【推荐3】In the summer of 2010, Deborah Barrett and her son, Anthony, walked out of a restaurant near the

Edmonton high school from which he’d graduated two years earlier. They had volunteered to wash dishes there to give Anthony something to do, but when they went out, the sun sliced through the clouds and Deborah had a realization: my kid is not spending his life in a dish pit.

Cleaning plates isn’t the only option for high-school graduates. But Anthony has autism（自闭症）and is mostly non-verbal, aside from short words in answer to yes-or-no questions and the Eeeee sounds he makes when he’s excited, happy or frustrated. Once a person with intellectual disabilities ages out of school, “There’s no life for them,” Deborah says. Programs end, and jobs are usually humble.

As her son entered his 20s, Deborah thought about what he could do and what he enjoyed. Among his likes: being driven around and carrying things, as well as seeing new places but not staying long. Maybe he could be a courier? The catch: Anthony doesn’t move fast, and courier jobs would require his support staff to be his driver and co-worker.

That wasn’t an issue for Mike Hamm. In 2012, he became Anthony’s new assistant and embraced the plan of spending part of their days delivering packages as a team. The pair called their venture Anthony at Your Service, signed a few customers and set out in Hamm’s lorry.

Seven years later, boxes awaiting distribution are piled on the porch of the home. Anthony, 30, shares with Deborah and her husband, David, a lawyer. The company now has two-dozen delivery teams — each comprising a contractor with an intellectual disability and their support-worker contractor — in Edmonton and Calgary.

Launching a company that employs 24 contractors with intellectual disabilities, and all the logistics that come along with that, wasn’t the original plan, Deborah says. But the realities of delivery work — the peaks and valleys in demand, the long hours — meant that Anthony and Hamm couldn’t shoulder the load alone.And the feedback she received from Alberta’s autistic and intellectually disabled communities suggested they wanted to work for a company that understood them.

Running Anthony at Your Service has become Deborah’s full-time, and she gave up her psychotherapy practice and the presidency of Autism Society Alberta a couple years ago. “What I’m doing for Anthony now has made more difference in his life than any of that other work,” she says. “We want to create jobs for people with all kinds of abilities and disabilities.”

1. What’s the future of the persons with intellectual disabilities according to Deborah?

A．They will lose their lives.

B．They will get well-paid jobs.

C．They will clean plates in restaurants.

D．They will find it hard to find a decent job.

2. What does the underlined word “courier” mean in the 3 rd paragraph?

A．Accountant.	B．Barber.
C．Deliveryman.	D．Engineer.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．David launched the company for his son.

B．Anthony’s contractors are mainly disabled.

C．Deborah gave up her original job unwillingly.

D．Mike Hamm is an intellectually disabled person.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Deborah Barrett?

A．Accessible.	B．Caring.
C．Humorous.	D．Modest.

【推荐2】Here are four of the most charming villages in Europe, along with our top picks for places to stay in each.

Eze in Cota D’Azur, France

Set on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the Provencal township of Eze is easily one of the most picturesque spots in the region. It is largely a tourist destination, and many of its buildings dates back to the Middle Age. In fact, Eze is particularly popular with couples seeking romantic solitude.

Hotel pick: Chateau de la Chevre

Baden-Baden in Wurttemberg, Germany

Germany’s best-known spa town, Baden-Baden, in the Black Forest of Baden- Wuttemberg, has been a popular spot for soaking in mineral-rich waters off and on since the Roman era. And while spa treatments and hot springs are still among the most popular draws for tourists, there are also plenty of museums, gardens, performing arts venues and charming old buildings and churches.

Hotel pick: Hotel Belle Epoque

Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy

Spread over a hilltop nearly 2,000 metres above sea level, the Tuscan village of Montepulciano offers gorgeous Renaissance architecture as well as opportunities to visit wine companies. Surrounded by strong walls dating back to the 14th century, the village features a handful of churches and public squares.

Hotel pick: Etruria Resort

Oia in Santorini, Greece

Oia is undoubtedly the most charming village on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini. This town is best known as a sunset-viewing spot, but it is fantastic any time of day thanks to its abundance of typical whitewashed structures topped with blue domes plus its fabulous views out onto the Aegean Sea.

Hotel pick: Hotel Aspaki

1. Which village will newly-married couples most possibly choose to spend their honeymoon?

A．Oia.	B．Baden-Baden.
C．Montepulciano.	D．Eze.

2. The visit to Montepulciano will be different from to other three because _______.

A．you can have a spa treatment

B．you can enjoy a beautiful sunset view

C．you can appreciate Renaissance architecture

D．you can overlook Mediterranean Sea

3. You probably find this passage in _______.

A．Times	B．National Geographic
C．American Home	D．The Economist

【推荐1】Guests arriving at the Aloft Hotel in Manhattan or one in Silicon Valley will soon be able to do something hotels have dreamed about offering for years: walk past the check-in desk and enter their rooms by using a smartphone as a room key. The boutique hotel brand from Starwood to Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to offer this feature at two hotels before the end of the quarter.

Starwood officials are hoping this will be one of the biggest technological changes in the industry since free Wi-Fi. “We believe this will become the new standard for how people will want to enter a hotel.” says Frits van Passchen, Starwood’s CEO.

Not everyone is so sure. Past attempts to use technology to streamline the check-in process have had mixed results. Robert Habeeb, president of the First Hospitality Group, says he pulled out check-in desks at two of his Holiday Inn hotels after finding that most guests ignored them. He found that many travelers will talk with a staff member and ensure their room has the right view or location, or to try for an upgrade. Other guests may still want to be greeted when they arrive.

Hotels have never been known for being in the forefront of technology, partly because many hotels are owned and managed by small companies. Many hotel operators, though, have been searching for ways to remove the bottlenecks (瓶颈) at a hotel’s front desk. “Everybody has to check in, but we are all doing it pretty much the same way we were 100 years ago,” says Christopher Nassetta, CEO for Hilton Worldwide holdings Inc. “It’s something we are seriously addressing.”

Yet it is still not clear that virtual keys will do better than previous attempts to beat traditional check-ins. An effort several years ago to allow guests to enter rooms with the magnetic strip (磁条) on their credit cards never became popular. Guests worried about security and were unwilling to give their kids credit cards instead of room keys.

1. According to the first two paragraphs, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The new room key may become a new standard of choosing a hotel.

B．Hotel officials hope the new room key will be a great change in hotel industry.

C．Aloft of Hotel in Manhattan will allow guests to use a smartphone as a room key.

D．All Starwood Hotels plan to offer the new room key before the end of the quarter.

2. The underlined word “streamline” in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to _____________.

A．unify

B．identify

C．simplify

D．beautify

3. Christopher Nassetta would most likely agree that _____________.

A．it’s a good idea to cancel check-in

B．the way of check-in needs to be changed

C．the management of hotel needs to be improved

D．it depends on the hotel operators to update technology

4. From the text we can see that the writer thinks the future of the new room key is __________.

A．secure

B．negative

C．bright

D．uncertain

【推荐2】As an adult, you have to do things like waking up before noon, going to the grocery store on your own, and trying to keep a steady job. And some jobs will require you to speak before more than two people. Don't worry. We've done the research to make you a better public speaker. Now all you have to do is to follow the rules we have collected.

Confidence

Believe in yourself if you want to be a better public speaker. Many speakers are no prepared and lose confidence because of that. But others lack confidence because they are afraid of being judged and they become nervous and sweat a lot just like when they were in high school speech class. Yes, that's the mature (成熟的，成年人的）world we live in. Build your confidence by using all your tools and realizing that you are the centre of public speaking.

Know what's up

You have to know your topic inside and out. Nothing kills your speech like "um" and "uh" appearing in every sentence. You are possibly picked to make this speech because you know something about the topic, so that's half success. Now get in there and learn everything about the topic.

Practice

Researching and knowing your topic is one thing, but actually expressing that information is a wholly different thing. When the lights go down and the spotlight (聚光灯） is on you, no matter how much you know your topic, expressing the information suddenly seems frightening. It is necessary to practice your speech before standing on stage. You should do the rehearsal (排练） again and again in front of the mirror. So when you stand on stage, it will be like riding a bike unless you don't know how to ride a bike.

Dress properly

Of course, you will want to dress properly for the speech-which could be a suit (套装）. Regardless of the dressing, you will want to make sure it is also comfortable for you. If the suit is too tight, stiff, or whatever, it will take your attention away from the speech.

Be Robin Williams

You may not be naturally funny. In fact, you can learn to be funny from other people who happen to be funny. While we are not suggesting you become Robin Williams, we suggest you arm yourself with a joke or two to make sure that your speech is not so boring. Or at least google some funny words or stories you can use in your speech.

1. What is the meaning of "know your topic inside and out" in Paragraph 3?

A．You can't speak with "um" or "uh" in your speech.

B．Do some research to decide on your topic.

C．Try to know something about the topic.

D．Learn everything about the topic.

2. What does the underlined word "Practice" in this passage refer to?

A．Researching and familiarizing oneself with the topic.

B．Doing the speech again and again before standing on stage.

C．Expressing the information under the spotlight.

D．Knowing how to ride a bike.

3. If the suit is too tight and stiff, you will ____ when you speak publicly.

A．fail to focus

B．be nervous

C．feel formal

D．sweat a lot

4. According to the whole passage, which of the following statement is true?

A．If you know the topic of your speech very well, you will be half successful.

B．All speakers lack confidence because they are afraid of being judged.

C．Expressing the information is the same as researching and knowing your topic.

D．You can dress in anything for the speech as long as it makes you comfortable.

【推荐3】Buck did not know that there was trouble ahead, Trouble for every dog with strong muscles and warm long hair, from Seattle to southern California. Some men had found a yellow metal in the Arctic darkness, and thousands of other men were rushing there. These men wanted dogs that were heavy, with strong muscles for working hard and furry coats to protect them from the cold.

Buck lived at a big house in a sunny valley in California which was owned by Judge Miller. He was neither a house dog nor a kennel (狗窝) dog. The whole of Judge Miller's land was his. Buck was king---king over all the crawling, flying things of Judge Miller's lands, humans included.

His father, Elmo, had been the Judge's inseparable companion. And when he died, Buck took his father’s place. He was not so large---he weighed only sixty kilogram---for his mother, Shep, had been a Scottish sheepdog. Hunting and other outdoor activities had hardened his muscle, and swimming had made him healthy.

This was Buck in the autumn of 1897, when the discovery of gold in the Klondike brought Men from everywhere to the frozen north. But Buck did not read the newspapers. And he did not know that Manuel one of the gardeners helper, was not a good man. Manuel gambled (赌博) and wasted the little money he had. No one saw him and Buck go off on what Buck thought was a walk. No one saw them arrive at the railway station where Manuel sold Buck to a man who was waiting for him,

After two days ho was cried off the train in Seattle into a small, high-walled yard. There a fat man in a red sweater broke open the cage with a small axe (斧头)，while holding a club (棍棒) in the other hand. When there was a big enough opening, Buck jumped out like a red-eyed devil, straight at the fat man. But in mid-air, just as his teeth were going to close on the man, he received a shock that he had never felt before, It turned him over and onto the ground. He had never been struck by a club in his life, and he did not understand. He was smashed down a dozen times.

Buck saw that he stood no chance against the man with the club. He had learned the lesson, and for the rest of his life he never forgot it. It was his introduction into the world of primitive law.

In the end a small man called Perrault paid three hundred dollars for him, and he was led away with Curly, a good-natured Newfoundland dog.

1. What kind of dogs did the gold-seekers want?

A．Heavy house dogs with yellow hair.	B．Strong long-haired dogs.
C．Diligent dogs with yellow hair	D．Muscular kennel dogs.

2. Buck was proud of himself for the following reasons, EXCEPT that ______.

A．he was king over all living things of Judge Miller's lands

B．he became the Judge's inseparable companion after his father's death

C．he had a good life with many outdoor activities to get strong and healthy

D．he was wanted by gold-seekers thanks to his strong muscles and long hair

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Judge Miller owned a big house and a large piece of land in the Klondike.

B．Manuel bought and sold Buck because he needed money to support his life.

C．The fat man cruelly beat Buck with a club to teach him how to fight back.

D．Buck's introduction into the word of primitive law was obeying the fat man.

4. What can be the suitable title for the excerpt?

A．Fall into Trouble	B．Fight against a Man
C．Escape from Trouble	D．Believe in a Man

【推荐1】Reading has been on the decline for years. One of the reasons for the decline in book sales is the leaps and bounds in technology. Why do you buy a book when you can conveniently buy audio books(有声读物)instead? Here are 4 of the best audio books you can find.

The Power of Now

Published in 2000, The Power of Now explains a journey-a journey that encourages you to dismiss your analytical mind and set aside yourself as well. The author, Eckhart Tolle, guides you through these transitions with easy words and phrases. The purpose of this book is to help you pay more attention to the current moment - the   "now”.

The Alchemist (练金术士)

It talks about the journey of a boy named Santiago who travels from Spain to Egypt in search of riches. Along the way, he meets three characters, a woman, a man who thinks that he's a king, and the alchemist. These characters help guide Santiago to his goal, but over time that goal changes. It moves away from worldly riches to something deeper and more meaningful.

The Power of Habit

Written by Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit talks all about the power behind habits using various cases and plots to present Duhigg's points. In the book, Duhigg turns complex systems and methods into easily digestible stories that people and businesses can relate to.

Outliers

Written by Malcolm Gladwell, this book has popularized the idea that practicing 10,000 hours in total will make you an expert in that area. It also covers other aspects about what many of today's great people do in their daily life and how they have become successful in their own field.

1. What does the underlined phrase “the leaps and bounds" mean?

A．Small change.

B．Fast development.

C．Sudden decline.

D．Convenient purchase.

2. What can we infer from the text?

A．The Power of Now is to help people forget the past.

B．Santiago has just one goal on his way to Egypt.

C．Charles Duhigg believes habits are powerful.

D．Outliers tells us experts all practice 10,000 hours.

3. Which books are probably easy to read?

A．The Power of Now & The Alchemist.

B．The Power of Now & The Power of Habit.

C．Outliers & The Power of Habit.

D．The Alchemist & Outliers.

【推荐2】Though I have twin sisters who are a year younger than I am, I still wanted one more guy in the house when I was 5 or 6. In 2002, my mom and dad went back to the adoption agency (收养机构) in Korea where they got my sisters and me. They came home with George.

He seemed fine at first. But six months later, when he was around l, my mom and dad told us George wouldn’t grow up like us. They said George has autism (自闭症) and that he’d have more challenges. One day my parents brought home some sign-language videos. They said we were all going to learn signing together. That was when I knew George might never talk.

Living with George can be a roller coaster ride. He wants to play all the time, which makes him lovable. But he can be aggressive (有攻击性的). If he doesn’t get what he wants, he throws a fit. When George acts like this at home, I take him to the couch or the floor and lie with him until he cools off. That’s my role. I often have to hold him down when he loses control of himself. I’m the only one in myhome who isstrong enough to handle George physically at this point, which is difficult.

I thought having a brother would mean I’d have someone on my side all the time. I thought that if I had a fight with my sisters, I’d have him at my back. It didn’t end up that way. But the people in your life are there for a reason. Having George in the family has made us all closer. He’s not only a connection point, but a responsibility that we all share. It has taught us to compromise (妥协).

1. What can we learn about the author’s family?

A．The family had their first child in 2002.

B．The brothers and sisters have no blood relationship.

C．There are five people in the family altogether.

D．The family communicate with each other in sign language.

2. The underlined part “throws a fit” in Paragraph 3 probably means“______.”

A．gets very angry	B．turns to others
C．does it himself	D．keeps silent

3. We can infer from the last paragraph that______.

A．George always supports the author	B．George has learned to compromise
C．the author loves George very much	D．the author often fights with his sisters

【推荐3】“You can use me as a last resort(选择), and if nobody else volunteers，then I will do it.” This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids lacrosse(长曲棍球)club.

I guess that there's probably some demanding work schedule, or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren’t even on … At this point the unwilling parent speaks up,“Alright. Yes, I’ll do it.”

I’m secretly relieved because I know there’s real power in sharing volunteer responsibilities among many. The unwilling parent organizes the meal schedule, sends out emails, and collects money for end-of-season gifts. Somewhere along the way, the same parent ends up becoming an invaluable member of the team. The coach is able to focus on the kids while the other parents are relieved to be off the hook for another season. Handing out sliced oranges to bloodthirsty kids can be as exciting as watching your own kid score a goal.

Still, most of us volunteers breathe a sigh of relief when the season comes to a close. That relief is coupled with a deep understanding of why the same people keep coming back for more: Connecting to the community(社区)as you freely give your time, money, skills, or services provides a real joy. Volunteering just feels so good.

In that sense, I’m pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I’d freely like to admit. However, if others benefit in the process, and I get some reward too, does it really matter where my motivation lies?

1. What does the underlined phrase“tug at the heartstrings”in paragraph 2 mean ?

A．Encourage team work.

B．Appeal to feeling.

C．Promote good deeds.

D．Provide advice.