【推荐1】There is a common belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever considered spelling unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, quite different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely in writing without holding him back with spelling.

If spelling becomes the only point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will write only words within his spelling range (范围). That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content (内容) rather than technical (技术的) ability.

I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes.” It may have been a sharp criticism (批评) of the pupils’ technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad thing for the teacher who had failed to read the composition (作文), which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the mistakes, but if his priority had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more hope to seek improvement.

1. Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ________.

A．students will be able to express their ideas more freely

B．teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes

C．students will have more trust in writing

D．students will learn to spell words correctly

2. Which of the following about school education is true?

A．Schools are no longer interested in spelling.

B．Teachers ask their students to write words within their spelling range.

C．Schools attach importance to word spelling.

D．Teachers think the expression of the children is the most important.

3. The writer seems to think that the teacher’s judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is ________．

A．reasonable

B．unfair

C．foolish

D．careless

【推荐2】Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying “curiosity killed the cat.” It’s a phrase that’s often used to warn people — especially children — not to ask too many questions.     1     In fact, research has shown that curiosity is just as important as intelligence in determining how well students do in school. Curiosity can also lead us to make unexpected discoveries, bring excitement into our lives, and open up new possibilities.     2     For example, one day in 1831, Michael Faraday was playing around with a coil and a magnet when he suddenly saw how he could produce an electrical current. At first, it wasn’t clear what use this would have, but it actually made electricity available for use in technology, and so changed the world.

    3     On one level, this is because technology has become so advanced that many of us are unable to think too deeply about how exactly things work anymore. While it may be possible for a curious teenager to take a toaster apart and get some sense of how it works, how much do you understand about what happens when you type a website address into a browser? Where does your grasp of technology end and the magic begin for you?

In addition to this, there’s the fact that we all now connect so deeply with technology, particularly with our phones. The more we stare at our screens, the less we talk to other people directly.     4     Then we feel we know enough about a person not to need to engage further with them.

The final — and perhaps most worrying — way in which technology stops us from asking more has to do with algorithms, the processes followed by computers. As we increasingly get our news via social media, the big data find out what we like and push more of the same back to us.     5     Perhaps the real key to developing curiosity in the 21st century, then, is to rely less on the tech tools of our age.

A．Yet it’s widely agreed that curiosity actually makes learning more effective.

B．All too often we accept the images of people that social media provides us with.

C．That means we end up inside our own little bubbles, no longer coming across new ideas.

D．We are always encouraged to challenge our pre-existing beliefs

E．In science, basic curiosity-driven research can have unexpected important benefits.

F．However, curiosity is currently under the biggest threat, coming from technology.

G．It is still not known why learning gives us such pleasure

【推荐3】I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer. Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215.
My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time…and I left without getting a cent.
My experiences taught me two things about America: firstly, in a country like America money is everything. It is more important than friendship, honor or professional morality (道德). Secondly, foreigners are still being unfairly treated. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides.
1. The author’s roommate offered to help him because ________.

A．he felt sorry for the author

B．he thought it was a chance to make some money

C．he knew the doctor was a very good one

D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer

2. A good doctor is essential for the author to __________.

A．be properly treated

B．talk with the person responsible for the accident

C．recover before he leaves America

D．eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury

3. The word “charge” in the third paragraph means_________ .

A．be responsible

B．accuse

C．ask as a price

D．claim

4. Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very __________.

A．friendly

B．selfish

C．professional

D．busy

5. What conclusion can you draw from the story?

A．Going to court is something very common in America.

B．One must be very careful while driving a car.

C．There are more bad sides in America than good sides.

D．Money is more important than other things in the US.

【推荐1】Sitting on the “Roof of the World”, Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve is one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity protection. Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, is to be measured again by a Chinese team to make sure its exact height after last official measurement.

“Conducting research and protecting the region can help us learn more about the origin and development of the earth, as well as our human-beings and wildlife,” said Cheng Pengfei, president of the Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping (CASM).

The weather in the Mount Qomolangma area changes frequently. While the maximum temperature in the tent is more than 20 degrees Celsius, or even 30 degrees Celsius at noon, it may start snowing in the afternoon, and a gale may spring up at night, even blowing away the tents. Those taking part in the mission are ready for the task after preparing thoroughly at the base camp.

The complex geological environment has formed diverse landforms in the area. Distinctive snow mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and glaciers can be found. And the unique ecological environment has also established a special biological diversity.

1. What can we learn from the text?

A．The ecological environment around the Mount Everest has nothing to do with its biodiversity.

B．The height of Mount Everest has been measured before.

C．The weather in Mount Everest area is relatively steady with a small temperature change.

D．Learning more about wildlife in the area is one of the most important purposes of the research.

2. What does the underlined word possibly mean in the 3^rd paragraph?

A．a name of an animal.	B．a kind of grass.
C．a strong wind	D．a name of a machine

3. Where can you most probably see the text?

A．In a geography textbook.	B．In a travelling brochure.
C．In a government report.	D．In a newspaper

【推荐2】Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.

Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.

“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US. Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps (带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling bags. But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.

But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight.

Scott Bautch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing. “Children are losing their balance and falling down with their school bags,” he said.

Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.

One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!

1. From the passage we can know that______ .

A．only children in China carry too heavy school bags

B．both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags

C．children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags

D．only children in the US carry too heavy school bags

2. According to the doctor, Scott Bautch, if a child in Grade 5 weighs about 30 kilos, the school bag he carries should not be over ________.

A．5 kilos	B．3 kilos
C．5.5 kilos	D．4.5 kilos

3. Some students think the best answer to his problems is that______ .

A．they should have a little homework to do after they get home

B．their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework

C．they should only take home library books they will read that night

D．they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones

【推荐3】Whether you’re headed to another country for business or pleasure, it is likely that you need to keep in touch with family or business partners in the United States. But if you plan to do that using your cell phone, you could have an unwelcome surprise — U.S. cell phones don’t work abroad. U.S. companies use different forms of technology, not like most of the international community, including Europe.

However, there is an easy, cost-effective solution to staying in touch while you’re traveling. You can rent a phone that is guaranteed to work in the countries you’re visiting. Roadpost offers a 30-day cell phone rental plan that includes free incoming calls, free voicemail and call waiting services.

The service is convenient and simple. You can place your order online and your phone will be shipped to arrive on the date you want. If an unexpected business trip comes up, Roadpost can provide next-day delivery for most cities. In addition to the phone, Roadpost provides a spare battery, travel charger and a leather carrying case.

When your phone is shipped from Roadpost, you receive an e-mail confirmation that contains your international cell phone number so you can leave it with family members and business partners; Roadpost even provides business cards preprinted with your international phone number.

Those who don’t want to be without e-mail while traveling can rent an international BlackBerry. It can be hard to stay in touch by e-mail when traveling.With an international BlackBerry, you can email as much as you like, without worrying about an expensive bill. If you’re traveling to very remote areas, you may want to consider renting a satellite phone: Because they receive their signals from satellites, these phones work anywhere on the planet, including oceans and mountains. When you return, simply ship the phone or BlackBerry back to Roadpost using the return kit the company provides.

1. According to the text,Roadpost probably is_______.

A．an organization that offers some free services

B．a person who offers some advice to foreign tourists

C．a company that rents cell phones to Americans going abroad

D．a Person who makes travel plans for Americans

2. The first paragraph mainly tells us that______.

A．Americans need to change their cell phones

B．U.S.cell phones don't work abroad

C．European form of technology is different from America’s

D．Americans who go abroad will meet an unwelcome surprise

3. Which of the following will help you a lot in mountainous areas?

A．BlackBerry.	B．The return kit.
C．E-mail.	D．Satellite phones.

4. Which of the free services can you get from Roadpost?

A．Sending e-mail	B．Voicemail.
C．Shipping the phone back.	D．Call waiting services.

【推荐1】Housekeeping Services—They are looking for a responsible,professional,detail-oriented,experienced housekeeper to take care of all cleaning details of a local business in Angwin.This person will be needed approximately 2-3 times per week for about 8 hours per day.Please email them for additional information and be ready to provide resume and work history.Driver’s license required and the ability to lift at least 50 pounds.Pay will be $20-$25 per hour.To contact them,email recruitingangwin@gmail.com.

Caregiver Position—Looking for a caregiver to help with a 91-year-old woman who lives in Calistoga.She speaks both English and Spanish,but Spanish is her preference.She sleeps quite a bit during the day so there is time to do homework.She cannot be left alone because she is a fall risk.She walks with a walker on her own.Please call 9257858500 if interested.

Worship Music Leader—First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Napa is looking for someone who will select songs and use media for church services on Sundays.Applicants must be able to commit 8-10 hours per week for service and meetings as well as being available every Sunday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.The pay is about $18 an hour.Detailed job information will be posted on the Payroll Office’s window.If interested,send your cover letter and resume to David Stoker at david@fpcnapa.org.

Catering Company—Oak Avenue is a premier catering company in St.Helena searching for passionate people to join their talented team of chefs and service professionals.Hours are flexible and can work around students’ schedules.Part-time positions available for aspiring (有抱负的) chefs,bakers,service helpers,and captains.Please send a brief cover letter and resume to Maritza@oakavenuecatering.com or call 7079639278 for more information.

1. To work as a housekeeper,one needs to _________.

A．be qualified to drive

B．be a local in Angwin

C．work about 8 hours per week

D．be able to speak two languages

2. What do we know about the caregiver position?

A．The applicant had better speak Spanish.

B．The applicant must speak English very well.

C．The applicant cannot do homework while on duty.

D．The applicant can leave the woman alone occasionally.

3. If you want to become a great baker,which should you contact?

A．9257858500.

B．7079639278.

C．David@fpcnapa.org.

D．Recruitingangwin@gmail.com.

【推荐2】One stride at a time, Tom Panek and his guide dog, Gus, inch closer to their goal. The two have been training in local parks for more than three years with the hopes of competing in an official long­distance race. It’s never been done before. “I’ve been running my whole life. I ran on my cross­country team in high school, and I ran as a young adult,” Panek said. He lost his sight 25 years ago. “When I lost my sight I was too scared to run,” Panek said.

As he adjusted to his blindness, he began running with a human guide, but it wasn’t the same. “Although many people run with running clubs, at the end of the day you’re running your own race. And when you’re tied to another person, it’s no longer your own race. The independence isn’t quite there,” Panek said.

Two years ago, Panek became the CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The idea of a running guide program was first suggested by Richard Hunter, who was blind and looking to get back in to running.

“Richard shouted out, ‘I’m really curious, have you ever trained a guide dog to run？’ And I said, ‘I don’t know. It hasn’t been done,’” Panek said.

A few months and intense training sessions later, the running guide program was born. Panek and a small team helped train Klinger, a German shepherd, to aid Hunter with running.

He formed a team of experts to train a small group of dogs to run long distances. The dogs begin their training at 18 months old. It’s an exclusive club. Out of 165 graduate dogs, only about 12 are considered race ready.

The team’s final test would be a five­mile race through New York’s Central Park just one week before the New York City Marathon. It was Panek’s and Gus’s first competitive race. Before the race, Panek was overcome with emotion, wiping away his tears of appreciation to the dog who gave him his independence back.

“And crossing that finish line, you know it was a momentous (关键的) occasion for me,” Panek said.

1. How did Panek think of running with a human guide?

A．Inspiring.	B．Challenging.
C．Rewarding.	D．Disappointing.

2. What was Hunter curious about?

A．Training a dog guide to run.	B．Getting back to run as a blind man.
C．Starting a running guide program.	D．Running with a human guide.

3. Which of the following is mentioned in the article?

A．Dogs are reluctant to run long distances.

B．Few dogs are qualified to guide in running.

C．Some dogs are born to be a guide in races.

D．Dogs need to be trained for 18 months.

4. What does particular significance the final test have to Panek?

A．He won a big prize with Gus’ help.

B．His guide dog was treated well in the race.

C．He got his independence once again.

D．He ran to the finishing line without stopping.

【推荐3】An American brother and sister have survived a 14-hour swim to safety in the Caribbean after the fishing boat they had rented sank off the north coast of St Lucia.

Dan Susk, 30-year-old IT professional from San Francisco, said he had been fishing in rough seas with help from his sister, Kate Suski, a 39-year-old architect, when the ship began to sink on 21April. Water flooded the engine room. The captain threw life jackets to the Suski and said, “Jump out! Jump out!” The Suski obeyed and jumped into the water with the captain and the first mate (大副). Less than five minutes later the boat sank. They were at least eight mile was telling us to stay together, and that help was on its way and that we needed to wait, Kate Suski said. After an hour, when no help came, the Suski decided to swim for it and lost sight of the captain and the first mate.

A helicopter appeared in the distance but no one spotted them. Several hours went by, and the sun began to set. “There’s this very real understanding that the situation is dire,” Kate Suski said both considered the possible ways we might die. Would we drown? Be eaten by a shark? Would our legs give out and make it impossible to swim?

They swam for 12 to 14 hours, talking as they pushed and trembled their way through the ocean. When in the moonlight they finally came within about 10 meters of land they realized that they were looking at steep rocky cliffs and would be beaten to death against them if they tried to approach any closer. They swam until they noticed sand nearby around midnight and dragged themselves ashore. Later, the Suski were treated in hospital. They learned that the captain and the first mate were rescued after spending nearly 23 hours in the water.

1. How many people were there on the fishing boat before it sank?

A．5.	B．4.
C．3.	D．2

2. What does the underlined word "dire" in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Awkward	B．Serious
C．Perfect.	D．Different

3. What do we know about the Suskis?

A．They were rescued by a helicopter.

B．They survived 23 hours in the water.

C．They swam over eight miles to the shore

D．They got back on land as soon as they saw it.

4. Which of the following can best describe the Suskis?

A．Brave and calm.	B．Strong and sensitive
C．Optimistic and generous.	D．Faithful and curious

【推荐1】I've come back to check on a baby. Just after dusk I'm in a car down a muddy road in the rain, past rows of shackled (戴镣的) elephants, their trunks swinging. I was here five hours before, when the sun was high and hot and tourists were on elephants' backs.

Walking now, I can barely see the path in the glow of my phone's flashlight. When the wooden fence post stops me short, I point my light down and follow a current of rainwater across the concrete floor until it washes up against three large, gray feet. A fourth foot twisted above the surface, tied tightly by a short chain and choked by ring of metal spikes(尖刺). When the elephant tires and puts her foot down, the spikes press deeper into her ankle.

Meena is four years and two months old, still a child as elephants go. Khammon Kongkhaw, her caretaker, told me earlier that Meena wears the spiked chain because she tends to kick. Kongkhaw has been responsible for Meena here at Mactaman Elephant Adventure, near Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, since she was 11 months old. He said he keeps her on the spiked chain only during the day and takes it off at night. But it's night now.

I ask Jin Laoshen, the Mactaman worker accompanying me on this nighttime visit, why her chain is still on. He says he doesn't know.

Mactaman is one of many animal attractions in and around tourist-crowded Chiang Mai. Meena's life is set to follow the same track as many of the roughly 3,800 captive(被捕获的) elephants in Thailand. When Meena is too old or sick to give rides -- maybe at 55, maybe at 75 she'll die. If she's lucky, She will get a few years of retirement. She'll spend most of her life on a chain.

1. Why does the author decide to come back?

A．She knows a baby is in need of help urgently.

B．She wants to feed those shackled elephants.

C．She wants to release those shackled elephants

D．She wants to check baby elephant Meena.

2. What can we conclude from the second paragraph?

A．The author is scared of walking in the path.

B．Meena only has three healthy legs.

C．Meena is treated badly and very painful.

D．One of Meena's legs is badly broken.

3. What's the author's attitude towards those elephants?

A．Indifferent	B．Critical
C．Sympathetic	D．Negative

4. We can infer that the purpose of the author's writing is ___________.

A．to appeal to people to care about the fate of those elephants

B．to describe those elephants to attract tourists around the world

C．to tell readers the story of a baby elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand

D．to tell the reason why the number of elephants is decreasing

【推荐2】We're so attached to plastic, but we're careless consumers. Waste plastic is entering our ecosystems and food chains with untold consequences. Cleaning up our polluted world of plastic may seem a noble, but thankless task. However, some people are seeing economic opportunity in the mission.

Plastic Bank, a social enterprise from Canada, is monetizing plastic recycling while empowering those most affected by the waste. It works to prevent waste plastic from entering oceans by encouraging people in developing countries to collect plastic from their communities in exchange for cash, food, clean water or school tuition for their children. After collection, plastic is weighed, sorted, chipped, melted into balls and sold on as“raw material”to be made into everything from bottles for cleaning products to clothing.

“I saw in large quantities; I saw an opportunity,”CEO David Katz told the audience at the Sustainable Brands Oceans conference in Porto, Portugal on November 14.“We reveal the value in this material,”he added.

Plastic Bank was founded in 2013 and launched on the ground operations in 2014 in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western, Hemisphere, where close to 60% of the population live under the poverty line. As result of poor waste disposal and recycling infrastructure (基础设施)，plastic waste enters rivers or is burned and poses the health threats to the local residents.

The company says i has over 2,000 collectors working in the country, with its full- time collectors on average 63% above the poverty line thanks to the income they make from the project. Through its app based payment system, many collectors now have bank accounts for the first time, and are able to ultimately escape ultra poverty.

“Nothing we're doing is against the laws of physics,”said Katz. “All the technology exists for us to solve and save the world. It's only creative thought.”

1. What is Plastic Bank aimed to do?

A．Test out creative ideas.

B．Discover new material.

C．Promote plastic recycling.

D．Stop people using plastic.

2. Which of the following shows the process of monetizing in Paragraph 2?

A．Purchasing- collecting—recycling.

B．Exchanging collecting—purchasing.

C．Collecting- exchanging—reproducing.

D．Persuading consuming—reproducing.

3. What do the numbers in Paragraph 5 indicate?

A．Haiti attaches great importance to recycling.

B．Many locals benefit greatly from the project.

C．Collecting is an efficient way to recycle waste.

D．The project has solved unemployment in Haiti:

4. What maybe the best title for the text?

A．Companies stand to ban plastic consumption

B．Technology finds its way to kick off poverty

C．David Katz speaks at the conference in Porto

D．Plastic Bank is fighting against plastic waste

【推荐3】Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer who helped shape the course of American literature. His life was full of tragedies, but he had the great influence on the 19th-century American literature and continues to influence writers to this day.

The early life of Edgar Allan Poe was quite unhappy. Born in 1809, Poe was not yet three years old when his parents died. Adopted by a wealthy family, he got into trouble at school. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, but he dropped out without graduating. His misery (不幸) continued to his adult life. Later, because of a failed marriage, he suffered from mental illness. He was so upset about real life that he turned to writing. Expressing himself in an unreal and imaginary world was his only comfort.

The tragedies in Poe’s life influenced the tone, style and contents of his writing. His stories usually include death, which help build his reputation as a master of “dark” literature. In his The Tell-Tale Heart, the main character goes crazy and kills his roommate while in The Black Cat, the main character kills his cat in a fit of madness.

Poe died at the age of 40 in 1849. His life is short, but his influence is very great. Poe is credited with (被誉为) creating crime fiction, and many say he contributed greatly to the appearance of science fiction. Fascinated (着迷) by the scientific theories and new inventions of his time, he wrote about imaginary societies in the future. Writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, regarded Poe as the father of detective fiction. Jules Verne, a French writer who helped popularize science fiction, said Poe’s work had a direct influence on the stories he wrote.

1. Poe began to write to _________.

A．earn his living	B．find comfort in writing
C．build a good reputation	D．create a beautiful world

2. It can be learnt that Poe’s works often reflect ________.

A．soldiers’ life	B．his own life stories
C．a sense of peace	D．some political problems

3. Which can best show Poe’s influence on literature according to the last paragraph?

A．His creation of crime fiction.	B．His unique writing experience.
C．His creation of scientific theories.	D．His contribution to new inventions.

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．American literature and writers	B．Escape from real life and find comfort
C．Edgar Allan Poe: a misunderstood poet	D．Edgar Allan Poe：a tragic yet talented writer