【推荐1】We often spend a lot of time complaining about the things we don’t have or thinking about the things we want to have in future, and forget those things we have now.     1     One of the best ways is to make a list of all the things you are grateful for.

Having a comfortable family

Even if you have a difficult relationship with your parents, you should be thankful to your family. Whether you come from a small quiet family or a big noisy one, remember that these people truly love you, even if they don’t show it.    2    .

Having a good relationship with friends

    3    , be grateful for having them, even if you have only one. Personally I can say that one good friend is always better than a few so-called friends. Be thankful to your friends and try to remind them how much you care as often as possible.

    4    .

We often forget our health until we are sick. Whether you have a headache or something more serious, you can’t accomplish your tasks and you can’t focus on anything else. If you are a healthy person，be thankful for it each day, and make sure you lead a healthy lifestyle.

Valuing the past failures and mistakes

Every person should be grateful for their failures and mistakes. Every failed relationship or missed job chance makes you a better person.     5     . Just don’t dwell(细想)too much on your past.

A．Keeping your body in a good situation

B．No matter how many friends you have

C．Realizing the condition of your sickness

D．They will always be ready to help you in any situation

E．When your friends point out your past failures and mistakes

F．If you fell down, you should remind yourself that you are actually a happy person

G．Sometimes mistakes are great since they help you become better if you learn from them

【推荐2】Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?

UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.

Nitrogen (氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi (真菌) networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons (神经元) in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.

Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

“We didn’t take any notice of it.” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them a chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

1. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Old Trees Communicate Like Humans

B．Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection

C．Trees Contribute To Our Society

D．Trees Are More Complex Than You Think

2. In Simard’s opinion, trees             .

A．protect their own wealth	B．depend on each other
C．compete for survival	D．provide support for dying trees

3. We can learn from the passage that             .

A．if “mother trees” are cut down, the survival for the entire forest will be affected

B．“mother trees” are usually of no use to other trees

C．Charles Darwin had the same thought as Simard

D．people know much about the complex “tree societies”

【推荐3】When I was a kid my parents sent me to a summer camp in New Hampshire.    1    At camp we did tons of great things like swimming, sports, and archery, but for me, the most memorable experience was an overnight trip of mountain climbing. If you've ever hiked a mountain, you know it's a physical challenge, especially when you're carrying your food and shelter on your back.     2    

"How much farther is it？"

"My pack is too heavy, can you carry it for me?"

The reply of the teachers was, "Suck it up." The truth is, the complaining campers were nowhere near the point of exhaustion. If they had been, the teachers would have noticed the signs and given them care.    3    . Once they realized they weren't getting any sympathy they overcame the discomfort, and in most cases ended up having a great time.    4    You can complain, or you can make the best of it. If you complain, you might feel like you're getting the negative energy out, but you're probably not going to cause a positive change. It's much more likely that your complaining will arouse the dislike of those around you.

No one likes a complainer. Complaining makes life harder for everyone.    5    

A．The summer camp was interesting but full of complaint.

B．The kids simply weren't used to the physical challenge.

C．It's no use complaining and it can't bring us what we want.

D．This was a great experience for me.

E．There are two ways to deal with an unpleasant situation.

F．When campers got tired, they certainly started complaining.

G．We should complain less and make more effort.

【推荐2】Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love,

Dad

1. Who was most probably the writer?

A．A headmaster managing a primary school.

B．A candidate to run for President of U.S.A.

C．A manager running international business.

D．A commander experiencing a war in a foreign country.

2. What does the underlined word “journey” (Paragraph 1) really mean?

A．a trip to a place of interest

B．a process to bring up their children

C．a campaign to run for the president

D．a visit to their hometown to meet their grandmother

3. What do we know about Malia and Sasha’s grandmother?

A．She had a perfect way to educate children.

B．She encouraged the writer to join the army.

C．She bought a lovely puppy for her grandchildren.

D．She often read the Declaration of Independence to her grandchildren.

4. From the letter we can learn that the writer was ________.

A．kind and hesitant

B．ambitious and considerate

C．selfish but merciful

D．successful but stubborn

5. According to the letter, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The writer and his two daughters had been apart for a long time.

B．The writer hoped that his daughters would live up to his great expectations.

C．The only way to settle the differences in the world is through violence.

D．There still exist some divides of race and region, gender and religion somewhere in the world.

6. What is the writer’s purpose of writing the letter?

A．Encouraging his daughters to run for President in the future.

B．Explaining the whole international situation to his daughters.

C．Educating his daughters how to defend their country.

D．Apologizing to his daughters for his not being able to stay together with them for such a long time.