【推荐1】In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her free time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip (退稿条) from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and ruined hopes can surface.
A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?”
“No”, she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
1. What do we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Now too many entertainments take up too much time.

B．Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities.

C．Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her free time.

D．Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing.

2. What did the author say about her own writing experience?

A．She was constantly under pressure of writing more.

B．Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.

C．She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.

D．Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.

3. Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?

A．She had won a prize in the previous contest.

B．She wanted to share her stories with readers.

C．She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.

D．She believed she possessed real talent for writing.

4. What’s the author’s advice for parents?

A．Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.

B．Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.

C．Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.

D．A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.

【推荐2】My father told me a family story about his mother, my grandmother.

In 1949, my father had just returned home from the war. On every American highway you could see soldiers in uniform hitchhiking (搭便车) home to their families, as was the custom at that time in America.

Sadly, the excitement of this reunion with his family soon disappeared. My grandmother became very ill and had to be in hospital. The doctors told my father that she needed a blood transfusion immediately or she wouldn’t live through the night. The problem was that Grandmother’s blood types was AB-, a very rare type even today, but even harder to get then because there were no blood banks or air flights to ship blood. All the family members had their blood tested, but not one member was a match. So the doctors gave the family no hope; my grandmother was dying.

My father left the hospital in tears to gather up all the family members, so that everyone would get a chance to tell Grandmother good-bye. As my father was driving down the highway, he passed a soldier in uniform hitchhiking home to his family. Deep in sadness, my father had no inclination at that moment to do a good deed. Yet it was almost as if something outside himself pulled him to a stop, and he waited as the stranger climbed into the car.

My father was too upset to even ask the soldier his name, but the soldier noticed my father’s tears right away and asked why. My father told this total stranger everything.

It got very quiet in the car. Then this soldier reached his hand out to my father, in which rested the dog tags from around his neck. The blood type on the tags was AB-. The soldier told my father to turn the car around and get him to the hospital.

My grandmother lived until 1996, and to this day no one in our family knows the soldier’s name. But my father has often wondered, was he a soldier or an angel in uniform?

1. Why did the author’s father leave the hospital?

A．To buy something necessary for Grandmother.

B．To ask the family members to have their blood tested.

C．To pickup a soldier whose blood type was the same as Grandmother’s.

D．To gather the family members to pay their last respects to Grandmother.

2. According to the passage,which of the following is true?

A．After her serious illness, Grandmother lived 47 years.

B．Grandmother’s children refused to help her.

C．My father has forgotten the soldier.

D．The doctors didn’t try to save Grandmother.

3. From the sentence “my father had no inclination at that moment to do a good deed” in paragraph 4, what can we can infer?

A．The author’s father intended to offer his help.

B．The author’s father was willing to help the soldier.

C．The author’s father was scheduled to do a good deed.

D．The author’s father was too sad to help others.

4. What may be the best title for the passage?

A．A Strange Soldier	B．An Unexpected Git
C．An Angel in Uniform	D．An Unknown Soldier

【推荐3】My mom only had one eye. I hated her. She was an embarrassment for me. Once on our school sports day, my mom came. I was so upset. I wished she would just disappear from this world. So I said the worst words to her. However, my mom did not respond.

That night I woke up and found her crying. I took a look at her. I still hated my mom who was crying with her one eye. I told myself that I would grow up, become successful and leave her for the rest of my life, and I realized my dream.

One day, a letter about a school reunion (同学聚会) came to my house and I went back for it. After the reunion, I went where we used to live, just out of curiosity. There I found my mom fallen on the ground, still. But I did not have a single tear in my eyes. Then I found a piece of paper in her hand. It was a letter to me.

My son, I miss you so much. I was too glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school for you. I’m so sorry that I have only one eye. You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident and lost your eye. So I gave mine to you. I was so proud of my son to see a whole new world for me with that eye. I love you!

My world fell. I cried for Mother. I didn’t have any chance to make up for my worst words.

1. Why did the author feel embarrassed with his mom?

A．She did not respond to him.	B．She came to school crying.
C．She did not do very well in sports.	D．She was ugly with only one eye.

2. What was the author’ s purpose to become successful?

A．To say the best words to his mother.	B．To win great honour for his mother.
C．To leave his mother as soon as possible.	D．To make his mother’s life better.

3. How did the author know the truth?

A．By attending the reunion.	B．By reading his mother’s letter.
C．By getting into an accident.	D．By encouraging his mother.

4. What can we infer from the end of the story?

A．The author was greatly regretful.	B．The author became interested in his mother.
C．The author still hates his mother.	D．The author is hard on his mother.

【推荐1】When Emanuel received an email from Professor Richard English at Queen’s University, who encouraged him to apply for a PhD in Politics in Belfast, it was a pinch-me moment Emanuel never thought would be possible. After all, just a few short years ago, he was living on the streets, couch-surfing at friends’ houses and weeding gardens to make ends meet. Now, one of the world’s leading political academics was preparing to welcome him to Queen’s University over 4,000 miles away.

Emanuel never knew who his father was and his mom was mentally ill when she gave birth to him, so the hospital took him off her and he was unofficially adopted for the first few years of his life. What followed was a childhood with uncertainty as Emanuel was passed between the adoption system and family members.

Through his high school and community college years, he moved from house to house, living with friends at times and living on the streets at others.

Determined to change all that despite his rocky start in life, Emanuel involved himself in school — doing everything he could to earn extra tuition (学费) money in his spare time. But getting accepted into university was scarcely possible because a person like him couldn’t get a regular student loan.

Fortunately, the government backed him, having created a policy allowing disadvantaged persons to access funding for higher education. He graduated from the University of the West Indies with a 1st Class Honors degree and went on to do his Masters.

Emanuel knows that his story could have been very different.

“I discovered Professor Richard English online and sent him an email honestly, not thinking he would reply and to my surprise, he did. I applied for the highly competitive Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme in order to fund my research at Queen’s. When I was told I was successful, my whole world changed.”

1. What does the underlined word “pinch-me” in Paragraph I probably mean?

A．Imaginary.	B．Anticipated.
C．Unbelievable.	D．Embarrassing.

2. What happened to Emanuel in his childhood?

A．His father passed away early.

B．He received great parental care.

C．He was once adopted by his relatives.

D．He lived with his friends now and then.

3. Which of the following can best describe Emanuel?

A．Tough and strong-willed.

B．Determined and talented.

C．Enthusiastic and generous.

D．Hardworking and attractive.

4. What is the main idea the author wants to convey to us?

A．Well begun is half done.

B．Never judge by appearances.

C．Many hands make light work.

D．You are the architect of your own life.

【推荐2】It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War III. She’ll talk about my lack of a bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major(主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.

“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her co-worker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I’m the type of person who loves to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of fame (名声) or salary.

I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6 pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.

1. Which of the following topics does the writer’ mother mainly want to talk about?

A．The writer’s studies.	B．The writer’s future job.
C．Dinner plans.	D．Wars around the world.

2. We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother ____________.

A．doesn’t want the writer to major in English.

B．doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor.

C．gets along very well with the writer.

D．doesn’t think working in the science field is a good idea.

3. The underlined word “salary” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____________.

A．scholarship.	B．reputation.
C．money.	D．power.

4. Which of following statements is probable TRUE about the writer?

A．He wants to be like his mother’s co-worker’s son.

B．He wants to find a job in his community in the future.

C．He doesn’t think his mother’s co-worker’s son is perfect.

D．He wants to do something he really likes in the future.

【推荐3】Jeremiad Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution for two of our country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the rubbish, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.

Chip eaters drop off their empty bags at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, ay them flat, and iron them together. They use liners from old coats to line the insides.

It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag，and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single—serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and easy to carry around,” Oleita told the Detroit News.

Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800, 000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags.

Sure, it would be simpler to raise money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita—whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life—and her fellow volunteers. “We are dedicated to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she says.

As Oleita said, “There’s the symbolism of using bags that would otherwise land in the rubbish and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental injustice and poverty often go hand in hand. ”

1. Why did Oleita start the Chip Bag Project?

A．To sell sleeping bags for the poor.	B．To raise money for the homeless.
C．To return a favor to chip eaters.	D．To solve garbage and poverty problems.

2. How are the collected empty bags handled first?

A．They are washed.	B．They are sliced.
C．They are ironed.	D．They are sewed.

3. Which of the following is true of Oleita?

A．She is seriously attractive.	B．She is heavily independent.
C．She is socially responsible.	D．She is financially successful.

4. What can be inferred about garbage and poverty according to Oleita?

A．They are easy to solve.	B．They remind us of injustice.
C．They are closely connected.	D．They are the symbols of society.