【推荐1】Tonight, our family was going out to play under the full moon.

My husband Todd and I first started going on full moon walks for ourselves, as we needed these little doses of moonlight to stay happy, though sometimes we had to hike through the forest to find a perfect spot. But after we became parents, we did this for our children. We wanted to show Sierra and Bryce that it was not necessary to travel far from home to have an adventure and learn something new, and that there was much magic in the natural world, available to all.

Once we arrived at our location, Sierra and I stood holding hands, waiting to cheer the full moon in its rising—a thin sliver of the appealing moon emerged above the ridge of the mountain afar. Soon, more of the moon came out until it turned into a brilliant orange sphere. Todd explained to Sierra and Bryce that the moon generates no light, but simply acts like a mirror, reflecting the sunlight back to us. “Does the moon’s face change?” Bryce asked. I told him that the moon rotates (旋转) around the earth, but does not spin by itself, so the same side of the moon is always facing the earth. Sierra remarked that the moon looked larger and closer when it was rising. I explained that it is a visual illusion (错觉) because it is so close to the horizon that the moon magically tricks our eyes into comparing it with nearby objects, thus creating the impression of the increased size.

Much of the knowledge that I shared with the kids was learned from my parents. During my childhood, they would take me on educational adventures out in the woods, and as I later found, so did their parents. So every time I go for a full moon walk with my beloved family, I thank those wise educators who came before me.

To educate, sometimes all it takes is going outdoors and gazing up at the heavens.

1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Going on a hike through the forest.

B．Taking a walk under the full moon.

C．Watching magic shows every month.

D．Traveling far from home for adventure.

2. What can we learn from their family outing?

A．The kids were reluctant to participate.

B．Todd mentioned the mirror to explain sunlight.

C．The kids exhibited a spirit of exploration about the moon.

D．The author used a magic trick to explain the larger moon.

3. Which of the following best describes the parents?

A．Creative and faithful.	B．Selfless and brave.
C．Inspiring and generous.	D．Insightful and patient.

4. What does the story convey to the readers?

A．Life is what you make it.

B．Every cloud has a silver lining.

C．Nature is the best teacher.

D．God helps those who help themselves.

【推荐2】I wasn't interested in becoming a model at first. I worked as a receptionist in a beauty shop during high school. It was in South Dakota. A woman who had worked for Vogue—a famous fashion magazine said to me, “Why don't you go to New York and be a model?”

So I went to New York at eighteen. I went to the first model agency, they thought that I was too long-waisted. It was too bad since I came all the way from South Dakota. I did an information check on the internet and found that Hunting Hartford had just bought the agency. I looked up in the telephone book and dialed. Then I went there. About half an hour later, the man who had just taken over the agency—he had been a male model before—came in. I was just staring at this unfamiliar man when he said, “You! Come into my office!”

How do you feel as a fashion model? Quite OK, I should say. But you stop thinking when you are working. It takes a lot of nervous energy as well because the camera goes one, two, three very fast and you have to move very fast. I like my job because it gives me freedom. I can have half a day off to do things I like. I can't do that if I do a normal job. I never like becoming a secretary. They have to sit in the office for eight hours a day, facing the same people.

Most models, after one or two years, can't be still very interested in it. But I like being a model. Maybe I was a born one, as many people say.

1. Who inspired the author's desire to become a model?

A．A woman customer in the beauty shop.

B．Hunting Hartford.

C．The author herself.

D．The author's father.

2. Why didn't the author return to South Dakota when she was first refused?

A．Because she had a strong desire to become a model.

B．Because she liked to be a receptionist at a beauty shop.

C．Because Hunting Hartford asked her not to go back.

D．Because South Dakota is far away from New York.

3. Why did the author like being a model?

A．Because she liked the woman customer.

B．Because she liked the freedom.

C．Because she liked to have a regular work schedule.

D．Because she liked Hunting Hartford.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Perseverance leads to your success.

B．Finding a job you like to do is important.

C．Both A and B.

D．Becoming a model is quite easy.

【推荐3】Five years ago, my wife said she'd found us a tiny but adorable house. It was close to the historic Abbot Kinney. However, there was a bus depot（公共汽车停车场）across the street. Hundreds of buses noisily parked there every night and noisily left every morning. It was awful.

But I was determined to make the best of it. “It is noisy, but it offers us a good way to think about what is required to make a city work, "I kept telling our 6-year-old daughter.

Then one morning, I woke up to find that the buses were gone! I allowed myself to get excited. My daughter, however, was unhappy. It took me a minute to understand:she had got used to the idea of us having a role in city life.

Shortly afterward, a homeless encampment（临时营地）was built there. Then I found out what was planned for the bus depot-a place to deal with the homeless.

When I told my daughter about the“bridge housing", a big smile spread across her face. Her first reaction wasn't fear or selfishness. She understood instantly how special it was that the bus depot would become a place for people who needed just that to live.

What story about city life could I tell her then？I tried to keep fruit in the car so that at traffic lights, we could hand out a banana or an apple. When a woman put up a tent on the sidewalk in front of our stairs, I filled all her water bottles.

Now we have a couple hundred new neighbours, and I'll be telling anyone who will listen what an honour it is to live among the homeless. Without my daughter, I might not have come to the same conclusion.

1. What was wrong with the author's new house at the beginning?

A．It was too small for family use.

B．There was too much noise around.

C．It was too close to a tourist attraction.

D．There were too many neighbours around.

2. Why was the author's daughter unhappy when she found the buses were gone?

A．She thought she lost the role in city life.

B．She didn't like the idea of bridge housing.

C．She had been used to the presence of buses.

D．She couldn't go out of town without the buses.

3. What was the author's purpose of keeping fruit in his car?

A．To meet his family's needs.

B．To make his daughter happy.

C．To help the homeless when possible.

D．To thank those who had helped them.

【推荐1】Ida Nelson was relaxing herself in her sister’s sauna (桑拿室) when she heard the sound of a small airplane circling the nearby airport.

It was 11: 30 at night in a remote village with a population of 70, and, as she told the newspaper reporter, Any time a plane flies over that late, you know something is wrong. Nelson and her sister leaped out of the sauna, ran to the window, and saw the problem-the airport’s runway lights were out. Nelson threw on some clothes, jumped into her jeep, and floored it to the airport, where she found a local pilot trying to turn on the lights manually.

Normally, if you push the button 10 or 15 times, the lights will just light up, Nelson told the reporter. Not this time. Meanwhile, she and the pilot learned of the plane’s exigent mission - it was a helicopter there to transport a seriously ill local girl, to the nearest hospital, 280 miles away in another city.

Nelson had a plan. Driving her jeep to the end of the runway, she shone her headlights on the road for the plane to follow. Great idea, but it wasn’t enough. More light was needed so a neighbor called nearly every home in the village 32 of them.

Within 20 minutes, 20 vehicles arrived at the airport, many of the drivers still in pajamas. Following directions from the helicopter pilot, the cars lined up on one side of the runway. The helicopter made its final approach and, guided by the headlights, landed safely. The young patient was loaded onto the aircraft, and the plane immediately took off again Her illness was never publicly known, but she has since been recovered.

Without them, the girl might not have made it. However, for Nelson, it was only a small deed.

1. What problem did the helicopter encounter?

A．Its lights went out by accident

B．It made noise as it ran out of fuel

C．It could not land safely in darkness.

D．It didn’t arrive at the scheduled time

2. What does the underlined word exigent in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．impossible

B．unique

C．intense

D．urgent

3. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．The girl has been in the hospital since her illness was reported.

B．The creative thought and the sense of duty of Nelson led to the final landing.

C．The helicopter was to transport the girl from the local hospital to another one.

D．The villagers gathered so quickly because they were awake and ready to help.

4. What does this passage want to tell the readers?

A．No way is impossible to courage.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed

C．A small act of kindness makes a big difference.

D．Where there is a wisdom. there is effectiveness.

【推荐2】The sun was rising when Daryl’s delivery truck with goods reached the highway. This was the best time of day to drive, when the roads were wide open and empty. He felt sure he was going to make it to Los Angeles before midnight.

Then he saw it, a large lump in the middle of the road. He stopped and found the lump was a girl. He tried shaking her awake but she couldn’t move, so he carried her to the side of the road. At least she wouldn’t be run over there. Now she was someone else’s problem because he didn’t have time to be a hero. He climbed back into his truck but as he looked in his mirror and saw the girl still lying by the side of the road, he knew he couldn’t leave her alone. So Daryl put her into his truck and drove to the next town.

An hour later he arrived at the police station. After explaining what had happened, he prepared to leave, but the policeman said he needed to make a report. Daryl knew it was impossible for him to get to Los Angeles on time now.

Three hours later the report was done and the girl had recovered somewhat. She explained that she had fallen on the highway, weak from hunger. She also thanked Daryl for saving her life. Daryl told her that he had been happy to help, but as he left the police station he knew his boss wouldn’t be happy.

Just as he was about to start the car, his mother called. “Have you seen?” she said. “A bridge collapsed two hours ago, the one that you drive over on the way to Los Angeles.”

Daryl’s blood ran cold. If he had been on time, he would have been on that fallen bridge. Daryl realized how lucky he was.

1. What did Daryl plan to do?

A．Go on holiday.

B．Visit his mom

C．Deliver some goods.

D．Make a report.

2. Why did Daryl first leave the girl by the side of the road?

A．He thought the girl would make soon.	B．He didn’t want to be late.
C．He was sure that someone else would help.	D．He worried the police would blame him.

3. How did Daryl feel as he left the police station?

A．Worried that his boss would be angry.	B．Angry that he had to make the report.
C．Proud that he had saved the girl’s life.	D．Confident that he would be on time.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Daryl was now feeling more relaxed.	B．Daryl thought he would be in trouble.
C．Daryl felt the sudden change in temperature.	D．Daryl was greatly shocked by the news.

【推荐3】I was going to die in Antarctica, I was certain．An image of my frost-covered body, pale and lifeless, filled my mind as I glanced around．In all directions the empty wilderness of Antarctica stretched away from me, the only feature on the landscape was the division between snow and sky．I gazed sadly at my team．They were rapidly disappearing over the horizon．
I was leading an expedition （探险） attempting to reach the south pole．The team was made up of ordinary women from all around the world, from Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus, many of whom had never seen snow, or spent a night in a tent before we set off．Our aim was to be the most international all-female team to reach the South Pole．
As I watched, the rest of the team marched on, unaware that I was not with them．By the time I realized that my sledge was firmly trapped, the team were already a long way ahead of me．I called out to Era, my teammate, " Era! Stop !"
Getting no response I called again, but my shouts were carried away in the opposite direction by the wind．Seconds passed．Nothing．I was gradually being left alone, completely defenseless against the low temperatures of Antarctica．
My strength increased when I thought of a cold lonely death．I pulled again my sledge, which moved a little. I removed the ice with my ski-pole and boot, desperately trying to break the sledge free．The sledge shot forward, knocking me off balance．I struggled to my feet and set off after the team．
I caught up just as Reena, my teammate from India, looked behind her and noticed there was one person missing．She swung around on her skis in shock and spotted me in the near distance．
As we continued, my panic slowly faded．For the rest of the day, each of the team was glancing over their shoulder every few minutes．They were not going to risk losing me again．
1. From the first paragraph we can safely infer that the author      ．

A．disliked her team	B．got seriously ill
C．was in panic	D．lost her way

2. What is special about the expedition team?

A．They were all female．

B．They were all professional．

C．They made the longest expedition．

D．They had been strictly trained．

3. What made the author get her sledge out of the ice was      ．

A．the shouts from her teammates

B．her strong desire to live

C．the sudden change in wind direction

D．the natural beauty ahead

4. At last, each of the team members kept looking back      ．

A．to avoid being attacked from behind

B．to make sure that none fell behind

C．to check the distance they had covered

D．to keep a record of the route they took

5. Which may be the best title of the passage?

A．How to survive in Antarctic．

B．A mysterious trip to the South Pole．

C．A female expedition team．

D．Being left behind in the snow．