【推荐1】Augusto Esquivel is a sculptor who, in his own words, is “crazy with comparisons of reality and potential and the balance between them.” Perhaps the best example of what he’s talking about are his most famous creations: the suspended(悬挂的) button sculptures.

Made entirely from buttons hanging on various lengths of string, Esquivel’s sculptures are made to look like common objects: a piano, a gumball machine, and even a toilet. If it wasn’t for the clear string hanging above, these objects, these sculptures, would look solid, yet you can put your hands right through them. The process starts with him deciding on a subject and setting the acrylic （丙烯酸树脂）from where the buttons are being suspended. He buys buttons of different shapes and sizes, paints them with spray paint, and carefully hangs them. After that, it’s a manner of hanging each individual button, which takes a lot of time. For his piano, for example, he individually hung over 60 pounds worth of tiny buttons.

Esquivel’s sculptures, while mostly housed inside art galleries, perfectly capture one of the main principles of street art: something that is eye-catching and something that invites interaction. Often the best sculptures outside the art galleries aren’t the ones behind guards and fencing, but the ones people can go right up to and touch. In Vancouver, a series of laughing old men are attracting people for pictures and to just generally hang around, but the people who simply walk by and see the sculptures almost always leave with a smile on their face. That’s good street art: it draws the viewer in rather than relying on a gallery to draw in an audience and point them to certain pieces.

Esquivel’s art is not only a presentation of talent, something that mentions larger philosophical questions, like the ones he stated above, but also just the right combination of interesting idea and painstaking work. One can look at his work in a critical way, or simply appreciate his idea and execution(艺术品的制作).

1. What are Esquivel’s sculptures mainly made of?

A．Clay.

B．Iron.

C．Gum.

D．Buttons.

2. Which statement is WRONG according to Paragraph 3?

A．Some of Esquivel’s sculptures are displayed outside art galleries.

B．Esquivel’s art is good street art.

C．People can’t touch Esquivel’s sculptures involve interaction.

D．Esquivel’s sculptures can catch people’s eye and involve interaction.

3. Which of the following in NOT what Esquivel’s art wants to present?

A．Talent.

B．Idealism.

C．Philosophical questions.

D．Painstaking work.

【推荐2】How to Work From Home

As more companies across nearly every industry accommodate an increasing number of employees wishing to forego (摒弃) the morning commute and office pantry footfall, remote work has become an increasingly easy and breathlessly practical option for many who seek it.    1    .

    2    . It’s a culmination (巅峰) of what I’ve learned along the way.

Don’t sleep where you work. Whether it’s a rented office space or a den converted (转换) into a home office or a cabin in the woods for that matter, find a space away from your bedroom to work.

    3    . “Having a consistent schedule and being kind of strict about it is really useful for drawing outlines around your time so that you can keep things balanced for both work and play,” said Jacqui Cheng, editor in chief of Wirecutter, and someone who’s worked from home full time for over 12 years.

Plan against distractions.    4    You can explain to your family members or children that your work area is off limits, and they should avoid interrupting unless it’s important.

Trying to mix work and free time runs the danger of never quite powering down or shutting off.    5    . Besides, your friends and family miss out on the time you would spend with them if you worked in an office instead of at home. Make sure to enforce your boundaries.

A．Get into your groove.

B．Set boundaries if you’re working at home.

C．Here is a modest guide to becoming a successful remote employee

D．I can comfortably and productively contribute a solid day’s work from almost anywhere.

E．And it can lead to burnout and depression from feeling like you’re always on and available.

F．There are many things that contribute to becoming a successful work-from-home employee.

G．Close your work chat programs and emails and consider yourself “out for the day,” and “home now.”

【推荐3】Are you feeling anxious about your test next week? Here are some tips that will help you in dealing with stress(压力) and anxiety.

    1    

One of the most important ways of avoiding test anxiety is to prepare well in advance. Study regularly for a few hours every day. It helps in increasing the confidence of students.

    2    

If students are not able to deal with anxiety or nervousness, they could talk to their teachers, student counselors(辅导员), parents or friends. Parents should also avoid pressurizing(加压) their kids to do well. Create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere (放松的气氛) at home.Then your children can study without any tension(紧张). Another important point that arises here is neither the students nor the parents should compare the children with their other classmates and friends.

    3    

Do not forget to eat and sleep properly. Many times due to anxiety students avoid sleep and starve themselves. They should sleep for at least 6-7 hours a day and eat nutritious and healthy food. Exercising regularly is equally important as talking to friends and socializing(社交).

    4    

Plan your studies well. Chart(制图) out a timetable and take proper breaks between studying. Along with the study time, allot (分配) time to relax and do what you love to do. Practicing simple breathing skills will also help reduce stress.

    5    . While it is important to gain good scores in tests, it is not the most important thing in life. Learning to deal with nervousness and stress will not only help them to do well in school tests, but also in their future life.

A．Third, physical fitness

B．First, study regularly

C．Fourth, prepare schedule

D．Second, reduce study pressure

E．Students should remember that tests are just a part of life

F．You should go to bed early

G．You’d better turn to your teachers for help

【推荐1】I'm often told how I have a dream job, that I work for a great company, getting to deal with the leaders in social media every day, and especially that I get to work from my home.
Usually the people who tell me that working from home is wonderful have never worked fromhome.   They spend most of their career working from an office and hate it.
In fact, I love being able to work from home and make my own hours. I truly appreciate beingable to drop what I'm doing to attend kids or go shopping, but there's a side to it we don't often talk about, the hard side. No one wants to believe people like me, working from home, have anything tocomplain about. Really, I'm not going to complain, but I do want to share a few things about telecommuting (远程办公) that few home-based people want to tell you, because working from home doesn't look so wonderful.
One of the reasons I love my job is the flexibility(灵活性). I know that I can volunteer for school projects,meet friends for lunch and work out for an hour as long as I get my work done. But did you know telecommuters have to make up the time if they wish to fill their days with fun items? Sowhile my husband and kids are watching a movie, I'm working until midnight. Besides, when youwork from home, you're held to your phone and Skype (网络电话) in case someone wants to talk toyou during business hours. So it's not so easy to be flexible!
1. We learn from the passage that the writer_____________.

A．can balance her work and family life well

B．is quite satisfied with her present work

C．presents some unknown facts of working from home

D．complains about the disadvantages of working from office

2. The last paragraph mainly tells us that__________.

A．you're usually a slave to yourself

B．the writer is always busy with her work

C．the writer can always make full use of the freedom

D．you're not as flexible as you think you are

3. The writer probably agrees that__________.

A．get work done, or you'll have no freedom

B．east or west, home working is the best

C．freedom should always come before work

D．all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

4. Who is the passage mainly intended for?

A．Job hunters.	B．Office workers.
C．Researchers.	D．Telecommuters.

【推荐3】Tutor Wanted

Teach a kindergartener how to read online.

Become a volunteer tutor with Learn To Be!

LTB tutors are dedicated volunteers who believe deeply in educational equity. Our tutors volunteer their time to make the lives of under-served K-12 kids and their families easier, their opportunities greater, and their dreams bigger. Commit to tutoring at least 2 times per week for 3 months or longer. Support your students with homework help or use the resources provided by LTB to create your own lesson plans for your student.

Visit our website to apply: https://www.learntobe.org

Tutor adults in English

The South Bay Literacy Council is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to teaching adults to read, write and speak English in the South Bay, Los Angeles area. You’d commit to meeting weekly with your students online or in-person. We ask volunteers to make a 9-month commitment due to the time it takes to train and match tutors with students.

Visit our website to apply: http://www.southbayliteracy.org

Tutor for Remove the Borders

Being a tutor for Remove the Borders is a great opportunity to gain volunteer hours while learning about how socioeconomic status and learning disabilities can hold students back. Dates on when you tutor will be worked out between you and the person you are tutoring. The minimum amount of sessions you have to tutor is three.

Visit our website to apply: https://forms.gle/eJ2j8BAWAAeApEQq9

Teach online STEM classes

Across the country, millions of students lack the resources to learn about STEM and computer science. Our non-profit organization strives to provide this vital area of education to underprivileged students through engaging in online classes. As a volunteer teacher, you will earn service hours while developing critical communication, teaching, and leadership skills. These class sessions will run for eight weeks, and have a time commitment of three hours per week.

Visit our website to apply: https://www.roboticsforall.net/overview-of-positions.html

1. Who is Learn To Be intended for?

A．Disadvantaged K-12 students.	B．Students with learning disabilities.
C．Grown-ups interested in English.	D．Information technology majors.

2. Which program is most suitable for a volunteer without much time?

A．Teach a kindergartener how to read online.	B．Tutor adults in English.
C．Tutor for Remove the Borders.	D．Teach online STEM classes.

3. What do these four programs have in common?

A．Only online service is offered.

B．People can attend classes free of charge.

C．Volunteers will acquire service hours.

D．Applicants for volunteers’ jobs need to sign up online.