【推荐3】My friend, Jack, was a taxi driver. We became friends quite by accident. Five years ago, I made a trip to Chicago. The moment I stepped into a cab, I realized it was different. The floor was covered with a rug (小地毯). There were small reproductions of paintings by Van Gogh inside the cab. And the windows were spotless. I told the driver I had never ridden in a more attractive taxi.

“I like to hear my passengers say that,” he replied. “How long have you been decorating your cab?” I asked. “It’s not mine,” he said. “It’s a company cab. I hit upon the idea years ago when I worked as a clean-up man for the taxi company. Each car that came in at the end of the day was like a garbage pit. Cigarette butts and matches covered the floor. Sticky stuff like peanut butter was on the seats or door handles. I thought that if the company and the drivers would give people a car worth keeping clean, they might be more considerate. ”

“As soon as I got my taxi license, I tried out my ideas. I put a lot of extra decorations into the cab they gave me to drive. I got a nice rug and some flowers. When each passenger got out, I checked to make sure that everything was in order for the next fare. After about a month of my bringing in a spotless cab, the boss reserved the same car for me each day. That was when I put up the reproductions of great paintings.”

“I’ve never been disappointed by people in the past ten years—no garbage. Like I say, people appreciate beautiful things. If we planted more flowers and trees in the city and made the buildings more attractive, more people would tend to keep the city clean.”

Later, we became good friends. I was impressed by the taxi-driver, who had hit on a great truth—a sense of beauty comes with the gift of life. Most people don’t have to be instructed about the rarity of beauty. They respond when they find it. And, if they are made to feel a part of it, they will try to add to it.

1. What made the writer surprised when he got into the taxi?

A．The beautiful decoration on the rug.

B．The style of decoration outside the taxi.

C．The masterpieces of well-known painters.

D．The impressive inner environment of the taxi.

2. Jack got the idea of decorating the cab when _______.

A．he got his taxi license

B．the boss reserved the same car for him each day

C．he served as a clean-up man for the taxi company

D．he found the taxi he cleaned was full of cigarette butts

3. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．People can easily make friends when taking a taxi.

B．When people find beauty in life, they will try to add to it.

C．If we plant more flowers and trees, we can keep the city clean.

D．We have to be taught to find beauty and make it more beautiful.

【推荐1】Everybody in this world is different from one another. But do you know that understanding differences can help you better manage your money?
As we grow up, we gradually develop a set of our own values or beliefs. These are influenced by society, our family, the education we receive and so on. Once this value system is set up, it’s not easy to change later in life.
Financial experts say that everyone also has their own belief of how to manage their finances. This is part of our value system and it has a great impact on the way we look after our money.
According to our different values, experts put us in three categories. They are: the ant, the cricket and the snail.
The ant—works first
Just like ants who work heart and soul in summer in order to store food for winter, these people don’t care about enjoying the moment. They work very hard and save money they earn so that they can enjoy life when they get old and retire. The ant loves to save but they could make more out of their money if they were willing to invest in some funds and stocks with low risk.
The cricket—fun first
The cricket wants to enjoy everything now and doesn’t think too much about the future. They even borrow money when they really want something. Many young people now belong to this group. These people have little savings. When they get old, they might have problems. They should learn to save and buy insurance.
The snail—lives under pressure
The snail refers to people who make life difficult for themselves. They take big long-term loans from the bank in order to buy things such as luxury houses. They are happy to take big loans even though they are not sure whether they can afford it. This can cause problems in the future. They should plan more carefully.
1. People with the character of the snail would like to __________.

A．enjoy life at the moment without thinking much about the future

B．put work before everything else

C．live a luxury life at all costs

D．take the risk of investing a large sum of money

2. Our beliefs and values are affected by the following except __________.

A．society	B．our family
C．money	D．education

3. This passage mainly talks about __________.

A．the relation between man and insects

B．the spending nature of people

C．the insects in nature

D．the problems with dealing with money

4. Which of the following has the character that the author prefers?

A．The cricket.	B．The ant
C．The snail.	D．None of the above.

【推荐2】The Healthy Habits Survey shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.

1. How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?

Finding: A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.

Step: Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day.

2. How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?

Finding: Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30% wash their hands only 4 times a day---half of the number which doctors recommend.

Step: We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs（病菌）to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds.

3. How often do you think about fighting germs?

Finding: Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.

Step: Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge（海绵）that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds.

1. What is found out about American seniors?

A．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day.

B．Most of them have good habits.

C．Nearly 30% of them bathe three days a week.

D．All of them are fighting germs better than expected.

2. Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands          .

A．eight times a day	B．three times a day
C．four times a day	D．twice a day

3. Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．We should keep from touching our faces.

B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth.

C．We should wash our hands before touching a door handle.

D．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet.

4. The text probably comes from         .

A．a guide book	B．a book review
C．a popular magazine	D．an official document （文件）

【推荐3】Every fouryears on November 8,the American people will vote for the next U. S. president. Before election day,people following the presidential campaign will seemany polls(民调). Apoll isa public opinion study. Research organizations ask people questions about the candidates to findoutwho they support.

For example, one of the poll is run by a professor at a university in the U.S. state of Connecticut. People who work for the polling service call likely voters on the telephone.

How can one poll be so different from others? Here are some things to remember when you are looking at polls:

Not all polling groups are the same

Some pollstargetspecific groups of people. Many polls make sure they collect many different opinions. Sometimes, however, polling organizations receive money from groups that support a specific political issue. It is important to look at which group carried out the poll along with the results.

A poll's methodis important

Some polls are using new technology. Traditionally, polls are done over the phone. But that is slowly changing. Many polls are now done online. While online polls can produce good information, it is sometimes hard to reach as many different types of people over the Internet.

Also important the size of the poll. Try to find out how many people were polled before believing its results.

Polls are not predictions(预测)

Polls only show how people feel at one moment in time. They do not show what will happen in the future. Public opinion may change before the general election on November 8. Some things that could change the opinions of voters include:the debates on television, the release of the candidates’ tax or medical records, and unexpected illnesses.

1. What do political polls in the U. S. try to do?

A．Call on people to be active in the election.

B．Help political parties to win the election.

C．Find out the support rate in the election.

D．Affect people's opinions in the election.

2. What do you know about polling organizations?

A．Some serve for certain groups.	B．They all collect different opinions.
C．They all make money from their polls.	D．All of them try to find the correct results.

3. What is the disadvantage of polls done online?

A．People may refuse to respond.	B．Results sometimes lack of representation.
C．Only the young give their ideas.	D．People refuse to tell their true thoughts.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．EffectsofPolitical Polls in the U. S..

B．Various Kinds of Political Polls in the U. S..

C．Ways to Carry Out Political Polls in the U. S..

D．Things to Know About Political Polls in the U. S..

【推荐1】Mr. Brown worked in a factory of a small town. He had been there for twenty years before one day he was sent to the capital for important business. He was quite excited because he had never been there before. Before he set off, he asked his wife and three daughters if they wanted him to buy something for them in Lon-don. Mrs. Brown began to think it over and then she said she wished her husband would be able to buy a nice umbrella for her, and so did their three daughters. As he was afraid he would forget it, he drew an umbrella on his hand. To his regret, he lost____at the station.
On the train Mr. Brown sat opposite to an old woman. The woman’s umbrella was so nice that he carefully looked at it and said to himself not to forget to buy a few umbrellas like it. When the train arrived at the station in London, he said good-bye to the old woman, took his bag and her umbrella and was going to get off.
“Wait a minute, sir,” shouted the old woman. “That’s my umbrella!”
Now Mr. Brown noticed that he had taken her umbrella. His face turned red at once and said in a hurry, “Oh, I’m very sorry, Madam! I didn’t mean it!”
Seven days later Mr. Brown left the capital. To his surprise, he met the old woman and sat opposite to her again. Looking at the four umbrellas, the old woman was satisfied with herself. “It seems that I had a better result than the other four women.” She thought.
1. We can learn from the passage that Mr. Brown was ______.

A．a conductor

B．a worker

C．a thief

D．an umbrella maker

2. The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to ______.

A．his ticket

B．his bag

C．his drawing

D．his umbrella

3. Why did Mr. Brown take the woman’s umbrella?

A．Because he was lost in thought.

B．Because it was much like his own umbrella.

C．Because he thought the woman would not notice it.

D．Because the woman misplaced it beside Mr. Brown.

4. When looking at Mr. Brown with four umbrellas, the woman felt ______.

A．surprised

B．angry

C．fortunate

D．sad

5. How did Mr. Brown get the four umbrellas?

A．He picked them on the train.	B．He brought them from his small town.
C．He bought them in London.	D．He stole them from four women.

【推荐2】Sometime in the early 1960s, a significant thing happened in Sydney, Australia. The city discovered its harbor. Then, one after another, Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there — broad parks, superb beaches, and a culturally diverse population. But it is the harbor that makes the city.

Andrew Reynolds, a cheerful fellow in his early 30s, pilots Sydney ferryboats for a living. I spent the whole morning shuttling back and forth across the harbor. After our third run Andrew shut down the engine, and we went our separate ways — he for a lunch break, I to explore the city.

“I’ll miss these old boats,” he said as we parted.

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“Oh, they’re replacing them with catamarans. Catamarans are faster, but they’re not so elegant, and they’re not fun to pilot. But that’s progress, I guess.”

Everywhere in Sydney these days, change and progress are the watchwords (口号), and traditions are increasingly rare. Shirley Fitzgerald, the city’s official historian, told me that in its rush to modernity in the 1970s, Sydney swept aside much of its past, including many of its finest buildings. “Sydney is confused about itself,” she said. “We can’t seem to make up our minds whether we want a modern city or a traditional one. It’s a conflict that we aren’t getting any better at resolving (解决).”

On the other hand, being young and old at the same time has its attractions. I considered this when I met a thoughtful young businessman named Anthony. “Many people say that we lack culture in this country,” he told me. “What people forget is that the Italians, when they came to Australia, brought 2000 years of their culture, the Greeks some 3000 years, and the Chinese more still. We’ve got a foundation built on ancient cultures but with a drive and dynamism of a young country. It’s a pretty hard combination to beat.”

He is right, but I can’t help wishing they would keep those old ferries.

1. What does Shirley Fitzgerald think of Sydney?

A．It is losing its traditions.	B．It should speed up its progress.
C．It should expand its population.	D．It is becoming more international.

2. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

A．A city can be young and old at the same time.

B．A city built on ancient cultures is more dynamic.

C．Modernity is usually achieved at the cost of elegance.

D．Compromise should be made between the local and the foreign.

【推荐3】At thirteen, I was diagnosed (诊断) with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.

In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”

She glanced down at me through her glasses, “You are not different from your classmates, young man.” I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.

In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braile. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots (点), which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.

Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was not different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problem, why should I ever give up?

I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day — with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words, “See what you can do when you keep trying?”

1. What problem did the author meet when he was in class?

A．He didn’t like the teacher.	B．He was not fond of literature.
C．The classroom was too noisy.	D．He couldn’t focus his attention in class.

2. What can we learn about Louis Braile from the passage?

A．He managed to cure his blindness.

B．He got a good education at school.

C．He made an invention which helped the blind.

D．He couldn’t see and read for the whole life.

3. What’s Mrs. Smith’s attitude to the author in the classroom?

A．She encouraged him.	B．She looked down on him.
C．She sympathized (同情) him.	D．She was angry with him.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．How to be a great teacher.	B．Keep trying, and you can do it.
C．What should you do as a blind.	D．Ways to overcome attention disorder.