【推荐1】Every year more people recognize that it is wrong to kill wildlife for “sport.” Progress in this direction is slow because shooting is not a sport for watching, and only those few who take part realize the cruelty and destruction.
The number of gunners, however, grows rapidly. Children too young to develop proper judgments through independent thought are led a long way away by their gunning parents. They are subjected to advertisements of gun producers who describe shooting as good for their health and guncarrying as a way of putting redder blood in the veins (血管). They are persuaded by gunner magazines with stories honoring the chase and the kill. In school they view motion pictures which are supposedly meant to teach them how to deal with arms safely but which are actually designed to stimulate (刺激) a desire to own a gun. Wildlife is disappearing because of shooting and because of the loss of wildland habitat (栖息地). Habitat loss will continue with our increasing population, but can we slow the loss of wildlife caused by shooting? There doesn’t seem to be any chance if the serious condition of our birds is not improved.
Wildlife belongs to everyone and not to the gunners alone. Although most people do not shoot, they seem to forgive shooting for sport because they know little or nothing about it. The only answer, then, is to bring the truth about sport shooting to the great majority of people.
Now, it is time to realize that animals have the same right to life as we do and that there is nothing fair or right about a person with a gun shooting the harmless and beautiful creatures. The gunners like to describe what they do as character-building, but we know that to wound an animal and watch it go through the agony of dying can make nobody happy. If, as they would have you believe, gun-carrying and killing improve human-character, then perhaps we should encourage war.
1. According to the text, most people do not seem to be against hunting because ________.

A．they have little knowledge of it

B．it helps to build human character

C．it is too costly to stop killing wildlife

D．they want to keep wildlife under control

2. The underlined word “agony” in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A．form

B．condition

C．pain

D．sadness

3. According to the text, the films children watch at school actually ________.

A．teach them how to deal with guns safely

B．praise hunting as character-building

C．describe hunting as an exercise

D．encourage them to have guns of their own

4. It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to ________.

A．blame the majority of people

B．worry about the existence of wildlife

C．be in favour of war

D．be in support of character-building

【推荐3】Killer whales, or orcas, are known for their severe attacks on sea animals but they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since late July, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal.

The strange behavior first surfaced on July 29, 2020, when a 46-foot boat was repeatedly attacked for almost an hour by nine orcas, causing the boat to rotate(旋转) 180 degrees and having its engine switched off. Since then, over 30 more similar incidents have been reported. On September 23, 2020, Spain's government banned boats of less than 50 feet in length from sailing in the 60-mile stretch of the Atlantic coastline between Ferrol and the Estaca de Bares Cape, where the attacks have been occurring.

Researchers across the world are trying to explain the orcas' behavior. Some believe it could be a result of the overfishing of the bluefish tuna - the orcas' primary food source -which has left the area's killer whales starving and unable to feed their babies. "I saw them look at boats carrying fish. I think they know humans are somehow related to food shortages, "says Ken Balcomb, senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research in Washington, USA. The environmentalists believe the sudden increase in boat traffic and fishing activities, after months of absence due to restrictions on human activity last spring, could also be contributing to the agitation.

However, Alfredo López, a biology professor in Galicia, Spain, thinks the attacks are defensive measures the orcas adopted to protect themselves against boat injuries. The researcher came to this conclusion after looking at the of the videos of a few incidents and noticing that two of the young killer whales involved had serious injuries. Hopefully, the experts will be able to find a way to restore the harmony between the animals and the humans soon.

1. What do we know about orcas in paragraph 1?

A．They are friendly to humans.	B．They have changed their behavior.
C．They are famous for hunting skills	D．They have met tough living conditions.

2. Who hold(s) the idea that fishing activities caused the incidents?

A．Ken Balcomb.	B．The environmentalists.
C．Alfredo López.	D．Spain's government.

3. What does the underlined word "the agitation" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The attacks.

B．Food shortages.

C．The overfishing.

D．Human activities.

4. What might be a suitable title for this text?

A．How do killer whales attack humans?

B．Why Are Killer Whales attacking Boats?

C．How can we live in harmony with animals?

D．Why are boats banned from sailing on the sea?

【推荐1】The Mokoko tribe (部落) lived on the wrong side of the island of two faces. The two sides, separated by a great cliff (悬崖), were like night and day. The good side was watered by rivers and was filled with trees and abundant food, while on the wrong side there was hardly any water or plants, and wild beasts crowded together. The Mokoko had the misfortune of having always lived there, with no way to cross to the other side. Their life was hard and they lived in permanent terror of the beasts.

Along the edge of the cliff separating the two sides, a skinny but strong tree grew, with which they could build two poles. There was no doubt that the tribe would choose the great chief and doctor to use the poles. But when the two of them were given their chance to make the jump, they didn’t dare to. They thought that the pole could break or it would not be long enough. They put so much energy into these thoughts that they gave in.

But into that tribe were born Nam and Ariki, a pair of young hearts. One day, they decided to take up the poles. Nobody stopped them, but everyone did try to discourage them, trying to present how dangerous the jumping was, using a thousand explanations.

“And what if what they say is true?” wondered the young Naru.

“Don’t worry. I am a bit scared too, but it doesn’t look so difficult,” replied Ariki, ever determined.

“But if it goes wrong, it will be a terrible end,” continued Naru, undecided.

“Perhaps the jump will go badly. But staying forever on this side of the island surely won’t work out well either.”

“You’re right. Let’s do it tomorrow.”

And on the next day, Naru and Ariki jumped to the good side of the island. When taking up the poles, while feeling their desire, the fear hardly allowed them to breathe. And while flying through the air, helpless and without support, they felt that something must have gone wrong and death awaited them. But when they landed on the other side, they thought the jump really hadn’t been so bad after all.

1. What situation were the Mokoko faced with?

A．They lived a difficult life without fearing the beasts.

B．They suffered a lot due to the terrible environment.

C．They had easy access to the good side.

D．They were surrounded by trees and rivers.

2. How did the chief and doctor feel when they were chosen?

A．Frightened.	B．Energetic.
C．Desperate.	D．Satisfied.

3. What’s the tribe members’ reaction when Nam and Ariki decided to take up the poles?

A．The members desired to follow their steps.

B．The members tried to prevent the behaviour.

C．The members convinced them of the danger.

D．The members encouraged them to have a try.

4. What can we infer about Naru and Ariki?

A．They overcame difficulty with courage and determination.

B．They felt relaxed in the whole process of making the jump.

C．They never doubted the difficulty in making the jump.

D．They hesitated to make the jump over and over again.

【推荐2】When I tell people I wrote a book with my dad, they usually say, “It must be nice to think of the legacy (留下来的东西) you created with someone who means so much to you.”

This was a beautiful idea, but it was not the way I, or my dad, ever thought about the cooperation. Though we created something we’re proud of, “nice” is not the word either of us uses to describe the process.

“It was more confrontation than cooperation,” my dad likes to say. I agree. When we landed a book deal, we began a writing journey that was more difficult than either of us had anticipated, but also far more rewarding.

For almost three years, we met once or twice a week at my parents’ house and talked daily to plan and outline each chapter. After these meetings, one of us would write a rough draft that the other would build on. I wanted the book to focus on positive vices (不良习惯), such as moderate chocolate. However, my dad felt the book should include chapters dealing with things like walking and spending time with family. Ultimately, I saw it his way. He said the book was about more than just good vices. It was about encouraging people to enjoy life in healthy ways.

Writing this book was a reminder that our family members share not only our faults but also our strengths. My dad is smart, funny, critical and caring. He has a strong passion for the truth. I hope I share these great qualities. For this book, he researched each topic with an enthusiasm I’d never seen from him, and he insisted that we constantly question and critically analyze every piece of information — even our own conclusions. He was determined to cooperate with me on a book, not because he couldn’t write one on his own, but because he believed that we could create something better together than we could alone.

I’m not sure if our cooperation led to better writing, but I’m sure it led to a better writing experience. Writing this book was difficult, sometimes more difficult than past projects, but it was never lonely.

1. How would the author describe the writing process according to the first three paragraphs?

A．Nice.	B．Struggling.
C．Relaxing.	D．Disappointing.

2. The author’s father insisted the book should include _____________.

A．chapters focusing on positive vices

B．chapters focusing on having much chocolate

C．chapters focusing on enjoying life in healthy ways

D．chapters focusing on reading the interesting legends

3. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．A healthy lifestyle.

B．The theme of the book.

C．Why the author wanted to write a book.

D．How the author and his father worked together.

4. What can we learn about the author’s father?

A．He is not good at writing.

B．He lacks confidence in himself.

C．He likes to criticize others’ works.

D．He likes to get to the bottom of things.

5. What did the author learn from the cooperation with his father?

A．It’s important to make a plan before work.

B．Communicate more when there is an argument.

C．It’s worthwhile to work with someone close to you.

D．Their cooperation resulted in a better book than the author expected.

【推荐3】I was in my third year of teaching creative writing at a high school in New York, when one of my students, 15-year-old Mikey, gave me a note from his mother. It explained his absence from class the day before.

I had seen Mikey himself writing the note at his desk. Most parental-excuse notes（请假条） I received were penned by my students. If I were to deal with them, I’d be busy 24 hours a day.

The forged excuse notes made a large pile, with writing that ranged from imaginative to crazy. The writers of those notes didn't realize that honest excuse notes were usually dull: “Peter was late because the alarm clock didn’t go off.”

Isn’t it remarkable, I thought, how the students complained and said it was hard putting 200 words together on any subject? But when they produced excuse notes, they were brilliant.

So one day I typed out a dozen excuse notes and gave them to my classes. I said, “They’re supposed to be written by parents, but actually they are not. True, Mikey?” The students looked at me nervously.

“Now, this will be the first class to study the art of the excuse note---the first class, ever, to practice writing them. You’re so lucky to have a teacher like me who has taken your best writing and turned it into a subject worthy of study.”

Everyone smiled as I went on, “You used your imaginations. So try more now. Today I’d like you to write ‘An Excuse Note from Adam to God’ or ‘An Excuse Note from Eve to God’.” Heads went down. Pens raced across paper. For the first time ever I saw students so careful in their writing that they had to be asked to go to lunch by their friends.

The next day everyone had excuse notes. Heated discussions followed. The headmaster entered the classroom and walked up and down, looking at papers, and then said, “I’d like you to see me in my office.”

When I stepped into his office, he came to shake my hand and said, “I just want to tell you that that lesson, that task, whatever the hell you were doing, was great. Those kids were writing on the college level. Thank you.”

1. What did the author do with the students found dishonest?

A．He reported them to the headmaster.

B．He lectured（训诫）them hard on honesty.

C．He had them take notes before lunch.

D．He helped improve their writing skills.

2. The underlined word “forged” in the third paragraph means       .

A．former	B．copied
C．false	D．honest

3. The author found that compared with the true excuse notes, the produced ones by the students were usually       .

A．less imaginative	B．more impressive
C．loss lively	D．more serious

4. The author had the students practice writing excuse notes so that students could learn       .

A．the importance of being honest	B．how to write excuse notes skillfully
C．the value of creative writing	D．how to be creative in writing

5. What did the headmaster think of the author’s way of teaching?

A．Effective.	B．Difficult
C．Misleading.	D．Reasonable.