【推荐1】Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”

Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real talk I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice---flipping(掷) a coin. Heads--the commander, the tails-- the peanuts guy.Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.

Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?

Obviously, my grade was awful. Disheartened but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No new grades. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I devoted myself to my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the six grade. Justice is sweet!

1. What did the author’s classmates think about his report?

A．Controversial (有争议的)

B．Ridiculous

C．Challenging

D．Boring

2. Why was the author confused about the task?

A．He followed the advice and flipped a coin

B．He was unfamiliar with American history

C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction

D．He was new at the school.

3. The underlined word“burning” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．eager

B．ready

C．ashamed

D．annoyed

4. In the end, the author turned things around ________

A．under the guidance of his headmaster	B．by redoing his task
C．through his own efforts	D．with the hep of his grandfather

【推荐2】Way back in 1953, high school mathematics looked like a big problem for me and several of my classmates. When we reached the 9th grade, we got Mr.Iyer, the strict math teacher who was also our class teacher. He always stuck to his discipline. We had to arrive on time, pay attention to his lectures, and never neglect (忽视) any of his homework.

As he was our class teacher, we got to know him better. Noticing some of us were fidgety one day as the midterm exams approached, he stopped solving a mathematical problem to ask us why. “There’s too much to do,” we sighed. “We’re afraid we’ll never manage to finish our review before the exams.”

“Nothing is impossible,” Mr.Iyer told us. “This classroom is on the second floor. Do you have trouble reaching here?”

We reacted with blank (茫然的) eyes.

“No, you don’t!” he said, answering his own question. “You have a staircase to help you climb up to this level. No one expects you to make it in two giant leaps. You simply take one step at a time. Any task can be solved if you focus on the next action to be taken. The rest will take care of itself, if you keep at it. One step at a time. That’s the secret.”

Then he wrote down an old motto on the blackboard: “The longest journey starts with a single step.” Having heard his staircase analogy (比拟), we saw him in a new light.

Most of my classmates scored distinctions (优等评分) in math. And I went on to become an English teacher. To this day, whenever I pass on Mr. Iyer’s invaluable advice to my own students, they brighten up at the sight of a lighter academic burden.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Math was difficult for most of the author’s classmates.

B．The students thought Mr.Iyer was not a good teacher.

C．Mr.Iyer was serious about his job and strict with the students.

D．Mr.Iyer would punish the students neglecting his discipline.

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

A．Hard-working.

B．Nervous.

C．Excited.

D．Calm.

3. Why did the students react with blank eyes?

A．They thought reaching the second floor had no connection with the worry.

B．They were too tired to understand any words Mr.Iyer said in class.

C．They were surprised that Mr.Iyer would talk about such an unbelievable problem.

D．They had no interest in any subjects that were no good for their exams.

4. The staircase analogy tells us________.

A．one can reach his goals very easily

B．the goals can be reached step by step

C．there is only one step between success and failure

D．tasks can be achieved with the help of the teacher

【推荐3】Many high school student want to know the differences between the school life in high schools and universities. In order to help them get ready for the life in the university, three college students are invited to share their school life and give advice to high school students.

●Huang Jing (Guangxi)

High school: I lived with my parents. I waked to school every day because it was near my home.

University: I have to live in a dormitory (宿舍) with four roommates.

Learn to take good care of yourself.

●Lu Qiang (Hubei)

High school: I spent most of the time having classes and doing my homework.

University: I have more time to learn what I’m interested in.

Form the habit of learning by yourself.

●Yan Tingli (Zhejiang)

High school: I didn’t like PE classes at all and I seldom did sports.

University: PE classes are very important to us. We have to pass the PE tests to graduate. Do sports regularly.

1. Where is Huang Jing from?

A．Guangxi.

B．Hubei.

C．Zhejiang.

D．Anhui.

2. What is Lu Qiang’s advice?

A．Taking an active part in some social activities.

B．Forming the habit of learning by yourself.

C．Taking care of yourself.

D．Doing sports regularly.

3. Who didn’t like PE classes in high school?

A．Huang Jing.

B．Lu Qiang.

C．Yan Tingli

D．Zhong Zhi.

【推荐1】Some people are so rude. Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says “Thank you”? Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you?     1     Don’t these people realize that they’re wasting your time?

Maybe I’m the rude one for not appreciating life’s little courtesies (礼节). But many social norms (规范) just don’t make sense to people drowning in digital communication.

Take the thank-you note. Daniel Post Senning, a coauthor of Emily Post’s Etiquette, asked, “At what point does showing appreciation outweigh the cost?”

    2     Think of how long it takes to listen to one of those messages. In texts, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say hello. E-mail, too, is slower than a text. The worst are those who leave a voice mail and then send an e-mail message to tell you they left a voice mail.

This isn’t the first time technology has changed our manners.     3     Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, suggested that people say, “Ahoy!” Finally, hello won out, and the victory sped up the greeting’s use in face-to-face communications.

In the age of the smart phone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business’s phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, or an office, which can be easily found on a digital map. But people still ask these things.     4    

How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message.     5     In traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here’s hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do.

A．Then there is voice mail.

B．Others, like me, want no reply.

C．Who asks for a fact easily found on the Internet?

D．Won’t new technology bring about changes in our daily life?

E．And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail.

F．Face-to-face communication makes comprehension much easier.

G．When the telephone was invented, people didn’t know how to greet a caller.

【推荐2】The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains have developed in this way because threats, like dangerous animal, have a more immediate effect on people's survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you clearly know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?

Research suggests that our level of happiness is partly shaped by the choices we make. If you've been chasing wealth, fame, power and some material things, you may be looking for happiness in the wrong places. Psychologists suggest that the following habits can make people happier.

People who own close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of our friends is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships that bring happiness usually consist of the sharing of feelings, acceptance, mutual respect and trust.

People who exercise regularly can improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as some medicine in treating depression.

If we are so interested in an activity, we may lose track of time, and we can be in a state of flow. The activity could be playing the piano, surfing the Internet or playing a game. People who experience flow in their work or life tend to be happier.

People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and can use them regularly. People are especially happy when they can set goals and use their strengths to achieve them.

People, who think positively by being grateful, mindful and optimistic, are more likely to be happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means considering, focusing on, and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.

1. Human brains remember negative things more easily because negative things_________.

A．tend to affect human survival immediately

B．are much more important than other thing

C．can make people live much happier

D．are easy to remember

2. According to this passage, people may find happiness in______________

A．being famous	B．setting life goals
C．chasing power	D．earning money

3. In the last paragraph, the author tries to tell us to____________.

A．think more about our future

B．focus on everything in our life

C．be positive in our life and work

D．only enjoy the present moment

4. What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A．Why people remember positive things easily.

B．Why people remember negative things easily.

C．What makes people happy.

D．What makes people sad.

【推荐3】Goog morning, Ladies and gentleman. My topic is “________”.

Now in the 21st century, advertising is more and more important for people. Why? I think it is because through advertising, people, especially the businessmen, can introduce their products to the people all over the world. Because of this, many companies spend a lot of money on advertising. As we all know, there are many advertisements which are very interesting and popular. For example, Michael Jordan made an interesting advertisement for Nike. From this you can see how the companies make their products known to the world.   

People can make a lot of money through advertising. It is known that many famous singers and movie stars make money in this way. However, I don’t think this is a good way for them to make money, because they are not the professional advertisers, especially those who advertise in medicine advertisements.

   Nowadays, advertising not only means making the products known, but also means make ourselves known to people around us. Living today, we have to make people believe in us if we want to do important jobs. But how can this be done? We should first let other people know our good side: the good habits and abilities we have. In short, we should always remember to advertise ourselves to others. As I said before, advertising is not only important for companies but also for everyone, for all human beings. This is the most interesting thing about advertising.

1. The best topic to fill in the line in the first paragraph is “________”.

A．The Importance of Advertising	B．Making Money through Advertising
C．Advertising Ourselves	D．Advice on Advertisements

2. This passage may be a (an) ________.

A．advertisement

B．story

C．speech

D．report

3. According to the passage, which of the following is not right?

A．Many companies are willing to spend money on advertising.

B．Advertising can make some people rich.

C．People can introduce their products through advertisements.

D．Advertising is not necessary for anyone.

【推荐1】I was surprised to learn the sleeping arrangements at the log home we were sharing with my in-laws (岳父母) for the week — specifically that my young daughter had agreed to sleep in a first-floor bedroom by herself.

As we settled in, we discussed the number of deer we had spotted on our way up to the log home.

“I hope we see a bear or two this week!” my wife shouted.

At bedtime, my wife and I climbed to the upstairs loft, and my in-laws headed for a bedroom on the first floor. We were about to doze off when our daughter appeared with a worried look on her face. She said a bear was scratching at her window. I decided it would be best if I slept downstairs and my daughter shared the loft with my wife. On my way down, I passed my father-in-law; asleep in front of the television. I was in bed only a couple of minutes when I heard a tap ... tap on the window. Something was indeed out there, but it wasn't a bear — at least that’s what I told myself.

Sometime later, I was awakened by a loud, low-pitched growl. I saw a large figure in the door and froze as it inched closer to me. I realized what it was —only after my father-in-law leaned in to give me a kiss. I blurted out in my deepest voice, “It’s David.” My father-in-law jumped back. We both laughed nervously at the awkward moment, and I explained his granddaughter's bedroom switch. I told him that the only thing scarier than a bear attack was Papa Bear coming in to kiss me good-night. He growled in agreement!

1. Why was the author surprised in the beginning?

A．His in-laws were sharing the log home with them.

B．He spotted many deer on the way.

C．His daughter decided to sleep alone.

D．They would have surprise visitors at night

2. Why did his father-in-law give him a kiss?

A．To scare him like a bear.

B．To check on his daughter.

C．To kiss him good night.

D．To embarrass him.

3. What do we know about the author from the last paragraph?

A．Humorous

B．Wise

C．Tolerant

D．Adventurous

【推荐3】The day before yesterday, when Peter’s family were having dinner, Father raised an interesting question, “Was there anything in our past that we feel ashamed of, guilty about, or regretted? Maybe we can find ways to say sorry, or take some action to right any wrongdoing.” This seemed like a very private matter, but Peter thought about it carefully the whole night.

Peter remembered an incident from middle school. In his school, there was a worker, Neil Stone, who none of the kids liked. One night, Peter and two of his classmates decided to play a trick on him. They found a can of red paint, and wrote on the school main road in bright red: Neil Stone is a fool! The next day, the whole school saw these words. Within two hours, Neil had Peter and his two classmates in his office. His classmates said that they had done it but Peter lied and denied the truth.

This morning, Peter went back to his middle school. Neil Stone is still working there. “Sorry, Neil. Do you still remember what happened ten years ago? I want you to know that I did it.” “I knew it!’ Neil laughed. They had a good laugh and a lively discussion. Neil’s closing words were: “Peter, I always felt bad for you because your classmates got it off their mind, and I knew you were carrying it around all these years. I want to thank you for visiting me… for your sake.”

Peter knows that no matter how difficult the situation is, it is never too late to clear up the past and make a fresh start.

1. What did Peter remember doing in middle school?

A．Something helpful.	B．Something unpleasant.
C．Something valuable.	D．Something useful.

2. What color were the words “Neil Stone is a fool!”?

A．Dark blue.	B．Light green.
C．Pure white.	D．Bright red.

3. When did Neil know who wrote the words on the school main road?

A．Ten years ago.	B．The day before yesterday.
C．This morning.	D．Not until Peter told him.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Peter’s family.	B．An unforgettable lesson.
C．It’s never too late to say sorry.	D．An interesting thing in middle school.