【推荐1】A group of sweaty kids ran around a field last week at Total Soccer Arena in Landover, Maryland. They talked not only in English, but also in Pashto, Arabic and other languages.

What made them different is that all of the kids are refugees(难民). They were playing as part of a camp that gives them a chance to develop their soccer skills and to meet other kids who had to start over their lives in the United States. The camp is run by an organisation called L.A.C.E.S., which stands for Life And Change Experienced thru Sports. The group uses soccer to help bring together communities that have experienced hardships.

Seren Fryatt got the idea for L.A.C.E.S. while playing on a women’s soccer team in Liberia, an African country that had been at war with itself for 14 years. Fryatt, who’s from Muncie, Indiana, saw that soccer brought joy to the Liberian women on her team, even though their lives off the field were very difficult. After starting a soccer programme for kids in Liberia, she decided to start a similar camp in Maryland, where she moved in 2015. Coaches volunteer their time, and the costs are paid mostly by donations. This year, 95 kids signed up.

The camp, for ages 9 to 14, is split(分开) between training that helps kids develop skills, such as passing and ball control, and meeting where they discuss life skills. One of the coaches, Louisa Pitney, said she likes seeing how the kids grow just from being together.

At the end of the camp’s last day, all the kids gathered in the middle of the field. Fryatt asked them to raise their hands and say what they had learned that week. Some kids talked about soccer skills—one girl said she’d learned not to use her hands; a boy said he'd learned how to score a goal.

When a coach called one shy girl, she smiled before answering in a soft voice.

“Celebrate each other,” she said.

1. What was special about the kids in the field?

A．They couldn’t speak English.	B．They had faced hardships.
C．They hadn’t been to America before.	D．They were attending an international soccer match.

2. What encouraged Seren Fryatt to set up L.A.C.E.S.?

A．A soccer programme for kids.	B．The long-term war in Liberia.
C．A women’s soccer team in Liberia.	D．Coaches’ volunteer work.

3. What do we know about the soccer camp?

A．It gives coaches great pay.	B．It was started for girls only.
C．It was organised in Liberia first.	D．It teaches life skills as well as soccer skills.

4. What did the shy girl get from the soccer camp?

A．How to work with others.	B．How to speak in public.
C．How to make friends.	D．How to praise others.

【推荐2】On a cold winter morning, a poor boy called Howard Kelly was on his way to school. He was so hungry that he decided to beg(乞讨) for a meal at the next house.

A lovely young lady opened the door and she brought him a large glass of milk. He had it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe(欠) you?”

“You owe me nothing,” she replied. “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Years later the woman became seriously ill. The local doctors sent her to the big city, where specialists(专家) can study her illness. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in for the consultation(会诊). When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went to her room. He recognized her at once and decided to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special attention to her and her illness.

After a long time, the lady was well again at last. Dr. Kelly asked the hospital office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she had thought that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side caught her attention. “Paid in full with a glass of milk.”

1. What is probably the best title of the text?

A．A Young Lady	B．A Glass of Milk
C．A Famous Doctor	D．A Medical Bill

2. Why did Dr.Kelly decide to try his best to save the woman’s life?

A．Because he owed her a lot of money.

B．Because they were once good friends.

C．Because she helped him out years ago.

D．Because they came from the same town

3. Who paid the final bill for the woman?

A．Dr. Howard Kelly	B．The hospital
C．The woman herself	D．The woman’s mother

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Where there is a will, there is a way.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．Every kindness will be paid off.

D．Better late than never.

【推荐3】The phone ID flashed, “Emergency Vet”. “Oh no” I whispered. I could not lose Merlin now.

Ron and I had tried to have children for a long time with depressing results. I threw myself into my work. Any maternal feelings I had were spent on Merlin.

I couldn’t wait to get home from work each night. I wanted to pick up that warm bundle of loving fur and nestle him. I wanted to sing “Rock-a-bye Merlin”, as I did every night as he would put his paws around my neck.

Merlin was my comfort especially at times when I wondered if God was listening. But last night something had changed. Not only did I sing “Rock-a-Bye Merlin”, but I asked, “What will I do after you’re gone?”

Although Merlin was 19 years old, a senior in the age of a cat, he didn’t look or act that way. I didn’t want to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his lifetime. My job at the law firm was so demanding and stressful that I couldn’t imagine getting through the day without Merlin waiting to greet me at home.

I dialed the vet’s number. I asked for my husband but he already left. Then I took a breath and asked the question that no one wants to ask, “Is my Merlin still alive?” The nurse said “yes.”
Ron came home and said that Merlin had almost no red blood cells left. White blood cells were replacing them. Merlin would need expensive transfusions most likely on a monthly basis. We both knew Merlin was running out of time. I asked Ron to drive me to the vet so I could say goodbye to my little boy cat but he was beat tired and it was late. Ron said if Merlin was still alive the next morning then he would take me to the vet.

The next morning I called the vet. Merlin had survived the night.After driving to the vet, I went into the examining room. The nurse brought Merlin and placed him on an examining table on his side. His eyes were tightly shut. I thought he died already. I carefully edged my hand to reach his body. His body felt warm, but when I spoke his name there was no response. No response to his name or that I was there and that I loved him. I was extremely sad.In that examining room I felt helpless. I wondered how many people in an examining room felt as helpless as I did. Feeling driven to prayer I yelled, “God this isn’t good enough. I need to see my Merlin the way I remember him, I need a miracle and I need it now!”

At that moment, God granted a miracle. Merlin’s favorite compliment entered my mind. I said,   “Merlin, You are Beautiful and You are Gorgeous, do you hear me?”

One eye opened.

I said “Gotcha”. I kept repeating those words.

Merlin opened the other eye and, one limb at a time, got up. He was waiting for that phrase. He wanted to hear that he was beautiful and gorgeous again.

Then I experienced another miracle.

There was no sound in that examining room until Merlin started walking to me. From out of nowhere, or maybe from heaven, I clearly heard a song we sung in church often: “It Is Well With My Soul.” I remembered thinking, “Yes, it is well with my Soul. I got to see my little boy cat one more time.”

Merlin walked to me. He put his face in mine, which he had never done before. He rubbed a circle around my face twice. Merlin said goodbye with his face and marked me for life.

Ron appeared shocked that Merlin was up and had walked to me. I said to Merlin, “Tell God you are a good boy and how much we love you” and then handed him back to the nurse.

Tears of gratitude poured forth in memory of a miracle. You see for nineteen years God spoke to me through a special cat named “Merlin.” On Merlin’s last day, God proved he heard me when he granted a miracle. That miracle gave me time to say goodbye.

1. Ron’s wife couldn’t lose Merlin because ________.

A．Merlin was her adopted child for nineteen years

B．Merlin could supply her with comfort and warmth

C．she failed to give birth to her own biological child

D．she would sing her usual song to no one later in life

2. What did Ron’s wife think of Merlin?
①comfortable ②demanding ③long life ④full of devotion ⑤lovely ⑥religious

A．①②⑥

B．①②③

C．④⑤⑥

D．③④⑤

3. What does “The next morning I called the vet.” in Paragraph 8 imply?

A．The writer turned to the vet because Merlin was in desperate condition.

B．The writer was so hopeless as to ask a favor of the vet.

C．Ron would accompany her wife to the vet lo live up to his promise.

D．Ron did not care about Merlin so that the writer called the vet.

4. When Merlin reached the examining room,       .

A．he shut his eyes lightly and was obviously dead

B．his body felt warm because the writer rubbed him hard

C．the writer chanted prayers to him trying to waking him up

D．the writer felt helpless to have no timely surgical operation

5. We can infer from the passage that       .

A．we have to have faith in the church to get miracles in future life

B．God will not disappoint us if we are devoted to our loved ones

C．couples should have a child or something to fill in their free time

D．doctors may not always be reliable when our loved ones need their help

6. Which of the following can be the proper title?

A．The Miracle Granted	B．A Dying Cat
C．God Accompanying Us	D．Gratitude Out Of Miracle

【推荐1】Sitting in the garden for my friend’s birthday, I felt a buzz (振动) in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender’s name. The email started off: “Dear Mr Green, thank you for your interest” and “the review process took longer than expected.” It ended with “We are sorry to inform you…” and my vision blurred (模糊). I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying for the programme, and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.

So I was shocked when, not long after the email, Professor Mary Devon invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later I was equally shocked — and overjoyed — when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. I got it and decided I was going to give it my all.

I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project, which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert, not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn’t. In the end, I had a new scientific interest to pursue.

When I applied to graduate school, I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. This time I had the perspective (视角) to keep it from sending me into panic due to my being rejected. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.

Rather than setting plans in stone, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered, even if they don’t sound perfect at the time, and make the most of them.

1. What do we know from Paragraph 1?

A．I was actually declined.

B．I was spending my birthday.

C．I felt peaceful receiving the email.

D．I had devoted little to my dream job.

2. What did the author decide to do after talking with Professor Mary Devon?

A．Criticize the review process.	B．Stay longer in the Sahara Desert.
C．Apply to the original project again.	D．Put his heart and soul into the lab work.

3. How did the author feel about the project with the robotics professor?

A．Demanding.

B．Inspiring.

C．Misleading.

D．Amusing.

4. What can we learn from this passage?

A．An invitation is a reward.	B．An innovation is a resolution.
C．A rejection can be a redirection.	D．A refusal can be a discouragement.

【推荐2】Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but listening is STILL a problem! First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. The most important thing is to listen as often as possible. The first step is to find listening resources. The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The RealPlayer from RealMedia.com. The RealPlayer allows you to use the Internet like a radio station.

Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated (受阻) by limited understanding. What should you do?

Here is some of the advice I give my students:

●Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.

●Stay relaxed when you do not understand, and try listening to the material for more times.

●Do not translate everything into your native language.

●Listen for the general idea of the conversation. Don’t concentrate on detail before you have understood the main ideas.

I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn’t understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion. Then, after the first six months, I discovered two extremely important facts. Firstly, translating creates a barrier between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that — even if I didn’t pay much attention, I could usually understand what the speaker had said.

1. The best way to improve our listening is to ______________.

A．practise as much as possible	B．find as many listening resources as possible
C．use the Internet like a radio station	D．speak naturally and read as much as possible

2. Which of the following is a good habit when listening?

A．Try to understand everything.	B．Try to get the main ideas.
C．Pay much attention to details.	D．Translate each word in your mind.

3. Why did the writer mention his/her experience in Germany?

A．To prove the importance of translating.

B．To show the problems of speaking a foreign language.

C．To tell us the importance of staying calm.

D．To point out an ineffective method of listening.

【推荐3】We sat at home, waiting for the COVID-19 cases to decrease and for the weather to improve. We all dreamed of what we would do when we could finally go outside.

I rode my old bike faithfully for almost 20 years before getting the replacement, which got stolen forcing me back to Old Faithful. The weak-minded might have abandoned biking completely at that point, but not me. Biking means freedom.

Every spring I get Old Faithful ready. She is getting old, with more replacement parts than originals. But with all bike stores being low on new models, she is all I have. On my bike, as long as I’m alive and eating, I’ve got fuel and can pedal to the ends of Earth if I want. No obstacle is impassable. Jammed roads mean nothing. I can still weave between cars in traffic. This memory of freedom means even more to me with the experience of lockdown.

Society gritted its teeth (咬紧牙关) in the knowledge that we just had to tough it out for a year to get to the other side. Then Delta hit. Then Omicron. A year turned into two, and that’s when the walls really started closing in. That’s when we really needed hope. So, I count the days until I can return to my bike. On my bike, I achieve another state of mind. I would push myself to reach the top each time. I wanted to feel that little thrill of making it to the summit, knowing that doing so told me once again that I could go anywhere and that nothing could hold me back. I was free.

Every few years I add a new ache or pain. I am starting to get old. I can’t cycle as fast as I used to. But every time I encounter a hill, I don’t give up. I’m waiting for that first warm day when I’ll escape the pandemic walls. I want to put on my helmet and for one brief, beautiful moment, be free again.

1. What caused the author to ride Old Faithful?

A．He had his bike stolen unluckily.	B．He wanted to replace the old one.
C．He hoped to go through his isolation.	D．He wished to avoid its becoming dusty.

2. What does Paragraph 3 want to say?

A．The limitation of driving vehicles.	B．The advantages of riding his bike.
C．The hardship to find bike originals.	D．The special experience of lockdown.

3. What does the underlined sentence “Society gritted ...” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Keep something for a rainy day.	B．Be a playboy without ambition.
C．A good medicine tastes bitter.	D．Holding on makes life hopeful.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Tough situations make me stronger and smarter.

B．The pandemic lockdown can not lock my dreams away

C．What I want to do when the pandemic lockdown ends.

D．How I relieved my pressure during the pandemic lockdown.