【推荐1】I'm from the South Bronx. At 7, my neighborhood was the beginning and end of my universe. It was a small town to me. Everyone knew each other, so if you got into trouble in school, chances are your mom knew about it before you got home. I felt watched over and safe.

But just before I turned 8, things began to change. I watched two buildings on my block burn down. I remember seeing my neighbor Pito go up and down the fire escape to get people out. Where were the firemen? Where was the truck? Somebody must have called them.

That same summer, after serving two tours in Vietnam, my brother was killed in the South Bronx. He was shot above the left eye and died instantly.

People who could moved out of the neighborhood, and all I wanted to do was get out, too. I used education to get away from there and got good at avoiding the topic of where I was from. To be from the South Bronx meant that you were not a good person. It felt like a stain.

After college, I didn't want to come back to the South Bronx, but in order to afford graduate school, I had to. I was almost 30 and could only afford to live at my parents' home. It felt like a defeat, and I hated it.

At the same time, the city was planning a huge waste facility here, and no one seemed to care — including many of us who lived here. They were like, "Well, it's a poor community; what's the difference?"

I was very angry. It drove me to act. It moved my spirit in a way that I didn't know was possible. And it changed my beliefs — it changed the way I felt about myself and my community. I worked hard with others who felt the same way, and together, we defeated the plan.

After that, I realized it's just as important to fight for something as it is to fight against something. So we dreamed up a new park on the site of an illegal waste dump — and after many community clean-ups, along with $3 million from the city, we have one. And it's a glory. It was the seed from which many new plans for our community have grown.

Today, the South Bronx is no longer a stain; it's a badge(象征) of honor for me. I believe that where I'm from helps me to really see the world. Today, when I say I'm from the South Bronx, I stand up straight. This is home, and it always will be.

1. Paragraphs 2 and 3 make the readers believe ____________.

A．the author felt watched over and safe

B．he author’s brother was a bad man

C．the author’s neighbor Pito was braver than a fireman

D．the author felt his hometown was not a safe place to live in

2. The author went back to the South Bronx after college because ____________.

A．he couldn’t afford to live without his parents’ help

B．he loved his hometown very much

C．he was defeated in studies at college

D．he almost reached the age of 30

3. The underlined sentences(Paragraph 2) imply that ____________.

A．the author wondered where the firemen and the truck were

B．the author wanted someone to call the firemen

C．the firemen didn’t come to help although called

D．the firemen didn’t find a place to park the truck

4. What does the author want to convey in the passage?

A．Great changes have taken place in the South Bronx.

B．The South Bronx is a beautiful place.

C．You can make a difference to your hometown if you act.

D．Everyone should love his hometown.

【推荐2】When he thought of the past, my grandfather would sometimes show us photographs of himself at school. They were brown and faded, and it was hard to believe that the blurred(模糊) figure of the little boy in the short trousers and socks could ever have been Grandfather. Besides, he wore a cap --- all the boys in the photographs wore caps pulled so far forward that half of their faces were obscured. When Grandfather asked us to pick him out from the group, we would surely point to the wrong boy.
On one such occasion my younger sister, aged six, burst into tears when Grandfather proudly guided her finger to the right boy. "How could that boy be you?" she cried. "He should have a beard." We were, of course, all convinced that grandfathers should have beards, preferably white and bushy, like our own grandfather's.
"I was a good scholar," Grandfather would say, wagging his beard over the photographs. "I should have been top of the class if I hadn't had to get up at six every morning to milk the cows and chop the wood, and again when I came home from school."
"But Saturdays? What did you do on Saturdays?"
"Saturdays, if it was fine, I'd be out all day in the fields with the men," replied Grandfather. "And if it was wet, I'd be helping my mother with odd jobs round the house. There wasn't much time for studying."
We all tried hard to imagine what it would have been like to have seen Grandfather getting up at crack of dawn and never, obviously, having a moment for himself. It seemed we had learnt something from what Grandfather had said about his childhood.
1. In the first paragraph of this passage, what the author really tells us is that ________ .

A．his grandfather used to wear short trousers, socks and a cap as well

B．it was difficult to tell which of the boys in the photographs was Grandfather

C．he didn't believe Grandfather wore a cap pulled forward when he was at school

D．it was fun to watch boys in the photographs wearing caps pulled forward

2. The author's sister burst into tears because________.

A．she did not get a chance to pick out Grandfather in the photographs

B．she was told which was the right boy before she herself could pick him out

C．other children did not agree with her that Grandfather should have had a beard

D．she found Grandfather in the photographs did not have a beard

3. When Grandfather said, "I should have been top of the class...", he meant ________ .

A．if he had had more time for studying, he would have been the best in his class

B．he should have spent more time studying rather than playing ball games

C．his school days should not have been so hard and miserable

D．he could have never been the best student even if he had studied still harder

4. In thast paragraph the author said, "We all tried hard to imagine..." because ________ .

A．the figures of the boys in the photographs were small and blurred

B．the children had never experienced life like that of Grandfather

C．the photographs Grandfather showed them were brown and faded

D．Grandfather failed to tell them about his childhood in detail

【推荐3】Women with an hour glass figure have brains to go with their curves(曲线),scientists claim.

Going in at the waist is said to be a sign of intelligence which leads to brighter children, too,Women such as Nigella Lawson with a big difference between thir waist and hip measurements scored significantly better in tests than those with thinner,straighter frames,, Researchers concluded that it was not necessary for a woman to be skinny-what mattered was that her waist should be smaller than her hips, A ratio of 3:5 was found to be idea,

The study ,by the Universities of Pittsdburgh and California,involved 16,000 women and girls,

According to the scientists,the results are nomere quirkofnature.They claim that the fat

Around culvy hips and thighs(大腿)holds higher levels of-3 fatty acids which are essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy.The fat which collects around the waist,howover.is more likely to contain-6 fatty acids,which areless suited to brain growth.

Reporting in the joumal Evolution and Human Behaviour,the researchers found that the children of curvy mothers are more likely to do well in cognitive tests than others.they claim that this could help explain why the children of teenage mothers.who might not yet be physically mature enough to have developed real curves-tend to do less well in school.

As wel las boosting(提升)brainpower,一3 fatty acids found in oily fish are considered to be of huge health benefit Although the study analysed women’s bodies only,一3 fatty acids are also stored in men’s hips ,However it is not known whether men with wide hips benefit from the same brain power boost.

1. Which shows the possible shape of an hour glass?

A．

B．

C．

D．

2. Suppose the following measurements are taken from four women.Which of them is more likely to have bright children?

A．Waist：60cm；Hip：100 cm	B．Waist：60cm：Hip：80cm
C．Waist：55 cm；Hip 1 60cm	D．Waist：120cm；Hip：110cm

3. The underlined sentence‘'the results are nomere quirkofnature,'possible tells us the results

A．can be explained scientifically       B are strange and hard to explain

C. have just come about by chance     D are very interesting
4. According to the researchers,teenage mothers tend to have less bright children because

A．they aren’t so good at child care

B．they usually have less fat than mature women

C．they area’t physically strong enough

D．their waist and hip measurements differ less

【推荐1】Dear Alcohol.

You’ve been around forever. I can remember all the pain you’ve caused for me.

Do you remember the night you almost took my father’s life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He’s addicted to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems, only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn’t the only one hurt by you that night.

Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were intrigued by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. “I’m so embarrassed,” they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit. “I’m sorry,” they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. “This won’t happen again,” they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you.

Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn’t realize her brother was in the midst of it all. She never saw him again. And it’s all your fault.

I wish you’d walk out of my life forever. I don’t want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you’ve caused. Sure. you’ve made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you’ve caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please.

Sincerely,

Anonymous

1. What is author’s purpose in writing to alcohol?

A．To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers.

B．To describe the harm alcohol did to his family.

C．To show how much alcohol can hurt people.

D．To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people’s life.

2. What did alcohol do to the author’s father?

A．It made him kill two other people when driving.

B．It made him crash into two other cars and took his life.

C．It made him get into a car accident and badly injure himself.

D．It made him drink too much and he had to get his stomach pumped.

3. What is the main writing skill of the passage?

A．Comparing one thing with another to make his point clear.

B．Making something less noticeable than usual.

C．Describing something by listing its harmfulness.

D．Describing something in the form of a person.

4. What’s Anonymous’s attitude towards drinking alcohol?

A．Critical.

B．Neutral.

C．Supportive.

D．Doubtful.

【推荐2】When he thought of the past, my grandfather would sometimes show us photographs of himself at school. They were brown and faded, and it was hard to believe that the blurred(模糊) figure of the little boy in the short trousers and socks could ever have been Grandfather. Besides, he wore a cap --- all the boys in the photographs wore caps pulled so far forward that half of their faces were obscured. When Grandfather asked us to pick him out from the group, we would surely point to the wrong boy.
On one such occasion my younger sister, aged six, burst into tears when Grandfather proudly guided her finger to the right boy. "How could that boy be you?" she cried. "He should have a beard." We were, of course, all convinced that grandfathers should have beards, preferably white and bushy, like our own grandfather's.
"I was a good scholar," Grandfather would say, wagging his beard over the photographs. "I should have been top of the class if I hadn't had to get up at six every morning to milk the cows and chop the wood, and again when I came home from school."
"But Saturdays? What did you do on Saturdays?"
"Saturdays, if it was fine, I'd be out all day in the fields with the men," replied Grandfather. "And if it was wet, I'd be helping my mother with odd jobs round the house. There wasn't much time for studying."
We all tried hard to imagine what it would have been like to have seen Grandfather getting up at crack of dawn and never, obviously, having a moment for himself. It seemed we had learnt something from what Grandfather had said about his childhood.
1. In the first paragraph of this passage, what the author really tells us is that ________ .

A．his grandfather used to wear short trousers, socks and a cap as well

B．it was difficult to tell which of the boys in the photographs was Grandfather

C．he didn't believe Grandfather wore a cap pulled forward when he was at school

D．it was fun to watch boys in the photographs wearing caps pulled forward

2. The author's sister burst into tears because________.

A．she did not get a chance to pick out Grandfather in the photographs

B．she was told which was the right boy before she herself could pick him out

C．other children did not agree with her that Grandfather should have had a beard

D．she found Grandfather in the photographs did not have a beard

3. When Grandfather said, "I should have been top of the class...", he meant ________ .

A．if he had had more time for studying, he would have been the best in his class

B．he should have spent more time studying rather than playing ball games

C．his school days should not have been so hard and miserable

D．he could have never been the best student even if he had studied still harder

4. In thast paragraph the author said, "We all tried hard to imagine..." because ________ .

A．the figures of the boys in the photographs were small and blurred

B．the children had never experienced life like that of Grandfather

C．the photographs Grandfather showed them were brown and faded

D．Grandfather failed to tell them about his childhood in detail

【推荐3】“Oh，my god.Are you serious?”

That’s a reaction I often get when people hear the tale of my childhood.

It’s a story I don’t often share.Growing up in a bad home, I learned to protect myself by not speaking up.I've seldom said anything about how badly I was treated and hurt as a child. I don’t talk about how my name was changed at least three times, what it was like to live in my van(箱式货车), or how I've struggled with anxiety, depression, and wanting to kill myself.But I learned to start speaking up for myself.I went on to earn two graduate degrees and I will complete my Doctor’s degree this year.I've also become a widely published author.So，how did I get to where I am today?

What helped me is surrounding myself with caring, loving people. I've learned day-to-day skills through research, trial and error, and with the help of skilled professionals. They’ve taught me how to slow down，to breathe，to be thankful for what I've got.They’re the ones who make my goals possible.They have also taught me to turn my past experiences into strength-to make the negatives into positives.

My hope is that sharing my story might help others to see what is possible even in the darkest of times and help others to speak out.I don’t think I'm in any way special or unique. I'm a common man，no more deserving than anyone else.But for far too long，I've been afraid that others think I'm damaged goods.I've worried about how I might be treated differently.

Pain and fear teach us to be silent.It’s time for that to change.

I don’t know what tomorrow might bring.But one thing I've learned is that if we can hold on and find help，if we find ways to get through the day and speak up，we’11 not only survive，but become stronger than before.

Our very survival can be an inspiration all on its own.And with love of my friends，I look forward to so much more than completing my education—I look forward to the future.

1. Which might not be related to the author’s childhood?

A．Depression

B．Disappointment

C．Desperation

D．Trust

2. How did the writer get today’s success?

A．With the help of his parents.

B．Learning by himself.

C．Holding on and finding help from others.

D．Being special and talented.

3. What’s the author’s purpose of sharing his story?

A．To become stronger than before.

B．To encourage others to make the most of their dark times of life.

C．To become a better publisher.

D．To change the ways to speak up.

4. What can we learn from the author’s experience?

A．We should overcome the difficulty depending on ourselves.

B．We should keep silent when meeting pain and fear.

C．Managing to survive when in trouble can make us stronger.

D．Our childhood 1ife decides our future.

【推荐1】My house is made of wood, glass and stone. It is also made of software.

If you come to visit, you’ll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it’s dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.

Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you, which is in fact a computer.

The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.

I believe that several years from now on, most new homes will have the systems that I’ve put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I’ve put in today.

1. The writer’s house is NOT made of ________.

A．bricks

B．wood

C．glass

D．software

2. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．How to develop a new system.	B．The function of the PIN.
C．A home for the future.	D．Easy life in the future.

3. Why is the writer’s new house different from ordinary ones?

A．Because it has your favourite music following you.

B．Because you can make a telephone call anywhere.

C．Because the writer is able to change his new idea into practice.

D．Because it has been controlled by computers.

4. What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?

A．An IT expert.	B．A famous engineer.
C．A game player.	D．An experienced teacher.