【推荐1】We do not know when man first began to use salt, but we do know that it has been used in many different ways throughout history. Historical evidence shows, for example, that people who lived over 3,000 years ago ate salted fish. Thousands of years ago in Egypt, salt was used to preserve (保存) the dead.
Stealing salt was considered a major crime (罪行) during some periods of history. In the eighteenth century, for example, if a person was caught stealing salt, he could be put in prison and his ears could be cut off.
In the Roman Empire, one of the most important roads was the one that carried salt from the salt mines to Rome. Guards were stationed along the route to protect against salt thieves, and they received their pay in salt, thus bringing the English word, salary. Any guard who fell asleep while on duty was thought to be “not worth his salt”, and as a result he would get a little less salt on his next payday. The expression, “not worth his salt”, is still used today in English.
In the modern world salt has many uses beyond the dining table. It is used in making glass and airplane parts, in the growing of crops, and in the killing of weeds (杂草). It is also used to make water soft, to melt (融化) ice on roads and highways, to make soap, and to fix colors in cloth.
Salt can be got in various ways besides being taken from mines underground. Salt water from the ocean, salt water lakes or small seas can be used to make salt. Yet, no matter where it comes from, salt will continue to play an important role in the lives of people everywhere.
1. According to the text, salt can be used in the following EXCEPT _____.

A．keeping dead bodies

B．punishing thieves

C．protecting crops

D．making industrial products

2. In the Roman Empire many people were employed as guards to _____.

A．protect the city of Rome

B．watch people carrying salt

C．prevent thieves from stealing salt

D．carry salt from the mines to Rome

3. The expression “not worth his salt” used today refers to the one who _____.

A．fails to do his work well

B．should not be paid in salt

C．doesn’t want to work at all

D．should use less salt

4. The main purpose of the text is to tell readers _____.

A．how salt was found and got

B．salt is important in people’s life

C．salt was difficult to get in the past

D．what salt brings to the English language

【推荐2】We all know that drinking too much is bad for us, but what about moderate (适度的) drinking?

We’ve known about the association between moderate drinking and good health for quite some time. Researchers have identified that people who drink a moderate amount are at a lower risk of things like heart disease and obesity than both people who drink a lot and people who never drink. It’s fairly well-established that,if you look at society at large,people who drink a moderate amount are the healthiest in a number of ways.

The problem is that moderate drinking isn’t an isolated (孤立的) behaviour .You can’t easily separate moderate drinking from the people who drink moderately, which means that you can’t easily identify whether it’s actually the alcohol that’s improving people’s health or something more complex.

The issue is pretty obvious when you look at the people who drink moderately in all of these studies.They tend to be wealthier,more educated,smoke less and in general are better off than both people who drink a lot and those who never drink. People who don’t drink alcohol are also different in a lot of ways, mostly bad — for example, illness, poverty, and previous alcoholism.

Recent studies in Israel and New Zealand show that there probably aren’t any significant health benefits to moderate drinking. Once you get rid of the effects of society, even a small amount of drink is associated with worse health.

It seems that moderate drinking probably isn’t good for our health after all. While there may be some minor heart health benefits, alcohol is addictive and causes damage to many other organs.

I’m going to keep drinking, but not for my health. Wine is delicious and beer is just wonderful. Drink for the taste,drink to socialise, but don’t drink because you think it’s going to cure your depression or heal your heart. But if possible, try to drink less.

1. What is the common belief about drinking alcohol?

A．Drinking has little to do with health.

B．Moderate drinking benefits our health.

C．Drinking reduces the risk of heart disease.

D．The healthier you are, the more you can drink.

2. Who is more likely to drink moderately?

A．A rich man.	B．A sick man.
C．A former alcoholic.	D．A poorly-educated man.

3. What do we know about drinking from the fifth paragraph?

A．It’s an isolated behaviour.

B．It’s a good way to keep fit.

C．It’s more of a social activity.

D．It should be banned for health reasons.

4. What can be the best title for this text?

A．Is Alcohol Suitable for You?	B．What Is Moderate Drinking?
C．Do You Know How to Drink?	D．Is Moderate Drinking Healthy?

【推荐1】When emergency workers arrive at an old firehouse in New York City, the way they greet each other is not what you might expect. These first responders say," Ni Hao! " "Ni Hao" means "hello" in Mandarin Chinese.

First responders are the first emergency workers to arrive at a fire, traffic accident or other emergency. Some first responders are fire fighters, while others can be Emergency Medical Technicians.

In Brooklyn, New York, over 20 first responders are studying Mandarin Chinese for about two hours a week. The class is the first of its kind. It is offered by the New York City Fire Department Foundation.

The U. S. Census Bureau recently reported that some New York neighborhoods are made up mostly of immigrants. Some people have predicted that the Chinese community is likely to become New York's largest immigrant group. They think the city will have the largest Chinese community outside of Asia.

The Census Bureau also found that almost 200 languages are spoken in the city. So, knowing different languages is important, especially if you are a first responder.

Lieutenant(中尉,少尉) Steve Lee is president of the Fire Department's Phoenix Society. He says that first responders must be able to communicate quickly and effectively when an emergency happens. He explains that first responders enter neighborhoods and communities to assist regardless of where they are from. Many times first responders do not speak the same language as the people they are called to help. He adds that it is vital, or very important, that first responders are able to communicate with the people calling for help.

Without help from homeowners and others, Lee adds, discovering exactly where a fire is burning can be a real problem. First responders need to ask questions such as "What building? What address? What apartment?" And the most important question," Is there anybody left in the building and where?"

1. Who are first responders according to Paragraph 2?

A．People first learning the disaster.	B．Persons leading the emergency rescue.
C．Rescuers first reaching the disaster	D．People first find the disaster.

2. Why are the first responders in New York studying the Chinese language?

A．To show respect to the Chinese immigrants.

B．To learn about Chinese cultures much better.

C．To meet the rapid growth of Chinese population.

D．To find a better job in Chinese community.

3. What do first responders concern most?

A．The place where the fire occurs.	B．The people trapped in the fire.
C．The language to communicate.	D．The distance covered to the fire.

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

A．Mandarin Being a Must for Emergency Workers

B．New York's Emergency Crews Learning Mandarin

C．Language Problem Disturbing First Responders' Work

D．Importance of Languages Used in Emergency Rescue

【推荐2】When Benjamin Cherkasky was in eighth grade, he quit the swim team. It wasn't because he lacked the passion; he just couldn't accept failures in matches. "I'm not Michael Phelps. Why am I even on the team?" he said. "My perfectionism prompted very high expectations, and that caused real suffering," he said.

Cherkasky is not alone in feeling that perfectionism can cause anxiety. So many millennials (千禧一代）suffer from the problems of being a perfectionist that psychologists are issuing warnings and schools are emphasizing the need to accept failure.

Jessica Pryor, a leading psychologist, said every generation is a sponge (海绵）for the messages it receives. "Millennials, more than any other generation in American society, are receiving clear messages about achieving," she said. "But there's an absence of the message that trying your hardest is still OK."

In college, Cherkasky found himself surrounded by so many intelligent people that he felt he should have been achieving a higher level than he was. "It makes you feel kind of crazy." he said. This type of thinking can lead people to putting in less effort, which as they fall behind, can create more anxiety. "It makes people feel kind of isolated." And that Cherkasky added, "can cause students to distance themselves from their school".

The American Psychological Association also found out that recent generations of college students have reported higher levels of perfectionism than earlier generations.

Researchers noted that social media adds pressure, along with the drive to earn money and achieve career goals. Perfectionists often create even higher goals, which can lead to a higher risk of failure.

1. What does the underlined word "prompted" in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Led to.

B．Met with.

C．Resulted from.

D．went against.

2. According to Jessica Pryor, Millennials         .

A．are unwilling to work hard.

B．desire nothing but to succeed.

C．should learn to deal with pressure.

D．need the message that failure is acceptable when trying their best.

3. Cherkasky's experience in college is mentioned to show         .

A．the problems of college education

B．the bad influence of fellow students

C．the harmful effects of being a perfectionist

D．the pressure most college students experience

4. What is the writer's purpose in writing the text?

A．To share some experiences of a college student.

B．To show the reasons for becoming a perfectionist.

C．To present the findings of a research on college life.

D．To raise public concern over a problem of millennials.

【推荐3】There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned in schools in most countries, and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use some physical punishments to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages.
It’s easy to find reasons to allow some physical punishments. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to abandon physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this was the way they were brought up and that it didn’t do any harm to them. They believe that for the child’s sake they have the right to discipline the child in any way they consider fit, including using some physical punishments. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket.
However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don’t have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is seat belt use —now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits.
In conclusion, parents have to change some of their belief and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force, and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society.
1. According to the first paragraph, many parents think that ____________.

A．they are free to use physical punishment on their children

B．most of the children behave badly in their daily life

C．they have changed their attitudes towards their children

D．physical punishment is effective to educate their children

2. Many parents won’t give up physical punishment because _____________.

A．they are disappointed with their children

B．they were brought up just in the same way

C．they don’t want to hurt their children badly

D．they don’t know what to do with their children

3. The author gives the example of using seat belts in order to show ____________.

A．most people are used to wearing seat belts

B．it’s not difficult to change some negative habits

C．seat belts are really very necessary and useful

D．people won’t change their old habits unless forced

4. The main purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ____________.

A．talk about a ban on using physical punishment

B．tell us we should educate our children in other ways

C．advise parents to give up using physical punishment

D．suggest physical punishment should be used at home

【推荐1】There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.

But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.

You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.

1. Open education allows the students to ______ .

A．grow as the educated

B．be responsible for their future

C．develop their own interests

D．discover subjects outside class

2. Open education may be a good idea for the students who ______ .

A．enjoy learning

B．do well in a traditional classroom

C．worry about grades

D．are responsible for what they do in life

3. Some students will do little in an open classroom because ______.

A．they worry about the rules

B．there are too few rules

C．they hate activities

D．open education is similar to the traditional education

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage？ ______

A．Some traditional teachers do not like it

B．Many teachers do not believe in open education

C．The teacher's feelings and attitudes are important to the students

D．Teachers may have problems in open classrooms