【推荐3】Today we’ll talk about reading. When we read a text, our eyes move across a page in short, quick movements. We recognize words usually when our eyes still fixate(停留, 凝视). Each time they fixate, we see a group of words. This is known as the recognition span or the visual span(视幅). The length of time for which the eyes stop varies from person to person. It also varies within any parson according to his purpose in reading and his familiarity with the text. In addition, it can be affected by such factors as lighting and tiredness.
Unfortunately, in the past, many reading improvement courses have concentrated too much on how our eyes move across the page. As a result of this misleading emphasis(强调)on the purely visual aspects of reading, many exercises have been designed to train the eyes to see more words at one fixation. For example, in some exercises, words are flashed on to a screen for a tenth of a second. One of the exercises has required students to fix their eyes on some central point, taking in the words on either side. Such word patterns are often formed in the shape of pyramids(金字塔), so the reader takes in more and more words at each successive(连续的)fixation. All these exercises are very clever, but it’ s one thing to improve a person’s ability to see words and quite another thing to improve his ability to read a text efficiently. Reading requires the ability to understand the relationship between words. Consequently, for these reasons, many experts have now begun to question the usefulness of eye training, especially since any approach which trains a person to read isolated(孤立的)words and phrases would seem unlikely to help him in reading a continuous text.
1. The time of the recognition span can be affected by the following factors except _______.

A．1ighting and tiredness

B．the length of a group of words

C．one’s purpose in reading

D．one’s familiarity with the text

2. The author may believe that reading ______________.

A．requires a reader to take in more words at each fixation

B．requires a reader to see words more quickly

C．demands a deeply-participating mind

D．demands more eyes than mind

3. What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?

A．The ability to see words is not needed for an efficient reading.

B．The reading exercises mentioned are useless for reading.

C．The reading exercises mentioned can’t help improve reading.

D．The reading exercises mentioned have done a great job so far.

4. Which of the following is NOT true? _______________.

A．The visual span is a word or a group of words we see each time

B．Many experts began to question the efficiency of eye training

C．The emphasis on the purely visual aspects is misleading

D．The eye training will help readers in reading a continuous text

5. The tune of the author in writing this text is _________________.

A．critical	B．neutral
C．supportive	D．optimistic

【推荐1】We’re often being told how self-driving can will reward US With almost unimaginable benefits when they finally hit the streets. Aside from the convenience of being chauffeured (私人司机) everywhere by artificial intelligence ( AI), there’s the safety factor, not to mention how environmentally friendly driver-less electric vehicles could be. But there’s also another advantage—parking. It’s one that could have a vast impact on the look, feel, and function of the cities, and it could thoroughly change the crowded urban spaces.

“We aren’t going to need parking, definitely not in the places we have it now,” Alain L. Komhauser, a researcher at Princeton University, told Patrick Sisson at Curbed. “Having parking close to where people spend time is going to be a thing of the past. If I’m at the office, it doesn’t need to be there.” The extreme case of totally empty car parks and city streets with no stationary (静止的) vehicles would probably require people to fully let go of personal car ownership.

“Car sharing is already reducing the need for parking spaces,” Carlo Ratti told Curbed. “Self-driving vehicles will strengthen this trend and have a dramatic effect on urban life, because they will blur (使模糊) the distinction between private and public modes of transportation,” he added. “‘Your’car could give you a lift to work in the morning and then, rather than sitting useless in a parking lot, give a lift to someone else in your neighbourhood，social-media community, or city.”

In that case, we needn’t park our cars. They’ll park by themselves, so we would see a huge increase in the width of sidewalks, bike lanes, and space for any other kind of transportation.

In all likelihood, we won’t see these kinds of changes happening very soon. But it’s exciting to think of the benefits this technology could bring.

1. Why do the author mention the often-told advantages of self-driving cars?

A．To draw a conclusion.	B．To make a comparison.
C．To analyze the underlying reasons.	D．To introduce the topic.

2. How can we achieve zero parking in cities?

A．By producing more eco-friendly electric cars.

B．By selling public vehicles to personal owners.

C．By promoting car-sharing with self-driving vehicles.

D．By allowing only self-driving vehicles to run on roads.

3. What will happen if we needn’t park our cars?

A．More people will walk to work.

B．Public transportation will shrink.

C．Urban areas will be less crowded.

D．We needn’t spend money on transportation.

4. What attitude does the author have towards self-driving technology?

A．Indifferent.	B．Favorable.
C．Ambiguous.	D．Disapproving.

【推荐3】Do you find it difficult to put down your mobile phone?

If yes, you're not alone. These days, many people suffer from the stress of FOMO (fear of missing out). They reach for their mobile phones when they wake up in the morning, and for the rest of the day, they constantly scroll down the timelines of their social media apps to get the latest updates.

Despite the convenience smart phones bring, many people struggle with their digital habits.

As Sameer Samat, US tech company vice president of product management, said in his speech at the 2018 Google I/O developer conference on May 8, 70% of people don’t want to spend so much time on their phones.

This is why during the conference Google introduced an app called Dashboard for the new version of its Android operating system. This new app includes well-being functions that aim to help users manage the time they spend on their digital devices.

It all starts with a bird’s-eye view. Dashboard allows users to look at all the details of their phone habits. For example, users can see how many times they’ve unlocked their phone and how many times they’ve checked their social media apps, as well as how much time they spend on each app every day.

Once the users see this information, they'll be able to make some changes. With the App Timer functions, users can set a time limit for how long they can use each app for every day. After they've hit the limit，they won't be able to launch the app until the next day.

But even if users become more mindful of their usage, they’re still likely to be drawn in by notifications (通知). This is where the Shush feature comes in. It automatically silences incoming calls and notifications when a user puts his/her phone face down.

If people truly want to make full use of their free time instead of losing hours using their smart phones, these new functions are just one way of doing that.

After all, who needs to use an app to stop you from using other apps when the easiest answer would be just to use your willpower?

1. People under the pressure of FOMO may________.

A．have trouble with their sleep

B．find it hard to focus on anything

C．be addicted to their mobile phones

D．prefer to download the latest apps

2. What inspires Google to launch Dashboard?

A．The limited functions of current Android system.

B．People’s complaint about their smart phones.

C．Samat’s impressive speech at a conference.

D．Mobile phone users’ great demand.

3. ________ can track users’ phone habits in detail.

A．Android	B．Timer
C．Shush	D．Dashboard

4. What can be learned from the passage?

A．Dashboard turned out to be popular.

B．Dashboard is a perfect choice to manage time properly.

C．Strong willpower is the easiest way to avoid smart phone addiction.

D．People are exploring other ways to stop overusing smart phones.

【推荐1】Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religions（宗教的）beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.

Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in October.

B．Sweetest Day is a day to make others happy.

C．Sweetest Day is an occasion for lovers to express love.

D．Sweetest Day is just an occasion to care about disabled people.

2. The underlined word “neglected” in the second paragraph means “____________”.

A．remembered	B．hated
C．paid little or no attention to	D．disappointed

3. What’s the origin of Sweetest Day?

A．A Cleveland man’s meeting with some people in need.

B．Giving gifts to each other’s beloved.

C．Kind acts performed to the poor.

D．Cleveland men’s religious beliefs.

4. Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?

A．Visiting sick people of the hospital.

B．Visiting children who have lost their parents.

C．Giving friends small gifts.

D．Giving flowers to sweethearts.

【推荐3】In China, chain restaurants – especially the big multinational ones – are cool. Going to Starbucks, for example, is a status symbol. It not only says, “I’m rich enough to buy this overpriced coffee,” but also, “I’m cosmopolitan (见多识广的) enough to be part of globalization.”

Where I come from in the UK, however, chains are neither fashionable nor gourmet(美食的). Chains are where you go on New Year’s Day when nowhere else is open, or when you are 5 years old and your parents can’t stand hearing, “I’m huuuuuungry!” any longer. In my own case (with regards to McDonald’s), a chain is where you are taken on your first “date”. Even at the age of 13, I knew to give the guy the “let’s just be friends” phone call the next day.

In the UK, independent cafes and restaurants are making a comeback on the fashion scene. Nowadays, a Londoner who says “let’s meet for a coffee at Monmouth” (an independent cafe) is much cooler than one who says “let’s go to Starbucks”. Even if Monmouth’s coffee is a little more expensive, there’s a satisfaction in knowing your pounds aren’t going straight to the big corporations.

Of course, there are chain stores all over the UK; you can’t go five minutes without spotting a Costa Coffee. But numbers do not add up to good taste.

I do, however, have a confession (坦白). After moving to China I had moments when all the rice and Kung Pao Chicken became too much. I, too, have retreated to McDonald’s.

1. Many Chinese people like to go to multinational chain restaurants because ______.

A．the restaurants give customers a taste of foreign culture

B．the restaurants offer different food and drinks from other restaurants

C．they believe that eating there will show their wealth and social status

D．these restaurants are perfect places for a romantic date

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The author has grown tired of Chinese food.

B．Branches of Monmouth’s cafe can be found all over the UK.

C．Most independent stores are closed on New Year’s Day in the UK.

D．It is cool in the UK to take your first date to a chain restaurant.

3. We can infer from the article that ______.

A．the author doesn’t like food from Pizza Hut

B．the author doesn’t like to follow fashion trends

C．many Britons think that numbers mean poor quality

D．many Britons don’t like big corporations

4. What does the underlined word (in the last paragraph) mean?

A．adapted	B．contributed
C．subscribed	D．Switched