【推荐1】How cold is too cold to keep schools open? The question is being raised, at least in the Northeast, where the temperature is way below zero.

Keith Marty, superintendent(主管)of the Parkway School District in Missouri, published a letter to parents saying: “it is always challenging to balance my desire to have children in school and also my desire to keep them safe.” Location can affect closure decisions: children in Minnesota are accustomed to cold winter temperatures, but kids in the South aren’t. Also at play are concerns about state student attendance requirement and traffic issues, such as how long students have to wait outdoors for a bus, as well as health dangers caused by the cold and the condition of many old or poorly equipped school buildings.

And many districts worry about students who receive most or all of their meals at school and who have working parents who can’t stay home with them. Matt Guilfoyle, spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia, said in an email that his school system “strongly believes students are better served by being in school. FCPS also considers the nearly 56,000 students who receive free and reduced-price meals each day at school. If schools are open and a parent does not believe it is safe for his or her child, the parent should keep the child at home for an excused absence.”

A few years ago, Chicago public schools closed when the National Weather Service said temperatures would feel, with wind chill(风寒), like 30 degrees below zero. But they opened the next day even though the temperature didn’t rise much. A Chicago lawyer named William Choslovsky wrote an opinion piece in Chicago Tribune mocking the schools for closing when Milwaukee schools stayed open with cold temperatures. “Consider this the continued wussification(娘娘腔)of society,” he wrote. “Our kids can go to school. Considering that so few even walk anymore, what difference does the temperature make?”

Still, sometimes, the temperatures demand school closure, at least in the eyes of school district officials. Buffalo officials decided to close schools for Friday, with the forecast calling for temperatures at around zero degrees, with wind chill making it feel more like 20 degrees below zero.

1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?

A．Waiting for a school bus can be dangerous.

B．Many school buildings are too old to function.

C．Parents and schools differ on school closure.

D．School closure decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

2. What was Matt Guilfoyle trying to express in his email?

A．Opening school is good for students.

B．FCPS offers excellent food for students.

C．Some parents are irresponsible caregivers.

D．Some parents prevent schools from opening.

3. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Are students strong enough?

B．When is it too cold for school?

C．Is the weather getting colder and colder?

D．What are the schools doing to face cold weather?

【推荐2】While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. “English is easier for me. Chinese characters (汉字) have too many strokes (笔画),” said Piao. “But I want to learn it. I want to study at Beijing University when I grow up.” Piao is from Korea. He came to China in 2008.

In Korea, there are more than 300, 000 Chinese learners like Piao. Some Korean students begin to learn to write the language on their first day at school. To help students learn Chinese, Korea holds speaking competitions for high school students every year.

Chinese isn’t just popular in Korea. People from all the world want to learn it. The Ministry of Education of China says that nearly 130 million people from 85 countries are learning Chinese. This number will be increasing to 800 million in the coming years.

In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. Some American middle schools have Chinese classes. Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots (中国结). Some even try to write and draw in the Chinese way!

People want to learn Chinese because China is becoming such an important country. Foreign countries want to understand China better to help them with business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. It has sent more than 200 Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Many more Confucius Institutes (孔子学院) will be set up in the world. These institutes will teach Chinese to foreign students.

1. Which of the following is the topic sentence for the text?

A．Chinese has become popular among foreign kids.

B．Chinese can be more difficult to learn.

C．In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish.

D．Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots.

2. Where does Piao Chenglong come from?

A．China.

B．America.

C．Korea.

D．Spain.

3. According to the text, some American middle school students learn to do the following EXCEPT ________.

A．making jiaozi

B．writing and drawing in the Chinese way

C．tying Chinese knots

D．singing Chinese songs

4. Why do foreign people want to learn Chinese?

A．Because Chinese is getting more important in their schools.

B．Because Chinese characters have too many strokes.

C．Because the number of people learning Chinese will be 800 million.

D．Because China is becoming more and more important in the world.

【推荐1】The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

I bought a box set of four Winnie the Pooh books while on holiday when I was eight years old. I adored Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore. They became very real to me and I credit them with starting a lifelong love of reading.

I still have the box set, and loved reading the stories to my children when they were small. Part of me secretly believes A. A. Milne’s wonderful characters are all alive and well and still having their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood.
-----Roberta Smith

Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights by Charlotte and Emily Bronte

I can never separate Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights when I think about books that have stayed with me. Both had a deep impact on me when I read them as a teenager.

They were the first classic books I read purely for pleasure, rather than because I had to for school.

I grew up in Yorkshire, not far from where the Brontes lived, so part of me really understood the depressing landscape. That close geographical connection led to a lifelong interest in the authors as much as in the books themselves.

I wrote a high-school essay on the contrasts and similarities between Charlotte and Emily and their heroines. I’d be fascinated to read that essay now to see what conclusions I reached as a 17-year-old.

----Jane LeeThe text intended to tell us _________.

A．to introduce the books’ authors

B．to improve some classical literature

C．to explain the influence of these books on the writers

D．to make comments on the books’ leading characters

【推荐2】PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION (30%)
Directions: Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage
They say a cat has nine lives, and I think that possible since I am now living my third life and I’m not even a cat. My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living. And my mother, who was seriously ill in her last years, died while still in her 60s. My sister married soon after, and I followed her example within the year.
This was when I began to enjoy my first life. I was very happy, in excellent health. I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula (半岛) in San Carlos. Life was a pleasant dream. Then the dream ended. I became afflicted (使苦恼) with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side. Thus began my second life...
In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car. And I managed to keep my health and optimism (乐观), to a degree, because of 14 steps. Crazy? Not at all. Our home was an affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door. Those steps were a standard measure of life. They were my yardstick, my challenge to continue living. I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it ---repeating the process 14 times, I would be through---I could then admit defeat and lie down and die.
Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life. It was raining when I started home that night; strong winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly the steering wheel jerked (猝然一动). In the same instant I heard the bang of a blowout. It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible!
I started the engine and thumped slowly along until I came to the dirt road, where I turned in and where I found lighted windows welcomed me to a house and pulled into the driveway and honked the horn.
The door opened and a little girl stood there. When she knew what happened to me, she went into the house and a moment later came out, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting. I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm.
About an hour later, the man’s voice was heard, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but you’re all set now.” “Thanks,” I said. “How much do I owe you?” He shook his head, “Nothing. Cynthia told me you were a cripple. Glad to be of help. I know you’d do the same for me. There’s no charge, friend.” I held out a five-dollar bill, “No! I like to pay my way.” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it.”
1. “A cat has nine lives” here means ___________.

A．a cat can live nine times longer than any other animal	B．a cat can die ninth
C．a lucky man can not die easily	D．the writer will live nine times

2. What do you think of the man who helped change the tire?

A．Old, warm-hearted but pitiable

B．Blind, but warm-hearted and happy

C．A blind old man that has nothing to do every day.

D．A poor old man that is always ready to help others.

3. How will the story be ended?

A．The writer paid the little girl but the old man did not accept.

B．The writer drove away with tears running down his cheek.

C．The writer stayed there, without knowing what to do and how to do it.

D．In the next few frozen seconds the writer felt the shame and astonishment he had never felt before.

4. How do you understand the underlined sentence “I followed my sister’s example?”

A．He listened to his sister carefully.

B．Mother told him that he must get the agreement from his sister for whatever he would do.

C．His sister got married. He, too.

D．His sister was a great woman.. He must learn from her.

5. The b title for this passage perhaps will be _____.

A．The Old Man and His Daughter	B．Heart Leaping Up
C．Never Lose Heart	D．Good Will Be Rewarded Good

【推荐3】Short stories for kids can provide them with a lot of fun and entertainment and also teach them the important values of life.

There are some popular short stories around the world, For example, The Ugly Duckling, written by Hans Christian Anderson, which is based on the change of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, is one of the most inspiring short stories for children. Then there is The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a classic Aesop’s fable which shows kids the importance of always telling the truth. Little Red Riding Hood, which is written by the Brothers Grimm, tells kids about a strong and brave girl called Little Red Riding Hood and how she fights with an evil wolf to save her grandmother. Here are some examples of different types of short stories.

Ghost stories can be really entertaining and most kids enjoy them. While telling such kinds of stories, you should raise and lower your voice properly and make expressions suitable to what is happening in the story.

Historical stories can help children understand the lives of great leaders and heroes of the past. This will not only help show useful values to children, but also help them perform better in the subject of history.

In stories related to nature, you would be describing famous rivers, mountains and seas. Tell kids what nature has given us and how we should protect it for our own good.

Short stories not only keep kids entertained, but they also help to develop their sense of imagination and creative way of thinking. You can also make up some short stories of your own and spend some quality time with your kids.

1. What can we learn from Para.2?

A．The Ugly Duckling tells us about a strong and brave girl.

B．Little Red Riding Hood is the most inspiring short stories.

C．The Ugly Duckling is written by the Brothers Grimm.

D．The Boy Who Cried Wolf shows the importance of telling the truth.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards short stories?

A．Uninterested.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Disappointed.

3. This passage is probably written for_________ .

A．parents

B．teachers

C．children

D．students

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The useful values of historical stories.

B．Some famous writers of short stories.

C．A brief introduction to short stories.

D．The protection of famous rivers.

【推荐2】18-year-old Kayla Perkins explains what is in her bedroom, “I throw something on the floor and I know right where it is.” However, her parents, Steve and Deborah Perkins, of McKinney,Texas, haven’t caught on. Even Kayla admits that, at the worst, her room is a mess.

Most families at some point have at least one child whose room looks like a landfill (垃圾堆) .The mess can disturb the whole household. Dirty clothes pile up; dirty dishes get lost in the mess and smell bad; homework is lost; and valuable things are ruined.

Some parents let it go, believing that a bedroom is private space for children to manage as they wish. Others lecture their children, offer rewards for cleaning, or punish them when they don’t. What doesn’t work, parenting experts say, is constant lectures, verbal (口头的，言语的) threats or getting very angry. Mrs. Perking says they picked up all the clothes on Kayla’s floor and hid them. They cleaned everything up. When Kayla came back to a bare bedroom, there was screaming and shouting, “How can I live without my clothes?” Mrs. Perkins asked Kayla to earn her clothes back by doing housework. These days, she keeps her room clean.

Humour can help, too. For example, since Jessica, the 14-year-old daughter wasn’t bothered by the dirty clothes all over her floor, the whole family started using her room as a place to store dirty clothes. Her attitude changed after her family did that. By the time she gave in and cleaned up her room a few days later, even she was laughing.

Parenting expert, Jim Fay, also recommends that parents first ask children in a nice way to clean up and agree on a reasonable time limit. Children often behave better if you treat them in the way you would want to be treated by your boss at work - with respect and high expectation.

1. What is the best title of the passage?

A．How to Make Children Clean up Their Bedrooms

B．Ways to Correct Children’s Bad Habits.

C．Encourage Children to Share More Housework.

D．Tips on Cleaning up the Room.

2. According to the experts, when children’s room looks like a landfill, parents at first should           

A．let children have their own private space.

B．lecture their children and give verbal threats.

C．set an example and offer rewards for cleaning.

D．ask them in a nice way and set a reasonable time limit.

3. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Playing hide-and-seek can help children change their attitude.

B．Parents differ over their children’s bedroom cleaning.

C．Children often behave better if parents treat them like bosses.

D．Most children feel uncomfortable when their rooms are too clean.

【推荐3】We often hear such statements “I spilled juice, but it wasn’t my fault.”, “I got in trouble at school, but it wasn’t my fault.” Or “I was in a car accident, but it wasn’t my fault.” That “It’s not my fault.” is a go-to response for so many people and especially teenagers.

Parents complain they are tired of the “excuse”. The reason why variations(变体) of “It’s not my fault.” are so popular is that it lets us off the hook from guilt and blame. I’m a fan of not owning responsibility for things that I can’t control. Teens who often say “It’s my fault.” when something bad happens tend to be highly self-critical, perfectionistic and more easier to be troubled by anxiety and depression.

While it is important to recognize a lack of reason to blame oneself, many teens over-rely on “It’s not my fault.” When trying to get them to take responsibility, parents usually attempt to convince their teens that something is their fault. The approach tends to be ineffective and turn into a power struggle. No one wins. A more effective approach can be to stress significant drawbacks to consistently focusing on removing our responsibility with this phrase.

Overuse of the phrase can result in feelings of lack of ability to control their own lives. This sense has been shown to cause low motivation. Besides creating feelings of lack of ability, overuse of “It’s not my fault.” focuses a teen’s attention on what is done as opposed to what needs to be done.

People may not have caused all their problems, but they have to solve them anyway. The example I frequently share with teens is the question of what one will do if he is pushed into a deep lake. One can certainly stay in water, yelling, “It’s not my fault.” However, that won’t get him out of water. He needs to swim to the shore, regardless of the fault.

If you take a proper approach to communicating with your teens, you can help them avoid over-reliance on “It’s not my fault.”.

1. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 1?

A．The teenagers’ dislike for school life.

B．The common trouble faced by teenagers.

C．The reasons for blaming others for accidents.

D．The tendency for people not to be responsible for mess in life.

2. What type of teens tends to suffer great mental pressure according to the text?

A．Those lacking confidence and ambition.

B．Those allowing others to find excuses.

C．Those unable to get along well with others.

D．Those often blaming themselves for some incidents.

3. What’s the author’s attitude to parents’ usual way of guiding children?

A．Supportive.

B．Negative.

C．Ambiguous.

D．Neutral.

4. What’s Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．It’s harmful to overuse “It’s not my fault.”.

B．It’s important to learn lessons from faults.

C．It’s difficult for people to admit their fault.

D．It’s absurd to often find excuses for mistakes in life.

5. What lesson is conveyed in the example often shared by the author?

A．We should try to avoid troubling others.

B．We should focus on how to solve problems.

C．We should dare to point out others’ mistakes.

D．We should be self-critical as much as possible.