【推荐1】It was a carefree summer day when a father, Steven Poust, was out boating on the St. John’s River with his 4-year-old daughter Abigail and 4-year-old son Chase. The children were playfully swimming near their anchored boat while their father was fishing, smiling at his kids. Suddenly, Abigail got caught in the powerful current, forcing her to release the handle on the boat. Chase let go of the boat to take hold of his little sister, but he found himself caught in the current. When Steven jumped into the water to rescue his struggling children, he was also pulled in.

As they all drifted farther from the boat, the desperate father pushed his son to a safer place and tried to stick with his daughter as long as he could. However, he wore himself out later, and she drifted away from him. The father had to follow his daughter. So the responsibility to save the family was now on young Chase’s shoulders.

Steven instructed his son to swim to the shore and find immediate help. Meanwhile, he would attempt to retrieve his little girl, who was continuously being pulled farther from his reach.

Chase did as he was told. The young boy was swimming against the current, which made it more difficult to swim toward the shore. However, the young boy continued to swim with one thought in mind: to save his family. Chase swam as fast as he could to reach the riverbank. When he grew tired, Chase cleverly floated on his back; at times, he paddled to conserve his energy. Once he reached the shore, he raced to the closest house he could find, knocked on the door and screamed for help. The owners answered and immediately dialed 911.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded quickly. They located the empty boat. In the water, they found kids’ shoes, a cellphone and fishing poles floating near the boat. After a 90-minute search, the search crew located the father and the daughter in the water, who had been swept a mile and a half from their abandoned boat.

1. What can we know from paragraph 1?

A．They had nothing to do but play near the water.

B．They had a very pleasant time before the accident.

C．Steven was so absorbed in fishing that he didn’t look after his kids well.

D．Abigail released the handle on the boat to seek something new and exciting.

2. Why did Steven count on Chase to seek for help?

A．His mental strength ran out.	B．His swimming skill was poorer.
C．He had to try to save his daughter.	D．He wanted to get Chase trained.

3. Which one may NOT be the reason for their safe return?

A．Chase’s intelligence and flexibility towards different situations.

B．The rapid response and efficient work of relevant department.

C．Abigail and Steven’s optimism and never giving up the hope of living.

D．The kindness and warm heart of the room owners.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Steven?

A．Devoted and calm.	B．Brave and generous.
C．Strict and smart.	D．Ambitious and honest.

【推荐2】Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.

I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.

Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.

That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

Love,

Dad

1. Who was most probably the writer?

A．A headmaster managing a primary school.

B．A candidate to run for President of U.S.A.

C．A manager running international business.

D．A commander experiencing a war in a foreign country.

2. What does the underlined word “journey” (Paragraph 1) really mean?

A．a trip to a place of interest

B．a process to bring up their children

C．a campaign to run for the president

D．a visit to their hometown to meet their grandmother

3. What do we know about Malia and Sasha’s grandmother?

A．She had a perfect way to educate children.

B．She encouraged the writer to join the army.

C．She bought a lovely puppy for her grandchildren.

D．She often read the Declaration of Independence to her grandchildren.

4. From the letter we can learn that the writer was ________.

A．kind and hesitant

B．ambitious and considerate

C．selfish but merciful

D．successful but stubborn

5. According to the letter, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The writer and his two daughters had been apart for a long time.

B．The writer hoped that his daughters would live up to his great expectations.

C．The only way to settle the differences in the world is through violence.

D．There still exist some divides of race and region, gender and religion somewhere in the world.

6. What is the writer’s purpose of writing the letter?

A．Encouraging his daughters to run for President in the future.

B．Explaining the whole international situation to his daughters.

C．Educating his daughters how to defend their country.

D．Apologizing to his daughters for his not being able to stay together with them for such a long time.

【推荐3】I’ll always remember the first time I tried ballet. My mother was a dancer and I wanted nothing more than to be like her, but after making mistakes during my first class, I felt like I wanted to quit right away. However, I told my mom I couldn’t wait to dance again because it was only my first day.

Weeks passed and my dancing didn’t get any better. Then my dance teacher announced that we were going to perform in a show. I was scared of falling on my face in front of hundreds of people and disappointing my mom.

Even though I practiced hard for the show, I never quite got the hang of it. Finally, I went to my mom to tell her how I felt. She simply laughed and told me she would teach me all she knew about ballet.

My mom quickly discovered how bad at ballet I was, but she still taught me with the greatest patience, love and understanding. When I jumped and fell, she was there to catch me. When I lost my balance, she held me up. By the time the show arrived, I was as prepared as I could be.

The music began and my heart started to race. Breathing calmly, I began moving to the music without missing a step. When the music stopped, I ran off the stage and laughed in excitement.

My mom found me and gave me a huge hug, telling me how proud she was. I looked my mom in the eye and told her that there was no way this could have happened without her. Through this, I realized one important fact: My mom will always be there to catch me if I fall.

1. What happened to the author on her first day of ballet?

A．She fell down and hurt herself.	B．She made no mistakes while dancing.
C．She realized she was talented in ballet.	D．She lied to her mom about liking ballet.

2. What does the underlined phrase “got the hang of it” mean?

A．learned to do it well.

B．lost interest in it.

C．had trouble with it.

D．jumped high in the air.

3. How did the mother respond when the author expressed her difficulties in ballet?

A．She simply laughed and ignored her concerns completely.

B．She encouraged her to quit and pursue something else.

C．She offered to teach her everything she knew about ballet.

D．She scolded her strictly for not practising enough.

4. When preparing for the show, the author found out that her mom was ______.

A．nervous and dependable.	B．calm and impatient.
C．excited and concerned.	D．understanding and reliable.

5. What did the author learn from her ballet experience?

A．Don’t be afraid of disappointing others.

B．Never try something you are not good at.

C．A mother’s love is pure and unconditional.

D．Every mom will be proud of their children’s achievements.

【推荐1】Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn't think there would be any difficulty in getting it repaired as there are a whole lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair.

The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth, so I decided that my approach must be wrong, and I should try another way.

I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I'II give you twenty pounds.” “It's got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that. It's nothing.”

Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I'll buy it.” I said, “What would you mean? You've just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes. I know but I've changed my mind. I am sorry. I'll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy.” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You're right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, ‘Would you repair this chair for me?’” “I wouldn't have agreed to do it.” he said. “We don't do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I'll repair this for you, shall we say for five pounds?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.

1. We can learn from the passage that in the first shop the writer ________.

A．was rather impolite

B．was warmly received

C．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair

D．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair

2. What does the underlined word “approach” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．plan for dealing with things	B．way of doing things
C．idea of repairing things	D．decision to sell things

3. The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper ________.

A．saw the writer's purpose	B．accepted the offer
C．changed his mind	D．decided to help the writer

4. From the passage, we can learn that the writer was ________.

A．honest

B．careful

C．clever

D．funny

5. Which of the following statements is true?

A．The writer wanted to sell his chair for 20 pounds.

B．It was very easy to repair the writer's broken chair.

C．The writer succeeded in getting his chair repaired at last.

D．The man in the first shop thought the chair was too old.

【推荐2】Glenn was born on July 18,1921, in Cambridge and grew up in nearby New Concord, Ohio. He started his flying career as a fighter pilot(飞行员). Later, Glenn took a dangerous job as a test pilot, flying new planes to see if they were safe.

In the late 1950s, a “space race” began between the U. S. and the Soviet Union. Both countries wanted to be the first to send a human into space, including to the moon. In 1961, a Russian astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, orbited Earth. But the space race was not over yet. Glenn’s chance to go into space came on February 20, 1962. By that time, another American, Alan B. Shepard, had flown in space, but he had not orbited Earth. Glenn’s flight was aired live on television and radio. Americans everywhere stopped to watch.

Glenn’s Friendship 7 capsule circled the planet three times. A faulty equipment led Glenn to believe the capsule might burn up on its return to Earth, but in the end it splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. He became the first American to orbit Earth in a spaceship.

In 1984, Glenn ran for president, but he did not get enough support and dropped out of the race. Glenn returned to space on October 29, 1998, when he was 77. He spent nine days on the space shuttle Discovery. Glenn went so that scientists could the effects of space travel on older people. He holds the record for being the oldest person in space. Glenn died Thursday, Dec, 8,2016, at the age of 95.

Glenn refused to see himself as a hero. He preferred to focus on his work, saying. “If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more meaningful than merely their own self-interest.”

1. What do we know about John Glenn?

A．He worked as a fighter pilot in all his life

B．He succeeded in the race for president in 1984

C．He competed with another pilot Alan B in space race

D．He was the first American to circle Earth successfully

2. What happened during Glenn’s return to Earth?

A．The capsule opened while circling Earth

B．One part of the equipment went wrong

C．The capsule was on fire all of a sudden

D．The spaceship stopped working halfway

3. Why did Glenn return to space in 1998?

A．To prove the safety of new space shuttles

B．To get support for his running for president

C．To test how space travel affected the elderly

D．To become the oldest person in space by orbiting Earth

4. What can we learn from Glenn’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Selfish people care for their own interest

B．Happy people are likely to succeed easily

C．He has known most of the successful people

D．The people who work for others are the happiest