【推荐1】Sophie became friends with the gray squirrels during her first week at Penn State, after spotting them running around and wondering what they would look like with tiny hats on their heads. Today, everyone at the university knows her as the “Squirrel Girl”.

Sophie tried bringing them food, and gradually they began to trust her. She managed to put a hat on a squirrel and take a picture. Thinking that her colleagues could do with something to lift their spirits, she started posting similar photos on Facebook. The response was greatly positive, and before long Sophie and her squirrels became an Internet sensation.

Growing up in a neighborhood outside of State College, Sophie was always fond of birds and animals around her home, but she didn't interact with people very much. She was later diagnosed (诊断) with Asperger's syndrome, but the squirrels changed that. “The squirrels help me break the ice, because I'll be sitting here patting a squirrel and other people will come over and well just start like feeding the squirrels together and chatting about them,” she said, “I am a lot more outgoing.”

And in case you're wondering how Sophie is able to get the squirrels to do what she wants for her photos, it has a lot to do with food. For example, whenever she wants them to hold or play with something, she puts peanut butter on the prop (道具), and they'll grab it. In the beginning, she would throw peanuts up the trees on campus and invite the squirrels to come down and get them, but they hesitated to approach her. She had the patience to earn their trust, though.

This year, Sophie is graduating with a degree in English and wildlife sciences. She wants to be a science writer and educate people on how to preserve the environment. As for her furry friends, Sophie plans to stay in the area and visit them as often as she can.

1. What does the underlined word “sensation” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Event.

B．Hit.

C．Service.

D．Addiction.

2. What can we learn about Sophie according to paragraph 3?

A．She got lots of friends due to squirrels.

B．She used to be a popular girl in her childhood.

C．She lived in the far countryside when young.

D．She was more outgoing than before.

3. How did Mary manage to take photos of squirrels wearing hats?

A．By attracting them with food.	B．By putting them in cages.
C．By playing music to them.	D．By dressing like squirrels.

4. What do you think of Sophie?

A．Tolerant and capable.	B．Sociable and aggressive.
C．Patient and caring.	D．Indifferent and appreciative.

【推荐2】In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he required. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she said rudely. The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the bill and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed nearly beside the empty dish, were two five-cent coins and five one-cent coins—her tip.

1. In the days, an ice cream is ______________.

A．dearer than usual	B．as dear as usual
C．much cheaper than usual	D．as cheap as usual

2. How much money did the boy probably have in his pocket?

A．thirty-five cents.	B．More than fifty cents.
C．only fifty cents.	D．Less than fifty cents.

3. Why did the little boy have only a dish of plain ice cream?

A．The plain ice cream cost him much less.

B．He enjoyed the cheaper ice cream better.

C．The coins were not enough for an ice cream sundae.

D．He wanted to save some coins to tip the waitress.

4. We can infer that the waitress might have felt _____ when she got the tip.

A．very surprised.

B．a bit of shame

C．quite pleased

D．a little worried

【推荐1】Paralympian Anastasia Pagonis’ remarkable success story began when she lost her vision at age 14. Granted, it’s a tough age for any teen, but dealing with a life-changing disability made things even more challenging.

“It took me about eight months to regroup myself,” she told TODAY, “and then I got it in my head, ‘Okay, I’m blind. Now what am I going to do with my life?”

A Long Island native, Pagonis practically grew up in the water. She’d taken up competitive freestyle swimming just a few months prior to going totally blind. While she excelled at the sport with limited vision, an “abusive team” atmosphere prompted her to quit competition.

After months of therapy, however, the persistent teen was ready to get back in the swim-only swimming wasn’t enough for Pagonis. She wanted to compete.

Now she was faced with another dilemma. “Nobody wanted to train the blind girl,” she recalled in an interview with TEAM USA. “I ended up after about eight months finding an amazing coach who was willing to train me and actually put on blackout goggles to try to figure out a way for me to swim.”

By the age of 16, Pagonis was earning a reputation as a fierce competitor, taking two gold medals at the World Para Swimming World Series in Australia. When Pagonis realized her experiences and positive outlook might be a boon(益处) to others, she eagerly stepped up as a role model. “I want to help people the way I needed help,” Pagonis told TEAM USA. “I started doing Instagram and social media and was soon getting a bunch of replies saying, ‘Wow! You really helped me get through bad things,’ or, ‘I was getting bullied in school and you helped me get through that,’ or, ‘You let me know how much I was worth.’”

Back in the water, Pagonis was truly in her element. “It’s my happy place,” she told TODAY. “It’s the place where I feel like I don’t have a disability and I feel like that’s the only place where I feel free. When I dive in the water, it’s just me in the pool and I feel such a connection with it. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith because if you don’t try, you don’t know. Always follow your dreams.”

1. What difficulty did Pagonis face after she quit competition?

A．She had to wear goggles.

B．It was hard to find her a coach

C．Her skills weren’t useful in darkness.

D．She couldn’t do the freestyle anymore.

2. It can be learnt from the passage that Pagonis___________.

A．stopped swimming for two years

B．improved her vision by swimming

C．helped many people through difficulties

D．devoted herself to fighting against bullies

3. What does the underlined phrase in her element mean?

A．In a very good mood	B．Full of Confusion.
C．Confident of winning.	D．Happy to be special.

4. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．Team spirit is vital for winning-

B．Role models make us who we are.

C．A good teacher is the key to success.

D．Disability does not limit one’s success.

【推荐3】“No one can promise that life will be fair,” but no matter what happens, follow the example set by Rehan Staton, and never lose sight of your goal.

Staton, a 24-year-old former sanitation (环卫) worker in Maryland, US, recently celebrated his acceptance into Harvard Law School.

Staton’s life was relatively normal until a series of setbacks impacted his family life and studies. “Things were pretty good until I was 8 years old. My mom abandoned my dad, my brother and me when she moved back to Sri Lanka.” he said.

When he was in seventh grade, a teacher even recommended that he be placed in special education classes. His brother Reggie then brainstormed ways to help boost his grades. An aerospace engineer also offered to tutor him free of charge. Staton’s grades did improve and he became an honor student.

However, he was rejected by every college he had applied for. So to help support himself and his family, Staton began working at a sanitation company. He spent his days transporting trash and cleaning dumpsters (垃圾箱), waking up every morning to get dressed around 4 am.

“The sanitation workers were the only people in my life who told me I could be somebody,” Staton said, “They would say, ‘You’re too young to be here. Go to college, and come back if it doesn’t work out’”.

The son of the company’s owner helped Staton contact a professor at Bowie State University, and the university eventually accepted Staton.

Things began to look up. Two years later, he transferred to the University of Maryland to continue pursuing his undergraduate degree. But Staton still struggled to pay for his father’s medical bills. He’d work in the morning and take classes in the afternoon.

After graduation, Staton worked at a national consulting firm while applying for law school. He plans to start at Harvard this fall, where he will major in sports law to pursue his dream of becoming a sports agent.

“For Rehan, the sky is truly the limit. Whatever he chooses to do in the future, he will definitely achieve,” said a chief operating officer of Staton’s firm.

For anyone looking for inspiration during difficult times, Staton recommends to “love yourself enough to get what you want out of life,” he told news outlet ABC. “You can always see the light in any dark situation, and you need to hold on to that light.”

1. It is implied in the passage that ______.

A．Stanton was considered too young to be a sanitation worker

B．all the classes in the University of Maryland were in the afternoon

C．Stanton worked as a sports agent while applying for law school

D．at one time Stanton didn’t have a satisfying academic performance

2. Why did Rehan Staton work as a sanitation worker?

A．To gain some work experience.	B．To help lighten his family’s financial burdens.
C．To save money for his college education.	D．To help the sanitation workers who once helped him.

3. What does the underlined sentence in the second-to-last paragraph imply?

A．Rehan was an observant sky-lover.	B．Rehan has limitations on what major he can choose.
C．Rehan has an extreme fear of heights.	D．Rehan has endless potential to realize his dream.

4. Which words can best describe Rehan Staton?

A．Strong-minded and optimistic.	B．Warm-hearted and easygoing.
C．Inventive and diligent.	D．Cautious and modest.

5. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To share tips on how to get admitted into Harvard.

B．To persuade readers to get support when in need.

C．To encourage readers not to bend to hardships in life.

D．To show the importance of working with the right people.