【推荐1】Have you ever heard of a Cucamelon? If not, you’re missing out on the cutest fruit on earth!

Cucamelons look like baby watermelons and taste like cucumbers mixed with lemon.     1     You can grow them in a pot, plastic bag or directly into a garden. These plants are fast growers and have a maturity of 80 days, which means you can grow them when it starts to get colder, too.     2     You’d have to look online and purchase them. Generally speaking, you can receive them within 7 days.

If you choose to plant them directly into your garden, you can plant them as soon as the chance of frost is gone.     3     You can put wood sticks into the ground for the roots to grow on, or use bamboo sticks as an alternative. After your first season of growing Cucamelons, you’ll notice that the root is very long. You can dig up these roots and store them in a cool, dry place and re-pot them at the start of the next growing season.     4     It will be a big harvest! By the way, you can use Cucamelons in food dishes or in drinks. The thought sounds pretty excellent!

    5     Your neighbors might even feel inspired to grow Cucamelons themselves!

A．This means you can eat fruit all the year round.

B．However, you won’t find these seeds in a store.

C．They’ll need a lot of water and a little support with growing.

D．They’re from Mexico and are known as “Sandíitas de Raton”.

E．That’s because the young plants can’t stand the cold weather.

F．If you’re looking for a new, exciting fruit to try out, try Cucamelons!

G．This will give you ten times as many Cucamelons the next time around!

【推荐2】“Come on! All of us are cutting (逃课) maths. Who wants to go to take that quiz? We’re going to take a walk and get lunch instead. Let’s go!” says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go to maths class, take the quiz and all? Or do you give in and go with him?

People who are at your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act and get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure. It’s something everyone has to deal with — even adults.

Peers influence your life, even if you don’t realize it, just by spending time with you. You learn from them, and they learn from you. It’s only human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.

Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system, or you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone is reading it. Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them.

It’s difficult to say “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and what is wrong can help you know what is the right thing you should do.

It can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who is willing to say “no” too. If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle it, talk to someone you trust — a parent, or a teacher. They can help you feel much better and prepare you for the next time you face peer pressure.

1. According to the first paragraph, what is the kid doing?

A．Encouraging other kids to cut class.

B．Making an announcement about a dinner party.

C．Planning some interesting activities after school.

D．Persuading kids to take a quiz with him.

2. What can be known according to the author?

A．For kids, peer pressure may do more harm than good.

B．Kids today are under greater pressure than before.

C．Peer pressure exists among people of all age groups.

D．Maths is the most difficult subject for most kids.

3. What is suggested to the readers in the last paragraph?

A．Learning to refuse their friends in a polite way.

B．Getting support from someone else if necessary.

C．Making more close friends while at school.

D．Building closer relations with their parents and teachers.

4. Whom is the text probably written for?

A．The parents.	B．The teachers.
C．The friends.	D．The students.

【推荐3】Plogging

Plogging is a new way to jog while cleaning up the planet. It's a craze that began in Sweden in 2016 and the motivation behind it includes reducing the load of plastic litter in our environment, as well as keeping fit while running.     1    If you love outdoor exercise, enjoy exercising with others, and care about removing litter from our environment, then this might just be the sport for you.

Make good preparations before plogging. Dress suitably for the environment in which you are running. This will vary depending on the weather and surroundings, but the basics are comfortable running clothes and closed-toe running shoes. Suitable gloves are a wise and useful addition, as picking up litter can be dangerous in some situations.     2    This might be a standard trash bag, easy to carry and capable of containing litter that might have sharp edges.

Organize your plogging group. If you're lucky enough to have ploggers already in your area, seek them out. Join up and make new friends with a shared interest. Check out such meeting groups at Meetup or ask at a local sports store to find out what opportunities exist where you live. If you don't have a group, create one. Use social media, notices on bulletin boards, or place signs in the windows of sports stores to find fellow ploggers.     3    

Collect safely. One key suggestion for staying safe while collecting litter is to avoid picking up broken glass or sharp items. If you must collect such an item, only do so when you can find a very safe way to collect it without harming yourself. If in doubt, leave it and get better equipment to remove it.     4    If an item of litter presents a potential safety risk, try to mark the item clearly to encourage people to avoid it.

    5     It is a way of combining individual achievement via exercise with community and environmental care. You're part of the growing movement of people who are giving back to the world at the same time as honoring self care, a sustainable and healthy way to balance your life. This could be a fantastic opportunity to show people that individual action makes a big difference.

A．Taking some photos during the process is also necessary.

B．You can also ask for assistance from the local authorities.

C．Usually performed as part of a group run, it's also a social exercise.

D．You also need to find a suitable carry bag for collecting the litter in.

E．Plogging is a great way to feel motivated as it has more than one benefit.

F．If you find a natural area with litter problem, this might be a suitable place.

G．With some advertising effort, you are likely to connect with a few interested people.

【推荐2】At times we can all get angry when we are driving. It might be because we are stuck in a traffic jam or caught behind a very slow driver. It might also be because we think another driver has done something very stupid and dangerous. Whatever the reason, it seems that getting angry in a car is something that happens more and more often and there is now a special term for it: 'road rage'.

Some experts even think that road rage is a kind of mental illness! How can we recognize this＇illness' of road rage?

There are two kinds of road rage: aggressive driving and aggressive reactions to the way other people are driving. Aggressive driving can take different forms:

＊Driving much faster than the speed limit.

＊Increasing your speed very quickly.

＊Driving very close behind the car in front and sounding the horn(喇叭） or flashing the headlights.

＊Changing lanes(车道）very abruptly and blocking another car.

＊Moving into a parking space where another car is trying to park.

There are also different reactions to the way other people are driving. These include:

＊Making rude signs at people.

＊Shouting at people and threatening them.

＊ Deliberately driving into another person's car.

＊Hitting somebody.

＊Using a weapon such as baseball bat, or even a gun or a knife.

Road rage is certainly not a joke. There have been incidents of road rage which have led to serious injuries and even attempted murders. Experts think that one reason for road rage is that films show a lot of examples of fast and aggressive driving such as car chases where this kind of driving seems to be positive. Experts also think that the punishments for dangerous driving are not serious enough.

Experience shows that driving problems can be controlled, but it takes a long time. In the UK in the last 30 years, the police have been quite successful in reducing the number of people who drink and drive. They are now working to stop people using mobile phones when they are driving. Let's hope they can have the same success with road rage.

1. Which of the following statements does NOT describe aggressive driving?

A．Driving much faster than the speed limit.

B．Changing lanes very suddenly and blocking another car.

C．Moving into a parking space where another car is trying to park.

D．Drinking and driving.

2. Which of the following statements does NOT describe aggressive reactions to the way other people are driving?

A．Making rude signs at pedestrians.

B．Shouting at people and threatening them.

C．Hitting somebody.

D．Shooting at somebody.

3. Road rage happens possibly because

A．the drivers are drunk

B．the punishments are not serious enough

C．We're in a fast-changing society

D．it won't cause serious injuries or death

4. What's the tone of the last paragraph?

A．Sad.

B．Optimistic.

C．Cold.

D．Exciting.