【推荐1】I've often wondered if I might do more good as a travel agent rather than as a psychologist. It seems that I have been more dramatically affected by certain kinds of travel experiences than I ever have.

My trip to Iceland is a fine example of that. The plan was to spend two days in a remote mountain hut(棚屋)in Iceland. I was working on a photographic book about winter in Iceland and needed to capture images of this amazing region of high mountain peaks, smoky volcanoes, and lakes with floating icebergs.

The moment after we arrived, the weather turned extreme making visibility impossible. It snowed so much and the wind blew so hard that we couldn't leave the tiny hut. To stay warm, we walked around in circles much of the day inside the tiny hut. We tried to call for help but the radio did not work. Day after day, we watched our supplies of food and fuel grow dangerously short. We got acute cabin fever(幽居病)and started going for walks and ski expeditions outside. Even when the weather finally broke, nobody came to get us even though it was three days beyond our scheduled pickup. By the time the rescue team came to pull us out, we had all given up hope.

From then on, the world looks different to me, as does my life. It would have taken me years of psychotherapy(心理治疗)to get to the same point.

Almost everyone has a story to tell, and interestingly, most of these experiences were not altogether pleasant at the time. In fact, it appears that the most constructive life-changing journeys were those that involved some sorts of awful and uncomfortable events that forced the person to develop new resources, increase confidence, and solve problems in new ways.

1. The writer went to Iceland to          .

A．enjoy the natural beautiful floating icebergs

B．collect materials for psychological research

C．challenge the high mountains there

D．take photos about the region for a book

2. During the trip in Iceland, the difficulties those travelers faced are the following EXCEPT .

A．They were short of food and fuel

B．They got lost in the mountain

C．They couldn't see the surroundings clearly

D．They failed to get in touch with the rescue team

3. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Awful journeys may become life-changing events that inspire people.

B．The travelers were so depressed that they needed psychotherapy.

C．The writer is a travel agent who loves difficult challenges.

D．In Iceland the weather is always extreme and it snows a lot.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Certain Kinds of Travel Experiences That I Ever Have

B．An Unforgettable and Inspiring Adventure

C．My Trip to Iceland

D．Solve Problems in New Ways

【推荐2】On a summer morning, I woke up early, herded my three-and five-year-old daughters into the car, packed my friend and her two daughters into the car, and drove two hours to the New Jersey Shore, where we spread our towels on the beach by 10 a.m.

Out of nowhere, the girls took off running. About 50 yards from us, a man—maybe in his late 50s—was fishing with gigantic poles. The girls stood next to him and watched with their little mouths hanging open as he cast the lines. He smiled at them. They ran back to us — all except my three-year-old, Drew.

My brain immediately shot into Mama Bear mode: human trafficker (人贩子).

“Drew! Come here! Play with your friends!” I yelled, very aware that my speeches about not talking to strangers weren’t working. Good moms should be cautious. Good moms should teach their daughters that the world is a dangerous place. So I felt relieved when Drew trotted over to me and grabbed a shovel. Then she looked me in the eye, “I want to be with that man.” She ran back, sat down next to him, and started digging.

As I was thinking about what she was saying to him, she ran back to us, waving something very shiny and slimy. “A toy fish!” This must have been what he was using for bait. And he’d given it to Drew. The three other girls were impressed, and they all longed for the fish. Drew looked at me for help, then at the man, then back at me.

“My friend gave me that fish!” she protested. The sand turned into a preschool cage match with a yellow rubber fish flipping through the air. Tears were fast approaching. I felt like I might cry myself.

Suddenly, there he was. He was holding three more rubber fish and handed them to each of the girls. By their faces, you would have thought he was actually the really cute Jonas brother. “Thank you,” they said, without prompting.

“Thank you,” I said, realizing that yes, there is evil in the world... but there is also good, and kindness in strangers, and lessons for mothers to learn that only a three-year-old could teach them.

1. The author thought a good mom should ______.

A．allow her kids to relax	B．care about her kids’ safety
C．take her kids to explore nature	D．encourage her kids to share with others

2. What made the author change her attitude towards the man?

A．The man letting Drew sit next to him.	B．The man teaching the kids how to fish.
C．The man handing a rubber fish to Drew.	D．The man handing extra rubber fish to the kids.

3. What can we learn from this passage?

A．There is goodwill in the world.	B．Children have their own blessings.
C．Everything comes to those who wait.	D．Watch out for people with bad intentions.

【推荐3】It was a mid-winter's day. My Mom had ordered me and my two brothers outside so she could get a little housework done.

My brothers were seven and five years older than me and much bigger as well. Still, it was I who decided to start the snowball fight. I hit one of them when they weren't looking and soon we were all making and throwing snowballs as fast as we could. Being little helped me avoid the first dozen or so snowballs that came my way until the one that caught me in the back of the head and sent me sliding into the two foot deep snowdrift. I felt two hands grasp my shoulders as my oldest brother lifted me out safely. I laughed as I dusted the snow off.

Later Mom called us back inside for a lunch of hot, chicken soup. I drank it slowly and then sat near the old, wood stove in our living room and let the warmth quickly dry my damp socks and jeans. It felt so nice. I couldn't describe the feeling back then but I know now that it was pure happiness.

In those innocent days of childhood there was no regret for the past or worry for the future. Each moment could be enjoyed just the way God intended. Each day could be filled with fun, laughter, and love. I think that we all need to re-experience that feeling in our lives. We need to live with childlike joy while keeping our adult wisdom. We need to throw a few snowballs and drink a few bowls of soup afterwards. We need to trust in our Heavenly Father's love for us and share our love with others as well. Life here is too brief not to enjoy all of its precious moments.

1. Why did the writer’s mother order them outside?

A．To let them do more outdoor exercises.

B．For the convenience of doing housework.

C．To let them help her do housework outside.

D．To give them a surprise when they returned.

2. Why could the writer avoid so many snowballs?

A．Because his figure was small.

B．Because he was the youngest.

C．Because he had quick reaction.

D．Because he was good at avoiding.

3. What is the writer’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To introduce a good outdoor exercise.

B．To recall an experience in his childhood.

C．To show life should be enjoyed to the fullest.

D．To sing high praises of his mother’s greatness.

【推荐1】Getting to know other people is a typical activity in our daily lives. Even if you're good with people，there are likely times when you're stuck for something more to say and start wondering what topic to bring up next.     1    

Talk about the other person.

The biggest secret to being a good conversationalist is simply allowing the other people to talk about themselves. Why?     2    

Ask about work.

This one can be a little tricky because the conversation could end up sounding like a job interview. Still, if you can handle it carefully and keep it short and sweet, it can lead to an interesting discussion.

    3    

This is where it starts to get more personal. It’s up to you to carry on the conversation using these questions in a proper way. Do you play or follow any sports? What do you like to read? What kind of music do you like?

Ask about their travels.

Ask the person where they’ve been. Even if they have never left their hometown, they will likely be happy to talk about where they want to go. If you had a chance to move to any other country, which one would it be and why?     4     How did you like it?

Know what to avoid.

You know the old rule: never talk about religion, politics, money, family problems, or women’s age with people you don’t know well.     5     So you should stay extremely clear.

A．Where did you go on your last vacation?

B．Ask them what has happened in their life.

C．Find out about their interests and hobbies.

D．The risk of saying something rude is too high.

E．Then how to come up with good conversation topics?

F．It’s a subject they probably know well and feel comfortable with.

G．You can't expect miracles to happen in the conversation with someone.

【推荐2】I often hear some of you saying, "I don't care what other people think! I do whatever I want!" There is a strong wish for independence in adolescence (青春期)and you say you only care about your own opinion. But be honest - don't you care about what certain people think? Most teenagers have a circle of people who can influence them.They care very much about what this circle of people think, especially about them.

Most teenagers want to be independent, but they don't want to be alone. They don't want to stand out, away from the crowd. They want to have connection to other people, especially other teenagers.

During adolescence, friendships with other teens become very important. They care about what other teenagers think because they want to be accepted and they are afraid of what other people think. Fear makes them care.

Some teenagers are leaders and some are followers. You might think that teenage leaders don't care what other people think, but that is not true. After all, a leader really isn't a leader unless other people follow. If leaders don't care about what followers think, those followers may leave and follow someone else. Followers care about what the leader thinks because they want to be part of the group.

There is a famous playwright named William Shakespeare. In one of his plays, Hamlet, the character Hamlet said, "To thine own self be true." In other words, whatever you do, always be true to yourself. Sure, teenagers can care about what other people think of them, but the most important thing is what they think of themselves. This is one of the most important tasks that teenagers should have.

1. What do we know about teenagers from the text?

A．They value friendship.	B．They have difficulty making friends.
C．They are deaf to others' advice.	D．They keep themselves away from others.

2. What can we know from paragraph 4?

A．Teenagers prefer to be leaders.

B．Teenage leaders must listen to followers.

C．Teenage followers should read leaders' mind.

D．Teenage leaders and followers should care about each other.

3. What suggestion does the author give to teens?

A．Think of others around you.	B．Do what you think is right.
C．Make friends whenever possible.	D．Go easy on yourself and others.

【推荐3】Helping voters out

The US 2020 presidential election has captured people's hearts around the world. In order to allow voters to vote in person, poll (投票站) workers need to work at different vote centers. In past elections, most poll workers were elderly, but now that they are more at risk of severe symptoms from COVID - 19, there was a growing need for young people to serve as poll workers.

I first became aware of the opportunity to become a poll worker from a story on an Instagram account called “Poll Hero?”. It mentioned the effort to recruit young poll workers on a large - scale, and I immediately became interested in participating. I signed up to be a poll worker from the website, and a few days later, I registered through the High School Student Election Worker Program with the assistance of a Poll Hero volunteer.

After registering, there were two steps I had to take in order to become certified (认证的) to serve in this election. The first was an online training course, which takes around three hours. It covers the different roles workers have, different procedures workers must follow and provides information on how to use tools such as the electronic pollbook. The session is interactive, and I often engaged in simulated (模拟的) situations and knowledge checks to ensure that I understood each lesson. After taking the online course, I had to pass an exam with an 80 percent score or higher to complete that part of my certification. On my first attempt, I passed with a score of exactly 80 percent.

After passing the online course, I attended a two - hour in - person training session where I worked with a real electronic pollbook to practice what I would do on Election Day. The instructor took us through many different scenarios (场景) where we practiced assisting different types of voters. I was pleased to see many young people attend the session! In total, I spent 37 hours helping voters vote during this election. With my mask on the entire time, I checked in voters and helped them use the ballot (投票) marking devices where they could cast their vote. I also loved meeting fellow workers who are passionate about being engaged and helping our community. Taking part in this historic election is something I will never forget.

1. Which of the following statements is true according to paragraph 1 and 2?

A．The author considered it his duty to help his community

B．A Poll Hero volunteer asked the author to serve as a poll worker

C．Young poll workers were in huge demand

D．Serving as a poll worker was one of the author's school volunteering programs

2. What do we know about the online training course?

A．This course must be completed at once	B．It uses a lecture - style teaching method
C．Those who pass the exam get a service certification	D．To pass the exam, one has to score at least 80 percent

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．What difficulties the author ran into

B．What the author learned from the in - person training session

C．How the author cooperated with other young poll workers

D．How the author assisted different types of voters on Election Day

4. How did the author feel as a poll worker?

A．Exhausted

B．Proud

C．Bored

D．Nervous