【推荐2】Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling (赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he lost his job. After he came out of lockup (拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Lang didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his five-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”
1. Mr. Lang was paid much because _______.

A．he was a driver

B．he worked in a factory

C．he had a lot of work to do

D．he had worked there for a long time

2. Mrs. Lang did all housework because _______.

A．she couldn’t find any work

B．she thought her husband was tired

C．her husband spent all time in gambling

D．she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling

3. _______, so he was put into lockup.

A．Mr. Lang often gambled

B．Mr. Lang was late for work

C．Mr. Lang didn’t help his wife at home

D．Mr. Lang wasn’t polite to the police

4. The woman had to leave Mr. Lang because _______.

A．he didn’t love her any longer

B．he wouldn’t stop gambling

C．he had been put into lockup

D．he was hardly sent away by the factory

5. Which of the following is right?

A．The boy hoped his father to be put into lockup again.

B．The boy thought his father needed some policemen.

C．The boy hoped his father to stop gambling soon.

D．The boy hoped his mother to come back.

【推荐3】George Li was born in 1995 and now is a young pianist on the rise. At age 10，he gave his first public concert and in 2015, he won a silver medal at International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Li recently released his first album, performing with some of the world’s great orchestras.

The centerpiece of Li’s album is the passionate Piano Sonata No. 2 by Chopin—the one with the funeral march as its third movement. Chopin is close to Li’s heart, as it was Chopin’s music that earned him the top prize at the Cooper International Competition at Oberlin Conservatory when he was just 15.

Li’s album, Live at the Mariinsky, released last fall on Warner Classics, opens with the Piano Sonata in B minor by Haydn. Li’s gentle touch makes the music shine. “I think the main requirement is the touch. It has to be so sensitive,” he says about Haydn. Imagine the champagne bubbles, or just that sound when the champagne pours into glass. ”

Li was born in Boston. His parents came to the U. S. from China in the 1980s. he says they had few opportunities to hear classical music in the process of growing up. Li began playing the piano at age four and thought of it only as a hobby. But one day, when he was 11, playing Beethoven’ First Piano Concerto, everything changed.

“All of a sudden，in the middle of the performance I felt different,” he says. “I was kind of transported in some other reality. And I felt all these emotions within the piece and within myself.” And that’s when Li’s light bulb switched on. After that moment he wanted to do this for the rest of his life. Fortunately for George Li’s fans，that’s likely to be a very long time.

1. What can we learn about George Li from the passage?

A．He was born and grew up in an artistic family.

B．He won the top prize at International Tchaikovsky Competition.

C．He played Haydn’s Piano Sonata in B minor in a gentle manner.

D．He released his album with Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto in it.

2. What does George Li mean by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph 5?

A．He didn’t know what reality was any more.

B．He felt as if he were transported to another space.

C．The performance seemed too excellent to be real.

D．His emotions responded to what was expressed in the piece.

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Key to George Li’s Success

B．George Li’s Journey into the World of Piano

C．The Birth of a Talented Pianist George Li

D．George Li’s Extraordinary Piano Skills

【推荐3】“Barefoot Mike” gets a lot of attention when he shows up at the beginning of a race. He loves to run and has been running since he was a kid. He loves to and often competes in 10K races. But That’s not the reason he gets so much attention. People notice him because when he runs, “Barefoot Mike” runs barefoot.

Running barefoot has become a huge trend in the world of running. “I didn’t set out to be a trend setter,” laughed “Barefoot Mike”, otherwise known as Mike Whitaker. “I’ve always been a runner, but until a few years ago, I always wore shoes. Then one day I was running after a rainstorm. I stepped off into the grass to avoid a puddle (水坑) on the sidewalk, and accidentally stepped into a huge muddy puddle that had been hidden in the grass. I tried to keep running, but the wet and dirty shoe made it really hard. I figured the best solution was to just get rid of the shoes.”

Mike took off his shoes and dropped them into the nearest trash can. “Then I started running. At first I went really slowly because I was watching out for rocks or other things that could hurt my feet, but there really weren’t any problems.” He started going faster. “It felt so good!” Mike said. “My knee, which always ached, didn’t ache. My foot was able to spread out so I had better balance. And my feet didn’t feel all hot and sweaty. It was awesome!”

“There are actually potential health benefits to running barefoot” said Dr. Nancy Bower, a podiatrist (足科医师).

A recent study agrees. A team of researchers recently videotaped several people running—first wearing shoes and then barefoot. In almost every case, when wearing shoes, the runners tended to land on the heel of their foot, which they call “heel-striking.” Many runners have impact injuries such as knee pain. Heel-striking may be the cause of these injuries or may make an existing injury worse. When running barefoot, the runners tended to land on the middle part of the foot. The force is spread out throughout the foot. The ankle, shin (胫部), knee and hip don’t get the shock of a hard landing with every step.

1. Why does Mike receive a lot of attention while running?

A．Because he runs very fast.	B．Because he loses his shoes.
C．Because he wears no shoes.	D．Because he wears strange clothes.

2. According to Paragraph 2, why did Mike run barefoot years ago?

A．He liked running barefoot.

B．He was advised to run barefoot.

C．His shoe became very uncomfortable.

D．His dream of becoming famous motivated him.

3. After running barefoot for a while a few years ago, Mike ________.

A．was very tired	B．was badly hurt
C．gave up running	D．felt unexpectedly great

4. According to the recent study, heel-striking ________.

A．is bad for one’s health

B．is caused by existing injuries

C．happens when one runs barefoot

D．can be avoided by wearing sports shoes

5. What is the text mainly about?

A．How to choose shoes.	B．Why people need shoes.
C．Useful tips on running barefoot.	D．The advantages of running barefoot.

【推荐1】阅读理解
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

On November 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the famous musician, came on stage to give a concert. If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is no small achievement (成就) for him. He suffered from a disease as a child, and so he walks with the help of two walking sticks.
The audience (观众) sat quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair and begins his play. But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings (弦) on his violin broke. We thought that he would have to stop the concert. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the team to begin again.
Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a pleasant work with just three strings. I know that, and you know that, but that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that.
When he finished, there was a breathtaking silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. He smiled and said—not proudly, but in a quiet attitude—“You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”
This powerful line has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it. And who knows? Perhaps that is the meaning of life—not just for artists but for all of us.
So, perhaps our task in this fast­ changing, puzzling world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left.
1. What made Itzhak Perlman’s performance at the concert special on November 18, 1995?

A．He just recovered from a serious illness.

B．He was late for the stage.

C．He had a quarrel with the audience.

D．His string of violin got broken.

2. Why didn’t Itzhak Perlman accept the fact on the stage?

A．He was a person of pride.

B．He thought the audience didn’t see that.

C．He decided to succeed with bad conditions.

D．He didn’t see the string get broken at all.

3. Why did the audience stand up after the performance?

A．They were moved by his spirit.

B．They were moved by his disease.

C．They laughed at his action.

D．They wanted to relax.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．When you lose the most important thing

B．How can you give it up easily?

C．Playing a violin with three strings

D．Playing a violin to yourself

【推荐2】Powerful storms had rocked Columbia, Missouri, leaving behind deep floodwaters that continued to rise. Monica Viet’s 16-year-old son Dominic Viet and his 17-year-old friend, Joseph Diener, had gone out to ride bikes and check out the storm damage. With more storms on the way, Monica thought it was best for children to stay home in this situation. Then, she texted him. However, she needn’t have worried. Dominic sent her a reply saying, “Mom, we just saved a girl’s life.”

Here’s what happened. The teens were riding past a basketball court that was deeply flooded when they spotted a girl holding on to a pole and calling out for help. They realized she was seriously in trouble. Fortunately, in school, they had both earned lifesaving medals that included water rescues, and as they glanced around at the other concerned bystanders, they knew they needed to take action. Together, they jumped into the water and fought the fast-flowing water to push the drowning 18-year-old girl to shore. Ten minutes later, they made it.

Once on dry land, the girl began to throw up water. First responders quickly arrived and took her to the hospital, where she is recovering.

The boys’ headmaster said being prepared for emergency situations is attached great importance to in the daily training of our school. He hopes the teens will get special medals for their extraordinary actions that day!

The two boys are now regarded as heroes for risking their own lives to help a stranger. “I feel like if you’re able to save somebody like that,” Joseph said. “You certainly will, because that’s what every one of us will do.” “We didn’t think much about it, and we just had to get her out. That’s it! Besides, we’re trained for this!” Dominic added.

1. Why did Dominic’s mum text him?

A．To warn him of the coming storms.	B．To urge him to come back quickly.
C．To have him go to the basketball court.	D．To tell him to record the storm damage.

2. What did the boys depend on to rescue the girl?

A．Their training and skills.	B．Their parents’ encouragement.
C．First responders’ instant help.	D．The support from the passers-by.

3. Which word best describes the boys as rescuers?

A．Ambitious.

B．Demanding.

C．Modest.

D．Honest.

【推荐3】One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp(黄蜂) nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.

“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”

Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again—to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”

She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.

As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. And immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know was that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.

Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike(话筒), trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.

Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock(休克). Just then he reached for the radio mike again.

“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”

“Five-ten,” the center replied.

Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.

At last, he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. “You made it”, he thought.

1. It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when _______.

A．the hottest season comes around	B．strangers are approaching
C．the air is filled with food smell	D．there are huge noises

2. Allen failed at his first attempt to send his message to the mini-bus center because _______.

A．he was in a state of shock	B．his radio equipment was poor
C．he was unable to speak clearly	D．no one was on duty

3. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Allen, A Helpless Driver	B．A Race Against Death
C．Wasps, Bloody Killers	D．War Against Wasps