【推荐1】Every day, we have to deal with newer distractions like smartphones and advertisements as well as traditional ones, such as loud fellow coworkers and a disorganized home and workspace.     1     These are the top three that you should avoid.

1. The Internet and media

Although the Internet and social media have gifted us with instant access to information, they have become a big source of distraction. According to a research, the average person spends about three hours or more a day on their phones, which means a huge cost in productivity. To reduce the amount of time spent on the social media, you'd better limit the number of apps and social media platforms on your phone.     2    

2. People who are unsupportive and exhaust you

There are people whose presence can be a major drain (榨干) on your time and energy.     3     We must be careful in dealing with these type of individuals.     4     You also have to learn how to say no and replace such people with those who support you and who you can ask for help.

3. A disorganized environment and schedule

    5     Along with an organized environment, we need to ensure that our activities are scheduled in a timely manner. A clear and well thought-out plan helps us avoid wasting time on unimportant tasks, and focus on those that count. You'll establish a low in your activities, while steadily making progress in your plans.

A．These measures ensures you don't go too far.

B．To avoid these, break the circle that affects your life.

C．Untidy places often affect your attention and increase tress levels.

D．The bottom line is that you should either build boundaries or cut them out.

E．To attain lasting success and fulfillment you should remove the time wasters in the life.

F．Set a timer while you're browsing the Internet for fun, and get off when the timer goes off.

G．For example, a coworker or a friend talks nonstop and constantly asks for favors, who are unsupportive of you and your aspirations.

【推荐2】In a world surrounded by bad news, it may feel like an unhappy place sometimes.     1     Here is a list of ideas to help you. What are you waiting for? Go be amazing!

●     2    

In this day and age where everything is sent via email, Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat, it’s a shock to receive a letter through the post. Putting pen to paper and writing a few words to a friend can be an easy way to make a positive effect.

● Volunteer

    3     Whether you volunteer at your local youth group or take dogs from shelters for a walk, the simple fact that you are giving up your time to help someone else is awesome. There are so many opportunities, so you are sure to find one that is right for you. And it doesn’t necessarily have to take up all your time — it could be once a week or a couple of times a year.

● Make something for a special person

Whether you’re creative or not, taking time to make something for someone else shows how much you appreciate them. Even if you think you’re not creative, the receiver will feel lucky to get such a unique gift that you put your precious time into.     4    

● Tell someone ‘I love you’

You can say it to anyone — your mum or dad, grandparents, family member, friend, boyfriend or girlfriend.     5     Perhaps you can tell a friend that you appreciate all they are to you, or remind your mum that you love her. Sometimes, in our busy lives we forget to take a moment to tell people what they mean to us.

A．Send a handwritten letter

B．Use the chat software

C．However, you can make a difference.

D．And you don’t even have to say ‘I love you’.

E．Volunteering means giving up all your time.

F．Being willing to help others is one of the nicest things you can do.

G．Some ideas could include a card, painting, drawing, song, poem or cake!

【推荐3】The jobs of the future for kids have not yet been invented.     1    ? By helping them develop the following skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

The ability to have the curiosity (好奇心)

Your children need to be deeply curious. You can encourage kids to cook with you. Ask kids, “What ingredients (配料) can we add to make these pancakes (厚煎饼) even better next time?” and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better?     2    .

    3    

True creativity is the ability to take something you have and create something new from it. There are a lot of different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

Better relationship with others

Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what’s going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read helps kids from misreading (误解) a situation and jumping to false result.     4    . “Why do you think she’s crying?” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face?” “If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?”

Better expressing ourselves

    5    . There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas — music, acting, drawing, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A．We can do this in real life or ask questions about people in stories

B．Being able to express ideas in a meaningful way is a good skill

C．We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways

D．The ability to have the better communication

E．The ability to have the creativity

F．What could we make these pancakes next time

G．So how can we help our kids get ready for jobs in the future

【推荐2】Studying for Success: Born or Made?

“What are we to do?” Two Chinese parents asked helplessly, throwing their hands up in the air. With two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. earned by the couple from top universities in China, you would think that even if they couldn’t solve a problem, they might be able to find someone who could. So, what “problem” gave them so much trouble?

Their son, 10 years old, has been the center of their lives. They have thrown all of their resources into his education. They have taught him themselves and provided all kinds of extra tutorial classes, but to no avail. Their son continues to perform poorly in examinations, even though he studies very hard. Eventually, the mother accepted that her son is below average and said he may be able to live a comfortable life with an ordinary job.

Is the mother right?

I don’t think so. I have taught thousands of students before, and I can tell you with certainty that talent is not distributed evenly. What is talent? It is strictly defined as “natural skill,” but I would like to narrow that definition further: the speed with which one can master new skills. Some students simply learn material faster. But is your ability to learn limited by your talent from birth? I think the answer to that question is really up to you. If you do not learn as fast as your classmates, then you must study harder. For example, if you spend more time and effort improving your reading speed and comprehension, you will almost certainly be able to learn more over the course of your life from reading — if you continue to read books.

However, some would argue that if you tell a student that they are average, it will hurt their self-esteem. And low self-esteem could mean less motivation to learn. Research, however, has failed to show any relation between self-esteem and task performance. Instead, realizing his/her lack of talent may stimulate the child to put in more effort.

In the case of this student, the mother has accepted the fact that her son is average. But as far as I am concerned, as a role model for her son, she should continue to work hard, to show her son that being average is certainly no reason to be lazy — if anything, it should be a reason to work harder!

In learning, the work of a diligent fool doubles that of a lazy wit. So get cracking and you will do much better than that “lazy wit”!

1. According to the article, what has been troubling the couple?

A．They could not earn a Ph.D. even though they had studied very hard.

B．Their son doesn’t like to go to school and refuses to attend tutorial classes.

C．Their son doesn’t study hard at school and doesn’t do his homework at home.

D．Their son performs poorly at school even though they have spared no effort in trying to educate him.

2. In the author’s opinion, our ability to learn ______.

A．is decided at birth

B．is equal throughout the population

C．can be improved through hard work

D．will keep at a certain level when they grow up

3. What’s the author’s suggestion for the worried mother?

A．She should find a better teacher for her son.

B．She should spend more time helping her son with his studies.

C．She should accept the fact that her son is not good at studying.

D．She should inspire her son to put more effort into his schoolwork with her own hard work.

4. What was the author’s intention in writing this article?

A．To tell the mother that she should set an example for her son.

B．To illustrate that most people’s ability to learn is below average.

C．To remind students that their ability to learn can be improved if they work hard.

D．To state that letting a child know his/her lack of talent will benefit him/her.

【推荐3】The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study of 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic (学业的) performance in mathematics, science, and reading undertaken by the OECD (经济合作与发展组织). A closer look at the reading tests, shows the interesting fact that girls are outperforming boys in reading and that this is associated with girls’ greater enjoyment of reading.

One key area which has a major impact on reading performance, is reading for enjoyment rather than simply for study or school work purposes. Interestingly, the PISA study found that in all countries assessed (apart from South Korea), girls read for enjoyment more than boys. The study found that in all the countries assessed, just over half of boys (52%), but almost three-quarters of girls (73%) said that they read for enjoyment which may come as a surprise to many.

In countries such as Estonia and the Netherlands, the difference between boys and girls was most significant, where they found a 30% gap or more between the genders. Additionally in places such as Austria and Liechtenstein, very low levels of boys expressed interest in reading (40% or less), which are worrying statistics.

However, not all countries had such an obvious trend. In places like Japan, boys and girls read for enjoyment at an almost identical level, with 54% of boys and 58% of girls reporting that they enjoy reading. And there were a few countries and regions that scored very highly in boys reading enjoyment, for example in Albania, Indonesia and Shanghai in China where at least 80% of boys enjoy reading. Although these positive numbers are matched and passed by girls who reported an even higher level of reading enjoyment (90% or higher).

An interesting area which the PISA study looked at was the types of literature that both girls and boys generally enjoy. There were clear differences in the choices boys and girls make when deciding on what to read. Boys were found to enjoy reading magazines, newspapers and comic books more than girls. Girls were found to be twice as likely to enjoy works of fiction than boys.

Countries need to think about ways to inspire interest for boys in reading and ensure that they are exposed to a wide variety of different types of literature from a young age. Given that in OECD countries two in three boys only read newspapers for pleasure proves that there is work to be done.

1. What does the underlined word “outperforming” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Performing worse than.	B．Performing better than.
C．Being more profitable than.	D．Being the same as.

2. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A．In more than half of the countries surveyed, most boys read for pleasure.

B．In all countries assessed, over 70% girls read for study and schoolwork.

C．In all countries assessed, boys read for pleasure more than girls.

D．Enjoyment of reading is one of the main factors affecting reading performance.

3. What can we learn from Paragraphs 3 and 4?

A．In some countries 30% more girls read for pleasure than boys do.

B．In Austria, 40% more girls than boys are interested in reading.

C．More than half of the boys and girls in Japan have no interest in reading.

D．More boys than girls like reading in Shanghai.

4. What is the writer’s attitude towards boys’ reading choices?

A．Positive.

B．Disappointed.

C．Worried.

D．Admiring.

5. What could be the best title of the passage?

A．PISA — A Worldwide Study Programme

B．Do Girls Read More Than Boys?

C．Do Boys and Girls Have Different Reading Habits?

D．Reading Strategies for Boys and Girls