【推荐1】Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way. "He was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.

Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.

Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.

"Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today."

"I learned that the population of Nepal is ...."

Silence.

Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. "The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well ..." he'd say. "Get the map; let's see where Nepal is. " And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.

This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

Later during my training as a future teacher I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.

1. What do we know from the first paragraph?

A．The author's father was born in a worker's family.

B．Those born stupid could not change their life.

C．The town elders wanted to learn about the world.

D．The poor could hardly afford school education.

2. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to "________".

A．one new thing

B．a request

C．the news

D．some comment

3. It can be learned from the passage that the author ________.

A．enjoyed talking about news

B．knew very well about Nepal

C．felt regret about those wasted days

D．appreciated his father's educational technique

【推荐2】Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.

In 1849, after graduation from medical school. she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.

Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children. Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women.

1. Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?

A．She couldn’t get admitted to medical school

B．She decided to further her education in Paris

C．A serious eye problem stopped her

D．It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States

2. What main obstacle(障碍) almost destroyed Elizabeth’s chances for becoming a doctor?

A．She was a woman.

B．She wrote too many letters.

C．She couldn’t graduate from medical school.

D．She couldn’t set up her hospital.

3. How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?

A．Eight years	B．Ten years
C．Nineteen years	D．Thirty-six years

4. According to the passage, all of the following are “firsts” in the life of Elizabeth Blacekwell, except that she ______.

A．became the first woman physician

B．was the first woman doctor

C．and several other women founded the first hospital for women and children

D．set up the first medical school for women

5. Eilzabeth Blackwell spent most of her life in _______.

A．England	B．Paris
C．the United States	D．New York City

【推荐3】During the "golden week" national holiday that began on October 1st, hundreds of thousands of sightseers flocked to Lijiang, a picturesque historic town in the south-western province of Yunnan. Among its attractions are the symbols printed beneath the Chinese characters on road signs and shop fronts （Starbucks included）. They are Dongba pictographs, an ancient form of script（文字）that originated among the Naxi, a local ethnic group. It almost died until about a decade ago, when local officials began to realize its value and covered the town with it.

Dongba was never widely used by the Naxi, of whom there are about 300,000 living in the Himalayan foothills near Lijiang, as well as in Tibet and Sichuan province. The pictographs, which evolved as early as the seventh century, were developed by shamans （巫 师）of the Dongba faith, which has roots in Tibet.

Over 20,000 of these religious records survive. They provide rich insight into how Naxi people thought about war, geography, astronomy and agriculture. But they are extremely hard to read. Linguists are helped by the area's Dongba priests（神职人员）. There are about 600, most of them very old, including Yang Guoxing, who ran a school from 2010 to 2015 to teach Dongba to children living in the mountains. When Mr Yang was growing up, “everyone was too busy farming” to learn it. Now they are all busy soaking up the pop culture， he says.

Signs at bus stations in rural Yunnan encourage locals to use written and spoken Chinese. But the Naxi get off lightly compared with other ethnic minorities. Primary schools in Lijiang teach the Dongba script twice a week, as well as Naxi nursery rhymes. Li Dejing, head of the Dongba Culture Research Institute, says this is not just about keeping alive the pictographs, but letting children grasp “the very spirit of their own culture”. And this will also help tourism to develop in Lijiang.

1. What do we know about the Dongba script?

A．It is widely used by local people.

B．It was a tool used by certain people.

C．It was quite popular at certain periods.

D．It has a history of more than 3000 years.

2. According to Yang Guoxing, what makes it difficult to spread the Dongba script?

A．Only priests can read it.

B．It's extremely hard to read.

C．Its value hasn't been fully recognized.

D．People are too busy to learn a new language.

3. What has been done to keep the Dongba script alive?

A．New schools are opened to teach it.

B．Some tourists are invited to preserve it.

C．Only the Dongba script can be used in schools.

D．People are more exposed to this language than before.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．The Dongba Script Is Dying	B．The History of the Dongba Script
C．The Dongba Script Survives in Lijiang	D．The Influence of the Dongba Script

【推荐1】He came to Britain, 16, with a handful of qualifications, $ 5 in pocket and a burning ambition. Thirty-five years later, Vijay, 51, and his brother, Bhikhu, own a drug company which does $234 million worth of business each year. Together they are worth $ 280 million and now they have been jointly named “Entrepreneur of the Year”.

It is an inspirational tale. Yet despite their wealth and this award, Vijay remains modest about their success. He praises his mother, “She is an incredible lady. She taught us hard work, honesty and we have based our lives on those qualities.”

In 1967, Vijay kissed his mother goodbye to London to make his fortune. “I had little other than my qualifications and $ 5,” says Vijay. “But to go with those, I had a huge ambition to make something of myself,” he recalls. Typically, Vijay looks on the bright side. “When you start from zero, things can’t get any worse. You have only one way to go and that’s up if there is a hunger in your stomach for success.” Vijay says. “My brother and I were determined to better ourselves and Britain was the land of opportunity.”

By 1982, he had owned six chemist’s shops, when Bhikhu, a then financial analyst, joined him, adding some financial discipline to his company. Vijay says, “I simply couldn’t have done it without him.” As he puts it, “Brought up under one roof, we understand one another from A to Z.”

Vijay is keen to continue repaying the country he has made his own. “We hope we are model citizens and would like to remain so,” he says. “We are lucky enough to live in a country that never stands in our way.” His message for young people is to do the same: Identify your aim, and do not let anything discourage you from achieving that goal.

1. What did Vijay possess when starting his business?

A．Some qualifications and an ambition.	B．A drug company worth $ 234 million.
C．Six chemist’s shops worth $ 280 million.	D．The title “Entrepreneur of the Year”.

2. What is the recipe for Vijay’s success?

A．His brother’s financial aid.	B．His identity of model citizen.
C．His never-give-up spirit.	D．Encouraging quotes from mom.

3. Which can probably replace the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?

A．We share something in common.	B．We know each other inside out.
C．We count on each other in career.	D．We two together create fire and water.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．A Modest Successful Chemist	B．The Significance of Mothers’ Love
C．The Power of Deep Brotherhood	D．From Penniless to Millionaire

【推荐3】A woman who lost one leg to cancer is seeking to break a world record by completing 102 marathon runs.

Jacky Hunt-Broersma set her goal in mid-June. And since then, she has been running the distance of a marathon. Most of the time, she averages (平均) just over five hours to complete a run. If she keeps successfully completing marathon runs every day, she will reach her goal by September.

Until five years ago, she was not very active. But then she looked into running and decided to give it a try. The sport ended up being quite costly. Now, she runs on an artificial leg (义肢) made of a strong, light material, which is designed specially for running, costing about $10,000.

But Jacky says her investment has been well worth it. “Part of my body was gone. For me the biggest struggle was accepting my disability,” she told the reporter. “Running really changed my life,” she said. “It helped me accept myself as an amputee (截肢者). It gave me a sense of freedom. I fell in love with the process of pushing my body further just to see what I could do.”

However, she has faced both physical and mental difficulties during her record-breaking attempt. On one recent day, Jacky said she felt like giving up at 24 kilometers and began to cry. “I had a total emotional breakdown. I was like, ‘I just can’t do this.’ ” she said.

Jacky is documenting her progress online and has also gained a large social media following. As she nears the end of her goal, Jacky is hoping to inspire a single thought in others. She tells people, “You’re stronger than you think and you’re able to do so much more.”

1. What is Jacky’s goal according to Paragraph 1?

A．To defeat a deadly disease.

B．To break her 5-hour record.

C．To be a professional runner.

D．To finish 102 marathon runs.

2. What was the biggest struggle for Hunt-Broersma?

A．Fighting against cancer.

B．Living with a disability.

C．Breaking a world record.

D．Documenting her progress online.

3. What may Jacky think of her running?

A．Interesting but difficult.

B．Challenging but rewarding.

C．Enjoyable and eye-opening.

D．Stressful and time-consuming.

4. Why does Jacky record her running online?

A．To prove her ability.

B．To increase her confidence.

C．To inspire others to push their limits.

D．To raise awareness about the impact of cancer.

5. Which of the following best describes Jacky’s experience?

A．Health is the key to happiness

B．Actions speak louder than words.

C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

D．A thousand-mile journey begins with one step.