【推荐1】Twenty years ago, when Angela and I were studying in college, our professor taught us a lesson we've never forgotten. On the last day of class before graduation, she walked up on stage to teach one final lesson, which she called "a life lesson on the power of mindset". As she raised a glass of water over her head, everyone expected her to repeat the saying "glass half empty or glass half full. Instead, with a smile on her face, our professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I'm holding？"

Students shouted out answers, from a couple of ounces to a couple of pounds. After a few moments of fielding answers and nodding her head, she replied, "From my point of view, the absolute weight of this glass is not important. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it's quite light.   If I hold it for an hour straight, my arm might feel painful.   If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely be losing the power of sense, and finally get paralyzed (麻痹的), forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the absolute weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me．"

As most of us students nodded our heads in agreement, she continued. "Your anxiety, anger, disappointments, fear and other passive feelings are very much like this glass of water.   Think about them for a little while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to feel pain. Think about them all day long, and it will make you paralyzed, unable to do anything else until you drop them．"

1. What is the passage mainly about？　 　

A．A lovely professor．

B．The weight of the glass

C．How long we should hold the glass．

D．Glass half empty or glass half full

2. When did the story happen？　 　

A．During the writer's last visit to the college．

B．When the writer started his college life．

C．In the professor's last lesson at college．

D．Just before the writer graduated from college．

3. What did the students respond to the professors explanation？　 　

A．They gave no reply．

B．They disagreed with her．

C．They accepted her viewpoint．

D．The text didn't talk about it．

4. The professor compared　 　 to the glass of water．

A．worry

B．hopefulness

C．joy

D．fearlessness

5. What do we learn from the story？　 　

A．Working under stress for long is quite common for modern people．

B．Momentous feeling of sadness will definitely ruin a person．

C．People will feel well if they don't touch the bottle at all．

D．One should get rid of bad feelings as soon as possible．

【推荐2】I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice. “Mom, come here! There’s a lady here my size!” The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize. I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?” He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?” “Yes, I have a son,” I answered. “Why are you so little?” he asked. “It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids joked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.
But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have--a great family, nice friends.”
It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.
1. Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A．Because the boy studied the author from head to toe.

B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

C．Because they boy said the author was shorter than him.

D．Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

2. When did the author realize that she was too short?

A．When she grew up.

B．When she began to go to school.

C．When she was 47 years old.

D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

3. Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?

A．doubted	B．decreased
C．remained	D．improved

4. Which is NOT true about the author according to the passage?

A．She suffered lots of discrimination when growing up.

B．She is grateful for what she has.

C．She doesn’t see herself different.

D．She thinks people should be treated equally.

【推荐3】In my mind, the effect that experience had on me lasted forever. I was determined to learn swimming at the age of ten. There was a pool, at the K.P.L.B., offering the opportunity. My mother constantly warned against it, and bore fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the K.P.L. B. pool was safe.

My fear of water started from childhood. It began when I was four years old and father took me to the beach. There the huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.

The K.P.L.B. pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?” With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits—when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly. When I came to consciousness, I found myself on the bed in the hospital.

I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by. It deprived me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, I practiced hard and finally he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instruction was finished, but I was not. Sometimes the terror would return.

This went on till July. I swam across the Lake Wentworth. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?”

I had conquered my fear of water.

1. Why was the author frightened of water originally?

A．His swimming skill was very poor.

B．An experience at the beach affected him.

C．He had an unpleasant memory of the pool at the age of four.

D．His mother warned him about the danger of being drowned.

2. Which of the following is right about the author’s experience in the K.P.L.B. pool?

A．The experience made him aware that the pool was safe.

B．The big boy eagerly helped him conquer the fear of water.

C．When thrown into water, he knew someone would save him

D．While he had no skill in swimming, he struggled to go upwards.

3. Which of the following can be used to describe the author?

A．Diligent and cautious.	B．Determined and grateful.
C．Dependable and adaptable.	D．Humorous and courageous.

4. What does the author try to tell us?

A．A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.

B．Do one thing at a time, and do well.

C．Deed divides beings into lower and higher ones.

D．Success always comes from daring to challenge.

【推荐1】One of the most stressful days of Susan McFrederick’s life was watching her son get wheeled away for surgery hours after he was born in 2011.

But after the operation, Susan burst into tears for a different reason: across the cut on their newborn sons back was a sweet winter scene, hand-drawn on his bandages（绷带）.

“There were rolling hills of snow, a pine tree and a snowman with a hat and broom, she recalled. It was extremely touching and comforting to know that somebody had taken the time to do that for my family. It was a moment I'll never forget.”

Susan soon learned the artist was her sons surgeon, Robert Parry, who discovered another way to use his hands in the mid-1980 s during his internship（实习期）at children's medical center. where he saw one of his colleagues cut out heart and shark shapes to decorate children’s bandages.

“My first reaction was, 'What is he doing? Hey, that’s kind of neat,’ ” Parry recalled. “I especially liked the reactions of the parents and the patients when they saw his artwork. The smiles took everyone's attention from the surgery. Then I decided to follow suit.”

Parry quickly graduated from his early hearts and sharks, and started to surprise families with drawings that captured young patients' personalities. From Snoopy to Spider-Man and bears to butterflies, there isn’t much he hasn’t drawn. Most kids want superheroes sports team logos or princesses, while babies often receive scenes with flowers trees and sea creatures During the last 30 years, Parry estimates he has left examples of his handiwork over the stitches（伤口缝线） of more than 10, 000 children.

“During a time of stress for families, it's nice to be able to help them smile and laugh," Parry said. This is something positive that I can do for them, which is what I like most about it.”

For Parry, the reward is knowing he hopefully made a difference in a child’s life, and except for his drawings on bandages, they can go on and live their lives and never know I was in it.” he said.

He's not ready to retire, but he's found a new hobby to keep his hands skillful in the years to come.

“I've taken up knitting（编织）,” Parry said. “Hats, sweaters, gloves---I enjoy it all. But mostly, I enjoy giving everything away.”

1. Susan burst into tears after her baby's operation because she was__________.

A．moved	B．amused
C．stressed	D．heartbroken

2. How did Parry get the idea of decorating children's bandages?

A．He was motivated by his patients.

B．He was inspired by his colleague.

C．He was required to learn the skill during his internship.

D．He was encouraged by Susan to show his genius for art.

3. Parry's artworks during the last 30 years show that he__________.

A．devoted himself more to art than to medicine.

B．knew more about his patients than their parents.

C．took into consideration the tastes of individual patients.

D．created a large number of works beyond his expectations.

4. What does Parry expect to achieve with his artworks?

A．To get a reward from the artistic circle.

B．To win the admiration of his colleagues.

C．To make a difference in his dull medical career.

D．To lift the spirits of his patients and their parents.

5. What can we learn about Parry from the last two paragraphs of the passage?

A．He is eager to show others his new skills.

B．He enjoys trying new ways to help others.

C．He is looking forward to life after retirement.

D．He is more interested in knitting than drawing.

【推荐2】Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with your eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips.

With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world’s 42 million blind people should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries possess most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.

ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world’s only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation (合作) among countries.

ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs in China so far. For the seven million to ten million blind people in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS team is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.

For just $38, you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; for $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training programme for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.

1. What is the first paragraph intended to do?

A．To introduce a new way of reading.

B．To advise the public to lead a simple life.

C．To direct the public’s attention to the blind.

D．To encourage the public to use imagination.

2. What do we learn about existing medical knowledge and skills in the world?

A．They are adequate.

B．They have not been updated.

C．They are not equally distributed.

D．They have benefited most of the blind.

3. How will ORBIS aim to help the blind?

A．By teaching medical students.

B．By training doctors and nurses.

C．By running flying hospitals globally.

D．By setting up non-profit organization.

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

A．ORBIS in China

B．Fighting Blindness

C．ORBIS Flying Hospital

D．Sight-seeing Techniques

【推荐3】When Armida Armato’s daughter, Alexia, came home from school one day last year keen to go on a school trip to Ecuador, she wasn’t too sure how to feel. She was happy that her daughter could experience something she never did as a teen but was fearful of letting her travel to such a remote part of the world.
Alexia was 16 at the time, a student at Westwood High School. The school sponsored a humanitarian trip for 26 students and two teachers to spend 18 days living in a mountain village to build a one-room school. Even though Armato trusted her daughter, the other students and the teachers, she was worried about the side effects from the travel vaccines, possible accidents, and medical care.
Now that Alexia was home, Armato said she saw her daughter’s new maturity, greater confidence and independence. “This is the best thing I ever did,” Alexia said. “The experience was so eye-opening and life-changing. You’re with people who are not as lucky as you are. They live in very poor conditions but they’re so happy and outgoing. You say, ‘My God. I’m taking everything for granted back home.’”
She said they built a one-room school from scratch with no mechanical cement mixers. They used their hands, shovels and basic tools. She and another student lived with a local family in a small village about eight hours outside the capital, Quito. Despite the initial strangeness and knowing only basic Spanish, she said they grew very close and felt like a family.
Every year, groups of students at Montreal High School like Alexia pack their bags and fly off with classmates and teachers to developing countries where they volunteer for a variety of projects.
“Armato’s worries are very common among parents,” says Bill Nevin, a teacher at St. George’s High School. He organizes a humanitarian rip to India to the Sheela Bal Bhavan orphanage and says the three biggest fears families have are health, security and contact.
1. When hearing the news that her daughter would go on a school trip to Ecuador, Armato was _______.

A．proud and happy

B．supportive but concerned

C．fearful and nervous

D．excited but puzzled

2. The underlined phrase “from scratch” in Paragraph 4 probably means “______”.

A．having great help

B．using high technology

C．ending up in failure

D．starting from the beginning

3. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Volunteering helps students grow and develop.

B．School trips make parents worried about their children.

C．Ecuador is the most attractive travel destination in the world.

D．Brave Alexia dreams to work in Ecuador one day.

【推荐2】For so long, failure has been pictured as something negative, something to be ashamed of and something to be kept a secret. But a Swedish psychologist, Samuel West, has decided to put our worst fears on the table. He is opening a museum -- the Museum of Failure -- in Helsingborg, Sweden, this June.

Instead of showing successes, as museums usually do, the Museum of Failure will display over 60 “failed” products from big-name companies such as Nokia, Apple and Coca-Cola. “I really hope you see that these mega-brands that everybody respects, they screw up too,” West told The New York Times. “I hope that makes you feel less nervous about learning something new.”

West’s opinion isn’t a new one. Albert Einstein once said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” And this idea has been embraced by lots of companies in the US. Silicon Valley, for example, is the home of some of the world’s most creative companies, yet its slogan turns out to be, quite surprisingly, “Fail fast, fail often.”

However, there are reasons for this. “The best companies are those that encourage failure, embrace out-of-the-box thinking, and allow employers to make mistakes and see what happens,” wrote Simon Casuto of Forbes.

But some people are doubtful of this so-called “culture of failure”. They are worried that if failure becomes a “symbol of honor”, as Wired magazine put it, it may even be seen as “uncool” when someone tries to reduce the risk of failure. This may push people to care too little and try too little.

“Sometimes people hid behind failure, when they could have prevented it,” wrote Anna Isaac of The Telegraph.

So it’s important that you set apart the two kinds of failure—the kind that makes you a loser and the kind that takes you forward. The key is whether you’ve learned something from your mistakes.

“Learning is the only process that turns failure into success.” West said The Guardian.” If you don’t learn from your failures, then you’ve really failed.”

1. What does the underlined phrase “screw up” in the second paragraph mean?

A．Make a profit.	B．Make a mess.
C．Make a highlight.	D．Make a risk.

2. What messages does the slogan “Fail fast, fail often.” convey?

A．The more failure, the better.

B．Accept failure, and try new things.

C．The more you fail, the less success you achieve.

D．Failure is more important than success.

3. Which magazine shows doubt about the culture of failure?

A．The New York Times.	B．Forbes.
C．Wired.	D．The Guardian.

4. What’s West’s opinion about failure?

A．Failure’s value lies in learning from it.

B．If you fail, you are a loser.

C．It’s not necessary to try to reduce the risk of failure.

D．Failure is the key to put you forward.

【推荐3】I know many people who spend time thinking about all the might-have-beens, what-ifs and opportunities they’ve missed. They spend their lives constantly feeling like they’ve missed out on something big. Their boats have sailed. They’ve missed their one and only opportunity to be rich, famous and do something really amazing.

I know someone who used to enter the same numbers in the lottery every week. One week, she was too busy to get the ticket before the agency closed. And her numbers came up. There were no winners that week and the jackpot money rolled over to the following week: 10 million pounds. She’s never forgiven herself. Since then, she’s lived her life feeling like she’s missed her boat, the only opportunity she’ll ever have to be happy.

I suspect most of us would be pretty upset if that happened to us. Now, the question is, would we allow it to rule the rest of our lives? Or should we consider the possibility that it happened for a reason?

Now, I’ll admit that I’d have a very hard time saying anything along those lines for quite a while if something like that happened to me. But, if I knew that I was putting every effort into being wealthy or happy, then I would also know that just because something didn’t happen the way it ought to happen, everything would still be alright. I will be able to relax and let it go.

Nothing ever happens to me, but everything always happens for me. So long as I’m keeping my eye on my goals, everything that happens is the Universe moving me towards my goals. It’s definitely easier said than done, particularly at first. But it is doable. It’s simply a choice.

You haven’t missed your boat. Your boat is still there. Don’t waste your life crying over someone else’s boat. Step onto your own.

1. When her lottery numbers came up, she wasn’t the winner because _____________.

A．she couldn’t forgive herself	B．she was too busy to buy the ticket
C．she forgot the correct numbers	D．she has missed her boat

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?

A．The world can’t change me.

B．I can change the world by working hard.

C．I have never missed any good opportunity.

D．Whatever happens to me is beneficial to me.

3. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．You Can’t Miss Your Boat.

B．You Shouldn’t Often Change Your Goals.

C．You Forgive Yourself as soon as Possible.

D．You Can’t Step onto the Boat that Has Sailed.

【推荐1】While a new school term is about to begin, perhaps we should reconsider the matter of examinations. In July, two writers (Letters to the Editor) praised the cancellation of exams because they believe “tests don’t tell the whole story.”

As a teacher who has worked for many years, I have had the experience that a student who earns good marks is generally a good student, and that a student’s final mark in a subject is usually a grade average of the year’s work. Of course there are exceptions, but they do not have the frequency that would give an unfair picture of a student’s ability. The simple fact is that proper class work, hard-working exam studies and good marks are almost certain indicators of a students future performance. The opposite, almost certainly, unfitness.

There is no acceptable substitute for competition and examination of quality. How can teachers and future officials determine what a student has learned and remembered? Should we simply take the student word for it? Any organization that sets students free from fair and formal exams is misguided. And surely the “graduates” of such organisations will lack trustworthiness, not to mention being refused by foreign universities for graduate or other studies.

When all is said and done, I sense that a fear of failure and a fear of unpleasant comparison with others is the basic reason for most ban-exams talk. Excellence and quality fear nothing. On the contrary, they seek competition and desire the satisfaction of being the best.

1. What’s the purpose of the two writers mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To fight against judging students by the results of exams.

B．To come up with other ways of testing students.

C．To determine exams as a way of punishing students.

D．To express worries about the poor marks of their students.

2. What would happen if a student graduated from an organization without exams?

A．He would have a chance to continue his studies.

B．He would have a feeling of failure.

C．He would be more competitive.

D．He wouldn’t be admitted by foreign universities.

3. What are those who dislike the idea of examinations probably afraid of?

A．Competing with other students.	B．Being graded unfairly.
C．Working too hard.	D．Being punished by school.

4. What does the underlined word “substitute” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Strength.

B．Association.

C．Replacement.

D．Correction.

【推荐2】With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue across the United States today is the death penalty. Many argue that it is an effective deterrent (威慑) to murder, while others maintain there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty reduces the number of murders.

The principal argument advanced by those opposed to the death penalty, basically, is that it is cruel and inhuman punishment, which is the mark of a brutal society, and finally that it is of questionable effectiveness as a deterrent to crime anyway.

In our opinion, the death penalty is a necessary evil. Throughout recorded history there have always been those extreme individuals in every society who were capable of terribly violent crimes such as murder. But some are more extreme than others.

For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in a fit of blind rage, but quite another to coldly plot and carry out the murder of one or more people in the style of a butcher. Thus, murder, like all other crimes, is a matter of relative degree. While it could be argued with some conviction that the criminal in the first instance should be merely separated from society, such should not be the fate of the latter type murderer.

The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to debate. But the overwhelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them. Their belief is strengthened by evidence which shows that the death penalty deters murder. For example, from 1954 to 1963, when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rate remained between three and four murders for each 100,000 population. Since 1964 the death penalty has been carried out only once, and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each 100,000 population. The sharp climb in the state’s murder rate, which began when executions stopped, is no coincidence. It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does deter many murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is banned, innocent people will be murdered—some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect. This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected.

1. The principal purpose of this passage is to________.

A．speak for the majority	B．initiate a ban
C．criticize the government	D．argue for the value of the death penalty

2. The author’s response to those who urge the death penalty for all is likely to be________.

A．negative	B．friendly
C．supportive	D．neutral

3. According to the Paragraph 4, it can be inferred that________.

A．the death penalty is the most controversial issue in the United States today

B．the ban of the bill reestablishing the death penalty is of little importance

C．the second type of murderers should be sentenced to death

D．the value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is not to be debated

4. The passage attempts to establish a relationship between________.

A．the effects of execution and the effects of isolation

B．the murder rate and the imposition of the death penalty

C．the importance of equal rights and that of the death penalty

D．executions and murders

5. The author’s attitude towards “death penalty” is________.

A．opposing	B．supporting
C．neutral	D．not clear

【推荐3】Hugging a dog is one of the life's greatest joys. It is like experiencing a love drug, which is quite true.

Dogs and humans always interact with each other. And if you get to have dogs and hug them every day, you just might live longer than people who don't have to clean animal hair off their clothes, according to a pair of studies recently.

The studies, published in the journal Circulation： Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, suggest that dog ownership is linked to a 21% reduction in the risk of death-over the 12-year period studied-for people with heart disease. When you look at all the evidence around dog ownership and their health, it's pretty clear the signal is real.

We’ve known forever that owning a dog increases one's physical activity. Regardless of weather, you have to get out and walk the dog. Otherwise, you might stay home and watch TV. Owning a dog makes you spend more time outdoors, and time spent outdoors improves health. Owning a dog or interacting with a dog even for a short term also reduces blood pressure. And the biggest advantage of having a dog is what it does for mental health. We see very beneficial effects on depression and anxiety.

Many of us may not have a dog. And these studies have finally convinced someone to get one. We've thought of dogs as a form of comfort. The study forces a rethinking of pets in our society. We've started out with dogs as accomplices during hunts as hunter-gatherers. Gradually, we selected for traits of loyalty and friendship. At this point, many of us can totally see the basic reasons why dogs improve our sense of well-being, reduce loneliness and can be an improvement to our physical and mental health.

1. Who might live longer according to the study?

A．People who hate dogs.	B．People who have dogs.
C．People who haven't dogs.	D．People who like bathing pets.

2. What can we infer about getting a dog in paragraph 3?

A．It can cure heart disease.

B．It can help improve health.

C．It can make people more energetic.

D．It can stop people from getting ill.

3. What is the largest benefit of getting a dog?

A．Improving physical health.	B．Enjoying outdoor activities.
C．Improving mental health.	D．Strengthening patience and love.

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

A．To show his love of dogs.

B．To share his own experience of keeping a dog.

C．To introduce a new life style.

D．To state the finding of a study about keeping dogs,