【推荐1】阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, he was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.

Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

Then came the moment—the time to share the day’s new learning.

Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen. “Felice,” he’d say, “tell me what you learned today.”

“I learned that the population of Nepal is ....” Silence.

Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation (拯救) of the world would depend upon it.

“The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well….” he’d say. “Get the map; let’s see where Nepal is.” And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.

This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another’s education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming (肯定) our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

Later during my training as a future teacher, I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting (传授) what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life.

1. What did the author’s father think of his children’s education? (no more than 10 words)
2. What does the underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refer to? (no more than 2 words)
3. What did the author and his papa talk about at dinner time? (no more than 15 words)
4. What has served the author well all his life? (no more than 8 words)
5. What do you think of the author’s father? (no more than 15 words)

【推荐2】Dear Maya Shao­ming,

To me, June 6, 1990 is a special day. My long­awaited dream came true the minute your father cried, “A girl!” You, little daughter, are the link to our female line, the legacy of another woman’s pain and sacrifice 31 years ago.

Let me tell you about your Chinese grandmother. Somewhere in Hong Kong, in the late fifties, a young waitress found herself pregnant(怀孕) by a cook. She carried the baby to term, suffered to give it birth, and kept the little girl for the first three months of her life. I like to think that my mother — your grandmother — loved me and fought to raise me on her own, but the daily struggle was too hard. Worn down by the demands of the new baby and perhaps the constant threat of starvation, she made the painful decision to give away her girl so that both of us might have a chance for a better life.

Having a baby in her unmarried state would have brought shame on the family in China, so she probably kept my existence a secret. Once I was out of her life, it was as if I had never been born. And so you and your brother and I are the missing leaves on a family tree.

Do they ever wonder if we exist?

Before I was two, I was adopted by an Anglo couple. I grew like a wild weed and grasped all the opportunities they had to offer — books, music, education, church life and community activities. In a family of blue­eyed blonds, though, I stood out like a sore thumb. Moody and impatient, burdened by fears that none of us realized resulted from my early years of need, I was not an easy child to love. My mother and I conflicted countless times over the years, but gradually came to see one another as real human beings with faults and talents. Lacking a mirror image in the mother who raised me, I had to seek my identity as a woman on my own. The Asian American community has helped me regain my double identity.

But part of me will always be missing: my beginnings, my personal history, all the delicate details that give a person her origin. Nevertheless, someone gave me a lucky name “Siu Wai”. “Siu” means “little”， and “Wai” means “clever”. Therefore, my baby name was “Clever little one”. Who chose those words? Who cared enough to note my arrival in the world?

I lost my Chinese name for 18 years. It was Americanized for convenience to “Sue”. But like an ill­fitting coat, it made me uncomfortable. I hated the name. But even more, I hated being Chinese. It took many years to become proud of my Asian origin and work up the courage to take back my birth name. That, plus a little knowledge of classroom Cantonese, is all the Chinese culture I have to offer you. Not white, certainly, but not really Asian, I try to pave the way between the two worlds and bridge the gap for you. Your name, “Shao­ming”, is very much like mine — “Shao” means “little”. And “ming” is “bright”, as in a shining sun or moon. Whose lives will you brighten little Maya? Your past is more complete than mine and each day I cradle you in your babyhood, generously giving you the loving care I lacked for my first two years.

Sweet Maya, it doesn’t matter what you “become” later on. You have already fulfilled my wildest dreams.

I love you,

Mummy

1. Why is June 6, 1990 a special day for Mommy?

A．Her dream of being a mother came true.

B．She found her origin from her Chinese mother.

C．She wrote the letter to her daughter.

D．Her female line was well linked.

2. How does Mommy feel about her being given away?

A．It is bitter and disappointing.

B．It is painful but understandable.

C．She feels sorry but sympathetic.

D．She feels hurt and angry.

3. What does “I stood out like a sore thumb.” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．I walked clumsily out of pains.

B．I was not easy to love due to jealousy.

C．I was impatient out of fear.

D．I looked different from others.

4. What can be inferred from Mommy’s Anglo family life?

A．She used to experience an identity crisis.

B．She fought against her American identity.

C．She forgot the pains of her early years.

D．She kept her love for Asia from childhood.

5. Why did Mommy name her daughter “Shao-ming”?

A．To match her own birth-name.

B．To brighten the lives of the family.

C．To identify her with Chinese origin.

D．To justify her pride in Chinese culture.

6. By “Your past is more complete than mine”, Mommy means ________.

A．her past was completed earlier than Shao-ming’s

B．Shao-ming has got motherly care and a sense of roots

C．her mother didn’t comfort her the way she did Shao-ming

D．her past was spent brokenly, first in Asia, then in the US

【推荐3】A Book Review—The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James’ swimming coach says to him: “You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going.”
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James’ parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James’ foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, “the snake stone” which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: “Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger’s door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, “I was home.”
1. What is the main theme of the novel?

A．Life with foster parents.

B．Life in the world of diving.

C．A journey of self-discovery.

D．A travel around the country.

2. What do the coach’s words in Paragraph 2 suggest?

A．James is a successful diver.

B．James is a hopeful swimmer.

C．James is an outgoing young man.

D．James is an independent young man.

3. The snake stone in the novel is        .

A．a stone with an address on it

B．a clue left by the birth mother

C．a gift from the swimming coach

D．a fossil left by the foster parents

4. Which of the following is true about the novel?

A．The story has a sad ending.

B．The story takes place in the city of London.

C．The characters are vividly described.

D．The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother.

5. It can be concluded that James’ journey is _________.

A．worthwhile	B．boring
C．comfortable	D．disappointing

【推荐1】Russell Jones was left unable to walk without limping(瘸着走) after breaking his ankle in an accident last year. One day, while out on a walk with his dog Billy, Russell noticed that the animal was limping as well. On another occasion, as he was limping around the house, his wife Michelle noticed that Billy was sort of copying him, so they called a vet to have the dog checked out.

“Because of social distancing, he walked in to the vets normally. I paid around £300 for X-rays and checkups there. But when he came out they said they couldn’t find anything wrong with him. Then again he started limping, so Michelle filmed it,” Jones told ITV’s This Morning.

The London-based couple became even more suspicious after seeing the eight-year-old Billy running very fast around the garden when Russell wasn’t around. A video of Russell and Billy both limping during a walk has spread quickly on social media, with many viewers expressing their amazement at the dog’s acting skills.

“He’s copying you. That’s brilliant! He is only limping out of sympathy for him,” one person commented. “He’s come out in sympathy with you! Quick recovery to both of you,” someone else wrote.

Some have expressed doubt that Billy was just imitating(模仿) his human master, and claimed that there might have been something wrong with his foot that the X-ray didn’t catch. Most followers, however, posted the ideas close to the above two, viewing it as a way a dog expresses affection. A 2011 study found evidence of “automatic imitation” in dogs. Scientists found that dogs will imitate their owners even when it is not in their best interest to do so.

1. Why did the couple take their dog to the vet?

A．It was sick.

B．It was unable to walk.

C．It had its ankle broken.

D．It was limping occasionally.

2. What was the dog like when Russell was not in sight?

A．Back to normal.

B．Still and calm.

C．Excited and upset.

D．Full of energy.

3. What’s the opinion of most people online about the dog’s action?

A．There is automatic imitation in the dog.

B．The dog was showing sympathy.

C．There is something wrong with the dog’s leg.

D．The dog tends to do things in its best interest.

4. In which tone does the author write the story?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Fun.

【推荐3】The cook and restaurant owner Cecilia Chiang was born into a rich family in Shanghai with two full-time cooks—one from the north and the other from the south. In 1959, Chiang went to the U.S., where she paid $10,000 to help two men rent a restaurant. But they backed out on the deal and the money couldn't be returned. Rather than lose the funds, Chiang decided to make it herself.

Chiang was shocked by the food most Americans considered to be Chinese—like chop suey and chow mein. “They think these are the only food we have in China, ” she said with a laugh. She introduced Americans to an entirely new set of dishes from northern China, Sichuan, and Hunan. Her high-end restaurant Mandarin opened on Polk Street. At the Mandarin, visitors could enjoy dishes that are very common today but many Americans had never tried before—pot stickers, Peking duck and hot and sour soup.

The restaurant wasn't immediately successful, but about a year after opening, the Mandarin received a mention from the San Francisco Chronicle's Herb Caen. The effect of the writer's article was powerful. Tourists, officials and famous stars—from Mae West to John Lennon—crowded the Mandarin for then-unfamiliar food like tea-smoked duck and twice-cooked pork.

“Cecilia single-handedly brought traditional regional Chinese food to the American table, ” said Martin Yan, cook and longtime host of the PBS cooking program “Yan Can Cook”. In Food & Wine, Museum of Food and Drink director Peter Kim called Chiang “paradigm-shifting”. “Her influence continues to inspire today's cooks, ” he said.

Chiang remained active after her official retirement, helping her son, Philip, as he co-founded the successful P. F. Chang's restaurant chain. On Oct. 28, 2020, Chiang died at her home.

1. What do we know about Cecilia Chiang?

A．She had a gift for cooking when young.

B．She went to the U. S.to popularize Chinese food.

C．She didn't mean to start a restaurant by herself at first.

D．Her two family cooks refused to work for her in the U. S.

2. How can we best describe the dishes of Chiang's restaurant?

A．Simple.

B．Diverse.

C．Healthy.

D．Affordable.

3. Who played an important role in attracting more customers to the Mandarin?

A．Herb Caen.

B．Martin Yan.

C．Peter Kim.

D．Philip.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Cecilia Chiang is a cook good at cooking Chinese food.

B．Cecilia Chiang runs Chinese chain restaurants in the U. S.

C．Cecilia Chiang is a famous Chinese cook in the U. S.

D．Cecilia Chiang popularized Chinese food in the U. S.

【推荐2】I dropped out of college after my freshman year. Three years later, I quit a dead-end job and returned to college. I saw school as my way out.

But I quickly found myself facing the same roadblocks that had caused me to quit before: I was confused with college-level algebra(代数)and a heavy workload of reading and writing assignments. Moreover, I was unsure of my career(事业)direction. I was ready to drop out again. Then a smartly-dressed woman walked confidently to the front of my English composition class. “Look at you! Look at each and every one of you,” she said. “You’re here to change your lives for the better. And you’re going to make it!” I can’t remember the rest of the speech, but it changed the course of my college career, and my life.

Mrs. Smith didn’t know me from any of the other 40 faces in her classroom, but I felt she was speaking directly to me. Having trouble keeping up with the workload? Break it down into small pieces, and set up a schedule that suits you. If college algebra is too difficult, drop back to introductory college math. As for composition, she gave us writing assignments we could relate to. “Go for the best kid. You’re worth it,” she’d say.

I graduated from that college and went on to get my bachelor’s degrees. Today, as a college teacher, each fall when I stand in front of a new class, I think of Mrs. Smiths and how much teachers can affect their students. She couldn’t have known it when she gave that pep talk, but she made a huge difference in my life.

1. Why did the author want to quit school again?

A．He wanted to return to his job.

B．He decided on his future career.

C．The pressure seemed too much.

D．Many changes took place in his life.

2. How did Mrs. Smith help the author?

A．She taught him math.

B．She helped him with algebra.

C．She talked to him directly.

D．She brought him courage and faith.

3. What does the underlined word “affect” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Influence.

B．Ignore.

C．Prefer.

D．Publish.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Always Believe in Others

B．A lady Changed My Life in Time

C．Experience is Worth Valuing

D．Never Quit Before Trying

【推荐3】“Have you checked the oil in the car?” my father used to say to me, his version of “Hello, hope you are well.” Sometimes our phone calls would begin with an inquiry(询问) about the oil and end with an inquiry about the oil, with not a lot in between.

Fathers have a lot of love to give, but it’s often supplied through the medium of practical advice. In my experience: It’s mostly about your motor vehicle.

“How’s the car running?”

“Did you get it serviced?”

“How did you get that scrape on the side?”

Why can’t we fathers just say “I love you” or “It’s great to see you”?

The point is: That’s exactly what we are saying. You just have to translate from the language that is Fatherlish.

Listen closely enough and the phrase “I love you” can be heard in the slightly longer “I could come around Saturday and replace the silicon seal around the base of your toilet because I think that thing is getting really smelly.”

The statement “You made my life better from the moment you were born” may be rarely heard, but the idea is there in the more common “I’ll hold the ladder while you get the leaves out of the gutter.”

When I was 17, I went on my first road trip-- a friend and I in my battered car. My father stood on the corner in the predawn of a cold morning to say goodbye.

“Highways are dangerous,” he said, “so don’t try overtaking(超过) anything faster than a horse and buggy. And take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil.”

At the time we thought his speech was pretty funny and would sing “horse-and-buggy, horse-and-buggy” every time I floored the accelerator to overtake some other speeding vehicle.

Dad’s long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that had I owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I’d have understood that the speech my friend and I so casually mocked was simply Dad’s attempt at love.

1. What does the author want to show in paragraph 1?

A．He was dissatisfied with his father.	B．His father was concerned about his car.
C．He had nothing to talk about with his father.	D．His father gave him love in an indirect way.

2. What does the underlined word “mocked” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Laughed at.	B．Took in.
C．Worried about.	D．Turned down.

3. Why does the author write this text?

A．To give advice.	B．To remember his father.
C．To share a life experience.	D．To stress safe driving.