【推荐1】Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no different. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family – my dad, my younger brother and myself – rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.

Around 2 pm every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.

First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.

But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.

Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights – visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 pm we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in.

1. The purpose of the text is to ________.

A．tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day	B．tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day
C．introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day	D．introduce the American Thanksgiving Day

2. On Thanksgiving Day the author’s family do the following except ________.

A．watching a movie	B．making visits
C．having a big meal	D．watching football

3. Why does the author’s mind usually “go blank” when saying a prayer of thanks?

A．He is too thankful to say a word.	B．His mind is on the food before him.
C．He feels too excited to speak.	D．He is shy to speak in public.

4. The underlined phrase “dig in” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．chat with others	B．make a hole
C．mix things up	D．start eating

5. What can we conclude from the text?

A．On Thanksgiving Day, men do nothing but eat.

B．The author is a middle school student.

C．The author’s family is not rich, but it’s a loving one.

D．Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday of December.

【推荐3】When the dog named Judy spotted the first sheep in her life, she did what comes naturally. The four-year-old dog set off racing after the sheep across several fields and, being a city animal, lost both her sheep and her sense of direction. Then she ran along the edge of cliff( 悬崖) and fell 100 feet, bouncing off a rock into the sea.
Her owner Mike Holden panicked and celled the coastguard of Cornwall, who turned up in seconds . Six volunteers slid down the cliff with the help of a rope but gave up all hope of finding her alive after a 90-minute search.
Three days later, a hurricane hit the coast near Cornwall. Mr. Holden returned home from his holiday upset and convinced his pet was dead. He comforted himself with the thought she had died in the most beautiful part of the country.
For the next two weeks, the Holdens were heartbroken . Then, one day, the phone rang and Steve Tregear, the coastguard of Cornwall, asked Holder if he would like his dog bark.
A birdwatcher, armed with a telescope, found the pet sitting desperately on a rock. While he sounded the alarm, a student from Leeds climbed down the cliff to collect Judy.
The dog had initially been knocked unconscious(失去知觉的)but had survived by drinking water from a fresh scream at the base of the cliff. She may have fed on the body of a sheep which had also fallen over the edge. “The dog was very thin and hungry,” Steve Tregear said , “It was a very lucky dog. She survived because of a plentiful supply of fresh water,” he added.
It was ,as Mr. Holden admitted, “a minor miracle(奇迹)”.
1. The dog Jody fell down the cliff when she was____.

A．rescuing her owner	B．caught in a hurricane
C．blocked by a rock	D．running after a sheep

2. Who spotted Judy after the accident?

A．A birdwatcher

B．A student from Leeds

C．Six volunteers

D．The coastguard of Cornwall

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．People like to travel with their pets.

B．Judy was taken to the fields for hunting.

C．Luck plays a vital role in Judy's survival.

D．Holden cared little where Judy was buried.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Miracle of the Coastguard.

B．Surviving a Hurricane.

C．Dangers in the Wild

D．Coming Back from the Dead.

【推荐1】“No one can promise that life will be fair,” but no matter what happens, follow the example set by Rehan Staton, and never lose sight of your goal.

Staton, a 24-year-old former sanitation (环卫) worker in Maryland, US, recently celebrated his acceptance into Harvard Law School.

Staton’s life was relatively normal until a series of setbacks impacted his family life and studies. “Things were pretty good until I was 8 years old. My mom abandoned my dad, my brother and me when she moved back to Sri Lanka.” he said.

When he was in seventh grade, a teacher even recommended that he be placed in special education classes. His brother Reggie then brainstormed ways to help boost his grades. An aerospace engineer also offered to tutor him free of charge. Staton’s grades did improve and he became an honor student.

However, he was rejected by every college he had applied for. So to help support himself and his family, Staton began working at a sanitation company. He spent his days transporting trash and cleaning dumpsters (垃圾箱), waking up every morning to get dressed around 4 am.

“The sanitation workers were the only people in my life who told me I could be somebody,” Staton said, “They would say, ‘You’re too young to be here. Go to college, and come back if it doesn’t work out’”.

The son of the company’s owner helped Staton contact a professor at Bowie State University, and the university eventually accepted Staton.

Things began to look up. Two years later, he transferred to the University of Maryland to continue pursuing his undergraduate degree. But Staton still struggled to pay for his father’s medical bills. He’d work in the morning and take classes in the afternoon.

After graduation, Staton worked at a national consulting firm while applying for law school. He plans to start at Harvard this fall, where he will major in sports law to pursue his dream of becoming a sports agent.

“For Rehan, the sky is truly the limit. Whatever he chooses to do in the future, he will definitely achieve,” said a chief operating officer of Staton’s firm.

For anyone looking for inspiration during difficult times, Staton recommends to “love yourself enough to get what you want out of life,” he told news outlet ABC. “You can always see the light in any dark situation, and you need to hold on to that light.”

1. It is implied in the passage that ______.

A．Stanton was considered too young to be a sanitation worker

B．all the classes in the University of Maryland were in the afternoon

C．Stanton worked as a sports agent while applying for law school

D．at one time Stanton didn’t have a satisfying academic performance

2. Why did Rehan Staton work as a sanitation worker?

A．To gain some work experience.	B．To help lighten his family’s financial burdens.
C．To save money for his college education.	D．To help the sanitation workers who once helped him.

3. What does the underlined sentence in the second-to-last paragraph imply?

A．Rehan was an observant sky-lover.	B．Rehan has limitations on what major he can choose.
C．Rehan has an extreme fear of heights.	D．Rehan has endless potential to realize his dream.

4. Which words can best describe Rehan Staton?

A．Strong-minded and optimistic.	B．Warm-hearted and easygoing.
C．Inventive and diligent.	D．Cautious and modest.

5. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To share tips on how to get admitted into Harvard.

B．To persuade readers to get support when in need.

C．To encourage readers not to bend to hardships in life.

D．To show the importance of working with the right people.

【推荐2】We do not stop playing because we are old: we grow old because we stop playing. That’s what I learnt from my new and special friend. On the first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know.

I looked around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady with a smile. She said, “Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eight-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” She gave me a giant squeeze. “Why are you in college at such a young innocent age?” I asked jokingly. “I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she replied. After class we walked to the Students Union building and shared a chocolate milkshake there. We became instant friends.

Every day of the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends whenever she went. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football dinner. I’ll never forget what she taught us.

“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Any body can grow old. That doesn’t take any talent of ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunities in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Song of Rose. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics(歌词)and live them out in our daily life. At the year’s end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

1. What happened to the author on the first day of school?

A．He joined the Student Union.	B．He got to know an old professor.
C．He got to know an old lady by chance.	D．He had to share a milkshake with others.

2. In the author’s eyes, _________.

A．Rose was silent and skilled.	B．Rose was talented and hardworking.
C．Rose was innocent and generous.	D．Rose was courageous and her words were inspiring

3. Which saying might Rose possibly support?

A．Rome was not built in a day.	B．One is never too old to learn.
C．It is no use crying over split milk.	D．Great minds think alike.