【推荐1】I believe that my actions show my beliefs, not my words.

I wrote a letter to my kids a few years ago. It’s three pages long, and it sums up my life experience of four decades. By the time they reach adulthood, they will have heard most of their father’s advice in that letter: live in the moment, do not attach yourself to physical things, treat others the way you would like to be treated, etc. I sealed the letter in a white envelope, and wrote instructions that nobody should open it unless something horrible happened to me.

As a police officer, I have seen life disappear in an instant. I realize that could happen to me at any time. Yet knowing that letter is there in my locker makes me more comfortable with my own death.

Every day, when I open my locker, I see the letter. It makes me aware that I should be careful at work, and show my children and the people I have connection with that I try to practice everything I have written. If that day comes and my children finally read the letter, I hope that because of my actions, they will take my written beliefs to heart and improve upon my example.

But for me, it’s not enough to write down my beliefs. I try to be the best person I can be every day---even in very difficult circumstances. I am more successful some days than others, but sometimes I curse too much. Sometimes I am cynical, unwilling to believe that people have good and honest reasons for doing something. I also get stressed and upset, yelling at my kids sometimes, and sometimes I am not as loving or as sympathetic as I should be. In fact, I am far from perfect, but I hope my children will eventually realize that perfection is an illusion. What really matters is that, instead of just writing down our beliefs, we all take action to be the best humans we can be.

1. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Hardworking and humorous.	B．Courageous and sensitive.
C．Selfless.	D．Considerate.

2. Why did the author open the locker to see the letter every day?

A．He wanted to confirm his beliefs.

B．The letter served as a reminder.

C．He kept adding something new to it.

D．His kids asked him to check it.

3. What can we learn about the letter written by the author?

A．The author was in his forties when writing it.

B．The kids were too young to understand the tips in it.

C．The author was sure of its positive effects on his kids.

D．The author hoped it wouldn’t be opened until bad things occurred.

4. Which can replace the underlined word in the last paragraph?

A．Doubtful about others’ motivations.

B．Curious about everything around.

C．Particular about himself.

D．Unsatisfied about his profession.

5. What is the author’s understanding of life?

A．That fathers should take care of their children.

B．To become a perfect man.

C．To be better today than yesterday.

D．That bad guys deserve to be punished.

【推荐2】Mary had her own special kind of joy, and she knew exactly how to spread it around. She lifted children from loneliness into laughter and love.    1    

One evening, Mary was hosting a meeting for a group of new adoptive parents. One of the new fathers stood up.     2     Then he explained.

“Twenty years ago, I felt alone and worthless. I felt like I didn’t deserve to have the things that others have. Then Mary brought two wonderful people into my life.    3     They opened a world of possibilities that I didn’t know existed. Today I’m proud to be giving that chance to a child who starts out like me.

My mother gave me this rose. By now, all of you know where she got it. This rose reminds me of the beautiful times I was given. Just yesterday Mary sent me a new rose. The new rose symbolizes a beautiful new beginning for my own little girl.     4    

Thank you, Mary, for the special little things like roses that tie our lives together!”

Are you looking for a special kind of significance, a special purpose that you can’t quite reach? Take a look at your “roses”, the little things that are all yours, things that make your heart sing. What are they?    5    

When the answers become clear, you’ll find that your “roses” can make a difference. They can bring joy and even a new beginning to you and many other people.

A．They loved me unconditionally.

B．However, I lived an unhappy life at that time.

C．Each time she found a new home for a child, she gave that family a paper rose.

D．He reached into his pocket and held up a paper rose.

E．Nowhere in this world can you get the answer.

F．How can you share them with someone?

G．It reminds me to show her what unconditional love is.

【推荐3】It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful (悲哀的) eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies (百合花) on the surface of a clear calm lake. He had already passed sixty and brought from his journey nothing but errors (错误) and regrets. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant and his heart sorrowful (悲伤的).

The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads—one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and filled with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and devils and poisonous snake hissed (发撕嘶声) and crawled (爬行).

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol (象征) of himself. His regret like a sharp arrow (箭) struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood. But they had made their way to success and were now honoured and happy on this night.

The high church clock struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ early love for him. They had taught him and prayed for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards that heaven. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing (绝望的) effort, he burst out a cry: "Come back, my early days!"

His youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.

Those who still wander (徘徊) on the entrance of life, hesitating (犹豫) to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble (绊脚) on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain (徒劳): "Oh youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!"

1. Why does the author set his story on New Year’s Night?

A．He tries to stress (强调) the man’s sad feeling.

B．He wants to tell people it’s time to recall the past.

C．He suggests the aged man will have a bright future.

D．He expects people to share the man’s sad feeling.

2. The aged man in the passage on New Year’s Night can be described as ________.

A．sorrowful, peaceful and regretful	B．hopeful, sorrowful and peaceful
C．disappointed, regretful and hopeful	D．regretful, painful and disappointed

3. The author writes the passage mainly to ________.

A．encourage young people to take the right road

B．help the old man to pick up his confidence

C．describe the old man's unsuccessful experience

D．show his sympathy for the old man

4. From the passage we can learn that ________.

A．the man returned from a long journey and regretted what he had done

B．the man found it no use crying over the wrong past

C．the man was deserted by his parents when he was only a child

D．the man didn't enter the deep and dark cave when he was young

【推荐1】Hiking, also walking for a long distance in the countryside is one of life’s simple and cheap pleasures. But is it safe? Sports writer Mark Waters considers the risks.

Imagine the following...

One day, Ronald decided to take up hiking. The next Sunday, he got up early, threw a sandwich and a bottle of water into a bag and headed for Sai Kung Country Park. Before going, he quickly looked at a map and decided that he could easily walk from the bus stop at Park Tam Chung to the beach at Dai Long Wan .

After walking for hours and hours under the hot sun, Ronald started to feel tired. He reached for his water but found that the bottle was empty. Then he smelt smoke and saw a fire. In a panic, he called 999. However, when he got through to the police, he couldn’t tell them where he was because he didn’t have a map...

Think about it...

Put yourself in Ronald’s shoes. How could you stop this of thing happening to you? One way is to   know the following common types of danger.

Getting lost

Foggy weather is one reason why some walkers get lost. However, a more common one is not having enough knowledge of the hiking route. Always remember to bring a map and don’t be too confident . Always choose a route that is right for you.

Heat stroke(中暑）

The summer in Hong Kong is very hot and wet. Many hikers forget this and walk for too long in the midday heat. They become hot and feel weak. Don’t forget during exercise, it is necessary to drink 100 to 200 milliliters of water every 15 to 20 minutes.

Accident

Some of Hong Kong’s paths are very hazardous and it’s not unknown for hikers to fall. Never walk alone and always bring a map and a mobile phone with you.

Hill fire

On average, over 10,000 hill fires a year take place in Hong Kong, injuring more than 600 people. Never light fires in non-marked areas and, if you see a hill fire, report it. Always stay calm and walk away from the fire into the wind.

1. What can we learn about Ronald?

A．He loves hiking and hikes regularly.

B．He didn’t bring enough water on his hike.

C．He brought about a map with him on his hike.

D．He couldn’t tell his friends where he saw a fire

2. The passage mentions Ronald              .

A．to warn people against hiking alone

B．to tell people hiking is difficult to be popular

C．to show typical mistakes about hiking

D．to remind people to call the police for help

3. What does the underlined word ”hazardous” mean?

A．Long.

B．Narrow.

C．Complex.

D．Dangerous.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Hiking Routes in Mountains

B．When Fun Turns into Trouble

C．Hill Fires and How to Avoid Them

D．The Adventures of Ronald the Hiker

【推荐3】The Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological(考古的) discoveries brought international attention.

According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released a message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.

The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.

The museum said although it was open as usual, the newly-found pits had not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics were still under restoration and couldn’t meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration would be in pilot operation in April and officially opened on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.

Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.

1. What mainly brought about a surge in tourists visiting the Sanxingdui Museum?

A．Tourists’ enthusiasm.

B．Sichuan Province’s policy.

C．The Qingming Festival holidays.

D．New archaeological discoveries.

2. What is TRUE according to the text?

A．The Sanxingdui Ruins were first discovered in 1934.

B．Newly-excavated cultural relics on display attracted tourists very much.

C．The Sanxingdui Museum reacted immediately to the large flow of tourists.

D．Tourist numbers reached the peak on the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays.

3. What does the underlined word “pilot” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Trial.

B．Private.

C．Official.

D．Personal.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Sanxingdui Museum gives tourists insights into Chinese history.

B．Chinse people make full use of the Qingming Festival holidays to travel.

C．The Sanxingdui Ruins are a perfect tourist attraction over the Qingming Festival holidays.

D．New discoveries make the Sanxingdui Museum more popular during the Qingming Festival holidays.