【推荐1】Petra may be the treasure of the world, hidden among mountains. Its most beautiful scenery makes it the greatest ancient site still­standing nowadays. Common sense says, “Perhaps there’s nothing on the planet that resembles it.” Without doubt, there’s nothing on the world that resembles it. The rock­carved (雕刻的) rose­red town of Petra is filled with mysterious charm; it had been “designed to strike wonder into all who entered it”.

Petra is the most well­known and beautiful site in Jordan that is about 262 km south of Amman, and 133 km north of Aqaba. The Dead Sea is 80 kilometers north of it. It was the legacy from the Nabataeans, who settled in the southwest of Jordan a lot more than 2,000 years back. Because of its excellent culture, buildings and many water channels, Petra has become a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World that attracts visitors all over the world.

To get there, you must pass through a kilometer long, cool, dark and narrow gorge (峡谷) whose two high sides keep the sunlight out. Suddenly the gorge opens right into a natural square covered with Petra’s most well­known monuments (遗址), which glow in the bright sun. The old town shows the visitors its beautiful look. It leads people to think about the creativity of the Nabataeans who made Petra as their capital.

Petra flourished for more than 400 years at about the time of Rome until it had been occupied through the Roman legions in 106 AD. Petra has 800 monuments, including buildings, tombs, baths, halls, temples, and streets, which were mostly carved in the pretty sandstone.

Petra sights are in their finest at the beginning of morning and late afternoon. Once the sun warms the colorful stones, you will see the greatness of Petra since it was seen first when discovered in 1812 after being lost through the 16th century for nearly 300 years!

1. What does the underlined part “mysterious charm” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．The unbelievable power to attract people.	B．All kinds of visitors from the world.
C．A number of usual places of interest.	D．The shops, restaurants and hotels.

2. Visitors’ reaching Petra ________.

A．must be disappointed	B．must be very convenient
C．must be very comfortable	D．may not be very easy

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．You’d better enjoy the beautiful scenery at the beginning of morning and late afternoon.

B．Because it had been occupied, Petra was lost through the 16th century.

C．Petra was developing quickly and strongly for more than 800 years.

D．Petra’s monuments were all carved in the light red stones.

【推荐3】I used to live in South Africa and recently went back to Botswana to visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with my friend Oscar. There is nothing quite like the vast African wilderness.

Our jeep broke down suddenly along the too-hot-to-touch sand. With such an engine, it was tough work. The dry heat was fierce and the only break came from using our precious water for brief bucket shower.

With no supplies available within the park—it was a sort of no man’s land with the occasional cow—it’s necessary to bring all your fuel, food and water with you.

We camped in a small open space of the bush. At the height of the dry season, shade was in very little supply, so we angled ourselves near a lonely leafless tree. As the sun was setting, we drove towards the watering hole a few miles away, and were reminded just why we’d chosen to spend weeks experiencing this difficult, unpleasant, and painful exercise on ourselves. Realizing our arrival, a lone lion stopped his drinking. He yawned (打哈欠), then carried on drinking.

That night, sleeping on the roof of the jeep, we felt his roar (吼叫) as much as we heard it. All movements and activities stopped, but when bright satellites flashed across the blackness, the vast African skies offered the only sign that the outside world hadn’t come to a standstill.

In the morning we saw that the lion had walked on the road overnight, his paw prints pressed into yesterday’s tyre tracks. We set off for another morning inching through the sand: another day of shifting landscapes and raw (原始的), wild beauty; another night lit by fireflies and shooting stars.

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The author and his friend toured the Reserve without difficulty.

B．There were many cows in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

C．The lion walked along the tyre tracks and attacked the jeep at night.

D．The author and his friend suffered much heat in the daytime.

2. What does the underlined word “precious” mean in the passage?

A．Clean.	B．Enjoyable.
C．Valuable.	D．Enough.

3. What can you infer from the last paragraph?

A．The jeep’s tyre was destroyed by the lion at night.

B．The lion didn’t get close to the author’s jeep at night.

C．The author didn’t think the reserve worth visiting.

D．The natural beauty appealed to them to go on bravely.

4. Which of the following is the best title?

A．A Roaring Lion	B．An African Wilderness Tour
C．Extremely Hot Weather	D．African Wild Beauty

【推荐2】The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are among the most famous awards for student achievement in the literary and visual arts. Past winners include such short story masters as Donald Barthelme, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stephen King.

The contest offers several categories connected with short story writers: short story, flash fiction, science fiction, humor, and writing portfolio (档案袋) (graduating seniors only).

Who can enter? The contest is open to students in grades 7-12 (including homeschoolers) in the U.S., Canada, or American schools abroad.

What do winners receive? The contest offers a variety of scholarships (some as high as $10, 000) and cash awards (some as high as $1, 000) at both the regional level and the national level. Winners may also receive certificates of recognition and opportunities for publication.

How are entries judged? The awards cite three judging criteria: “Originality, technical skill, and the emergence (呈现) of a personal vision or voice.” Be sure to read past winners to get an idea of what’s been successful. The judges change every year, but they always include people who are highly accomplished in their field.

When is the deadline? Competition guidelines are updated in September, and submissions are usually accepted from September through early January. Regional Gold Key winners will automatically advance to the national competition.

How do I enter? All students begin by entering a regional competition based on their ZIP code. See the guidelines for additional information.

1. Donald Barthelme, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stephen King are mentioned to show that ________.

A．many famous writers and artists enter the competition

B．awards will be given to many different kinds of writing

C．the award winners would become successful in the future

D．the competition has not been very popular among students

2. ________ can enter the competition.

A．Students all over the world

B．A student in an American school in China

C．An American college student

D．A student in a Canadian school in Africa

3. The underlined word “cite” in Paragraph 4 most probably means “________”.

A．follow	B．improve
C．neglect	D．decide

4. According to the passage which of the following is true?

A．All the winners’ writing will surely be published.

B．Students can directly enter the national competition.

C．The competition is open for entries all the year round.

D．Reading past winners can help know what is appreciated.

【推荐3】

Driver Wanted ①Clean driving licence. ②Must be good-looking. ③Aged over 25. Apply to: Capes Taxi, 17 Palace Road, Roston

Air Hostesses (女服务人员) International Flights Wanted ①Applicants must be between 20 and 33 years old. ②Height: 1.6m to 1.75m. ③Education to GCSEstandard. ④Two languages, must be able to swim. Apply to: Recruitment office, Southern Airlines, Heathrow Airport West, HR 37KK.

Teachers Needed For private (私人) language school teaching, experience unnecessary. Apply to: The Director of Studies, Instant Languages Ltd, 279 Canal Street, Roston.

1. You are 26 years old and want to be a teacher. You should apply to ________.

A．Capes Taxi, 17 Palace Road, Roston

B．Recruitment Office, Southern Airlines, Heathrow Airport West, HR 37KK

C．the Director of Studies, Instant Languages Ltd., 279 Canal Street Roston.

D．a private language school.

2. What stops Jack, an experienced taxi driver, working for Capes Taxis. ________

A．like beer and wine.	B．Punished (处罚) for driving too fast and wrong parking.
C．Unable to speak a foreign language.	D．Not having college education.

3. Ben, aged 22, fond of swimming and driving has just finished college. Which job might be given to him?

A．Driving for Capes Taxi	B．Working for Southern Airlines
C．Teaching at Instant Languages Ltd.	D．Working for Northern Airlines.

4. What prevents Mary, aged 25, from becoming an air hostess?

A．She once broke a traffic law and was fined	B．She can’t speak Japanese very well
C．She has never worked as an air hostess before	D．She doesn’t feel like working long hours flying abroad

5. Which of the following is NOT talked about in the three advertisements?

A．Whether he or she is married	B．Whether they are men or women
C．Their education	D．The ages