【推荐1】When I was 19 years old, I was at a dance club. As we were walking to my car one cold night, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman carrying a small child. The child had a jacket on but it wasn't buttoned up (扣上). The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night to get his wife and kid into a hotel. He had a job but no place to live in and was waiting for the first paycheck. He said he could get our mailing address and mail the money back.

The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friends’ hand and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute？”

I told him that every day people asked my mother for money on her way to work. She said they made more money than she did, simply begging for money. These people were scamming those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child suffering from the cold, they would have at least buttoned his jacket or covered him with his blanket.

My new friend looked at me with disappointment and said, “Michelle, I know there are people out there that take advantage of others. I also know there are people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I give $ 20 to 10 people and only one of them really needs it and uses it for the right thing, it is worth it.”

I am now 37 years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don't even remember his name. But I do remember that that experience changed the way I look at different situations.

1. Where did this story happen?

A．Near a hotel	B．Outside a dance club
C．Behind a mailbox	D．In the dance club

2. What do we know about the stranger according to the passage？

A．He had been begging for a long time near the dance club.

B．He would spend the cold night at an expensive hotel.

C．He was careless and didn't take good care of his child.

D．He might be just lying in order to get some money.

3. Why did the author put her hand on her new friends' hand？

A．She wanted to tell him to give some more money to the stranger.

B．She believed her mother had already given the stranger some money.

C．She wanted to warn him not to be cheated by the stranger.

D．She asked her friend to pay more attention to the baby instead.

4. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “ scamming ” in the 3rd paragraph？

A．cheating	B．respecting
C．disappointing	D．understanding

【推荐1】        Lillian was a young girl who grew up in a village. At the age of 16, her father forced her to drop out of school and find a job to help the family.
        With limited education, skills and hope, she would take the bus into the big cities of Windsor and Detroit, walk aimlessly about and then return home every day. She couldn’t even bring herself to knock on a door.
        As the days passed, Lillian knew she would soon have to knock on a door. On one of her trips, Lillian saw a sign at Carhartt Overall Company, saying, “Help Wanted, Secretarial. Apply Within.”
        She walked up to the office and was met by the office manager, who sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Let’s see how good you really are.”
        She directed Lillian to type a single letter and then left. Lillian looked at the clock: 11:40 am. She figured that she could run away in the crowd then. But she knew she should at least try the letter.
        On her first try, she got through one line. It had five words and she made four mistakes. The clock read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and she will never see me again.” On her second try, Lillian got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper. At last she completed the letter with some mistakes.
        Just then, the door opened and the office manager walked in. She came directly over to Lillian, read the letter, paused and then said, “Lillian, you’ve done a good job.”
1. Why did the office manager leave after directing Lillian to type a letter?

A．She was not satisfied with Lillian.

B．She found Lillian was too young.

C．She wanted to let the girl be quiet.

D．She wanted to test Lillian.

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in paragraph 6?

A．Lillian didn’t have enough confidence in herself.

B．Lillian didn’t like the workers there.

C．Lillian didn’t want the job.

D．Lillian wanted to have lunch then.

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The girl didn’t like to go to school.

B．The girl’s family was not very rich.

C．The girl’s father was very fond of money.

D．The girl was living in a poor village.

4. From the passage it can be inferred that in the end__________.

A．Lillian had to run away without being noticed.

B．Lillian’s father wanted his daughter to return to school.

C．the office manager was deeply moved by the girl.

D．Lillian was allowed to work there

【推荐2】Dining halls of the Hilton Wuhan Riverside have been busting with military personnel ever since the first delegations 24 and staff of the International Sports Military Council (CISM ) started checking into the hotel over a week ago.

This marks the first time China is staging a CISM event, with nearly 10,000 participants attending the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan. Many of them, along with some of the staff from CISM and the organizing committee, are staying at the Hilton Wuhan Riverside.

Dharmendra Singh from India doesn’t belong to either category of guests, even though his military-style haircut and two pins - a CISM pin and a Wuhan 2019 Games pin - on the lapel of his black suit might suggest otherwise. His ability to talk in Mandarin complicates things even further.

Singh is in charge of tending to the guests at the hotel, in particular those who take their meals in the dining halls. Yet, by his own admission, the 31-year-old, who has been a chef at the Hilton for nearly two years, feels as though he is also part of the “army family” at the hotel, and being part of Wuhan Games is fulfilling his “army dream”.

As a teen, he dreamed about serving his country as a soldier. However, the pressure of being the older of the two siblings in a financially challenged family meant Singh had to put his military dream on hold. To provide for his parents and younger brother, at 17 he set out to earn an income by making use of his culinary (烹饪的) skills.

“And, as fate would have it, a friend helped me get a job at the hotel.”

Pointing to the Wuhan Games and CISM pins that two diners gave him, Singh added: “Military people command respect due to their selflessness and honesty towards their work. I am glad that I am able to serve them and to honor their commitment to serve their nations.”

By the time the Games end on Oct 27, some of the guests might have handed Singh a few more pins to add to his collection; others might say goodbye with just a “thank you”.   Either way, he will remain grateful to them for providing memories for a lifetime.

1. What can we learn from paragraph three?

A．Singh used to serve in Indian army.

B．Singh’s identity seems to be confusing.

C．Singh tends to wear a black suit every day.

D．Singh pretends to be one of the staff of CISM.

2. Why will Singh be grateful to his guests?

A．Because they may show respect to him.

B．Because they will give him precious memories.

C．Because they will present him with some decorations.

D．Because they may help fulfill his dream to be a soldier.

3. Which may be the best title of the passage?

A．Cooking up some special memories.	B．Gathering of peace.
C．The thrill of World Military Game.	D．Closing with a cultural flourish.

【推荐1】There are good Santas and there are bad Santas. The good Santas all realize one thing: In the mind of a child, Santa Claus is perfect. That’s difficult. And so they come from around the world to attend the Charles W. Howard School in Midland, Mich. The school offers a three-day, 40-hour course for Santas hoping to be excellent. A former Macy’s Santa named Charles Howard founded the Michigan school in 1937. “Many people will think if you have a suit and you’re a Santa,” said Tom Valent, the school’s current dean. “It’s more than that.”   The school teaches everything from breathing techniques for carol singing to the beard maintenance. There are lessons in child psychology, sign language and even media training for talk-show appearances and call-in shows. Santas also need to make sure they know all the names of the reindeer(驯鹿). What’s harder to deal with, however, is children who ask for Christmas gifts like bringing daddy home or making mommy happy again. After spending time in the classroom, Weir went to the mall to test his training. However, at one point, his hat fell off, and he was unsure how to react. “You’re the real Santa,” Valent said. “Pick that hat up, slip it back on, keep smiling and do your job. You’ve got to stay on top of your game. Even the last one at night, when you’re tired, you’ve got to remember: This one’s forever, so do a good job.”
1. According to the passage, good Santas should be the ones that ______.

A．can offer the children some gifts

B．help adults look after their children

C．have ability to make children happy

D．should be perfect in the mind of children

2. The Michigan school was founded by Charles Howard with the purpose to ______.

A．train the pet reindeer for the Santas

B．earned money from its students

C．train perfect Santas for the world

D．show the world’s concern to the poor

3. According to Weir’s performance, we can conclude that ______.

A．Weir was short of experience

B．Weir was not fit for the job as a Santa

C．Weir did very badly in the game

D．Weir was not a good student in school

【推荐2】Sitting back in my seat, I can’t quite believe that I’m about to travel along the railway that many foreign experts claimed was “impossible”. The train has been racing along steadily since it left Xining. All this time, the song “Sky Railway” has been playing inside my head. The words “railways like massive dragons are winding among the mountains” seem particularly vivid as I travel across the “roof of the world”.

I was one of the people who came from all parts of China to work on this railway. Taking years to complete, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a record of all of our efforts to overcome the most difficult engineering challenges. How to protect the delicate ecosystem was among the top concerns.

The first landmark to catch my eye is the splendid Qingshuihe Bridge, the world’s longest bridge built over permafrost. Look! A group of Tibetan antelopes is moving under the bridge, with some stopping to eat grass at their leisure. Thirty-three passages have been built under the railway to allow the animals to move safely and freely in their natural habitat. Wild animals such as these Tibetan antelopes have now been using these passages for years. They seem totally unaware that we are speeding past at over 100 kilometers an hour.

To prevent damage to wetlands and grasslands, 675 bridges with a total length of about 160 kilometers were built between Golmud and Lhasa. We even moved 140,000 square meters of wetland to a new area in order to protect its distinct ecosystem.

The journey has been flying by, and before I know it, we have reached Tanggula Station. Located at over 5,000 meters above sea level, this is the highest railway station in the world. In locations such as this, the thin air, changeable weather and high levels of UV radiation presented perhaps the greatest challenge for railway workers. To make sure we stayed healthy, several oxygen-making stations were constructed. We were also able to enjoy regular breaks in lower areas.

As we pass Cuona Lake, I feel a sense of pride and achievement. Using thousands and thousands of sandbags, we built a twenty-kilometer wall along the lake to protect it from construction waste. Cuona Lake is so close to the railway that I want to reach out and touch its pale blue mirror-like surface. Water birds playing in the lake, and cattle and sheep wandering the grasslands bring the scenery to life.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been attracting people’s admiration for centuries. Now, thanks to our efforts, passengers from all over the country have been enjoying these magical landscapes. I am proud that we built our “impossible” railway, and did so with the care that the environment deserves. It truly is an extraordinary “Sky Railway”.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the first two paragraphs?

A．The song “Sky Railway” was played as background music in the train.

B．Ways of protecting the delicate ecosystem were taken into consideration.

C．Foreign experts were frightened to see dragons among the mountains.

D．The author kept the record of solving the toughest engineering problem.

2. Which can best replace the underlined part in Paragraph 3?

A．without interruption	B．for entertainment
C．in their free time	D．without hurrying

3. Why was a 20-km wall built according to Paragraph 6?

A．Because it separated the habitats of birds and cattle.

B．Because it transformed construction waste into sand.

C．Because it kept Cuona lake from being polluted.

D．Because it connected Cuona lake and the railway.

4. What is the author proud of at the end of the passage?

A．Their efforts to build the railway and protect the ecosystem.

B．That he has made the railway extraordinary for tourists.

C．Passengers’ admiration for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

D．The splendid landscapes along the Sky Railway.

5. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To prove that humans can conquer nature.

B．To advertise the travel route along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

C．To praise the workers’ efforts in building the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

D．To highlight the amount of work required to build the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

【推荐3】“If you are cold, it will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are exhausted, it will calm you.” The poem best identifies the passion for tea in Britain. Outside of the United Kingdom, many people refer to afternoon tea as “high tea”. Afternoon tea, also known as low tea, is what most people think of when they hear “high tea”. It involves things like manners, lace(蕾丝) and light meals such as cookies and finger sandwiches. It is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was traditionally served on low tables, therefore its two names.

Legend has it that afternoon tea was started in the mid-1800s by the Duchess(公爵夫人) of Bedford. Around that time, kerosene(煤油) lamps were introduced into wealthier homes and eating a late dinner( around 8 or 9 p.m.) became fashionable. This increasingly late dinner was one of the only two meals each day, and the other was a mid-morning one. The story goes that the Duchess found herself with a “sinking feeling”. This came from hunger during the long wait between meals. She decided to invite friends over for various snacks and tea. The idea of an afternoon tea gathering spread across high society and became a favorite pastime of females for leisure. Later, it spread to other social groups.

However, the British working population did not have afternoon tea. They had a meal about midday, and a meal after work, between five and seven o’clock. This meal was called “high tea” or just “tea”. Traditionally eaten early evening, high tea was a substantial meal that combined delicious sweet food, such as cookies, cakes or tea bread, with heavy food, such as cheese on toast, cold meals and poached eggs on toast. This meal is now often replaced with a supper due to people eating their main meal in the evening rather than at midday.

1. What is the author’s purpose of using a poem at the beginning of the passage?

A．To introduce a topic.	B．To present a puzzle.
C．To describe the phenomenon.	D．To clarify his writing purpose.

2. What led to the appearance of afternoon tea?

A．Kerosene lamps were used at home.

B．Upper class had more free time.

C．Drinking tea makes people feel good.

D．Duchess of Bedford was influential in social circle.

3. What was the most important feature of afternoon tea in the mid-1800s?

A．Simple food and tea.	B．Being served on low tables.
C．A ladies’ social occasion.	D．Serving time.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Origins of Tea.	B．Ways of Low Tea.
C．Traditional Afternoon Tea.	D．High Tea and Low Tea.

【推荐1】Smartphones can be a force for good. Your phone is always with you, making it the perfect device to push you into a more beneficial way of living. Here are some of the best apps that can help.

Habitica

Habitica turns the goal of forming good habits into a game, with its own characters and scoring. It’s a lot of fun, and the app also lets you build habits with friends and family. In addition to regular repeating habits, you can add a more general to-do list, and the rewards you get can be customized too—you could treat yourself to a meal out or an extra hour of games.

Smoke free

If you’re determined to give up smoking, Smoke Free is one of the most comprehensive apps for giving you that extra push you need to make a permanent change. The app offers a host of useful features to people wanting to go smoke-free: the ability to see your progress over time, charts showing how your health is improving, day-by-day encouragement, and some advice on techniques for giving up smoking.

MyFitnessPal

You can find tons of health and fitness apps for your phone, but My FitnessPal stands out not just because it is easy to use, but because it makes practical suggestions for you. It can take in a host of data, from the calories you’re taking in to the number of swims you’re doing per week, and offer reports on calorie consumption and macronutrient (大量营养素) breakdown.

1. What can Habitica help you to do?

A．Win a tough game.	B．Start a lasting friendship.
C．Develop a pleasant habit.	D．Find a fancy restaurant.

2. Which of the following can Smoke Free provide?

A．The freedom to smoke.	B．The ability to make progress.
C．Charts about your excellent health.	D．Advice on how to quit smoking.

3. What can we learn about the three apps mentioned in the text?

A．They’re practical.	B．They’re cheap.
C．They’re interesting.	D．They’re free.

【推荐2】

CAN-DO PEOPLE	NO-CAN-DO
Take initiative to make it happen Think about problems and barriers Act	Wait for something to happen to them Think about solutions and options Are acted upon

If you think can-do, and you’re creative and persistent, it’s amazing what you can accomplish. During college, I remember being told that to fulfill my language requirement, I would “have to” take a class that I had no interest in and was meaningless to me. Instead of taking this class, however, I decided to create my own. So I put together a list of books I would read and the assignments I would do and found a teacher to sponsor me. I then went to the dean of the school and presented my case. He bought into my idea and I completed my language requirement by taking my self-built course.

American aviator Elinor Smith once said, “It has long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”

It’s so true. To reach your goals in life, you must seize the initiative. If you’re feeling bad about not being asked out on dates, don’t just sit around and sulk, do something about it. Find ways to meet people. Be friendly and try smiling a lot. Ask them out. They may not know how great you are.

Don’t wait for that perfect job to fall in your lap, go after it. Send out your resume, network, volunteer to work for free.

If you’re at a store and need assistance, don’t wait for the salesperson to find you, you find them.

Some people mistake can-do for being pushy, aggressive, or obnoxious. Wrong. Can-do is courageous, persistent, and smart. Others think can-do people stretch the rules and make their own laws. Not so. Can-do thinkers are creative, enterprising, and extremely resourceful.

George Bernard Shaw, the English playwright, knew all about can-do. Listen to how he said it: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”

1. What are those can-do people more likely to do?

A．They await in patience till their boss give the approval.

B．They remain somewhat reserved in a romantic relationship.

C．They always challenge people who think differently.

D．They turn to his friends in We-chat when they need a hand.

2. By saying “I don’t believe in circumstances” he means .

A．It’s circumstances not the people are to blame for what they are

B．One should get up earlier in order to find a way out

C．Have the initiative and you are in a better position to win

D．he is eager to get on in the world

3. How does the writer present his idea?

A．By illustration.	B．By example.
C．By reason.	D．By story.

【推荐3】Artie Shaw was born in New York City in 1910. His parents were poor persons who had come to the United States from Eastern Europe. At the age of fourteen, he began to play the saxophone(萨克斯管) and then the clarinet(竖笛). From very young age, Artie Shaw wanted to play his clarinet better than anyone. He wanted his sound and music to be perfect, so he began working as a professional musician when he was fifteen, and he left home and began playing in bands across the United States.

In 1927, young Artie Shaw traveled to Chicago, Illinois to hear the great trumpet (小号) player, Louis Armstrong. He immediately understood that Armstrong’s great jazz sound was the beginning of something new and exciting. Artie left Chicago with a growing interest in jazz music. Soon after, he moved to New York City. He got work playing the clarinet for the Columbia Broadcast System radio network in1936. He was given chance to found his band and play at New York’s famous Imperial Theater on Broadway. His group was not the top band in the show. But the crowd loved his music. This proved to be a major step in his career.

In 1938, Artie Shaw and his band recorded what would be one of their most popular songs. It sold millions of records. It still sells several thousand each year. Shaw was surprised that it became so popular. The song is "Begin the Beguine" written by Cole Porter. However, the fame caused problems for Shaw. He could not go anywhere without being recognized. He no longer had a private life.

On Dec. 13th, 2004, Artie Shaw died after a long sickness. He was ninety-four years old. He was the last great musician and bandleader of what has been called the “Big Band Era”.

1. When was Artie Shaw born?

A．In 1936.

B．In1927.

C．In 1938

D．In 1910.

2. How old was Artie Shaw when he founded his own band?

A．Twenty-six.

B．Twenty-seven.

C．Seventeen.

D．Twenty-eight.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．Artie Shaw knew his records would be popular.

B．Artie Shaw wanted the fans to recognize him.

C．Artie Shaw's records sold well.

D．Artie Shaw recorded his first record in 1938.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Artie Shaw-a Famous Musician	B．Artie Shaw Made Band Famous
C．Artie Shaw and His Bands	D．Artie Shaw Recorded Many Songs