【推荐1】Your child is no longer a kid. He is now a teen. He wants to go to a big school. You don’t know which school to choose? Here’s how to choose a school for your teen who has special needs.

Decide on a public or private school.     1    There is one advantage to a private school that there will be fewer students per class so your kid gets more time and attention from his teacher.

    2     Ask him where his friends are most likely going to go when school starts and whether he wants to go to the same school as his friends. You all are in the same boat so your goal is the same as theirs, to find the best school for their teen.

Ask members of your immediate family. Especially if you have relatives and close family members who are also dealing with the same situation. It will put you greatly at ease to know that their own teens are in a great school where your teen can go to as well.     3    .

Lean towards a school where a uniform is required. Especially when the cost of tuition is expensive, it’s better to choose a school that requires their students to wear uniforms.     4    

Make a request for an appointment with the school principal. When you get a meeting, ask all your questions about your teen’s special needs.    5    Finally, walk the school grounds and check out various facilities like the library, restrooms, locker rooms, activity areas, gyms, etc.

A．Think about location

B．Seek the advice of your teen

C．Ask your relatives right away

D．He’s going to look cute in it, too!

E．You can also go online to broaden your search

F．Then ask if you can observe a class in progress

G．A difference between these two is how much money it will take.

【推荐2】I recently gave a talk about zero waste living to university students. During the Q&A afterward, the unavoidable question of cost came up. One student pointed out that he “can’t afford to buy $30 toothpaste.” While the $30 price may be a bit generous, the student did raise a good point that buying zero-waste products is often more expensive than the overly-packaged traditional ones.

I tried to handle the question as best I could in the moment, but I kept thinking about it afterward. I’m writing about it because I’m sure many others have similar doubts about their own abilities to reduce waste without breaking the bank.

First, once you begin to explore the zero waste world, you quickly realize how pointless many products in your life are. You start using fewer, buying less, and using them interchangeably. Soon you’ll find yourself spending less money overall, which balances the higher cost of the zero waste ones. The total number of products in my bathroom decreased by 50% when I became more focused on waste reduction.

Second, if you stop to examine those zero-waste products, you’ll see that they are usually of better quality. Companies usually redesign their packaging to be reusable, upgrading them to be healthier, safer, and greener. So you’re paying extra money not just for non-disposable (非一次性的) packaging, but also for a better product that does less harm.

In my experience, higher-quality skincare products last longer than cheap ones. My personal habits have developed gradually, too. Knowing an item costs more leads me to use it in small quantities and use it to the very end. Moreover, I sometimes even make my own. The price-per-unit is cheap.

To quote Lindsey Miles, a zero waste blogger, “Zero waste is not about what we can afford to buy. It is about what we choose not to buy.” To that student who got me thinking about this, I’d recommend starting with what matters to you. Over time you will figure out where you get the most value for your money. In return, you’ll gain a sense of liberation from the consumer culture, and a rewarding sense of accomplishment.

1. What can we benefit from zero waste products?

A．Saving money regularly.	B．Balancing the higher cost.
C．Living a convenient life.	D．Spending money more wisely.

2. What kind of products would the author like to recommend?

A．Zero-cost.

B．Top-grade.

C．Non-breakable.

D．Well-packed.

3. What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To teach a life lesson.	B．To introduce a social issue.
C．To promote a new product.	D．To encourage a lifestyle.

【推荐3】How to Become More Confident

Our confidence plays an important role in ability to achieve success and happiness. It affects our mental thought patterns, the way we speak and act, and the decisions we make in all areas of our lives. Confident people take more action, perform better, and are more likely to achieve their goals.    1    Lucky for us, confidence can be built and strengthened until it becomes natural, just as any other habit. It simply takes a little time, some effort, and a bit of attention.

Fail more often. The more challenges you take on, the more failures you’ll have, but learning that you can recover, get up and push forward builds confidence.

    2    Keep a list of successes, big and small. It’ll help you to see your abilities in a more positive and realistic light.

Start a conversation. When you find yourself in a social situation, don’t always turn to those people you’re comfortable with.    3    Eventually getting to know new people will become easier.

Don’t compare. Stop measuring yourself against others.    4    Making comparisons is a damaging and an inaccurate measure of success anyway.

Confidence helps you to be more secure in your abilities and more positive in your attitude. It also encourages you to be more assertive(坚定自信的) to take on more challenges, and to improve your skills.    5    The end result is a better outlook, more success, and a higher quality of life in all areas.

A．List your super abilities

B．It may only do harm to them

C．Track your accomplishments

D．The result you get isn’t always real

E．Talk to someone you don’t know very well

F．As an added benefit, you’ll attract like-minded people

G．What’s more, confident people can take more joy from their accomplishments

【推荐1】The Netherlands on Monday introduced its first-ever "intelligent bicycle", fitted with electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country.

Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the intelligent bicycle runs on electricity. A commercial-available bicycle is expected to be on the market in the next two years and should sell for between 1,700 to 3,200 euros per bicycle.

The devices on the bike are linked through an onboard computer with a vibrating(震动的) warning system fitted in the bicycle's saddle and handlebars to warn cyclists of the coming danger.

The saddle vibrates when other cyclists approach from behind, while the handlebars do the same when barriers appear ahead.

"Accidents often happen when cyclists look behind them or get a fright when they are passed at high speed," said Maurice Kwakkernaat, one of TNO's research scientists involved in the project. "The onboard system technology has already been at work in the car industry," he said.

"More and more elderly people are using a bicycle, not only for short distances, but also for longer distances," Dutch Environment and Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told AFP. "This type of bicycle is truly needed in the Netherlands because it will help us bring down the number of elderly people who are injured every year and allow them to continue to enjoy cycling," she said.

In the Netherlands, bicycles outnumber the population of 17 million by at least one million and there are some 25,000 km of bicycle path in the country. Those statistics are set to grow as more and more people take to two-wheeled transport, leading to an increased risk of injury.

Last year, 184 cyclists died in the country, of which 124, or 67%, were older than 65, according to the Central Statistics Office. The year before, 200 cyclists died, the majority of victims also being elderly.

The current model weighs 25 kilograms but researchers are working on making the onboard systems smaller.

1. The "intelligent bicycle" is aimed to ________.

A．protect the environment	B．help reduce traffic pressure
C．popularize the use of bicycles	D．improve safety for elderly cyclists

2. Which part of the intelligent bicycle will vibrate when other cyclists approach it from behind?

A．The saddle.	B．The wheels.
C．The handlebars.	D．The onboard computer.

3. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．the elderly ride bicycles wherever they go

B．the elderly are planning to give up cycling

C．the number of elderly cyclists is decreasing

D．the accident rate among elderly cyclists is high

【推荐3】The Australian state of New South Wales rolled out "high definition detection cameras" on Sunday, designed to catch drivers using cell phones behind the wheel.

Andrew Constance, New South Wales' minister for roads, said the "world-first" technology would target illegal cell phone use through "fixed and mobile cameras." The cameras will use artificial intelligence to review images and detect illegal use of cell phones, according to Transport for NSW.

Images identified as being likely to contain a driver illegally using a cell phone would then be verified by traffic police. These images would be "securely stored and managed".

Over the next three years, 45 portable cameras would be set up across the state, in unknown locations, and without warning signs, CNN branch Sky News Australia reported.

For the first three months, drivers caught out by the technology would receive a warning letter, Transport for New South Wales said in a statement, after which the drivers would face a fine of up to $344, or $457 in a school zone, and loss of points on their drivers’ license.

"The NSW Government is serious about reducing our state's road deaths and launching mobile phone detection cameras is another way we will do this." Constance said in a statement.

Officials said that a trial of the technology earlier in the year had caught more than 100,000 drivers illegally using a phone behind the wheel. Some 329 people died this year on New South Wales' roads, Reuters news agency reported, compared with 354 people for 2018, according to official statistics.

1. Why does the NSW Government set up detection cameras?

A．To get some real-time information about the traffic.

B．To warn people of the danger of crossing the street casually.

C．To catch drivers using cell phones illegally.

D．To improve the work efficiency of the police.

2. What does the underlined word “verified” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．described.

B．restored.

C．edited.

D．confirmed.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Locations of the cameras will be informed in advance.

B．Illegal drivers will be fined once cameras are set up.

C．Illegal driving in school zones is punished more severely.

D．Cameras are the first attempt for the government to cut road deaths.

4. What’s the officials’ attitude towards the trial of the technology?

A．Supportive.

B．Disapproving.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unconcerned.