【推荐1】Americans use the term “college students” to mean students either in colleges or universities. Not only that, Americans almost never say “going off to university” or “when I was in university.” That sounds British.     1    

College, university: what’s the difference?     2     Both offer undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences, for example. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living.

But many colleges do not offer graduate studies. Another difference is that universities are generally bigger.     3    

Another place of higher education, especially in technical areas, is an institute, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet even an institute of technology can offer a wide choice of programs and activities.

Modern universities developed from those of Europe in the Middle Ages. The word “university” came from the Latin universities, describing a group of people organized for a common purpose.    4     In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live. Usually each group was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study.

The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true.     5     For example, Harvard College is the undergraduate part of Harvard University.

Programs in higher learning can also be called schools, like a school of engineering or a medical school within a college or university. You know, learning all these terms is an education in itself.

A．A college can also be a part of a university.

B．There are more universities than colleges in the USA.

C．They offer more programs and do more research.

D．“College” came from collegium, a Latin word with a similar meaning.

E．Universities and colleges offer students different opportunities.

F．Instead, they say “going off to college” and “when I was in college.”

G．Colleges and universities have many things in common.

【推荐2】At some point when you were a child,a trusted adult likely told you that if you held a seashell up to your ear, you'd hear the ocean.    1    Seashells are not special capsules that have stored the sounds of their native homes.

But what exactly is that rushing sound you're hearing?    2     “The sound of an empty shell held up to the ear is created by echoes(回声）from sounds made in the environment.”Geerat J. Vermeil, a distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California,told us.

    3    Other structures with openings, like empty bowls or bottles, can produce similar sounds. “When the noise around us hits the internal surface of this hard seashell, multiple reflection occurs,” said Vermeil. “Whether you hold a seashell or the mouth of an empty bowl around your ear, you experience the ocean-like sound quality as a result of a phenomenon called “resonance.”

    4     It says that you're hearing the sound of your own rushing blood in your body. But scientists also clarify that it doesn't change with variation of pulse or blood pressure. “All this is perhaps a bit unimportant, but a more interesting question is what controls the frequencies of echoes" Vermeil added,indicating that there's a need for further research into shape, volume and shell thickness in relation to pitch.     5     Actually, if you put a shell to your ear on the beach, the sounds you hear will include partly some ocean noises.

A．The same goes for shells.

B．The answer is less mystical.

C．This effect is not limited to shells.

D．Now you probably know that this is not true.

E．Scientists are working hard to find the answer.

F．Maybe the original myth is not completely false.

G．There's another explanation for the rushing sound in a seashell.

【推荐3】The research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that food allergies ( 过 敏 ) in children have increased about 50 percent. Common symptoms   of allergic responses include itchy mouth, throat tightening, and difficulties in breathing.

Food allergy is a medical condition of exposure to certain foods. It occurs when the immune system attacks the protein in food that in normal cases is harmless. According to reports, more than 170 foods cause allergic reactions. The major food allergens are in eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, tree nuts, and crustacean shellfish.

There are several reasons behind the rise in food allergies. The food being produced these days is high in sugar, unhealthy fats, genetically modifies and some food farms have   pesticides ( 农 药 ) and other food have been injected drugs. All this can have a negative impact on our microbiome (微生物群), which is the basis of good health and immunity.

In a study comparing two children, a 15-year-old who lived in urban Italy and a 14-year-old child from rural Africa, it clearly showed a significant difference in the diversity of bacteria in their guts. The reason lies in their diet. The child from rural Africa has his diet low   in fat and rich in plant-based foods which are grown and harvested locally by villagers. In contrast, the Italian kid’s diet was rich in animal protein, sugar then low in fiber. Ultimately, the microbiome of the kid from Italy was less than that of the kid from Africa.

Besides, the so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’ suggests that decreased exposure to microbes in early life can lead to an increased chance of allergies in later life, because of individuals not having built up immunity at a young age.

Yet another reason for the explosion in allergies may be environmental changes. The environment has seen a rise in temperature and is estimated that in the coming decades the temperature could rise even further by 10 degrees. As a result of this warm climate, the growing seasons will be longer, increasing allergen count thus making allergies even worse. According to scientists, climate change is a contributing factor that needs immediate attention.

Dr. R. Sharon, researcher of Allergy and Asthma Research Centre at Stanford University, believes the cause of allergies will ultimately come down to a combination of many factors.

Food allergies have no cure but can be managed by avoiding food that brings the   reactions. Scientists are studying food allergies medical methods for general use. They are all trying to actively understand a certain part of the puzzle when it comes to allergies.

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Scientists have found an effective method to solve food allergies.

B．There could be many reasons that combine to lead to food allergies.

C．Environmental changes are the most important reason for food allergies.

D．To decrease children’s allergies, we should make them eat less every day.

2. In paragraph 4, the two children are mentioned to show that

A．pesticides have bad effects on people’s food

B．a person’s daily diet can affect his microbiome

C．food allergies have no cure but can be avoided

D．climate   change is another factor for food allergies

3. What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To explain the causes of food allergies.

B．To stress the influences of food allergies.

C．To introduce the solutions to food allergies.

D．To tell people the symptoms of food allergies.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the treatment of food allergies?

A．Indifferent.	B．Positive.
C．Doubtful.	D．Critical.

【推荐1】Culture is one of the most challenging elements of the international marketplace. This system of learned behavior patterns characteristic of the members of a given society is constantly shaped by a set of dynamic variables: language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, aesthetics, technology, education, and social institutions. To cope with this system, an international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledge of culture. To some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; its interpretation comes only through experience.

The most complicated problems in dealing with the cultural environment lie in the fact that one cannot learn culture — one has to live in it. Two schools of thought exist in the business world on how to deal with cultural diversity. One is that business is business the world around, following the model of Pepsi and McDonald’s. In some cases, globalization is a fact of life; however, cultural differences are still far from converging (会合). The other school proposes that companies must adapt business approaches to individual cultures. Setting up policies and procedures in each country has been compared to an organ transplant; the critical question centers around acceptance or rejection. The major challenge to the international manager is to make sure that rejection is not a result of cultural myopia (近视) or even blindness.

Fortune examined the international performance of a dozen large companies that earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseas. The internationally successful companies all share an important quality: patience. They have not rushed into situations but rather built their operations carefully by following the most basic business principles. These principles are to know your adversary (对手); know your audience; and know your customer.

1. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Views differ on how to treat culture in business world.

B．All international managers can learn culture.

C．Business diversity is not necessary.

D．Most people do not know foreign culture well.

2. According to the author, the model of Pepsi ________.

A．is different from the model of McDonald’s

B．shows the reverse of globalization

C．has converged cultural differences

D．is in line with the theories that business is business the world around

3. The two schools of thought ________.

A．both propose that companies should adapt business approaches to individual cultures

B．both advocate that different policies be set up in different countries

C．both admit the existence of cultural diversity in business world

D．both A and B

4. This article is supposed to be most useful for those ________.

A．who are interested in researching the topic of cultural diversity

B．who have connections to more than one type of culture

C．who want to run business on international scale

D．who want to travel abroad

【推荐2】Wechat (微信) is popular among us, but if someone deletes (删除) you or blocks (屏蔽) you on it, does it mean you’ve made him or her angry?

It depends.

Maybe you have just left messages too often without much valuable information. For example, the questions are those like ‘how are u?’ ‘what are u doing?’ ‘do u love me?’ too often. You know, people may feel bored after answering such kinds of questions time after time.

Another possible reason may be that you’ve sent something unpleasant to your friend or in your friend circle. I just blocked one of my middle school classmates yesterday because she was trying to sell fake goods in the friend circle, and I hate it quite much.

Some people delete the one’s name from friends’ list because they no longer want to see it (maybe ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend) and they don’t want the one to see their “Moments” (动态) on WeChat (maybe they publish very private pictures or life or thoughts they don’t want to share with him or her).

So why you are blocked may depend on his or her mood or preference (喜好), and the reasons a person gets blocked are various from person to person. So I suggest you to write an email or make a phone call to that person if he or she really means a lot to you to see why he or she is dissatisfied with you, and to find out how you can make up for the case.

1. From Paragraph 3, we can know if you are blocked that is because ______.

A．you are asking too many boring questions

B．your friend is angry

C．your friend doesn’t like answering questions

D．your friend has no time to reply

2. The underlined word “fake” in the passage probably means ________.

A．令人喜爱的

B．真实的

C．完美的

D．假冒的

3. _______ reasons of being deleted or blocked are mentioned in the passage.

A．4

B．2

C．3

D．5

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Friend Circle	B．Why Are You Blocked?
C．A Popular Way of Communication	D．How to Make Your Friend Satisfied

【推荐3】Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbours whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbours, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.

1. Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?

A．Visiting sick people in the hospital.

B．Visiting children who have lost their parents.

C．Giving friends small gifts.

D．Giving flowers to sweethearts.

2. What do most people usually do to show their care to others according to the passage?

A．They give money.	B．They give gifts.
C．They send regards.	D．They offer help.

3. The underlined word “neglected” in the second paragraph means “________”.

A．remembered	B．hated
C．paid little or no attention to	D．disappointed