【推荐1】Like Indiana Jones (a fictional character), who undertakes daring adventures in his spare time, my father is a businessman by day and a thrill-seeker by night.

His enthusiasm rubbed off on me, and I have been lucky to be his companion on many adventures. We started out by riding America’s fastest, most twisted roller coasters. After that a whitewater rafting trip through the Grand Canyon（峡谷）on the Colorado River started our search for other extreme thrills across the globe.

Amazing thrills awaited us at every corner of the world. Skydiving was especially thrilling when performed from a helicopter over the breathtaking Swiss Alps. We have bungee jumped from the world’s highest platform, Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa. Most recently, in Interlaken, Switzerland, we attempted canyoning（溪降运动）.

Anyone who loves a challenging thrill should try canyoning. Our adventure began with a 90-foot rope down a canyon wall into a rushing ice-cold river. Then we crossed the bone-chilling water toward the mouth of the river, our final destination, where the reward for the journey would be a whole view of the beautiful Interlaken basin. We slid over slippery rocks at one moment, jumped from waterfalls and swam through underwater tunnels the next. Back and forth we alternated, climbing rope ladders before going back into the fresh mountain water. Certainly, danger was waiting for us in each of these activities, but that very danger provided the rush. Canyoning was indeed one thrill after another, from beginning to end.

While canyoning is possible only in certain places, thrills and adventure can be found anywhere. Our beginnings in the U.S. showed us just that. We continue to seek the big thrills, but in doing so, we have learned to seek lesser excitement in daily life as well. After all, we can’t go canyoning every day, and small thrills are better than none for us thrill-seekers.

1. What do we know about the author’s father?

A．He is a very successful businessman.

B．He is doing a part-time job.

C．He likes Indiana Jones very much.

D．He enjoys experiencing adventures.

2. What does the underlined phrase “rubbed off on” mean in paragraph 2?

A．relate to	B．keep off
C．affect	D．confuse

3. What did the author and his father do when attempting canyoning?

A．Jumped down from waterfalls and swam across the icy water.

B．Jumped down a canyon river and crossed it.

C．Climbed over a rope ladder and swam through underwater tunnels.

D．Climbed down a canyon wall and swam across the rushing icy river.

4. What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Small thrills in daily life are worth a try as well.

B．We had better go abroad to experience canyoning.

C．Canyoning is not suitable for everyone.

D．America is the most proper place to experience adventures.

【推荐2】One spring, when I was 10, during one of my father’s layoffs (失业), I could tell my mother was unhappy. I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother’s Day gift.

One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins, which, I learned years later, was known for its high-end fashions (时尚) and styles. I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins, telling her I was looking for a Mother’s Day present.

“Do you think she’d like a purse?” she asked. I told her. I thought she might.

She took out an Italian handbag made of leather. She asked me what I thought, and I told her that my mom would like it.

“How much money do you have?” she asked.

“Twelve dollars,” I said.

“You’re in luck,” she told me. “It’s only $11. You have a dollar left over for the card.” She gift-wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business, and I rode off home with the package under my arm.

When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning, she asked in an accusing tone, “Where did you get this?”

“I bought it at the Agins. It cost me $11.” I said.

My mother was shocked into silence.

It wasn’t until many years later, when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars, that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me. I always felt bad that I never had a chance to properly thank her.

“You know, my son, what really amazes me to this day,” my mother said, “Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough. But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that I’ll never forget.”

1. The author bought his mother a purse to ________.

A．surprise his mother	B．make his mother happy
C．show his ability of making money	D．thank his mother for buying him a bike

2. Why was the author’s mother shocked into silence?

A．She wasn’t expecting a gift from her son.

B．The purse was bought from the Agins.

C．The author bought a card to go with the purse.

D．The Agins charged so little money for the purse.

3. Sylvia Agins’ behavior shows that________.

A．she is good at making money	B．she is kind and thoughtful
C．she knows how to choose presents	D．she is critical and mean

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．An Unforgettable Event	B．A Considerate Mother
C．A Priceless Mother’s Day Gift	D．A Kind-hearted Shop Owner

【推荐3】In my opinion, my mother has the ability to do anything, especially chores such as ironing and cooking. However, teaching her how to use the Internet is as frustrating as untangling (解开) wires.

Once, my mother came to me to ask for help on how to find a recipe for all-beef Lasagna. I gave her very simple verbal instructions—go to the home page of a particular search engine and type in “recipe for all-beef Lasagna.” Fifteen minutes later, she came to me, telling me that she was unable to find the Internet icon. I went over to the computer and pointed out the icon to her.

Another fifteen minutes went by when I felt a tap on my shoulder. This time, my mother said that she was unable to search for the particular recipe. Gritting (咬) my teeth, I walked to her room again. I saw that she had typed “all beef La saga” instead. With frustrated strokes, I keyed in the correct spelling.

Yet another fifteen minutes went by again when my mother gingerly tapped my shoulder. I stormed next door without bothering to hide my frustration. The main page of the website had not shifted one bit. I then realized that she did not know how to scroll(滚动屏幕) down the page. What had initially seemed like an easy task was turning out to be an intense one.

To avoid being disturbed again, I decided to find the recipe for her. Without a word, I rapidly downloaded a few recipes, printed them out and passed them to my mother. However, seeing her embarrassment, I began to regret my impatience.

At that moment, memories flashed through my mind. When I was young, my mother endured my endless questions, enlightening me with much patience. Now that I am older, the roles slowly reverse. As my mother may increasingly need my help, shouldn’t I rethink how to respond to her needs?

1. Why does the author gave her mother very simple instructions at first?

A．Because she was an impatient person.

B．Because she didn’t want to be disturbed.

C．Because she wanted to make them easy to follow.

D．Because she thought it was an easy task to do.

2. How did the author’s mother feel when she got the recipes?

A．Delighted.

B．Embarrassed.

C．Frustrated.

D．Impatient.

3. Which of the following is probably the end of the story?

A．The author becomes more willing to help her mother.

B．The author’s mother becomes more patient to her.

C．The author’s mother doesn’t turn to her for help any more.

D．The author learns more recipes with her mother.

4. What can be a suitable title for this text?

A．It’s never too old to learn.	B．Action speaks louder than words.
C．Patience is the mother of success.	D．Understanding means standing in other’s shoes.

【推荐1】Pete Sparks was a sensitive boy. So sensitive that even his hair was ticklish (怕痒的). You only had to touch his hair a little bit and he would start laughing. When this ticklish laughter started, no one could make him stop.

Pete tried everything to control his ticklishness, but nothing worked. So he began to feel sad for being different.

One day in the street, he met a special clown. The clown was very old and could hardly walk, but when he saw Pete in tears, he went to cheer him up. It didn’t take long to make Pete laugh. Later Pete told him about his ticklish problem, and he asked the clown how such an old man could carry on being a clown. “I have no one to take my place, ”said the clown. “I have a very serious job to do. ”Pete looked at him, surprised. “Come, I’ll show you, ”said the clown. So the clown took Pete to many hospitals full of children who were sick. As soon as they saw the clown, their faces changed completely and lit up with a smile. The short time spent with the clown changed everything for them. That day was even more special, because in every show Pete’s laughter would end up with the kids lying on the floor, dying with laughter. When the visit came to an end, the old clown said to Pete, “Now do you see why I can’t retire, even at my age?”

That was how Pete became a clown, and took the special old man’s place. From that day on, the fact that Pete was different actually made him happy, thanks to his special gift .

1. Pete wanted to change because he wanted to_______.

A．make a difference	B．just be a normal boy
C．make everyone happy	D．just be a special clown

2. The clown took Pete to the hospitals in order to _________.

A．treat his ticklishness	B．encourage him to be a clown
C．show him the meaning of his job	D．know whether Pete had told a lie

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the old clown?

A．He was a sensitive man.	B．He liked his job as a clown.
C．He was unable to make Pete laugh.	D．He knew how to control his ticklishness.

4. What does the story teach us?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Everyone is born useful.
C．Well begun is half done.	D．Where there is life, there is hope.

【推荐3】We moved into a beautiful two-story old house. The house was built in 1956. It was repaired in 2003.

At first, really small things began to happen. They didn’t make me believe that something was wrong, but as time went on, things started becoming stranger and stranger. Early something was missing, and later on it would be found somewhere else. I just thought I had forgotten where I put it, or perhaps my daughter was playing around with things. Then later on I would hear strange sounds when nobody was at home but me. Yet it was an old house, and sometimes old houses did make little noises, so again, I didn’t really mind.

Then things that I couldn’t explain started happening. It was last November and I was at home alone cleaning the house. When I was sweeping the kitchen floor, I felt a very cold wind blowing my hair. I thought the kitchen window must have been opened, but when I checked it, it was closed. The windows were new, and there was no way any cold air came in.

We all felt very strange and moved away from there in October, 2021. I was never really frightened. It was just strange, like something or someone was trying to get my attention or something.

1. The house was built      .

A．in 2021

B．in 1965

C．in 2003

D．in 1956

2. According to the passage, the things that were missing in the old house      .

A．would never be found	B．can’t be explained by the writer
C．would be seen in another place	D．were put somewhere else by the writer

3. At first the writer didn’t mind the strange sounds happened because      .

A．the house was very old	B．someone made them
C．her daughter made them	D．the cold wind was blowing

4. When the writer was sweeping the kitchen floor last November      .

A．lights turned on suddenly

B．a very cold wind blew in from the open window

C．a very cold wind blew her hair

D．the windows were opened

5. What did the writer think of the old house?

A．Strange.

B．Frightened.

C．Surprised.

D．Loving.

【推荐2】阅读下面短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Luke has always been my closest companion these past five years. As you already know, there have been a lot of forest fires during the summer season. Many forests are badly damaged by fire each year. Not far from our shelter, a forest caught fire during this hot summer. We are on July, a heat wave which has been going on for three days.

Luke rushed towards the forest where flames send out a fierce heat. There’s no longer any hope at the moment to wait for Luke to come back to the shelter. In fact, I was waiting for the fire brigade(消防队) to announce me his death in the forest. Suddenly, a fireman burst into my office and informed me that my dog Luke succeeded to save four kittens who were trapped by the flames. According to the fireman, Luke seized the kittens, one by one moving them to a safe place.

I immediately accompanied the fireman to the forest to pick up the rescued kittens. Once on the scene of the incident, Luke was not there. Then we heard the sound of a dog came from the forest barking. I recognized the sound of my dog Luke. The firemen followed the tracks of the dog until they found him barking loudly by the side of an injured fireman who was lying on the ground and desperately waiting for rescue.

Thanks to Luke, four kittens and a fireman were saved. That day, I was very proud of Luke for his two heroic actions. Luke showed much compassion for both animals like him and for a human being who was trying to put out the fire with his colleagues. Truth to tell, my happiness is great and immeasurable.

I paid a visit to the fireman in his house accompanied with my lovely Luke. What a memorable scene when the fireman hugged Luke tightly to his chest! “One thousand thanks, Luke, for saving my life,” the fireman said.

This true story of love and compassion shows us that pets are loving, caring and compassionate. We should love and protect them. Don’t belittle them. Little animals can make enormous things for humans.

1. What happened near the author’s shelter this summer? (no more than 10 words)

_____________________________________________________________

2. What did the author think when Luke rushed towards the burning forest? (no more than 15 words)

_____________________________________________________________

3. Why was Luke heard barking loudly in the forest after picking up the rescued kittens?(no more than 15 words)

_____________________________________________________________

4. What does the underlined “belittle” mean?(no more than 5 words)

_____________________________________________________________

5. How can you describe Luke? Please give your reasons. (no more than 20 words)

_____________________________________________________________

【推荐3】I know what courage looks like. I saw it on a flight I took six years ago, and only now can I speak of it without tears filling my eyes at the memory.

Our flight left the Orlando Airport one Friday morning. But immediately upon the take-off, it was clear that something was wrong. The aircraft was bumping (颠簸) up and down. All the experienced travellers, including me, looked around with knowing (会意的) smiles. If you fly much, you see these things and learn to act calmly about them. However, we did not remain calm for long.

Minutes after we were in the air, our plane began falling quickly. The pilot soon made a serious announcement. “We are having some difficulties,” he said. “Our indicators show that the control system has failed. We will be returning to the Orlando Airport. The flight attendants will prepare you for a bumpy landing. Also, if you look out of the windows, you will see that we are dumping (倾倒) fuel from the airplane. We want to have as little on board as possible in the event of a rough touchdown.” In other words, we were about to crash. Many travellers looked visibly frightened now. No one faces death without fear, I thought.

Then a couple of rows to my left, I heard a still calm voice, a woman’s voice, speaking in an absolutely normal conversational tone. I had to find the source of this voice. All around, people cried. Many screamed. Finally, I saw her. In this state of complete confusion and lack of order, a mother was talking to her child. The woman, in her mid-30s, was staring full into the face of her daughter, who looked to be four years old. The child listened closely, sensing the importance of her mother’s words. The mother’s eye held the child so fixed that she seemed untouched by the sounds of grief and fear around her.

Finally, I leaned over and could hear this soft sure voice with the tone of comfort. Over and over again, the mother said, “I love you so much. Remember, no matter what happens, I love you always.” Fortunately, our landing gear (起落架) held at last and our touchdown was not a tragedy.

However, the voice I heard that day never faded. That mom showed me what a real hero looks like.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The crew was getting ready for a take-off.

B．The travellers were taken good care of on the plane.

C．The aircraft was not in normal condition when flying.

D．The passengers were enjoying themselves on the aircraft.

2. Why were they dumping fuel from the airplane?

A．To prepare for a landing.	B．To have the airplane not bump.
C．To make the airplane to fly faster.	D．To make sure the control system worked well.

3. How was the woman after hearing the pilot’s words?

A．She looked quite angry.	B．She didn’t appear so worried.
C．She felt extremely nervous.	D．She sounded rather hopeless.

4. What do we know about the child on the plane after the announcement was made?

A．She paid attention to her mother’s words.

B．She screamed and cried with other passengers.

C．She comforted her mother after hearing the emergency.

D．She didn’t seem to be interested in what her mother said.