【推荐2】Just as certain actors led me to acting, certain cooking show hosts should be responsible for my strong interest in the subject of food. The first is of course Julia Child, the queen of culinary (烹饪的) TV.

Child not only changed what Americans cooked and ate, but also greatly influenced their diet of weekly television viewing. Her show The French Chef, which aired in 1963, was one of the first cooking shows on American television and lasted for 10 years. Watching her expertly cook, often making mistakes along the way, made viewers feel that they too could create such dishes. Her achievements were amazing, from her first work, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to countless others, as well as season upon season of shows.

Child has always interested me. Watching The French Chef with my mom was a way to spend some time with her because with three kids and a full-time job, she was extremely busy. In fact, we would often watch the show when she was doing housework. My mother admired Child and in turn passed the feeling to me along with an interest in how someone goes about cooking a meal.

Years later, I caught an old episode (集) of the show at my parents’ home and watched it with even more attentiveness than I had when I was young. When Child said in her last episode, “This is Julia Child, bon appétit (祝您好胃口)!” Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. I realized that I was moved by Child not only because she brought back happy boyhood memories but also because Child herself was so happy to be doing what she was doing.

I saw at that moment the embodiment (典型) of what I and so many of us want to become. To spend your life doing what you love and doing it well.

1. What do we know about Julia Child?

A．She took part in many cooking competitions.

B．She pioneered cooking shows in America.

C．She worked as a director for a TV show.

D．She wrote books about American food.

2. Why did the young author watch The French Chef?

A．To relax after finishing housework.

B．To enjoy his mother’s company.

C．To learn to cook meals for his mother.

D．To free his mother from looking after kids.

3. What happened to the author when he watched Child’s show years later?

A．He was surprised by her words.

B．He felt regret for his boyhood.

C．He understood the meaning of life.

D．He found he had a talent for cooking.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Julia Child’s effects on me.	B．Julia Child’s achievements.
C．Julia Child’s wonderful life.	D．Julia Child’s amazing show.

【推荐3】Alicia Quarles has her hands full these days — both of them, at all hours of the day and night.

“Having a baby unexpectedly at 41 is one thing; having twins is a whole other beast,” says the global entertainment editor.

Actually, until her pregnancy Quarles had been living at breakneck speed. It went so until last year. “I was exhausted,” she says. “I’d been working three jobs, doing my charity and going nonstop. I was afraid my mental health was getting worse.” In early August she took herself to the hospital, to see if she was OK. Doctors ran multiple tests and told her that she had had an anxiety attack, and she was 11 weeks pregnant.

“She was stressed and decompensated (代谢失调的), so everything just came to more than she could handle at the time,” explains doctor Miriam Barnes, who began treating her. “Fortunately, she tried to be positive and seek help from me immediately. I told her not to have any medication at that stage and advised her to take natural therapy (疗法).”

A week later Quarles learned that she was having twins. But instead of that news adding to her anxiety, “a total peace came over me, and it felt like it all made sense,” she says. Quarles, who did not take any medication, returned home to her loved ones in North Carolina, where she gave birth to Hudson and Harlow on Feb. 16. “There’s nothing like family,” she says. “I found out through working on myself in natural therapy that there were a lot of things I hadn’t dealt with. I just kept going.”

These days Quarles uses social media to document her joyful motherhood journey. Quarles has put her anxiety behind but remains in therapy — and wants to encourage others who feel stressed to get help. “At first I felt guilty and embarrassed,” she admits. “I don’t anymore. My message is you can fall down. But you can stand up, by yourself or with the help of others. It’s not a shame, and it’s a blessing.”

1. Which of the following best explains “breakneck” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Safe and slow.	B．Fast and dangerous.
C．Exciting and terrifying.	D．Gentle and comfortable.

2. What does Quarles suggest people under pressure do?

A．Keep standing up.	B．Fall down if needed.
C．Face whatever comes.	D．Obtain assistance when necessary.

3. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．An Anxious 41-year-old Mother

B．A Mother’s Astonishing Experience

C．An Interesting Taste of Motherhood

D．A Mother Fighting Her Mental Breakdown

【推荐1】Section B (10 marks)
Directions: Read the following passage, Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

Secret Santas

On Christmas morning, Linda wakes up, and tries to imagine the wide-eyed surprise of children in another household as they unwrap the presents she carefully chose for them. Linda has never met the children, but that’s all part of the joy of giving as secret Santas, she says.

“It’s an amazing feeling to buy gifts on an anonymous (匿名的) basis,” says Linda.

“It brings a whole new meaning to the holidays.”

Linda and Tony are an American couple living in Toronto, Canada, and Linda did charitable work as a member of the American Women’s Club of Toronto. As the name suggests, members are U.S. citizens living in Toronto, who join together for fellowship and community service.

To find her “adopted” family, Linda goes to the local schools and requests a wish list for a family that’s struggling to survive. Last year she helped a single mother with three children. The mother works as a cleaning lady in a nursing home.

“The list is always heartbreaking. They have an opportunity to ask for anything and do just the opposite, asking for basic clothes or simple toys,” she says. “We always buy the kids a new winter coat, hats, and gloves.” She also buys gifts for the parents.

Last year Linda asked the mother for a second wish list — one that didn’t include the basics. “Every child should have a Christmas that sticks with them for a lifetime.” She purchased iPods for the two older children and a video game system for the youngest. “I have learned a very valuable lesson in all of this,” says Linda. “Pay attention to what’s going on in your own backyard — no matter where you live.”

The joy of giving as secret Santas is much sweeter when the gift is anonymous.

1. What reaction does Linda imagine the children will have?
(No more than 5 words)                                                                 (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did Linda join the American Women’s Club of Toronto?
(No more than 10 words)                                                                    (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Why did Linda ask for a second wish list?
(No more than 15 words)                                                                    (3 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What kind of people does “secret Santas” in the passage refer to?
(No more than 12 words)                                                                    (3 marks)

【推荐2】The Jones-Baldwin family wasn’t always so big. When Keia Jones married her husband Richardo Baldwin in 2010, she had just one child: a 2-year-old daughter, Zariyah from a previous relationship. Little did they know, though, that their family would eventually add not one, not two, but three more children to the Jones-Baldwin family, thanks to the gift of adoption.

First came 11-year-old Karleigh, in 2014. She and Zariyah became close friends at school, but due to some financial difficulties, Keia says Karleigh’s mother fell on hard times and was unable to properly care for her. In 2017, the couple adopted a lovely 3-year-old named Ayden. That same year, their fourth child came into their lives unexpectedly.

“Unlike our three other black kids, the baby, named Princeton, is white,” Keia recalls. Princeton was born seriously ill and stayed in hospital several weeks after his birth. “They needed someone to do skin-to-skin with him,” says Keia, “and chose me for the task, and I was more than willing to take on the job.”

The experience of being black parents raising a white son has certainly caused them some trouble. There are always lots of suspicious stares and unfavorable comments wherever they go. Someone even called the police and said the baby was stolen by the couple. Once the family were enjoying themselves on the beach in Florida when the police were called in. It was not until Keia showed the police their ID cards that they were convinced that the baby was indeed their adopted son.

When asked why they would make so much effort to adopt the kids, Keia smiled. “It’s all love,” she said.“Both my husband and I love kids. We just can’t stand seeing kids suffering. Thank goodness, the lovely kids, who are from different cultures and of different ages, are all growing up healthily and happily under the same roof. Over the years, they have brought us so much joy! Our hearts are so full and so grateful.”

1. How many people are there in the family?

A．Four.

B．Five.

C．Six.

D．Seven.

2. Why was Karleigh adopted?

A．She was deserted by her parents.

B．She was Zariyah’s close friend.

C．Her mother failed to raise her well.

D．She needed someone to do skin-to-skin with her.

3. What is some people’s attitude to the couple raising Princeton?

A．Indifferent.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Optimistic.

D．Doubtful.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Keia will make every effort to adopt more kid.

B．Adopting the kids is a win-win situation.

C．The kids adopted were from the same family.

D．The kids have brought much money for the couple.

【推荐3】“He almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded(困在) on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front her Mercedes and got out.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.

He said, “I am here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened, had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were many people who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

1. This story most probably took place_______.

A．in a garage

B．on a highway

C．in a busy street

D．near a gas station

2. When the man approached the old lady, the first thing he did was to_______.

A．ask what was wrong with her car	B．get the old lady out of her car
C．change her tire as soon as possible	D．make her know he wanted to help her

3. The underlined part in Paragraph 6 suggests that_______.

A．the old lady had got ready to pay the man	B．the old lady was grateful to the man
C．the man had a lot of difficulty changing the tire	D．the man didn’t stop changing the tire

4. Which of the following words can best describe the man?

A．Warm-hearted and sensitive.	B．Careful and serious.
C．Thoughtful and helpful.	D．Generous and open-minded.

5. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_______.

A．the man was happy after helping the old lady

B．the man received a lot of money from the old lady

C．the man made the old lady feel cold and depressed

D．the man felt extremely frustrated all the way home