【推荐2】In the summer of 1969, six-year-old Mike Massimino watched wide-eyed on the television as Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon. He immediately made his mom turn his elephant school play costume into that of an astronaut for Halloween.

As a child attracted by the universe, he dreamt of becoming an astronaut. But his wish caught up with him when he realized he didn’t have the ideal skillset to make it as an astronaut: He was afraid of heights, had poor eyesight and couldn’t swim.

Given all of Massimino’s difficulty in qualifying as an astronaut, he worked for a different career. However, when the Challenger exploded, Massimino decided he wouldn’t wait any longer to realize his dream.

NASA’s elite program of astronaut s introduces a new class every couple of years. If you don’t make it, you won’t be considered again until the next round. Massimino first applied (申请) to the program in 1989. Eight months later, he received his rejection (拒绝) letter in the mail. Unsurprised, he began carrying out space research, working toward his PhD in engineering at MIT. He applied again two years later for the 1992 astronaut class. He got rejected again. Years later, for the class of 1995, Massimino’s application turned out unsuccessful. The interview was as tough as one would imagine.

Massimino failed because of something he could not change—not having 20/20 vision (视力). He didn’t stop there. After extensive research, he had vision training for nearly a year, having taken advice from others in the space science field, helping his eyes focus more clearly on objects (物体) in front of him.

Sending out his fourth application to NASA like a shot in the dark with a note from his eye doctor on his improvements, Massimino got a call. They would let him retake his eye test. He passed.

“Making a decision to give up on my dream after coming so close was unthinkable,” he said, “One in a million is not zero. I knew that if I gave up, I would always wonder what would have happened.”

1. What impressed Massimino at the age of six?

A．The invention of television.	B．A school play in Halloween.
C．Armstrong’s moonwalk.	D．The explosion of the Challenger.

2. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．NASA’s program of astronauts.	B．Massimino’s working experience at MIT.
C．NASA’s interview process.	D．Massimino’s three unsuccessful applications.

3. How did Massimino improve his eyesight?

A．By receiving vision training.	B．By having an eye operation.
C．By focusing his eyes on big objects.	D．By following his parents’ advice.

4. Which of the following can best describe Massimino?

A．Clever.

B．Determined.

C．Thoughtful.

D．Generous.

【推荐1】Xie Xiaohua has been working as a special education teacher for the past 26 years. Because of her adherence (坚守) to her work, she has won the heart of hundreds of children in special needs.

“It is my greatest happiness to care for them,” said the 48-year-old Xie, who has been working at a special education school since 1996. Fully aware of the difference between special education and general education, Xie provides specialized care to each student according to their physical conditions and helps them with learning and living. For example, she had taken the responsibility of looking after a student with physical disability for nine years until the student graduated from the school.

In 2013, Xie’s workload became heavier after she was assigned(指派) to work at the school’s rehabilitation (康复) center, which had been built ten years ago. To make sure that every child received suitable training, she worked out specific plans for them. For children with mental disability, Xie patiently taught them to master basic skills. She also spent lots of time training children with hearing and speech problems to work on their pronunciation.

Starting in 2015, the school carried out an activity of offering door-to-door education to students who could not attend school because of severe physical disabilities. Xie was among over 30 teachers tasked with tutoring(辅导) those students. The teachers have walked over 60, 000 kilometers over the past seven years because many villages where the students live are located in mountainous areas.

“Although we do feel tired sometimes, we feel our work is valuable after seeing their progress, even just a little bit.” Xie said.

1. Which statement may the author agree with according to the text?

A．Xie’s students have difficulty living a normal life.

B．Xie’s students’ homes are very far away from school.

C．Xie’s students can’t catch up with others in their studies.

D．All Xie’s students can be provided door-to-door education.

2. When was the rehabilitation center in Xie’s school established?

A．In 1996.

B．In 2003.

C．In 2013.

D．In 2015.

3. Which of the following can best describe Xie Xiaohua’s work in the school?

A．Tiring but meaningful.	B．Boring but rewarding.
C．Demanding but well-paid.	D．Dangerous but respectable.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The changes in a special school.	B．The students in a special school.
C．The education in a special school.	D．A devoted teacher in a special school.

【推荐2】Spreading kindness not only helps others feel better about themselves but also boosts the giver’s health and happiness, according to a study.     1    .

Giving seems to lower our blood pressure.

    2    . One study asked a group of hypertensive (高血压的) people to spend $40 on themselves, while another group of people with high blood pressure were told to spend the money on others. They found that spending money on others had reduced their blood pressure at the end of the six-week study

    3    .

A recent study found that people who said they would donate money to help orphans were less sensitive to an electric shock than those who declined to give. According to the study, regions of the brain that react to painful stimulation appear to be instantly out of operation by the experience of giving.

Being kind seems to boost happiness.

Another study assigned people to three groups: the first group had to do an act of kindness each day; the second group tried a new activity each day; and the third group did nothing. The first two groups saw a significant boost in happiness.     4    , if you’re creative with your acts of kindness, than those who performed the same activity over and over again.

“When doing an act of kindness, you’re making the world a better place,” said the Random Acts of Kindness foundation, which promotes kindness all year.     5    .

A．It’s a win-win for all

B．Giving seems to lessen our pain

C．You’ll experience even greater joy

D．But consider being kind to yourself

E．Being kind seems to contribute to our sense of community

F．Giving donations to others has been shown to have that effect

G．However, any kindness you give to others is also a gift to yourself

【推荐3】Zhang Guimei Awarded CPC’s Top Honor July 1 Medal
1 July 2021

On June 29 this year, Zhang Guimei was awarded CPC’s top honor July 1 Medal at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. At the ceremony. she said she did all this out of her gratefulness and love for the country, as well as the original aspiration and mission of a CPC member.

Zhang Guimei, who has dedicated her 40 years to education at China’s southwestern border, is a principal motivating young girls from impoverished families in mountainous areas.

Zhang was born in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province in 1957. At 17, she came to Dali in Yunnan province to support the development of border areas, where she stumbled into teaching and started a career as an educator. After her husband’s death in 1996, she went to teach in Huaping county, Yunnan’s Lijiang. Five years later, she established a chilren’s home and worked as a part-time president of it. The organization adopted a total of over 170 children, who call Zhang mom though she has never given birth to a child..

While teaching there,she saw many girls drop out of school due to poverty. To change the destiny of the girls in the mountain, Zhang started her preparation to build a free all-girls high school in 2002. In 2007, Zhang went to Beijing for the 17th CPC National Congress as a deputy. Her report titled “I have a dream” delivered at the meeting made her dream of building a free all-girls high school known to all. Later, both the Lijiang and Huaping governments sponsored her with a million yuan. A year later, Zhang’s school was completed, becoming the first free all-girls high school in China. During the past 13 years, the school has nurtured over I,800 students who have made it to universities.

With no offspring and property, Zhang lives in a dormitory building with her students. She has donated all her cash awards, donations from others, and most of her salaries, more than a million yuan, to the children and other people in need. She suffers from 23 diseases, but she is still working selflessly.

Her story has moved millions of Chinese people and is now written into a newly published Brief History of the People’s Republic of China.

1. What’s the writing style of this passage?

A．A biography.	B．An argumentation.
C．A news report.	D．A narration.

2. What’s Zhang’s dream mentioned in the passage?

A．To change the destiny of the girls in the mountain.

B．To lift girls in the mountain out of poverty.

C．To establish a children’s home.

D．To found a free high school for girls only.

3. Which piece of information about Zhang Guimei is true?

A．She has committed herself to education in urban areas

B．She is a moral model burning herself to light others.

C．She has been teaching in Huaping county since she came to Yunnan.

D．She was awarded the Medal on 1 July.