【推荐1】Growing up, Deka Ismail says she let labels define what she could be. “I was a black girl, from a refugee (难民) family,” Deka said. “It was as if I was only allowed to explore in this predetermined box.”

After a high school chemistry class inspired her to think about a career in science and gave her confidence in the field, Deka learned to live outside labels and began making big plans for her future. Now she is about to begin her freshman year at the University of California, planning to become a professor.

Born and raised in San Diego’s City Heights neighbourhood, Deka is the daughter of a Somali refugee couple. While some might say Delta’s success happened in spite of her background, she would say differently, that her experiences shaped her and inspired her to be the driven, young scientist that she is today.

When Deka was eight years old, her mother got a job by studying hard back in school in order to support the whole family. That made Deka realize that education could make a difference to one’s life. She spent a lot of time in the library reading books, and didn’t do many of the things her peers did, like partying or having romantic relationships.

“I always felt like I had to be the perfect girl for my family,” Deka said. “You have to not even do your best but two times better than everyone else. I felt like the whole world was waiting for me to mess up.”

Delta’s efforts paid off. The summer before her senior year of high school, she was accepted to the American Chemical Society Project SEED Programme. “She brought both enthusiasm and focus,” Botham, a researcher at this research institute, recalled. “She arrived every day ready to work, ready to learn and ready to tackle new challenges regardless of whether or not she had done anything similar.”

When asked what advice she would give to others like her, Deka warned them not to underestimate themselves. “Don’t tell yourself that the scholarship is too big or this programme is too competitive or I'll never get into this school,” she said. “I was not sure whether I could make it until I started seeing the acceptance letters rolling in.”

1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．Deka was adopted by a refugee family	B．Deka spent a lot of time going to parties
C．Deka became a professor after graduation	D．Deka’s experiences drove her to work hard

2. Deka realized the importance of education ________.

A．from her mother’s experience	B．after her chemistry class
C．by reading books in the library	D．through working at the institute

3. According to the last paragraph, Deka advised that students be ________.

A．patient

B．confident

C．ambitious

D．generous

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Life is not all roses.	B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Well begun is half done.	D．Hard work leads to success.

【推荐2】As a mother, patience doesn’t come without efforts. It takes me a lot of practice and devotion. Patience is my word for this year since Sofia started her college life this fall.

I picked patience one Saturday after my daughter Sofia had pressed the “Can I call you later?” auto reply instead of answering her cell phone. Twice. I’d waited a couple hours in between calls, and that was after having texted her first thing that morning just to say hi. Worry built while I cleaned the fish tank, slightly admiring the simple aquatic (水生的) life.

Sofia was a college student, living off campus with three roommates. They looked out for one another, all were smart and careful, and I had no reason to think Sofia was in real trouble. But maybe she’d had a spat with one of her friends or was running low on money. Maybe she was drowning in schoolwork. I imagined a million what-ifs. Weren’t cell phones made to put a parent’s mind at ease? Sofia was going to get a mouthful when she finally found a free minute to tell me that I didn’t need to worry.

I filled the aquarium with fresh water, and my impatience reached the top as well. The fish swam laps in the crystal-clear tank. I wished I were more like these peaceful angels living in the moment. Sofia finally called late that night. She was at a party but wanted to catch me before I went to bed. “Sorry, Mom. Today was so busy and great!” I told her that was just what I had imagined. I didn’t mention that I was practicing a whole new way to wait.

1. Why did the author become worried?

A．Sofia replied to her rudely.	B．Sofia forgot to say hello to her as usual.
C．Something went wrong with her fish.	D．She couldn’t reach Sofia on the phone.

2. What does the underlined phrase “had a spat” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Chatted.

B．Quarreled.

C．Shopped.

D．Studied.

3. What do we know about Sofia?

A．She spent that Saturday with her friends.

B．She lived with her classmates in the dorm.

C．She failed to ring back her mom in the end.

D．She had trouble returning to school timely.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．A college student’s busy academic life.	B．The importance of patience in daily life.
C．A mother’s deep love for her daughter.	D．The author’s favorite word this year.

【推荐3】My phone rang after I boarded a plane. It was my former PhD adviser calling to tell me that a preprint had just posted identified flaws (缺陷) in a paper we’d published in Nature. My stomach dropped as he told me the authors of the critique (评论) were demanding a retraction (撤回). The plane soon took off. I spent the 16-hour flight processing a mix of emotions —disbelief, embarrassment, frustration—and wondering what this would mean for my career.

After the plane landed, I took out my laptop and logged onto the airport WiFi so I could read the critique myself. It was harsh and thorough, pointing out several fundamental flaws in our methods and in the basic data which we’d gathered from other studies.

The fallout was swift and intense. I received a flood of emails and messages. Some were from supportive colleagues, but many were harshly critical of our work. I felt deeply embarrassed by the criticism.

We wrote a draft response, correcting the apparent errors in the data set and defending our methods. We decided against publishing our response, however, after receiving feedback from peer reviewers.

When it became clear that the retraction was unavoidable, I formally offered my resignation (辞职) to my department head. He didn’t accept it, saying a resignation wasn’t needed considering the errors in the paper were honest mistakes.

The experience helped me grow as a scientist. I learned that it is better to be open and accountable, even if it means admitting mistakes. I can’t expect myself to know everything as a scientist and my work will be stronger if I seek out diverse expertise and opinions.

In the end, the reality is that retractions are a necessary part of the scientific process—and one that shouldn’t be viewed only through a negative lens. Retractions can also be an opportunity to learn and improve. Honest mistakes happen, and researchers should be encouraged, not punished, for doing the right thing and retracting flawed work.

1. What news did the author get after boarding the plane?

A．His research paper would be published soon.	B．Some mistakes were found in his preprint.
C．His paper was demanded to be retracted.	D．His career might be influenced.

2. What does the underlined word “fallout” mean?

A．Answer.

B．Result.

C．Failure.

D．Rejection.

3. Why was the author’s resignation refused?

A．He had a reputation for honesty.	B．He made mistakes unintentionally.
C．He corrected his mistakes in the paper.	D．He had made contributions to the department.

4. What did the author learn from his experience?

A．Retractions can be a chance to learn.	B．Scientists ought to know everything.
C．Honest mistakes are unavoidable in science.	D．Admitting mistakes can be really embarrassing.

【推荐2】Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living near the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,” she says.

On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city’s bridge closed.

When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.

In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.

“My mom tells me that I can’t control what happens to me,” Natalie says.“but I can always choose how I deal with it.”

Natalie’s choice was to help. She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick’s collection was replaced. In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honoured as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.

Today, the scars(创痕)of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air.

1. When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane, she found ________.

A．her school had moved to Brooklyn	B．some friends had lost their lives
C．her neighborhood was destroyed	D．the elderly were free from suffering

2. According to paragraph 4, Natalie was encouraged most by ________.

A．the teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people

B．the people helping Rockaway rebuild

C．the volunteers donating money to survivors

D．the people trapped in high-rise building

3. Paragraph 6 mainly talks about ________.

A．the honour and fame Natalie received

B．the reason Natalie built an Internet platform

C．The way Natalie helped the survivors

D．the survivors’ appreciation toward Natalie

4. The message the story intend to tell us is “________.”

A．East or West, home is best	B．A friend in need is a friend indeed
C．Never look down upon others	D．Little people can make a big difference