【推荐1】I’d done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I’d bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.

The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home’s dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family’s temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen, she yelled, “Ma, Ma, they really came!” I didn’t know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.

Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair — her grandmother, we’d soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.

By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change. Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room — so much. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before — Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.

Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn’t until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she’d made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls — one much taller than the other — and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart: “Please don’t leave”. Now almost in tears, I couldn’t control myself anymore — I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither of us could let go.

I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too — a greater appreciation for all of the blessings of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.

1. What did the author expect before taking this mission trip?

A．An exciting experience.	B．A special memory.
C．A routine result.	D．A surprising change.

2. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know ________.

A．she was an innocent and lovely child	B．she hoped for a better education
C．she was strong and calm in the inner world	D．she formed a bad living habit

3. The underlined part means that the little girl ________.

A．enjoyed meeting me	B．feared to talk with me
C．desired to approach me	D．resisted accepting me

4. How did the author feel after unfolding the piece of paper?

A．She worried about the little girl’s future.

B．She decided to keep helping the little girl.

C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl.

D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift.

5. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．One must learn to share life experiences.

B．One should be more grateful for the gift of life.

C．One often wants to lead a meaningful life.

D．One occasionally benefits from the poverty.

【推荐2】My aunt Cindy has her own cake shop. She can make nice cakes for special occasions, such as weddings and birthdays. I spent a week last summer helping her in the shop. Making a nice cake is harder than I thought it would be.

I practised for hours in Aunt Cindy’s shop. I made little colored dots (圆点) on a piece of wax paper (蜡纸). Unluckily, I could not get the dots to be the same shape or size. I decided to take a break from making the dots, so I helped move cakes. However, that was not easy for me, either. I dropped a cake when trying to take it out of the freezer (冰箱) by myself. Luckily one of Aunt Cindy’s assistants (助手) was there. He saved the cake from hitting the floor.     

It takes a whole team to make a huge cake. That’s one of the most important things I learned. Each person on the team has to be great at his or her job. Aunt Cindy designs the cakes on paper, Larry does the mixing and baking, and assistants carve and put frosting on the cakes. Aunt Cindy and Larry do most of the decorating while the assistants help make small parts like flowers and figures. Building a big cake is like playing a team sport. If one person doesn’t do his or her job well, the whole team pays for that.      

Even though I was not much help to my aunt, I’m glad I spent the week in Aunt Cindy’s shop. Designing cakes takes more than just baking skills. It takes art and painting skills too. Now when I see a really nice cake, I don’t think of eating it first. Instead, I look at it and wonder how many hours it took to make.

1. What does the underlined word “occasions” mean in this passage?

A．events

B．needs

C．months

D．ideas

2. Why did the writer take a break from putting colored dots on wax paper?

A．Because she practised for hours and became bored.

B．Because she could not make the dots good enough for a cake.

C．Because Aunt Cindy did not want her to make any more dots.

D．Because Aunt Cindy wanted her to help somewhere else.

3. Who designs the cakes on paper?

A．Aunt Cindy.

B．Larry.

C．Assistants.

D．The writer.

4. What was the main reason the writer was glad to have spent a week in her aunt’s shop?

A．She got to practise making coloured dots.	B．She learned the importance of teamwork.
C．She got to take a cake out of the freezer.	D．She learned art and painting skills.

【推荐3】After Reuben Schoots was ill, he found himself with nothing but time on his hands. He dropped 35 pounds and was so weak that he could barely make it out of bed. He lost his job and stopped pursuing his course of study in nutrition at university.

Schoots realized that the life he'd known was over. He was depressed until the day something small caught his attention and would change his life. A visiting friend wore a mechanical glass-backed watch. Its movement was visible. Schoots was fascinated by the synchronicity(同步性)of all the tiny parts working together that made it run. Although watchmaking had never been a pursuit, he realized it was something truly appealing to him and that he could try it during his recovery.

Schoots devoted himself to the techniques of master watchmaker George Daniels, a man famous for his handmade creations. Schoots said only two other watchmakers besides himself had completed a timepiece. It's a process of trial and error of making and remaking; a process that in many ways mirrors Schoots' remaking of his entire life.

He's also come to understand how his own experience might serve as a positive example to those struggling with pandemic-related loneliness. “People are feeling negative and don't like this isolation(孤立).Change hurts,” he said. “But they undervalue the value of downtime and I think people are scared to be with themselves. Evolution comes out of downtime.”

2,500 hours into his project, Schoots is just two pieces shy of completing his first 100-percent handmade watch. The work isn't physically tiring, but it requires focus and concentration.

1. Why did Schoots stop pursuing his course?

A．He lost some weight.	B．He lost interest in it.
C．He was ill and weak.	D．He was forced to stop by others.

2. What gave Schoots the idea to try watchmaking?

A．His family's support.	B．The structure of the watch.
C．His friend's encouragement.	D．The appearance of a watch.

3. What is Schoots' attitude towards isolation and downtime?

A．Positive.	B．Negative.
C．Doubtful.	D．Unclear.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Schoots fights against illness.	B．Schoots realizes the value of isolation.
C．Schoots picks up watchmaking.	D．Schoots remakes life through watchmaking.

【推荐1】Wang Shuang was just five when her parents divorced, dropped her at her uncle’s and left. Football, as it often is, became an escape.

At seven, she was spotted by coach Xu Yilong, who found Wang quick in her playful behavior. As the only girl in the boys’ team, Wang’s performances were impressive, earning her the nickname “Iron Girl”. And soon, she sensed the sport’s power. Football allowed her to “release herself” and realize “whatever happens, football never leaves you alone”.

However, life was never smooth sailing. The constant jibes (嘲讽) from some people, who always tried to push her down and destroy her hopes, affected her so deeply that she lost confidence. “They were saying I had no talent at all. Gradually, I felt really so,” Wang once wrote. But never did she stop playing. When she was called up at the age of 17, Wang thought, “Me? Are you sure?” When a world-famous club wanted to sign her, she was excited that an excellent coach thought she was good. It was only then that she felt confident in her abilities. “I felt recognized. Perhaps I had a bit of talent after all.”

Not any “bit of talent”; the genius is praised as China’s once-in-a-generation player.

China is a pioneer of women’s football in Asia and has won the continental championship nine times, including seven straight titles between 1986 and 1999. That was their golden age. Gradually, though, the dynasty declined (衰退). It is hoped that Wang will inspire the women’s football of the country to its former height.

Coaches are almost always hesitant to speak about individual players. But when coach Shui Qingxia was asked about Wang before the match against Vietnam, she couldn’t stop mentioning her influence on the team. Unfailingly performing on the big stage, Wang did not let her team down. When they lacked a quality ball，she delivered two high assists that finally led her team into the quarterfinal(四分之一决赛).

“Nobody knows how hard it was,” declared Wang after the match. “We overcame difficulties. We also showed our strong spiritual power. I am proud of my team. ”

1. What can we infer about Wang from the second paragraph?

A．She earned a living on her own.

B．She was released from the team.

C．She was laughed at by the boys.

D．She found a sense of belonging.

2. How did Wang regain faith in her abilities?

A．By winning recognition.

B．By obtaining inspiration.

C．By playing in the national team.

D．By ignoring other people’s jibes.

3. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Wang Shuang: A Steel Rose

B．Wang Shuang: A Child Genius

C．Wang Shuang:A Football Pioneer

D．Wang Shuang: A Golden Age Creator

【推荐2】任务型阅读

Following My Dream

I grew up in a poor family with six brothers, three sisters, my father and mother. We had little money and few goods, but plenty of love and attention. I was happy and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream.

My dream was athletics. By the time I was sixteen, I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything moving on the football field. And I was so lucky that my high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but often told me “The dream is priceless.” However, when I was about to get off the ground, one particular thing happened, which almost ruined (毁坏)my long-held dream.

It was the summer holiday in Senior Two and a friend recommended me for a summer job. I was offered $12.25 per hour. Compared with the average $3.5, that was a big sum. I was so excited, because this meant a chance for money in my pocket, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother. The prospect (前景)of the job was inviting, and I wanted to jump at the opportunity.

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball training to handle the work schedule. I didn’t dare to tell my coach. I thought of the advice my mother often gave me when I lacked courage, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.” I decided to talk to my coach by myself. After all, my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment to me. I gathered my courage and knocked at his door…

1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词限用一次，有两词为多余选项

continue, realize, upset, advise, fortunate, priceless, throw, excite, have, disappoint, happy, recommend
Following My Dream
I grew up in a poor family and we __________ little money and few goods.		I felt __________ and energetic. I __________ that each person should build his dream even though he was poor.
By the time I was 16, I could __________ a fast ball and hit anything moving on the football field.		I was so __________that my coach was Ollie Jarvis, who often told me “The dream is __________.”
In the summer holiday I was __________ for a summer job. I was offered $12.25 per hour.		I was so __________ about the big sum, because this meant a chance for money in my pocket, money for a new bike and so on.
If I wanted to __________ to work, I would have to give up summer baseball training.		I didn’t dare to tell my coach, but my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his __________ to me.

2. What should one do even if he was poor in the author’s opinion?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why did the author want to give up summer baseball training?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the coach’s attitude towards the author’s dream? How do you know that?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What would happen when the author knocked at his coach’s door?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________