【推荐1】Camping on Erupting Volcano Santiaguito in Guatemala

Guatemala’s active volcano Santiaguito erupts with an explosion of hot ash and rocks every few hours. However, as an adventure-lover, I decided to go camping on it.

    1    

We were about to climb 8 hours and set up camp on an inactive volcanic vent, right next to the active one. This was not a normal activity. Most visitors to the area just hike up neighboring Santa Maria and gaze down from a safe distance at Santiaguito exploding from over a mile away. Only crazy people would attempt to camp on the erupting volcano itself. But I managed to round up 6 more crazy people to join me.

Not a walk in the park.

    2     All this has to be done with full packs loaded with 6 liters of water each, and everything else we'd need for 2 days on a barren volcano.

    3    

It feels as though we’ve left planet earth, and are now hiking on the lunar surface. Everything is covered in a thick layer of ash, making the whole landscape colorless. Steam is rising up through vents in the ground. Clouds and fog are moving in all around us, sometimes making it impossible to see more than 10 feet ahead.     4     Over the past 8 hours our group of total strangers has turned into a remarkable team — everyone looking up at each other’s back.

Was it worth the trip?

Well, after the mentally and physically exhausting day of difficult and technical climbing, we were treated to an incredible view: Everything under our feet was taken in a glance.

    5    

A．Prepare for the worst.

B．Yes, it was worth it.

C．Welcome to the moon.

D．Crazy people wanted.

E．Now it’s time to slide down the steep slopes of the volcano.

F．But with handy equipment and strong communication, all of us safely make it to the top.

G．To achieve our mission, we’d have to hike and climb with difficulty for the majority of the trip.

【推荐2】As I walked into the primary school, I looked down at my new black Mary Jane shoes—I wanted to be anywhere in the world but Fountain Inn Elementary School.

I stood at Mrs. Blackstone’s door. Before I tried the great escape, the wooden door suddenly opened to the loud voice of Mrs. Blackstone, my new fifth grade teacher.

“We’ve been waiting for you!” She said loudly. With a smile my mom walked away and I was left standing in front of a group of students.

Over the next few days, Mrs. Blackstone made it her job to find me a new best friend. During history lessons, when I didn’t want to speak in front of the class, she’d not only call on me but have me stand up to address my classmates.

One spring afternoon, Mrs. Blackstone asked me to stay after class.

“I’d like to speak with you, Amanda.”

My mind raced. Had I made a bad grade? Had I hurt someone’s feelings?

“Are you enjoying your new school?” She sat comfortably behind her desk.

“I want to tell you something, between you and me, not to be shared with anyone else.” With her eyebrows raised she continued, “I see something special in you. The way you communicate with others, the kindness you show—I think you have great potential to be something very important.”

I listened attentively to every word.

“I’ve been a teacher for over twenty-five years; I can see it. But you must believe in yourself. That’s very important. Remember that and you’ll go far.”

She then hugged me and said, “See you tomorrow.”

Her singsong voice was music to my ears that day. I walked out of her class, not staring at my Mary Jane shoes, but looking straight ahead with my head high. My teacher saw something special in me!

1. The author went to school unwillingly most probably because she________ .

A．did not like to study at all	B．often made low grades at school
C．felt embarrassed wearing her new shoes to school	D．was treated rudely by her classmates

2. The underlined word “address” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”.

A．speak to

B．deal with

C．look at

D．play with

3. When the author was asked to stay behind, she felt ________.

A．embarrassed

B．nervous

C．disappointed

D．excited

4. Why did Mrs. Blackstone have a good talk with the author?

A．To inform the author of her potential.	B．To make the author feel cared and loved.
C．To help the author to realize her mistakes.	D．To encourage the author to be confident.

【推荐3】On her third Christmas, my daughter Jillian didn't have the energy for opening presents. At 23-months, she had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive tumor. I didn’t know how challenging the holidays could become until Jillian died. Being sorrowful became my full-time job in the following days. The pain was a wildfire in my chest and nothing could put it out.

A week before the fourth Christmas, Tom and I bought a three-foot plant that slightly resembled a Christmas tree. My adult nephew Frankie came along. We were busy decorating the tree and Frankie reached into a Christmas decoration box and pulled out a toy angel with a white gown that my aunt had crafted years before. As he lifted the angel, her hair fell out in one big bunch, just like Jillian's.

We burst into laughter. In between gasps, Frankie looked up with the angel in hand and said, “Hi, Jillian.” Tom emerged from the bedroom and saw our tree, “It’s small, bald and beautiful! Just like Jilly-boo. I like it.”

I moved closer to Tom and he put his arm around my shoulder. Looking at the angel, I knew it would help us through the holidays. Like us, it was sad and pitiful, but full of beautiful memories of Jillian.

“Do something new.” said a minister who ran a support group I went to. It’s as if you must create a new space in your heart to keep it beating, despite the bleeding hole.

Tom and I were eventually able to experience the wonder of a four-year-old at Christmas. On the one-year anniversary of Jillian’s death, I discovered I was pregnant. Our second daughter, Cadence, brought us back to joy and hope. Cadence is nine now, and hoping Santa will bring her a dog this year. Eleven years after Jillian’s death, Christmas is almost Christmas again.

1. What does the author say about herself after Jillian’s death?

A．She went on her life as usual.	B．She was drowned in tears.
C．She decided to start a new life.	D．She quit her full-time job.

2. What can we infer about the toy angel?

A．It was a beautiful decoration.	B．It was a gift from Jillian.
C．It was a relief to the author.	D．It was a symbol of strength.

3. What does the author mean by “Christmas is almost Christmas again”?

A．Her family can reunite again.	B．She has been out of sadness.
C．Santa will bring them gifts.	D．She has another daughter.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Mother’s love is forever strong.	B．One should depend on himself.
C．Family is everything for people.	D．Life goes on despite misfortunes.

【推荐1】A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) as a snack so much. “I've met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth; I believe that's from cracking the seeds,” he said.

I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware. I realized that whenever I'm watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn't like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so hard just to get one small seed.

When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go door - to - door on Chinese New Year's Eve to check out what every household was making.

I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, ready - made dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds.

Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.

I don't think it's right to criticize one's choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.

It's not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins their breath. They think it's a delicacy, and ifs connected with their culture. I think it's a wonderful tradition.

1. When did the writer become aware of her habit of cracking sunflower seeds?

A．She had a crack in her front teeth.	B．Her British friend reminded her.
C．She realized when she was watching TV	D．She typed a report about seeds.

2. What does the writer prove by mentioning Chinese New Year?

A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear.

B．Children can eat delicious food on that day.

C．The families would get together for it.

D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．One kind of food doesn't necessarily suit everyone.

B．It is good to form healthy eating habits.

C．Eating habits come from a certain culture.

D．Changing your eating habits will change your life.

【推荐2】Researchers from the University of Western Australia recently studied 3,000 middle and high school students. Among them were 618 teenagers with one parent who lived away from home for long periods of time because of work. The researchers wanted to know how the work of these “fly - in, fly - out” parents might influence the health of their children.

A higher percentage of teenagers who experienced the long work absence of a parent had emotional or behavioral problems compared with those whose parents worked more traditional hours. This supports earlier research finding high percentages of emotional problems in teenagers who often returned to an empty house after school or whose parents were seldom at dinner.

Findings also suggest that parents don’t have to be home all the time to be present in their children’s lives, but it helps to be home at certain times. And the best parental presence for a teenager may sometimes be like a potted (盆栽的) plant.

Many parents of teenagers have known this to be true and find ways to be present without trying to start a conversation. One friend of mine quietly does housework each evening in the sitting room where her teenagers watch TV. They enjoy one another’s company without the need to talk. Another friend usually accepts his daughter’s invitation to work or read nearby while she sits and does her homework. Perhaps, that, at least for some families, is the best way for a teenager and their parents to stay close.

In fact, many years of research suggest that children use their parents as a safe base from which to explore the world. Studies tell us that young children quietly follow their parents’ movements from room to room, even while carrying on with their own activities. Perhaps our teens, like babies, feel most at ease when their parents are still around. They don’t want to stay away from parents who allow them freedom.

A new school year is at hand, so as parents we could offer our teenagers a “potted flower” as a gift, whose quiet and steady presence will give them a great day.

1. What did the study find about the 618 teens?

A．They had more dinners with their parents.

B．They were more prepared to help themselves.

C．They were more likely to have trouble with their feelings.

D．They showed more dislike for traditional working hours.

2. What is the author’s attitude to her two friends’ practices?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Hesitant.

D．Unconcerned.

3. Who are probably the target readers of this passage?

A．Parents.

B．Teenagers.

C．Researchers.

D．Educators.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Teens want potted plant parents

B．Your kids still need conversation

C．Quiet families raise healthier teenagers

D．Parents know little about today’s teenagers

【推荐3】The proportion of teenage and young adults smokers in China has been increasing rapidly in recent years, which is an alarming trend, the president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Wang Chen said on Thursday.

Last year, 18.6 percent of people aged 15 to 24 in China were smokers, compared with 12. 5 percent in 2013 and 8.3 percent in 2003, Wang Chen said at a news conference on tobacco control. In contrast, tobacco prevalence among adults as a whole has been declining steadily in recent years-the percentage of smokers aged 15 and older last year in China was 26.6 percent, down from 27.7 percent in 2015, according to a report released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in May. Despite a general decline, the smoking rate in China is still higher than in most other countries, Wang said.

“What is most worrisome is the rising prevalence of tobacco among young people, which represents a country’s future,” he said. “Young smokers are very likely to keep the habit for their entire lives, which can cause huge health and economic consequences.”

Smoking has been regarded as a major culprit in many chronic diseases, and tobacco control has played a significant role in health promotion efforts made in recent years by the Chinese government, which aims to reduce the smoking rate for people aged 15 and older to 20 percent by 2030.

Wang said a lot of young people are still not aware of the harmful effects caused by smoking, and more education is needed to reduce the rising smoking rate. In addition, tobacco advertisements and rampant smoking footage in films and television series can also encourage smoking among teenagers and young adults, and they should be banned. “Key groups, such as medical staff, schoolteachers, government officials and parents, should take the lead in quitting smoking to help create a nonsmoking environment for teenagers and young adults,” he said.

1. What can we know from the numbers listed in para. 2?

A．Adult smokers has been increasing steadily.

B．People aged 15 and older are more likely to smoke.

C．The numbers of young smokers has been rising rapidly.

D．Smoking rate in China is higher than any other country.

2. What does the underlined word “culprit” in para. 4 probably mean?

A．reminder	B．issue
C．cause	D．crisis

3. What’s Wang Chen’s attitude to the phenomenon?

A．objective	B．concerned
C．indifferent	D．relieved

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．Smoking rate among youth is rising.	B．Smoking accounts for many chronic diseases.
C．Smoking is harmful to our environment.	D．Smoking footage in films should be banned.

【推荐1】Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. He was a man of ideas and dreams. So people called him a dreamer. Merlin liked playing the violin in his free time as well.

One day , Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

Merlin tried different ways. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

On the night of the party Merlin skated into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates.

He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!

1. People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he ________.

A．like sleeping very much	B．played the violin well
C．invented the roller skates	D．had a rich imagination

2. Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_________.

A．impress the party guests	B．arrive at the party sooner
C．make himself dance slowly	D．show his music taste

3. How did Merlin feel about his invention?

A．Worried

B．Surprised

C．Proud

D．Displeased

4. As a dreamer, what would Merlin probably do after the party?

A．Buy each guest a mirror.	B．Break his violin into pieces.
C．Hang the mirror on the wall.	D．Try to improve his roller skates.

5. The passage is mainly about_______.

A．Joseph Merlin’s experience at a concert	B．ways of attracting others’ attention
C．the story of the first roller skates	D．people’s social life in the 18th century

【推荐2】Christmas was near a season that we took seriously in our house. But a week or so before the 25th, my father would give each of his children $ 20. This was the 1970s, and $ 20 was quite a bit of money.

But I saw it differently. My father trusted me to have the smart to spend money wisely. Even better, he gave me the means to get it. On a very basic level, my father was giving me a shopping spree (狂欢) every year. But he was also giving me charge over my own fun, trusting my ability to manage money and making me feel like a grown-up. He didn’t buy me Sherlock Holmes, but he gave me the means to walk into the bookstore and choose it for myself, so it felt like a gift from him.

My mother had a gift for giving me what I needed, usually right at the moment I needed it most. This was when I was 25, I failed at being an adult on my very first try. I had quitted my previous job but had no new one. But when my mother paid me a visit, I put on a good show, telling her I had started my own company.

My mother knew that I was trying hard and failing at that time. It wasn’t until after she left that I noticed at the foot of my bed an envelope thick with cash. She knew how desperately I needed it. She knew that had she just shown up with groceries, or offered to pay my rent, she would have made me feel much worse. The cold, hard cash meant she was helping me. And, funnily enough, the distance with which she gave the gift felt like she was giving me space to fix my life and preserve my dignity. My mother and father both did the same thing. One was giving me the means to take my own decisions, and the other was giving me a second chance when those decisions had cost me dearly.

1. What can we learn about the author from the first two paragraphs?

A．His family once celebrated Christmas happily.

B．His father gave the author chances to make decisions.

C．His best memories about Christmas were in the 1970s.

D．He used to choose books as his father’s gift on Christmas.

2. When he was 25 years old, the author       .

A．planned to open his company	B．became interested in shows
C．gave his mother a gift	D．was out of work

3. Which word can best describe the author’s mother?

A．Sensitive.

B．Optimistic.

C．Considerate.

D．Determined.

4. In which way does the author believe his parents did the same thing?

A．Support his decisions wholeheartedly.

B．Offer to pay for his bills.

C．Trust his ability to spend money.

D．Fix his life by paying the groceries.

【推荐3】My kids sit in Gee’s living room and lift age-old Christmas ornaments (装饰品) out of a well-loved box. Gee stands beside them, quietly explaining each treasure. She tells me that she and Tom built their collection piece by piece during each year’s after-Christmas sale. She smiles as we leave with the box. Her precious collections, gathered over a lifetime, have found a new home.

We first met Tom and Gee in the early days of our marriage. Someone had been returning our garbage cans to the garage each garbage day, and Jim and I had wondered who. Then one day we spotted him: an elderly man who lived across the street. I made cookies and left them on a table outside the garage with a thank-you note. When we got home from work that day, a typed letter had replaced the gift. The letter was from Tom and explained how he had come to walk the neighborhood on garbage day, returning cans for people he barely knew. Back when he’d been fighting a war, his young wife, Gee, had found herself living alone. Neighbors had taken the time to handle her garbage cans so she didn’t have to, and he never forgot. Now he paid it forward by doing the same for all of us.

A few years after we’d moved in, Tom died. We copied that letter and attached it to one of our own for Gee. We told her how special Tom had been to us and how thankful we were to have known him.

These days, we’re piling up boxes of our own. We’re planning a move. The house that seemed so huge six years ago is filled to capacity (容纳能力) with furniture and books and toys and, of course, people. We know it’s time to go, but when we think of Tom and Gee, we are reluctant to stick the “House For Sale” sign up on the grass. Gaining a third bedroom and maybe an office sometimes seems like an awful trade for what we will lose.

The moving boxes are still neatly packed in our basement, but Jim and I agree to wait until January. This Christmas, we’ll decorate our tree with Gee’s ornaments, out of the box that is labeled in Tom’s handwriting. Maybe I’ll talk to him just as Gee still does. Thank you, I’ll say, for teaching us what it means to be a neighbor.

1. Why did Tom return his neighbors’ garbage cans?

A．His wife required him to do so.

B．He wanted to meet his neighbors.

C．It was his responsibility for the neighborhood.

D．He desired to pay forward his neighbors’ help.

2. What makes the couple agree to put off their move?

A．Their children’s hope to stay.	B．The heavy task of moving the boxes.
C．Their attachment to the neighborhood.	D．The economic loss of selling the old house.

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

A．Unwilling.

B．Delighted.

C．Eager.

D．Disappointed.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Actions speak louder than words.	B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C．Christmas is a time to give and forgive.	D．A good neighbor is a piece of treasure.

【推荐1】Whatever your level of English, we are here to help. From children to adults, we have courses, lessons and activities for you.

English for adults

For whatever reasons you want to learn English, our courses can make your dreams a reality. We have a local learning center and online courses in over 100 countries, so however you want to learn, this is the place to start. Learners can share their thoughts and opinions freely by communicating with the teachers in class. And the games, stories, listening activities and exercises in our LearnEnglish website will sharpen your skills as well.

English for kids and teens

We all understand that children develop when learning is fun. Our teachers, classrooms and courses encourage children to experiment with language, build confidence and improve their communication skills in a safe, supportive and active environment at learning centers or you can learn through our online courses and resources as follows:

Learn English for kids

Learn English for Kids is a fun, educational website for children aged 5–12 years who are learning English.

Learn English for teens

Are you a teenager learning English or are your teenage children studying English? The LearnEnglish Teens website is designed especially for 13-to-17-year-olds.

English for Parents

In this section(部分） you will find lots of expert advice about helping your child learn English. You can search our hundreds of free online English games, songs, stories and activities on the website here and find more information on our apps for mobile phones designed specially for you on the move. You can also find out about courses offered at our learning centers.

1. What is Learn English for Kids?

A．A website.	B．A center.
C．A course.	D．A game.

2. What is special about English for Parents ?

A．Adults can share their views freely.

B．There are apps designed on the phones.

C．There are course offered at the centers.

D．Children can do some experiments.

3. What topic may the text have something to do with ?

A．Science.	B．Health.
C．Education.	D．Sports.

【推荐2】More than a billion people around the world have smart phones, almost all of which come with some kind of navigation app such as Apple Maps or Amap. This raises the age-old question we meet with any technology: What abilities is our brain losing to these apps? But also, importantly: What abilities are we gaining?

Talking with people who are good at finding their way around or good at using paper maps, I often hear a lot of annoyance with digital maps. North/south direction gets messed up, and you can see only a small section at a time. I can really understand that it may be quite disturbing for the already skilled to be limited to a small phone screen.

But consider what digital navigation aids have meant for someone like me. Although being a frequent traveler, I'm so terrible at finding my way that I still use Apple Maps almost every day in the small town where I have lived for many years.

In many developed nations, street names and house numbers can be meaningful, and instructions such as go north for three blocks and---then west make sense to those familiar with these rules. In Istanbul, however, where I grew up, none of those hold true. For one thing, the locals seldom use street names. Besides, the city is full of winding and ancient alleys(小巷) that cross with newer avenues at many angles. In such places, you'd better turn to the locals. In the countryside, however, there is often nobody outside to ask. In fact, along came Apple Maps, like a fairy grandmother whispering directions in my ear. Since then, I travel with a lot more confidence, and my world has opened up.

Which brings me back to my original question: While we often lose some skills after depending on new technology, this new equipment may also allow us to gain new abilities. Maybe when technology closes a door, we should also look for the doors it opens.

1. Why do people who are skilled at reading paper maps feel upset?

A．They are interested in reading paper maps.

B．They don't know how to use navigation apps.

C．They are confused by digital maps’ direction.

D．They are limited to a single smart phone app.

2. According to the text, which is the best way to find the destination in Istanbul?

A．Asking local people the way.

B．Following the navigation app.

C．Getting familiar with the city rules.

D．Looking for street names and house numbers.

3. What's the author 's attitude towards the navigation apps?

A．Skeptical

B．Ambiguous

C．Critical

D．Favorable

4. What could be the best title of the passage?

A．Benefits of Navigation Apps

B．Have Navigation Apps Worsened Our Brain?

C．My World Opens Up by New Technology

D．Disadvantages of Navigation Apps

【推荐3】London Underground

The world's first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease（减轻）the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.

The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers（3.7 miles）long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot（煤灰）, as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.

1. What led the British government to build the London Underground?

A．Traffic jams and pollution.	B．Population and pollution.
C．Overcrowding and traffic jams.	D．The poverty and subway problems.

2. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem?

A．It made the tunnels larger.	B．It put fans in the tunnels.
C．It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels.	D．It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．To relocate the workers' homes outside London, the government built the subway.

B．There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.

C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.