【推荐1】The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.

An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. “We are surprised by just how positive today's young people seen to be about their families,” Said one member of the research team. “They're expected to be rebellious (叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their mind; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There's more negotiation (商议) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don't want to rock the boat.”

So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. As long as they know what I'm doing, they're fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I'd done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”

Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, “Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to talking it over.”

1. What is the popular image teenagers today?

A．They worry about school.

B．They dislike living with their parents

C．They have to be locked in to avoid troubles.

D．They quarrel a lot with other family members.

2. The study shows that teenagers don't want to ________.

A．share family responsibility	B．cause trouble in their families
C．go boating with their family	D．make family decisions

3. According to the author, teenager rebellion ________.

A．may be a false belief	B．is common nowadays
C．existed only in the 1960s	D．resulted from changes in families

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Negotiation in family.	B．Education in family.
C．Harmony in family.	D．Teenage trouble in family.

【推荐1】根据短文内容，从下框的A~F选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。选项中有一项为多余项。
A. The mistaken belief
B. The need for tolerance
C. Unpunctuality at dinners
D. Punctuality and confidence
E. Self-discipline and punctuality
F. Avoid anxiety by being punctual
1.
There is the belief that, if you arrive at an appointment late, you will be considered important. This is a mistaken view. Being unpunctual, we are not respectful of others ; we are interfering (扰乱)with another man's time. We must realise that keeping appointments or being punctual is a contract that is silently agreed and we are expected to respect this contract. It is only natural that we lose faith, trust and confidence in a person who is tardy(延迟的).
2.
To be punctual one has to have self-discipline(自律), and the lack of it affects others. A school boy or girl is unpunctual because he or she does not have the necessary human virtue of self-discipline. It is also a mark of disrespect for a system or an institution. Unpunctual people seldom realise that their habit cause problems to others. A salesman who is not punctual may not make a sale if he arrives late for an appointment. If one is late for a job interview, it is not likely that he will get the job.
3.
Being punctual, we can avoid anxiety. Imagine the anxiety if you do not want to be considered unpunctual. You will be anxious if you set out for a dinner late. The person who sets out late might be careless in driving. He will ignore traffic rules. A traffic jam, flat tyres, etc. can delay him further. Happy and calm is the man who takes all these possibilities into consideration and arrives at the appointment either early or on time.
4.
Many of those who attend dinners are notorious (声名狼藉的)for unpunctuality. They ignore the appointed time and leave their homes only after the fixed time. They are indifferent to the inconvenience caused to others. If the self-centred guest arrives late, the nine others at the table set for ten will have to wait. The host is put in an unpleasant situation and this man seldom thinks of the inconvenience caused to all -the waiters, the management staff, etc. It is necessary for us to think of others and be considerate to them.
5.
However, we cannot always be intolerant (无法容忍的) of tardiness, for ordinary living requires some tolerance. There can be a busy executive who fights to keep to his schedule. Such a person may be forgiven if he is late, but not those who are deliberately late to create impression.
In modern society, punctuality is a necessary virtue. It is a recognition of the importance of other people.

【推荐2】It was a rainy day and I was walking down the street feeling comfortable and happy. I wanted to do something kind for someone else without any reason and purpose, almost as if I was just trying to spread the abundance (充足) of love I was receiving. It was then that I saw a teenage girl dressed in tattered clothes, getting soaked(湿透). She wasn't wearing any shoes or socks. The rain wet her skin through the holes in her clothes and she was making her way through the garbage, trying to find something that would be of use to her.

I walked towards her and told her to wait for me there while I ran home to get her something. On getting home, I took off my shoes, which I really loved, wrapped them up in a plastic cover and ran to give them to the teenage girl on the street.

The girl looked surprised as if she was not used to this kind of kindness. She thanked me in a trembling (颤抖的) voice.

A famous musician who lives down the street corner stopped his car and smiled when he saw what happened. The two watchmen who saw me do this talked and gave me friendly looks.

Although I had to wear my dad's shoes, I was satisfied even if they were a bit large for my feet, because I knew the girl would walk comfortably wearing the shoes. That day I learned that letting go off the little things we own can be a big help to others.

1. What does the underlined word ''tattered'' in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．Old and torn.	B．Large and new.
C．Colorless and small.	D．Thick and old.

2. In the passage, we are told that _______.

A．the author liked going down streets on rainy days

B．the author liked walking in her father's shoes

C．nobody wanted to help the poor girl

D．the author was very kind-hearted

3. What did the musician's and the watchmen's reactions to the author’s behavior mean?

A．They were laughing at the author.	B．They thought what the author did was right.
C．They also wanted to help the poor girl.	D．They were curious about what the author did.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．It is important to get others' praise.	B．It is no use giving things to others.
C．It is a pity to lose favorite things.	D．It is good to help others.

【推荐1】Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects. Why do we often think that more is more when it comes to kids and their belongings? The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less.

I found the pre-holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less-used things, and it worked. Because of our efforts, our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness. She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund(基金）(our kindergarten daughter is serious about becoming a doctor）.

For weeks, I’ve been thinking of bigger, deeper questions: How do we make it a habit for them? And how do we train ourselves to help them live with need, and use less? Yesterday, I sat with my son, Shepherd, determined to test my own theory on this. I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest. I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes, ten minutes, max. I chose a red rubber ball—simple, universally available. We passed it, he tried to put it in his mouth, he tried bouncing it, rolling it, sitting on it, throwing it. It was totally, completely enough for him. Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch.

We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together. He had my full attention and I had his. My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us.

1. What do the words “more is more” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．The more, the better.	B．Enough is enough.
C．More money, more worries.	D．Earn more and spend more.

2. What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects?

A．Saving up for her holiday	B．Raising money for a poor girl
C．Adding the money to her fund	D．Giving the money to a sick mother

3. Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd?

A．To try out an idea	B．To show a parent’s love
C．To train his attention	D．To help him start a hobby

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Take It or Leave It	B．A Lesson from Kids
C．Live More with Less	D．The Pleasure of Giving

5. Which adjective do you think can best describe the author ？

A．brave	B．wise
C．confident	D．easygoing

【推荐2】Once when I was facing a decision of high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave——and mighty forces will come to your aid.

Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.

Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.

Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet — and stopped him cold.”

Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.

So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities—and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.

1. Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?

A．He faced huge risks.	B．He tried and failed.
C．He was afraid of failure.	D．He was not forced by courage.

2. What is the reason of Tim’s success?

A．His physical strength.	B．His spiritual force.
C．His hard work and skills.	D．His passion for football.

3. According to paragraph 5, what might a person with boldness do?

A．He might do things in an extreme way.	B．He can build up confidence overnight.
C．He might try to do something and fail.	D．He might try to do nothing and succeed.

4. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A．To encourage people to be courageous.	B．To advise people to build up physical power.
C．To tell people the ways to guarantee success.	D．To recommend people to develop more abilities.

【推荐3】One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path .That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (导航仪). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,” she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
1. What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident？

A．She was not familiar with the road.

B．It was dark and raining heavily then.

C．The railway workers failed to give the signal.

D．Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing.

2. The phrase “near miss” (Paragraph 2) can best be replaced by______.

A．close hit	B．heavy loss
C．narrow escape	D．big mistake

3. Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?

A．Modern technology is what we can’t live without.

B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.

C．Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.

D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident.

4. In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is _______.

A．one-sided	B．reasonable
C．puzzling	D．well-based

5. What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B．The relationship between human and technology.

C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use.

D．The human unawareness of technical problems.

【推荐1】Growing up in America, I enjoyed the convenience of eating the most attractive, well-packaged foods of the 20th century, including all the candies we often see near the cash register. During those times I wasn't aware how bad sugar was, and in fact, neither was anyone around me. So J continued to spread jam on my toast and eat ice cream daily.

Strangely enough, I felt that sweet was some sort of wonderful drug which gave me the energy to function properly, to feel good and to perform at my best, all of which seemed necessary for growth. So why should I avoid it?

Years later, huge food companies, like General Mills and Post, began pumping more sugar into their products, and then more and more people appeared with bigger bellies(腹部). It finally came to my awareness that our society was becoming more miserable and unfit. And from what? From sugar! I began to do some research into sugar and what it did exactly to our bodies. To my amazement, I found its damage was just                           as bad as, if not worse than, what alcohol and cigarettes brought about. You see, when you take in more sugar than you need or burn, your body and brain become over-active. This, in effect, causes your cognitive(认知的) abilities to slow down, your mood to get to the extremes, your skin to age faster, your blood to become thicker and your liver and kidneys to be worn out.

But what surprised me most, out of all of these horrible side effects, was that sugar adds extra pounds to your waistline, even if you do exercise regularly. And what I've always wanted, for the past few years, is to remove that extra fat around my belly so that I could finally see my abs(腹肌).

I just didn't know, this whole time, what damage I had been doing to myself and my dreams , but I knew I had to do something I had never done before.

1. What did the author use to do?

A．He took in much sugar.	B．He learnt to cook foods.
C．He sold ice cream daily.	D．He had candies packaged.

2. What made the author begin to doubt the benefits of sugar?

A．Sugar was unable to provide necessary energy.

B．More people eating sugary foods became unfit.

C．Some companies avoided adding sugar to foods.

D．Many customers stopped buying sugary products.

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The author's comments on sugar.

B．The detailed process of the research.

C．The harmful effect of sugar on health.

D．The reasons why the research is done.

4. What does the author probably decide to do at last?

A．Eat less food.	B．Cut down sugar.
C．Do more exercise.	D．Add extra pounds.

【推荐2】The United States is one of the few countries in the world that have an official day on which fathers are honored by their children．On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.

Historians have recorded that there was a tradition to celebrate a day for fathers even thousands of years ago. Their study say that 4,000 years ago in Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life.

However, in modern times the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers   began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

The noble idea of celebrating Father's Day became quite popular in US so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the festival in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard   Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.

Most commonly, children give Father's Day cards and flowers to their father. Neckties are a popular gift on the occasion of Father's Day. Due to the tradition of giving gifts, cards makers, florists and gift sellers campaign for Father's Day Festival in a big way and cash in on the sentiments of the people.

1. What is the author’s intention in Paragraph 2?

A．To introduce a record of Father’s Day.

B．To support the findings of historians.

C．To tell us the story of Elmesu.

D．To prove the source of modern Father’s Day.

2. What do we know about Sonora?

A．She created Father’s Day in 1909.

B．She bore deep love to her father.

C．She refused to celebrate Mother’s Day.

D．She was abandoned by her mother.

3. How many years did it take for Father’s day to be officially declared?

A．About 4,000 years.	B．About 65 years.
C．About 56 years.	D．About 6 years.

4. What does the underlined word “sentiments” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Actions.	B．Incomes.
C．Activities.	D．Feelings.

【推荐3】As larger numbers of Chinese tourists are coming to the US with more individualized travel plans, more are turning their eyes to cultural and art attractions, rather than a crazy shopping.

“We have seen the rise of independent Chinese tourists for a while, and they have showed increasing interest in culture and arts,” Lin Xiaowen, a tour guide of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

There used to be a time when the luxury stores on the Fifth Avenue of New York City (NYC) were frequented by Chinese consumers. But now, they have turned to the attractions other than luxury.

“In recent years, the number of Chinese tourists (to the Met) is keeping rising. In 2009, it was only about 50,000 (annually), but since 2014, their number has already been over 200,000,” said Lin, “Chinese visitors have become the largest group of foreign visitors in Met since then.”

In the year of 2015, the number of visitors to this famous museum has reached 6.3 million, which has been attributed in a large part to Chinese elements and tourists.

Responding to the sharp rise in Chinese visitors, the staff of the museum made efforts to cater to the Chinese, including audio tours and maps in Mandarin, opening a Chinese Weibo account, and even acceptance of UnionPay.

Chinese tourists now choose to spend more time in the spots like Washington Square, enjoying some coffee, or take a walk around famous campus.

Moreover, they are more interested in staying here longer to have an exploration of that local community in depth, instead of just superficial stay for one night or for a couple of days.

1. What did Chinese tourists tend to do when traveling in the US?

A．They learned American traditions.	B．They visited some museums.
C．They bought luxury goods in the stores.	D．They enjoyed food in the local restaurants.

2. How did the American museum take efforts to cater to the Chinese?

A．It brought in UnionPay system.	B．It offered them Chinese food and coffee.
C．It provided Chinese guides in the museum.	D．It supplied Chinese money for their change.

3. According to the passage, we learn that _____.

A．Lin Xioawen is a journalist from Xinhua News Agency

B．Chinese tourists tend to catch a quick glimpse of the US

C．there were 6.3 million Chinese who went to American museums in 2015

D．Chinese tourists have paid more attention to American cultural and art attraction

4. The best title for the passage is probably _____.

A．Chinese Tourists and Luxury	B．Changes of Chinese Tourists
C．Chinese Tourists and Museums	D．Changes of Chinese Tourists’ Focus in the US