【推荐1】As my husband and I drove down a country road, we passed a fire station with a sign that read. “Are you ready for the next storm?” Our area had just been in the path of Hurricane Irma, causing downed trees and power off.     1    

We have had our share of storms in the past — a snowstorm and other heavy snows that knocked down trees, sometimes up to a week at a time. Those days weren’t fun, but we learned so much from those early storms. It made later storms easier to bear.

    2     We bought a battery-operated radio to keep up with the news. We stocked up on batteries so that we’d have plenty for extended power failures. We make sure our grill is ready and its tank is full, and we purchase food that can be easily prepared and then cooked or heated on the grill.     3     We have book lights to read in the dark. We keep our car gas tanks full and have emergency cash on hand.

We’re ready for the next storm, but we wouldn’t have learned to do all those things if we hadn’t faced a storm in the past. The same is true spiritually. Those little storms in our lives are never fun, but they prepare us for the big trials coming to us.     4    

Are you ready for the next storm?     5    

A．Thanks to all those storms.

B．They can teach us some valuable lessons.

C．Now is the time to get ready.

D．How long do you think this storm will last?

E．We were stuck in the dark and cut off from the outside world.

F．Now we have stored as many necessities as possible in case of potential storms.

G．And we don’t forget to buy emergency chocolate!

【推荐2】We should all have at least one fire extinguisher somewhere in our home, but it’s not enough to simply keep one under the kitchen sink. If there is a fire, your safety — and the safety of your home — depends on knowing how to use that fire extinguisher correctly. In case your fire extinguisher has been sitting around collecting dust, here’s everything you need to know before brushing it off and fighting a fire in your home the right way.

Steps for proper extinguisher use

Once you understand the different types of fire extinguishers and their uses, you need to be able to properly operate one.

Step 1: Identify a clear exit/escape route

Before operating the fire extinguisher, make sure you have a clear evacuation path. If you cannot put out the fire, you’ll need to make a safe exit. Also, make sure everyone else is being evacuated from the building.

Step 2: Call the fire department

Even if the fire appears manageable, you should always have the fire department on the way. Once firefighters arrive, they can double-check whether the fire has been completely extinguished.

Step 3: Stand back

Face the fire and keep your back to the clear exit. You should stay between 1.8 and 2.5 meters away from the flames as you prepare to operate the fire extinguisher.

Step 4: Operate the extinguisher

It can be difficult to think clearly during an emergency. Thankfully, there is a long-standing acronym (首字母缩略词) — PASS — to help you recall the steps involved in operating your fire extinguisher.

P: Pull the pin (保险销) on the fire extinguisher.

A: Aim low. Point the nozzle at the base of the fire instead of the flames.

S: Squeeze the handle or lever to discharge the extinguisher.

S: Sweep the nozzle back and forth until the flames are extinguished.

Step 5: Keep an eye on things

After the flames appear to be out, continue to watch the fire area to make sure it doesn’t reignite. If the fire does start up again, repeat the “PASS” process.

Step 6: Get to a safe place

Once the fire is out, or if you are unable to put it out, leave the scene. Find a place out of reach of the fire.

1. According to the passage, what is the top priority in a fire emergency?

A．Find out how to escape.

B．Operate a fire extinguisher.

C．Call the fire department.

D．Escape and leave everything behind.

2. The following pictures show the four steps of the “PASS” process. According to the passage, what is their correct order?

A．③②④①	B．④②③①
C．③④①②	D．④③①②

3. According to the passage, after a fire appears to have been extinguished, we should _________.

A．leave the fire area at once

B．repeat the “PASS” process

C．inspect the fire area carefully

D．have the fire department on the way

【推荐3】JERUSALEM—Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry asked citizens Wednesday to avoid unnecessary physical activity and stay indoors, as a serious sandstorm struck the Middle East in a thick yellow haze (霾) for a second day with no hope to see things clearly.

The ministry said heavy levels of dust and sand in the air were a threat to cities throughout the country. The ministry’s website advised pregnant women, the elderly and those with heart and respiratory (呼吸的) conditions to stay indoors, and asked schools to keep children indoors.

The emergency service Magen David Adom reported that it has treated more than 300 Israelis suffering from breathing problems, and that hospitals have more respiratory-related patients, including a large number of the elderly and those with asthma and related conditions.

The domestic Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir continued to ground their flights to Eilat because of reduced visibility.

The sandstorm has affected Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, where at least five deaths have been reported.

“There has been nothing that came close to the magnitude of this sandstorm,” said Daniel Rosenfeld, a professor with the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

“While Israel has experienced a number of sandstorms in the past, they started from the Sinai Desert and the Sahara Desert to the south and were joined by winter windstorms that cleared the air,” he said. In this case, the storm comes from Syria and Iraq to the north and east.

Because the storm is hitting during the summer, at a time of both little wind and severe heat and humidity, forecasters expect the particles to remain in the air throughout the weekend and possibly into next week.

“This is really puzzling,” said Rosenfeld, adding that he and his colleague will conduct research into the origins of the unprecedented (前所未有的) storm. (326 words)

1. What’s the probable meaning of the underlined word “ground” in Paragraph 4?

A．add	B．reduce
C．cancel	D．fuel

2. It can be learned from the text that the sandstorm ________.

A．happened in winter	B．showed no sign of weakening
C．came from Syria and Iraq to the south	D．could clear the air

3. How did Rosenfeld feel about the origins of the storm?

A．confused	B．upset
C．confident	D．happy

4. Where does the text probably come from?

A．a novel	B．a news story
C．a geography book	D．a travel guide

【推荐1】“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything,” the ancient Greek philosopher Plato said.

This is one of Don Spencer’s favorite mottos that he firmly believes. “We know that music brings joy and comfort, and makes us feel happy,” Spencer says, “but research has also discovered music plays a powerful role in the mental development of children. Music inspires creativity, imagination and self-expression. It also builds self-respect and is good for memory skills.”

The power of music

Much research supports both Spencer and Plato. A study by Stanford University found that musical training improves the way the brain processes the spoken word.

Research from Canada found that children aged four to six years old who had music lessons had better memories, as well as higher abilities to read and write and math levels.

Not in the curriculum (课程)

Research from Australia shows it’s not that smart kids play music, but that music makes kids smarter. It supports Spencer’s call for music to be a standard part of the school curriculum, like English and Math.

“Music is everywhere, but not at 75 percent of public schools around Australia that don’t have a devoted music teacher,” Spencer says. “It’s sad that many children don’t get formal music education, particularly when it has such an effect on a child’s development.”

Ideally, Spencer would like every child to learn an instrument. “Kids can play cheap instruments like a ukulele, recorder or harmonica,” Spencer says. “The Internet has a lot of free videos which teach you how to play instruments.”

“I can’t stress enough how important music is,” he says. “It builds relationships, unites people and, most importantly, it is fun.”

1. Why are Plato’s words mentioned at the beginning of the passage?

A．To show Spencer admires Plato.	B．To show everything is based on music.
C．To show music has great effects.	D．To show music was important in ancient times.

2. What can we learn from the research from Australia mentioned in the passage?

A．Music can make children cleverer.

B．Children aged four to six have better memories.

C．There are no good music teachers in Australia.

D．Music is a standard part of the school curriculum in most schools.

3. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?

A．Learning music doesn’t cost too much.	B．There is less importance in listening to music.
C．Parents should meet children’s needs in music.	D．Children can easily master an instrument.

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．When Music Is Taught	B．Why Music Matters to Children
C．Why We Learn Instruments	D．How Children Learn Music

【推荐2】Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia(幽闭恐惧症), or fear of enclosed spaces, is one of the most common fears. Claustrophobia can be deep fear or even panic as a result of being in a small space.

Claustrophobia can develop after a troubling childhood experience (such as being trapped in a small space during a childhood game), or from another unpleasant experience later on in life related to small spaces (such as being stuck in a life).     1     This response then becomes programmed in the brain, making an association between being in a tight space and feeling anxious or out-of-control. As a result, the person often develops claustrophobia.

    2     Claustrophobia symptoms can include: sweating, accelerated heartbeat, upset stomach, passing out, light-headedness, shaking, breathing problem, etc.

Some common situations can cause anxiety in claustrophobia sufferers. The claustrophobia sufferer will look for an exit when inside a room, avoid driving on the highway or major roads where there is heavy traffic when inside a car, avoid taking lifts when inside a building, or stand near a door when at a party.     3    

    4     According to Dr. Powers. “Exposure treatment, a form of mind-behavioral treatment, usually results in a total reduction in anxiety symptoms if conducted properly.”

Flooding is a type of exposure treatment in which the person is exposed to a situation until the anxiety attack passes; a less extreme form of exposure treatment is counter-conditioning. Counter conditioning includes behavior treatment, as the person is taught visualization and relaxation techniques before being slowly reintroduced to the cause situation.

    5     Medications to help treat claustrophobia include things which help to ease the heart pounding often associated with anxiety attacks.

A．The good news is that claustrophobia is very treatable.

B．The past experience can trace back to the moment of birth.

C．According to some doctors, claustrophobia is worse than the fear of heights.

D．When a person experiences such an event, it can often cause a frightening panic attack.

E．In extreme cases, the very sight of a closed door can lead to feelings of anxiety in a person.

F．Treatment for claustrophobia can also include medication or a combination of several treatments.

G．When a person with claustrophobia finds herself in a restricted space, her body responds in certain ways.

【推荐1】Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are concerned about their own appearance and actions too much. Negative thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: What kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?

It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people unfavorably. A person’s self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves and the way a person behaves affects other people’s reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a deep effect on all areas of their lives.

Shy people, who have low respect, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need faith that they are doing ＂the right thing＂. Shy people are very sensitive to criticism. It makes them feel inferior(自卑). They also find it difficult to be pleased by praises because they believe they are unworthy of praise. A shy person may respond to a praise with a statement like this one: ＂You’re just saying that to make me feel good. I know it’s not true.＂ It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.

Can shyness be completely got rid of, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determination since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self-respect. It is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Each one of us has his or her own characteristics. We are interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our chances for a rich and successful life.

1. The first paragraph is mainly about ____________.

A．the cause of shyness

B．the effect of shyness on people

C．the feelings of shy people

D．the questions in the minds of shy people

2. According to the writer, self-awareness is ____________.

A．harmful to people	B．a weak point of people
C．the cause of unhappiness	D．a good characteristic

3. What is the shy people’s reaction to praise?

A．They are pleased by it.

B．They feel it is not true.

C．They are very sensitive to it.

D．They feel they are worthy of it.

4. We can learn from the passage that shyness ____________.

A．blocks our chances for a successful life

B．helps us to live up to our full development

C．enables us to understand ourselves better

D．has nothing to do with lack of self-respect

【推荐2】Since the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have gotten a lot “greener” toward the environment. “We didn’t know at that time there even was an environment, let alone that there was a problem with it,” says Bruce Anderson, president of Earth Day USA.

But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement .Business people, political leaders, university professors, and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement. “The understanding has increased many， many times,” says Gaylord Nelson, the former governor from Wisconsin, who thought up the first. According to US government reports, emissions (排放)from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 tons .The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9. Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with, the world is a safer and healthier place. A kind of “Green thinking” has become part of practices.

Great improvement has been achieved. In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs; today in 1995 there are about 6,600. Advanced lights, motors, and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution.

Twenty –five years ago, there were hardly any education programs for environment. Today, it’s hard to find a public school, university, or law school that does not have such a kind of program. “Until we do that, nothing else will change!” says Bruce Anderson.

1. According to Anderson, before 1970, Americans had little idea about ___.

A．the social movement	B．recycling techniques
C．environmental problems	D．the importance of Earth Day

2. Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from?

A．The grass –roots level.	B．The business circle.
C．Government officials.	D．University professors.

3. What have Americans achieved in environmental protection?

A．They have cut car emissions to the lowest.

B．They have settled their environmental problems.

C．They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities.

D．They have reduced pollution through effective measures.

4. What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph?

A．Education.	B．Planning
C．Green living	D．CO reduction