【推荐1】Severe plantar fasciitis (足底筋膜炎) meant I’d been a full-time wheelchair user since I was 12. By the time I was 16, I just wanted my leg off. It took six years for the doctors to operate as they insisted on waiting until I was older and in a good enough place mentally. I held off until I finished my degree. Afterward, with a prosthetic leg (假腿) fitted, the world felt like a different place. I’d not walked in years. Suddenly I was a lot taller and no longer in any pain.

When I was in a wheelchair, I discovered a real love for sports. I started to compete in wheelchair racing, and soon found I was good at javelin and discus throwing. I started competing in Tough Mudder (an endurance event series), progressing from walking to running. I now compete in sports internationally and have won the silver medal for adaptive judo at the World Judo Games.

At the time of the surgery, I worked as an accountant, but I soon realized I didn’t want to be sitting in an office all day as I’d been in a wheelchair for so long. Therefore, as soon as the revision surgery was complete, I handed in my notice.

My career took a different path after I was asked to be a guest presenter for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. Now I speak to schools, colleges and organizations about a wide range of subjects such as disability, discrimination, disability in sport and perseverance. I share my own personal stories, whether that’s how I lost my leg and what I learned from it, my perseverance or how I followed my dream.

Now, most of my income comes from working as a motivational speaker, which I’ve been doing full time for a year. I love what I do, and if I continue to inspire others to do what they want to in life, then I’m happy.

1. How did the author probably feel after his leg was cut off?

A．Anxious.	B．Relieved.
C．Hopeless.	D．Annoyed.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly focus on?

A．The author’s passion for sports.

B．The awards the author won playing sports.

C．What sports the author is good at.

D．How the author prepared for Tough Mudder.

3. What do the underlined words “handed in my notice” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Got promoted.	B．Quit the job.
C．Asked for leave.	D．Informed people of the job.

4. What’s the main reason for the author to be a motivational speaker?

A．He inspires people to care about the disabled.

B．It was his dream during childhood.

C．It brings him wealth and a sense of fulfillment.

D．He enjoys the reputation it brings him.

【推荐2】The goings-on in the consulting room have become more transparent (透明的) recently. Thank goodness. We know more than the lines supplied by the movies in which the therapist knows all and gives wisdom to those who, sitting on a couch, consult with them. Therapists are interested in how the individual, the couple or the family experiences and understands their difficulties. That has to be a starting place. We can be of value if our first port of call is to listen, to gradually feel ourselves into the shoes of the other, to absorb the feelings that are being conveyed and to think and then to say some words.

The thinking and talking that I do inside the consulting room is at odds with many features of ordinary conversation. Not that it is mysterious, but it isn’t concerned with traditional ways of sharing or identifying. The therapist makes patterns and theorizes, but they are also reflecting on the words that are spoken, how they are delivered and how the words, once spoken, affect the speaker and the therapist themselves.

Words can give voice to previously unknown feelings and thoughts. That’s why it’s called the talking cure. But just as words reveal so, too, can they obscure, and this gets us to the listening and feeling part of the therapy. Whatever and however the words are delivered, they will have an impact on me as a therapist. I might feel hopeless, I might feel energized, I might feel pushed away, I might feel demanded of, I might feel pulled to find solutions.

The influence of the other is what makes any relationship possible or impossible. A therapist is trained to reflect on how those who consult with them affect them. As I try to step into the shoes of the other and then out again, my effort is to hold both those experiences, plus an awareness of my ease or discomfort with what I encounter in the relationship.

Feelings are the bread and butter of our work in the consulting room. They inform or modify our ideas and they enable us to find an emotional bridge to what can so hurt for the people we are working with. Along with the more commonly thought-about theories and ideas we have about the psyche, they are an essential part of the therapist’s toolkit, certainly for me. The talking cure means talking, yes. It also means the therapist is listening, thinking and feeling.

1. The word “obscure” (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to ________.

A．cancel	B．clarify
C．confirm	D．hide

2. Which of the following is the writer most likely to agree with?

A．Patients’influence has been neglected by therapists for too long a time.

B．Therapists need to think from their own perspectives as well as patients’.

C．It is no easy job for therapists to realize how uncomfortable their patients are.

D．Therapists had better push away those negative emotions acquired from patients.

3. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Awareness of feelings

B．It’s good to talk and listen

C．Theories that help therapists

D．What is the point of being a therapist

【推荐3】What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps producers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream –as well as for developing over 75 flavors(味道).
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job; after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and rates 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12 F. Harrisonexplains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,”he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the colour expected from that flavor?”Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy – working at once cool job.
1. What is John Harrison’s job?

A．An official.	B．An ice-cream taster.
C．A chemist.	D．An ice-cream producer

2. According to John Harrison, to be qualified(有资格的) in the “cool field”, it is helpful to        .

A．keep a diary of work.	B．have a degree in related subjects.
C．have new ideas every day.	D．find out new flavors each day.

3. What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?

A．He stirs the ice cream.

B．He examines the colour of the ice cream.

C．He tastes the flavor of the ice cream.

D．He lets the ice cream warm up.

4. Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?

A．Tasting with Eyes.	B．Flavors of Ice Cream.
C．John Harrison’s Life.	D．One Cool Job.

【推荐1】Tesla’s self-driving cars have recently come under investigation as a report on crashes raises questions about their safety. Despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s claim that their Autopilot capability makes their cars “ extremely safer,” data suggests otherwise.

According to The Washington Post, the number of deaths and serious injuries associated with Tesla’s driver-assistance technology is higher than previously reported. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 736 crashes since 2019, with at least 17 of them being fatal. These figures include crashes involving both Autopilot, which allows cars to drive on highways without human intervention(干预), and the newer Full Self-Driving feature, which extends automation to city streets. However, these statistics can’t record incidents that were avoided due to the cars’ safety features. Additionally, when compared to the total number of car crashes that occurred last year, the number of crashes involving driver-assistance vehicles appears relatively small, but actually it’s not.

Tesla’s safety claims lack context as Autopilot is primarily designed for highways, while most accidents occur in more complex environments with cross-traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists. Moreover, Tesla’s customer base consists mainly of wealthier individuals who live in communities with lower accident rates.

Concerns are raised by Tesla’s request to the NHTSA not to reveal whether Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was in use during fatal crashes. This lack of transparency (透明) prevents a comprehensive analysis of the incidents and raises questions about responsibility.

Safety exaggerations combined with Tesla’s aggressive marketing have led to accidents caused by drivers relying too heavily on the system. Full Self-Driving does not allow the car to fully drive itself, and drivers are expected to remain attentive and ready to intervene at all times. However, Tesla’s messaging may mislead some users into believing otherwise.

While a driverless future has the potential to be safer, it is crucial not to convince the public that underdeveloped capabilities are ready for widespread use. Tesla should address past problems, ensure their automation set can detect(检测) emergency vehicles, and be transparent with the public about the limitations of their technology.

1. What can we learn about Tesla’s driver-assistance-related crashes?

A．736 fatal cases of self-driving are recorded.

B．NHTSA focused on the crashes on highways.

C．The total number of car crashes is extremely small.

D．The incidents avoided are not counted in the crash statistics.

2. What can be inferred about Tesla’s safety claims?

A．They are supported by comprehensive data.

B．They are based on limited driving environment.

C．They are restricted to the experiences of satisfied customers.

D．They have been proven to be accurate and reliable by NHTSA．

3. What can we know about Full Self-Driving?

A．It is ill-received.	B．It is well-developed.
C．It needs the driver to stay focused.	D．It reduces the accidents greatly.

4. Which title best summarizes the content of this text?

A．Concerns and Questions Surrounding Tesla’s “Self-Driving” Cars

B．Tesla’s Self-Driving Cars: The Safest Option of Driving on the Road

C．The Future of Self-Driving Cars: A Closer Look at Tesla’s Technology

D．Reconstruction and Revolution of Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving

【推荐2】When Jenny Benson was eight, her mother took her to soccer practice for the first time.

“She’s never played soccer before,” Mrs Benson told the coach.“I’m not sure how she’ll do.”

Jenny ran onto the field and joined the other players. Over the next hour, Mrs Benson and the coach watched as Jenny out­ran many of the more experienced players.

“I knew then that soccer would be Jenny’s sport.” Mrs Benson recalls. And she was right.

It may have helped that Jenny had spent much of her time trying to keep up with her three brothers.“I wanted to be just like them,” Jenny says.“My family has inspired me for my entire life.”

Jenny has retired from the United States women’s national soccer team. She started out on her professional career in the Philadelphia Charge, a team in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA)．Later on, she joined FC Energy Voronezh, and then New Jersey Wildcats.

When the WUSA was being formed, league officials watched many college soccer games, looking for players good enough to join the league. They were very interested in Jenny, who played for the University of Nebraska.

“Throughout that college season, I knew I was being watched,” Jenny says, “I knew I couldn’t be perfect, so I just tried to be very consistent and have fun.”

As a professional, Jenny relied on her focused but fun­loving attitude. “In a game, I try never to put too much pressure on myself. The more I concentrate on having fun, the better I play.” She says. “I have good and bad days, just like everyone else, but I know the sun will always come up after a bad day. So all I have to do is to adjust myself, either to the change of my inner feelings or to the change of circumstances.That helps me get through anything.”

1. What can we learn from Jenny’s first soccer practice?

A．She was not sure how to play soccer.

B．She was gifted in playing soccer.

C．She was instructed by the soccer coach.

D．She was more experienced than other players.

2. Which professional team did she first play for?

A．New Jersey Wildcats.

B．FC Energy Voronezh.

C．The University of Nebraska.

D．The Philadelphia Charge.

3. Which of the following can best describe Jenny?

A．Talented but impatient.

B．Confident and considerate.

C．Concentrated and adaptable.

D．Absorbed but self­centered.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How Jenny developed her soccer career.

B．Why Jenny retired from the national team.

C．How Jenny’s brothers influenced her career.

D．What made Jenny a good soccer player.

【推荐3】Why do people throw stuffed animals(毛绒动物玩具)at figure skaters?

Moments after figure skaters finish their program, crazy fans throw gifts onto the ice.    1    As NBC Sports reports, Sasha Cohen was once given several cashmere sweaters; Canada’s Elvis Stojko and Parick Chan have walked away with swimsuits; Debi Thomas even got a box of Domino’s pizza after her performance at the i987 world championships.

Flowers and clothing aside, the post-program offerings are mostly stuffed animals.    2    , though it’s not clear exactly how or when this custom began. First, flowers, once the go-to item to throw to skaters, are dirty. The ”cleaners“-the kids who skate around collecting all the gifts between the programs have a much easier time picking these stuffed toys up than hurriedly clearing every petal(花新)and leaf away that fell off the flowers.

    3    ,In 1989, US Figure Skating banned (禁止)sports halls hosting national championships from selling flowers. And ahead of the 2002 national championships, the organization completely forbade fans from bringing their own flowers to the halls at all.”    4    . Even when they’re wrapped, the petal and leaf fall out and become a disaster,“ Larry Kriwanek, chair of the event’s organizing committee, said. Instead, fans could buy already-authorized(已授权的)stuffed animals inside the halls and show their favorite skaters with those.

There’s another benefit of choosing a stuffed animal    5    .”We sometimes will get stuffed animals made in custom costumes to match what we’re wearing,“ American ice dancer Meryl Davis said. It turns out that skaters often do try to take especially meaningful or thoughtful gifts home with them.

A．Flowers have always been a problem

B．It’s only a matter of time before the flowers disappear.

C．People wonder why they don’t throw something good.

D．There have surely been some strange ones over the years.

E．Some organizations have managed to discourage the practice in the past.

F．Fans are given the opportunity to choose presents that seem more personal.

G．There are a couple of factors(因素)that help explain why it’s so popular.