【推荐1】When she moved the covering cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of heart-breaks for his imperfect appearance.

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune and popular with his fellow students. He might have been class monitor, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.

Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person turned up. His talents blossomed into genius, and his school and college became a series of success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.

One day, he urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I must know! I could never do enough for him.”“I do not believe you could, ” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”

The years kept their secret, but the day did come—one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (棺材). Slowly, tenderly, the father reached out a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show that the mother had no outer ears.

“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”

Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen, but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done and not known.

1. The mother was shocked at the first sight of her baby because __________ .

A．her baby was born without hair	B．her baby had a tiny face
C．her baby was born imperfect	D．the doctor turned to look out of the window

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The son attempted to repay the donator’s kindness.

B．The son didn’t know the truth until his mother died.

C．With donated ears, the son’s life developed smoothly.

D．The boy couldn’t hear clearly without ears at first.

3. Why did the boy’s mother never have her hair cut?

A．Because her hair added to her beauty.	B．Because her hair helped to keep a secret.
C．Because her long hair was her pride.	D．Because she liked her thick and brown hair.

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A Misfortunate Boy	B．Mother’s Hair
C．Mother’s Secret Love	D．A Successful Ear Operation

【推荐2】What do butterflies have in common with the human spirit? Meet Maggie, a middle-aged wife and mother who was about to find out.

Maggie wasn’t rich like a millionaire or poor in a manner of being homeless. She was living an average comfortable life. It was made even better when a baby girl came her way. She and her husband made sure their daughter had her needs met and they were still able to take a yearly vacation by the beach.

Maggie was a partner in her husband’s business. They both had a different set of duties and everything was in balance. One day a severe blow came to her husband’s business, and over a three-year period the business dropped out of sight. Her husband had to totally reinvent himself and was eager to start a new business. She was happy for him and supported him fully, but still the money was not coming in.

Maggie began to feel guilty that she wasn’t contributing with any kind of income. She began job-hunting and found filling out applications somewhat difficult, especially the part asking for job references. She was self-employed with her husband for almost 20 years, which seemed to mean nothing as she was never called for an interview.

When she was job-hunting her mom became more ill than she had been and ended up in the hospital for a week. Once Maggie’s mom returned home she became her mom’s helper one day a week. She did everything that her mother was not able to do any more. Of course her mom would pay her for her lime and labor but she still felt she needed to find another source of income.

One of the first applications she had filled out finally came through. She passed the interview and was told she was exactly what they were looking for. Although it was only part-time it was exactly what she wanted. It was important for her to be home when her daughter arrived home from school.

Within a few weeks, though, she received an e-mail saying that the company had changed the job into a full-time position so that she was not qualified. Maggie felt betrayed and felt she had been lied to. That evening she was alone at home. She welcomed the aloneness and wanted to put herself in the bathtub to kill the lonely time.

As she knew she would, Maggie began to cry, softly at first just from the sharp pain of being rejected. Three long years of struggle had finally overwhelmed her.

When she was able to cry no more, she became worn out and gave up. It was at that moment that a silent idea came to her: why not offer elderly people home care assistance? Using another talent for computers she printed off some flyers and cards and distributed them to her church, grocery stores and even placed a small ad in the newspaper. Within a week she had procured two new customers. Now, even though she’s not a CEO of a major company she feels happy and productive again.

Before a butterfly can come out of its chrysalis (茧) it has to go through a lot of struggling. Each time it pushes out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. Actually the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.

We as humans are not any different.

1. When Maggie was job-hunting, she realized that       .

A．she had rich work experience

B．everything would be okay pretty soon

C．there were few positions suitable for her

D．she shouldn’t have worked for her husband

2. How did Maggie react hearing that the job had become a full-time position?

A．She considered it unacceptable.

B．She knew she was qualified for it.

C．She became very angry with herself.

D．She was so sad that she wanted to kill herself.

3. What does the underlined word “procured” in Paragraph 9 mean?

A．Recovered.	B．Supported.
C．Interviewed.	D．Obtained.

4. What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A．We should always have faith in ourselves.

B．Sadness, fear and anger are part of our life.

C．It’s important to prepare for the unexpected.

D．Sometimes we must struggle for a better life.

【推荐3】Have you ever missed something in your life?

The wife asked the husband when she was 25. Upset, the husband replied:“I missed a new job opportunity.”When she was 35,the husband angily told her that he had just missed the bus. At 45, the husband sadly said:“I missed the opportunity to see my relative before his last breath." At 55,the husband said disappointingly: “I missed a good chance to retire.” At 65, the husband hurriedly replied:“I missed a dental appointment.”At 75, the wife did not ask the husband any more, and the husband was kneeling in front of the very sick wife. Remembering the question the wife used to ask him, this time he asked the wife the same question. The wife, with a smile and peaceful look, replied: “In this life, I did not miss having you!" The husband was full of tears. He always thought that they could be together forever. He was always busy with work. So he had never been circumspect to his wife. The husband hugged the wife tightly and said: “Over 50 years, how 1 had allowed myself to miss your deep love for me !”

In the busy city life, there are many people who are always busy with work. These people focus on their jobs, and these people sacrifice all their time and health to meet the social expectations. They are unwilling to spend time on health care. They miss the opportunity to be with their children in their growing up. They neglect the loved ones who care for them, and also their health. Nobody knows what is going to happen one year from now.

Life is not permanent, so always live in the now. Express your gratitude to your loved ones in words. Show your care with actions. Treat everyday as the last day of life. In this way, when you are gone, your loved ones would have nothing to feel sorry about.

1. What did the husband miss when his wife was 65?

A．He missed the bus.

B．He missed a dental appointment.

C．He missed a good chance to retire.

D．' He missed the opportunity to see his relative.

2. The underlined word“circumspect" ( in Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to“_____”.

A．loyal

B．grateful

C．thoughtful

D．friendly

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A sad love story.

B．Memories of a happy family.

C．Things that you missed in your life.

D．Expressing gratitude to your loved ones in words.

【推荐1】As an elementary school teacher, my mother did everything she could to ensure I had good reading skills. This usually consisted of weekend reading lessons at our kitchen table while my friends played outside. My reading ability improved, but the forced reading lessons didn't exactly inspire a love of reading.

High school changed everything. I learned that I couldn't depend on a school or a teacher to teach me what I needed to know. I decided I would no longer allow other people to instruct when and what I read. And without realizing it, I had unexpectedly discovered a key to helping children read-identity.

Instead of focusing on skills and moving students from one reading level to another, we should be asking ourselves this question: How can we inspire children to identify as readers? DeSean, a brilliant first-grader I taught in the Bronx, helped me understand how identify shaped learning. One day during math, I walked up to DeSean and said, "DeSean, you' re a great mathematician." He looked at me and responded, "I'm not a mathematician; I'm a math genius!"

"OK, DeSean, what about your reading?" I asked.

"Mr. lrby, I can't read. I' m never going to learn to read," he would say. I taught DeSean to read, but there were countless boys who remained trapped in illiteracy(文育).

This is why I set up Barbershop Books, a literacy non-profit that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops. The mission（任务）is to help young boys identify as readers. Lots of boys to to the barber shop once or twice a month. Barbershop Books connects reading to a male-centered space and involves men and boy’s early reading experiences.

This identity-based reading program uses a list of children’s books recommended by boys, which inspires children to say three words: I’m a reader.

1. What is the writer's attitude towards his childhood reading?

A．Positive.

B．Eager.

C．Passive.

D．Regretful.

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Identity has an important influence on learning.

B．Inspiration plays a significant role in reading

C．DeSean is n outstanding first-grader.

D．DeSean is excellent at reading.

3. What can be used to describe the Barbershop Books program?

A．Economic.

B．Effective.

C．Competitive.

D．Disturbing.

【推荐2】When I was a boy, my parents and I traveled from New York City to the Pennsylvania countryside for a weeklong taste of rural life. We stayed in a guesthouse on a farm, joining the daily routines and eating meals with the farmer and his family. We got up early to see the cows as they were milked. I even tried my hand at milking one, and then joined the farmer as he released the cows into the field afterward.

Decades later I still have vivid memories of that trip which made me realize the value of a vacation, of seeing new things, meeting new people and sharing memorable experiences with family members. To this day, I still consider that family trip when I plan to take time off with my wife and kids. Vacations are a time for resting and connecting. As a bank manager, I spend much of my workday encouraging my customers to save their money. One of the reasons I give is that we should all have enough for a family vacation every year. In our busy lives, family is what we should be saving our money and time for.

For my family, our vacation starts when we begin planning the trip. We talk about destinations and our budget (预算) ahead of time. Among the things we discuss: Can we save money by renting a house instead of spending six nights in a hotel? Would it be better to buy groceries and cook for ourselves rather than eat out every night? Involving (使参与) the kids in planning the vacation makes sure that they have a great vacation too. I prefer to visit historical sites and museums while they love to fish and swim. So I build in some relaxation time for us all so that the vacation can work for everyone.

Each year, setting aside vacation time to spend together is especially important to us. A relaxing environment opens the doors to all kinds of conversations—deep, silly or meaningful. There’s no pleasure from the usual everyday tasks. What matters is that everyone is having a great time.

1. Why did the author and his parents go to the countryside when he was young?

A．To milk the cow.	B．To meet the farmer and his family.
C．To experience country life.	D．To enjoy the scenery.

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The author encouraged his customers to save their money for family vacation.

B．The author met new people and new things during the trip.

C．The trip helped the author understand the meaning of vacations better.

D．The author involved his kids in planning the vacation to cut their budget.

3. What is this passage mainly about?

A．The author had a good time in the countryside.

B．The author advised others to spend vacations with their families.

C．The author tried to enjoy the holidays with his family.

D．The author realized the value of family vacations and put it into practice.

【推荐1】Sometimes people add to what they say even when they don't talk. Gestures are the “silent language” of every culture. We point a finger or move another part of the body to show what we want to say. It is important to know the body language of every country or we may be misunderstood.

In the United States, people greet each other with a handshake in a formal introduction. The handshake must be firm. If the handshake is weak, it is a sign of weakness or unfriendliness. Friends may place a hand on the other's arm or shoulder, some people, usually women, greet a friend with a hug.

Space is important to Americans. When two people talk to each other, they usually stand about two and a half feet away and at an angle, so they are not facing each other directly. Americans get uncomfortable when a person stands too close. They will move back to have their space. If Americans touch another person by accident, they say, “Pardon me.” or “Excuse me.” Americans like to look at the other person in the eyes when they are talking. If you don't do so, it means you are bored, hiding something, or are not interested. But when you stare at someone, it is not polite.

For Americans, thumbs-up; means yes, very good, or well done. Thumbs-down means the opposite. To call a waiter, raise one hand to head level or above. To show you want the check, make a movement with your hands as if you are singing a piece of paper. It is all right to point at things but not at people with the hand and index finger. Americans shake their index finger at children when they scold them and pat them on the head when they admire them.

Learning a culture's body language is sometimes confusing. If you don't know what to do, the safest thing to do is to smile.

1. If you are introduced to a stranger in the USA, you should _________.

A．greet him with a hug	B．place a hand on his shoulder
C．shake his hand firmly	D．shake his hand weakly

2. Which behavior is acceptable when people talk to each other in the USA?

A．Facing each other directly.	B．Touching each other.
C．Not looking at the other person in the eyes.	D．Not standing too close.

3. When your American friend gives you the thumbs-up, he, in fact,_________.

A．shows his rudeness to you	B．shows his anger to you
C．expresses his satisfaction to you	D．expresses his worries about you

【推荐2】In many films, when the owner is in trouble, his or her beloved dog would run home to seek help without fail Yet. while this image has become an unforgettable part of our pop culture, few people knew that the same sort of response applied to service dogs.

Once a blind man fell flat on his face, which was awful but finally harmless. His service dog, however, was trained to get an adult if the owner had a seizure (癫痫),and it was sure this was a seizure. However, while the dog did what it was taught, the woman it found was merely annoyed but not alarmed. Thankfully, the dog's owner was not in the situation of a medical emergency. However, the experience inspired him to share this information on social media.“"If a service dog without a person approaches you. it means the person is down and in need of help." the owner explained. "Don't get scared, don't get annoyed, follow the dog! If the first person doesn't cooperate, it moves on."

Referring to the accident, a TV presenter asked a dog trainer, Olivia, some basic questions about service dogs, including how humans should react if an unaccompanied service dog approaches them.

“What they're going to do is sniff and gently push your leg" the trainer explained, specifically noting that service dogs are not usually trained to jump or bark.“If you see a dog in vest without a person around it, follow it." When asked if one should say something to indicate they're prepared to follow the dog, Olivia said there's no clear command. “The spoken language is not going to be a secret password." she said.“You can say. 'What?' or 'Where?' or just start walking wherever the dog leads. "

Olivia concluded the TV show by adding that those who rely on service dogs can train their companion to move along to someone else, if the first person the dogs come upon reacted negatively to its request Doing so could finally save the owner's life.

1. What do we know about service dogs?

A．They can't understand others' spoken language.

B．They often make people annoyed.

C．They are seldom known by most people.

D．They only exist in the pop culture.

2. In the owner's emergency, a service dog will generally______.

A．run home for help from families

B．ask the nearby person for help.

C．jump or bark to draw humans' notice .

D．stay beside the owner until he or she recovers

3. How should people react to a separate service dog?

A．Follow it to anywhere it leads.	B．Communicate with it through commands.
C．Keep it home until finding its owner.	D．Take it to the nearest police station.

4. What is the author's purpose of sharing the story?

A．To encourage everyone to help disabled people

B．To introduce a talk show about service dogs.

C．To teach how to train service dogs well

D．To spread knowledge of dealing with service dogs.

【推荐3】Sometimes when she felt bored, she would pick up one of the numerous biographies（传记）about herself and begin to note in. "I never did that" or "simply not true" she would write roughly in the margins at the sides of pages. Since journalists, biographers and more recently even "bloggers" had been writing about her since the day she was born, there was plenty of material to edit. Not that her notes or corrections were ever shared with the authors. Lately, however, she even seemed to have lost her appetite for correctness. Did it matter anymore if things were not right?

She knew that sitting alone chewing away on downbeat thoughts would not get her anywhere and would leave those around her confused and upset, should they ever catch her out. After all she was the decisive one, always on top of her game. A printed timetable for the following day lay on the table. A full day of openings and presentations, of smiling and nodding and flowers.

Shaking herself out of her gray mood, she stepped over towards the computer where a sudden burst of energy gave her an idea. The screen flashed up in front of her but instead of clicking on the familiar icons which would lead her to the emails Randolph considered she needed to read, she simply went to visit Mr. Google and began her search for train timetable.

A dish heaped with multi-coloured jellies and plenty of ice cream, served by a white-gloved train waiter with a perfect moustache. So many years had passed but she still remembered the jelly dissolving on her tongue in small but delicious mouthfuls. Each spoonful had to be lifted delicately to her mouth under the watched eye of her grandmother, who was a stickler for good manners. It was unlikely that they served jelly on the trains these days, what with all the concern about childhood fatness, but even a Spartan menu could not kill the romance of a train journey. As the timetable for Line-burst line flashed in front of her, she remembered that the Mayor of Alwoy would be expecting her to make a short, predictable speech at the opening of the now bridge.

1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A．The main character is probably a journalist writing blogs about royal members.

B．The main character is always busy editing plenty of material about herself.

C．The authors probably had chances to get the notes or correctness from the main character.

D．Randolph is probably an assistant or a secretary to the main character.

2. Why does the main character recall the time she ate jellies and ice cream?

A．She wishes that she were still a child so that she could eat jellies and ice cream.

B．She is reminded of these foods because the thought of a train journey reminds her of them.

C．She wishes she still knew where the handsome train waiter was

D．Today's children aren't allowed to eat the same things that she ate as a child.

3. A "Sparten menu" (paragraph 4) would most likely ________________________.

A．have mainly low fat, healthy foods	B．be suitable for a romantic dinner
C．include a range of sweets, but no jelly	D．include foods which are easy to transport

4. What is most likely to happen next in this passage?

A．The main character will practise her speech for greeting the Mayor of Alwoy.

B．The main character will decide to take a rail journey.

C．Randolph will send some emails to the main character.

D．The main character will update her blog on the internet.

【推荐1】＂New and improved."These words are put in so many marketing campaigns that we tend to accept them as linked.But many new drugs aren't an improvement over the best existing drug for a given condition,and the fast drug-approval processes in recent years have added to the uncertainty about their advantages.

A recent report in the British Medical Journal,"New Drugs;Where Did We Go Wrong and What We Do Better?" analyzed the issue,The authors looked at 216 drugs approved between 2011 and 2017; 152 were newly developed,and 64 were existing medicine approved for new uses. Only 25% offered a major advantage over the established treatment,and fully 58% had no confirmed added benefit to reduce symptoms or improve health-related quality of life.

＂This doesn't mean there's no added benefit,"lead author Wieseler said."It just means we have no positive proof Either we have no studies or have studies not good enough.”Wieseler and her co-authors work for a German agency which evaluates new treatments and advises on whether the country's health care system should pay a premium(补贴）for them.If payers think a new drug isn't better than an existing drug,these agencies will require that hospitals try the cheaper drug first.

Germany's HTA demands trials to prove that a new treatment beats the existing standard. This isn't always practical. For one thing, such studies can be expensive and time-consuming,with no guarantee of success.Secondly,it can discourage companies from attempting to develop new alternatives.This is already happening.Drug developers are increasingly focused on areas where there are no good treatments to compete with,such as rare diseases.

This lack of meaningful data to guide patients is a major point of Wieseler's paper.With accelerated approval,there are more products approved,with a greater amount of uncertainty about risks and benefits. But there are other solutions besides drug trials.One idea is to require postmarket studies to track the effectiveness of newly approved drugs-a step too often neglected.

1. What message does the recent report convey?

A．Improved drugs have advantages over old ones.

B．The approval processes for new drugs are too fast.

C．Many new drugs have no improved advantages.

D．Almost half the drugs approved target the special cases.

2. What's the disadvantage of Germany's HTA trial demands?

A．Making drug companies think of illegal ways to cut cost.

B．Holding companies back from improving existing drugs.

C．Getting patients to depend on the government for support.

D．Pushing companies to try alternatives for existing drugs.

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Advantage of Existing Drugs	B．The Great Potential of New Drugs
C．People's Preference for New or Old Drugs	D．A Dilemma with New Drug Alternatives

【推荐2】Worn-out tires are no good for a car, right? But they can be good for another type of transportation: walking!

In Zimbabwe, and in many other countries, old tires are not thrown away. Instead, craftsmen cut them up and make them into sandals (凉鞋). One of these craftsmen is Casper Mamutse, who runs a small sandal-making business just outside his house.

When Casper first saw a man named Isaac wearing tire sandals, he thought they looked funny. So he asked Issac where he got them. Issac said he had made them himself. Casper decided to buy a pair to make his friends laugh. But his friends didn’t laugh, instead they wanted their own. “Finally, I asked him to teach me how to make tire sandals,” says Casper.

For more than six months, Casper learned how to cut and shape soles (鞋底) from tires. To make the right size, Casper traces a shoe sole on the tire and cuts out a sole. “Cutting a tire with a knife requires as much brains as strength,” he says. “You have to use a lot of power and concentration or else you will cut your finger along with the tire.” After the sole is cut, Casper tears off the soft inside part of the tire and cut it into strips (带状物). He attaches the strips to the sole for “belts”. From one tire, Casper can make about four pairs of sandals for adults or about six pairs for kids.

The Zimbabwe countryside is full of sharp stones. Unless you have thick soles, your shoes can be easily pierced (刺穿). But strong boots are expensive, and many people walk barefoot. But now they can get tire sandals, which are strong enough and much less expensive than leather shoes.

Fedzai, a 10-year-old boy, thinks that what his friends need now are not cars to take them to school, but shoes. “Going to school on foot instead of in a car does not bother me very much,” he says. “After all, we are still moving on tires.”

1. Why did Casper buy a pair of tire sandals at first?

A．To entertain his friends

B．To keep it as a souvenir

C．To learn the producing technique

D．To prepare for his sandal-making business.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Cutting soles from tires only needs power and strength.

B．Tire sandals are much stronger and more comfortable than boots.

C．It took Casper over six months to learn to make a pair of tire sandals.

D．Many people can’t afford to buy strong boots in Zimbabwe countryside.

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

A．Special Sandals

B．Walking on Tires

C．Tire-sandals Business

D．A Journey in Zimbabwe

【推荐3】Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been while she’s on her worldwide vacation in a special way. The traveler, who was born with a bone disease, had her right leg amputated (截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused inconvenience for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as nothing short of inspiration for living her best life.

To spread that message. Gallagher has gone to social media, where she shares photos of her travels across the world, but instead of simply using a geo-tag(地理位置标签), she writes her location on her artificial leg before taking a picture.

Now she has been taking pictures across the Continent, which show her cycling over the canal in Amsterdam relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, posing with a waffle in Brussels, taking in the beautiful Parthenon temple in Athens and enjoying a river ride in Budapest, all with the well-known locations written on her artificial leg.

“I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden thought to get a chalk-board,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother didn’t like the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”

Gallagher said people often stare when she’s writing on her leg, but once she shares the photos, she receives only positive feedback(反馈), “My leg hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it, anyway, I’ve been able to keep up with people at my age and lead a pretty great life.”

Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. And if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.

1. What message did Gallapher want to spread in her special way?

A．She enjoys her travelling across the globe.

B．She suffers little from her leg’s amputation.

C．she looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing.

D．She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online.

2. What does the word “which” underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．the continent

B．the pictures

C．the leg

D．the location

3. Gallapher can best be described as ________.

A．helpful and ambitious	B．friendly and generous
C．determined and creative	D．independent and sensible

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Never Too Late to share	B．A Special Artificial Leg
C．An Outstanding Photographer	D．Gallagher’s Summer Holidays