【推荐1】I am a hearty seafaring type of individual, so recently I spent a week faring around the sea aboard the largest cruise ship in the world that has not yet hit an iceberg.

The Voyager sails out of Miami every week carrying 3,200 passengers determined to relax . The ship has (I am not making any of this up) a large theater, a shopping center, a rock-climbing wall and a nine-hole miniature golf course.

While aboard the ship, we passengers engaged in a wide range of traditional cruise(海上旅行)ship activities, including eating breakfast, snacking, eating lunch, drinking while lying on deck absorbing solar radiation until we glowed like exit signs, snacking some more, eating dinner, eating more snacks and passing out face-down in the midnight buffet(自助餐). Of course, I did not attempt to climb the rock wall, which is good because the resulting disaster would have made for a chilling newspaper headline: CRUISE SHIP EVACUATED AS MAN FALLS, EXPLODES!

When every passenger had attained almost the same body weight, the ship would stop at a Caribbean island, and the passengers would waddle(摇摆而行) ashore to experience the traditional local culture, by which I mean shop for European jewelry and watches. I frankly don't know why it makes economic sense for a tourist from Montana to fly to Miami, get on a ship and sail to Jamaica for the purpose of purchasing a watch made in Switzerland, but apparently it does, because shopping is very important to cruise passengers. If these people ever get to Mars, they WILL expect to find jewelry stores.

The other thing you do when your ship is in port is take guided tours to Local Points of Interest. In Jamaica, we toured a plantation. During the tour, a man demonstrated how he could climb a tree using only a small rope made from twisted banana fibers. When he came down, he showed me the rope, and I, out of politeness, pretended to be interested in it, although in fact it was, basically, a rope. The man handed it to me and suggested I might want to ''take it home to the kids.'' I frankly doubted that any modern technology-raised American child would be thrilled by such a gift (''Look, Timmy! A rope!''). But I pretended to be grateful. Then the man told me that such ropes USUALLY sell for $15 (he did not say where), but he would let it go for $10. And so, unable to figure out how to escape, I gave him $10. I imagine the other plantation workers laughed far into the night when he told them.

But don't get me wrong: I truly enjoyed the cruise. It was fun and relaxing. Cruising is also romantic, so let me just say this to you couples out there: If you're looking for a way to reform your relationship, I'll sell you my rope.

1. The main idea of the passage is to ________.

A．tell us he enjoyed his travel very much

B．show the crew on the ship were very friendly

C．introduce some wonderful places he visited in his travel

D．tell the writer’s experience of traveling abroad on a large cruise ship

2. What can we know according to the writer’s description?

A．The watches made in Switzerland are very cheap.

B．He was very happy to buy a rope as a gift to his child.

C．There were a variety of activities on the ship which were full of fun.

D．Though the ship was large and comfortable, he didn’t enjoy the trip very much.

3. What does the underlined sentence “If these people ever get to Mars, they WILL expect to find jewelry stores” mean in the passage?

A．All the passengers on board want to go to Mars.

B．It’s difficult for people to find jewelry stores on the Mars.

C．Wherever they go, some passengers are crazy about buying useless things.

D．The most significant activity in the cruise is buying jewelry here and there.

4. What’s the tone of the writer in the passage?

A．serious	B．ironic
C．sweet	D．angry

【推荐2】My biggest regret of 2023 was the relationship to my smartphone. I spent the equal of January, February and March looking at that tiny screen. While some of that time was necessary for work, or staying connected with family, I became glued to it. This habit started to make me feel uneasy.

So, in December, I made a big change. I swapped my expensive iPhone for a basic flip phone (翻盖手机), which only cost $108. This decision was met with disbelief, especially from my seven-year-old daughter who couldn’t understand why I chose such a device. However, I was determined to reduce my screen time and take back control of my life.

Making the switch was neither easy nor fast. I had to adjust to its limited functions and learn to live without the convenience of having everything at my fingertips. There were moments when I felt frustrated, like when I couldn’t use a smartphone app to charge my electric car or navigate without Google Maps. Despite these challenges, I survived, and even progressed during the month.

It was a relief to disconnect my brain from the internet regularly and for hours at a time. I read four books. I even did a magic jigsaw puzzle. After two weeks, I noticed I’d lost my thumb twitch — physical desire to check my phone in the morning, at red lights, waiting for an elevator or at any other moment when my mind had a brief opportunity to wander.

“Our health is struggling against many of these services and companies that are competing for our time and our energy and our attention,” said Matthew Buman, a professor of movement sciences at Arizona State University. I told him about my own strategy — the flip phone. He said it probably made my mind feel more free and feel as if I had more time (both true), but that in our society, it’s hard to maintain that in the long term.

1. What made the author change her relationship with her smartphone?

A．Her intention to work harder.	B．Her desire to contact her family.
C．Her decision to try something new.	D．Her guilt about overuse of the phone.

2. How did the author’s daughter respond to the new flip phone?

A．Proud of the wise choice.	B．Astonished at the low price.
C．Confused by the unexpected switch.	D．Delighted at the new device.

3. What was the benefit the author noticed after switching to a flip phone?

A．Efficiency in navigating.	B．Control over her life.
C．Convenience to charge her car.	D．Desire to check her phone.

4. Why did Matthew Buman think it difficult to maintain the author’s strategy in the long term?

A．The author might find it hard to disconnect from the internet.

B．The author’s health might suffer due to the lack of connectivity.

C．The author might miss the convenience of having a smartphone.

D．The author might struggle to adapt to the limited functions of a flip phone.

【推荐2】Isaac Taylor, a single dad from Sacramento, California, has five daughters and one son and is taking care of his two young daughters full-time. After they lost their car in an accident, Taylor had no choice but to ride his bike to work. Every day, he had to go through a 16-mile round trip to keep putting food on the table.

His journey was inconvenient and tiring enough, but he even had to walk his children to school after his 10-hour night shift.

Taylor shared that they had been in and out of homelessness for years and this was one of the reasons why he didn’t mind biking for long hours to work and earn money. He had experienced living in motels and churches with his young children. “I’ve been through a lot, so my struggle is just part of getting to the next big thing,” Taylor said.

Eventually, he was rewarded. The leaders of a non-profit organization called Family Promise found out about Taylor’s story, so they nominated (提名) him for a vehicle. They said, “When life gives him lemons, he tries to make lemonade. And he always believes he can make it. That’s worth encouraging.”

It was the same organization that helped Taylor when he was homeless. They helped him secure housing for his family, where they currently live. Now, the organization is helping them again with a more convenient mode of transport.

Recently, Taylor and his family were surprised with a free car, which came with car seats for his children. Taylor couldn’t be happier as he watched his children check their new car with so much excitement.

Taylor cried like a baby when he saw the car. He said, “Tears of joy, Tears of feeling the pain of riding the bike back and forth. It all set in what I went through to get to where I’m now. I am very thankful to everyone who made it possible.”

1. Why did Taylor go through a 16-mile bike trip every day?

A．To keep fit.	B．To make a living.
C．To pick up his children.	D．To raise money for charity.

2. What does Taylor say about his struggle?

A．It makes him a famous leader.	B．It is far from part of life.
C．It leads to a promising future.	D．It causes him too much trouble.

3. What made Family Promise choose Taylor?

A．His plan to start a lemon business.	B．His optimistic attitude towards life.
C．His strong responsibility for his company.	D．His contribution to helping the homeless.

4. How did Taylor feel when receiving a free car?

A．Surprised and ashamed.	B．Calm and peaceful.
C．Excited and grateful.	D．Sad and worried.