【推荐1】If you come across two drivers who stop in the middle of the road in this richly forested island community, they’re probably arguing — about how to improve the local fairgrounds (游乐场), or property taxes, or the teen drop-in center. They argue about everything in South Whidbey, Washington, and that’s a good thing.

“Don’t bother to honk your horn (按喇叭),” resident Susan Knickerbocker says. “When they’re done, they’ll be done. They won’t move before that, so you just wait it out.”

This frequent scene is one sign that people care deeply about their town. “We argue passionately about where we want our community to go,” says Josh Burnett, who writes for the South Whidbey Record. “But at the end of the day, we’ll all say hi and shake hands at the farmers’ market on the weekend.”

That love for debate — passionate and constructive — has made South Whidbey residents intensely proud. Because, as stubborn as they are, everyone gets to work. That’s how they have created a first-class food bank and a no-kill animal shelter; developed new methods for residents to make — and accept — donations of veterinary (兽医的) services, oil changes, and advice on paying medical bills; and more. One group of volunteers is well-known for rescuing abused horses.

Another resident, Linda Briere, wrote on the Reader’s Digest Facebook page, “The love of country, joy of living, and the let-the-other guy-live-but-with-a-helping-hand make me proud.”

Of course, working for the greater good is what many communities do. What’s unusual about South Whidbey is that residents pull together despite the kinds of cultural differences that make progress difficult in so many other parts of the country. South Whidbey is home to sizable populations of farmers, artists, Christians, retired vets, Republicans, Democrats, and independents, and the clash (碰撞) of ideas inspires them.

The one thing they never disagree on is that their island is profoundly special.

1. How does the writer lead in Para.1?

A．By making comparisons.	B．By giving examples.
C．By providing statistics.	D．By offering possibilities.

2. What can you do if you run into two drivers in South Whidbey arguing in the middle of the road?

A．Give suggestions.	B．Wait until they finish.
C．Ask them to shake hands.	D．Prevent them from fighting.

3. Which of the following can best describe people in South Whidbey?

A．Passionate for their hometown.	B．Proud of farmer’s market.
C．Satisfied with their property taxes.	D．Ridiculous in their behavior.

4. What is mainly discussed about South Whidbey in this passage?

A．Its beautifully forested surrounding.

B．Some people with different cultures.

C．The special feature of the community.

D．Its brief history and different customs.

【推荐3】Many aspects of modern life can change your body’s natural production of melatonin(褪黑素) and your circadian rhythm(生理节律),Bright lights at night-- especially from exposue to LED Lights and TV and computer screens-- can make your body think that it’s time to wake up.     1    

Say no to late-night television.

Many people use the television to calm down at the end of the day, but this can produce an unexpected result.       2    If your favorite TV show is on late at night, record it for viewing earlier in the day.

    3    

Not all e-readers are created equal.Devices such as the iPad, are more disruptive(破坏性的) than those that are lighted from the front, such as the Kindle Paperwhite.Other smart choices include e-ink readers that don’t have their own light source and good old-fashioned books.

When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark.

    4     Use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try s sleep mask to cover your eyes. Also consider covering up or moving any electronics that give out light. Even the red numbers on a digital clock can disrupt sleep.

Keep the lights down if you get up during the night.

If you need to get up during the night, avoid turning on the lights if possible, If you need some light to move around safely,try fixing a dim nightlight in the hall or bathroom or using a small flashlight.     5    

A．Say no to all e-reading.

B．Be smart about night makes you reading.

C．Waking up early makes you tired.

D．The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep.

E．Try listening to music or audio books instead.

F．This will make it easier for you to fall back to sleep.

G．Here’s what you can do to keep you sleep-wake cycle better.

【推荐2】There are many places to go on safari in Africa, but riding a horse through the flooded waters of Botswana’s Okavango Delta must be one of the world’ most exciting wildlife journeys.

Several safari camps operate as the base for this adventure(冒险经历), providing rides twice a day to go deep into the delta. The camps have excellent horses, guides and lots of support workers. They are famous for providing a great riding experience.

The morning ride, when the guides take you to beautiful, shallow lakes, is more active. It is unlike any other riding experience. With rainbows forming in the splashing water around you and the sound of huge drops of water bouncing off your body and face, it is truly exciting. You are very likely to come across large wild animals, too. On horseback it is possible to get quite close to elephants, giraffes and many other animals. The sense of excitement and nervousness rise suddenly though, as does your heartbeat, as you move closer to them.

In the evening, rides are usually at a less exciting and unhurried pace, with golden light streaming across the grassy delta and the animals coming out to eat and drink. Though they are peaceful and slow, rides at this time of day are still unforgettable. As the sun’s rays pass through the dust kicked up by the horses, the romance of Africa comes to life.

Back at the camp you can kick off your boots and enjoy excellent food and wine. Looking back on your day, you will find that a horseback Safari is as close as you will ever come to answering the call of the wild.

1. What does the underlined word “They” refer to?

A．Flooded waters	B．Safari camps
C．Wildlife journey	D．Special rides

2. What does the writer find most exciting about a horse safari?

A．Seeing and feeling the real African life.

B．Enjoying good food and wine at the camp.

C．Hunting large animals just as our ancestors did.

D．Being part of the scene and getting close to animals.

3. Compared to the morning ride, the evening ride is ________.

A．wild	B．relaxed
C．fast	D．active

4. The author introduced the riding experience in the Okavango Delta mainly by________.

A．Following time order	B．Following space order
C．Giving answering questions	D．Giving examples

【推荐1】A Whale of a Time

The annual whale festival in Hermanus, South Africa, kicks off today. The coastal town, located on the Western Cape about 1.5 hours from Cape Town, is well-known for whale watching. It is one of the best locations in the world to witness the migration of southern fight whales. The festival, which is the only eco-arts festival in South Africa, attracts upward of 130, 000 visitors.

Hermanus also takes pride in the world’s only “Whale Crier”. His job is to go around and herald the whereabouts of whales to everyone—with his horn. Fortunately, the timing of the festival almost guarantees a whale sighting—as close as a few meters from shore!

The whales are, of course, the main attraction of the festival, but many more terrific activities are available. The seaside environment, with the mountains as a backdrop, makes an ideal setting to enjoy the festival’s musical performances and fantastic seafood. For those who desire more adventure, there’s open water swimming, a night run and sports challenges. And there are other festivities and entertainment for kids. With something for everyone, what more could ask for?

1. What’s the main attraction of the whale festival in Hermanus?

A．Whale criers.	B．Coastal landscape.
C．Whale watching.	D．Migration of fish.

2. What does “herald” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Prove.

B．Signal.

C．Choose.

D．Arrange.

3. What might an adventure lover prefer?

A．A night run.	B．Fantastic seafood.
C．Musical performance.	D．Seaside environment.

4. The underlined sentence tells us in the whale festival___________

A．nothing can be expected.	B．everyone can enjoy themselves.
C．everyone can ask for more.	D．more fun can be expected.

【推荐2】Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be least within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just ''mental noise''-the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind's emotional thermostat(恒温器), regulating moods while the brain is ''off-line''. And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better, ''It's your dream'', says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago's Medical Center, ''If you don't like it, change it''.

Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep-when most vivid dreams occur-as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the limbic system (the ''emotional brain'') is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. ''We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day'', says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement.

The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright's clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don't always think about the emotional significance of the day's events-until, it appears, we begin to dream.

And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams. As soon as you awaken, identify what is upsetting about the dream. Visualize how you would like it to end instead; the next time occurs, try to wake up just enough to control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in their sleep.

At the end of the day, there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping of ''we wake up in a panic'', Cartwright says. Terrorism, economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people’s anxiety. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep-or rather dream-on it and you'll feel better in the morning.

1. Researchers have come to believe that dreams__________.

A．reflect our innermost desires and fears	B．are a random outcome of neural repairs
C．can be modified in their courses	D．are vulnerable to emotional changes

2. By referring to the limbic system, the author intends to show __________.

A．its difference from the prefrontal cortex	B．its function in our dreams
C．the mechanism of REM sleep	D．the relation of dreams to emotions

3. The negative feelings generated during the day tend to __________.

A．emerge in dreams early at night	B．develop into happy dreams
C．worsen in our unconscious mind	D．persist till the time we fall asleep

4. Cartwright seems to suggest that __________.

A．dreams should be left to their natural progression

B．dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious

C．visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under control

D．waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams