【推荐1】One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September 11th, 1958, mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my arms, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honor! I became four years old a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told stories. I told it again and again how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept(哭泣) and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard mum and dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”and “dying”, and all these words sounded ____.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living rooms. “If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I had never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?”He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty：they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11^th, 1958?

A．He got a baby brother.	B．He got a Christmas gift.
C．He became four years old.	D．He received a doll.

2. What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A．Impossible.

B．Boring.

C．Funny.

D．Fearful.

3. Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?

A．Excitement.

B．Happiness.

C．Disappointment.

D．Sadness.

4. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．A Sad Christmas Day

B．Life With a Lovely Baby

C．A Special Christmas Gift

D．Memories of a Happy Family

【推荐3】Children can make some pretty lofty statements and grand promises. And an 8-year-old boy who promised to get his dad his dream car was no exception-but then he actually fulfilled his promise.

A Reddit user going by the username Belairboy wrote that when he was 8 year old, he told his dad he would buy him a 1957 Chevrolet(雪佛兰)Bel Air on his 57th birthday.

''He grew up in a poor family of seven children. He never thought he would be able to own his dream vehicle but would talk about it all the time,'' Belairboy wrote.

Then the day came.

He tricked his father to look in the garage while the older man was trying to fix a cornhole board. When the dad finally looked up from his project and his son said, ''happy birthday,'' all the father could say in a whimpering tone was ''no'', as he tearfully went in for a hug.

''Oh my God, oh my God. This is real! This is real! '' the father said as he climbed into the driver's seat.'' You're kidding me. This is spotless, man.''

Later, Belairboy revealed that he had hung onto the car for two years to make the promise come true.

''We would talk about older vehicles so as to make sure how much he would enjoy it. I would show him pictures of it from the listing I found, unknown to him that it would actually be his one day, '' Belairboy wrote.'' He would get so excited and talk about owning something that he knew he never would be able to. ''

1. Why did the father say ''No'' when seeing his birthday present?

A．He didn't know what happened.

B．He wanted to hug his dear son first.

C．He was too excited to say anything else.

D．He knew little about this type of vehicle.

2. What did the father think of his dream car at first?

A．He wouldn't like it at all.	B．He would own one some day.
C．His son would buy one for him.	D．He would never have it in his life.

3. Which of the following can best describe Belairboy?

A．He is warm-hearted.	B．He is worth trust.
C．He is well-received.	D．He is hardworking.

【推荐1】A couple from Miami, Bill and Simone Butler, spent sixty-six days in a life-raft(救生艇) in the seas of Central America after their boat sank.

Twenty-one days after they left Panama in their boat, Simony, they met some whales(鲸鱼). “They started to hit the side of the boat,” said Bill, “and then suddenly we heard water.” Two minutes later, the boat was sinking. They jumped into the life-raft and watched the boat go under the water.

For twenty days they had tins of food, biscuits, and bottles of water. They also had a fishing-line and a machine to make salt water into drinking water — two things which saved their lives. They caught eight to ten fish a day and ate them raw(生的). Then the line broke. “So we had no more fish until something very strange happened. Some sharks(鲨鱼) came to feed, and the fish under the raft were afraid and came to the surface. I caught them with my hands.”

About twenty ships passed them, but no one saw them. After fifty days at sea their life-raft was beginning to break up. Then suddenly it was all over. A fishing boat saw them and picked them up. They couldn’t stand up. So the captain carried them onto his boat and took them to Costa Rica. Their two months at sea was over.

1. Bill and Simone were traveling ________ when they met some whales.

A．in a life-raft

B．in Miami

C．in Simony

D．in Panama

2. The whales hit the side of the boat, and then ________.

A．they brought in a lot of water

B．they broke the side of the boat

C．they pulled the boat

D．they went under the water

3. During their days at sea, ________ saved their lives.

A．tins of food and bottles of water	B．a fishing-line and a machine
C．whales and sharks	D．Twenty passing ships

4. When they saw the fishing boat which later picked them up, ________.

A．they were too excited to stand up

B．they couldn’t wait to climb onto the boat

C．their life-raft was beginning to break up

D．they knew their two months at sea would be over

【推荐2】The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. “Bananas 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill. He didn’t have change. So I told him not to worry. He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.

When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us.

I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What’s up?” asked him. “I…I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills. “Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. “Thank you, sir.” he said. “Thank you very much!”

When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks. What if he’s a cheat? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.

Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive. When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face.

“Oh, gosh! Long time.”

“Are you in school now?” I asked.

He nodded.

“That’s good,” I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. “Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill. “Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s a gift.”

He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shone with sweat. He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”

1. What was the author’s first impression of the boy?

A．He seemed to be poor and greedy.	B．He seemed to have suffered a lot.
C．He seemed younger than his age.	D．He seemed good at bargaining.

2. The second time the author met the boy, the boy .

A．told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts

B．wanted to express his thanks

C．asked him for money for his schoolbooks

D．tried to take advantage of him

3. Why did the author give his money to the boy?

A．Because he had enough money to do that.

B．Because he had learnt to help others since childhood.

C．Because he held a higher position in the society.

D．Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so.

4. Which of the following best describes the boy?

A．Brave and polite.	B．Kind and smart.
C．Honest and thankful.	D．Shy and nervous

【推荐3】After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his son’s school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake(煎饼).

He was shocked. He didn’t know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins.

As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying,“ It’s too late! They’re all dead! There’s nothing you can do!” To them he replied with one line, “Are you going to help me now?”And then he kept on digging.

No one helped, however. He went on alone because he needed to know for himself, “Is my boy alive or is he dead?” He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son’s words. He shouted his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!! It’s me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you! You did it, Dad!”

“What’s going on in there? How is it?”the father asked.

“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We’re frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you’re here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle, and it saved us.”

“Come out, boy!”

“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”

1. The underlined word“collapsed”probably means______.

A．倒塌	B．摇晃
C．耸立	D．颠簸

2. Who came to help the father when he was digging?

A．His wife.	B．Other parents.
C．The firemen.	D．No one.

3. Other parents and the firemen wanted to pull him off the ruins because they thought________.

A．he was mad

B．all the children had died in the earthquake

C．he was too dangerous to others

D．it was not his job to dig

4. How many students were still alive when the father found them in the ruins?

A．Fourteen.	B．Thirty-three.
C．Forty-seven.	D．Nineteen.

5. We can learn from the passage that________.

A．it took the father one day to find his son and other students

B．his wife died in the earthquake

C．his son was the last one to come out of the ruins

D．the son didn’t believe his father would come to save him

【推荐2】One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem — inability to read.

In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room.” I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.

There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.

Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together.

My mother’s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.

I never told my mother about my “miraculous” (奇迹般地) experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.

1. Why did the author’s mum force him to go to the public library to borrow at least one book? (no more than 10 words)
____________________________
2. What do the underlined words in the third paragraph mean? (no more than 3 words)
____________________________
3. Why do you think the author read through the book about Amos though he never read books?(no more than 15 words)
____________________________
4. In what ways did reading books make a difference to the author’s life? (no more than 20 words)
____________________________
5. What impresses you most in the article? Give your reasons. (no more than 25 words)
____________________________

【推荐3】During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany’s mom.

Tiffany’s mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn’t give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.

Whenever I didn’t get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany’s mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. Every time, my morn would calmly say “Poor Tiffany”. I couldn’t understand her. “She shouldn’t be feeling sorry for Tiffany!” I thought. “She should be feeling sorry for me.”

One day, I couldn’t help saying to Mom, “Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her?” I burst into tears.

My mom sat down next to me and said softly. “Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught.”

I looked up at her. “What are you talking about?”

Mom said with care, “One day she will really want something. Maybe she’ll find out that she can’t have it. Her mother won’t always be around to give her money, and what’s more, money can’t buy everything.”

She continued, “I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You’ll know how to look for bargains and save money, but she won’t. You’ll understand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won’t. When Tiffany is a grown woman, she’ll wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you’ve got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food.”

It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom’s words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.

1. During the author’s elementary school years, she        .

A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany’s

B．went to school with Tiffany every day

C．usually compared her lesson with Tiffany’s

D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany

2. Why did the author’s mom always say “Poor Tiffany”?

A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor.

B．She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author.

C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother.

D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany.

3. What do we learn about the author’s mother?

A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent.

B．She cared for other people’s children more than her own.

C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money.

D．She was so poor that she couldn’t give the author much money.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past.

B．The author’s mother felt sorry for Tiffany.

C．Tiffany’s mother took the author’s mother’s advice.

D．The author is thankful to her mother now.