【推荐1】THEN WE CAME TO THE END
Joshua Ferris

The first novel by American author Joshua Ferris was so different, because it is written in the second on; the group of odd office colleagues talk and act as a collective. It must have been hard to maintain, but Ferris does a great job. It is really a good novel set in boring office environments.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH
John Steinbeck

Obviously a classic and still popular, the themes of this novel are timeless and echo just us strongly today. Set during the Great Depression, the story follows a family of “Okies” — poor migrant farmers from Oklahoma — as they head west seeking work.

PROPERTY
Lionel Shriver

Short stories from one of our best contemporary writers. Exploring the theme of possessions and ownership from many angles, this is certainly one for Marie Kondo fans. I have long been interested in what it is about things that can hook some people. The drive to possess items that serve no obvious purpose is most appealing to me. Fine, if an item is something given to you by someone special. But if you take a look around you, some things are probably simply useless and unmemorable. Shriver’s book explores it better.

THE LOVE THAT I HAVE
James Maloney

This absorbing story is about Margot Baumann, who takes a job in a mail-room in what, as later becomes clear, is a concentration camp. The amazing thing is the perspective it gives of German life during World War Ⅱ. Of course not all Germans, probably the large majority, had any real idea of what was going on. Within Margot’s immediate circle you see the reactions among the German population to the rise and fall of their beloved — or hated-Fuhrer (元首). And nation.

1. For whom is this text mainly intended?

A．Novelists.	B．Book addicts.
C．Editors.	D．Story tellers.

2. Who may be liked by Marie Kondo fans?

A．Joshua Ferris.	B．John Steinbeck.
C．Lionel Shriver.	D．James Maloney

3. What is special about THE LOVE THAT I HAVE?

A．It follows a family of “Okies”.

B．It is set in boring office environments.

C．It tells stories about a contemporary writer.

D．It explores the rise and fall of a nation in the world.

【推荐2】HOLIDAYS

1. The Bay Hotel

It’s a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking the bay in an uncommercialised Cornish fishing village on England’s most southerly point. If pop music is no longer your strong point, and you are considering a relaxing holiday where the scenery is breathtaking and the sound of the sea is live music to your ears, come and stay with us. For adults only. Sssh! Don’t tell everyone! TEL: 01326 280464

2. Willapark Manor Hotel

Peaceful situation in 14 acres of separated gardens and woodland, overlooking picturesque bay. Close to coastal path and beach. Excellent cuisine. Our excellent service brings our guests back year after year. Children (reductions) and pets welcome. TEL: 01840 770782

3. The Country Garden Hotel

Delightful hotel set in lovely gardens; calm Island of Wight near Tennyson Downs. Great food! Garden, sea view and ground floor rooms. Please call for brochure and sample menu. Adults only and pets welcome. TEL: 0800 980 1943

4. Boscastle

Romantic 17th Century farmer’s cottage in countryside with splendid coastal views. Well equipped. Sleeps 5. Regret no pets/smoking. Garden with furniture. Brochure: 01633 450417

5. Godshill

4 star self-served units. Non smoking. Sleeps 2－4. Open all year. Good walks. Close to pubs. Peaceful. Comfortable. No pets. Brochure: 01983 840371

6. The B1akeney Hotel

Overlooking harbour, traditional privately owned friendly hotel with 60 bedrooms, lift, heated indoor pool, spa bath and saunas. Relax, walk, sail, play golf, explore the Norfolk villages, countryside and coast. Tourists only. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizens. TEL: 01263 740797

7. SW France

Rural setting near Cordes. Two beautifully repainted old houses, sleep 4/5 and 6. Gardens, woodland, pool, views, excellent walks: Available all year round. Pets declined. Outstanding. TEL: 01962 776967

1. Which of the following is advertised in a humorous way?

A．Boscastle.

B．SW France.

C．Godshill.

D．The Bay Hotel.

2. All of the following hotels are close to the sea EXCEPT ______.

A．SW France	B．The Blakeney Hotel
C．Willapark Manor Hotel	D．The Country Garden Hotel

【推荐3】What’s your favorite online magazine for kids? Here are four that are worth a look and a read.

National Geographic Kids

Parents, students, and teachers can take the help of this quality resource to learn about people, places, science, space, history, nature, and various fun activities. The magazine aims for the age group of 8-14. Interactive content includes videos, games, photos, blogs, etc. This is one online magazine that parents and teachers will always choose without hesitation (犹豫).

TIME For Kids

TIME magazine for adults might be too serious. The version for kids isn’t but it does go deep with a lot of educational content and teaching resources that are helpfully arranged around grades. The weekly classroom news magazine covers world news and aims to develop the reading and analyzing (分析) habit in kids.

Weekly Reader

An offline and online magazine for elementary school students features a lot of educational tools for teachers and students alike. All of its magazines are arranged around grades from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Lots of the tools are interactive and based around nicely designed stories that make learning fun. Some sections are open to only subscribers (注册人) though.

Highlights

Highlights, com brings out magazines for kids of ages 2-12. The publication group’s purpose is to help children become their best selves. The homepage also gives you further websites to explore like Puzzlemaniakids.com and Highlightskids.com. Play free online puzzles, solve riddles, go creative with fun activities, and even learn a little about nature and science at these two sites. For instance, you can go into a story adventure or create your own stories at The Timbertoes.

1. In order to browse all the sections on Weekly Reader, you need to ________.

A．download the contents	B．ask for permission
C．subscribe to it	D．use some tools

2. Which magazine may list kids’ creativity as one of its focuses?

A．National Geographic Kids.	B．TIME For Kids.
C．Weekly Reader.	D．Highlights.

3. What can we infer about the magazines mentioned in the text?

A．They are accessible through the Internet.	B．They are arranged around grades.
C．They are interactive with story-telling.	D．They are encourged by teachers.

【推荐1】A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women’s shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy’s, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin, the company’s co-founder, explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women’s feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The processed stuff and the inner part of the shoes are then attached to the shoes’ outer part, called the sole (鞋底). This outer sole is also made from eco-friendly material.

Rothy’s shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with different colors and designs. They cost either $125 or $145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We’re not going to run out of water bottles any time soon, so we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future.” When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled material to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international transport in the near future.

1. How are used plastic bottles usually dealt with?

A．They are buried or burned.

B．They are used to make shoes.

C．They are changed into soft material.

D．They are returned to factories for reuse.

2. Which of the following directly helped to increase the sales of Rothy’s shoes?

A．The colors and designs.

B．The reasonable price.

C．The company’s advertisement.

D．The influence of Gwyneth Paltrow.

3. What does the underlined word “shipped” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Examined.	B．Improved.
C．Delivered.	D．Repaired.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To advertise a new kind of shoes.

B．To describe the process of making shoes.

C．To stress the importance of environmental protection.

D．To introduce the number of plastic bottles thrown away.

【推荐2】Generic Name: ASPIRIN
Pronunciation: ['æspərɪn]
Why it is prescribed (开药方)：
1. Aspirin relieves mild to moderate pain.
2. It reduces fever, redness, and swelling.
3. It prevents blood from clotting (凝结).
When it is to be taken:
1. Aspirin is often taken without a prescription.
2. Follow the instructions on the label and package.
3. If your doctor prescribes aspirin for you, you will receive specific instructions for how often you should take it.
4. Keep in touch with your doctor.
How it should be taken:
1. Aspirin comes in the form of suppositories (栓剂), capsules, and regular, coated, extended-release, and chewable tablets.
2. Regular, coated, and extended-release aspirin tablets and capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water or milk after meals to avoid stomach upset.
3. Chewable aspirin tablets may be chewed, crushed, dissolved in a liquid, or swallowed whole; a full glass of water, milk, or fruit juice should be drunk immediately after taking these tablets.
Special Instruction:
1. Children should not take aspirin for fevers associated with flu or chickenpox (水痘) because such use has been linked with a serious illness known as Reye’s syndrome.
2. Adults should not take aspirin for pain for more than 10 days (five days for children) without consulting a doctor.
3. Aspirin should not be taken by adults or children for high fever, fever lasting longer than three days without a doctor’s supervision (监管).
4. Do not give more than five doses (剂量) to a child in a 24-hour period unless directed to do so by a doctor.
5. If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it andresumethe prescribed schedule.
Side Effects:
1. Although side effects from aspirin are not common, they can occur.
2. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common. Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk. If these effects continue, contact your doctor.
3. Ringing in the ears, bloody or black stools (粪便), difficulty breathing, dizziness, mental confusion and sleepiness are rare. Stop taking the drug and contact your doctor.
Other Precautions:
1. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding women, inform your doctor before taking aspirin.
2. Do not take aspirin if you are within three months of delivery.
3. Do not take aspirin if you are allergic (过敏) to it.
4. If you have diabetes (糖尿病), regular use of eight or more regular strength aspirin tablets a day may affect test result.
5. If you are taking large doses of aspirin on a long-term basis, avoid having alcoholic drinks because alcohol can increase stomach problems.
6. To prevent an overdose of aspirin, read the labels before taking other pain relievers and cold products to be sure that they do not contain aspirin.
Storage Conditions:
1. Store aspirin in a cool place or in a refrigerator.
2. Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar.
3. Keep this aspirin out of the reach of children.
1. Which of the following about Aspirin is correct?

A．It only comes in the form of regular tablets.

B．It should not be taken for more than 5 days for children.

C．It can be used to reduce fever and pain and prevent blood clotting.

D．It causes ringing in the ears or difficulty breathing after being taken.

2. If you start taking aspirin, you should do all the following things EXCEPT ________.

A．keeping in touch with your doctor

B．taking aspirin tablets after meals to avoid stomach upset

C．drinking a full glass of juice immediately after taking chewable aspirin tablets

D．taking more than 8 regular strength aspirin a day while suffering from diabetes

3. The underlined word “resume” most probably means ________.

A．continue	B．make up
C．pause	D．throw away

4. Which of the following might be a side effect caused by Aspirin?

A．blood clotting	B．stomach upset
C．lasting fever	D．sight problem

5. Where can we probably come across such a text?

A．In a research paper.

B．In the package of a medicine

C．In a medical textbook.

D．In a scientific and technological magazine

【推荐3】Washer instructions for use

Use by steps:

1. See whether the power supply and water inlet;

2. Put clothes into appropriate detergent（洗漆剂）（liquid）, cover roof;

3. Deciding on the number of coin laundry process choice （1-7）, a dollar coin as a single drying, five dollars for the quick wash, double the standard wash;

4. When choosing single dewatering（使脱水）program, pay one dollar to press the red button in the panel; washing machine start running single dewatering program; when choosing fast programs, after five yuan coin, press the red button on the panel, and washing machine start running fast wash program; when choosing standard wash program, washing machine into the washing.

Program settings:

Fees / coins	Working level	Washing procedure	Washing results
One dollar drying		Drying	Alternate maximum protection clothing rubbing the soft power not to hurt the material, effectively saving drying time
Five dollars double fast	mid level	A drift of a two-drying washing	Boiling water, remove stains and efficient, healthy and rapid clean clothing
Seven dollars Standard wash	Intelligent sensor control, auto-sense judgments clothing volume, texture and the water level to be a reasonable amount to optimize washing	Two or three drying of a drift	Near foil level, even health antibacterial wash, wash and rub only, dean well, care of clothing, clean clothes bright as new

Notes:

1. Do not open the cover as often as possible.

2. Do not add laundry during the washing power; place the stain left behind.

3. To ensure the quality laundry, dry clothes, the weight of 4.5 kg is usually suitable.

4. Guard against coins, keys, etc. in the laundry in the wash bucket to protect washing machines.

1. What should you do before putting clothes into the washer?

A．Paying fees.

B．Checking the power supply.

C．Filling the washer with boiling water.

D．Pressing the red button on the panel.

2. If you want to wash clothes with dirty marks economically, how much should you pay?

A．One dollar.	B．Two dollars.
C．Five dollars.	D．Seven dollars.

3. What should you do to avoid damage to washing machine?

A．Not opening the cover.

B．Not adding washing powder.

C．Putting as light clothes as possible.

D．Avoiding putting coins or keys in the laundry. .

【推荐1】Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the school master is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me away from here. She does not want me in the school any longer. The trouble started last night when I was smoking a cigarette in bed. As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catch me smoking, so I threw the cigarette away. Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste--paper basket. It caught fire.

There was a curtain near the waste --paper basket. It caught fire too. Soon the whole room was burning. The master phoned the fire brigade (消防队). The school is a long way from the town and before the fire brigade arrived, the whole school was on fire. The master said that the fire was all my fault and I must pay for the damage. She will send you a bill for about a million dollars.

I’m very sorry for this.

Much love

Sarah

1. Why did Sarah write to his parents?

A．He missed them very much for they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

B．He thought he was old enough to help them do something.

C．He was tired of studying, and wanted to leave school.

D．He told his parents what he had done in school.

2. Where did Sarah smoke?

A．In the dormitory	B．In the Dinning hall
C．In the street	D．In the classroom

3. When did the trouble start?

A．In the morning	B．In the afternoon
C．last night	D．At noon

4. Why was the school master angry with him?

A．Because he was too naughty to study.

B．Because he caused a big fire.

C．Because he was too lazy.

D．Because he stole something from the school.

【推荐3】Here we have some amazing plans for your travelling. Come and have a look!

Perth to Broome overland

Running: February 1 through April 30

Activities:

· Explore the Pinnacles Desert

· Sandboard down the sand dunes of Jurien Bay

· Discover the diverse scenery at Kalbarri National Park

· Visit the rare and beautiful Shell Beach

· Make friends with the dolphins at Monkey Mia

· Relax and explore at Coral Bay

Price: ＄1100

What’s included: Accommodation, expert guide, meals, transport (coach, trails).

Not included: International flights; insurance.

Adelaide to Alice Springs tour

Running: May 5 through August 28

Activities:

· See Australia’s incredible Lake Eyre

· Explore beautiful stones in Coober Pedy

· Visit a Kangaroo orphanage

· Experience Australia’s red center, Uluru

Price: ＄850

What’s included: Accommodation, expert guide, meals, transport.

Not included: International flights; insurance

Brisbane to Cairns adventure

Running: October 1 through December 20

Activities:

· Walk through rainforests and relax on beaches

· Explore Fraser Island with a jeep ride

· Watch the sun set as you sail the Whitsundays Islands

· Make life-long bonds and party the night away in the town Cairns

· Go diving on the Great Barrier Reef

Price: ＄1200

What’s included: Accommodation, expert guide, meals, transport (air-conditioned coach with WiFi in most regions)

Not included: International flights; insurance; other activities

Ultimate Oz tour

Running: November 1 through December 10

Activities:

· Enjoy a bonfire party, beachside

· Take on a Sydney Harbor boat cruise

· Try your hand at sandboarding

· Go to a Sydney pub

Price: ＄920

What’s included: Accommodation, expert guide, meals, transport

Not included: International flights; insurance

1. What can you do only on Adelaide to Alice Springs tour?

A．Walk through a rainforest.

B．Play with dolphins.

C．Visit a kangaroo orphanage.

D．Go sandboarding.

2. How is the Brisbane to Cairns trip different from the others?

A．Tourists may go diving.

B．Tourists can party on the beach.

C．It offers the highest price.

D．It has the longest travel time.

3. Which is included in the fees of all the tours?

A．Accommodation and insurance.

B．Expert guides and transport.

C．Meals and international flights.

D．WiFi service and expert guides.