【推荐1】Michael is a guy who is always optimistic about life whatever happens.

One day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t understand it. You can’t be positive all the time. How do you do it?”

Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Life is all about choices. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. The bottom line is: It’s your choice how you live life.”

Soon, I left the big company that I had worked in for years to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life.

Several years later, I heard Michael had a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a tower. After l8 hours of operation and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

“The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter,” Michael replied. “Then, lying on the ground, I remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you afraid?” I asked.

Michael smiled, “The doctors and nurses kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the operation room and I saw the expressions on their faces, I got really scared. In their eyes, l read ‘He’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, there was a nurse shouting questions at me,” said Michael. “She asked me if I was allergic(过敏) to anything. ‘Yes,’ I said. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity(重力)!’ Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I’m choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead’.”

Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.

1. The underlined word “optimistic” in Paragraph 1 means ______.

A．devoted

B．generous

C．hopeful

D．reliable

2. When something bad happened, Michael would make a choice to ______.

A．be in a good mood

B．ignore it

C．be sad about it

D．learn from it

3. The following statements are true about Michael Except that ______.

A．Michael left the former company to start his own business.

B．Michael fell off 60 feet from a high place and was seriously injured.

C．Michael was going to have a daughter when he had the accident.

D．Michael survived the 18-hour operation in hospital.

4. Why did Michael say that he was allergic to gravity?

A．Ever since falling down he had become afraid of gravity.

B．He would like to play a joke on the doctors and nurses to make them burst out laughing.

C．He was determined to live and wanted to encourage doctors and nurses.

D．He was sure that he would get through the operation.

5. Which of the following proverbs(格言) can be learned from Michael’s story?

A．A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．It’s so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.

D．If you fail, don’t forget to learn your lesson.

【推荐3】I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice. “Mom, come here! There’s a lady here my size!” The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize. I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?” He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?” “Yes, I have a son,” I answered. “Why are you so little?” he asked. “It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids joked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.
But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have--a great family, nice friends.”
It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.
1. Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A．Because the boy studied the author from head to toe.

B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

C．Because they boy said the author was shorter than him.

D．Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

2. When did the author realize that she was too short?

A．When she grew up.

B．When she began to go to school.

C．When she was 47 years old.

D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

3. Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?

A．doubted	B．decreased
C．remained	D．improved

4. Which is NOT true about the author according to the passage?

A．She suffered lots of discrimination when growing up.

B．She is grateful for what she has.

C．She doesn’t see herself different.

D．She thinks people should be treated equally.

【推荐1】I arrived in the United States on February 6, 1966, but I remember my first day here very clearly. My friend was waiting for me when my plane landed at Kennedy Airport at three o'clock in the afternoon. The weather was very cold and it was snowing, but I was too excited to mind. From the airport, my friend and I took a taxi to my hotel. On the way, I saw the skyline of Manhattan for the first time and I stared in astonishment at the famous skyscrapers and their man-made beauty. My friend helped me unpack at the hotel and then left me because he had to go back to work. He promised to return the next day.

Shortly after my friend had left, I went to a restaurant near the hotel to get something to eat. Because I couldn’t speak a word of English, I couldn’t tell the waiter what I wanted. I was very upset and started to make some gestures, but the waiter didn’t understand me. Finally, I ordered the same thing the man at the next table was eating. After dinner, I started to walk along Broadway until I came to Times Square with its movie theatres, neon lights, and huge crowds of people. I did not feel tired, so I continued to walk around the city. I wanted to see everything on my first day. I knew it was impossible, but I wanted to try.

When I returned to the hotel, I was exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep because I kept hearing the fire and police sirens during the night. I lay awake and thought about New York. It was a very big and interesting city with many tall buildings and big cars, and full of noise and busy people. I also decided right then that I had to learn to speak English.

1. He did not have what he really wanted, because _______.

A．he only made some gestures

B．he did not order at all

C．he could not make himself understood

D．the waiter was unwilling to serve

2. The waiter _______.

A．knew what he ordered

B．finally understood what he said

C．took the order through his gestures

D．served the same thing the man at the next table was having

3. After dinner, he _______.

A．walked back to the hotel right away

B．had a walking tour about the city

C．went to the movies

D．did some shopping on Broadway

4. That night he could not sleep because _______.

A．he did not know what to do the next day

B．he was not tired at all

C．he kept hearing the fire and police sirens

D．he was thinking about the great city

【推荐3】Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in a small village in southern Holland. As a child, he was serious and sensitive. He loved to draw, and his work showed talent, but no one encouraged him to become an artist. Instead, his father thought he should take a job-something like a carpenter. As a young adult, he wandered from job to job with little success and very little money, becoming more depressed with each failure. In March 1880, however, just before his 27^th birthday, something changed inside van Gogh. He realized he was meant to be a painter, and he began to study art in Brussels, receiving money from his brother Theo, which helped him to live.

In 1886, van Gogh moved to Paris, hoping to learn more about color techniques being used by Impressionist (印象派的) artists there. Instead of grays and browns, his work began to use blue and red, and then yellow and orange. Soon he began to see life differently: Go slow. Stop thinking. Look around. You’ll see something beautiful if you open yourself. These were the principles that guide his art. With his innovative (创新的) use of colors, van Gogh wanted to show his viewers how to better appreciate a flower, the night sky, or a person’s face.

Today, people around the world immediately recognize Starry Nights and Sunflowers-both painted in bold, intense colors-as the work of Vincent van Gogh. Probably no other artist, at any time in any culture, has achieved such popularity. His Portrait of Dr. Gachet sold in 1990 reached more than $80 million, breaking the world record for art pieces. Many of his other works have also sold for millions. Of course, people are buying great art when they purchase his paintings. But they are also buying a piece of his story, which like his work, will live on forever.

1. What can we infer about van Gogh from the first paragraph?

A．He got artistic talent from his father.

B．He showed strange character as a child.

C．He decided to be a painter in adulthood.

D．He received art lessons by working part-time.

2. Why did van Gogh go to Paris in 1886?

A．To see life with a different view.

B．To explore more color techniques.

C．To become an impressionist artist.

D．To show the way of art appreciation.

3. The Portrait of Dr. Gachet is mentioned to show          .

A．van Gogh’s bold use of colors.	B．the painting’s high value.
C．the new record for art pieces.	D．van Gogh’s popularity.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To introduce a great artist.	B．To promote artistic principles.
C．To encourage studies on art.	D．To emphasize the value of art.

【推荐1】When I was in my fourth year of teaching, I was a high school track coach (田径教练). One year, I had a student, John, who changed to our school from Greece, and seemed to be interested in sports, so I encouraged him to join our track team. I explained to him that even though he had never taken part in it before, I did believe that he could do well in any event, and l would be willing to teach him at whichever ones interested him. He accepted the offer, and began to work hard at every practice.

About a month later, I had found out from other ways that John was a first-class tennis player, winning many prizes in his home country. I went to him, asking, “John, I really enjoy that you came out for the track team, but why didn’t you play tennis instead? It seems that would interest you a lot more, since you’re so good at it.”

John answered, “Well, I like tennis, but you told me that you believed in me, and that you thought I could do well in track, so I wanted to try it for that reason.”

From then on, I often remember my student’s reply. I told it to a friend and she suggested I write it down to share somewhere with more teachers. No matter how critical (不满的) students can be of themselves, I’ve found that a simple “I trust that you can do it!” can go a long way!

1. According to Paragraph 1, the author seems to think more about John’s _________.

A．PE marks	B．home country
C．state of health	D．interest in sports

2. Why did John take part in the track team?

A．He was encouraged by his teacher.	B．He had been an excellent runner.
C．He liked running more than tennis.	D．He had no tennis coach to train him.

3. The purpose of this passage is probably to _________.

A．show the importance of encouraging	B．introduce a new way of sports training
C．explain the value of sports and games	D．build a close teacher-student relationship

4. The passage is mainly written for _________.

A．players

B．parents

C．students

D．teachers

【推荐2】A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized (强调) the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.

One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic (适当的话题). “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him. “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it..” Soon I was interrupted again by his words: “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t request you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really!’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.

1. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because _______.

A．English idioms were not important

B．I was not careful with English idioms

C．my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance of them

D．I had no interest in them

2. At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant _______.

A．he was not interested in the topic

B．he was only interested in the Great Wall

C．I had talked too much

D．I had to stop talking

3. The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means _______.

A．interesting

B．important

C．terrible

D．unlucky

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage？

A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall.

B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.

C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.

D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.

【推荐3】One morning when I was 11, I explored the town’s abandoned round grain barn（谷仓）. I found a chained sliding door that was wide enough for me to pass through.

Inside, there was a heavy smell of dead mice in the dark. After my eyes adjusted, I noticed a shaft (升降机井) that rose all the way to the top of the barn. On one side was a one-man elevator with a long rope and roller.

I stepped onto the platform and gave the rope a drag and the elevator began sliding up the shaft, but stopped halfway. After a brief panic attack, I noticed holes in the wall at regular intervals, forming a ladder. For reasons known only to an 11-year-old, I decided it would be better to go up than down. So, with shaking hands, I began climbing the wall.

After what seemed like forever, I reached the top of the shaft. I stood up, dusted myself off and found…absolutely nothing of interest. It was just an empty room with a ladder leading up to the roof. I climbed all the way up here for this? Then I noticed a fire extinguisher（灭火器）,which I’d always wanted to shoot off. So this was the chance of a lifetime. I tried it, and, much to my surprise, the thing worked! It shot out a thick cloud of powder that instantly filled the room. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to choke to death, and they’d probably never even find my body.

Luckily, I remembered the ladder to the roof. I climbed up, popped the straw roof and saw a bright blue sky.

I suddenly realized the dust and powder pouring out of the top could draw attention. So when the dust had settled, I climbed down and slipped out of the chained door. I’m not sure if I was more excited about being alive or about not being caught, but I ran all the way back home.

1. When the author got inside the barn, he _______.

A．noticed a man on the elevator

B．opened the chained sliding door

C．saw many dead mice in the dark

D．found a shaft leading to the top

2. Which of the following is the right order of the author’s adventure?
a. The elevator stopped halfway.
b. He entered the round grain barn.
c. He climbed to the top of the shaft.
d. He found a fire extinguisher and shot it off.

A．b-a-c-d	B．b-c-a-d
C．b-a-d-c	D．b-c-a-d

3. After getting out of the chained door, the author might feel _______.

A．inspired	B．relieved
C．surprised	D．disappointed

4. From the passage, we can learn that the author was probably a boy full of _______.

A．passions	B．dreams
C．curiosity	D．imagination