【推荐1】Life lessons from death

Living gratefully has a huge transforming power, not just when something wonderful or special happens, but every day no matter what is happening. I've recently been involved with two people whose lives were challenged by bad luck. I have seen how grateful living had the power to keep one of them going and how it's beginning to lift the other. One was a friend and the other is my sister.

My friend seemed to be in good health when she received a deadly diagnosis（诊断）: a disease with no effective treatment. She had all the emotions that a tragedy（悲剧）brings, but she also had a powerful response to despair（绝望）that gave her " the happiness that doesn't depend on what happens." She wrote online daily, honestly sharing the details of her situations.

She wrote that even though it was difficult to move, this gave her more time to notice small things. She was grateful not only for the love and help of family and friends, but also for time to see the sun rise and watch the birds in her yard. No opportunity for gratefulness was wasted.

She taught that gratefulness is not a false cheerfulness. It's taking every opportunity to celebrate the blessings of small things. We can be grateful for the challenge that helps us develop compassion（同情）for each other. Life is a precious gift.

She repeatedly blogged（写博客）that she was happier than she had ever been. When she wrote about "the worst day", she ended with "Life is still a lovely gift." She died later that day.

Her message, however, changed my sister's life. My sister's health was getting worse and worse, though nothing life-threatening（威胁生命的）. She did have a very painful knee. Her life was in danger form her defeated spirit She was bed-bound（卧床不起）, getting weaker and weaker. Fearful, angry and depressed, she felt out of options for recovery.

I read my sister a few of my friend's messages. I was careful not to say, "Why can't you be more like her? " Instead, I let the words do their work. I'm grateful to say that an attitude of gratitude began to replace her anger and fear. I believe this helped her to heal.

We can't be grateful for all that happens, but we can practise gratefulness for life itself, for all we can learn to deal with, for all the ways we can help each other grow and heal.

1. How did the author's sister feel when she was ill?

A．Calm

B．Lonely

C．Sad

D．Confused

2. What happened when the author's friend found she had an incurable disease?

A．She complained that life was unfair to her.

B．She started to appreciate and enjoy the small things in life.

C．She tried her best to look for the best doctors.

D．She repeatedly blogged how painful it was.

3. What does the underlined word "this" refer to in the passage?

A．Writing a blog	B．Eating healthy food
C．Talking with family	D．Being grateful for life

4. What message does the passage mainly convey?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B．Gratitude has the power of lifting people's spirits.

C．Health is the most important thing for people.

D．Families will always be there no matter what happens.

【推荐3】When I was nine years old, I loved to go fishing with my dad. But the only thing that wasn’t very fun about it was that he could catch many fish while I couldn’t catch anything. I usually got pretty upset and kept asking him why. He always answered, "Son, if you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish." I remember being even more upset then because, "I’m not a fish!" I didn’t know how to think like a fish. Besides, I reasoned, how could what I think influence what a fish does?

As I got a little older I began to understand what my dad really meant. So, I read some books on fish. And I even joined the local fishing club and started attending the monthly meetings. I learned that a fish is a cold-blooded animal and therefore is very sensitive to water temperature. That is why fish prefer shallow water to deep water because the former is warmer. Besides, water is usually warmer in direct sunlight than in the shade. Yet, fish don’t have any eyelids and the sun hurts their eyes... The more I understood fish, the more I became effective at finding and catching them.

When I grew up and entered the business world, I remember hearing my first boss say, "We all need to think like salespeople." But it didn’t completely make sense. My dad never once said, "If you want to catch a fish you need to think like a fisherman." What he said was, "You need to think like a fish." Years later, with great efforts to promote long-term services to people much older and richer than me, I gradually learned what we all need is to think more like customers. It is not an easy job. I will show you how in the following chapters.

1. What did the author’s father really mean?

A．To read about fish.	B．To learn fishing by oneself.
C．To care about fish’s feeling.	D．To study fishing in many ways.

2. According to the author, fish are most likely to be found       .

A．in deep water on sunny days	B．in deep water on cloudy days
C．in shallow water under sunlight	D．in shallow water under waterside trees

3. After entering the business world, the author found________.

A．it easy to think like a customer	B．his father’s fishing advice inspiring
C．his first boss’s sales ideas reasonable	D．it difficult to sell services to poor people

【推荐1】When I was 6, my elder brother brought me to the local BMX(自行车越野) track to ride in a kid’s race for the first time. The hill out of the starting gate looked so scary and step that I backed off. My parents took me back for another try the next week. I fell almost immediately but still managed to win the second place. I’ve loved racing ever since.

I turned pro at 15, which isn’t possible now: You have to be 17 to compete professionally around the time I went pro, BMX became an Olympic sport and I decided to pursue it after high school. I’m the youngest woman with a professional title in the United States.

BMX isn’t judged on tricks or how you handle barriers, but it’s an extreme sport. It’s like horse racing mixed with riding a roller coaster. It starts with a huge burst of speed—I go 40 mph by the time. I’m two and a half seconds out of the gate. Then I try to come out in front of seven competitors at the end of the track, which includes 40-foot jumps. I keep chasing the high that comes from prestart nervousness, big jumps, and that feeling of crossing the finish line first.

Strength and balance are key in competition, so I work out at least five days a week to prepare. I do tons of resistance and agility(灵活) training, both on and off the bike. I also do mental drills with a sports psychologist to make sure I’m focused and confident going into competition. If I make a mistake on the course, I have to move on. Everyone is out to beat me; I need to concentrate on winning so my competitors can’t capitalize on an error and pass me!

I was so proud to win a silver medal at the Olympics in Rio, but I felt I was capable of gold, so that will push me to do better. I’m continually working to reach my potential in the sport. Until I feel completely satisfied, I’ll keep coming back.

1. What do we know about the author?

A．She withdrew from her first BMX race.

B．She became the youngest BMX rider in America.

C．Her parents forced her to turn BMX professional.

D．Her efforts resulted in BMX entering the Olympics.

2. To win the BMX race,the author has to________.

A．jump highest	B．focus on other competitors
C．play tricks	D．keep balanced all the way

3. The underlined phrase “capitalize on” in Paragraph4probably means_________.

A．make up for	B．take advantage of
C．keep an eye on	D．take notice of

4. What qualities have led to the author’s success?

A．Proud and serious.	B．Ambitious and hard-working.
C．Optimistic and generous.	D．Independent and cooperative.

【推荐3】Eleven years ago, the world as I knew it ended. My husband of 19 years was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the course of seven months, Bill went from beating me silly at tennis to needing my help to go to the bathroom. It was the best seven months of my life.

Maybe I don't actually mean that. But it was certainly the time when I felt most alive. I discovered that the minor complaint of an annoying co-worker, or a flat tire pales in comparison with the beauty of sincere laughter, or the smells of a bakery. There were moments of joy; laughter, and tenderness. After Bill's diagnosis and brain surgery, I found clinical trials and talked to doctors in Texas, Pennsylvania,                    and New York. It gave me a sense of purpose.

In the latter days, being Bill's caregiver also meant being fully present for as many moments of every day as possible. During his last weekend, we had dinner together. Later, a relative visited. I noticed that she'd changed her appearance, and not in a good way. It was the kind of thought I'd usually keep to myself. Just then, Bill voiced exactly what I'd been thinking, in that truthful way he had, and I found myself laughing out loud.

I thought I could look after this man forever. However, he would be dead in four days.

Eleven years later, I haven't started a foundation to cure cancer. I haven't left the news business to get a medical degree. But every day, I try to again be the person I became during those seven months. I try to be a little less judgmental, a little more forgiving and generous. I am a better person for having been Bill's caregiver. It was his last, best gift to me.

1. What is true about her husband?

A．He was a poor tennis player.

B．He had to talk to doctors in different cities.

C．His brain didn't function well because of the surgery.

D．He had to be accompanied mostly during his illness.

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

A．Proves unavoidable.	B．Seems less important.
C．Turns whiter than usual.	D．Becomes more significant.

3. What is the best title of the passage?

A．A Caregiver's Hard Work	B．My Loving Husband
C．The Best Time of My Life	D．The Greatest Gift to Me

【推荐2】Papa’s jaw dropped when Mama told him that Sister had cheated on her final exams—not to succeed but to fail. “It’s unbelievable!” he said. “Sister has always been so proud of her good grades!”

“Yes, she has,” said Mama. “But it’s not unbelievable. It just shows how badly she wanted off the swimming team.”

“Wanted off the swimming team?” said Papa. “She never said anything about that to me.”

“Of course she didn’t,” said Mama. “She was afraid you’d blow your top. You already had her getting a swimming scholarship to college and winning gold medals at the Olympics. Can you imagine how much pressure she must have felt? For her, being on the team couldn’t have been much fun.”

“Oh, my gosh!” Papa said, clapping a hand to his forehead. “I’ve been so stupid! I just thought she’d want to be a champion swimmer because she’s so good at it.”

“It’s like anything else, dear,” said Mama. “No matter how good at it you are, if it stops being fun, you won’t want to do it anymore.”

Papa put his head in his hands.

“She must be really mad at me,” he mumbled. “Maybe I should say sorry to her.”

Sister’s footsteps could be heard on the stairs. She came into the kitchen and looked hopefully up at her parents.

“Honey,” said Mama with a smile, “your papa and I have decided that there’s no reason for you to be on the swimming team if you don’t want to.”

Sister’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Yippee!” she cried.

“And,” added Papa, “there’s no need for any more drills. I’m sure you’ll bring your grades back up all by yourself.”

Sister ran to Papa and jumped into his arms. She gave him a big hug. “I’m going to go play cards with Lizzy!” she said. “See you later!”

From the kitchen window, Mama and Papa watched their daughter run down the sunny road toward Lizzy’s house.

“It’s good to see her happy again,” said Mama.

“It sure is,” Papa agreed. “As for the swimming team, there’s always next year.” “If?” Mama prompted him.

“Oh, right,” said Papa. “If she wants to.”

Mama smiled. “At least you’re learning, dear,” she said. She kissed him. “Well, you know what they say,” Papa said. “Better late than never.”

1. The underlined expression “blow your top” probably means     .

A．change your opinion	B．become very excited
C．get very angry	D．fall down with fear

2. Mama insisted that the child should do     .

A．what she was willing to	B．what she felt easy to
C．what she was able to	D．what she felt right to

3. Which of the following words best describes Papa?

A．Cruel but reasonable.	B．Crazy but confident.
C．Stubborn but honest.	D．Ambitious but considerate.

4. What message does the passage want to convey?

A．It is easier to say something than to do it.

B．Health is better than wealth.

C．It’s never too late if you really want to learn and change.

D．To do something is better than to do nothing.