【推荐1】The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The three-day event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by locals.

During the opening ceremonies, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the sands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turns to show off their wonderful traditional culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns (号) and beat drums as they dance in different designs. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses with dance with their hair: their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm (节奏) of their dance.

The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares (野兔). The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish line in front of the cheering people.

Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horse back. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles (马鞍). Some even ride upside down — their legs and feet straight up in the air — all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful!

1. The Sahara Festival is a festival which ________.

A．has a very long history in North Africa

B．is held in the same place on the same day

C．is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara

D．is celebrated mostly by travelers from different countries

2. Before the races begin, ________ take part in the activities during the opening ceremonies.

A．musicians, dancers, horses and hares

B．camel riders, musicians, dogs and hares

C．horsemen, dancers, camels and dogs

D．musicians, officials, camels and horses

3. This passage mainly tells readers ________.

A．what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival

B．how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival

C．what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival

D．how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival

【推荐2】Time talks. It speaks more honestly than words. Time communicates in many ways.

Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a special meaning to the event. Factory managers in the United States fully realize the highest degree of importance of an announcement made during the middle of the morning or afternoon that takes everyone away from his work.

In the United States, it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the morning or after 11 p.m. The call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. Especially a call during sleeping hours, he assumes it is a matter of life or death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.

In social life, time plays a very important part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only one or two days before the party date. It may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten. Americans look ahead and are concerned with the future. However, the American idea of future is limited and foreseeable.

Being punctual is also valued highly in American life. People who can not keep on time may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a short apology. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence. To an American, being half an hour late is the beginning of the “insult period”. No matter what is said in apology, there is little that can remove the damage done by 30-minute wait

Since time has such different meanings in different cultures, communication is sometimes difficult We will understand each other a little better if we can keep this fact in mind.

1. When factory managers in the United States make an announcement during the middle of the morning or afternoon, the announcement________.

A．must be important enough, or it will interrupt the work.

B．should be interesting to lift the workers spirits when they are tired.

C．can take the workers away from their office.

D．will remind the workers they should focus on their work during that time,

2. According to the passage, if John received a call at 2 in the morning while he was asleep, how might he feel?

A．excited.

B．scared.

C．delighted.

D．disappointed.

3. We can infer from the passage________.

A．calling to your friend at any time is acceptable.

B．the invitation should be given to an American friend two weeks before the date.

C．American people hope to keep their future under control.

D．a date should be settled more than a week away in case of being forgotten

4. The author may agree that________ .

A．People can be late for 5 minutes.

B．Making a short apology is acceptable.

C．Being late will lead to a relationship forever broking up.

D．Keeping another person waiting for too long a time is extremely rude.

5. According to this passage, the author mainly wants to tell us________.

A．customs and cultural factors are connected with time.

B．being on time should be highly valued in any culture.

C．Time is so complex and important that we should study it

D．Time is the key to successful social life.

【推荐3】As a Fulbright（富布莱特法案基金）scholar at Yale, I wanted very much to get some individual help from some famous professors, but their office-hours were only once a week and there were always students waiting outside. At first, I was too polite to get their help. Then I realized that Chinese politeness does not work in this society. I needed to be aggressive to get what I wanted. I also noticed that Chinese students or Asian students were very polite in class while American students often interrupted the professor, asking questions and dominating the discussion. The Chinese students were not as aggressive as American students.

I was impressed by the role of the professor in the class. The professor didn’t act as an authority, giving final conclusions, but as a researcher looking for answers to questions together with the students. One linguistic feature of his interacting with his students was that he used many modal verbs-far more than I did in Beiwai. When answering questions, he usually said: “this is my personal opinion and it could be wrong. It would be a good idea if you could read the book I mentioned the other day.” Or,“ You may find the book I recommended helpful.” Or,“You could be right, but you might find this point of view also interesting.” When making comments on students’ performances, the professor usually said:” It might have been much clearer if you had taken in some of the ideas we discussed earlier this semester.”

In China, authorities are always supposed to give wise decisions and correct directions. Therefore students always expect the professor to give an answer to the question. I still remember how annoyed they were when foreign teachers did not provide such an answer. Their expectations from authorities are much higher than those of American students. Once the Chinese students got the answer, they were sure about it. That is why they make far more certain statement than American students. That is why Chinese students find it difficult to use modal verbs because the function of modal verbs is to provide room for negotiation and different ideas.

1. The American professors use many modal verbs because they want to______.

A．argue with their students

B．be more sure about their answers

C．express their ideas more clearly

D．develop their students’ own way of thinking

2. Which of the following statements best expresses the author’s idea?

A．Chinese professors can always give correct answer to the question.

B．American professors are not responsible since they don’t give students answers.

C．American education produces aggressive students.

D．Education in China is not helpful in developing students’ creativity.

3. Which of the following methods did the author mainly employ in developing the article?

A．Comparison and contrast.	B．Cause and effect.
C．Giving examples.	D．Description.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards education in U.S.?

A．Positive	B．Negative
C．Neutral	D．Unsure

【推荐1】The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges that some beach runners experience before you get ready.

Running on the beach can be a good thing. It’s certainly different from running on a track or a pavement. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven (不平坦的) surface. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside; It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don’t get as much use during runs on firm surfaces. For example, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because the surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.

You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.

Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot — not wearing anything on feet. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don’t run long distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses more different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet. If you want to run barefoot and as long as you run carefully enough into it, go for it!

Running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.

1. Why is it difficult to run on the beach for starters?

A．Running on its uneven surface takes much effort.

B．People need to run carefully on its smooth surface.

C．The soft surface makes people fall over easily.

D．It’s hard to keep one’s balance on its hard surface.

2. Which of the following best explains “upside” underlined in Paragraph 2?

A．Character.	B．Reason.
C．Advantage.	D．Challenge.

3. The passage can probably be found in ________.

A．A primary school textbook	B．A sports magazine
C．A tourist guide	D．A scientific report

【推荐2】In order to reduce noise pollution, more and more airports are promoting a “silent airport” idea, especially in Europe.

Aiming to offer timely and helpful updates of information, international airports were once characterized by their high voices, competing gate announcements and so on. Now, it is all changing. Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International (ACI), says there is a growing desire among airports and airlines they serve to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere without being disturbed by announcements. “Passengers can relax while they wait for their flight to board in the common airside lounges (休闲区), and food and drink areas,” she says.

Finland has a tourism slogan (口号) which is “silence, please”. In June, Helsinki Airport in Finland adopted the silent airport idea, therefore, announcements for flights are made only in some certain boarding gate areas. Nobody’s going to call you to your flight, as announcements in all terminals (航站楼) will be made only in emergency circumstances. People begin to worry, what if they miss their boarding time?

Actually, there’s no need to worry about this. Heikki Koski, vice president of Helsinki Airport, says that the improved flight information display system, together with the advanced technology, is changing the way airports communicate with passengers. At Munich airport, Passengers can simply tap a “you are here” display to get directions and approximate walking time to their destinations.

Of course, it is impossible that an airport will be as silent as a temple. There will continue to be an increasing need for airport-wide emergency announcements along with boarding calls. But at silent airports, these announcements should be restricted to specific gates, not the whole airport, as has adopted in Helsinki.

1. What should passengers pay close attention to at Helsinki Airport?

A．Finland’s tourism slogan.	B．The information about their boarding time.
C．The “you are here” display.	D．The location of certain boarding gate.

2. Why is Munich Airport mentioned in the text?

A．To show its popularity.	B．To introduce the information display system.
C．To be compared with Helsinki Airport.	D．To prove Heikki Koski’s words.

3. What does the underlined word “restricted” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Limited.

B．Delivered.

C．Made.

D．Broadcast.

【推荐3】Salad plants have already been grown in old shelters and tunnels. Urban farming is a regular topic of interest at places like the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, where leaders consider whether the world's food system, blamed for causing both obesity and malnutrition, can be fixed. There are already plenty of urban farming projects around the world, particularly in the US, Japan and the Netherlands, from urban fish and plant farms to vertical farming.

“It's becoming an expanding industry,” said Richard Ballard, one of the founders of the farm Growing Underground. “There're several other businesses starting up in London in containers, and there are other vertical farms around the country now.”

Growing Underground is not a standard farm. The rows of crops could be in almost any tunnel, but these plants are 100 feet below Clapham High Street and show that urban agriculture is, in some cases at least, not a fad. The underground farm has occupied a part of the Second World War air-raid shelters for nearly five years, and Ballard is planning to expand into the rest of the space later this year.

Growing Underground supplies herb and salad mixes to grocery shops, supermarkets and restaurants. Being in London creates an advantage, Ballard says, as they can harvest and deliver in an hour.

He adds other advantages. Being underground means temperatures never go below 15℃ surface greenhouses need to be heated. They can do more harvests: 60 crops a year, compared with about seven in a traditional farm. Electricity to power the lights is a major cost, but the company believes renewable energy will become cheaper.

Similar British companies include the Jones Food Company in Lincolnshire, while in the US AeroFarms has several projects in New Jersey, and Edenworks in Brooklyn.

1. What do we know about urban farming?

A．It leads to a healthier lifestyle.	B．It is rarely discussed at the WEF.
C．Different farming methods are used.	D．Local governments pay efforts to develop it.

2. Which of the following best explains "a fad" underlined in Paragraph 3?

A．A dream that's easy to realize.	B．A field controlled for a long time.
C．An approach to a serious problem.	D．A fashion that’s popular for a short time.

3. What can we learn about the underground farm?

A．It is more productive than a traditional farm.	B．It provides food directly to the customers.
C．Its major products are herbs and salads.	D．It uses less energy than a greenhouse.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Current food system causes health problems

B．Growing Underground attracts more people

C．Traditional farming will be replaced soon

D．Urban farming is still thought costly and time-consuming

【推荐3】For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creators (创造者).

“It’s no secret that China has always been a source (来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion (时尚) shows.

Earlier this year the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art , with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics (美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.

“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion —they are central to its movement.” Of course, only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China — some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galiano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.

For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China —its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.

1. Which one is true according to the passage?

A．Many inspirations of western creators have come from China and its rich culture.

B．It’s a secret that China has always been a source(来源)of inspiration for designers.

C．Earlier this year the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition happened in Beijing.

D．China is possible to overlook for Western creators.

2. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?

A．It promoted the sales of artworks.	B．It attracted a large number of visitors.
C．It showed ancient Chinese clothes.	D．It aimed to introduce Chinese models.

3. What does Hill say about Chinese women?

A．They are setting the fashion.	B．They start many fashion campaigns.
C．They admire super models.	D．They do business all over the world.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Young Models Selling Dreams to the World

B．A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York

C．Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics

D．Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends