【推荐1】Here’s an idyllic scene: a small village where the sun always shines crops always grow and your friends drop by to sweep your yard to the sound of guitar music. Animals do what they are told there is no disease and lending folks a helping hand makes you richer and wiser. Welcome to Farm Ville --- current population 69m and rising fast.

“It reminds me of my childhood,” says one player, Lia Curran, 37, a chemist from London. “Right now I’m growing wheat and poinsettia, I’ve got a small orchard and I’m keeping some chickens and some cows. I like having the animals. It’s comfortable.”

Curran’s young animals, however, are nothing more than a collection of computer-controlled cartoons. Farm Ville is an online computer game built into the social networking site Facebook and is described by its players as “addictive”. Launched last June by Zynga Game Network, Farm Ville now has more players than Twiter’s entire user base --- or more than the population of the UK. The players are largely women over the age of 35.

Jenny Glyn, 33, a London housewife, started playing in September. “I had a look at a friend’s farm and was hooked” she says. “My first motivation was to overtake her, but I did that pretty quickly. Now there’s something satisfying about growing crops.”

Farm Ville intellectually unites the worlds of social networking and gaming. Players are given a patch of ground with six fields, “cash”, a few seeds and a plough and have to build up wealth, skills and neighbors to create bigger, better, richer farms.

Inviting your online friends to play means you earn more and get free gifts; you rise rapidly through the first levels but once hooked have to work harder and harder with no final level or goal in sight. “It’s very moreish,” says Curran. She hasn’t yet paid real-world money to advance in the game, but her friends do. One buys extra virtual currency at the exchange rate of $240 (￡145) in Farm Ville for $40 (￡24) in the real world.

“I’d expanded on Farm Ville as much as I could, but I just wanted a pond and some bushes and trees around it,” says the woman, who is too embarrassed to be named. “I didn’t tell my husband I’d paid real money because he’d think I’m mad. But then he did keep me waiting in the car outside our house while he harvested his raspberries.”

Brian Dudley, chief executive at Broadway Lodge, an addiction treatment centre, warns that this sort of obsessive play can lead to an addiction as severe as gambling.

1. What does Curran do in the passage?

A．She is a player.	B．She is a farmer who grows wheat and poinsettia.
C．She is a chemist.	D．She is a housewife who raises chickens and cows.

2. By Farm Ville the writer means ________.

A．an addictive farm on which live 69 million farmers

B．a London housewife’s farm

C．an online computer game built into the social networking site

D．a farm on which people grow real crops and play as well

3. In the last but one paragraph the husband kept the woman waiting outside ________.

A．because he was angry at his wife’s being mad about the farm

B．because he himself was busy with his farm

C．in order to punish his wife for her having paid real money

D．so that his wife would wake up from her addiction to the farm

4. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true?

A．The population of the UK is less than 69 million.

B．This sort of obsessive play can cause very severe addiction.

C．Once hooked one has to make greater efforts to reach a higher level.

D．Up till now nobody has yet paid real-world money to advance in the play.

【推荐2】It might be a shock, but video games might be added to the 2024 Olympics. The debate over this gives both sports and video game fans something to consider.

The Olympic Games were created in the 1890s with the inspiration of replicating (重现) the ancient Olympic Games which were a celebration for the ancient Greek God, Zeus. Thereafter, it changed to be a great competition to show off the athletes’ strength, physical abilities, and skills. On the other hand, video games were first made for entertaining the people. It wasn’t until 1972 that the first competitive video game was created. Afterwards, people held competitions to exhibit players’ skills: hand-eye coordination (手眼协调), quick thinking, and even teamwork. With these two types of similar events, it’s easy to see why people are considering combining the two.

With this addition to the Olympic Games, it gives the competitors more competing events, gives different types of entertainment to viewers, and allows more people to join the Olympics. Besides, allowing video games in the Olympics will not only exhibit physical strength, but also bring intelligence, reaction speed, and more teamwork to the competition.

However, every coin has two sides. One disadvantage of this extension of the Olympic Games is the increase of “Haters”. There have already been cases of people who dislike video games in their everyday lifestyle. If the two activities were to combine, the popularity of this event would be lowered.

The worst downside appears. If video games were to enter the Olympics, it would not be the competition that it was originally made to be. The Olympics were made for great athletic abilities and skills, not for pushing buttons to control something that isn’t physically real.

With both positive and negative effects, it will be a hard choice whether or not to place video games in the Olympics. Although the final decision hasn’t been made yet, we’d better keep open-minded about that.

1. Which of the following shows the structure of the text?

A．①②/③/④⑤/⑥	B．①②③/④⑤/⑥
C．①/②③④/⑤/⑥	D．①②/③④/⑤/⑥

2. According to the author, what does adding video games to the Olympics mean?

A．Some other events will be got rid of.

B．The atmosphere will be more harmonious.

C．The inclusiveness of the Olympics will increase.

D．The chance of winning in the Olympics will decrease.

3. What is the biggest disadvantage of adding video games to the Olympics?

A．Video games will become widely popular with children.

B．People will lose interest in great athletic abilities.

C．The original purpose of the Olympics will be lost.

D．The popularity of the Olympics will fade.

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

A．Should the events of the Olympics be expanded?

B．Should the Olympics be encouraged to change?

C．Should video games be further encouraged?

D．Should video games be in the Olympics?

【推荐3】Have you heard of the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”?     1     . It can provide the host with an opportunity to give the guests small gifts. The object of the game is to place the donkey’s tail as close as possible to the place where it should actually be. Typically, the winner of a round will receive a small prize.

    2     . Generally, you need a large picture of a donkey without a tail and pictures of the donkey’s tail. You’ll also need a blindfold. Besides. you need to prepare a pin for each tail so that kids can attach the tails to the donkey.

When you choose an area for the game, keep security in mind. Since players may head off in completely wrong directions, it’s important to find a rather large area. The area had better be flat, without objects like big stones on the ground.     3     .

Here are the steps of the game. One at a time, blindfold the kid. hand him the tail you’ve labeled for him, and turn him slowly around at the starting point.     4     . All other players should keep out of the blindfolded kid’s way as he makes his way to the wall.

The kid should walk with his arms outstretched and place the tail as soon as he touches the wall.     5     . Then gather everyone to examine the picture and identify the winner — the player who has made the best attempt to pin the tail on the donkey in the proper position.

A．Now, the game is popular worldwide

B．Otherwise, kids may fall over and get injured

C．When touching the wall, the kid should stand still

D．It’s a western game primarily used at parties for kids

E．To play the game, you need to prepare certain objects

F．Repeat the process until all the kids have taken turns playing it

G．Point him accurately towards the wall where the donkey picture is and step back

【推荐1】When the May bank holiday weekend is around the corner, you may be finding yourself thinking of ideas to keep the kids entertained or simply to make the most of the extra day off. Luckily, we’ve got you a guide to some of the top things to do in the UK this weekend.

Climb The O2

The O2 is a multi-purpose indoor arena (体育馆) in London. One of its great attractions is the world-famous roof. You can take an amazing outdoor climb over it. Upon reaching the top, climbers will be rewarded with amazing 360-degree views across the city. You can choose from daytime, sunset or twilight climbs. Reserve your seats before availability as they are limited.

Search for a National Trust site

The National Trust is a charity and membership organization. Although its focus may be different by region (地区), the basic role is to preserve historically significant items and areas of natural beauty. Exploring new National Trust sites can be a fun way to do something different, whether they’re attractive gardens or ancient forests. To give you a helping hand, the National Trust actually has a guide that collects the best events to enjoy in spring.

Explore the soul of Madrid

Madri Excepcional, the Mediterranean-style beer, will serve u the soul of Madrid in London this bank holiday weekend, in celebration of the food, art, and music to be found in both the Spanish and English capitals. London Bridge’s Vinegar Yard will play host to the special event including performances by famous singers, and original artwork that will be a feast for the eyes.

Go and see a West End show

Wanting a trip to London’s West End to catch a show? There are impressive performances on at the moment including Frozen, Mamma Mia! Back to the Future, Come from Away and other musical dramas. Tickets for these great performances have theatre deals and discounts.

1. What should tourists do to visit The O2?

A．Book tickets in advance.	B．Take a guided tour.
C．Apply for its membership.	D．Leave the roof at sunset.

2. What is special about the National Trust?

A．It holds different events at a fixed place.	B．It is a profitable organization.
C．It aims to protect natural and cultural heritage.	D．It is famous for its garden and forest scenery.

3. What do the last two activities have in common?

A．They invite famous artists.	B．They offer music performances.
C．They give visitors a discount.	D．They serve free snack foods.

【推荐2】Ms Davies

Hello! I’m Ms Davies and I will be joining you all as a teacher this September. Each time I have visited, you have been so welcoming and I’m excited to join the Polegate team. I am both a fitness and food lover in equal measure! I love the sunshine but my favourite time of year is Christmas. I am a huge animal lover and it’s my goal to have two pet donkeys (驴)! I cannot wait to meet you all and continue my teaching journey with Polegate School.

Miss Keith

Hi, everyone! My name is Miss Keith, and I’m thrilled to be joining you all this September! Fresh out of University of Brighton, I’m eager to put my studies into practice. I have spent a lot of time at Polegate covering different classes, so I already know what a fantastic school community this is! Outside of school, I am often curled up with a good book — I am on a plan to read more books than there are days this year — or running up and down a netball court. I am very crazy about learning in all areas of the curriculum and can’t wait to get started!

Miss Tennant

Hello, everyone! I am Miss Tennant and am excited to become a part of the wonderful Polegate community in September. I have been a primary teacher in Eastbourne for 3 years and have just got back from Australia where I was very fortunate to be able to teach children specifically in Mathematics, so I am very excited to be back in the classroom! In my spare time, I usually go to the beach or read books a lot. I am looking forward to getting to know you all very soon and I hope you have a wonderful final term and a lovely summer break.

1. What can we learn about Miss Keith?

A．She loves reading.

B．She has two pet donkeys.

C．She is a professional athlete.

D．She is a teacher of University of Brighton.

2. What do Ms Davies and Miss Tennant have in common?

A．They are animal lovers.

B．They are experienced in teaching.

C．They used to teach in the same school.

D．They often go to the beach in their free time.

3. Who is the text for?

A．Local travelers.	B．Parents.
C．Students.	D．Government officials.