【推荐1】"Carers" are all sorts of people with so many different caring roles. I know this only too well from attending my severely ill mother as a teenager, to having main carer responsibility for my Nanna for her last ten years, to now as a father caring for my disabled son.

But more importantly, I was also cared for. My dad had died when I was four, so after my mum died, it was my amazing Nanna and Grandad who took me in. Because they were my grandparents, I never really thought of them as "carers"，and I don't think they did either. Back then, I probably didn9t even know what 66kinship（亲属关系）carer" meant

It wasn't easy for them. My mother's long illness and early death nearly broke them. I used to think looking after me helped them deal with their heartbreak. But the truth is, they helped me get over my mum's death. Surrounding me with unquestioning love, they were classic kinship carers.

Working as a lawyer, I've helped a surprisingly large number of kinship carers over the years—mostly grandparents, fighting the system for their precious grandchildren. I like to think I go the extra mile, which helped them face the challenges. More than 180,000 children across the UK are being raised by kinship carers today, but the huge challenges facing them are too often forgotten by politicians and policymakers.

What my Nanna and Grandad did—and what kinship carers across the UK are doing today—is amazing. They are giving a loving home to these children, while reducing the stress on the formal care system― ven though it may add difficulties to their own life. We can't thank and support them too much.

1. The author knows very well about what carers are by         .

A．giving and getting care	B．doing voluntary work
C．becoming a parent	D．learning from carers

2. According to the text, what did the author's Nanna and Grandad do?

A．They took care of the author's ill mother.

B．They spoiled the author with too much love.

C．They offered to look after the author's children.

D．They helped the author get through hard times.

3. What does the underlined part “go the extra mile” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Take the wrong way.	B．Make a special effort.
C．Save much precious time.	D．Do some unnecessary work.

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

A．Carers Face Huge Challenges

B．More Kinship Carers Needed

C．Carers Deserve Recognition and Support

D．British Policies Intended for Kinship Carers

【推荐2】On his bench in Madison Square Soapy moved uneasily, and he realized the fact that the time had come for him to provide against the coming winter.
The winter ambitions of Soapy were not of the highest. In them there were no dreams of Mediterranean voyages or blue Southern skies. Three months on the Island was what his soul desired. Three months of assured board and bed and good company, safe from north winds seemed to Soapy the most desirable thing.
Just as the more fortunate New Yorkers had bought their tickets to Palm Beach each winter, Soapy had made his arrangements for his annual journey to the Island. And now the time had come.
There were many institutions of charity in New York where he might receive lodging and food, but to Soapy’s proud spirit the gifts of charity were undesirable. You must pay in humiliation of spirit for everything received at the hands of mercy. So it was better to be a guest of the law.
Soapy, having decided to go to the Island, at once set about accomplishing his desire. He left his bench and went up Broadway. He stopped at the door of a glittering cafe. He was shaven and his coat was decent. If he could reach a table in the restaurant, the portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted duck, with a bottle of wine, a cigar and a cup of coffee would be enough. Such a dinner would make him happy, for the journey to his winter refuge.
But as Soapy entered the restaurant door, the head waiter’s eye fell upon his shabby trousers and old shoes. Strong hands pushed him in silence and haste out into the street.
Some other way of entering the desirable refuge must be found.
At a corner of Sixth Avenue Soapy took a stone and sent it through the glass of a glittering shop window. People came running around the corner, a policeman at the head of them. Soapy stood still, with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at the sight of the policeman.
“Where is the man that has done that?” asked the policeman.
“Don’t you think that I have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, friendly.
The policeman paid no attention to Soapy. Men who break windows don’t remain to speak with policemen. They run away. He saw a man running and rushed after him, stick in hand. Soapy, disgusted, walked along, twice unsuccessful.
On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant for people with large appetites and modest purses. Soapy entered this place without difficulty. He sat at a table and ate beefsteak and pie. And then he told the waiter he had no money.
“Go and call a cop,” said Soapy. “And don’t keep a gentleman waiting.”
“No cop for you,” said the waiter. “Hey!”
Then Soapy found himself lying upon his left ear on the pavement. He arose with difficulty, and beat the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed a rosy dream. The Island seemed far away.
After another unsuccessful attempt to be arrested for harassing a young woman, Soapy went further toward the district of theatres.
When he saw a policeman standing in front of a glittering theatre, he thought of “disorderly conduct”. On the sidewalk Soapy began to sing drunken songs at the top of his voice. He danced, cried, and otherwise disturbed the peace.
The policeman turned his back to Soapy, and said to a citizen, “It is one of the Yale boys celebrating their football victory. Noisy, but no harm.”
Sadly, Soapy stopped his useless singing and dancing. The Island seemed unattainable. He buttoned his thin coat against the north wind.
In a cigar store he saw a well-dressed man who had set his silk umbrella by the door. Soapy entered the store, took the umbrella, and went out with it slowly. The man with the cigar followed hastily.
“My umbrella,” he said.
“Oh, is it?” said Soapy. “Well, why don’t you call a policeman? I took your umbrella! Why don’t you call a cop? There stands one on the corner.”
The umbrella owner slowed his steps. Soapy did likewise. The policeman looked at them curiously.
“Of course,” said the umbrella man, “well, you know how these mistakes occur…if it’s your umbrella I hope you’ll excuse me – I picked it up this morning in a restaurant – if it’s yours, I hope you’ll…”
“Of course it’s mine,” said Soapy.
The ex-umbrella man retreated. The policeman hurried to help a well-dressed woman across the street.
Soapy threw the umbrella angrily. He was angry with the men who wear helmets and carry clubs. They seemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong.
At last Soapy stopped before an old church on a quiet corner. Through one window a soft light glowed, where, the organist played a Sunday anthem. For there came to Soapy’s ears sweet music that caught and held him at the iron fence.
The moon was shining; cars and pedestrians were few; birds twittered sleepily under the roof. And the anthem that the organist played cemented Soapy to the iron fence, for he had known it well in the days when his life contained such things as mothers and roses and ambitions and friends.
The influence of the music and the old church produced a sudden and wonderful change in Soapy’s soul. He thought of his degraded days, dead hopes and wrecked faculties.
And also in a moment a strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of this pit; he would make a man of himself again. Those sweet notes had set up a revolution in him. Tomorrow he would be somebody in the world. He would…
Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nothing.”
“Then come along,” said the policeman.
“Three months on the Island,” said the Judge the next morning.
1. Which of the following is the reason for Soapy’s not turning to charity?

A．His pride gets in the way.

B．What the institutions of charity offer isn’t what Soapy needs.

C．He wants to be a citizen who obeys the law.

D．The institutions of charity are not located on the island.

2. From the passage, we can see what the two restaurants have in common is that __________.

A．they are both fancy upper class restaurants

B．neither of them served Soapy

C．they both drove Soapy out of the restaurant after he finished his meal

D．neither of them called cops

3. Hearing the Sunday anthem at the church, Soapy was reminded of __________.

A．his good old days and wanted to play the anthem again

B．his unaccomplished ambition and was determined to get to the Island

C．his disgraceful past and determined to transform himself

D．his rosy dream and wished to realize it

4. By ending the story this way, the author means to __________.

A．show that one always gets what he/she wants with enough efforts

B．make a contrast and criticize the sick society

C．surprise readers by proving justice was done after all

D．put a tragic end to Soapy’s life and show his sympathy for Soapy

【推荐3】An important part of raising your children is teaching them good manners as it helps them be more successful in life.     1    Here are some “old-fashioned” but important manners for your modern kids.

Saying “thank you” to service workers

Saying “thank you” is the base of all good manners but these days many children overlook thanking the people that help them in many little ways each day, like wait staff, store clerks, and bus drivers. It’s not just about politeness but about teaching children to recognize and acknowledge others’ contributions as valuable.     2    

Taking turns talking

Teach your children to touch your arm and then wait patiently for you to acknowledge(理会)them before speaking. If they do interrupt, calmly tell them it’s rude to interrupt and let them know you’ll acknowledge them shortly.     3    Offer your children the same politeness and don’t interrupt them when it’s their turn to talk.

Using their indoor voices

    4     A parent should teach their children early on how to moderate(使适中)their volume and tone based on the situation. You can make it into a fun game for little ones, like seeing who can whisper the quietest at a cinema.

Covering a cough or sneeze

These days it’s more important than ever to teach children to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow. It’s not just a matter of hygiene(卫生)——no one enjoys getting sprayed.     5     Don’t forget to teach them to say “excuse me” after.

A．Remember it goes both ways.

B．Therefore it makes others feel cared about.

C．Games are very important for children’s good manners.

D．Crying, laughing, or just talking, children can be very loud.

E．Lacking basic manners will affect kids in all areas of their lives.

F．It is also a way to help others feel safe and comfortable around you.

G．Eventually it’s about teaching them not to treat others as their servants.