【推荐1】In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity; others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．Competition helps to set up self-respect.

B．Opinions about competition are different among people.

C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development.

D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition

2. Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?

A．It pushes society forward.

B．It builds up a sense of duty.

C．It improves personal abilities.

D．It encourages individual efforts.

3. What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a desire to fail ?

A．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others.

B．One’s success in competition needs great efforts.

C．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.

D．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.

4. Which point of view may the author agree to?

A．Every effort should be paid back.

B．Competition should be encouraged.

C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter.

D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

【推荐2】Growing pains and gains

It’s not easy to grow up. Actually it’s far from easy. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else makes us do and aren’t allowed to do all the things we like. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. When we look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude, we realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!

As a young girl my parents forced my sisters and me to do so many things that I never liked. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music, just because it was what they wanted me to do. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life in so many ways. I realize that my parents and teachers were always pushing me along, not because they wanted me to suffer but because they wanted me to succeed in life. They’ve always wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.

Every moment of our lives we are either living or dying, so live life to its fullest! We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just small pains in life. They might seem so huge at the time but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no fear and live life like that. The future is ours!

A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps (凸块) on our road to success we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!

1. According to Paragraph 1, we learn that when we are young, __________.

A．life is full of joy	B．life is easy for us
C．we know we can stay young forever	D．we sometimes can’t do things we like

2. When the author was young, she was forced by her parents to_________.

A．take music lessons	B．tum gains into pains
C．look back on hardships	D．live a successful life by suffering a lot

3. What does the underlined phrase “to its fullest” mean?

A．directly.

B．completely.

C．carefully.

D．terribly

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Growing pains are necessary for us to grow up.

B．We all have to experience growing pains.

C．A little hard work and sweat are harmful to us.

D．Life without fear is a better choice for us.

【推荐3】A decade ago, colored lights danced around the living room on New Year's Eve and happy music was played. Upstairs, the children were asleep. But I wasn't feeling happy. In mid-December, my husband and I had been informed that he had cancer and that he was going to die. He had less than a year left, the doctors said.

In the years since that painful season, I have come to look back upon New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve brings a halt to the endless commitments that fill our daily lives and a chance to reflect New Year's Eve is full of possibility and anticipation. What will be the surprising experiences and delightful successes in the coming year? But also, what disappointments are waiting for us in the next twelve months?

In many ways, New Year's Eve and the days that surround it are a line between past and future. That line is made up of a series of moments of transition （过渡）that take us out of the old and into the new. Transition can be challenging for many of us. It's about letting go of the familiar and diving into the unfamiliar.

Just as, back then, I had to face letting go of the life I had led with my beloved husband and stepping into a new world as a widowed mom, I find that each year I have to step out of the version of me that suited the year that is ending and ease into the version of me who will rise to the goals I am holding for myself for the year ahead.

Last year at this time, I sat in a chair in southern France and drank in the beauty of the countryside around me. The three children 1 had brought into this world talked and laughed around the table beside me as we enjoyed a lunch of bread and cheese.

I was filled with a sense of joy and I had a glowing （热情洋溢的）heart that was full of hope. It was another ending and another beginning. May we all transition into the best of what lies ahead. May we all find happiness in this holiday season.

1. What causes author's unhappiness on New Year's Eve a decade ago?

A．The pressure she faced in her work.

B．The health problem her husband suffered.

C．The information received from her family.

D．The relationship between her and her husband.

2. According to the author, what should people do on the New Year's Eve?

A．Set challenging goals for the next year.

B．Manage daily routines and form a new habit.

C．Spend more time with family members.

D．Think about the past and get ready for the future.

3. What's the main purpose of writing the passage?

A．To honor her beloved late husband.

B．To show how she got through a hard time.

C．To share her new view of New Year's Eve.

D．To remind us that misfortune is part of life.

【推荐1】The UN’s Millennium Development Goals included the ambition that by 2015 all the world’s children would complete primary school. This has largely been achieved: nine out of ten children are now enrolled.     1     Even though most of the world’s children go to school, an awful lot of them learn pretty much nothing there. According to a recent World Bank study of seven sub-Saharan African countries, half of nine-year-olds cannot read a simple word and three-quarters cannot read a simple sentence.     2    

Several recent studies suggest education technology can help. It seems to bring about bigger improvements in poor countries than in rich ones.

    3     That doesn’t mean buying computers for schools in the hope that children will understand how to use them, a stupidity on which plenty of money has been wasted. Instead, it means providing schools with software that children can use with minimal help from an adult. The software gets things right more often than the teachers do, adjusts itself to the child’s ability, and sends teachers instructions about what they are supposed to be teaching.     4    

Technology is no panacea(万灵药) .     5     And authorities need to take teachers into account. But education technology can help greatly — by monitoring pupils and teachers alike, assisting the best teachers and, most important, making up for the failings of the worst.

A．The reason is terrible teaching.

B．The achievements are really great.

C．However, the figure is not as impressive as it sounds.

D．Technology plays more and more important role in teaching.

E．Good traditional teachers are not outdated, and are never likely to be.

F．Meanwhile it allows the authorities to check on whether the teacher is in the classroom.

G．Some of the scarce resources being spent on teachers could therefore be better spent on education technology.

【推荐2】Katie Blomquist, a lst grade teacher at Pepperhill Elementary School in North Charleston, South Carolina, learned last year that one of her students wanted a bike for his birthday. But his parents could not afford it. So, like most other people that you will find here on InspireMyKids, she decided to do something about it!

First, she thought about how to get a bike for that child. Then, she decided to think bigger. How could she also give a bike to his brother? Or how about a bike to every child in her class? Finally, her vision got even bolder! How might she find bikes for the 650 poor kids that make up her entire school. Even though Ms. Blomquist could not afford to buy the bikes herself, she felt she now had to do something about it!

So, she decided to start a GoFundMe campaign to raise money. Her request caught on! In less than 6 months, over 1,000 donors from around her community, and even 10 countries around the world, provided over $80,000 in donations! This was enough to buy more than 600 bikes for Pepperhill students, along with locks!

After a big ceremony to surprise the kids, Ms. Blomquist’s effort is not done. Katie Blomquist is starting a charity called “Going Places”, with a mission to bring joy to deserving children from low income families by providing them with bikes, swim lessons, summer camp chances, and more. This will enrich their growth and fuel their imaginations, supporting the most basic childhood right---a right to joy. And she has started yet another campaign for her chairty to help more schools and kids!

1. What led Ms. Blomquist to start GoFundMe campaign originally?

A．Her dream for a bike.	B．A kid’s birthday wish.
C．Her bad family conditions.	D．A moving story on InspireMyKids.

2. What is Pepperhill Elementary School like?

A．Its education level is well below average.

B．It has no access to convenient transportation.

C．It’s a community school intended for the poor.

D．Its students all come from a poor background.

3. What do the figures in Paragraph 3 indicate?

A．The large number of kind donors.

B．The great advantage of GoFundMe.

C．The immediate success of GoFundMe.

D．The huge economic benefits of GoFundMe.

4. Which words can best describe Katie Blomquist?

A．Sympathetic and devoted.	B．Aggressive and independent.
C．Generous and honest.	D．Responsible and sociable.

【推荐1】People enjoy taking trips. But what are reasons they leave home? One reason is for education. People travel because the want to broaden their horizon(视野) to learn about other people and other cultures. When people are on a trip, they get a quick look at different ways of living. Even a short look at another kind of lifestyle is an important lesson. When travelling, a person can learn directly by visiting museums and historic spots(景点). What does a tourist learn who sees the arts museums, visit the historical places and other scenic spots in Paris and shops along the River Seine? He learns about their attitudes and how they feel about business, beauty and history.

What about the traveler who goes to Hong Kong? Does he get the same information that he could get from a book? He might read that Hong Kong is a crowed that there is less than 200 square meters of space for each person. But seeing and feeling the lack of space will impress him much more.

He might read that there are nearly 200 vehicles(交通工具) for every kilometer of roadway. But the sight of so many vehicles parked along the roadside would be a much more vivid lesson. The traveler to Hong Kong will never forget the contrast（对比）: the straight vertical(垂直的) lines of tall modern buildings and the moving lines of boat that people live in.

1. Why do people leave home to travel according to the passage?

A．For education.	B．For adventure.
C．To enjoy themselves	D．To look for a different lifestyle.

2. What do we learn from the passage about Paris?

A．It has a large population

B．It has many towering building

C．There are 200 vehicles for every kilometer of roadway

D．There are many museums and palaces.

3. What impression will a traveler get of Hong Kong?

A．It has many big and beautiful parks.

B．It is a city of contrast.

C．It has many historical sites.

D．It is an important industrial center.

4. What does the passage tell us about travelling?

A．It makes our life more interesting.

B．It enables us to get first-hand knowledge..

C．It helps develop our personalities.

D．It brings about changes in our lifestyles.

【推荐2】Lack is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity," said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I've never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it' s probably worth listening to.

Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you're a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump（树桩）for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.

Richard Wiseman, the UK psychologist, conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups: those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, "Stop counting There are 43 photographs in this newspaper," was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.

It's easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are "lucky", in fact, keep an open mind and don't go through the same routine every day.

I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do, Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I've had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I've also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman's studies I think not.

As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational（理性）thinking, but it's important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.

Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.

1. What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?

A．She is a good organizer of a talk show in America.

B．She became famous through her family background.

C．She was lucky and seldom fell flat on her face.

D．She became successful entirely by her own effort.

2. The writer quoted the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show________.

A．luck is in your own hand

B．bad luck can turn into good

C．you can't wait for an opportunity

D．man can conquer nature

3. From the experiment Wiseman drew the conclusion that________.

A．lucky people are quick-minded

B．unlucky people are slow to read

C．lucky people often have an open mind

D．unlucky people are not routineers

4. The underlined word "spot" is the closest in meaning to "________”.

A．recognize

B．mark

C．make

D．receive

5. Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer's point?

A．Make the best of a bad situation.

B．Rome was not built in a day.

C．All is not gold that glitters.

D．A good heart conquers ill fortune.

【推荐3】Even with wonderful friends, family and a partner, I don't always want to be surrounded by people. “Table for one? Or will someone else be joining you?” A dinner reservation for one person never fails to raise a few eyebrows. I actively choose to spend time alone when possible. But not everyone has the luxury of choosing to be alone, of course, many are forced into one-on-one time because they have no one.

But for those of us who spend our days surrounded by colleagues in the workplace, our evenings and weekends with family, friends and partners, all the while being constantly bombarded by WhatsApp,social media and email, time to ourselves can be a rare treat. Time to yourself not only gives you the chance to do practical things you don't normally get round to but also the activities your pals don't want to do. In a less real way, spending time alone also allows-or perhaps forces- you to sit with your own thoughts, to think about things that might normally be drowned out by conversation and the noise of companionship. When you're alone you get time to think without purpose.

It is worth noting that I'm a real introvert(性格内向者）,so perhaps sitting alone with my thoughts-refilling my energy reserves-might just be indulging personality traits that others don't have. But I believe more people could benefit from it.

Given this constant social conditioning since childhood that we should be surrounded by people , it's no wonder many hesitate to press forward at the idea of spending time alone-a sign we've failed at climbing that social ladder. And if you're an extrovert who gets their energy from other people, this must be even harder. But as someone who has come to love spending time alone, even when there are many wonderful souls in my life I can spend time with, I wish more people would give solo a go.

Reservation for one, please.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The author wants to be alone all the time.

B．The author feels bored with family and friends.

C．Surrounded by people, the author still feels lonely.

D．Reserving a table for one will draw disapproving looks.

2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．The benefits of alone time.

B．The weaknesses of social media.

C．The definition of being alone.

D．The ways of spending time alone.

3. How does an introvert regain their energy according to the author?

A．By eating delicious food.

B．By reflecting on their own thoughts.

C．By socializing with others.

D．By reading their favourite books.

4. The last sentence "Reservation for one, please." is intended to       .

A．quote others' words

B．answer the waiter's question

C．excite the readers' appetite

D．stress the author's determination