【推荐1】How to Contribute to Thanksgiving Dinner As a Teenager

Your family has been stressing out about hosting this year's Thanksgiving meal for weeks now, and you want to help out. The problem is, you're only a teenager.    1    

Go grocery shopping. If you have enough time and the food hasn't been purchased yet, ask your parents if you can do the grocery shopping for them.    2    If you don't have a car and walking to the grocery store or biking there isn't a choice, ask if you can go to the grocery store along with your parents to make the shopping process easier.

Clean the house. A clean home is the best setting for Thanksgiving dinner.    3    Clear an area for guests to put their shoes, coats, and bags so they aren't in the way.

Set the table. It will save your parents’ time, so they can finish preparing the meal. If you're using place cards, put wine glasses at the seats of guests who will be drinking. Some guests may have their kids seated at the table.    4    

Plan a fun family activity. This is a great thing to do when people are either waiting for the meal or looking for something to do after the meal. This is where you come in.    5    You may even take some family photos. They'll be happy that you captured these memories later.

A．So how do you start helping out?

B．Don't get too pushy about doing everything.

C．You should plan a fun game or activity in advance.

D．If you have a car and they trust you to drive, that is.

E．Ask your parents if you are unsure if you really need place cards.

F．You should consider not putting a knife at their seat, for safety reasons.

G．Even if it's not perfectly neat, things should he relatively organized and dust-free.

【推荐2】Another person’s enthusiasm（热情）was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in the countryside of Virginia. My father introduced me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is well known for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no later than tomorrow morning.”

My stepmother walked over to me, raised my head slightly upward, and looked at me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are wrong. This is not the worst boy at all, but the smartest one who hasn’t yet found a way to give out his enthusiasm.”

That statement began a friendship between us. No one had ever called me smart, My family and neighbors had built me up in my mind as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She persuaded my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father’s career could be more successful and my brother and I could be better educated.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand typewriter and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her belief and began to write for local newspapers and finally reached the goal she set for me. I wasn’t the only beneficiary. My father became the wealthiest man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

1. What does the author mean by “I wasn’t the only beneficiary”?

A．His stepmother bought typewriters for other family members, too.

B．Not only he but also his family gained from his stepmother’s enthusiasm.

C．Other family members’ enthusiasm has great effects on his stepmother.

D．There were other boys who behaved as badly as he did.

2. According to the author, ______ before his stepmother came into his life.

A．his father had been away from home for a long time

B．people had noticed his intelligence

C．he knew how to release his enthusiasm properly

D．he was considered a rude boy with wild behaviors

3. The author’s stepmother did all the following EXCEPT ______.

A．giving some writing lessons to him at home

B．moving the family into the centre of the county

C．planning the future for each family member

D．praising him from the bottom of her heart

4. Which of the following best serves as the title of the passage?

A．Enthusiasm, a Source of Authority

B．Enthusiasm, a Gift from my Father

C．Enthusiasm, a Trend in Families

D．Enthusiasm, a Power for Success

【推荐3】It was at least two months before Christmas when nine-year-old Almie Rose told her father and me that she wanted a new bicycle. As Christmas drew nearer, her desire for a bicycle seemed to fade, or so we thought. We bought her a lovely doll, and a doll house. Then much to our surprise, on December 23^rd, she said that she “really wanted a bike more than anything else”.

But it was just too late. With such a lot of preparations to do for the Christmas dinner we did not have the time to buy our little girl a bike. So, here we were Christmas Eve around 9:00 p.m., with Almie and her six-year-old brother, Dylan, sleeping in their beds. Now we could only think of the bicycle and the disappointment of our child. “What if I make a little bicycle out of clay (泥) and write a note that she could trade (交易，交换) the clay bike in for a real bike?” her dad asked. So he spent the next four hours making a tiny clay bike.

On Christmas morning, we were excited for Almie to open the little gift box with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. Finally, she opened it and read the note aloud. “Does this mean that I can trade in this bike that Daddy made me for a real one?” I said, “Yes.” Almie had tears in her eyes when she replied, “I could never trade in this beautiful bicycle that Daddy made me. I’d rather keep this than get a real bike.” At that moment, we would have moved heaven and earth to buy her every bicycle in the world!

1. Which is the right time order of the following events?
a. The girl asked for a new bike.
b. The girl opened the little gift box.
c. The parents bought the girl a modern and popular doll.
d. The father made the girl a bike with clay.
e. The girl would rather keep the clay bike than get a real one .

A．a-b-c-e-d

B．a-c-d-b-e

C．a-c-b-d-e

D．a-b-d-c-e

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The parents wanted the girl to have the clay bike forever.

B．Tears were in the girl’s eyes because she didn’t like the present at all.

C．The girl never lost her desire for a bike.

D．The parents paid little attention to the daughter’s desire for a bike.

3. Why did Dad make the clay bicycle?

A．Because he wanted to buy a real one.but he had no money.

B．Because he didn’t want to disappoint his daughter.

C．Because he thought his daughter would like it.

D．Because he wanted to give his daughter a surprise.

4. What can be inferred from the last sentence of the text?

A．The parents were happy and encouraged.	B．The parents felt comfortable and relaxed.
C．The parents were moved and felt proud of the girl.	D．The parents felt disappointed and sorry for the girl.

【推荐1】Amanda Kofoeds had found a strange lump in her arm one day and visited a doctor at a friend's urging. During this time, she was enrolled in school for education and was currently uninsured due to the expense. She planned to save money so she could get on her husband' s insurance and then seek medical treatment for the cancer.

Her friends and family didn't want her to postpone her treatment due to the expense. They took matters into their own hands and started a GoFundMe campaign. The friend came up with the creative idea to spread the word and invite family, friends, and strangers who wanted to help to participate in a donation flash mob (快闪行动).The event started an outpouring of enormous generosity from the local community.

Amanda and her husband Clint teared up as the crowd passed by and the donations poured in. The generous act of kindness gave the family a comforting, and optimistic feeling during a time when all hope seemed lost. Clint said that Amanda struggled with the idea of asking for help. She felt guilty and undeserving compared to others who are also struggling.

In the time since, Amanda has enrolled in an insurance plan and has finished chemotherapy. Life for the family has started getting back to their normal routine.

Once Amanda got her strength back, she returned to school and completed her bachelor's degree in education. She is now a teacher. She said the experience motivated her to instill (灌输) the value of charity in her children. The family is now inspired to volunteer in their local neighborhood and contribute to crowdfunding (众筹) efforts. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back and help others as many have helped them.

The couple said they feel blessed by the strong support. PassItOn wants to celebrate those heroes during the family's darkest time. These individuals perfectly demonstrate the value of community. It is with the help of their generosity that the family is now happy, healthy and whole.

1. Why did Amanda Kofoeds postpone her treatment?

A．She was admitted to a school.

B．Her family couldn't afford the medical cost.

C．No good doctors could treat her cancer.

D．Her friends and family refused to assist her.

2. What did her friends do to help Amanda Kofoeds?

A．They started a donation flash mob.

B．They founded a community school.

C．They supported her through local hospitals.

D．They fought for assistance from the whole country.

3. Which word best describes the couple's feeling when strongly supported?

A．Guilty.

B．Satisfied.

C．Anxious.

D．Grateful.

4. What can we learn from Amanda Kofoeds' story?

A．Hard work pays off.

B．The value of charity is great.

C．Education is the key to success.

D．A friend is never known till a man has need.

【推荐2】Few things are more satisfying than sleeping late on weekends. But though the extra sleep may improve your mood, it does not appear to improve your health. A new study shows that so-called “recovery sleep” cannot reset the body clock and may actually lead to some serious health problems.

Christopher Depner, an assistant professor at the Department of Integrative Physiology of the University of Colorado Boulder, said, “Sleep loss can influence a range of physiological systems. It can increase our risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, it can cause weight gain, and it can increase our risk of diabetes (糖尿病).”

In the study, Depner and his colleagues divided the volunteers into three groups. One group was allowed to get a full night’s sleep. The next was kept to just five hours each night. And the third group went back and forth, limited to five hours of shut-eye during the workweek, allowed as much sleep as they wanted over the weekend, and then back to five hours for the last couple of days.

“We found that a loss of sleep leads to a sharp increase in snacking. But even more surprising, sleeping on the weekend doesn’t help—and even makes thing worse” said Depener. “After the weekend, when they went back to getting inadequate sleep during the work or school week, their liver and muscle insulin (胰岛素) sensitivity or blood sugar regulation was reduced. And this is not something we found in people who had long-term inadequacy sleep schedules. So it’s possible that this is a worsening of the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar for these specific tissues after the weekend.”

So make a date with a pillow. And trade the sweets for sweet dreams.

1. What effect does sleep loss have on people?

A．It results in changes in their moods.

B．It does harm to the body clock.

C．It damages the liver severely.

D．It makes people become heavier.

2. What do we know about the volunteers in the second group?

A．They were allowed to have the least sleep in a week.

B．They could have as much sleep as possible on weekends.

C．Their liver and muscle insulin sensitivity was reduced.

D．Their ability to regulate blood sugar was found worsened.

3. What does the author advise readers to do according to the text?

A．To sleep extra hours on weekends.

B．To balance their work and sleep.

C．To trade some sweets as possible.

D．To get enough sleep on weekdays.

4. From which part of a website is the text probably taken?

A．Culture.

B．Health.

C．Sci-tech.

D．Fashion.

【推荐3】April Fools' Day is supposed to be a day to play jokes on others in hopes of getting a good laugh and making one feel like a fool.However，the April Fools' Day of 2019 was quite different for my mom and me.

That day my friend Jimmy and I were playing a game.I had dropped down from a bar (横木) many times in the past without ever having a problem，but that day the simple act of dropping to the ground became a nightmare (噩梦)．I broke my arm.

Jimmy's dad heard my crying and rushed out to see what was going on.When he saw the problem，he quickly put me into his truck and went inside to telephone my mom and let her know he would take me to the hospital.As that day was April Fools' Day，Mom was not buying it and really thought all this was a big joke.Mom was finally convinced by Jimmy's mom.When she saw me，she broke down in tears because she felt so bad－she simply believed that was just a big trick.

I guess one could compare this to the story The Boy Who Cried Wolf.Since I had played bad tricks before，it was no wonder that my mom didn't believe it.I as well as my mom was made to look like a fool that day.We both learned a valuable lesson.

1. What happened to the writer on the April Fools' Day of 2019?

A．He dreamed a terrible dream.

B．He was hurt by Jimmy.

C．He had an accident.

D．He fooled his mom with his friend.

2. Why did Jimmy's dad phone the writer's mom?

A．Because he wanted to play a joke on her.

B．Because he wanted her to go to the hospital to pay the money.

C．Because he wanted to see how deeply she loved her son.

D．Because he wanted to inform her of the accident.

3. What does the underlined sentence “Mom was not buying it” mean?

A．She didn't believe what Jimmy's dad said.

B．She would not like to pay the money.

C．She had no preparation for the bad news.

D．She thought her son deserved (应受) it.

4. Why did the writer mention the story The Boy Who Cried Wolf?

A．Because he thought it was his mom's fault.

B．Because he had a lesson like that.

C．Because he was proud of his story.

D．Because he felt he was luckier than that boy.

5. From the passage we can infer that ________．

A．the writer's mom didn't care much about him

B．the writer was a dishonest person

C．the writer won't play jokes as before

D．the writer will lose interest in games

【推荐1】Last week the manager of an old shop received a letter. As he was very busy, the letter lay on his desk till teatime. Then he opened it and $100 fell out onto his desk. Together with it was a short letter. It reads:

Dear Sir,

In 1935 I got engaged (订婚), but unluckily I lost my job. At that time a lot of people were out of work. Six months later I got a job again, but of course I was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring (结婚戒指). The girl took out some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I did not know the size of my girlfriend’s finger. So I left the shop without paying.

My wife died a short while ago and I had felt ashamed (羞愧的) for not paying for the ring all these years. At that time the ring cost$20, so I think it may cost $100 now, and I am sending you the money.

Yours truly,

A customer

“well, well, well,” said the manager. “Life is full of surprises.”

1. The writer of the letter sent $100 ______.

A．to buy a ring for his wife	B．to thank the girl for her kindness
C．to pay for his wife’s ring	D．to give an order for a ring

2. How did the writer of the letter get the wedding ring?

A．The girl gave it to him.	B．He bought it from the shop.
C．He borrowed it from the shop.	D．He took it from the shop without paying.

3. From the text we can know that the manager was ______.

A．afraid of seeing the money	B．too excited to say a word
C．surprised to get the money unexpectedly (出乎意料)	D．sorry for what the young man had done

【推荐2】An old man walked slowly into a restaurant with his cane (拐杖). His old jacket and shoes made him unusual that day.

A young waitress named Mary watched him move towards a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said with a smile, “Here, sir. Let me give you a hand.” Without saying a word, he gave her a smile. She pulled the chair away from the table and helped him sit down. Then she put his cane against the table so that he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice, he said, “Thank you, miss.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” she replied. “I’ll be back in a moment, and if you need anything, just wave at me!”

After he had finished a good meal. Mary brought him the change. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, sir!” The old man turned around and smiled.

When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under the plate, she found a business card, a 100-dollar bill and a note. The note said, “Dear Mary, I respect (尊敬) you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness.” In fact, the old man was the owner of the restaurant. That was the first time that she, or any of his waitresses, had seen him.

1. The old man looked     

A．young

B．handsome

C．unusual

D．common

2. As soon as the old man entered the restaurant, Mary greeted him .

A．politely

B．slowly

C．sadly

D．angrily

3. Mary told the old man to     when he needed something.

A．ring the bell

B．wave at her

C．shout at her

D．phone her

4. Mary was shocked when she found a business card, a 100-dollar bill and a note       .

A．on the chair

B．on the ground

C．under the bowl

D．under the plate

5. The old man was

A．Mary’s father	B．Mary’s neighbour
C．the boss of the restaurant	D．a waiter of the restaurant

【推荐3】A man was fishing on the bank of a river. A boy came to see him fishing. The man was really good at fishing and he could catch a full basket of fish in a short time. The man saw that the boy was very cute, and he wanted to give him a whole basket of fish. But the boy shook his head. The man was surprised and asked, “Why don’t you want the fish? ”

The boy replied, “I want the fishing rod(竿)in your hands.”

The man asked, “Why do you want the rod? ”

“I will eat up all the fish in the basket soon, but if I have the fishing rod,I can use it to catch a lot of fish by myself.”

Many people will certainly say the boy is very smart...wrong! If he doesn’t know fishing skills. He can’t catch fish without a fishing rod. It’s useless to only have a fishing rod, fishing skills are more important than having a fishing rod.

Many people want to have a “fishing rod” in their life. They are just like the boy, they thought that if they had a fishing rod, they would have fish to eat. Life is full of exciting things, we should try to learn fishing skills instead of having a fishing rod.

1. The man was fishing on the bank of________.

A．a river

B．a lake

C．a pool

D．a sea

2. Many people thought the boy was________after he explained why he didn’t want the fish.

A．smart

B．silly

C．wrong

D．hardworking

3. Life is full exciting things,we should try to________.

A．fish

B．eat fish

C．learn fishing skills

D．have a fishing rod