【推荐1】On a recent trip to the island of Newfoundland, Canada, my husband asked our talkative cab driver what made him most proud to be a native.

“Our generosity and hospitality(好客),” he replied in a strong local accent. “If your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, someone will stop to help. People here are kind like that.” His answer rang in my mind during that ride with my husband and teenage kids, as we headed out to explore on the first day of our vacation.

Little did I know we were about to experience some of that remarkable Newfoundland kindness for ourselves. We met Alma that same morning at the start of a long hike. Our teenagers hurried ahead, and as we walked behind, admiring the scenery, two women in sunglasses and summer hiking equipment stopped. They’d heard us discussing different routes, and then asked if we’d like suggestions. They looked to be in their 40s, and were both enthusiastic to share their local expertise.

We listened eagerly, taking mental notes, until one of the women asked, “You have a car, right?” I explained that there were no cars available during our week on the island, so we had to rely on cabs instead.

“Oh no,” she said, “you need a car.” And then, as casually as if offering a piece of chewing gum (口香糖), she said, “Take mine!” My husband and I just smiled in disbelief, dumbfounded.

“Why not?” she insisted. “You need a car to get to know all these places.”

“But you don’t even know us,” I said.

“That doesn’t matter,” she continued with absolute determination.

Surprised, I looked over at her friend, who shrugged and said, “That’s Alma.”

Forty minutes of talking later, my family climbed into Alma’s car. We spent the rest of our vacation discovering different areas of this beautiful island. But it wasn’t the groups of whales we saw, or the vast areas of woodland, that made this place so memorable. Instead, it was the act of kindness from a complete stranger that made us realize how special Newfoundland really was.

Next year, there’s no doubt where we’ll be taking our summer vacation. Who knows what act of kindness we’ll meet then?

1. What did the cab driver take pride in as a native?

A．Their kindness and enthusiasm.	B．Their cheap service and friendliness.
C．Their unselfishness and determination.	D．Their rich experience and local knowledge.

2. The underlined word “dumbfounded” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.

A．annoyed

B．satisfied

C．shocked

D．embarrassed

3. What impressed the author most during her stay in Newfoundland?

A．The local culture of the island.	B．The answer from the cab driver.
C．The beautiful scenery of the island.	D．The help from an enthusiastic stranger.

4. What can we infer about the author from the last paragraph?

A．She expects to visit Newfoundland again.

B．She hasn’t decided where to go next year yet.

C．She is looking forward to meeting Alma once more.

D．She also wants to be kind to others during the vacation.

【推荐3】It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
1. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man’s job was bike racing.	B．It was their only possession.
C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.	D．They used it for work and daily life.

2. We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.	B．people were busy before Christmas
C．the stranger brought over the bike	D．life was hard for the young family.

3. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.	B．From a newspaper.
C．From TV news.	D．From a stranger.

4. What do the couple learn from their experience?

A．Strangers are usually of little help.	B．One should take care of their bike.
C．News reports make people famous.	D．An act of kindness can mean a lot.

【推荐1】A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her asked, “        ”

Answers come out from 8 oz(盎司) to20oz.

She replied, “The real weigh doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weigh of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like the glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel numb —unable to do anything.”

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

1. Which of the following can be put at the end of the first paragraph?

A．How much is this glass of water?	B．How heavy is this glass of water?
C．How long can I hold this glass of water?	D．How soon can I drink this glass of water?

2. According to the passage, people often feel bad when having stresses because         .

A．they think about them for a while	B．they think about them for an hour
C．they think about them too often	D．they think about them too long

3. The writer expressed his opinion through         .

A．taking an example	B．giving a fact
C．having a discussion	D．telling a story

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Let go of your problems	B．Let’s think of our worries for a while
C．Let go of you stresses	D．Let’s put down our glasses of water.

【推荐2】Writing can be a solitary life. I often sit at home for days, weeks and sometimes months working on book projects, articles and other assignments. Seriously, some days I want to chase the FedEx driver yelling, “Wait! I need to talk to you!”

And sometimes I don’t see the result of my work. On occasion, I’ll get a message online or even a letter that has been mailed to my publisher. Or I’ll run into someone who says, “I love what you write.” A dad once sent me a message to tell me he had heard me speak on the radio, and it had convinced him that he hadn’t been spending enough time with his children. And then he went on to tell me how that had changed his relationship with his family.

Those are the things that keep writers going and the moments that touch our hearts. But with my newest book, it has been different. Because of the television show, I’ve experienced something I’ve never met before.

I’ve gotten to see the faces of the people who are being affected by my works. My co-author, Brian Bird, and I asked purchasers of our books to post their pictures with the books when they received their copies or found them in stores. Dozens of pictures began popping up, with beautiful sweet faces. I was moved to tears. Visual proof showed that my work was touching lives.

Sweet friends, most of you probably aren’t writers. But you are given a specific task to accomplish. You’ve worked hard - sometimes for years - and maybe it seems like nothing is happening. Or you feel like what you’re doing isn’t of value. You’re wrong. You might not get to see the faces of those you’re reaching, but there is no doubt in my mind that whenever we’re faithful to do what we have to do, we are impacting the lives of others. So keep doing what you’re doing. I can promise you it’s worth it.

1. What does the author think of writing according to Paragraph 1?

A．Meaningless.

B．Hard.

C．Inspiring.

D．Funny.

2. What makes the author continue writing?

A．His faithful publisher.	B．People’s purchase of his books.
C．His readers’ reaction to his works.	D．His good relationship with his family.

3. What can we infer about the author from the text?

A．He thinks all of our jobs are worthy to do.	B．He seldom interacts with his readers.
C．He has shot many smiling purchasers.	D．Brian Bird gave him much confidence in writing.

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

A．Write what you want	B．Find the truth of life
C．Learn about reader’s needs	D．Believe your work matters.

【推荐3】Fur Babies

Kong Qin, a 32-year-old white-collar worker in Beijing, recently noticed that Cheese, her cat, had been acting oddly since she gave birth to her son several weeks ago. The cat started using the bathroom all over the house, and she was never like that before.

Kong did not know what happened to the cat, and she asked for advice from a friend of hers who is also a cat owner. Her friend told her that Cheese may be acting out as she may be feeling neglected since the baby was born. She added that behaving this way was probably a trick to win over her master’s attention.

Kong remembered that in a family in Baba Huilaile (Dad is Back), a Chinese reality show that she watched around one year ago, the dog often pushed the kid aside when the kid asked his dad for a hug. When she was watching the show, she only took the pushing as a joke and did not think too much of it, but she is now beginning to wonder if the dog was actually trying to steal the limelight.

Zhang Yu, a veterinarian (兽医) in Beijing, advises that if fur babies start to misbehave after a baby is born, pet owners should not punish them, which may stress the pet out. Pets rarely actively attack kids, but if kids hurt pets out of curiosity, like pulling their tails, pets may bite kids to run away. She also recommends that parents should be with the kids who are younger than two years old when there are pets around to protect pets and kids from being hurt by each other. As children get older, parents can help introduce their kids to the pets to help them become familiar and comfortable around each other. “Pets will eventually get used to having kids around after some time, and pets owners need to wait some time,” she said.

Kong has happily found that Cheese is more like her usual self over the past few days. She is conscious that the cat has gone through the toughest stage. The next thing she is planning to do is to take Cheese to her son’s bed more often so that she will like him more.

1. The underlined expression“limelight”in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________.

A．food.

B．glance.

C．attention.

D．ownership.

2. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Pets won’t start a fight with babies when parents are around.

B．Pets are always safe alone with those younger than 2-year-olds.

C．Owners should be patient before pets get used to having babies around.

D．Owners should stress pets out when they are not behaving themselves.

3. How does Kong feel about Cheese’s reaction to the birth of her son these days?

A．Comfortable.

B．Thankful.

C．Depressed.

D．Hateful.

4. What does the writer mainly want to tell us in this passage?

A．Children need to be smart enough to avoid being hurt by pets.

B．Owners should learn to help fur babies coexist with newborns.

C．Parents’ fur babies can become friends with the newborns easily.

D．Pets, like some parents, will feel delighted when newborns come.

【推荐1】Thirty years ago I worked in a company. My job was to sell the cars. I was young and strong and I had been to most parts of the world and I spent one fifth of my time in the trains or planes. I liked such a life and sometimes I called myself “traveler”.

But one day I got into trouble. It was a cold morning. It blew heavily and the ground was covered with thick snow outside. I was still in bed though it was nine. I finished a long journey the day before and decided to have a good rest. Suddenly the telephone rang and my manager told me to fly to New York to take part in an important meeting. I had to get up and after a quick breakfast I hurried to the airport. The taxi went slowly and I missed the first flight. I had to take the next one. It meant I would wait for nearly five hours in the waiting-room. But five hours later a passenger said the information showed there was a bomb in our plane and the policemen were looking for it. And another five hours passed and most passengers lost their patience before we were allowed to get on the plane. At the entrance each passenger and their baggage had to be examined. A young man who seemed a soldier shouted at the policemen at the entrance, “If I had a gun in my baggage, I would shoot you two hours ago!”

1. He didn’t get up until the phone rang because he________ .

A．felt very cold outside	B．wanted to have a rest that day
C．was going to have a meeting	D．was waiting for the manager’s call

2. The taxi went slowly because ________.

A．there was much snow on the road

B．it was very cold that morning

C．the driver didn’t know he would fly to New York

D．the manager told him not to hurry

3. The young man became angry because he ________.

A．wouldn’t be examined	B．had a gun in his baggage
C．waited for a long time at the airport	D．hated the policemen at the entrance