【推荐1】Saturday　March 28,2020

Dear Dad and Mom,

The time has come—I’m graduating,and I thank you both for all your help during these 15 years. I still remember when you used to say, “You can be whatever you want.” I’m so glad you are my parents, especially when I hear kids say they don’t get on well with theirs. I’m glad that you support me when I decide to do anything. You always try to help, and that’s important to me.

Dad, I remember when you first took me fishing. I loved going even though I never caught anything. I also remember when you would get angry with me. I realise you were only trying to show me the right way. When I cried, you would always be there to try to cheer me up. That’s what I call a good, loving, caring dad. Sometimes you and Mom don’t agree with me, but you are there on my side in anything that I do, and that’s why I love you both so much.

Mom, I enjoy going out with you and having our happy time every Friday night, and I hope that never changes. I love telling you everything and the best part about you is that you listen. I’m glad we do a lot together. You love to have fun, and Dad does, too. You always give me your opinion and I listen. Thank you for bringing me up.

There may be many frustrations and setbacks on the road to the future, but the thought of your support and help fills my heart with strength. Dear Mom and Dad, I love you and I love our family. I hope and believe that we will be happy all the time.

Love always,

Alison

1. Alison writes the letter to show ________to her parents.

A．thanks

B．support

C．help

D．wishes

2. In Alison’s opinion,other kids of her age may ________their parents.

A．have problems with	B．get on well with
C．like to talk to	D．like to listen to

3. Father might get angry with her when Alison ________.

A．didn’t accept him	B．didn’t do things in the right way
C．didn’t catch any fish	D．didn’t agree with her parents

4. What makes Alison and her mother become good friends?

A．Cheering up each other.	B．Going out together.
C．Encouraging each other.	D．Listening to each other and having fun together.

【推荐3】Comparative thinking and behavior is quite typical among teenagers,   but it is the responsibility of the parent to set limits and hold firmly to them. Frequently, a parent will tell me in frustration about how their child has complained about not having the very best in fashion design like their friends, or the latest electronic gadgetry that all the other kids own.
Parents need to teach their children self­confidence. Those who are self­confident resist the urge to compare themselves to other people, and do not overestimate others' experience while diminishing their own. But some people may have a mantra signified by the slogan, if only. “If only I had the money of my brother; if only I was smart like my classmates; if only I was as good­looking as my friends.”
Comparing oneself with others is a trap. People who compare themselves with other individuals tend to feel that they are not good enough.   They tend to perseverate(表现执拗)about their shortcomings. Even if they try their best，it is not good enough because they can always find someone who performs at a higher level. When people compare, they generally focus on their negative traits. They ignore all that is going right in their life. They also tend to minimize their success and dismiss positive gestures and compliments.
Those who are confident listen to their own inner voice. They are not influenced by other people's view of events. They are not overly impressed by others' success, money, health，and material possessions. They do not believe that others have a greater sense of emotional well­being than they do.
Recently,   The Harvard Mental Health Letter published an article which   indicated   that   people   with   chronic(慢性的)pain had as significant a sense of well­being as those without chronic pain. However, those with chronic pain tended to overestimate the emotional well­being of physically healthy people. The study confirmed that it is how we view events that is important, not the nature of our circumstances which may include making comparisons.
1. It seems that those who make comparisons don't________.

A．care about their success

B．have self­confidence

C．overestimate others' experience

D．understand others' success

2. The third paragraph mainly tells us________.

A．people tend to compare themselves to other individuals

B．those who make comparisons focus on their strengths

C．those who make comparisons don't deserve compliments

D．making comparisons can cause many negative effects

3. The article published in The Harvard Mental Health Letter   indicates________.

A．chronic pain actually doesn't affect people's sense of happiness

B．physically healthy people have a higher sense of happiness

C．emotional health has nothing to do with physical health

D．what is important is the nature of events rather than our viewpoints

4. What is the author's attitude towards “making comparisons”？

A．Favorable.	B．Unconcerned.
C．Disapproving.	D．Doubtful.

【推荐1】Walking down a path through some woods, I saw a water puddle (水坑) ahead on the path. I angled my direction to the path that wasn’t covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked! I backed up one step and my attacker quit what he did just now. Instead of attacking more, he flew in the air with graceful butterfly wings in front of me.

I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He hit me in the chest with his head and body attacking me over and over again with all his might. For a second time, I backed a step while my attacker paused in his attack. This time, though, I stepped back several paces to look the situation over. My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That’s when I discovered why my attacker was hitting me only moments earlier. He had partner and she was dying. She was beside the puddle where he landed.

Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his partner. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life. It was his courage for love that made him challenge a person who was 100 times of his size. Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was really only one choice left for me. I carefully made my way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. I couldn’t do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed.

1. What happened after the writer backed up one step?

A．He was attacked more.	B．He was trapped in the puddle.
C．The butterfly flew over his head.	D．The butterfly stopped attacking him.

2. Why did the butterfly attack the writer?

A．Because the writer discovered his partner.

B．Because the butterfly’s partner was laying eggs.

C．Because the writer destroyed the butterfly’s habitat.

D．Because the butterfly was scared of his partner being stepped on.

3. Which word can best describe the butterfly?

A．Aggressive.

B．Devoted.

C．Energetic.

D．Rigid.

4. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．A Fighting against a Butterfly	B．Attacks from Butterflies
C．A Butterfly’s Courage for Love	D．Live in Harmony with Butterflies

【推荐2】Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.

Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”

In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

1. Why did the girl complain to her father?

A．Because of her tiring job.	B．Because of her hard school life.
C．Because of her father’ s busy work.	D．Because of the food her father cooked.

2. What can we infer from this story?

A．The girl liked the coffee best.

B．The father was good at cooking.

C．Different people have different reactions to adversity.

D．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs.

3. What does the underlined word “fragile” mean in the 5th paragraph?

A．thick

B．hard

C．strong

D．easily-broken

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

A．Challenges and responses.	B．Adversities and a chef.
C．A chef and coffee beans.	D．Father and daughter.

【推荐3】John von Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of a banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tried to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he might lead a poor life being a mathematician, and he and his father reached an agreement, and von Neumann went to study chemistry. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematics provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.

In 1930, von Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1930, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and in 1933 he became one of the 6 full-time professors in the School of Mathematics (Einstein was one of the others).

World War Ⅱ (1931 — 1945) hugely changed von Neumann’s areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure mathematician. After 1940, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematical theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in machines and made several fundamental computing contributions. After the war, von Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of the American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died of cancer in 1957.

Von Neumann made several great contributions and any one of them would have been enough to earn him a firm place in history. He is remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.

Von Neumann really is a legend in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of his legend. He reported one accident this way: “I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path.”

1. What did von Neumann’s father believe according to the text?

A．A mathematician couldn’t earn a lot of money.

B．A mathematician needed a good memory.

C．Von Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time.

D．Von Neumann had the gift for solving problems at a high speed.

2. When did von Neumann publish his first book?

A．At the age of 25.	B．At the age of 26.
C．At the age of 29.	D．At the age of 32.

3. What does the underlined word “firm” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Strong.

B．Small.

C．Famous.

D．Weak.

4. Which of the following can best describe John von Neumann according to the last paragraph?

A．Calm.

B．Brave.

C．Intelligent.

D．Humorous.