【推荐2】Every time the last month of Chinese lunar year nears the end, Chinese communities around the globe are preparing to launch next New Year celebrations.     1     Here’s something you need to know about Chinese New Year:

    2    

Chinese New Year is the longest national holiday in China and New Year’s day is the most important date in the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year is based on the ancient Chinese lunar calendar, falling on the second new moon after winter solstice(冬至)--meaning it changes each year.

Roughly a sixth of the world will observe Chinese New Year, with celebrations in Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, along with other countries with significant Chinese populations.     3    

How is Chinese New Year celebrated?

Many celebrations take place, including parades(旅行), dragon dances, reunions and wonderful dinners. Red clothing is considered essential, as it is said to scare off the mythical monster Nian. Children are traditionally given red envelopes with money inside which they sleep with under their pillows, which is said to bring them good fortune and happiness.

    4     On Day 2 it is traditional to visit friends and relatives; on Day 3 people tend to stay at home as it is not seen as fortunate to socialize. The final day, Day 15, sees the Lantern Festival, where red Chinese lanterns are released into the sky.

What does the year of the rooster mean?

2017 is the year of the tenth Chinese zodiac(十二生肖), the rooster.     5     Those born in 1957 or 2017 are fire roosters, and are considered trustworthy, with a strong sense of timekeeping and responsibility at work. They are also thought to be talkative, popular among a crowd and loyal.

A．What is Chinese New Year?

B．When is Chinese New Year coming?

C．Each day has its own celebration

D．However, this is the year of the fire rooster

E．It is pronounced “Gong Xi Fa Cai” in Mandarin

F．It is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar

G．London and San Francisco both claim to host the largest celebrations outside of Asia

【推荐3】If you're from the northern hemisphere (北半球), you'll find Christmas to be rather different in New Zealand.     1     December is in the middle of summer in New Zealand.Many visitors from the US or Europe can't quite get used to having a barbecue on the beach as Christmas dinner.However, Christmas marks the beginning of the summer holidays for most New Zealanders.

    2     One of the best­known Christmas events is the Farmers Santa Parade in Auckland, which has been a feature (特点) of the Auckland Christmas since 1934.It attracts thousands of visitors every year and is a great event for children.

New Zealanders continue the British tradition of having a family dinner during the middle of the day on Christmas Day.It usually begins on Christmas morning by exchanging presents which will be left under the Christmas tree in the home.    3     Often it is a barbecue in the garden.However，the traditional Christmas food, such as turkey, ham and roast potatoes, is still very popular, along with salad and glasses of wine.

It may seem a bit strange to hear songs, such as White Christmas or Deck the Halls, in the middle of summer！Nevertheless, Christmas carols (颂歌) are popular.    4    

New Zealand is an extremely(极端地) diverse(多样的) society.People from many cultures do not recognize Christmas in the same way as the early European settlers.    5     It's a time to get together with the family and enjoy the great New Zealand summer outdoors.

A．They all stop on Christmas Day.

B．The most obvious difference is the weather.

C．Most New Zealanders do not go to church regularly.

D．However, Christmas is a special time for all New Zealanders.

E．Many towns and cities in New Zealand hold Christmas celebrations.

F．The Christmas meal itself is increasingly becoming a relaxing affair.

G．People will hear them played or sung in shopping malls during the holiday season.

【推荐1】Make Money This Summer with Sunny Libraries!

Do you have too much free time this summer vacation? Do you need a summer job to earn extra money? Do you want to be involved in your community? Sunny Area Library System (SALS) has job opportunities for high school students. These are good chances to get work experience.

Book Theater brings children’s book stories to life. It has shows at all Sunny Libraries. Applicants should enjoy performing in front of an audience and working with young children. Work Hours: Practice: Fridays   4:00 pm — 6:00 pm Performance: Tuesdays   10:00 am Rate of Pay: $16/performance	Computer Tutor helps guests to deal with technology problems, involving Internet searches and using the SALS Website to find materials. Applicants should have computer skills. Work Hours: Monday—Friday   9:00 am—5:00 pm Rate of Pay: $ 8/hour
Bookmobile helps the driver find the routes to libraries. The truck you work in is air-conditioned, and the driver is friendly. Applicants must be able to lift heavy boxes. Work Hours: Sunday and Friday   9:00 am — 4:00 pm Rate of Pay: $10/hour	Reader Desk provides service with a smile while checking materials in and out to guests. Friendly attitude and ability to work on library data system required. Work Hours: Monday—Tuesday   8:00 am—4:00 pm Rate of Pay: $ 7.50/hour

1. How much can you earn if you work as Computer Tutor for one week?

A．$64.	B．$120.
C．$320.	D．$140.

2. What are you expected to do if you get the job of “Reader Desk”?

A．To repair computers.	B．To lift heavy boxes.
C．To work with young children.	D．To check materials for guests.

3. What’s the main purpose of the above advertisement?

A．To attract students to libraries.	B．To raise money for libraries.
C．To introduce new books.	D．To provide job opportunities.

【推荐1】High school was a hard time for Me in the beginning because I had just moved to a small town and knew basically no one. I loved to play basketball but was afraid to go to tryout (选拔)for the school's team because I didn't know anyone. One day all that changed when I missed the bus home and decided to shoot baskets on the school playground to kill time. The coach Mr Colbath had been watching me make various baskets and was pretty impressed with my moves.

He came up to me and asked me who had taught me to play like that. I told him that my dad had taught me how to play basketball. He asked me if he would see me at the tryout on Friday. but I said no and told him why. He told me to have a try because I played very well and would maybe make some friends on the court. After thinking for a few minutes. I finally decided to have a try.

On the day of the tryout, the coach came, found me and helped me practice before the tryout. He helped me a lot and I did very well at the tryout and many members of the team were quite impressed. I did make the team and over the next few years the coach helped me both on and off the court. He helped me do my math which I had such a difficult time with and he even taught me how to live independently.

I will never forget Mr Colbath. He really inspired me and changed my life. I would not be the person that I am today if he had not taken such an interest in me when I was in high school.

1. Why did the writer shoot baskets on the school playground?

A．Because he was preparing for the tryout for the school's team.

B．Because he wanted to show off his moves to the coach.

C．Because he missed the bus and had nothing to do.

D．Because he wanted to make new friends while playing.

2. What is the most probably reason for which the writer wouldn’t go to the tryout?

A．He should study very hard.	B．He didn’t think he played well.
C．He knew no one in the school.	D．His class teacher told him not to.

3. What does the underlined phrase “make the team” most probably mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Join the team.	B．Leave the team.
C．Organize the team	D．Lead the team

4. What does the writer mainly talk about in this passage？

A．His tryout at school.	B．His present life.
C．His basketball coach.	D．His high school life.

【推荐2】Mother's Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors mothers in the United States. It is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It became an official holiday in the country at the start of the 20th century as a way to honor mothers whose sons had died in war.

The holiday is celebrated in a number of ways. People give mothers gifts like flowers, cards, and jewelry to thank them for all their hard work. A popular symbol of the holiday is the flower called carnation. This is because when the holiday first began in the U.S. people were encouraged to wear a red carnation if their mother was alive or a white carnation if their mother was dead. Many people take their mothers out for a special meal. In fact, Mother's Day is the most popular date in the U.S. for people to go out and eat and it is estimated that people spend billions on meals and gifts. Mother's Day is also the most popular day to make long distance calls in the U.S. It is the second most popular gift-giving day after Christmas.

Since its establishment, Mother's Day has been criticized for becoming highly financial. In fact, the founder of the U.S. holiday, Anna Jarvis, began protesting the holiday and was even arrested for disturbing the peace for a public march. Jarvis's own mother started the campaign to establish a mother's holiday during the American Civil War.

Mothers are not the only people celebrated on this day. All mother figures including grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers, and foster mothers are honored on the holiday. In schools many students make special gifts, including handmade cards. While widely recognized, Mother's Day is not a federal holiday. Many other countries around the world have their own version of Mother's Day.

1. Who was the holiday intended for at the beginning?

A．All mothers.	B．The sons giving lives in war.
C．All sons.	D．The mothers losing sons in war.

2. What can you infer from paragraphs 2 and 3 about Mother's Day?

A．People give their mothers carnation flowers as gifts.

B．People prepare a special meal for their own mothers.

C．People spend too much on celebration of the holiday.

D．People telephone to their mothers anywhere anytime.

3. Why was its founder Anna Jarvis arrested?

A．She criticized Mother's Day for high expenses.

B．She organized a public march and broke the peace.

C．She was strongly against her mother for the campaign.

D．She spent too much in celebrating the first Mother's Day.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The ways of observing Mother's Day.	B．The origin of Mother's Day.
C．Different opinions on Mother's Day.	D．The holiday of Mother's Day.

【推荐3】The Legend (传说) of Kung Fu

According to a legend, in the fifth century, an Indian master taught some monks at the Shaolin Temple a series of exercises, or forms, inspired by the movement of animals. These forms became the basis of the style of fighting known as Kung Fu. Over 16 centuries, the monks have used Kung Fu for self-defense and in war. With it, they have won many battles against their enemies.

In Dengfeng today, ten kilometers from the Shaolin Temple, there are over 60 martial arts (武术) schools with more than 50,000 students. Students come to the schools for a variety of reasons. Some hope to become movie stars. Others come to learn skills that will ensure good jobs in the military or police force. A few are sent by their parents to learn self-control and hard work.

Master Hu Zhengsheng teaches at a small school in Dengfeng. Recently, he was offered an important role in a Kung Fu movie. It could have been good publicity for his school. However, he did not accept. He doesn't agree with how Kung Fu is often shown in movies. He feels they show too much violence.

Unlike many large schools, which teach acrobatics (特技) and kickboxing, Hu teaches his students traditional Kung Fu forms. He teaches them the way his master — a Shaolin legend taught him. But attracting new students to this style of Kung Fu has become a problem. Hu is afraid his art will soon die out. He has to remind his students that Kung Fu was designed for fighting, not to entertain.

Hu’s students have little. They sleep in unheated rooms and train outside no matter what the temperature. They hit trees with their bare hands and take turns sitting on each other’s shoulders to build leg strength. Why such hardship? To master Kung Fu, they must learn respect, and how to “eat bitterness”, a Mandarin (普通话) expression meaning “to endure suffering”. The life of a Shaolin master, Hu teaches, is not easy or attractive.

Master Hu is in a difficult position. For old traditions to survive, the young must learn. Gradually, he had begun offering a few courses in kickboxing and the acrobatic Kung Fu forms, hoping to attract new students. Then, maybe, he’ll be able to convince them to learn Shaolin Kung Fu the traditional way.

1. What is true about Kung Fu?

A．It’s over 17 centuries old.

B．It was traditionally used for fighting.

C．It was introduced to China from Thailand.

D．It was originally designed to entertain people.

2. What is the purpose of the third paragraph?

A．To show why Hu teaches acrobatics and kickboxing.

B．To convince people that they can be rich and famous.

C．To explain the challenges traditional Kung Fu schools face.

D．To show how Hu’s ideas about Kung Fu are different from other teachers.

3. In the fifth paragraph, the underlined words “endure suffering” mean _________.

A．stop the suffering	B．make someone suffer
C．survive the suffering	D．make the suffering worse

4. Why does the passage mention Hu Zhengsheng?

A．He is a Kung Fu student learning kickboxing.

B．He is a Kung Fu master preserving old traditions.

C．He is the man who introduced Kung Fu to China.

D．He is a famous actor in an exciting Kung Fu movie.

【推荐1】90-Second Newbery Film Festival

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is a yearly video contest in which young filmmakers create short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery award-winning books in about a minute and a half.

Who can make movies for this film festival? It's a big range：elementary school kids, junior high school students, high school students, even college students.

We show the best movies we receive at special-event screenings in many cities.

Here are the rules:

Your video should be about 90 seconds.

Your video has to be about the story in a Newbery award-winning book.

We're looking for full-on movies with mostly child actors, who manage to tell the entire story of the book in 90 seconds.

Upload your videos to any video website and send us the link.

Sending the link to us gives us the right to post it on our blog and to other websites where we sometimes post content.

The general deadline for the tenth annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is January 15, 2021.

Don't know where to start? Check out our Video Resources page here for a step-by-step primer on how to make a 90-Second Newbery video, plus lots of other tips, tricks, and tutorials（教程）.
1. Who can take part in the contest?

A．Anyone.

B．Only adults

C．Students.

D．Professionals.

2. Which of the following will lead to being rejected?

A．The film is starred by child actors.	B．The film is sent on December 31, 2020.
C．The film is about the history of Newbery Award.	D．The copy of the film is sent to a small video website.

3. Where can we see this text?

A．On a website.

B．On the school board

C．In a magazine.

D．In a newspaper.

【推荐2】NOT that long ago, the world wondered whether clean energy could survive without government support. Now the question is how far it can spread. The number of electric vehicles. which was about 1 million in 2015, last year reached 2 million. In electricity generation, too, trend is with the greens. In the first half of this year wind, solar and hydro generated a record 35% of Germany's power.

Greater success is breeding greater ambition. California is proposing to reach 60% renewable energy by 2030: 176 countries have clean-energy goals. Hawaii, America's most oil-dependent state, has promised to be 100% renewable by the middle of the century. So have 48 poor countries vulnerable to climate change. This week the number of multinationals making a commitment to running their operations on 100% renewable energy rose to 100.

But not every target is helpful. To see why, consider that goal of 100% renewable energy. It makes solving climate change seem easy. In fact, though wind and solar can generate the whole country's electricity some day, renewables still account for less than 8% of the world's total power output. Moreover, cleaning up electricity is only part of the battle. Even though gas-fired heating and cooking can be at least as big a source of greenhouse-gas emissions, renewable heating gets little attention. Transport policy is unpredictable, too. Carmakers may hit their goal of annual sales of 10 million electric vehicles in a decade, but battery-powered road transport, shipping and aviation are dreams. A much-quoted claim that America could rely on wind, solar and hydro alone for its electricity has recently been bitterly criticized by a group of respected academics.

Most importantly, a 100% renewables target confuses means with ends. The priority for the planet is to stop net emissions（净排放量）of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. Putting too much emphasis on wind, solar and other renewables may block off better carbon-reduction paths. After decades of investment, it is wrong to leave nuclear power off the table. Carbon emissions in Germany actually rose because it chose to phase out nuclear power gradually and so burned more coal. New technologies, such as "direct air capture" systems designed to separate carbon dioxide from the air, may in time prove vital. Likewise, greater energy efficiency could reduce emissions by even more than using renewables would.

1. It can be inferred from the passage that       .

A．the problem of climate change will be solved by using 100% renewable energy

B．with new technologies, Germany successfully cut down carbon emissions

C．it is probable that ships will one day be powered by battery

D．America is not likely to completely rely on wind, solar and hydro energy one day

2. According to the passage, carbon emissions may be reduced by       .

A．promoting energy efficiency

B．blocking off carbon-reduction paths

C．using non-renewable heating

D．abandoning electric vehicles

3. The underlined phrase "phase out" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to       .

A．ignore

B．reduce

C．use

D．invent

4. In which column can this passage be read?

A．Fashion

B．Politics

C．Economy

D．Education

【推荐3】The market watchdog(市场监督部门)in northwest China's Xi'an has started a survey in a complaint that a woman's newly bought Mercedes-Benz car has engine oil leaks(泄漏). The incident has attracted wide attention after a video of a woman sitting on top of a Mercedes-Benz while weeping and arguing with salesmen went viral online. In the video posted on Weibo by a net friend on April II, the woman said she found an oil leak when she was driving the car home from the 4S store. After she drove the car back, the trader claimed(宣称)the car had passed all tests before it was sold. She was told she couldn’t get her money hack nor change a new car for her. All that the trader could offer was to change the engine. The CLS300 car cost around 660,000 yuan.($98,445).

The customer met with officials from the market watchdog of Gaoxin District on Saturdav, requesting full maintenance(维修)history of the car and an independent lest by a third-party，Shaanxi TV Station reported.

Mercedes-Benz issued an announcement on its Weibo account on Saturday，saying it was sorry for the customer's "unpleasant experience". The company has sent a team to Xi’an to help solve the problem. Li Yong, an official with the market watchdog of Gaoxin District in Xi’an, told cruest.com that they learned about the incident online. They are still surveying the incident. They will punish those who are responsible if anything illegal is discovered.

1. What can we know about the incident?

A．The woman has posted the video on the Internet.

B．The incident has attracted wide attention.

C．The woman destroyed the engine herself.

D．The market watchdog did a survey of the customer.

2. What did the trader promise to do for the woman?

A．Give her a VIP card.	B．Return her money.
C．Inspect the car again.	D．Change the engine.

3. How much did the woman spend buying the cat?

A．66 thousand dollars.	B．Nearly 100 thousand dollars.
C．66 thousand yuan.	D．98,445 yuan

4. Where can we see this article?

A．On a travel website.	B．In a storybook.
C．In a newspaper.	D．In a textbook.