【推荐1】Seba Stephens is only 10 years old, but he’s a very talented musician. He plays drums, bass, guitar and piano. Recently, he earned a professional certificate (证书) in music through the Berklee Online program at the famous Berklee College of Music.

Seba and his family live in Memphis, Tennessee — a place famous for music. He grew up with music all around, but he especially loved the drumming of Stewart Copeland from the band The Police.

Before he turned three, his parents asked him what he wanted for his birthday. “Drums!” he answered. His parents weren’t sure, but after seeing him play the drums at a local music store, they decided he was serious. They bought him a junior drum kit. It was a huge step. “He didn’t stop playing — ever,” said his dad, Everett.   

In just a few months, his drum teacher reported that Seba was learning extremely quickly and needed a higher level of training. He was still four.

Seba’s parents encouraged him to explore music in other ways. Seba learned bass, guitar and piano. He faced challenges. “I couldn’t see over my drum set,” he said. He also had trouble finding a good bass that was small enough,

In 2020, Everett got special permission for Seba to join a summer music program at Berklee as an 8-year-old boy. Seba studied bass in an online program. To keep up, he had to practise up to 36 hours a week.

After the intense summer, Everett thought Seba might want a break. He was wrong. Instead, Seba asked his parents to home-school him so he could keep going to Berklee during the school year. His parents had to make some big changes to make the plan work, but they agreed.

Last May, Seba became the youngest person ever to receive a professional certificate from Berklee. The certificate is equal to about four college-level classes.

1. What is Stewart Copeland?

A．A teacher.

B．A drummer.

C．A pianist.

D．A soldier.

2. How old was Seba Stephens when he got his first drum?

A．Three years old.	B．Four years old.
C．Eight years old.	D．Ten years old.

3. What were challenges for little Seba?

A．No time to practise.	B．Many things to learn.
C．Difficulties in finding proper instruments.	D．The requests made by the teacher.

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

A．The Musical Journey of a Famous Musician

B．An Online Program at Berklee College of Music

C．A Teenage Drummer Inspires Kids’ Music Education

D．A 10-year-old Drummer Earns Certificate From Berklee

【推荐3】Rock and pop hitmaker Jim Steinman, who wrote and composed music for Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, and more, died Monday in Danbury, Connecticut. He was 73. Steinman's brother Bill confirmed that the cause of death was kidney (肾) failure.

A statement posted on Steinman's Facebook page read, “It's with a heavy heart that I can confirm Jim's passing. There will be much more to say in the coming hours and days as we prepare to honor this giant of a human being and his glorious legacy.”

Steinman's wholly unique career found him working as a composer, lyricist, and producer for many artists in a variety of styles. According to a biography on his website, the records he's worked on have sold more than 190 million copies worldwide. He was nominated (提名) for four Grammys, and won Album of the Year for his work on Dion's 1996 smash, Falling Into You.

Steinman began his career in a musical theater while in college, writing and starring in a rock musical called The Dream Engine, which gained the attention of New York theatrical producer Joe Papp. After graduating, Steinman worked at the Public Theater (which was established by Papp). In 1973, Yvonne Elliman recorded Steinman's song “Happy Ending”, which became Steinman's first commercially released tune. That same year, the Public Theater staged his musical More Than You Deserve.

One of the actors who auditioned for More Than You Deserve was Meat Loaf, and he and Steinman soon struck up a close personal and professional relationship. The two began working on Meat Loaf's solo album, Bat Out of Hell, in the early 70s, but it wouldn't be released until 1977. It wasn't until about one year later — after Meat Loaf performed on Saturday Night Live — that the album became a hit.

“There is no other songwriter ever like him,” Meat Loaf said. “I can never repay him. He has been such an influence, in fact, the biggest influence on my life, and I learned so much from him that there would be no way I could ever repay Mr. Jim Steinman.”

1. What caused Jim Steinman's death?

A．A hit on the head.	B．A kidney problem.
C．A failed operation.	D．A lack of blood supply.

2. What is the correct order of the following events?
a. Meat Loaf performed on Saturday Night Live.
b. Jim released his first commercial tune Happy Ending.
c. Jim and Meat Loaf released the album Bat Out of Hell.
d. Jim starred in a rock musical called The Dream Engine.
e. Jim's musical More Than You Deserve was put on show.
f. Jim won Album of the Year for his work on Falling Into You.

A．dbecaf	B．dbcfae
C．fdcaeb	D．fbceda

3. Why was Jim Steinman important to Meat Loaf?

A．Because Jim was an extraordinary songwriter.

B．Because Jim allowed him not to repay his debt.

C．Because Jim was influential in the music industry.

D．Because Jim gave him friendship and career support.

4. What do we learn about Jim Steinman?

A．He mainly focused his career on acting in musicals.

B．He is a well-known and widely respected musician.

C．His closest friends were Bill, Papp and Meat Loaf.

D．He won four Grammys in the course of his career.

【推荐1】“Strange and yet very real, thousands and thousands of flip-flops (人字拖) are washed up onto the East African coast, creating an environmental disaster. Not only do they destroy the natural beauty of our beaches and oceans, but they also block baby turtles’ way back to the sea and are eaten by fish and other animals,” states Ocean Sole.

The company collects the flip-flops — including paying people who bring in what they’ve collected— and transforms (改造) them into art while providing working opportunities for local people. At Ocean Sole’s workshop, 40 Kenyans are now employed full-time. The company pays their medical bills and provides free lunches to workers. “I was not able to afford shoes and had to borrow some to come to Nairobi to find work. Having been working here for six years, I can now afford to send my two children to school,” says Eric Mwandola, an artist with Ocean Sole.

Not only has the company grown in size, but so has the reach of its message. Ocean Sole now has products displayed in the gift shops of more than 40 zoos and museums. With each piece sold, the message about plastic pollution finds its way to a broader audience. “We are continuing to call on organizations to offer environmentally friendly souvenirs (纪念品) rather than plastic decorations,” says Ocean Sole. The company is all about cleaning up pollution, and that further develops their zero-waste guidelines. The waste from the sculptures (雕塑) is collected and used as flooring for kids’ playgrounds, and they even collect rainwater to use in their production. Other materials needed for the sculptures are also recycled goods, and the packaging comes in different sizes for products of various shapes and sizes.

In 2013 alone, Ocean Sole transformed around 50 tons of flip-flops into artworks. The company’s goal is to recycle 400,000 flip-flops per year.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The living conditions of ocean animals.

B．Threats to the development of baby turtles.

C．Strategies for beautifying the East African coast.

D．The harmful effects of flip-flops littering the coast.

2. Why does the author mention Eric Mwandola?

A．To show the happiness of local residents.

B．To stress the importance of having a job.

C．To explain the social benefits brought by Ocean Sole.

D．To describe the possible value of unwanted flip-flops.

3. How can a broader audience receive Ocean Sole’s message?

A．By buying their art products.	B．By working in their gift shops.
C．By visiting polluted beaches.	D．By offering green souvenirs.

4. Which of the following ignores Ocean Sole’s production guidelines?

A．Making rules to manage the wastewater.

B．Using one-size-fits-all boxes for the sculptures.

C．Reusing leftover materials for similar products.

D．Repurposing waste products as useful tools for other processes.

【推荐2】The Great Salt Lake, America’s largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River, has reached its lowest levels in recorded history. Officials in Utah say the state needs to take serious measures to prevent further drops in lake levels.

The current state of the Great Salt Lake follows serious dry conditions affecting Utah and other western states. Water has also been taken from the lake to supply homes and crops in Utah, one of the nation’s fastest growing states. Utah is also one of the driest American states, but has high water usage rates.

The serious drop in lake levels has raised concerns in the state about harmful dust, environmental damage and economic problems. Further water loss is expected to present serious risks to millions of migrating (迁徙) birds. It could also hurt a lake-based economy expected to be worth$1.3 billion. Economic activities include the production of minerals and brine shrimp (虾) and tourism. Health experts also fear that a dry lakebed could send poisonous dust into the air that millions of people breathe.

One proposal would seek to limit water use in homes and businesses. Another would pay farmers for sharing their water. A third would direct money from mineral production activities to programs aimed at improving the lake.

Zach Frankel is director of the nonprofit Utah Rivers Council. He says he thinks major action is needed in order to save the Great Salt Lake. “It’s not going to do it with baby steps. These are tiny baby steps that should have been taken 20 years ago,” Frankel said.

If the water levels continue to drop, the lake could get too salty for the microorganisms to survive. This has already happened in the bright pink waters of the lake’s northern arm.

Vanden Berg is still hopeful about the southern arm, where a part of the microorganisms did survive last year’s lake drop.” It’s bad but not hopeless yet,” he said, “There is still time to fix and improve the situation.”

1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The harm the lake water loss could do to wildlife.

B．The reason for the lake water loss.

C．The bad effects the lake water loss could bring.

D．The measures to prevent water loss.

2. What does Zach Frankel mean by his words about lake protection?

A．It is too late to protect the lake.

B．Small actions are not enough.

C．Action should be taken bit by bit.

D．The government hasn’t realized its importance.

3. Which of the following can best describe Vanden Beg’s opinion?

A．Better late than never.	B．All roads lead to Rome.
C．No pain, no gain.	D．Where there is a will, there is a way.

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

A．Drought Has Reduced Lake Water in the U.S.

B．Climate Change Affects People Living Round Lakes

C．Protecting the Great Salt Lake Is Necessary for Neighborhood

D．Officials Consider Measures to Save the Great Salt Lake

【推荐3】Everyone has “down days”. Maybe it’s because of the bad weather, or the disappointing grades on a difficult test, and some days teenagers just act uninterested in life or school. But these symptoms(症状) often pass quickly, as teens move on to new school subjects, or meet with friends to prevent themselves from thinking what troubles them at the moment. But if a teenager displays symptoms of sadness for more than two lasting weeks, it might point to something serious.

As teenagers develop, they push new boundaries(边界), complain about rules and look for more free rights from their parents. According to the online Health Guide on Adolescent Development, parents must be lasting figures in their teenagers’ life, providing safe boundaries for teens to grow, even if the teenagers act like these boundaries are unwanted.

Parents need to provide rules, while also remaining flexible(灵活的) and respectful of the growing teens’ need for freedom. For example, teenagers will often feel frustrated, embarrassed, and even angry that thought they want freedom, they still need to ask their parents for an agreement to go to a friend’s house, or need their mothers to take them to school.

The US Department of Education says that parents should respect and support their teen’s choices as long as those choices won’t have long-term harmful effects. For example, even if a parent doesn’t enjoy the music his or her teen listens to, it’s unlikely that the choice of music will prevent that teen from entering a good college, or lead to health problems. However, if that teen is drinking alcohol and driving, parents must get through strict punishments to teach that there are bad results for poor choices that come with increased freedom.

1. Why do teen’s feelings of bad days usually disappear quickly?

A．Their teachers help them.

B．They take some medicine.

C．Their parents talk with them.

D．They change their attention.

2. What does the example in paragraph 3 show?

A．Freedom must be given at anytime.

B．Teens are mad at being controlled.

C．Teens need both freedom and proper rules.

D．Rules must be absolutely strict for teens.

3. What should parents do about their teens’ choices?

A．Support their helpful hobbies.	B．Tell them which college to attend.
C．Cancel their after-school activities.	D．Get them away from singing pop songs.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How to Be With Growing Teens

B．Causes of Teens’ Sadness

C．Teens’ Worries About Strict Rules

D．The Importance of Making Friends With Teens