【推荐1】It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in   the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife   and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.

“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.

Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked. “The box is gone,” he said.

“What box?” Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.

Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.

“Mr. Harold Belser” it read. Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.

Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, thanks for your time! Harold Belser.” “Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

1. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser.

B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

C．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.

2. Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.

A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing

B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

3. What does the underlined word “reminisce” mean in paragraph 5?

A．recover	B．reveal
C．recommend	D．recall

4. Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

A．Because he had no children or relatives.

B．Because he thought he had to keep his word.

C．Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

D．Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

5. Jack said he needed some time to spend with his son because ______.

A．he came to realize the importance of the time with his family

B．he had promised to spare more time to stay with his son

C．he had missed his son and his family for days

D．he was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

6. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A．The Good Old Times	B．What He Valued Most
C．An Old Gold Watch	D．The Lost Childhood Days

【推荐2】Last fall, I went to New York for sightseeing. I visited many tourist attractions there, and I also saw many unfortunate citizens on the street, like beggars and homeless folks.

Standing outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I heard a voice ask, “Can you do me a favor?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended out. Naturally, I reached into my pocket for some change immediately and placed it in her hand without even looking at her. I was really annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. What I only thought at that moment was to send her away.

But the blind woman said with a warm smile on her face, "I don't want your money. I just need you to show me the way to the subway entrance."

In an instant, I realized what I had done just now. Her unexpected words took me by surprise and shame. I had acted with prejudice ——I'd judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be. I felt ashamed of myself and couldn't face the old woman anymore. And I felt small beside her.

The incident reminded me that I believed in being humble, even though I had lost that belief for a moment. The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the U. S. at the age of 15. Through the years, I have experienced many acts of prejudice. I remember a time at the age of 17 when I was a busboy, I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. But now, living my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to go. It is the blind woman who cured me of my blindness.

1. What did the author think the blind woman wanted at first sight?

A．To ask for directions.	B．To offer him some help.
C．To demand some donations.	D．To borrow money from him.

2. Why did the author feel ashamed?

A．He had a prejudice on the woman.	B．He couldn't face the woman.
C．He was judged by his appearance.	D．He was an immigrant himself.

3. Why did the author mention his experience as a busboy?

A．To indicate he led a miserable life.	B．To tell he didn't work hard at school.
C．To prove he used to be a humble man.	D．To show he used to be unfairly judged.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Considerate - Always Minding Your Words

B．Be Humble - Always Dropping Your Prejudice

C．Be Generous - Always Helping Those in Need

D．Be Aggressive - Always Having a Big Dream

【推荐3】Today the word friendship has been used so often that it has lost its meaning. Some jokingly or seriously say that friends are made to be used. It makes me very sad.

True friendship doesn’t mean that when you need your friend’s help, you will treat him to dinner, and when you have to protect yourself, you will put your friends in a difficult situation.

In fact, true friendship is the communication and understanding of the hearts.

True friendship is like water. Compared with decent wine, water is tasteless, but is of great help when we are thirsty. True friends don’t need to be with each other every day, but are connected in heart every minute.

True friendship is like medicine. Though it is bitter, it cures your illness. True friends give you some suggestions even if they know you would not take. They criticize you when others have a good word for you, not because of envy but worrying that you may lose your cool head.

True friendship has nothing to do with fame, power or money. True friends would often watch you silently far away when you are influential, but come to you whenever you need their help. You’re not his stepping-stone to success, but are his crutch to live through difficulties.

True friends make you complete. Many persons go along with you through your life ─your parents, your husband/wife, and your children, who take care of you and make your life happy. However，, you still need someone who understands your thoughts and souls. Without them, you are likely to be unhealthy in spirit.

True friends stay in your heart, rather than at your side; they know you more than yourself, and try to better you.

1. The writer speaks of water because ______.

A．it has no taste

B．it is easy to get

C．it is important to our life

D．it stays with us every day

2. The underlined word “influential” in Paragraph6 means “______”.

A．quiet

B．busy

C．helpful

D．powerful

3. According to the passage, true friends may help you ______.

A．enjoy mental health

B．achieve your success

C．understand them better

D．live a happy life

4. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A．True friends need to be with each other every day.

B．True friendship is like medicine, and it can cure your illness.

C．True friendship has something to do with fame，power or money.

D．True friendship means that when you need your friend’s help，you will treat him to dinner.

【推荐1】On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You're nervous and that’s okay. Everyone is afraid of high school.” I denied(否认)it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.

On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn’t figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn’t think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it! The schoolmates seemed to regard me as a fool, and they were probably right.

Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging.

Since then, I’ve been elected vice monitor of my class, which wasn’t much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.

It is normal to be scared about a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is something that any student can overcome. Make sure you take part in some out-of-class activities because you’ll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn’t straight A’s.

Most important of all, be who you are, whether you’re a “fool”, an athlete, or a lower grader. Don’t try to pretend(假装)to be someone you’re not. Now you know the true secrets of high school.

1. From the author’s first day experience we can infer that ______.

A．his home was far from the school

B．he got to school before classes began

C．he was fond of the school immediately.

D．he didn't know the right way to class

2. After his first week at school, the author ______.

A．was still not used to the schedule

B．gradually adapted(适应)himself to the new school

C．found high school not so challenging as he had imagined

D．ran for monitor of his class against three other students

3. According to the passage, the secret of the author’s success lies mainly in ______.

A．making more friends

B．getting more A’s at school

C．being who he really is

D．joining in out-of-class activities

【推荐2】A long time ago, there was an emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he liked, then the emperor would give him the area of land he would have covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much as possible.

Finally, the horseman was exhausted and dying. He asked himself, “Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I need only a very small area to bury myself.”

The story above is similar with the journey of our life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to get power. We don’t pay attention to our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauties and the hobbies we love. One day when we look back, we will realize that we don’t really need that much.

Life is not only about making money, getting power. Life is definitely not only about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauties and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of work and play. Happiness is also the meaning and the purpose of life.

So, take it easy! Do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile and short.

1. What did the emperor promise to the horseman?

A．He could ride his horse.

B．He could get much land.

C．He could ride as fast as he wanted.

D．He could get as much land as he had covered on the horse.

2. What did the horseman get at the end of the story?

A．He got what he wanted.	B．He got a lot of land area.
C．He got nothing.	D．He got a very small area.

3. The passage showed that_______ .

A．We should enjoy life.

B．We only should pay attention to the work.

C．We should not only work hard but also enjoy the life.

D．We should work hard to make much money and get much power.

4. Why should we live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy life?

A．Because work is necessary.

B．Because life is fragile and short.

C．Because we couldn’t get enough power.

D．Because we couldn’t get enough money.

【推荐3】When Spring cleaning season rived this year I decided that it was time to get rid of more than just a Winter’s worth of dust and dirt. It was the time to get rid of years worth of accumulated (累积的) stuff as well. This stuff was lining my walls, filling my shelves, and crowding my closets. This stuff was filling my home and my mind and not bringing me one bit of happiness. I couldn’t even remember how I got some of it, but I knew I wanted it gone.

It turned out to be an even bigger job than I thought. Twenty-year-old bills and receipts were thrown in the trash. Piles of papers were no longer necessary or needed. Broken bowls, dented pans, and cracked knickknacks were finally thrown away. Unworn clothes were taken out of the closet and packed to be given away to the local charity. Old books were boxed up to be passed on for others to read and enjoy.

It took several days to get it all done, but in the end I was able to walk through a home that seemed a little less messed. My heart was a lot lighter too. It felt so good to be able to get rid of all the junk and to just focus on the essential stuff in life again.

What is the essential stuff? What is the stuff that brings meaning to our days? A loving heart is essential. A joyful spirit is essential. A soul full of goodness and God is essential. And a life full of sharing all of these things is absolutely essential. The essential stuff can’t be bought, sold, or stored. It can only be chosen, created, and given away. The essential stuff is the stuff we all really want. It is the stuff we all really need.

1. Which word can describe the author’s feeling towards accumulated stuff?

A．Satisfied.

B．Curious.

C．Bored.

D．Disappointed.

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 imply?

A．It is a pity that 1 should store so much stuff.

B．I really don’t want to throw away such stuff.

C．The essential stuff is actually everywhere.

D．There is more unnecessary stuff than I think.

3. In which section of a magazine can we read this text?

A．Lifestyle.

B．Technology.

C．Health.

D．Education.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．It’s Time To Move On	B．What Matters Most
C．How To Get Rid Of Junk	D．What Is Junk

【推荐1】The other day I was doing some shopping and a homeless man, who was untidy and spent most of the time talking to no one in particular (特别的), walked toward a group of us at the checkout stand. I overheard him say to the man in front of me,” I don’t want to steal from this store would you buy me some food?”

The man in front of me pretended (假装) not to hear him; it was as if he were not there. I waited patiently for my turn to be questioned, but it never came. So I asked him, “Can I buy you something to eat?” He gladly accepted. The man got a bag and began putting cupcakes in the bag. As my things were being rung up I watched the man put the cupcakes into the bag: 1, 2, 3, ... He finally stopped and I asked him how many he had got and he replied 6.

The cashier looked at me in surprise and then added them to my order. After I was through, the man was walking around the store; he said he wanted something to drink, too. The cashier seemed to be keeping a close eye on him. I admit I was too, as I didn’t want him to steal anything either. I told the cashier that if he got a drink I’d just pay for it.

In the end, we both ended up leaving the store, but he stood right outside holding the cupcakes and talking to himself. Or maybe he was talking with someone who he thought was there.

This man’s circumstances (处境) saddened me. How many of our homeless also suffer from a mental (精神的) illness? Maybe that’s even what led him to be homeless. I also thought about the watchful eye the cashier and I kept over him. Maybe for different reasons, but still I hope to run into him again someday. Maybe we can sit down and have lunch together.

1. What did the man in front of the author do when the homeless man talked to him?

A．He walked to the checkout stand.	B．He asked the homeless man some questions.
C．He bought some food for the homeless man.	D．He paid no attention to the homeless man’s request.

2. Why did the cashier keep a close eye on the homeless man?

A．He was afraid that the homeless man would steal.	B．He had a great interest in the homeless man’s behavior.
C．He wanted to prevent the homeless man from making trouble.	D．He needed to make sure the homeless man would make a payment.

3. What did the homeless man do after leaving the store?

A．He talked with someone.

B．He spoke to himself.

C．He thanked the author.

D．He ate the cupcakes.

4. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Patient.

B．Honest.

C．Caring.

D．Responsible.

【推荐2】In 2007, Bianca Valenti had an experience which nearly killed her. When she paddled out at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, she met a wave the length of a garage and as tall as a two-story house.

“The second I went under water, I was just getting knocked and spun every which way. And then my feet touched the sand bottom there. I swam to the surface. At this point my lungs were burning painfully. I just thought to myself, ‘If there’s one more wave after this, I’m going to die.’Luckily there wasn’t another wave.” That was when Valenti knew she had the drive and skill to surf big waves.

By 2014, Valenti surfed and won her first big waves contest at Nelscott Reef in Oregon. There, she met fellow professionals Paige Alms, Andrea Moller, and Keala Kennelly. “Two things got me fired up at that point,” she said, “I wanted to have the opportunity to win more events, but there weren’t more events for women. Also I noticed that just the sight of women surfing big waves was opening people’s minds. . . That’s really annoying.” Luckily,                    Valenti, Alms, Moller, and Kennelly became an energetic foursome and decided to stick together, support each other, and then fight together.

The four surfers formed Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing（CEWS）to fight for entrance at Mavericks — a contest set in the surfing location of the same name, north of Half Moon Bay. Mavericks was invitation-only and was open to only men when CEWS was formed. Now, through the organization’s hard work with the State of California, women are awarded 12 spots to surf.

When Valenti was young, there weren’t many women represented in surfing culture. “I think it’s important for young kids to have all kinds of role models. That way they know all the people who they see as superheroes are just normal people who have crazy dreams. And sometimes the dreams aren’t even that crazy. If you work hard and you stick together with your friends, you can do anything. You can move mountains.”

1. Why did Valenti decide to surf big waves?

A．Her courage to challenge men surfer.

B．Her gift in learning surfing skills.

C．Her ambition to be the best role model.

D．Her near-death experience in 2007.

2. What the meaning of the underlined phrase “fired up” in paragraph 3?

A．Depressed.	B．Concerned.
C．Excited.	D．Angry.

3. What can be concluded about Mavericks when CEWS was formed?

A．It opened 12 spots for women surfers.

B．All surfers were admitted to it freely.

C．Surfers could only attend it by invitation.

D．It was named after the bay.

4. Which of the following phrases can best describe Valenti?

A．Emotional and stubborn.	B．Ambitious and brave.
C．Tough and impractical.	D．Simple-minded and helpful.