【推荐1】The world can be a scary place when you’re young. It can be even scarier when you’re a young little blue penguin（企鹅），the world’s smallest penguin.

Luckily, there are some humans willing to help, who stepped in to protect Billy, a blue penguin that appeared on a beach in Christchurch, New Zealand. Spotted on Nov. 29 at Moncks Bay, in Christchurch, the little penguin immediately attracted a small crowd. Jeff Mein Smith saw the crowd while he was bicycling that afternoon, and he hiked home to get his camera. When he returned to the scene, he found that the penguin had received a little sign，reading “Hi,I’m waiting for my mum to come back. DOC （New Zealand’s Department of Conservation） knows I’m here. Please leave me alone. Keep your dog away. Thanks, Billy the baby blue penguin. ’’

Billy, perhaps able to read somehow, or just pleased by all the attention, didn’t wander far from the sign, and some people had set up “a little penguin protection team” to keep the penguin safe, Mein Smith said.

Little blue penguins are primarily found in New Zealand and the southern coast of Australia. The DOC arrived later that afternoon to pick up Billy. “It's unusual for a blue penguin to be out in the open on the beach during the day. Normally they are at sea or in burrows（洞穴）during the day，” Anita Spencer, a DOC official said. “The bird is a female penguin，is around 2 months old and is underweight for its age. It weighs a mere 550grams, less than a standard basketball. A blue penguin should weigh around 900 gram this age. Most little penguins grow up to weigh 1 kilogram，” she added.

Billy was taken to the Christchurch Penguin Rehabilitation Center after being taken from the beach. The center will help the little penguin gain some weight before it allowed to return to the ocean.

1. As for the little penguin in Paragraph 1，how does the author feel?

A．Curious.	B．Crazy.
C．Sympathetic.	D．Satisfied.

2. What did the locals mentioned in the text do to Billy?

A．They took photos of it.

B．They kept away from it.

C．They offered to protect it.

D．They hiked it to the beach.

3. What do we know about Billy?

A．It was abandoned by its mum.

B．It was found on a beach in the morning.

C．It will be kept in DOC before it goes home.

D．It seldom went to the beach in daytime.

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

A．Leaving Me Alone	B．Waiting for My Mum
C．Keeping the Little Penguin	D．Protecting the Little Penguin

【推荐3】Kang Sung-il buys Sancho, his Pomeranian, a toy every business trip and this lunar New Year holiday will dress him up in s new $50 suit to visit ‘grandma’, Kang’s mother. Kang and his wife say children are too expensive and bring too much pressure. Instead they have chosen to shower Sancho with love and gifts.

They are not alone. South Korea’s pet industry is booming, fuelled by the same factors that have made the country’s birth rate, at 1.05 births per woman, the lowest in the world: the high cost of education and housing as well as extremely long working days.

“Social pressures in South Korea are such that parents are required to provider resources for decades from private schooling to art classes,” said Kang a 39 year old manager of a pet funeral home.

On top of education expenses, an average an household must budget roughly 12.8 years of

income to buy a mid-range home, compared to 8.8 years in 2014, data from KB Kookmin Bank shows. Adding to their stress, south Koreans work the third most hours per year among OECD (经合组织) nations, next only to Mexico and costa Rica.

Pet-owning households have rose to 28 percent of all South Korean households in 2018, compared with 18 percent in 2012, government data shows.

That in turn has resulted in a prosperous pet care industry whose offerings include tailored pet diets and high-priced photo shoots. Pet-related startup s are also popular with venture capitalists. The south Korean pet-related industry was worth 2.7 trillion won ($2.4 billion) last year, and that could more than double in size by 2027, according to the Korean Rural Economic Institute.

1. What do the underlined words “his Pomeranian” in paragraph I refer to?

A．His son.	B．His pet.
C．A toy.	D．Sancho’s brother.

2. What may NOT be the result of expensive education and houses along with long working hours?

A．The birth rate in South Korean is the lowest in the world.

B．28 percent of the South Korean families raised pets in 2018.

C．There are more pet-related businesses than before.

D．Parents send their children to private schools.

3. Which of the following may be the service offered in a pet-related industry?

A．Training the pet to be a tailor.	B．Showering the pet with gifts.
C．Taking pictures for customers’ pets.	D．Shooting the pet with a false gun.

4. According to the passage, many people think that giving birth to a baby

A．Costs too much	B．Is a must
C．Is boring	D．Brings happiness

【推荐1】The human population of Sri Lanka is now believed to be over 20 million. As a result, large areas of trees are being turned into farmland, highways are being built, and elephants are being driven out of their habitats. This change causes turmoil, resulting in an increased number of uncontrollable events between elephants and humans.

The good news is that there is one place called the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) in Udawalawe National Park, the main purpose of which is to protect and care for baby elephants. A day at the ETH begins early in the morning when the baby elephants are given their first feeding of milk. During the course of the day, each baby will drink an average of 13 gallons of milk. Older elephants are fed mostly coconut leaves as well as other native plants. Then the elephants are set free to wander in the park.

The ETH spends almost $ 125 ,000 each year on powdered milk for these baby animals. To help pay for food and medical supplies, the ETH has a foster (领养) parent programme. Anyone, even schoolchildren, can help a lot by giving money to care for a baby elephant. Foster parents can name their elephants, take photographs of them, and even help send them back into the wild.

Now visitors are not encouraged to get close to the elephants. The goal of the ETH is for the elephants to return to the wild in the end. It usually takes three years for a baby elephant to be sent back into its natural habitat. This programme helps them return to the wild as members of a herd that will communicate with each other and take care of each other.

1. What does the underlined word “turmoil” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Confusion.

B．Disorder.

C．Pollution.

D．Harmony.

2. What can we learn about the elephants at the ETH?

A．They mainly live on coconut leaves.

B．They are fed separately all the time.

C．They are taken care of by different means.

D．They don’t get along well with other animals.

3. What can you do as a foster parent at the ETH?

A．You can play games with the elephant.

B．You can give the elephant you care for a name.

C．You can take the elephant home for better care.

D．You can visit Udawalawe National Park free of charge.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The future of the elephants.

B．The life of the baby elephants.

C．The process of raising a young elephant.

D．The requirements for being a foster parent.

【推荐2】Dessi Sieburth's love of birds started about six years ago. Now, he has his own group called Protecting Our Birds.Recently,Dessi,14 years old, chatted with TFK about his work and goals for the future.

TFK:

What is Protecting Our Birds?

DESSI：

Birds are citizens of the world, so they need protection. I basically try to do conservation work to help birds get protected throughout the world. I recently wrote an article about a bird called the bartailed godwit(斑尾）.I interviewed a biologist named Nils Warnock, who had studied the bartailed godwit. He expressed the concern about the threat that the bartailed godwit is facing. I wrote an article about his answers to the questions, which is published on the American Birding Association Website.

TFK:

What impelled you to start this project?

DESSI:

When I was eight years old, our class had to do a woodworking project, so I chose a bird feeder(喂食盒). I didn't like birds at the time. I made the feeder, filled it up with seed, put it in my backyard and then the birds started coming. I got really interested in birds as more came. I later got involved in my local Audubon Society, which is devoted to conserving and restoring natural ecosystems. It really got me into birds and I realized bird populations were declining, and many are becoming endangered quite rapidly. I wanted to help them, so I started the project.

TFK:

What are some future projects you plan to work on?

DESSI：

I live in L.A., where there are a lot of parrots. Most of the parrots' native range is in Mexico, but they’re really declining there because of habitat loss. I want to study the parrots and help them in their native range in Mexico, so they can start increasing again.

TFK:

How can people learn more about Protecting Our Birds and the work you're doing?

DESSI：

I have a website. It's my free website about protecting our birds. There people can learn about what I do and how to help birds.

1. What's Nils Warnock's attitude to the bartailed godwit?

A．Worried.	B．Changing.
C．Uncertain.	D．Optimistic.

2. When did Dessi start his project “Protecting Our Birds”?

A．After he prepared a feeder for birds.

B．After he interviewed Nils Warnock.

C．After he studied parrots in Mexico.

D．After he joined a local association.

3. What will Dessi probably do next?

A．Write articles about birds in danger.

B．Help parrots losing the natural home.

C．Set up a website to teach how to help birds.

D．Recreate his own conservation organization.

【推荐3】Sasha Olsen went on a trip last summer with her family to Vietnam and Japan. She was frightened at the ocean’s pollution levels and dying sea animals.

“We went on this trip and I was so excited,” said Sasha. She is 10 years old and lives in Bal Harbour, Florida. “But when I saw the way the oceans had become, I got anxious. I wanted to know why things were this way but couldn’t find an answer.”

When she returned home to Bal Harbour, she grew even more disturbed. She learned how some of the beaches in South Florida had been closed by The Health Department because the water had too much bacteria in it.

Sasha sought the help of her cousin, Narmina Aliyev. Aliyev is 23 years old and a recent graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in business. Together, they started a nonprofit Iwantmyoceanback in October.

Originally, the group started small, with friends coming together on the weekends to clean the beaches in Bal Harbour. Recently, however, I want my ocean back has hosted events to raise funds for beach cleanups and to donate to conservation groups such as the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Oceana and World Wildlife Fund, Aliyev said.

In January, Sasha organized “Kids Heal the Oceans” at Bal Harbour beach. There, she spoke about the oceans’ problems and guests made art out of microplastics gathered from the beach cleanup. “At first, our guests were a little shy, but now they’ve felt inspired to speak up! Sasha has inspired many other kids to join Iwantmyoceanback and show people that we’re able to make a change if we come together,” Aliyev said.

On February 16, the group threw a Plastic-Free Party. The party involved a beach cleanup and guests creating art from the plastic trash they collect. “It’s important to bring awareness not just through doing cleanups and meetings, but to show people they can come together through their hobbies and working together to a common goal,” said Sasha.

1. What does the underlined word “disturbed” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Disappointed.

B．Excited.

C．Nervous.

D．Anxious.

2. Why were some of the beaches in South Florida closed?

A．The water was not safe.	B．There was sea research recently.
C．There were many dying sea animals.	D．There were many plastics on the beach.

3. What does Narmina Aliyev major in?

A．Art.

B．Environmental protection.

C．Business.

D．Fishing.

4. Who joined Sasha in cleaning up the beach at first?

A．Sasha’s friends.	B．Kids loving oceans.
C．Members of some conservation groups.	D．Graduates from Nova Southeastern University.

【推荐1】Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.

“I would never have said to my mom, Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”

Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in different orbits (轨道).

Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent-child activities, from shopping to sports, involve (包含) a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.

No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”

But family experts warn that the new equality (平等) can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority (权威) on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”

Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these changing roles and attitudes. They see the1960s, as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic (民主) process that encourages everyone to have a say.

“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily achieved by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”

1. The underlined word “gulf” in Para. 3 most probably means ________.

A．difference

B．problem

C．interest

D．closeness

2. Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?

A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.

B．Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities.

C．Parents and children talk less about sex and drugs.

D．Parents share more interests with their children.

3. What is the change in today’s parent-child relationship?

A．Less confusion among parents.

B．New equality between parents and children.

C．More respect for parents from children.

D．More strictness and authority on the part of parents.

4. The purpose of the passage is to ________.

A．describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with

B．discuss the change of the parent-child relationship

C．suggest the ways to handle the parent-child relationship

D．stress the importance of parent-child relationship

【推荐2】People who often eat nuts appear to live longer, according to the latest study of its kind. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggested the greatest benefit was in those eating them on their daily diet.

Eating nuts was linked to a healthier lifestyle including being less likely to smoke or be overweight and more likely to exercise. The British Heart Foundation said more research was needed to prove the link. “While this is an interesting link, we need further research to make sure if it’s the nuts that protect heart health, or other sides of people’s lifestyle.”

The study followed nearly 120,000 people for 30 years. The more regularly people ate nuts, the less likely they were to die during the study. People eating nuts once a week were 11% less likely to have died during the study than those who never ate nuts. Lead researcher Dr. Charles Fuchs, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said, “The most obvious benefit was a decrease of 29% in deaths from heart disease, but we also saw a significant reduction — 11% — in the danger of dying from cancer.”

They suggest nuts are lowering cholesterol (胆固醇), and insulin resistance (胰岛素抗性). Nuts contain unsaturated fat (不饱和脂肪), protein (蛋白质) and several kinds of vitamins and minerals and they can take the place of snacks like chocolate bars, cakes and biscuits.

Victoria Taylor, senior expert at the British Heart Foundation, said, “This study shows a close connection between regularly eating a small handful of nuts and a lower risk of death from heart disease.” Choosing plain, unsalted foods rather than sweet, salted, or chocolate-covered will keep your salt and sugar intake down.

1. According to the passage, what kind of people benefit most from eating nuts?

A．Those who eat most nuts at a time.

B．Those who eat most nuts.

C．Those who eat nuts on their daily diet.

D．Those who eat less nuts.

2. Which kind of disease had a most decrease for regular nuts eater?

A．Cancer.

B．Heart disease.

C．Stomach disease.

D．Unknown.

3. Which section should the passage be taken from the newspaper?

A．Science section.

B．Health section.

C．Entertainment section.

D．Tech section.

【推荐3】It is very common that many students complain they lack concentration. For example ,“I can’t concentrate.” “My mind wanders when I try to study.”

We all have the ability to concentrate. Think of the times when you were attracted to a super novel or the times when you were playing your guitar or piano. But at other times your mind races from one thing to another. Here are some tips.

Rest from time to time. Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that’s about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But that’s just an average. Your concentration time might be shorter (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes). When you take a break, you get more oxygen to your brain! When we sit for long periods, blood tends to be pooled in our lower body and legs. Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you can concentrate better.

If you study one subject for a long time, you may find it hard to concentrate. Many students improve their concentration by changing one subject to another every one to two hours. In this way you can pay more attention to something that’s different.

Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you’ve completed a task. The task might be small, such as staying with a difficult paper until you’ve finished. But giving yourself a reward can help you be more interested in doing other tasks.

Increase your activity level. Your concentration wanders more easily if you just read an article straight through. Instead, take the heading for each part and turn it into a question. For this part, that would be, “How can I increase my activity level while studying?” Then study that part to answer that question. Do this routinely. The questions give us a focus for each part and increase our involvement (参与).

1. According to Paragraph 3, what’s the purpose of walking around?

A．To help us stay fit.

B．To provide the brain with more oxygen

C．To benefit our lower body.

D．To increase our concentration time to 90 minutes.

2. What’s the best title for Paragraph 4?

A．Study for one hour each time.

B．Do something difficult.

C．Change subjects.

D．Study in different ways.

3. In the last paragraph, the writer suggests that______.

A．we just read the heading of some articles

B．we do our best to read an article straight through

C．we ask other people questions about the article we are reading

D．we ask ourselves questions about what we are reading

4. The writer wrote the passage to______.

A．encourage us to try to concentrate

B．give us the reasons for a lack of concentration

C．teach us how to concentrate while studying

D．list the benefits we can get from concentration