【推荐1】Cecilia Chiang, the chef and restaurant owner, was greatly known for introducing regional Chinese dishes to the United States. She helped change the way Americans think about Chinese cooking.

Chiang was born into a wealthy Shanghai family with two full-time chefs—one from the north and one from the south. In 1949 her family settled in Tokyo, opening a restaurant called the Forbidden City. But it was a 1960 trip in San Francisco that set Chiang on her dramatic journey to cooking fame. She was both shocked and amused by the food most Americans considered to be Chinese. “They think chop suey(杂烩) is the only thing we have in China,” she said with a laugh. “ What a shame.”

So Chiang was determined to open a high-end Chinese restaurant that served authentic Chinese food. “Everybody said, ‘You cannot make it. You cannot speak English. You don’t know anything.’” she recalled. In 1961 then, Chiang opened the Mandarin.

The restaurant wasn’t immediately successful. About a year after opening, the Mandarin received a mention from the San Francisco Chronicle (旧金山纪事报). The effect of the powerful writer’s positive comment was immediate. Tourists, dignitaries and celebrities(达官显贵)—from Mae West to John Lennon—flooded into the Mandarin for then -unfamiliar food like tea smoked duck twice cooked pork.

Though the Mandarin was closed years later, Cecilia Chiang’s DNA can be found all over American Chinese food. Her son founded the chain P.F. Chang’s and the son of one of her chefs founded Panda Express.

In early 2017, Chiang shared how she lived to be so old: “I always think about the better side, the good side of everything. I never think about, Oh, I’m going to fail. Oh, I cannot do this. Oh, I feel sorry for myself.” Instead, Chiang wrote books, starred in a PBS documentary series and won the most famous award in American cooking when she was 93 years old.

1. Cecilia Chiang opened the Mandarin in order to ________.

A．remember her 1960 trip in San Francisco

B．Serve real Chinese food to the Americans

C．Show her shock and amusement towards food

D．Continue her family tradition of running restaurants

2. What do we know about the Mandarin?

A．It is in the charge of Chiang’s son now.

B．It wasn’t successful until two years later.

C．It turned out pretty popular among Americans.

D．It changed the way Americans think about China.

3. Which of the following best describes Cecilia Chiang?

A．Talented and active.

B．Ambitious and selfless.

C．Optimistic and creative.

D．Positive and determined.

【推荐2】My dearest daughter, as I looked across at you sitting on the sofa watching The X Factor, I noticed that you are no longer a child, and that having just celebrated your 14th birthday, you are now a young woman starting a journey into becoming an adult woman. As I looked at you, I remembered myself at 14, and the vastly different places we are beginning this journey from.

Your identity as a mixed-race young woman, with an English father and a Pakistani mother, has already influenced how you place yourself in this world. As yet, you are unaware of the personal struggles that I took at the age of 25 to marry. How it felt when my mother refused to come to my wedding. The sharp criticisms of the Asian community that such marriages do not work out and always end in divorce. The confidence I had to grow, as we chose to live in a multicultural community, as I refused to be shamed into living in the leafier white suburbs.

Then, at the age of 30, I became your mum with all the joys and struggles this brought, as I refused the Asian traditions for a new baby’s arrival. From your birth, your life could not have been more different from mine. I was brought up on a council estate, within a tight-knit extended Muslim family, through which poverty, racism and neglect were woven. I was never given the freedoms or the opportunity to experience new things. Now, as I hear you play your piano. I am grateful that you have these opportunities.

So many doors were closed to me as a young person, and as I fought for small steps of freedom. I soon learned that it was better to do what I wanted without the knowledge of my parents, and so deceit and deception (欺骗) became woven into my life too. The pressures to obey, to be a “good Muslim” girl and keep the family honour, were choking. Behind closed doors at home, the neglect and abuse took place. It was hidden, I felt the shame, lived with the fear and suffered alongside my sister and two younger brothers. Oh, the power we thought our parents had over us! I was convinced that one day my father would indeed beat us so hard that leaving us for dead, he would, as his threats said he would, bury us in the large back garden, and tell the school he had taken us back to Pakistan for good. My sister and I longed for a different blue sky to live under.

As a daughter of immigrant parents, I carried their hopes of a better education for their children—my own veins (血管) pulsing with the hard-work ethic (道德) and need to be grateful for the opportunity of a free education. And it was education that provided me with the strength to find my own blue sky. I fought to leave home to go to university at the age of 18, and never returned to live with my parents again.

Now as you explore your mixed-race heritage, which I hope we have supported you to do with visits to Pakistan and ensuring you go to multi-cultural schools, I want you to take the very best of all that is Asian with you as you become a woman.

I want you to know that although your journey has been vastly different. I am excited as I watch you standing on the threshold of becoming a woman for all the adventures and possibilities the future holds for you.

May you fly your blue sky with grace, confidence and hope as you find your place in this beautiful and crazy world.

Loving you now and always.                                                                      Mommy

1. Mommy’s mother refused to attend her wedding party because _________.

A．she struggled to break away from the family before it

B．her marriage was against the tradition of the community

C．she would leave the family to settle in the white suburbs

D．she refused the Asian tradition for a new baby’s arrival

2. What can be inferred from mommy’s Muslim family life?

A．She was forced to drop out of school.

B．She behaved like a good Muslim girl.

C．She fought against her Muslim identity.

D．She suffered much abuse in the family.

3. From the fourth paragraph, we can see that Mommy was very _________.

A．determined	B．realistic
C．ambitious	D．tolerant

4. Mommy sends her daughter to multicultural schools to _________.

A．prepare the daughter for different adventures in future

B．ensure the daughter more opportunities to visit Pakistan

C．increase the daughter’s exposure to different cultures

D．encourage the daughter to grow up to be a better woman

5. We can learn from the passage that Mommy _________.

A．is regretful for giving her daughter the mixed-race identity

B．encourages her daughter to explore her origin and pursue her dream

C．won’t forgive her parents for the sufferings she had during childhood

D．criticizes the social traditions and prejudice in her community

【推荐1】Copernicus, founder of modem astronomy, was born in 1473 to a well-to-do merchant family in Torun, Poland. He was sent off to attend university in Italy, studying mathematics and optics, and canon law. Returning from his studies abroad, Copernicus was appointed to an administrative position in the cathedral of Frauenburg. There he spent a sheltered and academic life for the rest of his days.

    1    He made his observations from a tower situated on the protective wall around the cathedral. His observations were made with the "bare eyeball," so to speak, as a hundred years were to pass before the invention of the telescope. In 1530, Copernicus completed his famous work De Revolutionibus, which later played a major role in changing the philosophical view of humankind's place in the universe.    2    

Copernicus died in 1543 and was never to know what a stir his work would cause. In his book, he asserted that the Earth rotated on its axis once daily and traveled around the Sun once yearly.    3    People then regarded the Earth as stationary, situated at the center of the universe, with the Sun and all the planets revolving around it. Copernicus' theory challenged the long-held belief that God created the Heavens and the Earth, and could overturn the core values of the Catholic world.    4    Other ministers quickly followed suit, saying of Copernicus, "This fool wants to turn the whole art of astronomy upside down."

Ironically, Copernicus had dedicated his work to Pope Paul III.    5    The Church ultimately banned De Revolutionibus, and the book remained on the list of forbidden reading material for nearly three centuries thereafter.

A．Copernicus died on May 24, 1543 in what is now Frombork, Poland.

B．The book, however, wasn't published until two months before his death.

C．If this act was an attempt to seek the Catholic Church's approval, it was of no use.

D．Copernicus returned to Poland, where he became a church administrator and doctor.

E．This went against the philosophical and religious beliefs held during medieval times.

F．Religious leader Martin Luther voiced his opposition to the sun-centered system model.

G．In his spare time, Copernicus studied the stars and the planets, applying his math knowledge to the mysteries of the night sky.

【推荐2】That old saying “Never say never” came to mind when I read that Harper Lee, the author of the beloved, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has a new book coming out in July, 2015—55 years after Mockingbird was published! The very private Ms. Lee had never followed up her highly praised first book, with a second novel. Instead, she’s following it up with a first novel. Confused? So was I! Allow me to explain.

Go Set a Watchman, was actually written before that classic volume. In the mid-1950s, Lee had completed Watchman, which features Scout Finch as a young woman from Alabama living in New York. The story follows Scout as she returns to visit her father, Atticus, the lawyer who fought racial injustice in Mockingbird.

But as Lee herself put it in a recent announcement through her publisher, “my editor, who was taken by the flashback (倒叙) to Scout’s childhood, persuaded me to write a novel from the point of view of the young Scout. I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told.” That book was, of course, To Kill a Mockingbird, and after it was released to great praise, Lee never returned to Go Set a Watchman. In fact, that earlier work was considered lost until Lee’s lawyer found a manuscript (手稿) of it.

“After much thought and hesitation I considered it worthy of publication.” said Lee. “I am amazed that this will now be published after all these years.” So the book that gave birth to To Kill a Mockingbird will now serve as its sequel (续集).

It’s safe to say that, decades after the publication of Mockingbird, millions of readers who were so touched by Ms. Lee’s second novel will be counting the days until the release of her first one.

1. When was Mockingbird published according to the text?

A．In 1950.	B．In 1960.
C．In 1970.	D．In 1980.

2. What can we know about the book of Watchman?

A．Atticus found a manuscript of the writer.

B．Atticus was a lawyer fighting racial injustice.

C．Scout Finch got to Alabama to see Atticus.

D．Scout Finch lost one of Atticus’ manuscripts.

3. What does “the book” in the fourth paragraph refer to in the writer’s opinion?

A．To Kill a Mockingbird.	B．Go Set a Watchman.
C．The classic volume.	D．Ms. Lee’s second novel.

4. The text mainly talks about       .

A．why Ms. Lee’s first novel will become her second one

B．how Ms. Lee’s first novel differs from her second one

C．when Go Set a Watchman was actually written

D．what Ms. Lee’s two great novels really deal with

【推荐3】Since it was first published in 1843, the novella (短篇故事）A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been loved by millions of people, and perhaps has inspired them to love more and give more. It has been adapted for theatre, television and film. Dickens is known as the best author of the Victorian times writing on social issues affecting his times, such as poverty, child labour and urban development, especially in London where he lived.

Charles Dickens was no strangers to poverty. His father had been thrown in prison for debt in 1824, and he had been removed from school and put to work as the second oldest child of eight children.

Only 12 years old and no longer able to attend school, he spent his time putting labels on pots of black polish. ①

How lonely and worthless he felt there! All his hopes and dreams of making something of his life were ended. It seemed not an adult in the world cared for his hopes or his abilities, not even his own parents.He wondered "how he could be so easily thrown away at such a young age"②

Dickens' father was set free from prison after a year,and Dickens was put back into school for three years until he had to leave again to work as an office boy. Eventually, he started writing stories for the papers.With money coming in and then children,Charles had taken a mortgage(抵押贷款）on a big house.His next novel was not as well received and his future payments were cut. Charles needed to make money and he needed to make it fast. Criticism (批评） of his new novel hurt his confidence;it is not easy to write when you are down and struggling. He needed new ideas and inspiration,but he was running out of time.

③

As he walked the streets after dark, through what he called the “black streets”of London, he again saw the poor ,who had little food or warmth in the cold weather , and the closed-up houses, like the doors of the hearts of many who do not want to love and give.   ④

He happened to find the idea of a Christmas story that could show this-and warm the hearts of the poor and open the hearts of the selfish.   He needed to write fast and that is probably why we only have a novella, but a novella was enough to share his story. He filled the story with character and scenes which he had already written about in his other stories, Scrooge, the main character,is a selfish self-centred man who hates Christmas the tine of giving . His late business partner, also a greedy man, comes back from the dead as a ghost to warn Scrooge.You will need to read the story yourself to see how Scrooge finally changes his ways.

The plan to rescue himself financially also rescued Dickens emotionally. As he wrote about Christmas and the wonderful time of gift giving,family gathering,carol singing and feast sharing, his own heart was cheered and he remembered those things that really mattered to him He loved writing the book and produced a special story,which is still loved around the world. New inspiration and fresh confidence set Dickens on a new path to success.

1. What difficulties was Dickens faced with when writing A Christmas Carol?

A．Lack of time and education.

B．Lack of love and confidence.

C．Lack of patience and ideas

D．Lack of inspiration and confidence.

2. Where should the sentence “It was the loneliest time of his life.”be put in the passage？

A．①

B．②

C．③

D．④

3. What can be inferred about A Christmas Carol from the passage?

A．Dickens got his inspiration by visiting he poor people on the "black street".

B．It is impossible for the readers to know the characters before reading the book.

C．Scrooge becomes a generous and kind man in the end.

D．The book is only meant to criticize the selfishness of the rich.

4. Why is A Christmas Carol such an important work according to the last paragraph?

A．It is very popular among readers.

B．It serves as a turning point in Dickens' writing career.

C．It helped Dickens earn a great deal of money.

D．Its theme is about a wonderful time full of love and giving.

5. What is the purpose of this article?

A．To show the greatness of Charles Dickens.

B．To recommend some great works of Charles Dickens.

C．To present how poor Dickens' life was.

D．To introduce the book A Christmas Carol.