【推荐2】My family moved from Taiwan to a small town in central Georgia, where my dad got a visa for his family and a job, I had just learned English, and from what little I could gather from my classmates, Santa Claus would come down one’s chimney(烟囱)and put toys in one’s stocking on Christmas Eve! What a great country, I thought. After I looked up “stocking” in my Chinese-English dictionary, I knew what I had to do.

On that fateful night, after everyone went to bed, I took my longest, cleanest knee sock and attached it to a nail already on the mantel(壁炉). Obviously, the previous owners of this house were no strangers to this Santa character.

I woke up before everyone else on Christmas Day and ran to the fireplace. To make a sob story short, I was hit with the reality of an empty sock and the biggest lie ever told. I burst into tears, quickly took down the sock, and stuffed it in the back of a drawer. Santa was dead.

Every December since then, the topic of Christmas memories would unavoidably come up, and I would amuse my friends with my poor-little-me story. I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry.

How could I know that Santa was just late? Nine years ago, on Christmas Eve, an older man with a white beard and a red cap knocked on my front door. He said “I’ve been looking for you for twenty-five years.” He handed me a bulging red stocking, winked, and left. On top of the stocking was a card. It read: “For Becky—I may have missed you in the second grade, but you’ve always lived in my heart. Santa.”

Through tear-blurred eyes, I recognized the handwriting of Jill, a friend I had met just two months before. I later discovered that the older man was her father. Jill had seen the hurt little girl underneath the thirty-something woman and decided to do something about it.

So now I believe that Santa is real. I don’t mean the twinkle-eyed character of children’s mythology(神话) or the creation of American holiday marketers. Those Santas annoy and sadden me. I believe in the Santa Claus that live inside good and thoughtful people. This Santa does not return to the North Pole after a crazy delivery but lives each day purposefully, really listens to friends, and then plans deliberate acts of kindness.

1. What does the underlined part “what I had to do” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Waiting for Santa Claus.

B．Putting a stocking on the mantel.

C．Asking for gifts from her parents.

D．Looking up “stocking” in the dictionary

2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s parents ____.

A．didn’t love their child at all

B．didn’t know the previous owners of the house

C．didn’t know much about Christmas tradition

D．didn’t have enough money to buy the author Christmas presents

3. When the author told her friends about the story, she felt ______in her heart.

A．proud

B．amusing

C．hate

D．regret

4. By writing the passage, the author speaks highly of ________.

A．friendship

B．parenting

C．religion

D．culture

5. The author of the passage is probably ________.

A．a teenager

B．a primary school student

C．a middle-aged woman

D．a native American

【推荐3】As a child, I was really afraid of the dark and of getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some uncomfortable moments. Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my own room at night that scared me so much. There was never complete darkness, but always a streetlight or passing car lights, which made clothes on the back of a chair take on the shape of a wild animal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the curtains seem to move when there was no wind. A very low sound in the floor would seem a hundred times louder than in the day. My imagination would run wild, and my heart would beat fast. I would lie very still so that the “enemy” would not discover me.

Another of my childhood fears was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning I got on the school bus right near my home. That was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the street, I was afraid that I would get in the wrong one and be taken to some other strange places. On school or family trips to a park or a museum, I wouldn’t let the leaders out of my sight.

Perhaps one of the worst fears of all I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. Being popular was so important to me then, and the fear of not being liked was a serious one.

One of the processes growing up is being able to realize and overcome our fears. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps us achieve greater success later in life.

1. The author had _______ kind(s) of fears when she was a child.

A．One

B．two

C．three

D．none

2. _______ would scare the author at night.

A．Streetlight and car lights	B．Wild animals and enemies
C．Moving curtains and wind	D．Clothes and walls

3. When she went to some other places, she would _______.

A．walk away without others	B．take a bus by herself
C．follow others closely	D．make sure not to take a wrong bus

4. Which of the following would be possibly true when she was a child______.

A．She thought being popular among people was important.

B．She was always the leader of the others.

C．She always got poor grades.

D．She was not liked by others at all.

【推荐2】Earlier this year I traveled to Turkana in Kenya. I was there to take pictures of the “broken food system”.

As a special visitor, I was greeted with songs and dances. The locals used to sing and dance all the time but now Turkana is silent and has been for some years. No one is singing or dancing any more because they have no food, nothing to celebrate. Many of them are surviving on one handful of corn a day and water, which they can get just every two days.

I met Tede Lokapelo, a local farmer who described the experience of a six-year drought (干旱). Tede used to have 200 goats, but now he has only seven left. He told me that this drought has taught him a hard lesson: It is too difficult to keep animals. He lives on animals. His traditional way of life has been completely destroyed(毁坏) now. Without the food aid (援助) they got, Tede is certain that they would starve because there are no other sources to feed themselves left.

Sadly, the same can be heard in almost any developing country around the world. Almost one billion people go to bed hungry each night. The food system is broken. In Turkana, not enough rain has fallen since 2005. They measure rainfall not in days or weeks but in minutes. More and more people are being forced to rely on food aid, but people like Tede don’t want food aid. They want to work and create their own economy. It’s our responsibility to fix the system so that they can support themselves.

Drought is impossible to avoid but famine (饥荒) is manmade, and unless enough money is provided to develop a basic infrastructure (基础设施) for people in the area, thousands more lives are sure to be lost.

1. Why do people in Turkana no longer sing or dance any more?

A．Because they have no time.

B．Because they are tired of them.

C．Because they are always hungry.

D．Because they have other interesting things to do.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about Tede Lokapelo?

A．He raised 200 goats in the past.

B．He has never received any food aid.

C．His traditional way of life has been changed.

D．He found it hard to raise animals after the drought.

3. According to the text, ________.

A．about one billion people can’t get enough food each day

B．it has never rained since 2005 in Turkana

C．more and more people are willing to rely on food aid

D．what people in Turkana really want is the food aid

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To show drought is serious in the world.

B．To tell readers the serious situation of food shortage.

C．To ask more people to give food aid to people in Kenya.

D．To make it clear how to help people suffering from drought.

【推荐3】I recently attended a Little League Baseball game in Nasau County. Or at least what I thought was just a Little League game. It turned out to be a tutorial (指南) on how not to parent a Little Leaguer.

I’d gone to watch a family friend play ball. School was winding down, and it made sense that stress levels would be low, especially on the ball field. These kids were supposed to be having fun.

But why did they look so angry? Why were the parents so tense? These were 11-and 12-year-old children, not professionals. But it didn’t seem as if the adults were aware of that.

Some of the kids looked miserable(悲惨的), Both coaches were riding their players. With every pitch(投球), every catch and every swing of the bat came sounds of, “No, not like that!” or “Better keep that up, son!” After a while, it seemed to take a toll on the kids. In the fifth inning (局), after a player missed a play on the infield, a man told the boy to “Pay attention to the action!” and to “Get your head in the game!” The player responded, “Dad, it’s just a game, and I’m exhausted!”

I thought to myself how embarrassing that must have been for both of them. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the field, but I played in many different sports leagues as a kid. I recall how competitive some parents were when it came to watching their children. And it’s fine to want your children to win. Winning is important.

But, my God, it’s not everything. Is that the message you want to get across to your child—to win at all costs, and to put fun second? Because that is certainly what it seemed like, and that’s not the healthiest environment for a kid, not in Little League, anyway.

1. According to the passage, the parents on the ball field ________.

A．valued fun over winning	B．lacked competitive spirits
C．cared about the result more than their kids	D．thought much of the feelings of their kids

2. The underlined phrase “take a toll on” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.

A．teach a lesson to	B．leave an impression on
C．bring encouragement to	D．have a bad effect on

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

A．Fun Is Everything for a Game	B．Let Kids Be Kids
C．The Miserable Kids Players	D．To Be Competitive in Ballgames

【推荐1】“You should get a cat,” my doctor said. “A cat?” I couldn’t even look after myself. I took a deep breath and carefully considered the idea of welcoming a feline (猫科的) friend into my life.

Adopting an animal during the height of the pandemic was far from easy. When my partner and I found Cinnamon, her adoption profile made her out as the perfect kitten. We filled out the paperwork and had a few weeks to prepare for her arrival.

When she came home, it became increasingly obvious that Cinnamon didn’t understand “no”, “stop it” or “don’t do that”. She was the worst cat I’ve ever owned. I was beginning to doubt my doctor’s advice.

We decided to start taking her for walks. I could barely leave the house before, but my heart couldn’t say no to Cinnamon. Cinnamon showed me what bravery looked like if there was a dog at a park, she would run toward it. She jumped without knowing where she would land. She loved adventure. I found myself mirroring her behavior after a while, jumping out of bed without a second thought. I began to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.

Cinnamon unfortunately passed away after a medical accident, leaving a cat-sized hole in my heart the day she left us at only six months old. I’m no stranger to sadness or grief, but losing my pet so suddenly was the most confusing emotional experience I’ve ever had. She was supposed to help me through more of my life than the three short months we had her.

Our time is often cut unpredictably, unmistakably short. It would be a shame to live life being anything less than brave and adventurous.

1. Why did the doctor advise the author to get a cat?

A．To teach her to interact with animals.

B．To assist her to fill up her spare time.

C．To help her out of her mental disease.

D．To ensure her safety in time of pandemic.

2. Which of the following best describes the cat Cinnamon?

A．Stupid but lovely.	B．Outgoing and aggressive.
C．Stubborn but courageous.	D．Naughty and adventurous.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．Why Cinnamon loved going outside.

B．How Cinnamon affected the author positively.

C．Why the author decided to take Cinnamon outside.

D．How Cinnamon interacted with the author outdoors.

4. What message does the story convey?

A．The loss of a pet is painful.	B．The short life is unpredictable.
C．Friendship with pets is helpful.	D．The courage to take risks is beneficial.

【推荐2】It’s still there, the Vietnamese school where my brother and I used to go. Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same.

Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends, my brother and I had to go to Vietnamese school. No amount of kicking, screaming, or arguing could stop my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture. She held us by the collar and walked with us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school, leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school.

We all sat in little chairs in a big empty room, which had a slight smell of old clothes that had been stored for a long time. I hated that smell. There was a stage far to the right, with an American flag on one side and the flag of the Republic of Vietnam on the other side.

Although the school mainly taught language - speaking, reading, dictation - the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, “How are you, teacher?”

The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman who could shout louder than anyone on the street. Her Vietnamese was quick, it was loud, it was not beautiful.

In our area, the comings and goings of hundreds of Vietnamese on their daily tasks sounded crazy. I did not want to be thought of as being mad, as talking stupid. When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled and encouraged me. Even Vietnamese people would laugh and say that I’d do well in life.

My brother was even stricter than I about speaking English. He was especially cruel towards my mother, scolding her for her poor English. Bits of Vietnamese were often mixed in her conversation.

After two years of struggle, I finally divorced my culture. I was permitted to stop Vietnamese school. I thought of myself as American. At last, I thought I was one of you; I wasn’t one of them.

Sadly, I am only an American.

1. What can be learned from the passage?

A．The author’s brother liked learning Vietnamese.

B．The author’s mother taught him English at home.

C．The author didn’t like learning Vietnamese when he was young.

D．The author’s mother put her sons in a language school in Vietnam.

2. The author often felt embarrassed because ________.

A．his Vietnamese was not beautiful enough

B．he could not fly kites like other kids at school

C．his grandma spoke Vietnamese loudly in public

D．his mother always treated him rudely in the market

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author feels ________.

A．scared

B．peaceful

C．satisfied

D．regretful

4. What’s the theme of the passage?

A．It is important to adapt to a new environment.

B．It is important to appreciate your own culture.

C．It is important to remember your childhood.

D．It is important to learn a foreign language.

【推荐3】Before she could even talk, Ellie Heath spent hours drawing pictures every day. When she grew older, the 15-year-old girl discovered the joy of sewing (缝纫). She said that she found it calming. She started out to make small things, like jewelry and soft toys. Over times, she began making clothing. Her love of the creative work led her to open a business. Three Blue Bunnies is the name of her company, which makes what she calls “wearable art”.

“My definition (定义) of wearable art is something that makes you feel unique. It’s one of a kind, and often handmade,” she explains.

All the pieces Ellie created were made of used or donated fabrics. She worked a lot with jean jackets, renewing (翻新) them with artistic additions. The process started with finding a piece of material that looked good with the jackets. “Then, I find out the design that works on it through trial and error (反复尝试) or maybe just the design comes to me,” she added.

Ellie improved her creative skills at school. Cheryl Crow was one of her teachers early on. Crow called Ellie “a dream student”. She said Ellie worked hard and made progress. “She is not only very creative, but also very kind and helpful to the other students.”

Ellie has many dreams. She wants to be a teacher and to spread the joy of creativity among children. She also dreams her business will grow and become a model for other young people who have a dream to achieve.

1. What does “wearable art” mean according to Ellie Heath?

A．Something that can be worn.

B．Something that is valuable.

C．Something that makes you feel different from others.

D．Something that cannot be found anywhere else.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Ellie?

A．Creative and determined.	B．Generous and outgoing.
C．Warm-hearted and clever.	D．Hard-working and unique.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．All of the cloth comes from donation.

B．Ellie got a lot of pleasure from her design.

C．It is a piece of cake for Ellie to create unique clothing.

D．The process of artistic design is usually not easy.

4. What is genre of this passage?

A．Poster.	B．Narration.
C．Notice.	D．A science fiction.