【推荐1】Camping with kids

The protected lands of the National Parks are some of the most amazing destinations(目的地)to view nature. Here are some of the best national parks for kids.

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park is a true must-see destination. During the summer months both the South and North Rim are open. The South Rim is busier, but the lodges(小屋)along this side are worth the time to explore. The North Rim offers some great backcountry(偏远地区)activities.

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is a great spot to enjoy some of Colorado's amazing archeological (考古的)sites. This park celebrates the history of the Pueblo people in the southwestern United States. Visitors will find over 4,000 archeological sites at Mesa Verde, including 600 cliff dwellings（悬崖屋）.

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is open all year round and offers a wide variety of activities for the whole family as well as summer classes for children. During the winter visitors can enjoy skiing and snowshoeing. In addition, for the most adventurous visitors, Grand Teton National Park has amazing backcountry camping and rock climbing.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is an amazing destination for travel enthusiasts, especially rock climbers, and families alike. If you are looking for a less visited spot, Hetch Hetchy is a perfect destination.

1. What do we know about the South Rim?

A．It is closed in summer.

B．It is worthwhile to visit its lodges.

C．It attracts fewer visitors than the North Rim.

D．It offers more activities than the North rim.

2. Which is the best destination for history-lovers?

A．Grand Canyon National Park.	B．Grand Teton National Park.
C．Mesa Verde National Park.	D．Yosemite National Park.

3. What do Grand Teton National Park and Yosemite National Park have in common?

A．They have few activities in summer.	B．They are both crowded places.
C．They are suitable places for rock climbing.	D．They provide kids with summer classes.

【推荐1】Life is full of miracles. Lost time will never come back but sometimes lost things will be found in a miracle way. When I was 12, all I wanted was a signet (图章) ring. They were the "in" thing and it seemed every girl except me had one. On my 13th birthday, my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials(姓名首字母) carved into it. I was in heaven.

What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn't being "replaced". We had been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything—so most of the "new" stuff (东西) we got was really just to replace what we'd lost. But not my ring. My ring was new.

Then, only one month later, I lost it. I took it off before bed and it was missing in the morning. I was sad and searched everywhere for it. But it seemed to have disappeared. Eventually, I gave up and stopped looking for it. And two years later, we sold the house and moved away.

Years passed, and a couple of moves later, I was visiting my parents when Mum told me that she had something for me. It wasn't my birthday, nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. Mum noticed my questioning look. "You'll recognize this one," she said, smiling.

Then she handed me a small ring box. I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside. The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations, which included replacing the carpets. When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom, they found the ring. As it had my initials carved into it, they realized who owned the ring. They'd had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother. And it still fits me.

1. Why did the author want a signet ring as a little girl?

A．Because it would be her 13th birthday soon.

B．Because her old one was missing one morning.

C．Because it was very popular with the little girls.

D．Because it was a special thing that wasn’t being replaced.

2. How old was the author when she got the ring back?

A．About 28 years old.	B．About 26 years old.
C．About 25 years old.	D．About 13 years old.

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

A．My New Ring	B．A Valuable Ring
C．Lost and Found	D．Lost and Replaced

【推荐2】It was just three degrees above zero. “That’s cold,” thought Jane as she got ready to deliver her morning papers. Jane has 50 customers, and on cold mornings when she couldn’t ride her bike, it took her more than an hour to make her rounds.
As she collected her papers and put them into a big canvas bag, Jane regretted that she hadn’t finished her math homework the night before. There was still time. She’d hurry with the papers and finish the math before breakfast.
Less than an hour later, Jane was nearly finished. She had only five customers to go. She could then head for home to complete her math while her mom fixed breakfast. As she rounded the corner, she saw a car in the middle of the street. It was Mr. Zimmerman, the elderly man who walked with a walking stick. His car was out of gas.
“I’d like to help Mr. Zimmerman,” thought Jane. “but if I do, I won’t have time to do my homework.” She hated to think what Mr. Roberts would say if she hadn’t completed her papers.
“It’s his own fault for running out of gas,” Jane talked to herself, “the station is only a half mile down the street. Surely Mr. Zimmerman can walk that far, even on a cold morning like this… can’t he?” As she walked down the street, Jane wondered what to do.
1. Jane delivers her papers _____.

A．before she goes to school

B．on cold mornings

C．with the help of Mr. Zimmerman’s car

D．on the way to school

2. Mr. Zimmerman was old and ______.

A．couldn’t drive well

B．would have nobody to help him

C．was not rich enough to buy gas

D．was not able to walk a long way

3. We know from the reading that_______

A．Jane couldn’t find any time to finish her homework

B．it took about an hour for Jane to send the papers

C．Jane would have her breakfast in the school

D．Jane likes to deliver papers on cold mornings

4. The reading doesn’t say but we can infer that_____

A．Jane bought the gas for Mr. Zimmerman

B．usually Jane delivers papers by bike

C．Mr. Robert doesn’t like Jane at school

D．Mr. Zimmerman had to leave the car for Jane

5. The best title for this reading should be ______

A．Fifth Customers	B．There’s no Easy Answer
C．No Time to Finish Homework	D．A Cold Morning for Jane

【推荐3】Some people would go through anything just to achieve their dream. Kasia Siwosz is proof.

Born in Poland, Siwosz began playing tennis at seven years old and developed the skills that helped her earn a top-50 ranking among the ITF Junior division (国际网球联会青少年赛). Siwosz wanted to do more with her life than just play tennis, which led her to seek chances that would also allow her to obtain a top education. “There’s no collegiate (大学的) sports in Poland and no culture of sports and academic study there. You can only do one, not both,” Siwosz said.

Her desire to have a quality education led her to America to follow her dream. While Siwosz was talented enough to begin her collegiate tennis career, she could only attend community college because she missed the deadline to apply to four-year schools, mainly due to misinformation provided in her home country of Poland.

When she had earned all her credits and was able to transfer, Siwosz made the decision to attend Baylor in Texas. Her friends from Poland put in a good word for the university, saying that it was a good fit because there were many international players at Baylor. “I thought it would be a good idea, but it really wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Siwosz said. “I wasn’t happy at Baylor. The level of tennis was high, but the academic standards were no match and I just wanted more.”

After one year at Baylor, Siwosz’s luck finally began to change when she made the decision to transfer to Berkeley, which was due in large part to Lee, a former Berkeley student. Lee, who is a keen tennis player himself, met Siwosz four years ago in Texas. “I knew she was unhappy there,” he said. “I saw the opportunity for her to come here.” Siwosz visited Lee in Berkeley. “I ended up loving this place and this school,” Siwosz said. “I came here a lot over the summer, I gave it a shot and I ended up with a Berkeley education and a spot on one of the best college tennis teams in the country.”

1. Why did Siwosz want to leave her homeland for America?

A．Poland had no culture of sports.

B．Berkeley had always been her dream university.

C．She wanted to play tennis and have a good education.

D．She wanted to improve her tennis skills and get a higher ranking.

2. Why didn’t Siwosz take Baylor as her first choice when she first arrived in America?

A．The level of tennis in Baylor was not high.

B．It was too late for her to apply to a school like Baylor.

C．Her home country of Poland forbade her to Baylor.

D．Baylor was not suitable for international students.

3. How did Siwosz feel in Berkeley?

A．She was unhappy there.

B．She had difficulty in keep up with others.

C．She enjoyed studying there.

D．She regretted going there.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How Siwosz realized her dream.

B．How Siwosz left Poland.

C．How Siwosz became a tennis player.

D．How Siwosz transferred from Baylor to Berkeley.