【推荐1】I hesitated when my friend suggested that we join the school’s new Tai Chi club. I used to think that tai chi was for the elderly. However, the first class changed my previous understanding of tai chi. A year later, I can say that tai chi has had a huge impact on me.

The first few tai chi classes were fun and easy, and the moves with descriptive names really caught my imagination, like “white crane spreading its wings” and “golden rooster standing on one leg.” When I asked my coach where these interesting names came from, he told me about the history of tai chi. Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist, was said to have invented tai chi after drawing inspiration from a fight between a snake and a bird. However, nowadays people tend to believe that Chen Wangting, a 17th-century master of Chinese martial arts, developed tai chi based on martial arts skills.

After the first few basic tai chi lessons, I found myself bored and aching from doing the same slow moves over and over again. Fortunately, my coach taught me how to relax my muscles and focus on peace of mind during ever, day practice. With these requirements of tai chi in mind, I found to my satisfaction that my balance and flexibility slowly improved, that I was able to do more difficult moves, and that my love for tai chi returned stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, I started to explore the ancient Chinese culture behind tai chi. I discovered that tai chi is deeply rooted in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, which are believed to form the the unity of opposite. Neither can exist independent of the other. The practice of tai chi aims to keep the balance of yin and yang in the body through opposite movements: forwards and backwards, up and down, left and right, breathing in and breathing out. Ultimately, tai chi brings about a state of physical balance and mental peace.

The experience of a year of tai chi has affected my everyday life positively. I sleep more soundly at night, and feel more energetic during the day. I feel happier and more confident. Tai chi has taught me to relax my mind, enabling me to stay calm in stressful situations. I am sure I will continue to practise tai chi and enjoy the benefits it has brought me.

1. Why did the author join the Tai Chi Club?

A．Because of his friend’s advice.	B．Because of his interest in it.
C．Because of the school’s request.	D．Because of his parents’ suggestion.

2. Which of the following words can describe the moves of tai chi?

A．Quick and beautiful.	B．Quick and free.
C．Slow and beautiful.	D．Slow and boring.

3. What is the Chinese culture behind tai chi?

A．Tai chi is influenced by Laozi’s philosophy of water.

B．Tai chi can have a positive effect in people’s lives.

C．You can find the origin of tai chi in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang.

D．Tai chi can make people feel energetic and confident.

4. What does the underlined word mean?

A．Finally

B．Sometimes

C．Firstly

D．Constantly

【推荐2】I was watching my kids play on the sidewalk when I looked up and saw a crow sitting on the telephone wire. The crow sat with its head turned to one side， observing us with one friendly black eye.

I'm not a bird expert or a birdwatcher， but crows intrigue me. Since that day， I have become friends with the neighborhood crows， and I've learned a thing or two along the way.

The best way to introduce yourself to a crow is by feeding it. I'm sure there are other ways to go about it， but the easiest and fastest way to a crow's heart is food. Some may argue that a crow is a wild animal and by feeding it， you encourage the unnatural dependence. And to most wildlife， this is an excellent philosophy. But crows and humans have been living side by side for centuries， and researchers like Marzluff and Angell， who wrote In the Company of Crows and Ravens， point to many examples of cultural co﹣evolution （共同进化） between us. It's been a rather symbiotic （共生的） relationship for quite a while.

Certainly， humans' and crows' lives and histories have become closely related. I moved to this neighborhood in this small city 5 years ago. I'm relatively new here， but the crows in my neighborhood may have lived here for many years. They've watched people come and go for years ﹣ people who may have watched them right back.

So anyway， we're neighbors， and feeding is the neighborly thing to do.

1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word "intrigue" in Paragraph 2？

A．Dislike.

B．Interest.

C．Surprise.

D．Frighten.

2. What does the author think is the easiest and fastest way to let the crows like you？

A．To play with them.

B．To make friends with them.

C．To give food to them.

D．To watch them closely.

3. We can infer from Paragraph 3 the purpose of the author is to .

A．develop a philosophy

B．introduce a book

C．correct people's ideas

D．share personal experience

4. What's the author's attitude toward the relationship of man and crows？

A．Positive.

B．Unclear.

C．Doubtful.

D．Indifferent.

【推荐3】There have been nine secetary0generals of the United Nations (联合国秘书长) since the first one was appointed (任命) in 1946. But somehow, Kofi Annan has been the one that people tend to remember the best.

Annan, born in Ghana, was the first black African to ever hold the job. And he won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Just as the New York Times put it, Annan “redefined (重新定义) the UN”.

During those 10 years—from 1997 to 2006—the world was at its worst. This period witnessed the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001, and the US’s invasion (侵略) of Iraq in 2003.

On its own, the UN has little power. However, Annan combined that power with his own to achieve great things. He kept the world from falling apart from attacks and wars. He also fought for women’s rights and the educational rights of children, and fought against the spread of HIV in Africa.

It was because of these things that he and the UN were awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, for their work toward “a better organized and a more peaceful world”. Annan also put “people” at the center of everything the UN does. He took the trouble to relate to (建立联系) others—young or old, senior or junior, ambassador (大使) or security guard (保安).

Maybe what Annan did was more than just redefine the UN. Indeed, as Antonio Guterres, current secretary-general of the UN, said, “In many ways, Kofi Annan was the UN.”

1. According to the passage, we can learn that ______.

A．secretary-generals are not usually remembered by people

B．people believe that Annan has been the best leader of Ghana

C．Annan is the only black man to win the Noble Peace Prize

D．Annan is the first black African secretary-general of the UN

2. The underlined word can be replaced by “______”.

A．saw	B．made
C．prevented	D．happened

3. What did Annan do to redefine the UN?

A．Women and children were kept from being attacked.

B．He stopped the spread of HIV and found the cure for AIDS in Africa.

C．He made the world a better and more peaceful place.

D．He has every country get the same rights in the UN.

4. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．Annan has trouble in communicating with others.

B．People are believed less important than others by Annan.

C．The current leader of the UN thins highly of Annan and his great achievements.

D．People in higher position easily get more support from the leaders of the UN.

【推荐1】Veteran Oksana Chusovitina called time on her legendary career on Sunday night after competing at a record eighth Olympic Games.

After failing to secure a spot in Sunday’s vault (跳马) final, the 46-year-old, representing Uzbekistan, waved to the small crowd inside Tokyo’s Ariake Gymnastics Center, made a heart shape with her hands and briefly cried, as she left the sport’s biggest stage for the last time.

Born in Uzbek capital Tashkent in 1976, Chusovitina took up gymnastics at age 7. “My mother wanted me to give up gymnastics, she was worried about me all the time. I wanted to prove to her that I was not doing it in vain, and I think I eventually succeeded in that.” Chusovitina said of her childhood.

She made her Olympic debut(首次上场)at the 1992 Barcelona Games as part of the gold medal-winning unified team from former Soviet States. Then she represented Uzbekistan, before being granted German citizenship in 2006. She took home a vault silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games for Germany, but switched back to competing for Uzbekistan in 2013.

When Chusovitina’s 3-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia (白血病) in 2002, she sold her possessions and used any prize money she earned to pay for his medical treatment. Her switch to German citizenship was motivated by the promise of a higher income and better medical care.

After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued to compete, but this time it was her love for gymnastics that kept her going.

In a sport renowned for its youthful champions, Chusovitina has become a global fan favorite thanks to her longevity. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2017, and last year was named the Best Athlete of the Decade (2011-2020) in a public vote held by the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan.

1. What can we know about Chusovitina?

A．She won a vault silver medal for Uzbekistan in 2008.

B．She thought of giving up gymnastics in her childhood.

C．She has competed in Olympic Games eight times in total.

D．She failed to enter the final in Tokyo Olympics because of her age.

2. Why did Chusovitina switch to German citizenship?

A．To fulfill the dream of living abroad.	B．To make her son get a better treatment.
C．To gain a higher income for a richer life.	D．To seek a promising future for her career.

3. Chusovitina can be described as ________.

A．Reliable and modest	B．Generous and ambitious
C．Energetic and devoted	D．Responsible and determined

【推荐2】He ran between two defenders, past a third, and a couple of seconds later his team had two more points. At the end of his final game, on April 11, he had scored 30 points.

This was the end of a career for Dwyane Wade, nicknamed “Flash”. It was the 37-year-old’s last game for the Miami Heat and his last appearance on an NBA basketball court. Over his storied career, Wade played in 1,054 regular-season games and 177 post-season games, scored more than 23,000 points, appeared in three NBA championships and earned one Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Coming from Chicago, Wade’s attitude and style of play moved many people, including former US President Barack Obama. “Whenever you got knocked down, you always showed us how to get back up,” Obama said in a tribute video. “You showed some Chicago spirit... and you did us proud.”

Wade broke down the door to the NBA in 2003 with his outstanding ball-handling skills and jumping ability. He had a strong principle, taking practice as seriously as he took games. He trained in the gym by himself during the off-season and exercised hard to stay in shape.

Wade has also spoken out on social issues. In 2012, 17-year-old Heat fan Trayvon Martin, an African-American, was shot in a racist attack on his way home from watching the NBA All-Star Game. Wade, together with LeBron James, led the Miami Heat squad, pulling up their hoodies (连帽衫) in support of justice for Martin, who had his hoodie up when he was killed. Wade hoped this action would bring attention to racist violence.

In 2003, he founded the Wade’s World Foundation, which provides support to various education, health, and family service programs. “Obviously, I’m one person. I can’t change the world, but I can help affect change in communities,” Wade told ESPN. “That’s what I want to continue to do.”

This is not the end of Wade’s story. He wants to continue fighting for economic and social equality in the US.

1. How many games did Wade play in his professional career?

A．1,054.

B．177.

C．23,000.

D．1,231.

2. Wade was thought highly of by Obama because of _____________.

A．his strong willpower	B．his flexible playing style
C．his extraordinary skills	D．his honourable ambition

3. Why did Wade and his teammates pull up their hoodies?

A．To follow Martin’s heroic behaviour.	B．To speak out for Martin.
C．To try on the latest fashion.	D．To show racial equality.

4. This passage is mainly about Wade’s _________.

A．outstanding professional career	B．legendary life experiences
C．achievements in social equality	D．influence in sports and society

【推荐3】Jessica Long, from Baltimore, Maryland, USA is a champion by all definitions of the word. She is one of the world’s most decorated swimmers. Jessica was the youngest athlete to win a Paralympics (残奥会) medal. But her path to becoming a champion has been anything but easy.

Jessica was born in Irkutsk, Russia with a severe and rare disease — fibular hemimelia (腓侧半肢畸形). This means that part of her leg bones was missing or abnormal. Because of that, her young mother placed her in a Russian orphanage (孤儿院), fearing she could not care for Jessica.

Fortunately, she was adopted by an American family when she was 13 months old. She required 25 different surgeries to help her leg condition. But unfortunately, both of her legs had to be removed when she was just 18 months old. Jessica learned to walk with artificial legs. As a child, she took to sports including gymnastics, cheerleading, ice skating, biking and rock climbing.

She began swimming at her grandparents’ house when she was 6. She started competitive swimming about 4 years later. She did really well in swimming. Shortly after she started competing, Jessica was selected as Maryland’s Female Swimmer of the Year with a Disability. Even though Jessica was annoyed with her physical limitations, she was encouraged to enter her first Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. She won three gold medals in swimming at 12! But she did not rest on her success.

Jessica has gone on to win 23 medals for Team USA at the Paralympics! While she began her career out of anger and annoyance, she now has a positive force on a mission to inspire the next generation of Paralympians! Her attitude and growth have been keys to her success. Jessica always believed she could do anything. As she says, “The only disability in life is a negative attitude.”

1. What happened to Jessica when she was a baby?

A．She was abandoned in the wild.	B．She had 25 operations on her leg.
C．She had her legs cut because of a disease.	D．She was adopted by a Russian family.

2. When did Jessica begin to receive professional swimming training?

A．At the age of 4.	B．At the age of 6.
C．At the age of 10.	D．At the age of 12.

3. What can we infer about Jessica from the text?

A．She was the youngest athlete in US history.

B．She has set a good example to Paralympians.

C．She has won 23 gold medals in Paralympics.

D．She took part in several sports in Paralympics.

4. What does the author want to tell us?

A．Difficult the first time, easy the second.

B．Never hit a man when he is down.

C．A common danger causes common action.

D．Nothing is impossible to a determined heart.