【推荐1】An unpleasant smell floated into my nose as the bowl of fried stinky tofu（臭豆腐） settled onto my grandmother’s dinner table. I immediately sat back. The smell ruined my appetite, and I pushed the dish away.

“It’s supposed to stink. Just give it a try!” my grandmother said.

Holding my breath, I unwillingly took a bite. To my surprise, the tofu beneath the fried skin was warm, soft, and mouthwatering. Since then, whenever I visited my grandmother’s house, I would rush to the kitchen for the stinky tofu with excitement. Thus, stinky tofu became more than a household tradition. It became my favorite dish.

Along with the stinky tofu, I would meet my Uncle Chan on every visit. As an immature boy, I never understood my uncle’s condition of Down syndrome（唐氏综合征）.

He was an unfriendly and terrible creature in my eyes. He constantly walked around the house, talking to himself. Whenever he was within view, I would run away in fear.

However, one day, my view of my uncle suddenly changed. I was just getting out of my bed when I heard soft steps approaching. It was my uncle. My muscles froze. He slowly sat next to me and touched my face gently, as a mother would stroke （抚摸）a baby.

A wide smile emerged from his blank expression. How beautiful his smile was! I could not help but smile back. My fear disappeared gradually, and my muscles relaxed. For the first time, I could see softness and warmth in his eyes.

My uncle very much resembles stinky tofu. Stinky tofu smells unpleasant on the outside,   yet   feels   warm   and   soft   in   the   inside.   Like   stinky   tofu,   my   uncle’s   Down syndrome made me keep my distance at first. Yet, I learned that deep inside, he is harmless and has a loving nature.

Some people tend to look down upon disabled people and regard them as unfit for a regular life. As I was able to see through the outer surface of the tofu, these people are unable to see through the surface of prejudice（偏见）. As a result, they judge the disabled with one glance.

The outside and inside of the stinky tofu exist as two extremely different worlds. Perhaps that is what makes it such a tasty dish. Not only is it delicious, stinky tofu offers a valuable lesson: never judge people at first glance, for true beauty comes from the inside.

1. Why did stinky tofu become the author’s favorite dish?

A．It was related to family tradition.

B．It turned out to be quite delicious.

C．Grandma encouraged him to try it.

D．His appetite for food had increased.

2. What did the author think of his uncle at first?

A．He was a quiet person.

B．He was an energetic guy.

C．He was an immature man.

D．He was a strange creature.

3. The author’s attitude towards Uncle Chan changed when .

A．Chan’s footsteps woke up the author

B．Chan showed his friendliness to the author

C．Chan displayed his love towards his mother

D．Chan’s blank expression made the author smile

4. The comparison between stinky tofu and the author’s uncle serves to _.

A．highlight the nature of Uncle Chan

B．analyze the family relationship

C．describe a childhood memory

D．introduce a traditional Chinese food

5. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the passage?

A．We shouldn’t judge by appearances.

B．A person’s taste changes over time.

C．Blood is thicker than water.

D．You are what you eat.

【推荐2】George Washington Carver was born some time in the early-mid 1860s. A sickly child, Carver was unable to work in the fields, so he did gardening. He was left with many free hours to walk in the woods — beginning his career with nature. He soon became known as the “Plant Doctor” and would help friends and neighbors manage sick plants.

In 1890, Carver began to study music and art at Simpson College. His artwork was on show at the 1893 World’s Fair. Painting gave him the chance to combine his two loves — art and nature. Yet it was his talents (天赋) for gardening that took him in another direction in 1891. Carver became the first African-American to attend what is today Iowa State University. He proved to be a first-class student and upon graduation he became the school’s first African-American teacher.

In 1896, he received an invitation from Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School in Tuskegee, Alabama. Upon arriving, he found that the school was short of money so Dr. Carver had to equip his own lab. He and his students would search trash heaps (垃圾堆) for things to use. This proved that Dr. Carver was well ahead of his time.

In 1916, he published a research report on peanuts, which helped many farmers turn to peanuts as a cash crop and saved the economy (经济) of the South when it was destroyed by the cotton insects attack. Carver continued his research with the peanut. He went on to find many uses for the peanut. But he didn’t invent peanut butter (花生酱).

Dr. Carver’s research earned him much worldwide praise. Dr. George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943, and was buried at Tuskegee. Carver contributed his whole life savings to Tuskegee. Upon his death, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave him this title “an inspiring example to youth everywhere.”

1. How was Carver’s childhood?

A．He took up gardening.	B．He grew crops in the fields.
C．He enjoyed good health.	D．He dreamed of being a doctor.

2. What do we know about Carver’s life in Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School?

A．He was well paid by the school.

B．He relied on himself to build his lab.

C．He saved money by picking up trash.

D．He published his findings ahead of time.

3. What can be learned about Carver’s report on peanuts?

A．It made a contribution to the economy.

B．It included new findings on peanut butter.

C．It prevented peanuts from insects attacking.

D．It helped farmers find many other uses of peanuts.

【推荐2】Albert Einstein held a small, round instrument with a glass cover and a shaking needle in his palm.     1     Albert’s father called it a compass Albert called it a mystery. No matter how he moved the compass, the needle always pointed to the north.

Something was in the room with him, Albert realized — something he couldn’t see or feel, but that acted on the compass just the same. Puzzled and attracted, Albert listened to his father explain magnetism, the strange force that made the compass needle point north.     2     To many children the compass would have been just another toy. To Albert the compass was a miracle he would never forget.

    3     Born on March 14, 1879, Albert hadn’t looked like other babies. As she cradled her new-son in her arms, Pauline Einstein thought the back of his head looked strange. Was something wrong with Albert? Although the doctor told Pauline everything was fine, several weeks passed before the shape of Albert’s head began to look right to her. When Albert was one, his family moved to Munich, where his sister, Maja, was born a year later.     4     Where were the baby’s wheels? The disappointed two-year-old wanted to know. Albert had expected a baby sister to be something like a toy, and most of his toys had wheels.

At an age when many children have lots to say, Albert seemed strangely backward. The nine-year-old still had trouble putting his thoughts into words. But Albert was a good listener and a good thinker. When he went hiking with his parents and Maja, he thought about his father’s compass and what it had revealed to him. The clear, open grasslands were filled with more than the wind or the pleasant smell of flowers.     5     The very thought of it quickened his pulse.

A．They were also filled with magnetism.

B．Albert had always been different from other children.

C．The five-year-old stared at his hand as if it held magic.

D．The invisible force makes the compass more than a toy to all.

E．Looking down at the tiny sleeping parcel, Albert was puzzled.

F．Somewhere, the wind, soft and magic, clicked through tree branches.

G．But nothing he said made the invisible power less mysterious or wonderful.

【推荐1】John，a very thin boy, loved football with all his heart when he was very young．Practice after practice，he eagerly gave everything he had．But being half the size of the other boys，he could only sit on the bench and hardly ever played in games．Even though the son was always on the bench，his father was always standing with cheers and encouraging him．

When John went to college，he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on”．Everyone was sure he could never make the cut，but he did．The coach thought he could provide the other members with the spirit they needed．

The news that he had survived the cut excited him so much that he rushed to the   nearest phone and called his father．His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games．

It was the end of this last football season．One day John received a telegram and   asked one week off．Nobody knew what happened except the coach．The coach said，“Don't plan to come back to the game on Saturday．”

Saturday arrived，and the game was not going well：When the team was ten points behind，John came back．“Coach，please let me play．I’ve just got to play today,”said John．The coach pretended not to hear him．But John persisted，and finally feeling sorry for the kid，the coach gave in．

Before long everyone could not believe their eyes. John was doing everything to fight. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed and blocked like a star. And at last his team won the game．

After the game，John looked at the coach，with tears in his eyes，and said，“Well,you knew my dad died,but did you know that my dad was blind?''John swallowed hard and forced a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him that I could do it.”

1. Why did John hardly have any chance to play in games?

A．Because he had no time to practice．

B．Because he was too young to play games．

C．Because everyone looked down upon him．

D．Because his body condition was not good．

2. The underlined phrase “make the cut” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “       “

A．make progress	B．be allowed to join the team
C．cut himself	D．be refused by the coach

3. From the text we can know that        ．

A．John felt very depressed as a “walk-on”

B．John's father always taught him how to play

C．John's father went to most of his college games

D．the coach was sure John would be the best player one day

4. This story tells us that         .

A．a burden of one’s choice is not felt	B．better to do well than to say well
C．all roads lead to Rome	D．where there is a will，there is a way

【推荐2】Several days ago, I was walking home from school and saw some writing on a fence of a house I was passing by. It said, “Happiness is a direction, not a destination.” I had been having a bad day and just reading this brightened my day a little. I also took out a pen and wrote one of my favorite quotes (格言) down.

When I came back to the fence, I saw another quote under mine in the same handwriting as the first one. I added another, and we kept at this pattern for quite a while. One day, I was writing another quote on the fence and the old man, one of my neighbors, who owned the fence, saw me. He came out and I was afraid he would be mad at me for writing on his fence; he was not known to be very friendly. He gave me a sharp glance and then read the quotes on the fence. Without saying a word, he said something to himself and then went back inside. I was a bit terrified for a while, afraid to go back to the fence, but when I did, I noticed not more quotes but two words in entirely different handwriting had been added, “Thank you.”

Later, I saw the old man in his front yard. He beckoned (招手示意) me over and told me how my quotes had been inspiring him, how he thanked me and how he was glad to see young people still have “values”. We are now good friends and I talk to him a lot. This experience has changed my life. I still don’t know who wrote that very first quote, but if he is out there, I’d like to say “thanks” to that unknown friend.

1. Why did the writer begin to write a quote on the fence?

A．He wanted to practice his handwriting.	B．He had gotten some help from the quote.
C．He thought that doing this was interesting.	D．He wanted to draw his neighbor’s attention.

2. Why was the writer afraid when he found that his neighbor had seen him?

A．He had thought that the old man was a mad person.

B．He had once been told that the old man was unkind.

C．He thought the old man would scold him for what he had done.

D．He thought the old man would tell his parents about his action.

3. Before reading the quotes on his fence the old man         ．

A．was very happy

B．did not mind them

C．was a bit angry

D．was very sad

4. Who must have added “Thank you” to the fence?

A．The old man.

B．Someone else.

C．The writer himself.

D．That unknown friend.

【推荐3】Steve is James and John’s big brother. One day, when their mum left for work, James and John started crying. They didn’t want her to leave. Steve tried to stop them crying and said, “Let’s play hide-and-seek (捉迷藏). You hide and I’ll count to ten. Then I’ll try to find you.” Steve found James under a chair and John behind a door. They played over and over again. Each time, the two boys hid in the same places. Finally, Steve felt too bored with the game. “Let’s take the dog for a walk,” he said.

When Steve walked the dog, he found James and John were running in the street. He thought it was so dangerous. Then he had an idea. “Anyone who walks back to the house with me can have some snacks!” Steve shouted.

At home, the boys ate some cookies and got ready for a sleep. James and John wanted a story. Steve told them the story about the little red hen. When their mum returned home, she was pleased to find the three sleeping boys.

1. James and John started ________ when their mum left home.

A．crying

B．running

C．reading

D．sleeping

2. Why did Steve feel bored with the game?

A．Because he was not good at it.

B．Because he didn’t know where to hide.

C．Because his brothers made the room dirty.

D．Because his brothers always hid in the same places.

3. What were James and John doing when Steve walked the dog?

A．Staying in the house	B．Shouting at Steve
C．Running in the street	D．Eating some snacks

4. How did their mum feel when she found the sleeping boys?

A．Angry

B．Pleased

C．Afraid

D．Sad.