinos can always be found everywhere on the beach.

D．Art lessons are given by local artists for a little money.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform the government of environmental protection.

B．To attract businessmen to develop the beaches.

C．To share travel tips with beach lovers.

D．To introduce activities to art lovers.